I asked a few people to complete the questionnaire that I made about mine and Stevie's medai coursework. The feedback was mainly positive, however there were a few main areas that they felt we could improve on.
How do think we made our piece appealing to our target audience of females?
The main reaction here was that we clearly showed our film was a romance movie, therefore would be likely to attract females. Moreover, the music played would be more likely to attract females than males.
Do you think we achieved good continuity in our film? How?
Most people agreed that we had quite a fluid piece, and they stated that we managed to do this by cutting the clips at the right times and making sure the actors were wearing the same costumes.
How effective were the opening scenes in setting up the characters for the rest of the film?
Most people said that we established the characters well because they knew that they were students and would eventually fall in love with each other.
What aspects of our film did you find particularly enjoyable?
Many people enjoyed the screeching of the record as Ophelia fell over and the split screen when Ophelia and Derek are walking through the school.
What are your thoughts on the music we chose?
Some people did not understand why we had used classical music, but they enjoyed the music we used at the end of the piece.
What do you think to the quality of the camera work/editing?
They agreed that the quality was high as the camera wasn't shaky. Also, they said that the editing was clean they liked the scene transitions.
How do you think we managed to portray the genre of romance to the audience?
The people answering the questionnaire felt like we portrayed the genre of romance by showing two characters with the use of parallel editing, making it obvious that they would meet and fall in love.
If you had the chance to re-create our film, what would you improve/change?
The majority of people said that they would change to costumes to make them more suiting the character's personalities and also the music to make the piece more appealing to and audience.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Evaluation
Draft 2
Stevie and I decided to begin our piece with a mid-shot of Ophelia, back towards the camera as she walks down the school drive. We felt that this kept to the usual conventions of the romance genre as it immediately showed who was the main character, because the camera was stuck firmly on following one person and it also created many enigma codes surrounding this character, because you don’t get to see her face straight away. The audience begin to wonder why she’s there, what she looks like, how she’s feeling. This is typical of a romance film as the plot is never given to you straight away, making the storyline seem complicated, which reflects the nature of the genre itself.
Moreover, with the use of parallel editing, Stevie and aimed to show that the two characters being shown were making their journeys across the school at the same time. This also adds the effect that these two characters are destined to meet one another, because their stories are intertwined. Again, this is typical of a romance movie because they generally have two protagonist characters that are, or will become to be, in a relationship with each other, and it is common for the editing of a film to show both of the characters’ stories together. For example, this kind of editing occurs frequently in Down with Love where Catcher Block and Barbara Novak are constantly shown in a split-screen clip to connote that the situation they are both in are happening at the same time.
Furthermore, most romance movies have a coincidental incident for the two protagonists to meet (if they do not already know each other) and Stevie and I feel that we managed to incorporate this element quite well. For example, in The Break-Up, Gary and Brooke first see each other at a baseball game. For our coincidental meeting, we had Ophelia trip over and drop her glasses as she was walking upstairs, just as Derek was coming downstairs. This incident made them both meet each other coincidently and also showed Derek to be a kind-hearted person; another convention of romance films – the male interest is good-natured.
I feel that we slightly pushed some forms of the romance genre as the names of the characters were slightly obscure. Usually in this particular genre of film, there are common, well-known, names or names that suggest beauty or decentness of character. However, it is pretty obvious that Ophelia is a Shakespearian name and, in comparison, Derek is definitely not. We aimed to show, through the names of the characters, that they are both very different and from equally different backgrounds, which is another convention of romance movies; opposites attract.
Stevie and I were aiming to show that Ophelia was from quite a high-class background, whereas Derek has emerged from a more middle to working-class background. However, this might not have been achieved as well as it could have done because of the costumes that the actors were wearing. Ophelia’s and Derek’s clothes did not suggest that they were from different social groups. This could have been improved by Ophelia wearing more upper-class/old fashioned clothes such as a mid-length skirt with tights/stockings and a ladies blouse. This could have been contrasted to improvements on Derek’s clothing; he might have worn an old, worn t-shirt, with ¾ length trousers and un-branded trainers. However, the location of the piece did show that they were both students and therefore more likely to enjoy the pastimes and entertainment. We also tried to show that Ophelia came from a wealthy background by the music that was played over the top of the first few scenes. It was a piece by Vivaldi, and stereotypically, classical music is associated with well-off people as they can afford to go to concerts and operas.
As the genre of romance is extremely common, it is likely that any well-known media institution would distribute our film. The majority of films, romance or not, have an element of love in them. Therefore, to have a whole film based on the idea of love and relationships means that it is probable many institutions might distribute our product. From previous research I found there was no dominant distributor of romance films, institutions such as; Paramount, Warner Bros., Tristar, Columbia etc. have all distributed big-named films. However, more extensive research I found a few films that were distributed by the same company. Grease, Titanic, Runaway Bride and Romeo and Juliet were all distributed by Paramount Pictures. Although these films also incorporate aspects of other genres, such as comedy/tragedy, the main theme of them is love and romance. I feel that Grease (although being a musical) relates the most to our piece because it is set in a school, with the two protagonists being students who are very different from each other, yet eventually fall in love. Therefore, as its distributor is Paramount Pictures, I believe it would be fitting for our piece because they are two similar products.
The audience for our product would be young to middle-aged women and teenagers. As the genre of our piece is romance, it would stereotypically attract women because they are perceived as being emotional and sympathetic, therefore can more easily relate to what is happening. As opposed to men, who stereotypically don’t go for all the slushy, romantic storylines. This product would also attract teenagers because of the location and age of the characters. Teenagers would have something to relate to and therefore are more likely to watch it because they can easily imagine themselves within the narrative and become absorbed in the film. I feel that our film would fulfil a person’s social needs from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People have to feel loved and have a sense of belonging; therefore if they watched this film, they could relate the events and emotions to ones in their lives and would consequently feel wanted and loved.
Stevie and I attempted to attract our audience by clearly showing them that it was a romance film. If that had not been obvious from the start then the audience may not have carried on watching it because they would be unsure as to whether it’s a film of their interest or not. To begin with, we made sure it was evident that the two characters being shown were to become the main characters of the film. Therefore, they knew straight away that they would meet and fall for each other. Moreover, the music that replaced and audio at the beginning of our piece also gave the audience a clue as to what the genre would be. Our choice of classical music is typically related to love and romance because of the orchestral values and soft harmonies. The parallel editing and split screen of Ophelia and Derek walking around the school connotes that they are eventually going to make their way towards one another, showing the audience that they are definitely going to fall for each other as the narrative unfolds. Moreover, as we see Ophelia walking towards the reception, it is clear that she is lost and/or nervous because she keeps looking at her new surroundings with unease and curiosity. This is a chance for the audience to realise that Derek will become the ‘hero’ and help Ophelia find her way around. When the two characters finally meet, Stevie and I have edited a scene to make it in slow motion, which shows that when Ophelia and Derek both reach out for the dropped glasses, it is highly significant. This is because the audience can see every detail of when they go for the spectacles, and they first time they touch. During the dialogue, Ophelia seems quite nervous and shy, which is contrasting to Derek, who appears to be quite calm and assured. When he offers to show her to student reception, this makes him out to be courteous and polite, which would make Ophelia warm instantly to him, showing the audience that it is likely they will fall in love with each other, due to this immediate attraction. Also, the titles of the film have a lot of the colour red in them, which is traditionally associated to love, and they also include hearts, which again, are typical of romance films.
