Evaluation

'The One That Got Away'

My product follows typical horror conventions such as the tension and suspense build up. It has developed techniques throughout as of practice, prior knowledge and research. My opening could have been developed further with more time and effort but it still uses different camera shots as well as sound to emphasise the build up. Similar to other horror movies, my opening uses typical conventions such as: pathetic fallacy - the murder takes place at night time; as well as a character being home alone. This clearly states that something bad will happen as the audience are assumed to have prior knowledge about other horror movies and conventions and know just from the opening few scenes what genre the movie is.

The representations in my opening of the typical 'teenage' social group are shown using body language and expression; her reacts in the opening are what teenagers would usually do if they were in the situation shown. Mise en scene also shows typical teenage stereotypes such as the ashtray on the chest of drawers next to the bed and the pink spotty dressing gown worn; she's a typical teenage girl. Also, the 'villain' in the opening is seen to be sort of delerious and creepy as an extreme close up of her face tilting, staring straight in to the camera is to show her mentality. 

The type of opening my product is, would be distributed by a major as the rest of the film would use conventions and techniques of higher standard produced movies by a company such as Sony or Universal. A high budget would be used to include a few thriller scenes as well as to clearly show other horror conventions such as fake scares. I'd want it to be distributed by a major as it would get more publicity and advertisement as people with prior knowledge about the distributors and previous movies made by the company would want hopefully want to see the film because of the distributor as well as other things such as known actors/actresses.

My aimed audience is certificate 15 although the age variety of my audience aim is 15+. The reasons of this being that you can use more scares/gore in certificate 15's than certificate 12's, as well as the fact that certificate 12 is aimed more at a younger audience with less variety of conventions. I aimed to attract my audience by using typical teen stereotypes as well as trying to create suspense and tension to make them want to watch on and find out what happens next. Action and Enigma codes in the my opening are also used to try and entice my audience; for example they will want to find out who the girl is, who the murderer is and also what the murderer wants/why she kills. In aim for my movie to appeal to a wider variety of people, the themes throughout the opening are not continuously typical teen stereotypes, but they are techniques that many people will be able to relate too, wether aged 15 or 50.

Whilst processing this opening, I have developed skills within use of technology with the use of editing software that i was not used to before. I've learnt how to: edit clips, how to use editing techniques such as cuts and transitions, how to add stings and various different sounds/stings to clips. Using the editing software enabled my opening to seem more realistic and add suspense and tension via the use of stings and sound, without it, it wouldn't have the same effect on the audience.

When filming our preliminary task, it enabled me to get used to different camera shots and what uses were needed in order to create the certain camera shots that were needed. When filming for my opening, I was enabled to use the skills that I had developed from the preliminary task and apply them to the use of camera for my product. Mistakes were made throughout the preliminary task that I was able to avoid when creating my product as I had practise. The preliminary task taught me about continuity errors as well as other techniques to use when using a camera. The camera used in my product was not as clear as I would have liked it to have been but the shots used and most things that I would like to be seen are still quite noticeable. The use of diegetic sound in my opening such as the opening shot with the background television sound was used to add the sense of reality as well as 'the norm'.

Non diegetic sound I used was to add emphasis to certain points as well as getting the audience entertained and interested in what was going to happen next. Over all I think there are some positivites with my opening as well as quite a few negatives that I would have liked to change if I had the opportunity; such as different dialogue, different shots and possibly a different strory line that was based in a different setting. If I had taken my time with my opening to get it up to the standard that I imagined and hoped it would be, I would've been happier with my produced product, but I'm still quite happy with the progress I made whilst filming it and everything that it taught me throughout.

Narrative Theory

Narrative: the way in which stories are told in both non fictional and ficitional texts.

Theorists:

Vladimir Propp
Came up with the idea of indivdual character roles:

• The hero/protagonist - protects and weds the princess/he who seeks
• The villain/blocker - maintains the struggle/fight with the hero/the bad person
• The object of the quest - that which is sought
• The donor - helps the hero with the fight/gives them something to help
• The helper - gives support to the hero when needed
• The princess - a sort of reward for the hero; hero protects the princess from the villain
• Her father - usually dies during or before the film/book
• The dispatcher - sends hero in the right direction

Tzvetan Todorov

Equillibrium --> Disequillibrium --> New Equillibrium

The equillibrium is the normality. Something has to become the disequillibrium and disrupt normality and have something go wrong. This then needs something to be done about it to get to the new equillibrium and be back to normal again.

