Workshop: recording ambience and room tone

Workshop: recording ambience and room tone

For this task we were looking at ambience and room sounds. in pairs , we had to select a moving image sequence with background  noise, ambience and room tone that we could as a group recreate. For this workshop I worked with Sabrina Yaaqub and Cynthia Ankunda. The film sequence that we picked was a scene from twilight, a scene with the two protagonists in a forest. And we decided to go to the forest a record the sounds in there then add it to the film sequence to increase its realism and its mood and meaning.

For recording sound we choose to record using a microphone, because we thought it would be more sensitive to sound.

Improvement

From the task I learnt quite a bit such as every space has a sound of some sort. However in relations to improvement we had some technical problems it turns out when were recording that we didn’t turn on the microphone. However seeing that the actual recorder was on it did pick up some sorts of sound from the microphone. Next time when doing this task we will make sure that the microphone is actually on. 

Workshop Diegetic Music

Workshop: Creating diagetic music

For this workshop we were looking at diagetic music/ we had to find a short moving image scene that contains diagetic music such as radio, nightclub, record player, phone ringtone ect. Or a film sequence that we could add diagetic music to.

Once we picked the film sequence we had to mute the scene and add or replace the music that was originally there with a different diagetic soundtrack. The music that we choose had to change or add to the mood and meaning of the scene. I did a few film sequences for this workshop because I wanted to be as creative as possible with diegetic music. The film sequences that I picked is Casper the dance scene, Queen of the dammed, the club scene, and A Cinderella Story a dance scene. I picked these scenes because there were a lot of chances to add diagetic music. 

After I picked the film sequence I moved on to editing, in Reaper and made it sound diagetic. For the first film sequence that I looked at I changed the volume of the music at sometimes it was loud and when talking intervened I lower the music. So that the mood and meaning was still conveyed in the right sense. For the second film sequence that I looked at the music was quite loud because I wanted to create a heavy rock atmosphere then again when the talking came in I lower the music then towards the end of the film sequence I loudened the music to give a dramatic and effective effect. And for the last sequence I looked at the volume of the music was very low and soft to convey a romantic mood and meaning.

Improvements 

Seeing that I have done a variety of workshops I’ve learned some good skills, which is why I wouldn't change or improve anything. I feel as if I did this task good and I found it very enjoyable.

Narrative and Genre Evaluation

Evaluation narrative and genre

For this task in small groups we had to develop and come up with a straight to the point scenario that lasted between 90-120. The scenario had to have a set up, development and resolution. For this task I worked with Sabrina Yaaqub and Cynthia Ankunda the storyline that we came up with to explore the genre and narrative is about a group of friends at college who are surrounded by a series of killings that have been happening at their college.  Then suddenly people in the group start to get killed themselves. It is revealed that two of the friends from the group are in fact the killers. We also picked a narrative that was also simple and straight to the point.  We thought that it would be better to have a simple narrative rather that a complicated one simple because sometimes a simple narrative is more effective and efficient.  The genre of the film sequence is drama and thriller it is clear that this is the genre due to certain aspects in the film sequence in particular the mis-en-scene. To convey the genre we thought carefully about the environment for example for one of the friends that are getting killed we decided for this too take part in the smoking hunt, simply because it was secluded therefore portrayed a thriller like atmosphere.

We also used props such as the phone towards the film sequence, for example at the end we see one of the killers talking into the phone. we used this prop to convey to the audience that there is more that one killer which again brings up the thriller and drama genre. Costumes for the killer were really necessarily seeing that we different feature the killers, in the shot simply because we wanted their to be a sense of mystery and to get the audience guessing who the killer was.  However for the victims their costumes portray the type of characters they were which added to the narrative of the film sequence.  In addition the shots that were used in the film were extremely good, we used shots such as long shot to show the environment, close up to show the persons facial expression and we also used a shot were we faced the camera up towards the sky or celling to not reveal the murders or killer.

Improvements

Overall I think this task was a success because we used a variety of shots that conveyed the genre greatly. But also because we took into deep consideration of the mis-en-scene which helped to make the film successful. 

Audience Profile

                                                                      Audience Profile
For the audience profile I have done two people from the audience who I think would, be targeted to this film. I have done two audience profiles because  I feel gangster films cover a wide range of audiences.

