Problems we Encountered
The first problem I encountered when I entered the class was finding that the power was down and no one could log onto their computer. This stopped almost every student who needed to start work on their animatics. There was no scanner within the classroom for over an hour which stopped me progressing with my work. There was nothing that we could do while the ICT Technician was sorting this problem out, so we had patiently wait.
How we made it
Jack went over the images in crayon while me and Jake started to make the images sharper in paint. Jack when he started to get the beggining images started to put it into animation with titles and added effects. We soon realised that we cant leave half of the images in crayon, so we finished it later on in our own time with all of us given tasks each.
Monday 12 December 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Preliminary film
Today we recorded a short scene for our Preliminary film using the techniques we have learnt in AS Media studies. Our location was set in the school hall, where we used a table and chairs and planed our camera views which followed the 180 degree rule. It was important that we filmed fluently so that the audience believe it was all in one sequence, so we continually looked over our last scene to see if the movements were correct. Overall i think we done a good job, as we followed all of the instructions given to us and tried our best to make it unique.
We feel that for future recordings that for the camera work we should be less harsh when it comes to panning across on the character (00:12). We have been told that when you do an action on one character, for example, when I zoomed in on Jack (00:19) I should keep the same camera view fothe other character so it doesnt disordinate the audience. (00:21). Also, the scenes when viewing both characters could of been closer, as the scene wasn't important to the plot and we could of focused more on the expressions of the character (00:26 ). For a first time we think that it was a good run through and we have learnt through the experience.
We feel that for future recordings that for the camera work we should be less harsh when it comes to panning across on the character (00:12). We have been told that when you do an action on one character, for example, when I zoomed in on Jack (00:19) I should keep the same camera view fothe other character so it doesnt disordinate the audience. (00:21). Also, the scenes when viewing both characters could of been closer, as the scene wasn't important to the plot and we could of focused more on the expressions of the character (00:26 ). For a first time we think that it was a good run through and we have learnt through the experience.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Preliminary Research
Continuity editing is a style of film editing and video editing. The purpose of continuity editing is to smooth over the video recordings and make the transition from one scene to another coherent. The two categorises of Continuity editing are temporal continuity and spatial continuity. These techniques are all used as a stepping stone for the audience to follow the story. It is important that the viewer, when watching a film, understands the concepts of the story and the sequence taking place.
Temporal Continuity
Temporal continuity is when film makers make sure people/things move around over time. An example of temporal continuity is if their is a scene where two characters are having a dialogue, everytime the camera cuts to the smoker the director has to be sure that they make that the cigarette is the same size or just a bit shorted. If the cigarette is unconsistent and continually gets longer and shorter, this is called Discontinuity.
Spatial Continuity
Spatial continuity is when film makers make sure that nothing is moved within the space of narration. An example of this is in the movie Fargo. When the two characters are in the bar speaking to one another, due to the cuts, you can clearly see the glasses moving places. This is called spatial discontinuity as it isn't a smooth transition from one scene to another. There are rules that directors within media have to follow, one of them being the 180 degree rule.
The 180 degree rule is when the camera can not enter the left hand side of the person (from facing behind the actor) without showing the transition in a scene. This is because it would confuse the audience and disorient them. An example of this is the british TV presenters Ant and Dec, with Ant always standing on the left, and Dec always standing on the right. The director makes an invisible axis with a left/right character ratio at all times. If a car enters from the left side of the screen, it is important that it stays in the middle, or the left hand side of the screen.
A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconciously assumes that they are looking at each other.
-Bordwell, David; Thompson, Kristin (2006). Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.
The shot/reverse shot focuses on the eye level from one character to another when off screen as the audience assumes they are looking at each other. Among other things, it also focuses on the 180 degree rule as it doesn't decieve the audience then.
The match on action within a film is a cut in film editing either between two objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions. This is to make the transition between cuts smooth often helping to make a strong continuity by linking two shots simultaniously.
I think continuity is very important when it comes to editing as it adds realism to a film. If you can notice the difference in every cut, films wouldnt be so popular, just like in the early 1900's.
Bibliography - Image supplied by http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.artoftheguillotine.com/index.php?page=shotreverseshot
Filmography - Fargo
Year - 1996
Director - Joel Coen
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/
Temporal Continuity
Temporal continuity is when film makers make sure people/things move around over time. An example of temporal continuity is if their is a scene where two characters are having a dialogue, everytime the camera cuts to the smoker the director has to be sure that they make that the cigarette is the same size or just a bit shorted. If the cigarette is unconsistent and continually gets longer and shorter, this is called Discontinuity.
Spatial Continuity
Spatial continuity is when film makers make sure that nothing is moved within the space of narration. An example of this is in the movie Fargo. When the two characters are in the bar speaking to one another, due to the cuts, you can clearly see the glasses moving places. This is called spatial discontinuity as it isn't a smooth transition from one scene to another. There are rules that directors within media have to follow, one of them being the 180 degree rule.
The 180 degree rule is when the camera can not enter the left hand side of the person (from facing behind the actor) without showing the transition in a scene. This is because it would confuse the audience and disorient them. An example of this is the british TV presenters Ant and Dec, with Ant always standing on the left, and Dec always standing on the right. The director makes an invisible axis with a left/right character ratio at all times. If a car enters from the left side of the screen, it is important that it stays in the middle, or the left hand side of the screen.
A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconciously assumes that they are looking at each other.
-Bordwell, David; Thompson, Kristin (2006). Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.
The shot/reverse shot focuses on the eye level from one character to another when off screen as the audience assumes they are looking at each other. Among other things, it also focuses on the 180 degree rule as it doesn't decieve the audience then.
