AICE Media Studies 2024-25

Not too long ago, I watched an extract of the show "Agent Carter" in class and was told to make an essay describing the technical elements of the clip and how they developed meaning. This is my final draft after making a few edits: My Thoughts on the Extract  In the extract, "Agent Carter," the producers utilize elements such as shots, mise-en-scene, editing and sound to emphasize societal issues such as sexism during the 1900s as well as the theme of losing a loved one. The producers then utilize a master shot of all the workers, including Peggy, within an office. In the shot, we see that all the workers there are men and Peggy is the only female in the workplace. This is meant to be a subtle hint towards the looming sexism within the office. This can be also reinforced by the previous establishing shot that demonstrates a large city as well as the costumes utilized by the characters in the scene. Peggy is wearing very formal attire that seems to be very similar to...

 

  Cuts/Transitions 0:03- fade in 0:32- straight cut 0:07- straight cut 0:48- Action Match 0:14- Passing by  1:25- J-cut 0:21- dissolve 1:53- Eyeline match 0:26- Slow motion 1:57- fade out The Significance/Purpose 1. At 0:03, the first transition in the film is a fade-in that shows multiple dead bodies of soldiers laying on the ground. The significance of this transition is to demonstrate the horrors of war and how deadly it can be. The audience should feel mortified and even shocked of the consequences of war.  2. At 0:07, the film utilizes a straight cut that shows a man being shot. The meaning behind this is to demonstrate one of the many wa...

The 1976 film, "Taxi Driver," is a crime/noir film that focuses on a disturbed man, Travis Bickle, who suffers from insomnia and takes on a job as a Taxi driver. While the audience watches him travel through the city at night, we see insight on his belief that certain people are scum and animals who need to be cleaned up off the street. Not only that, but he struggles to create relationships with people. During this time he sees Betsy, a woman working for a presidential candidate in their campaign. The scene I want to dive into and break down, is the first date between Travis and Betsy. 4:00-6:00 In the scene, Travis wears a dark red vest and Betsy wears a bright red dress to the date. The general concept of the color red can mean romance and/or danger. I believe, that both meanings apply to this scene. Yes, both characters wear red and it represents the fact that both of them are interested in each other. Travis, however, is wearing a much deeper red and I believe that this ...

Set: Abandoned Diner  For this set, I decided to include a rundown diner that has gone out of business. To drive this point home, I included a nasty fridge, disgusting sink, messy front area, and a rodent. I used these images to demonstrate the horrendous conditions of the place and to make it seem as abandoned as possible. The color of the walls and signpost that says "diner" to make the audience think about it as an older, 1900s diner. I wanted the audience to assume it was an establishment that fell out of business and was simply just abandoned by the owners, town, and people. The terrible conditions were emphasized purposely in hopes of making the audience feel disgusted. Set: Gated Community To represent a gated community, I believed it was necessary to show a bright atmosphere with kids playing around and a modern house to demonstrate that it is a wealthy neighborhood. The kids playing on the street was made to show that the neighborhood is very secure as most parents w...

Categories Tells a story which holds the audiences' attention Demonstrates camera work and editing which enhances the story Contains dialogue, narration and/or background music which enhances the story Has compelling and interesting actors Possible Points for each category  Expert: 20 points Practitioner: 15 points Apprentice: 10 points Novice: 5 points total possible points: 80 My rating (By Category Number): 1. "Dexter" does a great job of holding the audience's attention with the first episode. The first episode is usually the deciding factor on whether or not someone might continue watching a series. In this case, I'd give it an expert (20 point) rating. The plot is very intriguing as we watch the protagonist live a double life, one as a serial killer anti-hero and the other as a forensics specializer for the Miami Police Department. There will be obvious conflict between the two as he attempts to balance both and keep himself out of the police's reach. 2....

Review from a couple of Camera elements in  Dexter (2013) By: James Manos Jr. After many instances of seeing this clips of this series called "Dexter," a crime drama, on Youtube, I decided to finally watch the first episode on Netflix. It takes place in Miami and is about a forensics expert named Dexter Morgan who leads a secret life as a serial killer who punishes unconvicted criminals. The show utilizes multiple camera angles, shots, dialogue, and lighting to fully envelope the watcher. These are just a few of the shots within the first episode. First Camera Shot: Focus Pull This focus pull is done really well and pulls the attention of the watcher from the brightly colored streets of Miami to our serious, almost sinister looking protagonist. The lighting combined with the focus pull creates this feeling that Dexter is not like the outside world. The blackness that surrounds him displays the mystery surrounding the character. Second Camera shot: Two-shot & Mid-shot Just...