Representing Reality

Representing Reality

Trompe l'oeil - art technique using realistic imagery to create optical illusions

Platos analogy of the cave 

- Sun = truth and reality

- twilight, world of change and decay

Mimetic - mimic, representation

"Images are mysterious imitations of the very things that written language can demystify, make into an object of knowledge, and render available for production purpose"

"Images may fascinate but they also distract"

"We prepare ourselves not to comprehend a story but to grasp an argument"

"Our access to historical reality may only be by means of representation, and these representations may sometimes seem to be more eager to chose their own tails than able to guarantee the authenticity of what they refer to"

Nihilism - An extreme form of scepticism that denies all established authority and institutions

Semiotic - relating to signs and symbols

- page 10 para 2

Mise-en scene - arrangement of scenery

Tautologically - repetition of same sense in different words - needlessly

"It is important to talk about something then to talk about how we talk about something"

Evidentiary editing - Cutting to bring together the best possible evidence in support of a point

Film makers responsibility to make his or her argument as accurate as possible. Even if it requires recontextualizing the points of individual witness or experts. - Page 17

Arguments occupy an imaginary space (they are abstract) Page 20

Chiaroscuro - An effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly 

Juxtaposition - position side by side outlining contrast 

"New Hybrid versions documentary and reality television produce a new kind of public sphere in which shared knowledge and the experience of the everyday take centre stage" (Bignell, 2005:71)

"A kind of primal pleasure of anthropological joy in images, a kind of brute fascination unencumbered by aesthetic, moral, social or political judgements"
(Baudrillard quoted in representing reality, 1991:6)

- reflection of our own ordinariness

Viewers can watch, judge and "enjoy seeing the pain or distress of others" - Oxford Dictionary definition of "voyeur"

- Voyeurism is inherent in our society and not just in the the television spectrum

Has reality Tv become the new documentary? Although they lack depth in these programmes, the popularity as well as:

• Both genres are based on realism and human behaviour, reality shows - superficial, trivial. Exactly like our consumer society
• Reality TV shows our attitude and desire in our era

Cultural narrative we are told, the way we are presented with information, the way meaning is designated, the significance given to certain issues and not to others and the light in which stories are told

The Four types of Documentary

• Expository
• Observational
• Interactive
• Reflexive

How can people and issues be represented appropriately?

Expository:

• Expository uses "voice of God" commentary - network anchor relaying the report with a string of reporters in the field.
• Continues to be the the primary means of relaying information since the 1920's
• The voice - how does the text speak objectively or persuasively e.g - an instrument for propaganda.
• Expository texts take shape around commentary directed toward the viewer. Images serve as illustration or counterpoint.
• Editing an expository documentary generally serves to establish and maintain rhetorical continuity.
• Expository mode emphasises the impression of objectivity and of well substantiated judgement - due to the voice over points can be made succinctly and emphatically
• The voice over commentary can easily extrapolate from the particular instances offered on the image track
• This made supports the impulse of generalisations.
• Knowledge in expository documentary is often epistemic knowledge
• Topical issues can be addressed within a frame or reference that need to be questioned or established but simply take for granted

COP3 question development

Reality Bites Back

Reality Bites Back

Fox 41% of their budget goes towards reality TV programmes

and ABC 33%

Limiting the number of quality comedies and dramas:

• Reducing opportunities for union represented actors, writers and crew
• The more they bait out advocacy groups, the more controversy a show will generate.
• Offensive = Hype = Increased eyeballs for advertisers and cash for networks 
• Making outrageous bigotry less a by product of reality TV than it's blueprint

"Because nothing - not creative quality, not social impact, and certainly not accountability to the public - matters to corporate media companies other than the financial bottom-line."

It can cost on average 50 to 75% less to make a reality TV show, than a scripted programme

Page 14 'giving people what they want' - product placement and ratings

Schadenfreude - is pleasure  derived from the misfortune of others + escapism factors draw the audience in

- even the most salacious reality show can be as compelling as a fantasy or escapism romance with their larger than life premisses 

On a more subconscious level we continue to watch because these shows frame their narrative in ways that both play to and reinforce deeply ingrained societal biases about:

• Men and women
• Love and beauty
• Race and class
• Consumption and happiness in America

- Reality Tv exacerbates media Superficiality

- These shows are very intentionally cast, edited, and framed to amplify regressive values around gender, race and class, underscore advertisers' desire to get us to think less and buy more, and create a version of 'reality' that erases any trace of the advances made during the women's rights, civil rights and gay rights movements.

