24.5.12

SITCOM CHARACTER PROFILE

   In this session, we each make a character profile of the character that we are playing.
I am playing Mr. Young-Ho Moon, a chef in the restaurant.


  • Came from Korea to cook exotic dishes.
  • Very hard working, devoted to the restaurant
  • Short tempered from Brooks not working
  • Prop: Chef's hat, white apron, and cooking supplies (Other props to express Korean feeling)   

16.5.12

Questions for prep.

1. The film 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' is a fantasy action and adventure film which contains aspects that classify it to be so. First of all, it is composed of a series of adventures that the main character must experience throughout the film. The so called 'Tri Wizard Tournaments' is the quest given to the character which  fits the action and adventure genre. Along this quest, the main character is involved in a chase, from a minor chase from a dragon, to a major chase from the evil enemies that taunt him. Events such as magical explosions and spells from wands also fit the genre.

2. First of all, the starting soundtrack provides a mysterious atmosphere to the film beforehand. Along with the singing voice, the roar of thunder is heard in the background making it seem dangerous, and as the character's voice kicks in, the mysterious song slowly reaches its peak and suddenly ends, leading to a adventurous tune containing both orchestral and electronic sounds. There is no signature tune for a certain character, but the tone of the music diverts as different scenes come and go.
   The camerawork features numerous angles commonly used in an action and adventure film, and also films in general. The start of the trailer is a wide shot featuring a mysterious man in the rain. This adds curiosity to the future events, and serves as a profound start. There are high angle shots focusing on the castle and a bird's eye view of the playing field to increase visual size. The ship is taken from a low angle shot to make it look as if it's an extremely great feature almost as if it's the arrival of a very high ranked person. There are extreme wide shots to show the size of the maze, and close ups on the main character to clearly show expressions.
   The editing in the trailer mostly includes special effects in magical spells and computer graphics of exotic monsters such as dragons and mermen. The people flying on broomsticks conveys the image that the place is indeed 'magical' and this effect is equally achieved from the ship coming from under the sea as well as flying horses. People breathing fire is a computer graphic effect of showing power, and imaginary creatures are made in the same way. The combat spells used in the trailer not only show the capability of wizards but also the fact that the film contains action along with fantasy.
   The most significant mise-en-scene in the film is the exotic places that the adventure takes place. The tasks that the character has all have different backgrounds and the content of what must be done. This produces a magical setting to a adventurous quest. Also, the fact people fly on broomsticks shows a stereotypical idea of a wizard world.

3. In the trailer, people are not only presented in a stereotypical way but also a factual way. As long as the setting is a 'school', the students are all formally dressed in school uniforms to express as if it was the actual reality. In contrast to the 'nice house' of Gryffindor, the 'evil house' of Slytherin is consisted of people that actually look like bad people with smirks and hatred written on their faces. Even though the story is based throughout a school, these little bits of expression change the atmosphere of the tale. The main character stands out between everyone with focused views and a frequent presentation.

27.4.12

Completed essay


Garry Na 1183 Claremont Fan Court School 64680 June 2012
OCR Media Studies J526 Individual Media Studies Portfolio B321

A Comparison of how women have been represented in fragrance advertisements from 1920s, 1990s, and 2011.

Mavis by Vivaudou (Print 1920s)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp11orPQI41kBqvVI2W5vfiSPWUuEi3sgPC0M8hQ14uxLq7NyGLe_1zcsZ-U0ks0IAREXjijfjYc2Exoa6PXagpqFqVKdwaOFZEPsn-6g6YjS2EmB2csBgYm6GBTeCtCjVsXjUTMJxva5/s320/Mavis+1920s.jpg
     The focus of the representation is on the woman performing a pose like a dancer. This is observed from the fact that the woman is being held up by the character dressed as a pier rot and that the woman represented is stretching out her arms the same way a ballet dancer would. This is a theatrical illustration in a way that the use of this fragrance allows women to be a part of a "show" the same way the represented woman would. The woman is dressed in a bright gold skirt which is reflecting the delicacy in her fashion and its wideness is imaging the woman like a swan along with her highly stretched arms. Her shoes match the golden design of the skirt and its unique and sophisticated design is an impressive figuration of the Art Nouveau style. Her theatrical illustration in this advert match the way she is dressed and it's a major cause the woman is 'irresistible' as the advert suggests.

      We also observe the oriental representation in the architectural format of the building surrounding the woman. The main focus of this advert from the presentation of an oriental style is a message of co-existence with the European environment around it. What this would refer to is the fact that such contrasting position is presenting an opportunity for the users of this fragrance to experience the traditional East Asian styles along with the use. Possibly and most likely, this would be a crucial attraction to women who have placed their interests in the Oriental scent. The shadows that cover the arc proves to the observers that the print advert is not just a print, but rather provides a feeling that we are actually in the midst of the experience of the orient. The architect makes a perfect parallel to the women's skirt and doesn't give us the feeling that the co-existence of the Oriental feeling along with a European one is awkward.   

