Dead Line 2 {[Hollie]}

feedback from deadline : 27/01/2010

Dead Line 2 {[Jess]}

feedback from deadline : 27/01/2010

Dead Line 2 [[Charlea]]

feedback from deadline : 27/01/2010

Facebook Group {[Hollie]}

This morning I started a Facebook group to help us with ideas for our piece... I invited both peers and other media students in the hope that they will give us feed back on our initial ideas and ideas on how to improve as well as to help us decide on a title for the film, which we have not been able to agree on so far.
I uploaded the goodbye to the normals sequence to show them the kind of idea that we had but in a social realist context.
I plan to make Charlea and Jess managers of the group aswell so that we can all keep an eye on the feedback and post other ideas to the group.
Hollie x

STORYBOARD {[Hollie]}

Initail Ideas for Story Boarding

BY HOLLIE, JESS AND CHARLEA!!!!

Mind Mapping

BY HOLLIE, JESS AND CHARLEA!!!!

Role Allocations Jess and Charlea (as Hollie is busy uploading things)

Hollie - Storyboard illustrator, Camera work, main blogger, editing, sound.


Charlea - Script writer, casting, Camera work, blogger, editing, sound.


Jess - Location scout, casting, Camera Work, blogger, editing, sound.

We have decided to allocate the role as evenly as possible as we all have talents to utilise. We all have our specialist roles, but we still put input into every different aspect. Because we're awesome.

Synopsis {[Hollie]}

After running away from home because he has not been allowed to go out by his family, Matt is walking along a deserted beach and is distressed when he meets Roy. Roy is a wise old man eating fish and chips who is very like Matt. He talks to Matt about his problems and explains that he too was once in that situation and that his parents do love him and it’s not good for him to be wandering the streets on his own. Matt likes the old man and listens intently to what he has to say. He then realises that this was a silly idea and that he should go home.

We decided to use this story line as we thought it showed good aspects of a social realist film. It shows simple, realistic characters in everyday settings. We also all remembered wanting to run away for a childish reason in the past and thought this would make the audience relate to the boy and also remember a time when they did something similar. We pitched this idea to a few people including our teacher, Andy Hampson. They thought that it was a very good idea for a story synopsis and also said that it would make them want to watch.

Today 26/01/10 {[Hollie]}

Today Charlea and I went over Charlea’s initial ideas for the script. We couldn’t finalise it as Jess is at a university interview and so she wasn’t here. I really liked the ideas as both the characters’ lives overlapped and they had a connection. Also the older male seemed very wise and the child seemed to listen to him. We will finalise the ideas tomorrow, when Jess is back and make any changes necessary.

Over the weekend I drew up an initial storyboard which we looked over and both agreed that it was exactly what we needed, although we do need top write in how long each shot is which we can do once the script is finalised.

New ideas for story {[Hollie]}

New Ideas for Story: Ideas on mind map as well as initial storyboarding ideas to be uploaded shortly.
-Social realism.
- Urban location.
- On a bench on a beach… possibly Hove beach not Brighton as it’s too crowed and we want the boy to appear isolated.
- Boy has run away from home like in ‘Goodbye to the Normals’.
- Wise old man talks sense into him.
- Eating fish and chips (stereotypically British).
- Simple conversation tells the story using a variety of shots and angles.
- Boy and old man are very similar (he ran away when he was younger too, both each chips) like looking into the future.
- Boy agrees to go back home.
- Low key lighting.
- Simple music mixed with diagetic sound.

Inital Script Idea's [[Charlea]]

Old man--- You alright there son

(boy looks back, fed up expression)

Old man--- Well why don't you come sit down and tell me all about it?

Boy--- I ran away, they weren't listening to me

Old man--- What happened?

Boy--- They wouldn't let me out, all the family were coming round, I hate it, they always pinch your cheeks and and sort out your hair, and all i wanted to do was go to the beach

Old man--- So you left

Boy--- Yup

Old man--- Don't you think they would be worried about you?

Boy--- No, they don't care about me

Old man--- You know I ran away once, I was about your age, ran all the way to London, back then London was quite far away. Didn't know where I was gonna go from there, Just knew I wanted to go to London. But you know what I realised when I got there

Boy--- What?

Old Man--- There was no beach, you can't have a good fish and chips without a beach, so I went back

Boy--- You went back?

Old man--- Yeah and you know, my mum got so worried about me, she called the police, and the whole street was full of them. When she saw me she ran, picked me up, squeezed me as tight as she possibly could, said she loved me, and that i should never do that again because i nearly gave her a heart attack

Boy--- Why did you run away

Old man--- Same reason as you, I just wanted to go to London

Boy--- Oh I think i'll go home now then, thank-you old man


Charlea

Original Ideas {[Hollie]}

Original Ideas for story:

shown on mind map, which will be uploaded shortly.

- Social realism.Urban location.

- Possibly family orientated.

- Everyday situation.Perhaps at a Doctors surgery or on a bench.

- Story is told by talking as in ‘Eight’.

- Low key lighting.

- Simple music mixed with diagetic sound.

Keeping in touch {[Hollie]}

Throughout the weekend we have kept in touch via text

Hollie: Hey, I've finished the storyboard but we need to put the dialogue in a write how long each shot is but we can do that 2moz ... Also can you please email me the pictures of the mind maps ect for the blog? xxx

Charlea: They're on the college computer atm, can get them to you in the morning x x

Hollie: Okie dokie xxx

Research Tasks - Jess Garman

'Eight' - Stephen Daldry - 1998

• Genre = social realism. Camera work - evenly spread between various shot sizes, depending on what was appropriate. Extreme long shots were often used to emphasise his loneliness. We are introduced to the scene with a pan from right to left, establishing the setting on a beach and stopping on a football - a key piece of iconography in the story. The beach is recogniseable as a British beach (due to the grass and the grey sky) which sets the story up. The costume constructs characters (the boy wears a home-made football shirt which shows he's desperate to fit in - as his friend Terry has a real one). There is a difference in lighting and colour to show changes of mood - inside the house is darker and has more shadow, to show that his mum is distant, but still existant in the back of his mind like a dark space.



• The audience were made to assume that the boy's dad had left them rather than died up until the end. This was done with the lack of imformation communticated in voice over and the boy's want to discover what his dad was like and his admiration for him. This assumption makes us feel predjudice and shows that we make assumptions without conclusive evidence.



• The film begins with a slow pace, but doesn't follow Todorov's theory because there is no real conflict or resolution at the end. Instead the audience are left with a sense of sympathy and sadness at learning the truth behind his father's absense. Due to the lack of proper structure to the narrative (there is no linear storyline) I would not want to use this for our film, however, I like the use of a young boy as a central character because it shows their innocence in such a tragic situation and shows how they can be funny without realising (for example, the scene in which he holds the man's hand as though he is his dad.


• There is non-diegetic music used to enhance the emotions of the story which comes in at times of significance in the dialogue. The use of voiceover acts as a guide to his emotions and thoughts (reminiscent of Brief Encounter). The fact that he talks to himself emphasises his loneliness.


