Textual analysis- World War Z

In world war Z, at the very start of the movie we have opening credits accompanied by a series of clips, and then the main intro starts with the introduction of the main characters.

   Genre:

World War Z is an apocalyptic action horror film. The intro of world war z is typical to most zombie/virus outbreak movie, were it starts with many realistic shots of news reports and videos that show the outbreak. It also uses lots of shots of nature, and how we are connected to nature. After the opening credits are done, the mise en scene of the movie changes, and we are now introduced to the main characters of the movie. And like in most apocalyptic movies today, the movie starts on a normal day were a happy family is having a nice day, however about 5 minutes into the movie, everything breaks into havoc, going from a peaceful day into eventually what we know as the apocalypse.

Narrative:

The intro has a non-linear narration, were different shots of news reports about the outbreak are used, giving the viewer an idea of what the movie is about. After the opening credits however, the characters are firstly introduced, and then the story follows this linear pattern were it starts of as a pleasant morning but then it end into an apocalypse, following a chain of events.

Location:

The location of were the film is set is not revealed in the opening credits, on the other hand the news reports are from various parts of the world, revealing how the outbreak isn't centered in one location. After the opening credits, we are introduced to the exact location as a small caption on the bottom right corner states "Philadelphia, PA", introducing the viewer to the geographical location the film is set in. Location is also important in this movie as the characters travel to different locations, therefore details of the story are connected to the location.

Characters:

The characters are introduced after the opening credits. In this case the characters are made up of a family consisting of a couple and their two daughters. The characters are represented as a happy family having a pleasant morning, this is usually done in apocalyptic movies as it then escalates from a pleasant morning, into this mayhem driven apocalypse, which the audience wasn't expecting.

Pacing:

The opening credits have a medium pace, the different shots of the news reports and videos cycle through in a regular pattern, the pace then increases at the end ending on the title "world war Z". After the opening credits, the characters are introduced and are found stuck in traffic. at this moment the pace is relatively slow. Then following a chain of events it gradually starts increasing. More accidents start happening on the roads, and the explosions start to appear in the distance. Then the family starts to run away from this mayhem, this is when the pace really starts to pick up. Shots of people running, accidents, and violent fights cause a fast pace. We are slowly given a glimpse of the zombies. The scene then ends with this panoramic shot of the apocalyptic city, at this point the pace slows down again.

On-screen captions:

In the intro there are lots of captions used. At the very start they show the different production companies involved in the movie, then between the shots they show the names of the actors involved in the movie, then at the very end the title of the movie appears. The style of the captions used for the production companies and actors mimics the style of writing in documents used in labs. This relates to the movies theme were they need to find a cure for the virus. The title of the movie at the end showed different shots of nature through the letters, and the "Z" was in color red, which represents blood. After the opening credits, the scene starts with a caption revealing the location in which its set, in this case Philadelphia. The font used is relatively small so it doesn't cover up the shot, and it is revealed like at the start of a military movie were the location is being typed, relating to the characters military background.

Editing and post production: 

For the intro there are a few special effects added, in this case the shots shown use different focus forming triangles, adding an abstract feel to the movie. After the opening credits however, there are various effects used for the environment. For example effects are used to simulate these huge explosions within the city which cannot be done in real life. The opening scene also uses a lot of fast cuts, specially during the high paced action scenes were there is alot happening at one, thus lots of shots at different angles are used to show all this havoc and increase the tempo if the movie. There is also background music with a high tempo which goes well with the fast paced shots and helps drive these fast cuts.

Music/sound effects:

Both the opening credits and the opening scene use a soundtrack however they do not use any music. The role of the soundtrack, specially in the opening scene is used to drive the tempo of the scenes. The tempo of the song decreases and increases depending on the pace of the shots and whats happening on the screen.

Camerawork: 
In the opening scene there are many parts where a "shaky" camera is used. This is used to mimic a more realistic perspective from the characters view, as well as blending in well with all the action. Lots of panoramic shots that pan as  well as tilt are used, in this case they are used to give the viewer a different perspective of the mayhem.

Textual analysis - I am legend

Genre:

I am legend is a post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, set in a dystopian new york city. The intro scene has the typical look of a apocalyptic movie, were there is an arial shot of the rundown city, giving a view of the world the characters are in. It also then zooms into the characters, in this case the dog and Dr. Robert, introducing them to the audience. 

Narrative:
There is no narrative in the intro.

Location:
From the intro you can tell that the movie is set in a rundown new york city, due to the famous landmarks such as times square and the yellow cabs.

Characters:
The people portrayed in the opening are Dr Robert and his dog. This duo fits in well with the post-apocalyptic survival setting were there is a lone survivor who is accompanied by his trusty dog.

Pacing:
The pacing of the movie is relatively slow throughout the intro, however it does speed up during the chase scene were Dr Robert tries too hunt the flock of deer. The slow pace of the intro is used to give that sense of mystery, as will is a lone survivor. It also gives a tour of the abandoned NYC, therefore there is not a lot of action happening.

On screen graphics/captions:
At the very end of the intro, the title of the movie is shown, using a white "times" font, with the three letter "I" "am" Legend", each a bit bigger than the other, emphasizing on the word "legend".

Editing and post production:
Lots of CGI is used in the making of this movie, for example the rundown post-apocalyptic NYC has some CGI to achieve that look and feel. The flock of deer seen in the intro are all also done using CGI, since it would be near impossible to film and direct using real deer. The type of editing in this intro is mainly made up of fast cuts, specially during the chase scene, were the shots change many times during one action.

