Jeevan Ki Shatranj - Analysis of Film

The genre of the film is Bollywood, thriller.  We know this because in the first 2 minutes someone is assassinated. It starts with dramatic music building the tension.

you see a man taking pictures of pigeons, you then see a close up of a man with a gun, the close ups show the audience that these are the main characters as the beginning is about them. This grabs the audience and makes them want to carry on watching to see what's going to happen next. It makes the audience curious as to the relationship between the man with the camera and the man with the gun.

After the man shoots the person you see pictures being taken by the man with the camera, this links the two together. You start to wonder whether he is now in danger.

You later see a car go into a house, and down in a lift, this suggest it is underground. This makes the audience question where he is.

You see women on the television; this could be a newsreader reporting the event.  There is then a man with a cane and this shows power, and suggests to the audience that he is of high authority and that he could be a dangerous character.

It is a good opening because it sets the scene for the genre of the film. It grabs the audience and makes them curious and makes them ask questions.

The tension is built up in the beginning through the music; it also draws the audience in as it goes straight into the action.

You can tell it is a low budget film by the bad quality.

the film is similar to ‘Shawshank Redemption’ as it makes you ask lots of questions about what's going on and the characters. It is different to ‘Spider Man’ because at the beginning it did more of an introduction to the characters so you know who everyone was and so the audience could relate to the characters better, the characters in this film’s opening are not clear and it is more mysterious, this makes it a good opening scene for a thriller.

shawshank Redemption - opening scene

Shawshank Redemption starts with black screen titles, there is old music played which take you back in time, this sets the scene for the film. there is an establishing shot of a house, it is a long shot the audience cant clearly see what is happening, this makes the audience ask questions and want to know what is going on in the house. there is then a reverse zoom as you see a man sitting in a car watching the house, this then makes the audience question he is, what he's doing there and whether he is a good or bad character as he seems to be acting suspiciously. the audience is then shown a close up of a gun, this makes them focus on this and shows the audience that the gun has importance, this makes it more gripping as the audience is not clear what is happening and there are more questions that the audience wants answered. there is a long take of the man in the car, this further builds tension and suspense a to what will happen. As the film starts the audience is not sure about this character and whether he is good or bad, this builds tension in the film as already you don't know who you can trust. there is then a jump cut and you see the same man standing in court answer questions. there are more long takes and this intrigues the audience and makes them want to keep watching to find answers to whats happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu7c2UpP6zk&feature=related

Cinderella Story - opening 2 min

The Cinderella story starts with non digetic sounds, this music as a magical feel about it which sets the scene for the film; there is an establishing shot of a castle that looks like something out of a typical fairytale film. There is then a reverse zoom as you see the castle inside a snow globe, this takes the audience away from what they would expect from a film of this genre and puts them in a more familiar setting, and this allows the audience to engage more with the character as they can relate to her. There is non digetic sounds as she talks about her past and there is music which sets a happy mood to the film. there is a two shot of two people showing that they are father and daughter, there is a calm atmosphere which is soon broken when there is a cutaway and asynchronous sounds is used and the ambulances and alarms indicate the chaos there is now in her life.  There is then a close up of some writing on the wall and there is then a pan showing a happy family in the café, there is then a change in the mood as you are introduced to ‘the evil step mother’ in the film. This makes the audiences mood change when she is introduced which shows the effect she has on other characters.

Transformers - Opening 2 min

Transformers starts with black screen titles and non digetic sound, there is a serious voice as the film starts which effects the mood of the film, it makes the audience feel on edge and grips them from the start. there is then a dark/mysterious setting which the audience are not used to, this makes them curious and draws them in to see where this place is and what happens there. Sound effects are used and the sound is fast and fade in and out, this increases the pace of the film and makes the audience captured from the start. at the start there are no characters introduced to us and it is narrative driven, this makes the audience feel slightly lost and want to carry on watching to see how things turn out. although there are no characters the begging there is narrative voice which gives the audience an idea of what has happened and gets them ready for the film, this also helps create tension, this is a good start to a action/sci fi.

