HELL IS ROUND THE CORNER

Moving Image Text:

Below is our finished film, Hell is round the Corner:

The Big Shave, Martin Scorsese, 1967

Genre Conventions Research: The Big Shave

Fading in from white, Scorsese begins his seminal film The Big Shave by presenting us with several shots of various appliances and objects situated in and around a common family bathroom, such as water faucets, a sink, a shower head, etc. These shots are edited together in time with Bunny Berigan’s seminal jazz hit  I Can’t Get Started (With You). This song, which is grand, booming and grandiose in its’ nature, serves almost as a stark contrast to the boring, bland and banal images which we are seeing. The music and the visuals simply do not match. There is a strangeness and an oddness here. Scorsese, through the use of the visuals and the music, could be inferring that something bizarre is about to unfold.

The music then builds in tempo as we see a young man, dressed in a white vest, enter the bathroom. He is shown to be yawning and scratching his hair. Scorsese, through establishing this unnamed character, along with the images of the bathroom, may be trying to establish verisimilitude, and to give the events depicted as realistic and random a sense as possible.

The young man is then shown taking off his vest. This action is repeated three times, each time from a different angle. This use of repetition may be Scorsese attempting to draw our attention, and trying to imply that the taking off of the vest is key, and that something is going to happen as a result of this, by implication, perhaps the big shave of the title?

The young man is then shown applying shaving foam. This action is presented through use of regular cuts and shots, with no emphasis being given by Scorsese. It could be interpreted as Scorsese wanting to maintain the sense of verisimilitude he has so far established, and that this is just a random, boring occurrence which happens every morning.

Scorsese then presents us with close ups of the specific parts of the young man’s face which he is shaving, for instance his cheeks or his chin. There are also cutaways to the young man putting the razor underneath the tap to clean it off. This is done with emphasis, as it is also edited in time with Berigan’s music. Scorsese, possibly, is attempting to draw us into what he is doing, and possibly give us a clue as to the consequence of his actions.

We then cut to an extreme close up of the young man looking into a mirror. Only the top half of his face is seen. We can see that he is moving about and possibly touching his face, but we do not know why. We then see he is applying more shaving cream. The desired effect here may be to create confusion – we cannot comprehend why anyone would want to shave straight after they just have done. This starts becoming more and more confusing and surreal and the music itself, by just being included in the film becomes more and more unnerving.

We are then presented with more close ups of the specific parts of his face that he is shaving. When he reaches his moustache, the camera pulls back and we see a very thick and long line of blood on the right side of his face, underneath his ear. By Scorsese employing this “big reveal,” he may be trying to set the wheels in motion and imply that the big shave of the title is about to be seen.
We are then presented with a close up of the young man's face in profile followed by a pull back which reveals more bloody nicks and cuts. His face appears almost to be overcome with these cuts, and that the red of the blood is slowly replacing the white of the shaving foam. It would seem, perhaps, that Scorsese is trying to convey the idea of purity verses violence, a theme prevalent throughout his entire body of work.

The idea of purity versus violence is emphasised by continuous cutaways to the sink over which the young man stands. The pristine white of the sink is slowly beset with a flood of scarlet red blood. This unnerves us. The viewers cannot understand why he is doing this to himself. The violence, the infliction of pain upon himself is mindless and senseless. We cannot, as viewers, possibly comprehend why he is doing this to himself, but maybe it is in the meaninglessness and the pointlessness of the violence where the meaning and the point of what Scorsese is presenting to us can be located.

With the onslaught of violence and self-harm seen throughout the course of the film, it could be argued that Scorsese, by building verisimilitude, through the bland, boring, pristine white bathroom and the young man seemingly going about his daily routine is, as the film goes on, and as more blood is spilt, he seeks to destroy it. Perhaps Scorsese wished to blindside us - we could not expect this to happen, and so when it does, it is all the more shocking.

The film ends with the young man running the blade of the razor against the neck, essentially slitting his throat. This happens at a point where both the music and the violence on screen reaches its' crescendo. Scorsese could have used the music for a number of reasons: firstly, as a framing device - the film starts and ends exactly when the song does, and so the events seen in the film, the way they are edited, and the way they are presented, are almost constructed using the song as a guideline; secondly, as a way of establishing black humour. The nature of the song, verses the nature of what is seen on screen, reinforce each other in such a way that it, rather than making us enjoy the piece, it makes us recoil in disgust, and the song could have been used by Scorsese to make the impact of the piece all the more shocking.

The film, which has no plot to speak of, is surreal in its narrative, due to the events seen on screen, but not surreal in the sense where the events seen are over exaggerated. Scorsese employs camera shots and editing techniques which, while being to the point and matter of fact, also give us humour, humour in the darkness of what it seen on screen.

The film left me feeling raw, bitter, confused and shocked. It felt almost as if the violence was shown just because Scorsese wanted to experiment and create “the bloodbath to end all bloodbaths.” However, the more I read into the making of the film, and the circumstances and context of the Vietnam War which surrounded it, the more it seemed that, when taken as an anti-war film, The Big Shave is very well constructed and extremely effective, and, perhaps, a perfect example of how we as humans are capable of complete destruction, to ourselves, most of all, for no other reason other than we have the power to do so.

The Black Hole

Genre Conventions Research: The Black Hole

The film The Black Hole begins with an iris out revealing a desolate office, presumably sometime at night. The camera travels past a cluttered desk over to a medium close up of a man, standing by a photocopier, looking dejected and tired. The colour scheme of the film features heavy use of grey and black. This could possibly be to convey a sense of how the man is feeling – he is extremely bored, exhausted and clearly wants to be anywhere but at work.

The beeping of the copy button is the only sound heard, and it is heard at a very loud volume. It may have been presented to us in this way so that it may add to the irritation of the man not being able to work it properly and to make us feel sympathetic to his plight.

A piece of paper with a large black hole printed on it is shown sliding out on to the printing cradle from a high angle. As the paper with the black hole on it slides out on to the cradle, the shot slows down somewhat, possibly to add emphasis on and draw the audience’s attention to the piece of paper – this is the black hole of the title, and something odd and eerie may be about to happen.

There is a close up of the man’s face, which is filled with confusion and alarm. The filmmakers may be trying to convey, through the character of the man, what they possibly want the audience to be feeling, and that they are following the events with the man and seeing them unfold with him.

The use of camera shots and sound become more bizarre and elaborate after the man is shown dropping a coffee cup through the black hole. The man is shown peering over the black hole, looking down at us from the black hole’s point of view. This possibly presents a shift in power – the black hole, in some way, is in charge here, and it is slowly drawing the man in, possibly leading him to meet a dire end. There is also a low, ominous drone which accompanies the black hole. This adds emphasis to the idea that there is something not quiet right about the black hole’s existence.

The drone of the black hole becomes heightened and more apparent as the man puts his arm through it to retrieve the cup. The drone may have been utilisied by the filmmakers in order for it to act as a form of dialogue, saying more about the weird and abnormal nature of the black hole better than any other sound could or would.

The man is then presented as taking the black hole over to a vending machine and using it to steal a bar of chocolate. This is a key character change in that the filmmakers now establish the man’s greed and glutinous nature and sets up the events which are about to ensue. The decision by the filmmakers to show the man in this light is possibly to pose the question to us, as viewers, if we would do the same if we had an object of power such as this, and if we would, would we do more?

There is a tight close up of the man as he stares greedily and covetously at a door reading “Keep Out.” This further makes his greedy nature apparent, and also perhaps infers the idea that a terrible and awful occurrence is about to take place.

