Year 10 Taster Day - Movie Promotion-Trailers

Learning objectives: 

• Compare types of trailer
• Identify the differences between them
• Identify trailer conventions

Key terms:

Genre - A French word for 'type' or category. Every year, around 300 films are released in the UK and thousands more are available for download on TV. We can't study them all so it is useful to group the films into types or genres so that we can analyse them. 

Iconography - The traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject.
Iconography is an important aspect of genre. We expect to see certain objects on screen when we see a particular genre, for example, in a Western, dusty lonely roads, saloon bars, cowboy hats and horses, jails, sheriffs badges, guns, etc.; in a modern horror film, we expect young girls, ‘normal’ objects, use of dark and light, etc.

Narrative - Refers to the story structures that different types of film use and elements that are used in the construction such as gun fights, explosions and car chases. How the story might unfold.

 

Starter: Indicate on the hand outs provided, the iconography and narrative structure that you would expect from the different film genres.

Film Genre	Iconography	Brief narrative
Horror
Romantic Comedy
Sci-Fi

Film media taster june 2017  from aealey

Lighting for Film

Starter: Complete the gap exercise on the handout provided.

You will consider the effect of lighting in film and discuss how audiences have been positioned.

Key terms:

Key Light, Main Light
The key may determine the character of the lighting, but often a strong Back Light for example, sets the Mood. The key should usually be Motivated by a source like the sun or a window. 

Fill Light, Filler
Fill is used to lighten shadows and control Contrast and Lighting Ratios. Tip: Avoid Hard Light fill and Over-kill Fill*. Angle: usually close to the lens, on the side opposite the Key.
B Lights*, The Two Bs *
Back Light and Background Light are frequently confused. Both begin with "back," both are used to Separate Planes and imply Depth, and both are tricky to Motivate so that they appear realistic. Each, however, points in a different direction. Tip: Discretion may dictate that only one or, on occasion, neither is really needed.

Bounce Card, Bounce Board

A white reflecting panel used for Fill or subtle Kicks. See: Show card.

Useful links:
http://www.creativeshrimp.com/high-key-lighting-in-blender-book-03.html

Lighting glossary

Lighting and colour can be used to create a certain atmosphere or mood

and can even be used symbolically.

Certainly directors are aware of the power of cultural connotations - for example if I say WHITE? -  what associations immediately come to mind… or RED?

Certain genres use colour more obviously than others and you have probably already noticed colours used in  sci-fi?    Horror?

Filmmakers use colour and lighting effects to make audiences well aware of the kind of film they are watching and when teaching your students the basics of film language, here’s what you need to know about lighting effects:

•The basic organisation of  lighting looks like this:

The KEY LIGHT is the term for a powerful light that casts sharp, black shadows behind the things it illuminates. It’s the main source of light in a scene.

FILL LIGHTS can be used to soften these shadows and basically fill them in. More or less of these will be used depending on whether images are to be sharp or soft.

If people or objects are lit from behind it makes them stand out from the background and they become more prominent. Underlighting (from below) and toplighting create different kinds of shadow.

There are two main ways of describing the use of these lights -

HIGH KEY LIGHTING - means the use a lots of fill lights along with the key lights so everything is brightly lit and there are few shadows. This is the style you would expect in romantic comedies, youth pictures, the colour you’d expect from a glossy Hollywood film.

LOW KEY LIGHTING - uses fewer fills, so more shadows are created with definite pools of light interspersed - you might associate this with horror films and is the style of lighting associated with film noir.

High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was originally done partly for technological reasons, since early film and television did not deal well with high contrast ratios, but now is used to suggest an upbeat mood.

A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. ... But where a high-key image feels airy and light, a low-key is usually dramatic and full of mystery. Low-key lighting is typically used when the director wants to either isolate a subject or convey drama.

The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery.

Fill light is any source of illumination that lightens (fills in) areas of shadow created by other lights. Most often, fill light is used to lighten the shadows created by the main (key) light.

