Mise-en-sc éne
Setting
Decor
Lighting
Body Language
Props
Costume/Make up
Editing
Transitions
Flashbacks
Action matches
Passage of time editing (montage etc.)
Special/Visual effects
Sound
Sound and Character (speech)
Narrative
Background soundtracks
Synchronous/Asynchronous
Diegetic/Non-Diegetic
Camera Work
Shot types
Camera movement
Depth of Field
Camera Angles
Composition
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Representation of Regional Identity - Doc Martin
In this essay, i will be analysing the way regional identity is represented through the use of camerawork, sound, mise-en-scéne and editing in this 5 minute extract from the TV drama, Doc Martin. In the clip, the main character, Doc Martin, appears to be of a London/eastern origin, and is visiting a more southerly coastal area.
In the opening scene we can see that Doc Martin appears walks into a room with two local plumbers fixing the sink. In the very first shot, a low angle long shot (on the plumber's level) exaggerates the plumber's position on the floor. As Doc Martin walks into the room a tilt is used and the camera appears to go from looking at the plumber on his level to looking up at Doc Martin entering the room as though he is of a higher importance. Reinforcing this is further is the composition of the shot, as the Doctor is in the centre of the shot, whilst the others around him are on the outskirts and also physically lower down. Furthermore the costume of the characters also illustrates this to us. Doc Martin is dressed in smart, formal attire - wearing a full suit that suggests intelligence and sophistication. In contrast however, the local people are dressed in boiler suits - a uniform commonly associated with laborious occupations (confirmed when we see them fixing the sink). This illustrates to us that the local 'southern' people are being portrayed as inferior in terms of intelligence and sophistication to Doc Martin. This is further reinforced when the men exchange dialogue in the room. Doc Martin seems to mock the cleverness of the man sat in the chair by saying 'treat yourself to a noun' and by using complex lexis such as 'endearing'. This suggests that he is of a superior intellect, as meanwhile the man tries to explain the meaning of a word but avoids giving an actual definition, and uses lots of colloquialisms, fillers and simple vocabulary, but also that people of non-southern origin may be ignorant towards the southerners and consider them to be below their selves.
Next, the local people are being presented as lazy, unproductive and clumsy in this scene. The character that represents these characteristics is the plumber that is sat down. The fact that he is sat down and eating, suggests that he is not a hard worker and that he is delegating all of the work to his son. Also, it appears to be him that causes the water to disperse from the pipe as it happens after he puts his hand under the sink from his sitting position. Furthermore, when the water does come out, he seems to lack any sense of urgency and as his body language and the way in which he remains sat down offering no real contribution to finding a solution for the problem of the flooding shows. However, challenging this stereotype, the boy on the floor appears to be much more well informed than his father as he immediately notices his father's mistake exclaiming 'not that one!'. Also this is reinforced by him saying things such as 'it could be a literary reference' and talks about famous art (which could be considered a more cultured interest). Whilst this happens, the boy stands up from the floor, shown by a tracking shot. This reinforces that he has gained status within the room and shows us that not all of the local people are should be considered stupid and unknowledgeable, as he appears to be speaking on a similar level to Doc Martin.
When the water pipe bursts, Doc Martin seems to lack knowledge of what to do in the situation as he is probably not used to dealing with these issues and therefore lacks experience in the area. We can tell this from his use of dialogue when he says 'where's the.. the... the bloody what's it called.. the thing…'. However, he finds a cushion and uses it to cover up the orifice in which the water is coming from. This illustrates to us that although the more sophisticated Londoners may lack specialist knowledge in laborious occupations such as plumbing as they are stereotypically working in offices/business industries, although they are still represented as having a sense of initiative.
After this, the Doctor begins to appear very tense and stressed whilst the rest of the characters still appear very relaxed and laid back. The Doctor appears to come across like this through his use of dialogue and body language used to assert his authority by shouting imperative commands at those around him: 'Right, hold that and shut up. You, get off the telephone and find the stopcock. You, either get back to Delebolt, wherever that may be. Or go and find a mop and work out how to use it!' whilst pointing his finger at them (an aggressive gesture). The way he delegates tasks in this authoritative manner as well as the stressed, loud prosodic features in his voice suggests that the Doctor is very controlling and is used to being in charge, and the way that those that have been instructed comply to what they have been asked suggests that they respect the Doctor's authority and therefore consider him to be dominant in the situation.
