“Hunted” is the short-film made by our media group for the continuous editing task. Although I was not part of the group originally during the planning or filming stages, I helped with the editing. The reason for this being that the person I was originally working with left the sixth form college and I was unable to film on my own.
Our short film begins with thriller-style music, similar to that of ‘Psycho.’ This immediately gives an implication of danger and therefore the audience should start to feel tense. The camera is focused on some lockers at the end of a corridor – something which could signify secrets or entrapment - until a character walks around the corner. The mid-shot shows the character walking on the left hand side of the screen rather than in the centre, this shot follows the rule of thirds – an effective way to draw the viewer’s eye to the character. The character is wearing a red coat, a colour which is often associated with blood or again, danger.
There is then a cut to another corridor. The setting of which is quite repetitive and we can see the same poster in the same position repeated over and over again in the background. This could represent a repetition in the situation, implying that something similar has happened before. Behind the character we met in the last shot, we can see the figure of another person – this time wearing a cream or beige coloured t-shirt; the character tends to blend more with the walls than the main character who is wearing bright colours – red and blue, and gives the impression that she is trying to remain unnoticed.
The camera zooms as the main character walks towards us; giving the idea that whatever is happening is fast-paced. It could also create a sense of confusion or disorientation as the camera is zooming the opposite direction to where the character is walking. It may show that there is something about to happen that the main character is not aware of, or that a plan is about to be interrupted.
There is a slow-motion shot as the main character turns her head. In a femme-fatale style, (which this character follows most of the stereotypes of –red clothes, confidence etc.) the character turns her head, which then means the camera is blocked by her hair. This could implicate that the characters have not seen something or again that there is something that we don’t know. The slow-motion, extreme close up shot also gives the impression that that moment in time was of extreme importance – a moment of realisation or where somebody is almost caught out (as the character behind seems to be following.)
There is a space of around a second and a half where we are left seeing only the second character approaching – after the main character has already turned the corner. Again, the neutral colour of her clothes seems to make her almost invisible – therefore a threat. This is a long shot and so we cannot clearly make out any of the second characters features , something that again may create tension as we could not recognise her or see clearly what expression she is wearing.
The camera jostles, and although this may be accidental or an editing fault, it also gives us the feeling that something is not running smoothly – again adding to the tension.
It then switches to another long shot, where we see the departing figure of the main character. This could either be viewed as a Point of View shot; where we are given the eyes of the second, following character or it could purely be giving us another way to look at the character we have so far only seen from the front. At one point, the character steps into a shadow which could implicate that she’s not one of the ‘good guys.’ In this shot, we can also see that the tiles of pillars do not match exactly – this could give a sense of disillusion or mystery.
As the character leaves the corridor, the camera hesitates on the hallway. The second character is nowhere to be seen, and leaves the scene with an eerie tone. The audience cannot be completely sure of what is going on, and although the room has a sense of grandeur (arched ceilings etc.), it also seems a perfect setting for somebody that is being haunted – a word only one letter away from the title.
The camera then tracks the character as they walk up to a door. The fact that the door is closed signifies a challenge or a hurdle that needs to be overcome. It could also imply that the room is private – meaning that other people become outcasts or outsiders.
The tone of the soundtrack changes as the door opens – to a more light-hearted sound. This changes the atmosphere from tense to one of relief; giving us the impression that the character we have been following has made it safely to her destination. There is a cut to a mid shot and we catch the character entering from inside the room – making the outside world look bleak compared to the room we are now situated in (as the walls inside the room are blue compared to the cream outside.)
The character weaves between tables, which shows that there is not a simple path to achieving what she wants, although she walks with some speed. This could imply that the hurdles are easy to overcome. The main character then takes a seat opposite somebody waiting in the room – somebody that looks as though she has been expecting her. The fact that she sits down also shows us that they are equal, and the main character stops moving for the first time since we have met her, at which point the music cuts entirely. This tells us that the conversation we are about to hear is extremely important, and also emphasises the silence in the room other than their conversation; this carries on the ‘eerie’ atmosphere that had been slightly reduced thanks to the change in tone of the music.
At the end of the film, we see the character that has been following the main character through the clip. She finally contrasts against the white walls with her grey clothes and black hair – although the darker colours show her to have a slightly evil or mischievous nature.
The film also tested our knowledge of the 180 Degree Rule. The 180 Degree Rule is a basic film editing guideline which states that two characters in the same scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other. This means that the camera can show various shots of the characters, however he must always ensure that the characters appear on the side of the screen that we originally saw them - unless we see them move from one side of the screen to the other. If the camera crosses this invisible axis, it is called "crossing the line" - creating a new shot called a "reverse angle."
"Crossing the line" is viewed as bad continuity and can often create confusion within the audience, as the characters seem to be shifting positions without moving. However, many film-makers use the reverse angle to intentionally create a sense of disorientation.
"Hunted" does not use the 'crossing the line' technique, as we wanted our film to be as smooth as possible. We also did not believe that using the technique to create disorientation would help our film in any way - just become the cause of the storyline becoming unclear. I believe that we stuck to the 180 Degree rule extremely well - even in scenes where the characters were being followed. The rule is most evident when two of the characters are having a discussion, as we changed shots multiple times but always ensured that Phoebe was on the left and Laura to the right of the screen.
We also used the editing to make sure this worked - cutting out any parts that may not have followed smoothly. Without editing, our film would have been extremely hard to make - after we had cut out the unwanted footage, the shots seemed to jump from one to another, making the film difficult to watch. To remedy this, we added in transitions such as cuts and fades to make the film smoother.
Overall, I believe that thanks to editing and the various shots (long shot, mid shot, extreme close up, close up, tracking etc), the film has a slightly thriller-esque feel and also that with the way it has been edited, it is very successful.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
"Hunted" Continuous Edit Project With Analysis!
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Thriller Planing/Synopsis
Our original production group consisted of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus and myself and between us we began to plan an opening to a thriller for our coursework.
We had completed a synopsis and a storyboard for our idea (although our characters were not fully developed):
Shot 1:
Mid shot of 'Man One' in a parked car, holding onto the steering wheel.
Shot 2:
The camera pans out out the car and tracks him as he walks around to the boot.
Shot 3:
Mid shot from inside the boot. 'Man One' opens the boot and it slowly reveals him bit by bit.
Shot 4:
Point of View, low angle shot of a lift descending.
Shot 5:
'Man Two' POV shot from inside the lift, as the lift doors open there is a silhouette in the doorway, however it's just a normal person.
Shot 6:
Cut back to 'Man One' in the car park, long shot - he is pulling a body from the boot of the car.
Shot 7:
Cut back to 'Man Two.' Low angle shot as the lift opens, the camera pans his feet as he walks out.
Shot 8:
Long shot of the man walking from the lift, closer to the camera.
Shot 9:
Cut back to the car park, long shot as we see 'Man Two' coming closer to the car.
*End*
However, the groups were changed (and now consists of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus, Sam Cameron and myself) and we decided to merge all of our ideas and ended up with a better idea overall.
NEW SYNOPSIS:
CHARACTERS:
The Rep
Shop-Keeper
Shop-Assistant
Shot 1:
Extreme close up of femme-fatale's ('The Rep') hands turning the keys in an ignition, turning the engine off.
Shot 2:
Close up of her feet as she gets out of the car. She is wearing heels.
Shot 3:
The camera pans (close up) her shoes as she walks to the boot of the car.
Shot 4:
Mid-shot from the inside of the boot as she opens it and picks up a bag. The end of a knife can be seen from inside the bag.
Shot 5:
Mid/Long/Over the shoulder shot of The Rep opening the shop door.
Shot 6:
Mid Shot - The Rep and the shopkeeper show an acknowledgement of each other (a nod, a small conversation, a wave etc.)
Shot 7:
Close up of shopkeepers hands counting some money behind the till.
Shot 8:
POV shot of The Rep watching the shopkeeper behind the till giving the shop assistant some money.
Shot 9:
Low angle, medium shot from the bottom of the stairs as the shop assistant walks towards the camera (into the basement) to get his coat.
Shot 10:
Camera angles are the same, the shop assistant walks past the camera and we see a shadow begin to descend down the basement stairs.
Shot 11:
Cut to a mid shot of a silhouette of the rep stabbing the shop assistant.
Shot 12:
Close up of the femme fatale as she leaves the shop.
Shot 13:
Zoom from a dead body lying sprawled to a dead eye (either zoom in front a long shot to an extreme close up, or vice verca). Non-diagetic sounds of the rep's heels as she walks away.
We had completed a synopsis and a storyboard for our idea (although our characters were not fully developed):
Shot 1:
Mid shot of 'Man One' in a parked car, holding onto the steering wheel.
Shot 2:
The camera pans out out the car and tracks him as he walks around to the boot.
Shot 3:
Mid shot from inside the boot. 'Man One' opens the boot and it slowly reveals him bit by bit.
Shot 4:
Point of View, low angle shot of a lift descending.
Shot 5:
'Man Two' POV shot from inside the lift, as the lift doors open there is a silhouette in the doorway, however it's just a normal person.
Shot 6:
Cut back to 'Man One' in the car park, long shot - he is pulling a body from the boot of the car.
Shot 7:
Cut back to 'Man Two.' Low angle shot as the lift opens, the camera pans his feet as he walks out.
Shot 8:
Long shot of the man walking from the lift, closer to the camera.
Shot 9:
Cut back to the car park, long shot as we see 'Man Two' coming closer to the car.
