Section 52 reactions

Choosing film names

Music and sound

The music in our opening we noticed played such a vital part in adding to the mood and feel of our piece. Although, the acting alone encouraged the audience to feel sorry for our protagonist, by watching through our opening with and without the non- diegetic music, we definitely noticed a big change.

Our music we wanted to be a slow moving piece to parallel with our opening. We were inspired to look for pieces which sounded similar to Sia- Breathe Me as we experimented using this within our opening prior to adding music and it was one of the pieces which best matched our opening due to its emotional nature, and the fact that the video had moving footage which had a story behind it in the same way our opening did. 

Due to copyright issues we were unable to use this, so tried to find one which was most similar. To do so we looked on a variety of copyright free websites and searched slow pieces which included instruments such as a piano or guitar as these particular instruments best fitted our genre and opening as a whole. 

The music we decided on for our opening highlights the emotional aspect and the gripping issues of our clip and further saddens the storyline. Which is another element of encouraging our audience to engage with our piece and continue watching. 

Social Realism Timeline

Social realism iconic directors

Directors

Mike Leigh is an English Director born in 1943, he is most famous for films such as 'All Or Nothing' and ' secrets & Lies' which won a BAFTA and was Oscar nominated. He inspired me for my media film as his films are not scripted as much as other films. Mike Leigh creates scenarios for scenes and makes the actors/actresses improvise on speech, he did this to make his films more realistic as the words are of real people and what they would have said if they were in the same situation.

Our main inspiration was Ken Loach- an English Film and TV director most famous for his take and influence on the social realism genre. He is famous for the films 'Kes', 'Riff-raff' and 'The Navigators.' The highlighting struggles in these films being homelessness, abuse, social class and labour rights. 

Loach made people realise cinema could be about ordinary people. He ensured that the characters spoke the way they usually would (this was made easy by using amateur actors/actresses) so it would enhance the realness and uniqueness of his films. 

Loach also used the camera to emphasize the realism of the film by making the film grainy, using natural lighting instead of studio lights and using hand-held cameras. He rarely used editing in order to portray a running camera at all times to the audience. His films were generally only filmed on location to promote the realism.

The Navigators Trailer:



Exploring location

Location

Grace's House:
We decided to use Grace's house as getting to and from was easiest for our group, also the layout of the bedroom and front room fitted nicely for our filming.

Bedroom:

We used the bedroom for the first part of filming as the set of the bed in the room is in the prime spot next to the window which helps us capture a good morning shot, we used mise-en-scene in the bedroom by making it look messy with clothes and make up on the floor as it is suppose to be a teenage girls bedroom.

Living Room: 

We decided to film this scene in the living room as we agreed this was the best place for what we wanted to film. Grace took photos of the living room and showed our group before we started filming to make sure we could all decide this was the right location.

Filming here made sense as the room tied in nicely with the social realism side of the filming as its your everyday living room.

School Alleyway:

We chose to film here as it's close for us all to get to and the setting in the alley way is very dirty and rough looking which is what we were looking for when deciding which alleyway to film in, as the mise-en-scene is very realistic.

School Gates:

We chose to film at the school gate because our storyline is the girl about to go into school, so we chose Weald as it's easily accessible and simple for us to film at and is obvious it is a school gate.

Film rating

Following the guidelines on the BBFC website we have decided that our film would be classified as a 15. This is due to the themes the film opening involves, including; strong language, portrayals of sexual activity and drug taking. 

Here are the different classifications taken from the BBFC website:

1.  U - Suitable for all
2. PG - Parental guidance
3. 12A - Must be 12+ to view at a cinema
4. 12 - Must be 12+ to rent or buy
5. 15 - Must be 15+ to view at a cinema and to rent or buy
6. 18 - Must be 18+ to view at a cinema and to rent or buy

Things you might see in a 15 rated movie:

• Strong violence
• Frequent strong language
• Portrayals of sexual activity
• Verbal references to sex
• Sexual Nudity
• Brief scenes of sexual violence
• Verbal references to sexual violence
• Discriminatory language or behaviour
• Drug taking 

Strong Language in a 15 rated film:

There is no upper limit to the amount of strong language in a 15, however continued or aggressive swearing is not necessarily common within 15 rated films.

