December feedback

Publish your posts and make sure that they are complete. The web-log is how you evidence your research and planning and this needs to be clear and thorough.

Complete an edit by Christmas.

Take responsibility for the filming. You developed a promising script but need to work independently to take the camera out and film. You need to be disciplined when you do this to encourage actors to take it seriously.

Script
Storyboard
Production schedule
Analysis of audiences and representations

Publish all your posts so that I can make a fair assessment of your progress.

Concentrate on updating the web-log by Christmas.

Feedback

You are working at level 2 for research and planning but can achieve level 4 if you publish all your posts as your group work is promising.  I need you to upload all your posts.

 

To reach level 4 you must publish your;

• Script
• Storyboard
• Blue Velvet analysis
• Maltese Falcon analysis
• Discuss the codes and conventions of film noir in more detail
• Preliminary task

Targets for November

Film

Risk assessment

Edit

Consider sound and titles to add meaning and atmosphere

Manage your time effectively

Ensure that the web-log reflects your planning and research fully

Blue Velvert - Opening Scene Analysis

The opening scene in a tilt camera shot of a clear blue sky and a bed of roses in front of a white picket fence as the song 'Blue Velvet' begins. Red Roses is associated with  love and desire but red is also associated with danger and blood. The clear blue sky, the roses and white picket fence give the audience the impression that this town is a typical  suburban american life. The song 'Blue Velvet' is a very happy and cheerful song which will trick the audience into thinking that this town is a happy and perfect place to live when it isn't. The music is contrapuntal as it confuses the audience about what is going to happen in the film. The scene then shows a classic 1950's american fire engine driving down the streets with a fireman waving at people passing in the street. This tells us that this place is a safe, friendly and perfect town in America this is also show when a women is helping the children cross the road to get to school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDEzzFtrCTs
http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/art/shot-by-shot-analysis-of-the-opening-sequence-of-david-lynch-s-blue-velvet.html

http://laurenrogersmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/blue-velvet-opening-analysis.html

Representation - Decective

The detective in film noir is a smartly dressed charter

Representation - Female Fatale

Explain how the Femme Fatale is represented in film noir
Discuss the femme fatale in reaction to male gaze
Discuss the representation of the femme fatale is problematic or outdated

Female Fatale are interesting portrayal of women because it was new to film, previously women where housewife and home makers  but in films now they are portrayed as independent women.

In Film Noir the Femme Fatale they trick the detective and makes them fall in love with them as they use there sexual attractiveness to manipulate men to gain power, and money. Her transgression of social norms leads her to her own destruction and to the detective that  falls in love with her. She builds up this powerful and independent film throughout the film only to be punished for it in the end

Female Natale are very misleading women as they are spinning a web of lie





http://www.filmnoirstudies.com/essays/progressive.asp

Research into AS video productions

I looked at a range of previous films made by students from my Sixth Form and other schools. This helped me.

The Maltese Falcon - Opening scene Analysis (Film Noir)

Feedback

The analysis of the opening sequence of 'Seven' is promising and you are moving beyond the descriptive to show analytical skill in de-constructing texts.

Ensure blog posts are accurate in use of spelling and grammar

Use correct terminology 'such as Narrative' 'Iconography'. This will come as the course progresses.

The Mission Impossible analysis shows taht you ahve processed information from the whole group activity. You now need to apply your skills to an individual reading of texts and ensure that your analysis is thorough.

Publish the other tasks that have been set.

Film Noir - Codes and Conventions

Charters

Males:
The main character tries to be the hero but ends up being trapped into doing that puts him into trouble. He is usually has a downfall which is the women or alcohol.

Males characters in Film Noir:

• Hero // Anti hero
• Private eye
• Detective 
• Cops 
• Gangsters 
• Murderers 
• Private Eye 
• War Veterans

Female:
The main characters that is in nearly every Film Noir is the Femme Fatale. This character is very beautiful and usually blonde but she is very misleading and manipulative. They trick the detective and makes them fall in love with them. There is also a women, normally the Secretary, who is a loving and trustworthy person (opposite to the Femme Fatale.

Iconography

In Film Noir we expect to see lots of guns, cigarettes, blinds and alcohol because it was we associate with Film Noir. Smoking is used in Film Noir to create mystery to the scene.  The Femme Fatale holding a gun in silhouettes wearing red lipstick and a man holding a gun with lights shining through blinds is a typical iconography in film Noir.

Mise En Scene

Costume:
The Femme Fatale wear bright red lips stick and tight fitted short dresses with high heals and a fur coat. All of the male character dress in a suit, long drench coats and a fedoras hat which shows they are either a detective or a mobster. It tells the audience that crime is going to happen within the film.

Location:
The location in Film Noir are usually in Urban setting and abandoned areas. In ally ways, Offices and big houses, and police stations are usual locations in Film Noir. All New York, Chicago and San Francisco the typical cities where Film Noir are filmed.

