Week 2 - Action Plan:

As a group: plan the storyline and characters
- Analyse the characters appearance in fantasy films


Individually
- We each research a institutional logo 

 Tayla (Universal)

- Nicola (Disney)

- Chloe (Summit Entertainment)

Image sources: http://images.wikia.com/marvelmovies/images/c/cc/Universal_Pictures.jpg
http://www.southdreamz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/walt-disney-logo.jpg
http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/summit_entertainment_logo.jpg

(Written out by Chloe King)

Tayla Powell's blog: http://taylaastleyasmedia.blogspot.com/

Chloe King's blog: http://chloeastleyasmedia.blogspot.com/ 

Analysing the brainstorm of film genres and ideas: - Group Work

For the brainstorming of film genres and ideas, we as a group decided that we were going to present this on Prezi.

Over-view of our prezi.

The screen shot above shows our brainstorming and our written paragraphs on what film genre we have chosen to use for our film. We have decided to use two genres, linking them both, to create the genre of 'fantasy-thriller'. We all felt that this genre is unique and can be said to be our USP as not a lot of films have cover both genre. Furthermore, the few films that have included the fantasy-thriller genre, have proven to be popular, such as Twilight.

The screen shot above shows us brainstorming different film genres.

After brainstorming the different film genres, we then expanded on the brainstorming and gave examples of films that fits into the genre.

This printscreen shows how we inserted a picture onto the Prezi presentation.

We then summarised our points on why we chose the genres.

This screen shot shows our reasons on choosing the genre and basing our ideas on Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood - the inspiration of our genre - fantasy-thriller .

This screen shot shows our plans for possible locations that we could use for our film.

This screen shot shows one of our USP's - the apple, which will be one of the main props in our film.

This screen concludes the results of our plan.

This screen shot is just an additinal, to show we have finalised our idea, and that we are going to create a film using the character of 'Snow White'.

This is just an overview of our Prezi Presentation

Textual analysis - Twilight: - Individual Work

Analysis of Twilight

I decided to analyse Twilight because it fitted into both the genre of fantasy and thriller perfectly. It is fantasy because te film is based on fictional characters - vampires - and unrealistic events happening, in addition, the film is similar to a fairytale - one of the codes and conventions of fantasy films (not realistic) - as the film has the ablitlity to apply both the hypodermic syringe model and the uses of gratification theory to the audience. On the other hand, Twilight fits into the genre of thriller mainly because of the thrill of the chas, the audience is eager to know who the person is chasing after Bella throughout the whole film.


      Camera:

• ·         The film begins with a low angle shot of trees and bushes, to suggest to the audience we could be in a character’s point of view hiding from something or someone above us.
• ·         00.31, is a high angle shot, looking down onto an animal, this could suggest to the audience, we/character is more powerful than the wolf.
• ·         00.34, the camera is now a medium close up shot of the animal, and we are still able to see part of the background. This could possibly connate to the audience; the character is inspecting/analysing the animal in detail to see what it is.
• ·         00.38, has turned into a close up shot of the animal, only showing part of the animal eating, the camera shot still shows some background.
• ·         00.42, the camera shot is now zoomed into a big close up shot, showing only the animal’s head.
• ·         The film uses a high angle shot again, looking below onto the ground.
• ·         A slight high angle of a close up shot is used on the animal; whilst the animal is turning around, ready to run away.
• ·         The next shot is the 30 degree rule medium close up shot of the animal leaping in the air quickly. This suggests to the audience, that the animal is being chased by the character, as it looks as if we are looking through a characters point of view through the camera shots.
• ·         The camera shots starts to vary from 30 degree rule big close up shots to medium long shots during the chase, this is to build tension for the audience, as the pace is getting quicker, the audience is more eager to know, who the character is chasing the animal, and if he has captured the animal yet.
• ·         1.03, you get a medium close up blurred shot of a body figure, this could imply to the audience, this is one of the characters of the film.
• ·         1.06 is a medium shot of the animal captured by one of the characters leaping in the air.
• ·         1.13, a medium shot of Bella (Kristen Stewart), able to see the grassy background, and almost white sky.
• ·         1.30 is a medium close up shot of Bella and her mother.
• ·         The camera then jumps to a long shot of the mother’s boyfriend, this suggests to the audience, he is not as important as the other characters in the film, or he doesn’t have much impact on Bella. We can see the boyfriend’s body language and gestures and the surroundings – the setting – from this certain shot, the setting looks deserted, dull and the middle of nowhere.
• ·         At 1.41 it is an establishing shot. This camera shot sets the scene, showing the surroundings. In this case, this shot is to show the contrast between the place here and the place where Bella is going to – Forks.
• ·         At 1.56, the shot used is an over the shoulder shot of looking outside the car window. This could suggest to the audience, we are seeing in Bella’s point of view.
• ·         1.58, they use a wide shot here showing a plane flying up into the sky, whilst showing the surrounding of the place.
• ·         2.02 is an establishing shot of the new setting, establishes where the events will take place. In addition, this is shown to contrast the difference between her hometown to the new place she is going to be living in.