Name: Omarian
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Jamaican
Nationality: British
Location: London- Brixton
Interest: Video games, Friends, Family, Tv, Music: RnB and Rap
Tv shows and Movies: EastEnders, Adulthood, Fast and furious, Kidhood
Occupation: Unemployed
Educational Background: Secondary School
lifestyle: those who come from perhaps the poorer side

For the target audience i picked features which i think, a person from the audience would mirror. I picked the name Omarian for someone from the target audience, because in the past I have watched gangster films and someone was called by that very name. But name isnt relevant in terms of target audience. The age that I picked for the target audience is 17 I picked this age because I fell as if gangster films are aimed at a younger audience, because younger people can relate to some of the issues related in the film such as being pressured into that particular lifestyle. The gender that i picked for the audience is male, i picked this gender because i think gangster films are primarily aimed at males. Whenever you watch a gangster film the main characters are mostly boys which makes me think the target audience is men. The ethnicity that I picked for the target audience is Jamaican I picked this ethnicity at random. I think when it comes to ethnicities this also isn't relevant because people who are in gangs are of different ethnicities, but maybe depending on what type of gangster movie it is could attract specific ethnicities. The nationality that I piked for the audience is British , I picked this also at random  I think people of different and all sorts of ethnicities would be attracted to gangster films it just all depends on what type. The location of the audience I said was London in particular Brixton I picked this specific part of London simply due to the fact that I know a lot of gangs are located in this particular part. however their are other parts and countries which do have gangs. The interest that picked for the audience were things such as Video games, friends, family and Rnb and Rap music and education background of secondary school i choose these particular interest because some people in gangsters in films don't tend to have an interest in education but in recreational things, which is something some people from the audience could also have an interest in to. The shows and movies that i choose for my target audience were things such as Eastenders and Adulthood, i picked these shows simply because they feature some gangs in them but also youths so again people from the audience can relate. In addition the lifestyle that I choose for the audience is those who come from a poor family  or those struggle financially. Mostly in gangster films people who are in these predicaments end up going down the gangster road because they need money to support not just themselves but their family or they get mixed up with the wrong crowd due to these struggles.


Name: Lissianna
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Nationality: Mexican/Spanish
Ethnicity:
Location: Mexico
Occupation: Part time Sales Assistant
Income: 8-10,000
Education: College- Studying sociology and Journalism
Interest: Fashion magazines, Tvshows such as Teen Wolf, Arrow, Supernatural, Films such as Fast and Furious, Taken
Lifestyle:

The name that i picked for someone from the target audience is Lissianna, i picked this name at random as the name of the target audience isnt necessary. The gender that i picked is female, previous i picked male for the target audience but this time im picking male because i think both genders are targeted through the conventions used in gangster films. i think even though gangster films are male dominated their always is that one girl who is featured in the film, which maybe some people from the target audience could relate to the female character. The age that i picked for the target audience is 18 i picked this age, because i think gangster films are primarily aimed at youths and secondarily aimed at young adults who have or are going through similar things.The nationality, ethnicity and location that i picked for the audience is Mexican and located in Mexico, i picked this nationality at random because i don't think the nationality of the audience is crucial, but i do think depending on what type of film it is could target a specific nationality. For example Adulthood i think aims at a black British audience. The occupation and income that i gave to the target audience, is a part time sales assistant job and income at 8-10,000, i picked this occupation because most students studying have a part time occupation. The educational background that i gave the target audience is College (university) and studying sociology i picked this major because, maybe someone studying this would be interest in gangster films to observe aspects such as the characters behaviour. Lastly the interest of the audience i choose was fashion magazines, Tvshows such as Teen Wolf, Arrow, Supernatural, Films such as Fast and Furious, Taken. I picked these particular interest because people or youth of this age tend to be interested in these types of interest.

Workshop: interview recording

                                                  Workshop: interview recording

For this workshop in groups of 2 or 3 we had to plan and record a brief and straightforward interview. These interviews had to be recorded in different locations, using different audio hardware recording equipment. The point of this task was to see the effects and difference of recording in different locations. In relations to our plan we had to compose a minimum of four questions to ask our team mates which had to have a relation to plans for the future. For this task i worked with Cynthia Ankunda and Sabrina Yaaqub. We decided that we would all have chances at being the interviewer and the interviewee.