• A main theme is mourning the loss of his father, and the difference between his and his mum's coping methods - this shows childish optimism (how he continues to imagine his father's jobs etc.), but this is broken at the end when we see his true sadness and loneliness as he sits on the beach by himself. This is an extreme long shot so that there is alot of space around him which makes him look smaller and more alone. Our sympathy is heightened at this point as we've just heard that his dad died and the lasting image of him singing to himself looking out to sea and saying 'Bye' is a sad ending which has does not leave us with a sense of hope and hapiness (as a social realism following Todorov's theory wouldn't).

Research Tasks - Jess Garman

'Wasp' - Andrea Arnold - 2003

• Genre = social realsim. Camera work - We are introduced to the characters with a mid close up on their legs walking down the stairs in a council flat estate. The legs are dirty and not wearing shoes, and the stairs look unclean, this immediately suggests to the audience that it's a working/under class family. Costumes = the little girls' clothes are unclean and ill-fitting (for example, one of the girls is wearing a dress-up tutu as her regular attire), showing the audience that they have little money to spend on clothing. The language is entirely un-filtered and realistic to the situation (if a little dramatic), which establishes the mum characters as an un-conventional mother. Shaky camera work is a key feature, which makes the audience feel more involved in the action (as though they are spectators actually in the scene rather than watching a film). This is also achieved with a lack of cuts in the editing and more pans and tilts to go between the characters.




• Extreme close ups are used very often and make the audience uncomfortable with the proximity. We are made to identify more with the main character in the way that these close ups are directed at particluar things or people that she's looking at. For example, when she's talking to Dave she looks down at her feet which tells the audience she's self conscious about being barefoot in the street in front of him.



• Todorov's theory is not used in Wasp as the audience are introduced immediately into the action. The events unfold in what is a day-to-day fashion for the characters, starting in the morning and finishing at night. I wouldn't use this structuring in our own film as its only 5 minutes long which doesn't give the audience time to fully attach to the characters and develop an understanding of their background. It is a complex situation and I would want to keep the narrative relatively simple so as to achieve the most from my camera work, mise-en-scene, editing skills. For example, what would usually be used as opening establishing shots (extreme long shots of the city) are used at the end which does not stick to conventions of film-making.



• Diegetic sound is the only type used, and certain noises are made louder in the extreme close-ups, which emphasises the sense of claustraphobia. Non-diegetic sound is used only at the end after the children in the car have sung 'Hey Baby' then the song comes on over extreme long shots of the setting. This gives it a more uplifiting ending so that the audience aren't left feeling depressed.



• The audience are positioned to sympathise with the audience from the start (during the fight scene) as the camera makes the other woman look more threatening and intimidating by using low angle benneath her looking up. The fact of the family's unfortunate position is bound to make the audience sympathise more and we really care about the children which means the film is giving a sympathetic representation of working class life. It is a difficult subject matter being dealt with (brings up the question of whether the children should be taken away from her) and this shows the gritty nature of social realism.

Research Tasks - Jess Garman

'Conversation Piece' - Joe Tumner - 2009

• Genre = social realism/comedy. Camera work - shaky in places, looks more natural and makes the audience feel closer to the action and more involved in the story. Close ups are used to establish both setting (showing the random brick-a-brack and clutter around the house) and character (by being introduced at such a close proximity we identify more with them). Shaky tilts and pans are used to move between each character rather than cuts to different shots so that the action isn't broken. Characterisation - Man = reading the Daily Express (shows more stereotypically working class), he is made to look unkempt with messy hair, double chin (due to his posture) and wearing a dressing gown. All these things give clues to his character and suggest it's a lazy morning. Woman = wearing neat, tucked in clothes, her body language and posture are upright which suggests she's up tight and she pouts. The traditional conjugal roles are shown by the fact that the woman's in the kitchen washing up while the man is relaxing in his chair. The lighting is naturalistic which makes the film more realistic.



• I like the way depth of field is used in the frame (going in and out of focus) to direct the audience's attention (for example, to show when the woman puts the broken vase in front of the man, then switches to his reaction). Shot / reverse shot is used in conversation to make the speech easier to follow. Social realism is broken when the record stops and there is a slow zoom from bird's eye view to show the audience the title. The main thing that sets this film apart from conventional social realism is the sound, which I will discuss later.
• Todorov's theory is used in the way that at the beginning there is an equilibrium, a disruption comes when the woman finds the vase broken and by the end equilibrium is restored by the man fixing the vase. This is demonstrated by the woman's satisfied smile at the end. It is a short contained story within one location, which may be a simple idea when it comes to creating our own film.
• Sound is particularly pivotal in this film as it uses traditional styles of social realism (diegetic sounds at the start and end - clock ticking, washing up etc.) until the record comes on. This is also diegetic but in a non-realistic way as the volume of the track stays the same no matter how far away the camera is placed (it also covers all other noises, including dialogue). This helps induce humour as the sounds on the record help construct the characters, in that the different instruments used represent exaggerated features of each character's voice (e.g. the man's is a low trumpet sound and the woman's is a higher pitched, whiney noise). The different sounds that are made help to show what's happening in the dialogue (e.g. when the woman blows her nose the instruments are manipulated to recreate a similar sound, which is particluarly humerous).
• This film is about a domestic dispute between an average middle-aged working/middle class married couple. Unlike many social realism films, the content is not particularly gritty or tragic, and is rather a light-hearted demonstration of married life. The audience are positioned to be neutral so that they don't side with either character. This co-operates with the fact that it is a short film, as the director (Tumner) may not want the audience to become attached to the characters.

Weekend Work

Over the weekend Jess and Charlea are going to work on initail script ideas for the sequence. Meanwhile I will be working on drawing up the storyboard.
We have already made a mind map of our initail ideas. Seen below.
And also I have drawn up a rough storyboard for our ideas which we all had input.

We can keep up to date with each others' progress over the weekend and keep in touch if we have any queries through either 'Facebook' or by phone and text

{[Hollie]}

Conventions of a Social Realism Film {[Hollie]}

After watching ‘Wasp’ and ‘Eight, one of our media lessons as well as watching other social realist films, ‘Train spotting’ for instance, in our self study, we compiled a list of genre conventions and techniques that are used to create a sense of British social realism.

- It attempts as best as it can to make the viewer think what he is watching is real. So:
- Often uses long takes and natural dialogue.

- Stereotypes are often used to introduce themes and characters quickly
- Not a lot of camera movement, use of lots of long held shots-perhaps with slow pans, tracks or other movements, fast camera movement would draw attention to the fact that their is a camera and therefore you can tell that what you are watching is not real.
- No flashy editing, again flashy editing would draw attention to the fact this is a film.
- Some social realist films have a lot less non-diagetic music than films of other genres (although this is not always the case as in High Hopes) this is again to make the film seem more real.
- Social realism can become almost documentarian in it's style, this being where it originally grew from, a good example of this is ‘Eight’ in which you are almost unsure as to whether the child is an actor or a real child that they had interviewed to find out about the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. This made the film much more emotive and effective, because the film is based on real events and it is much more hard hitting and realistic.
- As a general rule British Social Realist films are concerned with British people which means the huge majority of the characters are British, although today many other ethic minorities are present in Britain, making the choice of film characters much more diverse. As a result of this the characters can often have quite strong regional accents, which make it more realistic, much like ‘Train Spotting’ where all the characters have strong Scottish accents.
- Social realist films often try and address and discuss social issues, these are often social issues very specific to the time periods they are set in.

