Learning Aim A:
Horror:
Mise En Scene:
Typically, the setting in horror movies is a dark rural place or a deserted place where no one would go. Most places are deserted and isolated. This creates mystery and suspicion throughout the film. Places with such a dark history are often abandoned houses and lonely cemeteries.
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The main props in horror movies would be weapons like knives, axes, and chainsaws that would cause a slow and painful death. The heavier the guns, the better the reaction to the movie, because horror movies are supposed to be pretty scary.
Usually all the gory parts of horror movies are set in the dark at night. The shadows and secret human forms create fear in the audience because they cannot identify the person. The fear of the unknown frightens the audience.
Black and red would be considered colours for a horror film as they all signify danger and tragedy. Red poses the greatest danger of these colors because red can represent multiple things. such as anger, aggression, blood, fire, war and violence. While black signifies power, fear, mystery, misfortune, evil and remorse. The color white is often associated with supernatural horror films because stereotypically, ghosts tend to be white.
Therefore, using color is a powerful tool as it allows the audience to discern what type of message the film is sending.
Most people (mainly victims) in horror movies They are dressed casually but have gone to great lengths to convey their role and personality in the film. If the victim was a teenager, her hair, makeup, and clothing indicate that she is not the innocent victim in the film. Although the villains wear specific costumes (for example, some have masks) to create an identity that instills fear in the audience. For example, in the films Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Jason Voorhees, the villain wears a mask to dress up themselves and their identity.
Evil characters are likely to have a slight smile. or menacing smiles on the masks they wear to almost mock the victim. The body language of the victims would be when they are afraid of the malicious characters. Whereas the villain's attitude would be one of authority and dominance above the victim. This shows that in the scene they have the power to pressure and fear the innocent.
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(taken from: http://bethpatchhorror.weebly.com/horror-films-mise-en-scene.html)
Types of angles/shots:
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Birds Eye/High Angle:
Used to make the figure or object that is shown seem powerless and defenceless.
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Close Up:
Used to see the reaction of certain characters' faces and emotions, Used to capture detail in a scene.
Tracking/Panning Shot:
Used to connote a characters movements from another person. Establishes a scene for the audience. Also used for building suspense.
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Reverse:
Connotes the consequences of actions made and signifies major points in the film.
Tilted Angle:
Adds a lot of tension and mystery as it could signify a supernatural being entering the shot. also used to show weakness in a first person view of a character.
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(taken from: https://prezi.com/qjddlp7uteko/camera-shots-and-angles-for-a-horror-film/)
Types of sounds:
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Diegetic:
Screams, Knocking Doors, Whispers.
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Non-Diegetic:
Scary, frightening soundtracks and other sounds made in post-production.
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SFX:
1. Breathing
Breathing sound effects are one of many essential horror audio tracks. But filmmakers can play with all sorts of breathing to unnerve audiences.
If a character has been running but stops to hide, their heavy breathing might just give them away to their pursuer. Similarly, when a character is dying, the actor and even the sound designer can really play with how their breathing changes from second to second.
2. Monster vocalisations
In a monster horror film, the creature’s breathing will be an absolutely essential ingredient. Sound designers can also play with other non-speaking vocalizations, like roars, hisses (think Ridley Scott’s Alien) or calls to other monsters.
3. Footsteps
Nothing creates tension and terror quite like the footsteps of a killer or creature pursuing its victim. Sound designers can play with the volume and character of footsteps, and by adding reverb, delay and other effects to the audio mix, these footfalls can take on much more sonic complexity.
4. Ghost sound effects
Ghost sound effects can vary from whooshing sounds and a strange ambiance to abstract or indistinct vocalizations. Horror sound designers will typically heavily process sound to give the ghost sound effects an otherworldly vibe.
5. Stabbing, slashing, and other flesh wound sounds
Sounds for stabbing, slashing, impaling, and other mortal flesh wounds, sounds of gore.
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(taken from:https://artlist.io/blog/scary-sound-effects/)
Common stereotypes:
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The Killer:
Most important figure in most horror movies. Sometimes it’s a monster, sometimes it’s a ghost, and sometimes it’s just a person who seems to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in slaughtering people.
