Sin City (2005) No Spoilers

This is a 2005 action film which was directed by Quentin Tarantino as a special guest Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller it was written by Frank Miller and produced by Elizabeth Avellan. It was made with $40,000,000 from Dimensions films and had made $74,000,000 in America. It stars Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Clive Owen, Jamie King, Devon Aoki, Carla Gugino, Alexis Bledel, Benico Del Toro, Powers Boothe, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood, Micheal Clarke Duncan, Josh Hartnett, Micheal Madien and Nick Stahal. The film had won many awards mostly for it's visual style. The film follows many different stories what are scarcely related however they show how dark the world is. For this I shall be looking at cinematography and sound.

At the start of the film we see a woman in a red dress in a black and white city. This is paying homage to the source material being the graphic novel as it is done in a black and white method with very minimal colour. It also tells the audience that very important things will be highlighted with colour. This is seen in the scene as the the dress and her lips are bright red telling that she is the focus of the scene in the film.

At the start of the film we also hear the narration of the male character in the film. The point of this is to create a graphic novel effect as they often have something like this in them. It also lets the audience become use to the idea of narration in the film. This can be seen in other films such as "300"  (2006) which he had written as well which uses a large amount of narration in it as well.

Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice (2016) I can't give spoilers to a film what done it already

This is a 2016 action film. It was directed by Zack Snyder written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer produced by Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder. The film was given a budget of 250,000,000 from Warner Brother Studios and has so far made $181,000,000. The film stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Jesse Eisenberg. The film has not won any awards as it had just been released. The film is a verserses film which in where two or more people/groups fight in the film an example of a film like this would be Alien vs Predator (2004) In this I shall be looking at cinematography and performance.

At the start of the film when we get to current  day we follow a police officer going into a room.When this is done part of the shot is out of focus building the tension of the film. It puts the audience excited as they want to know what the police officer can see and what has happened there. In addition it also begins a long trend of what happens in the film where a large part of the film is done out of focus then put into focus constantly exciting the audience.

In one part further on near the start Louis Lane is asking Clark Kent/Superman if he had killed some people earlier in the dessert. When she asks this Clark shows no change in reaction telling the audience that he doesn't care for this that he is above it like a god. This would be tying to a theme of the film being religion. A case where this can be seen is in the Matrix Trilogy (1999-2003) where religious imagery is seen often and Neo an all powerful being often shows no emotion in the film.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) No Spoilers I promise

This is a 2016 Thriller film. It is directed by Dan Trachtenberg written by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken and produced J.J Abrams and Lindsey Weber. The film was given $15,000,000 from Bad Robot studios and has made $56,000,000. The film stars John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr. Stuff similar to this would be Cloverfield 2008 and Lost Series two which was also produced by J.J Abrams In this is shall be looking at sound and performance.

For this I'll be looking at the sound of the beginning events. The start of the film starts off with no sound. The point of this is so that the film makers can then increase the film's tension from then up. It also makes the audience pay attention forcing them to learn about this woman we see. As it progresses it gradually adds sound building the film up until the very sudden car crash what comes as a massive shock and will stun the audience.

For this I shall be looking at performance more specifically John Goodman as I love him so much and I regard him as a very good actor.. In the film John Goodman plays a mysterious character which is one of the themes of the film as very little is known about his character. This will make the audience be intrigued but very wary of him as no one knows anything very much about him.In the film he also shows a mixture of emotions and changing his emotions very quickly showing that he is indeed crazy and paranoid. This will make the audience constantly scared as they will have no idea what he'll do next what is often seen in most thriller films.

Report (It's Just A Game) attempt number two

This is a crime film that has many different meanings, which are communicated to the audience. One of these is how far people will go to save their child. This is told to the audience by using a combination of different techniques, these being editing, sound, performance and misc en scene. The aim of the film is to try and make audiences appreciate their families more as it'd make them reflect on how they would go for them.

In my film I wanted to explain what is happening in the film by manipulating the micro features. At the start of the film it's set in a bright outside location then transition to a dark location. This created a contrast in both location and lighting. This is often seen in crime films when they are doing their crime they change from a large open area to often a small location. Such in the film 1997 “Jackie Brown” as they are dealing weapons in a small flat in a large apartment building during the day. The size of the area is meant to signify that this is only a small thing. The change in lighting is to create more of a tense atmosphere for the audience. Which is a catalyst for the film as it constantly having darker lighting will keep this atmosphere constant.

Another piece of misc en scene had been a photo of a child. The use of this had been so that the audience can tell what the protagonist father is talking about. This is a piece of non-verbal communication towards the audience telling them without being direct. When he says "I wouldn't anything like that again" it is showing deceit another common action seen in crime films such as the 1987 film “City On Fire” as it follows an undercover cop who is deceiving the criminals. This is how the theme of family had been worked into the film as it shows the motivation of the father in the film.

