FINAL GIRL!!

https://youtu.be/Ec1-3Fjxy0c

FINAL GIRL

Key Cast: Abigail Breslin, Alexander Ludwig and Wes Bentley

Director: Tyler Shields

Writer: Adam Prince (screen play)

Genre: Action/Thriller

Themes: Death, broken friendship, fear, Betrayal, survival.

Release: August 2015

Budget: $8,000,000

A man teaches a young orphan girl how to become her own weapon. Her next target is a group of sadistic boys who kill blonde women for reasons unknown. The boys hunt down the women in the woods until they find their kill.

Key Scenes: An important scene within this film is when we see Veronica (Abigail Breslin) being given a combination of truth serum and a hallucinogen so that she confronts her most darkest fears. This is important as in the film the audience expects to see a strong tough girl who has been brought up to be an assassin but instead we find out that she is just like any normal teenage girl who has her own fears. This is important as it creates a sense of vulnerability which means that the audience are not sure if Veronica is safe or not. This also creates suspense as the audience are on the edge of their seats waiting to see if she can complete her mission. The fact that the audience can see and experience her fears shows that she is still a human being. She has been brought up to kill but she still has her humanity.

Micro-features:

The most important micro-features is cinematography but most importantly, light. the majority of the film takes place in the night so everything is really dark and gloomy. Because the film is mainly set at the woods during the night, there is no natural light to make it easier for the audience to see the characters. Through out the film there is a very theatrical effect as the director has used spotlights to light the scene. Throughout the film there will be random bursts of light that have no visible source or any explanation of being there. This is important as the film towards the end becomes almost like a theatrical performance rather than a film. This is a strange technique that I haven't really seen in any other film, but it think it really works. It adds to the surrealism of the film.

Comparable: Eden lake (2008), directed and written by James Watkins, is about a couple who go out to the lake for a romantic date but things take a deadly turn for the worse when they get chased through the words by a pack of brutal teenagers. This is similar to Final Girl as in both films the main protagonist has to survive and escape from people who are out to kill them. They both are thriller movies that are both set in the woods. They have very similar story lines but the characters vary. in both films the main theme is survival.

Ask Me Anything.

Ask Me Anything.

Key Cast: Brit Robertson, Justin Long and Max Carver.

Director: Allison Burnett

Writer: Allison Burnett

Genre: Drama/Coming of age

Themes: Romance, love triangle, friendship,deceit, mental health

Release: December 2014

Budget: $950,000

Whilst a teenage girl, Katie Kampenfelt (Brit Robertson), takes a year off before college, she starts a blog talking about her new life experiences, relationships and depression.

Key scenes: The most important scene is the big reveal at the end of the film when the audience finds out that Katie is not who she says she is. We find out that the story we have heard from her point of view, although some parts real, is a fabrication. The scene at the end of the film starts by the mother writing an entry on her daughters blog explaining that she had changed her identity for the blog and that she has now disappeared. This scene is important for the audience as it explains to the audience that the person we have learnt to know doesn't exist. This is a key scene as through out the film we have felt sympathetic towards her, but we later find out that our trust has been misplaced. The audience becomes confused at the end of the film as it is an unexpected twist. the audience wants to find out what really happened to "Katie" but we don't even know her.

Micro-features:

Editing is important in this film as throughout the film the protagonist, Katie, has flash backs to her child hood. We can assume that these are parts of Katie's happy memories. This is important as the flash backs are always shown when she is in a situation with her love triangle. This is important for the audience as we can see that she regrets her actions as she always goes to her happy place when she feels as if she is doing something wrong. This creates sympathy for the main character as the audience knows that even though she knows she is doing the wrong thing, she cant escape it because she is stuck in a circle where she keeps repeating the same mistakes.

Performance is also important in this film as during the film any time she is offered help or guidance she doesn't accept it. Brit Robertson's performance is important as it shows to the audience that she wants to be independent and in control of her own life. Throughout the film she also tries acting older than she actually is. This is key in the film as it shows to the audience that she wants to be older so she can live her own life.

Comparable: This film is similar to "confessions of a teenage drama queen"(COATDQ) (2004) starring Lindsay Lohan. Both films follow the story of a young teenage girls who change their personality/identity in order to escape their past and family. In COATDQ the main protagonist lies about her family and how she lives in order to become more popular at school as the film is based around her trying to fit in to her new school. In Ask Me Anything, the protagonist changes her identity in order to keep her life private on her blog but at the same time to make her life public. She changes the way she looks and acts on her blog as she writes down what she wants to happen in the situations she is facing. They films are similar as both the protagonists want to change their lives so other people see them in a different way.

The Island!!

The Island

Key Cast: Scarlett Johansson  and Ewan McGregor.

Director: Michael Bay

Writer: Caspian Tredwell-Owen 

Genre: Action Adventure

Themes: Relationships, betrayal, deception

Release: July 2005

Budget: $126,000,000

The survivors of a catastrophic world wide event now live in a controlled facility where everything is done for them. All they have to hope for is to win the lottery where the prize is to live on an uncontaminated island. Lincoln six-echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) on the other hand are a bit more curious about the catastrophe and investigates. They then later finds out that there is no island or a world wide catastrophe.

