628. Make a free website!

http://www.webs.com/

or

http://weebly.com

575. dvd cover dimensions

click here

565. Final cut pro free plugins and tutorials

click link

558. Why you should log shots – and downloadable shotlog

click here

520. Film viewing – Audience Feedback Questionnaire

audience-feedback-questionnaire-17309

512. The Parts of a newspaper. Parts of a magazine

Parts of a Newspaper
Layout, typical features and technical terms Some or all of these may be found on the front pages of newspapers.

! Box-out – A small part of the page, shaded in a different colour.

! By-line – the name of the reporter, if they are important is often included at the beginning of the feature, rather than at the end, or not at all.

! Caption – typed text under photographs explaining the image.

! Credits – the author of a feature may be given credit in the form of a beeline. Photographs may have the name of the person who took them or the agency that supplied them alongside them.

! Crosshead – this is a subheading that appears in the body of the text and is centred above the column of text. If it is se to one side then it is called a side-head.

! Exclusive – this means that newspaper and no one else solely cover the story. The paper will pay their interviewees, buying the story so it cannot be used by another paper.

! Feature – not necessarily a ‘news’ item (current affairs), but usually with a human-interest angle presented as a spread.

! Headline – this is the main statement, usually in the largest and boldest font, describing the main story. A banner headline spans the full width of the page.

! Kicker – this is a story designed to stand out from the rest of the page by the use of a different font (typeface) and layout.

! Lead Story – the main story on the front page, usually a splash.

! Lure – a word or phrase directing the reader to look inside the paper at a particular story or feature.

! Masthead – the masthead is the title block or logo identifying the newspaper at the top of the front-page. Sometimes an emblem or a motto is also placed within the masthead. The masthead is often set into a block of black or red print or boxed with a border; the ‘Red-tops’ (The Sun, The Mirror, The News of the World) are categorised by style and the use of a red background in the masthead.

! Menu – the list of contents inside the paper.

! Pugs – these are at the top left and right-hand corners of the paper and are known as the ‘ears’ of the page. The prices of the paper, the logo or a promotion are positioned there. They are well placed to catch the reader’s eye.

! Secondary Lead – this is usually only a picture and headline, it gives a sneak preview of a story that you might find inside the paper.

! Sidebar – when a main feature has an additional box or tinted panel along side of it.

! Splash – the splash is the main story on the front of the paper. The largest headline will accompany this, along with a photograph.

! Spread – a story that covers more than one page.

! Standfirst – this is an introductory paragraph before the start of the feature. Sometimes it may be in bold.

! Strapline – this is an introductory headline below the headline.

! Tag – a word or phrase used to engage a reader’s interest in a story by categorising it e.g. ‘Exclusive’, ‘Sensational’.

!Tip-on. a promotional item, such as a magnet or game piece, affixed to the cover of a publication.

507. Print Screen on a Mac – and other hints

Built-in Mac Screenshot Commands Key & Combination Result :

Command+Shift+3 Capture entire screen and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+3 Capture entire screen and copy to the clipboard

Command+Shift+4 Capture dragged area and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+4 Capture dragged area and copy to the clipboard

Command+Shift+4 then Space bar Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+4 then Space bar Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and copy to the clipboard

One handy trick to know about when using the dragging methods (Command+Shift+4) is how the cursor crosshairs work. To delineate an exact pixel region, the cursor crosshairs should overlap the top and left edges of the area you want to capture, but extend one pixel below and to the right of it (see Figure 2). This technique works with the selection crosshairs in other applications as well

406. List of free sound effects and free music sites

try soungle

freeplaymusic for something different

creative commons site
Free Sound Effects from PartnersInRhyme.com

This is a great site but check carefully because it sells sounds as well as offering others for free.
http://derekaudette.ottawaarts.com/

http://www.acoustica.com/sounds.htm

http://www.alcljudprod.se/english/ljud.php

http://www.freesound.org/index.php

brilliant, but you need to set up an account and log in to download

http://www.ljudo.com/default.asp?lang=tEnglish&do=it

http://www.jamendo.com/en

340. Evidence: How to print screen on a Mac

 

