Research age certificates and the BBFC - Miss georgiou

       Research into age certificates

The BBFC examine films and videos before they are put out, by adding age certificates. Age certificates are put in place to protect children and the viewer. So they have an idea of what type of content is going to be in the film before watching it. Contents like sexual references, strong language etc. They look at things such as 'discrimination, drugs, horror, danger, easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex and violence when deciding on there age rating decision.The same process is put onto DVDs and Blu-ray.

Age certificate ratings

18
Films with this rating are only to be seen by adults, and no-one below that age. You have to be 18 or over to watch the film in cinema, or buy it/rent it.

As you can see the bullet points. Those are the type of strong issues shown in 18 age certificates.
There is no limit on strong language in this age certificate, this is usually associated with strong violence. there can be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory. There can be strong and detailer portrayals including full nudity. Sex works and sexual education may also be in these films. you can have strong violence, and drugs are sometimes shown.

Sin city is an e.g of a 18 film, it is 18 rated as it contains strong bloody violence.

15
15 age rating films are stronger than 12A/12 movies. Sexual violence must be discrete or verbal, It can have strong violence. Sexual activity can be portrayed as long as there isn't strong or graphic detail. There can also be strong language. Drugs can also be shown but not be promoted or shown as positive.

The break up is a example of a 15 rated movie. It contained scenes of nudity. Strong language was also displayed.

12A
Age 12A means anyone over the age of 12 can watch the film unaccompanied. 12A Is only for the cinema, Age 12 is just for DVDs, blu-rays or videos. Some horror films are in this category, but they are very moderate and not very frequent disturbing scenes. 12A/12 Films can only include verbal sex references, as the films have to be okay for young teens. Strong language can be in these age ratings but it has to be infrequent. moderate violence is allowed but It should not be carried on. Dangerous scenes should only be referred to.

Grown ups is an example of a 12 rated movie. It contains sex references.

PG
Not all PG Certificates are aimed at children. " PG works can explore challenging issues such as domestic violence, bereavement or racism." References to sex are acceptable, If a child is unable to understand which is usually used in comedic situations in PG Films.There should be no detail of violence in PG Films.Potential dangerous behavior that children may copy are not allowed in PG films. There may be references to drugs but the message should be saying anti-drugs to children/educationally.

Kung Fu panda 1&2 is an example of a PG rated film as it does not include dangerous behaviour. It also doesn't send bad messages to children.

U
There can be references to drugs but must show an anti-drugs/educational message. Not all U films are aimed at children but they just have to be suitable for them. May include brief fight scenes like villain/superhero but not violence or actual horror. U works can contain hugging/kissing or references to i.e. making love but nothing beyond that. They contain very mild bad language like 'hell' or 'damn'. Works for under 4's still have the U rating but they are given special bbfc insight stating that they are suitable for pre-school children. U means universal, Saying its suitable for everyone aged 4 or over.

Epic and happy feet are examples of a U rated movie. Epic contained very mild language, which are suitable for very young children.

My thriller age certificate will be 12A as there isn't going to be any violent scenes. The murder scene is not going to be shown only referred to. So it will be moderate and not have frequent disturbing scenes. My thriller narrative is suitable for persons 12 and over.

There can be references to
References:
Bbfc.co.uk
Wikipedia.co.uk
Mpaa.org

Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou

Scream 3- The cutting room

Editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging video shots to create new work. Editing is usually considered to be one part of the post production process — other post-production tasks include titling, colour correction, sound mixing, etc.

     The purpose of editing is to remove unwanted footage for it to flow, alter the style,pace or mood of the film and to add effects.

In this post I will be analysing the different editing techniques used in the film scream 3, from the scene called 'the cutting room'. Editing techniques I will be analysing cross cutting, 

Cross-cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations. This is used when the blonde character is getting scared by what is happening. And when the janitor is locking up. The camera will cut away from one action to another action, which suggests the difference in the situations. And also increases pace for the audience and creates tension as we want the janitor to help the blonde character. 

As it creates suspense and mystery it relates back to the conventional thriller. 

  A cross-cut can suggest the simultaneity of these two actions but this is not always the case.

Jump cut is where two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This is used when the blonde character is panicking. This made the scene have more speed and acceleration as it is a jump/skip in time. Using this on the character also shows the characters state of mind is panic. The increase in pace is typical to the thriller genre as it creates suspense and tension for the audience.

Lastly, timing of shots. Timing of shots are how quick shots are linked.The timing of shots sped up when Ghostface and the girl were fighting to create excitement, the shots also change rapidly short to quick to build up tension and suspense. Doing this allowed the audience to connect with the movie, and for this scene to play on the audiences emotions making them shocked and scared.

In this research I found out that jump cuts are used to give the effect of jumping forwards in time. It is a manipulation of space using the duration of a single shot, and fracturing the duration to move the audience ahead. This kind of cut abruptly communicates the passing of time.                -Wikipedia 

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Individual Ideas for a narrative - Miss Georgiou

I have thought of a narrative idea for my own thriller clip. I have been inspired by other thriller films I thought were very entertaining to give me ideas in what I should contain in my thriller clip.

