Friday 16 December 2016

TV Drama - Textual Analysis Alphabet

A - Action code. This is one of Barthes' narrative codes. This contains sequential elements of action, creates suspense.
B - Blocking. This is the way the actors are positioned to get across relationships and/or power. 
C - Close ups. This is when the camera is close to an actor's feature, typically the face, filling the frame with that feature. This allows the audience to see the full emotion of an action. 
D - Dangerous. This is part of Alvarado's theory for ethnicity. This is when minority groups are presented as being a threat to society. 
E - Enigma code. This is one of Barthes' narrative codes. This code is a mystery within the drama. Clues are given but no full answer is given. 
F - Festinger's stereotypes, cognitive dissonance. This is the idea that we resist adjusting our attitudes unless faced with overwhelming evidence against it. 
G - Gender. This is one element that can be shown in TV Dramas. This involves the different roles of how men and woman should act. 
H - Hunt's stereotypes of disability. Hunt has 10 stereotypes for disabled people in TV Dramas - pitiable/pathetic, an object of curiosity or violence, sinister or evil, the supper cripple, atmosphere, laughable, their own worst enemy, a burden, non-sexual, unable to participate in daily life. 
I - Invisible editing. This is when the audience doesn't notice the editing due to correct lighting and blocking. 
J - Juxtaposed. This is when contrasting things are placed closely together. This could be ethnicities, ages, social class, gender etc. 
K - Kids. This is one age that can be presented in TV Drama. They can be presented as being innocent, powerless or selfish. 
L - Low angle shot. This makes the camera look up at the subject, making the subject seem powerful.
M - Male gaze. This is Laura Mulvey's ideology where the audience have to view the characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male. 
N - Negotiated reading. This is when the audience partly agrees and accepts the preferred reading but often modifies it in a way to which reflects their won interests. 
O - Oppositional reading. This is when the audience has a different reading to the producer's intention. This could be because of differences in culture and social experiences. 
P - Preferred reading.This is the directors intentions, they way they want the audience to read it. 
Q - Queen. This is a character of high social class and status established by costume, hair, make up and props. 
R - Referential code. This is when something with in the TV Drama is referring something outside the TV Drama. This could be scientific, historical or cultural. 
S - Symbolic code. This is when there is a symbol within the TV Drama. This is done to create more meaning, tension, drama and character development. 
T - Teenage representation. This is an age that can presented in TV Drama. They can be presented as being aggressive, lazy and hate school. 
U - Unity. This is presented with ethnicity and shows the stereotype of close families and communities. 
V - Verisimilitude. This is a feeling of reality created by particular elements. This can be done by using real places for sets and language used by the actors. 
W - Wealth. This is stereotypical trait of city people when looking at regional identity. 
X - Xenophobia. This is when a character's actions, behaviours, feelings or words seem to be discriminate against people because of their country of origin. 
Y - Young. This is an age that can be presented in TV Drama. They an be presented as being emotional, stubborn and immature.
Z - Zoom. This is when the camera would appear to be getting close but it is stationary. 

Tuesday 15 November 2016

Ex Machina - Marketing

Website:
exmachina-movie.com/ 

Social Media:
Facebook - ExMachinaMovie
Twitter - @ExMachinaMovie

Teaser and Full Trailers:



Posters:



Chat Shows and Interviews:
Alex Garland went to Comic Con.

Product Tie-Ins:
Comics and graphic novels.

Toys:
None.

Magazines:

Monday 14 November 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Marketing

Website:

Social Media:
Facebook - Star Wars
Twitter - @starwars

Teaser and Full Trailers:



Posters:











Chat Shows and other interviews:
ABC Shows - GMA, Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
The Graham Norton Show.
Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Comic Con.

Product Tie-ins:
Games - Battlefront, Lego Star Wars, Disney Infinity, apps. 
Novels and comics. Fruit. Duracell batteries. Toothpaste. Makeup. Spotifiy. Popcorn. Stamps. Shoes. Cereals. Sandwiches at Subway. O2 'priority' loyalty scheme.

Toys:
Action figures. Masks. Props like full-size lightsabers. Remote controlled BB-8. Lego sets.

