Student Questionnaire

This is my Student Questionnaire, answering the questions to give my personal views and opinions about the media:

Working Title: Rush

Working Title:

Working Title Films, is a British production company, founded in 1983. Based in London and run by Universal.
Co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Working Title is one of the leading film production companies in the world.

Working Title has made over 100 films that have grossed nearly $6 billion worldwide.
Just some of the successes the company is responsible for are:
Les Misérables, About Time, Anna Karenina, Hot Fuzz,The World's End, Shaun of the Dead, Bridget Jones, Atonement, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually.

Rush:

Released 27 September 2013, was co-financed and produced by Universal Pictures, Revolution Films, Exclusive Media and Cross Creek Pictures, in association with Imagine Entertainment.
Here is the trailer:

As you can get from the trailer, the film is introduced to be an action filled, thrilling Formula 1 film. The emphasis on it also being a 'real-life' event makes the action seem only more real, knowing the events have actually occurred will attract Formula 1 fans but also add to the drama of the films plot.

Due to the success of a previous Working Title fIlm: Senna, a documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the Formula 1 World Championship three times before his death at age 34, there was already a waiting target audience for Working Title to aim at. So they could be more positive that Rush wouldn't be a flop!

The Formula 1 thrill which appears so vividly in the trailer is the reason racing fans were so attracted to the film. The tense expectation of a crash keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, anticipating what will happen. The classic old cars and history of racing also appeals to the Formula One loyal fans. Even in the editing process, of adding explosions and flames, special effects are used only to heighten the excitement of the crash. Making the action seem more thrilling and engrossing.

The James Hunt character, an English Aristocrat, represents the classic British upper class character. This attracts interest from American and European audiences, who enjoy our traditional British history.

As you can see below, the film got many good reviews from critics, as well as the film winning a BAFTA Award for Best Editing.

Rush is the story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, who are two highly skilled race car drivers who first develop a fierce rivalry when a crash creates problems for both.
The intense, quick moving music adds to the speedy pace of the action filled film, the building of tension and suspense of the crash, hypes the event, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.

The film also includes romance, allowing it to appeal not just to the 'Formula One Fans' but also to others who may not have the understanding of racing and can make sense and enjoy the other aspects of the film.

This overseas interest creates a wider audience for the film to promote to, meaning more people will be able to view the film. The 'real-life' story aspect, humours script and Classic Formula One Racing are just a few reasons why the film was successful.

The way the film is constructed seems slightly different to the classic format of a sporting action film, it takes a different perspective of the genre.
This allows it to appeal to a niche yet targetable audience. 

Basic Camera Shots: Mise-en-Scene

In class, we discussed the use of Lighting...

Ambient Lighting = Natural Lighting.

Non-Ambient Lighting = Artificial Lighting.

...and Sound...

Diegetic Sound = Within Mise-en-Scene.

Non-Diegetic Sound = Added on in the edit.

...when filming.

The Seventh Seal: The Knights first meeting with Death:

The clip below, is from 'The Seventh Seal; the Knights first meeting with death'. In the scene, Non-ambient lighting is used in order to create a more distinct difference between the lightness and darkness of the subjects. 'Death' is dressed completely in black, allowing the audience to only see his face. Creating the idea of the character to be mysterious and not to be trusted, even menacing. Ingmar Bergman, the director, may have chosen to create this image in an attempt to unnerve the audience.

At 0:43 in the clip, Shot Reverse Shot is used. As you can see the top three images below are screenshots from the video. Throughout the whole video the Knight remains on the right, abiding by the 180 degree rule, preventing the audience becoming disorientated and confused.

I have replicated this camera shot, as you can see are the next three images below the screenshots, I managed to not break the 180 degree rule, you can watch the video I made on my Blog Post: 'Basic Camera Shots' to see how the shot is used.

Harry Limes Entrance: The Third Man:

Another clip we watched and analysed in class was 'Harry Limes Entrance: The Third Man':

The video clip we watched showed brilliant examples of how a tilt shot can be used. As you can see in the two pictures below, at the beginning and at 0:54, a tilt shot is used. The use of this creates connotations with a nightmare, building the idea of mystery and suspense. The tilt shot confuses and disorientates the audience also. It takes a second for a viewer to adjust to the frame change and actually understand what they're seeing.

As you can see below, I re-created a tilt shot. Editing the image into black and white to create a bigger contrast between dark and light. I also used Non-Ambient lighting, with a light behind the subject which can be seen through the glass, to create a more silhouetted image of the subject, in order to distort the individual.
I found the Tilt Shot hard to do at first, I took multiple photos but the camera was either too tilted or not tilted enough. Both gave an image which wasn't what I was aiming for, but the image beneath was the one I think re-created the best camera angle for the shot.

Kill Bill 1: Vernita Green Fight Scene:

The use of this high camera looking straight down gives the viewer a different perspective of the action. In the image below, you can see the separate rooms, giving the audience a scale of the building. It also allows them to be able to predict an action before the character who it will occur to knows what will happen themselves.

