Costume ideas

These jeans are very casual and can be worn on a day to day basis which is perfect for Jennifer as the thriller is based on a normal day. They are also very basic so they do not show much of jennifers personality which could reflect a lost/ hidden identity. We are using contempry fashion for our thriller to indicate the modern era.

This jumper is an example of casual knitwear worn in the winter. This kind of jumper is worn on a day-to-day basis which relfects the normality of the setting in our thriller as it is based on a normal day after Jennifer finishes 6th form.

These leggings are also a possibility for Jennifer's costume as they are casual yet they can reflect a vibrant personality suggesting she is a strong person. These leggings are animal print which suggests that she is good at surviving.

This coat is an example of a warm winter coat worn on a normal day, it is casual yet stylish which fits in with teenage fashion.It is plain and has no bold colours which can suggest a passive character.

The costume for the main character is strongly influenced by the clothing worn by most teenage girls of 15-17 years old. We decided to use this so the target audience (teenagers) can identify with the character which makes the thriller opening much more realistic. The film '4321' directed by Noel Clarke and Mike Davis was released in 2010, the film is modern and was released recently so we have based our costume ideas on Joanne played by Emma Roberts. 

Cast list

Cast:
Jennifer- Lucy Tyson
Directors- Kaya Maplestone (myself) and Kirsty Swift
Cinematographers- Kaya Maplestone (myself) and Kirsty Swift

Lucy is a friend of Kirsty and is very reliable, we chose lucy as she is a drama student and lives close by to Kirsty which makes filming the thriller easier, it also makes planning and contacting her more convinient.

Kirsty and I have decided to share the role of director as it will give us both the chance to develop our camera skills and will help us to work as a team which is an important skill to have. We have decided to share the filming equally between us so we both have the chance to compare ideas and this way we can both help eachother to improve.

Kill bill analysis- UNFINISHED

Kill bill is a Quentin Tarantino film released in 2003 starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Daryl Hannah. It had a budget of $55,000,000 and made £22,089,322 in the USA in 3102 screens. Kill bill was produced my Miramax films and is based in the USA.

The opening of Kill bill volume 1 starts with a sound bridge of a woman breathing heavily, this connotes suspense and panic, it also anticipates action to happen in the next sequence. This diagetic sound is used to create the atmosphere of a thriller which is a classic thriller convention.

This cuts to a close up of a woman covered in blood; the audience can see part of a veil behind her head which adds interest as they do not know what is going on in the mise-en-scene. This shot is in black and white which indicates a flashback or memory; it also conveys confusion and a lacked sense of reality. Black and white shot could be a tribute to the auteur directors of the 50’s. The sound in this mise-en-scene is all diagetic, the woman is breathing loudly showing fear and distress yet in the background there is the sound of slow yet persistent footsteps which adds enigma.

This cuts to a low angle tracking shot of someone’s shoes, the costume is very important in Kill bill as the face of bill is not shown in the opening which makes him an enigma figure and also makes him seem more intimidating. From his shoes we can tell that his costume is smart which suggests a powerful and perhaps self absorbed character as he is concerned about his appearence.

Cuts back to the woman’s face, she has become more frightened and distressed which makes the audience aware that Bill is the one who injured her. “do you find me sadistic?” This is the first line of dialogue, this is very fear inducing and it indicates the type of character Bill is which is extremely important as it is an introduction of Bill to the audience, it also shows that he does not take the situation very seriously and sees the woman as a joke. Bill does not seem to be worried that he has hurt the woman which suggests that he is in fact sadistic and enjoys the power he has over his victim.

Bill reaches out and wipes blood off the woman’s face with his own handkerchief which has his name embroidered onto the corner, this shows that the character is very self absorbed and important. We still do not see his face which could mean he has something to hide and there is more to him than meets the eye. The name on his handkerchief could suggest that the name comes up in the film more than the character does, foreshadowing later events. The bracelet on his wrist indicates wealth and importance which is stereotypical of a gangster or someone of that nature.

Animal Kingdom analysis

Animal kingdom is a crime/drama/thriller released in 2010, directed and written by David Michod. It had a low budget of $5,000,000 and is an independent film starring Guy Pearce, James Frecheville and Joel Edgerton.

There are many generic thriller conventions within this film, the use of lighting is particularly interesting as many thrillers use noir, chiaroscuro or dim lighting yet Animal Kingdom is filmed with non-ambient bright lighting as lots of the film is based within a house. The film also uses non-ambient lighting as there is lots of filming done in the day light, this lighting is used to help the consumer to relate with the settings and the characters.

The locations of the film are rather generic of the thriller genre; there are dimly lit streets which connote isolation and danger and wide open spaces which also convey isolation and not being able to hide, it gives a sense of insecurity and panic. The family home of the main characters is a location used throughout the film and this is not typical of the genre, it shows that corruption is everywhere even within a close family and you can trust no one. This location is used to help the audience relate to the characters as it something most people see on a daily basis (their home).

