A Textual analysis of A film Poster
17:11
In this “Batman- A Dark Knight” film poster there are many things in which you can analyse just by looking at it. First of all, I am going to highlight the obvious; likewise to most movie posters, this poster has the title of the film in the larger font- this just makes It clear on what the name of the film is so that the audience is aware of its title. The fact that the character is called a “dark knight” tells us that he is a hero yet has a villainous side to him. In this poster also, behind the title there is the iconic and bold symbol of the batman logo, demonstrating that it belongs within the series of batman movies. This ultimately will bring excitement to DC or superhero fans because they know that there is going to be a new film out with the same characters in and will suit their interests. There is also large emphasis on the main actors as they are a key aspect needed to urge people to want to see this film. When looking at this poster, another thing which stood out to me was the release date. This is largely needed on a film poster, in my opinion, because it informs the audience on the day in which the film is available to watch. Within the writing at the bottom of the poster, things like the studio (the key institution), the legal info, and names the main roles of the production team. It is very important that this information is included because then the audience are aware of the main people involved in the making of the film and I imagine things like that are needed for legal and copyright reasons.
The mise-en-scene helps us build expectations, gives us character information and conveys the emotions of the scene. Firstly, the costume in the poster already tells me that is is going to be a film involving superhero or villains and it is going to be supernatural; I know this by the amour and cape he is wearing. The black suit which is shaped to his body shape shows this characters strength because this dark colour shows power and also the can tell he has an extremely muscular figure- portraying his strength. The belt that he is wearing implies class and that he's though of highly. You cant really tell his social expressions or eyeliner because over half of his face is concealed by a dark mask. Although this may be, you can sense a seriousness from the emotionless mouth positioning. This is effective because it proves that this character is serious about his role and may also imply that he gets through a lot of harsh situations- again proving his strength. The character is positioned in the missile of the film poster with his head completely centered- this showing us that he is the main focus of movie. Its as though he is in the middle of all the disturbance yet he remains strong and focused. You can also tell this by his posture and the clenching of his fists, he is ready for anything.
The lighting overall forms a dark, gloomy feeling giving the sense of the unknown and it is somewhat intimidating. The blue wash could portray sadness, the coldness of a character (the cruelty) and could also imply that this movie is set in the future. This use of blue and white suggests this because they're usually the colours that are commonly associated with future and new technology. The surges of light throughout this poster could portray the brightness (cleverness) of the characters mind or you could involve it with the portrayal of power. The use of these colours and the lighting can have many implications which could all be valid, this leaving the target audience questioning (which is good because it interests them and could urge them to watch it). When looking at the setting, you can tell that the scenery is very modern this has a link to the futuristic implications given in the colour. To me, this suggests that the film is set in the near future therefore may seem more realistic in a way. The colours red and orange suggest passion, fury, danger, fire; they could also be hinting that there is going to be a feature of romance within the film, adding complications or a twist to the storyline. The black vs white in the poster is a smart way of representing the good vs evil.
When looking at the camera angles, you can immediately see the low angle shot which makes the audience already feel inferior to the character. It is a great way of showing the strength of the character and its importance in the film. It is a long shot yet the title and the writing covers the characters lower body, this shows that the character is very unexpected when it comes to appearances, It’s almost as if he is emerging from the darkness. The fact that he is central, higher than the audience and on his own but still looking strong already tells us that he has a large significance in this movie. This poster is using three sections of focus, the top, the middle and the bottom. The top focusing on the burning building and the quote, the middle one with the main focus of the character and the bottom one with the main focus of the title and the other film information. I think this is used effectively because it adds interest (there is more than one thing happening at once). I love the quote at the top of the poster because it makes the audience question what this sentence might mean and it creates an excitement.
Based on the mise-en-scene I can tell that this films main genre is action. However, the use of dark colours and fire implies that there might be a combination of horror and thriller included. Overall, you can see the obvious importance of the character and his power alongside his strength. In my opinion, I would say that the film is focused on age 12+ this mainly because the use of colours give me the impression that there might be some weird twists in the story line and usually action films are rated 12+ due to the large use of violence throughout. This poster is done in a very clever way which intrigues th audience, therefore has fulfilled its purpose.