Location Ideas {Jess}

After deciding on an outline of our narrative we and coming up with a mind map of ideas. We drew a rough storyboard and decided on the location and cast. We wanted an older male around the age of 60 or 70, so we asked Charlea's grandad and he said yes. We also needed a young boy, so I asked my brother Sam who is 13 who also agreed to be in our film.

We needed a location that would be accessible for both ourselves and the cast, yet recognisable enough for a social realism film. It wasn't long until we decided on a sea front and city, Brighton of course gives us both of these! Also as we have a half term coming up we are aiming to get all our filming done in one or two days if possible. However this can only happen with extensive planning which we have already begun.

So here are some photos of Brighton beach and Pier, as well as a map of our location. There are regular direct train routes from both Three Briges and Haywards Heath into Brighton.

Goodbye to the Normals {[Hollie]}

Jess showed this short film to the rest of the group today and we really enjoyed the way it was written and the comedic relief that was used. We all remembered deciding to run away from home when we were younger and I think it could be a really good idea for a short, socail realist narritive. We discussed this and think it would be a very good idea as although the story is quite simple, everyone we spoke to can relate to it or know someone who did something similar as a child. Also children are often unknowingly funny in situations such as this and so we can provide some comedic elements to an otherwise serious sequence.
Hollie

{[Hollie]} Feedback

Feedback on research and planning from Andy.

{[Charlea]} Feedback

Feedback on research and planning from Andy.

{[Jess]} Feedback

Feedback on research and planning from Andy.

Research and Planning: 'Lou-Lou Lives Here' [[Charlea]]

Lou-Lou lives here 2003---Charlea
The film is shot in black and white, the finish of the film has a grainy tone to it. The is the emphasis the image of the dog, how the dog sees the world. The mise of scene was set in a forest/ field by a road side, these are classic settings for thriller and horror films, also it is a place for wild animals, though the dog is a house dog the child is free to wonder, she is out in the wild. The idea of turning something innocent like a child and making them into a blood thirsty animal, raises a lot of issues in the way we veiw children. Why was the child outside on her own? Where were her parents? Does she have parents? Who was that man and how did he know her name? The film made you look more in-depth about what seems like everyday situations. What's really going on behind close doors?

2. The way that they used P.O.V shot in a different form, also the use of focus was inspiring as you weren't too sure of what you were looking at half the time which kept the audience entertained and intrigued. The use of brightness and contrast within the film also inspired me as they have upped the expose which you don't see used within many films. They have used restricted narration throughout the film to keep the audience thinking even after the film is over. The fact you can interpret the film however you like and who the characters are made the film more entertaining and gave the film more of a twist to it.

3. What inspired me about the structure of this film was that it was simple and easy to understand in parts but mixed it about in others, The use of straight cuts and random angled shots, out of focus and spinning sequences make the audience uneasy and on edge. However this technique also meant the audience were more engaged and focused on the story. You would have to sit and concentrate to be able to appreciate the work put into the film, as if you missed things it may not add together as well, much like the ending. The use of a dissolve between the child’s legs and the dogs legs running showed a link between the plot line, it was a main point when you realised that the child had become the dog. Also the fact that the title was in the ending on the gate, this rounded off the film nicely as it kept the audience thinking and also explained why the film was called that in the first place. What I didn't like about the film was the fact that it was a tad unclear in places about the action that was going on, also some of the shots being distorted and out of focus made it harder to maintain the storyline. About the beginning of the film, the use of a low angle establishing shot on a electric pylon, was quite restricting to the audience as it was unclear where we were and why. Also the main character having no introduction just the assumption that the child in the shot was Lou Lou was a clever choice for the opening as the audience immediately are drawn to finding out who she is. In our film i think the use of a Restricted character in the opening would work really well, especially if you carry them through the whole film, then the audience are always left wanting to know more.

4. The use of sound in this production was interesting as a lot of it was diagetic made to sound as is it was non-diagetic. The slow breathing and slowed speaking worked along side the action on screen but sounded as it is was from somewhere else. I would maintain this in our film as if kept the audience on edge, made them uncomfortable and in a horror, you need to have that discomfort for the piece to work. The way that they introduced non-diagetic sound into the piece worked well to because it added to the action on screen. As there was mainly only one character you needed music or the film would have been totally silence. Only subtle sound tracks for silent parts works well though, too loud and it will cares a distraction to the action on the film.

5. There arn't many themes and issues within the film. As I have said befoe it does make you think about Why was the child outside on her own? Where were her parents? Does she have parents? Who was that man and how did he know her name? The film made you look more indepth about what seems like everyday situations. What's really going on behind close doors? The use of the white van and the male character was clever as instontly bad connotations follow with it i.e. pervert. The fact she was a young child alone was very diconcerning, as she was running about the woods, also on the road looking at dead animals is very disconsering to. The film puts a slight sinister twist to what we would interprate as an innocent child. This is due to the fact when she becomes a dog he first act is to attak the man.

Research and Planning: 'Eight' {[Charlea]}

Eight 1998---Charlea
1.The whole film was narrated and told through an eight year old boy called Johnathan. You hear his voice the whole way through the film, however you do also hear his mothers in one section, however it is not to the audiance it is just to the little boy 'Johnathan what are you doing?'. It is set in an urban area by a beach, this means that the audience can relate to it because his not from a rich family his a working class kid, also some of the audience would be able to recognige and relate to the surroundings. The home made liverpool t-shirt that the boy wears is very symbolic as it shows his secrecy, but also his passion for the sport at his team. However it also shows how much him mum disagrees with any mention of football, John has to secretly make his own shirt. This was a very powerful use of mise en scene. The theme and issue behind the piece (As it was based on the tradgic Hillsbury insodent) is more about football rioting (not that Hillsbury was a riot) and how it's gone too far. The piece was stuctured mainly around the boy Jonhathan, him just playing talking to the camera, being with his friend Terry, and on the beach. You could tell through the characterisation on the mum, though she wasn't in it long that she was a very nervous and aprehencive character, wouldn't really let Johnathan take risks, and be free to express his love for football because it would be too much of a painful memeroy for her.

2.One thing that inspired me about this film was the boy talking directly to the audience to tell the story the entire film. Slight changes as the story developed, you would hear the boy keep changing his mine on what his Dad was and what he was into before the boy was born. The conventions they used for social realism, one was when the boys were on the beach the boys made there own football pitch out of trash, goals as well, showing they havn't got enough money themselves to by goals, also in the scholl scenes you could tell it wasn't a privet school and that he was in state education. Also for the working class in Liverpool having the short film about a football tradagy fits perfectly as footbal is a very sociable and key part of there community. It was inspiering as it fitted well with the surroundings and also having the lead practically narrative his own movments on the film made it more personal, also made the boy more isolated and alone which you can tell the film maker wanted to achieve.

