As I had to move all my posts from a previous blog (due to an emergent issue) all the dates of the posts are around the same area/time. Therefore to navigate this blog it is highly advised you use the blog archive located on the right of the page. Here all the titles are listed and you can click on one to simply view that post. Thanks for viewing my page.
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Thursday, 3 May 2012
Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Winston Churchill once said "Who is the true fool, the Fool himself or the men that follow him?". Judging by this quote I feel like a class A fool because what I have essentially done with my production is take the ideas of a controversial Director/Writer and water them down. Tarantino has in a sense created his own genre of film with its own forms and conventions; whether it be the gangster drama of 'Pulp Fiction' or the western horror of 'Dusk 'til Dawn' all of his films are unique to his style and you can tell one of his films immediately upon seeing it. With my production I took these conventions and re-invisioned them so that they appeal to a wider audience. Below are what I call the four Tarantino signatures and how I have used/manipulated them:
How Effective Is the combination of your main product and your ancillary texts?
Truthfully, the main source of synergy came from the combination of the Poster with the main production. And in my opinion, the combination of these two is extremely effective. With my poster I tried to capture the genre very simply. I did this through researching posters from similar style films such as 'Reservoir Dogs'. The photographic editing on the vast array of posters for this film showed me exactly what I needed to do so I applied the same technique to my own photograph of the protagonist. However I also wanted to represent that it is a futuristic film and has moved on from this 90's gangster film style. So I decided to do something a bit different, I tried thinking of landscape film posters, I couldn't think of any unless they were on Buses or Billboards. So, I decided I wanted to be different and do my poster horizontally. I created the image and added the effect, I then used this as the background. It's clear that the font I use on the poster is not the same I use in the film; this is because I wanted the poster to be symbolic of the film. The distorted font of the title is subtly meant to reflect the crumbling of society in this hyperreal world. Finally after creating the poster I used Google to find landscaper posters... Turns out there are quite a few. On the other hand, it was pleasing to find that several were similar to my own design, this convinced me that I had done a professional job of creating and designing the poster. With the magazine review however I feel that it is hard to connect this task to the film itself. However, the style of magazine which I have chosen to review it in gives the reader an insight into the target audience as it must be the same as the magazine's target audience, otherwise why would they bother reviewing it? The informal style along with the design elements (blood splatter etc.) shows the genre and that the film targets a wide range of audiences.
What have you learnt from your audience's feedback?
I collected my audience feedback via Facebook, Tumblr and Youtube; which proved to be a critical part of my process. I put up my original draft of the story/script and had people comment on it. I found that several people thought the non-linear structure I had originally perceived, was far too complex to accurately portray in a short film. If it weren't for the few people that were honest enough to tell me this my film probably wouldn't have come out as well as I feel it has. After the production was completed I released the film via Youtube & Facebook and I held a public viewing in my 6th form common room. The feedback I have been given so far all seems to be of a positive nature. I am very pleased with the fact so many people have watched the film and no-one has mentioned the films length as it is quite long for a short; it seems to however be gripping people's attentions so that they do not notice. I also believe I owe the films gripping nature to some fellow students who gave me the feedback to remove a few connecting scenes, this removed an element of waiting between scenes which thinking back on may have bored the audience. Overall I have learnt that the mass opinion tends to be the correct opinion. Below I have posted a few quotes from the feedback I have received:
"Nice one lad."
"Not a lot has happened story wise, but I really like the moral message."
"Should we start calling you Glenn Tarantino after this?"
"That was really quite enjoyable."
"I can really see the Pulp Fiction influence in the opening scene."
How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
Research: During the research stage of my production I used several websites to gather relevant information. The main ones of these were: Youtube (which I used to view short films and short film reviews. This combined with being able to see the audiences reception via comments and likes really showed me what aspects a lot of the public were looking to see.), Wikipedia (which I used to gather factual information on all sorts of things from who wrote the song 'Juggernauts' to how to best explain post-modernism.), IMDB (which I used to source information of previous movies such as 'Pulp Fiction', 'The Matrix' and 'Jackie Brown'. This also taught me interesting techniques to try with camera work via the 'trivia' section.) and Facebook (which I used to get an even more in depth understanding of what my target audience would be looking for from a short film.).
Planning: During the planning stage I used Textedit on my Mac to note any ideas for lines, scenes or shots accompanied by the 'camera shot' images in iMovie. At this point I also started to use the blogging site Tumblr to bounce ideas back and fourth of my followers. The massive positive of this was that if someone follows you on Tumblr, they tend to have very similar interests as you, meaning that their imagination was more than likely capturing the same idea that mine was. I eventually created a rough draft of my film using just stills in iMovie of myself and two friends and a voice over of us simply reading the first draft of the script.
Construction: During the construction stage of my video I came across a potentially huge problem. The digital HD JVC camcorder which I had shot my entire film on, saved the videos in a format that wasn't compatible with Macs. So being the dedicated Media Studies student that I am I scoured the internet for hours, searching for a program that could convert these video files. I finally found one called Handbrake which did as I needed however it took a long time to import all the digital files into the program for them to convert; this slowed down my work pace quite an existential amount. After the files were on my Mac I used iMovie 8.0 to edit every aspect of the film. iMovie provided me with the ability to change certain files black and white and add post-production elements such as text, credits and audio files. To edit all of the audio files I spent a huge amount of time working with Audacity and Pro Tools LE8. I used Audacity for simple matters such as enhancing the outside speech to try and block out the wind as much as possible - however at points this was un-successful much to my annoyance; I could have benefited from having a microphone boom. I used Pro Tools to record all voice-overs and create the simulated speech that is heard at the beginning of the production. The final piece of sound editing was done with iMovie, allowing me to use the speech of one clip dubbed over another clip. This stopped the speech sounding like it was jumping from several different positions with several different intonations. Finally I used Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create and edit the poster and review.
Evaluation: For the evaluation I used the internet in a similar way to as when I carried out my research. I used Survey Monkey, Facebook, Tumblr and Youtube to get the audiences feedback on both my main production and my two ancillary tasks. Once I'd collected the reviews/feedback I used Blogger (as you can see) to upload all my information.
Winston Churchill once said "Who is the true fool, the Fool himself or the men that follow him?". Judging by this quote I feel like a class A fool because what I have essentially done with my production is take the ideas of a controversial Director/Writer and water them down. Tarantino has in a sense created his own genre of film with its own forms and conventions; whether it be the gangster drama of 'Pulp Fiction' or the western horror of 'Dusk 'til Dawn' all of his films are unique to his style and you can tell one of his films immediately upon seeing it. With my production I took these conventions and re-invisioned them so that they appeal to a wider audience. Below are what I call the four Tarantino signatures and how I have used/manipulated them:
- Non-linear narrative structure - This is possibly what Tarantino is known best for. Pretty much ever single one of his films besides the 'Dusk 'til Dawn' trilogy are non-linear. So as you can imagine when planning my film I jumped straight into a plot-line that flicks from one point in time to another and to another, to yet another, so on so fourth. However as my respondents confirmed for this was just not working out. It made the film over-complicated and the plot just ended up getting lost. However, I desperately didn't want to scrap this idea. It took some time but I eventually came up with the idea of the cinematography jumping through time periods instead of the actual plot-line. To my knowledge this hasn't been done in a Tarantino film, therefore I am proud that I managed to re-work this ever popular convention to better suit short films.
