Using adobe was simple and was fun to play around adding effects to our short film that we made. We we able to cut the clips down to where we wanted them and there was no complications when using the software. I really enjoyed adding affects and credits but we thought as a group the film looked better without the credits in.
In this opening, the sound is introduce through the opening credits as non-diegetic. It is up-beat and techno suggesting that the music theme of the film is fast paced. As the opening carries on the audience begins to hear the diegetic sound of the busy setting of a town and the shutting of the cabs boot. This is the only sound in the opening scene which is effective as it allows the audience to become more engagaed in the film as they will want to know what happens next to the protagonist. The audience of this film would have to be into different genres of music as it will be covers of different songs.
The camera angles of this opening is mainly a close up but of the back of the protagonists head suggesting that the audience will be more engaged to the film because they will want to know who the protagonist is and why they are so significant. Also, the camera is showing a high angle suggesting that the protagonist is vulnerable about certain things. There is a medium shot showing the town and the setting which it seems to be a busy and modern place so will mean the audience can relate to the film more.
The way the protagonist is dressed is like she is from a middle class background and she also has an interest in music as she is wearing headphones and seems to be editing a musical piece on her laptop. She also seems to be lonely as she is waiting by herself and excludes herself from other people which suggests that she might have anxiety problems or she might like to be on her own. She seems to be moving somewhere because she has a lot of bags with her and later on in the opening the camera shows a busy town. The audience may think that she is going to a collage or university where she has to stay. There is no codes to give this away as a romance film because it will leave the audience wondering what the film is. The protagonist is also a famous actress suggesting that the audience will already know who she is and know what she is like as an actress.
The strengths of the film that we had made were that the camera shots worked
effectively as they cut in the right places. We did not have to do much cutting
in the editing process because they all seemed to fit together well as it were.
The place we cut was right at the end of the last clip because we thought that
adding in the effect of fading to black would work well with the shorter
ending. The film had to include the line "what are you doing here?"
which we saved until last as we all thought that this was the best option as it
will engage the audience more as they will want to know where the character
(Hannah Burgess) was going. We had filmed the second character (Fahmida Akther)
as she was walking down the hall way as this was effective. We had originally
kept in that she was stood still but decided that it worked better if it looked
like she had already begun walking.
The weaknesses in the short film was that the camera was unsteady but this
can easily be fixed when we come to the next filming task as we could use a
tripod which would hold the camera still. We could of also used different paces
of what the character was walking as this would have become more effective to
build tension. This could be something to improve upon when it comes to
filming. Also, we could have also had the camera moving towards the character
when she is walking down the corridor as this would have made the audience feel
like they are focussing on her. This could also have included a close up of the
two characters once they meet so that the audience can view the characters and
what they are like from their facial expressions and through their body
language. Another weakness would be that there should be some music in the
opening as the character walking down the corridor can be boring to watch when
there is no sound in the background.
Some targets to set for the future is that the camera needs to be steady for
the filming but this can changed by using a tripod. Also, the person filming
should follow the protagonist as this will ensure the audience of who they are
focussing on and on whom the story is about. Another target would be using
music in the background and also more sounds as this will become more
interesting for the audience to watch. Also, using music will help create the
atmosphere of the opening and to also show what the genre is. Finally, I think that there should be credits either at the end or at the opening of the film as this will tell the audience of who is in the film and also the acknowledgements.
Sound is the most important feature in a romance film as it helps to set the emotion and create the atmosphere for the film. Non-diegetic film is usually used whilst the titles are shown as this creates the atmosphere for the film right when it starts. This is useful because the music will engage the audience more and give them an understanding of what the beginning of the film is like. In the opening of this scene the sound starts of calm and quiet suggesting that the film will be a smooth and romantic film. There is also a voice over which could be the protagonist but at the time of which he is not shown so the audience does not know who is talking. This is effective because the film will engage the audience as they will want to find out who is speaking. As the voice over carries on the audienence gain the understanding that it is of his characteristics which could mean that this man is the protagonist. The speaker addresses the audience as "you" suggesting that he is including them which would make the audience feel invloved in the film. Once the protagonist is in the group, he is speaking so the sound is diegetic.
