Plot Synopsis

The plot synopsis for my opening is a teenage boy leaving his house on his skateboard and skateboarding to go and meet some friends. On his way to meet his friends the teenager comes across a car parked in the middle of the road and as he goes up to the car a hooded figure comes up behind him and stabs him.
If I were to make it into a whole film it would take the form of a crime thriller with quite a dark feel to it. It would be about trying to find the murderer and why he committed the crime.

My Idea So Far

My idea so far is simply a teenager leaving his house and going to meet some friends on his skateboard at night. On his way to meet them he comes across a smashed up car parked in the middle of the street, he stops and walks over to the car. As he looks in the window a hooded figure comes up behind him and in the reflection of the car window you see the teenager get stabbed. The film title then comes up se3tting up the rest of the film to be an investigation as to why the boy was killed, who killed him and why was the car there; was it set up or was it meant for someone else?
I would like to work in a pair for my idea so as to share the work load and to have a range of skills whilst making the opening however I will work on my own if needs be as I already have quite a clear idea of what I want to achieve and people may not share this with me.
My film will be a drama/crime/thriller genre and will have quite a dark feel to it. This is because these types of films are ones that really appealed to me and its something I believe I can achieve to a good standard.
I plan for my film to follow a traditional narrative, starting at the beginning withy a start, middle and end. This is because I feel for my idea it would fit better for it to be in this narrative structure.
I will only use two characters in my opening; the teenager and the murderer (whose face won't be seen). This is because the teenage will be stabbed in the opening therefore I think that if I focus almost the whole of the opening on him it could get people to feel for him and get a feeling that he could be an important character and then when he gets killed it will not only be a bit of a shock and a thrill but it will draw the audience in to want to watch the rest of the film. Before any other character has even been introduced this character has died meaning the audience will feel like they deserve and really want to know why and by who. Also because I have limited access to actors it will easier to just cast two characters.
I plan to use only a couple of locations. The teenagers house which he leaves and then some very dark lit, rough, deserted streets.
I definitely don't want to do a comedy style film because I believe it will be too hard to do. it would be very difficult to make it genuinely funny and therefore I don't think it would end up looking very good.
I do not want to use dialogue because I don't think you need dialogue in an opening scene3 and because I wont be able to use proper actors any dialogue could end up making the film look very amateurish and poorly acted. Furthermore I believe having no dialogue helps to build up tension and create some mystery about what is going on.
I do plan to use a soundtrack or music in my opening to help create tension and build up suspense. I don't yet know what music I will use but I plan to use something quite dark and sinister.
I won't be breaking the fourth wall in my opening because the character who will be in it doesn't need to connect with the audience. Also fourth wall breaks are more commonly used in comedy's and documentary style films and my opening wont follow either of these styles.
No narration will be used for my opening this is because I don't need the story to explained or introduced over what's happening, I plan to try and use a bit of mystery to draw people in and narration would go against that.
I plan to use a wide range of camera shots and angles, mainly whilst the teenage character is skateboarding through the streets.

Target Audience

The target audience is the particular group that the film is aimed at and meant to appeal to. Films can be aimed at a certain age group, gender, culture or religion.

