Shawshank Redemption - Close Reading

Setting: At the start of this shot the viewers can see that the convicts are on the roof of a dull brick building, while the shot is panning over to the building to show the convicts, the audience can see the contrast from the dirty rooftop and the bright green grass, and open space. This setting is used to show the difference between the dull life in which the convicts have to endure, and the freedom of the fields of green grass.

Props: The four main props in this scene are the mops which the convicts are using, the guns and bats the guards threaten Andy with and the beer at the end of the scene. The mops are important because it shows automatically that the convicts have it tough, and have to do unpleasant chores. The gun and bat shows that the guards are the dominant people in this scene, they turn to violence and threatening behaviour when they feel Andy is challenging them/being inappropriate. The beer is important because this is when Andy feels like he is finally beginning to make the most of his life, even if he has to spend it in the prison. This is when he makes better acquaintances with the convicts and he gets on the guards good sides by making a deal with them/helping them with their accounts.

Colour: The colour in this scene is important because it shows the contrast between the dull coloured brick building where the convicts are working and the blue sky and green grass. This contributes to the image in this scene that the convicts are trapped in a colourless life, and the green grass and blue sky represents the freedom they can’t have while in prison.

Lighting: At the start of the scene, the lighting on the convicts faces is a dull lighting, this adds to the effect that the convicts have a dull life, and are the less dominant people, compared to the guards. The lighting is important when the convicts is drinking the beer at the end of the scene and one of them offers one to Andy and he says he doesn’t drink, the lighting shines down on him, giving him a pure/godly image.

Costume: The guards are wearing suits in this scene, even though it looks like it is a hot day. Their suits are a dark blue colour, which makes them stand out, they are clean and look new; this contributes to making the guards looking like the more dominant people in this scene. The convicts are dressed in dirty, old overalls. The overalls they are wearing are a dull grey colour, so this stops them standing out; this adds to showing that the guards are more dominant.

Dead Poets Society - Act 3

Everyone finds out about Neil’s death. ‘Act 3’ shows the audiences how the different characters’ deal with Neil’s death. His friends stick together and help each other through it, but Todd finds it harder than the others and wants to be alone. Keating looks through the poems and feels guilty. It shows him crying.

After Neil’s death the Dead Poets’ Society is revealed. This is bad because this means Keating is fired. The boys stand up for Keating by standing on the desks, as this is what he had taught them. This shows the respect they have for Keating and showed how much he meant to them.

Dead Poets Society - Act 2

They reform ‘the dead poets society’; this means they have to sneak out of the school to have the meetings. They have to do this at night, against the rules, this is a complication.

In class Keating’s teaching methods go against the tradition of the school, this is a complication because he could get in a lot of trouble, as the school is quite strict. The principal watches Keating while he is teaching the boys, but Keating just acts as if he does nothing wrong, as he truly believes that he isn’t doing anything wrong. Another obstacle in Keating’s classes is that Keating pushes the boys in his class to get out of their comfort zone.

Neil decides for sure that he wants to try out for the play. Keating has given him the ability to believe in himself, but teaching him freedom. An obstacle that comes with Neil deciding to perform in the play is the fact that his father doesn’t approve. Neil needed his father’s permission to be in the play, and as he didn’t want his father to find out Neil forges a letter from his father so that he can perform. “I’m trapped” – Neil to Keating.
When Neil decides to go into the play his friend, Todd, snaps him back to reality and reminds him of his father’s disapproval, Neil gets angry because he knows that his friend is right. Todd slowly gets more confidence, but when Neil talks to him the audience notices that Neil treats his friends as his father teaches him.

Todd’s parents give him the same birthday present two years in a row. This shows the audience that his parents, like Neil’s, don’t care about what he wants. Neil supports Todd on his birthday, but his friends aren’t able to support Neil with his problems.

Charlie publishes an article in the school paper and signed in ‘The Dead Poets Society’, this is an obstacle because this article could mean that the principal could find out about them sneaking out, drinking, smoking, seeing girls, etc.

Neil’s dad finds out about the play and shows up there. Neil is ecstatic that he is in the play, especially as he got the lead role. This is the dark moment in ‘Act 2’, because Mr Perry, Neil’s father, he ruins Neil’s happiness and crushes his dreams. Mr Perry confronts Keating, and tells him to stay away from Neil. Mr Perry automatically blames Keating for Neil’s actions, so Mr Perry decides to enrol Neil into a different school. He tells Neil that he is going to be a doctor; Neil has no choice. “Don’t be so dramatic, you make it sound like a prison term” – Mr Perry to Neil.

The climax in this film is after the play, when Neil shoots himself because he feels things with his dad are too much to handle anymore. His dad has told Neil that he disapproves and is disappointed in Neil because of Neil going into the play and because he has gone behind his back and disobeyed him purposely. When Mr Perry finds his son dead, he acts as if he doesn’t understand why his son has done this, as he had no idea that his son was feeling like this. He genuinely felt that he has been the best father he could be, he just tried to do the best for this boy. “My son, oh my son” – Mr Perry when he finds Neil dead.

