GENRE
Genre is all about our need to classify and label the materials available to us. it allows us to quickly categorise and select the different forms available to us. These include, in film : Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance, Thriller, Indie, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Rom-com, documentary and Drama. Genre is flexible and malleable. films therefore require factors that can be judged in order for us to identify them.
Codes and Conventions
Codes: A code is a set of determiners that we as an audience 'read' ; it is a set of signs that carry meaning.
Conventions: Conventions are the parts of a film that determine it's genre e.g. a horror would have a victim and a villain. A comedy without a happy ending cannot be considered a true comedy as it breaks the convention of the genre; it is instead called a "black comedy.
A convention of interviews would be that a shot it composed of two angles, one on the interviewer and the interviewee. They will both be on opposite sides of the frame so as to keep clarity between the two.
Standard Codes of Sound
Parallel Sound - This is where sound is edited together with the visuals to match the images, it often helps to emphasise a point or idea that the creator is trying to pursue, and helps the audience to potentially see an idea or image in the same way that the cameraman or director would.
Genre is all about our need to classify and label the materials available to us. it allows us to quickly categorise and select the different forms available to us. These include, in film : Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance, Thriller, Indie, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Rom-com, documentary and Drama. Genre is flexible and malleable. films therefore require factors that can be judged in order for us to identify them.
Codes and Conventions
Codes: A code is a set of determiners that we as an audience 'read' ; it is a set of signs that carry meaning.
Conventions: Conventions are the parts of a film that determine it's genre e.g. a horror would have a victim and a villain. A comedy without a happy ending cannot be considered a true comedy as it breaks the convention of the genre; it is instead called a "black comedy.
A convention of interviews would be that a shot it composed of two angles, one on the interviewer and the interviewee. They will both be on opposite sides of the frame so as to keep clarity between the two.
Standard Codes of Sound
Parallel Sound - This is where sound is edited together with the visuals to match the images, it often helps to emphasise a point or idea that the creator is trying to pursue, and helps the audience to potentially see an idea or image in the same way that the cameraman or director would.
Typography
Typography is the use of fonts, font sizes and arrangements of text to communicate a feeling or pre-destine and hint to the possibilities of the show or film. The way in which a font or text is laid out can often suggest how a film may work - for example,
Catch me if you Can
The use of blured images gives the effect of fast movement which is an important pre- cursor to the main theme of the film which is chase and pursuit. Also the words Catch me if you can are encased in arrows and in a plain white font. This is similar to the signs and directions in an airport, this ties in with the far left man wearing a pilots uniform which gives another suggestion as to the
Typography is the use of fonts, font sizes and arrangements of text to communicate a feeling or pre-destine and hint to the possibilities of the show or film. The way in which a font or text is laid out can often suggest how a film may work - for example,
Catch me if you Can
The use of blured images gives the effect of fast movement which is an important pre- cursor to the main theme of the film which is chase and pursuit. Also the words Catch me if you can are encased in arrows and in a plain white font. This is similar to the signs and directions in an airport, this ties in with the far left man wearing a pilots uniform which gives another suggestion as to the
Mise En Scene
Mis En scene is the positioning and use of costumes, sets and props to create the suspension of disbelief. If used well mise en scene can fully immerse the audience and give them context without being to obvious. Mise en scene is also the way that the scene is set up to help the cast to create an atmosphere. If not done well mis en scene can spoil a scene and fail to create a sense of disbelief and can break the atmosphere and feeling wanted by the director. |
motifMotif is the use and development of one melody or sound throughout the film, Speak Softly Love By Nina Simone is used to great effect in the Godfather to make an atmosphere of building tension and as the music develops so does the plot line.
The use of a solo trumpet helps give a mood of sadness and aloneness to the opening scene. The high pitching helps to show poignant feeling. |
use of silenceThe use of silence in a film can create a lonely or vulnerable atmosphere eerie sounds are also very effective when establishing a scene so that the feeling can be quickly recognised. In the Godfather the use of silence is used very effectively in the starting scene to show the characters positioning and lack of power.
