The departed and vacancy further research

The Departed (2006)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Running Time: 151 Minutes
The Departed was released on October 6, 2006 to overwhelmingly positive reviews.The film is one of the highest-rated wide release films of 2006The film grossed $26,887,467 in its opening weekend, becoming the third Scorsesefilm to debut at #1. the film is believed to be the most commercially successful of Scorsese's featuresand is his highest-grossing film to date,
Vacancy (2007)
Director: Nimród Antal
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Running time: 85 min
Vacancy opened at #4 in its first week at the box office grossing $7.6 million at 2,551 locations.The film has grossed a total of $28.4 million worldwide.

“Vacancy” and “The Departed” Opening sequence analysis

The opening sequence of “Vacancy” sets the atmosphere and tone for the rest of the film, introducing characters, but not telling us that much about them, creating a sense that we do not know everything, and that there is more than the film tells us. Straight away, we can tell that this is a horror subgenre of thrillers, from the darkness, and the fear and suspense it is aiming to build up in the audience.

This is carried on throughout the rest of the opening sequence, as the dark obscures whatever is beyond the road, and the two main characters argue over things we are not informed about.

There is also an anticlimax, at the point when the car almost hits the (racoon?). The music builds up, and we are shown the silhouette of the animal in the cars headlights, as if it is something dangerous. What happens next, however (the car makes a sudden stop and skids off the road) has an impact on the rest of the film in that it damages the car, causing them to stop off later on. Pathetic fallacy is used to an extent, it being at night. This is something that you could say is a convention of thrillers, as the genre uses it a lot to create whichever atmosphere it is trying to portray.

Another point about the opening sequence of “vacancy” is the very long credits at the very beginning. The credits alone tell us something about the film we are about to see, with black and red being the dominant colours, and the music being very dramatic, and foreboding.

“The Departed” is an example of a very different subgenre of thrillers, the gangster film, and the opening sequence uses very different tactics to create a very different atmosphere and setting within the film. Conventions, almost clichés, of the gangster movie are used. An example of this is the narrator, who has an almost typical gangster voice. There are many similar films which open in a very similar way, which, in a way, is very suitable for a very well established genre of film, and does not detract from the opening in any way, merely informing us of the type of film we are watching.

One thing that “The Departed” has in common with “Vacancy” is that we get the sense of a background that goes far beyond what we see in the opening, as we see a flashback, involving one of the characters, who has already been established as a man who doesn’t care about morals or human life, shoots two people, along with someone else. We are not told anything about this, but we can assume that it has something to do with the boy he is talking to.

Film Research

BRITISH FILM

Man on Wire (2008)

Genre: documentary

Directed by : James Marsh

Produced by : Simon Chinn - Wall to Wall

Starring : Philippe Petit

It competed in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where
it won the Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Documentary and the World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary.
In February 2009, the film won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film, the Independent Spirit Awards and the
Academy Award for Best Documentary.
£1.1m budget

box-office stands at $4.8m

HOLLYWOOD FILM

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by : Ben Stiller

Produced by : Stuart Cornfeld
Eric McLeod
Ben Stiller

Written by : Ben Stiller
Justin Theroux
Etan Cohen

Starring : Ben Stiller
Robert Downey, Jr.
Jack Black
Brandon T. Jackson
Jay Baruchel


The film and its cast were nominated for several awards from various groups including the Screen Actors Guild,
Broadcast Film Critics Association, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."Hollywood Comedy of
the Year Award" at the 12th annual Hollywood Film Festival on October 27, 2008.nominated for Best Motion Picture,
Comedy or Musical, for the Satellite Awards.Downey nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.Broadcast Film
Critics Association nominated Downey for Best Supporting Actor and awarded Tropic Thunder Best Comedy Movie at the
BFCA's Critics' Choice Awards.Downey and Cruise received nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
for Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor.Boston Society of Film Critics recognized the cast with its Best Ensemble
award.Downey was also nominated by both the Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
for Best Supporting Actor awards.

grossed $180 million in theaters

couldn't find cinema attendance.

Production tips

Diegesis- It is a good idea to consider the use of Diegetic and Non-Diegetic material (especially sound). "Diegetic" refers to material that is heard by people in the film, or is part of the production. Non-Diegetic, on the other hand, is material that has been added in afterwards, and is there merely to enhance the experience for the audience. Some material can be both Diegetic and Non-Diegetic, such as the thoughts of a character in a film, which can be heard by that character, but not by the others.

