Binary opposites/opposition: This is a theory used in media which takes a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning and shows how we as humans naturally compare the differences i.e Young and old, rich and poor.
Juxtaposition: an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especiall for comparison or contrast.
Semionics: Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or (in the Saussurean tradition) semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes (semiosis), indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. Semiotics is closely related to the field of linguistics, which, for its part, studies the structure and meaning of language more specifically.
Encode: When something is placed into an item that is either made to not be seen at first glance or to be made noticeable for a certain key point to be made or accomplished once noticed. Incoding can be a way of inserting a message in a hidden way.
Decoding: This is in relation to encoding. This is when something is looked at in high depth to understand its true meaning and to identify what each encoding piece is used for and why it may have been included in the way that is has.
Representation: Representation refers to the construction in any medium (especially the mass media) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures. The term refers to the processes involved as well as to its products. For instance, in relation to the key markers of identity - Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity (the 'cage' of identity) - representation involves not only how identities are represented (or rather constructed) within the text but also how they are constructed in the processes of production and reception by people whose identities are also differentially marked in relation to such demographic factors.
Signifier: any material thing that signifies, e.g., words on a page, a
facial expression, an image.
Signified: the concept that a signifier refers to.
Indexicl signifier: signs where the signifier is caused by the signified,
e.g., smoke signifies fire.
Iconic signs: signs where the signifier resembles the signified, e.g.,
a picture.
Metonymy: a kind of connotation where in one sign is substituted for
another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the
United States government or of the sword for military power.
Polysemic: is the capacity for a sign (e.g., a word, phrase, etc.) or signs to have multiple meanings (sememes), i.e., a large semantic field. It is usually regarded as distinct from homonymy.
Modes of adress: Mode of Address is a very important media term. It simply means how the text speaks to the audience, and involves them. It also involves how a text INFLUENCES an audience to respond to a text in a certain way, and that depends on: them.
Hegmony: Hegemony more often refers to the power of a single group in a society to essentially lead and dominate other groups in the society. This might be done by controlling forms of communication, by influencing voters or by influencing government leaders. Some lobbying groups, for example, might have hegemony status over leaders in congress. Rules that would prohibit or limit political spending by special interest groups are designed to reduce their dominance and allow individual voters to have more control.
Versisimilitude:
‘appearance of reality’ is called
verisimilitude
This is a convention as there is nothing genuinely ‘realistic’ about media images. There are
two important types of verisimilitude:
generic verisimilitude convinces us because of the genre we are
watching (in horror it seems realistic for a vampire to sink its teeth into a person’s neck);
cultural
verisimilitude seems realistic because it mimics real life.
Below is my picture with an encoded meaning and purpose to it. It is not easily apparent to notice, but when decoded it could mean possibly more than just one thing but many.
British Film Industry
I personally believe that the British Film industry is a strong competitor in the film industry. Since first starting out with the first moving pictures on a celluloid film being made in 1889 in Hyde Park by William Friese, the film industry in Britain began to grow and continuously develop over the years. Particularly in 1940 where the industry was said to have been at its "golden age" in the UK.
The reason being for this industries success in the UK may be because of various things. One of which being the directors. Some of the worlds best directors have come from the UK such as Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean, who are among the most critically acclaimed of all time. Hitchcock directed films such as the 39 steps in 1935, The ring, whislt David was knighted order of the British Empire in 1984 for his inspirational work. Without directors such as these, it would be hard for the film industry to have ever taken off in the UK, therefore they play a key role in how well the industry can manage. Because of their talent, Britain produced many great films which helped the industry to thrive.
Actors are also a big part to play in the industry. To have good films, as well as directors, you need actors. Over the years, Britain has continuosly produced some top actors including Kate Winslet and Michael Caine. Some actors have starred in American films such as Titanic and Lord of the Rings which are co-productions with American producers. The fact that Britain and America have collaborated to produce and create films is another reason as to why the British industry has been able to grow and develop. However some people often question how much the British industry is characterised by working with European and American industries. I believe that these have positive impacts on our industry rather than negative. Without these other industries working with the British, I think the industry may have found it more difficult to sustain its high title, and that working with other industries can promote the British one by gaining popularity and variety in its film making.