The match on action within a film is a cut in film editing either between two objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions. This is to make the transition between cuts smooth often helping to make a strong continuity by linking two shots simultaniously.
I think continuity is very important when it comes to editing as it adds realism to a film. If you can notice the difference in every cut, films wouldnt be so popular, just like in the early 1900's.
Bibliography - Image supplied by http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.artoftheguillotine.com/index.php?page=shotreverseshot
Filmography - Fargo
Year - 1996
Director - Joel Coen
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/
Monday 14 November 2011
Final Decisions
Horror – Genre conventions. What would audiences expect from horror genre conventions? What are other successful films doing? | Our film. How will your group reflect genre conventions in choices? Will you follow expectations or go against them? How will the audience feel about your choices? | |
Costumes | In horror films, costumes can use two techniques. Either they can de-humanise a character and make him look abnormal and menacing (Prime examples being Frankenstein, Saw). Or they can go for an innocent looking character wearing old clothes. People look to this as being almost haunted and if a character acts too loving, it can be seen as being possessed. | In our film we will use sunglasses to hide the characters identity away from the audience as if they do not know who to trust within the film. Sharp suits will be used to show the professionalism of the character and also to insinuate how serious he is about his job. |
Lighting | Horror lighting is usually low key to create tension and a sense of danger. I feel subconsciously, everyone is afraid of the dark even if they do not admit to it, and this is because they do not know what is in the dark. Directors can make any scene tense, but having a character walking through a haunted house without lighting adds an element of danger, even if there is nothing to worry about. | The decisions we have made for lighting consists of two types. One lighting will be to put across the tension to the audience and they will be low key lighting, dark rooms. This makes the audience on edge wondering what is around every corner. The other lighting that we have decided to do is for our action scenes, which is fast paced camera action with bright lights constantly beaming into the scene. |
Mise-en-scene | Mise en scene is usually a very stereo-typical way to display the setting within a film. Straight away an audience will know what the genre of the film is from the setting. If you see a castle towering above enchanted forest on a bright sunny day, you will think that it is a fairy tale. If a setting consists of a low key lighted room, with blood against the walls you will think it is a horror movie. Mise en scene is a way of telling a story through art or a design. | The scene that we will use is modern and sleek, as these are MI5 agents and it is an action thriller. We will try to go to the bullring and record their as it is a public area in the core of the city (similar to our film) with modern surroundings and innocents around. It is also important that we add lots of lighting effects after recording. |
Props | Within a horror film, props are usually very gory and over the top. They make it the most horrific way to die as they know that is what their target audience is coming to see. For example a garden fork is unique and un ordinary, it is also a horrible way to be killed as a gun is fast and almost painless. | Our props consist of using a handgun and having the hankerchief. The handgun shows professionalism as it is a fast and tidy way to kill someone (Much like an MI5 agent) and because realistically it is the only replica of a gun we could get a hold of. The hankerchief is unique to the Agent as he leaves it on all his enemies after he has executed them, his catchphrase will be ‘Clean yourself up.’ |
Friday 11 November 2011
Updated Treatment
Our theory is the equilibrium. The film will start of normal with the protagonist talking to his friend about what they will do when they retire. The equilibrium we decided is when the government asks the soldier to kill his friend because he has information which can cause harm to society. The hero refuses to kill his friend trying to plead to the government that his friend will stay quiet. The government kill the friend, and accuse the hero of friendly fire, while dragging his name through the dirt.
The setting is an abandoned room which is bare. This symbolises that his life is empty and that everyone has left him, and he has nothing to lose while being interrogated by the US Government. As they interogate him, they continously drop hints that they know who he is by such phrases as 'You traitor!'. The action will take place in a park, as it avoids unneccassary attention being brought on themselves as they are doing the trade. The protagonist is an MI5 agent who is ordered to murder his own friend, which the government will cover up as a 'freak accident' to save information being leaked which could harm the governments reputation. The hero says no, which results in the government turning on him and killing his friend themselves. They then pin the blame on him in order to cover their own tracks, ruining the British patriot’s reputation in the process. The adversary is the government, as they hire an assassin to execute the hero’s friend, and then detain the agent himself.
Our binary oppositions consist of good and evil, which the audience can relate to. Everyone has a problem with the government due to conspiracy theories and over the odds taxes, and throughout this film, the hero is trying to fight a conspiracy of high stakes, a person’s dignity is at stake. The audience will be on our side because subliminaly they understand the concept of what is going on. Our costumes will consist of black and white, White being good and black being evil. We have done this so that the audience can stereotype the characters while watching it and straight away decide which side they are on. Binary oppositions are important to films as there is always a conflict, they are used to distinguish characters and it is also a good structural mechanism.
The three act structure forms the setup of the film, the confrontation and the resolution. The setup of our film is Agent Raiden being told that he has to execute a person, who is unknown to himself. The confrontation within our film is when the government tell the hero (Agent Raiden) that the person he has to kill is his close friend and colleague, Agent Grey Fox This is where things take a turn for the worst in his life, but surely it can only get better. No, instead the government kill the Grey and then pin the blame on him. The government have him imprisoned and he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our resolution consists of Raiden proving his innocence and winning his families trust back, while avenging his friend by the real murderer being imprisoned for life.
