Christmas is soon to approach (3 days!), which means spending less time on sixth form work, and more time on communicating with the family.

However, I will be back in the new year of 2011 to carry on blogging.

See you soon!

Own initial idea for film opening (storyboard)

This is my original horror movie intro idea. I will take these story boards and address them with the rest of the group soon so we can share ideas and decide on what we are going to create for own penultimate film opening.

Pillow talk VS Fringe Essay

How are the sequences from ‘Pillow talk’ and ‘fringe’ different? Discuss he difference in pace and style of editing as well as the effect the editing has on meaning/the audience’s receptions of the extracts.

The film ‘Pillow talk’ and the TV show ‘Fringe’ are two extracts that have been carefully selected for comparison because they are from different time decades and portray different emotions. The film ‘Pillow talk’ was released in 1959 and it is a romantic comedy directed by Michael Gordon; in the film extract the camera movement is very basic and no special effects are used in the scenery. On the other hand, ‘Fringe’ is a science fiction US Television show from 2008 and uses Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) to capture and express high quality action sequences.

There are many factors that affect the audience in the extracts, such as the pace and style of editing, and the effect the editing has itself.

At first glance, in comparison with the two extracts, a noticeable difference is the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. In pillow talk there are no non-diegetic sounds throughout the whole extract, there are only diegetic sounds (e.g. the pianist and guitarist at 3:53), the most likely reason is because of the insufficient technology in 1959. However, since then technology has advanced and the use of sound effects have been brought into the world of media. In the fringe extract at 0:17, we hear a phased non-diegetic sound, which represents the sound of the blimp teleporting. The use of the sound effect, along with the teleporting blimp, has an effect on the whole extract. From that scene (0:16 – 0:21) we can see straight away that fringe is set way ahead of reality, and is set in the future, and we can see that because of the use of CGI and non-diegetic sound. However in Pillow talk we can see that all sounds used are diegetic (e.g. the phone ringing at 0:25 – 0:28), and no special effects are used, which puts more attention from the audience to what the characters are saying, helping the audience concentrate on what emotions are being expressed by the actors.

The style and pace of the editing between the two extracts are very unconventional and have a very diverse range of shots, which appeal to both target audiences. In the ‘fringe’ extract, the average shot length is between 2-4 seconds, and show clean cuts to show the facial expressions from the characters, and to help the audience see how they are reacting consistently as the extract plays through. The director does this effect to help the audience to connect with the characters, and link their emotions with the character, so the audience can feel what the character feels. The audience are also able to see what the reality of the world outside is like in the scene with the teleporting blimp (0:16 – 0:21), the director add this scene for dramatic effect and portrays the feeling to the audience that something is building up because of the sudden change of action. Whereas in the ‘Pillow talk’ extract, the shot lengths are fairly long, and the sequence can run for a longer period of time without cutting because its not a fast paced film, so there is no need for the sharp and witty cuts to keep the audience’s attention. For example the first scene in the extract (0:00 – 0:22), it takes 22 seconds for a cut to be made, and the editor adds a transition to make the scene fade into each other. The reason the transition is added is because it adds a calm and smooth effect, so that the cut is sleek, and the tension is kept low-key.

The different styles of editing from the different directors are easily noticed when watching the 2 extracts.

In the ‘Pillow talk’ extract from 0:30 to 1:38, we as an audience see a split screen effect when the 2 characters are on the telephone to each other. This is a very simple and basic editing technique, yet in 1959 it was very effective. It allows the audience to see both characters facial expressions at the same time as the conversation between them progresses and elevates. Contrasting to ‘Pillow talk’, at the beginning of the ‘Fringe’ extract we can also see the 2 characters on a phone call to each other, except it is a high tech video call, and we can only see them both because of the use of cuts, and not because of the split screen technique. This effect is also useful because of the way an audience can focus on what’s important in the shot, but we cannot see them at the same time, giving a different editing effect to the ‘Pillow talk’ extract.

Finally, the lighting and colour in both extracts effectively creates a mood and sets the scene, so in these extracts we’re contrasting between dark and light. The use of mis-en-scene lighting is very effective as it correlates with the mood of the scene. The use of light and backlights, for example in ‘Pillow talk’, helps create the smooth and calm scenery. On the other hand, we can see in the ‘Fringe’ extract, that the dark and minimal back lights, helps creates tension and helps build up the sci-fi and action mood of the sequence.

In conclusion, we can see that both directors and editors have a distinctive difference in their style, pace, and the effect they portray when creating and publishing their work. We learn to admire the simplicity and basic effects used in the ‘Pillow talk’ extract because of the time era of 1959, and the fact of the insufficient technology they had. Furthermore, we can also start to admire the use of CGI and special effects in the ‘Fringe’ extract, as the director and editors use these effects very professionally to create a range of different emotions.