Some of the most commerically successful films of all times have been produced in the UK such as Harry Potter and Jmes Bond which are the two highest-grossing film franchises. The amount of money that this industry generates from films such as these, gives us a look into how much it is valued. In 2009, British film grossed around $2 billion worldwide and achieved a market share around 7% globally and 17% in the United Kingdom. UK box-office takings totalled £944 million in 2009, with around 173 million admissions. This in itself shows how well the industry copes. If it was not managing well, it would be making a lot less money and not benefiting the economy as much as it could.
I think the industry links with people very well in terms of holding prize giving events that are equivalent to the Oscars such as The British Academy Film Awards. This obviously shows that the industry is slightly competitive within itself, yet promotes it at the same time. This also shows that they are proud to 'show-off' the industry by holding such events, which also gives an opportunity to show what Britain has produced whilst connecting other industries together.
Overall I think that the British Film industry is definately a high competitor in the industry. Whether or not it outstands America is hard to tell in terms of the quality it produces. But I believe that it should continue with how it is managing and try to remain an industry to beat.
We can clearly see that we are shown the representation of age in the form of binary opposites in this clip of 'Monarch of the Glen'. This is divided into the catergories of young and old, which are demonstrated by the character, Amy, and the other characters which all appear to be of an older age group, mainly shown by Amy's headmaster and the other characters in the scenes.
From the first scene of this clip, we are given an insight into the surroundings of the settings. The characters are shown to be in a rural countryside environment, with many characters of an older generation. The use of mise-en-scene makes it clear that the men are of a mature age due to the clothes and aged features about them. Many have dark grey beards with grey hair, whilst wearing suitable clothes for the countryside environment. That of which being waterproof coats,hats and boots or hard shoes. This allows them to look comfortable and stereotypical to the setting of this scene. The tools that they carry show that they are hard working, and this may resemble there "aged" look due to the stresses of a working lifestyle.
In comparison to what these workers are wearing, the audience may then be alarmed at the presence of Amy. When Amy is first introduced to the scene, she is wearing a bright yellow jumper with jewelery and white trainers. Along with another young man (supposably aged in his late-teens) who appears to be in a hooded jumper and jeans with a t-shirt. These two characters almost instantly seem out of place in this setting of the country-side. As before hand we had only seen elder workers dressed correctly for this environment. This bright yellow jumper particularly singles Amy out from anyone else, as the colour seems almost too colourful compared to what the elder people are wearing. The colour yellow may represent her age as young and fresh, where as the colours of the other workers clothes resemble aged and boring. All of which are opposites which relate to young and old aspects of people.
Another way in which age is shown is by use of camera shots. During the scene of the car crash, there is a medium shot involving the use of steadycam camera movements between four characters, all of different ages. Four characters are used in one particular shot are placed in a certain position which shows meaning to the way they have been set to stand. Paul, a middle aged man around 30-40 appears to be the main dominant character out of the three. This is because of his height and placement in this shot. He is the tallest and is most forward. Behind him, at a much lower level, is the young man from an earlier shot, aged around late teens/early adulthood. Followed by Amy who is at the lowest level, in the comfort of a young/middle-aged woman who almost directly behind Paul. The way this has been put together forms a sort of hiearachy of age and demonstrates how much power and dominance comes with it. Paul being at the front, shows how the middle-aged working class has the main amount authority, giving us the impression he is not affraid or intimidated by Amy's headmaster (who is placed singuarly behind his car). The younger mans position shows that he is second in rank to Paul with the amount of authority he has. He appears to be in securing posistion infront of Amy, whilst also still near Paul to remain in some small authoritive manor. Behind them reamins Amy and the woman. Amy is hugged by this woman, which shows that Amy does not feel at ease to talk or face up to the headmaster and lets Paul do the talking for her. As her true age (16) is realised here, it is clearly made visible that she is the youngest due to the camera shot becoming a close-up on Amy's face. This shows her facial expression to be concerned and worried about the situation she is in, which is why she relies on her older peers to support her.
