Action Genre Cliches
- world-weary assassins, navy seals, mercenaries
- one last suicidal mission
- one will stay behind and most likely die
- lots of upper body strength
- betrayal, stabbed in the back
- antagonist are foreign with thick accents
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Action Genre Cliches
Thursday, 13 November 2014
Preliminary Task Analysis
Preliminary Task Analysis
Strengths
- Range of shots
- Established scene geography
- Good cuts
Weaknesses
- Needs more dynamism
- Camera wobble
- Prolonged match on action
In the preliminary task, we had to produce a short clip containing three different types of shots, sticking to the 180 degree rule as well as the 30 degree rule. We also had to have an match-on-action shot and shot reverse shot.
We used a variety of shots to meet one of our objectives including match-on-action and shot-reverse-shot. We used match-on-action to emphasise the essay and involves the audience, submerging them in the action. We used shot-reverse-shot by also doing an over-the-shoulder shot to get the point of view of the person listening and what they would see when looking at the other person. At the start, we established the scene geography when the teacher presents the essay, showing the classroom and audience.
One of the cuts appear slightly jurky because the camera was not steady during filming so this has become more oblivious when the film is edited and the shots have been sequenced together. However, if we used a tripod during filming the camera would be stable and the shot would be focused so it would stabalise the final film, making it smooth and realistic and would not look like a jump cut.
One of the cuts appear slightly jurky because the camera was not steady during filming so this has become more oblivious when the film is edited and the shots have been sequenced together. However, if we used a tripod during filming the camera would be stable and the shot would be focused so it would stabalise the final film, making it smooth and realistic and would not look like a jump cut.
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Film Scenes Analysis
Shot Reverse Shot
This scene from No Country For Old Men uses shot reverse shot in the famous coin toss scene. The shot reverse shot is used to show the deep conversation the two guys are having,showing their facial expressions and when they are talking.
Match On Action
In this scene from American psycho, they use match on action to show their business cards. As they take out their business cards, the camera switches from them to the cards that have been placed on the table. This emphasises the action they have just done, making the action seem more important that it would usually be. This makes the scene and action dynamic.
Match On Action
Monday, 3 November 2014
Horror Profile - Target Audience
Horror Target Audience Profile
The target audience for a horror will range from 15 - 30 years old.The youngest age certificate for a horror would be a 15, even though there have been horrors with an age certificate of 12, for example The Woman In Black is a 12.
People watch horrors because they want to experience the thrill and adrenaline from watching them, and they can contain a good story line with strange and confusing cliffhangers and twists.
Horrors considered the best horror movies of all time are:
- The Exorcist
- The Shining
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Psycho
- Alien
Titanic Opening Scene Analysis (Romance)
Titanic Opening Scene Analysis
Sound
Non-diegetic sound is used when soft, gentle music is played with a woman singing with it. This is typical of a romance as you would not usually find loud, strong music in romance genres as this would take the romantic genre atmosphere away. A woman singing goes along with the genre because people generally don't associate men with romance as much as women are known for it.
Not much diegetic sound is used until right at the end when you hear the submarines go down into the depths of an ocean and shows how deep they are going, and this could link because there might be deep stories that went down with the titanic and the titanic also lays deeply under the Atlantic ocean.
Camera Angles
There a lot of different camera angles used in the opening scene, showing all the things that are happening on the historic moment.
Long shots are used to show the whole titanic and the people waving goodbye to each other reflecting on how special and important that moment was as that would be the last they would see of them.
The camera goes under water and a submarine emerges from the shadows, going towards the camera. This shows how deep they are going and shows the start of an enormous journey.
The screen is also in black and white which implies that it is an old story that is about to be told. A lot of romance genres are set in the past as this creates a more deeper story that can be told and shows it will never be forgotten.
Characters
The main characters are not shown in the opening scene, but thousands of people are shown waving goodbye to each other. This is a significant moment in the film because you can see how many people the story has an impact on. Movies that have a big travesty in them usually are of the romantic genre and a lot of them start their movies with happy moments, which can make them more sadder and powerful.
There is thousands of people there which shows that this is an event that doesn't happen very often in this period, so everyone is celebrating, like they have accomplished something and nothing can't surely go wrong.
Enigma Codes
After watching the scene, the audience will want to know what journey all the people are going to be having, and what will happen.
Also the submarines descend into the depths of the water at the end so the audience will want to know where they are going, what they are doing and why are they doing it?
Props/Costumes
The people are all wearing old, Victorian/pre-world war 1 clothing and shows that it is set in the early 20th century. Props being used are hats flying in the air, waving goodbye. This is a old, tradition that used to happen when someone would take their hat off to greet or say goodbye to someone. This also shows this is an old event.