Key Scenes: A Key scene within the film is when Lincolns doppelganger explains why he payed so much for Lincoln (clone) to be made. He says that it is all worth it to have a little more time. This shows to the audience that people will do anything to live longer. They will go against their conscience and what they think is right just so they have more time to live. Time is the most valuable thing in the world. This shows to the audience that people become selfish when it comes to money and their own lives and they will not do anything to jeopardise it.
Another important scene is when the mastermind behind all the clones explains why he does it. He explains that he wants to save peoples lives when in fact we find out that he has a God complex. He wants to control other peoples lives. This is important as it tells the audience why they lied about everything including the world catastrophe. This shows to the audience that some people don't care about others but they care about the money they make.

Micro-features:
An important micro-feature in this film is editing. During the film, the main character Lincoln (Ewan McGreggor) has recurring nightmares. When we see these nightmares they are a sequence of quick flashes of images. This is used to show that he is scared because everything is moving really fast which suggests to the audience that he is panicking. This is important as right from the beginning we see what Lincoln is afraid which explains his actions further on in the film.
Performance is also important through as the main protagonists are oblivious to the outside world. They have no experience beyond the facility which makes the situation they are in so much harder. This puts the audience on edge through out the whole film as no one is sure on who they can trust. By adding suspense into the film, it engages the audience further as they become worried and concerned for the main characters as they want them to achieve their goal and get the happy ending they deserve.

71.

71.

Key Cast: Jack O'Connell, Sam Reid, Sean Harris
Director: Yann Demange
Writer: Gregory Burke
Genre: Action Drama
Themes: Crime, violence, war
Release: October 2014
Budget: 8.1 million.

71 is based on a British soldier who is left behind by his team on the Streets of Belfast where he has to survive the night as it takes a turn for the worst becoming more dangerous and deadly. It is a social realism film based on the riots in Belfast in 1971.

Key Scenes: An important scene within the film is when the bar he is in is blown up. In this scene we see Jack O'Connell's character Gary Hook go back into the fire to save the young boy who helped him. This is important as it shows to the audience that even though he is hurt and in danger he still wants to do the right thing which is helping people in need. The fact that he puts his life at risk to save someone shows that the soldiers went over to Belfast to help the situation.
Another reason why this scene is important is because it was the first sign in which the audience saw some of the crimes that happened in Belfast. Just before the bomb exploded it shows how some of the police that where supposed to be helping took matters into their own hands. This show police brutality during the Belfast Riots as the police wanted to try and bring the riots to the end by targeting Catholic people. This is important as it shows that although British soldiers and police where sent over to help people in Belfast, some people just wanted to find the easiest way to end it not caring about the consequences. Because this film is based on a true event it showed that all the different sides that where fighting each other had both good and bad intentions. Some people wanted to do the right thing and some other didn't.

Micro-features:
Cinematography is important in this film as in some scenes and hand held camera was used. An example of this is shown when the pub is blown up. When Hook is thrown backwards onto the floor, the camera is not stable and there is allot of movement. This could be used to make the audience feel as if they are next to all the chaos. This engages the audience into the film as they feel as if they are apart of the event. The movement with the camera could also be used to show Hook to be disoriented and confused. Everything becomes more unstable within the film. Because Hook is disoriented, the audience becomes disoriented as the film has gone from calm to chaotic. Both the audience and Hook are surprised by the events that have happened.
Sound is also important within this scene as it mimics the effects of a real bomb going off. All the sounds become fuzzy and washed out and you can hear a high pitched ring. This is used also to engage the audience as they feel as if they have just been next to a bomb that has exploded. This also adds to the idea that Hook is disoriented in all the chaos.

This relates to living with crime as it shows the lives of people living in Belfast during the time of the riots in 1971. It shows how some of the police wanted to make things worse in certain areas so that the war could end. This was negative as they wanted to kill innocent people in order for their plan to work. Another way in which this film follows living with crime is when the hook and another soldier gets separated from their team and shortly after the soldier with hook is shot. This is important as it shows that people where being violent against each other and killing people just because they have different views.

Comparable: This film is similar to Fury (2014) where a group of five soldiers have to try and survive during the war in 1945 where they become out numbered by Nazi soldiers. This is similar to 71 as both films are about surviving against the enemies during the war. They both have themes of violence and war as they are both base on true events that happened.

Overall, I thought this film was really good as they managed to tell a story about the event from the different sides that where fighting (Protestant, Catholic and British soldiers) which made the film more realistic and interesting as the audience didn't really know who where the bad or the good side.

Film Trailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmxLybfGNC4 The 5th Wave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M7LIcH8C9U The Notebook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5XICr93wU Would You Rather.

Trailers are used to inform and entertain the audience to make them more tempted to watch the film. The three different trailers I looked at are all different genres. Action, Romance, Thriller/horror. The producers/makers of the film need the audience to go and see the film so that they can make money. Without the audience, there isn't a film. The trailers are used to make the audience aware of the film and it is used to show all the best bits of the film to encourage people to go and watch it.

