MY SWEDED FILM

Three friends and I produced our very own Sweded film. We based our film off of an episode of 'American Horror Stories Hotel'. We chose to base our Sweded film on this because for our own film (that we hope to create) we want it to be the genre of horror, hence we used 'American Horror Stories' for inspiration. We filmed our Sweded film in school on our mobile phones and therefore lacked make up, costume and probably good actors... (we were the actors). For our first attempt I believe it turned out very good. However the final piece has been stretched by the software we used to edit our film, therefore I know now not to use that software to edit in the future. 

ANALYSIS OF AN A.S THRILLER

Through the technical codes i analysed an A.S thriller in order to help me to start and think about my A.S thriller. The sequence i used is called Reflection. 


MISE-EN-SCENE: 
The black leather gloves on the killer presents the idea to the audience that he is up to no good. His facial expressions are sneaky and almost evil which makes the audience fell suspicious of him. Furthermore his long black trench coat alerts the audience to something haunting about this character. Binary opposition is used as the killer appears sister making the women appear innocent. The house is set in a isolated location adding to the suspense fulness of the sequence. Signs in the house make the women into a family life mother. For example the pictures and push chair in the corner which draw sympathy from the audience for the women. 

Camera angles: The close up of the killer's face locking the door and shutting the door allows the audience to see his evil smirk on his face, suggesting to the audience this man can't be trusted. There is a tilt down shot to show he has stolen the key, again this is not 'normal' behaviour and so the audience get more freaked by this character. The tracking shot of the killer walking around the house presents how empty the house is indicating what danger lies ahead for the women because there is no where to escape. The sequence ends with a close up of the killer's glove next to her hand, indicating that she will not live and the killer will once again kill. 

Editing: Eye-line match is used frequently in this sequence.For example when the killer takes the key, which brings the audience's attention to his strange behaviour because most 'normal' policemen don't steal keys, this infers something bad will happen. 

Sound: There is a non-diegetic sound as he enters the house in order to indicate his nasty side to the audience. The slow non-digetic sound helps to build up tension in the sequence as the killer stalks around the kitchen. The sinister non-diegetic sound indicates the killer is about to murder his victim as he places his hand next to hers. 

EXPLANATION OF SWEDING

About:

Sweded Films are amateur recreations of famous films using limited resources and technology inspired by the 2008 comedy film Be Kind Rewind. The films are typically much shorter in length than their originals and use shoe-string budget props to mimic the source material.

Origin:

The term “sweded” was coined in the 2008 Michel Gondry comedy film Be Kind Rewind, starring Jack Black and Mos Def. The film takes place in Passaic, New Jersey, where the declining VHS rental store “Be Kind Rewind” loses its entire video collection after being inadvertently magnetized. Mike (played by Mos Def) and Jerry (played by Jack Black) attempt to replace the store’s video collection by recreating films using a camcorder and claiming they are special editions from Sweden.

HOW TECHNICAL CODES CREATE MEANING IN AN OPENING SEQUENCE OF A FILM

The four difference technical codes include Sound, Mise-en-scene, Editing and Camera angles. They all work together to explain the narrative of a film. 

WHAT IS A THRILLER?

A thriller is a film or novel where something exciting and tense always happens. There is always an enigma to be resolved that will change the equilibrium. A common feature of a thriller film will be a death, kidnapping of assault that will lead to a chase involving the heroes and villains. Binary opposition is essential in this process Different types it enables the audience to determine who's side they should be on. Another common convention (expectation) used in the thriller is the anti hero, a character that is flawed and out into a position that they don't necessarily want to be in, but ultimately they save the day. Watching a thriller generally involves willing suspension of disbelief (this means we know the idea is ridiculous but we buy into it for the duration of the film)

Different types of Thrillers:

Psychological- Psychological thriller is a thriller story which emphasises the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states. For example Seven:

 Seven is a psychological thriller because it is about a serial killer being chased by detectives. Why this is a psychological thriller is because the serial killer is clearly insane and kills people to match the seven deadly sins, hence the film title. 

Sci-fi- Science fiction thriller is a fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. For example Children of men:

Children of men is a sci-fi because it is about a man trying to stop the world from ending in the future by trying to save a child, in order for the human race to progress. Due to this film being set in the future it creates a dystopian setting.

