Laura's Media AS Blog

Evaluation Of The Lodger

2010-04-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

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

The opening to a thriller film is said to be the most crucial part of the film, it has to entice the audience. I have created a 2 minute opening to a thriller film called ‘The Lodger’, it’s full of action yet is very clear and leaves the audience wanting more!

The Lodger uses conventions of real media products in a number of ways. Firstly, I have based the main character of my thriller film on Marion Crane from Psycho; I have created a similar look with the wide eyes and thick raised eye brows. I have been inspired by Psycho’s narrative structure- with a few alterations. My basic plot is of a woman being stabbed in the shower by the lodger that lives in her garden. I have also used the very famous shower scene as an inspiration for a scene in my thriller. The reason I have used this scene as an inspiration is because it was so successful and by far the most popular scene from the whole film.

Marion

Abigail

Abigail in a lot of ways is very similar to Marion Crane from Psycho. This is shown through her costume: Abigail wears sophisticated clothing (shirt and pencil skirt) yet has aspects of seduction by wearing black heels; this is very similar to the costume of Marion Crane. Abigail wears red lipstick and red nail varnish to add to the seductive and modern appearance. The colour red connotes danger and seductiveness, it draws attention to the character and lets the audience know this character is important.

Abigail's black heels

I was also inspired by 'The Third Man'. I used aspects of Harry Lime's characters costume for the character Scott in The Lodger. Scott wears a long black coat and black boots, like Harry Lime. Myself and the rest of my group experimented with tilt shots of Harry Lime, on Scott. However, we decided that they didn't work very well.

We decided to name the main female character Abigail, we felt it was a striking name and very modern. Scott is the name of the Lodger, we decided on this because it’s a name that connotes danger and nastiness. The title The Lodger was not inspired by any other thriller films. After my group and I decided on a storyline we felt that we needed a snappy title that does’t give too much away. However, we still wanted it to relate to the story itself. We felt that this title was short snappy and left the audience wondering who the lodger was and why he was so significant to the film. It’s very important to leave your audience with questions, as it encourages them to watch more.

We decided to leave our 2 minute opening of The Lodger on a cliff hanger. We have left the audience wondering whether Lisa will be Scott’s next victim, or whether Lisa will plan her revenge on Scott for murdering her best friend. It’s crucial that audiences, when watching the opening to The Lodger, finish watching it wanting more and I think that the cliff hanger ending will make audiences want to know what happens next.

Psycho is not the only influence of The Lodger. I was also influenced by the opening sequence to ‘Once Upon A Time In America’. Noodles mistress, Eve, relates to Abigail in a lot of ways. She is ruthlessly shot by a corrupt policeman. Eve comes across as a strong female character in the opening of ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ but shortly after is murdered, which is very similar to Abigail. Although Eve and Abigail are similar, the setting of ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ is completely different to The Lodger. We have made The Lodger its own by making sure the location shots are unique to other thriller films.

Marion, Eve and Abigail all have one thing in common; they are all foolish enough to put all their trust in to the wrong sort of men. Marion puts her trust in to Norman Bates and ends up being stabbed in her hotel room by the psychotic man. Eve is a gangsters mistress and because of this she feels safe, but ends up being shot by a policeman as a consequence of being with a gangster. Lastly, Abigail puts her trust in to her lodger Scott who turns out to be obsessed with her- so much so that he kills her.

Question two: 'How does your media product represent particular social groups?'

The Lodger represents particular social groups. I have used a strong female character (Abigail) which suggests that women are powerful, but also seriously flawed. However, the femme fatale becomes a victim in the end and is killed by a man- this suggests men overpower women. Abigail appears seemingly to be a strong woman at the beginning of the 2 minutes but by the end her character contrasts this by becoming the victim of Scott. Women are shown as inferior in The Lodger, Scott kills Abigail thus our film perpetuates the traditional representation of generic archetypes, therefore our film relates to the way the media represents males as the powerful and dominating gender. For example in the opening sequence to ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ the three gangsters kill Eve, this shows they have over powered Eve. There’s a shot which emphasises that the gangsters are superior. This shot also connotes claustrophobia, a typical thriller convention. I have used the idea of claustrophobia in The Lodger, but in a very different way. ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ have used the three gangsters surrounding Eve to suggest she’s trapped. However, in The Lodger I have used the shower as the claustrophobic space and have used a shot of the Lodger entering the bathroom to suggest Abigail has no escape.

If The Lodger were to be developed Lisa (the friend who turns up with the flowers) could be the strong female character who takes on the lodger (Scott) and captures him as punishment for murdering her best friend. This would create a different representation of women within The Lodger, as Abigail is shown as vulnerable by becoming the victim within the film.

Question three: 'What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?'

You tube would be the best and only way to distribute The Lodger. You tube would be a great way to broadcast The Lodger to the world, as it’s a well-known and frequently used website, specifically by young people. Social networking sites could also be used such as Bebo and Facebook which are extremely popular- Facebook has over 400 million active users and more than 100 million of these access Facebook through their phone. This means that The Lodger would be viewed (hopefully) by a lot of people and it would guarantee a wide range of viewers. Although Facebook’s target demographic is older generation, it’s clear that the majority users are the younger demographic. This is beneficial for me as The Lodger, I feel, it's more likely to appeal to the younger generation. However, by broadcasting it on Facebook it will give my film the opportunity to be watched by all different ages and genders. However, I feel that our thriller is innovative and therefore could possibly receive funding from Warp or Working Title Films, if it did receive this funding it could be developed as a feature film! This would make it possible for our film to be featured on TV and possibly even cinema outlets. I think it’s innovative because, although it uses aspects of thriller films already released such as ‘Psycho’ and ‘Once Upon A Time In America’, the fact that Lisa later traps the Lodger makes it unique.
Most typical thriller films have the male as the dominant gender, in The Lodger it comes across that way in the beginning but soon changes as Lisa captures the Lodger and plans her revenge.

I could also enter The Lodger in various UK competitions. These include: Short Film Competition; Filmaka- Global Digital Studio and London Short Film Festival (www.shortfilms.org.uk. I think The Lodger would qualify for a specific short film competition because it's unique and would be satisfying for all audiences. I feel it's unique, because it's modern but at the same time it has old fashioned aspects: The Psycho inspired shower scene. It can be enjoyed by any age group and I think it has a lot of potential.

Question four: 'Who would be the audience for your media product?'

The audience I would target my thriller film to is male and females aged 15+. This is because the film would appeal to both males and females, however I think it would be inappropriate for people under the age of 15 to view it, as it contains violent scenes. I feel it appeals to both genders, as it shows different aspects of the male and female lifestyle. It is also a gripping storyline of which will entice anyone. It is not offensive to either gender and throughout the film the dominance of gender changes. Although the age demographic of ‘The Lodger’ is 15+, the specific demographic for it would be 20-30, I think the younger generation will appreciate the thriller much more as it’s a modern storyline that’s unique.

I feel that The Lodger will not appeal to a specific class, because it’s an exciting thriller film that will entertain regardless of whether you’re upper class or lower class!

Question five: 'How did you attract/address your audience?'

The Lodger is an exciting story, as it has a lot going on in the opening 2 minutes. However, it is still very clear and easy to follow. I feel that audiences would want to watch it because the storyline is realistic and something that happens in society every day and it helps to raise awareness of things that happen so often. Many murders that happen are through family or friends, for example on 17th April 2010 Robin Garbutt, 44, was accused of killing his wife, 40- year-old Diana Garbutt, at the post office and shop they ran together in Melsonby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. This illustrates that you can’t trust anyone, even those that are closest to you. Another example of this is the recent story in the news of Baby P; a 17-month old boy who died in London after suffering more than 50 injuries over an eight-month period, during which he was repeatedly seen by social services. Peter's mother, Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend, Steven Barker, and Jason Owen (later revealed to be the brother of Barker), were all convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child, the mother having pleaded guilty to the charge.

The cliff hanger at the end of the 2 minute opening to The Lodger captivates audiences and makes them want to watch more.

Throughout The Lodger we variate between diagetic and non-diagectic sound, this makes The Lodger more exciting and unique. It will help entice the audience, by having variations of sounds. The soundtrack also helps to build the tension in certain areas of it. There is a sense of ambiguity at the end of the 2 minute sequence, when Lisa drops the flowers crossed dissolved with Abigail's blood trickling down the plug hole. The ambiguity makes The Lodger more exciting to watch and leaves the audience wondering if Lisa was taken by Scott too.

We received feedback from Year 13 students. This was very helpful, as it highlighted to us the strengths of The Lodger and the weaknesses. We took in to consideration what they said and ended making a change: the non-diagetic sound of the shower running whilst the shot of Abigail's dead face is showing. This is much more dramatic and shows that whilst Abigail is laying dead, everything around her is still living. It also makes it clearer to the audience that Abigail was murdered in the shower. The Year 13's comment meant a lot to me because they are my target audience.

A lot of modern day directors think that showing all the blood and guts when there's a murder in a film entices the audience, in my opinion they are wrong. I think less is more! In The Lodger, you never actually see Scott murder Abigail, you just see her blood trickling down the plughole (to connote her life is fading away). This grips the audience and keeps them thinking, because they have to work out what happened, it's not just shown to them. However, it is still clear to the audience how Abigail was murdered- through the blood and the shot of her dead in the bathroom at the end of the 2 minute opening.

Question six: 'What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?'

