Welcome to the DECV Media Seminar

1. Welcome to the DECV Media Seminar 

2. What’s on for today Production Elements Story Elements Exploring the two narrative texts Formula and study tips 5. Sample questions and responses 6. Practise SAC 7. PDP Requirements

3. What’s on for today Production Elements Story Elements Exploring the two narrative texts Formula and study tips 5. Sample questions and responses 6. Practise SAC 7. PDP Requirements

4. PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

5. PRODUCTION ELEMENTS CAMELS • Camera • Acting • Mise-en-scene • Editing • Lighting • Sound

6. OVERVIEW CAMERA A shot is the interval of time from when the camera begins recording to when it stops. Within this shot the camera can be used in many ways to communicate an idea. When looking at camera we analyse shot size, angle, movement, focus and framing.

7. CONSIDER: CAMERA • Distance (from the subject) • Angle • Movement • Focus • Framing/Composition

8. CAMERA SHOT SIZES CAMERA • Extreme long shot • Long shot • Medium long shot • Medium shot • Medium close-up • Close-up • Big close-up • Extreme close-up • Point-of-view shot (POV)

9. CAMERA ANGLES CAMERA • High camera angle • Extremely high camera angle • Low camera angle • Dutch angle • Eye-level

10. CAMERA MOVEMENT CAMERA • Panning • Tilt • Tracking/dollying • Crane • Zoom • Handheld

11. FRAMING/COMPOSITION CAMERA • Aspect ratio • On-screen and off-screen space • What is included in and excluded from the shot • Rule of thirds

12. FOCUS/DEPTH OF FIELD CAMERA • Deep focus • Selective focus • Follow focus • Focus pull

13. OVERVIEW ACTING When considering how the acting of a performer contributes to the story being told, we don’t need to judge or rate the actor’s acting ability but look at how elements such as facial expressions, body language and tone of voice contribute to the character at certain points in the film. We should also be aware of the performer and any associations we may have. For example, if we saw that a new film had cast actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, we may expect it to be action-based and perhaps including some comedy.

14. CONSIDER: ACTING • Body language • Physical appearance • Facial expressions • Voice (tone/accents/volume etc) • Prior knowledge/associations

15. OVERVIEW Mise-en-scene refers to the arrangement of ALL the visual elements within a shot. Do NOT discuss SOUND when analysing mise-en-scene MISE-EN-SCENE

16. CONSIDER: • Props • Setting/Location • Costume & make-up • Shot size/angle/movement etc • Lighting • Acting/Character • Framing and the relationship between subjects/objects in the frame MISE-EN-SCENE

17. OVERVIEW EDITING From wikipedia The film editor works with the raw footage, selecting shots and combining them into sequences to create a finished motion picture. Film editing is often referred to as the “invisible art” because when it is well-practiced, the viewer can become so engaged that he or she is not even aware of the editor's work. On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors' performances to effectively "re-imagine" and even rewrite the film to craft a cohesive whole.

18. CONSIDER: EDITING • Continuity • Juxtaposition • Montage • Transitions • Graphic relationships • Rhythmic relationships • Spatial relationships (space) • Temporal relationships (time)

19. OVERVIEW LIGHTING From New Ways and Meanings All lighting in film-making is controlled, it is never an accident. Lighting has power to suggest ideas and emotions. Lighting helps the audience construct meaning. It can suggest time, place, mood or genre.

20. CONSIDER LIGHTING • Low key lighting • High key lighting • Qualities of lighting • Intensity - hard or soft • Source - natural or artificial • Direction - front, side, back, under, top • Colour – blues for cool, oranges for warmth

21. OVERVIEW SOUND From http://www.oscars.org You might think of film as essentially a visual experience we cannot underestimate the importance of film sound. A modern soundtrack is created and assembled in many stages by sound recordists, mixers, editors and music composers. Dialogue recorded by the production sound mixer during filming or on location makes the initial layer of the soundtrack. ‘Wild sound’ recordings are also made on set. For example if the movie takes place in a hospital the mixer might record 30 seconds of sounds at the end of the day.

