The activity was to create clothes for a man and woman paper doll for a given genre. My genre was historical drama. My woman was a stereotypical slave for a rich house. She wore a long brown skirt down to her feet and a brown buttoned up top with a white apron that had dirt splashed up it where she cant afford to clean and buy new clothes. The long skirt showed dignity and what was expected for woman to wear at the time. On the other hand the man was posh, someone the poor woman would work for. He wore a smart, clean suit that a stereotypical rich man would wear. I decided to show a distinct difference in class between the man and the woman because most historical drama main them is different classes within society.
How costume is shown in Mean Girls
Mean girls is about a group of girls in high school who see themselves more superior and popular than the rest of the school: often known as 'the plastics'. Costumes plays a key part in the film. They walk around school in high heels, shorts skirts and lots of pink, they even have a saying 'Wednesday we wear pink' for anyone they allow into their group. By wearing these outfits they stand out from the rest of the school by looking older and more dressed up which represents their personality - trying to be better than everyone else. At one point in the movie Regina gets cuts in her tea shirt but by the end of the day the whole school have copied and have cuts in there tee-shirts as well as they inspire to be like the three girls. Costume in this film helps the audience to form opinions on the characters and understand what they're like.
What do we expect to see in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film?
American Beauty - opening monologue
A lot of the plot is introduced in the opening monologue. The main characters are introduced and it gives an insight into their lives by setting the plot. There are five characters shown, the man talking and his wife and daughter plus the two next door neighbours. There is also dialogue, the man starts by introducing himself, his life and the goes on to introduce each character. The monologue is set around the house there are six locations shown within the house and one show of the whole town. There aren't any opening credits wish shocked me maybe to show the importance of the scene.
Submarine - opening sequence
Submarine opening sequence begins with a wide pan of the boys room and then credits and back to a wide pan, then more credits with seagull noises. The room being cluttered tells us about him may be having a cluttered mind, has a lot going on in mind? It clears its set in the early 90's because there is a type writer and other old fashioned things. There's a telescope, skeleton and other science bits which let the audience know what kind of person he is right from the beginning. There's a submarine on the wall below water and the boy is laying below the water line as well this could be a metaphor for him and his life how he's going unnoticed like a submarine underwater and eventually the submarine will go up above water and be noticed like him. Additionally there's narration, him talking looking back on the moment, and the camera cuts in and the boy looks at the lens - breaking the fourth wall. The camera the shows different landscapes around the town where he lives, they're dark like its distorting beauty. The opening sequence is a wide shot of the boy from the back under sea level again, over all the opening sequence doesn't give much away as there's only one character.
Toy story - opening
I think the opening gives us a good insight into what the films going to be about as it shows Andy playing with his toys. The main characters are introduced such has Andy, Woody and the other toys, even from the start its clear Woody is his favourite toy. There is a song in the background - you've got a friend in me and theres dialogue of Andy speaking and him pretending to be the toys. There is only one location in the scene: Andy's bedroom. By using one location it adds emphasis to the importance of the room. Additionally there are credits coming up on the screen as Andy plays with his toys.
Student made films
The cobra effect - as media 2 minute opening
I think a lot of the plot would be introduced in the opening. The narrator introduces us to each characters one by one (all eight of them). They pass round a box and the narrators tells us they stole it and that they're robbers. Additionally, the credits are at the start before they introduces the characters.
As media horror - 2 minute opening
The scene begins with an establishing shot: a convention for the introduction of the opening sequence. Next there are titles, simple white text in capital letters that fade in and out which is a typical form for horror films. Then we are introduces to what I presume, the two main characters: a young couple holding hands similar to couples in Zodiac. Then using the same white writing are the credits which goes against stereotypical horror films that don't usually show credits. We then see the happy couple again on there walk who are oblivious to the killer behind them and in the background is spooky music to give an ominous feeling and create tension. However as tension builds the soundtrack is removed and increase the volume of ambient/diegetic sounds heightens tension and suspense. Its ends on a jump scare as the killer comes up behind the couple: this leaves me wanting to find out more and questioning who the man is and what is he going to do next.
