What are the different ways we can record TV? We can record digital TV a number of ways, Freeview gives us this option, as well as common providers, like Sky who give us the option to record programmes if we can't watch them when they're on so watch whenever we want. They also have the On Demand service, where they have a selection of programmes that are new out and hot to watch already downloaded, all we need to do is press play. Another way to record TV is using a DVR cable or a PVR personal TV recorder. Video signals. Different types of audio signals are;
Composite: This is an analog video connector that typically uses a yellow RCA connector, this transmission is carried without sound is most commonly found in standard definition TV.
Component: This is a video signal that is split up into two, sometimes three component channels. They carry analog component videos and are RCA plugs that are different colours - typically green, red and blue.
HDMI: This is the standard way of connecting high definition video devices, it transfers video and audio and is the digital replacement for analog video standards.
In productions there are sometimes a multi camera element, multi camera set ups are more often used in studio productions, for example a chat show where you need to see the reactions of both people. On location there's more chance of it being a single camera production where one camera is used for it all. In these cases you may have to film, stop the action and move the camera to a different angle and carry on filming which can be challenging.
Lighting
The basic lighting set up for any production is the standard 3 point lighting.
This is where there are 3 lights to illuminate the frame,
1st is the key light which is at the subjects eye level and is the main illuminator
2nd is the fill light which is above the subject to light the rest of the frame
3rd is the back light which is at the back of the subject to get rid of any shadows or dark edges
Focus
Focussing is important when setting up a shot because it makes the shot clear and it's better for the audience to watch. Focussing is a way to tell the audience what to pay attention to, for example if the depth of focus is in the foreground and the background is blurred, you know to look at what's happening in the foreground.
You can either use auto focus on a camera, although this doesn't give you a lot of control or manual focus where you do it yourself - both buttons can be found on the side of the camera. If you want to focus it yourself, zoom in as far as possible, focus your shot and zoom out.
Mics
There are many different types of microphones from lavier mics, similar to a clip mic which you typically clip on to an item of clothing, most commonly used in interviews and are seen on presenters on live shows.
Another type is a shotgun mic, these are used on film and television sets as well as in small productions. They get mounted to a pole and have a muffler put over the top, they extract background noise when filming outside.
A microphone in a field recorder are also used in productions for voice overs or even interviews if it can be hidden, they can be set to record out of the top rather than via the cable which is connected to a boom mic.
Sound
In sound there's sync and non sync sound. Sync being where the audio and action match up and make sense, and non sync being where they don't match and it's out of place.
To sync sound when filming as well, you have to clap in front of the camera so it's seen and heard before you begin the dialogue.
Editing
There are different types of editing softwares, from Final Cut Pro and iMovie, to Sony Vegas and Adobe Premier with many more made for different purposes.
Final Cut pro
Final Cut Pro is a non linear editing software, this means you don't have to edit in chronological order so you can edit the end first and then the beginning.
When you open final cut pro you will see five windows on the screen, they are;
The browser, on the far left, this is where you select and import files to use, at this point you can view your clips and delete/keep them accordingly.
Next to the browser is the viewer where you mark in and out to use sections of clips. You press I to mark in and O to mark out and then drag the clip to your timeline.
Next to the viewer is the canvas where you view the edit you've formed in the timeline.
And then along the bottom we have the timeline where you can see how long your project is and also where you drag audio/video and sync it up.
Thursday, 7 May 2015
where does it live? the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America. what are its natural predators? Its natural predators, including the bald eagle and sasquatch. what form of locomotion does it use to move? Reaching out with one of her eight arms, each covered in sensitive suckers, a tree octopus might grab a branch to pull herself along in a form of locomotion called tentaculation;
Individual Idea Topic/Issue My topic is how the media has negative influences on todays society, (print, TV, film music videos). I want it to show
The issues surrounding girls aged 9-18 and boys 14+
The conflict of messages within the media i.e. being told to be yourself vs. being told to be skinny and blonde
The controversy around size 12 being plus size
The impact Photoshop can have on the vulnerable (both genders)
Perception of a perfect body (both genders)
Fad diets
The opinion of those who are affected
- "About half were worried only about gaining more muscle, and approximately a third were concerned with both thinness and muscularity simultaneously. Meanwhile, less than 15 percent were concerned only with thinness. Those statistics reflect a major difference between boys and girls when it comes to weight concerns: whereas girls typically want to be thinner, boys are as likely to feel pressure togain weight as to lose it." - Nearly 18% of boys are highly concerned about their weight and physique, JAMA Pediatrics Article 1 Article 2 "
I hope it informs people of how the media can affect young people, the fact it can lead to depression and other disorders can raise awareness and make parents/carers check up on their kids as it could happen to anyone and to show people the knock on affect. Research the target audience Teenagers 14-18 would watch similar programmes to this because they're the target audience. My idea would be popular with this audience because it's something that's relevant to them and it's a topic that some of them may have been/are going through or others may be completely in the dark about it so it will be good to inform them. For example, the Stacey Dooley documentary which is about young people on boozing holidays in Bulgaria got 11 thousand views. This was popular because it's an interesting topic that hasn't really been touched on and it's relevant to young people. Constraints: Some problems for my production could be finding people to talk to who are affected by the topic, and finding someone who's willing to talk about it to get over this I'd need to find a few people of both genders so that it's not just about one type of person. Also I'm not a psychologist so I don't know how this kind of thing can fully affect someone and all the information given has to be true so I'd have to do a lot of research to gets facts or speak to someone who knows what they're talking about.
