Conventions
Horror: the typical conventions of a horror would be what the audience is expecting to see. for example the audience will be expecting to be scared so therefore expecting to see ghosts or gore. throughout the film the audience will be on the edge of the seat waiting to be scared so the film will also have to make the audience jump. the target audience for horrors is quite large because as long as you're over 16 or in some cases 18 anyone can like them. if u like horrors the film industry will use the scare factors in order to attract an audience or slogans which cause the viewer to think.
nightmare on elm street: during the opening two minutes of nightmare on elm street it gives literally nothing away to the audience. the opening scene is of a dirty hand creating a type of knife glove which already makes the audience think this is a weapon he'll use. the next scene in the two minutes is of a young girl running down a hallway in her nightie which allows the audience to link it to sleep as its like she just woke up. throughout the entire opening two minutes there is a heavy breathing going on in the background which creates suspense and fear for the audience as its almost like its in their own ear.
Sci-fi: the typical conventions of a sci-fi film are to do with science and mythical creations. for example usually they will include aliens, rockets and outer space. because the audience are waiting to see something fictional it means that there is an element of shock involved which therefore intrigues the viewer. the target audience for sci-fi movies is also quite broad however i think it targets people more into fictional things and therefore people maybe of a younger age. the film industry will therefore use graphics and computers to create realistic fictional things to draw the viewer in.
Star Wars: Threads of Destiny: the opening two minutes of star wars gave a lot away about the story line but not about the current occurrences in the movie. the two minutes include the film title and a story giving the audience an insight. the whole this is set in and amongst the stars which links us back to the sci-fi genre. this almost puts the viewer into the sci-fi state of mind and prepares them for the fiction they will most probably see helping them to really embrace it.
Comedy: the typical conventions of s comedy are jokes or seeing someone fall over. usually it includes elements that will make people laugh which will also put the audience in a better mood. sometimes comedy's includes things that shock the audience into laughing whereas sometimes they include relatable mistakes which means the audience links it to their own life and experiences making it funnier. i don't think there is a particular audience for comedies as everyone loves to laugh, unless the film is rude funny then the target audience is much older. the film industry will use funny snip-its from the movie to intise the viewers as it gives the audience an insight to the humour in the movie.
dead pool; the opening two minutes of dead pool are almost what should be the middle of the film, throughout the film their are flashbacks from previous occurrences which lead up to the start of the film. during the opening two minutes dead pool it is very much like an action film, however over the top of the film is dead pool narrating whats happening and its him doing that which makes the film funny. because of this it gives the audience an insight into the witty humour in store. the opening two minutes also include many different camera shots and angles which gives the audience an insight to their surrounding helping them relate to dead pool.
Romance: a romance will always include love or relationships of some sort. romances usually have a happy ending between two people being happy with each other. they can also sometimes include other genres to make them more interesting or light-hearted. by watching a romance it can mean that it gives the audience hope in love or makes them happy watching it. i think the target audience for a romance is much older as some parts become boring to younger people as they aren't as relatable. also older people can watch the films and really relate due to personal experience or want to relate so watch them. the film industry will usually use film trailers to attract viewers or produce the movies near valentines day when romance is on more of a hype.
the holiday: the opening tow minutes of the holiday include the main character narrating about love over the top of different relationships. however at this point we have no idea who the voice is or the relevance of the characters. by seeing the different relationships at the beginning it allows the audience to begin to feel compassion toward the characters not so lucky looking in love. because of this it makes the audience want the characters to find love for themselves and be happy thus giving hope the the audience awaiting the love story.
Teen: teen films usually include the lives of a teenager as their target audience is aimed at 13-18 year old. they also can include other genres like comedies in order to give them something to base it around. mainly they tend to include the school or home life of a teenager making it very relatable to the target audience. the film industry will promote teen movies on the adverts of children's TV programmes, social networking and in magazines as it allows the teen to easily access them
10 things i hate about you: the opening two minutes of this movies gives very little about the movie itself away. to begin with it is listing off the actors involved in the movie, however the names are written in a very young, colourful way. the music in the background is also very young, american schoolchild which already targets the perfect audience. however as the scene changes so does the music. the shot is of a beaten up car with a very moody young girl in it with the lyrics "i don't give a damn about my reputation" playing. this change of music allows the audience to assume the importance of the character and question her attitude.