Following this, we hear the diegetic sound of a dog inside the room. This suggests to us that the community that they live in is very tight-knit as it suggests that the doors are open allowing peoples pets to wander where they please between people's houses. Also, some extra narratives are introduced, such as the phone ringing and the secretary entering the room. This is presented with fast paced editing, reflecting the chaotic nature of the scene and the disrupted/stressed mood of the Doctor. Later on in the scene, as the Doctor says 'and as for you...' some background diegetic sound is played that increases the suspense in the scene, coupled with an extreme high angle POV shot looking down on the dog. This creates the idea that Doctor Martin is uncomfortable with animals or the idea of animals that he is unfamiliar with being in his presence. This could also suggest a sense of snobbery amongst the non-locals.
After this occurrence, the Dr takes the dog out with him to the local police station. On his walk to the station, there are a variety of things on screen that help us establish the location that the clips is set in due to the mid tracking shot that follows him on his walk. Firstly, from this we can see the streets that he walks through tend to be very narrow and the buildings appear to be old-fashioned looking and shops appear small and have no big brand labels attached to them, reinforcing that this is a rural village. Also that the streets are very quiet, suggesting the sparse population. Furthermore, we can hear the asynchronous diegetic sound of seagulls in the background and we can see props such as fishing nets placed outside shops, suggesting that it is a coastal area.
When the Doctor reaches the police station, we can see that it is very small. This means that there must be no need to have a station of substantial size, meaning that there must be little crime in the area. This is further reinforced when we see that there is only one officer working in the station. This officer is not carrying out any policing duties, instead he is just hoovering the carpet - shown by a tilting mid shot that emphasises this. This once again shows that there is little crime in the area, linking in with the idea the village is a tight knit community. The idea of a tight knit community is supported once again when the officer says to Dr. Martin 'Dr. Martin, nice to finally meet you'. This suggests to us that in small villages such as these there is often a sense of everybody knowing each other within the community, due to them often being so small in size. Another shot that suggests this to us is when we see a Mid shot of the Dr walking down the street, before stopping and looking over the railings into a window of a school building. The fact that this is so accessible to the public suggests that once again there is little crime and that everyone within the community can be trusted, as usually these types of buildings containing children would be more secure.
In the penultimate scene in this clip, the Dr is approached by a woman whilst walking down the street who asks him to write her a prescription. During conversation with the woman (dialogue), he mocks the hygiene of the current doctor's surgery in the town by saying 'judging by the state of his surgery, he didn't care much for hygiene either'. This gives us the impression that the higher classed Londoners are used to better standards of living and would consider anything less than their own standards to be inadequate. Furthermore, he gives into her ask and breaks the rules in order to issue her a prescription, showing that he is adopting the rural way in which things are done in the community. However, this could be due to the fact that she speaks in a similar accent and dialect to what he does, and because he therefore considers her to be on his level. Also, by now the doctor appears to be much more relaxed, implied by the slow pace of editing, with shots being presented for long periods of times without changing.
In the final scene, the Doctor is called over by an elderly villager who asks him to assist her. The woman is transporting lettuces from the back of a pickup truck into wooden boxes and then into her shop. We can assume that these are local produce that have been grown near by, showing us that in small rural communities, farming is a common occupation and that often villagers will grow their own foods rather than relying on exported foods from large suppliers. From looking at the costume of the woman, we can notice that it is predominantly very natural in colour, with lots of browns and greens being present, again reflecting the agricultural lifestyle in the region.
In the opening scene we can see that Doc Martin appears walks into a room with two local plumbers fixing the sink. In the very first shot, a low angle long shot (on the plumber's level) exaggerates the plumber's position on the floor. As Doc Martin walks into the room a tilt is used and the camera appears to go from looking at the plumber on his level to looking up at Doc Martin entering the room as though he is of a higher importance. Reinforcing this is further is the composition of the shot, as the Doctor is in the centre of the shot, whilst the others around him are on the outskirts and also physically lower down. Furthermore the costume of the characters also illustrates this to us. Doc Martin is dressed in smart, formal attire - wearing a full suit that suggests intelligence and sophistication. In contrast however, the local people are dressed in boiler suits - a uniform commonly associated with laborious occupations (confirmed when we see them fixing the sink). This illustrates to us that the local 'southern' people are being portrayed as inferior in terms of intelligence and sophistication to Doc Martin. This is further reinforced when the men exchange dialogue in the room. Doc Martin seems to mock the cleverness of the man sat in the chair by saying 'treat yourself to a noun' and by using complex lexis such as 'endearing'. This suggests that he is of a superior intellect, as meanwhile the man tries to explain the meaning of a word but avoids giving an actual definition, and uses lots of colloquialisms, fillers and simple vocabulary, but also that people of non-southern origin may be ignorant towards the southerners and consider them to be below their selves.
