Institution Research Final

Overall, after researching 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and Lionsgate, we have decided to use Warner Brothers as the institution for our horror film. We have chosen Warner Brothers because they have created a number of very successful horror films such as Orphan, Sweeney Todd and Friday the 13th. This means that they have a lot of experience in creating horror films which therefore concludes that it would be the most appropriate institution to use for our horror film. Before coming to this decision to use Warner Brothers as our institution we had other options to consider such as Lionsgate. Lionsgate have also created a fair amount of horror films such as Saw 3D, Saw 1-6, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Cabin in the Woods and Texas Chainsaw 3D. The fact that they have created quite a lot of horror films convinced us that we should use Lionsgate as our institution. However after doing more research we realised that Warner Brothers had created more successful horror films. This was the reason why we chose to use Warner Brothers as our institution. 

Questionnaire

1) What is your favourite genre film?

      A. Comedy
      B. Romance
      C. Action
      D. Horror

2) Do you enjoy watching horror films?

     A. Yes
     B. No

3) Do you watch them with friends or alone?

     A. Friends
     B. Alone
     C. N/A

4) Where do you associate a horror film setting?

     A. Abandoned house
     B. Woods
     C. In their own home
     D. Hospital

5) Do you prefer the victim to be male or female?

     A. Male
     B. Female

6) How often do you watch horror films?

     A. Once a month
     B. 2-3 times a month
     C. More than 3
     D. Other
     E. Never

7) What lighting do you associate horror films to have?

     A. Dark Lighting
     B. Light
     C. Other (Please note)

8) What props do you expect to see in a horror film?

     A. Knife
     B. Noose
     C. Gun
     D. Rags with blood
     E. Other (Please note)

9) If they victim was female what would you rather they do:

     A. Run from the killer
     B. Hide from the killer
     C. Fight the killer
     D. Let them kill you

Institution Research- Lionsgate

Lionsgate is the largest and most successful mini-major film studio in North America. It has distributed various commercially successful films including The Twilight Saga (partially), The Hunger Games, Saw and The Expendables. Lionsgate have created films that are mostly the Drama, Action, horror and Thriller genre. Lionsgate have created quite a few horror films, some being very successful and some being not as successful. Some of the horror films they have created are, Saw 3D, Saw 1-6, The Punisher, Alone in the Dark, House of 1000 Corpses, Undead, The Devil's Rejects, Hostel, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Cabin in the Woods, The Possession, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, Texas Chainsaw 3D, You're Next, The last Exorcism, My Bloody Valentine and The Eye. As Lionsgate have created quite a few horror films we believe that it will be a good institution to use because the genre of our film horror. 

Institution Research- Universal

Universal Pictures was founded in 1912 but Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley and Jules Brulatour. It is the oldest movie studio in the United States of America and it is also the fourth oldest in the world that is still in a continuous production. Some of the films created by Universal Pictures are Despicable Me, Kick-Ass, Charlie St. Cloud, Bridesmaids, Johnny English Reborn, Despicable Me 2, Kick-Ass 2, Mr Bean's Holiday, Sydney White and The Holiday. Universal Pictures prefer to focus on the Drama, Adventure and Romance genres. Universal have however created some well-known horror films such as The Strangers, Drag me up to hell, Mama and The Purge. Despite this, it is clear that horror isn't their strong point as they prefer to focus on the Romance, Drama and Adventure genres. This means that we do not think Universal is the best institution to use because they have not had that much experience with horror films and as our genre is a horror we think it would be best to use an institution which has had a lot of experience with the horror genre.

Institution Research- Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers have created a variety of different films in different genres such as comedy, action, horror, romance, adventure and fantasy. Examples of the films they have produced are, Valentines Day, Clash of the Titans, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Sex and the City 2, Inception, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Final Destination 5, Happy Feet 2, New year's eve, The Hobbit: An unexpected journey, The Great Gatsby, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. They are very dedicated in producing a variety of films in different genres. The fact that they create a variety of different genre films show us that Warner Brothers is a potential institution we will use for our film. Some of the successful horror films Warner Brothers have created are Orphan, Sweeney Todd and Friday the 13th. This shows us that they are successful in creating horror films so, therefore, it would be a good institution to use for our horror film.

Institution Research- 20th Century Fox

20th Century fox was founded on May 31st, 1935 due to the merge of 'Fox Films', founded in 1915, and '20th Century Pictures, Inc, founded in 1933. 20th Century Fox has mainly created family family and comedy genres. Examples of these are Dr. Dolittle, Dr Dolittle 2, Big Momma's House, Big Momma's House 2, Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Garfield: The Movie, Night at the Museum, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Marley and Me and Aliens in the attic. Some of the films they have created are drama/thrillers but the majority of them are non- scary. Despite the fact that some of the most successful films were created by 20th century fox, such as Avatar and Star wars, we have decided that it is not the most suitable institution to use for our film. We have decided that 20th Century Fox is not the most suitable institution because the genre of our film is a horror. As our film is a horror we have decided to use an institution that has focused more on the horror genre. Despite this, 20th Century Fox has created some horror films, such as Wrong Turn 2, Shutter, taken 2 and Devil's due, which has only recently come out in cinemas. However, we still believe that we should use another institution which focuses more on the horror genre.

