UK Production - Fantastic beasts and where to find them.

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them.

Budget: $180 million / £141 million
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol.

Genre: Fantasy
Box Office:$607 million /  £476 million
Production: Warner Bros
Certificate: PG 12
Marketing: 3 Posters were released with the main character, Eddie Redmayne, standing in the centre. Said that the film was a 'new era' of wizard franchise.
They also released 9 other posters getting closer to the release data of the main characters profiles.
It is set before the Harry Potter FRANCHISE which would draw in huge amounts of viewers.
Fantastic Beasts and where to find them was also a book written by JK Rowling, this means that people will have already read the book and would want to watch the film too if they had liked the book.
Fantastic beasts and where to find them is a film that a lot of people will watch, it is being shown in multi plex cinemas which will attract a lot of people. Its also a film that isn't using big well known actors to make people watch the film.
Release Date: November 18, 2016
Reviews:
'It's spectacular and promising, though at first exposure its characters (human and otherwise) are often as grating as charming.'
'Fantastic Beasts is perfectly acceptable mainstream fare. A refreshingly non-cynical family-friendly film - it has enough charm, great new characters, and entertaining scenes.'
'The film strains considerably under the weight of all its plot lines-it's never fun to be the movie with the origin story.'

This film is mainly full of positive reviews, however there are still a few viewers who don't like it as they think its just writing of the Harry Potter series.

US blockbuster -San Andreas

SAN ANDREAS


Budget: $165 million / £132 million

Stars: Dwayne Johnson (now the most paid actor), Alexandra Dadarrio, Paul Giamatti, Ioan Gruffudd, Carla Gugino.
Genre: Action Drama
Box Office: $360 million / £288million
Production: Warner Bros. (New Line)
Certificate: 12
Marketing: Trailer, posters, Nepal earthquake near time of release brought attention to the film.
Release Date: May 29, 2015
Reviews:
'This movie was so bad that it actually made me angry. I didn't think it was possible to make a more ridiculously stupid disaster movie than 2012.
'Hilariously dumb and manipulative'
'This was one of the worst examples of Hollywood smearing money on something until a room full of idiots gives texted approvals.'
'I LOVED it on the screen in reality i hope it never happens here but we all know its just matter of time.' 
'I liked the storyline though and the visual effects were awesome!'

This film is mainly negative reviews, this is because people think that its all blown out of proportion and it way over the top and isn't realistic at all. However there are still some viewers who like the action in the film.

The Shining Analysis

The opening shot into the scene starts with a long shot of Danny riding his bike down the corridor and then he turns off the screen, this gives a sense of the watcher not knowing where he's gone and where the next scene will be. It then cuts to the camera tracking Danny as he rides his bike through the corridors of the hotel, this is because it makes you feel like you are him and you don't know what could be round the next corner, this is better than cutting every time he goes round the corner because that would be boring and wouldn't have the same scary effect and wouldn't create tension as Danny goes around the corner. As he turns around the last corner in the background of the scene, at the end of the corridor, it shows two girls standing still. This is done because it catches the watcher off guard as normally it would use a jump scare whereas this it adds the girls in naturally and the tracking of the boy stops. This is done because it wants to create suspense as you don't know whats going to happen next as we haven't seen these girls before. It then does a close up on Danny's face, this is done to show his emotion and how shocked and scared he is. It then cuts back to show the girls in the background and everything is still. It does this as a shot reverse shot because it increases the tension as you don't know whats coming next and so when it cuts to the same scene that has happened already it increases suspense as the none diagetic music is staying the same loudness and makes you feel even more scared for what comes next it also adds a lot of loud symbol noises to scare you. It then cuts to a shot of the two girls dead with blood all around them with an axe nearby. This is done as a sort of jumps scare, it also makes you as the audience feel like the place isn't safe as you thought before. Throughout this scene the music is a slow steady and is used to scare you and make you feel uneasy, when danny turns the corner and see's the girls a loud symbol noise is used as a mini jump scare.
























