Savages - Textual Analysis

Savages 2012

I watched the first five minutes of this film and analysed four key areas, Mise en scene, Editing, Sound and Camera Movement and Camera Shots.

Mise en scene

At the start of the film we are introduced to a tape recording of four men being tied down and held hostage by the looks of it, they have cuts and blood on their faces, this shows us that the situation taking place is not a nice one, we then see a man who is wearing a skeleton mask, this man has a chainsaw in his hand and he looks towards one of the hostages, the clip then suddenly switches to the beach and sunny sea of California where we are introduced to a young blonde woman called 'O' (Blake Lively) she begins to talk and says 'just cause i am telling you this story doesn't mean i am alive at the end of it, this could all be pre recorded and i could be talking to you from the bottom of the ocean, yeah its that kind of story, because things just got so out of control' what's happening on screen at this point and with what she is saying the back ground is all in black and white, this may tell us (the audience) that she is speaking in the past and everything we are about to see has already happened, this keeps the audience interested. after this point we are just shown the beaches of California and the lovely scenery surrounding them and their lives. we are then taken to their home, as the film continues we are bought to the location of their home and we are shown a snapshot of the outside to show us the audience how nice their home is, after this we see the couple having sexual intercourse this shows us their relationship and how close the bond is between them, during this there is a voice over from Blake Lively as she tells us about 'Tron' the love of her life as she explains, she tells us he is an ex marine and still has bad memories of his past.

Editing

During the beginning of the clip straight cuts and flash backs are used to create emphasis to the action occuring on screen, the flash back is used as Blake Lively finishes her talk during the walk on the beach, she says 'everything just got so out of control' and then a flash back of many different situations takes place including her being stabbed in the arm! the straight cuts are used to change scene so the audience do not lose interest in the film early on, we see an example of a straight cut as we go from seeing the house from the outside to being directly taken inside and apart of the action that is happening.

Sound

As Blake Lively walks down the beach there is a soft and mysterious sound track being played behind her voice, this keeps the audience intrigued and in curiosity, as we are shown the sunny beaches of California a non diegetic sound track is played, the sound track is very appealing and very enjoyable as it sounds like a piece of music you would hear at a holiday destination. during the rest of the five minutes the only sound used is the sound of Blake Lively's voice as there is a voice over the action taking place on screen, she tells us about her life and the people she lives with in this time.

Camera Shots and Camera Movement

There are not many close ups used in the first five minutes but the ones used are establishing shots, close ups and mid shots, the establishing shot is used when we are taken to the beach of California where there are palm tree's and people relaxing, this establishing shot is used to show us the location and the relaxation of California, the close up shot appears during the couples connection when we see the emotion and the dark past through Tron's eyes as Blake Lively tells us about his life during the war and the mid shot is used when Blake Lively firstly speaks to us on the beach.

Summary of Results

Summary of Results

from the data collected we can see that there were double the amount of men questioned than there were women, this could influence the sub genre and the narrative we choose to use due to the majority being male. the majority of people questioned were also between the age range of 15-20, this will definitely help us if we decide to choose a modern story line as we will have the understanding and interests of the younger generation at the moment, we will know what they enjoy about films and the main aspects they expect to see.

Questionnaire Results

Questionnaire Results.

are you male or female?

how old are you?

why do you go to watch films at the cinema?

who is your favorite actor?

what do you like about thrillers?

how often do you watch films?

what do you find effective in a film?

what sound effects do you expect to hear?

who do you normally go to the cinema with?

what are your hobbies and interests?

what do you associate with crime thrillers?

have you seen any of these films?

which one was your favorite?

why?

what intrigues you the most during the beginning of a film?

what settings do you expect to see in a crime thriller?

Audience Questionnaire

Are you Male or Female?

How old are you?

Why do you go to watch films at the cinema?

Who is your favourite actor?

What do you like about thrillers?

How often do you watch films?

What do you find effective in a film?

What sound effects do you expect to hear?

Who do you normally go to the cinema with?

What are your hobbies and interests?

What do you associate with crime thrillers?

Have you seen any of these films?

Which one was your favourite?

Why?

What intrigues you the most during the beginning of a film?

What settings do you expect to see in a crime thriller?

Powerpoint (Subgenre): A Definitive Guide

Mindmap (Group) Subgenre: Codes And Conventions

Mindmap (Individual) Genre: Codes And Conventions

Limitless - Textual Analysis

Limitless

I watched the first five minutes of the film and analysed four key areas, Mise en scene, Editing, Sound and Camera Movement and Camera Shots.

