Lucy Allen's AS Thriller Blog: 2013

Usually runs week-in, week-out, all year round
It features continuous narratives dealing with domestic themes and personal or family relationships
Has a well-known theme tune
Bigger casts- however there is a limit to the number of characters available at any one time.
They're often set around a small, central area such as a square or village
Features ordinary working class characters
British soaps aim for realism and realistic plots
They always end on cliffhangers
3,4 or even 5 story lines are in place at one time

Characters:

The grandparent figure- wise old person. usually female (This character helps others with their problems with advice and support)

The strong woman- An independent, powerful, aggressive woman. She's usually found at the centre of conflicts

Jack-the-lad- A male character that manipulates others to his own ends. 'The Baddie'.

Young Couple- A couple that bravely faces the difficulties of life.

Feisty Young Female- A strong-willed girl, almost always young, who desires independence. She's usually argumentative.

Troublesome oldie- Older, grumpy and meddling. Always interferes in other peoples business. This character is still loved for good intentions.

The boss figure- In charge, people can be scared of him, usually a male character.

Vladimir Propp and Narrative Theory (1895-1970)

Vladimir Propp and Narrative Theory (1895-1970)

Narrative is defined as the way a story is organised.

Propp was a Soviet Scholar who analysed Russian Folk Tales.

He found that there were basic components that make up a narrative.

Propp's 8 Key Characters:

1. The Hero- reacts to the donor, weds the princess.

2. The Villain- struggles against the hero.

3. The Donor- prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.

4. The Helper- helps the hero in their quest.

5. The Father Figure- an older, wise man offering comfort or guidance. A role model.

6. The Dispatcher- a character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.

7. The Princess- the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain.

8. False Hero- helps the hero and we think the false hero is the hero at the start but ends up not being the hero.

Propp's Narrative Functions:

-Preparation

-Complication

-Transference

-Struggle

-Return

-Recognition

Propp's Characters / Star Wars Characters

Hero / Luke Skywalker

Villain / Darth Vader

Donor / Obi-wan Kenobi

Helper / R2D2, C3PO, Chewbacca

Father Figure / Obi-wan Kenobi

Dispatcher / Princess Leia

Princess / Princess Leia

False Hero / Han Solo

Antonio Gramsci modified Marx's theory with the concept of hegemony. Hegemony are dominant groups that retain power not through physical force but through perpetuating particular attitudes and values which appear so 'obvious' that they are often described as 'common sense'.

These taken-for-granted values at the heart of a society become dominant by what appear to be natural processes rather than through any imposed system of authority.

The media could be seen to actively 'naturalise' or reinforce these values or ideology.

Characteristics

Men are seen as the following:

Masculine
Controlling
Stoic
Strong
Possessive
Power
Confrontational

Whereas Woman are seen as the following:

Feminine
Emotional
Innocent
Honest
Vulnerable
Subordinate
Narcissistic
Promiscuous
Home Maker
Independent
Weak

Archetypes can be universally understood and are well recognised in traditional stories. They are known as 'The Original Model'.

Generic Types: In relation to specific genres (crime, drama, period drama etc). Characters which offer a means of discussing contemporary society by using 'stock' characters. They are understood in relation to other media texts in the same genre, rather than referencing the 'real world' E.g. 'the gay best friend in a Rom Com' or 'the antagonistic henchman in an action film'.

Stereotype: Judging someone before you meet and judging certain people regardless of their personality. This can be determined from dress, speech and behaviour etc. The saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover' can be associated with stereotypes.

Representation

Key Word: Archetype= The Original Model

The media constructs meanings about the world.

They represent it and help audiences make sense of it.

There needs to be a shared recognition of people, situations and ideas for representation to be meaningful.

This prompts the question: how have groups been represented by media products? In a positive or negative way?

The media give us images, and ways of imagining particular groups which can have material effects on how these groups are understood by others.

