Microdrama shoot

On the day that we shot our microdrama, we did come across a few problems. One of the main problems was that the day we decided to film was fairly windy, so we did get quite a lot of background noise. The second problem we had was that as we had decided to film in the daytime, and edit the microdrama so it looked like it had taken place in the dark, there were quite a lot of people in the park and a few times we had to stop filming to let people past.
The next problem we encountered was that the camera ran out of battery, and we had to use Hannahs iPhone to film the last few parts of the footage. Fortunately the iPhone camera was HD so the change in quality wasn't a problem, but we did struggle slightly during the editing process as we filmed with the camera in landscape and the iPhone on portrait.
Overall, I think that the shoot went fairly well considering the problems that we had, and I think this was down to careful planning.

Microdrama Planning

The microdrama task was to create a mini drama based on the horror genre, using the key narrative theories. In my group there was Kate, Hannah, Poppy, Tilly, and me. We started by talking about different plot lines and eventually decided on a simple idea, which we then developed into a more interesting plot line. Planning did take quite a while as we changed our minds a lot about what should happen in the microdrama. We drew a storyboard for our microdrama, and also this did take a while as we decided what shot types/camera angles to use for each shot.

We then decided where abouts we were going to shoot the microdrama, and we chose to film it in Ilkley Park as it wasn't too far away, and there was a tunnel which would create different camera angles. At first we were going to shoot in the dark, but decided against this as there would have been too many problems.

Key Narrative Theories

Todorov

Todorov is associated with the theory that every narrative can be broken down
into 3 basic stages. Equilibrium, dis-equilibrium and new equilibrium. People 
usually refer to the 3 part model but he actually proposed 5 stages.

1. a state of equilibrium at the outset
2. a disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. a recognition that there has been a disruption
4.an attempt to repair the disruption
5. a reinstatement of the equilibrium

Levi Strauss
When we consider the use of stereotypes it is often evident how a binary opposition 
is at play. For example how we describe a stereotypical poor or working class person 
in broadly the oppositeof how we would describe a middle class or upper class 
person. Scenes within dramas often reflectthis idea with clashing pairs. These binary 
opposites are what often cause conflict or tension.

Vladimir Propp

Propp argued that there are essentially 8 different character types, also known as an archetypes.

1. Villain - also known as the antagonist they are the 'bad guy' of the film and they never
 usually end up 'winning' or having the best outcome at the end of the film.
2. Donor - this person usually helps prepare the hero for for what they have to overcome
or gives them something to help them.
3. Helper - helps the hero in their quest.
4. The princess or prize - the hero that deserves her/it throughout the story but is unable
to marry her at he beginning of the story due to whatever villain is doing to stop them.
5. The princess and her father - gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, 
marries the hero.Propp noted that the father and the princess can be quite hard to 
distinguish between.
6. The Dispatcher - character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
7. Hero/Victim - also known as the protagonist, reacts to the donor, weds the princess. 

8. False Hero/Anti Hero/Usurper- takes credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess.

These roles could sometimes be distributed among various characters. 
Also once character could do things that mean they apply to more than one role.

Barthes
Another basic but vital component of most narratives is the concept of narrative enigma. 
These are the puzzles created within the narrative . Trying to figure out these puzzles 
is part of the enjoyment of watching the text. This is often done by not showing 
someone's face or key information purposefully being hidden from the audience.

Semiotics Rap

First you need a denotation of what you see or hear
and then from there you see what you can cohere
if there's one symbolic detail it is the signified
but if its polysemic there is a downside
if a text is polysemic it could mean anything

To see a text from different angles use the commutation test
change a signifier to see if it changes the rest
or it could be intertextual and linked to an existing text

Semiotics: The Key Terms

Key Terms:

SIGNIFIER: detail from a text which has a symbolic meaning.

SIGNIFIED/SIGNIFIES: the symbolic meaning/interpretation which links to the reading of the text. 

DENOTE/DENOTATION: a description of what we see or hear within in a text.

CONNOTE/CONNOTATION: the symbolic meaning of these factual details.

BINARY OPPOSITION: they are a key device for generating conflict and drama and when they're placed together we can talk of binary opposites being juxtaposed meaning they're paired together to emphasise the contrast and difference.

POLYSEMY: every media text is essentially polysemic as it has many possible meanings.

ANCHORAGE: this is when we fix an interpretation to a text, because signifiers have been embedded within the text which point the audience towards a preferred interpretation.

COMMUTATION TEST: considering how the meaning of a signifier would be influenced if it was to be changed, which tells us if a detail in a text is important or not.

READING;

- PREFERRED: how the creators hope you will respond to their media.

- NEGOTIATED: the audience mostly understand the preferred reading but don't fully follow it, meaning they reject/are                unaware of some of the signifiers in the text.

- OPPOSITIONAL: the audience constantly rejects the meaning and interpretation that is being encoded by the directors.

NARRATIVE ENIGMA: certain elements are purposely hidden from the audience, to build up a sense of mystery and drama.

INTERTEXTUALITY: creating an overall impression of a text which targets a certain audience, however the meaning is tied to another, earlier text.

Up The Junction Opening Scene Analysis

Up the Junction 

Director: Peter Collinson

Release Date: 25th January 1968 (UK) 13th March 1968 (US)

Company Idents:  Paramount Pictures

Shot 1: This shot shows a medium shot of quite a posh car pulling up outside a large house. This shot is through a tall black gate, and this shows straght away what the social class of the characters in this scene is like. The medium shot continues showing a young woman walking out of the house. The driver gets out of the car to open the car door for the woman, again showing what the social class of these characters could be.

Shot 2: This shot is a medium close up of the car driving away from the house, and a medium shot of the girl in in the car before it drives away.

Shot 3: New characters are introduced in this scene. An extreme long shot shows three women walking out of a terraced house on a busy residential street. The camera stays on the girls as the walk right up to the camera, so that we see a close up of the girls. The girls stay in shot for a few seconds talking to each other.

Shot 3

Shot 4: The next shot cuts to a high angle shot of the same car from the first few shots of the film. It shows the car driving down a long road, before slowly stopping. The girl gets out of the car, walks off down the pavement and out of shot. The camera then pans off to the distance and non-diagetic music is played. This is where the opening scene ends.

Film Opening Conventions Vodcast

Films Mentioned:

• Be Kind, Rewind
• Hidden Agenda
• Star wars
• Atonement
• Heathers
• Up The Junction
• For Weddings and A Funeral
• About A Boy