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.

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

2. color design

3. lighting design

4. props

5. location

6. 
   

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

2. zoom

3. 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

4. graphic match

5. split screen

6. fade in

7. fade out 

8.

9.

10.

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.

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.                               

Music Video Blog and Growth

   The music video project was one of the most assignments I've had to complete all year. It was something different that would also showcase individual different talents whether it be singing, dancing, or acting. This project required more thought process than the commercial project. To begin it, my group chose the song "What About Your Friends" by T.L.C., a well known pop girl group during their time. The song matched my group and I because we only consisted of 3 girls. Together, we planned and planned until it was time to execute. We planned The video would be shot at various locations such as a local skatepark, the Popeyes' restaurant, and a junkyard. We planned to film the new project for the weekend because most of the availability we had on our personal schedules. We wanted to start early because it would give us ample time to dump and begin editing the footage. Soon or later it would be ready to be reviewed  for a final grade.
    During the music video process, I recognized my growth. I was able to take on more than one responsibility such as recording and directing how things should play out to make the video a success. In addition, I was also acting which meant I had to memorize my parts. Before this, I would have found it very difficult to juggle all of this in a certain amount of time. My group and I grew closer as we were somewhat forced to because of the closeness among the girls in the music group we were impersonating. This music video showed me that I was able to do more than I limited myself to doing and I could do a really good job at it. I also discovered that I had a newfound passion for filming and directing films and videos. There is definitely improvement from the last project. Hopefully Cambridge too, sees the growth between videos. Below is the final product of the music video my team and i coordinated.

Commercial Blog and Growth

   The commercial project, the first AICE project for the year, was used to show us as students what we possessed before being taught everything to become future directors and more. The commercial was to show how creative Fort Lauderdale is during Halloween time. The commercial was based off of FLHS's annual Freight Night which was the time when clubs built things like scary houses, played scary music, and served food and drinks for those attending to have a great time. My group thought this idea to invite persuade people to come was a great idea for the commercial project and also because no one thought of this. The commercial consisted of a storyline of an innocent cheerleader who came into contact with a killer on the loose. The cheerleader girl wakes up and finds that she is now at a FLHS party with everyone celebrating Halloween. This plot would definitely make anyone who watched it want to come and party with our school. For this project the group and I were somewhat irresponsible. We got our camera and it was on a long percentage. However we decided to still use it and then just get a new one after this one died.
      The commercial has pointed out want we need to fix to impress Cambridge. We needed to plan more thoroughly and have back up plans in case of any scenario. We also needed to have better lighting included wherever we were filming. Speaking on my behalf, I can say I grew from this task because I learned how to put together something professionally for people to see. I learned how to work better in a group by communicating more and taking orders sometimes. I also learned how to shoot a video and implement different angles and camera shots such as WS, POV, tilt, and much more.  Below is the commercial that showed me that if I took in everything I was taught I could possibly pursue something in the media field.

 

Re-Edit for the Final Task

  Currently in America, there is what can be said to be chaos. Schools have been closed until May 1st and may not even open till the next school term if things get worst. To add to that, COVID-19 cases have gone up exponentially to reaching 1 million cases. Broward County has also had a few cases of death and people in severe conditions. Stores continue to run low on supplies and people have to find other methods to gain these. Online school has also begun and everyone is taking a while to adjust as it is not as simple as face to face interactions. With everything going on exams are the last things on students mind are exams. However, Cambridge and other boards of education have made it their job to ensure we end the year strong and smooth. Exams have either been canceled or will be taken online. Cambridge has decided to offer AICE students credits by assessing their scores from their classes from now on until the end of the school year.
   My group and I truly have no plans to re-film with this pandemic worsening. We think our current movie showcases our abilities not to the fullest, but far from the worst. We want to keep ourselves and families safe and have to take precautions to ensure this. Everyone has been instructed to remain quarantined for as much as they can and we have to follow rules so we won't face the consequences. On the other hand, re-editing isn't an issue because it can be done from home by anyone in the group. Josh has been in charge of re-editing the movie opening since Charli and I did other factors such as planning and storyboarding that led up to the completion of our final task. Josh only has to add in the titles correctly and ensure everything is grammatically correct. He also has to make sure the theme of the titles match the message of our movie itself. The movie opening also needs to have music that matches the theme and credits to where the music came from. Our video was already set in order right after we filmed so there isn't much to correct for it.