Treatment

The subgenre is British Gangster and is inspired by ‘Layer Cake’ with the use of voiceover by the main character and contrast between smartly dressed characters and non-smartly dressed characters. In the opening there is a man who talks about his amazing life using a voiceover and the camera shows his life and family but then he goes into the bathroom and washes his face and when he looks up he’s changed and the tone of the voiceover changes with him, he walks out of the bathroom and the scene changes to an abandoned house where he is hiding from a debt collector. The character is now scruffily dressed and the debt collector is smartly dressed which creates a contrast between them. The character hides from the debt collector (no running or chase scenes) and he finds him and shines a light at his face and the picture freezes, although the voiceover continues for a few seconds before the scene ends. The location’s we are going to use are an abandoned house, a bathroom and a field. The abandoned house gives an eerie feeling and sets the atmosphere, the bathroom contrasts with the dark house and acts as a link between the characters new and old life. The field is an open but deserted space which implies the characters loneliness. The scene creates an enigma as the audience is left wondering why the character is being chased and why his life changed so much, if the film continued it would tell the characters story of why he changed and what happened between the two scenes shown in the opening.

Continuity Task Questions

Question 1) What planning did you do for your filming task, and how did this planning aid in the filming?

First we decided what situation to do that had all the parameters for the brief in. The parameters were walking into a room through a door, sitting down and exchanging two lines of dialogue. After we decided on the situation we chose the actors which were Sarah and Dan and the camera person which was me. We all drew out a story board of how the scene was going to go which included camera angles which made it easier when it came to filming because we just had to follow the plan, the plan followed the brief so if we followed the plan then we would be keeping to the brief. The planning also made the shooting go quickly and efficiently because we didn't have to work out which angles would look better or how to shoot the scene as we had already planned it out.

Question 2) What is the 180 degree rule, and how is this rule important to the filming task?

The 180 degree rule is keeping the camera on the same side of the actors but panning or moving it within 180 degrees. This means keeping the actors on a specific side of the camera, in our continuity task Sarah is always on the left of the camera while Dan is always on the right and this is in keeping with the 180 degree rule. It is important to the filming task because it would confuse the audience if the actors kept switching sides of the camera, so keeping them on the same side makes the action easier to follow by the audience. The 180 degree rule also keeps the audience engaged in the scene as with the 360 degree rule the audience would have to mentally orientate themselves with the camera which reduces their engagement with the action onscreen.

Question 3) What shot types and camera angles did you use in your filming task, and to what effect?

In the first shot we used a long to medium shot in the corridor with Dan walking towards the camera, the camera pans slightly to follow him as he goes to the door. This simulates the human eyes so it is like the audience are observers. The camera switches to a view of inside the room of Dan walking into the room and sitting down, the camera is stationary but pans down when he sits to keep him in view. This is done so it looks like the audience is following the action and the audience are still observing. The next shots are edits between the two speakers and one shot of the space between them where an envelope is being handed over. The camera follows the 180 degree rule in this part of the scene. The camera is low angle when showing Sarah as it makes her look like the dominating figure in the conversation, the angles on Dan are slightly high to make him look smaller and the more vulnerable character in the scene.

Shooting Map

A Shooting Map is an ariel view of the scene which shows the movements of the characters and camera. In the shooting map of our preliminary task the camera starts in the hall following Dan and then switches to inside the room where the main scene takes place. The arrows show where Dan moves and where the camera moves (If it does). The shooting map also shows which side of the characters the camera will be so it shows that the 180 degree rule is being used.

List Of Questions - General Questionnaire

1) Are You Male or Female?

Male
Female

2) What Is Your Age? …………

3) Where Do You Hear About Films? (eg; Trailers, Posters, Word-of-mouth)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4) Which Genre Do You Prefer to Watch? (Choose Three)

Thriller, Romance, Comedy, Rom-Com, Fantasy, Action, Historical, Sci-fi, Drama, Family, Horror, Crime, Mystery, Musical, War/Political,
Other (please state) ……………

5) Where Do You Watch Films Most?

Cinema
TV
Internet

Why?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(If You Chose ‘Cinema’ Please Answer Question 6, If Not Please Skip)

6) Where Do You Go To Watch Films?

ODEON
Vue
Cinema City
Hollywood Screen Cinema

Questionnaire Results For Media Audiences - General

I asked the question "Are you male or female" because in my proposal I wanted to know if males and females have different preferences of genres and how they found out about films. I gave 10 questionnaires out to males and 10 out to females so I would have more balanced results.



I asked "How do you hear about films" and tallied the results. I found that most of the people who answered the questionnaire found out about films through trailers, but they also found out through other means such as word of mouth and posters. I noticed that more males found out about films through word of mouth than females and more females found out about films through posters than males. It seems that males who took my questionnaire tell each other about films they've seen more than the females, this could be because they're are currently more male targetted films screening at Norwich cinemas such as '2012' and 'Jennifers Body'.



I found with this question about genres that the 10 females who took the questionniare liked Thriller and Horror more than the 10 males that took the questionnaire, and that the males liked Comedy and Action more than the females. Comedy was a choice for most of the questionnaire takers. I think that Action films was chosen more by males because Action films are mostly targetted at males, and I think that females liked Thrillers and Horrors more because of the atmosphere that they create - "It's the thrill of getting freaked out which makes you want to watch Horror films once in a while" (Female Questionnaire Taker)



Most of the males and females that took the questionnaire prefered to watch films at the cinema or on TV rather than the internet. I asked why they chose the answers they did (many of the takers choose more than one) to get qualitative data. These are the results I got:

Males:

Cinema -
"I like the big screen, it's a quiet romantic place"
"Best quality"
"Better experience" x2
"To be with friends"

TV -
"It can be with friends and family and it has breaks"
"Cheaper" x3
"Convienience"

Internet -
"Can't be bothered to leave the house"

The males had varied responses to why they liked the cinema/TV/internet. Most of the males that chose the TV chose it because of money, while the males that chose the cinema chose it because of experience/quailty and social reasons.

Females:

Cinema -
"To be with friends" x4
"Experience" x2

TV -
"Cheaper" x3
"Easier" x3

Internet -
"Quicker" x2
"Cheaper"

The female takers had less varied responses than the males, the ones that chose TV and Internet said it was easy and cheap and the ones that chose the cinema said it was for the experience and to be with friends.