Another thing is that I do have a few things I'd want to cover and I'd have to make sure that it doesn't drag on too much so I might have to condense my ideas and only discuss a few topics. Genre This is a factual documentary programme, the typical conventions of these kinds of programmes are;
Facts
Statistics
Interviews with relevant people: experts and normal people
Opinions of more than one person
Examples of the topic
To make mine more creative I'll make it engaging for a young person to watch. I know what makes a programme boring and what makes me turn off so I'll aim to keep the attention of the viewer. I'd do this by not giving loads of information at once, and when information is delivered try to include a visual so it's easier to take in. As well as this, use terminology that's easy to understand, the tone has to be appealing to a teenage audience, part of which is young so using big words you'd find in an ITV documentary wouldn't work. Guests/Crew needed For my programme I'd need a presenter, to act like a reporter, 2 at most. I'd need participants as that's what my documentary will rely on so as many people I get to talk to about the topic as well as someone older - ideally someone in psychology so that there's expert opinion in there. I'd need a camera operator, two sound people, editors, and someone to clap at the start of recording. As I'd be using a boom pole I probably wouldn't need individual microphones as everyone will be in close proximity. VT needed For my VT I have a few options, all of which would easily fit into the documentary at any time. There's a video of a woman having a photo-shoot and in the video they Photoshop her showing how easily you can change the way someone looks, I could use this as it's relevant. I also could use an interview with someone as a VT. Outline structure Step by step.
Introduction into the documentary
Small montage of what will be shown and topics discussed
Presenter discussing the issues of the media in front of a green screen, can cut to a VT that's relevant to keep it engaging
Photo shop that's used in print - magazines like Vogue and GQ
Interview on the opinions of this (including expert)
Invisible editing's used to make an edit look seamless and to make the scene/sequence flow. It's used in the majority of TV and film and is a favourite in Hollywood cinema. This type of editing looks cleaner than a jump cut and it's a more immersive method of editing and can make the audience feel like they're watching this first hand in front of them.
Cutting on action
Cutting on action is a technique which is used to show the viewer the same scene from different angles. The editor cuts from shot to shot at the same time an action happens, for example a gun shot, the next view has to match the first action. It can be a way to create tension for the audience as it's as if the cut happens on demand or to leave a scene on a cliffhanger.
Jump cut
This type of editing is a simple way to show a scene between a few people, for example a conversation or argument/fight. It cuts back and forth from each character using camera angles that are slightly different. This is a very basic way of editing just cutting between whoever is in the scene and it just gives the audience two point of views whilst watching the scene.
Cross cut
Cross cutting is used commonly to show two things that are happening simultaneously but in different locations. Most often used in action sequences, they can be used to create dramatic tension for the audience as two different things can be happening at ones and the cuts can get quicker and more frequent as the action heats up.
Match cut
A match cut is when either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which objects in the two shots graphically match, it helps to link two scenes together in a seamless way. They can be used as a trick, making the audience think they're watching the same scene when it's actually cut to another.
Montage
A montage is method of editing where you edit a series of short shorts into a sequence, they can condense space, time and information so no one scene seems to drag for too long. They can also show more that one thing that's happening at the same time; similar to a cross cut. Montages are in interesting way to show the audience more than one thing that's happening, it can create more meaning to one scene if something that's relevant is being cut with it.
The way that we edit television and film has change quite significantly. We've gone from just cutting up a scene to delete the bad bits to editing a sequence in order to make it have an affect on the audience or to make them feel a certain way.
