Film language - learner response

WWW: Intelligent points made about representations.

EBI: Try to make explicit reference to theories, e.g. Barts action/enigma codes, Propp character roles, Levis Strautts binary opposition, write an extra paragraph for both questions

Barts theory of action and enigma codes takes place within the film United 93, as when we are within the traffic controllers room a lot of engima is created, as the audience wonders what is happening, this could be because of all the sound that has been occurring within the background, which is digetic sound. Enigma codes makes the audience wonder why are all these noises happening and why is there so much chaos going on, all the sound created digetically makes the atmosphere seem more realistic. Moreover, Barts theory of action codes was also being used, as it is a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through the action, such as the plane crashes and the traffic controllers get the message through the system. 

Levis Strautts theory of binary opposition was used as we could see the clear contrast between the traffic controllers office and a normal office which is a difference between the places, we could see how chaotic both places were, but within the traffic controllers office there was a lot of low-key lighting which created a lot of shadows, whereas within the normal office there was a lot of back lighting from the computer screens and it was visually very bright, this could be done to show the difference between the areas. This could show how both different areas are represented in different ways to show their different lifestyles. Moreover, the character roles were very different, as the traffic controllers were very stressed out, as we could see by their facial expressions and their tone of voice, the frustration was shown as they were in a rush, getting signals from everywhere, as they didn't want this crash to occur, whereas the people in the plane were very scared, as we could tell by their facial expressions, but they didn't talk which created a lot of enigma codes and also it showed a contrast between the characters which were portrayed.  

Furthermore, Propps theory of character roles, there wasn't a protagonist within the film United 93, this could be due to the fact their are many characters with a similar role, suggesting Americans have similar roles within society. All the characters within the trailer are hard working and doing what their job role consists of, we can tell they are all hard working due to their facial expressions, as it shows determination and commitment towards the work they are given, and also the body language at times, as the bent body language of a character within the traffic controllers room indicates he is into his work and the way he points his fingers onto the screen connotes he is looking into the situation carefully. 

Preliminary Production

There are two main characters within this trailer whom are the protagonists. There is a low-angle, long shot of a girl walking towards the door connoting she has more power, the long shot allows us to see the girls body language and costume, then there is a extreme close up shot of her hand touching the door, which suddenly opens which was our match on action. The extreme close up shot of her hand creates enigma for the audience which is a theory by Barts, as we wonder what is behind that door, it also creates suspense as the movement is very slow, the movement of her hand is also very important, as it denotes her feelings. 

Furthermore, she slowly opens the door, which creates tension for the audience, and it has more of an effect, as she enters slowly she shuts the door behind her, which makes a loud noise thus creating tension for the audience. Moreover, everything around her is quiet, this is binary opposition which is a theory by Levi Strauss, as the atmosphere changes from quiet to a loud bang, this also foreshadows what will happen next. As she enters the room, her face drops down, which connotes she must have done something bad to be in that situation, her facial expressions creates enigma as we wonder why she is upset. Within the first scene, there are many different shots being used, which create suspense and tension for the audience.

Furthermore, there is a point of view shot of the girl looking at the girl who is talking, this allows us to see her facial expressions clearly and also it allows the audience to experience the girls frustration, as she is being questioned and accused. There was a close-up shot of the girls hands moving, which connotes tension for the audience, as she was the one whom was questioning the other girl so she had the lead role as she had full control over the situation, and she was also already in the scene, which shows she has more power, straight after her hands there is a close-up shot of the girls feet whom is being accused, the slow speed of her feet shaking showed the tension she had within in. Furthermore, there is also an over the shoulder shot, which show the girls shoulder and this could create enigma as the audience would think someone is behind her.

The lighting used is natural light, from the windows, which makes the trailer look more realistic. Moreover, there is high-key lighting which suggests a upbeat mood for the audience, however there is some low-key lighting within this trailer which connote shadows being formed, the key and back lighting create a dark shadow called chiaroscuro, which makes the audience scared and it gives the trailer an intense feeling as it goes on. Within the whole trailer we used a variety of different lights, in order keep the flow of the trailer going, but also keep it realistic and natural. 

