Meaning created through techniques

Cropping is one of the most easiest, simple and common techniques that is used in many types of media and in particular images, the tool allows you to select and cut out a specific part of a image. This would tend to be the most important part of a photo - graph, or the part of a image that doesnt work or ruins the photograph which can be cut out completely using a quick and easy tool. Cropping can change the way we see the image or scene or change the way the audience will percieve the photograph before and after cropping, for example images in the paper sometimes are croped to ephasize, point out or exagerate a particular part of a photograph. Other reasons for cropping is to erase any distractions, for composition and layout (rule of thirds, framing) and overall dynamic visual look and effect. For example the image before it was cropped gives a completely different look, atmosphere and style, the image has been cropped to help improve and also change audiences perception as when you look at the cropped version it connotes a young, attractive modelisk female. When infact the original photograph claims to show someone completely different, the cropping has also changed the overall composition with a more affective use of line, rule of thirds and deph of field to improve the overall look and quality of the image.

The image to the left demonstrates how cropping tech-niques can help improve and change a photograph for example it show how crop-ping creates framing and removes distractions. Crop-ping can improve the overall composition and draws the audiences attention to the main subject as we are able to remove any of the unwanted background of a original image to erase any distractions. Cropping can also be done in videos, which works the exact same as it allows you to change the size of the scene and framing which will enable you to change the shot type being a close up, medium or long shot which can be done using a quick and easy cropping tool. It also means that if you needed to show a variety of shot sizes this techninique enables you to create the shots without shooting a individual shot when filming.

Sizing tends to be associated with print, being the size of the images on in the newspapers and preferably the front page, the size of a image can dramatically affect the overall image and quality as the bigger

the photograph the more important the person or subject is. Some newspapers tend to use large images and even fonts on the front cover to grab audiences attention towards the paper in comparison to a paper with a large amount of text. Specific newspapers such as The Sun tend to target a market of people who are more interested in reading the daily news quick and easy with the help of images (which depending on the story and importance) will affect the size of a image. A large image creates impact and affect and draws the viewers attention straight to the image instead of the text, a larger image is far more visually pleasing in comparison to a smaller image as it allows you to see more detail in a clearer quality. Both images demonstrate how sizing works, being the bigger the storyline the bigger the image, for example the image of the two towers takes up the whole of the front page because the photograph is strong, horrific and shocking and so is the story, being the 9/11, as one image of the twin towers burning  downing is far more affective and says more then any amount of text would. However the other example of the The Telegraph shows a range of different sizes and images which again totally depends on the importance of the story or person.

Choice of Camera Angles in soaps or films are a major and important factor in a scene as the angle of the camera can change the viewers perspective and perception of a character or scene. Camera angles insinuate and suggests a variety of things, being the importance or power of someone, showing intimidation and character roles within a scene. This is specifically important in soaps as well as films as camera angles inform the audience of character roles without saying or doing anything. The most used and populare camera angles would be a Low Angle Shot (left image) which creates and insinuates importance, power and character role, as if they are looking down onto someone, low angle shots also connote that the characters has control and power which automatically creates the specific intended character role. There is also a sense of confusion for the audience as there is a powerlessness within the scene as the characters take complete control and power as the viewers are mentally dominated by the characters on the big screen. The background of a low angle short will tend to be simple with lack of detail, being the ceiling or sky as it creates a disorientated setting to the audience. In this short video from the american comedy soap 'Scrubs' where in just the first 20 second opening auto-matically sets character roles simply by the use of high and low angles, the shots are verydirect and give power, dominence and intimidation from the women with a low angle shot looking downwards the camera and to the other character who is only seen using a low angle which creates a powerless and weak character and role.

High Angle Shot

In comparison with a High Angle Shot where the camera angle looks down at a character which makes the audience feel more powerfull then the actor in the scene.We as a audience almost sympathise for the character as the use of the high angle creates a vulnerability and helpless innocence of the character as we as the viewers are again physically made to look down onto the character on the screen. Both High and Low angles are used in both film and soaps to create mood, atmosphere and character roles.








