Hello and Welcome to my A-Level Media Blog. My Name is Vivian Oparah [0621]. On this project, I have been in Group 5 and worked with Louis Caldwell [0131], Sebastian Hodge [0330] and Joshua Brooks [0110]. To navigate around my blog, you can click any of the headings under the 'Labels' subtitle on the side of the page - this will filter posts into the various stages of the project.
At the bottom of the page, there is a link which takes you to 'Older Posts' which can be clicked on as well.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy my blog!

"NTLS - Heart Skipped A Beat" Music Video


Our Music Video

NTLS Self-Titled Digipak Cover

NTLS Self-Titled Digipak Cover
NTLS Self-Titled Digipak Cover

NTLS Website

NTLS Website
Right-click the image and select "Open link in new tab" as this will take you to the official NTLS site

Friday 25 October 2013

Mean Girls Sweded Project

We were given the task to make a Sweded Version of a popular film, we chose Mean Girls. We worked in a group to create the film and make marketing materials, these are the marketing materials we produced:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/meangirlsweded (@meangirlsweded)
Facebook - https://facebook.com/meangirlssweded
Instagram - @meangirlssweded
Poster - (On the release day we put up another batch of posters, saying the film was being released that day)



I found this project fun and interesting and I am excited for the links to be released.


Saturday 12 October 2013

Dexter Title Sequence Re-Edit Evaluation

1) Summarise the conventions of the title sequence that were most important to this task.

In terms of conventions, there were some key points that we moulded our ideas around such as: 
  • A diverse title placement to avoid it looking boring and repetitive,
  • Making the programme name stand out from the names of the actors, producers and directors 
  • Picking fonts, font colours and animations that were suitable and relevant to the show
  • Maintaining these style aspects throughout
From previous knowledge, we were aware that all directors, actors and producers usually had a legal right to be mentioned in the opening title sequence, therefore including them was compulsory 


2) How did your group plan to edit the title sequence (consider timings, industry requirements etc)?

Aidan and I thought the titles would grab the attention of the audience if they were placed/moved around with regards to what was happening in the background. This meant a lot of time was spent perfecting timing and movement - for the ones we completed, it worked very well, but it meant a lot of shots were left with no titles.
We intended to include all the names of actors, producers and directors in the appropriate places on each shot, using typography relevant to the genre of Dexter.

3) Explain the creative decisions made by your group.

As Dexter is a Crime Thriller and a the main character is a serial killer, we found it would be fitting to have our font colour as a deep red as this colour has connotations of danger, pain and bloodshed. The font was very easy to read so the audience would be able to focus on the background and the title, we also dropped titles in places where there was a high contrast between the background colour and the text colour to make it easier to read . When we included animations, they worked in tune with the background for example a rotating title over a moving coffee-maker, this made the background and title work as an ensemble to be more enticing. 

4) How did your re-edit compare with the original?

Our font and font colours were very similar to the original, as well as our title placement because we were able to tease out some of the gaps that had purposely been left in background and place our titles there. However, the original had a lot more titles running over more than one shot which allowed the audience more time to process the title and what was happening in the background, whereas we had a title to a shot so it would have been a bit more difficult for our audience to focus even though we had a lot fewer titles. Timing was an factor that prevented us from adding more titles, although I would not as put in as many titles as they did as it started to look very overcrowded.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Sweded Homework

The term sweded refers to the, usually 4-6 minute recreation of a popular pop culture film made on a tight budget with a camcorder. Usually, these remakes are unedited with only a single take per scene therefore any additional audio (e.g. backing music) or credits must be added in during production.
The process is called sweding but upon completion, the film would have been 'sweded.' This idea of sweding originated from the film 'Be Kind, Rewind' when the character Jerry erases all the tapes in the store his friend Mike is looking after, forcing them to make quick remakes of all the films on a low budget. To make money faster, they claimed the tapes came from Sweden to use as an excuse to put up rental fees and allow longer wait times, later on during an argument between Jerry and a character Craig, Jerry fabricated the word "sweded," to describe the films.
Sweding can also link with film history as the remakes represent particular stand out memories that all audiences share and enjoy from films.


Two particular examples of sweded films I found on YouTube that I enjoyed were:


Twilight

The things I liked about this sweded film was the actors were committed to the roles and took it seriously which made it funnier. Also they used a variety of shots which made it interesting to watch and difficult things like the beheading at the end were still attempted without special effects and still looked quite convincing. This has inspired me to film the swede I will make in a accessible environment that we can take full advantage of with characters that have very distinct personality traits that can be heightened to make it funnier for the audience. 

