Here is the Wordle I made about the initial ideas that my group came up with and what we thought would be included in our genre. We added different scenes, what could be included in the story line, possible genres, possible characters and possible locations.
Representation is when a group or an individual is shown to the audience in a media text. It could show them in a stereotypical way or are under-represented in media texts. I am going to talk about how four different social groups are shown in the genre of film I am working in, Crime/Thriller.
Representation of Age: Children are shown as powerless and weak and are not capable of taking care of themselves leaving an adult to take care of. Teenagers are shown as being criminals, lazy and aggressive and always disruptive within their community. Different from this, adults are shown as powerful, strong and leaders in any situation. They are also shown as being clever, reliable and discrete. Old people are shown as weak, having to rely on other people and confused.Adults are the main age group to be the protagonist or antagonist within a crime-thriller and other age groups are not normally the main character therefore being the victim of the film.
Mise-En-Scene: Children are often dressed in colourful clothing showing the fun happy side to them and they are normally quiet and scared when it comes to something serious. Teenagers will be dressed in casual clothing and will dress themselves how they want. They would have attitude and wouldn't care who is talking to them and always stand up for themselves, or try to. Adults would be dressed in casual/smart clothing reinforcing their stereotypical personality as being 'smart and clever'. Old people would always be dressed smart and boring.
Editing: There would be cuts of children and old people because they are less interesting and the audience don't really care what they do, also their would be an ellipsis to hurry up the scene that is focused on them. There would be action-match when adults and teenagers are involved so you see the important parts of the action that they are involved in.
Sound: The type of music would vary considering the different age groups for example, their could be rocky/hip-hop style of music when teenagers are involved and there would be slow/classical music when an old person is in the scene. Teenagers would contain a lot of slang in their vocabulary showing the youth side of them and adults would have a more formal approach when speaking. They would also swear to show their powerful side.
Camera: There would be short takes of children and old people because they are boring and they are not involved in a lot of action, mainly little things which lead up to the action. There would be canted angles of teenagers to disorientate the audience and show the wild side of teenagers and there would be close-ups and medium shots to show the adults facial expressions and body language because they are the main age group that we focus on within a crime-thriller.
Representation of Gender: Men and women are shown very differently in films. Men are shown as the more stronger gender and are always in control of a situation and know what to do. Where as, women are shown as weak and play victims in crime-thrillers so the audience empathise with them more.
Mise-En-Scene: Men are normally dressed in more mysterious clothing and smart clothing emphasising how powerful and discrete they are. Also, they would have strong, muscular physique so they look the part of being powerful and the hero/villain of the film. Women are normally dressed in house-ware to make them look weak and dull however as the film progress' they wouldn't really have any clothing on apart from a top or underwear so it makes them look like they have been abused. They would have a small build to show how frail they are.
Editing: Both genders would have the same editing shots as they have equal roles within the films. The protagonist and antagonist would have an important role therefore we would see long takes of them to see what their doing and the same for the victims because the audience is interested in what they're doing and how their going to escape from the situation.
Sound: When men would speak they would have a loud, blunt and forceful speech to again show their power within the film and also to show they are a leader in a situation. However, women would speak more quieter, higher and unsure of what they're showing emphasising their weakness. Also, in the background, when a man is in the scene there would be blunt and sharp noises to create tension and there would be soft, sad non-diegetic music when a woman is in a shot.
Camera: There would be high angles of women to make them look small and puny and to show their weakness and there would be low angles of men to make them look big and strong and to show off their power. Also, their would be close-ups of women just to show the sadness on their face but there would be medium-shots of men to show their solid body.
Representation of Ethnic Groups: Ethnic groups are normally shown as being the villains in a crime-thriller because they are seen as poor people who become criminals to be able to support their family. White people are often shown as good people and are the victim of the film so the audience sympathise for them however ethnic minorities such as black and asian people are shown as villains and normally end up being imprisoned or dying because they are 'not fit for society.'
