Monday, 10 November 2014
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Conventions Of Institutional Credits
This Is England's opening sequence is full television archives from the 1980's. This can be scene in the first scene, where Roland Rat appears, who was a famous TV characterer. Lots of clips contain Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister of England from 1979-1990, so throughout the 80's. There are clips showing her and Ronald Reagan, who she allied herself with during the cold war. Also, Britain's involvement with the Falklands war, Maggie played an involvment in. The Irish Republican Army tried to assassinate Thatcher, leading to more conflict in Northern Ireland and the 'troubles'. These archives are included in the opening sequence to hint to the audience that violence is a main theme throughout the film. Other connotations from the opening include Skinheads and Neo-Nazism and the National Front were big political groups in this era, connoting racism in the country, this is included in the opening sequence as the time was very racist and this hints to the audience that racism will play a big part in the storyline of the film. The location that the film is set looks like a council estate, seen at the title of the film, which were very popular in the 1980's because of Thatcher's whole 'buy your property' schemes, to allow homeowners more freedom. The opening sequence is one big connotation of the daily grind in 1980's Britain for every day working class families who lived under Thatcher's Conservative hold she had over the country. The song, '54-46 That's My Number' by Toots and The Maytals is reggae & ska sounding, which could connote there is going to be a charachter in the film who is of Jamaican decent.
Timeline
00:05: contains the institution company name, film 4 and the UK film council which has probably funded the film, meaning that these are at the start because they are most important and without them, the film wouldn't have been created at all.
00:10: this gives credit to EM media and Screen Yorkshire for their involvement in the production, who obviously helped create the film, and provided equipment and people for use of filming and post-production work.
00:15: Warp productions also have produced the film alongside the other production companies. Warp probably had less involvement in the making, but supported and helped along the way.
00:20: Big Arty productions may have taken a back seat, but also helped a long the way. This company is also owned by Shane Meadows which was cost effective for the film and also is a good way for the company to get noticed in the film industry and kick start its way into the industry.
00:23: Shane Meadows is the writer and director, and the fact that his name is mentioned in the very opening of the credits, connotes he is the most important crew member, and without him there would not be a storyline to the film, as it is based on his own personal experiences. This is HIS film, and nobody else's.
00:35: THIS IS ENGLAND, the first time the title is mentioned/seen. This is positioned before the main actors, as it then helps the audience to establish what they've seen, and be able to relate the archive footage they've seen before the title.
00:42 - 01:05 (Each credit contains one actors name): this connotes these are the main actors in the film and have the most important roles., so therefore the audience can see if they know any actors in the film.
01:05-01:29 (Each credit contains two actors names): these credits connote these actors are important but have less screen time than the others. (e.g. someone's mum that's only seen in 2 scenes.)
01:29-02:06 (Each credit contains three actors names): these credits connote these actors are probably background characters but have at least one line of dialogue.
02:06 - 02:34 (Each credit contains 2 or 3 Film crew job titles): these credits connote these film crew are the less crucial jobs in the behind the scenes making of the film, but they are important enough to get credit for their work, as they do impact what the audience can visually see or hear.
02:34 director of photography: the director is important enough to get his own credit and is in charge of putting together all the camera and lighting equipment ready for filming, he gets credit because without cameras set up there would be no footage and the editor wouldn't be able to edit anything together, meaning they are next in sequence with each other because they need each other. danny cohen's other camerawork can be seen in les miserables and the kings speech.
02:45 editor: the editor role is important enough to get his own credit, as he is the person who puts the film together and gives it a strong hold of continuity which creates the film the audience see. chris wyatt's other films include: shadow of the vampire and dead mans shoes.
02:53: line producer/co-producer & 03:01: executive producers: these producers help the main producer and this is why they are next to each other in the title sequence, they all work in the production grounds of the film making process and are delegated different roles by the main producer.
03:15 producer: the main man who makes sure the running of the film goes smoothly, and the second most important person in the film making process, after the director.
03:25 written and directed by: the most important person in making a film, and the person who has most control, especially in this film as Shane Meadows wrote the film, based on his own life experiences, which means he was in control of every aspect and what he wanted he got. this title is at the end of the credits as it signifies the most important role.
FILM CREW ROLES in order of appearance after actors.
