Media Studies Introduction to Key Concepts · PDF file · 2010-11-18through one more example: either action or horror. ... genre the film is and what signifiers help the audience

Media Studies Introduction to Key Concepts

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Medium Term Plan

Unit Description This unit is in place to lay the foundations for the rest of the course. Topics covered within this unit will reappear at a later stage. Teaching Sequence

Lesson Objectives

1 What is a sign?

What is the difference between signifier and signified?

What does the term ‘genre’ mean?

How do we identify different genres?

2 What types of camera shot are available to a director?

3 What are the different ways in which a camera can move?

What is the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound?

How does the use of sound in films etc improve what we are seeing on screen?

4 Vanilla Sky Assessment

Homework Assessments:

Vanilla Sky In addition to the above there will be an end of unit assessment.

Media Studies Introduction to Key Concepts

Unit One: An Introduction to the Key Concepts Outcomes

Assessment Objectives

Media Language Institution Representation Audience

A01 – Knowledge and understanding

• Identify genres of television, film, musical forms

• Describe the main features of film genres and their conventional elements

• Identify / describe the main features of film language and grammar, types of shot, camera movement and sound

• Identify / explain national and local radio

• Describe / explain the key features of historical development of radio

• Describe / identify common stereotypes in e.g. television advertising

• Identify / describe how schedules are assembled

A02 – Analysis and interpretation

• Analyse / interpret and comment on the opening sequence of Vanilla Sky

• Analyse and evaluate the regulatory bodies

• Analyse commercials aimed at children to note the differences in representation

• Analyse the representation of Durrington youth within the local press and whether this representation is fair

• Compare the uses and gratifications offered to audiences by a range of television programmes

• Analyse / interpret the ‘effects debate’ - is behaviour influenced by television?

A03 – Production skills

• Representation of ‘myself’ collage

• Create television schedule for a day’s viewing


Media Studies Introduction to key concepts

An introduction to media language and text analysis – moving image

Lesson one

Lesson objectives: o What is a sign? o What is the difference between signified and signifier? o What does the term ‘genre’ mean? o How do we identify different genres?

Learning outcomes: By the end of the lesson students will have understood the term genre and they will have been able to identify a range of genres for television, film and music. Students will have watched an extract from ‘Men in Black’ and they will have tried to identify what genre of film it is. Students will have had to explain their choice of genre using textual evidence.

Starter: o Recap: What is media? Ask students for suggestions. (2 mins)

Introduction: o What is a sign? Go through definition with students and ensure they write definition into

book. (3 mins) o Show sign: cross. Explain that this sign has two parts: the signifier and what is being

signified. For example, the signifier is the cross whereas what is being signified is the church or God or religion. (3 mins)

o Show students example of a rose. Ask students to identify the signifier. Ask students to think about what it could signify. Use one more example of children crossing to ensure understanding. (2 mins)

o Ask students to copy down the definition of sign, signifier and signified into their book. As they are doing so, give each student five different signs. Students must stick them in their book and identify the signifier and what is being signified for each. (10 mins)

Development: o Introduce the concept of genre. Go through a definition with the students. Model an

example of genre on the board. Identify the different genres of film e.g. horror, sci-fi, comedy, action, thriller, romance, western. Now ask students to feedback ideas for different genres of television. Now get students to copy definition of genre into their book and give example of the different genres of music. (5 mins)

o Explain that genres of films have signs that are specific to them. Give the example of westerns. Ask students to identify what they would expect to see in a western. Go through one more example: either action or horror. (3 mins)

o Explain to the students that they are going to watch an extract from Men in Black. Ask the students to watch the extract and consider whilst they are watching the extract what genre the film is and what signifiers help the audience to identify the genre. (10 mins)

o Feedback: If you had to classify Men in Black, what genre would you say it is? Students feedback answers, identifying the signifiers that helped them to identify the specific genre. (10 mins)

o Conclude that Men in Black contains elements from a range of genres. Ask students why they think this is. Explain that this is because it is a PG and is therefore trying to appeal to the masses. (2 mins)

Plenary: o Recap: sign, signifier and signified. Show students visuals and get them to identify

signifier and signified. o Recap: genre – what are the different types of genre? How do we recognise different

genres? (5 mins)

Resources: Definitions of sign, signifier, signified, genre Copies of signs laminated to place on board Five different signs for students to stick in book Men in Black

Homework: NA



An introduction to the media language and text analysis

Lesson one objectives:

What is a sign? What is the difference between signifier and signified? What does the term ‘genre’ mean? How do we identify different genres?

