Thursday 2 April 2009

How does "Bleak House" build up tension and mystery in this extract?

"Bleak House" is an unusual period drama compared with other period dramas, as there are large variety in camera angles and shots, the composition shows depth of field linking characters to each other, and there is a sense of voyeurism throughout the episodes.

Instead of the traditional medium eye-level shots that are usually associated with a typical period dramas, "Bleak House" uses faster paced, more complex shots such as fast zooms and shots through/over objects suggesting the audience are voyeurs into the situation, for instance just after Lady Dedlock faints she walks directly past the camera out of our line of vision, which is what happens when you are watching something as not everything can be in your line of vision at the same time you have to been looking at it. The complexity of the shots gives the impression that "Bleak House" has a darker, more complex plot, compared with other period dramas, such as "Pride and Prejudice". It isn't just through the shot types and camera angles that a darker, more sinister plot is suggested; the lighting has a cold bluish hue suggesting a shadowy, dingy, unsettling atmosphere throughout the mise-en-scenes.

Instead of the character relationships being shown through introductions; characters are linked through the use of camera angles, for instance there is a fast zoom to the Lodger's face straight after a close up of Lady Dedlock, after going to the Lodger there is another shot of Lady Dedlock, this gives the impression that Lady Dedlock and the Lodger are linked in some way, however the audience at this point don't know how, this again adds to the mystery that is throughout the entirety of "Bleak House." Characters are also linked through composition, depth of field, this highlights their thoughts and actions; when Lady Dedlock is talking to the lawyer there is a close up of her face however the lawyer is in focus in the background suggesting that he is linked to what she said and what she is thinking. This relationship is also shown when Lady Dedlock faints, as though he knows something about it, because after she has fainted she walks directly past the camera and there is a slow zoom towards to the Lawyer suggesting that he is internally involved.

The high level editing is unusual as well, as normally in Period Dramas the editing is simple like the camera shots, whereas in "Bleak House" the editing is sophisticated, for instance after the quick transition from Lady Dedlock to the Lodger, there are quick cuts that are missing key action when the Lodger is sorting his stuff suggesting that he is frantic, in a hurry.

Tuesday 31 March 2009

Using the Blog

This year the blog was used instead of having hard copies of coursework in a folder. Although there were weaknesses with the blog, there were also strengths that were advantageous.

Strengths:
  • Accessible from any computer.
  • Don't have to carry coursework folders and papers round.
  • Easily organised.
  • Can receive feedback quicker.
  • Neater.

Weaknesses:

  • Slower access on certain computers, school computers especially.
  • Sometimes there were technical errors with the blog.
  • Couldn't be marked in detail, you still had to print a hard copy off if you wanted detailed marking.
  • Difficult to move images round.

However, overall the blog was easier from both a teacher and student point of view, as the teachers didn't have to carry around boxes of coursework, it was easier mark in terms of legibility, and they can feed back over the holidays and during non-school hours. The students, again didn't have to carry round their coursework, it was easier to organise and could incorporate the teachers feedback quickly as we didn't have to wait until school hours.

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Audience Research; Influence on our Thriller Planning

We were able to incorporate our audience research into our the planning and production of our final thriller.

The results from the questionnaires and graphs showed us that people in the age range 13-18 prefer to watch thrillers with the age group 19-25 closely following, using this information we attempted to make our thriller suitable for younger teenagers; however this wasn't plausible due to the complexity of the thriller genre and the generic codes and conventions of the thriller genre wouldn't be suitable for the younger teenagers aged 13-15 as thrillers are dark, complex, and have a sense of realism to them that could confuse a younger audience giving them a false sense of reality; therefore we decided to aim our film at an older audience and therefore creating a wider audience, age bracket 19-40. We did this by having a complex plot and dark, mysterious characters, such as Mary- the false friend; this created different levels of deceit and complexity throughout the thriller.

Through our research we found out that more men preferred watching thrillers compared to women, we decided to try and aim our thriller at balanced audience by having a strong male character and strong female character, however the audience could become slightly unbalanced-as in more men will watch it- due to the fact the we have used typical gender stereotypes and have a weak, helpless female victim, which could deter women from watching the film as we have perceived women to be the weaker sex and some female members of the audience could find this offensive.

Although many people asked preferred the sub-genre of action thriller, we decided to focus predominately on the crime sub-genre of the thriller genre. This was done in order to appeal to a wider audience and attempt to appeal to the female audience, who may have been offended by the use of a weak female character; as many women said they preferred conspiracy and psychological thrillers, and although our production focuses mainly as being a crime thriller, there are elements of the conspiracy sub-genre-shown through Tom and Mary's relationship. Many women said they preferred these sub-genres as they made them think more, and women think on a more emotional level than man. However our production does have action, shown through the drug taking and kidnapping. By incorporating aspects of the preferred sub-genres, we are able to appeal to a wider audience, as it will capture female and male attention, and the different levels throughout the production will appeal to older audiences as well as younger audiences.

Preliminary Task; Storyboards


How does Life On Mars create Realism and Dramatic Irony?