Director- The Director is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a
film, including controlling the content and flow of the film's plot,
directing the performances of Actors, organising and selecting the
locations in which the film will be shot, and managing technical details
such as the positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing
and content of the film's soundtrack.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_crew)
This opening sequence has helped me realise how many film crew roles there are to include in the opening sequence of a film, and how to order the importance of each job. This has helped me with timings of each individual credit, and how long they should have screen time for. Also, what production companies we should name, as this sequence did not contain Film 4's Logo, only their name, which can help me have a more professional looking sequence, as apposed to lots of irrelevant images.
 | |||
| There was no Instiution logo for the film so i chose to do the title |
The fact that the title is set on a scene where it establishes the location that the film is going to be set is powerful, as the flats look very run down, and the grass is all overgrown. Connoting the resident familes do not reallty care what their living conditions are, just that they have a place to live is good enough. The typography is white, and bold in the centre of the screen, and it looks like it could be made to look like a stamp where not all the stamp is printed on the hypothetical paper. This could connote the run down lives the people lead in the film, and also connote stamps/pieces of papers giving by the job center/governmental departments when the characters collect their dole money or 'sign on' to the dole. This could prove that the people living in these council estate are poor and the majority are underclass people on the dole.
Timeline
00:10: this gives credit to EM media and Screen Yorkshire for their involvement in the production, who obviously helped create the film, and provided equipment and people for use of filming and post-production work.
00:15: Warp productions also have produced the film alongside the other production companies. Warp probably had less involvement in the making, but supported and helped along the way.
00:20: Big Arty productions may have taken a back seat, but also helped a long the way. This company is also owned by Shane Meadows which was cost effective for the film and also is a good way for the company to get noticed in the film industry and kick start its way into the industry.
00:23: Shane Meadows is the writer and director, and the fact that his name is mentioned in the very opening of the credits, connotes he is the most important crew member, and without him there would not be a storyline to the film, as it is based on his own personal experiences. This is HIS film, and nobody else's.
00:35: THIS IS ENGLAND, the first time the title is mentioned/seen. This is positioned before the main actors, as it then helps the audience to establish what they've seen, and be able to relate the archive footage they've seen before the title.
00:42 - 01:05 (Each credit contains one actors name): this connotes these are the main actors in the film and have the most important roles., so therefore the audience can see if they know any actors in the film.
01:05-01:29 (Each credit contains two actors names): these credits connote these actors are important but have less screen time than the others. (e.g. someone's mum that's only seen in 2 scenes.)
01:29-02:06 (Each credit contains three actors names): these credits connote these actors are probably background characters but have at least one line of dialogue.
02:06 - 02:34 (Each credit contains 2 or 3 Film crew job titles): these credits connote these film crew are the less crucial jobs in the behind the scenes making of the film, but they are important enough to get credit for their work, as they do impact what the audience can visually see or hear.
02:34 director of photography: the director is important enough to get his own credit and is in charge of putting together all the camera and lighting equipment ready for filming, he gets credit because without cameras set up there would be no footage and the editor wouldn't be able to edit anything together, meaning they are next in sequence with each other because they need each other. danny cohen's other camerawork can be seen in les miserables and the kings speech.
02:45 editor: the editor role is important enough to get his own credit, as he is the person who puts the film together and gives it a strong hold of continuity which creates the film the audience see. chris wyatt's other films include: shadow of the vampire and dead mans shoes.
02:53: line producer/co-producer & 03:01: executive producers: these producers help the main producer and this is why they are next to each other in the title sequence, they all work in the production grounds of the film making process and are delegated different roles by the main producer.
03:15 producer: the main man who makes sure the running of the film goes smoothly, and the second most important person in the film making process, after the director.
03:25 written and directed by: the most important person in making a film, and the person who has most control, especially in this film as Shane Meadows wrote the film, based on his own life experiences, which means he was in control of every aspect and what he wanted he got. this title is at the end of the credits as it signifies the most important role.
FILM CREW ROLES in order of appearance after actors.
Script Supervisor -
keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes
notes of any changes between what was actually filmed and what appeared
in the script. They make notes on every shot, and keep track of props,
blocking, and other details to ensure continuity from shot to shot and
scene to scene. The notes are given to the Editor to expedite the
editing process. Works very closely with the Director on set.
Casting Director
- chooses the Actors for the characters of the film. This usually
involves inviting potential Actors to read an excerpt from the script
for an audition.
Hair and Make-up Supervisor
- The Hair Make-up Supervisor is a supporting position that normally
reports to the Key Makeup Artist & Key Hair artist and to assist in
running the makeup and hair department. They typically handle production
matters and generally serve the needs of Senior Artists. Supervisors
rarely do makeup themselves. Their duties can include keeping a record
of makeup & hair continuity, handing the scheduling of makeup &
hair teams and providing for the general needs of the makeup and hair
department. They are expected to be a connection between the makeup
& hair department and the rest of the production departments, making
sure that makeup supplies, hair supplies, production assistants or
electricians are on hand when needed.