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The Final Girl:
This figure is in some ways the most important and enduring one, particularly in the slasher films that were so popular during the 1970s and 1980s. She is typically the only one who survives the slaughter that takes place during the film, and she usually gets the opportunity to take down the villain. Although that victory is usually shown to be incomplete at best and futile at worst.
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The Hunter:
These guys are what even the score for the slaughter. These guys might be the ones to come in and save the day, give the final girl a chance to escape or fight back, or they just might be outmatched by the killer and end up a victim themselves. Still, it's usually an interesting match.
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(taken from: https://screenrant.com/most-common-horror-movie-stereotype-characters/)
In Horror films, We tend to see many enigma codes to foreshadow someones death later in the film. a great example of this is in most, if not all, of the SAW movies where a bunch of characters are placed in a horrifying and predominantly red room, symbolising blood, and are given an almost impossible talk to escape as most characters who have entered have not survived.
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Most horror films tend to ignore Todorovs narratology structure and make the films as complicated as possible as producers may want to make jump scares as unexpected as possible. another reason as to why producers don't follow Todorovs structure is because, also linking onto my previous point, people may think that horror films can become too predictable, taking away the horror element.
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The binary opposites of natural and supernatural create a great point of Levi-Strauss' structuralism theory as this conveys that because the two are greatly different, this means that it would initially be hard to communicate between the two, which also stereotypically makes them enemies. However an exception of this is if there is a mutual connection between two (such as in the undead film Warm Bodies) which ends up creating a sense of love, subverting the stereotypical norms.
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The use of Jumpscares in horror films makes the audience understand that if we take a look to Neale's Genre theory, this Convention would belong to horror as when audiences think of the word horror, they tend to believe that they would not feel too comfortable with watching it.
Action:
Mise En Scene:
In action movies, the audience tends to see a lot of fight scenes and chases, whether it be in a car or just a run. this is used to grab the audiences attention so that they do not get bored of the film. Action films also tend to follow Todorovs narrative structure strictly and simply. This would consist of a main character who stereotypically has had previous training of some sort of major fighting experience and has given up the life of fighting and is forced to come back to his dark ways and save a loved one.
A stereotypical colour theme that might be used could be some sort of camouflage colour which consists of Dark Green, Brown and Black. this could be used as many action movies would contain fights (whether it'd be with heavy weapons or just fists). So by using the camouflage colour, this would enhance the vibe of action. Another stereotypical point which could be accepted is that in many action figures, the primary colours are usually as stated.
Another stereotypical colour theme which can be stated is the grainy blue texture (similarly to the Taken poster below). this is used to connote that the character is NOT idle and is making the poster look more action packed and would automatically keep the audience on their feet.
Both Diegetic and Non-Diegetic sounds mix together, creating a soundscape to encapsulate their audiences so that, as stated in my previous point, they would not feel bored to the film. This would include a mix of Diegetic (bangs, crashes, gun shots) and Non-Diegetic (A fast-paced score, loud SFX).
Types of angles/shots:
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High Angle:
Can be used to signify a greater threat which might be hard for the protagonist to defeat.
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Over The Shoulder:
While the characters are fighting, the shot can show the protagonists/
antagonists side of the fight.
Establishing Shot:
Builds suspense by showing where the action might take place.
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Tilted angle:
shows the danger/ threat going into a bigger and more harder phase, this can make the audience more hyped as it shows that there is more to the fight.
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Two Shot:
Could signify the two who are fighting in that point which makes that area sealed off.
Types of sounds:
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Diegetic:
Dialogue and background sounds such as people speaking and radio playing around the main characters. The Mode Of Address would be very loud and chaotic when the main characters are fighting so that it matches the vibe of the scene.
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Non-Diegetic:
Rapid and upbeat score to enhance the action.
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SFX:
Loud Crashes and more:
Loud Crashes, explosions, and even footsteps with many more that can be stated can be applicable in action sound effects as these effects could be the difference between what makes a good action movie and what makes a great action movie as these sound effects could reel in the audience, making them constantly attracted to the movie. this also means that students who study media like myself, could take inspiration to the variety of sound effects which are included in action movies.
