CCR

CCR

• QUESTION 1.

The use of dark lighting is a staple of thrillers. It builds suspense and tension, especially in a high-stakes situation. Darkness usually represents the unknown, linking to things hidden like hidden threats and dangers. In our project we shot the scene at night and / or indoors only using low, warm light inside. Our use of darkness came from the idea that the min characters have committed a crime and now need to hide their actions in the dark, linking the dark lighting to the idea that evil takes place in it. The use of dark lighting, “creepy” music, and dangerous objects are used to build tension, more plot devices, such as the knife, are added into the story as it progresses. The narrative structure of the clip shows a continually building climax going from the frantic body language in the beginning, to the shouting, then the knife reveal, to the climax with the kidnapped girl in the car.

Most of the clip is shot at mid-angles giving the clip a sense of relatability to the audience, as if they are in the clip. This helps build tension. Our group used the convention of mid-angles as well as a few high angles, such as when the camera looks down on the kidnapped girl. The high angle is used to minimise her and portray that she is helpless in her situation. In some scenes the camera is a bit shaky and follows the characters around, this give the audience the sense of being in the situation, participating. The use of having an unstable camera and following the character is a common convention in thrillers as it gives the camera a human point of view. The editing was a more difficult process, the quick cuts showing the dialogue shown. While quick cuts are also a common convention, the clip did not utilise them as much as it could have.

The use of symbols is also a staple of thrillers, either to foreshadow or imply ideas to the audience. In the clip there were many symbolic props utilised to both foreshadow what was to come and imply the ideas of things such as danger, evil, high stakes, etc… There is a style difference in the clothing of the kidnapper and kidnapped; the kidnappers wore worm clothes representing a lower status contrasting the higher quality clothes of the kidnapped. Other symbols include the red cloth used for cleaning the knife – red is commonly associated with danger and the knife is also a symbol of danger and death. There is foreshadowing through the danger symbolised.

• QUESTION 2.

In our production, we have 3 characters: two kidnappers (one male and one female) and a kidnapped girl. The male kidnapper is the one who enacts the kidnapping of the girl. He is joined by his female accomplice. He is depicted as the mastermind behind the crime, the character is keeping the plan together while the female kidnapper is shown as emotional and unable to cope well with the pressure. The kidnapped girl, though only seen for a few seconds, is portrayed as innocent and frightened. This elicits sympathy from the audience as the kidnapped girl is supposedly like anybody else.

The story starts with a meeting between a male and female, arguing about something that is clearly bad in nature. The female storms out, leaving the male in the room full of tools. He takes a knife and starts cleaning it with a red cloth. The fact that he had to clean the knife indicates that it was used, leaving it to the audience’s imagination as to what the knife was used for. Then the story narrative of the clip comes to an end as the main character reveals a kidnapped girl tied up in the boot of a car. The point of view the clip shows is that of the kidnappers (mainly the male), as he enacts his plan. The clip engages the viewer through the high-paced narrative tempo and a build in suspense, creating an emotive response from the audience, investing them in the story. The editing used in the clip was simple and could have used more cuts to create a build-up in tension and slowing down or speeding the clip could have improved the psychological effects created by the high-stakes situation being portrayed.

• QUESTION 3.

I had little experience with any part of production prior to this, where I acted a Director / Timekeeper and Lighting Person. We set up in an underground workshop located next to a covered parking area. We started shooting at 6:00 pm, inside the Workshop, as the clip takes place at night in the narrative. We worked on the scene for 30 to 60 minutes, then we had to wait for it to become dark (about 2 hours), before being able to shoot the next scenes outside. The 6:00 pm start time could have been pushed to 7:00 – 7:30 pm. We finished our shoot at 10:30 pm and packed away the equipment. During our filming, the indoor shots in the Workshop were challenging at times as we covered up tools and machinery with tarps and burlap sacks. Because of a lack of space, placing the lights and reflective board, some shots had to be retaken earlier on in the filming as lights were caught in the shot and some shots had to be edited to cut out where the camera had caught the lights.

