I really like that everybody who receives media, no matter what the media is or what way in which it is received, the audience/receiver will be taken it in for any numerous reasons more than likely stemming from the uses and gratifications theory. Whether or not the receiver is intentionally looking for something to satisfy, disrupt or challenfe each individual stage of the theory, I will use the theory to further understand how I could disrupt and challenge each section in my own film. For example the security and safety need can be challenged by putting the audience in an unfamiliar and uncontrollable environment, in which actions deemed evil or cruel by society take place. The planned death/s in my short film will, although relate to the individuals understanding of society, also move them from their comfort zone of normality and dayto day occurences. The main way what I can challenge their needs, security and safety and also social need, is to create a non-linear storyline that twists and morphs quickly from setting to setting and time period to time period. This will leave the receiver feeling far from normality and security. The social need will be lost from the lack of affection running underneath the surface of the piece. Although the story centres on love, evilness and amorality run deep in the actions and emotions represented by the vicious and dark characters.Tuesday 30 November 2010
Uses and Gratification theory
I really like that everybody who receives media, no matter what the media is or what way in which it is received, the audience/receiver will be taken it in for any numerous reasons more than likely stemming from the uses and gratifications theory. Whether or not the receiver is intentionally looking for something to satisfy, disrupt or challenfe each individual stage of the theory, I will use the theory to further understand how I could disrupt and challenge each section in my own film. For example the security and safety need can be challenged by putting the audience in an unfamiliar and uncontrollable environment, in which actions deemed evil or cruel by society take place. The planned death/s in my short film will, although relate to the individuals understanding of society, also move them from their comfort zone of normality and dayto day occurences. The main way what I can challenge their needs, security and safety and also social need, is to create a non-linear storyline that twists and morphs quickly from setting to setting and time period to time period. This will leave the receiver feeling far from normality and security. The social need will be lost from the lack of affection running underneath the surface of the piece. Although the story centres on love, evilness and amorality run deep in the actions and emotions represented by the vicious and dark characters.
Effects Models and NRS Social Grade
The simplest way to further a specified target audience, is too look at the effects model and NRS social grade. As I previous stated my intended target audience would be that of socially educated and art acknowledged lifestyle. The effects model below is an excellent way of understanding the psychological consmption that each individual will be a part of when consuming medias. The main intention that I would have for my audience, is that the would definately not be a hypodermic audience, and would not passively absorb every message given to them like a sponge, I want people to watch my film who can decipher the various images in their own individual ways and with their own intentions, i.e. if they want to believe certain aspects they can and if not they do not. This in mind, the main theory would be reception theory that I am hoping that my audience would apply to. The reception theory allows the audience to elicit their own meanings from the text from personal cultural and social issues. Also the obstinate audience theory is hugely influential on my intentions, as I do not wish for the receiver to just believe everything they see and accept it, I want them to interpret every shot differently and with their own individual twist.
It is hard to put a class boundary on your film as all classes will undoubtedly be free to watch the film when attending the cinema, if they happen to be watching the film my short is positioned in front of, but also online. The more likely class boundaries that my film would be aiming at would be lower middle class to middle class, as these are the boundary audiences that the film exhibitioners that I am targetting my film to be shown at, target their products at. Also the higher educated audience in bands B and C1, although hugely stereotypical as this may be the boundaries prove that the higher earners are better educated, these will be the more understanding of an art based/art contextual based short film which explores film making and style rather than plotline and character depth.
It is hard to put a class boundary on your film as all classes will undoubtedly be free to watch the film when attending the cinema, if they happen to be watching the film my short is positioned in front of, but also online. The more likely class boundaries that my film would be aiming at would be lower middle class to middle class, as these are the boundary audiences that the film exhibitioners that I am targetting my film to be shown at, target their products at. Also the higher educated audience in bands B and C1, although hugely stereotypical as this may be the boundaries prove that the higher earners are better educated, these will be the more understanding of an art based/art contextual based short film which explores film making and style rather than plotline and character depth.
