Thursday 9 February 2012
Questionnaire
Music Magazine Questionnaire
1) Are you...
Male or Female
2) How old are you?
................
3) What attracts you to a particular magazine cover?
......................................................................................................
4) Do you buy music magazines?
Yes OR No
5) What genre of music do you like?
................................................................................
6) Are there any music magazines which you buy regularly?
................................................................................
7) Who is your favourite music artist/band?
................................................................................................................
8) How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?
£1.50 - £1.99 or £2.00 - £2.49 or £2.50 - £2.99 or £3.00 or above
9) How often do you prefer magazines to be released?
Weekly or Monthly
10) What do you prefer reading in a magazine?
Article or Interview Festival/ Tour line-ups Album Reviews
11) If other, please state?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
12) What usually catches your eye the most on the front cover?
………………………………………………………………………...........
13) What colour scheme would attract you to a magazine?
………………………………………………………………………………
14) Would you like to be able to scan the barcodes from a magazine to get exclusive downloads?
Yes OR No
15) Do you think advertisements should be allowed in music magazine?
Yes OR No
16) If yes, why?
………………………………………………………………………………
1) Are you...
Male or Female
2) How old are you?
................
3) What attracts you to a particular magazine cover?
......................................................................................................
4) Do you buy music magazines?
Yes OR No
5) What genre of music do you like?
................................................................................
6) Are there any music magazines which you buy regularly?
................................................................................
7) Who is your favourite music artist/band?
................................................................................................................
8) How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?
£1.50 - £1.99 or £2.00 - £2.49 or £2.50 - £2.99 or £3.00 or above
9) How often do you prefer magazines to be released?
Weekly or Monthly
10) What do you prefer reading in a magazine?
Article or Interview Festival/ Tour line-ups Album Reviews
11) If other, please state?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
12) What usually catches your eye the most on the front cover?
………………………………………………………………………...........
13) What colour scheme would attract you to a magazine?
………………………………………………………………………………
14) Would you like to be able to scan the barcodes from a magazine to get exclusive downloads?
Yes OR No
15) Do you think advertisements should be allowed in music magazine?
Yes OR No
16) If yes, why?
………………………………………………………………………………
State of Play Essay
How are representations of ethnicity established through the following technical codes: mise en scene, camera shot, angle, movement and position (cinematography), sound and editing?
In exploring the technical codes we can see that mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing is used exhaustively throughout the sequence to immediately establish genre and attract immediate interest. In particular the use of costume, props, setting, and lighting reinforces the contrast of the three separate narratives (stories) that appear to be connected. As a result the opening sequence deliberately does not make sense so the audience is pulled into watching more. The representation of race in 'State of Play' is that London is a more white dominated city.
In the first narrative we see through mise-en-scene of lighting and setting that the location for each narrative is daytime, inner-city London. The opening shot features a tracking shot, possibly using steadycam, as the audience are positioned in the middle of a frantic chase between two unknown characters. Throughout this scene, the mise-en-scene creates danger by using different aspects. The aspects used are setting the scene in a back alley, which immediately suggests that something is going to happen, another aspect are the dulls colours used The deliberate cinematography focusing only on their feet and legs immediately creates intrigue. The cinematography of the camera chasing after the youth also makes the audience seem as if they were the chaser.
Through a series of mid shots and close ups the main character is revealed to be a black youth who is dressed in a hoodie, jeans and he wears an earring; this is arguably a stereotypical representation of a black youth, particularly as he seems to be in trouble. The black youth is portray as being a thug as he is wearing tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie. Another connotation is the hooded youth is running away from another male; this could suggest that as the boy is wearing stereotypical thug clothing, that the chaser could actually be a police officer trying to catch him but actually he is being chased by an assassin. The assassin who is dressed in dark, formal clothing, (arguably anti-hero characters are often dressed using a dark palette), however this assassin is also smartly dressed which connotates he is a professional. Another factor of 'State of Play' that is important, is the scene on the train.
