Key Media Definitions

Femmefatale - A devious women of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising and dangerous situations. (An alluring or mysterious women)

Film Technology Essay

The Evolution and Advancement of Film Technology Due To Audience Demand

The film industry will always need to adapt to meet the demands of the paying customer. From the introduction of technicolour in 1932, to this year’s blockbuster Avatar’s revival of the 3D film. Technology will always play an important role in the film industry. But is all this technology eating away at good old fashion film production? And are the technological advancements required by the audience turning plot driven epics into CGI packed flops?

Back in 1915 the first movies (as we know them) began to be shown, movies that did not yet have their own sound, these so-called silent films were the wonder and amazement of millions. Recognisable figureheads such as Charlie Chaplin charmed and thrilled audiences as the age of slapstick comedy was at its peak. Critics however argued the early years of the 3D movie presented a “dumbing down” of film production and argue it was not till “The Jazz Singer” (1927) and the introduction of sound in films that the age of the film industry began to take off.



By the early 1930’s the introduction of “Technicolor” allowed films to be shown in a basic arrange of colours and so begins the discussion of our first technological advancement:”Technicolor”. The use of “Technicolor” in films, for many brought the image on the screen to life. Although indeed many films before this new technology had been released were shown in a basic colour, “Technicolor” was much clearer and was much more easily used. Films such as Disney’s “Flower and Trees” (1932) and “Three Little pigs” were massive successes with both the paying public and sceptical Critics. By now audiences and film makers alike were beginning to realise the endless possibilities of film making and the demand for technology was beginning to fasten its pace.



Over the next thirty years film making continued to evolve and prosper. With “Black and White” films arguably still holding superiority. Actors such as “John Wayne” and “Humphrey Bogart” took on leading roles as Hollywood heartthrobs helping the people of Europe and the US progress through the Second World War. The people of a war torn world needed heroes and such actors offered it to them in bundles, the film industry supplied much needed moral boosting entertainment and in the mean time film technology continued to develop. The constant demand of new technology and film continued to exist throughout the 50’s and 60’s, the audiences need for colour film began to out – weigh that of the old “black and white” and by the late 60’s it seemed certain that “black and white” film had had its day. By the 1970’s the development of the animated wire frame graphic, saw cult classic Star Wars (1977) rise to fame and fortune. As audience demand seemed to require a never ending supply of advancement the older “black and white” classics began to turn into just that, classics. With a supply of another two Star Wars epics and various other groundbreaking productions other the next century a new age had begun for film making.



By the 1990’s due to a change in culture and technology the age of film making began to advance once again. This time the advancement would be through animation. Arguably the most famous name in film making, Disney was back at the forefront of technological change. “Toy Story” showed the world the first glimpse of CGI animation as we know it today. A piece of technology that would entertain audiences of all ages the birth of CGI entertainment offered a completely new source of enjoyment and would please greatly all those who craved for further advancements in the world of the film industry. Lead by “Woody” (Tom Hanks) and “Buzz” (Tim Allen) little did the toys of one fortunate child know. That they would be the founding fathers of the multimillion earner, that is the world of CGI animation.



In just over 50 years the film industry had advanced from basic “black and white” silent films to advanced CGI animations that sold for millions of dollars. However the hunger of the audience continued to grow and the need for further advancements in film making was required, over the next decade CGI would take a forefront in the world of films. “Star Wars” would return for another three films bringing with it extreme usage of CGI, alienating it from some of its diehard fans due to its arguable lack of enthusiasm and plot. Comic fan’s favourite “Marvel” would also join the CGI race converting many of its 2D heroes and villains into multimillion selling film icons such as “Ironman” and “The Hulk.” It seemed for some time film technology had finally met the demand of its eager audiences. The idea of a totally 3D film lingered for some time but nothing of any substance seemed to come about. That was however till the 18th of December 2009 where a film named Avatar would push the boundaries even further.

