Category: Film

Character

What can you tell about a character by the way they look? Costume, hair and make up are all used to add to the actor’s performance. A character’s behaviour gives us clues about their thoughts and feelings.

Settings

Stories can be set in real places or fantasy worlds, in the past, present or future. When characters are introduced to a new setting it can change their behaviour and influence their personaility.

Narrative

Many stories follow the same basic structure – beginning – middle – end > normal – problem – new normal > equilibrium – disruption – new equilibrium (resolution)

Colour and light

Colour and light are used to create mood. Shadows and dark can create a gloomy atmosphere whereas a bright colourful scene can create a happier mood. Light can also focus our  attention on details in a scene. Colour can represent a character’s emotions.

Music and sound

A film’s soundtrack is as important as the things you see on the screen. Music, sound effects and moments of silence can help create suspense, excitement and laughter. Audiences can often tell if characters are good or bad according to the diagetic and non diagetic sounds which have been added.

Camera and editing

Shot types and camera angles are carefully chosen to show points of view and focus the audience’s attention. An editor’s job is to sequence each shot so the story is engaging and easy to follow.

Use these key facts to think again about the film we have been studying.

How were these all used to:

• create the narrative structure
• make stereotypical heroes, villains etc
• appeal to target audiences
• make a profit?

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/nq/e/nqresource_tcm4718917.asp

15 rated films deal with adult themes and have a range of things included in the text that make them unsuitable for younger viewers.

 

Is 15 really stronger than 12A?

Yes. 15 works are stronger than 12 or 12A rated works and could include any of the following:

• strong violence
• frequent strong language (eg ‘f***’).
• portrayals of sexual activity
• strong verbal references to sex
• sexual nudity
• brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
• discriminatory language or behaviour
• drug taking

 

How many of these did you spot in the 30 minutes of Cabin in the Woods that you watched?

 

We are about to watch 3 horror genre movies now that you are all 15! Hurrah!

They will be:

The Cabin in the Woods

The House at the End of the Street &

Orphan

 

The NAB will be giving you an opportunity to show that you understand the following about one of the films:

Categories

Medium

Purpose

Form

Genre

Language – Two or more cultural/technical codes

Narrative structure

Representation

Stereotyping

Target audience

Decoding

Production company

Financial controls

You will do an essay with support in class and then there will be a formal test to see what you remember.

you will all be 15! Soon you will be able to legally watch 15 films.

Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, frequent strong language and limited use of very strong language, strong violence and strong sex references, and nudity without graphic detail. Sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Sexual violence may be shown if discreet and justified by context.

 

The 15 certificate was introduced by the British Board of Film Censors on 1 November 1982, following an overhaul of its classifications as recommended by the Williams Committee.  It is currently defined as follows:

Passed only for persons of fifteen years and over. No person apparently under the age of 15 years shall be admitted to any exhibition at which there is to be shown any film which has received a ’15’ certificate from the British Board of Film Classification.

It was a direct replacement for the AA certificate, the only difference being that the age limit was raised from fourteen to fifteen.  In 1985, following the recommendations of the 1984 Video Recordings Act, the 15 certificate was extended to cover video releases.

While the increased age limit allowed the BBFC to be more lenient with regard to classifying certain films, it became clear towards the end of the 1980s that an additional classification was needed between 15 and PG, as Hollywood in particular was producing an increasing number of films aimed specifically at young teenagers.  Since these films were considered too strong for a PG, they were usually given a 15 certificate, thus preventing their natural audience from seeing them.

As a result of increasingly public debate over this issue, the BBFC introduced the 12 certificate in 1989.

The BBFC permits the following within the bounds of the 15 certificate:

Theme: No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds. Language: There may be frequent use of strong language; the strongest terms are only rarely acceptable. Continued aggressive use of strong language and sexual abuse is unacceptable. Nudity: There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Sex: Sexual activity and nudity may be portrayed but without strong detail. The depiction of casual sex should be handled responsibly. There may be occasional strong verbal references to sexual behaviour. Violence: Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain, and of injuries. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief. Imitable techniques: Dangerous combat techniques such as ear claps, head-butts and blows to the neck are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be no emphasis on the use of easily accessible lethal weapons (in particular, knives). Horror: Sustained or detailed infliction of pain or injury is unacceptable. Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but clear instructive detail is unacceptable. The film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug use.

What are codes?
Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic:

•Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for example the camera work in a film.
•Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. For example, a character’s actions show you how the character is feeling.
Some codes fit both categories – music for example, is both technical and symbolic

 

What are conventions?
Conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any film,  but conventions are also genre specific.

Codes and conventions are used together in any study of genre – it is not enough to discuss a technical code used such as camera work, without saying how it is conventionally used in a genre.  For example, the technical code of lighting is used in some way in all film genres. It is a convention of the horror genre that side and back lighting is used to create mystery and suspense – an integral part of any horror movie.

Narrative and Character Types

There are lots of theories on  the ways that stories work: some people say that most stories  or narratives have similar themes, and similar characters.               

The following ‘character types’ come from Propp’s   work on folk tales:

HERO(INE): Individual whose quest  is to restore the equilibrium. – Katniss

VILLAIN: Individual(s) whose  task is to disrupt the equilibrium. – President Snow

DONOR: Individual(s) who gives the hero something e.g. advice or an object. – Haymitch

HELPER: Individual who aids the hero with their set task. – Gale

PRINCESS/PRINCE: Individuals who need help, protecting and saving. – Primrose/Peeta

DISPATCHER: Individual(s) who send the hero on their quest. – Cinna or Effie Trinkett

FALSE HERO : Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero’s quest by pretending to aid them.  Often unmasked at the end of the film – Seneca Crane

Now think of your favourite film. Which characters play the same type of roles?

 

Target Audience

Key elements of a teen movie:

■ Handsome young male protagonist – Yes

■ Attractive female protagonist – Yes

■ Key location suburban American high school – No

■ White affluent middle-class family, who live in a large house – No

■ Teenage angst, conflict with family, heartbreak – Yes

■ Sex, drugs and romance – Watered down version to fit with 12A rating to get more…?