      Sound:

• ·         The music of the institution – Summit Entertainment – is what you would typically hear in horror films, as it sounds mysterious. This could connote to the audience that the film is going to fit into the fantasy, thriller and horror genre.
• ·         From 00.23, the film has included in diegetic sound. There is very little background music, whilst Bella speaks – “I’d never given much thought to how I would die, but dying in a place with someone I love seems like a good way to go.” This could be foreshadowing and suggests to the audience that Bella might die at the end of the film.
• ·         00.45, non-diegetic sound is used, the music playing in the background, is the typical background music that is used to create suspense.
• ·         As the chase gets faster between the characters and the animal, the music pace starts speeding up to match the chase.
• ·         There are some sound effects used, such as when the animal leaps, it sounds cartoonish, and exaggerated to emphasis the leaping noise.
• ·         At 1.10, there is very little background music, and Bella speaks again, “So I can’t bring myself to regret the decision to leave home, I would miss Phoenix, I miss the heat, I would miss my loving erratic heroine mother. And her new husband’ this introduces and sets the story out for the audience, and let the audience know what has happened/is going to happen.
• ·         1.50, country music starts to play, relaxes the atmosphere and the mood of film from the previous scene of the chase.

Mise en scene:

• ·         The beginning scene – the setting – is of a forest. This connotes mysteriousness as forests are typically the place where all mysterious/scary matters take place.
• ·         The beginning scene is also mainly in dark green because of the trees. Experts have said that dark green usually associates with ambitions, greed and jealousy, which could foreshadow to the audience that greed and jealousy could take place later on in the film.
• ·         The colours of the scenes are mostly dark, which suggests the atmosphere of the film will be dark, tense and mysterious.
• ·         The beginning minute of the scene looks as if it is filmed in real life by a person holding onto a video camera and running along with it. At 00.49, the animal is running away, and the camera seems as if we – the audience – are running along with the animal.
• ·         The mysterious character chasing the animal is wearing dark blue. Dark blue symbolises trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith and truth. We know that the character chasing the animal is Edward Cullen, but if we hadn’t of known, the colour dark blue on the character would connote to the audience that he is trustworthy, loyal, intelligent and faithful etc.
• ·         Once the chase was over, the colours of the scene starts to become brighter, with neutral and peaceful colours. Bella is seen wearing brown and light blue, which suggests she is understanding, soft and calm.
• ·         Bella comes across as a boring character in this scene as she doesn’t stand because the colour of her clothes blend in with the background.
• ·         The scene of the place where Bella will be staying, suggests death, eternity and endless possibilities as the setting is set in a place which looks like the middle of nowhere and desert-like.

Editing:

• ·         The film uses a lot of continuity editing, which creates a sense of reality and time moving forward. For example, during the chase scenes, it contained a lot of continuity edits.
• ·         Jump cut is also featured in the first opening 2 minutes of Twilight, at one of the scenes of a long shot of the forest, we see the anima running forward, and then the character leaping in from the side conveys to the audience the animal has been captured.
• ·         There are no credits at the beginning of the two minutes of the film.
• ·         There was one scene which used cross cutting, where the animal was running ahead, and then in the next scene it was showing the character – Edward – running.
• ·         Flashback could be considered to be used in the 2 minutes of the film as the chase scene could suggest to the audience that, it was Bella’s imagination and dreams because she was narrating along at the beginning scene about death.
• ·         The film uses linear narrative as Bella is narrating the film, at the beginning; this is to guide the audience through the storyline.

