One of the issues we faced was zoom. Because we used a canon camera which had a zoom lens, it allowed us to zoom in on the protagonist. However, the lens was hard to twist fluidly and resulted in a jumpy zoom. To overcome this issue we slowed the shot down to half the speed. This disguised the obvious jumps, however they are still evident. If we had more time we could have used a different camera which had an automatic zoom.
Lighting
We didn't have a desk lamp like the protagonist had in the original version. To overcome this issue we had to use a dim bed side light. However, the light was too "un natural" and yellow so we had to use our phone flash lights on to create a whiter light, similar to the one used in the original.
Setting
The bed room we used had no window to use for a reflection shot. To overcome this issue we used a mirror instead of a window to mimic the shot. However, if we had had more time we would have found a setting more appropriate for this particular scene.
Acting
Because the actor we used had long hair we had to make him wear a hat. This meant that our attempt was not as similar to the original as we had hoped. If we had more time we would have found an actor more suited to the role.
Sound
The actor who played the protagonist impersonated the voice of him. Despite the deeper tone of voice it sounded very similar to the original which we were happy with. However, when adding in the opening song we had issues with decreasing the volume of the song when the protagonist started speaking. To overcome this issue, we split the song into two parts and decreased the volume of the second part of the song; to ensure that the protagonists dialogue could be heard.
Learning Comment
From this I have learnt that an automatic camera is more practical for zoom shots. I have also learnt how to decrease the volume of some sounds whilst increasing the volume of others on iMovie. I have also learnt the importance pf setting, as if our settings had been more similar to the original, our attempt would have been better.
From this i have learnt that a director has a particular style throughout the movies he produces. A director may also use a particular actor in the movies they produce because the actor suits the genre the director focuses on.
20th Century fox released the most coming of age films. Some examples are Angels in the Outfield, The Goonies, The big Green, and The Sandlot. . Paramount pictures released the second largest amount of coming of age films. For example they released Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.
Learning comment
From this i have learnt that most film producers are based in America. I have also learnt that Paramount Pictures and 20th Century fox are two of the six most successful film producers.
When adding audio to our video we struggled when trying to lower the volume when there was dialogue. To overcome this issues we split the song into three part and made the audio when there was dialogue quieter so that the protagonists could be heard.
Editing/Camera
Shot reverse Shot-We filmed the conversation all from over one of the protagonists shoulder, then swapped and filmed the entire conversation again over the other protagonists shoulder. It was much quicker to film and the shots ran more fluidly. However, when it came to editing it was more complicated because we had to cut sections out of each clip to make sure we filmed over the correct protagonists shoulder.
Match on Action- We filmed all the movements from different angles. Although this meant our final piece looked fluid with no awkward jumps, it was tricky when editing. This was because many clips looked the same and we couldn't distinguish between which clips were incorrectly filmed and which clips were correctly filmed.
Learning comment
From this I have learnt that match on action and shot reverse shot work very well together to establish a story. I have also found an easier more accurate way to film shot reverse shot which i may decide to use in my final idea. Another thing I learnt was to over shoot the match on action shots because although it makes the shots harder to edit, it makes the movements look more fluid.
The non diegetic audio in particular went very well. The audio we played over the top of each scene fit perfectly with the pace of the scene, whilst also reflecting the protagonists feelings. As well as this the diegetic sound improved from our last research and planning attempt of 180 degree rule where there was a lot of background noise, and a change in the audio of each shot.
Match on action
The majority of our clips ran smoothly creating a smooth transition from shot to shot. We changed the angle we took each shot when doing match on action. This made the video a bit more exciting than if the
Issues
Shots
When editing it was complicated to tell which shot fit where. This is because we overlapped the shots we filmed to ensure that the shots would run fluidly when edited. This meant that each shot we filmed was at least 10 seconds long, overlapping with the last shot combined with us not filming the shots in the correct order, it made importing them in the correct order tricky.