*End*
However, the groups were changed (and now consists of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus, Sam Cameron and myself) and we decided to merge all of our ideas and ended up with a better idea overall.
NEW SYNOPSIS:
CHARACTERS:
The Rep
Shop-Keeper
Shop-Assistant
Shot 1:
Extreme close up of femme-fatale's ('The Rep') hands turning the keys in an ignition, turning the engine off.
Shot 2:
Close up of her feet as she gets out of the car. She is wearing heels.
Shot 3:
The camera pans (close up) her shoes as she walks to the boot of the car.
Shot 4:
Mid-shot from the inside of the boot as she opens it and picks up a bag. The end of a knife can be seen from inside the bag.
Shot 5:
Mid/Long/Over the shoulder shot of The Rep opening the shop door.
Shot 6:
Mid Shot - The Rep and the shopkeeper show an acknowledgement of each other (a nod, a small conversation, a wave etc.)
Shot 7:
Close up of shopkeepers hands counting some money behind the till.
Shot 8:
POV shot of The Rep watching the shopkeeper behind the till giving the shop assistant some money.
Shot 9:
Low angle, medium shot from the bottom of the stairs as the shop assistant walks towards the camera (into the basement) to get his coat.
Shot 10:
Camera angles are the same, the shop assistant walks past the camera and we see a shadow begin to descend down the basement stairs.
Shot 11:
Cut to a mid shot of a silhouette of the rep stabbing the shop assistant.
Shot 12:
Close up of the femme fatale as she leaves the shop.
Shot 13:
Zoom from a dead body lying sprawled to a dead eye (either zoom in front a long shot to an extreme close up, or vice verca). Non-diagetic sounds of the rep's heels as she walks away.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Media Definitions
FILM NOIR:
Coined by French film critics (especially Nino Frank in 1946) who noticed the trend of dark and downbeat the themes of many American crime and detective films were following the War (although not all Noir films are crime/detective.)
Examples of some of the first recognised Noir films are: The Maltease Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944) and The Woman In The Window (1944).
Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. It is also helpful to realize that 'film noir' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history - the decade of film-making after World War II
(http://www.filmsite.org/)
FEMME FATALE:
1. A woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.
2. An alluring, mysterious woman.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
MISOGYNY:
The hatred or extreme dislike of women.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
Coined by French film critics (especially Nino Frank in 1946) who noticed the trend of dark and downbeat the themes of many American crime and detective films were following the War (although not all Noir films are crime/detective.)
Examples of some of the first recognised Noir films are: The Maltease Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944) and The Woman In The Window (1944).
Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. It is also helpful to realize that 'film noir' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history - the decade of film-making after World War II
(http://www.filmsite.org/)
FEMME FATALE:
1. A woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.
2. An alluring, mysterious woman.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
MISOGYNY:
The hatred or extreme dislike of women.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
Audience Research
Through my research, I have discovered that most people of the 16-18 age group prefer to go to the cinema with their friends, and the majority of people in my study have admitted that they normally find out about new films through trailers - although a few have said that they discover films through the internet, magazines or are recommended to them by their peers.
Thanks to my survey, I also discovered that it is true that those that go to the cinema the most earn the most money, however this isn't always the case (the participant that went to the cinema the most (once a week) earnt between £101-£200, whereas some participants that earned up to £500 admitted that they 'hardly ever' went to the cinema.
In my questionnaire, I asked participants about their favourite genre of film and music. However, I was unable to gather enough data to make reliable links between the two. There was a hint of a correlation that I saw, which was that many people who said they favoured Alternative music also said that their favourite genre of movie to watch was 'horror.'
My research wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, as I had no time to take to the streets of Norwich to ask people to complete my survey - therefore it was done by only people in my age rage and by a small sample of participants. If I'd had the chance, I would have liked to looked further into the connections between movie and music genres, and also whether those that were taken or had children went to the cinema more often.
My Survey Questions:
Gender:
Male ( ) Female ( )
Age:
13-15 ( ) 16-18 ( ) 19-25 ( ) 26-29 ( ) 30+ ( )
Marital Status:
Single ( ) Taken ( ) Married ( ) Married with Children ( )
Who do you normally come to the cinema with?
On my own ( ) With Friends ( ) With my Partner ( ) With my Children ( )
What is your favourite genre of film?
Romance ( ) Horror ( ) Thriller ( ) Comedy ( ) Rom-Com ( ) Action ( ) Chick Flick ( )
Childrens ( ) Musicals ( ) Adventure ( ) Crime ( ) History ( ) Sci-Fi ( ) War ( )
Westerns ( ) Other _______
How much money fo you earn a month?
Pocket Money only ( ) Under £100 ( ) £101-£200 ( ) £201-£500 ( ) £501-£1000 ( )
Over £1000 ( )
How often do you go to the cinema?
Hardly Ever ( ) Once a month ( ) Once a fortnight ( ) Once a week ( ) More than once a week ( )
How do you hear about the films you go to see?
Trailers ( ) Internet ( ) Peers ( ) Reviews ( ) Radio ( ) Magazine/Newspaper ( )
Posters ( ) Interviews ( ) Merchandise ( ) Billboards ( ) Other______
How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema ( ) DVD ( ) Computer ( ) TV ( ) Other______
What is your favourite genre of music out of the answers provided?
Pop ( ) Rock ( ) RnB ( ) Drum and Bass ( ) Alternative ( ) Metal ( ) Rap ( )
Thanks to my survey, I also discovered that it is true that those that go to the cinema the most earn the most money, however this isn't always the case (the participant that went to the cinema the most (once a week) earnt between £101-£200, whereas some participants that earned up to £500 admitted that they 'hardly ever' went to the cinema.
In my questionnaire, I asked participants about their favourite genre of film and music. However, I was unable to gather enough data to make reliable links between the two. There was a hint of a correlation that I saw, which was that many people who said they favoured Alternative music also said that their favourite genre of movie to watch was 'horror.'
My research wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, as I had no time to take to the streets of Norwich to ask people to complete my survey - therefore it was done by only people in my age rage and by a small sample of participants. If I'd had the chance, I would have liked to looked further into the connections between movie and music genres, and also whether those that were taken or had children went to the cinema more often.
My Survey Questions:
Gender:
Male ( ) Female ( )
Age:
13-15 ( ) 16-18 ( ) 19-25 ( ) 26-29 ( ) 30+ ( )
Marital Status:
Single ( ) Taken ( ) Married ( ) Married with Children ( )
Who do you normally come to the cinema with?
On my own ( ) With Friends ( ) With my Partner ( ) With my Children ( )
What is your favourite genre of film?
Romance ( ) Horror ( ) Thriller ( ) Comedy ( ) Rom-Com ( ) Action ( ) Chick Flick ( )
Childrens ( ) Musicals ( ) Adventure ( ) Crime ( ) History ( ) Sci-Fi ( ) War ( )
Westerns ( ) Other _______
How much money fo you earn a month?
Pocket Money only ( ) Under £100 ( ) £101-£200 ( ) £201-£500 ( ) £501-£1000 ( )
Over £1000 ( )
How often do you go to the cinema?
Hardly Ever ( ) Once a month ( ) Once a fortnight ( ) Once a week ( ) More than once a week ( )
How do you hear about the films you go to see?
Trailers ( ) Internet ( ) Peers ( ) Reviews ( ) Radio ( ) Magazine/Newspaper ( )
Posters ( ) Interviews ( ) Merchandise ( ) Billboards ( ) Other______
How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema ( ) DVD ( ) Computer ( ) TV ( ) Other______
What is your favourite genre of music out of the answers provided?
Pop ( ) Rock ( ) RnB ( ) Drum and Bass ( ) Alternative ( ) Metal ( ) Rap ( )
'Ambition' Perfume Advertisement and Analysis.
My perfume advert shows a locket on the foreground of a British flag with a photo of a couple inside. I wanted to infuse a number of different items onto the advertisement as I believed that it would add some depth.
I used a simple photo of a British flag and edited it to make it look unique and almost dreamy. I wanted to make it look different, as I believe the way I edited it makes it looks more edgy – which insinuates that the perfume being advertised will give you an edge over everybody else and make you stand out. The ‘dreamy’ aspect of the flag goes along with the theme of the advert which is telling the consumer to have a ‘dream’ or an ‘ambition.’
I then decided to use a locket as the main feature of my article, as lockets hold the connotations of special or cherished memories. Again, the colour of the locket (gold) gives the customer an implication of wealth – something which many people are ambitious about. I believed that using a locket would be a good idea as it gives the idea that this perfume will help you to achieve things that are worth holding on to or cherishing.
The photo inside the locket was originally a photo of a couple in a park/field kissing. I edited the photo a lot because I decided that I wanted to put my own mark on it. First, I decided to cut out the couple so that I could choose which part of the background they would stand on – I decided that I should put them under a tree as I believe that it shows the beautiful nature of the world (or England) and it also contrasts with the colours of the flag, therefore drawing the eyes of the consumer towards the main feature of the advert.
As you can see, I have smudged the background in the photo. There are many reasons for my decision behind this – the biggest being that I wanted to carry on the ‘dream’ theme of the advert. It almost makes it seem as though it hasn’t happened – which could imply that it is somebody else’s dream or ambition – something which they wish they can achieve which again tells us that everybody has a dream.
Another main reason behind doing this was the fact that it goes with my slogan of the advert: ‘Do it how you want’ (which admittedly, could be better but I couldn’t think of another phrase that would say what I wanted that hadn’t already been taken by a famous product. I believe that the way the background in the locket almost looks surreal connotes that the purchaser can do whatever they want or alter their world in whichever way they wish to and will have the power to with the product being advertised.
