RESEARCH: SOCIAL GROUPS

Today I have created a Pinterest account as I believe it is a good way of sharing and keeping track of information for my film. I can create various boards so that I can structure topics well and it has worked well for focusing on my audience. Today I have used it as a way of showing the social groups that are within my film opening. I have been considering how the social groups in my film relate to my audience and how it will be interesting and engaging for my audience. Please click the image to be taken to my Pinterest board:

RESEARCH: DISTRIBUTION OF THE HUNGER GAMES

I have researched the distribution of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. It has been a valuable way of finding out more about distribution techniques and has shown me ways in which I could distribute my own film opening. This research will help me to answer the third evaluation question on distribution.

SHOT LIST

Today I have created my shot list with my group so that we can plan each shot that is in our film. We will make use of this as it helps with organisation. It will help us to identify what techniques we use in our film and how we could improve it. 

PLANNING: TREATMENT

Film Title: The Unhinging 

It's 2015. A teenage girl, aged 16, has been kidnapped. The character INDIA has been taken and held within the basement of a very old and remote house. The kidnapper, JACK, is a 25 year old male who lives in a secluded remote area of rural Britain. The house is situated in the centre of a woodland area away from amenities to demonstrate the way this male is set apart from society. India is an ordinary every day teenager who does not come from a particularly wealthy background. The kidnapper has taken India because he is mentally ill and has become obsessed with her. The kidnapper is a killer with previous victims all of a similar age to India. He lives in a house without a partner away from civilisation and he wishes to have company. India is tied in the basement however she is fed and given water; she is looked after and is wanted alive. 

India awakes and experiences a flashback where she remembers being kidnapped whilst outside a fitness centre/gym. Jack comes into the basement and also experiences a flashback where upon he smashes a mirror. He cuts India with a shard of glass from the mirror and he leaves. India uses this to cut the rope restricting her hands. She is seen creeping through the hallway whilst the kidnapper is out of earshot.  She grabs a phone left on a table and then sprints out the front door promptly leaving it open behind her. The kidnapper appears and so the audience can see that a chase is about to begin. India escapes on 10th day of being held by this man.

India is seen running through woodland and she appears to have been able to out run the kidnapper. Whilst running through the forrest the audience can see fastbacks showing how India was held in the basement. She calls 999 and the voice of an operator is heard. India hears a noise and the audience can see a hand with a gun after India turns around. The main title of the film appears whilst a beeping sound from the phone is heard. The operator tries to talk to India; the phone has disconnected and the operators reaction is shown.

MODELS OF AUDIENCE BEHAVIOUR

I have looked at various models of Audience behaviour as it will help me understand my target audience. Audience is an important aspect of creating my film opening as it allows me to know what methods to use when making my film so that it appeals to people.  

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 

Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that once fulfilling a need will strive to fulfil the next need. The model below shows five stages of motivational needs that can be divided into basic needs (physiological, safety, love and esteem) and and growth needs (self actualisation)

People have to satisfy lower level basic needs so that they can progress to higher levels. People may reach the highest level known as self actualisation once this has been done. Progress is often disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. For instance negative life experiences such as a divorce may cause disruption. 

Another model of audience behaviour
The media effects model:

• sees audiences as passively led
• the audience is seen as influenced and manipulated by what they consume as gullible and impressionable 

The model presents audience behaviour as choices that are pursued to meet a variety of needs. Blumer and Katz stated that these needs are for:

• entertainment
• escapism
• distraction
• seeking information
• personal identity
• social relationships (e.g on-screen relationships) 

Issues with the model:

• it treats children as inadequate - children are however often able to analyse and talk critically about mass media 
• the effects model is often based on artificial studies
• the model deals with social problems "backwards". When explain the problem of violence in society, researchers should explain for instance social violence explaining it with reference to those engaging with it. They should include their identity, background, character etc however the 'media effects' approach comes at the problem backwards. It starts with the media and then makes a connection with social beings.

