Music video narrative coursework

Narrative devices

1) Flashbacks

At 0.22 the camera circles over Polaroid photos to hint to the audience that narrative will be centered around past memories; this is confirmed as the flashbacks of when these photos were taken were shown at 0.36-0.40. This makes the audience feel much more emotionally involved with the song as they begin to sympathise with the protagonists point of view. The use of flashbacks enables the audience to feel personal identity with the protagonist as perhaps they had the same memories.

2) Pathetic fallacy

To highlight the somber atmosphere of the song,the lighting is very low key and the colour palette is predominately black and white. As pathetic fallacy, the background actors are all using umbrellas at 1.44 to illustrate the rain and gloom with the emotional lyrics. This creates a sense of feeling for the audience so they can mirror the mood of the lyrics and perhaps relate to it much better when they are feeling like this. You know what they say about listening to mood songs when you're having a tough or rather emotional time.

3) Ticking clock scenario

                                         

At the very beginning of the music video, we can denote Timberland standing infront of a timer that says 4 minutes. This signifies how the narrative is being created to fit a given time frame. The lyrics themself also further connotes this , such as , "We only got four minutes to save the world". 4 minutes is also the usual allocated time for a music video so this narrative device also adds a sense of humour as it claims this music video would save the world. The sense of a clicking clock also engages the audience as  it makes them feel tension, questioning whether they would make it time. This is a great device to use if you want the audience to watch the music video right to the very end as they have something to be excited for.

Structure driven

A music video that I found particularly structure driven , was Michael Jackson's Thriller. The music video followed Todorov's approach to narrative in the following ways: \

 Equilibrium - The narrative shows normality - The very beginning of the music video shows an equilibrium by using a cold opening. It starts of as normal as Michael and his girlfriend are in the cinema watching a horror film - which seems to be a normal date. Once they reach outside, Michael begins singing to her...

 Disruption - A piece of action or character causes a disruption of the tranquility previous -

At 6:37 we witness a zombie climbing out of its grave as Michael and Ola are walking past.Soon there are several zombies awakening as it is midnight...this is the first hint at a disruption, the much more intense disruption is at 8:25 when as an audience, we realise Michael has turned into a zombie!

This also signals the recognition of the equilibrium being disrupted (when the protagonist[s] grow are of the disruption) as Jackson's girlfriend runs away and he grows aware of his state.

Restored equilibrium- When the disruption is conquered - At 11:46 Ola screams as the zombies have followed her and she fears she is going to die, but as she scream, Michael puts his arm on here to see if she is okay and she realises it was all a dream - this restores the problem and a new equilibrium (back to normality) is introduced as Michael offers to drive her home...however,..at the very end of the video, the shot goes to a standstill around 11:56-2.04 , illustrating how he is infact a zombie which represents a coda (when the narrative ends with a possible cliffhanger).

Character driven

Narrative - Girl comes home from school and gets dressed up, her boyfriend comes through her window to hang out in her room but her dad catches them, the boy runs away and the girlfriend gives him a badge to show him she still wants him to be with her and to come back again.

I believe the girl is actually the hero archetype as she stops her dad , who is the villian, from hurting her boyfriend and getting angry. She is the one who stops her dad from being further aggressive, and her dad is the villian because he stops them from hanging out and gets angry. The boyfriend is the princess character because he is the one who gets saved from the dad and the girls goal in the beginning of the music video, was spending time with him. 

Cause and Effect

The binary opposite in this video is centered around young thugs vs authority

At 0:58 we denote an interview room with one person on one end and two police officers on the other, behind the police officers is a the same criminal but hes an illusion. This is connoting how criminals cause trouble with the police force as they often lie in their interviews. We denote the interviewee looking reluctant to answer anything and his illusion is putting his middle fingers up.

At 1;42 we denote the criminal holding a gun after messing around in the alley way, the authority he is fighting against is an older respect man (Harry Brown) and from there to 1:51 we watch the shooting between the two binary opposites - fighting against who sets the rules.

At 2:33 we witness a riot of teenage thugs throwing objects and starting fires, and they are opposing legal force which we can see from the police cars in the background and the police using their shields prior to this shot at 2:28.

Blog Reflection // Week 3

Blog Reflection // Week two

What have you learnt about different music video styles? 



This week, I decided to do my own research into music video 'Do's and Don'ts'. From my research I found a list of tips to help enhance my video to the best of my ability.

