Case Study: 'Jackie Brown'

    Throughout the film 'Jackie Brown', Tarantino uses a number of generic conventions as to establish it's thriller genre.

    

    In the title sequence, the importance of the main character 'Jackie Brown' has been established with the use of an opening tracking shot, with a very long/heavy focus on the character. This helps to portray to the audience the significance of the main character. Her costume is reflective of her job, due to the distinct, generic airline uniform. The fact that the character is first introduced to the audience at her place of work portrays that - from the very beginning- the character is strong and independent, as the fact that she has a job shows that she is very self-sufficient. Her appearance and body language also helps to reinforce the idea of a very stylish, strong, confident female character.
    Together, these help to portray the image of a strong, capable, self-reliant main character; which is one of the generic character types found in thriller texts. The use of bright colour and ambient lighting in this scene could be used to reflect the fact that this is the characters natural state, rather then them forging autonomy and competence; as the bright colours makes the character almost exposed in a way, giving her the inability to 'hide' anything, and the use of natural light could be metaphorical of her natural disposition.

    In this scene, the chiaroscuro lighting in the unglamorous, tacky balcony setting at the beginning of the scene creates a subtle reference to film noir; along with the dimly lit urban setting being a generic feature of thriller films. The fact that Beaumont is topless, with his back against the wall for the first half of this scene shows that he is vulnerable, unprotected and exposed; possibly foreshadowing the later event of his demise.
    Later in this scene, we see a slightly tilted low angle of Beaumont and Ordell from the boot of a car; which appears in many of Tarantino's other works, such as 'Pulp Fiction', 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs'. An example of this repeated shot can be seen in the video below.

    This shot is used when Ordell is trying to persuade Beaumont to get into the boot of the car, to which he shows very strong rejection to. This helps to evoke fear and tension within the audience due to the claustrophobic setting of the car boot; as many people have a fear of small spaces and the idea of having a lack of oxygen - therefore possibly suffocating to death. The use of claustrophobic settings is a generic feature of thriller films, used effectively in this text as the idea of claustrophobia in this character is used almost as a red herring as it leads the audience - along with the character himself- to believe that the small space is the only problem facing him, rather than his impending, inevitable death. This is similar to where Jason locks the 'snitch/grass' in the back of his van, where he then takes him to an isolated location to beat him up and leave him there.
    The shot of Ordell in the front of the car -the interior of a car being a generic location of thriller texts- shows him with an army uniform-like costume which could be used to try and establish his dominance over Beaumont; along with showing his 'jewellery/bling' which portrays him as a very flashy and conceited character. This shot also shows the audience Ordell in the front of the car putting a pair of dark gloves on, which could be foreshadowing the fact that something bad is about to happen; possibly suggesting a crime or other wrong doings on his part.
    The camera then follows the car down a wet, urban street with the reflections of the street lights on the pavement - which is a generic thriller location. As the car goes around a fence the camera pans up, following the car; as to keep the 180° rule. It is here that we then witness Ordell shooting Beaumont in the boot of the car, which portrays to the audience that Ordell is a negative character who is not to be trusted; as the audience has just seen him kill someone. The fact that he was able to kill Beaumont shows that Ordell is very detached from his emotions as he appears to show very little empathy for his prior actions. 

    Melanie's death scene takes place in a car park, which is a generic location found in thriller texts. The fact that Louis shoots Melanie in a public place - such as the car park- in broad daylight portrays him as a fairly psychotic character as he has not been secretive about the murder; and seems to show very little recognition for his actions, along with the fact that he still talks to her as if she's beside him; when she's laying dead on the floor after being shot twice. The idea of a psychotic individual is a generic character type found in thriller texts; as well as being a distinguishing feature of a number of Tarantino's other works. Alternatively, the fact that Louis appeared to have no second thoughts or empathy for killing Melanie could be seen as a type of social commentary about the fact that people are being 'desensitised' to certain issues - such as death/murder- due to what people are now being exposed to through many different types of media; such as the news and magazines/newspapers.  

Preliminary Task: Final Product

Possible Locations for Thriller Production

I took these photos of possible locations for our thriller production, at about 15:50 - 16:20.