Definitions

Define and state clearly what each of the following words mean:

Expository - Introduces the characters and the situation.
Development – The plot slowly begins to develop.
Plot Point – When the plot begins to move forward. This is when the characters begin to have a goal.
Catalyst – A central point or idea/theme in the film.
Interrelated Obstacles – Obstacles that all tie in together to contribute to the end of the film.
Confrontation­ – Characters confront each other, often about the obstacles that have been raised.
Complications – Obstacles that have to be overcome.
Dark Moment - Where everything seems to be too difficult to overcome.
Climax – The scene in the film that everything builds up to.
Epilogue – At the end of the film which everything is tied up, and it all links back into the starting scene.
Closure – The characters accept what has happened in the film. There is often a happy ending.

Codes and Conventions

Why are the codes and conventions in this genre used over and over in different movies?
Because they have a main structure that has worked in the past, making them sure that the audience will like the structure.

Why have the codes and conventions been changed in some cases?
They change the codes and conventions sometimes to make it fit in with the story line and to create a difference, because people don’t want to see the same thing over and over again. Also because of evolution; times and society are both changing so the codes and conventions have to be changed in order to keep apealling to the audience.

Different Genres

- Comedy.
- Romance.
- Action.
- Drama.
- Horror.
- Thriller.
- Disaster.
- War.
- Historical.
- Western.
- Fantasy.
- Teen.
- Children/family.
- Documentary.
- Science-fiction.
- Educational.
- Reality.
- Crime.
- Myth.
- Adventure.
- Musicals.
- Martial Arts.

(Reworded) List Of Genres

Historical: A story about a real person or event. E.g, The Queen.
Biography: The story of somebodys life told by another person. E.g, Ray.
Autobiography: Somebodys life being retold themselves (about their own life). E.g.
Memoir: Somebody retelling a story from their own memory. E.g.
Historical Fiction: Set in real life with real people with only some fictionalised/made up factors. E.g Pride and Prejudice
Alternate history: Similar to Historical Fiction but more excessive and there is more fictional and fantasy things included. E.g.
Period Piece: Stories that are usually set in a historical time, but history isn’t the main focus and/or point of this story. E.g.
Costume drama: A drama where glamorous and different clothing is a big focus.E.g. Marie Antoinette.
Adventure: About a main character travelling far to gain and/ or achieve something. E.g. Spy Kids 2.
Action: Similar to Adventure but more intense. It often includes more danger and conflict and/or violence. E.g. The Fast and the Furious.
Superhero: A superhuman (usually male) who uses their abilities (usually super powers) to help people. E.g. Xmen.
Military: A story based on war, including what war was like and how the soldiers were treated and what they went through. Usually based on one soldier. E.g. Forest Gump.
Spy fiction: Stories about special agents getting sent on missions, using high-tech gadgets and technology and also includes fighting scenes. E.g. James Bond.
Swashbuckler: A story about someone who has conflict with villains. E.g. Zorro.
Martial arts Kung-Fu film: Stories about martial arts, including high forms of experience and well thought out fighting. E.g. Jackie Chan. Science fiction: Stories usually set in the future or space. Also includes fantasy scenes and fictional objects. E.g. Blade runner.
Military Science Fiction: Wars against aliens. E.g. Men in Black.
Space Opera: About time travel. E.g. Back to the Future.
Fantasy: Fictional story, based on magical/supernatural theme. E.g. Twilight.
Science Fantasy: A magical story that can be explained by science. E.g.
Sword & Sorcery: A fantasy story containing adventure and a hero who fights with someone or something else. E.g.
High Fantasy: A story that has nothing real in it, it is set in a different world. E.g.
Wuxia: Fantasy and/or Martial arts.
Romance: A story about relationships, includes love, a happy ending and engagement. E.g. The Notebook
Crime Fiction: A story with some form of crime. E.g. CSI.
Mystery: A dectective usually, figuring out some sort of crime.
Murder Mystery: A dectective finding a murderer. E.g. Cold Case.
Comedy: A story that tells a humourous story. Comical and lighthearted elements. E.g. Super Bad.
Comedy of manners: A story of social behavior and class. Charcters are usually highly stereotypical. E.g. Sydney White.
Parody: A mockery film which uses sarcasum and comedy to make fun of somethings flaws. E.g. Epic Movie.
Black comedy: A parody that plays on usually untapped subjects.
Romantic comedy: Love stories told comically. E.g. Hitch.
Comedic Science Fiction: Comedy’s with science fictional settings, alot of the time making fun of the science fiction genre. E.g.
Documentary: Retelling of events. E.g. Earth.
Mockumentary: Story that uses documentary form to tell fictional and comical events. E.g. The Office.
Horror: Stories made to cause fear mostly using violence, suspense and/or shock. E.g. Silent Hill.
Monster: A creature causing havoc. E.g. Water Horse.
Giant Monster: A giant creature causing havoc. E.g. Jurrassic Park.
Survival Horror: About someone who must endure something in order to survive. E.g. Castaway.
Thriller: A mix of fear and excitement.Usually has a serious story line. E.g. 28 Day Later.
Disaster-Thriller: Involves some form of disaster which must be overcome. E.g. The Day After Tomorrow.
Psychological-Thriller: About someones mental unstability. E.g. Hide and Seek.
Crime-Thriller: About criminal events that are exciting, also scary. E.g. S.W.A.T
Techno-Thriller: Involves technology and usually cyber terrorism. E.g. The Island.Western: Adventure and Action type movies set in the ‘wild’ West. E.g. Calamity Jane.

