Production diary

17th November
Today we spent time deciding what roles we were going to undertake. We made sure that we each had different tasks to do so that the procedure of planning would be a lot faster and a lot smoother.

18th November
Today we started to perform our tasks. I started to post the blog meetings and write about what we were doing in pictures that were taken of us discussing the tasks ahead. Will started to do the synopsis planning and writing about the actors that we were going to use. Ben started to create a visual mood board that used inspirations from other clips that we liked and thought could be inspirational towards our clip.

24th November
 In this lesson Ben and I finalised the storyboard. We made sure that we had included all of the details that needed to be within the shot. We also made sure that all of the types of shots were given below the picture of the shot that was going to be taken. The next step was to video the storyboard and give background audio on it.

28th November

Today I started to edit all of the footage that we had collected. The first thing that I had to do was find and select all of the shots that I actually wanted to keep. Once I had decided on the shots that I was going to use within our opening scene. I then had to put all of the shots in the correct chronological order that the story line was going to flow in.

2nd December

I have applied all of my editing skills towards my opening scene which has caused me to compile all of the footage together. All of the clips have now been put in chronological order I am just in the process of finishing the listing of all the titles that will appear throughout the opening scene. After this I will have to find an appropriate song that will match in with the theme and genre of my film opening.

8th December

Uploaded my first draft of my film opening. It got played to my class and they gave me feedback to work on. I already had quite a lot of adaptation to do with my film opening anyway to make the genre more obvious. The feedback that I received also told me that I needed to make the titles and credits better.

9th December

I straight away started to carry on with editing on my film opening to help improve the recognition of the genre. I changed and improved the titles by putting them in the correct order and also adding effects so that they synced in well with the transitions from shot to shot.

Ben's Maketing Poster

Three posters will be designed before deciding the best poster that promotes our film. Ben's poster is good because it uses key icons to gives hints about the film and an idea of the character's life's  without starting the film. Although effective and simple the poster could be improved by changing the colour of the T in Contrast so that it is symmetric and to add the editor and the companies associated with the film to the bottom of the poster.

Poster Inspirations

For our posters we wanted to show the difference between two men and the different lives they lead. Because of this we looked at posters from other films that would be similar to ours. We got ideas from 'I love you, MAN' and 'Catch me if you can'. The reason we chose these was due to the fact that they are very basic but effective, They focus around two different men and have little writing but easily show what the film could be about.

The Contrast second draft

First Draft feedback

Feedback



 

 

 

 

 

Marketing Campagins

Marketing from BenClifford

Problems with the first draft

Problems

1) Getting enough shots in the pub

2) Editing issues, for example the title for director is the wrong colour and Deborah's title isn't bold and clear enough.

3) Conveying the idea that I'm happy and Paul the second character is sad.

What went well?

The shots of Paul in London went well with a significant chunk of footage taken in one session. 

Credits Inspiration

Premeire pro tips

This channel is very helpful with tips for credt ideas and particularly effects. After watching a few videos the best effects they have explained have been the shutter and the oppacity effects.

Storyboard

Student film opening

Angeldust

I really enjoyed this trailer and thought it used very celever and imaginative ideas to make the opening easy to film. The lighiutng used within the opening is dark that also conveys the sincerity of the film alomg with the music. In my opinion the downfall in this opening is the lack locations used although this is made up by the acting and the editing. I would give this top band and 58 out of 60 with very fluid and proffesional credits.

Film Inspiration: Mercedes Advert

Mercedes Advert

I realise that this is an advert and therefore will be different to any film opening however the way that the individual screens push one another out ws previously suggested to us by our teacher but I found it difficult to picture how that would work in our opening. After seeing this advert I think that it is a very unique way to edit and would work well in our film.

Visual Moodboard

Target Audience

Target audience from maxgrids

Represenation

Representation from maxgrids

Risk Assesment: first day

Recce shots

Film Pitch: Final draft

Film Pitch

This film pitch shows the ideas and narrative of our film opening and has a description of the characters. The presentation also shows the target audience and the film institution.