The camera angle throughout the opening is a close up of the back of the protagonists head whilst he is looking out of the window. The audience is seeing outside the window but it is only a bright light which highlights the man suggesting that he is the protagonist. The camera then turns around to show the protagonist. He is in a dull light so could connote that the protagonist isn't all good and that he might have a darker side to him. There is also a high angle shot where the camera cuts from the close up of his face showing his emotion and expression. The high angle shot make the protagonist look small suggesting that he is vulnerable. The camera then slowly moves into the group showing everyone but then changes to only film three people at once. For the one person talking, the other characters in the group look towards him with an intrigued expression. The camera then shows the protagonist working out with close ups and medium shots to show the charateristics of the protagonist and what his personality is like. The camera cuts to a woman but the lighting behind her suggests that she is a better person who might be there to help the protagonist. The light is at the top of her head to suggest that she might be angelic.
The audience will begin to notice the characters costume for them to understand what their personalities are. This could be when the protagonist is where a dark hoodie suggesting that maybe he is scruffy and might not be employed. However, when they usually start off to be scruffy, by the end they will be in a smarter looking and might be in a suit. Also, the camera may shoot over the shoulder so that the audience can know the setting and what is happening. They will usually use a modern well known setting in a romance film as this will allow the audience to relate to the film.
I think that your work so far is at a level 3, you have explained a range of codes and conventions throughout for each genre choosen, and you have explained the impact on the audience, by explaining how it may appeal to an specific types of audience include age range. To improve try and include a comparison, talking about the similarities and differences in each film, and link back to the codes and convention of that particular genre.
Fahmida Akther
'Love Actually' is a romantic comedy
which is hugely popular to watch at Christmas. The opening of this film is of
an older male trying to sing a recognisable song. The song is a soft sounding
song which is usually found in the opening of a romance because the tune is
usually high. This makes the audience understand that this is a romance.
The characters in this opening are
dressed smartly suggesting that the people are higher classed and that they
have an important job. With the older man, he starts out wearing a colourful
top which suggests that he is not the usual expectation of an old man. Also, as
he swears a lot he may come across as being rude and disrespectful but in a
funny manner. The other men with him in the recording studio all seem to
dislike the man as he keeps messing up. As the scene changes into the shopping centre,
the characters change as they are all dressed in coats and scarfs with the Christmas
feel. This scene makes the audience see the expectation of Christmas with
families smiling and laughing which is what Christmas is meant to be about. The
audience may feel that they can relate to the film as they have experiences
with Christmas which will be happy times and also some sad times but overall
they will be able to see the meaning of Christmas and what it is about.
The camera shots of the opening scene
changes between medium shots, close up, and long shots. These are all there for
the audience to gain more of an understanding of what the characters are like
and their personalities by the way they are standing with body language and in
facial expressions. The close up in this opening is where the old man is
singing and the camera use of a close up allows the audience to know what the
character is feeling. The medium shots at the beginning of the new setting
allow the audience to know the change in setting and also the time of year. In
this case it is at Christmas as the camera starts at a low angle shot and pans
up the Christmas tree. There is also a long shot of the shopping centre which allows
the audience to know the setting and to also engage into the film as they will
want to know what is going to happen. Also the long shot may allow the audience
to relate to the film by the past experiences.
There are some enigma codes which
attract the audience. Some include the many characters which are involved in
the film which will engage the audience more as they will want to find out what
happens to each of them. Also, the change of character in every scene which
might attract the audience's attention because they will want to see the
outcome of each of the characters and if they manage to find love. By having
such famous actors and actresses in the film, the audience might be more
engaged to the film as they will want to see the attractive couples in the
film. These well-known actors may attract a wider audience because they will be
recognised from different film.