Not much diegetic sound is used until right at the end when you hear the submarines go down into the depths of an ocean and shows how deep they are going, and this could link because there might be deep stories that went down with the titanic and the titanic also lays deeply under the Atlantic ocean.
Camera Angles
There a lot of different camera angles used in the opening scene, showing all the things that are happening on the historic moment.
Long shots are used to show the whole titanic and the people waving goodbye to each other reflecting on how special and important that moment was as that would be the last they would see of them.
The camera goes under water and a submarine emerges from the shadows, going towards the camera. This shows how deep they are going and shows the start of an enormous journey.
The screen is also in black and white which implies that it is an old story that is about to be told. A lot of romance genres are set in the past as this creates a more deeper story that can be told and shows it will never be forgotten.
Characters
The main characters are not shown in the opening scene, but thousands of people are shown waving goodbye to each other. This is a significant moment in the film because you can see how many people the story has an impact on. Movies that have a big travesty in them usually are of the romantic genre and a lot of them start their movies with happy moments, which can make them more sadder and powerful.
There is thousands of people there which shows that this is an event that doesn't happen very often in this period, so everyone is celebrating, like they have accomplished something and nothing can't surely go wrong.
Enigma Codes
After watching the scene, the audience will want to know what journey all the people are going to be having, and what will happen.
Also the submarines descend into the depths of the water at the end so the audience will want to know where they are going, what they are doing and why are they doing it?
Props/Costumes
The people are all wearing old, Victorian/pre-world war 1 clothing and shows that it is set in the early 20th century. Props being used are hats flying in the air, waving goodbye. This is a old, tradition that used to happen when someone would take their hat off to greet or say goodbye to someone. This also shows this is an old event.
Saturday, 1 November 2014
The Woman In Black Opening Scene Analysis (Horror)
The Woman In Black Opening Scene Analysis
Sound
Non-diegetic sound is used to create an eerie sound and suggests something important is about to happen. It creates suspense and tension and reflects the change that the little girls go through during the scene. This shows it is a horror as these genres tend to do this, especially with something that seems to be innocent.
Diegetic sound is used not for speaking but as the girls walk towards the window, the dolls and tea cups break as they step on them, like they don't know they are there and therefore are not themselves as they were just enjoying playing with them. Also, after they jump out of the window, you hear a woman screaming in terror as she has just witnessed her kids commit suicide. This intensifies the atmosphere.
Camera Angles
At the start there are medium shots to show the girls having an innocent tea party. As they turn different, a long shot is used to show all of them looking at one place in the room at the same time and the camera cant see what they are looking at. As they stand up and walk towards the window, close up shots of their feet breaking cups and dolls make the scene more intense. Then another long shot is used to show all of them jumping out of the window at the same time. The camera is placed right at the back of the room and after they jump, it starts to zoom out, slowly showing a mysterious, figure in the shadows.
Characters
There are three main characters in this scene - the three little girls. This is very typical of a horror movie as a lot of them include innocent children and something bad happening to them. This connects the audience with the film as you don't want bad happening to them. Also right at the end of the scene, the antagonist is slightly introduced as you see a dark, mysterious figure that has just watched the children jump out of the window and do nothing about it, this makes the audience assume that it made them do it.
Enigma Codes
An enigma code in this scene is right at the end, when the children just jumped out of a window for no reason and the mysterious figure is there, this makes the audience wonder why they did it, did the figure make them do it, why would it do that and what the figure actually is as you only see the back of it.
Props/Costumes
The dresses that the girls are wearing are old and so does the house. Also they are having a fake tea party so this suggests that it is not set in modern times. This is typical of a horror genre because a lot of them are set in the past as the past was mysterious and a lot of tales and paranormal stuff supposedly went on which makes up modern day horror movies. Also old dolls are used because a lot of people find them creepy and too innocent, like when they constantly stare at you and a lot of them are linked to paranormal activities.
Clichés
A cliché in this scene is that children are the victims, and a woman in a black dress is the one that seems to make them do it. A lot of people associate with women as being ghostly and therefore scary in horror movies, especially when they are dressed in black.
Clichés
A cliché in this scene is that children are the victims, and a woman in a black dress is the one that seems to make them do it. A lot of people associate with women as being ghostly and therefore scary in horror movies, especially when they are dressed in black.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
What are you doing here? - media studies production
What Are You Doing Here? - Media Studies Production
What Are You Doing Here? ~ Click here to watch
Sound
People ask a rhetorical question 3 times, making it intense as the audience doesn't know the answer. Not much non-diegetic sound is used, that could be improved on, making it more intense and film-like.
Camera Angles
A variety of camera angles were used such as low angle, high angle and over-the-shoulder shots. This makes the question more of a mystery. Something that could be improved on is more complex camera angles such as movement like panning and tracking round the character.