Juno Task

 

The task was to copy the introduction of the film Juno. This meant that we had to storyboard the original and copy it to the best of our ability. This task was also the second time I had used premiere pro so it was difficult to edit. Furthermore I have learnt from this task that I should blog my finished work straight away otherwise the danger of losing the material is very apparent. I thought that the task as a whole went well although it took our group a little longer to film I thought the accuracy and timing was better than other examples and therefore worthwhile.

Narrative

Aristotle

He was a Greek philosopher who can up with the idea that all narrative's may have 

1. A beginning 

2. A middle

3. An end

Vladimir Propp

He concluded after studying fairytales and folk stories that narratives are shaped upon characters and different actions. He proposed that there a 8 characters and 31 situations in all stories ever written.

These characters were hero who seeks something, villain who opposes, the donor who helps, dispatcher who sends, false hero who is mistaken for the hero, helper gives support, princess who is the reward but also needs protecting and the father.

Levi-Strauss

After studying myths and legends he proposed that all stories were based upon opposites and the conflict between these opposites. For example this could be good and evil or old and young or wealthy and poor. 

Todorov

He concluded that all narratives have five stages.

1. Equilibrium which is a state I normality.

2. Disruption of this equilibrium.

3. Protagonist realises this equilibrium has changed.

4. Restoration where the protagonist restores equilibrium.

5. New equilibrium same as the starts but there are slight differences from the original.

Roland Barthe

His ideas show us that a narrative of a story can be seen in hundreds of different ways and that different people's perspectives would introduce new ways of seeing the story. He said 'it has no beginning; it is reversible; we gain access through several entrances none of which can authoritatively declare to be the main one.'

He suggested that texts may be open or closed which means they have one or many different interpretations. He also had five codes.

Enigma code

Codes of mystery which intrigue the audience and make them want to know more. It leaves the audience annoyed when these questions aren't answered.

Action code

This contains an order of elements of the action within text. It is also used to add effect.

Semantic code

This refers to an additional meaning in the text. It has a connotative meaning along with the literal meaning.

Symbolic code

Symbols within the text which create greater meant or tension, it can also develop a character.

Referential code

Any sort of external knowledge such as scientific or historical knowledge.

Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene

Mise en scene by definition is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a frame or shot.

 

This is made up of 5 key things.

1. Settings and Props: This is not just the background it can be very effective in conveying a genre for example and car chase through a city would be more exciting than on a country road. Settings can portray genre's before the film starts for instance a shot of the World form outerspace is most likely to be a Sci-fi film.

2. Costume, Hair and Make up: These important elements make a person's character exaggerated and emphasised. This is important as it gives the audience direction. THe costume also gives an idea of where the film is set and what era.

3.Facial expressions and body language: This factor links to hair, costume and make up as it provides an enhancement of the characters in the films. The body languuage of an actor can give off how he is feeling. An example of this is how someone can be looking down nd cry and the audince will know this person is upset however if they are walking confidently and smiling the audience will be aware of there happiness. However this element of Mise en Scene can be used ironically for example a villain in a horror film looking happy. The audience will think he is joyful and is the protaganist however when they see his wrongdoing's they will only be disgusted even further.

4. Lighting and colour: There are two main types of lighting used in film. High and low key lighting. Low key lighting will create a sense of darkness around the shot as if something sinister is about to happen. This is used mainly in horror films or to show an antagonist. On the other hand high key lighting makes the shot look brighter and the character within happier and more absorbing. A lack of shadow in these frames mean that the audience becomes more comfortable and therefore prefer this type of shot. others.

5. Positioning of characters and objects within a frame: The last element is hugely important as it gives an idea of the relationship between characters, because if they are close to one another it will shpw to the audience that they are comfortable and that they are friendlt towards each other. The positioning also concentrates your focus as the centre of the screen is where the audience's eyes are drawn. The size of the characters shows to the audience how powerful they are. For instance if they are taller and bigger than the other people it will give them more power before the actors are even introduced. This is widely used in superhero films to give the heroes strength above other people.

