Film & TV Language: Sound video feedback and learner response

It's always a great pleasure watching your parallel and contrapuntal sound videos. 

When they are done, you'll need to complete the following tasks on your blog:

Video feedback/learner response

Create a new blogpost called 'Sound video feedback and learner response'. Make sure your video is on YouTube and embedded on your blog and then complete the following tasks:

1) Type up your feedback from your teacher.

2) Type up your feedback from fellow students - you can summarise key points if several students give you similar feedback.

3) Now reflect on your work and write your own evaluation of your video. Write a 'What went well' (WWW) paragraph and a paragraph for 'Even Better If' (EBI) underneath the rest of your feedback.

4) Learner response: compare your own video against your evaluation of the top three videos in the class. Whose did you think was best and why? How could you have improved your own video?

5) Finally, what have you learned about the importance of sound to film and TV through this work?

Complete this for homework - due date on Satchel One.

Film & TV Language: Sound analysis tasks

As with every aspect of our Film & TV Language unit, you also have some written analysis to complete for Sound.

If you need the notes on Sound from the lesson, you can find them in your Film Language booklet or on the other blogpost for Sound.

Sound analysis: blog tasks

1) Find a film clip on YouTube that uses sound in an interesting way. Analyse the use of sound, making sure you use the key language we have learned about sound in film:

• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound
• Parallel and contrapuntal sound
• Sound bridges

Remember to discuss/analyse all the different types of sound present in the clip:

• Music
• Dialogue
• Voiceover
• Sound effects

You also need to highlight or put in bold any use of media language.

Complete for homework - due date on Satchel One..

MIGRAIN: Genre

Genre is a crucial concept in media and underpins our understanding of all media texts. 

If you missed the lesson on genre the key notes are here:

Genre: notes

Genres may be identified by the following:

Narrative structures
Plot
Typical situations, characters and relationships

Visual iconography
Mise-en-scene: props, costumes, locations etc.
Cinematography

Ideology and themes
Representations, values and ideologies

Daniel Chandler suggests definitions of genre tend to be based on the notion that they constitute particular conventions of content (such as themes or settings - iconography) and/or form (including structure and style) which are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them.


Genre: institution and audience

Tolson (1996) suggests that genre “mediates between industry and audience”.

Abercrombie suggests that “television producers set out to exploit genre conventions... It... makes sound economic sense.” 

Abercromie adds: “Genres permit the creation and maintenance of a loyal audience which becomes used to seeing programmes within a genre.”

Genres of order and integration

Some theorists (including Schatz) have suggested there are only two genres:

Genres of order: western, gangster, action, sci-fi etc. Identified by hero (dominant; male), setting (contested, unstable), conflict (external; fighting), resolution (death). 

Genres of integration: comedies, musicals, rom-coms etc. 
Identified by heroes (couple or collective); setting (civilised space); conflict (internal; emotional); resolution (love).


Neale: “Repetition and difference”

Steve Neale declares that “genres are instances of repetition and difference” (Neale 1980). He adds:  “Difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre” - mere repetition would not attract an audience.

Buckingham (1993) agrees, suggesting contemporary theory sees genre as dynamic: “Genre is not... simply "given" by the culture: rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change”.

Schatz develops this idea that genres are dynamic and suggests they go through a cycle:

Innovation: genre codes are established
Classical: conventions are repeated
Parody: codes become clichéd and are mocked
Deconstruction: the genre is experimented with to establish new or different conventions

Watch this evolution of the James Bond movie franchise to see how a genre can adapt, innovate and reinvent itself:

Genre: blog tasks

Work through the following tasks on your Exam blog. There is a lot of work here - factsheets to read and questions to answer before carrying out your own in-depth blog case study on a moving image text of your choice.

Task 1: Genre factsheets

Complete the following tasks using the Media Factsheets available on the Media Shared drive. You'll find them in our Media Factsheet archive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets or can access them online using your Greenford Google login here.

Create a new blogpost in your Exam blog called 'Genre blog tasks' and complete the following:

Read Media Factsheet 03 - Genre: Categorising texts and answer the following questions:

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

3) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

4) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

5) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

Read Media Factsheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?