A medium close up follows of the man shown entering the room, turning the lights on (which flicker, ominously, giving out an eerie, strange, and truly bad feeling to the audience) and sticking the black hole over the door of a safe which is locked inside the room. The man is then portrayed as looking about him suspiciously, possibly paranoid that he is being watched. This, again, indicates his greedy nature, and also the idea that there is some guilt in him over what he is about to do.

The man is then shown to take out bundles of cash from out of the safe, via the black hole. These actions are shown in a repetitive pattern, with a shot of the money followed by a medium close up of the man's face, brimming with guilty delight. This repetitive pattern possibly heightens the character's sense of greed and his hunger for this money building with each successive shot. Also, throughout this scene, the drone of the black hole becomes increasingly creepy and apparent in the scene, which helps to add to the disturbing atmosphere of the piece.

The man is then shown, through a single tight shot, crawling through the black hole, in to the safe, wanting the last of the money. The filmmakers show his crawling in an uninterrupted take, presenting to us the full extent of his greed and where his endeavours are about to take him.

The paper with the black hole printed on it then falls, keeping the man seemingly trapped in the safe for good. The camera begins to pull back away from the safe, until it is at a fair distance from it. The sound of the man tapping on the door from the inside, along with the beeping of the copy machine, fuse together to create one final burst of sound before cutting to black, cutting to an unending black hole, in a way. The camera pulling back could possibly be so that the audience finally understand the full weight of what has happened to the man and that we can no longer be a part of it.

The film, which has a very surreal feel to it, comes full circle with the ending. It ends in the only way it could, that is with the destruction of man as a result of his curiosity. The film left me feeling very impressed, as it managed to convey a very serious message about the greedy nature of man in only a couple of minutes and still managed to be extremely effective at the same time.

Blood and Chips

Genre Conventions Research: Blood and Chips

The Blood and Chips film extract opens with establishing shots of a cafe setting along with light hearted non-diegetic sound creating verisimilitude and a realistic atmosphere. The next shot shows a close up of some pies and an out of focus shot of a weary worker expressing the feeling of fatigue.

The next shot of chips being thrown into the deep fryer highlights the heat intensity and may act as representation of the atmosphere as being hot and intense. This may also be used as a form of foreshadowing events to come. Again shots of other characters in the cafe suffering from what seems to be humidity, particularly a black man who we get a close up of and as he exits the feeling that something underlining is going to happen is comfirmed when he accidently bumps into a white character and receives hostility, again foreshadowing that something bad may happen.

When we first see the white male character he is a rude and disrespectful character as he addresses the cafe worker without any form of politeness. The second indication that the white character brings negativity to the atmosphere is the manner in which the paid for the chips by rudely throwing the money on the table showing a disregard of manners or respect for the worker. His costume connotes that he is a cock-sure type of character and doesn't associate himself with the rest of the characters seen in the type of hat he wears despite it being humid in the cafe.

The camera switches to two young children shouting and arguing and typically intense situations over lapping conversations add to the build up in a tense atmosphere. The Children go quiet after being told to 'shut the fuck up' by another character who seems to be of low social economic class due to the vest he is wearing, his quite rugged facial features and his reading 'The Sun' newspaper which is often often aimed and associated with working class people. The white character takes this as an opportunity to vent the anger he'd been feeling, with shots of him scrunching cigarette express this feeling. The camera gives us extreme close up shots of his eyes surveying the cafe's Chinese clocks and figures and again the camera switches back to chips being thrown in the fryer, all of which connote and indicate the emotion and feeling the white character is having. The shots of him surverying the Chinese figures starts to show that racial tensions are coming to a head, and this is again confirmed when he believes that he can share his racist views with the other white male character, due to the fact that he described the two childern as 'animals'. 'This should be a British business' is again reflective of his racial discrimination, even dispite of the fact the Chinese worker spoken in a British accent 'open or wrapped, mate?', he disregards this.

The film makers focuses on using close up shots to present the bad feeling between the white character and the two childern, close up shots of his eye looking at their dark features shows his dislike. Then again a close up of him cleaning the sweat off his throat, throughout the extract the film makers concentrate on build-up using small connotations in order to give a complete picture at the end. The camera then uses a shallow depth of focus on the childern fighting and a close up of his venting his anger of black people and presenting him as being powerful in the extract. References to blacks being 'monkeys' gives a stereotypical view of racist beliefs, the face of the other white character smiles however sarcastically.

Then the view sees a shift in power as the two childern talk to the white man and call him 'dad'. Again a close up of the racist character is seen to highlight his stupidity as he comes to the realisation that he had been talking to their father the whole time. Shot reverse shots of the two white men looking at each other shows the fear that the racist man feel and the shows the disgust that the other man feels. The racist character is now protrayed as weak as the childern say good bye to the Chinese worker Albert, a traditional English name and all speaking in a Cockney accent to highlight how English they are and shows their togetherness.

The racist character just looks at the white man and the Chinese woker helplessly, then attempts to run out of the chip shop however ironically he bumps into the same black character again, however again to show the shift in power he apologizes then runs out as quick as he can. The film maker cleverly use the location of a chip shop which again has Britsh connotations to create irony and to create a place which a able to be stereotypically subverted and is also a neutral public place so the issues being raised can be highlighted to great effect.

Pound

Genre Conventions Research: Pound

As the film Pound begins, we see that the title of the film has been presented to us in the form of graffiti which has been spray painted on the floor. This, possibly, innovative style of displaying the title of the film helps to stay in keeping with the subject matter, style and tone of the film, and helps to give off a very laidback and ‘cool,’ feel.

The film begins with the camera tracking alongside a young man dressed in a green stripped shirt and jeans. This young man is Mike. The filmmakers decision to dress Mike in such a way maybe to connote an urban feel about him, and that he is in an urban area, and has had an upbringing very much of the City. Also, the decision to open the film with a tracking shot of him may be to infer that he is the main character of the piece, and that the events shown in the film are going to be told from his perspective.

In addition to Mike’s urban attire, the filmmakers have also added a repetitive hip-hop beat, which is playing very clearly in the background and is playing at a constant and consistent level. The use of the beat helps to further establish the urban scene, mood and character of the piece. The beat sounds very new and modern, and as such, it helps to create verisimilitude in that this music is not dissimilar to the type of music most youths listen to in this day and age.

The filmmakers then show our two leading characters, Mike and Dante, meeting outside an urban coffee shop. In addition to Mike’s aforementioned urban attire, Dante is presented by the filmmakers as being dressed in a blue tracksuit and baseball cap. This, again, is a very urban way of dressing, and it is also very ‘cool,’ and stylish. Therefore, the decision to dress Dante in this way may have been utilised by the filmmakers to not only further establish the sense of urban mood and character, but also possibly to perpetuate a stereotype amongst today’s youth as wanting to be dressed in the very best of clothes.

There then follows an exchange of dialogue, with the two characters greeting each other, both addressing each other with 'What’s up, man?' This is a very informal way of two friends greeting with one another, and this may have been utilised to, again, help to reinforce a sense of urban verisimilitude.

Following this is an uninterrupted take of their greeting. They are both positioned in the centre of the screen (possibly to imply that these characters and their actions which we are now seeing are central to the overall effect of the piece). The uninterrupted take lends to the endless feel of their greeting. It incorporates such moves as fist and elbow bumps, high fives, feet stomps, etc, which all come across as highly choreograph and balletic; almost a dance in and of itself. This greeting adds to the urban feel of the piece, though it is heightened and exaggerated (and perhaps intentionally so, possibly wanting to become a parody of urban life/youth). Also, the idea of both characters swapping hats during the greeting helps to add a sense of camaraderie and friendship between them.