Target Audience for Certain Genres:
Comedy:
Comedy's can be aimed at a variety of different audiences; some are aimed at younger children, for example night at the museum, where as some are aimed at adults such as Borat. However most comedy films are aimed at teenagers and slightly over, around 15-25 year olds. This is because many comedy films use a very outrageous and often very rude way of being funny that appeals to this age group. Most comedy's are too rude for younger children and too stupid or rude for older people.
Horror:
Horror films are classically aimed at 15-25 year olds, this is because this is the age in which people are growing up and want to experience new things that give them a scare or a thrill. Also younger people ten to enjoy the adrenaline and thrill created by a horror movie a lot more than older people. Horrors can sometimes be aimed more at mafuck fffsles because usually males are more drawn in and more entertained by the high levels of violence that horror films can contain.
Action:
Typically action films are aimed at males from 15 years old and upwards. Once again the violence and thrill of an action film is targeted more at males. Action films are usually quite fast paced and often contain fast cars, guns and sexy women which is all mean to appeal to males.
Drama:
Dramas are often aimed at people 20 years and older. This is because often a drama will look in depth at a very serious topic such as racism, politics and drug or alcohol abuse, complex, serious and sometimes quiet dark topics such as these appeal more to the older generation because it is a topic they most likely have more experience and understanding of. Also dramas usually have quite a slow pace to them which doesn't appeal much to younger viewers who want a bit more of a thrill.
Romance:
Romantic films are normally aimed at females between the ages of 18 and 35. This is because generally females are more concerned and interested about the topic of love. Also women of that age range are typically the ones who will be looking for love in real life and potentially be more interested in watching things about it so that they can still connect with some sort of romance. Typically romantic films have a lead female actress that most of the target audience can relate to in terms of looking for love.

My Target Audience For my 'Idea so Far':
So far my idea will follow the route of a drama but also with a bit of thrill to it so as to hopefully appeal to my target audience of older teenagers and young adults. Although that isn't the typical target audience of a traditional drama film I have seen many drama films that appeal to my age and slightly older through the use of themes within the film that are interests of mine through the use of a portrayal of youth culture. I am going to try and do a similar thing to reach my target audience, I will show themes of youth culture that appeal to young adults and older teenagers such as things like skateboarding, smoking and music. I am also going to try to add a bit of a thrill to my opening to try and draw in people whomay be looking for something with a bit more of a thrill than a typical drama.

Narrative

The narrative is the plot of a film and the order of which the events in the film occur. A traditional narrative follows the order of start middle end where as a disrupted narrative contains flashbacks or may start at the end.

Conventions of narratives in the following genres:
Romance:
In a romance film it normally starts at the start because it normally wouldn't be as effective if the film started in the middle. However, it could start with a flashback, which would then be more effective for the type of film
Comedy:
The Narrative could start anywhere it could be in the middle like, The hangover, this would be effective. However film likes this can start at the beginning because they are known to start at the beginning not a flashback because it's more likely to start not at the beginning in a drama or an action.
Horror:
A horror film could start anywhere, it could start a few years before so then it could have the titles 5 years later and then the same horror events occur. It could start in the middle showing what will happen to the victims in the film. It could also start with a flashback or a flash-forward for example, Final Destination starts with a flash-forward showing what will happen.
Action:
An action film is most likely starts at the beginning but it could start in a different part to show the action that might unfold later in the film, this happens in films like James Bond. Also, it could start with showing the hero tied up and being caught then having titles saying 12 hours earlier.
Drama:
A drama film is most likely to start anywhere but the beginning because dramas can be very mysterious and it would be more effective to start as a flashback or flash-forward. Subtitles coming up saying 7 years earlier or later would be effective for this type of film. However some can be more effective to start at the beginning.



Narrative Theory:
Propp:
Vladimir Propp said that characters had a narrative function; they provide structure for the text. He also identified 8 key character roles; the hero, the villain, the donor, the dispatcher, the false hero, the helper, the princess and her father.
Todorov:
Todorov stated that most films and story lines follow the same pattern or path. He identified 5 steps in this pattern.

 

Barthes:

Roland Barthes said that texts can be open or closed. He said that every text or narrative can be unravelled to see the deeper meaning behind it. He also stated that every narrative has a range of meanings and can be viewed in multiple ways. Barthes narrowed down the action of a text into 5 codes which are woven into any narrative.

Levi-Strauss:

Levi-Strauss said that conflict in a narrative is based around binary opposites and that the binary opposites are the central climax of a narrative structure. Some examples of these binary opposites are:

• Good vs evil
• Boy vs girl
• Peace vs war
• Young vs old
• Strong vs weak
• Democracy vs dictatorship



Genre

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Breaking the fourth wall is when an actor addresses the audience or speaks at the camera as if they are speaking through the camera to the viewer. it more commonly used in theatre and is quite rare in film, when it is used its mainly in comedy. It can be used to connect with and communicate directly with the viewer or to help tell a story through someone's words like a documentary, for example in the Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo Dicaprio often speaks to the audience to talk about his life and the events occurring.


