Coursework Research - Location Research

LOCATION RESEARCH

Potential locations/settings of our film opening (+ photos):

We plan to create a film opening of a suspense/drama genre, with the idea to focus on specifically the characters, the props, the setting and the titles. Therefore, the location to get the correct setting, the location is particularly important. There are several options and various locations that we can choose to set our film in, but from the start, we have something specific in mind. Ideally, we want a home studio/office in the home of the character (depending on the character we want to have). For instance, the first idea we had was to film somewhere unrecognisable to the audience, so any landmarks were a big no. Instead, we thought the locations had to be personal to the character, somewhere familiar or at least a place where only the character could access/no public outsiders. Going with this theme, our first ideas below are in order of our importance:

- A Home Art Studio:
This could be any room at any of the group's home to act as the characters own personal art studio. This choice is the most realistic as the art studio at school is always busy so we will probably be interrupted which isn't ideal.
- Our School's Art Studio:
Our school has a wonderful and expansive art studio that we could ask to use after school or on a Saturday if the caretakers have opened the school. If this is not possible then between the four of us, we have more enough art products and objects to build a smaller art studio (below).
- A Dark Cellar/Basement:
Any basement that could also act as the characters basement space to work. This could act as more creepy as the other locations and would go with the genre much better.
- A Converted Shed:
This would require more effort as we would actually have to convert a shed if we couldn't already find one.
Weather conditions, schedule, availability, timing, sequences etc...

The film opening location (we hope) to use is only one location, a dark room in a pretend art studio in one of our group's house, where the charcter is to make strange notebooks and other 'things'. We are sure that only one location will be enough, becuase its only the opening to the film, and therefore we shouldn't be giving everything away. Yet, our location also depends on several other factors such as the weather conditions, schedule, availability, timing, sequences. For example, to decide the location we need to know that that place is indeed free and meets the needs in terms of availability, and ideally free for the entire time of our shooting so that when we return to the location, it hasn't changed, and therefore achieving continuity. As for the schedule, all of the crew and cast need to be available and all can get to the location in time, as well as all of the crew knowing the schedule for filming. I think that the schedule will be determined after the dates for filming have been decided so that we know where and when it is happening. The film will be shot inside, so the weather conditions do not affect us in any way, yet they could play to our advantage if we wanted to create a certain atmosphere e.g. if it was raining and we had a shot of the raindrops on the window. The sequences, again, are all going to be shot inside in the relatively same location so the sequences going through each shot and telling the story aren't dramatically going change in terms of location.
Why are these locations so good for what we are trying to achieve?

As we aim for to create a film of the suspense/horror genre, there are several conditions that make this location good. For one, the flexibility of our location is excellent because we can use it at any time of day, especially at weekends. The location has also several lighting options that we can alter and use for how we want it. The area of the room we want to use, also, is enough space for us to try and experiment with what the character can do.
Are we using interior and or/ exterior locations?

We won't be using any exterior locations, only interior settings. This is because we want the feeling of the character being isolated or loneliness in his house, and perhaps not confident to go outside. Only using interior locations creates a feeling of secrecy of the character, and, for the audience, an atmosphere of being alone. The conservatory we are using for the location will have no curtains on, and we plan, to film at night time. This will create a creepy element of the house because it will be black outside while the character works in his art studio. 
Do we have back-ups?

We plan to use Daisy's conservatory for the setting of the art studio, with the props surrounding him. However, if plans change and we need to use another location, then any of the homes of our group can be a location if we need to. All of our group have other options we can use, including other rooms, houses, and our school. It also depends on circumstance, availability, schedules and timing on whether everything goes accordingly or something happens to go wrong.

L.R

Coursework Research - Genre

Genre

A film genre is a motion picture category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film (namely, serious, comic, etc.). Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism.

Conventions of film genres are the normal features in a film you would see of a certain genre. 

Horror films
The conventions of horror films are...