This film stands out from mainstream Hollywood films in many ways, interestingly the actors used are amateur and are not well known, this makes the acting more believable as the audience can relate to them. J did not use much dialogue as he expresses his emotions through his body language which is very effective. Also there are no extreme special effects or CGI which makes it more realistic, as if the audience were watching someone’s life rather than a film. Although this film is very visual, it has an amazing plot which has many twists and turns, it is a very unpredictable film whereas most Hollywood films I have viewed seem to be more visually based and have a very thin plot.

There were many amazingly thought out themes within the film like the extreme contrast between J’s  family and his girlfriend’s, it makes us think that J is very different to his family and that he would fit in with his girlfriend’s family a lot better than he would with his own. It also shows the audience that J’s family are criminals, the scenes in their family home slightly convince the audience that they are behaving in a normal way and that being a gangster is completely acceptable but seeing another families lifestyle makes the audience realise how wrong they are.

The role of the mother in this film is very interesting as there is no father figure in the boys’ life which could be a reason for them all turning out the way they have. They have no masculine guide which makes them respect their mother even more and she is seen as a kind of ‘ queen bee’. None of her sons will do anything to hurt her and they respect her completely, this is something J is not used to as she seems to be in complete control of everything.

There were some extremely brilliant scenes reflecting some generic conventions of the genre, J’s uncle became completely unhinged and ran into the middle of the outback, he was then shot. This shot signifies the wild nature of the sons and shows that they are like animals being hunted in the wild and only the strongest will survive. This is also a link to the title of the film.

Another interesting scene was at the end of the film where J shot pope, this shows that he has overthrown the most dangerous and predatory figure in the household which immediately puts him at the top, this relates to the ‘survival of the fittest’ and also to the name of the film as it shows that he has become one of ‘the pack’.

Layer cake- opening scene analysis (Matthew Vaughn 2004)

I found this thriller very interesting as it has many amazing shots which I could use in my thriller opening. Layer cake is about a drug dealer attempting to retrieve one million ecstasy pills from another group of drug dealers, this is an inspiring crime thriller as it has a very simple plot line yet is extremely cleverly made and there are many twists to the plot which make it very interesting.

The opening scene begins with an establishing shot of a black car door which turns into a medium close up,  the background used in this shot is plain black which connotes danger as the colour black is typically associated with violence and death, this foreshadows events which are shortly about to happen. There is a voiceover (non-diagetic sound) as the car doors are shown, this carries on throughout the opening of the film which makes the audience connect with the main character of the film revealing that the film will be completely focused upon him (Daniel Craig) right from the beginning and it will be from his point of view. This is an effective way to open a thriller as it keeps the audience completely on edge, the dialogue is very interesting and does not tell the viewers a lot about the content of the film but some of the things which are said foreshadow parts of the film as featured in 'Essex boys'.There is an explosion in the car which blows the doors open, yet you do not see the rest of the vehicle; this is shot in chiaroscuro lighting which can make an object look more threatening. The explosion is an extremely good way to begin a crime thriller film as it connotes corruption, power and violence; it also lets the audience know which genre it is going to be as soon as it starts. Just before the explosion the narrator says the phrase “cops and robbers” which completely sums up the films motive-corruption.

The explosion cuts to a very interesting flashback of an armed robbery outside a building, this scene uses very milky non-ambient lighting and is in slow motion so the audience knows it is a flashback, the milky lighting adds tension and mystery and it connotes fire and explosions suggesting the film will be full of suprises. This film has a circular narrative which keeps it very interesting. As the flash back begins the first thing we see is a man walking with a gun, this foreshadows events to come as guns are a very frequent prop within this thriller. There is a tracking shot of the street which turns into a medium close up of a woman’s face, this shot is very effective as it shows the fear in the face of an innocent victim. This is a very significant shot as women are frequently portrayed as insignificant victims in thriller films and are usually dominated by men, this attitude to women is shown clearly within this film as there are only two actresses who have lines and one of them is murdered.

There is an amazing transition shot from the woman’s head to a man’s head which leads to another flashback. This time there is bright, non-ambient lighting which suggests a happier time in someone’s life. The medium close up shows a group of hippies smoking drugs and lounging in someone’s living room, the drugs foreshadow the plot of the film. The tracking shot follows a girl (we only see her bare legs, this shows she is insignificant and is just a thing to be looked at) walking through a hallway, there is a transition shot from the woman walking, to a man walking in a very grey hallway holding a baton which is another signifier of corruption and men being dominant. I think this portrays men's generalised views of women very effectively as the woman is being shown as an object yet the man is shown in a prison holding a baton which shows she is defenceless yet he is very powerful and could be violent. The non-diagetic lighting in this shot makes the tone of the mise-en-scene change from happy to tense and angry. We see that this shot is filmed in a prison canteen, there is only non-diagetic sound (voiceover and soundtrack) and this makes the audience aware that it is still a flashback, this technique makes the audience feel as if the mise-en-scene is unreal as the lighting and the sound are both non-diagetic.

