Rachel's analysis of the "Black Swan"

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Camera/editing

The clip opens with a black backdrop, and white, capital letters in serif font slowly fading in and out of the screen appearing for around 5 seconds. The title ‘Black Swan’ then appears more centralised, bigger and bolder. We then see a Long shot of Nina centralised on a dark stage which gives the impression she is an important character. One spotlight shines on her, and we see a close up shot of her feet as she starts to dance. This is followed by a medium shot whilst she sits on the floor, and finally a long shot to show a man walking onto the stage towards her. Aronofsky uses a close up of her face to show her facial expression, this is scared and square-on to the camera. The camera spins around them as they dance which connotes how twisted the film becomes, we then see a medium shot of the man as he spins and changes costume, she does the same and turns into the white swan. The camera then zooms out as she walks away from the camera on point. This scene fades into a black backdrop, and then fades into the second scene. It starts with a close up shot of Nina’s face in her bed where we see her happy facial expression. Aronofsky then uses a close up shot of her feet to show her cracking her toes. The clip then cuts to a long shot of Nina stretching, followed by a close up of her warming up her feet which tracks up to her face as she speaks about her dream. We then see a variety of close up shots such as of her breakfast which consists of half a grapefruit and a poached egg representing her lifestyle and her and her mums face as they talk. Finally we see a side shot of Nina which highlights how unhealthily skinny she is, therefore reinforcing the idea of her being a dancer.

Sound/music

Classical swan lake music plays quietly in the background as the titles appear, and as the title ‘Black Swan’ appears, we hear a very quiet evil laugh. The music then increases volume when Nina starts dancing. When the man walks on the music quietens and becomes tenser as we are unsure who this man is. You hear Nina’s breathing which connotes her fear, as well as non-diegetic sound of a swan flapping its wings, occurring as they dance. There are sound effects as he changes costume, and the music becomes louder, more dramatic and increases pace. The music stays loud when she changes but slows and starts to fade as she walks away from the camera. In the second scene there’s silence until you hear the noise of the curtains opening in the diegesis. We hear the cracking of her neck and toes which may be viewed as slightly disturbing.  Non-diegetic, very quiet, classical music plays in the background whilst she talks about her dream, then when she mentions the man casting a spell in her dream, something in the diegesis falls to the floor, but we don’t see what it is. When Nina is in the kitchen the music cuts out and we hear diegetic sound of kitchen noises and dialog.

Mise-en-scene

Setting/lighting

The clip starts by showing only a black stage and a single spotlight throughout the entire first scene. During the second scene natural light is used from when the curtains are pulled back. We see her pink, flowery sheets which are linked to girls and may be viewed as childish. We then see her stretching in front of three mirrors. This may connote the different sides of her personality or character.

Costume

At the beginning of the clip we see Nina in a white ballet dress that reaches below her knees. The colour white connotes her purity and innocence. She is also wearing satin ballet shoes with ribbon and wears her hair gelled into a bun, this gives the audience an insight of her character that seems very professional. The man in the first scene wears black which connotes danger or mystery. He then changes into wearing a black feathery costume with a large nose and horns which may be seen as monstrous and scary. On the other hand Nina changes into wearing a white, feathery, tutu as the white swan continuing the idea of Nina being a pure character. In the second scene she wears a pink pyjama top, then a pink ballet leotard which again connotes femininity. However her mum wears black which contrasts with Nina and may present the differences between their characters. Alternatively Nina and her mum both wear matching silver necklaces, and similar silver ear rings suggesting there may be more special bonds between the characters when looked at in more detail.

Titles

The titles start with a black back drop which contrasts with the white, capital letters of the writing. The writing is in serif font which is slim and tall and looks very feminine.  The words fade slowly in and out, and words such as ‘presents’ are written smaller than company names. The title ‘Black Swan’ then appears in the centre of the frame, bigger and bolder compared to the previous writing, however it is still in serif font. Overall, the whole title sequence is very simple and sets a slow pace to the start of the film. 

