Cinematography – The art of photography and camerawork in film-making.
Angles |
-
Canted Angle. Sometimes
the camera is tilted (i.e. is not placed horizontal to floor level), to
suggest imbalance, transition and instability. Makes
the shot seem a bit distorted, often giving it an eerie atmosphere.
- High Angle. A shot in which the subject is photographed from above. Makes the character look inferior. - Low Angle. A shot in which the subject is photographed from below. Makes the character look superior. |
Movements |
-
180-Degree Rule
System. Also known as the axis of action. The
180-degree rule is the basic means by which filmmakers orient the viewer and
ensure a sense of the cinematic space in which the action occurs. The
system has two basic assumptions: 1. the action within a scene will always
advance along a straight line; and 2. the camera will remain consistently on
one side of that action.
- Pan. Short for panorama, this is a revolving horizontal movement of the camera from left to right or vice versa. - Tilt. A shot photographed by a tilted camera. - Tracking. A shot that is taken when a dolly runs on tracks. This shot follows the subject in the scene. |
Shots |
- Close-Up. Shows
the full head and sometimes the shoulders. It is
close enough to show subtle facial expressions clearly.
- Establishing Shot. A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur. - Extreme Close-Up. Shows only a part of a character's face. It fills the screen with the details of a subject, and often intensifies the character’s facial expressions. - Long Shot. Also called wide shot or the full body shot. We see the character's full body and some of the surroundings. - Medium Close-Up. Shows a character from the middle of the chest to the top of the head. - Medium Shot. Shows a character from the waist up. The medium shot is the most frequently used type of shot because it replicates the human experience of proximity without intimacy. - Medium Long Shot. Also known as medium wide shot or the two-shot. Shows a character usually cut off across the legs above or below the knees. It is wide enough to show the physical setting in which the action is taking place, yet it is close enough to shot facial expression. - Over-Shoulder-Shot. A shot of two people, with the camera placed just behind the shoulder of one character and facing the opposite character. - Point Of View Shot. Any shot that is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film, showing what the character sees. - Two Shot. A medium shot featuring two actors. - Three Shot. A medium shot featuring three actors. - Zoom Shot. A shot in which the image is magnified by movement of the camera's lens only, without the camera itself moving. |
Editing – The work of selecting and joining together shots to create a finished film.
- Cut:
A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another.
- Continuity Editing:
Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.
- Cross Cutting:
Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.
- Dissolve:
A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one.
- Errors Of Continuity:
Disruptions in the flow of a scene, such as a failure to match action or the placement of props across shots.
- Eye-Line Match:
The matching of eye-lines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.
- Fade:
A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place.
- Iris:
Visible on screen as a circle closing down over or opening up on a shot. Seldom used in contemporary film, but common during the silent era of Hollywood films.
- Jump Cut:
A cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.
- Match Cut:
A cut joining two shots whose compositional elements match, helping to establish strong continuity of action.
- Montage:
Scenes whose emotional impact and visual design are achieved through the editing together of many brief shots. The shower scene from Psycho is an example of montage editing.
- Rough Cut:
The editor's first pass at assembling the shots into a film, before tightening and polishing occurs.
- Sequence Shot:
A long take that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is composed of only one shot with no editing.
- Shot-Reverse Shot Cutting:
Usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the-shoulder shots showing each character speaking.
- Wipe:
Visible on screen as a bar travelling across the frame pushing one shot off and pulling the next shot into place. Rarely used in contemporary film, but common in films from the 1930s and 1940s.
A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another.
- Continuity Editing:
Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.
- Cross Cutting:
Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.
- Dissolve:
A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one.
- Errors Of Continuity:
Disruptions in the flow of a scene, such as a failure to match action or the placement of props across shots.
- Eye-Line Match:
The matching of eye-lines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.
- Fade:
A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place.
- Iris:
Visible on screen as a circle closing down over or opening up on a shot. Seldom used in contemporary film, but common during the silent era of Hollywood films.
- Jump Cut:
A cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.
- Match Cut:
A cut joining two shots whose compositional elements match, helping to establish strong continuity of action.
- Montage:
Scenes whose emotional impact and visual design are achieved through the editing together of many brief shots. The shower scene from Psycho is an example of montage editing.
- Rough Cut:
The editor's first pass at assembling the shots into a film, before tightening and polishing occurs.
- Sequence Shot:
A long take that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is composed of only one shot with no editing.
