http://wbpinewmedia.warnerbros.com/sherlockholmes/ads/msn/index.html

Course Outline for 2013/2014

The following units make up the framework of the AS Media Studies course:

1. Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio = 50% / Coursework

2. Unit G322: Key concepts in media = 50% / Exam

1. Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio = 50% / Coursework

The Foundation Portfolio unit requires students to create TWO media products for their coursework:

There will be 2 production tasks that students will have to complete during the 1^st year.

The 2 production tasks make up 50% of your over all course grade:

They are COURSEWORK #1: Preliminary task &COURSEWORK #2: Main task

The main task requires students to create the opening 2 minutes, including titles of either a:

Thriller,

Romantic Comedy,

or Horror film.

The other 50% will be an exam on Key Media Concepts:

Section A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Section B: INSTITUTIONS & AUDIENCES

Every student will be individually assessed, even if a student is working in a group dynamic. The teacher will continually assess students’ efforts, contribution, and work ethic throughout the production assignment and give marks accordingly.

2. Unit G322: Key Concepts in Media = 50% / Exam (2 hour)

Section A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS & REPRESENTATION: TV DRAMA

The purpose of this unit is to assess the students’ ability to textually analysis a short unseen clip from a TV Drama and discuss how the technical elements/codes that make up the scene and create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places.

The TV Drama clip will be shown in the examination (4 times).

In that period, (usually 30 minutes) students will make notes and have another 45 minutes to write an essay on the following technical elements of that clip:

Technical codes

Camera Angle, shot, movement and position

i.e. Pans, tilts, Cu’s, MCU’s, tracking, crane shots etc

Editing:

Cut, fades, dissolves, wipes, tempo/frequency of cuts etc

Sound:

Soundtrack; theme, tune, incidental music, sound fx, ambient sound, dialogue, voiceover, diegetic, non-diegetic, tempo, frequency etc

Mise-en-scene:

Location, setting, costumes, props, lightning etc

The above technical codes create representations in terms of:

Gender

Age

Ethnicity

Sexuality

Class & Status

Physical ability/disability

Regional identity

The understanding of the above explicit media terminology is paramount for this unit, as students will have to analyse any visual sequence in the exam and understand fully what these terms mean regarding representations.

Section B: INSTITUTIONS & AUDIENCES

Through analysing a case study on TimeWarners we can identify patterns of production, distribution and exhibition in relation to ‘Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows'. We can also assess how contemporary distribution practices have had an impact on production, marketing and audience consumption.

1. History of Warner Bros pictures

(1930 – present day)

2. Media ownership in contemporary media practice

3. Cross media convergence/synergy in production, distribution and marketing

4. Technology used in production, distribution and marketing

5. Targeting national and local 'British' audiences by the Warner’s global network of media operations

6. Audiences own experiences of media consumption of Warner’s products

7. Mock examination

Q: How are Time Warner targeting a British Audience through the promotional campaign behind ‘Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows’ (2011)?

Students need to create a ongoing project with evidence of any promotional material including images, articles, viral campaigns that they come across prior to its release at the cinema. The unit will culminate in a trip to the cinema to watch it during its release.

Media Terminology for Textual Analysis

CAMERA ANGLES, MOVEMENT & POSITION

Q: When analysing the clip see how many of the following camera movements and positions are being used?

ESTABLISHING / MASTER SHOT: Sets the scene where the action will take place – usually evident at the beginning of a film scene and at the end of a film.

AERIAL SHOT: Birds eye view shot, usually from a helicopter.

CRANE SHOT: Camera is positioned on a crane, which gives a sweeping movement to the shot.

PANS: A camera moving on a horizontal axis, right to left, left to right.

TILTS: The camera moving again on a vertical axis, sky to floor, floor to sky.

HAND HELD: Hand held camera work gives a sense of uneasiness and documentary style realism.

FORWARD TRACKING: Camera tracking, moving forward.

REVERSE TRACKING: Camera tracking in reverse/backwards.

HORIZONTAL TRACKING: Camera tracking horizontally

(Left to right, right to left)

VERTICAL TRACKING: Camera tracking vertically (up or down)

ZOOM IN: Camera lens zooming into an area of interest.

ZOOM OUT: Camera zooming out from a point of interest.

HIGH ANGLE: Camera positioned high looking down at a subject, placing the audience in a position of dominance, making the subject appear submissive.

LOW ANGLE: Camera positioned low looking up to a subject. This produces a submissive effect on the viewer, making the subject appear dominant.