An aspect of filming that I have gained experience in, is knowing the importance of using a variety of camera angles and shots. A match on action shot helps sustain a good level of continuity as it makes the film quite fluid and smooth because one shot shows her opening the reception doors, and the next we see her walking inside. During the first few scenes there was a high angle shot of Ophelia walking into reception, which connotes that she is inferior to the others around her because she is new to the school and isn’t familiar to the surroundings. Although this shot does its job in the way that it shows her vulnerability, I believe that the camera was in one position for too long, and Ophelia is lost for a large period of time. This could have been improved by incorporating a couple of different shots as she made her way upstairs, so the audience wouldn’t get bored. Also, another shot used is a close up of the dropped glasses which shows that they are important in bringing the two characters together, which essentially is central to the rest of the film. When the two characters converse, there are many over the shoulder shots to display reactions and they show which character is talking.
Because Stevie and I wanted to set our opening scenes at a school, it was important to make sure that we didn’t have too much going on around where we were filming, as the camera would have picked up a lot of background noise, and the continuity would have been poor. Therefore, we had to film during periods when it was quieter, so the quality of film would be higher.
I felt that I gained a lot of experience during the editing process of making our product. I learnt the importance of cutting clips with extreme precision, as every half a second can affect the continuity of the piece. This became an issue during the last few scenes when the positioning of the camera changes as Ophelia and Derek are walking along the reception corridor. We had to cut both of the clips at exactly the right moment in order to keep the fluidity of the film at a high level. Also, I learnt how to effectively put in scene transitions, for the clips to fade in and out as the titles were showing. It was important that there wasn’t just an abrupt cut at the end of the camera work to show the titles, by using transitions, it made the jump less noticeable. Furthermore, I gained experience in fading in and out the audio and non-diegetic music. This was essential because similar to the scenes, we couldn’t have a sharp start to music over a clip, we need to gradually bring it in. To make the audio of the film better, Stevie and I had to modify the background and foreground noise in a few of the scenes. In some cases, the background noise drowned out any conversation, so we had bring the levels of that noise down to a minimum, and then increase the volume of the foreground noise.
When I was assigned the preliminary task, the main focus was to ensure good continuity rather than high quality content. In comparison, the opening scenes to a film that I needed to produce for my coursework, I had to incorporate both of these elements. It was essential that I clearly displayed what the genre of the film was straight away and that I established the personalities of the characters. This would tell the audience what to expect from the upcoming scenes and what kind of narrative there would be. In order to achieve this, I used split screen to show both of the main characters at the same time, connoting that they are central to the plot. Also, I tried to display the personalities of the characters, something that I didn’t have to do in the preliminary task. Furthermore, I used more effects and transitions for my coursework piece, which made the end product flow more and have better continuity. I feel the quality of my work, using a camera/Adobe Premiere Elements etc., has greatly improved because I am now more aware of the difficulties and complications that filming and editing bring up. I had to make sure that we were filming in the right location at the right time, and that we got all the shots needed to make a good quality two minute piece. Once we started editing, it was crucial that Stevie and I carefully chose the right clips and put them together in way that presented to typical forms and convention of a romance movie.
Stevie and I decided to begin our piece with a mid-shot of Ophelia, back towards the camera as she walks down the school drive. We felt that this kept to the usual conventions of the romance genre as it immediately showed who was the main character, because the camera was stuck firmly on following one person and it also created many enigma codes surrounding this character, because you don’t get to see her face straight away. The audience begin to wonder why she’s there, what she looks like, how she’s feeling. This is typical of a romance film as the plot is never given to you straight away, making the storyline seem complicated, which reflects the nature of the genre itself.
Moreover, with the use of parallel editing, Stevie and aimed to show that the two characters being shown were making their journeys across the school at the same time. This also adds the effect that these two characters are destined to meet one another, because their stories are intertwined. Again, this is typical of a romance movie because they generally have two protagonist characters that are, or will become to be, in a relationship with each other, and it is common for the editing of a film to show both of the characters’ stories together. For example, this kind of editing occurs frequently in Down with Love where Catcher Block and Barbara Novak are constantly shown in a split-screen clip to connote that the situation they are both in are happening at the same time.
Furthermore, most romance movies have a coincidental incident for the two protagonists to meet (if they do not already know each other) and Stevie and I feel that we managed to incorporate this element quite well. For example, in The Break-Up, Gary and Brooke first see each other at a baseball game. For our coincidental meeting, we had Ophelia trip over and drop her glasses as she was walking upstairs, just as Derek was coming downstairs. This incident made them both meet each other coincidently and also showed Derek to be a kind-hearted person; another convention of romance films – the male interest is good-natured.
I feel that we slightly pushed some forms of the romance genre as the names of the characters were slightly obscure. Usually in this particular genre of film, there are common, well-known, names or names that suggest beauty or decentness of character. However, it is pretty obvious that Ophelia is a Shakespearian name and, in comparison, Derek is definitely not. We aimed to show, through the names of the characters, that they are both very different and from equally different backgrounds, which is another convention of romance movies; opposites attract.
Stevie and I were aiming to show that Ophelia was from quite a high-class background, whereas Derek has emerged from a more middle to working-class background. However, this might not have been achieved as well as it could have done because of the costumes that the actors were wearing. Ophelia’s and Derek’s clothes did not suggest that they were from different social groups. This could have been improved by Ophelia wearing more upper-class/old fashioned clothes such as a mid-length skirt with tights/stockings and a ladies blouse. This could have been contrasted to improvements on Derek’s clothing; he might have worn an old, worn t-shirt, with ¾ length trousers and un-branded trainers. However, the location of the piece did show that they were both students and therefore more likely to enjoy the pastimes and entertainment. We also tried to show that Ophelia came from a wealthy background by the music that was played over the top of the first few scenes. It was a piece by Vivaldi, and stereotypically, classical music is associated with well-off people as they can afford to go to concerts and operas.
As the genre of romance is extremely common, it is likely that any well-known media institution would distribute our film. The majority of films, romance or not, have an element of love in them. Therefore, to have a whole film based on the idea of love and relationships means that it is probable many institutions might distribute our product. From previous research I found there was no dominant distributor of romance films, institutions such as; Paramount, Warner Bros., Tristar, Columbia etc. have all distributed big-named films. However, more extensive research I found a few films that were distributed by the same company. Grease, Titanic, Runaway Bride and Romeo and Juliet were all distributed by Paramount Pictures. Although these films also incorporate aspects of other genres, such as comedy/tragedy, the main theme of them is love and romance. I feel that Grease (although being a musical) relates the most to our piece because it is set in a school, with the two protagonists being students who are very different from each other, yet eventually fall in love. Therefore, as its distributor is Paramount Pictures, I believe it would be fitting for our piece because they are two similar products.
The audience for our product would be young to middle-aged women and teenagers. As the genre of our piece is romance, it would stereotypically attract women because they are perceived as being emotional and sympathetic, therefore can more easily relate to what is happening. As opposed to men, who stereotypically don’t go for all the slushy, romantic storylines. This product would also attract teenagers because of the location and age of the characters. Teenagers would have something to relate to and therefore are more likely to watch it because they can easily imagine themselves within the narrative and become absorbed in the film. I feel that our film would fulfil a person’s social needs from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People have to feel loved and have a sense of belonging; therefore if they watched this film, they could relate the events and emotions to ones in their lives and would consequently feel wanted and loved.
