Reflection of Practical: TV Drama Still

1)  I planned my photography practical by using the sheet given to us by Miss Dymioti. I was really keen on planning a still from the horror genre since I think it would be interesting to plan a still experimenting with different shots and lighting linking to the genre. I made sure to plan the actor and props beforehand and have an idea in mind as to what lighting I was going to use. The original location the planned second shot got changed, so I ended up producing my still made up of shot one and shot two combined. I decided to use Ben as my main focus because I've worked with him before and he's a good actor. He also looks younger than the others in my group, allowing him to look more vulnerable - perfect for the shot I had planned. This was originally going to be shot in the toilets but I then changed location to the changing  rooms. This is because the changing rooms had darker lighting which is a great signifier of the horror genre. This would also allow me to shine a spotlight onto Ben's face so his scared facial expression could be visible. I have inserted my planning sheet down below:

2) I feel as if my shot fits the horror genre really well. Firstly, the position of Kush's hand strangling Ben when he looks in the mirror, has connotations of violence and panic, conventions of a horror genre. Also, the dark lighting covering the majority of the still apart from Ben's face could symbolise death or fear surrounding Ben, helping add to the scary, sinister atmosphere of the still which works perfectly with the horror genre. The casual costume Ben is wearing makes the still look more realistic so it's scarier for the audience since it feels more like a realistic situation, like a lot of horror dramas.

3) I was meaning to communicate a fearsome, sinister still and convey that Ben was the victim in the situation. I was attempting to create the peak, most intense section of my narrative - possibly where Ben is in trouble the most. This should make the audience feel tense, afraid and

4) The main thing I was happiest with on this still was the lighting. I liked the way that the bright lighting was all situated on the side of Ben's face. This could denote that Ben is the innocent, pure character in the film. The dark black lighting around Ben, covers Kush's face. This creates a sense of ambiguity to who Kush actually is, creating enigma.

5) If I were to repeat this activity, I would change the framing of the still. I think it would look cleaner and more professional if the top line of the mirror was straight and the still wasn't taken at a slight angle. To ensure this, I will make sure the camera is positioned properly on the tripod. I think it would also look effective if special effects makeup were used. This would really link well with the horror genre.

Continuity Task 1: Reflection of 6 Shot Accident Practical

Explain the story of your video.

In the video, the story was that I'm Ben's friend, he wasn't paying attention to me and was on his phone instead. Our friend Kush then comes over and I get him to take Ben's phone because I'm annoyed at him. Kush runs with Ben's phone, hits hit face on a pole, falls over and Ben manages to get his phone back.

How did you attempt to create 'narrative flow'?

We created narrative flow by trying our best to produce a slick film with good shot continuity. Since we were filming each shot from different angles, we had to position the camera and the actors in the same position as the previous shot they were in so it flowed well. We also made the story flow well with the variety of shots we used. We started with an establishing shot to establish the setting and characters so the audience know what the film is about. This was followed by a mid shot which zoomed into the conversation we were having, making the film look natural and keeping the viewer engaged. When Kush was running away with Ben's phone, we used a low angle shot to give a 'corridor'/'alleyway' feel, adding some intensity to the narrative. We then ended the film with a mid shot of Ben - this worked well because it allowed a clear, understandable ending to take place, making it slick and visible to the audience that Ben completed the task of getting his phone back. 

Did you achieve full continuity? If not, why not? 

Although we tried our best to achieve full continuity to create good narrative flow, some shots worked well whereas some didn't run so smoothly. Shot one into shot two looks naturalistic and quite professional however, at the end of shot one, I'm staring directly at Ben and at the beginning of shot two, I'm staring at Kush. This creates a slightly jarring, jumpy effect which isn't appropriate for the beginning of our film. Also, when looking at shot three, where Kush is running with Ben's phone, shot four, starts with Kush still running and turning a corner, however he should have already turned the corner for this shot to flow nicely - however, this is something which can be easily trimmed during the editing process. In shot five, it takes about two seconds for Kush to run into the shot. When looking at the previous shot and the position of the poles on the left, this shot makes it look like Kush has teleported back in time and walked forwards again. When unedited, this looks like a mistake and interrupts the narrative flow of the film. I feel as if this was because we weren't as precise as we could have been and didn't fully plan out our actions beforehand.

In hindsight, what would you do differently to improve the narrative flow of your video and tell your story more effectively?

I feel as if the continuity errors could be fixed by a detailed pre production plan, something our group didn't have. A story board, mentioning every detail, camera shot and exact location would be very useful so we can see exactly where we are going with our film, on and off set. This should also allow us to be careful and precise with the shot continuity of the film, a challenging task but effective and professional-looking when done correctly.  

Our six shot accident:

Analysis of a Media Still: American Horror Story

I choose this still because in my opinion, it's one of the most important shots of the season, Murder House. The establishing shot, greatly reveals the setting which is what the season is based around. Meaning is conveyed through the props, setting and editing of this shot. Firstly, the ivy growing all over the house and the overgrown, dead hedges and bushes in the garden convey how the house has not been maintained, possibly even abandoned. The little girl, placed right at the front of the house, looks extremely small compared to the rest of the house. This could show how big, daunting and scary the house is, already setting up an atmosphere of suspense. We question why the little girl, who could be used as a device to symbolise purity and innocence, is positioned in front of this house. Through this, we can already depict that the series is part of the horror genre since two conventions of the genre have been used in this still: a little girl and a haunted house. Also, the monotone, low colour contrast added to the shot helps create a macabre atmosphere which significantly compliments the aura of the shot and fits in nicely with the horror genre.