SUBJECTIVE POINT-OF-VIEW: An individual’s unique perspective, through his or her own eyes.

WIDE SHOT: This kind of shot is used to show a subject within an environment. E.g.: a wide shot of the interior of a building as a character walks through it.

TWO-SHOT: A shot that shows the distance between two characters in close proximity to one another. Sometimes occurs before/after a shot-reverse-shot.

STEADICAM: A fairly recent invention, that allows a camera to be suspended without a tripod. This allows hand held smooth, flowing movements from a camera.

EDITING

SEAMLESS EDITING / CONTINUITY EDITING: When the cuts between shots are fluid and barely noticeable.

FADE OUT: The gradual fading from the picture and sound to black (or another colour) and silence.
FADE IN: The opposite of fade out.

DISSOLVE: The superimposition, a quick overlapping/ mixing of two images (one image over the other) – usually implies a passage of time.

SUPERIMPOSE: The mixing, blending of many shots over one another to combine various different images. Created during the postproduction digital editing phase.

CUT: A stop, or break in action usually indicated by moving from one camera angle or shot to another.

SLOW MOTION: Slow motion is a stylistic edit, which serves to slow down fast action and draw our attention to it.

SHOT – REVERSE – SHOT: A series of shots between two characters in a continuous fashion.

SOUND

THEME TUNE: A piece of music that introduces a TV programme and sets the mood of the genre that will follow.

INCIDENTAL MUSIC: A music piece that surrounds a scene and compliments the action.

AMBIENT SOUND: Background, everyday sounds like traffic, sirens, wind blowing etc.

DIEGETIC SOUND: Sound that is part of the story space. E.g.: Someone playing a CD in a film scene and we as the audience can also hear the music. It is sound which the characters in a film can actually hear.

NON-DIEGETIC SOUND: Incidental music/ sound, which is used as a theme/soundtrack and is not part of the story space. In other words the characters cannot hear it, Like a VOICE OVER.

DIALOGUE: Dialogue is a scripted conversation between two or more characters within a film or TV programme.

TEMPO: The speed of the sound, faster / slower etc.

FREQUENCY: The loudness/quietness of the sound.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

PYROTECHNICS: A special effect used in film, which requires things to explode and catch fire, and the use of stunt men/women.

CGI: computer generated images – special effects created on high specification equipment – expensive to use.
MODELS: The use of models for buildings, cars, etc, to give the illusion of being a real thing. Models are often used as cheap way of blowing things up.

ANIMATION: Computer animation / stop motion animation / drawing cell animation is often integrated as a special effect into film.

MISE EN SCENE

LOCATION:

Where is the action filmed? E.g: Studio? Real life location? CGI? Country?

SETTING:

Where is the story set? What kind of setting is it?

COSTUMES:

What costumes are the characters wearing? And what does it tell us about them?

PROPS:

What props are the characters using? And what does this tell us about them?

LIGHTING:

How has the set been lit? What meaning is being conveyed

Introduction to AS Media Studies

"Hello students and welcome to the brave new world that is the 'blogosphere' and indeed a window into the structure of the AS Media Studies course for our new students at Landau Forte: Tamworth Sixth Form College. What follows is the layout of the course which has very useful website links and video clips that are an important part of the course. This page will be updated regularly with information and material that will support your educational endeavours. There are two main areas of the course: The practical element which is called Foundation Portfolio (G322) which is 50% of the course and the examination element which is called Key Media Concepts (G324) which is the other 50%. You will be working through both of these areas throughout the year until completion. Read, learn and most of all enjoy the course......."


Just some of the skills you can expect to develop on the course:

• Independent media analysis of film openings, drama sequences from TV etc
• Group film making exercises / Individual film making exercises 
• Learning how to film sequences with Sony HD cameras and editing film footage on the mac suite
• Analysing contemporary drama sequences from shows such as 'Luther', "The Street' etc
• Analysing Print artefacts and understanding the codes & conventions of print, including any messages and meanings                        
• Learning unique media terminology with confidence over time                               
• Making an online blog that you can personalize and take creative ownership of
• Embedding your own short film clips and photographs on blogspot                                                      
• Examination Practice in preparation for Jan 2012
• Studying Warner Bros and completing a case study on 'Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows"
• Improving your academic research skills, writing skills, practical production skills etc
• Creating a solid platform for A2 media where you will be making music videos, short films, documentary films, animation etc