British film

My week with Marilyn:
This film is a production on BBC Films making this film British. It is filmed in various lactations in England because the story is about filming a film, and Marilyn's struggle and a whirlwind romance that lasted only a week. This story is based on true events. This film also keeps the traditions of Britain alive through the characters, they are all wealthy people who have well paid careers, but the main comes from a rich family who sent him to boarding school at a young age and was the thing for rich families to do in those days it was tradition.

The main character Colin Clark is played by Eddie Redmayne who is a british actor. He made is acting debut in the early years of 2000. Also apart from the people who played Marilyn and her surrounding group from America everyone on this film is British.

This film was released first at 7 different film festivals then was released November 25th.

This film cost £6,400,000 (estimated) to make and made $14,600,347 in total worldwide.

The Poster:

This poster is good because it has a clear picture of the main topic- Marilyn. This is also shown through her name being the main focus on the poster because it is bigger and white. It is in black and white which has connotations on the time that this film is set in, the film where in black and white. This could also show the darkness in this film. The actress playing Marilyn is not looking straight which would make a relationship with the audience she is looking up and has her last finger resting on her lip this has connotations of how Marilyn used to act. The names of the main characters are listed along the top.


The Trailer:

This trailer will attract the target audience because it is based on true events of Colin Clarke's experiences with Marilyn. This film bring the famous and glamorous Marilyn to reality with all her insecurities and the person behind Marilyn, Norma Jeane Mortenson. Her fans can get to know the real her and the struggles to faced. This film also has the romance that women are always looking for in films. This trailer shows all the dark parts of this story to show the audience what her life was like "What must it be like to be the most famous woman in the world"






 

Independent films

The Whistleblower (2010)
This film is based on the true events of Kathy's experiences in post war bosnia. She was a police office in American when she took a job as a peacekeeper. While she is there she uncovers the truth of a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and betrayal. She uncovers a trade of woman and some of the peacekeepers know about it and keep it a secret.

This story is controversial topic that would normally be seen as too violent and most people wouldn't watch them, so they wouldn't be made by a hollywood studio.

The studio that produced this film is Samuel Goldwyn films which is a independent film company, founded by Samuel Goldwyn. Jr.

The main character of this film is Rachel Weisz who has been in a lot of hollywood blockbuster but she plays this part really well.  All the other characters are either making their acting debut or haven't made it in hollywood films yet.

This film has won 4 awards and was nominated for 6 awards at different film festivals, this means that they are gaining importance through the awards they won. This will resort to having a wider audience.

This film was released several times at different film festivals.

This film made $1,124,996 total worldwide.

The poster:

This poster has used low key lighting to create a dark feel for the film. The main image is of the main character walking around looking to her left, she is wearing casual clothes which suggests either she isn't working or she has a casual job. She is carrying a bag on her shoulder which shows the audience that she is travelling and also she doesn't have many belongings with her which could say something about her personality. There are a couple of picture dotted around the poster which tells the audience some of the stories involved in this film. There is also a slogan on this poster "Nothing is more dangerous than the truth" which goes nice with the story of the film.









The trailer:

This trailer will attract the target audience because straight away is shows the story and what will be involved and it gets the audience involved straight away, they are hooked to the film. It has quotes from various newspaper and magazines stating how good the acting is and how the film made them feel. Also at the end it states which awards they have won a the film festivals this film was shown at.

 

 

 

I have watched this film mainly because the story was so different and true that I had to found out what happen to Kathy while is Bosnia.

American blockbuster

This is the end:
'This is the end' is a Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg film. It is about famous actors who are friends going to a party and doing reckless things before the end of the world starts to happen. Then it is all about how they try and survive and start hating each other, this makes this film a comedy.

The release date for this film is June 2013 which is good because it would be release in the summer creating a wider audience for this film because of the summer holidays. This film is a comedy with an R rating meaning more people are able and will want to go and see this film.

The production budget for this film is $ 32 million. It was directed by Seth Rogan and the fact that the film stared all his friends will lower the budget cost because they will not be getting as big a pay with this film, meaning all the money can be used for special effects.

The stars:
The good thing about this film is everyone actor involved in this film will have a fan base because they are good actors and have been around for a while or have just been in all the right films.

James Franco:
He entered the acting career through a tv show called 'Freaks and geeks' in 1999 and then made his debut into the film industry with 'Never been kissed' after that he has been in tv-movies and other films where he played small roles. Then he started getting big blockbusters such as 'Spiderman' and then he started getting the small roles over and over again which he didn't like because he believed that he was going to be type casted as a romantic comedy guy. This is when he moved into more independent films with more meaning, some of these films are with Seth Rogan.





Jonah Hill:
He has been in comio roles a while until he got his big break in the 2007 film 'Superbad' which was another Seth Rogan film. After 'Superbad' he has stared in countless box office films for example the remake '21 Jump Street'







Seth Rogan:
He started out in films as a small actor with small roles. Then he started writing, directing and starring in his own films.









Jay Baruchel:
He started in small roles but his big back was 'I'm reed fish'. Jay was in knocked up with Seth also.










The Poster:


This poster is effective because the audience can tell that this film is a comedy from the main image, which is all the main actors fighting in a huddle. This could also show part of the story line. They are all wearing casual bright clothing which shows that this film is creating a normal feel with a light hearted atmosphere. The title is in the bottom right which shows that the audience needs to focus on the main image. Also the title is really good because the first part is smaller then 'The End' which puts exaggeration on the end of something.









