What Genre is: Genre is an easy way of catorgorising films into certain sections, depending on what conntations/convetions/aspects they have in common.
Advantages and disadvantages: The advanatges of using Genres is that it can offer reassurance in an uncontrollable world, it offers a set of easy conventions much like a language, it can be used as a strategy by producers for audience identification to reduce the risk of a film failing, its not static and is constantly renegotiated between industry and audience, and finally genre can be seen as a way of working through the importance of myths and legends. The disadvantages on the other hand are that a genres features will depend on the audiences own understanding, and that someone people believe we should be understand how a film text functions in relation to genre, rather than being defined by them.
The Genre chosen for our film: For our film we have chosen the Genre horror, and it's conventions are blood or gore, lots of violence, a threatening or mysterious charcter, possibly an abnormal/unhuman creature such as a vampire or werewolf, and fast paced shots bulding up to a cilmax with music used rather than dialogue.
The origin/history of the Genre: The first horror films are thought to have been made rougly between the very late 1800's and the start of the 1900's. One of the most famous early horror films is a movie called, Nosferatu made by F. W. Murnau in 1922. This film when first released wasn't cosidered very contraversiol and was more focused on the unual horror aspect, but after re-watching and analysing the film it shows that the film has a hidden meaning of homosexuality, which back in the era the film was made, it was consisdered unsual and particularly wrong.
Good examples of the Genre and why:
Some good films examples from this genre are Halloween (1978), Scream (1996), The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Friday the 13th (1980) and Silence of the Lambs (1991). I believe that these are good examples of the genre, because these were the first cornerstones that adapted the different styles of horror films, as when these were first released the viewers hadn't seen anything like them, they were very original and incredibly popular. And I believe this is what makes a good horror film, originality, showing the viewer something they've never seen before. Also, all of these films follow/have the codes and conventions of the horror genre, and fit well into expectations.
One in depth discussion of good movie from that genre and why:
The movie I have chosen is the 1996 Scream film directed by Wes Craven. I believe that this is a good movie to represent the horror genre due to many differents reasons. One of them being that the title itself is good for a horror film, as when watching a horror film the expectation is to be scared, and with the use of the word 'scream' it suggests that either chracters in the film will be in danger and scared as they will be screaming, or that possibly the audience will also be screaming due to the horrifiying content of the film. Another point to be made is that the main villain in the film, which until the end is shown to be in full costume, is represented as ruthless, and cold hearted, and relentless in his killing. Also, the fact that the villains identity is fully hidden by the costume, it provides no clues as to who the killer may be, so the victim is clueless. This provides more terror for the victim as they are unaware who is trying to cause them so much harm. This is also a classic convention for the horror genre.
Another point that can be made about the film is the movement of the villain, which unlike traditional villains, isn't planned out and carefully thought about, his movement is very random and jolted about, as if no thought has gone into his actions, and is basically running at the victim with a weapon. This is different and very rarely seen in conventional horror films.
Another point to be made that many of the camera angles and shots of the film are from the villains point of view, mostly when he is chasing/watching victims, before he tries to kill them. This is a good thing to do because using this camera angle at high action points in the film raises the sense of tension and desperation amongst the audience.
Yet another point to be made about the film, is the hidden psychological problems within the storyline, by this I mean how the killer is commercialised by the media in the film, like, masks of the killer are being sold as novelty items, and anyone can obtain them, and the story is put all over the news, this in turn, makes the main character almost lose her mind slightly, as the situation is always playing on her mind, due to how the story has been blow up by the community around her. One last point that can be made about the film, as to why it is a good example, is that it is an almost real situation that anyone can find themselves being in, which can cause distress and horror the audience watching as they can recognise this.