The next mise-en-scene features a tracking shot of a shelf in a shop holding bottles, these bottles are well known companies such as FCUK yet they are selling drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy. This is probably the most important and amazing mise-en-scene within the entire film as it reveals the plot of the film and the reason behind the plot too. The bottles represent a metaphor for the main characters view of the future, he believes that companies will eventually see the immense amount of money conducted in drug dealing and will want to be involved in this industry. This is an amazingly clear connotation of corruption in the modern day as the main character is talking about drug dealing as if it is perfectly fine to be doing it yet he seems to be justifying this by saying there is lots of money involved. Very interestingly, the bottles begin to turn back into modern day bottles letting the audience know this part of the mise-en-scene was a metaphor for the future. As the bottles turn back we notice that the main character is standing in a chemist (non-ambient) which completely contrasts with his view of how the world should be.

We never find out the main characters name which is extremely interesting as it gives the audience something to think about when the film has ended and is very enigmatic. This is a very interesting technique as it shows that even though we have been following the plot through the eyes of the main character, the audience do not know the character at all as they have been out smarted by him throughout the entire film.

Thelma and louise image analysis-( Ridley Scott, 1991)

Characters:

This shot clearly shows a woman holding a gun to a man’s head; this challenges typical thriller conventions as the male is usually domination the woman. The woman is holding a gun which also challenges stereotypes because the gun is a symbol of masculinity and power, something which is not conventionally associated with a woman and she is seen as a ‘femme fatale’ The facial expressions make it clear that something has happened to aggravate Louise and she is dominating and getting her revenge. The man looks slightly worried yet it seems as if he takes her as a joke, he doesn’t think she will shoot him and this portrays most men’s views on women. Thelma is in the background of the shot which connotes weakness and shows she is the victim in the situation; you cannot see her expression but from the way she is standing it is clear that she is distressed.

Camera angle:

The shot is a medium close up so the action is easy to see, this also makes the characters expressions clearer so the audience can see their emotions. Through this angle we can see from the characters body language that Louise is domination the shot which shows that she is domination the situation, it also shows that the character at the back of the shot (Thelma) is vulnerable within the situation yet still important as she is still in the shot; she is seen clearly yet seems insignificant to the action.

Lighting:

This is shot in non-ambient lighting which can seem threatening to the audience as it is focused to draw attention to certain aspects of the mise-en-scene. The barrel of the gun is the brightest part of the scene which draws attention to the main prop and the left side of the man’s face is lit up to draw focus to his emotions. The background of the shot is not as bright so Thelma seems to blend into her surroundings.

Props:

The gun is the most symbolic prop within the mise-en-scene as it represents power and conformity. People sometimes use guns as a warning and a way to change others into either being a better person or into being more of a threat, this gun symbolises the man’s life being out of his own hands and him suddenly being dominated and manipulated by someone else. The man’s costume is very simple and his shirt leaves him slightly exposed which could reflect the vulnerable position he is in within the shot.

Location:

This scene is shot in a car park which is a generic thriller location, they are surrounded by cars yet the car park seems to be empty yet this is not clear in the shot. The emptiness of the car park can make the characters feel alone and isolated from the public, the dark lighting also adds to this effect as the characters are not able to see around them.

Shot list- revisited

Close up of Jennifer's eyes opening
Panning shot of Jennifer's hands tied, shot pans down body- medium close up
Cuts to sepia/black and white flash back- Jenny walking home through secluded walkway- medium shot, silent
Back to real time
POV shot, jenny looks around room sees table of 'tools' then hears something- looks at door
Cuts to flashback, bumps into shadowed figure- Jenny's phone is ringing- medium close up ( doesn't show phone)
Back to real time, phone still ringing- extreme close up of phone with caller ID.
Stays zoomed in on phone, someone comes into room, do not see person ( diagetic sound)
Extreme close up of hand ending phone call

Essex boys analysis

Essex boys was released on the 14^th of July 2000 in the UK; It is a generic crime thriller featuring drugs dealers, guns and gangsters and is directed by Terry Windsor. Essex boys was a low budget film predominantly shown at independent and art house cinemas, it was distributed by Pathe-UK and Miramax home video which are known for distributing independent and foreign films, this means the film could already have a  pre- existing audience. When the film was brought out it was shown in 54 UK screens and made £111, 548 in the opening weekend which is a particularly low profit, even for a low budget independent film.

