24/04/15

1b.) Pick one of your production pieces and evaluate, in relation to one of the following theoretical concepts;
genre
narrative
representation
audience
media language

Genre-
Appeals to different audiences
Audience expectations- conventions
postmodern- intertextuality of conventions
Hybrid
Setting
Lighting
Soundtrack
Characters- Propp, fairytales

Explain how your skills in the creative use of digital technology developed over time. Refer to a range of examples from your media productions in your answer.

From AS to A2 my creative skills have been able to be develop through the use of digital technology. In my AS project, we had to make an opening to a thriller movie. During the research sector of the project I used different websites to locate references from other films that I would be able to use. When presenting this research we did not experiment with different types of software, and therefore mainly used Powerpoint. In comparison to our A2 research, my time management was more advanced this allowed me to do more in depth research into blogs and social media to find out more about my target audience for our artist. By finding this information out, it meant we could plan a brand identity that would sell to an existing audience. On the other hand with our AS project, I did not research the audiences for thriller movies so we stuck to typical conventions to guarantee some audiences. My creativity when presenting has improved since the AS project, as i experimented with different softwares that we found online. A website that we used most was 'Prezi' and 'PowToon'. With 'PowToon' we created our pitch, describing the genre, colour scheme and information about our intertextual references. We had learnt how to embed on our blog in AS, and this skill was transferable to our A2 project as well because it meant we could refer back to our pitch continuously.

When filming both, we used the same digital camera. Our skills with the camera developed through our first project, but reviewing the end product we could have framed the scenes better as we did not know how to use it properly at the time. In our A2 project we had more advanced skills with the camera, and therefore were more confident to experiment with our ideas. When editing the footage for our A2 project, we used 'Final Cut-pro'. We had some difficulty matching the lyrics with the actor so we had to repeat filming. If we was to remake our music video, I would create a list of shots needed and taken so that we film what is necessary as it was quite time consuming. In our AS project, we edited it on 'Final Cut-pro' as well but without the necessary creative skills we became very risk aware and therefore just used simple filters an effects.

Explain how your skills in the creative use of digital technology has developed over time.

My creative use of digital technology has developed over time. I have used the same sort of technology  in both my AS and A2 coursework but have used them more confidently for different outcomes.

Firstly i have used final cut for both projects. At AS i made a 2 minute thriller opening we edited this on FinalCut pro to make it look scary and give it a particular feel. We was not very creative with our editing skills because it was one of the first products we had made. We stuck to the thriller guidelines, we edited our video and then created a foley to match the visuals on the screen. At A2 we worked the other way around we had to create a music video. We had the song and had to film visuals that would match this. We beat edited so that the video kept to the beat and we also lip synced the words that the actor said to give a sense of hyper reality and making it look as if the artist was singing. This was difficult to do and you can tell that we decided that to show we had developed from AS that we should incorporate lip syncing.

We used websites in both years. In AS we used blogger to embed videos and present all the research and planning. this was helpful because it was a place to keep all of our work and give a clear theme of what we wanted to create. In A2 we used Wix to create a official fan site for our artist. We done this to sell our artist and advertise them, we know that social media sites are important to sell and are a good advertisement method. So instead of using blogger we decided to appeal to a wider audience that we should make a official website for fans including merchandise and links to their social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud. 

On final cut we decided in AS that to give a strong sense that it was a thriller that we would edit and put effects on to the video, such as shaking and quick sharp shot types. However in A2 we used slo motion because this kept in with our conceptual theme. We are still following guidelines to a music video like we did in AS for our thriller but we had more scope to e creative and try loads of different things. We wanted to make our music video more original, at AS we just copied the conventions for a thriller and did not mix it up where as in A2 we were more original and although we used a lot of intertextual references we bricolaged them together to create something completely new. We also used slo motion to create a sense of hyper reality and simulation, not being real and being in a virtual world. 

Overall we developed these skills enabling us to create a brand and campaign that would sell to the auidience, it is about style over substance the audience want something that looks good the content of the text could be empty and meaningless. The more that we became aware of Post-Modern theories such as simulation, intertextuality, commodification and bricolage the more creative we could be. We showed this in AS by sticking to the main thriller conventions but were unaware of doing this, in A2 however we knew that we were creating a music video to advertise a campaign and make money. Digital technology allowed us to be creative and experiment. 

