Bad Boys 2 Trailer

Bad Boys 2 is an action film firstly due to the fast expensive sport cars used, explosions made and finally due to having violence involved throughout the film.  This then indicates well with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence image and props due to playing as cops throughout the film.  There is vast amount of editing used throughout the trailer such as fast templ music which relates to the quick cuts used in the trailer in order to create tension and suspense for the audience.  There is a lot of straight cuts used throughout the trailer, in order to show more clips to the audience in order for them to get a rough idea about the film.  By using straight cuts could also be referred to as being a cliffhanger as in the trailer there are quick straight cuts involved which keeps the audiences attention as by seeing a one second cut does not give enough information towards the audience which means they will want to know what happens next.  There are also scenes which continue without no cuts and effects which can inform the audience a bit more about the film as well as make it run more smoothly.

The mise en scene is set in different locations as there are scenes where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are in the police station and there are also scenes in the trailer where they are fighting and shooting when outdoors as well as indoors.  This connotes to the audience that there are many action scenes throughout the film due to also seeing many explosions and damaged vehicles which could create a lot of excitement towards the audience as they will want to know what happens next and if Will Smith and Martin lawrence catch the bad guys, and drug dealers or related to as so called 'gangsters'.  There are a lot of props used throughout the trailer such as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence dressing up as cops as well as wearing normal clothes which could connote to the audience that they are playing as undercover cops in order to catch the drug dealers.  When Will Smith is not dressed up as a cop you then are able to see a high status such as having expensive clothes due to wearing designer sunglasses as well as his ferrari sports car which is seen throughout the movie.  this then connotes to the audeince that this is a hollywood movie due to being located in Miami as well as their high status such as expensive sports cars, big houses etc.  There are a number of facial expressions used to connote to the audience how Will Smith and Martin Lawrence feel in different situations such as when they are fighting and shooting the bad guys and the expressions used are very concentrated on their target as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence want to defeat their enemys, which then creates a lot of tension towards the audience as they will be able to understand more clearly about the situations there in and how serious it is.  The lighting used is chnaged throughout the trailer as when they are indoors it is normally dark which creates a lot of tension as well as enigma codes towards the audience as it s eems very mysterious.  By having dark colours used creates a more evil and death scene as black is normally related to death and being evil etc.  There is back lighting used in some scenes where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence looking twice as big due to their shadow as this makes the bad guys seem more afraid and frightened when seeing the larger shadows of the cops, this shows that the cops have a higher status and also has more power than the bad guys.  This creates a lot of tension towards the audience due to seeing the larger shadows as they will want to know how they defeated them or killed them.

When cops are shown there is always a low angle shot used which means that the audience is always looking up towards the cops making them seem as if they have more power than the audience as well as the bad guys.  There are close up shots used when Will Smith is shooting the bad guys which is just focusing on his face in order to interact well with the audience, in order to show how serious the actors are.  There is tracking movement involved when Will Smith is driving his sports car at high speeds in order to keep up with his momentum.  Tracking movement is used in order to follow all his moves made.  This then makes the audience know how quick Will Smith is driving and also gives them a clearer image of the car as well as the scenery.  There is non-digetic sound used throughout the trailer as there is music played over the production in order to show another side to the film which could be a comedy film due to the funny comments said by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, this then can relate to the audience as they would have a different perspective to the film as they will also enjoy the film as well as being attracted to the action scenes.

Cinematography

1.  Choose two extracts from different eras and analyse the cinematography?



The cinematography which has been used in this trailer is camera framing such as medium and close up shots.  This was used whenever filming the godfather himself such as showing his facial expressions towards the audience in order to feel how he is feeling, which gives the audience an idea about the tension and suspense in the film. Medium shots were used as you hardly ever saw his whole body instead you just saw above his waist line.  Also the background was quite dark which connotes enigma codes reason being as black is an evil and damp colour this could mean that something bad may happen in a particular scene. There is also long shots used in the trailer when the godfather is dancing with his partner in order to show of his body posture as well as his props, which then relates to his high status, due to having a posh event and having many people dressed smartly.

