US Independent Film - The Way Way Back

IMDb page

Budget: $4,600,000

Stars:

- Steve Carell

- Sam Rockwell 

- Liam James
- Alison Janney
- AnnaSophia Robb

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Box Office: 
- $23,198,652 (worldwide gross)
- opening weekend: $552,788 (USA)

Production Company: Sycamore Pictures

Age Certificate: PG-13 (USA) 12 (UK)

Release Date: 26th July 2013 (USA) 21st January 2013 (Sundance Film Festival)

Plot:

Directed by Nat Faxton and Jim Rash, The Way Way Back tells the story of Duncan, a fourteen year old boy on a trip to his step-father's beach house who struggles to fit in. He makes an unlikely friend in Owen, the owner of the nearby water park who teaches him about life and growing up. The tagline of the film is: We've all been there, relating to the audience by linking a topic which is popular in independent films.

Direction and writing:
Duo Nat Faxton and Jim Rash, directed The Way Way Back after working together on their popular film, The Descendants starring George Clooney, which got fantastic reviews by audience and critics alike. After being so successful working together, they decided to work again together on The Way Way Back.

Stars and production:
The Way Way Back comes from the same studio as popular independent films, Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. Popular actors like Steve Carell, (seen in Crazy Stupid Love and The 40 Year Old Virgin) Alison Janney, (The Help) and AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge To Teribithia). Steve Carell, in fact, filmed his entire part in ten days, which left the rest of production to film the remaining scenes he wasn't in. Part of the film was inspired by a real life conversation the screenwriter Jim Rash had with his step-father when he was fourteen. The script was written in 2007 but production didn't begin until 2010. To save money, actors all stayed in a rented house rather than in trailers like in normal film productions.

Critical Response

IMDb gives the film a 7.4/10 based on reviews by critics and audience

The critical review website Rotten Tomatoes collated reviews from 169 critics, giving it an average of 7.3/10 and 85% overall. The film has generally impressive reviews, the only ones deviating from this, criticising the film for its "generic angst in coming of age tales". USA Today's Claudia Puig describes it as 'this summer's Little Miss Sunshine' with its 'subtle wit, engaging story, topnotch ensemble cast and sparkling dialogue'.

Audience Response

Audience's responses were overwhelmingly positive, which makes the film popular via word of mouth. A positive audience response is key in making a film successful. One Rotten Tomatoes 'super reviewer' describes the film as 'A tremendously funny and terrifically entertaining film. It's too much fun to pass up. It's heart-warming, compelling, and utterly irresistible. A slickly written and well character-drawn piece of work that can balance humour and drama very well. It is blessed with such a wonderful and engaging all-star cast.'

Interview from theweek.com with Jim Rash and Nat Faxton

Where did the idea for The Way, Way Back come from? Was it a completely invented concept, or did you have a personal connection to the story?

Rash: There was a personal connection — well, a bit of both. I think we started with two things. One: A fascination and enjoyment for going to these types of water parks while growing up on the East Coast, with all of these eclectic characters. We definitely wanted to enter that world. And the second piece is that the beginning scene, with the whole conversation about ranking Duncan on a scale from one to ten — that actually happened to me.

Really?

Rash: Yeah, that scene was sort of pulled verbatim from my 14-year-old experience going to our summer vacations in Michigan. I grew up in North Carolina and we'd drive up there. My stepfather at the time actually had that conversation with me.

How did you get a personal project like The Way, Way Back off the page and into movie theaters?

Rash: It's been almost an eight-year journey with this movie, from the initial writing to where we are now. With any sort of indie movie — Little Miss Sunshine is a really good example of one, that took almost six years to get made — when we first wrote it [in 2006], it was out of the gates and was going to happen. Shawn Levy was going to direct it — but then Night At The Museum 2 came up faster than he thought it would, and he couldn't do it anymore. Then we went through a studio change, and then the economy took a bad turn and the studio needed another studio to help them back it. Lionsgate came in with Mandate Pictures, but they would only make it with certain stars that didn't feel right to us. So we said, "Let's just take a step back and wait." We didn't want to make it the wrong way. Those were the hurdles along the way, but we ended up shooting it without a studio. We shot it with independent financing, so it wasn't until [The Sundance Film Festival], when Fox Searchlight saw it, that they came aboard.

The Guardian Review
Despite its popular reviews among audiences and critics, The Guardian did not see so much of an appeal to this film and expressed it in one of their articles, saying the film has an 'anticlimactic ending' and is 'rarely laugh-out-loud funny', yet again repeating many elements from the popular Little Miss Sunshine that Steve Carell and Toni Colette also starred in.

The Guardian, being a well-trusted source, would then influence people to not see the film because of the opinion they have of it. Immediately, this reduces its audience and in turn, reduces the amount of money it can make at the Box Office.

Challenges at the Box Office

The Way Way Back's summer release gave it huge competition against other popular films which produced a much larger Box Office due to their existing following and marketing advantages. Films like Despicable Me 2 and Grown Ups 2 already had an audience and were bound to make money due to them being sequels of existing popular films. Pacific Rim, The Conjuring and The Wolverine were also blockbuster films released around the same time which were marketed with large production companies and inevitably drew in an audience due to their large distribution. An independent film like The Way Way Back would struggle to compete with these types of films.

Fox Searchlight found the film at The Sundance Film Festival and helped with distribution which helped the film with promotion. This company is popular among independent films and helping with funding and distribution of them, such as 12 Years a Slave and Slumdog Millionaire.