Iconography

• Cigarettes/Cigar  - Smoking is a feature that is used in every Film Noir
• Alcohol 
• Guns - Brings action into the film. Danger and Excitement 
• Gloves
• Hats 
• Blinds 
• Cars 

Lighting

Film Noir are filmed in black and white to emphasis the shadows in the film. It could suggest that there is no happiness in the film. Lighting coming through Venetian blinds(Blocking shot), giving Low key lighting (Chiaroscuro) to show shadow and darkness. Shadows creates mystery in the film and the darkness suggest that there is going to be evil in the movie.


Use of Camera



Close ups:







Low angles

High angles:









Extreme close ups

Mission Impossible 2 - Opening Scene Analysis

At the beginning of the scene there is an establishing shot showing that the main character is at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a very high and dangerous place therefore it shows that the character in the scene if a very dangerous person which is also shown by how he is climbing the rocks with no safety equipment. There are high angle shots and Birdseye view shots which show how high up he is and how dangerous it is

In the scene there are ambient sounds of the wind, which tells us how high up he is.  There are sounds of Eagles flying which shows that the film is set in American as Eagles are associated with American (American eagle). They’re the main predators as they’re top of the food changed. This shows that the character is also a predator and top of his chain.  There is contrapuntal music in the scene as the music does not fit with the scene this creates confusion and tricks the audience into thinking something else is going to happen. The music is holiday music which is very misleading an.

When he rests his knees and leads back it shows that he is very confident in himself and knows that he isn't going to fall. When he jumps to the rocks, there is a slow motion shot. They do this to build tension for the audience, they don't know if he is going to make it or or fall, it shows how dangerous it was for him to attempt to jump.  When he slips and falls he holds on to the rock like he is Jesus on the cross. Jesus was strong and powerful and he was everyone's savior therefore it shows that Tom Cruise is Jesus in the film, Mission Impossible 2.

Se7en - Opening scene Analysis

Seven is a Thriller, detective movie starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freemen. They're both detectives who's hook is to find out who the Serial killer is. You can tell they are both detectives by the way there’re dresses. They are both wearing suits and a long drench coat, like Sherlock Homes, which is the dress code for most detectives in movies. There is a scene where Mills is outside holding two cups of coffee waiting for Somerset in the rain; this also tells us they’re both detectives because coffee is associated with the stereo typical American cop/detective.

The opening scene shows Somerset in his apartment getting ready to go to work. You can tell that Somerset a lonely man as he lives on his own as there is no family or wife. You can tell that he lives in a big city as you can hear car horns and police siren going off in the background as he is getting ready for work.

Somerset is caring person who worries about humanity. You can tell that he cares by the way he asks one of the cops at the beginning "Did the kid see?" the cop’s laughs and responds “What kind of question is that? No one cares” This tells us that Somerset is one of the very few detectives that care. This scene is very dark and dual because there has been a death

When the scene changed to outside, it is raining because the city is socked in sin as there’s a lot of murder and crime. There are always police sirens going off in the backgrounds which tell us there is a lot of crime in the city. Somerset has been in the detective business for a many years and is retiring soon. You can tell that Somerset has been a detective for many years as he is used to the way things are. When he and Mills are walking down the street, Somerset is very natural the way things are whereas Mills isn’t. You can tell that Mills is new to the city because when he is walking down the street he is bumping into things and other people walking past him in the street, he isn’t used to the surrounding or how the city work whereas is.

Somerset is reading before bed which shows that he is well educated and intelligent. You can hear police sirens still which tell us that crime is still going on in the ‘city of sin’ late at night. Somerset has to sleep with the sound of a ticking noise in the background because the city is very load outside, you can hear people shouting, dogs barking and car horns. 

Opening Credits

The opening credits are a montage of different short clips put together of someone doing different things.  You’re unaware of who the person is as the shots are close up and you cannot see the person face. This creates tension for the audience and they want to know who it is.  The information that is given in the opening credits could be associated with the serial killer

 There is a clip of someone cutting hard sink off their figures with a razor. This gives the impression that the person is the serial killer as he is cutting the skin off to get rid of his fingerprint so that he doesn't give any evidence that he is responsible for the murders he committed. It tell us that the person doing it a very strange person as cutting skin off with a blade is not a normal this to do.  

There are clips of someone writing notes. This shows that the person is very intelligent and cleaver, this could be the serial killer keeping a log of all the murders he has committed which is a smart thing to do.

There is a clip where the person crosses out a person’s face, this tell us that the person is a violent person. 

There is a clip where the person cuts out the word ‘God’ from a dollar, this tell us that the person doesn't believe in god therefore he knows that he isn't going to go to hell for committing murders because he doesn't believe there is a god that will send him to hell.

 The colours used in the opening credits are very dark and black. Black is associated with death, evil and mystery which tell you that the film will be very dark and mysterious and tells us that the person in the clips could also be the serial killer. There are also flashed of red. Red is associated with blood and danger which tells us that there is a lot of danger and murders in the film. 

The music in the opening credits is called “Take me closer to god”. This tells us that there is going to death in the film.