This is a still image from the film Avatar,  The camera framing in this picture is a close up due to just seeing their faces which creates a romantic scene due to both the characters close to each other.  It also seems as if there is a low camera angle due to looking up on the two characters.

This still image is from the film Halloween, and this appears to be a medium shot due to not being able to see his legs also it seems to be a low angle shot in order to create suspense and tension towards the audience due to looking up at the character which shows he is the dominant sex. Also by doing a low angle shot shows that he has more power and strength. This could also be a point of view shot due to just focusing on one character.

This still image is from the film Bad Santa and this is a medium shot which has been taking from the characters side view.  This shows more of the background which then gives the audience an idea of where the two characters are.  Also by doing a medium shot shows more of their body and props towards the audience as well as there facial expressions in order to give the audience an idea of what could happen next. 

This is a still image from the film Saw,  and as you can see the camera framing used in this still image is a close up in order to see the actors facial expression which creates a lot of tension and suspense towards the audience.  Also this is a point of view shot due to focusing just on the characters face.  The background and the objects used in this picture shows that the character is in trouble due to mainly his facial expression which connotes enigma codes. 

Film Distribution - Ms Wigley

What is film distribution?

1. Someone has a vision/idea for a movie. 
2. The idea or vision of the film is then promoted by creating a outline
3. When the film is promoted it is then sold to either a studio or independent investor
4. After the film has been sold teams are then produced in order to produce the film for example crew, director, screenwriter, producer etc.
5. Once the film has been completed, the shooting of the film is begun 
6. The film is then sold to distribution companies
7. A number of copies of the film are then decided by the distribution company 
8. The film is then pitched to potential theatre buyers 
9. Copies of the films are then sent to the theatres a day or two before the release date of the film
10. The film is then shown for a number of weeks due to how popular the film is 
11. After the film has been shown for a number of weeks, the film copies are then sent back to the distribution companies and payments are then made.   

What was the Hollywood 'studio system' in the 1930's and 40's? In what ways is the process of film production, distribution and exhibition different today?


The Hollywood 'studio system' in the 1930's and 40's was a quite popular time for people due to vast amount of people going to the film theatres in order to watch films but in the 1950's the popularity of the cinemas decreased due to the release of televisions which meant people saved money by not going to the cinemas as regular as before which broke up studio system.  This meant that theatres lost money by less people watching films which meant that when a film was released it was then sold individually instead of a larger company taking control of several number of films.  The distribution companies changed due to studios taking control in order to have the rights to own certain films.  Nowadays there are more ways in which films can be watched such as by DVD, videos, online, TV etc. 


Horizontal Integration 


Horizontal Integration is when two competitors join together which are at the same level as well as the same section of a certain industry. For example a car manufacturer joining with another car manufacturer which can also be known as take over or buy out.


Vertical Integration 


Vertical Integration is when two different companies join together in order to take control over a specific product which is created by two companies merging their ideas together to create and produce a product which will attract the consumers attention.  

Extension Task - Mr Bush

1.  Research the development of sound technology in Hollywood in the 1920's.

By the 1920's in Hollywood the way films were produced were then changed and very noticeable due to sound being introduced in films instead of no sound at all.  The motion picture industry would never be the same again due to a jazz singer Al Jolsen who synchronised sound into films in 1927. Due to sound being introduced in Hollywood meant that it targeted audiences all around the world and this is how Hollywood entertained their audiences just by sound being played in films.

In 1927 was the time when sound began to rise and be more recognised due to talking films being released with a big screen involved which amused and attracted a number of people to watch films.  Many films used the movietone sound system as well as the phototone.

Some top movies in the 1920's which included sound was The Jazz Singer (1927), A tale of the Christ (1921),  The Big Parade (1925).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMAgzwezAHQ&feature=related

Film Noir

1. Research 'film noir' focusing on the genre's distinctive lighting style.

Film noir started in the early 1940’s towards the late 1950’s and these type of films were usually described as Hollywood crime dramas, due to being in black and white as this represents evil and mysterious due to the dark colours involved in them.  The word film noir was expressed by the French which when translated is called black films, which was first used in 1946 by Nino Frank who is a French critic.  Film noir became quite popular in the United States of America during the depression era in the country as the films made were related to the depression in the United States such as crime films etc. In the 1970’s in the USA many classic film noirs was stated as melodramas due to the depression in the states. This then also means that film noirs were then invented and identified by the Americans due to coming up with a series of classic original dramas etc.  Since then it has been noticed all around the world and more film noirs have been made to become more mysterious, scary and spontaneous etc.  