Most male and female takers liked viewing films at the Vue, I think this is because it is the easiest to get to as it is in the middle of the city. Vue has more screens and screenings for newly released films so it is more prefered by both male and female teenagers.

Proposal For Media Audiences - General

I will write a questionnaire about how people hear about films, which genres they watch and where they go to watch them. I want to know if males aged 16-18 watch different types of films and go to different places compared to females of the same age.

I will ask mostly multiple answer questions to get some quantitative data but I will also ask some open ended questions for qualitative data.

Question Example:

Where Do You Watch Films Most?

Cinema
TV
Internet

Why?
...........................................

This gives both quantitative and qualitative data.

Notes on Film Openings

LA Confidential



Conventional film noir themes:
- Voiceover
- Dark room, lit with lamps
- Iconic props, guns, cigerettes
- sets a timeframe of the 80s/90s with the old fashioned type writers and attitude to family life.

Non-conventional film noir themes:
- Mood is happy
- Bright sunshine, natural light
- Jazzy music
- Colour
- Wide open spaces
- Public places

Music starts before picture. Voiceover sets a scene of LA being wonderful and amazing, but he suddenly changes and talks about the dark side of LA which contrasts his happy demenour and the jazzy music.

Main characters introduced nut not much is said about his personality. Audience cant relate to him yet. Talks about the image of LA and how wrong it is. The voiceover talks about criminals quite lightly, saying a bodyguard is a "dapper gent" which puts a upbeat spin on a dark subject.

Notes on Film Openings

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels



The main character is portrayed as a wheeler-dealer in the opening of the movie, he can be related to Del boy from 'Only Fools and Horses' which gives the audience an expectation of what may happen in the film.

Conventional film noir features:
- Themes of crime
- Stairways
- Voiceover

Non-conventional film noir features:
- Public places
- Natural daylight
- Personality of character, light-hearted, funny,

British gangster films represent criminality in terms of lovable rogues and cheeky guys, its fails to engages with themes of morality and humanity like in film noir films.

Notes on Film Openings

Layer Cake




- Camera merges between scenes, long slow panning shots, slow motion.
- British markers (cobble stones, zebra crossing)
- Modern
- Theme, crime and drug industry,
- Main character is smartly dressed but not enough to stand out in a crowd.
- Camera constantly moving in the opening scenes which creates a smoothness in the scenes.
- Camera shots used to try and include the audience,
- Voiceover makes the audience feel close to the main character, film noir convention.
- Lighting used to draw audience attention to specific people and objects such as the table which two of the characters are working on.
- Lighting with the main character is warm, lighting on drugs is detatched and clinical.

The main character has a sense of humour and has all the qualities of a good person, except he isn't. These qualities make his relatable to the audience and the danger aspect of his job makes him seem exciting and adventurous.

Most of the lighting in the opening is natural in daylight which is not a convention of film noir as film noir is generally the opposite.

Notes on Film Openings

Sin City




Black and white like old film noir films but the womans dress, lips and eyes are in colour and draw audience's attention.

Iconic props:
- Cigerettes
- Lighter
- Gun

Balcony is in the dark, party in the background makes two characters look isolated, when the camera pulls up away from the scene the characters look even more lonely and insignificant against the huge cityscape.

Film Noir conventions:

- High contrast lighting, (backlighting from party inside)
- Man dressed in black suit with slicked back hair, Women dressed in a red halter neck dress which gives a look of femme-fatale, dialogue makes her look femme-fatale.
- Voiceover,
- Use of night and rain

When the voiceover is speaking after the woman was shot there was no music or soundtrack, just the sounds of the rain which means that audience focuses on what the man is saying.

Notes on Film Openings

Se7en



Film opening:

- Sets timeframe (modern time, 21st century)
- Sets theme (Crime)
- Introduces main characters (Morgan Freeman and Brad pitt as police officers)
- Mood and Atmosphere (Somber)
- Creates enigma's

Opening shows the two main characters as opposites in personality.

Older Man - Asks strange questions, isolated, perfectionist, can't sleep (uses a metronome), lives alone, senior police officers (murders don't surprise him, used to them), dedicated

Younger Man - New to the area, looks at women, friendly, neatly dressed but not overly neat,

The camera switches from views of shaving to a murder, quite drastic difference, shocking. Soun starts before picture, sets the scene before showing one.

Opening title sequence:

- Quick flashing images
- Notebook being written in, pictures of crime scenes, words being omitted from a book, the word 'God' cut out very precisely from a newspaper, all neatly done.
- Crossing out eyes in a picture then the whole thing, sewing sheets of paper together, bandaged fingers, knife cutting fingertips, all look frantic and un-neat.
- The contrast between neat and unneat is quite stark and is unnerving.
- Reminds you of a derranged killer or stalker making a scrap book of deaths.
- Music with pictures is unsettling, close up shots of objects and working hands but the owner of the hands is not shown which is eerie.
- Different camera angles is distrubing because the audience feels unbalanced, could also be a reflection of the unknown person in the opening.
- Text in the opening is scratchy and flickers which further implies the unstable personality of the unknown person.

Notes on Film Openings

Double Indemnity

-chaotic music with empty street with one slightly weaving car, still camera
-finsh 3 shot show chaos, non equalibrium, fast shots, fade to suggest a movement through time.
-backlighting, man linked to man on crutches from the beginning, enigma used.
-chiaroscuro lighting, longer shots, calm pace, camera followes him, idea of iscolation from orderell but empty desk, angular shapes, metaphorical darkness from shadows.
-backlight, lamps in room once turned on, beaurocractic job, isoclation shown by single light.
-very long shot, him getting out cigerettes, editing creates journey. relaxing audience intostory, music still going
-close shots of face, music cut and he becomes the narrator. puts us on his side, implicatioed as his side kicks/accomplies
-fade to another time/scene
-LA, bright light.