Learning comment
Camera
When filming this i developed my camera skills. This task allowed me to try out a number of new shots such as a low angle shot, a zoom and a wide shot.
Editing
When editing this clip i was able to try out a new range of editing techniques. One in particular was selecting and importing appropriate audio. I also learnt how to crop the audio and increase and decrease its volume.
In order to show the confusion the protagonist feels when he says "i thought we were in G24" we broke the 180 perspective. This change of perspective makes the clip appear more broken, reflecting the way the protagonist feels.
The shot reverse shot worked well in order for the audience to follow the conversation the two protagonists were having. It allowed the audience to see the scene from an over the shoulder shot almost making them feel part of the conversation.
The fluidity of the last few shots of the protagonist running through the doors worked really well. This is because we cropped the clips in order to make the video seem as one.
Issues
Missing scenes
Whilst making this short clip we encountered a few problems when editing. We found that the jump between the shot of the watch and the two protagonists, the jump was too large and a huge chunk of the story was missing. This meant we had to go back and record an extra scene to go between the two to make the scene more fluid.
Audio
We also had an issue with sound. At the start of the clip of the school planner Sam said "Go" to commence the start of the scene so we all knew when to start acting. Another issue we had with audio was the sound we accidentally alligned with the clip of the protagonist running slow motion through the door. The music was labelled "cosmic" which suits a sci-fi genre but not a coming of age film genre.
Props
Between the slow motion scene of the protagonist running in slow motion, to him running in the hallway he loses his glasses, but they reappear in the last shot. Knowing this we will have to re- record this scene so that the prop and costume are consistent throughout.
Improvements to make
In attempt 2 we should try and make the conversation last longer. I think this would develop the story line and likely make the clip seem more relatable to teenagers who may watch it as a form of identification. Another thing to improve might be the fluidity of the shots. We may have to film extra shots to make the scene feel more fluid. We will have to delete the audio of 'cosmic' in attempt 2. To overcome the issue of Sam saying "go" we will have to mute the audio in this particular shot.
Attempt 2
Improvements made
Audio
I attempt 2 we removed the cosmic sound effect. This made the scenes audio a lot more fluid. We did not mute the audio of Sam saying "go" which we knew would make the video sound more clunky due to their being no sound in particular places. Instead, we refilled the scene.
Shots
After receiving feedback that the video didn't make sense in particular places we added more scenes. The issue of not knowing who the protagonist running and checking the watch was made the video confusing. We added a scene where it was clear who was checking their watch as they were involved in the shot. However just to make sure, we involved a shot of the new protagonist entering the scene so we know that they have only just become a part of the scene.
Shot reverse shot
In attempt 2 we added an extra shot of the second protagonist saying "what are you doing here?" Not only did this make the conversation longer, but it resulted in the conversation making more sense.
Props
We resolved the issue of the glasses disappearing in one scene, yet to reappear in another by re-filming the scene in which they were missing.
Learning Comment
Audio
From this i learnt that most clips need to be filmed in the same time for the diegetic background noise to be continuously fluid.
Camera
Because i filmed some of this clip i learnt the effect of close ups. Because in the first sequence the camera mostly focuses on the shoes and watch it shows how the protagonist is late without him having to say it. This taught me the importance of camera angles.
A film about rebellious middle class teens who get involved in gangs to spite their parents and win the affection of girls.
1959
The 400 Blows
A 13 year old adventurous teenager embarks on a number of dangerous adventures.
1967
The Graduate
Benjamin returns to los Angeles after graduation and gets himself involved with his parents friend. His parents persuade him to take their friends daughter on a date and he finds himself falling in love with her.
1971
The Last Picture Show
A group of 1950's teenagers come of age in a bleak dying town.
1973
American Graffiti
Set in the 60's four teenagers plan to make their last night before college an eventful one.
1982
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Follows the story of four main protagonists who discover drinking, smoking and relationships.