3.It fits the format as it has an establishing shot to show the audience where they are, also it immidently introduceses the main character to you. 'I am Johnathan and i am eight'. With this format you can be alot more blunt with what you are saying, you don't have to drag it out for the audience, you have a slight more right to use a bit more shocking statments 'My dad's dead' It's very blunt and straight to the audience. The symbolioc use of the beach and the sunset for the ending was beautiful as you could see it was the only place the boy could be free the live out his football fantasys and be with his dad in spirt, as if his Dad was the sunset watching over him. The way they ordered the film, by overlapping the beach scene with other shots worked well, as it always came back to the solid grounding of the beach, were the boys feels most free to express himself. Haveing the ending there ropunded the film well. You almost got to be in the boys life for a day seeing him in school, round his friends at home and at the beach gave you a personal insight to how the boy lives his everyday life. It made it easier for charactetr relations to develop, i would use this in our film as it makes it more personal top the audience to be abole to relate to the character, feeling like they know them more by the end of the film. It was slightly disjointed by the sound bridging they used to join all the scenes together, however it did make the link that they were all part of the film. Also the way the little boy was in everyscene linked the film together nicley to.

4. They used a sound bridge of a boy talking and telling a story over the film to link all the scenes together. Also the clever use on non-diegetic sound, as if the boy is watching himself in some scenes and talking over the top. It did make it slightly confusing in the beggining as you were no 100% sure if it was narration or actually him talking. Once you figure it out you can see it works well together and the narration complments the scene, sort of the boys thoughts. The do have diagetic scenes were the boy is talking to the audience but the other actors can hear what is being said, a good example is when the boy is talking to the audience, and says somthing about his friend and the friend reacts to the comment.

5. The film take the position of the boy, the whole time the main focus is on Johnathan, it shows his obssesion with football, and how he longs for his dad. The social group mainly represanted is a working class, focus around a child. The film does issolate the character and draw most of the attention on him. Turning him into the drive for this film. The is a typical eight with a passion for football and wanting to be like his father. Only the snag is that he can't because his dad is dead.

Research and Planning: 'Joy Ride' {[Charlea]}

Joyride 1995---Charlea
1. The sound in joy ride was a mixture of both diagetic and non-diageting. Diagetic sound was most evident in this piece but the soundtrack they did play work well alonge the the diagetic sounds. The mise on scence was a classic thriller scene, side of a wood surrounded road at night. The victom however appearing to be a male which was a bit surpriseing as in most films it tends to be a female victom. The male seems to be in uniform showing he's a worker but also changing in the car to more normal clothing. This miese en scene surrgests he is a working class character, this helps the audience relate to him more. The characterisation of the characters in the film work well because they contrast so dramatically, you have the scared but daring victom which is the man you meet in the begginging. This compars to the more phycolically unhealthy male kidnappers/ murders, who are more firce and bold with there cjharacteristics, one more then the other. You also have the local police men who are used to dealing with speeding and broken tail lights, and are a bit shocked to come accross two guys with axes and an alive man in there boot. Themes and issues are that any normal person can turn out to be someone different to what you thought and also that males can also be the victom. Plus fighting back may be dangerous but it may also get you out of it all, back to were you started.

2. The way the film runs back on it's location works nicely as it's a feeling of being back to the known back to square one where you origanilly started. The twist on quite a dramatic sight, when you find out the man laying in the road was only there as a trap so he could be kipnapped makes a masasive story line change, because in most peoples head they would be preparing for a film about a man finding a body in the middle of the road. It's inspiaring as it shows you shouldn't be scared of taking risks and adding twists i your piece. Also simple location can be just as effective as massifve ones. Also rounding things up by coming back to where they started adds an extra story line touch to the piece, a sense of secutity which is taken away from the sparks hitting the man covered in petrol.

3. The film has a good narrative because it covers all angles, it has the twist it has the excitmentment, the sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat feeling the use of qick straight cuts adds to the gosh-what's-going-to-happen-next feeling. The lighting in the production adds to the pices as it is lighted vert subtally, a mix of natural and sudio lighting to crete the eay night affect which could be usful within our production. A mix of naturalism and studio will make it easier for the audience to relate to the surroundings and the situation because it wilol be what they know and are used to, so much so, it complement s the action and doesn't overpower the scene. The way they have ordered the film works well because it fits the normal structer but also contains also of restircted narration. This is particually apparent with the antagonists you don't know why they arekipnapping and killing people you just know that they are. Also you never heard the antagonists name, neither the protagonist. I like the fact that at one point you think it's all over, you think that the protagonstic has made it out alive which is taken away again by the appearence of the phyco again. I would include this in my piece because it gives the audience false reasurence, creating more of a shocking effect.

4. The sound was manily diagetic, peoples voices and sound effects. Alot was emphasis on sound effects, like when the protagonist was hit round the head with the end of an axe, you could hear the emphasis of the blow. There was alot of emphsis on the rain downpour within the film, water and elctricity don't mix, which is emphsised in the last scene. The electric sparks sound effect have been enhanced to creats dramatic tention, as the weather is agrovating the fautly wire.

5. The fact that the male is the victom and not a female, shows a more modern twist to the piece, it shows that men can also be the victom and not just females. You get more of the view from the victom in this piece, like when the police people get kill it's a sound scape over a black screen, this is the POV from the victom in the boot listening to the screams from the police.

Research and Planning: 'Conversation Piece' {[Charlea]}

Conversation piece 2009---Charlea
1. The hole film was done with non-diagetic sound, there was no real speech from the actors just from the music. You could tell that the characters were an married couple, more then likely been married for many years, they live togther and have a tiff about a crack in one of the vaces.

2. The fact that they managed to add comedy into the piece with the end when the husband glue the piece back on and during when he pushes the women away is clever as it is all done through the use of this one song call the conversation piece. The way that made the song more human and have more life withg the action was inspiaring as it showed how much the music you choose for you piece matters with creating the right mood and effect.

3. It used the short narrative well because if it was any longer the fewed about the varse would become quite tedious to the audience. Also the way they managed to build in the sexual tension and also the make up within the film was extreamly clever as it was only one piece of music that was driving it through. This makes me think that in our film have a repeated tune or music would work well as the aundience would be able to think back and remeber what has happened before when that music came on. The stucture was pretty straight forward it had a beginging when your introduced to the characters, then you had the plot line which was the tiff about the vase, alsothe sexual tension. Then you had the makeing up and the sorrys as well as him fixing the varse and starting the music again as if to say it would be a follow up conversation between the copule. The simple sturture worked well with the piece as the message was simple and it was the music that the audience needed to focus on and how it fitted well with the action not just the acting.

4. The way they made the diagetic sound of the record player was genious as it acted like the people's speech. This kept the piece alive and unique, the whole conversation was told through music.

5. There weren't really any themes and issues in this piece it was built purly to entertain. You had the steriotypical housewife with the apropn in the kitchen doing the washing. While you also had the steriotypical male sitting on the sofa while the woman did the housework. It was an old fashioned marrige but you could tell it work for both characters involded. The Camera at times did show us a bit more of the womens frustation with the man when she becomes alot more loving and he just pushes her away. Other then that the camera works is even between bpth characters.