Bridget Jones - Opening 2 min

The film starts with a mid shot showing the main character, this makes us focus on her, there is then a narrative voice, this makes you feel as though the main character is addressing you personally and this draws the audience in, especially single women who can relate to what she is talking about. She talks about funny events in her life which make it more interesting to the audience. There is then an establishing shot which shows a small typically English town, this interests an American audience because they are very interested in things typically English. This also shows where the character lives and tells us more about her life and who she is. The small quiet village could reflect her personality.  There is an over the shoulder shot which shows things from her perspective and gives you an idea of what she sees. You then get a better understanding of her family life when she enters the house. You meet more characters who each have very different personalities. As she first enters the house you see her talking to her mother, there is a two shot of them both and close ups of each of their faces during the conversation showing you how neither of them have a lot in common, this makes you have sympathy for Bridget and the fact that not everything is going right for her emphasises on how women can relate to her, her mum talking to her about meeting other men at the party makes this seem even more relatable to single women. As she enters the house and meets other characters the music becomes diegetic which reflects the cheerful mood of the party, but the close ups of Bridget’s face reiterate how not everything is so perfect for her and she isn’t as happy as many of the other characters, this make the audience feel sorry for Bridget. There are many questions asked by Bridget and to her by other characters and this draws the audience in as it make them curious to what will happen next, this really grabs the audience and makes them want t carry on watching.

Film Cliche's

Crime

In crime films there is usually allot of violence and 'tough guys'. It is cliche for there to be corrupted police and for there to be the good cop bad cop scenario while an interrogation takes place. it is seen allot in crime films that there is a code of honour that everyone is supposed to follow although it is never really spoken of.


it is cliche for there to be an undercover cop/rat withing a gang. there are minority groups and cops without ID frequently seen throughout the film. it is usually very corrupt in crime films and this is usually seen through police, doctors and lawyers.


a cliche moment in many crime films is that there will be a body found in a car boot. the men in groups never pay for what they have and can never usually smell the rat in the group, even though usually he is the new, young and better looking addition.

The Departed

In The Departed there are many crime film cliches, there is a rough neighbourhood and the audience can see violence and get an understanding of the rough and dangerous area the character are going to be in, this builds suspense for the audience and makes them want to keep watching to find out what happens to the characters and see the dangers they go though. there are minority groups and a main character who has come from a rough area and has had a bad upbringing and tough life, who knows the area well and has a bad reputation. there is also a code of honour that he seems to know although it is not spoken of. This sets the scene for the crime film.

there is a good cop bad cop scenario in the film where they question the cop who is going undercover within the group, this is very cliche in crime films and he has to build up his bad reputation by being a cliche criminal, starting problems in the local area, getting in with the wrong crowd and starting fights.

Film Cliche's

Comedy

comedy films can have a wide range of different age groups but it depends on the persons own sense of humour to weather they find it a successful film.

in comedy's there is usually a idiot who goes through a journey and becomes a hero. this intrigues the audience as it gives them hope for when things are not going right for themselves, such as not being able to pay the bills, getting fired from a job, or not have any friends. there is usually a best friend who is the sidekick and who usually doesn't have a lot going for them either.

it is cliche in comedy's for there to be a love interest, this person is normally allot more successful and then complete opposite to the main character who nothing goes right for, this again gives the audience a sense of hope and allows them to relate to the film. Normally in comedy's there are allot of stereotypes, such as racial, sexuality and disabilities.

Dodgeball

In the film dodge ball there is a guy who thinks hes the best at everything and who takes the mic out of other people, he takes the mic out of people who are over weight and many cliche jokes are used throughout the film. there is then the opposite to his character as you see a guy in a dirty flat who has messages on his phone about him not paying the bills, this shows the difference between the two characters. you are then introduced to the two gyms where each of them works, one gym is very modern and successful while the other is old fashioned and doesn't have many people there, this reflects their two men's lifestyles.

the unsuccessful man has an idiot friend who is his sidekick throughout the film, this is very cliche in comedy's. there is a lot of physical comedy between the two gyms and there is an old man who thinks hes younger then he is, this plays on different stereotypes. you are introdroduced to a love interest who both men are interested in, this intrigues the audience as they want to find out who she ends up with, even though in most comedy's it is cliche that she ends up with the 'least expected' unsuccessful man.

Blog Feedback

Research and Planning 16/20: A really good start to your blog page Ellie. To improve your work include more video uploads and some mindmaps. Don't be afraid to link your responses to the audience: what do they expect, how do certain films make them fewel and who are they (men, women etc)? Well done. A good start.

Film Cliche's

Action

action appeals mainly to the male audience although there are also some female fans, action is another genre of film that has many cliches.


