Here we have created a magazine questionnaire allowing us to better understand our target audience. The questions cover important factors such as age, film watching tendencies and prefered genres etc.
1.How old are you?
10-16 17-25 36-45 46-60 61+
2.What gender are you?
Male Female
3.How many times a month, on average, do you read film magazines?
0-1 2-3 4-5 6+
4.What are the names of the film magazines that you read?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5.What colours do you usually associate with film magazines?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6.What genre do you feel should be advertised more on film magazine covers?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
7.Do you think it is conventional to have an image of the films main character as the main focus of the magazine cover?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8.What type of stories do you expect to be advertised on the front cover of a film magazine?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Sunday, 29 November 2009
1408 Trailer Analysis
1408 is a psychological horror film starring John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson, It is about an author specialising in the paranormal. He has become cynical and jaded after many years of investigating and turning up nothing. Word comes of fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin hotel in New York over 56 people have died in it, Mike (Cusack) thinks this is a perfect opportunity for his book he decides to stay in the room, despite the hotel managers (Jackson) warnings. Horror ensues..
The trailer for 1408 is 3.09 mins long. It shows the usual studio logos, dimesnion films well known for thier pshcological thillers, then begins. The First shot is a close up of Mike talking to his Daughter who tells him "everybody dies" this instantly sets a nasty tone throughout the trailer and places its roots in the horror genre. We hear piano music which sets an intriguing tone largely due to pianos being associated with horror, due to thier roles in haunted houses and horror stories of old. The beginning of the trailer primarily tells the audience about the main character . It shows tracking shots of him going about his job as a paranormal author whilst a voice over says "when Mike Enslin lost his daughter, the after life became his obsession, now after years of searching he no longer believes" The shots in this montage are the usual long shots to show mikes loneliness after loosing his daughter and do show his disillusion at the paranormal. Throughout he wears dark clothing which is synonymous with people mourning ( about his daughters death).
The lighting in the trailer is low-key throughout, particually after the opening shots of his daughter. We often see lightning effects which are stereotypical of horror films. The sound effects in the film match these stereotypes, we often hear creeking doors thuding noises. The occasional scream is also put in place to shock the viewer.
The editing throughout the trailer is very stereotypical of a horror film, using fades and flashes to create atmosphere and pace. The white flashes are synomous with the afterlife and the boundry between life and death obviously something very important in horror films.
The trailer for 1408 is 3.09 mins long. It shows the usual studio logos, dimesnion films well known for thier pshcological thillers, then begins. The First shot is a close up of Mike talking to his Daughter who tells him "everybody dies" this instantly sets a nasty tone throughout the trailer and places its roots in the horror genre. We hear piano music which sets an intriguing tone largely due to pianos being associated with horror, due to thier roles in haunted houses and horror stories of old. The beginning of the trailer primarily tells the audience about the main character . It shows tracking shots of him going about his job as a paranormal author whilst a voice over says "when Mike Enslin lost his daughter, the after life became his obsession, now after years of searching he no longer believes" The shots in this montage are the usual long shots to show mikes loneliness after loosing his daughter and do show his disillusion at the paranormal. Throughout he wears dark clothing which is synonymous with people mourning ( about his daughters death).
The lighting in the trailer is low-key throughout, particually after the opening shots of his daughter. We often see lightning effects which are stereotypical of horror films. The sound effects in the film match these stereotypes, we often hear creeking doors thuding noises. The occasional scream is also put in place to shock the viewer.
The editing throughout the trailer is very stereotypical of a horror film, using fades and flashes to create atmosphere and pace. The white flashes are synomous with the afterlife and the boundry between life and death obviously something very important in horror films.
Monday, 23 November 2009
Misery Trailer Analysis
Scene opens with an establishing shot of a fallen tree lying in the snow. The fallen tree adds mystery and gives an indication of previous traumas and possible future panic. There is a binary opposition of black vs. white, as suggested by Levi-Strauss. It is shown through the dark colours of the fallen tree disrupting the light, bright colours of the snowy background. This indicates the contrast of life vs. death. The opening scene is accompanied with fast-paced organ music, used to illustrate a sense of loneliness and isolation. The dialogue of “You almost died...” immediately sets the scene. The audience begin to ask questions, ‘Who almost died? How? When? Why is this important?’ in reference to Barthes narrative theory. This establishes a basis for the rest of the narrative to be built on. The setting is conventional to the psychological horror genre as snow and ice are dangerous elements that indicate hazards and terror. Furthermore, the fact he is isolated in the middle of nowhere further emphasises terror and is a genre convention.
A voice-over of a woman’s voice is used, the voice sounds soft and caring. The audience learn that the man- who still has no identity- has fractured his tibia and fibula meaning that he will not be able to move. This illustrates that he is trapped which in turn demonstrates a sense of peril. The lighting is low-key to emphasise the panic. The use of shadows adds mystery; the audience begin to ask questions such as “Will the man survive?” (Barthes). The shot fades to black to portray horror; red, blood-like writing comes on the screen to connote danger. The contrast of the colours- black and red- emphasise horror. The end of the women’s dialogue is “You’re going to be just fine...” this raises tension and suspense as the audience assume from the genre that perhaps everything may not be “fine”. This is emphasises through a close-up of a crowbar which connotes danger and horror but also has definitions of safety. A crane shot into wide shot shows a woman helping the man; the audience ask questions, “Who is this rescuer? How did she find the victim?” (Barthes). The shot is deliberately distorted by snow which adds to the peril. A fade to black connotes terror and this is further emphasised by the blood-like writing on a dark background to illustrate horror.
