Monday 19 October 2015
Sunday 11 October 2015
Understanding Audiences
Reflective Comment
I would've preferred to do this better but it says what it needs to and looks isn't everything! I like how the theme fits with the context.
Wednesday 7 October 2015
Analysing the Codes, Conventions, and Narrative of the Opening Title Sequence of The Dark Knight
Analysing the Codes, Conventions and Narrative of an Opening Title Sequence
Activity 1: Creating a Film Synopsis
Title: The Dark Knight, Genre: Action / Neo-Noir
The Dark Knight is the 7th film in the action based Batman movies, a series of movies in which Batman, a fictional superhero, defeats the antagonists and restores peace.
Outline of my Opinion of the Film: The Dark Knight puts a slight dark twist on the usual Batman comics and older movies but still comes with all the big-screen stunts, fighting and excitement - one of 2008's must-see movies.
Activity 2: Freeze Frame
Title: The Dark Knight, Analysing One Frame
In the frozen image I can see two masked men, zip-wiring across sky scrapers above a bustling cross roads. In the image it looks like it's daylight which shows how clear the two are.
The subject (the two zip-wirers) are very far away from the camera, this makes us see how fast and how far they are going. The camera then goes onto follow the two men across the zip wire and onto the roof they are sliding too. In this shot we can see two men, one in completely black clothing and one in a black top but grey trousers - both men are wearing clown like masks. This makes the two men look suspicious and in the film we know at this point that they're committing a burglary on an American bank. The shot is probably composed like this to covertly show how dangerous the action they're carrying out is and what lengths these two antagonists will go to in order to get what they want. If the shot was composed differently it may not show how risky this situation is.
Activity 3: Structure and Style: Telling a Story to a Viewer
Title: The Dark Knight: Opening Title Sequence: Structure and Style
Camera
Within the opening title sequence of The Dark Knight there is a burglery of a large American bank, as this is a high-action scene involving lots of gunshots and other crimes. Because this is an action-packed scene there are many quick changes of camera angles. A lot of the shots are medium shots of ordinary objects within a bank, such as desks, tills etc. In the same shot the antagonists (masked men) appear out of the desks normally pointing a gun towards innocent bank-workers. There are many close ups, medium shots, long shots and tracking but not a lot of over-the-shoulder shots or focus pulls as there is not a lot of dialog.There are no fancy transitions just normal cutting.
Colour
All of the opening title sequence is consistently in full colour. Baring in mind this film in a neo-noir this is unusual as noir films are normally in black and white as their peak of popularity was between the 1940s and the 1950s where black and white was a much cheaper way of making films, it also simplifies the use of shadows and using light and dark to create atmosphere. A burglary is verisimilitude as it is realistic and is rare, but does happen however the idea of there being a Batman is unrealistic and therefore not verisimilitude.
Character
Burglars are realistic characters but The Joker is not an impossible character but is quite unlikely to never have been sent to jail. Batman, however, is a very very unrealistic character as superheros are unlikely to be real. Within the opening sequence there are quite a few characters, all male, but all but The Joker die. Mise-En-Scène is used to build character by the costume. All the male burglars are masked and so keeps you guessing who's who but The Joker (the only suited robber) and therefore makes him stand out clearer than the rest. Due to the reputation of Batman you can start to guess the rest of the narrative that Batman is going to set out to stop The Joker once again.
Story/Narrative
I do not identify myself with any of the characters in the opening sequence as they are all very unlike me. The main plot of the opening sequence is the general escalation of the robbing. We see how they get in, how they steal the money and how The Joker gets away in a school bus. It does establish interest into watching further as you want to know how The Joker will be stopped.
Sound
Diagetic sound is the sound where they're shouting at each other, however the non-diagetic sound is the gunshots as they were probably put in afterwards and also amplified to make the scene more exciting. The very start is very quite with a repetitive, tension building instrument which I am going to guess is a violin. As the scene escalates drums kick in once the main shooting part starts this is a sound match to the image on the screen.
Settings
The scene takes place is a busy American city - possibly New-York? Probably to empathise how if things did go badly a lot of people could die. The rest of the scene is inside the bank which is a large, modern multi-story building. It reminds me of London as it's that sort of high business city.
Audience
I think the film is targeted and preferred to males, probably 13-25 kinda age as it's Britishly classified as a 12A meaning if you're under the age of 12 you need to have an adult with you. This satisfies their tastes as it's action-packed with lots of guns, explosions and violence. In my opinion other films they would enjoy would be other superhero films such as Spiderman, Superman etc. I am in the age bracket but feel I am the wrong sex to the be the target or preferred audience for this film.
Titles
Warner Brothers Pictures, Legendary Pictures, DC Comics are all involved in this film however from the clip I was using online it did not show all the distribution and exhibition companies, sound or editing companies, production studios, cast details or production teams. The Typography of Batman is famous for being Batman as it has the Batman logo always with it. A LOT of CGI is used for all the explosions and lorries going over and crashes to buildings etc.
