Question 2

Camerawork

The first example of camerawork in this extract is the close up of Lara's face when she discovers her partners have been killed and it shows her emotion of pure panic the close up can really help the audience feel how the character feels because she goes from in delight of seeing the gold rock to being shocked to see her partners throat cut.

The second example I will mention is the over the shoulder shot at the beginning of the extract where the camera has spun round over her shoulder and you can see the statue above her and this statue turns out to be very significant as she climbs it and the thing she finds is what causes the whole building to crumble.

Mise-en-scene

A huge chest full of golden treasures is one of the main elements of the tomb. It create an effect of wonder around the tomb and references older films from a similar genre, for example the Indiana Jones franchise, where chests of gold like this one were often found by the title character himself.

The second example that I will mention is the weaponry they use, the weaponry the use isn't new and fast in fact some of it is for example Lara's guns but you would expect that from her as she is a very stereotypical spy who would have the newest equipment, but some of it is very old fashioned like the crossbows that the antagonists have.

Editing

The first example of editing that I will talk about is the Slow motion shot of the protagonist Lara Croft coming out of the water at the end when she knows she is safe she rises through the water majestically and is relived that she has got out of the situation she was in as it was very dangerous and she managed to grab onto a shark that pulled her to safety.

CGI is used in this extract when Lara lets light shine through the yellow orb. This computer generated ray of light is used to emphasize the wonder and amazement of the artefact. The audience knows that it is very important because of the incredible ray of light that it produced.

Soundtrack

The music when the group first enter the tomb is very grand and swells when then you first see the details of the tomb. It creates a feeling of ancient grandeur around the place and makes the audience feel that it is very significant to the story and was once a very important tomb.

The second example i will mention is the Diegetic sounds of the guns bullets firing and clanking against metal these noises had obviously been emphasized to sound more forced and make the scene look more intense and as it was louder the tension increased and left the audience on the edge of their seat.

Practice Question one

This movie is a quest action and adventure hybrid

The action and adventure codes and conventions used in the opening include a spectacle. You can tell the spectacle is coming by the lead up to the tomb opening, there are slow camera movements and the music gets louder and more powerful up until the tomb opens. The spectacle is formed by the shear vastness of the tomb, there is a camera pan and point of you shot to show the huge spectacle of the tomb from the characters point of view. The use of a spectacle makes the cation and adventure genre seem more incredible.

Another way this fits the action adventure is that character of Lara Croft is very intelligent and resourceful, she is intelligent and can understand how to use confusing equipment, she can use flares easily and knows exactly what to do with them also knowing exactly how to cut the medallion and then leaping easily over. This all shows her intelligence and cunning of a typical action and adventure hero. She is level headed and attractive even in life threatening situations like the tomb imploding. Therefore showing the resourcefulness and intelligence of the antagonist. 

Planning Filming

16/01/2017 CONSTRUCTION: FILMING

In order to shoot quickly and prepare our shots we set out shots taken on a camera that would show in stages where everyone would be so we could map out the shot. We also checked out the location and moved any things that we wouldn’t want in the shot in advance. We hope to film the scene with Ross wearing his suit as a pharmaceutical manager, looking at files on his desk. Acting very worried due to all the fail signs.

Before our shooting this Friday we prepared by bringing in costume. For the role of a pharmaceutical manager we asked Ross to bring in a plain black suit. To show his professionalism and power. I also prepared some documents for the desk setting for the shoot. We used newspaper articles and failed blood tests to give the illusion of something going wrong.

Our cameraman will be swapped between me, Ross and Ellie.  This Depends on who is in the shoot. I am in charge of directing the shots, Ross will act as camera man and Ellie will act and be in charge of props needed.

Some problems and challenges we might find is ensuring the lighting we choose will give the shot a crisp and clear image, one that looks professional. We also must ensure there is no blurring in the shots to do this we will use the bubble tripod.

To ensure that there is minimal risk in our shoot we will be very careful with all heavy equipment, making sure we carry it in groups of two or three and never alone.

Shoot date: Friday the 20th of January 2017

Claremont Fan Court School

Portsmouth Road

Esher

Crew:

Ross Paul     

Ellie Morris  

Jess Traeger

Equipment:

. Camera

. Dolly

. Tripod

. Light stands

. Spare bulbs

. Fake syringe

. File full of papers

Distributor

I looked at Launching Films, the Film Distributors' Association microsite. i learnt about picking the best distributor for my film and how distributors work. I watched a video that talked about the role of distributers and this helped me pick my distributor. 