Action: action films typically include lots of drama and chaos. lots of them include explosions and law breaking which is to keep the audiences attention. most of them are very intense to give the
audience a lot of shock factor and keep them on the edge of their seat. majority of the time action films are also very unrealistic and over the top however this keeps the audience intrigued. the target audience for action movies is very stereo-typically males of all ages as women are less likely to enjoy all of the violence. therefore the film industry would put the trailer on the adverts of mainly male programmes e.g. sports.
the fast and the furious: after watching the whole film the opening two minutes give us nothing away about the rest of the movie. the first scene is of some transporting docks and a big crate which is then transported but lorry. however because we know so little and are left guessing it leaves the audience guessing and speculating. this then puts the audience in the exciteful mood which the perfect for the genre of an action film therefore this opening is very good despite how little it gives away.
Crime: crime genres live completely up to their name as the main basis of the films are centered around crime and law breaking. usually they include murders, kidnappings, robberies and drug smuggling. they also usually give you the option of guessing the ending but twist it which gives the audience the element of shock at the end. crime films have an older target audience due to the chance of there being disturbing scenes in the films. film industries will target this specific audience with things less likely to interest a child for example newspaper articles.
snatch: the opening two minutes of snatch are narrated by one of the main characters he is used to introduce characters and give the audience an insight to their situation. already the audience grows fond of "Turkish" as hes shows wittiness and love toward "Tommy". in the first bit of speech from Turkish he mentions diamonds which gives the audience an idea that the film may be based around diamonds or a diamond in particular. the next scene in the two minutes is of three stereo-typically Jewish looking men walking into a high security place. because of this it automatically makes the audience question them putting the audience into the right frame of mind for the film.
Thursday 8 December 2016
setting
setting
setting
horror: the conventional setting for a horror is somewhere that a lot of people would feel scared. a lot of the time film industries play on a humans natural fears for example the dark or somewhere they're unfamiliar with. majority of horror film settings include someone being lost or somewhere out of their comfort zone. they're also usually very dark and gloomy which the audience automatically links to death thus scaring them.
action: majority of action movies are set in a big city where there can be a lot of chaos and destruction. if they are set in a big city it means that when the action takes place there will be more chaos which is the aim of an action film as the film will constantly have something going on. action films aim to constantly keep the audience in shock which wouldn't happen if it was set somewhere quiet and boring.
drama: the typical setting of a drama can vary as a drama can include anything. depending on the mood of the drama the setting will change. if the drama has some elements of sadness the setting will link to that and include a dark scary place backed up by the backing track. controversial to that if the drama includes a lot of action and anger the setting will include lots of warm colours and business to represent the feelings of the characters involved for example a place with fire or blood.
romance: usually a romance is a film about happy love and relationships in which case the setting will reflect that. for example in "50 first dates" it is set in sunny Hawaii which creates a happy atmosphere for the audience to link the love to. however, in some cases of a romance there is heartache of which case the setting changes to somewhere that reflects the emotions being felt. for example if sadness is involved there may be scenes in the rain or night.
the importance of setting:
setting is extremely important when it comes to mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play, therefore without the setting there could be no mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene can also be described as the setting or surroundings of an event, which entirely links setting to the construction of mise-en-scene. for example if a scene was shot on the set of a train station without mise-en-scene things would get in the way and the order of people and objects would mess with the scene. setting is also very important when it comes to creating an understanding for a viewer. a lot can be revealed from the setting. for example if the setting didn't reflect the mood of the scene the audience wouldn't be able to judge the emotion of the character and predict what could be happening next. without the setting the audience also wouldn't be able to determine the genre of the film and would disclude the audience from the film as they wouldn't be able to relate to the character.
