Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Audience and Institution Practice Essay

  1. Assess the importance of marketing in the media area you have studied.


   It’s often believed that the success of a movie is entirely how it works in the theaters.
However, the movie’s success in theaters isn’t possible without the marketing of the new film.
Marketing allows filmmakers to see how interested watchers will be in the movie before and
after the film’s release date. Marketing is important in film because it provides various
strategic ways to promote films and it helps creators make the best decision
when going about film.
Marketing provides different clever ways to promote films hence why it’s important.
An upcoming filming can be promoted through cross promotion, merchandising,
promoting on social media, advertisement, press releases, and much more. These methods
are found to be very impactful in film success because of how much they affect the mass.
The Guardian of THE Galaxy participated in cross promotion when they joined with
brands like Doritos, McDonalds, and Dairy Queen who are very popular food companies.
McDonalds sells thousands of happy meals so The Guardian of the Galaxy teaming up
with them was a smart idea because many children and parents saw this promotion and
were most likely intrigued to see what the film would be about. This smart move by the
marketing team for the film is one of the many reasons the film had a box office
profit of $700 million and more. The Lego Movie is another film that used
merchandising to promote the coming of a new kids’ movie.
Play sets related to the movie were uniquely designed and sold for children to watch.
Speaking from personal experience, Lego play sets are fun to build because they give you the
choice to follow the guide or be creative and design something of your own.
After playing with a set, I was intrigued to watch the movie because of how much it caught
my attention. It’s safe to say that these films gained attention because of their strategies created to
keep the mass focused on their product. In addition, marketing gives creators
the opportunity to make the best decisions when going about how to release a film. According to
an article on Forbes, the Weinstein Company found out people who go to the theaters
are more likely to purchase their tickets on site than online. With this knowledge, the company
ensured that the movie they needed to be promoted would be showcased at the theaters
for moviegoers to be enticed when passing by different spots at the theaters. Because of this,
film creators and their team can set themselves up to be in the best position to have
a successful movie. Promoting upcoming films also helps filmmakers because they
can see mistakes they made in previous films and fix them. Promoting on social media
assists with this because questions in regards to the new movie can be asked to see
what moviegoers and those who stream from home want to see in certain films.  I participate
in polls and re-sharing films that I like to get others to see it with and also help with
demographics so the creator can improve if there is another film to come.
In the end, marketing or promoting is necessary when it comes to the film industry.
It helps filmmakers improve in different aspects when designing movies and it provides
so many ways to get a movie out to the world. Marketing requires a great deal of
investment because things like merchandising requires buying and creating products
to help a movie product become more popular. However, marketing is a key component
in the success of a film because people in society won’t care to watch it without being
convinced to.






Friday, April 24, 2020

Practice Extract Essay of "24"

     The media is a powerful component in society. It portrays how individuals think and see when watching things projected to the mass. In the "24" extract, the director's goal is to make the audience feel the built up resentment and the atmosphere  between the two actors and how their actions affect one another because of the several scenes in the extract.
      The first scene that shows that the director's vision that one person's behavior can cause the other to act out of character in the part where the two actors exchange haste words. The dialogue is very hostile as the actor posing as the interrogator demands answers about a bomb threat. The actor being interrogated remains silent or gives very short and pointless answers. This is interpreted based off of the zooms the director includes in the film of the woman giving short replies This angers the interrogator as he is very determined to find out the information before it's too late but feels as if he's talking to a brick wall. The anger can be seen as the close up of the actor's face says it all. This eventually causes him to break and he begins to shout in the woman's face. This scene proves the director wanted to bring the message that one's behavior can be greatly affected by another's and cause individuals to act like beings they never thought they could be.
     The next scene that proves that the director is trying to bring the message that the feelings people have for each other are presented when one person breaks the other is when the interrogator becomes physical. The male interrogator begins by flipping the table which is the perfect prop for showing when anger is present because it provides a dramatic effect. When the actor flips the table from frustration it startles those watching through the camera in the room. Next, the frustrated interrogator becomes violent and chokes the woman as the camera gets a close up of the reaction to this. In addition, the people watching from the camera in the room are seen rushing to stop the interrogator before he possibly kills the woman. This shows why the director's theme is what it is because they reacted off of the interrogator's actions and decided to finally run in based off of the split screen that showed what was happening. The interrogator reacted off of woman being questioned witty answers and meaningless words. 
     These two scenes exemplify how individuals make one another react in a certain way based on how they interact. These actions can be good or bad based on what is said or done in the scenes. The director of "24" wants to show that this is true based on the angles, movements, props, and dialogue he includes in the film.