The two characters exchange dialogue, which is presented by the filmmakers under strict adherence of the 180 degree rule; “What’s up, man?” “Nuthin’, what’s up with you, man?” “Nothin’” “A’ite...” Following the dialogue break, the two characters then descend back into their greeting, which is now a farewell, complete with the same moves as before. This adds to the humour of the piece, and is once again an interrupted, seemingly endless take.

The two characters take leave of one another, and the camera tracks alongside Mike once again, and as he turns a corner into another street, which is presented as a match on action, he spots another friend, called Dean, dressed in all black urban attire, leaning up against a car, reading a magazine. When Mike turns the corner, they spot each other and call out each other’s names. This establishes repetition, as the use of shots and dialogue is very similar to what we have just been shown between Mike and Dante.

The filmmakers then present Mike and Dean meeting in the centre of the screen, and as they are about to go into their routine, there is a cut to credits, though we do hear the sounds of their greeting, especially the sound of the high fives and the feet stomps, which are superimposed over the credits, therefore giving us no doubt that what we have just seen between Mike and Dante is happening once again.

I enjoyed this film. I thought it was very humorous, light-hearted and good-natured, and though it did not have a serious point to make, it was highly effective as a parody of urban life.

Occupied

Genre Conventions Research: Occupied


This sequence from the film Occupied begins with a female character entering an airplane toilet. We then see a close up shot of the sign 'Occupied' along with a loud locking sound, placing high emphasis on the idea that she wants privacy. With the door locked, the viewer immediately hears non-diegetic sound. This connotes strategic actions and gives the impression that her next actions are premeditated. The quick cuts and fast paced sound all add to the fast pace feel to the film.

We then see her remove, what initially looks like a burger out of her top only to reveal a hidden blade and card. This makes the viewer think that she has sinister plans. A high angle shot is used in showing her open a compartment in which electricals are found and cutting through a wire this shot estabishes that she has hidden motives giving the extract a 'ames Bond style feel of espionage. A close up of her undoing her top is shown, and this immediately gives us sexual connotations and is an example of her using her sexuality to fulfill her goal (this can be argued due to her withdrawing a image detailing the structure of the toilet).

The film extract does not present her as comforming to the stereotypical view that women cannot carry out highly complex tasks. The extract, in fact, subverts this and makes her sexuality part of her strengths as seen when we see another close up shot of her legs and a hidden object strapped to her leg. The extract subverts every trace of femininity being a form of hindrance to the task she is doing and presents it as an advantage to her, from her bra, legs, shoes, lipstick and pants all are used to aid her goal. However her femininity is always present through her clothes and the fact that a mirror shot is often used maybe to again suggest an element of vanity, in addition to the difficulty she finds in pressing and object into shape. She seals the vents with tape then reaches for the lighter; as she lights the cigarette and relaxes now she can smoke, the viewer now understands that all she wanted was to smoke and realise how effectively their expectations have been played with.

Nicole kidman Chanel/Brand Identity

Genre Conventions Research: Chanel Brand Identity

The extract opens with a male character sitting on a Chanel sign with non-diegetic sound playing in the background as he begins to narrate the story. He is framed on the right making him seem isolated and missing something. The camera switchs to a tall building which arguably is the empire state building with the iconic 'chanel' logo at the top of it. This is important in terms of brand identity as at such an early start of the film the address are already being given indirect hints to aim of the short film. In extension it could be said that placing the logo at the top of such a tall phallic building again to highlight and indirectly advertise their brand.

Brand identity aims its advertising at a particular audience as seen in our extract that they have used different ways of doing this. The extract uses very romantic non-diegetic sound to set the scene in addition to the slow motion cuts and uses a lot of out of synch camera shots to represent the confusion and isolation she feels.

In order to make Chanel recogniseable they feminise the extract, using long pink costumes on the female character and still having the iconic Chanel logo in the background. Dissolves and fades are ever present, and this may suggest that the relationship the male and female characters have is not solid, it is almost like they are dreaming important as they can not be together. Also Chanel uses such a recognisable actress in order to promote their brand as fans will see her being associated with the brand and will be more inclined to buy the product.

Using Chanel as a link between the two lovers is seen thoughout the extract giving the viewer the impression that chanel equals love. The non-diegetic sound is very important in adding to the feeling of love and at the same time it sounds sad as they can not be together. The ending voice-over "Her kiss, her smile, her perfume..." acts as a final selling point by concluding that love can be found when using the Chanel product.

Pretty Woman Poster

Genre Conventions Research: Pretty Woman Poster

The poster for the film Pretty Woman sees two very contrasting characters in that their are portrayed as total opposites of the social spectrum due to their costumes. The image of the woman's costume presents her as being sexualised and provocative, her mini skirt and her long shiny black boots gives the impression that she is promiscuous or may even a prostitute. She is prsented as a fun, carefree character evident in her smile, however because she is showing a lot of skin this could be connte that she is sexual character. The poster could be also playing to sterotypes of young women being party girls and being sexuality active, however this also could suggest that she is of low social standing becouse her costume can be viewed as tacky and unsophisticated again giving the suggestion that she is of low socital positioning . Her character is very much feminised, evident becouse she is wearing pink which is often seen as a feminine colour in addition to the jewelry she wears and her high heel boots. it is evident that she is being highlighted the most of the two characters and the use of the colour pink being used in her costume and the title, reflects this connotation.

In polarised difference, the male character's persona presents him in a suit and tie, immediately denoting that he is some sort of business man. His costume also tells us that he is educated highly and is well groomed and it is also implyed through costume that he is a gentleman. In terms of social positioning it is suggested that he is of high standing and stereotypically such characters would not be compatible because they come from two very different world and this is all conveyed to the viewer through the use of custom. We see the female character pulling his tie maybe to imply that she is trying to bring him out of his sensible and ordered corporate life. This is further supported by the way he is leaning on her, suggesting that she is going to have a major impact on his life and thinking. 

The way the poster presents the two characters as placed back to back suggests that there may be a clash of personalities due to their varied backgrounds. In terms of the white background which has connotations of being pure and peaceful are thrown off balance with her bright pink which again could symbolise that this imposition personifies her character. In terms of conforming to the conventions of posters, this poster is effective in utilising taglines to reinforce and dramatise the genre of the film, in addition to its storyline. Also, the use of the two leading actors/characters could have been used in order for it to act as a 'selling point' for the film, due to the fact that both Julia Roberts and Richard Gere were both very popular actors at the time, and therefore, using them on the poster can draw in a larger audience.

Poster Analysis- 'The History Boys'

Genre Conventions Research: The History Boys

Here we see a poster made for the film History Boys, which depicts a group of young teenage boys with a old-fashioned looking teacher. What makes this poster effective is that it is possible for the viewer to identify the different group dynamics by looking at how the boys are placed. The boy character that is placed in the front with a old teacher can be viewed as being separated from the rest, like he is at the top of the class. In addition his uniform is correctly worn, denoting that he is again a good student and his stance is that of a confident character, suggesting that he does not feel isolated from the other boys.

Whilst the group itself can be considered as a stereotype, each character in the group is given his own individual personality and this is reflected through how they wear their uniform, given some take a more relaxed approach and others look smarter. We can see particular male character place in the centre of the boys and he gives off a cool, smart and cocky persona and gives the indication that he is a main character. His positioning gives him high status as they appears to be two other boys surrounding him almost like sidekicks giving the film a very juvenile feel.

This is contrasted with the large archetypal building in the background which connotes a very formal and old-fashioned academic institution. The building associates with such high standing schools as Oxford, so therefore the viewer may feel that the boys appearance highly differs with the schools, may be trying to break away from the stereotype view that life is boring and dull in such schools.