- Media both shape and reflect cultured perceptions of who we are, what we're valued for, what we want, what we need, what we believe about ourselves and others - and what we should consider "our place" in society

pseudo-documentry - a production that takes form of a documentary but does not portray real events, rather scripted fictional elements

G-Technology Broadcast Tour

G-Technology Broadcast Tour
Seminar 001:

• Worked for sky news as a camera man for 17 years before becoming a freelance film maker

• He has been in the film industry for 20 years, going freelance for the last 6 years

• He started out with basic equipment, for the first 12 years of his career. Which allowed him to be more creative with his work and how he achieved it

• At sky he expanded his skills in multi skilling, online editing etc

• Sky pushed him to work fast, interact in social situations.

• He shoots in HD for clients and 4k raw for his own personal work.

• Could 4K be the new standard definition? - yes it is inevitable

• 4K TV's are extremely expensive, with some 4K TV's reaching costs up to £17,000

• 4K has 4 times the amount of pixels as 1080p HD - but dos this mean it's 4 times better?

• Can the human eye pick up the difference in pixel sizes?

• The endless possibilities of reframing with 4K footage - making a establishing shot into a variety of different shots from the depth of the pixels.

• 4K is very handy for interviews for you do not need to set up two camera, instead you can reframe shots without gaining any noise in the image.

• 4K cameras have the ability to capture footage over 40 miles away.

• 4K Future proofing 

• Canon 1DC

• Canon C500

• Sony f5/f55

• Sony FDR

• Red Epic/Scarlet

• Sony FS700 with V3 firmware

• Blackmagic 4K production camera

Seminar 002
Storytelling:

• Storytelling is the very essence of Film, you don't have to use video to tell a story - but you wouldn't watch a beautiful still for 90 mins

• If you like the piece you are working on, you know it is a good story

• Take any work you can, make a story and make it fun

• Equipment can improve your visual storytelling but it is not a necessity

• The Camera doesn't have to be moving to tell a story, simple tripod shots can convey emotion - mainly through lighting

• Sound design is key to help express visuals - record your own sounds or use websites with free downloads such as freesound.org

• It is important that you select the right camera

• Use your inspiration from everything around you - Let your life inspire

• Enjoy your work, make everything exciting and fun

• Switch up the type of work you're doing, rediscover your love for film

• Creative satisfaction is essential in your work. Let you inspiration flow

• Push your self and strive for 100%

• Simply it won't happen over night, it takes years of dedication and hard work

• Ambition and Confidence is key

• Talent is good - but it's not everything

• Learn from your mistakes, improve your ability and harness your talent

• Push yourself and take risks and chances

• Showreel - No more than 3mins - best footage at the beginning, a powerful opening is key to draw in attention

• Take experience at any and every opportunity you can

• Blogging, Social Media - Push your creativity 

The BroadcastShow Tour visited Leeds with a host of exhibitors and seminars from Philip Bloom. 


Philip Bloom:

4K & Raw - Is it beneficial?

Different 4K Cameras

A huge problem with 4K is that it stores 4K more data, which requires an obscene amount of hard-rive space 

Story telling, motivation, finding work and the joy of filming

Visual Storytelling:

Falling out of Love:

How to succeed overnight?:

Promoting yourself:

PPP Briefing

PPP Briefing 

Deadline: 28/2/14

25 blogposts in a year (minimum!)

• Develop and demonstrate a deep understanding of creative practitioners and companies of specialist interest
• Write critically, why you feel it is successful, why it helped to inform your own understanding
• Companies you may want to work for, aim and focus on potential job opportunities 
• Identify a range of conferences or events and exhibitions
• D&AD, YCN, mo film - expand portfolio of work - enter competitions
• Networking your own work

Background / Considerations / Positioning statement

• With exhibition work you will need to produce an artist/designer statement
• Tangible evidence that you have entered a competition - pre production 
• blog evidence 

Critical report

• 2000 word essay showing you have a critical exit strategy out of college
• How are you going to do it?
• Who you will be contacting?
• Are there any proffessional development opportunities or needs to be considered?
• What professional organisations do you need to engage?