Next, the local people are being presented as lazy, unproductive and clumsy in this scene. The character that represents these characteristics is the plumber that is sat down. The fact that he is sat down and eating, suggests that he is not a hard worker and that he is delegating all of the work to his son. Also, it appears to be him that causes the water to disperse from the pipe as it happens after he puts his hand under the sink from his sitting position. Furthermore, when the water does come out, he seems to lack any sense of urgency and as his body language and the way in which he remains sat down offering no real contribution to finding a solution for the problem of the flooding shows. However, challenging this stereotype, the boy on the floor appears to be much more well informed than his father as he immediately notices his father's mistake exclaiming 'not that one!'. Also this is reinforced by him saying things such as 'it could be a literary reference' and talks about famous art (which could be considered a more cultured interest). Whilst this happens, the boy stands up from the floor, shown by a tracking shot. This reinforces that he has gained status within the room and shows us that not all of the local people are should be considered stupid and unknowledgeable, as he appears to be speaking on a similar level to Doc Martin.
When the water pipe bursts, Doc Martin seems to lack knowledge of what to do in the situation as he is probably not used to dealing with these issues and therefore lacks experience in the area. We can tell this from his use of dialogue when he says 'where's the.. the... the bloody what's it called.. the thing…'. However, he finds a cushion and uses it to cover up the orifice in which the water is coming from. This illustrates to us that although the more sophisticated Londoners may lack specialist knowledge in laborious occupations such as plumbing as they are stereotypically working in offices/business industries, although they are still represented as having a sense of initiative.
After this, the Doctor begins to appear very tense and stressed whilst the rest of the characters still appear very relaxed and laid back. The Doctor appears to come across like this through his use of dialogue and body language used to assert his authority by shouting imperative commands at those around him: 'Right, hold that and shut up. You, get off the telephone and find the stopcock. You, either get back to Delebolt, wherever that may be. Or go and find a mop and work out how to use it!' whilst pointing his finger at them (an aggressive gesture). The way he delegates tasks in this authoritative manner as well as the stressed, loud prosodic features in his voice suggests that the Doctor is very controlling and is used to being in charge, and the way that those that have been instructed comply to what they have been asked suggests that they respect the Doctor's authority and therefore consider him to be dominant in the situation.
Following this, we hear the diegetic sound of a dog inside the room. This suggests to us that the community that they live in is very tight-knit as it suggests that the doors are open allowing peoples pets to wander where they please between people's houses. Also, some extra narratives are introduced, such as the phone ringing and the secretary entering the room. This is presented with fast paced editing, reflecting the chaotic nature of the scene and the disrupted/stressed mood of the Doctor. Later on in the scene, as the Doctor says 'and as for you...' some background diegetic sound is played that increases the suspense in the scene, coupled with an extreme high angle POV shot looking down on the dog. This creates the idea that Doctor Martin is uncomfortable with animals or the idea of animals that he is unfamiliar with being in his presence. This could also suggest a sense of snobbery amongst the non-locals.
After this occurrence, the Dr takes the dog out with him to the local police station. On his walk to the station, there are a variety of things on screen that help us establish the location that the clips is set in due to the mid tracking shot that follows him on his walk. Firstly, from this we can see the streets that he walks through tend to be very narrow and the buildings appear to be old-fashioned looking and shops appear small and have no big brand labels attached to them, reinforcing that this is a rural village. Also that the streets are very quiet, suggesting the sparse population. Furthermore, we can hear the asynchronous diegetic sound of seagulls in the background and we can see props such as fishing nets placed outside shops, suggesting that it is a coastal area.
When the Doctor reaches the police station, we can see that it is very small. This means that there must be no need to have a station of substantial size, meaning that there must be little crime in the area. This is further reinforced when we see that there is only one officer working in the station. This officer is not carrying out any policing duties, instead he is just hoovering the carpet - shown by a tilting mid shot that emphasises this. This once again shows that there is little crime in the area, linking in with the idea the village is a tight knit community. The idea of a tight knit community is supported once again when the officer says to Dr. Martin 'Dr. Martin, nice to finally meet you'. This suggests to us that in small villages such as these there is often a sense of everybody knowing each other within the community, due to them often being so small in size. Another shot that suggests this to us is when we see a Mid shot of the Dr walking down the street, before stopping and looking over the railings into a window of a school building. The fact that this is so accessible to the public suggests that once again there is little crime and that everyone within the community can be trusted, as usually these types of buildings containing children would be more secure.