In terms of sexuality it can be said that the film embraces masculinity and could be suggested that the building represents phallic symbols and due to the lack of women highlights the view that men embody/make up history. Finally due the age of the boys it is self-evident that the film has been predominantly aimed at teenagers, as the ages of the boys are similar to the target audience.

The bold green font used connotes to the viewer that the film will be humorous and the caption at the bottom 'History is just one bloody thing after another" again gives suggestion that the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The poster also conforms to the conventions of poster layouts because it is very easy to determine who the main characters are. For example, the boys are all dressed in a similar fashion to one another, connoting a sense of collective identity, and they are positioned in the foreground of the school building, which is in the background, therefore connoting a sense of academia. Also, the teacher standing to the right, while he is dressed in different colours from the boys, it is obvious that they are taught by him considering that he is in close proximity towards them, almost connoting a sense of responsibility and a father-like role.

Mean Streets (Poster)

Genre Conventions Research: Mean Streets Poster

The poster is presented to us purely by way of graphics. The poster boasts an illustrated skyline, with uses of grey and black, to possibly highlight a lowdown and grim feel about the film. Various locales all over an unnamed city, such as rooftops, apartment windows and alleyways, are all depicted in solid grey.

Toward the top right hand side of the poster is a gun, possibly acting as a building, with smoke floating out of the muzzle, possibly trying to act as the building’s chimney. The use of the gun being presented to us as a stand-in for a building perhaps infers that violence is integrated into the everyday lives of the people and the places in and around these 'Mean Streets' connoting that this film is a very violent and confrontational one.

The use of solid black for the gun helps to make it stand out and catch our eye, and it could be argued that the gun, despite all of the other graphics shown, is the primary focus of the poster. Furthermore, in regard to the gun, it could be argued that it has been used to connote phallic imagery, reinforcing that this is very much a male-orientated film and story, and which features masculine and violent characters, “men’s men,” in a way.

The red of the title is the only strong use of bright colour featured in the poster. The way the title is presented, to the far right, toward the bottom of the poster, is very stylistic and flashy, almost giving the impression that the letters are bleeding into one another, which is a very eye-catching way of presenting the film’s title. The poster is presented to us as a sort of framed photo or painting, which is indicated via frame borders on all four corners of the poster. This may imply that the film, as well as the poster, is a picturesque, and also very personal, portrayal of urban gangster life.

The poster, whilst being very ambiguous (evident in that next to nothing about the actual content is revealed through use of photographs), is also extremely intriguing. By withholding each frame of film and letting nothing certain slip from the film, this draws us in, persuading us and making us want to watch the film just to see if it is just as effective, fierce and aggressive as the poster makes it out to be.

I very much liked the poster, as it drew my attention to the film almost immediately. It is very much characteristic of several film posters seen throughout the late sixties, early seventies, which gave as much information as it withheld. It is extremely well-made, thought-provoking and interesting.

District 9, Magazine Article Review, Empire, Oct 2009

Genre Conventions Research: District 9 Review


Language:

The article begins with cynical tone, addressing the fact that aliens have been used several times in film. The reviewer than goes through a list of the different types of aliens we have encountered in film. This is presented to us not very seriously, in fact almost comedic and playful. There is use of contrasting language, "Cute ones..." "...Nasty bastards..." The use of vulgarity infers that the reviewer possibly doesn't take the review itself very seriously, almost trying to ease the reader in, taking to them at a one to one level, rather than using journalist jargon to alienate the reader.

The reviewer than goes onto point out the unoriginality in the film, with its' constant references to other sci-fi films that the film features. For example - "Human metamorphosing into something more than human? Why, hello there, The Fly." This is, again, very playful, funny language, as it points out the faults and unoriginality of the film first and foremost, possibly to allow room for good points of the film and its' positive attributes.

The tone of the review than changes from one of cynicism and scrutiny, to one of possibly genuine respect and admiration for the film: "It's a genuinely exciting and surprisingly affecting thriller..." This entices us, by implying that, if the film, whilst being unoriginal, can still have the power to affect us in this way, it is possibly so that we may firstly want to continue to read the review, in order to gain the reviewer's own expert opinion into the film and secondly, be so convinced by the reviewer's words that we are interested in seeing the film for ourselves, to make our own judgement.

The reviewer seems to have respect for the filmmaker's convictions during the making of the film, which is evident in this sentence: "The astounding...special effects aren't dwelled upon...this isn't just a fantastical sci-fi pic...this is real..." Almost trying to imply that this film, because of its non-grandiose, rough, documentary like style, is setting itself apart from the usual run of 'sci-fi' films we are bombarded with these days, and and that, despite its constant reference to 'sci-fi' films past, that is immaterial because of the way the filmmakers have executed the film. Also, later on in the review, the reviewer makes the point of saying that the film cost $30 million dollars and that it still looks stunning, and goes on to poke fun at how filmmakers such as Michael Bay "have dreams that cost more than $30 mil," therefore ridiculing the current trend of plying 'sci-fi', or any big, mainstream film, for that matter, with ridiculous sums of cash that generate great style and visual effects but little substance, which in-turn implies that District 9 again sets itself apart from the usual run of 'sci-fi' films in that it looks fantastic and has a intriguing, deep meaning to it as well.

The author then goes further into detail about the actual plot of the film, pointing out a weak point of the film that The aliens...clearly operate as an allegory...[one so clear] it might as well be wrapped in cling film,", but which is than made up for by a description of what the reviewer calls "some of the best...extra terrestrials..." The reviewer's description enhances the full page close up of the alien seen on the opposing page: "...Non humanoid...Clicking monstrosities...Can rip a man's head-off in a heartbeat..." The close up seen on the opposing page clearly matches up to the reviewer's description, and so possibly they may be implying that the filmmakers, through their use of special effects and their presentation of the alien creatures in this way, have coaxed the desired effect out of audience members and that their use of special effects was very well used.

After giving us a very thorough deconstruction of the film's positive points, such as the film's main character "shying away the easy, traditional path of the reluctant hero," and "the action...is absolutely stunning," the reviewer than deconstructs the film's negative points, by calling it "hugely enjoyable but flawed," that "there are gaping plotholes...which (come to you) several hours later...and just won't leave," and that "the illusion that the movie is a documentary is dropped around the 25 minute mark...only to be reintroduced arbitrarily at intervals...becomes jarring and removes us from the...action." This balanced use of evidence is key in that this gives us a two-sided review/opinion, giving us both the negatives and the positives of the film, and not drooling incessantly over the film whilst not pointing out any bad points. This implies a high sense of professionalism and non-partiality, and that the reviewer, while it is evident that he enjoyed the film, remembers that he is, first and foremost, a film critic, and that he is being paid to do this job, and that he must follow it through to the best of his abilities.

Layout:

There is lots of use of black, orange and maroon, though this is not done to stay in keeping with motifs seen during the film being reviewed, but rather a motif seen through the magazine (i.e., all of the films reviewed in the magazine, even District 9, which is the main review article, use the same black, orange and maroon colour scheme).

A marker dated from 'August 28-October 1' is seen jutting out at a canted angle from a black and orange banner above it reading "In Cinemas." This implies a very cool, laidback feel, and that these reviews are as much aimed at the general movie-going everyman than they are at the film connoisseur.

The review itself is presented through the use of columns, three long columns on every page that the review is seen on, i.e. pages 50, 52. The columns hold no more than 7 words on every line, and are in very small font size. In keeping with a traditional magazine/newspaper/journalistic discipline. Also, its' length. This is the main film review of this particular issue, and so it is expected that this will be the longest and most thoroughly reviewed film as this is the film out at the moment with the most hype and the most draw at the box-office. Almost satisfying a need within the eager readers/audience to find out as much of the film as possible before heading off to see it.