When watching clips from films such as Strangers,Scream and SAW. I gathered Inspiration to include in my own thriller clip.For my opening scene I would like to use low-key lighting I was inspired by  SAW 5 for low-key lighting. In saw 5 the low key lighting was used in a opening scene. I want to use low key lighting in this instance to create shadows and increase tension, Making the audience anxious on what is going to happen next. It will keep the audience wondering and interested wanting more than just a short clip. I will also include other lighting like back lighting for e.g. To provide different light sources. So the audience can actually see whats going on and not just see pitch black.

I also want to use hidden identity, I gathered that idea from strangers hidden identity creates mystery and much more suspense. This is conventional to a typical thriller as thrillers use hidden identity for the audience to be more interested in the film. and to make it more shocking. That is why it has inspired me to add this to my thriller clip, so it will be mysterious and keep the audience watching.

My narrative idea is that some girls are having a sleepover, and an uninvited guest shows up - the girl nobody likes. Her face is hidden to create mystery. But the girls have no choice but to let her in. In this part I want to camera to close up on different parts of the girls costume to get a feel for who she is, so the audience can connect to her. During this I also want to show the girls inside consulting whether they should let her in and the girl outside (jump shot). After all the sleepover excitement the girls go to bed turn off the lights put on the lamp to create low-key lighting. Then strange things start to happen to each character. The uninvited girl is accused if this because of her scary looks. But It appears to be a different character doing this, this will be surprising and shocking for the audience. I want to include establishing shots, panning, POV shots, all to make my clip more realistic.

I also want to include high shots to show all the characters and there surroundings. I also want to create tension before the lights go off, to again create mystery. I will also include iconography such as costumes/make up all the girls in bright clothing except for unknown character. And props like knifes. Also scary make up for uninvited girl and fake blood, cuts. All to make my thriller much more realistic. In my thriller I am going to give in the 15 rating because it may include strong language, dangerous behavior and violence which is not suitable for people aged below 15.

By Blessing Dada

Research into Cinematography - Miss Miller

Research Into Cinematography

Research into cinematography 

In this essay I will be researching cinematography. My research will be surrounding the cinematography in the clip 'connect the cuts' taken from the film Devil inside. Cinematography is the use of camera shots and angles to create certain moods and atmospheres within a film. Cinematography is also the act of capturing photographic images in space through the use of a number of controllable elements.  These include the quality of the film stock, the manipulation of the camera lens, framing, scale and movement.  

I will be analysing the different cinematic techniques used in this short 0.54 second clip. 

High angle
In the opening frame a high angle is used. 
A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
  The high angle was looking down on the mental institute hospital. This looking down is actually creating the idiom of 'looking down your nose' this makes the setting for the audience look less valued and unimportant. The audience will have a predetermined view on the setting before they are introduced to the characters which belong there. 

Close up 
When the woman's daughters face is shown a close up shot is used. A close up is a shot which displays just the head. In this instance the woman's face and shoulders are shown. A close up is used to show the characters emotions. And in this clip this is exactly what is done. You can see the woman's face expressions and emotions clearly in this shot. This created sympathy for the audience to have towards her. Therefore, some close ups cause the audience to sympathise and have a connection with characters.

Jerky handheld movement 
Jerky handheld movement was used when showing the mentally inept woman/mother. A jerky handheld camera is the use of holding a camera whilst filming or given the appearance of being handheld. A shaky cam is often employed to give a film sequence a feel. It suggests unrehearsed filming of reality. In this instance it made the character look nervous. For the audience it created the effect of instability and unsteadiness of the woman's mind set. Again allowing the audience to have some sort of connection with the character, the mind.

Lastly, there is a use of panning movement. The pan is a type of mobile framing where the camera moves on a horizontal axis, scanning from top to bottom. This was used when revealing the womans scars on her arm. This panning movement created enigma and suspense for the audience. As we didn't know what was going to be revealed. Panning creates the realistic movement like moving your head side to side. 

This research has helped me plan my own thriller as I found out in detail about cinematic techniques/cinematography, and found out the effect of each technique. I only analysed 6 seconds of the one minute clip this informed me of how many techniques I need to include if I want a good grade. 

Reasearch Into Mise-en-scene - Miss Georgiou

Mise-en-scene is a French term which means what is put into a scene or frame. Mise-en-scene refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, iconography, actors, costumes, sounds, and lighting.

The clip I will be analysing is taken from the movie 'Scream 4' This scene is where Kirby is on the phone to Ghost face, whilst Sidney is looking for Jill.


Setting
This clip is set in the comfort of the characters home. Home symbolises security, peace and a loving place. So for a thriller to be set in a home makes the film more interesting and more realistic. By it being more realistic, allows the audience to relate to the narrative. It will then cause the audience to have more of a reaction to it and then show more emotions towards the film. In this film a lot of different rooms are used in scenes, in this clip the room seems to be the conservatory where Kirby is standing. Also for the audience to watch the characters be trapped in a house changes the views people will have on a home. The symbolisation of a home is that its a place for security, this movie puts a spin on a symbol of a home. A lot of thriller movies tend to use homes, this may be to shock the audience as they probably were not expecting anything to happen - and also allows the audience to imagine if this happened to them.