Exam Mock

Explain how your skills in the creative use of digital technology developed over time. Refer to a range of examples from your media productions in your answer.

From our AS to A2 project, our creativity skills using digital technology has developed a lot, as in A2 we had more freedom of what we were going to create. Learning about postmodernism allowed us to thoroughly understand the meaning of originality.
In our AS thriller we did not use a large variety of presentation software for our research and planning. When creating our rough cut we used final cut pro, this allowed us to experiment and learn what looked right for our specific genre which was thriller. As we had to follow the conventions of a thriller, we were unable to use the software to it's full ability. In comparison to our A2 music video, we chose our own genre and could rebrand the artist as applicable. When making the video, we added a soft blur across the majority of it to make it look more professional.

Having more freedom in this project it allowed us to be more creative, but we were still targeting a specific audience as the point of the creation was to sell. To sell our brand we used different social media networks, to market our artist to the audience for example twitter and sound cloud. We created a fan website for Yasmin (our artist) on WIX.com. On there we included an iTunes link to purchase our artists music, allowing a direct way to sell to fans. Throughout our brand we had a running colour scheme which was based around light great, white and pink and themes that were related to nature, petals and feathers. The colour scheme was similar to other artists album covers and websites when we researched for intertextual references. In our AS opening, we did research intertextual references, one we based our thriller on heavily was Shutter Island, however in comparison to AS, in A2 we combined small ideas from several references allowing us to create something new as a bricolage rather than a copy.
When filming for both pieces, we used the same digital camera. During our A2 project we had a better understanding of how it worked, and therefore had a clearer outcome.

24/03/15

How do postmodern media texts challenge traditional text reader (immersion) relations and the concept of representation?

Postmodern texts (BM&WIR)do not challenge the text reader relationship because of their modern forms but digi modernism texts (GAMING&SOCIAL MEDIA)do a lot.

They are stylistically but theoretically Pomo ideas. Old form trying to be young and new. Modern forms referencing old things. It is not postmodernism challenging text reader relationships but digi modernism to a large extent. 

Simulated- fluid identities 

How does postmodernism make text a richer experience for audiences?

To what extent can some texts be considered to be postmodern?

1.)Define postmodernism

Relationship to modernism- traditional ideas and structures 

REJECTS THESE IDEAS 

2.)applying it to the text- empty, superficial, hyper real

Style of postmodernism- Jameson 👀

Theoretical Pomo- baudrillard💭

Argue rejects structure but it is a structure

Historical Pomo-👵 tron(1982)

 

10/03/15

Theoretical- gaming is applicable to postmodern theories 

Lyotard 

Buying fake stuff to express your fake self 

Historical- beyond modernism and postmodernism, digi modernism 

Stylistic- hyper real and simulation 

Assessment

I have concluded the gaming is more postmodern than black mirror and wreck it Ralph as gaming is interactive and is only apparent with an audience. The audience are immersed into the game and have an influence on the narrative, where as in black mirror and wreck it Ralph they have set narratives as a result are modern. As well as breaking the boundary between text and audience, gaming allows the character to do as they please without any consequences rejecting traditional morals and therefore giving them freedom. This presents a lack of belief in progress as we would rather be in a simulated artificial world than in natural reality. Although rejecting traditional morals, it's sets a question whether this is "right" as it brings out the violent and sexual desire in people which could be dangerous for society.

1980s games do not allow the audience to have freedom, for example of what the character looks like, thinks like and what their outcome is. In postmodern gaming you are able to create fluid identities and in turn create a simulated version of how you want to be. Becoming immersed in a game gives the audience a sense of power, a sense in which they may not get in reality. This implies the emptiness which we feel, as we do not have freedom or power in our own lives. 

Tv although a modern concept as it can not be interacted with, can still attain aspects of post modernism. Black mirror does this by collapsing he boundary between human and technology, the rejection of societies traditional morals is also a post modern theory. The use of this is to create a warning of the future, by doing this it continues to appeal to audiences. By putting a negative view on gaming it gains audiences as they may turn against it.