The trailer:
This trailer is good because it tells the audience what the story is about. It introduces the main actors in the film and it shows the audience through comedy so even the trailer makes the audience laugh.

Aims and contents 2

• Rom- com
• Storyboard
• Short film 
• All ages can go and see this film because it is a light hearted film but my main audience is teenagers from 15-18. The audience will mainly be woman. 
• I will be using high key lighting to make this more calm and light, I will be using closes up to show the audience the emotion. 
• My story is about teenage love in the 1950's and how it can change with time and influence. 

Captain Phillips (2013) research

Production Budget: $55 million
Domestic Total as of Nov. 26, 2013:$101,140,974

Worldwide:

$177,440,974

Release Date:October 11, 2013

The attraction to this film is that Tom Hanks in starring in it. He is an amazing actor and he has
 a huge fan base. It is also based on a true story which some people like because it is more relatable 
and they can see the struggle that these people went through. There is a lot of action in the film which is good 
because then the audience will be excited and  are put on the edge of the seat. This film is about the 
hijacking on Captain Richard Phillips in 2009 by pirates on the indian ocean. This film explains what the Captain went 
through to protect his crew. 

Aims and contents

• Horror film 
• Storyboard
• Short film
• 18 year olds- late 20's because that is the main age where people want to be scared. There is no specific gender because loads of people like to watch these kinds of films. 
• cinematography such as camera angles, shots and lighting, also editing to create a scene of suspense and terror in the target audience. 
• some of my inspiration has come from the film 'Disturbia' 

Ideas for creative project

I will be doing a storyboard of a horror film. 

The story:

     the first scene is man watching a girl, with binoculars- long shot 

     then it cuts to a mid shot of the girl he is watching and she looks up at the window , she knows that she is being watched. 

     then it cuts to her view of the window and then is no lights on and no one is in the window. 

     then it cuts to a mid high angle of her dog running into the house, the camera tilts as the dogs runs. 

     tracking shot of her running after the dog. 

     birds eye view (photo taken in the loft to create it) she is walking around the house with a touch, this will also show her lack of power in this situation 

     dutch angle of the girl locked in a cupboard 

    

Reflection task

 

I chose to do a horror film because there is more ways in each I can manipulate my audience’s feelings through mise en scene, lighting, sound and also acting. At the beginning of my video the actress is sitting at her desk taking notes about a murder she has to research, the murder is of a young lady. I chose to add this as mise en scene to add a sense that it actually is a bit unusual. The lighting is now high key to create a calm and comfortable setting. I chose to do an over the shoulder shot to open the film to show the audience what she is doing but mainly to create a sense of someone watching her. Then we cut to a mid shot of her face to show that she is comfortable and also to show what it behind her. The mise en scene is that the door in the background is closing by itself. Then it cuts back to an over the shoulder before all the electricity cuts off. The low key lighting is used to create an uneasy atmosphere. Non Diegetic music is a heartbeat to show that she is nervous; this makes the audience worry about her. I used an extreme close up to show her eye turning to the side slowly to show that she is unsure now. Then is cuts to a mid shot of her turning around, after she has turned there is a diegetic bang which is to startle both her and the audience. Then it cuts to a tracking shot of her running to the door. There is a tilt up from the door handle to her face to show her struggle. There is also diegetic heavy breathing as her fear builds and panic sets in, this is to make the audience feel tension and be on the edge of their seat.

My coursework 3rd draft

How does the use of cinematography and Mise en scene create suspense in the Escape from the Bastille (01.47:40 to 01.50: 08) from The Man in The Iron Mask? 

This scene starts off with a long shot of a grand tall building which sets the scene to the audience for where this takes place. Then the camera tilts down when the Musketeers walk past, they are carrying someone with them. The audience knows which ones are the Musketeers by the Mise en Scene, the Musketeers are wearing black capes which shows that they could die while wearing this uniform, they are wearing hats with black and red feather to show the danger of their job and what could happen to them but it could also show their passion, they have silver strips going down the side of their uniform to show that they are pure at a heart and the gold cross on their chest show that they have wealth for their protection, it could also show that the person paying them for their protection is rich. The Musketeers are the guards to the King and royal family.

The scene cuts to a close up of a steel door with a spy hole in it, this is to show the audience that this place needs to be guarded and not anyone can walk in there. The audience is shown the person behind the door through the sky hole being open, they this scene shot it frames the eye perfectly so you cannot really see any of his face. The lighting is low key, which adds a sense of mystery and suspense. Then the Musketeers hand him a note. Then it cuts back to a duel shot and mid shot of the Musketeers one of the Musketeers has their face hidden which adds a little mystery to the scene but this mid shot is to show the audience that they are shocked that it actually worked and it added a little humour to the film, this made me laugh because they way they looked at each other was like ‘wow it actually worked’ and how one Musketeer was rubbing the back of the prisoner. This is a convention of the action adventure genre because they are musketeers they can get into the place they want to, the prison because they have authority given by the King, this is a convention because the protagonists are always resourceful.  Also the way the camera is angled it shows that the Musketeers are only a little higher than the prisoner they are carrying which shows that there is more going on here then they are showing. This also went well with my view because rubbing someone’s back is a sign of affection.