Genre - Comedy Films

What do you expect to see in a Comedy film?
- Jokes.
- Sarcasm.
- Happy music.
- Soft music.
- Problems but humour always included.
- Minor problems.
- Love story usually included.
- Lots of characters, e.g. families, neighbours, friends.
- Happy endings.
- Sometimes colourful scenery.
- Funny main character.
- Normal transport, e.g. cars, bikes, trains, buses.
- Sometimes the main character is disliked/misunderstood.
- Sensible character.
- Dumb decisions.
- Light-hearted plot.
- Inappropriate timing.
- Main character usually male.
- Character changes, e.g. grows, learns.
- Includes aspects that the audience can relate to.
- Conflict.
- Fights between friends.
- Usually somebody alternative.
- Usually a loveable idiot.
- A geek.
- Sometimes a high school setting.
- Appeals to males and females.
- Usually little or no death.
- Sometimes a dry sense of humour.
- Comedy can be suttle.
- Usually irony.
- Swearing.
- Easy going.
- Different ages.
- Offensive behaviour.
- A specific target audience.

Genre - Disaster Films

What do you expect to see in a disaster film?
- Bad guy.
- Hero (always a male character).
- Helpless people (e.g. children and elderly).
- A main character dies.
- Loud music.
- Dramatic music.
- Lots of sound effects.
- Good special effects.
- Conclusion.
- Always good and bad at the end.
- Sacrifice.
- Conflict between the characters.
- The disaster in the film sometimes brings people together.
- Characters sometimes express their feelings a lot more during the disaster.
- Lots of different camera shots and angles.
- Facial expressions usually serious.
- Rescues.
- Boats, helicopters, vans, planes used a lot, usually for the rescues.
- Quite a few main characters.
- Main characters usually clash when trying to figure out what to do.
- Normal clothing, e.g. nothing that stands out.
- Tragedies.
- Sometimes natural hazards.
- Major and minor injuries.
- Death.
- Love story included.
- “Rollercoaster”, e.g. from good to bad and back again.
- A specific target audience.

Genre Definitions

Connotation - Meanings associated with words. Words or things with two meanings.Eg. A dove is a connotation of peace and harmony.
Denotation - Specific, Literal or actual meanings of words.Eg. Dove is a denotation for a white bird.
Mise en scene - Setting or scenery.
Talking heads - T.V slang.
Synchronised sound- Sound coupled to images.
Digetic sound-
Non-digetic sound -
Intertiles-
Social actors-

Mitre 10 Dream Home

Close Reading.
Editing Pace - The editing pace in this programme is quite fast. At the start of the programme it is cut from different shots/scenes at a fast speed, showing what the teams have done to their houses and what happened in the last episode/what is going to happen. This captures the audiences attention right from the start of the programme.
Lighting - The lighting in this programme is quite bright. For example, when the host is interviewing the teams the light is bright which captures the audiences attention. Also when people go into the houses, they are bright. This shows that it is positive, and shows the audience that it is more of a happy programme. When the team members are talking to the camera, alone in a room, the background in the room has a black background, this makes the team member/the person talking stand out to the audience.
Costume - The clothes that they wear are casual (the host and the teams/helpers) stand out. They mostly wear yellow and blue, because those are the team names. The host wears red so she also stands out when standing with the teams. This makes it easier for the audience to see the different teams. Their clothing is casual, and mostly dirty from the DIY.
Music – The music changes with the feelings of the team members. When the houses are going well the music is happy and exciting. It has a fast tempo. When something goes wrong, or the team members are worried about something then the music changes to a slow tempo, less exciting but more tension building. The music adds to the atmosphere of the scene, helping the audience to get more involved. The also music plays in the background when people are being interviewed/talking to the camera and when the audience is being shown what has been achieved in the houses.
Naration – Throughout the programme the host is talking (a voice-over) while the audience is being shown what has been achieved in the houses and what is happening at the moment. The naration is only every so often, not constantly. This helps the audience understand more about what is happening and how the teams are feeling.
Angles/Shots – Mid shots are used when the team members are talking to the camera about what they have done and how they are feeling. I think they use a mid shot for these scenes because then the audience can see some of the team members t-shirt, showing what team they are in (blue or yellow) and the audience can also see what their facial expressions are like. Long shots are sometimes used when the team members are talking amongst eachother. This helps the audiences see more of the body language being used in the scene. Close ups and long shots are used when the judges go through the houses at the end of each episode and look in depth at the houses. They use close ups when the judges see something that isn’t very good, the camera zooms up on it, so that the audience get a better idea of what is wrong with what the judges have seen. The long shots are used when the judges are walking from room to room. This shows the audience how much room is in the house.