Whitlingham outdoor centre/park

 I chose this location as it had a very primeval feel to it, which would highlight the idea of the 'victim' in our narrative being hunted by the aggressor; due to the predatory feel created by the location, of which links to the primeval beach setting of 'Essex boys' which very much creates a similar atmosphere. This setting has a fairly dystopian feel to it, fitting the dark mise-en-scéne of our narrative; which would mean this could hopefully be a effective backdrop for thriller production.

Whitlingham forest

I chose this location as it linked very similarly to the setting of the film 'Ils', which has a large amount of the scenes where the 'victims' are being chased/'hunted down' by the aggressors taken place in a isolated forest in a secluded part of the town. Due to the setting being a main aspect in creating the tension in this film, and we have a similar idea with an aggressor 'hunting' the 'victim'; I thought this would hopefully be a suitable location to fit our thriller production. The use of this desolate forest would fit well with the narrative for our production, therefore hopefully creating an effective setting for our thriller production. 

Contextual Study: Female Serial Killers

Contextual Study - Female Serial Killers

Case Study: 'Essex Boys'

How the thriller genre is established in the title sequence of 'Essex Boys'

    Essex boys opens with this shot, using chiaroscuro lighting as to create a sense of surrealism and mystery by having the figure in the background almost enveloped in darkness; as well as creating a focal point as the light in the scene is only coming from one small area. This type of lighting is a key feature of classic noir thrillers, such as 'The Third Man'. The shadows created from this lighting obscured the  majority of the 'action' in the scene; also creating a sense of ambiguity and enigma - which is a generic feature of the thriller genre.

     This shot depicts the 'down on his luck' character type (Billy), generically used in thriller productions. The use of cobwebs helps to show that the garage of which this scene is set is fairly old and unused; which may help to unsettle the audience as not only is an old, isolated setting a generic feature of thrillers; but also of the horror genre. This seems quite foreboding, possibly indicating that something bad is about to happen to Billy due to the setting, along with the look of hesitance and uncertainty he is portraying. This could possibly be suggesting that it isn't the character himself that is malicious, but the situation he may later find himself in.

     There is a point of view shot of the 'criminal/antagonist' character type (Jason), through a dirty car windscreen. This could be reflective of the characters 'dirty' past and corrupted nature. The shot being a point of view shot from Billy within the car helps to create a claustrophobic atmosphere as it is shot in a very small space, as well as possibly seeming as if Billy has 'nowhere to run' from Jason; so is stuck with doing whatever he asks of him-possibly out of fear. The fact that the two characters are separated by the windscreen could be a metaphor for the fact that Jason is very emotionally unattached, reflective of the way he is going to use Billy for his own benefit; and possibly highlights the contrast between the gentleness of Billy and the fraudulence of Jason.

    The  use of a vanishing point in this shot of Billy driving Jason down the tunnel could be reflective of the fact that now Billy has affiliated himself with Jason, he may not ever be able to return to his former normality and innocent ignorance due to Jason's 'negative influence'. The vanishing point also helps to make the tunnel seem 'never ending', possibly signifying that now he will always be stuck with Jason; and obeying his wishes/whatever he asks of him. The tunnel looks like the barrel of a gun, possibly signifying that - much like that of a bullet- the end of Billy's 'journey' may well end in demise and anguish.

    The reflection of the lights from the tunnel in this shot look like jail bars; which could be metaphorical of how -due to his association with Jason- Billy may well be trapped into a life of crime from this point and onwards.  This shot also has a slight sense of irony as despite Billy being the one driving, it would appear he isn't actually the one in control. This could be reflective of Billy's life as now he has 'paired up' with Jason, he isn't in control of what he does any more, as portrayed by the fact that he is driving Jason around.

    This shot of the man who Jason had just attacked as 'revenge' for him 'grassing' on Jason, shows him wearing very dull, simple clothing which would make him 'blend in' very easily as he looks very ordinary. This could be reflective of him being a 'grass' as he would just seem to 'fade into the background' as there isn't anything memorable about him, enabling him to 'sneak' around and give information to people without being noticed.

    Whereas in this shot, we see that Jason has got very 'loud' clothing, suggesting a brash, arrogant, in-your-face attitude that may be expected of a criminal or antagonist. It could also be suggestive of the fact that Jason is very apathetic to what others think, and has no sympathy - hence the life of crime, and attack of the man who 'grassed' on him. This is reinforced by the primeval setting; which makes Jason seem very predatory- enhanced by the gloomy atmosphere which helps to connote the callous nature of this character.