Magazines:



















Monday 7 November 2016

Ex Machina - DNA Films Questions




Who were the co-founders of DNA Films?
Andrew Macdonald, Allen Reich and Duncan Kenworthy.
When was the company founded?
1997.
Where is DNA Films based?
London. 
How many films have DNA Films produced?
24.
What awards have DNA Films won?
28 Days Later - best horror film, best British film, best wide-release film, best feature.
28 Weeks Later - best horror.
Love Actually - best British film.
Dredd - best 3D.
The Last King of Scotland - best film.
Ex Machina - best British independent film, best ski-fi film.
How many full time staff does DNA Films employ?

What is DNA Film's philosophy?

List 5 box-office hits that DNA Films have made.

List 5 flops that DNA Films has made.

What is Danny Boyle's relationship with DNA Films?
Director and executive producer of 28 Days Later. 
List 3 famous directors that DNA Films have worked?

List 5 famous actors who have starred in films made by DNA Films ?

What has been DNA Films highest grossing film?

What Hollywood studios have DNA Films worked with?

List two of DNA Films big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.

What film is DNA Films most famous for?

What other genres do DNA Films films like to make?

Who have DNA Films entered into a partnership with for DNA TV Limited?

What information can you find out about DNA Films through their web page?

Find out one other interesting fact about DNA Films that you would like to share with the class.

Monday 24 October 2016

Ex Machina - Research

Producers - Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich
Director - Alex Garland
Distributor - Universal Pictures
Cast - Alicia Vikander (Ava), Domhnall Gleeson (Caleb), Oscar Isaac (Nathan). 
Budget - $15 million
Locations - Juvet Landscape Hotel, Norway; Sognefjord, Norway; Valldal, Norway; Briksdalen, Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway; Bloomberg Offices, London, England; Pinewoods Studios, England. 
Technology - GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition; Sony CineAlta F65, Cooke Xtal Express, Kowa Prominar and Angenieux Optima Lenses; Sony CineAlta PMW-F55, Cooke Xtal Express, Kowa Prominar and Angenieux Optima Lenses. Digital Intermediate (2K), J-D-C Scope (Anamorphic), Kowa Scope (Anamorphic).
SFX companies - Double Negative, Artem and Milk Visual Effects. 
Number of screens (opening weekend)
Number of screens (peak numbers)
Box Office numbers - Lifetime gross: $25 million. Theatres: 2004. Opening weekend: $237, 000. Theatres: 4.
Production companies - Film4, DNA Films.
Screen writer/writer - Alex Garland.
Critical reaction - Rotten Tomatoes: "Ex Machina leans heavier ono ideas than effects, but it's till a visually polished piece of work and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature" 93%. Metacritic: 36 positive comments, 6 mixed comments, 0 negative comments. 78%.
Music - Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury.
Marketing:
Teaser Trailer:

Trailers:


TV spots:

Posters:
       

Website - exmachina-movie.com.

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Questions

1. Who owns Lucasfilm?
Disney. This is because in 2012, Lucas wanted to retire and sell the Star Wars franchise and had a meeting with Disney's CEO.

2. Who formed Lucasfilm?
George Lucas.

3. What year was Lucasfilm formed?
1971.

4. Who is president of Lucasfilm?
Kathleen Kennedy.

5. What other major films have they worked on?
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

6. How much was Lucasfilm sold for?
$4.05 billion. 

7. Who wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan. 

8. Who directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams.

9. What other major films is the director responsible for?
Star Trek
Star Trek Into Darkness
Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation
Star Trek Beyond.

10. How many Star Wars films have there been so far?
There are 8 films so far, they are:
Star Wars (retitled to Star Wars: A New Hope) (1977),
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980),
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983),
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999),
Star Wars: The Attack of the Clones (2002),
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005),
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). 

11. How much money have they all made at the global box office?
A New Hope - $775, 398, 007 (25 November 2011),
The Empire Strikes Back - $538, 375, 067 (1997), 
Return of the Jedi - $572, 705, 079 (2015), 
The Phantom Menace - $560, 618, 295 (25 February 2012), 
Attack of the Clones - $649, 398, 209 (10 December 2011), 
Revenge of the Sith - $848, 754, 768 (25 November 2011),
The Force Awakens - $2, 026, 638, 964 (14 February 2016).

