Genres

Films And Their Genre.

Genre defines the type of film, it gives the audience a representation of what to expect of the film before they actually view it. if a film is for example a horror film the audience would look at this genre type and automatically know that they should expect; scary scenes and maybe a violent nature and/or language. If a film didn't have a genre it wouldn't be a very good film, well really it would be pretty awful.
in class we attempted to create our own film posters relevant to each genre, we were given the five genres from which we could be as creative as we wanted and let our imaginations flow. The first image we created was for the genre horror.

HORROR

This is our horror movie film poster, I believe it went reasonably well. We took in consideration all the aspects a horror movie would contain, we made sure that there was a creepy character, and that it was dark, although this image doesn't look very dark we had turned all of the artificial lights off so that it was only natural lighting entering the room but sadly we could not get rid of that so we did our best to try and work that into the image by using the art of reflection. This also made it look more dramatic and eerie which allowed the audience to realise the genre straight away.

Action

Our action shot was probably one of the funniest to take due to the fact we had to sneak into the car park and lay under the cars. Aside from that our shot shows clearly that it belongs in the action genre. The girl laying on the floor indicates that something could be wrong that maybe she is trying to get away to run from something, another key aspect is that she is wearing a student badge and casual clothing which also implies that this is not a regular action film and that it may not be what viewers would expect. 

Rom-com

Our romantic comedy photo is pretty much the typical expectation of a film photo of this genre. It is of two people holding hands by a wall of flowers, it shows the romantic relationship between the couple. The fact that only one of the characters bodies is actually featured in the shot could show that there is maybe some mystery with who the second person actually is. This could be linked to the plot of the film for example it could be about a couple on a dating website who have never met and wish to meet up. The colours of the shot also make it more relaxed and humours as the colours create a false present ion of natural lighting this makes it look almost unrealistic and more alike a fairy tale. 

Comedy

This shot was probably our least successful due to it having no context or relevance what so ever to what the girl in the photo is even doing. at the time the photo was taken we thought it would be interesting to make it look like someone was trespassing into unknown grounds but making a fool of herself at the same time, after we shot the photo we realised that it didn't look like what we expected at all and that it looked to be honest pretty bad. The only thing that I believe went well with this photo is the colours and the lighting, the bright contrasting colours help to assure the audience of the genre and allowing them to realise that the film will be there to make you laugh and feel happy rather than a darker shot which could be there to show you that you will feel sad or scared.

Sci-fi

This shot was created in context of an alien race exploring different things. The image is of an eye ball which is strangely misshaped and includes two pupils looking in opposite directions. The image is high contrast to show that it is not a tension filled film with lots of dark scenes but a lighter film which is maybe for a wider variety of audiences compared to other sci-fi films like alien vs predator. The creepy eerie shot contradicts this by making people uncomfortable with the image.

Overall our images went as expected. They weren't amazing but they weren't terribly awful either, some of our strengths we could play to and some just made the image loose context. All round our images show what genre they are which is what the task was.

juno task

 

This is my re make of the opening from Juno, I filmed it, Marcus Borrowing acted and edited it, I think it went well because Marcus the person playing Juno was a very good actor and we worked really well as a team. We managed to only need to film each shot a couple of times because of silly mistakes and because we had written down the exact timings for everything it meant that we didn't have to do much cropping when it came to the editing because the shots were near enough the length they needed to be. When I was editing the footage I got carried away with making it perfect that I fell behind and had to continue to catch up with a lot of other media work this meant that I began to rush, which then resulted in me forgetting completely to include transitions. If I were to re do this I would work out a plan to manage my time better meaning that I wouldn't fall behind and I wouldn't forget to include transitions.

You are editing your own footage, how did the filming go?

The filming went surprisingly really well for my first time using a video camera. We managed to find good settings and we filmed the shots well leaving little editing to do. We made sure that we took each shot more than once so that we could choose the best one later instead of being stuck with only one really bad shot.

Was your storyboard accurate?

Our story board was reasonably accurate and this allowed us to have a good understanding of the shots and everything about them like the camera angle, the length and what exactly happened in each shot, we got all of this from watching the Juno opening and noting down all of the timings and details about each shot. We were also able to draw quick accurate sketches from what the scenes should look like and we noted down all of the details that we would need to include like key terms and costumes. We then then noted down what transitions linked all of the shots together and exactly what they looked like so that when it came to editing it we could see what we needed to match.  

What were your strengths and weaknesses in the group?

