The Angel's Kiss: Digital Storyboard Coursework Timeframe

1) By now rough sketches with instructions e.g. camera, sound, edit etc should be completed.
2) By the week ending 21st December, half of the photos to match the sketches should be taken and checked to confirm they fit the instructions. 
3) By the 8th January, all photos to be presented to DGN in class.
4) By the 15th January, photos to be accompanied with director instuction e,g, camera, sound, mis-en-scene.
5) Presentation format: Storyboard, photographs with directorial instuctions to be on blog by the 22nd of January.
6) Micro-Analysis to be completed by the last week on Spring Half Term One, February 12th.

iPhone Short Film: Zombie Case Study

The source is an article connected to a short film created on the iPhone using effects found on an iPhone, the iPhone's camera and using soundboard apps found on an iPhone. The film involves two young men as they film a documentry on zombie infection.

The important thing about this is it's the first decent quality short film to be completely created on an iPhone. It's also very cheap to film due to the lack of props required and the small use of make up. Also the fact there is only 3 viewable characters in the film shows how well you can fill up 7 minutes with such a small cast with just a bit of decent acting.

My favourite movie quote is when the infected has his leg on the seat and the non-infected person holds a weapon and the infected says "Why Not?" In my opinion this sums up the whole movie... why not?

The Man With The Golden Gun: Scaramanga's death in the Funhouse dual.

How does Mis-En-Scene, performance and cinematography construct meaning and provoke response in a sequence from The Man with the Golden Gun?

Mis-En-Scene, performance and cinematography are significant micro features are used in every movie, they are essential in the film industry as they help create an idea for the audience to analyse the scene. The Micro-Elements do tend to make the scene, without them there would be no scene to watch, follow, and understand. In this essay I will look at the 1974, Guy Hamilton, Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. In this sequence we see a gun dual through Scaramanga's (Christopher Lee) Fun house where Bond (Roger Moore) and Scaramanga attempt to kill each other in one last battle. Eventually Bond kills Scaramaga with a shot to the chest after he pretends to be a waxwork which Scaramanga keeps of him in the Funhouse. The film's focus is on a British 00 Agent who is sent to find a highly valuable Energy Source (Solex) and to get to it must fight against a millionaire assassin whose weapon of choice is a golden gun.

The clip starts with Nick Nack walking up some spiral stairs in a modern kitted room. The spiral stairs have a resemblance to those seen in a castle signifying this place to be like the villain's fortress. This allows the audience to connote the features of a typical fortress with items such as traps, henchmen and weaponry. This shows the villain as having power as in the medieval times when castles were the residence of lords and important figures. This connotes to the audience he is someone with power and that the stakes are high. Also the fact this is a one on one gunfight gives the impression this is a fight to the death. The fact this room is modern and the computers which Nick Nack uses are modern indicate the owner of the house has wealth and therefore has superiority, this could give the audience the idea he is some sort of "king of the castle". The fact Bond looks around when he enters the room gives the idea to the audience that he is foreign to this place, almost as if he is invading the fortress that Scaramanga owns, this gives the villain more dominance as the newcomer will not know what to expect in the place whereas the owner will know the layout, this also gives the audience the idea that Bond is at a disadvantage therefore increasing their fear for his welfare, this raises tension and drama for the audience which subsequently keeps them viewing. Nick Nack suffers from dwarfism which some would see as a physical deformity, this symbolises to the audience he is a villain as in the Bond series the use of physical deformities is used a lot to show a villain. This is because if a person has a disability it is harder to create a relationship with them as they do not have qualities similar to the audience therefore distancing them and weakening the upset they would feel if something was to happen to them. The use of the rising chair which Nick Nack sits on gives the idea that Nick Nack has more power as he rises. This is because it gives him access to the computers which he can use to control the devices to antagonise Bond and help Scaramanga.