In the construction of The Lodger, I have learnt a lot, especially about camera angles. I have learnt that a camera angle is crucial when setting a scene, to build up the emotion of a character and for character traits. For example a long shot sets the scene, as it shows a lot of the surroundings and helps the audience to get a feel of where something is set. For character traits in The Lodger, we used high angle shots of Scott to show he’s superior and a dominant role. On the other hand, for Abigail we have used low angle shots, for example when she turns the shower on- this connotes she’s inferior and vulnerable. A tilt shot is used to create a sense of disorientation and helps the audience to understand how the character is feeling. Tilt shots were used a lot in Once Upon A Time In America when shooting Harry Lime, this was to indicate to the audience that his character is corrupt.

Different camera movements are also important in thrillers. For example a tracking shot adds tension to a scene and a sense of suspicion. An over the shoulder shot is useful for making it feel that a character is being followed. I used this in The Lodger, to make the audience feel that Lisa was being followed. This made audiences wonder what would happen to Lisa and suspect that Scott was following her.
With technologies improving vastly now-a-days, I was given the opportunity to work with a camera that is modern. It enabled me to watch preview raw footage, which saved me and my group a lot of time. If a shot wasn’t successful we were able to see there and then on the camera and re shoot if necessary.

It has become very clear to me, through the construction of The Lodger, that close-up shots are key for focusing on emotions of a character. They focus on specific details within the mise-en-scene and can be very useful for building up suspense or emphasising an emotion of a character. At the end of The Lodger's 2 minute opening, there's a close up of Abigail's eye. This is fantastic for building up tension. The audience want to know what's happened to Abigail, the shot then zooms out to show her whole face, making it clear to the audience that she's dead. We have cross dissolved the shot of Abigail's blood trickling down the plug hole, with the close up shot of Abigail's eye. This works fantastically because it shows Abigail's life washing away and the audience are able to see this through Abigail's eye.

I have learned a lot about the importance of lighting when constructing The Lodger. I have experimented a lot with lighting to create shadows. I did this in particular for the shot of Abigail going up the stairs I felt it would be brilliant if I could create a shadow behind her. This shadow would effectively connote that someone (the lodger) is going to follow her up the stairs and she will have no escape. The lighting is also crucial, because although thriller films tend to have noir lighting it was important that everything within our film was clearly visible. In the scene of which Scott picks up the knife the lighting was slightly too dark so unfortunately it’s not majorly obvious that he is picking up the knife. I have also learned that when editing a film it is crucial to sequence shots so that the narrative structure is clear to the audience. It has been interesting to learn how to add effects to a film. The main effect I have used in The Lodger is cross dissolve, whilst editing I found it was an excellent feature for making the film flow nicely. Adding sound to The Lodger was like the icing on the cake! The soundtrack helped add suspense to The Lodger and created a chilling atmosphere. We decided to have diagetic sound to begin with and the soundtrack comes in when the lodger is first shown, this was successful as it made the audience aware that the lodger is a significant character that’s going to be involved with something tragic. The rest of my group and myself spent a long time deciding where to place the title of the film, we eventually came to the conclusion that it fitted best as Scott (the lodger) is holding the knife covered in blood about to walk upstairs (where Abigail is). We felt it worked best here, as it made it clear to the audience that Scott is the lodger and also shows that the film is based round this significant moment in which Scott is about to approach Abigail in the bathroom. In this mise-en-scene, we have created a large shadow behind Scott. This connotes that he's superior and will over power Abigail.

IMBD has been a very useful website for my thriller research. It's a website that supports institutional information, users ratings, external views, user comments and viewing trailers.

I have used the editing software of Adobe Premier I have used cross dissolving- to help The Lodger flow better. I experimented a lot with different feature on this software such as, colour changes, fading and tints. It has given me the opportunity to make The Lodger look proffessional and run smoothly.

Question seven: 'Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?'

Looking back at my preliminary task I feel that I have progressed a lot. It built up my confidence at being on camera, so I was much more relaxed and comfortable when it came to filming my thriller. Editing my preliminary task taught me a lot about different effects that are available and how to use them, so when it came to editing my thriller I didn’t have to waste time on learning how to use different features. These effects included: Cross dissolve, how to create a title, how to put a soundtrack on and change whether there’s diagetic sound or not. My group and I have really come together whilst making our thriller; they are all reliable and put their full potential in to everything we do. As the filming went on, we came together more as a group and realised our own main individual roles- Phoebe mostly directing and filming, Libby mostly arranging lighting and location and me mostly acting and filming. However, we have all been given the opportunity to experiment with every aspect of the film making and I feel we all had equal roles.

By doing the preliminary task it built up my confidence in expressing my ideas and listening to others- this came in very handy when we were coming up with ideas for our thriller, as I was not afraid to get across my ideas and I was happy to try out other group members ideas too. We focused particularly on the 180 degree rule- a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

Looking for a soundtrack took a long time. It was very difficult to find a Pre-1950 recording or an unsigned act. However, these websites of unsigned acts were extremely useful: www.mobygratis.com, www.ccmixter.org and www.freesound.org. We finally came to the decision of a sound from freesound.org, but it tooks us a long time to find a soundtrack that we felt was suitable. The soundtrack is screechy and builds up (helping to build up tension in The Lodger too). I decided the soundtrack worked best if it started when the lodger is first scene. This is because the danger only begins at this point. It also highlights to the audience that Scott is dangerous and corrupt.

Equipment list

2010-03-26T07:02:00.001-07:00

Throughout shooting our thriller film we have used a variety of equipment:

A Camera:

A Tripod:

We used a tripod to ensure steady shots were created in our film, so that it run smoothly and was a watchable film.

Lighting:

We used torches a lot in our thriller, to make a scene brighter and to create successful shadows. We had to practice a lot with different torches of different strengths to ensure we created the right lighting and effective shadows when needed.

Inspired shot

2010-03-26T06:54:00.001-07:00

This shot from sin city inspired one of the shots in my thriller film. I used it for the murderer holding the knife. I felt it fitted perfectly with his character and the low camera angle connotes that the murderer is superior. It's also, in my opinion, a thrilling shot!

TV influences of my thriller

2010-03-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tv crime dramas such as The Bill and Spooks have influenced my thriller in many ways. For example, there're a lot of low angle shots used in The Bill which I have applied to my thriller. Through watching these dramas, it has helped me get a better understanding of how camera angles are used to create an atmosphere or a certain trait of a character, for example a low angle shot would be used to show a character is dominant and superior. Spooks has the typical thriller convention of noir. The lighting and costume for it is all very dark. I have been inspired by this and this is reflected in my characters costume: Scott's long dark coat and black boots.

In The Bill there's a very dominant female character, who plays the role of an officer. She dresses very sophisticated and modern. I have been inspired by her characters costume for Abigail- modern but still sophisticated with the secutary costume.

Independent research into the thriller genre

2010-03-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

Purpose of thriller title and soundtrack

2010-03-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

I have chosen the title 'The Lodger' as I feel it is intriguing to the audience and relevent to the narrative of my thriller. It is intriguing, as it makes the audience wonder who the lodger is and why he is so important to the film. It is also relevent to the story, as the killer in the film is Abigail's lodger. He is a very significant character. This title also integrates with the genre of my film, as it is a thrilling title and leaves the audience wondering why the 'Lodger' is so significant.

I am using the soundtrack Rite Of Spring by Stravinsky. I have chosen this soundtrack as it builds up suspense in perfect timing with the build up of suspense in my thriller. It uses violins, which I think are very effective in building tension. The high pitch dramatic violins connote the stabbing of Abigail very effectively. Psycho (the inspiration for my thriller) also use high pitch violins in the stabbing scene, I thought this worked brilliantly and therefore looked for a soundtrack that involoved violins. In many ways I think the soundtrack represents Scott (the lodger), as it's innocent and peaceful to begin with but by the end it becomes strong and corruptive- which is what happens to Scott's character.

Changes to thriller

2010-03-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

During the construction of our thriller we came across a few problems and due to this we had to make changes to certain aspects. We had to change the boyfriend character 'Jason' to a best friend character 'Lisa'. This was because we found it difficult finding a boy to play the boyfriend character- no one was available to shoot when we needed. We therefore had to use a girl from our group (Phoebe) to play the character of Abigail's best friend. This delayed the construction of our thriller, as we had to think of new shots to film and a change in plot.
It has been difficult having to change so much, but has been beneficial in the long run.

Storyboard

2010-03-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

This storyboard helped us when filming. It helped with our organisation and saved us a lot of time. I made sure I remembered my storyboard at all of our shooting sessions.

Costume for thriller film

2010-03-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

As our thriller film is set in modern times, we have tried to adapt the costume to its time period. We have used a sophisticated look for Abigail, yet still modern at the same time (with the high waisted skirt and heels).
We have still managed to keep Abigail looking like she has just arrived home from work, by putting her in a costume that looks suitable for office work.
We have dressed Abigail in a fairly plain outfit, yet we have used the heels and bright red lipstick and nail varnish keep her looking devious and making sure that her role as the femme fatale is clear to the audience. Abigail suggests Marion Crane from "Psycho". Marion is neatly dressed, she works in an office and she is well groomed with elements of the femme fatale about her.

Scott's costume reflects genre conventions, as he is wearing a long dark coat with black boots. This goes along with the noir theme in most typical thriller films.

Write an analysis of Max’s death paying particular attention to how the issues of gender and death are represented.