- De-sensitisation of violence - Tarantino obviously enjoys the aestheticization of violence, therefore again I wanted to include this. On the other hand I didn't want to limit the viewership of my film purely to include un-necessary gore. So I decided to make my violence a mix between comic book violence and slapstick humour. My choreographed fight scenes includes a pretty vicious head slam into a wall and several ground stomps, both of which were planned out so that the camera angle would block out any violence that could have been seen. It also includes a simulated back-hand slap, which took several attempts to get just right as it was very difficult to make both sound and look realistic. I feel that I did well to include violence without making it so extreme that the viewer is reminded of it every time they squeeze some ketchup onto their food.
- Use of non-relevant scenes - There are no references to this that I can find on the net however, I personally feel one of the biggest techniques Tarantino uses is the way he adds in connecting scenes or passages of text which have absolutely no relevance to the storyline what-so-ever. This can be seen in several of his productions however possibly the most well known extract of this comes from 'Pulp Fiction' where one of the gangsters is telling a cohort the vast differences between strippers, cheeseburgers and measuring systems between Europe and America. Un-fortunately yet again my respondents told me that these scenes didn't make any sense and made the plot-line feel disjunct. Along with this I was worried that these connecting sequences would make the film seem longer, causing it to lose peoples attention; therefore this is the only technique of which I abolished entirely from my film.
- Intertextual referencing - Finally Tarantino loves to show off his knowledge of the film industry, one example of this is in 'Inglorius Bastards' where we see a German Soldier lecture a fellow officer on the German film industry at the time of WWII. However, yet again 'Pulp Fiction' provides the best example of this. Some of the intertextual references I can think of off the top of my head are as follows: Mia's haircut represents Louise Brooke's in 'Pandora's Box', 'The Three Stooges' film that is on the TV screen throughout the Overdose scene, Jules references 'Flock of Seagulls' a one hit wonder 80's band, the diner robbery idea is lifted directly from 'The Great Train Robbery' made in 1903, and then there is the entirety of the Jack Slim's diner where everyone and everything references something. Anyway, the point is that Tarantino loves to subtly make it known he is a movie fanatic. I have tried to do exactly the same thing and I honestly became quite pedantic when doing so. I'd re-shoot scenes because an intertextual reference wasn't quite right, and the cast would wonder why I'd re-shoot a perfectly good scene. I'll let you in on a few but there are several for movie bofs to find: The closing voice-over is similar to the closing voice-over of 'The Matrix', The white suit Alex wears is meant to represent Graham Greene who wrote several plays and books about political issues and 'A promise made is a debt unpaid' is me paying homage to one of my favourite poets Robert Service. I think I have sufficiently developed this convention to make it personal, at least I tried extremely hard to do so.
How Effective Is the combination of your main product and your ancillary texts?
Truthfully, the main source of synergy came from the combination of the Poster with the main production. And in my opinion, the combination of these two is extremely effective. With my poster I tried to capture the genre very simply. I did this through researching posters from similar style films such as 'Reservoir Dogs'. The photographic editing on the vast array of posters for this film showed me exactly what I needed to do so I applied the same technique to my own photograph of the protagonist. However I also wanted to represent that it is a futuristic film and has moved on from this 90's gangster film style. So I decided to do something a bit different, I tried thinking of landscape film posters, I couldn't think of any unless they were on Buses or Billboards. So, I decided I wanted to be different and do my poster horizontally. I created the image and added the effect, I then used this as the background. It's clear that the font I use on the poster is not the same I use in the film; this is because I wanted the poster to be symbolic of the film. The distorted font of the title is subtly meant to reflect the crumbling of society in this hyperreal world. Finally after creating the poster I used Google to find landscaper posters... Turns out there are quite a few. On the other hand, it was pleasing to find that several were similar to my own design, this convinced me that I had done a professional job of creating and designing the poster. With the magazine review however I feel that it is hard to connect this task to the film itself. However, the style of magazine which I have chosen to review it in gives the reader an insight into the target audience as it must be the same as the magazine's target audience, otherwise why would they bother reviewing it? The informal style along with the design elements (blood splatter etc.) shows the genre and that the film targets a wide range of audiences.
What have you learnt from your audience's feedback?
I collected my audience feedback via Facebook, Tumblr and Youtube; which proved to be a critical part of my process. I put up my original draft of the story/script and had people comment on it. I found that several people thought the non-linear structure I had originally perceived, was far too complex to accurately portray in a short film. If it weren't for the few people that were honest enough to tell me this my film probably wouldn't have come out as well as I feel it has. After the production was completed I released the film via Youtube & Facebook and I held a public viewing in my 6th form common room. The feedback I have been given so far all seems to be of a positive nature. I am very pleased with the fact so many people have watched the film and no-one has mentioned the films length as it is quite long for a short; it seems to however be gripping people's attentions so that they do not notice. I also believe I owe the films gripping nature to some fellow students who gave me the feedback to remove a few connecting scenes, this removed an element of waiting between scenes which thinking back on may have bored the audience. Overall I have learnt that the mass opinion tends to be the correct opinion. Below I have posted a few quotes from the feedback I have received:
"Nice one lad."
"Not a lot has happened story wise, but I really like the moral message."
"Should we start calling you Glenn Tarantino after this?"
"That was really quite enjoyable."
"I can really see the Pulp Fiction influence in the opening scene."
How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
Research: During the research stage of my production I used several websites to gather relevant information. The main ones of these were: Youtube (which I used to view short films and short film reviews. This combined with being able to see the audiences reception via comments and likes really showed me what aspects a lot of the public were looking to see.), Wikipedia (which I used to gather factual information on all sorts of things from who wrote the song 'Juggernauts' to how to best explain post-modernism.), IMDB (which I used to source information of previous movies such as 'Pulp Fiction', 'The Matrix' and 'Jackie Brown'. This also taught me interesting techniques to try with camera work via the 'trivia' section.) and Facebook (which I used to get an even more in depth understanding of what my target audience would be looking for from a short film.).
Planning: During the planning stage I used Textedit on my Mac to note any ideas for lines, scenes or shots accompanied by the 'camera shot' images in iMovie. At this point I also started to use the blogging site Tumblr to bounce ideas back and fourth of my followers. The massive positive of this was that if someone follows you on Tumblr, they tend to have very similar interests as you, meaning that their imagination was more than likely capturing the same idea that mine was. I eventually created a rough draft of my film using just stills in iMovie of myself and two friends and a voice over of us simply reading the first draft of the script.
Construction: During the construction stage of my video I came across a potentially huge problem. The digital HD JVC camcorder which I had shot my entire film on, saved the videos in a format that wasn't compatible with Macs. So being the dedicated Media Studies student that I am I scoured the internet for hours, searching for a program that could convert these video files. I finally found one called Handbrake which did as I needed however it took a long time to import all the digital files into the program for them to convert; this slowed down my work pace quite an existential amount. After the files were on my Mac I used iMovie 8.0 to edit every aspect of the film. iMovie provided me with the ability to change certain files black and white and add post-production elements such as text, credits and audio files. To edit all of the audio files I spent a huge amount of time working with Audacity and Pro Tools LE8. I used Audacity for simple matters such as enhancing the outside speech to try and block out the wind as much as possible - however at points this was un-successful much to my annoyance; I could have benefited from having a microphone boom. I used Pro Tools to record all voice-overs and create the simulated speech that is heard at the beginning of the production. The final piece of sound editing was done with iMovie, allowing me to use the speech of one clip dubbed over another clip. This stopped the speech sounding like it was jumping from several different positions with several different intonations. Finally I used Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create and edit the poster and review.
