A genre is how a film is categorising , this allows the audience to know what to expect in the film they have gone to see. If they go to see Happy feet it should be a family viewing and in the adventure genre.
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.
Quentin tarantino is a top action director his major titles are Pulp fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Kill bill and death proof. Born March 27, 1963 (1963-03-27)(age 48)
Michael Bay is known for his over the top Massive budget film. His honours include Transformers, the Texas chainsaw massacre,pearl harbour and Armageddon. Born February 17 1965 in Los Angeles California
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.
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.
Inception
The genre of the movie is action adventure-sci-fi
The conventions of this genre are usually a Good guy versus a villain which they continue to battle throughout the movie. There is usually a female character that works alongside the male character. There is almost always a chase scene this can be a foot chase , car , air or even sea. The main convention of this genre is that the good shall always prevail over the evil.
The key codes of the opening sequence are the the camera angles there are varied amounts of each sort from a close up on Leonardo Di Caprio when he is lying down on the beach then to the children playing on the beach time is slowed down. also the the facial expressions and costumes on the soldiers that find this man lying on the beach show these men are not friendly and the weapons also show that they will take the man by force if he does not cooperate.
The key signifiers in the opening sequence are the waves crashing at the very beginning this usually means that there is a storm driving these waves so this could relate to maybe something bad is about to happen.The armed men signify the bad side of this film but also the man lying on the beach has a weapon so we question who he is and what hes doing there.
The sequence tells us about the movie that its a mysterious and also a thriller it makes you wonder who these armed men are and how this man has ended up washed onto the beach also the deep powerful music makes you know that something big is about to happen
The audience targerted by this film are people who love puzzling fils and mysterious dramas also teenagers would like this paticular film thanks to the well known actor leonardo di caprio also there is alot of action to stimulate the younger genrations minds Guns, fights, explosions and chases are all in this film.
The conventions of this genre usually show people put in front of incredible feats to survive life threatening situations. The story involved in the movie can be fictional or true story based these movies usually focus on the battle itself with all of the action incorporated into a feature length film the action can be from a naval battle , air battle or land battle or all of these three could be put together. These films usually try to make the audience feel the real horror and heartbreak of war making them think what these brave men and women put them self through to protect the freedom of the country and its people.
The key codes in the opening sequence the civilians we can tell they are civilians by the costumes they are wearing normal day to day clothes this shows that these people have no part in the story of the war that is about to be shown. However the one man a frail weary looking man with a limp shows another side a war veteran his face looks ghostly and eyes small and tear filled these facial expressions give us the feeling that he is in constant pain from what he suffered in the war.
The key signifiers of the opening sequence are the American flag fluttering in the wind this tells us that the film is going to be about the American soldiers that served in WW2 also the flag seems to look worn and tired like the soldiers them selves. The music is slow and low but also calm and smooth and setting the scene. The group of people following behind this frail old man are all looking over at him concerned and empathising with him how he must feel as he enters the graveyard where his comrades lay in peace, The gravestones signify the sacrifice these men paid so a world could live in freedom and the veteran signify the pain and horror it leaves behind in these frail men that have to live with all of this pain for the rest of their lives.
The sequence of this movie gives me the expectations of a harrowing story of comradeship and the horror of war. You also expect it to be action packed as this genre usually entitles a lot of Gunfire explosions and death which you can tell by the large amount of gravestones into the opening scene and you expect a lot of sacrifice to save the friends and comrades this is what I got from the opening scene as the veteran has tear filled eyes looking for a paticular gravestone.
The target audience of this movie is adults maybe teenagers and also older generation this is because this war happened over 70 years ago so the older generation were young and remembered this horrible war very well also adults may have had fathers that fought in this war and this may give them satisfaction showing what there fathers did so they could have a life today and teenagers may find this appealing with all of the action and weapons and explosions.
The conventions of this genre are a dark eerie setting that creates a mood of tension and fear into the audience. the characters are usually weary faced and tired after being hunted by the evil characters. the sound is also vital for a horror movie its usually a slow paced eerie feel and when the action steps up the music also become faster and more high pitched giving the mood a now on edge and intense creating fear and making the audience jump at the slightest thing.
The key codes in this opening sequence are the soldiers there facial expressions they look war torn and have stressed out faces and look worried about what they are about to do. The clothing of the soldiers uniforms mean that these are military personal who aren't going to be treated lightly and carry weapons for firepower. the truck that the soldiers are huddled into is bouncing around as they try to rest proving that the area they are entering is run down and ravaged by war or some other activity.
The key signifiers are the word outpost which signifies a small military compound out of sight abandoned in a remote area this makes it an eerie and dangerous place to be. Also the title is colour red and appears out of nowhere like the living dead in the movie. The dogs in the background barking can signify that they sense danger or some unnatural activity in the area leaving the audience unsettled. The language in the opening sequence is not English which shows that they are in a foreign country which they are not familiar with.
The opening sequence tells us that the movie is going to be mysterious and dangerous as the mist rolling over the terrain gives it a eerie mysterious place and the soldier telling the other soldier that he recommends not going there this gives the audience tension figuring out what is so dangerous in this outpost. You expect to be frightened
with the title sequence the red outpost appears with a red glow usually a colour referred to by death and blood also the music with a slow pace but deep notes to give the bass more depth like a Thumping sound keep you on the edge of your seat.
The audiences being targeted are the younger generation and horror movie fans we can tell this because it has all the codes and conventions of horror and the younger generation love the gore the constant fright in horror movies whereas the older generation this would not be there thing and they would not view this movie.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
The genre of the movie is action horror
Three codes of this genre are camera angles these are used to create suspense and fear using closeups and goundlevel angles. Clothing ,hair and makeup are an example of symbolic code this is used to create a horror look to the cast of the film also setting and location another example of symbolic code this helps set the mood and create the fear within the scary backdrop.
Three conventions of this genre are a villain who is usually psychopathic and has his own way of killing his victims there is also a good character who conflicts with the villain and usually overcomes the killer at the end of the film fear is a main convention of horror. Each person has there own version of fear and can be scared by different things but the main aspect to horror is to put fear in to the audience.
The key signifiers in the poster are the red colouring of the word outpost this is the colour of blood and signifies violence also the smear marks beneath the outpost.The word outpost is also a signifier an outpost is a small military compound usually in a remote area hidden from sight setting the scene for a horror movie. The dark black surrounding around the soldiers on the poster signifies that these are not the good guys but the villains the back lighting gives them a demonic evil look and mood.
The denotative levels of meaning in the poster are a group of German soldiers with far from natural faces staring right at the one who is viewing the poster also the eagle with the skull is showing that these are far from average Nazi soldiers from ww2.
The connotative meanings in the poster are Hatred the Nazi soldiers of ww2 Germany were taught to hate everything non German by the dictator Adolf Hitler and these being the living dead there hatred is more intense. another meaning is death these being the living dead means that they were dead soldiers brought to life and are now hunting down there victims.
They are communicating to the audience in a subliminal way the hatred and the madness of the Nazi German regime and the experiments and evilness they exploited.