Software
The software used to edit it was Adobe Premiere Elements 10. This was used to put together all the scenes, including trimming to get the vital moments and a title screen was used to show the title, which had a black background with bold, circular font to add to the mystery.
Camera Type
The camera used was a GE Digital HD Video Camera DV1, which records in high-definition and is very portable, which is perfect for all kinds of camera angles.
MI2 Opening Scene Analysis (Action)
Mission Impossible 2 Opening Scene Analysis
Sound
Sound is very important within a action genre so it can help set the tone,mood and atmosphere. Non-diegetic music is used to reflect the main character when he is rock climbing and it is the kind of music you will hear if you heard him listening to music with headphones. It reflects his mood showing that he is having fun, even though he has no safety ropes. It also increases the action when they start playing the famous mission impossible music, introducing the title screen The movie uses diegetic sound by using the wind, showing how high he actually is and the amount of danger he is in. He also receives a message via a small rocket where a man is talking to him through the glasses
Camera Angles
They use long shots to show the intensity and atmosphere he is in when rock climbing, showing that he is very high and could be in danger with one wrong move. The setting in the scene shows that the main character is an extremely adventurous and fit person, especially when there are close ups of him when he is hanging one handed.
Characters
The main character is introduced in this scene, his name is Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise, and most of the audience will be familiar with him due to them likely to have watched the first Mission Impossible movie. He is introduced in a way typical to what people might think the action hero might do in his free time, which is dangerous, high rock climbing. If someone wasn't familiar with him they would know he is the main character because he manages to hang off a cliff edge one handed and shows a lot of his muscles. Also, when he receives a message from someone for an upcoming mission, he seems to accept it without even thinking twice about it and as the glasses self-destruct he throws them straight at the camera, which gives the impression he is serious and very skilful at what he does. All of this is typical of an action genre, as they all represent the protagonist in all these different ways.
Enigma Codes
In the opening scene a message is received from a rocket, telling him his mission. This tells us what might happen in the rest of the movie but we don't quite know how he is going to do it and what the details are, and there could be a twist on the way or at the end.
Props/Costumes
The character is wearing climbing clothes without safety ropes. This represents the character as a thrill-seeking, fearful person. He also wears just a vest to show the audience his muscles when climbing, emphasing his masculinity and you can link that to other protagonists from other action genres. This shows they are fit enough for pretty much any job.
Cliches
Cliches in the opening scene is that he is an extremely fit male with lots of upper body strength, expressed when he is rock climbing and it looks like he has been doing it for a long time. It shows he is capable of executing any mission that gets thrown at him.
Sound is very important within a action genre so it can help set the tone,mood and atmosphere. Non-diegetic music is used to reflect the main character when he is rock climbing and it is the kind of music you will hear if you heard him listening to music with headphones. It reflects his mood showing that he is having fun, even though he has no safety ropes. It also increases the action when they start playing the famous mission impossible music, introducing the title screen The movie uses diegetic sound by using the wind, showing how high he actually is and the amount of danger he is in. He also receives a message via a small rocket where a man is talking to him through the glasses
Camera Angles
They use long shots to show the intensity and atmosphere he is in when rock climbing, showing that he is very high and could be in danger with one wrong move. The setting in the scene shows that the main character is an extremely adventurous and fit person, especially when there are close ups of him when he is hanging one handed.
Characters
The main character is introduced in this scene, his name is Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise, and most of the audience will be familiar with him due to them likely to have watched the first Mission Impossible movie. He is introduced in a way typical to what people might think the action hero might do in his free time, which is dangerous, high rock climbing. If someone wasn't familiar with him they would know he is the main character because he manages to hang off a cliff edge one handed and shows a lot of his muscles. Also, when he receives a message from someone for an upcoming mission, he seems to accept it without even thinking twice about it and as the glasses self-destruct he throws them straight at the camera, which gives the impression he is serious and very skilful at what he does. All of this is typical of an action genre, as they all represent the protagonist in all these different ways.
Enigma Codes
In the opening scene a message is received from a rocket, telling him his mission. This tells us what might happen in the rest of the movie but we don't quite know how he is going to do it and what the details are, and there could be a twist on the way or at the end.
Props/Costumes
The character is wearing climbing clothes without safety ropes. This represents the character as a thrill-seeking, fearful person. He also wears just a vest to show the audience his muscles when climbing, emphasing his masculinity and you can link that to other protagonists from other action genres. This shows they are fit enough for pretty much any job.
Cliches
Cliches in the opening scene is that he is an extremely fit male with lots of upper body strength, expressed when he is rock climbing and it looks like he has been doing it for a long time. It shows he is capable of executing any mission that gets thrown at him.