Evaluation: For the evaluation I used the internet in a similar way to as when I carried out my research. I used Survey Monkey, Facebook, Tumblr and Youtube to get the audiences feedback on both my main production and my two ancillary tasks. Once I'd collected the reviews/feedback I used Blogger (as you can see) to upload all my information.
Hyperreality
Hyperreality is used by post-modern philosophers to describe the idea of a hypothetical inability of consciousness to distinguish 'reality' from a 'simulated reality' created by media texts. It is a way of characterising what our conscience defines as 'real' in a world where media influence can dramatically shape and filter events or experiences. The best idea of Hyperreality in my opinion is 'The Matrix' the whole film is based around the idea of a filtered and controlled world. My text could be seen as creating a hyperreal as firstly, it is set in a completely fictitiousness future world where my manipulation of British politics has shaped a story line and secondly, because of the jumping of genres/styles spontaneously. I feel this is a powerful tool in media however I argue that today's audiences are very aware of the fact that they are an 'audience' to a media text.
My Magazine Review
(Click to see in full)
I created my magazine review as if it were going to be in the magazine 'Abandon' that I created for AS. The reason for this was firstly because I thought keeping that running theme would be fun and interesting; secondly, I still read the same magazines I did back then so the influences were going to be very similar. My two main influences on this review came from the magazines 'Loaded' and 'FRONT'.
My Film Poster
When creating my films poster I scoured for inspiration for a while. I already had one source that I really liked and that was one of the posters to 'Reservoir Dogs' by Quentin Tarantino. I have this poster on my wall and have had it for nearly 4 years. I love the layout and effect that has been put on the actors. I knew straight away I wanted to do something similar. However, I felt that this portrait layout had been over used; and therefore I wished to create a poster that was landscape and immediately impacted much like the above poster for 'Control'. Combining those two posters was always going to be a challenge but I think I pulled it off. As you can see in my poster below (click to see in full) I have sourced the way the title is set out from the 'Control' poster along with the idea of the solo protagonist being the only character seen. However I have taken the way the Actor's names are displayed and the effect from the Reservoir Dogs poster. My finished poster can now be seen below...
Ideology
The ideology of the genre I wish to create affects it's visual representation in the following ways:
- I have to use fonts for the text which in a sense cross over different genres, for example I've created a title text which will be seen after the first scene (the first time the title of the film is shown) in the film which includes both a font which uses handwriting formatting and an impact font for the word 'revolt'. Normally handwriting fonts suggest romance or historical aspects, however I am using them to show a juxtaposition of personality vs. conformity.
- The 'Film Noir' aspect of my short film is possibly the one I've played around with most. Somehow I need to create the feel of a 1950's gangster household whilst making sure the audience know they are still in 2030. To do this I'm going to have to be eccentric. The most obvious technique I will use will be the use of Black and White imagery. The entire first scene will be in monotone symbolic of 1950's gangster films. Secondly I have purchased props and costumes which reflect this as well, however when wearing these suits I will modernise the characters ever so slightly in subtle ways. Be it by undoing a button or two or just by removing A jacket. To accompany the outfits I've bought props such as a Cigar for the mobster to be using during the scene. Finally I will try and make sure I get hint of the modern day in the shots such as an electric fireplace or a widescreen TV just to make sure the audience are clear on where they are. These contrasts of tropes and memes should work effectively.
My Short Film Philosophy
Below I have posted 3 point which I feel are very important when creating a short film. Personally, I feel that they should always be followed, however I am not naive in thinking that every film maker thinks or feels the same. Therefore any philosophy that I apply is a personal preference.
1. Popular Culture Doesn't Always Have To Be Avoided.
There is a real tendency, especially with indie products such as short films, to really shy away from that which is very popular. This is often due to filmmakers or sometimes even fans thinking that because a certain thing is popular means it isn't clever or challenging to the audience. With short films this was often the case with Rom-coms. They were never attempted in short films because they were really popular as feature length pictures, and a lot of writers and film makers believed that they didn't have enough depth to them. Face it, we've all got annoyed because we liked a band before they were 'popular'. However, I feel that if something is popular, it is so for a reason. Therefore the techniques or elements that make a cliched/popular film are not something to avoid. They should be enhanced and manipulated. This can be seen more recently in short films such as 'Post It Note Love' and 'Signs' which are both Rom-coms. This innovation is - in my opinion - something that needs to be carried on and furthered.
2. The Storyline Has To Be Solid Before Even Considering Making The Film.
I definitely feel that in the 21st century a titanic influence has been put on special effects like 3D and CGI instead of the storyline. I personally think this is an awful thing to happen to the film industry. Take 'Avatar' for example, an entire film with what is essentially the story of 'Pocahontas' in space. This film broke records. Why? Not because of the amazing story behind it, but because it's as if the gigantic blue people on the screen are 'real'. But they're not though are they, as an audience we are very aware of the fact there is not a planet called Pandora out there, where everything in nature connects via an evolved USB cable. So once you get over the fact the CGI is quite cool, you stop enjoying the film because the idea is tiresome. We've now even got to the point where films are being re-released just so they can be seen in 3D, this is ridiculous in my opinion. If you didn't like it the first time, you're not going to enjoy it when it's coming straight at your face. Anyway, rant over. The point is behind any film you must have a good storyline to warrant the film being made, otherwise the audience isn't going to enjoy it. End of story
3. Don't Make Things Over Complicated.
My final point of my philosophy is more of a guide. Every now and then I feel a writer/director/editor should check back through their production and ask themselves "Is the audience going to understand what's happened here?" If the answer is 'maybe not' then that part should be re-worked. There are thousands of hours worth of footage in existence from deleted scenes; and it is guaranteed that a lot of these scenes were deleted because they were just not necessary. When things get too complex you're going to lose your audience. To see an example of this just compare the success of the first and second 'Matrix' films to that of the third; at which point the stunning trilogy manages to disappear inside itself.
1. Popular Culture Doesn't Always Have To Be Avoided.
There is a real tendency, especially with indie products such as short films, to really shy away from that which is very popular. This is often due to filmmakers or sometimes even fans thinking that because a certain thing is popular means it isn't clever or challenging to the audience. With short films this was often the case with Rom-coms. They were never attempted in short films because they were really popular as feature length pictures, and a lot of writers and film makers believed that they didn't have enough depth to them. Face it, we've all got annoyed because we liked a band before they were 'popular'. However, I feel that if something is popular, it is so for a reason. Therefore the techniques or elements that make a cliched/popular film are not something to avoid. They should be enhanced and manipulated. This can be seen more recently in short films such as 'Post It Note Love' and 'Signs' which are both Rom-coms. This innovation is - in my opinion - something that needs to be carried on and furthered.
2. The Storyline Has To Be Solid Before Even Considering Making The Film.
I definitely feel that in the 21st century a titanic influence has been put on special effects like 3D and CGI instead of the storyline. I personally think this is an awful thing to happen to the film industry. Take 'Avatar' for example, an entire film with what is essentially the story of 'Pocahontas' in space. This film broke records. Why? Not because of the amazing story behind it, but because it's as if the gigantic blue people on the screen are 'real'. But they're not though are they, as an audience we are very aware of the fact there is not a planet called Pandora out there, where everything in nature connects via an evolved USB cable. So once you get over the fact the CGI is quite cool, you stop enjoying the film because the idea is tiresome. We've now even got to the point where films are being re-released just so they can be seen in 3D, this is ridiculous in my opinion. If you didn't like it the first time, you're not going to enjoy it when it's coming straight at your face. Anyway, rant over. The point is behind any film you must have a good storyline to warrant the film being made, otherwise the audience isn't going to enjoy it. End of story3. Don't Make Things Over Complicated.