Two step flow model of audience behaviour

• Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and hazel Gaudet 
• they analyse decision making processes of voters during a 1940 presidential election campaign; they published results in a paper called the people's choice 
• they found that information doesn't low directly from text into mind of the aufience unmediated. 
• instead they found that mass media content first reaches “opinion leaders"
• these are people who are active media users; they collect interpret, and diffuse the meaning of media messages to less-active media consumers 
• opinion leaders pick up information from the media where they pass on the information to less active members of the public implying that most people receive information from opinion leaders through interpersonal communication rather than directly from mass media

LOCATION RECCE FOR OUR FILM OPENING

Today we spent time considering locations for our film opening and we each took photos of places or areas that could produce effective shots and help to set the mis-en-scene of our opening. I took photos of specific items that I found that i thought we could use to create effect shots. In some shots I asked Demi to model as if she was the missing girl that is the main character in the film to see how well it would work.

In this shot Demi is shown behind the gate that suggests she is trapped. This trapped sensation is also a representation of how the character would feel mentally if they were to be in a large woodland area that appeared never-ending.

In an effort to further depict this woodland as "never-ending" I have considered that we could use a 360 degree shot of the woods that could look similar to the image above. This would also help to convey the panic of the girl as she must work out where she is and where to run to.

The image shown here would also help to convey this panic and would be a way to establish the location of the girl as we plan to have very fast paced editing for our opening. The lighting through the trees is eery and also very eye-catching. We would have to consider how our lighting would work for our film as the woodland area will be very shaded.

In this image I have demonstrated how we could position the camera to show our female character to be hiding within the woods. This would also highlight the sense of claustrophobia from the abundance of trees that surround her and make an interesting shot. This close up enables the audience to really get a sense of the main characters emotions. It is important that if we were to do this we think about positioning carefully so that we are still able to see enough of the character's face.

We have experimented with various camera movements and this footage shows how I have considerd a panning shot. Though something like this may be effective, we are looking at having very fast paced editing and this may not fit with what we want to achieve. 

RESEARCH: AUDIENCE/VIEWER PROFILE

Today I've begun to investigate how brands target their audiences so that I am able to identify and create an audience profile for my AS production. When i distribute my film opening I will need to use marketing strategies choosing something that will appeal to my target my audience andcreate a relationship with them. I will be devising marketing strategies through use of a film website, a facebook page, twitter page and a film poster. It's important that I profile my audience and make sure I know what they want to see, why they want to watch my film and how it will appeal to this audience. 

In order to find out who my audience is and how best to target my audience and make an appealing opening for this audience, I need to consider the following questions: 

1. Who is my primary target audience

• Age group: 18-25 primarily young adults

• Gender: both men and women 

• They are likely to watch TV programmes that are crime/trhiller drama themed such a Sherlock, Castle, elementary, breaking bad etc  
• likely to watch horror thriller adventure themes 

• Example films they may watch:  Taken, Gone, Hanna, Abduction, Hide and Seek, the call, captain phillips 

• In their leisure time, they will visit YouTube, play video games, download movies, drink Costa coffee / Starbucks; eat at Pizza Express, KFC, Macdonalds Subway cafe neuro or nandos pizza hut

• Clothes/shoes: H & M, River Island, Top Shop, Top Man, Jack Wills, Zara, Superdry, office 

• Media: iPhone provides internet on the move; Mac Book/iPad as enables people to watch movies, play games, browse and shop on a larger screen. People may be more likely to even work on there. The kindle can be used for apps like games, internet, movies, books and even writing and doing work and emails as well 

2) What makes my film stand out from the competition? 

My film uses a wide variety of locations and camera angles and the editing is what makes the film strong. We will be using lots of cuts to portray the tension and pace of the film.

3) Why should my audience watch my film?

My film opening is for a thriller film and it is gripping and exciting. It holds suspense and truths are hidden and will therefore be very entertaining. My film will be relatable to a young audience as it involves use of young characters and themes that would be interesting to teenagers as it is a constant fear for teens and children that they could be abducted. It is something that will speak to young teen girls as stereotypically girls are considered weak and easier to kidnap. 

Considering in detial more about my audience and using questons such as these will assit me in creating my profile for my ideal audience. aspects of what my audience. I can use this information to help me when i choose and create merchenside/market my film.  

Here is a collage I have made to express all the things my audience would be interested in:

RESEARCH: HOW BRANDS TARGET AUDIENCES

PLANNING: FILM OPENING BRAINSTORM

Today we discussed as a group our ideas for our film opening and were able to discuss certain aspects of our opening. Members of my group include Sophie Bennet, Demi Collins and Kate Bradford.

