BLK Feedback

Excellent analysis and reflections on your horror shot - super work Amelia!

Great choice of film clip and such a high standard of analysis notes too.

I had to change your text colour as I couldn't read it, you don't have to leave it like this if you want to change it again, but make sure its really clear and readable!

Your blog is great, it contains all the necessary features so far and your research is really coming on, well done.

Mood Board

This is a moodboard of some of my favourite films, of different genres including rom-com, period drama, thriller, biographical, drama and crime/gangster.

Films include: Entrapment, Walk the Line, Once upon a time in America, Million Dollar Baby, When Harry met Sally, High Society, Bone Collector, Sleeping with the Enemy, Oceans 11, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The other Boleyn Girl, Bridget Jones.

The Bone Collector: Clip Analysis

'The Bone Collector' (1999)

I chose this particular shot from 'The Bone Collector' as it has a variety of different shot types and uses different distances and angles very well to create chilling and creepy scene.

The clip starts with very low-key lighting, and the camera tracks forwards towards two silhouettes and a torch. The camera starts to fol ow to two people down the stairs when suddenly they are underneath a light and you can see a woman, who is then suddenly pushed against the rail of the stairs, close to the camera. This is a good effect as the two people have moved closer into the shot to make it a MCU which i think create more action. This shot also works well at establishing a woman with her mouth taped up (victim), and a dark man (killer) who shines a torch in her face, which is how we can see the both of them. The next shot starts at the bottom of the stairs looking at the killers feet which is effective as it is mysterious and creates an enigma about the murderer as you don't see his face. We know he is the killer rather than the woman because he is much more forceful, and she is screaming. This shot then tilts upwards and follows the killer walking the woman across the room. This is turns into a LS to establish the room to the audience now they are in a lighter area. The next shot of the woman is a CU which is used to show how scared the woman is. This shot the tilts up to show the killer securing her hands in place with old fashion hand-cuffs. Next an ELS helps to further establish the setting they are in, which looks eerie and dark, and the because of the steam, and the fact they went downstairs could perhaps imply they are underground. There is a spotlight on the victim to draw your attention to her. Another CU of the victim, but then a CU of the Killer. This is very significant because although he is wearing a mask, this is the first time we see the killers face in the movie. His mask has slits cut out of it which make him look edgy and weird, the scene almost appears to go in slow motion to emphasise this dramatic moment. Also their is dramatic music to enhance the frightening atmosphere.

(there is a small editing mistake in this version of the clip, sorry)

We then see the killer twisting a handle. The noise of this is particularly creepy as it is squeaking implying that it is old , which usually signifies something dangerous. This shot is almost an OTS shot as you can see the victims arm in the left hand corner.
At 1.03 there is a LS of the victim watching the killer. This shot is done on an angle and almost looks like someone is watching them. The use of a tilted angle low shot enhances the eeriness of the scene as it makes it less normal, and more creepy. A high angle shot at 1.09 does effectively the same job as the tilted angle, whilst giving some sort of an overview as to what is going on. The loud jolty noise is meant to scare the audience, and so they use a CU of the woman and show her scared expression. When the large pipe begins to turn round the audience are meant to feel very scared, as you do not know what is going to happen, and why the pipe is needed. The angle from which we look at the pipe, although is behind then woman, we still see what she would see as well and so we would assume we feel the same as her. There is then an ECU of the woman's eyes which is very chilling as you can see the fear in her eyes, which is shown by how wide her eyes are. It's also quite frightening because you can see blood on her head, and it enhances the scary atmosphere. Once the pipe is fully in front of her, there is a shot (MCU) in which the pipe takes up half the screen, and the woman the other half. This shot is effective as it shows the pipe to be something scary and dominant, and the woman looks weak and thin. As the audience we now begin to think what is going to happen, and perhaps something is going to come out of the pipe. At 1:35 the woman looks scared and starts to try to get away, and struggles in her restraints. This leads us to believe that she is perhaps looking at the killer, who is about to do something bad, we then see then killer grab her arm which heightens the suspense. A BCU of the woman shows her to be even more scared and her eyes are wide open. The use of a BCU is very effective as you can see her facial expression so clearly, and get you right in on the action. The scream indicates something bad has happened to the woman, but she is not dead because we see her later

I particularly like this clip because although it is a bit scary, it uses camera work and framing so effectively to build suspense and tension.

THR Feedback

Excellent work and Brilliant effort!!

Mrs T x

Once upon a time in America: Clip Analysis

Clip Analysis

I chose to analysis this bit of film because it contains different shot types and uses the camera to show the perspectives of people very well.