The use of Discriminatory terms in 15 rated films:

Discriminatory terms are allowed given that the work as a whole does not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Sexual Scenes in a 15 rated film: 

Sexual activity can be portrayed but without strong detail. Nudity is allowed in a sexual context without strong detail and nudity in a non-sexual or educational context has no constraints. 

Unless justified by by context crude references are not acceptable.

Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality.

Sexual Violence in a 15 rated film: 

The portrayal should be discreet and justified by context. There can be detailed verbal references to sexual violence.

Drugs in a 15 rated film:

Drug taking and general drug possession may be show but the film must not promote the use of drugs or show instructional detail. 

Dangerous behaviours in 15 rated films:

Dangerous behaviours that may be impressionable to teenagers shouldn't be dwelled upon or have detail which can be copied. 

Social Realism Iconography

Social realism

Social realism:

What is Social Realism?

Social Realism is a genre of film that focuses on modern day issues such as, drugs, abuse, money problems and teenage issues. It is also the most realistic genre in terms of real life application.

It aims to create a sense of reality and to viewers watching it, to be relatable in their life or others around them.

Codes and Conventions:

Location: It is unlikely that a film of social realism to be filmed in a studio, it would be filmed on location to give the film a more realistic feel. These locations tend to be in housing blocks or parks, or places of familiarity.

Actors: The actors/actresses used would be non- professional,as professional actors would not necessarily want to be in a low budget social realism film. The accents of the actors/actresses help to decipher the characters background and really help in a social realism films.

Storyline: The storyline would be a dramatic and emotional story that aims to tug at viewers emotions. Also the majority of the storyline would be improvised, many famous directors used this method to create a more life like effect on their film.

Shots: The shots used are made by filming with a hand held camera, to make the film look life like, and as if its being documented.

For these reasons we filmed our opening in more run down urban areas to insure the correct feel for a social realism film. For example a part of our film is filmed outside a row of houses in a urban area and another part is filmed outside a block of run down flats to make it evident that the people in our opening are of a lower class and have a poor lifestyle.

We used actors/actresses with little to no experience this was mainly due to the fact that we had no access to qualified actors however as I mentioned above this is fitting to the genre as it enhances the realism.

Our storyline is based around Simone (the young girl) being prostituted by an much older man, she agrees to the prostitution due to the struggles she deals with at home and the fact that she needs the money. Her mother is a drunk drug addict who neglects Simone which pushes her to stimulate a relationship with an older man (the man on the phone)

The majority of the shots used in our opening were steadied by a tripod, however there are several where we used a handheld camera to make the viewer feel as if they are there with Simone and gives the impression of a low budget film.

Our Inspiration - Mike Leigh:

Mike Leigh is an English Director born in 1943, he is most famous for films such as 'All Or Nothing' and ' secrets & Lies' which won a BAFTA and was Oscar nominated. He inspired us for our media film as his films are not scripted as much as other films. Mike Leigh creates scenarios for scenes and makes the actors/actresses improvise on speech, he did this to make his films more realistic as the words are of real people and what they would have said if they were in the same situation.

To get an idea of what to include in our two minute film opening we watched the film 'Fish Tank' which is a social realism film based on a teenage girl from a non wealthy background living with her mother and sister, who befriends her mums new boyfriend. This film was suggested to us and was a brilliant film to watch as it uses key themes and specific shots that helped generate ideas for when we create our own opening to a film.

Exploring genres: How the thriller genre has changed

A good thriller showcases intense excitement: building up suspense, tension and anticipation of things to come. The aim for a thriller film is to make the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem- an escape, a mission or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

Sub-Genres of Thriller

1. Action Thriller: An action thriller uses physical action to create suspense within the film. This will include physical stunts, chases, fights, battles and races. Often, these scenes will contribute to the overall sense of danger that the protagonist is facing.

The Bourne Identity

2. Crime Thriller: A crime thriller is a sub-genre that incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This sub-genre's plot usually centres on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. They tend to focus on the criminal and the protagonist, using action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense.