Do: Stage a live performance

The live performance video is a classic for a reason. It’s simple, easy to set up, and doesn’t require your awkward bassist to pretend that he knows how to act. Perfect. Just remember to have adequate lighting “ even workman’s halogen lights will do “ and a tripod so that you can capture at least one full steady take of the band in addition to your cameraman’s love of zoom-in close-ups. Just remember to synchronize your playing with what’s actually happening in the song. You don’t want to look like this:

Don’t: Film a real live performance

Unless you can draw a huge crowd at a good local venue, you’re probably not at the point at which you can successfully film a live performance and not have it look like a bunch of overenthusiastic musicians playing to a half-empty room. Look, that happens to everybody at some point, but it doesn’t mean that you have to capture it on camera. Plus, there’s nothing like a bad stage dive or a drunk fan to ruin your shoot. Case in point:

Do: Plan your video’s plot in advance

If you’re going to go for a plot-driven music video, put in some time and thought before you start to shoot. It might seem tedious, but storyboarding your video during the pre-production process is essential to making the shoot go smoothly as possible and ensuring that you don’t end up with an incoherent mess. Plus, even if the rest of your video is ridiculous, you can still boast a compelling narrative. I mean, just look at this dude.

Don’t: Create the plot of your video as you shoot

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get excited about the production process and forget that you actually need to know what you’re doing before you get out there and start filming. Without pre-planning, you could end up creating an unintelligible abomination that barely resembles any kind of clear narrative. Journey knows all about this.

Do: Use royalty-free, non-copyrighted stock footage

If you’re going for a vintage feel, there’s no cheaper way than mining old footage that’s available online absolutely free. For sources, check out the Library of Congress digital collection orArchive.org. Some videos do this to great effect already, like the pretty heartbreaking video for Sam Amidon’s “Saro.”

Don’t: Make a slideshow of still photos

If your video looks like a 13-year-old One Direction fangirl made it in tribute, then you’re doing something wrong. The same goes for accompanying your song with images that are literal to the point of absurdity. See below. You’ve been warned.

Do: Use tactful special effects if necessary

Whatever editing program you’re using “ iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Elements “ you should consider employing simple effects like color correction during the post-production process. These can add more pop to your shots. Even changing the contrast can sometimes have a dramatic effect.

Don’t: Overuse tasteless special effects

No glass shattering effects, starwipes, and please, no poor greenscreening.

The site I gathered this information from, can be found here.

I have also written some past research into music styles, which you can find here.


What styles might you use and why?

I have decided that a narrative video is best for my idea. It reflects the deep lyrics and personally, I find narrative music videos most interesting because they tell a story and highlight the meaning behind the song.

Blog Reflection // Week One

Music video genre

1) Three types of genre

Genre : Hip-hop 
Song - Pia Mia "Do It Again" ft Chris Brown & Tyga

The genre of this music video is Hip Hop as it holds many typical conventions within this genre.Hip hop music videos are famous for objectifying women. At  1:57 and 2:13 , we can denote Pia Mia wearing very limited clothing whilst dancing. The camera lingers on her body to highlight her as 'Sexy'. Hip hop music videos use women to sell their song because of their looks, thus highlighting Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze. Women being used a voyeurs in a music video is a key convention within this genre, as they are used to sell the song.

Another convention is choreography such as street dance. At 1:37 and 2:46 we denote Chris Brown dancing to the song. This sells him as an artist, and also impacts the audience to do the same so they enjoy the song. The artificial lighting along with the choreography connotes a much more flashy lifestyle which appeals to their target audience of impressionable teenagers.

Sub genre : Grunge rock
Song - Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

The first thing I noticed about this music video - was the colour palette (shown through out). The music video is coloured quite murky to highlight the grunge genre. Grunge rock is a sub-genre because it is  Grunge is often characterized by a sludge guitar sound, high level of distortion and feedback effects. 

Nirvana is possibly the most popular grunge rock band as their music fuses these elements and appealed to so many indie fans.Grunge Lyrics are typically angst-filled, often addressing themes such as social alienation, apathy, confinement, and a 

desire for freedom. The artist Kurt Cobain, seen at 2:00 , suffered with a drug addiction. The hazy effect or drug abuse

is often shown in his grunge songs because they are so laid back as if they were made for these moments.

Another convention is the performance element associated with the parent genre - rock. You can see this clearly from 3:38 to 3:48. The band are using their instruments to sell them as a rock band and their ability to perform live.Rock is also known for getting their audience to feel adrenaline (3;55-3:58) which makes people want to go see them in concert more so they can feel the same way.