Micro and Macro origination- It is a very good idea not to start filming straight away, but planning ahead with ideas and storyboards, making sure that what you are making doesn't fall out of the conventions of the genre you are trying to make it fit into. You must consider things like how the audience will react to the film, as they will most likely be used to the genre, and notice if anything seems out of place. A three stage process must befollowed. First you must study the conventions of the genre using the micro-macro strategy, before developing a narrative instantly recognisable to the intended audience as fitting into the particular genre, and spending time shooting and editing material so that it looks right for the genre, and doesn't break conventions.

Camera work and framing- Use a tripod to steady the camera when shooting unless you want the footage to lookshaky to achieve a desired effect. Most shots should be done without moving the camera, so that moving becomes an exception to the norm. It is a bad idea to zoom if you which the footage to look professional, although itcan be used to acheive the effect of amateur footage. Widescreen framing should be used, and close ups shouldbe few and far between as they are normally used much less in film than on television, as the intended screen is much larger. Long shots and mid shots should be the most used, with close ups and extreme close ups being reserved for special occasions. The rule of thirds principle should be used, and people and objects to be filmed slightly off centre if you whish peoples eyes to be drawn to them, avoiding the centre of the image. You must consider how you combine shots, and think of what it will suggest to the audience, like the transition from long shot to mid shot to close up, which emphasizes action and location, allowing you to switch to a conversation, for example. Think about camera angles and what they symbolise to the audience. Low angle shots suggest the viewer being less powerful than whatever is in the shot, and high angle suggests the opposite. This can be highly influential in how the audience reacts to the film

Mise en scene- Mise en scene is about creating a belivable world within the limitations of the film and a good atmosphere for the type of film you are aiming to make. It requires careful and detailed choice of props, costume, lighting and locations. It requires you to have attention to detail when making the film. Examples of Mise en Scene not being considered would be costume changes or haircuts in the middle of filming, as this couldcompletely ruin the atmosphere. Good acting is also something to consider when thinking about Mise en Scene.

Lighting- Using natural light is always a good technique when thinking about lighting, although you may have to wait for the right conditions. If you use artificial light, such as candles, torches, or car headlights, you must make sure you have carried out risk assessments.Colour filters can be used, such as filming through coloured liquids or vases, and can achieve some interesing effects. Consider Mise en Scene when positioning lighting, as the way it shines can effect the atmosphere of a scene.

Combining sound, image and titles- Font, coulour and size, should be consiered, and should also be appropriate to the atmosphere and genre of the film. The timing (how long the title stays on, and when and how it appears) must also be considered, as this will have an effect on the audience's perception of the beginning of the film, and whether they enjoy iy or not. The titles can inform people straight away what kind of film they are supposedto be watching. The music also has a semiotic effect on the way the audience sees the film, and must be chesen carefully to add to the ambience of the film, and the titles themselves.

The grammar of non-linear editing- There are rules which need to be followed when editing a film using non-linear video editing software. These involve using the right transitions, and timing the scenes correctly. You must keep this within the conventions of the type of film you are creating and not just choose it because it is exciting. Hard cuts should be used for the majority of the film, so that the editing is not noticable in the final product. This is the main rule; that whatever you do when editing the film, the editing should be virtually invisible in the finished film, as over the top editing could ruin the ambience.