Abducted - as media 2 minute opening
In the opening it explains the plot by telling you what the film is be based on - a mans girlfriend gets abducted and he has to get her back by paying up 1 million in the next 24 hours. However, it never gives away what happens or if he gets her back: which makes me want to watch on! The key characters are introduced - the man and his wife and the people who have abducted the mans wife. The man talks about how life is perfect and then it contrast to shocking images of his girlfriend having a gun to her head and being kidnapped, which shocked me! There aren't many credits in the opening and I thought it was interesting how the title of the film came at the end of the scene rather than the beginning.
Planning Our task was to create a short film from a clip in Love actually, the scene were the Prime minister first meets Natalie. In my group is Molly, Olivia, Will and I. First, we created a storyboard to plan an initial idea of what we are going to do, which included the different type of shots we were going include such as long shots at the starts a close ups in the Prime minister when he gets to Natalie.
Will started a group chat on Facebook to arrange cast members and where we would film to keep everyone updated even whilst we were at home. We didn't allocate roles we just decided to work together to be more productive. We also organised various props and meeting times such as Tuesday after school. For the props we have organised a cast member to dress up as a woman using a wig and make up from home because there was no girls willing to act for us, by dressing up it will achieve a more realistic film. Originally we wanted to use little children to act although after a while of thinking we decided they would be pain to organise and wouldn't learn the lines, so we settled for other students who would be ready straight after school and would already be in their suits: which would suit their roles. We then needed a scene so we have tried to make contact with a vicar from the Abbey church in Wymondham and are currently awaiting a call back to see if we can use their premises. We thought this was a good idea because the place if big and posh like in the film, also it means we can film inside which avoids bad weather conditions such as lots of wind would mean it would hard to pick up speech on camera. We also looked at various hotels in Wymondham, although we weren't allowed to use their premises unless we booked a room. Filming Tuesday after school we met at the media room and decided to go to the church and film: despite not getting in touch with the vicar.
However, next time we need to be more organised because not all the actors turned up so one of the boys had to play three different people. To make it clear to the audience he was a different person each time we used a wig and changed the style of it for the two girls, so one point he had the hair from the wig tied up and the next he had it down, we also put makeup on him which it made it comical.
Will did the filming and the rest of the group and I directed, which involved telling will what camera angles to do and what the actors should be doing. Although there are things we didn't all agree with such as will wanted to make the clip really funny by adding extra words and different shots so we had to comprise.
We decided will should edit the videos because he is comfortable with using the software and has previous editing experience on adobe premier. This morning we completed the audio section of the love actually scene. We downloaded various sound effects from Youtube and added them to the clip in the appropriate areas. Sounds included a kissing sound and an audience applause as the PM walks into the building. Then we downloaded it as a media file to complete the scene.
= The place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place. Setting can communicate:
Mood/atmosphere
Period/time
Genre
Imagine a room, how would you decorate it and what would you put in it to suggest the following inhabitants..
A poor destitute couple in the 17th century
Firstly, I would have a run down dirty room with old wallpaper falling of the walls to show the couple don' have money spare to decorate their house. Also, to show they're poor their would be little furniture just an old wooden table and chairs in a cramped room. There would be no windows so the lighting would be dim to portray the lack of fun the couple have and put a negative atmosphere on the room.
A middle-class couple in the 1940's
In this room it would also be round diner table, although there would be food on the table to show they're wealthy enough to eat. Also, they're could be pictures on the walls of flowers to represent happiness and a window so the sunset comes into the room to represent a calm mood that the haven't got to worry about money.
A spy in the year 2015
The spy should be in a modern room with everything white aka white walls and white flow to make everything look professional. In the background could be lots of technology in his base.