The Hypodermic Needle theory means that the media inject ideas into the audience head to make them believe certain things. The Hypodermic Needle theory is used in each of the three trailers as they have to convince the audience that the film is worth going to see. The Hypodermic Needle is used when the trailer includes things like "the number one new film" or "the best film this year". This forces the audience to like the film as they know that everyone else will watch the film. This means that the media are able to control what people see. They can control what messages they want to give out to the audience.
The Users and Gratification theory is also used in the trailers. The first category in the Users and gratification is Forming Friendships.
Forming Friendships: Audience's watch certain films to relate to others. By people watching the same films, people have a common interest which leads to new friendships. The audience will watch films that they know are going to be popular so that they can be involved in all the conversations with other people. The audience don't want to be left outside the inner circle, so they will convince themselves to go and watch the film and it.
The next Category is Entertainment:
People watch certain films for entertainment and also escapism. Films allow the audience to live or view someone else's life. For example in Super hero movies they are able to live along side the heroes and experience everything they go through. People tend to watch films for entertainment as they get to experience other situations. The audience generally like to see things that normally wouldn't happen to them, e.g. car chases, as it is new and exciting.
These two categories, I think, apply to the trailers I have chosen. These three movies are big films in the Genre so their purpose really is to entertain people rather than educate them. Because they are big films, the audience are able to create conversations about them and relate to others due to their interest in the film.

The makers of the film cant control how the audience react to the film, so they have to use these trailers to try and persuade the audience to watch the film. The audience are then told f they like it or not as trailers try and exaggerate the film and what is in it so that people are tempted to watch it. The purpose of films is to make money and that is all that the film makers want from it. The more people they get to watch it, the more money they make.

Would You Rather.

WOULD YOU RATHER.

Key cast: Brittany Snow and Jeffery Combs
Director: David Levy
Writer: Steffen Schlachtenhaufen.
Genre: Horror
Themes: Murder, Greed,
Release: February 2013

A young woman, who is desperate to help her dying brother, volunteers to play a game of "Would you rather" when she is promised that all her problems would go away but it takes a turn for the worst when the game becomes deadly.

Key Scenes:
An important scene within the film is shown right at the end where "Iris" (the main character) is in the final two and is faced with a dilemma. The leader of the game offers her a deal one with a positive outcome and one with a negative outcome. This is an important film as through out the film she has always wanted to do the right thing and try to save everyone but as soon as she finds out that she could not win any money, she hesitates between the two offers. This is important as it shows how all the characters got into the situation in the first place, which was because of their greed. It connotes to the audience that people will put money before someone else's life.

Micro-Features:
Performance is very important in this film as it is used to show how twisted some of the characters can be. For example the organiser of the game "Sheppered", is shown at the begging of the film to be caring. He tries to help Iris by offering the help she needs. We later see that he doesn't actually care about peoples welfare but the game itself. He uses his power and his money to attract people into the game. Sheppered is a sadistic character as he thinks he is doing something good for other people by offering them a chance for the money. he fails to tell them though that they could die. His performance is important as he is able to bring out the other characters negatives side by feeding their greed.
Throughout the film when the characters have to make a decision between the two choices given, you can hear the clock ticking in the background. Sound is an important micro-feature as it makes the atmosphere more intense as you can literally hear time running out. The characters either have 15 or 30 seconds to make their decision. The clock ticking down is diegetic sound as the characters can hear it as well. This creates suspense as both the other characters and the audience don't know what the character is going to choose. This makes the audience more nervous about the situation.

Overall, I really liked this film as I thought it shows that although people don't want to hurt or kill others, they ignore their conscience as they decide that the money is more important than the stangers lives.

Guest Speaker.

I found the presentation interesting as he explained how he got to where he was and what he actually had to do in his job. I liked the fact that he brought in and showed some of his work because it made it easier to understand what he was working on and how he made it.

It has been useful for my course because it has showed me how much really goes in to making a film and that it is not as easy as it seems. it has helped in my course because I now know that every small detail within my film has to be planned and thought through.

The one thing that i disliked about the presentation is that I got a bit lost because he was throwing out words I didn't know. When he was explaining different areas with in his job and what they did i got a bit confused because I didn't know what everything was so it was hard for me to understand what they actually did.

I would like if some directors would come in and talk about how they made the film and what was the experience like. I want to know more about how the director decides what they want to be in the film and what it takes to be a director.

Perfect Sisters!!

Key cast: Abigail Breslin and Georgie Henley.
Director: Stanley Brooks.
Writer: Fab Filippo and Adam Till.
Genre: Crime Drama.
Themes: Friendships, family, crime, betrayal, abuse
Release: April 2014

Perfect Sisters is based on a true event in Toronto, where two sisters created a plan to kill their mother as they became tired of her alcohol problem and her abusive boyfriend. The film shows how they created the Perfect plan to kill their mum and get away with it but they were foiled by their constant bragging to their friends.

Key scenes:
An important scene within the film is the very last scene, where the two girls are separated by police. Within this scene the girls are desperately trying to fight off the police to get to each other but are unsuccessful. This shows to the audience that the sisters have a close bond which suggests that they are important to each other. The audience feels sympathetic towards the girls as although they killed their mother, they did it so that they could improve their life and stay with each other.

Micro-features:
Performance is important within "Perfect Sisters" because when they kill their mum, they appear to be happy about it and they look as if they feel no remorse. This shows to the audience that they didn't have a good relationship with their mum as they were able to kill her with no signs of guilt. This is important as it shows why the girls did it. They felt so upset with their life that all they could think of to improve it, was to kill their mother.
Also throughout the film both of the girls fantasize about their perfect mum. This is important as it shows that when the girls are sad they create an alternate life which makes them happy. It shows to the audience that they are not happy with their mums decisions or the way they live.