The shot starts with a VLS, and the boys walk into shot. The camera then tracks across and slightly cranes above. This establishes there location (a street in the rougher side of New York, and from the old fashioned cars and police on horses, we can assume it is around the 1920s/30s.) By seeing the bridge in the background we can now tell they are in Brooklyn. After a series of 2 more tracking shots there is a MS of all the boys. This is used rater than a LS because it shows all 4 of the boys but also shows their expressions after what the boy has said. Clearly 'Bugsy' is someone to be scared of as they all run in the opposite direction. Some very dramatic music starts to play which enhances the frightening atmosphere. They use a variation on a frame-within-a-frame, through the wheel of a car. Which gives a perspective from a witness at the scene. It uses a low-angle shot when he young boy is running (towards the camera) because when he is shot he falls to the ground,which then makes the shot central (rather than low) . CU of the other boy's face ('Noodles'). This is used to show his full facial expression , of which he is clearly upset as his friend has been shot. After Noodles has dragged his friend out of the road, their is a zoom into the two boys face. This is used to exagerrate the heartbreak, which is emphasised by the small boy giving his dying last words, and the audience sympathise because he is so young. Another CU is used to show the pained expression of Noodles. There is a BCU of Noodles' hand with his friends blood on it. He then clasps his hand to show the anger of his friend murder, and the brotherhood between their gang. The killer 'Bugsy' is walking through the streets. This is shown through a sequence of shots through the windows of cars, or between canisters to show the perspective/POV of the people hiding. This creates suspense and an enigma as you don't know where the boys are or where the killer will choose to go. An ECU of Noodles' eye shows his anguish. You can see the legs of the killerfrom the POV of Noodles through the spokes of the wheel. This is very ominous as you cannot see which way the killer will go and you empathisebecause you do not wat the killer to come near Noodles. The scene ends with Noodles stabbing the killer and being taken away by the police. This i upsetting as you have grown close to Noodles and don't want him to be taken away.
This scene is done in slow motion to draw the scene out to make the death seem more painful

This is one of my favourite scenes from this film as it creates so much emphatic emotion.

Tracking Shot

A tracking shot can be used effectively for the following reasons:

• to follow a particular character
• to give a feel for the surroundings

From research that I found I noted that continuous shots (long takes) has been around since film was invented as in those days they didn't have any edits. Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rope' (1948) was one of the first noticeable films to use long unedited takes (for story telling purposes).

"[Rope] was an entire film shot in real time created by seamless cutting together a series of long 8-10 minute shots made to look like one. In 1948 it was a bold and unprecedented experiment for Hitchcock. The film works because its takes place entirely in one room for 80 minutes, so there was limited movement and lighting changes."

I found 2 examples of tracking shots used effectively.

'Atonement' (2007)

This scene gives us an insight into life in the army during the time of the war. It is very powerful and emotive. It starts by following the central character (Robbie) walking along the beach taking in his vast surroundings. At the beginning of the shot he can smell the sea and so rushes in that direction as he believes he will be able to get a boat home. There is a CU of Robbie's face to show the shock of what he can see, the vast numbers of soldiers waiting around. The audience watching now follow Robbie as he walks through the crowds on the beach. This scene is less about seeing facial expressions, and more about establishing the surroundings around, and so LS's and MS's are used so that you can see a great deal more of the action. This scene is powerful as it shows the brutality of the war (horses being killed) but then also how the soldiers are just normal guys, looking for a way home (choir singing, swinging on carousel etc). The tracking shot makes the scene particularly upsetting and you see possibly thousands of soldier, most wounded and you feel a great amount of sympathy. I believe this is one of the most effective tracking shots as because it is so long (5 minutes) it allows to to conjure up lots of emotion, rather than perhaps lots of smaller shots of the beach. It slows the pace of the film tremendously, i believe, because it wants to make you think about the war and think about how it is affecting all these men. Also it helps to focus you and concentrate, as the beginning is made up of a series of flashbacks. From some pictures i have seen i think this was shot using a handheld camera.

'Boogie Nights' (1997)

This particular tracking shot is used at the beginning of the film to establish characters and it's surroundings. It gives you a taste of whats to come in the rest of the movie. The very start has a very peculiar camera technique as it goes upwards, and then sideways to read the words on the sign. I liked this bit as it was quirky and fun. The scene shows the lively night life of this south California town. As someone, who appears to be the nightclub owner greats people, we are slowly introduced to the central characters. It shows a fun environment where everyone is connected and knows each other. Unlike the scene in Atonement, in which it is used to slow the pace down, this clip actually keep the paced relatively quick by using a variation of CU's, MS's and LS's.

