HOMEWORK - Documentary and Animation Due Tues 2nd Feb

Bollywood Media Homework

You need to create a fact sheet about either ANIMATION or DOCUMENTARY. This must be done for homework and should be at least two sides of A4, with lots of information and pictures and very little white space.

You must include the following:

• A definition of the genre.
• How the genre started out, early examples.
• Famous examples.
• Explanations and pictures of the different techniques used.

You could include:

• Who the audiences are for different types of animation/documentary.
• The purposes of different types within the genre.
• How developing technologies have changed the nature of the genre.

DUE IN: TUES 2^nd FEBRUARY 2010

Animation Links

A short history or animation:

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow5/may99/History/history.html

Animation history timeline:

http://joshuamosley.com/UPenn/courses/Ani/AnimationHistory.html

http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/animation-history.htm

Documentary Links

http://www.mediaknowall.com/Documentary/definitions.html

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/education/id/1271387/index.html

http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=documentary

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/docexhibit/docuchron.htm

http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_22/section_1/artc1A.html

Tues 26th Jan

Today we filmed a little dance and some of the animation. We started to interview people about what they are doing and also recorded a short piece to camera about the auditions that were taking place for the male actors. Some people found it hard trying to figure out what to say on camera about what is happening. It is often hard to sound natural when put on the spot, so some people froze and needed to rehearse what they were saying.

After break, some went to film in the park, some carried on animating and some did blogging.

Tues 19th

Today, most students carried on with animation, dance, drama and art work in their small groups. With the documentary crew, we looked at the Making of Son of Rambow and made notes on the content such as camera shots and editing techniques. We then devised a storyboard for the documentary and came up with questions to ask interviewees.

Period five, some filmed in the park and the rest either rehearsed in the drama studio or blogged with me in room 203.

18th Jan - Flexible Day

This morning we all met in the hall briefly before separating into Dance and Media. The Media students did a textual analysis of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Never Say Goodbye) which is a dramatic romance.

Students learned the different shot types such as wide shot, close up, over the shoulder and point of view. They also learned movements such as tracking, tilting and panning, as well as the 180 degree rule.

They looked at different types of scenes to see how the filming techniques varied according to the location, action and mood. For example, they learned that for tense action packed scenes, lots of shots, fast edits and the use of slow motion creates suspense. For conversations, they learned about using close ups to show emotion, and the 180 degree rule so the characters look like they are looking at each other.

Dance is mainly wide shots to allow for the movement within a frame, but they often use crane shots to sweep across the room and higher angles to fit everyone in.

Period three we all went to the hall to learn the wedding scene dance.

Period four we began storyboarding scenes 1-4 of the film.

Period five we did some more storyboarding and then went to the park to recce the location and try out the wedding dance scene in there.

Starting the animation/documentary

Please write about working with Don, Wendy from the CLC, Mr Dubasiya and Mr Le Marechal from here. What did you look at first for inspiration?

Evaluate what you did so far?

Questions for evaluating footage filmed so far:

1. Was it steady enough?
2. Were the shots framed well? (Not too much ceiling or floor etc)
3. Was the movement steady for pans and tilts?
4. Were the interviewees lit well?
5. Could you hear them?
6. Was the background interesting?
7. Were the questions appropriate?

What do you need to do before next lesson to make it even better?

Starting Bollywood

Today we started the new project - Bollywood. We are going to be making a short 20 minute film in which some people will be acting and singing, and others will be making and performing a puppet flash back sequence. There will also be an stop-motion animation title sequence and a 'making of' documentary. Students have already created the music for the titles and a dance sequence on the flexible day (write this up as a separate post).

Period 1 we were joined by Don, a professional film maker and Phillip, a scriptwriter. Don is going to be workign with us throughout the project, and he gave us all an intro to film making and wanted to find out a little bit all the class. Students then found out which groups they are in - Art/Media or Drama/Dance. We had a look at clips from ...................... film which is a modern Bollywood film set in New York. We watched a musical dance sequence which was very fast paced and bangra in style. There were a large number of female dancers dancing in unison in colourful costumes such as saris and more western short dresses. There were two males in red and black dancing at the centre. The mood was very light hearted.

For the remaining 15 minutes we split into Dance or Media. We looked at a clip on Youtube which was a 'making of' documentary for a stop motion animated advert. We talked briefly about the techniques used to make the animation and documentary.

We are also given HOMEWORK - to find out about animation and documentary genres and create fact sheets. DUE TUES 2nd FEB.