Harmful Effects of Drugs - Jessica

The harmful effects of drugs are made known in public service announcement 'Jessica'. Throughout the video see how negatively Jessica and the people surrounding her are affected by the meth Jessica is taking. For instance, when the audience is informed that Jessica forced her brother to smoke with her we are able to see that drugs can see that her thought process has deteriorated and her actions could lead to her younger brother also become addicted. This would not have happened if Jessica didn't fall down the path of drugs. This was done purposely to make the viewers of this PSA realise that drugs would not only impact them, but also impact their friends and family. The movie 'Walk the Line' also shows how much of a dangerous impact drug could have on the bros. In this movie "Johnny Cash" takes drugs to ease the pain of his brother's death but in doing this it leads to him destroying the relationship with his friends and family. Both Johnny Cash and Jessica

Film aspects, group work

we had to choose a movie trailer and write a SEXXXY paragraph on one of the aspects shown in the trailer. After completing that we had to answer so critical literacy questions. Here is the work I did base on the 'Rocketman' trailer.

SEXXY paragraph:

Music is used effectively in the rocketman trailer. For example, the trailer begins with soft music symbolising Elton to be soft and introverted but as the trailer goes on the music intensifies and dramatic, as does Elton and his career. This makes the audience understand how his career and life is going due to the beat of the music relaxing or becoming more upbeat, the slow, soothing music showing the good and easy parts, while the fast opening up his struggles in his life. The director purpose was to help show his journey as well as also giving light to the difficult things he has faced when pursuing his career in music. Coinciding with telling Elton's story through different types of music is tone. The tone in the trailer is dark and gloomy giving the audience a sad feeling when combined with the slow music. When the tone is bright, loud, upbeat music is often played with it, giving a more positive impression. The intensity of the music can be compared to Elton's life itself. As mentioned previously, Elton's life started out light and soft, and as his music career rocketed out of control, so did the music. While he began to accomplish more and more, the music became more celebratory.

Critical literacy:

Why is the text written the way it is? This trailer is written/filmed this way to help capture the audience into watching and viewing this movie. The director wanted to grab the attention of the potential viewers and pull them into Elton’s life. 

What views of the world is this presenting?  In this trailer, we can see the world of celebrities and music enthusiasts and how they live their life. The trailer doesn’t show us the less advanced world or the world of others, only really the artist, family, and the famous. We see the view of the music world and how easily it can change peoples lives, in both positive and negative ways. 

How would the text be different if it were told in another time, place or culture? If this text was told in another time place or culture the whole story would be different. If told in another time period, such as in the one we are currently in, music would be a much easier career, meaning Elton wouldn’t have to face as many struggles. The world now is also much more accepting of new things so he wouldn’t get judged as much. If Elton lived in a different place or culture than where the film is set, the text might become less advanced and less accepting as Elton wouldn't've had the equipment and in some cultures the music style shown isn’t  as popular, meaning Elton's career might not have rocketed

Film Aspects

How does tone work in a film? The tone is the brightness in a film. there are 3 things that affect visual tone; lighting, exposure, art direction. Lighting is how you choose to light the scene, Exposure is how much light you let into a camera and art direction is how much tonal difference there is in set dressing, props and wardrobe. All these things can help show the mood in a scene. In a scene from the movie, 'The Godfather' tone is used by making a dark and shadowy setting inside an office where the actors discuss death and stuff while outside where a wedding is taking place it's brightly lit giving us a much happier mood. Directors are able to control the feeling of a scene by using tone.
How does the over-the-shoulder shot work? An over the shoulder shot can show a connection between characters. While and over-the-shoulder shot gives viewers a subconscious sense of connection, single shots create an emotional disconnection. In a scene I watched (forgot what movie it was from) a dolly shot is used to visually show the disconnection happening. The ending of this scene ends with the man in the scene sharing the camera with a waiter showing he has a connection whereas the lady in the scene is shown in a single shot close up giving the audience the impression that she is alone.
How does film blocking work in film? Film blocking is the precision staging of actors in a performance. When it comes to blocking there are three aspects used. These aspects being space, shapes and lines. When film blocking using shapes there are 3 main shapes used, circles, squares and triangles. Circles can make the audience feel safer, Squares create limited space making it seem like someone is boxed in while triangles are sharp giving a more aggressive feel. Film blocking can be used to make things, such as a conversation between to characters, more interesting. It can also be used to tell us what is really going on.
How does camera movement work in film? Camera movement is how a camera is directed. A whip pan is when the camera quickly flips (it's like quickly turning your head) and it creates a jolt of energy where a slow pan is the same but done at a slower pace giving the viewers time to take in the landscape of a scene A tilt shot is when a shot tilts (shocking) and is used to reveal something to the audience or to grab our attention. Dolly zoom is when a camera slowly zooms in and is used to show an intense internal experience of a charterer. A Steadicam shot is different from a dolly shot as the camera is stabilised on the camera operated it gracefully glides within a space. A hand-held shot is similar to a Steadicam shot but is shakier creating more anxiety for the viewer.
How is the contrast used in the film?  Contrast can be used to turn a good script into a good visual. In Spike Jonze's apple home pod ad contrast is used as at the beginning darkness is the overpowering visual effect until the character interacts with the home pod and it then becomes a bright and colourful scene. He does this to show us how someone restricted breaks free.
How is the dutch tilt used? A dutch tilt can create an uneasy and disturbing feeling, signalling to the viewer that something is wrong. A Dutch tilt is where the camera has a noticeable tilt on the x-axis of the screen. This tilt was created by the german expressionist in the early 1900s. When using a dutch tilt you need to identify, consider and enhance the moment. To enhance your shot you consider how tilted your camera is, the angle used your lens focal length and your depth of field.
How do visual motifs work in film? A motif is any reoccurring elements that have a symbolic significance in a story. They are important as they ensure the story is able to operate on more than one level. According to the video I watch great work of art is made if you can keep coming back to it and still find greater depth.
How does a POV or POT shot work? A POV shot is a shot where the audience has the point of view of the character. This hooks viewers in as we are able to see key moments through the eyes of the actors. A POT is when is similar to POV but instead of seeing what he sees we get a sense of a thought they are having. Point of thought shows can allow the viewers to share a moment with the character as we can feel their thoughts. These are important to grabbing and drawing the audience in making the movie makes more meaningful and personal.
How does the insert shot work in film?  An insert shot is an isolated shot that focuses on a specific detail. this shows critical information to the viewer. The three main aspects of an insert shot are colour, composition and timing. Composition helps the viewer get the feeling. Colour is used to draw the audience into specific points within the insert shot. The length you dwell on an insert shot helps show the meaning.
How does production design work in the film? The overall visual look of the scene. Production design sets the movie mood, character and themes.
How does colour work in film? Colours can have a psychological effect on the audience. There are three factors that determine the colour. The first one being Hue, this is the colour itself. The second factor is saturation which is the intensity of the colour and Brightness being the last factor, this is how light or dark a colour is. In the movie 'The Matrix' the hue is mostly green due to it being set in digital matrix and viewers often associate green with coding and hacking.  The green in this movie also gives us a sickly feel matching the world the movie is set in. Some movies desaturate the colour out of them. This gives a cold, raw and gritty look. Brightness can create a contrast within the film.
How does establish shot work in film? An establishing shot establishes the scene of the movie. This hot can be used to show the relationship between the subject and the location. As well as establishing a location, they also establish the tone of the movie. Establishing shots can be expensive due to the fact that it shows the viewer everything

Creative Writing Goals

Step 1- I am/am not ready to learn because…

I am ready to learn because I understand what I am meant to be doing and I have all the equipment needed. 

Step 2- My learning goals are …

My goal is to complete the tasks and hopefully further my knowledge in these writing features 

Step 3- To engage in the connectivist learning process, I will need …

To engage in the connectivist learning process I will need my brain, a Chromebook, a blog,