Costume Designer -
The Costume Designer is responsible for all the clothing and costumes
worn by all the actors that appear on screen. They are also responsible
for designing, planning, and organising the construction of the garments
down to the fabric, colours, and sizes. The Costume Designer works
closely with the Director to understand and interpret "character", and
interacts with the Production Designer. The Costume Designer will
usually have one or more Assistant Costume Designers.
Production Designer -
The Production Designer is responsible for creating the visual
appearance of the film - settings, costumes, character makeup, all taken
as a unit. The Production Designer works closely with the Director and
the Director of Photography to achieve the look of the film.
Music Supervisor
- The Music Supervisor aka Music Director, works with the Composer,
Mixers and Editors to create and integrate the film's music into the
film.
Director of Photography
- The Director of Photography is the chief of the camera and lighting
crew of the film. They make decisions on lighting and framing of shots
in conjunction with the film's director. Typically, the Director tells
the DoP how he or she wants a shot to look, and the DoP chooses the correct lens, filter, lighting and composition to achieve the desired aesthetic effect. The DoP is the senior creative crew member after the director.
Film Editor
- The Film Editor is the person who assembles the various shots into a
coherent film, with the help of the Director. There are usually several
Assistant Editors.
Line Producer - The Line Producer is the liaison between the Studio or Producer and the Production Manager, responsible for managing the production budget. He or she is the person who is "on the line" on a day-to-day basis, and responsible for lining up the resources needed.
Executive Producer - An
Executive Producer is a producer who was not involved in the technical
aspects of the film making process in the original definition, but has
played a financial or creative role in ensuring that the project goes
into production.
Producer - A
Film Producer creates the conditions for film making. The Producer
initiates, coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising
funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. The
producer is involved throughout all phases of the film making process
from development to completion of a project. Producers must be able to
identify commercial, marketable projects. They need a keen business
sense, and an intimate knowledge of all aspects of film production,
financing, marketing and distribution. Producers are responsible for the
overall quality control of productions.
Writer -
Creating characters, crafting dialogue and writing an engaging plot are
all part of a scriptwriter’s job. Essentially, these creative dynamos
form something which acts as the skeleton on which a director can map
their creative vision.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_crew)
This opening sequence has helped me realise how many film crew roles there are to include in the opening sequence of a film, and how to order the importance of each job. This has helped me with timings of each individual credit, and how long they should have screen time for. Also, what production companies we should name, as this sequence did not contain Film 4's Logo, only their name, which can help me have a more professional looking sequence, as apposed to lots of irrelevant images.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Analysis of Mise-En-Scene in Spike Island
Spike Island is about a group of 16 year old lads in a band, who love the Stone Roses and will do anything to go to Spike Island and see their favourite bands play live.
In the first scene of this trailer, there is a cassette tape, which tells the audience that the film is going to be based on music, and especially from the 1980's-1990's when cassette tapes were used music before CD's were invented. These cassettes were used as the main source of music, and often recorded favourite songs on the radio, instead of forking out for the actual full album.The sound for this scene is the cassette tape is being rewound, leading to the opening of 'She Bangs The Drum' by The Stone Roses, who were a big Madchester band in the 90's. This connotes the film is going to be music orientated and especially the Stone Roses. Also in the film, the characters don dodgy Ian Brown/The Gallagher brothers style Manc haircuts, which were popular amongst music-struck teenage boys in the 90's. This displays the British Social Realism genre by being about a bunch of young, mardy band members in the 90's being passionate and not giving in.
Actors - (00:52)
In this shot you see 5 typical northern looking boys, who are in school uniform, with their own 'fashionable' 90's trendy jackets over the top. The boys look of a suitable age for 16 year olds, and they all don the typical Manc haircut and accents. They look like typical BSR characters, as they are slightly scruffy looking, and look like they've had a hard life. The casting for the boys has been a good choice as Elliott Tittensor (Tits) appeared in Shameless, which is also set in Manchester. Elliott casted alongside Nico Mirallegro (Dodge) and Jordan Murphy (Zippy) both appeared in both series of My Mad Fat Diary recently, which again is set in Northern England, and has the same 90's Madchester vibe. These relatively unknown actors allow the audience to focus on their current roles, instead of focusing on previous roles the actor has established in the media.
In the film, the lighting is mostly natural lighting used, apart from the artificial strobe lights used at the gig. The artificial lighting creates a sense of a realism for the audience and makes the audience get a real perception of how the 90's era actually was and looked. The natural lighting in this scene illuminates the bedroom in the early morning. This also gains the audience's focus on the old style 90's radio beside Dodge's bed, and the guitar behind him, representing him as a music orientated teenage boy, who struggles to get up early. Most BSR's use natural lighting to make the scenes as realistic as possible, especially if the films are set in an era which is not the present day. The blue colour pallet in this film creates an enhanced feeling for the audience, the blue in this part of the film creates an almost tense atmosphere, as the boys are sneaking in to a gig, this way, the mood of the film will stay with the audience after the film has ended.
