Film - My Media Experience

Working within a group

Working within a group to create film was a an enjoyable experience as being in a team is something I personally enjoy. Our class was split into two groups of three and given one camera each. We were assigned to go out and gather teachers, students and prospective students to interview as well as recording footage of the college grounds. While the gathering of interviewees was ongoing, the other camera was used to collect footage of the college grounds.

A simple questionairre had been prepared earlier so the interviews ran smoothly and efficiently. The broad array of people interviewed, ranging from past, current and prospective students, guests and teachers gave a good indication of the type of courses the college offers.

What I have learned

During the academic year I feel I have learned a great deal about Media, film production, media theory, social stereotypes, mass media influence, etc. It has given me an understanding and appreciation for aspects of media and film that I would never have thought of previously. I also improved my creative abilities in media far beyond what they had been previous to the academic year.

In terms of interviewing people, having gained knowledge of things such as mise en scene, soviet montage, appropiate camera angles & shots, how film has evolved, all really helped me become a better media student. This was very good knowledge to have when recording interviews and other pieces. In the planning of this open day shoot I used what I had learned from my lessons on camera angles & shots and put it into practice.

These shots above came in very useful for shooting our interviews and I also took notes on these camera shots for future reference. These shots are not full body shots as it would be hard to see the persons face and you wouldn't be able to see there facial expressions, which is good for interviews.

Communication models and Communications In Contemporary Society

What Reasons Do We Have to Communicate?

Models of communication are conceptual models used to explain the human communication process. The first major model for communication came in 1949 and was conceived by Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver for Bell Laboratories. Following the basic concept, communication is the process of sending and receiving messages or transferring information from one part (sender) to another (receiver).

The Communication Process can be broken down into several commonly accepted steps that are comprised of the following components:

The Sender – This is the individual or group who is initiating the message.  This message can be verbal or non-verbal, can be ongoing or a one-off, can be conscious or unconscious.  The Sender can also be referred to as the Communicator.

The Receiver – There must be a message sent if there is one to be received.  The Receiver – sometimes known as the Interpreter – is the individual or group to whom the message is sent.  Sometimes, a message received was one that was not necessarily intended to be.

The Message – This is the particular content that is sent and received. 

The Channel – (or Medium) is the means by which the message is sent.  Some common channels are: spoken voice/telephone/radio/television, written word, computer,

The Context – This is the setting or environment in which the message is conveyed

Feedback – This is the response by the Receiver as to the success of the communication

The Models of Communication

The purpose of a “model” is to offer a visual representation of a concept with the intent of facilitating the understanding of it. Traditionally speaking, there are three standard models of the communication process: 

·      Linear

·      Interactive

·      Transactional

Each offers a slightly different perspective on the communication process.

Models of the Communication Process

The Linear Communication Model

Shannon and Weaver were the first to present the Linear Model of Communication in 1949′s The Mathematical Theory of Communication.  We’re going to discuss more about these two in our imminent Theories of Communication article. Suffice to say that this theory has become less relevant in inverse proportion to the advances of communication technology, specifically non-linear forms of electronic communication where it’s not always clear who is the sender and who is the receiver.

There’s a bit of a debate about the Linear Communication model and how it recognizes (or doesn’t recognize) the concept of feedback.  The linear model’s behavior is belied by its name, where a sender encodes a message via a channel and the message is decoded by the receiver.  It is straight-line communication found typically in mass communication; think television, radio, newspapers, etc. According to this model, there is no means for immediate feedback.

Interactive Communication Model

Simply put, the Interactive Model takes the Linear Model and multiplies it times two with a quick flip of the return message. It now allows for a feedback element because after a message is encoded and sent to the decoding receiver, the roles then reverse and the receiver encodes and sends a response to the original sender who has now turned receiver.  It sounds more confusing than it is.  Envision an exchange of text messages whereby your friend sends you a message and you respond to it.  The same thing happens during a telephone call, or even an email exchange.  A message is sent and received, then the roles reverse.  That is the Interactive Model. models of communication

Transactional Communication Model

The Transactional Model becomes more sophisticated yet. This model depicts face-to-face interaction, or “trans-action” as a dynamic and changeable process that is not limited to simple definition.  In the Transactional Model, receiver and sender can play the same roles simultaneously, as sometimes happens, as messages can be sent back and forth simultaneously.  It appears chaotic and ineffective, but sometimes communication is just that.  Throw in some noise, and it would be a wonder whether any message is conveyed successfully in this environment.