Notes on Film Openings

In Bruges

British Gangster Thriller

Film opening - In Bruges

Conventionsl Thriller:
- Close ups of church things
- Voiceover about murder, slang
- Talking snd imsges of london
- Secret about guy/his reaction
- Scenic shots
- Old guy in light s lot. young guy in dark wearing black
- Contrast, gothic, alleys, cobbles, angular
- Weather

Unconventional Thriller:
- Comedy
- Open spaces/light
- Personality of old guy
- Reference to modern culture
- Public, not desolate

Notes on Film Openings

Essex Boys



Film noir conventions, high contrast lighting, background lighting to creat silhouettes. Voiceover of main character to make audience feel connection to him. Tunnel is a metaphor, light from tunnel making bar shaped lines on the car which ties in to the other character having recently gotten out of prison. Bleak landscape, simple ominous music, femme-fatale.

Lots of natural lighting is used but the sky is quite overcast which makes the scene look gloomy. Lots of close up and medium shots used, although the long shot of the van leaving the moor is very good because it shows the isolation of the area and the characters.

Notes on Film Openings

The Black Dahlia



Noir Conventions:

Cigerettes, Voiceover, Light, Sepia colours, Flashbacks, Fighting, Radio Commentary lying about scene, Police, Audience questioning good vs evil (which is which), Blinds, Lamps, Face half in shadows, Slang, Mood and atmosphere change from scene to scene.

The opening scene create enigmas:

- Why are they fighting?
- Why are the police watching but not stopping the fight?
- Why was the main character not fighting?

Clothing of fighters is contrasted, Voiceover mentions binary opposite "fire and ice", The street is dark and the lighting is hightly contrasted with the street lamps and fire. The camera pulls back along the road to show the fighting and the noise fades in to shock the audience.

Notes on Film Openings

The Third Man



The music is cheery and quite upbeat while the pictures are of destroyed buildings and criminal activity which is shocking to the audience. The film is set Vienna which is connected to the war and the images of churchs next to the bombed remains of buildings is highly contrasting. The voice over has a British accent which relates him to the British audience so they feel closer to him, the posh gentleman demenour is quite unnerving when he is talking about criminal activity and murder.

The opening scene has a few shocking pictures such as marching armies and a dead body floating in a river. These are medium shots. The Third Man also does some canted shots which are unnerving because the audience feels unbalanced. The voice over is quite familiar to the audience, treating them like friends.

Use Of Camera Movement In 'Layer Cake' and 'Essex Boys' and How It Affects The Audience

In ‘Layer Cake’ the camera continually moves during the opening which creates a sense of sophistication, it has this effect because the images merge into each other instead of cutting between them quickly and this smooth merging looks classy and refined. The two most used types of camera movements in the opening are tracking and panning. These two types are very similar to human eye and head movements and make the audience feel involved. The way the scenes merge could also make the impression of drugs as the camera doesn’t stay still and it moves from one thing to the next quickly like the camera has a lack of concentration and this simulates some of drugs effects. The camera merges into a scene of a shop that’s apparently selling drugs and the camera moves along the shelves and shows the different drugs like the audience is browsing through them, the main character is shown doing the same and it makes the audience feel connected to the man. The camera moves to outside the shop where the camera tracks the character from the front which gets all the British icons in the scene such as the zebra crossing which makes the British audience relate to the man because he is British so they feel more connected to him. The camera doesn’t follow the man inside the house but goes up from the outside and fazes through the blinds into the room, it gives the impression that the characters are letting the audience into their lives and showing them their secret, it creates a feeling of trust with the main character and makes the audience feel a part of the crime. The constantly moving camera shows that there is not only three walls, for example in some TV shows like “Friends” where a wall is missing so the audience just observe the lives of the characters, in Layer cakes the walls are present so the audience is included in the scene making them feel more involved, unlike the purely observational stance of “Friends”. The camera pulls away from the scene to show a police car which is used to merge into another scene in Amsterdam where another set of characters are introduced. The characters in this scene are shown in an observational manner; the camera doesn’t go very close and shows the background of Amsterdam which doesn’t relate to the audience so they don’t feel close to them like they do with the British man. The camera seems like it is keeping a distance to these characters so the audience feel the same. Back with the main characters there is a scene showing all of the middle men in the drug business and the camera moves around them but stays quite close which shows the respect the audience should have because they are close to the camera and therefore close to the audience so they should be trusted and respected. The camera seems to walk around the room and it shows everyone in the room as well as some of the props like the cocaine packages and money. The camera moves to stand in front of the main character on the other side of a small table filled with money and the camera pans down to show the money, this shows the audience how big a business that drug trading is and because the money is obviously used in illegal crime the audience feel further drawn in to the story and drug trade as a collaborator in the crime. In the tracking scene used after this the camera is in front of the main character and this gives the audience the impression of being on the same level as the character, rather than if the camera had been following the character. The primary use of camera movement in ‘Layer Cake’ is to involve the audience in the crime as much as possible and make them feel connected with the main character.



In ‘Essex Boys’ the camera switches between views in a room to make the audience feel involved, the camera mainly uses close up shots and switches between outside views of the scene and point-of-view-shots to make the audience feel connected to the main character. In the first scene the camera is still and shows the silhouette of a man, the audience are observing from afar so they can see what is happening but the voiceover draws the audience in while the camera remains stationary. The camera follows the main character and moves into the passenger seat beside him which makes the audience feel involved and the main character feels like a friend because he is explaining to the audience about himself so being next to the character in the passenger seat makes it seem like trust is being created with the audience and main character. The camera tracks the car with the two men inside and follows them into a tunnel which gives the audience the impression that they are being led into something, when the van pulls into the fish market the camera leaves the main character to follow the other man as he walks towards a third man, the camera shifts between the second and third mans point of view to show the audience that they are getting close to each other and to show the second mans intention of hurting the other. The camera pulls back when he starts beating the man up so simulate being either scared of disgusted, the camera looks at the main character a few times as though to see his reaction to the scene, this implies that the audience are on the main characters side and take his reactions into account before making a decision. The camera switches between the main character and passengers point of view to make the audience feel like a part of the conversation. The camera shows a still shot of the marshes and the second man throws the third into the marshes with the intention to leave him, the camera pans to the side as he walks past and shows that the camera was standing next to the main character, the audience would feel like they and the main character were both observers and make them feel connected as they are both witnessing a crime without saying anything which makes them both accomplices. When the main character takes the second man to a rich house the camera stays with the main character at first then moves to the second man which simulates a person walking to the other and looking at what the second man is looking at. The camera acts like a person in the way it moves, it could be related to a shy person as the camera at first remains with the main character like he is protecting it then becomes bolder to look around and see what is happening. This creates a sense of participation and involvement with the audience and creates a sense of trust and confidence with the main character.