We have brainstormed ideas for the genre of our opening and settled on a thriller/horror genre. We were particularly influenced by the Amber Alert Warning used in the USA. This consists of alert messages relating to child abductions being sent to all mobile phones in a state. It was initially created when a Amber Rene Hagerman went missing in 1996.

Our storyline

• a missing girl is held captive and escapes from a basement
• she runs and finds herself in the middle of a forest 
• her family is concerned and have contacted the police
• the search begins - we will show scenes of the first stages of the investigation into her disappearance 

Locations

• we have considered using my house to shoot scenes in the basement as it particularly old and dusty and unused 
• the door and steps are very battered and will help to establish the mis-en-scene effectively 
• I have also looked at places we could film around our school as the woodland area could work particularly well for us 
• we established other locations we would require such as a living room whilst the members of the family speak to police and we would also wish to show a fake news clip on the television

Shots/effects considered

• shooting close ups of aspects of face which are bruised or cut however avoiding showing full face of the missing female to create suspense
• darker lighting to be used to establish mis-en-scene
• fast pace with lots of cuts
• tracking shots to show running 
• wide angled shot of basement door being hit as its locked 
• I have considered that we could use a crane/high angle 180 degree shot to show the vastness of the woodland the girl finds herself in. This would create suspense and build tension 
• I have felt it is important to use sound effects of heavy breathing to establish emotions of the main character and we discussed using sounds of slamming or creaking doors 
• Another key sound effect would include the sound of the emergency operator's voice. I  felt we could replace the sound of a gun going off to escalate tension and keep the audience interested as it is not what they expect to happen
• makeup to create fake blood/cuts/bruises 

Characters

• missing female
• suspect killer
• news presenter
• emergency operator (audio)
• police officer(s)

RESEARCH: LES BLEUS DE RAMVILLE

I have looked at the opening titles of the film Les Bleus De Ramville for inspiration for my own opening sequence for a film. I have been able to note specific techniques used within the sequence including shot types and editing software that I could use to recreate a similar shot.

1) mid shot from inside locker

This mid shot brings the focus for the audience on the persons torso featured within the shot. The restricted view where the locker is seen helps the audience to focus on something specific. Creating a shot within a locker is something that would be associated with hockey; it is a look at something personal and behind the scenes drawing attention to the fact that the audience is being introduced to the lead up the hockey game.  The shot would work well to invite the audience to share in a personal experience and is something that I could incorporate into my own opening sequence. It could be done by using a fake locker that is open at the back so as to manipulate the shot in more detail.

2) tracking shot with mask

The images above display how this shot makes use of lighting to create drama and tension. The mask has fierce and dangerous tones and suggests violence and safety issues. The tracking shot helps to reveal more light gradually. As the light flashes onto the mask the audio works along side it as the sound of  hockey puck empathizes the sudden change in lighting. Use of the audio with a personal aspect of hockey creates a very vivid experience for the audience. The font is clear and positioned appropriately. The colour tone to the image is dark at first complimenting the theme of danger and violence. When the light flashes on it becomes warmer as the camera tracks along to show blurred outlines of hockey players in the changing room. The red of the shirt worn by the hockey player also assists in signalling danger. This would be a good shot for me to recreate in my own filming as it creates a sense of drama and uses effective lighting that could be recreated with the use of lighting at various angles.

3) Old film footage 

The use of this old film footage creates more reference to ice hockey. The shot suggests the history of hockey and reinforces the key theme of the film. It is an effective way of showing that hockey has background. The shot can be identified as old film footage as it has a glow and the quality appears blurred and less colourful. I could recreate this shot to create historical reference for my sequence by editing a shot to appear blurred and discoloured. 

4) istopmotion shot

In this high angle shot/ birds eye view angle shot the audience looks above this plan of the hockey rink. The circles and crosses are seen to move demonstrating tactics of the team. This demonstrates again the lead up to a hockey match and presents a more detailed personal account of what occurs before or leading up to a match. To recreate something similar to this i would make use of the software istopmotion which enables me to take various images that can turn into a moving animation through the process of onion cutting.

5) hockey puck drops shot

This very low angle shot presents the audience with the feel for the action of the game. The puck is seen to drop into the center of the screen. Where the puck covers the camera there is a cut to another scene. This transition creates drama and helps the audience to feel that they are part of this drama and action. This could be a helpful and effective way of creating action or drama in my opening sequence and a way of cutting to another shot. To recreate this I would have to consider how to fix my camera in this low angle shot where the lens would face upwards. If something were to drop on the camera it would have to be something that would not damage it. The sound effect used as it drops create emphasis on the sound of the puck that is heard throughout.