A business in 2015
I think the room should be filled with actors franticly working because in this day and age people usually employ many people as there's lots of work to be done. There should be loads of desks with people on computers and phones talking over each other
A group of students
Students should be in a class room. The classroom should be bright and engaging with posters and the children should be around a desk writing in their books, there could also be a whiteboard with their work on. Setting of a clip from The Duchess The scene begins with a shot through an archway to portray that the Duchess is going into a new life and the audience feel as if they're looking into her life and how things change. As the Duchess and her husband drive through the streets of London in a horse and cart the Duchess is shocked with the market. On the streets the atmosphere is frantic and really busy as there's market stalls all around them with dead animals hanging up and fruit stalls which shows people are poor. People run after the cart reaching up to them as the camera looks down on them to show the Duchess is of higher class. I think we are shown multiple shots of the market place so the audience can see its set in a different time period to modern day and make a contrast from what we're about to see when the Duchess gets to her house. When the Duchess get to her courtyard Denshire house it has a calm atmosphere with dull colours which looks very posh with lots of open space unlike the market. Going through the different archways marks the next stage in her life and tracks her emotions changing as she reaches different destinations. As the Duchess reaches the hallway it looks rather big and spacious. She is a little figure in a large room suggesting she is lost in something she didn't know she was signing up for. Eventually, we get to the bedroom which is a drastic contrast to the outside of the House. All the other shots have been wide shots but the bedroom is quite zoomed in and feels claustrophobic as there's is furniture everywhere and two actors are in the duchess comfort zone. The room also has little light which creates a negative atmosphere, coming across dark and gloomy. Also, there is a lot of red instead of white unlike the rest of the house which could portray danger. Setting of the clip form The Last King Of Scotland The Mission station at the start of the clip is quite green and lush outside which shows it's in a rural destination, the building is on wooden stilts to stop animals getting in that are roaming around outside like the cows when Nicholas looks out his window. However, nothing it luxury including the mission station, it's all basic. As Nicholas looks out the car window on his journey he sees numerous different locations that contrast from the start of the journey and the end. At the beginning he looks out to see bright green trees and wildlife, the area is rural and there's few people. This defeats people stereotypical views of Uganda such as things all being burnt out. As the journey progresses he comes across houses, although these are cramp little houses that are poorly and cheaply constructed like typical African mud huts. There are also people running after the car waving to him as if he is royalty. Eventually, Nicholas reaches the city where all the buildings are big and the camera looks up to them as if it was from Nicholas view portray how big they are and suggesting he is daunted by them. In contrast people in the city don't batter and eyelid at the prime ministers car unlike the poorer villages. Likewise , the colours have contrasted. The city had colours such as white with lost of blue however where the mission station was there was lots of green, browns and no blue which represents the different atmospheres and social class. One of the greatest contrast are the houses at the missions station and city. In the city Nicholas see's the presidents house and big impressions buildings that make him seem small whereas at the missions station everything is basic and minimalistic, showing how things on his travels get progressively better. Setting from the opening scene of The Woman In Black Instantly the audience can tell its set in the olden times due to the old fashioned furniture, the children were playing with a old fashioned tea cup set and dolls which modern day children are unlikely to play with. There is a dull and gloomy atmosphere like something is about to happen this is created by the dull colours in the room and there's little light filling the room. The opening setting for a comedy would probably be set somewhere bright with lots of light and bright colour to make a happy atmosphere which straight away, this will put the audience in a good mood. In the background their could be funny hints in the background that people could pick up on such as such as someone having a fight, falling over or a funny poster in the background. The opening setting for an action film could go straight into action such as open on a busy road with a car chase and people fighting with fire everywhere so the audience are gripped right from the beginning. The opening setting for a romance film could start in a peaceful setting, such as a park where the birds are singing and happy families walk past. The man and woman bump into each other in the sunshine were everything is happy.