Film noirs were mainly created by the lighting involved such as low-key lighting, underlighting and back lighting as these lighting effects created more suspense to the film which made them scarier and heart pumping towards the audience.  A term used for light and dark is chiaroscuro which is an Italian word (chiaro-light/ oscuro-dark). By using low-key lighting such as having majority of a mise-en-scene makes an image reveal more tension towards the audience due to the dark colours surrounding a certain object or person as the audience will then be only focusing on one part of an image.  Also by using back lighting creates a larger scale of shadows which are mostly bigger than the human which means that someone is close towards the person, and by being bigger than someone’s shows they have an evil status due to creating a lot of tension as they seem to be control of the innocent character such as in a classic film psycho as the women involved is frightened when seeing the villain as there is a bigger shadow twice her size in front of her.

2. Find one still image and one short extract and write two paragraphs on each, analysing the lighting and its effects.

This image is from the film stray dog in 1949 and this image uses high key lighting due to being able to see the characters props such as their ‘gangster’ suits and their guns.  This shows that these two characters are up to something dodgy due to their suspicious facial expressions and their guns.  What relates well with their image is the background due to having a shadow of bars which could refer to prison as this could also relate to foreshadowing as after these two characters appear at a crime scene means that they could get caught and go to prison this is why there could be bars in the background.  Also due to their props such as their hats being represents more with their image due to their face being covered and darker due to the hat covering their face this could show that they don’t want other people to see what they are up to as well as they have got something to hide from the audience so by not seeing all their face means that you will not see their identity clearly.

Sin City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM29ShN8M7E&feature=related

This film is a neo noir which is a new black and white film.  In this film there is a variety of lighting and effects used such as underlighting to create suspense and heart pumping moments towards the audience, top lighting in order to see the characters facial expression which will give the audience an idea of who and what the character is, whether they are good or bad? Etc, back lighting in order to create more horrific and violent scenes as the large shadows represents villains and dodgy characters.  Also there is low-key lighting involved in the film in order to create enigma code towards the audience which means you only see some parts of the character such as when seeing Bruce Willis in the film half is face is covered which connotes that he is up to something as he seems mysterious and suspicious towards the audience as he may not want to show his scared face to the audience or his expressions and thoughts.  Finally there is also high-key lighting in the film when characters get caught red handed which means that filler lights are used to catch the villains which could represent to spotlights when catching criminals in real life etc.  By using filler lights means that it brightens the mise-en-scene which means you will be able to see what the characters are up to such as their props, their objects and facial expressions etc. 

Film adverts/posters

Transformers

This film poster is called transformers which is an action movie altough it could go into the sci-fi genre reason being as the vehicles used in the film are then 'transformed' into a full on fighting machine.  The film posters clearly connotes the enemy and the hero of the film due to stating between each transformer protect and destroy.  This then gives the audience a rough idea on the film as they will know that there will be fighting scenes involved between the two transformers due to their facial expressions as they seem very angry and annoyed with one another and looks like they have a lot of hatred between them two which needs to be resolved.  Also the film poster shows two characters in the middle of the poster which connotes that they are the main characters of the film also you can see the size difference between humas and the machines and there is quite a difference.  In the surroundings you can also notice a variety of buildings which could relate to the city they are in and the city that they are protecting.  There are mainly tall buildings shown in the background which could mean that this film is located in the USA due to that country having several number of tall buildings.  The lighting is quite dark and gradually gets lighter when going towards the sky but as you can see the clouds are very grey and dark which could represent to a storm entering the city as well as tension being created between the two transformers. 

I would say this film will attract mainly a male audience firstly due to being an action movie as there is a lot of fighting involved throughout the film and also because there is a female involved in the film.