Initial plot ideas

Initial Ideas:

Our horror film begins with a teenage girl walking through the village with her friend. However, she does not know that she is being followed by a mysterious figure. The village is busy so our victim has no idea she is being followed. As the victim and her friend approach the woods, our victim decides to take a short cut through the woods as it is a cold night and she wants to get home quicker. Despite her friend advising her not to take the short cut she goes ahead and takes it anyway. As she walks further down the path she begins to get the impression someone is following her. She keeps glancing round to see if anyone is there but she cannot see anyone.

We have two main ideas as to how our opening two minutes should end. Our first idea is that the girl is murdered in the woods and our second idea is that she is followed all the way home and her and her house is being watched by the villain. We are still not entirely sure which ending to go for but we are going to film both scenarios and see which we prefer.

A Boyfriend and Girlfriend are walking home through the woods.  The Girlfriend breaks up with boyfriend and he gets really angry. He forces her against the tree. The force is so hard she starts choking and blood starts spewing from her mouth. She is lying on the floor when two girls walk past. They notice her covered in blood but run off and leave her as they are too shocked to do anything. They don not even call for help, they just leave her. The boyfriend then realises she is dead and tries to wipe away the blood with a rag and drag her body under a bush so no one finds her. The two girls walk back to their houses but what they don't notice is that the 'dead' girl is not actually dead, she is watching them both. She appears in different places as they walk home.

Consideration of Representation and Stereotyping

The usual stereotypes of a villain are male, sinister, mysterious, unknown identity, dangerous and powerful. In our film the villain will be male which is conforming to the stereotype of villains being male. We will also represent the villain as sinister and mysterious as the victims will not expect anything to happen to them. This, again, is conforming to the stereotype of villains being dangerous and mysterious. The villain also conforms to the stereotype of men being more powerful as he murders the victims without them knowing. This is showing the audience that our villain has power because he is able to commit murders without himself being hurt in anyway. Also he is in control of the situation which shows he has all the power. This also conforms to the stereotype of  men being more powerful than women. This therefore means that the female victim is conforming to the stereotype of women being weak and vulnerable. Also, as she has no idea what is about to happen, it could represent her as quite ditsy and unaware. This then conforms to the stereotype of women being much weaker than men. We have not subverted the stereotype of women in any way as we have only conformed to the stereotype. However, we have two victims, one being a girl and the other being a boy. The boy victim is conforming to the stereotype of a victim but is also subverting the stereotype of a boy being strong and powerful. The boy is conforming to the stereotype of a victim because he was unaware of the events that were about to take place which shows he is very vulnerable and also perhaps a bit ditsy because he hasn't even realised that he is being watched by the murderer. However he is subverting the stereotype of boys being strong and powerful because he is the victim in all this and even though he had no idea that he was going to be murdered he could of perhaps tried to fight off the murderer.

Certificate Research

18 Certificate: The 18 certificate means that only adults can view or buy an 18 rated film. It can contain strong issues such as very strong use of violence, frequent strong language such as 'f***', high levels of blood and gore, strong portrayals of sexual violence and very strong horror.
In an 18 film there is no limit to the number of uses of strong language e.g. 'f***' or even stronger language e.g. 'c***'. The gore which is usually shown in extreme graphic detail, this is not suitable for a 15 rated film.


15 Certificate: A film rated 15 is not suitable for any children under the age of 15. A 15 rated film usually contains strong violence and frequent strong language is used e.g. 'f***'. There could potentially be a lot of strong language used in a 15 rated film and there is no limit in which bad language can be used e.g. 'f***'. In a 15 rated film violence may be strong but strong gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Also if there is a child actor it may not be appropriate to set the age rating any higher.


We think our film should be either a 12 or a 15. It will definitely not be an 18 because there is not a huge amount of gore.We think it should be a 12 or a 15 rated film because we are going to include some scary/violent scenes and there will most likely be some gory parts which could make it a 15 rated film. These are only are initial ideas we have got so far.

Film Diaries

In this film diary we are explaining how the weather is going to effect our filming. Due to the strong wind and rain we thought that we would not be able to film because the wind would effect the sound of the film- like it did in this film diary. However, when we actually began filming, luckily the wind wasn't as strong as it had been so we were able to film without the wind disrupting the sound. This was a huge benefit for us because it meant we did not have to go back and re-film again. This saved us a lot of time and meant we had more time to edit the film.

In our second film diary we are only really showing just how windy it is and how much the wind is effecting the sound. We filmed this before we filmed and as you can see the sound is awful because of the wind. Thankfully the sound in our actual filming was ok and wasn't disrupted by the wind.

In our third film diary we are on our way back from filming. We had completed the film however we were not happy with it. We thought that our film was rushed. This was partly due to the fact that the weather was awful. It was extremely cold so it was hard to concentrate and because of the cold weather it meant we wanted to finish it quickly so it made us rush through the filming. Also, this was really the only day we could film so we had to get it done

 In this film diary we are talking about how our film could of gone better. We did not use any clear high angle or low angle shots in our film. This means that our victim and our villain may be harder to establish as there is no clear shot type which will identify one as vulnerable and one as strong.

Actors

We will have two main actors in our film who are teenage girls. We decided to use teenage girls as the main actors because they will act very vulnerable when walking through the woods. Actor 1 will be Georgia, who is the main victim in the film and Abbie, who seems like the victim but then ends up being the villain.
The other character in our film will be the villain. This is the figure that walks past Abbie in the background. As we don't actually see their face they won't be considered a main character for obvious reasons.

