Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Audience Theory

Audience theories is based around many different theories. One theory involved within this theory is the Two Step FLow, this is when ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders in wider poulations. Many theories are involved in the audience theory, another theory is the Reception Theory which emphasises the readers reception of a literacy text.


The HYpodermic Theory has a large impact on audiences as this is when media texts have effects on audiences. The Uses and Gratification Theory is also involved within this is not a single approach but a body of approaches developed out of empirical studies beginning in the mid 20th century.


Audiences would be Rhetoric by this which means to be persuaded and attracted towards the text. Surveilance could also be monitored, this is when changing behaviour and activities are observed. By becoming the audience individuals would also use Cultural Transmission which is when people are grouped and they pass on societies updated information.


Audience would also be entertained by this as they would be amused by the entertainment and it would be used as leisure time. Correlation would also increase because of this between two ranndom variables.

My words linked to the Audience Theory were : Entertainent, Correlation, Personal Identity, Cultural Transmission, Surveilance, Two Step Flow, Rhetoric, Reception Theory, Uses and Gratification Theroy and Hypodermic Needle Theory !
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Wednesday, 14 October 2009

Criticat Investigation + Linked Production

Criticat Investigation - Horror Film

The Critical Investigation i will be looking at is Horror Film. This would involve looking at different horror movies such as Saw, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Omen and Orphan. By looking at different horror films i would be able to see the codes and conventions of different films and how they come under the genre: horror. i would be able to see if they are horror of not by certain key points such as lighting, sound and etc.

5 words about Horror Film from A-Z


  • Sound Effects - enhanced sound added to a film or television programme during post production - this would link to horror film as sound effects in horror movies would be different which would make the viewerr feel the way the character in the film is feeling e.g. if the character is scared slow full music would be played.
  • soft focus - the use of special lense or filter to create a hazy light around the subject - this would fit in with horror films as if there is something scary it may have a soft focus e.g. a dead body
  • voice over - a dubbing over someones voice in a film or production - this could be part of a horror movie to tell the story as a narator.
  • bootleg - illegal copy of a media product - this could be spreaded and sold as pirate dvd when the film is new in the cinema.
  • big close up - close camera shot - may be to signify something imoortant in the film

Linked Production - Horror Trailer

The linked production would be on a Horror Trailer. I could watch different movie trailers and analyse them and also compare simularities such as voices, lighting, sound etc. this would also be linked to the critical investigation as they are both horror. the same key points would be considered but trailers would only focus on certain scenes.


5 words about Horror Trailers from A - Z

  • Cut - A type of moving image which is edited and chopped to change into another image - this would be the case in horror trailers to develop suspence and it would also be shown as trailers are not long to show each and every clip.
  • Leak - un official release of a secret - this could go with a horror trailer as it may be organised but the trailer may meant to come out next year but comes out tomorow by it being leaked. this could make a loss for the institution
  • Pornography - Sexual Acts - As Horror movies are mainly 18 rated Sexual scenes could also be in the trailers.
  • Rushes - daily footage of film - Could show the plot in the film such as a main area or - street.
  • Subgenre - a film genre genre that exists within a larger genre - this could be shown in the trailer as a movie could have more than 1 genree eg Horror, Romance and Action
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Saturday, 26 September 2009

Self Evaluation - 'Inside Man' Presentation.

' Inside Man' - Presentation


What Went Well in the Presententation ??

In my presentation on the movie Inside Man (2006), the class noticed that i had used some key information, this key information would be the basic information about the film, e.g. release date, certificate and institution. other key information i had on the presentation was the slide saying 'Plot', this shows key information as the man storyline of the movie is summed up within 5 lines. it shows the key information of what the movie is about. I also used Effective colour schemes, this would be for the different types of font colours i had for each slide. i also had a background to the presentation to match up with the genre of the film. this made the slides so with the film. I used colours such as grey, black, white, blue and red. I also had a conventions sketch which was presented simply, this showed the key media representations what backs up the genre, masks, dressing and props. this showed exactly what conventions were used in the movie.


Even Better If ? ?

