micro features: (plan)
sound
-water is a reoccuring sound, -pouring kettle,running bath, dripping of taps at the end, significant because it suggests thats the way she dies.
-The phone, texts and phone calls etc, the way the stalker and the girl communicates.
never really see the stalker, just hints such as phone calls and texts etc establish that there is someone following faye in a suspenseful way.
cinematography- lighting and camera work- Lighting, dark ark scenes to set the mood towards the end. but in the start the lighting is light , sunny day, and quite natural, this shows the transition and progress of the events getting worse for faye.
- camera work- when the stalker is watching from outside, the camera zooms through the window to show the audience what hes looking at, almost like his eyes focusing, also builds tension as it looks as though hes getting closer to her.
setting: a house- could happen to anyone- happens in a place you should feel secure and comfortable
bath - where you relax, cleanse yourself, but becomes literally a 'blood bath' and an area of sin.
editing- lots of cuts.long scenes to match the timing of the action, slow build up to build tension
mise-en-scene-
performance- facial expressions, suggestive to the audience that somethings not right when shes read the texts etc.
Monday, 25 April 2016
Monday, 22 February 2016
coursework evaluation: (nearly finished)
The aim for this creative project was to create a short movie clip of a 'stalker scene' with the intention to create an atmosphere of mystery and makes the audience feel tense and suspense. I worked on this film with Marnie Whatmough, we split the responsibility of the production between us equally.
The psychographic target audience of our film is people interested in horror/thriller films. The demographic audience would be teenage boys and girls.
Sound was a significant micro element in our film sequence, with the purpose to add to the dramatic atmosphere. Throughout the sequence of scenes water is a reoccurring sound, for example; Faye makes a cup of tea - the water pouring into the kettle is heightened, as well as the sound of water pouring out of the kettle into her drink. This exaggerated diegetic sound is used to draw the audiences attention to the theme of water that continues throughout the clip, creating an eerie atmosphere and forces the audience to question its significance. Faye runs a bath, this is focused upon as its the only sound that can be heard furthermore we enhanced the volume so that it was louder than the other sounds in the clip. The repetitions of water sounds throughout the film is important as at the end of the film it is suggestive that that is the way she dies, as she is in the bath when the stalker attacks, therefore different sounds of water being played throughout the film is a build up and subconsciously pre warns the audience as subliminally messages. The final diegetic sound is of dripping water from the bath tap. We purposefully put in slow dripping water because the pauses in between created tension, as the audience didn't quite know what to expect, it allowed them to reflect on the high pace events which had just took place which were a direct contrast as the drips are a very slow and soothing sound and helps bring the film to a mysterious end, leaving the audience clueless as to what happens next and lets them conclude their own ending as to what will happen next, this is good because it means they will be thinking about the film after it has ended and will have impacted upon them greatly which was the purpose of our film - to provoke audience response.
Another sound often heard is notifications from phones; such as texts, typing sounds, ringtones and also phone calls being ended. This is also an important sound as it shows a connection between Faye and her stalker, although he is never actually seen in the scene it infers he is still present. This creates tension for the audience as whenever a sound from the phone is heard they automatically presume that it is the stalker, therefore making them feel tense and on edge to see what the next text says or what will happen to Faye.
The house we used was a plain simple family home, this was because a house is seen as somewhere you feel secure and comfortable and surrounded by family and safety. Meaning that this could happen to anyone, therefore the audience would feel slightly on edge about the film and could relate as the film is taking place in an ordinary building, perhaps one similar to what they live in themselves. The family home is seen as a place to relax etc however the end scene is dramatic and shows the house as an area of sin where an awful murder has happened.
Overall, the film we created shows the generic conventions of a horror/mystery film. I believe it was successful as it was genuinely tense and created suspense when I watched it. Our main aim when producing this film was to create and atmosphere of expense over a long drawn out period of time, which we did successfully through sound and camerawork (our key micro elements when making the film.) Audiences expect horror, and suspense furthermore to be emotionally involved with the characters and feel genuinely scared for them when watching horrors, we addressed the needs of the audience as we provided them with comfortable reassurance through generic signifiers of a horror and an engaging narrative.
The psychographic target audience of our film is people interested in horror/thriller films. The demographic audience would be teenage boys and girls.