Gone Girl

3. Psychological Thriller: In addition to the traits of a regular Thriller, a Psychological Thriller incorporates elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense in this sub-genre comes from the mind, rather than from physical threat. The protagonists in Psychological Thrillers must rely on their mental resources to solve the situation. Because of their nature, many Psychological Thrillers cross over into the Horror Genre. 

Frozen

4. Science Fiction Thriller: Science Fiction Thriller incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Traditionally, a Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. Often this sub-genre will explore the "future-gone-bad" theme, including plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopia scenarios, and super-diseases.

District 9

5. Religious Thriller: Religious Thrillers focus on religious themes, including religious questions and ceremonies. Though some films can revolve around a specific church, mainly including supernatural experiences, exorcisms, demon possessions and church cover-ups are typical themes of Religious Thrillers.

The Da Vinci Code

  Timeline of How the Thriller Genre has Evolved

Video:

Alfred Hitchcock brought the genre to life by creating a silent film called ‘The Lodger’- a Jack the Ripper inspired narrative. Hitchcock was also influenced by German expressionist technique. ‘The Lodger’ included scenes of sexual nature but rarely any as in the ‘20s and ‘30s this type of theme was not seen as socially acceptable. As a result of this film a Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto described how ‘The Lodger’ would pave the way for Hitchcock’s later work and how it was “the first time Hitchcock revealed his psychological attraction to the association between sex and murder, between ecstasy and death.” Then came the first British film with sound- Blackmail in 1929; another Alfred Hitchcock film.

The 1940s saw the beginning of sectioning the Thriller genre into separate sub-genres this was due to the psychological thriller ‘Gaslight’ created by George Cukor. Alfred Hitchcock continued to create suspense filled thrillers including Oscar-winning ‘Rebecca’ in 1940. Around 1946 a few films about people getting terrorised by serial killers were released.

In the ‘50s Hitchcock added Technicolor to his films and reached the high-point in his career when he released ‘Strangers on a Train’ in 1951, ‘Dial M for Murder’ in 1954 and ‘Vertigo’ in 1958. Other notable films of the ‘50s include ‘The Night of the Hunter’ directed by Charles Laughton in 1955 and ‘Touch of Evil’, a crime thriller, directed by Orson Welles in 1958. Orson Welles also acted in his film.

Hitchcock released a disturbing thriller film called ‘Psycho’ which left the audience terrified. ‘Psycho’ is about a loner mother-fixated motel owner and taxidermist. Other notable psychopathic films in the ‘60s include ‘Peeping Tom’ directed by Michael Powell. The famous thriller ‘Wait until Dark’ released in 1967 and directed by Terence Young starrer Audrey Hepburn as a victimized blind woman in her Manhattan apartment.

After two decades of foreign films Hitchcock kicked off the 70s with a violent start as the film ‘Frenzy’ was released in 1972, and was given rating R for its vicious and explicit strangulation scene. In 1974 the film ‘Conversation’ was released by Francis Ford Coppola, ‘Conversation’ is a spy thriller film about someone who uncovered a murder whilst being spied upon. In 1978 Peter Hyam proposed the government’s conspiracy-theory idea that the first mission to Mars landing was complete in the film ‘Capricorn One.’

A prominent director of the ‘70s and ‘80s was Brian De Palma who used the themes of guilt, paranoia and obsession with plot elements include killing off main characters early on, switching point of view and dream-like sequences. His noteworthy films were ‘Sister’ in 1973, ‘Obsession’ in 1976, ‘Dressed to Kill’ in 1980 and the assassination thriller ‘Blow Out’ in 1981. 

In the ‘90s there was recurring elements of obsession and trapped protagonists, these devices influenced a number of thrillers in the following years such as Rob Reiner’s Misery in 1990. In 1991 Jonathan Demme created the highly acclaimed crime thriller called ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ which was a typical crime thriller at the time. Also the notable crime thriller ‘Se7en’ in 1995 which was about the search for a serial killer who re-enacts the seven deadly sins.

Thriller have recently begun to overlap with the horror genre therefore having more gore and sadistic violence, brutality and terror. Recent films in which this occurred include The Last House on the Left in 2009, Vacancy in 2007 and Hostage in 2005.