Common stereotypes:
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The hero coming out of retirement:
An action hero is just about to enjoy his retirement (or a relaxing vacation) when he immediately gets roped into his next mission. It always seems to go that way, doesn’t it? Whether jaded by experience or wisened by age, many protagonists eschew a life of perilous action to enjoy some domesticity and peace.
Ticking Time Bomb:
The time ticking Bomb raises the stakes to sky-high levels. The real problem with it is how the amount of time remaining on the clock never actually coordinates with the length of the scene. While it can be chalked up to the magic of editing, it’s still pretty weird to have a scene stretch on when you know very well that the clock is nearly at zero.
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Ending In Romance:
The main guy and girl almost always get together romantically after they’ve undergone the most traumatic experience of their lives. Movies in general tend to put a more romantic spin on life, so it’s not surprising that this bleeds into the action genre. As much as we love punching and gunfights, a well-earned kiss can cause an audience to cheer.
Speedy fighting styles:
In action, we tend to see many of our heroes giving the fast paced fights with such little breaks in between, this is used to indicate that the fight is very significant and that if you miss it, you gotta rewatch the whole movie again.
(Taken From: https://screencrush.com/worst-action-movie-cliches/)
In Action films, We tend to see many enigma codes to foreshadow that there will be the main protagonists downfall and then shortly after presented with an uprising. These enigma codes tend to be the damsel in distress which stereotypically would become the main protagonists fatal flaw, and the time where he overcomes his fear of losing her and embraces his power is the time that he builds the courage to fight the main antagonist.
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Most Action films tend to follow Todorovs narratology structure very seriously as the films that we see have the casual main protagonist, antagonist and the damsel in distress which gets taken by the antagonist in the climax point of the movie and by the resolution, the protagonist gets the woman of his dreams back and they live happily ever after. The reasoning as to why people love this structure for Action movies is because instead of knowing when something is coming (like Horror films), people would rather love to see what is coming and how big and bad the antagonist is.
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The binary opposites of Protagonist and Antagonist (Hero vs Villain) create a great point of Levi-Strauss' structuralism theory as this conveys that because the two are greatly different, both of their backgrounds and how they were raised were different. this gives them different opinions on how they should live their lives, which also stereotypically makes them enemies. To solidify my point, at the beginning of the film Megamind, it shows us the life of a Villain and how his life is extraordinarily different from the protagonists life which gives us an empathetic connection with the Villain.
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The use of the protagonists downfall to triumph in Action films makes the audience understand that if we take a look to Neale's Genre theory, this Convention would belong to Action as by having that downfall for the protagonist to learn from his mistakes, this gives him a chance to triumph with it. An example of this is in black Panther where the main protagonist dies , gets revived by his family and gets revenge on the antagonist.
Romance:
Mise En Scene:
In most romances, there are stereo typical places that they are set. They are normally set in an urban environment, a beach, and a school etc, places where a chance encounter would happen. When a romance film opens, it is likely that much of the setting will be shown to the audience from the use of establishing shots and wide shots showing characters and much of the setting and area behind them. Depending on where they are situated, this can sometimes help the audience interpret what they think is going to happen in the film.
There are few typical props you can expect to see some sort of flowers and gifts that will be given to one of the main character. The giving of gifts is commonly associated with the genre as it is the reflection of romance and commonly romance is represented as a relationship with giving and usually ending up with pair being married after the pair has some sort of disruption or disequilibrium. Moreover props help draw the audience in by putting sometimes tension, a twist or a hint of humor on the scene. Depending on what is being shown, some props shown in a romance genre film opening are very significant to the rest of the film and the story line.
The lighting in mise en scene is vital as it helps to give an understanding of the genre from previous experiences and also could foreshadow what is yet to come.
(Taken From: https://rahmeenshaikha2.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/mise-en-scene/)
Types of angles/shots:
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Establishing Shot:
This shot is used to set the scene and location of the story; where everything will take place. In Romantic drama films these shots are usually shown from either the central characters point of view or are shown neutrally from no one’s point of view.
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Long shot:
Helps audience to be able see the characters entire body along with some of the scenery. Long shots can determine how much space the characters have around them and how close the two main characters are to one another which can be a good judgment for an audience on how much they like/dislike each other at that period in the film.
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Close Up:
Used in Romantic Comedies to show the central characters feelings and emotions. They allow audience to see just the characters face in order to make a judgment on what they might be feeling or thinking.