Reds for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills (Print 1990s)

My second choice, Red for Men, forms a great contrast to Vivaudou’s Mavis advertisement in its representation of women. Where the female in Mavis is considered the epitome of feminity in her dainty and balletic pose, the female in the Red for Men advert is featured as almost masculinised in the fact that she is taking a predatory and an assertive pose. This is derived from the motion her body is taking such as grasping the man’s hair as if to control him and taking the higher stance in their relationship. Whilst in the Mavis advert, the woman https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFT9JoQYFiTuj8iMlW46NpDSXpnvud9qRYTCjp1mhpg2-SLboAwsB6B_jH9Jg1E7TsDMzVHNyoMWOJGQwLIvWmcy6ucAzPA8YE_NBaOLn9vc-x_49aKT2Tav-qUiMRK6eDgg9PNajvPqH/s320/pure+attraction+red+for+men+1991.jpgwas presented more as a controlled figure in contrast to the man in the pier rot outfit, the Red for Men advert presents her as the person in command.

     Also, as the Mavis advert shows an idealised romantic image of the woman, the Red for Men portrays a different image. In the Mavis one, it has been stated that the whole atmosphere of the advert is giving us a theatrical feeling due to the woman's stance and the art nouveau style of her clothing and surroundings, as if by using the fragrance a woman would feel they were being involved in a fantasy world. However, Reds for Men shows a direct contrast. The woman in the advert is of an earthly image with her short hair and strong possessive stance. She is somewhat taking the image of a man in the way she is portrayed as a strong figure and she shows a great want showing a unique side of the fragrance’s attraction. 

     Furthermore, the woman represented in Reds for Men is significant in the fact that she is undressed along with the man to disperse sexuality and a sense of joyfulness. An achievement of this illustration is to indoctrinate the observers that they are at a beach or a summer holiday sort of location. This convinces people in a sense that, 'If fun is what you are looking for, this fragrance will do the job'. Not only does being undressed give you the feeling of enjoyment and interest, but this is also a good way of presenting sexuality and grasping extreme awareness, leading to the purchase of the fragrance. Such illustration is not noticed from the Mavis Vivaudou print advert, and this is from the fact that the timeline of 1920s focuses on theatrical attraction rather than natural sexuality. 

Cherie by Miss Dior (Moving Image 2011)

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kw-YoAxxL6nkgzG3KkKF6t-BuzAeFUBQLsgVtuLRk5W3tmvYJMXDi7XJvWBHwjlxKUBCL-8YW3SgW1_FHTPuF2Wxx507HmjaR4pO2eVFR9nlNvQBlmw6xpG_aw2bMNGy-Z6iVe_KpNgv/s320/Capture.PNG    The third advert that I chose is Miss Dior Cherie. This advert concentrates more on the representation of freedom from being dependant on anyone to make her happy. This is much like a post-feminist assertion of independence that women will experience unlike the first and second advert which describes the attraction the user might experience from it. The advert has a 'main colour' of pink to show an elegant and soft image of French sophistication. From the woman's clothings to the backgrounds of the scene, the woman is portrayed as if she is in her own world that was created for her to enjoy. The information that is passed on from the advert is that the fragrance allows the user to enjoy life the way the model in the advert does. This is a very well portrayed engagement with the busy lifestyles of today and creates another sense of attraction for women to be interested in. 
     The woman in the advert carries a free spirit allowing her to carry out what she desires to do. From the start to the end of the advert, every second illustrates the open life that the woman is enjoying. For example, in the scene where the woman is walking across the bridge, we realise that she has an elegant smile over her face and her posture represents her freedom of belonging to where she is. As the advert moves on, she designs her own dress, rides a bike along the city, and tries out what she wants to. This acts as an incentive for people with busy lives to realise the message that life is there to enjoy. She never loses her smile throughout the advert and this is a sign of her bliss and happiness.

    
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ2y_fCSPx7xYoJuAvOSVW3vBDyK6UPVc4L3aapmDze9jYrj_IKgiCPPN3xZrVBYxGHOIsjegviAnB6DlCAUYG-h-ubaPQPomndznhrbbJhS1UrBHyo53-a8x3xjHm6grrqTZGAtA_P74/s320/Pink+as+a+main+colour.PNG      Furthermore, the Miss Dior Cherie advert has the main theme colour of pink which is a representation of girlish and daintiness. Throughout the advert, numerous objects and background settings carry the colour of pink which is a unique characteristic that this fragrance wants to represent. What the advert wants to conclude from the use of such a bright yet soft colour is the presentation of a dainty image the user will contain. This characteristic can be compared to the Mavis Vivaudou which represents the woman as dainty from the use of her pose as a ballet dancer as well. This proves that the Miss Dior Cherie is trying to portray the woman in  an elegant yet old-fashioned way which shows a highly contrast to representations from the 1990s such as the Reds for Men print advertisement. 