UK Independent Film- Lilting

IMBb page

Budget: £125,730

Stars:
- Pei-Pei Cheng
- Ben Whishaw
- Andrew Leung

Genre: Drama, Romance

Box Office: £17,215 (worldwide gross)

Production Company: London Film Productions

Age Certificate: 15

                                                       Release Date: 8th August 2014

Plot 

Directed by Hong Khaou, Lilting, takes place in contemporary London, when a Cambodian Chinese mother mourns the untimely death of her son. Her world is further disrupted by the presence of a stranger. We observe their difficulties in trying to connect with one another without a common language, as through a translator they begin to piece together memories of a man they both loved.
Direction and writing

Hong Khaou, is a fairly unknown director and writer, having previously only written and directed other independent films dealing with the controversial topic of homosexuality like, Summer and Boy Crush. These films not being so well known could contribute to the audience of this film as he didn't have a large audience prior to making the film.

Stars and production

Popular actor Ben Whishaw who has also been seen in blockbusters such as Skyfall and the highly anticipated upcoming Paddington stars in this film as the lead protagonist which could draw in the audience of his following, however, by looking at the box office, it's clear he didn't bring in a huge audience as in terms of the industry, the film failed completely, making little more money than its budget. Pei-Pei Cheng also stars, a popular actress from other independent films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The script won third spot in the 2011 Brit List of unproduced screenplays. It is the first bi-lingual film to be made under the Microwave scheme. It also won the 2014 Sundance best cinematography in world cinema award.

Critical Response

Lilting received a mostly positive response of 80% from critics and a 6.5/10 from over 20 critic reviews on the site Rotten Tomatoes, making this a mediocre film in critics' eyes. Maybe its lack of success could be down to what one critic describes as the filmmaker 'not knowing exactly where to go with it', but nonetheless 'there are moments before things get away from him that are captivating to watch and lovely to listen to, lilting'.

Audience Response

Audience response seems relatively mixed and while many enjoy the film for its depth and exploration into such emotional and controversial topics, other people say there simply 'isn't enough going on' to keep them entertained. This suggests the film is too deep for a conventional audience just looking for the next hollywood blockbuster composed of meaningless action and, while visually appealing cinematography, lack of message or moral in the films. 

Interview with director Hong Khaou

Do you think more multicultural stories are finding their way into the mainstream now?

I don’t know if I’ve seen that many. You get the occasional film, like Dirty Pretty Things, but I don’t know how prevalent it is. It should be because it’s what makes London so interesting and vibrant. I definitely would like to see more.

Where was Lilting filmed and why did you choose those locations?

There a lot of café scenes which we filmed in east and south east London. It was a practical thing mainly. We found a place in Dalston — Chase and Sorensen — that suited the way we wanted to film the different time-lines. Then there’s a café called Ombra near Regent’s Canal. And we filmed along the canal and by Broadway Market and found some amazing locations in New Cross.

Lilting is a micro-budget film. What was your experience with Microwave and Film London like?

It was good. They are very hands-on and involved every step of the way. They give you 50% of the budget then we had to find the rest — which my producer Dominic Buchanan managed. And that takes you up to about £120,000.

Could you have done with a bit more money?

God yeah — I kept wondering if only we had a bit more. It’s so expensive finding locations in London, I remember having to go to each place and explain the project myself over and over. But then, it’s all relative — because we had so little money, we also had a lot of people wanting to help us and the actors all worked for minimum wage.

Was the shoot easy to pull off?

Filming in East London was hard. We were under the flight path and we had sirens all the time. So we had to keep stopping and re-taking. So hard. And it rained a lot, which wasn’t a problem because we shot mostly interiors, but even on the days when we filmed outside, it rained.

How has London inspired you as a film maker? Are there any films or a particular director who has made a big impact on you?

I love London with a passion. I just spent seven weeks in the States and I remember how passionate I was talking about London. Clearly, where you live and the things you experience every day must subconsciously feed into the work. One film I love is Wonderland by Michael Winterbottom. I think that showed London in a really interesting way.

Microwave film productions

Lilting made its budget and handled production with the Microwave filmmaking scheme. It funds films, offers the next generation of filmmakers training-through-production as well as distribution and support. They pay for distribution funding and development based on applications they receive for independent films, choosing the ones they think will be successful and get help from successful workers from the film industry to help to make the film and train other filmmakers in the team project. 

World Cinema Production - The Babadook

IMDb page

Australian

Budget: $30,071

Stars: 
- Essie Davis
- Noah Wiseman

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Box Office: total gross - $4,867,792

Production Company: IFC Films, Causeway Films

Certificate: 15



Release Date: 
- 24th October 2014 (UK) 
- 17th January 2014 (USA Sundance Film Festival)

Plot:
Directed and written by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook explores the relationship between a widowed woman and her son with behavioural difficulties. The story follows them as they find a book about a children's monster who then begins to haunt them and the audience is left to wonder whether the monster is real or if it's purely an figment of her psychologically twisted imagination. The tag line 'if it's in a word, or it's in a look, you can't get rid of The Babadook' promotes the film by creating its own image and makes it memorable when advertising. 

Direction and writing

The Babadook is Jennifer Kent's debut film which she both directed and wrote. She gained experience being an extra in television and film productions and first directed a short titled Monster in 2005. The Babadook was her second attempt at directing and was released in 2014.

