3.1 Post Mock Peer Assess & Sexuality

Overall the mocks were a very promising start so a good term's work well done. To improve some of the key issues are as follows:

• All units of drama (ie scenes) ought to covered across the clip - the guy with the alarm, the men in the bar, the confrontation between David Walliams and the Alpha Male character
• Shot Rev Shot will be a reoccurring editing convention in TV drama - it is how dialogue is filmed and crates conflict & therefore power & status - it also needs to be mentioned
• Props - the ring represents ownership, ie she is owned by her husband, when in reality she is in control of the whole situation
• The whole purpose of the clip is to that they are running a con - the dumb blonde/sex object is the same women at the end. They manipulate David Walliams by using stereotypes of Gender - this is highly relevant and for high Level 4 response ought to be discussed.
• Terminology was rather weaker and is an area for improvement for all students 
• There was v good discussion of power/status but little in terms of challenge/re-enforce stereotypes which would have opened up discussion of justifying this as 'working the con' (see point above)

Work your way through the following tasks to go over the review the Hustle clip

1. Read over the exemplar answer and match up the Explanation/Analysis/Argument to the Examples. In order words match up the Red & Blue statements - do this in teams of 4 to rebuild the exemplar essay response

This is to review how your point must be backed up by examples and analysis

2.  Identify print screen examples of the following terminology from the Hustle sequence - present this as a Prezi

• Pan
• Composition
• Diegetic
• Close Up
• High Angle
• Low Angle
• Match On Action
• Prominence
• Long Shot
• Cross cutting
• Proxemic Codes
• Shot Rev Shot
• Tilt
• Two Shot
• Whip Pan
• Handheld camera
• Wipe
• Location
• Prop
• Costume

3. Finally take what you have learned about gender & apply to the representation of Sexuality - record a Photobooth presentation of your groups analysis of the clips use of Stereotypes, Power/status, Who's POV/side are we on?

Consider how the following specific aspects create meaning:

Lighting
Costume (or lack of) & Location (remember attitudes/opinions change over time so what does it tell you about attitudes to sexuality in the time this is set?)
Colours
Camera use of close ups (Male Gaze? or Female?)
Editing (remember the basics - transitions, cutting, narrative, pace etc)
Soundtrack
Composition (space in the shot between characters)

Post this onto your TV drama blogs and email me the link so i can mark it - if your group thriller blog is not linked on my thriller blog then email me this link also - rbr@leighacademy.org.uk

Merry Christmas

Mock Prep Recap on Editing - match em up

Present answers from the Information Search - 10 questions Boxer & Trainer 
Girls Vs Boys

G322 Exam Prep

Mock Prep

Copy of Representation in TV Drama revision - G322 #reigatemedia on Prezi

G322 Mark Scheme (2011) from Armthorpe Media

Note taking advice for the TV drama exam - read over

Note taking – have your answer booklet open, ready to use.

Key Questions during the first screening:

1. What are the units of drama (or sequences)?
2. Who are the key REPRESENTATION characters?
3. Is representation of (see question) positive, negative or sympathetic for any group?
4. Is the style of verisimilitude (naturalism) used? If not, what is - and why?

At the end of the first screening, start to make a list of the units of drama. Don’t leave spaces for notes – you will do this in the gap between screenings 2 and 3 – but allow a little room to add in any units you have forgotten. During the second screening, tick off the units you have written down and add any that you missed.

Key questions during the second screening

1. Who are the key STATUS characters? Does status change? Why?
2. When does the non-diegetic music start and stop? Why?
3. Is the camera stable or unstable? Does it change? Why?
4. Look for unusual camera shots – eg low angles, tilts, bird’s eyes?
5. Are there any obvious editing sequences – eg montages, shot-reverse-shot, transitions other than cuts?

At the end of the second screening, in the five minute gap, do the following:

1. Check your list of drama units and re-write them down the left hand margin of one or two blank pages in your answer book using landscape format. Leave 4 or 5 lines between each unit.
2. Write Camera Editing Sound MES mise en scene

as columns across the top of each page you use.

3. Check you have answers to all of the key questions for screenings 1 & 2 above.
4. Write a couple of sentences describing the overall representation message.

During the third screening

1. Fill in detail notes on your grid for drama units 1, 3, 5 etc.
2. This will allow you to finish your notes for drama unit 1 whilst unit 2 is on etc.

During the fourth screening

3. Fill in detail notes on your grid for drama units 2, 4, 6 etc.
4. This will allow you to finish your notes for drama unit 2 whilst unit 3 is on etc.