Research and Planning: 'Wasp' {[Charlea]}

Wasp 2003
1. Life on the brink of poverty in East London. It was very modern, very with the time, it touches upon different parenting skills and single parent familys. Also in some ways it's about not haveing the help or the money to be able to have time to yourself and aslo be with your children. A young mother with three girls and one baby boy.

2. The shots they used for the surrounding and of the children when they were together were really inspiringing , the close ups and steady cam made the action more intense and you got really close to the characters. This helped the audience build a relationship with them so you could share their emoitions and also become attached to the story line. You need to be close to the characters in this story to be able to fully understand and take in the story line. For a social realism piece it works well with big gestures and also extream senses, standing by the road in your nightgown with no shoes on. The way the director used the extream close ups was inspiring, it really brought your attention to the characters.

3. The film fitted the format well because it had a begining were you got introduced to the characters, the way they speak and dress, the use of the colloquial accent made the characters more real, and able to fit better within the surroundings. The beggining of the film was quite restricted as it went striaght into meeting the characters. You weren't really aware of your settings and you were immidently put into the action. The middle the build up to the climax was really good because of the overlapping of the shots, and the way they cross cutted, the children outside the pub and the mother in the pub. In our film i wish to add this as it will crate dramatic effect for the audience, they will see a meeting but not be for sure why.

4. The use of sound was very naturalistic, it was all diagetic, there was no non-diegetic sound on set which added to the drama of the piece because the audience was not destaracted by the sound in the background. This was inspiering because it ment you didn't need to have background music to create an efftect, silence can be just what it needs

5.Single parent familys living in London on benifits, that are on the brink of poverty and finding it hard to have a normal social life as well as having four children is the main issue underlying this film. In some ways your sympothetic towards the characters where as on the other hand it is shocking to see how she still has her children when she leaves them outside a pub, not had any food, and unsupervised. You want her to keep her children but on the other hand you know it may be better for them if they went into care, as she hasn't got the money to look after and feed them properly, hence in one of the middle scenes all the bread is moldy.

“Where have I been all your life?” Research and planning task 1 {[Jess]}

Title: Where have I been all your life?
Directed by Jim Field Smith
Year of production: 2007

Identify the genre/s or style/s used.
‘Where have I been all your life?’ is a social realism c omedy.
Mis en scene used effectively to show conventions of social realism. For example the first establishing shot shows a suburban street in London, giving off the idea of middle or perhaps a more working class area because of the terrace housing. The car that the main character is driving is a Nissan Micra, which is a popular car in the UK. In terms of characterisation this choice of car tells the audience that they are a young couple perhaps without children, with a fairly decent perhaps double income, adding social realism because it is representative of a lot of young co-habiting couples in Britain today.

Inside the house an establishing shot is used within the sitting room followed by a long shot. Revealing a homely cluttered room with magazines out on the coffee table, a fish tank, dated looking fireplace, household plants, and the general décor is out of date and cheap looking. This gives social realism as it is realistic of the inside of a fairly old couples’ home in a London working class area, the audience can relate to these sort of claustrophobic surroundings which also show the tension and unwelcome feeling of the protagonist.

Realistic characters and stereotypes are portrayed through characterisation and costume. All of the characters are wearing casual clothing for their age, class and gender. For example Liam is younger and wearing a causal polo t shit with jeans, whereas the older John is wearing jeans with a blue shirt showing his higher status and age. Suzie (Liams girlfriend) is wearing smart / casual clothing with a green shirt with small detailing with plain black trousers. This is also contrast to Angela who is wearing a beige coloured under knee length pencil skirt with a light green high neck jumper, she is dressed more middle class than the other characters as she is positioned to be the antagonist. This also with the combination of her negative body language towards the protagonist (Liam): an uptight strong posture, pierced lips, and inward body language.

The camerawork emphasises awkward situations and tensions. For example when Suzie tells Liam that they have got the wrong house a slow low angle zoom is used on Liams face, combined with a blur in the surroundings showing his embarrassment and shock. This emphasizes his facial expression, this a comedic moment in the piece.

How does this film use genre/style conventions uniquely?

What is particularly unique about this film is how the director Jim Field Smith uses a combination of social realism and witty humour/comedy. A typical aspect of social realism film is how they are often very gritty. However this film is a more unrealistic twist on the series of events, the twist being comedy. Social realism usually touches on serious issues within society which this film does do, but with a twist. The themes and issues being, adultery and miscommunications within the family leading to confrontational events, Jim Field Smith, however, makes light of these issues by mocking them through a sudden change of tone. Whereas a very British trait usually is to keep opinions and feelings to ones self in, this film they are just put on there, very straight forward and honest.

How does the film use a short film format?

The advantages to using a short film format are that the basic structure d oes not confuse the viewer with a simple beginning middle and end. This is explained in more detail in Todorov’s narrative theory. Todorov suggested a basic structure in which films or programmes began with equilibrium, a calm period. Then this calm would be disrupted with disequilibrium, a period of unsettlement, perhaps an confrontation? This is followed by a renewed state of calm and peace for the protagonists and a new equilibrium calms the panic.

Research and Planning task 'Joyride' {[Jess]}

1. Identify the genre/s or style/s used. Providing micro evidence of conventions used in the film in terms of style or content (eg icongraphy, mis en scene, sound, narrative structure, themes and issues, characterisation...)

Joyride is a British short thriller directed and written by Jim Gillespie lasting 10 minutes. The features of a thriller are clear from the beginning. Using a desolate location of a country road the victim (Christopher Fulford) is an electrician repairing a sparking power line. The mise en scene shows his isolation through a high angle shot taken from above the power line, which ironically is used again later in the film. The film uses pace to create tension. For example the film begins very slowly, using a variety of mid shots and close ups. The lead is kidnapped by a group of thugs and hit over the head knocking him out. Whilst inside the boot the pace becomes much quicker as does the beat of the music, tension and pace is built up by using lots of straight cuts between close up and extreme close ups inside the boot, to outside the car, to the approaching police car. The film ends

Research Tasks 5 {[Hollie]}

Wasp ... 2003 ... Andrea Arnold

1. Genre and Style:
The short film ‘Wasp’ is a social realism film set East London. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in a deprived, urban area which suggests to the viewer that this family are working class and living in poverty. The baby wears no nappy and the children are dirty with messy hair. This tells the viewer that this family are very poor and the mother is really struggling to look after them. The sound of the piece is very interesting as it uses a mix of both diagetic and nondiagetic sound. This has been used in an interesting way. For example the little girl is singing in the car at the end and then the actual song is played over the top as it fades to black to introduce the end credits. The narrative of the film is unrestricted, there is no need for restricted narration as all the characters are together at the same time and there is no need for the story to use such narration. As the audience we can see everything that is going on in with both the children and the mother who is inside the pub. This helps the viewer to feel the tension between the family as they struggle to find food and also makes the viewer sympathetic towards the mother and especially the children as they cannot provide for them selves. The audience can also relate to this family as it is a real life event although, usually not as severe for most people and the way that the story is told in such an extreme fashion is very emotive for the viewer.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?
Social Realism is an artistic movement, expressed in film, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles. It often depicts working class activities as heroic and celebrates the mundane aspects of life. The film ‘Wasp’ conforms to this idea in some ways as it shows things that happen in everyday life, people in deprived areas often find it hard to support themselves and their children and the children suffer as a result of this. The film is unique as it uses a wasp throughout. For example; the wasp trapped inside the house is desperately trying to free itself. This could have been done to show how the mother desperately wants to be free from her life of poverty and feels as though she needs one night out to escape from her life and to be who she wants to be. The film uses conventions of a typical social realist film much like other social realism films such as ‘Happy Go Lucky’ which involve people just going about their daily business and trying to deal with obstacles in life.