2010-01-28T02:35:00.000-08:00

All soaps have an emotional storyline, to keep viewers hooked. Hollyoaks used a very emotional storyline of Max Cunningham's death, after marrying Stephanie.

The opening scene of Max’s death is very optimistic; all actors are dressed smartly after attending Max’s and Steph’s wedding. This makes the audience feel optimistic about what’s going to happen in the episode. However, this is soon turned on its head- which is predictable for a typical soap! By starting out so optimistically and then ending with a death shocks the audience, keeping them on the edge of their seat.

Max’s death is represented in a very positive and peaceful way, shown through different aspects of the scene. Firstly, the lighting used is natural and bright; the bright lighting connotes happiness and a sense of peacefulness. The natural lighting makes the scene more believable to viewers, so they’re able to capture the scene and become part of it. A close-up of Max is used after his death- unlike most death scenes Max has very little blood or cuts on him, this is very unrealistic, yet it makes death seem to be peaceful and very clean. The fact that his death seems so clean makes the audience see a much more positive and glamorous side to death.

Stephanie is wearing a big ‘princess dress' with a tiara in the scene, which connotes she’s glamorous and superficial. Her reaction to Max’s death contrasts with OB’s. Steph cries and screams, letting all her emotions out. Whereas Ob deals with it in a much more masculine way, he is reserved with his emotions and hopes that Max is still alive. OB’s moment with Max before he dies is the main focus, it’s a very moving scene between the best friends that are about to be separated. Max, in his last few moments, tells OB that he loves him. OB replies saying 'Don't be gay.', this is OB's way of telling Max that he loves him too. This shows that even in OB's last moments with his best friend, he still manages to joke around. However, it is clear to the audience that deep down OB is hurting and doesn't want to lose his best friend. A close-up of OB is used, at this point, to show that he’s hiding his emotions in front of Max but deep down he's distraught.

The sound of the car crash is used as non-diegetic sound, as Tom’s toy parachute falls from the sky (which symbolises that Max’s life is about to fall away, in a slow and peaceful way). A tracking shot of Max running to save Tom is used, this emphasises the choice that Max is about to make (risking his own life for Tom).

After being hit by the car, Max lays in the middle of the road completely still. The music immediately changes to soft and peaceful; this prepares the audience for the traumatic incident that’s about to occur. Close-up shots are used of both Max and Nile as they are the two significant characters of the scene.

It finishes with the camera spiralling up to the sky to connote that Max is going to heaven. The audience immediately feel reassured that Max is being taken to a ‘better place’.

Defintion of a femme fatale

2010-01-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

A femme fatale is a devious women of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising and dangerous situations.

Abigail conforms to this definition, as she is appears to be a devious and seductive woman. This is shown through her costume- secutary clothing and bright red lipstick and nail varnish. Her pale face and red lipstick suggests she is a femme fatale, as the typical femme fatale's appearance is similar to this. However, Abigail does not lead men in to dangerous situations- she is the one who is murdered and vulnerable for having a lodger living in her garden that is in fact a murderer.

Filming so far...

2010-01-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Filming our thriller so far is going extremely well! Phoebe, Libby and I work brilliantly as a team! We have all been reliable and always turned up on time and fully equipped. My role has been mainly to act as Abigail, however I have tried to get involved in as much filming and directing as possible. Phoebe has done a lot of filming and directing and Libby has mostly filmed and helped with lighting. We have all come together as a group and have almost finished filming the thriller.

This has been an excellent experience for me, I have learned a lot about using a camera and creating the right lighting. We have all had a lot of experience in filming and editing and feel confident about it. I feel that throughout filming we have become more confident in trying new things and find it easier to come up with ideas.

We have come across many issues along the way also. It has been very difficult making sure that Scott (played by Libby's dad) is always available. As he arrives home last from work, it has been very difficult to get the right lighting, often we have had to use torches and lamps to overcome the lighting issue. We also had to get rid of our original idea of smashing the wine bottle, as it would be too dangerous and messy! This was very disappointing for me, as I felt it would be a fantastic shot of red wine running down the path cross dissolved with the shot of my blood going down the plug hole. However, we have overcome this issue by using flowers. Although this isn't as thrilling as our original idea, it still works well.

Moving image production has always been lead by the audience’s demand for new sensation. Discuss

2010-01-26T10:25:00.001-08:00

Moving image production has always been lead by the audience’s demand for new sensation. Discuss

The demand for new technologies, in my opinion, is increasing. Modern directors are under the pressure of making their film unique and outstanding. More and more films are using CGI, as producers and investors feel that audience crave a new sensation. CGI makes a film more exciting to watch and makes the whole experience more real to the audience, however some people may disagree on the fact that CGI is what makes a film. I have looked at three films- two high budget, that have used CGI and one low budget that hasn’t used CGI. I have researched audience’s reviews to discover what people really feel about CGI.

Throughout the years technologies have become more and more developed. For example when the first colour film was released audiences went mad, they thought it was the most amazing thing they had ever seen: 'Colour movies were expensive and difficult to produce, and so displaced black-and-white films far more slowly than "talkies" had replaced silent films. By 1954, just half of all films were being made in color'. However, now-a-days audiences are stunned by 3D films (such as the new film Avatar). Audiences have a constant demand for a new sensation, so directors are pressured to create something outstanding and different.

The first film I have researched: Avatar. This film has amazing CGI and is an experience in itself. The fact it is in 3D makes it a real experience to audiences.When Avatar was advertised, the fact it was a 3D film and that it was directed by James Cameron was highlighted a lot: ‘An early review of selected footage from James Cameron's space opera…’ ‘Avatar, James Cameron's 3D spectacular…’ This shows that the marketing was planned to emphasise the director and the special effects used in the film- they clearly thought that this would attract audiences. Although marketers thought that this would be the main attraction, a lot of audiences wanted to see the film because of its genre and fantastic narrative: ‘compelling narrative’ (http://www.allaboutmovies.net/filmreviewavatar.htm). The audience will be aware that the film is going to be mainstream and high budget, as James Cameron previously directed such a high budget film (Titanic). The one specific aspect of Avatar that made it such a talked about film was the CGI: ‘What is new in Avatar is the degree to which it uses CGI artifice: this is about as far in the direction of animation as cinema can go while still retaining any claim to human presence’ (quoted by James Cameron www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk) ‘Visually, the motion capture is seamless; the clarity of the 3D is remarkable, and it's all undeniably dazzling.’ Audiences had never seen CGI like it, which makes it a new and exciting ‘must see’! The narrative of Avatar is so surreal that the 3D is needed to make audiences feel part of it and make the narrative seem more believable. The narrative, however, is less surreal than some thriller or horror films. A lot of audiences went to see this film and loved it because it’s so new and fresh- and narrative that has never been used before. The characters were made with real actors performances captured on a visual counterpart, this made the film an experience for viewers and added to the excitement of the film.

Although CGI is a big attraction to audiences, it’s not everything in a film. For example the film ‘Bruno’ was an extremely popular film and was made on a low budget and used no CGI. It got amazing reviews: ‘This film is howlingly funny, staggeringly rude, brutally incorrect and very often just brilliant’. However, it also received bad reviews, this was due to how extreme and risky certain areas of the film were (it wasn’t due to the fact it didn’t contain CGI and wasn’t made on a big budget). Some viewers found it too brutally honest; for some audiences this was the main attraction of the film. Another aspect of the film that made it so brilliant, was the actor Sacha Baron Cohen, who is well know from ‘Ali G In Da House’. If there’s a well known actor in a film, all their fans will follow which consequently makes the audiences much bigger. This may be the reason for Bruno being so successful. Or the fact that audiences loved seeing a film that was so brutal and honest, no films have been this risky before.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was voted number 1 Blockbuster of 2009. This film contained a lot of CGI and was a very high budget film. However, by looking at reviews of the film it’s clear that the reason for the film being such a success was due to the brilliant narrative: ‘It's about friendship, hope, first love, evil, and magic -- and it's all wrapped into a fantastical epic narrative’. The books of Harry Potter were released before the films and were also proven to be a great success, these backs up the fact that the film isn’t just popular because of the CGI. However, a lot of reviews suggest that people just went to see the film because the special effects are so breathtaking: ‘Thanks to fantastic CGI work, Harry’s world has never looked more fantastic!’ In my opinion, the main attraction of Harry Potter is the fact that it has such an amazing narrative. When the books were first released people went mad for them- which make it clear that CGI is not the reason for Harry Potter’s great reviews!

All three of the films I have researched were in the top 10 blockbusters of 2009 and therefore extremely successful films in all such different ways. I used Bruno to show that a film can be a top 10 blockbuster without using CGI. It’s clear that each film has a certain aspect that attracts audiences. However, I think one element that is crucial in every one of these films is the narrative, without that a film would be nothing.

Overall I think directors feel that CGI is a great aspect of a film, but the key part of a film is the narrative. Without a good narrative a film is nothing. CGI can make a film look good and seem to be ‘breathtaking’ but to sit through a film with a bad narrative would be unbearable. In my opinion, independent films can be just as good as mainstream films, for example the film Paranormal Activity was an amazing film and kept me on the edge of my seat. Paranormal Activity is an independent film and was made on a very small budget by students. I think the fact that it was such a huge success will teach a lot of directors now-a-days that CGI and money isn’t everything in a film.

