4OD PowerPoint

Below is a PowerPoint highlighting the history and current status of 4OD and how it has prospered and changed over the years.

4od by Raffy Rice on Scribd

Overshadowed

Underneath is my short analysis of some of the issues faced in Overshadowed. It is a very recent series that looks at the issues the youth in todays society face on a daily basis. In particular the issues surrounding eating disorders.




 

Overshadowed

Overshadowed is a BBC3 TV programme based on the life of a young teenage girl called Imogene, who is followed by the everyday struggles of weight and the pressure to be skinny in today’s society. The programme is an initiative idea as it interprets the new style of filming yourself, vlogging, instead of the traditional way of filming which is having a set actor in front of the camera. This allows the programme to easily connect with their target audience of young people, specifically teenagers as vlogs is now the new thing and what a lot of young people are watching/doing. The drama goes into depth at looking at a lot of issues teenagers now-a-days are facing such as weight issues, relationship issues and family issues.

In episode 2, the audience really start to understand the main issues surrounding Imogene and her friends. We begin to realise the impact of today’s society and the pressure put on young girls to be skinny. We start to understand what happens when society puts pressure on young girls to look a certain way and weigh a certain weight. We also see what happens to peoples relationships with both their family and friends and how the pressure put on them by the media and society affects their everyday life with the ones they love. 

Ancillary texts

As I am nearing the end of my production my focus can now turn mainly onto the other side of the course which is the ancillary texts in which I need to do two further things to add to my production. The two additions I will have are a radio trailer for my production as well as a poster advertising what my production is going to be about and the type of person it will be looking at.
For the radio trailer I will have me and my partner sat down speaking into a microphone. I will then ask Joe, who will be portrayed as a typical football hooligan, what life is like as a hooligan and how his day to day life differs from a 'regular' persons life.
For the poster I will do it in the style of an Oxford United match day programme so I stick with the football theme going through my whole production. I will have a picture of Joe as the cover with the title going over the top of his photo.

shot list for our production

• Shots of the Kassam Stadium - inside and outside
• close ups of OUFC scarfs, hats, memorabilia
• Interviewing Joe on his sofa and in his house
• Joe in his living room talking to camera then dad shouting at him for dinner
• Shots of the away day- train, celebrations/commiserations
• After match reaction

Production Pitch by Raffy Rice on Scribd

This is the production pitch for, Mine, Ellis' and Joe's final media project.

Quadrophenia

Quadrophenia

The film Quadrophenia is all about Youth culture and mainly mods and rockers. These were the main groups that teenagers associated themselves with during the 1960s. During the 60s teens had a sense of freedom as national service wasn’t compulsory anymore so they were free to enjoy themselves. There was also a large number of teens at this point in time due to post-war celebration adults were having. The mods wore tailored, sharp suits, had short hair, ties, and drove around on scooters. They took inspiration from countries such as Italy, France and USA. At the weekend they would go ballroom dancing and socialised with one another and took drugs to stay awake. Whereas, rockers wore leather jackets and jeans, boots and drove around on motorbikes. In the early days, there was no animosity between the two groups but that changed and the media picked up on this leading to moral panic across the country. Theorist Stanley Cohen suggests moral panic occurs when the media overreact to an aspect of behaviour that challenges the social norm. This happened and escalated the problems, as more youths wanted to associate with the two groups and the rest of the country feared the youths assuming they were trouble. The main character in the film is Jimmy, a mod. He is a typical mod who wears suits, rides a scooter and does drugs to keep him going. He associates with the mods as he feels it gives him an identity and he regards the people around him as family as his actual family disregards him. He is represented as a stereotypical youth, as he is presented doing drugs, causing trouble and getting into fights. He is shown in the film to aspire to be another character; ‘ace face’. He is seen by other Mods to be the ‘king’ of all the mods and at the top of the pecking order and in charge when it comes to mods. He’s arrogant, anti-establishment and funny. He is also seen to have a lot of money and a great bike. Jimmy quits his job as he feels insignificant and heads to Brighton where he realises, Ace face also has a poor job, under-paid job as a bell boy. A further reason Jimmy wanted to be a mod is because of Steph. Steph is a checkout girl who is also a mod. Steph and Jimmy are a ‘thing’ for a small time while the mods are on a weekend in Brighton but, when they return after Jimmy is arrested Steph is now dating Jimmy’s friend.  This is another reason Jimmy joined the mods, to get girls, when this fails he decides to stop associating himself with them.

