Class Analysis Film Trailer - X & Y

X & Y Film Analysis Trailer

The first scene begins with a child and an adult sitting on a school bench with two black chalkboards behind them both. This suggests that the film could be in a school environment. Another mise-en-scene piece that supports the idea of a school environment, is that the child is dressed in a blue polo shirt and black trousers which suggests a school uniform. The adult looks to be a teacher dressed in a open collar shirt and suit jacket. This scene immediately establishes possible two main characters that could play a significant role in the film. The camera shots are two shot x2 and a close up on the boy in-between the 2 two shots. This scenes editing consists of a simple match cut - two shot to closeup back to two shot - this is effective for this short scene as it closes up on the boys emotion; which he simply has an emotionless face so already in the few seconds of the trailer we already guess something is different about the young boy. This is supported by the diegetic dialogue where he questions the adult why he is putting out his hand (with the intent to shake it) and the boy already says he doesn't like it. But the teacher pushes him to bluntly that 'we all have to do things we don't like doing but we do them'.  Toward the end of the scene, a non-diegetic music/soundtrack begins after the dialogue between the two characters.

Next is a series of four scenes; the editing in this series of scenes is a montage that is used for effect to create a mood or a theme in the trailer. It begins with an extreme close up of an eye (we believe to be the boys), which cuts to a zooming in medium shot of the boy sitting on the floor, of what looks to be a bedroom, reading a book. This then cuts to a medium shot of the boy with his nose pressed up against a large fish tank (the fish tank is very big and could be in a public place as we also see the backs of heads in the scene), which cuts to a close up on the boys hand as he writes/doodles in a work book (the end cut connects with the next scene). The sound in this series of scenes is non-diegetic. A classical piano instrumental is played over the clips. There is dialogue played over the top, and it connects with the scene shown as both the dialogue and scenes show pieces of his life, his possible anti-social tendencies, a lonely young boy and his cleverness. The dialogue also connects with how the young boy is undermined. We could infer from this information that the representation/theme could be that the young boy has a disability. In looking at the information, we could say that the disability could be autism or Asperger's due to the anti-social and loneliness.

The next scene is set in a bedroom with the young boy and now we are introduced to another character; a woman who looks to be the young boy's mother. We also see how the abacus on the left of the frame has been pushed specifically to the left nearly which also indicates some kind of OCD, which could connect to the idea of autism. The shots in this scene are of a close up and medium shots. The editing is shot-reverse-shot between each of the scenes. The shot-reverse-shot has been used for the exchanging of dialogue for the two characters. With the mothers positioning and the way the camera is positioned is used for effect to support the idea of him being undermined, she appears to be talking down to him. However he replies back with how she isn't clever enough to help him with his homework (possibly). This kind of response with the bluntness could be the autistic point of view.  The sound in thi

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The next scene is a fade from young to old. The editing of this scene is a cross-fade; its the fading of the young boy shot into a teenage boy shot. This is used to emphasize the jump in time from him being primary school age to high school age. The shot that is used for both is a close up shot that is titled to the left for effect. The sound is simply non-diegetic soundtrack and it is a classical music piece. This scene is set in the boys bedroom and we see how the bedding changes as well as the boys age. This is also a big indication as to the ju,p in age difference as to how it goes from a kids dinosaur duvet set to a plaid type design which would indicate an older boys style. 

#5

The next scene gives us a huge insight into the boys life and how others treat him. The mise-en-scene is the set of the scene which is in a cafeteria/dining hall in this shot. We see the boy sat alone in this whole room and the other teenagers are sat all in a group together. The mise-en-scene suggests they are in a school environment with the set and the costumes also connote with this idea too. The loneliness aspect is shown by various different parts of this one shot. The sound is a contributor to this specific aspect as well, because the not only is it the non-diegetic soundtrack that is played in this shot but the non-diegetic dialogue is very deliberately played over this scene. The boys talks about how he has a lot to say but how no one listens to him or wants to hear. In addition the visible mise-en-scene of the boy sitting alone connotes with the sound. The camera shot is an extreme wide shot which is deliberately used for effect to highlight the fact of the boys loneliness. 