For the interview we had to record the interview in different places and use different types of recorders. the first location we had to interview in was the classroom and we had to use the voice recorder. We then did the interview in the radio studio using the studio microphones. Then lastly we went outside and recorder their using an external microphone.

classroom : For this recording the interviewer was Cynthia, and i was being interviewed. The software that we used to record our interview is, Reaper. When recording in the class room the technical quality was good, we were able to be heard clear. Also seeing that the classroom was quiet this added to the mood of the interview, it provide us with a serious and interview feel like scene. Overall i think this location was second best to all the recordings we had done. The recording device that we used was also a good feature of the recording,  the voice recorder was very easy to function so made recording quick and easy to do. Also the voice recorder focused more on the voice of the interview that any of the room noise, or noise within the environment area. so this also supported the meaning and mood of the recording because it conveyed a professionalism.

Radio studio: For this location and device recording, The interviewer was myself and i interviewed Sabrina. In my opinion i think that this was the best location for recording the interview. I say this simply because the radio studio is sound proof so it doesn't pick up any noises outside of the interview. Also was more efficient because when interviewing both the interviewer and interviewee were able to have our own microphone, which i think helped with the quality of the recording.  The positive effect of the location and recording device is that is conveyed a sense of professionalism. Their aren't really any negative effects involved to this location or device, maybe in the sense of realism recording in the studio doesn't really give you a feel of the environment in the interview.

Outside: For this location Sabrina Yaaqub interviewed Cynthia Ankunda. I think that this interview went left well out of the three. I think this due to aspects outside such as the weather. today was very windy so cause some difficulty when recording the interview. I think when professionals are recording footage outside or an interview, i think difficulties that they might have in weather connivence, background noise especially and perhaps technical quality. The negative effect of the recording device is that it seemed to pick up, a lot of background noises i think this was because it is high sensitive to sound perhaps.

Reception Theory

Reception Theory

Define the theory in your own words.

In terms of the reception theory this is how individuals receive and interpret text that is influenced by their cultural background, upbringing or their life experiences. Its when the individual decides what the text means to them. The reception theory is broken down into different parts such as the preferred, oppositional or negotiated.

Preferred reading

Preferred reading this is when the producer’s uses codes of conduct that draw upon and support the audience expectations. That lead the audiences to accept the dominant values within the text.

Negotiated reading

In terms of the negotiating reading this is when the individual has a choice, to whether accept the reading on his or her own or to simply reject it altogether. The audience might watch the film or read the text but might not accept aspects in the film/texts. They may argue against points about something that might not be represented fairly in their point of view.

Oppositional reading

Oppositional reading also known as radical response, this is when someone watches or reads a text, but the individual completely rejects what they have consumed of a dominant code and the social values.

Aberrant reading

Aberrant reading this is where the audience interprets a completely different meaning from what the text was actually intending to mean. This could be to the fact that the individual doesn’t share the same values of the text. Another reason could be due to the individual’s upbringing, life experiences or cultural background that is why the individual might interpret the wrong message that the text is meant to convey.


Why might your theory be used to analyse gangster film?

The reception theory might be used to find out how individuals might react to aspects in the film, and what their personal influences might be on it. For example their cultural background and life experiences might be influential. It might be used to see how individuals from the audience interpret and receive the text and see what conventions and codes in the film means to them. For example violence, death and drugs, they choose whether to accept the content or not. The theory might also be used to see whether the audience gets the intended meaning of the text or if they receive an entirely different meaning. In addition it might also be used to see if the audience understand the text that is consistent with the aspects and intentions of the producers.



Apply your theory to City of God and Scarface, what message do each of the films convey about money, power, crime and violence.


In relations to Scarface money convey the message that with more money brings more power and respect. In this film money was a constant factor, it was something that either people had or something that people wanted, it played a huge influence on people and their way of life. In anchorage to the reception theory people from the audience might interpret their own views on what money means to them, due to cultural upbringings and life experiences money could mean something of a high value. Or to some people in the audience money could be something that people think should be earned and should be valued. Where as for City of God money wasn't used in the same way as in Scarface. Even when characters had money they didn't use it in the conventional way. They didn't seem to value it very much they focused more on power, crime and violence. In City of God crime was seen as either a game to be played or it was something to make your way to the top to gain power and respect. In the sense of the reception theory again people could choose to accept this factor or not they could argue that crime and violence doesn't get you power or respect and in the end all it gets you is death and destruction. In addition in both of the film it didn't matter how much money the characters had it didn't bring them happiness, they always wanted more maybe to fill the void such as more power and drugs. In both of the films women conveyed the message that women are sexual objects or either weak characters. The optional reading I think would come in here, I think women in particular would completely reject this message being conveyed to the audience.