A long-shot shows the injured man in bed with a woman- presumabl the rescuer- tending to him. The white bedspread and white clothing of the woman makes her look like a nurse, the white colours also connote safety. The hospital/ medical link is further emphasised by the use of the prop of a drip. The drip is used to restore lost fluids; it is only used in hospitals for serious injuries and has death connotations to demonstrate horror and terror.
The audience learn that the woman’s name is Annie and the man is famous author Paul Sheldon. The camera shows a close-up of Annie’s face. The audience can identify with the woman, her hair is tied back to demonstrate that she is a working woman, probably a housewife which is conventional of the psychological horror genre as it illustrates innocence. The close-up of a book demonstrates an insight into Paul’s working-life. He is the author of the book ‘Misery’s Child’. The title of the book is intentional as the narrative progresses we learn that Paul is ‘Misery’s Child’. The dark background contrasts against the white book, a binary opposition which demonstrates terror (Levi-Strauss). The binary opposition is used to suggest life vs. death, heaven vs. earth and purity vs. evil. A close-up into tracking shows the rescuer holding the book. Her possession of it indicates some sort of obsession to indicate terror, peril and confusion. Annie says to Paul that he is a “good man”; this illustrates one side of Annie’s split personality. She is kind and generous and wants to help Paul- this is reflected through the tone of her voice.
A mid-shot shows the woman higher in the frame which is unconventional, she is helping him by shaving him and keeping him in good health. She is higher in the frame to indicate that she is superior to Paul and the dominant human as she is fully able whereas Paul is partially disabled. The prop of the razor also suggests danger and peril and indicates death or violence through cutting etc. Chiaroscuro lighting shows the binary oppositions of life vs. death and heaven vs. hell as the shadows add mystery (Levi-Strauss). The shot also shows a bright white light which connotes heaven and therefore death. A two-shot shows the bars on windows, this links to a prison cell which suggests that he is trapped and cannot escape. A voice-over of a newsreader is heard, “The presumption must now be that Paul Sheldon is dead.” The audience suggest that this cannot be right as Annie had previously said that she had rung for an ambulance, therefore someone must know where he is. This heightens tension and adds mystery, “Who is this Annie, why has she captivated Paul?” (Barthes).
A birds-eye-view shot through binoculars shows the up-turned car to illustrate the accident. The camera fades to an extreme long-shot of a house. This demonstrates that the house is in the middle of nowhere to indicate loneliness which is conventional to the psychological horror genre. A mid-shot shows the woman in chiaroscuro lighting which adds mystery and terror. The white light, conventional of hospitals and therefore heaven, indicates that she is still prepared to help as she is a fan of his work. However, the low key lighting demonstrates her aggression. Dark clothing and the dark background further emphasise her aggression. We see half of the woman’s face in dark, low-key lighting and half in light, high-key lighting. Chiaroscuro lighting indicates that she has a split personality; the audience ask “Why is the woman angry? Is she obsessed with him?” (Barthes). The music becomes slower and more bass is used to emphasise a change in the mood of Annie. She is angry, furious that Paul has killed off her favourite character in the novel, dialogue of “You dirty bird!” demonstrates this and illustrates her split personality. She shouts at Paul to indicate her distress, this suggests that she is psychologically ill which is emphasised through the dialogue, “I don’t want her spirit... I WANT HER!” The sounds and tones of her voice indicate her anger and confusion; these are conventional character traits for a psychological horror.
Bass music continues as Annie explains that she never called anyone and that “no-one knows that he is here.” SFX of prison cell doors slamming shut are used to link the cuts between editing. The SFX highlights Annie’s criminal activity and that she could be locked up. The SFX speeds up and more are used to illustrate a racing heart-beat, tension and suspense are built as a result. The dialogue of a voice-over is a woman explaining that the woman is psychologically ill but also intelligent. An over-the-shoulder shot shows a helicopter fly past the window, no-one can find him. This suggests her intelligence which can be further demonstrated through the phone being unplugged permanently etc.
A pan shows the sheriff looking for Paul. The camera cuts to a mid-shot of the woman driving the car. She is ensuring that she carries on everyday life. It is conventional for psychological horrors for the villain to act in a normal manner when away from the main scene. Fast-paced cuts show Paul falling from the bed and crawling to the door, this is conventional for psychological horrors as the action is being demonstrated. The camera zooms slowly into a close-up of the door handle which represents safety and freedom. The editing is used to build tension as the audience are forced to wait and anticipate for what is going to happen. The music becomes sinister and fast-paced. Bass instruments are used to emphasise a negative mood and that there is trouble and panic. These are all emotions conventional to the psychological horror genre. A shriek emphasises horror and indicates pain. The sound is conventional for psychological horrors.