Finally, scan your notes grid and key questions to make sure you know what techniques really construct the representation of (see question) as positive, negative, sympathetic or unsympathetic. This will be your conclusion!

Essay structure

When you write the essay, follow the units of drama (sequences), commenting on each of the elements (the four bullet points). You do not have to give a separate sentence to each element: if you are writing about eg the third unit of drama, you could write a sentence that covers two or three elements if they are clearly linked in the way they contribute to meaning.

Do not write an introduction – go straight into the answer. Open your essay with comment on the first shot we see. Usually this is an establishing long shot – but not always.

Finish your essay with a brief conclusion summing up whether the representation of this group is positive or negative throughout the extract, linking briefly to key moments of technique that make this message come across.

Mod 2 Wk 4 Thursday AM Lesson

Stereotype Roles - Framework Step 1 - Identify & Describe behaviours Masculine or Feminine

Name the Roles

Homework Thursday AM Media Class - IT Crowd Are We Not Men?

IT Crowd Are We Not Men? (this is a sitcom btw not a TV Drama)

Respond to this post (comments below) with your opinions

How does this episode demonstrate the statement that "Gender is a Performance (an act)"

Discuss with evidence of key scenes/sections from the story focusing on how it is using Masculinity & Femininity

What are the characteristics of the "Post-Masculine Man"

Homework Tuesday AM Media Class

Homework Task:

Paired Presentation - Analysis of Gender in TV Drama sequence

1. Watch the sequence you were allocated


2. Listen to the commentaries the other class recorded for that sequence


3. Identify the stills they are discussing in the sequence and print screen MES/SOUND/CAM examples 

4. For each Technical Aspect create a slide with a key analytical quote from the soundtrack of how the CAM MES SOUND construct gendered meaning (masculine MES or feminine CAM)

Put your slides into a slideshow using http://studio.stupeflix.com/en/ and import the sound from the commentary

MARTIN - DO THIS WITH TOBY HE WILL NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT HE MISSED.
The Street - up to 2 mins
Mad Men - up to 3.53 mins

Week 3 Gender in Context/Dr Who Animatic

Set Work for Tuesday 20th - Gender

Hi All here is your set work:

Your Team Leaders are Debbie Toby Sophie - it is their job to ensure you complete the work required and to assist you in any questions

Here are the Team tasks for the first lesson...

1. Create a Stereotypes Mood Board of 20 images of different characters from TV dramas that represent the 6 social groups we are studying ie: Age Effy from Skins represents Youth, Dot from Eastenders represents the elderly etc...

Post this to your Team Leaders blog

2. Mad Men Avatar. Present your Mad Men Avatars - take screen captures of each and put the images into Garageband (if not then construct quickly 1 for each person) and record a commentary that defines REPRESENTATION using the following words

http://www.amctv.com/madmenyourself/

• Exaggerate/Distort
• Reflect an element of Truth
• To stand in for
• Constructed
• Masculinity
• Femininity
• Costume
• Appearance
• Hairstyle

Export the Video and upload to youtube > embed to your Team Leaders blog

3. Brain Gym. Each Team comes up with actions to mime each of the Terminology words for your allocated Technical area - record yourselves performing these using Photobooth on the macs & upload to youtube>then embed on Team Leaders Blog

Team Debbie - MES

Team Sophie - CAM & SOUND

Team Toby - EDIT

Go around the class and get them to copy your Brain Gym actions - practice you will need to remember them for next task today (& quiz next week!)

Break

4. What is Gender? Watch the following clips & come up with a list of 20 associations with masculinity & femininity - use the sugar paper & pens provided,  photo and put on Team leaders' blog

Think about:

• Roles
• Behaviours
• Attitudes

5. How do you Gender Camera Shots. Categorise the Camera shots as masculine or feminine.

Check your learning with the other group - this will prepare you for...

7. Group Presentation - Analysis of Gender in TV Drama sequences

Collect stills (print screens) as evidence and examine how the sequence uses/builds Gender.

Import your stills into Garageband and record a video commentary answering the questions

1. What gendered stereotypes roles do the characters represent?
2. What stereotypical attitudes or behaviours do they re-enforce/challenge?
3. Who has the power/status - who is dominant (why)?
4. How is gender constructed through CAM?
5. How is gender constructed through MES?
6. How is gender constructed through SOUND?

Export your presentation as a Video > upload to Youtube > embed to your blog

Team Debbie

Team Toby (lots of swearing!)

Team Sophie (up to 3:30)

Doctor Who Storyboarding Task

Script Link