In the penultimate scene in this clip, the Dr is approached by a woman whilst walking down the street who asks him to write her a prescription. During conversation with the woman (dialogue), he mocks the hygiene of the current doctor's surgery in the town by saying 'judging by the state of his surgery, he didn't care much for hygiene either'. This gives us the impression that the higher classed Londoners are used to better standards of living and would consider anything less than their own standards to be inadequate. Furthermore, he gives into her ask and breaks the rules in order to issue her a prescription, showing that he is adopting the rural way in which things are done in the community. However, this could be due to the fact that she speaks in a similar accent and dialect to what he does, and because he therefore considers her to be on his level. Also, by now the doctor appears to be much more relaxed, implied by the slow pace of editing, with shots being presented for long periods of times without changing.
In the final scene, the Doctor is called over by an elderly villager who asks him to assist her. The woman is transporting lettuces from the back of a pickup truck into wooden boxes and then into her shop. We can assume that these are local produce that have been grown near by, showing us that in small rural communities, farming is a common occupation and that often villagers will grow their own foods rather than relying on exported foods from large suppliers. From looking at the costume of the woman, we can notice that it is predominantly very natural in colour, with lots of browns and greens being present, again reflecting the agricultural lifestyle in the region.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Representation Of Disability - A Touch of Frost
In this 5 minute clip extracted from a programme from the TV show 'A Touch of Frost', their is an extensive use of techniques that have been used in order to portray the disabled character, 'Billy', to the audience. In this essay, i will be analysing how the producers have used camera work, sound, mise-en-scene and editing in order to represent him.
Immediately as Billy is introduced in the clip we see a tracking long shot of him walking through the woods when he stops and begins brushing off his trousers with his hands. This connotes to us that there has been some element of wrong-doing, as usually this brushing would carry the implication of the desire to remove evidence from his body. This combined with the low-key lighting in the shot suggests to us straight away that the producers' desire was to represent the disabled character as mischievous. After this, we see shots of a police dog, followed by uniformed police that appear to be searching for somebody with a non-diegetic background piece of music, which is very minor and eerie. This not only suggests misbehaviour as previously, but we now begin to realise that the misconduct that we assumed could actually be of a more serious criminal nature. Furthermore, whilst Billy brushes off his trousers, he keeps his head up and continues looking infront of him after previously appearing to look around him. This further reinforces the sense of wrong-doing amongst the character as it appears that he is conscious of being seen. This could also suggest to us that the disabled are being represented as very alert and aware when they have misbehaved.
Immediately as Billy is introduced in the clip we see a tracking long shot of him walking through the woods when he stops and begins brushing off his trousers with his hands. This connotes to us that there has been some element of wrong-doing, as usually this brushing would carry the implication of the desire to remove evidence from his body. This combined with the low-key lighting in the shot suggests to us straight away that the producers' desire was to represent the disabled character as mischievous. After this, we see shots of a police dog, followed by uniformed police that appear to be searching for somebody with a non-diegetic background piece of music, which is very minor and eerie. This not only suggests misbehaviour as previously, but we now begin to realise that the misconduct that we assumed could actually be of a more serious criminal nature. Furthermore, whilst Billy brushes off his trousers, he keeps his head up and continues looking infront of him after previously appearing to look around him. This further reinforces the sense of wrong-doing amongst the character as it appears that he is conscious of being seen. This could also suggest to us that the disabled are being represented as very alert and aware when they have misbehaved.
After this we see a tracking mid shot of Billy continuing to walk through the woods. Even after the commotion that we have just seen with the appearance of the police and police dogs, it appears that he is unaware and oblivious to his surroundings. This implies to us that the disabled could be seen as naive or unperceptive in society. After this we observe that a close up reaction shot of Billy's face after he notices and begins to understand what's going on. The use of this shot exaggerates the characters fear and implies to us that the disabled could be seen as afraid. Following this shot, he begins to run off, before hastily being caught, suggesting to us that the disabled could be seen as confused (as he wasn't sure what to do in the situation he found himself in), ambitious (as he ran away from a large cohort of police officers) and that they may have the tendency to have little awareness of consequence (as he is likely to get in further trouble from running from the police.)
