For this task we were asked to create an idea for a film. The genre had to be a love story and the audience would be for over 50s so, we decided to do produce a war time film. This enabled us to appeal to the older ages due to the historical information included.
In the film the two main characters (Joan Bell and Mike Andrews) have an eternal love that they overcome throughout the film. He goes away to war and she has to live her life without him. Until they find each other again later on in the film.
Distinct, Camera, Mise en scene, Sound and Editing
The film is set in America, south central LA. It is a dodgy area where gun shots at night are a regular occurrence. The four young children are walking to school and pass dead bodies and blood, then also when walking home the boy passes a fight like its normal to fight in the street. The time of year is unclear as it was set in LA which always has nice weather, however it was set just before the LA riots which is where the influence of violence comes in.
The themes used in the clip are violence and black Americans. The bad representation of black Americans is shown to give their point of view in he violence circumstances they are forced to live in as they are not accepted anywhere else. The violence is then a demonstration of how their life has hit rock bottom and they feel that violence is he only answer.
In the opening scene gun shots and shouting were heard but not seen (off screen). By having a diegetic opening it brings the audience into the film and means that they view the film as if they were part of it, as if they are there when the shots are being fired. The dialogue used is colloquial giving the idea that the characters are not well brought up and have a dodgy life. This also gives us hints that there will be crime and fights in the film as that is the stereotype that is being portrayed.
The first shot that is shown is of a stop sign. The frame starts wide at a low angle looking upwards at the sign. The moment of the scene is then when the camera zooms in on the sign, with it then filling the shot. Throughout the opening the shots follow theses children staying at their level to show even though they are young that have had to grow up quickly because of their neighbourhood.
The stop sign could also be seen as an icon, representing that the crime and dangerous actions need to stop. How many more people need to die? The colour red also represents blood, all the blood that has been spilt due to bad behaviour. Throughout the film opening there are many icons shown. The president poster that has bullet holes explains how the society feels anger for the upper class that run the country. They express the feeling of not being respected and looked after, showing as a country we need to take care of some of the more vulnerable family's and society's to improve as a whole. Even at the school the children know they are destined to become rebels. They all know of family members and close friends that have been shot killed or murdered and they act as if it is the normal. Making the pictures drawn by the children another icon. They show the harsh reality that these kids are forced to live in.
The characters costumes are very well thought out especially with the young children. The young boy dressed in a shirt and woolly jumper looks smarter that the other kids, this shows how he is above everyone else. For instance more intelligent and mature. The young boy in a tracksuit is being shown to already not care about what he looks like and is abiding by the thug stereotype. He will be the one to grow up and join into the dangerous life style. By doing so it shows the diversity between the boys making it inevitable that they have a dispute.
the screen time given to the characters shows to the audience that the smart dressed young boy is the main focus of the film. the audience then feels that he are important to us and we should care about his well being. Throughout the opening scene we follow his daily routine, giving us the order of narrative as his life. There isn't lots of special effects used other than the enhanced sound of the fighting scenes. This brings the audience into the film and makes them more involved within he film.
Colour, Binary Oppositions, Male/Female - Good vs. Evil
How they show the passage of time, Sound, Mise en Scene and Camera
For this task we had to use premier and experiment with the videos given and the effects that it allows you to create.
In the first clip I used a distortion effect which was also my favourite as it creates a very interesting image for the audience to view.
The second clip of James Bond I feel worked better because it was my second time of using premier so I felt more confident with the effects and how to use it.
The first transaction is my favourite as I feel it is a great way to start the film of and make the audience interested. It is called a panning square.
For this task we had to use premier and experiment with the videos given and the effects that it allows you to create.
In the first clip I used a distortion effect which was also my favourite as it creates a very interesting image for the audience to view.
The second clip of James Bond I feel worked better because it was my second time of using premier so I felt more confident with the effects and how to use it.
The first transaction is my favourite as I feel it is a great way to start the film of and make the audience interested. It is called a panning square.
For this task we had to use premier and experiment with the videos given and the effects that it allows you to create.
In the first clip I used a distortion effect which was also my favourite as it creates a very interesting image for the audience to view.
The second clip of James Bond I feel worked better because it was my second time of using premier so I felt more confident with the effects and how to use it.
The first transaction is my favourite as I feel it is a great way to start the film of and make the audience interested. It is called a panning square.