Once the Musketeers enter the prison it cuts to a high angle, which shows the inside of the prison and where they are walking. This could show that they are out of their depth and they are overpowered because of all the prison guards and there is no way they can actually pull this off. This made me feel really nervous because I didn’t know how this was going to turn out and they looked so small and powerless, I was routing for their success but I couldn’t see a good outcome at this point. This is similar with the film 'The Bank Job' (56:05 - 57:07 up) in this scene the similarities to ‘The man in the iron mask’ are they used close ups and duel shots to show the emotion of the robbers and how they reacted to the police showing up at the vault and the scene keeps cutting from the police to the robbers to build tension in the audience and it had me on the edge of my seat. The fact that there are a lot of dark place surrounding them shows that they are unsure of their surroundings and they don’t know the best route out, this adds more mystery and makes the scene more worrying for the audience if they know it or not. The unknown is scary and it plays on your mind. This shot also shows that this prison uses fire touches to light certain areas up. The use fire could also have religious connotations with hell, this deed they are carrying out could end them up in hell because it is a terrible thing they are doing. This is seen in horror films such as Frankenstein and some films with vampires etc, they use fire in similar way like in Frankenstein when the fire gets near him he gets scared, this shows that even though he may look like a monster risen from hell he is afraid of it himself.

Then it cuts to a mid angle to show the audience that the musketeers are coming down the stairs they are no longer holding onto the prisoner. As they are coming down the stairs the lighting is high key and coming through the bars to create a sense that they are good people and they could actually go to heaven, this is another connotation of religion in this scene this is similar in the film Constantine where religion is used immensely to show the battle between good and evil by using light to determine which religion the demon is from and also the repetition of crosses in the shots. Also this mid shot shows them walking down the steps but they are behinds bars which shows the audience that they could either end up dead and either go to heaven or hell, or they could end up in prison themselves. Once they are all down the stairs Aramis removes a piece of paper from his glove which shows that audience that they have a plan, maybe a note of where something is or maybe a map. At the same time the prisoner removes the tatty robe to reveal that he is another Musketeer, which makes it the cliche of ‘The three Musketeers’ which is a convention of the action adventure genre, the protagonist or protagonists in this case are usually male and white. This is shot in a duel shot but all three of them are in it, this is to show them working as a team. Then the camera pans as the Musketeers move into the shadows first of all the audience thinks that they are starting their journey to find the thing they are looking for. But then the camera pans back when the guards run past and then the audience knows that they were hiding from them instead.

Then it cuts to the outside, where the trees are making a good view for the man on a horse using rule of thirds. This scene is shot in a long shot so the audience cannot see the face of the man on the horse so it leaves then feeling suspense because they want to know why he is there and why is he so far away and on his horse? Then it cuts to a mid shot of a woman who is standing at an open door as if she is closing it, on the door there is a cross which is a religious connotation. The Mise en scene in this scene is a woman wearing a blue dress and a tiara which suggests that she is royalty or rich, the blue dress symbolises the sadness in her life, the Mise en scene in this scene is similar in other period drama films where there is a queen involved, the queen always wears a grand dress and her hair is perfectly done also she always wears a crown to show a status. This woman is a convention of the action adventure genre because she is a weaker female character with a sex appeal, but she is used in a way just to lightening the mood of the film and also to add a twist to the story. Then this develops into a shot reverse shot because it cuts back to the thing that she sees which is the man on the horse. The man is on a white horse which suggests that maybe he is her saviour, her ‘knight in shining armour’. This is a similar in Romeo and Juliet (1996) when Romeo goes to the Capulet household for a party (25:32 - 32:11) the Mise en scene in this scene is Romeo is wearing a costume to this party which is a Knight’s costume suggesting that he is Juliet’s knight in shining armour. But the man who is on the horse, from where the woman is standing the audience can see that he is wearing a lot of red which shows the love they have for each other and the passion between them. Then it cuts to a mid shot of the man on the horse to show the audience that he is a musketeer, D’Artagnan. This part warmed my heart because it was like he had come to see her but cannot get close because he is not royalty, the forbidden love of this film is so good. D’Artagnan is holding a red rose and his face is grim which says that maybe he is sad about something, maybe the lady and he witnessed something sad together or he is saying goodbye. He brings the rose up to his nose and this made me feel sorrow for him because he was being slow and caring which shows that he is trying to cling on to the last bit of the love they have left, this made me feel like it was a good bye scene.

Then it cuts to a close up of the red rose which he slowly places on a stone bench, I thought this symbolised that he had a stone exterior towards her in the past to protect her but he did indeed love her, shown through the red which connotes love and passion but also danger and blood so maybe this was goodbye because he was standing into some danger and there could be some bloodshed. It might also foreshadow his death in some ways. Then it cuts to the woman at the church door and her reaction to this is curiosity because she wants to know why he is staying away and put a rose down, she moves her head to get a better look, this was building suspense in me because I was gaining her feelings and I wanted to know what was going on. Then realisation rushes over her and she places her hand gently on her lips, it might be through shock and also through comfort, knowing that they did love each other and they kissed and she can still feel all of that. Another shot reverse shot to show the audience their reaction so the audience feels it too. So from the lady it cuts to a mid shot of D’Artagnan who looks sad but brave and he nods to show that the goodbyes are over and it’s time to go. Then it cuts to a long shot and maybe a point of view shot of what the woman can see as D’Artagnan turns his horse around and rides off putting even more distance between them. This is similar in Titanic when Rose kisses Jacks hand and then lets go off him, the shot shows her saying goodbye then by using shot reverse shot you see Jack going deeper, could this be seen his goodbye to her and their distance now, then it cuts back to rose for her reaction, and finalisation of the goodbyes. There is a mid shot of the woman to show that their goodbyes have been finalized and then it cuts to D’Artagnan ridding his horse quite fast, the camera pans to get the audience involved and also reveal another musketeer walking up to watching him leave, he turn and walks off with a purpose also his musketeer outfit is different to the ones we have seen previously, his is blue not black.

