Sunday 25 September 2016

Analysis of The Purge: Anarchy

Analysis of The Purge: Anarchy



This is a medium close up shot of the institution logo, the mise en scene is of a chair floating mid air in a derelict room. The floating chair links with the idea of black magic and wizardry which imposes fear on the audience. There is colour symbolism of green and black because they connote evil, immoral and demonic. This is a low angle shot which makes the audience feel powerless and small because they are looking up at the object and room. This expresses the chair as dominant and superior object filling the frame of the shot. There is fog coming out of the door which is a key horror prop, this immediately strikes the audience that the film is going to be horror. I think the fog correlates with the dingy and tense atmosphere. The non-diegetic music has a crescendo which builds up the tense climax, there is slow tempo and it is low pitched. This makes the audience feel on edge and agitated.  



This is a medium long shot of the institution logo, there is a young girl standing in a dingy and dark room. The girl looks possessed and unusual looking which adds to the tense atmosphere. The face level angle heightens the audiences fear and fright. The green wall connotes jealousy and greed which links with the horror genre and gives the audience a idea of what the film is going to be about. At the right hand side of the shot there is a big clock which is a horror prop, this contributes with the tense atmosphere. The non-diegetic music has a fast tempo and low pitch which gets louder, this makes the audience feel anxious and apprehensive of the unknown.


This is a long shot of the institution logo of 'BH productions'. It is lit up in luminous green which is a common horror colour, this strikes the audience as horror genre. It is a face value angle which imposes trepidation on the audience. The lighting is harsh and boldly highlights the logo which creates a sinister and devilish atmosphere. The music stops suddenly and then starts again which creates a distorted effects that makes the audience feel uneasy. There is a sense of isolation because the room is empty and abandoned which contributes to the horror genre. 


This is a institution logo of 'Platinum Dunes', it shows a desert which links to the theme of isolation to horror genre. There is a tinge of green on this shot which links to the previous shot. Furthermore, there is dull and lifeless colours of beige, grey and blue which contributes to the horror genre. The bold black border makes the audience feel separated and isolated with the shot. There is clear colour symbolism of the colour black which connotes authority and power.  The non-diegetic music builds up tempo and has a very low pitch which adds to the tense atmosphere. As the shot progresses the black border get thicker which could symbolise the evil dominating and sucking the power out of the good. 


This is a medium shot of 'The Purge: Anarchy' logo, the logo reminds me of a army badge/rosette because it expresses authority and superiority. This alarms the audience that whatever the purge is it connotes dominance and supremacy. The red lines going down from the logo reminds me of blood dripping down which contributes to horror genre. The word 'Anarchy' is in dark red and stamped on which links to the government endorsement stamp. There is clear colour symbolism of the colour red which connotes violence and danger. As the shot appears there is a low and very loud bass drop which expresses the pure evil. The music has a crescendo which builds up a tension that heightens the audiences fear and fright. 




This a long shot of a american style diner and there is a women walking towards the camera dressed in uniform. There is a american flag outside the diner that expresses the themes of patriotism and national pride. There is quite depressing and dingy colours of beige which makes the audience feel disconsolate. The diegetic music is of the general talk of people in the diner which expresses normality. This alarms the audience as whatever is going to happen is going to distort the normality of peoples everyday life. 

This is a medium close up and low angle shot of a women watching the news. This alerts the audience that something is happening because of the unusual activity of traffic. The diegetic music is of the reporters voice reporting the incidents which heightens the audiences fear and apprehension. 

This is a big close up of someone loading a gun which emphasises the danger and threat. There is a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic should of bullets being loaded into the gun and the loud bass drop. The music has a quick and snappy tempo accompanied with a low pitch which builds up the tension. The background is blurred focusing on the gun which expresses risk and unpredictability of the situation. I think the gun could link with the theme of patriotism and protecting your country which gives the audience an idea of the plot of the film.

This is medium close up and low angle shot of a man holding a gun which heightens the audiences terror and panic. The non-diegetic music increases the tempo as he holds up the gun and the pitch slightly becomes higher which creates a crescendo.  The dark and neutral colours add to the tense and strained atmosphere. 

Thursday 22 September 2016

Analysis of World War Z

Analysis of World War Z


This is a long shot of the start of the production logo 'Skydance Productions'. I think there is colour symbolism because of the black and navy blue background which connotes mystery and death. Also, there is icy blue and white that radiates off the moon in the shot which connotes coldness and fear; this makes the audience feel agitated. I think this shot imposes panic on the audience because cold and icy toned colours. The non- diegetic music is dramatic and the tempo gradually slows down which makes you feel on edge. There is sound effects of a slow and low pitched hear beat which heightens the audiences fear.