Mise en sceneDuring the beginning of the film we see the famous New York city and the tracking shots and the constant jump cuts show us the streets of New York and the hotels and landscapes around the main character Bradley Cooper. The beginning of the film tells about his lifestyle and his loved ones around him as this is shown as we are introduced to them right at the beginning, we are told that he is a writer who is having trouble publishing something. There are bright high key lights surrounding him as we are introduced to the city, this signifies the chaos of New York., Todorov's theory is best suited to the film Limitless as there is a new equilibrium as things go wrong and there is a realisation of the bad things happening but then later on everything become's fine and a new equilibrium is safely established.

Camera MovementAt the start of the film there are many jump cuts and straight cuts used, this is to show the change of scene and setting, it also gives the audience a sense of realism as they are put in the position of the main character when Bradley Cooper meets his girlfriend there is a close up on his face to show his facial expression and his emotion as she ends their relationship, we can see that through the eye contact and the way he is sitting he doesn't want to lose her and doesn't want to lose what they had.

Editingthe editing in this extract consists of special effects and jump cuts, the editing also gives the audience a sense of realism, there are fast paced cuts used also, this is to show his lifestyle and the chaos he is going trough! the jump cuts are used to narrow down different parts so the audience doesn't feel lost and so they do not lose interest. the special effects put a twist on the action taking place on screen and keep the audience intrigued and interested, it also gives the film that modern appeal that will help it appeal to the younger generation as well as the older.

Sound

The sound mainly used at the very start when a fast paced sound track is used to show the excitement and daily life of the city! This is none diegetic sound as the characters on screen cannot hear it. On the other hand diegetic sound is also used as we hear Bradley Cooper speaks over the action happening on screen.

The Dark Knight Rises - Textual Analysis

Batman - The Dark Night Rises

i have watched the first five minutes of the film and analysed four key areas, Mise en Scene, Editing, Sound and Camera Movement and Camera Shots

Mise en Scene

at the start of a film you do not expect it to be action packed and interesting straight away but The Dark Knight Rises challenges that idea as straight from the off we are introduced to one of the main characters 'Bane'and his team, straight from the beginning we are located in a moving Jeep travelling at pace through a field, the drivers have 3 people hostage and have assault rifles to their faces watching their every move so they do not try to escape, once the moving Jeep comes to a holt the hostages are taken to a plane waiting for take off, the plane is a private plane and only holds many men with assault rifles, during the flight they reveal one of the hostages and its the man himself 'Bane' who is now having a conversation with his enemy, suddenly Bane's team land on top of the plane in the middle of the air and kill Bane's enemy and his assailant, everything happens so quickly so this instantly makes the audience focus on the action so they don't miss anything vital!

Editing

the first five minutes of the film consist of straight cuts and jump cuts, the straight cuts are used at the beginning to create tension and chaos early on so the audience maintains its interest, the jump cuts are used to make the specific scene more interesting by making everything so packed and full of full time action, if the jump cuts were not included the action taking place on screen wouldn't seem so serious but because it is so constant and intriguing nobody misses a second of it and the jump cuts work as intended.

Sound

the sound used in this clip is very mysterious at the beginning and it keeps the audience on their toes as when the Jeep is approaching at pace the sound track behind the action picks up also, it creates tension and excitement for the audience as we know something is about to happen! the sound being played at this point is non diegetic as the characters cannot here it, just the audience. later on in the five minute spell i analysed diegetic sound is also used as at one point all we can hear is the frightening wind from 30,000 feet up and the voices of Bane and his enemy! this gives the audience a sense of realism as they believe because all they can hear is his voice and the natural sound of the air they are apart of the action.

Camera Movement and Camera Shots

the camera shots and camera movement at the very beginning of the clip are very casual and very calm, there is a close up at the start when we first see the hostages in the Jeep this is so we can feel like we are in the same position as them, there is a low angle shot as we are positioned on the grass of the field when the Jeep drives past, this is to show the audience the pace of the moving car. mid shots are used so the audience feels a sense of realism as we are positioned at the same height as the characters and an establishing shot is used also as the plane is gliding through the air, this is to show us the height and the danger at the position they are in.

The Words - Textual Analysis

The Words 2012.

I watched the first five minutes of this film and analysed four key areas, mise en scene, sound, editing and camera shots and camera movements.

