Self-Reflexive Documentary

How does your film conform to the conventions of the film movement you chose?

 

The film movement that I chose was self-reflexive documentary and the main source of inspiration for the film was 2012 self-reflexive documentary by Sarah Polley, The Stories We Tell. Similarly to The Stories We Tell the genre was easily identified throughout due to the fact that many of the techniques that I used have connotations with self-reflexive documentaries. For instance, within my film I used archive footage in order to illustrate the strong relationship with my mother and my brother therefore fulfilling another convention of self-reflexive documentary which is to make it personal and emotive. In addition to this, I filmed the technical aspects of how the documentary is made by showing camera and lighting equipment in order to highlight how self-reflexive documentaries are real life which ultimately makes the content of the film more relatable. Furthermore, I, as the film maker, interacted with the participators not only to make my family feel more at ease but also to show that there was minimal filming crew and therefore making the film much more honest and real. As a result of this my self-reflexive documentary easily identifies in this genre due to the number of conventions that were used.

Although there was not much of a story within the film, as it was more revolved around my family member’s answers to the questions, there was a linear narrative with archive footage from around a year ago edited in to give a sense of who these people were and their close relationship with each other. The linear narrative ensured that the film adhered to its genre conventions of being as close to reality as possible, as the audience could understand the thought process of the participators. In addition to this, during the editing process it was ensured that the participator’s pauses and hesitations were kept in the final cut in order to assist the narrative as the film shows my family stopping to think which illustrates how self-reflexive documentary focuses on reality and evokes sympathy amongst the audience. However, similarly to The Stories We Tell within the film there were certain moments where there was a story. For instance, when my mother talks about when my cat died. Therefore these stories helped the film further conform to the genre conventions and drive the narrative. Although, the film failed to have much of a plot as there was no screenplay as it was important that the self-reflexive documentary stayed as close to reality as possible. If there was a script it would have seemed fake and the participators would not have space to tell their truth which would ultimately make the film more relatable to the audience.

There was no specific target audience as it was necessary for the film to be accessible to all, as many self-reflexive documentary spark conversation and evoke thought no matter what category of audience they fit into. As an audience they would most likely experience the preferred reading of the film which was to showcase the difference between an adult and a child’s responses to a series of philosophical questions whilst simultaneously highlighting the close relationship of a family. However, as a spectator, the individual member of an audience, it is possible that they could have had a more negotiated reading as they would be a lot more free to think on their own experiences and possibly relate it to the self-reflexive piece. It would be highly unlikely that the audience or spectator would receive an oppositional reading as the film isn’t polysemic and there is no intended hidden meaning, as the film conforms to the conventions of the genre of being truthful and evoking an emotional response rather than being like a surrealist film where there is room for different interpretations.

 

In regards to representation there were two main groups of people that were being represented which were children and adults, as my brother is nine and my mother is forty-three. This representation was vital in order for the message of the film to be clear which was to illustrate the difference in opinions between children and adults. The self-reflexive documentary also has the capacity to represent the different genders, as the participant’s genders differ, however it was not the intention of the film to raise issues around gender roles. It is important to note that both the participants are heterosexual and white, which could be quite significant as the questions that were asked may have been responded to differently if they were ethnic minorities or LGBT+. Another area of representation that is explored is that my brother is more middle class whereas my mother is working class which is possibly why they would have different answers and ideologies when it came to answering some questions as they were brought up in different backgrounds.

 

Kuleshov Effect

Surrealism

Scene From Love Actually

Making A Cup Of Tea In The Style Of Edgar Wright

The Hunger Games: A blockbuster action or a social realism film?

The Hunger Games (2012) is a film based on Suzanne Collins’ novel directed by Gary Ross, staring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. In reference to the macro elements of film (narrative, genre, representation, and audience) this essay will conclude that The Hunger Games is in fact a social realism film and not just an action film.

One reason the film can be classed as social realism is due to its representation as it includes: the wealthy and the poor, ethnic minorities, and male and female roles. Given that the 12 districts portray the poor and the capitol conveys the wealthy, this could be seen as reflecting real life where the wealthy dictate and control the lower classes. Furthermore, Rue is from district 11 where the majority seem to be ethnic minorities thus imitating reality as historically, and still in certain places in the world, black people and other ethnicities have been segregated from white people. In addition to this, the way in which male and female characters are represented contradicts the way we might view these genders in real life. For example, Katniss Everdeen is portrayed as being emotionless and strong, “He made me look weak”, and Peeta Mellark is conveyed as being more compassionate and less serious than Katniss. This brings light to gender stereotypes that are apparent in our society and tries to challenge them. Therefore, The Hunger Games can be received as a social realism film due to its representation that reflects but also challenges society in reality.