   The shot of the man Jason attacked lying down helps to signify how he is of little importance, portraying him as a weak, insignificant character - due to him physically being on a 'lower level' in the scene. The use of ambient lighting helps the scene to feel more 'real', the dull colours giving it a gritty feel. The fact that Jason has left the man there - along with the fact the man is on the floor- helps to portray Jason as a fairly powerful character, as well as reinforcing his disregard for the man; making Jason's character seem more malevolent and menacing.

Individual/Own Ideas for the Thriller Production

    For our thriller production, my idea is to open with a plain black screen with the diegetic sound of heavy breathing as to unsettle the audience, also creating a sense of ambiguity as the audience don't know what is happening. The diegetic sound of heavy breathing will create a sound bridge to the first action shot - a long shot of a girl (girl A) running on a dismal, overcast beach- with the diegetic sound of the girl running on the surface of the beach along with the heavy breathing. This will help to connote the negative atmosphere of the scene and what is actually happening within it; along with the primeval setting of the beach which helps to create a predatory feel, as well as enabling us to use ambient lighting due the gritty and dismal effect created by the dark, overcast beach setting.

   
    We would have a non-linear narrative, so there would then be a flashback to girl A with another girl (girl B); where it would show them being 'friends'. The flashbacks would be in black and white as to enable the audience to differentiate between the flashback scenes and the 'real time' scenes, as well as it linking to other thriller films such as 'Dead Man's Shoes' and 'Kill Bill' - where the flashback's are also black and white. 

An example of black and white being used for flashbacks in 'Dead Man's Shoes' can be found at about 0:32.

An example of black and white being used for flashbacks in ''Kill Bill' can be found at about 0:26.

     There would then be a point of view shot filmed on a hand held camera - from the point of view of the 'thing' she's running from- of the girl running, where she will then hear a strange sound from behind her; causing her to look over her shoulder- followed by the diegetic sound of a heartbeat. The use of the hand held camera will help to create a sense of fear and urgency from the character, as well as disorientating the audience which will help to build tension within the viewers.

    
    Following that would be a mid shot of girl A's legs running past the camera, which would then be followed by another mid shot of the aggressor's legs following girl A. This would help to build tension as it gives the audience a  glimpse of the antagonist, which may help to 'humanise' them. All of these shots would have the diegetic sound of running on the beach surface and heavy breathing. This would be followed by another flashback of girl A with girl B, but this time it would seem as if something is different about the girls, whether it be the look on their face or the way they hold themselves- which will be used to build suspicion and tension as you don't know what is going on with them; creating a sense of enigma. There would then be a wide tracking shot of girl A running across the beach, without showing the aggressor behind her, from whom she is running from. This would help to present a false sense of security or hope within the audience for girl A, as according to this shot it may seem as if she isn't actually running from anything any more.

    
    This would then be contradicted with an over the shoulder shot of girl A, filmed from behind (over the shoulder of) the antagonist who is chasing her. This would bring back the element of fear as it shows that girl A isn't actually safe, and hasn't managed to 'get away'.

     
    This would then be followed by a 360° shot of girl A looking around her, with there being no sign of the antagonist. This would disorientate the audience whilst helping to build suspense as it gives the feel that something is about to happen. 

There would be the use of a 360° shot, similar to the shot seen at about 1:24 in this clip of 'Hot Fuzz'

    As the shot gets back to the front of the girl, she would suddenly go still; where over her  shoulder, girl B would appear. The scene would then cut out to a plain black screen again - very similar to the one at the beginning of the thriller opening, in an almost 'call back' like fashion, with the diegetic sound of girl A's heart beat and heavy breathing, along with the title of the production appearing on the screen. 

     

   This would then raise tension and suspense within the audience, keeping the viewers attention and making them want to see what happens next; hopefully making an interesting and effective opening to a thriller film. 

     

Rough Planning/Ideas for the Thriller Production

Independent Research: Thriller Texts - 'Dread'

'Dread' - 2009
Director/screenplay: Anthony DiBlasi
Cast: Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Shaun Evans
Based on story by: Clive Barker

    About the film:  Three college students producing a documentary on the true nature of fear are slowly drawn into a world of nightmares when one member of the group begins exploiting the phobias of his fellow participants in hopes of seeking salvation from his own dark obsession.


