Genre Task
Genre Tasks - Using DISTINCT to analyse three different film openings from class and ten one ilm opening of my own choice.
Harry Brown
Describe - Position Of View camera on a phone makes you feel as if you are there and the graininess of the shot gives it that low light phone filmed feel that you would expect from amateur filming. Having the camera being close to the action you get a feel as if you are there and its real.
Setting - Suburban residential area of London.
Theme - Hoodie Horror, Thriller Drama
Icon - The Drugs being used set that they are a bad part to society, the gun being used like a toy by the boys sets attention on them and have the judgments on them that the filmmaker would want, they want us to hate the "chavs" and have that they are the bad side. The pram that the mother has sets the emotional connection of motherhood with her making the watcher immediately feel more connected to them because everyone has a mother and because of this when she eventually gets killed it makes the watcher feel even worse and angry at the "chavs". Another icon was the motorbike that the "chavs" were riding, this reckless and dangerous vehicle mirrored the reckless and dangerous nature of the "chavs" and the sound of the motorbike added the sense of speed to the video.
Narrative - From the opening scene the watcher gets the idea tat the story will be following the "chavs" in some way.
Characters - The characters that have been see so far in the opening scene are only "chavs", it is assumed that they are the local gang.
Text Analysis - The darkness in the shot at the beginning sets the dark grimy mood of a London based film and gives the impression that what is happening shouldn't be done in the light of day and is bad. There are quick jump cuts in the part of the motorbike scene to add to the high intensity and fast pace of the scene, also the shaky cam with it being filmed on a phone makes you feel the intensity of what is happening in the scene also some shots of just the ground and sky add to the disorganization that is in the scene with them accidentally killing the mom. The gun shot during the shooting at the mum scene, the gun sot is very loud and then there is silence on te scene where as before the shots there was the sound of laughing, the motorbike and the wind etc so the shot making silence could be that it is deafening so there is no noise or that this is a pinnacle part to the scene and it draws all the attention to the gun and where it is aiming and counting the time in between each shot. The head shot on the mum is seen in the corner of the video as the camera is moving so this means it is only in sot for a second so the viewer can't see how fake it looks and still has the same impact as seeing it.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Setting - Dark, cavern with ruined buildings in the background, not anything immediately recognized from earth thus suspected to be on a different planet and this is reinforced by the title Guardians of the Galaxy - must be in space somewhere, also there are weird animals or creatures seen in the opening scene.
Theme - Theme is overly Sci-Fi based with it being in space, technology and alien creatures but there are links back to earths past with the Sony Walkman and old soul songs being played and then there is the comical part to intro with the dancing along with the music in what is quite a creepy setting and then the kicking of the creatures in quite a childish and playful way and catching one and singing to it like a microphone .
Icons - the Walkman stands out completely from all the other surroundings because it is so in contrast to everything that is sci-fi, a Walkman is something from the 1980's it not something you would link to the a futuristic film like this and that gives this film its quirkiness.
Narrative - Follows this one character on his way to what must be some alien technology.
Characters - The spaceman, childish in his actions and approach to what should be a scary hostile place to be in.
Text Analysis - The comedic aspects of the character makes him immediately likable without even hearing him speaking or saying anything. The action of fighting small creatures and then jumping over a crevice with rocket boots add the awe and excitement that you want from a sci-fi film and the upbeatness and happy song behind gets your attention to the screen to see what happens along with the song.
What Lies Beneath
Setting - Starts in what seems like a normal house then moves into the steamy bathroom, restricting vision equals eeriness : "What can't you see?" Setting is in what seems like a normal house making it relate-able to the watcher making it feel more real like it could happen in their home.
Theme - Horror, classic horror scary noises, reflections in the mirror and writing in the mirror all signs of it.
Icons - The bath being filled up to the rim with no one being in the bathroom and then the writing in the mirrors steam these icons are used specifically to add to the horror scare type of this film.
Narrative - We follow this woman who lives in this "haunted house" and how she is interacting with this ghost that is in her life or how the ghost interacts with her.
Characters - Woman who seems to already know about the haunting ghost because she screams "What do you want" like the ghost has been around before and the creepy female ghost.
Text Analysis - The eery sound of high pitched violin slowly getting louder so it raises the tension as the womans gazes falls upon the steam coming out the bathroom and as she go to the door and opens it. The use of the reflection in a steamed mirror takes away the features of the ghost making it even scarier. The quick breathing from the actress adds to the high tension of the opening. The fact that this is the intro grabs the watchers attention because they know no context to anything that is happening making them want to keep watching to understand.
My choice..
Lord of War
Setting - Looks like the middle east, a warzone maybe as the floor is filled with bullet shells andf there are blown up cars.
Theme - Drama, Action, Biographical
Icons - Bullet shells tell you it is to do with war, shooting and violence. The suit and briefcase on the man tells you he is a businessman not one necessarily fighting in the war.
Narrative - This man and his involvement with war and arms dealing shown through the following of a bullet on its journey from creation to being shot and killing someone, showing that this story will maybe show what the man thought was just business will ruin other peoples lives and maybe his own and shows this film is heavily about arms dealing and its impacts.
Character - Businessman/arms dealer selling weapons to anyone without knowing and or caring the impacts across the world.
Text Analysis - Sound of wind in beginning gives the impression that the place is desolate and empty and all the bullet shells and the bullet fire in background hints that maybe it is empty because of war. The character turns and talks directly to camera/to you, breaking the forth walk, maybe this is like he is talking to himself and this is his mind and he is talking to himself like a businessman telling themselves there goals with stats and analytics because the character talks of selling more guns. The following of he bullet truly shows how the arms dealer could be thinking how its is just selling an object, the bullet being in the factory just an object, but then once in a gun and fired it is not an object but a god like instrument taking away life, everything has a magnitude to it and the arms dealer isn't seeing this.
