Next Half Term

Plan for lessons for next half of term.

You will see that there will be a number of tasks which you will be required to do and it is important that you complete these to gain maximum marks for your coursework.

You will also have a limited time to shoot during our two week filming period. Be prepared to spend no more than 3 days actually filming with full access to the equipment. Before you have access to the equipment you will need to complete the research and planning and demonstrate that you have solid production plans in place with justification for your use of specific equipment. To achieve this you will be guided through the process.

To get ahead you should take advantage of the resources available in the Vital Link section where you will find lots of examples of good research and planning.

Media AS Autumn 2

Check out this link....

Writing a scene

Thursday and Half Term

Today's lesson was focussed on developing your pitches for possible movies that you'd like to make for your coursework.

This coursework as you know is 50% of your overall mark and also should be the most fun you have during the AS course as long as you take it seriously and make sure that you work in a disciplined way.

1. Your first task which must be completed over the half term in your teams is to develop the synopsis of the film and write the script for the first two minutes.
2. Here is a link to a site which makes available published film screenplays.  If you download and use any don't forget to make a clear blogged note of what you did, how you found it useful etc.
3. Also in your development process you should be thinking about genre conventions, directors (who you admire and why - check them out on IMDB) and what detail needs to be in the script and what doesn't.
4. Start thinking about production: Dependent Films have lots of useful stuff for film makers from script templates to production schedules and call sheets (I will explain there uses next half term). Get familiar with what they offer it all adds to your grade!
5. Ash, Kyle, Loren: you all need to post your short synopses to your blogs ASAP for your group to access.
6. All others make sure you check your team 'leader's' blog regularly and if they haven't posted anything put some pressure on them.
7. Ensure that you have made contact and got each other's numbers and contact details. DON'T PUT NUMBERS ETC ON BLOG.

So for Thursday the 4th of November, I want to see each group have uploaded the following.

I will be expect each team to have:
Title of film and refined pitch (25 words)

1. Synopsis of film (250words), target audience.
2. 1st draft of script for opening.
3. Evidence of research into relevant genres: NOT LOTS OF WRITING PLEASE, find different ways.
4. Extension: storyboard, animatics, shot list, location photos, cast lists/photos, production schedule (without dates yet), design drawings, props/costume lists, equipment lists, risk assessment.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER.

LET ME IN

Well done to those of you who made it to the film showing of Let Me In today. I think we all found it a stimulating and provocative film which prompts us to ask lots of questions and examine the way it is filmed.

Those of you who missed it: Latasha, Kyle, Ash and Loren we will have a screening of the original Swedish film after half term. Instead could you check out the trailers for the US and Swedish versions of the film and write short analysis of them.

In the meantime please read the blog posts and ensure that the homework set is completed for Thursday PLUS that you blogs are up to date by Friday latest as I will be grading and levelling you then.

Cinema Trip TUESDAY 19TH October

Odeon Covent Garden

Please follow the link above to find the Cinema - it is indeed the same one we were at last year. Nearest Undergrounds are Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.

I will be leaving school at about 8.30 and heading up to Boston Manor to catch underground from there. You are welcome to join me but don't be later than 9.45am.

Film starts at 10am and will finish about 12pm then we will head back for afternoon lessons. 

The Film we are watching is:

Let Me In

The US remake of

Let the Right One In

PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS POST TO LET US KNOW THAT YOU HAVE READ IT

HOMEWORKS

I notice from your blogs that not all homeworks have been completed.

Missing work from some of you includes: analysis of the openings of at least two films (not TV) which demonstrate knowledge and understanding (K&U) of media terminology including shots sizes and types, angles, use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, how narrative is created and explored, the conventions of opening sequences in films including titles, credits (who, what and when during the opening).

Also missing from some analysis of the opening of City of God, script for preliminary exercise, reflections on lessons both those in CLC and my room.

For next Thursday I want you to make sure that this is ALL up to date, I also want you to read and comment on at least three others work - especially the analyses of the openings.

NEXT TUESDAY

Trip to cinema:

You will need to be at the Odeon Covent Garden by 9.45 at the very latest. Nearest tube is Leicester Square on Piccadilly and Northern Lines.

Film will finish before lunch and we will return to Brentford for the PM class which will involve some work on what we have watched.

NEXT THURSDAY

Developing pitches for your films, viewing examples of good and not so good student work, understanding how and why you have to present your Research and Planning in a variety of forms and the importance of this research and the evaluation you will do after the film has been made.

Schedule for second half of term: list of filmed exercises, editing exercises and sound workshops leading to production of films in December.

HOMEWORK FOR THURSDAY

Plan 25 word pitches for the four genres below.

