Essex Boys

This is the opening scene to Essex Boys

This is a shot from the title sequence. It shows a black screen, which represents the film as a dark and disturbing thriller. This has a way of preparing the audience for the violence based theme. The white lines that appear on the otherwise dark screen represent hope, however the scratching sound that accompanies these lines is disturbing and frightening. These white lines could represent the main character, Billy, as he is shown as a rather naive person in the film compared to the criminal character, Jason.

The shot of the garage reveals an old, unused car, covered in cobwebs and dust. Billy has to clear his way through this to get to the car. It is as if he is pushing aside the bad in his life in a carefree way, and suggests naivety. Non- ambient, chiaroscuro lighting is used to keep the scene dark. It distorts the vision of the audience, not revealing the entire scene, keeping the tension high in this first shot. The sound is only diegetic – the garage door, the sound of billy stealing the car, the car starting.

As well as the diegetic sounds, Billy’s voice is heard narrating the action. It introduces his character, as well as his strong essex accent.

The darkness in this shot surrounds Billy, yet he seems unaware of it.

The first image of Jason that the audience see's is unclear, and partially obscured by the dust on the windscreen. It is also taken from Billy’s point of view, which suggests that what Billy see’s Jason as is also obscured and distorted.

This shot shows the journey to the market through the Dartford tunnel. The empty roads suggest a solitary mission for Jason. The chiaroscuro lighting of the tunnel represents darkness surrounding the characters. The rule of thirds is used here: the circle of the tunnel is positioned to the left of the frame, and the road markings draws the eye to the vanishing point of the image. It helps to suggest distence, journey and makes the audience feel as though they're going on the journey with the characters.

The lights reflecting on the windscreen of the car are useful imagery as they are metaphors of jail bars across Billy’s face. It introduces the audience to the theme of crime within the film.

Also notice the position that Jason is in in the back of the car. He is lounging on the seat, showing his relaxation. It shows how he is the figure of authority.

The fish market is quite a strange setting, but it is used as a typically British location. This scene shocks the audience and introduces Jason’s violent character early into the film.

The shot from the wing mirror is from Billy’s perspective. It represents the distorted, surreal image of Jason that he sees. It shows that Billy doesn’t understand Jason’s actions.

The director has used another typically British indicator – the white van. It is a symbol of crime as a typical getaway vehicle. The director has used this to emphasize the Essex characters.

This location is generic because it is a wide open space, deserted marsh. It appears cold, wet and in the middle of nowhere. The rule of thirds draws the eye to the horizon, which exaggerates the expanse of the place where Jason was leaving the man.

The high shot used here is used to put Jason at a vulnerable place, the opposite to how the audience has perceived him up until then. The lion statue is made of gold which is precious and valuable. Jason’s gold, scruffy shirt contrasts the lion effectively, further demeaning Jason. The angle of the shot also makes the lion look like it is staring right down at Jason, putting him in a lower position than the statue and therefore the owner of the house.

Once Upon a Time in America, Sergio Leone 1984

The first signifier of this film is the song "God bless America" sung in the background. This song's meanings and values are ironic, as the film shows a different side to America which contradicts with the song.

The first person seen in the scene is the Femme Fatale character. We first see her after a long stretch of darkness and no light, only hearing the sounds of footsteps and the door opening accompanied by the God bless America song. The first shot of her, seen here, uses little lighting and the chiaroscuro effect. This and the use of a number of close ups, shows emotion and expression and draws the viewer right into the action. It also builds suspense as the viewer can't see anything else in the shot, which makes us wonder where she is and if anyone else is there.

This image is a strong shot. It shows the elegance and beauty of the femme fatale, Eve. The hat positioned almost on the side of her head, her nail varnish and rings, and her pearl necklace shows she was very stylish. The pearls also indicate that she is a vulnerable character, as they are sybols of tears. The lighting is diegetic as the only light source is the lamp. The colour of the light makes the shot almost sepia, and matches perfectly to the colour of Eve's face and clothes, and the warmth she posseses. 

The rule of thirds plays a big part in the success of this particular image, as does the depth of field. We see the three policemen characters, one to the far right to the image, closer to the camera than the other two, one to the left and the last in the middle, clearly brandishing a gun. The focus of the camera keeps the closest man out of focus, and the other two in focus. This helps to draw the viewer’s eye straight to the centre character, who is the important figure and also the only one seen with a weapon. The men are all looking slightly to the left of the camera, revealing all of their faces and the serious expressions they all share.

This image of the 3 authoritive figures standing over eve’s body after they shoot her is powerful as it shocks the viewer by showing, although out of focus and in the foreground, Eve’s lifeless body and face. Her eyes are especially shocking as we can see how they are staring blankly and lifelessly.

This shot, after the scene of Eve’s death, shows a lift shaft. This helps to build tension as the lift is a generic location for a thriller. It provokes the sensation of chlaustrophobia and entrapment, and heightens the feeling of danger within the scene.

The locker and the briefcase in this shot are more examples of generic conventions found in this film. The locker, like the lift shaft, can signify chlaustrophobia, but it also provokes mystery as to what is inside it, and furthermore what is inside the briefcase. It makes the viewer intrigued as to what's in the briefcase.  