12. When was the first Star Wars film released?
25 May 1997 (USA), 27 December 1997 (UK).

13. What does ILM stand for?
Industrial Light & Magic.

14. What do ILM do?
They create computer graphics (special effects/visual effects/CGI).

15. Who created ILM?
George Lucas.

16. Why did they create ILM?
Lucas wanted to include some visual effects that had never been seen on film before.

17. What do casting directors do?
They look for actors to be in the film, they understand what the director and producer require and find the right actors for the parts.

18. Where were the first scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens filmed?
They went to Abu Dhabi to film most parts of Jakku.

19. What format was Star Wars: The Force Awakens shot on?
35mm (Kodak Vision 2383)
70mm (IMAX DRM blow-up) (Kodak Vision 2383)
D-cinema.

20. What types of cameras were used to film Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
Arri Alexa, IMAX MKII, IMAX MSM 9802 and Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2.

21. What studio was used to film a large portion of the film?
Pinewood Studio.

22. Where is the studio?
Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

23. What major franchise is famously filmed at this studio?
James Bond.

24. How does said franchise link to Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
Daniel Craig (who has played James Bond) is believed to have played a Stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

25. Who was the inspiration for the character Maz Kanata?
She is based around J.J. Abrams' english teacher, Rose Gilbert.

26. What technology was used to create Maz Kanata?
They used an actress and used motion capture to create Maz from the footage they got.

27. Who played Maz Kanata and what other roles is she famous for?
Maz is played by Lupita Nyong'o. She is known for Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016) and Gwen in Non-Stop.

28. Who Played General Snoke?
Andy Serkis.

29. What is he renowned for in the movie business?
He is known for his performance capture roles which uses motion acting, animation and voice work. He has done many characters that involve this technology, including Gollum (The Lord of the Rings), King Kong (King Kong, 2005) and Rise (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes).

30. Where was the final scene filmed?
Skellig Michael, Country Kerry, Ireland.

31. Who composed the film score?
John Williams.

32. How many Star Wars films has he composed the music for?
All 8 of the films so far.

33. What other famous films has he created the music for?
Besides Star Wars, he is known for Harry Potter. He also create music for:
War Horse
Jurassic Park
Indina Jones
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler's List
Jaws.

34. How many times did John Bodega audition for the film (according to J.J. Abrams)?
8??

35. Over what period of time did these auditions occur?
9 months.

36. How many people operated BB-8?
Depending on the version used, the rod puppet version used one person, the remote-controlled version used 2 people.

37. What type of technology was the main version of BB-8?
The rod puppet version was the most used version of BB-8.

38. What colour suit did the BB-8 operator wear?
Green.

39. Why did he have to wear such a suit?
So they can edit him out in post-production.

40. What type of special effects (SFX) were employed on Star Wars: The Force Awakens?


41. How many people were behind the monitor watching the scene when Han and Chewie returned to the Millennium Falcon?


42. Why was Simon Pegg thanked in the credits of Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
He played Unkar Plutt in The Force Awakens. He has helped out thought the years of Star Wars.

43. J.J. Abrams shot part of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in IMAX. What is IMAX?
IMAX is a technique to achieve widescreen cinematography. This produces an image about ten times larger than from a standard 35mm film.

44. How many IMAX screen was the film available on?
About one thousand.

45. What was the age rating of the film in the UK?
12.

46. How much money did the UK government contribute to the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? (Express this figure as a percentage of the total cost and as a figure in pounds).
They contributes about £31.6 million.

47. How much was Harrison Ford paid to reprise his role of Han Solo?
Over £23 million.

48. How much were Daisy Ridley and John Boyega paid?
They received £300, 000 each. 

Sunday 25 September 2016

TV Drama - Stereotypes

Perkins 5 assumptions:

Stereotypes are not always negative:

The Asian woman is represented as being smart, this works well in the situation. Although this can be  seen as negative, in this situation, it is a positive thing.

They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful:

It shows the white immigration officer to be more powerful than others, rather than focusing on the black people. It shows that the white people are mean to the other ethnicities, which isn't shown often  in TV shows.

They can be held about one's own group:

In Hotel Babylon, many stereotypes are shown throughout, so most of the main stereotypes are shown. Therefore, the audience's stereotype is most likely to be shown.