Editing is also used in this clip in a way which represents age. The scene that clearly shows this is when Amy is being scoulded at by Paul. A shot reverse shot is used (over the shoulder shot) is highly used and defined with both characters. As Amy talks the camera is directed at her from a low angle with the view of Pauls shoulder. We cannot see his face as this makes Amy seem small and more vulnerable. While Paul talks, we can only see the back of Amy's head whilst Paul is in mid-shot. This editing shot reverse shot demonstrates age because it makes Amy appear very small and insignificant compared to Paul who shows his high status and roll as an older person. We as an audience feel how it must be like to be in Amy's position having to look up toward Paul to comfront him. Another scene where editing is used is in Amy's bedroom. A series of pans are used to show us items in Amy's bedroom as she views them. In the first pan, the camera is focused on teddybears,magazines and pjamas. Whilst the second pan is from Amy to her mirror. Who we see is looking at some pictures. These items all show Amy's true age, as we would consider bears and magazines to young children. The bears and pjamas almost portray that Amy acts even younger than 16, so shows that she has an innocent side to her teenage age. We begin to sympathise with her when we see the photo as it shows what she is having to leave behind. In the countryside she has matured, where as now as she is about to leave her bedroom, she goes back to reality of the age she is at.
Sound is a key factor that changes the atmosphere from one scene to another in this clip. A sound bridge edit is used between the scene above, to an establishing shot of the countryside and a rainbow. The music non-digetic and is jolly which fits with the country style theme and the way that the workers scurry around bussily. They seem happy and content with what they are doing and the music resembles this. However as we move to the scene of Amy in her bedroom, the music turns into a slow playing flute in a sad and mellow tune. This makes the atmosphere turn from happy to sad, and whilst Amy looks over items in her room such as pictures, we begin to feel sympathy for her. She has tried to mature by helping and working with Paul, yet has been turned away to go back to school. Although running away from school may make Amy appear foolish, she demonstrates that she is helpful by giving Paul a hand. She also seems caring as she leaves gifts for two girls on her bed. The innocence of the room mixed with the non-digetic music continues to make the audience feel sorry for Amy as we see her as just a young teenager with no-where to go and who has been sent away by the dominating older person, Paul.
25/09/2012
Camera Shots: Below is a link to my work which demonstrates different camera shots
In the clip above, we see a large amount of different camera shots. The use of this creates a manic and busy atmosphere within the audience and suits the scenes well as they are supposedly scary for many characters in this clip.
The first camera shot we see is a medium long shot of the boy with his mum. The fact that we are viewing them as if onlookers through the park gates gives the impression we as an audience are spying on the two characters or may feel threatened to be closer to them. Looking at them with the park gates in the way, creates a sense of wanting to feel proctected by something (such as the fencing used as a divison between us and the characters) or could resemble trying to keep something out. Which generally means it is not welcomed or perhaps not nice, even dangerous if we consider the large dog they have.
This form of camera shot continues as the boy and his mum walk with the dog. When we are shown two other male characters, we see them in a medium shot and with the camera being more steady. Compared to the first camera shot in the first scene, this appears to be less fearful of the two male characters as we can see them clearly and not through a barrier. Thus making them seem more welcoming.
However when we go back to the mum and her son with the dog, the camera goes back to being further away in a medium shot, before panning downwards to get a shot of the dog. As the camera pans, we can see the woman struggling to control the dogs strength as she tugs on the lead whilst showing a frustrated facial expression. This enables the audience to get an idea that the dog is powerful and could be considered dangerous. The fact that we can see the dog is in a harness and a heavy metal chain in the shot, also makes the audience believe the dog could be hard to control and has a lot of strength.
The use of a shot-reverse-shot between three characters is also used in this clip. We can see that when the boy holding the dog goes towards the two boys, we see a medium shot of the dog acting agressive as it is barking and tugging at the leash. We then switch to see the two boys rection in a medium close up, which shows there facial expressions as worried and concerned. The final shot reverse shot is of the boy holding the dog looking angry and irritated, before going back to the two boys. These shots enable the audience to see each characters individual fcial expression whilst also enabling them to see what each one is looking at in the current scene. (Such as the two boys looking at the dog).
Above is my group video of using different camera shots.