Berlo's SMCR Model of Communication

In 1960, David Berlo postulated Berlo's Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR) Model of Communication from Shannon Weaver's Model of Communication (1949). He described factors affecting the individual components in the communication making the communication more efficient. This model also focuses on encoding and decoding which happens before sender sends the message and before receiver receives the message respectively.

Components of Berlo's Model of Communication

Berlo's Model has mainly, four components to describe the communication process. They are sender, message, channel and receiver. Each of the component is affected by many factors.

S -Sender

Sender is the source of the message or the person who originates the message. The person or source sends the message to the receiver. The following are the factor related to sender and is also the same in the case of receiver:

·       Communication Skills:
Communication skills of a person is a factor that affects the communication process. If the sender has good communication skills, the message will be communicated better than if the sender's communication skills are not good. Similarly, if the receiver can not grasp the message, then the communication will not be effective. Communication skills include the skills to speak, present, read, write, listening, etc.

·       Attitude:
The attitude of the sender and the receiver creates the effect of the message. The person's attitude towards self, the receiver and the environment changes the meaning and effect of the message.

·       Knowledge:
Familiarity with the subject of the message makes the communicated message have its effect more. Knowledge on the subject matter makes the communicator send the message effectively.

·       Social Systems:
Values, beliefs, laws, rules, religion and many other social factors affect the sender's way of communicating the message. It creates difference in the generation of message. Place and situation also fall under social systems.

·       Culture:
Cultural differences make messages different. A person from one culture might find something offensive which is very much accepted in another culture.

M-Message

A message is the substance that is being sent by the sender to the receiver. It might be in the form of voice, audio, text, video or other media. The key factors affecting the message are

·       Content:
Content is the thing that is in the message. The whole message from beginning to end is the content.

·       Elements:
Elements are the non verbal things that tag along with the content like gestures, signs, language, etc.

·       Treatment:
Treatment is the way in which the message is conveyed to the receiver. Treatment also effects the feedback of the receiver.

·       Structure:
The structure of the message or the way it has been structured or arranged, affects the effectiveness of the message.

·       Code:
Code is the form in which the message is sent. It might be in the form of language, text, video, etc.

C-Channel

Channel is the medium used to send the message. In mass communication and other forms of communication, technical machines might be used as a channel like telephone, internet, etc. But in general communication, the five senses of a human being is the channel for the communication flow and it affects the effectiveness of the channel.

·       Hearing- We receive the message through hearing.

·       Seeing- We perceive through seeing. We also get non-verbal messages by seeing.

·       Touching- Many of the non-verbal communication happens from touching like holding hands.

·       Smelling- We collect information from smelling.

·       Tasting- Taste also provides the information to be sent as a message.

R- Receiver

Receiver is the person who gets the message sent in the process. This model believes that the thinking pattern and all other factors mentioned above must be in sync to that of the sender for the communication to be effective. The message might not have the same effect as intended if the receiver and sender are not similar. The receiver must also have a very good listening skill. Other factors are similar to that of the sender.

·       Communication skills

·       Attitudes

·       Knowledge

·       Social Systems

·       Culture

Criticisms of Berlo's SMCR Model:

·       There is no concept of feedback, so the effect is not considered.

·       There is no concept of noise or any kind of barriers in communication process.

·       It is a linear model of communication, there is no two way communication.

·       Both of the people must be similar according to all the factors mentioned above.

Bibliography

http://thecommunicationprocess.com/models-of-communication/

https://www.businesstopia.net/communication/berlo-model-communication

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_communication

How filmmaking has evolved

Since the invention of the movie camera in the late 1800's filmmaking has been evolving at a steady pace. In the beginning, directors tended to use one continuous shot as opposed to several edited together and it wasn't until 1927 when 'The Jazz Singer' was released did synchronised dialogue really make its mark in the filmmaking world.

One of the most popular silent movies was 'A Trip to the Moon (1902). Directed by and starring Georges Méliès it follows a group of astronomers who travel to the moon, led by Méliès who plays the role of Professor Barbenfouillis.

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Containing minimal editing, and using a series of single shots, A Trip to the Moon is regarded as the earliest example of the science fiction genre and is an influence on the music video 'Tonight, Tonight by the band Smashing Pumpkins, who use the plot of A Trip to the Moon but with faster, more modern editing.

In the Smashing pumpkins video, the costumes, makeup and overall art direction pays homage to that in A Trip to the Moon. Instead of the iconic scene of the rocket-ship crashing into the moon's eye, the 2 astronomers parachute down onto the moon using their umbrellas. 

One of the earliest films to utilise editing was Life of an American Fireman (1903).



