Production Log - Week 2.

In the first lesson of the second week of production, my class and I explored the themes of British social realist films in relation to the news. We surfed the internet to find new stories that related to the themes used in British social realist films. There were a lot of themes that featured in British social realist films that also featured in the news, for example; violence, dysfunctional families, poverty, politics, unemployment, etc. From this research, I concluded that the production companies of British social realist films gain their inspiration from the news as they want to portray real life events in an explicit manner.

In the second lesson this week, we discussed what you should do in an opening sequence and what you shouldn't do. For example, in an opening sequence you should use typography that is appropriate for the genre - in this case, the social realism genre and you shouldn't reveal too much of the narrative. We also looked at how many graphics appear in a typical opening sequence and how frequently they appear. We then created a timeline for a British social realist opening sequence of our choice to label the intervals in which the graphics appeared and what was happening when they appeared. We also had to label when the music played and when there was a transition. This helped me to gain a better understanding of how many graphics need to be included and it gave me ideas of how I could edit the sequence to make it more effective.

In the third lesson this week, my class and I watched the opening sequence for the British social realist film 'London to Brighton'. This opening sequence was very different and explored a range of themes. The sequence started with a smash mouth opening, which attracted my attention from the start to end. It was very entertaining and left me, as the audience, with a lot of enigmas and left me feeling a lot of emotions. The themes that were explored within this opening sequence were; prostitution, violence, poverty, dysfunctional families, parenthood and childhood. From watching this opening sequence, I learnt about smash mouth openings and realised that there are more interesting, exciting ways to start an opening sequence of the British social realist genre.



What have you learnt about social realist codes and conventions in relation to audience?

I have learnt that in social realism, current issues that exist within society are presented seriously but also with an element of humour. For example, Kidulthood explores the issues of corruption of youth and petty crime. Both of these are shown through serious situations but some humour is added, for a wider more younger appeal to the audience. Depending on the region of which a film is set, the appropriate issues/themes, language and accents will be used according to the region. The locations used in social realist films are real and mundane, to increase the verisimilitude of the narrative. Camera language is always used but in a gritty style, wide shots are used a lot to show the mise-en-scene, in particular the settings and locations. Also, non-professional actors are commonly used as it increases the verisimilitude and because the production companies who produce these British social realist films cant usually afford mainstream, international actors. I have also learnt about the conventions of the social realist genre, some of these were; to put the title towards the beginning of the opening sequence, to include lots of the mise-en-scene (settings & locations), not to reveal too much of the narrative, etc. All of these conventions will help the audience ease into the film, so and if the title is put towards the beginning of the opening sequence the audience wont have to be interrupted when they start getting into the narrative.

How will this inform your production?

This will inform my production, as I will now make sure I include all of the social realist codes and conform to the conventions of social realism. I will also pay sharp attention to detail because I do not want to mix the conventions of social realism with those of a trailer as there isn't much of a difference to separate the two. I will also make sure that when I make my social realist films opening sequence, it is very British, so that I can meet the brief and create a British social realist film, so I will relate all of the accents, issues/themes, language, settings and locations to the British region. Therefore my film will be very culturally relative.

What texts did you find particularly influential and why?

I found the British social realist film 'London to Brighton' very influential as it started with a smash mouth opening and from then on had me engaged in the narrative and left me with a lot of enigmas. It also explored a lot of issues/themes that take place in London and many other places, but was most culturally relative to British people, as the accents, language and settings all related to the region in which the film was set.




Will you conform to conventions or subvert them?

I will conform to the conventions of social realism rather than subvert them so that the opening sequence of my British social realism film, meets the brief at the highest standard possible as the brief clearly states that it wants my film to conform to the conventions of social realism. Therefore, I will do this in an attempt to create a film of high standard and to gain as many marks as possible.

How British Social Realism themes are used.

This Happy Breed 1944 (3:22-4:00)



Theme: Social class clashes

This theme of social class clashes is identified through the situation, as the five main characters in this scene are seated having a meal and discussion and as the men are about to leave, a woman pulls up a shutter and loudly shouts 'alright to clear away?'. This connotes that she is not of the same social class as the other characters, because she was not able to have a meal with them and join in the discussion, but instead has to tidy up after them. This also connotes that she is perhaps working for the owner/s of the house as a maid, which signified that she is maybe of working class and the other characters are upper class because they can afford a maid. The mise-en-scene also connotes that the woman poking her head through the shutter is not of the same social class because she is located in the kitchen which is a place where she'd be cleaning, whilst the others are socialising. She is also wearing dark brown clothing, in comparison to all of the other female characters who wear bright, elaborate clothing. This also supports my connotation that the woman in he kitchen is likely to be of working class because her clothes reflect her poverty and lack of money. The sequence portrays this theme of a social class clash through the diegetic sound; the dialogue, as the 5 wealthier characters have a very posh tone and they talk well spoken English and use a lot of complex phrases, where as the maid doesn't speak with such a posh tone and uses a more informal tone. Also the composition and framing of the shot which introduces the maid like character, consists of her being deep in the background, just about noticeable connoting that she isn't as important as the other characters. Leading to a further connotation that working class citizens are not as important as those of upper class. In the opening sequence of my British social realist film, I might explore this theme by perhaps using a more recent friction between working class and middle class citizens. I would do this by maybe having a character from a rough family living on a council estate and maybe a character who lives in a house with a stable family, I would do this to contrast the two social class'. 