Audience.
Mitre 10 Dream Home is a New Zealand reality programme, about a competition between two couples(two teams) who are building different houses (DIY). One couple gets the house for free if they win, the other has to buy it. The house that loses is also available for the public to buy, so the losing couple have to bid in the auction that takes place to buy their house.The audience that it is aimed at is young couples (VAL), older people (VAL), young struggling families (VAL). Mitre 10 Dream Home is aimed at young couples because it helps them find out what to do in their house and because it is mostly young couples that are on this programme competing for their houses they can relate. Older people may watch it because they have worked hard for what they have in life and like to see young people/couples doing the same. It is not a negative programme, its positive and good natured, so it will help them have a positive attitude. It is also aimed at Achievers (TAG), because achievers are people ‘motivated by a desire to succeed’. When the team members keep pushing themselves to achieve their final goal of completing their houses and their smaller goals of completing the different rooms, the audience can tell that they are motivated to achieve.

Mamma Mia review

Mamma Mia is a romantic comedy, and also a musical.This film was mostly aimed at women, but partly men aswell. I thought that Mamma Mia was fantastic. The actors, songs, dialogue and costume all fit together perfectly.

Lots of the actors in this film are very well known, e.g. Collin Firth, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, and there were lots of actors that are just becoming famous in it aswell, e.g. Amanda Seyfried, Stellen Skarsgård, Dominic Copper. I thought that all the actors in Mamma Mia seemed to work really well together. They all got into their characters really well, and seemed to enjoy themselves while doing it.

The songs in this film were performed well. I thought it was good how when they were performing the songs all the actors were still in their characters. I also liked the fact that the songs fit in well with what was happening in the film. The songs seem to help the viewers understand more about what is happening. For example, when the main character, Sophie, has her hen night all three of her possible fathers turn up, when Sophie is feeling overwhelmed and confused the song being sung by the other actors speeds up to portray the way Sophie is feeling. The songs also add humour to the film, and help the viewers understand how different characters feel towards eachother.

The dialogue in this film is very important. The dialogue tells us a lot about what is happening. The dialogue, also, entertains the viewers even more when jokes are included between the different characters. There is a lot of sarcasum in this film which adds to the understanding of the characters and the humour. The dialogue also helps the viewers understand the characters relationships with eachother.

The costume in this film is also important. The main character and her mother live on the island where they run a hotel, they dress casually and don’t wear much make-up at all, their hair is usually messy or natural looking throughout the film. So when their friends come over for Sophie’s wedding, you can see the difference between them immediately, because their friends live on the main land. They have quite a bit of make-up on, nice hair, in-fashion clothing and high heels. Even at the wedding there characters are still the same, Sophie is not as dressed up as a bride would be on the mainland and the dresses are quite casual.

Overall, i thought Mamma Mia was really well filmed, directed and put together. I would recommend it to girls or women, who want to have a laugh and watch a romantic film.

9/10

Charter

Charter - Definition.
A document that states the rights and privileges of the organisation (e.g. the television) and what the conditions are.

Charter - What we thought.
- No ‘adult ads’ during children viewing times.
- Children shouldn’t watch violent/sex related programmes, e.g. CSI, or movies.
What needs to be on t.v
- Current events (news).
- Educational programmes for kids (Zip & Mac).
- Entertainment (e.g. Two and A Half Men).


Charter.

·TVNZ must inform, entertain and educate. E.g, Good Morning, Sunday, Two and A Half Men, Shortland Street, Home and Away.

It must provide shared experiences, which contribute to citizenship and national identity. E.g, Mitre 10 Dream Home, Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune, Country Calendar, Close Up, Breakfast

·It must reflect Maori Language and culture. E.g, Te Karere (news), Te Pa, Tagata Pasifika.

·It must serve the varied interests and informational needs, minority and age groups including tastes and interest not generally catered for by other TV broadcasters.
In Touch, Country Calendar, Spongebob Squarepants, 20/20, Coronation Street, Family Guy.

