media studies 2009-2011

Firstly we looked at the opening sequence of ‘Skins’. It started with a panning shot of the woods which gave the establishing shot the right atmosphere and genre. I like how it made the setting look intense and the charactors look mysterious. It makes the audience automatically wonder whats going to happen. So gives the genre a horror/murder mystery theme. For our inspiration we have taken the skeleton of this storyline and made it into our own. We liked the beginning sequence of the panning shot and the intenceness. We like some angles of the shots (close ups of some charactors, establishing shot). And last of all we liked the style of acting, to show the worried and scared state.

We then looked at the opening sequence of ‘True Blood’. For the opening sequence there was a flicking of different images such as dead animals, children playing on swings. The editing used here was very effective as they used methods such as black and white, sepia and old style film. This was only the opening sequence with credits but it seemed to tell and show the whole story line in a few seconds. I found this really effective and decided for the opening credits we would use a similer style.

So overall we decided that we are going to use the style of both ‘Skins’ and ‘True Blood’ to make our opening sequence as effective and intense as possible.

Ideas for destination: Osmotherly Woods, a random field, deserted village.

Setting the scene: Sunset/dark, Evening time/ early morning, tents, bbq, fire, pajamas, sleeping bags etc.

Things we need (Props): Tents, sleeping bags, matches, fags, empty booze bottles, junk food etc.

Storyline: A group of youths having a campout but things go mysteriously wrong for one girl. She invites herself along, which no one is really pleased about, and begins making the well awaited trip hell for the other teenagers. Will they get their revenge or will she live to tell the tale?

Actors: Mixture of sexes, naughty misbehaving teenagers.

The toolbox contains some common tools used to edit clips. These are:

- Selection tool (The default tool, used to select clips in the timeline)

- Track select tool (Selects all clips on a track from a chosen point, or selects multiple tracks)

- Ripple edit tool (Adjusts an edit point and moves other clips in the timeline to compensate)

- Rolling edit tool (Adjusts an edits points between two clips without affecting the rest of the timeline)

- Rate stretch tool (Changes the duration of a clip while changing the speed at the same time to compensate.

- Razor tool (Cuts a clip or mulptiple clips into two)

- Slip tool (Moves a clip’s in and out points by the same amount at the same time. The rest of thee timeline is not affected.

- Slide tool (Moves a clip back and forth in the timeline)

- Pen tool (Create control points)

- Hand tool (Drag the timeline view left and right)

- Zoom tool (Click in the timeline to magnify the view or drag and select a rectangular area to zoom into)

The workspace is divided into five different panels. These are:

- The project panel - where you store all the elements needed to create your finished video. It can contain video clips, audio clips, graphics and titles. When importing new items, they automatically go to the project panel.

- The monitor panel - where you view video clips and the result of your edits. The left screen is the source moniter, which allows you to preview and adjust your clips before adding to timeline. The right screen is the program moniter which shows you the active timeline.

- The info panel - which shows information about the selected item.

- The timeline panel - where you arrange the elements of your video into the order you want which creates a sequence of clips that play from left to right. When you have items in the timeline you can adjust edit points, create multiple layers of video and audio and add effects. 

- The tools panel - where you can select various editing tools to use in the timeline.

Premiere works by importing video from a source such as a video tape onto your hard drive, then allowing you to create new edited versions which you can export back to tape, disc or other medium. Premiere can produce high quality video as it is a powerful editing tool. It is also easy to use with its clean interface.

Premiere can -

- Import video, audio and graphics in a wide variety of formats.

- Edit, manipulate and arrange these elements in a visual timeline.

- Add effects, filters, titles, etc.

- Export your edited video in a variety of formats, including video tape recordings, DV, DVD, and common Internet video formats.

It can perform all common editing techniques and is suitable for most situation but unfortunately premiere can’t do -

- The built-in title maker is fine for most titles but is not particularly advanced.

- Premiere has some good audio mixing and effects features, but serious sound editing will need a specialist sound application.

- The range of transitions and special effects is only average by professional standards.

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging video shots to create a new work. Many people mistake editing to be all post-production work, however, it is mainly just -

- Rearranging, adding and removing sections of video clips and audio clips.

- Applying colour correction or filters

- Creating transitions between clips.

Before actually editing your work, you need to decide what your goals are. The main tasks are removing unwanted footage, choosing best footage, create a flow, add effects or alter the mood an style.

You can have different methods of editing which include-

- Film splicing (not technically video editing but film editing by cutting the films and rearranging them)

- Tape to tape (linear)

- Digital/computer (non-linear)

Microphones are thought to be the most critical part of the audio chain and need careful attention when they are used. People often make the mistake of asuming setting up the microphone is easy when it isn’t and choosing the incorrect microphone. A good quality microphone is the key for excellent audio.

There are several different types of microphones, each suited for different purposes and choosing the correct one is very important. Things to consider -

• Directionality
• Frequency Response
• Impedance
• Handling Noise

It is best to try the different microphones first, to show which one creates the sound you are wanting.

The most important part of microphone placement is distance. This usually means putting the microphone as close as possible to the subject without introducing unwanted effects. The audio becoming bassy, distorted and popping would usually mean the microphone is too close. Using more than one microphone can also cause problems with phasing or cancellation such as in an interview. You need to be wary of this.

Microphones can cause many problems if they are not mounted or held properly. They should always be positioned correctly so it won’t fall over, get wet, shielded from unwanted noise and cables safe. You can use stands, clamps, clothing clips and head sets to mount microphones, however, some are more suited than others.

You must never blow into a microphone or tap the head. Also, if the performance of a mic deteriorates over time, it will possibly have to have the diaphragm cleaned.

Audio Monitoring & Metering

Audio metering is the visual display used to monitor audio levels. There are two common types of meter which are used to measure audio levels:

• VU meter (volume unit) - used to measure the loudness of an audio signal. It is developed to represent the way the human ear hears the volume.
• PPM meter (peak program) - Similar to a VU meter but is faster, which makes it easier to measure. Useful for when pops and distortion exist.

Both types of meter are available in various forms including stand-alone units, components in larger systems, and software applications. Whatever the type of meter, two characteristics are important:

• The scale
• The ballistics

In every film or program a different range of camera shots are used to frame the subject, charcters and emotion that require specific attention. This includes:

Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) - Filming a very large area, subject isn’t visible because its so far away. Used mainly as an establihing shot.

Very Wide Shot (VWS) - Subject is visible but from very far away. Shows the surroundings.

Wide Shot (WS) - The subject takes up the entire frame.

Mid Shot (MS) - Shows some part of the subject in more detail.

Medium Close Up (MCU) - Half way between a mid shot and a close up.

Close Up (CU) - A particular part of the subject takes up the space of the frame.

Extreme Close Up (ECU) - Shows part of the subject in extreme detail.

Cutaway (CA) - A shot of something other than the current action.

Cut In - Shows some part of the subject in detail.

Two Shot - A shot of two people, similar to mid shot.

Over The Shoulder Shot (OSS) - Looking from behind the person at the subject.

Noddy Shot - Usually of an interviewer reacting to the subject.

Point Of View Shot (POV) - Shows a view from the subjects perspective.

Weather Shot - Subject is weather, usually sky. Can be other.