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Two shot:
Used throughout romantic drama for the purpose of showing how the relationship develops throughout the film. A two shot is also used in order to show a particular relationship between two characters.
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(Taken From: https://rahmeenshaikha2.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/mise-en-scene/)
Types of Sounds:
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Diegetic:
Social noises (such as background speaking) which will be taking place in the back, giving the scene a little more integrity. The mode of address (tone) would be very light and elegant which would make the main characters' voices heard when they keep their voices low.
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Non Diegetic:
A calm and soothing melody for the main characters to dance together in sync.
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SFX:
Feet tapping lightly to symbolise the pair dancing, swoosh of the dress to give depth into the elegancy of a dance, Rhythmic piano to show that the scene is perfect for our characters.
Common Stereotypes:
Damsel In Distress:
Throughout many romance films, we tend to see that the female always needs the man to save her when she is in danger, making the woman vulnerable and the man heroic, this is why this technique is mainly used in superhero films such as Spiderman and Superman.
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The Big Make-Over:
The only reason women wear glasses in romantic movies, it seems, is to remove them during their transformation scene and with just those two changes, our protagonist will become unrecognisable to everyone around her and irresistible to all potential love interests.
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The Rush To The Airport:
The last minute rush to the woman of his dreams as she almost goes onto the aeroplane to go to another country stops her and tells her something so major that she ends up cancelling her journey and partakes in a new one with the man.
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(Taken From: https://www.stylist.co.uk/entertainment/film/romantic-movie-tropes-cliches/563992)
In Romance films, We tend to see many enigma codes, such as a flower or a ring, which is the staple of a couples relationship. To further explain, if the gift that the man bought the woman (or vice versa) becomes lost, then the relationship between the two gets broken until the gift gets found again. When seeing these enigma codes, we can suspect that something both positive and negative will occur because of said object.
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Most Romance films tend to follow Todorovs narratology structure in an odd yet simple structure where we have two protagonists and no antagonists, and the pair stereotypically go on an adventure where they build their relationship to the point where they feel as if they trust each other, however one major secret was not told which separate the two but then the pair end up getting back together and they live happily ever after.
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The binary opposites of both the man and woman (where the man is very rich and the woman is living a normal and standard life) create a great point of Levi-Strauss' structuralism theory as this conveys that because the two are greatly different, both of their backgrounds and how they were raised were different. This would then enhance their relationship as it give both of them an experience which they may never experience again, which also stereotypically makes them perfect for each other. An example of this is from the 50 Shades trilogy where we have the stereotypical rich man who encounters a regular woman and they partake in a journey with many ups and downs and live happily ever after.
The use of the protagonists downfall to triumph in Action films makes the audience understand that if we take a look to Neale's Genre theory, this Convention would belong to Action as by having that downfall for the protagonist to learn from his mistakes, this gives him a chance to triumph with it. An example of this is in black Panther where the main protagonist dies , gets revived by his family and gets revenge on the antagonist.
Comedy:
Types of angles/shots:
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The Comparison/Two Shot:
You can really shine as a director by using this type of shot. It relies on similar or nearly identical shots being shown at different points in the video or film, with their direct comparison creating the comedy. It takes a lot of planning, but viewers will continue to appreciate all the differences the more they watch it and notice the subtleties.
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The Quick Zoom:
The quick zoom is like a push in, but keeps the camera stationary and uses a zoom instead. It creates a higher energy level and an immediacy which follows with a punchline, giving a power duo.
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The Pull Out:
A pull out accomplishes the opposite of the push in. It gives an overall context to the scene and usually lets viewers know that what we’re seeing right now isn’t the whole picture. It can also keep going and going to hammer the point home… and then go some more.
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(Taken From: https://blog.pond5.com/16424-10-comedic-camera-techniques-every-filmmaker-know/)
Mise En Scene:
In a comedy film, the soundtrack would be more upbeat and positive as opposed to the sinister tracks that are used more often in action films or thrillers so that audiences can be happy and enjoy the experience even more.
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The lighting in a comedy film would also be potentially brighter and is very natural to reflect the mood and tone of the film; the brighter, the happier.