Extract Viewing TEA of "24"

Name: ________________Amelia____________________ K     M
Title of Extract: ______24_______________________ Period: ___________


  1. Theme of Extract
As you watch the extract the first time (when you are not allowed to write) figure out the theme and meaning behind the extract. It should be summed up in 4-5 sentences. 



The theme of the extract is how one individual’s actions can cause another  to act out of character. The director wants to convey feelings of anger and guilt. He wants to evoke hidden feelings deep within the audience and make them reflect on how they would react if they were in the same position as Jack. The director also makes the audience feel as if they should choose who they are in life whether it be the person who won’t budge no matter how hard things or people come at them or the person who loses it all when things get out of their control.



  1. Pick 8 Terms from your list. 2 from each area. Write them down here. 
1.Dialogue 

2.incidental 

3.close up 

4. Over the shoulder

5. graphic match

6.split screen

7. props 

8. lighting design

  1. Write down the Example of how your Term was used in the Extract. 

1. When they were going back and forth to find an agreement on where the bomb was located.

2. The scene where Jack is about to explode on Nina because she refuses to speak on the bomb location.

3. Jack gets in Nina’s face to scare into giving him a name.

4. Jack walks in and stares at Nina blankly.

5. The paper on the table before Nina with some sort of negotiation.

6. The workers rush from the viewing screen to the interrogation room while Jack is strangling Nina.

7. The table that Jack flips over.

8. The lighting design is low throughout the whole film to show the mood.

  1. Write down the Analysis of why the Term and the Example helps construct meaning within the theme that you came up with. 
1.The loud dialogue shows the frustration Jack is experiencing because Nina won’t answer.

2.  The incidental  music represents how Jack is going to burst from being so angry as the woman he’s interrogating is provoking him with her short responses.

3.The close up helps show Jack losing control and taking it out on Nina when he shouts in her face.

4. The over the shoulder of Jack staring blankly shows what Nina presence caused him to do

5. The graphic match with the paper helps show that there is some significance with the paper because it causes Nina to say less about it and Jack to become angry.

6.The chaos happening during the split screen displays the mix emotion taking place.

7. The table used as a prop was flipped over aggressively by Jack and shows another side of him.

8. The low lighting provides a mood that isn’t one of happiness.


  1. Write a complete sentence using your T.E.A.. Put together your Term, Example and Analysis to make a complete sentence. 


1. The author’s vision is portrayed through the dialogue as one actor is angered by the other who won’t speak on an urgent matter which is to find the bomb location.


2. The incidental music matches up with the theme of extract as it counts down to Jack’s outburst from Nina's lack of effort to provide a name.


3.The message is conveyed in the extract as the close up of Jack shouting at Nina and letting his anger out on her.


4. The over the shoulder shows blank Jack as he comes in contact with Nina.


5. The paper shows how individuals can change because of others as Nina begins to shift uncomfortable when the interrogator places them on the table.


6.Everyone acting out during the split screen shows the director’s vision that things and people cause individuals to act out of their normal behavior like how Jack suddenly snaps on Nina.


7.The director’s use of props such as the table shows how he wants to make the audience feel how Jack feels within as he throws the table to the side.


8.The use of low/ dark lighting in the extract gives off the idea that happiness isn’t present but the opposite actually.


Extract Viewing Sound and Mis En Scene of "24"

Name: ___________Amelia _________________________ K     M
Title of Extract: ___________24__________________ Period: ___________


Just list what you observe, no explanation needed. 
You may use the back if you see more then 10.