Synopsis Planning

Planning

Actors

Tony: He is a successful wealthy businessman who has got a good job and is well payed. Although wealthy Tony has not achieved all in live, he is unhappy and lonely. In our opening he will look tired and annoyed but more so than anything else he should be spiteful so that the audience see him as the antaganist. Tony should be wearing a suit to show that he is upper class and wealthy. This character will be played by a 40 year old man which will show to the audience how he is accomplished, wise and gives him authority. He's been living his life thinking that money is the only goal and that nothing should come before it. This attitude has made him cold and selfish, he has no time for friends and family and spends all his time at work.  
Chris: This character should be happy and enjoy life, the activities he does throughout the opening he should enjoy. The audience should warm to him due to his good nature and caring attitude. He should be wearing smart-casual clothes such as jeans and a shirt and this will make the audience comfortable and familiar with him. He will be played by a teenager because we can't get a second adult to play the other part. We will make the character look as old as possible so it is convincing that he works in a pub and has many friends. This character will be the protaganist and will be the charatcer that the audience warms to.

Location

Pub: The pub is the Swan inn that is loacted in Hatfield Peveral. The recce shots show that it is old and has character. This will be the place that Chris works were an older person enters and Chris acts caring towards them.

My individual Film Pitch

Film Pitch

First Draft

The first draft of the film pitch was not successful due to the latyout of the pitch. The narrative and the context was not clear and it was difficult to follow. However the presentation does have strong points such as clear indications of the target audience and our inspirations.

Institution task

I found theis task difficult because I struggled to come up with ideas. I had taken inspiration from another example and therefore developed this idea. I have taken a clip form the opening scenes of Pulp Fiction. I have also used a different name for the production title as I thought that everyone else had used there own names and so I attempt to stand out from other examples.

Genre tasks

The Guest

Describe in detail: The guest is an action film that is made around the death of a soldier. The film begins with the soldiers friend visiting the family on dying request of the fallen soldier.
Setting: The setting is in a regualar home however we sense that the the action lies with the visiter. Some of the shots are taken outside and looks like the desert or the deep south of America. The desert is a place of lonliness and panic although could be used for action due to the fact that theres no one there.
Themes: The general theme seams realistic although we get the impression that the action and violence to follow in the film will not actually be real. Friendship is also a theme in this film as the man is comnpleting a favour.
Icon: the film has obvious violence and therefore guns. This has connatations of death and fear although could be seen as safety and protection.
Narrative: The overall plot of the storyline is unclear due to the mixed order of narrative and truncated pace of the trailer. Hoever it looks like Dan stevens and some members of the family are involved in violent situations and action.
Characters: From the trailer the main character looks to be the friend of the soldier Dan Stevens although other character such as the members of the family will have big supporting roles in this film.
Textial Analysis: Constant cutting between shots gives the trailer action and excited and mixed lighting gives signs of danger and protection and different parts of the film. Throughout the trailer a non diegetic bass guitar is playing which and to the genre and craetes anticipation for the violence. There is also a voice over as the conversatiuon that is happening at the start of the trailer runs throughout regardless or the violent scenes being shown. This contrapetal sounds take the audience's mind's away from the action and concentrate on the plot.