    One of the generic features of a thriller film that is featured in 'Dread' is the character types. There is Quaid- the psychotic individual with a dark past; and Stephen, Abby and Cheryl who are some of the 'innocent victims' who had issues from their own, individual pasts, which had a major impact on the rest of their lives. Quaid and stephen also have a very twisted relationship with each other-which soon expands to other participants of the study- which is another generic character feature of this genre.




   
    Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the locations used throughout the film. A conversation between Quaid and Stephen  takes place within a car - which is a generic feature for thrillers- which is the exact model of the car Stephen's brother crashed and died in; which links back to the theme of their 'study' as that is the thing Stephen fears most. Another example of a generic thriller location is when Quaid and Stephen first have their conversation about studying fear, they are in a dimly lit, urban alleyway; which could make the scene feel more gritty and real - which is a generic thriller location. Similarly, Quaid's house is also quite dingy and dark; which creates a sinister feel, along with a feel of ambiguity due to heavy use of shadow- which also helps to create a sense of enigma. This could be reflective of his character as he is a very dark and sadistic individual, who is also suffering from psychological abnormalities due to his experiences from his 'dark past'.


   
    Many of the shots located in this house have a heavy focus on the set of stairs - which is another generic location feature of the genre. The shots located in his house are focused on the stairs as they have a very strong link to the character and his dark past: Quaid had seen his parents killed by an axe murderer as a child, who then ascends the stairs after him, letting the axe thud against each stair on his way up. The film begins with this shot of Quaid as a young boy cowering away from the murderer as he was approaching on the stairs, and is later mirrored by Stephen near the end of the film -in a sort of 'call back' fashion. During Quaid's hallucinations, the colours of the scenes have been enhanced, which is very effective as it portrays to the audience how vivid and real they are to the character, and almost puts the audience in his position - through seeing his faulty perception of reality through his eyes. 

"I suppose that is the worst part of it all. You live with the notion that the thing that causes you the most terror could come back at any time."

     

Independent Research: Thriller Texts - 'Ils'

'Ils' ('Them') - 2006

Director/screenplay: David Moreau, Xavier Palud

Cast: Olivia Bonamy, Michaël Cohen

    About the film: 'Ils' is a French thriller/horror film, claimed to be based on true events. It's about  a woman named Clémentine, who finishes a week of teaching and heads home to the secluded house in the woods she shares with her novelist husband Lucas. That night, Clémentine is working when their phone rings, which she picks up to strange sounds on the other end. Later, her and her partner hear strange noises from outside and go to see what is going on, when their power cuts out - where then the innocent couple are terrorised within (and out) their own home.


     One of the generic features of a thriller film that is featured in 'Ils' is the locations used. The film opens with a mother and daughter driving along a deserted country road at night, where they are having an argument  and the mother crashes the car. She then goes to check the engine, but doesn't reappear when the daughter calls for her. Many shots during this scene are point of view shots - from the daughters point of view, within the car- where she is then terrorised and killed from the interior of the car; which is a generic location for thrillers. 

    Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the character types and dangerous situation they find themselves in - there are the innocent victims, Clémentine and Lucas, who are trying to escape from the aggressors; and then the antagonists themselves who are similar to the 'stalker' type as they are terrorising the victims in their own house, as well as chasing them through the woods/forest. Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the high levels of anticipation, suspense and tension; and how it is created. The fact that the victims live in a large, secluded house, surrounded by a forest helps to build suspense as, not only does it seem very eerie and sinister, but - with only the couple living there- anyone could be in or outside their home and they may not even know; until it's too late.

    Another way anticipation and suspense is built up is through the use of ambiguity and enigma. For the most part of this text, we don't know who - or what- the aggressors are; which helps to build anticipation within the audience as it creates a feeling of uncertainty within them as we want to know who/what they are, and why they are doing this (terrorising the 'innocent' couple).
 
    Finally, another way in which tension is created in this text is through the use of hand-held cameras/camera shots. For example, in the scene where Lucas is trying to get into the bedroom (of which he previously told Clémentine to lock as the antagonists were in their house), and Clémentine can't open the door to get Lucas in away from the aggressors who are following him. In this scene, there are hand-held cameras used for the shots of both characters; which helps to build tension as it shows the urgency- and desperation- of both of the characters to get the door open, to try and escape the antagonists. There is also the use of hand-held cameras for the scenes in the forest, when Clémentine is running away from the aggressors to find help. As well as creating a sense of urgency, in these scenes the use of the hand-held cameras also helps to create a feeling of anxiety and fear. This is due to the fast pace and obscure angles created from using this camera - which could be reflective of the characters mind set as she is essentially 'running for her life' - and Lucas'- as she is desperately trying to escape, and to go find help.