Stereotypes represent people in society by emphasising certain common features.

Popular TV such as Soaps, dramas and sitcoms make extensive use of stereotypes so that the audience can quickly recognise certain types of characters.

They are identified through characteristics such as dress, speech and behaviour.

The stereotype therefore assists the dominant groups in maintaining their power over subordinate groups.

Shifty

Shifty was made in 2008 under the Microwave Scheme.

It was made in 18 days and it cost less than £100,000 to make. This influenced other small film companies and film industries to do the same.

Evan Creevy wrote and directed the film.

It was released on the 24th April 2009.

It made £143,000 in box office.

It was distributed by Metrodome who marketed the film by spending £50,000 trying to market it in ways such as; posters and billboards etc.

Metrodome produced 2 different types of trailers. One for older people and One for younger people. This was so the could get younger people in the Cinemas to watch their film and to get them interested in the film.

Cross media convergence was used to promote Shifty.

They also used Fly-posters, adverts on Pirate Radio, the Internet and emails to promote the film. They also used websites and social networking sites.

The Hunger Games (case study)

Production details:

Director: Gary Ross

Producer: Nina Jacobson

Co-produced and Distributed by: LionsGate

Based on a BOOK!

On the opening day the film made $67.3 million

On the opening weekend the film made $152.5 million

It's the first film since Avatar to remain in first place at the American Box Office for 4 weekends running.

Movies Budget: $78 million

Grossing: $685 million

The film sold out in over 4,300 showings across the US

Tentpole releases are when the studios used for the film are kept going. e.g. The money made from The Hunger Games kept LionsGate going. And the money made from Twilight kept Summit Entertainment going.

Marketing Budget:

Bigger studios spend $100 million marketing major releases and have worldwide marketing and publicity staffs of over 100 people. Lionsgate has generated a high interest with only 21 people.

LionsGate used cross media convergence such as print to publish The Hunger Games.

The prints used were: 80,000 posters, ads, billboards etc to help publish The Hunger Games.

Twitter was the main marketing tactic used.

In July 2011 they released the first official poster via Facebook. And in August 2011 they gave out a sneak peak teaser trailer. All of these things build up to the exhibition of the film,, which creates popularity, anticipation and excitement.

"The Hunger Games" trended worldwide on Twitter within minutes.

Publicity Stunts (PR) were performed e.g. 5 fans were invited to the films' set, no reporters were allowed.

Digital Production

What is a non-digital film?

- Traditional films were made up image sprinted onto acetate negatives.

- These are then 'spliced' together to form a reel of film.

- These are then fed through a projector at a constant speed of 24 frames a second which makes the pictures appear to be moving, this is known as Analogue.

What are the advantages of digital production?

- Digital camcorders using a high-definition format called HD-CAM are much cheaper than standard film cameras.

- New digital camera technology rivals traditional film for quality.

- High quality film production is now far more accessible.

- Digital technology can store, transmit and retrieve a huge amount of data exactly as it was originally recorded.

- The quality of digital film doesn't deteriorate.

- Analogue technology (film) loses info in transmission and degrades every time you view it.

- Memory cards can be re-used many times, unlike film.

- Footage can be viewed immediately on set.

- Production time is cut and so are costs.

- By Hollywood standards digital video costs virtually nothing.

- Digital info is more flexible than Analogue info.

- A computer can manipulate bytes of data very easily.

- Virtually no processing necessary before the editing stage.

- E.g. ease of editing using a program such as Final Cut Express/ AVID/ Premiere.

- This saves time which saves money.

- E.g. Attack of the clones (Star Wars):

first digital film
$16,000 was made on 220 hours of digital tape
$1.8 million would have been spent on 220 hours of film

A famous Director like, Quentine Tarantino refuses to film Digitally as he thinks it ruins the film because he prefers Analogue.