The sound used within this trailer is digetic, as the sound of the door bangs, is the actually bang, the bang of the door creates enigma and action codes which is Barts theory, as it was all quiet and then suddenly there is a bang, this wasn't intentional, but it makes the audience frightened. The vocal expressions of both protagonists weren't edited as it wouldn't be realistic. Moreover, we decided to use digetic sound as it is more natural whereas non-diegtic sound wouldn't be natural and it could have ruined the flow of our trailer. 

Furthermore, the setting of the trailer is within a school, or an office, as the table the two protagonists are sitting on is long, connoting it is a conference room or an office where big meetings could be held. The binary opposition within this scene contrasts between the colours of the girl and the room, the room goes along with the flow of the trailer being mystical whereas the clothing of the girl doesn't match the scene, as her clothing is very bright and it contrasts with the way she is acting, such as her facial expressions, body language and movement. Her facial expressions connote she is scared as her face is always down, her body language is always to herself and her movement is very calm and slow, she paces herself. Whereas her clothing being bright suggests she should be hyperactive. 

The editing used within this trailer is very simple, there are a few straight cuts, which allow the audience to get straight to the point, there is a straight cut as the girl walks towards the table to sit down and then there is an establishing shot of the table, which allows the audience to see everything going on within the scene. The use of straight cut is very simple and basic, it allows the audience to engage with the trailer more as it gets straight to the point after the cut.

WWW: We planned our preliminary exercise on a storyboard with 15 different shots, we changed a few things whilst we were recording, but we stuck to having 15 different shots, the storyboard helped us, as it was a guidance of to what we were to do next and how we should move on. Moreover, we stuck to the 180 degrees rule throughout our trailer, to make the trailer more realistic. The 180 degrees rule is an imaginary line, which we didn't cross, as the first character was framed from the right side and we continued to frame it that way, and the second character was framed from the left side, which allowed our trailer to be more realistic, and also it would be the point of view the other character sees things. We aimed to use two different theorists within our trailer - Barts and Levis Strauss, the editing worked really well and it was really effective. 

EBI: We had a tripod to use, as the camera angles weren't as stead. We could have used more camera shots, and also tried to add in different effects, we could have used more editing such as a dissolve or fade or even a black out. We could have come up with a more creative idea and added onto it, as our story line wasn't as strong and it not being clear could cause confusion for the audience. We could have used some non-digetic sound, in the background to avoid the speak overs happening or the little giggles, and also it would have built on the tension for the audience. We could have had a tilt or tracking shot of Ashwaria as she was the victim. 

Stereotypes VS Alternatives

Media forms and representations

How does the trailer use media language to catch the attention of the audience?

This trailer portrays many different camera angles and shots, which catch the audiences attention, firstly at the start there is a shot of a guys back, its as if the camera is following him so the audience feel more involved and they have more power as they are behind therefore they are able to do anything and see what the guy is doing, this is a tracking shot. The guy is all black and this could make this audience feel scared as there are no colours, however the background lighting is low-key which creates shadows, and makes the guy stand out from the background, we see the guy holding a gun which could connote danger and the audience will therefore feel intimidated. There is also an over-the-shoulder shot, which allows us to see over the guys shoulder and see what is ahead of him. There is an establishing shot, which allows us to see the beautiful scenery, the camera moves backwards making the scene very tense. The trailer has many different camera angles which make the audience wanting to watch, there is a close-up shot of the guy with a gun, however the gun is blurred out connoting importance of the guy, the close-up shot allows us to see the guys facial expressions clearly. Moreover his facial expressions are serious suggesting he is determine to do whatever he is about to do. There are a few medium shots, which allow us to see the peoples facial expressions and body languages. There is a point-of-view shot of the characters, which allows us to see what they are seeing, which makes the audience feel powerful, as they are able to see what's happening from the actors point of view.

