breaking the forth wall

Breaking the fourth wall

The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imagined wall separates actors from the audience. ... "Breaking the fourth wall" is any instance in which this performance convention, having been adopted more generally in the drama, is violated.
Films that include breaking the Fourth Wall: 

• “Annie Hall” A classic breaking of the fourth wall comes from Woody Allen's classic romantic comedy, “Annie Hall.” ... 
• “Funny Games” ... 
• “American Psycho” ... 
• “Fight Club” ... 
• “Spaceballs" ... 
• “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” ... 
• “High Fidelity” ... 
• “Amélie”

character

Characters

How important are characters particularly in the opening 2 minutes of a film?

Movies tell stories about people. In every script, the writer has to create one character (or a set of characters) that the audience will root for or hate. This special character is known as the main character, often referred to as the protagonist. He or she will be the character with most obstacles and normally the one with most screen time.

Creating interesting, realistic characters is an art in itself. To find the right dose of believability and novelty to mix together and form an exciting, plausible character ranks as one of the hardest tasks in screenwriting. However characters in the first 2 minutes of a film are not too important as you could get a film opening of a setting, so overall characters are important for the film however are not essential in the first two minutes 

3 existing character profiles 

Mia Wallace (Pulp Fiction)

 

Before we even see her, Mia Wallace is the most talked about character in the film.

We know she's the big man's new wife, a "don't touch" person if there ever was one. But she's also beautiful and bored. So when Jules, and later the bartender, learn that Vincent has to "take her out" and "show her a good time," they think it's hilarious. She's the most dangerous character in the movie. 

Vincent needs to get high on heroin in order to go through with it.

Heath Ledger as The Joker (The dark knight) 

 

Appearing to be the most evil, deranged, and flat out psychotic killer of all comic book villains, The Joker is the primary antagonist of Batman. He is the complete opposite of Batman, in everything from appearance (Batman tends to be a rather large and muscular man, while The Joker is typically a man of average height or even taller possessing a skinny frame), to ideals. The Joker views murder as sport, and will not hesitate to toy with his food before he eats it, even if said food are the men he has hired to work for him. As intimidating as he is psychotic, he still manages to recruit hordes of henchmen despite his maniacal insanity.

The Joker's physical appearance is a polar opposite of that of Batman. Batman uses dark colors such as gray and black to intimidate criminals, while The Joker relies on bright colors, such as purple, green, and sometimes orange to do his bidding. The Joker also has a melted cliche clown face, the origins of which differ depending on the continuity he is used in. Some incarnations of The Joker see him wearing actual make up (such as in the film "The Dark Knight"), while others show his skin actually having been bleached (as in the 1989 "Batman"). He also traditionally has green hair and red lips, to complete the look of the psycho clown.

His methods are unpredictable and incalculable. He does things according to his own twisted sense of logic, and does not desire money. If there was one thing that he did desire, it would be the power to instill anarchy into Gotham by any means necessary, proving that organization is meaningless and futile. He is an exceptionally intelligent man, and this tends to be his greatest weapon against Batman, the police, and the District Attorney's office. He is often confronted by the authorities, but easily evades capture due to sick and twisted mind games he plays on them, all full of mystery. While Batman prefers to stay in the shadows, The Joker basks in the spotlight, often broadcasting himself to the public and media outlets.

 Renton - Ewan McGregor (trainspotting)

 

The main protagonist in Trainspotting, Mark Renton is the Scottish anti-hero who struggles with drug addiction in memorable scenes beginning with a scene in which he fishes a suppository from a blocked toilet to feed his habit. Later he overdoses on heroin and is subsequently held captive by his parents in an intervention where he experiences withdrawal hallucinations. Despite this, throughout the movie Renton remains the most sympathetic character as we occasionally hear his voiceover in the first person. Escaping to London Renton's old life catches up to him as "friends" get back in touch. The movie closes with Renton departing after stealing the proceeds of a drug deal from his associates.

All of the character above are iconic because they are memorable characters from legendary film that everyone knows because of their extorindary acting and the fact that each of these characters creates a relationship with the viewer even if they are a 'villan'.  They add excitement and the thrill factor to each film and

preliminary task

Preliminary Task

1. The 180 Degree Rule
The 180 degree rule is a rule stating that a camera should be placed somewhere inside 180 degrees on a particular side of the invisible line of a shot containing two people filmed in sequence. In the context of the task the 180 degree rule helped to focus on the conversation between the two people and their relationship as friends. 