Hybrid : Metal / RnB 
Song - Issues "Stingray Affliction"

This song is a combination of both metal and rnb.The metal vibe is evident when the band start performing and they are using guitars whilst thrashing - you can see this at 0:30- 0.34. One of the band members is also using his throat  to sing at 0.50 to 0.57  (can be referred to as 'screaming') which is only used in metal songs.

However, the rnb elements are shown from 2:50, as the lights dim to show the transition of genres in the song. From 2.53, a smoke machine is used to soften the mood from the previous metal vibe. The lead singer also begins to sing much more softly with a long close up instead of the fast paced jump cuts seen previously. At 3.36 to 3.38, the band members are moving much more slowly instead of jumping around. However, at 3.30, the band begins to head bang, to highlight their song going back to metal.

2 & 3)  Generic conventions and themes

Pop Ballad song

Conventions

Typical

Mise-en-scene

The lighting was very highkey to establish the upbeat music in this genre. There were also plenty of close ups of Katy’s face to sell her as the singer as well as the actor. The costumes were quite unique however, as most pops songs would have the latest trends featured,but the narrative involved Katy cutting her hair and wearing a military outfit which was unconventional, yet effective.

Typical types of narrative

Pop music videos are always influenced with the theme of love as it is a relatable theme for everyone. This is important as the audience are often passive and a mainstream narrative is more likely to sell than something niche. This music video used the idea of a breakup to show how a girl can gain something out of it, other than heartbreak. This is conventional because of the fact it is a mainstream theme and it is also a common theme in most pop music video.

Typical representations

The male character is often always portrayed as the sleeze, or as the cheater. This highlights the theme of breaking up and will often portray the female character to be much more emotional in comparison. This is very typical is societal views,therefore there is no surprise that Katy is seen crying and cutting her hair whilst her boyfriend was cheating!

Typical sound design

In the beginning of the music video, there is a cold opening with minimal dialogue to introduce the narrative. Plenty of pop music videos often use a cold opening before the music to introduce the storyline or the location. The song itself is very dance like as the beat is upbeat, this is typical for this genre as pop music is meant to be very generic and likable.

- think trashy karaoke on a hen night.

Typical editing style

Like most music videos, there are plenty of cuts to fit the pace of the song. As Katy was going through a transition, the cutting pace was fast to highlight her going through a personal journey. This is conventional as most pop music videos use cuts to keep the music upbeat and happy.

Recurring camera techniques

One thing I noticed through out the music video,was that the camera was never still and was always moving,even if it was shaking. This was conventional for this genre because it kept the audience on edge as pop songs are meant to make you feel more energized.

Main themes -

Break ups (0.00 - 0.38) - This theme is typical for this genre because most pop songs are associated with love in general.Pop is mostly targeted towards a female audiences, therefore love is a popular topic for this genre. A similar song is Taylor Swift's We are never getting back together, which you can watch here.

Transformation (1:15-1.36) As most pop songs have a narrative side to their music videos, they often have a transformation as a common theme to show a happier and brighter side to this up beat genre. An example of this is Kelly Clarkson's Invincible, which you can watch here.

 Female independence (3:07-3:10) Most female pop singers are designed to be role models, an example of a similar song on this theme is Kelly Clarkson's stronger, which you can watch here.

Conventions of short films

1. Duration

A short film is usually around 5-10 minutes (some can be up to 35 minutes) and is centered around a short narrative.

On a website called depict.org , I found a series of short films that are created to be around 90 seconds. One of my favourites is Cool Unicorn Bruv which you can watch here. The whole production has been edited to 1.40 and manages to provide entertainment in the little time provided. I personally find, the shorter the film, the more engaged your audience will be, because they would not get bored easily. I aim to make my short film around 5 minutes so that is concise and meets the duration convention. Although this particular short film was great, it lacked more depth from their actors, which is why I aim to make my short film a little longer.


2. Budget

A short film is usually produced on the cheaper side as they are aimed to be a short amount of time, therefore, their priorities differ. This is often reflected in their mise-en-scene and location. Hardly any short films would use a well known actor as short films are known to be low profile.

An example of a low budget film is Western Spaghetti. This short film is lowbudget as it does not include any fancy locations,actors or props. The producer has taken household items and created a abstract type of spaghetti. Other short films may not be surreal in this concept, but can still be low budget. You can create a shortfilm with very little spending as long as there is a clear narrative. For my own shortfilm, I would also use household items if any props are needed. This would make my short film much more realistic and also cheap!