Production Design (00:16)
The location where this film is set, are real houses and it is a real street in Manchester. The houses are all identical and this creates a very real atmosphere for the audience. As this scene cuts to Dodge in his bedroom (used above) this is almost an establishing shot, showing the audience that the houses that the boys live in are these. The scenes are very realistic, as all the locations are very real, like the all back streets the lads walk down and the school they attend, and look very realistic and genuine as they would in Manchester in the early 90's. The clothes the lads wear reflect the sorts of houses they live in. They wear white wash jeans, over sized old 'Adidas' jackets, fake Louis Vuitton hats which reflect the 90's era in a nut shell.
Spike Island, The Selfish Giant and A Room For Romeo Brass have all inspired the ideas i have for using Mise-En-Scene within my opening sequence. For my production design, I will use a run down, real life, location, where lots of underclass families live. There will be graffiti on the walls, and I want to to look as gritty and raw as possible. The lighting I will use will be all natural, even if there are scenes in the dark, it will create the realist possible atmosphere and feeling for the audience. Also, I will use a blue colour palette to create emotion in the opening sequence, and to help the audience sympathise the troubled, social misfit I will go on to create. I feel like actors who have had previous first hand experience with the issues i go on to explored in my sequence will portray the role well, and create realism. A Room For Romeo Brass & The Selfish Giant both use actors from the local area in which the films were filmed in, which means they have some type of connection with the morale of the film, and may have experiences with the themes explored in the film, which helps them portray their character roles accurately and naturaiistically. The Era i will use is the present day, as social issues are as diverse as ever, and there are lots of themes to explore and will be easy to intertwine into my piece of work.
Spike Island, The Selfish Giant and A Room For Romeo Brass have all inspired the ideas i have for using Mise-En-Scene within my opening sequence. For my production design, I will use a run down, real life, location, where lots of underclass families live. There will be graffiti on the walls, and I want to to look as gritty and raw as possible. The lighting I will use will be all natural, even if there are scenes in the dark, it will create the realist possible atmosphere and feeling for the audience. Also, I will use a blue colour palette to create emotion in the opening sequence, and to help the audience sympathise the troubled, social misfit I will go on to create. I feel like actors who have had previous first hand experience with the issues i go on to explored in my sequence will portray the role well, and create realism. A Room For Romeo Brass & The Selfish Giant both use actors from the local area in which the films were filmed in, which means they have some type of connection with the morale of the film, and may have experiences with the themes explored in the film, which helps them portray their character roles accurately and naturaiistically. The Era i will use is the present day, as social issues are as diverse as ever, and there are lots of themes to explore and will be easy to intertwine into my piece of work.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
British Social Realism Themes
Film: Submarine (2010)
Theme: Sex
Synopsis: Socially awkward 15 year old Oliver Tate plans to lose his virginity before his next birthday, he then falls in love with Jordana while his parents relationship becomes 'rocky' because of his mother's ex-boyfriend.
The main theme of this film is sex, and this is denoted by the dialogue between Tate and Jordana. ''Are you asking me to come have sex with you?'' connotes a young love between the two, and maybe a first love for both characters. Tate talks about intimacy between the couple, connoting they are very much comfortable when they're together but also helps the audience see the characteristics for each character. Sex is an uncomfortable subject for most teenagers to talk about to their partners and in general, which is heard through Tate's uncomfortable tone of voice and the fact that he stammers and repeats himself when he talks about having a free house. The juxtaposition between the two characters is close, connoting the comfortable relationship they have, which is also ironic because the conversation they have is an uncomfortable topic to talk about. The theme is typical of the BSR genre, as it has been touched upon in other films like Spike Island between 'Tits' and Sally, as a first love and losing their virginity for the first time. I could use this theme in my opening sequence to show the love and relationship between young British teenagers and the struggle with parents and peers have with sex and being in love.
Film: Yasmin (2004)
Themes: Religion/Rebellion
Synopsis: Yasmin lives two lives in two different worlds: in her community, she wears Muslin clothes, cooks for her father and brother and has the traditional behaviour of a Muslin woman. She marries illegal immigrant Faysal to facilitate the British stamp in his passport, and then plans to divorce him.
