Video Montage

ES5 ARTS

Sorry I'm not here today. This lesson I would like you to one of the following two tasks.

Task 1: On Word, in your groups, complete the following, and then send it to me at stgeorgesnorthfilm@gmail.com (don't copy/paste the address, it will deformat):

Include:
1. The names of the people in your group.
2. The title of your video montage.
3. A brief of around 100 words, explaining what you are going to do. eg We are going to take the theme of nature, and represent this in a video montage. We will layer a series of close ups and extreme close ups.
4. What camera and editing equipment you will use.

Task 2: Practical
If you do have your camera with you, please continue filming. Remember:
- close up and extreme close ups
- very short clips
- think about the light, and careful for shadows.

If you do not have your camera here, research: this means you need to find a range of different places to find images that fit your theme. In the example I showed you, there were close ups from books, from web pages, from mobile phone scenes, from photographs.

eg Mariana Viola group: close ups from social networking sites, from photos, tweets... handwriting - or write, in Mariana's handwriting, write words or symbols, shapes, colours, associated with Mariana. 


Be creative and innovative, and I look forward to developing this project next week.

DF

Top 10 Tips for Better Filming

Here are your basics:

"Film is only as good as the worst part of the take..."

1. Use a tripod or a solid camera support.
2. Television is a closeup medium. Rely on medium closeups and closeups for your basic visual material. Wide shots should only be used for establishing (and re-establishing) shots.
3. Eliminate shots that don't contribute to the project's goals…
4. Cut away from a shot as soon as the basic information is conveyed…
5. Don’t zoom and pan.
6. Beware of white on white..
7. Good audio is never camera audio.
8. Select instrumental music as background, not vocal.
9. In jokes are not funny to a wider audience. That means they are not funny.
10. Voice over? Yes.

Documentary production:
A: Establish location.
B: Shoot interviews against a relevant background.
C: Label your footage.

Run Lola Run (1995)

Time to watch a film.

Sweets For Tweets

Tweet reviews

A 140 character film review is no easy thing, even for a plotless Michael Bay film. This lesson, whilst writing your proper professional reviews, I'll be offering a Jelly Baby prize for any successful Tweet Review to ib_film.

Format: Name of film in full. Plot synopsis. Your rating and opinion.


Dull but appropriate example:
UNKNOWN. Liam Neeson tries to put his life back together after waking from a coma. Better than TAKEN, improves as it goes on. 6/10

Film Reviews

Key Question: Can I write a professional film review?

First things first. All film reviews are, by definition, subjective. That is to say, there is no right or wrong answer: a review is an opinion, even though some people's opinions are more valued than others: Roger Ebert and Mark Kermode are two highly regarded critics, and both are famously opinionated.

Your task: To write a professional film review for a film of your choice. 

I will publish the best 3-4 on this blog for next week.

A conventional structure to a film review is as follows. You can follow this, or vary from the formula. (Note, Language B students: the English Paper 2 exam has had a film review as a quesion in 3 of the last 6 years, so this might be extra useful...)

1. Credits
Offer the imdb basics, without being too dull. You can assume your audience are film goers, but might need reminders about who's who. You don't need to explain who Tom Hanks or Angelina Jolie are, but you might need to remind readers that Paul Giamatti is the guy from Sideways.

2. Synopsis of the plot
- Harder than it seems. A good synopsis is extremely difficult, and a good challenge of your written skills.
- Spoilers: if you are going to give away key plot moments, you must offer a spoiler alert. A good review, like a good trailer, will offer an indication of the plots, themes and tone of the film without spoiling the film (which doesn't just man giving away the ending).
3. Characters, Genre and Theme
- This might well be included within the synopsis, but you should expand on the role of the main characters: what is their 'journey', if you like. In films like Transformers, which have absolutely no narrative whatsoever, this can be very difficult as your characters just go from one place to another for no reason whatsoever, other than the fact that they are being paid.

4. Your opinions, comparisons and conclusions
- Finally, offer your opinion and set the film in the wider context through comparison. Ideally, finish on a witty final line.
If you loved Black Swan, then you'll probably enjoy... Or, If you liked Black Swan, you should hire Aronovsky's Requiem For A Dream (2001).

OK. Get reviewing.

La Dignidad de los Nadies

After watching the documentary, La Dignidad de los Nadies, please answer the following questions. Your can respond as a comment, or send me an email.


. Tell me something you learned during the documentary.

. How did this film make you feel: about Argentina, about your own place in society...?

. Which story, issue or character did you find most interesting? Explain you answer in as much detail as you can.

. For you, what was the main message of the film?

. Could anyone make a documentary like this? If not, what did this film maker do to produce this documentary?

. If you could make a documentary on one thing in Argentina, what would you make the film about? What would be the first question you would ask 'the people'?

Documentary

Dear All

This lesson, and next week, we are going to watch this documentary: La Dignidad de los Nadies. It's a powerful film, and hard work in some ways, but I strongly believe in the following two things:

1. That we watch films that you might not watch - or might not choose to watch - at home.


2. That the films we watch invite you to reflect.

So. No car chases, explosions, 3D, Robert Pattinson nor Megan Fox... you can get those things at your local Hoyts.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you make of this film.