A brand is a company, product or range of products that has a set of values associated with it that are easily recognised by the consumer and the public; such as Nike's tick and the slogan 'Just Do It' create a rebellious and urban feel. Brand's are distinguished immediately by their name and/or symbol A brands identity is created using:
Brand Essence - a way of summing up the significance of the brand to stockholders and consumers alike of the brand in one simple sentence.
Brand slogan - a public way of identifying the brand for consumers - often associated with a logo.
Brand personality - marketers give the brand human characteristics making it very relatable to consumers.
Brand values - what does it stand for/against?
Brand appearance - what does it look/sound like?
Brand heritage - how long has it been around? Does it have customers who have been loyal to it for many years?
Emotional benefits - how does the product make you feel? Must be a positive effect to be effective
Hard benefits - bigger? better? cheaper?
Consumers are more familiar with the whole brand rather than individual products. The process of advertising allows us to associate value with products that may not have a real connection to them - for instance; Nike always selects rebellious athletes such as Christiano Ronaldo (Known for his on pitch antics) to promote its products whereas Puma endorse more skillful/professional players such as Gianfranco Zola.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Inspirational Short Films/Directors
The main short films that influence/inspire me are created by various directors to the music of a band called Angels & Airwaves. These short films are titled as the track they are created to and tend to look very dramatic & artsy, they also tend to have a sci-fi theme to them. Obviously the video's feel and look change with the director but they all tend to have a similar vibe. Cleverly the videos have an ongoing story-line and its really interesting how each director brings his/her personal stylings to the story.
This first short film is called "It Hurts" and was released in 2006 on a rare Angels & Airwaves DVD. The film was directed by Ron Najor. Click HERE to watch the short film. Najor's shots really have a very personal feel and inspire me to do the same. This is an amazing short film - in my opinion - mainly due to the emotional effect that the images, lighting, shots and editing combined with the music have on the viewer. Un-like most short films the video is not meant to distract the viewer from the song but rather accompany the music as if the two have equal purpose. The partnership of film & music in these films is definitely something I'm going to strive to manipulate for my own short film.
This second short film has two parts two it both directed by Mark Eaton, it is entitled "The Gift" It starts with a very short story of a pair of shoes trying to find their way back to their owner after being left behind on a camping trip. This extremely short film really made me smile, and as cheesy as that sounds I think thats a good sign. This part is a lot more comical than the second part which returns to a much more surreal and dramatic mood. It's more the editing techniques and simplicity of the first part that inspire me. Click HERE to watch both parts of "The Gift"
Finally; my all time favorite short film. This film is called "The Adventure" and is the prequel to "It Hurts". It was directed by a couple known as The Malloys and is all shot in black and white. This is why I feel this film is such a masterpiece. It creates an extremely dramatic mood via fast paced images, excellent lighting and a creative yet clever story-line. To watch this, and I recommend you do, click HERE.
This first short film is called "It Hurts" and was released in 2006 on a rare Angels & Airwaves DVD. The film was directed by Ron Najor. Click HERE to watch the short film. Najor's shots really have a very personal feel and inspire me to do the same. This is an amazing short film - in my opinion - mainly due to the emotional effect that the images, lighting, shots and editing combined with the music have on the viewer. Un-like most short films the video is not meant to distract the viewer from the song but rather accompany the music as if the two have equal purpose. The partnership of film & music in these films is definitely something I'm going to strive to manipulate for my own short film.
This second short film has two parts two it both directed by Mark Eaton, it is entitled "The Gift" It starts with a very short story of a pair of shoes trying to find their way back to their owner after being left behind on a camping trip. This extremely short film really made me smile, and as cheesy as that sounds I think thats a good sign. This part is a lot more comical than the second part which returns to a much more surreal and dramatic mood. It's more the editing techniques and simplicity of the first part that inspire me. Click HERE to watch both parts of "The Gift"
Finally; my all time favorite short film. This film is called "The Adventure" and is the prequel to "It Hurts". It was directed by a couple known as The Malloys and is all shot in black and white. This is why I feel this film is such a masterpiece. It creates an extremely dramatic mood via fast paced images, excellent lighting and a creative yet clever story-line. To watch this, and I recommend you do, click HERE.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Conventions Of Rom-Coms
Romantic comedy films are a sub-genre of comedy films as well as of romance films. They are movies with light-hearted, humorous dramatic stories centered around romantic ideals such as a "true love" able to surmount most obstacles or the "perfect couple."
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match.
While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.