In my Peer Review, they commentated on the sound volume saying that the soundtrack clashed with the dialogue as the dialogue was not loud enough.

• QUESTION 4.

I found the integration of technology to be rather difficult in this project, the process of constructing and editing footage was completely new to me. The most difficult part was learning the programme, After Effects. The process took hours to figure out which led me to a use a simple Strobing Title. The upload process didn’t take too long to learn, however, changing the video format from Premier Pro caused me a few problems, such as corruption occurring in the first upload of the video to YouTube. The conversion from music (royalty free, copyright free) on YouTube to audio file was easy, only taking a few minutes.

Task two

•       Who is represented out of the 7 representational areas?

Gender:

The men are portrayed as being more aggressive and seem to do the majority of the talking and “business”, while the women seem to talk more between themselves observing the situation, minimalizing their involvement with the “antagonist character” at the beginning of the clip.

Age:

The pizza delivery guy is younger than the older bar staff who get into a conflict over whether they did, or did not, order pizza; there is a clear intelligence gap aligned with the age gap. Later in the clip, another interaction between two different age groups, where the child steals for the older man, who pays him for the delivery guy’s moped.

Class / Status:

There is not much diversity in status in the clip, it ranges from what appears to be a stable group at the pub (links to age), to the pizza guy who is probably in a less stable job and earlier in his working career. The child is also in a different, lower status position as he has no job and is unable to provide for himself. Though there are multiple different status groups in the clip, they are all in the same societal class.

Ability / Disability:

The are a clear range of levels of intelligence, such as the pizza guy having behavioural and intellectual disabilities. The pizza guy goes on to infer that one of the ladies has a mental disability.

Regional Identity:

There is a clear regional identity, emphasised through the use of colloquialism and accent which identifies the region as being East London.

•        What messages are we given about the groups?

There is a clear regional connection between the three groups as their stories all happen in close proximity to each other. The people who work at the pub are just trying to get on with their own business, with a day-to-day mentality. The pizza guy has a hot temper and clearly exaggerated sense of narcissism that leads him to picking fights, while displaying the stereotypical nature of a “young person” as often portrayed by the media. The third group, consisting of the thief / child and an adult orchestrating the theft of the pizza guy’s moped – the child seems to be related to a worker at the pub.

•        Write down evidence, in the form of examples, in the 4 technical areas that support your argument’s statements.

Camera:

The three staff members in the pub are always in the same shot, reflecting their connection in the story line, representing community. The use of the 180-degree rule between them and the pizza guy shows the opposition and conflict as they are in a stand-off position while arguing. There is a clear separation of the activities inside the pub between the staff and pizza guy, and of the activities between the thieves (the child and the older man paying for the moped). The camera confirms the connections between the two scenes without showing any interaction between the groups.

Editing:

The clip is edited in a way that reflects the overall lack of real danger or suspense, allowing the ridiculous nature of the first scene (containing the pizza guy) to show the comedic and over-the-top reactions. Instant cuts don’t build suspense but allow the argument in the pub to be conveyed to the audience effectively without unnecessary interruptions. The continuity editing shows how the pizza guy was tricked into delivering the pizzas, leaving his moped open to being stolen. It shows the way the child had the keys and then sold nit to the older fencer through a linear progression.

Mis-en-scene:

The clothes used link to status and class as the pub staff wear semi-formal clothes that are not necessarily expensive but are appropriate for business. The pizza guy is shown to be wearing, what appears to be, a uniform indicating that he is in a recognisable business that he is a front-line worker. The fencer wears a leather jacket, gold chain and dark clothes giving the impressions of being a “bad guy” type character who is up to no good.

There is warm lighting used throughout the clip as it takes place in the middle of the day, making the situation seem less urgent or dangerous.

The areas used are a built-up place of business and a park; both places are displayed as regular family-friendly locations contrasted by the fact that a crime has just taken place.