2. Match-on-action
Match on action is an editing technique used to portray the action of someone in separate shots.  An example of match on action is someone walking through a door., being shown opening the door from behind but then the next immediate shot is the door opened from the other side.

3.Shot/Reverse shot
A shot/reverse shot, is a technique that is usually used when two people are having a conversation, it's were it goes from a single shot of one person in the scene to the other and then back to the other person, which helps emphasis the significance of the conversation.
 https://youtu.be/wM6exo00T5I - an example of shot/reverse shot from the wolf of wall street.

 4.How did the preliminary go?
I personally found that the preliminary exercise went well because I knew the people who were in the video, so I found it easy to tell them to do things again, and if they were doing something wrong I did not feel uncomfortable telling them how to correct it. The location was good, and we did not disturb surrounding classes. However the plot of the video could of been improved as their was nothing much to it, just a casual, boring conversation between two friends. My media partner used her own camera, so because it was her own it was very easy to film because she knew exactly how to use it and helped me use it also.

5.What would you change if you had the chance to do the task again?
The only thing I would change about the video is the plot, I would try to make it more interesting instead of such a simple conversation.

attracting target audience

ATTRACTING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

ATTRACTING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

What ways would you go about attracting your target audience to come and see this film?

Advertising:  Advertising is an audio or visual form of marketing communication that employs an openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote or sell a product, service or idea. This would help attract the target audience of a film by advertising the age the film is for, the outline of what the film is about, including a trailer.

Marketing:  Marketing the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

dialogue

DIALOGUE

WHAT IS DIALOGUE?
Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film. In a way, it is any form of speech. Possibly in order to solve a problem.

IS DIALOGUE NECESSARY IN THE OPENING TWO MINUTES OF A FILM?
In my opinion, i believe that dialogue is not necessary in the two minute opening scene of a movie as it could be seen to be too overpowering and can distract the audience into understanding what genre it is. I think the simple use of music is much more effective, as it can give the audience an opportunity to understand what is going on, rather that jumping straight into characterization. However, others may disagree because a film cannot be ruined if there is dialogue involved. For example in 'Like Crazy' which is a romance film, the opening scene consists of the characters sitting in a class room or lecture room, which involves the teacher 'teaching' them. This doesn't make the movie a bad one, it just may have the power to distract the audience.

A comedy where dialogue is not used in the opening scene: AIRPLANE




The opening scene of this movie is where the airplane is in the clouds remaking the scene of jaws swimming in the sea. The opening scene of this consists of the jaws theme tune and doesn't involve any speech. This keeps it nice and simple and doesn't over complicate.





A comedy where dialogue is used in the opening scene: TED
Ted's opening scene consists of the two main characters sitting on the sofa in front of the telly sitting and talking to each other. In a way, this helps tell the audience that it is a comedy as they are talking about funny things etc. It may confuse the audience however as they will not know why they are talking about the specific conversation they are having. This would lead to confusion.






A horror where dialogue is not used in the opening scene: The Women in Black
The opening scene of this film involves no dialogue, just music, which insinuates on the spookiness as it just concentrates on the dark, gloomy music. This will help develop the audience to consider how scary the film is going to be and how serious it portrays in the opening scene.

A horror where dialogue is used in the opening scene: Blare witch Project




The opening scene of this film consists of the characters recording themselves, therefore opening the film with dialogue. The use of dialogue insinuates on the idea of how the characters are filming it themselves as the whole film is based on them going on a trip into the woods, not knowing that something is following/ haunting them.

sound

SOUND

SOUND:
What are the conventions of music in film openings in the following genres?
In opening scenes of films, there is usually sound. Non-diegetic and diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is the most popular because it helps set the scene for the audience and conveys the type of genre the film is and what to expect within the film. For example, slow and tense music will used in a horror. However, some opening films use diegetic music to help set the scene were the actors can hear the music too. This is usually used in film genres such as comedy where the actor might be dancing too a funny type of music to help the audience establish the type of genre they are watching.





COMEDY: The sound that portrays a comedy film would be bouncy and jolly, in order for the audience to understand hat genre it is. For example in 'Cheaper by the Dozen's' opening scene where all of the actors are in the kitchen, cheery and happy, listening to the radio playing. That would be the use of diegetic sound as the actors can hear the music as well as the audience.





