Silence Of The Lambs(1991) - Jonathan Demme

We also watched a presentation about another film opening, again discussing the same things. This presentation was done by Dom, Toby, George and Ben, they analysed the opening of 'Silence Of The Lambs' and explained many good points about the representations of various things within the opening. A few of the points they mentioned were:

- The first shot with the trees in the foreground that almost completely cover the background could show how the characters might be covering up their true side/inner feelings and what you can see doesn't reveal the complete personality

- There is a tracking shot which follows the person running through the forest, allowing the trees to some between the camera and the person creates the sense that we are secretly watching her and the trees are almost used as a form of cover to hide behind, i suppose this could also link with the other point

- The use of the obstacles that she has to go over on her track could be there to represent the challenges she has to overcome, also the lighting has been designed to make one side brighter than the other possibly relating to when she has defeated a particular challenge everything is better and brighter for her

- A good religious connotation was when she goes down to the cells that hold the bad criminals there is a red, glowing light present that could be a metaphorical representation of her going into hell because the criminals down there would be going to hell and the typical dangerous, firery colour is associated with that religious idea. As well as this they also noticed when she is actually down there how there is a white light shining down from the exit, this could be to say that she leaves this hell like area going back to heaven, well the 'good side'

Silent Hill(2006) - Christophe Gans

Other groups also analysed a different film openings, one of the groups analysed 'Silent Hill', in this group were Akshay, Georgia, Emma and Catherine. They made some points about the films discussing what they represent and how it relates through the film, some of the points they made were:

- Most of the shots of the woman had the man in the background which showed the dominance of her role and how the dad took a 'background role' as he also isn't as close and connected with his family as the mum and daughter

- When the mother is chasing the daughter at the very beginning she finds her daughter's teddy bear on the floor, obviously the child had dropped it which can also represent how the mother is losing grip and control of her daughter. It also makes the scene more serious and increases the tension as soo as the audience discover there is a child involved

- They also pointed out how when she is walking through the forest you can here the sound effects of birds and trees etc. that you would always here when walking through the forest at any time of day however the darkness adds a whole different, more scary side to these sounds

- Also the way that the parents get to their daughter in the opening apparently represents their way of thinking throughout the film, the mum follows the daughter's footsteps exactly even it there is a higher danger element, where as the dad takes a slightly more logical view however isn't as quick with actions

The Grudge(2004) - Takashi Shimizu

We have looked at some horror film openings to learn techniques and get a better understanding of a good opening sequence, for my own analysis of an opening i chose 'The Grudge'.
The Grudge is a 2004 remake of a Japanese film called Ju-on: The Grudgeand is currently thefirst film in a 3 part series, which should change to a four part series next year, it was directed by Takashi Shimizuwho also directed the original, Japanese version. The Grudge describes a curse that is created when someone dies as a result of a powerful rage or extreme sorrow, the curse then goes on to kill anyone who encounters it so it is reborn to kill another victim, as it peruses this endless chain of murder.
We looked at the mise-en-scene, camera angles and movement, editing and sound there is a video of me doing my presentation in class where i go through the majority of the main points, i haven't got hold of that yet but here are the notes that i used, and the link for the video that i used to analyse:
I began the video at 3:20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Kjg6jLgQ8
Notes

3:20 - The credits are coloured with red and black relating to death and bloodetc. Thestrange patterns of the black lines almost look like hair and slightly sharp, could be togive the sensation of annoying presence which would be similar to the grudge.
The screen then gets covered in the black pattern as it represents the grudge it could be showing how it overpowers it’s victims and black is commonly associated with death so by combining the two ideas you get the idea that the grudge is kills people.

3:41 - She enters the scene coming out of a dark shadow, we don’t know much about her so it could be to demonstrate the fact she is quite a mysterious character. Also black is typically a colour that we associate with fear/the unknown so it sets the mood for the film.

3:40 – 4:07 - This part also edited and filmed with a combination of match on action and jump cuts because by using the locatio

n and setting around her you can see that they are jumping to different places, to savetime and bored

om, however it has been filmed to look like match on action because she enters each shot in the same way she left the previous one.
It is very slow, smooth and long camera movements between cuts which is quite in keeping with her cycling movement. Also the way the camera follows her gives the feeling that we are watching her, and clearly shows who we are supposed to focus on.