This clip starts off with Jack creeping out the shadows towards Wendy. He is shown as a black silhouette as it makes him look mysterious and makes you think he's going to do something. Wendy is in the background clenching her bat, this is to enforce to the audience that she doesn't feel safe and that she needs to defend herself. Its set in low key lighting, this is a big part of mise en scene as if the scene was set in a bright sunny lighting then the scene wouldn't be as dramatic and tense. It then cuts to a mid shot of Wendy crying, this is used to show the amount of fear in her face as she knows something bad could happen. It then does a tracking shot on Jack and he stops in front of the window that light is shining through. This is done because it gives Jack a dark and mysterious look and gives connotations of someone evil, this makes you think that Jack is about to do something to Wendy. It then cuts to a tracking shot reverse shot between Jack and Wendy because Jack is hunting Wendy. This gives the effect of Wendy being hunted an stalked by Jack and that something bad is going to happen. As Wendy is walking upstairs being tracked by Jack its in a over the shoulder shot and Jack is still show i shadow making him seem mysterious. Its set in low key lighting but outside the window is high key lighting, this could show fear and that Wendy wants to get outside to the light but she's stuck inside the dark with Jack. The back lighting also creates shadow on jacks face creating a mysterious effect to him, this to me makes me feel more scared and wary that something is about to happen and Jack might be the cause of it.

Horror Essay

Hush.


Hush is a horror film all about a deaf woman who moves house in the middle of nowhere because she has a hobby of writing and she wanted peace to write her stories. But a masked killer appears one night in her window causing fear. The film makes the masked killer seem intimidating and powerful by using low angle shots to make his presence feel big and powerful. Also because the woman is deaf he has overall power over her and making her look useless to him.




The film is majority of the time filmed in low key lighting with darkness in every scene, this is to create shadows that add to the dark and scary effect and makes the audience curious to what is in the dark. It is also used to show that anything could happen at any time. The masked killer starts toying with the woman by banging and making a lot of noise as he now knows she is deaf, it shows the killers face being lit up from the bottom creating a eerie dangerous look for him and make him look intimidating.




The film uses lots of non-diegetic sounds, an example of these is when they add music in the background and gradually builds up and adds a lot of tension to the film and creates suspense. This is part of what makes a horror film a horror and without it then it wouldn't be as scary as if you watched it without sound.


The creator of the film made this film so it has no obvious cuts and it all runs into each other as if it carries on when it doesn't, this could be used to show that she is permanently in danger and is never out of danger, this makes the audience always on the edge of their seats curious for what happens next and prevent the audience from getting bred of the film. There are also no bright colours in the film, this gives the film a sense of gloom and darkness and that only bad things will happen.

Reflective Analysis

I had to create a horror or thriller sequence for teenagers who are interested in the genres already. As the sequence was made for teenagers who are already interested we had to change the type of horror as they would all be used to the common jump scares. So instead I stayed away from jump scares and went more towards the low key fighting and eery aspect of the sequence. Our sequence focuses more on the build up and creating the suspense before the big jump scare.

I made our sequence mainly black and white because we thought this increased the tension and revealed less. Most of our sequence was done in low key lighting, this is common in horrors and to me is the most effective part of a horror as it wouldn't be very scary if it was bright and you could see everything.  We used low key lighting to create shadows and the effect that anything could be lurking in the shadows as someone walks around. We also added in sound effects like water dropping and long sounds, this added more effect as it make you question what it is and increases the suspense of the sequence.

The close up of the tap with the water dropping noise was done to set the scene of walking around an abandoned scary building where anything could be lurking in the shadows. It also emphasised that the place was abandoned and anything could surprise you at any moment. I also made the intro slow motion, this extended the scene and made you wonder what was coming next for longer, this would increase suspense as its extending how long it i until the next scene.
I used point of view shots while entering rooms during my film, this was so its personal and its like you are the person walking around                                                

Sequence Analysis

This clip taken from The Bourne Identity a movie directed by Doug Liman and released in 2002. With the movie being released within the past ten years the movie is consequently within the action genre which involves a lot of fighting running and jumping out of buildings, in this case action conventions are used to increase the box-office audience and appeal to the audience who like action films.