1984
Sixteen Candles
A girls sixteenth birthday is forgotten whilst her parents focus on her sisters wedding. On top of this she deals with un wanted affection and unrequited affection.
1985
The Breakfast Club
1986
Stand By Me
A young teenager deals with his best friend leaving
1989
Dead Poets Society
Main character todd who is shy is sent to boarding school which his popular older brother attended. He meets a boy in his dorm and together they are told of the Dead Poets Society which they join, and they are changed forever
1991
Boyz N The Hood
A tale about teenage boys growing up in an LA neighbourhood and getting involved with gangs
1993
Dazed and confused
Based on a teenagers last day of school and how they spend their last night.
1994
Brooklyn
A ten year old girl with four older brothers has to deal with the tension between her mother and father. This film is based on how she copes with it.
1995
Clueless
Cher a high school student must deal with the worries of school. But her wit and intelligence helps her deal with some of these issues.
1997
Good Will Hunting
Ben a working class genius with little motivation is helped by a psychologist to achieve his full potential.
1998
Rushmore
Max attends one of the finest schools, however, he is threatened with expulsion. He gets involved with a first grade teacher which his friend then gets involved with too. This triggers a war between max and his friend.
1999
American Pie
A teen comedy following the lives of four male teenagers who vow to lose their virginity by prom night
2000
Almost Famous
sixteen year old rock fan William lands an assignment from rolling stone to accompany a band from Michigan. However, he gets more involved than he should.
2001
Ghost World
2002
Whale Rider
A girl raised by her grandmother, looks up to her grandfather but he is too busy mourning her dead brothers. She wants him to lead the tribe to better times but with him in mourning it doesn't seem he is up to the task.
2003
Thirteen
13 year old tracy becomes friends with a popular but troubled girl who introduces her to drugs, alcohol and boys
2004
Mean Girls
Cady moves over from Africa where she was home schooled to America where she has to attend high school. There she faces boys, parties, and "mean girls".
2005
The Squid and The Whale
Bernard claims to have been a great writer. When his wife discovers her own literary talent it breaks up the family dividing their two teenage sons.
2006
This is England
Shaun is a lonely teenager who's dad died in war. During the summer he joins a gang who allow him to release his pent up anger.
2007
Superbad
Two teenagers finish high school and drift apart after finding out they are now forced to go to different colleges
2000
The Wackness
A psychiatrist s sold pot by a boy in exchange for clinical treatment. However, when this boy starts dating his daughter he doesn't know what to do.
2009
An Education
In 1961 school girl Jenny cant wait to reach adulthood. When all her parents ever wanted for her is within reach Jenny is tempted by anther life that 30 year old David offers.
2012
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
With Charlie starting high school, he begins to make friends. When Charlie encounters the horror of his past his friends are there to help him through it.
2013
The Spectacular Now
A smooth talking bad boy falls for a straight arrowed good girl but finds adjusting to adult life a little harder than he envisioned.
2014
Boyhood
Filmed over 12 years we get to see Mason grow up facing family, relationship and teenage issues.
Learning Comment
From this I have learnt that almost all coming of age films base the narrative around school. This is likely because a lot of teenagers can then relate to the events occurring in the film because they have experienced them themselves. We can also see how after 1990 the production in coming of age films increases. This is because the genre becomes more recognised because the popularity of the films increase. It may also be because more YA books are written, as a lot of these movies are based on novels.
In the first fifteen seconds of the movie James bond is pictured holding a ring with a symbol on it. Because the symbol is repetitively shown through out the clip we are able to realise that the films narrative will be based on this symbol and its meaning. We are also able to identify the main character (Daniel Craig-James Bond) because of how much he is shown in the first three minutes.
Sound
In the first part of the opening sequence the non diagetic sound of the recognisable James bond theme song is played. Because of its increasing tempo and volume it adds tension and gives the viewer an insight to the genre of the film- action.