After consulting the list of distributors i decided to pick Verve for our indie sci fi movie. I felt that Verve represented our aims well and fitted our style. 

They specialize on producing smaller independent films, often by new time creators.their most successful film is most likely  The Incident,  there mission statement is - offering audiences the chance to enjoy original and thought provoking cinema from the UK and around the world.  our film , Subject 45 would work very well for this type of distributor as we plan to create a piece that is  different and imaginative. Their strap line is 'cinema outside the box' which just sums up the idea that the films they produce are special and innovative. They contain deeper messages and unusual shots and soundtracks. 

Credits Planning

OPENING CREDITS PLANNING

Pyramid films presents  
an Inkwell Production
Subject 45
Main Cast
Elena Morris
Jess Traeger
Richie Batey
Alex Mcceshney
Amin Captain 
Ross Paul
Written by Ross Paul, Elena Morris and Jess Traeger
Produced by Elena Morris
Edited by Ross Paul
Directed by Jess Traeger 

QI

QI prep

QI Christmas Special episode, aired on the 22 of December series nine. It aired at ten in the evening. On BBC 2.

The genre of this program is a panel or quiz show

The host name was Sandi Toksvig the other panellists included Josh Widdicombe, Susan Calman, Matt Lucas and Alan Davies.

The host Sandi talks to Alan and explains many of the answers to him as he is seen as the genial fall guy. He always has the funny sounding buzzer yet is not fazed by this at all. He is seen as the “common guy” who answers the way the audience is thinking. He always laughs when he is made fun of.  The panellists and the host have very quick smart and witty humour. Always answering questions with a joke.

The episode I watched theme was all about Christmas as it was the Christmas Special, all questions were Christmas themed and often to do with Holland.

There is a funny moment when they choose to do Christmas games, they have to blindfold themselves and hit each other. Alan takes off his blind fold and knows exactly where to hit Josh. He hits him on the head five times while Josh fly’s his arms around trying to hit Alan. Alan however can see this and dodges him. This makes the other panellists laugh and the audience feel involved in the joke.

Toskvigs extended knowledge is shown when she is quick and on the point. She always seems to know a lot about everything and if a guest brings up a subject she can often add interesting facts and insights to the conversation in an educational and informative way.

They are active as they laugh at all the right moments and occasionally join in with singing or shouting at Alan Davies. As the genial fall guy he is set up to fall into the traps of the question that the audience is thinking and make that mistake for us. Not only does this give comedic effect as he often says the answer in a very funny way like when he imitates the partridge ‘blowing off’ into flight

Being a panel how the informative and educational sides are very easy to put into the show. Rounds that talk about specific topic like for instance ‘Parlour games’ are very good to entertain. 

Miranda Analysis

I have chosen to analyse the audience pleasures of watching Miranda (BBC 1). I will give specific examples by close reference to episodes and by quotation.  

Miranda is mainstream family viewing, aimed at a target audience who would relate to middle class life. Miranda is a TV sitcom: socially inept Miranda always gets into awkward situations when working in her joke shop with best friend Stevie, being hounded by her pushy mother, and especially when she is around her crush Gary.

A comprehensive review of all four BBC TV channels by the governing trust (July 2014) found that BBC 1 could feel “middle class in focus and target audience" with Miranda cited as an example. They also found that the BBC is falling out of favour with younger people and BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic viewers). The average age of BBC1 viewers is 59, compared with 56 in 2010/11. However, the character of Miranda is also quite like a big child as she is unmarried, always making a fool of herself and getting into trouble with her mother, so I think that audiences such as young adults and women aged 25-40 could relate to her. Audiences also relate to her relationship with her best friend Stevie  because they are polar opposites, Miranda is a socialy inept very tall women, whereas Stevie is very petite. The use of two women who are not the traditional women represented in media. This therefore helps most women relate to both characters. Women also relate to Miranda and Stevie because of their childish nature and endless competitions. They spend time doing silly activities such as eating spaghetti with chopsticks. This helps younger audiences relate to their fun loving and childish spirit.

