Camera Operator
Practical & Technical Skills
In terms of practical skills, a camera operator must be able to operate a camera expertly, as this is the primary element of the job role. They must also have good working knowledge of all camera systems, lenses, support equipment and accessories as these are all vital elements of the job role.
Specific Industry Knowledge
To complete their role properly, a camera operator must know about health and safety legislations and procedures. On a modern film/TV set, there are countless risks that people need to be aware of as the consequences could be costly. If the camera operator is aware of the risks they can take action to prevent accidents (e.g. taping down the wires from their camera so people don't trip).
Communication Skills
Communication skills are very important for a camera operator as they need to be able to collaborate and work as part of a team. There is never just one camera operator on any professional project so as a camera operator you will always have to work ith someone else. Camera operators will also have to work closely with people in other roles of film production; therefore they will have to be diplomatic and sensitive when working with artists and crew.
Organisation
Being organised is extremely important for camera operators due to the amount of equipment they use. As a camera operator, you must be able to keep your cameras, lenses and other equipment organised and on hand at all times.
Creativity
A camera operator has a surprising amount of creative input; they do not just point the camera at what they are told to. One of the main aspects of the camera operators job is to work with the Director and Director of Photography to achieve the visual style of the production. This is where they can suggest their own ideas to help improve the look of the final product.
Problem Solving
As a camera operator, problem-solving can be a lot more physical than in other media based jobs. One of the main roles of a camera operator is to have good working knowledge of all camera systems, lenses, support equipment and accessories. If some of this equipment breaks it is their responsibility to fix it.
Monday, 17 July 2017
Friday, 14 July 2017
LO1: Cross Media Product Case Study (D1)
Alien is a very successful 1979 science-fiction horror film that has been turned into multiple games, such as Alien Isolation (2014).
As the latest instalment of the game is released over 3 decades after the original film, there is no real promotion of the game in the film itself, however, the game does promote the film in more subtle ways. Instead of directly advertising the original film, Alien: Isolation promotes the 70's classic by using a similar artistic style. Like the original Alien film, Alien: Isolation features a lo-fi, '70s vision of what the future would look like. This is done in the hopes that people will become attracted enough to the visuals to want to go back and watch the original film. Another way the game promotes the original film is, surprisingly, through how the game actually plays. Unlike previous video game adaptations of the Alien franchise, Alien: Isolation places a strong emphasis on stealth and survival horror gameplay, requiring the player to avoid and outsmart a single alien creature over the course of the game with the help of gadgets like a motion tracker and a flamethrower. This aligns itself perfectly with the mood of the original Ridley Scott Alien.
The game, Alien Isolation, was heavily advertised through youtube. Famous YouTubers like PewDiePie and Markiplier were paid by Creative assembly (the games developers) to play through the story of the game. This was a very affective form of above the line advertising as the two previously mentioned YouTubers have a combined total of around 74 million subscribers meaning that the game would probably seen by the majority of people who watch youtube videos and also play video games. I would also add that this form of advertising allowed the developers to show more actual gameplay than a standard TV advertisement as they are usually limited to around 30 seconds; this is likely to be better at persuading people to buy the game as there are many people who don't want to 'waste' their money on a game because they don't know what it will play like. The game was sold as a hard copy in all known video game retailers. It was also available as a digital download from the online stores of all current and 'next gen' consoles (Xbox 360/One & PS3/4).
The target audience for Alien: Isolation is men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 who are from the ABC1 categories of the NRS social scale and enjoy high intensity, horror games. I would say the game is aimed at both genders as although video games are played mostly by men, the main protagonist and only playable character is female, which might make more women want to play the game. I have suggested this age range for the target audience as the game is rated 18 by PEGI, so no on younger than 18 can play it, and it is uncommon for someone over the age of 30 to be interested in horror or more specifically, video games.
The adaptation of the original alien film into the 2014 game Alien: Isolation was a massive success. It won numerous awards including the PC Gamer 2014 Game of the Year and Game Radar's Best Horror Game of 2014. It was also given a 9/10 rating by Steam, The most popular digital distribution platform for PC games. It is renowned for being one of the scariest horror games of this decade and many would say it belongs on a 'best of' video games list.
As the latest instalment of the game is released over 3 decades after the original film, there is no real promotion of the game in the film itself, however, the game does promote the film in more subtle ways. Instead of directly advertising the original film, Alien: Isolation promotes the 70's classic by using a similar artistic style. Like the original Alien film, Alien: Isolation features a lo-fi, '70s vision of what the future would look like. This is done in the hopes that people will become attracted enough to the visuals to want to go back and watch the original film. Another way the game promotes the original film is, surprisingly, through how the game actually plays. Unlike previous video game adaptations of the Alien franchise, Alien: Isolation places a strong emphasis on stealth and survival horror gameplay, requiring the player to avoid and outsmart a single alien creature over the course of the game with the help of gadgets like a motion tracker and a flamethrower. This aligns itself perfectly with the mood of the original Ridley Scott Alien.
