Article in today’s herald about the Bug documentaries and an overview of the film production company in Dunedin that created it. Important article for everyone, and especially those of you doing Schol. Start collecting, annotating and keeping these readings.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10342831
Hey dudes and dudesses,
This website has cool movie info – visit the location your fave film was made at!
http://www.famouslocations.com/index.php
If you have not viewed this you need to – it is essential for background understanding of your genre study.
Notes to accompany the film -
1895 – Execution scene in “Mary Queen of Scots” – uses a dummy but many viewers were convinced the actress had made the ‘ultimate sacrifice’!! Viewers today are not so gullible.
“A Trip to the Moon” Mellier – used split screen technique (First sci-fi film)
early 1900s Movies lost popularity. Captured popular imagination by giving them a narrative.
“Great Train Robbery” match shots with background shot separate to foreground, resulting film was a composite.
1912 – Strategically placed miniatures used to add portions of a set in “The Walls of Babylon” – glass shotsand cut outs used to increase size and detail
1920s – Ben Hur – miniatures used hanging between the camera and full scale sets to create massive scenes
Fritz Lang – Metropolis (futuristic fantasy) blended every tool available to special effects teams
Advent of sound – sound stages
1933 – King Kong – Large scale mechanical effects, stop motion animation, compelling sense of reality; background painted on glass; astonishing realism. Many techniques developed for this film still used today.
Special effects – departments start to have their own studios within major studios. When studios closed independent effects studios opened – all various departments under one roof allows for cross-pollination of ideas ends in the creation of seemingly ‘impossible’ images. (”Think tank” approach where designers share ideas)
Set designs done to make story more entertaining, dramatic and more believable to a large audience.
Take a basic conceptual idea and make it work in all the various details.
Models/miniatures are used e.g. Fox Plaza building in “Die Hard” (couldn’t damage real building)
“Ghostbusters” sculpted miniature and full size puppets – both used for stop motion process. Series of still images in rapid succession to give illusion of moving image. One technique for bringing characters to life.
1989 – “The Abyss” create illusion of futurist adventure 2000ft below ocean surface
(required all visual effects tricks known).
Dream Quest effects studio – came up with new techniques to create effects – foam core mockups of sets to recreate underwater realism. Used air to create underwater environment.
CGI innovations
Moving Images Unit standard
Note – if you talk about Elizabethan costume or dialogue you need to use specific description e.g. velvet jackets, opulent jewellery indicates wealth and status
For 1.2 it is essential to relate the text to the actual world in which it supposedly existed (this is why P.J uses archival footage of early Christchurch to firmly establish the setting and its significance to the events
For 1.1 – A main idea is a theme e.g. oppression/revenge etc NOT an event in the film.
This week our goals are –
To complete and submit first draft of Creative Writing to Ms Donald.
To have our speeches recorded and assessed
To prepare speeches for reassessment if required.
To tidy up loose ends and make sure we have achieved maximum available credits before we head into exam revision work.
Ok – time is becoming an issue here – we seriously need to think about footage (moving image) and collecting material (print media) for our productions in a big way. I am aware that some of you are onto this but for others you must get organised and make major moves with it.
Intending scholarship students – see Mr Mawer asap to register and keep up with the readings I will continue to post here.
Link for those interested is:
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/scholarship/index.html
Most of you have made a very sound attempt at this – with just a few gaps to fill. I would recommend you view the texts again in your own time making note of specific examples from the texts (Shakespeare in Love and Heavenly Creatures) that you can use to support your statements as evidence – required to complete the standard. This exercise would be worthwhile as this is a 4 credit standard so it would be a shame to have done as much work as you have to date without achieving completion.
Keep in mind also that viewing the film/s again will only enhance your revision for the coming exams. Happy Studying!!!
Achieved – Analyse specific aspects of a visual text; use supporting evidence
Merit……….convincingly
Excellence ….and with insight
ANALYSE means
showing engagement with the text
discussing specified aspects of the text
offering supporting points
detailed reference to texts
communicate clearly and coherently
SPECIFIED ASPECTS
methods/procedures to shape or craft the text (structure, narration, sound, camera techniques, lighting, props, colour etc)
could include theme, characterisation, setting, context (historical, political, social)
CONVINCINGLY
accurate, include comprehensive detail, precise, persuasive
makes its point CONVINCINGLY
Choose one question and answer for either Heavenly Creatures or Shakespeare in Love
A: How was the STYLE or STRUCTURE or NARRATIVE of the film, particularly unusual or original and why was this effective?
B: How was a main CONFLICT presented in the film? Why was it important to the text as a whole?
This article is about the REAL Juliet from the film Heavenly Creatures – read about her life since then as a leading crime novelist. Her books grapple with questions of sin and repentance – similar to the Main Idea in the film???
http://www.listener.co.nz/default,1363.sm
Here is a preliminary list of readings that you can print out and annotate to bring to the exam for the unit standard:
Bell, R. (01/03/05) Let’s face up to our drinking problem
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10113007
Available online 07/08/05
Broadcasting authority warns serial complainer (11/05/05)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10124839
Available online 07/08/05
Brown, R (02/07/05) Airing grievances
http://www.listener.co.nz/printable,4249.sm
Available online 07/08/05
Catherall, S (31/07/05) Has New Zealand’s Film Industry Bubble Burst?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10338437
Available online 07/08/05
Dunne formally complains over TV3 debate (03/08/05)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10338973
Available online 07/08/05
Homer’s 7pm language passes standards test (26/02/05)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10112678
Available online 07/08/05
Radio comments about Zaoui inaccurate, says BSA
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10335603
Available online 07/08/05
SPADA
http://www.spada.co.nz/resources/codesofpractice/codesofpractice.html#Bryson
TV One documentary unfair, says authority (10/05/05)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=10124761
Available online 07/08/05
It’s a hard road living in the perfect country
14.05.2004
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=3566550
Available online 15/08/05
Clean green image pamphlet
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/sus-dev/clean-green-image-value-aug01/summary-leaflet-aug01.pdf