They are not rigid or unchanging:

A few years ago, these stereotypes were probably different than they are now. As the years have gone on, the stereotypes have changed according to modern society. However, some of these aren't changed for many years.

They are not always false:

The idea of self-fulfilling prophesy makes it seem as though people are the stereotypes, but in fact they probably just believe that they are and make others seem like the stereotypes are true.


Festinger and the popularity of TV programmes:

Before watching the clip, you could think that stereotypes aren't accurate or used a lot. But after, it can be seen that they are exaggerated in this case. For Hotel Babylon, the stereotypes we believe to be true are shown, making us think they are a more realistic vision of reality. 

Thursday 15 September 2016

TV Drama - Representation of Ethnicity and Types of Shots - 'Hotel Babylon'

A mid shot showing three people reacting to hiding.
Can I identity what ethnicities are? How? Why? - It's pretty clear to see the different ethnicities in the clip. This is most likely because of the TV stereotypes shown in most TV shows, because of this, it's easy to spot these stereotypes as they are exaggerated. As they are easily spotted, this allows the program to be easily watched as you don't need to think about who is what ethnicity.


This is a high angle shot to show that she is weaker at this moment in time.
Are people from different ethnic backgrounds shown as different interests, personalities, attitudes, behaviour? If so, how? - There are different interests shown, mainly due to their stereotypes. For example, the first time we see the Asian woman, we see her sat behind a computer. She is also seen to be intelligent because she decides to hide them in a staff room to hide and realises one is missing.


This is a tracking shot to reveal all of the different cultures and how they differ.
Is their ethnicity represented as being important in their life? - From the clip, it could be seen as important because they're having to hide because of their ethnicity. It is also shown at the end where different ethnicities sit on different tables, eat different foods and one table prayed before eating, in that sense, it could be seen as important to them.



This is mid shot and it allows the audience to see some of the work she does.

This is a mid shot to show how intimidating they are.
Are people from particular ethnicities portrayed as being better, more powerful than others? - The white female we see at the beginning is seen as more powerful because she tells the others what to do. It also shows the immigration officers being more powerful, they are also white.



This is a point-of-view shot to show the rush and panic of the situation, this is also hand held to help achieve this.
Are people from particular ethnicities portrayed as being abnormal, weaker, more pathetic than others? - all the immigrants are shown to be weaker because they are the ones who are having to hide, none of the white people are.



This is a close-up, two shot to show the relation between the characters,
How do other characters in the clip treat the other characters from different ethnic backgrounds? - all the immigrants help each other and the woman at the reception desk helps them. But the white immigrant officers are against them.




What is the message the clip is trying to portray about ethnicity? - it's trying to say that immigrants are bad and should be sent back to where they came from.

Tuesday 13 September 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Research

Producers - JJ Abrams, Bryan Burk, Kathleen Keenedy.
Production companies - Lucasfilm Ltd., Bad Robot, Truenorth Productions.
Director - JJ Abrams.
Screen writers - JJ Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan.
Actors - Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren).
Budget -  $240, 000, 000.
Locations - Skellig Michael, Iceland, Greenham Common, Derwentwater, Scotland, Abu Dhabi, New Mexico, Pinewood Studios, Puzzlewood, Santa Monica.
Greenlight date - October 20th 2012
Screens shown on - 4134 screens on the opening weekend. Shown on over 4000 screens. It stayed in cinemas for two months.
Critical reaction - Rotten Tomatoes: "packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy". 92%. Metacritic: 48 positive reviews, 4 mixed reviews. 81%.
Box office figures - Worldwide: $129 million gross. US: $247.97 million. China: $33 million.
Music (composer of score/soundtrack) - John Williams
Marketing:
Teaser trailers:



Trailer:

TV spots (there are over 20):



Website - There is a website for the Star Wars saga (starwars.com) that has a section for each episode.