22. CONSIDER SOUND • Diegetic sound • Non-diegetic sound • Voice over/narration • Overlapping sound • Parallel sound • Contrapuntal • Dimensions of sound • Music • Sound effects • Dialogue

23. Production Skill Activity Now I’d like you to test your memory on production skills and complete the following activities on the production element of camera. First is a camera shot activity and the second one is a match the definition activity. Please take a few moment

24. Story elements

25. STORY ELEMENTS • The opening, development and resolution of the narrative • Cause and effect • Characters • Point of view • Setting • Storylines • Structure of time OVERVIEW

26. The opening, developmentand resolution of the narrative This relates to the narrative possibilities, issues and/or ideas established in the opening sequence(s), their development throughout the film, and their resolution in the closing sequence. KEY SEQUENCES

27. Consider the opening sequence When looking at the opening sequence and the narrative possibilities it raises, we need to ask questions such as • How are the main characters introduced? • When and where is the film set? What does this tell us? • What themes and issues are introduced? • What motifs are introduced? A motif is a recurring element, such as an image, theme, or type of incident. It can be a symbol for a theme such as a sunrise repeated throughout a film would symbolise new beginnings. • How are production techniques used to convey the points above? Opening sequence

28. Consider the development of the narrative • After looking at the opening sequence, we need to consider how the story develops, and how it is resolved. When looking at developments throughout the film, it is important to consider storylines and character. Development

29. Consider the closing sequence In the closing sequence, we need to consider how the narrative possibilities raised at the start of the film have been resolved. We need to examine • Have the possibilities been fulfilled? • Were the conflicts, issues etc resolved? • Do the closing and opening relate to each other and if so how? • Most films leave us with a happy ending but sometimes things are left unresolved and up to the audience’s imagination. Resolution

30. Overview: -cause and effect, including character motivations Cause and effect is simply what propels the story. That something happened because of something else. For example, the main character is feeling depressed because his girlfriend left him. (Girlfriend left – cause, depression – effect). His friend feels sorry for him so invites him out for dinner (friend feels sorry – cause, invites for dinner – effect). They go for dinner and eat Indian. The character gets a stomach ache. (Ate Indian food – cause, stomach ache – effect). He goes to hospital. (Stomach ache – cause, goes to hospital – effect). He meets a new love interest. So a whole lot of events have taken our character from a depressed breakup to a new love. Cause and effect

31. Consider : • Causes are usually due to a character’s actions or motivations (i.e. because the character wants something), or the actions of others. They can also be due to things outside of the control of the character, like the weather. Cause and effect

32. Overview: Establishment and development of the character(s) and relationships between characters. How characters are established and developed through the narrative is important in communicating information to and engaging the audience. Character

33. Consider: • How is the character introduced? • What do we know about them and how do they production element communicate this? For example are they framed so that they appear dominant and aggressive? Does the lighting cast harsh shadows on their face, suggesting they are to be feared? • Look at the costume, make up, what others say about them, what they do, their body language and we get a good idea of our character. • It is also necessary to analyse the relationships between characters and how this information is conveyed. The most effective way is through shot selection and editing. Character

34. Overview: The setting refers to the time and place that the action occurs. This may be real, imaginary, historical, contemporary (modern day) or a combination of these. Setting

35. Consider: • How does the setting relate to the narrative? • What does it communicate to the audience? Setting

36. Overview: Point(s) of view from which the narrative is presented Not to be confused with a P.O.V. shot (which is part of the production element ‘camera’), the story element ‘point of view’ refers to whose point of view we, the viewer, are invited to see the movie from. Sometimes, we may see the story from an objective point of view where we witness the events as a spectator, however there are many instances in which we see the events of the film from the perspective of a major character, whether or not we witness them through his/her eyes. This is the person that we are meant to relate to or understand to the greatest degree. This character is often referred to as the ‘point of view character’. In order to identify the effect that point of view has on you as a viewer, why not ask yourself next time you’re watching a film, ‘What if this story was to be told from another perspective? How differently would it affect me?’ Point of view