Stars and production
The Babadook is from the Causeway Films production company who have four more films in development, but this is their first official release, making them an unknown company. Essie Davis, the leading actress, was also seen in The Matrix Reloaded and Charlotte's Web. Daniel Henshall, a talented young child actor has also been seen in popular films like These Final Hours and Not Suitable For Children. An audience who have seen these films and enjoyed the performance of these actors could then be interested in watching other films including them, which could give it a wider audience. Money for the film was raised with the 'Kickstarter' project which earned director Jennifer Kent the modest budget she needed to make the film.

Critical Response
On the aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, The Babadook received a 97% score based on 68 reviews from critics and an average score of 8/10. Critic from Entertainment Weekly describes it as, 'In an age when horror movies have mostly become lazy and toothless, here's one with ambition and bite.' And Los Angeles Times critic says, '"The Babadook" is a smart, darkly drawn modern-day horror movie of monsters, memories and mothers.'

Audience Response
Although the critical response to this film was phenomenal, the audience response wasn't so striking. With a 73% rating from the audience, it seemed many members of the public missed the depth that this film held, though some did thoroughly enjoy it. One person comments on Rotten Tomatoes, 'It is always a wonderful surprise to see an intelligent horror film with such profound psychological and emotional scope, making use of a rich symbolism to tell the story of a woman who succumbs to her own inner shadow and is forced to confront it as it takes over her sanity.' who seems to understand the film intrinsically.

Interview with director Jennifer Kent

This is your first feature-length film – how hard was it to get this made? We hear a lot of horror stories - no pun intended - from first-time directors.
It feels like I’ve been working towards my first feature for years, but this one didn’t really take long. It took just under three years, which is pretty quick – in Australia anyway; I’m not sure about the UK. It had a flow to it. I certainly wouldn’t say that it was easy, but there were enough leads and we were bolstered by that and we just kept going until finally they gave us the money.

This feels like it’s a horror or a thriller with a good bit more depth than some.
Yeeeaaaah. I think there are many films in every genre that don’t mean anything, but for some reason horror tends to attract a lot of those stories, and also gets a bad rap for being a rubbish genre. I think if people think sensitively and seriously about films in this canon, like The Shining and Let The Right One In, even going back to Vampyr and Nosferatu, there’s a real depth to those films – and the Polanski films as well, the domestic horrors. I guess they were my inspiration. I think the very best horror is more than just jump scares and things appearing out of cupboards and women running around half-naked.

So apart from those you’ve mentioned, were there other horror films that influenced this in some way, or that you’d recommend?
Apart from the ones I mentioned, I was really influenced by ‘70s and ‘80s horror – I watched a lot of those as a kid, way too young, much to my parents’ horror. It left me terrified but also excited. I think a lot of horror comes from a similar place to fairytales and it deals with myth. Mythical stories run through all of us, and films like The Thing and Halloween are films that I love for their simplicity. Les Yeux Sans Visage, Eyes Without A Face, is a really beautiful film to me. I could rattle off many. But I love films like Texas Chain Saw Massacre as well, because that is a really shocking film, and it has a deeper reach to it than people really give it credit for.

That fairytale aspect is important in this film, with a storybook playing a key role. There seems to be a fine line between fairytale and horror, in films like Pan’s Labyrinth or The Spirit Of The Beehive.
I heard a talk from Guillermo del Toro around the time he made Pan’s Labyrinth, and he was talking about horror and fairytales. He was saying that there are two kinds of fairytales. There are ones that are cautionary tales designed to frighten children into being good. Then there’s the other kind, the ones he likes, that really say to people, ‘The world is chaos. Welcome to it. Accept it!’ For me, the second type is also the kind I love, that embraces chaos and isn’t afraid to look at taboos. In Babadook, it’s a big taboo to question motherhood. When I looked for films or literature that did so, I was shocked at how little there was, so it made sense to put it in a horror context rather than a straight drama context.

Challenges at the Box Office

The Babadook had to compete with big-name films like Fury and Annabelle which were also released in October for the 'Halloween season'. Annabelle, being a sequel to an existing film, already had a large following and would have attracted a large audience. The film also had to compete with Gone Girl which was a popular book adaptation, making it a largely popular film. Competing with such blockbusters is difficult for independent, foreign films. Distribution was also extremely limited and the film wasn't shown in a wide variety of cinemas, inevitably limiting its popularity.

US Blockbuster - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

IMDb page

Budget: $170,000,000

Stars: 
- Andy Serkis
- Jason Clarke
- Gary Oldman
- Keri Russel
- Toby Kebbel
- Kodi Smit-McPhee

Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-fi

Box Office: Overall gross - $708,835,000 

Production Company: 20th Century FOX

Certificate: PG-13

Release date: 11th July 2014

Viral Marketing Campaign

Plot

Matt Reeves' Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the prequel to Planet of the Apes telling the story of how the primates come to power in a future Earth where humans have become extinct. This film shows the war between the apes and humans and how the apes secure the planet for themselves, eliminating the last of the humans.

Direction and writing

Matt Reeves is a famous director, popular for directing films like Let Me In and Cloverfield. This gave him a following and raised anticipation for what was expected to be the blockbuster of the year, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The writers working on the film were also famous for writing screenplays for other blockbusters like The Wolverine, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Total Recall. As well as this giving them a following, the fact that the film is a part of a huge franchise makes it an even bigger success as it had already established an audience far prior to production.