The sound within this trailer is non-digetic but it is parallel to the scenes, as when the cars crash together, they skid apart, and we would imagine this to happen, this is used to create tension and suspense, as this occurs at the start we begin to think there will be something to do with a car crash within the film, the car crash happening at the start could connote importance and it may play a big role within the film as it occurs at the start. The non-digetic sound is very intense and it's loud which is parallel to the story which is being told and it foreshadows what is happening. Additionally, there is a sound bridge as the music is being played over everything connoting the importance of it and how everything is linked together. However there are some digetic sound used within this such as dialogue which is parallel to what is happening, as it what the people are saying.

There are many colours used within the trailer, especially dark colours, this could be due to the lighting being low-key, so therefore the colours being dark to create shadows. The lighting used within this trailer is mostly low-key lighting, which creates a lot of shadows and makes us feel intimidated as there are shadows, this could connote power for the actors over the audience. There is some back lighting being used which creates dramatic shadows and also chiaroscuro. Top lighting has also been used in this trailer when the women is shouting, which allows the actors to stand out, this comes from above and thus allows us to see her facial expressions more clearly.

The trailer uses a range of different media language to catch the audiences attention by portraying them in various different ways and conveying the message of the storyline, the director does this by uses different camera angles/shots, a variety of different sound and also lighting thus the audience being attracted to the trailer.

How is gender represented in the trailer?

This film trailers target audience would be men, as they are the ones whom enjoy the genre of action, and guns are a key element within this movie, this would allow men to gain more knowledge about them by watching this, such as how to use them and when to. This film could come across as a sexist trailer, as men are the target audience, and they are the ones whom play a lead role within this trailer, there are many male characters whom are part of this film. There is a linear pattern which has been conveyed within this trailer, which is beginning, middle and end in chronological order, this progresses towards a resolution involving an equilibrium, disequilibrium and a new equilibrium. so therefore family audiences could watch the film together, as the plot of the story has a deep meaning to it, and this movie connotes a lot of danger happening, and danger occurs often within family and men are always the hero's/protagonist, so the female fatal would expect them to save the day, this would be targeted to family audiences due to them having a feel good-vibe at the end of the film as the hero would save the day, thus them wanting to watch this.

Furthermore, gender is a key element as there are only few female fatals within this trailer whom is the women whom is shouting, using digetic sound which is also parallel to the trailer, she has a higher status due to the clothing she is wearing being smart, her body language is very straight up, however there only a few female fatals thus to show they aren't as important, and there is a male dominance used within this trailer which connotes their importance and power. Gender is represented in this trailer, as there are a lot of props being used, such as guns, explosions and weapons which connotes violence and this could indicate mens interest into this, as men are the more violent type. The sound used within this trailer is digetic sound, as the sound suits the surroundings and setting of where it has been shot within all the scenes. 

Moreover, the film's target audience is men and family audiences as the genre is action and there is a lot of violence which is connoted through media terms therefore having more of an impact on the plot and the flow of the story, there is a lot of enigma codes which have been created leaving the audience to wonder what's going to happen, also as men are the main actors within this trailer gender is represented in an un-fair way as it shows women don't have as equal importance. However this film could relate back to the war days, as men were the ones always fighting and women didn't have much of a say. Moreover, women now have equal rights so therefore film makers should show women and men with equal rights. 

Magazine analysis

Magazine image

This is the image I would put on my front cover of my magazine, as my magazine is about exercising and clothing for women. This picture shows a young lady having fun jumping on a trampoline, as well as her having fun she is able to lose weight. Moreover her clothing stands out which would make women wanting to buy this magazine as the yellow is very bright, her shoes are a well known brand which young women would wear. Her hair is long and red and that is in fashion, so women are able to stay connected with the latest fashion hairstyles and colours. Also her skin is very fair and smooth which connotes she looks after her skin and I would put on the side some skin tips and many other advertisements. This image focuses on her body, as that's what women would like, the good fit body so her face not being in the image doesn't matter.

Media Awards Review

Media awards (23rd October 2012)

Vengeance 

This is a film trailer produced by prime time productions, this was one of the videos presented at Media awards 2012 and they won an award for cinematography.