Overall i thought this was a great film as it managed to make me feel sympathy for the girls even though they had committed murder. Because the audience followed the sisters story, we were able to see that even though they committed a crime, we know that they weren't murders but young girls who were fed up with their mum always ruining things for them.

CHARACTER!!

PINTEREST BOARD!!

https://uk.pinterest.com/gaudus/

Winters Bone!!

WINTERS BONE!!:

Key Cast: Jennifer Lawrence,

Genre: Drama

Writer: Debra Granik

Director: Debra Granik

Themes: Family, Friends, mystery.

Release: July 2010

Winter's Bone is a film about a young girl called Ree who has to find her Dad before the house is taken away and her family thrown out. Whilst trying to get help from friends and family they all tell her to stay out of it and leave it alone, but she refuses.

Key Scenes: An important scene in Winters Bone is when Ree's brother want to ask the neighbors for food. She replies "never ask for what oughta be offered". This scene is important as it show the audience that "Ree" is a tough character and that although she is 17 she doesn't show any signs of weakness. This is important to the story line as it explains why she ignores the advice of her friends and family in order to protect the ones she love.

Micro-features:
Mise-en-scene is important in this film as it is used to show the background/personality of Ree. Mise-en-scene is used to show where she lives and how little she owns. The house is shown to be dirty and small, but when she finds out she could lose it, she does everything she can to change that. The audience feel sympathetic towards Ree as the house is important to her. She is brought up in a poor community where people try and do anything to help one another. The film makes an effort to show how little people own to back up the story line that Ree expects people to help her out but instead they try and deter her.
Cinematography is also important as throughout the film there are several scenes where it shows long/mid shots of Ree walking through the wooded area. This is important as it shows to the audience that she is determined to find out what happened to her dad. She will not be put off by any obstacle.

Overall, i thought that this film was good as throughout the film you could tell that there was something not quite right with the whole situation. This made it grab my attention and keep me watching the film. Even though at the end the main mystery was revealed, the film still ended with a mystery about the money. This made the film more interesting as I wanted to find out what actually happened.

My Brother the Devil.

MY BROTHER THE DEVIL.

Key cast: James Floyd and Fady Elsayed.

Genre: Drama and social realism

Writer: Sally EL Hosaini

Director: Sally El Hosaini

Themes:  Crime and friend/relationship

Release: November 2012

Budget: (gross) $10,305

My Brother the Devil is a social realism drama that shows the life of Egyptian brothers growing up on an estate in London. Whilst both brothers are deep in drug dealing and gang violence, they must both must face dramatic changes which cause problems for both home life and friendships.

Key Scenes:

One of the most important scenes within the film is the scene in which the youngest brother (Mo) tells everyone that his brother (Rashid) is a terrorist rather than saying that his brother is gay. This shows to the audience that Mo would rather his brother be a terrorist than being gay. This also implies that being gay and living in a rough London estate is hard and dangerous as people won’t accept them. This scene is also important as it shows how the relationship between the brothers has fallen apart as they both want to lead different lives.

Micro-features:

Mise-en-scene: Location is important in the film as it back up the idea of living with crime. The protagonists live on a rough estate in London. This shows to the audience why they are a part of the drug and gang culture as both the boys especially Rashid want to escape from living on the estate with hardly any money. They want a new life. By focusing on the boys lives on the estate shows that allot of crime goes on in places like that, but no one can really control it.

Performance: Performance is very important in the film as it shows to the audience that the boys aren’t all that they seem. Rashid is involved with gangs and drugs. The audience assumes that Rashid is not a very nice person and that he is not going to achieve anything. But the audience’s perception of the Rashid changes when he puts money in his mum’s purse to help out with the bills. This shows to the audience that although he is involved with crime, he still has good intentions.

Comparable: This film is similar to AnuvaHood as it also focuses on teenagers/young adults growing up on estates. They both show how crime is common on rough estates and how young people get involved with drugs and other crime. This relates to living with crime as it shows how teenagers are being dragged into crime and violence by gangs. Both films show how teenagers become peer pressured into doing things that are against the law.

Thriller Film Idea!!

THRILLER FILM IDEA!!:

TITLE: Blonde.

LOCATION: Woods/Forest.

                         (Shot during the day).

CHARACTERS: Female protagonist,

                        Male Antagonist,

                        Female Victim.

GENRE: Psychological Thriller.

THEMES: Betrayal, Crime.

SPEECH: There will be no speech.

 SUMMARY:

A young teenage girl is being chased through the woods where she will have to escape from a mysterious hooded male in order to get back to her missing friend.

STORY LINE:

A young teenager is put into a dangerous situation when she becomes the target of a hooded man deep in the woods. When she comes face to face with him in an intense battle for survival, she realises his true intentions. Everything becomes more complicated as she runs back into the woods to find her missing friend. When the friends are reunited, things take a massive turn for the worst when the young teenager's real personality is shown.

FILM INSPIRATION:

The inspiration for the film comes from films like "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" and "The Ward" as they both include major plot twists at the end that the audience does not expect.

ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE: 

IMPORTANT SCENES:

The opening scene will be a sequence of long shots showing the setting that the film will take place (which is the woods).  This is important as it helps the audience know what genre the film is and what could happen.

