Task 3: Target Audience: Analysis of BFI Data- Genre and Classification

Thrillers have the greater number of releases at 64 compared to horror's total of 37 releases in 2013. One would assume that the greater number of releases would mean that thrillers are the more profitable genre of the two, but this isn't the case, as horror had a gross box office of 57.5 million which is almost twice the gross profit of thriller in the same year (29.1 million). Therefore, I can determine that horror is the more profitable genre, despite the apparent popularity of thrillers. animation was the most profitable genre of that year which is due to it being aimed at a much wider and diverse audience than horror.

The information in table 4.2 compares the average number of sites at widest point of release, meaning the average number of cinemas showing films of that genre in 2013. The genre with the greatest average number of sites at the widest point of release is sci-fi with 422 sites. However, with genres like sci-fi and westerns they had fewer releases that year which were heavily promoted like "Django Unchained" and "The Lone Ranger". The number of cinemas showing films belonging to the horror genre is greater than thriller by 56 sites, suggesting that horror films are in greater demand than thriller films.

Table 4.3 shows the box office revenues for each genre per site which gives a better indication of the genres performance in the market. the most profitable genre in 2014 per site was adventure with an average box office per site of £28,816. horror films were on average more profitable per site with£10,708 compared to thrillers average box office per site of £5,127. This suggests that horror is the most consistently profitable genre of the two, since despite a greater number of thrillers being released that same year and both genres having similar number of total sites where they were shown, films belonging to the horror genre produced on average double the box office of thrillers.
Table 4.4 shows the number of releases in each genre, comparing the percentage of releases and of total box office that belongs to each genre in the year of 2013. Action was the genre taking the greatest percentage of gross box office with 25%, despite the fairly small number of nine releases. Despite there being ten more releases in the thriller genre than the horror genre, horror produced 5.8% of the total box office that year, compared to thriller's 1.6%. This yet again suggests that despite the greater number of thriller films produced, horror is the most profitable genre of the two.

Figure 4.1 shows that UK films belonging to the horror genre produced a greater proportion of box office than UK films belonging to the thriller genre. However, the proportion of box office for UK independent thriller films was far greater than that of UK independent horror films, suggesting that although horror films generated the greatest proportion of box office of the two genres, films belonging to the thriller genre were overall more successful for All, UK and UK independent films than the horror genre, suggesting that thriller is the more reliable yet less profitable genre of the two.
Figure 4.2 shows that the proportion of releases for the thriller genre were around twice the amount of releases in the horror genre in 2013. When comparing to figure 4.1, this suggests that the proportion of box office gained by horror films is proportional to the number of releases in the horror genre, compared to the contrast in the proportion of releases and the proportion of box office in the thriller genre. Again, this information concludes that horror is the more profitable genre between horror and thriller, because of its relative success in all and UK films, despite the significantly lower number of releases in that year.

Response to Feedback

Completed:

• Video of preliminary task is embedded.
• Preliminary task evaluation has been written.
• A textual analysis of blue velvet has been written.
• The video of the opening sequence blue velvet has been embedded along with screen grabs.
• A textual analysis of SE7EN has been written
• The video of SE7EN's title sequence has been embedded along with screen grabs.
• Genre theory of Film Noir has been typed up.
• Stereotypical representations in thrillers/ horrors has been typed up.
• Analysis/ similarities and differences between hollywood studio logos has been completed.

To Be Completed:

• Images need to be embedded to the stereotypical representations in thrillers/ horrors- Will be completed by 31/12/15.
• Analysis of BFI data on genre and audience with images of the tables and data- Will be completed by 31/12/15.
• Scripting, drafting and storyboard planning evidence- Will be completed by 31/12/15.

Task 2.2: Research Into Existing Products: Order of Opening Titles

According to codes and conventions, the correct order of titles (as demonstrated by the opening credits of Skyfall embedded above) is as follows:

1. Studio Logo
2. Studio/Producer Presents
3. Starring (Main Actor) and (Main Actor)
4. Title of Film
5. Cameraperson
6. Editor
7. Composer/Music by
8. Screenwriter
9. Producer
10. Director

It is important that I follow the conventional order of titles in my film's opening sequence.

Task 2.2: Research Into Existing Products: Studio Logos

When looking at famous film studio logos as inspiration for my own design, it became apparent that many Studio logos use a simple colour scheme of three main colours and either use iconic symbols or landmarks in their logo to make it memorable. 

