Interstellar Case Study

Film Task- Sound

Distribution Research- Dracula Untold (2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pride (2014) UK Production

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film Idea Based on Representation

Action Adventure Film Idea

Film Name
Bullet

Plot

Bullet is a trained assassin who is known for his gun skills, got caught up in the wrong crowd at a casino, owing around £10 million he is set off on a quest to retrieve their money and save his girlfriend from a Russian roulette game they conducted on her.

Characters
Bullet- Hero
Sarah Harlot- Princess
Nikoli Chekhov- Villain

Setting/Location
Casino
Busy city

Themes
Love
assassination

Iconography
Guns
Fast Cars
Weapons

Stars/ Actors
Brad Pitt
Jenifer Laurence
Marton Csokas

Cinematography

Medium shot

Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.

Long shot

The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible.

Extreme long shot/ establishing shot
The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

Medium long shot
The subject is visible (barely), but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment.

Canted/ Dutch Tilt Shot

The camera angle is deliberately slanted to one side. This can be used for dramatic effect and helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness, etc.

Tilt

A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary location.

Tracking Shot

Shot in which the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks.

Dolly Shot

A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. Dolly shots can provide very dramatic footage.

Crane shot

A shot taken by a camera on a crane or jib. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie.

Handheld

A camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base.

 Ariel/ birds eye shot

A shot taken from a plane, helicopter or a person on top of a building. Not necessarily a moving shot.

 Zoom

The camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. The effect is that the subject appears stationary while the background size changes.

Short Film Clip (Horror)

Vogler's Story Structure

Act 1

In which the scene is set and the hero sets out.

1. Ordinary World

The story starts in the ordinary world where the hero is going about everyday existence, oblivious of the adventures to come. This anchors the hero as a human, just like you and me, and hence we can associate ourselves with the hero.

2. Call to Adventure

The hero is next presented with a wrong done, a problem or challenge which they feel they must resolve. Thus the king calls for someone to save the realm from a marauding enemy, a private detective has a client bring a difficult case to them or an attractive other person is spotted in a bar. Thus the challenge is set, to defeat the enemy, solve the murder or win the heart of the other person.

3. Refusal of the Call

The hero may well balk at the thought of the task ahead, perhaps refusing the challenge or having second thoughts. The problem seems too much to handle and the comfort of home seems more attractive than the rough wilderness or dangerous streets.

This would be our own response and we thus bond further with the reluctant hero.

4. Meeting the Mentor

The mentor appears to help the hero prepare for the road ahead. Thus Gandalf, Obi-wan Kenobi and a host of other wise and experienced people teach the hero the skills they need and give them critical knowledge to help them survive.

5. Crossing the Threshold

Eventually the hero is ready to act and crosses the threshold, often literally as they leave the family homestead on their journey into the unknown.

Act 2

In which the main action happens as the hero survives the road and achieves their goal.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

Once out in the big wide world, the hero is confronted with an ever more difficult series of challenges that they may face, ranging from minor skirmishes and struggles against weather and terrain to riddles and various setbacks that would defeat a lesser person.

In this way the hero's character is both highlighted and developed. Now bonded to the hero, we feel a vicarious sense of pleasure as these challenges are met.

7. Approaching the Inmost Cave

At last the final destination lays ahead and the hero, battered but wiser from their trials along the way must prepare for the ultimate test. In ancient legend, a typical 'innermost cave' is the land of the dead or a labyrinth. It is the lair of the dread enemy where no help may be found and only deep courage will win through. Another threshold must be crossed here to enter the dragons' den of the innermost cave.

We swallow hard, as does the hero, at the thought of what might go wrong. To approach the innermost cave is to face death and still go on. This pause helps show the hero as still human and helps build the story tension before the high point of the story.

8. The Crisis / Supreme Ordeal

At last the hero must face their deepest fears, typically in battle with the dark villain. This is the ultimate test that the hero takes, where the real story perhaps is the inner battle whereby the hero overcomes their own demons in facing up to the enemy outside.

As observers, we feel scared for the hero and may be terrified that they might fail or die. In so doing we also face and, with the hero, overcomes our own inner fears.

9. Seizing the Reward

In defeating the enemy, the hero is transformed into a new state where fears are vanquished and the new fearless person is born. The reward in the story may be gaining new knowledge, a treasure or rescuing a princess, but the inner reward is in the personal growth that is achieved.

Act 3

10. The Road Back

After the story has reached its main peak, the transformed hero sets out home again. Having gained the treasure they are have no need for more adventure and nothing left to prove and so set out back home again.

Setting out home is reverse echo of crossing the threshold in setting out on the adventure. In contrast to the earlier anticipation of danger, the anticipation now is of acclaim and rest.

11. The Climax / Resurrection

The story has one last trick up its sleeve now, having lulled its audience into a false sense of security, as one last challenge faces the hero. Perhaps the villain was not completely vanquished or perhaps there are other people in need on the way back -- whichever way, we are again plunged into another climactic event, just when we thought it was safe to breathe easy again.

