Film Pitch Feedback

This is our film pitch for our film 'The Last Adventure'.

The feedback we received from one of our peers on this presentation was that is was a very relevant narrative for the genre and that it was very interesting, she rated us 9/10 for this.
Our teacher said that our main character Stacey should maybe be a bit younger, we agreed with this and have decided to change her age from 18 to 16. We were told that the rest of our characters are well casted. We were rated 8/10 for this. One of our peers however said that all of the characters personalities fit well together.
We were told that our enigma code was really good, the audience wants to know what her special wish is, we were rated 9/10 for this.
Our teacher said that our narrative was very suitable for our target audience and that we created escapism. We were told that the quote on the film poster will help attract the audience. She rated us 9/10 for this part of the presentation.
Our teacher said that our narrative was lovely and that with the stay at home target audience it is easier to manipulate their emotions. We were rated  9/10 for this as well.
Our teacher said that our film is different with a teen twist and for this we received 8/10.
Our peer said that our marketing ideas were extremely well thought out and she marked us 8/10 for this.
Overall we received 60 out of 70, we as a group were very happy with this result but we have thought out ways to improve on our film.

Film Language Analysis

Boyz N the Hood

In the opening of this film we get a big insight to what the whole film is going to be based on. For the first 1 minute and 8 seconds of the film we don't see anything other than the title of the film and the producers names, we only hear things. We hear lots of swearing and trash talk which suggests to the audience that gangs could be involved in the film. We also hear the police being called about one of their own officers being shot which shows that the police don't really have any power or control over the violence that is happening, we also hear many gun shots being fired which tells the audience that there is going to be a lot of violence within the film. We also hear a young boy crying and saying: 'they shot my brother' this shows that young children are caught up in all of this violence.

The first few settings we see are: in the streets when the children are on the way to school this is an interesting setting because we see the young children walking past the shooting area as if it is just the usual everyday thing for them, which is shocking for the audience. We also see the South Central LA school where the children attend, this is another shocking setting for the viewers because we notice that in the classroom instead of having pictures of the children's families or of happy things, they have pictures of violent scenes which is very unusual and unsettling. We also see the area when they are on the walk home from school, here we see that the children are constantly surrounded by violence, we know this because we watch one of the boys walk past a group of older men having a fight.

One of the themes in this film is violence, before even seeing any clip in the film the audience knows straight away because of the sounds right at the start of the film. Another theme is Black Americans, we get to see as an audience what it is like to live in the area they live in and how they deal with things.

The characters that we see in the start of the film are the children, the teacher and one of the boys mother's. It is clear to the audience that the boy who gets into trouble is the main character in the group of kids, he leads them on the way to school and seems to be very cocky for example when he gets up and starts teaching the class. The teacher comes across as very patronising we see this side of her when she calls up the boys mother and is surprised when the mother tells her that she is employed.

In the first minute of the film we only hear off screen sounds this is when we can hear the sound but we can't see where it is coming from, we hear lots of swearing in the men's conversation- this makes the audience feel quite cautious of what's going on because we can't see the characters that are talking, cars, shootings, police which all suggests to the audience that the film is going to contain a lot of violence. We hear screams and police sirens which suggests that people are getting hurt and are living in fear. The police sirens and the car screeching on the road are non diegetic sounds which have been added on to the film. Diegetic sounds are real sounds such as the young boy talking. We also hear a young boy crying about this violence which shows that there is still some innocence in the film, when listening to this the audience feels great sympathy for the young boy. There is parallel sound when the boy is walking through the street and the teacher is on the phone to his mother.

The camera changes from setting to setting very quickly and sharply which could represent how quick a gun fires. The camera pans across the whole classroom this could be to portray the different personalities of the children in the classroom. There is many close up shots which only really occur when the character is showing an emotion, this could be so that the audience feels closer to the character and can begin to understand their story. The camera doesn't really move very much in the opening scene, it is mainly focused on panning. This could show the focus of violence on the characters.