There are two main themes to this film, as Yasmin rebels against her Islamic religion. The themes are denoted by the establishing shot to two Muslim men in their traditional clothes walking towards the audience. This connotes the film will be about religion. At 0:31 there is a glimpse of a sign with Arabic writing on it, connoting the building is a place of worship, which is a mosque. The shots of the location where this film is set, all contain Muslim characters who wear religious clothing, connoting the area is a very Islamic area of Britain. Rebellion is seen when Yasmin is in the middle of changing her religious clothes behind a big stone wall in the middle of a field where nobody can see her. Yasmin dresses in tight boot cut jeans and wears generalised 'western' clothes, she then takes her headscarf off and chucks it in the backseat of her car. This connotes Yasmin feels trapped inside her religion, and once she is away from her home, she can be free and wear/dress in whatever she wants. I could possibly combine these two themes, like in this film, and have a young teenager who feels pressured by their community and parents to lead a sacred religious life tied down to one religion, but truly they feel they feel connected to a different religion, and so this causes rebellion.
Film: Billy Elliot (2000)
Themes: Aspiration & Escape
Synopsis: Billy is an 11 year old boy, fathered by a widowed minor and his brother and grandmother. He doesn't like his boxing lessons in school and love to ballet dance. When his family find out, Billy gets in trouble, but Mrs Wilkinson carries to work with Billy on his ballet, after realising his potential, and then bags him an audition with the Royal Ballet School.
The main theme in this film is aspiration and escape. Billy loves to dance and he aspires to be the best he can be. He wants to escape the boxing life his dad encourages him to lead, and he wants to dance. Everything in Billy's life revolves around dance and he won't back down against his father and brother. Dancing is what makes Billy happy and his secret lessons with Mrs Wilkinson pay off, to help improve his skills. Billy's best friend Michael, calls out from on top of the wall of his backyard, 'OI! DANCING BOY' which connotes Billy's love for dance, that he even is nicknamed as the dancing boy. Escape comes into the film, because Billy gets on the bus and travels all the way to London to pursue his dream, and escapes his hometown of County Durham. Billy's opportunity like this in a British Social Realism film is rare, as happy endings aren't always a thing. I may explore these themes in my opening sequence by having a passionate teenager, who will do anything and everything to fulfil their dream and escape the daily grind of their wasteland hometown life.
Film: Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Themes: Violence
Synopsis: Richard returns home from military service to a small town in the Midlands. He has one thing on his mind: revenge. Payback for the local bullies who did some very bad things to his brother.
The main theme of this film is violence, and this is shown as Sonny gets out of the car and walks up to Richard in a patronising manor and the juxtaposition between the two characters establishes bad blood between the two. One denotation for this scene is when Richard says, 'If I were you, I'd get in that f**king car and get out of here, man' in an angry tone, with an angry facial expression. This connotes that there is an increases in tension between the two characters, and that Richard is about to do something dangerous and violence, so the violent tendencies are shown through facial expression and tone of voice. Richard talks about 'slicing his neck' when talking to Sonny, and he imitates this with his finger, hence the violent theme. Both of the men are very angry. The theme is represented as an every day, normal occurrence, as the conversation talks about threatening, and as they are located in almost an alley way, which is roughly where gangs and violent criminals hang out. I could possibly explore this theme, by having a leader of a gang, and showing their past and childhood as flashbacks, and how that has impacted them to be who they are today.
Film: London To Brighton (2006)
Themes: Parenthood/Prostitution
Synopsis: Joanne and Kelly are mother and daughter, at 3:07am they burst into a toilet which is covered in graffiti. Kelly then goes out and sells herself for a train fare to start a new life down South with her daughter.
The main theme of this film is Prostitution. You can see this when Kelly leaves Joanne locked in the graffiti covered bathroom. They have
both bruised and battered faces, connoting they have been involved with a dangerous person, and they have been assaulted which is a common situation around the prostitution theme. Kelly then goes to a chicken shop and gets cheap food, connoting bad poverty, and relating back to why this mother sells herself. She does the prostitution to get money for a train fare to Brighton with her daughter, Joanne. The opening sequence of this film is in a connotes a rough area which is covered in graffiti and it's a dirty. Joanne is left on her own, in which connotes a bad mother, which is not necessarily true, as Kelly does anything to protect her daughter, and prostitiution is the only way the two girls will ever get any money. The theme is explored in this film as if it is a normal, everyday standard for underclass women to do it to support their children, and try to create the best life possible. I could potentially use these themes to show the psychological effects prostiution has on a young woman, and how she deals with the effects.
Theme: Sex
Synopsis: Socially awkward 15 year old Oliver Tate plans to lose his virginity before his next birthday, he then falls in love with Jordana while his parents relationship becomes 'rocky' because of his mother's ex-boyfriend.
