BLK feedback

Excellent analysis and reflections on your horror shot - super work Loren!

Such impressive work all round on your blog. Your film clips are such brilliant choices, providing lots of contrast and variety. You really analyse them so well - your notes are a pleasure to read.

Keep up the good work - well done so far :-)

Research on Film Clips

We were asked to watch film clips and identify the different shot types and answer why they were used in that particular scene and what impact they created. 

I chose to look at the final scene in 'The Blair Witch Project' as i find it very interesting and chilling and i feel the way the whole film is shot is very effective.

The entire final scene is shot using 'handheld' camera. It is used to create a sense of disorientation to make the audience even more scared as they don't actually know what is going on. We can only see what the person in the shot is seeing. It brings the audience into the scene and gives them a more active role rather than passive because they are seeing it through the characters eyes and therefore are taking the place of that character. It makes it seem as if everything is happening to them and bringing the whole scene into reality rather than just being fiction. This therefore creates more tension and suspense as they will be more frightened.

In the scene there are a lot of 'whip pans'. These are used to imitate the quick turn of the character as he has just heard or seen something. It makes the scene more chilling as a quick turn of the head is normally connoted as an impulsive reaction to something un-ordinary and the audience cannot see what it is either. They are only revealed things as the character moves. 

There are many 'tilts' and 'pans' to reveal bits of the scenery and setting to the audience and to give them a sense of what is going on and whereabouts the scene is taking place as they do not want to be too disorientated as they would lose interest. 

There are a few 'extreme long shots' to reveal parts of the scenery to the audience or to show what the other character in the scene is doing from a distance. We are still kept at a distance from the other character to give a sense of realism as if they have just walked into the shot of what we are seeing whilst still doing what they are doing. It lets the audience know what is going on but yet doesn't draw away from the realistic mood of the scene. It also allows the audience to see where the characters are in relation to their surroundings making it more meaningful but still scary. 

There are lots of 'close ups' and 'extreme close ups' of the surroundings e.g. trees, walls and floors. It makes the audience very disorientated as they cannot tell exactly what the camera is pointing at as it is so close and it makes the whole scene seem a lot more distorted and confusing. It makes the audience panic in a way as they are pushed into the unknown and cannot make sense of everything making it disturbing and unnerving. 

There are 'dutch angle tilts' in the footage to make the audience even more disorientated and to give the sense of realism as a tilt on a handheld camera would not be perfectly framed and shot. 

I then decided to look at the scene from 'Mean Girls' where there is a four way phone conversation. I find the whole framing of this shot very different and imaginative. 

There are many 'medium close up' shots of the characters so that we can see their reactions to what people are saying but yet are not too far away so that we cannot see that they are on the phone. It lets the audience know what is going on and really gives them a sense of what the character is feeling as you can really see their facial expressions clearly.

The screen is split in this scene so that you can see both characters whilst they are having a conversation with each other. It gives the audience a clearer understanding of everything and it is quite a fun thing to watch as the audience know what the other character is up to whilst being on the phone but the other characters are oblivious. It almost gives them an insight that the characters in the film are not able to possess. 

There are some 'pans' in the scene to show off what is going on in the background and draw attention away for a few moments from the main characters on their phones. It is establishing the setting at the same time as allowing the audience to still see what the main action is.

There are many 'mid shots' and 'medium long shots' to again establish the scene without

 retracting from the main action, the phone conversation. It gives the audience a chance to see the mise-en-scene but yet are still able to understand and keep up with the story. Also it gives them a chance to see what the characters are doing whilst being on the phone and where abouts they are which makes the story more clear and in some ways more funny as these shots reveal ironic and jokey things. 

Throughout the scene the main framing changes are from 'mid shots' to 'close ups' this is because it establishes the scene and then gets right in close to see the characters facial expressions and reactions to what the other characters are saying. This means the audience never have to miss anything as they are constantly being kept up to date with the action and movement within the scene. Also the changes in distance keep the audience occupied as they are continuously being made to change their focus and it makes the whole scene a lot more interesting rather than just watching each character from the same distance.

I then decided to look at the scene in Spider Man where he first discovers that he has turned into a spider.

There are many 'low angle' shots to make the buildings that Spider Man is climbing seem taller and to make it seem more dramatic for the audience. The audience get a distorted perspective of the scenery as it all seems a lot larger but this affect at this point creates more awe at Spider Man as he seems like he is achieving something better than he actually is.

There are 'high angle' shots too so therefore the audience can see just how far off the ground Spider Man really is and therefore establish the scene as we can really get a sense of where about he is in relation to the setting. 