If i was to redo the presentation i would have less writing on the board and have rehersed more of the speach rather than just reading off the board. i would also limit the text on the screen and replace them with more pictures, this would be so that the audience stay focussed and do not get bored. i would have a clear and loud voice and avoid mumbling so that everyone understands my presentation and knows that i speak loud and clear. i would also present to the audience rather than the teacher, this would show that i am interacting with the audience. i would also add more additional secondary research in my presentation to make the presentation longer and so that it shows i have more research. i would also extend the timing as i feel that my presentation was too short and i feel that i needed more information, pictures and more slides so that thew information could be spread across slides.

Blog

On my summer research task, the work on the blog showed that i had research on the movie Inside man, i also had reveiws on the movie by different websites and sources. In addition, i analysed reveiws and explained what they showed and how different peoples opinions about the movie were.

Results:
Significance - 3
Structure - 3
Simplicity - 4
Rehersal - 4

Overall

Overall, i think that i have a wider knowledge about presenting now after watching many different peoples presentations, i think that this was a good start and that if i repeat or start a new presentation i the near future the WWW and EBI feedback could help me on what i am lacking when presenting. by completing this self evaluation i have noticed my strenghts and weaknesses, this would allow be to strenghten the EBI's and make them into WWW.
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Tuesday, 1 September 2009

Research of Inside Man

I will be posting evidence of research of Inside Man such as reviews, newspapers, articles and etc.

Reviews:

The website is a review of the film 'Inside Man'. The website is useful because it gives the audience a overview about the film and what it is about and this would be useful to the audience because they can look at this website and make a decision on the film. The review rates the film out of 10 and by this the audience can decide if the film is rated good enough for the audience to see the film. In the review above, the film is rated 7.7 stars and this means that the film is rated more than half and by this the audience will want to watch the film. This review is useful to the audience because they can get a lot of information from it. For example the audience can find out the actors in the film and their names in the film, the plot of the film, the genre, the rating, the director etc.

Inside Man (2006)
T-Meter Critics 86 % Tomatometer

Reviews Counted:193
Fresh:166
Rotten:27
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Spike Lee's energetic and clever bank-heist thriller touches on questions of race and class without taking away from the tension and fun of the cat-and-mouse games between a hostage negotiator (Denzel Washington), a bank robber (Clive Owen), and a high-powered fixer (Jodie Foster). Inside Man puts a spin on the Dog Day Afternoon scenario, with a group of sharp bank robbers who stay one step ahead of the police; it's a smart genre film that is not only rewarding on its own terms, but manages to subvert its pulpy trappings with wit and skill.
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: It all starts out simply enough: four people dressed in painters' outfits march into the busy lobby of Manhattan Trust, a cornerstone Wall Street branch of a worldwide financial institution. Within... It all starts out simply enough: four people dressed in painters' outfits march into the busy lobby of Manhattan Trust, a cornerstone Wall Street branch of a worldwide financial institution. Within seconds, the costumed robbers place the bank under a surgically planned siege, and the 50 patrons and staff become unwitting pawns in an airtight heist. NYPD hostage negotiators Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (CHIWETEL EJIOFOR) are dispatched to the scene with orders to establish contact with the heist's ringleader, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), and ensure safe release of the hostages. Working alongside Emergency Services Unit (ESU) Captain John Darius (WILLEM DAFOE), all are hopeful that the situation can be peacefully diffused and that control of the bank and release of those inside can be secured in short order. But things don't progress as planned. Russell proves an unexpectedly canny opponent—clever, calm and totally in command—a puppet master with a meticulous plan to disorient and confuse not only the hostages, but also the authorities. Outside, the crowd of New Yorkers grows as the situation becomes increasingly tense, with Frazier's superiors becoming more concerned about his ability to keep the standoff from spiraling out of control. The robbers appear to consistently be one step ahead of the police, outwitting Frazier and Mitchell at every turn. Frazier's suspicions that more is at work than anyone perceives are justified with the entry of Madeline White (Jodie Foster), a power player with shadowy objectives, who requests a private meeting with Russell. The chairman of the bank's board of directors, controlling entrepreneur Arthur Case (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER), is also uniquely interested in the moment-to-moment happenings inside the branch. But just what are the robbers after? Why has nothing worked to alleviate the standoff, which stretches on hour after hour? Frazier is convinced that invisible strings are being pulled and secret negotiations are taking place as the powder keg situation grows more unstable by the moment. With loyalties and motives called into question, the detective engages in a risky game of cat-and-mouse—but with the rules of the game ever changing, one wrong move may take the volatile match closer to a disastrous and deadly conclusion. Joining Lee behind the camera is a cadre of cinema craftsmen—many of whom have previously collaborated with the filmmaker—including director of photography MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC (Requiem for a Dream), production designer WYNN THOMAS (Cinderella Man), editor BARRY ALEXANDER BROWN (Do the Right Thing) and composer TERENCE BLANCHARD (Malcom X). Inside Man is executiveproduced by DANIEL M. ROSENBERG (Novocaine), JON KILIK (25th Hour), KAREN KEHELA SHERWOOD (A Beautiful Mind) and KIM ROTH (Insomnia). --© Universal Pictures [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe
Starring: Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Plummer
Director: Spike Lee
Director: Spike LeeScreenwriter: Russell GewirtzProducer: Jon Kilik, Daniel M. Rosenberg, Brian Grazer, Jonathan FilleyComposer: Terence BlanchardStudio: Universal Pictures

