Target Audiences

Shutter Island

Shutter Island has a varied target audience of all young adults, predominantly women. This is implied from Leonardo Dicaprios face dominating the poster, who is a major Hollywood heartthrob. The dark setting, with one illuminating flame indicates that the film involves tension, This coincides with the picture of a dark, distorted image of buildings. There is also the use of smoke. This indicates that the movie is going to be about suspension disorientation,which would appeal to a male audience. . To the side the text states "someone is missing", coinciding with the search light projecting in the picture indicates chaos, and suspense. These are factors which appeal to a younger audience.

The Gray

The movie poster for “The Gray” is designed for the filmto both young poeple and adults, predominantly males. Liam Neeson has a pained, hard, determined facial expression due to the fact that he is deeply frowning. He also has scratches and blood on his face, connoting that he is being hunted or in on the run. This notion is reinforced by his gray, overgrowing beard making hum look rugged. There is also snow falling over his face, implying that he is possibly in the arctics or in a freezing environment. This indicates that war and action will dominate the film, aspects that would be more attractive to older men.  

Account of our Prellim.

In our prelim task, I enjoyed trying all aspects of film making, there were four people in our group, and only 3 roles, so we varied the roles of contenuity, camera person and director. This gave us a varied first experience of film making. We reveiwed how to set up a tripod, setting up the camera, and how to bubble and white balance. We then had to look at the location of the shot, we were filming near cars, and had to think about filmig in the correct position so that the camera could not be seen in the reflection, and were we would get the best lighting. We also had to decide to film at in areas where we would have room to move the camera around and shoot the same scene from different angles, we discovered this when we were caught in between two cars, and could not acsess different angles so we had to chaneg the locatrion of the shot. In contenuity, we learnt how to meantally take account of every moovement of the actors, insuring that they do the same thing in each shot. I also learnt to communicate with the other members before shooting, by each member saying "stand by" then the filmer saying , "rolling camera", and the director saying "action." I feel we each worked well as a group and communicated well, and that everybody contributed equally. If I had the chance to to do it again, I feel I would like to have a longer go at being the director, as I like the way that they have Cornell over where the shots are taken from.
We were able to shoot an additional shot of the car door being opened, this is to add tension and hi-light his actions.

Essay: Compare and Contrast how the technical codes (M-E-S, sound, camera, and lighting) represent the bride in the two scenes in Kill Bill volume 2.

We can compare how the technical codes (mes en scene, sound and lighting) are used to represent the bride in different ways throughout the two coffin scenes from Kill Bill.

In scene one, the coffin comes across to the audience as being smaller and extremely claustrophobic. This is due to the camera positioning, whereby a large quantity of the scene is shot using a close up of her face, this consequently produces a feeling of intensity.  The lack of an establishing shot also gives the illusion of the coffin being smaller and recreates the brides feeling of disorientation. This can be contrasted to the wide shot, demonstrated in scene two. The camera is shot from one end of the coffin, enabling the entire space to be scene. This gives the illusion that the coffin is more spacious, producing a more optimistic outlook to the scene.

 This notion is reinforced through the lighting, where high key yellowish light is produced by her torch, alongside a key light. There is also a pan shot, following her torch where she shines the light in all four corners of the coffin using a high key light. This creates the notion of the coffin being more spacious, as the audience can physically see the whole space. The yellowish tone of the lighting also produces a more optimistic and hopeful outlook to the scene. We can contrast this, to the lighting used in scene one. The torch produces an expressive, white, low key lighting with a short range, producing heavy shadows and conveying a dark, expressive mood. This gives the audience an insight into what the bride is experiencing, producing a feeling of horror. For large quantities of the scene, the method of darkness is used. From when we see the nails being hammered into the coffin, the light is gradually distinguished. This blocking of the light signifies her almost certain death and her rapidly fading hope.  This method is extremely successful as it draws the audience in, displaying on the screen the horrors of what she is experiencing.