In both films the camera is used to make the audience feel involved with the main character. In ‘Layer Cake’ the camera is used to go into the characters lives as a person as the voiceover makes it seem like the character is talking to the audience and telling them secrets of the trade which makes them feel like new recruits to the business and creates a mentor with in the main character but also a friend. In ‘Essex Boys’ the camera is also nearby or close to the main character which forms trust between the main character and audience, the voiceover makes the audience feel like friends with the main character and the camera movement makes the audience feel like they are in the same boat with the main character by witnessing crimes together and both being silent about it.

Audiences and Institutions: Red Road

Advert Analysis: Intimately Beckham

Codes and conventions:

The two models are close to each other and positioned with the woman leaning against the man. Both are wearing black which makes their skin stand out against the black background. The perfume bottles are in the foreground at the bottom of the advert but are not a part of the scene with the two models, they have been superimposed on. The slogan “Intimately Beckham” is a similar colour to the models skin tone so it stands out against the background. The word “Night” is made up of small dots of white which are similar to the lights sometimes used in Hollywood signs. The camera angle is face on to the models and only shows their head and shoulders, the light is also being shined on them which makes their skin glow and makes them look surreal.

The image is culturally specific to England because the models are British icons and well known in England. The models are famous and this helps promote the perfume because it makes people feel good if they use a perfume that a famous person used or made. It also implies that using the perfume might put the consumer in the same situation as the Beckhams, is represents and appealing lifestyle. The genre is intimacy and erotica as the two models are very close and the models have their arms around each other’s necks which would mean that they have a lot of trust in each other. The Beckhams also use the perfume advert in a second way and that is to advertise themselves and bring attention to the fact that the perfume is theirs which will get them more money and attention.

Representation:

The world represented is exciting because the models are rich and famous, but the advert also represents love and relationships. The female model is being represented as a sex object and submissive to the male model. This is shown through the female facing more towards the male than the camera while he is looking directly at the camera. The male has his arm around the female’s neck and is gripping her arm which is a show of dominance. The female has he left hand holding the males arm and it shows her wedding ring and this implies that she belongs to him, while his wedding ring is hidden. The advert reinforced traditional attitudes towards marriage because the female is submissive and the male is dominant.

Audience:

The advert is from the magazine FHM, which is targeted at a male audience; this means the advert is too. There is a perfume for women advertised along with the men’s perfume which implies that the advert is aimed at married men or couples. The target audience is most likely C1 and B class, although it may also be appealing to low A class. The advert appeals to the audience because is shows a desirable lifestyle and a glamour that many people strive for.

Evaluation:

Overall I think that the advert is very well done for its target audience, it shows C1 and B class males an ideal lifestyle with a beautiful girlfriend or wife and lots of fame which many men aspire to. The advert implies that using the perfume made and publicized by a British iconic couple could give the consumer the same. Although this probably wouldn’t happen the idealism is there. The perfume is endorsed by the Beckhams which makes the perfume seem more exclusive and this would encourage the consumer to by the product. The dark colour of the perfume bottles adds mystery and, added with the couple, is looks seductive.

My Final Advert

I called the perfume Dawn because it represents new beginnings which mean that the perfume is associated with new starts and renewals. The perfume name also links with the slogan “Feel Renewed” and the background as it supports the whole sunrise theme. The perfume bottle is gold which the colour of the sunrise is and this further connects to the scene. The silhouetted woman is standing in front of the rising sun which makes her stand out and catches the eye of the consumer, the sunrise surrounds the model and makes her look ethereal. The models body language portrays confidence as well as seductiveness and because she is wearing a short dress she looks sophisticated. The camera is front on and at a medium range so the whole model can be seen as well as the background. I did this because I wanted the background to be a part of the scene because it is important to the overall effect of the advert. I used natural backlighting from the sun; the background picture is a sunrise so the lighting is natural and I used this type of lighting so the model would become silhouetted which gives the effect of the women being surrounded by the sunrise. I placed the product in the foreground because the space at the bottom of the screen is very dark so the bottle stands out as a contrast against the black and draws attention because it’s the brightest object in the advert.

I used a dull yellow for the sunrise and a bright gold for the perfume bottle. I did this because I wanted the bottle to stand out and not fade into the sunrise in the background; I used a dull yellow for the sunrise because it was more natural, I did originally put in some pink but the effect didn’t look as good as the yellow alone, I tried lightening and darkening the final picture to see if the effect was changed and I found that lightening the picture made the sunrise look too bright and darkening the picture lost the legs of the silhouette which I didn’t want because the haze around the legs makes the model look better. The stars at the top of the picture are to add atmosphere because I wanted the consumers to know that the background is a sunrise and not just a light, the stars were also added because people think of stars as mysterious and sometimes romantic in the right setting so I added them to help set the scene as enigmatic as well as romantic.

The target audience is females aged 20s to 30s, I used a female model in the advert to show this and the female model wears a dress to show that she is sophisticated as well as a career woman which means that the females are in the C1 and B demographics. The slogan “Feel Renewed” could indicate an older age group such as 30s to 40s but the model makes the slogan appeal to career or women in education as they would feel tired from working.

The Advert sparks interest because of the silhouetted woman, the silhouette creates mystery and because the silhouette is of a woman and this makes her looks seductive so the genre is shown as mystery/romance. The world and lifestyle being represented is quite surreal, but also sophisticated and exciting. The model looks sophisticated but it also looks quite surreal because of the light coming from behind her that creates a haze of light and makes her look unreal. The advert isn’t targeted at any particular culture, country or race as the female model doesn’t show any ethnicity, nor does the background portray any icons from different cultures or countries. The advert doesn’t stereotype against the female in the picture, the model is shown as the focus point of the scene along with the perfume and is quite dominant rather than submissive which implies the perfume gives confidence in life.

