Presentation for Creative Project

PROJECT 9

Our genre is Action. We mainly reflect this through the use of our main extract being a fight scene. We will also focus on action iconography within the mise-en-scene such as plasters or bandages to suggest conflict. Also mark moments in the editing by using slow motion and speeding up certain movements in the shot.

I believe that our story is more of an extract from an action film as it doesn't have a clear beginning or end to it where all is resolved. In fact i believe the extract would be used at the start of an action film in the "small"action sequence which would then be later explained throughout the feature film. 

My niche target audience would be women from the age of 12 to 25 years that enjoy action films. My wider target audience would be the teenage male upon which are stereotypically known to enjoy 'fight' or 'violent' scenes within action movies.
The stylistic elements we will be focusing on are camera and editing. we wil make this clear by trying to make the audience sympathise with our character more, as seen in the video previously watched, by carrying out things such as point of view shots and showing interesting angles that make the performane seem more realistic. When looking at the editing side of the production, my partner and i have decided to mark moments within the fight scenes by using techniques such as slow motion, speed ups and quick cuts. 
We are planning on shooting outside the college gates to the 60 bus stop. After that we plan to shoot the rest in Brierley (<< road name), New Addington.
Our performers will be: Jack, Dan, Sol, Chay and Courtney.
Our influences are from Transporter (Dir; Corey Yuen), Avengers (Dir; Joss Wheedon) and Sherlock: AGame of Shadows (Dir; Guy Ritchie)

'What are the similarities between 'Fish Tank' and the first part of 'Sket'?'

The two British Crime Films that we have been studying are 'Fish Tank' - which is about a 15 year old girl called Mia who is brought up in a run-down neighbourhood, surrounded by bad influences. And 'Sket' - which so far is about a young girl called Kayla who once lived with her sister until she was brutally murdered seeking vengeance through the use of a group of girls. The biggest difference between the two films are the range of crimes. Within 'Fish Tank' the crimes are mostly seen as minor or petty until we come to the child abduction of Kira and the disturbing grey area of whether or not Connor had committed rape. Whereas we are instantly immersed into a world of Grievous Bodily Harm, as the man is beaten by the group of girls, through the opening credits. We then later witness our first murder of a crack-addled woman because she couldn't pay up and the cruel death of Tanya simply because she tried to help Shaq as she believed she was being harassed. 

Edit wise the cuts were a lot faster when looking at 'Sket' which pushed along the narrative and gave the audience a sense of action thus peaking their interest. That being said, in both films the transitions considerably slow. I believe this highlighted the "grit" of the films genre of British Crime compared to Hollywood, as it made sure to show all of the uncomfortable truths and realities some have to face. Within 'Fish Tank' there is a miniscule slow motion edit with scenes between Mia and Connor to create a dream-like state and muster a sense of calm with their relationship; a good example of this is when Mia is smelling Connor's neck. The audience then emotionally attach these characters and are able to tell that their relationship is "special" compared to any others we have witnessed as there seems to be a spark. We are similarly shown this kind of edit between Shaq and Kayla in the cafe. The way in which we have an over the shoulder shot presenting the two characters, as well as, the slow edit mark the shot due to the stillness in both of the characters. This then creates an intensity connoting the way in which their relationship will be significant later on during the film.

The costumes in both films were similar. This may be a convention of British Crime films particualrly when they are set in the council estates. The main running costume was the trackuit bottoms, hoodies and the latest, or what is considered to be fashionable trainers. When  we look at 'Fish Tank' it is a lot more understandable as first of all she an aspiring dancer and uses them practically. However when looking at 'Sket' this costume seems to be negative and is used to induce anonimity - when putting their hoods up - thus creating a sense of caution.

How Does Cinematography and performance construct meaning and provoke response in the "Mickey Blue Eyes" extract?

The film I will be analysing is "Mickey Blue Eyes," released in 1999 and directed by Kelly Makin. This romantic comedy is of an auctioneer who proposes to his mob-related girlfriend. And that his proposing to her would mean that he becomes part of the family therefore "favours" would be asked of him. In my extract Mickey (Hugh Grant) has recently delved into his first deal with the family and now has returned home to Gina (Jeanne Triplehorn) to celebrate the 3 month anniversary of their very first date; unfortunately Johnny (John Ventimiglia) turns up and turns the evening sour. Throughout my analysis I will focus on the theme of the movement from domestic bliss to threatened happiness.