Animals are a common feature in studio logos like MGM's which features a lion:

Another common theme I discovered was the use of mythology and mythical creatures in film studio logos such as Tristar's use of Pegasus and Hollywood Pictures's use of a Sphinx:

 

My initial design for a studio logo:

The common theme of mythology inspired me to name the studio "Artemis Studios" after the Greek goddess of the hunt, virginity, childbirth and the wilderness/ wild animals. this meant that I could also include the common theme of animals since Artemis's sacred animal was said to be a deer. The stars in the background add to the imagery of divine beings and could later be animated. The simple, dark colour scheme prevents the logo from seeming too complex and ensures it fits the codes and conventions of studio logos. 

My updated design for a studio logo:

In order to have an animated studio logo, I updated my ideas, keeping the name, colour theme and idea for an image of the a stag. The animation element in my studio logo involves the effect of white stars in the background fading. Initially, the logo appears to show a stag stood in front of some bright, white lights- reminiscent of an animal caught in the headlights. This bright light gradually fades to stars in the background. I used stop-motion animation in order to animate my studio logo. This involved making several versions of the logo with the star effect at different levels of intensity.

MR JUDGE FEEDBACK

1.   TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING OF SE7EN WITH IMAGES AND VIDEO EMBED FOR SE7EN

2.   CHRISTIAN METZ MODELS OF GENRE DEVELOPMENT – HORROR (12D ONLY) + IMAGES

3.   FILM NOIR & HISTORY OF GENRE (HSR) + IMAGES/VIDEO EMBEDS

4.   STEREOTYPICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THRILLER/HORROR GENRES/CHARACTERS

5.   TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF OPENING OF A HORROR FILM – WOMEN IN BLACK/SCREAM etc.

• 
  
• Women in Black analysis needs to be completed
• Film Noir analysis needs images/video clips to illustrate key points
• Prelim task clips needs to be embedded. 

Task 2.1- Research Into Existing Products: Se7en Opening Sequence Analysis

The whole opening sequence consists of close-up shots and extreme close-up shots which prevents the audience from seeing the whole picture, thus preserving the enigma and plot of the film. The close-ups seem to also be point of view shots which gives the audience the impression that the individual shown pays close attention to detail and is so meticulous with their actions that they may have mental health issues. The common camera position from above could indicate the amount of power the individual considers himself as having or intends to gain through his actions.

The lighting of the opening sequence is fairly poor and unnatural which suggests that it is set somewhere without natural light like a basement without windows. Although the setting is never clearly seen due to the opening sequence mainly consisting of close-up shots, the implied dark and isolated setting adds to the audience’s negative perception of the character shown. The cover of the scrapbook is similar to that of a composition book, which are commonly used in American schools, suggesting that the individual’s actions are his work rather than a mere hobby. The shot showing the individual shaving off his own fingerprints instantly identifies him as the antagonist of the plot to the audience since the only reasoning behind these actions is to evade being identified in connection with a crime scene. The idea of the individual’s obsession with gaining power is continued when he is shown to be censoring words like “intercourse”, “transsexual” and “pregnant” in informative texts which are one of the main indicators in the opening sequence that the antagonist is morally against sinning and going against the teachings of religion. He is also shown to be crossing out the eyes and later the whole face of an image of a boy which could either be the image of a future victim, or could be an image of the individual’s former self whose innocence he is trying to protect from who he has become. The detail put into the construction of the scrapbook suggests that the individual has obsessive compulsive tendencies as he writes multiple books full of tiny and precise writing. The shot showing the word “GOD” being cut out of money either suggests that the individual is trying to disassociate God with money and other materialistic and potentially sinful items or the individual is trying to prove that he is more powerful than God which seems less likely since other evidence suggests that he is a sufferer of “religious mania”. His destruction of currency also either implies that the individual is wealthy, or doesn’t care for materialistic items.

The editing of the opening sequence is non-linear and the transitions between the shots are very erratic and fast paced. This could be used to emphasise the unusualness of the actions and to reflect the individual’s mindset. The shots frequently fade suddenly to black. This and the jump cuts throughout the opening sequence could reflect how unpredictable the individual’s thoughts and actions are. Occasionally a red light or filter is used to show photos developing in a dark room. The use of the colour red links to the danger in the individual’s actions as well as showing the development of the plan being formed as the photos develop.