The link above is a review from Rotten Tomatoes and has more information than the review from IMDB and this is because the review from Rotten Tomatoes has a lot of images from the film that IMDB does not have and the review has a 'Tomato Meter' that rates the film in percentages. By having a 'Tomato Meter', the audience will have a chance to rate the film themselves and give their opinion on it as Rotten Tomatoes gives their audience a opportunity to leave a review. This website is useful because the audience can see what the film is rated and look at the images from the film and leave a comment of their opinion on the film and this would help other people to make up their mind on if they want to watch the film or not. The website has reviews written by other people too and by this the audience can look at what other people have written that are "critics" in the website.

Articles:

The article is from BBC and was published after the release of Inside Man. This article is useful because the article has things said by the director Spike Lee and this would mean that the audience can read about the film and read about what the director has to say himself and this would be useful because before the audience watch the film they can read an interview with the director and find out more about the film. The article reveals the budget of the film that is exceeding £28m and this connotes to the audience that the film may be a good film because the budget of the film is high and is not a low budget film. The article gives a slight insight on the narrative of the film and this will mean that the audience can read this article and find out more about a film that they might want to watch. This article is a useful article because it shows that Inside Man is a good film because it is in the news and shows that it has a high budget and that means that the film might be a good film.

The link is a review from Empire magazine and this connotes that at the time of the release of the film, it was mentioned in Empire. The review is from Empire and says what the film is about and the plot of the film and by this the audience can decide if they like the plot or not. The website has a "verdict" that decides whether the film is good or not and is a opinion given by Empire. The verdict says if the film is good for a Spike Lee film or not and the website rates the film and the website shows that the film is rated four stars out of five and this means that by looking at this the audience will decide on watching the film. The website lets the audience give their opinion on the film and say what they think about it and this would help other people make their decision on the film.

Video:



The video is a interview with the director of the film Spike Lee and he is asked questions on the narrative of the film and why he chose a bank robbery. This is a useful video for the audience because it is a exclusive interview with the director where the audience can find out why this narrative was chosen and what it means. The director is asked what he thinks is interesting about narratives related to robberies and this means that the audience can find out more about the film and why this narrative was chosen. This makes the vdeo useful because the audience can find out information about the film.
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Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Summer Research Task (Inside Man)

Media representation:

'Inside Man' involves three characters who are in the progress of robbing a bank. There identity is not revealed until one hour in to the film. The representation of the robbers shown in the film is that they are represented as heartless and cruel. This is because the robbers beat up two hostages in the bank without the hostages being at fault and due to the fact that they are robbing a bank, they are represented as smart for planning a big robbery. The robbers are two males and one female. When the film begins they are represented as a group of friends or family. The robbers are represented as low class because they are robbing a bank which means that they may be in need of money. As the robbers are robbing a well known and wealthy bank, it connotes that the robbers are smart as they have thought about this thoroughly and planned every step. For example the robbers ask the hostages to get changed in to the same clothes as them. By this we can tell that the robbers have planned to make the hostages look like them so that the police does not know who exactly are the robbers. While the robbery is taking place there is one robber who is mainly taking charge and the others are following his order. By this we can tell that there is one main robber and the other two robbers are sidekicks.

