Targeting an audience- how we are going to engage our target audience

Targeting an audience-How we are going to engage our target audience.

In this video post we talk about how we as a group plan to engage our target audience with our opening sequence through our ideas as well as techniques that we will be using such as different sound devices and camerawork.

Prelim task Script and Shot list:

Prelim task Script and Shot list:

• Enter scene with a low angle shot. Reverses to a high angle shot then into an over the shoulder shot of the male character approaching the door. Then cuts to a high front shot of the door being opened, demonstrating a shot reverse shot as the character walks through the door.
• Character approaches the table and sits down.
• "I know you have the answers"
• Second character being filmed from opposite side of the main character showing a mid shot of the body downwards. Second character spins round on his chair.
• "The answers to what?" (says the second character)
• "The maths exam" (dialogue exchanged between the main and second character)
• Use of a shot reverse shot again between their conversation. 180 degree rule being demonstrated during the shot reverse shot of the characters conversation.
• "Disclose this with no one" (the second character says)
• Throws a 'top secret' file across the table from an over the shoulder shot, then cuts to a close up of the file (signifying importance of the file)
• "Thanks" (character one)
• Final shot: Two shot of the two characters for brief second. First character gets p and walks out of shot with the file. Sequence end

Exploration of Narrative Theories

Exploration of Narrative Theories

The purpose of a film production/sequence is that it needs to attract the audience and appeal to their interests.This is similar with an opening sequence of a production as it needs to engage the audience's attention and appeal to them to keep them interested as to what's going on. 

There are two structures of a narrative:

Linear structure- This means that the story of the production is being told in order or chronologically. 

Non Linear structure- This means that the story's order is mixed and isn't being told chronologically. This is often shown through the use of montage editing.

There are two devices of a narrative:

Restricted- This means that we the audience only know as much or less than the main character. Less information is presented allowing us to make assumptions. Over the shoulder, close ups and point of view shots illustrate this device really well.

Omniscient- This means that the audience know more than the character. Use of long shots and extreme long shots allows us as the audience to see everything and interpret the narrative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cifPv4QWTH0&safe=active (Memento opening scene)

• Non linear structure the clip is played in reverse showing the characters actions backwards, e.g the gun returning to the bullet after previously being fired.
• Point of view shot is used showing us that it is restricted. We do not know what's going on and only know as much as the character knows. Gives a sense of enigma as we don't know what is going on in the scene, we can only guess or interpret. 

Vladimir Propp's character theory: (thriller example Se7en)- see full synopsis or film

• The hero- Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman). His job in the production is to uncover why the killer is killing people and to catch him and stop him.
• The Villain-(serial killer) opposes the hero who is trying to stop him. Makes things hard for the hero through killings of victims.

Tzvetan Todorov equilibrium theory: (thriller example the strangers)- see full synopsis or film

• The male protagonist and the female protagonist start of happy with a normal life enjoying themselves. The state of normality is disrupted by the psychopaths who are tormenting them through messages and violent assaults. Leaving the equilibrium of the protagonists lives unbalanced.
• Attempted repair occurs as the protagonists try to fight off the and remove the unbalance caused by the psychopaths. They attempt to flee to stop the unbalance.
• New equilibrium- the protagonists are killed leaving them away from the violence and torment with their lives at an end. New equilibrium from the psychopaths as they disappear leaving the violence behind them. State of normality for the psychopaths with a twist of the protagonists being killed, ending the normality of their lives.

Barthes' Codes: (thriller example Shutter Island)

• Enigma codes surround the main character (Leonardo Dicaprio) he is a mysterious detective who the audience do not know much about. Therefore the audience are able to connote certain things about this character and decode certain things about him. 
• Not only with the character but the location used in the opening sequence of the clip. The audience can denote that the director has set the production somewhere isolated but creepy like an asylum making the audience feel slightly insecure. 

