Street Dance - Personality

Street dance is a British film that was created in 2010 based around the dance genres of both street and Ballet. The film bases around a British dance crew who have been left by their lead dancer so that he can focus on his studies just five weeks before their biggest competition. As it is a combination of Ballet and Street they must combine and do whatever it is they can do to win (The film can be viewed in either 2D or 3D) I will be choosing two particular scenes which uses location, setting, props. costume, make-up and hair to signify personality.

The first scene that I will be analysing, is the opening credits whereby we are introduced to each character in different locations which gives a hint of their actual personality. For example, when being introduced to a character named "Jay" we are shown him laid back on his bed with a female approaching him and with trainers in the background due to Jay being on a bed we can see that the setting of this scene is within a bedroom. The implication of Jay laying down could inform us that he is quite a laid back person, which is shown in the next scene where he leaves his dance 'crew' as if it was nothing. We are then shown the female who lays on top of him, this could also tell us that he has the type of personality in which leads him to be an attractor of females. The clothing of Jay is very minimal with only trouser on and his bare chest, which again could prove the "womaniser" stereotype that has been created for him; same with his hair. Nothing special has been done nor with make-up it's your everyday morning look "just rolled out of bed" Another character, who is introduced to us through the opening credits would be Boogie. Boogie, is introduced to the audience by working in a music shop as a DJ. Our first thought of Boogie is that he is a Dj and nothing else, and that his passion is music. We are then shown, a glimpse into what he is actually like by his sudden realisation of the time. The way that this is done by is through Boogie looking at his wrist which holds a watch. Thus showing us, that Boogie is the type of person who is usually late and is constantly on the run. The clothing of Boogie is casual, with just jeans and a t-shirt. What's really distinctive of Boogie would be the fact that he has headphones on, but then on his t-shirt are headphones again. This could imply, that what we initially assumed about Boogie having a passion for music could be true. The setting of Boogie's work place, looks cluttered and busy therefore showing that he is used to a big audience thus expressing that his character is one who is not shy and very open.

The next scene that I will be analysing is the duet dance that took place with Carly and Thomas. Both characters are significantly different, but within this scene they somehow mix both of their personalities to create one. A big reason behind their differences would be the fact that Carly is a street dancer whereas Tomas originated in ballet. The clothing of the two characters are quite similar, the only difference being that Tomas has a black tank on whereas Carly has a red one on giving them both the 'casual' look whilst they dance. In terms of showing their personality, the dancing genre that they each have is a significant build up of who they are as characters; especially their clothing. With Carly we can see that she has a tank top on and her bra is visible by her sides with loose jeans on which express that she is open and quite easy going. On the other hand we have Tomas who is also in loose jeans but with a tight fitted tank top on; which could express that his personality bases around control and serenity. The location in which the routine takes place, is at Tomas's roof. Which is something else, that expresses the characters personality as you would expect an individual who studies Ballet at an prestigious school within London to live in an expensive house or flat actually lives in an studio flat similar to Carly. This showing that both individuals have more in common than you would firstly believe.

In conclusion, within the film 'personality' has been shown throughout quite thoroughly and deeply. Each prop or costume used has a more profound meaning to the actual characters that meets the eye. The film has done a good job, in terms of showing this through a variety of objects and places in which it has been shot too as well as the clothing.

Analysis of Props'

The clip that I have decided to analyse for usage of props is "Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone" the reason behind me choosing this film/ clip is because the usage of props within the saga of Harry Potter are always distinct and the purpose is clear; for example the usage of wizards/ witches 'wands'. The prop that I will be analysing from the scene is the 'Sorting Hat' the sorting hat is basically "a sentient Hogwarts artefact which magically determines to which of the four school Houses each new student is to be assigned." The sorting hat is not only a prop but also a type character within the film/ book.

The way in which the hat is framed is that we are introduced to the hat by it being placed upon a wooden stool whereby the characters will be sat on so that their fate is determined. The framing of the hat is that it's shown from behind, so that we can actually see the new students walking towards the hat. As you can see below; we are shown the hat limp and lifeless and the surroundings of the hat full of life and light. The way in which the hat is portrayed/ communicates is through a line that looks like stitching across the middle of the hat.