The representation of the robbers is fair and accurate and this is because usually when there is a robbery taking place, the robbers are usually low class or middle class and that is why they need to rob the bank. This is a fair representation of the robbers because if the robbers were rich they would not need to rob a bank and this shows that robbers are mainly of this class. The robbers are represented as smart too and this is because by the way the robbery is taking place, the audience can see that the robbers have thought about the plan carefully and planned everything. For example, when the robbers switch of the cameras in a sly manner with the use of a torch. When the robbery is taking place there is one robber who is in charge of the robbery who is a male. This robber is giving the other two robbers orders and they are following his orders. By this we can see that the representation of robbers mainly consists of one robber who is the leader and has planned it all and the other two the main robbers followers. This means that the representation of the robbers shown in 'Inside Man' is fair and accurate.

The hostages are represented in the film too and they are represented as innocent and are a few are seen as causing trouble for themselves. For example one of the hostages begins to be rude to the robbers and calls them stupid and the hostage is then beaten up. By this we can tell that the hostages are causing problems for themselves and are suffering in the end. Mainly the hostages are being represented as innocent and do not have an idea about what is going on. This representation of the hostages is fair and accurate and this is because when a robbery takes place the hostages are always innocent because they do not know what is happening but there is always one or two hostages that think that they can face up to the robbers and they then cause trouble for themselves.

The police officers that are working on the case are represented as slightly slow and not dealing with the case in the smart way that they could. For example when the police officers speak to the robbers for the first time the police officer speaks to the robbers in a rude manner. By this we can tell that the police officer is not dealing with the case in a sensible manner but is taking risks. This is because by getting rude to the robber, the robber could of got violent and hurt the hostages and this is what the police officer did not think about. This shows that the police officers are represented as risk taking in the film and not as smart as they could be when dealing with a sensitive case. The representation of the police offers in the film is not a fair and accurate representation and this is because the police officers in charge of the case are not dealing with the case in a appropriate way but are taking risks. This does not happen mainly during the time of robberies and this means that the representation of the police officers is not fair.

Media language and forms:

The connotations in the film mean that the audience is able to have their own suggestion about what is going to happen in the film. The film has scenes that will mean the audience will have a idea about what is happening. This occurs at the beginning of the film where the audience is shown a scene where the robbers are dressed as painters and one robber is driving a paint van and picking up the other two robbers who are dressed as painters too. By this scene we can tell that the audience will not know what is happening in the film and the audience will then connote about what is happening and who are these people dressed as painters. This scene will mean that there will be enigma in the audiences view and this is because the audience will not know who these people are and what they are doing and they will think of questions like who are these people, what are they doing, why are they dressed in white with masks and etc. By this we can tell that the audience will be more involved in the film and interested to gain the answer to their enigma codes.

By the use of connotations the significance is high and this is because the audience is given time to have their own views on the film and predict what is happening or what is going to happen. By this we can tell that the significance of connotations in the film is high and this is because by the use of connotations the audience will be more involved in the film and will feel a part of the film because they will be given time in between scenes to think what is going to happen and how the problem will be solved. By this we can tell that the audience will want to watch the film and will want to find out more.

