Perfecting your production work

How to get the most out of your practical projects.

Lecturer: Pete Fraser

Research

• Look at real examples of professional productions (magazines, articles, trailers)

• Document evidence- log books, logging sheets, diaries

• Research from every angle- film titles , production logos
  

• Look at conventions, audiences, institutions- focus on a specific audience and what the conventions are for that audience's genre

• Annotate examples from magazines, stills from trailers

Planning

• Plan for all eventualities- things can go wrong (people don't turn up, equipment doesn't work) use initiative and plan for anything

• Record planning via log sheets, visuals, blogs which document locations, characters, cinematography and show 'process of journey'

Blogging

• Allows you to document findings- examples of research and information

• Film blog- used for shooting logs, costumes, dialogue, locations, feedback from teachers

• Create 25 word pitches summarising your ideas and possibilities

Ideas/Feedback

• Do 25word pitches summarising your idea

• Work at a specific concept- be realistic

• Feedback from peers and teachers, record feedback in blog, record all stages of the process

Logistics

• Check equipment, availability of characters, pros and costumes

• Share contact details with actors/actresses

• Get filming done early and have substantial amount of footage in preparation for editing

Useful links

• http://www.artofthetitle.com/
• http://www.petesmediablog.blogspot.com
  

Online Media, Cleggmania and the Cowell Factor

Professor Julien Mc Dougall

How do online media and convergence impact on the ways audiences and producers use and create media?

• In the media, there is a significant link between online media, reality TV and democracy

• Web 2.0 seemingly allows democracy to flow- interactivity with audiences around the world
  

• Democracy- UGC allows audience to make their own content and be able to express their opinions

Tony Benn looks at how democratic is the media and looks at active democrcay in the media



The idea of democracy gives the people the right to free speech

• " talking about converged interactive media industry. Interplay between gaming, online, TV and films- it's all coming together. Ian Kingsbury, NESTA , 2010

• David Gauntlett talks about how the media is like "an allotment where we all share things". The idea of sharing and collaborating is an aspect of democracy

• Politicians use Twitter to look at public opinion, as evident in the period in the Leadership Debate

• Video games part of democracy where players can modify features of the games. Part of a transmedia environment

• Michael Wesch looks at the impact of Youtube in society- "Youtube transporms culture in society, connecting more and is a new form of literacy

• Grame Turner- "ordinary people in reality doesn't mean the have power". In the media, Susan Boyle in Britian's Got Talent is used as a pawn by the superior, hegemenous creators.
  

• In many ways Susan Boyle was explotied by the media due to her success in the show

Chewing gum for the brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?

Professor David Buckingham:

Key articles references in this lecture

Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class- Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1295062/Angry-parents-accuse-school-dumbing-English-showing-The-Simpsons-class.html

• Parents' reaction (Joseph Reynolds) at the dumbing down of subjects such as English, where the Simpsons is favoured instead of Shakespeare

• Media studies seemingly made easier for stupid kids

• Michael Gove (Education secretary) advocates media studies as it is more successful in state schools

Tories to tackle 'Media Studies menace'- The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/tories-to-tackle-the-media-studies-menace-1772933.html

• This article signifies the fact that students pick science and theoretical subjects instead of media due to the high level of pass marks. Media studies is referred to as a 'soft subject' and is shunned by state schools in favour of academic subjects.

'Worthless qualifications' give false hope to state pupils, says Harrow head- The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/22/deceive-children-worthless-qualifications

• Students that attend high achieving state school students and do "soft" subjects are given false hope, as it is not an easy subject

• Elite Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge blacklist media studies- Media Studies labelled as 'shit'

• Media Studies in the US protects students from the media and what it condones, such as sex, alcohol, drugs. US media studies is saving kids from sex, alcohol and drugs

Criticisms and Advantages of Media Studies

• Matthew Arnold ( Educational 19th century thinker) concerned with working class and the fact that they could get the vote was a threat to aristocracy, society and civilization

• Queenie Leavis advocated media, as it could be used to criticise popular culture and better society- help them get better job, improve civilisation.

• More competitive subject to get into, quite successful in top universities e.g LSE

• Media helps us think critically and analytically

• Skills learnt from Media could be transferred in the workplace; teamwork, problem solving

• More than 2/3 of students have a job after 6 months after leaving university

Analysis of the Male Gaze in Jennifer's Body

In this scene from Jennifer's Body (2009) the male gaze is constructed through the use of camera angles, as the use of the two shot allows a male audience to have scopophilic gratifications, as they are voyeurs who take an interest into the the two characters. Though the use of the inter deigetic gaze is signified in the scene, as Jennifer (Megan Fox) looks at
at Needy Lesnicky (Amanda Seyfried) more seductively in the over the shoulder shot. By using the over the shoulder shot, the audience can identify with Needy, as she is shocked to find a girl sleeping next to her in bed.