Sub Genre
12:54
A sub-genre is a category within a genre (are not big enough to be a genre). Examples of subgenres would be Dark-comedy or Psychological-thriller. Positives to sub-genres are that they're easier to target when looking for a specific movie type and they are a more detailed way of describing a film. A hybrid genre is when two or more main genres are combined, for example: Rom-com or action and adventure. This would mean there would be a bigger audience therefore more chance of the film making money as there is wider interest.
Seeing as we will be making a Thriller opening sequence it would make sense to list some examples of Sub genres of Thrillers so, below are some examples of Thriller sub genres :
Action Thriller
Conspiracy Thriller
Crime Thriller
Disaster Thriller
Forensic Thriller
Medical Thriller
Mystery Thriller
Political Thriller
Psychological Thriller
Religious Thriller
Romantic Thriller
Spy Thriller
Supernatural Thriller
Techno-Thriller
Seeing as we will be making a Thriller opening sequence it would make sense to list some examples of Sub genres of Thrillers so, below are some examples of Thriller sub genres :
Action Thriller
Conspiracy Thriller
Crime Thriller
Disaster Thriller
Forensic Thriller
Medical Thriller
Mystery Thriller
Political Thriller
Psychological Thriller
Religious Thriller
Romantic Thriller
Spy Thriller
Supernatural Thriller
Techno-Thriller
Camera Workshop 2
13:28
For this workshop we learnt the rules of filming to ensure the footage is the best that is can be. First of all we looked at the order in which you should shoot in. It should go from largest shot to the smallest shot- for example if you needed to shoot a long shot, a mid shot and a close up, you would shoot it in that order. This way you would get a shot which shows the scenery, a shot which shows the actor/ object and a shot which focuses on the actor/ object. The reason for having to shoot in wide first is so that everything is established in the scene. Following on from this, we learnt about continuity and why it is important. The definition of continuity in media is: A system of cutting used to maintain a continuous and clear narrative action this is so important because the actions need to look the same so that the shots match up and make sense.
When filming, there are certain call outs before actions are taken, these being: stand by, roll camera, camera rolling, action and cut. These call outs are used to keep everything organised and running smoothly. Also, they're used for safety for example when the camera man says “camera rolling”, it means the camera record button has been pressed. The fact that the director says action after, means that the camera is already rolling before the actions started, making sure nothing in the scene is missed and it can in fact capture extra footage which may end up being used. Similarly, this is the reason for the camera to stay rolling after the action is finished and until the director says cut- purely ensure that everything is captured.
Actors also tend to use marks when filming, this is to make sure the characters placement is exactly the same every time the scene is shot for continuity. Also, we were given the tip to not keep watching footage back after filming a scene and to believe in yourself, this being because its extremely time consuming. The last thing that was covered and tone of the most important of them all is that we should stick to the 180 degree rule. The meaning the angle between any two consecutive shots should not exceed 180 degrees. This is done to maintain spatial relationships between people and objects in a sequence of shots.
Heres a video to show the 180 degree rule in more detail.
When filming, there are certain call outs before actions are taken, these being: stand by, roll camera, camera rolling, action and cut. These call outs are used to keep everything organised and running smoothly. Also, they're used for safety for example when the camera man says “camera rolling”, it means the camera record button has been pressed. The fact that the director says action after, means that the camera is already rolling before the actions started, making sure nothing in the scene is missed and it can in fact capture extra footage which may end up being used. Similarly, this is the reason for the camera to stay rolling after the action is finished and until the director says cut- purely ensure that everything is captured.
Actors also tend to use marks when filming, this is to make sure the characters placement is exactly the same every time the scene is shot for continuity. Also, we were given the tip to not keep watching footage back after filming a scene and to believe in yourself, this being because its extremely time consuming. The last thing that was covered and tone of the most important of them all is that we should stick to the 180 degree rule. The meaning the angle between any two consecutive shots should not exceed 180 degrees. This is done to maintain spatial relationships between people and objects in a sequence of shots.
Heres a video to show the 180 degree rule in more detail.