Roland Barthes
Suggested that the narrative works with five different codes which allows it all to make sense:

• Action - a device of which produces a resolution through action, e.g a car chase
• Enigma - teases the audience; gets the audience to question themselves as well as the movie all          information has yet been revealed
• Symbolic - connotation
• Semic - denotation
• Cultural - a stereotyped character, for example a man in a suit with a flash car and a brief case would automatically be seen as a business man

Claude Levi-Strauss
Claude examined the values, cultures and belief shown in stories and the way that they are unconciously reflected; they are usually reflected in binary oppositions. His work has then been conveyed to and adapted to discover underlying themes and symbolic oppositions.

Heaven                                                           Hell

good                                                              bad
halo                                                               horns
god                                                               the devil
  

Genre research

Research enables you to discovere the generic conventions of the specific genre you're studying.

Horror

Typical horror's always include the following:

• a build up of tension and suspense
• a fake scare
• an injury
• unusual creepy locations e.g an isolated house or a mental asylum
• uses of stings

character types:

• the main protagonist, usually the victim/hero/one that escapes/survives
• the villain, most usually a serial killer/some sort of mutation - alien/monster
• a twist in an important character, usually turns bad
• typical teens - drink a lot, dopey, sexual, stupid

an example of themes used:

• good VS evil
• religion
• scientific experiments gone wrong
• childhood/everyday issues
• supernatural

- most horror films make us question ourselves: what's real and what isn't.

Analysis of 'The Amityville Horror' opening

The Amityville Horror uses typical horror conventions in the opening and throughout the rest of the film. A lot of stings are used to add emphasis to the movement of things and the actions taking place. For example, when Ronald DeFeo Jr shoots his little sister Jodie who is sat hiding in her bedroom closet, a sound of some sort of animal, possibly a lion is head. This is to signify the fact that he's not himself anymore yet also that his behaviour is animal like; he's not thinking as a normal person would anymore. The use of pathetic fallacy also is to add atmosphere and emphasise the mood. Whenever the weather is rainy/dark/stormy in a movie, bad things take place. Pathetic Fallacy is a typical horror convention. When the news is shown, the pace of the sequence is really quick. This is to show how quickly things had changed and gone wrong; how quickly he had gotten brain washed by the 'voices' of the house. Just from the first few minutes of the opening, the audience can tell what the movie will be about; where the set location is and also the back ground of future preferences made/reasons as to why things are happening.

Audience research

Engaging a relatively similar age group of individuals is enabling a similar understanding. For example, a group of 10 year olds wouldn't be suited to watch an 18 rated movie because of the possible sexual scenes/blood/gore etc. Researching into your aimed audience allows you to let your movie be accessible as well as enjoyable. Sometimes it's hard to stick to the age boundary as of little things you may want to include yet they're not suitable for everyone.

Exploratory audience research allows you to learn the incentives and what potential barriers that there may be. The information obtained enables you to communicate with the specific audience as they can relate to the issues/emotions etc that are shown.

The audience I've chosen will be certificate 15. This way you can aim it at a wider ranged audience and also include more. For example, the use of drugs can be used in a certificate 15 movie yet the potentential influence is to show the effects of drugs and why they shouldn't be used. Certificate 15 movies usually try to highlight every day life issues and influence young teens to choose the right options.

Opening Sequences

Opening sequences always help to set the scene and enable the audience to get an idea of what genre to expect throughout the movie. Establishing shots are used quite a lot to show the majority of the setting of the first few sequences. Some sequences may not reveal much as they want to keep the audience on edge and guessing what's about to happen next, where as some sequences reveal a few character identity's as well as a bit of action to show what's involved with the film and what to expect next. An aerial shot may also be used at the beginning of the film to enhance the movement of the movie or the pace of which things may be going. The variation in the different shots are always to enable the audience to find out a little more of what to expect. The genre is usually reflected in the first type of shots in the opening sequences; the shots reveal more detail little by little, not giving too much away too fast which is what the directors want.