37. Consider: • From whose point of view is the narrative presented? • What are the effects of this choice on the story and character development and audience engagement? Point of view shot

38. Overview: The ways in which multiple storylines may comment upon, contrast, interrelate or interconnect with other storylines in the plot Often in film texts there is more than one story presented. There is usually the main storyline and then other subplots (other smaller storylines) that relate to the main story or plot. Plot just means “The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama”. Intersecting Storylines

39. Consider: • The themes and issues being explored throughout the story. • How the storylines relate to other storylines Intersecting storylines

40. Overview: The structuring of time, including order, duration and frequency of events, contraction and expansion of time, linear and non-linear time frames Structuring of time refers to how the events are ordered in the film. How the time in a narrative film is structured can vary. Some films just have a beginning, middle and end in that order (chronological order) and some can actually start and the end and flash back to the beginning (have you seen memento). How the film is structured and the order that events are revealed is important in engaging an audience. You wouldn’t want the murderer revealed at the beginning of a crime film would you? Linear narratives occur in order with a beginning, middle and end. Non-linear narratives are ‘all over the place’. The story is not presented in the order it occurred. Quentin Tarantino’s films are good examples of non-linear structures. Structuring of time

41. Consider: Structuring of time is usually controlled by the editing process to create: • A flash forward • A flashback • Compression of time • Expansion of time • Repeats • Parallel action Structuring of time

42. Consider: Flash forward A flash forward is when we move from the current action to an event in the future before going back to the current action. Flash back A flash back is when we move from the current action to an event in the past before going back to the current action. Flash forwards and flashbacks are usually signified by a change in colour – for example a blue or red tinge to the scene, by distorted focus to signify a memory, quick jump cuts to emulate a premonition, etc. Usually a lengthy transition is put between the current action and the past or future event to indicate that it is a movement in time. Structuring of time

43. Consider: Compression of time Time can be compressed in a film in a variety of ways to show the passing of time. For example it may be a year has passed in the life of our main character. This could be demonstrated to the audience by a title appearing on the establishing shot of the next scene saying ‘One year later’. Or the camera could be positioned on a long shot of the green tree in our characters front yard and could dissolve into a shot of the tree losing it’s leaves, then dissolve into a shot of three tree with no leaves, then dissolves into a shot of the tree sprouting new growth and then dissolve to a shot of the tree green again – signifying a year has passed. Structuring of time

44. Consider: Expansion of time In a similar way events in the narrative can be expanded to show their importance to the story or the development of the character. For example a car crash could be put into slow motion (an editing process) so that the audience can see the characters facial expressions. Repetition Shots can be repeated in a narrative in order to emphasize importance. They may be repeated from different angles to communicate different information important to the narrative. Parallel action Through editing the audience can experience different events occurring in different places at the same time. The editing process of cross cutting is used to structure time in this manner. Structuring of time

45. The two narrative texts

46. Overview: • Australian Gangster Comedy- expectations regarding storylines, and telling of story eg Australian= quirky/eccentric • Bryan Brown- preconceived ideas about his character, given our prior knowledge • Viewing experience would impact on reception- many dark sequences and sound effects that could be indiscernible on ipod/ipad/laptop smaller screen Two Hands

47. Overview: • Released after successful series underbelly, impacted on audience expectations that this was a realistic portrayal of real events (when in fact it is fictional) • Guy Pearce and Jackie Weaver are well known Australian actors that brought expectations about the characters Animal Kingdom

48. Overview: • The relationship between texts and the genre/s, styles and techniques they may reference • In plain language? • How are production and story elements used in a conventional way to establish genre eg scary music, harsh lighting, editing, to create suspense in a horror film Genre

49. Overview: • The relationships between a text, its audiences, its consumption and reception, including how audience read and are engaged by fictional narratives • Audiences actively construct meaning and are engaged by texts through the manner in which narratives are organised, and respond to the narratives in different ways. • Production and story elements structure an audience’s experience of narrative and contribute to the ideas communicated by the text. • The nature of the viewing experience also contributes to audience reading and appreciation of narrative texts. Reception Context

50. SAC preparation