At first I wanted to leave the figures as they were to show that the dream or ambition of the consumer was achievable, however thanks to the light in the original photo, it didn’t stand out very much and was slightly hard to see thanks to the edited background. I decided to darken the couple as I believe it makes them stand out, and also slightly makes them look like silhouettes – which can hold connotations of a sunset or a ‘happy-ever-after.’
I then went on to write the name of the perfume on my ad. I decided to use the Stencil font as it holds connotations of an army or strict regiment which implies there is no ‘mucking around.’ This suggests that the perfume will help give the customer determination and again, the power to achieve their goal. I had to have a background to the name and slogan, as there was no other way it would have been clear to read it. However, I found it difficult to choose a colour, in the end I decided to use the same green that was in the main photo as I believed it showed continuity (that the people could follow their ambition through to the end) and also carried on the theme of nature/beauty.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Dolan's Cadillac Analysis - Ending. (DRAFT)
Dolans Cadillac
Director: Jeff Beesley
2009
Company: Cadillac Prairie Productions
User Comment:
“I found surprisingly little to gripe about and actually one or two additions that I found impressive. Christian Slater seems to be enjoying his part without turning it camp and Beesley manages to convey some real human emotions without seeming to reach for the Oscars. In this sort of movie, restraint is just as important as ideas, seeing as how countless thrillers just go overboard on a desperate quest for "impact". The cinematography and sound engineering stand up to scrutiny and the minor parts are well executed. In short, this one works.”
User Rating: 5.8/10
Dolans Cadillac is a movie about the main characters’ drive for revenge after his wife has been murdered. The audience follows Rogerson as he attempts to find a way to get back at Jimmy Dolan - and thanks to the music, camera angles and various brilliant mise-en-scenes, by the end of the film, the audience is completely on Rogerson’s side, despite the fact he ends up slightly crazy.
The end of the film is extremely effective, and Beesley has included many signifiers of the thriller genre in this particular part of the film. Rogerson has tricked Dolan’s driver onto a road that will collapse, and results in the driver dying, one of the men to get seriously injured and Dolan to get extremely mad. In this part of the movie, the camera tracks Dolan’s car driving down an isolated road (pictured), the black colour of the Cadillac contrasting with the subtle, dull colours of the fields around it. The fact that he is driving down an isolated road is a generic signifier, although it is the exact opposite of the classic signifier of a claustrophobic space, an isolated field can be just as scary as there will be nobody around to help or see you. Another reason an isolated space can be seen as a signifier is also that there is nowhere to hide, The car almost symbolises the evil of Dolan, and the looming shadow it casts shows how it can be intimidating and also how out of place it is – such a big, ‘city’ car on a small, inoffensive and dull coloured country road. Looming shadows are yet another signifier of the genre in question.
We then see a close up of Rogerson watching as the car falls through the road (pictured.) The close up, here, is extremely effective as we can see the emotion and his reaction to what he has done. Close-ups is a shot that is frequently used within the genre, this is for many reasons: for one, the audience can clearly see the emotion of the character, and secondly, when there is a close up, it is impossible to see what is around or behind the character (unless a close-up is used like above) and therefore raise the tension. Consequently, it seems that there is no remorse but only aggression on Rogerson's face. The mud we see on his cheeks could symbolise how he is ‘dirty,’ or that he is doing something that is lowering him to the level of Dolan. Rogerson is not centered in this shot, and we can see the road-works warning sign behind him. This is extremely significant, as it warns us of what has happened – it could also be a warning that he has become slightly insane.
For the rest of the movie, Dolan is stuck in an enclosed space, unable to get out – this is a big conventional signifier of a thriller movie, and is used by many great directors (such as Tarantino in Kill Bill 2 etc.) In this movie, it has been used to show that the ‘bad guy’ who normally holds all the power has now lost all control.
There is a mid shot of Dolan after the crash. This shot shows his vulnerability now that he is not in control. The blood on his forehead shows that he is not invincible – this is the first time we see any sign of weakness in his character. The fact he has his eyes closed is quite important, as, again, it shows vulnerability because he won’t be able to see what is happening, it is also a sign that he is giving up – however, the sign he is holding the gun close to him shows that he is trying to keep hold of any power he has left. The lighting in this shot is very dark, other than the lights on Dolan himself – this signifies that he is the ‘bad guy’ (compared to Rogerson who is in a wide open landscape with light colours), and that he is helplessly trapped as the details are hard to make out. This technique is used in many thriller films - the binary opposites of dark lighting for those that the director wants to be portrayed as the 'bad guy' against the open locations and light mise-en-scenes for the 'good guys.'
The camera tracks Rogerson as he jumps onto the car with a crowbar, asking Dolan to open the sun roof so he can ‘help him out.’ (pictured.) The smoke coming from the car (although it’s hard to see in the screen shot) helps to create tension and mystery, and also helps us to understand that Dolan still doesn’t know what is going on. This technique is used in other thriller films (such as Extreme Measures) to prevent clear vision and as I said earlier, raise the tension. The audience can see the area in which the car has fallen, compared to the fields in the background which shows the contrast between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Rogerson has stepped into the darker part of the mise-en-scene, which shows that his actions are bad. The audience, in this shot, can clearly see the costume of Rogerson. His t-shirt, both black and white, suggests that he is both good and evil – that he may be doing something for the right reasons, but it’s a bad thing to do. These colours are often used in thriller films, as it is simple to do but thanks to the binary opposition look effective and can help to create a certain mood in the scene.
Later in the film, there is a shot of Dolan inside the car, he has become slightly manic in his desperation to get out. I believe that the shot above is extremely powerful, as it shows how Dolan has been submerged with his sinful lifestyle of trafficking women and killing people. The complete darkness around Dolan suggests that he has become lost, and the chairoscuro lighting here is another thriller signifier.
In my opinion, the above shot is the best in the movie. The darkness surrounding the shot, again, portrays the dark side of humans, and it could also suggest here, the fact that Dolan is close to his death. The blue sky shows the expanse of freedom that Rogerson has, but also it is known that blue is commonly associated with sorrow – in this film, it could be the grievance of Rogerson when his wife was killed, or the devastation that Dolan shows when he realises he’s going to die. The mud on the window shows that neither of them are completely good, and that they don’t understand each other, and we see again how Rogerson has gone mad with the desire to get revenge. Again, this is a widely used method in thrillers, although variations are used. For example, in Urban Legend, heavy rainfall is used to prevent a clear view through the window and subsequently raise tension.
Overall, I believe that Jeff Beesley has used lighting and shots extremely effectively in the ending of Dolan's Cadillac to create a tense atmosphere and a brilliant ending to a good film.
Director: Jeff Beesley
2009
Company: Cadillac Prairie Productions
User Comment:
“I found surprisingly little to gripe about and actually one or two additions that I found impressive. Christian Slater seems to be enjoying his part without turning it camp and Beesley manages to convey some real human emotions without seeming to reach for the Oscars. In this sort of movie, restraint is just as important as ideas, seeing as how countless thrillers just go overboard on a desperate quest for "impact". The cinematography and sound engineering stand up to scrutiny and the minor parts are well executed. In short, this one works.”
User Rating: 5.8/10
Dolans Cadillac is a movie about the main characters’ drive for revenge after his wife has been murdered. The audience follows Rogerson as he attempts to find a way to get back at Jimmy Dolan - and thanks to the music, camera angles and various brilliant mise-en-scenes, by the end of the film, the audience is completely on Rogerson’s side, despite the fact he ends up slightly crazy.
The end of the film is extremely effective, and Beesley has included many signifiers of the thriller genre in this particular part of the film. Rogerson has tricked Dolan’s driver onto a road that will collapse, and results in the driver dying, one of the men to get seriously injured and Dolan to get extremely mad. In this part of the movie, the camera tracks Dolan’s car driving down an isolated road (pictured), the black colour of the Cadillac contrasting with the subtle, dull colours of the fields around it. The fact that he is driving down an isolated road is a generic signifier, although it is the exact opposite of the classic signifier of a claustrophobic space, an isolated field can be just as scary as there will be nobody around to help or see you. Another reason an isolated space can be seen as a signifier is also that there is nowhere to hide, The car almost symbolises the evil of Dolan, and the looming shadow it casts shows how it can be intimidating and also how out of place it is – such a big, ‘city’ car on a small, inoffensive and dull coloured country road. Looming shadows are yet another signifier of the genre in question.
We then see a close up of Rogerson watching as the car falls through the road (pictured.) The close up, here, is extremely effective as we can see the emotion and his reaction to what he has done. Close-ups is a shot that is frequently used within the genre, this is for many reasons: for one, the audience can clearly see the emotion of the character, and secondly, when there is a close up, it is impossible to see what is around or behind the character (unless a close-up is used like above) and therefore raise the tension. Consequently, it seems that there is no remorse but only aggression on Rogerson's face. The mud we see on his cheeks could symbolise how he is ‘dirty,’ or that he is doing something that is lowering him to the level of Dolan. Rogerson is not centered in this shot, and we can see the road-works warning sign behind him. This is extremely significant, as it warns us of what has happened – it could also be a warning that he has become slightly insane.
For the rest of the movie, Dolan is stuck in an enclosed space, unable to get out – this is a big conventional signifier of a thriller movie, and is used by many great directors (such as Tarantino in Kill Bill 2 etc.) In this movie, it has been used to show that the ‘bad guy’ who normally holds all the power has now lost all control.
