Analysis of Film Opening Sequences by Sabrina Bourhaba for AS Media Studies
Films analysed:
Skyfall (dir: Mendes, 2012)
Antichrist (dir: von Trier, 2009)
Shaun of the Dead (dir: Wright, 2004)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (dir: Columbus, 2001)
Analysis of Film Opening Sequences by Sabrina Bourhaba for AS Media Studies
Films analysed:
Skyfall (dir: Mendes, 2012)
Antichrist (dir: von Trier, 2009)
Shaun of the Dead (dir: Wright, 2004)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (dir: Columbus, 2001)
The Fate of Culture in an Age of Disruption: An Ignite Talk by Andrew HazlettAndrew Hazlett
Things Fall Apart... and a Terrible Beauty is Born
Slides for a talk delivered by Andrew Hazlett at Ignite Baltimore #6, September 30, 2010.
Is the Internet making us stupid, or will it enable a new renaissance in learning, culture, and the arts? I submit that the answer is "yes."
Complex thought, sustained attention, rational dialogue, historical awareness, cultural literacy, an appreciation of art and beauty... these are values long associated with liberal education, book publishing, print magazines, cultural coverage in newspapers, great museums, public libraries, and other traditional "information technologies."
Now, as waves of disruption sweep over these long-standing institutions, many observers have wondered if treasured values are slipping away... perhaps forever. Are we raising a historically illiterate "dumbest generation" stranded in "the shallows" of the web, distracted by fleeting moments with mobile devices, online video, and social networking?
Maybe so, but what if our emerging networked culture is also history's greatest opportunity for curious individuals to engage with "the best that has been thought and known in the world"? What if our new age of information is enabling the rise of new means of discovering and spreading enduring truths?
The client was implementing an enterprise HR system and needed to know that their chosen solution would meet their needs.
Visit <a>HP LoadRunner Performance Testing Case Study</a> for more information on this project.
http://www.optimusqa.com/case-study/performance-testing/
An introduction for students to grasp an understanding of critical thinking, conceptual thinking and concept design and the importance of how they all help in problem solving.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
How to Create Map Views in the Odoo 17 ERPCeline George
The map views are useful for providing a geographical representation of data. They allow users to visualize and analyze the data in a more intuitive manner.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
3. Close-Up Low medium shot Extreme Close-Up The close-up is used here to show a lot of detail of the candle. This is to emphasise the importance of the signifier. Cinematography This shot is crucial, since it is one of first shots of the production. The connotation for the low angle is power and importance. The medium shot helps to show some detail, but still maintaining the sense of mystery. This shot is decisive, since it’s an extreme close-up. This is applied to connote the danger and suspense of this image, which it is meant to portray.
5. Close-up – Shows all the signifiers in more detail to show emphasis of the importance of them in the opening. The pencils are shown to portray the sense of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) the character has. It also shows the deadly side of him, since all the pencils are sharpened to resemble knives. The candle is at the corner of the shot to show the main light source. It connotes the sense of mystery. The movements of shaving the pencil are crucial in characterising the man. As he has the blade very close to his nails, it portrays the sense of his lack of fear and general grotesque nature. The audience may feel a sense of fear by seeing this. The black-white editing is to connote mystery and style, since the point of a psychological thriller is to be stylish and mysterious. This is employed throughout the production The pencil shavings are collected together to continue to show the OCD factor of the character, which is crucial, since generically the antagonist usually has some form of OCD in a psychological thriller. Hopefully, this will be obvious to the audience. Preferred Meaning – The audience will see shots, such as this and feel a sense of fear, as it shows the cruel, grotesque nature of the character. This will hopefully ensure a successful psychological experience The location is a small room, with a table, two light sources and some signifiers. This is to portray to the audience that the character is anti-social and prefers to be alone in the dark playing around with dangerous objects. This creates a sense of fright and suspense.
6. Medium close-up – This shows the signifiers and hands in quite a bit of detail. It helps keep the continuity of close up shots on the table to keep the mystery element going. The hands being shown in an open motion shows that the main importance of this shot is regarding the hands. The pencils being placed in this position are to keep with the continuity of previous and later shots. The hand gel is a useful signifier, since it continues to remind the audience that the antagonist has OCD. This may help enhance the movie’s credibility, as generic psycho villains have some form of obsessive disorder. This could also make the audience feel there’s something sinister behind all this, since there’s continuous emphasis on the OCD factor The fact the pencil shavings are no longer on the table shows that the antagonist likes to be clean. Preferred Meaning – This shot is meant to show the fact the character has OCD and likes to be bacteria free. We anticipate the audience will gather that this person is a mysterious and sinister being, who still wants to remain as clean as possible. We also hope that we were able to keep the enigma coding by not giving too much of the character’s background and intentions.
