media studies 2009-2011

The PlayStation 3 (officially abbreviated as PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,which contrasts with Sony’s former policy of relying on video game developers for online play.Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,connectivity with the PlayStation Portable,and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium. The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market.

The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America and South America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania. Two SKUs were available at launch: a basic model with a 20 GB Hard drive (HDD), and a premium model with a 60 GB hard drive and several additional features(the 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania).Since then, several revisions have been made to the console’s available models, most notably with the release of a new slim model in September 2009 to coincide with rebranding of the console and its logo.

The new Apple Ipad has just been launched and it is said to have ”a whole new batch of customers, a bigger screen and faster processor, many software developers are thrilled at the prospect of the iPad.” The many features available make it a popular new product. Apple company claim:The large Multi-Touch screen on iPad lets you see web pages as they were meant to be seen — one page at a time. With vibrant color and sharp text. So whether you’re looking at a page in portrait or landscape, you can see everything at a size that’s actually readable. And with iPad, navigating the web has never been easier or more intuitive. Because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. Scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen. Or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo. There’s also a thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, to let you quickly move from one page to the next. The iPad has also been held up as a potential saviour for mainstream media, combining Apple’s ability to get people to pay for online content with a covetable device whose colour screen is ideal for displaying magazines and newspapers as well as television programmes.

A whole host of apps is now being developed to offer new ways to enjoy old media. Some senior publishing executives, however, were disappointed by last week’s launchExperts said that the iPad could transform the way that people read newspapers, watch television and surf the web. It is slim and elegant, and although it has some weight in the hands, it feels a lot lighter than any laptop. There is only one button on the whole machine, the home button, with everything else handled through touch. The adapted iPhone operating system was as intuitive and pleasing as on the iPhoneThe interface is pixel perfect and the larger screen allows video and games to breathe and become much more immersive.

The Apple Ipad holds many advantages over other recent types of media technology it has a better quality for watching films and being able to read news papers and magazine with the large touch screen

Analysis of Opening Sequence- Horror/ comedy, Severance

Directed by Christopher Smith

Starring- Danny Dyer and Laura Harris

The shot begins with two girls and a man running through a woods they are screaming and look very panicky, then the next shot is black with the titles included. This is repeated several times. The music does not suit the tone and doesn’t match what is happening, this adds to the humour of the film. The spaces between the black scenes and the shots of the girl running become longer and you see the two girls fall down a trap. You then see a side shot of the man continuing to run, and then the camera carries on moving even though the man is no longer in the scene it back tracks to find him hanging upside down from a tree. He looks extremely worried and then you see someone walk into the shot but you only see him from behind and his hand holding a knife. This builds up the suspense to the audience as he slowly moves forward and when he reaches the man hanging down from the tree you see blood dripping down his face. Then Music begins which is happy and fun this does not match the tone of what is happening in the scene and this represents the comedy Genre of the movie.

Analysis of Opening Sequence- Thriller/ Horror, Psycho

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring- Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles

The opening scene starts with an establishing wide shot of the city, the camera pans around to give a panoramic view to show the whole location, then it slowly zooms in on a flat building and goes through an opening window into the room. During the shot of the city the Place name, date and time flashes up quickly onto the screen in bold printed font. This announces these details to the audience suggesting they are important to the film and that something is going to happen on this day. As the camera goes through the window into the room it suggests the feeling of invasion of privacy. The next shot shows a man and a woman in the room near the bed their tones of voice seem urgent and they are both talking in hushed tones. This suggests secrecy between the man and woman. There is then a shot of the man quickly opening the blinds and his voice becomes louder, this portrays that there is less privacy now. The music is eerie and slow it reflects the horror genre.