Dutch Angle is when the camera is purposely tilted to one side which tends to be used in a action scene which creates a dramatic effect which conveys a disorientated and uneasy look and mood. This particular angle is used in mainly action/sc-fi movies as it makes the viewers feel on edge as it camera is in a angle which audiences are not used to, the dutch angle is not used as frequent as a high or low angle shot but it is extremely effective and creates mood, atmosphere and style. The shot above was taken from a clip of the film Inception, which is a science fiction movie based on peoples minds, dreams and perspective which included many action and fight scenes which were shot in a Dutch Angle to again create the uneasy and strong atmospher and look which suited perfectly for the specific genre of film

Example of a Eye Level Shot from the film 'The Social Network'

Eye level shot is the most common angle shots that is used, specifically because they are basic, neautral and are commonly used in news casting and romantic comedies as there is no dramatic affect or power that comes from a eyelevel shot. The shot is what it says, its where the a camera is directly placed infront of the subjects hight and eye level, meaning that we as a audience wouldnt have to to look up or down but directly to the subject, this makes things more forward and personal as the shot makes everything what is being said direct to the audience.Use of Theme Music and Music beds The difference between them both is that Music beds are simply a type of jingle, which could either be a part or the entire jungle, which consists of no sung lyrics of vocalist and is simply instrumental. Music beds enable you to use a voice over which means thats any words being spoken do not interfere with the vocals in the music bed. There tends to be different cuts of their jingle,which are used for different purposes which create different affects depending on the context or scene. On the other hand Theme Music is a signature tune for a specifc television programme, film, radio etc which is played in the opening credits and in between.Theme Music is used to create a certain mood and atmosphere to establish a specific show or film genre or theme, the music can either be accompanied with lyrics or simply instrumental. Theme music is extremely important as it is a motif for the particular film, soap etc which will be recognizable all around the world. For example the theme music for Superman, Star Wars, Pirates of the Carribean are iconic and symbolic, the music has a specific tempo or beat which matches the specific genre and informs the audience of the type of soap, film or radio the are watching.

For example the Theme Song for the hugely famous film 'Titanic' 'My heart will go on' which is sung by Celine Dion, the choice in song automatically insinuates that the film will be romantic and heartrenching as the specific lyrcis that are sung suit the storyline in the film. As the song itself if about two lovers, which is also the same within the film Titanic, the theme music automatically establishes the mood, theme and genre of film which is a extremeley important factor in attempting to create theme and genre. Another reason why theme music is important is because whenever you hear the specific song it will automatically associate and will remind the audience of the film or soap etc it represents, making it symbolic and a iconic movie and theme song.

This is a caption ( click image to view larger)

Captions are usually used in newsprint or the internet, a caption contains of either a short sentence, phrase or even a paragraph that consists either below or under a image or graph. The use of a caption is to identify and point out a particular element which would be important for viewers to know, which would help accompy, establish or summarize the images story. This helps the viewers understand more clearly about the photograph and the story behind it. Captions are informative, descriptive, comedic or sarcastic. For example if there was to be a embarr-asing image of a celebrity that hit the newspapers or internet the caption is more likely to be something sarcastic and almost rude, making the celebrity look bad. In comparison to a image of a innocent little girl who was the victim of a house fire which would have a sympathetic caption about the girl, captions can change the way we view or read a image.

Choice of Font simply means the style of a piece of text which can consist within many things being the newspaper, posters, internet, brand logo, books etc. The font can change the style of something and creates specific connotations, for example if a newspaper was to have a 'Taditional & Italic Font from The Times' it would automatically insinuate the newspaper is of a high standard and is aimed at middle aged to elderly working-higher class audience. In comparison to the font of a 'Heat Magazine' which is simply and boring which suggests the magazine isnt as informative, and is more likely to appeal to a younger audience. Font in incredibly important as it almosts indicates who the specific newspaper, book etc is aimed for, font also suggests genre. For example there is a reason why the font for the film 'Sleepy hollow' is in gothic,old fashioned and red italic font... The font automatically connotes that the film is of a gothic horrow genre, even if we as a audience did not know anything about the film or see the image on the front cover. The red would of course suggest blood and death, and the italics give the impression the story is a old tale, which is what the film is.

Choice of stars is extremely important as in some cases the actors that play in films or soaps are the reason for the success and popularity, in some cases the bigger the star the more success the film will tend to have. Choosing actors to play specific roles is extremely crucial, especially when films remake novels which already consist of characters that fans knows well, meaning that they will have to find a actor who will have the same personality, looks and qualities as the character they are acting out in the novels. The Twilight franchise is one of the fastest selling and popular novels which in 2009 had been transformed into a blockbuster hit. The writer of the franchise Stephanie Meyer said in a article that her choice of actors to play her charcters was the most important and crucial points in remaking the vampire love story. As readers had already related and connected with the characters in the novel, which made in crucial that the actors portrayed the characters in the movie realistically and correctly. The video below is the write Stephanie Meyer talking briefly about the actors that played the main characters being 'Edward, Bella and Jacob'