Miranda offers the pleasures of the sitcom genre, such as characters that are recognizable that the audience can relate to, who are stereotypes. Miranda's mother, for example is typically a upper middle class traditionalist mother.
Miranda's mother makes us laugh because she is very over the top and straight to the point, for example when Miranda tries to talk about her feelings her mother replies “don’t get emotional we’re not Spanish”.
Miranda's group of girl friends are stereotypes. For example her old private school friends are very posh sounding, they go to fancy events , attempt to find rich husbands and eat healthily
Her girl friends often make us laugh at Miranda, such as in the episode when her friends say “oh would love a fish and chips! No be good, a tricolore salad”
However, in many ways, Miranda is an anti-stereotype because she says “ would love a lasagne! Oh would kill for a lasagne! Yes just a lasagne” 

There are many points of recognition for middle class audiences in the ways in which the sitcom addresses audience’s lifestyles, concerns, hopes, such as Miranda's conflict with her mother as when Miranda fails to find a husband
Another narrative strand that makes audiences relate to her is her trouble love life. This Is her relationship with Gary. How Miranda attempts to become more than friends with Gary but due to her social ineptitude fails to become more than friends.

Each episode also features predictable running gags such as, for example, Miranda accidentally getting undressed in public, without wanting to.
Miranda always manages to lose her clothing, such as in the episode when she is dancing in a club and her trousers fall down.
Stevie and Miranda always compete for boyfriends, such as the episode when Miranda and Stevie find a wallet of an attractive man in their shop. They both then attempt to find this man and go on a date with him. They both even go on an extreme of buying a dog to find the man.
Miranda always embarrasses her friends socially, such as when she is at a garden party and tries to take off her jumper, but her shirt comes off with it leaving her shirtless in public.

The sitcom addresses audience’s lifestyles, concerns, hopes about relationships. Miranda always fails to explain her true feelings for Gary, such as when Gary says he is leaving to Japan Miranda tells us: "that’s great" but later confesses that as “terribly good acting”.
She gets scolded by her mother, such as in the episode when her mother says "we are literally giving her away, please marry my daughter”

In most sitcoms, the audience is passive consumer but this show is filmed before a live studio audience. In addition, Miranda establishes a relationship with her audience by She confides in us, the audience her feelings, turning to the camera and exclaiming her feelings in facial expression.

For Blumler and Katz, audiences use media to gratify needs (the uses and gratifications model of audience behaviour). Miranda offers the pleasure of entertainment, escapism and diversion by making us laugh. In particular, both slapstick humour and verbal humour entertain us. Examples of these include when Miranda falls off her chair while spinning to impress Gary. Another example may include her strutting towards the door of her shop proclaiming she is cool and falling into the door. Another example of slapstick humour includes when she goes to a self defence class and gets used as a dummy for everyone to practise throwing around.

Audiences also like to relate to the characters in programmes; such as Clive the very camp cook in the café. I have shown that Miranda offers many points of recognition in its characters. It s also important that Miranda is a likeable character who does not hold grudges. For example, when Clive puts Miranda on the spot to explain a fake funny story they created to disguise their conversation.
Audiences pick programmes with actors that they know and like. It is also significant that Miranda Hart is a well-known actress for her roles in call the mid-wife, she is also a well-known comedian.

Audiences tend to favour programmes that support their values and their sense of their own identity. Part of our sense of self is informed by making judgements about all sorts of people and things. This is also true of judgements we make about TV and film characters, and celebrities. The shows we watch, the stars we like can be an expression of our identities. One aspect of this type of gratification is known as value reinforcement. This is where we choose television programmes or newspapers that have similar beliefs to those we hold. Therefore, equally important is the upbeat, comic atmosphere of the show. Despite  set-backs such as her trousers falling down in public Miranda bounces back, for example, she pulls them back up while dancing to the club music.


Finally, audiences like to know what is going on in the world (surveillance). This relates to Maslow’s need for security. By keeping up to date with news about local and international events we feel we have the knowledge to avoid or deal with dangers. In a sitcom, the characters face all sorts of situations that we can experience vicariously, some of which are challenging, such as a post man misgendering you when you sign for a parcel.

In conclusion Miranda is uses slapstick humour, relatable characters, lifestyle concerns and running gags to relate audiences to her show and ensure people being attached to the characters and come back for the whole series.