Position

• How you sell yourself 
• Showreel 
• Creative CV
• Social media presence
• Business Cards

Submission

• Printed business cards
• CV in PDF format suitable for print
• Showreel full HD 1920x1080 as quicktime pro res h264
• Evidence of web and social media presence print based materials portfolio

COP3 Lecture

Theory, Action, Reflection

Richard Miles COP3

• students will develop a cohesive research project with practical and textual outcomes, in response to a proposal
• this module requires students to organise and undertake in-depth critical research 
• present a coherent written argument and related practical research

Methodology - is a systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study, or the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles associated with a branch of knowledge. It typically, encompasses concepts such as paradigm, theoretical model, phases and quantitative or qualitative techniques.

Knowledge and understanding

• 6a1: Demonstrate an independant critical understanding
• 6b1: Cognitive skills - evidence the ability to use logic

 

Practical

COP 3 Practical

For Context of Practice (COP3)  I have to create a body of writing as well as a practical piece. These two pieces of work need to be crafted together simultaneously; so that they reflect each other and support my argument.

My Dissertation title is 'How is truth and reality represented in the culture industry of television' 

So the argument is how truth can be manipulated in the media through editing techniques and the way information is relayed to an audience.

Idea 1:

- One practical idea of mine was to shoot a interrogation sequence of character, you do not know what he has done but he is being questioned in aerie, dingy room. He is pleading for his life; demanding his innocence.

- Clips of sirens and emergency service men, rushing to a scene builds suspense and gives you an idea of what this character might have done.

- BBC Breaking News reports indicates that some sort of 'terrorist' attack has been committed

- In the final scenes it is revealed that this man is in fact innocent. Possible clip of another man letting off a bomb etc.

Here are a couple of shots taken in my basement for the interrogation scene.

Idea 2:

Since reading further into the Reality TV industry I have developed my idea further into a different production. Whilst reading 'Reality Bites Back' I stumbled across an editing technique used in the Reality TV industry called Frankenbyting

Frankenbyting is a popular tool used by Reality TV editor to add drama to their programming in the same way that scripted TV producers write dramatic dialogue for their characters.

Reality TV producers use Frankenbyting to create a dramatic situation by rearranging the sequence of events and dialogue 

There are two techniques of Frankenbyting:

1. The first is where the producers run a piece of audio relatively unedited, but out of context
2. The second is where the technique gets its name from, it's selecting pieces of several sentences that have nothing to do with one another and editing them together into a new sentence.

- These audio bytes are accompanied by video cuts which help to cover up the splices as well as the make the whole situation believable.

- If two people are having a conversation and the producers want to insert a line spoken by one of the individuals but at another time, they simply cut to a reaction shot of the listener while playing the audio out of context.

Production

This technique has finalised my practical idea into a mock reality TV programme.

- The show will be set in a student house, where 5 students have been selected to live with each other. -- The production will start with establishing shots of the house, interviews with the house mates and the moving in process

- First half of the production will be the highlights of the house mates living with each other, showing drama, tension, flirting between the house mates.

- Shot of a girl walking into kitchen with a different voice over creating tension

- Editing sequences in order to bring out stereotypical character archetypes: The protagonist, hypersensitive, bizarre, stereotypical/relate-ability, verbal outbursts, physical aggression, addictive personalty, 'The wheeper', 'The Bitch'.

Location
I will shoot the mock reality show at my student house, here are a couple of photos I have taken in and around the house.  

I used all natural light in the photos taken, since this is a mock reality TV programme it needs to follow the same basis as if it was a reality tv show; with no studio lighting.