The door is coloured black to illustrate horror and terror. The camera cuts to a close-up of a woman slowly pulling a gun from her pocket. The gun is a weapon which represents death, an extreme-close-up of woman’s face demonstrates anger and therefore danger. The syringe also connotes death, danger and drugs. A fade to red illustrates blood and danger. This is conventional of psychological horrors. A close-up of a newspaper article reads, “Maternity nurse behind bars.” This shows that she has been previously convicted; it is conventional of psychological horrors to have an existing criminal as the villain of the plot. The fact that it says ‘maternity’ suggests that she has previous medical experience; she knows how to use the medical equipment which makes her more of a threat. A close-up of a knife connotes death and horror.
Annie explains that she is Paul’s “number one fan” early in the narrative. As it progresses we learn that she is psychologically ill through her split personality. At the end of the trailer Annie concedes, “God I love you”. The music is still sinister and the SFX of the prison cell continues to be heard to emphasise Paul’s terror and panic. The fact that she has used the word “God” connotes happy, heavenly feelings but her actions provide a clear contrast to this as she is trying to hurt Paul and ultimately kill him. This is a binary opposition of life vs. death and heaven vs. hell as suggested by Levi-Strauss.
A close-up of the door symbolises his escape, his freedom. Fast-paced editing demonstrates Paul’s increased heartbeat; it is fast as she is scared. This is conventional for psychological horrors. The music speeds up to demonstrate a climax; things are moving quickly in a dangerous direction. The pace of the music illustrates the trailer is approaching a tense finale. The woman wants to hurt Paul as she is upset that he has killed off her favourite character in his books. This is her motive. Close-up shots of the knife, hammer and the syringe all indicate danger and peril. The trailer ends with red blood-like writing on a dark background to indicate blood, danger and ultimately death.
The music fades from fast-paced to silence; the silence is conventional for psychological horrors as it adds mystery to the plot, it also demonstrates an end to the trailer. The audience are left asking, “What happens to Paul? Does he survive?” This leaves the audience wanting to learn more and therefore watch the film. The fast-paced fade to silence may suggest an end of a life?
A voice-over of a woman’s voice is used, the voice sounds soft and caring. The audience learn that the man- who still has no identity- has fractured his tibia and fibula meaning that he will not be able to move. This illustrates that he is trapped which in turn demonstrates a sense of peril. The lighting is low-key to emphasise the panic. The use of shadows adds mystery; the audience begin to ask questions such as “Will the man survive?” (Barthes). The shot fades to black to portray horror; red, blood-like writing comes on the screen to connote danger. The contrast of the colours- black and red- emphasise horror. The end of the women’s dialogue is “You’re going to be just fine...” this raises tension and suspense as the audience assume from the genre that perhaps everything may not be “fine”. This is emphasises through a close-up of a crowbar which connotes danger and horror but also has definitions of safety. A crane shot into wide shot shows a woman helping the man; the audience ask questions, “Who is this rescuer? How did she find the victim?” (Barthes). The shot is deliberately distorted by snow which adds to the peril. A fade to black connotes terror and this is further emphasised by the blood-like writing on a dark background to illustrate horror.
A long-shot shows the injured man in bed with a woman- presumabl the rescuer- tending to him. The white bedspread and white clothing of the woman makes her look like a nurse, the white colours also connote safety. The hospital/ medical link is further emphasised by the use of the prop of a drip. The drip is used to restore lost fluids; it is only used in hospitals for serious injuries and has death connotations to demonstrate horror and terror.
The audience learn that the woman’s name is Annie and the man is famous author Paul Sheldon. The camera shows a close-up of Annie’s face. The audience can identify with the woman, her hair is tied back to demonstrate that she is a working woman, probably a housewife which is conventional of the psychological horror genre as it illustrates innocence. The close-up of a book demonstrates an insight into Paul’s working-life. He is the author of the book ‘Misery’s Child’. The title of the book is intentional as the narrative progresses we learn that Paul is ‘Misery’s Child’. The dark background contrasts against the white book, a binary opposition which demonstrates terror (Levi-Strauss). The binary opposition is used to suggest life vs. death, heaven vs. earth and purity vs. evil. A close-up into tracking shows the rescuer holding the book. Her possession of it indicates some sort of obsession to indicate terror, peril and confusion. Annie says to Paul that he is a “good man”; this illustrates one side of Annie’s split personality. She is kind and generous and wants to help Paul- this is reflected through the tone of her voice.
A mid-shot shows the woman higher in the frame which is unconventional, she is helping him by shaving him and keeping him in good health. She is higher in the frame to indicate that she is superior to Paul and the dominant human as she is fully able whereas Paul is partially disabled. The prop of the razor also suggests danger and peril and indicates death or violence through cutting etc. Chiaroscuro lighting shows the binary oppositions of life vs. death and heaven vs. hell as the shadows add mystery (Levi-Strauss). The shot also shows a bright white light which connotes heaven and therefore death. A two-shot shows the bars on windows, this links to a prison cell which suggests that he is trapped and cannot escape. A voice-over of a newsreader is heard, “The presumption must now be that Paul Sheldon is dead.” The audience suggest that this cannot be right as Annie had previously said that she had rung for an ambulance, therefore someone must know where he is. This heightens tension and adds mystery, “Who is this Annie, why has she captivated Paul?” (Barthes).