In action films majority of the time the bad guy is always foreign and have strong accents, this makes it more appealing to a British audience. The villain is also normally homosexual and has big guys with weapons there to protect him. This infurates the audience and makes the villain seem as a weak character as he cant fight his own battlles, this kees the audience watching as his body guards get killed one by one and the hero comes closer to the villain who always seems to dress smart and is more effeminate than the hero who is usually big built and not normally a romantic. both the villain and hero normally each have a sidekick that also fight each other, this is very cliche in many action films.


there are always fight scenes in action films and the hero fights each person one by one rather then them all attacking him at once. it is cliche in action films to have people running up walls and for the gun to never run out of bullets. furthermore scenes that contain weapons such as guns, never seem to hit the hero, even if it is a machine gun firring hundreds of bullets.


somewhere in an action film there is a scene where the hero has to perform self surgery, this makes the audience see the hero as a very strong character and want him to succeed. It is very cliche for there to be a big explosion in an action film and for the hero to come out with hardly a scratch.


in allot of action films there is a girl that they want to protect and in the end the hero saves the girl in the end.

In die hard there are many cliche moments, the hero is played by Bruce Willis who throughout the film walks around in his vest to show of his big muscles, this makes the male audience aspire to be like him and is also entertaining for the female audience. the villain is a small, smartly dressed, camp foreigner who has many body guards working to protect him and fight all his battles, who Bruce Willis fights one by one. in all the fight scenes he never seems to get hit by the many machine guns fired at him, although later in the film he does have to perform self surgery. he also manages to jump out the way of a massive explosion and doesn't seem to be hurt by it at all, this is very cliche in action films for the hero to never get hurt.

Film Cliche's

Horror

horror films appeal to lots of different types of people, and are aimed for the older audience, horror films with a higher age restriction are known to be scarier films, so the higher the age the more people are interested in going to see the film. many cliches are used in horror films, although if this turns the film predictable it may not be so interesting to the audience as they want to be scared by jumpy, unpredictable moments. although cliche moments can make an audience know when something is going to go wrong and this can keep them on the edge of their seats.


something that is used allot in horror films is when there is a hopeless moment such as a car breaking down. this builds suspense as you know that the character is vulnerable and something bad is going to happen.


normally in horror films character die in a particular order, it starts with the pretty blond girl and then annoying characters that are obnoxious or have been making trouble and in some cases deserve what they get. the characters that normally survive in horror films are those that are different or quiet and don't make trouble. this has an effect on the audience as they want to be the popular person or the prettiest person and see this character living their life and just trying to have fun and then something bad happens to them, this leave the audience feeling vulnerable and this starts off a good horror film.


mysterious phone calls are used allot in horror films, this makes the audience scared because a phone is something you use all the time so it makes it easier for the character to feel as thought hey can be a victim to what is happening. phone calls in horror films could be a person with a distorted voice talking to the character or just a call that just cuts out, this builds suspense and mystery in the film and gets the audience asking questions. phones are also commonly used in horror films as ways of contact but it is very cliche that the phone has either ran out of battery or has no signal. this makes the audience feel as though this person is alone and makes it seem as though they have no way out.


music is also used in horror films as a way of building tension and makes the film have a scarier atmosphere. the music tends to just be instrumental and has a strange vibe about it, this puts the audience on edge. also music can be used such as characters humming or singing nursery rhymes, this is used allot of horror films and normally means something bad is just around the corner.


it is cliche to use scenes such as sink and mirror scenes and people in reflections or shadows, this could then build up to the climax or it could be an anti climax and could turn out to be nothing, such as hearing noises and then realising its just a cat.


horror films have moments that make you jump and did you just see that moments, this builds suspense and scares the audience. scary locations are usually used to do this, such as lonely secluded areas (fields/old empty houses). a cliche horror film setting is at a house a family has just moved into and it was a really cheap house and they soon realise why is was up for sale when things start to go wrong.




Jeepers Creepers - opening scene

jeepers creepers starts with an ordinary car journey, this makes it relate to the audience and creates a calm atmosphere, although the secluded locations shows the audience that something bad is going to happen and the fact that no one is around to help puts the audience on the edge of their seats. the main character is driving dangerously and acting arrogant, this makes the audience feel as though he deserves what he gets. as they are driving along the road you see a caravan in the background follow the car you see it disappear along another road, this reiterates the fact that there is no one around and they are completely alone on the road. once the car disappears the people in the car carry on along the road, they go past a scary house that is the middle of no where, this is used allot in horror films and is very cliche. from a distance you see the car that was following them and then a man in a mask putting body size objects down a shoot, the character being in a mask makes it more mysterious and frightening because the audience don't know who he is or what hes doing, this adds to the fear the audience get from the film.