The make-up that's shown in comedy films is also usually more clean and colourful. The costume designs in comedy films can vary. Although the films don't necessarily require certain shades of colours in order for them to be a success, some comedy films do use bright colours with lots of vibrancy in order to portray a sense of spontaneity.
There are lots of colours in comedy. The wall of magazines is a plethora of colors, providing the illusion of organized chaos.
Props in comedy films can vary in accordance to the tone of the film. Although, the most common kind of props are usually whacky or wild-seeming as to add to the "crazy" theme that may be involved with the film.
Taken from:
http://callummclaughlin.blogspot.com/2015/09/genre-conventions-mise-en-scene-comedy.html
https://machapman.wordpress.com/comedya-brief-history-and-its-mis-en-scene/
Types of Sounds:
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Diegetic:
Social noises (such as background speaking and laughing) which will be taking place in the back, giving the scene a little more integrity and making the scene more alive. The mode of address (tone) would be very directed to the main character and would work around what the character says and does.
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Non Diegetic:
Linking onto diegetic, a crowd laughter soundtrack could be placed within the film to ensure that a point in the scene is a time of laughter.
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SFX:
Again relating to the audiences laughter created into a sound effect, giving consistency to a scene and making sure the audience feel more attached to the movie.
Common Stereotypes:
The Clown:
for this stereotype, the clown usually is the one to make the jokes and wear the white makeup and the big red nose to give a comedic effect for the audience, the clown will also have certain props and be very dramatic with every action he makes.
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The short one acting tough:
A main example which can be used for this stereotype is Kevin Hart as. he
tends to work with many big actors such as The Rock and Ice Cube, giving him a height disadvantage. but what makes him very comedic is the fact that he tries to be as big and bad as the large characters.
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In Comedy films, We tend to see many enigma codes, However these enigma codes are extremely stereotypical and usually are not used in the way which we intend. An example of this is in the film Central Intelligence where in one scene, The main character who is presumed to be special Ops, uses a Banana to fight someone, this is then exposed by another main character who is scared shouts "He's Got A Banana!"
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Most Comedy films tend to follow Todorovs narratology structure as Todorovs structure wouldn't necessarily work for strict comedies as there would not be a downfall for the protagonist as it wouldn't be taken seriously by the audience.
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The binary opposites of both the funny person and the serious person creates a great point of Levi-Strauss' structuralism theory as this conveys that because the two are greatly different. This would then enhance their friendship as it would give them lessons which they can take for the rest of their lives. A perfect example of this is in the film The Man From Toronto, where we have an actual assassin and an imposter who is taken through the life of person A.
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The use of breaking the fourth wall in comedy movies could enhance Neale's Genre Theory as "it can create a stronger affinity with the character who briefly acknowledges us and invites us into his/her world." as mentioned from (https://garryberman.medium.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-in-comedy-51edfa9f88f0)
Drama:
Mise En Scene:
In a drama movie, we tend to see a lot of realism and producers like to stick to having normal locations and we come across basic people and we live with them as they live their normal lives, basing off of the stereotypical plot, whatever/wherever it may be. this regards to having normal props such as mobile phones or, relating to my own personal life, a football.
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For lighting, high-key lighting will be predominantly used for drama movies as all the cast and their surroundings will be clearly shown so that the audience can understand and interpret what movie genre the film will be.
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Similarly, props and other uses will also be presented clearly to, as mentioned through my last point, help the audience know what type of film they are watching. For example, if a knife is being presented through a close up shot, it is evident that the object will be used in a significant way, this then ensures that the film either belongs in the action category or the horror category.
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NVC will also be very useful for picturing what genre a drama movie would also connect with. this could be through the way someone expresses themselves as if they were happy, they would express themselves in a positive and relaxed way, whereas if they were to express themselves in a scared manner, they would look very tense and shaky.
Types of angles/shots:
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Wide angle:
The lens is zoomed out all the way to see the widest view possible. Establishing shots are usually wide angles. These shots are good for showing off locations and crowd scenes or distancing the camera from the subject, which could be useful to see someones whole body language to enhance the NVC
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Long shot:
When photographing a person, you see the entire person’s body from head to foot, with the subject filling the frame from top to bottom. Again could be used for NVC gestures such as running or dancing, or when you first introduce characters.