Posters:
UK and US poster
China poster
Tie-in products - Battlefront, Lego Star Wars game, action figures and plushes, 3D models of fighter ships, items for around the house e.g. money boxes, storage boxes, lights and lamps etc., novels and audiobooks, comics, costumes/cosplay, costumes for pets like dogs or cats, casual clothing, stationary, baking decorations, print-outs and posters, card games like Top Trumps, Lego sets.
SFX (special effects - technology used) - special effects: Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), Blind, DMG, Kelvin Optical, Base FX, Hybide.... (on IMDb). technology: camera: Arri Alexa (aerial plates). Lenses: IMAX MKII, Hasselblad lenses; IMAX MSM 9802, Hasselblad lenses; Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2, Panavision Primo, Retro C-, E- series, ATZ and AWZ2 lenses.
Any issues - Daisy Ridley nearly had a panic attack on the first day of shooting as she thought her performance wasn't good. John Boyega originally played Finn with his natural English accent, but he and JJ Abrams felt it wasn't right for role, so he put on an American accent. Scenes were chosen to be shot using 65mm IMAX instead of 35mm due to weight and noise problems. Adam Driver didn't like wearing the Kylo Ren mask because his vision was impaired. 

Friday 9 September 2016

My Representation

UK Tribes
I think I belong to both the Mainstream tribe and the Leading Edge tribe. I belong to the Mainstream because I am a bit of a Fan Girl, especially for vloggers and bloggers.
Fan Girls:
Fan Girls and Tumblr Kids have merged - 24/7 access to celebs means this tribe are getting younger and moving faster than ever. It's strange to think that in 2012 Fan Girls were a new tribe - today they are one of the most noticeable and well know facets of UK Youth culture! United by their love for musicians, vloggers, bloggers, models, books, TV series, TV personalities (and anyone in between) the Fan Girls start at 13 years upwards and are a powerful force on social media - and big spender on merchandise and experiences.

But I am also of the Makers side of this tribe as I am always doing something creative, whether that's photography, art, blogging and starting filming.
Makers:
Being creative is firmly in the Mainstream today. From photography to art, craft, music, film and blogging - everyone is curating online! Everyone is a creator now, and Makers are the new Tumblr Kids as everyone is creating original content online and sharing it on social media; while many are also getting hands-on creative at home. So from DIY furniture and art to animation, there's an explosion of creativity across the Mainstream - just don't confuse it with Leading Edge career Creatives, these guys are doing it for themselves!

But I am also part of the Leading Edge tribe as I am also a Creatives as I have done most things for myself, started by myself.
Creatives:
Creatives are still top of the tribal map and care constantly creating new content. DIYers are creative, tech savvy self-starters that bring culture to life for tribes today - they produce music, promote club nights, start indie bands and create festival stages. Many are also Creatives, but DIYers are set apart by their aspirations to 'make it', create events and actively influence culture in their area. DIYers used to be focused more in London, but in 2015 all major cities have a strong DIY scene.


What media figures (actors, musicians, sportspeople, celebrities) do you consider similar to you. In what way are they similar to you/are you similar to them?
I think I am similar to Zoe Sugg as I act similarly to her and we have similar sense of humor. I really enjoy watching her with her friends because her friends are similar to mine.

I also see myself similar to Dan Howell as I can always relate to him and what he says and see the similarities between us.


Do you consciously 'model' (copy modes of dress, style yourself, act like) yourself on any of these media figures? Why is that?
I have my hair inspired my Zoe Sugg's old hair, when she used to have it as long as mine with blonde dip dye. Now that she has cut her hair and coloured it more blonde, I have done a similar thing, but I don't plan to cut my hair. I think this is because I really like her hair style and the way it looks day to day.
 I also have a my room decorated in a similar way to her house, it was before I found her but I buy more things that she'd buy because I like the style of her house and decorations throughout it.


I take my style of clothing from Dan Howell, even though he is a guy. He wears a lot of black, especially skinny, black jeans. I have worn dark clothes for years but seeing him wearing dark clothes has given me more ideas about the things I can wear, even if he is a guy.


Thursday 8 September 2016

Institutions and Audience - Film Production

Development - this is simply the process of 'finding' a story. Ideas for films come from a variety of sources, they can range from novels, real life events to computer games adaptations. Once you've got an idea, you'll need someone to write a pitch for you which you take to film producer in an attempt to get some funding to make your film. Even at this stage, you need a very clear idea of who you're aiming your film at so you can include elements that will appeal to them.


Pre-production - Once you've got funding, you establish your budget and can begin to get a film crew together, you can storyboard the script. You also need to break he script down into individual scenes and identify all the locations, props, cast members, costumes, special effects and visual effects needed.