However, The Hunger Games could also be described as an action film with elements of other genres. For instance, the growing relationship between Peeta and Katniss throughout the film could imply the film is in fact a romance although it could also be argued that this romance is important to the story as it results in the audience forming an emotional attachment with the characters and that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the film is a romance. The Hunger Games also has aspects of comedic dialogue however it would be incorrect to class the film as a comedy as this is just much needed comic relief to the social realism genre that it is. The film may have been considered as an action film in order to drive audiences to see it at the cinema, as action films usually do better at the cinema than social realism films. This is because action films tend to be more of a spectacle with CGI and sound effects whereas with social realism films most people prefer to discuss them during the film and the budgets are normally smaller so there isn’t a need to see it on a huge screen. So therefore by classing The Hunger Games as an action film it would have earned a higher worldwide gross, $694,394,724, compared to a film classed as a social realism film such as Pride which accumulated $7,285,099.

The narrative of The Hunger Games emphasises that the film is more of a social realism than an action film. The plot is in a linear sequence with a number of flashbacks throughout to help the audience understand the characters more, this highlights that the film can be categorised as social realism as reality also follows a linear structure. There is also predictable chain of effects with cause and effect taking place which also relates to what happens in real life as it is fairly predictable with consequences, which usually isn’t an action film convention as action films tend to be unpredictable and quite unrealistic. On the other hand, it can be argued that the film still includes moments of action such as the killing and fighting of the tributes as well as Katniss running from the fire and animals that they put into the game. However, the film includes more that would categorise it as social realism such as gender stereotypes, the capitol having sovereignty over the districts, as well as the divide between the rich and the poor. All of which relate to real social and political issues in the world.

The different genre conventions of The Hunger Games appeal to many audiences so it is difficult to argue if it is an action or a social realism film purely based off of the audience that the film pulls in. The Hunger Games appeals to teenagers and young adults as that was what Suzanne Collins’ novel appealed to; in addition to this, the film was given a 12A certificate in  order to maximise young audiences to go and see it. This may imply that the film is more of a romance/action film as this is what usually appeals to younger audiences. However, The Hunger Games still appealed to many adults due to its hidden social realism elements.

Pride Vlog

Pride Script

Representation

Pride (2014) is an autobiographical comedy drama about the 1984-85 miner’s strike and how the group LGSM helped to raise money and awareness for the miners. The film represents a few different social and cultural groups such as: Women, Gays, Lesbians, Londoners, the Welsh, and the Government and Police. The ideas that are being conveyed about said groups are the following: women are portrayed as being inspirational, for example, Sian James was just a typical housewife who went on to become the MP for the Swansea constituency. Women are also represented as being firm and telling their husbands and male friends to stop being so stuck in their ways and actually communicate with the gay community. This representation accurately reflects what was going on at the time as there were women’s action groups who would help out the miner’s by raising money, collecting food and helping out in any way they could. Gay people are represented in the film by being more enthused by progress than the straight people. Their role in the film is also to highlight the AIDs crisis at the time as well as Joe’s character highlighting the legal age for straight people was 16 whereas for gay people it was 21. Gay and Lesbian people are also represented as being much more fun than straight people, this representation may be for the interest of the audience as it adds much needed comic relief. The representation of the Welsh and the Londoners differs as the welsh are conveyed as being much slower towards change and the Londoners are represented by most of the gay characters as people who like to party and are politically active. Finally, it can be argued that the Government and Police are represented in the interests of a more left-wing audience. As some of the characters mention their hate towards Conservative prime minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher. The film also illustrates how the police laughed in many of the picketer’s faces and were quite brutal when at marches. However, it is unfair to say that the film is just trying to push its political agenda as it does accurately represent the events and people at the time. For instance, there were 5 deaths during the strike and 11,000 arrests. So therefore, the story of ‘Pride’ needed to be told because it shows the police brutality many people faced. It is also a true story that was so nearly forgotten due to the Conservative party never properly addressing the strike that led to many needed legislation involving the workplace and gay rights.

Audience

Pride’s gross revenue was £16.7million USD, which highlights that the film was more designed to be watched at home with family friends rather than go to the cinema to see it as it is not a blockbuster. On the other hand, many people may have wanted to go to the cinema to see it as the film has a top billed cast including: Bill Nighy, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, and Andrew Scott. Even though the story of pride needed to be told so people like Mark Ashton did not die in vain and to tell the other side of the story that may not have been told by the news at the time, many criticised the film for being left-wing propaganda. Therefore the film possibly only appealed to left-wing audiences and to the LGBT+ community rather than to a wider range of people. However, Pride won ten awards, including a BAFTA, and received 91% on rotten tomatoes which reiterates how the story did need to be told as it managed to get such a positive reception. Although, the film was still criticised for not using any Welsh actors and for its lack of ethnic minorities. However, overall the story of ‘Pride’ is a story that needed to be told as it highlights the struggle that miners and gay people faced at the time, whose story was brushed over for many years by biased news outlets.

