setting
- the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.
comedy: typically a comedy will include a happy setting with a comedic scene. the setting will be somewhere that could become very accident prone. for example in the film "super bad" it is set in the school and parties of young American boys, this is perfect for a comedy as it can mean that the scene is relatable to the audience making it funnier or extremely unrelatable adding shock factor and more humour.
horror: the conventional setting for a horror is somewhere that a lot of people would feel scared. a lot of the time film industries play on a humans natural fears for example the dark or somewhere they're unfamiliar with. majority of horror film settings include someone being lost or somewhere out of their comfort zone. they're also usually very dark and gloomy which the audience automatically links to death thus scaring them.
action: majority of action movies are set in a big city where there can be a lot of chaos and destruction. if they are set in a big city it means that when the action takes place there will be more chaos which is the aim of an action film as the film will constantly have something going on. action films aim to constantly keep the audience in shock which wouldn't happen if it was set somewhere quiet and boring.
drama: the typical setting of a drama can vary as a drama can include anything. depending on the mood of the drama the setting will change. if the drama has some elements of sadness the setting will link to that and include a dark scary place backed up by the backing track. controversial to that if the drama includes a lot of action and anger the setting will include lots of warm colours and business to represent the feelings of the characters involved for example a place with fire or blood.
romance: usually a romance is a film about happy love and relationships in which case the setting will reflect that. for example in "50 first dates" it is set in sunny Hawaii which creates a happy atmosphere for the audience to link the love to. however, in some cases of a romance there is heartache of which case the setting changes to somewhere that reflects the emotions being felt. for example if sadness is involved there may be scenes in the rain or night.
the importance of setting:
setting is extremely important when it comes to mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play, therefore without the setting there could be no mise-en-scene. mise-en-scene can also be described as the setting or surroundings of an event, which entirely links setting to the construction of mise-en-scene. for example if a scene was shot on the set of a train station without mise-en-scene things would get in the way and the order of people and objects would mess with the scene. setting is also very important when it comes to creating an understanding for a viewer. a lot can be revealed from the setting. for example if the setting didn't reflect the mood of the scene the audience wouldn't be able to judge the emotion of the character and predict what could be happening next. without the setting the audience also wouldn't be able to determine the genre of the film and would disclude the audience from the film as they wouldn't be able to relate to the character.
Conventions
Horror: the typical conventions of a horror would be what the audience is expecting to see. for example the audience will be expecting to be scared so therefore expecting to see ghosts or gore. throughout the film the audience will be on the edge of the seat waiting to be scared so the film will also have to make the audience jump. the target audience for horrors is quite large because as long as you're over 16 or in some cases 18 anyone can like them. if u like horrors the film industry will use the scare factors in order to attract an audience or slogans which cause the viewer to think.
nightmare on elm street: during the opening two minutes of nightmare on elm street it gives literally nothing away to the audience. the opening scene is of a dirty hand creating a type of knife glove which already makes the audience think this is a weapon he'll use. the next scene in the two minutes is of a young girl running down a hallway in her nightie which allows the audience to link it to sleep as its like she just woke up. throughout the entire opening two minutes there is a heavy breathing going on in the background which creates suspense and fear for the audience as its almost like its in their own ear.
Sci-fi: the typical conventions of a sci-fi film are to do with science and mythical creations. for example usually they will include aliens, rockets and outer space. because the audience are waiting to see something fictional it means that there is an element of shock involved which therefore intrigues the viewer. the target audience for sci-fi movies is also quite broad however i think it targets people more into fictional things and therefore people maybe of a younger age. the film industry will therefore use graphics and computers to create realistic fictional things to draw the viewer in.
Star Wars: Threads of Destiny: the opening two minutes of star wars gave a lot away about the story line but not about the current occurrences in the movie. the two minutes include the film title and a story giving the audience an insight. the whole this is set in and amongst the stars which links us back to the sci-fi genre. this almost puts the viewer into the sci-fi state of mind and prepares them for the fiction they will most probably see helping them to really embrace it.
Comedy: the typical conventions of s comedy are jokes or seeing someone fall over. usually it includes elements that will make people laugh which will also put the audience in a better mood. sometimes comedy's includes things that shock the audience into laughing whereas sometimes they include relatable mistakes which means the audience links it to their own life and experiences making it funnier. i don't think there is a particular audience for comedies as everyone loves to laugh, unless the film is rude funny then the target audience is much older. the film industry will use funny snip-its from the movie to incise the viewers as it gives the audience an insight to the humour in the movie.
dead pool; the opening two minutes of dead pool are almost what should be the middle of the film, throughout the film their are flashbacks from previous occurrences which lead up to the start of the film. during the opening two minutes dead pool it is very much like an action film, however over the top of the film is dead pool narrating whats happening and its him doing that which makes the film funny. because of this it gives the audience an insight into the witty humour in store. the opening two minutes also include many different camera shots and angles which gives the audience an insight to their surrounding helping them relate to dead pool.