 The characters

Four characters will be entering the house Giles, Kendall, Freddie and Edie. Through programmed scripting I will recreate scenarios that can be manipulated into Frankenbytes or Audiobytes.
I will create drama and tension between the four characters by conjuring a love triangle between them. Patching together reaction shots and out of context audio bites; I will create the illusion that a strong love triangle is dominating the house. Creating a different interpretation of meaning within an image sequence. This will bring out stereotypical character archetypes: The protagonist, hypersensitive, bizarre, stereotypical/relate-ability, verbal outbursts
My production will be split into thirds:

1/3
A mock of what would be a season highlights of the show, in one university term. Introduction to the characters, arguments, interviews

2/3
Kinetic typography explaining what Frankenbyting is

3/3
Highlight shots of the house mates, as the house would have been. Emotive music with all four characters relaxing with each other; with emphasis on facial expressions, smiles, laughter, drinking, smoking.

This piece is an Informative mock reality TV programme. It is designed for people to think twice in what they see in an image sequence

Story boarding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBwqeqOfhg

Summer Work experience

Archipelago Animation

Over the summer I undertook work experience at a small animation studio, local to my town.
Archipelego Animation use strong narrative, clear and compelling graphics, music and humour to engage, inform and inspire. There unique style is flexible, cost effective and produces broadcast-quality animation that get straight to the point.
Working along with a website explanimation.net Archipelego undertake Environmental Campaigns, Outreach programmes and public Consultations.

Green Deal and the ECO

My first job at Archipelego was to research a government plan "energy saving for your home and business" called the Green Deal.
The Green Deal works by making energy saving improvements to your home or business without having to pay all the costs up front.
The aim of the Green Deal is to cut carbon emissions by 34% in 2020 by implementing energy saving improvements such as:

• insulating e.g loft or cavity wall insulation
• Heating
• draught proofing
• double glazing
• renewable energy techniques e.g solar panels or wind turbines 

The Green Deal plan is set out in 5 easy steps 

1. Get an assessment of your property to see what improvements you can make and how much you could save on your energy bills.

• During the assessment an assessor will come and inspect your property, and discuss your energy use.
• Green Deal advice report, explaining the improvements you can make in order to determine how much you can possibly save.

1. Choose a Green Deal provider to carry out the work. You discuss with them what work you want done and whether the Green Deal is right for you.
2. Use the assessment to apply for the Cash-back scheme if you qualify.
3. Choose a Green Deal provider to carry out the work. You discuss with them what work you want done and wether the Green Deal is right for you.
4. If you go ahead with the improvements you must sign your Green Deal Plan - This is a contract between you and the provider stating what work will be done and how much it will cost. The provider will then arrange for a Green Deal installer to do the work.
5. Once the work is done you'll pay off the money in instalments through your electricity bill.

The Green Deal plan is implemented by a new government organisation called the ECO (Energy Companies Obligated). ECO is due to conclude in march 2015.
The organisation holds a legal obligation on energy suppliers to improve the energy efficiency of households through the establishment of three distinct targes

• The carbon emissions reduction obligation (also known as affordable warmth)
• The Carbon saving community obligation
• The home heating cost reduction obligation

This organisation replaced the CESP and CERT from January 2013.  ECO is expected to be around £1.3 billion pa compared to the £1.5 billion CERT.

The ECO has two key elements to the scheme:

• Affordable warmth (fuel poverty targeted) -25%
• Carbon savings (largely for hard-to-treat homes) -75%

ECO brokerage mechanism:

• Currently CERT and CESP are currently controlled by utility companies.
• Under the brokerage system at least 50% of ECO funds can be bid for.
• Competition should allow insulation firms to be more innovative.   

Whilst I worked at Archipelego they were commissioned by the government to create an informative animation explaining what the ECO and Green Deal is.
For a majority of the time spent at the studio, I had to research other companies that had made videos about the same deal, who were not commissioned to do so.

That's a Moray

After the first couple of weeks researching I was given a practical task to work on. The studio had a lot of e-cards created in the mid 2000's on flash. Joe my boss believed they were outdated and needed polishing.

I was given all the artwork and asked to reconstruct the same animation but on Adobe After Effects. The e-card was an 

This gave me a excellent opportunity to improve my AE skills, homing in on new tools to experiment with. Such as the Puppet pin tool, which I used to animation the fish