What is a media text? A media text is any form of media: television programmes, photographs, films, newspaper articles, radio programmes, advertisements and video games. Media texts use a number of signs to establish meaning. Signs are anything physical or auditory: words, pictures, screams, colours, clothing, laughter etc. For example,

The picture on the left hand side is of a cross. What do you think of when you see a cross?

Many things may have come to mind. However, a cross is usually associated with the Church, or religion or God. Because we make this association we automatically give the cross meaning.

Task One What do you think of when you see the following?



Signs are made up of two parts: The signifier – the physical form (what we can see or hear) The signified – the meaning of the form (what we think when we see or hear the sign) For example the cross is the signifier whereas the associations we give it e.g. the church, religion, God is what is signified. Task Two Identify the signifier and signified for each of the following signs and fill in the table.

image/sign signifier signified

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Media Studies Introduction to key concepts Genre Genre simply means ‘type’ or ‘kind’. It is used in media to identify different types of film, television, programmes, music etc. Groups of signifiers can help to identify a certain genre. For example what genre of film would you associate with cowboys, horses, saloons, gunfights, sheriffs etc?

Men in Black

Watch the following extract from Men in Black. See if you can identify the genre of the film. Make a note of the signifiers that have helped you to identify the genre. What genre is Men in Black? What are the signifiers that help me to identify

the genre?




Lesson two Lesson objectives:

o What are the different types of distance shot?

Learning outcomes: By the end of the lesson students will have learnt the different types of distance shot. They will be able to identify the different distant shots from a range of shots.

Starter: o Recap (3 mins):

1) What is a media text? 2) What are signs? 3) What is the difference between signified and signifier? 4) What does the term ‘genre’ mean?

o Watch three extracts (Star Wars, Notting Hill and The Rock). Ask students to identify the genre and the signifiers that help us to identify the genre. Feedback. (10 mins)

Introduction: o Introduce objective for today’s lesson. o Hand out to students three strips of paper. On the blue strips of paper are the

names of the camera shots. On the yellow strips of paper are the visuals of the camera shots. On the red strips of paper are the descriptions of the various distance shots. Students must match up all three correctly. Students stick three columns into work book. (8 mins)

o Feedback (3 mins). Discussion of why different shots are used. To convey what? (2 mins)

Development: o Show students comic strip from the comic Ultimate Men and read through. (3 mins) o Ask students to number each of the boxes. Students should end up with 16 boxes

(2 mins). Hand out chart as the students are doing this. o Ask students to imagine that they are going to transform this cartoon strip into a

television programme and that for this to happen the director needs to receive a brief of the sequence. Explain task to students. (2 mins)

o Ask students to write the heading ‘Description of frame’ in the top box on column two. Ask students to describe what is happening in each box / frame. (8 mins)

o Now ask students to describe the shot in each of the boxes / frames. Students must also state why they think it is the shot they have said it is. (8 mins)

o Feedback answers. (5 mins) o Students pack away.

Plenary: o Put frame from cartoon strip onto OHP and reflect onto whiteboard. Ask target

students to come up to the board and look at the frame. Student must identify the shot being used and justify their decision. Repeat as necessary. (5 mins)

Resources: o Blue strips with names on o Yellow strips with visuals on o Red strips with descriptions on o Comic page o Chart in student booklet

Homework: NA



Recap – Genre

Recap questions

1) What is a media text? 2) What are signs? 3) What is the difference between signified and signifier? 4) What does the term ‘genre’ mean?

Watch the following extracts. See if you can identify the genre of film. What signifiers help you to identify the genre? Extract One What is the genre?

What signifiers help you to identify the genre?

Extract Two What is the genre?


Extract Three What is the genre?




An introduction to media language

Lesson two objectives What types of camera shot are available to a director?

