AS Media Studies

A setting is the time, place and social environment in which a film is set in, and helps to initiate the backdrop of a narrative. It includes context beyond the immediate surroundings of the story, such as culture, historical period and geography. Along with plot, character, theme, and style, setting is considered one of the fundamental components of a film. Because of this, Setting is highly important in the construction of mine-en-scene and creating an understanding for the viewer. Different genres include specific settings that link with the mood of the film.  Comedy Comedy films are usually based in casual and...

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Dialogue is written or spoken language exchanged between two or more people. Despite dialogue being used in the majority of films today, it is not a necessity within the opening 2 minutes of a feature film. Music and narration on their own can provide an effective opening, and many films have been produced that contain no dialogue whatsoever. This suggests that dialogue is not always needed to express a storyline or character's emotions, but it helps to engage with the film and discover more about a character.  Examples of film openings where dialogue is not used:  Comedy: The Graduate  Horror: Insidious Action: Shutter...

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Despite having a brief idea of the genre and content of my film opening, I know that it's target audience will refer to teenagers around my age - possibly between 15-20 years old. This is because I know my film will eventually contain graphic images and a shocking turning point that may be unsuitable for younger audiences. It will also be aimed at people who like dramas/thrillers, conspiracies and enigmas, which therefore implies that younger audiences may not understand the background of my opening. Overall, my film opening will aim to attract anyone within my recommended age group who likes...

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A target audience is a particular group at which a product such as a film is aimed at. There are several kind of targets audiences portrayed within the film industry - age ratings give a good suggestion what the target audience is for a film by addressing the age group its acceptable for. There are a number of ways film agencies attract their target audience to see one of their films - through trailers, friends and family, film posters, radio adverts, website sidebars and social media. Horror Horror films usually attract groups of teenagers who want to go...

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During one lesson, a task was set  to put 9 boxes in a diamond, to show which ones were the most important aspects within a film. I decided to put 'Demonstrate creativity and originality' at the top of the diamond. This is because I see creativity and originality as the most significant aspects of a film, and are the key assets that makes the film stand out compared to others. If a movie had no diversity to it, the audience would struggle to engage, enjoy, and watch the footage. What makes a film fantastic and memorable, in my opinion, is whether...

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Characters in the opening two minutes of a film provide a high level of importance. However, characters are not always needed within this time sequence, as many openings consist of atmospheric shots of the film's setting.   Characters featuring in an opening sequence help to provide a sense of mood/genre to summarise the overall film. This is usually created through their appearance as well as their personality. For instance, if they appear to be witty/clumsy/funny, this may imply that the film is a comedy. If a character looks lifeless/gruesome, this may indicate that they are a villain and the film could be a thriller/horror/action-adventure....

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What does the term mean by 'breaking the fourth wall'? Breaking the fourth wall is when characters in films talk to the audience, meaning they ignore the 'imaginary' wall that keeps the actors from the audience. This occurs when they express their inner thoughts, when they acknowledge they're in a film, or when they vent towards the camera (audience).  Breaking the fourth wall helps the character to connect with the audience, and helps them to understand the character's persona & emotions better. It makes the scene feel more interactive and relatable in comparison to the viewer's lifestyle. Furthermore, it implies...

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'The Edge' In my opinion, I thought that 'The Edge' was a fantastic example of an AS media studies piece of work. The dramatic non-diegetic sound matched perfectly with the clip's content and the opening credits were positioned suitably and effectively. The opening also gave us an implication of the plot and the rivalry between characters. The pace of the music and the chase became quicker as the opening progressed; this coaxes the viewer's interest to continue watching the clip. However, the 3 characters were not introduced in the opening so we do not know who they are, nor...

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Diegetic and non-diegetic sound have been used in almost every movie to this day. Sound is used in film to heighten a particular mood, to provide the viewer with information about a scene's location, to help elucidate the plot, and to give the viewer further conceptions about characters in a scene. Additionally, directors also use silence in a film to create impact of an aftermath, to highlight a significant change within the storyline, to build up a scene's intensity or to foreshadow impending doom. These aspects  of sound help to shape a film to a  successful extent, thus also help...

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This blog post is about different types of camera shots and angles and the effects they possess. Having a variety of camera shots can make a video more interesting to watch and are essential to have in order to receive good reviews/feedback. Using a selection of camera angles can create mood as well as suggesting information about characters, the story, and future happenings in a movie.  However, due to the number of different shots as well as their definitions, effects and diagrams, I thought I would write about film openings & their effective shots in a different blog post.  Aerial...

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