HORROR: The sound that would play in an opening scene of a horror film would be something slow, tense and gloomy as it would help develop an understanding for the audience to see which genre the film is. An example would be 'The women in black' Where the three young girls are playing with their dolls and then see a figue or know that someone or something is telling them to die insinuating on the music where it is dark and spooky and sounds dramatic.





ACTION: The sound that you would hear in the opening scene of an action film would be something exciting and possibly dangerous and loud. This would help portray that something exciting may happen, leading the audience to understand what genre it is and causing them to want to carry on watching it. For example, the film 'Skyfall' where James Bond is being chased has dramatic music (Non-diegetic).





DRAMA: The sound that you would hear in the opening scene of a drama movie would be something dramatic and bouncy and exiting. However the music could be sad and dull or depressing as this drama can go both ways. Either happy or sad. Usually it would be non-diegetic as the actors or characters would be able to hear it. However, for example in 'Frozen' it would be diegetic as the characters are singing, therefore they can hear the music as well as the viewers. The music in the opening scene of 'Frozen' sounds angry and strong, as of the characters are motivating each other in getting their work done. This can insinuate on the movie being dramatic as you would want to find out why the characters are cutting ice.






ROMANCE: The sound you would usually hear in a romance film would be something soft and gentle, sweet and light. Nothing too overpowering or heavy as the producers would want to portray something lovable is about to occur. The music playing could potentially be done by musical instruments like the piano or violin as they are known to be quite romantic.The perfect example of this is from the opening scene of 'The Notebook'. Ryan Gosling who plays Noah in the film 'The Notebook' is sitting in a row boat on a lake whilst the sun is setting and the only music you can hear is the piano playing. It is a great way to insinuate on how the movie is going to be a romance genre as the piano is soft and not too distracting. Moreover, it does happen to sound overly romantic.

narrative

NARRATIVE

WHAT IS NARRATIVE?
Narrative means a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative.

Film trailers are an engaging way of teaching fiction genres and narrative structure. It is important that genre is established in a trailer as it grabs the attention of audiences that studios know will want to see the film.

Typical narrative structure is often broken down in this way:

1. Opening: establishes setting and introduces character
2. Build up: Relationships established. Development of characters and their world
3. Problem: a dilemma or series of complications. Characters are faced with an obstacle to overcome a mystery to solve, or often more than one
4. Events: a series of events/action as characters try to overcome obstacle, solve problem, discover truth and so on. Further complications may arise in the process
5. Resolution: the protagonists are victorious, problems are solved, truth revealed
6. Ending: characters reflect on events, reinstate relationships and look forward.

What are the conventions of narratives in each of the following genres?:





COMEDY: The narrative of comedy is that it is funny and witty, encouraging to make the audience laugh and to enjoy themselves whilst watching it. An example of a comedy would be 'The Inbetweeners'. This film throughout start to finish expresses humor in different manners but each time works successfully. Moreover, the genre -comedy isn't a serious genre of film. You don't have to really focus in order to understand the film.





HORROR: The narrative of Horror is that it is scary and sinister, also overly realistic for the audience to watch as they feel that they are made to feel that ghosts etc. are real. An example of a Horror movie would be 'Women in Black' which encourages the audience to feel freaked out as it is very dark and gloomy. Also the story told throughout the film makes out that the 'Women in black' could in fact be real, therefore scaring the audience after the film has been watched to make them feel that she is actually real. This is what horrors are for, they are made to make the audience feel scared.





ACTION: The narrative of an Action film is that they are very up beat and fast. This will lead the audiences adrenaline to rush as they are exciting and interesting as you never know what will happen next. An example of an action film could be 'Skyfall - James Bond'. This film encourages the audience to want to know what is going to happen next as there are continuously knew things occurring that you want to find out more about.





DRAMA: The narrative of a drama film could be any emotion, because when the problem occurs during the middle of the film, it could end happily, or sad. It could leave any emotion. For example, with 'Toy Story' everything is all going well until Andy buys a new toy (Buzz Lightyear) and Andy doesn't like him because he is jealous, causing the audience to possibly feel sorry for Andy.





ROMANCE: The narrative for a romance film it to share feelings and emotions between the couple. The problem in a romance film could involve the couple breaking up or having an argument. This would cause the audience to feel upset or sorry for the characters which creates emotion. An example of a romance film could be 'The Fault in Our Stars' which is a sad film as the problem is where both of them have cancer. This is the dilemma which may or may not be solved but it is romantic because the couple are both very loved up.