Analyse the micro elements of film form in a scene from a film from the ‘Teen Film’ genre and discuss how these elements create meaning and conform to the genre conventions

Analyse the micro elements of film form in a scene from a film from the ‘Teen Film’ genre and discuss how these elements create meaning and conform to the genre conventions.

The scene: ‘Table Dance’ from the film ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’ conforms to the teen film genre through its micro elements of film form. For instance, its mise-en-scene relate to many other coming of age films. The setting is a party, which is very typical of a film from the genre, as it creates a certain meaning that many teens can relate to and it is a very stereotypical setting for young people. Other aspects of mise-en-scene help the film to conform to the genre conventions such as the era specific costume and hair and makeup. Similarly, the props also relate well to the teen film genre due to the scene taking place at a party the main prop is alcohol.  The character movement relates to the diagetic element of sound, as the character of Kat hears the dance music and proceeds to dance on the table. However, this particular scene doesn’t entirely conform to the non-diagetic element of most teen films as there isn’t an evident coming of age soundtrack that many other teen films include.

The ‘table dance’ scene also includes elements of cinematography that conform to the genre conventions. Such as: a wide shot to show the action going on in the scene, a medium shot to show the conversation between the two main characters, a pan so the audience can feel immersed in the action, as well as a high angled shot to highlight that Kat is the main focus of the scene. The reasoning for the teen film genre typically using these types of shots, instead of more advanced ones that may be used in a horror or action film, is because it is meant to be quite realistic that the audience are able to relate to their lives as many teen films represent the lives of teenagers during the specific era.

The editing used relates somewhat to the genre, as the scene uses cut on action where it cuts from Kat dancing to her sister’s reaction and also match on action where Kat hits her head and falls into Patrick’s arms. However, there are other transitions that are used in teen films that aren’t used in this scene. Such as: cross cutting, which is used to show phone conversations, which is quite common in the teen film genre as phones are a frequently occurring prop used in coming of age films.

Other reasons for ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’ conforms to the Teen film genre is its main issues such as the topic of first love, teen angst especially against Kat’s protective father and irritable younger sister, as well as Kat’s desire to leave her small town and move far away for college. All of these things are very apparent in many coming of age films, due to the idea that many teens have problems with identity and the idea that adolescence results in a rebellious, angst filled attitude. Therefore, in conclusion the ‘table dance’ scene in ‘ten things I hate about you’ conforms largely to the teen film genre through its micro elements of film.

Cuts and Transitions

After watching this video on cuts and transitions, we proceeded to try and make our own version

 



Bus Stop Montage

Truman Show Essay

Discuss How Cinematography

 Is Used To Create Meaning In One Scene From The Truman Show

In the scene 'Travel Agency' where Truman tries to get on the bus, a series of camera shot techniques are used in order to establish meaning. For example, a 'Long Shot' is used to show Truman's full body and also the ticket office. This is to show the audience Truman's location but also implies Truman's vulnerability as he is stood alone in a fairly large area of space. Furthermore, it could be insinuating that there is no camera where the ticket booth is because the producers didn't think it likely that Truman would be trying to get out of the town.  

Another camera shot that is used in this scene is 'Pan', as Truman walks to the bus the camera turns and follows him. The meaning that is created is that the camera turning makes reference to a human head moving from side to side, so therefore highlights the idea that Truman is being watched and followed.

A 'Zoom shot' is used when the driver looks up into the mirror, this could imply that the driver is panicking and looking into a hidden camera in order to ask for help as he doesn't know what to do. This meaning further implies the concept that Truman has got on a bus and wants to go to Chicago is unheard of and has left many of the cast feeling confused on what to do. The 'Zoom Shot' helps establish this as it heightens the intensity of the scene, as it pushes the audience focus on the driver's facial expression.

Finally, as Truman gets on the bus a series of 'Medium shots' are used in order to show the contrast between an excited Truman compared to the bland, almost robotic, faces of the other characters also sat on the bus, this meaning further highlights that Truman is on a television show. A few seconds after this first 'medium shot', another is used,where instead of being surrounded by people, he is now sat alone. The meaning that is created is to show how alone Truman suddenly is and the isolation he feels as he realises something isn't right about the town he has lived in his whole life.