- Shot-Reverse Shot Cutting:
Usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the-shoulder shots showing each character speaking.
- Wipe:
Visible on screen as a bar travelling across the frame pushing one shot off and pulling the next shot into place. Rarely used in contemporary film, but common in films from the 1930s and 1940s.
Key Ingredients of an Opening Scene
In the mind-map we wrote down what we felt good opening scene's have in common and what makes each of them unique to each other. We also wrote about the key elements of good movies and what they have in common such as props, enigma, short preview, characters and music and how they are put together to make a classic opening scene.
Opening Film Analysis
Below is nine screenshots from the opening sequence of the movie: SE7EN. It is a 1995 Thriller film directed by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
The opening scene to this film gives the audience a slight incite as to what is going to happen as the film prevails. Binary oppositions (good vs bad) are shown in this opening sequence through the typography of the credits. There are parts of the text that looks like it was written by a typewriter; which relates to the police force back in 1995 in America. The police force would use typewriters to type up documents. On the other hand, there are parts of the sequence where the text appears to be handwritten, which could be the handwriting of the character we are slightly shown in the opening sequence. The terrible nature of the handwriting could be paired with the scene where the character was shaving off the tips of their fingers to suggest that the character has, or intends to have, a lack of identity.
The majority of the opening sequence shows the inconspicuous character conducting seemingly psychotic schemes. At one point, there is a mid-shot of the window in the room, it appears to be boarded up. This suggests isolation, and that the character has chosen this for themselves. There are books seen frequently in the sequence, and shots of the character cutting out words from pages. I believe this adds to the lack, or concealing of, identity.
The opening sequence uses low key lighting, and most of the props used are very sharp, creating a suspicious mood. This is because the character’s use of the props are rather malicious: using razor blades to scrape off fingerprints; using needles to sew different pages together; using scissors and tweezers to cut out and stick different words from different texts to make different meanings, all very suspicious acts. The location in which the opening sequence was filmed is a dark room. This makes the atmosphere feel very sinister and causes the audience to feel suspicious as to what is to come next. The effect of Mise-en-scene in this opening sequence is that it builds suspense.
The music used throughout the sequence adds to the feel of suspense, this is because as the sequence goes on, the music gets louder and stronger, with more sounds being added on. There is some use of foley sounds in the opening sequence, these include: scratching of blades; clanging of chains; and the occasional door creak, all adding to the suspenseful atmosphere.
Cuts and fades are the main editing techniques used in this opening sequence. Fades are used between actions of the character, for example, the character is writing something down, then a fade is used and the shot switches to the character shaving off their fingertips. This is to show the multiple things that the character is doing to hide their identity, emphasising on the fact that they are putting in so much effort to create whatever sinister scheme that takes place in the course of the movie.
The opening scene to this film gives the audience a slight incite as to what is going to happen as the film prevails. Binary oppositions (good vs bad) are shown in this opening sequence through the typography of the credits. There are parts of the text that looks like it was written by a typewriter; which relates to the police force back in 1995 in America. The police force would use typewriters to type up documents. On the other hand, there are parts of the sequence where the text appears to be handwritten, which could be the handwriting of the character we are slightly shown in the opening sequence. The terrible nature of the handwriting could be paired with the scene where the character was shaving off the tips of their fingers to suggest that the character has, or intends to have, a lack of identity.
The majority of the opening sequence shows the inconspicuous character conducting seemingly psychotic schemes. At one point, there is a mid-shot of the window in the room, it appears to be boarded up. This suggests isolation, and that the character has chosen this for themselves. There are books seen frequently in the sequence, and shots of the character cutting out words from pages. I believe this adds to the lack, or concealing of, identity.
The opening sequence uses low key lighting, and most of the props used are very sharp, creating a suspicious mood. This is because the character’s use of the props are rather malicious: using razor blades to scrape off fingerprints; using needles to sew different pages together; using scissors and tweezers to cut out and stick different words from different texts to make different meanings, all very suspicious acts. The location in which the opening sequence was filmed is a dark room. This makes the atmosphere feel very sinister and causes the audience to feel suspicious as to what is to come next. The effect of Mise-en-scene in this opening sequence is that it builds suspense.
The music used throughout the sequence adds to the feel of suspense, this is because as the sequence goes on, the music gets louder and stronger, with more sounds being added on. There is some use of foley sounds in the opening sequence, these include: scratching of blades; clanging of chains; and the occasional door creak, all adding to the suspenseful atmosphere.
