NCIS


The clip depicts the main storyline(story arch) as being widely based on the local high school since it is the first shot that is shown to us. Students are shown huddled together after a fire-alarm talking to each other until the arrival of the new student. The mood changes slightly which may highlight how a new storyline is going to be introduced.This new character seems to have a different overlook compared to the other students as she arrives in a Benz with a customised number plate. the fact that she is quite the opposite of the other students may foreshadow problems in the future. For example when she kissed one of the girl's boyfriend.  An immediate break-up may be expected.

The characters are the classic of a tv drama established around high school. There is the normal splitting up of students in particular groups. the cool kids on one side and the average on the other.When Gabriella is being introduced, her class is emphasised as she comes with her well-dressed parents and a Benz. Gabriella's personality is immediately shown as being arrogant as she does what her father wanted to her to do but she did so in an inappropriate way.

At first, you see how people are out in front of a school due to a fire alarm. Fire alarms are typically done in schools for reasons either an actual fire happened or a test drill. Students are wearing uniform and bags which is also stereotypically seen in local schools.

The overall setting as given as quite spread out which is not safe considering the fact a fire alarm just went off. Only the front of the school is shown since it should be obvious that it is a school.

The trailer uses narrative techniques which are commonly used in mature themed movies.According to Props theory, Precious is shown as the main protagonist as she has initial thought of positive things in the future. Precious is continuously shown in the trailer showing that she may be the leading character or even the hero.

The trailer does go through Todorov's theory of equilibrium. At the start of the trailer, there is positive scenery with lively music- this maybe the equilibrium of the trailer as it starts off positive. The disequilibrium appears as the mother of precious nearly hits her daughters head. From that scene on, the main people who surround Precious are seen in either a moody or aggressive state.The new equilibrium then takes place as the people surrounding Precious are happy and so is she. The new equilibrium is typically shown in movies based on depressing topics to show that all problems are resolved in some way.

Barthes action code is clearly shown as Precious' mother misses her hit towards Precious with a frying pan. She then looks at Precious with an aggressive look which is then cut off to another scene. This may intrigue a lot of people into thinking what could have happened, having a lot of thoughts. An enigma could be where Preciousheads towards a gate with a child in her arms. This may question the audience as to why she might be there when it is clearly locked for some reason.

                                                    Evaluating my production work

1) What typical features (conventions) of a film poster have you used? How do they help to make the poster effective in attracting an audience? (Key conventions include title, release date, institutional information, reviews, a central image etc.)

The first main two conventions that I knew would attract my audience was the central image and the title. These are what communicates with a specific audience to see whether they actually some sort of interest for the hinted genre.The reviews may also intrigue an audience as it shows that people have actually taken their time to watch it and have some good interest in it. The audience would feel as if it would be worth their time. The same effect/feeling applies with the institutional logo. If the company had a history of successful films then people would be more likely to watch.

 2) What is the genre of your film? How would your target audience know this from the design of your poster? E.g. Colour scheme, font choice, mise-en-scene (props, costume, character, setting).

The genre, horror, is quite prominent in both the title and central image. The title is written in black capitals with the font looking like it was written out of black fluid which may refer to one of the sub-genres (gore).

In addition, the main protagonist/antagonist holds a knife which has clear connotations of violence. Slight horror may be seen to as she holding the knife with a big grin showing how psychopathic she is.

3) What institutional information have you used to try and sell the film and how does this appeal to the audience? E.g. 'From the Producers of...' / Star power / Directors / Reviews.

I have used the institutional logo below the billing block of the poster. I used "Lionsgate" specifically due to it being a very popular film studio and it had produced a series of horror movies which turned out to be successful "Saw". People who were fond of these movies and liked how the company had produced it may take interest in my movie. They may feel as if they would get the same effects and emotions as they had to Saw.

4) Where are there examples of synergy between your storyboard and film poster? (Synergy is the link or interaction between two different media texts).

The main link between the two is that they both contain the main protagonist/antagonist od the movie. She appears in both in the trailer and the poster as she plays an important role in the movie. The tagline in the poster is also used at the end of the trailer as the lines are constantly referred to in the story. The words coming soon and the age certification is also referred to in both so that specific audience is ready for the movie to come out. The fact that it's coming soon may cause it to become somewhat of a common conversation between film lovers.

5) What representations have you used in your film? E.g. gender / race / age / nationality / place)? Are these reinforcing or challenging stereotypes? 

I have intentionally used a young person as the role of the protagonist/antagonist which is portrayed in the film poster. commonly young people are seen as weak, immature and reckless. There is a clash of these stereotypes as yes the character is holding a knife and smiling as if she has no awareness of what she is doing but really she knows everything she is going despite her age. I wanted to be put across that age isn't what makes your more mature, it's mainly the amount of experience the person goes through. 