The game, Alien Isolation, was heavily advertised through youtube. Famous YouTubers like PewDiePie and Markiplier were paid by Creative assembly (the games developers) to play through the story of the game. This was a very affective form of above the line advertising as the two previously mentioned YouTubers have a combined total of around 74 million subscribers meaning that the game would probably seen by the majority of people who watch youtube videos and also play video games. I would also add that this form of advertising allowed the developers to show more actual gameplay than a standard TV advertisement as they are usually limited to around 30 seconds; this is likely to be better at persuading people to buy the game as there are many people who don't want to 'waste' their money on a game because they don't know what it will play like. The game was sold as a hard copy in all known video game retailers. It was also available as a digital download from the online stores of all current and 'next gen' consoles (Xbox 360/One & PS3/4).
The target audience for Alien: Isolation is men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 who are from the ABC1 categories of the NRS social scale and enjoy high intensity, horror games. I would say the game is aimed at both genders as although video games are played mostly by men, the main protagonist and only playable character is female, which might make more women want to play the game. I have suggested this age range for the target audience as the game is rated 18 by PEGI, so no on younger than 18 can play it, and it is uncommon for someone over the age of 30 to be interested in horror or more specifically, video games.
The adaptation of the original alien film into the 2014 game Alien: Isolation was a massive success. It won numerous awards including the PC Gamer 2014 Game of the Year and Game Radar's Best Horror Game of 2014. It was also given a 9/10 rating by Steam, The most popular digital distribution platform for PC games. It is renowned for being one of the scariest horror games of this decade and many would say it belongs on a 'best of' video games list.
Sunday, 9 July 2017
LO1: Technological Convergence, Advertising & Distribution (M1)
Technological convergence is when different technological systems evolve towards performing similar tasks. The biggest example of technological convergence is the world wide web; which is arguably the main effect that technological convergence has had on advertising and distribution.
An example of an audio-visual product that was marketed on social media is Deadpool. Social media played an important role in the marketing of Deadpool as it allowed the production company to create hype for the film through the use of behind the scenes footage and 360 videos.
Video-on-demand services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are advantageous to the consumer for a number of reasons. Before VOD services came about, if the consumer wanted more the standard 'free' channels, they would've had to pay for a cable/satellite service like Sky. When compared to services like Sky, most VOD services have a lot more quality programming for a fraction of the price (a basic Netflix package is £5.99 per month, a basic Sky package costs £22 per month). This has lead to the "death of the schedule" (Sonia Livingstone - 1999) as viewers can watch whatever programme they want, whenever they want as opposed to waiting for the show they want to watch to be broadcast through the regular television schedule.
Technological convergence has had a big impact on how audiences access products nowadays. The creation of 'black box' products (multiple technologies on one device) has changed the way people access content. Most modern TV's now come equipped with wi-fi capabilities so people can connect their TV's to the internet and stream movies and TV shows through video-on-demand services. Gaming consoles like the Xbox One perform more tasks than simply playing video games. Technological convergence means that you can now stream videos, browse the internet and so much more on just one device.
Technological convergence has also affected the way companies can distribute products to their audience. Before the creation of Web 2.0, companies would have to pay broadcasting companies to have their products reach their target audience. Now that the Internet is interactive, anyone with an Internet connection, a computer and a camera can produce their own content and share it online. The creation of Web 2.0 also introduced low-cost distribution for conglomerates like 20th Century Fox and Sony who could now sell products on digital platforms like Itunes and Amazon Prime rather than producing physical copies which would cost considerably more. Websites like Netflix also came to fruition after the creation of Web 2.0. Netflix and similar companies like Love Film and Amazon Prime would exclusively allow production companies to make their films and TV shows avaliable for streaming in return for a percentage of the subscription fee paid by users of the service, allowing both parties to make a profit. In more recent years, companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime have begun to create their own content and, due to the current size of their companies, have been very successful at doing so. An example of this is "The Grand Tour", which features all three of the original Top Gear presenters. This new programme is widely regarded as being more popular than the new version of Top Gear that doesn't feature Richard Hammond, James May, or Jeremy Clarkson.
An example of an audio-visual product that was marketed on social media is Deadpool. Social media played an important role in the marketing of Deadpool as it allowed the production company to create hype for the film through the use of behind the scenes footage and 360 videos.
Video-on-demand services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are advantageous to the consumer for a number of reasons. Before VOD services came about, if the consumer wanted more the standard 'free' channels, they would've had to pay for a cable/satellite service like Sky. When compared to services like Sky, most VOD services have a lot more quality programming for a fraction of the price (a basic Netflix package is £5.99 per month, a basic Sky package costs £22 per month). This has lead to the "death of the schedule" (Sonia Livingstone - 1999) as viewers can watch whatever programme they want, whenever they want as opposed to waiting for the show they want to watch to be broadcast through the regular television schedule.
Technological convergence has had a big impact on how audiences access products nowadays. The creation of 'black box' products (multiple technologies on one device) has changed the way people access content. Most modern TV's now come equipped with wi-fi capabilities so people can connect their TV's to the internet and stream movies and TV shows through video-on-demand services. Gaming consoles like the Xbox One perform more tasks than simply playing video games. Technological convergence means that you can now stream videos, browse the internet and so much more on just one device.
