Statement of Intent 1st draft

Write your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

I intend to create a strong trailer which looks as professional as possible along with three posters that are designed to promote my coming of age film "tough love". I intent to have my characters display how they are enjoying their life at the beginning of the trailer with an initial 30-40 second clip where my characters display some humour as they are out with their friends , which should put the audience in a position of vulnerability and allows the audience to connect to what is happening. I will include 3 film trailer posters which are aimed at young males who are most likely to understand, relate to and have an interest in a urban coming of age film of this sort.

The narrative for my story is based around a group of friends (jason, dylan, daud and vijay) who went to college/sixth form together and are about to move on with their lives and become adults, however with a difference in agreements in what they should do after when some of the friends would like to move on to university unlike some who would like move onto a life on the streets where they can make fast money, however their endeavours are dependant on the others choosing to join them and also make this choice. This dispute leads to heavy arguments and eventually causes two of the friends to lash out in his anger against who he once called one of his best friends and results in something he would regret soon after.

I think by making the trailer fast paced I will be able to include as much action as possible and will engage viewers in this urban coming of age film trailer so that i can make the story line obvious enough that the audience would understand and so that there is a lot of suspense. I think the faced paced editing will entice the audience and make them interested in the trailer and make them want to watch the film, I do however need to ensure that the audience aren't confused or overwhelmed by the amount of content included in the trailer.I don't think that i am in a position to subvert the general trailer conventions as I am not established and in my opinion could make the trailer look unprofessional.

I would like to make my film so that it is an urban coming of age trailer as i think that it would certainly be possible to create this and to have it be realistic, along side the fact that i think that it would appeal to my target audience, as they may perhaps find it realistic and perhaps more relatable than others as it tackles some of the issues we face today and therefore have an interest in it. By doing this I think I will be able to make it different to other urban coming of age films as i think i would like to switch between moments of high intensity soon after some of the moments where both our character and audience believed they are ever going to face any problems and is able to also show a different side of things where other urban coming of age films fail to show both sides of what the characters are experience and how they are with their friends. 
I think that this would put the audience in even more tension as they would not be expecting the more tense moments and it would perhaps put them in a position of comfort until something dramatic happened which would throw them off guard and perhaps play with their emotions.

I think i would still have to focus on leaving a lot of innuendos and clues to leave the audience to imagine what is going to be happening due to the fact that it will be shown before the 9 o'clock watershed and will also keep the audience on their toes. I think that it will be successful due to the fact that not everyone needs to relate to it as it is an interesting insight into the lives of some people in the UK.

I think that i will be able to include a lot of tense moments, however i think that generally tension would take a long time to build up, however if i was to begin the beginning of the trailer with some light hearted conversation and humour then i believe that it would be easier to have something which brings their downfall and it would seem like a much bigger thing due to the contrast, in a way which some other short films such as "Shiro's story" have done where a friend has taken something away and left much more catastrophic impact over someone random doing this. 

Learner response

Not knowing the title of your film prior to opening the presentation is worrying - it’s fine to have a working title or to change it later but this is a pretty critical aspect of the project.

Once the title is up - it needs to work. Not catchy but the concept is solid (although it is basically the breakfast club, which may be tricky).

Presentation is seriously lacking - characters, themed, audience ... tell us something about them! There’s no real impression yet that you’ve actually developd these characters.

Your themes are solid and clearly show some research into the genre.

Comedy element is interesting - it does make up an important sub-genre of coming of age BUT it is notoriously difficult to do.

The Inbetweeners franchise is a perfect example of industry, audience + marketing.

Good point on watershed and ternage comedy.

Theory is week - how do you plan to use stereotypes?

Reinforce? Subvert? 

Concept - 2

Structure - 3

Terminology - 2

Rehearsal - 1 

                ____

                   8



WWW - addressed the point about the watershed and how teenage comedy with a good example of a similar film that was successful.

