The audience is important, without the audience no media text would be created as they wouldn't have anyone to watch there productions. Audiences provide income for the production companies as they pay to view and enjoy the films they create.
It is important for films to be advertised to get the audience to watch their film but they have to be aimed at the target audience of the film. This is called film categorising for example a young child would watch an animation or a film rated for the younger audience. This allows film producers to make sure that the film they are advertising is being viewed by the correct audience in order for it to be a success.
Media theories are used in order to manipulate the audience into believing what they are viewing.
Hypodermic needle effect
The hypodermic needle effect allows the media to mass manipulate there audience it was believed to have a massive effect on behaviour change. The media will manipulate the behaviour your thinking intelligent has no relevance as what the media tells you do not challenge it. The example for this theory would be that of a young child watching a violent movie this could change the kids behaviour into a violent one.
Uses and Gratifications theory
This theory suggests that the media satisfies the needs of the audience this puts the audience before the actual message itself. the media believes that the audience watches to get away from their own lives thus putting there selves in the film this helps forget about the problems of their own. They form a personal relationship with the characters, and do not distinguish between the actor and characters in real life.
Reception Analyse
This another theory where what they are watching is not passively accepted they instead base their own life on the media text which can cause problems in their own lives. Women can turn into anorexics in order for there bodies to look like the movie stars they inspire to be. The men also relate the movie stars bodies to there own although they are topped with airbrush and photo shop.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Friday, 4 November 2011
Narrative Theories research
Narrative has Long existed as long as human beings from the cave paintings in the 18th century France. The definition of narrative is the theory of storytelling this could be from being passed on through the generations of a family. It can be used to describe events Fictional or non-fictional this can be from songs television magazines etc. The story telling tradition of Once Upon a Time has a much deeper meaning with once inviting the subject into the narrative world where it is in the past tense. Then upon a time situates us in a world we know is different to our own and a time along ago.
Three Narrative theories
Vladimir Propp :
Vladamir Propp was a Russian critic who analysed over 100 Russian fairy tales he began classifying the characters into their actions and roles. A film that fits to Propps theory is star wars all of his character classifications tie in to the roles of the star wars characters. The new films released now however have become less easier to classify with some not fitting at all as times have changed.
The Hero: He leads the narrative usually seeking to find or solve something E.G A quest, crime.
The Villain: Conflicts with the Hero
The Heroine: Usually a reward or a prize for the hero
The Father: An authority figure offers a reward to hero completing his quest
The Helper: Helps the hero (sidekick)
The Donor: Gives something to help complete the quest
The Mentor: Teaches or guides the hero
Tzvetan Todorov:
Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian literary theorist he came up with the theory that most narratives started with a state of Equilibrium. This starts of with the normal day to day routine where the character is happy and enjoying his life. Then this state is tipped upside down in order for the normal state tot return they must find a way to return to the equilibrium. This is a more used theory as it fits in with a wide range of films even to now unlike Vladamir Propp's
Example of Todorov's theory
The Happening
Starts of as an average day for the protagonist
The Virus cloud Arrives and tips the main characters life over it causes people to commit mass suicide
They then try to escape from the cloud fighting back trying to return to the state of normality.
Claude Levi-Strauss:
Claude Levi-Strauss was a social Anthropologist who studied the myths of tribal cultures. In his work he began to look at how Narrative/Stories Unconsciously reflect the beliefs and values of a culture. These are called Binary Oppositions his research is still used by media theorists to reveal underlying themes and oppositions in a text. It can allows an audience to see who is the good and bad characters in a film
An Example of Binary oppositions
Good vs Bad
Strong vs Weak
Black vs White
Hard vs Soft
The most useful theory to use to create an effective opening for our film would be Tzvetan Todorov's. This will allow us to show how our characters life has changed from what he claims to be normality as we can choose what part of equilibrium the opening will consist of. If we chose to have disequilibrium we can have the fight to return back to normality opening the start of the film with lots of action and mystery making the audience want to carry on watching.
Bibliography
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/narrative/theory/what_narrative.htm
http://www.slideshare.net/guest9e3b3b/narrative-theory-2104298
Three Narrative theories
Vladimir Propp :
Vladamir Propp was a Russian critic who analysed over 100 Russian fairy tales he began classifying the characters into their actions and roles. A film that fits to Propps theory is star wars all of his character classifications tie in to the roles of the star wars characters. The new films released now however have become less easier to classify with some not fitting at all as times have changed.