It then cuts back to the prison and the 3 Musketeers are still together working as a unit trying to find the person or thing they are looking for, there are a lot a camera pans, zoom ins and outs to create a scene of involvement for the audience. When the Musketeers are where they need to be a musketeer in blue steps into shot but is behind bars holding the key that the others are looking for, this created a scene of suspense and anger inside of me because I wanted to know who he was, why he was in there with the key but also I want to hit him for being in there with the key. A conversation goes on between them but I found this boring and I just wanted to see some action and then it did and it shocked me because you cannot see it happen, because the musketeer who is guarding the thing behind bars gets hit on the head which reveal the thing the Musketeers are looking for, a person who is in an iron man. He is the leading man, the main protagonist. The iron mask poses him as a secret; no one can see his face. This creates suspense because you want to know who he is and also you want to help him yourself. The musketeers and the man in the iron man make a start on the escape through the prison. Then it cuts to a man wearing armour, gold and red clothes to show that he is wealthy and maybe going out for blood but there is some danger facing him, he is surrounded my Musketeers which shows that he is the King. He is the villain but this does not conform to the normal conventions of the action adventure genre because the villain is usually disfigured and foreign but in the case he isn’t both of them.

 

My coursework 2nd draft

How does the use of cinematography and Mise en scene create suspense in the Escape from the Bastille (01.47:40 to 01.50: 08) from The Man in The Iron Mask? 

This scene starts off with a long shot of a grand tall building which sets the scene to the audience for where this takes place. Then the camera tilts down when the Musketeers walk past, they are carrying someone with them. The audience knows which ones are the Musketeers by the Mise en Scene, the Musketeers are wearing black capes which shows that they could die while wearing this uniform, they are wearing hats with black and red feather to show the danger of their job and what could happen to them but it could also show their passion, they have silver strips going down the side of their uniform to show that they are pure at a heart and the gold cross on their chest show that they have wealth for their protection, it could also show that the person paying them for their protection is rich. The Musketeers are the guards to the King and royal family.

Then it cuts to a close up of a steel door with a spy hole in it, this is to show the audience that this place needs to be guarded and not anyone can walk in there. The audience is shown the person behind the door and the Musketeers hand him a note. Then it cuts but to the Musketeers one of the Musketeers has their face hidden which adds a little mystery to the scene but this mid shot is to show the audience that they are shocked that it actually worked and it added a little humour to the film, this made me laugh because they way they looked at each other was like ‘wow it actually worked’ and how one Musketeer was rubbing the back of the prisoner. This is a convention of the action adventure genre because they are musketeers they can get into the place they want to, the prison because they have authority given by the King, this is a convention because the protagonists are always resourceful.  Also the way the camera is angled it shows that the Musketeers are only a little higher than the prisoner they are carrying which shows that there is more going on here then they are showing. This also went well with my view because rubbing someone’s back is a sign of affection.

Once the Musketeers enter the prison it cuts to a high angle, which shows the inside of the prison and where they are walking. This could show that they are out of their depth and they are overpowered because of all the prison guards and there is no way they can actually pull this off. This made me feel really nervous because I didn’t know how this was going to turn out and they looked so small and powerless, I was routing for their success but I couldn’t see a good outcome at this point. This is similar with the film 'The Bank Job' where the police showed up at the bank which the robbers where in, the police got so close to the value and it kept going from the police to the robbers to build tension in the audience and it had me on the edge of my seat. The fact that there are a lot of dark place surrounding them shows that they are unsure of their surroundings and they don’t know the best route out, this adds more mystery and makes the scene more worrying for the audience if they know it or not. The unknown is scary and it plays on your mind. This shot also shows that this prison uses fire touches to light certain areas up. The use fire could also have religious connotations with hell, this deed they are carrying out could end them up in hell because it is a terrible thing they are doing. This is seen in horror films such as Frankenstein and some films with vampires etc, they use fire in similar way like in Frankenstein when the fire gets near him he gets scared, this shows that even though he may look like a monster risen from hell he is afraid of it himself.

Then it cuts to a mid angle to show the audience that the musketeers are coming down the stairs they are no longer holding onto the prisoner and as they are coming down the stairs the lighting is coming through the bars to create a sense that they are good people and they could actually go to heaven, this is another connotation of religion in this scene this is similar in the film Constantine where religion is used immensely to show the battle between good and evil. Also this mid shot shows them walking down the steps but they are behinds bars which shows the audience that they could either end up dead and either go to heaven or hell, or they could end up in prison themselves. Once they are all down the stairs Aramis removes a piece of paper from his glove which shows that audience that they have a plan, maybe a note of where something is or maybe a map. At the same time the prisoner removes the tatty robe to reveal that he is another Musketeer, which makes it the cliche of ‘The three Musketeers’ which is a convention of the action adventure genre, the protagonist or protagonists in this case are usually male and white.  Then the camera pans as the Musketeers move into the shadows first of all the audience thinks that they are starting their journey to find the thing they are looking for. But then the camera pans back when the guards run past and then the audience knows that they were hiding from them instead.

