Juno Opening

This is Lara and mine recreation of the opening sequence of Juno.

We tried to incorporate many of the same props as the real version, such as the red hoodie, bottle and the tree in the first shot.

What did we learn about filming and editing?

We learnt a lot from this task in terms of filming shots. Some clips we may have shot for not a long enough time period, therefore the clip was shorter than in the real version. We found that the hardest thing about filming was keeping the camera steady. We just used hand filming because we didn't have a tripod or stand to use. This meant that some of the shots were a little bit wobbly, so we had to edit that occordingly.

Did we use any effects?

In the clip where I am walking towards the camera at 0:21, I was walking too fast so we slowed the clip down so it was longer and I wasn't walking as fast. This was a useful tool. We also incorporate some simple effects to make it look more like a cartoon.

What went well in terms of filming and editing?

In terms of filming, I think the amount of times we shot each clip was good. We shot every shot a couple of times at least, therefore we had a few to choose from. On the opening shot, we redid it about 5 times to make sure we had a good clip.

What could have gone better?

I think if we had a tripod and the camera was steadier it would have made the scene better but despite that I think we made a reasonable professional production.

Editing Test

This is a test of how we could use our editing software. We got given clips of James Bond and we put them together to make a simple trailer for the film.

Low Budget vs High Budget Films

 

Film Logo

This is the logo I have chosen for the film company I have called 'Global Studio Productions'. I chose a picture of the earth because it shows a large area, like the scale of the film company, covering films all over the world. This ties in with the name, 'Global'. I think the name will make it easy to understand to the public that we are a film making company.

Mythologicised

How are young women romanticised?

• 'Girly' colours - pinks, reds, purples
• Self image - make up, mirrors on walls, fashion sense
• Fake act - act innocent, normally bitchy
• Hearts - heart necklace or socks or wallpaper etc
• The bedroom - pink bedroom, fluffy pillows, floor rugs.

Dyer's theory

Dyer's theory could apply to lots of different groups of people.

1. Teenagers - We always get very bad reviews in the press,  with some teens creating the stereotype that all of them wear hoods, carry guns and are in a gang
2. Foreigners - We assume all foreigners come into the country to take our money and jobs, when in fact they are usually hardworking and friendly, and usually take the jobs that we wouldn't want to do eg car washing
3. Black Adults - Many think all black males have an asbo, carry a knife and father 5 children at the age of 18. 

These stereotypes are stirred by the media, and therefore we come to think that many of these people do in fact fit the stereotype when they usually don't.

Hall's theory

This is the film poster for Gladiator, a film set in the roman empire.

From this poster we think he is an ultimate fighter, fighting alone against over competition and being victorious. However, during the film we find out he is in fact working with other fighters to get to the caesar, and eventually kill him.

Presentation Evaluation

Our presentation was for a sci-fi film based at the over 18's.

Our scores on average were:
Relevant/Intriguing/Catchy film title - 8
Interesting Characters and appropriate cast - 8.6
Was interest created for the audience? Enigma codes? 8.6
Narrative suitable for target audience? Will it attract customers? - 8
Does the narrative fit the genre? Are the conventions in place? - 8.6
Is the film different? - 8.6
Good ideas for marketing the film? - 8.6

Overall, I think we achieved very positive marks for our presentation and film, despite it being a hard genre to work with.

We only got one negative comment on our sheets, which was on the 'narrative suitable for target audience' which was that it might not be very successful. This was the only negative comment however.

Narrative Opening

This is the opening sequence to the film Kickass.

Enigma Code:

Why is there music over the titles?
Who is talking?
Who is standing on the building?
Why are they dressed in this way?
What building is he on?
Why did the man jump?
Who is Kick-Ass?

Action from the scene:

Man standing on building
People looking up
Man jumps off building and hits car

Semiotics?

The titles in the sky
Pan view over the city
Man dressed in superhero costume
The Yellow Taxi

Photo Analysis

For our photo analysis, we took 3 shots for the genre 'sport' and the target audience were 'teen boys'.

This is me playing football, we chose this action shot because it shows clearly what sport I was playing and also where I'm playing it. The school in the background shows exactly where this shot is, therefore helping the viewer understand more.

This is a shot of me playing basketball. Once again, the school is in the background showing the setting. The boys in the background are playing football whereas I am playing on my own, as far as the viewer can tell. This could foreshadow future events, such an loneliness.

The last shot is of me, once again alone, on the running track. We tried to keep the same sporting genre throughout, with most of the sports being generally male sports such as football. We emphasised the running track in this shot, and this low angle shows the whole body. The dark clouds could be pathetic fallacy, when the weather reflects a characters mood.

UCL Nightmare

 

Poster analysis

This is a 2009 film called Paintball. It is a Thriller set in a forest, location unknown.

Denotations: Cracked glass, face mask, red paint/blood, trees

Connotations: Danger from the red paint; failure to breath through the mask; bullet hole through the mask; blood on the ball (suggesting it's not a ball); dark woodland behind the face; eye wide open suggesting she is shocked.

What do we think this film could be about?
The film could be about a paintball game gone wrong, with real bullets instead of paintballs.

Opening sequence analysis

This is the opening 4 and a half minutes to the James Bond film 'Quantum of Solace'. It is an action film and starts straight away with a car chase through Siena, Italy. At first, it is a rural setting but they end up driving into an old, urban town. It is set in the modern era, we know this because of the fast, modern cars and police uniforms. 'Quantum of Solace' is a revenge film, with James trying to avenge the death of a compatriot from the previous film, Casino Royale. The cars are a main icon in the beginning of the film; with them being well known and very expensive. They are recognisable and automatically attract you to the film. The film is told by the characters; the main one being James Bond, a secret agent who works for MI6. He is a very mysterious man, with his age and lots of other background information unknown to everybody but himself. He is being chased by two men, presumably gangsters, who are driving an Alfa Romeo. We do not learn anything  more about these two people, but we assume they were chasing James' car in search for the man James had kidnapped - who is revealed at the end of the car chase.
 The editing of this first scene is extraordinary, with lots of different camera angles showing the chase. Most of them show James' car, and there are lots of side shots of him as he is driving. These shots as placed into the movie to make it feel like you are there watching the car chase live. The camera angles also work well with the sound, normally of the cars, to produce a great chase scene. Before the chase, there is dramatic music which creates the tension until it immediately throws you into the chase. The music slows down considerably after the chase, and becomes more mysterious as James drives into his secret garage and eventually opens the boot of the car.