There are a few 'pans' and 'tilts'. They are used to follow Spider Man as he climbs up the wall and jump off buildings. It lets the audience keep up with the action without having to keep cutting from shot to shot. It makes their viewing a lot smoother and more professional looking. Also these shots are used as establishing shots. They 'pan' to reveal more of the scenery without having to lose focus of Spider Man and what he is doing and the 'tilts' reveal things very slowing and gives it a more dramatic emphasis. It helps the audience get a clearer view of the scenery and makes them understand the scene a lot easier.

There are a few 'extreme close ups' of Spider Man's hands when he is turning into a spider. It draws attention to that part of his body, showing the audience that is very significant and showing them all the specific detail of his transformation. The closeness of the shots make the scene a lot more dramatic as you really get to see every little thing and it makes it seem quite scary, abnormal and disturbing. 

There are 'crane' shots as well during the scene. They were used to show off the drop from the top of the building as it would be seen from Spider Man's perspective. It puts the audience in Spider Man's position and creates a whole lot more suspense from the scene as it seems very scary and dangerous.

There are 'close ups' of Spider Man's face quite a lot. This is to draw attention to his expressions and really make the audience notice how he is reacting to his changes. It makes the audience know that his emotions are very significant in the scene. 

There are many 'tracking' shots used when Spider Man is running along the building tops. This is because the audience then get to see what he is doing from his perspective and really bring them into the scene. It puts them almost in Spider Man's role and therefore makes the scene more gripping as they really get a sense of all the dangers involved. 

Miss Thrasher's Homework 2

For this homework we had to watch video clips and write brief notes in summary to what they were talking about. The website the video clips were on was www.launchingfilms.tv so feel free to watch them too.

Video Number 1- Release of a film

2 things to think of when releasing a film: Marketability - who it is going to appeal to?

         Finding a campaign that is best going to relate to that audience.

The amount of marketing depends on the amount of money you are going to spend and this depends on what profit and potential you think the movie will take when it is finished.

After this has been decided you then can think about how you are going to promote and advertise your film. 

Video Number 2 - Positioning and Audience

The most important thing is define who your audience is - is the film of a specific genre, appeal to a certain age group, have well known actors or directors?

Video Number 3 - Target Audience

Know how to focus in on target audience from past film comparisons and research in and around the target audience. 

You can never be 100% sure on your target audience but you can have a clear idea.

The target audience of 45+ are most easy to target via TV advertisements as this is what they are most likely to watch and they have to be told several times about something before they actually buy it.

Teenagers decide more spontaneously.

Different audiences and different age groups react differently so they need to be targeted differently.

Video Number 4 - Competition

Film distribution is all about the competition.

Factors affecting competition and are holidays, weather and audience pattern.

Weather also affects advertising techniques.

Video Number 5 - P&A Budget

Include all the costs of film prints, technical things and advertising costs. 

They then decide where best to use the advertising costs to target the target market. 

Television advertising can be very expensive so you may need to think of alternative ways to get the target audiences attention if you cannot budget for it e.g. radio advertising which can get to a huge audience up and down the country.

Video Number 6 - Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is critical. 

If they think the film is going to work well with the target audience they run advanced screenings and free screenings before the release of the movie. Then the audience who watched these movies, if they enjoyed it, will come out and tell their friends about it who will tell their friends and so on so that when the movie is released lots of people will want to pay to see it. 

When research was conducted they found that people based decisions on what their friends tell them.

If the movie is given to them late and advanced screenings cant be arranged it is all down to advertising.

If a movie is loved it will spend longer in cinemas.

Video Number 7 - Marketing Plan

The main ways to publicize a film are advertising (most expensive) and through press.

Main advertising is placing adverts in newspapers, on internet, on TV etc.

Freeform advertising is through the publicity of the film-place features about film in magazines, set up interviews with the director and cast to be shown on TV or radio etc.

Outdoor advertising uses billboards etc. It is quite expensive.

Word of Mouth advertising which is the best form of free advertising.

Internet using emails and viral campaigns.

Word of mouth can make or break a film.

If your film plays well to an audience then a film screening is crucial key strategy in your marketing plan, it is also good on a budget.

Video Number 8 - Film Trailers

Trailers are the most important key to selling the film.

It is the publics first and only exposure showing them what they are going to buy into.

Important that it has the right impact and message and that the overall concept of the film is portrayed well.

Video Number 9 - Link Between

1st major step - Convincing exhibitors (cinemas) to take the film

Video Number 10 - Digital Marketing

Viral marketing is very simple. 

Involves creating an element e.g. a game or quiz etc. that because of its nature will be sent on.

Most effective marketing is word of mouth.

Communication from someone you know telling you that something is good means more to us than anything we hear from the press or things we read etc.