On page 52, there is a key quote from the review (paraphrased): "The action is stunning...electrical blasts splatter villains all over the lens..." The quote is much bigger than the review from which it comes from, and this instantly catches our eye and makes us want to firstly be more excited and tempted by the film and secondly, read the quote in context, to see what overall effect it has on us as readers.

A small text box on the bottom right hand corner of the image of the alien, giving us trivial facts about alien films past and the making of the film. In keeping with the style of humour of the review, the constant harking back to alien films past, specifically the reference to 1982, the release date of Spielberg’s E.T. as being “the year the aliens first came to Earth,” and where inspiration for the film and its alien creatures came from.

Images:
A full page close-up shot of one of the main alien creatures seen within the film, which is eye-catching, grotesque, oddly beautiful in its own way, and evident of the wonderful special effects seen in the film, can be used as a comparison to the reviewer's description of the alien creatures in his review. Also, the idea that this is a full page close up almost implies that this is the key
example of the special effects depicted within the film, and that this is what the budget, which, for a sci-fi film is, as the reviewer admits, very modest, was used for, and possibly, to great effect and results.

A shot from the film which takes up about one third of the page. It is a shot of two MNU (the army seen in the film) attempting to kill one of the alien creatures. Again, it is very eye-catching and grotesque and evidence of the special effects seen in the film. Also, the caption "Ohhhhh, okey-cokey-cokey," is very funny and amusing and, whilst being a slight jibe at the film, is in keeping with the playful, comedic tone of the review.

G.I. Joe, Magazine Film Review Analysis, Empire, Oct 2009

Genre Conventions Research: G. I. Joe Review

Language:

I would preface my commentary with rider that the entire review is very, very funny and comedic in tone, making constant jokes at the film and filmmaker’s expense. There does not seem to be a serious tone to the review at all, and almost as if the reviewers feel that the film is not worth the time and effort it would take to conduct a fair and balanced critique of the film, it is just bad, pure and simple. This implies a bias, and possibly that the film reviewer’s job (in this case) is to make sure that films as terrible as these do not get seen, when other films, films which may not have as much hype as a film like this but are ten times better, are fairing very poorly at the box-office.

The review begins with a snub of the film: “At least three times during G.I. Joe, you will hear...‘Let’s get into the fight!!!’ Here, the three exclamation points are justifiable because it’s hard to imagine one or two would be enough.” This immediately sets the tone for the review, in that it will be full of disparaging remarks, and that it is a wholly negative critique and will not give the film any positive praise.

The reviewer then goes deeper into both the making of the film and the possible audience hype which is surrounding the film. Firstly, the reviewer states that: “The script...was rushed into production to beat the writer’s strike...” which possibly tries to imply that the messy pre-production was detrimental to the overall quality of the film. Secondly, he makes mention that the “Blogosphere', which obviously implies that this is the sort of film which will achieve much of its hype over the internet, and that the film’s success, if it does become a success, is heavily reliant upon the 'buzz' generated from the internet. Yet the comment that  “Holy crap...G.I. Joe...is SHIT!” thereby eliminates the idea that even the Blogosphere will be able to save this film. Also, the use of the word “shit” implies that this is a laid back review, and that this film is so extremely bad that it warrants this use of profanity.

Then, we are given details as to how stupid and nonsensical this film actually is, by the reviewer giving us a summary of one of the film’s more “dramatic,” scenes: “Channing Tatum...riding about on a motorbike in anguish...in the rain...with sunglasses on.” This not only an example of the reviewer completely 'ripping' into the film, giving it no justice and bombarding the reader with one critique after another after another, but it is also an example of the humorous, laid-back, completely and totally honest quality of the reviewer’s writing skill.

The point is then made that this film is sort of a “so-bad-it’s-good,” kind of a film, in that, even though it “has a robot tuna...and such unashamed dumb-assedness...it still gained $100.5 mil...which is more than it deserves.” This infers that, despite all of the film’s flaws, and despite every bad thing that this film feature, it still managed to be successful at the box-office, and this in itself is possible a jibe at how even the most stupid and nonsensical films, when given the right amount of hype, even negative hype, make money.

Finally, the reviewer insinuates that the film is a complete misfire, judging by its “substandard special effects, the impression that the “cyber spacesuits...are being waved by a giant, invisible 9-year-old,” and that it makes references to James Bond and “wants to be Thunderball...but ends up being Die Another Die...A mess.” This is, arguably, the final nail in the coffin for this film. The reviewer concludes his article finally and completely by giving one snub after the other, giving no justice whatsoever to the film, implying that it is so bad and so full of wants and desires to be something that it is not that it just collapses under the weight of what it could be instead of what it actually is. Therefore, the review is cleverly structured by the reviewer in order to both start and end the review with negative points, possibly giving the audience no hope at all that this is anyway a remotely good film, and that they should just stay well away from it.

Layout:

Again, there is lots of use of black, orange and maroon, to stay in keeping with a particular motif/colour scheme which is associated with the reviews section of Empire magazine.The review is, like that of District 9, presented through the use of columns (one long, two medium sized and one short column), each which hold no more than 7 words per line. Again, conforming to a traditional journalistic discipline. The length of the review is very short (the film is only allowed one page in the magazine), almost to imply that there is nothing worthwhile to point out the film, except its extraordinarily bad points and to critique and pick fun out of it to the point of absolute ridiculousness.

Toward the bottom left hand corner, there is a quote from the main article, which reads (paraphrased): "The Mummy Returns had Zombie Pygmies...G.I. Joe has a robot tuna." This quote is, again, much bigger than the review from which it comes from, and this instantly catches our eye and makes us not only want to read the comment in context, but also make us marvel at the absolutely stupid and downright bizarre nature of the film, and this is possibly where the main hook of the film is - that the reviewers almost want us to see this film just to make us agree with them that it is as bad as they have concluded it is. The 'final nail in the coffin' is a small text box in the middle left hand corner of the still from the film, where it gives us three points of trivia about the film and its filmmakers.

In conclusion, it is evident that Empire layout each of their reviews in a very similar fashion to one another, possibly to create a sense of consistency and to not alienate or confuse their regular readers by constantly changing the way that their articles are laid out. Creating a sense of brand identity in its own way, by strictly conforming to a set layout, they will firstly draw more readers in with their thorough reviews and secondly, create a sense of comfort and, almost, anticipation in amongst regular, dedicated readers who wish to find out the magazine's opinion of these films.

Images:

The one image comprises a large single still from the film, which takes up a little more than half of the page, features two Ninja-like characters, one in black, the other in white, in the middle of a swordfight or duel. The use of this image, when taken in context of the review, possibly implies that this is the key/most interest scene of the film, and the type of scene that will possibly be used to pull an audience, and that this sort of scene is shown again and again in the film, and that there is no more to it then that - the image sums up the film in a nutshell (i.e., duels, swords, villains in cool costumes, fire, explosions, all action and little sense, etc).

Therefore, a common theme seen throughout Empire magazine is that the images that they use tend to either, on the one hand, sum up the entire film in one singular image, possibly acting as a signifier to audiences that this is the type of thing they will see in the film and that they can make their choice on seeing the film based on this image, or, on the other hand, to enhance the former effect, they point out the very best of the film, serving as a key audience attractor, and to possibly want to get audiences to see the film because of this amazing image and the effect that it had on their review.