2. OITNB Trailer Analysis

Orange is the new Black Trailer Analysis

Click here to view OITNB trailer

1. The first scene is made up of four consecutive shots . The first shot begins with a people bus rolling into the short with the words "Dept.Of Correction" on the side. This suggests to us that the series involves a prison theme. Another piece of mise-en-scene that supports this is the uniform of the men who walk out of the bus, who appear to be officers of the law who could be working in a prison. In addition in the other shots with prisoners being lead into a building, we also see the barbed wire fences that connote with the idea of a prison theme. The shots in this scene are a medium tracking shot to a wide shot to a birds eye view to a medium shot. The shots themselves are slow but the editing from one shot to another is fast. The editing in this scene is a straight cut and a match cut. Another editing technique is the use of the text over shot . The non-diegetic dialogue is what the text is displayed on the shot. The editing is continual. The sound in this scene is the non-diegetic and score and the synchronous sound of the bus noises. 

2. The next scene is made up of just two shots. The mise-en-scene in both these shots are a plain building which could possibly be a prison connotes it with the costumes/makeup. Also the razor wire fencing supports this possibility. The shots for this scene is a wide to a close up-tracking-two shot. It focuses on two characters in particular. This could mean that they are significant in this series. The editing in this scene is just a straight cut from the first shot to the second. Also there is the use of the text over shot syncing with the non-diegetic dialogue. The only sound in this scene is the non-diegetic score and dialogue.

3. The next scene is made up of four consecutive shots. This scene could possibly be the equilibrium established with us seeing four characters that could possibly be the main characters or at least have some significance to the series. The only evidence that would support this is if they are seen again in this trailer. This scene, based on on the mise-en-scene, could be set in a cafeteria. I believe it to be set here due  to the visible seating and the dinner trays that are dotted around the room and is visible in one of the characters hand, which supports the idea. The shots in this scene are medium to medium close up to medium close up to medium. Two of the shorts are tracking, one is zoom and the other is handheld. The editing in this scene is continued as these shots are all in the same set/location and are just straight cuts. Also there is the text over shot editing which syncs with the dialogue on screen. The sound is a non-diegetic score and dialogue in sequence with the text overshot.

4.  

• New character - could be significant to series.
• Mise en scene - in a room with a wall separating; could be rooms? Visible prop of a hanger that supports the idea of rooms. 
• The shot is a medium close up zoom. 
• The editing is the text over shot. 
• There is only non-diegetic sound - score and the dialogue (the text - "just like the Hamptons" could be sarcasm about what the location is like in this series) The dialogue is "just like the Hamptons - only horrible"  which supports the sarcasm idea. 
•  

5. 

• New characters - could be significant to series
• Mise-en-scene - characters sitting on stairs, costumes/make up suggest prison (prisoners uniform)
• The shots are three medium close ups - the camera movement is tracking as if someone is walking past the characters (the facial expression of the characters supports this)
• The editing is noticeable in this scene as it jumps from one shot to another showing the exact same characters in the same location.
• The sound is non-diegetic score and a non-diegetic dialogue that is overlapping from the previous scene. 

6. 

• Character - face is not visible but costume/make up suggests Correctional Officer uniform connecting with prison theme. Not significant personally - but has relevance to series.
• Mise-en-scene -Possibly be a cell door being closed by guard. Nothing visible in the 'cell'. 
• The shot is a medium side shot of the guard and the cell door. 
• The editing in this scene cuts to black as soon as the 'cell' door is closed. 
• The sound in this scene is non-diegetic dialogue and the door closing is ambient/ synchronous sound. 

7. In this four shot scene, we see one character we have seen in a previous scene and several new characters we have not seen before. In these shots we see the same uniforms of the prisoners with some in a beige uniform or a orange uniform. The first shot is of a character, who we have seen previously, in a room we assume to be a cafeteria (the dinner trays), the second of some new characters separated by a fence, the third of what looks to be an inmate getting wed and the fourth , an armed police/SWAT team coming out of the end of a black van. The fourth shot shows to us the possible disruption in the series narrative. This disruption could be following Todorov's narrative theory where the disruption is where something happens that hugely affects the characters lives. The shots are a medium tracking close up to a close up to a medium close up to a medium. The editing of these shots is a montage as these have been placed together to display a feeling or theme in the series. The theme we can obtain from this montage is the prison theme. The sound in this scene is a non-diegetic score and the synchronous sound with the editing of the scene of a klaxon. The klaxon could also connect with the disruption idea in the series.   