Audience
From this short clip we are able to identify that the target demographic of this movie are males between the age of 15-50. The use of male gaze in this short clip appeals to men as it is portraying women in a view they would most likely be interested in. A male viewer may watch this movie as a form of escapism.
Text
No text is displayed in this opening sequence. This may be because Daniel Craig who plays James Bond is instantly recongisable and so credits are not necessary until the end of the film.
Mad Max - Fury Road
Text
The text displayed is bold and in capital letters. This implies that the films genre is sci fi/action. The text also appears to be rusting, suggesting a harsh setting. Some other text is written in red connoting violence implying that the film is likely to involve brutality. One of the first names to be displayed is Tom Hardy. This is an example of star theory; where a certain actor will be put in the spotlight of a film to attract people who are fans of this actor to watch the movie.
Elements of narrative
From the setting we are able o establish the narrative. The setting of the movie is a derelict post apocalyptic waste land. This suggests that the narrative is based around a disaster that has happened and people trying to survive it. Because the main colour used in this opening sequence is blue, the idea of the film being part of the Sci-Fi genre is further reinforced.
Sound/ audience
In the first four seconds of the movie we here the non diagetic sound of Max's voice saying "My world is fire and blood" from this we are able to conclude that the films genre is action/sci-fi. This suggests that the film may be targeted at a male audience between the ages of 18-40 who may watch the film as a form of escapism.
Institutional elements
Kennedy Miller is said to be the company that produced the movie. Because the company is the most internationally famous Australian film producing company, we are able to recognise that the film is going to be made to a high standard.
The perks of being a wallflower
Setting/Audience
The setting of the first scene is in the main characters bedroom. He is pictured at his desk writing. The target demographic for this film are teens between the ages of 12-18 who may watch the film as a form of identification.
Sound
Throughout the scene we here the diagetic sound of "Charlie" speaking. This is very typical of the "coming of age" film genre, as it makes the film seem more personal and makes the character appear more relatable to teenagers. For example when Charlie says " Tomorrow is my first day of high school forever... and i need to turn things around" a lot of teenagers can identify with this comment.
Elements of narrative
Because charlie says "tomorrow is my first day of high school forever" we are able to realise that the films narrative is going to be based around him and his experience at school. However because of todorov's theory we are able to recognise that something will happen during his time at school which will cause a problem for him in which he will have to fix.
Deadpool
Audience/ institutional elements
The first image displayed in the opening sequence is the marvel logo. This means that the film is gong to be an outstanding quality and most likely feature a super hero due to its genre being action. Because of the genre it will be aimed at a male demographic between the ages of 12-30. Twentieth century fox produced the film. Similarly this also tells us that the films quality is going to be high due to the fact that twentieth century fox also produced similar films such as wolverine and X-Men.
Text
The text displayed is humorous saying things such as "featuring a moody teen". Because of this we know that the film is a comedy as well as an action movie. All the text is a bold white. White has connotations of purity and innocence, however, because the movie is also a comedy it might suggest that this colour is used ironically.
Elements of narrative
In this opening sequence an image is shown of a fight scene. From this we know that the narrative is going to be based on the binary opposition of good vs bad. The image shown of the superhero "Deadpool" reinforces this conclusion.
Sound
The non diagetic sound of "angel of the morning" is played throughout the opening sequence. This is a romantic song however, because the film is a comedy we know any romance involved in the film is going to be cast in a humorous light. The lyric "just call me angel of the morning" in particular reflects the character played by Ryan Reynolds. It suggests the character he plays is a character who doesn't take himself too seriously but is vain in thinking he is an "angel".
Ferris Bueller's day off
Sound/ audience
The non diagetic sound of the radio, and the diagetic sound of Ferris' mother calling him puts the viewer in the shoes of the main character; Ferris. Therefore the target demographic of this film must be people who can identify with Ferris; teenagers between the age of 11-18.