4:09 - The house is overgrown with unwanted plants/weeds which can be to show how the house is ‘overfilled’ with life because the grudge is about strange creatures living in the house. It can also be there to show how the house hasn’t had much attention paid to it and is quite old, as it has just been left to become like that.

4:10 - The bar coming across the ca

mera definitely creates the sense that we are secretly hiding whilst watching her, it’s almost as if we are the grudge sneaking around watching her. The slow panning movement makes it feel as if we are trying to move slowly and quietly.
The sound follows a similar pattern to the sound nearer the scary part however this is a lot softer and in tune and not as ha

rsh.

4:22 - The mess and

chaos in the house could be ther

e to represent the clutter and confusion of the old woman’s min

d, it can also show the fact that she has not been able to keep it together and that she is very unstable.
4:26 - Both wearing similar colour but the older

woman is wearing a dark blue and the young woman is wearing a very pale blue, this can show that the older woman has been more effected by the grudge than the young woman. Also the chairs are even darker blue which would suggest they are even more affected, which makes sense as they are part of the house.

4:56 - Again, this also gives the sense that we are looking at her, but this time we are looking down upon her which makes her seem like a much easier target and that we are more powerful than her, which ties with the idea of us being like the grudge.The camera shots do not move with her, they all remain shot from the same place instead of moving as she does, this enhances the sense of watching her.

5:15 - The light in the window shining behind the victim, almost highlighting the target. A long shot is used here which shows the surroundings of the narrow hallwa

y that makes it seem as if there is no escape for her, making her quite small and powerless. However this power suddenly feels reversed when she starts walking towards you as it feels like you were in the same position she was.

5:46 - This is an unusual shot because it sho

ws her from a low angle, which should make her more intimidating but knowing that she is quite scared doesn’t make us feel intimidated. The slow panning, looking up is to show that the creature is above the ceiling, it also gives a slight sensation of disorientation which could be to present the confusion that she has.
The Sound is very high pitched and out of tune, almost enhancing the sense of disorientation.

5:57 - 6:21 - This is a quite a long, drawn out shot between cuts, I think it makes the film feel more realistic, I also think it would have been used to build tension for the audience. Very slow sound, long pauses between notes, enhancing the drawn out shot.

6:23 - It becomes very dark and dull, a sign to show there is more danger approaching, it also sets the atmosphere for the audience as th

ey can immediately relate the lighting to fear.
As soon as she enters this part the sound gets a lot deeper almost as a threatening sound to the audience.

6:33 - Again, another high camera angle, making her seem more intimidating and powerless, also the fact she was in a confined space shows she cannot escape the problems she will face

6:37 - The stringing cobwebs show that the attic has been shut away and forgotten or left alone. I also believe it is a typical horror film design as it can be related to the standard horror film scenes that include the monster.

6:45 – 7:15 - The light created from her lighter flickers a lot and almost gives the sense that she is shaking with fear. Again more cobwebs, they are used by spiders to catch their prey and the presence of them in this scene could suggest the same with the grudge.
The sound in this scene is hollow, eerie and louder and definitely related to the typical ghostly sound.
7:19 - Hair coming over its face showing that it likes to be hidden away or to show that it’s unknown to people, the hair is used with the lighting to create a shadow that almost hides it even more. The light also reflects off its eyes to make them seem more piercing and angry.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) - Tobe Hooper

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 1974 film directed by Tobe Hooper. The film is about a group of friend that become victims of a cannibal family. The story was based on the true criminal activity of Ed Gein who also influenced 'Psycho' and 'Silence Of The Lambs'. The film was produced for $300,000 yet gained $30,859,000 at the box office. This successful horror film that was distributed by Bryanston Pictures contains a good example of how the opening sequence can build the audience emotions up to set the mood for the film. Here I have analysed the opening titles.

 00:03

Black background shows unknown and plays on fears of darkness. 'New Line Cinema Presents' in unsettling font as the text is off balance and not aligned making it appear more uncomfortable. The position of the text also creates a sense of uncertainty with the fact it's quite off centre but it could make the audience curious as to why and maintain their interest. In terms of sound we are hit with a loud burst of low frequency that pounds a fearful sense into the audience.

 00:12

Similar to the previous image this began with a black background and the title became more focused. The position and font of the text achieves the same effect on the audience as before. This time however there is a strange image flashing, it is only visible for less than a second but it's red colour creates the idea of death, blood and danger. The surprise element of it helps intrigue the audience in to watching more.