EBI - should have developed characters further and put more effort into knowing the pitch and timing it better


I think that I will need to redo my statement of intent as I think that it will be very difficult to make a comedy film which everyone finds funny and entertaining and develop my characters. I think if I was to change it I would have some sort of idea about having the streets and typical gang violence, however I would try to make it different by showing the characters normal side when they are with friends and family.

Coursework: Summer Project 2018

1) Research: Film trailer analysis 

You need to write detailed 250-word close-textual analyses of six film trailers in your chosen genre. For each film trailer, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:

The inbetweeners (Narrative) - From the very beginning of the trailer it opens with a voice over from one of the main characters who seems to be the one who has suggested the trip which they are going to be going on and instantly describes to the audience what they intend to do on the trip in a list and also repeat some of the things they are planning on doing either through the same word or synonyms of the word to show the importance of this. They also have cut aways for the activities mentioned, however the cut aways change into what suggests that the trip will actually be turning into a disaster of a trip. The genre is instantly portrayed as travel right from the beginning when they say they are going to go on holiday and is also clearly a comedy as it makes you laugh from the very beginning through to the end. Part of the reason why we can tell that we can also tell that it is a comedy instantly is because the scene is very bright so we know that it is likely to involve humour. There is clearly a lot of use of wit and wordplay in the trailer along side some inappropriate humour in this coming age TV show. There is also the use of slapstick humour and I think the three types of humour are the reason for the show being so successful and humorous.


Freaky Friday (Mise en scene) - They use the clothing of the mother and daughter to be very different in the trailer as the daughter is portrayed to be rebellious and like a typical teenager who doesn't listen to their parents and only care about their appearance and how they look which is why she spends a lot of time worrying about her appearance. The mother is definitely the opposite of the daughter and she is shown to be old fashioned and unaware of current styles which is why she dresses in the way she does and is in fact often mocked for the way in which she does dress. There is not a lot of overly bright lighting which suggests that there is something regrettable in the future which we can see actually does happen when they switch bodies.Close ups are used to again make sure that the audience isn’t getting to much information but is getting enough that they will want to go and watch the film. Most of the shots are showing the two main characters Hannah and her mum in a different light, the facial expressions and body language is not angry it is happy, therefore the characters are shown in a different light.


White chicks (Camerawork) - It begins the trailer making it seem like it is predominantly an action film as there is a lot of the conventions of an action movie with close ups of large amounts of money, however we clearly learn that this is not an action film and is in fact a comedy film and we can clearly tell that the girls are not actually the girls and they show this off to the audience as it is obvious to us that they are not the same, however to the rest of the characters they don't appear differently at all and look very similar or even exactly the same. There is also a lot of close ups to show this transformation and use them more in moments of comedy, where as when there are moments of them  learning and more serious moments there is more use of shots such as medium shots.


21 Jump Street (Editing) - There are a lot of edits and cuts between scenes which make the movie seem like it is fast paced and keeps the audience interested and shows a lot of what the movie has to offer and showcases a lot of the funny scenes. They also have a lot of contrasting scenes one after another which emphasise them even more and make them even more interesting and humorous, such as ensuring the chief that they wouldn't do anything and then it editing it to another scene where they are doing exactly what they said they wouldn't, which makes what they are doing even more important and interesting to the audience, because the characters are doing something which they shouldn't be doing.

Superbad (Sound) - This is another humorous coming of age drama where two friends who are going to be going to university next year however did not get into the same one have decided to live life to the fullest and we can tell this almost instantly from watching the trailer and can also see that it uses humour and displays embarrassing events, which people who see them and are not actually face would find humorous, I think the humour is intensified by the music which they play over it, which is not actually funny would more likely be used in a situation where someone would be overcoming something and this contest between the music and the actual context of the movie trailer make it even more funny. They use dialogue and clips from the actual film and there is also the use of non-diagetic sound on top to add effect and humour.