A birds-eye-view shot through binoculars shows the up-turned car to illustrate the accident. The camera fades to an extreme long-shot of a house. This demonstrates that the house is in the middle of nowhere to indicate loneliness which is conventional to the psychological horror genre. A mid-shot shows the woman in chiaroscuro lighting which adds mystery and terror. The white light, conventional of hospitals and therefore heaven, indicates that she is still prepared to help as she is a fan of his work. However, the low key lighting demonstrates her aggression. Dark clothing and the dark background further emphasise her aggression. We see half of the woman’s face in dark, low-key lighting and half in light, high-key lighting. Chiaroscuro lighting indicates that she has a split personality; the audience ask “Why is the woman angry? Is she obsessed with him?” (Barthes). The music becomes slower and more bass is used to emphasise a change in the mood of Annie. She is angry, furious that Paul has killed off her favourite character in the novel, dialogue of “You dirty bird!” demonstrates this and illustrates her split personality. She shouts at Paul to indicate her distress, this suggests that she is psychologically ill which is emphasised through the dialogue, “I don’t want her spirit... I WANT HER!” The sounds and tones of her voice indicate her anger and confusion; these are conventional character traits for a psychological horror.
Bass music continues as Annie explains that she never called anyone and that “no-one knows that he is here.” SFX of prison cell doors slamming shut are used to link the cuts between editing. The SFX highlights Annie’s criminal activity and that she could be locked up. The SFX speeds up and more are used to illustrate a racing heart-beat, tension and suspense are built as a result. The dialogue of a voice-over is a woman explaining that the woman is psychologically ill but also intelligent. An over-the-shoulder shot shows a helicopter fly past the window, no-one can find him. This suggests her intelligence which can be further demonstrated through the phone being unplugged permanently etc.
A pan shows the sheriff looking for Paul. The camera cuts to a mid-shot of the woman driving the car. She is ensuring that she carries on everyday life. It is conventional for psychological horrors for the villain to act in a normal manner when away from the main scene. Fast-paced cuts show Paul falling from the bed and crawling to the door, this is conventional for psychological horrors as the action is being demonstrated. The camera zooms slowly into a close-up of the door handle which represents safety and freedom. The editing is used to build tension as the audience are forced to wait and anticipate for what is going to happen. The music becomes sinister and fast-paced. Bass instruments are used to emphasise a negative mood and that there is trouble and panic. These are all emotions conventional to the psychological horror genre. A shriek emphasises horror and indicates pain. The sound is conventional for psychological horrors.
The door is coloured black to illustrate horror and terror. The camera cuts to a close-up of a woman slowly pulling a gun from her pocket. The gun is a weapon which represents death, an extreme-close-up of woman’s face demonstrates anger and therefore danger. The syringe also connotes death, danger and drugs. A fade to red illustrates blood and danger. This is conventional of psychological horrors. A close-up of a newspaper article reads, “Maternity nurse behind bars.” This shows that she has been previously convicted; it is conventional of psychological horrors to have an existing criminal as the villain of the plot. The fact that it says ‘maternity’ suggests that she has previous medical experience; she knows how to use the medical equipment which makes her more of a threat. A close-up of a knife connotes death and horror.
Annie explains that she is Paul’s “number one fan” early in the narrative. As it progresses we learn that she is psychologically ill through her split personality. At the end of the trailer Annie concedes, “God I love you”. The music is still sinister and the SFX of the prison cell continues to be heard to emphasise Paul’s terror and panic. The fact that she has used the word “God” connotes happy, heavenly feelings but her actions provide a clear contrast to this as she is trying to hurt Paul and ultimately kill him. This is a binary opposition of life vs. death and heaven vs. hell as suggested by Levi-Strauss.
A close-up of the door symbolises his escape, his freedom. Fast-paced editing demonstrates Paul’s increased heartbeat; it is fast as she is scared. This is conventional for psychological horrors. The music speeds up to demonstrate a climax; things are moving quickly in a dangerous direction. The pace of the music illustrates the trailer is approaching a tense finale. The woman wants to hurt Paul as she is upset that he has killed off her favourite character in his books. This is her motive. Close-up shots of the knife, hammer and the syringe all indicate danger and peril. The trailer ends with red blood-like writing on a dark background to indicate blood, danger and ultimately death.
The music fades from fast-paced to silence; the silence is conventional for psychological horrors as it adds mystery to the plot, it also demonstrates an end to the trailer. The audience are left asking, “What happens to Paul? Does he survive?” This leaves the audience wanting to learn more and therefore watch the film. The fast-paced fade to silence may suggest an end of a life?
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Monday, 2 November 2009
The Three Act Structure.
When designing and making our trailer it well be important to follow the three act structure. The three act structure is a system used in many trailers, commonly it follows this form:
1. The premise, the story is set
2. This act pushes the narrative forwards and normally ends with a climax
3. A visual montage consisting of noteworthy, strong moments from the movie and emotional scenes, a cast run may be included if the cast is well known enough to drive sales. Often includes powerful music.
To stay conventional it will be important to follow these rules and the script, storyboard and the shooting and editing of the film should stay close to them.
1. The premise, the story is set
2. This act pushes the narrative forwards and normally ends with a climax
3. A visual montage consisting of noteworthy, strong moments from the movie and emotional scenes, a cast run may be included if the cast is well known enough to drive sales. Often includes powerful music.
