Shot list part 2

Shot list part 1

Strengths

Weaknesses

Horror film font of titles analysis

The horror film font of titles analysis

All movies need a good font as if the wrong one is chosen it could mean that the whole tension and effects created can all change the movie and destroy the intentions of the producer as a bad font can be comic to some of the viewers.

The tile of the movie "the ring" uses a informal font that looks uneven and crooked which creates the sense of disorder that could be in the movie. It is also inside a ring which is illuminating white ray of light which is smoke like. The black colour of the background usually creates mystery and darkness and maybe a sense of evil. There's a sense of static which usually means that there will be disorder and things that are unnatural and unordinary will happen.

The Haunting In Connecticut.

Alright, so I'm back again guys but this time I'm going to be analysing the opening of a movie of our chosen genre and the movie that I have chosen to do is The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) and I'm basically going to be reviewing the camera angles and the camera movements and talk about what kind of effect that this will have on the audience and I might even talk about denotation and connotation, doesn't that sound exciting?

Okaaay then, so as the film company names roll we get our non-diagetic sound of a piano playing and then it starts off with a close up of a black and white photograph of a family, who's identity is currently unknown. The picture consists of four people, a man dressed in a suit and a woman both of whom have medium shots and then another two people whom have a close up and they're made to look even more intimidating because they have all deadly straight faces.

Then at 0:52 we cut to another black and white photo of two girls, both of which have have medium shots and the suspense is built up because for one thing we have no idea who any of the people are, or in fact if they are going to play any kind of part in the movie later on, or if they were related to the family in the previous picture.

We then get a snapshot of medical clamps, a close up along with some kind of shadow in the background which again makes the audience want to know who it is and what they are doing and apart from the music all is silent making the scene of the photographs all the more eerie and unnerving. Then like the last shot, almost too quick to see we see some kind of liquid being pored and then we get back to the black and white photographs.

In order to build up the suspense of the moment we get snapshots of blood being poured down a drain and the medical equipment implying that not all is as it seems and this helps to establish it as a horror. However as we reach the end of the photo montage the music becomes more distorted and frightening as we go on to find out more about the photographs and yes I will be giving away the twist here but basically the people were taking pictures of them with their dead relatives, creepy right?

We then see a lot of close ups of things that are hard to distinguish at first because the audience is not given enough time to identify what it is that they are being shown but this just goes on to further provoke questions and therefore developing the plot line more by making the audience want to know what is going to happen. We then see a big close up of a corpse lying on a table as a man moves around him and we see nothing but his hands as we are proceeded with a jump cut to the corpse being covered and then we go back to the photos as though nothing has happened but the tension of the scene is amplified as the audience is being kept on the edge of their seats, wanting to know what happens.

We then proceed to receive more images of loved ones dead, as their mourning relatives take pictures of them, or with them I should say but now that we know a bit more about the situation it is anything but comforting as the music picks up in pace and becomes more and more chaotic, almost psychotic as the audience is made to feel disgusted by what they have seen. We also receive non-diagetic sound of a camera flashing loudly as each new image is revealed. There are more jump-cuts after this of someone performing some kind of surgery of a corpse but whether or not it is the same corpse as before it would be hard to tell.

The camera angles in the first minute are all close ups to medium shots and the camera is held steady making the whole scene all the more uncomfortable to watch.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJA3lN0xCQ Alright so this is the link to the trailer if you lovely people fancy having nightmares for a week :P

Doesn't BBFC Sound A Bit Intimidating?

Alright so in this entry I will be looking at a company called the BBFC which basically stands for The British Board if Film Classification. A bit of a mouthful right? They're responsible for the age ratings that movies get and I suppose that the best way to describe this would be have you ever had a movie that you really, really wanted to go and see but then you looked at the age and it an 18 or something? Not that I want to sound like a conspiracy nut but they're the people behind that.

Basically, all of their classifications are based on their regularly updated Guidelines. These are the products of very thorough public consultation, research and the accumulated experience of the company over the years. For example, in their most recent consultation of over 87000 members of the public were asked for their views of the classification, and this anything from language, discrimination, violence, sex and drugs in DVD's and video games. However, the Guidelines which are updated once every four years also have to take into consideration the various UK laws which might have an impact on the final decision for a movie or anything else for that matter.

Extended Classification Information Logo. 

Something that they have on their site is called the Extended Classification Information which is when they give very detailed information about the movie (or video game) that they have classified. This is in addition to the little bit of text you would see on the movie poster and it's basically designed to explain why a movie has received the rating that it has but in this case scenario it will also have spoilers which is why in order to get to it you need to find the link because not everybody wants to have a spoiler of the movie.




So this very complicated sounding ECI goes up onto the site at least 10 days before the film opens.

I think that everybody will know what this means, this is the logo that means that a movie should be suitable for any audience of any age to see. But like anything else it's hard to pin-point it exactly and it's hard to say that might or might not upset a young child. Usually 'U' films are suitable for any child over the age of 4. So in this type of film:

Discrimination: No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.

Drugs: No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are frequent and innocuous or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.

Horror: Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.

Imitable Behaviour: No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Language: Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.

Nudity: Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual content.

Sex: Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only for (for example, making love).

Theme: While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate young children.

Violence: Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.

Alright, so this is again something that most of us would have come across in our every day life. This is the logo for when a movie should have a parent present when the child is watching it. A PG movie should not upset children aged 8 or older.

Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.

Drugs: References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.

Horror: Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be mitigating factor.

Imitable Behaviour: No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Language: Mild bad language only.

Nudity: Natural nudity, with no sexual content.

Sex: Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.

Theme: Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.

Violence Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).

This is the logo for the 12A rating and although you have two individual ratings of 12 and 12A the exact same criteria is used for each one. The material that you are likely to see in these movies should only be appropriate to those 12 years or older. The category of 12A exists only for cinema films and no one that is younger than 12 should be allowed to see a 12A movie. An adult may take a younger child to see a 12A movie but only if they think that it would be sensible. However, the 12 category is only for video works, things like games I presume.

Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs: Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instruction detail.

Horror:  Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable Behaviour: Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should be glamorised.

Language: Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language, must be infrequent.

Nudity: Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex: Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme: Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

Violence: Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.