The Red Riding Trilogy OTS Analysis

The Red Riding Trilogy:

Plot:

The trilogy chronicles a backdrop of several serial murders although most are fiction, the second revolves around the "Yorkshire Ripper" murders. In the first of the trilogy 1974 Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) is an aspiring young journalist he moved to London but not all went well and has moved back to his home town of Yorkshire. There he learns of a new case, the disappearance of a young girl, as her body is recovered he becomes slowly obsessed with the case and one of the victim's mothers.

Opening Title Sequence Analysis:  

In the opening shot we see the camera pan down to the body of a little girl with wings, then the screen fades open to the anti-hero staring into the distance covered in dirt and blood, he then drops a gun onto the ground. In the next shot the anti-hero is seen driving into Yorkshire while a voice over which tells the audience about a little girl who goes missing, the voice over is confirmed to be the anti-hero as he is a journalist who has messed things up in London and returns home for his father's funeral. The character of the Eddie fits with the typical anti-hero in film noir's as he is flawed, he messed up in London and wants to makes a name for himself, he is also flawed as his father was also a journalist and he is constantly being compared to him as if he could never be as good as his father was. Another thing that is very common in film noirs is that the narrative is broken as in the first shot, it starts with the end this is called reverse chronology also the voiceover is very common as it gives a direct link to what the character is experiencing or feeling, this creates a hook/enigma for the viewer as they want to find out more. The colours are bland mostly dark yellows and grey this makes it feel dystopian which creates the effect of the community being undesirable or frightening , there is also a heavy atmosphere of smoke present this is very common in a film noir, the effect used on the lighting a dark sepia tone, this effect is used to resemble the effect of aging asthough the viewer is looking into the past. The camera shots used are mostly over the shoulder shots which shows the viewer the surroundings, close-ups to show emotions and framing as this allows the film maker to construct a shot that continues the narrative. There are also three factors that are present that are not common in a film noir, instead of being based in an urban setting the narrative takes place in the country side. Instead of using dramatic music there is a score from a guitar and finally film noir's are usually shot in black and white.

Watch The Trailer Here: (Must Have Youtube Access)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsshRsvMGCs

Evidence Of 180 Degree Rule & Shot Reverse Shot

Here is an example of a shot reverse shot, we see the mental patient looking down, there we can see the other on screen character the doctor.

Here we can see the reverse of the shot, we have obeyed the rule as we have created the illusion that the characters are looking at each other.

Here we filmed a match on action as the character calls for the lift we see the doors open and he walks in, this shows the audience it is moving on with the narrative and showing the characters' actions.

Here we filmed the rule of 180 as the characters turn from their original position the camera follows them that way it does not cause any confusion or disorientation for the audience.

180 Degree Rule & Shot Reverse Shot

180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline referring to the onscreen spatial relationship involving two characters or a character and an object within a scene. Filmmakers use an imaginary line called the "Axis" to connect the two characters, this can be done by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be on the right frame of the second character, who is then always on left frame of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called jumping the line or crossing the line.

In professional productions, the applied 180-degree rule is an essential element for a style of film editing called Continuity Editing. Although it is a very important rule some filmmakers will break it and cross the axis to cause a disorientation. Stanley Kubrick was known to do this for example in The Shining he broke the line of action in the bathroom scene.

Shot Reverse Shot

This shot can also be called the shot/counter shot, is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

My Favourite TV Dramas

 CSI


One of my favourite TV dramas is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which started in 2000, it is based around the lives of forensic scientists who solve criminal cases that are tagged unsolvable. It mixes drama with it's characters with the mystery of the cases as they unravel the truth. Rather than using the "whodunit" formula they explore how the crimes were committed using cutting edge new technology. It has been the number one scripted series in the Nielsen ratings (the audience measuring system used in the United States) it has also been the world's most watched show since 2007. The show has also been so successful it has spawned two spinoff shows: CSI: Miami which started in 2002 and CSI: New York which started in 2004.
    
 The characters are the audiences way of viewing the solving of the cases the characters are:

• Grissom- the head of the crime lab, to many of the characters he is seen as a mentor rather than a boss, he teaches them techniques they can use in their investigations, he is romantically involved with Sara but it is not revealed until the season 7 finale. The character of Grissom is often compared to Sherlock Holmes as he is more concerned with the matter of logic rather than action and he also has a "Moriarty" type of nemisis.

•  Catherine Willows- the supervisor to Grissom, she is portrayed as a strong independent woman as she is recently divorced and loves her career and wants to make a name for herself. The character actually breaks many conventions which is true of all the characters in CSI, as she is not helpless, she is very intellegent also.

• Warrick Brown- an audio/video analyst, warrick is seen as Grissom's favourite as he is always looking out for him and teaching him many life lessons as he has a past as a gambler.

• Nick Stokes- level 3 CSI, nick is also looked after by Grissom, in season 5 he is taken hostage and buried alive, he is a intellegent ladies man, he is often known for his many relationships but his loyalty lies with the team. Nick fits the sterotype of the tough guy who is also first into dangerous situations.

• Sara Sidle- a material and element analyst, Sara was transfered over to the team in the second episode of the first season when a fellow CSI was killed while working, Sara became a perminent member since. Sara fits into the sterotype of the romantic interest as she is portrayed as quite flirtatious but caring

• Captain Jim Brass- a police officer who assists by gaining warrants, he was once in charge of the CSI unit but lost the job and it went to Grissom. The character is portrayed as being stern, serious and ambitious to catch the criminals, he fits the conventions of the boss figure as he commands the team and helps them with the invesigations.