Thriller planning and shots of location

2010-01-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Locations:

This shows the summer house (where the lodger lives), the bathroom (where Abigail is stabbed), the dinner table (set up romantically for Abigail and her boyfriend) and the kitchen (the opening shot of Abigail chopping the meat).
Characters:

Abigail Stevens (played by myself): Femme fatale.

Jason Thomson (played by Libby's dad): The lodger of Abigail and the murderer.

Scott Young (played by Libby's brother): The boyfriend of Abigail's.

The reason I have been cast as Abigail, is because I am flexible with shooting times and I also take drama a level so I am confident in performing and being on camera.

We have casted Libby's dad as the lodger, as we are shooting at Libby's house so it will be easy to use him. He also looks good for the part- he has dark hair, is tall and is in his 40's (which is the right age for this character).

Libby's brother has also been casted, as he will be around when we need him and he is 19, so he is the age we would want Abigail's boyfriend to be.

Costume:
Abigail: Black skirt, black tights, red nail varnish, red lipstick, shirt and black high heels.

Jason: Grey coat, distinctive shoes and ring.

Scott: Black jacket and jeans.

Props:
We will be using meat, a knife, photographs, scissors and a bottle of wine.

The roles of the members of my group:

Libby: Filming
Phoebe: Filming
Laura: Acting (some filming too)

Health and Safety issues:

As we are using a real knife we will have to be careful using it. We are also dropping a real bottle of wine, which we will have to ensure that we don't touch the glass and clear up carefully.

Shooting maps

2010-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here are the shooting maps for our thriller film 'The Lodger' (drawn by Phoebe):

Audience research for my thriller

2010-01-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

Which of these 4 femme fatales do you think would be most effective in a psychological thriller?

A)

B)

C)

D)

What type of thriller is your favourite?

A) Psychological
B) Gangster
C) Action
D) Sci-fi

Do you think it’s easy to identify the difference between a mainstream and independent film?

A) Yes
B) No

What type of music would you expect to be played on the opening of a psychological thriller?

A) Jazz
B) Classical
C) Rock
D) None at all

What lighting do you think would be effective in a psychological thriller?

A) Noir
B) Natural
C) Artificial

Do you think it’s crucial to have a well known actor in a thriller film?

A) Yes
B) No

What is your favourite type of ‘baddie’ in a thriller film?

A) Cops
B) Criminal
C) Psychotic killer
D) Drug addict

Evaluation of results:

I conducted this questionnaire on 30 random people- by asking 30 people it ensured that my results would be reliable and therefore more beneficial for me (when making my thriller film). By collecting the results to this questionnaire, I have been able to establish what the audience would like from my thriller.

For question one, B appeared to be the most popular femme fatale. This character is the femme fatale (Marion Crane) from the very famous thriller film Psycho. I was very pleased to receive this result, as we are using Psycho as our inspiration and our femme fatale is similar to Marion Crane from Psycho.

For question two most people said they preferred a gangster thriller however, 10 people chose psychological. This has not affected the fact that I would like to create the opening to a psychological thriller because, in my opinion, psychological thrillers are the most interesting and gripping. And i would find it a lot easier to create a film knowing a felt passionate about it.

28 people said it's easy to identify the difference between an independent and mainstream film. I think if they were given the opportunity to elaborate on this, they would have said it depends on the time and effort put in to the independent films.

For question 4 most people said classical music would work best for a psychological thriller. This will help me when choosing the soundtrack, as the audience feel that classical will be most effective.

For question 5 natural lighting was the most popular result- which is the lighting we will be using. Noir lighting would also be effective, however it will be easier to create natural lighting and it's clearly the most popular choice from participants of the questionnaire.

15 people said it's crucial to have a well known actor, whereas the other 15 said no. In our thriller we will obviously not be using well known actors, in my opinion this will not effect how good our thriller will be overall.

The favourite type of baddie chosen was psychotic killer. This is fantastic, as we intend to use a pyschotic killer. I feel it will make our thriller gripping and intense. And participants clearly agree.

'Hunted' Preliminary task

2010-01-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

Analysis:

We stuck to the 180 degree rule throughout the film. The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline in film making that states those two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle. We focused a lot on the 180 degree rule throughout the film. Libby was always situated to the left of phoebe and I was always situated to the right of phoebe.

The camera stayed steady a lot during the film however, there were times in which it seemed a bit wobbly. It was impossible to overcome this problem, as we were only able to use the tripod on still shots. If we had have had the appropriate equipment, we would have been able to overcome this issue.

We used a variety of shots throughout the film, such as: close-up, long shot, mid shot and over-the-shoulder shot. We used the close-ups to focus on a characters emotion for example, when Phoebe is concerned that somebody is following her. The close- up shot was used to help the audience to sympathise for how she was feeling. We used the long shot to help the audience capture everything going on in the mise-en-scene. The over-the-shoulder shot was used, so the audience felt as though they were looking in on the situation.

The editing of our film, in my opinion, is good- considering it was the first time we had ever edited. There are areas that could have been smoother and looking back on the film; it would have worked better with no music at the end. If we were given more time, we would have improved these areas.

Research for my thriller 'The Lodger'

2009-12-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

Inspiration:

We have used the film Psycho to inspire us, this is because we thought that the film was extremely successful, used brilliant thriller conventions and that it was fantastically directed by Alfred Hitchcock. We have used the same idea of a woman being stabbed in the shower, however we have made the plot our own by changing the storyline- in that Abigail's boyfriend turns up and the murderer lodges at the womans house- hense the film title 'The Lodger'. We intend on using a lot of close-ups, as we feel it is crucial that the audience focus on the characters emotion. However, we're using a variety of shots such as: tracking, mid-shot and over the shoulder. We also are going to use a low angle, to show Scott's superior and intimidating.

The motive for Scott murdering Abigail is completely different to the motive of Marion being killed. Abigail is murdered because the Lodger has an obsession with her, he is obsessed with her and is furiated by the fact she has a boyfriend. However, Marion Crane is murdered because she stays at a hotel where the owner had schizophrenia and serious mental problems. So with Marion it's not a personal reason for her murder, whereas with Abigail it is. Although Psycho was my inspiration for my thriller, I think it's good to have differences to make our thriller original and unique, but still have fantastic aspects of the great success Psycho.

Location:

Libbys house and Libby's summer house

Costume:

Abigail- Balck pencil skirt, black heels, red nailvarnish and red lipstick.
Scott- Black coat, black trousers and boots.

Props:

A knife, chopping board, meat, wine glasses and two bottles of wine.

Questionnaire Analysis

2009-11-16T04:04:00.000-08:00

Questionnaire Analysis:

My questionnaire shows that mostly female answered it, in comparison to males. The majority of the participants did not have children, however 2 did. The most popular answer for ‘How often do you go to the cinema?’ was ‘occasionally’. This suggests that the participants aren’t ‘film mad’ but do enjoy going to the cinema. My results also show that participants mostly consume films by DVD. Most participants find out about films through trailers, however a couple hear about films on the radio. The most common channel that participants watch films on is Film4 and Sky movies; however 3 participants ITV is their preferred channel to watch films.

Questionnaire:
(Circle your answer)

* What is your gender? Male/Female

* Do you have any children? Yes/ No

* How often do you go to the cinema? A lot/ Occasionally/ Not very often/ Never

* How do you, most often, watch films?

* Cinema/DVD/Computer/TV/iPod/Other (if so please state)

* Which cinema do you visit most often?

* Odeon/Vue/Hollywood/Cinema City/Playhouse/Other (if so please state)

* How do you find out about films? Trailers/Newspapers/At the cinema/Peers/The Radio/Internet/Merchandise/Other (if so please state)

* If you ever watch films on TV, which channel is it you usually use for this? Home Box Office/ITV/Film4/Sky Movies/Channel 5/Channel 1/Channel 4/Channel 2/Other (if so please state)

Initial ideas for opening to my thriller

2009-11-16T03:42:00.000-08:00

Shots:
Panning shot of the shed, as the credits role. Close-up tracking shot of Abigail. Close-up of Abigail's hands undoing the shed bolt. Extreme close- up of Abigail's face, in the shed. Close-up of Abigail's hands scurrying around the shed, looking for something. Close-up, canted shot of Abigail opening a briefcase. Mid shot of Abigail leaving the shed. Mid shot of Scott in the shed doorway. Camera pans down and music stops.

Location:
Libby's shed.

Casting characters:
Pheobe- man in the doorway (Scott).
Laura- femme fatal (Abigail).
Libby- mainly filming.

Costumes:
man- big black coat.
femme fatal- black coat, black coat, red nails, red heels, red lipstick.

Props:
briefcase, bin bag, bits and bobs in the shed.

Responsibilities:
Libby- mostly filming.
Pheobe- some filming, some acting.
Laura- some filming, mostly acting.

Type of thriller:
Gangster/noir thriller.

Thriller film audience research

2009-11-16T01:14:00.000-08:00

What I want to find out:

1. The audience's expectations of how entertaining an independent/mainstream film will be.
2. Whether the audience prefer psychological thrillers.
3. Whether the audience prefer glamorous or dull settings.
4. What kind of femme fatale the audience likes.

How I am going to find out:

1. Questionnaires.
2. Surveys.
3. Interviews.
4. Analysis of films.

What I expect to find out:

1. That audiences expect the film to not be as entertaining as a Hollywood film.
2. The audiences will expect it to be produced in a very cheap way.
3. The audience will expect the locations/settings to be dull and unglamorous.