7. The character is sweating quite heavily. The sweat represents the pressure and anxiety of the character. Though the character seems like he is genuinely sweating, we actually used water to give this effect. By doing this we were able to guarantee sweating being involved without waiting for the actor to actually sweat. Extreme Close-Up – This shot is to create an atmosphere of suspense and add to the fear factor of the opening. Preferred Meaning – The character is in a tense state of mind, which is shown from the perspiration trickling down his mouth. Lighting
8. Analysis in relation to Audience Theories The movie intends to open a psychological thriller in a conventional, yet unique way. While producing this, there were some audience theories we used as support, so we had expertise to refer to if we were struggling. We also had a look at a couple of theories after completing the movie to see where it lies in terms of a successful media production. Uses and Gratifications (Blumier and Katz) : Information – Due to the Enigma coding, we didn’t give away too much information, but still enough to keep the audience engaged. Entertain – This is of obvious importance to us, since there’s no point in making a movie without entertaining the audience. We realise that psychological thrillers are not for everyone, but that the target audience, who do love movies of this genre, can enjoy our finished product. Escape – As movies are generically meant to be a form of escapism from the real world, we have constructed a stereotypical stalker figure, who the audience can feel afraid of, but realise that it’s entirely fictional. Utopian Solutions (Dyer ): Boredom/Excitement – All successful movies are good at creating an exciting atmosphere, so we have created an atmosphere of this quality to give the audience a sense of pure excitement. Isolation/Community –This movie should bring the audience, even isolated people, together in some way because we want the masses to discuss and debate the happenings. Only then we will be certain that a psychological thriller is the perfect title for a movie, such as this, since it has got the public talking about the shocks and thrills. INADEQUACY Boredom Isolation SOLUTION Excitement Community
16. Screenshot of Audio Track Track 32 on part 3 is a assortment of light high pitched strings and low clunky piano keys. The audio track gradually builds throughout the opening until the end where it finishes on a high note and ends with a fade out. We had to adjust the audio levels of the accompanying track so we could still notice the sound effects. After the first 45 seconds we have split the music to cut out a section which we thought did not go well with the film, it was a very slow section with depressing notes and during the time when that was on we needed a high sounding suspense sound. We have also had to make it shorter so by cutting this section out we have made it the perfect length that we think is appropriate.
17. Development from preliminary to full task As a group, we have significantly improved our understanding of filmmaking from our preliminary to our final production. The development from our preliminary to our final movie is of massive proportions, since the preliminary was very basic and didn’t have any serious thought put in, whereas the final production has almost all the conventions of our chosen genre, psychological thriller. Our group made three films instead of two, since we experimented heavily before doing the final task, as we were still unsure how to make a successful opening for a psychological thriller. After ‘Film#1’, we assessed the negatives and decided to totally change our ideas, remaking the entire movie in the process, so it would consist of conventional features of a psychological thriller, such as enigma coding, more careful cinematography and a faster paced edit.
21. “ The sharp sounds along with the mysterious background music gives an eerie feeling to the video, you don’t quite know what’s going on but get an insight into the persons world with the small yet intense actions. The use of the acute camera angles keep this mysterious feel to the video only revealing a small amount of information to the viewer although the close ups have small details into the story line with its still eerie feel.” Male, 18 “ I think that ‘The Journey’ is a very well made film. The way it has been edited keeps the feeling of suspense throughout the whole film and never finding out who or what the person is planning is a good idea. The black and white aspect adds to the tension and gives the film a better cinematic feel.” Male, 16 “ I thought the film used close up shots effectively and from different angles; I particularly liked the final shot where the candle gets snuffed out. I did find the narrative a little slow at times however, it did set the scene for a thriller successfully through the use of atmospheric music as well as by concealing the identity of the antagonist.” Female, 21 “ I believe that the opening was very creative and also clear to the audience as the implied threat and feeling of the character was displayed to the audience even without the use of dialogue. The use of amplified sounds also created an eerie feeling to the trailer, instantly giving the audience an idea of what this film is going to be about. I believe the use of black and white compared to colour film worked really well as it made it obvious to the audience that this film is not going to be your usual mythical, escapist story, but rather a much darker tale. Frequent changes of the shots also ensured that the trailer was able to keep hold of the audiences’ attention.” Female, 18 “ The journey is a well constructed 2 minute opening, with a good variety of camera shots and camera angles. It has been designed to detail and realism as the audience I felt well interacted and the clip has been interested about what will then happen next. The font of the writing helps set the scene further as the text was a mysterious font with no capitals. I like how it was shown in black and white as this is also quite mysterious giving that thriller sense as you feel the tension building up using the shots and music featured. There was a clear sense of what’s happening, so it was easy for the audience to follow and be more engaged. This piece overall is a high standard of skilled work, looking professional and looks like a real feature.” Female, 17