Influential Texts: films and clips which have inspired our group

Influential Texts: films and clips which have inspired our group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4vn5IUYubk&safe=active (se7ven opening credits)

The opening credits of Se7en inspired our group through the diegetic sounds used of the pages turning as well as the enigma codes embeded within the sequence. Such as when the pages are being turned and certain words are crossed out. This engages us and makes us want to know why. Moreover from this clip we liked the background sound that was used. It sounded like screaming or a distorted sound. This adds tension to the clip that we want our thriller opening sequence to have. Finally the use of the italics and the font for the characters links with the genre as its as if the writing is fading when its shown. This links well with the idea of a thriller and has made us consider how we will present our credits or title.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvksJ7-4hQ&safe=active (shutter island opening credits)

The opening credits of Shutter Island has given our group ideas for our opening sequence. The fading writing written in red signifies blood and adds a certain chill that thrillers offer. Furthermore the use of camerawork has inspired us. The way the audience follow the camera as if we are being taken on a journey, this is notably shown on the spiral staircase at the beginning of the clip. It gives us a sense of uncertainty as we are following what's going on and do not know what's going to happen next. Finally the non-diegetic background music that was used in the opening sequence was engaging as it clearly illustrated thriller elements as it gave a sense of tension and suspense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5m_MaEy3ho (the strangers-trailer)

What inspired us from the strangers is the way the psychopaths are shown and portrayed. All of the psychopaths wear masks as to hide their identity giving a sense of enigma around them as we don't know who they are or what they're capable of. Moreover we like the idea that the psychopath can always see his victims and at some stages is only a few feet away from them without them even knowing. This gave us our idea of how our psychopath would attack his victims. He would attack them with dolls, like voodoo but always be in distance of them. To show that he can see them but they can't see him. Furthermore we have taken inspiration from the location that is used in the strangers. It is isolated from everywhere else in the middle of a forest with a big house. This has given us thought into the location that we are going to set our sequence in. We are going to use an isolated location to cut off the psychopaths victims from the rest of the world, thus making them feel isolated. 

Character analysis through Sound and Mise en Scene

Character analysis through Sound and Mise en Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xcZTtlGweQ

The film trailer that I based my stereotype and sound analysis on was the pursuit of happyness starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith.

In the trailer the character that Will Smith is playing subverts to the stereotype that is portrayed through the Mise en Scene image. In the trailer the costume or attire that he is wearing is a suit which connotes that he is a businessman or a man in a good job with a power position. It also connotes that he is quite sophisticated and this could show that his way of talking is quite formal as the mise en scene shows him to be quite sophisticated, however in reality from watching the trailer we learn that the character he plays is the opposite from the stereotype that the mise en scene image has shown. Despite wearing a suit he doesn't have a lot of power and he isn't actually a businessman at all. He doesn't even earn money for what he is doing as he is part of an internship for a job. The lighting that is used around the character is also misleading and goes against the mise en scene. The lighting is low key which could connote that he is unimportant and without power as the low key lighting gives off sadness and depression which is reflected into the character. Also the sound stereotype that is portrayed by Will Smith's character is misleading. The attire that he is wearing suggests to us that he is well off and may be an upper class citizen.

From this I can connote that he may have a decent education and therefore would speak in a very formal and direct way however this isn't shown in the trailer when he is talking to his son. He refers to his son as "dude" or uses the words "shut up". This wording that the character uses goes against the stereotype as he isn’t shown to speak formal and direct but he speaks quite informal
to the other characters. However he does also conform to the stereotype as when he is talking to other interns and businessmen within the company he talks quite formal and direct to them so this shows that his character both subverts and conforms to the stereotypes that have been directed upon him.

The other character in the trailer is Jaden Smith who is shown to be the main character's (Will Smith) son. The stereotype of Jaden's character through the mise en scene image is also challenged in the trailer. The normal stereotype of a child of his age would be playing carefree and happy in what they are doing. They do not have to worry about the pressures of adult life however his character subverts to this stereotype as the child doesn't always seem happy and most of the time is with his dad in the adult world, not at a park or a school or at home playing. Furthermore the way Jaden's character speaks is not what the mise en scene image would show, He subverts to the stereotype as he speaks quite informal and indirect to most people however he conforms to the stereotype when with his father as he talks to his father in a formal manner. This shows a father-son relationship that keeps them going.

In conclusion from this trailer and the two characters I have mentioned the stereotype shown through the mise en scene image is challenged to a large extent however there are some aspects to the characters that conform to the stereotype shown in the mise en scene image.

Thriller opening sequence analysis 2: Skyfall

Thriller (action adventure) opening sequence analysis 2: Skyfall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrSJP2PtAP8&safe=active 

(Skyfall opening scene:Agent Ronson found dying)

Despite primarily being an action film it also has thriller elements and is defined as a thriller as well. It offers thriller elements which will be explored. In the opening sequence of Skyfall the director uses and focuses on various techniques in order to give understanding and information to the audience as well as to convey certain things in a certain way. The director focuses on certain camera shots as well as movement and used editing as well as sound techniques and mise en scene in order to convey this information to the audience. Through these different techniques the director is able to connote information to the audience in a certain way.