Firstly the camera movements within the trailer are really effective as they use a variety of different shots, at the start their is a close up shot which creates enigma codes, as the audience just see someone getting strangled and it gets them wondering why that is happening, the close up shot allows the audience to see their facial expressions clearly. Then slowly that same shot is taken down into a medium shot, and then it fades out into a black screen. The use mono-chrome could connote sophistication. There is a light which is being flashed but it isn't so clear which could be because of the mono-chrome. The shot of the guy on the chair is a medium shot which allows us to see his facial expressions however not his body language as clear, as he is sitting down, also it is a high angle shot which connotes the audience has more power and it feels as if it is a CCTV camera footage as it is in mono-chrome and we can see the guy getting slapped, this being at the start gets the audience wondering what will happen next. 

In addition, there are a lot of high angle shots within this trailer, which suggest the people above have more power, one of the scenes when Vinny drops a knife and Danny is on the floor, Danny is helpless and this is shown by his body language and him being on the floor connotes he is powerless whereas Vinny has power as he is above and he able to do whatever he wants to. Also straight after that scene there is another high-angle medium shot of 3 boys with masks on, connoting they have power and as they are wearing masks it makes the audience feel intimidated and scared of them, and the music suggest they are up to no good. Also one of the boys punch the camera which could make the audience feel the punch, as it comes towards us, this gets the audience involved and makes them feel scared.

The sound used within this trailer is really effective, it is non-digetic as it has been added into the trailer however it is parallel, as it fits in with what is happening, the timing of the sound is accurate, for example when the guy gets hit it makes a loud noise which connotes danger and whenever a weapon is hitting the guy a loud noise is created which creates enigma for the audience. Moreover the voice-over allows the audience to know the persons feelings and how they want this person, it get's them wanting to know who is this Vinny person. However they do use some digetic sounds as the phone rings, they could have put the phone on loudspeaker to create this, and also this connotes tension as we aren't aware who they are calling and the music fits well with it as the beat goes higher.

The lighting used within this trailer is mainly low-key lighting and they create a lot of shadows which gets the audience scared and makes them feel intimidated. They have also used natural lighting as they have filmed it at night time and we can tell as it is all dark and the sky is dark black, this could be to create suspense and it could connote it's genre being horror. 

The editing sequences being used were really effective as they clearly show who is who, the effect being used on the people are very dark colours and a comic effect, which connotes to the audience that them actors are important and they play an important role, also the names being written next to the edits suggest that, that is the character. Also it seems as if it's a flashback because the guy Vinny is hitting the other guy with a lot of power and this is shown by his facial expressions as his face is scrunching up and it is serious, however the voice-over is saying they want this Vinny guy, this could be as they want revenge as this Vinny beat up the other guy. Also everything goes backwards after a bit connoting it was the past and this was all a flashback, this could be to acknowledge the fact this Vinny guy hurt someone so people are going to get him back.

The typography used within this trailer is very bold and it stands out, the title flashes out and comes closer to the audience at the start, this connotes importance and the flashing could connote someone blinking. Also the title moves up and down like an eye-lid connoting someone's eye moving. However at the end the title goes backwards suggesting time is moving with it, and everything was a flashback.

Finally to conclude this all up I believe this film trailer was effective they have used a lot of the mise-en-scene and cinematography which allowed them to win the award cinematography award, however they could have made some improvements such as the following...

WWW: The use of the props was really effective- the masks, this was very effective and different, they could have used this to show they are hidden people, nobody needs to know about them - hidden personality. They had used a variety of different camera angles, such as low camera angles which showed the people had power whom had masks on. Their idea was very unique and creative as they had a different idea than the others. 

EBI:  The the quality of the sound was better and the quality of the mic for the voiceover, they could have used a better mic to improve sound quality, as it wasn't easy to hear what they were saying or they could have made the background music lower in sound. Also the quality of the camera, as it wasn't steady therefore we couldn't tell what was happening clearly so a better camera could have been used.