Over a weekend how many seperate screenings are there in cinemas?
89

How many films in total are being exhibited?
12

How many films are being screened several times at the same cinema?
12. However, the films that have most recently been released have more showing than those that have been showing for a while.

Of these, how many are being screened at different cinemas at the same time?
9.

What conclusions can you draw about film distribution in the UK?
Blockbuster, big, films are screened for longer and more frequently. Whereas, small budget films aren't shown very often, if atall.

Perfume Advert

2009-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Analysis of my perfume advert ‘Freedom’

For my advert I used a British signifier: the beach. The beach is a typical holiday in Britain for a lot of families. The beach is a place of relaxation and happiness and I wanted this to come through in my perfume I’m advertising.

The three ideologies for my advert are: If you buy this product you will be free. If you buy this product you will be natural. If you buy this product you will be blissful. These ideologies are all positive, which is the feel we're trying to give off with this advert.

The unique selling point for my product is the woman presented in the advert. She represents joy. The joy is shown through her facial expressions. She also represents being natural. Many women prefer to see natural, normal looking women in an advert rather than someone who is not your ‘typical woman’. She represents naturalness through her neutral coloured clothes and the fact that her hair and make-up have been left so that they're natural looking. Women can relate to someone that is natural and 'normal' looking and this makes the advert appeal to them more.

The woman in the advert is holding a white sheet, that's blowing in the wind. This makes the woman look like an angel. This angel figure connotes happiness and innocence, which can both be very appealing to the female audience.

The target audience for my perfume is age 16-30. However, other aged people may want to purchase this perfume. I think this advert will appeal to my target age group, as it looks modern but sophisticated at the same time. I haven’t picked a major wide age range as I think it's better to pick a smaller age range and focus on what will appeal to them.

The connotations for Freedom are: bliss, relaxation, confidence, freshness, elegance, natural, tranquillity and radiance. The denotations for Freedom are: freedom and brightness.

The demographic for Freedom is individuals. This is because this perfume is for people who are looking for something different and individual. They should feel confident enough in them to wear this perfume and find their 'inner self'. Our perfume will meet the demands of this demographic, as it is a unique smell and therefore individual.

This perfume advert can be applied to Maslow’s hierarchy, as it comes under the title of ‘Esteem’. This advert represents confidence and self-esteem. The woman I have used in this advert is confident and happy to be ‘freeing herself’.
It also comes under the title of ‘Safety’, this is because the woman in the advert represents security of her body. Her body language suggests she is happy within herself and is confident enough to show off her figure.
Lastly, it can be applied to ‘Physiological’. This is because the woman looks as though she's taking a deep breath in, which comes under the 'Physiological' heading in Maslow's hierarchy.
I think it's very important that my advert covers some aspects of Maslow's hierarchy, as the audience will want to be able to relate to my advert.

Freedom is aspirational, as most women want to have the confidence to be natural. The woman I have used in my advert is just an average woman; she has a normal figure and is not wearing an abnormal amount of make-up. Many women will aspire to be confident and natural looking and will admire the fact that the women used in this advert is not air brushed or edited in anyway. The fact that she's so natural makes the audience trust our company- which is important, the more the trust us, the more likely they are to use our company for products again.

Notes on The Third Man (1949)

2009-11-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Director: Carol Reed
Release Date:3 September 1949 (UK)
Genre:Film-Noir Mystery Thriller
Tagline:Carol Reed's Classic Thriller
Plot:Arriving in Vienna, Holly Martins learns that his friend Harry Lime, who has invited him, recently died in a car accident.
Awards:Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations
User Comments: A great deal has been said about "The Third Man" by contributors to this forum. Having seen the restored copy that was shown at the Film Forum, recently, I could not resist watching this masterpiece once more when it was shown by TCM, the other night.

Cast:

Joseph Cotten
Alida Valli
Orson Welles
Trevor Howard
Bernard Lee
Paul Hörbiger
Ernst Deutsch
Siegfried Breuer
Erich Ponto
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Hedwig Bleibtreu

Notes:

To focus on camera angles, conventions of the thriller and lighting.

The film uses a lot of close-ups, this is done to focus on the emotion of the characters.

A Low angle shot is used at the beginning of the film of the femme fatal. This shows she's superior. The rule of thirds is also used, this makes the femme fatal central to the screen and therefore indicates she's significant in this scene.

Noir lighting and wet streets are used throughout the film to add interest and to make the audience aware of the genre of the film.

The mise-en-scene of the boy running down the street makes him look superior and monstrous. This is created by using lighting to create a large shadow of the boy.

Harry Lime's character isn't shown until half way through the film, this builds up the suspense and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Harry Lime is a mass murderer- he watered down penicillin and sold it on the black market.

A tilt shot of a doorway and a cat is used, this is used to create a sense of disorientation. The cat represents Harry Lime- playful but unpredictable. In Egypt cats are seen as Gods.

Cats are associated with witchcraft, which connotes that Harry Lime has had in the black market dealings in post war Vienna. Lime is also invovled with the death of young children in the film, due to the fact that he tempered with penicillian.
The establishing shot of Harry Lime makes his face look like a scull . He has a cheeky smile on his face which suggests he's a devious character. The first shot of Harry Lime is just of his feet, this builds up suspense and makes the audience anticipate what he's going to look like.

Harry walks through a tunnel, which is a thriller convention, as it represents claustrophobia. Harry walking through the tunnel metaphorically Harry is a rat trying to escape and scurrying through the streets.

Anna, the femme fatale, is inscrutible and at the end of the film she completely blanks out Holly Martins, this shows the audience that Anna has got away without punishment. However, her future is bleak and audiences are left to speculate about the bleak life that lies ahead (because of her misguided love for Lime).

The final sequences in the film, the shot in the Viennese sewers is an apt place for Lime to hide, because of the location's association with excrement, rats and odious smells. The sewer is used as a metaphor for Lime's corruption and lack of morality.

Notes on Taken (2008)

2009-10-28T04:51:00.000-07:00

Director:Pierre Morel

Release Date:26 September 2008 (UK)
Genre:Action Crime Drama Thriller
Plot:A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.
Awards:1 win & 1 nomination.
User Comments:Probably the fastest 93 minutes of my life!

Cast:
Liam Neeson
Maggie Grace
Leland Orser
Jon Gries
David Warshofsky
Holly Valance
Katie Cassidy
Xander Berkeley
Olivier Rabourdin
Gérard Watkins
Famke Janssen
Marc Amyot
Arben Bajraktaraj
Radivoje Bukvic
Mathieu Busson

Notes:

Taken opens with a scene of a video of a young girls birthday party. Bright flashing lights are used to indicate that it's a flash back, the video is also very flickery which indicates that it's old. Soft peaceful music is played, this is used to create a calm yet spooky atmosphere- which is a genre signifier.

Kim hides under the bed when on the phone to her dad, hiding from the kidnappers. The bed is used as a genre signifier and represents claustrophobia (a typical thriller convention). It warns the audience that she has no escape and builds up tension. Dramatic music is played, which also adds to the tension of this scene.

This mise-en-scene shows Bryan pointing a gun at someone. A mid shot is used so that the audience can get an idea of what's going on in the scene, but so that they can still focus on Bryan's facial expression. Bryan is wearing a black leather jacket to create a 'noir' look. The black jacket aslo connotes Bryan's seriousness and the fact that he's feeling depressed that his daughter is missing.

This mise-en-scene is a point of view shot, which helps the audience to capture how Kim's feeling. It also adds suspicion to the scene, as the kidnappers feet are all we are able to see.

The shot used in this mise-en-scene is a close up of Bryan's face. This helps the audience to focus on Bryan's emotion and get a real idea of how he's feeling- having to hear his daughter be taken away by kidnappers and has absolutely no control over it. Non-diegectic sound is used in this scene, of Kim screming and crying. This makes the audience feel they're in Bryan's shoes- completely helpless to Kim. Noir lighting is also used to create a dull and depressing atmosphere. At the same time the noir lighting is a genre signifier.

In this mise-en-scene it shows Bryan walking through a corridor in desperation to find his daughter. The corridor is an example of a claustrophobic space, it helps the audience to feel as trapped as Bryan does and shows how he feels hopeless. The mise-en-scene used almost immediately after this is of Bryan shooting a man in the lift, which is another example of a claustrophobic space.

This shot is a point of view shot. It's done in a very clever way, as the reflection of Bryan has been captured by the camera. It makes the audience feel like they're part of the scene and are able to relate to the characters emotions.

In this mise-en-scene an over the shoulder shot is used. This makes the audience feel they're watching the seen over Bryans shoulder and therefore gets them involved in the scene. The fact they feel involved in the scene, helps them to relate to the emotions of the characters and has a bigger impact on the fact that Bryan is in a difficult situation.

The final scene of Kim and her father shows how things have completely changed, and how they're both much happier now. The bright lighting is used to reflect their moods and they're both smiling, which is an optimistic way of ending the film.

Noir lighting is used throughout the film, which is a typical thriller convention. It's used to create a dull and spooky atmosphere and often emphasises a spooky scene.

Notes On Quantum Of Solace

2009-10-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

Director: Marc Forster.

Release Date: 31 October 2008 (UK)
Genre: Action Adventure Thriller
Plot: Seeking revenge for the death of his love, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country's valuable resource.
Awards:Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins & 20 nominations.
User Comments: You'll struggle to think of a main bond villain that is less interesting than Dominic Greene, and agent Fields is utterly pointless in every aspect other than brief eye-candy.