Stars and production

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has many stars like Andy Serkis, known for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It also features Gary Oldman  and Kodi-Smit McPhee, seen in The Dark Knight and Let Me In. Any followers of these actors would then want to see the film to see their performance in it and if it resembled their other works. The film was announced in 2011 and anticipated ever since. The advertisements for the film circulated around the internet and television and the producers even created a viral campaign which gained the film even more popularity.

Critical and Audience review

For this film, critical reviews weren't so necessary because of its already overwhelming popularity. Audience reviewed the film incredibly highly with a 7.9/10 on IMDb and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes with also 7.9/10. The film made a huge profit compared to its budget, making hundreds of million dollars.

I wanted to start off by asking what on the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes DVD and Blu-ray are you most looking forward to fans seeing? 

Well, you know, I think the movie was so bizarre in terms of the way we made it. I'd never made a performance capture movie before and we were shooting under very challenging circumstances in the rainforest and out on location much more than Rise (which was shot mostly on stage). To look behind the curtain at that process is pretty interesting, even for me! We're just starting to work on the story of the next movie, and looking at all of this footage and the documentary and features, it reminded me of how insane the making of the movie was and, how much I loved working on it, and how excited I am to be making another one. It's a pretty interesting thing for us to share and the behind-the-scenes making-of pieces are really cool I also like sharing some of the scenes I really wanted to include in the movie that ultimately I felt didn't work. I'm hoping that people who enjoyed the film will be curious to see how different the process was to other movies. 

A lot of people are saying motion capture performances should be judged the same way as live-action ones at award ceremonies like the Oscars. What's your take on that? 

Oh yes, there's no question. If you're responding to the emotions you're seeing on camera or for example the contempt you feel from Koba, you're responding to the performances of Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell. Performance capture is all based around capturing performance, the performance that comes from those actors. I think the reason that there's so much discussion about it is because people are realising where the performance aspect of the character is coming from and it is absolutely from the actors. Their work is incredible, and what I think is also important is how Weta can translate those performances onto a photo real CG ape. 

Talking of the special effects, one moment which really stood out for me was the 360 tank turret scene. Can you tell us about the work which went into that amazing sequence? 

Ironically, the easiest part of doing that shot was the shooting of the shot by putting a camera on the turret and riding it through the set because there were no actors on that set! What was difficult was filling in all of the details in that single shot, and unlike the other scenes where there was a lot of interaction with the human actors and the acting was done on set, that was one of the few shots in the movie where we did all of the acting in the visuals. We set up scaffolding in the shape of the tank and shot all of the elements, and then we had to find all of the different things in the background where the battle was raging, and it took months and months. If you're working on effects shots, you go through certain iterations, and many shots I would finish and I would say, 'This shot is fine for the final movie,' but it would have been taken down a number of paths from blocking to animation to lighting, it might have taken several hundred iterations of a single shot to get to the version that is your final shot. On this particular shot, we did more iterations of it than any other shot in the whole movie, and when I finally said I thought the shot was ready to be final for the film, it was version 1030! So, we had done over 1000 iterations of that shot and when I said, 'Ok, that's it; final!' I was at Weta and they erupted with cheers and applause because it took that long. 

I have to ask...a lot of fans would love to see you direct a superhero movie, so have you been approached for any and do you think it's something you would be interested in one you're finished with this franchise?

There were a couple of things I talked about in the past, but I haven't been approached by anyone recently. There were a few different superhero franchises that I was approached about which just weren't the right fit for me in terms of the emotional weight of it. But obviously, when I was growing up with Superman and Batman, the metaphors of those stories had a lot of resonance with me and I always found them to be very exciting. There's not one I'm waiting for them to message me about. I always evaluate projects on a case by case basis, and if there's one I really connected with emotionally, I guess we'll see. Certainly right now, I'm planning on doing Apes films for a little while. 

Recently, some concept art started doing the rounds online from Rise of the Planet of the Apes showing Caesar standing in the Statue of Liberty. Did you ever consider maybe using that here, and what else can you tell us about your plans for the next movie? 

That was a concept that was shot for the last movie, but they decided it didn't work and I'm really glad they didn't use it actually. It would have really narrowed the focus of this movie, and in a way I think it's a really tired pay off that everyone already knows from Planet of the Apes. I think it took place after the Fall of Man, so why narrow your focus by showing that at the end of the movie when you can tell all of the chapters that add up to that story starting with Dawn and then moving into the next one. I'm glad they cut it. 

I hope to cross an epic landscape that will be expansive and emotional, it's a story that's going to take Caesar and cement his position and transformation into an epic figure almost along the lines of an Ape Moses. We think it's going to be his biggest arc yet, and we'll draw on all of the scenes which have been a basis from the two films by really looking at his existential nature and see him really grappling with the light and dark in a painful way. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo and Judy Greer, and is released tomorrow on DVD and Blu-ray. Many thanks to Matt for taking the time to talk to us!

Coursework Question

How does the use of mise-en-scene and cinematography create suspense in the pale man sequence from Pan's Labyrinth?

'The Shining' Analysis

Stanley Kubrick’s, The Shining, is a film filing under the psychological horror genre, following the Torrance family while they stay in the isolated Overlook Hotel and the effects it has on the father, Jack Torrance’s state of mind. Throughout the film, he descends into madness and becomes fixated on murdering his family.