Target Audience
Today it was brought to my attention again, that I need to explain and expand on my desired and intended target audience. It occured to me that I had not stated clearly who I was aiming my piece at so far, and so thought it best to establish who I am intending my short film to be aimed at.
As the first ideas and thoughts that I had about my short film, were to make it look more like an artwork, a visually appealing film, this unwritten style has stuck in my mind in the basic preperations that I have had to do with my short film. I really wanted, and still do, to create a film that looks like a piece of art, like something that you would hang on your wall more than a film. This preference of mine would undoubtedly lead to a whole different audience, an experimental piece of work into light and colour would far form keep the interest of an audience of five year old girls. The initial thought is that of art aware people, well educated art followers with a keen sense of creativity and individuality. The piece would need to target someone who would appreciate something with a fairly simple storyline, as they could appreciate the visual style of the piece instead.
From the various trips I have made to Cinema City, a local picture house in Norwich, I have begun to see a pattern in its audiences. With the exception of myself and the other 'young' folk that I have gone with, it seems to be a matured audience obviously with a good understanding of film and their desired genre and also with a quirky personality that allows them to explore into other directors works and stlyes.Perhaps however, this says something more about the film than the cinema. However Cinema City, not being a mainstream and regular ODEON or UCI, it does attract more well respected figures of society. This gave me a basic, perhaps stereotype is the right word, over the regular viewers of such artistic films and this appears to be the same audience that I imagine watching my film.
The age range would obviously be from middle twenties to late fifties, a range of well educated people from various cultures and backgrounds can be present here, but all with different understandings of the world and each with their own artisitic backgrounds and artistic experiences. This would lead on to the general profession/hobbies of people, and that being art. I would be aiming my film at artists, art students, art curators, art journalists etc. anyone familiar with artistic movements or histories. It would also apply to the generalised public, rather than this niche market of twenty to fifty year old artists, although this audience would be the targeted and the audience from which they would most appreciate and understand a work attempting to be visually impressive.
As the first ideas and thoughts that I had about my short film, were to make it look more like an artwork, a visually appealing film, this unwritten style has stuck in my mind in the basic preperations that I have had to do with my short film. I really wanted, and still do, to create a film that looks like a piece of art, like something that you would hang on your wall more than a film. This preference of mine would undoubtedly lead to a whole different audience, an experimental piece of work into light and colour would far form keep the interest of an audience of five year old girls. The initial thought is that of art aware people, well educated art followers with a keen sense of creativity and individuality. The piece would need to target someone who would appreciate something with a fairly simple storyline, as they could appreciate the visual style of the piece instead.
From the various trips I have made to Cinema City, a local picture house in Norwich, I have begun to see a pattern in its audiences. With the exception of myself and the other 'young' folk that I have gone with, it seems to be a matured audience obviously with a good understanding of film and their desired genre and also with a quirky personality that allows them to explore into other directors works and stlyes.Perhaps however, this says something more about the film than the cinema. However Cinema City, not being a mainstream and regular ODEON or UCI, it does attract more well respected figures of society. This gave me a basic, perhaps stereotype is the right word, over the regular viewers of such artistic films and this appears to be the same audience that I imagine watching my film.
The age range would obviously be from middle twenties to late fifties, a range of well educated people from various cultures and backgrounds can be present here, but all with different understandings of the world and each with their own artisitic backgrounds and artistic experiences. This would lead on to the general profession/hobbies of people, and that being art. I would be aiming my film at artists, art students, art curators, art journalists etc. anyone familiar with artistic movements or histories. It would also apply to the generalised public, rather than this niche market of twenty to fifty year old artists, although this audience would be the targeted and the audience from which they would most appreciate and understand a work attempting to be visually impressive.
Thursday 18 November 2010
Basic story idea
Opening in a dark, poorly lit and fairly creepy theatre, a formally dressed unnamed male introduces the lead act to the show, an escape artist who will be performing an escape from rope/chain or other such equipment. His also unnamed girlfriend/fiance/partner is watching from behind stage along with the envious eyes of her stalker/fancier, also unnamed. An accident occurs in the escape and the artist is killed. She rushes to the stage and soon realises that it was the other man who wanted her for himself who has killed him. She goes to his dressing room, or just a random room where he is and kills him. She then climbs the steps of the theatre tower and jumps off.
