AICE Media Studies Extract: 24

In the American action drama TV show, 24, the director is suggesting that sometimes it is necessary for good to overcome evil by any means. This conclusion can be drawn through the extract provided through the camera angles, editing techniques, intense sounds, and a well-developed mis-en-scene. When the extract of the film opens, it is immediately apparent that the setting in an interview room, and the two main characters are a criminal and an interviewer. The first line of dialogue states, “Lets keep this simple. If you want to stop the bomb, I need to be on a plane to Vessella now.” The interviewer than proceeds to say, “Did you pick Vessella for a reason, or does anywhere outside of the blast radius work.” The dialogue presented, suggests that the criminal was involved in planting of a bomb, and that it is the job of the interviewer to disarm it. However, the interviewer lacks pertinent information, that would be relevant to the task at hand, and the criminal is the only one able to give this information. As stated previously, the theme of this extract is to achieve justice by any means necessary, and that’s when the interviewer takes it into his own hands.

In the beginning scene of the show, 24, I find that that the camera angles, choice of sound, and certain editing techniques are being used to convey the overall purpose to the audience. For instance, at approximately 00:03, an over the shoulder shot appears. This is a commonly used shot in interviews or employee/boss scenes. The over the shoulder shot depicts the male interviewer entering the interview room from the criminal’s point of view, suggesting on a deeper level, that the male interviewer has dominance over the criminal. The use of dialogue additionally reveals the director’s purpose for the sequence. The dialogue between the two characters in the opening scene reveals that there are lives at stake with the explosion of a bomb, and the interviewer is look for answers fast, no matter the cost. Finally, an eye-line-match, is used to show the interviewer acknowledging a security camera in the interview room, implying that he knows his colleagues are watching him. However, he still proceeds with aggression towards the criminal, revealing his belief of “by any means necessary.’ Overall, the authors choice of techniques helps to reveal to the audience that justice should be achieved by any means in the first scene.

In addition, in the following scene from the excerpt of the action drama, 24, I find that various aspects of the mis-en-scene, in addition to the build up of ambient sound, creates a sense of intensity, further revealing the directors purpose. This scene involves the building of intensity as the interviewer is desperate for answers, that only the criminal can answer at the moment. Tactics such as flipping the table or shout at the criminal and tried but to no effect as the interviewer searches. Despite this reality, some aspects when creating the mis-en-scene are effective and reveal a portion of the director’s purpose. For instance, the director employs dim and dark lightning during the interview, revealing potential intimidation in the criminal. Additionally, the director makes use of the setting, the interview room. Since the setting in this scene is the interview room, the director is objectifying the positions/roles of the characters and pointing out the interviewers retains majority of the dominance in this setting. Finally, the use of building ambient sound is revealing to the audience the temperament of the interviewer is increasing, and the control over his actions is decreasing. All in all, the combined techniques in the mis-en-scene, as well as, the building of suspenseful ambient sound help to evoke emotion in the audience, as they prepare for the interviewer to lose his grips on his emotions.

Furthermore, in the third and final scene in which the interviewer loses his grip with his emotions and actions, the director employs close ups and the split screen editing technique. At approximately 02:30 in duration, the interviewer cans be seen choking the criminal. During this time period he states, “You are going to tell me everything I want to know or I swear to God I will kill you, and no one will stop me.” The close up used here, put the audience in close proximity to the two characters, revealing the vulnerability of the criminal and the ruthlessness of the interviewer, despite knowing the consequences as shown earlier. Also, the split screen utilized shows the reaction of the colleagues meanwhile the interviewer is choking out the criminal, demonstrating the disapproval the interviewer’s actions from his colleagues. In summary, the close up and the split screen effect, are a perfect combination to demonstrate the interviewer’s/director’s belief of “by any means necessary.”

In conclusion, throughout the various scenes of the extract, certain techniques employed reveals the director’s belief that sometimes it is necessary for good to overcome evil by any means. The first scene employs dialogue, eye-line-matches, and dialogue to reveal to the audience the severity of the situation and what is at stake. The second scene involves the build up of intensity and emotion, as the interviewer struggles to retrieve answers for the current crisis. The dim and dark lighting, the setting, and the ambient noise all contribute as an intimidation factor but, to no avail. Finally, in the third scene the interviewer snaps and proceeds to choke out the criminal. A split screen technique as well as close ups are used to show the interviewers colleagues disapproval and the intensity the interviewer was feeling. I believe the director made great choice of techniques that reflected to me the idea of Justice by any means necessary.