Genre tasks

The Vow

Describe in detail: The film the vow satrs Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. The displays some of the experiences they have shared as a couple for example in an art gallery. The trailer also shows how they're involved in a car accident and forces the two characters to rekindle their love for each other.
Setting: The film is set in a city which has connatations of business and danger. Although a city can be dangerous it also offer some protection as it is not a harch environment. The film is set a variety of times and jumps about to show an overview of their relationship. The film does have scenes shot during Winter which is meant to heighten the romace.
Theme: The film of the film is love and romance although it shows shows hints of drama and comedy. I would say this film is a romantic comedy although there are elements of drama within it.
Icon: The icons of love and romance feature in the trailer for example flowers and choclates which have connatations of love and romace.
Narrative:The brief storyline is that the two character fall in love but are interrupted when they're involved in a car accident. This causes Channing Tatum to compete for his wifes love once again.
Characters:The charcters are Channing Tataum and Rachel McAdams. As shown in the trailer both have played major roles in Rom-Com's before and Channing Tatum offers sex appeal which may draw some viewers to it. I beleive that the main role is the woman in the accident as she is the one both boys are trying to win over.
Textial analysis: The repition of fading transition between shots makes the audience imminently comfortable. The non diegetic parallel music adds to the soothing nature of the trailer.The clever 360 degree shots add passion and excitement to the trailer and the zooming shows the actors emotions and feelings. The bright lighting conveys safety and comfort to the audience whilst the well presented actors and actresses make the empathy greater.

Genre tasks

Guardians of the Galaxy

Describe in detail: the trailer displays 'starlord' being caught stealing a mysterious object. Straight away we get the that the genre is superhero due to the alien creatures and the supernatural background. The trailer gives a brief description of each character stating there name and power. This helps us get and understanding of the hero and the villain due to the language and behaviour of the regular humans.
Settting: As previously mentioned the setting is supernatural with wide pan shots of the galaxy and spaceships. This outerspace setting has connatations of danger and mystery as is perfect for adventure.
Theme: The plot of the film isn't clear from the trailer but we sense that the 'guardians' are the heroes and must achieve some sort of goal. This may be due to revenge in some cases for example Drax the destroyer.
Icon: The icons of the trailer are the guns and the inside of the spaceship. The guns represent aliens and danger whilst the metal gates show how the heores are imprisoned.
Narrative: The trailer doesn't give much away however does highlight how the character described in the trailer are the ones who will feature most in the film.
Characters: The five characters in the film- Drax, Starlord, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. We get the impression that these characters unite to become a great team in the film and destroy the enemy as in most superhero film. This film is a real hybrid of genre as it offers ideas of a superhero genre which includes action and adventure whilst also showing si-fi and comedy.
Textial Analysis: The trailer uses non diegetic dramatic music in the opening shot to convey adventure and action, whilst also using close up ahot and many cuts between cameras. The background lighting used in the next scene is bery clever as it shows how the humans are evil however it shows how the safety is near due to the light. The more comfortable music allows the audience to fell more relaxed. The humour used by the villains also makes the audience more rleaxed with the character and makes them look like the heroes.

Genre Photos



Thriller

The thriller genre is very difficult to convey as it requires good editing. The best thriller posters are very simple and powerful and just give an outline of one character. In our picture we displayed the character as already being dead although that would have been easier if we had fake blood of some sort. The lighting for this picture is good because it's a mix of sunlight and shade which creates a sense of fear. The narrative has fear and death and violence and uses action and horror to create thriller. 


Genre Photos



Superhero

Our second image was taken on a hill in our school field although this isn't shown in the picture as only the grass is showing. The location could have been improved so that the photo is taken in a more dangerous environment. The bright light helps with the genre of superheroes as it shows that these characters are good. In contrast the villain behind the central character is in dark clothes and has a creepy posture which suggests he is the villain. The character stance is clever as it shows there supposed powers, for example the central hero has super strength and the right has a super shot. Although extra props such as a gun would have been useful to display the powers better. The themes of the photo are violence and action due to the fact that they look like they're preparing for a fight. Also the shot shows villains and heroes. The large shadow effect shows that the heroes are powerful which is helpful for displaying the genre

Student film openings

Growing Pains

The second film is called Growing pains, this had a more proffessional opening with better credits. The first shot on the skateboard is original and clever and makes the opening seem different to others.
The location of the film is good as it looks like an actual place people live furthermore the dialogue is very real and is actually how people speak so makes the audience feel comfprtable. The material is correct for the target audience and they have also taken consideration into the background of each shot. This makes this film hish scoring and I would give it a level 5 and a score of 50 to 55.