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQIBgegyRjQHnAPIq__zeikeKO4h8JBf0mKW8e_qVUpuXB_6KJdM9D_MqrYSGX-MJTAWW0rP-A2PdpOjncxuJuba2AEdLQmqd-o9EVOt6fzfEvbxGQ5-mYH_uTQg4oQ931sbMxurD3qgz/s200/dream.PNG     Additionally, the Miss Dior Cherie advert focuses on the dream and fantasy that the user will experience from the fragrance. All the events in the advert not only show the image of a, ‘free woman’ but also, the representation of a woman in her fantasy world. The advert shows scenes of the woman riding her bike unreservedly inside the city, meeting the dream man of her life, and flying over the city of Paris on a bundle of colourful balloons. Nothing in her world can disturb her from her freedom and allows her to do whatever she desires. This can be compared to the first two print adverts which both represent the women as full of freedom and fantasy. Especially in the Mavis Vivaudou advert, the theatrical representation is a comparison factor to the Miss Dior Cherie woman and her fantasy dream. Even though the city is full of cars and is clearly a busy background, the woman rides freely with a graceful smile on her face. One of the most significant events in the advert is her confrontation with the dream man of her life. This is because after she sprays the Miss Dior Cherie perfume on herself, the man she has dreamed of arbitrarily appears on the streets with a warm smile directed at her. The scene that comes up next shows the two sharing deep love with each other in an elegant background with bright sunshine and dazzling colours. The advert meets the end by showing the woman flying high above the city of Paris with a bundle of balloons. This concludes that freedom and fantasy are rewarded to the user of the fragrance and in a very splendid manner.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1v_a3uIa5l15OttCbi6FfQ6PSRl_9gOOmdBVQ44Fri_yAH1lsm4KCykut-bzph0gBo8cTPJOCe8clLd9LSyioHCDjuVXpKlsv02YzsVOUv-Slc1qKEDLcg_dVRSSufl2rDtod5nM4kZd/s200/freeee.PNG
 
     In conclusion, as time passes the theatrical representation of beauty slightly converts to a more natural image of strong sexuality, and the attraction of the modern beauty is often achieved by portraying a free image which suits the busy world we live in.         
       





26.2.12

Action & Adventure Film Trailer Analysis

     For the media prep that was set, we were asked to take a trailer from an action and adventure film, and explain ways in how the events fit the genre including the soundtrack, camerawork, editing, and the mise en scene. The movie trailer I chose was, 'Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. The trailer video below shows the basic and significant components of an action and adventure film.

     First of all, the soundtrack starts off in a mysterious way as if to introduce something that is not of the normal. Then it turns to a heroic music featuring the 'hero' and the chase that he is involved in. The location of the setting is in a warehouse full of war supplies, and the clearly visualised US army forces add to the realistic feeling of an adventure that lies ahead. As the hero is being chased by the soldiers in the car, the camerawork plays a crucial role. When Indiana Jones has a higher ground compared to the chasers, the camera is recording from a floor above even the hero to distinguish the fact he is in a very high position. The camera angle changes instantly as Indiana Jones moves such as jumping up to the ceiling and landing on the car.

     Another important fact is that the background of the scene is not an everyday place and has a sense of mysteriousness to it, thus adding to the features of an adventure film. This includes the temple with stone pillars which is shot from a very high angle to portray the settings as a massive and exotic destination of the hero and his chasers. Quite frequently, explosions occur which is another component of the action and adventure genre and nail biting situations fill the framework often. The editing towards the end of the trailer works to show the many events either positive or negative that happen in the film and gives the observers the basic information of the events that the hero experiences throughout the film.

23.2.12

Media Study starting activity

     In Media Studies, we keep informed with short starter activities that relate to the actual world. Today, we talked about the price of truth and how the efforts of journalists should be acknowledged. Sunday Times journalist, Marie Colvin passed away from a rebellion attack in the district of Baba Amr during a mission to observe the Syrian crisis. She was dedicated to pass on information with the highest degree of accuracy and did not hesitate to jump into any situations. Journalists are valuable people who never find objective reporting as compelling. Marie Colvin was covering information in a place torn by destruction and death and she did all she could do discover the truth in a sandstorm of propaganda filled with gunshots and explosion.