The main characters costumes are casual clothes which shows that they don't have to make an effort to look smart fir school which shows the level of the education they are receiving. Throughout the opening of the film the lighting is quite dull and it is almost like there is something covering the screen of the camera which could represent how the gangs cover up their shootings. The actors in the film seem to be of low class we know this because of the area they live in, the teacher seems to be of middle class due to the clothes she was wearing and her job.

The young boy who gets into trouble with the teacher seems to get the most screen time in the opening scene, followed by the boy who he had a fight with in the class. This could be because these two are the main characters in the film. The pace of the film opening is quite slow this could be a build up to the main part of the film.



To analyse the opening scene of this film we had to focus on: the colour, the binary oppositions, male and female and also the good vs. the evil.
The main colour in this opening scene is black, this could be to portray to the audience that something bad could happen because black represents darkness and mystery. The colour black could also show that the characters are trying to hide something. However, at the start of the opening scene we see a harsh white light which we later find out to be the policeman's torch, this could be to show that the police are trying to find something about the characters and they are putting them on the spot.
The binary oppositions in this clip could be the men vs. the women, in this opening scene we see that the woman has a lot of power, even though she is the only woman against all of the men in the clip. Women are usually shown as weak and not as strong as men but in this clip we see that the woman is actually as good if not better than the men which is opposite to what the audience usually expects to see.
The good vs. the evil in this clip could be the group of the men and the woman vs. the police force. Clearly the police force are trying to catch the group for doing something bad but they seem to get away.




When analysing this scene from the film UP we had to consider how they showed the passage of time, the sound, the mise en scene and the camera.
They showed the passing of time in a really clever and interesting way, this was by the changing of the man's ties. Everyday his wife Ellie does his tie for him before work and we see how the style of tie changes over time and then when we see the couples facial features after the tie scene is over, we realize that they have grown old.
The sound in this clip is a very catchy and happy song which portrays to the audience that the couple are very happy together. However, when the woman becomes sad the music becomes very slow and makes the audience feel the same emotion as the character.
The characters costumes are very similar throughout the clip, the man always seems to be in suits and the woman seems to vary from jeans and a top to dresses, this shows that they are a typical middle class couple. The lighting in this scene is changed quite frequently throughout, for example when they are having fun and enjoying themselves it is very bright and colourful but for example when the lady is sitting in the garden on her own and the man is looking at her it is quite dark and dull and this is to show the characters mood. There is only two main characters in this clip which makes it easier for their story to be shown. The main prop in this opening scene is the house because this is where most of the clip is filmed and where the couple spend most of their fun times. Another main prop could be the hospital because this is where the couple spend their saddest times together.
The camera doesn't have too many shot changes in this scene, the main shot is at eye level for both characters which could show that they are both equal. When the couple are looking up at the sky to the clouds this is a point of view shot which allows the audience to be able to relate to the characters.





To analyse this film opening we had to focus on the camera and the mise en scene.
The camera in the first part of this clip is zoomed in onto some photos which clearly have some meaning to the main character Cady. The camera then zooms out and we see the back of Cady. We then see a slight pan shot of a small section of the inside of the prison where all of the prisoners are watching Cady leave. We then see a transition of the door that Cady leaves the prison from shutting behind him and the camera goes straight to the prison gates opening for him to leave. This is a good transition because it shows the character's departure well.
The costumes of the characters in this clip are their prison uniforms and the police officers uniform, when Cady is released from the prison he is wearing his own clothes which shows his seperation from the prison life to his new life outside the prison. The lighting in this clip is quite dull when in the prison but then when the character is leaving the prison the lighting is very bright which again shows the difference between prison life and his life outside the prison. The main character we see in this clip seems to be around 40/50, and seems to be of low class as he is in prison. The pictures in Cady's cell are a prop because they were of violent people which could show to the audience what he is actually like. His tattoos could also be seen as a prop because he had a nazi sign tattoo which again show what he is like as a person. The setting of this clip is in a prison which gives the audience an insight to what the film is all about.