     Just before the credits roll, on-screen text, in the manner of films "based on true events," explains that the bodies of Clémentine and Lucas were found five days later and that the murderers were children aged 10–15. Upon interrogation the youngest of the group revealed as an explanation of that night's events that "They wouldn't play with us." 

Review:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2007/01/22/them_2007_review.shtml

Independent Research: Thriller Texts - 'Good Neighbours'

'Good Neighbours' - 2010 
Director/Screenplay: Jacob Tierney 
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman, Emily Hampshire 
Based on a novel by: Chrystine Brouillet 

     About the film: In Notre-Dame-de-Grâce , a residential neighbourhood of Montreal, a serial-killer has raped and murdered three victims. The film develops around 2 neighbours, Louise and Spencer, who have  increasingly - and suspiciously- bonded over their fascination over the recent crimes terrorising the community; when a new tenant, Victor, moves into the building who eagerly befriends them. But the more time these three spend together in their apartment building the clearer it becomes that what they once thought of as a safe haven is as dangerous as any outside terrors they could imagine.

    One of the generic features of a thriller film that is featured in 'Good Neighbours' is the character types and danger of their situation. There is victor- who is quite similar to the 'stalker type' character as he is obsessed with Louise, whom which he develops an imaginary love life with; Spencer- the secretive type who is possibly hiding a dark past or part of his life; and Louise- the fairly ambiguous character we don't really know all too much about.
 
    The 3 main characters all have a very twisted and obscure relationship with each other, which is a common feature of characters in thrillers- as is the 'innocent' victims of the murders occurring in the neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the urban setting. It is set in the neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, centred around the apartment block where the 3 neighbours live- which means there is also a focus on the stairs in the building, which is another generic location feature of thrillers. The choice of location is very effective in this text as to create a tense and slightly claustrophobic atmosphere due to the majority of the film being shot in the apartment block, as the story localises the murders to just that neighbourhood. This is because - as the 'action' has been localised to a single are- we know that the characters must have some link to the crimes that are occurring, which helps to increase the tension as - due to the 'apartment setting'- the characters are close in proximity, and yet don't really know anything about each other- or who they can trust.








    The claustrophobic atmosphere is also an effect of the majority of the film being shot in the apartment block; as there is so much going on with each of the characters - which we soon find out are not quite what they seem- when they all interact with each other, within the apartment setting, it helps to create this claustrophobic and quite awkward atmosphere - which also helps to increase tension.
   

        This tension could be reflective of the tension in Canada during the 1995 Quebec referendum - which was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state- of which is the setting of this film. At one point in the film, the 3 main characters - all English speaking- debate the results of the vote. Victor is the character primarily interested in the referendum results. He suggests that the three friends have a party, watching the plebiscite play out on television. The character's name, Victor (referendum winner), is one of the film's puns in reference to this.

Review:   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/good-neighbors-film-review-216098

Evaluation of Preliminary Task

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

              

       To plan for our filming, our group talked together to discuss what ideas we had, and to decide what we wanted to do and to get a general sense of direction for this task. We then created storyboards, starting with what camera angles we were going to use and where we wanted to shoot them (our locations). From this, we compiled a shot list – including what camera angles we were going to use, the locations of where these shots will be filmed, and who will be in these shots. We used this shot list to aid us during our filming to guide us in shooting our task in an effective and systematic way. This allowed us to keep continuity throughout our shots as we filmed them chronologically – meaning there wasn't a big difference from one shot to another as they were filmed in order, so there weren't any changes in the setting which would affect the continuity of our shots. As we only filmed over one day we didn't have any continuity issues with factors of our production such as costume. Although, as our original footage was lost, our shot list and storyboards do not mirror our final product as we had to film it again so we changed some of the shots – and as a member of our group moved, we had to have someone else be in our shots, so we changed most features; like the subject of the conversation, the people in the shots and the camera angles that we used. 