The main theme of this film is sex, and this is denoted by the dialogue between Tate and Jordana. ''Are you asking me to come have sex with you?'' connotes a young love between the two, and maybe a first love for both characters. Tate talks about intimacy between the couple, connoting they are very much comfortable when they're together but also helps the audience see the characteristics for each character. Sex is an uncomfortable subject for most teenagers to talk about to their partners and in general, which is heard through Tate's uncomfortable tone of voice and the fact that he stammers and repeats himself when he talks about having a free house. The juxtaposition between the two characters is close, connoting the comfortable relationship they have, which is also ironic because the conversation they have is an uncomfortable topic to talk about. The theme is typical of the BSR genre, as it has been touched upon in other films like Spike Island between 'Tits' and Sally, as a first love and losing their virginity for the first time. I could use this theme in my opening sequence to show the love and relationship between young British teenagers and the struggle with parents and peers have with sex and being in love.
Film: Yasmin (2004)
Themes: Religion/Rebellion
Synopsis: Yasmin lives two lives in two different worlds: in her community, she wears Muslin clothes, cooks for her father and brother and has the traditional behaviour of a Muslin woman. She marries illegal immigrant Faysal to facilitate the British stamp in his passport, and then plans to divorce him.There are two main themes to this film, as Yasmin rebels against her Islamic religion. The themes are denoted by the establishing shot to two Muslim men in their traditional clothes walking towards the audience. This connotes the film will be about religion. At 0:31 there is a glimpse of a sign with Arabic writing on it, connoting the building is a place of worship, which is a mosque. The shots of the location where this film is set, all contain Muslim characters who wear religious clothing, connoting the area is a very Islamic area of Britain. Rebellion is seen when Yasmin is in the middle of changing her religious clothes behind a big stone wall in the middle of a field where nobody can see her. Yasmin dresses in tight boot cut jeans and wears generalised 'western' clothes, she then takes her headscarf off and chucks it in the backseat of her car. This connotes Yasmin feels trapped inside her religion, and once she is away from her home, she can be free and wear/dress in whatever she wants. I could possibly combine these two themes, like in this film, and have a young teenager who feels pressured by their community and parents to lead a sacred religious life tied down to one religion, but truly they feel they feel connected to a different religion, and so this causes rebellion.
Film: Billy Elliot (2000)
Themes: Aspiration & Escape
Synopsis: Billy is an 11 year old boy, fathered by a widowed minor and his brother and grandmother. He doesn't like his boxing lessons in school and love to ballet dance. When his family find out, Billy gets in trouble, but Mrs Wilkinson carries to work with Billy on his ballet, after realising his potential, and then bags him an audition with the Royal Ballet School.The main theme in this film is aspiration and escape. Billy loves to dance and he aspires to be the best he can be. He wants to escape the boxing life his dad encourages him to lead, and he wants to dance. Everything in Billy's life revolves around dance and he won't back down against his father and brother. Dancing is what makes Billy happy and his secret lessons with Mrs Wilkinson pay off, to help improve his skills. Billy's best friend Michael, calls out from on top of the wall of his backyard, 'OI! DANCING BOY' which connotes Billy's love for dance, that he even is nicknamed as the dancing boy. Escape comes into the film, because Billy gets on the bus and travels all the way to London to pursue his dream, and escapes his hometown of County Durham. Billy's opportunity like this in a British Social Realism film is rare, as happy endings aren't always a thing. I may explore these themes in my opening sequence by having a passionate teenager, who will do anything and everything to fulfil their dream and escape the daily grind of their wasteland hometown life.
Film: Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Themes: Violence
Synopsis: Richard returns home from military service to a small town in the Midlands. He has one thing on his mind: revenge. Payback for the local bullies who did some very bad things to his brother.