In this extract I believe that Triplehorn was one of the most convincing performace wise. For example at the start of the scene we have a long shot of her in her "sexy" dress leaning coyly against the door. This connotes the way in which she has decided to be playful and seductive towards Mickey. This is emphasised via the dim lighting in the shot which is quite warm creating an ambiance of that which is recognised as enticing. As she shows Mickey the gorilla she bought him she grins and bites her tongue which shows her excitement for the evening as well as the sexual nature. Thus allowing the audience to connect with the character by making us happy for the character.

During Mickey and Gina's conversations; an over the shoulder shot reverse shot is used so that we are able to see the relationship the characters share. At the start of the scene they are extremely close to each other dennoting their intamacy as a couple, even when faced with a threat - Johnny.  However there are times when purposeful distance is put between them both, a good example of this is when Mickey is trying to tell her about the money laundering. Grant pushes and then holds Triplehorn at arms length so that the character understands that the subject matter is serious. As the audience already know what has previously occurred when watching the film this knowledge then allows us to worry for Mickey because of the reaction Gina may have to the news.

Mickey tends to behave quite nervously and hopeless most of the time. Grant does well in showing this particularly when there's a difference of relationship involved. Around Gina Grant's body language a lot more relaxed and confident enough to be silly. We see this in the way he stands quite tall until she says " would you mind if we had company" Grant pulls his head back and leans away from Gina to show his angst. However when it comes to showing positive emotions, like when he presents the necklace to her, he keeps a slanted smile. This then makes the audience connect with Grant as we find his awkward ness cute and humbling, especially the way in which he shows the necklace around his neck. When they're kissing after the purposeful distance we are able to see that most of the communication we have is in the facial gestures, his eyes droop and not make much eye contact which denotes the way in which Grant has identified that Mickey would be feeling guilty. As he walks away to the door his body is hunched over and closed off with his arms close to his sides. In this mid close-up shot we see only Grants back, which is unusual on the other hand because of this the audience are able to focus a lot more on how his non-verbal communication connotes his internal struggle. As we are focused on his movements we notice that he sweeps his hair to the side - a common tell tale of when someone is nervous.

The shot through the spy hole when Mickey looks to see who's there was, in my opinion, an intelligent way of connoting that Johnny is dangerous. It's due to the fish eye affect contrasting the the high angle shot.

Mickey Bue Eyes

mise-en-scene, performance and camera

The Creation of  Emotion in the audience

"Easy A" 2010 - Dir; Will Gluck

In this scene we are introduced to the "new" Olive who has decided to keep up the charade of being lewd due to a rumour at school. She decides to help Brandon "stay in the closet" as he is repeatedly bullied for being different.

In the media text ambient lighting used throughout which keeps the scene naturalistic and so engages the audience as they most probably have been in a similar situation. The mid-long shot at the beginning of the scene allow the audience to establish not only the location upon which this is set in but also the type of characters we expect to see. Our first shot shows an entire hall filled but split apart so that we may see Olive and Brandon; the focus is then pulled on to them. In the mise-en-scene we see that all the people have plastic cups in their hands which, in America, are typically used at parties when serving alcohol. As the split of the actors focuses on the lead roles this then tells the audience that they are significant in the mise-en-scene. As there is a long shot we are able to distinguish Emma Stone's (Olive) and Dan Byrd's (Brandon) costumes compared to the others in the shot. Stone is wearing a thigh high dress and knee high boots which the audience would stereotypically associate with a lady of the night. Byrd sports an average jeans and t-shirt combination as well as a leather jacket. As Byrd walks out of the room later in the scene he throws it over his shoulder quite flamboyantly and ostentatiously walks out; adding to the profile of the character as he is meant to be homosexual which is at times stereotypically augmented.