In this way, a male audience can gain sexual gratifications, as the women are sharing a passionate kiss which could connote sexual innuendo. Therefore, the men can be signified as being dominant in the text. Though, the use of the female gaze allows women to be voyeurs, as they can identify with the women and have voyeuristic pleasures, as Jennifer and Needy are allowed to be more permissive and liberal. As Jennifer kisses Needy in a close up shot, a homosexual audience may gain sexual pleasures as they women's hidden desires are let loose. The use of the high key lighting connotes passion, as the women are alone together.

Though the taboo and apprehensions are quelled in this scene, as Needy succumbs to temptation and enjoys her homosexual moment, as she is signified in a close up shot, where she is on top of Jennifer, which connotes how she is able to be dominant and unleash her sexual urges. In addition, Jennifer's legs are fethishised as she wraps her legs around Needy in a medium shot which connotes how she is a predator who traps women and is more powerful in that respect.

Interestingly, Needy's hair is fetishized, as Jennifer caresses her hair, which connotes that Jennifer is more promiscuous and craves for danger and passion, as she seemingly 'pounces' on Needy, as she is fairly represented as the stereotypical geeky girl who hasn't experience sex and is seemingly being sexually liberated by Jennifer. The use of the extreme close up of Jennifer and Needy kissing allows the male audience to be in control, as they may have voyeuristic pleasures out of seeing women kissing and eventually locking in a passionate embrace. In reference to Mulvey's article, Jennifer has oral fixations, as she licks the inside of Needy's mouth in a close up shot which connotes passion and eroticism.

As well as this, the high angle shot of Needy and Jennifer relates to the male gaze, as the audience have scopohilic pleasure out of watching the women in a passionate moment. The use of lingerie connotes how the women are sexually provocative and promiscuous.

However, the male gaze is seemingly interrupted, as the close up shot of Jennifer lifting Needy's top raises the male gaze, as the women are about to have sex. Needy's slender back is dismembered and fetishized, as Jennifer caresses her back which connotes physical attraction and passion.

However the audience expectations are subverted, as Needy instantly is cathartic of her first 'lesbian' experience, as she is unwilling to have sex. The angry reaction of Needy connotes frustration and emotional guilt, as she believes she is being more immoral in having relationships with a woman and is aware of her self objectification, as she is not persuaded to have sex.

In many ways, Jennifer is more dominant in the scene, as signified in the medium shot where she says "I have the cops in my back pocket", this connotes how she is more confident and dominant due to her power over the police. What's more, Jennifer is represented as being supernatural and immortal, as the camera tilts down to the close up shot of Jennifer cutting her arm and it healing by itself signifies how Jennifer is more invincible and sinister, as she poses a threat to women and is represented as the Proppian villain. The over the shoulder shot signifies Needy's shock at seeming the wound heal, which is quite weird, as humans would not be able to heal that quickly. Alongside this, the non deigetic sound of the calm violin and sound effect of the skin healing signifies Needy's shock at Jennifer, as she does not seem to be who she says she is.

In regards to this scene, audiences such as postfeminists may have negotiated readings with the text , as Jennifer is represented as quite androgynous and dominant, as she has the power to heal and tempts women into her supposed trap. Though, other audiences may have oppositional readings to the text, as women are dominant and men are subordinated, which makes men seem more vulnerable.

788 words

Post Feminism and Popular culture- Sex and The City

"The new young women are confident enough to declare their anxieties about possible failure in regard to finding a husband, they avoid any aggressive or overtly traditional men, and they brazenly enjoy their sexuality, without fear of the sexual double standard".

"...capable of earning their own living, and the degree of suffering or shame they anticipate in the absence of finding a husband is countered by sexual self-confidence. Being without a husband does not mean they will go without men".

"Individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. Girls must have a lifeplan. They must become more reflexive in regard to every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives,and not being dependent on a job for life or on the stable and reliable operations of a large-scale bureaucracy which in the past would have allocated its employees specific,and possibly unchanging, roles".

Post Feminism and Popular culture- Lad's Mags

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1274095/JAN-MOIR-Lads-mags-toxic-culture-treats-women-like-meat.html

This is an article which discusses the role of women and how they are subordinated and degraded in lad's mags.

"...young women endorse (or else refuse to condemn) the ironic normalisation of pornography, where they indicate their approval of and desire to be pin up girls for the centrefolds of the soft porn “lad mags".

"...we are witness to a hyper-culture of commercial sexuality, one aspect of which is the repudiation of a feminism invoked only to be summarily dismissed (see also Rosalind Gill 2003)".

"As a mark of a post-feminist identity young women journalists refuse to condemn the enormous growth of lap dancing clubs despite the opportunities available for them to do so across the media".

Post Feminism and Popular culture- Citroen Car advert

"This advert appears to suggest that yes, this is a self-consciously “sexist ad,” feminist critiques of it are deliberately evoked".

"Feminism is “taken into account,” but only to be shown to be no longer necessary. Why? Because there is no exploitation here, there is nothing remotely naı¨ve about this striptease. She seems to be doing it out of choice, and for her own enjoyment..."

"the shadow of disapproval is introduced (the striptease as site of female exploitation),only instantly to be dismissed as belonging to the past, to a time when feminists used to object to such imagery. To make such an objection nowadays would run the risk of ridicule".