3. Storylines

One key convention in a short film, is a strong storyline. They are usually simple and easy to follow as there isn't a long amount of time to explain to the audience. However, some short films are bizzare and can also lack a storyline. Some many follow a strict narrative such as Todorov's theory, where as some are non-linear.



'What's wrong Jimmy?' is an enjoyable shortfilm based on a super simple concept! Jimmy was known for always putting his hand up in class when he was younger, always asking questions, and one day he is stuck with his in the air, forever. The storyline is very basic yet humorous , so it is very easy for the audience to endure entertainment with. The narrative is non-linear as he refers back to his past quite often, and then he speaks back into the present day. I felt like this structure made the shortfilm much more understandable and unique as it explained a storyline rather just stating his condition. In my own shortfilm , I am aiming for a very simple storyline to ensure my audience are aware of its message. However, I am still undecided on the structure being non-linear or linear.


4. Characters

Short films are based on a live piece of action rather than a character's past, therefore the characters need to be strongly connoted to the audience so they can grown to like the character in the short time frame. Short films often use only 1-3 key characters so we can be more familiar to them.

The above short film, Flashbacks,  is centered around the death of a young girl. Although the narrative itself is touching, the constant use of flashbacks made the shortfilm more amateur and more like a music video. The characters did not stand out to me and would of been composed much better if there were no flashbacks and we could learn more about the characters rather than a series of action. In my own shortfilm I would work towards making my characters stand out and to get my audience to identify with them, I feel like dialogue would be a better way to do this, with a series of live action that the audience could follow along with, rather than past action that the audience could not identify the character with.


5. Twist

A 'twist' feature is part of a short film narrative. To begin a short film , usually a twist is introduced in the beginning of the short film so the narrative can play on from there , rather than creating an equilibrium which used in full length films as they have more time to play with. 



The short film Baklava uses the twist convention right at the beginning of the short film. The couple are on a game show and they lose the free hoildays - therefore the short film loses any wasted time on explaining a storyline as it shows us very quickly and effectively , what happens and the aftermath. The shortfilm was cleverly executed as we are cut straight to the couple at a diner.Having a twist in the beginning of the short film allows you to use the time much more wisely on a narrative and character profile. For my short film, I will place the twist at the very beginning so I can center my shortfilm around it rather than waste time building up to it, which is unconventional of a short film.


6. Abstract creativity


Short films are often created by imaginative individuals who want to express themselves. Their short films are often used to display ideology , whether that be dominant , emerging or even oppositional. The idea of a short film is to allow different film makers be able to produce something that is creative for them.

The short film Jupiter | | is completely abstract as we unaware of what the storyline is ,and there seems to be mystery to the message. Short films are often aimed towards the more artsy and intellectual film makers who would enjoy these type of short films because they allow you to think anything you want. There is no preferred reading for most shortfilms because they tend to be abstract so they can enforce discussion or perhaps build a message from there. This shortfilm was abstract as there was no indication of what the consequences of the actors actions were and there was also no dialogue to help send a message across to the audience. In my shortfilm, I think an abstract idea would make my audience think more , making them more active as they would discuss the reason behind my production and what inspired it. More recognition would be given to an abstract idea rather than a simple one, as there would be more questions to it.


7. Niche

Short films are known to be low profile, therefore they do not cater for everyone and are often aimed at more intellectual individuals. This is due to the fact they lack traditional sellability and can often be perceived as an antagonist against mainstream culture.

Niche In The Market is exactly what the name suggests - Niche! Short films are often low profile, therefore their target audience is very niche and can vary between each short film.It is a mainstream mannerism to watch full length films in the cinema rather than a short film because they get less recognition. 'Niche In The Market' follows three markets in Brixton,London. This would not appeal to everyone because it is about the culture in London specifically - therefore , not everyone would identify with it. This shortfilm is therefore Niche as its only made for the London audience. I would try to make my shortfilm cater to everyone so I can build a bigger target audience.



8. Emotional

 A short film is made to be emotional by reflecting a strong narrative or character that the audience would sympathise with. This is often used to convey a strong message that could also bring a discussion from the audience as they could reflect their own thoughts and feelings and possibly even experience to the short film itself.



