INT 1/2 MEDIA STUDIES: UNSEEN ANALYSIS HOMEWORK

[missmcgrory]

Hi everyone,

Before Monday, I want everyone to practise answering the unseen analysis questions on AT LEAST ONE of the following trailers. You can pick the one(s) you want to do!

The Untouchables:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIF_WdPUBFo

Once Upon a Time in America:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzhX2PD6Srw

The Departed
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGWvwjZ0eD

Resevoir Dogs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvoKT481EmU


For Int 2, analyse the:

1. Purpose
2. Genre
3. Tone
4. Technical Codes
5. Cultural Codes
6. Anchorage


For Int 1, answer the following:

1. Identify the form of the text. Describe one element from the text that shows this.

2. Identify two purposes of the text. For each purpose, describe one element from the text that shows this.

3. Identify the genre of the text. By referring to the text, describe three individual elements that show this genre.

4. With close reference to the text, describe several ways sound is used to suggest meanings.

5. Identify two other technical codes and, with close reference to the text, describe how they suggest meanings (you may want to think about camera, voice over, lighting, editing etc).

6. Name several cultural codes. By close reference to the text, describe how they suggest meanings. (You should think about setting, actions, dialogue, costume, colour, props etc).

For Int 2, give yourself 60 minutes.

For Int 1, you have 45 minutes.

Happy analysing!

[missmcgrory]

Hi everyone,

I am going to post the class notes for the examples we have looked at in class so far. Please remember that you need to give DETAILED examples from the text, hence the mise-en-scene refresher for 'A Bronx Tale'. If you say "i know it is a gangster film because of the concrete jungle setting" you're showing that you have learned this, not necessarily that you have fully analysed the trailer in front of you!

Notes to follow.

[missmcgrory]

Class notes for Unseen Analysis: ‘Casino’ trailer

1. Purpose
• To attract and audience and promote the film
• Use of stars (e.g. Robert de Niro – Oscar winner, will attract a wide audience as he is critically acclaimed, director Martin Scorcese is critically acclaimed as well. These names highlighted in the text black and white to make them stand out…)
• Fast paced editing e.g. gambling sequence at start. Allows them to show main parts of storyline and makes the film seem exciting.
• Exciting action in film in trailer – gambling, explosions, gun fights e.g. ……………………
• Romance subplot between De Niro and Stone helps to attract a female audience as well as male target audience, promoting the film to as wide an audience as possible to increase profits
• Title of film displayed at the end of the trailer. This keeps viewers watching. This creates a sense of anticipation and suspense.
• The title is repeated at the end so the audience don’t forget.
• The trailer starts with the logo of the production company, Universal– this helps to promote the film as the production company are well known -one of the Big Six.

2. Genre
• Gangster genre
• Genre markers e.g. gambling, guns, concrete jungle setting LOTS OF DETAILED EXAMPLES HERE E.G. at the start of the trailer we see a wide shot of Las Vegas and the caption ‘Las Vegas’ to establish this is set in a big city notorious for gambling. This concrete jungle setting is typical of the gangster genre.
• Sequence of start shows gambling in a casino setting – crime/vice/glamour/corruption/risk is an important element of the gangster genre
• Captions: ‘money’ ‘power’ suggest the film is about crime – typical of gangster genre. These are things that gangsters strive to attain.
• Dialogue about crime as well e.g. …………….
• Subgenre - of romance – describe the specific shot this starts in. Wedding scene: we see Stone in a white dress and Robert de Niro in a dark suit, they kiss in front of a wedding cake, indicating they are getting married. The dialogue refers to a romance between them as well e.g. Robert de Niro says: “I want to settle down, have a family” – such dialogue belongs to romance genre.
• Directed by Martin Scorcese – his name appears in a caption (in black and white to make it stand out). He is critically acclaimed and associated with the gangster genre. E.g. Goodfellas, Casino, Mean Streets.
• Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci -both acclaimed actors in gangster genre e.g. Robert de Niro won an oscar for his role in the famous gangster film ‘The Godfather II’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in America’.

3. Tone
• Dramatic
• Exciting
• Sinister
• Violence and use of guns, big explosions e.g. …. Minutes in, we see three men carrying large guns, shooting simultaneously at a building. The effect is dramatic. Two minutes in, we see a car explode suddenly and the flames cover the entire screen – again this is very dramatic and exciting. This is to establish a dramatic and exciting tone.
• Violence creates a sinister tone, for example the shot with Joe Pesci being restrained and a man swinging a baseball bat, suggesting he is going to kill him or beat him.
• The shot towards the end of Robert de Niro shouting angrily, saying “you’re going to get us all killed” createsa dramatic and sinister atmosphere as it contrasts with his calmness throughout the rest of the trailer. This suggests that the plot will have lots of exciting twists and the characters will face extreme danger…
• Fast paced editing creates an exciting tone e.g. towards the end we shot of… then a shot of….. then a shot of…… (v. quick change). Describe the transitions.
• Rock soundtrack at the start of trailer suggests the film will be exciting
• Serious moments? Give examples? Suggests film has many different layers – look at change in music/change in tone. Tone becomes calmer, more serious to show the characters lives have changed now they are in trouble.