NARRATIVE THEORY:
Propp: Vladimir Propp broke up fairy tales into sections. Through these sections he was able to define the tale into a series of sequences that occurred within the Russian fairytale. Usually there is an initial situation, after which the tale usually takes the following 31 functions.
Todorov: Tzvetan Todorov is a Bulgarian-French historian, philosopher, structuralist literary critic, sociologist and essayist. He is the author of many books and essays, which have had a significant influence in anthropology, sociology, semiotics, literary theory, thought history and culture theory
Barthes: Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, design theory, anthropology and post-structuralism.
Levi-straus: Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theory of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social Anthropology at the Collège de France between 1959 and 1982 and was elected a member of the Académie française in 1973. He received numerous honors from universities and institutions throughout the world and has been called, alongside James George Frazer and Franz Boas, the "father of modern anthropology".

what do we expect to see in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film

3 existing student made film openings
AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence (A Grade)  
https://youtu.be/NBNqX7-MaxE

This student made film opening is very detailed and the research to make it before planning has all paid off because of how successful the camera shots and angles have succeeded. However, the plot to me is confusing and doesn't really add up. This is because the accident where there is an explosion on the street doesn't really influence the boy walking around, getting ready in the morning. That could encourage the audience to want to carry on watching it. The film shots and angles really emphasize the two minute film opening because it insinuates on how darks or sad the film is going to be because of the dark, cloudy effect over the filming. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of him getting ready whilst doing the credits and the different locations of London are captured very nice as well.

CAPTIVE - AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fH1fUQ-Lw

Here is another student made film which was graded with full marks. In my opinion the opening scene was very overpowering which can put people off wanting to watch the rest. But it can also encourage people to want to continue watching it. The camera angles were impressive and the props used were very accurate to the plot. The costumes linked in well with the scene and the actors were really good and focussed on the seriousness of the video. I could say there was too much going on for the first opening scene of the film encouraging the audience to loose focus, however it was overly intriguing and could make other audiences feel differently. I do like the cinematography and how they captured the process of the boy getting lost whilst tasking photographs and how the girl is following him.

Hemlock- AS Media Film Opening  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdCSJkFoKw

This is my favourite student made two minute opening to a film because it is so focused and simplistic. There is not much going on which makes it even more intriguing for the audience to watch because you would want to find out why the boy is burying the girl and what he has done or who has told him to do that. The actors are playing such serious roles as the girl is being covered in mud to look like she is being buried and it looks so real as if she is actually dead, and the boy is looking really guilty therefore the actors were very well chosen because they were getting into the right mood for the scene. The first minute of him just pushing the wheelbarrow with the body in it is so moving because it shows a sense of regret with the linking in of the sad, deep music.

target audience

Target Audience

• a particular group at which a product such as a film or advertisement is aimed.

Comedy: the target audience for a comedy has a very wide range. it is mainly targeted at people who want to laugh. however, if the humour is of a mature scale it can be targeted at adults in order to understand and be appropriate for the audience.
Horror: the target audience for a horror is mainly age restricted. due to the content of a horror be typically frightening it means that younger people wouldn't be appropriate. I think with horrors you also have to enjoy being frightened otherwise it wouldn't attract you. therefore the target audience would usually be people of a mature age with that genre being particularly interesting.
Action: the typical target audience for an action film would stereotypically be males. due to some of the gruesome and violent content of an action film it would occasionally be adult males. action film usually contain a lot of violence which is stereotypically preferred by males. however, if the action film also contains romance it would attract both genders but still have age restrictions.
Drama: the target audience for a drama is very broad. despite there mainly being age restrictions resulting in it mainly being an adult genre. dramas usually have to contain another genre in order for it to have a specific target audience, for example, if it is a romance drama the target audience will mainly women and if it is an action drama it will target males.
Romance: the target audience for a romance would stereotypically be females and depending on the content it would usually be adult women as romances can contain some scenes that may be deemed unappropriated.

