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Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Film Explained






Script


Scene 1 - The setting of this scene will be at the main character’s house where they will find the box of tapes. The props will integrate the theme of using jewellery or a box. The character’s costume will be every day wear as we want it to be a natural scene. This will be set during midday.
Scene 2 – this scene will feature the main character looking at the tapes where they discover that they are of people being murdered in different ways, on a consecutive date of each year. The costume will remain the same, to reflect that it’s on the same day and a continuation of scene 1.
Scene 3- Due to the fact it’s an annual event, the character realises that it’s close to the upcoming killing. This is also features the main character planning on preventing this from occurring once again. The costume may change to reflect the shift in time of a week, so it’s closer to the killing day.
Scene 4-This scene will be set in the woods as it’s a desolate area and where the upcoming killing is stated to be. It will also be set at night time to add suspense. The main character will be trying to avoid the next event from happening by "saving" the next victim from the fate that the rest of the victims had. As this scene has more than one character, there will be two actors performing. The stock character, the victim, will have an everyday wear costume. We see the killer in an all-black costume and a mask. We will see the victim before we see the attack. We see a reaction shot of the victim followed blackout then transitioning to the next scene.
Scene 5- the main character, the false hero, has a reaction shot which follows on from the stock character. As the character discovers that she is too late. She then rings the police to inform them about the body she seems to have discovered. This will add suspense to the scene and sensationalism. The set of the scene remains as before while also costume is the same, whilst the main character appears to be wearing a third costume changes to easily identify that time has passed since we last saw her. But also prevents the audience from being suspicious of her being the murder suspect.
Scene 6-  our ‘hero’ once again appears from her kitchen/utility room however, we can see that she is not what she was made out to be as we see her carrying in a blood stained backpack and is unpacking what appears to be the killers costume and murder weapon, in order to clean them. The character is totally unfazed by this which appears shocking to the audience. Which then presents the plot twist. The time setting is still set at night but the lighting is once again to use a naturalistic atmosphere.
Scene 7 - there is of a news report in which the reporter confirms that the stock has died. The main Character is in this scene, as she her focus on the news report. The location remains the same but is now in set the main characters living room. The time set remains the same and the lighting is once again naturalistic. The main character calls her friend to discuss the recent event that is being broadcast on the news, the main character sounds enthusiastic about the killing in which the friend on the other line shows her disgust for what her friend reaction was. This angers the main character. The main character has another costume change and also the set has changed which is now transitioned into the bedroom. We do not see physically see the friend who is on the other line. This is because the friend of the characters is voice to signify the use of technology.
Scene 8 - is a few seconds after the call she had with her friend. She takes a tape and camcorder and we see the plot twist once again that the main character is actually the villain. We see her making a new tape and put into the box with existing tapes. After the plot twist plays out, the main character of the film reveals that in the back of her wardrobe a board and sections for each of the victims showing the victim, the victims name, location of death and the act that was carried out. The audience then see a plan that is planned for next year’s annual event but with no name written, this then is a focused shot of the main characters hand writing her friends name on the board. Showing she too will fall a victim to the annual event. Scene is set in the characters bedroom followed by a fade out and end credits music playing.



Film Planning

Progression Plan


Film Pitch Feedback


Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Camera Angles


This task consisted of experimenting different camera angles and techniques. We did this so we could understand how to use different camera angles and decide on how to incorporate these into our short film to create a specific atmostphere. 

Friday, 24 October 2014

The Ousider Radio Trailer




 As a group we had to create a radio trailer for our images narratives which were about the outsider. We decided to start with a phone call to indicate that whoever was calling were no longer able to talk to them in person as the dialogue within states. Following the phone call we introduced a piano track which you are able to see below to create a sense of mystery when the music intensifies it suggests that it has gotten worse as behind the piano track there is sound effects to create the illusion that things aren't all as they seem which is shown by the explosions and the sound of someone running. This is all cut off by a gun shot in which explains that the genre is in fact a action thriller. We then inserted another answer machine to show that the woman who was calling at the beginning has no idea of what is happening. Below is a screen shot of garage band to how we made the trailer.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Audience Questionnaire on Film

The questionnaire below is to find out more about the audience who are interested in film. They can be very useful to figure out the what they enjoy about certain things in film and what attracts them to watch the films they do.