Genre
08:44
Genre is a way of categorising a film/ any other media; when a film has certain features, you can identify its genre. A few examples of common genres are: Comedy, Sci-fi, Romance, Drama, Horror and family. You can determine a genre based on their conventions. The main conventions are: costume, props, setting/location, lighting, character positioning, facial expressions, plot, characters and editing/ camera work. For example, When looking at this film poster to the right, you can see that it is a western film and you can tell that there is going to be an action/ thrill aspect. The obvious reasons for me thinking this are the costume the character is wearing (a cowboy hat) and the use of props (weaponry in his hands).Camera workshop 1
22:08
For this first workshop we focused on looking at the Black Magic Ursa mini. First of all we got out the tripods and learnt how to extend them properly. After that, the camera was taken out of its bag alongside the handle and battery. We learnt the “yours” and “mine rule”- this made sure the camera was handled safely between two people. If the camera is dropped, very expensive equipment could get damaged therefore its important to make sure we are very careful with the equipment. We practiced locking the camera on and off the tripod, we were shown how to use the locks and how to keep the spirit level balanced to ensure the camera is stable and straight. We screwed the handle on and learnt what a pan and tilt is. Once we made sure the camera and tripod were placed properly, we slid the battery onto the back of the camera and we were ready to turn it on and have a go ourselves! 
The first thing we did once the camera was turned on was zooming and focusing. You have to twist parts on the lens to do so. We were told that to ensure the camera is focused properly, we have to zoom right in on the object/ person you're shooting and then focus. After that you can zoom out and the shot is fully focused. If you don't do this, the shot will not be focused properly and when expanded on a screen, may appear blurred. Another important thing we were told to remember is to keep iso on 400; iso is the film speed and it needs to be kept on this number so that there is less grain and the camera is less sensitive to light. Shutter angle is also important- the shutter angle is the shutter speed relative to the frame rate. We were told we should keep it at 180 however if we wanted a sharper shutter speed it should be set as lower. Another aspect we focused on was the white balance, white balance helps create the right colours through the camera to make the shot look more natural (objects that appear as white in real life are also white on the camera) When outdoors the white balance should be set to 5600K and indoors it should be 3000K and we can change these numbers by going into the camera settings. The last thing mentioned was why we should always film in colour and with no effects. If we filmed with effects or in black and white its very hard to edit back to a more natural look, however, if it was filmed in normal colour, its a lot easier to edit to the way you intended. 3 Opening Scenes
15:15
The three opening scenes I have chosen to analyse and compare are from: Dexter, American Horror story and Friends. I am going to explore the camera angles and their connotations and the effects of the opening scenes and make a comparison between the videos.
In my opinion, this opening scene is done in an incredibly clever way. One of the reasons for this is because of the use of close ups and extreme close ups. This whole opening is literally just Dexters “morning routine” although, the props are portrayed in a way which makes us relate it to the disgusting things his character does in the series.
Close ups and extreme close ups are used effectively here as they almost force the audience to use their imagination and focus on his every move, they also might make the audience feel like they're uncomfortably close to something which is normally unusual and doesn't tend to be a nice experience. An example of where this happens is when his hands and a knife saw through the chunk of raw meat which makes the audience immediately make a relation between the meat and human flesh- this makes the part where he eats the meat almost discomforting, you could also link the ketchup to blood. The close ups and extreme close ups show each and every detail on the objects included in the frames. At the end of the scene, a mid shot is used; this gives us the first proper view of the character and is used effectively as you can see the details, facial expressions, his posture and the way he moves. When looking at the angles used, at the start, there is a slight tilt of the camera. Throughout the video, the camera is mainly still however, at some points the camera shakes as if its hand held. This tilt and shaking of the camera gives a sense of uneasiness. At one point, there is an over the shoulder shot- this making the audience feel as if there are there with the character. Overall i think the whole opening scene would make the audience assume that this character is going to make some gory/ discomforting actions at some point in the series. It also implies that the character is not effected by blood or anything of that sort (which is proven when he cuts himself whilst shaving and it doesn't bother him) This scene shows this characters significance in the series as the focus is all about what he is doing due to the close ups.
