Documentary: impact on beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS2XICpDCt0

final short film

https://youtu.be/U9qdU2EoNl8

understanding issues relating to factual programming for television

Understanding issues relating to factual programming for television (750-1000 words)

In this I shall attempt to understand issues relating to factual programming for television. To do this I shall firstly offer a definition of factual programming, then some of the genres involved. Then, I shall analyse up to three different types of factual programmes and consider issues surrounding them. It is hoped that this will further my understanding of factual programming. Factual programmes is a genre of non-fiction programming that enables you to document actual events and people, they are also known as documentaries, Factual programmes represent one of the largest sectors of both television and radio production. The two programmes I will be analysing are Biggie & Tupac and supersize me.

Balance in a factual programme means that you are able to keep the programme fair to both sides of the topic discussed as there are always two sides of a story meaning the information should be fair and equally correct. It is important to make sure that both sides are kept balanced on views and investigation.

Impartiality means to view both sides and opinions equally meaning that you cannot take sides as well as make your own personal judgement, in order to do this you must gather relevant arguments and present them in a way where they do not seem biased.

Objectivity is being able to see the whole truth using facts and evidence while being able to be fair meaning that you must be able to show fair views from both sides of an argument.

Subjectivity is avoided during factual programmes as it can prevent facts from being used and may result in the programme being slightly biased towards any views.

Opinion is when the producer decides to get people’s opinions in order to show the viewer what member of the public may think is important so that they can choose a wide variety of people.

Bias is important in a factual programme as it needs to have different opinions, views and facts and focuses on both concepts, it is important that the programme sticks to the correct information and not make statements that support one side of the argument.

Accuracy is important in a factual programme as it enables the audience to have trust and believe that what you are producing is the truth this allows you to keep as well as please the audience, as they prefer having to read or watch something with straight up facts than something that may or may not be true. In the biggie & Tupac programme there are some elements of accuracy when the members of both Biggie and Tupac’s family were speaking about their characteristics and describing previous events that may have happened before both murders, the audience may have believed this due to the fact that they knew what was happening on the inside compared to members of the public. Where as in supersize me there was more accuracy due to the fact that what was being said and shown was true as it was mostly common sense that if you do not diet well then there will be health risks as well as that there were facts being provided from scientists and doctors that make the audience seem as if they are correct, however the presenter sometimes may have exaggerated things in order to make it seem bad which made him biased towards fast food. There doesn’t seem to be much balance in biggie and Tupac as most of what is being said were opinions and theories rather than straight up facts as well as the fact that they mostly spoke good about biggie than they did of Tupac initiating that Tupac was more into the gangster world and somehow may have been killed due to what he was involved in where as when speaking about biggie they showed his mother and family speaking well about him and is music. In supersize me there was more balance as there were facts as well as opinions that the presenter may have given this was useful as the programme remained neutral.

 There was objectivity used in biggie and Tupac when giving out facts and some evidence that the police may have shown however that evidence did not help catch and finalise who the actual killer was for both of the cases. In the programme supersize me there was also use of objectivity where the producer showed statistics and evidence that proved eating fast food is unhealthy even though some of the facts are may not be enjoyable or make you feel good they are still the truth.  There is more bias shown on biggie and Tupac as the evidence and facts given were not 100% as well as the fact that they arrested people for the killings but were not entirely sure that they had the right person. However in supersize me they use facts and statistics on how unhealthy fast food can be these are the facts that make up the show, but they only end up focusing on just how unhealthy food is and neglecting some benefits it may have. Biggie and Tupac was seen to represent more of the hip hop music aspect where they spoke about their work changed music now and how much hip hop and gangs had changed, where as in supersize me they represented McDonalds and other fast food services more as they were trying to exploit the companies for selling food that causes health issues. In supersize me there was unlimited access and less privacy even during appointments and access to scientists and doctors as they were trying to warn people of the risks, however in biggie and Tupac there was limited access and more privacy as the investigation at the time was still going on, there was a scene where the presenter walked into a barber and got laughed at and when he started to ask questions about the cases no one spoke and instead started mimicking and laughing and him this could be because people were afraid to speak and the fact that they found it astonishing that a middle class white man was asking questions where as if it was a black man they would have given him more access to information.