This extreme long shot of the production logo is boldly written in white italics; this harshly contrasts against the navy blue and black background. I think there is colour symbolism because the white connotes purity and innocence and black expresses darkness. The white writing has a hint of light blue fading through it which gives the impression of it fading into the galaxy sky. The non- diegetic sound has a slow and repetitive rhythm of low pitch heart beats which correlates with the suspense atmosphere. Also, there is high pitch shrieking of wind which links with the wind blowing through the frame of the shot; this creates an eery atmosphere. This shot has a very quick and snappy transition which makes the audience feel panicked because of the irregular speed of transitions.

This is a long shot of the company name 'Hemisphere', I think this logo is significant to the film because the globe could link to war. The glittering globe contrasts against the sharp back background. In my opinion this links to the idea of the beauty of the world being destroyed by war. The glittering sparkles on the globe correlates with the soft chimes of music. The music fades into heavy footsteps which creates a crescendo and immediately makes the audience feel fearful and confused by the suede change in music.



This is a extreme establishment shot of a 'utopia fantasy' type beach which has been created by the vivid imagery. There are soft colours and warm lighting which contrasts to the horror genre. There is golden yellow, light pink, purple and blue which fade into each other in the sky. The right hand side of the shot is cold and dark because of the purples and blues which makes the audience feel agitated. On the other hand, the left hand side of the shot fades into a yellow and pink sunset which reflects on the sea. This makes the audience feel relaxed and comfortable. The waves are softly lapping which correlates with the peaceful atmosphere. The diegetic sound is of calming waves lapping which clashes with the non- diegetic fast and snappy music.

This is a medium shot of purple and blue clouds which are prominently outlined by the golden lighting. I think the clouds could symbolise fear and evil because they are taking over the sky. I think sit could symbolise heaven because the colours are soft and light which connotes peace. The non- diegetic music is quick paced because the tempo is getting quicker which makes the audience feel on edge. I believe the clouds movement covering more of the sky could represent the evil absorbing all the happiness which links to the horror genre.


This is a medium long shot of skyscrapers which I think indicates that the plot will involve an epidemic because a city is packed with millions of people. There is glowing warm lighting peering through the buildings which expresses the beauty of the city. The music is getting higher in pitch and faster in tempo which creates a tense atmosphere. The warm orange lighting connotes tranquility and peace which contrasts to the typical horror settings. The nob- diegetic music has a rapid and sharp tempo which contrasts to the relaxing view, the fast tempo makes the audience feel unsettled. The sharp transition correlates with the fast tempo which adds to the suspense atmosphere.

This is distorted and broken up in two sections, one of sections is a close up and the other is a medium close up. There is cold and dreary lighting of beige and grey which contrasts against the flock of black birds. Furthermore, in my opinion the flock of birds indicates the plot of an epidemic in this film, they are pack animal therefore there are lots of them in a small area. I believe that the canted shot could represent corruption of the world and the negative effect it has. The music is jumpy and irregular which makes the audience feel anxious and unsettled. I think the music correlates with the irregular movements and directions of the birds which builds up tension. The shot is slightly blurred which heightens the audiences disorientation with whats happening.

This is a medium log shot of people coming out of an underground train; this contributes to the idea of whatever tragedy is going to happen. The sound is diegetic because it is a radio broadcast reporting about important issues that are going on around the world. This alerts the audience that whatever is happening is critical and urgent which imposes fear of the unknown. The news broadcasts makes it more realistic which heightens the audiences terror. The people are blurry which shows it is a busy place because it's a bustling city.
This is a medium long shot of a man going into a war tent and he is wearing a mask to protect himself from smoke. This makes the audience feel panicked by the crucial and upsetting news that is being broadcasted. The sound is diegetic because it is a live news broadcast informing the audience significant news happening around the world. The colours are dreary which links with the idea of war. The transition is speedy and sharp which build up tension.

Wednesday 21 September 2016

History of horror

History of horror

The roots of the horror genre was an extension of a genre of literature that started in the late 1700s called Gothic Horror. Developed by writers in both Great Britain and the United States the Gothic part of the name refers to pseudo medieval buildings. In 1896 Georges Melies would go on to create what is considered to be the first horror film ever made. Silent films in the teens and 20s were still exploring the possibilities of this new filmmaking medium. Several experiments were conducted including the first Frankenstein adapted by Thomas Edison's studios in 1910 and Dante's inferno by Giuseppe de Liguoro in Italy in 1911. But the heart of horror in silent films would start to beat only after conclusion of the first world war and in ashes of the tattered country of Germany.