Bullet Boy - Part 1 (05:45-07:00)



Theme: Aspiration & Escape

This theme is established through the situation that occurs. For example, the main male character is released from jail at the beginning of the film. He is picked up by his friend who starts asking him if it feels good to be home and telling him that there is money to be made and that they can 'clean up the whole of road'. The main character replies saying that his friends way of making money is not the way that he wants to be making money. He then goes on to say in so many words that he has just been released from jail and is not going back. This connotes that the main character doesn't want to go back to jail by repeating the same mistakes he made in the past which got him there in the first place. Instead he aspires to make money legally and is therefore trying to escape his past and escape this working class lifestyle that seems to have nothing to offer him. The sequence as a whole portrays this theme of aspiration and escape through the camera language and the mise-en-scene shown. For example, from 05:39 - 05:49 a shot reverse shot is used to show the main character looking at the council estates he is driving past, this edit is used to show his disappointed facial expressions to connote that he aspires to escape from this mundane scenery and mover on to greater things and that he doesn't himself want to live on a council estate for the rest of his life. In my own opening sequence, I might explore this theme of aspiration and escape by using similar situations. For example, I could cast a teenage girl from a rough urban area, going to college to try and get the grades she needs in hope of being able to get a good job with them.


East Is East



Theme: Religion

This theme is established through the consistent use of language used by people of the Islamic faith. For example, an Asian man that comes out of a car greets another Asian man saying, 'Salaam Alaikum', the other then replies with, 'Alaikum Salaam', whilst kissing each other on each cheek as a way of greeting one another. This language and behaviour is used frequently within this scene. The sequence also portrays the theme of religion, because from 0:08 - 0:15 the camera language used is a point of view shot panning left, the Asian, Muslim child is sitting alone on his doorstep watching all of the of the other white children play and have fun. This connotes that he may be or feel excluded because of his religion or culture. In my British social realist film, I could use this theme by creating a divide between two different religions, to explore cultural differences that exist within society today.


 The Football Factory



Theme: Violence

The theme of violence is established through the explicit situations that happen. The first glimpse of violence we see is at 0:55 when two men punch a man sitting on a wall. But from 1:16 - 2:46 we see two groups of men who are fans of two rivalry football clubs gruesomely fighting, for a long duration of time. The sequence portrays the theme of violence like its done for entertainment because the voiceover says, 'what else are you gonna do on a Saturday?', whilst the action of the fighting has been slowed down and one character is looking around him. In the opening sequence of my film, I would explore the theme of violence through gang related violence or potentially domestic violence because they are common sources of violence within this generation.


kidulthood



Theme: Petty crime

The theme of petty crime is established in the beginning of this scene, up until 0:30. This theme is established through the situation that happens. The shopkeeper wouldn't let the boy but beers because he thought he was 'too young' to buy them. The boy then tells him to shut up and casually walks away with the beers as the shop keeper says 'come back', the boy then turns and throws something at the shop keeper as he says 'come back for what man, shut your mouth'. The shop keeper then chases him out of the shop with a bat and the boy pushes over a stand and then leaves the shop. The boy stole the beers and therefore committed a petty crime as it is not that major because the shop keeper did know he was taking it. The language used by the boy towards the shopkeeper shows that youngsters have little respect for their elders. This sequence portrays the theme of petty crime like its done by youth and done because they have little respect for the older generations. In my film I could use petty crime but make older people be committing these crimes. For example, I could have a single mum stealing nappies because she cant afford them. Working class women who have little money have been known to commit these petty crimes in the real world to provide for their children, so it would be relatable to society today. 

Use of themes in British Social Realism.

What is the link between British Social Realism themes and the real world?

The link found between British Social Realism themes and the real world is that the themes used are a reflection of situations and events that occur in the real world. For example, according to BBC News - in August 2011 a toddler died from a methadone overdose that could only have been prevented if he was taken into care because his parents used this drug to sedate him when he was grisly (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-19478883). This story that occurred in the real world reflects some of the themes British Social Realist films use, such as; domestic abuse, drugs, childhood, parenthood, dysfunctional families and drug abuse. Fish Tank, is an example of a  British Social Realist film that uses the themes of domestic abuse, childhood, parenthood and dysfunctional families. We see domestic abuse in this film as we see the eldest daughters mum slap her in the face and pinch her for no apparent reason, we also see the themes of childhood and parenthood as we watch the two daughters in a fragment of their childhood and how they live and we see how their mum as a single parent decides to take on parenthood, through a dysfunctional manner which is how we see the theme of a dysfunctional family.



The theme of drug abuse is also apparent in many British Social Realism films, for example in Trainspotting, drugs are abused.



What is unique about how themes are explored in British Social Realism films?

Themes are explored in a unique way in British Social Realist films, as they are portrayed in a very explicit, grim and nasty way. The themes are not made to look any better or worse than what they really are in the real world, but they are a reflection of the actual theme from the real world in a film where the narrative may be fictional but the themes are being portrayed exactly how they would  be in the real world. For example, In the British Social Realism film 'Looking For Eric' , numerous themes are displayed like; dysfunctional families and isolation are displayed. The dysfunctional families theme is shown through the sound as the main character says his 'wife refuses to talk to him' and 'me kids wont give the time of day', this shows that his family is all over the place and don't communicate. The fat that his wife or kids don't bother with him leaves me with a further connotation that he may be left feeling quite isolated. Isolation is another common theme shown in British Social Realism films. According to a graph published by The Guardian, divorce rates in 1930 were really low and over the years has increased, in 1985 the divorce rate was at its highest. Over time it has slowly decreased. But these divorce rates have increased since the 1930's because of these dysfunctional families.
 

Is there any themes which are essential to all British social realist films? What are they? Why are they essential?

There are quite a few themes that are essential to British Social Realist films. These essential themes are; dysfunctional families, violence, childhood, aspiration and escape, corruption of youth and unemployment. These themes are all essential to British social realist films because they are some of the main issues within society in the real world. So the production companies who produce these British Social Realist films try to portray the essential issues in real society and make them themes in these themes.

Production Log - Week 1.

In the first lesson this week, I looked at other British Social Realist opening sequences to a film created by previous years and we used the mark scheme to mark them. This gave me and all of my peers a good idea as to what the examiners are looking for and what I need to do in production.

In the second lesson this week, I used the site 'artofthetitle' to look at other opening sequences, to comment on what I liked about them and what I believe made them successful. This helped me think about how I will produce my opening sequence and how I will frame each shot. It also gave me some new ideas in terms of graphics.


In the third lesson this week we created a Social Realism Timeline, by looking at British Social Realism films from the 1960s to the early 2000s. This helped me recognize the changes in British Social Realism, the themes and situations in the older films are less explicit and make the issues of the time seem less bad. For example, in 'Kes' the children seem more controlled, although they still display some attitude  children in more modern Social Realist genres have no respect for elders or authority figures, for example, in 'Fish Tank' the teenagers and young children swear at each other and adults. This shows a clear change in the social norm as children wouldn't have sworn at anyone in the 1960's, they may have had an attitude the behaviour of  children has progressively gotten worse as the years move.

In the fourth lesson this week as a class we analysed three opening sequences of the films 'An Education',  ' Blue Valentine' and 'This Is England'. As a class, we discussed how the characters were introduced, how the themes and ideology were introduced, what expectations are created for the style of the film, what information is given about the institution and crew and whether any enigmas are set up by it. We analysed these three opening sequences to gather knowledge about what makes a good opening sequence. This knowledge will help me when creating my own opening sequence, as I can try to stick to the conventions of a social realism film.



What have you learnt this week from looking at the mark scheme and peer assessing previous work?

This week we looked at the mark scheme for this piece of coursework and I realised how tight the marks were. It made me realize that when we plan and produce the opening sequence to our British Social Realist film, my partner and I have to pay close attention to detail, as trivial details added could help us gain substantial marks that mean the difference between levels. By assessing the work from previous years, it made me differentiate between the good sequences and the bad. The good, highly marked sequences at level 1 had ended with an ambiguous ending and made you question what happens next. This well constructed narrative made the examiners interested as to what will happen throughout the duration of the rest of the film and this had gained them a lot of marks. The graphics also helped pairs gain marks, if the graphics conformed to the conventions of the Social Realist genre and if they had a good amount of appropriate graphics. Some of the opening sequences I watched almost didn't conform to the conventions of the Social Realist genre and almost began to look like a trailer, as some of the conventions better suited a trailer. When producing my own opening sequence I will try to conform to the majority or all of the conventions of a Social Realist film. Some of the sequences also had poor camera language and didn't consider it.

How will this inform your production?

Looking at the mark scheme for this piece of coursework and assessing previous pieces of it, has made me realize what the examiners are looking for and I am now more aware of what they want. So in production I will have better awareness in all stages. In pre production, I will plan to include lots of relevant and creative graphics when possible, I will also plan my narrative so that it has an ending that leaves the examiners thinking and wanting to watch more in an attempt to gain as many marks as possible. I will make sure I don't conform to the conventions of a trailer and focus on the conventions of a film and the genre - Social Realism. I will also try to follow the mark scheme at level 4, as best as possible.

What will you try to emulate/avoid?

I will try to avoid conforming to the conventions of a trailer, I will also avoid not using the correct camera language by planning my shots correctly in pre-production and paying full attention in production. I will also avoid making my graphics too cliché and not like those used in Social Realism. I will remember the use of continuity editing throughout and remember to not break rules like the 180 degree rule and the rule of thirds, to make it look more professional. I will also try to make all of the scenes move at the correct pace, so the action doesn't move too fast or too slow. I will also avoid making the narrative too complex, as I do not have the resources to create the opening sequence of a resourceful Social Realist film.

Social Realism Timeline.

1960's

Film: Kes

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Education
• Arguments
• Class - working class and middle class

Recurring Characters

• Teachers
• Students

Settings & Locations

• England
• School

Sound

• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Accents
• Foley sound

Camerawork/Editing

• Continuity editing
• Mid shots
• Pan - left

Mise-en-scens

• Dark uniforms
• Colour design  - green, black and grey

Film: Poor Cow (Skip to 0:05:00 and watch to 0:07:00)

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Race
• Money
• Gossiping old ladies

Recurring Characters

• Mothers
• Fathers
• Old ladies
• Babies
• Children

Settings & Locations

• Rural area
• Village
• Park

Sound

• Voice over
• cockney accent
• Diegetic sound
• Non-diegetic sound
• Dialogue

Camerawork/Editing

• Establishing shots
• Pan left
• Pan right
• Long shots

Mise-en-scene

• Long coats
• Skirts just above the knee
• Flat black shoes

1970's

Film: Quadraphenia (Skip to 0:38:00 and watch to 0:40:15)

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Drugs
• Gangs
• Arguments

Recurring Characters

• Father
• Son

Settings & Locations

• Alley way
• Home

Sound

• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Cockney accent
• Swearing - 'pissed'

Camerawork/Editing

• Mid shots
• Long shots

Mise-en-scene

• Motorbike
• Long coats
• Vest tops
• Alcohol - beer

1980's

Film: Made In Britain

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Crime
• Justice

Recurring Characters

• Police officer
• Judge
• Criminal

Settings & Locations

• Court
• Britain
• City (London)

Sound

• Non-diegetic music - heavy metal
• Diegetic
• dialogue

Camerawork/Editing

• Close-ups
• Track
• Long shots

Mise-en-scene

• Tattoos
• Jackets
• Jeans
• Tops

Film: Scum

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Violence

Recurring Characters

• Men - working class

Settings & Locations

• Community club

Sound

• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Swearing - 'shithead' 'fucking' 'bastard'

Camerawork/Editing

• Long shots
• Mid shots
• Track
• Low angle

Mise-en-scene

• Jackets
• Tops
• Trousers

1990's

Film: Trainspotting

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Drugs
• Football
• Running away from authority - police

Recurring Characters

• Men - working class

 Settings & Locations

• Streets
• Home

 Sound

• Non diegetic
• Voice over
• Swearing - 'fuck/ing'

 Camerawork/Editing

• Track
• Long shots
• Mid shots
• Close-ups

 Mise-en-scene

• Jeans
• Trainers
• Jackets
• Tops

Film: Nil by Mouth

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Adultery
• Domestic violence
• Unstable family

Recurring Characters

• Mother/wife
• Father/husband
• Child/daughter

Settings & Locations

• Home

Sound

• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Cockney accent
• Swearing - 'fucking' 'cunt' 'rumping'

Camerawork/Editing

• Close-ups
• Long shots
• Mid shots
• High angle

Mise-en-scene

• Cigarettes
• Nightwear

2000's

Film: Kidulthood (Skip to 0:01:30 and watch to 0:03:30)

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Violence
• Corruption of youth

Recurring Characters

• Teenage boys
• Teenage girls

Settings & Locations

• London
• Council flats/estates

Sound

• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Informal/slang
• Swearing 'fuck' 'shit'

Camerawork/Editing

• Mid shots
• Long shots
• High angle

Mise-en-scene

• Tracksuits
• Hoodies
• Trainers
• Hats
• Weed

Film: Bigga Than Ben

How are the conventions of British Social Realism portrayed?

Themes & Situations

• Fraud
• Theft
• Violence

Recurring Characters

• Men of varying ages

Settings & Locations

• London

Sound

• Non-diegetic
• Voice over
• Music
• Sound effects
• Diegetic
• Dialogue
• Foreign accent

Camerawork/Editing

• Close ups
• Mid shots
• Long shots
• High angles

Mise-en-scene

• Beer
• Cigarettes
• Casual clothes

This British social realism timeline has made me realise how the content within this genre has changed over the years, more specifically from 1960 to the year 2000. I looked at nine films to see how the conventions of the British social realism genre have been demonstrated and what has changed over the years. I found that the social norms of society have changed over the years because, for example, in the first film 'Kes', the children showed some attitude but still had an element of respect for each other, their elders and authority figures. However, in 'Kidulthood' the teenagers openly swear and curse each other as a part of their everyday language, having little respect for each other. To them this is normal speech, where as to the children in 'Kes' this would have been absurd, abnormal and disrespectful. This social change means that, the narratives within this genre are becoming more and more explicit as they want to celebrate the mundane, failure and mediocrity of the working class Brits. Also in the older social realist films, the colour of the actual footage appeared to be much darker, this signified that they may not have had the technology to be able to control the contrast it, but in the more recent films their has been an advance in technology and they can now choose how they want it through the mise-en-scene in the colour design.

My definition of British social realism:

I define British social realism to be a genre that expresses the faults in the working class British society through film in the most explicit, sad and unambiguous way. This genre tries to make the audience aware of all of the issues that working class British people face, for example; poverty, domestic violence, abuse, neglect, an unstable family life etc. This genre usually uses continuity editing, real life locations and a gritty style of camerawork, this is all to add to the verisimilitude of the film. British social realist films usually contain a lot of foul, abusive language, violence and discrimination, these things also help add to the verisimilitude of the film.

Analysis of the conventions in an opening sequence of a film.

Powered by Issuu

Publish for Free

Powered by Issuu

Publish for Free

Initially I had done an analysis for the conventions of the opening sequence of the TV series, 'Six Feet Under'. I then realised that we had to analyse the opening sequence of a film of any genre. Therefore, I analysed the conventions of the opening sequence of '21 Jump Street'. However, I realised that opening sequences for TV series share some of the conventions of a films opening sequence, as they all include the title, credits and a lot of the mise-en-scene to give the audience a feel of the programme/film.

My final analysis was done on the conventions in the opening sequence of '21 Jump Street', I tried to analyse a range of conventions as this opening sequence did display a lot. I noticed that although the opening sequence didn't reveal much of the narrative, almost each shot and the montages used within it created a lot of enigmas, as I was left feeling like I want to find out what relevance each element of the opening sequence has with the film. Each shot created a lot of deep connotations on what the film could be about, which made me want to watch the whole film.

Past Students' Work.

Film Title: Battered and Bruised (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT3uB9RTvuw)

Strengths

1. Typical social realist theme of violence.
2. Typical British scoial realist illiterate foul language used, such as; 'fuck' and 'dickhead'.

Weaknesses

1. Graphics - names under actor (not typical of social realist genre).
2. Footage is fast paced and because of this I couldnt get a clear idea of the narrative.
3. Camera work is shaky.

• Mark I originally gave: Level 1 = 6
• Real mark given by examiner: Level 2 = 26

Film Title: Written Syria (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdxurNAmsUk)

Strengths

1. Graphics are used commonly, are small and unnoticeable which is typical of the Social Realist genre.
2. Appropriate, composed music is used.
3. The narritve leaves the audience thinking and wanting to see more.

Weaknesses

1. The camera work is not very good as they have not considered using the correct shot types, to express different emotions and scenarios.

• Mark I originally gave: Level 3 = 37
• Real mark given by examiner: Level 4 = 52

Film Title: Cycle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQQtWqOHYs)

Strengths

1. The themes and situations are typical of a social realist film.

Weaknesses

1. The appropriate camerawork has not been used, as lots of long shots have been used in the wrong moments of the film, when mid shots or close ups could have been used to show the action or emotion better, that could have helped us gain a better understanding of the narrative.
2. The lighting changes in the same scene, which is non-continuity.
3. The framing is poor, not much consideration has been put into the composition of each shot.
4. Copyright music has been used when the brief clearly states that copyright music is not to be used.
5. The narrative is not clear at all, as there is no clear plot.

• Mark I originally gave: Level 3 = 40
• Real mark given by examiner: Level  2 = 29

Film Title: Straight Edge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5V5z9urV8s)

Strengths

1. The narrative is strong and clear.
2. The camerawork has clearly been well thought of.
3. The colours of the footage has been slightly dimmed so it looks gritty, conforming to the style of social realism films.
4. It has been well framed.

Weaknesses

- None

• Mark I originally gave: Level 4 = 55
• Real mark given by examiner: Level 4 = 55

Film Title: Black Arrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yvxnLy1XqQ)

Strengths

- None

Weaknesses

1. The voiceover doesnt match the main characters image, as she is asian and the voice does not stereotypically sound like an asian girls voice.
2. The editing is non-continuous.
3. There is no clear narrative.
4. The style of the graphics is not typical of a social realist film.

• Mark I originally gave: Level 1 = 6
• Real mark given by examiner: Level 2 = 24

Film Title: Wasters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ7Ji71wqdo)

Strengths

1. The graphics used were constant and creative.
2. The themes and situations are typical of a social realist genre, as drugs are a common problem in the youthful working class population of white Brits.
3. The mise-en-scene is very realistic and creative. The probs are very realistic also and create verisimilitude.
4. The framing is also good as each frame has been well thought of.
5. The camerawork was very good as each shot was appropriate.

Weaknesses

1. It meets a lot of the conventions of a trailer.

• Mark I originally gave: Level 4 = 55
• Real mark given by examiner: Level 4 = 52

Cycle

In would improve this shot by improving the composition of the frame, I would change the shot type to, by perhaps using a mid shot to cut out all of the unnecessary action in the shot. This would allow the audience to look at this scene in closer detail and gain a better understanding of whats actually happening, when this girl thats walking gets robbed. A mid shot would also help the audience to get a better glance at body language and facial expressions so we can understand how the girl that is being robbed is feeling.

In this shot, the graphics saying the actors names are very basic, not much thought has been put into them as the font used is the default font. If I was to improve this I would be more creative and maybe look at different ways of displaying my graphics, maybe on a object to do with the narrative or if not, choose a better font that conforms to the conventions of social realism better.

The shot type used here is good as you can see exactly what the characters are doing and maybe what their jobs are. However if I was to improve this shot, I would sort out the framing and the composition of it using the same shot type, I would edit it so that you can see the other actor in the back better, as the actor in the fronts hat is covering his face slightly.

The title of the British social realist film 'Cycle' was put in the opening sequence at 0:37 seconds, to prevent potentially conforming to the conventions of a trailer instead of an opening sequence, I would improve this by putting the title right at the beginning of the opening sequence, to keep it on the safe side.

In this shot, the lighting is very dark and because of this you can see a bright light from the camera in the door. If I was to improve this I would turn on the lights of the room, to prevent any shadows or reflections and this would stop the audience from seeing the camera. This breaks the verisimilitude of the film already and this is only the opening sequence, so the audience probably wouldnt believe the themes and situations throughout the durattion of the film.

To improve this shot, I would change the shot type from a current long shot, to two mid shots. One of the people sitting on the sofa and one of the girl sitting on the windown ledge and when they are conversating I would just cut between the two shots. To show body language, facial expressions and reactions to what is being said or discussed.

In this shot, the producers of this opening sequence have failed to meet the brief as it says that 'audience material used in the film must be entirely original'. However, in this shot there is music being played off of a subscriptive tv channel and therefore it is not original as it is not copyright free. To improve this I would not use the TV or any copyright music and would perhaps have one of the boys rapping one of their own songs, as they seem to be trying to display a theme of music from a previous shot in a music booth, making music. So I would just enhance this theme and maybe bring it out more.

In this shot, the boy entering the room is carrying something in a bad and because of the shot type used, it's hard to identify what it actually is, whatever it is it could play a key part in the narrative, so to improve this I would change this long shot and use a close-up to have a bigger range of shots and so that the audience could see what is in the bag as it could be some sort of drug he has just sorted out to be sold and passed on.

In this shot, the producers have failed to demonstrate the clear and correct use of camera language. In this shot, the character highlighter, in the red box seems to be saying something she feels strongly about as she is expressing a lot of body language and showing a lot of facial expressions. To all of this, I would use a mid shot to show this girl and leave all of the othere characters out of this shot, as she is the main one.

Wasters

This opening sequence, started with a graphic. This was successful as it conforms to the conventions of the social realist genre as a sub title goes at the beginning. This prevents it from seeming like its conforming to the conventions of a trailer. Also, the style of the graphic is very creative and unique and also connotes what the main themes of the opening sequence are. The sub title looks like its written on a chalkboard, connoting that a theme of this film is education and school. The sub title is written with a white substance which looks like a drug - cocaine, connoting that a main theme is also illegal drugs. The actual sub title itself is 'Half Ounce' which is a unit in which drugs can be measured, supporting my connotation that one of the themes is drugs. Putting all of these themes together, it give the audince the idea that the film is about teenagers still in education, seliing and or using drugs. This is very good as it immediately creates enigmas within  the audience, making them engaged and interested.

This opening sequence is successful because we are immediately informed about the production company of the film through a simple graphic. It is good to put the graphic at the beginning of the opening sequence because it conforms to the conventions of an opening sequence.

This is a good shot in this opening sequence, as it shows great use and consideration of camera language. The over the shoulder shot used here shows the dominance of the teacher over the student as they are trying to advise them, the teacher looks more dominant becasue she has more space on the screen. The rule of thirds rule is also remembered nicely here.

This is a good shot because is shows the mise-en-scene well as we can see what kind of clothes the characters wear. We can also see that they are unruley teenagers as one of them is swearing in the direction of the camera. This is a point of view shot, so the character seems to be swearing at a pedestrian making it look like they have no respect or manners for others.

This shot is smart as it is a high angle long shot, to show more of the mis-en-scene as we see this grimey, backstreet location where the characters seem to be taking drugs. The high angle shot makes them look like low lifes, that have nothing better to do. This adds to the effectiveness of this opening sequence because the whole point of British social realism is to celebrate the mundane, failure and mediocricy of working class Brits.

The most appropriate camera language has been used here to show the involvement of drugs. A close-up is used here to show that these teenagers are very rebellious as they are tampering with illegal drugs, not just cigarettes.

Graphics were used frequently and are very creative. The director and casts credits were written on rizzla and then show in a close-up. This is really unique, as it relates to the themes of drugs and rebellion as the graphics are written on something that they use to roll their drugs. This adds to the overall success of the openign sequence. However, because the graphics are put in later on in the opening sequence it almost conforms to the conventions of a trailer rather than the social realism genre.

This scene was real footage from a club, where two teenage girls were kissing and this adds to the verisimillitude of the film because it shows real action that happens within this age group at parties. This is a good scene because it is another intelligent creative idea.

The film title being edited in right at the end of the opening sequence in post production, breaks the verisimillitude of the film. This is because this is not typical of the social realist genre, it conforms to the conventions of a social realist film. If I was to improve this, I would have put the title of the film right at the beginning, so that the opening sequence could just flow into the rest of the film without any other graphics.

Inspiring Title Sequences.

Dreamcatcher: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dreamcatcher/

What did I like about this opening sequence? 

I liked the graphics used in this opening sequence, because they were reasonably simple with a glow/shadow effect to them and they appeared often. I also liked the music used as it created suspence although there was no synchronous action to match what was being displayed. I liked that there was no scenes from the actual sequence shown but the music and the features it did show kept my attention and had me engaged.

What made it a successful opening?

I think this was a successful opening because of the music used, which was quite mysterious and creates a sense of suspence. We dont actually get to see the opening sequence of this but we almost see elements of the mise-en-scene, as we see different locations like a snowed over forest and we see icicles, a lot of elements of water are shown, like ice, snow the sea etc. This creates a very cold feel and connotes that Dreamcatcher will be set in a very cold area, where maybe people are cold hearted. The mise-en-scene just leaves the audience thinking and questionning what the actual piece is going to be about and therefore makes them want to watch the whole thing, this is what makes it a successful opening sequence.

This is England: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/this-is-england/

What did I like about this opening sequence?

I liked how culturally relative this opening sequence was to British people, as all of the footage seemed to be footage of past events for example: Prince Charles and Dianas wedding, riots, british troops going to war, etc. I also liked how the footage was cut to the pace of the music, everytime there was  a loud sudden break in the music, there would be a new piece of footage usually action packed. The footage complemented the title as they were showing the audience events that have occured in English history, seeing it is called 'This is England'.

What made it a successful opening?

It was a successful opening because the audience were shown many scenes of Englsh history and it makes me think if this is the past what are they going to demonstrate as the present in This is England. It makes me question what it will actually be about and who it will be about.

Blue Valentine: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/blue-valentine/

What did I like about this opening sequence?

I liked the fireworks and how every time one is let off it bursts into a new screenshot from a scene of a couple that loook very much in love. Its almost like a timeline from when they met, until when they get married as we see him carry her on his back dressed smartly in a suit and tie and the woman in a white dress holding a bunch of red flowers. I also like the simplicity of the graphics and how often they appear.

What made it a successful opening?

It was a successful opening because it didnt reveal much at all, but narrowly highlighted the main charcters - a woman and man who seem happily in love. It made me question whether this love would be everlasting throughout the film and or if there would be any twists or dramatic turns in this relationship that seems so perfect.

Analysing Fish Tank.

Fish Tank Trailer

Themes and Situations:

The key themes in Fish Tank are the themes of poverty, an unstable family life, the corruption of youth, violence and dancing. These are highlighted throughout the film because the theme of poverty is shown clearly through the mise-en-scene as all of the characters wear scruffy clothes and tracksuits and trainers, connoting they cant afford expensive clothes. The film itself is set in Barking, which is not a wealthy area and to be more specific, one of the locations is a council estate. Connoting Mia and her family cant afford to live elsewhere in a house or a nice flat. The theme of having an unstable family life is shown through the circumstances in which their family lives. The mum seems very unconcerned about her children as we see her verbally and physically abusing them - in particular the older child, Mia. Mia swears around her mum and sister an to them, connoting she has no respect for either them, due to the foreseen circumstances. The youngest daughter, Tyler, also swears and uses abusive language, connoting that she has not been raised correctly in a stable healthy family. Violence is also a theme in this film, because immediately within the first 10 minutes of the film there is a fights that happens between Mia and a group of girls, there are a couple of times where we see Mias mum slap and pinch her, Mia also gets into an altercation with a couple of boys who almost try to molest her. The final theme I have identified is dancing. From the beginning right throughout the film until the end, there are a lot of scenes that involve dancing. We see Mia watching a group of girls dancing in the beginning, Mia herself dancing numerous times throughout and at the end when she says bye to her mum they dance together as a way of connecting and saying their farewells.

