Rob Ford: Media Bias

You will be looking up articles on Rob Ford.  You must look at 4 articles.  In MS Word paste the URL of the articles, and write a one or two sentence summary of the article.

When you have collected your articles you must write a two paragraph summary of how the news paper portrays rob ford (what does it say about him, does it make him look good, poor, etc?)

Finally - write one paragraph explaining WHY you think the newspaper portrays him the way it does.

You have been assigned a specific source for your articles.  Either:

The Toronto Star
MA, GA, NH, FM, MO

The Glove and Mail
AM, ND, BH, SM-J, HP, SS

The Toronto Sun
AA, FF, AJ, RP, SS, SSF

International News Papers (select one, or multiple sources.  They can not be Canadian Papers)
SA, MH, AJ, UN, SR, RU
[ NYTimes ] [Japan Times ] [ Daily Mail ]

Scott Pilgrim Poster Jam

Movie Posters - as different as they are - follow a very specific formula.  They have a number of qualities that are shared between styles, and types.

To be successful a movie poster must include:
- The Movie Title
- A tag line to make the film sound interesting
- The release date
- A large graphic image that represents the film

Most posters also include:
- The main actor's name
- A longer tag line
- Text detailing the producer, writer, director, actors, and other key people involved in the create of the film.

Note, in the example below, all of those qualities can be found on the poster for the Lizzy McGuire movie..

Below you will see a number of Movie Posters for the film Scott Pilgrim.  Note that some include all the above elements, while others are more streamlined - including a large, eye catching, image to gain attention.

An advertising campaign will normally include both types of posters.  One style to just get people looking, and interesting, and another style with more detailed information of the film.  Success depends on both types being use correctly.

You will find two Photoshop Files located in \KCI-Folder\Pick-Up\Barltrop\Media

One of the Photoshop files (movie poster.psd) is a basic template for a movie poster - based on the Lizzie McGuire poster above.  The other file (scott shop.psd) includes some images you may want to use for your next project.  They are already cut out, and ready for integration into a poster of your own creation.

Your Task:
You will be creating two movie posters for the film Scott Pilgrim.

One of them will be a very informative poster, with all of the required elements for a successful movie poster, as well as the elements most posters include.

The Second will be a simplified movie poster to gain attention, with only the required elements for a successful movie poster.

Those elements can be found listed at the top of this article.

Instructions:
You will need to research Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in order to gain all the required information for your poster.  You will also need to look up images from the internet to be used for your poster.  I would suggest by starting here.  However, there are a number of other places you can gain your images.

Your cutting and pasting skills will come into play here.  Being able to layer your image will also be a great help.

The skills you learned with Inkscape (such as gradient tools, and text tools) will be important for creating a successful poster.  You may even want to simplify some images you've found on the internet, with Inkscape, to use in your poster.  There have been a number of powerful posters created using vectoring techniques.

The rubric for your two posters is below:

Knowledge	Thinking	Communication	Application
- all required elements are present - assignment guidelines are adhered to - information is correct - learned inkscape and photoshop techniques are used in poster - no more than two images from the scott_shop.psd file are used in your finished product - poster shows an understanding of the required elements for movie posters	- all required elements are present - assignment guidelines are adhered to - at least two images - not found in scott_shop.psd - are used in your finished product - images and text are integrated in such a way as they compliment each other	- poster is of acceptable size (no smaller than W750 x H1000). - text is used in an effective way to communicate ideas - images are used in an effective way to communicate ideas - images attract and audience, and not cluttered	- all required elements are present - assignment guidelines are adhered to - posters could feature in a professional advertising campaign

Hot Tip:
If you want to take a look at more movie poster examples, to help guide you on your way there are lots of places you can look.

Batman Poster Advertising

You are responsible for choosing which image would be suitable for advertising in a number of different locations.

You can use each image only once.

Write down which image you would use for the following sources, and explain (in one or two sentences) why the image would be appropriate for that location?

Locations:
- Cosmo Magazine (Women's Magazine)
- Maxim Magazine (Men's Magazine)
- GamePro Magazine (Video Game Magazine)
- Yonge and Dundas Billboard
- Storefront Poster
- In Theatre "Now Playing" Poster

[Questions to Consider]
1. Why did you choose the one you did?  What appealed to you?

2. What is the image on your poster?  What does it communicate?

3. What does the poster lead you to believe the movie will be about?

4. What visual elements led to your answer for number three?

5. Does the movie look like it will appeal to women?  Why?

6. Does the movie look like it will appeal to men?  Why?

7. What age group does the movie look like it is for?

8. What textual information is provided on the poster?

9. Is this a good movie poster?  Why / Why not?

Movie Review Assignment

ASSIGNMENT:

You must answer the eight questions below, and then write a movie review following the template provided in this post.  An example of a movie review fitting this template is provided as an example.

MOVIE REVIEW WORKSHEET

Fill out the following information about the movie [Two sentences per question]:

1.       Who are the 5 most important characters in the film?  Also list the names 5 of the actors playing these characters.