Then it cuts to the outside, where the trees are making a good view for the man on a horse using rule of thirds. This scene is shot in a long shot so the audience cannot see the face of the man on the horse so it leaves then feeling suspense because they want to know why he is there and why is he so far away and on his horse? Then it cuts to a mid shot of a woman who is standing at an open door as if she is closing it, on the door there is a cross which is a religious connotation. The woman is wearing a blue dress and a tiara which suggests that she is royalty or rich, the blue dress symbolises the sadness in her life, the Mise en scene in this scene is similar in other period drama films where there is a queen involved, the queen always wears a grand dress and her hair is perfectly done also she always wears a crown to show a status. This woman is a convention of the action adventure genre because she is a weaker female character with a sex appeal, but she is used in a way just to lightening the mood of the film and also to add a twist to the story. Then this develops into a shot reverse shot because it cuts back to the thing that she sees which is the man on the horse. The man is on a white horse which suggests that maybe he is her saviour, her ‘knight in shining armour’. This is a similar feel of a romance film or a romantic comedy; there is always a leading man who comes along and betweens ‘the man’ for the leading lady. But the man who is on the horse, from where the woman is standing the audience can see that he is wearing a lot of red which shows the love they have for each other and the passion between them. Then it cuts to a mid shot of the man on the horse to show the audience that he is a musketeer, D’Artagnan. This part warmed my heart because it was like he had come to see her but cannot get close because he is not royalty, the forbidden love of this film is so good. I had a similar feeling when watch Romeo and Juliet, because their love is forbidden and they cannot get close to each other because of their families, so it is so good when they find a way to be together. D’Artagnan is holding a red rose and his face is grim which says that maybe he is sad about something, maybe the lady and he witnessed something sad together or he is saying goodbye. He brings the rose up to his nose and this made me feel sorrow for him because he was being slow and caring which shows that he is trying to cling on to the last bit of the love they have left, this made me feel like it was a good bye scene.

Then it cuts to a close up of the red rose which he slowly places on a stone bench, I thought this symbolised that he had a stone exterior towards her in the past to protect her but he did indeed love her, shown through the red which connotes love and passion but also danger and blood so maybe this was goodbye because he was standing into some danger and there could be some bloodshed. It might also foreshadow his death in some ways. Then it cuts to the woman at the church door and her reaction to this is curiosity because she wants to know why he is staying away and put a rose down, she moves her head to get a better look, this was building suspense in me because I was gaining her feelings and I wanted to know what was going on. Then realisation rushes over her and she places her hand gently on her lips, it might be through shock and also through comfort, knowing that they did love each other and they kissed and she can still feel all of that. Another shot reverse shot to show the audience their reaction so the audience feels it too. So from the lady it cuts to a mid shot of D’Artagnan who looks sad but brave and he nods to show that the goodbyes are over and it’s time to go. Then it cuts to a long shot and maybe a point of view shot of what the woman can see as D’Artagnan turns his horse around and rides off putting even more distance between them. This is similar in Titanic when Rose kisses Jacks hand and then lets god off him, the shot shows her saying goodbye then by using shot reverse shot you see Jack going deeper, could see his goodbye to her and their distance now, then it cuts back to rose for her reaction, and finalisation of the goodbyes. There is a mid shot of the woman to show that their goodbyes have been finalized and then it cuts to D’Artagnan ridding his horse quite fast, the camera pans to get the audience involved and also reveal another musketeer walking up to watching him leave, he turn and walks off with a purpose also his musketeer outfit is different to the ones we have seen previously, his is blue not black.

It then cuts back to the prison and the 3 Musketeers are still together working as a unit trying to find the person or thing they are looking for, there are a lot a camera pans, zoom ins and outs to create a scene of involvement for the audience. When the Musketeers are where they need to be a musketeer in blue steps into shot but is behind bars holding the key that the others are looking for, this created a scene of suspense and anger inside of me because I wanted to know who he was, why he was in there with the key but also I want to hit him for being in there with the key. A conversation goes on between them but I found this boring and I just wanted to see some action and then it did and it shocked me because you cannot see it happen, because the musketeer who is guarding the thing behind bars gets hit on the head which reveal the thing the Musketeers are looking for, a person who is in an iron man. He is the leading man, the main protagonist. The iron mask poses him as a secret; no one can see his face. This creates suspense because you want to know who he is and also you want to help him yourself. The musketeers and the man in the iron man make a start on the escape through the prison. Then it cuts to a man wearing armour, gold and red clothes to show that he is wealthy and maybe going out for blood but there is some danger facing him, he is surrounded my Musketeers which shows that he is the King. He is the villain but this does not conform to the normal conventions of the action adventure genre because the villain is usually disfigured and foreign but in the case he isn’t both of them.

My coursework 1st draft

How does the use f cinematography and Mise en scene create suspense in the Escape from the Bastille (01.47:40 to 01.50: 08) from The Man in The Iron Mask? 