The fight scene will consist of extreme/close up shots to engage the audience as the fight scene will appear more intense.

The ending scene will show both the protagonist and the victim. A combination of mid-shots and close ups will be used to show the emotions of the two characters.

SPECTRE!!

SPECTRE.
Key Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz and Lea Seydoux.
Genre: Action/Thriller.
Writer: John Logan
Director: Sam Mendes
Themes: Crime, Romance, Family
Release: October 2015

The main character (James Bond) uncovers new information about an evil organisation called Spectre. James Bond has to bring down the organisation whilst also trying to save the ones he cares about. In order to do this, Bond must get information from an old nemesis and learns that he has more connections with Spectre than he thought.

Key Scenes: The most important scene within the film is when Bond has the upper hand on the villain. James Bond is standing above the villain (who is laying on the floor) with a gun to his head. Bond has to decide whether to kill him or not. James decides to walk away from the villain to the girl he loves. This is an important as 007 is has a licence to kill, but he decides to walk away. This contradicts what we know about James Bond as he should be able to finish the villains but in this case he changes that. This shows to the audience that he is done being an assassin.

One micro-feature that is important throughout the film is sound. During every fight scene the sound of the punches and the kick are always exaggerated. This is used to engage the audience as the fight scenes seem more brutal which is more entertaining. By making the sounds of the punches louder also adds emphasis to the skills of James Bond, making the film more exciting.
Mise-en-scene is also important (Especially costumes) as it used to portray Bond's personality. Throughout the majority of the film, Bond is wearing a suit. This is supposed to show the audience that Bond is smooth and sophisticated. This is important as it is used to make the character more desirable. Men want to be him and women want to be with him. This makes the film more engaging for the audience as he is shown to be perfect man (through his outfits)as he is always shown to be looking good.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film as it grabbed my attention from beginning to end and there was always something going on. There was never a dull moment. Although it was an amazing film, at parts i became a bit confused due to there being so much going on.

Inside Man

INSIDE MAN

Key cast: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster.

Genre: Action/Thriller

Writer: Russell Gewirtz.

Director: Spike Lee.

Themes: Crime

Release: March 2006

The film is about an unusual robbery that takes place in a bank. Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington) has to try and figure out what the robbers are actually after before any harm comes to the hostages. It also follows the story of Madeleine White, who is hired by the dodgy owner of the bank to receive his secret personal possessions.

Key scenes: At 51 minutes into the film the lead robber is sitting in the vault with one of the young hostages. The robber talks to the child about his game that he is playing. The robber later explains how he wants to talk about the violent game with his father. This indicates to the audience that the criminals may not be as bad as they initially thought. This also follows the idea that the robbery is not an ordinary bank robbery as the robbers have ulterior motives.

One micro-feature that is important within the film is mise-en-scene, specifically costume. The costumes within the film are important as the plot of the film is that the police are not able to identify the robber due to the robbers and the hostages looking the same. The costumes are important to the audience as the audience gets confused as to who is involved in the heist. This keeps the audience engaged with the film as they want to find out if the police work out what the criminals are up to.

Overall, I thought this film was good as it was different from other films that have a similar story line as it wasn't a normal bank robbery. It also was a clever film in the sense that it was able to confuse the audience, which made it more interesting. Although throughout the film I became a little impatient as I thought some parts of the film dragged on a bit.

FILM ASSESSMENT (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) 2

“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”.

I will be analysing the scene from “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” (genre: Horror) in which the main character is revealed to be evil. This is the scene when “Mandy” stabs and kills another character towards the end of the film showing that she is not as innocent as the audience once thought. The two micro-features I will be exploring are: Performance and sound. These micro-features will show how the film mocks the audience as they are expecting to see exactly what the beginning of the film gives them, when in fact the ending is something completely different.

Performance:                                                     

At the beginning of this scene we see one of the characters “Chloe” running away from a car that is chasing her, towards the main character “Mandy”. Amber Heard’s (Mandy) performance in this scene is very important as this is the scene where the audience is shown her true intentions. Then a bit further on in the scene “Chloe” is shown to be dying on the floor with a knife in her stomach. This reveals to the audience that “Mandy” has stabbed her friend. After this, Amber Heard’s performance changes as she is now portrayed as the villain of the film as she leaves “Chloe” on the floor and walks off like nothing has happened. This shows the audience a more cruel side to her as she almost acts as if it is what “Chloe” deserved. She doesn't seem fazed by the event. At this point the audience can tell that she as dropped her innocent act and her true personality has surfaced. This shows to the audience that she is not who they thought she was. Her personality changes between caring and protective to sadistic and heartless. This also suggests that “Mandy” has worn a mask throughout the majority of the film, but once she has completed her task she has taken off her mask and her true identity is revealed. By showing a quick transition between the caring “Mandy” the audience thought they knew to an evil “Mandy” shows how “Mandy” has managed to deceive everyone. This scene is important as it indicates that she has used her friends trust as a way of getting what she wants. Due to “Chloe” running towards “Mandy” shows the audience that both “Chloe” and themselves have no reason to doubt “Mandy” and her intentions. In the film it is shown that all the boys want to be with “Mandy” and all the girls want to be “Mandy”. This shows that no one would expect “Mandy” to betray her friends. It surprises and shocks the audience when her personality changes when she kills “Chloe” as no one see’s it coming.  The characters in the film try and protect her from the killer, when in fact they should be protecting themselves from her. All the characters literally die for “Mandy Lane”. Due to Amber Heard’s change in performance indicates to the audience that everything they knew about “Mandy” was all a lie. This makes the audience feel as if their sympathy and trust has been misplaced toward the character “Mandy”.