This is the simplest form of the story, the film itself will be non-linear, so you will see the death of the main man fairly close to the beginning, the death of the lead female at the end and the death of the killer near the end, her descent to the tower will be at the beginning. The clips of her waiting to jump, climbing the stairs, her partners performance, his death the killers death etc. will all be pieced together in a fragmented and non-linear order. This however will not take the audience away from the storyline, it will not be complicated to understand, and also this will not degrade the visual style of the film in anyway.
This is the simplest form of the story, the film itself will be non-linear, so you will see the death of the main man fairly close to the beginning, the death of the lead female at the end and the death of the killer near the end, her descent to the tower will be at the beginning. The clips of her waiting to jump, climbing the stairs, her partners performance, his death the killers death etc. will all be pieced together in a fragmented and non-linear order. This however will not take the audience away from the storyline, it will not be complicated to understand, and also this will not degrade the visual style of the film in anyway.
Empire Film Magazine
First published in July 1989, edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap, Empire Film Magazine was, and still is the leading British Film Magazine. It is also published in Australia, Turkey and Russia.Empire is extremely popular amongst the British public, undoubtedly for its wide spread coverage of mainstram films and art and independent films.
There are various other articles present in the magazine, along with the customary film reviews and news articles. These include;
- A Classic Scene a transcript from a notable film scene.
- A regular Top 10 feature list, which list's Empire's top ten of film related subjects.
- The At Home section which focuses on DVD/Blu-ray etc. sales and reviews.
- Pint of Milk. A section which asks celebrities silly and unusual questions, including the question 'How much is a pint of milk?' A clever technique into their touch with reality.
- 'Spine Quote', a quote published on the spine of the edition which obscure and sometimes direct links to the featured article/s. There is a prize for the reader if the send in to Empire the correct film that the quotation is from.
- Kim Newman's DVD Dungeon, in which reviewer and critic Kim Newman reviews the most obscure DVD releases, usually low budget horror films.
- Celebrity Mastermind is another regular in which celebrities are asked questions about their own films they appeared in or directed. Celebrities range from Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Lee (who are near the top of the scoreboard) to John Carpenter and Michael Keaton (who are near the bottom of the scoreboard.)
- The Masterpiece section is a regular article, since issue 167 (May 2003), in which a two page spread article is written about an At Home DVD release. The selection are random and follow no pattern, for example not the best film released on DVD, specific directors works or even the worst DVD release.
Below is a page analysis of the magazine, using the section which seems most similar to mine,
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Plan / Do / Review
Thursday 18th November.
I am planning to begin constructing a layout for my magazine review, from the research that I will be conducting into how 'Empire' and 'Total Film' magazine both write their reviews and how they lay them out online and offline.
From this research, I should be able to get an idea of the best formula to creating a review and will therefore be able to adapt my ideas into a successful review of my film.
Review.
In the lesson I was able to read an EMPIRE and TOTAL FILM magazine review, and also begin to break down the fundamental structure of the magazines reviews.
I have also been guided to look closer at small independent review magazines, mostly the art and music ones. Norfolk has very few artistic/creative magazines with the exception of 'Outline', which seems to focus mainly on music rather than film, although they do showcase no and upcoming work of music, art and film creators. London's 'Timeout' magazine will be another to look at, as it is a fairly underground magazine which looks at local creative talent.
I am planning to begin constructing a layout for my magazine review, from the research that I will be conducting into how 'Empire' and 'Total Film' magazine both write their reviews and how they lay them out online and offline.
From this research, I should be able to get an idea of the best formula to creating a review and will therefore be able to adapt my ideas into a successful review of my film.
Review.
In the lesson I was able to read an EMPIRE and TOTAL FILM magazine review, and also begin to break down the fundamental structure of the magazines reviews.