The Hero: He leads the narrative usually seeking to find or solve something E.G A quest, crime.
The Villain: Conflicts with the Hero
The Heroine: Usually a reward or a prize for the hero
The Father: An authority figure offers a reward to hero completing his quest
The Helper: Helps the hero (sidekick)
The Donor: Gives something to help complete the quest
The Mentor: Teaches or guides the hero
Tzvetan Todorov:
Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian literary theorist he came up with the theory that most narratives started with a state of Equilibrium. This starts of with the normal day to day routine where the character is happy and enjoying his life. Then this state is tipped upside down in order for the normal state tot return they must find a way to return to the equilibrium. This is a more used theory as it fits in with a wide range of films even to now unlike Vladamir Propp's
Example of Todorov's theory
The Happening
Starts of as an average day for the protagonist
The Virus cloud Arrives and tips the main characters life over it causes people to commit mass suicide
They then try to escape from the cloud fighting back trying to return to the state of normality.
Claude Levi-Strauss:
Claude Levi-Strauss was a social Anthropologist who studied the myths of tribal cultures. In his work he began to look at how Narrative/Stories Unconsciously reflect the beliefs and values of a culture. These are called Binary Oppositions his research is still used by media theorists to reveal underlying themes and oppositions in a text. It can allows an audience to see who is the good and bad characters in a film
An Example of Binary oppositions
Good vs Bad
Strong vs Weak
Black vs White
Hard vs Soft
The most useful theory to use to create an effective opening for our film would be Tzvetan Todorov's. This will allow us to show how our characters life has changed from what he claims to be normality as we can choose what part of equilibrium the opening will consist of. If we chose to have disequilibrium we can have the fight to return back to normality opening the start of the film with lots of action and mystery making the audience want to carry on watching.
Bibliography
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/narrative/theory/what_narrative.htm
http://www.slideshare.net/guest9e3b3b/narrative-theory-2104298
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Final Cut Production
The idea for our role play was a sky sports news report outside the white house. It was a spoof with a goal report coming midway through a serious news report about aliens destroying the white house. It was a 29 second production where the timing had to be spot on in order for it to match the background. It was done using a blue curtain as a blue screen having one person standing in front of it covering the news report and two off set inside the studio talking over the camera. we came across a problem with final cut as the file type used by the camera was not compatible with Final cut express so we have now going to convert the files so that they are compatible. We had 30 minutes prep time to make sure the script was written and we could rehearse our production.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Primary research-Questionaire
What age group are you ?
Under 16 16-24 25-34 35-44 45+
What gender are you ?
Male Female
What is your favourite genre ?
Thriller Comedy Action Romantic Sci-Fi War
What makes you want to watch a film of the thriller genre ?
Cast Director Genre Trailer Storyline
What makes a good villain in a thriller ?
Serial Psycho Terrorist Convict
What is your favourite setting for a thriller?
City Centre Abandoned Building Workplace Other
What is your favourite character in a thriller ?
Hero Villain Heroine Other
What kind of weapon do you prefer ?
Gun Knife Bombs Psycohological (Derren Brown)
What is your favourite sub genre ?
Physcological-Thriller Horror-thriller Action-thriller other
What is your prefered ending to a thriller ?
Evil character surviving (Cliff hanger) Good Guy provailing Innocents Killed Unexpected
Under 16 16-24 25-34 35-44 45+
What gender are you ?
Male Female
What is your favourite genre ?
Thriller Comedy Action Romantic Sci-Fi War
What makes you want to watch a film of the thriller genre ?
Cast Director Genre Trailer Storyline
What makes a good villain in a thriller ?
Serial Psycho Terrorist Convict
What is your favourite setting for a thriller?
City Centre Abandoned Building Workplace Other
What is your favourite character in a thriller ?
Hero Villain Heroine Other
What kind of weapon do you prefer ?
Gun Knife Bombs Psycohological (Derren Brown)
What is your favourite sub genre ?
Physcological-Thriller Horror-thriller Action-thriller other
What is your prefered ending to a thriller ?
Evil character surviving (Cliff hanger) Good Guy provailing Innocents Killed Unexpected
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Genre research
The advantages of genre are it can reassure the audience in a unreasonable world. In the real world the Evil sometimes prevail over the Good. In the movies however this is not the case and almost all the time the good beats the evil and has a happy ending.