Vocal Performance: In the scene it shows "Mandy" shouting at "Chloe" to run to her. Amber Heard's vocal performance is important as it shows her quick change in personality. When "Mandy" is shouting at "Chloe" she sounds concerned and worried for her. This shows to the audience that she genuinely cares for her friend and wants her to be safe. But after "Chloe" is stabbed, "Mandy" laughs about the blood and starts joking around with her accomplice. Due to the quick change in the way she talks (showing sympathy then cruelty) shows how she has outsmarted everyone. The change in the tone of her voice also shows to the audience that she has manipulated people in to thinking that she is the perfect girl. At the beginning of the scene she sounds innocent, tricking "Chloe" into a false sense of security. After she has killed "Chloe" her voice is calmer and relaxed which shows to the audience a more sadistic side to her. This shows to the audience that killing one of her supposed friends hasn't affected her. She feels no regret or sympathy.

The performance in “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” is one of the most important features as it used to deceive the audience and make them make their own assumptions of the character “Mandy”. The director forces the audience to follow the stereotype that the characters give “Mandy” in order for the reveal to be that more confusing and shocking.

The Performance within this scene creates meaning as the scene shows the transition between good and evil which is what makes this scene so important. Without the quick change in performance and the change in voice the scene wouldn’t have the same effect as it wouldn’t surprise the audience. The scene is supposed to shock the audience as they would never have seen it coming.

Sound:

The use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are important in the scene I have chosen as they are used to show to the audience that something is wrong.  When “Chloe” is running away, she runs into “Mandy’s” arms. At this point you can hear the knife being stabbed into “Chloe”. This is the first sign to the audience that “Mandy” is not the angel she is made out to be. The sound of the knife being stabbed into “Chloe” (being diegetic sound) is subtle but still easily heard. This confuses the audience as it gets them to question what they have actually heard. At the moment when “Chloe” is stabbed she is being comforted by “Mandy” which contradicts the idea that someone has been stabbed. The knife is not seen, but the audience implies it is there. The sound of the knife being stabbed into “Chloe” also symbolises the end to “Mandy’s” act. When the audience sees that “Mandy” has stabbed “Chloe” they now know what here true intentions are. The noise of the knife is the point at which the plot and the audience’s ideas of the film change.

The use of non-diegetic sounds is also important within this scene. Just after the diegetic sound of the knife, slow piano music is played. This is used for two things. Firstly, it is also used to make the audience feel as if something is not what it seems and that something is not right. The music makes the audience think that something scary or unpredicted is going to happen. The music also contradicts the action of “Mandy” comforting “Chloe” as it is slow and intense. Secondly, the non-diegetic music is used to create suspense within the atmosphere. The piano music is eerie and gloomy which changes the atmosphere of the scene from fast paced to dark and intense. At the beginning of the scene “Chloe” is running away from the killer. This is fast paced and full of action as the audience is unsure what will happen. But as soon as “Chloe” is stabbed and the music enters, the scene takes a dramatic turn becoming more sadistic. This has the same effect of the micro-feature, performance, as it is used to show the quick change of personality within the character “Mandy.

The use of sound within the scene is very important as it is used to trigger certain emotions within the audience. This is important as the use of sound effects and music allow the audience to make their own interpretation of what is going on with the scene

In “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” the director uses both performance and sound to create evil within the character “Mandy”. These two micro-features are important as the main character, “Mandy” is able to both hide and reveal her true personality to the audience. She is able to manipulate everyone into thinking that she is someone she is not. Also these two micro-features trick the audience, as they watch the film expecting to see what they believe is going to happen but instead they put their trust into the wrong character. The scene shows how quickly “Mandy” can switch off her humanity. This creates an unexpected twist in the story line.

The Selfish Giant.

THE SELFISH GIANT

Key Cast:
Director: Clio Barnard
Writer: Clio Barnard
Genre: Drama
Themes: Friendship, Poverty, crime
Release: October 2013
Budget:.......

The Selfish Giant is a drama about two 13 year old boys (Arbor and Swifty) living in the UK who try and make money by working for a local scrap dealer. As the boys get deeper into the business they become more greedy (especially Arbor) which leads to a tragic accident.
It has themes of friendship and exploitation throughout the film.

The two micro-features that are important within this film are sound a cinematography.

Cinematography is important in The Selfish Giant especially in the first and last scenes. The Director uses an establishing shot of Arbor under his bed punching at hitting the bed. This is to show the audience from the beginning that Arbor is an angry child which could cause problems throughout the rest of the film. Whilst Arbor is under the bed, his friend Swifty lays down besides him and calms him down by holding his hand. This introduces the audience to the friendship between Arbor and Swifty. Then at the ending of the film it shows arbor under the bed again but he is more relaxed. He creates the image of the Swifty holding his hand like in the first scene, but then it shows them letting go. This symbolises the end of their friendship due to the death of Swifty. It also shows that after everything that Arbor has done he still ends up back where he started.