• Either a dark isolated setting eg forest/abandoned building. OR. a city environment to make the story seem realistic.
• Disturbing low pitch sounds to create tension and suspense.
• Dark colours/filters (blood red).
• Death/ supernatural/ dark plots.
• Fast pace editing to create suspense.
• A vulnerable character and a brave character.
• Contrapuntal music

For example...

This film opening has a vulnerable character, a supernatural plot, contrapuntal music, disturbing soundtrack to build up tension and dark colours used throughout.  All of these create an atmosphere, you wouldn't think a teen comedy would start with bright colours.

Horror films are usually aimed at younger audiences, aged 15-20. Horror films excite a younger audience and give them a thrill, younger audiences are less likely to be put off by horror films and scenes of violence which would make older audiences feel negatively towards the film.

Science Fiction
The conventions of science fiction films are...

• Scientific elements
• technology
• set in the future
• Futuristic props, costume and setting
• Conflict between good and evil
• time-travel

For example..

This film opening features the scientific elements and technology of time travel its also partly set in the future, in the fact that Marty was sent to the future and comes back from the future.
Newly releasing science fiction are usually aimed at younger audiences, aged 15-20. However as franchises grow older and release sequels the same audience carries through with the film, meaning the audience is a much older more mature audience as well as younger audiences who have been shown the films by parents or older family members.


Comedy
Conventions of comedy films are..

• Idiots who are accident prone (Charlie from Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
• Smart people who are socially awkward (Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory
• 'Regular people' (Dennis from Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
• Love and sex ( Superbad)
• Alcohol and Drugs (How High)
• work and school (Office Space)
• Music (School of Rock)
• Crime (The Green Hornet)
• Most comedies have a nice and happy outcome
• There are many locations that are featured in comedy films. 

For example...







This intro features a main character that could be considered a bit of an idiot but hes not a normal person, he is a policeman fighting crime. He is also arguably accident prone since he gets stabbed, therefore most of these fits the conventions of the genre.
The target audience of a comedy film is very dependant on the content of the film. For example children’s films labelled as PG’s or U’s can have comical scenes, however the audience would be completely different for a comedy film labelled as a 12 or a 15, Comedies labelled 18 certificate are often more explicit in terms of language and scenes, making the film heavily aimed at the over 18s.


Romance...
Conventions of the romance genre are...

• soft lighting effects and relatively natural lighting to achieve the feeling of it being in touch with reality making the story as believable as possible. 
• soft tender music, this is to represent the tenderness and sensitivity of the relationship and often represent the characters personality. 
• Flowers and gifts that will be given to one of the main characters usually by the love interest.
• A male and Female, the male is virtually always the love interest and the selling point of the film
• Most of the time there will be some sort of character that disrupts the relationship created between the two main characters
• mostly set in the city, especially big cities for example New York being perhaps the most common setting for Romance films,

This film opening features soft tender lighting and the colour red which is the colour most people think of when they think of romance. This opening doesn't exactly fit the other conventions but that shows how even some of the biggest hits in cinema do not abide by the conventions.
Target audiences for romance films usually tends to be more for women than men. After asking some people questions about why people think women are more likely to like romance films, they said women are the main target audience because they feel the films are relatable and men get dragged along to watch the films.


Teen...
Conventions of teen films are...

• The plot is usually based upon the special interests of teenagers
• coming of age
• first love
• rebellion
• conflict with parents
• teen angst or alienation 
• Films in this genre are often set in high schools
• contain characters that are of high school age
• Sexual themes are also common, as are crude forms of humor.

In this film opening of the teen film, perks of being a wall flower, it confides to the conventions of the genre. It features a young adult, who in this specific scene seems quite alienated. Not many teens spend time alone in their rooms in films, they're out partying. We can't tell from the opening but the film goes on to deal with coming of age and first love for example.
Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults, For legal reasons, many teenage characters are portrayed by young adults. Some teen films appeal to young males while others appeal to young females.


Action...
Action film conventions are..

• Physical action takes precedence in the storytelling
• Continuous motion and action
• Physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. 
• The story usually revolves around a hero that has a goal, but is facing incredible odds to obtain it. 