Mid scene we are given a low angle two shot so that we as an audience can interpret Stone and Byrd's characters' relationship. The low angle allowed us to deduce the dominant party in this relationship. As Brandon was being hit he proclaimed that he "didn't want that"  but Stone ignores and overenthusiastically persists which adds to the comedy of the moment as there is a slight pause then the disregarding of everything as she looks away from Byrd and back towards the door. Although she seems quite boisterous at first, after the escapade, Stone then lowers her tone of voice and speaks softly towards Byrd. The change of vocalisation shows how Stone's character truly cares for Brandon and only has the best intentions for him. It could also connote that now Olive has fooled everyone into thinking she is promiscuous there are consequences of her image being tarnished.

Camera Movement & Framing

Camera

"Green Street" 2005 - Dir; Lexi Alexander

As Pete enters the scene to rescue Matt we are shown a low angle close-up of him head butting and then proceeding to shout at the person he just knocked down. As an audience member, we would interpret this as him having forcibly taken the power from the other man who was assaulting Elijah Wood's character. In this shot we also are able to see the anger on Pete's face causing us to feel empathy for him; as he is trying to save his friend however this could also unnerve the audience due to the intimacy of the shot. It makes you think that you would not like to meet this man in reality. There are quite a few long shots used to establish how many people there are, especially in the main fight scene. This allows us to imagine the intimidation felt by the rival characters also the feelings of protection that the characters feel towards each other and their beliefs.

"When Harry Met Sally" 1989 - Dir; Rob Reiner

As Harry and Sally are talking we see them in a two-shot and there is a use of shot reverse shot to allow the audience to see what is happening. This is appropriate in this scene as not only do we feel more involved by seeing them talk as if to the audience but also being able to see the different reactions between the characters for example as Harry is talking about how he would just say something like he "has an early meeting" and leave the woman. Then we would see the unimpressed look on Sally's face, the female audience would empathise with her and agree whereas the male portion of the audience may react more positively towards Harry's actions. Whilst Sally is "faking it" we are shown several close-ups of the actors faces. The reactions are not only comical but also how we as an audience would react to a similar situation.  

In Bruges

"How does 'In Bruges' use mise-en-scene to reflect and develop the characters of Ray, Ken and Harry? How do the Performance styles of Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes also reflect and develop the characters?" 

"In Bruges" is a film of two hitmen, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) who have been sent to Bruges to hide out by their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes).

The location of Bruges is quite clever as it highlights the characters personalities. A good example of this is the way it brings out the experienced vs the apprentice convention of this dark comedy; as Ken has an interest of the beauty of the medieval city on the other hand Ray is bigoted of Bruges. The reason for the trip to Bruges in the first is because Harry had decided to send them there to kill Ray. The reason for this I believe is not only because Harry wanted to give Ray a "good last time" but also the isolation of the location. They say that Bruges is the most untouched medieval town in Belgium. This connotes that not many people know of it and as it is untouched modern facilities such as entertainment establishments have not been erected. And so not  many young people would travel there as they're not accustomed to the placid society.


At the start of the film when Ken and Ray begin to explore the town Colin hunches over and pulls the collar up on his coat. He then squints his eyes at the enjoyment of Ken in this dull town. This gives the audience the impression of not only how cold the weather is but due to the length of the coat and dark colour Ray seems like a recluse. As if he's trying to shut the world out from him and his thoughts and blend into the background.
The costume change at the resolution for Ken  I found to be significant. This is because he puts on his 'best suit' before meeting Harry. You see that he is ready to accept his fate. The action is highlighted by Brendan's face relaxing and no longer being tense also the fiddling with his wedding ring; ready for Ken and his wide to reunite.
Harry tends to always have a suit on, which makes his character seem like he's always on, always ready to sort out a problem. His business suit, which makes him a strong willed character that follows a set of rules, seems to reflect his character in the way of having morals and always following them even if it's a matter of life and death - as seen in the mistaken child incident and he shoots himself. As he is dressed so refined compared to the other two it shows a superiority over the others.


The use of guns in the scene where Harry is getting equipped has developed his character in the way that we as the audience understand him more. As he says "I'm not gonna kill 10 black kids on a drive-by" highlights a part of the message of the play of how intolerant they are of racism . Ralph does well in this scene as he creates an intimating ambiance by showing no emotion on his  cold, set face. His posture, quite rigid, also remains the same throughout however has quite fluid movements  which makes him deadly.