8. This next scene is an extending scene from the previous scene. It is a continuing montage. In this four shot scene, we see a couple of characters we have seen in a previous scene and several new characters we have not seen before. The first shot is of two new characters, with one offering the other a drink , the second shot is of two characters by some bunks with one eating, the third is of a gathering of characters in a room and the fourth is of someone approaching several characters with one main in the center, who we can assume is very relevant to the series. We also see in this scene a mix of ethnicity amongst the prisoners. The shots are a two shot to an over shoulder to a wide to a medium.  The editing of these shots is a montage as these have been placed together to display a feeling or theme in the series. The theme we can obtain from this montage is the prison theme. The sound in this scene is a non-diegetic score and the synchronous sound with the editing of the scene of a klaxon. The klaxon could also connect with the disruption idea in the series.   

9.  

• New character - haven't seen before; significant?
• Possible comedy aspect - new genre idea
• Mise-en-scene: possible prisoner inside an office - a prisoner in position of power? We find out characters name
• Camera shot - medium
• Editing - none
• Sound - diegetic dialogue (phone call)

10.  

• Title of series is named
• Date of release is shown
• The word 'inmate' on the ID tag supports the idea of a prison theme
• The production company is named
• Social media is shown

Website Analysis 2 - OITNB *add writing*

http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/media-studies/tesco-website-analysis.html

See the link to do a Introduction, Middle and Conclusion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Website Analysis 3 - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) *add writing*

http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/media-studies/tesco-website-analysis.html

See the link to do a Introduction, Middle and Conclusion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Media Terminology

Media Texts: any topic we discuss is called a media text e.g a film, magazine, advert, social media page etc.

L-anguage
I-nstitution
A-udience
R-epresentation

Language - Codes &Conventions:

All TV or any media follows a set of codes and conventions
TV/Film follow specific rules of Visual Media

• Mise-en-scene is a theatre term which refers to what is on stage/screen e.g props, locations, costumes, facial expression.
• 
• Editing and Sound
• Shot Types

Institutions:

They make the media texts and they can be big companies or small independent companies e.g Sky, BBC, Warner Bros etc. 

Audiences:

The audience are the people who watch, listen use or read media texts. The audience is split into groups like age, gender, interests etc. Institutions try to make sure that their media texts appeal to the right audience that they are targeting.

Representation:

How real life is presented in the media. The media stereotypes by basing groups of people on age, race, social class and how we view them in the media influences our view on those types of groups in actual; real life.

Genre: Each piece of media is separate by genre. Genre comes from the French word 'types'. It can apply to all types of media like a 'horror' film or a television 'drama/soap opera'.  Genre can be distinguished by style, setting, characters, props, colours and lighting etc. 

Sub Genre: a sub category in a specific genre for example vampire movies and the genre horror.
Hybrid Genre: 2 or more genres in the same text. Like a rom-com (romantic comedy)

Exploring Representation

We will be evaluating how genders are represented in the media using media theory.

·      Stereotype – widely held idea of a particular person

·      Countertype – someone who defies the mould of a stereotype

·      Archetype – an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned

Task: 

1.     Megan Fox is presented as a stereotype as she talks about men with big muscles and she naturally flirts not meaning to. And she is a countertype because she knows a lot about cars in the scene, which the audience wouldn’t expect, due to her stereotype.  The camera focuses on her body and is showing the obvious stereotype but this is contradicted as she is talking about cars in detail. Her clothing is short and shows off her body, which is also matching the stereotype, and even her body language is suggesting the flirting without meaning to. 

2.     The rapper dressed in the stereotypical chains, snapback and varsity jacket is the archetype of rappers whereas the picture of Tinie Tempah in a posh suit looking smart is him countertypeing what people think of rappers as he has gained a lot of money from rapping so he’s showing off his wealth. 