In the film it is important for the mise-en-scene to be considered properly and this is because the robbers are robbing a bank so the mise-en-scene will need to have a lot of money and jewels in the bank. This is important because by this the audience will know that the robbery is a robbery that is going to be huge as the robbers are robbing a bank that is wealthy and by this the audience will be able to feel the importance and risk of this robbery and how big it is. The mise-en-scene is the thing that will show the audience the significance of the robbery and how big it is. For example when the robbers are opening the draws of the bank the audience is shown bags of jewels and stacks of money and by this the audience is made aware that the robbery is not a small robbery but is huge and this is all shown to the audience through the mise-en-scene. By this we can tell that the significance of the mise-en-scene is important because the audience will understand the situation of the robbers and the state of the bank owner knowing that he will lose all this.

The language used by the robbers in 'Inside Man' creates enigma and confuses the audience. For example when the robbers are talking to each other in Albanian, the audience is left confused as they are not given a translation and by this the audience is thinking what are the robbers saying and what language are they speaking. In this part of the film, tension is created for both the audience and the police officers dealing with the case and this is because the audience does not know what is going on and what language they are speaking. By this we can tell that the film is creating tension for the audience and making the case more difficult to solve as by the robbers speaking a different language the police officers do not know what is happening in the bank. By this we can tell that the language used in the film has a important significance as there is a robbery taking place but the audience or the police officers do not know what language the robbers are speaking and what they are saying.

The camera positioning used conveys meaning in the film and this is because by using a large amount of close ups and long shots, the audience is shown the importance of the robbery. In between the scenes of the robbery, the audience is shown the police talking to the hostages and this means that the film is being told to the audience while the case is being dealt with. By this we can tell that the audience will want to know what is happening and how the case is solved in the end. By using this technique, the film is making the audience focused on the film and in a hurry to find out how the robbery will end. The film uses close up shots when the hostages are being held in the bank and by this the audience sees the facial expressions of the hostages and can understand what the hostages are going through and how they feel. This technique means that the audience will know how the hostages feel and will want to know what will happen to them. By this we can tell that by using certain techniques the audience will be more involved and will understand the film from their position.


Narrative:

The narrative used in 'Inside Man' is Todorov's theory and this is because the narrative consists of a Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and New Equilibrium. This is because at the beginning their is a Equilibrium where the audience is introduced to the city, the bank and a few characters that will be kept as hostages and the Disequilibrium is then shown when the robbers get their guns out and keep the people in the bank as hostages. This is the part where the part comes in the film where the audience is shown a problem and begin to think how it will be solved in the end. The use of Todorov's theory makes the narrative of the film structured and organised. This is because the film starts of with introducing the setting to the film and the people and then begins a problem and that is then solved at the end. This makes the narrative structured and organised so that the audience understand the narrative properly and not get confused and this is why it is important for the narrative to be structured and organised and by this the audience will understand the film and the narrative.

In the narrative the audience is positioned in the position of the hostages and this is because the hostages are seen more in the film than the robbers and by using close up shots the audience is made aware of how the hostages are feeling. This will mean that the audience will be able to sympathise with the hostages and feel the feeling of being kept as a hostage. The audience is positioned to understand the view of the police as well as the hostages because the police go through a difficult time trying to solve the case. For example when the police officer is talking to the robber, the audience is positioned to understand the police officers view.

'Inside Man' uses heroes and villains in the film and the villains are formed through the robbers. The villains are formed in the beginning of the film and this is because the robbers immediately rob the bank at the start of the film and they are then labelled as the villains then. The characters that are shown as heroes in the film is the police and the hostages and this is because the hostages are being brave because they are being kept as hostages and the hostages are dealing with the situation in a brave way. The police are the heroes in the film too because the police are trying to solve the situation and save the belongings in the bank and the hostages and making sure that no one dies. This represents them as the heroes in the film because they are dealing with the situation bravely and quickly.

The role of the mise-en-scene in the narrative is important and this is because the mise-en-scene is what creates meaning in the narrative and this is because if the mise-en-scene does not have things in the scene that go with the scene, the scene will then not have a large impact. The mise-en-scene has a important role because it makes the scene look real and creates a meaning to it because if the mise-en-scene was not given importance, the scenes would not be as effective. The role of the sound is important too in the narrative and this is because it is important to have diegetic and non-diegetic sound in the narrative. For example the diegetic sound will be cars going past in the background, it is important to keep this diegetic sound in the background because the scene then looks realistic because it has every day sounds in the background of the scene. It is important to add non-diegetic sound in the narrative too because it creates a effect for example this happens in the film when music is played during the scene when the robbers are shown and the music creates suspense and this connotes to the audience that these characters have got something suspicious about them.