This notion is reinforced due to the sound of her heavy breathing and panting, which amplifies and gets louder throughout the scene. There is also a lack of background music in order to heighten the tension and sustain a focus on the emotions of the bride.  This gives the audience an insight into her fear and desperation whilst retaining a feeling of claustrophobia. This is contrasted with western style, non diagetic, upbeat background music in scene two. The pace of the music begins slow and amplifies and increases in volume throughout. This symbolises the bride’s newly hopeful mindset, and prepares the audience for her escape. She also begins to narrate to herself, this indicates that now, she is in control. This determined attitude is also highlighted due to the amplified noise of the bride grunting, whilst she punches through the roof of the coffin. Her pain and courage to continue is highlighted through the mes en scene, where the use of blood is shown on the ceiling. Her smiling, yet pained facial expression also highlights her determination and positive mindset, whilst, from the blood, we can clearly see her pain.

The hardship that she is experiencing is also highlighted through a point of view shot, whereby the audience can see the dirt falling onto her face, from her perspective. This creates a frightening, claustrophobic feeling, putting the bride into an even stronger light. We can contrast her determined acting expression in scene two, to her distressed hopeless expression in scene one, where she is sobbing and screaming in horror. Her acting also signifies her frustration and her lack of control and her low status in this scene.

This feeling is reinforced due to the mis en secene and camera shot at the beginning of the scene, where the man is positioned to be looking down on the bride, this signifies his hierarchy and power over her. This can be contrasted with her position of victory at the end of the scene, when we see her sudden fist piercing through the soil, along with the heavily trumpeting background music when she escapes. The wide angle shot at the end of the scene, showing her in a graveyard further glorifies her escape, indicating that she has narrowly missed her death. The costuming of her dirty grassy clothes after her escape, also glorifies her as it highlights the aggravation and pain that she has experienced. 

Overall, I feel that the use of technical codes puts the bride into two extremely different lights in the scenes. This is due to changes in the camera positioning, sound, lighting and the mis-en-scene. In scene one, the bride comes across as a powerless, weak, terrified victim. However in scene two, due to the technical changes, she is portrayed as a strong, capable heroine.

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 

The Girl with the dragon tattoo is effective in a variety of ways, the bold; stand out feature in the poster is the dragon. Its redness in colour stands out against the dark background, symbolising danger. The dragon is positioned as if it is looking down on its pray, whilst facing the girl.

 She is situated in the darkness, indicating that she is blending into the shadows as if she doesn’t want to been seen, this notion is confirmed by her dark fringe covering half of her face. Her facial expression also adds to the effectiveness of the poster, the women seems to be scowling, with deep sunken in cheeks and has thin sharp eyebrows. This immediately gives the audience an insight into her moody character, implying that she dislikes someone. This notion is confirmed due to her bright blue eyes, which stand out against the dark background, which seems to looking past the camera, at someone. The fact that her face is white, along with her expression, could also symbolise her struggle and the fact that she is looking for hope. However, the striking contrast between the illumed half of her face and the red, evil looking dragon implies that she possibly has a split personality.

How sound is used in “escape” scene in Hanna

Sound was used in a variety of ways in the “escape” scene from Hannah. At the beginning of the scene, we hear the amplified diagetic, synchronous noises of doors being locked and bolted, this method is used to establish the fact to the audience that Hanna is trapped; this is reinforced when we hear the synchronous echoes.

 After Hanna is crying, clinging on to the women and the man signals to “Abort.” This non diagetic fast pace, beating music begins and increases in volume, this then amplifies and the pace increases, this coincides with the wheel spinning to open the door. This is in order to prepare the audience and build up the fast pace action which is to come. The fast beat, techno, non diagetic background music increases in pace as she gets closer to her escape, this enforces an uplifting notion to the end of the scene.

 As the scene continues, Hanna's diagetic, synchronous panting and heavy breathing also increases and gets louder, the closer she gets to her escape, this highlights her need to be free. The loud noise when Hanna is trying to escape is contrasted with the silence at the end of the clip, when she opens the door to the outside. This highlights the importance of her escape and suggests that she is in a remote area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb_1Qms-COg&feature=player_detailpage

Through the Eye - Analyzing last years thriller

The makers of through the eye have used many meathods in order to increace the effectiveness of their thriller. For example, the sound is effectively used in order to establish and build tension throughout the clip. The dark, disconcerting background music indicates to the audience that something is soon going  to happen and sets you on edge, this feeling is enhanced at the end of the clip when there is a high pitched screech, possibly indicating that the man being beaten up in the survallence tape has been killed and highlights the horror of the fact that the security gard is paying no interest in the tape.

