Focus Group Email

We've sent this email to candidates for our focus group tomorrow

Audience Survey Analysis (Will)

Target audience age?

We've decided upon aiming our production at this particular demographic because despite the lack of violence or visual gore in the opening of the film, some of these aspects would be uncovered as the narrative continues. Our main target audience is focused on males, though we tried to add some female audience pleasures through the mise-en-scene. We envision our main character is for him to be confident and a bit of a dare-devil, though we do go against the typical character conventions as our main character is immature and uses derogative terms.

Ideas for costumes and props

25/11/2015

Today me and Hayden have come up with a set of questions for our focus group on Monday whilst Will continued his analysis of our online questionnaire and coming up with ways in which we can influence our work through the questionnaire results.

24/11/2015

Today we've decided upon a reasonable alternative for our filming location (the toilets) that's right, you guessed it, the toilets. It's just a matter of consent from the college. We've also come up with new ideas for the footage.

Textual Analysis: Saw II (William Guy)

23/11/2015

Today I did some more detailed research on sound, in preparation for our filming deadline before Christmas which is getting really close. We've got a clear idea for our plot and already have a drafted shot list and storyboard, though we're concerned about our filming location. Hayden had a look inside a public toilet in Wigston but it was too cramped therefore there wasn't enough space for us to film. I know a possible location in Wigston which seems to be abandoned and looks like a public toilet that's been vandalised with graffiti, though I've still got to check whether it is a suitable location to film in. The third alternative is to film in a school area where the cleaners keep their cleaning resources, the room has a mirror and a sink which is what we require for our production and it also looks fairly messy which could link with our theme.

Audience Theories

Editing Research

Filming skills.

16/11/2015

Today we did some analysis of other students' genre research and set them improvements to make. Then we looked at things that we could include in our genre research to perfect it and make it as informative as possible.

13/11/2015

12/11/2015

Today I uploaded the second version of our ident and typed up my textual analysis for Mad Max: Fury Road. Now I am looking to complete my research on different media skills and how we could apply them to our production.

Ident V2

I've decided to make some changes with our "Green Box Productions" ident. The major change is the whole layout of the ident, before the change there was text above the box and under the box which would make the box itself seem more difficult to focus on. Now that the text and the box are more separated the audience would look at the box and then read the name of the production which would have a more grand effect. I've also decided to get rid of the glowing effect where green light was dispersing from the text as it made it look less professional. Without the dispersing light the text seems more sharp and clean which is favoured over the "Skeuomorphic Design" by current design trends. The difference between the two design types are shown in the picture below:

Textual Analysis: Mad Max: Fury Road (Hubert Osinski)

Mad Max: Fury Road (Textual Analysis)

The opening of the film is a plain black screen with the main protagonist, Max is narrating some of his past, telling the audience who he was and what the world has come to with cuts between his voice and the news. We some footage of a strong wind breaking trees edited in with a fade effect whilst the radio says “We have become half-life” (non-diegetic), this connotes that the destruction was from a natural cause which was most likely influenced by humans. We realise that it’s the protagonist speaking because he says “My name is Max” during the narration. The audience can only hear Max’s dialogue with the purpose of the audience creating their own picture of what the world looks like. Beginning a film with a black screen builds suspension and makes the audience more curious and eager as for what they’re going to be presented with. Diegetic sound is used to create the effect of loneliness and emptiness. This is shown through the whistling of the wind which connotes the lack of human activity else we would hear very human sounds like chatter, footsteps, and cars.

The scene is established with a LS of the protagonist beside his car, looking at the scenery. There is a pull focus on a 3 headed lizard, this gives the audience an idea of the twisted universe that the film is set in. It is also a convention of both fantasy and sci-fi as no such creatures exist in our world today. The establishing shot has a long duration, this is to emphasise the apocalyptic state that the world is in through the huge scenery/mise-en-scene of an empty desert. The whole scenery was created through CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) because it costs less than setting up an actual set to film in, therefore it doesn’t have as big of an impact on the budget.  Another part of the mise-en-scene would be the car of the protagonist. The car looks like it has been made from scratch, with stuffed tyres indicating/connoting that the road is dangerous place, minding the title of the film (Fury Road).