We worked really well as a group and we got along really well which meant we worked even better, i believe that our strengths as a group were that we pay attention to detail meaning that we knew exactly what went where and how everything should look to the smallest detail possible, although this was also a weakness within the group because it meant that I took longer than expected to edit the footage due to me speaking too much time marketing sure that it was perfect. 

Did you get all the footage you wanted?

We managed to get all of the scenes we wanted without having to re shoot to many of them as all we did was shoot the shots at least twice meaning that we had a variety to choose from, we didn't have to go back after we had finished and re do anything which was good.

What technical skills - camera and premiere - did you learn? 

Before completing the task i was still really fresh to the editing scene, this meant that i struggled a bit to start with (finding the correct transitions) but I soon became more confident with using the software and was able to use it affectively. I learnt how to fit the shots to the screen and how to have them speed up and slow down so that they fitted with the story board and what it looked like in the film.

How does it compare to the original?

The video I created looks very similar to the original with the shots and how they were filmed, the only thing that is different is that when I was editing it the computer I was using kept repentantly crashing every time I went to save it this meant that I had to do it over again (8 times) this took up a lot of time and meant that I fell behind in my other work, and in my final piece because i was to worried about loosing my work again I completely forgot to include transitions. 

What went well - What I learnt - What I will take with me to the next production...

I believe that the editing of the piece other than the annoying problems that kept happening, went really well, we had the perfect shots that we were able to take straight forward and use only having to trim a few mili seconds off of the beginning so that it looked like the actor was already walking and you didn't see him still at the start of each shot. Because we noted down everything we could in our story board it meant that we managed to find props and costumes in advance that matched the ones used for example the red hoodie and the drinks bottle.

I learnt that i really need to remember to save my work whilst im doing it so that if anything happens nothing is lost. I also learnt that making sure you have more than one take of each shot is really really helpful because it means you don't have to shoot again if your shots bad. I also learnt that to get a good shot without people obscuring the footage by walking in the way, which obviously we couldn't help or stop but we could make sure that we checked to make sure we couldn't see anyone in the distance that might do this.

Mise en scene?

This basically means what is in the scene?                                                                                         what is in the scene is what information is in front of the camera for the audience to help them work out what's going on. It is made up of five different elements;

• Setting and props.
• Costume, hair and makeup.
• Facial expression and body language.
• Lighting and colour.
• Positioning of character within the frame.

The setting and props help show clearly where the scene is set for example if their is a bookshelf full of books it is most likely that the scene is set in somewhere like a library rather than a dentistry for example.

Costumes with the help of hair and makeup help develop the character so that the audience has a rough idea of who the person is and what they are like. an example would be, a villainous character is most likely to be wearing dark scary clothing with a less groomed presence.

Facial expressions help the audience understand how the character is feeling and they give a feel for the genre of the film.

lighting and colour this is slightly more complicated, there are two types of lighting which are high and low key. high hey lighting is used in softer films like romance and rom-coms. In these films more filters are used to create the effect of overly natural colours (blue is really blue). films like this also use exaggerated colours and sunny scenes because weather is often linked to emotions. High key lighting is used in darker films like horrors of thrillers. there are four things that are usually used in a film like this and they are... sharp contrasts, to emphasis the distinct features of the face and body of the characters. deep distinct shadows these make the presence of the characters more tense. silhouettes are used as these make you fear the unknown and make you wonder which is good for a horror film and finally back lights. these all help to create a perfect image.

the positioning of the characters helps emphasise what the film is about and gives a feel to the superiority of the characters.

Carrie (2013)

The setting of this film is in a small town in America, there are also scenes in a school, a house and a dance. These all help to create a realistic feel to the film. The opening scene of the trailer is of a woman singing in her house, this makes the audience feel like it is a normal film, with ordinary people doing casual things. The scene then quickly changes to a shot of a door in which a girl is trapped behind screaming to be let out, which automatically brings tension to the clip and scares the audience into wondering what is going on and wanting to watch more to find out. As the trailer goes on more of the scenes are introduced for example the next scene is of the school corridors. which then brings the tension level back down confusing the audience making them want to know more.

The first person to appear in the footage is a lady around the age of forty, with long brown hair and a cross around her neck. The clothes she is wearing are a dark long dress. Because clothing helps develop the character, her clothes could say that she is a woman of religion, due to crucifix and the long dress. There is not much to show about her personality other than that she is possibly a dark person with lots of secrets this is due to her long dress covering the majority of her body, it could imply that the dress is a representation of herself and that it is possibly a metaphor there to help the audience. The characters hair is really long, long hair is usually associated with witches or people with a creepy nature, this could shoe that she possibly has a creepy nature. The other character in the one of the first three scenes is the main character Carrie, she is dressed in her first scene in a casual school suitable outfit, this could show that she is a normal girl who attends school and has no unusual problems. The way her hair is positioned is to the side in a braid this could show that she is possibly less confident compared to the other character who seems to be her mother, Having her hair tied back gives us the feeling that she is uncomfortable with letting her hair down.