Student film openings

Qauntum

I liked this film opening as it was exciting and had a good storyline. However I felt that the credits were not long enough, only featuring three titles at the start. I felt that the credits weren't animated well and were very simple. On the other hand the shots themselves were good and a wide variety was used. These shot including tracking shots and they paid attention to what was in the shot which is criteria for levels three and four. The sound is appropriate and exciting which adds to the video. In my opinion the script is good although the location doesn't change which could hold the marks back as a variety of locations would add to the action however if the chase was through woods then it would stay in that location. I would give this a 45 to 50 so therefore would just get into level 4. To improve the grade I would have enhanced the credits and put more effects on them.

Self evaluation of Prelim

Self evaluation of Prelim task
1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?1) I worked with Steve and Ben and we were given the task of filming a documentary, we decided due to Ben taking drama we realised that he would be good at the main acting role. Then we realised the other roles of filming and directing. We decided that I would direct and Steve would film however both of us did both roles and helped each other.

2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take in to account?
2) When we knew our genre was documentary and we thought of other documentaries that we liked and also research some of the best ones. We brainstomed ideas and thought of documentaries that would sought our location. We thought of a day in the life of a schoolboy and eventually came across a story about the Great War. A key inspiration for this was the series Our World War on BBC three. We organised the shots that were necessary and storyboarded our ideas. We then rearranged the shots in order of location to try and get the filming done as quickly as possible. The other factors we had to consider were costume and therefore we managed o get a war costume from the drama studio.

3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
3)  We used camera's and tripods to get the shots we needed, this included high, low and tracking shots. We also used shots from the floor to show how the soldiers is being rescued.

4) What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
4) We had to take the lighting and setting into account as we realised it would change and we therefore needed to film all in one go. We also needed to think about when we could use the costume and therefore we constricted to filmings at certain. Editing was another factor as each individual had a limited time, although thid factor (editing) was the easiest to carry out.

5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently? What did others say about your production?
5) I felt that the sequence went well and that we got what we tried to achieve. However with more time I would have added more shots, including the tracking shots and panning. The feedback identified how there was to 180 degree shot however the did show how the genre was easily identified and the Mise en Scene was good.

6) What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?
6) When I complete another filming task I would be more organised as then I could get the shots taken quicker and spend more time editing. However for a first task I felt the whole sequence went well and I beleive we worked well as a team and our strengths helped each other. This first will be very important to future task as it gives me and idea of what it is like and how to carry it out properly.

Prelim task-Video

Storyboard for Prelim

Prelim Task

Comparison between High budget films and Low budget films

The Prestige- Applying Barthe's codes

The Prestige

Enigma code
-Why are threy dressed like that?
-Why is there so much stillness or quietness?
-Why is the older man showing a magic trick to the girl?
-What's going to happen in the trick?
Action code
-Violent confrontation between two people
-Noise of the trick, e.g. the electricity
-The absolute silence after the trick
-The banging on the glass
Symbolic codes
-The darkness of some of the clothes could be fashion of the time or a indication of some character traits.
-The bird conveys innocence
-The black hats in the opening could represent dead magicians

Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene

The word Mise en Scene is a French phrase that is used in cinema to describe whats actually in the scene or frame. In our media lessons we use CLAMPS as an acronym for the factors in Mise en Scene, Costume, Lighting, Actors, Make-up, Props and Setting. We used this powerful picture from the film Skyfall it shows James Bond standing staring across London. Costume: The black coat shows that it's Winter in London and also shows the location (not carribean), the coat also shows darkness and danger. The coat makes the actor look like a villian. Lighting: The lighting looks natural in this shot as it looks like its taken midday or in the morning. The lighting shows all the building and there condition. Actors: The only actor is Daniel Craig he is famous with this franchise and is very respectable. Make up: Make up isn't majorly important in the picture as you can't see his face particularly well. Setting: The background is very important in this shot as it expresses his location. The way the shot is taken makes Bond look powerful as how he looks as big as the buildings. The condition of the buildings look old and worn which could link to Daniel Craig's career as James Bond. This also makes Bond look in control of the city and gives him connantations of a superhero. The city itself has connatations of danger and crime which hekps the action genre.