Below is a clip from waterloo road:
In this clip we see a lot of typical tv drama shots. However there are two main different shots that are used consistantly throughout the scene. These include a conbination of a high and low angle shot and a shot reverse shot. The high and low angle shots are used to represent the people in this scene. The two girls taking drugs are viewed from a high angle shot, so we as an audience look as if we are looking down on them. Seeing as they are taking drugs, many people may look down on them in society as drugs are illegal. So they girls may be viewed as immautre for wanting to take them. We are shown them in a high angle shot to resemble what we would think of them.For example, Sam (who is the one viewing down upon them, seems to be more mature for not taking drugs, so looks down upon the other two because of there immaturity and we as an audience view her from a low angle shot, looking upwards towards her. This may resemble the audience thinking of her as a higher role model to the girls and being in a higher status on screen shows her power over the other two, and that she is more responsible.
The next shot is a long continuous use of shot reverse shots. These are commonly used for tv dramas when usually two characters are having a conversation. In this case there are three characters, but the shot reverse shot is still used between the three of them (two characters are generally used per shot revserse shot). This is useful because during the conversation we are able to see who is talking and then the reaction of what the other persons response is. We can see the expressions of the actors whilst they are talking so we can tell what emotion they may be portraying in the scene along with there dialouge. It helps to create a more real life atmosphere.
Based on an article that I read online: Disney topper points to Indian opportunities
It's nice to hear that the film industry in India is potentially developing after Walt Disney Co.India was formed in January this year. This has made it the leading film studio in the subcontinent and has been said to provide a "phenomenal opportunity for incomes to grow".
Technology has also enabled the film industry in India to develop as there are now around 100 million smartphones being used in India, which can be used to further expand the film industry as the market for content watched on smartphones is expanding.
I think that the film industry should cope very well in India and provide many opportunites for the future!
Independant research 2: Film causes death of 4 people One of these people included the Ambassador of Libya, who was attacked by an angry mob whilst they blasted rocket propelled grenades and the U.S embassy in the Libyan capital. It all started due the making of a small film called "the innocence of Islam" which involved many negative views about the profit Muhammed. This in turn upset many people who then caused riots throughout Egypt and Libya.
I think that this was a terrible thing to have happened, especially as everyone who was killed was not even involved in the making of this film. At the same time I believe the film is disrespectful to the religion and those who believe and follow it. This shows just how easy it is to have a certain view shown through the film industry and just how much of an impact it can have on people, to the extent that lives are taken.
The film ' Hotel Transylvania' from Sony sets records for September as it tops $43 millon at the box office in the USA. It was only predicted to make around $30 million however has clearly gone beyond this as this family film hits the big screens. Its second rival is the latest film 'Looper' which has so far managed to gain $21.2 million which has also overperformed.
LONDON - The Walt Disney Co. has extended a $1.7 billion loan to European theme park operator Euro Disney, in which it owns a 39.8 percent stake, to help it refinance its debt. The France-based company is the operator of Disneyland Paris. Saudi Prince Alwaleed also owns a 10 percent stake in the firm. Credit ratings agency Moody's said the entertainment conglomerate's debt ratings would not be negatively impacted by the loan. Disney will replace Euro Disney's existing debt with the loan, which is expected to be paid back over a longer period and carry a lower interest rate than the firm's existing debt to give it more financial flexibility. "This refinancing will enable us to reduce our financing costs and give us greater investment and operational flexibility," Euro Disney CEO Philippe Gas said.
Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part two was the biggest film of 2011 at the UK box office
The UK film industry contributed more than £4.6bn towards the UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2011, according to an independent report.
It said the industry has "grown significantly" in the last 20 years. The number of UK films has grown from an average of 43 in the 1980s to 136 in the 2000s, according to report author Oxford Economics, a global forecaster. The economy was worth about £1.5 trillion in 2011, with UK film accounting for 0.3% of GDP last year. The GDP is a measure of the value of goods and services produced in the economy. The report said UK box office receipts hit a record high last year of £410m, boosted by films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, plus independent films such as The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie.
The latest James Bond film Skyfall has been praised by critics, with some hailing it "the best Bond ever".
Starring Daniel Craig in his third outing as 007, the 23rd film in the franchise has been directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes. The Independent's Geoffrey McNab said: "If not a full blown triumph, this is certainly one of the best Bonds in recent memory." I always personally though the James Bond films would one day fizzle out because of repetition with the stories. However from the newest reviews of the latest one out, it seems that this is not the case looking at the so-far reviews that it has got.