Action-  An action thriller often contains a fast-paced, centred and definite plot. Normally contains fighting, death and blood being drawn. The heros in action films are normally thrust into series of challenges that typically includes fight scenes and chases. For example James Bond;Skyfall

Skyfall is an action thriller because it includes fast pace chase scenes of James Bond (the hero) chasing the villain. Furthermore the many gun shooting scenes keeps the audiences on the edge of there seats whilst they wait for Bond to succeed again. 

Crime- Crime thrillers offer a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal rather than a policeman. Central topics of these films include serial killers and murders. For example The Usual Suspects:

The usual suspects is a Crime thriller because it includes a mysterious murder and the audience must figure out who the killer is.

 Police-  A police thriller is when police agencies or the official law of a country are tracking down criminals. For example Sherlock Holmes:

Sherlock Holmes is a police thriller because it is about a police detective investigating into a crime which has been taken police. 

Conspiracy/Political- Conspiracy/political thrillers are when the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. Typically used in fictional films. For example JFK:

JFK is a conspiracy/ political thriller because the films centres around the association of President Kennedy. Also it suggests conspiracy of the government and secret service. 

Horror- Horror thrillers seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. They intent to startle their viewer. For example Scream: 

Scream is a horror thriller because the serial killer in the mask is expected to startle and frighten the audience. Furthermore the idea of being home alone and someone 'stalking' you frightens many people, therefore this film will terrify many viewers. 

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF TWO SCENES FROM KILL BILL- VOLUME 2

First Scene:

In the first scene there is a diegetic sound of cricket, which suggests that the film is set in a isolated area, typical for a horror film. There is a non-diegetic western music playing in order to indicate the setting of the film to the audience. Furthermore the dark lighting shows the audience that it is at night. The audience are then introduced to the blond first girl, which again suggests to the audience that this film is in the horror genre. There is a close up to the first girl showing how beaten up she is. The audience then see two men and immediately believe they are guilty of beating her up due to them being placed in a wide shot hovering over the first girl. Moreover the wide shot shows the audience how isolated the first girl is from society, highlighting there is no where for her to escape to. The editing tool eye-line match is used between one of the men and the first girl when a man holds a pepper spray to her eyes. This allows the audience to worry for her safety, as although she has killed people, she is the anti-hero and the audience are therefore on her side. The close up to her face shows how petrified she is as she is placed in a coffin. 

The camera filming downwards making the coffin seem smaller.   

One of the men said that this is revenge, and the audience wonder what for. Furthermore as she is lying inside the coffin, the camera films at a low angle giving the man the power and superiority over the first girl who is filmed at a high angle to appear weak and vulnerable. As the men begin to drill nails into the coffin there is a close up in order to emphasise that as the nails go in the light dims out, suggesting that all hope for her to escape is gone. At this point the non-diegetic sound stops. This change of sound indicates a change of mood as the audience realise there is no way to escape. There is only a diegetic sound of crickets and the sound of the truck driving her to a mysterious location. Inside the coffin is pitch black, absolute darkness which sets a eerie mood for the audience. Moreover there is a diegetic sound if mud being poured onto the coffin whilst she us banging on the box which emphasis her torture. Inside the coffin all sound is amplified and enhanced by echo done through editing which again makes this scene more horrific to watch by the audience. When the torch is turned on, the audience can finally see her in the coffin. The coffin appears really closed and small due to the camera tight on face shot, making the coffin appear claustrophobic and her scared. The shot is filmed from above the coffin looking down making the coffin appear smaller and darker. When the torch shines on her face the camera zooms in to see the mud and sweat on her face emphasising how panicked she is of dying due to being buried alive. There is a diegetic roar of a car, as it drives away from her buried in the coffin, informing the audience that there is now no one left to help her. 

Second Scene:

Wide shot of her in coffin- coffin looks bigger.