 00:19

Another unknown image flashing on one side, this helps build tension and anticipation towards the actual film. The mystery built up surrounding these images is what maintains the audiences interest at this point. The colour and shape generates the impression of a dead body or something similar which obviously emphasises the plot of the film.

 00:29

Another title blurs into focus and again the themed font being quite strange and interesting. This time there is a grey pattern fading through the titles which again suggests mystery and brings an extra unknown to the shot.

 00:36

This image slide across the screen very slowly, there is a deep red colour that strongly hints towards the connotation of blood and deaths along with the chain suggesting torture or being restrained which pushes the idea of vulnerability and places the audience in a more scared state. Through this and the next image we are hit by slower more gentle but slightly out of tune orchestra music that makes the audience feel almost upset towards the scene, however the out of tune setting emphasises the unsettled feeling.

 00:39

Again, the unusual combination of colours shows a nerving display of death, danger and pain. The image is only flashed a few times but the outlines of a face are clear and it is quite unpleasant to look at. The open mouth suggests a form of screaming through pain and the blacked out eyes make his identity unknown and more scary. The line underneath the face mirrors that of the chain in the previous title which links the ideas of them both and suggests that person has been tortured or restrained.

 00:56

This was a strange video played over around the titles and it intrigues the audience as its the first image thats placed on screen for more than a second or two and it moves. The video is of an unknown, mysterious male who seems to show distress through facial expressions, there isn't a lot that the audience can factually gain from this for the storyline but it provides them with a bit more to entice them to the film.

01:11

Finally we have the film title and the texts appears on the centre of the screen in big bold capitals. The fact its in the centre and in capitals compared to the previous texts, shows it has a level of importance and that the film is starting, it also causes the audience to feel more aware as they are suddenly hit with large text. The missing pieces of the font make it look used and damaged which could reflect that of the film. This is all combined with a much bolder, louder bass orchestra that grabs the audience attention for the oncoming film.

Terminator 2(1991) - James Cameron

We have analysed scenes from Terminator 2, we used a typical exam question to base the essay on however we didn't need to comment on sound or editing as we haven't covered it yet.
The question was:

1. Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representation of gender using the following:
- Mise-en-Scene
- Camera Shots, Angles, Movement, Compisition

Important points to make about the film are obviously ones that relate to the question, in this circumstance these things are about how genders and the strength/power they show:

In the first scene we looked at where we first saw her in the cell, the lighting is shot to look as if it is coming outside, but the angle of the light creates this intense glow on the muscles and shades the rest of her body, almost as if they are trying to aim the focus towards them as they are an important representation of her. Due to the common expectations from the audience about genders and their positions in films this scene immediately gives the impression that it should be a strong male character, however when the camera is zoomed out and shows a long haired woman doing pull-ups it almost gives a small shock element to the audience as they would not typically expect that from a woman.

We also watched the scene where she makes her escape begins with a security person tying her down, he then goes on to lick her face, as he leans down to do this he is filmed from a low angle which makes him very intimidating, especially the way he is leaning forward because this suggests almost an ‘attacking’ movement that is obviously interpreted as a more intimidating movement. At this point the male is deemed as the stronger character because he is looking down at her who shouldn’t be able to move, as we move more into the escape there is a part where the same man is hit around the face with the end of a broomstick, this causes him to fall to his knees which reverses the male and female strength ideas as he is now lower down. This is then reverted back when she comes into contact with the terminator because she slides down due to shock and terminator is then looking down on her in a very intimidating way.

In the final scene at the factory the stereotypical view of women in action films goes back to the usual expectation when she is hobbling around having to rely on the terminator and her son, two males. This change also shown by the levels that they stand because she is limping she is leaning at the same height as her son which would suggest she is not much more use than he is, however the terminator is standing tall and upright showing that he is in control and of most help, being the man and saving the woman.

I did also discuss some things that were just general points about the film, that wern't necessarily in direct response to the question:

When in the factory the bright red lights around the characters could be a warning of danger and death, interestingly the colours of the background change when the two robots start fighting. When the robots break out into a fight as terminator tries to buy the others some time, the steam and smoke in the background goes to an icy blue, this could be to show that there is less danger involved as they are metal, but i also think it could be related to the fact they are robots as they have no inner emotions or feelings of any type and are plain technology inside. The reason I think this is the use of that colour is because as soon as we refer back to the humans the colour red is introduced again therefor possibly to present their inner fiery emotions of anger and pain that the robots can't feel.