To stay conventional it will be important to follow these rules and the script, storyboard and the shooting and editing of the film should stay close to them.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
“Rebel Without a Cause”
Youth is represented in “Rebel Without a Cause” through numerous methods. At the start of the film we see the protagonist playing with a toy monkey, he makes a bed and puts him in. This shows us he is a youth and the action of putting the monkey to bed expresses his desire for a parent figure who would do the same for him. However during this scene we see he is drunk, this indicates to us he is rebelling against hegemony, as drinking when a youth is prohibited. These actions show the boy to be in a liminal stage passing between youth and adulthood, this follows closely to Eisenstadts theories.
Next we see scene in which youths and adults are conversing they are divided however by a desk this shows the boundary between the two ages. The fact the object is a desk expresses this literally as desks are something we associate with adults and authority. The camera in this case is placed on the youths side, this helps the audience feel empathy towards the younger sub cultures in the film.
Throughout the film we see the main character Jim struggling with eisenstadt’s right of passage to adulthood, the reasons why become obvious in a scene in which he argues with is father. In this scene the shot composition places Jims father lower down the shot, this indicates his inferiority, and shows him as weaker. This shows the protagonist Jim has no role model and therefore can never be a man. This offers insight into why he joins a youth sub culture and is locked in this liminal stage.
Another important aspect of the film is binary opposition. This is so important that even one of the characters socks has a binary opposition. The most obvious opposition in the film is childhood and adulthood. This is represented literally with things such as, cold and warmth and light and dark. Jims red jacket plays an important part in this. The fact it’s the colour red indicates jim is passionate and angry young man, struggling to become an adult. When he gives his jacket to his girl friend to keep her warm and when he gives it to plato, is an act which shows he is becoming a man. Protecting his friends and indeed at the end of the film when jims father hands him his jacket, jim has escaped the liminal stage, completed the right of passage and finally become a real man.
Next we see scene in which youths and adults are conversing they are divided however by a desk this shows the boundary between the two ages. The fact the object is a desk expresses this literally as desks are something we associate with adults and authority. The camera in this case is placed on the youths side, this helps the audience feel empathy towards the younger sub cultures in the film.
Throughout the film we see the main character Jim struggling with eisenstadt’s right of passage to adulthood, the reasons why become obvious in a scene in which he argues with is father. In this scene the shot composition places Jims father lower down the shot, this indicates his inferiority, and shows him as weaker. This shows the protagonist Jim has no role model and therefore can never be a man. This offers insight into why he joins a youth sub culture and is locked in this liminal stage.
Another important aspect of the film is binary opposition. This is so important that even one of the characters socks has a binary opposition. The most obvious opposition in the film is childhood and adulthood. This is represented literally with things such as, cold and warmth and light and dark. Jims red jacket plays an important part in this. The fact it’s the colour red indicates jim is passionate and angry young man, struggling to become an adult. When he gives his jacket to his girl friend to keep her warm and when he gives it to plato, is an act which shows he is becoming a man. Protecting his friends and indeed at the end of the film when jims father hands him his jacket, jim has escaped the liminal stage, completed the right of passage and finally become a real man.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
How are representations of youth culture constructed in “Suburbia?”
How are representations of youth culture constructed in “Suburbia?”
At the start of the film we see a girl hitchhiking this follows closely to eisenstadts theory that youth culture is the transition to adulthood, the act of hitchhiking is her passage of right to adulthood, as she has escaped the shackles of her parents and is becoming independent. We see a women pull over to help her, presumably offer her a ride, as she does this her baby is attacked by a pack of rabid dogs who quickly steal the baby from the car before killing it. The dogs themselves are a symbol of youths, specifically youths who have been abandoned such as this girl, fending for themselves. Again playing off Eisenstadts right of passage theory.
After the credit sequence we see a shot of a little boy riding around in circles on a tricycle on a street in surburbia. Firstly the tricycle is a symbol of childhood, the act of riding around in circles demonstrates literally the prison like nature and no escape from surburbia. A primary plot device that effects the youth culture in the film. We are the introduced to the main character, Evan. He is watching tv and playing video games. During this scene we are introduced to Evans crazy mother whom appears to be an alcoholic. She gets into an argument with Evan and throws a bottle at him, this act is the culmination of many arguments, thus Evan decides to leave.
Evan heads to a punk club, this introduces us to the punk sub culture via bricolage. We see their clothing choices, characteristics and even accents. This educates us firmly and allows the audience to determine and classify the punk sub culture. The theorist Dick Hebdige argues style such in the case of punks is a form or resistance to the hegemony of the masses. We see other theorists work come into play here, Laura Mulvey states women are objectified in the public gaze and we see that in action here as the punks strip a women naked for fun. This contradicts the punk ethos in a way as it takes ideas from misogynistic patriarchal hegemony the punks are rebelling against and indeed most youth subcultures are dominated by men. This helps show the link between youth and adulthood.
Evan heads back to the punks house, it is wrecked and used in the film as liminal space. A space which resides between the safe areas of childhood and adulthood. It has been tagged by the gang, making It a space in which this particular youth sub group feels safe. As the primary goal of such a group is to win space, perhaps as a way of rebelling against hegemony? we see this throughout the film.