 

 

Built-in Mac Screenshot Commands
Key Combination	Result
Command+Shift+3	Capture entire screen and save as a file
Command+Control+Shift+3	Capture entire screen and copy to the clipboard
Command+Shift+4	Capture dragged area and save as a file
Command+Control+Shift+4	Capture dragged area and copy to the clipboard
Command+Shift+4 then Space bar	Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and save as a file
Command+Control+Shift+4 then Space bar	Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and copy to the clipboard

One handy trick to know about when using the dragging methods (Command+Shift+4) is how the cursor crosshairs work. To delineate an exact pixel region, the cursor crosshairs should overlap the top and left edges of the area you want to capture, but extend one pixel below and to the right of it (see Figure 2). This technique works with the selection crosshairs in other applications as well.

327. A2 Media – how to do a critical evaluation

HOW TO DO THE CRITICAL EVALUATION

 

STARTER HINTS TO GET YOU GOING – THESE MAY BE MODIFIED., but you must at least include the information below.

3000 words

 

As usual there is no simple or correct way to tackle the Critical Evaluation.

 

The Introduction.

 

Explain what your task is how you worked as a group and how the task requires different skills from the foundation production.

 

 

Part One. Brief, planning and technical decisions.

 

What was your brief?

What research did you carry out and how did it inform your planning?

How did you attempt to meet audience expectations in your planning?

Tell me who your target audience is and how you give them what they will want. Confirm extensive audience research including focus groups.

What decisions did you make and why?

 

Part Two. Form and Content affect meaning. Forms and conventions.

• History. How does your production relate to previous productions/examples of the same nature?
• Discuss the technical details of your production
• Discuss ANCHORAGE – where the audience derives the PREFERRED READING from.
• Any issues of GENRE. INTEGRATE BASIC SEMIOTIC THEORY (sign/signifiers etc) HERE.

 

Part Three: media institutions and audiences and audience feedback.

Comment on the institution. What is the institution doing at the moment and how have you considered this in your production. How does it meet the needs of the audience- refer to users and gratifications. What does your audience think of your product- how could it have been improved? What are its strengths?

 

You must:

·         Show a clear indication of brief and comparison with AS project.

·         Record and reflect upon all stages of the production and account for main decisions made.

·         Analyse finished product to show how form and content affect meaning.

·         Make appropriate references to structure and representation and how it reflects the industry.

·         Place production in relation to both other texts and industry practices.

·         Good reference to audience feedback.

·         Have a clear and systematic evaluation that is detailed, thorough and reflective.

 

326. Practical Production Tips

Practical Production Tips

 

Research and planning

1.       Focus your research by looking at examples of real media texts. If you are doing a Sunday supplement, take the time to examine several Sunday supplements. If you are doing chocolate ads, break down some real ads to see how they are shot and edited. If you are doing a radio current affairs programme, tape some real examples and identify the features they contain and how they are put together. Concentrate on formal and technical aspects - this is just as important as content.

 

2.       Look at examples of previous students’ work. Identify their strengths and their weaknesses - you can build on the former and avoid the latter. Use their work to identify clichés to avoid, such as endless Tarantino rip-offs.

 

3.       Think about your audience. Make sure your ideas are appropriate, realistic and aimed at people beyond your own peers, teacher and examiners.

 

4.       Set yourself a deadline of a week earlier than the date for the final submission - that way you allow for any unexpected mishaps.

 

 

Coming up with ideas

 

 

5.       Keep your ideas simple. The more complex the idea, the

more can go wrong. Complex productions also run the risk of

confusing your audience.

 

6.       Film parodies or pastiches have to be really good to work. You may think you were the first people to think of doing a chocolate ad in the style of The Blair Witch Project … but you

weren’t.