The Dark Knight

This one is my favorite out of the two as it appears to be a true sweded film whereas the Twilight one added in backing music, this one maintained its own throughout. All the large pieces of scenery, makeup and props have been done themselves which keeps in with the low budget 'rule,' whilst still being an interesting 'well-made' swede. This has inspired me to do as much as I can with raw materials and not cut any corners in my groups swede to make it more authentic.

My idea for my group is a Sweded version of 'Mean Girls.' This is because it has countless memorable moments, it's funny and extremely well known and I think people will find it interesting to watch a Sweded version. Furthermore, similar to the Twilight swede above, its filmed in a school environment which will make it easy and achievable to recreate in school.


Sunday 6 October 2013

Preliminary Excercise



Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
Our task was to do the video brief which was a continuity task involving filming and editing a short sequence of a small conversation between two characters, demonstrating the continuity rules; match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.
For this task, I was in a group with Mari, Louis and Seb. Since the conversation was between a teacher and a student, we thought that Mari would be good for the student role because she looked the youngest and Seb for the teacher role as he looked the oldest. I felt that the role of the director was best for me as I was confident at giving directions and thought this would help make sure we kept on task and finished in time. Also I didn't want to be the camera-man because I didn't feel as confident in that position as I have never been behind the camera before, however next time I would like to challenge myself in that position. Louis was the camera man and I assisted him with sound because I did want to gain some experience with the technical side of things and I felt sound was a good place to start, this worked well.

To edit the sequence, I worked in a pair with Seb using a piece of software which was new to me; Adobe Premiere Pro and we divided the editing equally.

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
We began planning our sequence with a discussion of we wanted to happen it in. After this we talked about each shot and Mari drew it into different grids of a storyboard. Whilst this was happening we thought of the different set ups that we'd need and wrote them down on a sheet. We didn't draw a complete storyboard because we found this might be a waste of time. Instead, we did a walk-through based on the ideas we had at that point, to see if everything worked around the key theory of continuity. This helped a lot because we could see particular points that we had to pay extra attention to to make sure they were continuous. You could say the genre of our sequence is 'Drama' but we didn't pay much attention to it. We also didn't use the set up list that much during filming but I suppose it did help us initially map out what we had to do and how we could save time.  (Below from left to right, set ups, storyboard)




What technology did you use to complete the task and how did you use it?
To complete this task I used a variety of hardware and one piece of software. We used the Canon DV30 Camera, a Tripod, a Shotgun Microphone and Headphones. Filming with the Canon DV30 in HD made it look clear and realistic, we attached the camera to a tripod, this enabled us to alternate the height of the camera with ease and eliminated any camera shake that would arise from holding it manually. Attaching the shotgun microphone to the top of the camera ensured that only the sounds directed in front of it were picked up, this meant that speech was clear and perfectly audible, however for reassurance, a set of headphones were attached to the camera so that we were able to monitor the audio throughout the recording in case of any faults.

In terms of editing, Seb and I worked together on a software called Adobe Premier Pro. This software allowed us to preview all our clips, select and cut them down using in and out points, put them onto a timeline using two video tracks then view the clips we had edited on an output monitor.

What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

We initially had to pick the setting that suited our scene but also was devoid of noise pollution from other factors e.g. people moving from lesson to lesson, the bell ringing for next lesson - we thought the media classroom would be ideal because we would be the only ones using it so it would remain quiet and it is quite an isolated space which helps. We also had to remember to work with time so that the bell didn't interrupt the suspense of disbelief. Our group quickly asked permission to use the Media Room so that it would be reserved for us. We took into account that we had to work around other groups, therefore having to allocate time for when we could get certain shots in one area whilst someone was in a space we wanted to use. When we were shooting we realised that the format of the tables in the Media Room had to be moved as they looked cluttered, however we had to move them in a way that it would still look like a classroom; this was very quick and easy to do and made the shot look less crowded. We had to plan in advance for Mari to have a school uniform and we had the props that were being exchanged to make sure the scene remained naturalistic. When editing we had to make sure that it looked continuous, truthful and all audio matched correctly and was audible. 
How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?Looking back on the entire sequence, I think it was successful. We had all aspects of the brief in our sequence;


  • Making and editing a continuous sequence with a character crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character - Mari walks through the corridor into the Media room and does all these things before sitting down opposite Seb.
  • The characters then exchange a couple of lines - Mari and Seb talk about the exchange and actually do an exchange of answers for money
  • The task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule - When Mari opens and closes the door it is an example of match on action. The conversation between Seb and Mari demonstrated shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule was never broken.
As a whole the sequence makes sense and is clear, it gives a smooth viewing experience as Seb and I tried our best to join shots in places that did not make them look too obvious. Unfortunately, the shot which pans across the room is quite shaky  but this is because it was quite difficult for Louis to move the camera across smoothly. Also, Seb and I found that we had to cut the shot before Mari pushes the door quite quickly otherwise it wouldn't be continuous,  as in the long shot she goes was going to open the door with her left hand but in the close up she uses her right -although I don't feel like this looks too jumpy when I watch the sequence. If I could do something differently, I would make sure there was an long shot of Mari walking into the room from or near to Seb's point of view, we could have used this as oppose to then pan which would've made it smoother and we also didn't have any shots from that angle so it would've made it more interesting. 