Examples of Breaking the Fourth Wall:

Ferris Bueller's Day off: 
Matthew Broderick's character Ferris Bueller talks to the audience throughout the film like they're one of his friends. From the start its made obvious that the rule of audience movie divide is ignored in this film, this strengthens the effect of Ferris being a rebellious teenager trying to bunk of school for a day and break the rules without his parents knowing.

                                                                                                                               
The Wolf of Wall Street:
Leonardo Dicaprio breaks the fourth wall multiple times in The Wolf of Wall Street. He does this to help tell the tale of crooked, party and drug obsessed business man Jordan Belfort. This is used to give the effect of the film being like a documentary with Dicaprio stopping at multiple times to give the audience his feelings on an event that has just occurred in the film.

Breaking the fourth wall isn't a technique I would be considering in my opening scene because I've planned mine to be a thriller style film and even though you can use the fourth wall break in this genre its better suited to comedy films. Also with what I have planned for my opening there isn't anything that I need to straight up communicate to the audience. Also breaking the fourth wall can sometimes be used to help the audience understand what's happening, it can be used to tell the story like in the Wolf of Wall Street however in my opening I am going to leave some mystery as to what has happened to try and pull the audience in and make them want to watch the film further to find out what is going on. All these reasons are why I wont be breaking the fourth wall in my opening scene coursework, I do still think its a very effective technique within film just maybe not suited for my purposes.

Character Profiling

Chris Steel

22

British

Drug Dealer

Single

 

How do they speak?

Short, street like words. Would appear to most as being uneducated through his vocabulary. Swear a lot in their every day language and has a low very deep voice. Would be classed as illiterate. Has a tendency to spit whilst he talks. Has a strong Geordie accent.

What are they like as a person?

Although seen as moody by society as a whole because of his dark lifestyle and mannerisms he is quite happy and content with his life and enjoys whatever he does. Quite loud and jokey. Doesn’t care much for anything like politics. Always on or selling drugs. Quite insensitive and sees life as a joke.

What do they like and dislike?

Strong hate for politicians and the police. Loves drugs, alcohol and his friends who he spends the majority of his time with. Listens to rap music and hip hop. Live of fast food and kebabs. Has a love for tattoos and art. Follows football and supports Newcastle.

What about their past?

Comes from a deprived background. Lost his dad at 8 and has been going of the rails a bit ever since. Hasn’t spoken about his dad’s death since it happened.

 

What Does the Character Do?

Earns the majority of his money from drug dealing and gets quite a lot of money from it. Loves his job because he loves doing drugs and basically just gets to spend every day hanging around on the streets with his mates. Not respected because he’s a drug deal and a lot of people look down on him for that but he has a lot of loyal customers and close friends he deals with. In his spare time he likes to skateboard and watch football.

Where do They Live?

Lives in a small flat in hackney. Only lived there for a year and a bit, he moved there because of better business. It’s quite a rough neighbourhood but he likes it. The flat is relatively messy with clothes, bottles and drugs spread out over the whole flat. Walls are covered in posters, graffiti and art.

Who do They Know?

Important people in his life:

·        Friends

·        Mum

·        Grandparents

·        His pet Husky

He has no children and no wife or relationship.

Opening Scenes- Diamond task

In class we were given a number of things that could be shown or expressed in an opening scene, for example dialogue or genre. We were then asked to rank these things on how important we believed it was to have this thing in an opening scene to a film.