1:14 - 2:50



Experimenting With Cinematography

Juno Essay

Discuss how meaning is created through mise-en-scene and cinematography – Charlotte Bennett

 

The scene “Doodle can’t be undid” is set in a pharmacy, as Juno tries to find out if she is pregnant or not. Due to the fact that it is set in a pharmacy and not a doctor’s surgery creates meaning as it implies Juno would rather find out on her own and not risk other people finding out that she is pregnant. The costume used in this scene is contemporary, this highlights that the film is set in modern day and therefore considers the issues that come with teenage pregnancy today. Furthermore, the store assistant, Rollo, wears a name badge which helps establish who the characters are and their role in the scene. Juno wears her hair in a ponytail with minimal/no make-up, similarly to the rest of the film, this creates meaning as it infers that Juno doesn’t particularly care about her appearance and she is not stereotypically feminine. Meaning is further created through props, such as the sweets that Juno buys along with the pregnancy test. Therefore highlighting that Juno is still quite childish and immature at 16, which offers a juxtaposition to the fact that she might be pregnant and will have to deal with issues way beyond her maturity level. Character expression/movement is another aspect to mise-en-scene which helps to create meaning in this scene. For example Juno frantically walks through the shop which helps to infer that she is anxious about the situation or it could imply that she really needs the toilet, due to all the ‘Sunny D’ drink that she drank in the previous scene. The store assistant, Rollo, has a blank expression for the majority of this scene which shows that he is either bored or unbothered by the situation this could be because Juno has already used a Pregnancy test a few times recently in the pharmacy. Meaning is further created in this scene through the use of lighting, natural lighting is used in the main part of the store which infers that the scene takes place during the daytime. However, when Juno goes to use the store toilet, there is very little natural or even artificial light which could imply that Juno is in the dark about the pregnancy and has very little clarity and this is represented through the darkness of the restroom. Therefore, the main meaning established in this scene is the anxiety and the lack of clarity that Juno feels around the subject of pregnancy.

In the scene “I’m a planet!” it is set in a school corridor which creates meaning as it helps to reiterate that Juno is still in school whilst quite heavily pregnant; which could imply that she still cares about her education enough to still attend school, even though it would be very difficult for her, or it could infer that her step-mother or father still want her to get a good education and not conform to the stereotype of teenage mothers, that they just quit school and don’t try anymore. Costume is used in this scene to implement the idea that Juno doesn’t care much for her appearance as she wears the same red jacket that she wore when she found out she was pregnant, therefore implying she has other priorities other than buying new clothes. The character of Bleeker is not wearing his typical attire of athletic wear, a decision made possibly to show he is not currently doing sport or that the director wanted to make the scene more serious, which the quite comical athletic costume would have taken away from the scene. The hair and make-up in this scene doesn’t add much to the meaning, as both characters have the same simple hairstyles they have in most of the film. Although, it does help to illustrate how both characters don’t give much thought to their appearance as they care about other, more trivial things. The props in this scene are quite minimal and only consist of things such as lockers and posters to show that the scene takes place in school, the meaning created through minimal props is possibly to have the scene focus more on the characters and dialogue between them, as more props may distract the audience from the quite serious conversation taking place. Character expression creates meaning in this scene, as Bleeker avoids eye contact which highlights that he feels embarrassed or even guilty that he upset Juno and treated her in quite an unfair manner. Whereas Juno seems to have a blank, almost tired expression which could imply that she is upset and exhausted of how others are treating her. Meaning is further created in this scene by the use of artificial lighting, as it makes the scene feel quite cold and creates quite an emotionless atmosphere in the setting of the school.

Meaning is created in the scene “Mark tells Juno he is leaving Vanessa” through mise-en-scene. For example the use of setting, which takes place in Mark’s hobby room. The meaning this creates is that it hints at secrecy and being underground. This is further implied through the use of props, such as: boxes, CDs and beer bottles as this implies how Mark has to hide parts of himself away from Vanessa. Mark and Juno’s costume is quite similar, both are wearing band tops over long sleeve shirts, the meaning this creates is that Mark still thinks of himself as a teenager and isn’t very mature. This also is comparable to Juno as she has matured more over the course of the film and Mark hasn’t even though he is significantly older than Juno. The make-up used in this scene is quite significant and creates meaning as Juno is wearing lipstick, unlike the rest of the film where she wears no visible make-up, this could infer that she is trying to impress Mark or that she is mad at Bleeker and wants to make him jealous. It also highlights how Juno is not being completely herself, and will make the audience sympathetic towards Juno. Character movement creates meaning as Juno and Mark dance together, which highlights the uncomfortable age difference but also showcases how both the characters feel about each other, as it implies they have different ideas of what their relationship is. For example, even though Juno wore lipstick to impress Mark she probably just feels lonely and wants a friend. However, Mark may see the relationship as more romantic or just knows that he wants a partner more like Juno than Vanessa. The lighting used in this scene is quite warm, with closed curtains and a lamp. Which could imply that the scene takes place at night or that it further implies a sense of secrecy as darkness has connotations with secrecy.