Also the adding of differing sounds to create a style of feeling e.g. an accelerating train or slow rain drops to help give more explanation to a characters feelings or emotions. |
Narrative structureNarratives in film have to be about change, disturbance and disorder.
TODOROV'S MODEL Tzvetan Todorov was born in sofia, Bulgaria and came up with a way in which to structure narrative 1: A state of being which is either stable or unstable. 2: A casual transformation form one state to another via a chain of events. TODOROV's Model Explained Chronologically - A state of equilibrium - A disruption of the equilibrium by some action - Recognition that there has been a disruption. - Attempts to restore the equilibrium - A reinstatement of the equilibrium |
Image and representation
Media outlets can effect our perception of a social situation, person or group. Advertising and modelling has played a large part in how common beliefs have changed, at one point in recent history models were being turned away by companies if they were not "size zero" this created a very negative representation of women and how their bodies should be, the image of extremely thin women is negative and received a massive backlash from modelling agencies who felt that these portrayals were unfair demands for normal women to meet.
A public image of a person or "ideal" person can be very damaging to their career and how people perceive them.
Media has been creating representations for many years to help promote products and create a positive image around their product.
Media outlets can effect our perception of a social situation, person or group. Advertising and modelling has played a large part in how common beliefs have changed, at one point in recent history models were being turned away by companies if they were not "size zero" this created a very negative representation of women and how their bodies should be, the image of extremely thin women is negative and received a massive backlash from modelling agencies who felt that these portrayals were unfair demands for normal women to meet.
A public image of a person or "ideal" person can be very damaging to their career and how people perceive them.
Media has been creating representations for many years to help promote products and create a positive image around their product.
Behcdel Test and Smurfette Principal
The Behcdel test was devised by a 1980's cartoonist called Alison Behcdel, she said that in one film there must be at least two women, who talk to each other and talk about something other than a man. This test encourages movies and film directors to be less stereotypical and give a better and fairer representation of women in the film industry, a problem that many films ignore - examples include Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Avatar. The test is not an official or mandatory requirement but if taken more seriously by more studios could well lead to a change in attitudes.
The Smurfette Principal is a basic stereotypical "rule" that in many films the female cast is limited to one woman who is mainly sexualised and very stereotypical. For 10's of years films and directors have used the smurfette principal to target a mostly heterosexual male audience. This isolates and turns away many other people as the principle creates a very male dominated plot line. The principle was suggested by a New York Times writer who used the old cartoon The Smurfs to demonstrate this inequality. In The smurfs the evil villain sends in a Smurfette to the entirely male dominated smurf world, to cause chaos. She becomes sexualised throughout nearly all episodes and is thought to have began the whole trend. Films that follow this principal also tend to fail the Behcdel Test as well, most notably Inception, Transformers and The Muppets.
However there is a reason behind all these decisions by filmmakers to not appear politically - correct and that is that their films are there to make money. If a director believes that using women just to pass the Behcdel test or to go against the Smurfette principle is the right way to do things then great ! However many don't as they are trying to appeal to a specific audience. A movie can be exceptionally good whether it passes the tests or not, just because a film is not politically- correct does not make it a bad film, and although its probably better than not to try and be more equal in films, it is not compulsory and not essential to making a successful movie. Making a profit is the foremost thought in most studios, however there has been a clear switch in attitudes lately and more and more films are making profits, whilst also following to these principles. Such as Bad Moms, Suicide squad and The Nice Guys.
The Behcdel test was devised by a 1980's cartoonist called Alison Behcdel, she said that in one film there must be at least two women, who talk to each other and talk about something other than a man. This test encourages movies and film directors to be less stereotypical and give a better and fairer representation of women in the film industry, a problem that many films ignore - examples include Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Avatar. The test is not an official or mandatory requirement but if taken more seriously by more studios could well lead to a change in attitudes.