In conclusion both factual programmes do contain some of the issues, there was more accuracy in supersize me than there was in Biggie and Tupac due to the fact that what was being said was slightly more common sense as eating junk food is unhealthy for you. Both television programmes were balanced with their information however biggie and Tupac was slightly more biased as there was more opinion involved than evidence or true facts. Depending on what type of factual programming directors produce there will be issues relating to the programmes in order to overcome these directors could decide not to be biased and have more truthfully factually related.

task 2- codes and conventions of factual programming.

Factual programming is a genre of non-fictional television programming that documents real people and real life events.

One of the news programmes i watched was about about how people would deal with emergency situations such as crash landing into water and underwater escape plans based in the indian navy, the studio news readers seemed to be very serious while addressing the matter as it is a serious issue and not something to jokes about as people's lives are in danger when incidents such as these occur, they addressed the issues in a dramatic way as if they felt that it was important for people to know that these things do happen and they wouldn't want them to feel like nothing is being done about it. when interviewing experts they showed them in a way of light where they knew everything as well as them trying to explain and be useful with the information that they were giving so that the audience could feel safe and that if anything of the sort happened they knew that there were professionals to help and advise them. The structure of the news programme started with the news reporter introducing the matter and giving the audience an insight to the story then after starting off the programme with the content where experts would explain their expertise for the audience to get more understanding of the matter, there is a lot of dramatic music used when there was footage of the training process happening to show the seriousness and dramatic effect of the matter.

Another new programme that i watched was a programme about fathers put behind bars who then get a chance to spend the day with their children. This programme is more personal and touching to the audience as they are able to understand the situation more due to the fact that there are a number of cases where children's parents are locked up in jail and don't get the chance to see them for a while, the interviews during the programme were more touching and heartfelt because you could start to imagine how the person is feeling and because there are children involved the audience may feel more emotional as the children are speaking about how life has been hard growing up without a father in their lives. The footage used in the new programme was more personal to the children and fathers because it was mostly images of the children who were younger and being able to re-visit memories of them and their dads this makes the programme more depth and realness to the stories.

I was able to watch and analyse documentary programmes, one of the documentaries was on Pablo Escobar,he was known as the biggest drug dealer in the world who had money, fame and power, the documentary was explaining how his life got to how it was when he died and why is was crucial to kill Escobar. The realism in the documentary was effective because there were interviews from members of his family speaking about how much trouble and problems pablo escobar had caused this makes the audience feel as if it is true because the members of his family experienced how he had ruin lives and they were there in person to see all he had done. The dramatization of the documentary showed more when the police were discussing their plan to kill Escobar and how they had been planning for a while to kill him due to all the chaos and disasters he had caused, this made the documentary seem very important as they were trying to send a message to people who did not know of Escobar and what he was capable of instead of people believing that he did not do much damage and there was no need of killing a man who may have not been responsible for his actions and people accusing him of causing chaos.

Another documentary programme i watched and was able to analyse was about madeleine mccann, a young girl who was taken from her hotel while her parents were having dinner in the hotel restaurant, the realism of the documentary was shown to be taken very serious due to the fact that this was an investigation where a child was missing and was viewed as sensitive to the viewers as they were putting their shoes in the parents of the missing child's shoes,this was shown because the tone of the documentary was serious because of the situation. Therefore there was Slightly less dramatization due to the fact that the case was seen as a sad event as well as confusing because in the documentary they showed the parents speaking and saying that they did not expect it to happen but the police investigators saying that they feel the parents are responsible for the actions of the missing child.

In conclusion news programmes are slightly different and more informative in a sense that you get news feed more about up to date information where as with documentaries you learn more about a touching and personal matter that people have lived and gone through.

what is editing task

• What is editing?