Julie & Julia Magazine Film Review Analysis

Genre Conventions Research: Julie and Julia Review


Image:

The review of the film Julie & Julia is dominated by a single main image of what looks to be the protagonist in a kitchen setting making food. The image connotes that the film may address the themes of family, cooking, friendship and the roles of mothers. The scenery consists of her wearing an apron cloth, in addition to having cooking apparatus such as plates and bowls again suggesting that the film may be largely based around the home or kitchen while also creating a very realistic situation that an audience can relate with. Again in terms of the image, we see a cheerful and happy smile on the centrally positioned character, suggesting a bit about her personality being warming, lighthearted with nothing to hide. This is also suggestive of the tone of the film being humorous and witty, as well as effectively easing the viewer in.

Language:
The tone of much of the review is quite humorous befitting the film's storyline and star actors; however it still contains elements of seriousness. Humour is self- evident in the use of such words like 'teeny kitchen' making the review very lighthearted. As a form of appeal to its audience, the reviewer uses terms such as 'us' involving the reader and making them more inclined to view the film. In addition to praising the credentials of the actors involved in the film like Meryl Streep, boasting 'Streep is to die for, so funny, touching so brilliant' which is effective because its engages the audience, which also makes them more inclined to watch the film. The review uses persuasive techniques in that they analysis the historical background and its relation to the film, for example,  'around the same time Kennedy brought culture and couture to the White House' which places the reviewer on a higher intellectual level and thereby making the reader more inclined to believe and trust them due to that fact that the reader themselves may not know about the historical background.

Layout:
In terms of the layout, the title is presented through the use of bold and black font immediately attracting the reader to the name of the film. The use of black and bold font is commonly used by Empire magazine as its acts as a motif for the whole magazine, this again makes them more recognisable to the reader as Empire are associating themselves with this colour and font.
The caption 'The cook, the wife, the star and her blogger' is used as a indication into the themes of the film, the use of such short words makes the reader want to view the film to find out the meaning of the collocation of these words, which is again effective in making them more inclined to view the film.

Initial/possible idea for short film (#1)

Planning - First Thoughts:


Our concept for our film is, in essence, a five minute walk, from one friend’s house to another’s, seen in real time. The idea here is to give the film a sense of randomness, realism and spontaneity. The idea is also about trying to mix reality with the weird/bizarre, and the mundane with the extraordinary. Some things just happen – they cannot be explained or justified, they simply are.
The film begins with an arresting and intriguing extreme close up of a pair of hands, which are both dripping with blood. This immediately catches the viewer’s attention, and makes them want to continue to watch the film, possibly confusing them and alarming them, but nonetheless, grabbing their attention almost immediately.

There is then a shot of a person, presumably the very same person whose hands we have just seen, walking away, into the distance. The camera than pans back to reveal a pair of legs, presumably a person’s body, lying dead on the floor. In mid pan, we cut to the title card of the film.
We are then introduced to a young man who is seen talking to his friend on the phone. His friend has asked him to come over to his house and he has accepted. We are then given brief flashes of the young man getting dressed and ready to go. His getting ready is shown in a sort of music video type fashion, possibly to highlight the fashions and styles of today’s youth, and to create a sense of verisimilitude.

The young man is then shown leaving his flat and beginning his walk. As he does, his interior monologue begins. The idea here is to create a very internalised film, almost a “documentary of the mind,” in that we follow the character, gaining an insight into their way of thinking, and learning a thing or two about them throughout the course of the film.

The young man than passes another young man, dressed in a long black coat, who is walking very rapidly, almost in a sacred, frenzied, paranoid panic. The two young men bump into each other, and the young man in the coat drops his wallet, but continues to walk. The young man bends down to pick it up and, as he does, it flips open and he sees that the inside of the wallet is stained with bloody finger prints. The other young man suddenly returns, snatching the wallet out of his hands, and thanking him very much for picking it up. He then walks away.

The young man continues his walk to his friend’s house. As he does, he begins to question whether the young man he just bumped into had done something wrong/committed a murder. He then brushes this off, thinking of his idea as stupid and nonsensical and not possible.

The young man than spots, from across the road, a couple having a very loud argument in the middle of the street, with the young woman’s dialogue along the lines of “I can’t believe you did that! How could you be so stupid? Do you know how much money I’ve saved up for that thing? Urgh, I hate you!”

The young man, unable to stop himself, yells “A bit of a strange place to have a domestic, don’t you think, mate?” The boyfriend from across the street yells an obscenity at him but he just laughs it off and continues walking.

The boyfriend from across the street is then seen crossing to the other side of the street, seemingly in an enraged rush. The young man then becomes more and more unnerved and fearful, possibly thinking that this boyfriend is going to hurt him for what he said, or there is going to be a confrontation of some sort. This is told through continuous close-ups and quick cuts back and forth between the two men.

The boyfriend is then seen striding past him, and off into the distance, as the young man is seen turning a corner, into a secluded road, which presumably is where his friend’s house is.

We are then shown the exterior of a jeweller’s. This shot confuses us, as we do not know why we are seeing this and have no idea what use this is to the plot. We then see a static long shot of pedestrians walking outside the area of the shop. We then see a very familiar figure appearing in the distance, but we have no idea who it is exactly.

We then cut to the secluded road, where the young man is seen walking towards his friends house. Everything is very quiet, and the tension here is extreme. Out of nowhere, the young man’s phone rings. He picks it up, and has a very quick conversation with his friend, telling him that he is almost there. He then hangs up. When he does, he sees a figure, walking towards him in the distance.

FROM THIS POINT ON, WE CUT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE STATIC SHOT OF OUTSIDE THE JEWELLER’S AND A P.O.V. SHOT OF THE YOUNG MAN, WALKING CLOSER AND CLOSER TOWARDS THE FIGURE IN THE DISTANCE, UNTIL BOTH FIGURES MERGE INTO ONE, ALMOST.

The figure that is walking towards the young man is the other young man with the bloody wallet. He is seen holding something in his hands. We cannot tell what it is at first, but it is then revealed to be a knife.

The other young man, in a frenzy, lunges for the young man, and strikes him in the stomach. A close up of the young man’s face reveals his shock and pain. His hands suddenly grip for his stomach and we see that his hands are covered in blood. These are the same hands we saw at the start of the film.
There is then a brief exchange of dialogue between both young men: “Why?” “I’m so sorry.” The young man than falls, presumably to his death. This is interrupted by a shot of the boyfriend walking into the jeweller’s shop and choosing a ring almost at random from behind the counter.

We are then presented with the same shot of the killer walking into the distance, and the pan towards the young man, lying dead in the street. The image of the blood and the shot of the figure walking away from the body implies that the shot of the victim falling and dying has been deliberately cut out in order to confuse and shock the audience, and to manipulate them into thinking one thing when something completely different has taken place.

The boyfriend who was just in the jeweller’s returns to his girlfriend and, slapping the ring in her hand, shouts “There’s your bloody ring!” and walks off into the distance.

The film ends with a close up of the young man’s dead, serene face, before a white-out and credits.

'Hell Is Around the Corner,' - Final draft script

FADE IN ON

EXTREME CLOSE UP of a pair of BLOODY BLACK HANDS.

(NOTE: The atmosphere here should most likely be surreal and dreamlike).

CUT TO

A PAIR OF FEET IN SHINING BLACK LEATHER BOOTS walks away and OUT of FRAME.

HOLD on vacant shot of STREET for a moment or two, then SLOWLY PAN to the RIGHT to reveal a pair of LIMP LEGS (more than likely a person's body) lying on the ground.

In MID PAN we CUT TO the film's TITLE CARD.

A FLASH OF WHITE LIGHT brings us to

THE INTERIOR OF A YOUNG BOY'S (DAMMY'S) BEDROOM.

He is in bed, on the phone, with his friend, who is not heard.

(NOTE: During his conversation of his friend, we get brief shots of items around his rooms to connote a sense of naivety and youthfulness, such as a Willy Wonka DVD, a stack of comic books, and a tall pile of school books).