 

7.       Don’t try to be funny. What is funny to you and your mates may not be that amusing to your teacher or the examiners. Out-takes in particular look childish and amateur

- it’s like including a load of deliberate spelling mistakes at the end of

an essay.

 

8.     Endless car-based videos should be avoided. They just look like students showing off that they’ve passed their test. Scenes in pubs should similarly only be done if absolutely essential; they look like students showing off that they can pass for

18

and get served.

 

9.       Avoid long scenes of kissing. They are usually just there to feature boys who want to prove they can get a girlfriend.

 

10.    Scenes of students doing drugs (or simulating doing drugs)

are painfully embarrassing. Avoid at all costs. Likewise avoid

scenes with cigarettes. It doesn’t look big or clever!

 

11.       POV (point of view) camera is similarly unwise. Just because

you’ve seen the video for Smack my bitch up does not mean you could hope to emulate it. POV stuff probably needs a greater degree of planning and control than more conventional

editing.

 

12.     Remember, a thriller lasts 90 minutes or more, so you don’t have to tell the whole story in the first two minutes. Aim to establish atmosphere and intrigue the viewer, not kill off half

your cast.

 

13.     With music video, a track by an unknown band taken from an MP3 site, or from a local band is likely to be far more productive than choosing your own favourite song. A sensible distance from the material can help produce a more

professional outcome. Choose a track that generates visual ideas – don’t illustrate the lyrics literally. A music video doesn’t have to tell a story, but it does have to sell the music, however, so endless depressing shots of girls on roundabouts staring at flowers or boys clutching pills ready to swill them down with vodka are unlikely to lead to CD purchases. Fast

cutting and lots of close-ups work well.

 

14.     Avoid using the most obvious music tracks - everyone else will be using them, too! Make sure you get hold of any tracks you need early on in the project. Don’t leave it to your teachers to find - it’s your project, not theirs. Get it on CD - local libraries often have a very good stock that can be borrowed for a small fee.

 

Planning the shoot

15.     Plan and organise down to the tiniest detail: where you will be shooting, who is going to be there, what they will be wearing, who will bring the props, what time everyone will meet up, what each shot is going to look like. Make simple call

sheets and give a copy to everyone involved.

 

16.     Never shoot anything until you have a storyboard or shot list. You can always change this plan on the shoot, but without a plan you will shoot rubbish

-

guaranteed!

 

17.       For group work, take down one another’s mobile phone

numbers. Agree to phone each other straight away if there any

problems or if anyone fails to show up.

 

18.     Test built-in camera microphones before going out on important dialogue shoots so you can compensate for their limitations

(e.g. shooting some scenes from behind to be dubbed later, recording wild sounds that you can use with dubbed dialogue). Lots of camera microphones pick up every sound equally (planes, the wind, distant doors slamming, as well as your dialogue) so you need to shoot dialogue in appropriate places or using an external microphone. Always try

out unfamiliar equipment before you using it.

 

19.     Make sure batteries are fully charged before you go on location. Avoid using the LCD as it runs the battery down very quickly. Always have a spare battery or a charger.

 

 

On the shoot

 

20.    Don’t waste any time. If someone is absent, improvise. Don’t say you can’t do anything because they have the storyboards

- you are all responsible. Always have a back-up

plan, for example, what happens if it rains?

 

21.     In group work make sure everyone has a go at the different

roles. Everyone must know how to operate the camera and the editing equipment, otherwise they will have difficulty in the production log explaining how the process worked. In your evaluation you should make clear your contribution to the

project.

 

22.   

Don’t set up anything that is dangerous - for example, filming on railway lines or hanging off buildings. It’s just not

worth it. If you are trying that hard to be different, you probably didn’t have a good idea to begin with.

 

23.     Don’t film anything in a public place that might be

misinterpreted as a criminal act. Toy guns have been known to result in police call-outs; bags of white powder carried by teenagers convince some people you are a drug dealer. If you are intending to film anything of this kind, talk it over with your teachers and see what can be organised. Ring your friendly neighbourhood police station -

they can be very helpful.