American Horror Story
Unlike in the Dexter opening (which focuses on mainly close ups), a wide variety of shots are used. Extreme long shots, mid long shots, long shots, close ups and extreme close ups are all used a number of times in quick shots. The whole video is fast moving and the footage shown is out of the ordinary and weird. I think that is reflected with the use of so many shots because the idea that the video is so fast moving might make the audience feel like they're not used to it- usually in videos scenes are quite slow so all the information can sink in whereas here it is the complete opposite.
Friends
In friends, the main camera angles used are mid long shots and mid shots. The mid shots are effective because the focus is on one character and it shows the details of their costume, their facial and expressions and the way they move, this is effective because the audience gets to know the character better and gives the impression of what kind of personality they have. The mid-long shot includes two or more characters and is used effectively because it leads us to believe the characters have a close bond as you can see that they're proxemics are close and they appear to be enjoying themselves.
They also show details of costumes and facial expressions, likewise to a mid shot, this emphasising the reactions and relationships between the characters. In my opinion the extreme long shots used show us a sense of unity between the characters as their placement is all very close together on a sofa. The sofa and lamp suggest that they live together or a just very close friends which therefore is used effectively because furniture like that is never normally seen outside. I think the strangeness and the colourful props used tells us that their friendship is fun and different to others. All the characters are featured evening throughout the opening scene, this telling us that not one character is of more significance in this series and they are all important- without each other it wouldn't be the same. In this video, you can see the spread of happiness between the characters because of the mid shots and mid long shots- this showing us they feel as if they belong and are comfortable with each other. The whole video focuses on the bond between the characters and their happiness.
The footage alongside the music (which lyrics include “i’ll be there for you”) clearly shows that they work together and help one another out. The camera movement in this video is generally still but there is also some tracking used which is effective as it follows the movement and keeps the focus on whats happening, similarly this effect is created when the camera pans. I love the extreme long shot which finishes this scene because you can relate the friendship to any normal one as they're doing everyday things- like turning off the lamp. This brings back a sense of normality to the scene and the audience can relate to it forming a positive connection with the characters.
When comparing the opening scenes, you can tell the clear genres of each and the difference between them just on the basis of which camera angles are used and how. In dexter the movements are very slow and mainly the camera angle is close up- making us feel uncomfortable and this is used in a similar way in the American horror story opening video. However, in this video, this effect is also created by the sped up movement and cutting of frames to portray the unusualness. The fact that the audience feels like they are there in the video is effective because they are most likely to feel slightly scared, even before the programme has started. Friends of the other hand is mainly in mid- long or mid shots showing more than one character and their bond. This being completely different to the isolation feel of the other videos. Friends brings an immediate happiness and the characters seem nice and look like they're enjoying themselves, which makes the audience connect with the characters and feel as though they might even want to join in.
Tension within a Thriller
02:58
Sync Corp
In the video "sync corp", you can tell that something unusual is going on. You can see this by the use of weaponry and the way the two male characters look around as if they're trying to conceal something. As the camera pans round you can see a young girl sitting innocently so you assume that she is seen as the victim until a turn of events. At first the only noise you can hear is the tapping of the keyboard, this also implies her innocence and that she is just an ordinary student. The cleaners facial expressions are serious and their silent communication connotes that they're up to no good. When the guns are pulled out and the two "cleaners" see that she is gone, the music starts gradually building up giving the dramatic effect of tension as the audience know something is going to happen.
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| The gory effects^ |
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| The villainous character emerging from the darkness^ |
Sound effects were also used throughout this thriller adding interest and effect to the scene overall making it more realistic and dramatic. All in all, tension is created thoroughly and effectively throughout the whole video therefore it successfully fulfills its purpose of building tension.
A review of my favorite film
07:57
Gone girl (2014)
My favorite film is gone girl (2014) directed by David Fincher and presented by 20th Century Fox, written by Gillian Flynn, starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Niel Patrick Harris. It's an extremely successful mystery film which has been nominated for 1 Oscar with winnings of 64 awards and 169 nominations. It is ranked as number 170 in the top rated movies! The budget of this film is estimated at $61,000,000 making $37,513,109 in the opening weekend.