So far the plot seems to be linear with a single plot strand, with events that only occur during the same time (no flashbacks or different plots introduced into the film). This effects the younger demographic as it makes it easier for them to follow the structure of the narrative as there is only one plot. Another type of shot that we see is a CU of Max, our protagonist, catching the lizard in his hand and swallowing it whole. Whilst the lizard was climbing his clothes and the closer it got to his head, the louder the diegetic voices in his head got. This indicates that there might be another plot strand later on in the movie, something like a flashback because the voices were people blaming him for their death. The eating of the lizard connotes that sources of food aren’t easy to find and that nothing can come to waste.

Todorov’s “5 stages” theory applies to the narrative of this film. The narrative begins with the equilibrium, everything is calm and we see no signs of imbalance, the protagonist is simply narrating and looking ahead. The disruption of the equilibrium is recognised when we see the protagonist getting chased by other humans, rushing into his car and trying to get away. This connects to the binary opposite of two types of humans, those that gave up to the new system, and those who are fighting it and are willing to do anything for their own survival. In this scene Propp’s theory is presented through Max, the “hero” who leads the narrative and appears to be on the quest for his own survival. Another part of the theory would be “The goal/objective” which in this case seems to be getting away from the people hunting him and surviving, which seems to be a theme that is emphasised throughout the film.   

We are introduced to some action during the first few minutes of the film, this is a common convention used in action films as it introduces the audience to some of the conflicts that typically are seen throughout or make up the narrative. Later on in the movie we see some conventions of the Dystopian genre, one of them conventions is the main “hero” who doesn’t want to be the hero at all, but is somehow dragged into it anyway. Another Dystopian convention could be seen through the chase sequence which connotes a lawless society. Lawless societies are often used in Dystopian films because it shows a sign of corruption and Dystopian films are all about setting the film in an environment which the audience doesn’t want to be in. The lawless society creates the ideology that the only way we will ever go extinct is through human influence, as in this extract we are presented with humans hunting humans.

Max is represented as a survivalist that has been on the road for months with no break. We see this through his messy hair and restless facial expression. His clothes are also covered in dust and seem to have decayed on him, connoting that he has no time to waste.

We never see the end of the chase sequence because of the use of ellipsis. Ellipsis is used in editing to skip boring parts of the plot that the audience shouldn’t, or doesn’t want to see. It also lets the film jump straight to the action, in this case we don’t see the protagonist being taken to the next location, and instead he is already on the spot, getting tortured. As soon as the character is captured and after 20 seconds of calm footage we break off into another chase scene with dare-devil stunts and near death situations when the protagonist is hanging onto a rope far off the ground, this makes it clear that action is one of the main genres of the film.

So far in the narrative all the characters are male, creating a stereotype in which men are the more dominant species and have more influence than women. Another stereotype seen is that men are animalistic with a single instinct which in this sequence is to capture Max. Their animalistic features are also seen through their costume as the characters are pale and shirtless which connotes that they’ve been stripped from their human characteristics.

The camera work and editing in the second chase sequence are used to create anticipation or prediction. We see this through the camera slowly moves closer to the protagonist’s face before he breaks free from his chains and tries to escape. Editing creates suspense through the long duration of the shot. These techniques are used to build suspense and create a climax for the audience, but sometimes they are used to create an anti-climax in which the suspense is built but the character ends up not escaping or is stopped by the antagonist or the villain’s helper which is another part of Propp’s theory. Slower editing also calms the target audience because it makes the footage less extreme. Building suspense is a typical convention of the thriller genre.

The target audience for this film would be male teenagers 15+ because of the use of violence, cars, and guns throughout the film. The film was also released as a video game shortly after the famous movie which would attract the male dominated gaming community to buy the film on Blu-ray or DVD. The film was a major hit in the box office therefore people would be more likely to buy the game, expecting a similar thrill they got in the movie.

Influencial Figures

My choices in the production are most influenced by the well-known director Peter Jackson, who directed movies such as Meet The Feebles, Bad Taste, LOTR, and The Hobbit. He often films close-ups using wide angles and always insists on shooting extra coverage (filming the scene from many different angles). I also take inspiration from his attention to detail and the way he’s a bit of a perfectionist, especially on the "Lord of the Rings" films, where he would spend days shooting a single scene.
In his movies he also favours dark humour in scenes of violence, for example the goblin king scenes in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
He also adds a lot of emphasis on landscape and captures a lot of scenery with an enormous visual scope.

