Genre Representation

1. What is the difference between someones 'sex' and their gender?
Someones 'sex' is where you are biologically a girl or a boy. Gender is how you present yourself: your interests, how you conduct yourself etc

2. 'Male and Female' can be a binary opposition within texts. In your opinion, which 'male' or 'female' is seen in a more positive light by society and why?
I think that males are seen in a more positive light by society because they have always been regarded as the more important sex, the one who has a job, provides money and a house for their family - known as the actual provider. A woman is has always been of a lower status compared to a man because women cannot possibly do what a man does - presented as weak.

3. What do we mean by the term 'stereotype'?
A generalised idea
Generalised statement

Terror In The Night - Narrative Structure

In our groups, we came up with a storyline to meet the title 'Terror In The Night'. We drew out ten small scenes that sum up the story being told, our teacher then moved one scene and placed it in a different place, changing the entire narrative structure. Our task was to be able to tell the same story and make it make sense with a different narrative structure. As a group we found this task quite difficult  because we felt like the entire story had changed/had to be changed in order for it to make sense. In the end, we were able keep the same storyline and work around the disruptive narrative structure. 

1. What is the effect of the change in the narrative structure?
- The storyline of the film completely changed, it didn't make sense anymore 
- The order of the deaths did not follow in order for the film to end how it should do
- Our biggest plot twist did not make sense as one character was not supposed to be seen throughout the whole film as she is portrayed to be dead
- The events wouldn't have ran smoothly into each other
- Audience feels sympathy towards different characters

2. What must happen next to tell the same story but with a different narrative?
- The length of camera shots would need to change in order for the film to flow smoothly and effectively 
- May have to re shoot particular scenes
- Have to reconsider some characters roles in the film 

3. What technical areas need to change?
- Need to start the opening scene with high key lighting 
- This would give a sense of a happy equilibrium 
- Switch to low key lighting when the first character gets accused
- This would create a sense of mystery 

In conclusion, I have learnt that narrative is a very important part when coming up with the storyline of a film. When the narrative structure changed due to only one scene being swapped with another, it made it really hard to be able to tell a similar storyline, the entire structure of the film didn't make sense anymore, the scenes did not flow into each other like they did before. We had to reconsider some of the technical decisions we made about lighting and camera shots/angles in order for it to fit a specific scene in the film. We also had to reconsider the roles that some characters played which proved to be quite hard because the narrative had changed and we had to be able to try and tell the sam story but we couldn't because we had to change so much around and it would not fit the original story. 

Titanic Essay - Feeback

Mise en Scene Recap

Pirates of the Caribbean Theme: 
- High key lighting
- Pirate ship is in low key lighting
- Ship suggests voyage or war
- Binary opposition of light and dark
- Faces look concerned ~ something sinister
- Blue and green: natural colours, quite a tropical setting
- Blue ~ connotations of calm and cool
- Props ~ all adding to the sea theme

Sound: What kind of emotions does the music evoke?
- Excitement
- Intriguing  ~ what is going to happen next
- Dramatic music
- Makes you feel tense ~ harsh tone, fast pace
- Genre of the text: adventure
- In the scene ~ sword fight is a fast pace sequence

Non Diegetic Sound: 
- Sound whose source is visible on a screen/within a text
~ Voices of characters
~ Sounds made by the objects in the story

When commenting on the effect of sound, consider:
- Soundtracks
- Theme tunes
- The use of particular instruments
- Sound effects
- Ambient sound
- Dialogue/voice over
- Mode of address/direct address

Comment on the effect of sound and camera angles:
- Calm non diegetic sound
- Relaxing hight pitched sound
- Movement of the water ~ diegetic, can see the mermaids and the water
- Non diegetic sound of the violins
- Tone/loudening of the pitch symbolises something bad is going to happen
- Men are vulnerable, the mermaids are powerful
- Binary opposition about men, women and their status

The Concept of Genre

                                   Genre: is it helpful for film makers or does it restrict them?

                        Helpful:                                                         Restrictions:

                        - Blueprint                                                      - Lacks originality 

                        - Codes and Convention                                 - Lose audience expectations

                        - Technical stuff

                        - Setting, themes etc 

                        - Genre evolution

                                             Reputation/Familiarity/Originality 

                                           Genre is a way of predicting RISK 

Going to see an action thriller: what do I expect to see?

- Good/bad guy

- Fast pace scene

- Guns

- Fight scenes

- Chase scenes 

Mise en Scene

Diegesis: World inside a film            

Non Digetic: Sound that is not within the frame

Digetic: Sound that is within the film

Mise en Scene:

-         French term ~ what is put into a scene or frame

-         Communicates essential information to the audience

-         Made up of six elements:

-         Setting and props

-         Costumers, hair and make up

-         Facial expressions and body language

-         Lighting

-         Colour

-         Positioning of characters/objects within a frame

Setting and Props:

-         Setting/locations play an important role in films and are not just backgrounds

-         Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time is spent finding a suitable setting that currently exists

Costumes, Hair and Make Up:

-         They act as an instant indicator of a characters personality, status, and job

-         Tells us immediately whether the film is set in the present etc

Facial Expressions and Body Language:

-         Clear indicator of how someone is feeling

-         How a character feels towards another character, may reflect the state of their relationship

Image One:

-         Presents that they have an intimate relationship

-         Hand gesture ~ cares for the character

Image Two:

-         Looks angry

Positioning of Characters/Objects within a frame:

-         Can draw attention to an important character or object

-         A film make can use positioning to highlight/reveal feelings between characters

Image One:

-         Physical anger, body language is closed

-         Male is perhaps more open

Lighting and Colour:

-         To highlight important characters or objects within a frame

-         Make characters look mysterious by shading sections of the body and face

-         Reflect a characters mental/hidden emotions

Types of Lighting:

Low Key Lighting:

-         Created using key and back lights

-         Produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas

-         Deep distinct silhouettes

High Key Lighting:

-         More filler lights are used

-         More natural and realistic to our eyes

-         Produces lightly lit sets

VERISMILITUDE:

The appearance of being true or real

Camera Shots

Aerial Shot:

An Aerial Movement is when the camera moves at a higher angle.

Tracking shot:

Is where the camera moves to follow the movement of a character or an object.

Tilt shot:

Is where the camera is stationary but it moves up and down.

Pan shot:

Is where the camera is stationary but moves left or right.

Fast and Furious:

Tracking shot of the cars ~ effect: emphasizing the speed of the train, audience think there could possibly be a collision between the cars and train, it builds suspense.

Tilt shot of the traffic lights: from red to green. It’s an action film; it builds up tension and drama.

Tracking shot: To follow the chase, creates tension.

Extreme close up:

-         Shows emotion

-         Shows the intimacy and details

Extreme long shot:

-         Setting/image fills the frame

Long shot:

- We see the subject in relation to their surrounding ~ the setting dominates

Medium long shot:

- Where the setting and the subject are in equal proportion

Medium shot:

-         Subject is cut off at the waist

-         You can still see their costume but also some of their emotions

Over the shoulder shots:

-         More involved in what’s going on

-         Follows the conversation and subjects response

-         Become apart of the conversation

-         Mostly in soaps

High angle:

- Shots can make the subject appear weak and more vulnerable

Low angle:

- Shots where the camera is looking up at the subject can make them appear more powerful and menacing