DAMMY
(into phone)
Yo, man, what's up, you alright? What's the plan for today?
(beat)
I don't even know, man.
(beat)
We could hit up Westfields if you like. I think they've got sales on?
(beat)
Yeah, alright, then. I'll see you in a bit.

We are then presented with BRIEF SHOTS of Dammy getting ready and putting on ARTICLES OF CLOTHING (i.e., baseball cap, coat, shoes, etc).

CUT TO

ESTABLISHING SHOT of Dammy's HOUSE.

Dammy is seen exiting his house and beginning his walk.

CUT TO

A TRACKING CLOSE UP shot of Dammy's face as we hear his INTERIOR MONOLOGUE:

DAMMY
(voice-over)
Bloody hell, what a great day! Gonna get my Vans...oh yeah! Saw a top in H&M, need to get that, too. Only £25 pounds, I think. Absolute bargain!
(beat)
Bit grey, this weather, isn't it? I hope it doesn't rain. Days like these really bring out the worst in people.

CUT TO

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT of Dammy.

In the distance, we see another young man (Steven), a man who is taller and a bit more stocky, wearing a long black jakcet and a pair of leather gloves. He is walking in a paranoid, frenzied shuffle.

CUT TO

TWO SHOT of both Dammy and Steven BUMPING in to one another.

(NOTE: This shot is presented to us in slow motion to add emphasis to the action).

CUT TO

EXTREME CLOSE UP of Steven's WALLET dropping out of his pocket. It FLIPS OPEN and we are given a brief, teasing look into the inside of it. We see what appears to be bloody fingerprints all over the cards and the inside leather money slip.

(NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS TO BE SHOT AS WRITTEN - Dammy is positioned to the LEFT of FRAME. He is shown PICKING UP the wallet. On the RIGHT of Dammy, in the background, is Steven, watching him looking at the wallet.

CUT TO

CLOSE UP of a Dammy's face as he sees, in horror and confusion, the bloody sight.

DAMMY
(interior monologue)

What is this? Blood? Is this blood?

Steven slowly approaches Dammy, appearing more and more in focus.

Steven extends his hand and SLAMS it down on Dammy's shoulder.

Dammy suddenly jerks around in FEAR AND PANIC:

STEVEN
(coldly)
That's my wallet you've got there.

CUT TO

TIGHT TWO SHOT as

Both look down at the wallet, then stare up at each other. Dammy looks at Steven for a moment.

CUT TO

DAMMY'S POINT OF VIEW

He sees a dab of red blood in amongst the vast sea of black leather.

Dammy and Steven stare up at each other, Dammy fearfully. Steven looks at him seriously.

DAMMY
(unsure, trying to contain his panic)
Oh, sorry, sorry! Here!
(shoving the wallet into his hand)
Take it! It's yours! I found it on the floor!

Once Dammy gives back the wallet, they trade ONE FINAL GLANCE, before Dammy turns and exits.

CAMERA STAYS POSITIONED BESIDE STEVEN. He watches Dammy walk away into the distance.

CUT TO

A CLOSE UP TRACKING SHOT of Dammy's face.

DAMMY
(interior monologue)
He was bloody strange! The way he looked at me, it was like he wanted to kill me! Argh, he gives me the creeps!
(beat)
...And that blood! That blood! What was with that blood?
(beat)
Nah, forget it. Out of sight, out of mind. Just put it out of mind.

CUT TO

"THE TRAIL OF DEATH."

On the approach to his friend's house, Dammy notices the following:

A) A DEAD PLANT.

B) THE FRONT PAGE OF A NEWSPAPER DETAILING MANY DEATHS/A VERY FAMOUS HISTORICAL DEATH.

C) A DEAD ANIMAL.

These shots are complemented with CLOSE UPS of Dammy staring at them in bewilderment.

CUT TO

Dammy turns the corner and begins to walk down a long, secluded alleyway/side street. The atmosphere here is very dark and chilling. There is hardly a sound, except for Dammy’s worried breathing and the quiet hubbub from the main street.

DAMMY
(interior monologue)
Just a couple more minutes. You’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Just calm down.

As he walks down the alley, he sees, in the distance, a man, dressed in a black coat, walking at a slow, casual pace. As Dammy gets nearer and nearer, he/we begin to consider whether it is Steven, the man from the previous scene:

Dammy’s eyes light up with panic:

DAMMY
(interior monologue)
Is that him? Is that HIM?! Oh, my God!
(beat)
No no no no no it’s not possible it’s not possibly it’s not him!

From Dammy’s P.O.V., we get closer and closer to the figure in the distance until there is absolutely no denying that it is him.

DAMMY
(interior monologue)
Oh my god oh my god what does he want what does he want???

Dammy and Steven meet in the middle of the road. Dammy, scared out of his wits, says, stuttering:

DAMMY
La-listen, I-I, uh, I don’t want any...

Steven slow pulls something from out of his pocket – a pair of keys. He holds them forward, offering them to Dammy.

STEVEN
(in a slow, deliberate fashion)
You dropped your keys, mate.
(putting them in his hand)
There you go. Always believed in being the Good Samaritan, me.

Dammy breathes an immense sigh of relief.

DAMMY
Phew! Thank God!
(beat, laughs)
You know, for a second there, you really frightened me...

STEVEN
It’s alright, mate. No harm done.
They both look at each other.

DAMMY
(putting his hand on his shoulder)
Thank you...!

From Dammy’s P.O.V., we see Steven quickly glance at his hand on his shoulder, then slowly look up at him, squarely in the face.

He smiles, very faintly, before QUICKLY BRANDISHING A HAMMER AND SMASHING DAMMY OVER THE HEAD WITH IT!

CUT TO BLACK!

THE END

Notes for script

Planning - Working Notes:

1) Ahmed could play the naive boy and Dammy could play the killer. Dammy is capable of pulling off being very intimidating and cold and detached, and Ahmed can pull off being naive and stupid and oblivious to what is going on.

2) If Ahmed were to play the boy, we would have to slightly tone down the opening dialogue and replace it with something a little less “street.”

3) When he sees the blood on the killer’s coat, there should be a ZOOM IN, so that it not only takes on a raw, bloody meaning but also almost engulfs the screen in red, almost as if it is a flashing light or an alarm bell of this boy’s guilt/crime.

4) When he hands back the wallet, there should be a shot of the hands, which connotes a passing away, and also that his life is now in the killer’s hands.

5) There are so many different ways in which we can show/signify the killer killing the boy. We do not see blood, but we see the actual hit, possibly from the young boy’s point of view, putting us right in his shoes. Also, both the slamming of the hand on the shoulder and the killing should both be presented with a similar sound, such as a crashing sound or a distorted scream; something violent sounding, basically.

6) There should also be a shot of the clouds up above when he says “I hope it doesn’t rain...” Grey clouds connote a sense of foreboding, and the feeling that there is not something quiet right going on here.

7) Places/things would could connote death include a bordered up pub (which is near my house, but I do not know if we need permission), a boarded up house, and lilies. The lilies could be one or a dozen, a wrecked bouquet that the boy sees on the ground with the petals blowing in the wind, for instance.

Film Influences

Planning - Filmic Influences:


The Seventh Seal:





There are several reasons as to why we have chosen Ingmar Bergman’s ‘The Seventh Seal,’ as one of our influences for our short film.