Genre:

The genre of the film is Crime, Drama and Thriller. The conventions shown in the film of the genre Crime is that at the beginning of the film there is three characters going around the city with masks and this connotes to the audience that the film is likely to involve crime. The other conventions used of the genre crime is by using guns, dressing suspiciously and keeping hostages. The characters in the film confirm the genre and this is shown as the robbers confirm the genre to Crime. The way the robbers do this is by the way they behave and by wanting to rob the bank and by this the audience are then confirmed of the genre. By there being police sirens and police around, the audience are made aware that the genre is Crime and that the police are going to solve some case.

Media Institutions:

Universal Pictures is the institution of the film Inside Man. The institution has distributed the film in many different ways. One way that the institution has distributed the the film is by having reviews and by this the audience can read about the film and know what the film is about. The reviews mean that the film can be rated and people who have seen the film can give their suggestions on it and then people can read it and make their decision on the film. Another way that the film is distributed is by trailers and by having this the film is advertised to the audience and the audience can see if they want to watch the film based on the narrative of the film, the actors and genre. If the film did not have a trailer, it would be likely that the film will not be well known and the audience will not know what the film is about and may not want to watch it so it is important to have a trailer to get a mass audience rather than a niche audience.

The film is distributed by having posters too and that is shown at the top of the page. The poster is a form of advertising that will persuade the audience to watch the film and this is because the poster will be placed in a variety of places and the poster will then be in the audiences mind because they will see it in a lot of places. The poster means that the audience will see who the actors are in the film, the release date, the directors and a clue to the genre. By this form of advertising the film will be attracting a mass audience and making sure that a lot of people know about the film. Another way that the film is distributed is by merchandise and this is because the film then has certain products that the audience can buy after watching the film and this may include t-shirts, mugs and games. By this the audience can buy certain products if they want to after and this is another form of advertising for the film because by having merchandise the film will be more known by the audience.

Media values and ideology:

The ideologies that are shown in the film is that there are many robberies where the robbery is well planned and the robbers get away with it and this is shown in the film because in the end the robbers are not caught but they did not steal anything too. This shows that the ideology shown in the film is that the robbers may do what they are doing for attention and then in the end take nothing from the robbery and done it all for no reason. As none of the robbers got caught, the film showed the value that the police is not always as clever and smart as always shown because the police officers could not catch the robbers and had to drop the case. By this we can tell that the police officers are not always helpful to the public and cannot always solve cases that are too difficult.

Media audiences:

The target audience of this film is from the age 16 - 40's and this is because there are scenes in the film that are not appropriate for under 16's to see and this includes violent scenes. The film would mainly target males because the narrative of the film would interest males more than females and this is because of the bank robbery and the violence and swearing in the film. The film can be seen by females too but they would not be a target audience and would be a secondary audience. The target audience of the film would be from 16 - 40's and males. By this we can tell that the film is attracting a mass audience because it has a primary and secondary audience and the film does not just target a specific audience but has a secondary audience. Medium class and lower class would watch this film because it refers to a bank robbery. The film makes the audience feel in the robbers position because the robber wants to get rich by robbing the bank and medium class and lower class audiences will want to get rich but the right way so it refers to that specific audience. Upper class would not like to watch this film because the narrative looks at normal people trying to rob a bank and get rich and this will not interest the upper class audience.

The assumptions made about the audience is that the audience is likely to be on either the polices side or the robbers side but by looking at the narrative, the audience is likely to be on the robbers side and this is because at the end the robbers do not get caught so the audience is more likely to be on the robbers side when watching the film. In the film the audience is positioned in the shoes of both the robbers and hostages so the audience is not clear on who's side to be on but at the end of the film when the robbers are not caught, the audience then begin to understand the robbers.

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