The facial expressions of these two characters are very similar we only ever see the emotions of either sadness or anger never happiness or joy, the characters in the clip don't seem to smile this linking back to the genre of the film could show that it is a scary film and that it doesn't contain any joyful parts.

 Low key lighting is used quite a lot in the trailer this is to emphasis the dark nature of the film and to make it fell more scary, the lighter the colour palate the friendlier the persona of the film.

as the source is a moving image the positioning is varied, there are shots where the characters are close up this is to build tension and make the audience feel small and weak, it shows dominance and aggression. there are also other shots where the camera is further out positioning the characters whole body in the screen this along side the panning of the camera makes the audience feel helpless and like they are just watching the characters from a distance and are not really involved too much with the film at this current point.

A walk to remember. (2002)

In this image the characters costumes are very traditionally American with the tartan shirt and the floral blouse. The clothing shows the people as normal young adults of the time. The hair and make up of the characters is simple and plain there are no false prosthetics and no heavy make up. The characters are positioned together in a close formation this shows that they have a good relationship and are most likely in a relationship. The girl in the image is smiling into her chest this could show that maybe she is less confident and shy than the male in the image who is smiling into her hair. The lighting is very warm and high this shows that the film is warm and romantic. The characters are positioned close up in the screen this makes you feel part of the image, it also shows that the film is based around them.

Short film analysis

The Equilibrium:

A man and a woman are both on their way to work and waiting at a tram station. in New York both catching regular eye contact. The man drops a piece of paper and it flies into the lady's face leaving the imprint of her lipstick.The woman's tram arrives and she leaves.The man realises he likes her and wants to see her again.

Disruption:

The man spots her in the building opposite but has no way to reach her.

Recognition of disruption:

He then attempts to reach her by making paper aeroplanes to catch her attention but this fails with every attempt.

Attempt to repair:

They both finish work and suddenly all of the paper aeroplanes catch flight one chasing after the woman and the rest, forcefully pushing the man back to her.

Reinstatement of equilibrium:

The two people are finally reunited and they then proceed to go out on a date.

Distinct films

Distinct

• describe in detail...
• setting,
• themes,
• icons,
• narrative,
• characters, textual analysis.

Oculus:

this film falls under the horror category due to the low key lighting used thought the whole film, we automatically get a feel for the setting as the first shot in the trailer is in a basement of a house and the character has an american accent (although she's Scottish so its not a great accent), this is usually the quite typical setting for a horror movie so there is nothing different being done here. we can also tell it is set in the present day due to the style in which they talk and the clothing they wear. Horror films include paranormal aspects and this film clearly contains many, with use of the 'devil', poltergeists, and unusual occurrences/hallucinations. The shots in the trailer are mainly shot within this house although some are shot outside in broad daylight these shots make the film feel more realistic making the horror scenes more scary. The main theme of this film is revenge. The main character in this film looks to seek revenge on a mirror which has supposedly killed hundreds of people including her mother and made her younger brother go insane (we know this because she collects him from a mental hospital on the day of his release). The main icon in the film is the mirror it is in the opening shot of the trailer emphasising the importance. The narrative of the film seems to be of two people seeking the truth about a mirror, recording their findings and being haunted by their pasts. The characters in the film are siblings which means that the film can relate to more people and allow the audience to connect and become more terrified.The textual analysis of the film is that it is shot in mainly low key lighting with scary dramatic orchestra music.

The Vow:

this film falls under the romance category. it is set in america, some of the sense are shot in a house others in places like the hospital or in the park it has a wide range of venues, but all in america. the main theme of the film is love and how no mater what you should always fight for the ones you love even if they don't remember who you are. there is not really a main icon in the film other than things like photographs which are used to attempt to allow her to remember her past. the narrative of the film is very emotional tugging on everyone heart strings. it is set around a young couple and their life together (and apart) and how one tragic accident can destroy nearly everything other than ones love for another, Channing Tatum plays a character whose wife looses her memory of him due to a tragic accident so he makes it his mission to make her remember her allowing himself to fall in love with her all over again, but will she fall back? There are two main characters in this film played by Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, these characters are lovers who face a horrific accident and fight for their love. there are also other characters who play a less larger part in the movie like the ex boyfriend, the friends and the mother. the textual analysis of the film is that it is filmed with mainly high key lighting and uses sound to make us feel what the characters do. the film itself is based around a true story.