My final point of my philosophy is more of a guide. Every now and then I feel a writer/director/editor should check back through their production and ask themselves "Is the audience going to understand what's happened here?" If the answer is 'maybe not' then that part should be re-worked. There are thousands of hours worth of footage in existence from deleted scenes; and it is guaranteed that a lot of these scenes were deleted because they were just not necessary. When things get too complex you're going to lose your audience. To see an example of this just compare the success of the first and second 'Matrix' films to that of the third; at which point the stunning trilogy manages to disappear inside itself.
Technology
In a time of great digital technology advancements and amazing cinematographic leaps forward I am determined NOT to over complicate my film. I personally feel that in recent cinema sometimes the idea of a special effect often overtakes the importance of a good story line. For this reason I am going to limit the technology I use. For the film I will be using a JVC digital camcorder and the editing software iMovie 8.0. Along with this I may use Pro Tools LE8 to edit the sound of my production. For the ancillary tasks I will use Adobe Photoshop CS5 to design and create the film review and poster.
My Film Idea
So I've finally come up with a concept for my short film:
The storyline follows the protagonist 'Alex Harris' as he fights against a future government. The film is set in the year 2030 where music has been made illegal by the British government due to it's over-whelming influence on youth culture. Alex tries to fight this control by buying 'tracks' to put on illegal raves and parties. He has to make a deal with a mobster called 'Marcell Wallis' - who deals music as if it were drugs - but Alex soon finds he's in over his head. There will be a moral theme to the production, making it slightly didactic.
AUDIENCE
age: roughly 16-50
gender: mainly male target audience but not solely reliant.
lifestyle: I expect to achieve an audience that have an interest in indie/art films as the narrative is quite complex and to understand the intertextual references the audience will have to have quite a broad knowledge of film.
Socio-economic group: Lower to Middle class as they tend to favour social realist films.
GENRE
Crime/Drama/Social Realist
I have chosen to use the film 'Jackie Brown' as the genre influence of my film, as I want it to have a similar feel and include elements of each of these genres.
NARRATIVE
Originally I wanted to create a film which was non-linear in terms of narrative but I soon found during planning that this was impractical with a low budget and a short amount of time. My respondents brought up the concern that over a short film the narrative may become far too confusing if the time line jumps around too much. Taking this into concern I have decided to keep the storyline linear however using intertextual referencing like 'Film Noir' to time jump. For example; the scene where the deal is made will be shot in monotone with cliched props and outfits.
The storyline follows the protagonist 'Alex Harris' as he fights against a future government. The film is set in the year 2030 where music has been made illegal by the British government due to it's over-whelming influence on youth culture. Alex tries to fight this control by buying 'tracks' to put on illegal raves and parties. He has to make a deal with a mobster called 'Marcell Wallis' - who deals music as if it were drugs - but Alex soon finds he's in over his head. There will be a moral theme to the production, making it slightly didactic.
AUDIENCE
age: roughly 16-50gender: mainly male target audience but not solely reliant.
lifestyle: I expect to achieve an audience that have an interest in indie/art films as the narrative is quite complex and to understand the intertextual references the audience will have to have quite a broad knowledge of film.
Socio-economic group: Lower to Middle class as they tend to favour social realist films.
GENRE
Crime/Drama/Social Realist
I have chosen to use the film 'Jackie Brown' as the genre influence of my film, as I want it to have a similar feel and include elements of each of these genres.
NARRATIVE
Originally I wanted to create a film which was non-linear in terms of narrative but I soon found during planning that this was impractical with a low budget and a short amount of time. My respondents brought up the concern that over a short film the narrative may become far too confusing if the time line jumps around too much. Taking this into concern I have decided to keep the storyline linear however using intertextual referencing like 'Film Noir' to time jump. For example; the scene where the deal is made will be shot in monotone with cliched props and outfits.
Research Methods
There are 4 types of researching, these methods are:
Primary - Secondary - Quantitative - Qualitative
Primary:
This method is carried out personally, usually via Interview or questionnaire. This is - in theory - the most reliable as it's from a direct and trusting source. This is the main form of research that I carried out. To analyse the target audience of my film I created questionnaires to put into online forums, surveying people on what they though of the genre, technical aspects and short films in general. The responses I got were no doubt accurate as they were anonymous and using the internet creates a buffer between the respondent and the gatherer, meaning that people tend to be more open with their answers.
Secondary:
Secondary research uses secondary sources such as the Internet and books to find information and research that has already been carried out. In the past two decades the advancement of the internet has opened a gateway to shared information. I mainly used IMDB, Youtube and Wikipedia to gain the necessary information I needed to start planning and drafting my short film.
Quantitative:
Quantitative research includes anything with numbers, patterns and trends which can be found when people take out questionnaires. If alot of questionnaires are distributed about the same or similar subjects, they can be analysed to find patterns or trends.
Qualitative:
This type of research is the most difficult to use/analyse as people responses have to be carefully depicted and filtered to find relevant information. I didn't use any qualitative data as I felt it would be an unnecessary use of my time.
Primary - Secondary - Quantitative - Qualitative
Primary:
This method is carried out personally, usually via Interview or questionnaire. This is - in theory - the most reliable as it's from a direct and trusting source. This is the main form of research that I carried out. To analyse the target audience of my film I created questionnaires to put into online forums, surveying people on what they though of the genre, technical aspects and short films in general. The responses I got were no doubt accurate as they were anonymous and using the internet creates a buffer between the respondent and the gatherer, meaning that people tend to be more open with their answers.
Secondary:
Secondary research uses secondary sources such as the Internet and books to find information and research that has already been carried out. In the past two decades the advancement of the internet has opened a gateway to shared information. I mainly used IMDB, Youtube and Wikipedia to gain the necessary information I needed to start planning and drafting my short film.
Quantitative:
Quantitative research includes anything with numbers, patterns and trends which can be found when people take out questionnaires. If alot of questionnaires are distributed about the same or similar subjects, they can be analysed to find patterns or trends.
Qualitative:
This type of research is the most difficult to use/analyse as people responses have to be carefully depicted and filtered to find relevant information. I didn't use any qualitative data as I felt it would be an unnecessary use of my time.
Inspirational Director: Quentin Tarantino
I have a very strong knowledge of Tarantino's films as he has been my favourite Director and Writer for years. This is why I am using his works to influence my own production. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence. Today his well known films include Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003, 2004), Death Proof (2007), and Inglourious Basterds (2009). He has earned an Academy Award, aGolden Globe Award, a BAFTA and the Palme d'Or, as well as Emmy and Grammy nominations. His movies are generally characterized by stylistic influences from grindhouse, kung fu, and spaghetti western films. Tarantino also frequently collaborates with his friend and fellow filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
Tarantino is a celebrity of the film world however not a lot of people know that he created film shorts during his teenage years. Two examples of these are: 'Love Birds In Bondage' which is a black comedy about a girl who suffered from brain damage after a car accident and had to be institutionalized due to her erratic behavior. Her devoted and heartbroken boyfriend makes the decision to get himself admitted, so he can be close to her. And 'My Best Friend's Birthday' which is the story of Clarence, a guy who goes all out to ensure his best friend has a birthday that he'll never forget. Both of these films show the same characteristics as his later, more well known films, proving that he always had this kind of twisted imagination that he is so well known for now.