Film titles and credits

Film titles are important as they set the mood of the movie. They give clues to what type of film you're about to watch, and what to expect in suttle ways; the titles usually also set the location. Revealing which stars are in the movie also add atmosphere as someone may feel more intrigued to watch it if one of their favourite actresses/actors are starring in the film. In film titles you usually expect a subtle amount of information about the film as well as the main actors/actresses names; location is sometimes revealed as well as a few characters. Not a lot is given away during the titles, but it's meant to appeal to the audience and make them want to find out what the film's about and to watch on.

The titles/credits usually show:

• film title
• production company
• writer
• director
• producer
• actors/actresses

The titles should convey messages about the film through the style/design used.

Catch Me If You Can is a good example of how well produced film titles can be. The first three minutes already tells you so much about what to expect throughout the movie. It reveals the genre of the film as well as how quick paced the film will be just through revealing the titles and credits of the movie; the style used is very unique. Just from the titles of the film you find out:

• the film will have something to do with a guy and a girl
• several different job roles will be involved
• the guy changes his identity
• a chase will be involved as of the music used and the title of the actual film
• Steven Speilberg, Tom Hanks and Leonardo Di Caprio star in the film which will make it more appealing to certain audiences

You know that the film will be using different locations as of the pace of the titles as well as the various changes in job roles. The actors/actresses appeal to certain people which may excite the audience watching if they enjoy watching them; the production company has the same effect; if the same company has produced other films that the audience may have enjoyed, they'll be more willing to watch it. They may also expect certain things because of the production company name; if certain companys have expectations, they've got to make sure they live up to them to please their audience.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/2011/08/22/catch-me-if-you-can/ - film titles (Catch Me If You Can)

Characterisation

Conveying information about a character can be conveyed in many different ways:

• the clothes they wear
• the things they say
• their reactions
• their friendships/relationships
• their emotions

Understanding audiences in the 20th century relate to a lot of issues shown in movies. They also relate to stereotypes and can clearly understand/see the difference in the characters created. If a character created was to be wearing tracksuit bottoms, a hoodie, a lot of jewellery and spoke using the words 'innit' and 'bruv' they would be seen as a 'chav'.

An expected plot of a 'chav' character would be involving murder, robbery or some sort of violence/crime in general. It's the typical stereotype of a 'chav' which is expected as soon as they're spotted.


Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman conveys the characters to outline the different personalities as well as the individual backgrounds.

Firstly, the clothes they wear clearly tell the audience what working backgrounds they both are. Vivienne is lower class and she represents this by wearing high heels, fishnet tights, a short skirt and a revealing top. She is also cakes in make up and quite clearly doesn't show that she has any pride. Where as Edward is of a higher class. This is represented by the suits he wears; showing his business man status, as well as how nearly he presents himself. He has a high status which he is wary of as well as a reputation that he intends on keeping.

Within the first few minutes of being introduced to each character, the way they're spoken shows their differences. Edward is very well spoken; he knows how to talk to the ladies; he comes across as a bit of a ladies man. Vivienne talks like a 'proper commoner'. The scene shown between herself and her room mate Kit shows the audience that she's a worrier; she knows she's only human and has worries like the rest of the world. Vivienne conveys the fact that she also has a bit of an attitude which covers up her emotional side as she's quite opinionated and wants things her way which she believes the right way. You see this through the scene with Kit about rent money.

They both face troubles in life and things don't alawys seem to go their way. For example the scene where Edward is in his car; he starts the car a few times before he actually gets going and even when he drives away, he ends up going in the wrong direction. It reveals to the audience that he had to work hard to get where he is and the status he has, he truely has earned. He had to go through a few 'hiccups' and life wasn't always as smooth as it is shown in the film; things usually get in his way and Vivienne is in a similar situation. She's a prostitute but it's the only way that she's been taught to live/survive. The first camera shot of her lines up her body; it reflects the fact that her body's her main attraction, it also shows that she sells her body as it's all she knows; that's all she truely cares about as she hasn't been taught any better.

When things get tough, Edward tends to run away from his problems where as Vivienne faces them and tries to sort them as best she can. This shows the audience that although Edward may seem as though he has the upper hand in life with his lifestyle choices, some of Viviennes choices have helped her to become the strong person that she is. The differences between both of the characters are shown in various ways yet they're accesible ways which are quite clearly shown. The differences show that sometimes in life, opposites do attract; this creates a narrative through oppositions.