STUDIO LESSON

Establishing Shot:  Usually the first shot of a scene. Lets audience know where action is taking place. Usually a very/extreme wide shot.

Extreme Long Shot: To show scale and prove context and detail

Long Shot: Full body shot of character/object. We see more detail of the character.

Mid Long Shot: Shot of character from thighs upwards. 1/2 to 3/4 length shot. Involves the audience more into the scene and shows more detail.

Two Shot: Shot of two people

Mid Shot: Shot of character from waist upwards.

Close Up: Close shot of face/object, makes audience focus and shows detail.

Extreme Close up: Very close shot of character/object. The audience focuses more, gives insight, and detail.

High Angle Shot: High up, makes character look smaller and insignificant against setting. 

Low Angle Shot: Makes character powerful and significant. Gives status

Point of View: Puts audience in character's shoes. Involves audience, particularly used in horrors.

Over the shoulder shot: Camera shows both characters. Used in conversation. Almost makes audience feel cut out of the scene.

Canted Angle: Off Centre, Tilted, Makes audience emotionally disorientated and confused.




Pan: Camera stays still but lens moves from left to right

Zoom: Changing focal length of the lens to make subject closer and further away from frame. 

Tilt: Moving lens up or down

Track: Camera tracks subject, along with action.

Handheld: Mobile, able to make people and follow the action

Last week we learnt about the different cameras used in media, and how they function to get the best possible setting. We first explored the use of the tripod, and how you mount the camera on top of it safely.

• We also learnt how to adjust the camera for smoother pans and tilts. 

• We then moved onto the cameras.

There were 3 types of camera: Sony NX5, Sony FS100 and Canon 5D.

Sony NX5

Sony FS100

Canon 5D

• The two Sony’s had a zoom option, however the canon 5D is an interchangeable lens, which means it cannot zoom in or out. 
• We learnt how to insert the batteries into each device, and how to focus for the sharpest possible setting. 
• For the Sony cameras, you must zoom in on a spot and use the focus lens manually.
• Because the canon 5D is interchangeable, you must measure the distance between the subject and the lens. Then adjust the focus lens to that certain distance. 
• We also learnt how to use white balance. White Balance is important as it makes the shot look as natural as possible. We use a white balance board to focus on and then adjust the setting to the most white and natural looking tinge of that board. 
• We then practised using these techniques so we know what to do when filming our thriller sequences.

White Balance Focus Board

The viewer's denotation is initially a film poster called “Valentine’s Day” and many pictures of close ups of people altogether in a pink love heart. The background is black and the credits are in pink and blue.

Our first impression of this poster is that it’s an upbeat romantic comedy. The title itself “Valentine’s Day” refers to the annual celebration of love, and the images are bordered in the shape of a fun pink heart. Together, this determines to the audience of what genre and style the film will be. 


The font of the title and the credits are curvy, modern and colourful. Which emits a sense of happiness and fun. The actor’s credits are typed in blue, and the actresses are in pink. This represents the stereotype of blue being a masculine colour and pink for feminine. The blue and pink stereotype used here tell us that the film is simply about girls and boys, and there is no added dramatic twist to the story. 
The film has a crisp black background, which really emphasises the image of the heart and the text shown to us. The block colours of black, white, pink and blue suggest that it’s going to be a fun and simple film for the young audience that it’s targeting. 

There are multiple images all of different characters shown within the heart. Multiple images of different characters are commonly used in Romantic Comedies, to show that this film will not be focusing on just one story, and that there are no protagonists present. The audience will be introduced to many different stories and situations. Romantic Comedies such as ‘Love Actually’ and ‘New Years Eve’ typically go for this approach to show to the viewer that there are many different sides to love. This imaging feature is now so common with romantic comedies, that we have associated and conditioned the two together. So as soon as we see the multiple close ups, we immediately identify the genre to be a romantic comedy. 

 The images are all close ups of the characters, most of which are smiling; which suggests the happiness and light-hearted element of the film. However some characters (such as the characters played by Emma Roberts and Jamie Foxx) are not smiling, which may suggest a hint of tragedy and disappointment in the film. This intrigues the viewer as we realise that we will receive a variety of different scenarios. 

(This poster uses photoshop editing)

There is no advanced editing on this poster. The design is simple and realistic. No special effect editing has been used such as translucent layering. (For example, this feature is used in the movie poster of ‘The Lovely Bones’) This tells the audience that it is a naturalistic story with believable characters and there will not be any hidden agendas or spiritual elements. 