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Over-the-shoulder
When two people are facing each other while talking, place the camera over one of the character’s shoulders to focus on the other person, who is speaking. In the framing, you should see the back of the head and part of the shoulder of the person in the foreground. This can be used to show that the moment is active and that facial expressions are presented.
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(Taken From: https://elearningart.com/blog/basics-angles-film/)
Types of Sounds:
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Diegetic:
Social noises (such as background speaking) which will be taking place in the back, giving the scene a little more integrity. The mode of address (tone) would be very light and elegant which would make the main characters' voices heard when they keep their voices low.
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Non Diegetic:
A calm and soothing melody for the main characters to dance together in sync.
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SFX:
Feet tapping lightly to symbolise the pair dancing, swoosh of the dress to give depth into the elegancy of a dance, Rhythmic piano to show that the scene is perfect for our characters.
Common Stereotypes:
The Main characters cry:
As the protagonists significant other leaves them, they start to reminisce life and look at all the fond memories they had together and we see the main character crying.
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The girl who shouts for help:
This is when the girl is captured by the villain and is begging for help from the protagonist. This is used to show that the main protagonist is put on a task which only he can complete.
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The Smiling Man Analysis:
The setting of this short horror movie is based in a typical middle class home which seems to also be in a quiet area due to the lowkey lighting. The costumes in this short horror movie is very typical where we as the audience see the little girl wearing a bright pink T-shirt with a bowtie along the middle part of the collar, giving a more childlike view to the audience. The props which the little girl encounters gives off a very supernatural and ominous effect as these props appear out of nowhere. The NVC of having the antagonist put blood on his lower face as a smiling symbol, with the addition of having her mother in the back with blood coming out of her area could represent that the antagonist has abnormal intentions with the little girl. Also by having the supernatural characters reactions different to the little girls reactions to the woman sitting cold on the floor could also further represent the difference of intentions of the abnormal person and that because of this difference, the antagonist is portrayed as a villain from the little girls perspective. This could also link to Levi Strauss’ Structuralism theory where we have the difference between innocent and threatening where the girl is innocent and the villain is a danger and is a threatening character. This could also somewhat link to stereotypes of characters as stereotypically, the character who seems abnormal tends to be the threat and the little girl usually is defenceless and dependant.
The Low-key lighting in the scene which gradually turns into High-key lighting could represent that something big is going to enter the scene and in this sense, it was a threat which the little girl was encountering. A point in time where the lighting shifts is in the middle section of the movie where we as the audience can visualise that the dip in lighting is showing that the normal life has changed into something more and that the new light which is shining from the kitchen downstairs will become the new norm for the little girl, which can also further be conveyed to making it so that the audience could believe that the little girl is now trapped in this “new world”.
The use of the wide angle on minute 4:08 could reveal to the audience that, because of the kitchen counter, there is a great evil which can only be seen by the little girl, and judging by her NVC in the shot, it is as if she has not seen this figure before, hence the reason why she is frozen in place as she does not know how to react.
The use of POV shots in the second half of the short movie where the audience is in the eyes of the little girl could give the audience a connection with the girl as both the girl and the audience would feel terrified if there had been a supernatural being giving straight eye contact and giving a devilish laugh. Another reason as to why POV shots is so powerful in this short movie is because the use of POV shots is a general convention in horror movie, as Neale states in his Genre Theory, and that many horror movies must contain POV shots to further extend the depth of jumpscares. Another way Neale's Genre theory can be interpreted in Horror movies is the use of the conventional pause just as the jumpscare is about to come. this is useful in Horror as it forces the audience to stay on their feet and be alert.
The use of the Diegetic sound of the television playing with no other background sounds could convey that a danger is somewhere near as both the little girl and the audience do not know what is happening around her. To extend my point, the noise levels that she is producing is very minimum, meaning that the danger downstairs has, killed what seems to be, her mother very silently, further connoting that the supernatural beings methods are very advanced and should be considered a threat. The use of the gradual non diegetic score in the background could convey that the danger is getting nearer as she picks up the balloons one by one, linking onto another point where Barthes’ Semiotics theory comes in as the balloons are used as an enigma code to symbolise danger, another example of this is in Stephen Kings IT where there is a red balloon everywhere when Pennywise (the main villain) is present. As stated before, The genre Horror tends to go off of Todorov’s Narratology structure and this further portrays my point as the climax, where we see the action take place, takes place towards the end where we as the audience see the danger kill the woman and frightens the little girl.