 

Uses and Gratifications Theory
 
“Uses and gratifications theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people” (Katz, 1959) It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfil specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers’ gratification. (Katz, E., Bulmer, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. 1974)”
 
Uses and Gratifications needs to fulfil one of the following:
  • Identify -  the audience is able to recognise with a product or person
  • Educate - the ability to receive the information, knowledge of their pleasing
  • Entertain -  The audience must be able to receive enjoyment and some form of "escapism"
  • Social Interaction - Media products are able to start a conversation/ forum between the consumers of their products. 
Over the past 10 years the internet has played part in how uses and gratifications theory is perceived:

  • The internet allows us to become aware of more products and people due to the search engines where we are able to search for our needs and they also bring up similar sites which expands our need for these.

  • Factual websites allow the audience to learn whatever they may wish, thanks to websites like Wikipedia, e-lawresorces etc. it is argued that the internet has developed education massively in the past 10 years.

  •  Music especially has benefited a great amount from this as YouTube, Spotify and iTunes etc. allows the audience to watch or listen to any thing they like which gives the audience opportunities to be entertained whenever they please.

  • Internet also allows freedom as you have social networking sites from which you are able to communicate with people from around the world and also sites which can enable us to escape all worries and stress with just a click of a button.

 Reception Theory

This theory states that in any text produced for an audience has a hidden message behind the words and when they have the correct audience some are able to recognise the meaning behind the words whereas others will not be able to understand the meaning. It is also down to what the audience interpret the text as some will interpret it on the same level as the write whereas some won't it all depends on how well they know the writers analytical work. Under reception theory Stuart Hall created another theory which states that there is 3 different reading types;

  • Dominant Reading - The audience are able to decode the message and completely agrees with the ideas presented.

  • Oppositional Reading - The audience disagrees with the message and rejects the idea.

  • Negotiated Reading - The audience partially agrees with the message and is kind of in between.

Hypodermic Syringe Theory

The media  injects the message into audience mind and it cause changes in audience behaviour and psyche towards the message. Audience are passive and they can’t resist the media message.


Two- Step Flow Theory

This theory has two steps hence the name which are;

  • Step One - the opinion leaders get the information from a media source

  • Step Two -  they then pass on the information, along with their thoughts on it, which is then influenced to their families, friends and acquaintances.   


From this the opinions are heavily influenced by that of what the opinion leaders have said so say if someone really likes the harry potter series and they then tell a friend to also watch the film they will most likely have a good opinion on the series as what the leader has said has influenced this.

Friday, 10 October 2014

Theories

Levi-Strauss
A French ethnologist and anthropologist whose work is important in various fields such as humanities, sociology and philosophy. In this way, he identified Binary Oppositions that help to identify underlying themes and symbolic meanings. He is also responsible for the theory of the five stages of narrative which are:

  • Exposition

  • Development
  • Complication
  • Climax
  • Resolution.



  • Erving Goffman
    A very influential Canadian sociologist whose theories on four different Character Types are used repeatedly by film critics and theorists alike. The four character types are:

  • The protagonist – lead character 

  • The deuterogamist – secondary lead character 

  • The bit player – minor character with unknown background 

  • The fool – a character who uses humour to convey messages 



  • Syd Field 
    A recently-deceased ‘American screen writing guru’ whose focus is entirely on transferring the art of story-telling into the medium of film.  He is responsible for the three-act structure which are:

  • 1st act – set up

  • 2nd act – confrontation

  • 3rd act – resolution 

  • MacGuffin

    Alfred Hitchcock was a very successful film director and producer and was often nicknamed "The Master of Suspence", he pioneered many techniques in the suspence and psychological thriller genres. He created the term MacGuffin which means a plot. Device with little or no narrative explanation. This is to attract he audience in the first a act to allow them to become suspicious of things going on. It is commonly used in thrillers as his can be done quite easily to keep the audiences attention. It has been achived in many films from North by Northwest, Star Wars, the 39 steps and many more. The Princeton WordNet simply states it as "a plot element that catches the viewers' attention  or drives the plot of a work of fiction" 

    Wednesday, 24 September 2014

    Barthes Five Codes

    Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist who explored a diverse range of fields and influenced the development of schools.