This film does not abide by the most of the conventions of action films, it sets the scene in mexico and as he enters the hotel room and locks the door, changes and disappears out the window we know he is the hero.
Action films are one of, if not the most popular film genre. Both the mass and niche audiences watch action film. So a lot of different types of people are watching. But there is a core target audience who will and would want to watch any action films that are released. This is typically a young adult male, with an interest in action, thrills and excitement.


Crime genres..
Conventions of crime films are..

• Suspicion       
• Enigmas                  
• Extraordinary events
• Drama 
• Fast pace
• crime of some sort
• cliffhanger
• antagonist in danger 
• complex narrative

This film opening again does not specifically fit the conventions of the genre, it has the antagonist and features the illegal game which in the film is the protagonist but that is the only few conventions of the genre it meets in the opening sequence.

The target audience for a crime thriller would be predominantly males. This is because a crime thriller is known to interest them more. Crime-thrillers are often age rating 15. This is because it
allows the creators of the film to include a vast amount of strong violence, sex scenes and sex references and strong violence. All these are present crime thrillers with a 15 certificate. However are present to an extent which enables the film to be enjoyed by people age 15 and above.

Coursework Research - Narrative

Research: Narrative

What is narrative?

A narrative or story is any report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, and moving images. It can be organised in a number of thematic or formal categories. Narrative is found in all forms of human creativity, art, and entertainment.

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

Comedy- 

The setting of a comedy film really depends on the type of comedy, the generic places of most comedy films include, bright places, towns, cities and other well populated places. In teen comedy films they are set in high schools and small towns and in a social comedy with a lot of people it is normally set in a house or bar. The technical code for them is that the camera is very natural and goes along with the characters and do include high shots to capture the whole environment. Medium shots to catch all of the characters expressions and then including the editing sounds to add humour. Iconography in comedy films include bright colours, blue and yellow are often used, the lighting is often bright and shot during day time. The character types vary in comedy films there are the idiots that are very stupid and accident prone, the smart people who tend to be socially awkward and then the regular people who have accidents which occur around them, and they tend to be sarcastic. Lastly the themes tend to be one of the following, anarchic comedy, gross-out, parody, romantic comedy, screwball comedy and slapstick.

Horror- 

The settings tend to be small communities or isolated places, urban environments, dark streets and narrow alleyways. Large cities or run down ghost towns, almost anything that connotes isolation or being alone. The technical 

codestend to include camerawork that is very expressive and not natural. High and low angles can connote fear and nightmares. Point of view shots (POV) are important because they allow the audience to see the world from the person/creature, this normally happens at the end or in the middle of a typical horror film. Handheld shots make it difficult for the audience to make out what is happening. Disturbing sounds are very important in a horror movie, diegetic sounds like footsteps and non-diegetic sounds like a heartbeat are commonly used. The editing can create unsettling tension and suspense. If the editing hasn't been paced up in a while then you know that something very bad is about to jump out and scare you. The Iconography often includes dark colours like red and black which links to evil. The lighting is expressive and non-naturalistic. Low-key lighting can help to create dark shadows and unfamiliar shapes in the blackness. Props can help us to further identify the genre of horror, specific props can be identified with a villain or character, common objects include, weapons, masks, icons of supernatural, religious icons etc. The character types in a horror closely identify as a main protagonist often a victim or hero of the movie, a villain often a monster, mutated freak, alien or serial killer, the stupid/immoral teenagers that always get killed, creepy children, police officers that can be good or bad and many more including ghosts, zombies, demons, psychopaths and stalkers. Themes of horror films include good vs evil, depression, religion, childhood issues, revenge, supernatural, beyond death, zombie apocalypse and nightmares.