Audience

Who creates what we watch?
I believe that the gatekeepers create what the audience watches because they are the ultimate stage of production, therefore what we see is totally controlled by them. Some people may argue that the audience controls what we watch because the producer's only produce things that they know their audience enjoys.

Do you think the media could exist without an audience?
I don't think that the media could exist without an audience because if they don't have an audience then they have no one viewing their work. If they have no one viewing their work, then they have no way of improving and also no way of seeing if their work is actually enjoyable or entertaining. 

Do you think the audience could exist without the media?
I don't think that the audience could exist without the media because without the media's work the audience would have nothing to view. Therefore, they aren't really an audience if they have nothing to watch.

Who's more powerful the media or the audience?
I believe that the audience is more powerful because without the audience the media wouldn't be able to function.

Uses and Gratifications
In the lesson today we learnt about the theory of uses and gratifications. The acronym we were told to use to represent this theory is PIES this stands for: Personal Identification, Information, Entertainment, Social Interaction.

Personal Identification
Personal Identification is when a viewer feels that they can relate to the film from their own experience. Fast Girls is not only one of my favourite films, but it is also one that I feel can relate to well. The reason I feel that I can relate to this film is because it is based on a group of girls in an athletics team, when the film came out my athletics team and I had just won the National School's athletic competition and as a treat our took us al out. We all related to the film really well as it reminded us of ourselves as a team.

Information
Information plays a big part in the media and one of the main ways that it is presented is through the news. For example in the news today we found out that Mary Berry has left Great British Bake Off, many people will have an opinion and therefore they will discuss their opinions usually on social media, the viewers opinion is seen as information and these opinions could possibly get back round to the news reporters. 

Entertainment
Many people watch shows or films that they find entertaining, because of course if they didn't enjoy it then they wouldn't watch it. Everybody has different favourite types of films or shows that they enjoy watching, for example some people enjoy comedy films but some people don't enjoy comedy and may prefer action films more.  One of the producers main aims is to make their work entertaining, because if they didn't, then they wouldn't have any viewers. 

Social Interaction
Social Interaction is when a viewer talks socially about their feeling and views on what they have just watched, usually it is talking to their friends about it. Many people like to speak to their friends or family about a show or film that they've recently watched. Sometimes people talk about the films or shows through social media, me and my group of friends enjoy talking about the recent series of 'Our Girl' in our group chat, some of us enjoy certain parts of the episodes and some of us don't.

The definition of the word film is ‘a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a cinema or on television’. Within a film there are different attributes, which include many movements and events. Films can give you a mixture of feelings due to the many different genres that there is. In the olden days a film would have been produced to allow the film/movie to be shown in the cinemas.
The word ‘movie’ appears to have the same meaning as the word ‘film’ however ‘movie’ is mainly used by Americans. A movie is a film that is released into the cinema, and can make money. Most movies are well known whereas some films are published but don’t make it into the cinema
A cinema is ‘a theatre where films are shown for public entertainment’. When we hear the word cinema we automatically think of the big screen and the cosy seats. A cinema is a place where the most popular movies are shown before they are released onto a DVD.

My top ten favourite films:

1.       Fast and furious 7

2.       Hunger games  

3.       Fast girls

4.       Bad neighbours 2

5.       Identify thief

6.       Tangled
 

7.       Hannah Montana the movie

8.       Finding dory
 

9.       Mean girls

10.   High school musical 2

I think that some of my favourite films share the same genre which is action for example: ‘Fast and furious 7’ and ‘Hunger games’ I enjoy actions films the most so this is why these two films are in my top 10.  Also some of them such as ‘Tangled’ and ‘Finding Dory’ are made by the same company which could be why I like them both. ‘Bad neighbours 2’ and ‘Identity thief’ also share the same genre which is comedy, this is another one of my favourite genres which is why these two films are in my top 10. 

From the list of films that we were given, I consider Jaws and E.T to be my favourite films.











