Media Studies 2 - James

In class today, I learnt a lot of tips on how to keep the audience in suspense in the opening of a scene. My group will discuss on Monday the things which the class discussed about creating suspense, and we’re going to use these ideas in our film opening.

Some of these ideas are:

-The timing of each shot. This can be used by cutting to and fro with characters to build the suspense up.

- The music. Music is a very important part as it can vary in the volume, depending on what scene it is being played in. E.g, low, booming bass works well, but high-pitched, shrill sounds are the best.

- Lighting is key in creating suspense. Using dramatic light and darkness can add tension to the film opening. Black shadows, bright disorienting lights and sharp contrasts can add interest.

-To avoid showing the scary thing. It will make the tension rise dramatically, but only temporarily, so if you present it too early, you’ve lost your momentum. It is ok to show it just barely visibly to get the audience’s attention.

-Slowing the scene down. This could be to show that the killer is relaxed, whilst his/her victim is terrified.

-The setting. Setting is extremely important. The best way to create suspense in a scene is for it to be set in a desolate or deserted place. This gives the viewer a feeling that there is no hope or help for the victim.

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 Film Distribution

-It’s the launching of a film into market place and to keep the public interest in the film.

- Distribution is dominated by Paramount, Warner and Universal.

- Distributors may be involved in a film in these three ways: Investment, may buy rights once film has been made and to distribute films made by the parent company.

Positioning

- How and when the film is to be released such as what time of year, other film releases and the target audience.

Circulation

- How many copies of film to be circulated to cinemas.

- Each print costs £1000

- Distributor decides if film needs  1. Saturation release (700-1000 prints) or 2. Art-house release (around 20 prints)

Release

- The best times for blockbusters to be released are times such as when school finishes.

- Potential award winner, released during traditional season of awards competition: January to March

- Competition is also considered.

Marketing

- It can cost as much as making the film!

- The main aim is to create a “must-see” feeling about the film. This can be used in adverts and film posters.

- Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing aid for a film.

Posters

- They use standard elements which are used to sell the idea of film to viewer.

- Main image often echo’s an important moment in the film.

- The main actors are shown

- Unique selling point, the element that offers something special or different about the film.

- Teaser posters are poster which only use a few key elements of a film to generate interest.

For more info, visit - http://www.scribd.com/doc/14824555/Film-Distribution

1. The idea I came up with was basic, which of course it had to be. The film starts off with someone opening the door, then when he/she walks through it, enters into another room, which he/she does not expect. So the character walks back through the door, but entering another unknown room, and is even more confused. This continues for a while, with the character entering and re-entering rooms which he has either been in before, or hasn’t been in at all.

The music used should be something used in a lot of comedy films, or something which is well known for being annoying or bouncy like. (Crazy frog)

Camera angles used in this short film would be long shots (when character enters a room, to show what the room looks like), high shots (also when character enters rooms, to make the rooms look dominant over him) and close up shots (to show the confused expression on characters face).

2. The second idea which came up was originally Connor’s idea, so I have, let’s say, flourished, in his idea :). Character is walking down the corridor like usual in school, when he happens to bump into someone with a black cloak on with a knife in his hands. The character screams and runs off, right round in a circle and bumps into the murderers back. The creates humour and shows that the character isn’t exactly smart. After this, the character is being chased down a corridor with loads of doors on each side, and the character and villain are chasing each other through all the doors. This is a classic idea, which was originally used a lot in cartoons such as Loony Tunes. Film ends with character and villain bumping into each other with a loud bop.

Music would be something like in the other idea, but something a lot more bouncier, rather than annoying.

The camera angles used in the opening scene would be mid side shots. For the corridor scene, the camera angle would be a high shot to capture as many doors possible.

Apologies to Bill for not being able to upload story board so far to Blog.

Will hopefully get it done and dusted soon.

There seems to be a problem uploading it in school time, as it blocks it every time.

Will also have difficulty at home as I have a apple mac, which does not have any decent word documents i could use.

Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence of images, just as words and punctuation combine to make the meaning of a sentence.

Three important factors for our film would be

- The Framing or the length of the shot

- The angle of the shot

- If there is any movements involved

1. Extreme long shot

This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it’s meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

2. Long Shot

This includes the full shot showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges: we can tell the coffins on the right are in a Western-style setting, for instance.

3. Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action.Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene. A variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first figure’s back, head and shoulder.

4. Close up shot

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is mostly a blurr in a background.  This shot magnifies the object and shows the importance of things, even words written on paper or the expression on someone’s face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get that close to our face such as mothers, children and lovers usually, so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot.

5. Extreme close up

As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is used for dramatic effect. The disadvantage for this shot is if the camera moves slightly, it is extremely easy to realise, so the shot must be taken very carefully.

