AS level media studies portfolio

 For our final, we will be filming in various locations and thus we had to create a schedule to organize our filming times.

  Before filming After I Left, our first step was gathering the equipment and props that would help us build the visual style and emotional atmosphere of the project. Below is an overview of what we used, the purpose behind each choice, and how these items supported the mood of our film. Equipment Used Canon DSLR Camera We selected a DSLR because it provides sharp footage and allows us to manually control exposure, focus, and depth of field. This made it ideal for capturing lively group moments as well as the quieter, more intimate scenes. Tripod Using a tripod ensured our shots stayed smooth and stable. It was especially helpful for slow movements, close-ups, and any scene where consistency was important. Flashlights with Coloured Paper Instead of renting professional lights, we improvised by combining torches with coloured paper. This created gentle, atmospheric lighting that suited the night-time and indoor scenes, giving them a warm, emotional feel. Smartphone (extra...

Our crew consists of: Saachi (me!): Editor and Actor Emaan: Camera operator and behind the scenes videographer  Chloe: Scriptwriter and main actor  Amatullah: Director and main actor    For our group project, which involves creating a film opening, I will be contributing both as an editor and an actor. As an actor, I will help bring the narrative to life by performing in key scenes and ensuring my character’s emotions and actions support the overall tone of the film. As the editor, I will shape the final look and flow of the project by selecting the strongest shots, managing the pacing, and assembling the scenes in a way that enhances the story’s emotional impact. I will also contribute to sound and visual continuity, ensuring the final edit feels polished and professional. Through these roles, I aim to support the creative vision of the group and help deliver a cohesive and engaging film opening.

HER OBSESSION  this is the script for our final, her obsession. It is a suspense/thriller opening about 3 friends being unknowingly recorded by a stalker with mysterious motives on their way to the park. All dialogue, lighting and camera shots contribute to the overall intended effect. HER OBSESSION SCENE 1------ Low angle shot from below, focusing first on the hand and then the screen The hand will be on a mouse just moving around Add background music of us having fun // Sudden cut Close up tracking shot of a finger clicking a mouse Sudden cut low angle shot stalker will move the 'camera view" to a spot on the computer screen Chair creaking// Transitions to the camera pov SCENE 2- the hangout itself----- The scenes where the shot is in the camera POV slightly desaturate the color grading and make it a bit dull to show a sense of derealization. The camera stays static. One singular shot. Camera should move a bit, unsteady. The cameraman can acc try to film us without us lookin...

Her obsession: storyboard  In our storyboard, we plan to begin our opening with an establishing shot of the setting/the stalker’s environment, which is a busy, bustling city at night, as a way to symbolize how the world outside the stalker’s apartment, is loud and ongoing, a sharp contrast to the next scene, where it is quiet and eerie besides the keyboard click sounds which creates a mysterious/suspense effect. The next scene consists of a low angle shot from below, focusing first on the hand while the stalker types on the computer. Here there will be background noise from the videos the stalker is watching and their keyboard clicks, with no other sound. This will create a suspenseful, haunting effect as it will be established to the audience that the watcher of the videos may be a stalker, revealing their hidden perversions for the audience. These next few shots will reveal who and what was in the videos carefully observed by the stalker, as the camera will pan to the computer sc...

 Me and my crew planned to create a questionnaire to investigate our target audience, to figure out who may watch a drama slice of life film, which is our chosen genre. The purpose of this questionnaire is to scope out how we may plan to distribute our final film as a legitimate media text. What is your age? ☐ Under 13 ☐ 13–15 ☐ 16–18 ☐ 19–25 ☐ 26–35 ☐ 36+ What is your gender? ☐ Female ☐ Male ☐ Prefer not to say ☐ Other Are you currently: ☐ In secondary school ☐ In sixth form/college ☐ University student ☐ Working full-time ☐ Other How often do you watch films? ☐ Several times a week ☐ Once a week ☐ A few times a month ☐ Rarely Where do you usually watch films? ☐ Cinema ☐ Netflix/streaming platforms ☐ TV ☐ YouTube ☐ Other Which genres do you enjoy most? (Select up to 3) ☐ Drama ☐ Romance ☐ Comedy ☐ Action ☐ Thriller ☐ Horror ☐ Fantasy/Sci-Fi ☐ Slice-of-life Do you enjoy films that focus on realistic, everyday life situations? ☐ Yes ☐ Some...

  I have analyzed multiple shots from The Substance opening scene, looking at the mis en scene and camera elements such as angles, movements and shots and how they contribute to the overall effect of the scene. The film opens with an overhead shot of a single egg in a sterile, minimalist space. This high-angle framing isolates the egg in a lab‑like environment, emphasising its symbolic significance as a site of creation. The mise-en-scène here is clinical and artificial — the egg is spotless, surrounded by nothing but white or neutral surfaces — signalling that something unnatural is about to happen. The camera remains static, establishing a sense of detachment, as if observing a scientific or experimental process. A gloved hand enters the frame from the left and injects a greenish “substance” into the egg. The close-up shot focuses on the point of contact, showing the needle penetrating the shell. The mise-en-scène continues with a sterile laboratory aesthetic — gloved fingers, a...

 I have analyzed multiple shots from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire mockingjay dress transformation scene, looking at the mis en scene and camera elements such as angles, movements and shots and how they contribute to the overall effect of the scene.   The camera cuts to a medium close-up at a neutral angle, keeping the camera still to intensify the sense of scrutiny. The shallow focus isolates Katniss from the extravagant set behind her, and displays  her tension coming through in subtle facial movements, and the absence of camera motion, as well as the audience visible in the background creates a claustrophobic pressure that reinforces her discomfort within the performance space.  while the mise-en-scène of her shimmering dress and flawless makeup becomes hyper-visible under bright, frontal studio lighting.  A medium shot of Caesar filmed from a slightly low angle elevates him as the authoritative host of the spectacle. There is no camera movement, letting hi...

 Following our preliminary task, our teacher asked us to research and analyze the mis en scene and camera elements of any 2 movie scenes of our choosing. I believe this task may aid our abilities to identify how mis en scene and camera shots, angles and movements can contribute and affect overall storytelling and narrative progression in films, so that we may apply our new knowledge to our final film opening task.  The two films I have chosen are:   The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) The genre of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a Dystopian science fiction. The premise of the movie contains many allegories for Capitalism, the exploitation of the working class as well as other social and economic commentary that can be analyzed using the theories learnt in Media Studies AS level.                                    The substance (2024)  The genre of The Substance is body hor...

Today, to conclude on the preliminary task, our teacher asked us to self-report on how we believe we performed and contributed to September’s task. The table below is based on my opinion of my share of the group’s work. As the editor of our group, I excel in editing and software areas. Planning and organization- I will be honest, my organization was not up to par as I would have expected it to be. I made mistakes, at times I was not very articulate when it came to planning for the edits I did. There were moments where I procrastinated on key parts of my contribution to our short film, Dear Diary- but I’ve since attempted to be better and more prepared. Using software- Since I have previous experience with editing and some editing software, both for older school projects and my already established passion for media, navigating applications like DaVinci for editing our preliminary project came quite quickly and easily for me. I believe I have done a decent job with my editing, and I am p...