Sound:

One of the ways sound is used in the clip is through voice and accents which link to the regional identity (East London). The accent used originates from a working-class area in London, giving the context for the culture and colloquialisms used by the characters. The accents differ between the pub staff and the pizza guy, showing age / maturity difference; the pizza guy talks in a louder and more immature manner which is clearly shown to the viewers. The use of verbal sound creates empathy for the staff as well as showing the nature of each character. There is background noise in the clip, which is all dialogue, the music playing in the pub, car and wind noises in the street and chirping of birds in the park.  

•        Write an essay

The first clip shows a mid-angled, semi-close-up shot of a young man on the phone with what seems like a female. The shot also shows three people standing behind the bar counter (the pub staff), made up of two women and one man. The semi-close-up shows a look of disappointment on the face of the character on the phone. The diegetic music in the background of the clip coincidentally matches the negative mood of the character’s conversation, this is probably an intentional use to emphasise the tone of the scene.

Dialogue is also used to describe the situation by an explanation of the relationship status of the character on the phone and the person he was talking to.

The clip cuts to the next shot, a mid-angle, mid-shot of the three pub staff talking about the character on the phone and his relationship with the person he is on the phone with. It cuts to a close-up of one of the pub staff as she elaborates her thoughts on the subject while giving the audience more information in a comedic metaphor. The diegetic sound of background music and chatter informs the audience of the “pub” atmosphere of the place. The Mis-en-scene is shown through the staff’s smart-casual clothing, suggesting that they are staff, this is linked with the bar set-up for the shots where the staff are behind the bar counter with the character on the phone on a bar stool.

The clip cuts to two two-shots of the pub staff woman talking to each of the other pub staff, separately for dialogue. The shot cuts back to the mid-angle semi-close up of all three of the characters still in conversation. Then the clip cuts to what is clearly a pizza guy carrying 5 boxes of pizza in a mid-angle, mid-shot. Through clothing and the pizza box props (mis-en-scene) the audience is given a clear idea of what the character’s purpose is meant to be. The character is portrayed as loud and obnoxious through his voice (sound). It then cuts to their reactions to the pizza guy’s arrival / announcement. Then it cuts to a shot showing the pub staff facing the pizza guy over the bar counter. The 180-degree rule is used while dialogue is thrown back and forth between the pub staff and the pizza guy.

Use of fast cuts between wide shots, close-up shots, and two-shots (all at mid-angle) gives the location and situation allowing progress in the story. The pizza guy and pub staff go outside the pub to find that the pizza guy’s moped has been stolen. The 180-degree rule is used again as dialogue continues between the pizza guy and the male staff member as they get into an argument about whose fault it is that the moped has been stolen. It then cuts to a mid-shot of a staff member calling the cops about the theft of the moped, with the other pub staff members, the pizza guy and some background civilian characters in the background.

A shot of a child walking into a building in a wide-shot (mid-angle) without anyone else in the shot draws attention as he is singled out, alluding to his being an important character for the audience to see. Two cuts on from that, its cuts to a wide-shot tracking the child as he goes into a kitchen, picking up keys; these are presumably the keys to the moped. In the next cut, the child hands over the keys in a two-shot (wide-low-angle-shot) to the man in the dark clothes that is shown to be a fencer. The use of Mis-en-scene through props confirms the keys are the moped’s as the child sits on it. The 180-degree rule is used again to show the dialogue and business between the confirmed child thief and the fencer. The 180-degree rule is interjected by a quick wide-shot showing the location of the business happening in a park away from the pub. The clip finishes on a wide-shot (mid-angle) of the park, with the other pizzas from the pizza guy, confirming even more so, that the moped belongs to him or the place he works.

TASK ONE

HOMELAND: How does the following clip create meaning and represent certain sectors of society?

The clip opens to a wide shot of the location revealing the landscape in what seems to be a poorer area in a hot climate. The camera quickly cuts to a close-up of a man’s face as he navigates his way through an area bustling with activity.

The camera cuts again to a woman, who seems to be a mother as she is standing outside with six children, in a place that seems like a low income area; concrete walls and bare ground given colour by what appears to be dirt, and spray painted graffiti.

The camera cuts to another wide shot showing the location, confirming the type of low-income area by the buildings “squashed together” and shops made from tin. A woman’s voice speak over at this point (0:06).