The film opens with a typical thriller location- a gloomy garage. The mise-en-scene features a very prominent vanishing point which immediately adds tension; the chiaroscuro lighting adds to this effect and foreshadows dark, horrific events to follow. The light is coming from above the character so his features are not distinguished, this can suggest he is trying to hide his identity and he is not really certain about who he is or what his purpose is.  The location connotes entrapment and isolation which is a classic thriller convention. Billy walks to the light switch and flicks it on which then reveals more of his surroundings, it shows cobwebs and clutter in the corners of the room yet you still only see a small part of the garage as there is a very good vanishing point which adds enigma to the scene. There is only diagetic sound used at this point of the film which I think is very effective as it makes the character seem alone and isolated, you can hear his footsteps echoing throughout the room.

Billy enters the car and there is a voice over (non- diagetic sound) which is from his perspective, we immediately see that the film is based around this character and would be his point of view, this also makes the audience engage with the character. The voice over starts with the phrase ‘I’ll try anything once me, except bestiality, and maybe Morris dancing’. This is a strong cultural signifier as we can hear that the character is from Essex, it also shows the audience a little about his personality because he makes a joke within the first sentence which shows he does not take himself too seriously. As the character enters the car (another generic thriller convention) we can see his features for the first time which also gives the audience an insight into his personality, age and importance within the film.

The film then cuts to a POV shot of ‘Jason’ as the voice over describes him, the camera angle is supposed to surprise and shock the audience when Jason is revealed yet it also gives the impression Billy knows he is there. It then cuts to a medium close up of Jason showing his features and his costume which is very important as his costume implies he is a thug/ gangster. The expression on his face is very ‘hard’ and he seems to be glaring, this is showing his violent personality straight away and suggests hatred of all people, even himself. His violent attitude makes him seem as if he does not care about anyone or anything and is numb to any remorse.

The film then cut to a shot of Billy’s car driving on an industrial road, the lighting is ambient giving a sense of realism which the audience can relate to yet the sound switches to non-diagetic (soundtrack) which builds tension. There is a tunnel ahead of the car which is a good vanishing point, as the car nears the entrance of the tunnel it builds tension even more. Once inside the tunnel the car is immersed with non-ambient lighting. The tunnel signifies isolation and the unknown; the shot elongates the tunnel making it seem never ending and also makes it look like the barrel of a gun which foreshadows events to come. This cuts to a medium shot of Billy and Jason in the car, there are lights very cleverly reflected in the windscreen of the car which looks like the bars of a prison cell which also reflects the crime and corruption within the rest of the film.

There is a panning shot of a sign saying ‘Essex’ which is another cultural signifier.

As the pair reach their destination there is a medium close up of Jason frowning before he gets out of the car, not recognising that Billy is there. A medium close up of Billy’s face makes the audience aware that he is slightly worried and scared yet he does not want to show his emotions to Jason. Jason enters the factory (ambient lighting) and very publicly attacks a man who is clearly the reason for him being there, the diagetic sound makes the attack seem more realistic as the audience can hear the man’s reactions to each hit he gets. The fact that the attack is in a public place strongly displays corruption within modern society as during the fight there is only one person who tries to help yet even that is a weak attempt, everyone witnessing the attack is either cheering or watching with interest which suggests this is a normal occurrence in this part of Essex. The film seems to encourage a bad image of Essex and plays on the fact that it is a ‘dangerous’ place.

After the action, it shows the featureless, anonymous white van driving along an empty road which is yet another typical thriller convention which adds enigma. The van arrives at the Essex marshes which is a featureless open space with no one around, this means it is extremely isolated from the public and has a very good vanishing point, the shot seems to go on forever giving the impression that there is no way out. This location also reflects jason's predatory personality and it is clear that this was not the first time Jason had been there for ‘business’. Billy says ‘And that was that, job done.’ I think this sums up the way these men live, it shows that they either have to accept what was going on or become a victim and an enemy. It then cuts to a long shot of the enigmatic white van exiting the marshes.

Brief synopsis of thriller plot!

-          Two teenage girls named Jenifer and Annie have fallen out.

-          Jenifer feels as though she is being watched, this has been going on for weeks.

-          Jenifer and Annie have another argument (at Annie’s house) and Jenifer storms home.

-          On the way home Jenifer feels she is being watched/ followed.

-          As she reaches a short cut home she bumps into someone and becomes extremely distressed.

-          She finds that she had only bumped into Annie and feels immediately comforted- even though they had just argued.

-          Jenifer suddenly realises that Annie is acting very strangely and gets worried.

-          Events lead up to Annie acting violently towards Jenifer, causing Jenifer to black out.

-          Jenifer wakes up in Annie’s bedroom bound to the bed, unable to move while Annie is finishing cutting out pictures for a shrine to Jenifer.