This is what my list of importance was at the start. I believed that giving an indication into the genre of the film was the most important thing to do within the opening. This is because I believed that if a viewer was confused about the genre of a film they may loose interest in the film and not be drawn to it. I then put introducing a setting and characters as two other very important things because I thought that it was important to let your viewer know the setting and characters early on so that they could clearly identify the main components of the film from early on.                                          

 



























This is what my diamond of importance looked like after a class discussion on it. I had moved demonstrate creativity and originality to the very top as an over ruling component because it is the whole purpose of my course.  I also moved ensure your audience gets it to the top, this is because if you don't get a film fairly quickly then the viewer will be less engaged with it and much less likely to continue watching it. I also moved giving an indication of genre down because I also realised that a bit of mystery to things like the genre and characters can be part of what draws a viewer in to watching the film as long as they actually get what is going on within the film.

Camera Shots and Angles-Jaws

In the opening scene of Jaws a worms eye shot is used to great effect. There is a shot where the camera is looking at girl swimming in the sea from below the water. The shot is like its from the point of view of something in the water. This lets the audience know that there is some sort of creature watching the girl. This creates a sense of fear and wonder as to what it could be and what it will do. It sets the theme for the whole film that there is something beneath the water and its always watching you. This shot also makes the girl look very isolated and alone and that if anything was to happen there would be no one that could help her.                                                                                     . 

Camera Shots and Angles-Mad Max:Fury Road

Mad Max Opens with a wide shot which is also shot from an almost low angle. This wide shot helps to show of the amazing environment that this film is shot in. It also shows how desolate the land is. The fact that the camera is quite low also makes Max look big and almost a heroic figure. It also helps to identify Max as the figurehead of the film and the main character. It also shows that Max is alone in this world because he is the only person in this vast space that can be seen.

Camera Shots and Angles-28 days later



28 Days Later

 

28 days later uses an establishing shot in the opening scene to great effect. The wide establishing shot immediately introduces the location, you can see that its set in London and therefore England because of the iconic image of big ben in the shot. It also straight away gives you an idea of the situation that the lone character is in. London, usually a busy city, is seen as completely empty in this shot. This straight away lets the viewer know that whatever has happened here has left London deserted and this one character we can see is alone.

 

Camera Shots and Angles

These are the main 16 camera shots and angles used when filming.

 

• Establishing Shot-Usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or extreme wide shot.
• Wide Shot-Typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings.
• Medium Shot-A shot at medium distance, shows less than a long shot, more than a close-up.
• Close up-A shot that is close to and focused on a character or object. Can emphasise importance of an object or emphasise feelings of a character.
• Cut Away- Interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually, although not always, followed by a cut back to the first shot, when the cutaway avoids a jump cut.
• High Angle-A shot looking down on a character or subject often isolating them in the frame. Can make someone look alone or small in character/importance.
• Low Angle-A shot looking up at a character or subject often making them look bigger in the frame. It can make everyone look heroic or dominant.
• Extreme Close Up- Closer than a close up allows the viewer to enter the character’s intimate space, revealing certain characteristics and emotions that would otherwise go unnoticed from afar.
• Two Shot-A medium shot that depicts two people in the frame. Used primarily when you want to establish links between characters or people who are beside rather than facing each other.
• Worms Eye View-A perspective seen from below or from a low or inferior position. Can make someone look bigger than they are therefore exaggerating power or authority.
• Birds Eye View-A shot looking directly down on a scene rather than at an angle. Gives an overview to see what is happening in a large part of a surrounding in a scene e.g. a street in a car chase.
• Over The Shoulder-A shot where the camera is positioned behind one subject's shoulder, usually during a conversation. Implies a connection between the speakers.
• Reverse Shot-A shot that views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, as during a conversation between two actors, giving the effect of looking from one actor to the other.
• Perspective-A technique which employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is.
• Point Of View-A shot that depicts the point of view of a character so that we see exactly what they see. Lets the audience see things from a characters point of view giving them more of a feeling and understanding towards the current situation from that characters point of view.