                                                                Representation Analysis




Precious

In Precious, the family in particular denies the typical, welcoming American family as it is unbalanced without the father. The fact that they are an African american family without no father may interpret how they have lots of problem’s compared to the stereotypical white-american family.For example at the start of the trailer it shows how Precious as high hopes for being a professional singer however half way through the trailer she later on feels as if there is absolutely no hope in life. The mother of Precious is shown as being verbally and physically abusive. This may be taken as a common stereotype as people feel that black people are the ones that start violence.Obese people are represented as more likely to experience bullying and depression due to their physical appearance. However she escapes this feeling by dreaming about becoming her aspiring career, singer. Woman are represented in many ways. Precious' mother is constantly unaware of precious' emotions which makes her arrogant. Precious herself is unable to defend herself from the abuse therefore making her look weak which links in with the gender stereotype of women being weak. Disability is shown as being a way of defining people in a certain group in society. This is prominent as Precious names her daughter Mongo. The main reason for this name is because she has down syndrome. In the past, people with down syndrome were referred to as Mongolians due to the way their eyes were shaped which was an offensive stereotype.

Precious film poster analysis




The title precious is written in white, big and bold letters which makes it stand out more than any other conventions. The main stars are also written in white capitals at the top of the poster. These may be well-known people in the industry, therefore, it may gain the mass amount of attention from the audience.

The central image is very significant in the poster as it gives a sense of what the background story of the main protagonist is. The hand may represent how her virginity was taken from her and how it shattered her life.

Three awards the movie gained are listed at the top with the stars too. The fact that the movie has gained this much awards certainly shows how good the movie must be, allowing a lot of people to be interested in it.

The billing block is placed at the bottom of the poster, mentioning all the other important members of the cast. The institutional logo os Lionsgate and other companies are mentioned along with the billing block too. The words " coming soon" is written boldly giving that it may go viral as it would be talked about a lot.

The color orange has connotations of happiness, determination, and success which may foreshadow events that would occur in the film.

in addition, the film is based off a book which already gets a lot of attention as most successful movies come from good books.

Film trailer analysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urFY3jp759c&t=7s

At the start, a green screen is shown certifying that all audiences may watch the following preview. this is highly common in trailers. This is then followed by the Lionsgate logo. People who are familiar with its works would instantly know that what they are going to watch is worth watching. An introduction of the main character is given as she talks about her intentions in the future. Nice, however, everyday life music is put into the background. however, this is shortly abrupted by a metal sound banging against something. The fact that this sourcery completly blew the image of good intentins shows that this is the reason why precious' life is mourning. This sound is then shown coming from the antagonist. After the following event, the trailer then goes on with sad music.

PRECIOUS

I chose this movie in particular due to its serious context and touching story line. 

Institutional background

The film studio behind the movie is Lions gate. The company is mostly known for producing controversial movies such as Saw, Dirty Grandpa, Rambo, Kick-Ass etc.

The film was distributed by Icon productions.

No brand loyalty

Precious mostly fits into the Drama genre and is also supposedly known as being in the "indie" genre.

From the trailer, I could tell that the drama genre fit in  due to the dramatisation of the scenes, especially the parts where the main character is being abused by her mother.This also fits in with the indie genre as it does look like a low budget, independent movie due to the location and life style of the main character.

Oprah Winfrey is known for having a harsh childhood which relates to the context of the movie. this allows the audience to know that the movie is going to be somewhat as serious compared to the life of Oprah's. 

its a matter of timing 

UK release date:October 23rd 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urFY3jp759c   - This was uploaded on 20 may 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsTJqwlWkus  - an interview with the main star and another person from the cast. This was uploaded on the 16th of speptember 2009 before the UK release date. 

the ratio of people who have given fresh tomatoes to rotten tomatoes is 203:19.
This prominently indicates that a lot people took interest in the film and loved it more than the small amount of people who didn't.  

Risky business

The  original budget for the film was $10,000,000. 
The film made $1,872,458 in the opening week.
As a whole, the movie had a sum of $47,536,959.

judging the from the budget and the gross, it is clear that the movie was a success as its gross is way more than two and a half times of the budget.

Stars in their eyes

The films the director produced previously were well known are the paper boy, empire and the butler.

The movies he'd produced all seem to fit into to the drama genre.

The main star is Gabourey Sidibe who plays the role of precious in the movie.She hasn't seemed to have acted in a movie before precious as they may have been the start of her career.

In the trailer, the director is first mentioned which is then followed by Oprah and Tyler's names as they promote the film.