The non-diegetic sound similar to thunder at the start of the opening sequence could indicate that the footage is the calm before a storm, telling the audience that the actions shown during the opening sequence are merely a plan and are just the tip of the iceberg of what is to follow later in the film. The music over the opening sequence starts off as being a collection of random, unnatural and eerie sounds which ultimately come together to form something more recognisable as music around 1:12 when the picture of the young boy is shown as completely crossed out. The sudden change in the music coincides with the apparent completion of the scrapbook which implies that logic is taking over as the individual’s plan or project is finished. The repetitiveness of the music could also reflect the individual’s mental instabilities or the deterioration of his mental health. The only spoken words in the entire opening sequence are “You put me closer to God” which illustrates the importance of religion to the individual, implying that the antagonist’s actions are driven by religion and the desire to please and do the bidding of higher powers and divine beings. The fading non-diegetic sound similar to an explosion after the words “you put me closer to God” emphasises that the individual’s ultimate motivation is based on religion.

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products: Genre and Film noir

Where did genres come from?
The genre is usually reflective of the environment in the film, the theme or topic of the film, or on the mood and emotional tone of the film. Some genres originated from  fairy-tales and European myths and legends. Most genres originate from Hollywood when they began recreating the same types of films because they knew it would generate a profit.

How did the golden age of Hollywood reinforce genres?
The golden age of Hollywood occurred in the late 1920s to the early 1960s and was when Hollywood studios issued vast amounts of films. Hollywood studios producing many films helped to reinforce genres, because the studios learnt that films that followed certain conventions and themes would definitely produce a profit. Therefore, they continued to make similar types of films and refused to take risks in attempting to release unique and more complex films.

Which genres became popular in Hollywood?
Popular genres in Hollywood include slapstick comedy, westerns, horror (usually based on monsters), gangster films and science fiction.

Why do audiences like genre films?
Genre films are popular with audiences because they know what to expect from certain types of films and enjoy films that follow their expectations.

Film noir 
"Film noir" is a term coined by a French film critic that means "Black Film". Unlike westerns and gangster films, there are no character and setting requirements for the genre film noir. However, film noirs usually contain plot conventions and the iconic "low-key lighting" or "Chiaro-scuro". Film noir emerged in the crime genre through the low budjet, B-list films being made by the big 5 studios in the 30s to maximise their profit. The financial success of the big film studios allowed for more experimentation in film-making, allowing for improvements in film-making techniques and the emergence of new genres like film noir. Film Noirs are constrained by the "Motion picture Production Code," commonly known as the "Hays Code," which generally censored tabooed subjects in film and stated that no character can profit from crime and breaking the law.
german expressionism introduced the stark camera angles and chiaro-scuro (the use of strong contrasts between light and dark). In the 1920s, The studio Warner Brothers introduced the use of dry ice, close angles and cheaper studios and sets.

Video on the History of Film Noir:

Famous Film Noirs from the Golden Age of Hollywood

• Maltese falcon (1941)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• Mildred Pierce (1945)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• The Killers (1946)
• The Third Man (1949)
• The Asphalt jungle (1950)
• The Big Heat (1953)
• Kiss me Deadly (1955)
• The Night of the hunter (1955)

Codes and Conventions of Film Noir

Film Noir usually has a melancholic mood, with themes of alienation, paranoia, guilt, bleakness and moral corruption. A non-diegetic restricted narration is usually given by the detective hero of the plot. Jazz or blues music is a common element of Film Noir, but more dramatic music is often used to forebode dangers and twists in the plot.

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products: Stereotypical Representations in Horror and Thriller Genres

Antagonists:
The dominant representation is white middle aged males. This is possibly because the original film-making community was largely centered around White Caucasian, individualistic cultures, such as the culture within Hollywood, USA during the early stages of cinema.
                                    
Archetypal Victims:
Single, white, female virgins. This stereotype is beginning to change as Female characters in horror films are being given more complex roles as heroines instead of mere victims. This change in roles and development in the portrayal of female characters reflects the transgression of female stereotypes as the rise and success of feminism means that women are no longer confined to the domestic sphere within a patriarchal society. Contemporary horror and thriller films can no longer rely on females acting as the obvious victim within the narrative, unless the story line is within a historical setting when women remained relatively powerless and reliant on the financial and physical support of men.