The advert is appropriate for the target audience because it does not depict women in a negative way but empowers them so it is not sexist, the advert appeals to young 20s audience because the advert shows a sophisticated woman which most young women would aspire to as many women in their 20s are in work or education. It appeals to women in their late 20s because the perfume is shown as a ‘must wear’ for sophisticated women so the perfume is made to be an accessory for career women.

Advert Attempts

When I tried to do practise pictures of the background the lighting wasn't very good, I tried to take pictures of dawn and sunset to get the right lighting but at dawn the sky just steadily became lighter until the sun appeared which wasn't the effect I was looking for. At sunset (above) the setting sun wasn't big enough to create the light I needed for the shot, the colours were also too different from the rising sun so the effect of dawn was ruined. Norwich doesn't have the best light at dawn because the sky is often overcast. The best plan would be to either use a picture of a dawn from the internet that has better lighting conditions or to use a spotlight/floodlight to create the sunrise and add the colours in later.

I tried various lights to try and make the desired effect but most of the pictures turned out like the one above. Sunrises are generally a line of dark and the light from the sun makes a half circle and shines light upwards and to the left and right to create a halo around the rising sun. The light in the picture doesn't do that in the right direction or as far out as it would in picture with a actual sunrise. I don't think the light in this picture would create a big enough silhouette to be seen properly. The best plan would be to use a sunrise from a picture in another country such as from a mountain top becuase it would show the light properly in the way I want it. I tried to do a mock up of the silhouette with the light in the background but the light wasn't strong enough to make the silhouette and the light went either side of the model and lit up other parts of the room which was not how I wanted the picture to turn out. Artificial lighting didn't seem to work very well for the picture, the lighting wasn't bright enough to create the desired seen. I will try to make the right effect using a different light and background to try and make the light go the way I want.

I tried to have two walls close together to see if that helped with the lighting behind the model. The light bounced off the walls and illuminated them which ruined the effect of the sunrise. I tried various lights behind the model and different backgrounds to make a sunrise effect but I couldn't get enough light to make it look realistic. I think that using a sunrise already pictured to make the advert background would be the best option because it is very difficult to get the right amount of light artifically without using hig powered spotlights. Highpowered spotlights still may not make the amount of light because they are highly focused and the light would drown the model and may even shine past her and ruin the picture. Using a sunrise would be the best option and super-imposing a silhouette would make the effect better than a real life model with a real sunrise because the lighting would be brighter from a picture with the model added rather than being in the picture to begin with.

Advert Idea

In my perfume advert I had the idea of a female model standing with the light of a sunrise behind her so she is in shadow and silhouetted. The colours would be quite dull and the perfume would be colourful to draw the eye.

I choose a sunrise as a background because the perfume is going to be called 'Dawn' and so the background would link with the perfume name and make it more memorable. The sunrise will also make a haze around the model and the light coming from behind the model will make her a silhouette and make a stronger picture. The colours used for the background will be soft pinks and yellows and the perfume bottle will have a similar colour to the background, either pink or yellow to link it to the scene, although the perfume bottle will have a brighter colour so it draws the attention. I decided to have the model silhouetted because it will make the model look more seductive and enigmatic. I have decided to have the model wearing a shorter dress because it implies confidence. The silhouettes with longer dresses look like they are going to a party which would imply that the perfume is only for special occasion use, soI decided to have the model wearing a shorter dress becuase it looks less formal and so the perfume does too.

The perfume is going to be in the foreground of the picture and be quite big and colourful so it catches attention, it will most likely be a brighter version of the sunrise colours, so either dark pink or golden yellow.

The genre of the advert is going to be seduction and romance and the target audience is 20 to 30's. The slogan will be "Feel Renewed", I chose this because the perfume is called Dawn and dawn signifies a new day and a fresh start so the slogan links in with the perfume.

What Is LA Noir, Binary Opposites and Enigma?

LA Noir:



LA noir is like film noir except that instead of darkness and night time with light to create shadows, it is light and cheery and other objects and items are used to create shadows. For example in LA noir it is sunny but the main characters are in a dark room with the curtains or blinds half closed so natural light shines partially through, while in normal film noir the it would be night time or very overcast and the room would be lit with lamps and unnatural light. This makes the audience feel more enclosed and claustropobic becuase the natural light is being hidden. The natural light creates a more innocent atmosphere and the audience becomes shocked at the characters actions because they were decieved by the light, the the natural light is hidden or partially removed so it implies that the innocence and light is being pushed away by the darkness.

LA noir has a very cheerful atmosphere which makes the audience feel unneasy because it contrasts with the themes of the film. The music used in LA noir is normally upbeat Jazz and it is unnerving because its connected with themes of crime, deception and corruption. In LA noir the voiceover has a very important job, because the sunny nature of LA and upbeat music the voiceover has to lead the audience into the dark themes of film noir and show the evil underside of sunny LA.



Binary Opposites:

Binary opposites are stark opposites such as Black/White, Good/Evil, Life/Death, Light/Shadow and Justice/Corruption. Film noir often uses Binary Opposites to create drama and interest, film noir normally shows aspects of human life and society that is hidden and unseen and this in interesting to most audience because it is shown as taboo. In the opening "The Third Man" the Binary Opposites shown are religion in opposite to crime which are shown by flicking through images of angels and churches and then showing a few dealers selling questionable items. Another Binary Opposite is war and peace which is laid on heavily through pictures of ruined buildings, marching armies and the voiceover talking about it, although the peace side of the opposite is more implied than shown becuase the film was set after the war. A third Binary Opposite was the light and shadow when the American was walking on the streets, through the building and finally up the stairs, his shadow is clearly shown on the staircase and when he is walking through the hallway to the stairs the shadows cast by the archway are very clear and create a tension and nervousness which lets the audience know that something may happen.

Enigma:

Enigmas are questions that the film makes in the opening scenes that will be answered later in the film, they are used to engage the audience so they want to know the answers to the questions. In the opening "The Third Man" some of the enigma's are:
"Who is the man in the voiceover?"
"How/why does he know so much about the situation?"
"Is he important to the film?"
"Why is he talking about the war and crime?"
"Who is Harry Lime? and is he important to the film?"
"Why does he call the American 'poor chap'"?