    The five codes are;
    • The Hermeneutic/ Enigma Code (HER)
    • The purpose of his is to keep the audience guessing until the final scenes when all is revealed and closure is achieved.
    • The  Proairetic/ Action Code (ACT)
    • Also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen. the hermeneutic and proairetic codes work together to develop the stories tensions and keeps the reader interested.

    • The Semantic Code (SEM)
    • This code refers to the connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word. It is by the use of extended meaning that can be applied to words that authors can paint rich pictures with relatively limited text and the way they do this is a common indication of their writing skills

    • The Symbolic Code (SYM)
    • This is very similar to the sematic code but acts at a wider level, organising semantic meaning into broader and deeper sets of meaning. This is typically done in the use of antithesis, where new meaning arises out of opposing and conflict ideas

    • The Referential/ Cultural Code (REF)
    • This code refers to anything that is founded on some kind of canonical works that cannot be challenged and is assumed to be a foundation for truth. Typically this involves either science or religion, although other canons such as magical truths may be used in fantasy stories. The gnomic code is a cultural code  that particularly refers to sayings, proverbs, clichés, and other common meaning giving words sets.
      Saving Private Ryan

  • The Hermeneutic/ Enigma Code  (HER)
  • Where are they going?Who are they?

    What do the flags signify?
    Was he an ex solider?
    Is he related to the deceased?
    What's happening?

  • The Proairetic/ Action Code (ACT)
  • drums added to non diegetic music

    close up of his eyes  music intensifies as he walks up to the grave

  • The Semantic Code (SEM)
  • change to higher diegetic soundslows down the pace of the music

  • The Symbolic Code (SYM)
  • flags cemetery music - violins, drums, trumpets

  • The Referential/ Cultural Code (REF)
  • both flags 


    Using Barthes Codes


    Using Barthes narrative codes, in a group, we applied these to a film and also our own story based on the outsider. We chose the rom com genre as this I think would be the most different as the outsider includes gangs and ambushes in which we were able to apply to ours in a unique way.

    Fistful Of Dollars 
    Hermeneutic codes- Which is the good team?
                                     Who's going to die?
                                     Who's going to shoot first?

    Proairetic codes - Music intensifies 
                                Reaches for their guns 

    Semantic codes - Laughing 

    Symbolic codes - Clothing 
                                Scenery

    Referential codes - Gun fight


    Our Rom Com

    Hermeneutic codes - How far will they go to win the guy?
                                      What does he think of it all?

    Proairetic codes- Setting traps for each other 
                                Revenge 

    Semantic codes - Laughing
                                Overheard Conversations 

    Symbolic codes - The guy 
                                The two opposite girl clichés 

    Referential codes - Girly fights 
                                  Dumb blonde characters 

    Monday, 22 September 2014

    Image Narratives



    As a group we were given a task to create a story board to represent a crime scene. Our crime scene creates a Sence of unknown as you can't see either faces and you don't know what has happened before as such. We used the thought of post-it notes as a warning to create suspence within our images, another factor for suspence is the face that you again can't see their faces. These images are shown below.












    Friday, 19 September 2014

    60 Second Bunny Task

    Propps Theory - Character Theory
    Vladimir Propp developed a character theory, which indicates that there were 7 broad characters. The 7 characters are:

    1. The villain

    2. The donor

    3. The helper

    4. The princess

    5. The false hero

    6. The dispatcher

    7. The hero
    Todrovs Theory - Narrative Theory
    Tzvetan Todorov developed a narrative theory which states that there is a pattern in the narratives of films and there are 5 steps in this pattern.

    1. The Equilibrium

    2. A Disruption

    3. Realisation

    4. Restored Order

    5. A New Equilibrium

    Below are slideshares I found whilst researching both theorists they give a brief description of what both theories are. Vladimir Propp analysed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest narrative elements. Tzvetan Todorov is a  historian and essayist and is the author of books and essays about literary theory, thought history and culture theory.


    These theories are easily applied to almost any film/story. The clip below takes a film and uses the theories in order to easily show the storyline in 30 seconds. You can see clearly how these theories have been applied, especially Propps theory as the characters are very distinctive and relatively easy to spot. Todorovs theory is slightly more difficult to spot in a film as some change the order of this.