Stereotypes = Media institutions use stereotypes because the audience will instantly understand the characters. They're repeated so often that we assume they are normal or true.
Archetypes = The ultimate version of the stereotype.
Countertype = A representation that challenges tradition stereotypical association of groups, people or places.
This film appeals to young teenage girls as they are able to relate to the anarchy of school life. Although the actors are of an older age children in secondary school are able to understand the way the school is represented and what it is like.
There has always been a stereotype in school of the 'it girls' that everyone wishes they were a part of. by this being included in the film it shows its conforming to the medias representation of the youth in our societies. It is a typical lunch time in this clip where the unworthy students ignore the plastics as that's not the place they are aloud to sit.
Throughout the film the girls are shown to have less respect for what they look like and also less care about their grades. Even dropping their grade to get boys. However nearer the end of the film it all gets to much for the main character Kady and she realises that you don't need to act dumb or be mean for people to like you. She joins the mathletes and apologises to the people she's hurt to give the audience a good example of how to be a good person. it shows people should be respectful to get respect back.
By being given the name 'the plastics' they are show to be fake and artificial. They are framed in shots to seem as if they run the school. Giving the impression that they are perfect. They change we see them go through is very encouraging for younger viewers as it shows that no one can be perfect. In the end of the feel the girls all realise who they truly are and become more comfortable in being a natural beauty inside and out.
I feel that the gate keepers and the ones that have the say on the context and have the finally say on what we watch. This is because they are the ultimate stage of production and are the creators, if they didn't create it we wouldn't see it. Can the media exist or function without an audience?
The media needs to be seen in order to progress. If the media does not have an audience they have to way of improving off their feedback therefor become pointless as no one is watching/reading/hearing. Can the audience exist without media?
Even through history the media was used in new papers and radios to communicate with others. Now a days without it everyone would be lost as it is a basic way of interaction. most other people feel addicted to knowing about others lives for example instagram and snapchat, and have withdrawal symptoms with out them. Who is more powerful the media or the audience why and how?
In my opinion the media is more powerful as it has the power to manipulate situations and control the way the audience feels. They can show us what they want us to see yet we cannot do that to them. Can the media controlee the audience?
I feel the media cannot control our actions although they can control whether those actions are moral or not. For instance if Martin Luther kings death was publicised as a good thing the kill would have felt his action was the lesser of two evils and that he did the right thing.
Plus young audiences viewing the media automatically feel that that is what they should aspire to be. In some cases in is a god thing although in others it is not as the media gives a false representation of what the youth of our society should be or look like. Meaning they go to the extend to do so.
Therefore in conclusion I feel that the media control the way in which we act however not our specific actions.
The Theories
1. Uses and Gratifications - by Blumler & Katz
Personal Identification
The film Marley & me I find relatable as sadly at the end of the film the dog passes away... I have experienced this situation and means I am able to emphasise with the actors that are in pain as I have been through what they are going through. Producers do this to make the audience feel they are involved in the feel. This also relates the film to everyday life and makes it seem more realistic. Information
As an audience, people like to know what is going on around them, which is where the news and documentaries become popular. I recently watched the news due to bombs going off in America, and I wanted to find out more information about it. This is what many people do which adds to the demand for documentaries and news shows on such matters. Entertainment
As technology and the internet improve so does the need people have towards social media and being involved with friends and family over it. I constantly use social media and keep up with music trends as I feel that it is a good way of socialising with friends when you cannot physically be together, for example facetiming or Skype. due to so many people using the internet, the media publishes a lot of things as they know people will view them, increasing their audience. Social Interaction
This is where the audience talk about what they've viewed and give their opinion on the media, this can happen subconsciously or be brought up in a conversation. A peer of mine and I spoke earlier today about the x factor results, where a bad act had gotten through to the next round. By people having conversations like these it advertises what is being spoke about making more people want to view it.
1.The definition of film is “a story or event
recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a cinema or on
television.” They can make you feel in many different emotion due to they’re
different camera techniques emotive or mysterious music to match the scenes and
the acting skills that the actors/actresses have. Another version of the film
is the material that is used to make it in the olden days, without it no films
would be able to be produced.
2.When researching the word ‘movie’ it proved to
have the same meaning as the word film but to be the American version. However
in the English definition, a movie is a film that has been released into the
cinemas and had made money by doing so. Most films that are well known but
haven’t been in the cinema would not be able to be classed as a movie.