 6) Tilt pan shot

 

This tilt pan is effective as the eye of the camera tilts down to reveal various lights. The visuals work well with the audio as both create drama and tension. The puck sound occurs to introduce the shot and simultaneously the number on the board "14" changes to "13" again creating suspense. The lights are very vivid and eye catching which emphasizes the timing and suspense of a match.

 7) Old Photos 

In this shot the lighting enables the audience to see old photographs. This creates a sense of drama as only the photos are highlighted and the theme is enforced once again as there is a sense of history to the sport. This is a type of shot I would recreate as it assists in developing the plot and theme of the film. I would recreate this shot by using photos or if I wish to establish a sense of history I could use old photos or edit photos in a way that they appear dated. 

8) Transition

In this series of shot we can see a reaction from the audience who stand to celebrate and whilst doing so gradually cover the camera. This creates a blackout which creates a transition to the next shot. In these shots the black background transitions into a male wearing a black coat or jacket. This is very effective as it keeps the flow of the shots running smoothly. The fast pace of the shots is reflected in this and thus interests the audience. I would like to replicate this sort of effect and would do this by placing an object in front of the camera that would match with another object that would be used in the following shot. 

 9) Title of the film

In this shot the colours used appear gradually and the title of  the film appears to be drawn or painted on to the surface. This type of shot could be replicated with software such as istopmotion where the onion effect will allow me to create a similar effect where colour gradually spreads over a surface. 

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE 2

I used the website "The Art of the Title" to investigate and analyse title sequences. The website showcases various title sequences such as the title sequence for the film "Scott Pilgram v.s the World". 

At the beginning of the sequence, the universal logo/ident is shown. It has been altered to sound and look like a video game to be in keeping with the theme of the film; the audience will recognise this as it is very well known. Font and narration introduces the film and the camera pans down to an establishing shot.  The audio is used to represent a flash back, the sound effect sounds dreamy and indicates the audience is introduced to the beginning of a story. 

The main characters are featured in the following shot. Characters mention the name "Scott" however the character "Scott" does not turn around at first which builds suspense for the audience. Those viewing the film are aware that this name is important as it is linked with the title of the film. When "Scott" is revealed there is a close up and font is used to introduce him: "Scott Pilgrim. Rating: Awesome". The font used is used in the style of a comic book or a video game. This theme is seen throughout as font and sound work together. For instance when the door bell sounds, cartoon font simultaneously appears on the screen "ding dong". Shots used include over the shoulder shots as well as many cuts and close ups. There is a lot of emphasis on emotion due to the frequent use of close ups. The shots are fast paced to create tension or drama. When scott goes to open the front door a sound effect is used that signals triumph or accomplishment - these types of sound effects are also common in video games. There is a two person shot at door and again use of close ups to introduce the character Knives; font again appears next to the character to introduce them. 

The characters start to introduce themselves as a band.  There is a mid shot of  guitarist and theres a pull of focus to show the drummer taking charge and starting off the music. This is used to represent the personality of the female character and to demonstrate the theme of comedy. Font accompanies her speech: "one two three four!" Graphics used show cartoon electric sparks that erupt from the band. This emphasises the loud sound created and again is associated with video games or comics. Following from this is the use of a pull back shot where a tracking shot or zoom is used which moves back from the subject (the band) to the context of the scene (other characters watching the band from the sofa). Whilst this tracking shot moves backwards font appears to introduce producers and another shot shows the title of the film. This font is noticeably bigger to emphasise that this the main title of the movie. Music accompanies actors names which flash on and off of the screen and there are several cuts to different backgrounds. This colourful and fast moving pace of graphics reflects the pace of the music and the hectic attitude of the film. The noise of these background helps to display this. The music plays whilst actors names flash on and off of the screen. The colourful and fast moving graphics in the background reflect the pace of the music. At the end of the names there is an abrupt stop; close ups of the character knives are to emphasise her response to the music 

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE 3

Flubber (1997)

The opening shot begins with well known disney indent and the music used it upbeat suggesting an upbeat or comical film. As the music progresses the audience here strange sci-fi noises that suggests the topic of the film to be scientific. Font used is presented to look like mathematica and scientific codes and formulas. This technique has been used as it represents the genre and story of the film. This will also appeal to the target audience which is likely to be children. The interesting and eye catching graphics used will appeal to this audience. The formulae is created with use of a medium-specific typography and use of 3D effects. The font seems to break up and reform which could be linked with astrology and also signify the rapidly changing ideas of an inventor. 