This scene starts off with a long shot of a grand tall building which sets the scene to the audience for where this takes place. Then tilts down when the Musketeers walk past, they are carrying someone with them. The audience knows which ones are the Musketeers by what they are wearing, the Musketeers are wearing black capes which shows that they could die while wearing this uniform, they are wearing hats with black and red feather to show the danger of their job and what could happen to them but it could also show their passion, they have silver strips going down the side of their uniform to show that they are pure at a heart and the gold cross on their chest show that they have wealth or their protection, it could also show that the person paying them for their protection is rich. The Musketeers are the guards to the King and royal family. Then is cuts to a close up of a steel door with a spy hole in it, this is to show the audience that this place needs to be guarded and not anyone can walk in there. This door shows the time period they are in because most places nowadays have steel doors like this now. The audience is shown the person behind the door and the Musketeers hand him a note. Then it cuts but to the Musketeers one of the Musketeers has their face hidden which adds a little mystery to the scene but this mid shot is to show the audience that they are shocked that it actually worked and it added a little humour to the film, this made me laugh because they way they looked at each other was like ‘wow it actually worked’ and how one Musketeer was rubbing the back of the prisoner. Also the way the camera is angled it shows that the Musketeers are only a little higher than the prisoner they are carrying which shows that there is more going on here then they are showing. This also went well with my view because rubbing someone’s back is a sign of affections, you wouldn’t do it to a stranger you are carrying into a prison. Once the Musketeers enter the prison it cuts to a high angle, which shows the inside of the prison and where they are walking. This could show that they are out of their depth and they are overpowered because of all the prison guards and there is no way they can actually pull this off. This made me feel really nervous because I didn’t know how this was going to turn out and they looked so small and powerless, I was routing for their success but I couldn’t see a good outcome at this point. The fact that there are a lot of dark place surrounding them shows that they are unsure of their surroundings and they don’t know the best route out, this adds more mystery and makes the scene more worrying for the audience if they know it or not. The unknown is scary and it plays on your mind. This shot also shows that this prison uses fire touches to light certain areas up, this tells the audience the time period that this is set and it is also a convention of this genre. The use fire could also have religious connotations with hell, this deed they are carrying out could end them up in hell because it is a terrible thing they are doing. Then it cuts to a mid angle to show the audience that the musketeers are coming down the stairs they are no longer holding onto the prisoner and as they are coming down the stairs the lighting is coming through the bars to create a sense that they are good people and they could actually go to heaven, this is another connotation of religion in this scene. Also this mid shot shows them walking down the steps but they are behinds bars which shows the audience that they could either end up dead and either go to heaven or hell, or they could end up in prison themselves. Once they are all down the stairs Aramis removes a piece of paper from his glove which shows that audience that they are a plan, maybe a note of where something is or maybe a map. At the same time the prison removes the tatty robe to reveal that he is another Musketeer, which makes it the clique of ‘The three Musketeers’.  Then the camera pans as the Musketeers move into the shadows first of all the audience thinks that they are starting their journey to find the thing they are looking for. But then the camera pans back when the guards run past and then the audience knows that they were hiding from them instead. Then it cuts to the outside, where the trees are making a good view for the man on a horse, this place is well kept and looks grand so wouldn’t be near the prison. This is scene is shot in a long shot the audience cannot see the face of the man on the horse so it leaves then feeling suspense because they want to know why he is there and why is he so far away and on his horse? Then it cuts to a mid shot of a woman who is standing at an open door as if she is closing it, on the door there is a cross which is a religious connotation.

The Shining scene 2 anaylsis

This scene starts off with a mid shot of a door with a key in the lock. The key ring is red that shows the audience that something dangerous is behind the door, this builds tension because the audience cannot see what is behind the door, and there is just a sliver of what you can see through the open door. Then using parallel editing it cuts to Danny who is sitting in the dark which is low key lighting, he is shaking and dribbling, he is also wearing a red jumper which suggests that maybe he knows about the danger that is behind the door. The camera zooms in on Danny’s face to show that he is pale in the face and he eye are squinting this may suggest that he is unwell and struggling with what is going on at the moment. Then is cuts to a point of view shot of the hotel room the camera pans to show that the person who is seeing this is walking and it makes the audience feel more involved. This made me feel uneasy like I was looking around my house to see is someone had broke in, I didn’t enjoy this part much. The camera used in the part would be a handheld to get the effect of them walking and it being a point of view shot, this is effective because them they can make this scene more realistic and scarier. In the background there is this horrible non-diegetic music would reminds me of a heartbeat maybe this is to build tension in the audience because they can hear a heartbeat and it raises theirs. The cuts at this point are quite slow to tell the audience the story and it builds better tension in the audience to watch this and not break up the scene by going back and forth, it might also suggest that the environment that Jack is the known and the audience has to stay with him in order to find out. As the camera closes in on the bathroom door a hand slowly pushes the door open. This made me hide behind myself because I thought something horrible would be there to scare me. But there was nothing there just a well lit bathroom just like the rest of the hotel room. Then it cuts to a mid shot of Jack and how he reacts to this. It makes this scene relatable because his face was probably the same as yours. Then it cuts back to the bathroom, again something strange, but the shower curtain was drawn a little. I thought nothing of it first of all it wasn’t until a hand slowly appeared on the edge of the shower curtain in order to pull it back. Again this action was slow to build tension in the audience. Then a woman appeared from behind the curtain. Then there is another shot reverse shot to show the audience Jack’s reaction to this, and he doesn’t mind that much. The woman slowly rose from the bath and another shot reverse shot to show that Jack actually likes the show he is getting. Then the woman stepped out of the bath, shot reverse shot but lingers on Jack to show his little smile at the corner of his mouth. The woman starts to walk forward from a longs shot to a mid shot then there is another shot reverse shot to show that he wants to move forward to meet her in the middle. I personally could see the point in having this part in the film, I didn’t see any meaning behind it and I felt as a woman that it was unnecessary for this scene to be in the film or done in this way. As Jack kisses the lady strings are added to the non-diegetic music to make it more eary and unpleasant to listen to, tell the audience that something is going to happen to Jack in a moment. The music gets the audience ready for the thing to come and change the story. There are more and more strings being added as this carries on and Jack find out that he is actually kissing an old lady who seems to be rotting. This is shown through a mirror which is a convention of the horror genre, in this scene the mirror is being used to show the truth to Jack and this is an effective technique and has been used before in this film. It shows Jack the truth and shows the audience it as well along with Jack’s reaction. Then there is diegetic laughter which is quite evil and shows that this woman tricked Jack and she has bested him. Then it cuts back to a close up on Danny who is still shaking and dribbling and the laughter is carrying on through this parallel editing. The cuts are getting quicker now to build uncomfortable tension in the audience as it switches from Danny to the woman rotting in the bath to Jack shaking and walking backwards with a tracking shot maybe showing the woman’s point of view. Then it cuts to Jack’s point of view showing the creepy rotting old lady following him out of the bathroom. The diegetic laughter is carrying on through this scene. Then it cuts to Danny again getting a little closer to him now showing that he is really struggling with this. The non diegetic music is getting creepier now with the added bangs in places. Then the cuts are getting a little quicker when it cuts to the lady in the bath then to Jack scared, confused and trying to escape. It cuts to the old lady and it looks like she is really enjoying this and then it cuts to an extreme close up on Danny to show that he is squinting at something like he is seeing something. This all make the audience myself included creped out and uncomfortable. I even felt dirty after watching that woman and her awful skin.  