I haven't seen either of these short films in full, however seeing selected scenes from them and given my prior knowledge of Tarantino I have mentally envisioned an idea of what my short will look like when inspired by him. Some techniques I wish to use of Tarantino's are listed below:
- Intertextual referencing
- Non-linear story lines
- Influences drawn on from classic films
- De-sensitisation of violence
- Well known stereo-typical elements/techniques
My Task Choice and Deconstruction
I have decided to create a short film for my coursework production after viewing some examples found online. I weighed up the pros and cons between doing a music video against those of a short film and came to the conclusion that a music video would either look really cliche'd or just like a montage. So I've settled on a short film. I've viewed several short films on the internet my favourite of which is entitled 'Gridlock' which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpPtIxpA30A. Below I've done a de-construction of this production and said why I find it so enjoyable to watch.
GRIDLOCK
Written by Johan Verschueren and directed by Dirk Belien, the drama 'Gridlock' comes across as a flawless short film. It didn't win the oscar for which it was nominated in 2003, but It became extremely popular on the internet. It tells the story of a businessman stuck in traffic, who calls home only to be told by his little girl that mummy is in the bedroom with 'Uncle Wim'. His little girl carries out his instructions with amusing and tragic consequences. I personally love this short film because of it's dark yet strangely witty storyline. The concept is clever and the cinematography is beautiful. I hope to transfer the sense of anxiousness this simple film creates into my own production.
De-construction:
(Opening Sequence)
The film opens with a credit sequence showing both English and German text. The camera slowly pans out from a black car's headlight, revealing a young-adult male stuck in a traffic ridden car. It is snowing and the car is covered from bumper to bonnet, showing the audience immediately that it has been static for quite some time. We then enter the car, viewing the protagonist tapping about impatiently and shouting at the radio - which is used to set the context of the film - with great angst.
The use of swearing in this film is very subtle but very effective. Take note that during the opening sequence the main character uses a vast array of swear words in a very forceful tone, I'll come back to this later. This scene continues showing the character getting worked up due to passing sirens and other commuters. We eventually see the protagonist swallow what we assume to be some kind of medical relaxant to ease his anxiety. After a minute and a half the man extracts a mobile phone from a box, showing that it was a new purchase, to ring home - whilst still clearly being in a state of distress.
(1:41 to 3:37) This is the build-up section of the production. We immediately find ourselves in what appears to be quite an expensive home, stating to the audience yet again that this is quite a well off man. After a few second a young girl appears to answer the ringing home telephone. This section incites quite a comedic part of the story. The young girl's naivety lets slip that her mother is seemingly having an affair. The acting in this part is perfect in my opinion. The man becomes shocked to find out the news and instantly drops the obscene language and creates an amazing facial expression which you cannot help but find humorous. This change in tone and speech style really creates the feeling that this character really is stunned. At the same time the little girl manages to maintain complete serenity, which is very crucial to the story line. The director also finds this look of innocence critical as the camera focuses a huge deal on the close up shots of her and the mid-shots of her and the toys placed to the left of the screen. The girl clumsily pulls the base of the phone off the counter-top, creating a slight moment of panic, possibly resembling what is to come. After this (at 2:24) the character pulls that oh so brilliant expression which I mentioned earlier. Upon realising the situation the miss-en-scene becomes very important. The editing of the film creates several seconds of silence this is incredibly effective as it creates a very tense mood allowing the audience to ponder on what's happening. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the mans lips as he sets up for a command, showing it is the main focus of the story. Next, a very common film making technique is used. To leave the audience out of the know the scene cuts to the end of the phone that is not talking, this builds tension and creates a sense of mystery. This mysterious mood is then amplified by the little girls actions. She simply replies "yes, daddy." and then walks off, without the audience having any clue as to what exactly is happening. During this time we witness an empty room and the man popping more relaxant pills; once again accompanied by silence.
(3:38 to 5:50) This is the climax of this text. The editing of this section creates a very affective time lapse. The little girl begins to describe the events she has witnessed down the phone, at which point the images begin to re-create the prior goings-on. Here is where the dark-side of this story begins to reveal itself. One of the most crucial tools used during this sequence is the girl's voice. No matter what she is saying, the general tone of her speech tends to stay the same, giving an erie feel to the images. It is immediately revealed to the audience what the man's previous commands for his daughter were; giving them a slight sense of equilibrium. But, only for a matter of seconds. After this point the dramatic pace of this film begins to quicken even though accompanied by very sustained string music. We here the sound of a crash and scream in the bathroom, and even though the audience hasn't seen it, what has occurred can be assumed. Shortly after the camera uses an eye-line match to show the girl peering down onto her Mother's static corpse. This instantly forces a solemn mood onto the film which in all honesty was not expected. If this is not upsetting enough the story continues to show the death of a second character, again without the audience actually seeing anything. An over-the-shoulder from the little girl shows 'Uncle Wim' running in panic from the scene, a second crash is then heard. Following this there is a very effective low shot of the girls feet crossing the bedroom floor, passing flowers, broken glass and blood puddles. Next, follows one of the creepiest sentences of the film: "Uncle Wim wasn't there anymore." This simple sentence instantly gives the impression he too has perished. This is once again confirmed by another eye-line match, showing the outline of his body falling through the thick snow.
Over 7 minutes this film manages to force the audience to feel a whole spectrum of emotions which is why I think it is such a perfect example of the creativity and talent which goes into modern short films. I hope to create a production which has the same sort of effective, even if it is a little less grim.
GRIDLOCK
Written by Johan Verschueren and directed by Dirk Belien, the drama 'Gridlock' comes across as a flawless short film. It didn't win the oscar for which it was nominated in 2003, but It became extremely popular on the internet. It tells the story of a businessman stuck in traffic, who calls home only to be told by his little girl that mummy is in the bedroom with 'Uncle Wim'. His little girl carries out his instructions with amusing and tragic consequences. I personally love this short film because of it's dark yet strangely witty storyline. The concept is clever and the cinematography is beautiful. I hope to transfer the sense of anxiousness this simple film creates into my own production.
De-construction:
(Opening Sequence)
The film opens with a credit sequence showing both English and German text. The camera slowly pans out from a black car's headlight, revealing a young-adult male stuck in a traffic ridden car. It is snowing and the car is covered from bumper to bonnet, showing the audience immediately that it has been static for quite some time. We then enter the car, viewing the protagonist tapping about impatiently and shouting at the radio - which is used to set the context of the film - with great angst. The use of swearing in this film is very subtle but very effective. Take note that during the opening sequence the main character uses a vast array of swear words in a very forceful tone, I'll come back to this later. This scene continues showing the character getting worked up due to passing sirens and other commuters. We eventually see the protagonist swallow what we assume to be some kind of medical relaxant to ease his anxiety. After a minute and a half the man extracts a mobile phone from a box, showing that it was a new purchase, to ring home - whilst still clearly being in a state of distress.