As it is set in a home its also easier for household objects to play a part in the thriller (for example phones,knives)

Iconography
These type of objects are called 'iconography' also known as props. A knife is a very typical weapon that is conventional to the thriller genre. In this clip we see the use of knives which are drawn from the kitchen cupboards. The use of knives in thrillers suggest that

Another item we see in this clip is a mobile phone. In this clip the mobile phone was used in a way to communicate with the antagonist. Using a mobile phone to contact the villain builds up enigma, as the identity of the villain is unknown. This is another convention in the thriller genre. When the phone rings, this also builds up suspense as the audience don't know what the phone call conversation is going to be about.

We use it for everyday tasks but so quickly in this movie it is used for life or death, another turning point in the movie.

 Characters/Actors
 We also notice that this clip uses all young girls, especially blonde haired this is because girls can symbolise vulnerability,and innocence. Also girls tend to show their emotions better by sound such as (screaming and crying). Blonde hair also has a code behind it such as, unintelligent and again innocent. This is all done so the audience can feel empathy towards the characters.



                                                  

Costumes are also used to create effect in the movie. Firstly, Ghostface's costume the mask is very simplistic.But the masks use is more important than the design, as the use is to hide identity. That plays a major part in scream 4 as no-one knows why this is happening to them or who's behind the mask this also adds suspense and gives a sense of mystery for the audience.

Another point i noticed about costumes was how the girls were dressed. They were all dressed in Grey and white very plain and dull. They fit in well with the background. I think they were dressed like this because the focus of the film was not actually on them it was on Ghost face. Who wore black but stood out from the plain background. But when it was dark it was hard to see the body's of all characters including ghost face, This may have been done because we were supposed to pay attention to the facial expressions and so the blood on there clothes would have a bigger impact on screen. Sidney however the main character wore blue, which made her stand out from the plain background, we could see her movement much more than the other girls.

In this clip, there are mixed negative emotions of fear, scared, sad, pain and bravery. In the opening scene

In these pictures we see the character Kirby Reed portrayed by Hayden Panettiere, with a scared, urgent look on her face. If you watch the clip above you will see that she was on the phone to Ghostface and had to answer horror trivia questions to save Charlie's life. Her facial expressions and panicky body language allow us to feel her pain and really sympathise with her situation,because if Charlie dies the guilt would be on her.

Soon after, she answers the question with multiple answers, she thinks she's right and goes to quickly 'save' Charlie. But she doesn't, It was all a trick and Charlie stabs her we can really see the pain and misery in her eyes in this part. You can see the strain and pain in her face and you can see how weak she is as she is practically hugging her enemy. Her facial expressions really make the audience sympathize with her and we feel bad for her as she was innocent and just trying to be a good Samaritan. But Charlie is seeking revenge for her being oblivious to him until now        

The lighting and colour in this scene is very dark this is because it is emphasising how this is not just any dark day, Its there dark day. The lighting is only really lit up on there face during this scene (so we only really pay attention to there facial expressions) and all the background is black, and hardly anything can be seen. The only light where Kirby is is the light where Charlie is in the Garden. This can represent there situations as Kirby and Sidney are going through Tragedy, whilst Charlie is still perfectly fine, just pretending not to be. Very dim lights, set at night time. As Evil/Horror usually takes place at night in thriller films it still sticks to that conventional thriller film but still is made different to the typical thriller. The colours are very dark even in the scenery there are no bright, happy colours as there is no need for them. Nothing happy is going on in there situation, So the colours/lighting allow us to relate to what they are going through.

The last topic to analyse in this clip is the positioning of characters/objects within the frame. In the opening of this clip we see that Sidney and Jill are behind the window and we can really see there facial expressions from this position.

In this image it looks as if Sidney and Kirby are in a prison cell, behind bars with Sidney's face behind the window of blood. This positioning of the characters behind the window shows me that they are not really in prison but they are in there own emotional prison. And feel terrified of what is going on. As windows are meant to represent freedom and opportunity this window purely means, no way out/the end before we even see Kirby pick up the phone or get stabbed. This is giving hints to what is going to happen before it even does, This is very effective to the audience as the eye contact they are giving is looking directly at us. Which makes us responsive, emotionally to this scene.

You can see the picture above of Sidney holding a knife, you can also see it in the clip. The way she's holding the knife and facing the camera to an angle allows the audience to really see how strong she is and she how brave she is. As she is mid shot to the camera it shows how important she is. If she was shying away from the camera holding the knife lightly we'd have a different view on her. But the way she was holding it allowed the audience to see how emotionally and physically strong she is and instantly like her for her boldness.

Going into detail and analyzing the mise-en-scene in a successful thriller film has informed me of what the audience want to see and the impact it will have on them. It's also shown me what elements to include and not to include to show symbols, codes and conventions. This research has allowed me to be more knowledgeable about the thriller genre as I found out what type of key elements are put into a frame to set the scene.