Cuts and fades are the main editing techniques used in this opening sequence. Fades are used between actions of the character, for example, the character is writing something down, then a fade is used and the shot switches to the character shaving off their fingertips. This is to show the multiple things that the character is doing to hide their identity, emphasising on the fact that they are putting in so much effort to create whatever sinister scheme that takes place in the course of the movie.
The image on the right consists of nine screenshots of the title sequence of the PlayStation 3 exclusive video game: The Last Of Us.
There is very little cinematography techniques used in the title screen, and any that are used are very difficult to notice. The main mise-en-scene feature used is lighting and colour, mainly colour. The only colours used are black and white, I believe this represents the apocalyptic theme shown in the game. This is because the eradication of civilisation can be illustrated by the loss of colour, suggesting that the joy of life and happiness has all gone.
The final shots show the growing of plants and green life, meaning that now that technology and power has broken down, nature has now increased in growth rate. This perfectly represents the post-apocalyptic theme, showing that life as we know it has changed and we must revert back to the times when things were done manually, or naturally.
There is very little cinematography techniques used in the title screen, and any that are used are very difficult to notice. The main mise-en-scene feature used is lighting and colour, mainly colour. The only colours used are black and white, I believe this represents the apocalyptic theme shown in the game. This is because the eradication of civilisation can be illustrated by the loss of colour, suggesting that the joy of life and happiness has all gone.
The final shots show the growing of plants and green life, meaning that now that technology and power has broken down, nature has now increased in growth rate. This perfectly represents the post-apocalyptic theme, showing that life as we know it has changed and we must revert back to the times when things were done manually, or naturally.
The image on the left consists of nine screenshots of the title sequence of the 2013 movie: The To Do List.
The cinematography in each of these images is a close-up on inanimate objects. The mise-en-scene used in these are teen related items such as a calculator, school books, achievement awards, CD cases, etc. The effect of this is to introduce the theme of the movie and represent the characters as young and academic, but still retaining personality. The sound played throughout the title sequence is a rather retro, and sexually suggestive, hip-hop song. This further represents the "young" theme of the movie, being that young people are sexually active or curious.
The cinematography in each of these images is a close-up on inanimate objects. The mise-en-scene used in these are teen related items such as a calculator, school books, achievement awards, CD cases, etc. The effect of this is to introduce the theme of the movie and represent the characters as young and academic, but still retaining personality. The sound played throughout the title sequence is a rather retro, and sexually suggestive, hip-hop song. This further represents the "young" theme of the movie, being that young people are sexually active or curious.
The image on the right consists of nine screenshots of the title sequence of the 1962 classic: To Kill A Mockingbird.
The cinematography techniques used in these shots are close-ups of multiple props. A bird's eye shot is used to give a view of all the props seen in the sequence all together in one box; a child's toy box, it appears, a hint at the theme of the movie.
The clip is shot in low-key lighting, adding more focus on the props rather than the location, indicating significance of the child toys. The colour is in black and white, this may have a deep meaning: the story of this movie is about a black man, Tom Robinson, wrongly accused of raping a white woman due to his race, and a white man, Atticus Finch, struggling to justify his innocence, so the black and white contrast may signify this racial struggle.
The props shown in this sequence are primarily child-related props - toys, to be exact. They consist of marbles, crayons, a whistle, a harmonica, a timepiece, etc. The many toys present in the opening of the movie implies that a child (or children) is very important in the movie.
The cinematography techniques used in these shots are close-ups of multiple props. A bird's eye shot is used to give a view of all the props seen in the sequence all together in one box; a child's toy box, it appears, a hint at the theme of the movie.
The clip is shot in low-key lighting, adding more focus on the props rather than the location, indicating significance of the child toys. The colour is in black and white, this may have a deep meaning: the story of this movie is about a black man, Tom Robinson, wrongly accused of raping a white woman due to his race, and a white man, Atticus Finch, struggling to justify his innocence, so the black and white contrast may signify this racial struggle.
The props shown in this sequence are primarily child-related props - toys, to be exact. They consist of marbles, crayons, a whistle, a harmonica, a timepiece, etc. The many toys present in the opening of the movie implies that a child (or children) is very important in the movie.
What is a Narrative?
Narrative is how a story is told. A chain of events in a cause and effect relationship in time and space. It consists of everything visibly and audibly present in the text — what the reader observes, and all the events that take place; both explicit and implicit — what the reader understands.