There is a mid shot of Dolan after the crash. This shot shows his vulnerability now that he is not in control. The blood on his forehead shows that he is not invincible – this is the first time we see any sign of weakness in his character. The fact he has his eyes closed is quite important, as, again, it shows vulnerability because he won’t be able to see what is happening, it is also a sign that he is giving up – however, the sign he is holding the gun close to him shows that he is trying to keep hold of any power he has left. The lighting in this shot is very dark, other than the lights on Dolan himself – this signifies that he is the ‘bad guy’ (compared to Rogerson who is in a wide open landscape with light colours), and that he is helplessly trapped as the details are hard to make out. This technique is used in many thriller films - the binary opposites of dark lighting for those that the director wants to be portrayed as the 'bad guy' against the open locations and light mise-en-scenes for the 'good guys.'
The camera tracks Rogerson as he jumps onto the car with a crowbar, asking Dolan to open the sun roof so he can ‘help him out.’ (pictured.) The smoke coming from the car (although it’s hard to see in the screen shot) helps to create tension and mystery, and also helps us to understand that Dolan still doesn’t know what is going on. This technique is used in other thriller films (such as Extreme Measures) to prevent clear vision and as I said earlier, raise the tension. The audience can see the area in which the car has fallen, compared to the fields in the background which shows the contrast between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Rogerson has stepped into the darker part of the mise-en-scene, which shows that his actions are bad. The audience, in this shot, can clearly see the costume of Rogerson. His t-shirt, both black and white, suggests that he is both good and evil – that he may be doing something for the right reasons, but it’s a bad thing to do. These colours are often used in thriller films, as it is simple to do but thanks to the binary opposition look effective and can help to create a certain mood in the scene.
Later in the film, there is a shot of Dolan inside the car, he has become slightly manic in his desperation to get out. I believe that the shot above is extremely powerful, as it shows how Dolan has been submerged with his sinful lifestyle of trafficking women and killing people. The complete darkness around Dolan suggests that he has become lost, and the chairoscuro lighting here is another thriller signifier.
In my opinion, the above shot is the best in the movie. The darkness surrounding the shot, again, portrays the dark side of humans, and it could also suggest here, the fact that Dolan is close to his death. The blue sky shows the expanse of freedom that Rogerson has, but also it is known that blue is commonly associated with sorrow – in this film, it could be the grievance of Rogerson when his wife was killed, or the devastation that Dolan shows when he realises he’s going to die. The mud on the window shows that neither of them are completely good, and that they don’t understand each other, and we see again how Rogerson has gone mad with the desire to get revenge. Again, this is a widely used method in thrillers, although variations are used. For example, in Urban Legend, heavy rainfall is used to prevent a clear view through the window and subsequently raise tension.
Overall, I believe that Jeff Beesley has used lighting and shots extremely effectively in the ending of Dolan's Cadillac to create a tense atmosphere and a brilliant ending to a good film.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Extreme Measures analysis (Scene 22), Independent Research. (REVISED)
Extreme Measures
Director: Michael Apted
1996
Company: Castle Rock Entertainment
User Comment:
“ ‘Extreme measures’ has a certain place in my top 10 of "the best suspense movies of the 90's". I think this movie has never received all the recognition it deserves. ‘Extreme measures’ delivers excellent acting, fascinating plot, cool action and lots of excitement and most important of all, it gives birth to a rather interesting ethical question.”
User Rating: 5.9/10
‘Extreme Measures’ is a film that many people would not immediately identify as a thriller movie. However, as the plot thickens the film shows an extraordinary amount of features usually related to a generic thriller. In the 22nd scene, we follow Guy (Hugh Grant) into a subway – which is a crucial convention of the thriller genre as it is a confined space – not only that, but it is isolated and dangerous. The lighting in this part of the film is noir, and matches the high emotion in the main characters and the plot.
There are places in the mise-en-scene that show smoke coming from somewhere in the railway, this suggests that it is broken – meaning it is abandoned. The smoke in itself creates tension as it is hard to see past or through the gas, and as it appears at random times throughout the scene, it has the ability to create a lot of suspense. The fact that the subway appears abandoned is a crucial detail, as it creates fear in the audience as they begin to wonder about the kind of people that live down there, and also that there would be nobody around to help if something went wrong.
Guy and the ‘mole’ he is following come to a crossroads in the underground. (pictured) This shot is important for many reasons. In the background, where the two tunnels disappear – one of the tunnels – the one that they have gone past – has a bright light which contrasts against the second which is completely dark. Similarly, the lights in the first tunnel are white, compared to the lights in the second tunnel that are red (the colour that connotates evil.) The two tunnels could represent the paths that Guy could take – the first one being if he turned back, and didn’t get involved with the mystery surrounding the plot, and the second being if he carried on in his path. It could represent ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Also here we see the classic convention of the claustophobic space represented through the use of the underground. Similarly to how Essex Boys uses chairoscuro lighting in a similar style to that of The Third Man, the director here is paying tribute to Carol Reed (The Third Man) and similar directors by using similar ideas. The underground here also has a very confusing layout; a labyrinth - this is another representation of a convention to thriller films as they suggest both confusion and disorientation. T T Man also uses the idea of labyrinths in Vienna and add to the sense of a nightmare in the film.
The camera then pans down to a low mid-shot of Guy as he has to jump over a part of the track. (Pictured) This could represents the obstacles that stand in the way of the plot, or even things that are warning him (and the audience, alike) to turn back and follow the ‘good’ or ‘light’ route. The setting in the background of this photo is very plain, and as it goes further back it seems to become more and more blurred – which could represent the fact our main character could be losing his way or sense of direction. Thus, making this scene more tense as we are following them on the route to ‘the room’ and the audience can see how confusing it is, and how easily Guy could get lost or trapped within one of the various tunnels.
The audience follows Guy and ‘the mole’ down a set of stairs, leaving the light behind them and descending into more darkness. This could be another example of metaphor being used in this scene – saying that they are leaving the world of ‘good’ and descending into the dark and murky world that many people do not know about or mix with, or, on an even darker tone – it could be metaphorical for them descending into a hell. As the two characters go further down a set of stairs, the setting becomes darker, with wire fences and unappealing pipes (pictured.) In the photo, we see that ‘the mole’ has gone ahead to show Guy the way, and in doing so has walked behind the fence. This could be a method of showing the audience that ‘the mole’ is trapped in this lifestyle and has no choice, whereas our main character is free to do whatever he likes, however albeit having some hesitation, Guy follows him down representing the fact that he has gone too far now to turn back.
The roles within the two characters are then switched – the light now focusing on ‘the mole,’ and the darkness surrounding Guy. (pictured) This could signify the fact that ‘the mole’ knows where he is going and what the main character and the audience will find, and that Guy is completely ‘in the dark’ about the situation. The archway that ‘the mole’ has gone through in the picture could symbolise the change in lifestyles they are about to see – from Guy who is a wealthy doctor to people without a home that have been forced to live underground where they hope nobody will be able to hurt them.
The scene finishes with the two men standing together, both in light. This may suggest that Guy knows that they are near the end of their route, and is slightly more clear on what he has to do – however, ‘the mole’ is still the one holding the source of light, showing us that he is clearly in control.
The film is, overall, a lot better than I thought it would be and holds a lot of signifiers that make up the conventional thriller.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
How Terry Winsor utlises the aspects of the Thriller genre in Essex Boys.(revised again)
Essex Boys
Director: Terry Winsor
2000
Company: Granada Film Productions
User Comment:
“Winsor's film, it seems to me, brilliantly evokes both the drabness and cruelty of the criminal mindset. It does this partly through the choice of dull, flat Essex landscapes with their coastal marshes, grey motorway links, flash nouveau riche mansions and the tawdry glamour of seafront locations. The characters are both repellent and yet curiously mesmerising. This is not a film in which it is easy to lose interest.”
User Rating: 5.9/10
As the film starts, the credits are shown through binary opposites of black and white with a chalk board effect. There are non diagetic sounds that accompany various lines that appear on the screen. This appears to the viewer to be either somebody scraping their nails down a chalkboard - a sound that many people hate - or somebody scratching at something in an attempt to escape. The sounds are that of a car alarm going off - something that connotes danger immedietly, or at the very least a sense of unease.
The dramatic music being played over the top (the soundtrack) begins to give the viewer a sense of unease or suspense, and the non-diagetic sounds mentioned earlier raise the tension before the audience can see a picture. The black screen is noir - a common feature of the Thriller, and it connotes gloom, danger and sorrow amongst many other emotions.
The establishing shot is of Billy in the garage (pictured), being lit by chairoscuro lighting which suggests not only the genre, but also communicates nightmare, suspense and the feeling that there is something to hide, this could be an intertextual nod to the extremely infamous thriller: "The Third Man" - which uses chairoscuro lighting effectively - in paticular during the sewer sequences. The fact that it is in a claustophobic space (a garage of which the audience is looking from one of the corners) is another generic feature of the Thriller, and the cobwebs crowding the garage making it hard to see clearly what is around. The mise-en-scene here is a brilliant example of a convention of a thriller film- noir lighting, creaks amongst the silence suggesting that anything could be about to happen.
The dark in the scene could represent the corruption of the characters or the darker side of the human soul. The colours and various features of the mise-en-scene make it seem slightly Gothic and our suspense is heightened as the dank chill of the garage is visualised in Billy's breath; this suggests that the garage is as cold as a tomb. It could be that the director here has used this method to suggest that Billy's character is cold-hearted - which could be here being represented through the weather. The sudden P.O.V shot of Billy's face against the darkness adds to the suspense and connotes his demonic nature. The fact that he is here after it has obviously been a long time and at night time make his character seem shady.