Video Number 11 - Test Screenings

Research is important.

Can be done in advance e.g. poster ideas, trailers, concepts for movies (in USA) etc.

Make sure they are delivering to the audience what they want it to and meeting peoples expectations.

Post movie production - test screenings - getting who they believe is the target audience for that film to see the film before it is released. 

After they are made to fill in questionnaires or a few people (focus group) are held back to talk to in more depth about the movie. 

Movie makers will change things according to feedback. 

Video Number 12 - Persuading Cinemas

1st major step - Convince the exhibitors (cinemas) to take their film.

Video Number 13 - Opening Weekend

Frustratingly important.

Exhibitors work on the three day figure: Opening day - always Friday

   Opening Figures - Friday, Saturday and Sunday

   Hold Over (Make or Break) - Monday morning

Your film has to have been successful and made more money than any other film in that cinema on those 3 days. 

If its not making enough money they take the film off.

Video Number 14 - Piracy

Escalated over the last 5 years.

In 2006 piracy counts as 20% of DVD sales in the UK.

THR Feedback

A great job Loren - you've clearly covered both technical codes and meanings and effects - well done!

Horror Shot

During a lesson in class we were asked to compose a shot that reminded us of horror. We were told to use what we had around us and improvise. We took many photos and experimented with framing, lighting and many different facial expressions and poses but in the end I came to a conclusion that out of all our shots the picture on the left best portrayed the genre of horror.

1. It is a medium close up shot of a girl peering round a door. She has red hair and her hands are gripped to the door and door frame. The left of her face is in shadow, the other is brightly lit in artificial light. You can only see her face and hands the rest of her is hidden in shadow. She has a very stern, almost expressionless look on her face. She is directly addressing the camera. The background is pitch black but in the foreground you can see a door and door latch. She is central in the shot. It can be seen as horror because she looks very menacing and the fact that you can only see half her face creates an enigma which is slightly mysterious and scary. The door looks old and the room she is in is pitch black which are two things associated with horror. It makes it seem creepy and frightening as you don’t know who she is or what she is about to come out the room and do. Her hands gripping the door signify that she is about to come out the room and so something which creates a scary atmosphere as the audience are unknowing.
   
2. We placed the actress in a dark room and closed the door so that it was only slightly open. We made her come as close to the door as possible and place her hands on the door and door frame fairly close to her face so that we could still see them in a medium close up shot. We then used an artificial light to create a strong beam of light down one side of the actresses face by shining it directly towards her and then placing the camera next to it so that the rest of her was in shadow.
   
3. The shadow creates enigma as we cannot see the whole of her and therefore we do not know exactly who she is. Her facial expression directly addresses the audience so it draws them into the scene but yet as it is slightly emotionless it seems disturbing and doesn’t give too much away about how she is feeling or what she is doing or about to do, therefore creating enigma. The pose of the hands gripping the door and door frame create a sense of desperation and anger and make it seem very creepy for the audience as her hands seem slightly disfigured. The shot is at the right distance too as you can see enough of her pose and the surrounding location to know where she is and what she is doing but yet it is still close enough to see her expression and doesn’t give too much of the surrounding scene away keeping the audience ignorant. The lighting is also good as it creates a perfect shadow and makes one side of her face and her hands the main focus of the image showing she is the most important thing in the shot. Also her expression and pose immediatly tells the audience that she is a villain rather than a victim, although she could be seen as the brave heroin due to her costume.
   
4. I would have put her in different clothing and removed her make up as I feel it alters the mood of the shot as it is too bright and cheery and this contradicts the villainous look of horror we were trying to create. Also I would have used a different location where the door and door frame seemed more old and decrepit as it would create a scarier scene that is more stereotypical horror. Her nails on her hands also may have been more effective if they were painted red like talons as this would have drawn more attention to them making them more significant in the shot and it would have made them seem more scary rather than plain and fairly normal.

Miss Thrasher's Homework

We analysed a shot sequence from Sin City to see what each different shot is showing us and the effect it has on the audience. When looking at the shots i noticed that they all varied in distances and angles to keep the audience hooked as it is interesting to watch and so it gradually revealed different things rather than doing it all at once so the audience had to continue watching to work out what was happening. The different shots are done to each show off different emotions, actions and introduce new characters to the scene gradually as to not confuse the audience but yet still create an enigma.