·It must strike a balance between programmes of general appeal and those that are of interest to special-interest audiences. E.g, Queer Nation, Intrepid Journeys.

·It must promote the talents and creative resources of New Zealanders. E.g, NZ House and Garden, Mitre10 Dream Home, NZ’s Next Top Model, Top Town, NZ Idol, New Zealand’s Brainiest Kid.

·It must promote programmes that reflect the regions and also the diversity of New Zealand cultures. E.g, Shortland Street, Country Calendar, Inside New Zealand, Queer Nation.

·It must feature New Zealand films, drama and documentary programmes. E.g, Go Girls, Inside New Zealand, Whale Rider.

·It must feature programmes about the country's history and heritage and environment. E.g, Waitangi Day09, Billy Connolly’s World Tour of New Zealand, Coming Home: Te Hokinga Mai 90th Anniversary Of The End Of World War I.

·It must feature programmes that provide for the informational and entertainment needs of children and young people and allow for their participation. E.g, Zip and Mac, The Go Show.

·It must support the arts and reflect the role that sporting and other interests play in New Zealand life. E.g, Small Blacks.

·It must also feature programming of an educational nature that supports learning and personal development. E.g, Zip & Mac.

Audience

1. What do you think of when you hear audience? A group of people watching something that entertains them, e.g a movie, performance, television.
2. Why do you think audience is relative to media? Audience is relative to media because the audience helps to fund the media (partly). The media relates to audience because media is made to entertain the audience.
3. Who and how is audience measured? Surveys (?)
4. What are your ideas with regard to audience? Different programs are made for different target audiences, if the target audience isn’t reached then it has failed.
5. Who and what does audience relate to? People who make things to do with the media, e.g. Film makers/producers, television programmes, adverts,etc.

The Dark Knight - Close Reading

Q1. Visual Element.
Lighting – He (the Joker, played Heath Ledger) has light shining on him making thewhite he was wearing stand out more to the viewers of The Dark Knight, this shows the viewers that he is an importand person. This also might make the viewers concerntrate more on the Joker because of the way he stands out against the darkness of the room. The lighting in the room where the patient is, is quite dark, but the sun comes through the window and shines onto the Joker making him and his face make-up, once again, stand out. This hints to the viewers to concertrate on the Joker.
Q2. Aural Elements.
Sound Effects – There are a number of sound effects in this scene. One of is while the Joker is threatening/scaring the patient/victim, they emphasise the breathing and whispers of the Joker to make him stand out and seem more threatening to the viewers. Another example of the sound effects used in this scene would be when the Joker blows up the hospital and the explosion and sound of falling bricks and other objects are made more powerful and noticable when they hit the ground showing the power of the guns. This helps the viewers have a better understand of the fact that the Joker has blown up a big building and chaos is created in the by what he has done and he walks away, not caring/bothered about it. If the sound effects weren’t used in this scene the explosion of the hospital wouldn’t appear to be a big deal.
Q3. Editing and Production Design.
Setting – Most of this scene is set in a hospital, the viewers can tell this by the cleaness of it and the clothes they are wearing. This scene starts in a storage room/some kind of small room, but the main bit in this scene takes place in a patients room (in the hospital), this is shown by the patient bed and doctors tools, showing the viewers the Joker will do anything to get this patient (e.g. posing as a nurse). After the Joker threatens the patient in the hospital in this scene he walks out into the city as the hospital blows up, the city is full of people and cars, it is a typical American city. The tall buildings and cars everywhere shows the viewers that it was chaotic at the time.
Q4 & 5. Character.
Sound – When the Joker is in the patients room the sound of the scene is quite quiet, this causes the viewers to focus on what the Joker is saying, as the film makers have made his voice stand out on purpose. When the Joker walks out of the hospital and blows it up with the remote the sound of the scene becomes loud. The explosion and the sound of all the people and chaos going on around the Joker makes the viewers pay attention to him because he is the only person in the scene not caring about what has happened and while most people are going towards the explosion he is walking away.