Throughout my film I wanted to show what my characters are by using different micro features. I wanted to use casts performance to create some characterization for the characters in my film, for example when Mr.Big wins the first round he has a large grin showing that he is a cocky type of person. I choose for my actor to do this so my audience knows this letting them have something against him. This is a demonstration of the theme of gangs as it is cliché for films to portray them as uncaring this can be seen in the 1979 film "The Warriors" as they wouldn't be caring for the other gangs in the film only for themselves. All of this with the nuance of a grin that is how powerful nuances can be in films and I feel I have used them very effectively.

Closer to the middle I had explored editing leading to me deciding to create a montage section that would be showing a passing of time. To have this affect I had similar shots together going on after another. A film that had used a technique similar to this would be "The World's End" from 2013 as they done the same to show a passing of time as well. This would be telling the audience they had been there for a long time as they'd seen previous and would know how long they go on for. After it they would be interested as it'd be signal that something interesting is about to happen.

At the end I had experimented with adding some sound effects to it. This had been the sound of a police siren, as it would add to the soundscape that had been created. The use of this had been to be to take the film into a complete circle incorporating the cyclical effect where the film begins where it ends. This can be seen in films such as "Shaun of the Dead" 2004 as the film ends with a scene very similar to the beginning. The meaning of this was to demonstrate to the audience that they know the world outside hasn't changed while the course of the movie is going on. It in addition will also be reminding the audience that illegal gambling which is another theme in the film that it is still illegal no matter what the cause of it may be.

Devil Wears Prada (2006)

This is a 2006 comedy which has the themes of work, fashion and relationships. It was directed by David Frankel, written by Aline Brosh McKenna and produced by Wendy Finerman. It was funded by Fox 2000 pictures with a budget of $35,000,000 the film had made $125,000,000. It stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.The film had been nominated for two Oscars for Leading Actress and costume though they didn't win however they had won some awards in those areas however. The film follows Andrea (Hathaway) as she's given a new job at a fashion magazine and starts to learn all about that world. For this I shall be looking at sound and misc en scene.

For this I shall be looking at the sound. Near to the beginning we are told that Miranda Priestly (Streep) is coming. Some music then starts to play which slowly as the scene progresses and things look more chaotic goes faster and louder. This would be increasing the tension to the anticipation of seeing who she is. When she does arrive there is very little noise just Miranda talking to Emily (Blunt). It would usually make the audience relax however it puts them on edge as nobody seems to be relaxed and Miranda doesn't seem to notice how much effort they have put in to looking really nice.

At one point of the film Miranda and Nigel (Tucci) are having a meeting with some other colleges about some clothing for the magazine while Andrea is note taking. At one point Andrea has a little laugh when another woman says that two blue belts are completely different. This leads to Miranda telling Andrea a long history about what she's wearing. It would then start to make the audience look at what Andrea is wearing a bit in a darker light however you would also notice that the belts and her jumper are both blue, which is telling the audience that history is repeating it self. All of this is letting the audience know the greatness of the fashion industry and how nothing really changes in the world.

Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino comparison

Quentin Tarantino:
He was born in Knoxville Tennessee with his father being an actor already. While he was studying to act he had been working in video rental shop where he had watched many films. He had met Lawrence Bender at a Hollywood party where he was convinced to write a script and that had been "My Best Friend's Birthday" which turned into "True Romance". After that he had written "Reservoir Dogs" what is considered a master piece what quickly made him a highly popular and successful film maker. He has won over a hundred awards however he has won two Oscars for best screen play for "Pulp Fiction" and "Django Unchained". He has allot of controversy in his films two of the biggest being the extreme violence in his films and his use to the word "Nigger". He has often denied the connection of violence in movies and real life and has said he doesn't want to repeat himself for over twenty years. When being accused of being racist he denies it as he demands to be allowed to write whatever he feels as a writer. Key themes in his films would be revenge and in his first half of films crime and in his second half would be history. His style is mostly what is considered controversial which is something that makes him so good to watch.

Spike Lee:
He was born in Georgia and then moved Brooklyn New York his father was a jazz musician and his mother was a school teacher. He had attended many schools where he studied film making and other arts. To get into the industry he had made a short film which had done very successful which led to him making his first feature film "She's Gotta Have It which done very well launching his career. He has won only one Oscar which was Honorary for being an inspiration to younger film makers. He has been involved in many controversial events most of them being a race. However one time he had tweeted out the address of a school shooter unfortunately he was wrong and was sued for the misconceive to the people who lived their. Key themes that he shows in his films are friends, family and whatever time period it's set in.

Film London "Beachcomber" (2014)

This is a 2014 short drama film what looks at the themes of family, lonliness and life. It was written and directed by Peter Coventry produced by Judith Lunny and Nana Wilson. It stars Larry Lamb and Neil Newborn. The production company was Film London with a budget of either £4,000 or £15,000. The film had won 0 awards or nominations. It tells the story of 65 year old man Stephen who is looking to find more than just treasure in his life.

The writer/ director of the film Peter Coventry has gone on to top do nothing ever since. Unfortunately that is the case with every person who worked in the film as they went on to nothing significant. I believe that this happened as they didn't win any awards meaning that were unable to further up in the cycle of UK film making.