Digital Cinema- Distribution:

- Digital films are big computer files

- Can be written to DVD-Rom

- Sent via broadband

- Transmitted via satellite

- No shipping costs virtually

- Not more expensive to show in more than one cinema

What are the advantages to digital distribution?

- Film prints are very expensive (£1500 - £3000) per print

- Expensive to ship heavy reels of film and then to collect them when film finishes its run

- You have to be very cautious about where your films are played because of cost

- This is one reason why there is such a limited choice at multiplexes

- Digital films can be opened simultaneously all over the world

- When first introduced digital projectors were incredibly expensive and so the cost to cinemas were reluctant to buy them.

Digital Cinema- Exhibition:

- A good analogue film projector produces a clear, crisp, vibrant image but every time the print is projected the film is damaged

- A digital projector produces a high quality image and sound every time

- The 1000th view is as good as the first one

- A digital projector doesn't need a trained projectionist

MacGuffin

The MacGuffin is a plot element, that catches the audiences' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.

In the MacGuffin the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is.

The MacGuffin can be ambiguous and it can be things like money or power.

The MacGuffin is often forgotten even though it is sometimes introduced at the start or at the end of the film.

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Primeval Extract

In this extract we find that peoples characteristics can differentiate from what society expect from them because of their gender and other aspects. We can also categorise people by using Propp’s narrative functions.

The blonde woman in the extract carries out typical men jobs like holding a gun and operating a JCB. Unlike the other brown haired woman being threatened by the man with the dogs, the blonde haired woman is wearing outdoor clothing. Therefore she instantly gives us the impression that she is not a typical woman as she battles with a big sabre-tooth. Stereotypically society would think that she don’t act like a typical woman, because in her situation, battling with a sabre-tooth is something a woman would not do as, any other woman would scream and cower away. According to Propp’s narrative characters this woman could be the false hero as at the start she tries and saves the man she’s with and it makes the audience think she is the hero, but it’s possible she could be the princess/damsel in distress also as she is saved by the man she’s with.

The man running away and distracting the sabre-tooth creature is wearing outdoor men clothing which is typical of a man. At the start of the extract he carried wood, this is a job that a man would do. He also shouts at the creature and battles with it, this is manly behaviour. Whilst running from the creature he used his belt to get away, this is also manly behaviour as we associate belts with men as it’s more common for a man to wear a belt. According to Propp’s narrative characters this man is the hero as he risks his own life to save others, and he is the main character shown at the beginning of the extract. As a man and a hero he takes control of the situation.

However the man that was lowering meat onto of a trap made on the floor didn’t look like he was wearing typical outdoor clothing like the other men. This not only shows that he could be of a different class but it shows he has different fashion sense to the other men, this proves that characteristics can differentiate from what society expect men to wear. But his behaviour such as carrying the meat, picking up the shovel, his stance, walk and his facial features show us his gender. This man could be the Helper as he helps the hero in their pursuit to find the smartly dressed woman as she’s in danger.

The man wearing the suit seems to be from a higher class because he is wearing a suit and not doing the work the other people are doing. By him wearing this suit it makes him look more masculine, controlling and powerful this is how gender is represented. From Propp’s list of narrative characters this man could be the father figure as he seems to be an older man than the rest of them and he gives the hero and other characters advice, information and guidance.

Furthermore the man who owns the dogs with the shotgun is also wearing manly outdoor work clothing. The shotgun and the big dogs show masculinity as well as his male gender, and his behaviour gets threatening and violent towards the woman this shows power, force as well as his gender and all of these things are trades and characteristics of a man. This man is seen as the villain judging from Propp’s narrative characters.

The woman all dressed up shown towards the end of the extract is wearing typical womanly clothing unlike the blonde haired woman. And she also complains about her coat getting dirty whereas the blonde haired woman was doing mens work so she wouldn’t mind getting muddy. This woman shows typical womanly characteristics because when she gets shoved to the floor we see she is vulnerable, weak and subordinate, but when she is saved and her life is no longer at risk she is narcissistic and cares only for her coat and herself. The smartly dresses woman is shown to be the princess/damsel in distress as she is put under a weak and vulnerable situation because of the villain.