Ultimate Men

Frame Description of what is in frame Type of shot used

1

2

3

4

5

6

7



Ultimate Men (contd)

Frame Description of what is in frame Type of shot used

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16




Lesson three Lesson objectives: o What are the different ways in which a camera can move? o What is the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound? o How does the use of sound in films etc improve what we are seeing on screen?

Learning outcomes: By the end of the lesson students will have learnt the different ways in which a camera can move. They will understand the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound. They will have considered the value in adding diegetic sound to moving images to make what is appearing on screen as realistic as possible. They will have learnt that non-diegetic sound is used to make us empathise with what is going on on-screen.

Starter: o Recap: what are the different types of distance shot? Show students picture of shot

and they must respond stating name of shot and why. (3 mins) o Introduce objective for today’s lesson. Ensure terms to describe different types of

camera movements are on the whiteboard. o Hand out camera frames to each student. Ask every student to stand up. Model

each movement shot in turn using camera frame. Ask students to copy movement you are making whilst repeating the name of the shot. (Pan, track, tilt, zoom, aerial, crane, arc etc). Complete process twice.

o Shout random camera movement shots out. Students to perform movement with camera frame. Keep doing until confident that students have basic understanding of different shots. (10 mins in total)

Introduction: o Direct students to worksheet on camera movement in workbook. Students have a

chart that gives the names of the different camera movements, a description and a visual. Elements of the chart are missing. Each student has different elements of the chart missing. Students should mix and match terms with other students until their chart is complete. Feedback correct answers (see teacher sheet). (10 mins)

Development: o Introduce the concept of sound both diegetic and non-diegetic. Explain the

difference between the two. Ask students to copy definition into books. (5 mins) o Show students a five minute extract from a film of your choice. Ask them to

complete chart in student workbook, identifying diegetic and non-diegetic sound within the extract. Feedback answers. (10 mins)

o Explain to students that a lot of non-diegetic sound is used to create some kind of emotion in us, to make us empathise with what is going on, on-screen. Discuss how music can influence your mood. Highlight with personal choice of music that makes you feel a) happy and b) sad. (7 mins)

Plenary: o Play students extracts from 10 tracks. Ask them to think about the music. What do

they think is happening on screen at this point? How does this piece of music make them feel? Bonus points for identifying film that score has come from. (10 mins)

Resources: o Camera frames o Camera movement worksheet for student booklet o Definition of diegetic and non-diegetic sound o Film o CD

Homework: Revise everything that has been learnt so far.



An introduction to media language and text analysis

Lesson three objectives What are the different ways in which a camera can move? What is the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic sound? How does the use of sound in films etc improve what we are seeing on screen?

Camera movements – teacher sheet

(you will need to draw visual) Name of shot Description of shot Visual of shot

Pan Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move from side to side / left to right, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Tilt Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move up and down, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Track Camera is placed on tracks that are rolled along the ground so that it can follow someone walking or running or something moving like a car

Aerial Camera is placed on a helicopter to produce an overhead shot which can either just be a visual of a city or a landscape or it can follow a person or an object

Crane The camera is placed on a crane so that it can start on ground level but can then be lifted up into the air to quite a high point

Zoom Where the camera goes from a long shot to a close up (zoom in) or a close up to a long shot (zoom out) in one single shot using the lens only

Arc Camera moves around the object in a circular movement whilst the object remains still



Camera Movements Name of shot Description of shot Visual of shot

Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move from side to side / left to right, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Tilt

Track Camera is placed on tracks that are rolled along the ground so that it can follow someone walking or running or something moving like a car

Camera is placed on a helicopter to produce an overhead shot which can either just be a visual of a city or a landscape or it can follow a person or an object

The camera is placed on a crane so that it can start on ground level but can then be lifted up into the air to quite a high point

Zoom





Pan

Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move up and down, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Track

Aerial Camera is placed on a helicopter to produce an overhead shot which can either just be a visual of a city or a landscape or it can follow a person or an object

Crane

Zoom Where the camera goes from a long shot to a close up (zoom in) or a close up to a long shot (zoom out) in one single shot using the lens only