What I've Learnt

By reading this analysis I can see that the application of multiple features used within the extract can help set the tone for the rest of the film. The lighting being dark, the non-diegetic sound and the use of camera all suggest that the film may be dark or negative.

Rachel's Analysis of "The taken of Pelham 123"

Evaluation of The Taking Of Pelham 123 analysis

Through analysing this film I have learnt some new techniques and conventions of thriller films in general, as well as crime thrillers. Unlike the other films I have analysed this one had a much quicker pace, and contained a lot more action. This made the opening seem very hectic as there were no real pauses.

The use of many fast cuts helped increase the pace of the opening, establishing to the audience that the film will be full of action. Furthermore, I found it interesting that due to the nature of the film, if the director felt it necessary to zoom in, one fluid motion was not used. Instead a series of LS, MS and CU shots were cut together to create a disjointed and jerky scene. Therefore, I have learnt that if it relates to the themes and pace of the rest of the film it would be an interesting and effective technique to use myself.

The music in the opening was upbeat adding to the pace of the film, and didn’t fade in and out when necessary, instead it was just stopped which differs to the other films I have analysed and highlights the difference in pace of the opening of this film.  Furthermore the use of train sound effects was effective because it reinforced the main theme within the film.

The setting and costumes used in the opening all contrasted with one another which reinforces the differences in characters and locations. This technique of contrast and juxtaposition is one I have learnt and may be able to use in my coursework if any of my characters have substantially different personalities. Or, if I want to show juxtaposition through two locations I’m filming in.

Finally the most interesting and effective concept used in this opening were the rectangular blocks that appeared throughout the title sequence. These represented the trains in the film and taught me how you can take the most significant theme in a film and use it in the opening to create effect and add relevant animation. I have also learnt that you can use the  font used for the actors, producers, and directors names to effect. For example, in this opening, the writing seemed as though it was moving even if it was still. This highlighted how continual movement was used throughout the opening giving it a fast pace, and suggesting the film would be action-packed. 

What I've Learnt

One interesting aspect i've learnt from this analysis is how representation can be used in title sequences.

Also the use of non-diegetic sounds sounds are good by setting the tone and also providing pace to the extract. The rapid change of shot is something that also enforces this.

A History of Violence Analysis

Film Title: A History of Violence Director: David Cronenberg
	Technique	Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…	Panning Low Angle Eye level Mid shot	Panning helps showing location and sets the scene of what is happening By shooting characters in a low angle it makes them look bigger denoting power and dominance An eye level shot helps give the viewer an angle of what it would be like if you where there Mid shots give an advantage of that the viewer can see a lot of things however it does mean it’s not it great detail.
Editing – speed, style…	Very slow shot speed.	This could connote boredom as it feels the shots go on for “too long” this would be made though to emphasise the dull environment that they are in.
Sound – effects, musical score…	At the very start something what sounds like insects are played with also a scary sounding effect. Car radio Diegetic sounds	The scary sound is just before you see the first two characters, this connotes that they do or are involved in bad things. It also happens shortly before they first talk, enforcing this point. When one of the characters first gets in the car it plays some upbeat blues. This is an example of binary opposition as it connotes dancing and happiness, not the scenario they are in. You can see the two characters talking to one another but they both talk in quite dull and uninterested voices, showing they aren’t really enjoying their situation.
Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…	Western style town Car Bright Working class/casual clothing	The opening shot pans across the face of a building which reminds me of a western style town it then drops back to show it being a single story building and look like a tradition stereotypical town. The car is then introduced which is a convertible car, a soft-top car connotes wealth and luxury The bright background also uses opposition within the text. The eerie and scary soundtrack doesn’t fit into the feel of visual display. The working clothes denotes that they are standard citizens that makes the viewer think it could happen to anyone.
Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…	Small fonts found in the bottom half of the screen	In the opening extract key names an the title fade in and out, however they are so small that at first view I hardly noticed them. This shows me that I’ll have to make them larger in my film to make them stand out.