Interesting video above about how well and important the Asian film industry is doing. It highlights some key points about why it has done so well and why it is so popular.
An independent British film company has won funding for six productions with a combined budget of $155m (£96m), the Observer can reveal.The company's financial model is unusual in that investors are offered all six movies, spreading the risk significantly beyond the usual single film, and with a "transparency" that seeks to reassure investors stung by notorious abuses of tax schemes involving film investment.The producer, Miriam Segal, has a track record that includes the award-winning Love is the Devil, with Derek Jacobi as artist Francis Bacon, and Good, CP Taylor's Nazi drama with Oscar-nominated Viggo Mortensen.One of the films, a £21m production entitled The Infiltrator, features a story of greed and deception surrounding the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International amid fraud allegations. "It's 23 years old now, but has great contemporary resonance," she said. Others include a murder story, a drama about economic migrants, and an urban thriller with budgets of £15m, £8m and £11m. "Anything over £9m outside a studio is a big thing in Britain," Segal said. Although a company such as Working Title, whose films include Notting Hill, also has a slate, they are backed by Universal, the US film giant.
Creator of the Star Wars films, George Lucas, signs an agreement to sell his company, Lucasfilm, to the Walt Disney Company. Lucas says he is confident Disney will take good care of the franchise. Disney has announced it plans to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years after bringing out Star Wars Episode 7 in 2015.
Hasbro are well known for being manufacturers of board games such as hungry hungry hippos. However they have now set a goal to create a film based on the game as well as including monopoly and childs doll Action Man. Hasbro has been inspired by the multibillion-dollar success of its Transformers franchise in the hands of Michael Bay, and apparently has not let Battleship's disappointing $300m (on a $200m budget) haul earlier this year upset its plans for worldwide domination.The latest proposal to bring its range to cinemas has been hatched in partnership with Hollywood film production company Emmett/Furla, which says it will make three movies in the next two years.
General information about the British film industry that I discovered on wikipedia:
The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film productiion reached an all-time high in 1936, the 'golden age' of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors David Lean, Michael Powell, and Carol Reedproduced their most highly acclaimed work. Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including Michael Caine, Sean Conneryand Kate Winslet.Some of the most commercially successful films of all films have been produced in the United Kingdom, including the two highest-grossing film series (Harry Potter and James Bond). The identity of the British industry, and its relationship with Hollywood, has been the subject of debate. The history of film production in Britain has often been affected by attempts to compete with the American industry. The career of the producer Alexander Korda was marked by this objective, the Rank Organisation attempted to do so in the 1940s, and Goldcrest in the 1980s. Numerous British-born directors, including Alfred Hitchcock and Ridley Scott, and performers, such as Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant, have achieved success primarily through their work in the United States. Many British films are co-productions with American producers, often using mixed British and American crews and casts.In 2009 British films grossed around $2 billion worldwide and achieved a market share of around 7% globally and 17% in the United Kingdom.UK box-office takings totalled £944 million in 2009, with around 173 million admissions.
British film over the next 12 months:
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
The BFI is investing almost £500 million in UK film over the next five years to help drive industry growth, build audiences and a vibrant film culture and sow the seeds of the future in a bold new plan announced today.
Film Forever: Supporting UK Film 2012-2017 outlines the BFI’s three key strategic priorities, funded by a combination of Grant in Aid, the BFI’s earned income and National Lottery funding, as:
Education and audiences – with an annual investment of £44.2m
British film and filmmaking with an investment of £32.3m per year
Film heritage with an investment of £9.9m per year
BFI Chair, Greg Dyke said:
With film industry growth currently outstripping the economy as a whole, we want to invest to ensure continued success. A central part of Film Forever is to nurture business growth and cultural vibrancy across the whole of the UK, with a particular emphasis outside London. This is a real moment for film and a bold long term vision for the sector and I look forward to us from today turning all the discussion into action.
BFI CEO, Amanda Nevill said:
Film Forever is founded on a renewed commitment to the future – the future generation of audiences, the future generation of filmmakers and the opportunities presented by digital technologies. We are investing where we think we can most make a difference, where we see potential for creative excellence and where we can be the supportive catalyst for change, innovation, business growth and jobs.