Task 2: Genre analysis case study

Carry out your own genre analysis using the model provided by media theorist Daniel Chandler. Choose a film or TV text and answer the following questions - brief answers/bullet point responses are fine:

General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
2) To what genre did you initially assign the text?
3) What is your experience of this genre?
4) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
5) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
6) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
7) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where - try imdb.com if unsure)?
8) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?
9) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
10) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?
11) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
12) What familiar motifs or images are used?

Mode of address
1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?
2) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?
3) What interests does it assume you have?

Relationship to other texts
1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)? Intertextuality is when a media product references another media text of some kind.
2) In terms of genre, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?
3) What key features are shared by these texts?
4) What major differences do you notice between them?

This is a fair amount of work - but you will have plenty of time to complete it (including lesson time). Anything you don't finish this week in the lesson complete for homework. In total, we think this work will take around 2-3 hours so plan your homework time accordingly.

Due date: on Show my Homework

Film & TV Language: Sound notes and practical task

Our next aspect of film language is crucial: Sound.

A reminder of our notes on Sound:

Sound is incredibly important to our understanding of a film. The music, dialogue and sound effects (SFX) all contribute to the way we appreciate what we are watching on the screen.    

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound

Diegetic sound comes from the world of the film we are watching.  This could include dialogue by characters in the scene or music or other sound that comes from a source we would naturally expect that sound to come from, e.g. a radio or TV.

Non-diegetic sound is added during post production, e.g. voice over or music sound track.

Parallel and contrapuntal sound

Parallel sound is music we would normally expect to hear accompanying a scene, e.g. soft romantic music might be played over a love scene.

Contrapuntal sound is music that we don’t normally associate with the scene we are watching, e.g. classical music played over a bloody fight scene.

Sound bridge

Sometimes you will notice that sound from a scene continues even though the visual image has moved to the next scene. Alternatively, the sound of the following scene may begin before the image changes. This is a called a sound bridge and helps create a smooth transition from one scene to the next.

Practical assignment: parallel and contrapuntal sound video

Complete this video task in pairs - you only need to create ONE video between the two of you but it must be uploaded to YouTube and posted to BOTH of your blogs.

1) Choose a 60 second piece of music - it can be a film score or a song, it is up to you.

2) Using editing software (we recommend using Adobe Premiere Pro so you get more confident using it) produce a one-minute montage of images and videos. Half the images need to be parallel to the music and half need to be contrapuntal. Think carefully about how you can best select images and videos to have a significant impact on the audience. For this task, you do not need to use original images or videos.

3) Upload the finished video to YouTube and embed it in your own blog with a brief description of what you've created. Note: due to videos occasionally being blocked on copyright grounds, please also save the exported video file (e.g. MP4) into your student folder on the M: Media Shared drive.

4) Present your video to the class next week, explaining the thinking behind your work.

Deadline: see Satchel One

Here's an example from a previous year to give you an idea of what to produce:

MIGRAIN: Structuralism

Structuralism is one of the key theoretical perspectives in A Level Media and builds on our work on semiotics.

Structuralism and post-structuralism sound complicated but they don’t need to be - you will already be familiar with aspects of both without realising it.

Structuralism: a definition

Structuralism is a theoretical perspective that emphasises the existence of universal structures underlying the surface differences of media texts. 

For example, the way universal aspects of narrative and genre help us to understand cultural products.

You can find out more here from Tom Nicholas's WTF channel and his introduction to structuralism:

Key theorist: Claude Levi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss argues we are socialised by our culture - we understand the world based on the structures of society and media.

He suggests that media and culture is often based around binary oppositions - a key narrative theory we will return to.

Narrative and genre

Two of the key aspects of structuralism and the media are narrative and genre - the next two topics we will study. 

Another classic structuralist approach is auteur theory - the idea that media producers (e.g. film directors) communicate distinctive visions identifiable by audiences through themes or conventions. 

Post-structuralism: a definition

Post-structuralism questions structuralism's emphasis on fixed meanings and underlying structures, arguing that meaning is fluid, unstable, and shaped by power dynamics and context. 

Post-structuralism challenges the idea of fixed truths, suggesting meaning is polysemic and emphasising the audience’s role as a producer of meaning rather than a mere consumer. It feels relevant to the digital social media age we now find ourselves in.

Structuralism: blog tasks

Create a new blog task called 'Structuralism and post-structuralism' on your Media 1 Exam blog (exam teacher). Complete the following tasks:

Part 1: Media Factsheet reading

Use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive to find Factsheet #90 Applying Structuralism and Post-Structuralism. Read the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of structuralism provided by the Factsheet? 