Quentin Tarantino may have chosen this shot for this particular scene as what is occurring in the film at the time was a fight scene. Seeing it from Bird's Eye View emphasises the visual tension, in what will happen next to the threatened character.

The image above is my interpretation of a Bird's Eye View Shot, in comparison to the image above it, it is very different. My image still has the camera facing down from above the subject in order to capture a wider and view of the location and surroundings as well as what the action will be.

Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time in America" (1984):

During this film, as you can see below, a really good example of a Worm's Eye View shot is shown. This gives the audience a perspective of the character and, in this case, creates the impression of them being vulnerable and threatened by the other character towering over them. 

I attempted to replicate the Worm's Eye View Shot, lying on the ground and pointing the camera straight up at the subject in order to create a sense of scale; that the perspective of the character the camera takes sides with is staring up at the other character. This suggests the character above having status and power in comparison to the subjects perspective the camera is on. It puts the audience in the vulnerable perspective of the character, showing them their helpless and powerless perspective.

This post links in with another one of my blog posts: 'Basic Camera Shots' where a slideshow of images showing different camera shots, and a YouTube video which I made, where I record the camera angles and was able to explore them with a subject.

It was really interesting to take these images, to research and explore into each of the shots to find out more about the way they're created, what they're used for and what effect this has on the audience.

Basic Camera Shots

The slideshow below is a series of pictures I have taken to explore different camera shots and angles:

...

Camera Shots

Still Shots:

High Angle = A camera angle that looks down upon a subject or object. Often used to make the subject or object appear small or vulnerable, creating the feel of insignificance of the object or that they’re threatened.

Low Angle = A camera angle that looks up at a subject or object. Often used to make the subject or object appear more powerful or with a higher status. It creates a feel of menace that you’re looking up to a more dominant subject.

Over The Shoulder = Looking from behind a character’s shoulder, at a subject. The character facing the subject usually occupies 1/3 of the frame, giving the impression of some sort of relationship between the two characters, it also places the audience in position of the character facing the subject.

Tilt =  The camera is at an angle, this creates confusion and disorientation, connotations to a nightmare as this shot can be recognised from horror and thriller genres.

Long Shot = This shot can establish location and any action which is happening. It quickly makes it clear to the audience about what’s going on.

Medium Close Up = This brings the focus into the character, background still visible, but most of the focus goes to the subject in the majority of the frame.

Close Up = This can be used for the audience to identify with the character, able to view the subjects full facial profile, which can also mean they view the characters emotions about an event.

Extreme Close Up = A shot where a part of a face or body of a character fills the whole frame and dominates the frame, this is used to identify with the character to a high degree. Focusing on something so intently can mean the audience can really understand what is happening.

Bird’s Eye View Shot = Is an overhead shot = A type of camera shot in which the camera is positioned above the character, action or object being filmed. This gives the audience a different perspective of the action, adding to appeal.

Worm’s Eye View Shot = This can often be used to indicate fear and the audience can see the action from the characters vulnerable perspective.

Moving Shots:

Panning Shot = Where the camera pivots horizontally, either from right to left or left to right to reveal a set or setting. This can be used to give the viewer a panoramic view. Sometimes used to establish a scene and set the scene.

Tracking Shot =  A shot where the camera follows a subject or object. A tracking shot can include smooth movements forward, backward, along the side of the subject. ‘Track’ refers to rails in which a wheeled platform (which has the camera on it) sits on in order to carry out smooth movement.

Point of View Shot = Shows a view from the subject’s perspective. This shot is usually edited so that the viewer is aware who’s point of view it is. You see the scene or event from that characters shoes, so see it from their position.

Shot Reverse Shot = This can be an ‘Over the Shoulder’ shot, from both perspectives. Where the character facing the subject, then becomes the subject, the subject becoming the character facing them. This then switches back again. This implies a conversation, or relationship between the characters.

Beneath is my embedded YouTube video that I shot and edited together to show a basic visual explanation of each of the still and moving shots. I decided to keep this simple, using ambient lighting and non-diegetic sound.
The intro and ending of this short video was made by stock-frame animation, where I edited the still images together.
I wanted to make something which was both creative and informative of the shots, I had a lot of fun putting this together and exploring each of the camera angles, hope you enjoy it!

Summer Task

This is my Summer Task work where I compared Genre, Camerawork / Cinematography and Representation of the Casino Royale Opening Scene Clip and the LA Noire Title Sequence clip.

The Secret Cinema

This is the Prezi I have created about The Secret Cinema:



The video below shows clips of the Secret Cinema presenting: The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Every little detail seems to be considered when they create these experiences!
It looks fantastic!!
The quote at the beginning of the video sums up how you can be transported into a completely different world by the experience that they offer.

Introduction

Hey! I'm Emily and this is my AS Level Media Blog where I'll be posting my work. Hope you like it! Thanks!