Bibliography:
Filmography:
Scream (1996) Wes Craven
Halloween (1978) John Carpenter
The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Wes Craven
Friday the 13th (1980) Sean S. Cunningham
Silence of the Lambs (1991) Jonathan Demme
Nosferatu (1922) F. W. Murnau
Codes and Conventions of Film Openings
The code of Film Openings have alot of different conventions in common, depending on the genre of the film and the director. Some examples of these are:
A Production Logo/Distribution Logo:
The distribution Logo in a film opening shows who produces the film, and who has funded all the film and owns the right for that film. This screen shot has been taken from The Dark Knight film.
Cast/Credit info:
Title of the movie:
An example of the use of titles in the opening scene, is to sometimes give away hints about the content of the film, with the way that it is presented, designed, placed, or written. Rather than the use of dialogue. An example would be the screen shot below which is from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Begin with an establishing shot:
Some films open the film with an establishing shot that can give hint to what the film will be about, through the use of things such as narration, and acting, rather than opening titles/credits. This example, was taken from Swordfish, where the establishing shot, (which is shown before the credits), consists of John Travolota, speaking for about 3-4 minutes, giving away some form of his charcter through what he says.
Genre conventions:
Some film openings convey/show key genre conventions which give away to the audience, features of what genre the film may be, before it is revealed. The shot below is an example of this and was taken from the film Step Brothers and also includes an analysis of genre conventions.
A Production Logo/Distribution Logo:
The distribution Logo in a film opening shows who produces the film, and who has funded all the film and owns the right for that film. This screen shot has been taken from The Dark Knight film.
Cast/Credit info:
The opening credits very often connote what the film is going to be about, with the use of text, music and visual images, rather than dialogue or narration. In this case, it also reveals all of the cast and crew involved in making/producing the film. An example of this is in the opening credits to Edward Scissorhands, which is shown below.
Title of the movie:
An example of the use of titles in the opening scene, is to sometimes give away hints about the content of the film, with the way that it is presented, designed, placed, or written. Rather than the use of dialogue. An example would be the screen shot below which is from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Begin with an establishing shot:
Some films open the film with an establishing shot that can give hint to what the film will be about, through the use of things such as narration, and acting, rather than opening titles/credits. This example, was taken from Swordfish, where the establishing shot, (which is shown before the credits), consists of John Travolota, speaking for about 3-4 minutes, giving away some form of his charcter through what he says.
Some film openings convey/show key genre conventions which give away to the audience, features of what genre the film may be, before it is revealed. The shot below is an example of this and was taken from the film Step Brothers and also includes an analysis of genre conventions.
Inter-textual references:
Successful films are often followed up by what is called a sequel, which is basically a 'part 2' of the film, and usually picks up where the first film left off, or has a different storyline, in a very similar style to the first movie. Another, is if a prequel is made, which is based around the storyline of what happened in the characters lives before the first film was introduced. Sometimes a film opening will show this with the use of numbers to show it is another film, or add a secondary title to the original film title.
Successful films are often followed up by what is called a sequel, which is basically a 'part 2' of the film, and usually picks up where the first film left off, or has a different storyline, in a very similar style to the first movie. Another, is if a prequel is made, which is based around the storyline of what happened in the characters lives before the first film was introduced. Sometimes a film opening will show this with the use of numbers to show it is another film, or add a secondary title to the original film title.
An example of this would be the Saw franchise, which has many sequels of the original film, ranging from number 1, to the latest Saw 7 in 3D. The movie poster for number 3 is shown below.
Filmogrpahy:
Nightmare Before Christmas (1994) Henry Selick
Edward Scissorhands (1990) Tim Burton
Step Brothers (2008) Adam McKay
Saw 3 (2006) Darren Lynn Bousman
The Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan
Swordfish (2001) Dominic Sena
Analysing a Film Opening
Swordfish Film Opening:
Genre of the text and conventions of genre: The genre of this text is Action/Thriller, and some conventions of this genre are, high action set pieces, such as explosions or car chases. An exciting and fast paced story line, and also a lone hero.