Sound was a significant micro element in our film sequence, with the purpose to add to the dramatic atmosphere. Throughout the sequence of scenes water is a reoccurring sound, for example; Faye makes a cup of tea - the water pouring into the kettle is heightened, as well as the sound of water pouring out of the kettle into her drink. This exaggerated diegetic sound is used to draw the audiences attention to the theme of water that continues throughout the clip, creating an eerie atmosphere and forces the audience to question its significance. Faye runs a bath, this is focused upon as its the only sound that can be heard furthermore we enhanced the volume so that it was louder than the other sounds in the clip. The repetitions of water sounds throughout the film is important as at the end of the film it is suggestive that that is the way she dies, as she is in the bath when the stalker attacks, therefore different sounds of water being played throughout the film is a build up and subconsciously pre warns the audience as subliminally messages. The final diegetic sound is of dripping water from the bath tap. We purposefully put in slow dripping water because the pauses in between created tension, as the audience didn't quite know what to expect, it allowed them to reflect on the high pace events which had just took place which were a direct contrast as the drips are a very slow and soothing sound and helps bring the film to a mysterious end, leaving the audience clueless as to what happens next and lets them conclude their own ending as to what will happen next, this is good because it means they will be thinking about the film after it has ended and will have impacted upon them greatly which was the purpose of our film - to provoke audience response.
Another sound often heard is notifications from phones; such as texts, typing sounds, ringtones and also phone calls being ended. This is also an important sound as it shows a connection between Faye and her stalker, although he is never actually seen in the scene it infers he is still present. This creates tension for the audience as whenever a sound from the phone is heard they automatically presume that it is the stalker, therefore making them feel tense and on edge to see what the next text says or what will happen to Faye.
Cinematography was another significant aspect. At the start of the film sequence
Faye is walking home on a bright sunny day this goes against the conventions of a horror film- as it is a light, pleasant environment. However when she enters the house the
lighting becomes significantly darker, this represents Faye entering a
mysterious /dangerous environment, this is typical of a thriller film. The lighting throughout the film gets
darker and darker, as towards the end when Faye is in the bath the lights are
switched off so that she is in pitch black. The clips getting darker and darker gradually represents the escalating danger throughout the film clip. The pitch black scene at the end represents the end for faye, as darkness has negative connotations such as death and isolation which is exactly what happens to Faye as she is trapped alone at risk, furthermore also represents the end of the film clip. This scares the audience which is what they expect and demand from a horror/thriller film.
(Pictures show this below)
Camerawork is also an important feature of our film as we show a lot of close up shots to focus upon emotion or certain objects etc, and as it is a tense film the audience can then audience see the emotion and fear that faye feels. These techniques are frequent in horror films therefore we have adhered to the generic codes and conventions of a horror/thriller film. A particular shot I specifically like is when the stalker is watching from outside, the camera zooms through the window to show the audience what he's looking at, almost like his eyes focusing, also it builds tension as it looks as though he's getting closer to her slowly. (Pictures shows this zoom below)
(Pictures show this below)
The house we used was a plain simple family home, this was because a house is seen as somewhere you feel secure and comfortable and surrounded by family and safety. Meaning that this could happen to anyone, therefore the audience would feel slightly on edge about the film and could relate as the film is taking place in an ordinary building, perhaps one similar to what they live in themselves. The family home is seen as a place to relax etc however the end scene is dramatic and shows the house as an area of sin where an awful murder has happened.
Overall, the film we created shows the generic conventions of a horror/mystery film. I believe it was successful as it was genuinely tense and created suspense when I watched it. Our main aim when producing this film was to create and atmosphere of expense over a long drawn out period of time, which we did successfully through sound and camerawork (our key micro elements when making the film.) Audiences expect horror, and suspense furthermore to be emotionally involved with the characters and feel genuinely scared for them when watching horrors, we addressed the needs of the audience as we provided them with comfortable reassurance through generic signifiers of a horror and an engaging narrative.
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
Messages And Values in The Opening Sequence Of Harry Brown.
Value: The importance of human life.
Message: Criminality spiralling out of control, fractured community.
Message: Respect (lack of it)
Message: Loneliness of old age
Message: Appearence and reality, and people not being what they expected to be.
Message: No value of authority figures.
Message: Criminality spiralling out of control, fractured community.
Message: Respect (lack of it)
Message: Loneliness of old age
Message: Appearence and reality, and people not being what they expected to be.
Message: No value of authority figures.
Monday, 18 January 2016
Bullet Boy Show Me Task;
How mise- en- scene shows deprivation and poverty;
- Windows boarded up.
- Flats, unfurnished and undecorated.
- Graffiti and smashed windows.
- Small cramped rooms (Curtis and Ricky sharing a bedroom).
- Council estates.
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Male and Female representations in Bullet Boy
Beverley-
Shea-
Comparison (Females): Both Beverley and Shea are strong characters, they both want Ricky to come away from his criminal past and start again. Furthermore both characters seem to shut Ricky out as they cannot cope with his constant involvement in crime- Shea wont let Ricky into her house and Beverley kicks Ricky out for the sake of Curtis.