Romance: a romance will always include love or relationships of some sort. romances usually have a happy ending between two people being happy with each other. they can also sometimes include other genres to make them more interesting or light-hearted. by watching a romance it can mean that it gives the audience hope in love or makes them happy watching it. i think the target audience for a romance is much older as some parts become boring to younger people as they aren't as relatable. also older people can watch the films and really relate due to personal experience or want to relate so watch them. the film industry will usually use film trailers to attract viewers or produce the movies near valentines day when romance is on more of a hype.
the holiday: the opening tow minutes of the holiday include the main character narrating about love over the top of different relationships. however at this point we have no idea who the voice is or the relevance of the characters. by seeing the different relationships at the beginning it allows the audience to begin to feel compassion toward the characters not so lucky looking in love. because of this it makes the audience want the characters to find love for themselves and be happy thus giving hope the the audience awaiting the love story.
Teen: teen films usually include the lives of a teenager as their target audience is aimed at 13-18 year old. they also can include other genres like comedies in order to give them something to base it around. mainly they tend to include the school or home life of a teenager making it very relatable to the target audience. the film industry will promote teen movies on the adverts of children's TV programmes, social networking and in magazines as it allows the teen to easily access them
10 things i hate about you: the opening two minutes of this movies gives very little about the movie itself away. to begin with it is listing off the actors involved in the movie, however the names are written in a very young, colourful way. the music in the background is also very young, american schoolchild which already targets the perfect audience. however as the scene changes so does the music. the shot is of a beaten up car with a very moody young girl in it with the lyrics "i don't give a damn about my reputation" playing. this change of music allows the audience to assume the importance of the character and question her attitude.
Action: action films typically include lots of drama and chaos. lots of them include explosions and law breaking which is to keep the audiences attention. most of them are very intense to give the
audience a lot of shock factor and keep them on the edge of their seat. majority of the time action films are also very unrealistic and over the top however this keeps the audience intrigued. the target audience for action movies is very stereo-typically males of all ages as women are less likely to enjoy all of the violence. therefore the film industry would put the trailer on the adverts of mainly male programmes e.g. sports.
the fast and the furious: after watching the whole film the opening two minutes give us nothing away about the rest of the movie. the first scene is of some transporting docks and a big crate which is then transported but lorry. however because we know so little and are left guessing it leaves the audience guessing and speculating. this then puts the audience in the exciteful mood which the perfect for the genre of an action film therefore this opening is very good despite how little it gives away.
Crime: crime genres live completely up to their name as the main basis of the films are centered around crime and law breaking. usually they include murders, kidnappings, robberies and drug smuggling. they also usually give you the option of guessing the ending but twist it which gives the audience the element of shock at the end. crime films have an older target audience due to the chance of there being disturbing scenes in the films. film industries will target this specific audience with things less likely to interest a child for example newspaper articles.
snatch: the opening two minutes of snatch are narrated by one of the main characters he is used to introduce characters and give the audience an insight to their situation. already the audience grows fond of "Turkish" as hes shows wittiness and love toward "Tommy". in the first bit of speech from Turkish he mentions diamonds which gives the audience an idea that the film may be based around diamonds or a diamond in particular. the next scene in the two minutes is of three stereo-typically Jewish looking men walking into a high security place. because of this it automatically makes the audience question them putting the audience into the right frame of mind for the film.
Camera Shots and AnglesMy two minute film opening
During filming we used many different camera shots and angles. we used a long shot during the film to give the audience a sense of surrounding it also meant the audience got a sense of directions to where Amelia was going. on top of this we also used close up shots to create tension in the opening. other than this the majority of her film was set with a medium to long shot as the scene was of constant movement and those we the best shots to use to get the film we wanted. the different angles we used were also to give the audience a sense of surrounding. the 180 degree angle meant that the audience knew what around Amelia and could see her reactions to all things around her.
CAPTIVE - AS Media Film Opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fH1fUQ-Lw:
during this media opening it used many different camera shots and angles. because it is based around someone in a bad way being tied up against their will, it shows us many different camera shots to represent what he is seeing and the fear he has thus creating suspense. the different angles used give the audience a good idea of the surroundings which helps the audience to relate to the captive and relate to his fear.
The Edge - AS Level Media Studies Opening Sequence by Rory Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24nQdBL8M3w:
during this media opening the camera shots are almost from the perspective of someone observing the action which allows the audience to acknowledge the importance of the young boy as a character. it also allows the audience to relate to his escape as they're aware of what is around them.
Shorter Shots
The effect that shorter shots have on the audience is it allows them to see the facial expressions of the actor or give them information they will need to know. if the shot is of someone's face it allows the audience to recognise how the actor is feeling at that time. this means the audience will feel cathartic toward the actor as they naturally feel compassion toward their emotion. however, if the shorter shot is of something other than a face it could be of something to read or point out that is relevant to the film. this means the shorter shot gives the audience an insight to what is going on and to help let them know of its importance. in contrast it could also be to cause shock factor because of its link to the film especially if it is at the end of the film.
longer shots
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he effect that longer shots have on the audience is they allow them to grasp and insight to the surroundings of the scene and link them to what is happening in the film. if the shot is of something in the distance moving closer it can cause suspense for the audience depending on the relevance of the thing moving closer. if the long shot is of a scene it can give the audience an insight on the emotion to feel at that particular time for example if it is of something calming like a sunset they know the next scene is of something nice or romantic but if it is of something instance like a thunder storm they know that something with action or anger is about to take place this is also helped by the soundtrack added to the film.
