Character Stereotypes

SLUTS

Mercedes and Effy share many characteristics;
They are both from ‘broken homes’ and break the blonde hair big boob mould with brunette hair.
Both are skinny and usually wearing skimpy fitted clothes, and wear a lot make up and have styled hair.
Both have been through family traumas, Mercedes loosing her sister and Effy with her brother in a coma, both have separated parents, with Mercedes not knowing who her father is.
They both have bold looks with Effy’s slightly vampy look and Mercedes chavvy jewellery.
Both are young are sleep around but have changed recently in going ‘natural’ and ‘falling in love’ showing the similarities in characterisation in very different dramas.

Kill Bill Vol.2

Kill Bill Vol.2

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country made: USA
Year made: 2004

Buried alive scene


There is a specific scene in this film which represents generic thriller aspects when we see ‘The Bride’ drugged, captured and buried alive.
The coffin itself represents death and confined space.
Filmed from the inside of the coffin we see the last slits of light turn to darkness and the vulnerable bride is left to die.
With the noir lighting with chiaroscuro we can just see her distressed, worn out face from the light of her torch which is one of many minimalistic props in this scene, through the torch were shown limited light and with close ups creates effective mis-en-scene and emphasises the generic thriller shadows cast by the bride in her claustrophobic space. other props include rope tying the brides hands together which is cut by a knife, showing her strength as a femme fatel through her imprisonment.
.This claustrophobia and darkness build suspense in that we feel she is unable to escape in her generic unglamorous setting of a graveyard that will ironically become her own place of rest if she does not escape.
Both diagetic and non diagetic sound are used in this scene, the diagetic sound builds fear for example the nails in the coffin, as it stirs a sense of dread, and shows her vulnerability to the powerful men of the scene. It also emphasises her struggle with heavy breathing, and the struggle from escaping from the ropes that bound her limbs and her hands when trying to hammer her way out of the coffin.
With the western music, Quentin Tarentino is cross-referencing from 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' shows the symbolism of downfalls in characters futures, as well as the graveyards location creating a sense of dread in the brides outcome of this tragedy as to those in the 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly'

The Third Man

The Thrid Man

Director: Carol Reed
Country Made: Vienna
Awards: Won 3 Nominated for 3

Generic signifiers are used frequently throughout ‘The Third Man’ from costume and lighting to being filmed in black and white.
In the opening sequence, there is a close up, canted shot of a suitcase including black shoes, (representing the black market) clothes and paint.
The odd angle shows confusion and disorientation, there is also a shot of an arm full of watches, with these shots and no faces shown the third man is instantly establishing what kind of thriller film it is with its introduction to crime and danger in unglamorous settings, also proven by the dead body in the river.
The music played introduces subtle humour into the sequence of events, which in a generic thriller would be replaced by tension building music.
We are shown in establishing shots the divided city and soldiers, filmed just after the war with a British army captain voice over showing significance to the time and setting of this film.
We are introduced to Holly Martin dressed in a generic costume to a thriller film; trilby hat, long coat, polished shoes and a briefcase which immediately creates interest surrounding his character.
Holly Martin also walks under a ladder again showing the black humour surrounding this film and possibly symbolising Holly’s bad luck.
The director uses many different camera angles creating a sense of distress in Holly’s safety.
Low angles and canted shots show the streets of Vienna as a maze in which Holly could easily be lost.
The long shadows from the streetlights and dark alleys show the mystery of this city at night and Holly’s vulnerability to his new settings.
Holly’s shadows cast on the wall of the staircase shows mystery and build tension and can make Harry look both strong and vulnerable, he seems scared yet comforted by his shadow as it would be easily detectable if he were not alone.
His footsteps also create eeriness and build tension, both the footsteps and shadows being another generic thriller aspect of ‘The Third Man’

cinematic terms

A few examples of Cinematic terms.

Blow-up
the enlargement of a photographic image or film frame


Boom shot
a continuous single shot made from a moving boom, assembled like a montage, and incorporating any number of camera levels and angles.


Character study
a film that uses strong characterizations, interactions and the personalities of its characters to tell a story, with plot and narrative almost secondary to them


Cinematographer
specifically refers to the art and technique of film photography, the capture of images, and lighting effects, or to the person expert in and responsible for capturing or recording-photographing images for a film, through the selection of visual recording devices, camera angles, film stock, lenses, framing, and arrangement of lighting; the chief cinematographer responsible for a movie is called the director of photography, or first cameraman.


180 degree rule
a screen direction rule that camera operators must follow - an imaginary line on one side of the axis of action is made (e.g., between two principal actors in a scene), and the camera must not cross over that line - otherwise, there is a distressing visual discontinuity and disorientation.


Dolly (shot)
refers to a moving shot in which the perspective of the subject and background is changed; the shot is taken from a camera that is mounted on a hydraulically-powered wheeled camera platform (sometimes referred to as a truck or dolly), pushed on rails (special tracks) and moved smoothly and noiselessly during filming while the camera is running; a pull-back shot (or dolly out) is the moving back ('tracking back') of the camera from a scene to reveal a character or object that was previously out of the frame, dolly in is when the camera moves closer ('tracking in') towards the subject, and dollying along with (or 'tracking within') refers to the camera moving beside the subject; also known as tracking shot.


Epilogue
a short, concluding scene in a film in which characters (sometimes older) reflect on the preceding events.


Segment (or seg)
a section or episode of a film; a series of sequences that comprise a major section of the plot; segmentation of a film often helps to further analysis


Superimposition
Where an image will be layered over another image. e.g film titles at the beginning of films composed as a double exposure.



Transition
one of several ways of moving from one shot or scene to the next, including such transitional effects or shots as a cut, fade, dissolve, and wipe; a transition focus between two scenes means the current scene goes out of focus and the next scene comes into focus.

MOCK EXAM analysing WANTED

audience profile

Age
We aimed our thriller at audience of 17-40 yr olds, with an age certificate of 15 due to violence and drug usage. Our storyline could appeal to an older audience due to our action and storyline yet we aimed it at 17 year olds due to our young cast of 16- 18 year olds

Gender
Our thriller is aimed at both males and females, females with our femme fatal opening our film seeking revenge on males and dealing with her own personal problems woman may be able to relate to and men with our drug use and violence introducing them to an action film as in our survey we found men preferred a male lead.

Occupation
students in sixth form, college or university are key target audiences.
However it also targets the more superior film viewers due to the suspense within the opening as well as reference to more classic thrillers such as Psycho.

Targeting the more superior film viewer is also due to the fact that our film would likely be viewed in cinemas such as cinema city due to its art house production. Therefore viewers watching the film would be interested in the use of location and mise-en-scene.
Showing our film at cinema like cinema city will appeal to an art house audience

Aspirations
Aspirations of the target audience of this film is likely to be high with the film mainly appealing to students attending sixth form, college etc therefore could gain insperation from this production and discuss the actions and messages portrayed within the film.

Simliar films to appeal to target audience
Our film is based around the more classic thriller such as Psycho as it doesn't use so many special effects and CGI. Our inspired director was Quentin Tarantino as he often uses the lead femme fatal who is strong and independent. Therefore our audience would likely to be interested in Jackie Brown and Kill Bill which isn't a thriller but follows the similar conventions.

Interests
Our film uses a soundtrack of classical music therefore our audience is likely to be interested in how it is used and contrasts with the violence which is seen. Our audience is likely to be interested in photography and film making and therefore would be interested in the use of cinematography and use of mise-en-scene. The use of costume is also very striking and stylish and therefore would appeal to a modern fashionable audience.