 

24.     Always create original images unless there really is no alternative (such as needing an explosion, where it is clearly more sensible to get one off a video). Dressing up fellow

students, teachers or even parents as characters for your magazine covers, adverts, thrillers or websites is much more effective than using existing actors. If you need a famous background like the New York skyline that’s fine - but use it

with image manipulation to integrate with your own material.

 

25.     For radio work, make sure you can use a microphone properly. If the sound isn’t good enough record it again. Radio programmes need a lot of planning and variety. They should never involve simply reading out a script and playing a bit of

music. The role and tone of the presenter is crucial because you are relying on sound alone.

 

26.    

When doing voiceovers, make sure the sound level is adequate so they can be heard over your music. Record only

when the room is quiet.

 

27.       Avoid your main source of light being behind your subject unless you want them in silhouette. In difficult light conditions,

shoot a few frames, rewind and check.

 

 

 

28.    For an effective piece of cheap lighting take a torch. But remember, most night shooting will produce completely dark

tape. For interior mid-shots and close-ups you can create a

dramatic effect with a 6o watt bulb in a bedside lamp.

 

29.     Make sure date and time are not displayed on the camera

viewfinder. If they are, they will be there on your final footage.

 

30.     Auto focus

can sometimes be a problem. Learn how to

control manual focus, too.

 

31.     Keep the camera upright. Unless you want to turn your TV on its side to watch it, footage shot at a slant will be useless! A well-planned tilt, however, is almost always better than a

zoom.

 

32.     Make sure you know when the record button is on and off. It is pointless to come back with 2 hours of shots of your walking feet and none of the material you set up! Use ‘shoot!’ and `cut!’ and a simple clapperboard (a cheap pad of paper consecutively numbered 1, 2,3

etc) for easier editing.

 

33.     Keep the camera steady, using a tripod wherever possible.

Handheld footage is very hard to do well.

 

34.     Set up moving shots in advance. Always know where you are going to finish before you start. Do a test shoot and always run the camera for a good few seconds before the opening and run over after the action finishes, to avoid post-production nightmares when editing.

 

35.     Pay attention to framing. Your shots need not always be centrally framed, but beware of close-ups where the actor moves his head too much or shots where the actors’ heads are right at the bottom of the frame and a big brick wall or curtain dominates behind. Don’t just concentrate on the action in the foreground

- what is happening behind? Do you want that passer-by in the background making a rude sign? Is there a

tree growing out of the hero’s head?

 

36.     As a rule, avoid using zooms

-

they look amateur and will make your footage will look like a home video.

 

37.     Got wobbly shots, poor lighting, someone in the shot who shouldn’t be there? Shoot it again

to get it right!

 

38.     Shoot plenty of extra footage to use in your editing for cutaways and cut-ins. Plan a variety of types of shot (LS, MS, CU) and angles on the same subjects. And always log every

shot you shoot to speed up the editing process.

 

39.     If shooting a music video with lipsynch, take a CD player with you on location and shoot the performance at least three

times straight through from different positions so that you have plenty of material from which to choose when editing.

 

40.     Always treat the equipment with care and bring it back on time.

 

 

Post-production

 

41.     When editing, avoid cutting immediately to a second shot of the same thing. Cut to a different subject first, then cut back to the first subject

-

it looks more professional.

 

42.     Don’t overdo the wacky edits. Special effects of any kind should be kept special by limiting their use. Most transitions

should be cuts. Fades can be used to slow the pace, but gimmicky edits are only good for children’s TV!

 

43.     You’ve run out of footage? Avoid the solution of simply running your existing footage backwards. It’s a common trick

and looks too obvious.

 

44.     Don’t use the names of famous actors or directors in credit sequences

- the audience will expect to see them. Check thriller openings to see which personnel do get a mention and stick to the relevant crew. Use your own names or make names up, but please not silly names like `Hugh Jarss’ - leave that to Bart Simpson. Don’t spoil a decent piece of work with a silly title -

keep the tone right.