1. How do you find out about a film?
Usually you will film an advertisement of a film on a billboard or on the side of a bus for example. Other ways that we find out about a film is when you see its trailer before watching another film in the cinema, this then makes you interested in watching the film.
2. What makes you want to see a film?
Usually you will see the trailer and what is in the trailer will make you interested in the film and you will then want to see it. You may also want to see a film if it is the sequel of another film that you enjoyed watching.
3. How do you know what to expect from a film?
From the genre of the film you can sort of guess what the film is going to be like, for example if it is a horror film, then it isn't going to include any comedy.
4. What are you paying for when you buy a cinema ticket or buy/rent a DVD?
When you buy a cinema ticket you are mainly paying for the selling of the film because the cinema have to buy the film and if course they want to be able to get a profit on it, you are also paying for  the staff that work at the cinema, and also for the snacks.
5. Where do you watch films? At home? At the cinema?
Generally I watch films at the cinema and this is because I like to watch new films and I like the whole experience of going to the cinema and having popcorn. Sometimes I watch films at home but that is only really when I'm bored.
6. Do you think that there are differences between watching a film in the cinema and watching it at home on a DVD? If you think they are, then what are they?
There is a few differences from watching a film at home or in the cinema. Such as: at home you are in your own environment which means you don't have to worry about being too loud to not ruin the film for anyone else. Another difference is that in the cinema the film is shown on a huge screen which makes the viewer feel much more involved with the film. Also, at the cinema you generally get popcorn and snacks to take into the cinema with you which makes the whole experience that much better than being at home on your sofa.
7. Are there some films that you HAVE to see at the cinema or doesn't it matter?
All films that have been shown in the cinema will always come out on DVD, and if they don't come out on DVD then they will most likely be released online to be able to watch.

Representations

Representation is the way in which people, events and ideas are presented to the audience. The genre of this film is comedy. The film poster shows the very famous comedian Will Ferell so straight away we know that this film is going to have some element of comedy within it. Another way we can tell that this is a comedy film is because Will is having his hair braided which is something very unusual for a white man but of course it is amusing.

In this film poster, two characters who are clearly the main characters in the film are being presented. They are being presented as two very different men, but also as two men who seem to have the same interests. We know that they are different because of the outfits they are wearing, for example: the man in the suit is clearly of a higher class than of the man who's just in casual clothes. The preferred audience of this film poster is comedy lovers, the age restriction is most likely to be 15 and over, we get this impression because the block capital words on the poster could show aggression and also the name of the film could be seen as inappropriate.

We don't actually know where the characters are and the background is just white, so this could suggest that the main character in the film is very plain and simple. They are being framed as 'hard guys' we get this impression because of the faces the characters are pulling, also from the title of the film we can tell that the 'lower classed' character could potentially be teaching the other character how to 'get hard', hence why he is plaiting his hair which is the stereotypical way that 'tough' guys wear their hair.

It is clear that they are present because they are the main characters in the film, this is obvious because there is no other characters on the film poster.

From the film poster it doesn't look like the characters have any disabilities. The age of the characters seems to be from 30-40. The gender of both of the characters on the poster is male, this could show brotherhood in the film. The sexuality of the characters isn't clear to the audience from the poster.
The text on the film poster says: 'An education in incarnation' this is trying to be funny which again shows the comedy element in the film and it also seems like a rap because the words rhyme this also shows comedy on the poster.

Narratives

In this lesson we learnt about narratives and how some people have different theories about them. Aristotle was a man who believes that there is a beginning, middle and an end to every story. In this clip in the beginning the couple are both vey happy and excited about starting their new life together. In the middle of the clip, the lady loses her baby and becomes very sad and the man in the relationship has to try to cheer her up. Towards the end of the film the lady becomes ill and both the couple become very sad.
Todorov was a man who believes in the state of normality, this is relevant to this clip because he couple live a normal life and not the typical Disney story of living happily ever after. They go through some rough for example: illness and money troubles which is good because I shows he audience at his is a normal couples life, and that not everybody is perfect.
The disruption of an equilibrium is when a character or an action causes an effect which disturbs the state of normality in the clip, in this clip you could say the action of the lady becoming ill effects the state of normality but at the same time, illness is unfortunately a normal part of life.
Levi Strauss observed that all narratives are organised around the conflict between such binary opposites. Examples of binary opposites in this clip are the fact that at the start the man can't keep up with the woman when going up the hill but then, at the end of the clip the woman can't keep up with the man. Another one could be that in he clip we see the woman in the hospital twice whereas we don't see the man in the hospital for himself at any point in the clip.
Barthe's codes- the key actions that happen in this film opening are the couple being all excited in the beginning to start their new journey and life together, the key actions of this could be them making all the little finishing touches to their house such as putting their chairs next to each other, this could show that they want to grow old together.