Tzetvan Todorov
He reduced narrative to a simple recurring formula.
"All stories start in a state of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, setting in a motion a chain of events. The resolution of the story is the creation of a new/different equilibrium.
Equilibrium — everything is peaceful
Disruption — something happens that disrupts the peace
Recognition of disruption — heroes work out what needs to be done
Repairing of damage — heroes overcome obstacles
The Purge
Equilibrium — family all home together in peace and harmony
Disruption — the Purge begins, 12 hours of legal crime
Recognition — siren wails, family hear
Repairing — Family shut down house in for security
Disruption — boy opens door, gives refuge to strange man, trouble comes along
Recognition — parents see un-welcomed guests at front door
Repairing — family kills off intruders
Disruption — dad is killed, neighbouring family ambush family
Recognition — family is centered in sacrificial circle, about to be killed
Repairing — strange man kills some of the intruders, restrains remaining
New Equilibrium — 12 hours are over, everyone goes home
Vladimir Propp
Suggested that narrative structure is determined by character roles, therefore character roles help understand constructed nature of narrative
Villain — struggles against the hero
Hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess
Dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off
Helper — helps the hero in their quest
Princess or prize and her father — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain
Donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object
False Hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess
The Dark Knight Rises
Villain — Bane
Hero — Batman
Dispatcher — Officer Gordon
Helper(s) — Alfred, Catwoman, Robin
Princess — Talia Al Ghul
Father — Alfred
Donor(s) — man in pit, Lucius Fox
False Hero — Talia Al Ghul
Claude Lévi Strausse
He suggested that the production of meaning depends on the concept of binary oppositions. This involves looking at the conflict between two qualities and understanding how the text produces meaning by the setting up of these oppositions.
Traditional Western Genre
Settlers vs Native Americans
Christian vs Pagan
Domestic vs Savage
Weak vs Strong
Good vs Evil
The Dark Knight
Rich vs Poor
Remembered vs Forgotten
Terrorist vs Police
Revenge vs Justice
Roland Barthes
Argues that narrative is told through a series of codes that are used to control the way in which information is given to the audience
Enigma and Action codes
Enigma Code — a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved
Action Code — a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action
Batman Begins
Enigma Code — Batman searches to establish what the plot of the Scarecrow is, gathers up clues before uncovering the plot
Action Code — FIGHT SCENES!!!
Narrative is how a story is told. A chain of events in a cause and effect relationship in time and space. It consists of everything visibly and audibly present in the text — what the reader observes, and all the events that take place; both explicit and implicit — what the reader understands.
Tzetvan Todorov
He reduced narrative to a simple recurring formula.
"All stories start in a state of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, setting in a motion a chain of events. The resolution of the story is the creation of a new/different equilibrium.
Equilibrium — everything is peaceful
Disruption — something happens that disrupts the peace
Recognition of disruption — heroes work out what needs to be done
Repairing of damage — heroes overcome obstacles
The Purge
Equilibrium — family all home together in peace and harmony
Disruption — the Purge begins, 12 hours of legal crime
Recognition — siren wails, family hear
Repairing — Family shut down house in for security
Disruption — boy opens door, gives refuge to strange man, trouble comes along
Recognition — parents see un-welcomed guests at front door
Repairing — family kills off intruders
Disruption — dad is killed, neighbouring family ambush family
Recognition — family is centered in sacrificial circle, about to be killed
Repairing — strange man kills some of the intruders, restrains remaining
New Equilibrium — 12 hours are over, everyone goes home
Vladimir Propp
Suggested that narrative structure is determined by character roles, therefore character roles help understand constructed nature of narrative
Villain — struggles against the hero
Hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess
Dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off
Helper — helps the hero in their quest
Princess or prize and her father — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain
Donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object
False Hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess
The Dark Knight Rises
Villain — Bane
Hero — Batman
Dispatcher — Officer Gordon
Helper(s) — Alfred, Catwoman, Robin
Princess — Talia Al Ghul
Father — Alfred
Donor(s) — man in pit, Lucius Fox
False Hero — Talia Al Ghul
Claude Lévi Strausse
He suggested that the production of meaning depends on the concept of binary oppositions. This involves looking at the conflict between two qualities and understanding how the text produces meaning by the setting up of these oppositions.