Meet Cute
One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press' Christy Lemire have called a "meet-cute" situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. The attraction between the lead characters must be established quickly. The subject matter of romantic comedies are the obstacles that the potential pair must face before they can acknowledge, fulfill, or consummate their love, and the audience must care about the relationship enough to finish the movie. The meet-cute, by virtue of its unusual situation, helps to fix the potential relationship in the viewers' minds, and the spark of the meeting is the impetus by which initial vicissitudes of the developing relationship are overcome.
Secondary Characters
The audience are usually introduced to the best friends, and maybe some family members, of the two main characters. Although they are there to offer their support, they are usually the main source of humour in the film. The audience can relate to the best friend in the film, and they would consider what they would do in that situation.
Lighting
Majority of the film will have a happy tone/atmosphere, so the lighting will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes darker to mirror the tone, but this won’t happen very often.
Soundtrack
Very much like the lighting, the soundtrack of Rom-coms is used to mirror the mood of the scenes. Horror films tend to have a score, where orchestral music is used instead of songs. In rom-com’s however, songs are mainly used instead of orchestral music (this doesn't mean that there is no orchestral music though). The songs that are used in the film will usually be well known pop songs, so that the audience can recognise them easily. They must relate to the story being told in the film. The songs can even assist in the story-telling process.
Setting
Romantic comedies are usually set in a big, well-known city. The most common place in the UK to set a rom-com is London, however internationally New York seems to be extremely popular as a romantic setting. It is a place that, even if people haven’t been there, they can picture. In a place like London, there is always something going on, so it is easy to believe that the events in the film could happen.
Conclusion
Normally, the conclusion of a film will be happy, with the two main characters getting back together. However, it is getting increasingly popular to show the reality that sometimes, it doesn’t all work out exactly the way we want it to. This is evidence of modern manipulation of conventions
A Little Bit of History
Firstly Shakespeare himself is often credited for writing some of the best romantic comedies of all time. Many of his plays were intended to be humorous as well as emotional and romantic; proving that rom-coms are by no means a modern style of film.
Romantic comedy declined in popularity and quality during World War II, Though several directors and production companies kept working at it. At this point rom-coms were better known as screwball films. The Lady Eve was one of the most successful of the time, it features a protagonist (Henry Fonda) so blinded by love that he marries the same woman (Barbara Stanwyck) three times without knowing it. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) took madcap comedy to a level beyond screwball and managed to become a box-office hit despite dealing with the sensitive subject of wartime promiscuity.
In general, the 1950s and 1960s were a low point for romantic comedy. Doris Day (b. 1924) became one of the most popular actors of the era, appearing in several of what were called "sex comedies," often opposite Rock Hudson (1925–1985). These films trade on the same kind of titillation that fueled theatrical sex farces, and they were equally conventional in their morality. By the mid-1960s, the genre virtually disappeared from Hollywood, with a few notable exceptions.
In 1977, however, the success of Woody Allen's Annie Hall fundamentally reinvented the genre. Both a box-office hit and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, it brought about a general revival of romantic comedy rooted in the changes in courtship and marriage that were occurring in the 1960s.
From the late 70's onwards romantic comedies have successfully rooted themselves as one of Hollywood's greatest creations. The genre has produced hundreds of films with a formula that seems to be immortal.
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match.
While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.Meet Cute
One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press' Christy Lemire have called a "meet-cute" situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. The attraction between the lead characters must be established quickly. The subject matter of romantic comedies are the obstacles that the potential pair must face before they can acknowledge, fulfill, or consummate their love, and the audience must care about the relationship enough to finish the movie. The meet-cute, by virtue of its unusual situation, helps to fix the potential relationship in the viewers' minds, and the spark of the meeting is the impetus by which initial vicissitudes of the developing relationship are overcome.
Secondary Characters
The audience are usually introduced to the best friends, and maybe some family members, of the two main characters. Although they are there to offer their support, they are usually the main source of humour in the film. The audience can relate to the best friend in the film, and they would consider what they would do in that situation.
Lighting
Majority of the film will have a happy tone/atmosphere, so the lighting will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes darker to mirror the tone, but this won’t happen very often.
Soundtrack
Very much like the lighting, the soundtrack of Rom-coms is used to mirror the mood of the scenes. Horror films tend to have a score, where orchestral music is used instead of songs. In rom-com’s however, songs are mainly used instead of orchestral music (this doesn't mean that there is no orchestral music though). The songs that are used in the film will usually be well known pop songs, so that the audience can recognise them easily. They must relate to the story being told in the film. The songs can even assist in the story-telling process.
Setting
Romantic comedies are usually set in a big, well-known city. The most common place in the UK to set a rom-com is London, however internationally New York seems to be extremely popular as a romantic setting. It is a place that, even if people haven’t been there, they can picture. In a place like London, there is always something going on, so it is easy to believe that the events in the film could happen.