Effects of Long and Short Shots:


Having a close up or a shorter length shot rather than a long shot does have different effects than longer. This is because, shorter shot lengths focus more on the actors and their emotions rather than what is happening around them. This is effective because it engages the audience more because they have to concentrate to read their body language, facial expressions and emotions. It shows less on the screen but it has more quality rather than quality in this part of the film. In a film there should be both long and short camera lengths, to make sure it is as professional and interesting as possible. There would be more short shots than long in romance films to catch their emotions. But, in action films there would be more long shots because more would be happening in the film and you would want to see everything that is happening not just one part. They would need to capture everything so people could get the whole experience not just some of it. Longer shot effects would mean that you could get the whole picture so you can see what the actors can see, not just their face an their conversations but everything they can see as well.

Preliminary Task

For my preliminary task I had to film and edit a character opening a door into a room and walking across the room to engage in a few lines of dialogue with another character. I was in a group of four to do this and the clip only had to be about a minute long.
In my preliminary task I had to demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

Match on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action.

Shot/reverse shot is a shot that views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, as during a conversation between two actors, giving the effect of looking from one actor to the other.






The 180 degree rule refers to keeping the camera position within a field of 180°.

Submarine Task

We were set this task to recreate the following scene from the film Submarine 

Sound

 

There Are Two Types of sound:      

Diegetic - Sound is called diegetic when its source is visible or implied in the world of the film. Common diegetic sounds present in most films are:

• Actors speaking to each other (dialogue).
• Sounds originating from any object on the screen, like footsteps and doors opening/closing.
• Music that comes from a sound system or an orchestra.

Non Diegetic - Sound is said to be non-diegetic when its source is not present or implied in the narrative universe. Common instances are:

• Music or score, used to augment emotions.
• Actor’s commentary or narration.
• Any extra sound added for effect.

 



Opening Scenes-Student Made Film 3

                                  

This a 2minute opening scene to a film called 'Hugo and the Island of Death'. Within this first two minutes we know what the plot will be. We here characters in the clip talking about getting a ferry so we know they're going somewhere. There is also a shot focusing on the main character, Hugo, leaving his wallet behind suggesting that this will also play a part in the story line and effect their trip in some way. The three main characters; Hugo, Ken and Stanley are introduced in the opening scene. Each character is introduced with on screen writing of their name. There is quite a lot of dialogue within this opening scene, this helps to build up an understanding of each characters personality (i.e. Stanley shown to be annoying). It also helps to hint at the story line. There were 2 locations shown, a riverside area and Hugo's house. There was credits introducing all the characters and also at the end to show the movies title. There was an ident at the start to introduce the company logo.

Opening Scenes-Student Made Film 2

  

 This two minute opening helps to suggest a lot about the film. Straight away from the first two minutes you know what the plot will be. The non diegetic sound at the end of the voiceover helps to explain this. Furthermore the fast paced music and camera work during tis opening scene helps to suggest that it will be a fast paced film. There are 8 key characters who are all clearly introduced in the first two minutes, all of their names come up on the screen whilst on a still image of the characters face. This helps to clearly identify the main characters of the film. There are quite a few locations in the film; as each character is introduced the camera whips to a new location for each character. At the end of the scene there is allocation where all the characters are together in a line. There are a couple of the credits at the start which are just plain writing on a plain background. The credits at the start and the still image with dialogue over the top at the end are the only slow paced parts of the scene.

Opening Scenes-Student Made film 1

This student made film starts with an establishing shot to introduce the viewer to the scene. Every few seconds titles and credits fade into the screen, it is very bold white text on a black background which is typical of a horror film giving you the immediate feeling that this film is a horror or that it has a dark or sinister feeling to it. Within a few seconds you are introduced to the characters, a young couple. The couple are made to be seen as a pleasant young couple that the audience is encouraged to associate with. There is a point of view shot of the killer to let you know that the couple are being watched and there is even a brief ambiguous shot of the killer, creating enigma but not giving away his identity. Throughout most of the film a soundtrack of a piano is played, this creates tension and gives an ominous feeling to the film. This soundtrack is removed towards the end and the volume of diegetic/ambient sounds is increased to create further tension and suspense. At the end there is a jump scare to round of the suspense and to establish the horror genre of the film. This also creates an enigma for the audience leaving them to want to know what happens next.

