Production Log Week 4

What have you learnt about your target audience?

From carrying out research i have found that my targeted audience will be mainly teens  but a mixture of males and females depending on the themes being show in the film. For example films that include alot of violence such as Green street would be more suited for a male audience, whereas fish tank could be more appealing to a female audience who have dreams even though violence is still included.My target audience will be of a mixture of ethnicity's  as Britain is a very multi cultural area and it could be appealing to a very wide audience

What have you learnt about the institutions involved in the production of social realist films?

From looking at the background information of British Social Realism films, institutions like Film 4 are based in Britain so they can fully show the audience what Britain is like. Major companies stick to genres like fantasy and action whereas independent companies are more likely to create British Social Realism films. By independent niche companies creating this genre it means they have much more verisimilitude and gives the audience the correct perception of the British culture.

How will this inform your production?

This will inform my opening scene as i want the British Social Realism genre to be very clear to the audience. I will do this by showing a clear theme, typical issues that occur in Britain, typical locations and actors that can fit with what British teens are like. I will make it also seem very urban and down trodden to show typically what Britain is like 

BSR Sound Analysis

0:00-5:10

Mise-en-scene, Camera langauge and Editing in a British Social Realism Film

Production Log Week Three

What have you learnt about opening sequences and title devices?

In this week we looked at the credits used and the positioning that they were found in an opening scene. For example we looked at panic room and the way they set out the credits, the typography they used, and where they placed the title. This opening scene uses still images which pan from left to right which include a bold, capitalised white font. The title was then the 9th credit to be shown, the use of credits and shots in the background created a lot of enigma for me as an audience as it set the location but you wonder why its set there and who will be invloved as we are not introudced to any characters. I also created a visual timeline of the opening scene to east is east, it included many credits and many shots which introduced most of the main characters and also set the location and atmosphere. However it still creates enigma as we dont know why the characters start running and why they are walking in a parade around the streets.

How will this inform your production?

From looking at the credits I feel like i now have a better understanding of what credits i should included in the opening and which ones i should leave out as they would be included at the end of a film. I also know where the title should be placed and what i will show in the opening sequence to grab the audiences attention and to make them want to watch the rest of the film. In my opening scene i will use shots to introduce the characters but make sure that the credits wont take away the focus that will be going on in the background by making them too big or positioning them right in the center of the shot.

What methods may you use in the opening and why?

In my opening i would probably use a smash mouth, as this will grab the audiences attention and creates a good atmosphere for the rest of the film. I think openings such as London to Brighton which used this convention made me want to watch the rest of the film and created a lot of mystery and enigma as i was unsure on who the girls were, why they look like theyve been beaten up and why the girl is sitting in the toilet while her mum is out. I think if i used a similiar opening i would be able to encourage my targeted audience to want to watch the rest of the film. I think i would also use subtle credits as if they are too extravagant and over sized it could take away the impact of the smash mouth.

My possible locations for my British Social Realism opening

Chadwell Heath:

This location would be a good one to consider as it shows run down areas where we see alot of rubbish or fly tipping which shows the area is urban and not well looked after. There is also graffiti seen on the fences and the houses either look isolated or they just haven't been put to good use. 

 Goodmayes:

This location would be a good one to consider as there isn't alot going on but in the background we can see flats and a car park, and the metal bridge makes it seem quite old fashioned. This follows the typical conventions of somewhere looking abandoned and it looking run down.

Forest Gate:

This location would be a good one to consider as it is set near a train station, and its quite simple but i think if shot correctly it could be effective. The tall building in the back ground and the metal poles going over the train station make it look like its a dangerous place and could shadow what will happen in the rest of the film

 Romford:

This location would be a good one to consider as its round the back of a street of shops. I think this would be a good location as its quite mysterious and it would be easy to film there. The bins shown in the background and the shutters on the left make it look scummy and like a bad area.

How British Social Realism themes are used

Violence

Tyrannosaur:

The theme of violence is established through the actions and props used in the mis-en-scene. For example we see the protagonist using weapons such as a bat, and a hammer this clearly shows the audience that the character has violent outbursts. The sequence shows the theme of violence also through the characters faces, for example we see a close up of the mans face which is covered in blood, and we also see the female character with bruises and a swollen eye and this emphasises the theme that they are trying to portray to the audience. This is done successfully as we can tell that the male character is abusive and often takes hes anger out on other characters in the film, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable and quite often scared. I think this theme would be good if i used it in my opening sequence as it can be shown in many ways without actually showing the audience the content of violence. This is also a typical theme of British social realism and would be a good theme to show as it is seen alot in the British culture.

Drugs/Alcohol abuse

Trainspotting:

The theme of drug abuse is established through the use of props in the mis-en-scene. For example we see the protagonist smoke drugs regularly through out the opening sequence. This theme is portrayed by nearly all the characters included in the film as they all have some sort of connection to drugs. For example we often are shown close ups of the substance(e.g. pills).This tells the audience that drugs are a casual thing in British culture as the film is based upon drug addicts in Scotland. This is also gives a negative view and makes the audience feel quite on edge as drugs can be quite dangerous when used. In my opening sequence i think i could show the themes of drugs quite successfully as it would be an easy thing to show and would be clear to the audience what they are. I would explore this theme as it would inform the audience of how much drugs can affect a person and how reliant they become to the substance and this is also typical of most people in Britain.

Racism:

This is England:

This theme is established through the language and the actions that are done against the Asian character in the film. For example we see the protagonist call the shop keeper a "paki bastard", this reference to hes race shows he has a hatred towards them. The theme is portrayed through their actions by most of the characters seen in the film. For example the older man threatens the shop keeper with a machete and also refers to him as a "paki". This shows to the audience what British culture is like, even though there are several different religions and cultures in the region there are certain people who take a dislike to other races. This makes the audience feel quite uncomfortable due to the language used and could even offend some of the viewers. This would be a good theme to use in my opening sequence as it shows us reoccurring situations that occur in British culture, even though Britain is seen as very multi cultural.

Corruption of youth:

Kidulthood:

This theme is established through the dialogue,actions and situations the characters. For example one boy steals from a corner shop, but when the shop keeper see's him the boy chucks the glass bottle at him. The theme is portrayed to the audience in a way that seems like all British teenagers act exactly the same and are misbehaved. For example we also see the boys beating up an older boy to get revenge on him and situations like this are repeated throughout the film. This makes the audience feel on edge and intimidated by the characters. I think this would be a good theme if i was to use it in my opening sequence as it would be an easy theme to show, and would create a good atmosphere for the audience. This would also be a good theme as we could included different situations which would be classed under this theme of corruption of youth(e.g. stealing,sex,swearing,drugs,violence).

 

Petty Crime
Looking for Eric:

The theme is established through the actions that are shown in the film, mainly at the end as this is what the film builds up to. For example we see a group of men go to the mans house in masks with weapons. The theme is protrayed to the audience in quite a humourous way as they are not commiting a serious crime. For example the men that go to the house with weapons actually turn out to vandalise and trash the mans house, this is funny for the audience as the men who own the house end up covered in red paint. I think this would be a good theme to explore as petty crime can be shown in many situations (e.g. stealing,vandalising), this also shows typical things that hapeen in British culture and makes the audience feel like British people are not all serious and bad but they can still commit small crimes.

Opening Sequence Timeline

I looked at these films:

 

East is East

My name is Joe

 

I looked at the cuts that were used, what was being shown in the foreground and what credits were being show and for each one of these i listed down the timings.