At the beginning of the ‘redrum’ scene, a close-up of Danny on a sidewards view tracks him over to Wendy, when it switches to a mid-shot halfway with Danny only taking up a small amount of the frame, but in a way which abides by the rule of thirds and makes the shot look more aesthetically pleasing. The mise-en-scene of the knife is a common convention of the horror genre, found in the film, Scream, when being wielded by the infamous ‘Ghostface’ and also Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho during the shower scene. This popular item of iconography adds a sense of realism to the film and makes me feel dread as well as giving me a cause for alarm and panic. Watching a small child holding such a powerful object emphasises the unbalanced nature of the film and invokes a feeling of unease and disturbance. 

The diegetic repetition of the word ‘redrum’ is then constantly used by Danny as he stands with a knife in a long shot. The mise-en-scene of the slanted lampshade behind him represents his father’s descending mental state and how this has affected the entire family, in a sense, making them also mentally unstable. The mise-en-scene of the upside-down cross depicted in the door in low-key lighting further conveys this, as this is a common repeated motif throughout the film, suggesting sinister events yet to come and a connotation of evil and the devil. The door is framed within a large amount of the shot, foreshadowing its later significance when Jack attempts to burst inside.

As the camera tracks Danny back towards the door after he’s picked up Wendy’s lipstick, the non-diegetic sounds rise to a piercing sound, building tension and suspense. The camera captures a mid-shot of Danny writing the word ‘redrum’ in bright red, another convention of the horror genre, giving the connotations of danger and fear. His diegetic repetition of the word then reaches a crescendo to awaken Wendy. A two shot shows her pulling him into a hug and the camera quickly zooms in to show her shocked facial expressions. 

The shot then cuts to the mirror’s reflection, portraying the paradoxical narrative of the film and zooms in on the word ‘murder’ now visibly clear, also highlighting the main feature of the narrative and emphasising Jack’s purpose: to murder his family. A non-diegetic bang is then heard to alert the audience to danger and made me feel a pang of fear, making me physically jump. This is succeeded by Wendy’s diegetic scream, which is a sound often heard in the horror genre to show a physical manifestation of a person’s fear and enable this to be conveyed to the film’s audience. 

The shot then cuts to a mid-shot of Jack swinging an axe at the door and the banging sounds become diegetic. The use of an axe is another feature of iconography which is a typical convention of the horror genre. The camera quickly pans the action of the axe to convey the urgency of the movements and harshness of the reality Jack is inducing on his family. The loud diegetic sounds also portray Jack’s loss of mental stability and the sporadic nature of his thoughts. Parallel editing is used, cutting from Jack to Wendy and Danny to alert to the audience these events are occurring at the same time and add pace to the sequence, which arose a sense of panic in me whilst watching. 

Wendy and Danny are then tracked into the bathroom where the mise-en-scene of the cross motif is again repeated to suggest danger is yet to come and their safety is greatly compromised. When Wendy goes to the window, the shot then cuts to an extreme long shot of the outside of the hotel, completely surrounded by snow. Low-key lighting is used to symbolise the hopelessness of the situation and the harsh weather conditions portray the battle Wendy and Danny are undergoing. The way the surrounding make the characters seem insignificant and small also adds to the sense of vulnerability, emphasising that they don't seem to have an escape or anywhere to run to- a key feature which is commonly manipulated in the horror genre. A further sense of isolationism is also achieved by this same shot by conveying the lack of surroundings. They are, in fact, all alone in the middle of nowhere. 

As Jack is then back-tracked closer to the bathroom, the performance aspect of the mise-en-scene has him swaying from the centre of the frame, outwardly portraying his mental state and how he’s become corrupted by the whole experience. This is further emphasised by the psychotic grin he wears constantly. He then begins to swing the axe at the bathroom door, similar to one of the final scenes in Friday The 13th when Mrs Voorhees breaks through the pantry door with a sharp weapon to get to Alice. The idea of villains having to break down physical barriers to get to their victims seems to be another convention of the horror genre and in a way, symbolises Jack breaking down his entire identity. By breaking down the door, he loses his identity as a family man and becomes the psychopathic murderer his mental breakdown led him to be. 

The mise-en-scene of the splintered wood represents a broken man and the shot cuts to a close-up of Jack saying the infamous line ‘here’s Johnny’, still with the everlasting grin on his face. The sociopathic nature of this very shot captivated me and stayed with me a good length of time after watching the film. It invoked a fear from me that I never realised I had - the fear of madness. Insanity however, seems to be yet another convention of horrors, specifically linking to an ending scene in Scream when Billy Lumis claims, ‘we all go a little crazy sometimes’, which in summary, is the entire narrative of The Shining.

Group analysis The Bourne Identity

The sequence from the action film, The Bourne Identity begins with a long establishing shot to emphasise the set location of the street. The miss-en scène of the buildings highlights the bleak, grey environment around the protagonist and foreshadows a sense of uncertainty. The shot then cuts to a long shot of Jason Bourne holding the a red telephone, his red bag also clearly in the frame, specifically done to convey the danger and foreboding of the situation yet to come. The diegetic sound of the traffic corresponds with the urgent nature of his task.

There is then a cut to a traffic warden to portray Bourne's struggle with the authorities and the paranoia that surrounds him. At this moment, non-diegetic sounds of string instruments are used to create suspense and an aura of peril for him and makes me personally feel exposed and uneasy of what is about to happen. When the shot cuts back to Bourne, a red car then passes by, taking up the majority of the frame, yet again reiterating this sense of danger. In accordance with this, the camera then tracks Bourne in the direction of the aforementioned car, thus indicating his descent into danger. Meanwhile, the camera captures an extra in the frame, suspiciously staring at Bourne and both are positioned to the far sides of the frame, abiding by the rule of thirds to make the shot look aesthetically pleasing. 