Target Audience of Romance The target audience for a romance film would be mainly female audience in the age range of 15-30 as this will appeal to those who haven't found love as they can feel that there is that person out there. Also, they might also feel that they can relate to the film more as the certificate is usually 12-15 and so the film will usually include characters of around the teenager and young adults years.
In this example of 'The fault in our stars' the majority of people who went to see the film were between the ages of 15-24. This suggests that as the film has characters that are around the ages of 17 the audience can relate to the film. The audience may have people older than this but because the film is based on a teenage book, the film would have a similar rating from the film.
The females may be more attracted to the romance genre because the film will usually include an attractive male character of which he is a very famous actor. The main reason the female audience will prefer romance over any other genre is because they feel they can connect to it more than what men will. They may watch the film at a lonely time of the year as they will see that love will happen to them at some point. Also, when a couple break up, the woman will usually tend to watch a romance film as they will be reasured that there is someone better to find.
·The boy will end up losing the girl and have to
win her back again
·The female lead almost never ends up with the
male
·The tradition is that love is an obstacle course
but if you get through it the reward is immense
·Prince charming – Not what we expect, usually
scruffy or unavailable
·Bride or Groom getting ditched at the altar
·Faithful side-kick who has a thing for the male
also
·Loveable mother
·The strict father
·The supportive friend
·Social misfits
·Dancing has become an element of romance films
·Rich people introduced to the inner-city
·Misfortune brings people together
·An airport setting is usually involved
·Love is separated by space or time
·Has the meaning of following your heart not your
head
Codes and Conventions
·Boy and
girl are usually very attractive ·Sound is
important as it sets the atmosphere of the film ·Usually
calm music is played for a relaxed feel ·Dialogue
between the couple to introduce them ·Aimed at
a female audience ·Between
the certificate of 12 and 15 as they are mainly aimed at teenagers ·A modern
and urban setting - a school, office or a beach ·In a
typical opening of the film, sound may be quite as the main characters are
talking ·In some way a relationship will be involved and
there will be someone trying to break them appart ·Statuses are involved ·Sexuality ·Narrative - falling in love, dating or kissing
In this opening scene, the audience
can clearly identify that the genre of the film is an action because of the
conventions which are met. These conventions are explosions, gun shots and
later on in the opening scene the audience is shown a fight scene and stunts.
These are all things that an audience would expect to see in an action film.
The sound of this opening is mainly
non-diegetic as the music in the background can only be heard by the audience.
The music is there to build up tension throughout the chase scene and fighting.
There is some narrative in the opening when the antagonists are talking between
each other. They communicate very little as they are being secretive which
might engage the audience more as they will want to know what is going on.
Some camera shots in this opening
include close ups, medium shots and birds-eye view. These are a suitable range
for the opening of an action because they will tell the audience more about
certain characters and also more about the setting of the film. The birds-eye
view is used to show the antagonists going down a zip wire which shows stunts
and also the city which is beneath them. This is shown as a busy setting so it
makes the audience feel like it is a modern setting, another one of the
conventions of an action film. The close ups are on the antagonists masks. This
is common in an action film as the antagonist is never usually revealed until
much later on in the film. The camera used a medium shot as this makes the
audience understand the characters and what they are like by things like body
language and the way they dress.
Some props that were used in this
opening scene were mainly weapons which suggest that the film is an action as
it will contain fighting with these weapons at some point. There are also some
things which help them with stunts such as the tables in the bank as this will
help them jump over things and hide from certain people.
The main character isn't introduced
in the opening scene until a later point which engages the audience as they
will want to know who the protagonist is and what they are like. From most
action films, the protagonist is usually a muscular man who is very masculine
at everything he does. The antagonist is usually a feminine and he will leave
all the fighting and drama to his fellow side-kicks. This will engage the
audience as they will want to know why the antagonist is scared and fearful of
the protagonist. The protagonist is usually very smartly dressed at the
beginning of the film and then by the end, his clothes are scruffy and dirty.
