On Friday the 8th of October we filmed our Preliminary task, we got given two posters with fictionary characters doing different actions and having a Dialoge.
The pictures were created in different camera angles and shots, including; extreme long shot, Mid long shots, close ups and over the shoulder shots.
We devided our group into actors, directors and Cameraman.
Then we decided to use the editing studio, to film our sequence.
Everytime we filmed a different shot we would go through the whole sequence with the dialogue in that particular angle or shot.
First practical lesson
On the 17th September we had our first lesson in the Film studio, on the basics of the cameras that we will be using this year.
The cameras we were shown were; Sony NX5, Sony FS100 and a Canon 5D. We were given a basic introduction on how to set them up with the tripod and how to “bubble” the tripod to make sure that it is straight (no on an angle). In addition, how to turn the camera on and off and how to zoom in and out. Also we learned how to focus the zoom and how to get rid of yellow lighting or how to turn the brightness up and down, called exposure in Media terms.
There are three rings around the front of the camera, which are zoom, focus and exposure.
We learnt how to get a clear white shot. Cameras don’t notice colour change very well so to get a clear white rather than a yellow shot, you have to zoom on a white surface and focus on it. Then there is a small button on the left side of the camera called “white balance which corrects the colour and makes it look more like it does in reality.
On thursday the 1st October in our studio lesson, we edited our previously Filmed
sequence. We put together the long, mid long and close up shot to make it one flowing sequence.
We used the programme "Adobe Premiere", on which there is a timeline. On there we edit or trimmour footage into our final video sometimes known as a sequencer or storyboard and where you do the majority of your work. Most programs show both audio and video in the timeline.
The preview screen is where you watch the draft of your movie. It starts out as a black box with play, rewind and stop buttons underneath it.
The Library/Collection is where our imported audio, video, and pictures are sorted in bind. We open up a new bin and copy the different shots and rename them. It allows you to drag and drop them into your timeline for editing. It came with a search function and some labeling tools. We pressed I for in and O for out. At the end of the day we put together our first filmes sequence.
Looking at all the elements of a textual analysis I will look at what genre the film is and who it is targeted towards. The movie, ‘just like heaven’ is directed by Marc Waters. The photo is taken as a mid long shot as a birds eye view and that gives the connotation of them looking into heaven which is linked with the title of the film “Just like heaven”. In the shot you can see two people lying on a field full of orange Gerbera and yellow sun flowers which connotes cheerfulness and in general flowers connote love and are seen as very feminine. The movie is targeted at women, as it is clear that it is going to be linked to a love story and to make it even more worth a watch the movie is starred by very Attractive actors, as the protagonist, Reese Witherspoon is known for romances often linked to comedy.
The focus of the poster lies on the women that is framed in a mid long shot compared to the man who you can only see belly button upwards, therefore the focus of the poster is upon the women as she is the protagonist. Their arms are raised and their hands are closely together but not touching which shows that they have a connection to each other which also suggest that there is hurdle that they have to overcome and which is preventing them to be together, the “almost” touching of the hands makes the audience question if they will ever be able to hold hands. The man is wearing a casual black shirt and the women is more dressed up, in a long skirt and a white top. Both of them are looking up but the man seems very happy and is smiling, which could mean that he is in heaven, because he likes her and as we use the word heaven when something is very good, eg. When you are wearing something very soft, ‘this feels like heaven’, he could mean it linked to their relationship. They are looking directly at the audience, which makes the audience engaged. The lighting is very bright which makes the flowers stand out even more in contrast to the two people whose dark plain clothes stand out. The mans outfit is a big contrast to his facial expression, which is very happy, his black clothing could indicate that he is more of a dark character. There is a tagline, which says “love will bring you back”, this tagline in association with the title “just like heaven” could indicate a fairy-tale linked plot eg. Sleeping beauty, she could maybe be awaking from something deathlike, through the love that is found within the man that she is almost touching. There could be a double meaning in “just like heaven”, because one of them could actually be in heaven but somehow they fall in love and one of them tries to bring the other one back to life- ‘love will bring you back’.
The opening sequence I am analysing, is from the thriller “Submerged”.
At the beginning of the clip there is a slow black fade up combined with a growing audio drone, therefore the audience is intrigued and alerted and it creates an eerie of atmosphere of suspense. After that there is a bright blue light appearing on the screen which then turns out to be the submarine, the two men are sitting in, filmed from the outside. The men see something in the water, which is blurry and unclear, therefore it makes the audience more curious and eager to continue watching the thriller.
The music, which accompanies the mysterious object is slow and high it sounds psychedelic. The room in the submarine is very small and it feels claustrophobic and it makes us, the audience feel like we are in the middle of the action. When the electronic system breaks down, the audience feels trapped in that small room under water with the two men. We stare into the dark trying to figure out what it is that the men are so shocked about and it makes us want to continue watching the thriller.
At the end of this sequence the unclear object turns out to be a sunken ship, this makes the audience feel like we have solved a part of the mystery and make us even more intrigued.
The opening sequence of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a short introduction to the main character. It’s early in the morning and before the main character arrives in a taxi infront of the Tiffany & Co. store, you can hear the soundtrack to “moon river”.
The title of the film is shown in this first sequence where the protagonist is having her breakfast infront of the Tiffanys shop suggesting that is part of her routine and something she enjoys. Her costume is very chic and elegant reflecting the time period of the film, the early 60’s in New York City.
A big factor to why this movie is my favourite, is Audrey Hepburn's incredible Performance, not only is she a style icon from the 20s, but also a very inspirational women being an ambassador of Unicef. She plays a sophisticated yet vulnerable character, which is a very relatable character for women. The Plot of the film is different to many films of that time period and is somewhat unpredictable.