The setting is an abandoned room which is bare. This symbolises that his life is empty and that everyone has left him, and he has nothing to lose while being interrogated by the US Government. As they interogate him, they continously drop hints that they know who he is by such phrases as 'You traitor!'. The action will take place in a park, as it avoids unneccassary attention being brought on themselves as they are doing the trade. The protagonist is an MI5 agent who is ordered to murder his own friend, which the government will cover up as a 'freak accident' to save information being leaked which could harm the governments reputation. The hero says no, which results in the government turning on him and killing his friend themselves. They then pin the blame on him in order to cover their own tracks, ruining the British patriot’s reputation in the process. The adversary is the government, as they hire an assassin to execute the hero’s friend, and then detain the agent himself.
Our binary oppositions consist of good and evil, which the audience can relate to. Everyone has a problem with the government due to conspiracy theories and over the odds taxes, and throughout this film, the hero is trying to fight a conspiracy of high stakes, a person’s dignity is at stake. The audience will be on our side because subliminaly they understand the concept of what is going on. Our costumes will consist of black and white, White being good and black being evil. We have done this so that the audience can stereotype the characters while watching it and straight away decide which side they are on. Binary oppositions are important to films as there is always a conflict, they are used to distinguish characters and it is also a good structural mechanism.
The three act structure forms the setup of the film, the confrontation and the resolution. The setup of our film is Agent Raiden being told that he has to execute a person, who is unknown to himself. The confrontation within our film is when the government tell the hero (Agent Raiden) that the person he has to kill is his close friend and colleague, Agent Grey Fox This is where things take a turn for the worst in his life, but surely it can only get better. No, instead the government kill the Grey and then pin the blame on him. The government have him imprisoned and he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our resolution consists of Raiden proving his innocence and winning his families trust back, while avenging his friend by the real murderer being imprisoned for life.
Friday 4 November 2011
Narrative Theories Research Task
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Thursday 3 November 2011
Final cut introduction
The idea for our role play was a sky sports news report outside the white house. It was a spoof with Paul Merson announcing a goal, through a worldwide television broadcast. It was a 29 second production with timing being important, as the last four seconds was the explosion outside the white house. We have one person on set to the left hand side of the blue screen, reporting on the UFO outside the white house and two people behind the set working the cameras and doing voice overs. A problem we came across with the compatibility of final cut, we couldn't upload our blue screen video through the SD. To get around this we converted the images to the correct file type. We used our 30 minutes rehearsal time to write up our script, and continuously time our act to make sure our movements were spot on.
Friday 21 October 2011
Questionnaire
What is your age group?16-24 25-34 35-44 44+
What is your favorite genre?
What makes a good villain in a thriller?
What is your prefered ending to a thriller?
Evil character surviving (cliff hanger) Good guy provalling Innocent killed Unexpected
What is your gender?
Male Female
Thriller Comedy Action Romantic Sci-Fi War
What makes you want to watch a film in this genre?
Cast Director Genre Good trailer Storyline
What is your favorite type of character?
Villain Hero Victim Other
Serial Physco Terrorist Other
Which setting do you prefer for a thriller?
City Little village Town Workplace Other
What kind of weapon do you prefer?
Gun Knife Bombs Psychological
What is your favorite sub-genre?
Psychological Thriller Action Thriller Horror Thriller Other
Psychological Thriller Action Thriller Horror Thriller Other
What is your prefered ending to a thriller?
Evil character surviving (cliff hanger) Good guy provalling Innocent killed Unexpected
The results of our questionnaire are as follows, a total of 10 people were asked:
Audience Research Task
Audience research is important as it sets a genre for audiences to follow. It also tells directors and producers what the audience want in the film so they can entertain their target audience. People that research audiences can tell what is popular at that time, and without the research, it would be hard to keep up with the modern times.
Directors stereotype audiences into categories for example they will look at romantic comedies and think that mostly women watch it, they will look at slapstick and think teenagers mostly watch it, so they will base what they produce on these assumptions. This is called demographics.
There are theories in media that are always put to test in the media world. One of these theories are the Hypodermic Needle Effect. This theory suggests the media is capable of mass manipulation to the public, for example if a story is written in the Sun news paper, the readers would believe it even though they don't know the person or anything about him. Also, if a person is in power like the prime minister, a lot of the public will believe whatever he says to be true.
Another theory is Uses & Gratifications theory. This theory suggests that the audience has a set of needs that are met by the media. The theory places more focus on the audience then the message instead of the actual message itself. They believe that the audience watch the films to get away from their own lives and put their selves within the film, this is a diversion from problems of their own. They form a personal relationship with the characters, and do not distinguish between the actor and characters in real life.
Reception analysis is another theory in which the media text is not passively accepted. Instead, they base what they are watching on their own life story which can be very bad for their own personal relationships. Women turn anorexic trying to get the bodies that they see on screen, they can look at mens bodies and relate it to their own, although through films they are airbrushed and photo shopped to look top quality.
Another theory
Why audience research is important?
How audiences are categorized?
Some key audience theories and which one you think best explains the medias relationship with the audience?
Bibliography?
Filmography?
Directors stereotype audiences into categories for example they will look at romantic comedies and think that mostly women watch it, they will look at slapstick and think teenagers mostly watch it, so they will base what they produce on these assumptions. This is called demographics.
There are theories in media that are always put to test in the media world. One of these theories are the Hypodermic Needle Effect. This theory suggests the media is capable of mass manipulation to the public, for example if a story is written in the Sun news paper, the readers would believe it even though they don't know the person or anything about him. Also, if a person is in power like the prime minister, a lot of the public will believe whatever he says to be true.