Location Research- Initial Idea

Initial idea:

We have chosen Ashtead to be the location for our opening two minutes. We decided to choose this location because it is quite busy as you can see from the picture. As it is busy it means that no one would expect they are being followed, like the girl in our horror film is. This is effective as the audience will know what's going on but the characters won't. This will leave the audience feeling tense and scared for the victim as the victim doesn't have any idea what is going on. The main part of our film will be filmed in Ashtead common. As Ashtead common will be really quiet at night it will be good to contrast the two different locations, one being busy and the other being really quiet. This will emphasise just how alone our main character is when she decides to take a short cut through the woods. This is effective as it will show the audience that something is going to happen because it is dark and she is alone. Our starting location is Ashtead train station. This is where we will be first introduced to our antagonist. We decided to introduce are antagonist here because it is busy so no one would think that they are being followed. This means that when the girl chooses the walk through the woods it creates tension for the audience because they know something will happen.

Final idea:

We have now decided to film the whole of the two minutes based around Ashtead common rather than the victims house. This is because it will be more frightening for the audience if the murder takes place in a deserted woods rather than in the comforts of her own home.

Horror Genre Mind Map

Well done, I am pleased to see that you have started posting your research and how it is informing your planning.  Try and complete a couple of posts a week on your research.

Target: Research film titles and write a post analysing how/why titles are used in an opening to a film. Explain the different types of titles and how they are typically used in your chosen genre.

21 Jump Street opening two minute Analysis

The scene starts with upbeat non-diegetic music. This is effective as it links in with the images now being shown on screen. We see a high angle shot of school students getting off the school bus. This links with the music because it is the type of upbeat music teenagers listen to. Also it will make the audience continue watching, especially the teenagers, because it is their type of music. We then see a mid shot of the main character who the camera is now focusing on. His back is facing the camera as he walks towards the main entrance to the school. From this mid shot we can tell by his body language that perhaps he is quite confident about something because he is walking quite fast and the way he is walking suggests he thinks of himself as quite cool.

However, this image of him being quite cool completely changes when we see a mid shot of him facing the camera. As he walks through the door, we can tell by his body language and facial expression that he is quite nervous about something. We can tell this by the way he is walking more slowly and has a worried look on his face. As he continues walking down the corridor he waves to someone but because the audience cannot see this other person it suggests the other person has not waved back. This suggests that the character is uncool and unpopular. Also as he opens his mouth the smile we see that the character has braces. This stereotypically suggests he's quite geeky, unpopular and uncool as usually in films the geeky characters almost always have braces.

 A few shots later we see a close up of a poster. The poster is advertising prom which suggests that maybe the character which the camera has been following is nervous about prom. This becomes clear when we see a mid shot of him facing the camera with an extremely nervous look on his face, as a girl starts walking in his direction, and by looking at his body language we can tell he has tensed his body up as if he is scared. As soon as the girl reaches him, he turns around and begins talking to her. As he is speaking he is stuttering and he is speaking quietly. This shows the audience, again, that he is really nervous and not very confident. Whilst he is speaking in the background we can hear a faint beat of a heart. The heart is beating fast suggesting that it is the boy's heart. This again shows the audience how nervous he really is. The heartbeat in the background is very effective because it makes the audience understand just how nervous he is. It also makes the audience think of him as a weak character who finds it hard to talk to girls.

As he continues to speak to the girl it becomes clear he is attempting to ask her to prom. When she realises she says " Oh my god, you're not asking me to prom are you?". A close up shot of her face shows that she clearly doesn't like the idea by the look of disgust on her face. At this point we are introduced to another character who begins laughing at the boy. This character is shown as a cool character who is confident around people. This is effective as it is showing the clear contrast between the two characters- one is really geeky who can't talk to girls and the other is cool and confident. However, despite the character being geeky and unpopular we can't help but feel sorry for the character because he has now been embarrassed by the other character. This is effective because it makes the audience perhaps begin to like a certain character perhaps due to his vulnerability.

After the character portrayed as cool calls him a nerd and continues laughing at the boy, he walks away looking like he is about to cry. This is effective as it shows the audience how weak this character is and makes them feel sorry for him. However, towards the other character the audience don't feel sorry for him. They perhaps look at him as a bully and someone who isn't someone you want to cross. Despite this, towards the end of the scene we begin to feel sorry for the character. He is called into the principles office where he is told he isn't allowed to go to prom due to his bad grades. We see a close up shot of him being told he can't go to the prom. This is effective as we can see his facial expression as being a bit shocked but mostly confused. He gives a faint laugh which could show he is really upset by it as he is trying to laugh it off. As he is portrayed as a cool character it could mean perhaps he is looking forward to prom quite a lot because he will undoubtedly be voted prom king due to his popularity. This perhaps makes the audience feel sorry for him because now he isn't going to be able to be prom king.

Easy A opening two minute analysis

The opening scene opens with a long shot of a school. This is effective as it shows the audience exactly where they are. Non- diegetic music begins to play. The music is happy and upbeat which suggests this is going to be a happy film and girly film. This is effective as the audience will know what type of film they are watching. Students begin to walk on screen with friends. This links with the music being happy as the students are happy also. As the scene continues we see more students come on screen with their friends. The scene is happy which again, shows the audience the film will be happy and funny.