Another scene in the clip where disability is strongly represented is when what we assume is a detective goes to Billy's house to talk to him. Firstly before we see the detective, the scene is set with a crowd of neighbours watching whilst a policeman gets stands outside his house. The use of this establishing shot presents Billy as a threat to the local community, as the neighbours appear to be worried for their safety after noticing the presence of the police. After this, we are introduced to the detective, who speaks to Billy's father before entering the room. When talking to his father the detective says 'He would be considered mentally subnormal?' referring to Billy's disability. In response to this, his father replies 'handicapped.' before the detective proceeds to apologise. This shows us that the able bodied could be considered as ignorant and insensitive about the disabled, but the way in which the detective apologises illustrates to us that in society, disability is a delicate subject that can easily be upsetting. Following this, the detective says 'of course, i will have to have somebody else with me - incase i break the rules.' This suggests to us that the detective considers Billy as risky and uncertain, but also when way the says 'break the rules' implies that he will think nothing of using harsh measures in order to control him. This makes us feel that the detective considers himself to be above Billy. Following this, Billy's mother appears and says 'he'll feel better if i clean him up'. This indicates to us that Billy is incapable of doing so himself. The way she says this almost makes it sound although she is talking about animal or small child. This shows us that the disabled can often be regarded as unable to carry out simple tasks.
Following this, Billy gets quickly caught and taken down by the police. Immediately, the police officer who is on the ground with Billy positions himself on top of him, instantly asserting him dominance and power over the character whilst Billy lays powerless below him. This gives us the idea that the disabled have been represented as less dominant over the able bodied. The following shot shows Billy being held up by another officer by his collar. The way that he stands over him in this way also shows dominance and further reinforces that the able bodied could be seen as more powerful. This is a close up shot of Billy, showing his head and shoulders. The use of this shot gives the viewer an insight into the emotion of the character - he looks very scared. Billy does not struggle but assumes his place and acts completely submissive to the officers, before shouting 'I haven't done anything wrong!'. This illustrates to us that Billy is helpless, defenceless and vulnerable, suggesting that the disabled could be seen in this way.
When the detective goes into the room, Billy's dad kneels down beside him whilst talking to Billy, giving us the idea that he finds it important to be on his level when he is speaking to him, in order not to scare or intimidate him too much. A high angle shot is used when he does this to exaggerate this further and put emphasis on the fact that the father is going down to his level, but also shows Billy to be small and therefore less dominant in the room. Billy's Dad then speaks to billy very slowly and patiently, using hand gestures, once again making the disabled out to be child like and easily confused. After he finishes introducing the detective, Billy's Dad then sits behind Billy, on a high chair looking over him. This gives us the impression that he is the most dominant in the room and that he is most in control, but also creates the idea that he considers it important that he is close to Billy to watch over him, almost creating the sense that the disabled are very unpredictable and that he is unsure of what Billy might do.
Next, the detective begins to talk to Billy. When he does so, we are shown a close up of his face. From looking at his general expression, we can gather that Billy looks firstly very edgy and suspicious and also that he has a look of confusion about him, (from his tilted head). This could indicate to us that the producers want to represent the disabled to be untrusting of the authority, possibly because they consider them disserving. When the shot reverses to the inspector, the camera is at a slightly lower angle. This makes it seem as though we are looking up at him and that we therefore see him as more in control. When the inspector speaks to Billy, he adopts a very patient tone, and uses slow speeds and a wide spectrum of pitches in his voice. This again, makes it seem although he is speaking to a child, reinforcing that the able bodied may consider the disabled to be child like and easily frightened. During the conversation that the inspector has with him, the lighting on Billy is of a much lower key, and a shadow is casted over his shoulder. This combined with the fact that he rarely looks into the detectives eye when he speaks could portray to us that he (representing the disabled generally) could be considered untrustworthy as well as dishonest. In contrast however, the detective is shown with high-key lighting on his face could illustrate that the able bodied are considered the opposite: trustworthy and dependable.
Next, during the conversation that the detective is having with Billy, in one instance when Billy says 'coming home from workshop' the detective asks Billy's father 'what does he mean workshop?'. The way he does this comes across slightly impolite, as he is almost ignoring the fact that Billy is there and talks directly over his shoulder to his father. The choice that he has made to ask his father rather than Billy what he means by 'workshop' shows that the detective may think that Billy is incapable of answering, or that he will get a more reliable answer from his father. When he speaks to his father also, we notice the tone of his voice change greatly, as he begins to speak faster and more monotonously. This once again shows that the able bodied can be ignorant of the disabled.