The main theme of this film is violence, and this is shown as Sonny gets out of the car and walks up to Richard in a patronising manor and the juxtaposition between the two characters establishes bad blood between the two. One denotation for this scene is when Richard says, 'If I were you, I'd get in that f**king car and get out of here, man' in an angry tone, with an angry facial expression. This connotes that there is an increases in tension between the two characters, and that Richard is about to do something dangerous and violence, so the violent tendencies are shown through facial expression and tone of voice. Richard talks about 'slicing his neck' when talking to Sonny, and he imitates this with his finger, hence the violent theme. Both of the men are very angry. The theme is represented as an every day, normal occurrence, as the conversation talks about threatening, and as they are located in almost an alley way, which is roughly where gangs and violent criminals hang out. I could possibly explore this theme, by having a leader of a gang, and showing their past and childhood as flashbacks, and how that has impacted them to be who they are today.Film: London To Brighton (2006)
Themes: Parenthood/Prostitution
Synopsis: Joanne and Kelly are mother and daughter, at 3:07am they burst into a toilet which is covered in graffiti. Kelly then goes out and sells herself for a train fare to start a new life down South with her daughter. The main theme of this film is Prostitution. You can see this when Kelly leaves Joanne locked in the graffiti covered bathroom. They have
both bruised and battered faces, connoting they have been involved with a dangerous person, and they have been assaulted which is a common situation around the prostitution theme. Kelly then goes to a chicken shop and gets cheap food, connoting bad poverty, and relating back to why this mother sells herself. She does the prostitution to get money for a train fare to Brighton with her daughter, Joanne. The opening sequence of this film is in a connotes a rough area which is covered in graffiti and it's a dirty. Joanne is left on her own, in which connotes a bad mother, which is not necessarily true, as Kelly does anything to protect her daughter, and prostitiution is the only way the two girls will ever get any money. The theme is explored in this film as if it is a normal, everyday standard for underclass women to do it to support their children, and try to create the best life possible. I could potentially use these themes to show the psychological effects prostiution has on a young woman, and how she deals with the effects.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Defining British Social Realism
Social Realism through the decades.
Decade: 1950's
In this clip, it is established that Jimmy is a jazz musician, who plays in a jazz club. So one of the themes is aspiration because his wife wasn't in the club after he finished playing, and we know this because the next scene was Jimmy walking into their bedroom and his wife was in bed. He also checks in her bag, which could be seen as a paranoid husband, who is very controlling, this could arouse suspicion of a domestic abuse storyline. He also starts kissing Alison while she's asleep, which could connote Jimmy is a dominating man, and sexually abuses his wife. The characters in this clip, Jimmy, Alison and Cliff all seem of an upper class and religious background, hence all the neighbours coming out and going to church on Sunday and the old lady saying 'A little read before church'. The posh, upper class British accents of the husband and wife establish this, and Cliff, their lodger, seems to be a working class Welshman. The broadsheet newspapers are something man upper class people read, even today. The location of the film is set in 3 storey houses, which connotes wealth of the main characters. The houses look like inner city houses, which connote a London vibe. The rooms in the house look very dark and cluttered but also very homely and lived in. The juxtaposition between Jimmy and Alison at 8:02 connotes they do not have a very good relationship and that Cliff is a peacemaker between the pair. The jazz club Jimmy played at looked very dark and the paint on the walls looked chipped and scruffy, this could connote this is Jimmy's haven even if his peers do not fully approve, and he will do anything to play music. Most of the sound in the clip is diagetic, and the audience can fully hear the footsteps, and every breath and sigh Jimmy makes. Non Diagetic sound follows Jimmy out of the jazz club and is played to the audience until Jimmy starts playing again. There are many close ups in this clip, especially of characters faces, which is good for showing facial expression. The editing was mostly cuts, and i spotted a cross dissolve between the bedroom scene and on to the raining street. This would not be used in modern day BSR, as it looks unprofessional. The films is shot in Black and White and I feel this makes the film more realistic, as you can capture more than just footage in this colour palette. The lighting was natural throughout, and a clear example of this is Alison laying in bed with light shadows on her face (4:05).Decade: 1960's
Film: Kes
The theme running through this clip is bullying. The audience can see this because everyone in the class laughing at Billy. The teacher is not remaining one bit professional and saying, 'and so did you, Casper, just come out from under a stone'. The fact the teacher makes Billy stand up is also a form of punishment. Billy could be a troubled child from a troubled and broken home, which is why he is so un-attentive to the class. I think the teacher is of an upper class background and Billy and the rest of the class are from Working / Under class backgrounds, so there is the social class barrier between the class. The teacher is very strict and disciplined who has a posh yet northern twang to his accent. He has a clean cut suit, and prim and proper hair and glasses whereas Billy has an uneven haircut, grubby looking skin and a shabby looking jumper. This film is set in the North of England, as every character that speaks dons a thick Yorkshire accent. 'Guv' says he can't go nesting with the rest of the boys as he's 'taking girlfriend t'Sheffield', which is said with shortened words and Sheffield is in Yorkshire. Also, all the boys seem to have nicknames, which is a very common northern thing to do. There is no music or non-diagetic sound in this film, and all of the sound the audience hear is dialogue. The editing used in this film is very simple, and contains lots of cuts. I have noticed that in this classroom scene there is no reaction shots (0:29-0:54) is just Billy standing up and all the audience can hear is the teacher and class mates laughing. Decade: 1970's