Production - this is simple the process of 'making' the film. Provided you've done your job properly in the pre-production stage, making the film should be straight forward. 'Film' is very expensive and difficult to store so an increasing number of film makers are using digital cameras to save money.


Post-production - during this stage, you take all the 'film' you're shot and give to it a film editor. They will the begin putting it together. Special effects will be added, a soundtrack will be added, any missing dialogue will be re-recorded and added resulting in a 'rough cut'. This will be shown to the director and a test audience who will offer feedback. Often, this causes scene to be filmed and added or removed.




Screenwriter/writer - research and develop story ideas and write screenplays.



Producer - responsible for all aspects of a film's production, putting together a creative and talented cast and crew, and turning story ideas into profitable films.



Casting Director - organise the casting (selecting) of actors for all roles in a film.



Director - driving creative force in a film's production - visualising and defining the style and structure of the film, then bringing it to life.



Film Finance - manages all aspects of the finances  a company or large film production. Or represent filmmakers looking for distribution deals for their films, working with the to develop marketing strategies and deliver all the elements of the film to the distributor.



Camera Operator - prepare and operate the camera and all its equipment, working with the director and director of photography.



Editor - work closely with the director to craft the finished film.



Production Designer - define and manage every visual aspect of a film.



Marketing - planning of marketing campaigns.



Exhibition - choosing the right films for the right target audience.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

TV Drama - Mise en Scene Analysis - Divergent

The lighting is high key. They are both wearing black clothing to make them seem threatening to the others. They are very close to suggest that they are protecting each other. Their facial expressions are suggesting that they are being threatened and the people in the background help to emphasis this. The white buildings in the very back suggests the innocence of the two main characters and the faction they are currently in.

Monday 5 September 2016

5 x 5

Favorite Japanese Animes
Sword Art Online - this has amazing animation, character design, action, soundtrack (possibly the best I've heard in an anime), the voice actors are the best I've heard in an anime, the Japanese actors of course. It follows the story of Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya is his real name) as he 'dives' into the game called Sword Art Online (or shorten to SAO). However, if you die in the game, you die in real life. The story line is so compelling because the idea of being trapped inside a game is very interesting to me and the emotional attraction to the characters makes it one of the best animes I have watched. You get to meet loads of characters throughout season 1, part 1 who are very unique and there a lot of scenes you can laugh at. But during season 1, part 2, you get to see the protectiveness of Kirito and how much he cares for Asuna (his wife in the game) and Yui (his supposed daughter in the game). As the game has different levels, each level has a different theme or 'look' and each one is so unique and visually stunning.

Death Note - this is about a teenage boy, called Light Yagami, who finds a notebook (creatively called a Death Note) with the power to kill anyone whose name you write into the book. With this notebook comes the owner of them - Shinigamis, Gods of Death. But there is this detective named L who tries to find out who 'Kira' is. It's very intriguing to watch as you never know what the characters are going to do or discover about the other characters. This is a very dark anime but the mystery side of it keeps you on the edge of your seat every episode and you always want to watch the next episode. One short-ish season completes the story, with two anime films and a live-action film that are defiantly not needed.

Your Lie In April - this is a very underrated anime and needs to be known more. This is very beautifully animated with an equally beautiful story of this boy, called Kousei Arima, who plays the piano with a dark past that is slowly revealed to the audience, meets this girl, called Kaori Miyazono, who plays the violin and how they encourage each other to play and how their relationship develops. It tackles some very emotional and hard-hitting themes but in a way that is so amazing to watch and see how they help each other through the difficult times. This is the most visually pleasing anime I've seen without it been an action. The colours of this anime are all pastel and faded which gives the anime a unique and beautiful style. The characters are very relatable and loveable. It's certainly one that is an emotional rollercoaster.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood - this has a harrowing storyline about these two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, that are alchemists (they are able to control elements) but they have a committed a taboo that should never be committed. They go on an adventure and you meet many incredible characters that are comical at times. The animation is amazing to watch because each alchemist has different titles (elements they can control) and the animation really brings these titles to life. The opening and ending titles are some of the best I've heard and they really reflect the part of the season they are played on. Each character has their own individual personalities and they are so fun to watch because even in a tense/serious scene, most of the time, a character will make some sort of funny gesture or comment which makes the anime so enjoyable to watch. 