 

45.     An advert usually lasts 30 seconds or less. Not only will the audience be bored with a two minute advert but the company won’t be prepared to pay megabucks for such a lengthy slot!

 

46.     Cut and cut again. Unless a shot has dialogue, we are likely to get the point in less than one and a half seconds. If your shot lasts much longer, ask yourself whether it couldn’t be cut down. This is particularly important with adverts. Student video shots are rarely too short, but often too long.

 

Evaluation

47.     In print work the overall `look’ is often neglected. Stand back from your page and disregard the content of the writing. How does the layout compare with examples from professional texts?

 

48.     Don’t fill your evaluation with excuses - be honest about the shortcomings of your work and make it clear what you have learnt from the experience. Don’t blame other members of the group, limited equipment or, worst of all, your teachers! It is better to be modest about good work than to try to talk up a turkey!

 

49.     Keep within the word limit. You risk a penalty if you fail to do so.

 

And finally …

50.     Treat your project with professionalism and organisation and you will not go far wrong! Enjoy your work. Being creative is brilliant - but you can’t beat being organised.

284. Practical Production Tips Part 4: Post-production

41.     When editing, avoid cutting immediately to a second shot of the same thing. Cut to a different subject first, then cut back to the first subject

-

it looks more professional.

 

 

 

42.     Don’t overdo the wacky edits. Special effects of any kind should be kept special by limiting their use. Most transitions

should be cuts. Fades can be used to slow the pace, but gimmicky edits are only good for children’s TV!

 

 

43.     You’ve run out of footage? Avoid the solution of simply running your existing footage backwards. It’s a common trick

and looks too obvious.

 

 

44.     Don’t use the names of famous actors or directors in credit sequences

- the audience will expect to see them. Check thriller openings to see which personnel do get a mention and stick to the relevant crew. Use your own names or make names up, but please not silly names like `Hugh Jarss’ - leave that to Bart Simpson. Don’t spoil a decent piece of work with a silly title -

keep the tone right.

 

 

 

45.     An advert usually lasts 30 seconds or less. Not only will the audience be bored with a two minute advert but the company won’t be prepared to pay megabucks for such a lengthy slot!

 

46.     Cut and cut again. Unless a shot has dialogue, we are likely to get the point in less than one and a half seconds. If your shot lasts much longer, ask yourself whether it couldn’t be cut down. This is particularly important with adverts. Student video shots are rarely too short, but often too long.

 

Evaluation

47.     In print work the overall `look’ is often neglected. Stand back from your page and disregard the content of the writing. How does the layout compare with examples from professional texts?

 

48.     Don’t fill your evaluation with excuses - be honest about the shortcomings of your work and make it clear what you have learnt from the experience. Don’t blame other members of the group, limited equipment or, worst of all, your teachers! It is better to be modest about good work than to try to talk up a turkey!

 

49.     Keep within the word limit. You risk a penalty if you fail to do so.

 

And finally …

50.     Treat your project with professionalism and organisation and you will not go far wrong! Enjoy your work. Being creative is brilliant - but you can’t beat being organised.

283. Practical Production Tips: Part 3: On the shoot

 

 

20.    Don’t waste any time. If someone is absent, improvise. Don’t say you can’t do anything because they have the storyboards

- you are all responsible. Always have a back-up

plan, for example, what happens if it rains?

 

21.     In group work make sure everyone has a go at the different

roles. Everyone must know how to operate the camera and the editing equipment, otherwise they will have difficulty in the production log explaining how the process worked. In your evaluation you should make clear your contribution to the

project.

 

22.   

Don’t set up anything that is dangerous - for example, filming on railway lines or hanging off buildings. It’s just not

worth it. If you are trying that hard to be different, you probably didn’t have a good idea to begin with.

 

23.     Don’t film anything in a public place that might be

misinterpreted as a criminal act. Toy guns have been known to result in police call-outs; bags of white powder carried by teenagers convince some people you are a drug dealer. If you are intending to film anything of this kind, talk it over with your teachers and see what can be organised. Ring your friendly neighbourhood police station -

they can be very helpful.

