Category Archives: Initiative

Initiative 7

The reality show, which was close connected to media works. Several aspects shall be focus if you want to manufacture a reality show which is complete and attractive.

  • Real life participants: personality mix is crucial; drama-style
  • Unscripted performance: producers do set up situations
  • Voice-over narration:

    Narrators use an informal, present tense style to tell the audience what the participants are doing

  • Surveillance/observation
  • Audience participation: observer to participant
  • Convergent technologies: reality formats are designed to work with convergent media technologies such as the internet and smart phones
  • Enclosed settings: the settings used are usually closed environments
  • Big event television: many programs have become media events generating considerable coverage, positive and negative, in the media
  • Multiple, profit-making avenues: Product placement; Advertising; Voting revenue; Merchandise; Participants’ success

Analysis of Masterchef:

Narration:

• Voice-over
• Personal anecdotes

Music:

• Epic scale
• Evoking sense of drama

Message:

• Any ordinary person can achieve their dreams if they try hard enough

• (depicted by the chocolate mountain)

Editing:

  • Slow motion (sense of fantasy)
  • Scenes shot on the set, (location) and behind the scenes
  • Transitions: Fades and wipes – adds to mythical fantasy like element

Initiative 8

The world of Pokemon is nothing but the symbolism of globalisation. Pokemon is not just an anime television show or game but it is a multi-medium phenomenon. It is a commentary on the globalisation aspects within content of those mediums. Pokémon is one of the ultimate forms of globalization. Before globalization it was unthinkable to develop a game that requires play to complete certain pieces in a geographically different place, but Pokemon turned out to be a global fever. It captures the imagination of the entire world. It was the talking point around the world when it was at its peak. The creators of the game have tried their best to ensure that it conveys the globalisation image. The main series of Pokemon games have transported players to real-world locations such as New York, Japan, and France. There is no use of localisation and this is the reason why people from across the world can relate themselves and have a sense of belongingness. 

Initiative 6

Now that I learned video cut, I was definitely involved in film industry. While for film industry, the first thing came to my mind was the discrimination of classical Hollywood age and new Hollywood age. There were several differences between the two ages.

Firstly, there are some features in classical Hollywood:

  • Studio vertical integration: The studios controlled every level of the filmmaking process
  • Stars: associated with genres, bound by contracts (6-8 years), star’s image rather than acting; morality clauses; hushed up scandals
  • Mainstream appeal (e.g. Hays Motion Picture Production Code): Films were ‘clean’; Storylines were often simple and with resolutions (romance led to marriage, crime to punishment)
  • Classical Hollywood filmmaking style: The narrative; Continuity or seamless editing (Shots typically progress; Continuity cutting; Crosscutting (parallel editing), Eyeline matching; Continuity editing are techniques such as fades and dissolves

Next,  features in new Hollywood:

  • The young directors: Filmmakers were film school educated; influenced by foreign films
  • Adult themes with adult ratings: political and social stories in realistic ways using signature rock and pop music, nudity and sex scenes, drug use, language and violence
  • The package unit system: film financiers and distributors
  • Reinvented genres: reality- based musicals and rock operas; mantic-comedy genre
  • The anti-heroes: Popularity of the anti-hero (protagonist with few traditional heroic qualities) e.g. Bonnie and Clyde (I love this movie!).