Early Film 1903 - Basic Cuts in Film
This video explains the process of jump cuts, they used to be seen as something to avoid, however they can be used to tell a story. For example at 1:03 where he goes from talking to his head in his hands to "uhm" multiple times tell us he's confused/frustrated just from the way that his actions have been cut up. They're normally used in a conversation scene to show two people talking from the other persons point of view, however in this it's just used on one person to show jumps in time/the conversation.
1920s - Silent Film
This silent Alice in Wonderland film allows the audience to view a film in a different way, almost from another perspective. The loss of sound allowed the audience to understand the concept of time and space as it's in black and white it's hard to distinguish the difference between hours/days and locations look similar but the audience need to know they're different.
Jump cuts are used, for example at 2:37 to 2:41 it goes from the girls talking to a shot of the tree and them walking on from the side. The audience now know they've changed location and we've moved further on in the day.
1940s - Hollywood Studio System
The Third Man
The 1940s introduced films that included sound, it was a way that allowed an audience to immerse themselves in a new world to escape reality. This era was when cinema was at the height of its popularity and with sound being a major contributing factor, it made more and more people want to catch on.
The use of a pretty girl and good looking man made it pleasurable to watch and made them want to escape into this other world. Because it's in black and white, the music at 5:15 is upbeat and different to show another location/start of a new scene. A lot of this film is shot from slightly off angles, none that you'd find in a top budget Hollywood film - because this is relatively early in cinema no one will have noticed so to them it would have been like actually being there in the scene experiencing it first hand; this is another example of how it would have allowed them to escape into the film.
1960s - American New Wave
The Godfather The American New Wave was a period in film making history when there was a ride of young, new film makers in America.
Cross cutting; from the baptism scene to the shooting ones. This is used to assist the multi strand narrative and adds more to the meaning of the scene.
Gives contrast between the two scenes.
Cutting on action; it's evident in the scene where the character is getting a massage. Goes from a wide shot to mid shot to close up as the assassin walks in and shoots him in the eye.
Montage; has a musical score underneath and the film uses a vary of other scenes. It speeds up the Christening scene and gives the audience the illusion that whilst he's there all his men are killing people - speeding up all the scenes so it flows in one.
1980s - High Concept cinema The Shining
When he's approaching the bathroom, the movement is slow and a tense tune has been scored underneath, we know that something is about happen and it's going to be bad/dramatic. We're also able to see his wife frantically trying to escape through the window, these cross cuts make us want to close our eyes because we can see she can't get out and the music gets faster as the action climaxes. By using this kind of music it makes us aware that it's a horror/action because it's a signature asset most films of those genres have. Also the use of cross cuts are used in action films so we can see two things that are happening at once for two different characters.
1990s - Digital editing software introduced
Living To Die
From the 1990s to now there's been a rise of filmmakers producing independent films and with multiple film festivals, more and more indie filmmakers are trying to get their work recognised. Independent filmmaking isn't easy, but it's certainly cheaper with the majority being low-medium budget aimed at a home market. In this independent film made in 1990 by PM Entertainment, they use stationary shots at first, then moving the camera with a voice over so that from the get go the audience are aware of what's happening, even when the screen is black. In the conversation scene from 1:23, they use a lot of jump cuts to show the other person talking, even in the scene at 10:03 jump cuts are used to show the other person in the bedroom and their reactions. Apart from sudden cuts to other characters, the editing is quite seamless and they cut on action in the poker scene where a heated conversation starts.
00s - Today
The Maze Runner
In modern cinema, all techniques are used but we might not recognise them. The film market is competitive and obviously everyone wants to make the number 1 spot. CGI is a very common aspect to use, and the majority of the time we don't notice. For example in The Maze Runner, the concrete walls we see in the film aren't actually that high, realistically they're half the size and CGI is used to make their situation seem worse. Also when we see Thomas in the maze, the "grievers" aren't real and will have been filmed using a prop of some kind but created and edited in during post production. Dependant on the genre of film, different techniques will be use din different ways. For example; Horror - Cutting on action, match cuts, invisible editing. Fantasy - CGI, cross cuts, montages, invisible editing. Action - Cross cuts, very short and snappy to get adrenaline pumping, montages and invisible editing. CGI - Computer Generated Imagery is a way to create something that's not real to add affect or meaning to a story. It's used in film, tv, video games, art and more to create the illusion of something that isn't real. I think it's a good thing because it adds more to a scene. E.g. if in the maze runner the walls weren't as high and they were shot at their actual height, you wouldn't feel as panicked or scared for the characters, also because a lot of things we want to add would be impossible to find and it's good that we have the ability to create something that isn't real, make it look life like and pass it odd as if it is real.