Music/sound effects:
No music was used for the intro, but there were some sound effects used for the deer and tigers.

Camerawork:
There are many shots wich focus on Roberst face, capturing the characters facial expressions. The Arial/top down shot of the city at the very start really emphasizes the height of the skyscrapers and conveys some mystery on what city its set in.

Textual analysis - Mad Max: Fury Road

Genre:

The primary theme of Mad Max: Fury Road is survival, and this is carried on from previous mad max films, and is the main theme of the movie. Max's main goal is to survive in this post-apocalyptic wasteland were everything is trying to kill you, and the main currency is gasoline. This is clearly shown in the first 6 minutes of the movie, were Max is captured by the scavengers and he tries to escape. 

Narrative:

At the start of the scene we are given an explanation of what happened to the world and who Max is. The story is narrated in a non-linear order as some flashback scenes are shown of Max's past. This is shown to give the viewers a quick introduction into the story line.

Location:

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, which shows how there is nothing left but a desert and rusty buildings, giving a dystopian feel to the movie. 

Characters:
In the opening the characters portrayed are Max and the scavengers. Max is portrayed as a lone survivor with a dark past, trying to survive in the wasteland. The scavengers on the other hand are portrayed as imortant Joes army, following his commands. Max itself is seen wearing worn out leather clothes which fit in with the deserted wasteland setting.

Voice over: 
At the very start of the movie, Max introduces himself and explains the world he is living in. He uses a deep and dark voice as well as using a quiet tone which creates a sense of mystery towards the audience.

Pacing:
The very start of the movie has a slow pace, were Max introduces himself and there is a slow pan of him and his car. This slow pace at the start gives mystery and tension to the viewer, as they dont know whats going to happen. However when the chase starts, the pace increases dramatically, creating this rush of adrenaline in the viewer, as the chase breaks out and he tries to escape from the scavengers, giving the viewer a taste of Max's world.

On-screen graphics/captions:

At the start of the movie, there are a few titles which show the name of the production company, as well as some of the main actors. The titles themselves have a post apocalyptic style, were rusty metal and blood is used for the captions, adding to the main feel of the movie.

 










Editing and post production:
In Mad Max fury road, one main special effect that is carried out throughout the movie is the use of more vibrant colors. This takes away the dull look of the desert and adds more color, making it stand out more. For the editing itself it uses lots of fast cuts during the action scenes, this is useful as it captures the fast paced combat and chase in the movie. CGI is also used in the movie, in this case it is used during the flashbacks were people from his past just pop up in front of him, adding to the mystery and his haunting past. CGI is also used to exaggerate the explosions in order to give a bigger impact.

Music/sound effects:
The use of fast paced music during the chase scenes, really aid in the adrenaline factor of these scenes, making them more intense. The sound effects used, for example during the explosions and when the car crashes, there are some sound effects added to add to the impact of the explosion, making it seem bigger than it actually is.

Camerawork:
In the intro there are various pan shots, low angle shots, as well as some match on action. The match on action shots are used when Max gets into his car which gives the scene a really nice flow. For the car chase, the use of low shots really allows the viewer to take in the fury of these cars. Panoramic shots are also used, in this case to give the viewer a better perspective of the wasteland. The camera movement is relatively slow at the start, however in the second chase where Max tries to escape, there is a lot more camera movement, trying to match with the action, as well as close ups which increase the tempo of the scenes.

Title art

Title art

Drawing by Nikita

Genre Mind-map

Mind-map of chosen genre

Overall genre mind-map

Mind - map for different genres:

Ideas by the whole group, drawn by Nikita

Evaluation of Preliminary task

Preliminary task - Evaluation

Overall I feel that "The Gossip Interview" really covers all the points needed for the preliminary task, Over the shoulder shot, match on action, aswell as shot/reverse shot. The group worked well together, each crew member carried out their task efficiently. I was in charge of the background music aswell as assisting with some of the shots and interviewer in the clip. Nikita was in charge of editing aswell as acting, and Jack and Mariam were in charge of filming.

However, there were some flaws in our final clip. For example the video quality aswell as the sound were not optimal however it was restricted to the equipment we were given. Also towards the start the music overlaps our voices when the interviewer tries to shake Gunther hand. If we had spent more time on editing and using software such as after effects instead of iMovie, and spending less time picking the outfits and filming, we could have perfected the editing more. 

In conclusion, the overall finished clip met the criteria well, including all the different shots. However we could have spent more time on the actual editing in order to perfect the audio and video quality aswell as adding some extra effects.

Prelim Storyboard

Preliminary task - Storyboard

This is the storyboard for the gossip interview:

Premliminary main task

Preliminary task - The Gossip Interview

• Edited by Nikita, I helped with the soundtrack.
• Shot mainly Mariam, some shots made by jack. Me and Nikita assisted with camera positioning.

Film Techniques

Preliminary task - techniques

For the preliminary task we had practice some of the filming techniques such as match on action, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule.

Match on action - Cutting on action or matching on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. A common example is a man walking up to a door and reaching for the knob.

Shot/Reverse shot - one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

180 degree rule -  When you film a scene using separate shots, it's important that people understand where everything in the scene is. The 180 degree rule will help you do this.

Introduction

Preliminary task - Introduction

Hi I am Pablo and this is my A-level media studies coursework. For my coursework I choose to do the opening scene of a new fiction film. My team itself, also known as pinecone productions, is made up of 4 people, Jack who is in charge of flying the drones and some filming. Miriam who is in charge of the filming. Nikita who is in charge of the props, special effects and acting. And me where i do both the editing, music, acting and sometimes aid in filming.