AICE Media Studies Final CCR

Today is Friday April 17th and as of today the CCR for my project is due. Over the past few months a series of complications as resulted in delays for when our CCR is due. Originally the CCR and Final Task were due in the earlier stages of April. However, once school was cancelled the due date was extended to April 17th. This was very beneficial to me as it gave me more time to plan what I wanted to say in my CCR. Additionally it gave me more time to record and edit in the production/post-production process. Taking a look at what I covered in my CCR I found reflecting on this year was very beneficial to realize all the skills I learned. The first question asked me to identify what I did during the production process as well as social groups or issues I identified with. To begin with, I talked about the conventions and codes of the genre. I choose to make a thriller movie, so this included the use of high and low angels, dim lighting, neutral color clothing, etc. I then talked about why or why not I choose to follow these conventions in their respective categories: Mis-en-scene, CAMS, Editing, and Sound. Finally, I talked about the ideas of minority groups as well as gender equality and how I tried to stay away from typical conventions throughout the genre. The next question involved how my film would be produced and distributed in a real world scenario. I decided to go with Universal Pictures as the production studio. This is because they have had previous and recent success in the thriller genre, as well as, being a multi-media platform. Another thing I decided on in this portion of the question was my target audience, who would be fans of the genre as well as  young adults/adults. The third question, involved me reflecting on how my skills improved throughout the course of the year. The main skill that was highlighted was my ability to act. Prior to this class, I was completely opposed to acting. Afterwards, I found that I began liking it and feeling comfortable around the camera. Finally, I talked about the use of technology throughout the production process. Specifically, I used Google Drive, Final Cut Pro X, and Google.

The Costal Killer: Final Task

Today is Thursday, April 9th today is the due date for my Final Task and my CCR.  In the previous blogs, I have been reflecting on my work that I have completed throughout the course of this year. For the first two blogs, I reflected on the commercial and its accompanying CCR. This project was the very first of the year, and was my introduction to the film making process. I found that the creation of the commercial was very beneficial to my growth as a student by giving my introductory knowledge on the film making process. The commercial CCR was also the first CCR I had ever written. Although it proved difficult, it taught me the process of reflecting. The second project that I had to do this year was my music video. For it I produced a remake of Young Dumb and Broke with a group of classmates. Although the final product came out great, it taught me some important lessons such as time management and the difficulty of relying on others. My Final Task, or opening sequence, is the final product that I will be having to make for this class. Although it is one of the lengthiest or hardest projects that I have ever had to create, I am proud of the end result. The requirements of the Final Task, required us to making an opening sequence to an original film lasting around 2 minutes in length. Other requirements included royalty free music, original sound effects, and a well planned out structure. Regarding the planning for my opening sequence, it could be said it was very lengthy. I produced many blogs discussing genre research, filming scripts, sound scripts, health and safety concerns, etc. I found this to be very helpful however, as when I went to film I did not have to worry about creating things on the spot and could rather fall back on my research. My favorite scene from my Final Task is the ending. In the scene, the Great White Shark can be seen turning around to face the camera/audience. This creates an atmosphere of suspense and leaves the audience on a large cliffhanger! Anyways, I hope you enjoy my original film, The Coastal Killer!

Music Video CCR

Music Video

Today is Wednesday, April 8th and the due date for my Final Task and CCR is tomorrow. However, once again, I wanted to quickly reflect on the skills I have learned this year. To begin with, in the beginning of the year we were assigned to create a commercial for a certain company. Next, we were assigned to create a music video. The requirements included us picking using appropriate music, researching the conventions and codes of this genre, and a duration of 1:00-1:10. I found this project to be very beneficial to my growth as a student as I learned to manage my time and work as a team. There were many due dates that had to be met, which involved as managing our time and distributing work evenly. Additionally, I found my editing skills had significantly improved since the previous project. I learned how to add more post production effects, fade ins/outs, transitions, etc. The creation of this music video greatly improved my confidence in my production skills and taught me how to edit using the Final Cut Pro software.

Commercial CCR

Name: Blake Booysen (Period 5) 

Creative Critical Reflection 

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?  