One of the key ideas about youth representation is how they are demonised by the mass media. In the film there is reports in the newspaper about the riots and trouble in Brighton which is ultimately why Jimmy is removed from his home. This links back to Cohen’s theory of moral panic as a result of media portrayal.

A further theorist whose ideas are seen in the film is Hebdige. He argues that the representation of youths is very limited, they are either causing trouble or having fun and there is nothing in-between, it is either one or the other. In the film, youth are shown as having fun but then we see others in the film that think they are nothing but trouble.

Inbetweeners 2

The Inbetweeners 2 is a 2014 British comedy film and sequel to The Inbetweeners Movie (2011), which is based on the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners. It is about four young, middle class, white adults called; Will, Jay, Neil and Simon who take a gap year and go to Australia to visit their childhood friend Jay. Who has moved out there to live with his uncle and cousin, although the main reason for him moving is to find his ex-Girlfriend Jane, though, the other three friends do not know this yet. Simon and Will are depressed and ostracised at university; Neil is working in a bank; and Jay is taking a gap year in Australia. He emails Neil, claiming that he is now a top DJ at a popular night club, lives in a luxury mansion, and has daily sex with multiple partners. This convinces them to visit him in Australia

The boys are portrayed as typical young adults who are wealthy enough to afford a gap year to Australia but cannot afford to travel properly like some of the more posh and snobby characters we meet through the film. They are represented as classic uni students who are fed up of the everyday life of university and want to try something different and try a change and so would like to try the travelling experience. They are all shown as typical young boys who are foolish and cause a lot of trouble to themselves not anyone else. They are also seen as rude and slightly derogatory when it comes to girls as they only see them as objects that are used for sex and not a lot more.  This is shown as a main theme in the film as it typifies the thought of the boys being stereotypical young adults living uni life.

The film also links to some key theories I have studied including Hebdige’s theory which says young adults look for fun but this can often lead to trouble. This is like the Inbetweeners as they are always looking for fun things to do but this often leads to trouble for them, although, usually to themselves never anyone around them.

It also more links to George Gerbner’s theory which is a social theory that presents the fact that the more tv young people watch the more they will believe the social reality it sets. He shows the cultural opinion of young people being idiots as they have seen people on tv acting like such.

Hebdige Theory

Dick Hebdige

Dick Hebdige is a British media theorist and sociologist, and a Professor of Art and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work is commonly associated with the study of subcultures, and its resistance against the mainstream of society. His current research interests include media topographies, desert studies, and performative criticism. Hebdige has written extensively on contemporary art, design, media and cultural studies, on mod style.

What is his theory  

The Hebidge theory comes out of Dick Hebdige’s book Subculture: The meaning of style. The book focuses on the UK’S youth subcultures. Drawing from Marxist theorists, literary critics, French structuralists, and American sociologists, Hebdige presents a model for analysing youth subcultures. While Hebdige argues that each subculture undergoes the same trajectory, he outlines the individual style differences of specific subcultures, such as Teddy boys, mods, rockers, skinheads, and punks. Hebdige emphasizes the historical, class, race, and socioeconomic conditions that surrounded the formation of each subculture.

Representation of youth

In his book Hebdige argues that how youths were represented in the 70’s was extremely limited and they are either seen as trying to cause trouble or seen as having fun and there is no in-between. He also goes on to mention that the media representation of youth was not actually reality. 

Acland Theory

Acland theories represents youth as being delinquent and this enhances hegemony. This is done by the ideal of ‘norm’ adult and youth behaviour. This contrasts deviant youth behaviour.

Representation of media

He believes that the way the media represents of young people allows the state to control them. This is known as the ‘ideology of protection’ idea that youths need to be constantly watched.

Effects of these representations

Acland’s theory effects the representations as the adults see youth as all being reckless and they have to keep enforcing that these actions are bad. This si to enforce the hegemony of how they should not behave when they reach adulthood. This means that there will be more negative stories about youth in the media. 

Giroux Theory

Giroux Theory (1997)

Representation of youth

Giroux views show how the youth are mistreated within media. Describing them as an empty category explains that adults don’t understand what it is like to be a youth in this generation. Therefore they just but their own ideas into this empty space of what they believe their representation is.

The effects

Media involving just adults therefore greatly effects these representations. The adults do not want their generation to look bad therefore uses teenagers as a scapegoat.