In lighting design, backlighting is the process of illuminating the subject from the back. In other words, the lighting instrument and the viewer face each other, with the subject in between. This creates a glowing effect on the edges of the subject, while other areas are darker.

Lighting in Film 

Film lighting, light and colour part 2 

Jurassic World - Narrative

Narrative jurassic world from aealey

Film Industry - Distribution

Here's the path a film usually takes to get to your local theater:

• Someone has an idea for a movie.
• They create an outline and use it to promote interest in the idea.
• A studio or independent investor decides to purchase rights to the film.
• People are brought together to make the film (screenwriter, producer, director, cast, crew).
• The film is completed and sent to the studio.
• The studio makes a licensing agreement with a distribution company.
• The distribution company determines how many copies (prints) of the film to make.
• The distribution company shows the movie (screening) to prospective buyers representing the theaters.
• The buyers negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement.
• The prints are sent to the theaters a few days before the opening day.
• The theater shows the movie for a specified number of weeks (engagement).
• You buy a ticket and watch the movie.
• At the end of the engagement, the theater sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease agreement.

ome of these steps may be combined and, particularly in the case of small independent films, additional steps may be necessary. As you can see, there is a lot that goes on before a movie is ever shown to a paying audience!

making a movie is not nearly as difficult as getting it distributed. Because of the enormous amount of cost in money and time involved in distributing a movie, a distributor must feel confident that they can make a sufficient return on their investment. Having the backing of a major studio or a well known director or star can greatly improve the chances of securing a good distribution deal. Independent filmmakers often use film festivals as an opportunity to get the attention of distributors. Once a distributor is interested in a film, the two parties arrive at a distribution agreement based on one of two financial models:

• Leasing
• Profit sharing

In the leasing model, the distributor agrees to pay a fixed amount for the rights to distribute the film. If the distributor and the studio have a profit-sharing relationship, on the other hand, the distributor gets a percentage (typically anywhere from 10 to 50 percent) of the net profits made from the movie. Both models can be good or bad, depending on how well a movie does at the box office. The goal of both the studio and the distribution company is to predict which model will benefit them the most.

REVISION 3 TV Industry - Genre, narrative, Representation

SECTION A: TEXT
Answer one question from this section.
You must refer to the three main texts you have studied in each answer.

Either,
A1. Explore the different ways in which people are represented in your three main texts. [30]
Or,
A2. How typical are your three main texts of their genre? [30]

Either,
A1. Explore the narrative structure of your three main texts. [30]
Or,
A2. ‘Most texts today mix genres.’ How true is this of your three main texts? [30]

Either,
A1. To what extent do your three main texts challenge genre conventions? [30]
Or,
A2. Explore the key gender representations in your three main texts. [30]

Either,
A1. ‘All media representations are constructed.’ Discuss with reference to your three main texts.
[30]
Or,
A2. ‘Media texts contain complex narratives.’ How true is this of your three main texts? [30]

Either,
A1. Explore the different representations of either men or age within your three main texts. [30]
Or,
A2. How important are characters to the narrative of your three main texts? [30]

Either,
A1. To what extent are the key representations in your three main texts stereotypical? [30]
Or,
A2. Explore the genre conventions in your three main texts. [30]

Either,
A1. Explore how the key representations in your three main texts have been constructed. [30]
Or,
A2. Explore how narrative is constructed in your three main texts. [30]

REVISION 2 TV Industry. Audience Issues

SECTION B: INDUSTRY AND AUDIENCE

-TV Text case studies information: 

Happy valley Season 1 Ep 1

First Dates Season 6 Ep 6

Always Sunny Season 1 Ep 5

Key terms Polysemy:

The capacity for a sign (such as a word, phrase, or symbol) to have multiple meanings

Exam question:
B4. Discuss actual audience responses to your three main texts. [30]

A response to this question requires you to let the examiner know that you are familiar with types of audiences for the texts and why they might respond in different ways.