The Smurfette Principal is a basic stereotypical "rule" that in many films the female cast is limited to one woman who is mainly sexualised and very stereotypical. For 10's of years films and directors have used the smurfette principal to target a mostly heterosexual male audience. This isolates and turns away many other people as the principle creates a very male dominated plot line. The principle was suggested by a New York Times writer who used the old cartoon The Smurfs to demonstrate this inequality. In The smurfs the evil villain sends in a Smurfette to the entirely male dominated smurf world, to cause chaos. She becomes sexualised throughout nearly all episodes and is thought to have began the whole trend. Films that follow this principal also tend to fail the Behcdel Test as well, most notably Inception, Transformers and The Muppets.
However there is a reason behind all these decisions by filmmakers to not appear politically - correct and that is that their films are there to make money. If a director believes that using women just to pass the Behcdel test or to go against the Smurfette principle is the right way to do things then great ! However many don't as they are trying to appeal to a specific audience. A movie can be exceptionally good whether it passes the tests or not, just because a film is not politically- correct does not make it a bad film, and although its probably better than not to try and be more equal in films, it is not compulsory and not essential to making a successful movie. Making a profit is the foremost thought in most studios, however there has been a clear switch in attitudes lately and more and more films are making profits, whilst also following to these principles. Such as Bad Moms, Suicide squad and The Nice Guys.
The use of shots and gender representation in Luther
Luther - a TV series based on a tortured police detective who must use his enigma and personality to solve cases. Shots vary in the first section of the first episode to show various areas of dominance between characters, John Luther and Alice Morgan are seated in a police interview room, Luther begins the scene by taking control using over the shoulder shots and being positioned in the majority of the frame. As the scene goes on and dialogue helps unfold the story, we see Alice take more control of the situation when the director purposely breaks the 180 degree rule to signify this change in attitude. Up until this point Luther has had most control of the scene as he is the more physically dominating in the shots. This is also a running theme throughout the previous shots but dips with the interview.
The balance of male to female characters is very reflective of society, Luther's boss is a woman called rose Teller, she is the only female in the entire office and although at first this seems very unfair it is a fact that there are less women in the police force than men. Rose however does take on a normally male role and wears shirts and trousers - not skirts or dresses, this shows her masculinity and male features. Alice Morgan is the other main female role within the show and she is a psychotic narcissist who keeps stalking Luther and his wife.
Luther - a TV series based on a tortured police detective who must use his enigma and personality to solve cases. Shots vary in the first section of the first episode to show various areas of dominance between characters, John Luther and Alice Morgan are seated in a police interview room, Luther begins the scene by taking control using over the shoulder shots and being positioned in the majority of the frame. As the scene goes on and dialogue helps unfold the story, we see Alice take more control of the situation when the director purposely breaks the 180 degree rule to signify this change in attitude. Up until this point Luther has had most control of the scene as he is the more physically dominating in the shots. This is also a running theme throughout the previous shots but dips with the interview.
The balance of male to female characters is very reflective of society, Luther's boss is a woman called rose Teller, she is the only female in the entire office and although at first this seems very unfair it is a fact that there are less women in the police force than men. Rose however does take on a normally male role and wears shirts and trousers - not skirts or dresses, this shows her masculinity and male features. Alice Morgan is the other main female role within the show and she is a psychotic narcissist who keeps stalking Luther and his wife.
Gender representation in The Fall
The fall is a British based Police drama, the gender balance is very male orientated and although it could be argued to be sexist there is also an element of truth in the fact that more men than women join the police. The first character we meet is Stella Gibson, a female police detective who holds most if not all of the power in every situation. She is flown in to Ireland to help with a murder case, upon landing she is greeted by Jim Burns who is the senior Inspector. Although his rank places him above Stella, she takes control of the situation and has a commanding presence - almost an arrogance about herself. Many of the other male characters such as Jerry Mac Elroy who is a junior officer, seem nervous when around Stella and although men far outnumber the women in this Episode there is still a underlying feeling of uncertainty as to what and how she will deal with the situation, this is done through the mid-close up's and the relaxed attitude of Gibson - even though she's in another country she is calm and precise in her movements and decisions. When she's in the taxi with Burns the majority of the frame is her face and only a very slim side is filled with Burns. The only male character who takes full control of his situation is Paul Spector, a consular by day but at night he sneaks into women's houses and conducts very perverted and creepy acts, such as laying out their under ware. He does this all with precision and careful planning, showing his professional attitude to breaking and entering. This is a very similar representation to the Luther gender representation, only that roles have been switched and Gibson takes on Luther's dominating stance and role in the majority of shots. Both are similar in the fact that the main male/female protagonist is junior to someone in the police ranks, however they hold the power in conversations by the use of their body language and professional attitudes.