In this film the genre is hybridized
between a comedy and also a horror. This is evident because of the supernatural
theme of zombies. The audience can tell by the end of the opening scene that
this is a comedy because of the actor Simon Pegg. He is in many comedy films
which makes the audience recognise the genre quickly. The film is mainly about
a group of people fighting off zombies making this a horror also. As the film
titles are introduced you can tell that there will be zombies in this film as
there are a group of teenagers that appear to be zombies. The audience can tell
this by the way the character is walking.
The types of shots in this opening
are a range between medium shots and long shots. The long shots are there to
create the characters personality to the audience as in the opening when the
titles are in the shot the audience can immediately tell that the people
present are zombies by the way they are dressed and also by their body
language. In this case the people who seem to be teenagers as they are in
hoodies and loose fitting clothes are zombies as their posture is slouched and
also they are very slow at walking. A medium shot is used to show the
protagonist and what his living is like. The camera then pans out into a long
shot which we see he has a flat mate who is sat on the sofa and playing a video
game. This makes the audience think that the protagonist does not work. Also
the camera shot allows the audience to see the flat and the way the two men are
living. In this case, the flat is a mess and also there are beer cans scattered
around the room suggesting that maybe they both like to drink and have a good
time. The way they are both dressed in the long shot suggests that neither of
them go to work and that the one of the sofa slouches around all day and
doesn't do anything for a living. However, this is not the case as when the
protagonist sits down the other male says "you've got work"
suggesting that this man stays at home and depends on the working man for
money. However, because the house is such a mess the audience is led to believe
that the money all goes towards drink and take-away’s. This may stereotype
males within the age group as they are always expected that they waste all
money on alcohol and nothing important.
The sound in this opening is a creepy
yet up-beat music which suggests that in a way this is a horror however it may
be a comedy at the same time. This is a good way to make the audience engaged
into the film because then they don't fully know the genre of the film yet and
may want to watch on to see what the film is about and also feel a part of it.
They may feel like they are part of film as they will feel the character and as
the film is in the protagonist’s perspective, they will feel like they are in
the same position as the protagonist in whatever he might be facing at the
time. The sound is also shown as the camera is showing the towns with zombies
roaming the streets. This will engage the audience as they will be thinking
about how the music fits to the theme of zombies and supernatural.
The opening of this film is good
however it is hard for the audience to tell the genre if they haven't seen the
film before. I think that because it has Simon Pegg in, people will watch it
thinking that this is a comedy film when actually it has a horror theme alongside
it. This may attract a wider audience as the film will open up to different
genres which will suit different people and what they like. However, some
people who like horrors may not want comedy linked in with it and the audience
that watch comedies are generally female suggesting that putting a horror
alongside the film will mean that they probably will not enjoy the film as
much.
In a horror film, the audience that generally go to see them are male and at the ages of 15-35 as this is the age where they tend to feel the most fearful. I think that the ages starts at 15 because this is the general certificate for horror films and that they will want to see a horror much more than older men. I think that men will enjoy a horror much more than women because they prefer something that they can relate to in the sense that they like to act brave but they still like some sort of thriller to scare them.
Most couples will go to horrors as the male will play the role of the protector and the woman can hide into his shoulder. Most couples go to see horrors recently rather than a romantic comedy.
As this table shows, the majority of people that went to see a horror film were from the lower working class. This could be because stereotypically the lower class tend to prefer being scared as they think of it as a joke and that they tend to go around scaring others suggesting that they like the sense of fear and spreading it to other people around them. Also, the highest amount of people that went were between the ages of 15- 24 which suggests that because they are a younger audience that they prefer being scared compared to an elder audience. This may suggest why the lower class went to see more horror films as between that age range they will not have a well paid job and so will be considered as the working class.