At first Ray has had a full lighting  on his face so that we are able to see him properly - this allows us as the audience to view him in a lighter way, simply see what Colin wants us to see at the time. As the film goes on the light on Ray seems to either grayscale or shadow over connoting how in this quiet town he is going deeper and deeper into his own thoughts about suicide.

Analysing Acting Performace

The Heat

An actors performance is often one of the key aspects that we as an audience are able to percieve the intentions of the director and interpretations of the script via the actors. We go about analysing these performances through vocalisation and physicality of a character. I will analyse certain aspects of these by looking at "The Heat" (with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock) as an example.

Physical Characteristics - Actors are often chosen specifically to play a certain role, especially stars, so as to portray a more accurate interpretation of a character.            Sandra Bullock: she is a tall, white, slim female who is in her late 40's. In the movie she tends to play a slightly younger role  but plays up to the "uptight female" convention. Melissa McCarthy: she is a short, white, curvaceous woman who is in her early 40's. 

What the Actor has Done: In the film Melissa has changed her image substantially with the way she is dressed as if she were a dangerous and unruly person. Her hair has also been changed by making it messy and unkempt. This ties in with her personality difference between the character and herself. As she is known to be sweet and loving, Mullins on the other hand is rough and crude, at times quite the opposite of the actress. Sandra has only adjusted her look slightly to give her an increased professional and official look by cutting her hair shorter (also makes her look younger). it is also in a style much suited to one who belongs on the FBI with the simplicity of a middle parting who flatter next to none; this also indicates to the audience that she doesn't have time for trivia such as style.

Acting Style: Melissa's acting style differs to Sandra's as hers is more farcical to suit the character of Mullins, however is ultimately comical. The way in which she presents her comedy is by being serious as she says a line which ultimately makes her presentation funnier.

Hart's War Analysis

I have decided to look at “Hart’s War” for my film analysis. It is based around a single lieutenant, Hart (Colin Farrell), who must deal with the hardships of being a prisoner of war as well as battling the oppression of not only the German soldiers but of his own comrades.

As my first key scene I have decided to analyse when we are first shown the theatre and Colonel McNamara sits with Lt. Hart. Our setting seems unconventional considering that the Germans have captured these prisoners of war and have kept them in a condition where their need for entertainment and socialising is possible. This gives the impression that even if they are enemies, which the audience is constantly reminded of during the film,  they are able to be civil under the right conditions. The setting seems cosy and warm although bare which again emphasises my point of the civility between the prisoners and the guards but only enough so that there is no breakout of chaos. The props used in this scene were very minimalist, after all this is a war were supplies are limited - it shows the hardships of not only the captured soldiers but those around them. Lt. Hart and Col. McNamara are seen drinking out of tins that have been halved as make-shift cups. The costumes in this scene are very similar however there are very slight differences. For example the Lt. is still dressed quite formally which makes him seem uptight and on edge. The Colonel on the other hand is casually wearing a jacket which makes him seem as if he is calm, collected, and has been through a lot worse in the past. The make-up, in this case the scarring and bruising, is quite effective as it is subtle and is a dull reminder of even when the mood is positive they have been in some kind of confrontation. 

My second key scene i have decided to analyse is when the Colonel Werner Visser and Lt. Hart are in the morgue and the colonel hands the pictures of the body to Hart. The Location for this scene is first of all, creepy as they are surrounded by dead bodies and neither of the characters seem to be fazed. This connotes the way the characters have been surrounded by this behaviour and mortality so much that they have become numb to it; which creates a tension on whether either side of the enemy forces are really "heroes" - this then plays in with the historical social realism. The main prop on which they focused on in this scene were the photographs of the carcass. This prop helped us identify the relationship that the Americans and the Germans had. As they were often known to have exchanged information for items and so on we can draw a conclusion from this that either side have main objectives but whilst behaving amicably they have certain motives. For example, i believe that the Colonel's motive was to cause controversy by helping Harts case side more than the other. 