As the camera tracks Bourne when he walks across the road, the miss-en-scène of the snow in the frame, covering most of the characters portrays a feeling of unclarity and blurred objectives. The diegetic sounds of the ambulance and roaring traffic allow for an edgy atmosphere for our main character and the flashing lights are a warning for him and the choices he's about to make. A swift pan back to Bourne represents the hurried nature of his movements. 

A long shot captures Bourne's close escape from the tram as he crosses the road, which foreshadows his escape from imminent danger. Bourne is then tracked as he walks to show his importance and superiority. A close-up, point of view shot then tilts on the American flag to convey a sense of safety and familiarity as he has reached his destination. The close up of Bourne's passport symbolises his independence and the sequence then cuts to a two-shot of him and the identity-checker. 

As Bourne stands in the queue, the editing creates an eyeline-match to the man in the suit staring suspiciously at Bourne, creating a sense of foreboding. There is then a close-up of the woman speaking to the receptionist and although she is taking up the majority of the frame, she is not in focus, which symbolises her inferiority to Bourne despite her voice being the only diegetic sound in the shot.

We see a close-up of the security camera, indicating to us his worry and anticipation of fore-coming 

events. After the suspension build-up of mostly silence, except for the woman still talking to the receptionist, Bourne is tracked by the camera out of the queue and into a separate room, passing a Christmas tree, which has usual connotations of happiness, juxtaposing to the dangerous situation Bourne is in. 

As the fight between Bourne and the guards begin, the shots quickly cut from one perspective to another, also including a bird's eye shot to make me feel omniscient and not just an onlooker in the sequence. The sequence constantly cuts between mid-shots and bird's eye views to quicken the pace of the fight and make it feel much more intense. The camera then pans to the civilians at a high angle to show their inferiority to Bourne and emphasise the control he has over the room.

The guards then proceed to chase Jason and the camera tracks him as he runs away - still keeping the attention focused on him. An extreme close up is used when Bourne finds a walkie talkie in a soldier's jacket, expressing to the audience his new-found ability to track his enemies' movements and give him the upper-hand.

Parallel editing is then used, showing the soldiers selecting their weapons to suggest this is happening at the same time as Bourne's escape and give the audience a sense of spatial awareness. The diegetic sound of the alarm is a warning, which I am especially aware of, to make the scene more urgent and tense.

When Bourne then runs out into the corridor, high-key lighting is used to juxtapose the dangerous situation he is in, but also to show a sense of hope for him and also foreshadow his later escape. This is highlighted further when an extreme close up shows an evacuation plan, suggesting Bourne is looking for his way out and is soon to find it.

Constant, quick cuts are used between Bourne and the army whilst they make their way up the stairs to show their closeness and immediate danger. Furthermore, an over-the-shoulder shot is then also used, with Bourne taking up a minimal section of the frame, and the camera focuses on the narrow hallway in front of him, symbolising his upcoming narrow escape. As he approaches a fire exit door, the miss-en-scène features a sign reading 'danger', an obvious foreshadowing of the situation he's about to be put in but also a summary of the whole sequence's major theme.

Seeing Bourne outside on the fire escape, the camera shoots a bird's eye view, point of view shot of the ladder below the escape, putting me in the shoes of the character, making me feel vulnerable and uneasy at the sheer height of the drop. This is then further exacerbated by an extreme long shot, making Bourne seem tiny and insignificant in comparison, and then a high angle which establishes a sense of vertigo for me and anyone else watching.

An extreme close up of Bourne's foot is used to show tension and the friction between the surfaces and the shot then changes to a bird's eye view when the bag slips from his hands, the red colour contrasting with all of the white snow in the frame - a symbol of chaos surrounded by peace, almost a representation of the character himself.

When Bourne's safety is confirmed and he climbs down from the wall, a high angle is used to show him and the bag to suggest all is not quite over for him yet, although the surrounding of white snow indicate some peace for him for the moment and that for now, the struggle is over.

Reflective Analysis

Stalk

• As a group, we chose to produce a short sequence falling under the thriller/horror genre, containing conventions of both throughout. My intention was to create a sequence which would create a tense atmosphere for the audience and manifest a certain aura of suspense. In order to do this, we had to use a realistic setting which could then be subverted to manipulate norms of everyday life to withdraw a specific response from the audience.

• The target audience for this piece is the members of the film studies class who have a good knowledge about film and can identify aspects of film representative of metaphorical and symbolical imagery. They must be attuned to violent scenes and films of a distressing nature. 

• As far as conventions go, the generic, 'sinister-music-to-establish-an-eerie-atmosphere' is definitely an aspect frequently used in my sequence and conveys in more depth the sinister atmosphere, emphasising to the audience, the actions taking place in the shot. Slow-motion is used as a tool to highlight the thriller aspect of the sequence and add a sense of abnormality often seen in this genre. A low angle of the victim is used ironically to juxtapose the inferiority he has which is a theme often used in the horror genre. I also use this technique again with the seemingly 'upbeat' non-diegetic sound over the shot of two men fighting one another. 

V for Vendetta sequence analysis

V for Vendetta is a drama film, following the story of V, a freedom fighter who draws inspiration from Guy Fawkes and attempts to take down a tyrannical government power. In the final fight sequence of the film, V solidifies his actions against the government officials. 