2.       What is this story about?  Be very detailed!

3.       What group of people would like this movie (demographics)?

4.       Did you like this movie?  Why or why not?

5.       What rating would you give this movie?

6.       What spoilers might ruin the movie for viewers if you told them about it?

7.       All movies teach a lesson (theme/moral).  What did you learn from this one?

8.       What title would you give your review (and can you think of a pun that might work for it)?

MOVIE REVIEW TEMPLATE

Note:  DON’T FORGET that movie titles are written within “quotation marks!”

HEADLINE:  Include the title of the movie (try to use a pun!)

PARAGRAPH #1:  Introduce the movie by stating that you’ve just seen this movie and would like to give an opinion about it.  Mention a couple of details that might help the reader understand what type of movie you are talking about. 

PARAGRAPH #2:  Summarize the plot (story).  Where and when did it take place?  Who are the main characters?  What is the story about?  Remember, do NOT include spoilers and do not tell how the story ends! 

PARAGRAPH #3:  Talk about the actors/actresses and discuss who did a good job and who didn’t. 

PARAGRAPH #4:  Talk about what you liked about the movie and what you didn’t like.  Be sure to include specific details and scenes.

PARAGRAPH #5:  What lessons did you learn from this story (theme/moral)?  What do you think others will learn from it?

PARAGRAPH #6:  What group of people would like this movie?  Who would you recommend it to?  Who would you not recommend it to?  What’s the MPAA rating of the movie (G, PG, PG-13, R, etc…)?  What is your final word on the film:  Is it good or bad?

RATING SYSTEM:  Give the movie a score.  You can do grades (A,B,C,D,F+ or -), stars (*** out of *****), numbers (3 out of 5) or something totally original…  just don’t use “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:  Explain who you are, what your school level is (freshman, junior, etc.), your job (if you have one), sports you play and interesting things you like to do.  Talk about yourself in the “3^rd person,” that is; pretend someone else is writing the bio about you. 

MOVIE REVIEW EXAMPLE

“My Dog Skip” will have you skipping to the theater

By Coop Cooper, A.K.A. “The Small Town Critial” 

Everyone remembers their childhood dogs and the impact they’ve had on their life.  Perhaps one dog in particular sticks out in your mind… a special dog that was there for you in the toughest or best years of your life.  That is what this screen adaptation of Willie Morris’ “My Dog Skip” conveys in a fun, nostalgic and heartbreaking kind of way.  Morris recounts the autobiographical memoir of his childhood in Yazoo City, Mississippi and the four-legged friend that accompanied him on his journey into manhood. 

Set in the backdrop of the war-torn world of the 1940’s, young Willie (Frankie Muniz) is on the verge of his ninth birthday.  His only real friend, neighbor and high school sports hero Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson) goes off and fight in WWII, leaving Willie feeling alone in the world.  To lift Willie’s spirits, his mother (Diane Lane) decides to defy the wishes of his stern father (Kevin Bacon) and buy Willie a Jack Russell terrier puppy.  The unusually smart and charismatic dog Skip quickly becomes a local institution and helps Willie gain respect, make friends and even win over his first girlfriend. 

The young Morris is outstandingly played by Frankie Muniz, now a household name due to his success on TV’s “Malcolm in the Middle.”  His acting is very mature and shows shades of emotions very effectively.  Both Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane do decent jobs of portraying caring and concerned parents.  Luke Wilson exceeds his normal comedy boundaries and pulls off the disgraced town hero with surprising effectiveness.   However it’s the dog that steals the show…  or should I say dogs.  “Moose” (Eddie from TV’s Frasier) and his son “Enzo” play the older and younger Skip respectively.  Look for them in more movies, commercials and TV shows to come.  I guarantee you’ll see them. 

Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane’s characters were strong, but didn’t get enough screen time to fully develop.  Willie’s friendship with a young black boy was never given a chance to develop either, probably in an effort by the filmmakers to avoid focusing on the segregation issues of the time period.  The issue is addressed, but I feel that the African-American characters should have had bigger, more substantial parts.  Also, I didn’t get the whole subplot with the evil moonshine dealers and why they tormented little Willie and Skip.  It seemed like a fictional part that was slapped on to cause more conflict.  Despite these objections, the entire production was shot so effectively that it seemed that it genuinely conveyed feeling of growing up in rural Mississippi.  The attention to detail and the accuracy of the time period are phenomenal.  I felt completely immersed in this world and felt the full effect of this moving story.  Even the southern accents were much better than average. 

The message of this film is very clear and invokes plenty of nostalgia to anyone who can identify growing up in a rural town.  It’s about passing into adulthood, remembering old friends long gone, and the desire to remember or relive happy moments in our lives that may be fading from our memory.  Morris is certainly a master at preserving his own memories by writing it down for others to enjoy.  I truly believe that this story is his gift, not only to the people of Mississippi, but to all who want to remember their past, and the friends they left behind.  