Stevie and I attempted to attract our audience by clearly showing them that it was a romance film. If that had not been obvious from the start then the audience may not have carried on watching it because they would be unsure as to whether it’s a film of their interest or not. To begin with, we made sure it was evident that the two characters being shown were to become the main characters of the film. Therefore, they knew straight away that they would meet and fall for each other. Moreover, the music that replaced and audio at the beginning of our piece also gave the audience a clue as to what the genre would be. Our choice of classical music is typically related to love and romance because of the orchestral values and soft harmonies. The parallel editing and split screen of Ophelia and Derek walking around the school connotes that they are eventually going to make their way towards one another, showing the audience that they are definitely going to fall for each other as the narrative unfolds. Moreover, as we see Ophelia walking towards the reception, it is clear that she is lost and/or nervous because she keeps looking at her new surroundings with unease and curiosity. This is a chance for the audience to realise that Derek will become the ‘hero’ and help Ophelia find her way around. When the two characters finally meet, Stevie and I have edited a scene to make it in slow motion, which shows that when Ophelia and Derek both reach out for the dropped glasses, it is highly significant. This is because the audience can see every detail of when they go for the spectacles, and they first time they touch. During the dialogue, Ophelia seems quite nervous and shy, which is contrasting to Derek, who appears to be quite calm and assured. When he offers to show her to student reception, this makes him out to be courteous and polite, which would make Ophelia warm instantly to him, showing the audience that it is likely they will fall in love with each other, due to this immediate attraction. Also, the titles of the film have a lot of the colour red in them, which is traditionally associated to love, and they also include hearts, which again, are typical of romance films.
An aspect of filming that I have gained experience in, is knowing the importance of using a variety of camera angles and shots. A match on action shot helps sustain a good level of continuity as it makes the film quite fluid and smooth because one shot shows her opening the reception doors, and the next we see her walking inside. During the first few scenes there was a high angle shot of Ophelia walking into reception, which connotes that she is inferior to the others around her because she is new to the school and isn’t familiar to the surroundings. Although this shot does its job in the way that it shows her vulnerability, I believe that the camera was in one position for too long, and Ophelia is lost for a large period of time. This could have been improved by incorporating a couple of different shots as she made her way upstairs, so the audience wouldn’t get bored. Also, another shot used is a close up of the dropped glasses which shows that they are important in bringing the two characters together, which essentially is central to the rest of the film. When the two characters converse, there are many over the shoulder shots to display reactions and they show which character is talking.
Because Stevie and I wanted to set our opening scenes at a school, it was important to make sure that we didn’t have too much going on around where we were filming, as the camera would have picked up a lot of background noise, and the continuity would have been poor. Therefore, we had to film during periods when it was quieter, so the quality of film would be higher.
I felt that I gained a lot of experience during the editing process of making our product. I learnt the importance of cutting clips with extreme precision, as every half a second can affect the continuity of the piece. This became an issue during the last few scenes when the positioning of the camera changes as Ophelia and Derek are walking along the reception corridor. We had to cut both of the clips at exactly the right moment in order to keep the fluidity of the film at a high level. Also, I learnt how to effectively put in scene transitions, for the clips to fade in and out as the titles were showing. It was important that there wasn’t just an abrupt cut at the end of the camera work to show the titles, by using transitions, it made the jump less noticeable. Furthermore, I gained experience in fading in and out the audio and non-diegetic music. This was essential because similar to the scenes, we couldn’t have a sharp start to music over a clip, we need to gradually bring it in. To make the audio of the film better, Stevie and I had to modify the background and foreground noise in a few of the scenes. In some cases, the background noise drowned out any conversation, so we had bring the levels of that noise down to a minimum, and then increase the volume of the foreground noise.
When I was assigned the preliminary task, the main focus was to ensure good continuity rather than high quality content. In comparison, the opening scenes to a film that I needed to produce for my coursework, I had to incorporate both of these elements. It was essential that I clearly displayed what the genre of the film was straight away and that I established the personalities of the characters. This would tell the audience what to expect from the upcoming scenes and what kind of narrative there would be. In order to achieve this, I used split screen to show both of the main characters at the same time, connoting that they are central to the plot. Also, I tried to display the personalities of the characters, something that I didn’t have to do in the preliminary task. Furthermore, I used more effects and transitions for my coursework piece, which made the end product flow more and have better continuity. I feel the quality of my work, using a camera/Adobe Premiere Elements etc., has greatly improved because I am now more aware of the difficulties and complications that filming and editing bring up. I had to make sure that we were filming in the right location at the right time, and that we got all the shots needed to make a good quality two minute piece. Once we started editing, it was crucial that Stevie and I carefully chose the right clips and put them together in way that presented to typical forms and convention of a romance movie.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Evaluation
Stevie and I decided to begin our piece with a mid-shot of Ophelia, back towards the camera as she walks down the school drive. We felt that this kept to the usual conventions of the romance genre as it immediately showed who was the main character, because the camera was stuck firmly on following one person and it also created many enigma codes surrounding this character, because you don’t get to see her face straight away. The audience begin to wonder why she’s there, what she looks like, how she’s feeling. This is typical of a romance film as the plot is never given to you straight away, making the storyline seem complicated, which reflects the nature of the genre itself.
Moreover, with the use of parallel editing, Stevie and aimed to show that the two characters being shown were making their journeys across the school at the same time. This also adds the effect that these two characters are destined to meet one another, because their stories are intertwined. Again, this is typical of a romance movie because they generally have two protagonist characters that are, or will become to be, in a relationship with each other, and it is common for the editing of a film to show both of the characters’ stories together.
Furthermore, most romance movies have a coincidental incident for the two protagonists to meet (if they do not already know each other) and Stevie and I feel that we managed to incorporate this element quite well. We had Ophelia trip over and drop her glasses as she was walking upstairs, just as Derek was coming downstairs. This incident made them both meet each other coincidently and also showed Derek to be a kind-hearted person; another convention of romance films – the male interest is good-natured.
I feel that we slightly pushed some forms of the romance genre as the names of the characters were slightly obscure. Usually in this particular genre of film, there are common, well-known, names or names that suggest beauty or decentness of character. However, it is pretty obvious that Ophelia is a Shakespearian name and, in comparison, Derek is definitely not. We aimed to show, through the names of the characters, that they are both very different and from equally different backgrounds, which is another convention of romance movies; opposites attract.
Stevie and I were aiming to show that Ophelia was from quite a high-class background, whereas Derek has emerged from a more middle to working-class background. However, this might not have been achieved as well as it could have done because of the costumes that the actors were wearing. Ophelia’s and Derek’s clothes did not suggest that they were from different social groups. However, the location of the piece did show that they were both students and therefore more likely to enjoy the past times and entertainment.
As the genre of romance is extremely common, it is likely that any well-known media institution would distribute our film. The majority of films, romance or not, have an element of love in them. Therefore, to have a whole film based on the idea of love and relationships means that it is probable many institutions might distribute our product. From previous research I found there was no dominant distributor of romance films, institutions such as; Paramount, Warner Bros., Tristar, Columbia etc. have all distributed big-named films. However, more extensive research I found a few films that were distributed by the same company. Grease, Titanic, Runaway Bride and Romeo and Juliet were all distributed by Paramount Pictures. Although these films also incorporate aspects of other genres, such as comedy/tragedy, the main theme of them is love and romance. I feel that Grease (although being a musical) relates the most to our piece because it is set in a school, with the two protagonists being students who are very different from each other, yet eventually fall in love. Therefore, as its distributor is Paramount Pictures, I believe it would be fitting for our piece because they are two similar products.
