Medway Media

Question one - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real life media products? (film openings)

9 frame opening analysis - 'The Football Factory'

1. Titles -

The film begins with fast-paced music which is continous throughout the opening titles. The production companies are introduced both 'Vertigo films' and 'Rockstar games'. The titles themselves are relatively basic, it is white text on an orange background, but the titles are capitalised which make more noticeable and emphasise the company name to the audience. Also the titles are animated so that they flash in and out like police sirens which make them seem more appealing to viewers.

2. The creation of genre -

In this shot I belive that genre is created because a police helicopter is seen circling the football ground providing over watch for a football game.This particualr shot creates the genre of crime/ football because it highlights the the theme of football hooliganism (unruly, violent, and destructive behaviour by overzealous supporters of football clubs, including brawling, vandalism and intimidation). Another effective technique used in the opening of 'The Football Factory' is that there is a faint but graudual humming sound heard which then explodes into a loud, droning sound to symbolise the helicopter blades which instantly alerts the audience to the start of the film and can intrigue them. This in conjunction with the shot used of the helicopter is very useful in gaining the attention of the audience.

3. Editing -

In this particular shot we hear a voice-over from the main character (takes the form of a first-person narrative). We see him beaten and left helpless on the floor. This is made clear by the camera looking down on him to show that he is defeated. Also a close-up on the characters face is used to focus attention on his feelings and emotions. The voice-over used also sets the tone for the story because we learn more about his character itself and what caused him to be hurt. For example he says, "So this is me, Tommy Johnson, three weeks from now, nearly dead." This piece of dialogue makes it apparent to the audience that the opening takes place earlier on following this incident, this might cause the audience to take more of an interest in the events leading up to this moment. Tommy Johnson also asks himself the question "Was it worth it?" while being beaten up. He is questioning his actions that led him to this moment. This intrigues the audience as they want to find out what he did and this makes them question his morals.

4. Settings and locations -

The location for the opening of the film is London, where the football firm is looking for a fight with a rival firm at the away game between Chelsea and Tottenham. A skyline shot of the city helps the audience to establish a location. Also notable landmarks such as the London Eye reinforce this. The titles 'Tottenham Away' have been used in this shot in a bold, white font which makes it stand out from the background similarly this is the same style used for the rest of the titles in the film which creates continuity. The titles will prove to be important for the rest of the opening because it reveals the football rivalry between the two teams. Therefore this message helps to communicate the narrative for the rest of the film.

5. How characters are introduced -

In this shot the audience is introduced to a group of characters together. However Tommy Johnson (the protagonist) is seen to be center of the shot which could suggest that he is the leader of the group. The other three characters seem to follow closely behind him. In addition to this his clothing is significantly different from the other characters, primarily through the choice of colour. The almost cream jacket worn by the main character here makes him stand out from the others and could make him seem important. Also the audience may view his character as having authority and control over the group. As the characters walk across the frame, they are seen in digital view which resembles that of a CCTV camera. This use of editing helps to further emphasise the crime genre as they may appear to be wanted individuals who are out to cause trouble.

6. Costumes and props -

The main character is seen holding a smoke grenade which he intends to use against the rival firm or Tottenham football supporters. This shot implies that the group is organised. It also creates tension for the audience as it is clear that there will be some form of physical confrontation happen which causes them to be more focused on the film as they wait for the next shot. There is a close-up on the smoke grenade and the frame freezes briefly to allow the audience to look at the object the character is holding (an enigma is created).

7. Dialogue -

In this shot there is not much dialogue used, however, a sense of character is shown through a wide shot of the football firm. They are seen to be quite aggressive and have an intimidating stature about them which could suggest that they are a force to be reckoned with. The shot again makes note of the large numbers in the firm. Also by the what is being said here, the dialogue gives the sense that each member seems quite energetic and hyped for the impending violence. Therefore, the audience gets the impression that they have done this many times before and are somewhat thrilled by it.

8. Camera work -

An early camera work technique that has been used really effectively here is a bird eye view or high shot of the escalating violence between the two football firms. This technique helps the audience to grasp an idea of the number of people involved in the conflict and more importantly can suggest that the firm is quite organised because of their large numbers.

9. Music/ sound -

In this last frame I have decided to focus on the music and sound used in the opening. After the fight scene outside the pub, the titles appear on the screen. There is also a siren sound heard which could represent a police car and flashing lights are seen too. This is synchronous sound and it immediately grabs the audience's attention and makes them focus on the title of the film. Also this again helps to create the genre of crime because the police stand for law and order and it is made obvious from the opening of the film that there is going to be violence from the outset.