Unbreakable - Antagonsit and Protagonist

We looked at the ending of the film 'Unbreakable' to see how it represents the binary opposites.
We gathered that the difference between the two main characters even though it challenges the usual conventions of Antagonists and Protagonists.



This picture above shows the contradiction of a typical convention of the antagonist and protagonist in a thriller. As you can see in the picture the antagonist (Samuel L Jackson) it shows he doesn't have the usual and expected abilities of an antagonist because he's disabled therefore the protagonist who is indestructible which is ironic as it is usually him who the weaker one.

The one aspect which is a typical part of a binary opposite thriller is the audience see the antagonist in power between the two main characters as Sam L Jackson leads the protagonist.

This contrasts with our Thriller as our baddy has all the power while in this film it's the opposite way round. The antagonist's way of going against Bruce Willis is verbally rather than physically which is an unexpected way of the baddie winning. Also, Samuel L Jackson makes Bruce feel guilty and sorry for him which is an interesting way to try and defeat the protagonist.
Another unexpected part is the unusual camera angles because usually the antagonist has a high angle camera while the protagonist has the camera angle up high to make them look less powerful. therefore, it contradicts the typical way of how the angles portray a character.

From this small clip of the 30 seconds of the ending, viewers would assume that the antagonist and protagonist is the other way round as it looks like the protagonist is in power.
Furthermore, half way through the clip you see the antagonist become in more power as you can see the worry in Bruce by the camera angles because we see the camera moving by Bruce's eyes and the music helps create the mood of him panicking.

Genre of 'The Last Breath'

- Genre

From the opening section we throught that the sub genre would be a crime thriller. It meets many of the conventions such as it features a crime ie a murder. Also there is obvoius rivialry between the opposite characters. Also the setting is quite seedy as it is set inside and outside of one particular house.

18 Certificate Guidelines....

18 certificate is only suitable for people age 18 and above. No one younger than 18 may see an '18' film in the cinema and also people under 18 can not rent or buy '18' films.

At '18' the guidelines corcerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be allowed to watch and choose their own entertainment. But there are some exceptions and these are most likely in these areas:

- where the material is in breach of the criminal law or has been made through the commission of a criminal offence
- where the material appears risk or harm to individuals or through their behaviour to society such as a detailed portrayal of violence or dangerous ages, or illegal drug use which may cause harm to the public health or morals. This also includes portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might include eroticise or endorse sexual violence.
- where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by the context. Such images may be appropriate in 'R18' works and in 'sex works' which would normally beconfined to that category.

18 films are suitable only for adults, no one younger than 18 may see an '18' film in the cinema. Also no one younger than 18 can rent or buy an '18' rated video.

Editing In Se7en...

I looked at the editing of the thriller Se7en. Throughout the opening sequence there are lots of jump cuts to show the fast pace of the film. This also gives a straight sense of time and it's easy for the audience to follow.
There is a long take when Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are walking down the street. This makes all the attention of the audience focus on the actors and the conversation they are having. In the scenes with two actors the 180 degree rule is used. Shot reverse shot is used frequently when the actors are talking to one another. Also the editing is done in a way that Morgan Freeman has more screen time than Brad Pitt to show his dominance.
After this section there is a montage sequence with credits. The credits are written in white, craved writing to add to the genre of the film. The montage is of the killer but you don't actually see him/her. You can tell this by the action happening bu also becasue the montage is fast paced and automaticly creates suspense for the audience.

Micro elements on Se7en. - How it represents the genre.

We looked at Se7en and the four of us looked at an micro element to see how they represent the genre thriller.
Yasmin looked at Editing
Sian looked at music
Tania looked at mise-en-scene
Briarly looked at camera angles and movements

How Vertigo is a classic thriller and how it meets conventions.

We looked at the opening of vertigo to study how the film contains conventions.

From the very beginning, there is fast beat music which is a typical convention in a thriller as it adds drama and creates the atmosphere from the introduction.

Straight away the first characters we see you can instantly tell they are binary opposites. There was two goodies (policemen and detective) who are protagonists and the baddie is the antagonists who is running away from the goodies. This is a classic convention which is commonly used in thrillers as they usually give a good storyline.