The audience for our product would be women and teenagers. As the genre of our piece is romance, it would stereotypically attract women because they are perceived as being emotional and sympathetic, therefore can more easily relate to what is happening. As opposed to men, who stereotypically don’t go for all the slushy, romantic storylines. This product would also attract teenagers because of the location and age of the characters. Teenagers would have something to relate to and therefore are more likely to watch it because they can easily imagine themselves within the narrative and become absorbed in the film.
Stevie and I attempted to attract our audience by clearly showing them that it was a romance film. If that had not been obvious from the start then the audience may not have carried on watching it because they would be unsure as to whether it’s a film of their interest or not. To begin with, we made sure it was evident that the two characters being shown were to become the main characters of the film. Therefore, they knew straight away that they would meet and fall for each other. Moreover, the music that replaced and audio at the beginning of our piece also gave the audience a clue as to what the genre would be. Our choice of classical music is typically related to love and romance because of the orchestral values and soft harmonies. The parallel editing and split screen of Ophelia and Derek walking around the school connotes that they are eventually going to make their way towards one another, showing the audience that they are definitely going to fall for each other as the narrative unfolds. Moreover, as we see Ophelia walking towards the reception, it is clear that she is lost and/or nervous because she keeps looking at her new surroundings with unease and curiosity. This is a chance for the audience to realise that Derek will become the ‘hero’ and help Ophelia find her way around. When the two characters finally meet, Stevie and I have edited a scene to make it in slow motion, which shows that when Ophelia and Derek both reach out for the dropped glasses, it is highly significant. This is because the audience can see every detail of when they go for the spectacles, and they first time they touch. During the dialogue, Ophelia seems quite nervous and shy, which is contrasting to Derek, who appears to be quite calm and assured. When he offers to show her to student reception, this makes him out to be courteous and polite, which would make Ophelia warm instantly to him, showing the audience that it is likely they will fall in love with each other, due to this immediate attraction. Also, the titles of the film have a lot of the colour red in them, which is traditionally associated to love, and they also include hearts, which again, are typical of romance films.
An aspect of filming that I have gained experience in, is knowing the importance of using a variety of camera angles and shots. A match on action shot helps sustain a good level of continuity as it makes the film quite fluid and smooth because one shot shows her opening the reception doors, and the next we see her walking inside. During the first few scenes there was a high angle shot of Ophelia walking into reception, which connotes that she is inferior to the others around her because she is new to the school and isn’t familiar to the surroundings. Also, there is a close up of the dropped glasses which shows that they are important in bringing the two characters together, which essentially is central to the rest of the film. When the two characters converse, there are many over the shoulder shots to display reactions and they show which character is talking.
Because Stevie and I wanted to set our opening scenes at a school, it was important to make sure that we didn’t have too much going on around where we were filming, as the camera would have picked up a lot of background noise, and the continuity would have been poor. Therefore, we had to film during periods when it was quieter, so the quality of film would be higher.
I felt that I gained a lot of experience during the editing process of making our product. I learnt the importance of cutting clips with extreme precision, as every half a second can affect the continuity of the piece. This became an issue during the last few scenes when the positioning of the camera changes as Ophelia and Derek are walking along the reception corridor. We had to cut both of the clips at exactly the right moment in order to keep the fluidity of the film at a high level. Also, I learnt how to effectively put in scene transitions, for the clips to fade in and out as the titles were showing. It was important that there wasn’t just an abrupt cut at the end of the camera work to show the titles, by using transitions, it made the jump less noticeable. Furthermore, I gained experience in fading in and out the audio and non-diegetic music. This was essential because similar to the scenes, we couldn’t have a sharp start to music over a clip, we need to gradually bring it in.
When I was assigned the preliminary task, the main focus was to ensure good continuity rather than high quality content. In comparison, the opening scenes to a film that I needed to produce for my coursework, I had to incorporate both of these elements. It was essential that I clearly displayed what the genre of the film was straight away and that I established the personalities of the characters. This would tell the audience what to expect from the upcoming scenes and what kind of narrative there would be. In order to achieve this, I used split screen to show both of the main characters at the same time, connoting that they are central to the plot. Also, I tried to display the personalities of the characters, something that I didn’t have to do in the preliminary task. Furthermore, I used more effects and transitions for my coursework piece, which made the end product flow more and have better continuity.
Moreover, with the use of parallel editing, Stevie and aimed to show that the two characters being shown were making their journeys across the school at the same time. This also adds the effect that these two characters are destined to meet one another, because their stories are intertwined. Again, this is typical of a romance movie because they generally have two protagonist characters that are, or will become to be, in a relationship with each other, and it is common for the editing of a film to show both of the characters’ stories together.
Furthermore, most romance movies have a coincidental incident for the two protagonists to meet (if they do not already know each other) and Stevie and I feel that we managed to incorporate this element quite well. We had Ophelia trip over and drop her glasses as she was walking upstairs, just as Derek was coming downstairs. This incident made them both meet each other coincidently and also showed Derek to be a kind-hearted person; another convention of romance films – the male interest is good-natured.
I feel that we slightly pushed some forms of the romance genre as the names of the characters were slightly obscure. Usually in this particular genre of film, there are common, well-known, names or names that suggest beauty or decentness of character. However, it is pretty obvious that Ophelia is a Shakespearian name and, in comparison, Derek is definitely not. We aimed to show, through the names of the characters, that they are both very different and from equally different backgrounds, which is another convention of romance movies; opposites attract.
Stevie and I were aiming to show that Ophelia was from quite a high-class background, whereas Derek has emerged from a more middle to working-class background. However, this might not have been achieved as well as it could have done because of the costumes that the actors were wearing. Ophelia’s and Derek’s clothes did not suggest that they were from different social groups. However, the location of the piece did show that they were both students and therefore more likely to enjoy the past times and entertainment.
As the genre of romance is extremely common, it is likely that any well-known media institution would distribute our film. The majority of films, romance or not, have an element of love in them. Therefore, to have a whole film based on the idea of love and relationships means that it is probable many institutions might distribute our product. From previous research I found there was no dominant distributor of romance films, institutions such as; Paramount, Warner Bros., Tristar, Columbia etc. have all distributed big-named films. However, more extensive research I found a few films that were distributed by the same company. Grease, Titanic, Runaway Bride and Romeo and Juliet were all distributed by Paramount Pictures. Although these films also incorporate aspects of other genres, such as comedy/tragedy, the main theme of them is love and romance. I feel that Grease (although being a musical) relates the most to our piece because it is set in a school, with the two protagonists being students who are very different from each other, yet eventually fall in love. Therefore, as its distributor is Paramount Pictures, I believe it would be fitting for our piece because they are two similar products.
The audience for our product would be women and teenagers. As the genre of our piece is romance, it would stereotypically attract women because they are perceived as being emotional and sympathetic, therefore can more easily relate to what is happening. As opposed to men, who stereotypically don’t go for all the slushy, romantic storylines. This product would also attract teenagers because of the location and age of the characters. Teenagers would have something to relate to and therefore are more likely to watch it because they can easily imagine themselves within the narrative and become absorbed in the film.