1. Action adventure film
2. Romantic comedy
3. Political Thriller
4. Drama

You must establish who the target audience is as well as the narrative.

In the lesson you will be working on improving theses and developing your Synopses for them.

After half term you will be presenting them ON VIDEO and the class will choose which ones they want to work on. This work DOES COUNT TOWARDS YOUR COURSEWORK as part of research and development. As of course does the analysis work.

AS Media Class - Tuesday 12th October

For those of you who missed today's lessons.

Some students worked on editing the exercise from last week in the CLC, other students watched the openings of at least two films and analysed the shots within them. The films included, Amelie, United 93, Three Colours Blue and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

All analyses for these plus a reflection about the editing processes, what worked from the shoot and what didn't must be posted ASAP.

Thursday's lesson

Once again for a final time this half term we are in the CLC.

The objective will be to film your Preliminary exercise on tape with the same cameras we used last week.

You will therefore need a clear plan for what you are going to do on the day.

I will give you 20minutes at the beginning of Period 1 to plan, decide roles and using your blogs update them with the plan: whose script is being shot, a shot list (in brief) and all the roles which you are taking in the production: director, camera operator, set designer, actor, etc. Ideally you should be prepared to swap around.

You will have periods 2 and 3 to film ONLY.

The groups will be announced on the day but expect to work with anybody on this exercise.

HOMEWORK

Update all blogs with work due especially analysis of opening scenes from films.

Begin thinking about what you would like to make yourself and in particular look at the genre of film you would like to make: horror (and it's sub-genres), thriller, comedy, romance, action-adventure, etc.

Remember that after making your film opening you will have to answer questions explaining your thought processes in development, pre-production, production and post-production. If you don't understand the conventions of the film genre you are working in answering these questions will be virtually impossible.

After half term there will be a two week period of intense script development alongside the editing of the preliminary exercises (which you will all need to complete). And then a pitching competition.

I will issue you with some advise on developing good film projects next week - and things to avoid!!!!


PLEASE COMMENT BELOW TO LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE READ THIS POST.

script

rose runs across the dark night in the woods ( profile long shot) she is breathing rapidly .
(close up) on her face showing her nervousness and she is sweating
all of a sudden in the dark woods a load of noise of the leaves on the damp floor we can hear the movement behind rose, she turns to find no one there (over the shoulder shot  behind rose) but she can vivadly see a shadow a but of who she isn't aware of. than  she carries on running as fast as she could. when she reaches a a bulding  she races to the bulding and the she tries to look through but is unable to as it i unclear.she opens the door.(hand on the handle) while she opens the door (wide shot), where there was only one table and to chairs n one of the chair was filled with the man faceing his back to rose

 ( rose) may i come in? she doesn't get a replay so she than steps in the room ( shot from above on her feet close up stepping in) the room is complete silence where there is only the sound of  rose"s steps  rose finaly reaches the man and stands in from of him ( a above shot from the eyes of rose on the man) rose looks upon him wear his eyes are shut and a pale man with no movement rose finds him to be dead  on the chair and holding on his right hand a bottle of passion that is when rose scream and drops on her knees( birds eye view)

Sample Scene

Sample Scene

Notes on Scripts for all

Great start.

Now you all need to format these so that they are in the expected format for a script or screenplay, please follow the link on the blog to the Bourne script and use the same conventions.

In addition you need to address the needs of the task - taking someone from outside a door to inside the room, siting two people opposite each other and having a brief conversation (using shot and reverse) and establishing that you understand the 180 degree rule.

Do's

• Do make them short and to the point
• Do describe the action in detail
• Do think about how each shot looks and what action take place in it
• Do think about using minimum dialogue (2 lines only)
• Do use only two characters
• Do think of this as a chance to really nail some basic skills required in filming drama

Don'ts

• Don't make it too long
• Don't try to make it too complicated
• Don't set it in space or a location which we will not be able to shoot it
• Don't use 10 words where two will do.
• Don't add in fight sequences, car chases, murders etc.

PLEASE remember that this is not marked and will not contribute to your overall mark for the coursework this ONLY serves as a preliminary exercise and test of your skills.

SCRIPT AND STORYBOARDS NEED TO BE FINISHED ASAP - WE WILL BE SHOOTING THESE SEQUENCES NEXT WEEK AND THE WEEK AFTER.


Provisional Groups for prelim exercise - these are not necessarily your groups for the Main task.


A
Chandni
Latasha
Kyle


B
Aneta
Loren
Amanda


C
Simona
Ash
Amira

Good luck!

Bourne and Storyboarding

As Media Week5