Analysis of the Opening of a Thriller

The above clip shows the opening of, Alfred Hitchcook's, Psycho, 1960.  It only shows the title sequence and the establishing shot. However this still has a profound affect on the viewer.

Music/Sound-

In the extract the only sound included is non-diegetic, the music or soundtrack. The track itself though is iconic and the sharp attack of the strings connotes horror, which gives the reader an example of what to expect the music is also loud which grabs the viewers attention even though in the background it's only the title sequence, something that not all viewers would naturally pay attention to with the music in the background I can't help but think that it puts people on edge drawing the in.

Title Sequence-

By viewing this title sequence I've now got a better understanding on what some film makers like to do, as to be honest I personally don't acknowledge the title sequences in great detail (something I've learnt to change)

If you view Psycho's without sound it shows some nice animations effects however you don't get a full sense of what Hitchcock would of liked to of portrayed, although the jumbled up text does make it appear slightly spooky or scary.

The main change though is when watch it again with the sound. This shows the importance that non-diegetic sound and how it changes the viewers feelings. In this example the non-diegetic sounds connotes horror.

Lighting-

Although technically there is no lighting used in this extract it is very dark. Darkness is symbolic and connotes death and crime. This also helps show the importance of the decisions film makers have to make. If the clip was to be made in a light shade of blue or yellow. The effect would be very different.

Camera/Editing-

Even though there is only one shot in the extract there is quite a lot that you can comment on about it.

As you can see in the screenshot it's of an extreme long shot, this implies that the whole city may be involved about the future events.

It's also at a high angle to the small buildings which is making them look smaller, possibly suggesting that is who could be targeted.

Group 1 2012 AS from Media @ CCC on Vimeo.

Jess's Research on the BBFC and what makes a 15 and 18 film

BBFC and what makes a 15 and 18 film

For half of my part of the research I am going to look into the BBFC and what makes a 15 and 18 film.

Who are the BBFC?
First of all, BBFC stands for British board of film classification. They are a non governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and they are the people who decide what certificate of age rating a film should contain. This is is really important and was started because young children were seeing inappropriate violent films and copying the actions they viewed in the film. The BBFC was set up in 1912 for cinema screening. However, it has also started to do videos, dvds etc since 1984.

What is allowed in a 15 film?
The guidelines are split into boundaries and sub categories. These are: Language  Discrimination, Nudity, Sex, Horror, Imitable Behavior, Theme, Drugs and Violence. This does not mean in a 15 film, a lot of this is shown because they are restricted to an amount they are allowed to show. For example - drugs, "Drug taking may be shown, however should not promote misuse. This means that in 15 rated films, they are allowed to use drugs, however they are not allowed to show a full use of them as it could be seen as promoting to the audience. Another example is the use of strong language. Frequent use of strong language can be permitted, although very strong language needs to be restricted and would have to be seen as reasonable in the context. Frequent usage of very strong language would be seldom allowed. This means that strong language is allowed to be used. Although, it cannot be taken advantage of and used too much in the film.

What is allowed in an 18 film?
There is no real limit in an 18 movie. You are allowed to show almost anything as long as it isn't too disturbing as the film could potentially get banned. In the past, violence was one of the most problematic aspects when passing a film with an 18 certificate, whether it is sexuality or fantasized violence. Horror films were often the culprits for the portraying graphic violence and this often results in a lot of grief to the examiners. Therefore, they must remove the offending scenes before giving it a certificate. Examples of what 18 films may contain are: "Illegal drug use" this could potentially encourage younger minds to repeat these acts which is why they only allow persons who are 18 years or older to watch them at the cinema. 

So, is there a real difference between a 15 and 18? 
The answer is yes, depending on what the film contains and presents. Some films may be scraped and argued into a 15 as it all depends on the contents. 

I have learnt a lot from doing this task. I have learnt the main difference between a 15 and 18 which will help the decision making in my group when we come to deciding what we want the age rating to be. I have also learnt why and how the films have a certain age rating as it does affect peoples actions as they may copy what they see. 