The characters which are used within the scene are the four main 'Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy' the reason that they are used is that so the audience are able to view what houses their favourite characters have been put in, however not only this but we are shown the response/ reaction of each character... "Ah, another Weasley. Well, I know just what to do with you. GRYFFINDOR!" This being the categorisation that the sorting hat put one of the main characters 'Ron Weasley' in from this we are shown the reaction of Ron. Ron's family have all been students at Hogwarts, who have all been placed within the house of 'Gryffindor' therefore the whole acting of Ron breathing a sigh of relief compliments his character as it shows that being put into 'Gryffindor' was where he was hoping to be put in the first place.

In conclusion, the clip itself shows the usage of the prop and how it has been influenced throughout the scene. In terms of the scene that I have analysed, the manipulation and framing of the actual prop allows the audience to see that it is a significant part of the scene/ movie. Also, if this doesn't shine through to the actual viewer that it is in fact important then the introduction given to the new students about what it is/ what it does then I don't know what will.

Sound of Cinema: The Music that Made the Movies

I recently watched the documentary "Sound of Cinema: The Music that Made the Movies" which aired on BBC Four, Thursday evening. The documentary itself I found to be not only helpful but very enjoyable. I never usually watch shows like this, however with this show I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It not only reinforced the whole importance of 'music' within film for me but also, with given examples showed how much of a difference it makes if nothing was used. For example the John Barry who created the title music for the 'The Ipcress File' has been tagged as the composer who by creating music, "created another character." From hearing that statement you don't fully understand what it is that Neil Brand is talking about until he shows us a clip of his work. That is when it hits you, and the realization of not only how important music is for a movie but how well John Barry was at his job. It was a small conclusion for the beginning of the film, of what it is that we should expect out of it.

Another example of an early movie composer would be 'Bernett Herman' especially for his work for the silent movie 'Citizen Kane' as he begins the film with three chords which he repeats throughout the film with different accompaniments along with it; yet at the end he concludes it with a lovely melody of what the character feels... Which is contentment. As he has died. Herman, made a statement in such few notes; he was indeed a man of few words... Or should I say keys.

Most popular melodies of the 19th century were known as 'Light motifs' which are basically short memorable musical ideas. Which allows the composer to leave a impression upon the audience. For example the motif for 'King Kong - 1938' was one of the most iconic movies of it's time due to it stretching the concept of visual play and yet using music throughout the movie. It was "the film that proved. where music truly belongs, at the heart of the drama"

In conclusion, I have learnt that film without music would be completely dull and a waste of my time; this being because when I watch a film straight after I instantly look to the soundtrack depending on whether I enjoyed the film or not. Music/ sound for film is that one thing that allows the audience to feel more connected to the film itself as well as the characters.

Tuesday 18th - Mise En Scene

Mise en scene, can be defined as the arrangement and the design of the scenery to fit with the scene that is taking place. The different elements of mise en scene that can be analysed are costume, composition, makeup/ hair, acting etc. I have watched a 5 minute scene from the movie 'Snow white and the huntsman' within this scene I have analysed the mise en scene used within it.

Mise en scene that I saw most appropriate to speak about first are the costumes. The costumes that were chosen for each person fits perfectly with the era that they attempted to portray. The clothing for the queen is elegant and you can see from her clothing that she is powerful and rich; as her hair is elegant it only makes sense that her hair is too. Whereas in comparison to the prisoner she has 'snow white' she is clothed in rags and has greasy hair and a dirty face; in terms of the costume it defiantly shows a huge contrast and has been used well.

The area in which they filmed was again perfect, as they again had a contrast of the areas. The greenery showing happiness and peace, and the place in which the queen lives and her people 'depression and horror' this is also portrayed by the lighting used. The places in which they filmed not only varied but also expressed the characters personality. This being said a perfect example of this would be the Queen; who's castle is grey and surrounded by soldiers (who are dressed in black) Showing that she is superficial, and is aware that she is hated yet is ready to face anyone who comes in her way.