The enigma's are what make the audience watch the film becuase they are curious about what the answers are and how the questions are important to the film. Enigma's are used to create certain expectations that the audience has for the film, for example in "The Third Man" the audience would expect Harry Lime to appear in the film with a important role because he was one of the first people mentioned in the film and because his full name was mentioned the audience would expect Harry Lime to have an even greater importance. Use of Harry Limes full name makes him sound revered and adored so this also creates expectations in the audience.

Initial Research Cosmetic Adverts

The Dior perfume advert represents freedom and an idealistic lifestyle. The balloons are pulling the model up and away from normal society so it connotes better lifestyles, the background birdseye view of Paris shows an fanciful life in a romantic city. Paris is shown as small in the background of the picture which focuses the attention on the model. The model is wearing pink which is a colour that implies love and romance, she is holding a huge bottle of perfume which also draws the eye and links the perfume to the idealized scene. I like that the picture is colourful and attracts attention if seen in a magazine or on a billboard. I think that I will have a very colourful perfume bottle to be striking in the advert to catch the audiences eye.

The Gucci Envy advert shows two models about to kiss which implies that using Envy will make other people envious of the consumer. The perfume bottle is the only item in colour in the scene and balances well with the picture of the models so they don't outshine each other. The trademark 'Gucci' and the perfume name 'Envy' is written in white which contrasts against the skin of the models and stands out. I like the idea of the words being a contrasting colour to the scene behind it because it can be read easily and is prominent in the scene.

The Calvin Klein advert has very dull tones and the purfume bottles are in colour, this implies that the perfume 'Escape' will brighten up the consumers life. The trademark is in big letters because some consumers like brand names. The scene is quite large and the models seem to overshadow the perfume bottle but the perfume name is huge and this balances it out. I like that the female model is wearing a dress because it looks seductive. The perfume is for both males and females so I like that there is both genders in the picture to show this.

Britney Spears perfume is shown with connotations of animals and nature, the perfume is green which stands out against the soft colours of the scene. The model wears white to symbolise innocence and the slogan "The greatest freedom is to believe in yourself" ties in with the freedom of birds. Most of the birds in the scene are in white cages which also ties to the model to imply that she has power over the freedom of the bird and therefore herself. I like that the model interacts with the other things in the scene.

This advert looks quite sophisticated becuase the black, purple and blue colours look edgy and refined. The model is wearing black and has her hair tied back which looks professional and implies and good career and this is an idealistic lifestlye. The model looks like a career women which targets career women or women who want a career. The scene is involved with the perfume becuase the model is holding the perfume and appears to have written out the perfume name. The perfume name is the centre point of the advert and attracts the most attention. I like the seductiveness of the model wearing black becuase it can look both professional and mysterious.


This Calvin Klein advert is different from the other one, it has very bright colours to signify summer and freshness which is implied by the sea and sand. There are no models in the advert but it still has a scene, although it is not as active as most adverts that have models in. The advert is simple and clean which is quite different from other adverts that have either romance or sexual implications in them. The empty background of the sea also connotes opportunity and changes in lifestyle becuase of the sea. The advert is radically different from most other ads but still has many, if not more, implications behind it that make the advert interesting. I like the simplness of this advert.

This Chanel advert is quite sexual and uses a well known actress as the model Keira Knightley. The model is not wearing clothes and covers herself with a white cloth and a black hat which implies that she has a lover becuase the white cloth looks like a mans shirt. The advert represents a idealistic lifestlye and makes the consumer want the perfume. The perfume bottle is quite a bright colour which draws the eye and is situated right next to the model to keep her in the eyeline. The background behind the modell and perfume bottle isn't too active so it keeps the consumers attention on them, the background is quite simple. I like the use ot spot lights on the background becuase they are in line with the models face and make her look etheral and surreal, it also makes the perfume bottle look brighter becuase it looks like it has a spotlight on it too which draws attention.

Essay on the Opening of 'Sin City'

The scene opens with a long shot of a woman standing in the rain with her back to the camera in a red backless dress, she is standing on a balcony that looks over the city and lights can be seen from the windows of other buildings against the night which makes the balcony and woman stand out more. The fact that she is partly in colour suggests that she will play an important role. The whole scene is in film noir style and the only colour is the woman’s dress and red lipstick which draws the audience’s eye to her, the red connotes danger and lust.

The camera flicks to a close up shot of her face and shows the space over her shoulder where the man can be seen walking towards her. The man is wearing a black suit and a black tie with slicked back hair that makes him look like the ‘bad guy’ character from the original film noir films which gives an expectation that something bad will happen. The two don’t speak until she turns around to face him and while he is walking towards her there is a voice over that sounds poetic and loving., which implies that he either knows her or loves her. The dialogue between the two is very focused and the sentences are short which adds suspense, this creates the expectation in the audience that something will happen. The man speaks about her in a way that sounds obsessive; he says things such as “I’ve been watching you for days” which makes the audience wonder if the man is good or bad because he sounds like he loves her, but his expression and body language is too cold considering what he is saying. The camera has close up shots of iconic props such as the cigarette and the lighter to make them more memorable and to connote film noir similarities.

The contrast between light and shadow is emphasised when the man lights the woman’s cigarette which throws light on her face and shows her eyes which are bright green to make her look more mysterious and enigmatic. The two standing on the balcony are in the shadows but the party in the background is in the light which makes them look isolated and alone. The camera focuses on the woman’s face a great deal when the man is talking to show her emotional responses and the flirty connection the two seem to share. When the two kiss the colours invert but the scene looks quite cartoon like because the two are completely in white and look like they have been cut out, it looks like a parody of chiaroscuro. The is no more dialogue after the two kiss but the voice over picks up and sounds as poetic and loving as before which connotes love and romance.