We discover the group are called “the Rejected” this helps the viewer understand the groups purpose and tells us why these youths are exactly like this, whilst giving members of the group a sense of purpose and community which the lack whilst passing between childhood and adulthood.
As the film progresses we see the group clash with adults and authority, this shows the rift between the youth subculture and hegemony, again this clashes are about winning turf. However we see another contradiction as one of the group “Shelia” acts as a mother figure to the younger members of the group, by reading them bed time stories etc. These acts mimic the acts of the mainstream who “the rejected” are rebelling against. Perhaps this is due to the members of the group’s lack of a nurturing mother which is why the became part of the subculture in the first place. It could also be again the group looking for a sense of community and person.
Interestingly the only adult who sympathizes with the group is a black police man. This shows the juxtaposition of a minority like the youth subcultures with someone who is part of the hegemony. This could be seen as his motive for helping the group and also due to him being one of the groups step father.
Towards the end of the film, we see the groups primary enemy ( a adult male group, whom are part of the hegemony) plotting the downfall of “the rejected”. However as they speak of the groups sins they themselves are sitting in a strip club, this highlights the hypocritical nature of the hegemony society. The film ends with the youngest member of “the rejected” being killed, the film comes full circle as a baby was killed at the start, the last shot is of Evan cradling the boy (his brother) unlike other films of this type (rebel without a cause, the Hannah Montana story) the protagonist does not complete his right of passage into adulthood. This leaves his fate ambiguous.
At the start of the film we see a girl hitchhiking this follows closely to eisenstadts theory that youth culture is the transition to adulthood, the act of hitchhiking is her passage of right to adulthood, as she has escaped the shackles of her parents and is becoming independent. We see a women pull over to help her, presumably offer her a ride, as she does this her baby is attacked by a pack of rabid dogs who quickly steal the baby from the car before killing it. The dogs themselves are a symbol of youths, specifically youths who have been abandoned such as this girl, fending for themselves. Again playing off Eisenstadts right of passage theory.
After the credit sequence we see a shot of a little boy riding around in circles on a tricycle on a street in surburbia. Firstly the tricycle is a symbol of childhood, the act of riding around in circles demonstrates literally the prison like nature and no escape from surburbia. A primary plot device that effects the youth culture in the film. We are the introduced to the main character, Evan. He is watching tv and playing video games. During this scene we are introduced to Evans crazy mother whom appears to be an alcoholic. She gets into an argument with Evan and throws a bottle at him, this act is the culmination of many arguments, thus Evan decides to leave.
Evan heads to a punk club, this introduces us to the punk sub culture via bricolage. We see their clothing choices, characteristics and even accents. This educates us firmly and allows the audience to determine and classify the punk sub culture. The theorist Dick Hebdige argues style such in the case of punks is a form or resistance to the hegemony of the masses. We see other theorists work come into play here, Laura Mulvey states women are objectified in the public gaze and we see that in action here as the punks strip a women naked for fun. This contradicts the punk ethos in a way as it takes ideas from misogynistic patriarchal hegemony the punks are rebelling against and indeed most youth subcultures are dominated by men. This helps show the link between youth and adulthood.
Evan heads back to the punks house, it is wrecked and used in the film as liminal space. A space which resides between the safe areas of childhood and adulthood. It has been tagged by the gang, making It a space in which this particular youth sub group feels safe. As the primary goal of such a group is to win space, perhaps as a way of rebelling against hegemony? we see this throughout the film.
We discover the group are called “the Rejected” this helps the viewer understand the groups purpose and tells us why these youths are exactly like this, whilst giving members of the group a sense of purpose and community which the lack whilst passing between childhood and adulthood.
As the film progresses we see the group clash with adults and authority, this shows the rift between the youth subculture and hegemony, again this clashes are about winning turf. However we see another contradiction as one of the group “Shelia” acts as a mother figure to the younger members of the group, by reading them bed time stories etc. These acts mimic the acts of the mainstream who “the rejected” are rebelling against. Perhaps this is due to the members of the group’s lack of a nurturing mother which is why the became part of the subculture in the first place. It could also be again the group looking for a sense of community and person.
Interestingly the only adult who sympathizes with the group is a black police man. This shows the juxtaposition of a minority like the youth subcultures with someone who is part of the hegemony. This could be seen as his motive for helping the group and also due to him being one of the groups step father.
Towards the end of the film, we see the groups primary enemy ( a adult male group, whom are part of the hegemony) plotting the downfall of “the rejected”. However as they speak of the groups sins they themselves are sitting in a strip club, this highlights the hypocritical nature of the hegemony society. The film ends with the youngest member of “the rejected” being killed, the film comes full circle as a baby was killed at the start, the last shot is of Evan cradling the boy (his brother) unlike other films of this type (rebel without a cause, the Hannah Montana story) the protagonist does not complete his right of passage into adulthood. This leaves his fate ambiguous.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Panic Room Poster Analysis.
The Panic Room poster shows the main character played by Jodie Foster lying down, whilst a dark character we associate with being someone sinister looms over her standing in a doorway. It gives the impression he is an intruder and unbeknownst to him, Jodies character has realised he is there. This gives a basic impression of the plot fot the entire film.