The camera is seen to pan down and there is a smooth transition to a shot of boy on a bike. This transition is in keeping with the music and the peaceful feel at the beginning of the movie. There is a tracking shot towards a house where the camera lingers and there is an establishing shot. This signals to the audience that the emphasis if on this house. The audience witnesses the boy throwing a newspaper at a house where there is a cut as the paper lands on the ground. This action again emphasises that this house is the focus point of the story. Sounds of machines and strange mechanical noises can be heard and there are shots of scientific objects and models during a tracking shot.  The tracking shot is used as it enables the audience to get a feel for the setting of the scene.  An alarm clock sound can be head during the tracking shot where the volume increases as the camera moves closer to the object. Use of this technique helps to create a more realistic feel for the audience. It also emphasises the object and draws attention to it. There is a cut to a hand which his a red button; another cut occurs and the audience sees a garbage can fly off into the sky outside the house. The audio featured, "Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day", contrasts with the shots of the garbage cans. The only close up of a character so far is revealed to the audience and no other character is introduced so personally which indicates that this character is the main focus of the story. 

Cuts are used often for example they are used to emphasise the various machines featured in the shots which help to set the story for the audience. 

It is clear that the genre is scientific related due to the shots of so many pieces of technology. Included in this are unusual or strange devices made from various different objects to signal that the story looks at inventions and creations. This is confirmed through the various scientific and mathematical references made via models and the font used throughout the sequence. It is also made clear that there is a humorous tone to the film for example the audio used features the phrase "where are my shoes" and another voice can be heard saying  "they're on your feet". It is childish humour that a younger audience may enjoy. Therefore this technique also suggests the target audience. 

websites:
Art of the title - Flubber 

RESEARCH: THE ART OF THE TITLE 1

Elementary (simon clowes, 2012)

I used the website "The Art of the Title" to investigate and analyse title sequences. The website showcases various title sequences such as the title sequence for the series "Elementary". The television series features a title sequence that depicts the fast paced mind of Sherlock Holmes of whom the series is based on. The detective is well known for having a fast paced intelligent mind. The title sequence features a domino effect where a contraption is set in motion and a chain of events begins to unwind. This chain reaction consists of various objects moving that results in a trap being executed. This chain of events is used to represent these qualities of the main character. Various objects are involved in this chain and many represent the key themes of the story. The theme of a pinball is demonstrated and developed through use of circular object such as hamster wheels and gun barrels. Specific colours are used such as Red where this is associated with danger, death, blood.

As well as this the shots have all been edited so that they all feature a brown and yellow tint. This is effective as it creates an old fashioned tone to the shots in the title sequence. This colour demonstrates the victorian era and mise-en-scene of the series. This could help to establish the time the series is set in or perhaps show the style of Sherlock Holmes as an old fashioned mind. The final shot contrasts with the rest of the sequence as it is calmer and the font used is enlarged to accentuate the title of the series. The colour theme however is in keeping with the previous shots; throughout the sequence there is an old fashioned dingy tone to the shots. This could help to establish the time the series is set in or perhaps show the style of Sherlock Holmes as an old fashioned mind. The music used creates a pace that compliments the motion of the objects in the clips and shows the climax of this domino effect as the trap is activated. Again, this links with the mind of Sherlock Holmes where he is a fast paced thinker and shows the suspense of solving a murder mystery.

RESEARCH: REPRESENTATION

In class I've begun looking at semiotics. It's a way of looking at visual images. All images reflect the dominant ideology (the existing set of beliefs) of the time. With this image seen in Paris Match, the image depicts a boy who is seen as patriotic. He is supportive of france and represents the equality in france. The messages being portrayed here are false however media can be seen to represent information and themes in this appealing manner. 

looked at Mythologies which is a book by Roland Barthes published in 1957. It's a collection of essay which examine contemporary social value system to create modern myths. He looks at the semiotics of the process of myth creation; his work's considered to be a key aspect of cultural studies.