'Shadows of Time' is an emotional short film because it is based on a real life tragedy - the 7/7 bombings in London. The music is gentle and does not overpower the imagery itself ,leaving more room for the audience to focus on the narrative. The narrative itself does however, include flashbacks. Although this is seen as a big NO in the short film world, it works very effectively. The flash backs help us understand the protagonists experience and grief as we begin to sympathise with her loss. To be honest , I did shed a tear because it was based on a real life tragedy that affected so many families. I felt like the flashbacks and her hallucinations of her partner made me feel more emotionally involved with the short film because I know the protagonist herself was hurting. In my own short film , I would love to create something equally emotional that could get my audience react, just like I did. The strongest way to really grab your audience is by getting them to become mentally involved , and the best way for this is to get them to feel a strong sense of emotion, whether this be crestfallen or even happy. A great idea is to also center my short film on perhaps a real life event.



9. Sound

Short films are made to be simplistic , therefore they often use minimal dialogue. One way a short film can inform their audience through out the production is via voice over.



'The Question?' uses sound as a key convention throughout the production as it uses a voice over to explain exactly what the protagonist is thinking. Using a voice over rather than a dialogue makes the audience feel more involved with the storyline as the protagonist is speaking directly to us, rather than an actor. At the very beginning of the shortfilm , we hear an eery sound along with the imagery of a black building, which creates a sense of enigma to the audience as they wonder what is inside. It is inside the building that the short film takes full effect , and the music helps define the isolation it is in, rather than the character discussing it. The soundtrack used reminds me of a game. The game like music along side the protagonist acting upon actions, gives a sense of routine which helps highlight how he is 'slaving away...day in and day out'. The music is simple yet effective and sounds almost sci-fi, which mirrors the questioning theme that the short film is about. In my own shortfilm , I am going to experiment with all sorts of sound effect , from a foley sound to just a simple sound track ans SFX. This way I can my short film much more interesting and unique as it uses different types of sound , which is very effective in calling in the audiences attention.

Skills Reflection

In Year 12 we explored British Social Realism films and produced an opening sequence based on our own creative idea. This blog post will be a discussion on how I improved on 5 key skill areas during Year 12. 

Research and Planning

During my pre-production process,  I improved on different research techniques to help me understand my target audience. I used vox pops for the first time to help me receive an opinion from my target audience so I could consider their thoughts for my production plan. This enabled me to film my opening sequence under the preferences of my target audience , which inturn made my production much more effective towards their liking. ( You can view my blog post on my use of vox pops here ). A common question I asked my audience was based on my research I did on the news. I research different new articles which helped me shape an idea on the storyline for a film that my opening sequence would enlighten to. Here, you can view the presentation I made on this research.
After conversing with my target audience , I decided to form a fact file based on my target audience which helped me pitch my idea to my classmates and to my teacher as I showed a clear link between my production and my audience. Therefore, I was able to improve on being able to clearly show how my production would be sold to my target audience.


 

To help me understand my task more , I decided I needed to be able to research more into this genre and past examples to help inspire me further. One way I did this was by evaluating past students work  which helped me understand how an examiner would mark an opening sequence. This set the basis of how I needed my work to exceed past standards whilst learning from their mistakes as well as their success. This helped me develop my work much more effectively as I was able to understand the marking process much better. I also improved my skills on presenting data as I created different representations of my feedback from my target audience i.e qualitative data analysis.  which you can view an example here .



Another way I researched into my brief was by finding out more information about the institution and the type of cast and crew. Below you can view the commissioner fact filed I created which helped me develop skills in  understanding the industry and innovation side to my media rather than just the production ideas itself. Nevertheless , I improved on being able to provide more depth to my ideas by research into different BSR themes and conventions, which you can also view below.

It was important that I was knowledge about the conventions of an opening so my work would tick all the boxes. I was excited to do this as I was able to use my favourite film as an example! This helped me improve my understanding of an opening sequence, regardless of any genre. Research this thoroughly in a task has helped me become more successful in producing work to the very best of my ability that uses all of the conventions appropriate.

Logistically, I improved on knowing what there is needed to direct such films such as a shooting scripts, call lists and more.

Finally, to complete my research and planning, I created a final treatment ( which I have embedded below ) that helped me develop my skills in being able to pitch my ideas,inspirations and content. This has been a big improvement for me as I was able to explain rather than just state my ideas, which is needed for A Level Media Studies.

 Conventions

Throughout AS Media, I had collectively gained more knowledge on the conventions that are used for a successful media production.