    Monday, 8 September 2014

    Shadow Task

    For this task we were put into groups to produce an image each of shadows creating a meaning of meeting. In our group we ended with a range of different images including the one below and the reason behind this is meeting someone you know only to be held at gun point. To create this image we used a flash light, digital camera and a dark room as this produced just the right light and contrast we needed. 


    Wednesday, 9 July 2014

    Short Films With A Meaning

    I have chosen to link these short films as I noticed that the ones that I had watched, on youtube, had conventions of putting a meaning behind the film and it is very noticeable throughout. The meanings conveyed are relatable to everyday life as it is the small things that these films pick out on whether that is identity, disability or just a personal thing.

    Wednesday, 2 July 2014

    Task 5: The Fault In Our Stars Reviews



    On rotten tomatoes the reviews for The Fault In Our Stars is 80% positive: 20% negative. I have included some of the reviews that I think are based on the narrative, genre, stars and directors. A common thing nearly all reviews commented about was how they portrayed Hazel, with her having cancer some critics think that they have shown her wrongly and also a few critics said that "It’s not that The Fault in Our Stars does anything particularly grievous, it just does too much of what it has." Personally I loved the film and I also understand where the negative reviews are coming from as this can be an upsetting or an annoying film to those who have seen someone close suffer so badly from it.

    Monday, 23 June 2014

    Task 4: Film Story board

    1.    A character is outside in an uninhabited area.
    Tracking her feet, as she is walking down towards the woods.

    2.    She cannot decide which way to go. Something makes him/her head towards a settlement.
    Over the shoulder shot, showing the settlement in front of her, split screen of the two paths and the contrast between them. This is followed by an extreme close up of her eyes looking left and right, showing her indecisiveness on which way to go.

    3.    She walks towards the settlement and then comes to a folk in the path- one path is safer but will take a long period of time, yet the other path is much more dangerous but is quicker. She chooses the dangerous path.
    She hears the sound of a squawking crow and the whistling of the wind (diegetic sound).

    4.       She heads towards the woods, as she walks through; it becomes darker and more secluded, she then hears noises and becomes frightened.
    High angle shot showing her vulnerability, point of view shot watching the girl to show she is not alone in the woods.

    5.    She decides to turn back but the trees have blocked her path. She quickens her pace to get out of the woods but the trees are attacking her, trying to avoid her from escaping, the noises are getting louder, she struggles to get out. She then trips over a branch and hits her head.
    Point of view shot turning to see what is behind her, followed by a reaction shot of the girl, sound of the branches cracking, the wind and the crows get louder, which emphasise her panic and level of danger. She hears the sound of a gunshot and it is a panning shot showing her turning around, the camera moves as a point of view shot of her running through the woods, the camera then turns to show her feet and the sound of her falling over a branch.

    6.    She then awakens to see the change in setting, it is sunny and the woods have disappeared, she looks up to the sky to see a silhouette of a man riding towards her on a stallion, he helps her up from the ground.
    High angle of her opening her eyes and reaction shot to the change in setting, romantic music- violin (non- diegetic sound) as the man moves towards her. Point of view shot from her as he helps her up.

    7.    He expresses his eternal love for her, and his mission to save her from the woods; he bends down on one knee. She automatically expects a proposal and begins to express her mutual excitement and love for him. However as he reaches in his pocket, he pulls out a gun and aims at her head.
    The music continues and then ends abruptly as the gun is pulled from his pocket, tracking of his hand as he reaches for the gun, as he takes off the safety lock.

    8.    She screams and he fires the gun, the screen goes black. The scene then commences with her stood in the same position and a figure behind her then falls to the ground (slow motion). 
    Sound of the gunshot coincides with the screen turning black, followed by the sound of buzzing (ringing in ears), fade back into the image of side view of the man falling to the ground; she is in the foreground of the shot.

    9.    She questions her lover, yet he tells her that he has no time to explain, he grabs her hand and they run away. At this point, men are jumping from trees, out of the grass and beside them on horses and firing at the couple. After battling a few of the men, he then is shot in the heart.
    Fast paced music to match the action taking place, jump cuts to the different men targeting the couple, extreme close up of bullet leaving the gun of one of the attackers to reaching the heart of the man (slow motion.