- the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.
horror: the conventional setting for a horror is somewhere that a lot of people would feel scared. a lot of the time film industries play on a humans natural fears for example the dark or somewhere they're unfamiliar with. majority of horror film settings include someone being lost or somewhere out of their comfort zone. they're also usually very dark and gloomy which the audience automatically links to death thus scaring them.
action: majority of action movies are set in a big city where there can be a lot of chaos and destruction. if they are set in a big city it means that when the action takes place there will be more chaos which is the aim of an action film as the film will constantly have something going on. action films aim to constantly keep the audience in shock which wouldn't happen if it was set somewhere quiet and boring.
drama: the typical setting of a drama can vary as a drama can include anything. depending on the mood of the drama the setting will change. if the drama has some elements of sadness the setting will link to that and include a dark scary place backed up by the backing track. controversial to that if the drama includes a lot of action and anger the setting will include lots of warm colours and business to represent the feelings of the characters involved for example a place with fire or blood.
romance: usually a romance is a film about happy love and relationships in which case the setting will reflect that. for example in "50 first dates" it is set in sunny Hawaii which creates a happy atmosphere for the audience to link the love to. however, in some cases of a romance there is heartache of which case the setting changes to somewhere that reflects the emotions being felt. for example if sadness is involved there may be scenes in the rain or night.
the importance of setting:
setting is extremely important when it comes to mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play, therefore without the setting there could be no mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene can also be described as the setting or surroundings of an event, which entirely links setting to the construction of mise-en-scene. for example if a scene was shot on the set of a train station without mise-en-scene things would get in the way and the order of people and objects would mess with the scene. setting is also very important when it comes to creating an understanding for a viewer. a lot can be revealed from the setting. for example if the setting didn't reflect the mood of the scene the audience wouldn't be able to judge the emotion of the character and predict what could be happening next. without the setting the audience also wouldn't be able to determine the genre of the film and would disclude the audience from the film as they wouldn't be able to relate to the character.
Wednesday 7 December 2016
3 EXISTING FILM OPENINGS
3 existing student made film openings
AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence (A Grade)
https://youtu.be/NBNqX7-MaxE
This student made film opening is very detailed and the research to make it before planning has all paid off because of how successful the camera shots and angles have succeeded. However, the plot to me is confusing and doesn't really add up. This is because the accident where there is an explosion on the street doesn't really influence the boy walking around, getting ready in the morning. That could encourage the audience to want to carry on watching it. The film shots and angles really emphasize the two minute film opening because it insinuates on how darks or sad the film is going to be because of the dark, cloudy effect over the filming. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of him getting ready whilst doing the credits and the different locations of London are captured very nice as well.
CAPTIVE - AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fH1fUQ-Lw
Here is another student made film which was graded with full marks. In my opinion the opening scene was very overpowering which can put people off wanting to watch the rest. But it can also encourage people to want to continue watching it. The camera angles were impressive and the props used were very accurate to the plot. The costumes linked in well with the scene and the actors were really good and focussed on the seriousness of the video. I could say there was too much going on for the first opening scene of the film encouraging the audience to loose focus, however it was overly intriguing and could make other audiences feel differently. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of the boy getting lost whilst tasking photographs and how the girl is following him.
Hemlock- AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdCSJkFoKw
This is my favourite student made two minute opening to a film because it is so focused and simplistic. There is not much going on which makes it even more intriguing for the audience to watch because you would want to find out why the boy is burying the girl and what he has done or who has told him to do that. The actors are playing such serious roles as the girl is being covered in mud to look like she is being buried and it looks so real as if she is actually dead, and the boy is looking really guilty therefore the actors were very well chosen because they were getting into the right mood for the scene. The first minute of him just pushing the wheelbarrow with the body in it is so moving because it shows a sense of regret with the linking in of the sad, deep music.
AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence (A Grade)
https://youtu.be/NBNqX7-MaxE
This student made film opening is very detailed and the research to make it before planning has all paid off because of how successful the camera shots and angles have succeeded. However, the plot to me is confusing and doesn't really add up. This is because the accident where there is an explosion on the street doesn't really influence the boy walking around, getting ready in the morning. That could encourage the audience to want to carry on watching it. The film shots and angles really emphasize the two minute film opening because it insinuates on how darks or sad the film is going to be because of the dark, cloudy effect over the filming. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of him getting ready whilst doing the credits and the different locations of London are captured very nice as well.
