Analysis of 'A Mother's Son'

When analysing the opening title to the television series; 'A Mother's Child' there are a number of camera angles and shots to be considered along with the indications of a thriller genre.

In chronological order, firstly, the camera sets the scene with a panning shot of the sea. This gives the audience a false first impression by indicating a calming atmosphere. A high angle shot is followed in use. Within scene, flying birds are circling. These birds look like crows, representing death and a circling of their prey. This could show that someone is possibly being hunted. The setting of the scene continues with a close up shot of some reeds. These are in focus in contrast to the blurred background making them the key subject of the slide. With the rustling of the reeds this indicates that the wind is picking, a convection generally used in the thriller genre to create suspense. At this moment sound begins to emerge. A flute is played to create an emotive atmosphere relishing with mystery. Next, the scene changes again to a pebbled ground. Here, the music changes giving a weary atmosphere as a subject emerges from the darkness.

Secondly, a low angled shot is used to capture the movement of feet. The next shot reveals that these are feet of a female figure. A long shot is used, revealing a girl walking past in between two beach huts. The girl is seen to be looking behind her and covering up her body. This represents the girl is vulnerable giving the audience a sense of caution. Vulnerability is furthermore shown with bare flesh skin being out on display at the top of her legs making her an open target. Also with the subject walking quickly this gives the impression that she is trying to get away from someone or something.
Within the next shots the crisis occurs. Using a mid shot the character stumbles to the ground. This could indicate to the audience that the girl is injured or hurt. Getting back up to her feet a high angles shot is used to show the girl wondering through the reeds, shown earlier in the title. With these being the same height as the character herself this represents entrapment. Not only this but the setting is used as a maze, encompassing a challenge of finding her way out. Being able to hear the movement of the reeds indicates the theme of loneliness, being on her own with no one to help.
Again, a shot of the subjects feet are shown. This time a close up shot is used capturing the dirt upon the boots. This shows that girl has been wondering for some time amongst a variety of different establishments.

For the first time you hear, sound from the girl. A distressed grunt is given showing fluctuating tiredness and panic. To go with this a close up of the girls face is shot. With this you can see the ruined, running make up upon her face, tangled hair and her wide starring eyes revealing terror and shock. As the girl stumbles upon the screen holding her stomach, a mass of blood is revealed amongst her bloody hands. Wearing a white top compliments the colour of the blood making it easily visible.
Once again the girl falls to the ground, using a high angled mid shot. This reveals her concerning and painful facial expressions, letting the audience communicate sympathy.
Feelings are also revealed through an extreme close up of the characters eye. This shot is done in monochrome showing a moving shadow in the eye of the victim. The quivering and flickering of the eyelid shows uncertain terror.

The victim whispers; 'I'm sorry' this gives the audience anticipation on the storyline plot.
Finally, the scene is set again. A tilt shot is used on the surrounding scenery. This could represent the rising of the sun. Two long shots are then used to capture the surroundings of sea and reeds, replicating the scenes at to begin. This represents peace and the feeling of unknown and normality within the mist of others. Overall a dark hue is used through the title scene to create a sense of gloom and mystery.

'No Country for Old Men'

'No Country for Old Men' is a 2007 American thriller. The film tells a story of an ordinary man whom chance delivers a fortune that is not his, and the ensuing cat-and-mouse drama, as three men crisscross each other's paths in the desert island landscape of 1980 West Texas.
This film was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, whom are American film makers. 
The brothers graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1973 and 1976.  Joel then spent four years in the undergraduate film program at New York University whereas Ethan went on to Princeton University and earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy in 1979. Finally, in 1984, the brothers wrote and directed Blood Simple, their first film together.
The film 'No Country for Old Men' received many awards including; Best picture, Best director, Best screenplay and Best supporting actor. Not only this but the film was also nominated in 4 other categories as well. 

My first camera experiences

This week I tried my hand at experimenting with a video camera. With this, I tried out a variety of different camera angles, shots and movements.
Overall, I found the camera angles the easiest to work with. These included low angle shots, high angle shots and over the shoulder shots. I personally found these easier because the environment in which I was capturing these shots helped to create these angles. I mean by this, the ground lent itself to a low angle shot and a bench would be sufficient material for a high angled shot.
Next I tried out some camera shots. These varied in difficulty. All the; extreme long shot, long shot and mid shot were easy to carry out due to the movement of the camera its self being able to move further away or closer in to the subject in focus. Whereas when considering the close up and the extreme close up this is not possible. Doing this with a steady hand is a challenge due to the zoom of the camera being unstable. This is therefore a suitable time to use a tripod. A tripod is a fairly easy piece of equipment to set up. Once this has been achieved and the camera is placed on top, this is when you can achieve your close up shots due to perfect stability of the camera. A tripod is also used for a two shot because the camera has to be moved around two characters in an arc shape.
Finally for the camera movements I used a dolley. This piece is slightly more complicated to set up due to it being a fairly large piece of equipment. A dolley has wheels so it is able to track movements. From this I carried out tracking, sideways, tilt, arc, crane and panning shots. These were harder to gain perfection in due to the uneven surfaces the dolley was being taken across.

Advertising Posters

When looking at the advertising material for the thriller film; 'Psycho' there are a number of key thriller conventions established. 