Quentin Tarantino was another great influence on my work. Tarantino has his own method of creating successful film. After the script of The Hateful Eight was leaked online by Gawker, Tarantino scrapped the project altogether and chose to use the story for a novel instead. He often uses graphic violence  that has proven seductive to audiences (voyeurism), and he has been harshly criticized for his use of gore and blood in an entrancing yet simultaneously repulsive way.

Textual Analysis: I am Legend (Hayden Woodcock)

Genre:
‘I am Legend’ is a hybrid Sci-fi, Thriller and Drama genre connoting that it uses a mix of conventions to suit each genre. This is proved through the use of: futuristic settings, guns, suspense, involvement of the government, tilted fast shots and a realistic narrative. The futuristic settings allows the use of technology that does not exist to help to connote the dystopian theme. Suspense is a typical convention for thrillers as it connotes that something big is going to happen, for example the audience anticipate whether he is going to catch a dear as well as linking to the theme of violence. Also, the involvement of the government represents the lawless society and the sinister plot as the government seems to be responsible for the emptiness.



Narrative:
In this scene, Propp’s theory is connoted through ‘The hero’ of Robert as he is represented as an important character who leads the narrative and appears to be on a quest. This is shown when he is driving through the city as the audience wonders why and the confusing chase, because the audience would be confused why he is hunting animals. This connects to the binary opposite of Animals vs Humans which connotes that one of them is becoming extinct. An anti-stereotypical winner in this scene appears to be the Animals as there is very few human life, connoting a disease or it represents the power of the Animals emphasising that they killed all of the humans. Another of Propp’s character is ‘The helper.’ This is shown through Roberts’s dog as he is represented as a side kick, again connoting the strength of the Animals.



Todorov’s ‘5 States’ theory seems to apply. This is portrayed firstly from the Equilibrium. The narrative, characters and setting is introduced as Robert is driving his car in an empty street in America accompanied by his pet Dog. This connotes the binary opposite and the theme of relationships expectedly within this Drama genre. A disruption occurs simultaneously as the Dear’s charge out into a stampede through the streets, connoting a chase and representing the authority of the Animals as they are freely roaming the city. This highlights the destruction and lack of control within the society at this moment. The audience recognise this disruption when Robert decides to chase the herd connoting that there is a problem, which is complicated further due to the difficulty of actually catching one. Furthermore, Robert attempts to repair the problem. This is connoted as he pulls his gun out and aims it towards the Dear’s, representing his anger, another binary opposite of life vs death and violence. Lastly, a resolution is formed when a Dear is killed by a Lion, in the way that although Robert did not solve the problem himself, the Lion caught the food for survival connoting the ‘survival of the fittest’ lifestyle and the inequality of society. As a result a new equilibrium appears to arrive as we are introduced to other lives, connoting a gradual introduction and the fight to survive.



This extract follows a non-linear plot as a flash forward is used after the opening titles and the interview scenes, connoting the conventional Thriller genre and effecting the younger demographic as they will find it harder to understand why an ellipses has occurred and the relationship between the two narrative strands of 3 years before the chase and the set time. In spite of this, this movie probably follows a linear plot overall as a clear beginning, middle and end will be told. From this opening, the narrative is open because the plot can be continued connoted a complex and large plot. Also, during this extract the third person narrator positions allows true representations if the characters instead of stereotypes or an individual’s view of a person, allowing the audience to understand and maybe sympathise with the characters. The parallel plots unfold at the same time connoting that the characters related but there is no clear mix yet.



Sound:
Diegetic sound is used to represent loneliness. This is shown through the use of ambient sound of Seagulls which connotes that it is set near a coast and represents the power of the Animals because they make the loudest noise. This also connotes the lack of human activity else this would not be one of the only sounds.

Another example is the loud diegetic sound of Grasshoppers which is a coincidence since normally you would struggle to hear insects or small animals connoting the emptiness and representing the overpowering nature. All of the diegetic sounds of animals connote that the city is turning into a tropical rainforest and emphasises the disaster.



Editing:
Editing is used to create anticipation. This is connoted through the fast paced editing between the shots during the chase. The fast pace connotes the conventional Thriller genre and builds up the tension representing the significance of this and effecting the target audience as they will wish for success or failure, causing anxiousness. This could lead to the uses and gratification theory in the way that audience segmentation will separate similar audiences whom may talk about the chase scene or become emotionally attached towards the protagonist (Robert.)