This scene begins with an establishing shot showing the audience where this scene is set, in a grave yard, immediately giving the audience a chilling vibe. During this shot there is a non-diegetic drum, representing a heart beat emphasising that she is still alive. Furthermore this heartbeat is slow presenting the idea that she is calm which leads to a zoom in shot to her inside of the coffin. The torch has changing colour to a more bright golden light suggesting hope, unlike the dull yellowish light in the previous scene representing darkness. Furthermore in the previous scene the coffin appeared very tight where as now the wide camera angle makes the space appear bigger again suggesting hope for the audience. This is done as the camera pans across her via the torch which evidently makes the coffin appear larger. Precendently she appeared as muddy and bloody, but now she is clean, shining blonde and glowing. She comes across as almost angelic. The low angle camera shot indicates that she has power and strength and so a non-diegetic hopeful music begins to play as she begins to plan her escape. 

Her planning her escape from the coffin.

The camera pans across to demonstrate how she is planning to escape which is amplified by the music getting more heroic and the lighting getting lighter. The camera cuts from her eye-line to her boots in order to direct the audience's attention to her boots where her pen knife is hidden. The hopeful music suggests to the audience that she is going to escape. There is a close up of her face showing her smiling as she gets closer to her escape. The pace pocks up due to the quick cross cuts which is matched by the sound increasing in tempo and speed as her liberation is near at hand. She begins to punch her way out of the box. As her hand comes out of the mud with a triumph fist punch, the music stops immediately symbolising that she is going to live. 

Her hand coming out of the mud.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF SCREAM

The first girl on the phone to her killer,looking very innocent.

Immediately as the film begins there is a non-diegetic heart beat which paces the audience for the horrific scenes to come in this film, which is followed by a diegetic phone ring and a scream. Again, the scream creates a tense atmosphere as the audience anticipate the thriller in the horror film. The audience are introduced to a blonde girl (played by Drew Barrymore) typically known as the 'first girl' in horror films. The first girl in horror films are stereotypically blonde and vulnerable, who normally ends up being killed, which creates tension amongst the audience as they know something is at work. Furthermore her costume suggests innocence which highlights the audience's knowledge that this is a horror film. 

Isolation of the house.

Not only does the first girls innocence hint to this film being a horror, but also due to the isolation of the setting. Isolated locations are typically used in horror films because it shows that there is no way for the characters to escape to, which points towards the characters being murdered, thus being a horror film. In Scream, the diegetic sound of crickets inform the audience that the first girl is in a isolated area. Furthermore the audience can see that its late at night due to it being dark which makes the first girl more vulnerable. Moreover, the house is surrounded by woods therefore there will be no one around to save her from the suspicious man on the phon

e to her. The audience can see the isolation of the house as the camera tilts down towards the house to show that the house, as well as the first girl, are in the middle of no where and therefore there is no hope and she will not escape. Furthermore this camera angle connotes a sense that she is being watched. At the end of this tilt there is a moving swing which has been sat on by the stalker, allowing them to easily watch the 'game'. 

The first girl scared as the killer can see her.

Whilst the first girl is interacting with the killer she sounds very innocent when she laughs and giggles over the phone to him. Dramatic irony is used to infer the terror which is about to amount. The killer asks the first girl her favourite horror film, she says 'Halloween'. It is about a babysitter being stalked and murdered by a man in a white mask. During this conversation the camera tracks the first girl around the house showing how empty the house is where she is alone, making her vulnerable to the killer on the phone. Furthermore the sound of the popcorn popping sounds like a heartbeat which creates tension whist making the audience think that everything is about to explode in the film. 

When the killer reveals he can see the first girl the non-diegetic music changes to a more serious sound in order to indicate the fun 'game' is over and the terror is now here. The change of music informs the audience of the changing dynamic of the game. There is a fast zoom to the first girl in order to emphasise her panic and terror. Furthermore there is a diegetic dog bark sound from the phone, indicating he is close by because a dog protects its territory which clearly the killer has intruded. There is a non-diegetic heartbeat as the camera tracks the first girl, mean while the audience begin to see a shadow of a person outside on the decking. The camera zooms into her face closely in order to highlight her tears of terror, earning the sympathy of the audience. 

The first girl as she decides to run.

The editing tool, eye-line match and the non-diegetic heartbeat music creates tension when she sees her boyfriend trapped on the decking. The diegetic laugh of the killer leads the audience to believe that he is a psychopath that is going to kill the first girl. There is a wide camera shot in order to show her vulnerability as she attempts to hide, but the audience know there is no where for her to escape. The camera cuts from one side of the door to the other in order to show a match on action which emphasises how scared she is. The slow pace non-diegetic action music builds up tension and notifies the audience that she is about to run for her life. 