Mise-En-Scene: White people's costumes are oftenly smart/respectable clothing to show their good status within society and to show that they are rich and powerful. Differently to this, ethnic minorities are dressed in hoodies and saris to show their ethnicity within the community. Also, their body language would be aggressive in a crime-thriller and white people would be confident in the way they stand because they are seen as respectable people. Also, there would be low key lighting when a ethnic minority is shown to be mysterious and scary.
Editing: There would be cross cuts from one a of ethnic minorities to a group of white people to contrast the good and bad between them. They would show the ethnic minorities doing bad things to back up the stereotype of them and they would show white people doing good things. There would also be long takes of white people to show their importance within the film.
Sound: Ethnic minorities dialogue would be simple because they are stereotyped to not know any English. There speech would have an accent so the audience could label them as an ethnic minority and instantly place them as a villain. However, white people would have a more formal speech and their dialogue would vary unlike the ethnic minorities where it would be limited.
Camera: There would be high angles of the victims to show their weakness however they wouldn't all be high angles because the audience are to empathise with the victims so it would be more eye-level shots so the audience can relate to them. Also, there wouldn't be low angles of the villains to make them look powerful because ethnic minorities are seen as the evil of society so instead there would be close-ups and medium shots to show them instead of their power.
Representation of Class: It depends on the storyline of the film for the different class'. Lower class are seen as the criminals of society so they are generally seen as the villains. Working class people are similar to lower class and are seen as lazy, aggressive and not sociable people in society. Middle class people are seen as happy and caring people because they are able to afford things and don't have to worry about the little things in life.
Mise-En-Scene: Lower and working class people wear similar clothing such as jeans, hoodies, trainers and these types of clothing are seen as criminalistic clothing because they allow the people to be mysterious such as the hoody. Middle and upper class generally wear smart clothing or clothes that make them look elegant. They are free to express themselves however they want and can buy any clothing they ant to make them look good. There body language is also calm and peaceful because they have no worries such as have to find money for food, electricity, gas just like the citizens of lower and working class do.
Editing: There would be cross cuts from all class' to show the difference within their households and the audience can see how each class cope. Also, their would be long takes to take in every detail that the people do in a crime-thriller. We would be able to see how much hatred the lower class have for the upper class. If the film is a teenage crime-thriller then the camera would be of an eye-line match so we can identify with the teenagers, just the same for upper class or lower class or working class.
Sound: Lower class people's dialogue would be completely different from upper and middle class citizens. They would be limited and they would use slang rather than real English language. Upper and middle class people would use correct terminology for everyday terms and there vocabulary would vary extremely. Lower class people would have a more aggressive tone because they would feel lonely and betrayed by the government and they wouldn't stand for anything that they don't want.
Camera: I think that there would be low angles on people from upper class because they have a lot of power due to their money and their would be eye-line shots with working class people because the majority of people are working class. There would be loose frames of lower class people to show their loneliness within their community and there would be tight frames of upper class people to show that they are not lonely and they can take care of themselves.
Analysis of 'City of God' by Fernando Meirelles (2002):
An opening sequence is to allow the audience to understand what type of genre the film is. It contains unanswered questions which leaves the audience wondering what is going to happens and creates them to watch the rest of the film. It is the first thing the audience see's so it needs to be interesting and doesn't give a lot of information away.
Camera: It starts of with close-ups of a person sharpening a knife and a knife is signified as a murder weapon so it could already give a hint to the genre which could be a crime or thriller. There is also a shallow focus at 0:18 for the audience to focus on what the person is doing. Again, there is a knife involved in the shot so this could be a possible motif in the film. At the start, the camera seems quite jerky and looks like it is a hand-held shot implying that it is an everyday thing and it is like you are there as a person giving you a deeper effect and creating you to feel like you are there. Again, there are a lot of close-ups showing what people are doing, allowing the audience to understand more about the film and what it is going to be about. At 1:00, there is a canted angle when the chicken falls creating disorientation to the audience and making them empathise for the chicken trying to escape. There is a long shot of the town when the men are trying to capture the chicken, this shows more of the setting to the audience and also it is a canted angle so it makes them look criminalistic and as if they are ruining the town. There is a whip pan at 1:22, where the chicken is running away and this implies to the audience that the chicken is running for its life and that the men chasing it are going to kill it. There is a head-on shot at 1:27. where all the people and chicken are running towards the camera creating excitement for the audience and makes them feel involved in the scene.