Stevie and I attempted to attract our audience by clearly showing them that it was a romance film. If that had not been obvious from the start then the audience may not have carried on watching it because they would be unsure as to whether it’s a film of their interest or not. To begin with, we made sure it was evident that the two characters being shown were to become the main characters of the film. Therefore, they knew straight away that they would meet and fall for each other. Moreover, the music that replaced and audio at the beginning of our piece also gave the audience a clue as to what the genre would be. Our choice of classical music is typically related to love and romance because of the orchestral values and soft harmonies. The parallel editing and split screen of Ophelia and Derek walking around the school connotes that they are eventually going to make their way towards one another, showing the audience that they are definitely going to fall for each other as the narrative unfolds. Moreover, as we see Ophelia walking towards the reception, it is clear that she is lost and/or nervous because she keeps looking at her new surroundings with unease and curiosity. This is a chance for the audience to realise that Derek will become the ‘hero’ and help Ophelia find her way around. When the two characters finally meet, Stevie and I have edited a scene to make it in slow motion, which shows that when Ophelia and Derek both reach out for the dropped glasses, it is highly significant. This is because the audience can see every detail of when they go for the spectacles, and they first time they touch. During the dialogue, Ophelia seems quite nervous and shy, which is contrasting to Derek, who appears to be quite calm and assured. When he offers to show her to student reception, this makes him out to be courteous and polite, which would make Ophelia warm instantly to him, showing the audience that it is likely they will fall in love with each other, due to this immediate attraction. Also, the titles of the film have a lot of the colour red in them, which is traditionally associated to love, and they also include hearts, which again, are typical of romance films.
An aspect of filming that I have gained experience in, is knowing the importance of using a variety of camera angles and shots. A match on action shot helps sustain a good level of continuity as it makes the film quite fluid and smooth because one shot shows her opening the reception doors, and the next we see her walking inside. During the first few scenes there was a high angle shot of Ophelia walking into reception, which connotes that she is inferior to the others around her because she is new to the school and isn’t familiar to the surroundings. Also, there is a close up of the dropped glasses which shows that they are important in bringing the two characters together, which essentially is central to the rest of the film. When the two characters converse, there are many over the shoulder shots to display reactions and they show which character is talking.
Because Stevie and I wanted to set our opening scenes at a school, it was important to make sure that we didn’t have too much going on around where we were filming, as the camera would have picked up a lot of background noise, and the continuity would have been poor. Therefore, we had to film during periods when it was quieter, so the quality of film would be higher.
I felt that I gained a lot of experience during the editing process of making our product. I learnt the importance of cutting clips with extreme precision, as every half a second can affect the continuity of the piece. This became an issue during the last few scenes when the positioning of the camera changes as Ophelia and Derek are walking along the reception corridor. We had to cut both of the clips at exactly the right moment in order to keep the fluidity of the film at a high level. Also, I learnt how to effectively put in scene transitions, for the clips to fade in and out as the titles were showing. It was important that there wasn’t just an abrupt cut at the end of the camera work to show the titles, by using transitions, it made the jump less noticeable. Furthermore, I gained experience in fading in and out the audio and non-diegetic music. This was essential because similar to the scenes, we couldn’t have a sharp start to music over a clip, we need to gradually bring it in.
When I was assigned the preliminary task, the main focus was to ensure good continuity rather than high quality content. In comparison, the opening scenes to a film that I needed to produce for my coursework, I had to incorporate both of these elements. It was essential that I clearly displayed what the genre of the film was straight away and that I established the personalities of the characters. This would tell the audience what to expect from the upcoming scenes and what kind of narrative there would be. In order to achieve this, I used split screen to show both of the main characters at the same time, connoting that they are central to the plot. Also, I tried to display the personalities of the characters, something that I didn’t have to do in the preliminary task. Furthermore, I used more effects and transitions for my coursework piece, which made the end product flow more and have better continuity.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Filming
In yesterday's lesson, Stevie and I made a couple of titles, which we then added into our piece, and used the cross dissolve video transition between the scenes so that the titles faded in and out.
Also, we added our chosen music to the beginning scenes, which give a happy feel to our piece, right at the start.
Also, we added our chosen music to the beginning scenes, which give a happy feel to our piece, right at the start.
Filming
During Monday's lesson we uploaded the rest of the footage that we filmed on Thursday. Stevie and I managed to cut the scenes down to under two minutes, with time to spare to add in titles.
We then rearranged the scenes so that the shots of Ophelia and Derek were put together as if happening at the same time - parallel editing.
After, we deleted the audio at the beginning of the piece so we could later add in our music. We also changed the levels of background noise and conversation so it was easier to hear the dialogue.
We then rearranged the scenes so that the shots of Ophelia and Derek were put together as if happening at the same time - parallel editing.
After, we deleted the audio at the beginning of the piece so we could later add in our music. We also changed the levels of background noise and conversation so it was easier to hear the dialogue.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Filming
Today, Stevie, Omi and I filmed the remaining scenes for our opening sequence.
We decided to add a few scenes of Omi (Derek) walking through a corridor to build up his character, and we though it would be a good idea to use split screen with Derek and Ophelia in the beginning scenes.
We then filmed the last part of Ophelia's journey towards the reception, culminating with her walking in the double doors and up the stairs.
We decided to add a few scenes of Omi (Derek) walking through a corridor to build up his character, and we though it would be a good idea to use split screen with Derek and Ophelia in the beginning scenes.
We then filmed the last part of Ophelia's journey towards the reception, culminating with her walking in the double doors and up the stairs.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Set
Our set will be in a school, which is vital for our piece, as the two protagonists are students.
In the beginning, the shooting will take place up a school drive and into the grounds to show the journey that Ophelia has to make. This also emphasises her nervousness because the walk is long and drawn out, to make it seem like it is taking forever for her to actually enter her new school.
The following scenes will take place inside the main, school reception - a likely place for a new student to meet someone who will help her get to know her surroundings.
The end shot is in a corridor, which is again fitting for a school based film, and it also connotes that the two characters will soon become firm friends, because it is just the two of them walking together.
In the beginning, the shooting will take place up a school drive and into the grounds to show the journey that Ophelia has to make. This also emphasises her nervousness because the walk is long and drawn out, to make it seem like it is taking forever for her to actually enter her new school.
The following scenes will take place inside the main, school reception - a likely place for a new student to meet someone who will help her get to know her surroundings.
The end shot is in a corridor, which is again fitting for a school based film, and it also connotes that the two characters will soon become firm friends, because it is just the two of them walking together.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
The Script
Saving Ophelia
Ophelia makes her way up the school drive, into the school reception building and ascends the stairs. Near the top, she trips over a step and her glasses fall off onto the hallway floor. As she reaches for them, another hand does too and they touch for a few seconds. Ophelia and Derek look at each wide-eyed, before Ophelia pulls back her hand quickly and blushes.
Derek: Here you go.
He smiles as they both straighten up and he hands her the glasses, Ophelia still looking at the floor and blushing.
Derek: Are you new here?
Ophelia: (Nodding) Yes.
Derek: Would you like me to show you to the student office?
Ophelia: Um, okay, yes, thank you…
Derek starts off down the hallway, glances back over his shoulder and smiles at Ophelia.
Derek: This way then.
As they walk away down the hallway:
Derek: I’m Derek, by the way.
Ophelia: I’m Ophelia.
Ophelia makes her way up the school drive, into the school reception building and ascends the stairs. Near the top, she trips over a step and her glasses fall off onto the hallway floor. As she reaches for them, another hand does too and they touch for a few seconds. Ophelia and Derek look at each wide-eyed, before Ophelia pulls back her hand quickly and blushes.