Traditional Western Genre
Settlers vs Native Americans
Christian vs Pagan
Domestic vs Savage
Weak vs Strong
Good vs Evil
The Dark Knight
Rich vs Poor
Remembered vs Forgotten
Terrorist vs Police
Revenge vs Justice
Roland Barthes
Argues that narrative is told through a series of codes that are used to control the way in which information is given to the audience
Enigma and Action codes
Enigma Code — a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved
Action Code — a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action
Batman Begins
Enigma Code — Batman searches to establish what the plot of the Scarecrow is, gathers up clues before uncovering the plot
Action Code — FIGHT SCENES!!!
Genre |
What is Genre?
Genre is the classification of any media text into a category or type. Genre tends to have identifiable codes and conventions which have developed particular expectations, which may either be fulfilled or denied/diverted by the producer.
Key Components
Stock Characters
Stock Plots, Situations, Issues, and Themes
Stock Locations and Backdrops
Stock Props and Signifiers
Music and Sounds
Generic Convention
Audience
Audiences develop an understanding that certain expectations may be fulfilled and they may find pleasure in predicting what will happen next.
Institutions
Producers of generic narratives depend on a certain amount of immediate communication with the audience. They want the narrative to be easily comprehensible. Genres that use key components that are easily recognisable are particularly important.
Problems
Actually defining a genre is inherently problematic.
E.g. What is the difference between an Action and a Thriller?
Or between a Thriller and a Horror?
Is Seven a Thriller, Horror, or a Film Noir?
Is Film Noir a genre?
Rick Altman
Argues that there is no such thing as “pure” genre anymore. Genre is progressive, it is constantly changing. He says that genre is surviving due to hybridisation – or genres “borrowing” conventions from one another and thus being much more difficult to categorise.
Genre is considered in two ways: Semantic and Syntactic.
Semantic: concerned with the conventions of the genre that communicate to the audience such as characters, locations, props, music, shooting style and other signifiers.
Syntactic: concerned with the relations between these elements and the structure of narrative genres. E.g. in a romantic comedy, the two main characters don't very much like each other to begin with, then they eventually fall in love.
Daniel Chandler
Genres tend to be about codes and conventions, what we see.
-Themes or settings (including structure and style)
-Narrative
-Characters
-Themes
-Settings
-Iconography
-Filming Techniques
Steve Neale
Declares that 'genres are instances of repetition and difference'. He also states that 'difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre'; which means that the idea of repetition could potentially make the audience feel less intrigued.
John Hartley
Hartley states that "The same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times" which means that the idea of plagiarism doesn't count as long as the text that has been extracted is used in a different context.
David Buckingham
"Genre is a constant process of negotiation and change" Buckingham's theory correlates to Rick Altman's as he too believes that genre is continuously developing.
Genre is the classification of any media text into a category or type. Genre tends to have identifiable codes and conventions which have developed particular expectations, which may either be fulfilled or denied/diverted by the producer.
Key Components
Stock Characters
Stock Plots, Situations, Issues, and Themes
Stock Locations and Backdrops
Stock Props and Signifiers
Music and Sounds
Generic Convention
Audience
Audiences develop an understanding that certain expectations may be fulfilled and they may find pleasure in predicting what will happen next.
Institutions
Producers of generic narratives depend on a certain amount of immediate communication with the audience. They want the narrative to be easily comprehensible. Genres that use key components that are easily recognisable are particularly important.
Problems
Actually defining a genre is inherently problematic.
E.g. What is the difference between an Action and a Thriller?
Or between a Thriller and a Horror?
Is Seven a Thriller, Horror, or a Film Noir?
Is Film Noir a genre?
Rick Altman
Argues that there is no such thing as “pure” genre anymore. Genre is progressive, it is constantly changing. He says that genre is surviving due to hybridisation – or genres “borrowing” conventions from one another and thus being much more difficult to categorise.
Genre is considered in two ways: Semantic and Syntactic.
Semantic: concerned with the conventions of the genre that communicate to the audience such as characters, locations, props, music, shooting style and other signifiers.
Syntactic: concerned with the relations between these elements and the structure of narrative genres. E.g. in a romantic comedy, the two main characters don't very much like each other to begin with, then they eventually fall in love.
Daniel Chandler
Genres tend to be about codes and conventions, what we see.
-Themes or settings (including structure and style)
-Narrative
-Characters
-Themes
-Settings
-Iconography
-Filming Techniques
Steve Neale
Declares that 'genres are instances of repetition and difference'. He also states that 'difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre'; which means that the idea of repetition could potentially make the audience feel less intrigued.