Most of the males on the train are white, which shows that there is a more dominant race of white people. In the background of the train, is a black male dressed formally which suggests that he does not follow the convention of a stereotypical black male, which is presented in this drama. Another perspective that shows the youth to be thug-like is the scene where he is running underground. As he is running, he pushes through people without giving any notice, which shows that he has no respect for other people
The use of handheld camera and tracking shots places the audience in the centre of the action and a series of short cuts increases the pace of the editing to create excitement. At the point when the black youth is hiding from his assassin the pace of the editing slows dramatically as the audience waits on tenterhooks until the climax of the murder conveyed through a dramatic point of view shot. State of Play contains many different edits to show fear of the black character and the use of cut scenes, shows fear and creates tension in that scene. At one point in the scene, a reverse shot is used to show the perspective of the black man hiding from the assassin. A combination of diegetic sound, for example heavy breathing from the youth to connotate a lengthy chase, and non-diegetic sound through ambient music- (arguably tribal music is played during the chase sequence to further represent his black identity)- ensures the opening sequence makes full use of the technical codes to excite the audience.
In sharp contrast the second narrative introduces a dramatically different character: a white, male middle aged and of high social status. His clothing immediately symbolises his superior status as he wears a shirt, tie and expensive suit. With reference to props he is reading a Financial Times which is indicative that he has a professional occupation. Through the mise en scene of gesture he has a serious disposition and the dimmed lighting and surroundings indicate that he is on the tube, possibly on his way to work in the city. Most of the cinematography focussing on this character features a series of mid and long shots so that the audience can pick up clues through clothing and gestures.
The third narrative introduces another contrast; a young girl aged approximately twelve who is waiting in a café with an essential prop central to the narrative: a black plastic bag disguising a silver brief case. A mid shot pans down to a close up of the bag to reinforce the significance of this prop to the narrative. The director uses mise en scene to reflect the passage of time as we see within the frame that the girl has had time to consume three cans of coke. Through gesture and a series of returning mid shots and close ups, the girl is directed to appear nervous and anxious through body language and facial expression.
All three narratives combine to embed conventions of the thriller/ conspiracy genre present the audience with a series of questions: why are these three disparate (different) characters connected? Why was the black youth assassinated? What is in the bag?
The representation of race in ‘State of Play’ is presented as being dominant throughout the first scene. The black youth is represented as being a youth who is dressed stereotypically like a thug. The factor of him wearing tracksuit bottoms and a hooded top implies that he is a miscreant.
In exploring the technical codes we can see that mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing is used exhaustively throughout the sequence to immediately establish genre and attract immediate interest. In particular the use of costume, props, setting, and lighting reinforces the contrast of the three separate narratives (stories) that appear to be connected. As a result the opening sequence deliberately does not make sense so the audience is pulled into watching more. The representation of race in 'State of Play' is that London is a more white dominated city.
In the first narrative we see through mise-en-scene of lighting and setting that the location for each narrative is daytime, inner-city London. The opening shot features a tracking shot, possibly using steadycam, as the audience are positioned in the middle of a frantic chase between two unknown characters. Throughout this scene, the mise-en-scene creates danger by using different aspects. The aspects used are setting the scene in a back alley, which immediately suggests that something is going to happen, another aspect are the dulls colours used The deliberate cinematography focusing only on their feet and legs immediately creates intrigue. The cinematography of the camera chasing after the youth also makes the audience seem as if they were the chaser.
Through a series of mid shots and close ups the main character is revealed to be a black youth who is dressed in a hoodie, jeans and he wears an earring; this is arguably a stereotypical representation of a black youth, particularly as he seems to be in trouble. The black youth is portray as being a thug as he is wearing tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie. Another connotation is the hooded youth is running away from another male; this could suggest that as the boy is wearing stereotypical thug clothing, that the chaser could actually be a police officer trying to catch him but actually he is being chased by an assassin. The assassin who is dressed in dark, formal clothing, (arguably anti-hero characters are often dressed using a dark palette), however this assassin is also smartly dressed which connotates he is a professional. Another factor of 'State of Play' that is important, is the scene on the train.