After the opening of the thriller the rest of the plot would be based on Jenifer being held captive and her plight for freedom. The film is supposed to show that you cannot trust anyone and even a safe place can be deceiving. The twist would be that Jenifer manages to escape after years of being abused and neglected and seeks revenge on Annie. I think this would be interesting as it avoids stereotypes and uses a female criminal (femme fatale) rather than the usual male.

Shot list

This is our initial shot list although it is likely that we will change certain things as we go along.

SHOT:	LOCATION/IMPACT:
1)      Establishing shot ( wide )	Girl 1 walking down street past houses.
2)      Medium close up	Showing girl 1’s emotions. ( distressed/crying)
3)      POV	Looks at girl 1’s feet then at speed bump as she walks.
4)      Wide angle shot (POV)	POV of girl 2- watching girl 1 walking towards her. G2 is hiding in wooded walk, face of girl 2 is not shown, it is not apparent that it is a girl.
5)      Over the shoulder	Camera is OTS of girl 1 who bumps into girl 2- shows girl 2’s face for the first time.
6)      Shot-reverse-shot	Shows girls talking in secluded walkway, minimal dialogue.
7)      Over the shoulder	OTS shot of girl 1 distressed.
8)       Extreme close up	Close up of girl 2 getting needle out of pocket.
9)      Low shot	Low shot of girl 1 being stabbed in neck with needle.
10)   Extreme close up	Girl 1’s eyes closing.
11)   Blackout
12)   Tracking shot	Shows girl 2 sitting in girlie bedroom cutting out pictures of girl 1 sticking them to a collection on her wall.
13)   POV	POV of girl 1- shows her waking up and looking at her surroundings. (distorted) She looks at her legs slowly then quickly looks at girl 2.
14)   Medium shot	Medium shot of girl 2, she smiles at girl 1.
15)   Extreme close up	Close up of girl 1- zooms in on face which is gagged and carries on until there is just an extreme close up of her eyes to show emotion.
16)   Blackout
17)   Credits

Possible thriller locations

 This is a section of ' Marriott’s way'- wooded walkway. This is a dimly lit walkway which conveys isolation and will add enigma as the consumer will not know where the path leads.

 Path leading to some houses on an estate. This has a good vanishing point and has streetlights which will make it easier to film and will give the mise-en-scene a good effect.

This is a small alleyway with two houses. This would be an excellent shot as it connotes isolation. I also think a tilt shot would be good to make this location look more intimidating.

This is a secluded walk way which can have the same effect as going through a tunnel which is a typical convention of the thriller genre- this shows the idea of isolation and being completely alone.

This is the exit to the wooded walkway. This is a generic convention of the thriller genre as it is dimly lit and is very isolated. The gate makes the shot look very chilling.

Preliminary task- Evaluation

When planning our prelim task we decided to draw out a storyboard and write out our shot list. This was very useful as we all knew what we were doing and the shots which would be used. We made a few changes to our shot list whilst filming because we decided that doing certain things would have a bigger impact on the audience, such as using the worms eye view at the beginning of the production as I was walking down the corridor which could make the audience feel like something bad was about to happen.

During the preparation and practise shots, we all had a go at shooting some different angles with a video camera. This was when I developed some camera skills such as shot-reverse-shot, worm’s eye and long shot. I feel much more confident with a camera after completing the preliminary task as I have learnt not only about the camera angles but about the rules of filming too. I feel I still need to develop my close up shot and my confidence by having more of an input with the filming of the project rather than the acting; I can improve on this during the thriller task.

My editing skills have improved as I understand how to use the program properly now, I can edit out clips we don’t need and I know how to make a series of frames run through smoothly. I still need to improve my confidence by using the program more so I understand how to add effects ECT.

Overall our preliminary task took just under two hours to film and one hour to edit, we tried to ensure we used a wide range of camera shots but not so many as to confuse the viewer. We decided that appropriate shots would be; worms eye view, over the shoulder, shot-reverse-shot and bird’s eye view. These shots worked well for us as we feel they helped portray the emotions shown in the footage.

When filming the conversation between Kirsty and myself, we decided to try two ways of filming it as the ' shot-reverse-shot' looked too unnatural in the raw footage. We tried filming the whole conversation with two cameras, one directed at me and one directed at Kirsty and this turned out to be the better footage as the conversation was much smoother.

Our group managed to avoid breaking the 180 degree rule when filming our footage. The 180 degree rule means making sure the characters have the same left/ right relationship to eachother. If this rule is broken it is likely that the viewer will become confused.

We used match on action to create a feeling of continuity within the footage, we did this by overlaping the footage to create a visual bridge.

We worked very well as a group and I would happily work as a group again! We all had different ideas which we tried our best to accommodate and our ideas all seemed to work well together. Everyone was listened to and no one was afraid to put their ideas across to the group which I think is very important. There were times when we had to be patient as Kirsty and I forgot our lines or laughed during filming but we re-filmed those parts and are looking to put our outtakes video on our blogs.