Shot Size, Angle, Movement and Framing – The angles in this scene are very important to show the Joker’s power over the victim/patient. For example, when the patient/victim is lying in the hospital bed at the start the camera angle makes him and the Joker look like they are at the same level. This shows the viewers that the Joker is confident. Later on in the scene (still in the hospital room) the Joker is shot from the patients point of view (him looking up at the Joker). This shows the viewers that the Joker is more powerful than the patient. In the hospital room there isnt much movement, there is movement when the hospital has been blown up, as everyone is running around in the chaos and there are cars everywhere, and the Joker is walking away. But in the hospital room, it is quite still, the only movement is when the Joker moves to get the gun, or moves to the other side of the bed. The framing in this scene is also important, the framing cuts out the rest of the Joker’s body, making the audience concerntrate on the Joker’s face and what he is saying.
Q6, 7 & 8. Atmosphere.
Costume – The Joker is posing as a nurse so that he can get to the patient, so he is wearing a nurse’s dress. This outfit is completely different to the Joker’s character, because nurse’s help people and the Joker is the opposite to a nurse, e.g. not caring about other people. This shows the viewer’s another sign of the Joker’s madness. The patient/victim is just wearing a normal patients gown showing that he is sick. This could show that he is weaker than the Joker, physically as well as emotionally. The Joker’s make-up is very strange/different to what u would usually see in movies. His make-up is kind of like a clown’s face, hense the name ‘The Joker’. Although, not a normal clown u would see at a children’s birthday party. His face is painted white, with black all around his eyes and on his eyelids. His lips are painted big and red, although the lips are not painted in a smile (like a normal party clown), they are painted in a straight thick line. His hair is greesy/oily, adding more effect to the Joker’s crazy character.

Music – The music in this scene starts off tense and building suspense for the viewers. This shows the viewers that something big/terrible is going to happen. The music builds up a lot as the policeman/security guard is shot by the Joker (who is posing as a nurse). It then decreases in volume and the bass (drums) slow down and get softer. The music is now high pitch with a regular soft anf also fast bass. The music stops slowly as the patient/victim realises that he is in trouble and he starts to groan frantically and try to get away. The bass of the music is there throughout most of the scene while in the hospital room; always builind tention.

Editing Pace/Rythm – This scene wasn’t edited very quickly, there were a lot of shots that needed to be quite long so the viewers got the full effect of the character’s facial expressions. Some shots however were cut quite quickly. For example when the policemen/security guard is shot by the Joker. It cuts quickly from the policemen/security guard to the Joker and back again, causing the viewers to really get into the scene, as they need to pay more attention to catch what is happening. This scene also cuts quickly to and from a number of different characters, showing the audience how many people are involved.
Q9. What other element of film language not used in this scene could have been used to create suspense?
I think they could have used more editing. E.g cut the shots more quickly. I think this would create more suspense because the viewers would have to pay more attention to what is going on, so that they don’t miss anything.

The Sixth Sense – Close Reading

Q1. Visual Element.
Close ups – Close ups were used a lot in this scene (the scene when he starts to realise that he is dead). The close up makes it easier for the viewers to see the terror on his face which eventually turns into sadness throughout the scene. This shows the viewers that it is a complete shock to him that he is dead, even though he has been dead for a while. It also shows us, by his facial expressions, that he now understands that his wife didn’t leave him and that she couldn’t be with him anymore. A close up shot is also used when he starts to look around the house after his wedding ring is dropped from his wife’s hand in her sleep, he sees that the dinner on the table is set for one person, it close ups on this to show the viewers more effectively that his wife now is alone since he died. A close up shot is also used when his wife’s breath is cold and it zooms in on this to make it obvious. This is important because when ghosts are around it is believed that it turns cold.

Q2. Aural Element.
Music – The music builds up with the tension of the scene as he realises that he is dead, it decreases in pace and increases again with his heartbeat and his emotions. The music is one of the most powerful elements in this scene, because the music builds tension. It is powerful music; it makes u wonder what is happening and keep you on edge by the vast variety of instruments all playing together.

Q3. Editing and Production Design
Pace- The pace of this scene starts off slowly while he thinks they are having a conversation, it becomes faster after his wedding ring is dropped and rolled along the floor. After that happens this scene turns into quite a fast scene, and everything happens all at once, although some shots are longer than the others, it still all happens quite fast. The pace of the scene increases as the music increases and the tension built up as well. The pace of the scene slows down when Dr. Malcolm Crowe’s wedding ring is dropped onto the floor from his wife’s hand in her sleep, to show make sure the viewers understand and to add more effect.

Q4, Q5. Character
Dialogue – Most of the dialogue is through memory flashbacks. For example his wife says “Why did you leave me?” when she is asleep, he answers by saying “I didn’t leave you”, this is when he starts getting confused and not understanding what is going on. Also it is important when his memory flashes back to the little boy saying “They don’t know they’re dead”, this is powerful dialogue because it is when he starts to realise that he had been dead all this time and didn’t know, so he starts to understand a lot more about what had been going on. Also near the end of the scene he says to his wife (and partly to himself as he knows she can’t hear him) “I think i can go now”, that shows the viewers that he has accepted the way things are and that he is dead.