John Hartley
Hartley states that "The same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times" which means that the idea of plagiarism doesn't count as long as the text that has been extracted is used in a different context.
David Buckingham
"Genre is a constant process of negotiation and change" Buckingham's theory correlates to Rick Altman's as he too believes that genre is continuously developing.
BBFC.
|
The British Board Of Film Classification was set up in 1912 as an independent body to bring a degree of uniformity to the classification of film nationally.
Films are normally rated by at least two Examiners using the BBFC’s published Guidelines. Examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work, and even the the release format.
The classification categories are separated into age ratings.
U: Universal for people of all ages - films set within a positive framework and offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
PG: Parental Guidance - films that do not unsettle a child aged around 8 or older, but may contain sensitive material.
12A: for ages 12 and over - films containing material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. However, some younger than 12 may be permitted under certain circumstances.
15: for ages 15 and over - films containing very sensitive material, frequent strong language and violence, and other mature content
18: for adults only - films with highly mature and sensitive content: very strong and frequent violence and language, strong horror, and blood and gore.
Our genre of film, Thriller, is normally awarded at least a 15 certificate, specifically because of the fact that they often contain some unsettling scenes and occasional violence and strong language. Also, Thriller movies can sometimes have a negative influence on younger audiences, leaving criminal thoughts lingering in their minds in effect. For example, the movie "SE7EN" is a Crime Thriller consisting of violence and suggestive graphic images.
Sometimes, films are passed with an unexpected rating, and causes concerns in audiences as to whether a mistake was made. This is a controversial rating. An example of this happening is Saving Private Ryan. It was passed as a 15 rated film and many people spoke up about it, protesting that the scenes in the movie should make it an 18. In this case, the educational benefits of making the work available to early teens outweighed the likelihood of upsetting some viewers.
Films are normally rated by at least two Examiners using the BBFC’s published Guidelines. Examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work, and even the the release format.
The classification categories are separated into age ratings.
U: Universal for people of all ages - films set within a positive framework and offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
PG: Parental Guidance - films that do not unsettle a child aged around 8 or older, but may contain sensitive material.
12A: for ages 12 and over - films containing material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12. However, some younger than 12 may be permitted under certain circumstances.
15: for ages 15 and over - films containing very sensitive material, frequent strong language and violence, and other mature content
18: for adults only - films with highly mature and sensitive content: very strong and frequent violence and language, strong horror, and blood and gore.
Our genre of film, Thriller, is normally awarded at least a 15 certificate, specifically because of the fact that they often contain some unsettling scenes and occasional violence and strong language. Also, Thriller movies can sometimes have a negative influence on younger audiences, leaving criminal thoughts lingering in their minds in effect. For example, the movie "SE7EN" is a Crime Thriller consisting of violence and suggestive graphic images.
Sometimes, films are passed with an unexpected rating, and causes concerns in audiences as to whether a mistake was made. This is a controversial rating. An example of this happening is Saving Private Ryan. It was passed as a 15 rated film and many people spoke up about it, protesting that the scenes in the movie should make it an 18. In this case, the educational benefits of making the work available to early teens outweighed the likelihood of upsetting some viewers.
Market Research
Why do people conduct market research?
Market research is conducted on a continual basis to keep up with trends in an audience and to maintain a competitive edge. Market (audience) research is vital to understanding a target audience and increasing popularity and relevance in the film industry.
Market research is conducted on a continual basis to keep up with trends in an audience and to maintain a competitive edge. Market (audience) research is vital to understanding a target audience and increasing popularity and relevance in the film industry.
1. What is your gender?
We chose to ask this question to get an idea of how the genders of our respondents correlate with their answers.
We chose to ask this question to get an idea of how the genders of our respondents correlate with their answers.
I've decided to split the responses into groups determined by gender: 'Female' and 'Male' in that order. This will hopefully show how the gender of the audience affects their preferences.
2. What genre(s) of film do you like most?
We chose to ask this question to find out which genres are more favoured by which genders. This would hopefully help us identify our target audience, this can be found by identifying the gender which likes Thriller movies more than the other.
From this data I can conclude that females like Thriller films more than males: 50% of females chose Thriller as a favourite genre, whereas 31% of males chose Thriller.
We chose to ask this question to find out which genres are more favoured by which genders. This would hopefully help us identify our target audience, this can be found by identifying the gender which likes Thriller movies more than the other.