Cultural Bias:
Leading actors and directors in Hollywood were always Caucasian while black and ethnic minority actors only played minor roles. In the Thriller genre, it was common practice to have white male actors playing key roles. This has been challenged and broken by films like "Se7en" which has Morgan Freeman playing the lead role.

Gender Bias:
Females usually play the "femme fatale" or a victim. Since Jodie Foster's performance of "Clarice Starling" in "the Silence of the Lambs"(1990) the roles of women in thriller and horror films has become far more challenging and complex.

Heterosexual Bias:
Having a gay protagonist is still very unusual in Hollywood horror and thriller films. However, it isn't as unusual to have homosexual antagonists. For example, nearly all antagonists created by the author Thomas Harris have homosexual tendencies and sexual deviances, which has ultimately helped to form a negative stereotype for the horror and thriller genres.

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products: The Woman in Black Opening Scene

The non-diegetic sound of the music is reminiscent of a child's music box playing in a minor key and creates an eerie atmosphere for the scene. The contrapuntal nature of the music is one of the many elements in the opening sequence that forebodes something going wrong. As the scene progresses, the sounds of church bells and organs is gradually introduced as the action builds and reaches the climax. The church imagery created by the sounds links to funerals which forebodes the introduction of death to this seemingly safe and innocent nursery.
The close up shots of the children's toys emphasises their symbolic importance to the plot of the opening scene. the shot zooming into the windows also emphasises an importance in the scene, as well as giving a point of view shot from the girls' perspective as they begin to make their way across the room. At the very end of the opening sequence there is a short, barely noticeable over the shoulder shot of "The Woman in Black," which shocks the audience as there was no-one visible in the background of previous shots, illustrating her supernatural and sinister nature.
There is a match-on-action sequence of shots when the girls stand up, leaving the safety of their tea party which quickens the pace of the action and creates tension as the audience wonders what's happening to make them get up in such an unnatural and synchronised manner. the shots of the toys being broken are played in slowmotion to emphasise the the unusual strength of the little girls' footsteps and to add to the supernatural situation of the situation by distorting our perception of reality. The final shot in the opening sequence fades to white which could symbolise the children proceeding to heaven or the afterlife and "heading towards the light".
The old fashioned and dimly lit nursery as well as the creepy dolls and children's toys add to the eeriness and the unwelcoming feeling of the setting which contrasts how a nursery should be. The only  source of light in the room is coming from the windows which again implies the idea of death and "heading towards the light". The girls being dressed-up in similar dresses complete with dresses and bows adds to their innocence and intentionally makes them look similar to their dolls, which forebodes their death. Their pale complexions and rosy cheeks makes them seem even more like the bone china dolls, enhancing the connection between the breaking porcelain toys to the girls' breaking bones once they jump out of the window. The images of birds on the tea-set also forebodes the children's demise as the birds trigger imagery of jumping, flying and "falling out of the nest".

Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products: Blue Velvet by David Lynch Opening Sequence Analysis