3.In my view I have always seen the word cinema to
be a place where new or old films are played on a large screen. By it being on
a large screen it allows the viewer to have an improved experience when viewing
the film.
Top Ten
Movies
1.Fast and
furious six
2.Finding
dory
3.The
expendables
4.Bugsy Malone
5.The
shallows
6.Stupid
crazy love
7.Dirty
grandpa
8.Hannah
Montana the movie
9.The amazing
spider man 2
10.Dear john
Top Ten Movies / Report
My top ten favourite films are very varied genres. Within all of the film they have an element of comedy, making them mainly feel good films.
I like different varieties of films as they all make me feel different ways. Some happy some sad and some hilarious. each film can change my mood and emotions in a different way and I like to be abl to choose between them.
During our lesson we learnt about narrative techniques and how to apply them to short stories...
Narrative = Some kind of retelling often in words
a narrative recounts events, leaving out insignificant things.
The opening to the film up includes many narrative techniques. one being a technique thought up b Aristotle, each story needs a beginning, middle and end. At the beginning the are young and he is the one struggling up the hill, the middle is when they go through their problems; her not being able to have children, his car braking, him braking his leg and their houses roof breaking. Then the end is when sadly his wife passes.
Binary objects are also used a lot to show how the clip represents opposites attracting. he is big she is small, he is shaped like a square and she is like a circle. At the start she is positive and motivates him to do things, although the roles change when she becomes upset and he cheers her up. this shows how although they have opposite qualities they are both great for each other.
The sort film also represents Todorov's idea of equilibrium. He suggested that a film is at equilibrium if it 'situation' is in a state of normality. throughout the clip disruption of the equilibrium takes place. This is where a character or an actor causes an effect which disturbs the state of normality. In this circumstance the problems that they face are the problems they undertake together. Equilibrium is then reached again when the couple grows old as their day to day life becomes their new state of reality.
A denotation is what we see in the image and a connotation is what we understand from those for example:
- Bright spay paint looking colours in the background, also used in the title show that the film is creative and explosive, like spray paint coming out of a can.
- The shape in which the cartoons and pictures of the characters are arranged is in the shape of a bomb explosion. This could entail that within the film mayhem overtakes the characters and a big event takes place.
- There are three words placed under the title "worst heroes ever". The connotations to their meaning suggest a plan not going correctly and that they fail to for fill the definition of a hero which is a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. By this having a bold font in capitals it makes is seem as if it is being screamed, and still heard through all the anarchy and ciaos going on in the image.
- The colour red is used in the corners and is the colour of one of the ladies outfits. red represents anger, danger and aggression suggesting that that character is looked at as a they have power over the others and controlees their actions.
- Each character has their own look. As this is a super hero film it implies they all have different qualities and skills. Some are shown to be obvious by the icons that are displayed for example the Japanese girls with the swords, the bald firm looking guy with the gun and the man covered in tattoos surrounded by fire and flames.
- Everyone in the image is standing in the fighting position meaning there is going to be come action in the film. Between who we do not know although the disorder of the image is stating how the film plans out.
Miss taught us the acronym distinct to help us descried film techniques and the effects they have. We then chose these films to use it on.
Harry Brown
The start of this film portrays a run down part of east London, where a gang has taken over an underpass. The walls are graffitied and stained. it appears dark and the hoodies wore by the gangs mean only a slight glimpse of there face is visible.
As mentioned, the film is set in south London firstly in an underpass. By it being hidden and closed in it adds to the gangs misdemeanour as things are easily secluded. In the day time a pair from the gang are riding through a park on a motorbike causing trouble with a gun. The fact that there is trouble in the day time to keep people in order shows that the area is not very safe and well looked after. The poor civilian and her child shown are left venerable and scared in a place that they calls home.
throughout even just this short clip many themes are demonstrated. gangs are a key part of the film and area shown right at the opening scene. Peer pressure and drugs within gangs are highlighted and have an important part of showing how they can cause trouble for the youth of the community. The youths in the film have nothing to do with their lives, no school, work or any type of education. This is used to represent the problems that we have with the unruly children today and that the government does nothing about it.