This movie is PG, a rating which might run off some of the older crowd, but it’s truly a movie for everyone.  Most films geared for children these days depend on lame, pop-culture references and gas-passing jokes in a patronizing attempt to entertain the younger masses.  This movie rises above all of that to become one of the most watchable non-Disney film for children since 1993’s “Searching for Bobby Fischer.”  Your date might resist going, but try to talk them into it.  They won’t regret it and neither will you. 

Scale of 1-5:

4 ½

Coop Cooper is an independently syndicated film critic, living in Los Angeles. He is originally from Clarksdale, Mississippi and a Southerner at heart. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A in Cinema, and received his Masters in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Hollywood.  You can read his past reviews at http://www.thesmalltowncritic.com/.

MOVIE REVIEW PROJECT!

Now that you have seen a movie in class, it is your turn to be the critic.  You will write a page and a half review on the film. 

The review must at least be two pages long

These are things you need to include:

1. A title (headline for your review)
2. The names of the main actors and the names of their characters (top 5 actors/characters)
3. A summary of the plot of the story (without giving away the ending)
4. A possible theme (or moral) of this story
5. Give the “audience demographic” or who would like this movie
6. Your opinion of the movie as a whole (include details you thought were interesting or awful).
7. A score/rating system (other than “two thumbs up”)
8. Include a very short biography of yourself at the end.

• Note:  Write this review as if you were trying to convince someone who has not seen the movie to either see it or avoid it, and NO SPOILERS!!!

Source: http://bcenglishyr8.wikispaces.com

Aspects of Feature Films

There are five key aspects of a feature film.  If we wanted to get specific there are hundreds - but for the sake of our simplicity we're going to say there are five.  Trust me on this, and let us just go with it.

The five aspects we will be focusing on are:
Acting, Scripts, Audio, Cinematography, and Special Effects.

Acting
Star Trek is a great place to look at examples of both [ bad acting ] as well as [ good acting ].

Things to consider:
1. What makes the good acting different than the bad acting?
2. How much is the fault of the script?
3. Can a good actor make a bad script feel less terrible?
4. Is acting a product of its time?

Scripts

Aside from the overarching narrative of a film one of the most important aspects is dialogue.  Dialogue must seem natural, without actually being natural.  In most cases real conversations are boring, and lack the witty intensity of well scripted dialogue.  But then there are cases where...  well it doesn't always work out.

Here is an example of [ good dialogue ] and an example of [ bad dialogue ].

Things to consider:
1. What makes a conversation feel natural?
2. Is it more important to have strong dialogue or strong actors?
3. Why does some dialogue seem forced, while other parts seem natural?
4. Why does a recreation of a real conversation not work well on film?

Audio
There are really two types of audio in film.  There is the soundtrack, and there are the sound effects.  Without either of them, a film can feel flat - muted - and less engrossing.

Here is an example of [ foley artistry ] and an example of [ the importance of soundtracks ].

Things to consider:
1. How does the soundtrack affect our understanding of a film?
2. Is it more important to have music, or sound effects?
3. Why can't they use natural sound effects from the filming?
4. How does audio in movies affect our perception of real life?

Cinematography
There are a number of ways the camera can trick us into thinking about things differently.  The angle we shoot on, the distance we are from the subject, the length of a shot before cutting away.  All of these things change how we view a film, and how we understand it.

Here is an example of some very well done cinematography from [ Children of Men ]

Things to consider:
1. How is shooting a subject from a high angle (above their head) different from a low angle?
2. How does a tightly cropped framing on a subject feel different from a wide shot?
3. Why would someone choose to do a one shot, over multiple cuts?
4. On average how long is a shot before the camera cuts away to a new one?

Special Effects
We have come to expect a lot from our movies.  Reality is not something that seems to be desired anymore.  In fact, reality doesn't seem to be something that is filmed anymore either.  It is often easier to digitally recreate a city, than actually move there for the shooting.  And none of this would have happened if not for those paving the way nearly one hundred years ago.

Here is an example of [ the history of special effects ] and [ modern special effects ]

Things to consider:
1. Why were special effects invented?  What is wrong with reality, as it is?
2. How have special effects evolved over 100 years of cinema?
3. When are special effects detrimental, rather than helpful?
4. How can we trust anything we on film these days?  Should we?

Due by Friday: A Checklist

You must have - submitted to your blog - by Friday, the following items:

Important but not as Important

• Job Questions
• Car Vector
• Lady's Face Vector
• Your Letter (Typography)
• Pac-Man Example

More Important

• Advertisement Questions
• Your Vectored Face
• Family Member Typography Face
• Room / High Rise Questions
• Your Room / Vectored Face

You and Your Room

Your mission is to integrate your face into the image of your room in some way shape or form.  Based on the lessons you learned from Vectoring and Photoshopping you should be well prepared for this assignment.  The assignment will be marked based on the following:

Knowledge
Shows an understanding of photoshop
Uses a number of photoshop techniques

Thinking
Image integrated into your room photo seamlessly

Communication
Image of room and face communicates an understanding of your as an individuals

Application
Image works as a poster representing aspects that represent your life

Examples: