TASK 2.2: Research Into Existing Products - Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis of an Opening Sequence: 'Blue Velvet'

In the opening couple of minutes of Blue Velvet, David Lynch creates an image of a utopian suburban America. This can be seen in the first shot, which shows a white picket fence with red roses against a blue sky. This portrays a picturesque setting and the colours of red, white and blue connote the American flag. Alongside the relaxing music, it makes the viewer feel temporarily at ease with the ‘perfect’ scene.

There is then a fading transition, to give a slow pace and coherent feel, between the next shots, which again represent the ideal suburban America in the fifties. For example, the old fashioned fire engine with the waving fireman and the dog give the feeling of safety and security. Also, the red truck, blue shirt and white dog again show the colours of the American flag, which continues the patriotic sense of the scene. Through this, Lynch is representing the setting as a beautiful place where nothing bad happens. However, as the scene progresses the viewer learns that this is not the case.

The first example of everything not being as perfect as it may seem is the shot of the television, which shows a gun. This suggests a type of crime drama and gives the sense that the utopia is actually underpinned by darkness. However, the music remains the same – cheerful and calming – which is contrapuntal with the shot of a gun on the screen.

The feeling of unease truly sets in when the scene moves onto the man in his garden, immediately following the shot of the gun. The close up shots of the hose spraying water and where it is caught suggest that something has gone wrong. Then the man collapses suddenly, without any apparent reason. This is a hook to the viewer and is emphasised by a close up of the water spraying in the air.

Editing is used to show the dog biting at the water in slow motion; this represents how animalistic and vicious it looks, despite the fact its owner is on the ground. Through this shot, Lynch is stating how animals are nothing more than wild creatures and the fact it doesn’t truly matter to them what state their owner is in. The idea is not pleasant and is a contrast to the obedient dog on the fire engine shown earlier. It could also be possible that the fact the man collapses into the space where he’s trying to grow grass represents the futility of life and his plans for the future being crushed suddenly.

The final part of the scene is the most creepy and the best representation of the feeling of the rest of the film. The music, which has been constant throughout the rest of the scene, begins to fade out and is replaced by the scratchy sound of beetles. This is in time with the camera zooming in to an extreme close up of the grass, which makes it look jungle-like. When the change in sound and zooming in are paired together, it gives the impression that there is danger under the picturesque image constructed at the start of the scene.

Textual Analysis of a Horror Film Opening: 'Scream'

'Scream' is a horror film; within the opening five minutes it represents the stereotypical young female victim and a male antagonist that are so common in this genre.

As suggested by the film's title, sound plays a large part in the opening sequence. The opening titles feature the sound of a phone ringing and a scream, which suggests their prominence later in the plot. In the extract, there is a focus on the diegetic sound of the phone ringing, the doorbell and the victim's screaming. This adds to the sinister feeling. Non-diegetic sound is also used in the form of backing music and sound effects, which emphasise the scarier parts and emphasises a change in tone, suggesting the events are about to get worse.

The sudden change in tone is also represented through the camera shots. Throughout the extract, the camera follows the character around her house, which hints at the fact she's being watched, creating tension.

However, when the antagonist on the phone says 'no you listen' and 'I want to know who I'm looking at', the camera zooms in suddenly, showing the character's frightened expression. This is to emphasise fear in the viewer, by representing it in the victim.

As with sound, the camera shots represent the important aspects of the scene with close ups, such as on the popcorn and the phone. This adds to the tension of the scene, as the viewer wonders what the significance of these props is. Another important prop is the kitchen knife, which the victim is shown to be moving nonchalantly, foreshadowing the upcoming violence later in the scene.

Textual Analysis of a Thriller Opening: 'Se7en'

'Se7en' (1995) is a neo-noir psychological thriller directed by American director David Fincher, starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt.

The opening/title sequence establishes the tone of the film; in the case of 'Se7en' this is creepy and harrowing.

This tone is created through the camera angles, movement and position. Primarily, by the high frequency of extreme close ups, which mean the audience never sees the character's face, to create a sense of mystery and fear of the unknown. The camera movement are erratic to create tension.

The editing of the opening titles are also important in setting the frightening tone. It is non-linear, with several sudden jump cuts and a lot of movement. This sets a fast pace for the film. There is also lots of flickering text and overlays, which disorientate the viewer. The transitions are inconsistent: some are straight cuts and others cross fade. The editing gives an idea of the disturbed character being portrayed.

The sound of the opening scene, featuring Morgan Freeman in his apartment, is settled. There is mostly diegetic 'city' sounds, such as cars. Most significant is the metronome, which is steady, though it suggests the calm before the storm. This sound is a contrast to that of the title sequence, which is entirely non-diegetic. At the start of the titles, there is only the slow, more monotonous music alongside the scratchy, high pitched sound effects, which are very eerie. About two thirds into the sequence the music begins to build up, which makes it more tense and disturbing.

In the opening sequence, the Mise en Scene suggests a stereotypical detective, with props and costume usually associated with this character. However, in 'Se7en' it is more unconventional as it features an older, black man as the detective instead of a younger white man (which we see in Brad Pitt's character). Morgan Freeman's character is represented as highly organised, to the point of suggesting OCD, as everything on his desk is shown as laid out and arranged precisely. The chess board in the apartment connotes a game between the detective and the serial killer.

The title sequence is unclear as to the setting, although the low key lighting suggests it could be in a basement or a similar place. The darkness connotes danger and the dark theme of the film. There is little colour in the sequence, other than flashes of red that also connotes danger, as well as showing the photos as being developed.

The character in the titles, who is presumed to be the serial killer, is represented as intelligent as well as disturbed, such as in the extreme close up shot of them shaving their fingerprints off. Also, they are shown to be crossing out certain words from texts, such as 'intercourse' and 'transsexual'. This suggests extremist views, particularly Christian.

Textual Analysis of a Romantic Comedy Opening: 'Easy A'

I have already analysed multiple film openings to understand how to create one of my own. However, in order to successfully create an opening sequence of a romantic comedy, it is essential to recognise and understand the key conventions of this genre specifically. Therefore I have chosen to analyse the opening of 'Easy A', a 2010 American teen rom-com directed by Will Gluck and starring Emma Stone.

Firstly, the opening titles are incorporated into the scene rather than being in a separate title sequence, as is common in this genre. The font is simple, white and bold, which suggests the film will be easy to watch and light-hearted.

There are a series of establishing shots to indicate the location, which ends with a high school setting. The mise-en-scene includes several extras in typical teenagers' costume, which shows how busy the school is. The camera then pans through the set; this gives the impression to the viewer that they are part of the scene. The lighting is bright and there are bright colours, again this gives an idea of the mood of the film, which is light-hearted and funny.

There are two major components of the sound in the opening scene. Firstly, the background music, which an upbeat pop song that sets the mood for the film. The music then fades out to a quieter volume and is mainly replaced by a voice over by the protagonist. The voice over is a key convention of the romantic comedy genre.

The scene then cuts to the protagonist talking to a webcam. This is a contrast to the main narration of the film and indicates that the film is a story being told in flashbacks by the character in front of the webcam. 

This editing with cuts between several scenes continues throughout the opening sequence, all tied together by the narration in the voice over. 

In films that are aimed at teenagers and set in a school, such as 'Easy A' and our film we are planning, age is a key social group that is represented. This tends to be shown through the contrast between teenagers and teachers or parents. In the opening scene, age is represented by the middle aged teacher. A low angle shot is used to show him, which connotes his power and authority.

TASK 2.1: Research Into Existing Products - Genre

Genre

Genres came from the 'Golden Age of Hollywood', wherein there were five major studios: Warner Bros, Paramount, Columbia, MGM and Universal. These studios controlled everything and wanted to cement their reputation and become more popular by producing films that followed the same conventions repeatedly. During the Golden Age Of Hollywood, which lasted from 1917 to 1960, Hollywood was a commercial enterprise. There were several people working for the studios who had moved from European countries, bringing stories of traditional fairytales with them. These fairytales then inspired the studios as film plots.
The most popular genres in Hollywood at the time were Westerns, slapstick comedy, monster horror, gangster and science fiction (particularly in the 30s and 40s).
Audiences like genre films as they are predictable, meaning they know what to expect when they go into the cinema. People know they like certain genres, so they can rely on enjoying them, therefore repeatedly going to see the same genres.

The 'Golden Age Of Hollywood'

Film Noir

'Film Noir' is a term that was originally coined by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946, literally translating to 'Black Film'. Typically, Film Noirs feature a male detective and a femme fatale and are set in a city. However, there is no rigid rule so Film Noir may be best described as a feeling through visual styling of low key lighting and story conventions.
Film Noir was developed in the 1930's, building on the advancements made in film in the 20's, like synchronised sound, panchromatic film and better lighting. This decade was also the start of Technicolor films, which became A-List films. Studios sold these films in Block Booking with many B-List films, that were not in colour, to the movie theatres. This meant that the more black and white, less expensive films, the more money the studio made. Due to the relative assurance of profit, the producers could afford to be more experimental with these films, being inspired by German Expressionism. After the war, these film makers moving from Europe (particularly Germany) to Hollywood, brought with them multiple technological advancements that they had acquired while filming war documentaries. These included better light sensitive film, compact lighting and experience in shooting on location. The war also led to a sense of Nihilism in the plot and characters.
At the time that Film Noir was being developed, the creators were bound by the Hays Code, which did not allow taboo subjects and meant the films had to be more suggestive instead of explicit.

Common conventions of Film Noir:

• low key lighting
• contrast
• femme fatale
• male detective
• crime
• narration/voice-over
• flashbacks
• night time setting

Examples of Film Noirs

'The Big Combo'

The first notable Film Noir was 'Stranger On The Third Floor' (1940), followed by other essentials 'Double Indemnity' (1944) and 'The Big Combo' in 1955, which was particularly shocking as it contained usually unseen topics like violence and homosexual characters. Near the end of the Film Noir period, in 1958, came 'Touch Of Evil'.

'Stranger On The Third Floor'

'Double Indemnity'

Although the era of Film Noir ended in the 60's, elements continued to influence films that came later, such as 'Chinatown', 'Blade Runner', 'Dark City', 'Se7en' and 'The Man Who Wasn't There'.

'Se7en'

Sin City is also an example of a Neo-Noir; it has several recognisable features of Film Noir such as low key lighting, a black and white filter, a male narration, a femme fatale and jazz music.

Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy - also known as 'rom-com' - is a genre of film that portrays a love story but also has an amusing, comedic plot. Romantic Comedies are a popular genre, some well-known examples are:

• 'When Harry Met Sally' (1999)
• 'Pretty Woman' (1990)
• 'Notting Hill' (1999)
• '(500) Days Of Summer' (2009)
• 'Love, Rosie' (2014)

From the typical rom-com genre, there is the sub-genre of 'teen' rom-coms. These are specifically aimed towards teenagers/young people and are often set in a school. Two of the most popular of these films are 'Clueless' (1995) and 'Easy A' (2010).

Romantic Comedy is a successful genre in British films, the most prevalent of the studios that create them is Working Title Films, who created films such as 'Bridget Jones' Diary' and 'About Time'. 

Conventions of a Romantic Comedy

• The protagonist in a romantic pursuit (stereotypically a young, attractive female)
• Focus on events leading up to the romance - the typical 'boy meets girl' scenario
• Often starts with a voice over explaining the characters/situation
• A happy ending, which means the narrative tends to be predictable

Stereotypical Representation in the 'Horror' and 'Thriller' Genres

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and over-simplified image of a particular type of person or thing. An archetype is a very typical example of a certain person or thing.

One of the most recognisable figures in Horror films is Dracula, first adapted for Hollywood, from the novel by Bram Stoker, by Bela Lugosi in 1931. Dracula is so recognisable as the character rarely strays from the original image of a middle aged white male with an Eastern European accent, speaking broken English. The character of Dracula also connotes his upper class status, as suggested by the title 'Count'.
Another character that is iconic in the Horror genre is Frankenstein's monster, originally in the novel written by Mary Shelley.

In Horror films, the stereotypical antagonist is a white middle aged male. This is a dominant representation. For example, Dr Hannibal Lecter from 'Silence Of The Lambs'; Mike Myers in 'Halloween'; Norman Bates from 'Psycho'.

Norman Bates: 'Psycho'

Dr Hannibal Lecter: 'Silence Of The Lambs'

On the other end of the spectrum, the archetypal victim of Horror films is a single, white, virginal female. However, these roles have now evolved from victim to aggressor. Such as Sarah Connor from 'Terminator'; Alice in 'Resident Evil'; Ellen Ripley in 'Alien'.

Ellen Ripley: 'Alien'

Sarah Connor: 'Terminator'

Cultural Bias
Hollywood has always been 'white centric' - i.e. leading actors and directors have always been white males with minority actors only playing minor roles. However, actors like Morgan Freeman and Will Smith have broken the mould, for example Morgan Freeman's prominent detective lead role in 'Se7en'.

Morgan Freeman in 'Se7en'

Heterosexual Bias
Having a homosexual protagonist is extremely rare in Hollywood. Moreover, in the Hannibal Lecter books, Thomas Harris writes nearly all the antagonists, such as serial killers, as having homosexual tendencies and sexual deviancies; this then translates into the films.

Gender Bias
Typically, females predominantly played the victim or the femme fatale. Although, since Clarice Starling in 'Silence Of The Lambs', the representations have been far more challenging.

Clarice Starling: 'Silence Of The Lambs'

TASK 1: Preliminary Task Evaluation

In our preliminary task, we incorporated the 180 degree rule, a match on action, an eye line match and a shot-reverse-shot. The 180 degree rule is a guideline in cinematography wherein two characters should also remain on the same sides of the screen. There is an invisible line connecting the two subjects which should not be crossed; if the camera moves from one side of the line to the other, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes a reverse angle.  The rule can be seen in the diagram below. Our task was successful as we never broke the 180 degree rule, as shown below.

 

A match on action shot refers to the editing technique where the shot cuts from one view to another that matches the action of the first shot, an example of this in our film is when an envelope is passed between two characters.

An eye line match involves a character looking at something, often another character, where the camera shot shows the audience what the character is seeing. For example, in our task we used this to show a character looking at the protagonist as they shut the door in front of them.

The final technique we included in our film is a shot-reverse-shot, which is a technique where one character is shown looking at another character, followed by a shot of that character looking back at the first character. This can be seen in our film in the following scene.

The film-making process was successful, as we had a clear idea of what we wanted to include. Although our storyboard was basic, we knew how to include the required features and how the plot should play out. We were efficient while filming around college, which left a lot of time for editing.

I learned a lot throughout the editing process. In this way I think working in a pair instead of a larger group was an advantage, as it gave both of us more chance to use Adobe Premiere. First I learned about cutting and ordering clips. I also added multiple music clips; as well as learning about changing the volume of different audio tracks to best fit the video. At the end of the film we used a siren sound effect, which we found and imported from Garage Band. Through some trial and error, I learned about adding titles and credits, and the end result was successful.

Through this preliminary task, I have learned several new skills involving filming and editing, which I can use in future projects.