Video Clips

Mrs T Homework

Release of a film
identifying the audience and releasing a campaign suitable for them.
The you need to consider how much you want to spend on marketing in relatin to how much the movie can take in at the box office
Promotion:

• 3rd party
• publicity angles
• media partners-radio, newpapers, magazines
• actors-interviews with the media

media spend:

• outdoor posters.
• online
• TV
• Radio

Target Audience

For smaller films you have to identify and focus on the audience more. Look at past comparisons/films:

• look at the audiences and their ages, gender, and hobbies/activities

DO LOTS OF RESEARCH

ultimately advertising is a gamble as you can never be 100% sure of who you are specifically going to target.

45 years+ make decision while watching tv ->they take longer to decide on going to see a film and so you need to reinforce it through other media such as newspapers

15-16 year olds makes quicker decisions

All audiences need to be targeted differently

P&A Budget

Cost of prints, shipping, advertising cost-posters, press ads, tv spots, trailers in cinemas.

Where to advertise and how best to use the money. What are the audience and where will they see the adverts.

Tv is expensive and radio is considerably cheaper and can get to a big audience.

Marketing Plan

Many methods-advertising and press

Advertising is more expensive and includes adverts in magazines, newspapers, on tv and radio and the internet. Billboards and on the side of buses

Free forms of advertising include: press, support from director and cast in which you would set up interview for tv and radio. Word of mouth- screening of a film to an audience. Viral campaigns-something that promotes an interest in the films subject matter. Word of Mouth is crucial and can make or break a film. It's useful for specialised films which have a small budget.

Link Between

Convnce cinemas to take te film. Independant films are obviously harder-> you really need to sell it and ultimately find somewhere to put it.

Positioning and Audience

Define Audience-does the film have a specific genre and does it speak to a certain age group.

who directed the film? Specialised films often have audiences who are more in the know so you can target them specifically.

Competition

Film distribution is all about competition. You need to stand out and above the others. Why should i choose your film?

October half term-> good time to target younger audience

Holidays and weather is a factor-> in July/Aug you don't wanna put too many TV ads because people are outdoors-> big outdoor posters

Word of Mouth
CRITICAL

Sometimes, with some movies word of mouth will be very strong. Work with media partners to run advanced screening programs. The theory is that if 100 people each tell 10 people loads of people will know. Much cheaper way to advertise. Word of Mouth can create a strong momentum for the movie.

Film Trailers

A trailer is key for selling the film. It is the audiences first exposure to the film and what they're buying into. They're in the same environment and the same place, on the same screen they will be watching it in/on.

Digital Marketing

Viral marekting-> create something that becasue it is good enough, you will send it on to other people

Word of Mouth is best-> it means more to you

Test Screenings

Research is important. Done well in advance-> posters, concepts, trailers, visuals, meeting expectations. After-> screenings , filling in questionaires, focus groups-talk about the issues of a movie, and then after that the producers might consider changing one aspect of the movie (e.g. the end)

Persuading cinemas

To convince cinemas to take the film (specifically independant films) you really need to sell the films.

Opening Weekend

VERY importanant. All films open on a friday. 3 day figure is how much money a film makes of its first on Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Monday is make or break day- Holdovers are based on how much money you make that firstopening weekend and it determines how long the film will continue to play in the cinema.

Piracy

Piracy has escalated over the lst 5 years. In 2006 piracy counted for 20% of all DVD sales in the UK-> an alarming figure

It is a Big problem-> peopl think they are getting a bargain when in fact they are losing out on quality

http://www.launchingfilms.tv/

Horror Still Analysis

1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be seen as representing horror.
Extreme Long shot. High-key lighting. The shot looks like a victim has been pushed down the stairs, and the camera is from the perspective of the ‘killer’. I also like the light coming through the railings, it creates an eerie effect. Shows feelings of claustrophobia, entrapment and vulnerability. It creates an enigma because you are not sure why the person has ended up at the bottom of the stairs, however you know it represents horror because a convention of horror is many deaths, in different ways. The character in shot would not be the main character as they main girl usually triumphs and doesn't die, this character is probably just a random victim, perhaps who was in the killers way.

2. What did you do to achieve the effect?
To create this effect the person taking the shot stood at the top of this narrow staircase while the actor in the shot appears dead at the bottom. We took a long shot because it shows the surroundings and emphasises the fact she has been pushed down the stairs, a CU, or MS wouldn't have got across the creepy staircase and wouldn't have been from the killers POV.