As the conversation continues, we notice Billy begin to get more impatient with the detective, and also less responsive. Whereas previously Billy was elaborating somewhat on his answers, until the detective asks 'is that when you saw Trisha? you saw her again after tea?' and now Billy only nods rather than responding through speech. After this, he says 'I dunno' when asked where he went. The manner in which he does this (sarcastic tone of voice), and the facial expression (raising eyebrows) that he shows when saying it could be considered very impolite and we can tell that Billy is beginning to get agitated and irritated. This shows the the disabled are being represented as having a short attention span and as irritable. In response to this the detective also appears to change the way that he is communicating. He begins to become much more snappy and less tolerant to Billy's actions, as his tone of voice now begins to replicate what something similar to when he was speaking to his Dad. This could tell us that the able bodied can be untolerating and impatient towards the disabled.
Monday, 10 November 2014
How I Consume and Produce Film (Improved)
I rarely find myself going to see a film at the cinema (probably 3 times a year) and for this there are many reasons. Firstly, although there is a cinema in Harlow, there is not one within walking distance of my home. This means that it is often inaccessible until late evenings or the weekends when transport can be provided. Another reason for this is the extortionate ticket prices. From observing on fairly irregular cinema visits over the past 6-7 years, i have found that ticket prices have increased by around 50%, and prices have risen further still with the introduction of 3-Dimensional movies that are priced around £10. When added to popcorn and drink prices, this becomes a fairly large amount of money just to see a movie - it is thought that 85% of cinema's intakes are from concession stands. Some cinemas now even offer VIP and premium seats, where customers can enjoy more comfortable seating at a higher cost. Also, some cinemas are beginning to introduce a '4-Dimensional' viewing experience, where audience members are seated in chairs that move, vibrate and provide physical effects to match onscreen visuals and audio. This would come at an even higher cost still but is not yet widely available across the nation, although i predict it will be. Furthermore, my personal film genre preference (british cult films) does not tend to often be played at my local cinema. However, amongst many others amongst my demographic, visiting the cinema is still a very popular pastime and way of watching films. Approximately 30% of cinema attendees are within my age group (15-24 year olds). Males then have a slightly higher attendance rate than females.
Fortunately, the cinema is not the only means of watching films in the modern day as it was in the past. At home i have access a satellite TV. This means that i have access to many film channels, such as FILM4 and Sky Movies as well as channels that aren't predominantly film channels but do show films on occasions such as Channel 4 (3rd most viewed channel in UK being watched by 10.9% of TV viewers) and the BBC (most viewed channels in UK - watched by 32.3% of TV viewers). However, i rarely find myself watching these channels, as often when flicking onto these channels, the films have already started or are mid-way through, and as you can with many programmes, it is difficult to establish whats happened previously, ruining the film experience. However, once again, this doesn't mean that television film watchers are in decline. A recent survey suggests from the British Audience Research Board that film channels take 8.55% share of TV viewings.
As further reason why i tend to not watch film is because in every room in my house that has a TV it has a DVD player of some form. In the modern day, many games consoles, such as the XBOX, Playstation and Nintendo Wii can double-up as DVD players, making films even more accessible. I would think that DVD's is my preferred method of film watching as it is so controllable (can be rewinded, paused, fast forwarded, offers scene selection and subtitles). Due to the recent increase of internet film accessibility, recently i have not bought many DVD's, however when i do i buy them from charity shops or second hand as they are considerably cheaper, meaning i can buy more. Nevertheless, i do not own a blu-ray player. This means that i do not have access to full high definition movies, but most blu-ray releases are also released on DVD currently, meaning only the viewing quality is compromised but the film can still be watched. Currently, sales of DVD's are in huge decline, with physical side sales falling by about 30% since their 2004 peak. In the near future, i predict that the rate of DVD production will decrease further still, and that more films will be produced on blu-ray due to the technology that we will have on offer.
At home i also have access to a hard disc recorder, and occasionally find myself recording films on it. This device can be very useful when a movie that has appeared on TV has been missed, as it means that it can be watched at a later date. But i find it rare that a film of my liking will be shown on the TV, so on occasions that they are shown i will make sure that i do not miss the original showing.