  

The angles from which the camera is shot at also adds to the effectiveness of the thriller, the camera veers to the left and right enabling the audience to take in each aspect of the scene clearly for example, the camera zooms in on the survelence tape, showing a jubious looking man, before veering to show the security guard, not paying attention. This also adds a feeling that the camera is the audiences eyes, and that immediately you are included in the scene. We also don’t see the security guards face up until this point, this adds an uneasy, eerie feel to the charactor and indicates that he cannot be trusted.

The use of colour also adds to the effectiveness of the thriller. Over the entire scene a dark background is used, this encourages the audience’s attention to be drawn to the lit up surveillance tape. It also sustains an uneasy, feeling throughout as you cannot see what is happening around. Colour is also used when highlighting the perpertrator in the survallence video, he stands out due to his red top in the surrounding black and white scene, this denotes danger,  anger and blood.

The use of costume is also effective, although we cannot see the security officers face until the end of the film, we know of his role due to the fact that we  catch a glimpse of his epaulette on his shoulder. The audicne can also guess the role of the perpetrator in red, due to his gangster-style hodded cloathing.

Overall I feel that the thriller, “Through the eye” is very effective due to the way in which the zoomed camera shots are used to convay tension and highten the atmosphere throughout. I also thaught that the way in whoch colour is used order to draw the audiences attention is very effectiave. However I do feel that the plotline and message of the thriller is very loose .

What we have learnt in lessons:

In lessons, we learnt how to set up a tripod. This involves extending each of the three legs into the tripod position, and then locking them into place. Then you have to repeat this process to achieve the correct height level for the camera. We used a Sony NXS Digital HD Camera. Then you have to slide the camera onto the top of the tripod until it clicks into place. Then, in order to position the camera, you need to move it until the bubble in the spirit level is in the centre. This is called bubbling. Then in order to get the white balance correct, you need to zoom in on a white object and click the small white balance button on the left hand side of the camera. Before recording, you need to zoom in on an object and adjust the focus and then zoom out to take the shot.

We also learnt how to frame a shot, where you try to put the subject over the areas of focus, in the four areas where the grid lines cross over, this is called the rule of thirds. We also learnt about the 180oc rule, whereby there is an imaginary line running from one character two another. The Camera is not allowed to cross that axis, otherwise the actors who should appear on the left, would appear to the audience on the right and vice versa.

We also learnt how to film a short sequence, where we filmed the same scene three times. First, we filmed a wide shot, showing the whole scene, then we repeated this process filming a medium close up, where we slightly zoomed in on the actor. To finish we filmed a zoomed in close up of an object in the room which the actor picked up. Watching back these sequences, the audience has the impression that they are watching a natural activity happening once, unaware of the fact that the different angles and shots of the scene may have been taken days apart.  

Children of Men

The movie poster for “Children of Men” is extremely successful; this is largely due to the bold text, dominating the top left hand corner of the page. From the writing, we can connote that the genre of the film is a mixture of sci-fi and thriller, this is due to the fact that the writing is in red, implying blood and danger. The writing also explains the basic plotline of the film to draw the audience’s interests in.  

The facial expression of the protagonist also gives the audience an insight to the film. He has a fragile appearance, as if He is forced against his will, He also has white pupils, which stands out against the background, this implies that his innocence is gone. He also has a general rugged and troubled appearance, he is heavily frowning and is unshaven, whilst he is wearing a thick coat, and this suggests that he is dressed for action, possibly on the run.  

The fact that he is standing behind smashed glass indicates that he is exposed and that his protection has gone, this is enhanced as we discover that the glass is smashed in the shape of a drop of blood.

The glass around his face is opaque; this indicates that the glass is frosty and that it could be winter, and that he is now exposed to the cold due to the smashed glass.  

The symbol of the world in a crying eye indicates that the world is possibly dying, and the tear drop is in red indicating blood. 

About Me

My name is Annabel Hales and I am from Surrey. I used to go to St Teresas school in Effingham and moved to Hurtwood House for sixth form. The four A Levels subjests I'm studing are Biology, Geography, Art and Media Studies. I choose to study media because I would love to persue a career in the film industry. My favorite films are are Moulan Rouge and the Notebook.