Key Media Terms Test - Set 1

 Click HERE to take the test. That's it... easy-peasy.

Audience Involvement

Watch the presentation, then attempt the task below.
Task: Watch three clips from sci-fi, rom-com and horror films. Identify as many techniques of audience positioning as possible.
Screen shoot your findings (cmd shift 3) and post them to your blog.  Post title - audience involvement.

Extension task:  Using a still camera (or you phone) create a series of shots that demonstrate your understanding of the concept of audience positioning techniques.

Key Media Terms - Revise

Read and revise the ten terms in Set 1 of the Key Terms for a test - Tues p5.
The link is above, on the menu bar.
Please note!  You will be marked on spelling.

Playing with Narratives

Watch the slideshow below and then attempt the set task.



Look again at Emily's story...

Emily and the Dragon.
Emily was tired of watching wimpy princes trying to get rid of the local dragon, so she decided to have a go herself. Soon she came upon the dragon who was singeing the top of a freckle-faced boy's head.
Being a resourceful princess, Emily set a trap for the dragon and then tricked him into following her..
"You're just a silly girl, and even though it's hardly worth it, i'm going to toast you to a crisp and have you for pudding' boomed the dragon. Just then, the branches he was standing on gave way, and he fell down a very deep well, his fire put out once and for all.
Emily returned to the boy.
'What's your name?' she asked.
'Prince Matthew' said the boy.
'That'll do nicely,' said Emily. 'Where do you live?'
'In Happy-Ever-After,' he replied.
'That'll do nicely too,' said Emily.
And with that, she and Matthew rode off together to Happy-Ever-After.

Task: Re-tell the story using one or more of the subversions, it might help to visualise it as a film first. Change the original version so that the narrative no longer follows the same path.

Work directly into a new blog post.
Make sure you state which of the subversive narrative techniques you are using for your idea.

Narrative Subversions
Flashback - Where a section of the story is referred back to.
e.g. You could start the narrative in the middle of the story where Emily is just about to get eaten, then flashback to the beginning.  The audience might imagine that Emily really does get eaten, this would add interest to your film.

Flashforward - Where a section from the future of story is shown before it would normally happen.
e.g. Emily is seen laying branches and leaves over the well in preparation for the dragon.  She then wistfully imagines a future event, that of the dragon missing he well and gobbling her up.  She shakes her head to bring her back to reality and the job at hand.

Twist - Where part of the film (often the end) is shocking, unpredictable or stands out as being different from the audience’s expectations.
e.g. Prince Matthew turns out to be her brother.

Parallel narrative (Multiple protagonist) - Where the lives and stories of the characters move alongside each other. These protagonists may have separate goals, but their lives are linked in some way.
e.g. We see Emily getting ready for the battle (laying branches) intercut with the dragon preparing for the fight (breathing fire).  This could take place in a montage.

A Boy Named Sue - Extension task

eTask 1:
Watch the Johnny Cash clip of him singing at Folsom Prison.
Read the lyrics and then describe how the narrative fits into Todorov's theory.  Use stills from the video or Cash's life to enhance your presentation.

eTask 2:
Find more examples of songs that fit into this structure.

eTask 3:
Find a film or music star (Johnny Cash is a great example) who has had an 'interesting' life.  Seeif you can fit their story in to the theory.

Todorov’s Stages	Applied to...
1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption
5. Reinstatement of equilibrium

Task - Todorov's Narrative Theory

Copy and Paste the info below into a new blog post.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
3 tasks.

1.  Read the mini-saga and complete the grid below.

Emily and the Dragon.
Emily was tired of watching wimpy princes trying to get rid of the local dragon, so she decided to have a go herself. Soon she came upon the dragon who was singeing the top of a freckle-faced boy's head.
Being a resourceful princess, Emily set a trap for the dragon and then tricked him into following her..
"You're just a silly girl, and even though it's hardly worth it, i'm going to toast you to a crisp and have you for pudding' boomed the dragon. Just then, the branches he was standing on gave way, and he fell down a very deep well, his fire put out once and for all.
Emily returned to the boy.
'What's your name?' she asked.
'Prince Mathew' said the boy.
'That'll do nicely,' said Emily. 'Where do you live?'
'In Happy-Ever-After,' he replied.
'That'll do nicely too,' said Emily.
And with that, she and Matthew rode off together to Happy-Ever-After.

Todorov’s Stages	Todorov applied to 'Emily and the Dragon.'
1. Equilibrium	We meet key character Emily and find out that she wants to kill the dragon
2. Disruption
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption
5. Reinstatement of equilibrium

2. In pairs or small groups, identify each of the stages in a film you know well.

Name of film:

Todorov’s Stages	Applied to one of the films
1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption
5. Reinstatement of equilibrium

3. Think of your own simple narrative featuring a small girl or boy. Write a 50 word story
that follows Todorov's narrative structure.

(Title of your story)
(Write your story here....)

Todorov’s Stages	Applied to your story
1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption
5. Reinstatement of equilibrium

Task 4 - Narrative

Homework

For Friday's lesson - Complete the 'Film Pitch' tasks up to number 5.

FIlm Pitch

Task: Prepare a developed film pitch around the following idea:

New technology has made space travel even easier. Led by a female Captain and a male First Officer, NASA launches a revolutionary spaceship that can travel through the universe using the technique of 'Space Folding' making it possible to travel vast distances. The journey is very exciting, and takes the crew to a new world where the inhabitants have strange but seemingly peaceful customs. The humans then realise that all is not as it first appeared and must work out a plan to escape and get back to Earth - but not without tragedy, love and an unexpected twist of fate...

1. Continue writing the synopsis above until you have explained the film in more detail

2. Give your film a title and explain your reasons.

3. Next, a cool/clever tagline is needed to get the main point of the film across succinctly.

4. Cast the main parts and explain your choices.

5. You also need a director?? Who's that going to be? Explain your choice.

Extension tasks:

6. Look through a range of typefaces that could be used for the title of your film. Present your final choice with annotations that highlight your choices.

7. Using images from the web, design a poster for the film.