3. How does the film use the short film format?
All films have a basic structure. They begin with equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Wasp’ uses this narrative structure but in a short hand format as the film is much shorter, the period of equilibrium is almost nonexistent as it starts with the children franticly running after their mother as she goes to have a fight. This is done because a short film simply cannot have the amount of time devoted to setting the scene as a feature film would and it allows the audience to get right into the action. The state of disequilibrium makes up the bulk of the film. Another key point to this short film is that the new equilibrium at the end is briefer too. Again this is due to the lack of time to tell the story in a full and entertaining way. The new equilibrium is set as the children finally get some food to eat from Dave and are in the car on the way home. The baby has stopped crying and has fallen asleep and everyone is much calmer and quiet compared to at the beginning where they are all shouting.

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?
The use of sound, in ‘Wasp’ is very interesting as it uses a mix of diagetic and nondiagetic sounds it only uses this nondiagetic sound at the end when the little girl is singing a song. The actual song is then played over the top as the image fades to black and the end credits are introduced. This conforms to the typical social realist film. The rest of the sounds are made up of diagetic sounds such as the roar of the traffic as the children are walking and speech. I particularly like the use of diagetic sound, the roars of the traffic on the motorway for example, as it creates and intense atmosphere for the viewer. The traffic is really load and quite daunting especially when coupled with the close up of the Childs face, who is looking very nervous and scared. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece as the urban sounds are almost like monsters to the children and it really gives the viewer the impression that growing up in this setting is very hard and terrifying.

5. Themes, issues and representation?
The characters in ‘Wasp’ are introduced individually to begin with although as the audience we are still aware that they are a family. The mother is represented as a fairly working class woman, running along with her children in tow. This makes the film realistic and helps an audience from any social group (although mainly the working class) to relate to her.
The main themes that come across in the film are the ideas of poverty, and working class culture. Although unlike most films about the working classes it doesn’t poke fun at their situations and use them for comic relief. For example, the film ‘High Hopes’ portrays the working classes as objects to poke fun at and as second class citizens. However, the film itself is a social realist film and so unlike feature films it portrays everyday life. The audience are positioned in a very sympathetic way towards the children and to some extent the mother. They feel sorry for her situation as she cannot provide for them in the way she would like but also have doubts about her ability to raise them as she is constantly fighting and swearing around them. This is very stereotypical of the working classes; single mothers in film are often depicted in the rough way. Although, the audience are not usually made to empathise with them in the way they are in this film which is very interesting and unique.

Research Tasks 4 {[Hollie]}

Conversation Piece ... 2009 ... Joe Tunmer

1. Genre and Style:
The short film ‘Conversation piece’ is a silent short film set inside a couple’s home. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in a home setting which suggests to the viewer that this couple are quite middle class and also that perhaps their children have grown and left home as they are alone in the house. The sound of the piece is very interesting as it uses a nondiagetic soundtrack and no dialogue, this is interesting because the couple are arguing about a chip in the wife’s vase and although the viewer cannot actually hear what they say the music tells the story and in some parts the music resembles words such as ‘sorry’ and ‘I love you’ which means that they story is obvious to the viewer without actually having to hear spoken words. The narrative of the film is unrestricted, there is no need for restricted narration as all the characters are together at the same time and there is no need for the story to use such narration. As the audience we can see everything that is going on in both the kitchen and in the living room of the property. This helps the viewer to feel the tension between the couple as they argue and also the emotion as they resolve it. An audience will find this easy to relate to as all couples have petty arguments and then make up and it is quite enjoyable for the viewer to see these real life event s portrayed in such a unique way.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?
Social Realism is an artistic movement, expressed in film, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles. It often depicts working class activities as heroic and celebrates the mundane aspects of life. The film ‘Conversation Piece’ conforms to this idea in some ways as it shows things that happen in everyday life, couples do have arguments such as these and then resolve them but the film is not truly a social realism film as it uses nondiagetic sounds throughout. This is something that most social realist films do not do as life does not have a soundtrack and so films such as this usually only use diagetic sounds such as a radio for music. The film uses conventions of a typical social realist film much like other social realism films such as ‘Happy Go Lucky’ which involve people just going about their daily business and trying to deal with obstacles in life.

3. How does the film use the short film format?
All films have a basic structure. They begin with equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Conversation Piece uses this narrative structure but in a short hand format as the film is much shorter, the period of equilibrium is much briefer and is only there to introduce the characters and the setting. This is done because a short film simply cannot have the amount of time devoted to setting the scene as a feature film would. For example, in this film the equilibrium consists of the couple in their home, wife in the kitchen cooking and the husband watching television in the lounge. The film quickly gets quickly into the disequilibrium, when the husband puts on the music and the wife leaves the kitchen and then notices the chipped vase. This state of disequilibrium makes up the bulk of the film. Another key point to this short film is that the new equilibrium at the end is briefer too. Again this is due to the lack of time to tell the story in a full and entertaining way. The new equilibrium is set as the husband once more puts on the music after the argument has been resolved and the vase is fixed. The last shot shows the wife smiling and it is clear to the viewer that their argument is over and everything has been resolved for now.

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?
The use of sound, in ‘Conversation Piece’ is very interesting as it uses one song throughout the film to tell the story. It only uses this nondiagetic sound and there is no dialogue which is very unique, especially for a social realist style film.
For example, as the couple talk a high pitched instrument makes up the wife’s speech and a lower pitched instrument is used for the husband’s. The music can be used to tell the audience what the characters’ are saying to each other and the audience can almost hear the words in the music. Words such as ‘sorry’ and ‘I love you’ are the most obvious and the characters mouth these syllables which also makes it easier for the audience to grasp. I particularly like the use of nondiagetic sound as it creates and intense atmosphere for the argument, yet the music reduces the tension and makes it more enjoyable to the viewer. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece although I do think that it may be difficult to use this effect for any other type of film other than a short, social realism film.

5. Themes, issues and representation?
The characters in ‘Conversation Piece’ are introduced individually to begin with although as the audience we are still aware that they are a couple. The husband is represented as a fairly average man, which makes the film more realistic and helps an audience from any social group to relate to him. The idea of masculinity is also addressed in the film as the main character is a male and it is very stereotypical as the male is the one being nagged by his wife who has been cooking in the home while he relaxes. To begin with he appears to be a very stereotypical male in the fact that he appears strong and in control. He appears to be the breadwinner for his family but is not working at the moment as it is possibly a weekend. The character appears to be in control (another traditionally masculine attribute) as the instrument used for his voice is very over powering compared to the wives and she is in the kitchen while he relaxes. However, when the woman argues about the chipped vase it becomes clear that he is not as in control as the audience may have first thought. He becomes very submissive and is quick to apologise and this helps the viewer, whether male or female, to be able to relate to him and to empathize with his situation. This positions the viewer to be very sympathetic towards the man as he has the argument but the audience are also sympathetic towards the wife who is busy doing household chores and is upset to find her vase chipped. the viewer is sympathetic to both him and his wife and it also makes them easy to relate to as this would often happen in any marriage and most people can relate to the high emotions involved in a ‘lovers tiff’.