The first girl running for her life.

When the first girl is murdered, it is edited to be in slow motion in order to heighten the effect of her murder, which makes it appear more gruesome. Furthermore the camera is placed on the ground at a angle which is uncomfortable for the audience. The Dutch tilt of the camera shows the audience that she will not survive. There is a eye-line match between her and her parents to show that she knows if she will get to them she will survive. Sadly she doesn't make it and non-diegetic angel music is played to signify her death. As the parents finally see there beloved daughter hanging dead from the tree there is a fast zoom in to her showing her covered in blood. Furthermore the cold colours in this shot shows the first girl as life less. 

The killer!

ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF SKYFALL

Film poster for the film Skyfall.

During the opening scene the audience immediately sees a dark room with low lighting. The darkness suggests that something bad has happened and so the audience are introduced to the disequilibrium of the story, a murder. The camera tracks Bond as he enters the dark room concealing his face from the audience. The slow pace of this opening scene as Bond walks past the body shows that he is the hero, not the villain who murdered someone. Furthermore due to a over the shoulder shot of Bond, the audience are able to see Bond trying to help his college and there is a medium close up of Bond whilst he is trying to save his college, during which his face is the only warm colour in the shot, which can further emphasis him as a hero. The audience can now notice the blood pouring from the victim due to his demise. The blood and death in the first few minutes of the film indicates the genre of this film as being action

The first shot of Bond the audience sees.

There is a eye-line match of Bond and a missing hard-drive which attracts the attention of the audience whilst a diegetic sound of 'M' voice asks Bond to look for the hard-drive.  The slow pace and non-diegetic dramatic music builds up tension and animosity around the missing hard-drive which indicates how important this will be in the story to the audience. 

The audience then witness cross cutting to the office from the dark room with low lighting. Cross cutting is used here to show two scenes that are happening at the same time in different locations and it links the scenes together. In this scene cross cutting shows the audience that the office are advising Bond though an ear piece, introducing the donor and father figure character in the story. The donor appears to be 'Q' as he is providing Bond with information, and the father figure is 'M' as she us guiding Bond through the journey.

The camera tracks Bond as he leaves the dark room and then pounds across as a car comes, driven by the helper in the story, Naomi. The non-diegetic music changes to middle Eastern jazzy sound as the audience are introduced to the glamorous location. There is a binary opposition to the dark modern office in London to the bright and vibrant Istanbul where Bond is. 

A shift of non-diegetic sound introduces the car chase sequence. There are quick cuts in the car which creates a fast pace to build up tension during the chase. There are 45 cuts in 14 seconds during the chase which creates quicker action. There is a diegetic sound of the car crashing which indicates the action scene of the chase sequence thus underlining the genre as being action. During the car chase the camera is hand held at a medium close up of Bond in order to see his facial expressions. There is a binary opposition from the calm scene in London to the chaotic chase in Istanbul seen through cross cutting. The wide shots of the car and Bond allows the audience to see the chaos and heroic status of Bond as he tries to shoot the villain. The non-diegetic music gets faster and louder as Bond is on a mission to get the missing hard-drive back. However the fast pace non-diegetic sound is only in the car and not in the office and so there is a binary opposition from the calm office to the chaotic chase.

Wide shot of the car chase going down Istanbul side streets.

The actors in the market create more chaos and drama as the audience fear that the they will get in the middle of the shooting between Bond and the villain, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats during the shooting this action sequence. During the action shooting sequence there is a diegetic sound of screaming in order to illustrate the fear of the people to the audience. Furthermore the diegetic sound of the the gun firing highlights the genre of the film as being action and thriller because guns are typically found in these kind of films. 

When Bond chases the villain on a bike, there is a medium close up of Naomi, showing how serious she is to complete the mission. Furthermore, her smashing the glass of the car presents her heroicness to the audience. (picture of Naomi to the left during the chase).