From this data I can conclude that females like Thriller films more than males: 50% of females chose Thriller as a favourite genre, whereas 31% of males chose Thriller.
3. How often do you watch movies?
This question was asked to get an idea of how often each gender watches movies. The stats tell me that more males admitted to watching movies extremely often, whereas 50% of females leaned more on the moderate phase, along with 62% of males choosing the same. Knowing that 31% of males enjoy watching Thriller movies, hopefully this means that they are quite likely to watch our movie.
This question was asked to get an idea of how often each gender watches movies. The stats tell me that more males admitted to watching movies extremely often, whereas 50% of females leaned more on the moderate phase, along with 62% of males choosing the same. Knowing that 31% of males enjoy watching Thriller movies, hopefully this means that they are quite likely to watch our movie.
4. Where do you normally watch movies?
I intended to get an idea of when and where our respondents watch a movie.
I intended to get an idea of when and where our respondents watch a movie.
5. Do you enjoy watching movies?
100% of women said they enjoy watching movies, since 50% of them like Thriller this may mean that they'll enjoy watching our movie. If so, this may lead to many of them recommending it to friends and family, helping our movie increase in popularity.
100% of women said they enjoy watching movies, since 50% of them like Thriller this may mean that they'll enjoy watching our movie. If so, this may lead to many of them recommending it to friends and family, helping our movie increase in popularity.
6. How do you usually discover new movies?
The majority of our respondents, both male and female, said that TV trailers and Social Media are the most common ways in which they discover new movies. This data can help us to advertise smartly, advertising our movie primarily during commercials and on Social Media.
The majority of our respondents, both male and female, said that TV trailers and Social Media are the most common ways in which they discover new movies. This data can help us to advertise smartly, advertising our movie primarily during commercials and on Social Media.
7. What feature(s) of a movie is most important to you?
Seeing as most of each gender voted storyline to be an important feature of a movie, this tells me that we should focus more on making a good story for our movie than the overall presentation of it. The genre is still very important to the audience, most of which admitted to liking Thriller movies, so I believe we have made a good choice of genre.
Seeing as most of each gender voted storyline to be an important feature of a movie, this tells me that we should focus more on making a good story for our movie than the overall presentation of it. The genre is still very important to the audience, most of which admitted to liking Thriller movies, so I believe we have made a good choice of genre.
8. Why do you watch movies?
We asked this question to try to understand why our audience watch movies, what they expect to gain from the movie, etc. Most people watch movies simply to enjoy themselves, but others admit to wanting to get away from reality and gain a new perspective. We intend to use these responses to add a bit more depth and relevance to our movies, make them more relatable or simply engaging to the audience.
We asked this question to try to understand why our audience watch movies, what they expect to gain from the movie, etc. Most people watch movies simply to enjoy themselves, but others admit to wanting to get away from reality and gain a new perspective. We intend to use these responses to add a bit more depth and relevance to our movies, make them more relatable or simply engaging to the audience.
9. How likely would you watch a Thriller movie?
We asked this question to know how likely our audience would watch a movie of our genre. A higher percentage of females admitted to being extremely likely to watch a Thriller movie than males, a ratio of 30% to 19%, suggesting that females would be more likely to want to watch our Thriller movie.
We asked this question to know how likely our audience would watch a movie of our genre. A higher percentage of females admitted to being extremely likely to watch a Thriller movie than males, a ratio of 30% to 19%, suggesting that females would be more likely to want to watch our Thriller movie.
10. What do you think makes a good Thriller movie?
We asked this question to get some ideas from our audience about what they think would make a good Thriller movie, and also try to implement some of these ideas in our movie as long as it ties in with the main storyline.
We asked this question to get some ideas from our audience about what they think would make a good Thriller movie, and also try to implement some of these ideas in our movie as long as it ties in with the main storyline.
Above are the responses from our female respondents. Some of their ideas include: "suspense"; "the storyline"; "complex plot"; "tension and being taught something". My personal favourite response is: "you don't know what will happen next, which gets the audience excited to watch the thriller movie". These responses tell me that much of the female audience view Thrillers to be complex, suspenseful and unexpected - leaving the audience confused yet excited.