Thriller films i have viewed.

1.) Wolf creek- This is a 2005 film set in the Australian outback, it has typical thriller characteristics such as the psychotic character, the innocent victims and the setting.

2.) Pulp fiction- Ths is a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino. This fits in with the thriller genre along with many other genres such as action. The typical thriller characteristics it includes are settings such as the basement and car boot, it also conveys addrenaline through the characters chosen such as hit men and gangsters.

3.) Ashes to ashes- this is not strictly a thriller film but the series has many thriller elements to it, such as the settings, the mystery and the themes throughout such as murder.

4.) The Matrix- this is not strictly thriller (it is sci-fi thriller) yet it has many thriller elements, this was made in 1999 and directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. The thriller characteristics introduced within this film are assasins, psychotic individuals and locations such as lifts, on top of a sky scraper and tunnels.

Winters bone (2010) Review

Haunting, Grim, but somehow Optimistic

8 August 2010 | Winter's Bone is about a 17 year old girl name Rolly Dee set out to find her father who put their house for his bailbond and then vanishes. If she doesn't find him, her family will be turned out to the Ozarks. Challenging her outlaw kin's code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.

Let me, just begin by saying this movie is perfectly acted. Jennifer Lawrence gives an Oscar Worthy performance as Rolly Dee. I was surprised how excellent she was, because I was sceptical of her in the "The Bill Engvall" show. But she turned me to a believer and boy, she can REALLY act. Her performance actually surpasses some of Meryl Streep's performances. Hopefully the Academy will recognize her and give an Oscar nomination or maybe even a win! The film is well directed by Debra Granik and is easily her best work yet. She definitely has potential to become the "new" Kathryn Bigelow. Anyways the film is really bleak and powerful, but it still has a tone of hopeful in it. Very interesting and mesmerizing movie to watch. It is a bit slow at times, but trust me it never gets boring or dull.

10/10 Highly recommended.

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Neo noir, with a twist of white trash., 1 February 2010

Author: dwight ward from United States
This shockingly diverse film offers numerous delights to the viewer. Beginning with simple title credits, and ending in a beautiful display of foliage. Winter's Bone will grab your attention and never let go.

Based on a novel of the same name, it's the story of a seventeen year old girl who is searching for her missing father. Sound like something you've seen before? Well it's not! The basic premise surrounds itself with remarkably new idea's and situation's. A feeling of noir envelopes the screen and each character and action leads you on a most enjoyable journey. The Actor's and more importantly Actress, are dug so deep into their characters that there isn't a single fake second.

Debra Granik does an amazing job in the director/screenwriter role. Her vision entangles the story together and propels it forward to the unforgettable climax. The world that is shown through this film is one i was unfamiliar with, but after seeing it all i can think about is the life those characters lead. And how different it is from my own.

A film that deserved the grand jury award at Sundance and one which I plan to see again. Winter's Bone is a film for everyone, be you young, old, or in the middle. Just walk into the cinema with an empty plate and you will leave filled.

Winters bone (2010) Trailer

Prelim task- story board

Questionnaire

Hobbies:

I love playing guitar, ukulele and drums, listening to music and cooking in my spare time, I also have two kittens called Roody and Belle.

Print media:

Print media is not my strongest point as i do not read the newspaper very often, i  would like to learn more about this industry as it seems there is a lot i do not know about it. if i need to access the news I will look at the BBC website on the internet as you can find what you need very easily. I like to read ‘Kerrang’ magazine as it keeps me up to date with all of my favourite music and it has very handy reviews which help me to find new bands. I enjoy reading music magazines as i would like to go into music journalism when i leave school!

Music industry:

The music industry is my favourite type of media as it is the industry  i wish to go into when i leave school. i find music very interesting and there is so much more to it than just the songs performed. The backround to each band, the meaning of the song and the history of the genres are just a few things i would like to delve into during my media course. I would also like to study the production of music videos and the way media and technology affects the music industry.

I like many different genres of music, i try to be open minded because i need a wide knowledge of all genres. My favourite genres are metal, 70’s punk, 50’s, 60’s and 80’s garage rock, heavy rock, electronic punk and alternative such as ‘ red hot chilli peppers’ and ‘ foo fighters’. My favourite bands include The Horrors, Slipknot, The gruesomes and Nirvana. This is one of my favourite songs at the moment- Slipknot- Duality I am not in a band at the moment but i have been in a few casual bands with friends and performed during my music GCSE course in front of my year. I have not composed much music out of choice but i got a B for my composition work. When accessing music i find it easiest to use the internet because it is very convenient. There is access to the internet in most places and there are many sites which let you listen to music for free, such as YouTube. There is a major disadvantage to accessing music online, this being illegal downloading. Bands use online shops like ‘iTunes’ to sell their music, this is an example of new technology affecting the music industry. There are many ways to purchase music online yet there are also many ways of not paying for it. Sites such as ‘ YouTube converter’ are being used to illegally download music without paying, what most people don’t realise is the bands they are stealing music from need the money from album sales to book gigs and advertise their music. Music is not made for everyone to take, would you go into sound clash and steal a record? It is exactly the same thing, composing music is a job and it makes me really angry that people think it is okay just to take it. If you like the band you need to support them, if everyone thought it was okay just to steal music then bands would break up and music would slowly die out! I think illegal downloading is extremely wrong and should be stopped completely.