Storyboard for Juno opening scene

 

Storyboard

 

The storyboard was based on the opening scene of Juno, the first thorty seconds were done by me and then the second by Robbie Duncan. I found commenting on the editing and the camera shots easy although adding detail to the picture if found difficult.

Genre Tasks

Oculcus

The film Oculus displays the genre horror and has a very powerful trailer frightening the audience whilst also giving them an idea of the storyline.
D and I: A yound woman finds a mirror in a basment that wth the help of her brother try to destroy it although whilst doing this the  mirror haunts them and creates deceptions.
S: The film takes place in a large house but in many different location withtin that house, for example the basement. A basement has connatations of fear and empitniness which gives it a great set for a horro film. The film largely takes place at night although some scenes are shot outside which along with the lighting give the audience a break from the panic of the horror.
T: We sense from the trailer that the themes of the film will be revenge this is from the mirror haunting the two characters in the past. Although we sense from the film that it is revenge from both sides as the characters want revenge for what the mirror has done to them.
I: Obviously the main icon in the film is the mirror, we sense that the film revolves around it. The mirror instantly has connatations of fear and horror due to the past it has been associated with. Although other key props such as the light bulb may be influencial in the film.
N: From the trailer we can infer that the film will be a battle between the two characters and the mirror. We sense that the mirror always has the upper hand as the people are the ones who are trying to destroy it.
C: The trailer shows that Karen Gillan is the main character plaing the woman who is deceived into thibnking the light bulb is an apple and she is supported by Brenton Thwailer who plays the brother.
T: The clever editing helps to create suspense amongst the audience with several cuts between locations and cameras. The producer refrained from using transitions between shots as that would allow the audience to settle. Non diegetic loud dramatic music develops the genre as well as dark background lighting to enhance the horror effect. The trailer shows flash backs throughout the film which changes the order of narrative.

Rom-Com '80 years straight' Film Pitch

The story of our film is a romantic comedy which features famous actors like Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Blythe Danner and Meryl Streep.

The story is of two older couples who meet again after 50 years, where two old school friends relive old memories. The two actors then realise there love for each other and leave there wives for each other.
 We knew our actors work well together due to there collaborations in the past e.g. The Bucket List.

Evaluation

Was our title relevent/ intiguing/ catchy?
Our title is relevant to our film as it links to there sexuality and the age in which they realise it. This makes the audience think about why they have been straight for so many years and question why they have turned gay now. The title is good becuase it is short and funny, this makes the audience remeber it. The feedback we got for the title was good and scored 8's and 9's out of ten. Some feedback showed that people didn't understand the title however once the rough narrative was told the title became cleare. This is not a problem as hints of the story will be shown in a poster or trailer anyway.

Interesting characters approriately cast?
The characters are approriately cast bcause of there age as it links to the age you must have to be in this film. The actors/actresses are were successful and well aclaimed which is important in a Rom-com as people like to see famous actors. The two women Meryl Streep and Blythe Danner have appeared in several romantic comedies before which is good as they have experience of acting this way. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have worked togetyher in the past in the Bucket List and so we know they work well as a pair. The feedback for this section was more mixed as the audience thought that the cast was very expensive and famous, as a result we scored mainly 6 and 7. 

Did you create interest for the target audience? Is it different/ interesting enough?