Another theory is Uses & Gratifications theory. This theory suggests that the audience has a set of needs that are met by the media. The theory places more focus on the audience then the message instead of the actual message itself. They believe that the audience watch the films to get away from their own lives and put their selves within the film, this is a diversion from problems of their own. They form a personal relationship with the characters, and do not distinguish between the actor and characters in real life.
Reception analysis is another theory in which the media text is not passively accepted. Instead, they base what they are watching on their own life story which can be very bad for their own personal relationships. Women turn anorexic trying to get the bodies that they see on screen, they can look at mens bodies and relate it to their own, although through films they are airbrushed and photo shopped to look top quality.
Another theory
Why audience research is important?
How audiences are categorized?
Some key audience theories and which one you think best explains the medias relationship with the audience?
Bibliography?
Filmography?
Friday 14 October 2011
Film Discussion
Ryan Mills
Jack Denning
Jake Tolliday
The main theme is a man going to the extremes to clear his name and prove his innocence. He must make the government, police and even his own family believe he is not responsible for the murder of the government official.
The distinctive main character is a secret agent with a specilised job working under the government. He has a loving family with a wife and two kids. His life then turns upside down when he loses everything in his life that was important to him, he then has nothing to lose.
The main characters goal is to make everyone believe he is innocent of everything he has been accused of and gain the trust and love of his family back. He will do this by holding hostage a government official that knows the truth about his story, but is framing this man instead. As you would imagine, it starts to get out of control and with nothing to lose, who knows what the man will do.
The ones that stand in his way however are the police the government and the the special agents. They are intent in pinning everything on top of him and driving him to extreme lengths.
The stake on him is his life, dignity and family without these three he has nothing to lose in order to keep driving him on to make sure he proves the corruption put upon him.
The location of this film opening is in the suburbs of the city where the man is holding a government official hostage.
The other main and distinctive character is the special agent who wants to make sure the real truth does not get out. That the innocent man will face the consequences and feel the wrath of the governments corruption enslaving the country.
Jack Denning
Jake Tolliday
The main theme is a man going to the extremes to clear his name and prove his innocence. He must make the government, police and even his own family believe he is not responsible for the murder of the government official.
The distinctive main character is a secret agent with a specilised job working under the government. He has a loving family with a wife and two kids. His life then turns upside down when he loses everything in his life that was important to him, he then has nothing to lose.
The main characters goal is to make everyone believe he is innocent of everything he has been accused of and gain the trust and love of his family back. He will do this by holding hostage a government official that knows the truth about his story, but is framing this man instead. As you would imagine, it starts to get out of control and with nothing to lose, who knows what the man will do.
The ones that stand in his way however are the police the government and the the special agents. They are intent in pinning everything on top of him and driving him to extreme lengths.
The stake on him is his life, dignity and family without these three he has nothing to lose in order to keep driving him on to make sure he proves the corruption put upon him.
The location of this film opening is in the suburbs of the city where the man is holding a government official hostage.
The other main and distinctive character is the special agent who wants to make sure the real truth does not get out. That the innocent man will face the consequences and feel the wrath of the governments corruption enslaving the country.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Mood Board
We tried to work even more on the family aspect with him imprisoned holding a card saying 'Worlds best dad' (bottom right hand corner). This is an important part for us in the psychological aspect. His family believe that he is guilty of the crime and this tips him over the edge to prove that he is innocent. He feels now he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
We also have added a war side to the story, because he is continuously fighting to prove people wrong. The main character has been accused by the police meaning the family have their doubts, and he has everything at stake to prove his innocence.
The bars are there as a sign of imprisonment and no freedom. The main character feels like he has lost his life for a false accusation and he wants to clear his name at any cost.
Monday 10 October 2011
Genre research
The definition of genre is the categorising of a certain aspect of a subject. It is usually used to define films, but it can be putting anything into groups varying from books to people. For example, horrors categorise films so viewers know what they are going to see, blood, gore and violence. The problem with this is it can be viewed differently by people from different back grounds, an 80 year old woman might look at an old women with poor cinematics as scary as that is what they grew up with, but a 20 year old man might see it differently as technology has advanced throughout the years.
The benefits of Genre are
The origins/history of an action film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_film#History
During the 1920s and 1930s, action-based films were often swashbuckling adventure films in which Douglas Fairbanks wielded swords in period pieces or Westerns.
The 1940s and 1950s saw "action" in the form of war and cowboy movies. Alfred Hitchcock almost single-handedly ushered in the spy-adventure genre, also firmly establishing the use of action-oriented "set pieces" like the famous crop-duster scene and the Mount Rushmore finale in "North by Northwest". That film, along with a war-adventure called "The Guns of Navaronne" directly inspired producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to invest in their own spy-adventure based on the novels of Ian Fleming.
The long-running success of the James Bond series (which easily dominated the 1960s) essentially introduced all the staples of the modern-day action film. The "Bond movies" were characterized by larger-than-life characters, such as the resourceful hero: a veritable "one-man army" who was able to dispatch villainous masterminds (and their disposable "henchmen") in ever-more creative ways, often followed by a ready one-liner. The Bond films also utilized quick cutting, car chases, fist fights, a variety of weapons and "gadgets", and ever more elaborate action sequences.
Top action directors consist of:
Quentin Tarantino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino
Born in america, Quentin Tarantino is well known for films such as Death proof, Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction. He was born in March 27 1963.
Michael Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bay
Well known for his fast pace, high budget action films, Michael bay has made films like Texas chainsaw massacre, Transformers and Pearl harbour. He was born in the united states on February 17th 1965.
Christopher Nolan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nolan
Most famous for his input into the batman films, Christopher Nolan is a well known action film director. Christopher was born in July 30 1970 in London, England. He is now a British and American citizen.