Q6, Q7, Q8. Atmosphere.
Lighting – No big lights on, only small lamps lighting up the room; this makes him stand out. It is at night, we can tell this by it being really dark in the scene and the fact that his wife has fallen into a deep sleep on the chair/sofa.
Use of Camera Shots – There are a lot of camera shots used in this scene. Long shots are used to show the distance between Malcolm’s wife and himself. This helps the viewers understand the distance between to two of them and how they can’t be together again. Long shots are also used when Malcolm sees the flashback of him getting shot by his ex-patient, it shows his wife rushing to the bed to try and save Malcolm while he is dying. Mid shot is used when he moves away from his wife when he sees that something is different. A mid shot is also used when the flashback comes into his mind of when they are out to dinner and she takes the cheque books to pay for the dinner, at the time this scene is shown the viewers are lead to believe that she is paying for herself because she doesn’t want to pay together, but now the viewers understand that she did that because he wasn’t really there and she couldn’t see him. Close ups are used a lot in this scene to show his facial expressions to help the viewers understand how he is feeling (e.g. terror, confusion, sadness). A close up shot is also used when he sees that the dinner table, where a half eaten dinner and dirty plate, is just set for one person (his wife) and not set for him as well, this shows that she has been eating alone.
Sound Effects – There aren’t many sound effects used in this scene, except when his wedding ring is dropped by his wife in her sleep. The sound effect used when the ring rolls along the wooden floor is to show more effect, it make the ring stand out which shows the audience that this is an important symbol in the scene, making them pay more attention (if the sound effect wasn't there then the viewers wouldn't have paid as much attention). It also shows Malcolm that something is seriously wrong when he looks at his hand after the ring is dropped and realised that his wedding ring is not on his finger. Another sound effect is the gun shot, this is shows us that it is important and one of the main flashbacks.

Q9. What could be used that wasn’t? What effect would have been created by this?
They could have used a tracking shot when he starts to go up the stairs in the house when he starts to realise he is dead. I think this would have made it more effective because the viewers may have felt more like they understood how the character was feeling and what he was doing. They could have used tracking shot quickly to show that he was frantic, terrified and confused.

Brave Heart - Close Reading

Braveheart

Visual Element.
Close up – There are a lot of close ups of the main character while he his talking to the local men that said that they would fight, trying to motivate them and persuading them to fight. There is a lot of close ups of the main character when he is pacing up and down on his horse, the close ups on his face show us that he is trying to make eye contact with the local men (his ‘warriors’) to get his message through to them. The extreme close up is also important to show us his facial expressions. His facial expressions can give away a lot about how he is feeling, and not only can you hear the determination in his voice, you can see it in his face when he is talking when ‘extreme close up’ is used.

Aural Element.
Music - The music is in the background, you can hear it if you listen carefully when the main character is talking about freedom and you can also hear it when he stops talking to think or when he is waiting for a response from the ‘army’. The music starts off slowand slowly builds up as the ‘army’ becomes more hopefull for their freedom. It sounds sad, hopeful and inspirational at the same time. The music adds to the feeling of hope that builds up within the ‘army’. The music in this scene is important because it makes it more tense. The instrument is a violent, it is high pitch and classical-ish style.

Editing and Production Design.
Setting – This scene is set in a field. The huge open space is significant because that is the kind of area where wars used to happen. The weather is significant because if they were in this field and it was a really sunny day it would make it look like a happy scene, but because it is a windy and overcast day the audience can tell that it isn’t a very happy scene.

Character.
Costume and Make-up – The ‘army’ and the main character in this scene are wearing old fashioned clothing, because it is set in the past. Their clothing is also quite tatty and dirty, leading the viewers to believe that they havent had a chance to rest in a while. Most of them are dressed in dark colours, for example brown, grey and stained white. Most of the people in the ‘army’ are holding spears or have some kind of armour and/or weaponry. The main character is dirty and his hair looks unbrushed. Their make-up has been made to make them look unclean and grubby. Their make-up and clothing shows that times are hard.
Dialogue – The dialogue used in this scene is old fashioned. In the main characters voice the viewers can hear persuasion, encouragement and motivation in his voice. The dialogue is very important, especially in this scene because the scene is about the main character making a speech to motivate the ‘army’ to fight. In this scene the viewers can tell that the main character has a lot of hope and truly believes that they can win. He reminds the ‘army’ that they can freedom again and that there is hope. This is shown mostly by dialogue.

Atmosphere.
Lighting – It is filmed outdoors in a field and therefore the light is mostly sunlight. The time of day in this scene is hard to tell because of the overcast, i think it would be early morning, because (along with the dialogue) the viewers are encouraged to believe that it is a new day.
Use of Camera shots – There are a lot of different shots used in this scene. For example, mid shot, long shot, close up, panning shots and tracking shot. The tracking shot is quite important in this scene, it tracks the main character in the scene when he is still talking while he is walking with his horse. The close up and extreme close up shots are also used when he is talking, but also when he is looking around at the ‘army’ waiting for their reaction. Mid shots and close ups are also used when it films the ‘army’; this shows how the facial expressions of the ‘army’ change from the start of the main characters speech to the end of it. Panning shots are used to show how big the army is and what the people look like/what they are wearing and what weapons they have. Long shots are used to show the main character and the army. They are used to show the main character on his horse infront of the ‘army’, this can represent the power and leadership that he has.
Editing pace/Rhythm – The scene has a lot of cutting in it. It is cut quite quickly when filming the different people in the ‘army’ to add more effect to the scene. Cutting is also used when the camera shot goes from filming the main character in this scene and then goes to the ‘army’ to show their reaction (facial expressions), but at that time it is at an average speed.
What could be improved? Angles – This scene used a number of different types of camera shots but it didn’t use many different camera angles. Most things are at eye level (and the viewers can see the whole face of the character). The director/film makers could have shot the ‘army’ looking up at the main character in the scene to show that he is leadership he has, or the director/film makers could have done a birds eye view to show the full amount of people who were ready fight; that would have made the scene a little bit more intense.