Fauve analysis:
This short film begins with a canted angle combined with a slow zoom in to connote that the characters’ introduction to the scene is taking place. This is useful to the audience as canted angles stereotypically connote some sort of danger, which could somewhat symbolise the character entering the shot either being in danger or on the other hand, be the danger.
The use of the two shot and the wide angle shows the surroundings and the characters that have been presented so far. This is beneficial as on the one hand, it sets the scene for the audience to have some sort of understanding as to where this short film is set, which by the looks of it seems to be an abandoned train, which could further be interpreted to symbolise an abandoned train station or warehouse. This could relate to Barthes' Semiotics theory as the seats on this abandoned train could also connote to the life that the children are living.On the other hand, this is beneficial to the audience as we can interpret where these characters are in the hierarchy tree, which by identifying the lack of clothing on one of the characters, I can identify that the characters are lower class.
The use of the diegetic sound effect of the repeated banging could give a dramatic effect towards the audience as the reaction given was not that the character hiding was scared, if the character had been scared then the movie would have been considered to be in the horror genre, but due to the laughter after which the audience can visually see, this turns the short movie into a coming of age adventure drama short film. This point could also relate to Neales Genre theory through the extended use of the banging as Neales genre theory states that codes and conventions which link to a certain genre makes the audience believe that the code or convention belongs to the genre.
By watching the first bit of this short film, I believe that this short film will follow Todorovs narratology theory as we had started the short film with the equilibrium where we have our characters and our setting/location. As stated through Levi Strauss' Structuralism theory, The binary opposite of civilisation and uncivilised could represent how different the main characters are and how they would be portrayed to by society. This is evident as in one scene where there is a wide angle, we see a van coming towards the characters and they start to run away as they see the van. This represents a sense of insecurity towards the characters as they are not used to opening out and are scared of the consequences of opening up to the public.
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The use of the low angle shots in the middle of the short film when the two characters are sinking lets the audience know that the characters are in danger. It is also evident through the NVC and how they are struggling to get out by angling themselves and are using shrivelled up face expressions to connote struggle and creates an uncomfortable feeling.
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Towards the end of the film, when the main character starts to tear up, the lighting starts to get warmer. this is effective as this shows his emotion and that he had lost someone dear to his heart. This fits the drama genre as stereotypically, Drama is a somber genre where we as the audience are expected to feel sadness and empathetic towards the character. this would then link to Neale's genre theory as this conventional theme will ensure that the short film belongs in the Drama genre.
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The use of the repetitive Dissolve to roll into the next shot used in editing could connote to the audience that a lot of time has passed and that the reaction given to the audience by the child could also show that the child is tired. This would give a dramatic effect as it is making the one objective of the main character walking through the lands more bigger and leaving the audience confused as to how long it has been, this could also make the audience feel helpless and empathetic towards the child as they are viewing an alone and scared child walk through an unknown territory.
Learning Aim B:
Film Treatment Link:
https://prezi.com/view/iWJK8PWUK7JGW8VcjWY2/
Documents for short film: Recognition
Narrative:
Enigma Codes: A theory that suggests that a text portrays a mystery to attract the audience.
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Linear: Where the structure of a story is in chronological order.
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Non-Linear: Where the structure of a story is NOT in chronological order.
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Multi-Strand Narratives: When a story has more than one root/ more than one protagonist.
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Serial Narrative: When a story is broken down into separate,
sub-stories. Every episode has its own story.
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Series Narrative: When a story is fully told in a set amount of time.
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(most television shows use Series Narrative to create a long story, also could be used to create suspense at the end of every episode.)
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Flexi-Narrative: A story with many twists and turns, attracting the audience.
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Episodic Drama: A story in which is told in parts, leading to an end goal in the final episode.
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Unrestricted Narrative: When the audience knows more than the characters.
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Restricted Narrative: when both the character and the audience are left in the dark as to what happens next.
(A photo of two main protagonists looking at each other)