The first, and probably the most obvious and blatant, is that ‘The Seventh Seal’ features one of the most famous images in cinema history, that of Death, played by Benget Ekerot, appearing suddenly on a beach in the opening scene, armed with a scythe, ready to take Antonious Block, played by Max Von Sydow, away into death. Given the nature of our film (i.e., dealing wholly with the theme and nature of death, and using lots of death imagery), it felt appropriate to sit ‘The Seventh Seal,’ as an influence because A) it is, as we have said, one of the most famous examples/depictions of Death in film, and B) because there are themes within ‘The Seventh Seal,’ which are clearly echoed within our film (i.e., that of Death coming to take an person unexpectedly, etc, etc), and so it felt fitting to use this film as an influence.

The second is the heightened use of ambient and natural sounds. In our film, we are planning to present all aspects of the ‘world,’ within our film, in particular the sounds and scenery, in such a way that it proves to be very disarming and disorientating towards the viewer. We feel that ‘The Seventh Seal,’ is a perfect springboard in order to allow us an insight into how to do this effectively.
The third and final reason is the use of Gunner Fischer’s black and white cinematography. Since it is arguable that the use of black and white cinematography within ‘The Seventh Seal,’ was used by Bergman in order to act as a metaphor for death itself and the bleak situations the characters find themselves in, we feel that it would be a worthwhile consideration to shoot our film in black and white, as this would be, like ‘The Seventh Seal,’ the perfect way to get our point across.

The Godfather:



There are several reasons as to why we have chosen Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' as one of our influences for our short film.
The first is Coppola’s heightened use of sound. In the earlier part of the scene, before Don Corleone is shot, there is the very loud and distracting use of a trumpet. It may be implied that this trumpet sound, whilst maybe just being there in order to add an extra layer of “street realism,” to the piece, and to be very much in keeping with the time and place in which it was set (i.e., 1940s Italian America, etc), it may also have been used to add emphasis to or foreshadow a particular event (i.e., Don Corleone’s shooting).
The second is the way in which Don Corleone’s murder has been staged/framed. Coppola makes heavy use of medium close ups of both the Don and his assassins in order to possibly add emphasis, drama and tension to what is going to happen/is happening, and trying to draw the audience closer to the action. The use of the medium close up of the weapons may be to, again, emphasise danger, and that this man is going to be killed. Also, the guns possibly connote phallic imagery, which may add to the feeling that this killing is very much to do with honour and respect, themes which are stereotypically linked to the male psyche. Finally, the use of a single, unbroken take of the Don as he slips from the car in agony is not only effective in hammering home the point that this man is close to death, but is also (as was the case with ‘The Seventh Seal,’) one of the most famous and iconic moments in film history, and this again gives us a springboard for our own ideas and the desire to, with our film, create images which are just as visually powerful as the ones we have sited.
The third and final reason is Coppola’s use of costume. For instance, the Don is presented as wearing a long, brown coat and a pinched Fedora hat. This is effective as this is indicative of who this character is (i.e., that he is a smart, sophisticated man with a wonderful dress sense). Also, not only is this choice of dress indicative of the sort of character we are watching, but it is also indicative of the period in which the film is set (i.e., late ‘40s, etc). This helps to create a sense of realism and verisimilitude and has given us ideas in to how we can dress our characters in our film to create the same type of feeling.


American Psycho:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXlkq9vHuAE

NOTES: Bateman's interior monologue, the use of music, fitting with the motifs of the film and the character's construction.

Taxi Driver:



Again, the music is very brooding, the scene itself is very internalized, giving us the events going on in New York from his point of view. What he talks about fits in with what we see on screen. His interior monologue is very judgemental of the society which is being portrayed. We are using this because it is, again, a classic example of proper use of interior monologue which we wish to integrate into our film. There are constant use of extreme close ups in addition to slow motion shots, which helps to further internalize the events seen on screen, and to imply that we are seeing a biased, twisted view of society. Also wished to use slow motion in our film which again is seen in this extract.

Peep Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOe5n8M0ldw

NOTES: Very realistic, full of versimilitude. Also, comedic in style, which is expressed through in interior monologue. Also, again, what is heard in the monologue complements what is seen on screen.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre:



We have also selected Tobe Hooper's 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' as an influence in our film because of the way in which Hooper chose to introduce the killer, Leatherface, and the way in which he kills his victim, is almost identical to our film. To explain - we want our film to end very much with a "surprise," that the audience never sees coming (i.e., the young boy being killed by being hit with the hammer). Since a possible way of presenting this can be through a point of view shot, and since the way in which the shot in 'Texas Chainsaw' is presented is very similar to a p.o.v. shot, it felt appropriate to site this as an influence. Also, the overall atmosphere of the piece, and the way in way Hooper gauges tension (such as the animal noises, the constant cutting back and forth between Kirk and the empty, ominious doorway [which is, arguably, similar to our film, metaphorical of death and a transition into the unknown]) is undoubtly a major influence on us, and that is why we have selected 'Texas Chainsaw' as one of our influences for our film.

Music influences

Planning - Musical Influences:

Aftermath - Tricky:





This song helps to establish an uneasy atmosphere. It is ideal for the opening credit music of a film such as ours, in that it is very mysterious, intriguing and captivating. Also, considering that it is a hip-hop/r’n’b song, it helps to combine the eerie and the strange with the modern and the current, which are themes which flow through our film.


Blame It on the Boogie - The Jacksons:






Fix Up, Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascall:





These songs help to stay in keeping with a sense of naivety and innocence which is prevalent within the character. They could be played during the dressing up scene, serving to make meaning by setting a tone that helps establish the character. These songs are also in keeping with current trends of music that youths listen to today, therefore contributing to the realism.


Music for Strings, Percussion and Celestia - Bela Bartok:





This piece of music is a key influence on the music which we should use during the scene in which we are introduced to the killer. This music is very mysterious, strange and ominious. It is also revealing as it implies something extremely odd and bad about this character. It is almost as if we are being warned about this character by hearing this music. Also, as there are no lyrics, and this is a classical piece, it is fitting as the representation of silent killer is a classic of the thriller genre. The effect achieved is that this piece of music is his theme tune, connoting menace and evil.


Hell is Round the Corner - Tricky:






Teardrop - Massive Attack:







Teardrop - Newton Faulkner:




These two pieces of music are very downbeat, grungy and dirty, and are capable of evoking a strong response within our audience. The music ends the film on a bleak and pessimistic down note – there is no doubt that this boy is dead.

Ideas for Film

Planning Ideas:

Settings:

• Set on a cold, gloomy overcast day.
• Show how the natural elements of the scenery are decaying or dead, shown via the depiction of dead plants, dead leaves and maybe even dead animals.
• Consider possibly shoot in black and white to convey a bleak atmosphere, although this choice would not allow emphasis of the bright red of the blood.

Costume:

• The young boy should be dressed in a shirt, jeans and trainers, all of which are bright in colour. This adds a sense of naivety to him, in keeping with his age, inexperience and well-intentioned behaviour in the situation. Also, this creates a sense of versimilitude since it is not unlikely that a boy in this day and age would wear something like this.
• The killer should wear a long black coat, and possibly a pair of black leather gloves to add to his suspicious, menacing, evil persona, connotively linking him with the Grim Reaper type figure of superstitious folklore.

Visual motifs/aesthetics:

• The colours used should deep, bold and almost stingingly painful to the eyes of the audience, for example, the reds should be really, really red, and the blacks should be really, really black.

Iconography:

• Symbolically, the secluded road acts as a metaphor for a route towards death. This setting should be lit with bright white light, as this serves to symbolise the passing into death.

Poster:

• We are considering using a still image from our finished film, which we feel will perfectly encompass the tone of our film. This image consists of our protagonist and our antagonist caught together within the same frame. Our protagonist (a young, naive boy) is pictured picking up a bloody wallet in the foreground and staring at it in bewilderment. In the foreground is our antagonist, watching the young boy looking at the wallet with murderous intent clearly on his mind.