One key feature of every movie poster is the director and actor’s credits. This poster in particular really stands out to a wide range of people due to the amount of famous actors that star in the film. Famous actor’s such as Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift and Patrick Dempsey all appeal. The audience may be a big fan of one particular person or they may be think that the film will be good as it includes all these talented artists, therefore they will go and see the film. 


This advertisement feature is also used for directors. The poster doesn’t specifically name the director (Gary Marshall); instead, it mentions his other works. “From the director of Pretty Woman” People who have seen and loved Pretty Woman may be interested in seeing this film as they know it will be good and somewhat similar to what they know and love. 

• The setting is established immediately through the audio and room of the bunker.
• There are realistic Wartime props, such as the propaganda posters and rationing. The slow camera pans really highlight the amount of meticulous care that the director took in terms of props
• The props such as the clock and documents suggest that the characters are frequently down there, and also give the audience a sense of time that was taking place.
• The slow camera pans at the beginning – we see the pipes above the bunker. This creates a feeling of emptiness and scale but also entrapment as we see how far underground it is. We begin to ask how big is it down there?
• We hear Churchill’s speech with distant bomb sounds, of which we immediately recognise that to be WWII.
• There is a lack of speech: No one talks in this clip. The only diegetic sounds are the speech and the bombs. This makes the audience feel uncomfortable, as we do not know who the characters are and what happened to them. We want to keep watching to find out what happened to these characters.
• The music used is slow and creepy. This is really effective in building tension as it makes the audience uncomfortable.
• Some of the camera shots used when the explorer are inspecting documents and papers, go on for too long and lose the interest of the audience. I would cut down those shots and maybe add a variety of inspecting shots instead of one long shot.
• The font used is curvy like a typewriter. However I think the director could have used a sharper and more old-fashioned font, which would resemble more to a typewriter. The font used looks new and looks very ‘comicy’ and upbeat which contradicts the mood and genre of the film.
• The title card is ‘typed like a typewriter’ which I think is really effective however I think should stay on the screen for longer to drag out the suspense and fear that the audience are still feeling after the jump.
• The use of rapid translucent frames foreshadows the upcoming events in the film

• We originally feel sorry and scared for the girl, as she is in the middle of the blitz and is innocent. Because she is a child we have immediate protective instincts and therefore we care for and trust her.
• But presently we then begin to become afraid for the explorer, as we know something bad has happened in that bunker 60 years ago. We are afraid of the girl now.
• We see a photograph on the desk of a man in army uniform, in what we assume is her father. Perhaps this is the shadow man?
• The shadow is really effective as this emits power and fear because we don’t know what he looks like. His identity is hidden from the audience. That feeling of the unknown is what makes the audience fear him.
• The camera shots are really effective such as the close up of the clown toy. It’s old and abandoned, just like the little girl in the present day. The audience feels uncomfortable and tense from the toy.
• The director uses the same technique of the shadow of the man and the shadow of the girl. This is really effective as we wonder if the same thing will happen to the explorer as it did to the girl 60 years prior. The shadows are also the same height, which suggests that the girl has grown up, and leaves us questioning what exactly happened to her.
• As we see the same use of the shadow, (which we subconsciously link to the shadow man)
• The climax of the tension is the explorer turning around to see the girl standing above him and wearing a gas mask. The music here creates a horrible clanging sound to make the audience jump.
• The rest of the film may have flashbacks between what happened to the girl and what will happen to the explorer. Perhaps the explorer will be trying to escape the bunker but finding out more about the mystery on the way. We know that we will find out what will happen to the girl because of the massive time jump used in the opening sequence.

“Because I know things that you do not know.” As this narration is said, we see a clip of someone picking up a telephone and then the Manchester Police Department call centre. Because the narration was placed as that clip was shown, together these two clips again foreshadows the key feature of telephones and hints to the viewer of what the film is about.  

“If you cannot commit to this then please leave the room.” This simple narration shows Turing’s wit, and therefore reveals to the viewer that there will be a comedic take upon it as well. The character clearly thinks highly of himself and shows no guilt in his actions or choice of words. Turing thinks of himself as a genius and as we are shown visuals of machinery along with the affiliation of the MI6, the audience trusts him as we understand that he is a genius and therefore knows what he is talking about.