Film:
Camera shots – conventional, for the most part. Repeated use of over the shoulder shots, low and high angles, tracking shots and extreme close ups. However, we also used a lot of handheld shots (particularly with the tracking shots) to give the film a very realistic, documentary style feel, which to reinforce the idea of verisimilitude that we tried to portray within our film. Also, the use of canted angles and, especially, the low angle shots, were used to convey a sense of surrealism and bizarreness, themes which are, once again, prevalent within our film (specifically the final scene).
Costumes – used to connote naivety (in Dammy’s case, with the light colours, very childlike and innocent, but at the same time, urban and in keeping with current fashion trends). The killer – very masculine coat, conveying his strength and threatening presence. Also, use of colours, such as red, black and grey, help to convey a sense of uneasiness and danger.
Locations – bedroom, very warm, comforting, very much Dammy’s environment (i.e., the shots of the items in and around his room). The exterior locations, such as the streets and the flat block, help to connote a sense of exposure, in that he has nowhere to run, he is trapped in a maze-like situation, evident in that we are always seeing him walking towards a place (his friend’s house) that he will never reach.
Lighting – since most of the film took place outdoors, we could only shoot at certain times of the ay in order to maintain a sense of continuity, and that the light levels would not seem out of place in certain shots. Also, in a metaphorical sense, we used light as a means of pathetic fallacy by, as the film progresses and our main character falls further and further into danger, the light slowly darkness to reflect the severity of his situation.
Props: The bloody wallet is used as one of the two biggest indicators of the violence which takes place prior to the events in the film taking place. The second is the bloody coat. These props are used to connote fear, death, and the threat that the killer brings. More specifically, the blood helps to give a very gruesome but, at the same time, a realistic edge to the film. The use of the keys helps to lure the audience, through Dammy, into a false sense of security, so that when the Killer is shown as pulling out the baseball bat, we finally realize what is about to take place.
Dialogue: Very minimal use of dialogue, but the dialogue that is used is crucial to the overall impact of the film. The killer’s forceful delivery of the dialogue, as opposed to Dammy’s stuttering and nervous delivery clearly represents where the power lies, and also, just how threatening and violent the killer is. Also, the use of interior monologue, seen throughout the film, helps to offer the audience an insight into Dammy’s shift in thought from happy-go-lucky to scared and frantic.
Soundtrack – we utilised a downbeat score during our crucial confrontation scene between our two characters, which is suggestive of the underlying threat which is always present between them. In contrast, we hear an upbeat piece of music at the beginning of the film to suggest a lighthearted and happy feel. Throughout the film, we hear a repetitive ambient, surreal and eerie score, which helps to represent the state of mind that Dammy’s character is in, and the extent of his nervousness and fear. Also, when the wallet falls from the Killer’s pocket, and in the scene in which Dammy and the Killer walk towards each other, we utilised highly dramatic orchestral scores, to heighten the tension and to fully convey the seriousness of the situation which is unfolding on screen.
Characters – two characters in our film, arguably the complete antithesis of each other. Whereas Dammy is presented as being weak, naive and childlike, the Killer is presented as violently threatening and menacing. Also, whereas Dammy has much to say and is seen contemplating his situation (both, largely, through the use of interior monologue), there is a definite sense of mystery about the killer’s presence.
Narrative: We followed a linear structure, which has an appropriate beginning, middle and end. The violence which occurs at the end of the film complements the events which preceded it perfectly, and is the only logical conclusion.
Compare:
1) Blood and Chips – Firm narrative, addressing issues of racism and current social issues (i.e. youth violence in the inner-city), urban locations and stereotypically urban characters, sound and camera angles (blood and chips utilises ambient sounds and canted angles to reflect the tension present in the scene [shots of the frying pan, customers, etc], and this is comparable to our film when he is faced with a deadly situation, as we use canted angles and synthetic ambient sounds (such as animals) to portray this situation], dialogue with heavy use of slang which presents a stereotypically urbanised portrayal of innercity life, also signifies threat and character thought/mindset.
2) Black Hole – use of ominous/strange props as plot devices which enter the main character into a situation that they cannot easily get out of (i.e., the black hole, or the bloodied wallet], use of sound which helps to create a very heavy and intense atmosphere. Use of narrative very strange and minimal, unconventional in terms of the story that it tells, the characters – both male characters generally going about their day, ordinary people put into strange circumstances. The ending – both very shocking, but also the only logical conclusion. Very much story based, rather than situational – both films, though they may seem minimal, tell a story and comment on aspects of human nature and society. (i.e., greed, violence).
3) Pound – Location, very urbanised surroundings (similar to our film), use of costume (i.e., tracksuits), suggestive of youth culture, stereotypically ethnic, mannerisms and dialogue (i.e., ‘That’s my wallet you got there, fam,’ greetings, etc all very urban, all very typical portrayal of urban life).
Contrast:
1) Occupied – completely different from our film in terms of costume, character, location, story, etc. Whilst Occupied is arguably about a woman on a mission, our film follows a young boy just generally going about his day. Whilst Occupied seems very active and extraordinary, our film seems very subdued at first, and then very surreal and strange. Also, the use of locations – our film takes place in several different locations all over inner city London, whilst Occupied takes place in a single bathroom. Whilst Occupied tells its story within a fairly brief space of time, our film takes its time to tell the story, building tension and trying to lure the audience into a state of shock. Whilst Occupied does try to build tension by luring the audience into a false sense of what is happening (i.e., the sabotage of an airplane), it takes a different and comical turn by actually presenting us with a woman who wants a cigarette, whilst with our film, what does appear to be happening (i.e., impending violence) does happen.
2) Pound – though both films are set in an urban area, Pound is more comical whilst our film takes itself much more seriously. Also, whilst Pound ends where it begins, suggesting an unending cycle, our film ends on a more expectedly shocking note, considering the events which takes place before it. Also, where our film has a beginning, middle and an end, Pound seems to be much more interested in depicting a situation rather than a conventional story.
Poster – we feel our poster is very conventional. This is due to our use of poster and film advertising conventions, such as the prominent featuring of star names, the title of the film, and the tagline, all of which are presented using harsh, edgy looking fonts and colours (such as black and red) help to create the sense of danger and threat which is present within our film. The featuring of the film's website allows our audience to engage with the film on an interactive level and allow us to branch out into an even wider audience. The use of the film's production company helps to give the poster and the film alike a professional feel, and the implication that this is part of a wider spectrum of films. Also, the use and proximity of the main image and the way it has been presented (i.e., with a combination or juxtaposition of black and white/muted and harsh, bright colours, and the killer being presented in the foreground, symbolising his constant underlying threat and the naivety of Dammy's character, absent-mindedly staring at the wallet) Also, compared to the way in which pre-existing film posters (such as the poster for the History Boyss), our poster gives to the viewer an indication of the events which are depicted within the film, , and thus creates a a coherent and clear brand identity and link between film and advertising technique.
Magazine - our magazine article is inspired by articles featured in magazines such as Empire (an example has been presented). The use of images shown within the article are either directly from or inspired by certain scenes present within our film (such as the bloody red hands), which help to imply not only a threatening, thrilling atmosphere about our film, very much suggestive of our genre, but also creates a coherent brand identity, as well. The use of key facts and trivia offers the audience a unique behind the scenes insight into the film, allowing them (like the website featured in the poster) to interact with the film on a more personalised level. The written review itself is, we feel, very much in keeping with and typical of reviews seen in film magazines, as it is balanced and non-biased, and this helps to give our magazine article a sense of professionalism, integrity and honesty that is seen when critical opinions of films are analysed and looked at closely.
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