Shot 1

Low key lighting, medium close up, high angle, gun pointing slightly to the left of camera, white male looking at someone off camera to the left, holding his ear, central in shot, lying on wooden flooring, black coat and tie- signifies he is evil, a gangster, mysterious, smart. It introduces the audience to this character. We don't know who he is, where he is or what he has done but from this shot we know enough to know that this man is about to try and shoot someone and is lying on the floor somewhere. However it doesn't give too much information away that we do not feel the need to watch on. It creates an enigma. The framing is close enough to show his emotions but yet we still get to see his actions which are very significant in the shot and a big focal point.

Shot 2

High angle, low key lighting, extreme long shot, man shooting the man lying on the floor, characters are central in frame, cannot see the man shooting the man's face-creates an enigma and gives a sense of mystery, both wearing dark clothing-shows they are evil and trying to stay unnoticed, night time- signifies that it is something scary and frightening, on a dock with water around them, water looks murky- looks creepy and eery and dangerous, man standing is overpowering man lying on the floor - signifies he is more dominant and menacing, splatter of blood on the left of the man lying on the ground- it shows violence and death. This shot is an establishing shot. It has introduced the audience to the other character relevant to make us understand the shot before and has shown us part of the setting so that the audience now know that its on a dock. The main focal point of this shot is the man standing as he seems more in control. It makes the audience think that he is more important to the story than the man being shot at on the ground.

Shot 3

Extreme long shot, low key lighting, profile shot, slightly low angle- makes the man standing seem as big as the surrounding buildings- disturbing and terrifying, white male standing over someone- makes him seem big and powerful, man shooting down at man lying down, trench coat of man standing billowing in the wind- creates a sense of power and sublimity, dressed in dark clothing- trying to blend in with surroundings and signify evil and gangsters, figure sitting down in the left of frame in the foreground, night time- scary and deadly, the men are in the centre of the shot, buildings frame the left of shot, can see clearly that its a dock now due to rope poles and the fact it is jutting out further than the buildings on the left, can see scenery in background, scene seems deserted apart from the two men and figure- seems scary and eery and creates tension and suspense. It is a establishing shot. We can now see the setting more clearly so we get the jist of where they are. Also we are being slowly introduced to the male standing up as the shot sequence has taken the audience from not seeing him at all, to seeing the back of him, to seeing the side of him. The fact we are being so slowly introduced to him makes us think plays a very big part in the story and it makes him seem slightly mysterious. The figure to the left of the shot has also been introduced but only so we can see her outline. It creates an enigma as we want to find out who it is and the reason for them being there.

Shot 4

Extreme long shot, low key lighting, profile shot, white male standing over man lying on the ground, white male in long black trench coat watching from behind- seems mysterious and eery, all 3 men and the figure are central in the shot, man lying down is struggling- seems powerless and insignificant, man standing over him is looking down at him- makes him seem superior. It is another establishing shot. We are introduced to another character just by the camera zooming out slightly. Also by doing this they have bought the figure into a more central place in the shot showing it plays an important role in the scene and action too. As it is still a profile shot it still gives us a sense of ambiguity as you cannot see the characters faces but you can see enough of them from their actions and positioning to know roughly what is happening and what roles they play in the scene.

Shot 5

Close up, low key lighting, slightly high angle, a young white female crying - angelic and innocent, background is blurred and unfocused - slightly disorientating, looking off the camera to the right, long brown hair, central in shot. An establishing shot. We are introduced to another character in the scene. The tight framing shows the audience her expression showing us that her emotions are important in the scene. We are made to think that whatever is making her cry must be what she is looking at off camera. It connotes that it must be something terrifying and awful which frightens the audience. Her innocence is a contrast to the violence happening in the other shots. We are made to come to our on conclusion that this is the mysterious figure from the earlier shots.

Shot 6

Long shot, low key lighting, slightly low angle- makes man standing look bigger than the surrounding buildings - shocking and powerful, profile shot, characters are central in the shot, man standing over a man lying down- signifies superiority and greatness, man standing seems huge in comparison to everyone else in the shot- shows he is monstrous and dominating, ship rope poles in foreground- make it seem as if they are being spied upon, man dressed all in black is in the background watching the action- seems like an onlooker and a fairly minor character although the dark clothing makes him still seem frightening and menacing and creepy, girl is in the background- shows that man standing over other man is much more important to the understanding of the scene and makes the audience focus more on him, buildings and cloudy sky framing the shot. The way the shot is laid out creates a sense of mystery to the audience. We are still not introduced to the dominant male from the front therefore creating an enigma and the other man dressed all in black seems fairly mysterious and we never get to see him close up or the reason for his presence. The way the poles have been placed in the foreground also places the audience into the scene as it seems as if we are watching inside the scene from behind the poles. It makes it more scary and exciting for us and grips us more to the action. It has left us on a cliff-hanger enticing us into wanting to watch on and find out exactly what is going on.