My favorite character is probably Amy Dunne, purely on the basis that her acting is absolutely amazing. Rosammund portrays Amy's character in a way which i don't think any other actresses would be able to do as skillfully. She varies her emotions with realistic facial expressions which effects the audience as it may make them feel uncomfortable or make them curious of her capabilities. My favorite scene in the movie is the scene in which she frames and kills Desi; the reason for this is the acting is incredible and the scene looks very realistic. This part of the film was the most unexpected in my opinion therefore really grasps the audience and makes them wonder- what could happen next?
The reason for me liking the film so much is because the film is different from any other,. I love how there as so many twists within the story line and I love the idea of the unknown and trying to figure it all out in my head as the story continues. I felt I got really involved in the film and emotionally attached.
I absolutely adore the plot! It is written in a really creative way and throughout the whole film, until right at the end, you're left wondering what the outcome will be and everything is so unexpected yet done in such an amazingly cleaver way.
I think it would be hard to create the same effect in another film as I believe plot twists are hard to portray without being confusing- this is what makes the film so good to me as they're done so well. Although, I can't wait until the "girl on the train" is released! I think it will be another great, written by the same author and will be unique but will include extremely good plot twists likewise to gone girl.
For me, the ending made me feel uncomfortable in a strangely good way. I was so shocked that in the end he had to be forced to let her back into his house to live with her otherwise he may still have been charged or put into prison. Amy's character was so clever and had every single thing planned out so that she was always seen as the victim. This makes the audience question her capabilities and what terror she could cause in the future; this really is a scary thing to think about after all that she has done during the movie. The way they had to portray themselves as a "perfect couple" at the end was so effective because it was the complete opposite to what they were. Its as though he had to put up with Amy to stay out of trouble when really he was more in danger being in a house with her. The whole film was created in a way which didn't lead to any confusions, the story line was so clear as a result to the placement of the scenes and how it was communicated overall. I genuinely think that there are no films like it.
This if the official film trailer and even as an advertisement, you can already tell how amazing the film is!
My favorite film is gone girl (2014) directed by David Fincher and presented by 20th Century Fox, written by Gillian Flynn, starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Niel Patrick Harris. It's an extremely successful mystery film which has been nominated for 1 Oscar with winnings of 64 awards and 169 nominations. It is ranked as number 170 in the top rated movies! The budget of this film is estimated at $61,000,000 making $37,513,109 in the opening weekend.
My favorite character is probably Amy Dunne, purely on the basis that her acting is absolutely amazing. Rosammund portrays Amy's character in a way which i don't think any other actresses would be able to do as skillfully. She varies her emotions with realistic facial expressions which effects the audience as it may make them feel uncomfortable or make them curious of her capabilities. My favorite scene in the movie is the scene in which she frames and kills Desi; the reason for this is the acting is incredible and the scene looks very realistic. This part of the film was the most unexpected in my opinion therefore really grasps the audience and makes them wonder- what could happen next?
The reason for me liking the film so much is because the film is different from any other,. I love how there as so many twists within the story line and I love the idea of the unknown and trying to figure it all out in my head as the story continues. I felt I got really involved in the film and emotionally attached.
I absolutely adore the plot! It is written in a really creative way and throughout the whole film, until right at the end, you're left wondering what the outcome will be and everything is so unexpected yet done in such an amazingly cleaver way.
I think it would be hard to create the same effect in another film as I believe plot twists are hard to portray without being confusing- this is what makes the film so good to me as they're done so well. Although, I can't wait until the "girl on the train" is released! I think it will be another great, written by the same author and will be unique but will include extremely good plot twists likewise to gone girl. For me, the ending made me feel uncomfortable in a strangely good way. I was so shocked that in the end he had to be forced to let her back into his house to live with her otherwise he may still have been charged or put into prison. Amy's character was so clever and had every single thing planned out so that she was always seen as the victim. This makes the audience question her capabilities and what terror she could cause in the future; this really is a scary thing to think about after all that she has done during the movie. The way they had to portray themselves as a "perfect couple" at the end was so effective because it was the complete opposite to what they were. Its as though he had to put up with Amy to stay out of trouble when really he was more in danger being in a house with her. The whole film was created in a way which didn't lead to any confusions, the story line was so clear as a result to the placement of the scenes and how it was communicated overall. I genuinely think that there are no films like it.
This if the official film trailer and even as an advertisement, you can already tell how amazing the film is!