The process of selecting from different shots and putting them together in order to make a video. Editing can involve correction, condensation, organization and many other modifications performed with the intention of producing accurate work.

• What is Elliptical editing?

A technique used in film editing that allows us to fill in gaps and moves the story on more quickly and talks up less time on screen.

• Why are long shots used?

Long shots are used to establish the miseen scene, this stands for the arrangement of scenery. This shows the entire object or sometimes a surrounding          

• What is ‘non-diegetic sound’?

this is when sounds are added in this includes things like music, narration and sound effects they are often used to add drama to moments that would be silent without it. The viewer can hear the music but the character can, this creates tension.

• How do we know she is bending down to pick up the ring? (what shots are used and why?)

She looks down to the ground as she bends there is a ring on the ground and because that shot follows the previous one it enables the audience to fill in the gap and acknowledge that she is looking at the ring and picking it up, this was cut shorter is a quicker way of making the same point.

Hustle

• Overhead establishing shot – what does this achieve?

Director sets out positions where the characters are, the camera then cuts back and forth between two characters who are talking.

• What is Shot-Reverse-Shot?

By cutting and moving back and forth we assume that the men are talking to each other

• What is Eye-line matching?

This is when we are able to see what the audience will want to be able to see what the character on-screen is seeing

• Why do we cut to the other members of the group?

This is because the director wants to make sure the audience can see what the other member’s facial expressions and reactions are when one character is speaking.

• What is a wipe?

A wipe is a transaction is known as a miseen scene where one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to another.

• What is the effect of using quick cuts?

This creates a fast rhythm which makes the story move along and the audience on their toes.

• What is crosscutting?

This is an editing technique used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different location, the camera will cut away from one action to another action that may suggest the simultaneity of two actions.

• What are reaction shots?

This is a shot where a shot cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character to it.

• What is seamless editing?

This is where two different shots are put together to create a neat, smooth piece of film that runs into each piece of each other easily.

• What is a jump cut?

a jump cut is making an abrupt transition from one scene to another, this gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

• What is a flash back and what does it achieve?

Takes the audience from one point to the other and are often used to show a back story this a key moment or period that explains how they got to where they are now. This adds extra meaning and depth to the story.

• How can editing be used poetically?

This makes the audience active and piecing the meaning of the story in the scene, this i0s an elliptical piece of editing, it doesn’t tell viewer everything but makes them work harder and piece everything together.

6. Editor Job profile: http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/post/article_4732_1.asp

Read the Film editor job profile. Then, summarise in your own words the key aspects of being an editor. Explain what other people the editor works with and the skills needed.

Editor Job Role:

As an editor you need to be able to have a technical aptitude, you will receive a brief outline of footage and a shot list or screen play where you will need to assemble all raw footage with camera shots which need to be ready for input into the computer, you will need to cut the files digitally to put together the sequence of the film and deciding what is usable. Sometimes as an editor you may need to write voiceovers/commentary and suggest the music suitable and appropriate; this comes under overseeing the quality and progress of audio and video engineering. As a film editor you are freelanced therefore you are able to work in your own hours however there are periods of intensive work, work is usually conducted alone with a director, you may need to travel to different editing suites but this is unlikely, there may be opportunities abroad once you are an experienced and established editor. It important that you have good communication skills, both written and oral, also the ability to work under pressure and do complete deadlines, be patience and concentration.

editing essay unit 16 task 1. (16.1.2)

DIANNE SIMPSON.

Editing essay unit 16 task 1. (16.1.2)

In this report I shall critically evaluate the history, development and pioneers of editing. To do this I will explain the contribution to the history of editing from Porter and Griffiths, cover the work of a famous editor and analyse a clip in terms of editing techniques. It is hoped that what I’ve learned will improved my own editing techniques.