CAPTIVE - AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fH1fUQ-Lw
Here is another student made film which was graded with full marks. In my opinion the opening scene was very overpowering which can put people off wanting to watch the rest. But it can also encourage people to want to continue watching it. The camera angles were impressive and the props used were very accurate to the plot. The costumes linked in well with the scene and the actors were really good and focussed on the seriousness of the video. I could say there was too much going on for the first opening scene of the film encouraging the audience to loose focus, however it was overly intriguing and could make other audiences feel differently. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of the boy getting lost whilst tasking photographs and how the girl is following him.
Hemlock- AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdCSJkFoKw
This is my favourite student made two minute opening to a film because it is so focused and simplistic. There is not much going on which makes it even more intriguing for the audience to watch because you would want to find out why the boy is burying the girl and what he has done or who has told him to do that. The actors are playing such serious roles as the girl is being covered in mud to look like she is being buried and it looks so real as if she is actually dead, and the boy is looking really guilty therefore the actors were very well chosen because they were getting into the right mood for the scene. The first minute of him just pushing the wheelbarrow with the body in it is so moving because it shows a sense of regret with the linking in of the sad, deep music.
KEY TERMS
KEY TERMS:
Mise-en-scene: Mise-en-scene is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction.
Narrative: Narrative means a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative. A narrative or story is told by a narrator who may be a direct part of that experience and he or she often shares the experience as a first-person narrator. Sometimes he or she may only observe the events as a third-person narrator and gives his or her verdict.
Genre: Genre is a style or category of art, music, or literature. Therefore in media, it would be a genre of film, for example: horror, romance, comedy, thriller etc.
Originality: Originality means the ability to think independently and creatively. Therefore in media, this would encourage students to work independently and come up with creative ideas for their film making etc. and not to rely on others.
Creativity: Creativity is the idea that the use of imagination or original ideas are used to create something; inventiveness. This will lead to creating a great video in order to impress the audience by using a variety of different ideas and camera angles.
Representation: Representation is the idea that the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
Media Ownership: Concentration of media ownership (also known as media consolidation or media convergence) is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media.
Synergy: Synergy is when the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
Mise-en-scene: Mise-en-scene is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction.
Narrative: Narrative means a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative. A narrative or story is told by a narrator who may be a direct part of that experience and he or she often shares the experience as a first-person narrator. Sometimes he or she may only observe the events as a third-person narrator and gives his or her verdict.
Genre: Genre is a style or category of art, music, or literature. Therefore in media, it would be a genre of film, for example: horror, romance, comedy, thriller etc.
Originality: Originality means the ability to think independently and creatively. Therefore in media, this would encourage students to work independently and come up with creative ideas for their film making etc. and not to rely on others.
Creativity: Creativity is the idea that the use of imagination or original ideas are used to create something; inventiveness. This will lead to creating a great video in order to impress the audience by using a variety of different ideas and camera angles.
Representation: Representation is the idea that the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
Media Ownership: Concentration of media ownership (also known as media consolidation or media convergence) is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media.
Synergy: Synergy is when the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
NARRATIVE
WHAT IS NARRATIVE?
Narrative means a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative.
Film trailers are an engaging way of teaching fiction genres and narrative structure. It is important that genre is established in a trailer as it grabs the attention of audiences that studios know will want to see the film.
Typical narrative structure is often broken down in this way:
What are the conventions of narratives in each of the following genres?:
COMEDY: The narrative of comedy is that it is funny and witty, encouraging to make the audience laugh and to enjoy themselves whilst watching it. An example of a comedy would be 'The Inbetweeners'. This film throughout start to finish expresses humor in different manners but each time works successfully. Moreover, the genre -comedy isn't a serious genre of film. You don't have to really focus in order to understand the film.
HORROR: The narrative of Horror is that it is scary and sinister, also overly realistic for the audience to watch as they feel that they are made to feel that ghosts etc. are real. An example of a Horror movie would be 'Women in Black' which encourages the audience to feel freaked out as it is very dark and gloomy. Also the story told throughout the film makes out that the 'Women in black' could in fact be real, therefore scaring the audience after the film has been watched to make them feel that she is actually real. This is what horrors are for, they are made to make the audience feel scared.
ACTION: The narrative of an Action film is that they are very up beat and fast. This will lead the audiences adrenaline to rush as they are exciting and interesting as you never know what will happen next. An example of an action film could be 'Skyfall - James Bond'. This film encourages the audience to want to know what is going to happen next as there are continuously knew things occurring that you want to find out more about.