The guardians of the galaxy:

this film is a hybrid it contains aspects of science fiction, comedy, action and romance. the film is set in outer space. there are scenes on a spaceship, floating in space itself, on various planets and even in an alien prison. it is mainly filmed during the day with some scenes of the night. the themes of the film are adventure, journey friendship and revenge, all of which interlock creating a 'marvel'lous story line. there are two main icons of the film these are the audio player and headset and the magic rock. these are both there for different purposes the audio player to remind us that the main character is still human which allows us to connect with the film. the rock is these so that the film has something to revolve around without it there would be no relevant story line. The plot of the film is based around a team of misfit villains who team up making the most unlikely team and set out to get back this rock and  kill the person who stole it all whist being on the run from the police force. There are 5 main characters of the film all who are completely different. the only thing they have in common is the task and their developing friendship. they all have differerent personalities which helps make the film more comedic.

Camera shots

< This is an extreme close up shot (ECU)


This is a long shot (LS) >



< This is an extreme long shot (ELS)


This is a Medium close up (MCU) >

< This is a medium long shot (MLS)


This is a medium shot (MS) >

Semiotics

The image contains two people one male and the other female. the angle of the shot is close up with a side view of the male and a frontal view of the females face. there is also a translucent image of the woman from a side angle in the background, this looks almost like her ghost or soul is leaving her. This could link to the title of the film as it is called 'if I stay' which could be linked to a spiritual comparison. Both of their clothing seems to look casual from what little of it is shown in the image. As both characters are close up it gives the impression that they are in a relationship and possibly something tragic has happened which is casing the male in the image to position himself very close to he and look at her with no exact expression on his face. The image of the girl who is facing the camera has a blank expression on her face she has her eyes open and they are facing the camera this builds tension and makes you want to know what she is looking at or why she is looking like she is whilst lying on the floor. Whereas the shot behind her where she is slightly lifted her eyes are closed this gives the poster a calm feel and makes you realise that the film isn't going to be an up beat jolly film but one that will possibly bring tears to your eyes, it also could be metaphorical and could show that after watching the film you will wish you hadn't and would want to block out the world due to the sadness of it. the warm pastel colours of the image give it a romantic yet sad feel to it as they are warm it makes the viewer feel all warm inside this is usually a feeling related to love. the paleness of the colours could be compared to the paleness of death. the lighting is a big part of the image it is used mainly to represent the light that you supposedly see when you die. this light is used in both the main image and the title.

Analysing film opening denotations and connotations.

This scene is a fast moving action piece, this can be identified by the fast movement of the characters 'swinging' from building to building. The fast pace of this automatically makes the reader feel connected to the movie. Thought the opening the characters movements are fast passe but slowly they become more dragged out and slow as the clip goes on the tension builds this is due to the passe increasing again, this is also because of the clips of the black van driving terribly round the roads of new york.

The basic denotations of this scene is an action hero, in costume, swinging from buildings until he spots trouble on the streets and quickly rushes to the rescue attempting to save a young child's life along with the majority of the city as well. The connotations of this are that the man in the suit is the main hero of the film and that he doesn't take what he does as serious as he probably should, because i mean looking after the whole of America in spandex is a tough job for anyone, right? we can tell that he doesn't take what he does seriously due to the fact he is practically flying through the air but is yelling things in amazement ('wooooo' 'yeahhhh') also his almost continuous giggle. this also reassures the audience on the film and the genre and gives you a direct feel on the characters personality.

At the beginning of the scene Spiderman is just messing around and genuinely having fun. soon after the scene changes to a shot of a huge truck racing round the streets causing complete havoc. spiderman soon comes to the rescue stopping this. the begging shot uses very high key lighting making the first feel to the film friendly and energetic high key lighting is usually linked to film genres like rom-com or comedy, and in this circumstance the film has aspects of both. overall the start of the opening scene has a happy fell to it making the audience want to engage with the footage. the scene then gets darker on the scene of the truck this emphases a 'bad guy' feel to the clip automatically asserting the reader that these are not the good guys and that they are bad

the setting is in new york a familiar scene to most people the fact that it is more of the main city and less of the small blocks or streets makes it feel more touristy and family friendly linking back to the film itself.

The characters in these clips have no common relationship other than maybe the child's parents and the bad guys who look like colleagues. Other than that there doesn't seem to be any strong relationships between the main character and any of the other featured people of the clip.

so overall this clip in every way possible reassures the audience that it is a fun loving family friendly film.