Cast:

Daniel Craig
Olga Kurylenko
Mathieu Amalric
Judi Dench
Giancarlo Giannini

Gemma Arterton
Jeffrey Wright

David Harbour
Jesper Christense

Anatole Taubman
Rory Kinnear
Tim Pigott-Smith
Joaquín Cosio
Fernando Guillén Cuervo
Jesús Ochoa

Notes:

The film opens with a car chase, this builds up the suspense. The mise-en-scene of Bond in a tunnel connote claustrophobia and makes the audience feel he's trapped. This is used as a genre signifier. Immediately after this is another genre signifier, a man is trapped in the boot which again connotes claustrophobia. Both of these features ensure the audience are aware of the genre.

The next mise-en-scene i have chosen is a close-up shot of Bond looking away from the camera. his facial expression connotes fear and confusion. There's also a reflection of Bond's other side in the mirror, metaphorically it shows Bond has two sides. Noir lighting is used as a genre signifier and so that a dull atmosphere is created.

Like in every thriller film a femme fatal is used. She has striking eyes and a wise look about her, this indicates to the audience that they shouldn't trust this woman.

In the next mise-en-scene, Bond's reflection is shown through a CCTV camera. It's difficult to see the expression on his face as it's blurred, however, this is done on purpose so that the main focus is on the CCTV camera- which is a crucial part to this scene.

In this mise-en-scene bright colours are used to contradict the genre of the film. It also contrasts with the noir lighting at the beginning of the film- this indicates that the mood of the characters is changing too. The change in colours also shows that they're in a foreign country (along with the foreign accents).

This next mise-en-scene represents fear, this is created through the deserted area used. Again, this is a genre signifier. The fact it's deserted also makes the audience think Bond feels intimidated.

This mise-en-scene shows a very different representation of women than the typical one. It shows a much more masculine and intimidating side to women. It shows that women can have power as well as men.

The last shot of Bond he looks very serious- as he is wearing a dark coat with the collor up. A mid shot is used, so the audience can focus on his expression but it's not crucial that they do so. It also indicates that Bond is walking away without being defeated-yet again!

Notes on Casino Royale

2009-10-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

Director: Martin Campbell

Release Date:16 November 2006 (UK)
Genre: Action Adventure Thriller

Plot:In his first mission, James Bond must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.

Cast:

Daniel Craig
Eva Green
Mads Mikkelsen
Judi Dench
Jeffrey Wright
Giancarlo Giannini
Caterina Murino
Simon Abkarian
Isaach De Bankolé
Jesper Christensen
Ivana Milicevic
Tobias Menzies
Claudio Santamaria
Sebastien Foucan
Malcolm Sinclair

User Comments: This is among the best bond movies! You have to see it.

Notes:

In the first mise-en-scene of the film noir lighting is used, so that the audience can immediately identify the genre. Another genre signifier used, is the desserted area which builds up tension and suggests something is about to happen. a tall building is used, which makes the car look minute and inferior. A plain font is used, which suggests it's serious and creates a modern look.

The establishing shot of James Bong shows he is a serious and laid back character. This is becasue he's wearing an all black suit (which aslo adds to the noir look) and he is laid back in his chait which indicates he's relaxed and fearless. An over the shoulder shot is used so that the audience see it from an outsiders point of view, which makes it even more tense.

A mise-en-scene of James Bond laying between two lorry's is used about half way through the film. This makes the audience feel he has been defeated and is now inferior, in comparison to how he was represented at the beginning of the film.

A typical thriller convention is used half way through the film, this is a lift. The lift represents a claustrophobic space and is a genre signifier. In the lift is a women with bright res lips. The red lips connote danger and shows that this woman is a femme fatal.

The nest mise-en-scene is of James Bond in his car holding a gun. The gun connotes dang er and makes the audience question what's about to happen and why he's using a gun. James' car is very high tech which suggests he has a lot of money. The car, and everything in it, are black which adds to the noir theme and makes the scene much more serious.

A close-up shot is used of James Bond in this next mise-en-scene. This is to emphasise and really focus on his emotion. Dramatic music is playing in the back ground, which builds up tension and keeps the audience hanging off their seat.

Another thriller convention is used in this mise-en-scene, rain. This connotes dullness and uncomfortableness. This indicates to the audience that this is how James Bond is feeling.

There's a mise-en-scene of Bond's 'girl' who's laying on the floor dead. Rain is running past her which connotes her life and Bond's is now floating away down the road. Classical music is played in the background, so that the audience sympathise for Bond and to emphasise that something sad has happened. The shot used is a point of view shot, this is used so that the audience can see her from Bond's point of view and can therefore find it easier to sympathise for him.

The final mise-en-scene of James Bond shows he has not been defeated and that he's superior to everyone. This is created by using a low angle shot and James is holding a large gun which shows his power and capability.

Notes on: London To Brighton, Red Road and This Is England

2009-10-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

Red Road

Released: 27th October 2006 (UK)

Director: Andrea Arnold

Plot: Jackie works as a CCTV operator. Each day she watches over a small part of the world, protecting the people living their lives under her gaze. One day a man appears on her monitor, a man she thought she would never see again, a man she never wanted to see again. Now she has no choice, she is compelled to confront him.

Awards: 21 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast:
Kate Dickie
Tony Curran
Martin Compston
Natalie Press
Paul Higgins
Andrew Armour
Carolyn Calder
John Comerford
Jessica Angus
Martin McCardie
Martin O'Neill
Cora Bisset
Charles Brown
Annie Bain
Frances Kell

User Comments: 'That rare thing. A superb British movie. Set in an unremittingly bleak Glasgow focused on a multi-storey housing estate in the East End of that city, this is NOT the usual kitchen-sink or slice-of-life telly-style drama that nearly always make a disheartening prospect for cinema-going. This is a complex character-driven piece, beautifully shot and edited.'

Music: Morning Glory"Written by Noel Gallagher Performed by Oasis
Love Will Tear Us Apart"Written by Ian Curtis (as Curtis), Peter Hook (as Hook), Stephen Morris (as Morris) and Bernard Sumner (as Sumner)Performed and Produced by Honeyroot

London to Brighton

Director: Paul Andrew Williams
Writer: Paul Andrew Williams
Release Date:1 December 2006 (UK)

Plot: It's 3:07am and two girls burst into a run down London toilet. Joanne is crying her eyes out and her clothing is ripped. Kelly's face is bruised and starting to swell. Duncan Allen lies in his bathroom bleeding to death. Duncan's son, Stuart, has found his father and wants answers. Derek, Kelly's pimp, needs to find Kelly or it will be him who pays. Kelly and Joanne need to get through the next 24 hours alive.

Awards:6 wins & 6 nominations

User Comments: Gritty urban noir hits as hard as a sledgehammer.

Cast:

Lorraine Stanley
Georgia Groome
Johnny Harris
Derek
Nathan Constance
Sam Spruell
Stuart Allen
Alexander Morton
Duncan Allen
David Keeling
Charlie
Jamie Kenna
Tony
Chloe Bale
Karen
Claudie Blakley
Tim Matthew
Louise Appel
Cat Meacher
Nick Ewans
James Beirman

This Is England

Director: Shane Meadows
Writer: Shane Meadows
Release Date: 27 April 2007 (UK)

Plot: A story about a troubled boy growing up in England, set in 1983. He comes across a few skinheads on his way home from school, after a fight. They become his new best friends even like family. Based on experiences of director Shane Meadows.

Awards: Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 14 nominations.

User Comments: Superb Documentary-style film drama.

Cast:

Thomas Turgoose
Stephen Graham
Jo Hartley
Andrew Shim
Vicky McClure
Joseph Gilgun
Rosamund Hanson
Andrew Ellis
Perry Benson
George Newton
Frank Harper
Jack O'Connell
Kriss Dosanjh
Kieran Hardcastle
Chanel Cresswell
Kelly

Notes on Hitman (2007)

2009-10-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

Director: Xavier Gens
Release date: 30 November 2007

Plot: A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 hired by a group known only as 'The Organization' is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Russia and Eastern Europe.
User Comments: They captured the personality of 47 near perfectly.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant
Dougray Scott
Olga Kurylenko
Robert Knepper
Ulrich Thomsen
Henry Ian Cusick
Michael Offei
Christian Erickson
Eriq Ebouaney
Joe Sheridan
James Faulkner
Jean-Marc Bellu
Nicky Naude
Abdou Sagna
Ilya Nikitenko

Notes:

Whilst the credits are being shown, classical music is played, this is to create a spooky and emotional mood. Bright lighting is used, to make it feel surreal. In this film the main character doesn't have a name. This indicates he does'nt belong to anyone and has no family, the audience sympathise for this.

The next mise-en-scene shows number 47 with a barcode being tattooed to his head. The blood shows the audience the pain he went through and the red connotes danger. It also makes the audience wonder why they're given barcodes.

Children are used in the opening scenes, this is to recieve sympathy from the audience. In the next mise-en-scene, the children look as though they're being targeted, this indicates they're constantly feeling threatened and watched.

The camera then focusses on the word 'discipline' for a few seconds, which makes the audience aware that these children are part of some sort of disciplined group. It aslo makes the audience question who's disciplining them and why?!

The next mise-en-scene is of a boy pointing a gun. This is used as a shock tactic, as children don't hold guns. White lighting is used, to make the audience feel that someone is looking back on their past.