The paper boy

This is a film trailer which was produced in March 2012 by prime time productions, this was one of the videos presented at Media awards and they won two awards one of which was the overall best trailer being produced.

The camera movements within this trailer were really effective as they had used a different shot unlike the other groups which was shot/reverse/shot this made their trailer stand out as it got the audience wanting to know why this is happening. Moreover they had also used close-up shots which allowed us to see the peoples facial expressions very clearly, this could connote power, whom the audience have over the actors. Also they had used a medium shot of a man in the car whom was escaping away from the guy with the paper bag over his head whom was the paper boy, this was effective as it allowed the audience to see his reaction and also his facial expressions and also how he reacts, this could connote that his emotions are important as well as his reactions as we are able to see both. 

Furthermore they had also used mono-chrome, and this worked really well as we were able to tell it was a flashback scene and it was in the past this could connote realism as everyone has flashbacks and thinks about the past. The colours used within the trailer were really dark and dull which connotes danger and it automatically tells us that the genre is horror, the colours could make the audience feel scared and worried about what's going to happen.

They had various scenes were low-key lighting was used, which showed a contrast between the light and dark areas and this is known as chiaroscuro, this created dramatic shadows and connotes there is something after them, so there is something they need to be aware of as there could be danger around the corner. The use of low-key lighting allowed the audience to feel more intense and intimidated as shadows were created, which creates enigma for the audience.

Moreover, they had used digetic sound within their trailer, which shows they wanted to keep it as realistic as possible, they done this by dialogue at the start of the trailer when a girl was getting bullied by a bunch of boys. Also this sound was parallel towards the trailer as it fitted in with the scene which could connote realism. Moreover they had used some non-digetic sounds in order to enhance their storyline, the non-digetic music added in was parallel as it was something we would expect to here in them scenes, they weren't contrapuntal and not matching the scenes.

In addition there were continuous editing sequences which allowed the audience to see how the shots are placed logically and how the story line goes on, it get's the audience trying to figure out how it goes on, so this would make them wanting to watch on, as we saw a shot of a group of students bullying one another and then suddenly the same shot moves by a dissolve to older people and a boy with a paper bag on his head whom is the paper boy this is a medium-shot which allows us to see the paper bag clearly and his body language, this gets the audience thinking and wondering why that's happening, and they will realise it was an flashback and the paper boy wanted revenge from them people as they have an history together.


The typography used for the title was really bold which connotes power and shows importance, also as it was in the middle and came out to the audience it connotes that there is going to be something which will happen within the film to do with a paper boy, as the title is called 'The paper boy' it implies its about a boy with a paper.  


Finally to conclude this all up I believe this film trailer was really good and effective they have used a lot of the mise-en-scene and cinematography which allowed them to win the award, however they could have made some improvements such as the following...

WWW: The sound quality was really effective and it showed they had used a good camera which allowed them to have good sound, and they had used a range of shots and camera angles which made their work even better and therefore it stood out to the audience.

EBI: They could have used a better camera to improve the quality of the images and so the close-up shots were more accurate and we could see them properly. Also they could have used a variety of lightings to enhance the story-line of the trailer, they could have used high-key lighting in some parts to show power and also back-lighting. 