What I've learnt from this.
By reading the research that Jess has compiled I know have a far better understanding of what we will and won't be able to put into are project. It also gives us a helps us decide what target market we can have by exploiting any of the boundaries. Furthermore it shows us that virtually anything we would want to do is available if we select the correct certificate. Finally it also shows that if we were to make an 18 it would have to be justified for why it is but also if we were to create a 15.

Gender Portyal and Stereotyping Within the Media

OCR: Media Primeval

Throughout the extract of the television series Primeval, they display gender in various different ways. In some aspects they stick to the stereotypical conventions set by the media of making the man the strong and dominant character; however they do change this at times to make some of the female characters atypical.

At the very start of the clip there is a man and a women arguing and it is seen that the girl is feeling quite emotional about the situation and is upset whereas they display the man as not bothered or upset by the issue by his body language. This fits into the general stereotype of the women being fragile and the man being strong.

Following that there is a women in a digger, already this is an atypical scenario as heavy machinery such as that would not normally be operated in the work place by females. When the woman is first shown she also has shorter hair than the average women. This reinforces her masculinity of not shying away from challenges. The diegetic sounds of the digger are loud and harsh. Something not associated with stereotypical females.

The next part shows a man delicately placing something down. His body language and clothing shows him to be a more feminine character and possibly swapped with the women in the digger. The camera angle is also mid to high making him look quite small and weak.

Another man is also seen and again is doing more delicate work which backs up the masculinity of the women in the digger.

The next key event is the man calling for the women to stop and the sabber tooth tiger attack. When this happens, the man who is digging in a whole is shot in a high angled picture. This makes him look small and weak. They then shoot the tiger from the man’s point of view which is below the tiger. This makes the tiger look even bigger and menacing which shows how the man is now stranded in his position.

The woman in the digger is then shown in a shot-reverse-shot to show her reaction which appears as not scared. She then starts to attack the tiger with the digger, which is unusual as the man would normally be expected to save the women in most media texts. After she draws the tiger away the man then calls the tiger away. This then fits back into the normal stereotype of the man protecting the women even though she has the protection of the digger.

When the man is being pursued the non-diegetic sounds change to a dramatic soundtrack which to me provokes thoughts of “James Bond” style situations. This reinforces the action on screen and the dangerous task he is doing. The man then uses a zip wire with what appears to be a belt or piece of webbing. This is also stereotypical showing him as a macho daring character.

When the man lands from the zip wire he then falls and appears doomed to the tiger, however the female appears running out the woods holding a rifle and fires it just in time to save the man on the ground. Again this shows this female’s masculinity and power for not only killing the tiger but being able to sprint at the same too. It could be argued that it’s not realistic however it does increase the action and excitement within the text.

The next shot pans across a few of the characters walking across a field. The panning effect shows them as a close team or unit, but then the shot changes to show the man who was chased by the tiger walking on his own which could suggests that he’s weaker and relies on the others.

That clip then leads into another where a woman is talking to someone who appears to be a farmer. The woman is shown in luxurious clothes and heavily made up which would fit into the “Hollywood” stereotype of gender portrayal. The camera shows them conversing in “over the shoulder” shots which could suggest that they are on equal terms even though the women appears dominant and threatening in what she is saying but not in appearance. Unexpectedly though the man grabs a shot gun which makes the women look much more inferior. She also falls over which allows the film makers to show her at a high angle making her look small. This also happens in slow motion which helps add action and drama to the sequence. At the same time the non-diegetic sound displays dogs barking which helps add danger to the section.

Finally the rest of the team come in with a man and the woman who was in the digger armed with handguns (further showing woman in digger’s dominance). The man who also appeared “feminine” is also with them but instead of having a gun he has to pick up a spade which shows maybe he’s not “powerful” and “masculine” to be armed.   

Overall what this shows is althugh the media doesn have set conventions that are normally aplied to specific genres, these can be blurred and changed to enchance and adapt text.