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

The 180⁰ rule is a basic guideline in film making which states that 2 characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. This means that the two ‘subjects’ should always be shot on one side of an ‘imaginary line’ as to make sure that the characters always stay on the same side (left or right) in each scene. This rule is important to our film making task as we need to make sure we have continuity in our product – therefore if we did not keep to the 180⁰ rule then the ‘subjects’ would keep switching which sides of the shot they are on in each individual shot. This would cause confusion and disorientate the audience, so it is important to our filming task that we keep to the 180⁰ rule.

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

In our final product, we used many different camera angles. We started with a low angle shot of ‘actor 1’s legs to show the beginning of a journey – which creates a sense of urgency, as the subject moves past the stationary camera fairly swiftly. We also used a close up of ‘actor 1’ on the way to the location of our conversation in our project, as to show their emotion before the conversation happens – to contrast to the mid shot we use of ‘actor 1’ after the conversation. In our project, we also used a point-of-view shot of ‘actor 1’ going to open the pod door (where the conversation takes place). This is effective as the shot is a little bit shaky- due to being a hand-held shot as well -  as it is reflective of ‘actor 1’s mind set as they are anticipating what is about to happen with ‘actor 2’. For the conversation part of our project, we primarily used shot-reverse shot between ‘actor 1’ and ‘actor 2’ to show who is talking, the emotions they portray whilst talking, and their reactions to what the other says. We did this keeping to the 180⁰ rule as to keep up our projects continuity.  We also used close up’s of both ‘actor 1’ and ‘actor 2’ after the conversation - separately - as to show the emotions they are now portraying after their confrontation. This is effective as it reinforces the change of mood that runs throughout the shots.

 What editing skills have you developed? How confident are you with using the editing programme?

        During the editing stage of our project, I have developed skills of effectively picking which clips are best to use, cutting the unusable parts out and editing all of the clips together to make a fluent, consistent product. I also developed skills of using the editing effects in an effective way. For example, for the majority of the conversation part of our project we edited it to black and white as to show the seriousness and drama of the conversation topic. We had a clip that we wanted to use the whole of, but only wanted the second half in slow motion; so we used the razor tool to split the two parts of the clip –but so it still flows without any jumps between parts – and then changed the speed of the second part. Another example is that we had 2 clips that go after one another, but realised there was a jump to ‘actor 1’ standing up in one of the clips, to her sitting down in the next. Therefore, we used a fade to white transition as so the 2 clips still had fluency and didn't seem to jump from one to another too much. This was also effective as the first clip was in colour, and the second clip was the first of our shots of the conversation edited to black and white; so the fade to white transition didn't only help with the fluency of the possible continuity problem, but also make the change from colour to black and white less harsh. I feel okay with using this editing programme, but not too confident as I probably still need to experiment with how to use other effects and how fitting they would be for the subject or style of our projects.  

Preliminary Task: Planning - Shot List

Note: Similarly to the storyboards, as a member of our group moved - all the scenes, with 'Holly' are now with 'Joel'; and as our original footage was lost and we had to film it again, this shot list is not reflective of our 'final product'.

Preliminary Task : Planning - Storyboards

Note: Due to losing our original footage and as one of our group members moved; we had to re-do all our footage, so these storyboards are not reflective of our 'final product'.

Camera Training: Still Images - Improved Long Shot #2

Long shot - used to establish the location and any action occurring.

Camera Training: Still Images - Improved Long Shot

 Long shot - used to establish the location and any action occurring.

Camera Training: Still Images

High angle shot -  used to make the subject look small, weak and vulnerable.

Low angle shot - used to make the subject look powerful and important.

Over the shoulder shot - used to show somebody following another person, or to put the audience in the position of the character.

Tilt angle - used to confuse and disorientate the audience.

    

 Long shot - used to establish the location and any action occurring. 

Medium close up - used to bring focus to characters.

Close up - used to allow the audience to identify with the character's emotions.

 Extreme close up - used to closely identify with a character, emotion or action (often used to symbolise horror in a thriller film).

Bird's eye view - Used to add to audience appeal, giving the audience a different view of the action.

Worm's eye view - often used to indicate fear, with the audience viewing events from the character's vulnerable perspective.

Media Questionnaire

NAME: Siân Campbell

GCSE RESULTS:

Philosophy & Ethics: A*

Media: A 

English Literature: A

English Language: B

Science: B

Geography: B

Art: C

Maths: C

Music: C

HOBBIES: Reading, Watching films, Listening to and playing music, Playing video games

MEDIA INTERESTS:

Print media- I don't really read newspapers, although every now and again I will read a couple articles on the internet as not only does it help to inform me about what is going on in the world, but it can also be fairly beneficial for certain subjects, like Philosophy & Ethics; as there are often articles about animal cruelty, wars, and issues such as abortion and euthanasia.