In the next part of the clip the lights are dimmed and an image of the face of the villain, which is cool and calm, appears. The use of low key lighting links into the well-known media trick that bad things happen in the dark, it could also be an inter-textual reference to the fact that Christopher Lee (The actor who plays Scaramanga) is a well-known horror actor; this could highlight to the audience how evil Scaramanga is. The use of an image of a villain gives the idea to the audience that he is everywhere and can see Bond where ever he goes. The fact the image shows Scaramanga as calm could also be interpreted that the actual Scaramanga is confident he will defeat the villains that enter his lair, he is also wearing a tracksuit, showing him as athletic, this could also give the idea he has strength which makes the audience feel his power showing he could be seen as a respectable adversary who matches Bond is certain physical aspects. When the golden doors appear, Bond appears to be wary, possibly showing his concern that the villain could be hiding around in the newly appeared corridor, the look signifies just how high the stakes are and also increases tension for the villain as the hero could die at any moment. We then go into a part of the scene where a Wild West saloon appears and a cowboy comes out, the cowboy model is significant as it links to the Wild West gun duels of the 1800s on the frontier and can be interpreted by the audience as a sign this is a fight to the death. When Bond sees a waxwork of himself, as shown in a midshot, in the next part of the scene he seems surprised. This gives the audience the idea it's taken him off guard and Bond has momentarily put his barriers down. This worries the audience as it gives Scaramanga an advantage over Bond. The next shot is a close up on a roaming security camera, which signifies to the audience the importance of Bond being watched by Nick Nack and the advantage it gives Scaramanga over Bond. In the next part of the clip we see Bond go past a representation of St Paul's Cathedral this could link into the owner of the funhouse's faith or the fact that Scaramanga sees himself as a god figure and that the cathedral is in his house therefore it being a house of god. All throughout the clip Bond has crisp white clothing, this shows him to the audience as having a calm exterior and him being fearless, this gives him power from the audience as he impresses them with his bravery and the fact his clothing is white may also symbolise to the audience Bond's purity.
To follow there is a low angle shot of Bond standing on top of some scaffolding. The audience can see how high up Bond is and therefore could signify more status as it shows him as superior to the audience as they have to look up to him and could also show how dangerous being up there is. He then leans over the edge to look at the scaffolding below, this gives the audience the impression he could consider accepting the danger of the situation and climbing onto the scaffolding just so he can defeat Scaramanga. A few moments later and Bond's gun falls into an endless black pit below. The fact we can't see the bottom of the scaffolding shows just how far down it goes and increases the tension and the audience's fear for Bond's life. The fact he has lost his gun increases his vulnerability as it gives the audience the thought that he has lost his protection against Scaramanga. We see Scaramanga looking alarmed when he hears the noise, this gives the idea that Scaramanga is lacking confidence and to the audience he may appear weak as his emotions are easily visible. The image of Al Capone when Nick Nack is searching for Bond using the security cameras helps the audience identify with the villains craving for violence; this is because Al Capone is an iconic figure within the genre. The spikes in the room where the final confrontation between Bond and Scaramanga takes place could signify the danger in the area and builds the audience's anticipation and tension in the final build up for the death. We also see Scaramanga holding his golden gun creeping around the room. The fact he is creeping around could represent the fact he is being careful so as to not let know Bond of his whereabouts and this signifies to the audience that Scaramanga may be concerned by Bond's abilities. His golden gun may represent his power and wealth and as gold is a strong metal it could make the villain appear difficult to defeat. This increases Bond's vulnerability and gives the audience the idea that Scaramanga is strong like gold. However, Scaramanga's shirt is visibly creased which gives the idea he is unkempt unlike Bond who is always pristine. This suggests he is a lesser being than Bond and helps the audience feel that Bond could have more status than Scaramanga. Scaramanga is also wearing a watch which could suggest to the audience he is running out of time. Eventually when Bond shoots Scaramanga there is a look of horror on his face which could suggest he's lost all status, this also resembles Dracula's iconic facial image, a character Christopher Lee has also appeared as, throughout this clip there are several inter-textual references to the character of Dracula, including Lee's lack of dialogue. This shows to the audience Bond is a supreme character that now has complete power and status over the villain, we see a complete status shift as Scaramanga falls down in front of Bond in his death. He falls to the floor in front of the stairs, possibly symbolising a true fall from grace. We also see a long over-shoulder shot of Scaramanga in the floor and Bond standing over him, this helps to increase the audience's idea that Bond has full power over him and succeed in developing his aim and thus completing the narrative expectations of the audience.

I believe that the micro-elements that I have analysed in this scene are fundamental in helping the audience enjoy this scene. The director, Guy Hamilton, has done a superb job in installing these micro-elements so as to make it into a great scene.

Camera Shots

Here I am going to describe different camera shots....


Long Shot

A long shot is a shot taken from a far distance which tends to take in a character and all of their surroundings. This tends to be used to start a scene but shouldn't get confused with an establishing shot. Here is a long shot from Mr Bean's Holiday. (2007)  

Establishing Shot

An Establishing Shot sets out a scene in a movie. It will set out the mis-en-scene and also show the main character allowing the audience to get a grasp of what will occur within that part of the film. Here I have used an establishing shot from Forest Gump (1994)

Mid Shot

A Mid Shot shows the Character from a closer view than a long shot. It tends to focus on a particular character and allows some of the emotion of the person to get through. Here is an example of a mid-shot from the film Kickass (2010)

Close Up Shot

A Close Up shot is usually used to get a dramatic response from the audience as they will look at a certain signifying object from the film or a characters face to convey how they fell emotionally allowing to add drama. Here is a Close Up Shot from Titanic (1997)

Extreme Close Up Shot

An Extreme Close Up Shot will specifically look at a certain part of a person or object. It will be used to focus a key point in the movie, either to look at a change in a character or a key object which'll play a part soon in the film and will have high importance in the movie's course. Here is an example from Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Low Angle Shot

A Low Angle Shot is when the camera looks upwards towards something. It can be used so as to focus on the dominance of a scene or to show the scale of the location. Here is an example of a low angle shot from My Bloody Valentine (2009)

High Angle Shot

A High Angle Shot is when the camera looks downwards towards something. It can be used to look at the heirarchy in a movie or to discover something on the ground. Here is an example from The Lion King (1995)

Birds Eye View Shot

A Birds Eye View Shot is when the camera looks at something from right ontop of it. The Camera will face straight down to look at something exactly beneath it. An example of this can be seen in this shot from American Beauty (1999)

American Beauty Review.