4. Connotations of cultural codes
• Dialogue: ‘We’ve got a problem’, repetition of ‘trust’ suggests the characters experience danger, trouble in the film and the issue of loyalty is important to them
• Bright suits e.g. Robert de Niro wears a red suit jacket (when?) to show time setting, because it is 70s fashion, red indicates blood and murder, suggesting that these will feature in the film, garish colours suggest the character is rich, flamboyant, has a lavish lifestyle.
• Las Vegas setting (in a Las Vegas Casino) – ‘sin city’ – glamorous (gambling, bright lights, showgirls etc) but also seedy. Suggests the film will include glamour and corruption. Appropriate for a mafia film about protecting your riches!

5. Connotations of technical codes
• Captions
• ‘Las Vegas 1970’ establishes time and place setting at the start.
• Key actors and the director also named in captions to suggest the film is going to be good, attract an audience.
• Music
• Editing
• Camera angles
• Close up on Joe Pesci (when?) shows these are the main character
• High angle shot of Robert de Niro (when?) – shows he is powerful.
• Voice over


6. Example of anchorage and how it helps you understand the intended meaning of the text

• Costume expensive suits in various colours e.g. Robert de Niro’s red suit jacket and later, powder blue suit – establishes 70s
• Captions ‘1970’ tell us it is the 70s
• Cars – pick out example, say it is 70s
• Women’s hairstyle and make up e.g. describe Sharon Stone
• Music – describe in detail.
• Furniture and carpet/décor inside casino –describe, explain it looks 70s.
• Characters smoking – smoking more common in the 70s. Smoking indoors, especially. Give example.

[missmcgrory]

Analysing the Mise-en-scene : Film Trailers

A Bronx Tale


Over the shoulder shot shows which character has more authority. Key dialogue “this is my life. This is not for you” indicates that the older man is trying to convince the boy to stay out of trouble – first indication that it is a gangster film.

1950s music – sets the time period (describe genre, tone of music)

Voiceover using the first person (“I was nine years old”) – establishes that the main character is talking. The voice over a shot of a little boy who looks about nine tells us the little boy IS the main character/narrator.

***having the voice over in the first person from the main character forces the audience to feel a connection with the character, so they care about what happens to him and want to find out.

Contrast between happy music and scenes of violence: creates a contrast, shows that the narrator is romanticising the memory of this incident/time.

Slow motion and close up on older man: tells us this man is important, and indicates that the boy is noticing him properly for the first time.

Dialogue: “As I grew…” sound bridge to next shot of a teenage/young adult actor, talking to the older man. Indicates that this is the boy from the previous scene, now older. The fact the older man has his arm round him suggests they have become friends. The man’s gestures as he talks indicate he is explaining something ro advising the boy about something, indicating he has taken on the role of the boy’s mentor.

Stark change in music as titles appear. A 60s soul/jazz song is played. This highlights a change in mood (the music is more exciting and less sweet/romantic than previous music) and also highlights a change in time (we have moved from the 50s to the 60s.

The font is serif, which is an old-fashioned font, reminding us of the time setting.

The title is red, which has connotations of danger and violence, suggesting these elements may appear in the film.

Kiss greeting establishes characters as Italians – works on stereotype of Italians being in the mafia. (Cultural code, working on our cultural assumptions…)

Slow motion shot of the boy looking round, over his shoulder, implies he is always “watching his back”. This tells us he is involved in some kind of crime.

Close up of a car turning on headlights and engine followed by shot of the boy turning round – implies he is being chased. Suggests the character will be in danger, which makes the film intriguing and exciting for the audience.

We now have a third person narrator. “His hard working father” – this is said over a shot of Robert de Niro driving a bus. This tells us de Niro plays the boy’s father, a bus driver. He is therefore NOT in the mafia.

Dialogue: “it’s not what you say, it’s what he sees” – the father does not want the boy to be involved with the mafia. This sets up an interesting conflict between two father figures/role models for the boy and the enigma code: which role model will he pick?

Close up on gun – reminder of violence

Lots of scenes in the dark/night time setting towards the end of the trailer e.g. when they are in the back of the car. Darkness has connotations of danger and fear, suggesting the boy is now in trouble and this is not the “sunny”, happy life he imagined it would be when he was nine.

