AS Media Studies

A task was set to analyse the setting of a film clip of your choice and how it affects the mood and genre of the film. I decided to choose the ironic moment of Barbie meeting Ken for the first time in one of my favourite films, 'Toy Story 3'. 

From the beginning of the clip, the setting is featured inside a playroom which is quickly suggested through the drawings, posters, furniture and stationary located in the background and through their bold, playful colours. The colours and details of the setting automatically suggest the target audience of the film to be  aimed at young individuals. These prospects also suggest the mood of what is currently happening in the clip, as everything appears to be content. The selection of happy colours may also symbolise the soon-expecting ironic 'love at first sight' moment between Barbie and Ken as well as their thoughts and emotions, which is the highlight of the clip.

The crowd of toys behind the main characters in the background also suggests the level of importance these characters have in the film due to aiming their attention towards them.

At 0:15 when the camera is aimed at Lotso, the background beholds dark tones and shades of green with only the main characters behind him. This may of been intentional to foreshadow Lotso's inner reputation and persona he does not express in the clip until later events. 
Because of this, the camera angles of individual characters can also view their lifestyle and personality through the setting. This implication is further addressed to when the camera turns towards Ken and his 3 story dreamhouse. This implies that Ken is inferior in comparison to the other characters who do not live in a nice looking building. The colours and structure of the dreamhouse also demonstrate how Ken is a girl's toy. 

As soon as Ken notices Barbie's presence, the mood of the setting dramatically transforms. The camera zooms into Barbie's face and the lighting is abruptly brighter. At 0:39, The camera also slowly zooms in as they begin to walk towards each other as the sunlight shines brightly from the centre of the screen. The characters' surroundings are blurry and soft - attempting to recreate a generic 'love at first sight' scenario and so the viewers focus on their visually strong connection. The colours in the backgrounds are bold yet light in order to match the mood of the characters and to highlight this special moment.

Additionally, the setting of this clip appears to be more occupied and populated by numerous variations of toys from 1:10. The rows of shelves on the left and right hand side include baskets of toys, books and folders, as well as a rug with illustrated images on it in the centre of the high-angled shot. The characters walking though this lively neighbourhood relates to a generic image of someone walking through a city - their faces expressing their consciousness towards their surroundings. 

Towards the end of the clip, the setting of the hidden room includes an image of palm trees and a beach. This was intentional to create a mood of relaxation and purity for beauty therapy performances on the toys in the playroom. Finally, at 1:23, Barbie and Ken stand next to Ken's dream house - presenting the size of the fancy building in comparison to the dolls. The limitless of beaming light regularly appearing throughout the clip possibly implies Ken's inner emotions of loneliness he beholds - this is further addressed when he confesses  "Everything... except someone to share it with".

Setting

Setting in media terminology is a crucial necessity. It is the scenery, properties and background used to create the location of a film, stage play or television program.The setting in a video also emphasizes the atmospheric mood towards the audience which the director aims to show. As well as this, many ideas can be interpreted and assumed from a setting, like further insights of character's persona, foreshadowing and differences in classes and society. These common aspects of setting is further addressed in the two clips shown below, which are snippets from the films 'The duchess' and 'The Last King of Scotland' - which both present mood, genre and time period through their setting. 

Clip one: The Duchess (2008)

In The Duchess, the scene begins with a shot through the archway. This perhaps indicates to the reader that the camera looking through emphasizes how the Duchess's life is about to change, and each arch shown in the film may lead to a more personal view.

As the carriage passes through the streets of London, the images of traders, dirt, grass, food, people, tents, farm animals and tents are shown. This aspect of life in the 1500's contrasts with class, wealth, and time period in comparison with Devonshire House, especially its courtyard. The contrast between the two sceneries is vividly clear - when 
the carriage enters the courtyard, more light begins to enter the setting and the scene becomes quiet.
There are two more shots of archways in the clip - one when they enter the house, and another when they enter the courtyard. It is suggested that the director chose these two archways to narrate a new character, something particularly more grand. The following feelings and ideas are suggested by the look of the hallway - overwhelming, fast, new beginnings, and daunting.
Towards the end of the clip, the bedroom highly contrasts with the rest of the house because it has a dark, has lack of light, and portrays a slightly claustrophobic setting.

Clip 2: The Last King of Scotland (2006)

The room inside a house of a 17th century poor couple would be small and cramped - signifying the couple's minor worth. A dimly lit candle will be the room's only source of light at night, in order to emphasise the chosen time period through the restricted use of technology. The peeling, cracking and mildew walls and wooden floorboards would be stained and grimy. The room would also feature minimum furniture and the unclean mattress & rags would be supported by a weak and thin wooden frame. The small double bed would also signify that living in this house/room is a couple.

2) A middle class couple in the 1940's

A bedroom could easily suggest the inhabitants of a middle class couple in the 1940's through its retro interior design. Some furniture, such as the double bed, would contain bright bold colours - varying from pinks, reds, yellows and greens. Geometric shapes and bright floral patterns would be used on both  upholstery and on  the wallpaper. If the room was going to be a kitchen or a living room, gingham and apparel would also be popular and noticeable patterns for furniture materials. 


3) A spy in the year 2015

There are many variations of what the room of a spy could look like. It could be an office which would be typically ordinary in the year 2015, featuring many draws and files to preserve the spy's hidden identity and occupation. As well as this, a common theme of spies in movies work in an area with maximum security and portraying a  professional atmosphere. However, the room of many spy colleagues or an individual spy could be set in an underground bunker and featuring rows of high-tech computers and devices.

4) A business man in 2015

The room of a businessman would include expensive, professional and good quality technological devices, such as an iMac and an iPhone for business details. These would be left on a glass desk in front of a large window, which would view  a populated and dense cityscape down below. A pot supplied with pens and a notebook would also be appointed on the desk, which would highlight the level of organisation the businessman should behold. As well as this, his office would be maintained to a high level of cleanliness. A briefcase may also be included on the desk.

5) A business woman in 2015

The room of a businesswoman would be very similar to a businessman's, but it may include more variations of colour to suggest the gender of the inhabitant. For example, this could be shown through the type and colour of flowers a businesswoman may have on her desk. The office could also suggest it belongs to a businesswoman through the choice of accessories it may feature; such as an expensive, good quality handbag and the cover of a laptop. 

6) A group of students

A room of a group of students inside a university flat would typically be untidy and unorganised. For example, the kitchen would feature dirty and uncleaned dishes in the sink and the kitchen surfaces would have empty bottles and cans on them. Little bits and bobs and variations of clothing would also be scattered around the household.

In the first lesson of AS Media studies, our class was set a continuity task to film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, whom she/he then exchanged a couple of lines of dialogue.

In order to complete this task, we were taught what a match on action, a shot reverse shot and what the 180 degree rule was. In my group, I had Abbey, Tommy and Hannah.



Match on action: A film editing and video editing technique where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. A common example is a man walking up to a door and reaching for the knob.

Shot reverse shot: A shot where one character is looking at another character and then the other character is looking back at the first character.

180 degree rule: A filming guideline that participants in a scene should have the same left-right relationship to each other, with filming only taking place within the 180 degree angle in which this is maintained in a conversation.

There are many key definitions that make up the progress of a film or piece of media.  These include:
















Originality: The ability to think independently and creatively, and producing ideas which are unusual and dissimilar to others.