Sound is important as it is used to build up the idea that something bad is going to happen. In the scene leading up to Swifty's death, when Swifty goes to get the copper from under the ground you can hear the hum of the live wire. As it becomes louder it starts to become more significant and the audience starts realise that something is not right. The noise of the wire getting louder is used to put the audience on edge and create suspense in the atmosphere. As Swifty climbs back out of the whole the live wire explodes and electrocutes both the boys. After the explosion everything goes really silent and the only noises the audience can hear is the live wire and some birds in the background. Everything is really quiet and calm. This shows to the audience that there is no one around to help. The silent is used to show how everything has ended.

Key Scenes: A key scene within this film is when Swifty is killed trying to steal some copper wiring. This is an important scene as it is the ending of the friendship between Arbor and Swifty. This is important as the whole film is based around their relationship and how they did everything together. Another important scene is when we see Arbor under his bed at the end of the film. This is important as it is the same scene we see at the opening. The film ends how its starts, instead this time Arbor isn't their to calm him down and hold his hand. Instead we see inside Arbor head when he is imagining holding Swifty's hand one last time before he then lets go. This is important as the film ends the same way it starts but instead of meeting Arbors friend the audience says goodbye to him.

Comparable: This film is similar to

Costume designer

COSTUME DESIGNER: JUDIANNA MAKOVSKY.

Costume designers are important within the film industry as they turn the actor in to the character. Without the use of costumes the audience wouldn't be able to get as much information about the personality of the character. For example one big transformation between actor to character is Johnny Deep becoming Edward scissor hands. Without the costume (and makeup) he wouldn't fit the story line as he would just look like a normal person rather than the monster he is supposed to be. this also shows that the costumes help tell the story of the film as it tells the audience what type of people the film is about.

      
Judianna was born on August 24th 1967. Judianna Makovsky is well known for her work in: Hunger Games, Captain America: Winter Soldier and X-Men: The Last Stand. She has been nominated for her work 12 times (including 3 Oscars) and has won 5 awards. Her role as the costume designer is to make sure that the clothes the actors wear fit the characters personality and surroundings. For example, in the Hunger Games, the people living in the Capitol are loud and excessive. This means their outfits also have to be loud and colourful to show their characteristics. Judianna has been involved with allot of films where the costumes have to be big and dramatic (including the three films mentioned and Harry Potter the Sorcerers Stone). Although she has been in films where the costumes have to be subtle and plain, the majority of the films the costumes are really important as they are different from the usual style.

Battle Royale!!

BATTLE ROYALE:

Writer: Koushun Takami and Kenta Fukasaku
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Key cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara and Aki Maeda
Genre: Action/thriller
Themes: Friendships
Release: September 2001

Narrative:
Battle Royale is a film about a new law in Japan which forces students to fight and kill each other. The story is focused on a boy and a girl who make a promise to stick with each other throughout the event whilst also trying to escape the game. The film also is focused around how the children either stay together or turn against one another, testing the true friendship between the students.

Key Scenes:
An important scene within Battle Royale is at 1 hour and 13 minutes into the film where a group of girls who where friends turn on each other. This is important as it is suggesting to the audience that even though they were best friends they all didn't trust one another and would kill them in order to stay alive. This is important as it emphasises the trust and bond between the main couple Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa as they chose to keep their promise. Even though the girls try and keep themselves alive by trying to kill the traitor they all end up dead. This also shows to the audience that Nanahara and Nakagawa have more chance of survival as they have each other.

Compare:
A film similar to Battle Royale is the Hunger Games. In both films children are forced to fight to the death due to the law which has been set by people who have the most control over the country. Although the two films do have some differences. For example, Battle Royale exists because the it is a law in Japan but in Hunger games the actual Hunger Games is purely for the rich people's entertainment. These two films are very similar as they have the same story line and they both follow the same idea that there is only one winner. The only difference is that Hunger Games explains more why the event exists where as it Battle Royale it just explains that it is a new law in Japan.

Otherwise engaged

OTHERWISE ENGAGED!!
The short film "Otherwise engaged" is a rom-com about a couple who post pictures and videos of themselves becoming engaged. The film was written and directed by Alicia MacDonald. The two micro-features that are important are mise-en-scene and performance.

Mise-en-scene is important as the use of the prop (the phone) is the base of the story line. without the phone there is no story. As the man proposes to the women the women decides that the most important thing to do is take a video of it and put it up on social media. This implies to the audience that people only seem to care about the amount of likes and followers they have rather than the important things. The fact that the women is more focused on the recording and photos means that her life is based around her phone and her social media. This makes the film a comedy as when the couple don't start getting comments on their proposal they seem upset (which they shouldn't be).The Phone is important as it used throughout the majority of the film which suggests to the audience that young people are obsessed with their phones and are constantly on them.

Performance is also important as when they don't get the response they want from the social media, the tension between them gets a bit awkward as they don't really speak to each other but instead stare at their phones. This is important for the audience as it shows that people get easily upset by things on social media and from their phones. By them acting surprised and concerned over the fact they haven't received any comments shows that people are addicted to their phones and what people have to say about them. This creates a funny atmosphere as it is funny to see two people who have just got engaged to be worrying about their phones.

Amelie

AMELIE

Amelie is a rom-com as it tells the story about how Amelie finds love but also shows the humour within the character Amelie as she manipulates the lives of people around her.  The film is about a woman called Amelie who decides that she wants to help others by returning lost treasures or helping them find love. She later comes to realise that she is looking for love herself. The micro features that I think are important in the film Amelie is performance and sound.