Tightly controlled Hollywood studio system of the 1930s, there was one studio that would be responsible for the first cycle of horror films- Universal Pictures. During the silent era, Universal was responsible for the few achievements in american horror. In the 30s, Universal created the Universal Gothic horror cycle: Their first hit was Dracula, directed Tod Browning and lensed by UFA cinematographer Karl Freund starring the Hungarian Bela Lugosi in 1931.


The genre of horror has ancient origins with roots in folklore and religious traditions, focusing on death, the afterlife, evil, the demon and the principle of the thing embodied in the person. These were manifested in stories of beings such as witched, vampires, werewolves and ghosts. In the 8th century, gothic horror drew on these sources with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. This marked the first time a modern novel incorporated elements of the supernatural instead of pure realism. In fact, the first edition was published disguised as an actual medieval romance. Once revealed as contemporary, many found it anachronistic, reactionary, or simply in poor taste - but it proved to be immediately popular.


That first novel of Gothic horror inspired such works as Vathek (1786) by William Beckford, A Silican Romance (1790) and The Mysterious of Udolpho (1794).

Influential horror writers of the early 20th century made inroads in these mediums. Particularly, the venerated horror author H.P. Lovecraft pioneered the genre of cosmic horror, and M.R. James id credited with redefining the ghost story in that era. Up until the graphic depictions of violence and gore on the screen commonly associated with the 1960s and 1970s slasher films and splatter films, comic books such as those published  by EC Comics in the 1950s satisfied readers' quests for horror imagery.

Sunday 11 September 2016

Horror films


Horror conventions
Sound

Nursery rhymes
Child laughter
Diegetic/ambiance
Non-diegetic (scare/sound effects)
Creaking noises
Dripping noises
Instrumental noises (violins, organ)
Footsteps
Tense music

Editing

Filters
Quick transitions
Jump cuts



Plot

A historical death
Move to a new house with a history
Serial killer/zombies
Found footage

Locations

Abandoned house
Forest
Graveyard
Hospital/mental asylum
Haunted house
Camp



Camera

Close up
Dolly shot
Focus pulls
Shaky
180 degrees
Pan shot
1st person point of view
Tracking



Mise en scene

Costume/hair/makeup
Setting/props
Lighting and colour
Positioning of objects and charcters

Characters

Donor (detective)
One who dies first
Hero
Helper
Protagonist
Antagonist (Villain)

Props

Blood
Dolls
Rocking chairs
Clocks
Wardrobes

Masks

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Media in my life


Media in my life

I use media in a various of different ways and have media apps that I use on a regular basis. I think the media is so varied which I like because it caters for different people's interests; for example fashion, food, celebrities etc... I use media so I can communicate with friends and family, out of interest to see what people are doing and to meet new friends that share my interests. Furthermore, the main reason why I use the media is to keep up with important news that is happening around the world. I like the media because it makes it easier to stay in contact with friends and family that I don't see often. My favourite part of the media is being able to look at different peoples fashion styles which inspires me. 

I really like instagram because I get to post memorable pictures of me and my friends that I like to look back on in the future. Also, I am really interested in photography so I get to express my interest through instagram by posting photographs. Furthermore, instagram is really varied and provides their audience's interests through photos and videos for example; beauty, cooking, comedy skits etc...
I like snapchat because it is a very easy way to communicate with your friends by sending a message, picture or video. Also, I like to see peoples snapchat stories which enables me to see what people are doing though out the day. Finally, my favorite part of snapchat is that you get to be creative because you can draw over the top of pictures or videos which is a really fun way to communicate with your friends.

Although there are many positive aspects about the media there is a few negative points I would like to address. I have found along with many others about the media is that there are a lot of negative messages traveling and spreading around filling peoples minds e.g. body shaming, racism etc...
Additionally, another negative factor is about Facebook because most of my newsfeed is always filled with advertisements or random posts that I'm not interested in. Also, it encourages Facebook users to state personal details publicly for example; what school you go to which I find very personal. This entices strangers/ hackers to seek private information about people which therefore can put peoples lives in danger. 

I think there will be several future developments to media to modernize and to attract more people to use the media. I think a key development will be to improve the security of peoples personal details to prevent hackers. I think this is a major issue in media because it preventing people from using media in fear of hackers. I think a development that will be made is to educate children of vital and important news through the media to make people more aware of what is happening around the world.