The unglamourous location (as seen in the above photo) and the low key dreary lighting are generic conventions whilst the voice over and the grey tint of the mise-en-scene are British cultural references.
The voice-over of Billy (a young man of around 18-20) - 'I'll try anything once' - breaks the silence of the scene, and we hear that the narrator has quite a soft voice and that he is from Essex - as the title of the film suggests. This technique is used to engage the audience, as it is as if the driver is speaking directly to him. His voice is informal, friendly and jokey - as if the audience is his friend. From this, it is clear that the film is going to be his story.
Billy sits in the car and continues his story, and as he mentions 'Jason Locke', he turns on the windscreen wipers and through a P.O.V shot (through Billy's perspective), the audience can see a man standing in the headlights of the car. (pictured) This is extremely clever, as the viewer only sees him once the mud on the windscreen has been wiped away, although the screen is still quite grimy. This connotes that Jason is dirty or has a dirty past, and that although his slate has been wiped clean (as the viewer learns he has just left prison), there is still something not quite right about him.
Many more generic features of the Thriller genre are used in the next scene: Billy is driving along an empty road, it is raining extremely hard, there are walls on either side of the road making it seem slightly claustrophobic, the skies are dark and the location is unglamorous and industrial. The empty road connates danger, as anything could happen and everybody would be oblivious - this along with the weather that is used in horror and thriller movies alike both increase the suspense.
The scene where they are driving through a deserted tunnel also created a lot of tension. The shape of the tunnel slightly resembles the barrel of a gun (pictured), which could foreshadow later events in the film. This is also an extremely big metaphor showing the audience signs of danger and violence.
In the same way, we later see a close up of Billy driving the car through the tunnel, however the lights are shining down in strips across the face of Billy in the foreground and Jason who is in the background. (Pictured) This could either represent the fact that Jason has just got out of prison, the fact that they're about to do something that is against the law, the fact that they will go to jail or the fact that they - or mainly, Jason - are criminals. Looking at it in a different way, it could also represent the fact that Billy is trapped with Jason as he is too naive to know any different, or too scared to disobey him. It may also show that Billy has been blinded by lights that may come with being asked by somebody so well known around his town (despite it being for the fact that he is so violent) to help him and was too starstuck (for lack of a better word) to turn him down.
Here, the voice-over begins again, with Billy informing the audience that they have 'picked up this truck.' - the truck in question being a white, unmarked truck. This in itself is another generic feature as anything could be happening within it - from kidnappings, smuggling of drugs, smuggling of illegal immigrants and much more. The rest of the mise-en-scene is in dark colours such as greys and blacks, with the atmosphere in the film still being quite sinister.
Director: Terry Winsor
2000
Company: Granada Film Productions
User Comment:
“Winsor's film, it seems to me, brilliantly evokes both the drabness and cruelty of the criminal mindset. It does this partly through the choice of dull, flat Essex landscapes with their coastal marshes, grey motorway links, flash nouveau riche mansions and the tawdry glamour of seafront locations. The characters are both repellent and yet curiously mesmerising. This is not a film in which it is easy to lose interest.”
User Rating: 5.9/10
As the film starts, the credits are shown through binary opposites of black and white with a chalk board effect. There are non diagetic sounds that accompany various lines that appear on the screen. This appears to the viewer to be either somebody scraping their nails down a chalkboard - a sound that many people hate - or somebody scratching at something in an attempt to escape. The sounds are that of a car alarm going off - something that connotes danger immedietly, or at the very least a sense of unease.
The dramatic music being played over the top (the soundtrack) begins to give the viewer a sense of unease or suspense, and the non-diagetic sounds mentioned earlier raise the tension before the audience can see a picture. The black screen is noir - a common feature of the Thriller, and it connotes gloom, danger and sorrow amongst many other emotions.
The establishing shot is of Billy in the garage (pictured), being lit by chairoscuro lighting which suggests not only the genre, but also communicates nightmare, suspense and the feeling that there is something to hide, this could be an intertextual nod to the extremely infamous thriller: "The Third Man" - which uses chairoscuro lighting effectively - in paticular during the sewer sequences. The fact that it is in a claustophobic space (a garage of which the audience is looking from one of the corners) is another generic feature of the Thriller, and the cobwebs crowding the garage making it hard to see clearly what is around. The mise-en-scene here is a brilliant example of a convention of a thriller film- noir lighting, creaks amongst the silence suggesting that anything could be about to happen.
The dark in the scene could represent the corruption of the characters or the darker side of the human soul. The colours and various features of the mise-en-scene make it seem slightly Gothic and our suspense is heightened as the dank chill of the garage is visualised in Billy's breath; this suggests that the garage is as cold as a tomb. It could be that the director here has used this method to suggest that Billy's character is cold-hearted - which could be here being represented through the weather. The sudden P.O.V shot of Billy's face against the darkness adds to the suspense and connotes his demonic nature. The fact that he is here after it has obviously been a long time and at night time make his character seem shady.
The unglamourous location (as seen in the above photo) and the low key dreary lighting are generic conventions whilst the voice over and the grey tint of the mise-en-scene are British cultural references.
The voice-over of Billy (a young man of around 18-20) - 'I'll try anything once' - breaks the silence of the scene, and we hear that the narrator has quite a soft voice and that he is from Essex - as the title of the film suggests. This technique is used to engage the audience, as it is as if the driver is speaking directly to him. His voice is informal, friendly and jokey - as if the audience is his friend. From this, it is clear that the film is going to be his story.
Billy sits in the car and continues his story, and as he mentions 'Jason Locke', he turns on the windscreen wipers and through a P.O.V shot (through Billy's perspective), the audience can see a man standing in the headlights of the car. (pictured) This is extremely clever, as the viewer only sees him once the mud on the windscreen has been wiped away, although the screen is still quite grimy. This connotes that Jason is dirty or has a dirty past, and that although his slate has been wiped clean (as the viewer learns he has just left prison), there is still something not quite right about him.
Many more generic features of the Thriller genre are used in the next scene: Billy is driving along an empty road, it is raining extremely hard, there are walls on either side of the road making it seem slightly claustrophobic, the skies are dark and the location is unglamorous and industrial. The empty road connates danger, as anything could happen and everybody would be oblivious - this along with the weather that is used in horror and thriller movies alike both increase the suspense.
The scene where they are driving through a deserted tunnel also created a lot of tension. The shape of the tunnel slightly resembles the barrel of a gun (pictured), which could foreshadow later events in the film. This is also an extremely big metaphor showing the audience signs of danger and violence.
In the same way, we later see a close up of Billy driving the car through the tunnel, however the lights are shining down in strips across the face of Billy in the foreground and Jason who is in the background. (Pictured) This could either represent the fact that Jason has just got out of prison, the fact that they're about to do something that is against the law, the fact that they will go to jail or the fact that they - or mainly, Jason - are criminals. Looking at it in a different way, it could also represent the fact that Billy is trapped with Jason as he is too naive to know any different, or too scared to disobey him. It may also show that Billy has been blinded by lights that may come with being asked by somebody so well known around his town (despite it being for the fact that he is so violent) to help him and was too starstuck (for lack of a better word) to turn him down.
Here, the voice-over begins again, with Billy informing the audience that they have 'picked up this truck.' - the truck in question being a white, unmarked truck. This in itself is another generic feature as anything could be happening within it - from kidnappings, smuggling of drugs, smuggling of illegal immigrants and much more. The rest of the mise-en-scene is in dark colours such as greys and blacks, with the atmosphere in the film still being quite sinister.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Presentation on the Film Industry.
This is the presentation I done that gives a little bit of information on the British films: London to Brighton, Red Road and This is England.
LONDON TO BRIGHTON
Production
The production for London to Brighton was done predominantly by Steel Mill Pictures. ‘London to Brighton’ was, in fact, the first ever film to be produced by Steel Mill Pictures and it was funded by ‘private equity’ and money from the UK Film Councils New Cinema Fund.
Producers: Alastair Clark, Rachel Robey and Ken Marshall.
Marketing
'London to Brighton’ was advertised using ‘below the line’ marketing – meaning that there had been no promotion or advertising planned (in this case, thanks to the lack of funding.) However, once released, the film was exhibited in many cinemas and screenings and ended up winning multiple awards – such as Best Achievement in Production (Raindance Awards), the Golden Hitchcock award, New Directors award, Most Promising Newcomer award, Festival Prize Best Feature Film and the July Prize UK Feature.
The film was also nominated for many more awards, including the Carl Foreman award for Most Promising Newcomer, British Actress of the Year, British Newcomer of the Year and British Producer of the Year amongst others.
Thanks to awards such as these, and positive reviews from many sources such as The Guardian (“a cracking debut feature with enough clout to kick the door in”) encouraged many to watch the film and played an enormous part in making the film a success.
Exhibition
On the official ‘London to Brighton’ website, they have listed the screenings of the movie. The film was shown in many parts of the country, being screened in Brixton, Brighton, Leeds, Southampton, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and Ipswich amongst many more.
There was an ‘Odeon Tour’ for the film in which the film was shown in various Odeon cinemas at varying times. Odeon showed the film in Norwich, Oxford, Port Solent, Preston, Rochdale and Salisbury on just the first leg of the ‘tour’ and ended up being exhibited in many other Odeon cinemas around the country. There were also many screenings that included Q&A sessions with the director to increase the interest in the movie.