 - Long Shot

 - Medium shot

The major forms and conventions of film posters could include:

A large title which attracts the eye, bold colours which stand out from the background, intriguing picture which would attract viewers to the film, persuasive language which might persuade the viewers to go and see the film, using the main character’s name for promotion, and the certification will either to ensure that the right type of people are watching the film.

etc. horror Films - eerie images in order to appeal to horror fans.

A successful film poster will accomplish attracting the target audience and persuade them to come and watch the film.

An example of film poster analysis would be:

Connotations and denotations - They are dressed in black, all wearing the same smart suits, glasses and shoes. This connotes that they are possibly gangsters. They’re all spread out, which demonstrates that they are not organised or well prepared.

Colours and semiotics are used in this poster to show simplicity  and perhaps death, as their suits are black. Their shirts are the same colour as the background which connotes heat and perhaps suggests that they are hard to capture. The title of the movie is used against the red to make it stand out. The red is used to connote bloodshed, which shows that there are murders in the film. Target Audience would be for older teenagers to middle aged men who are interested in their gangster lives and to see the action unfold in the movie.

In this poster, the representations being made would be that they are part of the gang, because they are all wearing the same clothes, sunglasses and are dressed all in black. It might also indicate that they could be possible drug dealers or involved in possibly a crime. This would attract it’s audience as it is simple looking and make them curious to know what the film is all about. It will also appeal to their danger loving side.

The most noticeable words which appear on the poster would be the title “reservoir dogs” This title stands out the most because of its large size and bold colours. The colour red could represent the colour of blood. These words being so noticeable would affect the target audience because it causes simplicity for the person looking at the poster and makes them remember the title.

The institution of this film would be Miramax. They would attract the target audience by using star-power and gangster strap lines, which would encourage the viewers to watch it.

1.       medium has been chosen because its easy to advertise in a lot of different places. This can achieve a larger audience. In reference to the text, it has a sinister and dark look to it, which makes people want to see it.

2.       The purpose of this text is so that the movie can be advertised in a lot more places, which allows more people to see it. This makes more people see it, which give the movie a bigger profit. It also may change peoples taste in the films they like, which allows them to watch a bigger variety of films. This can help other films have an audience..

3.       The genre of this text is horror/thriller. The colour of the background in this poster is black, which is connotations of darkness, evil, horror and fear. The look on the characters faces are full of fear, which suggests that something terrifying is looking down on them. There is a bright light shining down on them, which also suggests that there is something or someone watching them. The mise en scene is mainly used on the costumes, which has blood stains and dirt marks on them. This gives the audience an idea that they have been through a lot of pain and/or adventure. Because the background is black and is surrounding the characters, it gives an impression that they are helpless against what ever is against them.

4.       The fonts used for the main title is sans-serif, but is a big size and bold, to make it look more eye catching. It is also cleshay as it is coloured white, and is made to look like a horror movie. The font is also white, so it stands out better with the black background.  It stands out, as well as the characters do.

5.       Technical codes: Colour – The poster has used opposite colours so that they stand out more.  The choice of colour contributes to how a film looks and helps to tell the story. The colours black and white can bring out strong and subtle contrasts in shading, location and time of day. It helps to make facial expressions stand out.

Composition (mise en scene) – Because no objects are used in the poster, such as weapons, it makes the characters look helpless or powerless

Lighting – The lighting is combined with darkness and light. The light is shone on the characters to make their clothes, and minor details stand out. This helps create mood in them, and their facial expressions stand out more.

Ryan - Main Character

James - mysterious murderer

Shannon and Connor - take turns with camera roll

Ryan and James -main editors

Shannon - Music artist

House scene - Filmed in Ryan’s grannies house on Charlotte street. (not for definite).

House scene includes bathroom, bedroom and going out the door scene.

Street scene filmed in Port Ellen. Alley scene filmed in alley near Grandma’s house.

Music - 4 minutes long. James and Ryan will edit the music so it is relevant to the opening scene.

Connor - instructor as he will be told what everyone is supposed to be doing in each and every scene.

The group is deciding at the moment whether to do the opening without the bedroom scene as it is causing quite a lot of hassle because of the way our bedrooms are set out. A way to avoid this problem would be to create a different idea for the bedroom scene.

The clothes that the characters wear will be casual clothes that they may sometimes wear on a weekend or a non school day. This is obviously has to be done so it looks as if the scenes are all set on the same day.

Even though each person has been given a specific role, the whole group should help each other out in their roles. This will get the film done quicker, and help the group get along better.

The group has decided that instead of having a bedroom scene to start the film off, it will be set in an office. This is much easier as it can be filmed in school, rather than at someone’s home away from school.

Some aspects which the group still have to discuss is:

Lighting - What specific time of the day will it be filmed in.

Camera angles - ALL the camera angles which will be used in the film and in what order.

Last but not least, Outfits - The group has decided on what outfit I will wear for the mysterious killer, but the rest of the group are not clear of what to wear.