The role of media representations in society

By looking at this theory we are able to see that the representation of youth is moulded together through what adults believe and think. This then leads to uprising of stereotypes through the media and also cause moral panics. When all of this has just been created through hegemony and the media raining down their ideas.

A2 powerpoint

Production Pitch by Raffy Rice on Scribd

Looking for an Actor

For my production I need to have a specific type of person who is able to play the main role of my protagonist. I will need someone who is able to be willing to be laughed at whilst being laughed with as my production is a mockumentary. I will also need someone who is into football and has been surrounded by these 'football hooligans' that I am trying to capture and paint an image of.


To play this role I think my partner for this production, Joe Parker, would be perfect for the role as he has been surrounded by football for the best part of his life so he understands the bases of what I am trying to do and has a clear image in his head of the picture that would be perfect to create. He would also know what to say and how to act when portraying the serotype of a football hooligan as he knows exactly what they're like and how they act.

Micro conventions of text

Micro conventions is the smaller, background parts of any production that are still crucial to any production but are just not at the centre of the video but are rather in the background so they do not avert the attention of the audience on the macro convention.

In 'Despacito' the micro conventions will be the party at the end as it gives the party vibe and feel that the artists are trying to portray throughout the video as that is what the music feels like and the vibe it gives off.

Macro Coventions of texts

The macro conventions of any text is the main ideas of it and the key themes throughout.


In the song me and my group are thinking about using 'Despacito' the macro conventions of the production is the girl who the camera is following the whole time whilst the video is on. This is the main bit of the video therefore, it is the macro feature as it is the main point of the video and what the audience see for the majority of the clip.

This means the attention of the audience is on the protagonist the whole time and gives us an idea that the song and lyrics are about and aimed at her.

Moral Responsibility in The Bridge by Eric Steel

Today, we as a class watched a hard hitting documentary called 'The Bridge'. This documentary was created by a man named Eric Steel and was made for the sole purpose of sending a message across to people that suicide is real and is happening day to day and to inform members of the public just how often and how many people are jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in America.

Steel and his crew of cameramen followed the number of people who jumped of the bridge from 2006-2007. He then found the families and friends of the people who committed suicide and interviewed them asking them questions about who they were as a person and if they had any inkling that something like this may occur.
This documentary has caused much controversy mainly due to just how graphic the videos are and just how much detail we as the viewer can see as we watch the victims form the moment they jump all the way down to the point where they hit the water. The Golden Gate Bridge, opened first in May 1937, was the most popular suicide site throughout the world during the year the documentary was filmed, with approximately 1,200 deaths caused by jumping in 2003. After the documentary was released further controversy was caused as officials thought the documentary led to an increase in suicides on  the bridge.
In my opinion, although the documentary is very hard hitting and graphic, it is an acceptable one and one that needed to be made as it opens peoples eyes up to just how many people and how it easy it is to commit suicide no matter what the situation is. It allows people to have the understanding that you must always be wary of people and the situation they are in. It also allows people to grasp the concept that mental illness is a very large and worldwide issue and can affect everyone.

A2 Production Pitch and feedback

Production Pitch

Today, me and my group presented our production pitch to the class. We received constructive and helpful feedback. The first bit of feedback we received was that we need to be clear of our shot types and that our transitions from one person to another are perfect and smooth so that it is not obvious that someone else is filming and from their point of view and the only obvious thing is that the location and setting has changed.

A second piece of feedback we received was that we could potentially just have one main protagonist and just use their point of view throughout the entire summer rather than our original idea of having all three of our perspectives of our own summer.

Furthermore, we were told that we need to find the perfect track for our production. One which portrays the upbeat, happiness and good times of summer and one in which changes with our mood and suits the settings we will be in throughout the production.

Audience Research

The audience is obviously a vital part of any production as without an audience it would be pointless to create anything as there would be no one to show it to. To maximize numbers and enjoyment it is pivotal that research is carried out on what specific audiences enjoy. I can do this in a variety of ways via questionnaires, focus groups or polls. This would then allow me to understand what my specific audience should be and how I should create my production to best suit that particular audience.


Sites like this http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-case-study-ALA-Report-Final.pdf  can also show how existing films researched and what they found.

A2 Production Briefs

There are a number of briefs to choose from in A2 and in this post I will be talking about which ones I could potentially use for my A2 production


The first brief that has caught my eye and one that I am thinking of using is 'A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the three options; a website homepage for the band, a cover for its release on DVD, and/or a magazine advertisement for the DVD'.