Generally, the extract contains seamless continuity editing which promotes the idea that the setting of the extract is calm and without fault. Dissolve transitions are used throughout the beginning of the extract until the change of tone at 0:59 when the gun on the TV screen is shown. The dissolve transitions create an almost dreamlike effect and the fact that these stop when the man and woman are introduced could suggest that these perfect American communities are tainted by individuals introducing crime to the society. After that, the effect of a match-on-action is created using a faster paced sequence of shots centred on the building pressure in the hosepipe. This quickened pace of shots gives the audience the immediate impression that all is not well and forebodes the man’s stroke. At 1:39 the footage of the dog is played in slow-motion which could show the man’s disorientation and vulnerability or emphasise the juxtaposition of a dog playing whilst the man has what turns out later, to be a near-fatal stroke, as well as introducing a new, sinister side to the setting. At the start of the opening sequence, the non-diegetic sound of the song “Blue Velvet,” fits the images shown and the idea of an ideal vintage American community. However, the relaxed and slow music soon becomes contrapuntal as the gun imagery and the man’s stroke are introduced. The first diegetic sound in the opening sequence is the hissing of the hose-pipe which clashes with the music. The hissing hose pipe could symbolise how the crime in these seemingly perfect American communities is increasingly under pressure and can no longer be covered up by the ideal stereotypes that the music suggests. At the end of the opening sequence when the worm-eye-shot of the undergrowth is introduced, a low frequency eerie rustling sound completely overrides the music, disorientating and confusing the audience, giving a complete contrast in tone from the beginning of the opening sequence. The mise-en-scene of the extract creates an idyllic and calm setting, giving the audience an almost false sense of security. In the opening scene, the combination of blue sky, white picket fence and red roses create an abstract American flag, which promotes the theme of a utopian 1950s America. The yellow tulips are iconic spring flowers and so could be a symbol for hope, as spring brings hope after winter. However, the fact that the flowers shown are roses and tulips, which bloom at different times of year, could imply a passage of time within the extract, showing that the serenity of the setting is continuous or otherwise suggests that something is amiss and the natural order of the situation is confused and corrupted. The smartly dressed children, all walking to school together, illustrate the idea of an ideal American community and the Lollipop lady adds the safety of the setting. A shot showing a fire engine with a waving fireman also helps to promote this idea of a healthy, safe and sheltered community. The houses shown in some shots fit the stereotype of porches and picket fences within such a safe and sheltered community. The white or pale colour of the houses suggests the initial innocence of the setting and community presented. All of this stereotypical imagery of a perfect American neighbourhood begins to unravel at the shot focusing on the gun in a crime drama being watched on the TV. The introduction of the theme of crime hints to the audience that the utopian setting is all but perfect and is potentially home to an undercover crime community. The first shot is a vertical tilt from a clear blue sky to red roses in a garden. The focus on beautiful weather immediately creates an inviting setting. Many medium shots are used throughout the opening sequence when showing scenes that suggest an idyllic community. The main close-up shots are on negative imagery like the gun on the TV, the pressurised hose-pipe and the dog going wild playing with the water. These close-up shots force the audience to notice the flaws in the once perfect seeming setting, showing them that beyond the surface there is a darker side. A high angled shot of the man illustrates his helplessness and vulnerable situation he is in. The dog and young toddler emphasise this innocence and lack of control over the unfortunate situation. At 1:28 there is an out of focus POV shot showing the water from the hose pipe which gives the audience an idea of the man’s disorientation and blinding pain. A vertical tilt similar to the one at the beginning of the extract is also used here, possibly to remind the audience of how quickly their impression of the setting and situation has changed since the introduction of crime imagery in the form of the gun. At the very end of the opening sequence a worm-eye-view shot of the undergrowth is used to contrast the opening shot of the sky and to imply that underneath the perfect facade, the setting is plagued by hidden dangers and crime.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

The 180-degree rule states that characters have to maintain the same left or right relationship to each other. Therefore the camera has to remain on the same side of the characters in a shot in order to not break the 180-degree rule. A match on action is when a shot cuts to another shot with an alternative view of the action shown before. We incorporated a match on action shot when the girl’s picture is being given back to her. A shot-reverse-shot is when one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character’s perspective is shown in the second shot. This was used for the conversation within a scene in our preliminary task video. Overall, the film-making process went well and we had no issues in creating the scenes from the storyboard in real life. We did have a few issues when filming around the sixth form because our scenes required us using one of the main staircases as a setting, which meant that every so often we had to pause filming to let people use the staircase and to wait for the noise in the surrounding corridors to reduce. When editing the video on Adobe Premier, I learnt how to crop our film clips to suitable sizes making them fit the sequence in a more suitable manner. I also learnt how to add a title sequence in which we could edit the size, colour and style of the font used, making the title sequence fit the tone of the video. We also discovered how to upload and edit music to play over our video. This was particularly useful as it allowed us to clarify the optimistic and  lighthearted tone of our video. One of the most important things I learnt about editing videos using Adobe Premier was how to include transitions between the video clips, allowing us to control the pace and style of the video. As the editing process went on, I became more familiar with Adobe Premier and would be confident if using this software again.

My preliminary task video is loosely based on the romantic comedy genre and features an awkward and clumsy female character who collides with the main male character, causing her to drop her folders and books.

Mr Judge Feedback

MAJOR ISSUES IDENTIFIED WITH ALL/SOME BLOGS

Complete the following tasks ASAP

1.    NO BLOG posts whatsoever L at this stage is at risk of not passing the whole course 

2.    NO PRELIM TASK VIDEO EMBEDDED FROM YOUTUBE

3.    NO PRELIMINARY TASK EVALUATION EVIDENT

5.    NO BLUE VELVET SCREEN GRABS IN PLACE

6.    NO BLUE VELVET VIDEO EMBEDDING IN PLACE