Ricky-
Wisdom-
Comparison (Males): Wisdom and Ricky seem to have both come from a life of crime, however as Ricky was sentenced and let out of prison it seemed to have changed his attitude to crime, as he'd rather not be involved in it. His loyalty to Wisdom affects him and drags him back into his old criminal ways. Both characters die, however Ricky ironically dies whilst attempting to escape crime, whereas Wisdom dies from his involvement in crime.
- Strong mother.
- Cares about whats best for her children.
- Single parent
- Hardworking, determined to be a good role model.
- Surviving in an environment where she's not expected to succeed.
- Selfless.
- Example: Kicks Ricky out in order to protect Curtis and prevent him from following the same life path as Ricky.
Shea-
- Cares for Ricky
- Wants him to stay out of crime.
- Strong.
- Cant cope with Ricky being involved with crime.
- Gives Ricky chance after chance.
- Not able to change Ricky.
- Example: At the end of the film she wont let Ricky in and is crying because she's so frustrated with him and his involvement in crime.
Comparison (Females): Both Beverley and Shea are strong characters, they both want Ricky to come away from his criminal past and start again. Furthermore both characters seem to shut Ricky out as they cannot cope with his constant involvement in crime- Shea wont let Ricky into her house and Beverley kicks Ricky out for the sake of Curtis.
Ricky-
- Ex convict.
- Involved in crime.
- Loyal to his best friend wisdom.
- Can't escape his life of crime.
- Reluctant to carry on participating in crime.
- Example: Keeps trying to persuade Wisdom to leave the conflict and stop getting involved in crime.
Wisdom-
- Depends upon crime subconsciously
- Can't escape his life of crime.
- Scared to lose face/ his reputation.
- He spirals out of control with crime.
- Vulnerable, as all he knows is crime.
- Retaliates to Godfrey.
- Pulls Ricky into his old criminal ways.
- Example: In the garage scene, Ricky tells Wisdom to get out and stop the crime, however he doesn't know how to because he doesn't know any better.
Comparison (Males): Wisdom and Ricky seem to have both come from a life of crime, however as Ricky was sentenced and let out of prison it seemed to have changed his attitude to crime, as he'd rather not be involved in it. His loyalty to Wisdom affects him and drags him back into his old criminal ways. Both characters die, however Ricky ironically dies whilst attempting to escape crime, whereas Wisdom dies from his involvement in crime.
Themes and Issues in; The Krays, Bullet Boy, Harry Brown.
The
Krays
•
Organised
crime
•
Gun
culture
•
A
life of crime (i.e. crime as a profession)
•
Honour
among villains
•
Loyalty
and brotherhood
•
Gritty
and realistic depictions of crime
•
Failure
of law and the police
•
Appearance
and reality
Bullet
Boy
•
Poverty
and deprivation
•
Gang
crime
•
Gun
culture
•
A
life of crime (i.e. falling unwillingly into crime)
•
Desire
to break away from criminal influences
•
Access
to guns, especially for youngsters
•
Youth,
the pressures on youth and a lack of opportunity, especially for black working
class youth
•
Gritty
and realistic depictions of crime
•
Innocent
victims
•
Breakdown
of the family
•
Strong
female characters
•
Failure
of the justice system
•
Under-privilege/disadvantage
Harry
Brown
•
Drug
abuse
•
Gang
crime
•
Gun
culture
•
Housing
estates and the failure of social housing
•
Age
(old age in particular)
•
Honour
among criminals (how does this compare to The Krays?)
•
Gritty
and realistic depictions of crime
•
Fractured
British Society
•
The
professionalism of the police
•
Strong
female characters
•
Innocent
victims
•
Breakdown
of the family
•
Ineffective
law enforcement and the failure of society to hold it to account
•
Sexual
Abuse
Monday, 14 December 2015
Bullet Boy Questions
1. To which character do the title refer to? Explain your answer.
Technically the title could refer to either ; Wisdom, Ricky, Rio, or Curtis as throughout the film they all come into contact with a gun. Personally I think that the title refers to curtis, as he as actually just a boy. In my opinion the film is about him as nearly every decision made in the film affects him somehow, which his mum picks up on later on in the film when she kicks ricky out in order to protect curtis. I think he is the main character and the films about him.
2. What are the main messages, values and social issues in the film?
A major issue present in the film 'Bullet Boy' is conflict. Firstly the most obvious conflict is the physical conflict between the gangs, and as a result of this people end up killed such as Wisdom. This rivalry takes place throughout the film right to the end when a gang murder ricky. However, Ricky also faces an internal conflict, he battles in his mind between his loyalty to his best friend wisdom, and also doing whats best for himself and his family/girlfriend. His loyalty to wisdom gets him into trouble, furthermore he actually ends up dead because of it.