This question is focused more on actual responses than theoretical responses and is looking for candidates’ knowledge of these, there is still room for responses linked to theory.

Answers may make reference to some of the following points:

• Media texts are (generally) polysemic 
• Responses may be dependent on social positioning, demographic and psychographic profiles 
• Actual responses may come through fan sites, critics’ reviews, audience/user forums, awards, news reports, phone-ins, voting etc. 
• References to personal/class responses are valid but should be supported by examples 
• Links to the use of social media – blogs, Twitter, Facebook etc 
• Responses may be linked to sales, circulation figures, ratings, box office success etc. 
• Links to Stuart Hall: preferred, dominant, negotiated and oppositional readings 
• Response may be dependent on the reasons for “using” it – links to Uses and Gratifications theory 
• Links to Two Step Flow Theory.  

   

        See grid handout for TV texts:

Useful links:
Guardian review, series one.
Did Happy Valley go too far?
Facebook Happy Valley policy
Link to awards for Happy Valley:

        Links to awards for First Dates:

January 2012

B3. Explore the different ways your three main texts attract their audiences. [30]

B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? [30]

June 2012

B1. Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts. [30]

B4. ‘The main function of a media text is to entertain its audience.’ How true is this for your three main texts? [30]

January 2013

B1. To what extent are stars and/or celebrities important to the promotion of your three main texts? [30]

B2. Explore the different ways your three main texts target their audiences. [30]

B3. Explore the different ways audiences interact with your three main texts. [30]

June 2013

B1. What do texts offer audiences? Refer to your three main texts in your answer. [30]

B3. How do your three main texts position audiences? [30]

January 2014

B3. To what extent do your three main texts appeal to different audiences? [30]

B4. ‘A global audience is important to media industries.’ Discuss this statement with reference to your three main texts. [30]

June 2014

B3. Explore the different ways audiences respond to your three main texts. [30]

B4. To what extent do your three main texts target a mainstream audience? [30]

June 2015

B1. Explore the different audience appeals of your three main texts. [30]

B3. To what extent do your three main texts target a global audience? [30]

REVISION 1 TV Industry. Industry Issues

Happy Valley Media Pack

Past A2 Media Studies Industry questions:

Production
June 2013

B2. How do your three main texts use digital technology? [30]

January 2014

B1. Explore the use of digital technologies in your selected industry. Refer to your three main texts. [30]
June 2014
B2. How important are high production values to your three main texts? [30]
June 2015
B4. How important are digital technologies to the success of your three main texts? [30]
June 2016
B3. Explore the key factors which influence the production of your three main texts. [30]

Background and Context

Marketing/Promotion
January 2012 
B1. Assess the main advantages of the Internet for your three main texts. [30]
January 2013

B1. To what extent are stars and/or celebrities important to the promotion of your three main texts? [30]
June 2014

B1. Discuss the marketing strategies used by your selected industry. Refer to your three main texts. [30]
June 2015

B2. Discuss the importance of social media in the marketing and promotion of your three main texts. [30]

June 2012

B3. How effectively were your three main texts marketed? [30]

Regulation

June 2012

B2. Explore the impact of regulation on your three main texts. [30]
January 2014

B2. How is your chosen industry regulated? Refer to your three main texts. [30]
June 2015 ?
B2. All media texts are subject to regulation. How has regulation affected your three main texts?

Global Implications
January 2012 
B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? [30]
June 2013
B4. To what extent are your three main texts global? [30]


Distribution/Exhibition
January 2012 
B2. With reference to your three main texts, discuss the key features of their distribution. [30]

January 2013

B4. ‘Distribution is the key to success.’ How far do you agree? Refer to your three main texts in your answer. [30]

______________________________________________________________________________

A2 media ms4 television industry distribution and globalisation from aealey

A2 media ms4 television industry marketing from aealey