The camera shows and close up of the two hugging and there is a flash of light and the camera does a close up on the gun and silencer which shows its significance to the scene, the gun creates surprise in the audience because the voiceover made the audience think that the man loved her but the gun rips that idea away. The voice over language changes from poetic and loving to cold facts that sounds more like an assassin which makes the audience re-think their impressions of him as it seems like his loving obsessions is actually an obsessive nature is for a murder target. The last line of the voice over “I’ll cash her check in the morning” shows the idea of moral ambiguity through the man’s job as an assassin. The scene ends with the camera pulling away from the scene at a high angle that shows the cityscape and makes the murder looks insignificant against the huge buildings and city. The camera pulling away from the scene creates a feeling of isolation and insignificance because the buildings tower over the scene and the characters look very small.

The dialogue is fairly short but it adds a layer of depth and complexity to the characters compared to if he had just shot her and left. The audience finds out that the woman is running from something and the man seems to comfort her but he actually uses her weakness as an excuse to get close to her so he can shoot, the scene emphasizes the woman’s vulnerability and weakness which is a running theme in film noir and this is used to set up the audience for a film that follows mostly male characters with either women like the one in the opening scene, or strong women who try and seduce the male characters.

Women in Film Noir

Femme-fatale: a seductive woman who leads men into danger. Often double crossing, beautiful, unreliable, manipulative and desperate. Thier role in the film is generally to act as the 'evil seductress' who leads the hero into trouble or crime.

Conventional film noir women: dutiful, reliable, trustworthy, and loving. The conventional woman is often 'traditional' in the form of her place as a housewife and mother. The women are normally passive and non-threatening. Thier role in the storyline is to seek the main character/hero but normally loses him (in love). They act as an opposite force to the femme-fatale.

5 examples of conventional women in film noir:

Ann - 'Out of the Past'

Sue - 'Pitfall'

Lagana - 'The Big Heat'

unknown name - 'The Killers'

Melanie - 'Gone with the Wind'

5 examples of femme-fatale women in film noir:

Cathy - 'Out of the Past'

Ida - 'Road House'

Rhonda - 'Cry Danger'

Joan - 'Sudden Fear'
Claire - 'Born to Kill'

Conventions of Film Noir

Film noir is normally to do with dark themes such as murder, corruption, crime, loss of love and romance.

The films that are themed around love generally include femme-fatale who are women who try to seduce men and lead them astray. The romance films often have woman who are better known as 'traditional' or 'marrying' type women who try and force the main character of the film into stability which is shown in most of the films as being unwanted and boring. The femme-fatale women are opposite of traditional women becasue they don't want commitments or marriage and give the illusion of more freedom for the male although that is not so in most cases.

The films use lighting to create atmosphere and suspence, becuase the films are in black and white the light and shadows have to be used to create mystery unlike in colour films which can use all sorts of dark colours to create the same atmosphere. In some scenes the shadows are contrasted with light to draw attention to certain things such as an object or person that will be important later in the film. The objects in the scenes are often highly contrasted, for example in "The Third Man" the setting of the film is in Vienna that was bombed in the war which means that many buildings are in ruins but the film also shows scenes of churches and angel which show and visual contrast of good and evil. Good and evil remain a running theme throughout many film noir films becuase it makes more tension and mystery about what will happen in the film.

Directors sometimes angle shots a certain way to make scenes look more scary and unnerving, some of these shots include high angle shot that make the subject look smaller and more vulnerable and this is normally used on victims or innocent characters. Long shots are used in some chase scenes or confrontational scenes so all the characters and surroundings can be seen which creates suspence, for example if a chase scene ended in an alley or enclosed space it would add more expectancy and apprehension becuase the surrounding space is small and can cause a feeling of claustrophobia and anxiety. Many scenes are medium shot becuase the objects and scenery in the backgroun help establish different expectations when coupled with the action in the scene and background music if there is any. A camera angle that is used in "The Third Man" is the 'canted' shot where the camera is tilted some degrees to the right or left to make the audience feel uneasy because it is an unnatural angle it makes the audience feel unbalanced and suggests instability.

There are commonly used iconic items in many film noir films to imply certain things. For example femme-fatale women normally wear black gothic clothing that symbolises evilness and villiany but the clothes are often very revealing that adds a seductiveness to the gothic style, on the other hand the"traditional" women are most likely to wear pale or white clothing that is very modest. The males in the films normally wear either black suits or black suits with a light coloured trench coat with it (possibly beige if colours could be seen). The colours they wear imply whether they are good or criminals, but the man have more subtle clothes so it is difficult to tell just from the clothing. Generally good male characters have one or more items on them which are white or light coloured such as a scarf, coat or shoes, while criminal males normally wear all black with a white shirt that can only just be seen under the black jacket. Sometimes the male character goes through some moral dilemma and the line between good and evil is blurred so the male characters clothing is very similar for both types to show this very thin line between good and evil. Most male characters wear hats and smoke so this could imply masculinity or mystery.

Barry M TV Advert

I like the fact that the model in the advert is on a white background and the colours come from her guitar which makes them stand out. The model only wears black clothes which makes the make-up stand out more and draws the eye.

Media Questionnaire

GCSE Results:
English: B
Science: AB
Maths: B
ICT: B
History: B
Geography: A
Business: B
Sociology: B
Textiles: B
CBV: B
Astronomy: B
Hobbies:
Reading, Writing, Astronomy.

Print Media:
I read some articles from ‘The Guardian’ if they have news on subjects that include real people such as the recent story about Jaycee Dugard. I also like to read news articles on astronomy, new technologies and medical breakthroughs because they interest me. I sometimes prefer to read the news from the internet because it’s easier to find more information from different sources, and the internet has news from different countries while newspapers don’t generally have has much international news. The magazines I read are normally real life stories from magazines such as ‘That’s Life’ and ‘Take a Break.’

Radio Media:
I listen to Kiss and Smash Hits for music on the radio and I also listen to Radio Norfolk sometimes for the local news.