Detective Sam Tyler is used to create dramatic irony through his facial expressions and his speech. When Annie Cartwright mentions having a "woman to run the country" would make it a better place, Tyler implies that it wouldn't be a good idea; "be careful what you wish for" the other characters look at each other with confused expressions however the audience automatically think of Margaret Thatcher and what happened during her years in power. Tyler's facial expressions also show the audience when dramatic irony is being used, for instance when DCI Hunt mentions that an Indian woman is in "her nightie", when she is actually in her sari; Tyler has a look of disbelief, because racism, no matter how casual isn't acceptable in a modern society.

Realism, that links to the 70's era, has been created through the mise-en-scene; for instance, soemone has left their washing outside in the street to dry, this is something that wouldn't be done nowadays because there is a lack of trust in the modern era; it is suggested that there was a bigger sense of trust, and a more of a community spirit and atmosphere, in the 1970's; this is reflected through the washing being hung out as the owner clearly trusts their neighbours, reinforcing that community spirit theory. The officers are smoking in the pub, which was a typical event as smoking in buildings was legal; however since 2005 it hasn't been legal to smoke in a building , therefore it would be unrealistic to incorporate a modern law into a time where it didn't actually exist.

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Media Mock; 20/01/2009

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Thursday 19 March 2009

G321 Thriller Evaluation; Snatched

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In order to follow generic codes and conventions of the thriller genre we researched thriller films. Our production, Snatched, was influenced by other thrillers such as Essex Boys, because there is false trust between the characters in Essex Boys; for example when John Dyke and Jason Locke's wife [Dyke's lover] plan Jason Lockes death. This Is England also influenced our production as the locations are unglamorous, urban and isolated, as in This Is England when the skinheads take the Pakistani boy football, they are in an unglamorous concrete area. The use of camera angles and shots were influenced by films such as Sleeping with the Enemy, as there are varieties of shot types; for instance when Laura is in her new home after she has run away from her abusive husband, Martin, she hears a noise and there is a close up shot of her face, this inspired the close up's in Snatched as the close up's suggest tension, and therefore create a tense atmosphere. Although the Third Man also influenced our variety of shot types and angles, the Third Man predominately inspired our lighting because, although the action is readable, and the location is well lit, we used different types of lighting throughout our production; for instance when Harry Lime is standing on the doorstep the chiaroscuro lighting means the audience can only see certain aspects of his face, suggesting a bodiless being. In Snatched when Mary and Tom are in the car the lighting is ambient, this connotes that there is a sinister side to both Tom and Mary, and although the action is readable, the ambient lighting suggest a sense of mystery similar to the Third Man.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Snatched represents traditional stereotypes; the helpless female victim and the scheming female false friend, and the male villain. The stereotypical female is Grace and she is unknowingly misled by her "friend" Mary. In the beginning the audience don't have any suspicions that Mary has another agenda as when Grace collapses, Mary cries out for help; however the audience soon realise that Mary does have a different agenda, as her and Tom place Grace in the car boot rather than in the back of the car and then have a conversation outside the car while Grace is still in the boot. Throughout the entire sequence Grace is portrayed as the unsuspecting female victim which is a traditional stereotype; which is inspired by Sleeping with Enemy and Kiss the Girls, as the women are kept prisoners by men. In Laura's case, in Sleeping with Enemy, she is kept prisoner mentally by Martin, her husband, as she is too frightened to leave him; however in Kiss the Girls the women are kept physically in cells by "Casanova." Also in both of these films the men are perceived as the characters with power, this influenced our production as Tom is a character of power, as he is in control of the getaway car; Tom could leave Mary at the scene, with Grace still in the boot, and call the police and she could get arrested, therefore both women in Snatched-even though Mary is perceived to have power over Grace-Tom has the overall control over both women; hence Snatched reinforces typical gender stereotypes.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Snatched would be considered for distribution by smaller institutions such as Warp Films or Arthouse as the film has an unknown cast and has been financed by an independent British company, MTL; with a plot which conforms to thriller codes and conventions. The choice of DVD or a Multiplex Cinema would be considered, however due to Snatched being a low budget film with an unknown cast an audience would be less likely to pay to see it in a large complex if something bigger and with a bigger budget was playing, such as; Se7en or Clockwork Orange, as these both have well known, popular actors in them, for example; Malcolm McDowell [Clockwork Orange] and Brad Pitt [Se7en]. The internet is another possibility, with the use of sites such as, http://www.youtube.com/, as the film would appeal to an audience that watches lower budget, complex films and there would be opportunity to "virally" market the film with the use of blogs and websites; this is similar to how Cloverfield was marketed and distributed, as the film had unknown actors, an unusual plot and unusual camera-hand held, similar to Blair Witch Project. Snatched could also go straight to Film4, as they finance British films and are known for showing independent British films, such as Trainspotting and This is England. The scheduled time for Snatched would be around 10pm-11pm doe to the complexity and the atmosphere of the film, as the audience needs to be able to watch the film, without distractions, in order to understand and take in the thriller atmosphere.