My commercial utilizes conventions that are typically found throughout various athletic commercials, especially those of Nike. I choose to follow the conventions on the basis that the commercial would be easier for the viewer to understand and relate to. Additionally, by better being able to relate to the viewer, profit could be made through the selling of merchandise such as clothing and accessories. Nike, Under Armor, and Adidas commercials were all examined during our planning process. Throughout the viewing of these various commercials, I observed similar conventions being used to attract the viewer. I then realized I should integrate these conventions into my commercial to establish an authentic and inviting athletic commercial while being unique to the Nike brand and the product. These conventions include the upbeat music with little or no lyrics, athletic or social environments as settings, dramatic or vivid color palettes, little or no text, and simple transitions. The upbeat music excites the viewer, athletic and social environments appeal to the viewer’s interests, dramatic and vivid color palettes attract the viewer, the text does not take away from the meaning of the commercial, and the simple transitions make the commercial easy to follow. The commercial also represents social groups. The commercial is aimed to interest people who enjoy exercising or socializing, therefore encouraging them to purchase Nike apparel. This is essential because profiting from the sale of the merchandise is how the company is able to function and grow. Another reason this is beneficial is because the selling and wearing of Nike merchandise establishes a brand image. A positive brand image encourages others, via word of mouth or simply seeing, to purchase their own merchandise thus increasing revenue.  

 2. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?  

My product is a Nike commercial lasting about 30 seconds in length that focuses on featuring Nike apparel and accessories to establish a positive brand image. Also, it included specific elements such as the setting to try and establish an athletic or social environment. This product will engage kids, adults, athletes, or athletic programs as they view the commercial at home or in the workspace. The more interested the viewer(s) in the product, the more likely they will purchase Nike apparel or accessories. My product also engages with the audience by establishing brand recognition. Throughout the product various Nike apparel or accessories are shown being worn by different actors. A viewer sees this and is then able to recognize Nike apparel in their day-to-day lives. I believe by establishing brand recognition, a viewer will be more encouraged to purchase Nike apparel or accessories. Through the profit of these sales the company is able to function and grow. As a real media text, this product would be distributed to television companies and social media platforms. Nike would pay to have the commercial run on live television as well as broadcasted on social media platforms. Younger viewers will likely see the commercial through social media platforms they frequent, while older viewers will typically watch the commercial on television through channels such as ESPN or NBC Sports. The aspect of distributing the commercial through both social media and television is essential in connecting both generations of viewers with the brand and establishing brand recognition. In terms of physical advertising, not much can be done because videos cannot be played in a magazine, however, the use of digital billboards such as the ones used on the highway or in large cities such as New York might be beneficial.  

3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?  

 During the beginning stage of the product we knew we had to create a commercial, which was to my liking as I already had strengths in creating media using technology. Also, I knew I was able to organize my media in a logical and visually appealing manner. However, I was concerned with the the software and hardware that I would be using in class to produce and edit the commercial. I am a person who prefers to use equipment I am familiar with rather than try new equipment. First of all the camera I was using was not your traditional camera on your phone. It was a camera with an SD card, tripod, complicated software, and a lot of buttons. At first I found the camera to be difficult to use, but with time and experience it became a lot easier to use. Looking back on the experience now I have learned to be more open to learning new things because they may not be as hard as they seem. Another thing I was able to learn from was technical difficulties. The computers we had in the classroom were very outdated and did not have the processing power to handle the software and the rendering of the video. The school tried to replace them with laptops but even these were slow and difficult to use. As a result, I ended up using my own computer at home with the Final Cut Pro software. The computer ran perfectly and I was able to finish my project in a timely manor. The technical difficulties and the trouble shooting taught me to never give up on a problem and to continue working through it until you find a solution. Finally, another lesson I learned during the production process of our commercial was the ability to pace yourself and not procrastinate. The commercial had serval due dates for tasks such as storyboarding, blogging, filming, and editing that I had to keep track of and manage. If these tasks were not done by 11:59 pm at the given date then you would receive a 0 for the grade and potentially other grades. This taught me to manage my time wisely and my commercial and other tasks were submitted on time. 

4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?  

Three specific forms of technology were used in the development and production of the Nike commercial. First the internet was used to research various commercials from Nike, Under Amour, and Adidas and establish idea of the conventions used in the commercial, for example, upbeat music with little or no lyrics, settings that establish athletic or social environments, and simple transitions. From there I was able to create a commercial that I believed to be visually appealing to then viewer and would encourage them to purchase Nike apparel or accessories. The next piece of technology I used was Final Cut Pro. Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing, color grading, and motion graphics software found on Apple computers. No template was provided, and required me to research how to use the program. With some research and experimentation I was able to use the software with some degree of knowledge. I added special effects, transitions, and color grading to my product. Finally the last piece of technology that I used was Google Drive. Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. I had previous experience with Google Drive and was easily able to navigate the platform to locate my documents. The reason I used Google Drive was to save all documents to one space that can be accessed on multiple computers. With the technical difficulties and usage of multiple computers, Google Drive was essential in allowing me to manage my product and not waste time. Also, all file formats I used were compatible, for example Final Cut Pro saves and video, so I was able to save all my data to one location.