All these things will be discussed in class immediately, without any interruptions or outbursts.

Roles for everyone in the group.

Connor - Camera man, instructor, background actor.

Shannon - Music creator, camera woman (Ryan and I shall edit music after film for perfection :P)

Ryan - Main character and editor

Me - Mysterious killer character and editor

The film has been decided to be filmed inside the school and in certain streets in Bowmore.

- The colours used in this poster are black, grey, white and red. The dark colours shows that this is a dark, sinister film. The red colours connotates blood, danger and perhaps the devil.

 -The splatter of blood over the title suggests that Johnny Depp has bloodthirsty character to him and he is a dangerous man. Also the fact he is holding a blade makes him look evil and threatening.

 -The red light coming through the floorboards makes it look as if hell is beneath him, and he is the guardian, or that there’s a dark secret lying beneath him.

 -His body language makes you think that he has a non-caring character, that he is quite relaxed the way he is and what he does.

 -Because the chair is red, it makes it look like the chair of death or the throne of the devil.

 -The clothes Johnny Depp is wearing and the props used around the room shows that the film is set sometime near the Victorian times.

 - The white text at the bottom of the poster may be used for contrast as the floor boards are dark grey.

- “Never forget, never forgive” gives a hint of what the movie is about. This is written in red text, so suggests that it is meaning revenge.

The opening sequence begins with the production company. It is displayed by using a fade in effect using a brown background with shadows moving cross the credits. This creates a mysterious tone for the movie, as the shadows are created by the words “the Untouchables”. This shows that some characters in the film must be mysterious. The music which is used during the credits is jumpy, which suggests that the movie is full of surprises. It also suggests it might be a thriller or it signifies danger.

The film begins with a bird’s-eye-view of Robert De Niro lying down, beauticians and reporters in the room. Because everyone in the room is facing Niro, it gives the audience a hint that he is an important person. Also the fact that the beauticians are giving him a shave and filing his nails, this also shows that he is respected. The camera at this point is very still, which gives the viewers relaxed and calm feeling, as it is not shaking or moving a lot. When the text appears about the gangs in Chicago, it also shows to the viewers what the film is going to be about.

When one of the reporters starts to talk, he reveals that he is the mayor of Chicago. This explains why there are reporters and beauticians in the room. At this point, the towel that was covering his face gets removed, revealing that he is Robert De Niro. Also the fact that he is smirking to the reporter suggests that he is a nice man. The he makes a joke which makes everyone laugh which confirms his type of character. At 3:47 the camera cuts to a shot looking slightly up to the reporters, which is to show their faces, and Niro’s point of view. This shot also reveals some of the rooms decoration and appearance.

When the reporter asks “And what of those who don’t purchase your products are dealt with violently?” one of the beauticians who is about to shave him cuts his cheek accidently. This is timed deliberately to make the audience wonder how he will react. The beautician puts on a terrified face, thinking that he will be punished. This creates suspense and excitement. Instead, Niro tells him it’s ok and tells a joke, which is the opposite of what everyone expected him to do. All the camera shots on Niro are filmed above him through this scene to make him stand out to everyone else in the room as they are all standing and he is lying down comfortable.

The scene then cuts to the streets, with cheerful warming music in playing in the background to make the viewers feel relaxed and give a feeling that the city is friendly. The camera moves over the road, to a close shot of business men walking along the street. The clothes they are wearing shows roughly what year the film is set in. It also shows that the neighborhood is quite rich. A little girl walks into the scene in the top corner of the camera, and enters a shop. At this point, the music fades. This could mean that something bad may happen to her.

The music starts playing again. When the conversation between a business man and the shop keeper ends, the shop keeper continuously looks at the man walking away. It gives an uneasy feeling as it shows he may be up to something. When he talk’s to the little girl, he’s still paying more attention to the man. The camera then cuts to the girl. It looks slightly down on her to make her look small compared to everyone else in the shop. When the girl notices the man in the white suit, the camera cuts to him, slightly looking up to make him look powerful, and then cuts back to the girl. This shows that she is keeping a close eye on him. He’s also the only man wearing a full white suit, which makes him stand out to everyone else.

When the girl notices that the man has left his briefcase, the audience immediately knows that something is wrong. The little girl shouts after him, interrupting the shop keeper who was saying “be careful crossing the street” which is irony being used because the street would have been safer, rather than staying in the shop. The camera cuts between the little girl inside the shop and the man in the white suit walking away at a fast pace. This creates a tension between them as it’s as if time is running out.

When the bomb goes off, it gives the audience a fright, as the little girl was in the middle of saying something and the scene was building up to something big. The explosion scene takes up three camera shots to show the impact it had on the shop, the street and the passersby. This scene makes the audience feel angry toward the villains as they get away for such catastrophe and mayhem.

P.S I used the word “beautician” but wasn’t sure if that was the right word to use.