Student Questionnaire

Name: Zoe Coyte-Mckenzie

GCSE Results:
Maths,science, history and textiles: C
English language and ICT: B
Philosophy and ethics, Art and English literature: A 

Hobbies:

- I really enjoy photography (I have included some examples of my work) 

- I also enjoy watching movies 

- socialising with friends

Print Media 

I do not really read the newspaper because I find it doesn't really cater to my age range, but I recieve the NME magazine weekly. Because it keeps me updated with the latest music released and i find it very interesting. 

Radio Media 

http://www.xfm.co.uk/

The main radio stations i listen to are NME radio and XFM. I like these stations because they play a range of music which i enjoy. 

http://www.nmeradio.com/ 

Music Industry 

My favourite genres of music are Indie, rap, drum and bass and indie rock. 

A few of my favourite bands are; Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Vaccines, Foals and Crystal Fighters. I also like shy fx, sub focus and chase and status. 

Other than the radio, i access most of my music online through sites like spotify, because i find it is easier and quicker. I think illegal downloading is wrong, because the artist does not get the money for the download, but on the other hand it is also a good thing because sometimes downloading music legally is very expensive. 

The music industry might influence a person's dress sense and actions because you could be inspired by the artist, and try to follow their style. 

For example the Mods, Oasis is a good example for the Mod groups forming. It was all based on haircuts and clothes. 

Example of a Mod group 

Video Games 

Sometimes me and my friends go on video games like singstar and little big planet, which are more fun less aggressive games such as Call of Duty and Assassins Creed. 

When i was younger i loved playing Crash Bandicoot, it was very entertaining and fun. 

Some people believe that certain video games are only accessible for a certain gender. This causes a lot of sexist arguments. I believe that it doesn't matter if you are male or female, if you enjoy the game then play it. Another big problem cause by video games, is the aggression and violence in them; some young children are exposed to games such as Nazi Zombies that could traumatise them, leaving parents angry. But i think that you should follow the age certificate given, if you think your child cannot handle it, do not expose them to the game.

New Technology 

It has increased understanding in the world because people can access the news and information much more faster(internet). Also it is much easier to communicate with others; for example, you do not have to write someone a letter to get hold of them you can just access your social networking site or call them. 

One of the problems with social networking sites is the fact that there can be so much online bullying. Things are being done to try and stop this, but not really any obvious improvements have been made. 

Television

I like to watch Channel 4, because it has documentaries, soaps and come dine with me. 

I also like E4, because it is full of comedy, with things such as the big bang theory and how i met your mother. 

My favourite television genre is comedy because puts you in a good mood, and it isn't boring, which sometimes documentaries can be. 

Feature film 

My favourite genre of film would be either horror and comedy. I do not really like romantic films because i find them quite boring and they all seem to have the same storyline. 

3 films that i have seen and have left an impact on me are. 

Submarine 

I really enjoyed this film not just because of the acting, but the storyline was so strange and interesting. Also the soundtrack really made the film, Alex turner did the soundtrack for the whole film - each song had meaning, and without the soundtrack i do not think the film would have been so memorable. 

The boat that rocked 

Again i really enjoyed this film because of the soundtrack, but i also enjoyed the storyline and the way it was filmed. It is also quite comical which is enjoyable. 

Drive 

What i really like about this film is the way it is shot, it just brings so much confusion and really draws the audience in. At sometimes you can sit there and think 'what is going on?', so you really have to watch the film and not drift off. Ryan Gosling's acting in the film is extraordinary. It left me speechless. 

I definitely prefer to watch films at the cinema, because i think that it is much more powerful and has a bigger effect on the audience because it is on a much larger screen. However sometimes i cannot afford to go to the cinema, so i go in my loft which has surround sound and watch a film, it is good, but does not have the same effect a cinema does.

Cinema city is my favourite cinema because it is a calm atmosphere, although sometimes it can be quite expensive they often have reasonable deals. The chairs are very comfy and the films are always in very good quality.

Sometimes i prefer to watch a film by myself, because that way i can put my full concentration into it, rather than having my friends around me talking and rustling. But other times it is great to watch a film with friends because you can talk about how good/bad it was. 

There are not really any media texts that have offended me that i can think of, but anything that contains murder, rape or abuse can be upsetting. If i was to contruct a media text it would either be a film or music review because i enjoy writing my veiws on certain aspects of media.

I have chosen media studies as a subject because i enjoy making films and i would like to do something with it in the future. I think that although it is alot of work it will be fun and i will learn alot. I also love watching films, so it will be great to learn more about them in depth.

Camera training : Still Images

Camera Angles

I chose to take my photographs of the following angles in an empty alley, to start considering the concept of a thriller.

The first shot i took was a bird's eye view shot. To take this i stood on a pole to make sure i was above the person. I like this shot because it gives a vertical view of the action. I think it would be great to be used in my thriller because, if during a scene, somebody was being followed or chased, the viewer would be able to see everything, making them feel like they are a part of the film. 

 The next shot i tried out was a worm's eye view shot. Firstly, I took one of just the persons feet; this will be effective in a thriller because it can show if somebody is running away or if a body is being dragged across the floor. This gives the audience a sense of knowing and lets them witness the character in a vulnerable state. 




I found a perfect example of this shot but including the whole body. From an episode of Hollyoaks. It also relates to the thriller theme. 







I then tried out taking a shot including the persons body and face. Just to show the audience facial expressions and the vulnerability of the character. 

 

The Next shot i tested was the Low angle shot, this can be used to show the socail status of the character (high status). It makes the character look iconic and the audience can see power and control. 

  I found a good example of this shot used in Kill Bill, the audience can tell that these characters are powerful and strong. It is also a tilt shot.

The next shot i tested was the over the shoulder shot, I think this would be perfect to use in a thriller, because it could be seen as  looking through the eyes of the villian, which gives the audience a good insite.

I then went onto testing the Rule of thirds; instead of putting the most important character in the right hand corner i chose to test what it would look like if they were in the middle, i got this inspiration from a shot in kill bill.

After that i tried out the tilt shot, the aim of a tilt shot is to show the confusion and disorientation of the character and the audience. 



Here i tried out the long shot, this is good to show the surroundings of the set, and it is also good for an action scene because the viewer will be able to see everything. 

I then took a close up shot, this is to  allow the audience to truly see the characters emotions and facial expressions. 

Finally i tested the extreme close up shot, this is to emphasis facial expressions and sometimes make the character appear threatening. 

Skills - O - Rama 3

 testing of uploading an image 

Skills - O - Rama 1

Testing embedding a youtube video 

Introduction

Hi, I'm Zoe and this is my media blog!