Some of the themes in horror films can reflect the audience by creating the sense of fear throughout. This relates to the audience as we have all felt fearful in our life. Some themes include, fear, paranormal, supernatural and crime. These all reflect the audience in some way as they all relate to everyone in different ways. I think this is the good thing about horror movies as they connect to the audience and make them feel like they are included and like they are a part of the film.
Also, because people find that they like to be scared that they will want to see more horror films in the cinema as they will feel that the film gives them an adrenaline rush which they will relate to the characters in film and how they are feeling. This may reflect the audience as they will know that in a moment of fear everyone will have an adrenaline rush as they will be panicing.
In this opening scene from the film footloose you can immediatly tell that this is a musical film as the background music is up beat and the shots show that everyone is dancing and that everyone is having a good time. This is a good opening for a musical as it introduces the theme song and also the genre of music. In this film the music is generally country which you can tell by the fact most people in this scene are wearing boots and seem to be line dancing. However as there are a differentation in shoes the audience may think that the genre of music changes throughout the film.
Some things to expect in a musical is that everyone will be happy and having a good time throughout the film. Also there will be some form of musical theatre, singing, dancing or drama, to follow the genre. Also, there will usually include a dependant woman in the film that will usually cause a distraction to the protagonist. She will usually be really good at dancing or singing which will attract the protagonist and then will be shy of showing her talent as an act of flirting. However, in this film the woman is a not afraid of showing her talent which attracts the protagonist. In the opening you can't see the protagonist or the woman and you cant tell who this will be. Having watched the film, I know that this is because they haven't attended the party and you aren't introduced to them until a later stage.
Some of the camera angles in this opening scene consist of close up to show the feet of the people dancing and also cups on the floor suggesting that this is a party that people have attended. Also there is a medium shot which includes a lot of people singing and dancing allowing the audience to know the genre of the film is a musical.
Throughout the film the audience is introduced to the protagonist and the antagonist which also fits the musical genre as the protagonist is usually identified just before the mid point of the film as the audience will want to be engaged and will want to know who the main character is and why. This make a musical because they usually take a lot to engage a wide range of audiences and so they will want to keep certain people entertained throughout. I think this film includes different genres for people that prefer a different genre. I can tell this with the opening of the film as in the close up with the shoes the types of shoes differ which suggests that the film has a mix of genres in.
The sound of the opening scene of the film is the main title song and also up beat suggesting that this song may have a turning point where some point something must go bad. However, at the time you are led to believe that nothing will go wrong because the audience feel a part of the party which seems all characters are at. This suggests that they will want to watch the whole film as they will want to see what happens after the party.
Jurassic Park is more of hybridized action film withsci-fi as the theme of the film is about ddinosaurs This is an action film as there are computer generated images (CGI) which makes this seem more of an action. There are also some weaponry involved in this films and some chase scenes which make this an action. I like the way the music is in the background and only stops when it is building the tension, for example later in the film there is diegetic sound of when the dinosaur is approaching. This makes tension build which leads to a chase seen where the music begins again at a fast pace.
There is also a very masculine man who is the protagonist as he is always saving the dependant woman. He also looks out for danger and has to save people throughout the film. He starts off in very smart and clean clothes and by the end of the film his clothes are scruffy and un-tidy. This is another convention of an action film.
An action film is also hybridized with another genre. In this case its a mix between action and sci-fi as the dinosaurs make this more of a scientific genre. There are a lot of things that make this an actio film like the fact it is made by universal meaning they had money to be able to make this film as it would of included some high technology in order to create the dinosaurs and to make them move.
The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones
This film is an action because there is a lot of fight scenes including weaponry and chasing. These are some key features that an audience will expect from an action. Also, there are a lot of low key lighting and only highlights the people who are the protagonists. All the antagonists wear much darker clothes to show their dark side. The film includes a supernatural theme as there are people who have the characteristics of vampires. This would draw more female audiences in as they tend to watch more supernatural films.
The sounds in this film are mainly diegetic however the music that over laps the scene creates the emotion of the scene. This will help the audience become drawn into the film as they will gain a sense of the films emotion and also feel like they are a part of the film as the music will effect the way they look at the film.