icons are also clearly displayed. A gun is used to represent the seriousness of how gangs can have the potential to danger people just like guns also have the potential for danger. Drugs show how peer pressure can cause people to put their lives in jeopardy. also the women and her buggy who appear in The clip exhibit society and how gangs and rebellious people are putting us all at risk.
in the short clip about it is filmed with a hand held device, which makes it seem of a bad production. however by doing so it makes the audience more concentrated on the film therefore more involved with what is going on. because of this as a viewer you are able to feel the emotions as if you were in the scene making the film more in-depth and emotive. as the camera isn't professional the clip doesn't include slick editing and fancy lighting as it wouldn't fit the genre.
most people when they hear the word gangs think of tracksuits and hoods. as the characters wear these in the film they fit they stereotype of the common low life chav and the views instantly know they have no respect towards others or their actions. the dark lighting in the alley also adds to the characters look by them appearing to be doing something they shouldn't, drugs. why hide if you're doing nothing wrong? They are all clearly young adults of a lower class and haven't had the best upbringing. By them being mainly boys it shows they are most likely trying to impress each other by them showing loyalty to the 'squad'. There body language is sloppy and they have bad posture which brings across the idea that the have no respect for their own body and keeping it in the best shape possible. It also gives of the impression that they don't care about what people think of them and because of this no one gives them a chance.
The dialogue used is colloquial. This is because the producer is trying to bring out the fact that the people within the gang have not had a good upbringing, therefore shows their unprofessional gang language.
Ghost Ships
The outset of this film appears happy and relaxed, much like a holiday cruise ship should be. The air lights are all lit lighting up the ship. A ball event is taking place so everyone's dancing and having fun. Other than this one girl who is clearly bored as she has no friends of her own age group. clouds cover the sky and the air beings to fog. by looking at their clothing and dancing techniques I would say that his section of the film is set in the 1920s. it is clearly evening in the middle of the ocean because of the dark night sky.
The theme in this short clip is unclear because of the many connotations that actions and objects have. It could be love due to the many beautiful women in the clip. However it could also be a horror as of the gruesome nature of the death of all of the passengers.
Within this short clip there are many icons that give us hints about the characters and the way they live. For instance most women are wearing expensive jewellery and almost everyone is drinking champagne. This gives us the idea that the people on the cruise are wealthy. When the clip starts to pan out the sharp wire is also an icon as it entails what's going to happen more into the film... someone is going to die from it.
not only do the icons help us describe the characters there are many other factors that come along side it. They appear well dressed, proving they are of an upper class. although the workers are shown to be of a lower standard so come across as if the are middle class civilians. most of the cast are middle aged upwards other tan this one young girl. Because she is isolated at the start of the film opening she carries a theme of loneliness through the clip, at the start she is on her own lonely and at the end she is the only one alive. Showing to the audience that she is an important part of the film. the body language of the actors suggests they are from a well brought up background and that they know how to hold themselves.
As the credits appear the camera pans around the boat and the man things that are taking place, for example the dancing, the bored girl and the sharp wire that is soon o kill everyone. By doing so it allows the viewer to see all that is going on ( the prepping of the wire) while the passengers are oblivious. The little fairy lights help make the scene appear to be night time, which has connation's to hint mysterious and dangerous things. The makeup of the actors is clear this is a special event and that they have dressed up to have a good time, little do thy know what they have got themselves into.
The music that is being sung is in a different language adding to the effect that the night brings, mysterious. It could be expressing what is going to happen further into the clip although the audience is again oblivious due to the language barrier.
HORROR The top photo we tried to show a person, mad, who had escaped from an asylum as it was related to the topic. The second is portraying someone dead souled across a table like a life less corps also relating to the topic.
SCI-FI The genre in this is sci-fi and we wanted to make the dome to appear as a mystical spaceship floating in the grey cloudy galaxy. The second is next to the scientific spaceship possibly with a hostile being beside...
SEASONAL We were unsure on the type of seasonal images we could get because of our limited surroundings and props. the first is showing the summer sun oozing through the beautiful green trees. The second of a flower that has grown throughout the summer and is about too fall from winter. representing a love story that ends in a travesty.
Within this film it is a love story shown between two people in which cannot love each other. John played by Channing Tatum, is in the army and has to go away often to war and fight. Savannah, Amamnda Seyfried, falls in love with john although realises her love is so strong she has to let him go in order for her to be happy.