Opening Scenes-Trainspotting

Trainspotting starts with a fast paced chase scene, like lock, stock and two smoking barrels this suggests that the film could have a fast pace to it. The fast drumming music also helps to suggest this. After this it switches to a football match in which you see the main characters; Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Tommy and Spud all being introduced. There are also various cuts of a dew seconds of the main character smoking drugs, giving you the hint that this film is about drug abuse and it's effects. However the manner of the football match, which this cuts into, is quite light hearted and almost comical, there's stupid challenges and Renton being hit in the face with the ball. This also suggests that even though the film is based around a very serious topic it is also reasonably light hearted and even funny. During the whole of the first scene there is narration from Renton which helps to set the scene, there is also subtitles to really emphasize what is being said. 

Opening Scenes-Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

The opening scene of lock stock is of two of the main characters trying to sell some stolen perfumes. The scene starts with Bacon (Jason Statham) speaking very quickly to a lot of people trying to sell the things he's stolen. This fast and quite rhythmic way that he is speaking straight away introduces you to the fast paced film that lock stock is. Furthermore because he speaks with a lot of rhyme and flow it could hint that as well as being fast the film will flow nicely and all the events with in the film will easily intertwine with each other. After a minute or so of Bacon talking, the police come and him and his partner in crime, Eddy, have to flee. This is followed by a very fast paced scene of Bacon and Eddy being chased by the police. This chase and the music that plays over the top once again emphasizes that this film could be very fast, this also focuses on two characters for the first time giving you an idea of who the main characters will be. The scene then goes into slow motion and there is some narration, this slows down the action and also helps to introduce one of the main characters; Bacon.

Opening Scenes-Submarine

 

 

The film starts with the camera rotating round a bedroom whilst credits cut in every few seconds. The walls of the room are quite clustered and jumbled with lots of things in it, this could be a symbol for the main character, Oliver Tate's mental state and thoughts. It may also represent how his life could be quite messy and jumbled. However the camera never focus' on anything on the wall to be able to see it properly suggesting that he could be quite a private person and that his life is quite vague and he doesn't let many people into it enough to fully see what he is like. After a minute or two the camera rests on Oliver sitting in the corner of the room looking out of the window and there is some dialogue of him speaking being played over the top. He is sat next to a drawing on the wall of a submarine below water, he is also sat below the water line suggesting that he, like a submarine is quite hidden and quiet. This could also suggest that eventually he will rise up and show himself fully and become more than what he is now. There are then various shots of places that all could look very beautiful however because it is night all look quite lonely, dark and secluded which could also represent Oliver.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mise en Scene-Costume

Casper From Kids

This image is from the film kids, it is an American film about teenagers. The costumes of the characters in this film very much represent the rebellious teenage image that is trying to be portrayed in this film. Casper, one of the main characters, is portrayed in this way through his costume perfectly. In this image Casper is the teenager with the white t-shirt and hat on. The Director Larry Clark portrays Casper very well through his costume. The big baggy, oversized t-shirt and trousers makes Casper come across as a very rebellious teenage figure, a bit of a badass. It also gives you a
the image of Casper being a skater not only through his style but also by the boy next to him carrying a skate board. Skateboarding also give of this typical rebellious teenage image that the director wants us to feel with Casper.
As soon as you see Casper you build up an image of how you expect him to be, the director does this deliberately through the use of costume so that the viewer straight away can identify what Casper is like.

Mise en Scene-Costume

The genre I was given was children's. I chose to dress one of my characters as a Disney style princess. I gave her a yellow flowing dress because a bright colourful dress often represents happiness and this is associated with the typical feel of a children's film. I also gave her a tiara because this is often what a princess would wear.
I dressed my other character as a young school boy, I did this because often a main character of a children's film is an innocent school boy, for example home alone.