RED ROAD
Production
The film was produced by Sigma Films in Glasgow and also by Zentropa in Denmark. Both the producers and directors had never filmed anything before. The casting process for this film was carried out whilst the script was still being written – this was to do with the fact that the producer wanted to ensure all of the directors were thinking along the same lines and wanted to head in the same direction so the film could be shot with little tension.
The directors then became deeply involved with the script writing, and changes such as the increase in number of characters were made.
Location was extremely important, and as none of the directors were familiar with the Glasgow area, they had no idea of any of the reputations. They ended up choosing the Red Road flats as a location as they believed the flats were visually striking and looked quite imposing – something that fit the theme of the film extremely well.
Executive Producers: Paul Trijbits, Claire Chapman, Lenny Crooks, David M. Thompson, Gillian Berrie and Sissie Graum Joergenson.
Producer: Carrie Comerford.
Marketing
In a similar way to 'London to Brighton,' 'Red Road' wasn't marketed much and were part of mostly below the line marketing. The film won 21 awards in total (including Most Promising Newcomer, Best Actor in a Scottish Film, Best Actress in a Scottish Film, Best Director, Best Film and Best Screenplay amonst many others.) On top of that, the film receieved anotehr seven nominations including the British Independent Film Award.
Reviews were another extremely important factor in the marketing of the film. The Guardian wrote that the film had " real and believable characters brought to life by very good actors: it's an undoubted success!"
Unfortunately, I couldn't find much on the exhibition of Red Road.
THIS IS ENGLAND
LONDON TO BRIGHTON
Production
The production for London to Brighton was done predominantly by Steel Mill Pictures. ‘London to Brighton’ was, in fact, the first ever film to be produced by Steel Mill Pictures and it was funded by ‘private equity’ and money from the UK Film Councils New Cinema Fund.
Producers: Alastair Clark, Rachel Robey and Ken Marshall.
Marketing
'London to Brighton’ was advertised using ‘below the line’ marketing – meaning that there had been no promotion or advertising planned (in this case, thanks to the lack of funding.) However, once released, the film was exhibited in many cinemas and screenings and ended up winning multiple awards – such as Best Achievement in Production (Raindance Awards), the Golden Hitchcock award, New Directors award, Most Promising Newcomer award, Festival Prize Best Feature Film and the July Prize UK Feature.
The film was also nominated for many more awards, including the Carl Foreman award for Most Promising Newcomer, British Actress of the Year, British Newcomer of the Year and British Producer of the Year amongst others.
Thanks to awards such as these, and positive reviews from many sources such as The Guardian (“a cracking debut feature with enough clout to kick the door in”) encouraged many to watch the film and played an enormous part in making the film a success.
Exhibition
On the official ‘London to Brighton’ website, they have listed the screenings of the movie. The film was shown in many parts of the country, being screened in Brixton, Brighton, Leeds, Southampton, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and Ipswich amongst many more.
There was an ‘Odeon Tour’ for the film in which the film was shown in various Odeon cinemas at varying times. Odeon showed the film in Norwich, Oxford, Port Solent, Preston, Rochdale and Salisbury on just the first leg of the ‘tour’ and ended up being exhibited in many other Odeon cinemas around the country. There were also many screenings that included Q&A sessions with the director to increase the interest in the movie.
RED ROAD
Production
The film was produced by Sigma Films in Glasgow and also by Zentropa in Denmark. Both the producers and directors had never filmed anything before. The casting process for this film was carried out whilst the script was still being written – this was to do with the fact that the producer wanted to ensure all of the directors were thinking along the same lines and wanted to head in the same direction so the film could be shot with little tension.
The directors then became deeply involved with the script writing, and changes such as the increase in number of characters were made.
Location was extremely important, and as none of the directors were familiar with the Glasgow area, they had no idea of any of the reputations. They ended up choosing the Red Road flats as a location as they believed the flats were visually striking and looked quite imposing – something that fit the theme of the film extremely well.
Executive Producers: Paul Trijbits, Claire Chapman, Lenny Crooks, David M. Thompson, Gillian Berrie and Sissie Graum Joergenson.
Producer: Carrie Comerford.
Marketing
In a similar way to 'London to Brighton,' 'Red Road' wasn't marketed much and were part of mostly below the line marketing. The film won 21 awards in total (including Most Promising Newcomer, Best Actor in a Scottish Film, Best Actress in a Scottish Film, Best Director, Best Film and Best Screenplay amonst many others.) On top of that, the film receieved anotehr seven nominations including the British Independent Film Award.
Reviews were another extremely important factor in the marketing of the film. The Guardian wrote that the film had " real and believable characters brought to life by very good actors: it's an undoubted success!"
Unfortunately, I couldn't find much on the exhibition of Red Road.
THIS IS ENGLAND
Production
During the casting of 'This Is England,' held auditions at special workshops designed to find the perfect actor for the lead role all over the country. The actor who plays the lead in This Is England was eventually found at The Space Project - in fact not one of the workshops set up for this purpose, but actually a scheme run for disadvantaged children with many of the members having been excluded from school.
To create the correct time period, those that worked on This Is England had to work within a very tight budget to create costume as well as decor and other props and parts of the set that would give away the time frame if not proeprly disguised. The actors for the film even had their hair cut and styled into Eighties styles (with one of the actresses having waist long hair shaved completely.)
Producer: Mark Herbert.
Marketing
This Is England is similar to the previous films studied - they had little above the line marketing (other than a trailer) and greatly depended on below the line advertising like the winning of awards and good reviews that would encourage people to watch the film.
In total, This Is England won eight awards including the BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film, British Independent Film Award and the Young Audiences award and were nominated for another 14 which included the BAFTA Film Award for Best Screenplay among many others.
Exhibition
This Is England has been exhibited throughout the country. The director of the film (Shane Meadows) has also attended many Question and Answer sessions in order to increase the popularity of the film.
The film has also been shown at many film festivals, including the British Independent Film Awards, and the Rome Film Festival (where it won awards in both.)
Friday, 2 October 2009
Panic Room Analysis - Scene Four (DRAFT)
The Thriller movie that I will be watching and analysing will be Panic Room - starring Jared Leto, Kristen Stewart and Jodie Foster.
Panic Room
Director: David Fincher
2002
Company: Columbia Pictures Corporation
User Comment:
"The movie is fantastic, full of twists, turns and jolts. The performance of Jared Leto was awesome. His character was funny and seemed to hold the action together. Jodie Foster is great, as usual, and Kristen Stewart was very good as the Sarah."
User Rating: 6.9/10
Panic Room tells the story of a woman and her daughter that have recently moved into a new house. On their first night, the house becomes victim of a burglary forcing the two new residents (played by Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart) to take cover in the house’s panic room.
At the beginning of the scene (14.50 into the movie), we see a close up shot of a window in the house. There are diagetic sounds of the rain hitting the windows, which is the first sign of a generic thriller in the scene. Through the glass, we can see that there is a mist or fog outside, which connotates confusion and mystery – foreshadowing what begins to happen a few minutes later in the film.
As the film cuts to a mid shot of Meg (Jodie Foster) in bed, we notice that there is a shadow cast over her and the bed. This could be a warning that something bad is about to happen to them, which will take the ‘light’ out of moving house. Another significant fact here is that the costume Meg is wearing is a grey that blends in with the bed sheets and pillow, this could tell us that she is overwhelmed by the life change and seems to want to merge into the background or just settle down without a hassle.
There is then an amazing low angle shot (pictured above) of Meg’s wine glass that we have previously seen her drinking from in the film. In the foreground, the glass immediately grabs the attention of the audience – it follows the rule of thirds which means that our eyes are automatically drawn to the image where we then notice that the colour of the wine left is red – a colour that connotates danger and blood. A warning. Then, the audience notices the background – in which we see Meg’s arm hanging from the bed – however; it almost looks corpselike, which not only goes with the theme of the shot (the blood-coloured wine etc.) but again gives us more clues as to what will come later in the film.
The camera pans away from Meg and the bed, and the audience can notice that nothing has been unpacked. There seems to be an isolation, where she is the only thing in this huge room with nowhere to hide, this is another feature of the generic thriller movie. The floor of the bedroom (as stated earlier in the film) is wooden, and this fact – along with the fact nothing has been unpacked – makes the room seem cold. There is then the fact that almost everything in the scene is a beige or grey colour with even the radiators and the curtains merging with the rest of the scene. It makes the room look emotionless and it shows that she is a stranger to the room as she has not had time to add her own touches. It can make the audience feel that she could be in a lot of danger as she obviously wouldn’t know the house well enough to escape if something happened.
The camera pans further until we are looking at the sleeping figure of Meg through the doorway. This gives the audience the feeling that we are intruding or watching when they shouldn’t be – and a feeling that somebody else as well as them could be watching. It then pans even further to beyond the banister of the stairs (pictured). This gives the feeling that Meg is trapped in her house, and the fact we can still slightly see her could signify that she is being watched, and that she has a lack of control – almost like an animal in a cage. Throughout all of this, the only thing the audience can hear is the sound of the rain against the windows.
We then follow the camera as it pans down two flights of stairs (which illustrates to us the difficulty of escaping if needs be, which increases the tension). Again, this shot notifies us of how empty the house seems thanks to the fact nothing has been unpacked. The camera focuses on the window and a car pulls up outside – the first sound in the scene different to that of the rain. Tense music begins to play, and the audience begin to feel more suspicious and on edge about the situation. A man steps out of the car, and walks towards the window – closer to both the house and the audience. As he walks along the window, the camera begins to track him and the audience knows for definite that something is not right.