Film: Quadrophenia
In this film the main theme is a culture clash between the Mods and the Rockers. The clash between the two 'minority' groups is a brutal one. Jim is a typical mod, with his vespa with lots of mirrors and his shabby hair cut, whereas Kevin drives a 'proper' motorbike with all his leather jacket and boots and is a rocker with his quiff-ed hair. On Jim's bedroom wall there is a The Who poster, who were idols for the mods in the 60's. The culture clash is seen when Jim can barely sit next to Kevin in the cafe while he eats pie and mash, and quickly goes back home. The film is set in London, as all of the characters have cockney accents, connoting the East London area, and the fact that Jim is eating pie and mash, is common 'cockney grub'. Also, the other area the film is set in is Brighton. This was a common place for the Mods to go and be who they are every weekend. This location is established before the film is even in Brighton, when Jim puts a cut out magazine article on his wall which says 'RIOT POLICE FLY TO SEASIDE'. On the radio, it also talks about 'shopkeepers in the Brighton area are putting down shutters...' which 'foreshadows' in a way that Jim and his mod friends are going to be going down to Brighton later on in the film. As soon a Jim enters his room, non-diegetic music can be heard, and the majority of the film is diagetic, containing dialogue and the radio speaking. The shot types in the film vary, and when there is the pan of Jim's bedroom wall, the music increases in volume and there is a close up of Jim's face which connotes his excitedness for Brighton and how he loves his lifestyle and culture. The props and costumes for this film are very realistic for both minority groups, the parka jackets, suit and ties and slick hair connotes the mods perfectly. The leather jackets, quiffs and skin tight army jeans connote the rockers perfectly too. The lighting for this film is a mixture of artificial, like the woman and her UV tanning light, and natural, the majority of the film
Decade: 1980's
Film: My Beautiful Laundrette
Decade: 1990's
Film: Trainspotting
The main themes in Trainspotting are Violence and Drug Abuse and possibly Alcoholism. The scene is set in a busy pub and all the lads upstairs in the pub have a pint of beer. At one point, Begbie takes a knife out of his pocket, connoting a violent character. Most of the scene is violent, an Begbie seems like a violent man, who goes around starting fights with everyone. The characters look like working class people, who are regulars in the pub, which is their meeting and hang out place. Begbie is probably the character who exaggerates his story, as there is a cut to a scene where Tommy tells how the story actually went, connoting Begbie as a compulsive liar. Begbie's violence comes out when he hits an innocent boy with his snooker cue and accuses him of putting him off taking his shot, in which he then gets out a knife. The film is set in Scotland, and you can tell this because of the strong Scottish accents and all the swearing both Tommy and Begbie do. Also, Renton picks up a '100 greatest goals' VHS tape, which is about Cetlic football club, also Scottish. After establishing the fact that the film is Scottish, this could back up some of the reasons why Begbie is so angry. The sound is mostly diegetic, with dialogue being the main sound the audience hears, apart from Renton's voice over as the talks about Tommy telling the truth and being innocent. The shots in this scene vary, and there is a flashback where the scene is a still and Renton's voice over plays, which is very affective. The lighting in this scene is mostly artificial as all the locations established are inside
Decade: 2000's
Film: This Is England
Decade: 2010's
Film: ill Manors
ill Manors explores lots of different themes and situations. Drug culture and supply is explored as the 'drug den' is underground and the audience see the drugs being bagged/rolled up by the drug suppliers and given to dealers. The establishing shot of this clip is the main drug dealer, who is surrounded by prison walls, on his release from prison. Another theme explored is motherhood, as one of the drug users is a pregnant, expecting mother who never thought to give up her heroin addiction when she found out she was having the baby, because she said it wasn't planned. Another theme is violence, as the skin head ties up the child (1:22) and then there is a close up of a bloody razor blade (1:28), and the skin around the child's face is all bloody and cut open. Death is explored briefly when the skinhead's mother dies of a heroin overdose (2:05). The skinhead is connoted as a racist man, he injures and possibly kills the little Asian boy, and holds an England flag above his head. The attic where the drug den is set is messy, dirty and full of junk, which connotes the drug business may be a very messy and dirty job. The film is set in London, and you can tell this because of the cockney accent, when the main dealer says 'f**king little c**t, what do you think you are doing?', this connotes an angry, on edge drug dealer. The song is based on the storyline of the film, and as the song sings about the issue occurs, there is a visual for the audience to see. The prison alarms at the beginning show the audience that the drug dealer has just come out of prison. Close ups in this film are very powerful, having close ups of weapons re-establish the violent themes explored. The long shot pan of the room helps the audience see the characters and gives a basic view of the drug den. The lighting of the den is artificial, but the death of the mother is in a dark, naturally lighted room.
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