The Negotiator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qd7IaILW30
The negotiator is a perfect example of Thriller action and it is similar to the film we are creating. The camera angles are constantly changing as the fast paced action scenes involving Samuel Jackson telling the police to shoot him. This film is full of twists as I have mentioned before in thrillers. The character played by Samuel Jackson pretends he shoots a man, making him look like the bad guy throughout to the audience, but at the end, you find out that he was trying to do that, so that the police thought he was capable of anything. The director filmed this perfectly, as it puts the viewers on edge throughout as they don't know who to believe. As you would expect in a Action film, there were gun shoot outs, explosions and killings. But with the added twist of a thriller, there is plenty to think about.
The benefits of Genre are
- It offers you reassurances in an uncontrollable world - Most films have a happy ending, although in real life this is not always the case and although people know that, they enjoy the film more knowing everything ended on a high.
- It offers a set of easily recogniseable conventions like a language - The genre makes it so that the audience can easily sterotype characters and objects alike and understand the story better.
- It was seen as a stratergy used by producers to ensure audience identification and reduce the risk of the film fading.
- Genre can be seen as a way of working through important myths and fears.
- This shows how genre is not static but is constantly rengiated often between industry and audience.
- We should be understanding how a film text functions in relation to genre, rather then being defined by them.
- We should acknowledge that a genre features will depend on the audiences own understanding.
- Different people will categorize different genres in their own interpretations.
The origins/history of an action film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_film#History
During the 1920s and 1930s, action-based films were often swashbuckling adventure films in which Douglas Fairbanks wielded swords in period pieces or Westerns.
The 1940s and 1950s saw "action" in the form of war and cowboy movies. Alfred Hitchcock almost single-handedly ushered in the spy-adventure genre, also firmly establishing the use of action-oriented "set pieces" like the famous crop-duster scene and the Mount Rushmore finale in "North by Northwest". That film, along with a war-adventure called "The Guns of Navaronne" directly inspired producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to invest in their own spy-adventure based on the novels of Ian Fleming.
The long-running success of the James Bond series (which easily dominated the 1960s) essentially introduced all the staples of the modern-day action film. The "Bond movies" were characterized by larger-than-life characters, such as the resourceful hero: a veritable "one-man army" who was able to dispatch villainous masterminds (and their disposable "henchmen") in ever-more creative ways, often followed by a ready one-liner. The Bond films also utilized quick cutting, car chases, fist fights, a variety of weapons and "gadgets", and ever more elaborate action sequences.
Top action directors consist of:
Quentin Tarantino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino
Born in america, Quentin Tarantino is well known for films such as Death proof, Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction. He was born in March 27 1963.
Michael Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bay
Well known for his fast pace, high budget action films, Michael bay has made films like Texas chainsaw massacre, Transformers and Pearl harbour. He was born in the united states on February 17th 1965.
Christopher Nolan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nolan
Most famous for his input into the batman films, Christopher Nolan is a well known action film director. Christopher was born in July 30 1970 in London, England. He is now a British and American citizen.
The Negotiator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qd7IaILW30
The negotiator is a perfect example of Thriller action and it is similar to the film we are creating. The camera angles are constantly changing as the fast paced action scenes involving Samuel Jackson telling the police to shoot him. This film is full of twists as I have mentioned before in thrillers. The character played by Samuel Jackson pretends he shoots a man, making him look like the bad guy throughout to the audience, but at the end, you find out that he was trying to do that, so that the police thought he was capable of anything. The director filmed this perfectly, as it puts the viewers on edge throughout as they don't know who to believe. As you would expect in a Action film, there were gun shoot outs, explosions and killings. But with the added twist of a thriller, there is plenty to think about.
Monday 26 September 2011
Codes and Conventions
I will be comparing the opening to three films and seeing what is similar and what is different.
All of these films open with the production team for example Warner brothers. (As shown below) Each have their own unique introduction so automatically audiences recognise their brand. For example with warner brothers they have their own unique music that they play at the start of every film. Each film states the name of the film after naming the production name and the director. At the same time, they have a video playing, introducing the film to keep the viewers interested instead of losing concentration. The 2 comedy films, start by showing a moment in the past of the characters lives, the is a quick introduction to make sense of the film.
The directors know that this is the time that the audience are unsettled and are sometimes late to the cinema, so they do not show an important part of the film, instead they show a part to settle the audience, something interesting while presenting the main productions staffs name at the beggining, and the 'less' important staff at the end. Each of the films start by showing a snippet of the genre of the film, for example in Happy gilmore, they show the boy playing hockey. In spacejam, they show a boy playing basket ball. In Outpost, they show soldiers in a truck. This is to let the audience know from the start what the genre is and what to expect in the film. The title is usually show in big bold writing, to advertise the film for the trailer and to introduce it (as show below).
In the short introduction, they try to introduce the main characters and explain a little bit about them, they can do this by showing a childhood clip, or even showing another character aspiring to this character, insinuating that they are the hero.
Thursday 22 September 2011
Film openings
First film
Outpost
Genre : Action/Horror
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892899/
In war-torn Eastern Europe, a world-weary group of mercenaries discover a long-hidden secret in an abandoned WWII bunker.
The conventions of horror are dark/misty settings which sets the scene (as shown below).