(1:41 to 3:37) This is the build-up section of the production. We immediately find ourselves in what appears to be quite an expensive home, stating to the audience yet again that this is quite a well off man. After a few second a young girl appears to answer the ringing home telephone. This section incites quite a comedic part of the story. The young girl's naivety lets slip that her mother is seemingly having an affair. The acting in this part is perfect in my opinion. The man becomes shocked to find out the news and instantly drops the obscene language and creates an amazing facial expression which you cannot help but find humorous. This change in tone and speech style really creates the feeling that this character really is stunned. At the same time the little girl manages to maintain complete serenity, which is very crucial to the story line. The director also finds this look of innocence critical as the camera focuses a huge deal on the close up shots of her and the mid-shots of her and the toys placed to the left of the screen. The girl clumsily pulls the base of the phone off the counter-top, creating a slight moment of panic, possibly resembling what is to come. After this (at 2:24) the character pulls that oh so brilliant expression which I mentioned earlier. Upon realising the situation the miss-en-scene becomes very important. The editing of the film creates several seconds of silence this is incredibly effective as it creates a very tense mood allowing the audience to ponder on what's happening. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the mans lips as he sets up for a command, showing it is the main focus of the story. Next, a very common film making technique is used. To leave the audience out of the know the scene cuts to the end of the phone that is not talking, this builds tension and creates a sense of mystery. This mysterious mood is then amplified by the little girls actions. She simply replies "yes, daddy." and then walks off, without the audience having any clue as to what exactly is happening. During this time we witness an empty room and the man popping more relaxant pills; once again accompanied by silence.
(3:38 to 5:50) This is the climax of this text. The editing of this section creates a very affective time lapse. The little girl begins to describe the events she has witnessed down the phone, at which point the images begin to re-create the prior goings-on. Here is where the dark-side of this story begins to reveal itself. One of the most crucial tools used during this sequence is the girl's voice. No matter what she is saying, the general tone of her speech tends to stay the same, giving an erie feel to the images. It is immediately revealed to the audience what the man's previous commands for his daughter were; giving them a slight sense of equilibrium. But, only for a matter of seconds. After this point the dramatic pace of this film begins to quicken even though accompanied by very sustained string music. We here the sound of a crash and scream in the bathroom, and even though the audience hasn't seen it, what has occurred can be assumed. Shortly after the camera uses an eye-line match to show the girl peering down onto her Mother's static corpse. This instantly forces a solemn mood onto the film which in all honesty was not expected. If this is not upsetting enough the story continues to show the death of a second character, again without the audience actually seeing anything. An over-the-shoulder from the little girl shows 'Uncle Wim' running in panic from the scene, a second crash is then heard. Following this there is a very effective low shot of the girls feet crossing the bedroom floor, passing flowers, broken glass and blood puddles. Next, follows one of the creepiest sentences of the film: "Uncle Wim wasn't there anymore." This simple sentence instantly gives the impression he too has perished. This is once again confirmed by another eye-line match, showing the outline of his body falling through the thick snow.Over 7 minutes this film manages to force the audience to feel a whole spectrum of emotions which is why I think it is such a perfect example of the creativity and talent which goes into modern short films. I hope to create a production which has the same sort of effective, even if it is a little less grim.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Branding
A brand is a company, product or range of products that has a set of values associated with it that are easily recognised by the consumer and the public; such as Nike's tick and the slogan 'Just Do It' create a rebellious and urban feel. Brand's are distinguished immediately by their name and/or symbol A brands identity is created using:
Brand Essence - a way of summing up the significance of the brand to stockholders and consumers alike of the brand in one simple sentence.
Brand slogan - a public way of identifying the brand for consumers - often associated with a logo.
Brand personality - marketers give the brand human characteristics making it very relatable to consumers.
Brand values - what does it stand for/against?
Brand appearance - what does it look/sound like?
Brand heritage - how long has it been around? Does it have customers who have been loyal to it for many years?
Emotional benefits - how does the product make you feel? Must be a positive effect to be effective
Hard benefits - bigger? better? cheaper?
Consumers are more familiar with the whole brand rather than individual products. The process of advertising allows us to associate value with products that may not have a real connection to them - for instance; Nike always selects rebellious athletes such as Christiano Ronaldo (Known for his on pitch antics) to promote its products whereas Puma endorse more skillful/professional players such as Gianfranco Zola.
Brand Essence - a way of summing up the significance of the brand to stockholders and consumers alike of the brand in one simple sentence.
Brand slogan - a public way of identifying the brand for consumers - often associated with a logo.
Brand personality - marketers give the brand human characteristics making it very relatable to consumers.
Brand values - what does it stand for/against?
Brand appearance - what does it look/sound like?
Brand heritage - how long has it been around? Does it have customers who have been loyal to it for many years?
Emotional benefits - how does the product make you feel? Must be a positive effect to be effective
Hard benefits - bigger? better? cheaper?
Consumers are more familiar with the whole brand rather than individual products. The process of advertising allows us to associate value with products that may not have a real connection to them - for instance; Nike always selects rebellious athletes such as Christiano Ronaldo (Known for his on pitch antics) to promote its products whereas Puma endorse more skillful/professional players such as Gianfranco Zola.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Inspirational Short Films/Directors
The main short films that influence/inspire me are created by various directors to the music of a band called Angels & Airwaves. These short films are titled as the track they are created to and tend to look very dramatic & artsy, they also tend to have a sci-fi theme to them. Obviously the video's feel and look change with the director but they all tend to have a similar vibe. Cleverly the videos have an ongoing story-line and its really interesting how each director brings his/her personal stylings to the story.
This first short film is called "It Hurts" and was released in 2006 on a rare Angels & Airwaves DVD. The film was directed by Ron Najor. Click HERE to watch the short film. Najor's shots really have a very personal feel and inspire me to do the same. This is an amazing short film - in my opinion - mainly due to the emotional effect that the images, lighting, shots and editing combined with the music have on the viewer. Un-like most short films the video is not meant to distract the viewer from the song but rather accompany the music as if the two have equal purpose. The partnership of film & music in these films is definitely something I'm going to strive to manipulate for my own short film.
This second short film has two parts two it both directed by Mark Eaton, it is entitled "The Gift" It starts with a very short story of a pair of shoes trying to find their way back to their owner after being left behind on a camping trip. This extremely short film really made me smile, and as cheesy as that sounds I think thats a good sign. This part is a lot more comical than the second part which returns to a much more surreal and dramatic mood. It's more the editing techniques and simplicity of the first part that inspire me. Click HERE to watch both parts of "The Gift"
Finally; my all time favorite short film. This film is called "The Adventure" and is the prequel to "It Hurts". It was directed by a couple known as The Malloys and is all shot in black and white. This is why I feel this film is such a masterpiece. It creates an extremely dramatic mood via fast paced images, excellent lighting and a creative yet clever story-line. To watch this, and I recommend you do, click HERE.
This first short film is called "It Hurts" and was released in 2006 on a rare Angels & Airwaves DVD. The film was directed by Ron Najor. Click HERE to watch the short film. Najor's shots really have a very personal feel and inspire me to do the same. This is an amazing short film - in my opinion - mainly due to the emotional effect that the images, lighting, shots and editing combined with the music have on the viewer. Un-like most short films the video is not meant to distract the viewer from the song but rather accompany the music as if the two have equal purpose. The partnership of film & music in these films is definitely something I'm going to strive to manipulate for my own short film.