There is a small part from the first scene of the hospital that has the camera close up on her face as it appears above the bars for a pull up, here you can see the light from the window beaming onto her face which almost demonstrates the fact that her hope is outside and is like the ‘light at the end of a tunnel’, the way in which the light is shining on her face creates this cliché in a more literal sense. Expanding on this point i then talked about the windows and how the small window is creating a small sense of hope is then compared to that of the workers at the hospital as they slowly walk past big windows as the light almost covers their whole body, putting the other idea into perspective as that could show the fact that they are not imprisoned therefore do not need to worry about small hope, its free for them to access anyway so the light is not important to them, interestingly the main doctor is male and she is female however she goes on to overpower them.

Iwo Jima, Raising The Flag

We have written an essay about the Iwo Jima Raising the Flag photo and various versions of the original picture, this included a lego version, a picture of the memorial and a similar photo that was taken after the 9/11 attacks as well as the original picture that was taken after the battle of Iwo Jima in World War 2.
Some of the points I made about the original picture were how the flag was being lifted to represent the pride and determination of the USA because despite just fighting in a war the soldiers have put effort into raising the flag to show people how they are still going strong. I also mentioned about the light glowing around the flag, this focuses the attention on the flag and almost presents the hope idea that is associated with light.
In the second image that was taken after the 9/11 it shows 3 firemen gathered around the bottom of a flag, again raising it to show their pride and determination. But i also thought the flag had quite a bit more signifcance because it was brightl coloured with red an blue therefore would stand out against the large amount of rubble that filled the background which can show how despite the effects of the attack being very big and overpowering in size the flag still stood out representing how America can stay strong.
The monument was very difficult to analyse because obvioulsy it is basically the same as the original photo so presents the same ideas and emotions, this meant i had to make up some wierd point just so i had something to say, this lead me to point out the material that was used to make the monument. I said in my essay that the strong, hard material used to build it was actually used to ensure a long lasting, good quality monument however i made up some rubbish about it being a representation of the strength and power of the soldiers from the photo.
The lego version was ironic and strange as it used a modern child's play toy to structure an old war photo displaying to completely opposite ideas as the lego is innocent, child friendly and fun where as the picture it portaits is about a destructive, terrible and old time. So i just made this point and explained how it almost links generations by doing this.

What Is Horror?

We have tried describing what a horror film is my description included stereotypical characters; what they do to the audience and what fears a horror can create.
The types of characters that are used are usually based around having a main role who will beat the killer and be the survivor at the end of the film, there is also a killer or monster that tends to have a unique/trademark killing method. Between these characters there is usually a conflict that results in the survival of the main 'hero' and the defeat of the killer/monster, this can be dragged out over a series of films but usually has this outcome in the end. Some films can have a problem that kills people instead of a physical thing, for example the happening is about fighting an atmposhere that causes people to kill themselves.
Things that horror films do to the audience include frightening or alarming them, invoking their worst hidden fears, also they aim to entertain the audience in a cathartic way and aim to conclude in a shocking, terrifying conclusion.
The mental scar of fear that can be created from watching a horror film often has effects for the audience of nightmares, fear of vulnerability and the unknown, death and alienation. The psychological effects of terror of the unknown is picked up on and exploited by horror film creators as they build huge tension and fear despite the audience only hearing a strange sound or something.

Shot Types, Angles, Movements

Last week we looked closer at camera angles and movement and discussed the effects of the various shots used, we split into groups and took photos demonstrating certain camera shots.
We used shots like:Aerial Shot - A shot taken from above the subject, usually quite zoomed out, showing a large area Establishing shot - Usually the opening shot of a scene, shows the enviroment and also shows the subject and its relevants to its surroundings

Medium Shot - A shot taken from a medium distance, between long shot and close-up, if used on a person you are aiming to include the waist upwards in the shot Medium Long Shot - Again very similar but slightly further distance between the camera and the subject, if the subject is a person you would aim to include the knees upwards in the shot Long Shot - Full body shot, try to fit a whole person into this shot, shows more about the person as a whole as you can see their clothing and body language Extreme Long Shot - Usually used to show a landscape, gives a much wider shot of the area
Point Of View Shot - A shot type that is used as if it is looking through the eyes of a character, will show what the character can see Close-up Shot - A closer shot of something, can show more detail of smaller parts, for example a close up on a person can reveil their facial expressions clearer Extreme Close-up Shot - Similar to close-up but even closer, can focus the whole frame of the shot around something very small 2 Shot - A shot type that includes two people in the shot, can demonstrate the relationship between two people a bit clearer, usually from the waist up Over Shoulder Shot - As titled, it is a shot from behind the shoulder of someone, looking at what they see, good effect can be created as it seems like your watching them from behind