The non-diegetic sound of Emma Stone's voice can now be heard speaking over the top of the scene. This is effective as the audience knows she is the main character as she is speaking about what is going on in the film. She is speaking about how she was anonymous and invisible. This links with the images we see on screen. We see the camera moving forward past people walking around the grounds of the school. This is effective because the way the camera is moving makes it seem like it is a person walking around, and as no one has looked at the camera it links with the fact she is saying how she was anonymous and invisible. She also says "Who am I?" which links with what the camera is doing. The camera begins to zoom in to people which gives the audience a false impression that the person they are moving the camera towards is the person speaking. However, the camera moves away at the last minute. This is effective as it makes the audience wonder who the person speaking is.

As the non-diegetic sound of Emma Stone's voice continues she says something about lying about "personal stuff". The audience will now be drawn into watching the rest of the film as they want to find out exactly what she was lying about and why she lied about it. As the camera begins to zoom in to a girl walking down a pathway the audience will get the impression that this is Emma Stone's character, Olive Pendergast. Also, because she says "I Olive Pendergast" the audience assumes this is the character. The camera follows this character for around 10 seconds until she bumps into another girl, causing her to fall to the ground. This is when the audience sees the character of Olive Pendergast for the first time.

The effectiveness of this scene is good because it makes the audience wonder who the character speaking is. The scene doesn't show one specific person until the end which leaves the audience wanting to continue watching to find out who the character is. The camera begins zooming in to people but doesn't actually zoom all the way in to make it a close up shot. This is effective because it makes the audience think that is the main character but then right at the end switches the shot to another person. This leaves the audience wondering who the character is and leaves them wanting to carry on watching.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

 

A high angle shot of a stair case is then shown, with a different figure slowly walking down the stairs looking like they know where they are going as they are not rushing. The surrounding is quite as we see no one else around, which creates a sense of mystery as to where they are going. The shot then leads onto a long shot of the same figure walking across a path way. As it is a long shot you cannot fully see where they are or where they are walking to. This creates  a sense of mystery for the audience. As they are walking behind a fence the audience are unable to see what the figure looks like. This creates suspicion for the audience.

A shot of a door is used to show a reflection of the figure in the window walking down some steps towards the door. This is effective as it creates a variation in the shot type and shows the figure itself is shown on the screen. It also gives the audience a chance to see their face, however not very clearly.  We see a close up of someone's feet walking down some stairs at a fairly slow pace. This shows they are in no rush. This is effective as it leaves the audience wondering why they are being shown this and where they might be going.

There is another character shown in a long shot. This is effective as you can see they are in a long corridor and as they are both in a building could connote that both the figures may walking to meet each other. The long shot only shows the figures back, so we are unable to tell who it is. This links with the other character as we haven't seen their face clearly yet showing some relation between the two and that they do not want to be identified at this very minute. The shot that follows is very effective as its a long shot of a different corridor showing a silhouette walking past. As it is dark we are unable to identify who the character is. This is effective as this could be a completely different character that both the other figures do not know about therefore creating suspense.

When the character sits down, we only see the side of their face which is more than what we have seen throughout all of the other shots. However we still can not establish who the character is as we are not shown a full shot of their face. Once again this is effective as it leaves the audience with suspicion as to who these people are. We are then shown the other character walking in, going to sit down opposite the other character, now showing their face, unlike the other character still not wanting to be identified.

The first bit of dialogue is shown, where we can then see a close up of the characters face saying "who did it?". This is the first time we see the characters face properly. This now means the audience are less suspicious because they can now see the faces of the characters. However there still is suspicion as to why they are there. The dialogue that is used infers that something has happened and they want answers. This is all shown though an over the shoulder shot. This shot is effective as it makes the audience feel as if they are the other character because the character is speaking facing the camera and looking at the camera. The face of the other character is finally shown through another over the shoulder shot. More dialogue is shown as we see the other character reply "I don't know". The character says it in a relaxed way as if they are trying to be smart and not give anything away to the other character, This shows that they must know what has happened but has chosen to not say. This leaves the audience with suspicion about the whole situation as they don't know what has happened. It also leaves the audience wondering whether the character actually knows what has happened.

It finishes with a shot of the character who perhaps knows what is going on walking a way in a relaxed and calm state. We can tell this by the pace of the walk and the fact they smile when they walk through the door. The character walks through the door with a smug look on their face. This is suggesting they have the upper hand in knowing what is going on.

Opening credits of Halloween 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nwMfSdlj7Y

The opening credits of Halloween 4 starts off with a black background with white writing on it. This is effective as the writing stands out. The writing is the date which suggests we will see an event which happening on this day and also it is the day before Halloween so it links with the title of the film. As the first image of old houses comes onto the screen bright yellow writing follows. This is effective as you would usually associate yellow and red colours with danger so it perhaps shows the audience that something gruesome might happen. Also in the background you can see a stack of pumpkins which again, links with the title as at Halloween you carve pumpkins. Whilst these images are being shown we can hear non-diegetic music being played. The music is sinister which also links with the horror genre of the film. This non-diegetic music is effective because it shows the audience that the film really is a horror and it makes the film even scarier because it puts the audience on edge. We can also hear the diegetic sound of leaves blowing in the wind and birds. This is effective because it makes the audience feel as if they are there because they can hear what is going on there. Also, because we can only hear the birds and leaves, it suggests that it is deserted around that area because we cannot hear or see anyone. This is also effective because it makes the audience suspicious as to why there is no one around. This puts them on edge. The second image shown on screen is of a field with buildings in the background. It is quite dark which could also suggest something dangerous might happen. It is also setting the scene for a horror film. The location in which the film is set is deserted which could suggest that no one lives there or no one wants to come out when its Halloween because something dangerous is going on.

