Binary Opposites seen in TV Dramas

The Walking Dead:
Domestic vs. Foreign / Alien = Humans vs. Zombies
Good vs. Evil = Humans vs. Zombies
Peace vs. War = Humans vs. Zombies
First world vs. Third world = Humans vs. Zombies

Game Of Thrones:
Empowered vs. Weak = Kings / Queens vs. Poorer people / people with less authority

Roots:
Black vs. White = Slaves vs. Masters
Empowered vs. Weak = Slaves vs. Masters
Good vs. Evil = Slaves vs. Masters

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles:
Humanity vs. Technology = Humans vs. Robots
Good vs. Evil = Humans vs. Robots

Skins:
Young vs. Old = Teenagers vs. Parents
Articulate vs. Inarticulate = "Chav" vs. Normal talking friend

Production Details for a Film4 Productions film

Trainspotting

 

Production:



Writer: Irvine Welsh (novel), John Hodge (screenplay)

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle
Budget: £1,550,000
Co-Production: Figment Films, The Noel Gay Motion Picture Company

Distribution:

UK Distribution Companies: Channel 4 DVD
Worldwide Distribution Companies: Miramax Home Entertainment (USA), Intersonic (Czech Republic), Warner Bros. (Sweden)

Marketing:

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2GKVtWsXKY&safe=active

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainSpottingOfficial

Certification: 18 due to use of violence, sex and nudity, profanity
and drug use

Promotional methods: Macdonald worked with Miramax Films to sell the film as a British Pulp Fiction, flooding the market with postcards, posters, books, soundtrack albums, and a revamped music video for "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop directed by Boyle. A few scenes were edited upon it's release in America so that Americans could try get used to the strong Scottish accent from the characters.

Exhibition, consumption & release:

UK Box Office: £12,300,000
International Box Office: $16,501,785 (USA)
Awards: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
(Academy Awards, USA - Nominated), Best Screenplay - Adapted (BAFTA - Won)
Distribution Companies: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (UK), Miramax (US)




 

Practical Task - Codes and conventions / interesting elements of movies similiar to ours (Thriller / Crime / Action Genre)

Reservoir Dogs

 

Codes and Conventions:

• Majority wearing suits to show that perhaps they are gangsters or that they want to seem professional while doing the job.

• Gangsters are smoking cigarettes to perhaps show some sort of danger or to present themselves as "cool". It could also show that they live a very low rent lifestyle and would generally go to bars etc. They practically have a nightlife.

• All generally using foul language to show that they quite clearly aren't any civilised men and prefer swearing as opposed to formal language - something criminals are genuinely seen to do.
  
  
  
• All wearing sunglasses to add a sense of mystery or that they’d prefer to remain anonymous perhaps the reason that they refer to each other through colours, again showing that they are quite clearly criminals but would prefer to be "under the radar" so that authorities are unable to track them.

• All look practically the same (white skin colour, black suit, sunglasses). This could show that they're members of the same team (most likely a crime organisation).

• All of characters are seen to use weapons or dangerous elements that can be used as weapons such as guns, a knife and gasoline to quite clearly present the danger that they bring to the movie in order to match the genre of crime/drama.

• Screaming and shouting is heard as the opening scene comes to a close and brings us into the movie to perhaps mirror the crime genre and signal that someone is being or has been hurt due to the danger that these men possess.

• They rob a jewellery store through the use of their guns as sirens are raised to again mirror the crime genre and show that they could've been caught. 

Interesting Elements:

• Shows each characters back story as to what the build up towards the "heist gone wrong" scenario was. An interesting way of putting the movie together.

• Great portion of the movie is generally set in one place (the abandoned warehouse).

• During torture scene, the actions that Mr. Blonde presents do not mirror to the theme of the song he's singing along to. The song "Stuck in the middle with you" seems to be joyful while Mr. Blonde sings along to it and proceeds to torture the tied up officer showing that he possesses a great deal of insanity.
  
  
• Characters are presented through the actor's name and then the name of the character that the actor is portraying followed by the title of the movie "Reservoir Dogs" as it scrolls up.

• Also, during the torture scene the camera pans away and then pans back to make the audience do the work and create a visual image or paint a picture of the impact of the pain that Mr. Blonde is inflicting on the police officer.

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Enemy of the State

Codes and Conventions:

• Animal behaviour foreshadows bad events about to happen such as a dog whining.
• Formal outfits such as suits and ties suggest the characters serve somebody or are somebody of a high stature such as high ranking police or secret agents.
• Things like sunglasses or masks used to make the face unrecognisable and make person anonymous.
• Non-diegetic music goes from more calm tone to suspenseful to set atmosphere for scene about to happen.
• Weather can be used to set atmosphere as well, for example if it is raining, the mood will be more dark and mysterious.