Something that's informative and educates the audience. It's a programme that can be objective which has an aim of representing the topic that the programme is about. It includes all opinions so it's unbiased and it reflects all points of view.
Give some examples of the different types of factual programmes on TV.
The news - ITV evening news, documentaries - Trevor McDonald ones, fly on the wall - Gogglebox and reality programmes - Geordie Shore.
What is a documentary?
A documentary is a non fiction programme that is there to inform/educate the audience. They're constructed (Big Brother) and selected and reflect the various opinions that people have. They represent the world in a realistic style. There's truth (facts) vs. construction (scripted)
What are the different types of documentaries? Give examples to demonstrate your points.
Expository documentaries - they speak directly to the viewer. E.g. The Kyle Files.
Observational documentaries - a simple way to observe someone living their life. E.g. 16 & Pregnant.
Participatory documentaries - the film maker participates. E.g. Catfish.
Performative documentaries - they want an emotional response and are personal. E.g. Holocaust and 9/11 documentaries.
Activity 2.
Identify and write down what you think are the conventions of a documentary.
Interviews
Following a persons story
Statistics
Various opinions
Controversial subject
Voice over by the narrator
Cut aways
Conventions of a news bulletin
In a studio
A reporter
Interview with an expert
Interview with the public
Footage of the topic
Graphic intro with music that's distinctive
Formal
Issues facing factual programmes.
Accuracy
Correct information that's truthful, if it's not these then what's the point?
Bias
One sided opinion. Skewing the facts in favour of something is not on in a factual programme.
Representation
The way *it's shown to the audience. Misrepresentation of these things is unfair and unbalanced.
* subject/topic/facts/people.
Positive values of factual programmes.
You're being informed
You're being educated
Gives you an insight
They're entertainment
Create empathy
Can encourage change
Do you agree with Channel 4's description of the programme? List your points under the following headings:
Accuracy
- Participants are real so information is likely to be accurate.
- Participants claimed they had been duped into taking part under the pretence it was a series about community spirit.
Bais
- Negative bias approach to people on benefits.
Representation
- People are represented negatively. - They would agree they have been misrepresented. ITV Fake Footage What effect does 'fake footage' or lying to viewers have on the reputation of a programme/channel/ documentary filmmaker?
Accuracy
- Inaccurate footage; makes them seem untrustworthy and unprofessional. Makes the viewers lose trust in the company or producer and creates the impression they're amateur.
Bias
- Their own opinion, mis selection of clips; wanted to show him negatively so used whatever they had.
Representation
- The 1988 attack is being misrepresented leading up to debates/conflict - Can be offensive to soldiers/ service men and women. Frozen planet Article about the white lie
Accuracy
- The zoo filmed footage; makes them look unprofessional for not explaining that they couldn't film a polar bear in their environment.
- Makes the viewers dissapointed as David Attenborough is a well known person, damaging his reputation.
Bias
-
Representation
- Misrepresentation of polar bears in their natural habitat. - Playing off that polar bears are tame etc; but they're in a zoo so will be trained. In the wild they're vicious animals. The documentary "Supersize Me" got people talking about its lies and controversy. Link to the article. Doctors claim that the amount of calories he claimed he'd eaten didn't add up when they counted the calories found in the meals at McDonalds. Morgan Spurlock started his journey as a healthy weight, over the next 30 days he could only eat food off the McDonalds menu, having to supersize his meal if the offer was made. By the end of his "experiment" he'd gained weight as well, gained liver damage as well as mood swings and depression. This documentary painted McDonalds in a really bad way because the affect it apparently had on his body afterr the 30 days. It put a lot of people off of McDonalds because the impact grossed them out. Layout of assignment 1 Deadline - 20th April
Outcome 1; Issues.
Outcome 2; Conventions.
In a powerpoint or prezi.
1st slide; Accuracy, bias and representation. (P1)
2nd slide; Examples of these issues in a programme; Benefits Street
ITV
Frozen Planet
Your own biased one
E.g. "This programme showed issues of A, B and R. (M1) The impact on the audience is... " (D1)
3rd slide; List the conventions of news programmes. (P2) 4th slide; Give examples of these conventions in; BBC News Newsround Your own - use stills and time codes (M2) 5th slide; Why are these programmes using/not using them? (D2)
6th slide; Define the two modes of documentary and the conventions (P3)
7th slide; Examples of conventions in; The Imposter
Stacey Dooley
Your own - use stills and time codes (M3)
8th slide; Why these conventions and modes are used (D3)