The mother slapping her daughter (Mia) in the face.

 

The main theme in this film is an unstable family life, I would use a theme like this if I was to make a British social realism film because in the mundane it is a dominating issue within the working class population.

Representations:

There are many representations of white working class brits throughout this film. One of these representations is that young white mums from a working class background are not maternal. We see this in this film because the mum doesn't pay attention to her kids needs and seems to pay more attention to her boyfriend and sacrifices her kids needs for her boyfriends wants. Another representation is that many female working class teenagers that live on council estates, aspire to become dancers but because of their unconventional family lives are left with no hope as they gain no support from their families. We see this through Mia, who always goes to an empty house to dance alone and rehearse a particular routine and doesn't tell her mum because she knows she will just laugh and not support or encourage her.





The mum having sexual intercourse, whilst daughter (Mia) is watching.

I would use the chavy stereotype for most of my characters as it goes well with the genre of the film (British social realism).

Mise-en-scene:

Fish Tank is set in Barking. The main locations used in this film are a council estate, parks and various other locations in Barking. The majority of characters in this films are given a costume that create a 'chavy' stereotype. For example, most of the characters wear tracksuits, vest tops and trainers, with a pair of hoop earrings. Mia always dresses in a black tracksuit with trainers and hoop earrings with her tied up, connoting that she's quite a tomboy. Props used in the film also add to this 'chavy' stereotype, such as; drinking cider/beer, dogs and London buses. These props are fairly culturally relative to working class brits as most of them can only afford to drink cheap liquor and cant drive, therefore make good use of public transport. Dogs are used in the film as tools to make characters seem more intimidating and the dogs themselves are represented as vicious, making the owners look irresponsible.

The council estate where the film is set.

In the mise-en-scene I would use the council estate as a location because it is a stereotypical view that a lot of working class Brits with unstable family lives live on council estates.

Music and Sound Effects:

Modern R&B music is used throughout the film, such as; Cassie - me & you, Ja Rule Ft Ashanti - down 4 u. Songs like these are used to support the main character Mias aspirations of becoming a dancer, connoting she hopes to become a dancer for an R&B artist. Reggae music is also featured, when the mum throws a party, to extend the appeal and show that white people listen to reggae music too.

• I would use reggae music in my British social realism film because it complements the 'chavy' representation well and fits in with the stereotype.

Camera Work and Editing:

Many shot types are used in this film. For example, as the film starts we see an establishing shot to show where the film is set and the main location - a council estate. Long shots are also used a lot, to show the audience the full picture of what is happening in the scene. For example, when Mia is watching the girls dancing, a long shot is used so we as the audience are able to see all of their body language and dance moves and the environment they are dancing in. There are also a reasonable amount of mid shots used, to show the characters expressions/emotions in more detail as we can see their facial expressions and their body language.



Mia and her mum face to face.

 I would use a lot of mid-shots in my British social realism trailer, so I could show more of the charcters' dispositions and how each of the character reacts differently or similarly to each other. In this screengrab, the tension between Mia and her mum is shown through this mid shot as we can see how tense they both are and how close they are.








Dialogue:

There are many abusive used from the start to end by most of the characters of varying ages, such as; fag, cunt, fuck, fucking, butters and skanky little pikey. All of this illiterate language supports the characters 'chavy' stereotype. Mia, her mum and little sister all use this language, so mia and her little sister have heard their mum using it and have grown up  thinking its okay to use this in their every day language. The use of this language in this social realist film, connotes that it is stereotyped that white working class brits of all ages use this language in the mundane.

• I would use the word 'fag' a lot because it also compliments the 'chavy' stereotype as it is popular language that they use.

Fish Tank Research

Institutional research:

Fish Tank was written and directed by Andrea Arnold. It was produced in co-production with the UK Film Council, BBC Films, Limelight Communication, Content Film and Kasander Film Company. The release date wad the 21st June 2009 at Edinburgh Film Festival. The Criterion Collection exhibited it on DVD and Blu-ray. Fish tank was given a budget of $3 and
collected a total of $2, 357, 852, meaning this film was a box office flop/turkey.

Audience research:

Fish Tanks audience is 13-18 year old white females from a working class background. The film is given a certificate of 15 but because of the issues faced in the film and who faces them, it appeals to a younger teenage audience as they can also relate to these issues, for example the unstable family - a 13 year old girl could identify with that.

Marketing research:

Fish Tank was distributed by IFC Films, this is an independent distributor and therefore due to their small marketing budgets they only used traditional marketing techniques, as they are much cheaper than techniques like viral marketing. This film was supported by the UK Film Councils prints and marketing's fund.