Winter's Bone (2010) (One of the films I seen) Film Number 1

Here is the trailer for Winter's Bone:



Here is a review of Winter's Bone by Digitalspy:

An outstanding turn from young actress Jennifer Lawrence propels this adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s novel into the realms of a genuine Oscar contender. Favouring raw naturalism ahead of Hollywood convention, this engrossing tale of a 17-year-old’s quest to find her father in a rural part of America is further bolstered by director Debra Granik’s ability to engender a sense of wonderment in what we witness.

Lawrence, who impressed in a supporting role in last year’s vastly underrated The Burning Plain, plays Ree - a teenager plunged into an unrelentingly bleak scenario. She not only has to look after her ill mother and two younger siblings, but must also hunt down her missing father in a bid to salvage her family and raise enough cash to prevent their home being repossessed. Her quest puts her life in danger as she finds that lies, evasion and narcotics are all interweaved with the remote community’s unwillingness to address the dirty secrets that underpin their existence.

In other words, you won’t need to book any Botox treatments to tackle laughter lines generated during the viewing of this film. Instead, we can’t help but adopt a permanent frown while witnessing the physical and emotional trials endured by Ree, with Jennifer Lawrence engendering the character with a sense of unflappable dignity and determination that belie her tender years. The naturally beautiful actress 'does a Theron', not only in stripping away the make-up for an unflattering look, but stripping down the psychological layers too - and in a very natural, subtle and uncontrived manner that takes great skill.

Her haunting turn is well complemented by John Hawkes’s supporting performance as Ree’s drug-addled uncle Teardrop. Evoking Dennis Hopper at his dangerous best, Hawkes keeps us on tenterhooks with the unpredictability of the character, forcing us to monitor every minute facial expression or body tick for signs of his next move, whether it be an aggressive or compassionate one.

Debra Granik’s directorial style channels early Terrence Malick with her captivating depiction of everyday banality in the American wilderness. In particular, her recurring shots of Ree’s siblings playing on a trampoline or bales of hay are fascinating. They embody the innocence that Ree has had to vanquish due to her predicament, in addition to forming a poignant juxtaposition with the drug-infused decadence in the surrounding environs. Most importantly, Granik’s camerawork indefatigably monitors Ree’s face, which is doing its best to exude a thick skin in the face of adversity.

Winter’s Bone is a rewarding watch that does repay a fairly slow-moving narrative with heightened tension and twists at the end. The somewhat repetitive nature of Ree’s door-to-door enquiries in the first half of the movie does threaten to test the patience at times. Fortunately, the potency of Jennifer Lawrence in a very difficult role drags the film out of any possible quandaries.


4/5 stars

Planning for the Preliminary Task (Part 3)

This is the story board for our Preliminary Task. Also I am very sorry for the bad quality of the boards because they are scanned and please bear with me because I am not a very good drawer.

Planning for the Preliminary Task (Part 2)

Here is the script for our Preliminary Task. You have to bear with me as it is the first time I have ever written a script.

Test Shot for Preliminary Task

Today we tried to film the Preliminary Task but due to some reasons we can't use this footage so this will now be a test shot. In this practice shot we used a variety of angles. The one we tried to do was shot reverse shot but we broke the 180 degree rule so it didn't work.

Planning for the Preliminary Task (Part 1)

Here is the planning for the preliminary task. It includes the types of camera angles that we use, where we are going to shoot and the scenario of the task.

How are new technologies affecting the ways in which we watch film

Generation Divide

Throughout the years the new technologies that have been invented such as the iPad or 3D TV has changed the way in which younger generations would watch films.

The new generation can watch films really easily with the option of recording films from television. In a survey from the UK Film Council 14.5% of people would prefer this method rather than 11.1% of people who said that they would watch a film in the cinema.

These new technologies have changed the way both younger and older generations have been watching films. In the survey done by the UK Film Council 15.4% of young people aged between 16-24 years old would prefer to watch their films in the cinema rather than older generation of people aged 55 and over who would want to watch films 21.7%  of them would want to watch their films on television.

But the new technology invented has also given us a variety of ways in which we could watch films. Other ways we could watch films other than watching it in the cinema or television is you could watch it by buying a DVD and also viewing it through video-on demand services such as BBC iPlayer or Film 4oD.

But all the new technology invented for the past 20 years has made older technologies obsolete. Such as VHS and VCR because of the DVD’s being invented. Another technology that has been obsolete is the older generations of television because they are not capable with the new technology being invented such as HD quality picture or digital television which would enable people to watch films in a variety of channels.

Changes in Cinema Viewing

The new technology invented has also increased the way people watch films in the cinema. Before newer technologies have been invented older generations only watch through films in a traditional screen but for the past years traditional screens have either been vanished and converted into a new type of cinema screen such as 3D or IMAX or they have decreased in number.

One of the new technology that has changed the way we watch films is 3D film. 3D film was invented in 1960 and since then there has been an increase in releasing 3D films. In 2010, 28 3D Films has been released and this has generated £241.80 million for that year. It has changed the way films are released. Film Studios such as Warner Brothers, Dreamworks are now interested in releasing their future films in 3D.

Another technology that has also changed the way we watched films is IMAX. IMAX has changed the way films should be shown in cinemas. Which is to have high picture quality and surround sound.

Proliferation of Options

Throughout the years people can only watch films through the cinema, on the television either with a VCR or a DVD player. But now people all over the world are now able to watch films in their portable devices such as iPods, Blackberry’s or Zune. It all began when iPod was invented and iTunes was also created by Apple since then the technology has evolved and since then people can watch films on the go but on a survey done by the UK Film Council, only 1.0% of people legally download the films they watch on their portable devices and 2.5% of people illegally share films online.