Significant Props

For my focus on props i looked at the film "27 Dresses":

The contextualised props in this case are the bridesmaid dresses. These objects are significant as they are the focus of the shot many a time by having them centre frame. Even when the dresses weren’t specifically talked about they were in the unfocused background which made sure that the audience understood that the dresses, at all times, are significant. They seemed to symbolise that even in the happy moments Jane (Katherine Heigl) experienced we believe that there were deeper thoughts as to why she kept the dresses, such as longing to be a bride someday. This helps to move the narrative along and develop a relationship with the character she is confiding in at the time.

These props were especially significant as they are constantly referred to throughout the scene. The entire segment Kevin (James Marsden) was writing for his newspaper was practically on the amount of bridesmaid dresses she had in her possession. Not only that but it is also the title of the film.

As Jane parades the dresses we begin to empathise with her character. The props give us a montage of comical moments on which we dwell on what she must have gone through wearing some of those bridesmaid outfits. The props seem to have put up a front for Jane. We think of her as super human figure as she always tries to put others before herself; in her words “jesus”-like. (At the end of the scene shown above) we are given this emotional side to our lead as all of the props have been used and tossed aside exposing a more “human” and relatable side to her personality.

Mise-en-Scene

"When applied to cinema mise-en-scene refers to everything that can be seen in the frame. this includes set, props & equipment, costumes, lighting, sound and blocking."

Set

Sid's house is dank and dark looking reflecting the menacing character of the young boy and allow the audience to see that Sid is not going to treat our beloved characters well. It has other things in the room such as a poster that said "killin' Paul" to build on the threatening nature of the room.

In the scene where Sid is about to take his sisters doll; we are brought to a shot where Woody and Buzz look terrified. In the background a tiny drawing of a monster has been graffitied onto the inner lining of the bag. This may suggest to the audience that Sid has no regard for the rules as he is damaging property and it may also depict his "true self".

Lighting

At the arcade the lighting is a lot brighter in contrast to Sid's house. This proposes to us a place of enjoyment however as it's theme is space it is slightly darker and seems to have glowing stars on the ceiling. 

In his bedroom there is but a single swinging light giving an ominous feel to what is happening next and makes the character seem slightly deranged as he carries out his "operation" on his sisters doll.
Later on as Woody and Buzz are left with nothing but a torch to see where they are. This gives the audience and the characters a limited view around this mysterious place which then creates tension as they are in the unknown.

Costumes

Woody and Buzz both have bright clothing which emphasises how they are meant to be enjoyed by young children as the colours seem playful and engaging.
Sid has a black t-shirt with a very appropriate skull to match the danger that he brings to the story.

Sound

At the arcade we have a voice over who tells us about pizza. This is done in a fashion that you would expect an astronaut would speak; adding to the theme and atmosphere.
As we draw near to Sid's house we hear police sirens in the background again, this adds to the ambiance of incoming peril.

The Sound Of Cinema

The BBC programme "Sound Of Cinema: The Music That Made The Movies" spoke of the way musical scores have enhanced our viewing of films since the very early 1920's. 

In the 1933 Max Steiner had stormed on the scene with his pioneering musical scores which brought alive the drama by giving us more depth to the characters. For example Steiner creates emotive music when King Kong is exploring Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) allowing the audience to connect and empathise with Kong. As Neil Brand says "we all feel suddenly, what he feels". 

In this case Steiner also pulled off accurate musical timing with movements made by Kong. This development had only just occurred in the 1930's which opened a whole new door defining the sound of cinema.

In "Taxi Driver" Bernard Herrman's ability to fit his music pieces to Martin Scorsese's protagonist who was meant to have an apathetic ambiance about him was seemingly perfect. Thanks to Herrman's underscore throughout the film it continuously suggested that De Niro's character was unstable and something violent could happen at any time. However never confirming whether or not the protagonist was a "villain" at the time.

In conclusion I found this documentary to be honestly quite bland overall. It is rich with information however the presenter seemed to take away from the programme rather than bring across a keener interest. On the other hand, finding out about the development of sound over the past 90 years has been quite fascinating. Specifically the creation of the 'Click Track' which was essentially the start of the modern day cinema experience.