Derek: Here you go.
He smiles as they both straighten up and he hands her the glasses, Ophelia still looking at the floor and blushing.
Derek: Are you new here?
Ophelia: (Nodding) Yes.
Derek: Would you like me to show you to the student office?
Ophelia: Um, okay, yes, thank you…
Derek starts off down the hallway, glances back over his shoulder and smiles at Ophelia.
Derek: This way then.
As they walk away down the hallway:
Derek: I’m Derek, by the way.
Ophelia: I’m Ophelia.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Filming
In todays lesson Stevie and I began to edit our coursework piece. We uploaded everything from the camera to the computer and deleted what we didn't need. We then began to spilt some scenes ready for adding titles and sound (music).
We felt that some of the scenes are not as fluid as they could be, yet we think that they can be corrected in another lesson of editing.
We felt that some of the scenes are not as fluid as they could be, yet we think that they can be corrected in another lesson of editing.
Filming
During Thursdays lesson Stevie and I filmed the main bulk of our coursework piece. After a few difficulties securing an actor to play Derek (our first actor refused to play the part) we managed to find someone to act for us (Omi).
It was pretty successful and we didn't come across any major difficulties. However, after playing it back we discovered that there was a lot of background noise, something we'll have to sort out whilst editing.
The only thing left to film now is the middle section where Ophelia is walking towards to the reception, which we can do during Mondays lesson.
It was pretty successful and we didn't come across any major difficulties. However, after playing it back we discovered that there was a lot of background noise, something we'll have to sort out whilst editing.
The only thing left to film now is the middle section where Ophelia is walking towards to the reception, which we can do during Mondays lesson.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Filming
During Mondays lesson Stevie and I began filming for our coursework piece. After struggling to find actors we decided that I would play the part of Ophelia. That way, it would be easier to direct the piece beacuse I know the plot/camera angles/script very well.
We managed to capture the very opening scene, as Ophelia walks up the school drive. When we got back to the classroom we uploaded the film and used Adobe Premiere Elements to edit what we had done.
In the next lesson, we are planning to film the scenes where Ophelia and Derek meet for the first time.
We managed to capture the very opening scene, as Ophelia walks up the school drive. When we got back to the classroom we uploaded the film and used Adobe Premiere Elements to edit what we had done.
In the next lesson, we are planning to film the scenes where Ophelia and Derek meet for the first time.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Film Name
Stevie and I have decided to call our film Saving Ophelia. We feel that this is a typical name for a romance movie and many people would guess that the film we are producing is of the genre of love by just knowing the name. The fact that they know the main character has to be saved shows them that there will be an element of tragic love, making the audience sympathetic towards her already. Therefore when they come to watch the film they will instantly feel a connection with her and be drawn in to watching the opening.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Whole Film Treatment
This is the treatment for the whole of the film that Stevie and I have created.
The first thing we see is a black screen and the only thing we can hear are diegetic footsteps. The production/distribution company titles fade in and out and then the black screen fades into a mid shot of a pair of female legs. As of yet we cannot see her body and camera follows her on her journey. The girl, Ophelia, 16 years old, walks up a school drive, approximately 80 meters in length. On the left side there is a white stone fence, separating the drive from a street of houses, and on the right side a row of high bushes keeping the students away from the cars driving in and out of the car park. The drive eases left; Ophelia makes her way through some tall green gates and enters the school. On her left is a large building, in the rough shape of an octagon, seemingly very modern During her walk the screen fades to black as the titles fade in and out. In front of her, once the screen switches back to the action, slightly on her left is a long translucent tunnel, in the style of a bus shelter. Ophelia makes her way up a couple of steps and gradually starts to get into the heart of the school. Finally, she stops and the camera tilts up and zooms in to reveal a sign that says ‘RECEPTION’. The camera holds that position until finally tilting back down and zooming out to a long-shot to show the double entrances doors swing shut, connoting that Ophelia has entered the building. Downstairs in the reception area there is a pond with fish swimming around, and foliage surrounding it. On the walls are pictures of students, past and present engaging in activities that the school has to offer. In the top right hand corner of the room there is a set of double doors, which lead into the school hall. Ophelia walks up the stairway, which is in the middle of the room; the camera is positioned at the top of the stairs-high angle shot- so the audience can see her progressing upwards. Finally, as she makes it to the top, she trips and the glasses she is wearing fall off. A close up of them reveal that they are not broken and two hands reach out to pick them up. Slowly the camera zooms out to show who’s the other pair of hands belong to, a male student. Ophelia and the boy are looking in surprise at each other, both still holding the pair of glasses. He is the first to take control and break the silence, ‘Here-’He hands her, her glasses and they both straighten up. The camera switches to over Ophelia’s shoulder, again he speaks, ‘Are you the new student here?’The camera now moves to over the boy’s shoulder, she nods and then looks down, apparently too embarrassed to speak to him. Then the camera moves back to an over the shoulder shot to show Ophelia. ‘Follow me.’The boy turns and walks past the reception and down a corridor, Ophelia follows him. The screen fades to black as the movie title appear and we can hear some diegetic footsteps as they make their way to the student office.
The next scene takes place in the student office, and we find out that the boy is called Derek. Over time, Ophelia gets used to her new school and settles in to a group of classmates; she begins talking to Derek regularly and the two get to know each other. They agree to go on a date to the cinema and this is where their first kiss takes place - on Ophelia’s doorstep after Derek has walked her home.
The next day, Ophelia wakes up feeling exuberant and lighthearted and is gliding around her house merrily when, all of a sudden, she is agonized by a horrendous pain in her skull. She crumples to the kitchen floor and her mum and dad ring emergency services to be rushed to hospital.
A doctor enters the room and Ophelia is sitting in her hospital bed, he regrettably has to give her some terrible news; she has an extremely rare condition that can be deadly unless treated early, yet it is undetectable until too late. He informs her that she must have surgery if she has any chance of surviving, but odds of it being completely successful are half and half. She breaks down and is in floors of tears.
As she exits the hospital, a grief-stricken Derek rushes up to meet her. He says that a teacher at school had told him what happened and tells her of his worry for her. Ophelia tries to convince him that she will be fine, but breaks into sobs of tears halfway through.
Prior to the surgery, Derek and Ophelia spend most of their time together and it is obvious that they have fallen in love. He helps her get through the end of year exams, even when she has no energy and in too much agony to think. By way of thanks, she begins teaching him to play the piano, which is her main passion in life. Her dream is to become a great pianist.
On the day of the surgery, Derek accompanies Ophelia to the hospital for moral support. He continues to be with her for as long as he can, until she is injected with anesthetic and the nurses are forcing him away from her. He paces up and down the hospital waiting room for hours on end, without news of how she is. Finally, she surfaces from the surgery room but the doctors are not able to talk about it. He curls up on the bed beside her, and that is where he is when she eventually wakes up.