Report (It's Just A Game)

This will be an analysis on my film which I had created for my A level course. The film is a 2016 thriller film what was produced, written and directed by George Lawrence. The themes the film looks at is family, gambling and gangs. The film had no actual budget and made no money back. The film looks at the story of a father and simply shows the lengths that some people will go to protect/save their child. The reason the father has no name is to show that it could happen to any father. The film is all one scene as it's all set in one place meaning that the message is very simple to the audience to understand. A film similar to this would be "John Q" For this is shall be looking at the performance and misc en scene.

The character in the film is portrayed as a cocky person this is seen indifferent parts of the film. In one part of it he has just won the first round and he has a large grin on his face. This would be showing to the audience that he is enjoying this and unaware to the real necessity of how much the father would be needing this money.

In another one part Mr.Big offers john to leave. When the actor delivers the lines in this part he says them very casually and cocky and behaves very casual and  cocky again in his body language. This would be telling the audience that he is very relaxed and doesn't care very much. This is meant to make the audience feel a sense of disgust towards him as earlier in the film we learn that the daughter has a life threatening tumor. So if they weren't disgusted by him already then they should be as it is only increasing the hatred for him.

At the start of the film the camera goes closer towards a underground cellar and then quickly changes to a room inside of the cellar. This is meant to show the difference of worlds that there are, to elaborate there is the bright one with the sun out meanwhile there are dark places where illegal gambling matches are going on. This is also meant to be the film showing the audience where the film is set. Doing this would make the audience feel uncomfortable as they have just been thrown into this random dark place they don't know.

The first lines of the film are said by the father while he is holding a photo of his daughter. The purpose of this is to clearly show to the audience what the film is about and a little bit of backstory. The photo of the daughter is there so that when he says "How is my little star?" we know who he is referring to and giving us a visual aid. It is meant to create a sense of sympathy for him as it's a lovely photo. The lines said by the father also set the tone of the film as he asks how the tumor which would drastically lower the tone of the film. This would cause the audience to suddenly feel sad as they should feel that a child who is that young shouldn't have to die at that age.

When the father says that he wouldn't do anything that stupid again it is saying that before he use to do something in his past what was bad. It would create a sense of mystery as at that point the audience wouldn't know what is happening and is meant by that comment. It'd leave the audience interested and excited as they would want to know more. However when Mr.Big asks if he remembers how to play it would be giving more of the backstory away. This piece of information would let the audience piece together the complete background story of the father and Mr.Big. It would give the audience a level of shock as you'd realize that before the father would of had some form of gambling addiction with the wrong type of people. Now this could change people's opinion on him what would be a paradox in the film as it making them decide whether it's acceptable, however they wouldn't want the child to die so young.

Closer to the end of the film where the father decides to carry on playing there is a change of how he acts. He appears more confident and comfortable meaning that he is in his natural place. This would let the audience be shocked as they wouldn't of have expected something like this to happen, it would let the audience feel let down as they would of thought better of him.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and London Has Fallen (2016) compare and contrast (Not major but slightly still there are spoilers for London)

Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 action film which has the themes of world politics, security and terrorism. It was directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, produced by Ed Cathell III, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Gill, Danny Lerner, Alan Siegel and Gerard Butler. The film stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman. The film was given a budget of $70,000,000 from Millennium films which had made $100,000,000 back. It had won the award for best action movie by IGN's people choice award. The film follows Mike Banning who was a former secret service agent and has to rescue the president of the United States of America before too late. Films similar to this would be "White House Down" and "DieHard". For this is I shall be looking at the performance and editing.

London Has Fallen is a 2016 action film which has themes of security, terrorism and world politics. It was directed by Babak Najafi, written by Creighton Rothenberger, Karin Benedikt, Christian Gudegast and Chad St. John, produced by Mark Gill, Danny Lerner, Matthew O'Toole, Alan Siegel and Gerard Butler. The film stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman. The film was given a budget of $60,000,000 by Millennium films which has made unknown cause it was released only today. It couldn't of have won any awards as it's been out only today. The film shows the story of Mike Banning protecting the president after London has suffered poorly after a high scale terrorist attack.. Similar films to this would be "Olympus has Fallen" and "Die Hard 4.0" For this I shall be looking at performance.

In Olympus Has Fallen the relationship between Mike and most people is a very fractured as Mike let the first lady die meaning he was removed as the president wouldn't want to be reminded of it. Evidence that it's fractured is that whenever is that there is a sort of awkward atmosphere as in one scene Mike is talking to the pentagon people are constantly not trusting him making people aggravated on both sides showing how fractured the relationships Mike has are.  However in contrast in London Has Fallen the relationship between the two is very strong. This is evident where in another scene when Mike has just killed a large amount of terrorists who have posed as US rangers and he says to the president "I was wondering when you'd come out of the closet." this is obviously a reference to the president calling him gay. Him doing this would show that they are clearly good enough friends to talk like that.

However one of the things that stays constant both films is that when a new character or location or to show a passing in time is introduced text will appear informing them this happens. In Olympus this happens to show who the different characters are as you cut into a different room with people you don't know so they then show the different people and who they are. In London Has Fallen they do the same again when there is a conference with the British as these were new tro the series so it let them know who they were and what they do.