My Own Film: the genre of my film opening is more thriller/ drama therefore the target audience for my film would be very broad. due to the content of a typical thriller there would be age restrictions therefore meaning the main target audience would be adults. to attract the target audience we wouldn't reveal very much of the film and include a lot of shock factor and cliff hangers in the trailers to intrigue the viewer and make them ask questions. this would them mean that they would want the questions to be answered and watch the film.

narration

narration

• a commentary delivered to accompany a film, broadcast, etc.
• "The thing about voice-overs – you have to be very careful there that you don’t show what they’re already seeing. Add to what they’re seeing"

comedy: in the film "dead pool" narration is used from the main character to tell the story. it also adds humour to the film as he makes jokes and explains the scene from his perspective as a witty character. without the narration I would argue that the film would lose the majority of its comical value and much more link it to an action film alone. therefore the narration makes the film better.
horror: in the film "zombieland" the main character is narrating to inform the audience of his survival. he is telling the audience his survival rules which helps the audience relate to him as a character. it also helps the viewers put themselves in the film and make them question what they would do if they were personally in that situation. this further intrigues the audience.
action: the film "dead pool" it is also an action film and the comical narrative is over the top of many action scenes which interests the audience. the narration also helps the audience to understand the action that is going on and also help you pick a side of the characters which is usually the narrator "dead pool" himself.
drama: in the film "stand by me" there is also narration from the main character. the narration is telling the story that is happening but in much more depth and is giving us an insight in to the situation of the main character "Gordie". if the narration was from any other character the whole perspective of the film would be completely different. the narration does give us an insight into the other characters however it is from "Gordies" point of view so entirely his opinions. it also helps to understand why the boys are doing what they're doing and allows the audience to feel compassion and connect with the characters.
romance: in the film "Bridget Jones diary" the narration is entirely of Bridget in the perspective of her reading her diary to you. the narration allows you to connect to Bridget in a sympathetic way as you feel compassion towards her mistakes and constant embarrassments. it also creates a better connection to her for the audience as it completely explain what she is thinking in every moment so you feel like you are in her head.

what do you think is required for a good piece of film narration?
personally, I think the main part of a good narration is the voice itself. if the voice doesn't link to the genre of the film it wont fit and wouldn't be a good piece of narration. for example in "dead pool" the voice fits perfectly, not only because it is the main characters voice but because he naturally has a sarcastic tone to his voice which adds to the comedy in the film genre. some people argue that the voice over in "the great Gatsby" ruins the film. in the telegraph they mention how the voice itself doesn't match the extravagant lifestyle of the Gatsby. I think the gloomy voice gives the audience the idea that the film is going to end in tragedy far too early in the film.

setting

setting

• the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.

comedy: typically a comedy will include a happy setting with a comedic scene. the setting will be somewhere that could become very accident prone. for example in the film "super bad"  it is set in the school and parties of young American boys, this is perfect for a comedy as it can mean that the scene is relatable to the audience making it funnier or extremely unrelatable adding shock factor and more humour.
horror: the conventional setting for a horror is somewhere that a lot of people would feel scared. a lot of the time film industries play on a humans natural fears for example the dark or somewhere they're unfamiliar with. majority of horror film settings include someone being lost or somewhere out of their comfort zone. they're also usually very dark and gloomy which the audience automatically links to death thus scaring them.
action: majority of action movies are set in a big city where there can be a lot of chaos and destruction. if they are set in a big city it means that when the action takes place there will be more chaos which is the aim of an action film as the film will constantly have something going on. action films aim to constantly keep the audience in shock which wouldn't happen if it was set somewhere quiet and boring.
drama: the typical setting of a drama can vary as a drama can include anything. depending on the mood of the drama the setting will change. if the drama has some elements of sadness the setting will link to that and include a dark scary place backed up by the backing track. controversial to that if the drama includes a lot of action and anger the setting will include lots of warm colours and business to represent the feelings of the characters involved for example a place with fire or blood.
romance: usually a romance is a film about happy love and relationships in which case the setting will reflect that. for example in "50 first dates" it is set in sunny Hawaii which creates a happy atmosphere for the audience to link the love to. however, in some cases of a romance there is heartache of which case the setting changes to somewhere that reflects the emotions being felt. for example if sadness is involved there may be scenes in the rain or night.

the importance of setting:
setting is extremely important when it comes to mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play, therefore without the setting there could be no mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene can also be described as the setting or surroundings of an event, which entirely links setting to the construction of mise-en-scene. for example if a scene was shot on the set of a train station without mise-en-scene things would get in the way and the order of people and objects would mess with the scene. setting is also very important when it comes to creating an understanding for a viewer. a lot can be revealed from the setting. for example if the setting didn't reflect the mood of the scene the audience wouldn't be able to judge the emotion of the character and predict what could be happening next. without the setting the audience also wouldn't be able to determine the genre of the film and would disclude the audience from the film as they wouldn't be able to relate to the character.