The fall is a British based Police drama, the gender balance is very male orientated and although it could be argued to be sexist there is also an element of truth in the fact that more men than women join the police. The first character we meet is Stella Gibson, a female police detective who holds most if not all of the power in every situation. She is flown in to Ireland to help with a murder case, upon landing she is greeted by Jim Burns who is the senior Inspector. Although his rank places him above Stella, she takes control of the situation and has a commanding presence - almost an arrogance about herself. Many of the other male characters such as Jerry Mac Elroy who is a junior officer, seem nervous when around Stella and although men far outnumber the women in this Episode there is still a underlying feeling of uncertainty as to what and how she will deal with the situation, this is done through the mid-close up's and the relaxed attitude of Gibson - even though she's in another country she is calm and precise in her movements and decisions. When she's in the taxi with Burns the majority of the frame is her face and only a very slim side is filled with Burns. The only male character who takes full control of his situation is Paul Spector, a consular by day but at night he sneaks into women's houses and conducts very perverted and creepy acts, such as laying out their under ware. He does this all with precision and careful planning, showing his professional attitude to breaking and entering. This is a very similar representation to the Luther gender representation, only that roles have been switched and Gibson takes on Luther's dominating stance and role in the majority of shots. Both are similar in the fact that the main male/female protagonist is junior to someone in the police ranks, however they hold the power in conversations by the use of their body language and professional attitudes.
My Storyboard Examples of Opening Titles
Analysis Of the Crown opening Titles
The crown is a Netfilx series based around the royal family, the opening titles represent this perfectly. It begins with shots of gold forming and coming together, used well as it demonstrates the joining of two families which the series revolves around. The typography used is a very bold and regale font. The title develops to construct the top of the crown, and then slow fades to show the main title. Music behind it sounds dignified and grand, all of the opening titles culminate to give the perfect feeling to a series based on royalty.
WESTWORLD TITLE ANALYSIS
Westworld is the story of a robotically created world and this is clearly shown in the opening titles. It starts with the creation of flesh and bone by robotic arms. This is shot using a slow moving zoom whilst haunting music plays in the backround. The robotic arms then construct a hand that plays the piano, showing that perhaps peoplem are going to be replaced in this series.
Westworld is the story of a robotically created world and this is clearly shown in the opening titles. It starts with the creation of flesh and bone by robotic arms. This is shot using a slow moving zoom whilst haunting music plays in the backround. The robotic arms then construct a hand that plays the piano, showing that perhaps peoplem are going to be replaced in this series.
Analysis of the Screenshots
The trailer uses a variation of real and CGI helps to create an atmosphere of synthetic feeling and creation of new humans by robots. In the opening scene a bright white light is seen to rise above some kind of rib cage, as the camera tracks we feel isolated and almost out of the conventional world. In the second still a small robotic arm is seen to be forming parts of a body and sinews of an arm, this creates the suggestion that a humans normal state of reproduction is not necessary to create humans.
The trailer uses a variation of real and CGI helps to create an atmosphere of synthetic feeling and creation of new humans by robots. In the opening scene a bright white light is seen to rise above some kind of rib cage, as the camera tracks we feel isolated and almost out of the conventional world. In the second still a small robotic arm is seen to be forming parts of a body and sinews of an arm, this creates the suggestion that a humans normal state of reproduction is not necessary to create humans.