   The third image we see is an establishing shot of a group of houses. This is effective as it sets the scene of the film and lets the audience know this is where the horror film will be set. Also the writing is big, bold and yellow. The writing says 'Halloween' which is the title of the film. As the colour of the writing is still yellow it continues to suggest that something dangerous is going to happen in the film. It also links with the genre of the film as yellow and red colours suggest danger. Throughout these opening credits we continue hear non- diegetic music. The music is sinister which makes the audience think something bad is going to happen. This is effective as it puts them on edge as they are waiting for something to happen.

   As the credits continue, more images come onto the screen. One of the images is of an old shed. There are lots of trees behind it which suggests it is in a forest. This could also suggest it is abandoned as there are no windows and it looks very old and not looked after. This links to the non- diegetic sinister music as the shed is in the forest so could be used for dangerous things. As the images continue we hear the diegetic sound of birds. This is effective as it draws the audience into the film and makes them feel as if they are there. We also see an image of barbed wire which links to the theme danger. Also, as before, there is no one around which suggests the town is deserted. This is effective as it makes the audience curious as to why there is no one around. We see a close up shot of a pitching fork with the spikes facing upwards. This shot is effective as it shows the audience how sharp the object is. It also makes the audience wonder why it is there and why the spikes are facing upwards.

   We are then shown a long shot of a road and an ambulance driving down the road. From this image we can see that it is thundering and pouring with rain. This is effective as it adds to the horror film effect. The weather isn't nice which suggests the film probably won't contain any happy scenes. As the ambulance continues driving down the road the music gets louder and faster which suggests something bad is about to happen in the film. This is effective because it puts the audience on edge as they are waiting for something to happen.

Romance Genre Mind Map

Target Audience:

• Romantic Comedies tend to be directed at women ages 13-17 or potentially even older, due to the light-hearted nature of the genre.
• Romantic films can also target the ages of 13-40+
• Teenage girls are especially targeted at a Romance film if there is a good looking male actor e.g. Channing Tatum.

Love Actually opening two minute Analysis

At the beginning of the scene we hear a mans voice, belonging  to Hugh Grant, speaking over the top of the images on screen. Automatically we recognise the voice which draws our attention  to the film because we know a well- known actor is starring in it so we may be more inclined to watch it. Unlike other Rom-Coms there is no real intimacy in the opening towards the characters that feature in the film. There is however, intimacy featured in general throughout the opening of the film as it shows people meeting at the airport and being glad to see each-other .Rather than introducing the characters in the opening there is a voice over narration, belonging to Hugh Grant. This makes the opening feel story like and therefore engages the audience as they are being spoken to directly.
 
All the shots are short which follows the convention of fast paced openings to Rom-Coms. It also suggests that there is a lot going on at the beginning of the film, this should engage the audience as they will be drawn in in order to see what's going on. Whilst Hugh Grant is speaking we see a range of different shots of couples, friends and family at the arrival  gate at Heathrow airport. We see mid shots of families running up to greet one another. The shot switches to a close up of a member of the families face. We see she is smiling and her eyes are wide open. This connotes that she is extremely happy because her facial expression is happy.
 
This is conforming to the typical conventions of a love and romance film. Conventions of a romance film are love,happiness and friendship. Love actually adheres to most of these. This is effective because the audience expect to see these conventions in a romance so when they see love actually conforming to these they will be more inclined to continue watching.

 As the scene continues, we see more mid shots of people. They are conforming to the typical convention of love. We can see this by the use of close ups. We can see by their facial expression that they are happy and love the person they have approached. This links with the non- diegetic sound of Hugh Grant speaking over the top of the scene. He is talking about love and how it is all around and the scene is just showing shots of people exchanging love and happiness with one another.

The scene then changes to Bill Nighy. He is in a recording studio trying to record a song for Christmas. His character is subverting the usual conventions of a romance film because he isn't particularly good looking. Characters in a romance film are usually good looking so Bill Nighy, being old and not particularly good looking, is subverting the stereotype.
 
Bill's character is introducing a comedy element to the film. He continually messes up the lines of the song which leads to him swearing. This is a comedy element in the film because naturally, he is a funny character so him swearing at messing up the lines is showing the audience that the film is conforming to the genre of a Rom-com.

Skyfall opening two minute analysis

At the beginning of the scene we see a long corridor through the use of a long shot. About two seconds into the scene a loud burst of music appears and a figure steps round the corner and onto the corridor. This figure then slowly begins walking towards the camera. The figure isn't clear and at this point it is hard to establish what gender the figure is. This is effective because it leaves the audience with a sense of mystery. It isn't until the figure gets to the end of the corridor when we finally can tell the figure is a man. The man's eyes are then shown through the use of a small beam of light. His eyes are the only thing that can be seen. This is effective because we can tell that by the look on his eyes he is not sure what he is expecting and there is a look of uncertainty about him. Then he holds up a gun and points it up in front of him. From this i can connote that there is going to be some sort of action or danger because he is using a gun for his own safety and if there was no danger then he wouldn't have a gun on him.

  From the use of an over the shoulder shot we can see a room at the end of the corridor with the door open and light inside the room. This creates tension for the audience because usually when a door is left open and nobody is around it means there has been some sort of break in. As the man approaches the door he has his gun at the ready which puts the audience on edge because it means there still could be someone inside. We then see a shot of a man lying on the floor dead. The camera rolls to another man lying on the floor also dead with a pool of blood by his head. Instantly the audience knows this has been a murder. The man then looks around the room as if he is not surprised by what he is seeing. 