A close up shot of a surgeon with a needle is used, it's also a point of view shot. This is used to put the audience in this boys shoes, so they understand the fear and pain he went through. The mise-en-scene immediately after this is an extreme close-up of the boys eye. In the eye you can see the reflection of the bright lights. These lights look like bullet holes, which connotes danger and refects on the fact that the boy earlier on was holding a gun and therefore has this on his mind.

close up shot is then used of a gun in a box, which shows this gun is a significant part to the film.

Throughout the film number 47 wears a long black suite. This is used to add to the noir lighting and is a genre signifier. It also tells us that, as a characterm, number 47 is serious, emotionless and dark. Another genre signifier is that number 47 puts a woman in the boot, the boot is often used in thriller films, as it's a claustrophobic place that gives off a sense of feeling trapped.

Also in these two mise-en-scene's above, noir lighting is used. This is a typical thriller conventions and is used to create the dull and spooky atmosphere. Wet roads are also used, to add to the dullness.

A point of view shot is used of number 47. It's very cleverly shot, as they have managed to look at what the table behind are doing, through a spoon. This is used so that we don't get a clear image of what's happening behind number 47, but we see it from his point of view.

The next mise-en-scene is of number 47 walking through a narrow corrider. This connotes him making people feel trapped and indicates that something is about to happen. There's also a close-up shot of Nika, that suggests she's a femme fatal, through her drak eyes and big red lips.

There's then a mise-en-scene of number 47 in the toilet, it shows what's about to happen. Two people are in front of him and slow motion is used to emphasise that number 47 is about to kill these two men.

The last mise-en-scene of number 47 in the film is of him on a tall building with a gun. This indicates he's superior and hasn't been defeated.

Notes on Jackie Brown (1997)

2009-10-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Release Date: 20 March 1998 (UK)
User Comments:Tarantino grows up

Jackie Brown is an air hostess. A tracking shot of Jackie is used, which indicates to the audience that the film is centred around this woman. The low angle tracking shot shows Jackie's character is superior.

'Chicks With Guns' comes up on the mise-en-scene, this is used because it's an example of objectification.

Noir lighting is used on the mise-en-scene of the flat signifys the genre. The flats are an unglamorous location.

The character Ordell is dressed all in black and looks serious. Beaumont is dressed in loose clothing, shows hemight not have much money. Ordell is walking in front, which indicates he's superior.

Ordell puts Beaumont in the boot, this enclosed space is used, as it creates a claustrophobic feel ( which is a thriller signifier). The mise-en-scene of Beaumont holding the gun shows the significance of it. The gun appears to be abnormally big and therefore dominates the mise-en-scene. A close-up is then used of Ordell, this is to focus on his facial expressions and understand how he's feeling.

Noir lighting is used, however, happy music is playing in the background which completely contradicts the genre of this film.

The road they drive down is wet and the streets are deserted, these are genre indicators to the audience.

A long distance shot of the car is used to set the scene. The long shot also establishes the fact that Ordell is detached with no conscience. The car stops and the music does to emphasise the sound of the gun shot. The music represents the fact that Ordell is 'chilled out' and cold blooded.

2009-10-15T01:51:00.001-07:00

Notes on Thelma And Louise (1991)

2009-10-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

Director: Ridley Scott
Release Date: 12 July 1991 (UK)
User Comments: 'Almost perfect road movie about two women on the run'
Producers: Mimi Polk, Callie Khouri (co-producer), Dean O'Brien (co-producer), Ridley Scott (producer)
Production Companies: MGM, Pathé Entertainment, Percy Main, Star Partners III Ltd. (in association with)Distributors: MGM, NBC, Alamode Film, Chapel Distribution, Columbus Film,Tobis Filmkunst, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Argentina Video Home, Columbia Home Video, MGM Home Entertainment, MGM/UA Home Entertainment, United International Pictures, Warner Home Video

The first mise-en-scene is a cultural signifier. Country western music is played whilst the credits are running, which is also a cultural signifier to the audience.

Louise in her first mise-en-scene appears to be smart and hard working. This is shown through her clothes and the fact she's at work. Thelma, on the other hand, appears to be scatty and messy. This is shown through her floaty clothes and messy place she lives. Daryll (Thelma's husband) connotes vanity and it seems he's trying to appear rich, which by looking at his clothers and house, isn't true. Daryll is very controlling and demanding when talking to Thelma, which shows he's dominant and wants full control of his wife. Thelma shows she's inferior to Daryll by using words like 'hun' almost as if she's trying to sweeten him up.

There's a straight cut between the mise-en-scene with Thelma and Louise in the bar and Thelma in the car park. The car park is a generic convention of a thriller. Noir lighting is used in the car park, which creates a spooky atmosphere, indicating to the audience something is about to happen.

this whole film is about misogyny, hatred, of women and how they're percieved as 'sex objects'. Ridley Scott is representing the mid western males as misogyny. For example Daryll and Harlem (the rapest) make it seem that the womens role is to gratify/serve men. Thelmer is girly and vunrable this is represented through her white dress and her elegant posture. Louise, on the other hand, is masqueline and dominant and this is shown through her clothing, she's wearing a manly jacket and she's carrying a gun (which is seen to be a masquline rather than feminine).

The mise-en-scene of the car and the lorry uses generic thriller conventions. Such as, wet road, foggy, noir lighting. The road is narrow, which indicates their world is closing in on them. The Lorry is a male symbol dominating their little vunrable car. The foggy weather gives off a sense of disorientation.

The women are the main characters in this film, which is unusual for a thriller film.

Notes on Essex Boys (2000)

2009-10-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

Director:Terry Winsor

Writers: Jeff Pope and Jerry Winsor

Released: 14/07/00

Dramatic music is used on the opening credits, which creates tension. The colours black and white are also used on the credits, these are an example of a binary opposition. The opening scene is set in a dark garage, the garage is used for a claustrophobic feel, a typical thriller feature used. The noir lighting builds up suspense in the scene and gives off a gloomy and dangerous atmosphere. The noir lighting feature is a clue to the genre of the film. Noir lighting also suggests corruption of the characters within the film.

There's a non-diegetic sound used in the first scene of fingers scratching a black board. This suggests pain and uncomfortableness.

The establishing shot of shot of Billy in the garage is lit by chiaroscuro lighting, which suggests the genre and suspense that somebody could be hiding. Billy's breath is visible in the mise-en-scene, which indicates he's cold and adds to the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The voice over is a cultural signifier of Billy's Essex accent. The purpose of the voice over is that it engages the audience, it's as if the driver's addressing the audience.

The establishing shot of Jason Locke is a point of view shot. This is used so the audience can see Jason from Billy's perspective. Noir lighting is used again and the shot is seen through a dirty windsreen, which suggests Jason's corrupt and dirty.

A narrow road is used whilst they drive into Essex, this is to create a claustrophobic feel- a thriller convention. The rain on the roads reflects the genre of the film and the fact it's deserted builds up suspense in the scene.

A long, narrow, empty tunnel is used, which connotes claustrophobia. It's also a metaphorical mise-en-scene, as the tunnel looks like the barrel of a gun. Whilst driving through the tunnel there's a mise-en-scene of Billy in the car with the lights reflecting off, it looks like a prison cage. This makes the audience feel he's trapped and has no escape from Jason. In the next mise-en-scene the lights on the windscreen look like piano keys. This suggests Billy's being 'played' by Jason.

The next mise-en-scene is of them entering Essex. A close up shot of the sign 'Welcome To Essex' is used. It feels like they're taking the audience into Jason's world.

Billy's driving a white van, which signifys the genre. The white van represents Jason as a character and the fact Billy's driving it suggests he's entering in to Jason's world.

Notes on 'Once Upon A Time In America' (1984)

2009-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Director: Sergio Leone.
Release Date: 1 June 1984 USA
Company Creditors: Warner Bros. Pictures

Whilst the opening credits role a sound bridge is used of God Bless America. The purpose of this sound bridge is to establish that it's set in USA. The film 'The Deer Hunter' (1979) also used this soundtrack. However, they used it to criticise the USA's underdevelopment during Vietnam. Leone could therefore be using this soundtrack to make the same critical statement about the USA. This film focuses on gangsters and police corruption.

Also playing, whilst the credits role, is the sound of footsteps. This non-diegetic sound is used to add tension to the film and create suspense to the audience.

The first image the audience see is a dark figure in a doorway. The noir lighting is typical of a thriller film, as it creates a spooky atmosphere. As the light is switched on, it becomes apparent that the dark figure is a woman. A high angle shot is used, which shows the woman- Eve- is inferior and powerless.

The next mise-en-scene is also a high angle shot, again to show lack of power. However, this is a shot of the bed, with all the bullet holes outlining a body shape. This image reinforces the genre of the film. This visual device is used often in TV crime dramas, such as C.S.I. This shot also reinforces the 'rule of thirds', as the bed takes up two thirds and Eve takes up one third. This indicates to the audience that in this shot the bed is superior and therefore our attention must be drawn to it.

The next mise-en-scene shows three intruders (gangsters). Their body language connotes that they're superior, dangerous and intimidating. Central to the group, again using the rule of thirds, is the alpha male. Noir lighting is used in this scene, to reinforce the genre. The three gangsters are also all dressed in brown, this connotes that they're dull.