Therefore throughout this extract it is shown that not all people are archetypes for example; some women can have male characteristics, shown through the things the blonde haired woman does. And all the props, body posture and appearance etc. can represent gender and what we think about that particular person. This extract also shows that not everyone are archetypes, the ‘original model’, everyone is different in their own way, shown by what they do, what they wear, and how they act etc. Propp’s narrative characters shows narrative structure and that most stories have these characters.

Sunday, 14 April 2013

Thriller Opening: Zodiac

Zodiac

Conventions: Suspense, it's dark and they're alone this suggests something bad might happen.

Camera: Close ups, camera tracking movement.

Editing: Not many changes in scenes.

Sound: Non diegetic sound track, and little dialogue.

Mise-en-scene: Dark lighting, a bright light hides the killers face.

Thriller Opening: Brick

Brick

Conventions: Dead body, suspense, deep/dark mood, slow movement of water.

Camera: Extreme close ups, slow movement of the camera.

Editing: Flash back, dissolve

Sound: non diegetic sound track, silence, no dialogue

Mise-en-scene: shadows (not much lighting).

Thriller Opening: Momento

Momento

Conventions: Character loses memory so he takes photos and writes down what happens or anything he does, so he can re-trace his steps.

Camera: Medium shots, slow movement

Editing: The scene is going back in time

Sound: non diegetic sound

Mise-en-scene: black and white

Monday, 11 March 2013

Shot List

Scene	Shot Number	Description
1	1	A black screen with a voice over on it
1	2	A medium shot of a handshake
2	3	A pan of the girls going in to school
2	4	A long shot of the girls greeting each other
2	5	A medium shot of the girls walking past
3	6	A three split screen of the girls walking along corridors to classes, one of a clock and the other of schools kids throughout the day to show the pass of time
4	7	A medium shot of one girl on the phone
4	8	A long shot of April approaching Kristina (the girl on the phone)
4	9	A match on action of the girls exiting the building
4	10	A pan of the girls walking by
4	11	Another medium shot of the girls walking by again
4	12	A long shot of the girls at the gate
4	13	A long shot of the girls walking towards the bus stop
4	14	A point of view shot of April pressing the traffic light button
4	15	A point of view from the stalker of April and Kristina sitting at the bus stop
4	16	Another point of view shot of the stalker on the bus watching the two girls
4	17	A long shot of April and Kristina getting off the bus
4	18	A tracking shot of April and Kristina walking along the bridge
4	19	A point of view shot of the stalker walking through traffic to get to the other side of where April and Kristina were heading
4	20	Point of view shot of the stalker watching April and Kristina walking down the slope
4	21	A long shot of April and Kristina approaching the Zebra Crossing
4	22	A long shot of the girls walking into the distance
4	23	A point of view shot of the stalker watching the girls walk while he was standing in the bushes
4	24	A crane shot of the girls walking into the bowling alley
5	25	Point of view of the stalker watching the girls dancing and the teacher answering the phone
6	26	A medium shot the teacher gets into the car
6	27	A crane shot of the girls and other dancers leaving the building
6	28	A stalkers point of view through the bushes of the girls going their separate ways
6	29	A long shot of April walking into the distance
6	30	A medium shot of April walking through to the subway and the mysterious stalker follows her
6	31	A long shot of April walking towards the camera with the mysterious stalker still following
6	32	Medium shot of April looking behind her at the stalker
6	33	A two shot of April walking quickly in fear away from the stalker while putting her hood up
6	34	Long shot of April running away from the stalker
6	35	A high angle shot of April running up the stairs away from the stalker
6	36	A medium shot of April running towards the car
6	37	Another medium shot of the stalker pushing April into the car