Somers Town After Viewing Questions

Somers Town After Viewing Questions

4. I would categorise Somers Town as a comedy-drama, containing around equal parts comedy and drama. The film is light hearted, but not consistently so, as there are serious undertones and moments in it which cause you to stop and think. It does not remind me directly of a film that I have seen before, although I have seen things with similar sentiments and atmosphere. The two tones within the film offset each other very well, and serve to make it more interesting, and unpredictable.
5. I think the film’s appeal lies mainly in it’s charm, and it’s intelligent and interesting look at that part of London and social relationships during the building of the Eurostar terminal. I think it appeals more to an audience who wish to see something fascinating, but something that has an element of fun to help build an atmosphere that you can immerse yourself in.
6. The subtitled parts of the film help spread the message in the film that everyone is basically the same, no matter what language they speak, and helps us see similarities between the characters. The fact that the film has been shot in black and white I think helps create an atmosphere of what we might call poverty. It emphasises the fact that the area in which the film is set is a working class area, and that most of the characters are from a working class background, thus reflecting a mood within the film.
8. I think the audience is not expected to be comfortable with the portrayal of the two teenagers in the film as they are shown in a very realistic way, and there are various points in the film where they don’t behave as people would want them to behave. I think the audience is supposed to sympathise with them, it’s just that this does not mean they will feel comfortable with their portrayal.
9. I don’t think that the film encourages us to judge the actions of Tomo and Marek when they play in the prohibited areas, as the way it is shown in the film is just as normal playing, and to the viewers of the film, there doesn’t seem to be anything about it that should be “prohibited” as such. Thus, the audience is encouraged to take the boys’ side in this matter.
10. The messages about childhood and adolescence that you take away from the film are mixed, as it is represented in different ways in the film. On the one hand, that it can be very immature, and on the other that can be caring and feeling, and think about things. Ultimately, it is the latter that you walk away from the film with.
11. Your reactions to the boys throughout the film change in various directions throughout the film. Parts of the film where you are made to sympathise include the scene in which Tomo is beaten, and when the boys get the wheelchair and decorate it for Maria. You are given an unsympathetic portrayal of them most notably in the part where they get drunk and trash Marek’s home. This, however is turned to sympathy quite quickly.
12. I agree that Meadows is using stereotypes in his depiction of Marek’s father, Graham and Maria, but I think he is using them for a reason. Graham the cockney is a stereotype used for comic effect, and is where most of the comedy in the film stems from. Marek’s father is used to provide a serious reflective part to the film, and Maria is used in part to represent the merging of cultures that has come with the building of the Eurostar terminal, a purpose for which the character of Marek’s father could also be applied. These stereotypes are stereotypes are stereotypes which have been used many times in British film, but in Somers Town they are all used to represent something within the setting of the film

Somers Town Lecture Notes

Somers Town Lecture Notes

British film- Usually a low budget affair.
Quite often featuring lower classes.
Often about people rediscovering themselves as new people.
Somers Town- Set in Somers Town of the title-working class part of London. Never mentioned inn film itself.
Again about people rediscovering themselves.
Sponsored by Eurostar. Set at the time of the building of eurotunnel.
French character stereotypical sophisticated French woman.

In what ways does the opening of “No Country for Old Men” conform to the conventions of a thriller?

In what ways does the opening of “No Country for Old Men” conform to the conventions of a thriller?

The opening to the film “No Country for Old Men” conforms to the conventions of thrillers in a variety of ways, although it is not entirely conventional in it’s approach.
The most obvious feature of the opening part of the film is the presence of death. The fact that a character dies near the beginning of the film, or indeed anywhere in the film, is a common theme in the genre, and death is something that plays a part in nearly all thrillers.
Aside from this, something else, shown even earlier on in the film, which conforms to the setting of a thriller, is the bleak setting, a desert, which is accentuated by blowing wind, dust, and a distinct absence of anything that can be recognised as alive. This is shown from the very beginning of the film, and this, again, is a feature that is common to many films in the genre, as it gives the events that happen within the film much more impact. It gives the impression of loneliness, and helplessness.
The character introduced at the beginning of the film gives us the impression of being the kind of psychotic character so prevalent in thrillers, and confirms this impression by killing two people during the opening scenes of the film. The second character introduced has the look of a cowboy giving us a slightly better impression of himself than the long haired maniac we have previously seen. This impression, however, is slightly tempered by this character’s insensitive attitude towards death, and in this way, the film does not follow the conformities of a thriller, as neither of the characters we have so far been introduced to have been of an entirely benevolent nature, one showing a preference towards shades of grey that are not always typical to most thrillers, although not unheard of.
Another thriller convention that is used in the opening to “No Country for Old Men” is the lack of dialogue, which emphasises the loneliness and desolate nature of the situation. The film, like many thrillers, also starts on a foreboding note, instead of going straight into the action, which helps build up the tension towards the later parts of the film.
Although the film’s opening does conform to the conventions of thrillers in many ways, there are also ways, in which it doesn’t. One is the previously mentioned shades of grey that are prevalent in the characters’ morality. Another would be the amount that happens within the opening scenes of the film, although this doesn’t go against thriller conventions either. The lack of explanation of what is going on is something that is prevalent in many thriller openings, as the film makers often want the film itself and the symbolism therein speak for itself.
To conclude, the opening to “No Country for Old Men”, is, in many ways, the typical opening to a thriller, and contains many of the themes and symbolism that is often used. However, it does differ in a few small ways, making it a unique, instead of entirely clichéd opening to the film.