Some ways that these codes and conventions can be used in our film are, on the day of his hearing, it can be raining out side to give the impression that something bad will happen, in that example, the suspenseful music can also be used to reinforce the mood as the main character enters, or clears his name, or blames the murder one somebody else.

One way that the movie 'Enemy of the State' links in with ours is the idea of an innocent man getting caught up in a life of crime, or drugs, in this case he's had evidence (video of a murder that could put a politician in jail) planted on him, and his life was then destroyed piece by piece (in this case, his wife is gone and he no longer has his job).

In our case, our main character walks into an apartment with a dead body in it and it is assumed that he was the murderer, he then has a short amount of time to prove that he's innocent.

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Pulp Fiction

Codes and Conventions:

• As soon as the film opens, criminal couple Ringo and Honey Bunny pull out weapons (pistols) and prepare to rob the diner they're currently eating at. Simply shows that the rest of the film will most likely involve criminal activity mirroring the "Crime" genre.

• During the start of the film supposed "gangsters" Jules and Vincent pull out of a car and take shotguns from the trunk and enter a building, this quite clearly suggest that they're going inside to perhaps rob someone or commit homocide. They perform this while wearing suits which was also seen in "Reservoir Dogs" to show professionalism and class while on the job. This is a common stereotype seen within gangsters. All this again shows how easy it is to identify the film with the "Crime" genre. The gangsters then go on to murder two people.

• Again foul language is seen to show a low rent lifestyle and to present themselves as informal.

• The gangsters have a mob boss "Marcellus Wallace" of who they report to and who commands them to do as he demands, this will usually involve criminal activity. Within the "Crime" genre a boss higher than all others who possesses most authority can sometimes be seen e.g. Don Corleone in The Godfather.

• Film generally involves criminal activity through violence along with many people either dying or being severely injured (the Diner robbers, the gangsters murdering three people in total, boxer ignoring Wallace's demands about making the match rigged.

Interesting Elements:

• Film finds a way to be humorous towards audience without identifying itself within the "Comedy" genre through heavy use of foul language / swearing.

• Film is not shown in chronological order but in fact begins and ends with the ending. Could potentially be a way to make the audience think about the story thoroughly.

• Begins with the definition for "Pulp Fiction"

• Begins with groovy / enjoyable music (Jungle Boogie by Kool and the Gang)

Love Thy Neighbour (Season 2, Episode 1 - The House-warming Party) - Does it challenge or reinforce stereotypes?

After watching the first episode of the second season of the show "Love Thy Neighbour" I was easily able to comprehend that this show simply just reinforces stereotypes (in this case predominantly about black people in this episode). In fact I don't believe I came across any examples of where it challenges a stereotype, mainly just reinforcements of stereotypes.

For example, in instance one of the characters say "Bill was al right for a blackie." when the main character is forcing the black character Bill to leave town. By saying this, the show suggests that the majority of black people are generally seen in a negative light and that it's very rare to see one that is of good company. Before getting to know his personality, they're practically automatically assuming that they're not going to like him due to the colour of his skin. This reinforces the stereotype that black people are generally disliked due to the shows clear racism - which can be seen as the the main white character calls black people "nig nogs" and the main black character calls white people "honkeys".

You could also suggest that since the show was filmed in 1972 (a time where racism was a bigger issue than it is nowadays) it reinforces the stereotype of how English people like to discriminate against people who didn't originate from England. For example, this can be seen when the main character is telling his wife of how they (black people) should return to Africa because they'll feel more comfortable around their own kind as if it's where they belong and suggests that "white culture" is about "Fish & Chips, Coronation Street, Man United etc.). This is also seen when the main character is discussing with his two friends at the pub and refers to it as a "colour problem" due to the fact that the white and black characters a lot of the time like to base their judgement on another's colour of skin.

Fact File on a UK Production Company that created a movie I know

 

Film4 / Channel Four Films

(Created Trainspotting)

 

 

1. Film4-backed films have received a total of 27 nominations at this year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs). Yann Demange’s ’71 received 9 nominations, the highest number of all films on the list.

 

2. Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom.

 

3. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.

 

4. Prior to 1998, the company was identified as Channel Four Films or FilmFour International. Later, the outfit was re-branded as FilmFour, to coincide with the launch of a new Digital TV channel of the same name.

 

5. The company cut its budget and staff significantly in 2002, due to mounting losses, and was re-integrated into the drama department of Channel 4.