Classwork Genre

Here is a summary of what we have been learning about in class. We learned about different types of  genre theories, narrative theories and codes. 

・┆✦  Genre Theory જ⁀➴ ✦ ┆・

Different types of groups made for different types of written media.

Steve Neale - Genre Theory

A text must be SIMILAR enough to be recognised as a particular genre. But it must also be DIFFERENT enough to be new and exciting. 

Because:

- It provides the audience with expectations

- It provides the writer/director with a blueprint

- It provides distributors with a target audience

This gives the audience variety to enjoy, also it diversifies the financial risk for the production company.

Heres an example that my teacher taught me in class to understand the concept of Steve Neale's Theory

In this example, you can see that the theory of Steve Neale has been applied. One reason would be to create more target audiences. For example, Batwheels tells us that the target audience are young children, whilst The Batman tells us that they are more lean to young adults due to its violent contents. Another example would be how audience can expect. Noticing the colour scheme in Batwheels tells audiences that the show is fun and energetic. With the colour scheme of The Batman being dark, which is the opposite of Batwheels, tells audiences that the film is serious and would focus on crime/mysterious atmosphere. 

・┆✦  Genre Theory જ⁀➴ ✦ ┆・

David Buckingham - Genre Theory

Noticing the differences, you can tell that in Spiderman (2004) shows a very simple and more old-fashion suit. Whereas in Spiderman: Far From Home (2022), it's been shown that the suit is very high tech, more advanced, and has unique features. The reason behind these changes is explained by David Buckingham, who states that "these changes over time due to societal shifts." According to Buckingham, in Steve Neale's theory, a genre must be different media, but the changes should reflect on societal purposes.

Heres more examples that we've looked at in class that has been changed due to societal shifts. 

The Little Mermaid

The Buckingham theory was applied by casting Halle Bailey, a black actress, as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the film changes the usual image of Ariel as white. This societal choice shows that characters we love can come from different races. It helps us understand that everyone, no matter what race, can be part of stories. This makes us more open and accepting of differences.

Hulk

According to Buckingham's theory, introducing a diverse character of Hulk, She-Hulk, helps offer a new kind of superhero such as being a strong (buff) female superhero that breaks away from traditional female roles. This helps change and reflect how society views gender and identity which helps promotes diversity in media.

・┆✦  Narrative Theory ✐ᡣ𐭩 ✦ ┆・

A story that tells about an events or experiences in a special order

Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites

Everyone understands the world in the terms of opposites. It is these opposites that conflict with one another and drive a narrative forward. 

- Good vs Evil

- Corruption vs Purity

- Emotion vs Thought 

- Monogamy vs Adultery

Which ever side prevails will tell you what the producer's ideology is, and what message they are giving the audience.

Don't be too literal (eg Avengers vs Thanos) You need to think what the characters represent, what are the themes

Heres a scene that we analysed as a class to deeply understand more of how binary opposites work.

What does this tell you about the filmmaker's ideology?

The scene shows a binary opposite. The most obvious one is those who studied and those who didn't which we can simplify as Dumb vs Smart or Studied vs Didn't Studied. The ideology behind this could be contrasting the outcomes or behaviours that are involved with each group/ It also could be used to highlight other themes such as Success vs Failure or Effort vs Laziness. 

What is the intended message?

The overall message tells audience that being unprepared leads to stress and the acts of failure. It also then highlights the importance of studying and being honest instead of trying to cheat. The scene makes it relatable because it shows how people can feel anxious and desperate during exams. The morality also concludes that studying can help you become successful.

・┆✦  Narrative Theory ✐ᡣ𐭩 ✦ ┆・

Barthes -  5 Narrative Codes

A code is an aspect of a text from which the audience can derive meaning. We can do this through decoding or deconstructing the text. The 5 narrative codes include:

- Hermeneutic Codes

- Proairetic Codes

- Semantic Codes

- Symbolic Codes

- Cultural Codes

Hermeneutic Codes

The mystery that occurs in a narrative, creating suspense and provoke the audience to seek answers.

In these examples, you can conduct the mystery and the questions the audience might be asking themselves before actually viewing the answers. For example, in The Avengers, it showcases explosions giving audience questions about "actions/war/fights". In Truth or Dare, the big red question mark tells audience that the phrase "truth or dare" can be an unsolved dangerous mystery. Lastly, in Black Swan, the use of the broken face can tell audience that it doesn't make senses (ballerinas are meant to be perfect, not broken) making deeper questions to audience questioning what the movie might be about.

Proairetic Codes

The actions and events in the story, which drives the plot forward through a sequence of decisions.

In this example, you can see how most of the proairetic codes were used. For example, the most noticeable one was when he wasn't able to fit everything in his suitcase, so the next action would obviously be him reducing the items he would need to fit in his suitcase.

Semantic Codes

Involves the use of signs and symbols to convey meaning.