One way in which the director conveys information to the audience is through the camera work used. This is by the various camera shots, movements and angles used. At the beginning of the clip a long shot is used. This is used to establish time and location of the production. The character (Bond) is blurred out so that the audience’s attention is draw to the characters surroundings. This technique of blurring the character to divert the audience’s attention is known as a shallow focus. In the clip an over the shoulder shot is also used. This is used to see what the character sees from a certain perspective. In contrast to the audience, it allows them to see what Bond is seeing as well as gain an understanding of the situation present. This shows how the director’s use of the long shot is able to signify information to the audience. A camera movement used by the director is the panning shot. The panning shot is used to show bonds surroundings/location. Also the quick pan used suggests a sense of urgency or swiftness to the audience, about what is going on in the shot. The use of the panning movement by the director shows how information is given to the audience.

A high and low angle shot are also used in the clip to give the audience information about what's going on. Bond is shown in a low angle shot as the camera looks up to him. This appears to make Bond look powerful and dominant whereas the where he is looking we see a man shown in a high angle shot. This is where the camera looks down on the character and shows them to be weak or venerable. This is evident in the scene as the man in clearly wounded and is he venerable one whilst Bond appears to be the dominant one. This shows how the director conveys information to the audience by the use of a high and low angle shot.

As well as the use various use of camera work, various editing techniques are used by the director in order to convey information to the audience. At the beginning of the clip the first shot last 27 seconds. Most shots do not last this long and the director uses this to show to the audience that the character has significant importance. Also by continuing the shot the audience’s attention is kept on the character highlighting to them the characters importance. This shows that through the continuation and length of the first shot the director is able to convey information to the audiences. Another use of editing by the director is the use of an eye line match. The eye line match shows the character to be looking at an object and then the shot cuts to the next shot and allows us to see what the character sees. This signifies to the audience what the character sees and allows them to gain understanding of what is going on. Through the use of an eye line match the director is able to signify information to the audience by showing something from the characters perspective.

The director also uses various sound techniques in order to signify information to the audience. In the first 27 second shot non-diegetic sound is played in the background. Non-diegetic sound is sound which has been added in the clip. The sound is faint and continues for this long period. The director uses this to show tension within this shot as well as make the audience feel on edge about the situation present. The tension is carried on through the use of non-diegetic sound in the next shot. This is a clear example of a sound bridge and is used to keep the sense of tension are danger to the audience. Also right at the beginning of the clip a sound motif is used by the director. The trumpet sound of ‘duh nuh’ allows the audience to identify that the clip is James Bond as that sound is symbolic to Bond. Furthermore the diegetic street sounds show how busy it is outside in contrast to how quiet and dull it was inside the building. This juxtaposition is shown because the shot of the busy outside street is opposite to the quiet building. This shows that through the use of diegetic and nondiegetic sound, how the director is able to signify information to the audience.

Through the use of mise en scene the director is able to signify further information to the audience. Chiaroscuro lighting is used at the beginning of the clip
on Bond to identify just his face whilst the rest of his body is hidden in the shadows. A bond walks into shot this lighting is used as he is how as a silhouette. This suggests that the character has a sense of enigma to them. Then when his face is visible in the light the audience’s attention is diverted to his facial features. This shows how the use of various lighting by the director is able to communicate information to the audience. The prop used of the gun and the blood gives a sense of danger as well as sense of urgency of escape. This is used to identify  that audience that the film is a Bond film as bond is associated with guns and danger. By the use of these props the director is able to make the audience understand what they are watching. The suit that Bond wears suggests that he is sophisticated but also quite professional. It also allows the audience to link and identify him as 007 agent due to his attire. Furthermore the use of the car at the end of the clip suggests a sense of urgency or need for escape to the audience. This shows how through various aspects of mise en scene the director is able to signify information to the audience.

Conclusively in the opening sequence Skyfall the uses of these various techniques used by the director such as mise en scene, sound, editing and the different aspects of camera work show how the director is able to communicate information to the audience. Whether it is by making the character feel a certain way or by putting the audience in the perspective of the character through certain camera shot. The director is able to communicate information effectively to the audience through these techniques.

Prelim Task Video