Viewers can also consume films through paid video-on demand services such as Lovefilm.com

Viewers used to consume films by just watching it through DVD’s but for the past years there has been an increase in people buying and renting Blu-Ray. This is because Blu-ray has high-definition picture and standard DVD’s could break easily due to scratches while Blu-ray discs are scratch-resistant.

Changes in Home Entertainment

Throughout the years people were only able to watch through the cinema or watching it in their television but since then technology has evolved and since then DVD players have been invented and VHS player have become obsolete because of this.

Since VHS players were invented, the way people watch films in their homes has changed. Not only that the way we watch it has also changed such as the Television. Today  televisions are much bigger, thinner and are energy efficient than the old sets of televisions.

Television is not the only technology that has evolved.  DVD players were also invented and has also become evolved since it was invented many people have preferred to consume film this way. In a survey done by the UK Film Council, 9.0% of people would prefer to watch films this way compared to the new way to watch film Blu-ray in which only 1.9% would only be interested in consuming film this way.

Practice Shots

Year 12 Media Studies Student Questionnaire

Name: Timothy John Jumawan

Qualifications:

GCSE English Language - C
GCSE English Literature - C
GCSE Core Science - C
GCSE Additional Science - C
GCSE Maths - C
GCSE French - B
GCSE R.E. (Short Course) - A
NCFE in Business and Enterprise - Pass
OCR Nationals in ICT - Distinction
BTEC First Diploma in Retail - Distinction*
AS ICT - E

Hobbies

My hobbies including watching films and television, cycling and reading.

Media Interests

Print Media

The newspapers that I read are: I, Daily Mail, and The Sun. I read all of these newspapers for a variety of reasons. One of them is that all of these newspapers can be bought anywhere at a really low price. My favourite newspaper out of the these newspapers is ‘I’ not just because I can buy it anywhere for only 20 p but also it only has the essential news e.g. current affairs, business and sport which is what I am interested in.

I don’t only read the news on the newspaper I also read them online on websites such as BBC News or Reuters. This is my most preferred way of reading the news mainly because I can find articles that suit my interest really quickly and websites are updated 24 hours a day 365 days a year so all of the information is up to date unlike the information that can be found in Newspapers.

Radio Media

I barely listen to Radio stations but the main Radio stations I listen to are Capital FM, BBC Radio 1, Heart and Kiss FM. The reason that I listen to these radio stations are for Entertainment and sometimes for information because these stations always have an hourly news programme.

New Technology

All of the new technology invented for the past few years has helped me increase my ability to talk to others with great applications such as E-mail, SMS or Instant Messaging because they are all quick, reliable and secure not like before when the only way you could communicate with others is by Letter or Telephone.

The new technology invented has also helped me have a much better understanding of the world by making it easier to find information because of the internet. It helped me find information that I would need in a short amount of time.

The new technology invented has also helped me have easier access to films, television programmes and music through websites and application such as BBC iPlayer, 4oD and LoveFilm.com but there ae various of Advantages and Disadvantages about the proliferation of access of films because of a variety of reasons. The most common one being piracy.

The new technology has also increased my ability to create my own media texts by websites such as blogspot because they could make it easier for you to create a blog rather than having someone else create it for them they can do it for themselves.

Music Industry

My favourite genres of music include pop, rock and classical music.

I access my favourite music through the internet on websites such as Youtube or I listen to them through online radio.

Throughout the past year there has been a lot about illegal downloading of music off internet sites and I have a mixed opinion about illegal downloading. Yes it is illegal and it is breaking the law but I think most of the people who download illegal music are teenagers and I think that they do this because they don’t have a job so they couldn’t afford to download original music.

The Music Industry can also influence the way people dress, behave and also their aspirations by the way artists also dress and also I think the lyrics in their songs could also have an impact on the way they should act towards themselves and others.

Television

My favourite television channels include ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV 2, BBC Three, E4, Sky1 and Sky Living. These are my favourite channels because they are able to acquire programs that they think they’re audiences would like.

My favourite television genre is Comedy. It is my favourite genre because most of television shows I watch are comedy and the writers of the shows are really good at making everyday situations really funny.

The 5 television programmes which I think is memorable are Friends, Lost, Will and Grace, Ally McBeal, and The Simpsons.

Feature Film

My favourite film genre is Drama because Drama films always seem to have a good storyline that could be applied in everyday situations.

The films that I think that are outstanding are One Day, 500 Days of Summer and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Play list.

I consume film in a variety of ways such as portable device or at the cinema. But I prefer to consume film by watching it on the television.

I also prefer to watch films in a group but sometimes on my own.

Am I A Media Producer?

No I am not, I haven't took part in any media production.

Conclusion

Throughout my life I think that there hasn't been any texts that has offended me.

I think that the most interesting media that I have ever seen is the original version of the film Night of the Living Dead because this film has started the revolution of zombie films. Another media which I find is interesting is Adele's latest album 21 I think it's interesting because I think Adele portrayed what people are feeling in such a good way.

If I was to construct a media text I would choose to do a film because I can show how the technology that has been invented throughout the years have changed society and how our world would be different without it.

I chose Media Studies as an option because I think that it would relate to what I would want to do in the future, which is set up my own travel agency. I think that Media Studies would help so I could be more involved in other aspects of the business (advertising).

Embedding a video from Youtube