Technically the poster follows the rule of thirds, the hot spots outline the looming man and come down to Jodies right eye, this draws the viewers eyes to the sinister character and Jodies awarness of him. When first looking at the poster the audience read the name "Jodie Foster" and come down across the poster and then back right to read "Panic Room" this obviously highlights the films to major pulling points, its A-List main actor and the films name, and director. This will appeal particually to fans of Jodie Foster and the director. Also Foster is a well known thriller actor, this tells the audience that if she is in the film it must good.
The colour pallet for the poster is very dull, lots of dark colours including blues and greys place the film in the thriller genre and show the film to be a frightining and dark, another major pulling point. "Panic "Room is in red as opposed to the rest of the writing which is in white, this helps it to stand out. Also red as a colour shows passion and anger. This tells the viewer that the film will also be action packed.
The door the intruder stands in does just that, paints him as an intruder as we symbolise doors as entrances often to private or safe places.
The fact the doorway is wide open also makes the audience uneasy as a wide open doorways give the feeling of unprotection and exposure.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Skins Trailer: Youths!
Media Analyasis:
SKINS TRAILER
Representation Of Teens.
mis-en-scene:
the costumes in the trailer are all bright coloured, this indicates to the audience that the people featured are exciting and vibrant, as opposed to if they were wearing duller colours such as black or brown (we see these colours assosicated with adults, in the case of skins teachers, who are pitted as the nemisis of the main characters). The girls in the trailer are mostly wearing nothing but underwear again this shows them to be exciting and daring, not caring about the standards of polite society. The actions of the entire group are seen to be stereotypical acts of youths today, sex, drinking and drugs are just some of the things we see the cast do. This reinforces the views the costumes give us and adds a sense of verisimilitude to the trailer. The lighting throughout is changing between high key and low key, this adds a sense of disorder to the trailer which how the viewer is supposed to see the youths and the party.
editing:
There are many jump cuts in the trailer this keeps pace going, never focusing on one scene for to long, again like the lighting reinforcing the crazy nature of the party we are witnessing.
sound:
Throughout the trailer we hear "Standing In The Way Of Control" by The Gossip a song about rebelling against the system, which the youths are by commiting a party and doing acts that are frowned upon, this reinforces the negative stereotypes of teenagers in a senior generations eyes, whilst appealing to the younger generations who are the target audience for this particular program. The song choice also adds verisimilitude as it is a song many of the characters would listen to themselves.
SKINS TRAILER
Representation Of Teens.
mis-en-scene:
the costumes in the trailer are all bright coloured, this indicates to the audience that the people featured are exciting and vibrant, as opposed to if they were wearing duller colours such as black or brown (we see these colours assosicated with adults, in the case of skins teachers, who are pitted as the nemisis of the main characters). The girls in the trailer are mostly wearing nothing but underwear again this shows them to be exciting and daring, not caring about the standards of polite society. The actions of the entire group are seen to be stereotypical acts of youths today, sex, drinking and drugs are just some of the things we see the cast do. This reinforces the views the costumes give us and adds a sense of verisimilitude to the trailer. The lighting throughout is changing between high key and low key, this adds a sense of disorder to the trailer which how the viewer is supposed to see the youths and the party.
editing:
There are many jump cuts in the trailer this keeps pace going, never focusing on one scene for to long, again like the lighting reinforcing the crazy nature of the party we are witnessing.
sound:
Throughout the trailer we hear "Standing In The Way Of Control" by The Gossip a song about rebelling against the system, which the youths are by commiting a party and doing acts that are frowned upon, this reinforces the negative stereotypes of teenagers in a senior generations eyes, whilst appealing to the younger generations who are the target audience for this particular program. The song choice also adds verisimilitude as it is a song many of the characters would listen to themselves.
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Vain and The Brain Analysis:
Mise-en-Scene:
The costumes play a very important part in creating representations of the characters in VATB. Will (the nerd) wears very nerdy clothing such as a bow tie and glasses, these are synonymous with clothes a nerd would wear. It instantly sets him up in this stereotype and creates the audiences perceptions of him. Mel on the other hand wears more stylish clothing a popular and classy person would wear, this shows the two main characters as complete opposites. The audience sees Will they think of a geek who cares only for his education and wants to be himself, then they see Mel and see someone who cares little for education and more about socialising and being popular and not necessarily about being herself. Most of the extras wear school uniforms to create verisimilitude and to show the main characters seniority.
The props used are used to back up the representations of the main characters. Will uses a gameboy which is seen as a nerdy thing to do. The I robot prop Mel holds is a MacGuffin used to move the plot along for this reason it is essential and perhaps the most important prop in the film. It alters the audiences perceptions of her at the same time as Wills are altered, this is the key point in the film and the main plot line.
The setting of a film is one of the key points in its success, for Vain and The Brain to create a sense of verisimilitude, it was set in a school.
Representation:
Representations are constructed in VATB via costumes, props, script and camera work.
Will:
Will (the nerd) wears very nerdy clothing such as a bow tie and glasses, these are synonymous with clothes a nerd would wear. It instantly sets him up in this stereotype and creates the audiences perceptions of him. Prop-wise Will uses a game boy which is seen as a nerdy thing to do reinforcing the perception the audience gain from the costume. Will often sneezes due to his allergies (often penned as a stereotype for nerds) and speaks in soft tones in one scene we see his friend Jimmy who is also a geek ask “im not invited?”