Text
All text displayed is blue. Because the colour blue is usually a more masculine colour, we can easily identify that the protagonist is a male.
Elements of narrative
From this first scene it is obvious that the movie is going to be based around Ferris and his ability to fake an illness. Because of Todorov's theory, eventually we know the equilibrium of his easy days at home are about to be disrupted.
Institutional elements
Paramount Pictures are the company who produced this film. Because Paramount Pictures is consistently ranked one of the "big six" film studios of Hollywood we know that this film is going to be made to a high quality. We also know because of the past films that Paramount Pictures has produced that the film will contain a popular actor in order to attract people to watch the movie.
Superbad
Sound/ audience
Through the conversation that the two protagonists have we can tell that the film is directed at a male demographic between the ages of 12-30. This might be because a male viewer may be able to identify with the characters and have had similar conversations with their own friends.
Props/ Elements of narrative
From the opening sequence we are able to realise that the films equilibrium is likely to be disrupted by the two friends going to different universities. The car used is old orange and beaten up. This is significant because portrays the protagonists as outcasts. This may be a key element of the narrative and may contribute towards the disruption of the equilibrium.
Opening
I particularly like this opening scene. This is beaus i thought it conveyed the conventions of a coming of age film particularly well. I thought it successfully engaged the audience it is aimed at by using situations in the film that teenagers may be able to identify with.
Guardians Of the Galaxy
Sound/Setting
The diagetic sound of the old music playing in the hospital suggests that the film is set in the past. However, because the films setting suggests a more futuristic time, we know that the films is set in the future but features old songs from the past.
Audience
The target demographic for this movie are sci-fi lovers between the ages of 12-50. This is because the film features Chris Pratt who stars in a lot of sci fi/action movies. Because of the retro music used an older more mature audience may also be interested in this film.
Text
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" film title takes up the whole of the screen. This paired with the old music gives the movie a very retro video game- like feel. The text is also yellow which connotes that the film is likely to be a comedy due to yellow suggesting happiness and joy. The font used is bold with sharp edges, this suggests that the film is set in the future.
Elements of narrative
This film will be set on the binary opposition of man vs machine. We know this from the way the camera focuses on Chris Pratt's character and the tube of light he discovers, we know that the film will likely be based on him (man) protecting the cylinder (machine) which is likely to be destructive.
An Education
Audience/ Setting
Because the film is set in the school, we might expect the film to be aimed at a demographic between the ages of 11-18. However, because the cast is predominantly female we expect the target demographic to be teenage girls. They may watch this film as they can identify with the characters that star in it and relate to the disruption in the equilibrium that they face.
Breakfast Club
Setting/ audience
The film is set in a school. This is significant because it suggests that the film is of the coming of age genre. This means that the film will be directed at teens between the ages of 11-18 who can identify with the characters in the film because of the similarity in events in the characters life, and their own life.
Sound
The non diagetic music playing has the genre of modern rock. This genre reflects the nature of the film and the characters in it. This is because the modern rock genre is that of a rebellious nature and a carefree attitude.
Juno
Sound/ narrative
The non diagetic sound of the music has lyrics which link with the narrative. The lyrics reveal that the movie will contain a romantic relationship. However, because of the childish metaphor "sweet honey bee" we know the relationship is likely to be between two young naive people. This relationship could be the cause to the disruption in the equilibrium. The music however is also upbeat and comical. This might suggest that the film is a comedy as well a a romance.
Text
The texts font is handwritten. This adds to the childish nature of the film, whilst also making the film appear more personal. The colour of the text is pink. Pink has connotations of love once again reinforcing that the film is a romance. Also, pink is perceived as a feminine colour revealing that the main protagonist is female.
Audience
The film is aimed at a female audience between the ages of 11-19. This is because the content in which the film deals with can have the most affect on people these ages. They might watch the film as a form of education, or a form of escapism.