The audience can immediately see there is a situation at the beginning which is an enigma and it engages the audience from the introduction which is a popular convention so they can see how there will be further complications in the film.

Another convention is a complication (e.g a fear) in the storyline which in this case as vertigo (The fear of falling and heights) This prevents the protagonist from solving in this storyline which adds to the convention.

The lighting was really dark which is non-diegetic which is a convention often used to add a feel to the storyline and give a wary mood.

The sound effects are apart of a typical convention because in vertigo they use exaggerated sounds on crucial moments to add a thrilling element.

Sin City Anaylsis...

For my anaylsis I choose to do the opening scene to Sin City, released in 2005.
www.youtube.com/watch/?v=M17kHj-TNOc

The colour of this opening scene is very unusual and catches your eye straight away. Using the plain colours of black and white is very effective as it gives a dark and sinister feeling. The woman's dress is accented in red and this draws the audiences attention straight to her as she is one of the main charcaters in the scene. Red is the colour of love and sometimes can been seen as sexy so it shows a lot about her character before she even speaks.

The lighting also shows the genre like the colour does. The lighting is very dark and dull but in places there are very bright lights to accent the characters and the buildings around them. This helps the audience understand the genre(thriller) and adds a mysterious feel to the scene.

The setting is quite simple as it a balcony on a building but this adds effect as the characters are accented and all the attention is focused on them. The film looks like it could be based in New York or somewhere simliar because there are lots of tall and dark buildings. When the actors kiss for the first time it is really accented as the whole screen changes into a comic strip type picture and the bodies are in white against a black background to add more focus on them. This is the first time the audience's attention is drawn to the fact that it is raining.

The costumes are again quite simple so all the attention is focused on the actors. The man's costume and make up is very simple as he is wearing a smart black suit and tie with a white shirt. This ties in with the black and white theme running through our the scene. Also you can tell that he is a very handsome man as his face is accented by the lighting. The woman is wearing a simple long evening dress but it looks more detailed because it is in red and this makes her stand out. Her eye make up is very heavy and smoky which contrasts with her shocking red lipstick which adds to her sex appeal. The dress and the lips are the only colour used in the whole scene.

There are minimal props as the scene concentrates on the conversation the two actors are having. The first time a prop is introduced is when the actress takes out a cigarette and the actor flicks a lighter. Both the flame from the lighter and the burning cigarette are shown as burning white and inkeeping the scene. As the actor holds the actress in his arms it is then that you see the actor is holding a gun. The camera then zooms in to show the audience what weapon had been used to commit the crime. The camera angle then changes and you are looking down on the couple and the raindrops are really emphasized.

The scene starts with a sexy masucline voice telling the audience about the woman in the scene. His voice then carries on into dialogue which continues throughout the scene. The woman's voice is also quite sexy which adds to the sultry feel of the scene. There is also soft jazz music in the background which adds to the mood of the scene. The music and the narrator stop so all you can hear is the single gun shot. This makes it very dramatic. The music then changes and goes into a load and sinister piece. While this is going on the camera zooms out and you can see all the tops of the buildings in the stormy night sky. These buildings then create the title of the film "Sin City" which then the lettering goes into blood red which ties in with the actresses dress.

Plan for Preliminary task.

For our preliminary task, we have planned to keep the same characters and people acting from our first Preliminary task as it will be easier for us.
Yasmin and Sian will be acting and Briarly and Tania will be filming/directing.

We are using the same location as our first preliminary task as it worked well last time.



This is our storyboard for our Preliminary task.
On the board it explains what shots we will use and extra information such as who is what character, what the actors will be doing, etc.

Script:
Yasmin: You'll never guess what?
Sian: Oh for god sake, I've got so much...
Yasmin: It will only take a minute I promise!
Sian: Go on then...
Yasmin: Sally's only gone and got herself up the duff hasn't she!
Sian: No way? Who's the dad?

*Script may change while filming.

We are doing a preliminary Task because we want to Familiarise ourselves with the equipment, computer software and filming techniques.
We are re-doing it so we can put it on this blog and as we now know more about how things work hopefully this task will be better and run more smoothly.