Media Text Research #3

(Film)

The final film example that I analyzes was Mop (2015) directed by Dominic Houghton. The short film follows a story of janitor who accidently kills a office worker from the mopped floor and the steps he takes in order to hide the body. 

Lighting: Low-key, night office fluorescents with natural shadows were used to create suspenseful moments without changing the film into horror. The dim yet functional light highlights physical gags and expressions of alarm, balancing tension with dark humor

Camera angles & shots: Mid-shots and close-ups capture the cleaner's growing desperation, while wider shots in hallways and elevators show the risky tasks that he has to do in order to be successful, Tracking and quick cuts build rhythm during chaos, with dynamic framing that emphasizes physical comedy and surprise reveals.

(Favorite Scene)

This film was a little more darker than the rest of the examples, but it helped me realize that the comedy genre is widely vast and that regarding the genre of comedy, there are a large amount of variables that come to play in order for the film to be achieve its goal.

Media Text research #2

(Film)

 Now for the second film that I analyzed was Lie Detector (2011) filmed by Paul Emerson. The short film is follows a job interview, where the interviewee is connected to a lie detector that exposes every lie in real time, leading to absurd truths about both individuals.    

Lighting: Bright, office fluorescents were used in order to create a environment where facial expressions and reactions are fully visible. No dramatic shadows or mood lighting, which helps every twitch of panic or awkward pause is showcased without distraction, making the lies feel immediate and relatable.

Camera angles & shots: A lot of close-ups and two-shots that help keep the focus intimate, capturing subtle reactions during the back-and-forth. Medium shots establish the setup (interviewer, candidate, machine), the framing emphasizes dialogue and reactions, allowing the absurdity to unfold naturally.

All elements coming together creating a film where I did crack a couple of laughs during, something I hope I'm able to achieve with my film. Well wrapping that up I'll see you
beautiful people later BYEE!!

(Favorite Scene)

Media Text Research #1

(Film)

One of the films I researched was Skipped (2017). A film directed by Faisal Hashmi that follows a man working late in the office who discovers that he has the power to time skip items whenever he sneezes. The short film was very enjoying to watch and here are some stuff that I picked up from it. 

Lighting: The film uses practical office fluorescent that establish a dull, late-night atmosphere. This approach keeps the early scenes grounded, allowing the comedic escalation to emerge through performance and editing rather than dramatic shifts. As the consequences intensify, the consistent lighting, focusing on the character's deteriorating state, strengthens the dark humor presented in the film. 

Camera angles & shots: A combination of mid-shots and close-ups captures subtle facial expressions and physical changes, emphasizing confusion, as well as excitement. Establishing shots of the empty office set the isolated tone, while tighter framing during the time skips builds a rhythm.

(Favorite Scene)

After watching the short film I got a lot of ideas from it, am I going to tell you guys about it? Maybe later, that discussion is for another blog post. See you guys later, BYEE!!

Comedy Research

    Well well well, now that I finally picked my route (short film), I gotta do the smart thing and actually research the genre I'm going for. And guess what? My short film is gonna be a COMEDY!!!!  Why comedy you might say? Well because who doesn't love laughing, It would also go really well with my groups idea. Oh YEAH, I forgot to update you guys…. We are going to scrap the first idea and go with a new one. Don't fret, the new idea is good as well. The basic premise is the short film would follow someone that everything that happens to him goes wrong. Going back to the research, I went searching around for what makes a good comedy short film.

(Exaggerated actions example)    

So basically, comedy is all about making people laugh on purpose. Like, the main goal is to create humor and those big laughs from the audience. Films in this genre are designed to be light hearted, entertaining, and fun, most end happily, except maybe darker ones but that's a side thing. Stakes are usually personal and low-key, no world-ending situations, just awkward personal messes that get resolved with laughs. Comedy also loves to exaggerate everything, situations, characters, reactions, actions. Stuff gets blown way out of proportion to make it ridiculous and funny. 

Anyhoo, I’m starting to get pretty excited about this project, can’t wait to start filming!! See you guys in the next one, BYEE.

(Movie example of exaggerated actions)

My Project Choice

    What I'm going to do for this project? A question that was hunting me up until I saw a penny on the ground. Well let me give you guys more context, while in class our teacher starts discussing our portfolio project and what is expected to be done for this project. The project has 4 routes one route being music another one being doing a documentary, another being to do a promotional campaign for a full length film, and the last one a short film.     