DISTINCT Analysis

By the opening of this film we can tell that the genre of it is action and drama. Straight away we can tell that this is about a gang trying to test whether the boy who they're circling is worthy enough to be in their group. It's clear that they are putting him under pressure to do drugs and it's also clear that at the start the boy wasn't sure whether to do it or not but in the end it was obvious to the audience that he would do anything to be able to impress the boys around him and also to be a part of the gang.
The setting looks like it is a dark alleyway at the start but we later realise when the gang come out of the darkness that it was an underpass, we then knew that it was set in the daytime. We know that it was winter time because the gang were wearing hoodies and also the public who are in the clip are in coats.
There is a big theme of crime in this opening clip, we know this because when the gang comes out of the underpass they are on a motorbike and begin shooting an innocent woman with a pram. The fact that this event happened in broad daylight makes it obvious to the viewers that this gang is very high up in the crime world and doesn't care about anything. It is clear that there is a big theme of friendship in the gang, you could also say that there is a slight theme of family because of the mother and child in the clip.
The gun in this opening clip is a significant item because it represents the genre which is crime. It is also a significant item because it makes the audience feel cautious and intrigued about what is going to happen in the rest of the film.  At the same time when we are introduced to the gun we are also introduced to the motorbike, the gang seem to use the motorbike as a threat to the public because they revved the engine really loudly when driving around the park as well as shooting at the innocent woman.
This film opening shows that the plot of the film is all over the place, as the camera is quite shaky throughout the clip, this makes the audience feel like they are a part of the gang and like they are in the clip. There's no actual named characters in the film opening which shows that the producer grouped a load of boys together.
The characters in this clip seems to be of lower class, we get this impression because of the clothes they are wearing such as the baggy tracksuits and hoodies and also the fact that they are hanging around in a park doesn't show that they have much class. The age of the characters seem to range from around 17-19. All of the main characters are males in this clip. The ethnicity of the characters in the clip seems to be a range from white and black. We don't know the sexuality of any of the characters in the clip because none of it is based on love or sexuality.
The characters costumes are mainly tracksuits and hoodies which is the stereotypical thug or or gang attire. At the start of the clip, the lighting is very dark and there is only slight light on the characters faces but nothing else. When they go out of the underpass, even though it is daytime it seems to be getting dark which could show the effects that the gang have on the public. The only props we see in the clip are the gun and the motorbike, these could have been used by the producer to show that the characters are from a gang and to show that they mean business. 
The sound in the beginning of the clip is quite quiet but it gradually gets louder and louder. There is slight background music when the gang members are on the motorbike this could be because the producer wants to create a bid up for before the characters go into the park. When the lorry hits the motorbike at the end of the clip the sound just stops with no fading, this could represent the sudden death of the gang and how their heart just stops.