Music Industry:
I like all genres of music especially pop such as Lily Allen and dance-pop such as Lady Gaga, I access music from the internet but also from the music channels on the TV. I don’t think illegal downloading of music is that bad because more people get the music and it becomes more popular through word of mouth and some people do download legally and buy the CD’s. Youtube has music which people listen to for free, downloading it onto a MP4 player or Ipod is no different from listening to it free on Youtube, Radio or TV so I don’t believe it is that bad. Many people still buy the music legally so the artists still get the money for their work but downloading gives more people a chance to hear it so it gives the artists more fame overall. The music industry can influence how people act and dress because the viewers see how the celebrities dress and dress the same, either to show that they like that celebrity or because they aspire to be like them. If the audience see’s a celebrity acting a certain way they may copy it because they think that it’s cool. Influencing styles of dress also label people as liking a certain music type, for example ‘emo’s’ tend to like dance/rave music while ‘chav’s’ may prefer pop/rap music. The music industry can influence many people to be separated into groups based on which music they like, and being in a group of people who like the same music as you can influence the person to dress based on the style of their favourite music artists to show visually which music that person prefers. This means that the music industry can separate people into groups but also brings people with similar tastes together.

Video Games:
I like games like Mario and Zelda which have a main plot be lots of little side plots for you to do which makes it more interesting. In both games the player has to save the princess who has been taken by an evil man who wants to rule the world. Both games have a ‘damsel in distress’ and the main hero is the man who saves her which is a common theme in many films, games and books. It gives a negative impression of the female gender but the games are so fantasised and surreal that it seems more like a fairy tale than a real life situation although the connotations surrounding the female role in the games remains the same. In the games the player has to beat all the evil bosses to save the female which gives a negative impression on solving conflicts as they are solved in the games by violence. In Zelda the main hero, Link, uses old weaponry such as a sword and bow to fight the evil monsters but the last boss is a man who has to be defeated generally with a sword which makes it seem like a fight from the Middle Ages. The details of the deaths of the monsters and bosses in the games are vague and don’t show much blood or gore which makes it seem less realistic and harder to compare to a real death. Many games have a negative view on female roles and on violence which could potentially be commented on and used in real life. For example, making females the victims in games could potentially make people believe that females are like this is real life and take advantage of them. The ideas of violence can also be drawn into the real world, for example, if the player saw a wrestling move in a game he may try and re-create it in real life.

New Technology:
New technologies such as the internet have increased my understanding of the world because I can see the news and picture of other places in the world and see what’s going on there, I can also talk to people from other countries and see how they are different and how they have different views on some subjects which is quite interesting because I can see how living in different places and different cultures makes you different in some ways. The internet also gives people access to films, music and TV shows so we can watch things from different countries that we normally wouldn’t be able to. Sharing sites such as Youtube can connect us to other people through pictures and movies which also increases understand of the world and other cultures. New technology such as camera’s and digital image generators can help people make media more interesting, formerly only minor changes could be made to videos and pictures but increasing technologies open up a new range of things that can be done to videos and pictures, and many of these things can be done by everyday people, not specialists which means more people can make media videos and pictures so they can be viewed by others on sharing sites.

Television:
My favourite TV channels are: Living TV, Dave, Sky One, FX, DMAX, E4, BBC3. I like these channels because the programmes shown on them are either funny or interesting. ‘Live at the Apollo’ on Dave, is an example of a funny programme that I like to watch. On Living TV is a show called ‘America’s Next Top Model’ which I watch because I like to see how the models adapt and change for the photo shoots and I like to see how the pictures turn out. My favourite television genre is comedy because it takes my mind off other things, and some comedy programmes have serious subjects but makes them more comedic to soften them and make the subject more approachable. A television advert which strikes me as interesting is the BarryM advert. It’s quite stylish because the women stands on a white background wearing black and holding a guitar so she looks like a rocker and then she strikes a chord and lots of colours come out of the guitar and it stands out against the white background and her dark clothes. It shows close ups of her eyes and nails showing different colour eye shadows and nail varnishes. The advert sticks in my mind because the ad was quite dull at first and suddenly exploded with colours and it makes me remember it. The advert also implies that the colours make you look better and shows different combinations with the girl wearing it and it does make her eyes and face stand out, although it may be helped by the dull clothes and background. The 5 television programmes that I find memorable are: ‘Red Dwarf’, ‘Friends’, ‘Scrubs’, ‘Miami Ink’, and ‘Two Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps’.

Feature Film:
My favourite film genres are Action, Comedy and Romance. I like romance because the stories are heart warming and always have a happy ending, I enjoy the comedy films because they do the same as the comedy TV shows and are funny but sometime touch on interesting subjects but in a way that doesn’t make them sound unpleasant and awkward. I like action films because they are entertaining and engaging, but they are sometimes about real life situations that have been exaggerated to add interest and suspense. Films that I enjoy are ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Mummy Returns’ because I like the graphics and the setting of Egypt because it’s exotic compared to England and the storyline is quite fascinating. I prefer to watch movies at the cinema because it creates a better atmosphere and I like to be in a group so we can share the experience and suspense because its more fun and interesting if you can, if you are alone then there is no-one to share the experience with although being alone can create a tense atmosphere which some people prefer.

Conclusion:
A media text that has offended me would be the stereotypes that the American TV shows about England and English culture. The stereotypes are generally that the English towns and cities are still in the Victorian ages and the people speak in the Victorian accent from ‘Oliver Twist’. The stereotypes offend me because many Americans believe that English people are truly like that and when I speak to American people many of them talk down to me and ask if I have a similar accent to the ones from ‘Oliver Twist’. I think that the TV show ‘Scrubs’ is very interesting and exciting because it shows people growing and changing in a job and how work environments can be.
A piece of media that changed my attitude is a film called ‘Religulous’ which is a documentary starring Bill Maher. It is very informative on religions and religious cultures and explains about religious beliefs, speaks to major religious figures such as Islamic and Christian priests. The film was quite innovative because it was a very controversial subject and was quite comedic in some situations which made it enjoyable to watch.
If I could construct a media piece I would write about the condition of England because of the recession and how the politicians used media to try and cover up the state of England and their own problems by emphasising other news items such as the Swine Flu. I would choose to TV show my message because more people watch TV although using a newspaper would be good too the message was published in papers like ‘The Guardian’ because it would a appeal to a more educated audience, while the TV message would be shown to most people and some may not find it as interesting.
I chose to do Media Studies for A-level because I want to do a job in media such as digital computing or film graphics/animation. The other a-level’s I chose to do are Computing, Physics and Maths.

My Blog

I created this blog to upload my work for my Media Studies A-level. I will put up any homework and assignments I have been given as well as Coursework and pictures that I have taken.

Miriam