Macro Analysis of Setting and Mise-en-scene

1. Choose one area (Narrative, Setting/Mise-en-scene, Themes and Values or Characters and Representation) and compare elements from the areas in the films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Reservoir Dogs.

Setting and Mise-en-scene:

• In Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels the characters are introduced immediately to the audience which is similar to Reservoir Dogs as the characters are introduced in the restaurant to the viewer.

• Another similarity between the two films is the clothing that all the characters wear. This consists of white shirts and black suits or long coats, and sunglasses which hide the characters identity, so that less emotion can be detected from their faces. In Reservoir Dogs the black suites they all wear contrast the background scenery highlighting them as being authoritative, strong characters.

• The setting in the opening sequence to Reservoir Dogs is a restaurant where the character are seated eating breakfast, the lighting is made to look like natural daylight pouring through the window amongst the character's cigarette smoke. 
  
  
• A tracking shot is used to include the viewer in the conversation over the table although the shot  is occasionally obscured by the character back/shoulder as the camera moves around them. Also over the shoulder shots are used so that the viewer can see the characters hand gestures, props, and what they are eating and drinking.

Reservoir Dogs

• The setting in the opening sequence of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is different to Reservoir dogs in many different ways. Firstly because Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is filmed out in the open, backstreet's of a  town/city. Match on action is also shown through the fast paced shots and quick events that unfold, such as the police men chasing the characters. Secondly the lighting in this film is different to Reservoir Dogs, the lighting is an orange/beige colour which alongside the products the character is trying to sell,  the scene looks suspicious and the orange colour in particularly makes the background street look even more dirty and grimy.

• The casting for both films was carefully considered to make the films look effective and true to life. All the characters look shady and secretive and in Reservoir Dogs all have the same type of hair style, which makes them look like a natural unit/group together.

The Film Industry and The Dark Knight

The three main stages that a film go through:

• Production
• Distribution
• Exhibition

1.  Briefly Explain the information provided on this homepage: 


http://www.warnerbros.com/mainhomepage.html

Warner Brothers Logo

As soon as the website loads a film trailer plays automatically, which is situated in the centre of the page and immediately grabs the attention of the viewer.There are, in total, three videos to choose from to watch and a staggering forty nine photos available to view, all relating to 'The Dark Knight.' There is also an online synopsis and cast information aswell as icons five posters available for download. The website's background in a dark black shade, which represents the genre of the film and also relates to what the character batman always dresses in. There are links, for example, available for people to sign up to email updates, which gives people interested in 'The Dark Knight' an opportunity to follow stages of the film. There are also links to company information, such as careers and the chance to buy 'The Dark Knight on DVD.


Note down five facts about this studio 


http://wbsf.warnerbros.com/indexvipredir.html

1. The Warner Brothers studio consists of a 110 acre facility which has thirty sound stages and a twenty acre backlot, used for outdoor scenes.
2. Warner brother had eighty six features alone in 1929.
3. In the Warner brothers studio facility another Studio called the Jungle set was constructed in 1956 for the movie Santiago. It was designed to simulate a wooded area and it has a lagoon that holds over 250,000 gallons of water.   
4. In 1995 Warner Brothers fifth broadcast network, called 'The WB.'
5. Two new exterior sets were constructed on the backlot AT Warner Brothers studios replacing Laramie Street, now Warner Village. It consisted of eleven new England-style homes covering approximately 42,000 square feet of office space which debuted in 2004. 

                           

The Warner Brothers Studio Site

Find two other companies:

Warner Brother's own half on the CW television network in America.The other half of the company is owned by the CBS corporation.The "CW" name is derived from the first letter of the names of these corporations (CBS and Warner Bros.)

Another company Warner Brothers own is New Line 

Cinema, also known as 'New Line' it is an American film studio which merged with Warner Brothers in 2008.

Semiotics Analysis of film ‘Psycho’ 1960

Eye: 
Symbolizes the woman’s vulnerability and lack of movement, the eye also shows the woman’s inner beauty and how shocking her death was. The woman’s open eye also emphasizes her inner anxiety at this sudden horrific killing event. The woman’s inability to shut her eye before she dies shows her shock and horror at how events have turned from good to bad.

Knife:
The background music accompanies/ imitates the stabbing movement (use of violins/string instruments to create tension). The shadow of the knife and intruder gives a sense of suspension and mystery as well as horror. The knife in the shadows is conveyed as a threatening object/weapon.

Plug Hole:
Symbolizes the woman’s life draining away, through
 her blood quickly flowing down the plug hole. The plug
 hole also symbolizes how the woman’s life is wasted and unnecessarily drawn shorter. The plug hole shows how the woman’s life is slowly draining away from her as she deteriorates and is finally killed. A plug hole also connotes darkness and the un-known.


Semiotics:

     ‘The study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behaviour the analysis of systems of communication, such as language, gestures, or clothing.’

Comparison of conventions of the Thriller genre.

In class we watched the opening sequences of 'Insomnia' and 'Memento'. Both films are directed by Christopher Nolan who specialises in directing films of the thriller genre. The typical conventions of the thriller genre are: setting, character, narrative, sound, cinematography and editing.

Setting:'Insomnia' is set in a polar region which is quite a common setting, as it shows how the characters are isolated. 'Memento' is set in America, which can also show characters isolation in a busy, and hectic environment.


Character: In both films the characters are seen to be hiding something about themselves, which is evident from the opening sequences.


Narrative: Voiceovers, evil/harsh voices aid the eery and dark feel of both films.


Sound: The sounds in Insomnia start to build tension from when they were quickly brought in. In 'Memento' there where varying periods of silence which also helped to build tension and fear.


Cinematography: Both films had the same opening title background and font which showed that both films link to each other, in their genre, etc.


Editing:Use of jump cuts to revert the audiences attention quickly, jump cuts allow an added element of sudden surprise, which creates fear, typical of a the thriller genre of film.


Here is a link of Christopher Nolan talking about his intentions for his film'Memento', this is part 1 of 3 of an interview with him,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIFxNq_oMGY. 
Here is another link with Christopher Nolan talking about his film 'Insomnia' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ryMJzODDIs

Match on action task

In our match on action film one of our group ran and stood on a bench and then jumped off a bench, at this point I paused the camera, I filmed this first shot using a long shot. For the next shot I positioned the camera under the bench at a low angle, then our group member jumped down off the bench, so that we could see her feet ( close-up) then she ran away towards the left of the shot, then out of shot. This effectively showed the Match on action technique.

What we have covered so far in Media Studies

1.Storyboarding: Planning Shots, Location/setting and where characters need to stand,etc

2.Weblogs:What people use them for, images links.

3.Camera shots/angles: High angle shot, extreme close-up, over the shoulder,etc.

4.Micro and Macro analysis: How to analysis effectively.

5. Representation: Reception,Production, Reference.

6.Film genres: Thrillers, Action/adventure, Sci-fi, etc.

7.Iconography: e.g, a knife, what it signifies.

8.Semiotics: Signs and symbols.

9. Mise en scene: Costume,location/setting, make-up, etc.

10. Narrative: Voiceovers, Theorists and their ideas, e.g Aristotle.

Media Representation Process

Our group's task is to make a film using the match on action rule/technique. Match on action is when the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action, e.g If you filmed someone throwing a tennis ball you would use a mid shot to show the persons upper body and the arm about to throw the ball. The next shot, from a different angle, would continue to show the ball, but leaving the persons hand. Match on action is used to give the viewer the illusion of one single movement across two separate shots.