Sound


1.Diegetic 


2.Non-diegetic


3.Dialogue


4.Incidental


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.


10


Mis En Scene


  1. costume


  1. color design


  1. lighting design


  1. props


  1. location





7.


8.


9.

10.

Extract Viewing CAM and Editing of "24"

Name: __________________Amelia __________________ K     M
Title of Extract: _______________24_____________ Period: ___________


Just list what you observe, no explanation needed. 
You may use the back if you see more then 10.


Camera Angles, Movement, Shots


  1. over the shoulder


  1. zoom


  1. eye level


4. medium close up


5. close up


6.  two people shot
7.medium shot


8. tracking shot


9.pan


10. wide shot


Editing


1.cross cutting


2. eye- line match

3. reaction shot


  1. graphic match


  1. split screen


  1. fade in


  1. fade out 


8.


9.

10.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

CCR Blog

    As the school year comes to a closing, that means a final Creative Critical Reflection is expected. The CCR provided below is based off of the final project which was the movie opening. My group and I did struggle with our opening not because it was extremely difficult, but because we often experienced unexpected happenings. A group member had to leave the school and wasn't able to be apart of the movie. This made us have to change up the whole film to something that would accompany the members left in the group while still impressing Cambridge with this final product. My group and I take our work seriously and got the work done to the fullest we could and produced a film that showed the best of our skills. The movie opening focuses on two young girls hanging out on sunny day by the poolside. Things take a turn when they hear a noise inside and curiosity gets the best of them both. They both end up in terrible positions and soon find out the mystery killer in the house was someone they knew! This storyline was created by me because I enjoy thriller/horror films.
    The CCR video below is basically a film of me being interviewed by my cousin in regards to how my experience went this year and the final reflection on this task. This video experience allowed me to feel comfortable while answering questions and looking back at the journey in AICE Media Studies. The CCR questions provided allowed me to analyze and assess what type of video my group and I created and how it contributes to the media world and society as a whole. In addition to that, I was able to assess how the film could be put across platforms and see the different technologies that are incorporated into many films. While I won't be in AICE Media anymore after the end of this school year, I can still use all the methods and guides that were provided to me during the school year. The reflection doesn't only apply to films for AICE Media but also my personal films, films that I watch, and just life in general. The video was critical as I hit points of how the movie opening challenges conventions from movies in the same genre as my group's and I. I tried to be creative by adding inserts of certain clips and fun editing of transitions. The dialogue in the talk show represents the reflection part. Despite the pandemic, completing the final task and reflection wasn't impossible and made the quarantine experience somewhat more manageable.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

The Final Task Blog and Growth

  The final task was both a rollercoaster and adventurous. After we got the assignment, my group and I decided to begin researching and planning what was going to take place for this video. The thinking process wasn't that easy as we expected because we wanted to create a story no one else. The rollercoaster came when one of our group members were switching to another school. This meant we were short people and we needed a certain amount to execute efficiently. However, we pulled it together and created an exceptional storyline of a group of friends hanging out by the pool one day but individually get killed or captured by a mad scientist. The scientist lives inside too and wants to use the young girls as an experiment. In the end, the scientist turned out to be the father of one of the girls. To make our vision come to being, we had to incorporate way more factors and elements into this project because we had learned more. We had to incorporate angles and shots like dutch, tracking shot, action match, reverse shot, and many more.
   This movie was here to show if we were paying attention to what was taught throughout out the year and if we were able to apply it correctly. The rollercoaster part of this process became wilder because the girl who left our group promised to help us by being an actor. However, on the day we were meeting to begin filming, she couldn't come. We had no choice but to switch around almost everything to make it easier on us to film. To top that off, it began raining and we had to wait a while for it to calm. This made me, especially, anxious because I like going by a plan and sticking to it. Nevertheless, we pulled it together and still got the film done. My growth throughout this class was built for this last task as I had to juggle doing more than one task and working around whatever life threw at me last minute. The final task was adventurous because I was able to create the storyline of a movie opening that would worthy to Cambridge and watch it come to life when we recorded and edited it. Below is an insert of the final task.