Another way of accessing films is through the use of the internet. I have access to the internet on around 7 devices in my house such as on smartphones, PC's, tablets, games consoles and Smart TV's, each of these being capable of displaying films. For example, sites such as Netflix - who have 13.8 million worldwide subscribers in 40 countries and 4.5 million within the UK - require internet access but can be accessed on a multitude of devices. Currently, 78% of Netflix users watch on their Tv's, contrary to the belief that internet films are usually watched on computers. Due to this convenience, i find that this is my preferred way of watching films. Often i download films from online sites on my PC so that i have the file as an MP4. This means that i can transfer the film between my devices and watch them in different places and on different screens if necessary. Alternatively, i will stream online films on websites such as YouTube (an online video streaming service receiving 1bn users per month) By doing this, i can directly view the films on every one of my devices that has access to the internet, making it very convenient and giving me access to films 'on-the-go'. Currently, mobile viewers make up for 40% of YouTube, so this is a large portion of the population that are likely to watch films and video with the ease of using their mobile phone screen as a viewing platform. YouTube has noticed this trend in film watching on their site, and have now introduced their own film section, where many films have to be purchased (especially new releases) rather than watched for free by private uploaders, however there is still a section for free movies in the YouTube designated movie area. Of the films that i watch, most are professionally made. However, on occasion i will watch unprofessionally made films on YouTube. Generally these sorts of films will be non-fiction or factual, whereas i would prefer to watch a fictional professionally made film. When i consume many films, my ideal environment is to be alone in a dark room in silence, on a large TV. I feel that this environment makes for a good viewing experience because there is little to distract you away from the film. At other times, i like to watch films with friends because it can generate discussion and make a good social event.
In the modern day, we are very fortunate to be able to produce video as easily as we can consume it. With the help of technology, we can not only generate video without difficulty, but we can also edit and then share the video with others. Fortunately, i now have access to many devices that are capable of recording video such as my smartphone and tablet which are particularly useful for quickness and ease of editing and uploading. However, for better quality video, i have use of a DSLR camera. Even these (at the top end) have a built in Wi-Fi device that allows for an easy method of file transfer. This again illustrated just how possible it is for anybody to produce amateur video work. I often use this camera and do lots of video creation followed by editing. However, much of this is merely for practise purposes and i therefore do not share it online but use it for my own personal use. I also like to video myself playing music as i am a guitarist. I do this just so i can archive it and look back over it in the future.
Currently in the UK, industry statistics from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board show that around 96% of homes have atleast one television set. Also from research i have found that around 60% of families have 2 or 3 televisions in their houses. In the USA there are more TV's per home than people. in 2009, the average household had only 2.5 people and 2.86 televisions. This year, 54% of homes in the US had 3 or more TV's whilst 28% had 2 televisions and only 18% had one! Also of the 25.1 million homes In the UK, 19.2 million have access to a freeview television box. This shows us just how accessible the television is, and that it is available to almost everyone in the modern day, and that most have access to film channels also, enabling them to watch films on their televisions.
According to a survey, in the UK, 82.5% of people are internet users, increasing by 60% in 10 years. Similarly, in the USA 84.2% are online. This figure also shows us just how available films are now and that they can be watched by almost anyone in economically developed countries such as the UK and USA. Not only this, but it also means that most people are able to share their own work with the world.
Finally, the number of people in the UK with a smartphone has risen by 14% in 10 months alone and has now reached 72%, whereas the total in the USA is 61%. Once again this shows us just how almost anybody can view film on a multitude of devices and how film production, editing and sharing technology is available to almost everyone.
Fortunately, the cinema is not the only means of watching films in the modern day as it was in the past. At home i have access a satellite TV. This means that i have access to many film channels, such as FILM4 and Sky Movies as well as channels that aren't predominantly film channels but do show films on occasions such as Channel 4 (3rd most viewed channel in UK being watched by 10.9% of TV viewers) and the BBC (most viewed channels in UK - watched by 32.3% of TV viewers). However, i rarely find myself watching these channels, as often when flicking onto these channels, the films have already started or are mid-way through, and as you can with many programmes, it is difficult to establish whats happened previously, ruining the film experience. However, once again, this doesn't mean that television film watchers are in decline. A recent survey suggests from the British Audience Research Board that film channels take 8.55% share of TV viewings.