Audrey Tautou’s (Amelie) performance is important in the film as she is shown to be very shy and innocent. She doesn’t say much throughout the film giving the impression to the audience that she is very mysterious as she has very little to say about the events going on in her life and instead she uses her body language to communicate to the audience. Amelie behaves through the film like an innocent child as her face lights up when she helps someone like when a child sees sweets. She is so happy that she gave back the tin that contained a man’s possessions from when he was a child, so she continues to help others. Throughout the film she seems fascinated by the world around her like it is new to her, she seems constantly excited. This shows to the audience that with her fascination and her actions she is creating some sort of fantasy world. We also see in the film that she meddles in people lives. For example when she switches the man’s slippers and door handle in order to confuse him. This is important as it shows to the audience that even she is supposed to be shy and childish she still influences the lives of people around her.

In the film Amelie there is also a lot of diegetic sounds throughout the film. The directors have used traditional French music that is calm and soft; showing to the audience that the film is supposed to be relaxed. It also tells the audience about the location. The film is set in Paris which is known to be a beautiful location so by using elegant music creates a relaxed atmosphere within the place the film is set. For example in films like “Street Dance” (which are set on the streets of America) they use fast paced loud music which implies to the audience that the film is going to fast paced and full of drama. So in the film Amelie the music is used to show the audience what the genre of the movie is. By using slow, soft music the audience will be able to tell there is an element of romance within the film.

Fish Tank!

Fish Tank!

Key Cast:
Director: Alicia McDonald
Writer:
Genre: Drama/social realism
Themes: Relationship, Family, Crime, Friendship
Release: September 2009
Budget:

Fish Tank is a British feature film centered on the story of a 15 year old girl called Mia. The drama, social realism film focuses on the life of Mia growing up on a rough estate trying to follow her dreams and finding new relationships. The main themes within the film are romance and family.
This film relates to 'Living with crime' as within this film it shows how Mia lives in a place where crime happens right under her nose. For example, the relationship between Mia and Connor is a crime as she is underage. Although Mia doesnt see it as a crime, it still is against the law. This is important as throughout the film it leads up to the intimate relationship between Mia and Connor even though the audience knows it is a bad thing. Another act of crime that is shown in the film is when Mia kidnaps Connors daughter in an act of rage. Even though Mia obviously knows it is the wrong thing to do, she carries on anyway. This is important as the audience sees that it is Mia's actions that stop her from achieving her goals.

The mise-en-scene is important within the film “Fish Tank” as it shows the rough conditions that Mia lives in, explaining to the audience that it could be the reason behind Mia’s behaviour and lack of relationship with her mother. Children and young adults living on the estate are also seen to be smoking and drinking. This backs up the audiences ideas that it is a hard place to grow up and that it is difficult for people living there to achieve their goals as they don’t have the same opportunities as other people. By showing young children to be smoking and drinking shows that they do what they want without any consequences.

The film is shot on an estate which is shown throughout the film to be dirty and a horrible place to live. This links to the title “Fish Tank” as the estate acts like Mia’s own fish tank that she can’t escape from. Although she wants to be a dancer she can’t escape from her background that she was brought up in and it is almost impossible for her to get that opportunity. This suggests to the audience that Mia will always live on the estate that she wants to get away from. The location is important in this film as it acts like the antagonist. She has to try and overcome the obstacle of living in the estate and try to exceed the expectations people have of her.

The theme romance is also important throughout the film as it shows how Mia gets along with other people. This is shown through performance. At 42:03 in the film it shows Connor and Mia dancing together until her mum interrupts. Mia then goes from happy to angry with Connor and storms off. This shows to the audience that Mia doesn’t feel as if anyone truly likes her for who she is and she doesn’t have anyone she trusts. It also shows that she Mia can’t hold on to people. Even though she does try and make friends, it doesn’t last long because something gets in the way (mainly her behaviour). The romance is important in this film because as it shows to the audience that nothing ever goes right for her. At 52:56 it shows Connor and Mia messing around, then Connor starts to it Mia in a jokey way. This foreshadows the events to come later on in the film when Mia takes Connors daughter and Connor hits Mia around her face. This also backs up the point that nothing goes well for Mia and that she loses everything she has.

An important scene within this film is when Mia is dancing in a small room with no one else is around. This is an important scene as it shows to the audience that she actually wants to do something with her life which is dancing. The fact that she is by herself, unlike the girls at the beginning of the film, shows that she wants to practice and that she wants to become a good dancer so she can escape living on the estate. This is important as the film is based around Mia wanting to change her life as she doesn't want to live on the estate anymore. This shows to the audience that she wants to make a change and that she does care about her life.

A comparable to this Fish Tank is 'Hick' (2011). The film is based about a girl who runs away to escape her unstable family and home life but runs into trouble along the way. This is similar to Fish Tank as both the protagonists want to escape their lives and move on to do better things. The film
'Hick' stars: Chloe Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne. It was directed by: Derek Martini. It was written by: Andrea Portes.

In my opinion I thought that the film was good as it showed what it is really like living on an estate and the troubles young people face. However, I did not think that the storyline was that good as there was nothing that really grabbed my attention.