 

24.     Always create original images unless there really is no alternative (such as needing an explosion, where it is clearly more sensible to get one off a video). Dressing up fellow

students, teachers or even parents as characters for your magazine covers, adverts, thrillers or websites is much more effective than using existing actors. If you need a famous background like the New York skyline that’s fine - but use it

with image manipulation to integrate with your own material.

 

25.     For radio work, make sure you can use a microphone properly. If the sound isn’t good enough record it again. Radio programmes need a lot of planning and variety. They should never involve simply reading out a script and playing a bit of

music. The role and tone of the presenter is crucial because you are relying on sound alone.

 

26.    

When doing voiceovers, make sure the sound level is adequate so they can be heard over your music. Record only

when the room is quiet.

 

27.       Avoid your main source of light being behind your subject unless you want them in silhouette. In difficult light conditions,

shoot a few frames, rewind and check.

 

 

 

28.    For an effective piece of cheap lighting take a torch. But remember, most night shooting will produce completely dark

tape. For interior mid-shots and close-ups you can create a

dramatic effect with a 6o watt bulb in a bedside lamp.

 

29.     Make sure date and time are not displayed on the camera

viewfinder. If they are, they will be there on your final footage.

 

30.     Auto focus

can sometimes be a problem. Learn how to

control manual focus, too.

 

31.     Keep the camera upright. Unless you want to turn your TV on its side to watch it, footage shot at a slant will be useless! A well-planned tilt, however, is almost always better than a

zoom.

 

32.     Make sure you know when the record button is on and off. It is pointless to come back with 2 hours of shots of your walking feet and none of the material you set up! Use ‘shoot!’ and `cut!’ and a simple clapperboard (a cheap pad of paper consecutively numbered 1, 2,3

etc) for easier editing.

 

33.     Keep the camera steady, using a tripod wherever possible.

Handheld footage is very hard to do well.

 

34.     Set up moving shots in advance. Always know where you are going to finish before you start. Do a test shoot and always run the camera for a good few seconds before the opening and run over after the action finishes, to avoid post-production nightmares when editing.

 

35.     Pay attention to framing. Your shots need not always be centrally framed, but beware of close-ups where the actor moves his head too much or shots where the actors’ heads are right at the bottom of the frame and a big brick wall or curtain dominates behind. Don’t just concentrate on the action in the foreground

- what is happening behind? Do you want that passer-by in the background making a rude sign? Is there a

tree growing out of the hero’s head?

 

36.     As a rule, avoid using zooms

-

they look amateur and will make your footage will look like a home video.

 

37.     Got wobbly shots, poor lighting, someone in the shot who shouldn’t be there? Shoot it again

to get it right!

 

38.     Shoot plenty of extra footage to use in your editing for cutaways and cut-ins. Plan a variety of types of shot (LS, MS, CU) and angles on the same subjects. And always log every

shot you shoot to speed up the editing process.

 

39.     If shooting a music video with lipsynch, take a CD player with you on location and shoot the performance at least three

times straight through from different positions so that you have plenty of material from which to choose when editing.

 

40.     Always treat the equipment with care and bring it back on time.

282. Practical Production Tips: Part 2: Planning the shoot

15.     Plan and organise down to the tiniest detail: where you will be shooting, who is going to be there, what they will be wearing, who will bring the props, what time everyone will meet up, what each shot is going to look like. Make simple call

sheets and give a copy to everyone involved.

 

16.     Never shoot anything until you have a storyboard or shot list. You can always change this plan on the shoot, but without a plan you will shoot rubbish

-

guaranteed!

 

17.       For group work, take down one another’s mobile phone

numbers. Agree to phone each other straight away if there any

problems or if anyone fails to show up.