    10.  He falls to the ground, she tries to help him but his wounds are too severe to save him. The men surround her, the scene turns black. A green beam then appears from the sky, and a space ship appears.
    The sound of the men moving towards them increases in volume representing them closing in on them, extreme close up of her crying, reaction shot, the screen fades to black but the sound of the men moving towards her continue. Low angle shot looking up at the space ship, she is still captured in the shot looking up at the beam (still her point of view).  Standard sound of space ship.

    11.  The other men leave the scene in fear, the girl tries to hurry away but gets zapped up by the space ship, the space ship then flies away, the man is left alone to slowly die a painful death, his dying, last words- “ this isn’t how it was supposed to happen”.
    Space ship sound gets louder as well as the sound of the men hurrying away, sound of the girl struggling to escape, her running towards the camera as it tracks backwards, and she is taken by the spaceship. Close up of the man saying his final words, sound of slow violin to emphasise sorrow.

    Wednesday, 18 June 2014

    Task 2: Film Posters & Genres


    George Lucas is love is a short film which is based around star wars as this is shown on the poster. Just by looking at the poster makes you think that it is going to be a sci-fi movie as the images and the way it has been placed makes you think this and also it has a tag line which mentions a nearby Galaxy which kind of tells you that it is. Since the colours are all very plain and the characters are also, it doesn’t give too much away about the film as otherwise there would be no enigmas. You can see that this poster has gotten inspiration from the Star Wars film A New Hope as it is presented quite similarly and also the star wars includes ‘in a galaxy far far away’ which also suggests this.
    There are specific conventions for all film poster genres as this is shown through a range of different sci-fi posters which include futuristic characters and backgrounds. I have also noticed that they tend to follow the a similar colour theme in most as these tend to be blue, purple, orange, brown, black and white as these colours can represent space and either past or present depending on the colours. You can see there is a major difference between George Lucas In Love and Star Trek as this is conveying a sense of past and present between them both.
     

    From the poster it seems like I’m Here is a romantic comedy as you can see that the characters look like there are kind of wearing costumes to cover there face as the male is wearing a box. The movie poster also reminds me of the dear john poster which is also a  romance film. You can clearly see that ‘I’m Here’ has taken inspiration from the Dear John’ poster as they are set very similarly.
    For romantic film posters the conventions tend to be a male and female who look like they either don’t get on or who are very close to each other. Film posters also look slightly more brighter and include sometimes very plain backgrounds like Date Night. Most of the time the posters of romance films that include the pair looking like they don't get along can be a convention of a rom-com as this shows the funnier side of the couples problems.
     

    You can tell that Across The Hall is a thriller film just by looking at the poster as this gives a hint that the film is going to include suspense. The poster on the left is the original one for the short film whereas on the right is for the same film that eventually got recognised and  made into a full length film. There is an obvious difference between the two as  the feature film seems to have used Photoshop to connect all the different images together whereas the short film has used a still image from the film and added text. Also the feature film has slight hints and images to allow the audience to imagine what will happen whereas the  short film gives a small hint to the blurred out male but very slightly, this is because the short film will want to keep their audience engaged as it gets straight to the point and has no plot twists whereas the feature film will include added information about what exactly happens and how it has gotten that way.
    The conventions for thrillers can me multiple things like as you can see The Adjustment Bureau is a Romance Film, Science Fiction, Romantic fantasy, Thriller and Drama combined into one yet just by looking at the  film poster it seems like it is just a romantic thriller as you have conventions of a romance yet altered to fit the conventions of a thriller. Typical conventions for a short thriller include dramatic music, chiaroscuro, shark bite and enigmas. 

    Wednesday, 11 June 2014

    Introduction

    This blog is to show my work of what I am currently studying throughout the A2 course. the reason for this is to help show the development of a short film. These are 3 of the short films I have recently viewed.


    From the 3 short films that we viewed this one was probably the best one as I think it is very unique and its shows you how the mind works when you have a loss in life. another reason is that it is something quite unexpected and you don't realise this until the end what has actually happened. Another reason is that it grips you from start to finish as you want to know what it is about.
     

     This film we watched I found it quite boring as it seems to be quite repetitive with the turntables and it is also very predictable once you have seen the first few minutes of it.


    This one I also enjoyed as it is about being inside a mentally ill mans mind which is quite interesting. It shows many characters in the short time but it is very exciting to see what is going to happen next and it also has a very good ending.