 Much like newspapers, I don't really read magazines either, although on the odd occasion I may pick one up; which is usually either 'Comic Heros' or 'Neo'. I sometimes read 'Comic Heros' because I absolutely love reading comic books and graphic novels, and it has information about upcoming releases, has interviews with artists and writers and also sometimes includes  some articles about video games. Similarly, I sometimes read 'Neo' as it is pretty much the only English magazine about anime, manga, and other Japanese culture. It includes articles on upcoming anime, cosplay and also has a page of new anime and manga releases.

Music industry- My favourite genre of music is probably 'alternative', which covers a fair amount of sub-genres; and my tastes in music range from older bands ( The Smiths, Nirvana, The Cure, The Stone Roses, etc) to more modern ones (La Dispute, Touché Amoré, Bring Me The Horizon, Devil Sold His Soul, etc) I access music on the internet through videos on Youtube and iTunes.

 I don't think illegal downloading of music off internet sites is the best thing as it is someone's work which they have put an immense amount of time and effort in; and although if someone illegally downloaded a very famous artist's music it probably wouldn't really effect the artist themselves a great deal, whereas smaller artists may have spent a fair bit of their own money and time to produce their music, and it would probably have quite a big effect on them if people illegally downloaded their music as they may not be getting the sales for their product from someone else. Another reason is that, for the large majority, it is someone's job; so they may not have another source of income. In this sense, if you wouldn't not pay a builder or a decorator for their trade, then why wouldn't you pay a musician for theirs? Despite this, there are always going to be people who will illegally download regardless of others feelings about it - including the laws on the subject.

 Personally, the music industry doesn't really have an effect on the way I dress or how I decide to present myself, whereas it may have an effect on the way I see things as- like for most people- their are certain bands, or songs, or lyrics that connect with you or that you can relate to on a personal level. This means that it could present you with a new perspective on a certain subject or how you live your own life, or can bring serious issues to attention and the possible repercussions that may follow. 

Video games- I have a few favourite video games as it is a hobby I have enjoyed since I was very young, but I am really enjoying the game that I am playing at the moment - Portal 2. It's a Puzzle-platform game where you play form the main character's (Chell) point of view, using your portal gun to complete each test chamber.

Some people believe that video games have a negative effect on  attitudes to gender as the majority of female characters in these games are a secondary character - such as the 'trophy' which presents them as objects, which could possibly influence people to have this view in the real world. Some people also believe that video games have a negative effect on attitudes to the solution of conflict as in a fair amount of video games this 'solution' is- or leads to- violence. Therefore, some may believe that it is okay to act out violently in real life when faced with conflict. 

Personally, I believe that the majority of people who play video games are smart enough to be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy; so therefore are able to know what is acceptable in everyday life and what should be left in the video games. 

New technology- New technology - especially the internet and digital cameras- have helped our understanding of the world as the internet has made information of countries and their cultures more accessible to people, and digital cameras have made images of countries and the current issues happening available to us; so if there is a report on the news about issues in a certain country across the world we are able to see what is going on, and have a better understanding. 

Our ability to communicate with others has been massively effected  by new technology such as mobile phones and the internet- due to social networking sites. This is because with the aid of these new technologies we can now get in contact quickly and more conveniently with people who could be on the other side of the world, which could then possibly also help us with our understanding of the world. 

The internet has made it extremely easy to find out about films, TV and the music industry as all you have to do is go on Youtube and there will be a video from the show; go on Twitter or Tumblr and there will be discussions about new films people are looking forward to, or go on Facebook and you can see who has listened to which artist and who likes what music. This means that all sorts of films, TV and music can reach a lot more people as it has become much more accessible due to new technology. 

Similarly, the internet has made it much more common for people to make their own media texts. This is because it is another way for people to get feedback on their creative project, and can see what the people who actually consume their content think about it- whether it be a video on Youtube, a drawing on Facebook, or a short story on Tumblr. 

Television- I don't really have a favourite television channel as I tend to watch the majority of shows I like On Demand or on DVD box sets as they are either broadcasted on channels I don't have access to or are anime series from other countries. My favourite genres of television is probably 'crime' and 'horror/supernatural' as the majority of shows that I watch and enjoy are of these genres. 