The first thing we see is a black screen and the only thing we can hear are diegetic footsteps. The production/distribution company titles fade in and out and then the black screen fades into a mid shot of a pair of female legs. As of yet we cannot see her body and camera follows her on her journey. The girl, Ophelia, 16 years old, walks up a school drive, approximately 80 meters in length. On the left side there is a white stone fence, separating the drive from a street of houses, and on the right side a row of high bushes keeping the students away from the cars driving in and out of the car park. The drive eases left; Ophelia makes her way through some tall green gates and enters the school. On her left is a large building, in the rough shape of an octagon, seemingly very modern During her walk the screen fades to black as the titles fade in and out. In front of her, once the screen switches back to the action, slightly on her left is a long translucent tunnel, in the style of a bus shelter. Ophelia makes her way up a couple of steps and gradually starts to get into the heart of the school. Finally, she stops and the camera tilts up and zooms in to reveal a sign that says ‘RECEPTION’. The camera holds that position until finally tilting back down and zooming out to a long-shot to show the double entrances doors swing shut, connoting that Ophelia has entered the building. Downstairs in the reception area there is a pond with fish swimming around, and foliage surrounding it. On the walls are pictures of students, past and present engaging in activities that the school has to offer. In the top right hand corner of the room there is a set of double doors, which lead into the school hall. Ophelia walks up the stairway, which is in the middle of the room; the camera is positioned at the top of the stairs-high angle shot- so the audience can see her progressing upwards. Finally, as she makes it to the top, she trips and the glasses she is wearing fall off. A close up of them reveal that they are not broken and two hands reach out to pick them up. Slowly the camera zooms out to show who’s the other pair of hands belong to, a male student. Ophelia and the boy are looking in surprise at each other, both still holding the pair of glasses. He is the first to take control and break the silence, ‘Here-’He hands her, her glasses and they both straighten up. The camera switches to over Ophelia’s shoulder, again he speaks, ‘Are you the new student here?’The camera now moves to over the boy’s shoulder, she nods and then looks down, apparently too embarrassed to speak to him. Then the camera moves back to an over the shoulder shot to show Ophelia. ‘Follow me.’The boy turns and walks past the reception and down a corridor, Ophelia follows him. The screen fades to black as the movie title appear and we can hear some diegetic footsteps as they make their way to the student office.
The next scene takes place in the student office, and we find out that the boy is called Derek. Over time, Ophelia gets used to her new school and settles in to a group of classmates; she begins talking to Derek regularly and the two get to know each other. They agree to go on a date to the cinema and this is where their first kiss takes place - on Ophelia’s doorstep after Derek has walked her home.
The next day, Ophelia wakes up feeling exuberant and lighthearted and is gliding around her house merrily when, all of a sudden, she is agonized by a horrendous pain in her skull. She crumples to the kitchen floor and her mum and dad ring emergency services to be rushed to hospital.
A doctor enters the room and Ophelia is sitting in her hospital bed, he regrettably has to give her some terrible news; she has an extremely rare condition that can be deadly unless treated early, yet it is undetectable until too late. He informs her that she must have surgery if she has any chance of surviving, but odds of it being completely successful are half and half. She breaks down and is in floors of tears.
As she exits the hospital, a grief-stricken Derek rushes up to meet her. He says that a teacher at school had told him what happened and tells her of his worry for her. Ophelia tries to convince him that she will be fine, but breaks into sobs of tears halfway through.
Prior to the surgery, Derek and Ophelia spend most of their time together and it is obvious that they have fallen in love. He helps her get through the end of year exams, even when she has no energy and in too much agony to think. By way of thanks, she begins teaching him to play the piano, which is her main passion in life. Her dream is to become a great pianist.
On the day of the surgery, Derek accompanies Ophelia to the hospital for moral support. He continues to be with her for as long as he can, until she is injected with anesthetic and the nurses are forcing him away from her. He paces up and down the hospital waiting room for hours on end, without news of how she is. Finally, she surfaces from the surgery room but the doctors are not able to talk about it. He curls up on the bed beside her, and that is where he is when she eventually wakes up.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Treatment of the Opening Scenes
The first thing we see is a black screen and the only thing we can hear are diegetic footsteps. The production/distribution company titles fade in and out and then the black screen fades into a mid shot of a pair of female legs. A girl walks up a school drive, approximately 80 meters in length. On the left side there is a white stone fence, separating the drive from a street of houses, and on the right side a row of high bushes keeping the students away from the cars driving in and out of the car park. The drive eases left; the girl makes her way through some tall green gates and enters the school. On her left is a large building, in the rough shape of an octagon, seemingly very modern. In front of her, slightly on her left is a long translucent tunnel, in the style of a bus shelter. The girl makes her way up a couple of steps and gradually starts to get into the heart of the school. Finally, she stops and the camera tilts up to reveal a sign that says ‘RECEPTION’. She walks in and is faced by a pond with fish swimming around, and foliage surrounding it. On the walls are pictures of students, past and present engaging in activities that the school has to offer. In the top right hand corner of the room there is a set of double doors, which lead into the school hall. The girl walks up the stairway, which is in the middle of the room; the camera is positioned at the top of the stairs, so the audience can see her progressing upwards. Finally, as she makes it to the top, the girl trips and the glasses she is wearing fall off. A close up of them reveal that they are not broken and two hands reach out to pick them up. Slowly the camera zooms out to show who’s the other pair of hands belong to, a male teacher's. The girl and man are looking in surprise at each other, both still holding the pair of glasses. The man is the first to take control and break the silence,
‘Here-’
He hands her, her glasses and they both straighten up. Again he speaks,
‘Are you the new student here?’
The girl nods and then looks down, apparently too embarrassed to speak to him.
‘Follow me.’
The man turns and walks past the reception and down a corridor. The screen fades to black as the movie title appears.
‘Here-’
He hands her, her glasses and they both straighten up. Again he speaks,
‘Are you the new student here?’
The girl nods and then looks down, apparently too embarrassed to speak to him.
‘Follow me.’
The man turns and walks past the reception and down a corridor. The screen fades to black as the movie title appears.
Monday, 26 January 2009
The Break-Up Analysis
The first thing we see is an establishing shot of a cityscape. The audience could guess from this shot that the film they are watching is a romance movie because many films of this genre are set in the city. We then see inside a stadium, packed full of people watching a baseball game. This again furthers the audience’s suspicion that it a romance movie because a baseball game would be quite circumstantial for two people to meet. It then cuts to a mid shot of two men sat down; displaying to the audience that it is very likely that these two will be main characters and one of them will be the protagonist male character. One of the males stands up and claps when a team makes a mistake, thus embarrassing the other person he is with. This could show that he is the ‘best friend’ that always gets in the way of the focus relationship. After, we see a shot of a line of males sat down, with one female; thus making her stand out. We can guess from this that she will be the protagonist female as the camera focuses on her. When the leading male looks around and sees her, he holds his glance; incorporating an element of traditional romance narratives – ‘love at first sight’. He then asks her if she would like one of the hot dogs that he has just bought, which again introduces another typical factor of the romance genre – male helping a ‘damsel in distress’ (even though the female in question is not exactly in distress). When the game finishes the man asks the woman if she would like to go for a drink, showing that he clearly likes her. When she refuses he keeps asking her to meet up with him and cracking jokes to ease the atmosphere.
During the titles there are snapshots of the two as a couple showing that they finally made it into a relationship.
During the titles there are snapshots of the two as a couple showing that they finally made it into a relationship.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Typical Structures of Romance Movies
Narratives:
Forbidden love
Unrequited love
Tragic love
Settings:
Cities
Romantic destinations e.g. Streets of Paris
Rural locations, countryside, mountains etc.
