Friday, October 05, 2012

Blogging and Research

Melissa emailed me and asked if she was on the right track with her blog. I was happy to oblige and found that she was making good progress. I felt that it was also an opportunity to impart some advice and guidance about what she should do next, particularly in relation to the research she is doing into the Thriller Genre.  As I was finishing up the comment I realised that this was useful advice for everybody, so here it is...
"Some advice... 
The post above looks like the result of 'Secondary Research', e.g. you looked things up on the web? Am I right? If so, then you should reference the websites that you drew the information from. 
This research is a great start. Now, I would recommend that you watch some openings and analyse them technically: camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene. This is another area where the two sides of the course cross-over. :-) 
Also, aim to be 'completist'. I liked that you posted about camera techniques, including examples. You could tie this into the task above. Watch 4 clips. For each one, analyse one area. E.g. watch the opening sequence of 'Lost Highway' by David Lynch and analyse the use of camera work. Then watch the opening of 'Se7en' and analyse the mise-en-scene. And so on. It will help you develop both an understanding of the technical codes and conventions of thrillers while also helping you to develop your skills of analysing specific features."
To summarise:
  • Reference sources
  • Complete textual analysis of thriller openings
  • Break that analysis up into specific areas to focus your learning/understanding

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