I think the programmes that I consider most memorable are Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Adventure Time, Blue Exorcist, Attack on Titan and Claymore. This is because they have amazing storylines, brilliant actors/voice actors and have great visuals or artwork.

Feature film- My favourite film genres are horror, comedy or science fiction. I especially like horror films as with old horror films they can be either amazingly good or so bad they are funny- which is enjoyable either way- and new horrors are a bit more creepy in some cases as they have better effects or costume and some good storylines.  

The first film that in find outstanding is The Lost Boys. Being a film that I first saw when I was younger, it has been a film that I have grown up absolutely loving; it has a brilliant storyline including some popular features  of horror films, but is also intentionally funny. The actors in this film are absolutely brilliant, especially Kiefer Sutherland who plays the character of David amazingly. I also really like the frog brothers, who
seem to be the main comic relief in the film, along with the interaction between Michael and Sam as they are facing a major issue but are still arguing and Sam still uses 'You wait 'till mom finds out, buddy!' against Michael.

          

                    

Another film that I find outstanding is The Dark Knight. I think it's fair to say that the best thing about this movie is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. As I adore comic books, With the joker being my favourite comic book villain of all time I was very interested to see whether this film would do him justice - and it did, above and beyond. It is by far still my favourite Batman film ever - primarily due to Ledger's performance, he executed it extremely well and was certainly without a doubt the right choice to play the character.

                 

Another film that I find outstanding is This Is The End. Despite comedy being one of my favourite film genres, I don't really watch them all that much- so for me I think This Is The End is a great film as it includes aspects of horror - such as the apocalypse, demons and exorcisms. The greatest aspect of comedy, in my opinion, comes from the fact that the characters are exaggerated versions of the actors themselves (who are all brilliant actors in their other projects as well as this film). This amazing cast is made up of many 'big names' of which you will recognise, the main characters/actors being - my favourite- Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. I really like the CGI, as they have made the setting look amazing and very distopian - which is extremely fitting for an apocalyptic comedy film.

                                

I watch films at the cinema, on DVD or on tv but I don't really have a strong preference, although more films are available on DVD or TV as cinemas don't really play old films (other than certain ones on the odd occasion) and don't play that many foreign films - which are sometimes the best ones. 

My favourite cinema is probably Vue as it has decent size screening rooms, and it is fairly accessible. 

Personally, if I'm just watching films on DVD or TV then I would prefer to watch it on my own, but if it was a film at the cinema then I would rather go with someone else rather than on my own.

Are you a media producer?- In media at GCSE we made the a cover for a video game that we had made up ourselves, which we did individually. We also made the front cover, contents page and double page spread (including article) of a magazine we made ourselves of a certain genre that we chose - mine, for example, was a music magazine- which we did individually. Later, we worked in groups to create a trailer for a action film- which we filmed and edited together. 

CONCLUSION

A media text that offends me is probably any video of Katie Hopkins appearances on This Morning that appear on Youtube. For example, in one of these appearances she talks about children's names being linked to class, and if she associates their name with a lower class, she would not allow her children to play with them - without even meeting the child or their parents first; and then goes on to say that 'You can tell that they are the type of child who wouldn't have done their homework'. In another appearance -with a plus size model- she said 'People like [the plus size model] who think you can be fat and beautiful are simply in denial' and saying that being on the slightly larger size is 'just an excuse'. Once again, she appeared on the show - with Katie Waissel, a tattooed 'celeb'- and said that 'When you are young and impressionable, you will do anything to be like your idol. If you have a tattoo you will never be a high achiever'.

One media text that has altered my attitudes are the many works I have read. The quote 'What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person' from the novel 'Paper Towns' by John Green is one that really stood out to me. This is because we put way too much pressure on ourselves and sometimes other people to be the best at everything, to not struggle with things, and to be perfect in every way; where the truth is that we are only human, and we can't expect so much from ourselves and others when we give such little credit for what we do achieve. In a way, this also links to the quote 'If you expect nothing from anybody, you're never disappointed' from the semi-autobiographical novel 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath as we shouldn't expect so much from others and ourselves. This doesn't mean don't have goals and aspirations in  life, but don't expect so much that you are extremely disappointed and resentful.

I chose to take media studies as I did it at GCSE and enjoyed it, and I have an interest in lots of different types of media.