What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?I have learnt a lot from taking part and completing this task. I learnt the rules of continuity and how important they are in a continuous sequence otherwise a scene can look glitchy and amateur. I gained skills on working together on a project, and got an insight into the reason why there are different takes of the same scene and why it may be important to have more than one, especially in a continuity task. The directing helped me improve my confidence and skills of communicating myself to a new group of people, it was a role I thoroughly enjoyed however in the future I would like to have a chance at every other role in the process because each role looked enjoyable. In addition, I had never used Adobe Premiere Pro so I found it very useful to be able to use it for a short task as I learnt a lot of different functions and ways of doing things which I am excited to apply to the next task. Finally, I feel that this task reinstated the importance of time management skills as they were crucial for getting this done, and it has reminded me that if I push and apply myself, even in something new to me, there can still be a positive outcome.

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Art of the Title Evaluation




  1. Summarise your film idea
    Our film 'Clarence' is about a serial killer who was driven to insanity by the murder of his own daughter when she was young. Therefore now, in some twisted sort of revenge, poses as a caretaker in a school where he targets and kidnaps teenage girls and treats them like babies.
  2. What kind of information has been included in your film opening?
    The film opening actually gives a large insight into the main story behind the film. Shot 1 reveals that he has handpicked targets which stem from an obsession with young girls and Shot 2 shows he has quite a systematic way of selecting his victims. Shot 3 shows a teenage version of the girl in the shot before applying makeup quite innocently, although this shot has a lot brighter lighting that the two previous shots, there is a big sense of foreboding as we know she has been selected, this ominous feeling is carried on into Shot 4 and intensified as the audience can see what is going to happen to her before she does. Shot 5 is taken from a high angle showing a character who we can now assume is 'Clarence' dragging the body of the girl from the previous shots into some sort of dungeon which reveals it is part of a school as it is close enough to drag her, otherwise he would've had to transport her by other means. Shot 6 is quite eerie as its very dark lighting and only has children's toys in the frame, this shot underlines his obsession with children after the passing of his late daughter. Shot 7 links back to Shot 1 showing the 2 girls that he has targeted sitting with distressed facial expressions and dressed as kids but you can't tell any other sinister things he may have in store for them. The only clue we get is from the extreme close-up in Shot 8 where the eyes of the girl are still open and glazed over looking very scared so we know she is alive and the torture isn't over.
  3. How do titles link to the main film idea?
    The titles are in chiller font which looks quite chilling and with the red colour looks like dripping blood which is quite terrifying, this all forms a strong link to the horror genre we placed our film in.
  4. Summarise the expected audience reaction.
    Our aim was that after watching the primary sequence, the audience would feel that 'Clarence' is a very twisted, scary film. It would also create suspense about what happens next as it may appear that a lot of interesting details have already been given away so it poses the question in the audiences mind 'how bad can it get?' In addition, the audience should hopefully be intrigued as to what the character behind the mask looks like and who he is when he isn't wearing the mask.
  5. Identify three things in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film
    1) Making the genre clear from the very beginning so the audience immediately know what type of film they are watching. We achieved this with the characters  setting, lighting and titles.
    2) Showing a variety of differently lit at different angles help maintain the audience's attention, we used high angle shots, over the shoulder shots, close ups and extreme closeups in our sequence in dark and well lit areas. Although its a horror, having bright lights before dark lighting forms a contrast which strengthens the usage of the dark light .
    3) Having the title at the end is important as it shows everything leading up to it and it makes it very bold and also tells the audience the name of the film.
  6. How effective is your project as a film opening?
    In my opinion our film opening is very effective. It shows the audience what they are yet to see in the film whilst at the same time creating questions in their mind such as; who is Clarence, how does he have their pictures, why is he doing this and what else can he do? These questions will prompt the viewer to continue watching which is the main aim. It also starts to build up relationships with charectars, for example we feel empathy towards the girl in Shot 4 as she is walking straight into her demise but we are then given hope when we see she is alive in Shot 8, this also makes us want to continue watching to see what happens to her next.
    As an improvement we could have put the shots in non chronological order to allow the audience to make sense of it themselves, it would've also given less away.