Love Actually Task Final Video

Love Actually Task

For our love actually task we had to film a short piece of script from the film in our own way. I was in a group with three others Kate Lankester, Rachael Hustler, Richard Bate-Weldon and myself.
The first thing we did was assign roles to the people in our group. Richard was to edit the film and create the story board, Kate was to film and play a small part in the scene, Rachael directed and helped to film and I helped to find a location and actors.
Cast:

• Libby Miller-Natalie
• Ed-Prime Minister
• Racheal Hustler-Annie
• Kate Lankester-Pat

Costumes- We decided that everyone should be wearing smart clothes, especially the prime minister who was wearing a full suit. We thought this was the best dress code as we wanted to make the scene as realistic as possible and because the prime minister was in it we felt that a smart dress code was most appropriate.
Location- We used Libby's house as our location, not only was this easily accessible, it was quite big and when we saw it we straight away thought that it was a great place to shoot our scene.
The filming went quite well, we managed to shoot most of it exactly how we wanted too. The actors we had all did really well and the camera equipment was very good and worked well. It was also shot very well.
Things that went well were the filming and editing, however there were some difficulties when arranging our film. Firstly a few of our actors backed out at the very last minute so we couldn't cast one character and two of the people in our group, Kate and Rachael,  had to play a role at the last minute. I will learn from this to try and be more organised for my final piece.
The editing went very well and not only did we get it done relatively quickly but we also did it to a good standard.

Pictures From on Set

Mise en Scene-Setting Analysis 2

This clip is from the opening scene of the film The Place Beyond The Pines. In this clip there are three different settings; the caravan, the carnival/fun fair and the tent. All these three settings tell us a lot about the mood and atmosphere of the film, the time period the film is set in and the genre of the film, it also hints to us about the events to come in Luke's life.
The first setting is Luke (Ryan Gosling) stood in his caravan. The caravan is very darkly lit and quite small and claustrophobic, this suggests a very sinister feel to the film. It also portrays that the film could feel very dark and gloomy and that the events to come will be bad and that danger could be ahead. The caravan is also reasonably messy suggesting that this characters life is a mess and potentially confusing. Luke also has many tattoos all over his body, this suggests that his life, like the tattoos, is kind of all over the place, its quite chaotic and dark. There is however one single light in the caravan, I personally think that the director, Derek Cianfrance, has deliberately included this solitary light in the first setting to symbolise that this quite dark character could have one piece of hope or goodness in his life.
The second setting is the carnival and the camera follows Luke as he walks through the carnival. Because it's a carnival with lights and amusements you immediately get the impression that the film is set in a relatively modern time period, not necessarily really modern but within the last 20 years or so. Carnivals and amusements are usually associated with fun, laughter and happiness. This fun image you get of the carnival juxtaposes Luke himself with his tattoo covered body and black Metallica vest, this suggest that maybe he doesn't belong in this setting and environment. However I also believe that the carnival here has a much deeper meaning. I think all the mad flashing lights represents the madness that his life has either already become or will become later on in the film. There are also many different colours in the scene which could further imply that his life could take a mad turn and it could be very crazy and wild. As Luke walks through the carnival he puts on a red jacket, this colour red could symbolise danger that is yet to come.
The third setting in this film is the tent. In this setting you see motorbikes and cameras which further suggests that the film is set in a slightly more modern time period. The tent is red and white striped, the repeated use of the colour red could imply danger but it could alternatively imply a bit of love especially when next to the white which could suggest a bit of hope. Moreover because the red is used next to the white it could mean that love of some sort could supply Like with hope, but it could also convey the idea that the love he has for someone or something could lead him into danger.

Love Actually Task Brief

Mise en Scene-Setting Analysis

 

The Duchess

 

 

We watched a short 2 minute clip from the film the Duchess. Straight away the setting of the film told us that it was not set in modern times, the setting suggested a very old time period. This clip included four different settings the streets, the courtyard, the hallway and the bedroom. All four of these settings created a different mood and atmosphere representing the changing feelings of Georgina (Keira Knightly) as her new life begins. 