Genre offers a set of recognisable conventions such as a language. This is needed so that the audience know what to expect from the genre of film they are watching. This means if they go to watch a horror film they expect to see the conventions of this genre. For example fear,gore, and characters these help us to identify the genre.
An advantage for film producers is genre allows them to know if the film will fail or be a big success. They know certain people like certain genres so they know they can make the film a massive success. it is a strategy so that the audience can see if the film interests them enough to watch it.
Genre constantly changes , this is an advantage because it always allows the audience to watch the style of film they like but still experience a different format and style of acting and still be entertained.
The disadvantages of genre are we should be understanding how a film text functions in relation to genre, rather then being defined by them
We should acknowledge that a genre features will depend on the audiences own understanding. It relys on the audience understanding the genre and its conventions.
My chosen genre is action thriller as this is also the genre our film opening is.
During the 1920s and 1930s, action-based films were often "swashbuckling" adventure films in which Douglas Fairbanks wielded swords in period pieces or westerns.
The 1940s and 1950s saw "action" in the form of war and cowboy movies. Alfred Hitchcock almost single-handedly ushered in the spy-adventure genre, also firmly establishing the use of action-oriented "set pieces" like the famous crop-duster scene and the Mount Rushmore finale in "North by Northwest". That film, along with a war-adventure called "The Guns of Navaronne" directly inspired producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to invest in their own spy-adventure based on the novels of Ian Fleming.
The long-running success of the James Bond series (which easily dominated the 1960s) essentially introduced all the staples of the modern-day action film. The "Bond movies" were characterized by larger-than-life characters, such as the resourceful hero: a veritable "one-man army" who was able to dispatch villainous masterminds (and their disposable "henchmen") in ever-more creative ways, often followed by a ready one-liner. The Bond films also utilized quick cutting, car chases, fist fights, a variety of weapons and "gadgets", and ever more elaborate action sequences.
The Negotiator
The negotiator is a similar film to our own the genre is an action thriller. The camera angles vary throughout the film and a fast pace to make the audience feel on edge. This film perfectly demonstrated the thriller genre with its complicated plot full of twists to continually leave the audience guessing. The Character Samuel Jackson plays frames the main character by lying that he killed a police officer in cold blood. This makes the audience feel that he is a murderer and no remorse should be shown. The director used all of his production skills in order for the film to work and continually confuse the audience and separate whether to believe he is innocent or not. He used the main conventions of action and thriller with the explosions shootouts and the violence. Then the thrillers theme of twists in the plot and constant suspense throughout the film.
Our Film Treatment
The main theme is a man going to the extremes to clear his name and prove his innocence. He must make his family ,the government and everyone around him believe he is not responsible for the murder of the government official.
The distinctive main character is an average going guy with a normal day job as a car factory worker. He has a loving family with a wife and two kids. His life then turns upside down when he loses everything in his life that was important to him ,he then has nothing to lose.
The main characters goal is to make everyone believe he is innocent of everything pinned on him and gain the trust and love of his family back.
The ones that stand in his way however are the police the government and the the special agents .They are intent in pinning everything on top of him and driving him to extreme lengths.
The stake on him is his life,dignity and family without these three he has nothing to lose in order to keep driving him on to make sure he proves the corruption put upon him.
The location of this film opening is the suburbs of the city also he is being held and detained for a while inside an abandoned flat
The other main and distinctive character is the special agent who wants to make sure the real truth does not get out. That the innocent man will face the consequences and feel the wrath of the governments corruption enslaving the country.
The distinctive main character is an average going guy with a normal day job as a car factory worker. He has a loving family with a wife and two kids. His life then turns upside down when he loses everything in his life that was important to him ,he then has nothing to lose.
The main characters goal is to make everyone believe he is innocent of everything pinned on him and gain the trust and love of his family back.
The ones that stand in his way however are the police the government and the the special agents .They are intent in pinning everything on top of him and driving him to extreme lengths.
The stake on him is his life,dignity and family without these three he has nothing to lose in order to keep driving him on to make sure he proves the corruption put upon him.
The location of this film opening is the suburbs of the city also he is being held and detained for a while inside an abandoned flat
The other main and distinctive character is the special agent who wants to make sure the real truth does not get out. That the innocent man will face the consequences and feel the wrath of the governments corruption enslaving the country.
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