Feel- good, Comedy: PS I love you

Starring- Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler

 Director: Richard LaGravenese

The Scene begins with an Establishing shot of the town the camera angle pans down to the subway and focuses on a man (Gerard Butler) and women (Hilary Swank) quickly walking down the street. The next you see them walking away from the camera towards their flat. There is relevant music playing in the Background, a love song which grows quieter as they enter the flat. There is a front view shot of Holly entering the flat with Gerry following behind. Then there is a point of view shot and reverse shots when they start talking as they begin walking up the stairs, and an over the shoulder shot of their conversation. When they are in their room the camera shots between them is very quick movements as they are arguing. The music has stopped now. The quick camera shots between them show the relationship between Holly and Gerry. The tone of the music also represents the genre of the film.

The titles also began near the beginning of this film and they were in a soft and stylish font. Although the characters are arguing you can see from their body language that they are very close.

Directed by: Richard Curtis

Stars: Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Martine Mccutcheon

Summary of film: The hilarious Love actually explores the ups and downs of relationships in the weeks building up to christmas. Boyfriends and girlfreiends, Husbands and wives, Fathers and sons and Rock stars and managers all combined to make love actually not just one story but ten different ones.

Summary of opening sequence:

The scene begins with a shot of a over crowded airport, focused in on a couple being reunited which represents love. The next shot shows a family meeting at the airport the camera zooms in on this scene, and the sound has been removed replaced with non-diegetic music which is sad and moving and portrays the feelings of the family being reunited and their body language towards each other. It then goes on to show several more scenes of families and friends emotional meetings at the airport. A voiceover of hugh grant, one of the main characters, then is included in the scene, this sets the atmosphere of the sequence and announces the film by saying ‘love actually is all around’. The removal of diegetic sound exaggerates the moving and poignant scene. Also the effect of the slow motion effect helps to portray the love between the family. It is an emotional beggining to the movie and really captures and sums up the themes throughout.

Analysis of a thriller film opening The Shining

It begins with an establishing shot of the location and the camera slowly zooms in on the location which looks completely isolated. The camera goes onto a canted angle which builds up the suspense and tension. The next shot is a birds eye view where we are looking down on a winding road, the camera angle then changes again as we see the car travelling along the road. The beggining seems very isolated which we later learn becomes a main theme in the film. The colours are mostly greys and dark colours which portays the atmosphere of the film.

The Title of the film is The Shining and it is directed by Stanley Kubrick, it is based on the book by Stephen King and the genre of the film would be seen as a Horror/Thriller, the film had five nominations and won 1 award.

Plot of the film:

A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotels past using a telepathic gift known as The Shining. The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotels ghost. After being convinced by a waiter’s ghost to correct the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is The Shining.

Enigma codes

In the first 2 – 5 mins you don’t really know much because they are acting normal as a family but you do get the slight idea that something is going to happen. The isolation is the only clues you are really presented with. You are thinking who are the suspects and who the villain will be.

Camera work and effects + sound

The use of camera work was good as there was a lot of use of close ups when it came to the most dramatic moments. This showed how the character was feeling and made you feel more suspense. There was a lot of use of silence and loud building up music this helped to build a suspense to the audience.

Editing

In the film they used cuts in most of the opening scene. There were a few dissolves but most of the editing techniques were cuts and this was used well and I couldn’t notice any jump cuts.

Genre characteristics:

It is set in a mansion that looks to be in the middle of nowhere. Which suggests that already to the audience that something stange is going to happen and gives the impression of being alone.

The chararacters at the begging all appear to be normalnad an average family, the dad however does act quite suspicious.

I think the opening gives us a blank idea of what is going to happen but it leaves us in suspense for the rest of the film.

Titles:

The titles are presented at the start of the film this shows who acts, and the director and film crew.

The names are brought in fast and catchy.

Font, colour and positioning of titles

• The font is bold and is clearly read.

• The positioning of titles is mostly in the centre of the screen.

• The colour is used very well to suit the film because it is quite a dark film, its not bright. The opening is very dull and it makes you feel like it’s a winters day.

It also provides us with Ideas for own opening sequence such as:

• We can use the dull lighting that is stressed in this film for ours because ours in intending to be thriller/horror and we want it at night so the use of lighting could have an affect.

• The use of suspense between each shots and the ideas given which has given me a clear idea how to go about making our thriller/horror opening.