Conclusion
Normally, the conclusion of a film will be happy, with the two main characters getting back together. However, it is getting increasingly popular to show the reality that sometimes, it doesn’t all work out exactly the way we want it to. This is evidence of modern manipulation of conventions
A Little Bit of History
Firstly Shakespeare himself is often credited for writing some of the best romantic comedies of all time. Many of his plays were intended to be humorous as well as emotional and romantic; proving that rom-coms are by no means a modern style of film.
Romantic comedy declined in popularity and quality during World War II, Though several directors and production companies kept working at it. At this point rom-coms were better known as screwball films. The Lady Eve was one of the most successful of the time, it features a protagonist (Henry Fonda) so blinded by love that he marries the same woman (Barbara Stanwyck) three times without knowing it. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) took madcap comedy to a level beyond screwball and managed to become a box-office hit despite dealing with the sensitive subject of wartime promiscuity.
In general, the 1950s and 1960s were a low point for romantic comedy. Doris Day (b. 1924) became one of the most popular actors of the era, appearing in several of what were called "sex comedies," often opposite Rock Hudson (1925–1985). These films trade on the same kind of titillation that fueled theatrical sex farces, and they were equally conventional in their morality. By the mid-1960s, the genre virtually disappeared from Hollywood, with a few notable exceptions.
In 1977, however, the success of Woody Allen's Annie Hall fundamentally reinvented the genre. Both a box-office hit and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, it brought about a general revival of romantic comedy rooted in the changes in courtship and marriage that were occurring in the 1960s.
From the late 70's onwards romantic comedies have successfully rooted themselves as one of Hollywood's greatest creations. The genre has produced hundreds of films with a formula that seems to be immortal.
The Conventions Of A Slasher Film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a weapon such as a knife.
One of the first and most important films to this sub-genre is Michael Powell's Peeping Tom. The film's plot centers around a man who kills women while using a portable movie camera to record their dying expressions. The film was immensely controversial when first released; critics called it misogynistic. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, released three months after Peeping Tom, and is described as 'the mother of all slasher films'. Psycho is often referred to as the first true slasher film. Even though the villain's body count is only two, the film's plot structure, knife wielding and mentally disturbed killer, twist ending, and 'stalking' camera technique anticipates the gorier films of the 1980s. However, the famous shower sequence has, in itself, become a classic of horror cinema, and the film itself hailed by contemporary critics as a modern masterpiece.
From these films, certain characteristics developed to create the conventions of the Slasher film. These conventions are as follows:
The Killer
Every slasher has a killer. He's usually male, and his identity is often concealed either by a mask or by creative lighting and camerawork. Even if his identity is known, as in the case of Halloween's Michael Myers, he still tends to mask his face. This, combined with the fact that he's usually mute and seemingly unstoppable, heightens his ominous, threatening nature. Their back story often includes a childhood trauma that turned them into the homicidal maniac they are today, thus creating a level of sympathy in the viewer. After all, the real star of a slasher is the killer, not the hero. Throughout a franchise like Friday the 13th, heroes come and go, but the killer is constant: the iconic antihero valued for speaking softly and carrying a lethal weapon.
The Victims
In slashers, the victims tend to be young, attractive and often nude. They're typically high school or college-aged adolescents who engage in activities involving: sex, alcohol, drugs, crime and often sports. Rarely does the killer pick these kids explicitly because of their misdeeds, but there is an unwritten moral code in these films that punishes bad behavior. This somehow puts across the idea that the people who die somehow "deserve" it.
The Heroine
Although slashers are often criticized for being slightly sexist, they're one of the few film genres that primarily feature strong, independent female leads. The heroine is almost always a peer of the victims, but unlike her cohorts, she's virtuous. She doesn't go along with all of the sexual hijinks and drug usage, and if she doesn't outright stop her pals from bullying the geeky outcast who may someday grow into a homicidal killing machine, she at least feels really bad about it. The heroine is also known as the "final girl" because by the end of the movie, all of her friends are dead, and she's left alone to deal with the killer.
The Violence
One thing that separates slashers from thrillers and murder mysteries is the level of violence. Slashers shift the focus of the film from such trivialities as "plot" and "character development" and instead concentrate on the killing. Storylines are basically constructed around giving the killer reason and opportunity to do what he does best; murder and mayhem. The deaths are violent and graphic, and the more originality shown in the methods and tools used, the better.
To summarise in a heartbeat
The typically conventions are:-
1 psychopathic killer.
1 killing sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner.
1 familiar place such as, a highschool or nieghbourhood.
1 group of people, normally teenagers, which are typically stereotypes.
1 mask or other means of disguise.
1 final girl.
1 moral code to follow.