Key codes and the connotations they create: The first few minutes to the opening scene, where John Travolta is seen talking towards the camera, there is a threatening/mysterious music played throughout the background, this is seen as a techincal code. The connotation for this, is to show his chracters true personality and identity from the start, by showing a small secion of his dark views accompanied by such music, which makes the mood of the scene quite sinister. Another code would be the fact that the police and federal agents are aiming their weapons at John Travolta, which would create the connotaion that in normal day life you would associate this with the being the villain in the situation, and, shown to be in wrong. This is a symbolic code.
Key Signifiers: One key signifier within the opening is that John Travolta is seen smoking a cuban cigar, which, shown more in recent films, is a sign of villainous behaviour, or normally assoctiated with evil because of the conections with death. This in return could be linked to his charcter role within the film, and also reveals minor hints towards his personality. Another is when he says the line "Life is stranger than fiction sometimes." In my opinion, this shows that his views on life and the world are slightly obscure, and somewhat fictional. As he believes that his abnormal, yet also laid back views on a rather serious situation are politically correct. By this I mean, that as he believes, that villains should triumph within the world and also how he doesn't appear to value others lives, shows that he is slightly vicious and corrupt.
What does the sequence tell us and the expectations: The sequence tells us that the content of the movie will consist of many complex situations and plotline, along with alot of action set pieces and violence.
My expectations after watching the opening scene, would be that the film has alot of action packed scenes, along with violence, explosions, and alot of twists and turns within the storyline.
The audiences being targeted: I believe that the audiences being targeted are young adults and any age above. This is because of the complex language used throughout and the intricate storyline, which could prove difficult for younger viewers to follow. Also, the high use of violence and bloody exposures, would be very inappropriate for young viewers.
Websites:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSeJ5_y3VUDB5Wdj4mPsaqzqbHcaH65Zdc3cAZwIaAbHDxFvVSNmJIiM8kRShC40T_AiDi4yD9wSN672L4AMlXGml-vD5I96ERZ9fqvtK0l2P4m9SamdDPYwi-pTAyzemwboUfVxiDTQ/s1600/explosion.jpg
www.imdb.com/title/tt0244244/
http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/swordfish-v244329
Websites:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSeJ5_y3VUDB5Wdj4mPsaqzqbHcaH65Zdc3cAZwIaAbHDxFvVSNmJIiM8kRShC40T_AiDi4yD9wSN672L4AMlXGml-vD5I96ERZ9fqvtK0l2P4m9SamdDPYwi-pTAyzemwboUfVxiDTQ/s1600/explosion.jpg
www.imdb.com/title/tt0244244/
http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/swordfish-v244329
Analysing a Film Poster For Our Film Genre Choice
Genre of film: Horror
Codes and conventions: Some conventions of a horror film are to use the technical and symbolic codes of low key lighting, blood/gore and interesting/scary costumes. These in return create suspense and gives realism to the film, making it more enjoyable for the viewer.
Key signifiers:
Denotative levels of meaning: A severed hand has been left bleeding in a snowy surrounding.
Connotative levels of meaning: Snowy surroundings are often linked to Christmas and happy cheerful times, but by putting such a harsh image into this surrounding, it appears to show quite the opposite, that it may be a cold heartless place to be. Also, the use of the severed hand itself shows that the level of violence with the situation is high, as the state of the hand clearly shows that it was not a mere accident that it was dismembered from the rest of the body, and was most likely taken by force.
What the poster communicates to the audience: The poster to this film gives a very basic communication, that things might not be what they seem, and that the audience should expect high gore aspects, and morbidity.
Key signifiers:
Denotative levels of meaning: A severed hand has been left bleeding in a snowy surrounding.
Connotative levels of meaning: Snowy surroundings are often linked to Christmas and happy cheerful times, but by putting such a harsh image into this surrounding, it appears to show quite the opposite, that it may be a cold heartless place to be. Also, the use of the severed hand itself shows that the level of violence with the situation is high, as the state of the hand clearly shows that it was not a mere accident that it was dismembered from the rest of the body, and was most likely taken by force.