The term myth would often be associated with legends but for Barthes they were the dominant ideologies of our time. All texts are re-presentations of the world. We can identify that images can be manipulated and media can be used to represent something specific.

-  "denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed (Fiske 1982,91)

This cover of Paris Match is a good example of the way media is used to represent and maintain a "myth". In this case the myth of the french empire which is accomplished by representing it as 'natural'.

Following the view of Barthes, I am able to see how media is presenting a "myth". The boy on the front is used to represent the apparent eqauality in the french empire and as barthes states they wish to convey that there is no "colour discrimination". 

This myth is created through use of the boy who speaks to an audience on an emotional level. He represents youth and innocence as well as unity and which will have an emotional effect on the audience.



Rhetoric of the image

Roland Barthes also defined a straight forward description of a text as "denotation". He explained that "connotation" is the  given to a text when society interprets added layers of associated meanings from the text. For example when a word has a literal meaning such as the concrete noun "chocolate" this would be "denotation". This word may have symbolic/cultural meanings associated with it such as romance which is known as a  "connotation". 

An example present by Barthes is the advertisement for Panzani tinned and dried products where imagery is used to creative positive and persuasive meanings through connotation. The product is has a connotation with Italy - the aim of the advertisement is to appeal to those who would normally buy fresh products as opposed to tinned products. Firstly, the colours of the poster have a connotation with the italian flag and therefore would enforce the symbolism of it being a true Italian product. The items dispalyed in the picture are seen to spill out of a bag in which natural, fresh ingredients might be kept in. This bag symbolises that the ingredients are just as good as purchasing fresh goods. Products featured in the poster are also surrounded by other fresh ingredients which also enforces this idea. The red is a dominant colour in the image as it is used in the background as well as packaging and vegetables. One of the connotations with red is often love and luxury which would send a positive message to the audience. 

Pride (2014)

The image has many connotations that link with the name of the film ("pride") in various ways. People are shown to express their pride with their body language. Thos in the image have bold stances; the hero shot has been used to show this sense of pride. Those in the image appear to be happy and many show with their facial expressions that they are shouting or yelling. The megaphone would also have connotations with being being bold, loud and gaining attention.This wish to be loud could be associated with a wish for attention which, in this context, the audience would understand to be likely. Body language such as this as well as the large group of people holding signs and flags would signify that this is an important event and march. The background assists with this as it is very iconic and therefore it is likely that this would be a way of gaining attention and it is likely people are marching through the streets. The colour of red is very bold and could be used to signal a warning that these people are willing to fight for their rights. Contrasting with this however white is also included in various places. White often has a connotation with meaning peace which could be interpreted by the audience as a wish for peace. 


Websites:

• Wikipedia
• Fiske
• Pride

iSTOPMOTION: PRACTISING

I started using the software iStopmotion, experimenting on my own with the way the programme functions. I have practised using "the onion effect" and have created this video. I created it with the view that it could be edited to include text as the space has been used so that font is easily seen and clear for the audience. I felt it could therefore be used as a production company ident. I considered the name "monkey business productions"

When looking back at my work I am able to see that aspects of it have worked well because the pictures are taken very gradually which makes the animation more realistic. It is also interesting to look at how the lighting worked and how I could improve the lighting in the shot. As well as this, I notice that at the beginning of the video my hand can be viewed very slightly when I hold the monkey in place. This shows me how I would improve this when making another production company ident with my group. 

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: NOWHERE BOY

In preparation for my exam I have looked at the opening of the film nowhere boy in class. 

In the film "Nowhere Boy", the opening scene features a teenager, John Lennon, who is seen running  past a historic building. The film opens with an establishing shot which is used to set the scene of the film. The shot also helps to represent the size of the building in comparison to John. The building contrasts with the personality of John as the building is stone, hard, cold and rigid where as John is lively, musical and is running. The fact he acts so childishly and almost inappropriately by a historical building highlights his lively persona and his mischievous attitude. The building also helps to set the scene as it is a recognised museum in Liverpool. 




There is a cut from this scene where John is seen in bed. His aunt "Mimi" wakes him up in an aggressive way and speaks in a stern voice immediately showing the difference in their personalities. Mimi is a hard character who doesn't wish to show emotion. John and his uncle are seen to share jokes at breakfast and he presents John with a harmonica where he is seen to look over his shoulder before doing so. This puts forward the idea that their bond with music is secretive and that mimi also doesn't approve. She is presented as a more serious academic character. When his uncle passes away Mimi pushes John away stopping him from crying or hugging her stating "don't be silly" once again highlighting her harsh bold side. John is far more feeling and emotional than this. 