This second short film has two parts two it both directed by Mark Eaton, it is entitled "The Gift" It starts with a very short story of a pair of shoes trying to find their way back to their owner after being left behind on a camping trip. This extremely short film really made me smile, and as cheesy as that sounds I think thats a good sign. This part is a lot more comical than the second part which returns to a much more surreal and dramatic mood. It's more the editing techniques and simplicity of the first part that inspire me. Click HERE to watch both parts of "The Gift"
Finally; my all time favorite short film. This film is called "The Adventure" and is the prequel to "It Hurts". It was directed by a couple known as The Malloys and is all shot in black and white. This is why I feel this film is such a masterpiece. It creates an extremely dramatic mood via fast paced images, excellent lighting and a creative yet clever story-line. To watch this, and I recommend you do, click HERE.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Conventions Of Rom-Coms
Romantic comedy films are a sub-genre of comedy films as well as of romance films. They are movies with light-hearted, humorous dramatic stories centered around romantic ideals such as a "true love" able to surmount most obstacles or the "perfect couple."
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match.
While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.
Meet Cute
One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press' Christy Lemire have called a "meet-cute" situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. The attraction between the lead characters must be established quickly. The subject matter of romantic comedies are the obstacles that the potential pair must face before they can acknowledge, fulfill, or consummate their love, and the audience must care about the relationship enough to finish the movie. The meet-cute, by virtue of its unusual situation, helps to fix the potential relationship in the viewers' minds, and the spark of the meeting is the impetus by which initial vicissitudes of the developing relationship are overcome.
Secondary Characters
The audience are usually introduced to the best friends, and maybe some family members, of the two main characters. Although they are there to offer their support, they are usually the main source of humour in the film. The audience can relate to the best friend in the film, and they would consider what they would do in that situation.
Lighting
Majority of the film will have a happy tone/atmosphere, so the lighting will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes darker to mirror the tone, but this won’t happen very often.
Soundtrack
Very much like the lighting, the soundtrack of Rom-coms is used to mirror the mood of the scenes. Horror films tend to have a score, where orchestral music is used instead of songs. In rom-com’s however, songs are mainly used instead of orchestral music (this doesn't mean that there is no orchestral music though). The songs that are used in the film will usually be well known pop songs, so that the audience can recognise them easily. They must relate to the story being told in the film. The songs can even assist in the story-telling process.
Setting
Romantic comedies are usually set in a big, well-known city. The most common place in the UK to set a rom-com is London, however internationally New York seems to be extremely popular as a romantic setting. It is a place that, even if people haven’t been there, they can picture. In a place like London, there is always something going on, so it is easy to believe that the events in the film could happen.
Conclusion
Normally, the conclusion of a film will be happy, with the two main characters getting back together. However, it is getting increasingly popular to show the reality that sometimes, it doesn’t all work out exactly the way we want it to. This is evidence of modern manipulation of conventions
A Little Bit of History
Firstly Shakespeare himself is often credited for writing some of the best romantic comedies of all time. Many of his plays were intended to be humorous as well as emotional and romantic; proving that rom-coms are by no means a modern style of film.
Romantic comedy declined in popularity and quality during World War II, Though several directors and production companies kept working at it. At this point rom-coms were better known as screwball films. The Lady Eve was one of the most successful of the time, it features a protagonist (Henry Fonda) so blinded by love that he marries the same woman (Barbara Stanwyck) three times without knowing it. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) took madcap comedy to a level beyond screwball and managed to become a box-office hit despite dealing with the sensitive subject of wartime promiscuity.
In general, the 1950s and 1960s were a low point for romantic comedy. Doris Day (b. 1924) became one of the most popular actors of the era, appearing in several of what were called "sex comedies," often opposite Rock Hudson (1925–1985). These films trade on the same kind of titillation that fueled theatrical sex farces, and they were equally conventional in their morality. By the mid-1960s, the genre virtually disappeared from Hollywood, with a few notable exceptions.
In 1977, however, the success of Woody Allen's Annie Hall fundamentally reinvented the genre. Both a box-office hit and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, it brought about a general revival of romantic comedy rooted in the changes in courtship and marriage that were occurring in the 1960s.
From the late 70's onwards romantic comedies have successfully rooted themselves as one of Hollywood's greatest creations. The genre has produced hundreds of films with a formula that seems to be immortal.
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match.
While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.Meet Cute
One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press' Christy Lemire have called a "meet-cute" situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create a humorous sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. The attraction between the lead characters must be established quickly. The subject matter of romantic comedies are the obstacles that the potential pair must face before they can acknowledge, fulfill, or consummate their love, and the audience must care about the relationship enough to finish the movie. The meet-cute, by virtue of its unusual situation, helps to fix the potential relationship in the viewers' minds, and the spark of the meeting is the impetus by which initial vicissitudes of the developing relationship are overcome.
Secondary Characters
The audience are usually introduced to the best friends, and maybe some family members, of the two main characters. Although they are there to offer their support, they are usually the main source of humour in the film. The audience can relate to the best friend in the film, and they would consider what they would do in that situation.
Lighting
Majority of the film will have a happy tone/atmosphere, so the lighting will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes darker to mirror the tone, but this won’t happen very often.
Soundtrack
Very much like the lighting, the soundtrack of Rom-coms is used to mirror the mood of the scenes. Horror films tend to have a score, where orchestral music is used instead of songs. In rom-com’s however, songs are mainly used instead of orchestral music (this doesn't mean that there is no orchestral music though). The songs that are used in the film will usually be well known pop songs, so that the audience can recognise them easily. They must relate to the story being told in the film. The songs can even assist in the story-telling process.
Setting
Romantic comedies are usually set in a big, well-known city. The most common place in the UK to set a rom-com is London, however internationally New York seems to be extremely popular as a romantic setting. It is a place that, even if people haven’t been there, they can picture. In a place like London, there is always something going on, so it is easy to believe that the events in the film could happen.
Conclusion
Normally, the conclusion of a film will be happy, with the two main characters getting back together. However, it is getting increasingly popular to show the reality that sometimes, it doesn’t all work out exactly the way we want it to. This is evidence of modern manipulation of conventions
A Little Bit of History
Firstly Shakespeare himself is often credited for writing some of the best romantic comedies of all time. Many of his plays were intended to be humorous as well as emotional and romantic; proving that rom-coms are by no means a modern style of film.
Romantic comedy declined in popularity and quality during World War II, Though several directors and production companies kept working at it. At this point rom-coms were better known as screwball films. The Lady Eve was one of the most successful of the time, it features a protagonist (Henry Fonda) so blinded by love that he marries the same woman (Barbara Stanwyck) three times without knowing it. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) took madcap comedy to a level beyond screwball and managed to become a box-office hit despite dealing with the sensitive subject of wartime promiscuity.
In general, the 1950s and 1960s were a low point for romantic comedy. Doris Day (b. 1924) became one of the most popular actors of the era, appearing in several of what were called "sex comedies," often opposite Rock Hudson (1925–1985). These films trade on the same kind of titillation that fueled theatrical sex farces, and they were equally conventional in their morality. By the mid-1960s, the genre virtually disappeared from Hollywood, with a few notable exceptions.
In 1977, however, the success of Woody Allen's Annie Hall fundamentally reinvented the genre. Both a box-office hit and winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, it brought about a general revival of romantic comedy rooted in the changes in courtship and marriage that were occurring in the 1960s.
From the late 70's onwards romantic comedies have successfully rooted themselves as one of Hollywood's greatest creations. The genre has produced hundreds of films with a formula that seems to be immortal.
The Conventions Of A Slasher Film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a weapon such as a knife.