What the poster communicates to the audience: The poster to this film gives a very basic communication, that things might not be what they seem, and that the audience should expect high gore aspects, and morbidity.
Also, I have chosen this film poster as my example, as our own movie opening, will be similar to said film.
Analysing a Film Poster
Genre: Horror
3 Codes and conventions:
Some conventions of a horror film is to use the technical and symbolic codes of low key lighting, blood/gore and scary/tense music. These in return creates suspense and gives realism to the film, making it enjoyable for the viewer. An example of this would be, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sbLun58FNM, this scene from within the film, which displays the codes and convetions perfectly.
Some conventions of a horror film is to use the technical and symbolic codes of low key lighting, blood/gore and scary/tense music. These in return creates suspense and gives realism to the film, making it enjoyable for the viewer. An example of this would be, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sbLun58FNM, this scene from within the film, which displays the codes and convetions perfectly.
Key signifiers: The use of the love heart (signifier) shows that the surface meaning of the film is about love, as hearts are used on valentines day to signify love and caring, but the signified meaning is, due to the heart being drawn on it blood, shows that the original thought of romantic love is incorrect and that there may be a lot of bloody violence related to the love story. Also, just behind the love heart there is a character dressed in a minor’s outfit, this is never usually asscoaited with love films, and is a very un-common occurrence, which shows there is defineitely a twist or hidden meaning within the film. Mining is generally classified with dirt and danger, due to the amount of people that used to lose thier lives back when it was a popluar profession, which could indicate that things could get messy and violent also. I can support these views with this clip of what a normal love film is like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPG5ueVMatI&feature=related
Denotative levels of meaning: A love heart drawn in blood, with a character shadowed behind it, dressed in some form of minors outfit. The background is quite darkly shadowed, with some parts of smoke appearing.
Connotative levels of meaning: As I mentioned before, with the use of the love heart you would think of romantic love, but because it has been drawn in blood, it shows it to be alot more sinister, and connected to violence way more than romance. With this image you would associate love with pain, as the heart is not made to look pretty, unlike most usual love films. The figure dressed in a minors outfit in the background, gives alot of mystery to the poster, as it is shadowed by the heart, and the costume also shows no physical features of the character at all, which is very scary, and also quite threatening, as you would be unable to know who it was. Finally, the smoke which is also seen appearing in the background, is quite mysterious also, as, figures normally seen coming from smoke, are very frightening, as there is confusion as to where they have suddenly came from. An example of this would be in the film Silent Hill, where creatures appear from smoke suddenly, and make it very tense and scary.
What the poster communicates: Basically, by using tis poster to promote the film it is saying that love can be a messy and violent thing, and that this film will show the viewers this, a whole new side to classic romantic love films.
Websites:
www.imdb.com/title/tt1179891/
www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/
Filmography:
My Bloody Valentine (2009) Patrick Lussier
500 Days of Summer (2009) Marc Webb
About Me
My name is Lauren and I'm almost 17 years old, studying Business, Ict and Media at sixth form.
I highly enjoy listening to music, spending time with my friends, and shopping whenever I have the money.
I have quite a few piercings and hope to get more including a few tattoo's, one of which I want to include my favourite flowers, pink lilies and cherry blossoms.
One day I hope to travel to Japan, and tour the country for a weeks. And hopefully after leaving sixth from, I aim to get a job working for the BBC.
I highly enjoy listening to music, spending time with my friends, and shopping whenever I have the money.
I have quite a few piercings and hope to get more including a few tattoo's, one of which I want to include my favourite flowers, pink lilies and cherry blossoms.
One day I hope to travel to Japan, and tour the country for a weeks. And hopefully after leaving sixth from, I aim to get a job working for the BBC.
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