Most of the males on the train are white, which shows that there is a more dominant race of white people. In the background of the train, is a black male dressed formally which suggests that he does not follow the convention of a stereotypical black male, which is presented in this drama. Another perspective that shows the youth to be thug-like is the scene where he is running underground. As he is running, he pushes through people without giving any notice, which shows that he has no respect for other people
The use of handheld camera and tracking shots places the audience in the centre of the action and a series of short cuts increases the pace of the editing to create excitement. At the point when the black youth is hiding from his assassin the pace of the editing slows dramatically as the audience waits on tenterhooks until the climax of the murder conveyed through a dramatic point of view shot. State of Play contains many different edits to show fear of the black character and the use of cut scenes, shows fear and creates tension in that scene. At one point in the scene, a reverse shot is used to show the perspective of the black man hiding from the assassin. A combination of diegetic sound, for example heavy breathing from the youth to connotate a lengthy chase, and non-diegetic sound through ambient music- (arguably tribal music is played during the chase sequence to further represent his black identity)- ensures the opening sequence makes full use of the technical codes to excite the audience.
In sharp contrast the second narrative introduces a dramatically different character: a white, male middle aged and of high social status. His clothing immediately symbolises his superior status as he wears a shirt, tie and expensive suit. With reference to props he is reading a Financial Times which is indicative that he has a professional occupation. Through the mise en scene of gesture he has a serious disposition and the dimmed lighting and surroundings indicate that he is on the tube, possibly on his way to work in the city. Most of the cinematography focussing on this character features a series of mid and long shots so that the audience can pick up clues through clothing and gestures.
The third narrative introduces another contrast; a young girl aged approximately twelve who is waiting in a café with an essential prop central to the narrative: a black plastic bag disguising a silver brief case. A mid shot pans down to a close up of the bag to reinforce the significance of this prop to the narrative. The director uses mise en scene to reflect the passage of time as we see within the frame that the girl has had time to consume three cans of coke. Through gesture and a series of returning mid shots and close ups, the girl is directed to appear nervous and anxious through body language and facial expression.
All three narratives combine to embed conventions of the thriller/ conspiracy genre present the audience with a series of questions: why are these three disparate (different) characters connected? Why was the black youth assassinated? What is in the bag?
The representation of race in ‘State of Play’ is presented as being dominant throughout the first scene. The black youth is represented as being a youth who is dressed stereotypically like a thug. The factor of him wearing tracksuit bottoms and a hooded top implies that he is a miscreant.
Monster's Essay
How has the film “Monsters” been marketed and distributed?
You should consider;
• Budget and production,
• Locations,
• Marketing methods,
• Other films released at similar times,
• Critics reviews,
• The role of vertigo,
• Box office profit.
The film was developed, storyboarded and directed by Gareth Edwards, who also worked as the visual effects artist Allan Niblo and James Richardson of Vertigo Films work as producers on the production. The filming equipment cost approximately $15,000, with the budget coming in at under $500,000. The film was able to be made on such a low budget due to the use of prosumer cameras to capture digital video rather than the more expensive 35mm film, Any settings featured in the film were real locations often used without permission asked in advance, and the extras were just people who happened to be there at the time. “Monsters” was released in 2010 and received mixed reviews from critics. Many critics found that the film wasn’t very successful; but others found it amazing as the director had a small budget to work with. One review implies that the critic didn’t enjoy the movie, ‘“Monsters’’ is a genuine curio: a moody, low-budget road-movie romance that takes place against a background of alien invasion.” The use of the word curio, suggests that it was an awful film. Not all reviews of “Monsters” were bad as we learn from the next review which was written by Future Movies UK which said “Monsters looks and feels like a major studio film, and Edwards is clearly a talent to watch.”
“Monsters” was a low budget film which made a substantial profit at the box office, overall, the film made $4,100,000 approx. To help out with their low budget, the producers decided to buy digital cameras instead of spending a vast amount of money on high-tech cameras. One of the most successful low-budget films was 1999's The Blair Witch Project. It had a budget of around $60,000 but grossed almost $249 million worldwide. Vertigo which was the company that helped produce “Monsters”. It enlisted the help of digital agency Think Jam and cinema chains Cineworld and Vue, and came up with a social media campaign for “Monsters” across Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. As part of the campaign, which was financed through the UKFC’s fund for digital innovation in film distribution, audiences were given the chance to get involved in the story theme of the film and ‘infect’ five of each cinema operator’s major city locations. The audience was encouraged to seek out “infected zones” across the UK, such as bars or shops, in return for being able to gain access to exclusive clips and prizes as well as discounted entry to the film. This was a very clever marketing strategy. Almost all of the film was shot on location in Mexico, which is probably where most of the money went. The location presented beautiful scenery which was portraying throughout the movie.