We then annotated scenes from the film 'Terminator 2' pointing out the various effects that they have used to create a certain atmosphere, for example when the woman was in the cell the shadow of the bars come across her face suggesting she is not only literally trapped, but she is also mentally trapped and restrained as she cannot tell them what she really thinks.

We also looked at shot angles like Canted, Worm's Eye, Eye-Level, High, Bird's Eye and Low all create different effects to the audience for example a worm's eye shot will make the character seem very intimidating and powerful while the high angle shot will make the character will powerless and intimidated. Both creating dynamic emotions

We then looked at camera movements such as Panning, Tilt, Tracking, Dolly, Crane, Steadicam, Hand-Held, Zoom and Reverse Zoom, these too can create different feelings for the audience for example, a hand-held movement isn't very stable but gives the audience a more realistic sensation as if they are actually there, where as a steadicam will take the jolted movements away to keep it still and calm for the viewers.

Picture Analysis

This image is of my 5 year old brother, however the effects used in this picture make him seem like a very powerful, strong person.
The light coming across his face literally creates a dark side to him, although this could represent the inner evil within, the dark side of his face makes the features not very visible which could be saying how the dark side to him is very covered up and hidden away. The light side would suggest there is still a sense of good which is more likely to be on the exterior if his dark side is mysterious and not as known.

His head is leant forward suggesting he is quite aggressive because it seems as if he is leaning into the shot, it can also show he 'dives in head first' or gets into things without thinking. The frown matches this aggressive, dark side and completes the image and is easily noticeable because it is an extreme close-up shot.

Denotation, Connotation, Mise-En-Scene

First lesson we learnt about denotation, connotation and mise-en-scene
denotation - The literal/primary meaning of something
connotation - The ideas/represtation of the denotation
mise-en-scene - Using what's visually available to understand a secondry meaning/representation

We developed our understanding of denotation and connotation by using them to analyse a still Calvin Klein advert, some of the things we noticed were:
-The text is long and thin, also it has been typed in capitals this creates a modern, subtle, feminin appearance which can reinforce the relationship between the mother and daughter. Also you could use these words to describe a perfume and the advert in general.
-The background is a countryside scene which suggests freshness which can relate to the fresh smelling perfume. It can also present freedom/escapism which is available for everyone, opening the audience.

After we did this we looked at the Flora Cuisine TV advert but looked at mise-en-scene, for example we noticed there were a number of cooking utensils around which implied she was an experienced cook, which makes her more trustworthy when selling a cooking product.
Also at the end of the advert she is stood up while Vernon Kay is on a low stool as she treats him like a young child, this represented the fact she was authority and still a lot like a mother figure which relates to the majority of the audience/people that would use the product.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MQdyUBw58o

For homework I analysed the Lynx shower gel advert, looking at the Location/Setting, Costumes/Make-Up, Props and Lighting/Colour which I began to find difficult, but when I looked at the least important objects in the background I noticed more ideas.
On the YouTube video I was able to stop the advert a important frames where it would be like analysing a still advert, some findings included:
-The beach was presented well with the sand, sea, blue sky and umberellas right at the start so the audience would instantly understand where it was set.
-The main character wasn't the most attractive/muscley person that is often used in adverts, he was an ordinary, simple person which explained to the audience that the product is for anyone and the market is very open.
- There is a section in the ad where two girls stop playing volleyball to follow the man's actions, this is showing how the smell of the product can instantly distract others and is a very important/overpowering item.
- At the point 11s into the ad you can see the light comes across him which gives half of his body a shadow and the other half is lit up, suggesting that he has a good and 'evil' side to him, as he goes on to make the women show their breasts he almost reveils his slight darker side. If you look 24s into the add you can see the hand on the dark side comes off first which shows he is being led by that darker side of his personality and that it is overpowering him, hence why he did that.
www.youtube.com/watch?v-ibN4ewcodZ4