Boyhood (Trailer conventions, intertextuality, graphics, text-on-screen etc.) - This trailer opens in a very conventional movie by promoting the studio at which it has been produced at and then with a very close camera shot of our main character which is the child. It does then have some explanation of what has occurred so that the audience has some sort of context. It does then follow with the use of quotes to show peoples reviews about the film and will almost be positive as they are in this film. It also shows a lot of things which we would find relate able to many audience members, so that they would feel some sort of nostalgia towards the text and make us interested in what other typed of nostalgia the film can provide. It also uses a lot of rhetorical questions which leave the audience wanting more and wondering the answers to questions even if they are not directed towards them and make them inquisitive about how the characters would. 
 
2) Planning: Film pitch

Here you need to plan your own film idea that will form the basis of your trailer and posters. This means developing a complete film pitch that outlines the narrative, characters and more.

Complete this film pitch template (you can copy the questions into your blog or complete on Word and link from your blog) to demonstrate you have planned a complete feature film in your chosen genre.

Title:

Tagline:

Relive the best bits of your college education,

Genre (and sub-genre/hybrid genre if applicable):

Coming of age
Comedy

Logline – one sentence that sums up the film and hooks people in (25 words or fewer):

Ever wish the best bits of your high school life was put into a movie?

Other successful films that are similar to yours:

"The inbetweeners"

Narrative structure – what happens in the film and in what order:

The movie displays the main things about being a teenager and the challenges and things which they face at this age and the funny things which people of this age are thinking about 

Hero/heroine, their desires, the conflicts they encounter etc.:

Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal:

Target audience for your film (age, gender, social class, interests etc.): 

I think that my target audience are of a younger age and would be between the age of 13-25 so that it is somewhat of an immature audience, however they have an understanding of what is going on and the story line and some of the topics may be ideal for a more mature audience as some of the topics would not be too ideal for children.

3) Statement of Intent

Write your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent suggested questions document too.




4) Ignite presentation

Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:

• Your film idea: title, tagline, genre, narrative etc.
• Media language: how you will use conventions, camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to create an effective trailer and film posters.
• Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes; representation theory.
• Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures; audience theory.
• Media industries and digital convergence: the potential companies or organisations that could fund or distribute your film; how your trailer and posters will use new and digital media and digital convergence to create an effective campaign.

Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in the first week back in September.

Music Video introduction

1) What is the purpose of a music video?

The purpose of a music video is to advertise the song and make people want to buy it, If it happens to be a particularly bold music video which is likely to bring attention to the song it may be done to increase the amount of revenue which is gained by the artist and company. It may also be displaying the artists vision.
2) How has the digital age changed the production and distribution of music videos?

The digital age has allowed many artists who may not have received much attention to get a lot of attention and views, therefore a lot of revenue, this is due to them being able to produce the videos much more easily by recording through smartphones and editing at home through professional applications and being able to upload it to youtube rather than having to secure a distribution deal on TV which may have been rejected due to the companies thinking that they are not going to receive much attention, however now people can upload it themselves for free even if it is towards a niche audience.

3) Which three major record labels are behind VEVO? What is VEVO and why was it created?

Universal Music group 
Sony Music Entertainment
EMI
4) What are the key conventions of a music video?

Locations
Attractive models 
Expensive items
Jump cuts 
Close ups
The artist
Narrative

5) How can narrative be used in music video? Give an example of a music video that uses a narrative.

Narrative can be used in Music Videos to tell a story or a tale along side the music, which will often fit in with the theme of the music which is being played, an example of this is "Shiros Story".
6) What examples are provided in the factsheet for intertextuality in music videos?

Rudeboy- Rihanna

Christina Aguilera- Genie in a bottle

7) Why do audiences enjoy intertextual references in media products?

They feel nostalgia towards the first time they have witnessed a media product and when they view it a second time around they remember all the things about the first one. They feel like they are receiving an exclusive experience as they have seen the original and will understand the references.

