Evaluation Task 2

 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 

 

 

My media product is based around one small social group - young, awkward teenagers. I chose this group in particular as through its representation, the characters go on to represent other themes. For instance, the characters are alone in the woods - this fits in with the stereotype that awkward teens prefer to be away from other people; by making the forest the location where the action takes place, the stereotype then mixes with the cinematic trope of magic and unknown power residing in a natural setting such as this.

The characters are dressed simply, with no bright colours or flashy designs or labels. The idea of teenagers wanting the newest and the most fashionable clothing better suits the characters of a chick flick than an action-comedy. This then represents more of their character, as often in films writers like to introduce red herrings and obscure characters that do not draw attention at first but later turn out to be vital to the plot. In order to further represent the social group to which my characters belong, I decided to give them a look of insignificance; if you saw them in the street, nothing would draw your attention to them at all. Classically teens of this social group prefer to go unnoticed.

In this shot especially, the order in which I placed the characters echoes both a filmic stereotype and defies a social one. Teenagers in this social group are often classed as 'different'. This perfectly suits my film, and I used this idea when arranging the shot - by having the two older, taller, and more menacing looking characters either side and the small, less threatening one in the centre, the arrangement creates an unusual hierarchy of unusual human beings. In a different social group - perhaps of more popular teenagers, the largest/prettiest, most powerful member of the group would take the centre. As for the filmic stereotype, to represent the social group of 'nerds', 'chief nerd' is often the one you do not expect. However, in films such as these there is often more unity in the social group from the start, so not distinct leader is set in stone.

Evaluation Task 1 - 9 Shot Analysis

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

Shot 1 -

For my production company logo, I really liked the concept of the MGM 'roaring lion', but I wanted something a little quirkier to suit my chosen genre. When we were filming the last of the shots, we noticed a cat watching us from a window and I saw an opportunity to get my lion into my film. Fortunately he decided to yawn for us and now he is my own MGM 'esque' mascot. 

 

Shot 2 - 

Here I wanted to apply two of the key aspects of 'indie' film openings:

1. Set up an enigma that will later be discovered/resolved/defeated

2. Establish an equilibrium by showing ordinary objects in an ordinary setting (e.g. teenage jeans and trainers)

 

Shot 3 -

For this project I wanted to obey the convention of having the credit for a particular actor show up on screen when said actor is present for the principle characters. I also wanted to again show the mundane and ordinary aspects of the world the audience is viewing.

Shot 4 -

In this shot I wanted to introduce the second character, but not his surroundings. It is apparent he is outside, as is the first character, but I didn't want to show the distance between the two, meaning I can put that to better effect later on.

 

Shot 5 - 

I wanted this shot to be the first time the audience gets a sense of something out of the ordinary going on, so by having the character open the book on that specific double page reading something suspicious I felt it would take the rest of the film off in a different direction, as is the norm with other films of this genre.

     

Shot 6 - 

Here I used close up to allow time for the second character to come closer without the audience's knowledge. I also wanted to have some 'irregular' shots to better suit the conventions of the genre and to give those watching a better feel of what kind of film this is.

Shot 7 - 

Here I wanted to show a full scope of where the previous events had taken place. Where the first character came from, where the second hid, where the first moved to and where the second ran away are all visible in this shot. I also wanted to introduce the third character before you saw her as she is also an enigma, and so I wanted to give the audience a hint of what's to come and build anticipation. 

 

Shot 8 - 

Here I wanted to defy camera convention and add a few shots that do not agree with the 180 degree rule etc., as in may chase scenes and similar films (from which I took my inspiration) they take several different and illogical angles and compile them to make a faster moving, more visually interesting piece. I also wanted a shot of both actors running at the same time, to show the chase more clearly. 

 

Shot 9 -

In this shot I wanted to build up the suspense, and make a bigger moment of the book changing hands. I wanted the tension to mount and the audience to get a sense of danger, especially as a young girl is handing the book over, making it seem she is as dangerous as the book.

Shot 10 -

By having this as my last shot, I wanted to establish a hierarchy as they do in many films of this genre. I wanted to make clear the fact that the girl is the head if the operation and the other two are more like henchmen in comparison. 