Research Tasks 3 {[Hollie]}

Eight … 1998 … Stephen Daldry

1. Genre and Style:
The short film ‘Eight’ is a short film set in Liverpool, England. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in an urban location but uses settings which place the young boy alone in the shot which gives the impression of being isolated, also, the film uses lighting to make all of the settings look dark and dreary as if all the bright fun and colour has been taken out of the boy’s life due to the death of his father. The sound of the piece also helped to create tension in the viewer. For example, the lack of sound apart from the young boy’s voice compels the viewer to listen to his words and helps them to understand the sorrow that the young boy feels as he has never met his father. Even though the boy is playing football with his friend, something which he says he loves, the audience can hear the sadness in the young boy’s narration as he tries to fulfil the dreams of his father. The narrative of the film is restricted as the audience can only see as much as the boy. This helps the audience to relate to the boy and also, in the beginning, makes the viewer wonder why his mother doesn’t allow him to follow his passion of football. The film moves on and we find out that the boy’s father has died in the Hillsborough disaster which is why his mother resents football as it caused the loss of her husband. The film is dark and saddening but enjoyable at the same time. The main character is a very sympathetic character and easy to relate to and this allows us to get right into the film emotionally.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?
Social Realism is an artistic movement, expressed in film, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles. It often depicts working class activities as heroic and celebrates the mundane aspects of life. The film ‘Eight’ conforms to this idea as the boy is very average and working class. He is trying to come to terms with the fact that his father has died and he, unlike his friends, must grow up without a father. One good example of how the boy longs for a father and normal family is when his friend tells him he wishes he didn’t have a father and we hear the boy talking to the audience and saying ‘Terry talks to much.’ The film uses conventions of a typical social realist film much like other social realism films such as ‘Happy Go Lucky' which involve people just going about their daily business and trying to deal with obstacles in life.

3. How does the film use the short film format?
Films begin with equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Eight’ does not really use this narrative, the period of equilibrium is present throughout as there is nothing to cause a disruption and the state of morning for his father has been continual throughout his life. This is done in many social realist films because a disruption to daily life doesn’t often occur in the same way that a feature thriller film would depict it and often in life things do not all get resolved in time for a happy ending. This short film uses restricted narration for the entire film to help create tension and mystery. The viewers are only able to see what the character sees and so are unaware of the things that are happening outside of his thoughts and feelings. The restricted narration also helps the viewer to relate to the main character and empathize with him as it is clear that these events are very distressing.

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?
The use of sound, in ‘Eight’ is very interesting as it only uses diagetic sound. The only sounds are the boy’s narration and the sounds that would occur naturally in the settings, such as the waves on the beach. The only dialogue within the piece is the boy telling his story about his dad. None of the other characters speak, their silence is used very well as it makes the audience focus on what the boy is saying and also emphasises that he feels isolated and alone in his world. It positions the viewer to feel sorry for him and also represents the families of the people that died in the Hillsborough disasters’ feeling of loss and sadness.
I particularly like the use of silence and dialogue as it creates and intense atmosphere and really puts the viewer in the mindset of the boy. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece if I were to make a social realism film to create a unique and emotional relationship between character and audience.

5. Themes, issues and representation?
The main character of ‘Eight’ is the protagonist of the story so he was introduced first. This helps to introduce his situation and the fact that he appears to be a lonely young boy who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his father.
He is represented as a fairly average boy, which makes the film more realistic and helps an audience from any social group to relate to him. It creates empathy in the viewer as things such as this could happen to anyone from any walk of life.
The character appears alone in most shots apart from when he is with Terry, who clearly does not understand his pain. The audience can feel the boys sense of longing for a father and a normal life and feel distressed for him and also understand that they would feel just as helpless and alone in a situation such as that. The film is based on a real life event and so the audience can easily relate to it and most can probably remember the news coverage of the event. They are positioned to feel sympathy for the boy and his mother who is so distraught that she cannot bear to watch football.

Research Tasks 2 {[Hollie]}

Lou-Lou Lives Here … 2003 … Hazel Grain

1. Genre and Style:
The short film ‘Lou-Lou Lives Here’ is a 4 minute long short film. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in a rural location which gives the impression of being isolated, also, the film is in black and white and the camera work is shaking in parts, which gives the impression of a dog as they are colour blind. This helps the viewer to understand that the girl and the dog are the same character. The girl also behaves in a very dog-like fashion as she licks a graze on her leg and runs up to a dead rabbit at the side of the road. The sound of the piece also helped to create tension in the viewer. For example, the silence and diagetic sounds give an eerie atmosphere to the piece. Also the man’s voice doesn’t sound human and is almost demonic so it positions the audience to be wary of him. The narrative of the film is restricted as the audience does not know that the girl and the dog are the same. As the audience we can only see as much as the girl, although, it is unclear why she is running from the man or who the man is. Perhaps the man is trying to abduct the girl but perhaps he is trying to catch the dog. As the viewer I found it slightly confusing and I’m not sure that I would want to produce a piece like this in my project.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?
From this film it is unclear what genre it is. It could in one way be described as a horror or thriller but the film does not make it clear. Its storyline is unclear. Has the girl run away from home or is she going home? This style is unique to this film as I cannot recall any other films that use this convention unless all is revealed in the end. This film does not do this and so is very unique. This feature is very interesting as it really makes the audience work but in this film i feel as though not enough is revealed to the viewer in the resolution and it leaves them feeling confused, which I as a viewer find makes the film less enjoyable.

3. How does the film use the short film format?
The basic structure for all narratives and stated that films and programmes begin with equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Lou- Lou Lives Here’ twists this format as when it begins it is already in a state of disequilibrium as the audience gets a sense of foreboding and feel that every thing is not as it should be. This could be done because in a short film narrative there is not as much time to introduce characters and settings. The film simply cannot have the amount of time devoted to setting the scene as a feature film would. The equilibrium at the end is also much briefer. Again this is due to the lack of time to tell the story in a full and entertaining way. This short film uses restricted narration for the entire film to help create tension and mystery. The viewers are only able to see what the character sees and so are unaware of the things that are happening. For example we are not sure who the male character is or why he is there. We also only find out at the very end that the girl and the dog are the same character. This is done quite cleverly by the dissolve effect as both the girl and the dog are running.