In conclusion, from the scene that I have just analysed the way in which they use mise en scene allows the audience to believe that the locations are in fact real when in fact most scenes have been CGI'd.

The Scene that I watched:

Creating a very short film ft Gabrielle

Today in class we were given a task in which we had to create a short... Well a very short film. We were only given thirty minutes, in which we had to film all five shots. Within these shots we learnt quite a few things; technical mostly but also time keeping too. Our film is called 'Jurassic Coulsdon' therefore our story was based around dinosaurs taking over the world due to a mistake of one innocent individual who brought what she thought was fake but an actual 'dinosaur egg' only to have the childs mother come after it.

This is the first scene - Bathroom scene 

Within this scene we learnt that the bathroom isn't the most appropriate location when filming due to the echo and the space. It wasn't loud enough and lead to the problem of not being able to hear what they were saying correctly.

The second scene - The Egg Scene

From this scene we learnt that again there was an issue with the sound and the 'door' scene where it would continuously bang against the frame. So mostly what went wrong was with the sound.

The Third Scene - Running Scene

This scene was pretty basic to do, as all we needed to film was the running. However it didn't look as realistic as the others due to the passer by's who didn't look frightened but just wondering what was going on.

The Fourth Scene - The Cliffhanger 

This scene was also pretty easy to film as it was the cliffhanger and the ending to our film where our idea was the leave the audience wanting more. Also, the ending was to show the two girls in a state of panic and fear.

The film was basically quite comical, where it was yes serious but at the same time it allowed us to have a different outlook on the end of the world. In conclusion what we will aim to work towards next time is our timing, the sound and having assigned characters and roles so that there is no more confusion.

Most liked and disliked film...

Aloha, so first blog post. I thought I'd inform you all on my most favourite film and my most least... I would even say hated. Hope you enjoy!

Favourite Film – The Breakfast club

Favourite film at the moment is “The Breakfast Club” this being because everything about it is completely relatable, for me. The character, the plot, the whole concept of the film is something I was completely drawn too. Not only this, but the songs used throughout the film gave it that slight edge which made it so memorable. For example their featured song “Don’t you (forget about me)” by The Simple Minds completely summed up the film. The lyrics were basically the whole conclusion to the film and yet left me wanting more. The thing that I adore most about this film is the casting and the chosen characters for each. The cast consists of seven unique people. John, Claire, Brian, Allison, Andrew, Richard and Carl each character hold contrasting personalities which gives the audience the option to select one in which they can relate too. It was quite a basic film in terms of the angles and editing done, but because the plot is so home hitting it flows very well. It doesn’t require anything unnecessary because the plot of it made complete sense and was easy to follow therefore no confusion is created whilst watching nor is anyone lost.

"Show Dick, some respect"

Disliked Film – Birdemic 

Most disliked film is ‘Birdemic’ I promise you the whole film is an absolute joke. Those are ninety minutes of my life that I will never get back. It’s a film with a messy plot. The actors cannot act to save their lives. The sound and editing is just unbearable, and the special effects just make me question the fact that where they even trying? The trailer for the film makes you assume that the film is a parody, which at first I thought it was… However this was not the case. The one thing that really makes me completely despise this film is their use of birds. Like really? Could you have not used a more vicious animal? I don’t know a dog? Tarantula… the most terrifying thing about a bird is the fear that they may poop on you whilst you’re walking around. It’s a complete mystery to me. I honestly cannot express the hatred I have for this film collectively. The fact that there is a sequel just makes my blood boil. It should be banned, and after each view ‘neuralyzer’ should be used upon us all. So that we can forget the horridness that is ‘Birdemic’

*points at you all, yeah! YOU, YOU, AND YOU YEAH!* 

SO MUCH EMPHASIS.

For those of you who are unaware of what a 'Neuralyzer' is.

Hope you enjoyed my little rant/ admiration post. A bit of both, oh yes.