I have also been guided to look closer at small independent review magazines, mostly the art and music ones. Norfolk has very few artistic/creative magazines with the exception of 'Outline', which seems to focus mainly on music rather than film, although they do showcase no and upcoming work of music, art and film creators. London's 'Timeout' magazine will be another to look at, as it is a fairly underground magazine which looks at local creative talent.
Thursday 4 November 2010
David Lynch
Now I had seen various Twin Peaks episodes before understanding who Lynch was, and it came of no suprise that he was the creator of the T.V programme when I saw, or sampled other works of his.
Firstly I will briefly mention Eraserhead. From what I can decipher of the film, I quite like it. A mix of the unexplainable, the unrealistic, the unbelievable and the damn stupid makes this film something that seems to has had a lasting effect on me. Namely, the most recognisable feature of the film is the look, black and white highly contrasted and exposed footage of darkly lit rooms and weird tormented figures. The overall black and white feel of the film adds to the suspense and the tension, along with the storyline of course, the film noir like feel present in the film adds a lot more scare and creepiness to the film than what there would be if it was filmed in colour. I myself found it hard to pull myself away from the style and look of the film, looking deeper into the shadows and closer and the dark twisted shapes that lurked around the characters, rather than the storyline not that that there is much of one present. I find his use of character the most interesting feature of his work/s. Eraserhead for example has such peculiar and such outlandish characters, or more accurately creations, which build up and away from human emotion and personality and juxtapose various forms of the human life into their own new forms of emotion and personality. He seems to create completely new versions of the human being. Henry Spencer, the lead to Eraserhead seems vaguely familiar to the human form, but has such deformity and disfiguration, not literally like his mutated newborn, but in the way that his actions and speach make him quite scarely different to any normal human being. The film as well follows down into his darker side with the poor lighting and shadowed edges to the screen. I found myself more disturbed by Spencers otherworldy presence and the dark and depressing locations he lurks and fits so well into.
'Mulholland Drive' is another example of how Lynch manipulates our basic understanding of human emotion, to create a more dramatised film which appears more like an early Shakespearean play with the actors switching role throughout the film. You cannot follow any basic understanding of the actresses or even of the characters they are portraying, you have to let yourself watch the film for the characters and events inside of it, rather than looking to closely at the people who are playing them. Even then it is confusing and the switch of roles in the film makes no complete sense to the plot and even more so, Lynch seems reluctant to this day in revealing the true meaning and reason behind the film.
Even when you look at Lynch's earlier works, namely 'Dune' and 'Elephant Man', you begin to see his enforcise on character and the bond between audience and text. He attempts to make you feel more involved with the characters and especially in 'The Elephant Man' the audience feels hugely emotional toward the protagonist and engaged and apart of the characters life. Even here you can see his use of odd and peculiar human qualities exaggerated and expaded beyond normal realistic ways. 'Dune' to a certain extent also has this regular fourth wall between text and audience broken, with the deep and philosophical character backgrounds and histories. Frank Herbert's mastery skill at writing science fiction stories is mainly rewarded for this deeply historical and vastly detailed family tree/s in Dune, and it is unfair how the film slightly lacks the vastness of the book. However saying that, Lynch still manages to bring the audience closer toward the characters through the believable characteristics and also the overworldy ones, you may have to strain to understand the complexity of the families history but this undoubtedly just brings you closer to the characters.
His works seem so similar to where he was born, "the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films." - (IMDB, David Lynch 2010). Although I am unaware of his early life, according to IMDB and also Wikipedia he was born in a small town in America and was moved quickly from state to state. This reflects so heavily in his work, the small out of the way towns that nobody knows of which are perfect communities, created by the strong bonding inhabitants, for something odd and out-of-this-world to happen. It is completely believable as nobody has ever seen these small towns and their traditions or beliefs.