 

Film Review - We're The Millers

What are your expectations of the film?

The film will probably be a comedy as the cover implies this genre. I also think it will be quite predictable in the sense that the adult character's start off hating each other, so will most likely end up romantically involved with each other.

Narrative Turning Points

One of the main narrative turning points was when David came up with the idea to fake a family in order to smuggle drugs from Mexico to America, as it changed the tone of the film as it involved all of the characters that had been introduced in the first part of the film.

Memorable Moments

The most memorable moment was when David delivered the drugs back to Brad and discovered that he was never going to give him the money he promised, but David already had his suspicions and had called the DEA. This was memorable as it showed David had kind of changed his ways and was trying to do the right thing.

Emotional Response

The film was funny and provoked a comical response throughout. However, it was also quite heart warming when the Millers became a real family at the end and were all happy together.

Did you feel sympathy/empathy for any of the Characters?

I felt quite sympathetic for Kenny for most of the film as he is quite an innocent character who has never kissed a girl and it is quite easy to feel sorry for him, especially when at the start his mum had evidently left him. My favourite character was probably David because he was quite funny, even though he could be horrible he redeemed himself at the end when he did the right thing and made himself a family with the other characters



Film Review - Being John Malkovich

What are your expectations of the film?

I expect the film to have aspects of the drama and comedy genre, this is because I have seen Cameron Diaz in comedies previously. I also think it will be quite thought provoking due to what is mentioned in the blurb.

Narrative Turning Points

The first major turning point was when Craig discovered a small tunnel that turned out to be a portal into John Malkovich's mind, from this point on the focus of the plot is on John Malkovich.

Memorable Moments

One of the most memorable moments was where Craig decided to stay in John Malkovich's mind and live out his life in someone else's body. I found this interesting because the puppeteer now has a real life puppet that he completely overpowers and controls.

Emotional Response

The film had aspects of comedy which added some comic relief to some of the hard-hitting psychological themes, so therefore it played with a range of emotions. For example, it was quite upsetting when Craig kidnapped Lotte but funny simultaneously as he was in a cage with a monkey.

Did you feel empathy/sympathy for any of the characters?

I felt quite sympathetic for Craig and Lotte, as even though they're married they both fell in love with Maxine, who seemed only interested in John at first. Maxine was probably my favourite character as she had strong character development, starting out as despiteful and slowly becoming more kind.

Other Points

I enjoyed how the film dealt with issues such as gender and sexuality quite ahead of it's time, as it came out in 1999 

Film Review - Catfish

What are your expectations of the film?

I expect the film to be a thriller as the synopsis is about unexpected turns within the film. I also think it will be filmed documentary style, with the characters holding the camera, due to the fact that it's a true story

Narrative Turning Points

One of the main narrative turning points is when Nev discovered 'Megan' was lying about her singing, which therefore led him on to question everything else she had been saying

Memorable Moments

The part where Nev spoke to Abby and found out that she barely paints really stood out because it was a revelation that proved the whole Megan and Abby persona was false, which made quite a shocking impact on the audience.

Emotional Response

When Angela revealed the truth and opened up I felt quite sad for her, however my emotions changed when it was revealed she lied about having caner; so from that point on I didn't warm to her as much.

Did you feel empathy/sympathy for any of the characters?

I felt quite a lot of sympathy for Nev when he discovered he'd been 'Catfished' as he had told 'Megan' quite a lot of personal things, so it was upsetting to see him fairly heartbroken. Nev was my favourite as he was never mean to Angela and he still remains friends with her, even though she hurt and lied to him

Film Opening Task - Costume Ideas

https://taylerrobertsfilmstudies.blogspot.com/2018/10/initial-costume-ideas.html

Film Opening Task - Audition Footage

https://emilysullyfilmstudies.blogspot.com/2018/10/whole-group-task-1-auditions.html

Film Opening Task - Elements of Mise en Scene (Horror)

https://laurakimminsfilmstudies.blogspot.com/2018/10/film-opening-task-elements-of-mise-en.html

Film Opening Task - Genre and Final Idea

http://emilyhowesfilmstudies.blogspot.com/2018/10/whole-group-task-1-pre-production.html