DON'T BREATHE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76yBTNDB6v


genre: crime film/ thriller


Narrative

The story line is evident as a family move into a home and see a blind man. They think he is totally harmless but their thoughts were wrong as they encounter the same man in their house but acting in a violent manner. The reason to why the man is behaving like this isn't confirmed which may make specific audiences curious to find out why.

Character

The main character seems to be an adult woman who seems to not be hurt by the blind man until the very end which is found in most thriller horror movies. She is shown as that typical person to stand and watch as the man comes towards her which most thriller movies do to make the scene more dramatic looking.

Iconography

The trailer has blatant connotations of a thriller movie: gun shots, violence, some blood, a safe looking place etc. The characters emotion of being scared and anxious at what they witness may be a key link to specific thriller movies.

Setting

The movie is set in a house which may seem to be a safe area for most people as it keeps them away from danger. however in this case it seems to create more danger than there actually is. There are not many places to hide as it clearly shown as the blind man corners the character to attack. It is also set in the middle of the night maybe as they struggle to see where they are going at the end of the trailer coincidentally just like the blind man himself.

FROZEN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc

Genre: fantasy/comedy

Narrative

The story line is shown as the main character, Elsa, uses her special power to create snow. The kingdom is clearly filled with a lot of snow which may cause a lot of risks. The subtitle " who will save the day?" is shown making the audience curious to find out who will.

Character

The main character Elsa clearly has special powers to create snow. The fact that she has powers fits in with the fantasy genre. In addition her quirky sister, Anna fits in with the other genre comedy as she is funny. These are typical animated character persona's .

Iconology

There are clear connotation of a fantasy/comedy movie:  supernatural power, awkward quirky character, a futuristic looking kingdom etc. The setting and the style of clothing may compare with the fantasy genre as they aren't what us as humans would wear. The fact Disney made the movie clearly shows how the movie is going to be child friendly.

Setting

The setting is a kingdom filled with heavy snow which sets a child friendly scene and a fantasy look.
This shows how such a beautiful scene actually causes havoc in the movie

PURGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eTyX737VjY


Genre: Thriller

Narrative

The subject is evidently shown as the government plan to eliminate the poor( mostly the minority) in America. As a result they provide a day where all crimes are acceptable, even the most major crime murder. This obviously has connotations of a typical thriller movie.

Character

The main character is a female senator who has very strong opinions on certain people which makes her an outgoing person. This is a key persona most thriller movie characters have for sure. In addition there are the characters that by stand what they witness so they do not intervene in anyway. Most thriller movies have these type of people too.

Iconography

The first few seconds of the trailer show a traumatising scenario which has connotations of the genre :thriller. gun shooting, car chases, blood, gore, crimes etc. The subject of the government doign such a thing may have indications of a thriller movie.

Setting

 The setting takes place in a somewhat safe location. however it turns out not to be as they are betrayed by a certain group of people. The idea of the safe place not being so safe makes the audience feel thrilled at how this can be.

                                                                 Minority Report analysis:
                                                                 camera shots and angles

shot 1:

The shot taken is known as a medium close-up as it only reveals up to a quarter of the body and is showing the faces of the characters clearly. The shot makes the audience take in their facial expressions and figure out what is going on from just a glance at the picture. It may foreshadow upcoming shots.

Shot 2:

The shot is called a long shot. This maybe used to give the audience an overview of the place. The character is shown in the background in an almost aggressive pose showing that this maybe a start of an action scene.

Shot 3 :

Here is another medium close up but this time focusing on the main character with no other characters in sight. The shot shows how he is looking at something with concern which is not revealed to the audience yet.

                                                                           Feedback:

WWW: This is a brilliant start to Media – I really enjoyed reading your blog! From the very first post (10 questions) there’s a real personality, creativity and enthusiasm coming through – you are going to do well in Media! Your fruit bowl is stunning and you’ve picked out some good aspects to the Suicide Squad film poster. I’m also really pleased that you’re engaging with interesting, international media like anime and reflecting on it so thoughtfully!

EBI: A couple of aspects to look at: I think your photo storyboard could tell the story in a clearer way and some of the shots could have been framed more effectively. You’ll have much more time and control over future practical tasks but it’s worth reflecting on. The other area to develop is your written Media analysis. This will naturally come from analysing more texts over the next year but certainly representation is a concept to focus on (we’ll cover this in more depth later in the year in coursework assignment 2).

LR: Reflect on your first month of Media. What do you feel is your strongest piece of work so far? What is your weakest? What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course?

LR: My strongest piece of work so far is the suicide squad LIAR analysis as i really looked into the poster and its background information in depth.