Above are the responses from our male respondents. Some of their ideas include: "complex storyline and hidden meanings"; "suspense and being misled"; "thrill" obviously; and my favourite, also most descriptive - "psychological suspense and unsolved mysteries, or unanswered questions". I believe this response specifically describes the idea of our intended Thriller movie. These responses are very similar to those of the female respondents, suggesting that both males and females have similar views of Thriller movies, they look for the same features and expect the same thrill.
Actor Research |
References:
Edward Norton: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/ Fight Club: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/ American History X: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120586/?ref_=nm_knf_i2 Ben Affleck: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/ Gone Girl: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/?ref_=nm_knf_i4 Argo: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/?ref_=nm_knf_i1 Tobin Bell: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068551/ Jigsaw: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002593/?ref_=tt_cl_t1 Idris Elba: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252961/ No Good Deed: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2011159/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13 |
Director Research
David Fincher was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado, and
was raised in California. He went to work for John Korty at Korty Films at the
age of 18 years. From 1981-1983 he worked at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). He
then left ILM to direct TV commercials and music videos after signing with N.
Lee Lacy in Hollywood. Along with fellow directors - Dominic Sena, Greg Gold
and Nigel Dick – he found Propaganda, a music video and film production company
in 1987. Fincher has directed music videos for Madonna, Sting, The Rolling
Stones, Michael Jackson and many others.
Patterns in films: His films often end in a suicide, either attempted or successful. His films often have low-key lighting with green or blue tinted colour temperature. Downbeat endings His films often center on people with poor social skills and few friends: The Narrator in Fight Club (1999), Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010) , Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Amy Dunne in Gone Girl (2014). [single frame insert] His movies often features several single frames that flash on the screen in the middle of a scene (Fight Club (1999)).
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Genre Research
Thriller |
Reference: http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html
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These are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.
A genuine Thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax.
The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.
Thrillers are often hybrids - there are lots of varieties of suspense-thrillers:
- Action/Adventure Thriller: Scarface (1983)
- Sci-Fi Thriller: Alien (1979)
- Crime-Caper Thriller: The French Connection (1971)
- Western Thriller: High Noon (1952)
- Film-Noir Thriller: Double Indemnity (1944)
- Romantic Comedy Thriller: Safety Last (1923)
A genuine Thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax.
The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.
Thrillers are often hybrids - there are lots of varieties of suspense-thrillers:
- Action/Adventure Thriller: Scarface (1983)
- Sci-Fi Thriller: Alien (1979)
- Crime-Caper Thriller: The French Connection (1971)
- Western Thriller: High Noon (1952)
- Film-Noir Thriller: Double Indemnity (1944)
- Romantic Comedy Thriller: Safety Last (1923)
Studio Logo Analysis
The Lionsgate logo begins with a shot of cogs and screws. This choice of image could suggest that Lionsgate view themselves as the workings behind their films (which they are), the thing that keeps it running smoothly. Then, a door is seen opening up, revealing the blue skies and white clouds, and the title "LIONSGATE" written in bold. This makes it look majestic, almost heavenly, implying that this film studio has divine superiority in terms of filming, a godly-like aura that comes with it. The use of blue and white colour and clouds suggests tranquillity and heavenliness, which suggests that their films are like a little piece of heaven, expressing how good their films are.
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Film Studio Research
LIONSGATEReference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionsgate_Films |
Lionsgate Films is a Canadian-American film production/distribution studio, founded by Frank Giustra, and a division of Lions Gate Entertainment. It is the largest and most successful mini-major film studio in North America. They have also won 20 academy awards, and have 77 academy award nominations. It focuses on foreign and independent films and has distributed various commercially successful film series in a variety of genres, such as action, adventure and thriller, including The Hunger Games Series, The Divergent Series, Saw and The Expendables.
The age rating for these movies (excluding Saw) would be a 12 or 15, making this film studio suitable for the film that I will be making, as it is a Thriller, a genre commonly targeted to people of teen age and older. Lionsgate is very popular in the action and thriller genre, and also have a wide range of audiences. So, because of this, I think it would be a good idea to use Lionsgate as my chosen film studio. |
DreamWorks, is an American film production company which produces and develops films, television programming, and video games. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each. Currently, DreamWorks' films are marketed and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures under its Touchstone Pictures banner. They have released very popular films such as the Shrek series, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda.
Since these are all animation movies, they are generally targeted to children and family audiences. Because of this, I would not consider using Dreamworks as my chosen film studio since my film is a Thriller and would mainly be targeted towards audiences of teen age and older. |
DREAMWORKSReference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DreamWorks |
Sound Research |
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