In these posters, there are many semantic codes that can be seen to tell audience the meaning behind it. The colour red in Trap resembles danger and could potentially be death. The phrase "I Love You" in P.S. I Love You, tells audiences that there might be love relating to the storyline. In Alien, the colour green is usually used to represent sci-fi which aliens are very known for being science fiction characters.

Symbolic Codes

Involves deeper symbolic meanings in the narratives.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill's Walkman represents his deep connection to his past, especially his memories of Earth and his mother. It serves as a comforting link to his childhood and a way for him to escape the struggles of his life in space. This music on the Walkman also reflects his personal identity and nostalgia for a simpler time on Earth. So in this scene, it showcases to why he is so afraid of losing it and it's a symbolic code to reflect on his past.

Cultural Codes

relates to the cultural knowledge or context that informs the narrative. It also includes references.

Donald Trump's appearances in movies and TV shows are cultural codes because they use his well-known image as a businessman, TV star, and politician to represent ideas like power, fame, and politics. These portrayals help people understand these themes easily, as they already recognise his public persona and the jokes or message connected to it.

Reflection: This task was very time consuming which made me feel very demotivated when trying to complete it. Even though there was only a few task, it was hard to find examples for and give brief explanations to these example. This blog post taught me many theories that I could use in my CCR. It helped me understand things better and gave me ideas to add more detailed and useful points in my answers. Overall, Im satisfied with how it looks and how it's presented in my blog, I hope that next time I can be way more motivated to create these type of classwork blogs. 

Classwork

Here is a summary of what we have been learning about in class. We learned about different types of Technical Elements (Camera, Sound, Mis-en-Scene, Editing) in Media, and creating StoryBoards.

・┆✦ Camera [◉°] ✦ ┆・

A camera captures images, and different shots and angles show emotion, size, and perspective.

Camera: AnglesEffects:

Long Shot: Shows the full subject and setting.

Extreme Long Shot: Shows the subject from afar.

Medium Shot: Balances subject and setting, often used for conversations.

Cowboy Shot: Focuses on action, often used in Westerns.

Close up: Focuses on the face or details, shows emotion or importance.

Extreme Close up: Highlights tiny details and intensity.

POV: Shows a characters perspective, creates immersion.

Over the shoulders: Shows one character from another's viewpoint, creates connection or tension.

High Angle: Makes the subject appear weak or vulnerable.

Low Angle: Makes the subject appear powerful or dominant.

Dutch Angle: Creates unease or tension.

Establishing Shot: Provides location and context, often helps sets a scene.

Heres a video of what my teacher gave us to get a better understanding of camera angles:

・┆✦ Camera [◉°] ✦ ┆・

Camera Shots

Fixed	Camera remains static	Calm, peace, normal
Push in	Camera moves slowly toward subject	Brings the audience closer, more involved, getting more serious.
Pull out	Camera moves slowly away from subject	Takes audience away from the action, leaving a character. Detaching from subject
Pan	Side to side, camera fixed	Reveal information, mirrors natural head movement of the audience.
Tilt	Up and down, camera fixed	Same as pan, just a different direction
Dolly	Camera moves around freely	More immersive, we are moving inside the subjects world, we feel part of the action
Tracking	Camera moves around on tracks	Similar to dolly, but smoother.
Crane	Taken by a camera mounted on a jib/crane that moves up and down.	Reveals the epic size of the setting, landscape.
Handheld	Camera is shakey	Very natural, immersive. High energy
Zoom	Zoom	Brings audience closer to budget. Draws our attention to something.

Heres a video i made of my understanding of different camera shots:

・┆✦ Sound ♬♪ ✦ ┆・

Sound in media includes dialogue, music, and effects to create mood, tell stories, and add realism.

Types of Sounds

	Description	Effect
Diegetic sound	Sound that can be heard by the characters within the media text.	Add a sense of realism. Reveal information to characters (and then audience)
Non diegetic sound	Sound that can only be heard by the audience.	Enhance meaning, create an emotional response in the audience
Trans diegetic sound	Sound that transitions from one to the other.	Creates a link between the audience and the world. More immersive

Heres a video of what my teacher gave us to get a better understanding of Sounds:

・┆✦ Sound ♬♪ ✦ ┆・

Non-Diegetic Tones

	Description	Effect
Melodic	Positive and pleasing connotations	Enhances a positive scene. Create positive emotions in the audience.
Discordant	Harsh and unpleasant connotations.	Enhance negative scenes.  Create suspense, tension, anxiety
Contrapuntal	Has an opposite tone to the on-screen visuals.	Adds deeper meaning to scenes. Insight into the character's thoughts. Maybe they seek pleasure in doing bad things.

Heres an are scenes that I found on Youtube that represents these type of Non-Digetic Tones:

Melodic

Discordant

Contrapuntal

・┆✦Mise-en-Scene ᝰ.ᐟ✦ ┆・

Refers to the arrangement and design of visual elements within a frame or a scene.