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou - this revolves around this place called Sakura Hall where the students can't stay in the normal dorms because they're 'weird' and they have to live here. But a new girl, Mashiro Shiina, who has moved back from England, has moved in and this causes some 'drama' in the hall. The characters have very individual personalities and back stories, which are very interesting to find out about. The story focuses on the character of Sorata Kanda who is in Sakura Hall because he wanted to keep cats in the dorm that he found on the streets. You get to see the relationship between Mashiro and Sorata develop as Mashiro can't really do things for herself and because she is passionate about manga, Sorata needs to teach her what is right and what is wrong. The colours of this anime are faed and not bright which allows the anime to look visually pleasing and easy to watch because your eyes aren't distracted by the bright colours. 


Favourite Films
The Lion King - possibly one of the most famous films of all time (and for good reason), at least most people have heard or seen it. For 1994, the animation is incredible, the songs are pretty good, the score is one of my favourites and the emotional attachment for Simba is always overwhelming, especially when he sees his father again. The thing that amazes me the most is that it was created by the B Team because everyone thought Pocahontas was going to do better than The Lion King. The characters are amazing that I'm instantly transported to my childhood because of these characters. Even though I am a teenager, I still love to watch this film and use funny quotes from most of the characters. If anything, I enjoy it more now than I did before I get more of things they say and understand deeper into the themes they cover in the film. 

Forrest Gump - as this one of Tom Hanks' films he's best known, you can expect it to good. This takes an amazing journey through American history between 1944 and 1982. I really love the idea that even though Forrest isn't exactly the brightest person, he still takes part in many things and ends up achieving somethings not any ordinary man can achieve. I understand it's not real but it is rather inspirational. I can't imagine anyone else playing Forrest because Tom Hanks is incredible as he can cover the emotional and comical parts of the film. The visual effect are incredible. For example, the feather at the beginning isn't actually in the shot (they had someone 'dancing around' with a feather ), so they had to create the reflections off the car window and make it match up with the feather lying on Forrest's shoe.

The Breakfast Club - this is about a group of five students from "different walks of life" that have to sit a whole day on a Saturday in detention for whatever it is that they did wrong. The group of actors in this film come from the group called The Brat Pack, who 'ruled' the 80's films. This film is targeted at teenagers and is very comical and can easily cheer someone up. I love to get to know all of the characters backstories about their home lives and why they are in detention. It teaches the audience the idea of not "judging a book by its cover". But it also has a nice quote at the beginning by David Bowie that reads "... and those children that you spit on as they try at change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're doing though" as a teenager,
I find this is kind of true because I read it that we teenagers or young adults don't want to do what adults want us to do as we already have an idea of what we want to do with our lives.


Divergent (Series) - based on a book series by Veronica Roth, a sci-fi fantasy that has the society split into factions based on their personality. They got split into these factions after a war and they have been trapped inside "the wall" ever since. The plot revolves around Tris, who learns that she can overcome the system in society. As the series progresses, we get to see the relationship she builds with Four, someone she meets in Dauntless, and how her relationship with Caleb, her brother, is broken more than once. Visually, all of the films so far have been stunning. I also really like the little things throughout the series that either foreshadow something or show something to do with a certain relationship. Shailene Woodley is an amazing actress and I really enjoy her work, which is another reason why I love it so much. 

The Maze Runner (Series) - based on a book series by James Dashner, a group of different aged males (until one female comes along) are sent to what is known as the Glade at the centre of a giant labyrinth. It follows the story of Thomas as they try to work out why they are there and how they can get out. During the second film, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails, they get to know more about why they are there and truly know who their enemies are. In both films that have been released so far, the action sequences are good to watch and the mystery elements are interesting to see where they will end up next. And I'm very excited for the third instalment of the series.