A long shot at eye-level, depicts V, surrounded by men with guns led by Inspector Creedy in a low-key underground location. The mise-en-scène of the armed men facing V shows the harsh probability of V’s fate and that he is clearly outnumbered. The low-key lighting creates an uneasy and sinister atmosphere, and the torches being pointed at V is the only light, other than small amounts of natural light, in the scene which represents V’s strength and foreshadows his victory. The mask V wears contrasts to the dark background and suggests a sense of hope for him. 

As Creedy and V exchange words, cuts are used to transition the focus from one to another, but while Creedy is captured with mid-shots, V is portrayed all the while by long shots, showing his whole body and giving him an air of superiority over Creedy, representing his importance. The non-diegetic sound of eerie music plays quietly in the background in the lead up to the men attempting to remove V’s mask which creates a growing suspense and as the men grow closer to V, the lighting becomes much more prominent on his face, emphasising his power of these men, which is then shown when the camera quickly cuts to a close-up of him disarming them and swiftly killing them. 

After his first murder, the camera quickly tilts from V’s midsection to his face, showing authority and the camera cuts to the other men backing away. The scene falls into an almost dead silence to signify the realisation of the other men, facing something they certainly weren’t expecting. The diegetic sounds of the mens’ footsteps as they regain their footing displays their nervousness and unease. Contrarily, the soundtrack is then sped up and the volume is increased, which is almost a representation of V’s actions and thoughts and his willingness to make his next move. 

The sequence then silences again, only the sounds of simultaneous gunfire able to be heard to convey the rage and anger of the government again the terrorist V. The short bursts of light emitted from the guns momentarily light up the room and the men gain almost a glimmer of hope. This is soon crushed when an extreme close up zooms in on V’s mask, the only light in the frame against the dark background, still representing his power over the others and the diegetic sound of his breathing, proof that he is still alive. 

He murders every man, beside from Creedy by using his knives, which are tracked by the camera in slow motion to show the heavy implication they’re about to have on the scene, and then holds Creedy by his throat against a gate. A low angle is used, aimed at Creedy ironically, suggesting he should be more powerful than he is, but then the camera cuts to a close-up of his feet dangling off of the ground, showing desperation and a clear inferiority to V. The scene ends with a shot of V standing behind the gate, symbolising his one last barrier that must be cleared before he can complete his uprising. 

Why 'The Fault In Our Stars' was a box office success

One of the main reasons the massively famous ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ managed to become so successful so soon after its release, was the huge following the franchise already had prior to the film being released. The loyalty of the best-seller’s fans to the film gave it a head-start at the box-office over other films being released around the same time. The readers of the book were dedicated to the film and there was hyped anticipation for its impending release. The film was crafted to meet the expectations of those devoted followers and its success confirms their overwhelming contentment with it.

            Obviously, the film also needed to be advertised in order for many people to hear of the upcoming blockbuster. The film producers made contact with an Instagram company named ‘the Amplify’ to select five participants to go to a screening of the film and then share their experience watching it. One hashtag created by one of the five comprised 1.6 million posts and the film was soon being discussed throughout the site. The campaign allegedly managed to gather over 350,000 engagements on Instagram, whether it be likes or comments.  The comments made about the film, shared by these five Instagram-users, had apparently reached over sixteen million people.

            Similar to all other films yet to be released, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ had a trailer which was played strategically before other films in cinemas, on television during advert breaks and also on sites all over the internet like YouTube and Facebook. The trailer on YouTube alone gathered more than three million views in the first 24 hours. However, it wasn’t the only advertisement, as  many posters were also placed around public places and images were used as pop-ups online also. This grasped the attention of potential viewers and sparked their interest in this new film, making them want to go and see it.

            Another reason for the film’s success is the notoriety of the author and the emerging cast members in the film industry. The author of the book-to-film adaptation has 2.1 million subscribers on YouTube alone, making him a man in the limelight. Any message he sends out is going to be read by millions of people – many more who can be persuaded to watch the film. Moving on to our two protagonists in the film, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, it is clear that the two are becoming increasingly popular with the young adult audience after their appearances in other recent hit films such as Divergent and the remake of Carrie. The promise of already-esteemed actors makes the film much more appealing to people debating whether or not to see it.

            Finally, the added persuasion of a good review can be a tipping point for films to become so successful, and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ definitely received its fair share of good reviews. The Internet Movie Database, (IMDb) has given the film an amazing 8.3/10, while other popular reviewers like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have given the film 4/5 and 3.5/5 stars. The film has been the most successful contemporary drama for the last nine years and soared to the top of the box-office charts from the day it was released.

The Horror Genre

The Horror Genre

A conventional horror has everything you’d expect is needed to scare an audience — the jumps, the darkness, the sinister music and obviously, some kind of villain fighting against our ever-wary protagonist. Over the years, horror movies have progressed and transformed exceptionally, each new film being released attempting to shock the audience in a new, unseen way. The fight to create a unique horror film is ongoing in today’s media, although they’re not always well received. 

One of the films considered a milestone for the horror genre is Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’ (1996), which reignited the love of the slasher genre and opened up a whole new era of teen horror flicks. By creating a villain who is just as human as us, a horror can truly thrill its audience with the seemingly realistic nature of the film. ‘Scream’ takes this to a whole new level and takes the well-known ‘horror conventions’ and subverts them completely. In the first scene of the film, one which will always be ingrained in my memory, we see Drew Barrymore, a well-esteemed actress, milling about her home like any other teenager on a normal night. What we don’t expect as an audience, is for something to happen to such a high profile actress; surely she’s our protagonist? With expert lighting and sound, we hear the first call which triggers a phrase which will be well known in horror movies for years to come: “What’s your favourite scary movie?”