Story: a sequence of events, known as a plot or synopsis
Narrative: the way events are put together to be presented to an audience
It is important to tell the difference between narrative and story.

Linear Narrative: they follow a straight line; starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the story.


A narrative is presented to the audience by expectation, suspense, tension and closure. They are lead to expect things to happen in the story which leads to tension and excitement.

Typography: the term font in media is called typography

                      

Ident: audio visual logo

Example:

Key Theory

Key Theory

Narrative:

Todorov's Narrative Theory: 

• He created a theory in 1969 and he thought that this theory could be applied to any kind of film. 
• He also believed that each and every film was following the same narrative pattern every time. 
• He felt that the pattern fell into 5 different stages:

1. Equilibrium: where we first meet the characters of the film
2. Disruption: where something occurs which affects the characters lives.
3. Realisation: when the characters realise that something needs to be done (about the disruption)
4. Dis-equilibrium: where the characters are compelled to sort out the situation and try to fix it. 
5. New equilibrium: where everything is back to the way it was originally or at least better. 

• Example: Ice Age 4

Equilibrium: They first introduce the main characters and the family members from the previous films and new main characters.

Disruption: The disruption is when the characters are separated by a disaster. And are kidnapped by pirates.

Realisation: The realisation is that they realise they need to work together in order to get home to the others.

Dis-equilibrium: the dis-equilibrium is where the characters fight against the bad characters who are stopping them from going home.

New equilibrium: Unfortunately their home is destroyed but they find a new home and they are all together.

Roland Barthes Narrative Theory:

• His job was to be a semiologist and his job was being paid to look at "texts"and figure out how they were put together. 
• For example a text can be like a ball of string; can it be unravelled in more than one way?
• It was his idea that texts could either be Closed or Open
• Closed: there is only one thread to pull
• Open: can be unravelled in various different ways
• He believed that the threads you pull on to attempt and find the meaning are called Narrative Codes
• He also believed that these included Action and Enigma Codes
• Action codes: are specific events in which move on the narrative in a certain direction. For example if some one gets into a car you predict that obviously they will drive it. This applies to any action that implies a further narrative action
  
• Enigma codes:  These codes raise questions in the audiences minds which are then answered soon after or later on in the film. Questions like: who is he? where is she going? what are they doing? These codes refer to any part within a story that isn't explained and so it exists as an enigma for the audience, which is raising questions in their minds that demand an explanation.

 Levi Strauss Binary Oppositions:

• He believed that our world was split into a series of binary opposites
• Binary Opposites means that we only understand was like good means when you see bad or can only be defined for something it isn't.  For example a hero is only the hero if there is a villain in the frame too. 

Vladimir Propp's Character Codes:

• He created a character theory in order to study media and productions. 
• He analysed 100 tales and found 8 distinctive character types which can be applied to all media. 
• The character types would be:

1. Hero - the major character who the reader will generally associate most strongly and the key character within the story.
2. Villain - the villain is typically morally bad which accentuates how good the hero is and is the one who struggles directly against the hero.
3. The Princess/Female Love Interest - she could be the woman who the hero falls head over heels for, maybe has to rescue from the villain. 
4. The Helper/Sidekick - this character helps the hero in their quest and is supportive in critical moments.
5. The Donor - this character gives the hero something special like a magical object or clothing or words of wisdom
6. The Dispatcher - this character has an early role of dispatching the hero on a mission e.g James Bond
7. The False Hero - the characters whose intentions seem good at first but as the story progresses we find that they have an ulterior motive. Perhaps working for the villain or can actually be the villain. e.g Sky High
8. The Princess's Father - a character who constrains the princess or can be the dispatcher who send the hero to save the Princess.

Character Types: character types are based on the ideas of old fashioned stories that are now modernised for example in many films nowadays, the hero becomes a female and the man becomes the princess/love interest (Role Reversal)

Example Film: Shrek 2

Hero: 

Villain & Donor:

Princess/Love Interest:

The Helper/Sidekick:

False Hero:














Princess's Father & Dispatcher: 

Representation Types:

• Age

• Gender

• National/Regional Identity

• Race

• Disability

• Class

Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory

·      Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema was an essay that was written by Laura Mulvey in 1975.