Mise en scene

At the very beginning of the film we are situated in an office where a smart looking gentleman  (Dennis Quaid) is standing, we notice that the office is very clean and tidy which challenges the idea of gender representation as men are known to being untidy. Dennis then walks up towards a table to pick up his keys which are beside a book called 'The Words' he picks his keys and the book up and leaves the office, we are then taken to a stage where Dennis is giving a speech to a very large audience, after Dennis performs his speech we are taken to a different location where another elderly gentleman is introduced (Jeremy Irons) we see im enter his apartment where he opens a bag and finds a notebook, he puts the note book down and takes his medication, soon after this we are again take to another scenario were another gentleman (Bradley Cooper) and is girlfriend (Zoe Saldana) are in the back of a taxi talking about his upcoming book. the couple then arrive at a very smart and by the looks of it business related occasion where Bradley is also introduced to a large audience where he also must give a speech about his book. mid way through Bradley's speech we are drawn back to the presence of the older gentleman in his apartment, we notice that he opens the book and begins reading, this tells the audience that each character is related to a book or maybe the same book.

Editing

During the beginning of the film there are not so many types of editing being used, the main types of editing used that appears frequently are straight cuts and jump cuts, the straight cuts are used to take the audience from one situation to another, changing scenes, and as we know during the first five minutes of the film we are taken to a variety of different locations and we see this at the start as e are positioned in the office and then immediately taken to an applauding stage full of people. The jump cuts are also used for changing scenes but are also used to portray the story, we see a jump cut used when Bradley Cooper walks up to the stage, a jump cut is used to shorten the time it takes for him to produce his speech, this is to keep the audience intrigued instead of them waiting.

Camera Shots and Movement

when we are firstly introduced to Dennis Quaid at the beginning of the film just as he begins his speech there is an over the shoulder shot being used to show the support and the audience applauding him, the shot being used at this specific time lets us see the situation from his point of view, during his speech there is also a close up on to his face to show the emotion as he is talking, the close up is also used so we concentrate on what he is saying and our attention is not focused on anything else. when Bradley Cooper is in the taxi with his girlfriend he puts his head onto her lap as they speak about him being exhausted, she strokes his head and the camera shot used is a close up to this happening, this shows us that he is now being treated like a child and she is acting lie his mother comforting him and looking after him. After this Bradley Cooper is giving his speech and an over the shoulder shot is being used this shows that there may not just be a link between the book but also between the characters as an over the shoulder shot was also used earlier when Dennis Quaid presented his speech to a large audience too.

Sound

During the first five minutes of the film there is not that much sound being used, there is non-diegetic sound as a soft and soothing sound track is being played throughout the first 5 minutes, the pace of the soundtrack picks up slightly as both characters approach there individual speeches, this is to show the nervousness and the tension as they begin, the other type of sound being used is diegetic sound which is from the applauding and the speaking of the audience and other characters, we see this when Bradley Cooper tells a joke and the audience responds by laughing.

Taken 2 - Textual Analysis

Taken 2
i watched the first five minutes of this film and analysed four key areas, Mise en Scene, Editing, Sound and Camera Shots and Camera Movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpaT8NzkLgE

Mise en Scene
At the beginning of the clip we are placed abroad in a forest where many jeep's are on patrol to a certain place, we are the positioned at a funeral, the funeral of all the men killed in the first film. All of the families are surrounding the coffins and the one father is standing in front of everybody else this shows us that he is the leader and he is in charge. This reinforces male patriarchy as he is the dominant figure at this point. The father soon begins to have flash backs of Liam Neeson killing his loved ones and he wants to seek revenge! We also know that behind the dark side of his work Liam Neeson is also a loving family man, we notice this as he is faced to face with his wife talking about their daughter and her boyfriend. As we know Liam Neeson's wife and daughter are taken hostage and are kidnapped by the revenge seeking fathers, Liam Neeson kills each one of them until he gets his family back, Liam Neeson is the dominant figure throughout the film and he is the main character, his family rely on him and this reinforces the idea of men being protective and aggressive.

Camera Movement
There is an establishing shot at the very beginning of the film to show the audience where the first scene is located. We are firstly located in New York city where Liam Neeson is cleaning his car we are then suddenly taken to the location of the funeral, this shows the audience the different position they are in. There are close ups on to Liam Neeson's face as he talks with his wife this is to show his facial expression and his emotion behind the conversation. Just before the funeral there is a tracking shot of the jeep driving through the forest this is to make the audience feel a part of the action occurring on screen.

Editing
There are fast cuts during the beginning of the film there are also jump cuts and straight cuts used to show the change of scene and to show the pace of the action that is taking place on screen. the fast cuts are there to show the pace of the action happening, the jump cuts are to shorten any pauses involved and to really give the audience the realisation of the characters story or situation.

Sound
At the beginning of the film there is a distant and mysterious soundtrack being played behind the jeep driving away, as the jeep comes to a holt the pace of the soundtrack picks up this gives the audience a sense of tension and interest into what is going to happen. At the start of the funeral we hear the sound of birds this is to show peace of what is happening, the mothers begin to cry and this sound is diegetic as the characters on screen can hear this also, this shows the sadness and distraught they are going through.