After the chase the editing slowed down to connote that the conclusion of that scene was established and how the mood and atmosphere has become calmer and relaxed easing of the nervousness from the target audience.



Editing was used to connote the interview. This was portrayed at the beginning through the common shot reverse shot connoting that there was a discussion and allowing the audience to see the reactions from the characters so that they understand them more and to represent the difference in intelligence and age.



Audience:
I am Legend appears to be targeted towards teenagers and young adults, this is connoted through the slight violence and the plot. Often male audiences will watch this film because they are stereotyped to prefer violence, however Will Smith would attract female audiences as well meaning that Two Step Flow theory would be involved as they would want to watch the movie. Audience segmentation could be responsible as well, as Robert could attract an older demographic and race would not be an issue to connote equality in the film and the attractive and brave protagonist. This could link to Mulvey’s male gaze because targeted females could see him as a sexual character, representing equality in genders nowadays compared to the past.



Mise-en-scene:
The setting and the colour us used to represent the futuristic disaster. This is connoted through the abandoned or empty buildings, connoting a destruction and futuristic problems. The brown, desert-like colours connote the lack of humanity representing their inferiority and low intelligence. Also, it could connect to the typical habitats of creatures connoting the development and change to suit the dominant species. The darker colours could connote the disaster through the dusty remains and this ambiguous choice could additionally connote thirst emphasising the difficulty for Robert.



Robert is represented as an important character. This is connoted through his framing within the shots, as he is often positioned in the middle to connote that he is the protagonist and a significant part to the plot.

Robert is represented as an explorer. This is connoted from his leather jacket, jeans, grey t-shirt, bag and walking boots. The use of the jacket connotes his determination to survive and the bag connotes that he expects he will succeed and need it to keep valuable objects. It could also connote an easy place to store his necessities. The prop of the gun represents the lawless society and his authority because he can carry what is necessary. As well it could be connoted as protection or differently for violence and to kill innocent animals in order to survive.



Ideology:
A clear opinion is connoted through Robert and his Dog. A dominant view point is that Dogs are a man’s best friend connoting the love and stereotypical beliefs in this world. This reinforces the stereotypes because it connotes how useful animals can be

Another value is not to always believe and trust the government. This is shocking because audiences often believe that their choices are for the best and the right ones, but this is argued against through the anti-stereotypical greedy government that create a ‘cure’, which seems to kill most of mankind.



Shots:
Shots are used to represent the lonely setting. This is connoted through the establishing extreme-long shot which allows all of the abandoned cars in the water to be shown connoting that there is something wrong and the quiet city. The bird-eye panning shot of this view also connotes the emptiness, but it also allows Robert’s car to enter the shot connoting his loneliness and bravery because he is the only human clearly out. Furthermore, exaggeration of all of the cars is created from this chosen shot which connotes the huge numbers of cars abandoned and the terrible effect on the city due to pollution and the large use of space.

A tracking shot is used to represent the protagonists determined personality. This is shown when Robert is chasing the dears connoting that he is in control of the herds movement and how he won’t give up until he captures one. Ultimately, this represents him as a predator ruthlessly hunting down food or prey.

4th November 2015

Today I updated my blog with our new ident and the pilot survey results for our audience research. We also received some feedback from our teacher and are looking to add more detail to some of my past convention research posts.

Green Box Production Ident

William Guy created an ident for our production.

Audience Survey Results

Copyrights

Our original production idea was to challenge several conventions through random changes in sound and atmosphere. Our mood changing songs was meant to be "Like A Prayer" by Madonna, but we failed to receive the copyrights necessary for us to use it as a part of our product. The beginning of our film creates a conventional Dystopian atmosphere of an abandoned location; we've used ambient sound effects such as thunder to use as little melodic sound as possible. After a really chaotic title sequence of the film, after the black out the lighting is edited to create a warm-looking atmosphere, in order to challenge the concept of what it's like outdoors (cold and dangerous). The anti-hero was meant to be a non-conventional which would make direct reference to the audience and break character depending on the situation that he is in. The whole purpose of using the song was for it to create a change in the mood of the film and challenge the genre of a serious dystopian thriller. This idea failed to work as to my surprise we never received the expected response from Madonna's managers.