  The man then begins speaking to someone. The woman replies through a headpiece. The audience then can establish this man is on some sort of mission because he is reporting back to someone about his findings. The woman speaks and asks if it is still there, referring to something to do with a computer. When we realise that it is not there the audience can assume that these men were murdered for something which is clearly very important. A high angle shot shows a man slumped back in a chair with a bullet wound in his chest. Blood is spewing from his mouth but he is still alive. This shot is effective because it makes the man look very vulnerable. The man announces to the woman through his headpiece that he is stabilising the wounded man. The voice through the headpiece replies that they don't have time. This is effective because it shows the audience that this mission must be extrememly important as it means leaving a man to die in severe pain. 

  A two shot shows both characters looking at one another. The wounded man is lower down so he looks vulnerable and weak whereas the other man is higher up and is standing with a gun which makes him look powerful and in control. The man the walks out of the door still with his gun held high which could mean that the attacker could be anywhere near. As he walks down the stairs we see him from a high angle shot. For a short moment it makes him look weak and vulnerable because the use of the high angle shot. He then puts is gun away before stepping out into a busy town. 

  A truck then pulls up right in front of him and without hesitation, he climbs in. This is effective because it shows that the mission is well thought out because he expected the car to pull up in front of him. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opening two minute analysis

At the beginning of the scene you can hear the iconic music which is the Harry Potter theme tune. This relates to many of the viewers straight away as this tune is played in all of the Harry Potter films. There is a dark, misty background as the title appears. This is effective because it shows the audience that it is perhaps a dark, gloomy and thrilling film.
  An extreme long shot is then shown and then rolls into a birds eye view shot to show the location. This is effective because it establishes the setting of the film. We are then shown a low angle shot of Harry walking. The camera is tracking him which is effective because it makes the audience feel as if they are walking with Harry. A high angle shot is then shown of Harry's shadow. This outlines how lonely he is because the only company he has is his shadow. A long shot is shown of a lady and her son who is on the roundabout with other children playing in the background. This shows that Harry is very lonely because he is by himself and doesn't have the company of other people. A close up is then shown of Harry's face. This shot is effective because it shows Harry's facial expression which is quite miserable. Whilst this shot is being shown there is sad non- diegetic music playing in the background. This is effective because it makes the audience feel sorry for him. Two shots later we see a medium shot of a group of five teenage boys. They approach Harry with what looks like superiority. The denotations of this shot are a group of five teenage boys all with threatening looks on their faces. From this shot i can connote that they are superior to everyone perhaps because of the threatening look about them and also because of the way they are dressed. We then see another long shot of the group of teenage boys and Harry. This shot makes Harry look weak as he is lower down than them and there is only one of him. Whereas it makes the teenage boys look more powerful because they are higher up and there is five of them. We then see another medium shot of the teenage boys. From this particular part of the scene I can denote five teenage boys. One boy is further forward than the rest of them and they are all standing in such a way that makes them look powerful. From this, I can connote that the boy standing to the front of the group is perhaps the leader of the group because he is the only one speaking which suggests he is the main person.
  A couple of shots later medium shot of Harry is shown. The camera is zooming in towards Harry's face. This is effective because it makes the audience focus on Harry more and focus on his facial expression.

Indiana Jones raiders of the lost dark opening two minute analysis

The opening two minutes of Indiana Jones Raiders of the lost dark begins with non-diegetic music. The music is mysterious which sets a mysterious mood. The music starts as soon as the film begins. This automatically shows the audience that there is something going on because the music sets a mysterious mood for them. We then see a group of men walking through a jungle. Their clothes are torn and grubby which could show this is the final part of their expedition. One character however has pristine clothing. This lets the audience know that he is possibly the leader of the group- he makes others do his dirty work for him. The outfits the men are wearing tribal costumes which links with the exotic location they are in. We are shown a mid shot of the men which shows us their tribal costumes and torn clothing.
  We are shown a close up of a man turning to face the camera. By looking at his facial expression we can see that he is scared and it looks like he is looking behind to see if they are being followed. This introduces and element of fear and suspense as it shows us that this expedition could be dangerous because there is a chance they are being followed. The camera is following them as they walk through this exotic jungle. This is effective because it seems like we are walking with them which makes us feel more part of the film.
  In the background we can her diegetic sounds. We can hear birds chirping. This is effective because it shows how silent the atmosphere is in the jungle, it is quiet enough to hear the birds chirp. This means that their expedition is very important because they are silent as if they are concentrating or maybe don't want people to know they are there. From this point on we are shown lots of different shots. We are shown a medium shot of a man and his donkey. He is tying the donkey to a tree. He then goes over to what looks like a huge stone and removes the branches in front of it. It is a carving of a huge face. We are then shown a close up of the man scream showing he was startled by this huge stone face or perhaps he knows they have reached their destination.
  Bats fly out of the stone face which suggests the stone hasn't been disturbed in a while because bats have located themselves inside. This also suggests no one is brave enough to come near it which shows that there is possible danger that lies ahead of them. We are shown a two person shot from behind them. We can see clearly the stone face.
  Right at the end of the scene we see an arrow sticking out of a tree trunk. This is effective because it shows the audience that people have been her before and also that they must have come across some sort of danger because why otherwise would they of had to shoot an arrow?
  The typical conventions of an action thriller would be a long quest to find something important. Indiana Jones Raiders of the lost dark adheres to this convention because we can see a group of men dressed in tribal costumes trekking through a jungle on what looks like a quest to find something. This is an effective convention because it is something the audience expects to see in a action thriller. Another convention of an Action thriller would be weapons. We can see by the arrow in the tree that there are weapons involved. This is effective because it gives the audience the impression that there will be violence and danger at some part during the film.