    Well the one I decided to pick was wait drumroll pleaseee no like I'm being serious okay okay, I CHOSED THE SHORT FILM ONE. Reason why well this is where that penny comes to play. Well once she finished discussing the possible routes that we are able to approach, I looked on the ground and saw a seemly lonely penny, not paying any more attention I simply glance back up trying to think on what route would be the best for me. Accidently I kicked the penny and saw that it was in a whole other part of the room in an instant and boom that where my brain clicked

(One of the film locations)

    After witnessing that I immediately thought about teleportation and realized why not do a short film about using a penny to teleport places. ALSO I almost forgot to mention this but this idea also got influenced to due to the fact that we would still being doing the project during spring break which is PERFECT for my idea as I will be traveling to both London and Madrid. All I can say I'm pretty excited with how this is going to turn out (hopefully good)..

(Another possible film location)

My Amazing Blog Schedule

 

    GUESS WHOS BACK!!!! Well obviously me but I just wanted to make it dramatic and cool. Anyhoo, lets get into what I will be discussing in this post, for this post I will be showcasing my amazing and wonderful schedule to my beautiful amazing audience. Enough with the talking and let me just show you. 

Week 1: Introduction (Feb 17 – Feb 22)

• Post 1: Introduction to A-Level Project. Define your project choice, the concept, and why you chose it.

• Post 2: Project Timeline. Post this exact schedule to show your planning process.

Week 2: Genre & Media Research (Feb 23 – Mar 1)

• Post 3: Genre Research. Deep dive into the conventions of the genre.

• Post 4: Media Text Analysis 1. Research 2 real-world examples of genre.

• Post 5: Media Text Analysis 2. Research another 2 real-world examples.

• Post 6: Media Text Analysis 3. Research a final 2 examples 

Week 3: Social Media & Early Planning (Mar 2 – Mar 8)

• Post 7: Social Media Research. Analyze how similar projects are marketed on Instagram, TikTok, or X.

• Post 8: Initial Planning. Share first outlines, mood boards, or layout sketches.

• Post 9: Production Logistics. Share shooting schedule or equipment list.

• Post 10: Group Meeting Summary. Reflection on roles, decisions, and collaboration.

Week 4: Detailed Pre-Production (Mar 9 – Mar 15)

• Post 11: Storyboarding/Layouts. Detailed visual plan of project.

• Post 12: Advanced Planning. Scripts, casting, or location scouting notes.

• Post 13: Technical Process. Testing your camera settings, lighting setups, or software.

Week 5: Production & Print Research (Mar 16 – Mar 22) Spring Break

• Post 14: Production Day 1. Behind-the-scenes photos and reflection on what went well.

• Post 15: Production Day 2. Documentation of key moments or any changes made on the spot.

• Post 16: Print Component Research. Analyze magazines, posters, or physical media related to the genre.

Week 6: Editing & CCR Kickoff (Mar 23 – Mar 29)

• Post 17: Post-Production Log. Reflection on the editing process or software challenges.

• Post 18: Refining the Product. "Before and after" shots of your edits or layout changes.

• Post 19: CCR Brainstorming. Intro to CCR and initial thoughts.

Week 7: Finishing Touches (Mar 30 – Apr 5)

• Post 20: Final Production Reflection. Final changes made to the project and why.

• Post 21: CCR Planning. Detailed outline or draft of reflection answers.

• Post 22: Final Polish. Reviewing the aesthetic consistency across all project components.

Week 8: Final Submission (Apr 6 – Apr 10)

• Post 23: Project Showcase. Link to/embed your final A-Level project 

• Post 24: Critical Reflection. Post your completed CCR.

• Post 25: Final Project Reflection. Final thoughts on the journey and growth as a creator.

(Last day of project)

I know I know pretty amazing schedule if I do say so my self, I truly believe that by following this schedule I wont feel overwhelmed with the workload throughout the duration of this project.     

Also already have the final day of the project marked on my calendar, kind of emotional to be honest but that's not something to worry about right now, I'll get emotional on April 10th.

Representation in our documentary

"How do your products represent social groups or issues?"

Social groups and issues represented: The documentary represents one main social groups. Intergeneration groups being is one of them, showcasing representation of different age groups working side-by-side. With this in mind a problem that gets address is Societal Distinctively, it tackles the issue of social isolation by demonstrating that connection and learning can occur when typically separate demographics are brought together through a shared goal.

Discussion of representation: Our documentary effectively represents intergenerational social groups by actively challenging the societal issue of age-segregation. It uses b-roll to portray older participants as willing learners and also experienced mentors, while younger participants are shown as energetic empathetic teachers, challenging common age stereotype.