3. What is successful about your shot?
The high angle shot makes the dead body look more like a victim, and from the perspective of the killer makes him seem really powerful, and shows the victim was vulnerable, and was trapped and couldn't escape the killer. The fact you can see more stairs to the right of the body where there is more light, gives the impression that you don’t know what is going to happen. It has a very clear meaning of what has happened in the shot.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?
Have more effective lighting, perhaps darker with just the light coming though the railings at the top. I would have tried different locations to have more variety and tried many different shot types. We needed low-key lighting to make it more scary.

THR feedback

Not quite in time but you're lucky I had a break in my marking! Your notes definitely cover the technical codes and you discuss possible meanings and effects - you get better as you get into it so by shot 6 you're being more detailed. Try and be like this all the time - try to think of the effects of everything you describe. Love the pink blog!

SHOT SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

1. High angle MCU-> almost a crane shot. Low-Key lighting. Black and white. Wooden planks behind him shows he is lying down which puts him in a position of vulnerability as he is less likely to be able to get away if need be. A scared expression on his face suggests he is defending himself with the gun (he is the victim rather that the attacker). His hand is covering his ear which suggest he is trying to cover the sound of the gunshot, or perhaps he is wounded in the ear.

2. High angle. Long shot. Low-key lighting. We are introduced to another character who appears to be towering over the man in the original shot which is giving him the power and authority in the shot. He appears angry with the man on the ground which is shown by his firm stance. He could be either about to shoot him or have just shot the man lying down, because of the way the man on the floor is sprawled out. We can also now see that they are by the water, which makes us wonder what the killer intends to do (i.e. dump the body in the water) and why they are there.

3. ELS. Low-key lighting. By a warehouse/docks, which imply the area is not a nice area, which makes the situation scarier as the setting seems more frightening and mysterious to the audience. We can now tell for definite that it is at night because the sky is a very dark grey and we can see the lights from street lamps and houses in the background. The use of such a long shot helps to set set the scene and create and eerie atmosphere, and also introduces another character into the scene, however we cannot tell what he is doing or what his connection to the two characters is yet. The man with the gun in the previous shots (Bruce Willis) seems particularly dominant as he is leaning over the other man which makes the man on the floor more scared which is showed by his scrunched position-which could imply he has just been kicked-this makes Bruce Willis' character seem brutal. We can vaguely see the head of a person (the young girl) tied up to one of the posts on the pier. We do not know her involvement yet.

4. Low-key lighting. Long shot. Black and white. Same as the shot before but zoomed in to get closer to that action. The coat of the killer is billowing in the wind which makes his character seem more powerful and almost gives him a mystical aura. WE can see the girl closer now, her head is down implying she is either crying, or is covering her eyes because she cannot bring herself to watch. This could be because she has a connection to the man on the floor, perhaps her dad. The line from the gun to the man on the floor is to his head, showing he is going to shoot him in the head.

5. CU. Low-key lighting. Black and white. Young girl crying. The girl has a distraught and upset expression which is inevitable as we know from looking at the previous shots that she has seen someone (perhaps someone close to her) be shot. She could be looking at the killer but because of the angle of her eyes and her line of sight we can assume she is looking at the man who is now dead on the floor. The background of the picture is blurred so that you focus on the girls face and draw you into the girls emotion so you can sympathise with her.

6. LS. Slight low angle. Low-key lighting. Black and White. The man on the floors position has changed from having his knees up which indicates he has been shot. This is backed up by the fact Bruce Willis' character is no long looking menacing and aiming the gun at the man on the floor-because he has already shot him. The shooter no longer looks like an all powerful killer, he looks relaxed which is shown by him having his hands in his pockets. However contradicting this, his stance makes him appear slightly nervous perhaps, about what he has done and what to do with the body. The young girl is looking up at the man in black as she is most probably confused and upsetting and looking for answers. The man in black is standing at the back, away from the body which suggests he might not want to be in that situation. Through this sequence you are never really sure what the man in black intentions are, or why he is there. Also black signifies bath thing such as danger and death-which means you instantly judge him as a bad character.


The images run together smoothly as there is a lighting continuity and the sequence is very clear. From the first shot we believe that man to be the killer however as the sequence progresses and through the introduction of different characters we realise the Bruce Willis character is in fact the killer. As we are slowly introduced to the other characters (the young girl and man in black) the story starts to develop more. The swift change of angles and shot types shows the scene from different POV/perspectives and keeps the scene fast paced. Also the slow introduction of characters which develops your understanding of the story slowly helps to build tension and an enigma of the scene.