Screen shots:

High angle shot – suggest the point of view of the character behind this camera, is more powerful than the animal.

Big close up shot of the animal’s eye, to create tension, as we don’t know what is happening outside of this shot.

Screen shot of the colour of the setting – dark green.

  

Jump Cut – scene showing the animal without Edward, then jumps onto the next with Edward.

Colour of Bella’s clothes.

Establishing shot of Phoenix

Over the shoulder shot

Establishing shot of the place Bella will be staying at

Textual analysis'

As a group we have decided on producing a film based on the genres of thriller and fantasy. The reason for this is found under the post brainstorm genres.

Over the weeked, Tayla, Chloe and I have been analysing a film each, which will fit into the genres of thriller and fantasy.

• Chloe analysed the film Red Riding Hood - her analysis can be found here: http://chloeastleyasmedia.blogspot.com/
   

• Tayla analysed Alice in the Wonderland - her analysis can be found here: http://taylaastleyasmedia.blogspot.com/ 

• I analysed Twilight - my analysis will posted after this post.

Research into different film genres: - Individual Work

Each of us have decided to research into two different film genres to get a better understanding of each genre chosen from the list below, whicn in result will help us decide on what film genre/s we will be using for our film.

The colour codes which will symbolise our work:

·         Nicola Ho (me)

·         Tayla Powell

·         Chloe King

Horror: The term ‘horror’ was first invented within the film industry when the film ‘Dracula (1931)’ and ‘Frankenstein (1931)’ was created. Films based on the film genre, ‘horror’ are uncomfortable, disconcerting movies that are attempting to draw the emotions of the audience, creating fear, hatred and horror. In addition, the creators of a horror movie also creates a scenes that alarm the viewers, although, this is created from deathlike and the supernatural. However, horror movies can easily over lap with fantasy, thriller, classic Horror, creature Features, demonic possession and science fiction genres. The codes and conventions of horror films are always deep, low music, dark lighting and slow paced action. The camera angles is often jump cut to keep the audience aware using unknown sounds that are used in a typical 'scared’ moments. Some horror movies use the typical conventions: slashing, cutting, blood, running and screaming. Horror films are generally supposed to make the audience feel frightened, making you feel uncomfortable, superstitious and intense. Most Horror films end in a dramatic ending or the situation is re-solved, this is the use of the gratification theory. Examples of Horror films: Drag Me to Hell, Se7en and Friday the 13^th. 

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_film http://www.filmsite.org/subgenres2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_film 

Action: The term ‘action’ was first invented within the film industry when the first action film was created ‘The Great Train Robbery (1960’s).’ Films based on the film genre, ‘action’ is occasionally using an imaginative character struggling against awful situations with the ‘hero’ involving physical feats, careless fights and distraught chases, likely to use several ways of transportation, e.g. car, bus, truck. This will most probably include life-threatening situations using ‘the propp theory.’ This will include a villain, hero, dispatcher, princess, princess’s dad, the false hero, the donor and the helper. These will all take a responsible role within the genre. Nevertheless, most action films will include the ‘Todorov’ theory, which is a film with a happy beginning, fearful middle, and back to a joyful ending, having a victory achievement at the end after difficult efforts and violence; this is also the use of the gratification theory which is very common. An action movie often makes the audience observant and on the edge of their seats, often using having an enigma code which is set within the first 2 minutes of the film.
The codes and conventions of action films are made to be quick paced, often using jump cut to keep the audience alert and using dramatic sound effects, using non-diegetic sound.
Here are some examples of action sub genres:  Action or Adventure Comedy, Alien Invasion, Biker, Blaxploitation, Buddy Cops, Chase Films or Thrillers, Comic-Book Action, Romantic Adventures, Sci-Fi, Action, Swashbuckling (sward fighting), Sea Adventures and many more. Examples of action films: Avatar, Transformers, and Salt.