In this film, the characters play a big part in setting the scene, as they are all sleeping and look like they have already been in battle. There are symbolic codes embedded within the film for example the uniforms relate to heroes in the modern day, and straight away the viewers are on the side of these characters. The truck journey is very bumpy as it shows the roads have either been damaged, or it could be the director could be trying to show the audience that these soldiers have been through a rough time. This is a brilliant way of subconsciously making the readers think without realising it. The deserted streets and the poverty/destruction show that the characters inside are scared of something, as none of the citizens living there want to come out of their house. When the character is loading the bullets into the gun (as shown below) it tells the audience that there will be plenty of action, and they are preparing to go to war.
The technical codes are the sound, the other character advises him not to go, but still decides to. This shows courage. The dogs barking and growling in the background make audiences relate to anger, making you feel anxious as to what they are driving into.
The sequence tells us nothing is getting better any time soon. The weather is dull and they are moving into an area that is classified dangerous. I feel like they are trying to insinuate to the audience that these characters are going into a dark place, and let the viewers know the genre from the first 3 minutes.
Second Film:
Oceans Eleven
Genre : Action/Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
The opening scene to this film is almost the opposite of Outpost, It is simply a convict sitting in his chair pleading his innocence. This can be very effective to explain the character, Cool, calm and collected. The camera is at an low angle shot, which has just been placed on the desk to make the scene look normal, even though the film is far from it.
The genre conventions you would expect in this film is
The technical codes in this scene are simple, the camera angle is low as you cant see the characters face when he walks into the scene (as shown below)
This adds mystery to the character as you don't know the story behind him yet. The connotations of this is the audience automatically feel on edge, they don't know who to believe and what to believe. The mystery makes the viewers intrigued as to what is going to happen next and they want to find out more about this character, as he gives nothing away through appearance or speech. The music that is played at 1:34 is used to exaggerate the mood of the scene and also kills the tension while changing scene. The audience knows what the man is thinking at the time without him saying it, this is done through the camera shots used to zoom in focusing on the emotion of the man. The music enforces that emotion to the viewers.
One of the symbolic codes within this scene is the characters appearance. The beard and moustache could be thought of as scruffy and dirty, showing he has more things on his mind than his own appearance. As the old saying goes 'Never trust a man with a beard'. This is proved correct in this scene, as he says he will never rob a bank again. The irony makes the audience laugh, as it is obvious through the characters expressions and persona that it will happen again. The light in the background of the scene is called 'Back Lighting'. This makes the character have a glow, angel effect although he is planning something that will ruin peoples lives. The contrast of colour also shows he has two separate personalities, one for work, one for pleasure.
The audience that is being targeted is male adults in my view. The extremely exaggerated ideas throughout the film are smart but are out of reach of the every day human being. It allows the viewers to enter their own fantasy world throughout the 90 minutes of watching it, at the same time entertaining the viewers. Every male wants to be rich and get the girl at the end, and this is what happens here.
Third film:
Unthinkable
Genre: Thriller
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/
A psychological thriller centred around a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent who press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S.
The opening scene of this film consists of great acting and use of a still camera shot. The genre of this film is a thriller and the opening scene sets the mood immediately. The conventions of a thriller are:
The key signifiers in this film are the use of words the villain uses. When the character says 'I have to', the audience can clearly see he doesn't believe the actions that he is taking are necessarily right, but its something he 'has to do' for whatever reason. Each cut scene before the last shows a side of the villain that the viewers warm to, as he doesn't seem so evil, although his threats are very extreme the audience can see past that. Each cut scene the protagonist seems to make a mistake, maybe the director is trying to insinuate that the character is making a mistake or that he has made mistakes in the run up to this scene. The facial expressions show that the character is angry at himself for making these mistakes, and in the end shows a different side to himself by announcing himself under a different name. The heavy breathing can relate to nerves, as the character can not seem to compose himself. The white walls around himself show peace, but the irony in this is that he is threatening thousands of lives.
The sequence shows a chain of events from the villains perspective. He continually makes mistakes and is angry at himself for it. It shows the remorse as he puts his hands on his face and continually looks on edge. The character himself at one point looks upset at what he is doing, and the constant Mid-shot camera angle shows all of this with the simplest of techniques. At the end, he finally puts on his suit jacket as if he is 'ready for business' and shoots the final shot, with him declaring himself under a different name as if he is a changed man. This tells the audience that the film will contain lots of twists and with him declaring he has planted 3 bombs, its obvious it will be full of action. The sequence tells us about the content of the movie as it is filmed in one location, and its a still camera angle. Throughout a lot of the film this is the case, but there is a lot going on in one area. The characters scruffy appearance shows us that he no longer cares, and will go to extremes for the people he loves, his wife and family, although he knows inside its wrong.
The audience that is being targeted is adults, people who like edgy thrillers and can accept others views. The way in which the opening presents itself takes a lot of dissecting, with Michael sheen playing the part perfectly in which he shows a change in emotions.
Outpost
Genre : Action/Horror
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892899/
In war-torn Eastern Europe, a world-weary group of mercenaries discover a long-hidden secret in an abandoned WWII bunker.
The conventions of horror are dark/misty settings which sets the scene (as shown below).
The character looks dark and mysterious, even though you can not see the character or any of the acts he has done. This adds a sense of danger as it is never clear what you can see. It usually adds tension as the evil characters lurk within the 'heroes' distance without ever clearly seeing them, although the audience know that they are there. The sound is another convention of a horror, as the fast paced, high pitched piano music makes the viewers on edge as they relate this to danger (through previous experience of films). As the music slowly gets louder, it is coherent with the scene as the volume climaxes at the 'scary' scene.