The Shining scene 1 anaylsis

This scene starts with a close up on Danny’s face and then zooms out into a mid shot to show the audience that nothing out of the ordinary is going on. This is just setting the scene of what Danny is doing so the audience can understand. While the camera is zooming out the audience is shown that Danny is playing darts, while watching this I didn’t feel scared or worried about Danny it seemed pretty normal but then I noticed that the darts are red. The connotations of red are danger, blood, love etc. So this was telling us the audience to maybe look out for anything that could be a danger to Danny. Also while this scene is going on there is some non-diegetic music playing in the background, it is horrible music because it is quite screechy and annoying and it make me cringe when it got louder. Once the camera has zoomed out into a mid shot Danny has thrown his last dart and he walks over to the dart board as he is doing this the camera pans so it make the audience feel more involved because you are going along with him also this happens when the camera tilts when Danny stands on the chair to reach for the darts. Danny takes two darts off the dart board and turns around then the camera quickly zooms into a close up of Danny’s face to show his emotion and to tell the audience something weird is happening. This made me worry about Danny because you couldn’t see what he could, my vision was restricted and I was scared of the unknown. This tension I felt was created by the camera lingering on Danny’s face for a long time. The non- diegetic music then becomes a lot lower in pitch and made me feel drained almost like my balance was off because the music is so horrid it hurt my ears. Then it cuts to a point of view shot to show the audience what Danny was looking at and it was two sinister looking little girls, this is a convention of the horror genre use to scare the audience. This just made me confused and a bit uneasy because they looked normal just a little pale but the way they were standing was a bit weird. The dresses they are wearing show that maybe they are not from that time because they were old fashioned and also they were blue, the connotation of blue is sadness, maybe something sad had happened to them. The dresses are also the same suggesting that maybe they are twins. Then there is a shot reverse shot to show Danny’s reaction to this. Then is cuts back to the little girls and they look at each other and they walk away in an ordered fashion clockwise around each other. This made added to my uncomfortable feeling about them. This whole scene is set in high key lighting showing the audience that it is set in the day time but also nothing really bad is going to happen at this point. Then it cuts to Danny’s family being shown around. I noticed that the man showing them around and Wendy are on the right side and Jack is on the left this told me that maybe I should watch out for him because he isn’t on the same side as his wife. This scene is shot with a backwards tracking shot, this get the audience involved with the narrative because they are moving along with it. There is no non-diegetic music in this scene because the audience needs to focus on what is being said. When they are walking the man says goodbye to some lady in the background, as she is walking with her bags she lifts a red bag up so it looks to the audience like it is touching jack and showing up that he is the danger in this film and to watch out for him. Everyone is leaving the hotel and the man is saying that no other room is heated in the winter this tells the audience that they will be the only people in the hotel at that time which is another convention of the horror genre, being in an isolated area.

Revolutionary Road

Camera: In this scene they mainly use duel shots to show that there is a relationship between and later you find out that they are married. They also use wide shots to give the impetration that they are in a world of their own and the outside world won't affect what is going on in their life at that time. There is also a lot of over the shoulder shots to make the audience more involved in the scene but it makes them feel awkward because them they are watching an argument. They also show a long shot of she walking away this could show the distance between them at this time or that she is trying to escape the argument for a little while.

Lighting:
In the building at the start it is high key lighting but then for the rest of the scene it is low key lighting to show the audience that it is night time and also to show that they are in a dark place at the moment because they are going through at rough patch in their marriage. I found it difficult to watch because there wasn't much lighting I couldn't see what was going on.




Editing:
In this scene they use shot reverse shot to show the conflict between the two characters. They also use fast editing to build tension created by the main characters.


Mise en scene:

Everything in this scene tells the audience something about the story. The costumes tell them about the time that it is set because the woman is wearing a beige pencil skirt and a white blouse, He is wearing a brown suit with a red tie which shows that they are in the 1950's or a time near it. Also the car they are using has the huge steering wheel which is mainly in old fashioned car. The actors facial expressions show that they are in a fight and angry because the man is frowning and he is also pacing which is the tell tale scenes that he is angry with his wife. She walks away from the car really quickly which shows the audience that she is trying to escape the fight with her husband. Then he punches the car which is the biggest show of his anger. This made me feel awkward to start off with because I felt like I was ease dropping on their argument, but  then I felt angry when he goes to hit his wife but then hits the car a sign of relief rushed over me.

Sound:
The sound in this scene was mainly diegetic because the audience needed to focus on what was going on in the scene and not hide it behind the backing track.