Technological convergence has also affected the way companies can distribute products to their audience. Before the creation of Web 2.0, companies would have to pay broadcasting companies to have their products reach their target audience. Now that the Internet is interactive, anyone with an Internet connection, a computer and a camera can produce their own content and share it online. The creation of Web 2.0 also introduced low-cost distribution for conglomerates like 20th Century Fox and Sony who could now sell products on digital platforms like Itunes and Amazon Prime rather than producing physical copies which would cost considerably more. Websites like Netflix also came to fruition after the creation of Web 2.0. Netflix and similar companies like Love Film and Amazon Prime would exclusively allow production companies to make their films and TV shows avaliable for streaming in return for a percentage of the subscription fee paid by users of the service, allowing both parties to make a profit. In more recent years, companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime have begun to create their own content and, due to the current size of their companies, have been very successful at doing so. An example of this is "The Grand Tour", which features all three of the original Top Gear presenters. This new programme is widely regarded as being more popular than the new version of Top Gear that doesn't feature Richard Hammond, James May, or Jeremy Clarkson.
LO1: Technological Convergence & Production Techniques (P2)
Introduction
Convergent technologies have positively impacted the production stages of making an audio-visual product for the producer and the prosumer as it has allowed for multiple technologies to be present in one device. For example, almost all modern video cameras come with a built in microphone, meaning that an external microphone is not necessary to record an audio visual product. This will in turn reduce the overall equipment costs, which is a positive impact.
Pre-production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the pre-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Taiga.io. Taiga.io is a piece of open source project management software that allows up to four users to collaborate on one project. Without web 2.0 this would not be possible as web 1.0 was not interactive.
Another example of a new technology that can be used in the pre-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Google Docs. Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides are a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation program respectively, all part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. The three apps are available as web applications, and as mobile apps for Android and iOS. Without web 2.0 this would not be possible as web 1.0 was not interactive.
Production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Garage Band. GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations for macOS and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. GarageBand is developed and sold by Apple Inc. for macOS, and is part of the iLife software suite. Its music and podcast creation system enables users to create multiple tracks with pre-made MIDI keyboards, pre-made loops, an array of various instrumental effects, and voice recordings.
Another example of a new technology that can be used in the production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is SoundCloud. SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform based in Berlin, Germany, that enables its users to upload, record, promote, and share their originally-created sounds. SoundCloud's content is evenly split between music and other audio.
Post-production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the post-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing app developed by Adobe Systems and published as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud licensing program. First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a successor of Adobe Premiere (first launched in 1991). It is geared towards professional video editing, while its sibling, Adobe Premiere Elements, targets consumers market.
Example
An example of a film that has uses these new technologies is Lord of the Rings. The use of CGI has benefited Lord of the Rings greatly as it has allowed for the creation of an in-depth fantasy world. At the time the first LOTR films were released (2001) no other film had used CGI to the extent that it had. You could argue that The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a pioneer for the modern generation of CGI films. This created an extra sense of appeal for the audience as a medieval-style fantasy film of this magnitude had never been created before.
Convergent technologies have positively impacted the production stages of making an audio-visual product for the producer and the prosumer as it has allowed for multiple technologies to be present in one device. For example, almost all modern video cameras come with a built in microphone, meaning that an external microphone is not necessary to record an audio visual product. This will in turn reduce the overall equipment costs, which is a positive impact.
Pre-production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the pre-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Taiga.io. Taiga.io is a piece of open source project management software that allows up to four users to collaborate on one project. Without web 2.0 this would not be possible as web 1.0 was not interactive.
Another example of a new technology that can be used in the pre-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Google Docs. Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides are a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation program respectively, all part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. The three apps are available as web applications, and as mobile apps for Android and iOS. Without web 2.0 this would not be possible as web 1.0 was not interactive.
Production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Garage Band. GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations for macOS and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. GarageBand is developed and sold by Apple Inc. for macOS, and is part of the iLife software suite. Its music and podcast creation system enables users to create multiple tracks with pre-made MIDI keyboards, pre-made loops, an array of various instrumental effects, and voice recordings.
Another example of a new technology that can be used in the production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is SoundCloud. SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform based in Berlin, Germany, that enables its users to upload, record, promote, and share their originally-created sounds. SoundCloud's content is evenly split between music and other audio.
Post-production
One example of a new technology that can be used in the post-production stages of an audio-visual product due to web 2.0 is Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing app developed by Adobe Systems and published as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud licensing program. First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a successor of Adobe Premiere (first launched in 1991). It is geared towards professional video editing, while its sibling, Adobe Premiere Elements, targets consumers market.
Example
An example of a film that has uses these new technologies is Lord of the Rings. The use of CGI has benefited Lord of the Rings greatly as it has allowed for the creation of an in-depth fantasy world. At the time the first LOTR films were released (2001) no other film had used CGI to the extent that it had. You could argue that The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a pioneer for the modern generation of CGI films. This created an extra sense of appeal for the audience as a medieval-style fantasy film of this magnitude had never been created before.
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