By the sea
Stock Characters:
Two protagonists
Vulnerable female OR strong minded female
Stereotypical male OR unlikely ‘stud’
The friend
The ‘problem’ character e.g. an ex, domineering parent(s), coworkers
Iconography:
Flowers
Presents
HeartsThe colour red is predominant
Chocolates
Romantic music
Audience:
*STEREOTYPICALLY*
Females
Homosexual men
Forbidden love
Unrequited love
Tragic love
Settings:
Cities
Romantic destinations e.g. Streets of Paris
Rural locations, countryside, mountains etc.
By the sea
Stock Characters:
Two protagonists
Vulnerable female OR strong minded female
Stereotypical male OR unlikely ‘stud’
The friend
The ‘problem’ character e.g. an ex, domineering parent(s), coworkers
Iconography:
Flowers
Presents
HeartsThe colour red is predominant
Chocolates
Romantic music
Audience:
*STEREOTYPICALLY*
Females
Homosexual men
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Opening Narrative Synopsis
Since being given the coursework task for my AS Media course, i have begun researching and analysing films of the genre that me and Stevie have chosen. Below is a analysis of the opening scenes of 50 First Dates.
50 First Dates
The very first thing we see is a black screen with a title informing the audience of the distribution company. It is coloured in blue and has the effect of the sea, as if it is swaying. After, there is an establishing shot of a Hawaiian beach at sunset, tying in with the effect of the title. This is a very typical scene for a romantic film and so the audience immediately know what genre of movie they’re watching. The non-diegetic music adds to the atmosphere, relaxing the audience and making them want to sway along to it. The camera pans around and the shot fades into another scene, a kitchen, we then see the name of the film ’50 First Dates’. Each word is in a different colour, showing that they all have equal importance to the narrative.
Two women then enter the kitchen and converse, talking about a man that one of them met on a vacation to Hawaii. The way she talks about it shows that she had a great time, but the scene changes before she can finish her story. The next thing we see is another woman, her dress codes communicating that she is very business-like and high powered, who is talking on her mobile saying ‘It was the best week of my life!’ There are more quick cuts between different women, of all shapes, sizes and social classes, who are all talking about a man, with whom they spent a short time together whilst away. The way that these shots have been edited makes it appear as if the women are finishing off each others’ sentences, which tells the audience that they are all talking about the same man.
By doing this, the women create the character of the unknown man by showing that he is very promiscuous, and uncaring towards the feelings of these females, as he obviously has left them after a short period of time. They all say that he gave them a reason for leaving them e.g. gay, married, entering the priesthood.
We then see this happening for real as he is leaving his new ‘fling’ and giving her the excuse that he is a secret agent. The woman appears to be fairly ditzy as she is gullible enough to believe his story, showing that he picks the kind of females that are easy to leave.
By the introduction of this film, the audience can guess that the man (Henry Roth) will meet a kind of woman that he is not used to, and fall in love with her, as this is hiow traditional romance movies pan out.
50 First Dates
The very first thing we see is a black screen with a title informing the audience of the distribution company. It is coloured in blue and has the effect of the sea, as if it is swaying. After, there is an establishing shot of a Hawaiian beach at sunset, tying in with the effect of the title. This is a very typical scene for a romantic film and so the audience immediately know what genre of movie they’re watching. The non-diegetic music adds to the atmosphere, relaxing the audience and making them want to sway along to it. The camera pans around and the shot fades into another scene, a kitchen, we then see the name of the film ’50 First Dates’. Each word is in a different colour, showing that they all have equal importance to the narrative.
Two women then enter the kitchen and converse, talking about a man that one of them met on a vacation to Hawaii. The way she talks about it shows that she had a great time, but the scene changes before she can finish her story. The next thing we see is another woman, her dress codes communicating that she is very business-like and high powered, who is talking on her mobile saying ‘It was the best week of my life!’ There are more quick cuts between different women, of all shapes, sizes and social classes, who are all talking about a man, with whom they spent a short time together whilst away. The way that these shots have been edited makes it appear as if the women are finishing off each others’ sentences, which tells the audience that they are all talking about the same man.
By doing this, the women create the character of the unknown man by showing that he is very promiscuous, and uncaring towards the feelings of these females, as he obviously has left them after a short period of time. They all say that he gave them a reason for leaving them e.g. gay, married, entering the priesthood.
We then see this happening for real as he is leaving his new ‘fling’ and giving her the excuse that he is a secret agent. The woman appears to be fairly ditzy as she is gullible enough to believe his story, showing that he picks the kind of females that are easy to leave.
By the introduction of this film, the audience can guess that the man (Henry Roth) will meet a kind of woman that he is not used to, and fall in love with her, as this is hiow traditional romance movies pan out.
Romance Movies
Romance Movies
Titanic
Directed by: James Cameron
Production company: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Distribution company: Paramount Pictures
You’ve Got Mail
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Distribution company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Sleepless in Seattle
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Production company: Tristar Pictures
Distribution company: Tristar Pictures
When Harry Met Sally
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Production company: Castle Rock Entertainment
Distribution company: Columbia Pictures
Pretty Woman
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Production company: Silver Screen Partners IV
Distribution company: Buena Vista Pictures
The Notebook
Directed by: Nicholas Cassavetes
Production company: New Line Cinema
Distribution company: New Line Cinema
Atonement
Directed by: Joe Wright
Production company: Working Title Films
Distribution company: Universal Pictures International (UPI)
As there are many different production and distribution companies involved in romance movies, we can assume that this particular genre of film is extremely mainstream, as a wide variety of companies aim to be responsible for the making and selling of romance films.
Titanic
Directed by: James Cameron
Production company: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Distribution company: Paramount Pictures
You’ve Got Mail
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Distribution company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Sleepless in Seattle
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Production company: Tristar Pictures
Distribution company: Tristar Pictures
When Harry Met Sally
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Production company: Castle Rock Entertainment
Distribution company: Columbia Pictures
Pretty Woman
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Production company: Silver Screen Partners IV
Distribution company: Buena Vista Pictures
The Notebook
Directed by: Nicholas Cassavetes
Production company: New Line Cinema
Distribution company: New Line Cinema
Atonement
Directed by: Joe Wright
Production company: Working Title Films
Distribution company: Universal Pictures International (UPI)
As there are many different production and distribution companies involved in romance movies, we can assume that this particular genre of film is extremely mainstream, as a wide variety of companies aim to be responsible for the making and selling of romance films.
Romance Movies - Generic Plots
Romance
Romance movies are generally focused on two leading characters, usually a man and a woman.
The narrative takes the audience on their journey of how they fall in love if the two characters have never met before, or the trials and tribulations of a relationship if they are already a couple.
Generally, romantic films take on the theory of Tzvetan Todorov; equilibrium, a disruption to the equilibrium, and finally a new equilibrium. This generates the audience to sympathise with the characters and want them to ‘make up’ at the end, and are willing for a fairytale ending, where everything is sorted out.
Love films can take on any aspect of romance, such as, tragic; passionate; obsessive, forbidden, love at first sight, unreciprocated etc.
Romance movies are generally focused on two leading characters, usually a man and a woman.
The narrative takes the audience on their journey of how they fall in love if the two characters have never met before, or the trials and tribulations of a relationship if they are already a couple.
Generally, romantic films take on the theory of Tzvetan Todorov; equilibrium, a disruption to the equilibrium, and finally a new equilibrium. This generates the audience to sympathise with the characters and want them to ‘make up’ at the end, and are willing for a fairytale ending, where everything is sorted out.
Love films can take on any aspect of romance, such as, tragic; passionate; obsessive, forbidden, love at first sight, unreciprocated etc.
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