One other movie that was released at the same time as “Mosters” was “The Tourist” starring Johnny Depp. This movie had a budget of $100,000,000 and made a gross profit of $287,000,000. Although the movie had a massive profit and made a substantial profit, critics didn’t enjoy the movie. Different countries made different reviews of the movie. In America the movie wasn’t well liked by critics and according to Wikipedia “The Tourist received mostly negative reviews, with a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 158 reviews. Its critical consensus states: "The scenery and the stars are undeniably beautiful, but they can't make up for The Tourist's slow, muddled plot, or the lack of chemistry between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie." The movie received a different response in the UK and leading newspaper Daily Mail, gave it 5 out of 5 stars, calling the film "a glossy, sophisticated, gloriously improbable romp — escapist fun for these austere times"
Allan Niblo was the producer of the film. He has produced over 15 films to date including 2010's Oscar nominated Ajami and Monsters which received a phenomenal reception at this year's Cannes, Europe's first 3D film StreetDance which was No.1 at the UK Box Office on release, and a big screen version of the hugely successful kids TV series Horrid Henry. Allan was one of the founders of Vertigo in 2002. Monsters was nominated for six British independent film awards, including best picture, best director, and best actor, and eventually won the best director, best technical achievement, and best achievement in production awards. At the 2011 BAFTAs, Monsters was nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Director, but ultimately lost to Four Lions. Overall the film was a huge success as it worked with such a low budget and made the film as good as it possibly could have been.
You should consider;
• Budget and production,
• Locations,
• Marketing methods,
• Other films released at similar times,
• Critics reviews,
• The role of vertigo,
• Box office profit.
The film was developed, storyboarded and directed by Gareth Edwards, who also worked as the visual effects artist Allan Niblo and James Richardson of Vertigo Films work as producers on the production. The filming equipment cost approximately $15,000, with the budget coming in at under $500,000. The film was able to be made on such a low budget due to the use of prosumer cameras to capture digital video rather than the more expensive 35mm film, Any settings featured in the film were real locations often used without permission asked in advance, and the extras were just people who happened to be there at the time. “Monsters” was released in 2010 and received mixed reviews from critics. Many critics found that the film wasn’t very successful; but others found it amazing as the director had a small budget to work with. One review implies that the critic didn’t enjoy the movie, ‘“Monsters’’ is a genuine curio: a moody, low-budget road-movie romance that takes place against a background of alien invasion.” The use of the word curio, suggests that it was an awful film. Not all reviews of “Monsters” were bad as we learn from the next review which was written by Future Movies UK which said “Monsters looks and feels like a major studio film, and Edwards is clearly a talent to watch.”
“Monsters” was a low budget film which made a substantial profit at the box office, overall, the film made $4,100,000 approx. To help out with their low budget, the producers decided to buy digital cameras instead of spending a vast amount of money on high-tech cameras. One of the most successful low-budget films was 1999's The Blair Witch Project. It had a budget of around $60,000 but grossed almost $249 million worldwide. Vertigo which was the company that helped produce “Monsters”. It enlisted the help of digital agency Think Jam and cinema chains Cineworld and Vue, and came up with a social media campaign for “Monsters” across Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. As part of the campaign, which was financed through the UKFC’s fund for digital innovation in film distribution, audiences were given the chance to get involved in the story theme of the film and ‘infect’ five of each cinema operator’s major city locations. The audience was encouraged to seek out “infected zones” across the UK, such as bars or shops, in return for being able to gain access to exclusive clips and prizes as well as discounted entry to the film. This was a very clever marketing strategy. Almost all of the film was shot on location in Mexico, which is probably where most of the money went. The location presented beautiful scenery which was portraying throughout the movie.