genre

Conventions
Horror: the typical conventions of a horror would be what the audience is expecting to see. for example the audience will be expecting to be scared so therefore expecting to see ghosts or gore. throughout the film the audience will be on the edge of the seat waiting to be scared so the film will also have to make the audience jump. the target audience for horrors is quite large because as long as you're over 16 or in some cases 18 anyone can like them. if u like horrors the film industry will use the scare factors in order to attract an audience or slogans which cause the viewer to think.
nightmare on elm street: during the opening two minutes of nightmare on elm street it gives literally nothing away to the audience. the opening scene is of a dirty hand creating a type of knife glove which already makes the audience think this is a weapon he'll use. the next scene in the two minutes is of a young girl running down a hallway in her nightie which allows the audience to link it to sleep as its like she just woke up. throughout the entire opening two minutes there is a heavy breathing going on in the background which creates suspense and fear for the audience as its almost like its in their own ear.

Sci-fi: the typical conventions of a sci-fi film are to do with science and mythical creations. for example usually they will include aliens, rockets and outer space. because the audience are waiting to see something fictional it means that there is an element of shock involved which therefore intrigues the viewer. the target audience for sci-fi movies is also quite broad however i think it targets people more into fictional things and therefore people maybe of a younger age. the film industry will therefore use graphics and computers to create realistic fictional things to draw  the viewer in.
Star Wars: Threads of Destiny: the opening two minutes of star wars gave a lot away about the story line but not about the current occurrences in the movie. the two minutes include the film title and a story giving the audience an insight. the whole this is set in and amongst the stars which links us back to the sci-fi genre. this almost puts the viewer into the sci-fi state of mind and prepares them for the fiction they will most probably see helping them to really embrace it. 

Comedy: the typical conventions of s comedy are jokes or seeing someone fall over. usually it includes elements that will make people laugh which will also put the audience in a better mood. sometimes comedy's includes things that shock the audience into laughing whereas sometimes they include relatable mistakes which means the audience links it to their own life and experiences making it funnier. i don't think there is a particular audience for comedies as everyone loves to laugh, unless the film is rude funny then the target audience is much older. the film industry will use funny snip-its from the movie to intise the viewers as it gives the audience an insight to the humour in the movie.
dead pool; the opening two minutes of dead pool are almost what should be the middle of the film, throughout the film their are flashbacks from previous occurrences which lead up to the start of the film. during the opening two minutes dead pool it is very much like an action film, however over the top of the film is dead pool narrating whats happening and its him doing that which makes the film funny. because of this it gives the audience an insight into the witty humour in store. the opening two minutes also include many different camera shots and angles which gives the audience an insight to their surrounding helping them relate to dead pool.

Romance: a romance will always include love or relationships of some sort. romances usually have a happy ending between two people being happy with each other. they can also sometimes include other genres to make them more interesting or light-hearted. by watching a romance it can mean that it gives the audience hope in love or makes them happy watching it. i think the target audience for a romance is much older as some parts become boring to younger people as they aren't as relatable. also older people can watch the films and really relate due to personal experience or want to relate so watch them. the film industry will usually use film trailers to attract viewers or produce the movies near valentines day when romance is on more of a hype.
the holiday: the opening tow minutes of the holiday include the main character narrating about love over the top of different relationships. however at this point we have no idea who the voice is or the relevance of the characters. by seeing the different relationships at the beginning it allows the audience to begin to feel compassion toward the characters not so lucky looking in love. because of this it makes the audience want the characters to find love for themselves and be happy thus giving hope the the audience awaiting the love story.

Teen: teen films usually include the lives of a teenager as their target audience is aimed at 13-18 year old. they also can include other genres like comedies in order to give them something to base it around. mainly they tend to include the school or home life of a teenager making it very relatable to the target audience. the film industry will promote teen movies on the adverts of children's TV programmes, social networking and in magazines as it allows the teen to easily access them
10 things i hate about you: the opening two minutes of this movies gives very little about the movie itself away. to begin with it is listing off the actors involved in the movie, however the names are written in a very young, colourful way. the music in the background is also very young, american schoolchild which already targets the perfect audience. however as the scene changes so does the music. the shot is of a beaten up car with a very moody young girl in it with the lyrics "i don't give a damn about my reputation" playing. this change of music allows the audience to assume the importance of the character and question her attitude.