When we are introduced to John's mother we are able to immediately see the difference between the mother figure he has in his aunt Mimi and his own mother who hugs him and displays emotion from the very first time that we see her. 

DISTRIBUTION: 'WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAY'

Today I looked at distribution and focused on the film: "What we did on our holiday". The genre of the film is comedy; it’s described as an “uplifting comedy” on BBC films website. This is also made clear from the trailer. Within the trailer and also featured on a poster for the film are the words “from the creators of outnumbered” demonstrating use of a well known successful comedy television series that will entice many audience members and signify the comedy genre. Mention of actor Billy Connolly will also have this effect. We would expect that the audience to be national as it is described as a “british” comedy. In the trailer, children’s innocence is a technique that is used throughout the trailer which creates a lot of the humour.  An example of this would be a child swearing within the trailer; it is clear that the child is mimicking adult behaviour that he has witnessed. Not only is this innocence/mimicking amusing but it also presents a real life scenario that is very relatable for an audience. Humour within the trailer is very family orientated as it focuses on real life family situations and children breaking boundaries which are relatable scenarios and therefore funny for the majority of the target audience. The target audience would be families as is indicated from the trailer as well as from the BBC Film’s website who state that the film is “a heart-warming, uplifting comedy for all the family”. The film is also rated as 12A which also suggests the audience it is intended for. 

The trailer also suggests the setting of the film. Clothing worn in the trailer suggests that the setting of the film is not set in a hot climate; the scottish accent of actors such as Billy Connolly also depict the setting. Language within the trailer includes the word “solicitor” and there are signs of tension between the parents through children picking up on their arguments and swearing which helps the audience identify more about the plot of the film. 

Promotion is also possible through use of the trailer which features logo’s for social sites such as twitter where the audience are encouraged to “share” the video. It also includes logo’s from companies involved in the film such as the producers of the film (BBC Films). This is one of the institutions that are advertising and promoting the film. Other institutions also involved in this would include:

• Radiotimes [http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-08-17/david-tennant-i-learned-a-few-naughty-words-from-billy-connolly]
• The metro [http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/05/check-out-our-exclusive-trailer-for-david-tennant-comedy-what-we-did-on-our-holiday-4858561/

MORE LINKS

• Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUY23_cfI4o
• BBC FILM’s: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/what_we_did_on_our_holiday
• IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2725962/
• viewing new releases: www.launchingfilms.com

THE ROLE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTION: PRIDE

In today's lesson we investigated the film  "Pride" looking at how the film attracts and addresses audiences. Various techniques are used to promote the film. The film has its own website where the audience can view a trailer as well as a synopsis of the film. Producers can promote the film in this manner as making use of online resources is a fast and easy method to gain attention. Twitter is a popular way to share links online thus creating a twitter account enables the producers to promote the film with various posts such as text, photos and videos. Posts can also be shared by other twitter users gaining further attention for the film. 

The website, using twitter, has created posts that count down the release of the film. This keeps audiences involved in the film before it has even been released generating attention and interest. Videos used on the website include a soundbite from actor Andrew Scott who encourages audiences to book tickets as there is "only one week left". Actors such as Andrew Scott are includes in online Videos as they are popular well known actors that will generate a wider audience and the film will gain attention. 

Promotional posters are often used as promotional methods. They assist in displaying the genre of the film and are a way of making the film known. In the poster for pride, located to the left, the colour theme used is in keeping with the website colours in attempts to make the audience associate these colours with the film. The name of the film itself is featured in bold capitalised font that is written in white. The colour use sets it apart from the background and the colourful costumes of the many actors featured on the front. The fact that the word is written in such a bold manner creates an association with having "pride". Actors on the front of the poster suggest a lively, comical tone to the film as they are dressed in colourful outfits. Many also have body language that suggests they are happy such as smiles and laughter. The poster suggests the setting of the film as costumes appear dared and old fashioned; font also reads "based on the international true story" suggesting the story is based on a historical event. This which may also generate interest from a specific audience.

Websites:

BBC 

Pride Website