2) What are binary oppositions and why are they important?

3) How do genre and auteur theory link to structuralism? 

4) Look at page 4 of the factsheet. What is post-structuralism?

5) What is your own opinion on this theory? Do you agree that we use established structures to understand the media (such as narrative and genre) or is the power now with audiences in a digital, post-structuralist media landscape? 

Part 2: The Mitchells vs The Machines analysis

Watch the trailer for The Mitchells vs The Machines: 

Write an analysis of the trailer from both a structuralist and post-structuralist perspective. 

The following may help you:

Structuralist: what established narratives, genres or conventions can be found in the trailer? 

Post-structuralist: how does the trailer reject traditional structures and instead offer something new (e.g. incorporating elements of YouTube meme culture, audiences as producers of meaning or subverting expectations of narrative or character).

Due date: on Show my Homework

Film & TV Language: Mise-en-scene video feedback and learner response

 Your mise-en-scene recreation videos were a brilliant introduction to the creative challenges demanded by A Level Media.

Video projects take time - as well as comprehensive planning, organisation and execution. The more projects you complete the better prepared you will be for the practical coursework when we come to it in the summer. As a first assignment, it's fantastic to see how many of you have created well planned and technically proficient videos that meet the brief you were given. 

Mise-en-scene recreation: Learner response

Create a new blogpost called 'Mise-en-scene video feedback and learner response'. Make sure your completed recreation video is uploaded to YouTube and embedded in the blogpost.

1) Type up your feedback from your teacher in full.

2) Type up a summary of the feedback you have had from the rest of the class - bullet points is fine.

3) Use all the feedback you've been given to write your own self-assessment of your video using WWW (What Went Well) and EBI (Even Better If...)

4) Now reflect on your own work in more detail. How did your planning (script, shot list) help clarify and develop your ideas?

5) Thinking technically, how could you improve your work for future videos? (E.g. filming, editing, audio levels etc.)

6) Finally, what have you learned regarding the importance of mise-en-scene in film and television? Write a paragraph to answer this.

Due date: on Satchel One

Film & TV Language: Lighting

One aspect of mise-en-scène that is particularly important in film and TV is Lighting.

Lighting notes

Traditional studio lighting usually comes from three sources:

• The key light is the brightest and most influential.
• The back light helps to counteract the effects of the key light making the subject appear more ‘rounded’.
• The filler light helps to soften any shadows created by the other lights.  There may be more then one filler light.

The key light can be directed from a variety of angles to create different effects.

Underlighting comes from below the subject leading to a distorted effect.  This is often used in horror or science-fiction films.

Top lighting comes from above and can be used to accentuate the features of a character.  It is often used to make film stars look more glamorous.

Back lighting is when the source comes from behind the object to create a silhouette.    

High-Key and Low-Key Lighting

Low-key lighting is created by using only the key and back lights.  This effect produces strong contrasts of light and dark and creates dramatic shadows.  The effect is known as chiaroscuro, which comes from the Italian words for light (chiaro) and dark (oscuro).

High-key lighting means that more filler lights are used.  The effect appears more realistic and might depict either a sunny day or a more dimly lit scene.  The major difference is that, although shadows are still created, the contrast between light and dark is much less pronounced.  

The video we watched the opening to for mise-en-scene has an excellent focus on lighting:

Lighting blog tasks

You'll need to use the Film Language Powerpoint to work through the Lighting tasks. 

Create a blogpost called 'Lighting blog tasks' and complete the following:

1) Still image analysis

Look at the still images on slides 33-37 of the Film Language Powerpoint linked above. Copy the images into your blog and answer the following questions for each image:

1. Identify examples of high and low-key lighting.
2. Say which depict top, back or under lighting.
3. What effects are created by the lighting in each image?     

Note: if the images don't display correctly in your blog then simply use the number of each image and answer the three questions for each.

2) Film noir research 

Research film noir - focusing on the genre’s distinctive lighting style. Make notes on the genre and particularly the use of lighting - bullet points are fine. 

3) Film noir YouTube clip analysis 

Finally, find a YouTube clip that fits the film noir genre and embed it under your research (the clip can be classic noir from the 1950s or something more recent - neo-noir). How does the clip's lighting fit the film noir genre? 

Due date on Satchel One.