One other movie that was released at the same time as “Mosters” was “The Tourist” starring Johnny Depp. This movie had a budget of $100,000,000 and made a gross profit of $287,000,000. Although the movie had a massive profit and made a substantial profit, critics didn’t enjoy the movie. Different countries made different reviews of the movie. In America the movie wasn’t well liked by critics and according to Wikipedia “The Tourist received mostly negative reviews, with a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 158 reviews. Its critical consensus states: "The scenery and the stars are undeniably beautiful, but they can't make up for The Tourist's slow, muddled plot, or the lack of chemistry between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie." The movie received a different response in the UK and leading newspaper Daily Mail, gave it 5 out of 5 stars, calling the film "a glossy, sophisticated, gloriously improbable romp — escapist fun for these austere times"
Allan Niblo was the producer of the film. He has produced over 15 films to date including 2010's Oscar nominated Ajami and Monsters which received a phenomenal reception at this year's Cannes, Europe's first 3D film StreetDance which was No.1 at the UK Box Office on release, and a big screen version of the hugely successful kids TV series Horrid Henry. Allan was one of the founders of Vertigo in 2002. Monsters was nominated for six British independent film awards, including best picture, best director, and best actor, and eventually won the best director, best technical achievement, and best achievement in production awards. At the 2011 BAFTAs, Monsters was nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Director, but ultimately lost to Four Lions. Overall the film was a huge success as it worked with such a low budget and made the film as good as it possibly could have been.
American History X Essay
In the extract of American History X that we watched, it is clear that there is tension between each race. The white race in this extract is shown to be violent and aggressive whereas the black race is shown to be innocent. The white male has a swastika tattooed over his heart which suggests the is patriotic towards his political group.
At the start of the extract, the brother of the violent male is sitting in a bedroom which is surrounded in swastika signs and poster that are severely racist towards the black race. One poster has on it “Nigger’s Beware” The word “Nigger” is a derogatory term which is vastly racist towards black males and females. Also in his bedroom was a large swastika sign which was hung up on the wall. Having a sign that large on the bedroom wall suggests that his brother and he are really devoted to their belief. Another factor is that the scene was in colour – this is important as it shows the audience that it was the present time, as the black and white parts of the film were flashbacks showing what had previously happened.
The next part of the extract is a flashback to the dramatic scene which got his brother arrested. This part is shot in black and white to let the audience know that it was a flashback. It starts off by showing a stocky man, shooting at a driving car. This suggests that he was a violent person as he was shooting the gun accurately, which shows that he has handled a gun in the past. As the car gets away, the man is shown as having a swastika tattooed on his chest, this shows his patriotism. This group had beliefs that there was the best way. In addition to this, the Nazi party are an extremely racist group. As the man walks back towards the house, there is an injured, black man on the grass. The patriotic man, man handles the black man and starts verbally questioning the man to why he tried to steal his father’s truck. During this, the younger brothers voice over is played saying “If only I didn’t tell him” which suggests that he beliefs it was his fault for what happened that night. Soon after his, his brother put’s the victim’s mouth on the curb and stomped on the man’s head; this shows how intense and loyal to belief he was.
Sound plays a big part in this extract. The sound in the extract is differentiated through each part. At the part where Derek is going over towards the injured black man, the music forms a crescendo which builds up to show the drama of events that have happened. Other sounds that are heard are rather religious sounding music as Derek is getting arrested which suggest that it is rather heavenly for him to get arrested.
As well as sound, cinematography plays a large part in this extract. The cinematography expresses the emotion shown in this extract. The main turning point of this extract is the point that handcuffs is placed on Derek as it shows that he is not in control anymore. The camera shows it from his brother’s point of view to add effect. The moment he is arrested, his facial expressions change as it somewhat shows he understands what he has done, and seeing his brother this upset, is making him emotional.