The interest is created in our film by the twist on the conventional romantic comedy film by introducing a gay twist. This will appeal to gay people aswell as the usual market for this genre older women. The feedback was once again mixed for this section as some thought that not giving too much away was a good technique however some tghought that this would turn people away. After consideration we decided to keep the short trailer as the stars would bring enough attention on there own. We scored a range of marks from 9 to 6.

Does the narrative fit the genre? Are the conventions in place?

The narrative that two people fall in love whilst having comedic value within our film and therefore the narrative fits the genre. There was a common acception of the fact that our genre fitted the narrative and we mostly got marks of 8 out of 10.  

Marketing the film? Well thought out, some good ideas? In the right places?
The marketing technique's could have been improved and therefore suited more to our target audience. For example the posters could have been shown in Bookshops or other shops that our target audience are likely to visit. The techniques we installed were too generuc and therefore we only recieved 5/10.

After taking rough averages of the scores we scored 39 out of 50 which is good but could be improved upon. Our major downfall was the marketing which will be easily resolved with alternate techniques.

Genre Photo Tasks

Comedy Genre



The task was to take photos that

 would display a certain genre

that was given to us on the day

and with limited time and resources.

Generally it was difficult to alter light to add effect however the clear, bright light was useful for some genres such as superhero.

 

The first image is of the comedy genre and displays 3 people supposedly standing on one persons hand. The front person has a blonde wig although obviously being a male. The picture is taken in a school which has connotations of learning and safety however popular shows such as the inbetweeners take place in a school. I think a school is an ideal place for a comedy as it holds many different experiences.

 The theme of the picture is humour as it displays as supposed giant in a school. The icons that stand out in the film are the wigs on the front character as well as the tiny people standing on his/her hand. The photos gives indications of a future entertaining relationship between the small people and the giant and there events at the school.  The front character is a white teenage boy who has a blonde wig on. The audience wouldn't be sure of his sexuality due to the wig and the mans body, although the character looks middle class due to his clothes and cleanliness. The photo has been taken from an upward angle, there is intense light in the photo due to the time of day and the location this has connotations of happiness and safety. The setting of the photo is in a school and looks safe and clean. The confused expression on the face of the character in the front conveys humour as the audience will want to know what he is confused about. With more time I would improve the picture by choosing a location with less shadow and that suits the trick of someone standing on hand better e.g. a longer flatter hill.

Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols for there use and interpretation. Denotations and connotations are important in film posters. They are used to conveys themes in the film as well as brief character descriptions. No country for old men has a very dark poster towards the top which conveys how the film will be sinister and evil. However moving towards the bottom of the photo the background becomes brighter.

This gives connotations of the terrain used in the film. There are three expressionless faces at the top of the poster which shows the viewer the three main characters that will feature in this film. The middle face shows a dangerous looking man and since he is the main face we can assume he is the most pivotal figure in the film. The two faces either side display two older men looking sternly towards the central character. Although they both are looking frustrated the lighter effect on there faces gives the viewer connotations that they will be the good characters in the film.

The image in the bottom of the film poster is of a man running whilst be chased by a car, this gives connotations of danger and fear and gives an indication of the genre of the film.

Review of Semi Pro 'somebody hit somebody'

Semi Pro which stars Will Ferrel is a story of an ex songwriter and his basketball team 'the tropics.' Will Ferrel plays a key role in this film as he is the forward for the tropics as well as manager and owner. In this clip the producers have used strong light to show there location (on a basketball court) as well as the basketball kits to represent the activity and the two sides. The clip turns violence into humour as they organise the fight so that a certain person doesn't see it. It is almost like there are siblings fighting in a certain place so that their mum doesn't find out.

The clip also uses rude language to convey the pain from the mascara 'it feels like i've got cat piss in my eye.' Another example of how the film uses humour is when Will ferrel shouts somebody hit somebody which shows how the fight isn't sincere and therefore allows the audience to laugh at the violence.

Finally towards the end of the clip the famous song 'Why can't we be friends' plays which adds to the sarcasm in the fight and that it is in fact light hearted.