There are many types of shots in this film, but in the trailer it includes a medium shot to show the body language and for the audience to gain a sense of where the film is set and what the characters are like. There are also close ups to show the facial expressions and emotion of the character. There are also over the shoulder shots which gives the audience an idea of the setting of the film.
In this opening scene of final destination we are shown the first of many events causing people to die. This film doesn't show us immediatly that the genre is a horror however building up in this opening we can tell as when the camera shows close ups of peoples faces they seem to be quite fearful. When the plane begins to move, you can already tell that this is a horror and a thriller. The audience gets drawn in to the film by the opening because they will want to know the outcome of the plane crash and what will happen to remaining survivors.
This is a good opening for a horror film as the film has a thriller side to it which is what the audience want. This is because they will feel tension and also fear which will frighten them, engaging them to the film. They may start to feel apart of the film as they will relate to the characters in which they both sense fear throughtout.
Final desination is more of a thriller than a horror because it includes a lot more dramatic deaths than ones that are grusome. I prefer a thriller horror more than a horror as I find this engages me more. I think this because it will usually have a lot more theory to the film and is not just about people out to kill others in weird and different ways.
The woman in black
This film is the ideological idea of a horror because the opening scene is 3 little girls who all look rather creepy. They start of by playing all happy, then they hear the clock which causes them to look towards the window and to fall out. This makes the audience engaged to the film as they will be wanting to know why the children killed themselves.
The sound in this opening scene is like a child's jack in the box but slowed down a lot to make it seem more creepy. This make it non- diegetic and also creates tension through this particular part of the film. As the girls are walking up to the window the music becomes more dramatic and build the tension further. The only diegetic sound is the clock which both the audience and the children hear. Then after they fall, the audience hear a scream. This leads up to the titles of the film.
The camera angles vary between extreme close up to show the children playing happy with the dolls and then pans out to a medium shot once they start walking to the window. The lighting starts off being light and then changes to low key lighting to show the horror of the house they are in. Also right at the end there seems to be a woman standing in the far right corner which could be interpretated as the woman in black and also the person who told the children to jump out of the window.
The audience for an action film is usually male and and between the ages of 12-24. This is because the films usually havea certificate of 12/15 which can maximise the viewing of the film. I think action films appeal to a male audience because they prefer the fast pace and fight scenes where as women prefer a comedy or a romantic film. A lot of teenagers and young adults will enjoy action films as they have a lot of fighting and explosions which they like. I think that the modern places action films are set engage the audience because they will know the popular destinations of the film. I think that men prefer the tension in films because they will become engages and feel a part of the film. This could be of the particular situation or because its entertaining to them. I feel that teenagers like fighting games which they may feel the action films will include. This will help them understand the film better as they will know games which involve action.
I think that some films are turned into games which makes the teenage audience want to see the film and also will attarct them to the action genre. Boys like to experiment with stunts and fighting which is another reason why I think that teenage boys tend to see an action film more. Also, I think that an action is much more masculine which allows the protagonist in the film to inspire them to either look like them or to act like how they do. This may because it attracts female attention or they want to seem more powerful.
The target audience for a romance film would be mainly female audience in the age range of 15-30 as this will appeal to those who haven't found love as they can feel that there is that person out there. Also, they might also feel that they can relate to the film more as the certificate is usually 12-15 and so the film will usually include characters of around the teenager and young adults years. 
As this table shows, the majority of people that went to see a horror film were from the lower working class. This could be because stereotypically the lower class tend to prefer being scared as they think of it as a joke and that they tend to go around scaring others suggesting that they like the sense of fear and spreading it to other people around them. Also, the highest amount of people that went were between the ages of 15- 24 which suggests that because they are a younger audience that they prefer being scared compared to an elder audience. This may suggest why the lower class went to see more horror films as between that age range they will not have a well paid job and so will be considered as the working class. 