cinematography research

http://www.slideshare.net/mattheworegan/cinematography-lesson-2-development-of-cinematography?qid=67ff6e58-9430-48a0-bf55-29f9dec2fd1a&v=default&b=&from_search=1

Cinematography - Cinematography is the science or art of motion picture photography by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light sensitive material such as film stock.
Cinematographers work very closely with the directors onto which shot would be the best for the scene. They shoot the scene from numerous angles to determine which one would suit the scene best, and what they were trying to portray. Conventional camera shots usually differ with each genre. For example, big battle films such as Gladiator usually switch between long shots showing the battles, and then switching to quick motion shots. 
Cinematography is a symbolic code, which is often used to establish the start of a film. Establishing shots are used to display the setting and make the audience feel a certain way. An example of an effective establishing shot is seen at the beginning of Star Wars: 
This is a very good example of how cinematography is used to add a sense of suspense. The shot stays in the exact same place revealing space and the planets below, then, stays in the same place as the large threatening ship flies over. The use of cinematography helps portray a sense of dread to the audience that the director wants them to have towards this ship. 
The art of cinematography has evolved a lot since its founding. It is widely used as a symbolic and technical code to promote feelings to the audience.  It also helps establish the film and makes the film more interesting to audiences. 

A convention of cinematography in the horror genre is the shots that illustrate how isolated the victim is, usually through the use of wide shots to show the isolated location. The lighting used in the horror genre is usually very dark in places, with light being focused in another section to illuminate a part of the victims face, an example of this convention is in the horror film “The Exorcist" :

This shot is a very common convention of cinematography, as it is used to make the atmosphere for the movie. The lighting used in this shot highlight the character, whilst there is darkness all around him. This is supposed to add a sense of foreboding towards the area the character is in, but also to portray the character as the light in the dark, connoting good feelings towards him. 

 

This cinematographic convention is also seen here in a shot from “The Shining", were the villains face on the right side is highlighted, whilst his left is darker, this makes the villain seem more foreboding and menacing and combined with the threatening expression on his face it helps portray the villain as being part of the darkness.

Cinematography movement

Cinematography uses all sorts of camera shots and angles, and cinematographers and directors work together closely, sometimes shooting a scene from each angle and shot until they find the one that they feel is best.

As I have studied TV drama at AS level I know the camera movements used heavily by cinematographers, the main shots used are:

·        Pan- A shot that moves sideways over a straight line.

·        Tilt- A shot the moves up and down

·        Dolly- A shot that moves the camera forwards and backwards

·        Track- A shot that tracks characters or an object in the scene.

·        Pedestal- In a pedestal move, the camera will physically be lowered or elevated.

·        Zoom- When the camera zooms in on an event or zooms out.

These are the basic shots used by cinematographers when filming a scene; the process is usually very long as the scene will usually be shot from different angles and shots until one version of the scene is decided to go into the final cut.

Conventions of horror in Jaws opening scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7acI5z9vyok

http://www.slideshare.net/tomjmcleod/codes-and-conventions-42005246?qid=8b11e28f-dd2e-4cc9-96ba-f06a0dcdd336&v=default&b=&from_search=5

As the scene opens it is almost immediately evident that the teenagers who are having a party are in a isolated location. This is a very common convention in the horror genre and is seen a lot in various films. The isolated location is supposed to portray a senses of loneliness, and suppose to connote that there will be no one coming to help the victims. The mise-en-scene of the surrounding area that the teenagers are in is very dark in the beginning, the only light being the fire. 

Another convention that is immediately showcased is the fact that two teenagers run off, away from the safety of the group. This is another convention of the horror genre as the villain usually strikes when the victim is isolated from a bigger group of people. The fact that such heavy emphasis is made through camera shots and long panning shots that they are isolated promotes the idea that something bad is going to happen to the two teenagers that have separated from the group. Which is another convention in the horror genre. 

The convention of isolation is then re enforced when on of the teenagers jumps into the sea, which is blackened still despite the rising sun. The teenager in the sea is even more isolated as the other teenager has passed out on the beach, meaning that the teenager in the sea is even more venerable.

The suspense that is portrayed by camera shots showing what seems to be the approach of the shark is another convention of the horror genre. Very rarely are victims usually dispatched straight away, there is always suspense built through the use of the soundtrack and camera shots.

The scene ends after an unsettling scene were the teenage swimming is being attacked by the shark. The use of a long shot displaying the terror is also a convention, as horror films genuinely do not shy away was showing the death of the victims. 

conventions of horror movie posters.

http://www.slideshare.net/TiffanyVanessah0512/conventions-of-horror-posters?qid=f0994d62-1f10-4003-95d7-8679113d213d&v=default&b=&from_search=1

• One thing that was very apparent when researching horror movie posters, is that in all the different sub- genres of horror, such as : Teen horror, Gothic horror.  An example of this is when researching Gothic horror conventions, I found that all Gothic horror posters use different, less threatening colors than posters for teen horror. I then found out that this was because Gothic horror usually features stories in which ghosts are the villains. 

Terminology

CODES AND CONVENTIONS. 

http://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/Media-concepts/Codes-and-conventions

Codes-  Codes are a system of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided up into two categories-technological and symbolic. 

Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for example, camera work in film.

symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. For example how the character is feeling and the reasoning behind their actions.

Some fit into both categories, such as music and dietetic sound. 

Conventions are what we expect to see in the particular genre. For example,  in a western, audiences expect to see a lot of dust and horses and saloon, where as in a horror genre, the audience expect to see  a lot of blood and gore and jump scares. 

Here are some examples of conventions in certain genres : 

http://www.slideshare.net/jadelhage/genre-research-41797210?qid=818fcc5f-7b1c-45cc-b360-ad62e0f22ce7&v=qf1&b=&from_search=4

 

 These are some of the normal conventions in the comedy genre. The PowerPoint also touches on a sub- genre of comedy which is also known for having set conventions. Urban comedy and normal comedic films may differ in a lot of things. For example, Urban comedies are usually set in very poor urban areas like films such as " attack on the block" or "anuvahood", but the content is usually similar with slapstick violence and over the top characters.  The difference between the two is that normal comedic films usually are set in places that would con notate happiness such as pars or wealthy places, to give the audience connotations of happiness to help the humor of the film work. 

How to get a grade B

What I understand about the mark scheme?

·         I have to communicate detailed knowledge of media concepts (know about media in a detailed way, e.g.  conventions in different genres and types of camera shots)

·         Put your argument across well and back it up throughout.

·         Keep your answer well-structured and know what you are talking about.

·         Have meaning for your content and have meaning throughout your answer. 

·         Develop my research skill and show how they have evolved.

How will I get a grade B?

·         Show how I planned and researched my answer by taking screenshots of various power points and mind maps I’ve done and putting them on my blog.

·         Showcase that I know the target audience of each genre and show similarities in the conventions of different genres.

·         Make sure my time management is on point

·         Keep work to a consistent high standard

Conventions and codes in the horror genre