Pan Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move from side to side / left to right, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Tilt Camera is on some form of tripod that allows it to move up and down, just as we use our heads when looking at something

Camera is placed on tracks that are rolled along the ground so that it can follow someone walking or running or something moving like a car

Aerial

Crane The camera is placed on a crane so that it can start on ground level but can then be lifted up into the air to quite a high point

Where the camera goes from a long shot to a close up (zoom in) or a close up to a long shot (zoom out) in one single shot using the lens only

Arc



Sound Diegetic sounds are the sounds that belong naturally with what can be seen in the picture, e.g. there is a dog in the street and there is the sound of a dog barking. Non-diegetic sounds are the sounds that do not come from anything that can be seen in the picture, e.g. musical score for the film or a voiceover. Task one Watch the following extract. List all the diegetic and non-diegetic sound you think is evident within the extract.

Diegetic sound Non-diegetic sound


Media Studies Introduction to key concepts Task two Listen to the following ten scores from a variety of films. For each piece of music see whether you can identify the film it comes from, the type of action you think the music is accompanying and also consider what emotions it is trying to rouse in you. How does the piece of music make you feel? Extract Film Action Emotions / feelings

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10




Lesson four

Lesson objectives: o How is tension created in the opening scene of Vanilla Sky?

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the lesson students will have recapped their previous learning. They will have watched the opening extract of Vanilla Sky and will have used all prior knowledge of camera shots, camera movements and sound to begin an analysis of the extract, looking specifically at how tension is created.

Starter:

o Recap all previous work: the different types of shot, the different ways in which a camera can move and how different sounds can evoke different feelings and represent different actions.

o Show students question and clarify what is meant by tension.

o Watch extract from Vanilla Sky. Feedback initial thoughts related to camera, sound and creation of tension.

Introduction: o Watch extract for a second time. As students are watching they need to note

down the different shots used, citing one example of each shot. They will have time to reflect on why that shot is used in-between showings. To make it easier, students could focus specifically on the scene where Tom is in his flat for this part of the assessment.

o Watch extract again. Students need to record the different types of movement the camera makes, focus specifically on the opening shots and where Tom is in his car up until the point where he reaches Times Square.

Development:

o Show extract again. Students to make note of the use of sound (both diegetic and non-diegetic). Students to reflect why sounds are included. What do the diegetic sounds add to the realism of the extract? How does the soundtrack make them feel?

o Show the extract for a fourth and final time. Teacher to provide commentary on extract to ensure students haven’t missed anything.

Plenary:

o Students to ensure they have detailed notes and at least one example of everything.

o Teacher to hand out homework sheet and go through with students. Homework to be given in one week from this lesson.

Resources:

o Vanilla Sky

o Analysis sheets in workbook

o Homework task sheet

Homework:

How has tension been created in the opening scene of Vanilla Sky? A detailed analysis.



Lesson four objectives:

How is tension created in the opening scene of Vanilla Sky?

Vanilla Sky Analysis sheet

Type of shot

Is it used?

When and why?

Extreme long shot

Long shot

Medium long shot

Medium shot

Medium close up

Close up


Media Studies Introduction to key concepts Type of shot

Is it used? When and why?

Extreme close up

Pan

Tilt

Track

Aerial

Crane

Zoom

Arc



Diegetic sound Non-diegetic sound

How does it make me feel?



An introduction to media language and text analysis

Homework task

How is tension created in the opening scene of Vanilla Sky?

Your task is to write a detailed analysis of the opening extract from Vanilla Sky commenting on how tension has been created. Your analysis should be at least one side of A4 in length. You may use your notes to help you. In your response we will be looking to see if you have:

a) a good understanding of the different types of shot used (e.g. close up, medium shot etc)

b) a good understanding of the way in which the camera moves (e.g. pan, tilt etc)

c) a good understanding of how the sound has been used to manipulate our feelings

d) how all of the above create an atmosphere of tension

Your analysis should be handed in one week today. If you need any further help, please speak to your teacher before the deadline.


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Media Studies Introduction to Key Concepts · PDF file · 2010-11-18through one more example: either action or horror. ... genre the film is and what signifiers help the audience