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.
Question two - How does your product product represent particular social groups?
Question three - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Question four - Who would be the audience for your media product?
Question five - How did you attract/ address your audience?
*Please watch the annotated video on YouTube in full screen so that annotations can be seen in full.
Question six - What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Question seven - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the main product?
Stephen Norman - Shot List, Shot Schedule, Animatic, Initial Ideas, Pitch, Feedback 1, Actor and Director.
Luke Payne - Call Sheet, Location Shots, Pitch, Feedback 2, Actor, Cinematographer and Editor.
Cameron Harbard - Budget, Animatic Storyboard with Voice over, Equipment List, Producer and Actor
Alex Nelson - Risk Assessment, Action Plan, Camera man
The Target Audience for our film would mainly be males in the age range of 13 years old's and above.
They would also have a strong interest in football or sport and would ideally also support the football team involved (Gillingham FC).
Our last target audience would also be teenagers in general as they may be able to relate this to their typical Saturday afternoon.
We have chosen to target these audiences because we feel that they would be able to relate to our film better than other audiences such as women and young children although these audiences may find our film an interesting watch.
Criticism: The title 'Kick Off' comes across as too violent. Improvement: The name has now been changed too 'Match Day'- which is still relevant to the genre yet not as aggressive. Criticism: The name of our company logo- 'New School Productions'. Improvement: The name has now been changed to 'Old School Productions' as it sounds more traditional and less 'cheesy'. Criticism: The use of ellipses/dashes on our titles. Improvement: The ellipses and dashes have been removed from all the titles, therefore following conventions of our influential films as well as making our titles look more professional. Criticism: The end title 'Kick-Off' appearing on a moving image. Improvement: The end title, now 'Match Day', appears on a block background which therefore makes the end title more presentable.
The
variety of camera shots (low angle, frame within frame etc...)
The
use of split screen to create multiple frames in just one shot, showing all
three characters.
The
use of Gillingham merchandise to promote the theme of football.
The
individuality of each character- each one having their own individual
appearance (i.e. Luke and his scarf and Stephen with his t-shirt)
The
locations used (Priestfield Stadium and actors’ houses)
How
the opening progressed throughout towards the ending of Priestfield Stadium,
where all three characters meet up.
The
clear and presentable titles with appropriate roles stated.
Music
(Divided Opinions, though majority thought the music suited)
The
look of the opening company logo- clear and professional (moving logo)
Criticism/
What could be improved:
The
name of our opening, ‘Kick Off’ - came across as violent and aggressive which
led some people to think that the opening would contain violence (which it didn't) therefore this title was misleading.
The
music- A handful of people felt the music was too dramatic for the genre as
well as being a little ‘slow’ at times.
The
name of our company logo, ‘New School Productions’- Criticism that ‘New’ did
not sound or come across as a typical company name. Sounded’ cheesy’.
The
performances- Criticism of two of the actors performance (Steve and Luke) for
being a bit ‘wooden’ and failing to show any real emotion. Therefore audience
found it harder to build a connection with those particular characters
The
use of ellipses/dashes in our titles- ellipses/dashes is very rarely seen in
titles on feature films, therefore this did not follow an important convention.
The
end title ‘Kick Off’ appearing on a moving image- many felt it did not look
professional and instead simply using a black ground would be more effective.