Mise-en-scene

Independent Tasks:

1.  Find a distinctive still image and write an analysis of the mise-en-scene.

 

The mise-en-scene of this distinctive still image shows what the main character (lilly allen) could be imagining in her head such as different types of vehicles e.g cars and bikes, which could relate to the different types of transport she likes to use.  Also there are speakers on the left hand side which could relate to the proffesion which she is in which is singing as she is a famous singer.  This means that the images relate to what the main character is thinking about.  The lighting of the image is very bright and there are many animated pictures involved in the surroundings of the main character.  The main character connotes of what she likes to do such as her hobbies and intrests due to several number of pictures involved in the background.  This could also connote that she has a very imaginative mind due to having random pictures in the surroundings such as a lion holding a microphone.  Also her props used are quite colourful and unusual due to having a colourful dress and an unusual earing which is an unsual shape.  Lilly Allens facial expressions seems quite relaxed and this could relate to the clouds in the background as it could relate to heaven, piece and clam etc.

2.  View three extracts from films of different genres and write a comparison of the mise-en-scene.

Pic 1                                               Pic 2                                        Pic 3

Picture one is from the film tokyo drift and as you can see the environment and atmosphere would be very loud, noisy and a busy due to a number of people viewing a number of cars.  Also there are a variety of colours used in the first picture due to a number of people and a number of cars which catches the audiences attention. A comparison between picture one and picture three is that both films are set in a car park as well as both having cars in the background. On the other hand picture two is quite different due to the characters facial expressions as they seem more frightend and scared and there attention is on a certain shadow which can be seen on their bedroom door.  You will be able to notice that it was set at night time due to the atmosphere being dark and due to the characters being in bed and in their bedtime clothing, this then shows that it is a horror film due to their facial expression and having dark surroundings etc. Also a comparison between picture two and picture three is how both females are pointing at there enemy of who they want to elminate and by also using angry facial expressions to represent their feelings.  Also you can see in picture one that there are a variety of people which are all asian which means that this film could be set in another country specifically tokyo as the cars produced in that scene are japenese cars which could relate to the asian people involved in that car park.  In picture three the film is called transporter two which then can relate to the car involved in the background as this is the main car which will then be used to drive throughout the film.  Also you can see in picture several number of hooligans ganging up on the main character who is dressed up wearing a suit which could mean that he is the driver for the car behind him.  This could then show that he is protecting his car from these hooligans from steeling and vandalising his car. 

Cover work/Homework

Media texts are profit motivated.  Consider this in the light of TV news.  What issues does this raise?

This means that media texts are produced better if more money is involved for example when doing advertisements etc, as you will be able to add more stuff into advertisements in order to produce a high quality advert and to also meet all the purposes of the product as well as meeting the target audience.  By making a very catchy and attractive advertisement means that you are more likely to sell your product due to meeting the customers needs and wants in the product.

Which  media companies do you think could be accused of having too much power and control in our society?

By media companies having too much control and power means that there is more chance that they may mislead their customers and audiences due to the amount of power and control they have.  This means that the products being advertised may not be suitable for a certain age group and audience but some companies may lie (mislead) in order to catch the audiences attention in order for them to purchase a item from the advertisements.

Time Warner

1. Home box office

2. Turner broadcasting system

3. Time inc.

4. Warner Bros. Entertainment

Media Conference

Part 1

In the first part of the conference our speaker Professor David Buckingham started talking about the Simpson's and how the Simpson's enthused media studies specifically Homer Simpson. He then went on to say that by using the Simpson in classes such as English annoyed parents as they think that it is not a part of education but is for fun. The quote he used for what the parents say is 'dumbing down'.  Also during the conference people quoted that media studies was not worth a qualification and will not take your further in a career due to not being a highly classed subject.

Part 2

This was about a debate which was on democracy, he was trying to state that people in the government may not have that much power as celebrities.  For example Simon Cowell may have more power and respect than someone who has been with the government for over 50 years which was Tony Benn. He then went on to say that Media Studies is a modern subject due to creating modern stuff such as games, computer gadgets etc, which means that the older generation may have a different view on Media Studies due to media not being big in that generation but is increasing to be a big subject these days, due to being used more.