Action- 

The characters in action films tend to be believable despite the film itself being unrealistic. The main protagonist who tends to be a 'normal' guy who discovers a hidden power or talent. The hero is always helped by a team of innocent characters who get caught up with the action. Mortal danger arises as a twist in the plot and the characters take it seriously. Exotic locations, mind boggling chases and hair raising adventures keep the audience on their seats. Technically action films use a lot of special effects so to create a bigger impact on the audience watching. Lighting is used to show danger; being very dark and mysterious and happiness; being very bright and light. The camera shots used show the characters from different angles, this can be used to create equilibrium and being very loud and sudden. These features show how the technical effects can affect the mood of the audience whilst watching the action film. Action films conventionally use a range of things for iconography. They usually feature fast cars, guns, good looking women, the police and some kind of fight, as well as other things. The narrative in action films usually follow the life of a person, or group of people, who are living a normal life until something changes everything and they then go on some form of  a mission to help solve the problem, usually they manage to solve the problem, while picking up a girl and being involved in a few car chases in the meantime. The themes that usually feature in action films usually involve an injustice that needs to be resolved. A moral justice is normally reached by the end of films from the action genre. 

Drama- 

Characters are crucial to a drama as they help to create the tension and atmosphere of the film de to the circumstances they are facing. As well as the characters above, another typical character seen in drama films is the friend that the main character confides in. There are many sub-genres of drama, as the genre itself is a very very broad genre, with a wide spectrum of different films with different ideas and approaches of cinematography, but are essentially still classes as drama. The themes of which these films are based upon are just about anything as long as it is realistic which generally includes nothing supernatural. Some of the more popular themes to depict are injustice, drug addiction, poverty, mental illness, the corruption of power and racial prejudice. They usually link to something topical, such as politics or poverty. All drama films are very tense, often the soundtrack/music playing an important part in the overall feel of the films with mysterious intense scores to provoke emotions in the spectator. 

Romance- 

In the romance genre there are few typical props you can expect to see throughout the film, for example you can expect to see some sort of flowers and gifts that will be given to one of the main characters usually by the love interest. The giving of gifts is commonly associated with the genre as it is the reflection of romance and commonly is represented as a relationship with giving and usually ending up with the pair being married after the pair have some sort of disruption or disequilibrium. There will normally always be two main characters. A male and a female, the male is virtually always the love interest and the selling point of the film, with such massive names playing the character. Most of the time there will be a character that is there to disrupt the love interest and come in-between the two characters. A typical settingfor a romance film is big cities, this is because a big city has everything that the film could possibly want, therefore they use the big cities as the majority of people can associate with the big cities and gain understanding of the film and begin to make a link with their own life.

Narrative theories:

Propp- 

Propp was essentially interested in folk tales, he noticed that often many folk tales were similar in a variety of areas, he identified a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. The typical characters he found were, the hero, the villain, the donor, the dispatcher, the false hero, the helper, the princess and her father. In the struggle scene Propp suggested that there is a struggle between the hero and the villain, and that the hero is branded and the villain is overcome which leads to the state of disorder being settled. And nearing the end of the film normally at the recognition scene the hero is recognised or the false hero or villain is unmasked from the film 

genres that would include this type of character.

Todorov- 

He came up with the theory that narratives have a clear three-part structure. The first of which being equilibrium, where everything is calm and in order, which could be seen as normal. The second of which being disruption, where all the bad things start to occur. Finally, restoration where the equilibrium is now restored and back in order.

Barthes- 

Roland Barthes narrowed down the action of a text in to Five Codes which are woven into narrative, these are, The Hermeneutic Code (HER), The Enigma / Proairetic Code (ACT), The Symbolic Code (SYM) and the Cultural Code (REF)

Levi-Strauss- 

He studied myths of tribal cultures, and examined how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a culture. These are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions. Media theorists to reveal underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media texts have adapted his research.

LR

Coursework - Based on our first draft

Based on our first draft 

what have we learnt during our preliminary task that we want to avoid/implement/develop upon our actual coursework? 