Action: action films typically include lots of drama and chaos. lots of them include explosions and law breaking which is to keep the audiences attention. most of them are very intense to give the
audience a lot of shock factor and keep them on the edge of their seat. majority of the time action films are also very unrealistic and over the top however this keeps the audience intrigued. the target audience for action movies is very stereo-typically males of all ages as women are less likely to enjoy all of the violence. therefore the film industry would put the trailer on the adverts of mainly male programmes e.g. sports.
the fast and the furious: after watching the whole film the opening two minutes give us nothing away about the rest of the movie. the first scene is of some transporting docks and a big crate which is then transported but lorry. however because we know so little and are left guessing it leaves the audience guessing and speculating. this then puts the audience in the exciteful mood which the perfect for the genre of an action film therefore this opening is very good despite how little it gives away.

Crime: crime genres live completely up to their name as the main basis of the films are centered around crime and law breaking. usually they include murders, kidnappings, robberies and drug smuggling. they also usually give you the option of guessing the ending but twist it which gives the audience the element of shock at the end. crime films have an older target audience due to the chance of there being disturbing scenes in the films. film industries will target this specific audience with things less likely to interest a child for example newspaper articles.
snatch: the opening two minutes of snatch are narrated by one of the main characters he is used to introduce characters and give the audience an insight to their situation. already the audience grows fond of "Turkish" as hes shows wittiness and love toward "Tommy". in the first bit of speech from Turkish he mentions diamonds which gives the audience an idea that the film may be based around diamonds or a diamond in particular. the next scene in the two minutes is of three stereo-typically Jewish looking men walking into a high security place. because of this it automatically makes the audience question them putting the audience into the right frame of mind for the film.

camera shots and angles

Camera Shots and Angles

My two minute film opening
During filming we used many different camera shots and angles. we used a long shot during the film to give the audience a sense of surrounding it also meant the audience got a sense of directions to where Amelia was going. on top of this we also used close up shots to create tension in the opening. other than this the majority of her film was set with a medium to long shot as the scene was of constant movement and those we the best shots to use to get the film we wanted. the different angles we used were also to give the audience a sense of surrounding. the 180 degree angle meant that the audience knew what around Amelia and could see her reactions to all things around her.

CAPTIVE - AS Media Film Opening  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fH1fUQ-Lw: during this media opening it used many different camera shots and angles. because it is based around someone in a bad way being tied up against their will, it shows us many different camera shots to represent what he is seeing and the fear he has thus creating suspense. the different angles used give the audience a good idea of the surroundings which helps the audience to relate to the captive and relate to his fear.

The Edge - AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence by Rory Campbell  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24nQdBL8M3w: during this media opening the camera shots are almost from the perspective of someone observing the action which allows the audience to acknowledge the importance of the young boy as a character. it also allows the audience to relate to his escape as they're aware of what is around them.

Shorter Shots
The effect that shorter shots have on the audience is it allows them to see the facial expressions of the actor or give them information they will need to know. if the shot is of someone's face it allows the audience to recognise how the actor is feeling at that time. this means the audience will feel cathartic toward the actor as they naturally feel compassion toward their emotion. however, if the shorter shot is of something other than a face it could be of something to read or point out that is relevant to the film. this means the shorter shot gives the audience an insight to what is going on and to help let them know of its importance. in contrast it could also be to cause shock factor because of its link to the film especially if it is at the end of the film.

longer shots
the effect that longer shots have on the audience is they allow them to grasp and insight  to the surroundings of the scene and link them to what is happening in the film. if the shot is of something in the distance moving closer it can cause suspense for the audience depending on the relevance of the thing moving closer. if the long shot is of a scene it can give the audience an insight on the emotion to feel at that particular time for example if it is of something calming like a sunset they know the next scene is of something nice or romantic but if it is of something instance like a thunder storm they know that something with action or anger is about to take place this is also helped by the soundtrack added to the film.

2 minute opening film

During the holidays we tried to film out 2 minute opening film, however his didn't go very we'll as when we were at our destination of a pier our camera died. We got barely any footage and the footage we did get was rubbish. However because of this we now know we have to prepare ourselves a lot better...