Reflective Comment
This went well I feel I covered all points needed. I made the image larger as Ms Humpleby requested. If you're reading this and you think there's anything I could improve on please comment. :)
Activity 1: Creating a Film Synopsis
Title: The Dark Knight, Genre: Action / Neo-Noir
The Dark Knight is the 7th film in the action based Batman movies, a series of movies in which Batman, a fictional superhero, defeats the antagonists and restores peace.
Outline of my Opinion of the Film: The Dark Knight puts a slight dark twist on the usual Batman comics and older movies but still comes with all the big-screen stunts, fighting and excitement - one of 2008's must-see movies.
Activity 2: Freeze Frame
Title: The Dark Knight, Analysing One Frame
The subject (the two zip-wirers) are very far away from the camera, this makes us see how fast and how far they are going. The camera then goes onto follow the two men across the zip wire and onto the roof they are sliding too. In this shot we can see two men, one in completely black clothing and one in a black top but grey trousers - both men are wearing clown like masks. This makes the two men look suspicious and in the film we know at this point that they're committing a burglary on an American bank. The shot is probably composed like this to covertly show how dangerous the action they're carrying out is and what lengths these two antagonists will go to in order to get what they want. If the shot was composed differently it may not show how risky this situation is.
Activity 3: Structure and Style: Telling a Story to a Viewer
Title: The Dark Knight: Opening Title Sequence: Structure and Style
Camera
Within the opening title sequence of The Dark Knight there is a burglery of a large American bank, as this is a high-action scene involving lots of gunshots and other crimes. Because this is an action-packed scene there are many quick changes of camera angles. A lot of the shots are medium shots of ordinary objects within a bank, such as desks, tills etc. In the same shot the antagonists (masked men) appear out of the desks normally pointing a gun towards innocent bank-workers. There are many close ups, medium shots, long shots and tracking but not a lot of over-the-shoulder shots or focus pulls as there is not a lot of dialog.There are no fancy transitions just normal cutting.
Colour
All of the opening title sequence is consistently in full colour. Baring in mind this film in a neo-noir this is unusual as noir films are normally in black and white as their peak of popularity was between the 1940s and the 1950s where black and white was a much cheaper way of making films, it also simplifies the use of shadows and using light and dark to create atmosphere. A burglary is verisimilitude as it is realistic and is rare, but does happen however the idea of there being a Batman is unrealistic and therefore not verisimilitude.
Character
Burglars are realistic characters but The Joker is not an impossible character but is quite unlikely to never have been sent to jail. Batman, however, is a very very unrealistic character as superheros are unlikely to be real. Within the opening sequence there are quite a few characters, all male, but all but The Joker die. Mise-En-Scène is used to build character by the costume. All the male burglars are masked and so keeps you guessing who's who but The Joker (the only suited robber) and therefore makes him stand out clearer than the rest. Due to the reputation of Batman you can start to guess the rest of the narrative that Batman is going to set out to stop The Joker once again.
Story/Narrative
I do not identify myself with any of the characters in the opening sequence as they are all very unlike me. The main plot of the opening sequence is the general escalation of the robbing. We see how they get in, how they steal the money and how The Joker gets away in a school bus. It does establish interest into watching further as you want to know how The Joker will be stopped.
Sound
Diagetic sound is the sound where they're shouting at each other, however the non-diagetic sound is the gunshots as they were probably put in afterwards and also amplified to make the scene more exciting. The very start is very quite with a repetitive, tension building instrument which I am going to guess is a violin. As the scene escalates drums kick in once the main shooting part starts this is a sound match to the image on the screen.
Settings
The scene takes place is a busy American city - possibly New-York? Probably to empathise how if things did go badly a lot of people could die. The rest of the scene is inside the bank which is a large, modern multi-story building. It reminds me of London as it's that sort of high business city.
Audience
I think the film is targeted and preferred to males, probably 13-25 kinda age as it's Britishly classified as a 12A meaning if you're under the age of 12 you need to have an adult with you. This satisfies their tastes as it's action-packed with lots of guns, explosions and violence. In my opinion other films they would enjoy would be other superhero films such as Spiderman, Superman etc. I am in the age bracket but feel I am the wrong sex to the be the target or preferred audience for this film.
Titles
Warner Brothers Pictures, Legendary Pictures, DC Comics are all involved in this film however from the clip I was using online it did not show all the distribution and exhibition companies, sound or editing companies, production studios, cast details or production teams. The Typography of Batman is famous for being Batman as it has the Batman logo always with it. A LOT of CGI is used for all the explosions and lorries going over and crashes to buildings etc.
Reflective Comment
This went well I feel I covered all points needed. I made the image larger as Ms Humpleby requested. If you're reading this and you think there's anything I could improve on please comment. :)
Sunday 4 October 2015
Jobs in the Media
Youtube, talking head voicethread on Jobs Within the Media
Reflective Comment
I am very awkward in this. I'm not used to talking on camera and this was my first time. I waffle on a lot and don't actually talk in a great deal of detail. I could've edited sound better, reducing it when I'm speaking and made some title screens to structure the video out. I will consider all these thing when I film another talking head video. I may refilm this at a later date,
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