In this film, the characters play a big part in setting the scene, as they are all sleeping and look like they have already been in battle. There are symbolic codes embedded within the film for example the uniforms relate to heroes in the modern day, and straight away the viewers are on the side of these characters. The truck journey is very bumpy as it shows the roads have either been damaged, or it could be the director could be trying to show the audience that these soldiers have been through a rough time. This is a brilliant way of subconsciously making the readers think without realising it. The deserted streets and the poverty/destruction show that the characters inside are scared of something, as none of the citizens living there want to come out of their house. When the character is loading the bullets into the gun (as shown below) it tells the audience that there will be plenty of action, and they are preparing to go to war.
Types of Aggression:
- Dominant Aggression
- Territorial Aggression
- Fear Aggression
- Prey or Predatorial Aggression
The mid-shot camera angles show the soldiers war torn uniforms showing that have been in battle. The camera on the back of the truck puts the viewers in a first person perspective, as if they are witnessing the carnage for themselves. The characters faces are zoomed on, showing no emotion like it is too much effort.
The sequence tells us nothing is getting better any time soon. The weather is dull and they are moving into an area that is classified dangerous. I feel like they are trying to insinuate to the audience that these characters are going into a dark place, and let the viewers know the genre from the first 3 minutes.
Second Film:
Oceans Eleven
Genre : Action/Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
The opening scene to this film is almost the opposite of Outpost, It is simply a convict sitting in his chair pleading his innocence. This can be very effective to explain the character, Cool, calm and collected. The camera is at an low angle shot, which has just been placed on the desk to make the scene look normal, even though the film is far from it.
The genre conventions you would expect in this film is
- Explosions
- Gunfire
- Far fetched
- A Cause
The technical codes in this scene are simple, the camera angle is low as you cant see the characters face when he walks into the scene (as shown below)
This adds mystery to the character as you don't know the story behind him yet. The connotations of this is the audience automatically feel on edge, they don't know who to believe and what to believe. The mystery makes the viewers intrigued as to what is going to happen next and they want to find out more about this character, as he gives nothing away through appearance or speech. The music that is played at 1:34 is used to exaggerate the mood of the scene and also kills the tension while changing scene. The audience knows what the man is thinking at the time without him saying it, this is done through the camera shots used to zoom in focusing on the emotion of the man. The music enforces that emotion to the viewers.
One of the symbolic codes within this scene is the characters appearance. The beard and moustache could be thought of as scruffy and dirty, showing he has more things on his mind than his own appearance. As the old saying goes 'Never trust a man with a beard'. This is proved correct in this scene, as he says he will never rob a bank again. The irony makes the audience laugh, as it is obvious through the characters expressions and persona that it will happen again. The light in the background of the scene is called 'Back Lighting'. This makes the character have a glow, angel effect although he is planning something that will ruin peoples lives. The contrast of colour also shows he has two separate personalities, one for work, one for pleasure.
The audience that is being targeted is male adults in my view. The extremely exaggerated ideas throughout the film are smart but are out of reach of the every day human being. It allows the viewers to enter their own fantasy world throughout the 90 minutes of watching it, at the same time entertaining the viewers. Every male wants to be rich and get the girl at the end, and this is what happens here.
Third film:
Unthinkable
Genre: Thriller
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/
A psychological thriller centred around a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent who press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S.
The opening scene of this film consists of great acting and use of a still camera shot. The genre of this film is a thriller and the opening scene sets the mood immediately. The conventions of a thriller are:
- Camera angles, Quick cuts
- Music used to give tension
- Lighting, use of shadows to make the evil character darker
This is used to highlight the emotions in the characters face and make this the main point of attention to the audience. It is also used to show the lack of 'colour' in the characters life, which gives him the motive to do what he is doing. The camera angle shows a mid shot and does not move throughout. This is to show the characters emotion in his face but to also highlight the anger and remorse in the way his body is working. The character begins by standing further back so you can see the waist upwards, but on the more sinister recording, he moves to a shoulder view to show the anger in his eyes (as shown below). The music that is played in the background of this scene is used to climax the emotion, to being with the music starts of very quiet and barely hear able, but as he gets more and more confidence in his approach to the confession, the music gets louder which insinuates to the audience that he means business.
The symbolic codes in this scene are the use of clothing. The character is very open about his emotions as he is confessing to begin with, but when he finally puts his suit jacket on, he is very stiff and its almost like a change in character. The audience can see that he is regretting his actions to begin with as he is always continuously moving and his facial expressions seem genuine. But when he puts on the suit jacket he has no change in emotion as he moves closer to the camera. The colour also plays a big part in letting the audience know the change in character. The suit jacket he puts on is black, and black usually relates to evil and death. As soon as he puts that on, the way and which he approaches his speech seems much more dark and scripted. Also, a suit usually relates to business, this further implies that the character is much more serious about his threats and wants to be taken seriously.
The key signifiers in this film are the use of words the villain uses. When the character says 'I have to', the audience can clearly see he doesn't believe the actions that he is taking are necessarily right, but its something he 'has to do' for whatever reason. Each cut scene before the last shows a side of the villain that the viewers warm to, as he doesn't seem so evil, although his threats are very extreme the audience can see past that. Each cut scene the protagonist seems to make a mistake, maybe the director is trying to insinuate that the character is making a mistake or that he has made mistakes in the run up to this scene. The facial expressions show that the character is angry at himself for making these mistakes, and in the end shows a different side to himself by announcing himself under a different name. The heavy breathing can relate to nerves, as the character can not seem to compose himself. The white walls around himself show peace, but the irony in this is that he is threatening thousands of lives.