·      The essay coined the phrase male gaze, which became a film theory.

·      The theory suggests that the male gaze denies women human identity, downgrading and objectifying them, only to be admired for physical appearance. 

·      It suggests that women can more often than not only watch a film from a secondary perspective and not from a mans point of view.

·      The theory suggests that the presence of a woman in mainstr  eam film texts is vital.  The theory suggested that the female character hasn’t real importance and that it’s about how she makes the male feel or act. 

·      The male gaze leads to Hegemonic ideologies within our society. Hegemonic means ruling or dominant in a political or social context. 

·      Mulvey states that the role of a female character in a narrative has two functions:

1.     As an erotic object for the characters within the narrative to view

2.     As an erotic object for the spectators within the cinema to view

·      Mulvey also discussed the term “Socophilia” It means the love of watching. Movie-making and movie-viewing have long been analysed as socophilic practices. 

·      Patriarchal society: men dictating the rules e.g. Obama, David Cameron

Stanley Cohen Theory

• he believes that particular groups in society are 'demonised' and 'marginalised' through negative representations which may have the effect of causing a 'moral panic' where the majority of society fears that social group. 
• Witch hunts are an example of mass behavior fueled by moral panic.

There are five main points to do with this theory :

• Concern – There must be belief that the behaviour of the group or category in question is likely to have a negative effect on society;
• Hostility – Hostility towards the group in question increases, and they become 'folk devils'. A clear division forms between 'them' and 'us';
• Consensus – Though concern does not have to be nationwide, there must be widespread acceptance that the group in question poses a very real threat to society. It is important at this stage that the 'moral entrepreneurs' are vocal and the 'folk devils' appear weak and disorganized;
• Disproportionality – The action taken is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the accused group;
• Volatility – Moral panics are highly volatile and tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared due to a wane in public interest or news reports changing to another narrative.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's theory states that there are 6 key aspects to a music video.

1. "Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics" - The music video will contain genre conventions and characteristics in terms of style and iconography. This is used to set up expectation and meaning. 
2. "There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals" - Disjuncture: the meaning of the lyrics is completely ignored and irrelevant to the music. There is no clear link between the lyrics and visuals. Amplify: the meaning in the lyrics are exaggerated but still have some link to the lyrics and music. Illustrate: This is the most common as it displays a clear meaning and distinguishes a clear link to the lyrics and song.Links very closely to the relation of the lyrics. 
3. "There is a relationship between music and visuals" - Goodwin believed that a music video can promote a song by the way it analyses the lyrics. This is shown in a lot of music videos when a character in the music video does exactly what the song says.  For example, if the lyrics were jump, jump, jump! Those characters would be doing that action in time with the music. 
4. "The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs (style) which recurs across their work" - The star of the music video would be the artist/singer. They are used to promote. As they are the stars they are given the most screen time. 
5. "There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body" - Voyeurism is where the audience look. They derive sexual pleasure from looking. It is sexualising movie stars and artists within the music video. 
6. "There is often intertextual reference" - in a music video there may be references to other things like other music videos, films, books, pop, culture etc. This also makes the audience more interested. 

Angela McRobbie's Gender Stereotypes Theory

• Angela McRobbie was born in the United kingdom in 1951
• She did a post graduate degree at the University of Birmingham and is now known as a British cultural theorist 
• She has taught in London and has taught at Loughborough University. She is currently a Professor of Communication at Goldsmiths at the University of London. 
• Her gender stereotypes theory is a very popular and well-known one. 

• A lot of her research went into the magazine industry. What she mainly researched was how gender roles were represented within different types of media
• She really feels that in the media doing this influences us as humans into what things we should or should not be doing. They socialize us into out gender roles. She suggests that humans behave like they do because how the media tells them to act and do with their lives. 
• She believes that in a lot of media texts, men are portrayed by the following:
• Masculine
• Aggressive
• Powerful
• All-Knowing
• She believes that in most media texts, women are portrayed by the following:
• Weak
• Submissive to men
• Traditional Roles (stay-at-mother, nurse)
• Required to be pretty
• Not sporty
• Be quiet