Editing: It starts of with short takes of what the characters are doing, making the opening sequence seem fast-paced and more exciting for the audience. Also, there are action matches of the characters and what they're doing to make it speed up and as if it is going to reveal something for the audience. Whilst the man is sharpening his knife, there is a cutaway to a chicken which is tied up so it tells the audience he is sharpening it to cut the chicken. As he is cutting, there is another cutaway to the chicken and it zooms into the chickens face showing its fear and how scared it is. There is an ellipsis where you see a man cut a chickens belly then a short while later you see the chicken be put into a pot ready to boil. This indicates to the audience that they are in a poor city due to the lack of hygiene when preparing the chicken for food. As the opening sequence unfolds, the shorts takes stop and it cuts to another scene which is also a long take, the scene is calm and it is a two shot so it introduces more characters to the scene. It creates the opening sequence to become more peaceful and show the diverse side to the film. At 2:40, it goes into slow motion when he see's the other man shouting at him, this could suggest that he knows him and by his facial expression suggests he doesn't like him and they might have some bad memories of each other. At 3:00, there is a whip pan contrasting the two groups of people that have surrounded the boy suggesting he is not apart of any of them and he is an outsider of their community. Also, it could imply he has to choose between the groups and whether he is going to do the right thing or not.
Mise-En-Scene: The costume that the characters are wearing are old and boring, they don't have any logo's on them which imply they are not rich enough to buy nice clothing. There is a shot of feet in sandals and they don't look to nice, this shows that the people there are not hygienic and don't care about their health but care about having fun and partying. At the start, he is sharpening a knife on a rock which suggests they are dirty people and do anything to be able to cook a meal. At 0:51 they gut a chicken and that is not healthy and could cause food poisoning so this shows again that they dont really worry about cleanliness when it concerns food. The background doesn't look to good when they are running down the road, you see piles of rubbish and bricks and building tools such as shovels and wheelbarrows. This says to the audience that their community isn't rich and doesn't have luxuries therefore they are of a lower class and can't afford to make it a better place. Also, there are graffiti on the walls backing up the setting to be poor and that people don't care about their houses. The people chasing after the chicken are holding guns and shooting at it, this suggests they are criminals and when they are confronted by police, they all gang up and create a row of criminals holding guns towards the police confirms they are criminals and don't care who they shout at or shoot at.
Sound: Throughout the opening sequence, the characters are swearing and cursing at each other signifying they are not nice people and are of a lower class. When he is sharpening the knife, you hear the knife making a sound as if its stabbing someone and this gives the film the genre of crime. In the background, there is diegetic music of jazz making the situation more happy and peaceful. This is contrapuntal sound because you are seeing a knife being sharpened but doing the actions of stabbing someone and you hear jolly music in the background. When the chicken escapes, the music changes into a non-diegetic piece of music that includes bangs and is fast paced so it makes the audience listen and watch to see what is going to happen. There are gun shots fired and this signifies that they are criminals and are of a lower class because they don't have respect towards the community. When there is a slow motion, it sounds like the diegetic sounds in the background have slowed down too so it creates the effect to the audience that something serious has happened. Towards the end there is a voice-over of the character which is caught between the two groups and he is giving the audience information on what happens if he goes to either group so the audience having a brief description of what happens within their community.
Opening sequences help the audience understand what the genre is and what the film is going to contain throughout. From the sound, camera angles, mise-en-scene and editing it hints to the audience what to expect in the opening sequence.