One of the first and most important films to this sub-genre is Michael Powell's Peeping Tom. The film's plot centers around a man who kills women while using a portable movie camera to record their dying expressions. The film was immensely controversial when first released; critics called it misogynistic. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, released three months after Peeping Tom, and is described as 'the mother of all slasher films'. Psycho is often referred to as the first true slasher film. Even though the villain's body count is only two, the film's plot structure, knife wielding and mentally disturbed killer, twist ending, and 'stalking' camera technique anticipates the gorier films of the 1980s. However, the famous shower sequence has, in itself, become a classic of horror cinema, and the film itself hailed by contemporary critics as a modern masterpiece.
From these films, certain characteristics developed to create the conventions of the Slasher film. These conventions are as follows:
The Killer
Every slasher has a killer. He's usually male, and his identity is often concealed either by a mask or by creative lighting and camerawork. Even if his identity is known, as in the case of Halloween's Michael Myers, he still tends to mask his face. This, combined with the fact that he's usually mute and seemingly unstoppable, heightens his ominous, threatening nature. Their back story often includes a childhood trauma that turned them into the homicidal maniac they are today, thus creating a level of sympathy in the viewer. After all, the real star of a slasher is the killer, not the hero. Throughout a franchise like Friday the 13th, heroes come and go, but the killer is constant: the iconic antihero valued for speaking softly and carrying a lethal weapon.
The Victims
In slashers, the victims tend to be young, attractive and often nude. They're typically high school or college-aged adolescents who engage in activities involving: sex, alcohol, drugs, crime and often sports. Rarely does the killer pick these kids explicitly because of their misdeeds, but there is an unwritten moral code in these films that punishes bad behavior. This somehow puts across the idea that the people who die somehow "deserve" it.
The Heroine
Although slashers are often criticized for being slightly sexist, they're one of the few film genres that primarily feature strong, independent female leads. The heroine is almost always a peer of the victims, but unlike her cohorts, she's virtuous. She doesn't go along with all of the sexual hijinks and drug usage, and if she doesn't outright stop her pals from bullying the geeky outcast who may someday grow into a homicidal killing machine, she at least feels really bad about it. The heroine is also known as the "final girl" because by the end of the movie, all of her friends are dead, and she's left alone to deal with the killer.
The Violence
One thing that separates slashers from thrillers and murder mysteries is the level of violence. Slashers shift the focus of the film from such trivialities as "plot" and "character development" and instead concentrate on the killing. Storylines are basically constructed around giving the killer reason and opportunity to do what he does best; murder and mayhem. The deaths are violent and graphic, and the more originality shown in the methods and tools used, the better.
To summarise in a heartbeat
The typically conventions are:-
1 psychopathic killer.
1 killing sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner.
1 familiar place such as, a highschool or nieghbourhood.
1 group of people, normally teenagers, which are typically stereotypes.
1 mask or other means of disguise.
1 final girl.
1 moral code to follow.
1 revival of the killer
= One bloody good slasher! (Excuse the terrible pun)
Notable Slashers:
Peeping Tom (1960)
Psycho (1960)
Violent Midnight (1963)
Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)
Black Christmas (1974)
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Halloween (1978)
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Friday the 13th (1980)
Prom Night (1980)
Terror Train (1980)
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Hell Night (1981)
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
April Fool's Day (1986)
Stagefright (1987)
Child's Play (1988)
Scream (1996)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Urban Legend (1998)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Haute Tension (2003)
Cry Wolf (2005)
Halloween (2007)
Hatchet (2007)
Friday, 8 July 2011
Conventions Of A Music Video
The conventions of music video's vary from genre to genre however there are several conventions that are present in the majority of music videos.
Camera Shots/Movement:
Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used to reflect the emotion and emphasise words of the song. Which links in to another major convention of music videos: lip syncing, which is present in the vast majority of music videos.
Unless there is a narrative story line to accompany the music video - in which case more complex movement and shots are often used - the movement of the camera is used to simply follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
Editing:
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts. However, as mentioned before, if there is a story line to the video a much wider range of editing techniques are used.
Mise-en-scene & and Lighting:
Most of the mise-en-scene, lighting, props and costumes etc. are very genre specific. For example pop videos tend to focus on the artist, with them being in very appealing outfits and with bright lighting. On the other hand indie videos could either be in black and white or colour, with a possible narrative; meaning that more props would be used and less focus would be on the artist and more so on the narrative. However there are often performance props in music videos such as guitars, drums and microphones.
Finally, the final convention of music video's is the live video. Many popular Rock and Punk bands have recorded themselves playing live and overdubbed the song to create a live performance.
An example of a live video: Good Charlotte - The Festival Song
Underneath is a link to a pop-punk video by a band called Four Year Strong, to the song 'Tonight I Feel Alive (On A Saturday)'. This video includes a narrative which makes the entire video very intense. There are several different types of camera angles used and hundreds of different props and costumes. To create and film this video took the band several weeks but it payed off. The story line comes across clearly and accompanies the lyrics very well. This is personally my favourite music video of all time, it definitely keeps the audience interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MH1UaPIEgA
Apposing this here is a link to a music video of Patrick Stump's 'Spotlight'. This video is of a much more pop/dance genre. The video itself very much reinforces the lyrics of the song, telling the listener that they should make the best of their uniqueness and their talents. The lighting is very bright to represent the mood and the video is more focused on the vocalist. Apart from the actual performers the music video isn't extremely drastic however works well with the song. In this genre it is often the case that subtlety pays off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nC1yoTh3M
Camera Shots/Movement:
Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used to reflect the emotion and emphasise words of the song. Which links in to another major convention of music videos: lip syncing, which is present in the vast majority of music videos.
Unless there is a narrative story line to accompany the music video - in which case more complex movement and shots are often used - the movement of the camera is used to simply follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
Editing:
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts. However, as mentioned before, if there is a story line to the video a much wider range of editing techniques are used.
Mise-en-scene & and Lighting:
Most of the mise-en-scene, lighting, props and costumes etc. are very genre specific. For example pop videos tend to focus on the artist, with them being in very appealing outfits and with bright lighting. On the other hand indie videos could either be in black and white or colour, with a possible narrative; meaning that more props would be used and less focus would be on the artist and more so on the narrative. However there are often performance props in music videos such as guitars, drums and microphones.
Finally, the final convention of music video's is the live video. Many popular Rock and Punk bands have recorded themselves playing live and overdubbed the song to create a live performance.
An example of a live video: Good Charlotte - The Festival Song
Underneath is a link to a pop-punk video by a band called Four Year Strong, to the song 'Tonight I Feel Alive (On A Saturday)'. This video includes a narrative which makes the entire video very intense. There are several different types of camera angles used and hundreds of different props and costumes. To create and film this video took the band several weeks but it payed off. The story line comes across clearly and accompanies the lyrics very well. This is personally my favourite music video of all time, it definitely keeps the audience interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MH1UaPIEgA
Apposing this here is a link to a music video of Patrick Stump's 'Spotlight'. This video is of a much more pop/dance genre. The video itself very much reinforces the lyrics of the song, telling the listener that they should make the best of their uniqueness and their talents. The lighting is very bright to represent the mood and the video is more focused on the vocalist. Apart from the actual performers the music video isn't extremely drastic however works well with the song. In this genre it is often the case that subtlety pays off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nC1yoTh3M
Monday, 4 July 2011
Introduction
For A2 media studies I have been given the option of either filming a short film, a film trailer or a music video. Until I decide which option to choose I will blog information to aid with all three choices. My instinct tells me that I'll end up creating a music video as I have a very keen interest in all aspects of music, however I'm keeping my options open.
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