 

The clip begins with a shot through an archway looking at a carriage. The reason the camera is shown as coming through the arch is because it is showing how the film will be looking through and into Georgina's life.
The camera then proceeds to follow Georgina and the carriage as it goes through the streets of London. As the carriage goes through the streets you see many things. There are many buildings either side of the street, there are also a lot of small and colourful market stalls along the streets. The streets are very busy, crowded and colourful. There is a mixture of greens, browns, greys and blacks, all coming from, various things such as buildings, market stools, mud and grass and the cobbled street.
Throughout this short 30 second clip of the carriage going through the streets we are shown multiple shots of market places. This emphasises how busy and colourful the streets of  London are at that time. This also exaggerates the length of the street as it was actually filmed in a studio and the street is completely made up. The camera work in the film makes the street look very long when in fact it's actually quite short. Showing various shots of the market places and clever camera work and angles gives this illusion.
Once the carriage gets of the streets it comes to the courtyard od Devonshire House. This is actually Somerset House but acts as Devonshire House for this scene. The courtyard is shown as very bare and empty, this is a stark contrast to the streets of London that were shown as very busy and over crowded. This shows that the scene of the courtyard juxtaposes the scene in the Streets, another juxtaposition is the colours of the courtyard compared to the streets. The courtyard is all very simple in its colouring and the whole of the Devonshire House is portrayed as being white. This very pure, white, basic setting contrasts the calm, almost majestic like feel of the courtyard compared to the very colourful, vibrant, bustling and quite mad streets.
As well as the opening section of the clip the director also films through arches in two more moments of the clip, as they enter the courtyard and as they enter the house. The reason he does this is to show how the change in setting is like a new part in the journey of Georgina's new life and how we as the viewer are looking through into the new stages of her new life as it begins.
The hallway is portrayed as very big, grand and elaborate yet at the same time there's something very bare and simplistic about it. The hallway its self juxtaposes the image you get of it. You also get the feeling of being overwhelmed, not only because of the size yet simplicity of the hallway but also by Georgina's reaction. She seems very overwhelmed and as someone who hasn't seen the rest of the film I get the feeling that it is a big change to what Georgina is used to and it's a very new start for her.
The last setting of the film is the bedroom, this is big contrast to all other settings in the clip. It is very dark and gloomy and gives an almost sinister feel, furthermore the only colours visible in the room are black/darkness and red. Both these colours, especially red can suggest danger. The bedroom also feels very claustrophobic.
 



 

 

 



Mise en Scene-Setting

How would you decorate a room and what would you put in it to suggest the following inhabitants?...

1) A poor and destitute couple in the 17th century

I would make the room quite dark and empty, there wouldn't be a lot of furniture, maybe just one old dusty sofa with a dirty possible slightly rotting wooden table in one corner. The walls would be stained and the walls peeling and cracking, the corners and ceiling would be covered with cobwebs. There would be one window that is cracked and there would be no curtains.

 

2)Middle class couple in the 1940s

There would be some furniture, a sofa, a table and an armchair all fairly well kept and clean. There would be curtains on the windows and everything the room would be quite nicely decorated, the walls would have a few photos on them.

 

3)Spy in year 2015

The room would be fairly bare but very modern,there would be a metal desk with maybe a few files on it and an array of different gadgets. the desk would have draws that contain false bottoms to hide things like guns.

 

4)Businessman in 2015

The room would contain a metal desk in the middle that would have a laptop, a phone and many papers and folders. There would be a filing cabinet in one corner and a small plant on top, beside the desk there would be a small paper bin. The whole colour of the room and its contents would be grey and silver and black.

 

5)Business woman in 2015

The same layout as the businessman's room but there would be more plants around the room for decoration and the desk would have a few little bits like lipstick on it and maybe there would be a few pairs of heels in the corner.

 

6)Group of students

The room would have a TV in it with an Xbox underneath and a large sofa directly in front of the TV in the middle of the room, the sofa would be fairly worn down. There would be massive speakers on one side of the room and the walls would have multiple film and music posters. The floor would have empty packets of food and beer cans scattered around it.