This brief would be a lot different from the one I did in AS and would allow me to access a range of different skills I was not able to access in AS due to the brief. There are a lot of different ways a music video can be created and made and it would be a lot of fun working with people to create a good quality one. 
Music is a big part of my life along with the majority of people so it would be easy to find a track right for the theme I aim aiming for as there is a variety of choice to choose from. I would have to listen to it numerous times so wouldn't select my favourite song or one I listen to all the time.

AS second brief that has caught my eye and one I could potentially do is 'A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately 5 minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the three following options:
A poster for the film
A radio trailer for the film
A film magazine review featuring the film

This is more similar to my AS brief so I would already have a slight idea of what and how I would do this short film. This is a very creative brief which allows you to be imaginative and take it wherever you feel is best for you.  minutes is a lot of time to fill so a good story-line would run throughout. I have also seen short films be very poignant in sending messages depending on what the creator wants. For example bullying or internet safety.

I will take a look at both briefs in depth and do a lot of research on both with my group before choosing which one I will do.

Review of my AS production

This is a review of my AS production For Family.

Synopsis

The production me, Ellis, Jack and Joe made was centred around a man based in an urban environment who is forced into making a huge decision that can have a huge impact on his family life and life in general, hence the title "For Family". The main character is dedicated to his family although the money is running out for the family, meaning he ahs to do whatever it takes to get money for them and the children. Our opening sequence starts with the protagonist taking a phone-call which we understand to be from his girlfriend. This implies what the story line is going to be like straight away from the offset, giving the audience the understanding of what's going on in the early stages of the film. The main part of our opening sequence is the ending cliff hanger where the main protagonist faces a decision of whether or not to turn to a life of crime all for the sake of his family.


Successes

Sound- In comparison to our preliminary task the sound was much more creative and fitted the piece a lot better. This is largely to are high attention to detail and ensuring we got our sound perfect. We were careful when selecting the soundtrack we would use for our production as we knew it had to be perfect. We had to ensure it fitted the type of mood we were trying to set in our opening sequence and also reflected a dark and gloomy scene like the one we were trying to create throughout the piece. The other elements of sound were a bed of city sounds. We filmed in a city suburb rather than the centre so it didn't really sound as a big city. We added in sounds like police sirens for added effect which I though worked very well.


Camera- We used a wide range of camera shots and angles throughout our opening sequence. Some were more effective than others but all added to the piece. our first shot the audience see is an establishing shot of a tower block to represent where the protagonist lives and is bringing up his family. This is arguably the most important shot of our clip as it sets the tone for the rest of the clip. On one of the first outside shots we used a bus going round the corner and then panned the camera to reveal the main character walking up some steps behind it. This was our best example and best shot in my opinion throughout our opening sequence. Another shot that was extremely effective was the low angle shot from Joe's point of view towards the end of the opening sequence. This sets up the cliff-hanger perfectly and makes the audience feel as though they are at gunpoint.
Mise-En-Scene- In my opinion the mise-en-scene was successful in our piece. The lighting in our piece was light when originally filmed so we brought every shot down using colour treatment in post-production as we needed a darker scene to reflect the mood of the piece. The costumes of every character in the opening sequence fitted the mood we were trying to get across due to the fact we used dark, sinister clothing and hooded tops which reinforced the urban crime feel to the piece. For the setting we used Northway, which is a suburb of Oxford and used the tower block to show it isn't an area of the highest quality. It was again crucial in setting up what the audience would feel.
Editing- one of the main features and one of the best changes we made to our clips through editing was the colour treatment in each shot. This was key in post-production as it allowed the mood to not be altered by the high-key lighting we had when actually on set. The piece was dark in the story-lines so this editing move was key. Another technique was getting rid of the sound that was effected by wind on the microphone and replacing it with our own sound.


Areas for improvement
I think organisation of the piece and our costumes and ensuring they are the same in every shot they need to be the same in could be improved upon. A couple of times our batteries ran out meaning we had to rethink our plan. Also the continuity of Joe running at times with his hood up and other times with his hood down. Also, Joe's costume may not have made people feel as though he should be chased. The alley setting also perhaps could be improved.


Audience response

We had reviews from our peers and the overall feedback was successful. The storyline worked and was clearly understood from the beginning. The soundtrack was praised for keeping the correct feel of the piece and fitting in with the action. The city sound bed over the action during the protagonist moving was also good. The low angle shot was also praised. The phone-call was also singled out in the way it gave a clear flow from there for the piece.