The strongest thing I have learnt from Lynch's work, is his extensive use of the character and emotion and personality within them. He creates such strong bonds between the audience and the characters, protagonist and antagonists, that the audience begins to believe the stories tellings and relate and believe the characters emotions. This strong bond and break down of regular audience and character relations, is something that I would love to pay homage to in my own piece. Being a short film however the bond must be made quick if I am going to attempt to create them, and they must also be elaborared, or more likely destroyed quite quickly.
Firstly I will briefly mention Eraserhead. From what I can decipher of the film, I quite like it. A mix of the unexplainable, the unrealistic, the unbelievable and the damn stupid makes this film something that seems to has had a lasting effect on me. Namely, the most recognisable feature of the film is the look, black and white highly contrasted and exposed footage of darkly lit rooms and weird tormented figures. The overall black and white feel of the film adds to the suspense and the tension, along with the storyline of course, the film noir like feel present in the film adds a lot more scare and creepiness to the film than what there would be if it was filmed in colour. I myself found it hard to pull myself away from the style and look of the film, looking deeper into the shadows and closer and the dark twisted shapes that lurked around the characters, rather than the storyline not that that there is much of one present. I find his use of character the most interesting feature of his work/s. Eraserhead for example has such peculiar and such outlandish characters, or more accurately creations, which build up and away from human emotion and personality and juxtapose various forms of the human life into their own new forms of emotion and personality. He seems to create completely new versions of the human being. Henry Spencer, the lead to Eraserhead seems vaguely familiar to the human form, but has such deformity and disfiguration, not literally like his mutated newborn, but in the way that his actions and speach make him quite scarely different to any normal human being. The film as well follows down into his darker side with the poor lighting and shadowed edges to the screen. I found myself more disturbed by Spencers otherworldy presence and the dark and depressing locations he lurks and fits so well into.
'Mulholland Drive' is another example of how Lynch manipulates our basic understanding of human emotion, to create a more dramatised film which appears more like an early Shakespearean play with the actors switching role throughout the film. You cannot follow any basic understanding of the actresses or even of the characters they are portraying, you have to let yourself watch the film for the characters and events inside of it, rather than looking to closely at the people who are playing them. Even then it is confusing and the switch of roles in the film makes no complete sense to the plot and even more so, Lynch seems reluctant to this day in revealing the true meaning and reason behind the film.
Even when you look at Lynch's earlier works, namely 'Dune' and 'Elephant Man', you begin to see his enforcise on character and the bond between audience and text. He attempts to make you feel more involved with the characters and especially in 'The Elephant Man' the audience feels hugely emotional toward the protagonist and engaged and apart of the characters life. Even here you can see his use of odd and peculiar human qualities exaggerated and expaded beyond normal realistic ways. 'Dune' to a certain extent also has this regular fourth wall between text and audience broken, with the deep and philosophical character backgrounds and histories. Frank Herbert's mastery skill at writing science fiction stories is mainly rewarded for this deeply historical and vastly detailed family tree/s in Dune, and it is unfair how the film slightly lacks the vastness of the book. However saying that, Lynch still manages to bring the audience closer toward the characters through the believable characteristics and also the overworldy ones, you may have to strain to understand the complexity of the families history but this undoubtedly just brings you closer to the characters.
His works seem so similar to where he was born, "the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films." - (IMDB, David Lynch 2010). Although I am unaware of his early life, according to IMDB and also Wikipedia he was born in a small town in America and was moved quickly from state to state. This reflects so heavily in his work, the small out of the way towns that nobody knows of which are perfect communities, created by the strong bonding inhabitants, for something odd and out-of-this-world to happen. It is completely believable as nobody has ever seen these small towns and their traditions or beliefs.
The strongest thing I have learnt from Lynch's work, is his extensive use of the character and emotion and personality within them. He creates such strong bonds between the audience and the characters, protagonist and antagonists, that the audience begins to believe the stories tellings and relate and believe the characters emotions. This strong bond and break down of regular audience and character relations, is something that I would love to pay homage to in my own piece. Being a short film however the bond must be made quick if I am going to attempt to create them, and they must also be elaborared, or more likely destroyed quite quickly.
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