From the opening of this film we know that the genre is a teen rom-com which is a teenage romance and comedy film, we know this due to many jokes and amusing things occurring in this short clip. It's clear to the audience that the film is going to be based on a bunch of potentially rich, teenage high school kids but we can tell that the main character is the blonde girl who most of this short clip is based on.
 In this clip it is set in a few different places, in the beginning we see the potential main character of the film walking out of a shop with many bags which tells us that she is a big spender and can afford to buy many things which could be surprising to the audience because she is only a teenager.  We then see a group of teenagers around a pool which again shows off the richness of the characters. The final setting in this clip is at the blonde girl's house which clearly shows off her wealth and we also get introduced to her maid in this setting which tells the audience the type of lifestyle this teenage girl is living. Throughout the clip it seems to be sunny and good weather and also when we see the group around the pool we can clearly tell that it is summer. Due to there being lots of light we know that this clip was set during the day.
The plot of this clip seems to be on a teenage girl who is spoiled by her father and is very popular when it comes to school and friends. It's clear that she isn't used to not getting her own way, we know this because she wasn't happy at all when her father didn't drink the orange juice she was trying to give him and also when she got told she had to go for dinner with her step-brother which is clearly something that she doesn't want to do, but is being made to. The characters all seem to be teenagers, except from the blonde's father and the maid. This could show the difference between the old and the young.
The characters in this clip all seem to be of a high class, we know this because of the size of the blonde girls house and also her friends house who the blonde went to pick up in which looks like a brand new car which again shows she is of high class because she has a brand new car at her age. The age of the characters seems to be around 17-18, we know this because they still go to school and the main character has a car. There is a mixture of males and females in this clip and most likely throughout the whole film.
The characters costumes seem to be the typical American teenagers clothes, however the father of the blonde girl was wearing a suit which tells the viewers that he is of high class. The lighting is very bright which could show that the characters in this clip are very happy and upbeat. The makeup of the characters is very natural if any, this could show they're innocence. The plant pot can be seen as a prop, when the blonde girl runs it over this tells the audience that she is very spoilt and doesn't care whether she breaks anything.
The music in the clip has the words: 'we're the kids in America' this is a clear representation of the characters in the clip because they are teenagers in America. The voice over in the clip sets the scene of the film because it tells you what is going on.

Semiotics analysisng film poster

Mean Girls-
The denotations of this film poster are 3 girls in a group and one girl on her own. The title of the film is in all capitals which shows it means a lot in the film, so the audience can expect a few 'mean' girls in the film. All the writing on the poster is in different fonts which could show the different personalities in the film, such as the girl at the front of the poster being vey different to the girls in the back of the poster.
The connotations of this film poster are that the three girls in the back are clearly leaving the other girl out. The words 'WATCH YOUR BACK' show that there is going to be some conflict in the film, possibly between the girls who are on the film poster. The title of the film also suggests to the audience hat conflict could occur.
The preferred reading of this film poster is that the girl on her own is being singled out as she isn't the typical American teenaged girl like the others in the background, we can tell this because she is standing on her own and the three girls in the background don't look like they want to interact with her. It's also clear that she isn't the typical American teenager because she isn't wearing the same clothes as the other girls.
However, the oppositional reading of this film poster could be that the girl at the front is not actually singled out, and that the film directors just want you to believe that so you will automatically feel sorry for her.
The negotiated reading of this film poster could be that the girl on her own is being bullied by the other girls and she doesn't get along with them or it could be that the girl on her own has actually been 'mean' to the three girls in the back, hence why she isn't in their group of friends anymore.

Genre picture analysis

The genre type in this picture was thriller. We showed this genre by using the scary wig as a prop, this was a good prop to use as the red and black colours in the wig symbolise danger and darkness which is what thriller themed films are based on. The way Sophie's hands are shown could represent claws which could also symbolise danger.

The genre type in this picture that we had to portray was comedy. We showed this by using the neon wig as a prop, as this was our only prop we had to try and use other ways to show the genre so this is why we decided to show Sophie falling off of the toilet. Comedy is a genre that is to each persons preference, so some people may not see this as a comedy however some people may. 

The genre type we had to show in this picture was teen rom com. We tried to portray this by showing two teenagers gazing into each others eyes which shows the connection between them both, we also showed this by making a love heart sign with our hands. For the comedy side of the teen rom com genre, we used the pink fluffy scarf as our prop.

Film opening

The genre of this film is sport/drama. The main character is training for the Olympic relay team and for the 200m sprint event. This clip shows the genre of the film straight away because it shows one of the training sessions with the athletes coach. This clip also portrays the fact that the girl is aiming to qualify for a specific event, we know this because her coach is timing her which shows she is trying to get a certain time.