Part 1

D.W Griffiths was an American film director, writer and producer who pioneered modern filmmaking techniques.  He was the first great film maker to understand the physiological importance of editing, D.W Griffiths invented and popularised techniques that established the basic grammar of film, his melodramas were the first to draw audiences into the emotional world of his characters. He was the first man to use the close up in certain ways. As well as that he established the tendency of classical film editing which relied on the invisible cut where action would be confused with fluid movement  where the goal was for the audience wouldn’t notice the cut and forget that they were watching a movie this was called the invisible craft however this kept editors invisible and unappreciated.  D.W Griffiths influenced film making by his unique styles and techniques that captured the audience’s attention. D.W. Griffith screened his films for the urban working-class as well as for presidents at the white house his films became a part of history in the making-unleashing the power of movies as a catalyst for social change. Griffiths used extreme and dramatic camera angles and complexly interweaved edits on his visuals.

Edwin S. Porter was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison manufacturing company. Porter’s films gave rise of the codification of genre which initiated auteur cinema, by using his innovative use of dissolves, gradual transition and cross-cutting he pioneered the use of continuity editing that was mostly easily assimilated by the audience. He was skilled in taking ideas that existed and developed them by reworking themes or techniques. His films however contained cinematic and narrative elements but were theatrical with focus on the idea of dreams and visions which were very popular at the time. Porter’s role in the development of narrative cinema is even, through his reworking of contemporary themes and texts, his use of editing and pioneering in the work in the western genre and filmmaker as auteur, he still retains a place in history as one of the most influential filmmakers.

Part 2

Alfred Hitchcock is an English film director and producer he is referred to as ‘’the master of suspense’’. He pioneered elements of the suspense and psychological thriller genres. Hitchcock blended sex, suspense and humour in his work. His reputation as the ‘master of suspense’ was far in the future but during his early years he was known for the visual creativity of his film. Hitchcock’s silent films were striking those critics referred to the visual dramatic sequences that distinguished his work. Filmmakers have attempted to use Hitchcock’s techniques would normally overlook the comedy aspect which a vital as it was a component with his work, Hitchcock said that ‘humour does not diminish the effectiveness of dramatic suspense’. He found a way to make his suspense fun for his audiences through his unusual characters, ironic situations, settings and a complex balance of laughs and tension. Hitchcock is seen as a director who was able to combine art and entertainment in rare ways compared to other directors. Hitchcock started the trend called ‘the camera is not a camera’ this is where the camera would take on human qualities this allows the audience to feel as if they are involved in uncovering the story because the camera is able to roam around the room and the actors must act as if there is no camera, instead of being in the same position and angle being stiff.

Part 3

Hitchcock was known as ‘the master of suspense’, he managed to balance tension and horror. In his famous movie psycho which became Hitchcock’s most rated film as it was a crowd pleaser, he was a critically acclaimed as a master filmmaker, Hitchcock uses a variation of long shots with the camera without sound which makes It effective in creating suspense to the audience, there are also subjective shots used such as subjective close up shots this perspective narrows the view of the audience inviting them into the mind of the characters. The music used in the movie is innovative and effective this sets the audience on edge because the intensity of the music is parallel with the movements, this becomes nerve-wracking for the audience as there are scenes where suspense is built. As the film was in black and white this contributes to the tone of the film because some objects create contracts while focusing on the audience’s attention which is where the director is interested in. Hitchcock intended for his film to be a tongue in cheek and a dark comedy he then became horrified that the audience were disturbed by the film.

In conclusion Edwin S. Porter and D.W Griffiths both had different techniques used in their films, porter’s films contained cinematic and narrative elements however they were theatrical with focus on the idea of dreams and visions which were very popular at the time, his use of editing and pioneering in the work in the western genre and filmmaker as auteur. However, Griffiths was a film maker to understand the physiological importance of editing, he established the tendency of classical film editing which had relied on the invisible cut where action would be confused with fluid movement in order to achieve this the goal was that the audience wouldn’t notice the cut and forget that they were watching a movie, this was called the invisible craft. Both editors had their own different styles of editing and ended up influencing other directors and editors as some of their methods and techniques are used till this day in modern films.

time remapping tutorial

time remapping is an option that allows you full control to define keyframes in order to control the timing of your clip and gives you the power to freely define at what time your layer is at a certain playback position.