“Avatar” directed and written by James Cameron would be a film that took the jump into a technology argued by some critics to be a dead end. However what it would achieve would amaze its audiences and surprise even the most sceptical of critics. “Avatar” used the most modern 3D technology and CGI to bring the film straight to its viewer. Much like “Toy Story”, “The Jazz Singer” and “The Flowers and the Trees,” “Avatar” was the first film of its kind and was a bridge over to a world of new possibilities. Some critics still argued that the technology was unnecessary but generally the reception not to mention the billions of dollars of profit tell us the general public and critics alike have been sucked into a new technological advancement and that Avatar is very much the founder of the new genre that is 3D filmmaking.



Over the journey of around 100 years the film industry has advanced by a huge magnitude. From a once silent, colourless source of enjoyment we are now at an age of technology that allows us to interact with the image on the screen. I believe the advancement has been so quick due to the heavy demand of evolution craved for by the audience. An audience will always seek more from a film, and although arguably the creation of CGI and animation have damaged the once innocent profession of film making, we are now in a time that allows us to bring the most bizarre and extraordinary ideas to life. Avatar is the current “next gen” process but in a few years no doubt we will be hit with yet more technological madness, and after all film making needs to advance to stop it being boring and outdated.

Thriller Planning - Location Stills

Thriller Planning - Location Stills

Here are some shots of a location that might be used in our thriller production

(Not yet Completed)

Thriller Planning - Equipment List

Thriller Planning - Equipment List

Here is a list of the equipment being used in our thriller production.


Tripod

We will be using a tripod to ensure our filming is smooth and stable.



Recording Camera

We will be using a basic recording camera to film our production.




Lighting

We will be using various torches and lighting to get the desired effect in our thriller production, escpecially in shots such as the shadows in the basement.

Thriller Planning - Car Boot Shots

Thriller Planning - Car Boot Stills

Here are some stills of the car boot being used in our thriller production taken by me
(Adam Ward)

Here we have a shot taken from inside the boot of the car with the door shut. For our thriller we wanted to experiment with different shots to see how we could make the boot of the car a menacing place. When dealing with the car boot scene we got a lot of inspiration from the scene in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.


Here we have a shot taken from inside the boot of the car with the door partially open. This shot allowed a little light from the outside to seep in, this added to the menacing effect and allowed the boot to be illuminated from the outside.

Here we have a shot taken of the inside of the trunk with the door fully opened, the way the light was projected into the boot was really effective here and i hope to achieve this kind of effect with the final shot. In our final shot we will have the femmefatale - the character "Grace Jones" taking out a package/bag from inside the boot - you will not see her face but will be given the impression of her dark intent from the clothing she is wearing.

Here we have a shot taken from inside the boot with a figure standing outside. I wanted to experiment with this to see how effective a shot could be of someone reaching into the boot. I believe that I have got an effective shot here, I like the way the hand is blurred to suggest nauseousness and unease.

Femal Actors in Thriller Films

Female Actors in Thriller Films

The opening scene of our thriller production will feature strongly the role of a femmefatale. For this reason i decided to do some in depth reserch into the roles of women in various thriller films


Arguably one of the more recognisable women known for playing important and engaging roles in various thriller films including Flightplan, Panic Room and Inside Man is jodie Foster. I decided to do an open screning to some friends and family to ask for their views on the role of jodie foster in Flightplan, and what makes her and women in general such powerful figures in the thriller genre.

Background on Female characters in thrillers


Arguably one of the most iconic images in thriller history, involving a femmefatale is that of the shower scene in Physco (as seen above.) The murderous scene both shocking and brilliant was very inspirational in the planning of our thriller opening due to the chilling image of the knife and the helplessness of the femmefatale.


During the recent filming of out thriller we have used inspiration from Physco to create our very own shadow scene. We used lighting to project the shadow of a knife stabbing down into our unsuspecting shop assistant and I believe the shot works really well. Unlike physco however we did not use a shower scene and instead used a basement. The basement allowed us to acheive a spooky/exciting atmosphere aswell as acheive some very powerful shots.

Mainstream and Independent Films

Mainstream and Independent

Films (The Budget)

Mainstream and Independent films differ greatly in many respects. However there is generaly one factor that can overshadow all others when comparing these two types of films. Namingly budget. With mainstream blockbuster Avatar having a budget of no less than $300 million dollars, many people argue we are now entering an era where things have gone too far.