COURSEWORK: FIRST IDEAS

For our coursework, we have been given our task to create a two minute film opening. We actually were given this project a few months back to start preparing, researching and thinking about 50% of our AS grade. But now we start it. Our group, (Megan Lansdell, Lily Mitchell, Daisy Gilbert and I) started by researching about all of the mise-en-scene conditions you find in a film. This would help us find out more about the things we would need to consider for our coursework, and also so we could start to gather ideas from the examples we studied. The research includes: Narrative, Sound, Setting, Dialogue, Narration, Breaking the fourth wall, 

Target audience, Attracting the target audience, Camera shots and angles and Character. All of these you can find in previous blog posts. We split these posts into four, so we each had three to do and everyone didn't have to do as much. I had the Dialogue pt.2, Breaking the fourth wall and Character. Each Blog post will have the initials of the person who completed it at the bottom of the page, so it doesn't go uncredited. 

The next stage is the Planning section, which we have, again, just split into four so that we each have two planning blog posts to do; I have Plot Synopsis and Location Research. But, before we carry on with our coursework, we need to have a couple of ideas. Yesterday, the four of us sat down to start to discuss and mind map some ideas:

We like the idea of going very simplistic with a plot that can develop into the rest of the film, seeing that it is only the opening 2 minutes that would continue into a feature film that would last approximately 1-2 hours. We would also want something challenging but achievable so that, when finished, it would seem respectable, not 'cheesy' but realistic as it might come out as a little childish if the idea was difficult. Doing a mind map really helped identify the kind of film we want to produce, considering the conditions needed and the possible ideas each of us are thinking of. Regarding the genre, we are leaning towards the suspense/drama area where we think we can pull together our strengths and interests best to plan, shoot, edit and evaluate our opening more than any other genre. Other specifics about the coursework such as characters, setting, dialogue and plot are all ideas in the works and haven't been decided yet, but we for now we continue with our blog posts on planning whilst going through the mentioned details in planning lessons coming up. 

LR

Coursework planning - character

when my group and i were deciding what character we wanted to include in our 2 minute film opening: 

Above is a picture of the mind map we created when we were planning on what character we should include in our film opening for our coursework piece. 

Coursework - our ideas so far

Our ideas so far; 

ML

Coursework- Video Diary Number one

Video Diary

We decided that as we were doing quite a few things, both separately and together as a group, it would be a good idea to come together and figure out how far we'd come since the start of our coursework. We established what we had done, we were enjoying, and what we were thinking about in terms of ideas for coursework. I think it really helped us identify where each of us was and where we wanted to go. As we are doing an AS in media studies, it seemed appropriate to share all of this through a video diary. Also, as an incentive to be as original as possible, our teacher promised a prize for a unique video. Whilst brainstorming, we came up with the idea to film a facetime session between two friends (Megan Lansdell and Daisy Gilbert) who were to discuss our research and coursework. 

LR

Coursework Planning: Character Profile

Our character Profile 

For our opening two minute film for our coursework we have decided that our character will have these characteristics;

Name - Jayne Doe

Age - Between 15 to 20 years old. We chose this particular age as we thought it would be seen as 'creppier' and more disturbing. 

Profession - still in full time education. studying fine art at school.  My group and i chose an artist for the profession of our character as we wanted to film her painting and sewing strange and peculiar things. 

Likes - Considering our character is an art student we thought she should like being in her workshop making art. Another like of our character is to be alone and away from the society. This is due to the fact she has no social skills as she was bullied and abused when a child. 

Dislikes - A dislike of our main character would be seeing happy families. We thought this would be an important dislike is seeing families that are content, as she herself had a rough upbringing. Another dislike of our character is people. Considering our characters upbringing we thought it would be wise if she was isolated and liked being alone therefore does not like socializing and talking to people.

History - As a group we decided to make the history of our character destructive and disturbing which ultimately links to the personality traits. Therefore, we decided that the character was bullied as a child due to the fact she was interested in things that the other children weren't. Moreover she was sexually abused by her parents that has effectively psychologically scared her. This concludes the idea of the character being strange and inhumane. 

Personality Traits - The personality traits for our character is strange, weird and creepy. We chose these personality traits as later on in the film, the character turns out to be a murderer therefore she needs these traits in the opening two minutes to portray this idea. 

Three words to describe our character - Disturbing, peculiar and abnormal. My group and i chose these three words to describe our character.