Shaun Of The Dead - Close Reading (Group Activity)

At first we see a black screen. The background music is 60’s Horror themed; it builds up but eventuates to nothing. With the ding of a bell the horror themed soundtrack abruptly stops and is replaced with flowing music, we are introduced to the main character (Shaun). This relates to the film in the way that the film builds up to but results in nothing really.

He is sitting in a bar, we can tell this by the bartender calling out orders, the sound of people talking, glasses clanking, a game machine and the fact that Shaun is holding a cigarette and drinking a beer. The expression on Shaun’s face shows that he’s paying minimal attention and isn’t involved in the conversation around him. The fact that they’re in a loud environment and there are people interrupting those shows that their conversation isn’t exactly private. This shows that how easily distracted Shaun is and how nothing about their relationship is secret to their friends.

The conversation is about the two main characters’ relationship, a subject most couples would like to keep to themselves. While his girlfriend (Liz) is trying to talk to him the noises in the bar (mentioned above) are overpowering her. This tells us that Liz isn’t always put first and is often pushed aside for other things. When Liz asks a question of Shaun he answers what Liz wants to hear but his friend Ed in the background is saying what Shaun’s actually thinking. This sets a humorous tone to the scene and suggests that Ed and Shaun are very in tune with one another.The information established in this scene alone is vital to the telling of the rest of the film. The crumbling of Shaun and Liz’s relationship, The closeness between Ed and Shaun, the involvement of the couples’ friends in their relationship and Shaun’s lazy attitude in life.

Shaun Of The Dead - Review

It took a while for me to get into Shaun Of The Dead. There was not really a story line, not an important one. The humour in it was better than the actual story line, I could tell that it was writen by someone with a good sense of humour, even though it is based on the horror film Dawn of The Dead. I thought that if there was no humour the film would have had nothing special about it, apart from the good use of editing and filming.

This film really made me feel like i was there, not because of the acting or the story line, but because of the scenes being cut and the camera angles and techniques that were used to keep the audience interested.
I was disappointed about the acting in this film after seeing the main actors in other films and then seeing them in this. For example at the end of the film when Shaun's best friend Ed was a zombie and they were playing playstation, i felt that they could have made this scene a lot better. I didnt like the actors in this film, especially in this part. I also didnt like how this film ended.

Close Reading - Shaun Of The Dead

At the start of the film, the music ('old school' horror music) builds up to nothing because the film is about nothing and there is nothing to the main character. Even in the opening scene we start to see what the most important things are to the main character, Shaun; the local bar 'The Winchester' and his best friend. We can tell this because while Shaun's girlfriend is trying to have a conversation with him the background noises in the bar are overpowering her (the game machine, the bartender, the bell, the music and Shaun's best friend).

When the camera zooms in on Shaun's face you can see that he has trouble concerntrating on anything, this is shown by his blank expressions and constant interruptions in the opening scene of the film. For example, Shaun's girlfriend is trying to have a serious conversation with him but Shaun is more concerned with what is going on around him at the bar; what his best friend is doing, what drinks are being ordered and what music is playing. When he finally does concerntrate the film has been edited to cut quickly to capture the audiences attention.

In the background in the opening scene of the film you can hear Shaun's best friend swearing, saying the words that Shaun is thinking while his girlfriend is trying to talk to him.

Definitions

Definitions.
Film. A noun used to descirbe the physical material when images are captured by a camera and then projected onto a screen to an audience.
e.g. The Titanic
Cinema. A place where people go to view films.
e.g. Berkley Cinemas.
Also, a general term used when talking about film and filmmaking.
e.g. Cinema studies.
Shot. A peice of filming with no interruptions at all.
e.g. Close up.
Edit. When a shot finishs and another one starts.
e.g. Cut.
Scene. Collection of shots arranged in a specific order.
e.g. Two people arguing or talking.
Frame. The edging around the film.
e.g. The the lines at the side of a widescreen tv.
Framing. Choosing which images are shown and how.
e.g.
Diegesus. Everything contained in a film; every aspect and element.
e.g. The film Australia.