Friday, 3 March 2017
Thursday, 2 March 2017
Film Genre Preference Table
Relationship Between Age, Gender and Genre
This table shows the film genre preferences for women and men of different ages . The genre that we are leaning towards is a Thriller. This means that, according to this table, we must make our target audience women and men aged 55+, because these are the types of people most likely to watch a thriller film.
This table enables me to look at the various genres and see what kind of people watch the different films. This means I have an idea as to who my target audience will be.
The Importance of Sound in Horror Films
The Importance of Sound in Horror Films
Sound is often overlooked in films but it is often the single most important element in setting the mood for the scene. Music has the ability to set the tone for how events will unfold. Music may progressively build to signify that a dramatic event is about to happen or it may be upbeat to lighten the mood. Horror films rely heavily in sound clips to create a scary scene. I don't necessarily think about it but if I was to remove the sound from a horror film, its fear factor would decrease dramatically.
Music plays a key role in a horror film because it immediately sets the tone. Before the actor says anything, the audience knows what their fate is going to be based on the type of music that is playing in the background. The music sets the tone but it does not give away how events are going to unfold. The music must never distract from the scene but intensify the visuals so that the viewer experiences fear and anxiety on a much deeper level. There are several musical cues that indicate to the viewer what is going to unfold in the upcoming scene. A long eerie musical buildup suggests that a big event is just around the corner. A rapid sequence might suggest stress or panic, making the audience feel anxious.
Music adds to the complete experience of a horror film because it's a way in which the director chooses to set the mood of the scene and film. By repeating sequences of musical scores, the audience associates that music with events in the film. The point of a horror film is to scare the viewer. Music is the biggest contributor to getting the viewer's adrenaline pumping because it sets the tone before any events actually occur. The viewer can feel scared before any events transpire based on how effectively and artistically the music is utilized.
Narrative Theories - Todorov's Theory
Narrative Theories - Todorov
Todorov's narrative theory basically states that most stories or plot lines follow the same pattern or path. There are five steps in this pattern:
Equilibrium - The first part of the story will display a happy start, where the majority of characters are content and everything is as it should be.
A Disruption - The second part of the story will feature a problem or something will disrupt the happiness.
Realisation - This part of the plot is when everyone realises the problem and it is chaos.
Restored Order - This part of the plot is when the characters attempt to repair the damage and restore the problem.
Equilibrium Again - This is the final part of the plot where the problem is resolved and normality can resume again.
Todorov's narrative theory basically states that most stories or plot lines follow the same pattern or path. There are five steps in this pattern:
Equilibrium - The first part of the story will display a happy start, where the majority of characters are content and everything is as it should be.
A Disruption - The second part of the story will feature a problem or something will disrupt the happiness.
Realisation - This part of the plot is when everyone realises the problem and it is chaos.
Restored Order - This part of the plot is when the characters attempt to repair the damage and restore the problem.
Equilibrium Again - This is the final part of the plot where the problem is resolved and normality can resume again.
Narrative Theories - Vladimir Propp
Narrative Theories - Vladimir Propp
Vladimir Propp says that characters take up the role of narrative 'spheres of action'. He identified 7 different characters necessary to make up a narrative.
The Hero
The Hero restores to narrative equilibrium and is the central character in the media text.
There are two different types of hero:
The Donor
The donor gives the hero something to aid them on their journey to restore disruption and disequilibrium, this can be physical (like a weapon) or not (like magic).
The Helper
The helper aids the hero on their journey to restore equilibrium, they are normally the sidekick and sometimes add comedic or romantic additions to the narrative.
The Princess
The princess, normally female, is normally the prime victim of the villain and has to be saved at the climax of the film. This creates damsel in distress situations seen in many narratives.
The Dispatcher
The dispatcher sends the hero on their task/journey to restore the equilibrium. Therefore they tend to be the wise voice of reason in the narrative.
The False Hero
The false hero is a character that appears to be good throughout the film however is revealed at the end of the film to be bad.
Vladimir Propp says that characters take up the role of narrative 'spheres of action'. He identified 7 different characters necessary to make up a narrative.
The Hero
The Hero restores to narrative equilibrium and is the central character in the media text.
There are two different types of hero:
- The victim hero - the center of the villains attention
- The seeker hero - aids the villains victims
The Villain
The villain is the character that creates a disruption in the narrative equilibrium causing the hero to have to restore things
The Donor
The donor gives the hero something to aid them on their journey to restore disruption and disequilibrium, this can be physical (like a weapon) or not (like magic).
The Helper
The helper aids the hero on their journey to restore equilibrium, they are normally the sidekick and sometimes add comedic or romantic additions to the narrative.
The Princess
The princess, normally female, is normally the prime victim of the villain and has to be saved at the climax of the film. This creates damsel in distress situations seen in many narratives.
The Dispatcher
The dispatcher sends the hero on their task/journey to restore the equilibrium. Therefore they tend to be the wise voice of reason in the narrative.
The False Hero
The false hero is a character that appears to be good throughout the film however is revealed at the end of the film to be bad.
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
Planning as a Group
Group Planning
The group that I will be working with is a group of 4. The group consists of Georgia, Sabrina, Laura and I. Laura and I are both in year 13 so we have witnessed our peers taking their Media A level therefore we are able to gain some inspiration from their work however Georgia and Sabrina are both in year 12 and are considering studying Media at university which means they bring the passion and the fresh ideas into the group. Both of these elements will come together so that we can produce the best work possible. We all take other A levels as well as Media so balancing our time effectively could potentially be difficult.
To begin with, we discussed the different genres that we were interested in. Then once a list was compiled, we began researching each genre to find out the codes and conventions. Through our research, we decided that the most interesting opening sequences were Horror/Thriller film openings because they contained a lot of suspense which made us want to watch more. Also the codes and conventions of a horror/thriller are very clear and therefore easy to replicate.
As Georgia and Laura take media, we have access to the Drama students so if we felt like we wanted them to act in the opening sequence, they're available. Another advantage our group has is that Sabrina takes Design Technology. This will aid us in creating an appropriate logo for our film companies and name of the film as Sabrina has experience in using the software.
The group that I will be working with is a group of 4. The group consists of Georgia, Sabrina, Laura and I. Laura and I are both in year 13 so we have witnessed our peers taking their Media A level therefore we are able to gain some inspiration from their work however Georgia and Sabrina are both in year 12 and are considering studying Media at university which means they bring the passion and the fresh ideas into the group. Both of these elements will come together so that we can produce the best work possible. We all take other A levels as well as Media so balancing our time effectively could potentially be difficult.
To begin with, we discussed the different genres that we were interested in. Then once a list was compiled, we began researching each genre to find out the codes and conventions. Through our research, we decided that the most interesting opening sequences were Horror/Thriller film openings because they contained a lot of suspense which made us want to watch more. Also the codes and conventions of a horror/thriller are very clear and therefore easy to replicate.
As Georgia and Laura take media, we have access to the Drama students so if we felt like we wanted them to act in the opening sequence, they're available. Another advantage our group has is that Sabrina takes Design Technology. This will aid us in creating an appropriate logo for our film companies and name of the film as Sabrina has experience in using the software.
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