Music is very influential, it can influence how we dress, who we are friends with, our hair styles and our attitudes. Music has a larger impact on us than most people think as it is always around us, whether we are on a bus or in a shop! The influences it can have on us can be very strong such as some people live their lives around a certain band who they can aspire to be, it can make them dress a certain way or act a certain way, music can even influence entire decades! Flappers were influenced by jazz and punk music inspires anarchy! So personally i think music is one of the most important aspects of life, even though you may not realise it.

Video games:

Video games are becoming very popular in modern life, children from a very young age are playing them and this is very likely to have an effect on the way they behave. For example, my brother is 9 years old and he is playing war games. I have already seen a change in his behaviour and this concerns me because there are many young children doing exactly the same thing! I feel that violent video games could have a negative effect on the behaviour and views of children and teens as the violence in war games could make them think it is okay to resolve issues with violence. These video games can also affect the way males view females, out of the violent games i have seen i have only viewed men fighting which could make a young boy under the impression that they are better than a female.

Technology is improving and the choice of video games is expanding, this means that games are getting more detailed and much more realistic, the graphics are better and there is even body controlled games. I think games are quite influential to inexperienced minds, they have the ability to change a person’s views without them even realising it! As i mentioned above, my brother likes to play war games, we noticed that after playing them for a few days he became more violent and moody and he started wanting to play fight with his friends, after we stopped him playing the games he went back to normal. This proves that even after a few days, video games can have an effect on a person.

New technology:

Technology is rapidly changing and as it does; our understanding of the world is too. Technologies such as the internet have created a broad basis on which we find information, the internet makes it easy for us to find facts quickly and helps us to understand things which a book or a film may not. This information is available to anyone, and it is instant whereas looking through a text book or going to the library is more long winded.  I use the internet to help with homework and to find out information; i also use it to learn songs on guitar and ukulele so it can be used for almost anything! It also increases my ability to have contact with people through email, social networking sites such as ‘Facebook’ and blogging. Technology has made it so much easier to access films, catch up on TV programs and listen to music; I watch inbetweeners on ‘4oD’ all the time! It is very easy to go online and watch movies or TV programs because you can access them when it suits you. You can listen to all of your favourite music for free whenever you wish and you can even get the internet on your mobile phones so you can access all of this when you are away from home. There are changes being made to television and film viewing such as ‘plus one’ channels which makes it more convenient for us. Blue Ray and HD viewing are very popular because they show a better quality of picture and sound, this shows that we are always interested if there is something which is going to make our lives easier or more convenient!

New technologies also make it easier to make my own media texts as there are many different forms i could use; i could type an article, i could make a power point or write a blog! There is also the option of attaching images and noises to the document which can be found on the internet.

Television:

My favourite TV program is definitely ‘The Mighty Boosh’! It is an adult comedy which has a cult following. It is extremely funny and memorable because there are so many hilarious one liners. It is very unpredictable and generally strange, this is what makes it so funny! ‘friends’ is also really funny, it is a very ‘easy to watch’ program and is great to watch after school with a cup of tea! It is also very easy to relate to. My favourite channels are most certainly ‘scuzz’ which is a music channel showing metal, punk and rock music videos. I also like ‘food network’ because it gives me great cooking tips! It shows lots of cooking and food related programs. ‘E4’ is my favourite channel to watch comedy and real life programs on. Overall my favourite television genre would be comedy as it is so easy to watch and can keep me entertained for hours.

Producing media:

I have not had much experience of media production but last year i organised and helped write some articles for a fanzine called ‘Amusia’. It was organised on a forum on the internet for my favourite band ‘The Horrors’. I came up with the idea and organised the fanzine, i had editors to help perfect all of the pages and articles people posted for it and a forum member put the magazine together. Amusia was going to be an internet magazine and there were going to be hard copies given out by fans at the gigs, unfortunately it was never finished but the experience of organising a fanzine was very helpful and i would most certainly do it again!