In ancient stories, the hero has to be purified before return. After the toil of the journey and the ordeal, they are formally reborn into a new and beautiful form.

12. Return with the Elixir

Finally, the hero returns to the hero's welcome, gives the treasure to the proper recipient and receives their just reward, whether it is the hand of the princess, the acclaim of the people or simply a well-deserved rest.

In this final part, all tensions are resolved and all unanswered questions answered, leaving the reader of the story satisfied and replete.

Coda

Vogler's work has been both criticized and acclaimed. Whilst some say there is nothing new in his writings and recommend the earlier Campbell's 'Hero's Journey' or Propp's Morphology of the Folk Tale, others praise Vogler for his clarification, simplification and placing of classic patterns into the modern genre.

Narrative Presentation

Film Narrative: Vacancy (2007)

Film clip showing: mise en scene- Vacancy (2007) HW

21:38- 24:00 (minutes)

The scene starts off pitch black with back lighting coming from a small slit in the window. The door then opens to reveal even more light as the couple walks in to the room. This could connote that the room is a dark and dangerous place to be in. the man then turns on the lights to reveal an old fashioned motel room. You can tell this due to the furniture in it the use of the beige colours. This would tell the audience that it hasn’t been used in a while as the room should have been updated. There is one main light coming from the lamp. the man the puts the bolt5 on the door, this tells the audience that he feels unsafe staying in the hotel and is also cautious.

The woman goes into the bathroom and there is a close up of her face her expression is one of annoyance which is probably due to the condition of the room. She walks into the bath room and turns on the light. Behind her is an old, brown box TV which gives the room a nostalgic atmosphere. On the light switch there is close up of a cockroach which hasn’t come to her attention. This tells the audience that the room is in an unsanitary condition and shouldn’t be slept in. the cockroach the craw under the rug which could represent a silent danger as she does not see it and could foreshadows the rest of the film; as what she doesn’t know is that there is a trap door under it. She then examines the bathroom disapprovingly and takes some medication. The pill could connote her mental health and suggest she is mentally unstable. From the taps comes muddy water which adds to the horrid state of the room.

They are both in the bedroom now and each to off their jackets to get comfortable. Both of their jackets are black which could represent death as later in the film, some people try to kill them. The woman the takes off the duvet from the bed to see dirty bed sheets whilst the3 man examines the rest of the room. They both then sit on the bed fully clothes which could connote that they feel uncomfortable in the room and tells the audience they are on edge.

There is a close up of the man which a sad face which could connote the regret he has and the sadness he feels that his marriage is over. The camera then goes to the woman who has the same expression. Both of the character have close ups of their faces to tell the audience how they feel about their marriage.

Introduction to Film

Today was lesson one of film studies where I was given an introduction of the course; found out what it was about and what I have to do throughout the year. I learnt about the purpose of films and how it fulfills i'ts purpose. Also I learnt about the features of film and how to analyse them. I also did two examples of movie clips in class as well.

The Red Balloon Video Sequence- Summer Task

Amelie Case Study

Background information on the Director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet was born in Roanne, Loire, France. He bought his first camera at the age of 17 and made short films while studying animation at Cinémation Studios. He befriended Marc Caro, a designer and comic book artist who became his long-time collaborator and co-director.

Together, Jeunet and Caro directed award-winning animations. Their first live action film was The Bunker of the Last Gunshots (1981), a short film about soldiers in a bleak futuristic world. Jeunet also directed numerous advertisements and music videos, such as Jean Michel Jarre's Zoolook (together with Caro).

Jeunet and Caro's first feature film was Delicatessen (1991), a melancholy comedy set in a famine-plagued post-apocalyptic world, in which an apartment building above a delicatessen is ruled by a butcher who kills people in order to feed his tenants. 

Jeunet directed Amélie, starring Audrey Tautou. Amélie continued the surrealist vibe of his earlier films, but was happier in tone and added romantic and comedic elements. This story is about a woman who takes pleasure in doing good deeds but has trouble finding love herself, was a huge critical and commercial success worldwide and was nominated for several Academy Awards. For this film, Jeunet also gained a European Film Award for Best Director. 

Jeunet has also directed numerous commercials including a 2'25" film for Chanel N° 5 featuring his frequent collaborator Audrey Tautou.

In 2013, Jeunet released The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet an adaptation of Reif Larsen's book: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet that starred Kyle Catlett. The film was shot in English at various locations in Canada and in Washington, DC. It was released in 3D. 

Contextual information on the film (historical/social/political)

Amélie (French: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain) is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurent, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. The film was an international co-production between companies in France and Germany. Grossing over $33 million in limited theatrical release, it is still the highest-grossing French-language film released in the United States. 

Critical reception (what the critics said and any awards)

The film met with critical acclaim and was a major box-office success. Amélie won Best Film at the European Film Awards; it won four César Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTA Awards (including Best Original Screenplay), and was nominated for five Academy Awards. 

The reasons for choosing to study this particular film over the other one(s) I have watched

The reasons for choosing to study this particular film over the others was because my mum recommended it to me and was the first one I watched from both lists as it was the first one I found on Netflix. I also found the film very interesting too.