Avatar

"Gilda" 1946

This is a clip from Gilda. It features Gilda, the femme fatale, dancing for an audience of men at a casino. This wouldn't have been socially acceptable, and so her husband is seen angry and possesive of her. He treats her badly; like a child, like she needs to be controlled and tamed. It is this image of the femme fatale from 1946 that shows how women were viewed then, and in comparison to the femme fatale figure in Kill Bill, it shows how the attitude towards women has progressed.

Femme Fatale

The femme fatale is the main character in a film. She is a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive, in the way that she leads men into compromising or dangerous situations. She has an irresistible seductive charm and often leads those who love her into danger or despair. She has an alluring, mysterious character.
She is deviant, inscrutible, focused and manipulative.

This is an image of a typical Femme Fatale character.

She is very attractive and seductive, seen in a vulnerable pose against a wall. She has perfect hair and make-up. The shadows and lighting in this shot are important as they create connotations of enigma and suspicion.

Film Noir

The term Film Noir refers to the stylish Hollywood crime dramas, which often emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. The classic film noir period is generally regarded as from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, which is commonly associated with a low-key black-and-white style, and dramatic shadows (chiaroscuro).

Film noir literally means "black film". This can be interpreted not only as the colour and visual style of the film, but the storyline too. The plots of Film Noir are very dark, mysterious and disturbing, and are often based upon crime.

This is a typical shot from a film noir.

The generic conventions of the film noir are presented in this shot: the extreme light on the heavy shadows. This use of chiaroscuro increases mystery and connotes confusion. Also, the use of the silhouetted character holding the gun intensifies the shot further to give a strong sense of danger and nightmare. The femme fatale is centered in the shot, and shown clutching onto the man. This shows how he is her protector. The facial expression of the two characters expresses their feelings of terror.

From Script to Screen: the differences between mainstream and independent films.

The elements packaged early in production of mainstream films differ from those of independent films. The job of the producer of a mainstream film is to find well-known actors in order to automatically advertise the film to the fans of the actors, drawing an audience to the film. This is different to the actors of independent film as the producer can’t pay for popular actors. As well as this, the mainstream producers might produce the film that is based on bestselling novels or stories. This way, it is recognised by the public and those who have read the book, creating an audience who would like to watch the film as they enjoyed reading the novel. A producer of an independent film may use a known novel, but not one that is as bestselling as that of a mainstream film. The producer may also hire an award-winning director to direct the film. An audience may be attracted to a favourite director, known for working on other famous films. This differs from the director of a mainstream film; the director may have won awards but it won’t be as famous as the director of a mainstream film. The opportunity to produce a sequel for the film is another attraction for a producer, as this is another attraction for an audience and therefore more profits. This is more often a mainstream element. The special effects of a mainstream film is an element not found in independent film due to costs and budgets; independent films cannot rely on special effects because they can’t afford to use them. It is the same for the location. A well known location may be used for the mainstream films, whereas cheaper locations would be used for an independent film. Both mainstream and independent films may use a popular genre in order to attract a greater audience.

The marketing for mainstream films differ greatly to those of independent films due to the difference in budget. A mainstream film may rely on TV trailers, cinema advertising, merchandising, and internet campaigns. These are high budget ways of advertising the films to reach out to a greater audience. Independent films would rely on word of mouth and free publicity, in order to save money. They may use cinema advertising and internet, but not as much as a mainstream film might use these methods. For both types of film, posters will be used for the marketing campaign of the film. They are cheap and can be presented to audiences almost anywhere, therefore gaining a greater audience. Film festivals are a great way for the producers of independent films to present their work to other producers and film enthusiasts, collecting a quite specific type of audience that are interested in mainly their genre.

The distribution of mainstream films is very great; many mainstream films would be distributed globally, released in cinemas all over the world, particularly in the USA and UK. This is because the distributers of these films are world-wide companies and have huge budgets to spend on distributing. The distributers of these films are companies such as 20th Century Fox, Universal and Walt Disney. The distribution of independent films is very different from this; the film would be released in maybe a few countries as the budget is very small. The distributing companies of these films include Verve Pictures, UK Film Council, and Pathé.

Films shown at mainstream cinemas include “Resident Evil: Afterlife” and “Toy Story 3”, whereas films shows at an independent cinema include “The illusionist” and “Cyrus”. These films are much less well known than the films of the mainstream cinema. The cinematic exhibition of mainstream films is mostly accounted for by big-name cinema companies such as Odeon. They can be released in both 2D and, more frequently, 3D. The films are repeatedly shown at the cinemas several times a day for a long time, thus generating massive takings. The DVD release in relation to the cinema release date is only a short period of time after; a few months between the release of the film and the release of the DVD. The exhibition of independent films is vastly different from that on mainstream films. These films are shown at independent cinemas in a few countries rather than worldwide. They are shown once at these cinemas, and not repeated like a mainstream film would be. Independent films are rarely released in 3D and many independent cinemas don’t have the technology to account for 3D films.
The mainstream film “Avatar” by James Cameron was released on DVD 4 months after its release at the cinemas. The profits made by this film are $2,770,445,498 for the theatrical release, and a further $146,683,188 by the DVD release. This, in comparison to the takings for the independent film “Tell No One” standing at $6,177,192, is huge.