Part 3

The third part was on how you will be able to improve in the exam and when making your productions, so they gave us vast amount of tips in order for us to get the best mark possible for the exam as well as our coursework.   He said that we must start by planning and getting research such as getting as many ideas we can in order to get a better production due to having more ideas.  He then went on to say you must make sure everything is linked and you have evidence to back any bit of your production work.  He then went on to say that you must keep your pitch short and simple as then it will be more easier to work from for example the 25 word pitch as this will then help you expand your ideas more. Finally he said that you must be organised such as getting everything done for your production early in order for you to produce a better piece such as getting costumes ready, characters etc.

Dominant/Alternative Representation

Lynk advert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb8xuRATTIo&feature=player_embedded

lynk produced this advert, persuading the audience to buy their deodorant due to get vast amount of attractive women following you.  Which means the man in the advert is the dominant one due to get all the attractive women following him.  It represent dominant representation due to the main being in control and also being a leader.  It also shows dominant representation as he is in the front which could relate to being the 'top man' and the women are all behind him which shows they are not that important etc.

The women are represented as being high classed working people due to wearing suits, smart outfits glasses etc, which could refer as being intelligent, in control etc.  But then as soon as the male sprays the lynk deodrant on him the tables change as he is the one in control and the women become more sexier as they are trying to attract the males attention. So the advert is trying to say that women try to change but may be all the same.  The target audience for this advert is 16 - 35 year old males due to having attractive women in there which attracts vast amount of males.  It attracts well with them as they will want the same such as women following them so now they may purchase lynks in order to see if it works for them etc.

Nike - women break dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT9JKzioz8w&feature=related

In this advert it is advertising nike products but the twist is that the women is the center of the attention and not in a sexual way but in a sporting way, due to doing break dancing.  It is trying to show that women are just as good as males when coming to dancing as she does several number of moves which not even males are doing so this advert could also be showing that women could be better than men in some cases such as by dancing etc.  In the advert there is one female and a sound system, she is trying to compete against it by doing as many moves as possible to suit the music.

The female in the advert looks very focused and angry due to putting everything into her dancing moves.  In order to show that women are not only seen in a sexual way, is by the female sweating in the advert this shows that females are just like men and can do anything just like men can.  The advert also shows that the female is strong physically and mentally due to competing against the music, as she is doing very difficult moves and is holding her body with just one hand this shows that women are strong just as well as men are.  This advert is targeted to women from the age of 18- 30 and could be for people who enjoy dancing due to the female in the advert wearing sporting clothing which is suitable for her to break dance in.

I am what I am 50cent REEBOK

How does the advert glamorise violence?
The advert considers violence as the sounds used in the advert are of people screaming and also blood which is dripping to the floor, that could represent torture and abuse etc. Also 50 cent says 'I have got shot 9 times' this also represents violence and also his facial expression links well to what he said due to him looking very serious and angry, looking like he wants to get revenge.  Also the location seems poor which relates to violence as in poor areas more crimes are normally committed. 
Why would a global company like Reebok produce an advert which glamorises violence?
Reebok may produce an advert like this in order to relate it to their own products such as saying to the audience that it is a good material, the trainers or clothes will last longer etc. As 50 cent is saying i got shot 9 times but he is still alive and it could be related to Reebok saying that the clothes or trainers could get damaged but you will always be able to wear it etc.
Who is the target audience and how do you think they would be affected by the ideology presented by the advert?
I would say this is related to teenagers due to liking the same music as 50 cent and also the same brand as 50cent which is Reebok.  They may be affected by the advert as they may think that by wearing Reebok crime may happen, so this may change the views of the audience and they may not purchase Reebok items due to this. 
Was the advert banned by the ASA? Should it have been banned?
I personally think it should be banned due to not relating specifically to the product instead of a celebrity such as 50 cent, as in order to purchase a product the audience must be able to see what it is different angles of the product in order to attract the audience to purchase Reebok items. 

Essex Fairytale


I thought Essex Fairy tale was an effective film trailer due to the way it was produced and linked to its genre.  The genre of the trailer was a British gangster movie and in order to interact well with the genre, they made the trailer black and white to connote as an old gangster movie.  Also there was digetic sound throughout the trailer due to someone explaining the story also in a gangster British accent. Also the trailer was easy to understand and follow due to using tzvetau todorov which involves equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium which means it showed what would happen through out the film.  This is effective as it slowly brings the audiences in, due to having a good flow etc.