At the point Derek is arrested, he stands in the way Jesus did. This is shows dramatic irony as his Nazi party were against Jews, and Jesus was actually a Jew. Standing like Jesus suggests that he believes he is better than everyone else, but at the moment he was arrested, everything changes. Suring this angelic quire sounds are playing to make it biblical At this point his brother looks distraught, which suggests that Derek was maybe his protector and he has now been taking away from him. It also could make the audience to relate to this.
Race is shown in this extract to be a more white male dominant extract, as Derek brutally kills two black males. The white male, Derek, is shown to be a violent male. The black males in this extract follow the usual conventions of a movie as the black males are more likely to be the criminals. The movie somewhat breaks conventions as the criminal normally hurt the victim, but in fact, the tables turn in this extract as the victim turns into the criminal as he kills the males. Killing the black male by curb stomping his head, shows how discourteous he is to the other race.
Race is shown to be really important in this extract, the white race is the most dominant, and the black race is shown to be vulnerable and defenceless. This is shown as the Derek who is white, kills two black males, and the black males don’t fight back, and follow Derek’s instructions.
At the start of the extract, the brother of the violent male is sitting in a bedroom which is surrounded in swastika signs and poster that are severely racist towards the black race. One poster has on it “Nigger’s Beware” The word “Nigger” is a derogatory term which is vastly racist towards black males and females. Also in his bedroom was a large swastika sign which was hung up on the wall. Having a sign that large on the bedroom wall suggests that his brother and he are really devoted to their belief. Another factor is that the scene was in colour – this is important as it shows the audience that it was the present time, as the black and white parts of the film were flashbacks showing what had previously happened.
The next part of the extract is a flashback to the dramatic scene which got his brother arrested. This part is shot in black and white to let the audience know that it was a flashback. It starts off by showing a stocky man, shooting at a driving car. This suggests that he was a violent person as he was shooting the gun accurately, which shows that he has handled a gun in the past. As the car gets away, the man is shown as having a swastika tattooed on his chest, this shows his patriotism. This group had beliefs that there was the best way. In addition to this, the Nazi party are an extremely racist group. As the man walks back towards the house, there is an injured, black man on the grass. The patriotic man, man handles the black man and starts verbally questioning the man to why he tried to steal his father’s truck. During this, the younger brothers voice over is played saying “If only I didn’t tell him” which suggests that he beliefs it was his fault for what happened that night. Soon after his, his brother put’s the victim’s mouth on the curb and stomped on the man’s head; this shows how intense and loyal to belief he was.
Sound plays a big part in this extract. The sound in the extract is differentiated through each part. At the part where Derek is going over towards the injured black man, the music forms a crescendo which builds up to show the drama of events that have happened. Other sounds that are heard are rather religious sounding music as Derek is getting arrested which suggest that it is rather heavenly for him to get arrested.
As well as sound, cinematography plays a large part in this extract. The cinematography expresses the emotion shown in this extract. The main turning point of this extract is the point that handcuffs is placed on Derek as it shows that he is not in control anymore. The camera shows it from his brother’s point of view to add effect. The moment he is arrested, his facial expressions change as it somewhat shows he understands what he has done, and seeing his brother this upset, is making him emotional.
At the point Derek is arrested, he stands in the way Jesus did. This is shows dramatic irony as his Nazi party were against Jews, and Jesus was actually a Jew. Standing like Jesus suggests that he believes he is better than everyone else, but at the moment he was arrested, everything changes. Suring this angelic quire sounds are playing to make it biblical At this point his brother looks distraught, which suggests that Derek was maybe his protector and he has now been taking away from him. It also could make the audience to relate to this.
Race is shown in this extract to be a more white male dominant extract, as Derek brutally kills two black males. The white male, Derek, is shown to be a violent male. The black males in this extract follow the usual conventions of a movie as the black males are more likely to be the criminals. The movie somewhat breaks conventions as the criminal normally hurt the victim, but in fact, the tables turn in this extract as the victim turns into the criminal as he kills the males. Killing the black male by curb stomping his head, shows how discourteous he is to the other race.
Race is shown to be really important in this extract, the white race is the most dominant, and the black race is shown to be vulnerable and defenceless. This is shown as the Derek who is white, kills two black males, and the black males don’t fight back, and follow Derek’s instructions.
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