"James Cameron's epic" as its being labeled, was indeed a visually stunning film with an engaging plot and cast, the improvement of the 3D element made the film arguably more exciting than just "another sci - fi flick" to quote critics. But was it really worth $300 million? The plot engaging as it was fell into many of the basic cliches of a mainstream movie and lacked any suprises or twists. Much like the CGI laced films before it: Transformers, Ironman, Star Wars etc.. it was enjoyable but lacked any controversial ideas that would be expected in any lower budget movie.

However, independent fans do not need to feel threatened by the Avatar giants of today, if $15 thousand dollar horror flick "Paranormal Activity" has anything to say. Independtly made, written and directed by Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity has alread made $100 million dollars before DvD sales. Although nowhere near the several billion dollars achieved by Avatar, Paranormal activity is just one example of an independent film that has shown the world budget does not necesserily determine the greatness of a film.

Max's Death Analysis (Hollyoaks) - TV Drama

Max’s Death Analysis

Every teen drama and/or soap opera requires an emotional storyline or scene every once in a while to ensure its demanding audience receive the entertainment they hunger. From “Eastenders” to “Skins” emotional scenes will grip an audience and keep them hooked. One such example of a scene that does just this is that of Max’s death in the soap opera/teen drama “Hollyoaks”.

The scene opens with many of the cast wearing their finest suits after attending the recent wedding of the ill – fated Max; this is done as a way of suggesting to the audience that all is well and removes any expectations of the disastrous event about to occur. However as we know, soap operas will often turn seemingly pleasant events on their heads to secure a gripping and emotional death scene. The camera then quickly moves to a tracking shot of the young child as he chases after his parachuting toy before again changing to two fast close ups, one of the soon to be murderer and one of Max. The use of non - diegetic sound can be heard as the music heightens resulting in a build up of suspense, while diegetic sound in the form of the revving of a car engine and the screams of Max to warn off the endangered child are layered on top furthering the emotion. The camera once again changes to a tracking shot of Max, stopping just as he manages to push the child away and is propelled over the Cars bonnet. The camera makes one final change to the image of the parachuting toy, this time instead of gliding smoothly it smashes against the curb, a direct metaphorical reference to Max. In around ten seconds the mood of the event has turned from cheerful and enjoyment to disaster and shock.

As Max lies still in the road, the music changes to a softer more mournful sound, and non-diagetic use of a heartbeat sensor can be heard mingled within the soundtrack, suggesting ideas of death and peacefulness. The camera switches once again between close ups of the killer and Max suggesting that these are the two key members of the scene and could arguably suggest the idea that the event was a duel between the loving newlywed Max and the emotionally unstable driver. As the camera pulls out we see passer bys arrive at the scene and the emotional dialog between the two best friends begins to unravel. The dialog consists of friendly banter between the two even though the incident will leave Max dead. Max reveals his emotion for both his wife and OB by telling him “he loves him” the reply from OB continues this idea of a friendly yet emotional exchange of words “Don’t be gay” he mournfully replies suggesting even now in the last few minutes of their friendship he still wants to joke about and just pretend nothing has happened, while secretly the close up of his eyes tells us much more, he is beginning to realise the magnitude of the incident and is dreading the thought of losing his best mate. As much as he tries to cover up these feelings as the dialog continues it becomes much more apparent.

As max falls silent into the arms of OB, the young Tom cuddles him suggesting they have a stronger relationship than that of Max and his wife, a relationship of brotherly love and the bond between the best of friends. As the camera goes to a mid shot, Steph comes into view behind them still wearing her white wedding dress, suggesting ideas of purity and innocence. She cradles her dead husband and her wedding dress covers the pavement suggesting ideas that her purity and innocence has now been mixed in the dirt and grime of the villainous affair. As Ob, Tom and Steph surround the body, the camera begins to pan out and towards the sky, the peaceful music begins to reappear and the camera makes a final accent into the sky. Suggesting that Max’s spirit is floating up into the heavens where he will at last have peace.