The single line, spoke in a raspy voice with nothing but silence echoing it, became a mantra for the film and audiences worldwide shaking with anticipation. The moment I heard the voice of our famous, ‘ghostface killer’ for the first time, I soon realised that heart palpitations would be a common feat for any viewer of this film.  

Another great thing that, ‘Scream’ manages to do is alert the audience of the so called ‘rules’ of the horror genre.  It picks up on the many things which have been overdone by past films and assure them they won’t see the same cliches in this film, such as saying, “I’ll be right back” or being sexually promiscuous, as obviously, these are ways to your certain demise. 

While considered sadistic by many, the purpose of a horror film is to shock and frighten the audience and many people actually enjoy this sensation of being scared and having their worst fears come to life. There’s something addictive about the adrenaline you get when watching scenes of depravity and senseless violence, for example the popular film from Wes Craven, The ‘Hills Have Eyes’ (2006). Personally, the film left me feeling disgusted and unsatisfied because it lacks the psychological aspect I think horrors need to really connect to the audience. However, the film does deliver on its promise and undoubtedly shocks the audience with its immense amount of gore and physical violence. Shot in a desert scene, the film certainly gives the audience that well-known feeling of isolation used frequently in horror movies to place the audience into the lives of the characters and enable them to empathise with them. 

Unlike the isolationism, Gore Verbinski’s ‘The Ring’ (2002) features scenes of claustrophobia and entrapment. The well-known Japanese adaptation is most popular for its well scene, which I had the misfortune of witnessing when I was much younger, and it was a memory that never left me as I grew. The horrifying visual of Samara emerging from the well from the television set was done in such a way that I was afraid to ever be alone with a television at night again. The lighting set an eerily dark scene and the lack of light from the girl herself suggested something much more than sinister emanating from her. I’ll never forget the almost dead silence that made my heart pound and the way the camera hung in a way which made me feel totally immersed in the set. 

By using female villains, horror films can successfully create a character who is unpredictable in action and script. Jaume Collet-Serra takes perfect advantage of this by creating a film with not only a female villain, but one who is also a child — the epitome of innocence at that, in his film ‘Orphan’. He uses child-like sets like playgrounds and classrooms to give the audience a false sense of security which lures them into the film and alarms them all the more when the inevitable happens and the film turns on its head, exposing the child for what she really is. 

To see how far horrors really have progressed, I recently went to view the new film, ‘As Above So Below’ (2014), and was enlightened with the reality that with the sheer amount of horror film which have been made in the past one hundred years, the element of surprise and shock the horror genre is so well-known for, is beginning to fade. As creators attempt to introduce something new in order to scare audiences with things never seen before, horrors are shying away from the thrill and heading far more towards gore and relying on disturbing sights in order to frighten. Films like The Human Centipede (2009) are clear displays of this. The new film did successfully create a dark atmosphere and while I did see people in the cinema jumping out of their seats from fright, it failed to frighten me in any way personally. I definitely won’t be staying awake at night thinking about scenes from this particular film.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Dawn of The Planet of The Apes

Without a doubt, my favourite film this summer has to be the new incredible blockbuster, ‘Dawn of The Planet of The Apes’. If it isn't enough that it soared straight to the top of the box-office upon release, the film is, I believe, a progression into the future of cinematography and film-making. The plot which takes the audience through unity, friendship, love and betrayal had me shedding a tear more than a couple of times. It was an amazing piece to watch and enjoy, and sure enough, it lived up to the many outstanding reviews I had seen prior to watching it. 

The film, centred around the progression of the strength of the apes that we know will inevitably end up ruling the world due to this film being a prequel to ‘Planet of The Apes’, uses the latest in motion capture and CGI animation to present the audience with a full cast of apes that, I at least, could relate to as near human-beings. The production based around their facial features had me wondering at points how different these creatures were to us as humans and really helped to immerse me into the world which had been created. 

The soundtrack, too, is a tool used by the film creators to alert the audience to changes in moods and events. Using subtle music, this film enabled me to be prepared for anything and used especially louder tracks during scenes of violence to raise tension and the feelings of aggression in the audience. Music is expertly used in this film to withdraw raw emotion from the audience, for instance, the scene when our main ape protagonist returns home, there is a slow track playing in the background, and this scene, put together quite perfectly, managed to draw more than a few tears from me. 

A wide variety of camera angles and editing techniques are used to make the film high profile and still realistic looking despite its not-so-realistic plot basis. Creating a world full of intellectual apes eventually gaining control over the entire human population isn't the easiest thing to create, but with the director, Matt Reeves’ image in mind, the entire piece is well executed throughout, constantly capturing the beauty and magnificence, as well as darkness intended by the thought-provoking piece. 

Symbolism is also a major aspect to this film and lighting is often used to portray this. Towards the end of the film, we see the apes, led by their leader who we grow to love, walking into the light. All seems happy and well for them and the light foreshadows their bright future, which left me with a sense of satisfaction after having watched all of the struggles they had encountered during the film. Their human counterpart however, is seen backing into the darkness, indicating the upcoming demise of the human race and the loss of hope for them as a people. The light and dark imagery created by the director left me with feelings of foreboding, yet also an undoubtable contentment with the way the film unrolled before my eyes.