As further reason why i tend to not watch film is because in every room in my house that has a TV it has a DVD player of some form. In the modern day, many games consoles, such as the XBOX, Playstation and Nintendo Wii can double-up as DVD players, making films even more accessible. I would think that DVD's is my preferred method of film watching as it is so controllable (can be rewinded, paused, fast forwarded, offers scene selection and subtitles). Due to the recent increase of internet film accessibility, recently i have not bought many DVD's, however when i do i buy them from charity shops or second hand as they are considerably cheaper, meaning i can buy more. Nevertheless, i do not own a blu-ray player. This means that i do not have access to full high definition movies, but most blu-ray releases are also released on DVD currently, meaning only the viewing quality is compromised but the film can still be watched. Currently, sales of DVD's are in huge decline, with physical side sales falling by about 30% since their 2004 peak. In the near future, i predict that the rate of DVD production will decrease further still, and that more films will be produced on blu-ray due to the technology that we will have on offer.
At home i also have access to a hard disc recorder, and occasionally find myself recording films on it. This device can be very useful when a movie that has appeared on TV has been missed, as it means that it can be watched at a later date. But i find it rare that a film of my liking will be shown on the TV, so on occasions that they are shown i will make sure that i do not miss the original showing.
Another way of accessing films is through the use of the internet. I have access to the internet on around 7 devices in my house such as on smartphones, PC's, tablets, games consoles and Smart TV's, each of these being capable of displaying films. For example, sites such as Netflix - who have 13.8 million worldwide subscribers in 40 countries and 4.5 million within the UK - require internet access but can be accessed on a multitude of devices. Currently, 78% of Netflix users watch on their Tv's, contrary to the belief that internet films are usually watched on computers. Due to this convenience, i find that this is my preferred way of watching films. Often i download films from online sites on my PC so that i have the file as an MP4. This means that i can transfer the film between my devices and watch them in different places and on different screens if necessary. Alternatively, i will stream online films on websites such as YouTube (an online video streaming service receiving 1bn users per month) By doing this, i can directly view the films on every one of my devices that has access to the internet, making it very convenient and giving me access to films 'on-the-go'. Currently, mobile viewers make up for 40% of YouTube, so this is a large portion of the population that are likely to watch films and video with the ease of using their mobile phone screen as a viewing platform. YouTube has noticed this trend in film watching on their site, and have now introduced their own film section, where many films have to be purchased (especially new releases) rather than watched for free by private uploaders, however there is still a section for free movies in the YouTube designated movie area. Of the films that i watch, most are professionally made. However, on occasion i will watch unprofessionally made films on YouTube. Generally these sorts of films will be non-fiction or factual, whereas i would prefer to watch a fictional professionally made film. When i consume many films, my ideal environment is to be alone in a dark room in silence, on a large TV. I feel that this environment makes for a good viewing experience because there is little to distract you away from the film. At other times, i like to watch films with friends because it can generate discussion and make a good social event.
In the modern day, we are very fortunate to be able to produce video as easily as we can consume it. With the help of technology, we can not only generate video without difficulty, but we can also edit and then share the video with others. Fortunately, i now have access to many devices that are capable of recording video such as my smartphone and tablet which are particularly useful for quickness and ease of editing and uploading. However, for better quality video, i have use of a DSLR camera. Even these (at the top end) have a built in Wi-Fi device that allows for an easy method of file transfer. This again illustrated just how possible it is for anybody to produce amateur video work. I often use this camera and do lots of video creation followed by editing. However, much of this is merely for practise purposes and i therefore do not share it online but use it for my own personal use. I also like to video myself playing music as i am a guitarist. I do this just so i can archive it and look back over it in the future.
Currently in the UK, industry statistics from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board show that around 96% of homes have atleast one television set. Also from research i have found that around 60% of families have 2 or 3 televisions in their houses. In the USA there are more TV's per home than people. in 2009, the average household had only 2.5 people and 2.86 televisions. This year, 54% of homes in the US had 3 or more TV's whilst 28% had 2 televisions and only 18% had one! Also of the 25.1 million homes In the UK, 19.2 million have access to a freeview television box. This shows us just how accessible the television is, and that it is available to almost everyone in the modern day, and that most have access to film channels also, enabling them to watch films on their televisions.
According to a survey, in the UK, 82.5% of people are internet users, increasing by 60% in 10 years. Similarly, in the USA 84.2% are online. This figure also shows us just how available films are now and that they can be watched by almost anyone in economically developed countries such as the UK and USA. Not only this, but it also means that most people are able to share their own work with the world.
Finally, the number of people in the UK with a smartphone has risen by 14% in 10 months alone and has now reached 72%, whereas the total in the USA is 61%. Once again this shows us just how almost anybody can view film on a multitude of devices and how film production, editing and sharing technology is available to almost everyone.
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