DRAMA: The narrative of a drama film could be any emotion, because when the problem occurs during the middle of the film, it could end happily, or sad. It could leave any emotion. For example, with 'Toy Story' everything is all going well until Andy buys a new toy (Buzz Lightyear) and Andy doesn't like him because he is jealous, causing the audience to possibly feel sorry for Andy.
ROMANCE: The narrative for a romance film it to share feelings and emotions between the couple. The problem in a romance film could involve the couple breaking up or having an argument. This would cause the audience to feel upset or sorry for the characters which creates emotion. An example of a romance film could be 'The Fault in Our Stars' which is a sad film as the problem is where both of them have cancer. This is the dilemma which may or may not be solved but it is romantic because the couple are both very loved up.
NARRATIVE THEORY:
Narrative means a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative.
Film trailers are an engaging way of teaching fiction genres and narrative structure. It is important that genre is established in a trailer as it grabs the attention of audiences that studios know will want to see the film.
Typical narrative structure is often broken down in this way:
- Opening: establishes setting and introduces character
- Build up: Relationships established. Development of characters and their world
- Problem: a dilemma or series of complications. Characters are faced with an obstacle to overcome a mystery to solve, or often more than one
- Events: a series of events/action as characters try to overcome obstacle, solve problem, discover truth and so on. Further complications may arise in the process
- Resolution: the protagonists are victorious, problems are solved, truth revealed
- Ending: characters reflect on events, reinstate relationships and look forward.
What are the conventions of narratives in each of the following genres?:
COMEDY: The narrative of comedy is that it is funny and witty, encouraging to make the audience laugh and to enjoy themselves whilst watching it. An example of a comedy would be 'The Inbetweeners'. This film throughout start to finish expresses humor in different manners but each time works successfully. Moreover, the genre -comedy isn't a serious genre of film. You don't have to really focus in order to understand the film.HORROR: The narrative of Horror is that it is scary and sinister, also overly realistic for the audience to watch as they feel that they are made to feel that ghosts etc. are real. An example of a Horror movie would be 'Women in Black' which encourages the audience to feel freaked out as it is very dark and gloomy. Also the story told throughout the film makes out that the 'Women in black' could in fact be real, therefore scaring the audience after the film has been watched to make them feel that she is actually real. This is what horrors are for, they are made to make the audience feel scared.ACTION: The narrative of an Action film is that they are very up beat and fast. This will lead the audiences adrenaline to rush as they are exciting and interesting as you never know what will happen next. An example of an action film could be 'Skyfall - James Bond'. This film encourages the audience to want to know what is going to happen next as there are continuously knew things occurring that you want to find out more about.DRAMA: The narrative of a drama film could be any emotion, because when the problem occurs during the middle of the film, it could end happily, or sad. It could leave any emotion. For example, with 'Toy Story' everything is all going well until Andy buys a new toy (Buzz Lightyear) and Andy doesn't like him because he is jealous, causing the audience to possibly feel sorry for Andy.ROMANCE: The narrative for a romance film it to share feelings and emotions between the couple. The problem in a romance film could involve the couple breaking up or having an argument. This would cause the audience to feel upset or sorry for the characters which creates emotion. An example of a romance film could be 'The Fault in Our Stars' which is a sad film as the problem is where both of them have cancer. This is the dilemma which may or may not be solved but it is romantic because the couple are both very loved up.NARRATIVE THEORY:
- Propp: Vladimir Propp broke up fairy tales into sections. Through these sections he was able to define the tale into a series of sequences that occurred within the Russian fairytale. Usually there is an initial situation, after which the tale usually takes the following 31 functions.
- Todorov: Tzvetan Todorov is a Bulgarian-French historian, philosopher, structuralist literary critic, sociologist and essayist. He is the author of many books and essays, which have had a significant influence in anthropology, sociology, semiotics, literary theory, thought history and culture theory
- Barthes: Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, design theory, anthropology and post-structuralism.
- Levi-straus: Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theory of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social Anthropology at the Collège de France between 1959 and 1982 and was elected a member of the Académie française in 1973. He received numerous honors from universities and institutions throughout the world and has been called, alongside James George Frazer and Franz Boas, the "father of modern anthropology".
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