The next mise-en-scene shows the three gangsters standing under the arch surrounding Eve. This represents claustrophobia- which is very common in thriller films and is used to create a sense of panic. The three men surrounding Eve shows she's inferior and immediately makes the audience feel she's being intimidated.

Behind Eve's figure is the bed (with the bullet holes). It makes it seem that she's trapped and her only escape of these three men is to fall into this outlined body on the bed.

The Lamp situated in the room represents Eve's character, they're even matching in colours. The lamp, to begin with, is switched on. This connotes it's full of life- just like Eve. Once Eve is shot, one of the three men turn off the light.

There's a quick cut between Eve being shot and the man being abused. An extreme close-up is used on the man, this is to really capture the emotion and establish the mood of this character. It also shows the vulnerability of the victim and the brutality of the attackers.

The three men choose vulnerable, easy victims- an unarmed man and a young woman. This, and the fact they travel around in a group, shows they're cowards.

The film then cuts to an opium den, this mise-en-scene with Noodles out of his head on
drugs reinforces the ironic representation that America is not blessed, it's corrupt and dangerous. In this shot the phone is ringing (a non-diegetic sound) links a flashback of his murdered friends.

There's then a scene with three bodies laying on the floor in stretchers, being put in to body bags. This leaves the audience questioning who's bodies they are. The body bags are used for a genre convention. There is a noir lighting which adds to the dull atmospehere. The non-diegetic sound of the phone ringing is still occurring in the background. The streets are soaked which connotes mortality. On the streets is a photographer (taking photos of the bodies) this photographer indicates there's been a crime present. Along with the photographer is Noodles which shows there's a link between Noodles and these three bodies.

Analysis of two adverts

2009-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Analysis of an advert

The advert for ‘Bourjois’ lip gloss suggests that by buying the product you will be: smiley, happy and gorgeous.
The image features a mid shot of a woman facing the camera. In this shot her hair is swept over her face, covering her eyes and nose- this is done to hide her insignificant features to ensure that the feature the company want you to focus on- her lips- is the main attraction. This is also done to show that the product does what it says (non sticky lip gloss).
In the right hand corner of the page is where the actual product is situated, this is an example of the ‘rule of thirds’. The woman’s face takes up two thirds- to show she’s dominant- and the product takes up one third. The product they’re advertising isn’t majorly important and therefore only takes up a small amount of space. However, it is crucial that the product is shown so that the audience are aware of what it looks like if they wish to buy it.
The woman on the advert is wearing a bright pink lip colour, a connotation of this would be that it indicates her lips are dominant and it therefore draws attraction to them. The lips also look very shiny, which represents glamour and glossiness. Also to make her lips stand out she has a brown hair colour, the pink against the brown really makes the lips stand out and look even more dominant and bold.
Beyond her lips are gorgeous, sparkling, white teeth. They have done this to make the audience believe that if they buy this product, they will have perfect teeth too! Another connotation for this, however, is that it draws more attention to her mouth (because the bright white stands out).
Lastly, the woman is central in the picture. The connotation for this would be that she is powerful and important; it also shows she is dominant.

Analysis of an advert

The advert for ‘GHD’ suggests that by buying this product you will have luxurious, shiny, perfect, glossy and golden hair and you’ll be: seductive and sexy.
The image features a medium long shot and a long shot. In the medium long shot, the woman is facing the camera, however, in the long shot the woman and man are side on to the camera.
The woman in the medium long shot is in the foreground of the picture, but the woman and man in the long shot are in the background of the picture. A connotation for this would be that the woman in the foreground is superior and the woman and man in the background are inferior. Another technique used to show this, would be that the woman in the foreground is taking up two thirds of the picture, however, the woman and man in the background only take up one third.
The whole image is noir. A connotation for this is that it creates a glamorous and modern look; on the other hand, it also creates a romantic and seductive look to the audience. The man and woman dancing in the background also add to the romantic look. The noir setting, also makes the golden hair colour stand out- which draws attention to it.
At the bottom right hand corner of the page it says: ‘a new religion for hair’, this suggests that having these GHD’s is a religion- which indicates to the audience that everyone has them.
The two woman have different hairstyles, which shows their hair is versatile, a connotation for this would be that with this hair product you can have any hairstyle you like.
The woman in the foreground is showing a lot of skin this show sex appeal to the audience. She’s also wearing black clothing and jewelry which adds to the noir effect and makes her look seductive and sexy.
The woman and man in the background also show sex appeal- the woman’s leg is revealed and she is giving him eye contact. The man is holding the woman around the waste, which also shows intimacy and perhaps security too.Lastly on the top right hand corner of the page is a bright light (the only light thing on the picture) this is used to make the USP stand out to the audience.

Questionnaire

2009-10-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Student Questionnaire
My name is Laura Manning. My GCSE’s results are: Drama, A, Graphics, A, English Language, B, English Literature, B, Maths, B, Additional Maths, B, Science, C, Additional Science, C and Geography, D.
I have many hobbies, my main hobbies are: Dancing, singing, acting, reading, socializing, watching films and listening to music.
I occasionally dip in to ‘The Sun’ newspaper, mainly for celebrity gossip, horoscopes and the TV schedules. Although I do like to keep up with what’s going on in the world, but I tend to do this by watching the news most evenings.
I read mainly ‘OKAY’ or ‘Heat’ magazine. I read these, as they have lots of juicy celebrity gossip and snap shots of celebrities- which I enjoy flicking through. I also read these magazines, as I like to read the real life stories, aswell as reading the celebrity stories.
I listen to both, Radio One and KISS FM each morning on my way to or back from school. I listen to these radio stations so that I keep up to date with new song releases and have a ‘sing-a-long’ to all my favourite tunes!
I don’t have a particular genre of music I listen to, however, my two favorite genres would be: Indie and pop. I like some rock R’n’B and classical music too. I listen to different music, depending on my mood. I mainly access music through the radio, TV or iTunes. I don’t really have an opinion on illegal download sites, I don’t use them personally, but I don’t have a problem with other people using them, as long as they’re aware of the consequences.
I think the music industry had a massive impact on peoples dress sense and attitudes. I think this because; many people (especially teenagers) spend a lot of their time watching music videos or interviews of bands/singers and therefore pick up on clothing and attitude etc. A lot of teenagers aspire to their favourite band or singer and would love to be like them, they therefore try to dress like them or act like them.
Video games aren’t really ‘my thing’. My reasoning for this is because I think a lot of them are very violent and can have a real impact on younger children and can give out the message that it’s OK to be violent. I also think they’re a waste of time; a lot of people spend most of their day on video games instead of being sociable.
Video games definitely have an effect on attitudes to gender. IT gives out the impression that men are very violent and aggressive, as most if not all violent video games, have the men as the violent characters.
New technology has increased my understanding of the world in a lot of ways and I think it’s mainly down to the internet. The internet gives me so much information about what’s going on in the world through the news etc. The internet is also a great way to communicate with people, through social networking sites such as: Facebook, MSN and Skype. However, mobile phones are also a great source of communication.
Although television is the main way to watch programmes, it is now possible to watch programmes through the internet. Films and the music industry can also be found through the internet, as well as TV, of course.
My favourite TV Channels would be: 4, MTV, ITV1 and 2 and E4. This is because my favorite programmes are mainly shown on these channels. For example, on Channel 4 I like to watch Hollyoaks and the T4 Shows and on ITV2 I like to watch the Katie Price documentary and X Factor.
My favourite TV genre would be soap or documentary. My reasoning for this is because, I get very hooked on soaps and I feel I can relate to the ‘every day life’ situations. I also enjoy watching documentary’s because I enjoy watching other people’s lives and learning about new things.
I thought the old Dairy Milk advert- where the gorilla played the drums- was very entertaining and clever. It was entertaining, as it was just so unrealistic and hilarious! I thought it was clever because everyone remembered it, which was good advertisement on Dairy Milks behalf.
My favourite film genre is comedy. This is because I enjoy watching a film and being entertained.
My first outstanding film is ‘Forrest Gump’, this is because I thought Tom Hanks played his role to perfection, and I also thought the story line was brilliant. My second outstanding film is, ‘Blood Diamond’. I think it’s outstanding because, it’s a very gripping film and the fact it’s based on true events give the film an extra edge to it. The last film I find outstanding is, ‘Meet The Parents’ because it’s just so hilarious!
I prefer to consume films on the television, because if I don’t understand a particular part of the film I can rewind it or I can pause the film if I need to!
My favourite cinema is The Odeon, I think this because it’s comfortable and spacious.
I prefer to watch films in a group, as you can giggle along with everyone, rather than alone.
The film ‘Hotel Rwanda’ offended me, because it was very graphic and violent. However, it is a very well made film.
In contrast to this, the most interesting media text I have ever seen is
The programme ‘Hollyoaks’ covers a lot of day to day happenings, that I wouldn’t usually come across. For example, they covered the issue of anorexia, which made me much more aware of it and helped with my understanding of it.
If I were to construct a media text I would create a website about my community. My reasoning for choosing to create a website is because it covers a much more broad audience and therefore more people will come across it.
I have chosen media as a subject, because a media is such a big part of my life and I would like to learn more about it.

2009-10-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

What Katie did next

2009-09-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

I love this programme so much! I watch it every week!

2009-09-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

Introducing myself

2009-09-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

I'm Laura and I'm a student at CNS sixth form. I have created this blog as part of my AS level Media. I will upload my work on to this blog frequently.

2009-09-24T02:49:00.000-07:00