Synchronous sound
Before sound could be captured simultaneously to picture, there was the golden age of silent films. This era was famous for over the top (slapstick) acting, the use of inter-titles (titles between shots), and live-music accompaniment to films in theatres. Even early projectionists are credited to have done live sound effects for films too (surely one of the most fun jobs in the last century). But it all meant there were narrative limitations.

The process of synching sound had been achieved in 1914 with The Photo-Drama of Creation, in which slides and phonograph records were synched up. But it was Warner Brothers’ “Vitaphone” that took the system to feature films. Recording sound effects (including dialogue) and adding musical scores all started with the major motion picture The Jazz Singer (1927) which is regarded as the first film to have synchronised dialogue – and singing for that matter. Screenwriting and acting slowly took on a whole new meaning, and new genres were formed, as dialogue became a key component of films marking the beginning of ‘the talkies’.

Colour

Colour changed film for the better. Not only because it gave the medium the ability to mimic life more realistically than ever before, but it also led to more narrative possibilities, with the prime example being The Wizard of Oz (1939) which famously depicted Dorothy’s Kansas in black and white, but then brought Oz to magical life in Technicolor.

Green Screen

Early digital compositing started in the 1940s with the ‘traveling matte’ – a process that was used to superimpose backdrops with actors performing against a blank, coloured wall. These screens’ colours have changed throughout the decades, but the process and effect have remained the same. It is a time-consuming technique in which a scene is filmed against the coloured (green) screen, then re-filmed with a filter on the lens that removes all the coloured (green) areas of the film. Lastly, the layers are composited together in a final recording by laying them over each other one frame at a time. You can’t help but respect the technique. It allowed for actors to be ‘anywhere in the world’ and also create optical illusions, all the while saving on production costs.

The fantasy film The Thief of Bagdad (1940) is thought to be the first to use a blue-screen effect with its rather entertaining ‘genie’.

Portable Equipment / Camera Rigs

Once lightweight cameras and smaller sound recording devices became available, there was a shift in the style and themes explored in film. The most famous movement to make use of this tech change was the French New Wave starting in 1950. The revolutionary movement made use of the new equipment that could capture images on location, and a new grittier, documentary visual-style emerged that allowed filmmakers to explore social issues where they happened. This style of filmmaking influenced many modern filmmakers including the likes of Quentin Tarentino. Perhaps the most famous French New Wave film is Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960).

The dolly and steadicam are inventions that signify benchmark camera techniques. Simply put, The dolly, is the placing of the camera on wheels that move along tracks. The subsequent smooth movement means that you can follow people walking and talking or get sweeping opening shots, especially when you combine it with a crane.
One particularly difficult, yet visual striking, effect on film is the ‘zolly shot’, where the cameraman zooms while moving a camera on a dolly to get shots like the one below.

The steadicam was the solution to many a cameraman’s problem – getting the smoothness of a dolly system, but with the freedom of hand-held shooting.

Analog to digital editing

Long before the advent of digital editing and likes of Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere & Sony Vegas and other software becoming the the mainstay in movie editing, editing was done by hand, using a strip of film and a specialised cutting device, known as a splicer. 

The move from film and celluloid to digital cameras was a big one in cinema history, especially for amateur and budget filmmakers. The ability to record onto memory cards and internal storage, and not use chemicals, saved on production costs and time. The compact nature of these cameras was also a plus for aspiring filmmakers, because setup times were reduced.

Film was literally cut and glued/taped back together giving an entirely more literal meaning to the term cut and paste.

CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)

It’s hard to believe that there were once films with absolutely no CGI, but you have to go back 40 years to 1973, and the sci-fi Westworld, to find the first use of computer-generated imagery in film. Aptly it was a 2-D digital rendition of a robotic-cowboy’s vision… we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Its sequel Futureworld (1976) and Tron (1982), then introduced 3-D to the masses, and the rest is history. Science fiction and fantasy filmmakers rejoiced because they finally had the tools to visually depict the world and themes their characters explored.

Pixar created the first feature-length computer-animated movie in Toy Story (1995) and nowadays it’s more and more uncommon for films not to make use of CGI in one way or another, as it often saves on production costs.

A prime example where CGI would have been a cheaper option is in the infamous Kevin Costner would-be blockbuster, Waterworld (1995), where everything was built on a giant set rather than created in CGI… it only went over budget by US $75-million, a huge sum back in the day.

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editing

http://memeburn.com/2013/02/9-tech-innovations-that-changed-the-film-industry-through-the-ages/