Camera: Throughout the opening sequence, there is a large amount of close-ups of what the man is doing and by what he is doing you can tell he is a criminal. Also, there are canted angles which creates disorientation towards the audience and makes them feel uneasy and uncomfortable when watching it but it makes them want to watch more so they find out what is going to happen, Lastly, there are point of view shots so the audience can also experience what he is doing and get a clearer picture however it is still blurry to give that effect of mysteriousness. These are all common features of opening sequence especially the close-ups because it doesn't give hardly any information to me so the audience cannot assume anything but just find out by watching the rest of the film.
Editing: It cuts around every few seconds of footage into credits letting the audience know who is in the film. It is a black background, and black signifies death and danger and the font on top is in white which represents purity and good however it is also the complete opposite so it could just be to stand out from the back ground. The font is crooked, small and flashes as if it is being set on fire. This creates the feel of the genre to be a thriller/horror. There is action match when you see him cutting off the skin off his fingers, and this is to show the audience that he is not mentally stable and is the antagonist within the film. At 0:37 seconds, they have over-layed the clip to create visual interest and also it could possibly mean that he/she is thinking of what their writing to show what they're writing is important and unexplained so it leaves the audience questioning what he is writing and making them interested. When the credits appear, they don't stay still, they have an effect where they shake and look like it is a hand-held shot, this makes the opening sequence unsteady and on edge for the audience. Also, there is a split screen showing two things that the strange person is doing and this tells the audience that he is certain that he knows what he is doing and he isn't hesitating that it could be a crime that he is going to commit.
Mise-En-Scene: From what we are being shown you can tell the persons body language is aggressive and evil as he is cutting himself and is crossing out peoples faces. From the look of his fingers you can tell he isn't hygienic as they are dirty and it could also imply he has committed a crime such as killing a dead body and burying it. Also, from the tools he is using you can tell that it is set in the 1980's-1990's because he is using polaroid pictures and negatives. There is low key lighting throughout, keeping the mysteriousness of the opening sequence and not letting anything slip and giving information away that could answer thr audiences unexplained questions.
Sound: It starts of with non-diegetic and diegetic over the top of each other creating the effect of chaos and that there's loads of loud noises making it nearly unbearable for the audience to listen to. The non-diegetic sound is off sharp, blunt noises suggesting to the reader something bad is happening or is going to happen. The diegetic sound is a person turning a book allowing the reader to instantly know that he is reading something and from the sounds of the non-diegetic music suggests its not good. There are low pitch sounds frightening the audience and there are also loud bangs also scaring the audience.
To conclude, each of these techniques signifies the the genre of the film. The dark colours show it is going to be a horror and each colour such as black represent evil, darkness, mysteriousness and death. Also, the music that is played is perfect for the genre because it is loud, sharp, blunt and almost tries to scare the audience. These are all key conventions of an opening sequence because they leave unanswered questions and produces the audience to want to find out more and watch the rest of the film.
In this essay I am going to create and analysis of the opening sequence of “Zombieland” and explain the elements that they used and establish how they are used to set up character, narrative and genre. Sound: There is a non-diegetic sounding of an electric guitar being played creating the mood to be uneasy and jumpy. This tells us the genre of the film allowing us to know if it’s something that we want to watch. Then there is a voice over of a boy that sounds like he’s in his teens because his voice isn’t deep enough. This implies to the audience that it could be a hybrid genre and it could be a comedy-horror because a boy is introducing the film rather than a man. You hear sounds of explosions, screaming and people grunting as if there bears, representing them as animals and something like a virus has been introduced to humans creating them to become ‘zombies’. You hear a zombie eat another man and then you hear them burp and this is another example of the movie being a part of a comedy genre because it shows the funny side of someone being eaten rather than someone that has just died. There is a lot of diegetic sounding in the opening sequence creating a realistic effect and that people could relate to what is happening from the screaming or even if they were attacked by someone. This instantly makes you empathise with the characters because you act as if you’ve been through it too and then you sympathise with the characters when they have become ‘food.’ The voice over then tells the audience how to avoid the zombies and what to do if you were in that situation. He also asks a rhetorical question, “How am I alive when everyone else has turned to meat?” and this also creates the audience to be friends or want to be with him to be able to survive. This is also another sense of realism because a normal boy of America has out-smarted the zombies because he is still alive and he knows what he is doing allowing the audience to instantly want to be with him and they listen to him. Mise-en-Scéne: Mise-en-scéne plays a huge part in the opening sequence because this is the main way that introduces you to the character. As soon as the film starts, you are placed in the middle of a road under a car that has crashed with zombies running around. The camera shows the zombies and they are wearing clothes that normal people would wear such as suits, top and jeans and an officer’s outfit. This again shows the reality of the movie because they are everyday things that people encounter allowing them to relate with the characters even more.