Action Thriller Genre Mind Map

Target Audience:

• Physchological thrillers are more intellectually demanding, therfore the target audience is about 24-45 years old.
• Cross genres like Horror thriller and Action thriller which are less intellectually demanding attract a younger audience(teens) because they want instantaneous excitement.
• Romance thrillers and supernatural thriller attract a bigger female audience.
• Political thrilelrs are more likely to attract an older male audience.

Codes and conventions of a horror

Horror Genre

·         Split into sub genres- often hybrids

·         Primary target audience- male, 16-24

·         15 or 18 certification (promises of pleasure)- debates on passive consumption

·         Extensive use of Narrative enigmas

·         Slow pace of Editing, builds tension. Long takes

Codes and Conventions:

·         Three act narrative structure

·         Predictable narrative content (follows format)

·         Clear binary oppositions e.g. good vs. evil

·         Use of low key lighting, Use of CGI, FX

·         Dominant representation of gender: Male villain, The Female victim

·         Extensive use of close up, Point of view shots, Low angle shots

·         Young/ teenage characters

·         Use of hand-held camera: audience identification/realism.

Associations with a horror film:

• Isolated house
• Dark Lighting
• Murder
• Gore
• Scary music
• Villains and Victims

Target Audience:

•  Ages from 15-25
• Male audience if there are a lot of gory/ violent scenes
• Exciting and thrilling with dramatic scenes
• Pleasure of being scared
• Women often play victim which attracts the men

Jaws film opening two minute analysis

The beginning scene of Jaws begins with a young girl named Chrissie going for a night swim for another boy. The boy is drunk so ends up just lying on the waters edge unable to move because of the amount of alcohol he has consumed. This leaves Chrissie alone in the sea. We are shown a long shot. This makes the audience really see how big the sea is and how alone Chrissie seems to be. About 10 seconds later the shot turns to a low angle shot and we see Chrissie's legs kicking under the water. The camera then begins moving closer to Chrissie's legs, the camera obviously being the shark. This low angle shot makes the audience feel as if they're looking upwards which makes the villain- the shark, seem even more threatening. This type of shot makes Chrissie look extremely vulnerable and the shark very powerful.  The music playing whilst this is taking place is music that is letting you know something is about to happen but it's not quite yet about to happen- it's building you up for the big moment. This is a common convention of a thriller. Music that puts the audience on edge right before an attack of some sort. It makes the audience understand when something is about to happen to a character.
   The next low angle shot we see is again of Chrissie's legs but this time the shark is a lot closer and the music has changed. The music is now giving the audience suspense and they know the attack could happen at any time. The music gets louder and faster as the shark gets closer. Then just as the shark has reached her feet the shot changes to a close up. We see her facial expression before the shark attack then straight after. She is smiling at first then as soon as the shark makes contact she is ripped downwards and her face changes to a confused and scared look as she doesn't quite know what is happening yet. After she is dragged downwards underneath the sea she comes back up and her breathing changes. She starts panicking and she is breathing fast and heavily. Chrissie is then dragged under the water for a second time and when she comes back up she begins screaming as now she really knows what is happening. She is getting dragged around the water by the shark. The shot being used in this part of the scene is a mid shot. This is effective as we see a stretch of the water and Chrissie. We can see her being dragged around the water without having to change shot.
   The final part of the scene is when Chrissie is finally taken by the shark and dragged underwater. The music stops showing the audience that the attack is over.