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?
The use of sound, in ‘Lou-Lou Lives Here’ is very interesting as it only uses diagetic sound. The only sounds are the girl panting and the sounds of the woodland as well as the van pulling up. The only dialogue within the piece is the man saying ‘Lou-Lou’ it has been edited to sound very distorted and deep and create tension and foreboding in the viewer. They don’t know who he is and don’t like that he is trying to get the girl to go with him. Silence is used very well as it is so quiet, in some parts, that it is almost suffocating to the viewer, this creates the feeling of intensity and a feeling of enigma. The silence creates a foreboding atmosphere that puts the audience on edge and makes them think that something bad is about to happen.
As in the film ‘Joy Ride’, which i previously studied, I particularly like the use of silence and nondiagetic sound as it creates and intense atmosphere and really puts the viewer on the edge of their seat. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece to create a sense of foreboding and enigma.

5. Themes, issues and representation?
It is unclear what this film is truly about but I feel that it is about a young girl walking home in dangerous circumstances. It positions the audience to be wary of the man as we all have preconceived notions about the typical ‘white van man’. We are afraid for the girl and almost feel as though she is about to be abducted by the man. One particular point of interest is when the man appears behind the girl. The audience tense up and are almost on the edge of their seat as the fear what is about to happen next, however, the girl attacks the man in the form of a dog and manages to escape. This is quite unique as most stories of men stalking girls end in much different circumstances. This is a sympathetic representation of the young girl as the audience want to look out for her and keep her safe. She appears helpless and this compels the audience to relate to her. The stereotype of the ‘white van man’ is played on in this film and the audience are position to fear and resent such a character which I think is true of real life as most people are wary of leaving their children in close proximity to a man such as this.

Research Tasks {[Hollie]}

JOY RIDE ... 1995 ... JIM GILLESPIE

1. Genre and Style:

The short film ‘Joy Ride’ is a 10 minute long thriller set in England. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in a rural location which gives the impression of being isolated, also, the film takes place at night and it is raining. This gives an eerie impression and also creates enigma. The sound of the piece also helped to create tension in the viewer. For example, the music builds as the man is kidnapped and locked in the boot of his car. The tension rises, but he doesn't seem to be able to free himself. During this sequence the music builds and creates tension in the viewer and giving an ‘edge of your seat’ atmosphere to the audience. The narrative of the film is restricted as the audience does not know who the kidnappers are and why they have chosen the man to kidnap. As the audience we can only see as much as the man who has been kidnapped. This helps the audience to relate to the man and also builds enigma as we too can almost feel as though we have been kidnapped and are in the dark. The film moves very quickly and is very tense with moments of violence, brief cliff hangers and an ending that is dark but enjoyable at the same time. The main character is a very sympathetic character and easy to relate to and this allows us to get right into the film without much build up.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?

Thriller and Suspense Films are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension.
Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, ect. The film ‘Joy Ride’ conforms to this idea as the kidnappers are psychos. They have no real motivation to kidnap the man apart from to kill him and possibly steal his car. One good example of how these men prove themselves psychotic is how they kill two police officers without hesitation when they are pulled over for a broken brake light. The film uses conventions of a typical thriller much like other thrillers such as ‘Taken’ and ‘Along Came a Spider’ which involve kidnappings however the ending does not conform to these conventions as unlike other thrillers the main characters usually survive their ordeal and the resolution is in most cases, a happy one. In ‘Joy Ride’ the main character’s fate is uncertain as he is covered in petrol and a shower of sparks from the overhead line fall onto him. The film then goes to black so it is not clear as to whether he is still alive although the audience does hear the sound of flames as the end credits come up so they are positioned to think that he is dead. This is a very good effect and is unique to this film.

3. How does the film use the short film format?

Todorov proposed a basic structure for all narratives and stated that films and programmes begin with equilibrium,

 a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state

 of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest

form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Joy Ride’ uses this

 narrative but in a short hand format as the film is much shorter, the period of equilibrium is much briefer and is

only there to introduce the main character. This is done because a short film simply cannot have the amount of

time devoted to setting the scene as a feature film would. For example, in this film the equilibrium consists of the

 man leaving work to go home and then the film gets quickly into the disequilibrium which makes up the bulk of

any film. Another key point to this short film is that the new equilibrium at the end is briefer too. Again this is due

to the lack of time to tell the story in a full and entertaining way. This short film uses restricted narration for the

entire film to help create tension and mystery. The viewers are only able to see what the character sees and so are

 unaware of the things that are happening outside the car boot. The restricted narration also helps the viewer to

relate to the main character and empathize with him as it is clear that these events are very distressing. 

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?

The use of sound, in ‘Joy Ride’ is very interesting as it uses a mix of diagetic and nondiagetic sound. For example, the radio can be heard in the boot of the car by the main character however a face paced piece of music is used as a soundtrack to create tension in important and risky situations, for instance when the main character is trying to kick the brake lights off of the car and when he tries to cut his arms free. This music is very cleaver as the tension and anxiety for the welfare of the main character wells up within the viewer, almost to bursting point, before the situation is overcome and both the character and the viewer can momentarily relax. Silence is used very well as it is so quiet, in some parts, that it is almost suffocating to the viewer, this creates the feeling of intensity and a feeling of enigma. The silence creates a foreboding atmosphere that puts the audience on edge and makes them think that something bad is about to happen. The silence also intensifies the unease felt by the main character, as he is obviously in grave danger.

I particularly like the use of silence and nondiagetic sound as it creates and intense atmosphere and really puts the viewer on the edge of their seat. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece to create a sense of foreboding and enigma.

5. Themes, issues and representation?

The main character of ‘Joy Ride’ is the protagonist of the story so he was introduced first in the story. This helps to introduce his situation and the fact that he appears to be a middle aged man who is trying to get home, possibly to his wife and family. Therefore he leaves a job which he sees and unimportant so be with them, however, it soon becomes apparent that he should of finished the job as if he had done he may not have suffered the ordeal he did.

He is represented as a fairly average man, which makes the thriller more realistic and helps an audience from any social group to relate to him. It creates suspense as it shows that bad things can happen to anyone from any walk of life if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The idea of masculinity is also addressed in the film as the main character is a male and it is very stereotypical as the male is the protagonist and the girl is the victim. To begin with he appears to be a very stereotypical male in the fact that he appears strong as he has a manual job and appears to be the breadwinner for his family.

The character appears to be in control (another traditionally masculine attribute)as the way he is dressed shows he is a working man and he walks and talks and with purpose, however, when he is abducted it is clear that this could happen to anybody even a to someone who appears to be strong and in control. It is obvious that he is very distressed and he even weeps a little at his situation. He appears helpless, sensitive and afraid, perhaps for his family. These traits are not often associated to men but all men do have emotions and this helps the viewer, whether male or female, to be able to relate to him and to empathize with his situation. This positions the viewer to be very sympathetic towards the man as he struggles against his captors. Usually in films working class males involved with manual labour are not often represented in a way that makes you feel sympathetic towards them. For example, the film ‘High Hopes’ portrays the working classes as objects to poke fun at and as second class citizens. However, the fact that the main character in ‘Joy Ride’ appears to be a family man as he gets a call, possibly from his wife, and then desperately tries to get home makes the viewer sympathetic to both him and his family and it also makes him easy to relate to. His emotion in the boot of the car also helps the audience to relate to him as they feel distressed for his safety and also understand that they would feel just as helpless in a situation such as that.