The sequence shows a chain of events from the villains perspective. He continually makes mistakes and is angry at himself for it. It shows the remorse as he puts his hands on his face and continually looks on edge. The character himself at one point looks upset at what he is doing, and the constant Mid-shot camera angle shows all of this with the simplest of techniques. At the end, he finally puts on his suit jacket as if he is 'ready for business' and shoots the final shot, with him declaring himself under a different name as if he is a changed man. This tells the audience that the film will contain lots of twists and with him declaring he has planted 3 bombs, its obvious it will be full of action. The sequence tells us about the content of the movie as it is filmed in one location, and its a still camera angle. Throughout a lot of the film this is the case, but there is a lot going on in one area. The characters scruffy appearance shows us that he no longer cares, and will go to extremes for the people he loves, his wife and family, although he knows inside its wrong.
The audience that is being targeted is adults, people who like edgy thrillers and can accept others views. The way in which the opening presents itself takes a lot of dissecting, with Michael sheen playing the part perfectly in which he shows a change in emotions.
Thursday 15 September 2011
Film poster
Genre : Comedy
Conventions of the film
Slapstick - Comedy
Costumes - Action
Pushy - Comedy
Image : Bomb strapped to the crow, makes viewers laugh, unordinary. Dark humour, but still it continues to make people laugh. This makes the comedy edgy but not malicious. It seems the director tries to make viewers shocked at a lot of things. The images are all dark and the symbols look 'Evil', which makes you think it is a serious film, but when you watch it, you realise it is light hearted comedy which intends to tackle the stereotypical racism but in a humorous way.
The black crow shows death and morbid, with a bomb attached to it which relates to suicide bombers. It seems that the film insinuates that the characters are trying to be serious, but the logistics of the operation (bird being a suicide bomber) succeeding are very low. The background is the colour green, which usually relates to peace, but in this situation it seems far from it. This again insinuates that the film is edgy and there is two sides to it.
The connotative meanings of the film are dark as in dark humour. The crow has black eyes, black feathers, black writing. Black symbols etc. This signifies death, but the film is far from it. The film tackles a serious issue, but also makes viewers see a funny side, which seems very hard to be successful at. The difference in contrast between the top half of the bird and the bottom half (with the bomb) shows there is two sides to the characters. The characters when watched, seem idiotic and innocent, and they dont know the reasoning behind what they are doing, but at the same time, they are planning on killing hundreds of people, so you can look at it either way. There friendship seems above all else important as they are all in it together.
I feel that the poster is trying to decieve the audience, with the colours and the image of a crow with i feel a shock approach to comedy. It makes people laugh even though they feel its wrong. The bomb attached to the crow makes viewers stop and give it a second glance, and maybe keeps the target audience hooked as it is almost teenage banter.
I feel that the poster is trying to decieve the audience, with the colours and the image of a crow with i feel a shock approach to comedy. It makes people laugh even though they feel its wrong. The bomb attached to the crow makes viewers stop and give it a second glance, and maybe keeps the target audience hooked as it is almost teenage banter.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Production
Group : Jake, Jack and Ryan
Genre : Comedy
Plot : Our idea is for the introduction for a film is similar to the film 'The Negotiator'. It's about a man that has been wrongly accused and goes to extremes to clear his name.
Genre : Comedy
Plot : Our idea is for the introduction for a film is similar to the film 'The Negotiator'. It's about a man that has been wrongly accused and goes to extremes to clear his name.
Denotation and Conotation
The codes and conventions of this film is
Guns
Robotics (The writing resembles that of a computer)
CGI Special effects
The signifiers of this poster are
Black - War and power, The colour black comes across to people as dark and mysterious, but at the same time they are almost scared of it. The same goes for the saying 'Everyone is scared of the dark, because you don't know whats inside of it'.
Guns - Action and warfare, The guns are a symbol of the sort of film you expect to see. Plenty of gunfight usually leads to death, with the storyline taking the backseat in most action films.
Clothing - Martial arts, this is again another signal that the film will consist of plenty of fight scenes and mainly orientated on the action.
The denotative meanings in this poster are guns and sun-glasses. This signifies Identity and war/action as the sunglasses mask the characters face so that they are not easily recognisable. The black shade resembles a dark side to the character that the audience is yet to see. The guns in the film are a sign of things to come, a fast paced action shooter which will most likely result in the death of a character.
The connotative meanings in this poster are the writing going down the poster faintly which look like codes within a computer. This describes the idea of the film as it is based on a character whose normal life is quickly turned around by being told there is a world bigger then this, and that he is just living in a computerised world with a planned ending. The poster also shows the confidence of the characters as you look at the faces of the actors, this gives you the idea that they are ready for battle as they also stand there with emotionless faces. All the characters on the poster are wearing quite gothical clothing such as black leather jackets and trench coats, the meaning the director is trying to convey to the audience is that they have seen and been around death for a long time. The back ground of this image consists of mist and smoke. This makes you subconsciously think that something is left unsettled and you are not quite sure yet which side you are on.
| Matrix lines |
The release date
The genre (Sci Fi) 'Future'
Its the first of a series 'Begins.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix
Accessed 18/03/2012
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
Accessed 18/03/2012
Friday 9 September 2011
My first blog
Hello my name is Ryan Mills. I am currently studying at KESH Academy. This blog will contain work for my AS Media Studies course work. My favourite film is The negotiator. My hobbies consist of video games and football and i enjoy going to Villa Park every so often.
Here is a link to the negotiator.
http://youtu.be/6XyyPQERH7E
Here is a link to the negotiator.
http://youtu.be/6XyyPQERH7E
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