 

18.     Test built-in camera microphones before going out on important dialogue shoots so you can compensate for their limitations

(e.g. shooting some scenes from behind to be dubbed later, recording wild sounds that you can use with dubbed dialogue). Lots of camera microphones pick up every sound equally (planes, the wind, distant doors slamming, as well as your dialogue) so you need to shoot dialogue in appropriate places or using an external microphone. Always try

out unfamiliar equipment before you using it.

 

19.     Make sure batteries are fully charged before you go on location. Avoid using the LCD as it runs the battery down very quickly. Always have a spare battery or a charger.

281. Practical Production Tips: Part 1: Research and planning

1.       Focus your research by looking at examples of real media texts. If you are doing a Sunday supplement, take the time to examine several Sunday supplements. If you are doing chocolate ads, break down some real ads to see how they are shot and edited. If you are doing a radio current affairs programme, tape some real examples and identify the features they contain and how they are put together. Concentrate on formal and technical aspects - this is just as important as content.

 

2.       Look at examples of previous students’ work. Identify their strengths and their weaknesses - you can build on the former and avoid the latter. Use their work to identify clichés to avoid, such as endless Tarantino rip-offs.

 

3.       Think about your audience. Make sure your ideas are appropriate, realistic and aimed at people beyond your own peers, teacher and examiners.

 

4.       Set yourself a deadline of a week earlier than the date for the final submission - that way you allow for any unexpected mishaps.

 

 

Coming up with ideas

 

 

5.       Keep your ideas simple. The more complex the idea, the

more can go wrong. Complex productions also run the risk of

confusing your audience.

 

6.       Film parodies or pastiches have to be really good to work. You may think you were the first people to think of doing a chocolate ad in the style of The Blair Witch Project … but you

weren’t.

 

7.       Don’t try to be funny. What is funny to you and your mates may not be that amusing to your teacher or the examiners. Out-takes in particular look childish and amateur

- it’s like including a load of deliberate spelling mistakes at the end of

an essay.

 

8.     Endless car-based videos should be avoided. They just look like students showing off that they’ve passed their test. Scenes in pubs should similarly only be done if absolutely essential; they look like students showing off that they can pass for

18

and get served.

 

9.       Avoid long scenes of kissing. They are usually just there to feature boys who want to prove they can get a girlfriend.

 

10.    Scenes of students doing drugs (or simulating doing drugs)

are painfully embarrassing. Avoid at all costs. Likewise avoid

scenes with cigarettes. It doesn’t look big or clever!

 

11.       POV (point of view) camera is similarly unwise. Just because

you’ve seen the video for Smack my bitch up does not mean you could hope to emulate it. POV stuff probably needs a greater degree of planning and control than more conventional

editing.

 

12.     Remember, a thriller lasts 90 minutes or more, so you don’t have to tell the whole story in the first two minutes. Aim to establish atmosphere and intrigue the viewer, not kill off half

your cast.

 

13.     With music video, a track by an unknown band taken from an MP3 site, or from a local band is likely to be far more productive than choosing your own favourite song. A sensible distance from the material can help produce a more

professional outcome. Choose a track that generates visual ideas – don’t illustrate the lyrics literally. A music video doesn’t have to tell a story, but it does have to sell the music, however, so endless depressing shots of girls on roundabouts staring at flowers or boys clutching pills ready to swill them down with vodka are unlikely to lead to CD purchases. Fast

cutting and lots of close-ups work well.

 

14.     Avoid using the most obvious music tracks - everyone else will be using them, too! Make sure you get hold of any tracks you need early on in the project. Don’t leave it to your teachers to find - it’s your project, not theirs. Get it on CD - local libraries often have a very good stock that can be borrowed for a small fee.

246. Production docs

Lighting.

Link for MARK C.

Storyboard and text.

Glossary for filming.

More storyboarding.

A storyboard.

Bbc- Edit tips

245. Production docs

Lighting.

Link for MARK C.

Storyboard and text.

Glossary for filming.

More storyboarding.

A storyboard.

Bbc- Edit tips

219. Storyboards: What, How, Why and examples

storyboard.pdf