A theme portrayed all the way throughout this film is the deprivation, furthermore poverty. The area is poor, therefore youths have turned to crime in order to maintain their social position, and earn respect from other youths, rather than being valued for their achievements, they judge one another dependant upon their 'street cred'. They are deprived of opportunities to escape their poverty and area, furthrmore it appears as though no one can help , Ricky attempts to make his life better and to escape his life of crime however his loyalty (also another prominent theme) to Wisdom prevents this.
3.How are the people and places represented in the film? Consider:
In my opinion London is quite a diverse area, there is both the wealthy part such as Chelsea and the deprived areas such as those shown in the film, where crime is rife. The stereotypical view of London is that its a place of tourism consisting of things such as Buckingham palace, the London eye and parliament etc.This film explores the less deprived less talked about parts of london that are hidden by the media. Its a more realistic but negative view of London and is actually set in an area referred to as 'the murder mile' therefore I believe that the film is an accurate representation of what the area is like, two people (Wisdom and Ricky) are shot and killed in this film with not much time between the deaths, this also shows that some youths in that area don't place much value upon a life.
A stereotype that is fulfilled is that of youths in deprived areas. They look out for their friends, for example Ricky looks out for Wisdom and vice versa, furthermore Godfrey and his friends also watch out for one another, they all have an obscene amount of loyalty for one another and are willing to put their self in danger in order to look out for their friends. This may be due to the lack of family influence in their life.
Ricky both refutes and follows the stereotype of a black youth. He reinforces the stereotype that he is associated with crime as he has been in prison furthermore owns a gun. However throughout the film we see Ricky develop as he attempts to change his life around for the better, unlike many of the other black youths in the area.
-whether the film offer a realistic view of London. How this representation differs from other common representations of London.
-How the characters challenge and fulfil stereotypes.
Technically the title could refer to either ; Wisdom, Ricky, Rio, or Curtis as throughout the film they all come into contact with a gun. Personally I think that the title refers to curtis, as he as actually just a boy. In my opinion the film is about him as nearly every decision made in the film affects him somehow, which his mum picks up on later on in the film when she kicks ricky out in order to protect curtis. I think he is the main character and the films about him.
2. What are the main messages, values and social issues in the film?
A major issue present in the film 'Bullet Boy' is conflict. Firstly the most obvious conflict is the physical conflict between the gangs, and as a result of this people end up killed such as Wisdom. This rivalry takes place throughout the film right to the end when a gang murder ricky. However, Ricky also faces an internal conflict, he battles in his mind between his loyalty to his best friend wisdom, and also doing whats best for himself and his family/girlfriend. His loyalty to wisdom gets him into trouble, furthermore he actually ends up dead because of it.
A theme portrayed all the way throughout this film is the deprivation, furthermore poverty. The area is poor, therefore youths have turned to crime in order to maintain their social position, and earn respect from other youths, rather than being valued for their achievements, they judge one another dependant upon their 'street cred'. They are deprived of opportunities to escape their poverty and area, furthrmore it appears as though no one can help , Ricky attempts to make his life better and to escape his life of crime however his loyalty (also another prominent theme) to Wisdom prevents this.
3.How are the people and places represented in the film? Consider:
In my opinion London is quite a diverse area, there is both the wealthy part such as Chelsea and the deprived areas such as those shown in the film, where crime is rife. The stereotypical view of London is that its a place of tourism consisting of things such as Buckingham palace, the London eye and parliament etc.This film explores the less deprived less talked about parts of london that are hidden by the media. Its a more realistic but negative view of London and is actually set in an area referred to as 'the murder mile' therefore I believe that the film is an accurate representation of what the area is like, two people (Wisdom and Ricky) are shot and killed in this film with not much time between the deaths, this also shows that some youths in that area don't place much value upon a life.
A stereotype that is fulfilled is that of youths in deprived areas. They look out for their friends, for example Ricky looks out for Wisdom and vice versa, furthermore Godfrey and his friends also watch out for one another, they all have an obscene amount of loyalty for one another and are willing to put their self in danger in order to look out for their friends. This may be due to the lack of family influence in their life.
Ricky both refutes and follows the stereotype of a black youth. He reinforces the stereotype that he is associated with crime as he has been in prison furthermore owns a gun. However throughout the film we see Ricky develop as he attempts to change his life around for the better, unlike many of the other black youths in the area.
-whether the film offer a realistic view of London. How this representation differs from other common representations of London.
-How the characters challenge and fulfil stereotypes.
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