The tense music begins to get louder as there is an extreme close up of the lock on the door, and as the camera pans back to the window, we can see one of the burglars clearly for the first time as he leans up against it to try and see in (pictured.) He is wearing gloves, which many people will find suspicious as it means he cannot leave fingerprints – a fact that lets us know he is doing something against the law. The bars across the window also separates us from Junior (the burglar), and gives the audience connotations of jail. The mise-en-scene of this shot is crucial, as it gives the audience many hints about the personality of this character.
Overall, I believe that this film is a brilliant example of a generic thriller film as it holds many characteristics – such as noir lighting (used at the greatest when we meet the burglars), rain and isolation amongst many other signifiers.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Once Upon a Time in America Analysis
Once Upon a Time in America
Director: Sergio Leone (Italian)
1984
Companies: Embassy Internation Pictures and Warner
User Comment (from IMDB):
“Ennio Morricone, who is seen as the greatest writer of film music ever did a great job. Together with the images, the music speaks for itself in this movie. From time to time, there isn’t a word said but the music and images on their own tell a story.”
User Rating: 8.4/10
The film takes place the night that prohibition ends in America, 1930. While the credits are rolling, there is a soundbridge of ‘God Bless America.’ The purpose of this is to establish the fact that the film is set in the USA, it is also used as an ironic technique as in the first five minutes of the film, a woman is murdered, a man is tortured, one of the characters visits an opium den and we also see three other boys that have been murdered.
The film “The Deer Hunter” (1979) used this soundtrack to criticize America’s involvement in the Vietnam war (this movie also stars Robert De Niro). Therefore, it could be that Leone is using this song to open the movie to make a critical statement about the USA. Where The Deer Hunter used the music to criticize the war, in this film it is used ironically to point out gangs and police corruption.
Footsteps and the soundtrack are examples of non-diegetic sound. The footsteps add tension to the film and the sound of a door open increases suspense so the audience is involved even before there is a picture on screen.
The first image in the film is a silhouette in a doorway, the noir lighting is a generic character of the thriller movie and instantly adds tension as the audience don’t know who is there, what they’re doing or whether they play a good or bad part in the movie.
There is a high angle close-up of the girl and the audience can notice her pearls are shining – the director could have done this to highlight the girls wealth or social class,, it could also hint at the fact that she is a femme fatal – as the scene goes on we discover that she is also wearing diamonds and red nail varnish which add to the character of the ‘femme fatal’ that the audience have in their minds.
When Eve (the girl we have met) puts on the Tiffany lamp [Picture 1], her fact is revealed – this is the first shot in the movie where the audience is able to see properly and get a good idea of what is going on. It is important to note the Tiffany lamp, as they are still today extremely expensive, and at the time was a noted feature of high-class or wealth, it also plays a part in making an effective mise-en-scene later on.
The high angle shot of the bullet holes in the mattress that outline the shape of a body [Picture 2] reinforces the genre of the film - this visual device is also used in TV prime dramas such as CSI etc. when somebody has died, this increases suspense as the image immediately brings connotations of death to many people, and it is also used to foreshadow what is about to happen. The rule of thirds is also used in this shot, where she is in one third and the bullet holes in another.
When the gangsters are first introduced, they are wearing conventional gangster outfits. This increases the tension in the shot, as they are instantly recognisable and always hold connotations of danger. The gangsters make a big impression in the film, even in the first few minutes. Instantly, we see that all of them are wearing the same type of clothes, almost like a uniform which seems to make them more united. The dark of their clothes contrasts with the lighter colours that Eve is wearing, and this again reinforces them as the ‘bad guys.’
In the next shot [Picture 3], we see a clearer picture of the three men that have come into the room. The one in the middle is clearly the ‘alpha’ of the gang, and is holding the gun menacingly. The other two are both hiding their faces, one of them shading their eyes below their hat, and the other is turning away from the camera – so although at first it seems we are getting a clear view of the men, we in fact can’t see much about them or their facial features.
We soon see that Eve has been enclosed in a small space and is outnumbered [Picture 4], the audience begin to feel scared for her, as she has no means of escape, and we can tell that the men aren’t going to let her get away – it seems quite uncomfortable to watch as we can almost feel Eve’s fear and the menace and danger that the three men are bringing, although we’re not quite sure of the situation or what has happened previously.
Director: Sergio Leone (Italian)
1984
Companies: Embassy Internation Pictures and Warner
User Comment (from IMDB):
“Ennio Morricone, who is seen as the greatest writer of film music ever did a great job. Together with the images, the music speaks for itself in this movie. From time to time, there isn’t a word said but the music and images on their own tell a story.”
User Rating: 8.4/10
The film takes place the night that prohibition ends in America, 1930. While the credits are rolling, there is a soundbridge of ‘God Bless America.’ The purpose of this is to establish the fact that the film is set in the USA, it is also used as an ironic technique as in the first five minutes of the film, a woman is murdered, a man is tortured, one of the characters visits an opium den and we also see three other boys that have been murdered.
The film “The Deer Hunter” (1979) used this soundtrack to criticize America’s involvement in the Vietnam war (this movie also stars Robert De Niro). Therefore, it could be that Leone is using this song to open the movie to make a critical statement about the USA. Where The Deer Hunter used the music to criticize the war, in this film it is used ironically to point out gangs and police corruption.
Footsteps and the soundtrack are examples of non-diegetic sound. The footsteps add tension to the film and the sound of a door open increases suspense so the audience is involved even before there is a picture on screen.
The first image in the film is a silhouette in a doorway, the noir lighting is a generic character of the thriller movie and instantly adds tension as the audience don’t know who is there, what they’re doing or whether they play a good or bad part in the movie.
There is a high angle close-up of the girl and the audience can notice her pearls are shining – the director could have done this to highlight the girls wealth or social class,, it could also hint at the fact that she is a femme fatal – as the scene goes on we discover that she is also wearing diamonds and red nail varnish which add to the character of the ‘femme fatal’ that the audience have in their minds.
When Eve (the girl we have met) puts on the Tiffany lamp [Picture 1], her fact is revealed – this is the first shot in the movie where the audience is able to see properly and get a good idea of what is going on. It is important to note the Tiffany lamp, as they are still today extremely expensive, and at the time was a noted feature of high-class or wealth, it also plays a part in making an effective mise-en-scene later on.
The high angle shot of the bullet holes in the mattress that outline the shape of a body [Picture 2] reinforces the genre of the film - this visual device is also used in TV prime dramas such as CSI etc. when somebody has died, this increases suspense as the image immediately brings connotations of death to many people, and it is also used to foreshadow what is about to happen. The rule of thirds is also used in this shot, where she is in one third and the bullet holes in another.
When the gangsters are first introduced, they are wearing conventional gangster outfits. This increases the tension in the shot, as they are instantly recognisable and always hold connotations of danger. The gangsters make a big impression in the film, even in the first few minutes. Instantly, we see that all of them are wearing the same type of clothes, almost like a uniform which seems to make them more united. The dark of their clothes contrasts with the lighter colours that Eve is wearing, and this again reinforces them as the ‘bad guys.’
In the next shot [Picture 3], we see a clearer picture of the three men that have come into the room. The one in the middle is clearly the ‘alpha’ of the gang, and is holding the gun menacingly. The other two are both hiding their faces, one of them shading their eyes below their hat, and the other is turning away from the camera – so although at first it seems we are getting a clear view of the men, we in fact can’t see much about them or their facial features.
We soon see that Eve has been enclosed in a small space and is outnumbered [Picture 4], the audience begin to feel scared for her, as she has no means of escape, and we can tell that the men aren’t going to let her get away – it seems quite uncomfortable to watch as we can almost feel Eve’s fear and the menace and danger that the three men are bringing, although we’re not quite sure of the situation or what has happened previously.
We are reminded of the warning bullet-holes in the mattress as Eve is shot, and rolls straight onto the place it was [Picture 5]. It seemed that they had planned it, and they had laid it out for her to die on – this is extremely clever as although the audience has been forewarned about what was probably going to happen, they are still willing it not to. The audience can also see the particulate detail that has gone into planning the room and the outfits, as it seems that Eve is wearing a t-shirt that matches both the bed and the Tiffany lamp, which is ironic as she dies on the bed and almost blends into it. Ironically, after she has been killed the three men walk out – and the last stops to turn off the lamp, which could also signify the ending of her life.
There is a quick cut from the room where we have left Eve to the same men that now have a man tied up, beaten and bloodied [Picture 6]. The quick cut could signify the fact that the gang are in a hurry, or that they won’t stop until they have found whatever or whoever they are looking for (which we, as the audience, are still oblivious of). We also discover that the men always work as a group, which likens them to school bullies – too cowardly to fight on their own, this is also backed up by the fact that both people we have seen them fight or kill have been vulnerable. In the first shot, they killed an unarmed girl in an enclosed space, and in this shot we see them with a larger man that has been tied up, again, unarmed.
At this point, there is an extreme close up. This is extremely effective in the film as it shows both the vulnerability of the victim and the brutality of his attackers, this also draws much more emotion out of the audience as we feel extreme hatred for the gang and the helplessness and desperation of the victims.
The film then changes tone, from a violent to a more relaxed as we enter an opium den. The mise-en-scene shows Noodles (Robert De Niro) ‘off his face’ on drugs. This reinforces the ironic representation of God Bless America as so far we have not seen it as Blessed by God, but only corrupt and dangerous. 