1) Camera & Editing style

One way I improved on my camera and editing style was by learning how to use continuity editing. This first began by a mini practice exercise  which I made a full plan for here and evaluated here.  This developed my understanding on how continuity is used in real life films and TV Dramas , as well enhancing my skills of different types of editing for a much more fluent finish. From my first practice , I was seemingly amateur at the approach of continuity editing , however, looking at my finish BSR opening sequence, I had improved as the editing was very fluent, with the exception of the very beginning of the video which was edited with jump cuts to set the chaotic mood initially into the mundane mood with fluent editing. From Year 12 I have improved massively on my editing as well as filming and I look forward to doing more of this in future productions.

2) Themes & Narrative 

One theme I had developed working with was feminism. My narrative was based on the emerging ideology of women being discriminated against, in the work place and in society.  I explored this theme in my BSR opening as we witness the protagonist taking medication, creating enigma as to why. I showcased the vulnerability a woman endures when they’re corned in what is deemed a ‘mans world’.  This helped me improve on understanding Media Studies on a more cultural and theoretical level  as I was able to identify how a piece of media communicates a message.

3) Mise-en-scene

One area I had improved on massively during Year 12 was on location. Prior to filming , I decided to produce a location list and produce a presentation of location reccies to help plan my use of locations before going into production. This was a new skilled I had developed and it helped my production run seamlessly as we had the location booked rather than being unorganised and having problems filming where we wanted to. I also decided to go beyond the usual location of my school building and had ventured out into Central London to further emphasise the work place environment and also make my opening sequence much more sleek rather than in an amateur classroom altogether.

4) Sound

Prior to Year 12 , I had always been aware that we have to use royalty free music in our productions to avoid any copyright issues. However, this year , I had improved on this knowledge as was able to gain access to this song by emailing the producer. This improved my mindset on how other big industries are able to use other peoples creations in their own productions.

                                                              

Creativity

Following the theory of Csikszentmihalyi , the symbols of my given domain was my brief and exam board requirements. From there I developed a new idea which was adapted from my inspiration of sharing a clear message across my production on feminism and equality. My creative idea was selected by the appropriate field for inclusion when my teacher approved and agreed it was conventional for my BSR opening as it was a representation of British society. I had exceeded myself with my creativity as I used different camera and editing techniques fused together, such as the jump cuts and continuity. This can be viewed as creative and unusual because most editors decided to stick with one style to make the production fluid, however, fusing together two styles made my production seem more edgy and also fit the mood and feeling of the message.

Post Production

During Post-production, I improved in the following areas :- Video, Graphics, Sound and Images. 

One way I improved on video was by improving my style of editing which I have already discussed in this post. I even learnt more techniques such as parallel editing ( a technique whereby cutting occurs between two or more related actions occurring at the same time in two separate locations or different points in time. D. W. Griffith is often cited for this )

In terms of graphics , I learnt the key conventions of graphics in a BSR opening. I researched into this and made a post based on the credits used in This is England which you can read here. I improved on my graphics tremendously as I made the credits move across the screen rather than just being still images.

Last but not least - Images. When editing my work in iMovie, I was aware of the stabilizer tool that could help me stabilize any shaky camera movements in my work.

This helped me improve the final presentation of my production as well as highlight my knowledge on using iMovie as an editing software , which AS Media has helped me in greatly. iMovie also has an option to change the colour palette of your clips, but I manged to have the lighting I desired and did not need to change anything like this.

Digital technology

I have improved my digital technology skills within Year 12 which has helped me become a better director and editor. The three areas I had improved on were on a hardware level , a software level and an online level.

Hardware ~ 

In terms of Hardware, I had improved my camera skills because I have developed my knowledge on different camera angles and how they convey meaning. For example , in my BSR opening, I used a high angle on my protagonist to paint the picture of vulnerability and how she is being looked down upon by her male boss. I had improved on my camera capability as I personally feel more comfortable filming and have felt improved in myself. I am more of the digital equipment we use in production due to my learning in Year 12.

Software ~

A new digital programme I had learnt how to use during Year 12 was final cut pro. Prior to AS Media, I had never used this editing software before, so I have gained more knowledge in editing and in this software programme. I also improved on my compability in iMovie as I improved on my speed of editing as we had more deadlines in year 12.

Online ~ 

The web-based technology I used primarily, was blogger. To show case all my work from Year 12 AS Media , I used blogger to post my progress which has helped me reflect on the skills I had learnt through out the year. I had also developed new skills in other web-based technologies such as e-Maze ,which you may recognise as being used in this post already when reflecting back to my work. Year 12 blog work has improved my blogging expertise massively and has helped me become a better Media writer as I am more aware to use terminology and also aware of representing progress when producing a video. The skills I can carry with me to my further media work placements if I am needed to blog efficiently.