8) Read the music video example analysis on page 3 of the factsheet. Select a music video of your own choice and write your own analysis using the following headings:


Shiro's Story
There is a clear narrative over the music video which often explains what is going on and makes things clear to the audience and the artist is never actually seen in the video, as he is the one narrating someone else life.

The intertextuality in this music video is actually the other music videos which this artist has previously made and references to within this music video and some key techniques which he has used in the past.

The representations in this music video are that they are in fact young males who are struggling to make money and have to resort to dealing drugs and taking part in illegal activity to earn their money.

I think that there is a wide target audience, however I think that it particularly targets a younger teen age audience as they are more likely to be able to relate to the music video and may recognise some of the actors or the main artist as he has created many similar videos which tackle the topics which the youth may be facing.

9) Watch the video for Ice Cube's It Was A Good Day (1993). How did this video set the conventions for later hip-hop music videos?

This video set the conventions of hip hop music videos to this day as this is still what many rappers use for their music video concepts as it makes us want their life style and shows us that they are in some what elite and listening to this music and watching this music video will make us somewhat like them and part of their brand.

10) How important do you think music videos are in the marketing and promotion of music artists in 2018? Are music videos essential to a band or artist's success?

Music videos are a statement of what the artist thinks of their own music, therefore if the music video does not meet expectations, then perhaps it may signify to the audience that they do not even care about the content that they are creating.

Music Video index

1) Music Video - introduction and factsheet questions
2) Music Video theory and This Is America analysis
3) Common - Letter to the Free context and analysis
4) Michael Jackson - Billie Jean context, analysis and MM article

Common - Letter to the Free

1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?

Common and John Legend had paired up to create a soundtrack.

2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
3) What were the Black Codes?

The Black Codes were laws passed by states in 1865 and 1866 in the United States after the American Civil War with the intent and the effect of restricting African Americans' freedom, and of compelling them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt.
4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?

Black people were then introduced to mass incarceration and lead to them being imprisoned so that they would be forced into labour due to them being criminals and lead to the continuation of slavey.

5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?

She wrote it in hopes that it may evoke some type of revolution within what people think about whilst thinking about the situation and showed great interest in how companies were exploiting these black workers even after the removal of slavery and was inregued about the prison system being run by private firms and how they are actually profiting from this.

6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?

I think that the 80's and 90's were a crucial time for hip hop culture and really set the standard with a lot of quality artist releasing music and there being a lot of competitiveness so that the quality of the music that was being produced increased.

7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?


8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.

The song comes from the Black America Again

Close-textual analysis and representation

Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:

1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).

The letter to the free music video uses medium and long shots throughout the video as it shows peoples full body but does not attempt to show off their body as they would in most music videos but perhaps to show that they are not actually free to do what they want as they are imprisoned.

2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?

The consistently moving camera may be showing the passing of time and as there is no change in the video which may be indicating that there has been no change in real life situations and that slavery still exists, simply in another form.

3) Why is the video in black and white?

The video is in black and white perhaps to show that there are no differences between races and that what they are trying to show is a very serious matter. They may also represent the time period in which they are talking about.

4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?

The music video is shot in a prison which may represent how they are imprisoned and how mass incarceration has not only occurred but is also a very big problem.

5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?

 'Slavery's still alive, check amendment 13'

6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.


7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.

8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?

9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.

10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?

Music Video theory

1) How does the This Is America video meet the key conventions of a music video?

There is a narrative in the video where they are trying to convey a message and there is a video of the artist performing in the music video.

2) What comment is the video making on American culture, racism and gun violence?

This video could also perhaps be saying that gun violence and racism is seen as something which isn't dealt with as seriously, which is why the video is shown to be some sort of joke or mockery which is used to display how what is going on in America is a mockery and that it is not in anyway being taken seriously.
3) Write an analysis of the video applying the theories we have learned: Gilroy, Hall, Rose and Dyson. 

Read this Guardian feature on This Is America - including the comments below.

4) What are the three interpretations suggested in the article?

5) What alternative interpretations of the video are offered in the comments 'below the line'?