American Beauty is a drama involving a dysfunctional, middle class, family living in the suburbs of an American town. It focuses on the father, Lester, and his struggles with his wife, Carolyn, and his daughter, Jane. With Lester fed up of his controlling wife demanding what he does and doesn't do in his life he finally decides it's time to fight back and make his wishes come true instead of pleasing his wife. When he becomes involved with his new military neighbour's (Frank) son (Ricky) his life takes another turn for the worse. With Lester exploring recreational drugs and bonding with Ricky, his homophobic military father becomes suspicious and eventually, when Frank finds footage of Lester on Ricky's camcorder he confronts Lester. Lester also becomes involved with his daughter's friend Angela, eventually almost having sex with her. In the movie Carolyn has an affair and eventually Frank kills Lester, fearful of him being gay and trying to have sexual contact with his son.

One of the highlighted themes in American Beauty is the American Dream, which is portrayed brilliantly within the film. Lester's dream is to be able to relax and not have to put up with the day to day suffering he deals with in his family life. At one point this dream is completed offering the protaganist a happy ending which he deserves. He's got a simple job, his dream car and is starting go towards his happy life, but then in the final scene, his life ends, him fairly complete and to an extent living his dream, with the final image before his death being him smiling at a portrait finally content with life. Only to have it cruelly taken away from him by Frank. The use of destroying this dream is able to build another chapter within this family and of course Ricky's as now the door has been opened for their development, with his father the killer of his girlfriend's dad there is a lot of unseen drama which could easily occur. This is a great move by the writers as it allows the audience to think about the family's future and create and build theories upon the ending.

There's also an interesting theme of sexuality used within the movie, shown through the eyes of the sexually frustrated main character. This allows him to blossom into an interesting and oddly dynamic relationship with his daughter's best friend. His sexual frustration is obvious from the start where he begins his day by masturbating in the shower, this shows the lack of romantic intensity between the couple and suggests the marriage may not be what it seems. Another key theme exploring sexuality within the protaganist is when he is masturbating whilst laying in bed next to his wife. This shows how desperate he is for sex and knows she won't do anything with him and needs to masturbate so as to relieve his sexual tension. This is great as it allows the set up and the director plays this fairly subtly at first but when he begins with his fantasies about Angela the theme of sexuality is cleverly involved again by showing a side to his American Dream.

The Hobbit get's Christmas Hype.

In December 2012, Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit' will be released, starring Martin Freeman. With the promise of a royal priemere, hype is already being built up 3 months in advance. With another "Hobbit" Movie coming out next year, this is only the beginning. But with so much hype already created will it last for another year?

Well in my opinion it will. Already we have 3.75" Action Figures released to keep kids entertained. With a Christmas Release as well the Action Figures have been marketed at exactly the right time to be recieved by as many children as possible. With main characters being released such as Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and the Goblin King kids will be able to play with their favourite characters in the comfort of their own home.

With rumours of a 3-D re-release of The Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit is also looking back into it's history, allowing fans of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy to remember the past before watching the new installment. With this prequel fim being tipped to be one of the best grossing movies of all time, to gain hype they can re-watch and remember it.

With inclusion of a video games teenagers will get involved by using Xbox and Playstation 3, this means they can get involved in the hype by playing games with their friends.

Moonraker Opening Scene: Micro-Elements.

The opening of Moonraker is based around the theft of a Space Shuttle from an RAF plane and then a dramatic parachute chase in which the protagonist is chased by one of the main antaganists who plans to kill him.

One use of lighting is in the beginning shot where there is a dark tone and just minimal light on the aeroplane carrying the "Moonraker" space shuttle. This dark tone is created to show that it is nightime and also could show that there is a dark situation about to begin, the fact there is no light could also show how stealthy the aeroplane is trying to be to protect it's precious cargo. This establishes to the audience it is an action movie and the darkness of the situation could make the audience feel suspicious as to what is going to happen to the space shuttle due to the lack of light as it could make them feel as if the scene is important in establishing secrets and danger.

There is also the use of a establishing birds-eye view camera shot when the protanganist and antagonist are fighting in mid-air. The use of this establishing birds-eye view shot shows that the brawl is happening at a high distance and that they will fall into the big fields below and die. This conveys the danger of the situation and represents that the stakes are high. This will give a sense of high dramatic tension to the audience and will build interest in the scene.