I like this show as i like the element of mystery as the case is solved and you are able to keep guessing who the culprit is i also like how the show deals with personal issues with the characters.



 The Walking Dead

 The walking dead is an American drama TV series based on the comic book series of the same name. It tells the story of a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse. It shows the post - apocalyptic world as the survivors try to find shelter and cure the population. The show stars Andrew Lincoln as the show's main character sheriff Rick Grimes who awakens from a coma into the zombie ridden world. He returns to his family and swears to keep them and a band of survivors safe as he is elected leader of the pact. The show has been well received by critics and audiences. It is filmed in the style of a horror and adds drama and suspence aswell as action.
I like this show as it creates an apocalyptic world and deals with a topic that is very overused but actually makes it feel fresh.
                                            Characters and representations:

Rick Grimes- he is the leader of the group, he is sterotypically a tough guy who can lead the survivours out of any situation with ease and confidence. He meets the main conventions of the hero/survivor in the horror genre as he is the only one willing to lead everyone and has experience with action/conflict.






 T-Dog- he is one of the survivors in the group led by Rick, the character fits many sterotypes and conventions but later contrasts many of them. He is sterotype as enjoying rap and dressing as a "gangster", his dialogue is also sterotyped as he speaks using slang. In the first season he is represented as not being very heroic but more of a coward and seen as a coward. But during season 2&3 he breaks the conventions as he becomes a major character and seen as a leader figure even questioning Rick's abilities one major convention he had broken in the horror genre was that he survived longer than most characters who are white, as in the horror genre the black character usually dies very early on.

 This Is England 86/88

This is Englad tv series is a spin off from the original TIE movie, it is set three years after the movie and the story is takes place during the 1986 fifa world cup. The show revolves around a group of teenagers and shows their lives as they are grwoing up and their relationships. The
shows main character is : 

• Shaun- he is completing his last exam of his time in high school and his friends who are around 3 years older than him are Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget and Meggy. All these characters feature in the movie which revolves around the skinhead culture and deals with topics such as racism. 

The show had caused some controversy as it showed one of the shows characters being raped it provoked stron reactions from audiences who found the scene hard to watch.
I like this show as it blends drama (sometimes in extreme cases) with the political and real issues. I also like it because i like the characters as they seem like a normal group of friends but with issues.

Continuity Task

 The set priliminary task was to film a character opening a door, walking across the room, sitting and interacting with another character. During this we had to remember the shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.

This is our final outcome:

The plot to our task is a mental patient from an asylum has escaped and a troubled doctor is sent to bring him back safe, upon his arrival he sees the patient located on the top floor of a building, he makes his way up and tries to persuade the patient to come down, he is reluctant to come at first but agrees then suddenly changes his mind and tries to "save" the doctor from the threat.

For the Storyboard of our set task click the link below:

http://asmediastudieslucyeaston.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/story-board-for-preliminary-exercise.html

The Characters of a Typical Film Noir

The Anti-Hero: the main characteristic of the anti hero is that he is flawed in some way, they often tend to be detectives, private eyes or journalists. These men are often investigating a crime in an urban city back drop. They are also employed by the femme fatale who gets them into dangerous situations. It is also very common the anti-hero will lose in his investigation by either dying or being close to death it is also very common for a film noir to start the film with a scene from the end of the plot and then flash backwards between the narratives.








The Femme Fatale: The femme fatale is a beautiful woman who used to be typically blonde who gets the main character into trouble and danger. She will often employ the skills of the anti-hero and make him investigate a crime which will lead to him to either a shocking conclusion or his death. Femme fatale is french for "deadly woman".








The Girl Next Door: this character is portrayed as a typical beautiful woman and more than often is blonde much like the femme fatale. This character is often the most innocent in the genre as she meets the anti-hero and he will fall for her and she will stick by him or assist him in his investigations.











The Villain: is the final typical character you will find in a noir film. They are usually well dressed men of intelligence. They are also often to be men who are in a position of power such as corrupt police officers, politicians or crime lords. They will pose a great threat over the anti-hero and may be linked with the femme fatale and may survive after the events of the film.

Hansel + Gretel Treatment.

Hansel & Gretel for Fun lovers: Hansel (Seth Rogen) and Gretel (James Franco) are stoner buddy slackers, they've known each other since high school and haven't acheived much since. Once they recieve a call from their dealer has a brand new drug in the forest they set on a comedic adventure meeting a host of creaures including a talking unicorn, fairy prostitutes and Nicolas Cage. Co starring Woody Harrelson as the dealer in the forest, Emma Stone as Gretel's girlfriend. The style would be a comedy by using a light tone and an upbeat storyline.

Hansel & Gretel for Hero Seekers : Hansel (Bruce Willis) and Gretel (Angelina Jolie) are brother and sister born to the mayor of their village as children they were banished and made their way to a house made of candy there they slay their first witch, now as adult witch hunters they must protect their village as a curse is awakened and it's up to them to save the day.




Hansel & Gretel for Youth Of Today: Hansel (Ryan Gosling) meets Gretel (Mila Kunis) during his final year in high school, they become friends then slightly more but worst comes to worst when they are taken by a witch as slaves their relationship is tested but they stay strong as their love is the only thing keeping them alive.