Scream 4 opening two minute analysis

The first shot we see in Scream 4 is a mid shot showing one of the main characters, Jenny, from behind. The denotations of this particular part of the scene is her looking down the stairs over the banister and her back facing the camera. The lighting is very dark in this part of the scene. This connotes that someone else is in the house because she is leaning over the banister looking down as if someone was there. The lighting is very dark which connotes that something scary is going to happen, especially as their was no reply when she shouted her friends name.
We see the girl in a mid shot as she comes down the stairs. As soon as she begins walking down the stairs background music is played. A deep, scary tune that puts the audience on edge. Scary music is a typical convention of a horror film. It is used to make the scene more scary and put the audience even more on edge.
When she reaches the bottom of the stairs we hear a dog barking. The dog is not inside the house so therefore it must be coming from outside the house. This shows how quiet the house is as we are able to hear the barking of a dog coming from another house. This is effective because it makes the audience understand just how quiet the house is and it would put them on edge because they would probably assume something scary is about to happen or jump out.
After we hear the dog barking the shot switches from a close up of Jenny's face, in which we see her facial expression to be frightened and worried, to a mid shot where we can see an empty room. The room is very dark which makes this part of the scene more frightening because usually if there is people in a house they wouldn't be walking around in pitch black. Also, the fact that Jenny has been calling her friend and there wasn't a reply suggests something has happened to her friend, especially as the house is dark and there is music playing- the sort of music when something bad is about to happen.
The shot switches back to a close up of Jenny's face. From her facial expression i can denote that she has a scared look on her face. This connotes that she is scared something has happened to her friend.
We are then shown a high angle shot of her friend lying on the floor next to the sofa. The shot then quickly changes to Jenny who screams and rushes over to her friend. A low angle shot then shows Jenny looking over her friend and calling her name. At this point the audience probably assumes something very bad has happened to her friend because the expression on Jenny's face is extremely scared. This part of the scene is effective because the audience will want to know what has happened to Jenny's friend.
However, the shot changes to a high angle shot and we see the girls eyes open and she begins laughing. A low angle shot then shows Jenny's face. Jenny doesn't seem that surprised that her friend is actually okay. A few shots later we understand that they both play tricks on each other. They then agree to stop playing tricks on each other.
A medium shot shows the girl get up and go to the fridge to get some drinks. As soon as she closes the fridge we see a face in the distance. It is a masked face and right in the corner of the room. This is effective because it surprises the audience as they probably expected nothing else to happen just yet. As the girl goes to get crisps from the cupboard we are shown a medium shot from behind Jenny. We are then shown a mid shot of the girl reaching into the cupboard. The girl then turns to face Jenny and sees the masked figure standing behind her. She automatically is frightened and jumps at the sight of the masked figure. The shot then switches back to the mid shot of the girl who assumes this is some sort of joke being played by Jenny. As soon as the shot switches back to the masked figure, it drives a knife into Jenny's back and she begins screaming in agony. She falls with her back on the sofa and the masked figure repeatedly stabs Jenny in the stomach. This is effective because it makes the audience realise that this isn't a practical joke and it is actually a real attack. This adheres the typical conventions of a horror movie because it is extremely gory due to all the blood from the stab wounds. Most horror movies of this sort will show a lot of gore on screen. So Scream 4 is adhering to the gore convention.
A close up shot then shows the girl run up to Jenny. She then sees Jenny covered in blood. At this point she realises this definitely isn't a practical joke and begins screaming frantically. The girl is then stabbed in the arm and she starts screaming in pain. This part of the scene is effective because it shows the audience just how real this attack is because she has actually now been stabbed so there is no way this is a practical joke. She runs away from the masked figure but it catches her and stabs her in the stomach.
We then see a low angle shot of the masked murderer. This is effective because it makes the audience feel as if they are looking upwards which makes the murderer look even more threatening. We then are shown a high angle shot of the victim. This is effective because it shows the audience just how vulnerable she is.
This opening scene adheres the typical conventions of a horror movie. Typical conventions of a horror movie could be: Murder, the murderer, the victim and lots of gore. Scream 4 adheres all of these conventions. This is effective because the audience will expect to see these kind of conventions in a horror film.
A good opening to a horror film would be when something happens almost straight away-it gets straight into the story. This is effective because it will ensure the audience don't get bored and lose interest. It will keep the audience on edge right from the start.

Crazy, Stupid Love Opening two minute analysis

The opening scene of Crazy, Stupid, Love is set in a restaurant. The first shot is of a couples legs under a restaurant table. The legs are touching each other, showing the audience that perhaps they are in love. They are wearing nice shoes showing that they have made an effort in their appearance. This could show they both really like each other because they want to look nice for their partner. This is a typical convention of a romance film. Romance films always have lovers in them, which is exactly what the first shot is showing. The camera rolls to then another underneath of a table and the same thing is being shown- a couple's legs under the table, wearing nice shoes, showing they have made an effort. The camera rolls again and again until it reaches a table which isn't quite the same. The couple's legs under the table are far apart and from the looks of things they haven't made much of an effort. The man is wearing a pair of old, scruffy- looking trainers, something perhaps you wouldn't wear to a posh restaurant.
  Throughout the first shots of the loved-up couples, happy, romantic music is playing in the background which brings the shots together. The music outlines the love between the characters and it makes the convention of a romance just that bit more stereotypical- loud, romantic music playing as the lovers are on a date. The romantic music continues until the couple who don't seem to be as in love are in the shot. The music instantly quietens and now you can only hear it in the background. Now the noise of the rest of the restaurant can be heard. This is perhaps showing that because there is lots of background noise they are not thinking of each other, they are taking in everything that's happening around them rather than each other. Whereas the other couples in the restaurant are shown with loud music playing, and rather than the music being in the background it is loud and that's all that can be heard which is showing they aren't thinking of anything else, they are just in love and are only noticing each other.
  When the camera moves upwards to above the table it shows the couple who don't seem to be having a good time. The man in this mid, two shot seems to be extremely bored. You can tell this by his body language. He is resting his head against his hand and he is not making any eye contact with the woman he is with. Even when he begins speaking he does not make any eye contact. It is only when he asks the woman if she is alright when he briefly looks up at her. He does not show any kind of concern when he asks her. This is a key feature of the scene because it shows he genuinely doesn't care as the tone he uses is dull. The woman responds and does not look up also showing she is perhaps not interested in the man. About 10 seconds later she blurts out she wants a divorce. This is another typical convention of a romance film. When you think of all the things that happen in romance films you will always think of the break ups and then the make ups. The break up has just happened which is one of the main conventions you expect to see in a romance.
  Another romance film where the conventions are similar is 'valentines day'. The man proposes to the woman, she says yes but then changes her mind and leaves him. This again shows that break ups are one of the main conventions in romances. Also 'The Heartbreak Kid' is another film where the conventions are the same. The man leaves his wife for another woman. This sums up the fact that the main convention of a romance is in fact the break ups, usually the break ups leave the person broken-hearted but at the end of the film there is usually a happy ending.