1 revival of the killer
= One bloody good slasher! (Excuse the terrible pun)
Notable Slashers:
Peeping Tom (1960)
Psycho (1960)
Violent Midnight (1963)
Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)
Black Christmas (1974)
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Halloween (1978)
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Friday the 13th (1980)
Prom Night (1980)
Terror Train (1980)
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Hell Night (1981)
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
April Fool's Day (1986)
Stagefright (1987)
Child's Play (1988)
Scream (1996)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Urban Legend (1998)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Haute Tension (2003)
Cry Wolf (2005)
Halloween (2007)
Hatchet (2007)
Friday, 8 July 2011
Conventions Of A Music Video
The conventions of music video's vary from genre to genre however there are several conventions that are present in the majority of music videos.
Camera Shots/Movement:
Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used to reflect the emotion and emphasise words of the song. Which links in to another major convention of music videos: lip syncing, which is present in the vast majority of music videos.
Unless there is a narrative story line to accompany the music video - in which case more complex movement and shots are often used - the movement of the camera is used to simply follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
Editing:
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts. However, as mentioned before, if there is a story line to the video a much wider range of editing techniques are used.
Mise-en-scene & and Lighting:
Most of the mise-en-scene, lighting, props and costumes etc. are very genre specific. For example pop videos tend to focus on the artist, with them being in very appealing outfits and with bright lighting. On the other hand indie videos could either be in black and white or colour, with a possible narrative; meaning that more props would be used and less focus would be on the artist and more so on the narrative. However there are often performance props in music videos such as guitars, drums and microphones.
Finally, the final convention of music video's is the live video. Many popular Rock and Punk bands have recorded themselves playing live and overdubbed the song to create a live performance.
An example of a live video: Good Charlotte - The Festival Song
Underneath is a link to a pop-punk video by a band called Four Year Strong, to the song 'Tonight I Feel Alive (On A Saturday)'. This video includes a narrative which makes the entire video very intense. There are several different types of camera angles used and hundreds of different props and costumes. To create and film this video took the band several weeks but it payed off. The story line comes across clearly and accompanies the lyrics very well. This is personally my favourite music video of all time, it definitely keeps the audience interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MH1UaPIEgA
Apposing this here is a link to a music video of Patrick Stump's 'Spotlight'. This video is of a much more pop/dance genre. The video itself very much reinforces the lyrics of the song, telling the listener that they should make the best of their uniqueness and their talents. The lighting is very bright to represent the mood and the video is more focused on the vocalist. Apart from the actual performers the music video isn't extremely drastic however works well with the song. In this genre it is often the case that subtlety pays off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nC1yoTh3M
Camera Shots/Movement:
Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used to reflect the emotion and emphasise words of the song. Which links in to another major convention of music videos: lip syncing, which is present in the vast majority of music videos.
Unless there is a narrative story line to accompany the music video - in which case more complex movement and shots are often used - the movement of the camera is used to simply follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
Editing:
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts. However, as mentioned before, if there is a story line to the video a much wider range of editing techniques are used.
Mise-en-scene & and Lighting:
Most of the mise-en-scene, lighting, props and costumes etc. are very genre specific. For example pop videos tend to focus on the artist, with them being in very appealing outfits and with bright lighting. On the other hand indie videos could either be in black and white or colour, with a possible narrative; meaning that more props would be used and less focus would be on the artist and more so on the narrative. However there are often performance props in music videos such as guitars, drums and microphones.
Finally, the final convention of music video's is the live video. Many popular Rock and Punk bands have recorded themselves playing live and overdubbed the song to create a live performance.
An example of a live video: Good Charlotte - The Festival Song
Underneath is a link to a pop-punk video by a band called Four Year Strong, to the song 'Tonight I Feel Alive (On A Saturday)'. This video includes a narrative which makes the entire video very intense. There are several different types of camera angles used and hundreds of different props and costumes. To create and film this video took the band several weeks but it payed off. The story line comes across clearly and accompanies the lyrics very well. This is personally my favourite music video of all time, it definitely keeps the audience interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MH1UaPIEgA
Apposing this here is a link to a music video of Patrick Stump's 'Spotlight'. This video is of a much more pop/dance genre. The video itself very much reinforces the lyrics of the song, telling the listener that they should make the best of their uniqueness and their talents. The lighting is very bright to represent the mood and the video is more focused on the vocalist. Apart from the actual performers the music video isn't extremely drastic however works well with the song. In this genre it is often the case that subtlety pays off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nC1yoTh3M
Monday, 4 July 2011
Introduction
For A2 media studies I have been given the option of either filming a short film, a film trailer or a music video. Until I decide which option to choose I will blog information to aid with all three choices. My instinct tells me that I'll end up creating a music video as I have a very keen interest in all aspects of music, however I'm keeping my options open.
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