I think my weakest is the photo storyboard as i didn't really know how to explain the purpose of the shots.

I want to develop on my photo analysis and look into photos more deeply.

 This is a long-shot as it shows the background fully and hardly showing the main person . This really set the sets the setting of the upcoming scenes. The main character is on the far left but isn't introduced in this scene.

This is another long shot but now properly showing the student. He is sitting on a chair by himself minding his own business. This may give a sense of vulnerability and foreshadow the following shots.

This is an over the shoulder shot exposing the person's shoulder. The person's face isn't fully shown as his identity hasn't been revealed yet by the main character .This makes it a secret to the audience aswell as to whom he is.

 Another over the shoulder shot but this time the student has noticed the person and the shot is taken from a high angle. The person's face is still not shown.  This is because it hasn't been revealed of what type of person he is or what he has come for yet. The shot is normally used when characters in a shot are engaged in a conversation. The person is trying to do that now.

Here is a medium shot only showing the characters from head to waist. The bully's face is  now shown as it is finally known that he isn't a good person but a BAD one. The shot is taken from a high angle to make the bully look far more superior than the other person.

 Here is a wide-shot. In the far distance, a new character has been introduced(the teacher). The bully and the main character don't seem to notice this. This shot makes the audience aware that there is someone witnessing the torture.

 Here is an unusual shot. It shows all the characters in the scene. How the bully reacted is unknown as his face is not visible in the picture. The fact that the victim has been saved by the teacher gives the audience a relieving feeling.

Here is a close up of the victims face. It clearly shows that even though he has been saved , he had gone through a terrifying experience enough for him to be scared of all his surroundings. The close up lets the audience soak in the victims emotions.

NICKI BOWL

                                                                         
         

                                                            SUICIDE SQUAD (2016)

    

Language:  The title is very obvious, standing out more than the actual characters in the movie, showing that this is the movies name.The tag line under the title"The worst. Heroes. Ever". The credits are also listed at the top of the poster with the cast and everyone who participated in the production of the movie. The different screen modes of the movie is shown too. These are all the main features of a film poster.

Institution:  It was filmed by the company Warner Bros Studios. The company is known for its fictional movies such as Harry Potter. The directer David Ayer has mostly produced harsh topics, slightly violent and mature films such as Sabotage(2014) and Fury(2014) his most recent being suicide squad. Suicide Squad has had two wins and 3 nominations. The two being for Choice AnTEENcipated movie and Choice Movie actress: Cara Delevingne.


Audience:  The movie looks as if it would be suitable for ages 15+. This is visible in its vivid colours which may attract that specific age group. The use of an oxymoron as the tagline may intrigue the audience as to why that may be. The fact that it maybe 15+ not 13+ maybe shown in the way there are numerous amounts of eyeballs around the poster, weaponry armed on the characters and their self aware expressions.


Representation: The poster is in comic style because the story line is taken  is based from a DC comic. Also , the characters, the titles and the other objects are arranged into looking like an atomic explosion hinting there is violence in the movie. Violence is also prominent in the way the characters are posed as if they are ready to fight.

1. The course i'm really looking forward to in media is creating the music video. I like to get REALLY creative.

2.I would like to take perfect shots on camera in the future and edit them really well.

3. I would like to achieve at least an A. Maybe an A* if i'm lucky enough..

4.The last TV show I watched was an anime series called Tokyo Ghoul.

5.Despite the anime being slightly gruesome, it shows how two different species oppose and hate each other so much even though they live somewhat a similar lifestyle to each other. The anime also has a lot of deeply-meaning quotes and horrific action making it appealing to audiences that are into violence and a bit of mystery .

6.I  have used a computer, TV , tablet and phone in the past 24 hours.

7.I use the computer more than anything else

8.* watched video*

9. Sherlock Holmes is a very serious man and is very aware of his surroundings that he even noticed       a slight change in the women.

    Molly may have a crush on the Sherlock judging by her facial expressions and her body language       when speaking to him.

   The other two men seem to know when to be joking and when to be serious.

10.
*    Sherlock has a peculiar personality and the fact that he notices slight changes show how he could       notice literally anything. He even knows things about a person that weren't even mentioned by             them( the army doctor).

*    Molly(maybe the coroner) acts very differently towards Sherlock compared to the other two men         maybe highlighting that she has a crush. Even though it is blatantly shown that she has something       on with him, Sherlock doesn't seem to notice it. But due to his ability of catching things that are           so small, he may notice her in the future.

*    Since all the characters have something mysterious( for example the army doctor), the story of             each character may be quite interesting to the audience therefore making them intrigued to keep         watching.