Intorduction Task- The Lone Ranger

To make this movie it cost $250 million which is normal to make a movie but it is a bad sign when Disney was thinking about pulling out of the film. ‘The Lone Ranger’ stars Johnny Depp and because he is a huge Hollywood actor they would be paying him top dollar to make this movie but he took a 20% pay cut in order to make this film happen. Maybe this is because Johnny knew about the show and he liked it when he was a child and wanted to see it succeed. He said ‘Oh sure [I knew ‘The Lone Ranger’]. But I identified with Tonto. And when I would play with friends, I would always play the Indian, never the cowboy.’

Also another reason why this film flopped at the box office is because it was released the same time as ‘Man of Steel’ in America which means there will be less of an audience for this film, this would result in less money being made by the film. Also more people would go and see ‘Man of Steel’ because they had more advertisement for the film, such as trailers, billboards, even on television shows where the presenter would draw attention to ‘Man of Steel’. This will result in more people going to see a film that they actually know about.

This film is also a Western movie; the fan base for western movie is very small so there wouldn’t be a huge audience for this film anyway. The western movie fans might not like Johnny Depp and therefore will not go and see the movie reducing the audience further. Johnny Depp fans may have gone and seen this film mainly because he was in it and they didn’t like it so they told their friends and the word spread that the film wasn’t good so less people went to see it.

The film came under a lot of abuse from the moment it was released, the Telegraph one of the biggest newspapers in England stated:

‘Some films are created awful, some achieve awfulness, and some have awful thrust upon them. The Lone Ranger falls cleaning into the third category: it has arrived from America a pre-ordained flop, trailing critical roasting and a disastrous opening weekend behind it. The film cost $250 million to make and is expected to make a $150 million loss: hi ho silver away, indeed.’

The critics also stated that the film had too much technical wizardry, too many digital effects, too many action scenes with little story and no links to the original story lines of the radio and TV series from the 50’s and 60’s.

It was also stated that the film was the front runner to future amusements parks and follow up films, coming off the back of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. Did they really think that they could just slap on that fact that is was made by the same people who made the successful Pirates of the Caribbean series for advisement and branding and think that The Lone Ranger would do as well? That the same fans of these brilliant films will just flock to the cinema and before they realise that the film was terrible the investors would make their money back. By doing this the fans of Pirates of the Caribbean, myself included, thought that this film would be a comedy and Johnny would make the movie amazing like he did in Pirates of the Caribbean. The companies involved advertised it all wrong because The Lone Ranger was nothing like the brilliant Pirates but was just another western movie, with over exaggerated action sequences to mask the dull story line much like the sheriff who masked himself to protect his dull life back home.

But did the critics jump on the film too quickly? As ‘Mirror’ stated ‘The, film, which opened in the UK this week, has already been slammed by reviewers around the world, who, smelling blood, have gleefully gone in for the kill’ this is saying that the critics have joined forces to tire down this film before it even is released a week. Johnny Depp says ‘I think the reviews were written seven to eight months before we released the film’. Were the critics just following the trend of bad comments?

Introduction task- Tonight You're Mine

I am going to write about my favourite film of this summer. I found this quite hard because I watch a whole load of films and like almost all of them but the one I thought was the greatest I have watched this summer was ‘Tonight You’re Mine’ also known as ‘You Instead’. I enjoyed it because it was set in ‘T in the park’ festival which means the people there were real and their reactions to the goings on were just as real. The main characters are singers who were supposed to be performing there, but their plans get a bit ruined when some crazy man who works at the festival chains the leading man and women together with handcuffs. This is amusing to me because how would you cope being chained to a complete stranger who doesn’t like you already, they don’t like each other’s music and attitudes and they even don’t like each other’s partners. Their bands try and help them get the handcuffs off or get the keys off the man but they fail first of all. The woman has to perform when they are still handcuffed and the leading man doesn’t like her music so he changes it into something he does like and he completely takes over her keyboard and then they combined both songs together which is awesome because it is amusing how he destroys her performance and does it in a cocky way, the song he chooses is also good so it makes it more funny. After a while the girl joins in, and they start having funny jumping around and getting the audience involved. This was effective because you, as the audience can see how a ‘real’ audience would be if they were watching a ‘real’ band, and how they would respond. It also creates a little wanting, in your mind, to go to the festival yourself. To join in with the buzz and seeing you favourite band play on the big stage, sleeping rough with your friends and jumping to the music.

Another thing I liked about the film is that it was filmed within 4 days so it actually feels like you are at the festival with them and the bustling crowds, so when it is late and they go to the tent which is like a night club and they dance and then go to the funfair and go on the rides you as an audience feel involved.  In this film they also show the trailers and the artist behind the stages and it made the audience feel important and even like ‘VIP’. I also really like the actors in it Luke Treadaway, Mathew Baynton and Natalia Tena and I believe that if you like the people in the movie you as an audience will enjoy the film a whole lot more because you feel like you know them through their earlier acting in other movies and you know that they are good and will make the movie good also, it’s like when you see big names like Tom Hanks. I also love that the leading character’s relationship changes, you can see it going on and it is heart warming and relatable and as a teenage girl you enjoy watching a romance unfold before you. When the leading girl finds out that the leading man knew about his band mate having the key for a while and she runs away from him it makes your heart stop because you are rooting for their relationship so when it is his turn to perform he calls to her while on stage and he get his audience to call her name and you find yourself joining in and then they have the epic kiss scene at the end and it is an amazing way to end the film. End on a high.