The background is in New York so it shows the extent that the problem has gone to, and the audience think how the virus is going to go so they are drawn into watching it to find out the outcome of the problem. Furthermore, the incapability of the characters not being able to get away or defeat the zombies show the average American and how weak they are when it comes to something as serious as this. In addition, the over-crowding in the streets show how big the problem is and how many people have become a victim of the virus. Editing: The first camera shot we see is someone picking the hand-held camera up and showing us a zombie attacking him. This represents that it was real because the majority of people have cameras and capture everything that is serious. As the opening sequence carries on, it zooms out of the city and shows a shot of the whole world and how disastrous it has become because the bottom half is on fire and you can see cracks in the world, insisting it is going to be the end of the world. As the voice over describes how to out-do the zombies, in the background you see writing and it tells you the name of the rule for example “RULE#2 – DOUBLE TAP” and this shows that it is something you need to be able to beat the zombies. It then shows a long shot of an over-weight man running away from a zombie and then being eaten by it. This gives an example to the audience so they know what to do rather than just be told and they feel as if it is true so they have to listen to these ‘rules’ that are being set. The camera slows down to emphasise the attacks and it also shows the extent of what happens when they are caught because it shows the zombies ripping out the human guts.
Camera: There are a lot of camera angles in the opening sequence to show the madness of what’s happening. It contains point of view shots from drivers when running over zombies to show the chaos that is being caused and it has bird eye view shows to show how many zombies there are and how many humans there are trying to get away from them. Also, it shows the city and how much it has been destroyed because of the virus that has spread. Conclusion: Overall, the opening sequence contains so much that the audience would enjoy and it suggests to the audience that it is something you have to watch because it is factual and will help you if it happened in real-life. Even though it shows what’s happened because of the virus however it doesn’t show you how it spread and they don’t care as long as everyone knows this everyone will be ok. It also includes elements of comedy which also intrigue the audience to watch and find out more of what’s going to happen.
The voice over then tells the audience how to avoid the zombies and what to do if you were in that situation. He also asks a rhetorical question, “How am I alive when everyone else has turned to meat?” and this also creates the audience to be friends or want to be with him to be able to survive. This is also another sense of realism because a normal boy of America has out-smarted the zombies because he is still alive and he knows what he is doing allowing the audience to instantly want to be with him and they listen to him.
Mise-en-scéne plays a huge part in the opening sequence because this is the main way that introduces you to the character. As soon as the film starts, you are placed in the middle of a road under a car that has crashed with zombies running around. The camera shows the zombies and they are wearing clothes that normal people would wear such as suits, top and jeans and an officer’s outfit. This again shows the reality of the movie because they are everyday things that people encounter allowing them to relate with the characters even more.
The first camera shot we see is someone picking the hand-held camera up and showing us a zombie attacking him. This represents that it was real because the majority of people have cameras and capture everything that is serious. As the opening sequence carries on, it zooms out of the city and shows a shot of the whole world and how disastrous it has become because the bottom half is on fire and you can see cracks in the world, insisting it is going to be the end of the world. As the voice over describes how to out-do the zombies, in the background you see writing and it tells you the name of the rule for example “RULE#2 – DOUBLE TAP” and this shows that it is something you need to be able to beat the zombies. It then shows a long shot of an over-weight man running away from a zombie and then being eaten by it. This gives an example to the audience so they know what to do rather than just be told and they feel as if it is true so they have to listen to these ‘rules’ that are being set.