Our movie centres around a main female character, played by by Amelia gilbert set on the night of Halloween it consists of her wandering around Norwich late at night with the fear of two people dressed up and following her this also meant that not too much was given away about the film which got people asking questions. the night of Halloween was perfect for the scene we wanted as it meant that the surroundings had a perfect theme and people in the background also blended in. the idea of the opening two minutes was to build tension for the audience and get the audience feeling cathartic toward Amelia in fear for what is going to happen to her in the rest of the film. I feel we hit that target pretty well as it didn't give away anything and meant that people would want to keep watching as they want to know what happens to Amelia. we also were set certain misenscens we had to hit for examples ours were pitch black (which was perfect for Halloween night) and costumes (which was also perfect for Halloween as everyone was dressed up).the only problems we faced whilst filming was the fact that there were so many people around which meant we couldn't get the shots we wanted straight away some of the time so had to keep re doing takes. another problem we faced was the lighting, some of the lighting was too dark we couldn't film in certain areas as it meant we couldn't see Amelia or what the shots had in them.

what do we expect to see in the opening 2 minutes of the feature film?

Forrest Gump: during the opening 2 minutes of forrest gump practically none of the plot is introduced, the opening two minutes is of a feather floating down to the earth. this can be interpreted many different ways for example the feather could represent forest and how he floats from different experiences in his life.
Pulp Fiction: during the opening two minutes of the film it has no link toward the plot as Quentin Tarantino began the film with the end, this meant that you don't understand the opening of the film until the end as that's when it all comes together. the main characters are introduced straight away and the whole film is based around them fully.
Toy Story: the opening 2 minutes of toy story are an imaginary sequence from their imagination whilst playing with Andy. this creates suspense for the viewer as they aren't aware of the fact that it isn't real. as the target audience is aimed at younger people it means they can relate to the games and are excited by the action.

stand by me

the characters in stand by me all have a very original role. the main characters are four young boys that are best friends. one of the main characters 'gordie lachance' is the one telling the story as an adult looking back on a significant time during his childhood. him and his best friend 'chris chambers' and his two other best friends 'Teddy Duchamp' and 'Vern Tessio' set out to find the dead body of a boy that was allegedly hit by a train. each character sets a specific role in the film which adds to the humour of the film for example the roles make the film very relatable to any boys or men watching the film as they have a very bantery adventorous mentality very typical to most young boys. teddy duchamp for example is the typical fat friend that everyone lightheartedly picks on which adds the humour and innocents to the entire film. then vern tessio adds the more dark side to the film and the adventure they go on with his backstory and life at home, he then adds the intencity to the film but because of him it also shows the close bond the boys have when they have his back. one of the other main characters is gordies best friend chris plays a huge role in the film, he acts as the hero throughout the whole thing as he is extremely selfless and loyal.

my week with Marilyn

During the film 'my week with Marilyn' I felt I couldn't engage with her character as I couldn't tell what was real. The whole story was based on a diary from Colin Clark therefore making it very biased and maybe even slightly to his imagination. when the diary was released I also think the publishers would have had to exaggerate the entire thing for viewer purposes. because of this I felt like there was more to marylin than this film portrays. however during the film I could understand that the marylin in the film had a massive struggle with the idea of love. I have read that she had a very hard upbringing which may have changed her outlook on love. because of this it meant that she only saw love as a sexual company instead of what most children are taught from a young age this being of the romantic fairy tale side of love. after discovering all of this it meant I could really engage with the pain that Marilyn seemed to always carry as it was all I really knew could've been very real.

Diamond 9

A film opening should...

Based on now reading the mark scheme, my/our AS Level coursework (a 2 minute opening sequence to a film should...

Preliminary task

On Thursday last week we completed our Preliminary task:
This was a continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. Demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Q. Technically, what is the 180 degree rule in the context of this task?
In film making, the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters, and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character is always frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first.

Q. What is match on action?
Match on action is when you film something which connects to the character so you get and overall view of the scene without it being realistic. for example filming someone going through a door but filming it form both sides of the door so you aren't filing their back the entire time.

Q. What is shot/reverse shot?
This is when you flip different shots between two or more different characters.

Q. How did it go?
When filming, I think the whole process went very well. Despite getting moved out of our first room due to science rules we really had no problems at all. Having our friends and people we knew be in it meant I could really be honest with what I thought of the acting and the scene instead of just 'being polite'. The only problem with this was we did make each other laugh a lot which meant we did scenes over and over again, however I think this made it a lot more fun and meant we made changes to the scene thus improving the film.

Q. What would you change/do better if you had the chance to do the task again?
If I was to redo the entire thing one thing I would change would be the amount of dialogue in the film. I would add more to make it all seem a lot more realistic.

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