Sound

This is my chosen background music for my 2 minute film opening.

Le Weekend

This weekend, I happened to watch 'Le Weekend' with my parents, staring Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan .

We didn't actually make it to the end of the film after stopping midway at my mum's request. I didn't particularly mind cutting the film short as I had lost interest after about 20 minutes, but she explained her reasoning was this:

The dreary grey colours and back-lit rooms the film were shot in made the whole story dull and made it seem slow moving. It had an air of lethargy about it, and the lack of non-diegetic sound  in places where there was a dire need for it made it painful to try and concentrate. After stopping, my mum told me that on the 'love film' website who had sent her the film, there was a review from the one other person who had ordered it - completely trashing it.

I  thought there seemed to be very long shots, and the camera stayed still for much of the time. It also stayed a long way away from the actors, and often looked from the darkness into a lit room. For a film that was supposed to be watching a British couple try to harness the romance of Paris to fix their marriage, the mise-en-scene was very dull and grey. The imperial suite the couple stay in appears drained, possibly due to a camera filter. Large expanses of cobbled grey road backed with white clouds and the plain clothes of the actors made it genuinely hard to keep interested in what the film had to say.

We will never know how 'Le weekend' ended or if the couple saved their marriage, but Paris seemed extremely unromantic  throughout their stay.

Audience Research...

Inside the actors' studio...

Disney Case Study - Frozen

Disney's latest animated adventure 'Frozen' is inspired by the much loved tale 'The Snow Queen' by Hans Christen Andersen. The film portrays the relationship of two princesses - one with magical ice powers, one without. After revealing her powers to her people by accident, princess Elsa flees in shame - unaware that her emotions have unleashed an eternal winter on her kingdom. It is up to her sister Anna to find her and stop the plight of the villagers.

Hans Christen Andersen's classic children's tale has been revamped; the classic German fairy story altered for an American audience, complete with a more elegant choice of names: (Gurda, Bulda and Kai become Anna, Elsa and Kristoff).

Production Companies: 

Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Pictures

Producers:

John Lasseter
Peter Del Vecho

Distributors: 

B&H Distribution
Feelgood Entertainment
Legend Cinemas
Forum Hungary
United International Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Japan
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Finland
Zon Audiovisuais

Directors:

Chris Buck
Jennifer Lee

Writers:

Jennifer Lee
Shane Morris
Chris Buck
Hans Christen Andersen (fairy tale)
Dean Wellins

Box Office

Budget:

 $150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $67,391,326 (USA) (29 November 2013)

Gross:

 $399,877,967 (USA) (18 April 2014)

Frozen is the highest grossing animated film ever created.

Several Easter Eggs were placed throughout the film for the audience to find, such as Vanellope's car from 'Wreck It Ralph' and Rapunzel and Eugene from 'Tangled', as well as an anagram using the character's names: 'Hans' 'Kristoff' 'Anna' 'Sven' - Hans Christen Anderson, and published these online to attract a wider audience.

The Nintendo DS game was released in November 2013, before the film was released in the USA. The price is considerably less before the film comes out and the company knows it will be a success, after which the price goes up depending on the reception of the animation by the audience.

Disney and Frozen websites allowed access to trailers, cast interviews, character interviews, games, sneak previews, and songs. The songs 'Let It Go' and 'Do you wanna build a snowman?' were released before the film came out along with the piece of animation that goes with it. These were then available to purchase on iTunes as well as being promoted on Facebook walls and other social networks.

My Film Opening

Inspired by other films in the Pastiche genre, I plan to create a film opening that both conforms to the conventions of the title, and has some unconventional aspects to it.

I want to show the teen film genre convention of 'friendship and unity'. The characters will be to some extent a team and work together from the start to show they are for the same cause. I plan to base the focus of the film around one significant object - probably a book. In this genre there is often an object of great power, e.g. the one ring in the lord of the rings. The book will have a similar power and value, but by having young people fighting for it I intend to almost mock the fellowship that fights for the ring. In this way my film opening will have a slightly juvenile feel due to the fact that teenagers are in a laughably serious setting. There will be a chase scene, as this is a strict convention from which I refuse to break. It shows both the power of the object and the determination of the characters and a multitude of shots can be used so I intend to include one.