A third change in music – dramatic bongo drumming, heralded by a loud gunshot, show we are now looking at a particularly dramatic part of the boy’s life. Drum beats create a sense of anticipation and tension.

Street fight scene – tilted frame has disorientating effect on audience. Puts the audience in the position of the victim, thus making the violence seem “real” and more threatening than in earlier scenes. Shaky cam also makes the audience feel more drawn in.

Shots of legs running – imply the boy is being chased. Darkness – again fear, danger.

Climax of trailer with big explosion. Suggests this there will be a dramatic/exciting climax to the film. Music reaches a climax when we see the explosion, to add to the drama.

Silence, then slower paces, gospel music. This indicates a more serious and possibly sad tone. The final piece of dialogue in the scene fits with this as it is about family and human relationships.

[missmcgrory]

Example answers:

Int 1: Bare min pass at int 1
The genre is horror because the text on the poster where it says ‘Sleepy Hollow’ looks scary and in the picture there is a headless man with an axe, and he is going to chop people’s heads off because in the text it says “Heads Will Roll”. It is also romance because on the poster they show Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci on the top of it and it shows they are in love, because they are standing close together with her face touching his face.

Top level answer at Int 1:

The genre is hybrid. There are elements of romance. You can see this because of the juxtaposition of two characters. The faces are close together. She looks like she is clinging to him. He is protecting her. There is a picture of a man, carrying an axe, riding a horse in the middle of a graveyard. We know that they are going to be used, creating the idea of horror. Also because of the quote “heads will roll”, you will be scared. The colours are also dark, black mostly, suggesting this is a dark, scary film.

Basic Int 2:
The text is written in the same sort of style that would be written on a tombstone, serif. Another thing that would connote horror is the way ‘Sleepy Hollow’ is written. It looks like it is written in blood. This has connotations of death and thus connotes horror.

Good Int 2:
The genre of the text is horror. This is shown by the black colours used. The black connotes death and the red writing suggests blood. The full moon also suggests horror, as it reminds the target audience (fans of horror) of other horror films, and of werewolves. The text of title looks like writing on a headstone, again connoting horror and death. The man on the horse ahs no head and is raising an axe, suggesting blood, gore and violence and ultimately showing horror.

[missmcgrory]

General notes:

Remember to always use the appropriate technical terms e.g. mid-shot, extreme close up, non-diegetic sound, connotations etc

Categories
Tones

Remember there are lots of different possible tones. Usually two or three within one trailer.
Gangster films are often: exciting, dramatic, sinister, humourous (often violent scenes will be followed by shots of people eating, laughing, joking, to show relationships between characters and provide light relief for the audience. Also maybe suggests characters are complex, have many sides to them e.g. father/husband as well as killer.

Purpose
-to attract audience/promote the film
- look for big names/critically acclaimed actors/directors. They have an established fan base who will automatically want to see the film. Actors can hint at genre as well.
-montage/fast editing summarises the main plot points of the film, so we know what it is about
-sets up enigma codes e.g. what wil happen to character A? to make us see the film.
-Look at the placing of the titles. Often at the end of the trailer. We have to watch the whole trailer to find out what it is called. Often titles are repeated so the audience don't forget the name of the film.

Genre
Discuss genre markers and give DETAILED examples. Analyse the mise-en-scene. See previous notes on example answer and A Bronx Tale.
Look for subgenres e.g. romance. Give examples.

Technical codes
Music
Music is very important. Decribe it and the effect is creates. gangster films often have light-hearted or romantic music over scenes of violence either to:
-make it less upsetting for the audience
-make it MORE upsetting for the audience (it can be quite chilling)
-to show how emotionally distanced from the violence the characters have become
Music can anchor time setting e.g. 20s swing music tells us the film is set in the 20s.

Voice over
Who is speaking? What do they tell us?
Is it a character in the film (e.g. Bronx Tale?) This makes us feel a connection with the character, so we care about what happens to them and want to watch on. Think abotu Michael's journey. If we didn't care about the character, would we care about anything that happens int he film? It doesn't mean we have to LIKE the character, just find them interesting.

Voice-over can establish tone, setting (accent? language?), genre etc

Camera
How does the camera direct you to important information e.g. who the main character is? Revise camera shots and angles. (E.g. often there is a close up on the main character early in a trailer, to tell us the character si important.)

Editing
Fast paced? What are the transitions like? Link to purpose (fast paced editing can be exciting for the audience and let you see several of the film's "best bits" which would make you want to see the whole film.)

Fades? Dissolves? Passage of time? Sound bridge?

Cultural Codes
Costume
Establishes (anchors) character and setting, particularly time setting. Describe in detal and explain WHY.
Setting can be related to genre.

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