Favourite Short TV Series
Thirteen - this follows the story of Ivy (played by Jodie Comer), a girl who was kidnapped at the age of thirteen for thirteen years, and we get to see how her relationships have changed with friends from her childhood and how her family is now broken because of her disappearance. But we suspect that Ivy isn't telling the whole truth about the kidnapping, Mark (her kidnapper) and what happened whilst she was with Mark. The mystery of her kidnapping keeps you on edge all the time because you're never too sure what will be uncovered next. However, at the end of the series, I did feel as though it wasn't a 'satisfying' ending and I don want to know more about Ivy's relationships with are friends, specifically Tim, now that Mark is no longer around. But because of the amazing acting by Jodie and Aneurin certainly makes the series.

The Living and the Dead - a mystery horror that is set in Somerset, 1894. It is centred around Nathan Appleby (played by Colin Morgan) who is a psychologist who tries to help people in the village from supernatural happenings. The people in the village believe it's Nathan causes the strange happens. But Nathan has a dark past and it drives him mad. The mystery element keeps you wondering what's going to happen next and horror makes sure you don't take your eyes off the screen. Because I don't like horrors, I found it hard to watch but after a few episodes, I got used to it and started to enjoy it more. And the final episode still makes me wonder whether there will be a second series because they left it on such a big cliff hanger.

Jekyll and Hyde (ITV) - this is the most recent adoption of the classic book called Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Having never seen any version of the story or rad the book, I can't make comparisons to tother versions or if it's accurate to the book.Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it as it's full of action and suspense. And the acting by Tom Bateman (who plays Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) is incredible, in many scenes he'd have to go from Jekyll to Hyde (and vice versa) and the change in character is amazing, you can certainly tell the difference between the two characters easily, and I think that's one of the main things that sold it. It's a very dark series but it has very unique monsters and a style of film that I've hardly ever seen.

Moonfleet - Based on a book by the same name, it focuses on the story of John Trenchard (played by Aneurin Barnard), a boy who dreams of finding Blackbeard's treasures and admires smuggler Elzevir Block (played by Ray Winstone). However, John gets involved with Grace and that causes some problems as Grace's father is the magistrate. So John and Elzevir go on a journey to find Blackbeard's diamond. It's not the best series with the way it's produced or created but the adventure they embark on is interesting to watch and see the events unfold and I really enjoy the things Aneurin Barnard is in. 


Favourite Songs
Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots - I have only recently discovered this song and I really relate to the lyrics much more than I expected to. I know one of my friends have mentioned them before but I wasn't really into them at that point. I haven't really heard anything quite like it and I really like it.

River Flows In You by Yiruma - this is a very classical, piano only, song. I really enjoy listening to this because it instantly calms me down. But for a piano piece, this one is really beautiful compares to others I've heard.

Diamonds by Elle Skies - this song is very beautiful and is almost perfect a commentary dance piece and the lyrics are pretty good.

The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy - this song is very interesting to listen to and Patrick Stump's voice is very unique.

Startear by Haruna Luna - this is the first ending for Sword Art Online II, Japanese of course. The vocals are amazing, the lyrics are very relatable and the song itself as a whole is amazing.


Favourite YouTubers
Dan Howell (DanIsNotOnFire) - after being on YouTube for 6 years, I found Dan very relatable as he talks about his "existential crisis's", "psycho thoughts" and "near death experiences" with some great lessons. Other than being relatable, I found his sense of humour very funny.

Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) - he has lived with Dan Howell for just over 5 years now and he has been on YouTube for 9 years. I watch him because he has a very loveable and sweet personality with some funny stories.

The Saccone-Joly family (TheSacconeJolys) - just a normal family who film their everyday lives for the last 6 years. It started with Jonathan Joly, then he met Anna Saccone, had 4 puppies born (so they have a total of 6 maltese dogs) married Anna, had their daughter Emilia, then their son Eduardo. But there is more to them than meets the eye. Jonathan had depression as a teenager, Anna had a mis-charge a few months ago and now people are sending Anna hate comments. They are a very inspirational family because of all of the things they have been through.

Zoe Sugg (Zoella) - a very popular female beauty blogger and began a YouTube channel in 2009. She has gained many awards and millions of subscribers since then. I really love her style of videos, her products she has recently released, her fashion style, basically everything about her.

Good Mythical Morning - presented by Rhett McLaughlin (on the left) and Link Neal (on the right). They make videos every weekday showing funny challenges, random things on the Internet, stories that have happened to them in the past week. It's basically an Internet version of a good morning show every morning.