We hear a phone ringing, which is a non-diegetic sound. This is another sound-bridge which is used to link Noodles to a flashback of his murdered friends. We then cut to the scene of the flashback – a dark, rainy, almost eerie scene which holds many generic features of a thriller movie, these include the noir lighting, the chiaroscuro lighting when the streetlights are on fire, and the soaking streets which connate despair, death and mortality. There is also a photographer at the scene, which is one of the first hints that there has been a crime. [Picture 7] The shot of the corpses of the young boys represents the murder of innocents, although we learn later on in the film that they are not as innocent as the audience first presume. The shot of the corpses end with them being put into body bags and labelled, which is all the characters have been left with. [Picture 8] This, again, shows how corrupt this America has become. The camera pans, and we see Noodles in the crowd watching what is going on, this is our only indication so far that he is connected somehow.
So, in the first five minutes of the film, we see an opium den, a crime scene, a man being beaten and tortured and four murders.
God Bless America.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Calvin Klein Perfume Analysis
(Click on the photo and hover over it for more information)
This advert appealed to me as one that I would like to analyse as it is simple and yet the message is clear and appealing. The three ideologies I can see from this advert are: security, love and happiness.
I believe that the theme of this advert is love and intimacy; it is unlike many of the adverts around that advertise half naked men or women and instead suggests that the perfume will bring you long lasting love and/or a steady relationship – which is also backed up by the title of the perfume which is: ‘Eternity’.
The photo in the advert is a close up of a couple that are cuddled up together, asleep. This shows that they are comfortable with each other and have a lot of trust in their partner. It may be significant that his face is close to hers, showing that even in his sleep he is reaching to be able to smell her fragrance. It also hints of the theory that a certain smell can bring comfort and security, as they both look secure with each other.
I believe that the black and white shows that the theme is timeless and classic and that it has always been what people look for and what they will always look for. It suggests that the relationship is perfect with no troubles or ‘grey areas’ and that the perfume being advertised is able to help you achieve such a perfect relationship.
The black and white also contrasts well with the photo of the perfume in the bottom right hand corner, this makes the bottle almost glow, and it makes the consumers eyes stray naturally to it. The colour makes it extremely appealing and also shows clearly what is being advertised.
The woman in the photo is not wearing a lot of make-up, which shows that the perfume can make you feel good whether you’re all dressed up to go out or just sitting at home, it also implies that with the perfume you will be attractive whatever.
There isn’t a lot of writing on the advert, which I believe is extremely important as it lets the photo speak for itself, and the audience come up with their own conclusions as to what it means instead of putting words into their head.
After researching the advert, I just discovered it was made in 1995, I thought that I would include this fact as it shows that some themes are timeless, as I think that this advert would still be successful today, as it shows the theme of love and intimacy.
I believe that this advertisement is extremely clever and would appeal to a wide audience of women as most women dream about having a perfect relationship and that is what the advert is portraying.
This advert appealed to me as one that I would like to analyse as it is simple and yet the message is clear and appealing. The three ideologies I can see from this advert are: security, love and happiness.
I believe that the theme of this advert is love and intimacy; it is unlike many of the adverts around that advertise half naked men or women and instead suggests that the perfume will bring you long lasting love and/or a steady relationship – which is also backed up by the title of the perfume which is: ‘Eternity’.
The photo in the advert is a close up of a couple that are cuddled up together, asleep. This shows that they are comfortable with each other and have a lot of trust in their partner. It may be significant that his face is close to hers, showing that even in his sleep he is reaching to be able to smell her fragrance. It also hints of the theory that a certain smell can bring comfort and security, as they both look secure with each other.
I believe that the black and white shows that the theme is timeless and classic and that it has always been what people look for and what they will always look for. It suggests that the relationship is perfect with no troubles or ‘grey areas’ and that the perfume being advertised is able to help you achieve such a perfect relationship.
The black and white also contrasts well with the photo of the perfume in the bottom right hand corner, this makes the bottle almost glow, and it makes the consumers eyes stray naturally to it. The colour makes it extremely appealing and also shows clearly what is being advertised.
The woman in the photo is not wearing a lot of make-up, which shows that the perfume can make you feel good whether you’re all dressed up to go out or just sitting at home, it also implies that with the perfume you will be attractive whatever.
There isn’t a lot of writing on the advert, which I believe is extremely important as it lets the photo speak for itself, and the audience come up with their own conclusions as to what it means instead of putting words into their head.
After researching the advert, I just discovered it was made in 1995, I thought that I would include this fact as it shows that some themes are timeless, as I think that this advert would still be successful today, as it shows the theme of love and intimacy.
I believe that this advertisement is extremely clever and would appeal to a wide audience of women as most women dream about having a perfect relationship and that is what the advert is portraying.
Rimmel 60 Second Advert Analysis
(Click on the photo and hover over different points to find out more information)
This poster is advertising Rimmel’s ‘dry in 60 seconds’ nail varnish. The three ideologies I see here are beauty, creativity and speed.
I believe the concept of this advert is extremely clever and it gets the message across extremely well in multiple ways without overcrowding the page.
The model is wearing a helmet which insinuates that she is a racing driver or something similar- this in turn shows speed which illustrates the fact that the nail varnish dries in 60 seconds. The ‘60’ on the helmet also backs up this idea.
I believe the ‘60’ on the helmet is an important detail as professional racers have numbers on their helmets or cars, but the model has it in a font which is similar to fonts used by fashion magazines such as Vogue. This gives the reader the idea that although it’s a fast process, it’s extremely fashionable.
I believe that the helmet also plays another important factor in the advert. It not only implies speed, but also danger which gives the reader the idea that the model is being daring and adventurous in wearing this kind of nail varnish. This is significant as in the fashion world, people are always trying to pull off new ways of looking adventurous but fashionable, and this advert shows that using this brand of nail varnish is a way of pulling this off.
The way the model has positioned her hand on the helmet makes her look elegant and glamorous, she also looks calm and her make-up and nail varnish is perfect even though she’s meant to have been racing. This again illustrates the glamour and elegance of the nail varnish.
The colours are also important. The primary colour in the advert is white which is a pure, innocent colour; this contrasts against the black of the nail varnish which could show a darker, more daring side of the model – which goes along with the earlier idea of being adventurous.
The words underneath the photo: ‘play hard and fast’ imply that you can do anything and it won’t ruin your nails, and keep you looking elegant, and the phrase ‘make up your own language’ also go along with the earlier point about being adventurous with fashion, and showing that with all of the different colours available with the nail varnish you can be creative and come up with your own individual look.
This poster is advertising Rimmel’s ‘dry in 60 seconds’ nail varnish. The three ideologies I see here are beauty, creativity and speed.
I believe the concept of this advert is extremely clever and it gets the message across extremely well in multiple ways without overcrowding the page.
The model is wearing a helmet which insinuates that she is a racing driver or something similar- this in turn shows speed which illustrates the fact that the nail varnish dries in 60 seconds. The ‘60’ on the helmet also backs up this idea.
I believe the ‘60’ on the helmet is an important detail as professional racers have numbers on their helmets or cars, but the model has it in a font which is similar to fonts used by fashion magazines such as Vogue. This gives the reader the idea that although it’s a fast process, it’s extremely fashionable.
I believe that the helmet also plays another important factor in the advert. It not only implies speed, but also danger which gives the reader the idea that the model is being daring and adventurous in wearing this kind of nail varnish. This is significant as in the fashion world, people are always trying to pull off new ways of looking adventurous but fashionable, and this advert shows that using this brand of nail varnish is a way of pulling this off.
The way the model has positioned her hand on the helmet makes her look elegant and glamorous, she also looks calm and her make-up and nail varnish is perfect even though she’s meant to have been racing. This again illustrates the glamour and elegance of the nail varnish.
The colours are also important. The primary colour in the advert is white which is a pure, innocent colour; this contrasts against the black of the nail varnish which could show a darker, more daring side of the model – which goes along with the earlier idea of being adventurous.
The words underneath the photo: ‘play hard and fast’ imply that you can do anything and it won’t ruin your nails, and keep you looking elegant, and the phrase ‘make up your own language’ also go along with the earlier point about being adventurous with fashion, and showing that with all of the different colours available with the nail varnish you can be creative and come up with your own individual look.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Music Video.
For our homework, we had to embed a music video from YouTube onto our blog. We could choose any music video, but I chose We Sleep Forever by Aiden.
I didn't only choose this as Aiden are my favourite band, but also because I thought it fit in with the theme of 'Thriller movies' rather well. The song was written for a horror/thriller movie called Dead Silence in which a woman is controlling a ventriloquist doll that attempts to kill everyone. Although I know that this movie is more of a horror, there are many thriller elements and this music video, I believe, tried to capture some of the Thriller elements by using the bit at the beginning of the video with the gravestones (with the names of members of the band) before the music even kicks in; I believe they done this bit to create a mysterious and tense atmosphere and then when the music kicks in, it could make the audience jump.
I believe that the way the video is shot also contributes to how it is like a Thriller movie. It is scened mostly in the dark with artificial light so we can see the band, this is often used in thriller movies to create tension as you can't see what is happening or who is in the dark. I think that they're all wearing white to contrast against the dark night and their actions are sometimes quite sudden which is another feature in most thriller movies.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Introduction.
Hey,
My name is Beth Wyer, and this is my new blog for my Media AS level. I will use the blog regularly and upload various pieces of my work that will lead up to my coursework later on.
That's it for now...
Beth xo
My name is Beth Wyer, and this is my new blog for my Media AS level. I will use the blog regularly and upload various pieces of my work that will lead up to my coursework later on.
That's it for now...
Beth xo
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