Heres a video of what my teacher gave us to get a better understanding of Mise-en-Scene:

Heres an example of Mise-en-Scene that we did in class as a practice:

・┆✦Editing ✎✂✦ ┆・

The process of selecting, arranging and manipulating footage to create a cohesive and engaging story. (post production)

Long Take vs Short Take

Heres a comparison of how Long Take and Short Take editing looks like:

・┆✦Editing ✎✂✦ ┆・

Continuity vs Non-Continuity Editing

 

Continuity Editing	Non continuity editing
Straight cut (cut) Eyeline match  Shot /reverse shot Cutaway / Insert  *Match cut	Cross cut (parallel cut) Flash back Flash forward Jump cut  *Match cut

・┆✦StoryBoards ✍⋆౨ৎ✦ ┆・

A storyboard is a series of drawings that show how a story or scene will look, helping plan the visuals and sequence.

Heres the explanation of the annotations used in a StoryBoard:

Heres an example of a storyboard that we did in class as a practice:

Reflection: I was very satisfied when I made this classwork project. It was very fun but also time consuming. I chose this way because it helps motivate me to understand the subject more. Creating the examples was very difficult because of all the editing i had to do. Even though it also gave me stress, overall i enjoyed actually making this blog. This blog post helped me understand techniques and what they mean, so I could show my message clearly. It also helped me make better choices and see things in a new way.

Screen Test

 Here is a screen test that my classmate has done together in class. 

After rewatching these clips of my classmates performances, I think that we might need to recruit actors outside from our class because most of these actors didn't actually performed well. Most of these actors were too shy or too straight forward, which means showing no expression. Personally I think that they all have potential in becoming a great actor but I understand why they act like this which could be due to social anxiety. I have social anxiety so I understand how they feel and would react, maybe if we looked for a more suitable actor but with such bad acting, giving them practice can help make them become more comfortable and help achieve our expectations.

Reflection: Now that I don't know who to recruit, this will be a harder task for us because we wouldn't know who to recruit because some of these people have a very poor performance. Maybe If we recruited some people who we see might have potential in, they can actually help us recruit our actors way more easier. I hope that someone out there is willing to help become our actor and to achieve our expectation in their performance. 

Script / Screenplay

 Here is our groups script and screenplay that I (Kristine) and Lamiya have created.

Changes

Title: The Unread

We change the title to unread because the original one didn't match our recording and fell off. To decide on a better title we conducted audience research asking which they preferred. The results showed that unread as well received while the original title is not.

Reflection: Because we are new to making scripts and screenplays, it was very challenging for us to work on it because we weren't taught fully on how script writing works. Even know we had plenty of resources, we still find it difficult to create. Overall, we had issues to selecting the dialogues but I'm grateful that we've managed to complete the task.

Storyboard

Here is our groups storyboard that was created by Maisie. We started with a simple plan, a un-detailed, final plan, and our final storyboard.

Simple Plan:

For this version of our storyboard, me (Maisie) and Kristine (Me) worked together on planning and making it. As you can see in the first box, I (Maisie) made it too neat and detailed, and Mr. Nick suggested me to do something way simpler and effortless. However, I (Maisie) didn't think that I (Maisie) was capable of making a completely messy one, so I (Maisie) left it to Kristine (Me) to the continue the rest. I (Maisie) ended up being in charge of the final storyboard, because that's where I (Maisie) have to draw everything nicely with precise details (which I'm good at). This version's plot/story is ic

Overall, despite the unclear images, we still tried to arrange the plots according to their order which helps us envision our storyline and plot. We also made sure to include captions about the camera angles and movements. We definitely plan on making an improved version after a few sessions of discussion. 

Un-detailed Plan:

This is a completed version of our storyline/plot. As you can see, the details are clearer and more precise compared to our first one, with more explanations about the characters, scenes, camera angles and movements added. Considering it's not our final draft, the drawings are still simple and of low quality to save up time. 

We added more boxes and annotations such as arrows (to show the timeline of each scene) and boxes within the frames to show the camera movements and what it's focusing on. For our final draft, my job is to redraw everything in more detail and add tons of descriptions to explain each scenes in depth and how it's going to be done.

Final Storyboard:

Changes

We decided to keep things simple because we realised that these clips lasted more than 2 minutes. Because it was a found footage anyways, it was a convention that directors let actors do their own work and were able to improvise themselves. This was one way to help create the conversations and angles look more realistic increasing the feel of immersion.

Reflection: I think that we had times where we were too lazy so making these storyboards was difficult because of all the plans we had. We kept having more ideas coming in which was confusing for us because if we liked it, then we would have to modify our storyboard again. During filming it was better for the actors to let the angles follow their dialogues because then it makes it more realistic. Following the storyboard wasn't really necessary but we had a few scenes that we had on our storyboard. The storyboard also helped the actors know the angles and what movement they had to make. Overall, I'm satisfied that we've managed to agree on the finish project.