Feature film:

My favourite film genre is horror, although i also enjoy comedy. Horror is very interesting as it has to make you feel a certain way for it to make an impact on the viewer, the adrenaline rush you get from watching a horror film is absolutely amazing and if the horror film is good, it should make you experience fear as the character does. Comedy is very easy to watch compared to a horror film, i enjoy it because it can be watched at any time and it can keep me entertained for hours! My favourite film is the perfect example of this, it is absolutely hilarious and i can watch it over and over without it getting boring! ‘Anchorman’ is a 2004 film set in the 1970’s. It is about a news anchor called Ron Burgundy and his affections for a female addition to the news team, Veronica Corningstone. There are a handful of famous actors in this film yet all of the actors seem to work very well together and some (such as Will Ferrell and David Coechner) have worked together in similar films prior to this. The actors and actresses include; Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. The more famous additions included Ben Stiller and Jack Black. The thing that caught my eye when watching this film was the cinematography, the film is shot as though it is low budget and amateur which adds to the hilariousness of the whole thing. Anchorman clip- Brick killed a guy Another factor that caught my eye was the many quotable phrases said throughout the film! Memorable quotes are usually the key component to writing a comedy/ romcom script, for example most people who have watched anchorman know the quote ‘I love lamp’ said by ‘Brick’ because it is from one of the best scenes in the film! The film also stands out as the main actor ( Will Ferrell) also helps write the script, which means the lines he says in the film are very natural so his acting seems more realistic.

My favourite horror film is definitely ‘Wolf Creek’ a 2005 film directed by Greg Mclean. It was based on a true story and set in the Australian Outback where three backpackers ‘break down’ and become stranded in the middle of nowhere, luckily they are rescued by a passing local and taken back to his camp. The actors used are not well known yet they play their parts very convincingly, the murderer was played by John Jarratt, and the backpackers were played by Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi and Nathan Phillips. The events which occur after this are horrific and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys gore, suspense and chase scenes. I prefer this film to any other horrors I have watched because it has some hints towards being a psychological thriller, the film itself is not extremely gory yet it makes you think rather a lot and concludes at the end. The cinematography is very interesting within this film as there are many effective camera shots. There is a great use of long shots as the setting is so large, over the shoulder shots are used during chase scenes and close ups are used to show the actors/ actresses emotions. The most interesting shot in my opinion was a part where the camera made the viewer feel they were looking through a sniper. Wolf Creek- Sniper scene

Pulp Fiction is one of the most interesting films I have watched, it is a ‘cult classic’ from 1994 which has a cult following. This means that the film is not mainstream and was not made to appeal to a wide audience. Pulp fiction is about four different stories; a gangster’s wife, two hit men, a boxer and some ‘diner bandits’. The story line is rather difficult to explain as there are many twists but the actors play them very effectively. There are many famous actors in this film including; John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson and Uma Thurman. The action in this film is most important as throughout the film there is minimal dialogue. The cinematography is also important, there is a very interesting part of the film where the character has a flash back of their father talking to him, as the father is talking to him it seems as though the audience is looking through the eyes of the boy and this really makes the viewer feel involved with the film and puts us in the characters shoes. The sound track to pulp fiction is obviously very important as it represents the time period in which it was set!

I prefer to consume films either through the internet or via DVD as they are most convenient although i prefer to view films as a social activity so the cinema is the best option for that! My favourite cinema around Norwich is probably the Odeon as it is surrounded by restaurants and clubs and has the most spacious venue. The option for cinema food is also more varied which is definitely a reason to go there!

Conclusion:

I do not usually get offended by media texts as they are usually opinions and i think everybody is entitled to their own opinions although, obscene cruelty and hideous behaviour reported in the news with great detail offends me. I think it is absolutely awful to recite interviews explaining deaths and murders in detail to the public; it can really affect young minds. A few years ago i was watching the news and i heard a story about a man being beaten up and his head being jumped on which killed him, it was a group attack consisting of all males and one female, the female explained in an interview that she did not know they were going to kill the man and explained how the crunching of the victims skull as her friends stood on it haunted her every night.. This story still makes me feel sick.

The Mighty Boosh is probably the most inspiring and interesting media i have seen, it is not conventionally inspiring or influential but it has a cult following and i really feel that it has influenced the way i speak and even the way i view myself and others around me. It has shown me not to view life too seriously and that even the most terrible things can be made amusing!

If i was to produce a media text i would organise a music magazine because i really enjoyed the last experience! It would be about a certain genre of music which i feel could have a major influence on people who enjoy listening to that genre. As i said above, music can have a very large influence on your life and how you view the world for example, people who like to listen to heavy genres and subgenres such as metal and death metal could view the world in a negative way and could listen to that music because it is full of negative emotions and can be used as a way to relieve them. The articles would be not only reviews of bands but explaining a bands past and their views on the music industry and the history of the genre so the reader can know the background information which is what makes a person passionate about a band.

I chose media studies as an A level option because i would like to go into music journalism when i leave school and this will help me to have a wider understanding of the media industry, i am really looking forward to filming the music video next year as it is my area of media interest and it will help me to understand more about the music industry in the process.