In recent lessons we have been studying 2 carefully selected extracts to show the contrast between the pace and styles of editing. The two extracts are a film called 'Pillow talk' and a TV show called 'Fringe.
We have been set an assignment in which we have to write an essay discussing and exemplifying the contrasts of the editing styles.
I have recently started this and will upload it to the blog a couple days prior to the deadline.

Mine and Daniel Drinkwater's collaborative Secret and Lies presentation

Secrets and lies presentation

View more presentations from Westhatchmediastudies

An analysis of editing and Mise en Scene







The beginning of this scene establishes the setting. From just this image, we establish that its going to be set in a photography shop, as the shop is in the centre of the shot. The black cab also establishes that its set in London. Its shot in natural light.
Like all the other shots we will see in this presentation, the film is shot from the point of view of a photography camera. We know this because of the people posing in front of it, and they’re looking directly in the eye of the camera.
The costumes reflect the characters. The father is in a suit, the son is wearing his regular clothes, wife is wearing a nice white dress, and the grandmother is wearing an old fashioned purple gown. Everyone looks like they’ve dressed for a photo, (besides the son)
The backdrop is a standard photography backdrop.
The lighting consists of a key light on the subjects, and filler lights to soften the shadows against the backdrop.
Everything in this photo is made to look like a photographers studio.






We decided to work on this one, as it’s the most different from the other clips.

The backdrop this time is plain white, if you look closely you can see a spotlight behind her head, which gives her a “Halo” effect. The light in this picture is meant to look like a diffused effect, the key lights are on the mother and her baby. The filler lights eliminate shadows, and creates a glow around the mother.

Every material in this clip is white, which symbolizes purity, as the new born baby is innocent, and pure.
The flash effect imitates a photograph, its their so it reminds us that it is a photograph, but I doubt a flash would need to be used





The key lights are on the girls here, but there is two spotlights behind them on the backdrop, like a “show” style effect. Which suites the theme of dancing.

The backdrop used is the same in most of the secrets and lies clips, but its shot from a different angle, so show that the children have “power”. However, all their eyes are still in the eye level part of the frame.
The costumes are dancing costumes, to show that the children are dancers.





The key light is on the boxer, with filler lights focused towards the backdrop to soften shadows.

His boxer clothes show he is a boxer, and his beat shows that he’s recently won a competition. He’s in the centre of the shot, striking various aggressive photo’s for his boxing photo’s.






We can see from this still frame that he is a beloved son and from the dress sense we can see he is well respected by the family he’s from. The prop (the chair) looks as if it would be quite expensive and very prestigious, the child looks very posh, however in the scene we see him picking his nose. This shows that he is very innocent and oblivious to his status.

However the lighting and background is very neutral, this shows that he may well be respected, he is also treated as the others and treated.






The centre of attention in this shot is the dog, he’s centre shot, and the key light focuses on him. The dig is placed red cloth, it looks like a rich material, and the dog seems well treated. We also see this in how groomed he is, as the owner keeps brushing his fur until she’s satisfied the dog looks good. The woman is also dressed in red, but its not anything to do with the dog and the table. All her other clothes were in the wash.

Her clothes symbolize her attachment to the dog, it’s the same colour as the table, showing that even though she isn’t in the picture, she still wants to be a part of the theme.

Even with the astonishing treatment, the dog doesn’t care, and still has a mind of its own.
The filler lights are focused on the backdrop to soften shadows.

The dog seems very obedient, proving that the owner is very controlling and takes good care of the dog. This shows a true high status of the family as the owner likes to keep everyone under control, including the dog.

Lately in lessons we have been studying an extract from a film called 'Secret and lies'.
Me and Daniel are currently working on analysing and annotating several snippets from a certain extract carefully chosen because it shows various stereotypes and statuses. It will be uploaded to our blogs in a week or so.

This is the final poster that will be analysed on this media blog. It is another one of the current Harry Potter 7 part 1 posters, and it is one of my personal favorites.
It is a still framed long shot of the trio running through the forest, which looks like they're trying evade evil forces that are after them. We can see when analysed carefully, the light shimmering from the opening in the woods, which represents the feeling that there may well  be light at the end of the tunnel, just they may have a troubled time getting there. The faint blood splatter nearing the bottom half of the poster relates to the trouble timed they may have, and there may be blood-shed or loss of friendship on the way.
The dark colours also portray the sense of evil, and that evil is all around them, hence why they are running or trying to escape.