Romance Target Audience
Romance Target Audience
Tend to be directed at women aged 13-18 or sometimes older because of its light hearted nature produced in the films. Serious film fans tend to not watch these movies as romance genre tend to be more relaxed and feminine.
Romance Codes & Conventions
Romance Codes & Conventions
- Audience: Aimed at female audience
- 12-15 certificate to maximize the audience
- A typical romance genre would include sexuality, status, gender and relationships
- Narrative: falling in love, dating, kissing
- Often a voice over is used to introduce the love theme
- Main characters are introduced-attractive female and male
- Setting: they are normally set in an urban environment, a beach, a school etc, places where a chance encounter would happen
- When a romance film opens, it is likely that much of the setting will be shown to the audience from the use of establishing shots and wide shots showing characters and much of the setting and area behind them.
Monday, 6 October 2014
Action Target Audience
Action Genre Target Audience
Gender
The target audience for action films are generally male as men are stereotyped for being violent.
Class/Race
It attracts people of all races because there is usually a lot of different races in action films. While middle class do watch action films, the working class are generally the majority of viewers that watch action films.
Age
The age range of action films tends to be at least 15 as action films age certificate generally start at 15 most of the time, though there are some that start at 12. People watch action films until about 40-50 when they prefer to watch slower movies.
Interests
Action films can be hybrids and mix with comedies and adventure most of the time. Action films include comedy, action, gunfights, catchy lines,escapes, adrenaline and chasing.
Friday, 3 October 2014
Action Genre Codes & Conventions
Action Genre Codes and Conventions
- 12/15 age certificate- maximizing youth audiences
- Often hybridized with Sci-fi /Adventure/Romance
- Major Hollywood studio produced and distributed
- High production values including CGI
- Fast paced editing
- Predictable chain of events - cause and effect
- Dramatic non-diegetic sound
- Fights
- Weapons
- Big City
- Mission
- A motive
- goodies and baddies
- Hi- Tech
- Sinister
- Destruction
- Killings
- Chases
- Cars
Sunday, 21 September 2014
My Favourite Director - James Cameron
My Favorite Director
My favorite director is James Cameron because he is a well known director with many awards to go with great films. His style is action sci-fi and a lot of his films are set in the future. James Cameron's first film was The Terminator in 1984 which got a lot of success from and started this action sci-fi style he still has today. A lot of the awards he gets involve the special effects in his movies and one so one of the reasons I like him.
Well Known Film Awards
Aliens (1986)
- Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing
- Best Effects, Visual Effects
Titanic (1997)
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Cinematography
- Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
- Best Costume Design
- Best Sound
- Best Film Editing
- Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing
- Best Effects, Visual Effects
- Best Music, Original Song
- Best Music, Original Dramatic Song
- Best Achievement in Cinematography
- Best Achievement in Visual Effects
- Best Achievement in Art Direction
- Best Sound
- Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing
- Best Effects, Visual Effects
- Best Makeup
Genre Description
Genre
|
Conventions
|
Film Titles
|
Action
|
Explosions, fight
scenes, hero, villain, violence, fighting
|
James Bond,
Mission Impossible, The Dark Knight
|
Horror
|
Jump scares,
gore, dark, disturbing scenes, creepy, creatures e.g. zombies
|
Insidious, The
Woman in Black, The Exorcist
|
Adventure
|
Quest, prize at end, traps, obstacles, exploration
|
Indiana
Jones, The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean
|
Sci-Fi
|
Science fiction, imaginative, futuristic, technology, alien life, space travel
|
Alien, Star Wars, The Matrix
|
Comedy
|
Funny content, jokes,
silly, teen, social, idiots, sarcasm, accidents
|
Anchorman, Monty Python, The Hangover
|
Friday, 12 September 2014
Greatest Film of All Time - Insidious
Story
A family are in need of help for their son Dalton, who is in a coma after a he went into an attic where something strnge occured. They discover he is trapped in the paranormal world and the only way to save him are to go there and get him back.
Characters
Josh Lambert - Father of Dalton and husband of Renai Lambert
Renai Lambert - Mother of Dalton and wife of Josh Lambert
Dalton Lambert - Brother of Foster Lambert and son of Josh and Renai Lambert
Elise Rainier - The family hire her to help Dalton when they realise paranormal activities are the cause of his coma. She has learned to communicate with the paranormal world.
Specs - Helper of Elise Rainier
Tucker - Helper of Elise Rainier
Lorraine Lambert - Mother of Josh Lambert
Foster Lambert - Brother of Dalton Lambert and so of Josh and Renai Lambert
Lipstick-Face Demon - A demon that lives in the paranormal world, holding Dalton captive
Old Woman - A parasite that craves to live again
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