Will replies in a very soft muted tone “me neither” this scripting one highlights he is not popular as he has not been invited to the big party and two: shows he is very quiet and insecure after years of bullying due to his nerdy ways. Camera work is the most subtle but perhaps the most powerful way of creating a representation of Will, we see many high angle shots of him which indicates inferiority until he discovers Mel was carrying a nerdy item (the I robot DVD) in which the shots switch and he becomes superior. One example of the high angle shot is the very first shot we see of him, it opens with him playing a game boy in a high angle shot, combined with his costume and prop choices we instantly see him as a unpopular social unaccepted nerd.
Mel:
Mel on the other hand wears more stylish clothing a popular and classy person would wear, this shows the two main characters as complete opposites. The audience sees Will they think of a geek who cares only for his education and wants to be himself, then they see Mel and see someone who cares little for education and more about socialising and being popular and not necessarily about being herself. This representation though is dramatically altered when the audience see the I robot prop, which is a generic nerdy DVD (The I robot prop Mel holds is a MacGuffin used to move the plot along for this reason it is essential and perhaps the most important prop in the film. It alters the audiences perceptions of her at the same time as Wills are altered, this is the key point in the film and the main plot line). The scripting for Mel paints her as a bitchy, at one point she screams “GEEK!” at Will after he accidentally knocks her books out of her hand. This highlights her as a nasty popular girl who hates nerds and people who act differently. On the opposite to Will we see high angle shots of her however when the shift in power comes, this changes.
Are the Representations stereotypical:
Both the Representations are very stereotypical all the costumes and props follows the stereotypes they pertain to. They are all reinforced by scripting and camera work. The one exception is the MacGuffin Mel holds, this however is designed to break her stereotype and is not introduced until later in the story after the audiences representations are created.
Mise-en-Scene:
The costumes play a very important part in creating representations of the characters in VATB. Will (the nerd) wears very nerdy clothing such as a bow tie and glasses, these are synonymous with clothes a nerd would wear. It instantly sets him up in this stereotype and creates the audiences perceptions of him. Mel on the other hand wears more stylish clothing a popular and classy person would wear, this shows the two main characters as complete opposites. The audience sees Will they think of a geek who cares only for his education and wants to be himself, then they see Mel and see someone who cares little for education and more about socialising and being popular and not necessarily about being herself. Most of the extras wear school uniforms to create verisimilitude and to show the main characters seniority.
The props used are used to back up the representations of the main characters. Will uses a gameboy which is seen as a nerdy thing to do. The I robot prop Mel holds is a MacGuffin used to move the plot along for this reason it is essential and perhaps the most important prop in the film. It alters the audiences perceptions of her at the same time as Wills are altered, this is the key point in the film and the main plot line.
The setting of a film is one of the key points in its success, for Vain and The Brain to create a sense of verisimilitude, it was set in a school.
Representation:
Representations are constructed in VATB via costumes, props, script and camera work.
Will:
Will (the nerd) wears very nerdy clothing such as a bow tie and glasses, these are synonymous with clothes a nerd would wear. It instantly sets him up in this stereotype and creates the audiences perceptions of him. Prop-wise Will uses a game boy which is seen as a nerdy thing to do reinforcing the perception the audience gain from the costume. Will often sneezes due to his allergies (often penned as a stereotype for nerds) and speaks in soft tones in one scene we see his friend Jimmy who is also a geek ask “im not invited?”
Will replies in a very soft muted tone “me neither” this scripting one highlights he is not popular as he has not been invited to the big party and two: shows he is very quiet and insecure after years of bullying due to his nerdy ways. Camera work is the most subtle but perhaps the most powerful way of creating a representation of Will, we see many high angle shots of him which indicates inferiority until he discovers Mel was carrying a nerdy item (the I robot DVD) in which the shots switch and he becomes superior. One example of the high angle shot is the very first shot we see of him, it opens with him playing a game boy in a high angle shot, combined with his costume and prop choices we instantly see him as a unpopular social unaccepted nerd.
Mel:
Mel on the other hand wears more stylish clothing a popular and classy person would wear, this shows the two main characters as complete opposites. The audience sees Will they think of a geek who cares only for his education and wants to be himself, then they see Mel and see someone who cares little for education and more about socialising and being popular and not necessarily about being herself. This representation though is dramatically altered when the audience see the I robot prop, which is a generic nerdy DVD (The I robot prop Mel holds is a MacGuffin used to move the plot along for this reason it is essential and perhaps the most important prop in the film. It alters the audiences perceptions of her at the same time as Wills are altered, this is the key point in the film and the main plot line). The scripting for Mel paints her as a bitchy, at one point she screams “GEEK!” at Will after he accidentally knocks her books out of her hand. This highlights her as a nasty popular girl who hates nerds and people who act differently. On the opposite to Will we see high angle shots of her however when the shift in power comes, this changes.
Are the Representations stereotypical:
Both the Representations are very stereotypical all the costumes and props follows the stereotypes they pertain to. They are all reinforced by scripting and camera work. The one exception is the MacGuffin Mel holds, this however is designed to break her stereotype and is not introduced until later in the story after the audiences representations are created.
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