Who would be the audience for you media product?

The audience for this type of thriller would be male and female and would be aimed at a wide age range, 19-40, as there are different levels to the production that wide age groups of people are affected by; for instance, drug taking and hoodies. It would also appeal to a large audience because of the time that the film is shown, the complexity of the film and if it was distributed by Film4. We researched the thriller genre and many are classified at 15, but some, such as "Kiss the Girls" are certificate 18 due to the issues that are dealt with; for example, Government corruption, rape, murder. The audience that Snatched is aimed at would watch films and TV dramas, such as Whitechapel, Frost/Nixon and Valkyrie as these all deal with complex and deep issues; Snatched explores the themes of kidnapping and substance abuse, which are deep issues that affect not only the victim, but also involve the victim's family, and create an intense emotional level, a kidnapping especially-this is influenced by the "Kiss the Girls" in which kidnapping and murder are prominent themes throughout. Snatched would be aimed at males and females in the middle class and lower classes demographic because these are the demographics that are affected predominately by substance abuse and live in areas in which this type of abuse occurs, especially those in urban areas, therefore they would be able to relate to theses issues better than people from an upper class background might. The personal aspirations of the audience would be individuals as they would be more likely to try something different and are predominately the target audience for Film4. Our production is different as the kidnapping that takes place isn't a conventional kidnapping that audiences often associate with abduction, a person being taken from the streets by a complete stranger. Grace knows Mary and to begin with the audience aren't suspicious as to Mary having a different agenda, this makes the kidnapping different as it isn't suspected and the involvement of another character isn't suspected either, therefore making the kidnap a surprise, as the audience knew something was going to happen as it was connoted in the title however didn't know what exactly, adding suspense, and leaves the audience asking questions as Mary and Tom clearly aren't at their final destination.

How did you attract/address your audience?

The title initially draws the audience in as it gives just enough away to intrigue them; Snatched, the audience know that something is going to happen, possibly a kidnapping or a robbery, this makes the film appear mysterious, tantalising and intriguing as the plot of the production is left to the audience's imagination. The involvement of drugs is relatable to the audience as it is a contemporary problem and drives theme thus showing appeal to audiences who are concerned about this issue. We would arouse interest and keep the sense of mystery about the film by using viral marketing to begin with, both word of mouth and on the internet, as this is an effective and cheaper way of arousing interest about the film; this is influenced by Cloverfield as this film was marketing virally. As viral marketing isn't infinitely sustainable in its most basic form, the way in which it was done would have to be thought out carefully due to limited funds, making a large advertising campaign impossible, and to make the advertising tantalising and intriguing to the audience.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the project, I have learnt huge amounts through using Premiere Elements 2 on the computers and have learnt how to edit a film effectively and have learnt to ask myself questions, such as: would flashbacks work better? Using effects has made it easier to emphasis’ action such as, when Grace faints in the beginning of the sequence, and make them more dramatic; the effects, such as the cross dissolve and additive dissolve add confusion and tension and make the action more potent within the film. With practice the camera has become easier to use and understanding that different shot types and camera angles suggest different moods to the audience, for example: a canted shot will connote confusion whereas a long distance shot may suggest isolation and loneliness. When Mary and Tom are sitting in the car, after putting Grace in the boot, we used a medium canted shot, this connoted that there was confusion and animosity between Tom, Mary and Grace's relationship.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task has given me a wider understanding in planning when to shoot and edit the film, and with the help from the group this has been done quickly and constructively. Working within a group with different personalities was helpful as we all had different perspectives and different ideas and different skills, for example: Emily and Matthew were stronger at the computer editing and adding the soundtrack, through them I was able to learn a new skill in editing. Whereas I was stronger in the acting and planning and I was able to help Emily and Matthew with this. In order to make our film the best it could be, we looked over our preliminary task and studied people's strengths and weaknesses within that shoot, and we concluded that Matthew was better at filming and using different shot types/camera angles at appropriate moments, whereas Emily and I were better at the acting. Our original ides of film didn't go to plan due to miscommunication, i.e. lack of variety of shot etc, however due to quick thinking on my behalf and many discussions were managed to shoot 15minutes of raw footage and managed to write all the planning down for a second attempt at a thriller film, this time with a different plot and a different cast. Throughout the planning, shoot and edit we spread the responsibilities, all contributing to the casting considerations. We all decided that Emily and I would be appropriate to play the two girls, this was for convenience as we had problems with our last attempt having lots of people that were outside the group; we only used on extra person, which was Andrew Drane, who we cast as the villain because he had what we were looking for, he looks innocent but also as though he could have a sinister edge to him. Matthew was camera man as he had a good knowledge of the camera and can use a wide variety of shots when filming, he would also reshoot certain parts more than once in order to get as much usable footage as possible.

The entire group contributed with the edit, with Emily and I searching for the soundtrack, we eventually found some unsigned music on http://www.youtube.com/ with assistance from Ms Barton and with the help of Emily we were able to retrieve it from http://www.youtube.com/ with the use of Audacity.