Sources: http://faithcommunitynetwork.com/How_do_you_feel_about_horror_movies%3F/m_5354046/mpage_1/tm.htm 

Romance: Romance genre based films are generally light hearted and has an aura that surrounds falling and being in love. Typical romance films will follow the Todorov’s narrative theory, which consists of equilibrium, a disruption, recognition of the disruption, an attempt to repair the damage and a new equilibrium. Examples of this would be ‘Letter’s to Juliet’, ‘Crazy, stupid Love’ and ‘the lost valentine’. On the other hand, not all romance films are light hearted, with a happy ending. Some romance films will end tragically, examples are such as: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Titanic’. Most or all romance genre based films are able to capture the audience’s heart, be attached to the film and be able to apply either the hypodermic syringe model theory or the uses of gratification theory. In addition, romance films has the ability to touch the audiences heart with typical sweet love lines said by the male character, in both fiction and non fiction romance films. Romance films can also give the audience the atmosphere of mordern fairytale, as it can be exaggerated to appeal to fans of the genre. Romance films can be split into subgenres which include: Romcom (romantic comedy), historical romance and gothic romance.

Sources: http://www.findmeanauthor.com/romantic_fiction_genre.htm

Fantasy: Fantasy films are generally stories that are not able to be realistic. They are one of the genres alongside with Swashbuckler, which are fictional. Typical fantasy films are considered to be fairytale-like which can include, dragons, fairies and vampires etc. Examples of fantasy films are: Alice in the wonderland, Twilight and Harry Potter. The main target audience for fantasy genre based films are young children as it is appealing to them with the special effects and unique characters – dragons and fairies. The genre fantasy can be split into sub genres, for example: romance fantasy, modern fantasy and dark fantasy. Typcial fantasy films follow the Levi Strauss theory which is also known as the 'binary opposition'. This theory consistes of opposition and binary pairs meaning one thing is always more valued in contrast to another, enforcing stereotypes and dominant cultral ideas. An example of this would be Twilight. Both Victoria and Edward are vampires, Victoria is a stereotypically 'bad' vampire in comparison to Edward. Edward is the unusually known good vampire. In Twilight, Edward is seen more powerful compared to Victoria. Furthermore, Edward is a man, whereas Victoria is a woman, which again shows binary pairs, as men are stereotypically known to be more powerful than woman.

Sources: http://www.findmeanauthor.com/fantasy_fiction_genre.htm

Thriller: Alfred Hitchcock is one of the film directors that helped shape modern day thriller films with his works such as: The Lodger (1929), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and Shadow of a Doubt (1943). The purpose of thriller films is keeping their audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist will always be in danger and this will be emphasized and the tension will continue to build into it becomes a stressful and tense climax. Modern day thrillers of the last ten years or so are mainly psychological thrillers which are a subgenre of the thriller genre and often deal with violence, domestic violence, and revenge and often have mentally ill characters.

Other subgenres are: action thrillers, crime thrillers, supernatural thrillers, science fiction thrillers, conspiracy thrillers and political thrillers. Codes and conventions of thriller films are that there is always high pitched music, dark lighting, and quick transitions, fast paced; often change of camera angles, dark colours, exaggerated sounds like a heartbeat etc.  Thrillers are supposed to make you feel scared, full of tension and often make the audience try to guess what’s going to happen next.

Sources: http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html

Drama: Drama Films are stories with settings or life situations which have realistic characters in conflict with either themselves, others, or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-between. Each of the types of subject-matter themes has various kinds of dramatic plots.

Dramatic themes often include current issues, problems, concerns or injustices, such as racism, drug addiction, poverty, political issues, and the corruption of power, alcoholism, class divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness and violence toward women. The characters are often complex yet relatable to the audience which makes the audience have more investment in the film.

Codes and conventions of drama genre are hard to determine because it is such a broad genre however the most common codes and conventions you will find are: a variety of lighting depending on what type of scene it is, generally follow Todorov’s theory however some endings are not happy but there is always a disruption of sort, characters that are relatable and dramatic issues are used.

Examples of drama films: The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Fight Club, Forrest Gump and American History X.

Sources: http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/thriller, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)