To start, the image of the women is the key signifier. This could also share connections representing this character as the main target within the film. Not only does this support evidence with my point but the female is physically much larger showing that she has an important or significant role within the film. This women is essentially the victim due to her being represented as vulnerable, being only in very little clothing making her bare flesh skin open to the opposite sex. With little clothing this also allows the subject no coverage and therefore a lack of hiding making the character the optimum target, showing her as the femme fatale. Also, when considering this image, the subject is separated from the rest of the presentation by a box. This could indicate that this character is a singleton throughout the film. 

Secondly, when looking at the box you notice the sharp edges it carries. This represents a theme of threat running through interlinking with the typical thriller genre. 

When contemplating the thriller genre, the title 'PSYCHO' gives perfectly fitting annotations. The ripping in the text represents unrest and disaster. Disaster is a key literacy device in a thriller film making the audience un nervy, creating mass amounts of anticipation. The title is also in capital letters in a sans-serif font showing both strength in the film and informality. 

Next, two male characters are shown. Both are coloured orange and black. These colours represent danger and therefore show that these men are potentially the cause of harm or injury. This is also possible, showing these men as well built carrying the sense of power and strength.

Penultimately, contrasting colours have been used to make this pictorial advertisement stand out. The contrast in colours, though represents the difference in nature, with one character being the victim and the other the assassin, typically being conventions of a thriller film.

Finally considering a typical thriller genre the word 'excitement' is included within the set. Excitement is a main element when creating a thriller film due to the creation on suspense upon the audience.

G321 Thriller Research

When analysing the pictorial version of the film Eden Lake, many conventions make this film fit into the thriller genre. 

Firstly, a women is pictured in the left third of the set. This women is portrayed as vulnerable due to her low lined dress revealing a mass amount of bare skin, making her a target to the opposite sex and therefore the femme fatal of the movie. Not only this but the invulnerability of this female is also indicated with the subject seeking coverage behind a tree from the three given shadows in depth within the background. Also, the women is seen to be looking down at the camera giving the audience a sense of lacking confidence encompassed within the character. Still, when looking at the women's facial expression you get a certain feeling of terror and anxiety. This would embrace intertexuality with that of the thriller genre. Fear is also shown by the state in which the character appears, dirty and worn as if the character is old and used like she is being continuously chased.
Next when you look at the title, block capitals are used to create emphasis upon the name of the film indicating significance and importance. Danger is also symbolised through the use of the colour red, making connections with blood and the devil. This therefore creates speculations of suspense throughout the audience.
When looking to the right, three shadows are illuminated within the background. From this the central shadow has a wide stance showing strength and presence. This could therefore indicate that this character is the leader of the group and the key assassin within the film. With these shadows being on higher ground the camera is looking up from a low angle shot. This shows power and hierarchy over the female character.
Finally, having the mass of the media black, this represents something bad and is commonly associated with death. With all the subjects highlighted this shows intertextuality with a touch, as if something is trying to be found in the light. This therefore advertises a vulnerable victim trying to overcome obstacles to hide from the villain. This is a typical plot for a thriller film including key literacy devices.

What is a Thriller?

A 'Thriller' is a genre used in film, television and literature. This genre usually uses the conventions of suspense, tension and excitement to give the audience a mood of anticipation. Not only this but anxiety is speculated to keep the audience in suspense on the edge of their seats. Thriller films also tend to be adrealine fuelled with plot twists and cliffhangers commonly used to encourage uncertainty and terror. Finally, what makes a thriller is a villain-driven plot in which vulnerable targets are presented as a prize for the hero to overcome.

G321 Thriller Research

When contemplating the analysis of thriller conventions for the advertising media of 'Leon' there is a huge mass to identify.

Firstly, when looking at the film title; 'LEON' it appears vertically in bold capital letters. This would suggest that the nature of this film shows strength and masculinity. Not only this but the opposing colours of black and white make the title stand out with the sans-serif font also showing the informality that the film carries. The title is noticeably aligned to the left so that it will always appear visible to the audience.

Next, moving along, you can see some tall and towering buildings. Having a clear spaced gap with buildings either side represents entrapment. The buildings also being confined suggests this. With the sun possibly either rising or setting in the background this could represent something starting or ending, this possibly being a key event within the film.

Now when focusing upon the man on set, a low camera angle is used, therefore looking up at the subject representing him as powerful and of a high hierarchy. Not only this but the man is also looking up showing escalation. Though, with this escalation the colours orange, yellow and black have been used alongside. These colours are considered to represent danger so this could coincide with a foregrounding event within the thriller genre.

Moving up to the characters face, you notice his facial expression. This comes across as stern showing integrity. This could easily represent uncertainty and instability when considering the state of equilibrium within the film.

Finally, the eyes reveal a lot about the underlying messages. The character having his eyes covered shows mystery and allows no connection with the audience due to the missing link of direct mode of address. Also, the buildings are clearly reflected within the glasses of the male figure establishing emphasis upon the setting scene concealing a certain amount of important significance. Lastly, with the use of the close up shot this encourages the audience to think that someone is being watched or followed. This would indicate that this character is an assassin and therefore typically linked with the thriller genre.

Just an introduction really...

I'm Nicole, 16 years of age and currently studying at Reepham College. Originally from Taverham High but preaching further afield for this next stage in my education. I am currently studying Art, Media Studies, English Language and Economics. I am currently using this blog to post all of my planning and research for my AS Media Studies course. Enjoy bloggers.