There is a fast pace shot of a bike flying at the audience to heighten the action in the film and to suggest that this is a dangerous situation where life's are at risk. The eye-line match of Bond chasing the villain makes the audience feel as though they are chasing the villain too. There is a medium close up on Bond when he is chasing the villain in order to address his determination to save britain when he says "yes m'am", addressing the father figure, 'M'. The slow zoom on M emphasises her importance to the audience. The donor character, 'Q' gives updates that Bond is on top of the Grand Bazaar, which is seen by the audience through the editing tool cross cutting, during which a wide camera shot of Bond is used in order to show the glamourous location of the Grant Bazaar to the audience. This shot is taken by using a crane looking upon Bond chasing the villain giving a sense of rush. 

Wide shot of Bond chasing the villain on bikes.

  

INTRODUCTORY TASK- DIVERGENT

As an introductory task to media studies AS, I analysed the opening five minutes of a film and my chosen sequence was Divergent. 

In this sequence the audience get introduced to the city Chicago but in a different time as they know it today. The audience sees Chicago in the future which immediately hints that this film could be sci-fi movie. The viewers are then introduced to the five different groups of people who make up society in this futuristic film, they are called 'factions'. 

The futuristic city of Chicago seen in the film.

We know that the leading actress is 'Beatrice' (played by Shailene Woodley) in the first few minutes because she is the narrating voice in the opening sequence, telling the audience about the different factions and about a mysterious war which lead to this city of Chicago being built. 

The sequence has a fast pace non-diegetic music which perhaps foreshadows the fast 
pace drama to come later, indicating to the                                                                               
audience that this film may be a action/ sci-fi movie.

Due to this film being set in the future and has the context of a mysterious war reminds me of the film The hunger games. Furthermore in Divergent the groups of people who make up society are in five difference factions and in Hunger games society are split into different districts. Moreover both these films have female leads explaining a obscure and unknown 'world' to the audience during the film's sequences. 

These signs are used to represent the different factions in the film.

I would say that the target audience of this film is teenagers because from the opening sequence you can see a lot of young actresses and actors. Therefore this film can be relatable. Furthermore the audience can be both boys and girls because although it is an action film, it also follows the story of a young adult growing up as she leaves home.  

The futuristic city of Chicago seen in the film.

In the opening I like the secretive and darkness of the war which created the future city of Chicago. Furthermore I like the futuristic scenery scene in the opening scene because it carries me to another world into the future whilst I watch this film.

The film poster used to advertise Divergent.

ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF THE USUAL SUSPECTS

The opening scene of the usual suspects allows us to see the characterisation, genre and narrative. The character the audience see on screen the most is Keeton, who is killed within he first few minutes. Keeton’s camera time is three times as long as the other characters which hints to the audience that a lot of the film time will be focused on him.  The audience firstly learn that all the men apart from Verbal Klempt seem to have past experience with the police, hence the title ‘the usual suspects’. For example both Hackney and Mc Mannus both have 5 armed police to arrest them which indicate their possible aggression. However Keimpt believes he is innocent. When the audience first see Kiempt the camera angle goes upwards from his feet towards his limped leg, to a medium close up of his angelic face. Furthermore due to his limped leg the audience presume his innocence. However this camera shot reminds the audience of the opening scene when they first meet the killer, which creates a mood of suspicion for the audience. Lastly, the audience learn about the different social background of the suspects. For example the audience sees Mc Mannus’s grotty bedsit which shows that he isn’t likely to be the ring leader. Whereas Keeton is very respected by the police as the audience see him in a posh restaurant having a business meeting.


At the very beginning of the film there is a mellow serious non-diegetic sound in order to set the scene for a dramatic and suspicion film for the audience. The silence of the opening scene builds up suspense and tension as the audience meets the anonymous killer. When the killer’s name is announced by Keeton 'I can't feel my legs Keyser', the sound of the music changes in order to indicate the importance of this character, the killer. Again, the music stops before and after the shooting of the gun, the change of sound is once again used to highlight the important moment to the audience. The music also changes when the different characters are introduced to the audience in order to represent their characterisation. When Keeton is introduced in the posh restaurant, classical music is played to present the idea that he is high within society. When both Hockney and Mc Mannus are introduced a machine gun, fast pace sound is played to represent the aggression and darkness of these 'bad men!' When Del Toro is introduced a jazzy fun sound is played which is more playful in order to represent his playful personality. 

Due to the murder in the opening scene the audience recognise this film as being a heist with a mystery. The slow pace of the opening scene builds up the tension and suspense. The rest of the film is to work out the murder, which is drived by the tension and suspense from the opening scene.