Film Cliche's

Romance

 Romantic films appeal mainly to a female audience. Romantic films contain many cliche moments, although fans of this type of genre enjoy these moments and this is what they want to see in the film. Romantic comedy's have characters that people can relate to and so they feel involved in the film, the happy cliche moments make the audience feel good. Romantic films are normally a basic story line are are normally predictable, although this type of film suits its audience.


The film could contain many 'will they wont they moments'. this intrigues the audience and makes them want to carry on watching to see whats going to happen and if things will work out, normally in romantic comedy's they always do and there is a happy ending.


The audience wants to see a happy ending because they feel they relate to the character and if things go well for them they feel happy and hope from watching the film. Normally happy endings in films are predictable and cliche.


Normally in romantic films there is a faithful sidekick who helps out when they are most needed. this person tends to be unhelpful and seem hopeless through out the film but there is then a moment they are needed and they can turn a bad situation around.


in a typical romantic film there are usually love rivals, this makes the film more interesting and it normally ends up that opposites attract and the 'least expected' guy falls for the girl who initially he finds annoying.


dramatic irony is used a lot in romantic comedy's and this makes the audience feel apart of the film as they know something that the characters don't. this keeps the audience interested to see how things work out in then end.


romantic films tend to contain a subordinate father and a pushy mother. the pushy mother wants characters to either get married and normally are the cause of characters problems. there is then the subordinate father they can go to for advice. another person who the characters go to for advise is a gay friend who has normally been through it all before and can help the character in their situation, this is commonly used throughout romantic films.


at the end of many romantic films there is a wedding, this is a cliche happy ending, but its what the audience would want to see.



Notting Hill - opening scene


the film starts by showing a retiring actress, who is very famous, rich and well known in the public eye, it has many clips of her accompanied by romantic music, this makes you feel happy and puts you in a romantic mood, this sets the scene for a romantic film. The film then introduces you to another character who doesn't have much money lives in a small house and keeps himself to himself, this is used allot throughout romantic films as they show how opposites attract, by introducing you to these two characters there is a will they wont they moment as the audience wonder if they will meet and what connection these two characters will have. there is a male protagonist in the film, this doesn't normally happen in romantic comedy's as the audience is generally female they want the audience to relate to the character more so by making the protagonist female it is easier for the audience to put themselves in the characters situation. as you meet the protagonist you hear a narrative voice and him talking about his life. He talks about his failed marriage and this is cliche, it makes the audience feel as though they can sympathise and relate to the character as things haven't gone right for him all the time. it also makes the audience want to character to succeed. you then see him at work and see other things in his life not going right, such as his business not going well, although there is a cliche in the film as there is a gay friend who has been through it before and supports him by going out to buy him coffee, as this person leaves the shop the famous actress comes into the shop to buy a book, there is small talk between the two characters and then a will they wont they moment as she leaves the shop. back at his apartment you are introduced to the flatmate, this is the faithful sidekick who seems as though he holds the character back, as he doesn't seem very good in social situations.

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A good start to your blog Ellie - and some technical terminology used to explore the opening of the film. Make your you are being analytical to improve your responses - so think about how the opening two minutes hooks the audience and explain the effects on them in even more detail. A good start to your research into film! Well done!

The Holiday - Opening scene

‘The holiday’ starts with an establishing shot of a house, there is synchronous sound of a leaf blower which you hear in the garden and then later in the house where you are introduced to the first character, which is a man waking up in bed.  There is then a high angle shot, this makes the audience look down on the man and therefore feel as though they have a power over the person. There is then a pan as you see the character walking through the house, there is also non digetic sound, and this builds suspense. As the character opens the door there is an over the shoulder shot of the person and you are introduced to another character, who is a women and one of the main character in the film, she throws a shoe and the man. This gives you an idea of the type of character she is; she is strong minded and can stick up for herself. There are then mid shots of the two characters as they argue, this shows their facial expressions so the audience can understand how each of them is feeling. The camera moves quickly between the two people arguing, this builds tension in the argument. During the argument there is a pan while she is pacing up and down the room, as the argument carries on the character move through the house, she walks towards the camera which makes the audience feel more involved as it feels as though she is following you. There is then a two shot as the couple are arguing followed by more over the shoulder shots as the argument comes to an end.