Fish tank review

The director of the movie Fish tank, was mentioned within the trailer of the film. It stated "The most honoured British film of the year, 3 European & 8 British independent film awards nominations, including BEST FILM, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ACTRESS" this automatically gets the audience wondering who the director could be, then we are told its Andrea Arnold. I'm aware of another film she has directed called 'Red Road' this was another low budget film she directed just like fish tank. I believe she done a good job whilst creating the film, even though she had a low budget, the lighting and camera angle shots were really effective.
 Moreover the main stars within the film aren't known, they are just random people who enjoy acting, the audience won't be familiar with them as they aren't known, however I believe they portrayed their roles within the film really well, Mia had acted so sophisticated which thrilled the audience, her facial expression and body language were suited to her role, her costume connoted the type of character she is, she was a very lazy, tom-boy character as she always wore joggers. 
The plot of the film is about a mother and daughter who are trapped in a cage of a cruel man, they are under his powers, and he just uses them both and then leaves them and goes back to his original wife and little daughter. I think the plot was confusing and a bit all over the place, however the girl Mia the main actor was from an low class background and this was shown as she lived in a flat, within a council estate. The actors within the film aren't known, but they're acting was really good and it suited the plot, Mia was a girl who was stuck-up, aggressive and even troublesome, she was age 15 but acted older, also she has a passion for dancing, as it allowed her to be in her own world doing what she liked without anyone nagging her. Mia's mums boyfriend Connor began to live with them and Mia didn't like him at first as she found him annoying but sooner she began to like him as they started growing on a bond together, he made her happy and gave her fatherly love, it showed he cared but little did she know he had bad intentions she wasn't aware if it was fatherly love or boyfriend love as his actions showed he wanted her. The mothers boyfriend Connor encourages Mia to enter a dancing competition as he said she was really good, as she always preformed in front of him, so she entered it only because he offered to lend the camera so she can shoot her work, as soon as she got accepted she went to the hall where she had to audition but the night before Connor asked for her to dance in front of him so he can see it, he insists her to dance so she does, she dances to his favourite song which he played in the car when they went out on a family day out, this shown he has some significance within her life, after she preformed she went to sit down and they began to kiss and slowly he took off her clothes and they had sex and then at the end he tells her whatever happened stays between them two, and they feel this bond together. The next day she went to the hall to audition in front of other people but then left it as she saw everyone else preforming other dances but hers was different to theirs so she felt as if she wasn't good enough. Connor leaves Mia and her mother and goes back to his original family, the mother panics and cries as she is worried and scared, so Mia goes searching for him and finds out he has a family, he cheated on Mia, her mother and the family. Mia feels hopeless as she has nobody by her side, what ever makes her happy sooner or later goes, her happiness doesn't last for long, she thought she had something for a while but then it all went. Furthermore Mia wants to ruin his life so she makes her target his little girl but then she doesn't do anything to her as she has a heart. 
The genre of this film is an emotional diverse drama, which gets to the audience. This film highlights all the negative outlooks of life, it shows how people are happy at one point when they have something so little, and when that little things gone they are hopeless, which could connote  they're life is not worth living. This film fits the expectation as at the end of the Fish tank we are supposed to be feeling disgusted, especially the younger target audience 16+ as it is unusual for a teenager to have an affair with their mothers boyfriend. However some people could be used to this as it does happen in real life, so the movies target was to get the point across it's wrong for this to occur, and happiness can be taken away at any point, even when its just begun.
The soundtrack for this movie were parallel to the scenes, and also there was use of non-diegetic and diegetic which emphasis on the situation the girl was in and makes the audience feel sorry for her, there was a part where we could hear the footsteps which could connote her anger as she was also walking fast, this was diegetic as it wasn't put in the scene it happened naturally. The atmosphere created was emotional for the audience because of all the different types of soundtracks. 
This movies target audience would be teenagers over 15, this is because nowadays teenagers go through a lot of problems and they need help and support, thus this movie being aimed at them as they get to see what people go through. Teenagers have a number of issues and problems such as unemployment, drugs, sexual abuse and drinking, however theses sorts of problems are mostly people from the estates as they are dangerous places, and also gangs have theses issues. I would recommend for teenagers to watch this film as by this they are able to be more aware of situations around them and how people are dealing with them, as it is essential for teenagers to be aware of the big bad world, as they are going into adulthood and some people have bad intentions so they need to be careful on what they do and how they make moves. Moreover how other people suffer when they don't get what they want and are trapped in a tank with no exit, also as the society is very stereotypical about teenagers being dangerous and always causing problems, this movie shows some reasons why society think that, so in order for society to change their beliefs teenagers need to act on their actions and they way they come across which is so negative and which could cause problems and connote danger to society. Overall I would advise my friends whom are 15+ to watch this film as there are many things that we are able to learn from within this film.