The clip cuts to a point of view shot as the woman’s voice still plays over. Car skidding sound effects play over, indicating that she is in a rush.

The camera cuts to a close-up of the right side of her face while she is on a phone while driving, indicating panic.

The close-up gets closer as her facial expressions shows her, seemingly worried, while focusing on driving as well (an emotional indicator to engage the audience and solicit empathy).

Camera cuts to a wide shot of a new location that seems to be a prison by the use of barbed wire, high concrete walls and two men dressed as guards / soldiers preparing nooses and a platform (gallows) for is probably going to be an execution.

Cut to an “over-the-shoulder” shot of a man watching the guards / soldiers prepare for a hanging, indicating he will most likely be the one who is executed.

Cut back to the woman driving through a busy street from a high angle as her voice still plays over on her phone call. Cut back to the close-up of the woman on her phone, driving.

It cuts to a black-tie event (to the other person on the phone) contrasting it to the place the woman is in. A mid shot of the man also shows the location and type of event that is clearly distanced from the woman’s situation.

It continuously cuts back and forth in close-ups of each of their faces as their dialogue continues, showing conflicting through each of their tones and speech (frustrations).

The camera cuts to the woman being stopped because of an accident, switching to a high angled wide shots and mid close-up shots, to show what has happened to the audience, with her reactions, building up tension as the metaphorical clock ticks away.

She gets out of her car and heads out on foot, still on phone having the discussion with the man at the party. This is done with a combination of wide and semi-close-up shots showing her walking in the busy street environment. The camera follows behind her as she seems flustered, continuously checking her back, indicating the pressure and danger are ramping up.

She walks up to what appears to be the entrance to the prison as the angle and position of the camera cut, change and increase in speed, showing her frantic state of mind.

The clip cuts to a new character talking to, what appears to be, a guard / soldier with the woman walking in the distance. The new character leaves the conversation (two shot, close-up) and walks in the direction of the woman. Cuts to an over-the-shoulder shot of the two meeting, then the camera rotates around them, maintaining a mid-shot and mid-angle. It then utilises the 180-degree rule as they cut between characters during dialogue.

The clip then cuts to the prisoner in his cell with a wide shot looking through a small opening in the door. The prisoner is curled up in the corner of the cell in what appears to be a distressed state of mind.

The clip then cuts to the woman walking down the dark corridor of the prison, with the guard / soldier seen talking to the man in the previous part of the clip. The camera tracks in, two shot, mid angle, mid shot.

The clip transitions to an over-the-shoulder to the woman speaking to the prisoner at a close-up, mid angle shot. Again the 180-degree rule is used to cut back and forth between dialogue. The dialogue between the prisoner and the woman is interjected by wide shots of the corridor showing movement of the guards / soldiers.

• PRESENTATIONAL:

The location of the film clearly indicates a majority of men, showing only 2 women (excluding the party scene, which clearly happens in a different place). There is a clear conflict between the genders, as men seems to be the ones standing in the way of her progress, while she tries to gain supposedly critical information. The other use of gender in this clip is how men seem to hold the authority through the guards and through the Deputy Director positions.

There is a clear divide between ethnic groups as the main protagonist goes to a Middle Eastern country (Iraq) and tries to gain information from a prisoner; she dresses in clothes that distinctly match the area, linking in regional identity, which is contrasted in the scene where she talks to the CIA Deputy Director in America, who is dressed in a Tuxedo Suit at a Black Tie event.

In a large portion of the clip, she is on the phone, which is clearly audible; there are clear masculine and feminine voices coming through, utilising the sound aspect of the clip. Also, there are clear clothing differences as many men wear uniforms or suits giving a sense of professionalism. This is contrasted by the women’s more culturally sensitive or beauty-oriented clothing (depending on the region they are in, in the clip).

There is a clear hierarchy in the clip shown through clothes (Mis-en-sene), such as the guard’s uniforms and the suits that show the class and status of characters. The people on the street are regular citizens, largely unaware of the goings-on of the situation the main character is in.