The night has a thousand lies


This is also an effective trailer due to the way the story followed and this made the audience understand the trailer more clearly.  There is a lot of facial expressions used throughout the trailer which indicates the persons feelings, which means you will be able to feel how they feel. It also shows this by the camera zooming in just on the actors face and then zooms out to see there body impressions as this relates well together. It was also an effective film trailer due to the colour as some of it was in black and white and also the appearance and the atmosphere was fairly dark, this relates well with the title of the trailer which is the 'night' has a thousand lies.  

Spiderman 2

Spider-man 2

Equilibrium

At the beginning of Spider man 2 there is a lot of peace in the film as spider man has no villains, this means that he is continuing helping people and saving the world which is normal to him.  Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) 'Hero' is just a student focusing on studying as well as his 'princess' Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).  He is also working which is taking pictures of himself which is an easy and peaceful job.

Disequilibrium 

At the middle of the film things start to change and get more complicated for Peter Parker as he starts to fail in his education due to becoming Spiderman and also because the villain Dr.Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is introduced. He decides to give up being Spiderman and focuses more on his education and also Mary Jane Watson as that is his love of his life. The villain is introduced when Peter Parker's best friend Harry Osborn ( James Franco) introduces him to one of his dad friends  Dr.Otto Octavius due to doing an experiment in front of an audience.  The experiment goes wrong on  Dr.Otto Octavius and a pin interacted in the wrong position of his spine which makes him turn evil.  The film then twists as the false hero Harry Osborn (James Franco) turns on his own best friend as he finds out that Spider man killed his father and tells  Dr.Otto Octavius to find Peter Parker as his job is taking pictures of Spiderman.  The twist is that Harry Osborn doesn't know that Peter Parker is Spiderman so Harry is up for a big shock. 

New equilbrium

The ending of the film is when Peter Parker and  Dr.Otto Octavius meets and fights till death and as always the villain is always defeated.  After  Dr.Otto Octavius is defeated things start to become normal as Mary Jane Watson falls for him which means the film has a romantic ending as they both make out at the end of the film which resembles love.  

Did you know 4.0

6 significant facts

1. In the last five years unique readers of online newspapers are up 30 million.
2. Traditional advertising such as television, radio, magazines and newspapers have decreased vastly but digital advertising such as phones and computers.
3.  More videos are now uploaded on youtube than ABC, NBC etc.
4.  95% of all songs downloaded last year were not paid for.
5.  Wikipedia was launched in 2001 and it now features over 13 million articles in over 200 languages.
6.  Nokia manufactures 13 cell phones every second.

300

One of the main colours which stands out the most in this print advert is red, reason being as this film is a fighting film so this means that the red represents blood.  The colour red creates a violence atmosphere and mood as well as the people in the advert, this gives an idea to the audience that it has bloody scenes. The first pose which catches my eye is on my right hand side which is the human.  His pose seems very aggressive as it looks like he wants to fight reason being as his arms are wide out which could be relating to the enemies to come and fight me etc. Also his facial expressions show that he looks angry, this could also relate to the main colour in the advert which is red as anger could also relate to the colour red.  Each person in the advert has a fighting pose as they seem like they are ready to fight one another.  

The composition of the advert is that one army of fighters (good guys) are on the right hand side and on the left hand side are the enemies.  What shows that these two armies are split up is the main character when holding a spear in the middle of the advert.  This then splits up his army and the enemies, which I think is clear to the audience.  The text in this advert is rather quite small except for the title of the film which is 300.  The images are also quite small accept for the main character of the film who stands out the most in the advert.  This could give the audience a clear idea of who is the main characters in the film etc. 

The print advert I would say is a long shot as you can see the whole characters body from head to toe.  It is also a long shot as you can see more than one person as the people in the advert slowly decrease until you cannot see no one else this could relate to real life as from a far distance you cannot see no one except there face etc.   Other objects which are also displayed are swords and spears which represents a fighting film.  The setting of the film is located outside most likely on a battlefield.