In this clip numerous cinematic and dramatic choices are made to ensure a successful platform for the film, in this particular case the focus of this analysis is solely on both cinematography and sound. The clip is taken from the climax of the film therefore there is a wide variety of shots for the viewer to assess accordingly.

At the beginning of the clip an extreme long shot/ establishing shot from a high angle is used to set the scene as the shot has just cut from one scene to another; this ensures the viewer is aware of what is going on at all times during the film. The camera then pans slowly from left to right and then a descending crane shot is used to allow the viewers focus to be on Jason Bourne as he exits the building, in my opinion it makes Jason Bourne look small and also vulnerable. A mid-shot is then used on Jason Bourne while he is on the phone, i think this was used to make him look more vulnerable as he looks very nervous. This could also suggest that the phone call he is having is important and/or could have key information relevant to the scene and/or movie. The shot shows the character holding a red bag, the mise-en-scene of the bag is to show danger because the red bag is the prop that the scene is based upon as they want to take it from him, also the red phone in my opinion shows a sense of alert and that he is always looking out for danger.

During these shots both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used to also set the scene and to create pathetic fallacy by altering the viewers emotions with sound techniques. Diegetic sound is used by the background music being played from the beginning of the scene, this track has a fast tempo which causes the viewer to feel tense and suspense is built which suggests that something is about to happen and the scene is going to be quite fast paced. Non-diegetic sound is also, for example when the car horns sound and also during the characters phone call.

Next a point of view shot is used when the male character looks at the law enforcement official standing on the opposite side of the road, i think that this could suggest that he is in some kind of danger or has conflict with the authorities and is trying to avoid them. This could hint at the cause behind the use of the fast-tempo diegetic sound and the multiple point of view shots used and could also infer what is going to happen next in the clip.

Next a long shot is used, then a backward tracking shot on Jason Bourne is used which switches to a forward tracking shot after about 5 seconds. Most of clip is fast paced and is a hand held camera which adds a sense of realism to the clip and draws you into the film more.

The camera then pans from left to right and then back as the ambulances speed past with a mid-shot focused on the vehicles during which non-diegetic sound is used and the volume is increased which drowns out the background music to ensure the viewers attention is focused solely on the scene and to keep them intrigued.

In the next shot Jason Bourne is shown crossing the street after the camera is focused on a mid-shot of a group of police officers/security guards, within this shot a train is approaching as he crosses the road but he pays no attention to the oncoming danger and narrowly misses being hit by the train, in my opinion this shows that he's a professional and know exactly what he's doing. Non-diegetic sound is also used within the shot of the sound of the train which is also elevated in volume to engage the viewer and also to ensure they are fully aware of the danger the character is in. Furthermore, as Jason ignores the train this could suggest at the potentially life-threatening danger he is already in or suggests he has heightened senses which allowed him to be able to time it perfectly without being hit and/or gives the impression that he is so distracted by whatever he is currently doing or thinking about that he doesn’t even notice the train which therefore indicates at perilous circumstances.

It then tracks him off the screen as the train passes and you can see 2 police officers following him talking on the radios, this enforces to me that he is in danger or is wanted by the police. Then a backward tracking shot is used again and then a point of view shot of approaching police cars which switches back to a backward tracking shot almost immediately during this non-diegetic sound is used for example by his footsteps being heard and also the police sirens, these techniques could be used to give the scene a more realistic atmosphere and to make the viewer feel like they are actually with the character which influences their emotions and how engaged they are with the movie.

A close-up shot on his passport is then used which could indicate that this particular shot plays a large role within the clip and also could suggest the danger he is currently in is so intense that he is forced to attempt to leave the country he is in to escape it. 

We then see a reputation of point of view shots that give a sense of unease and makes me feel more tension. It keeps showing the same woman that he is looking at, this could mean that she is going to take a big part in the film. 

When a mid-shot is used on the female character and the long duration of the shot suggests that what she is saying is key information to the movie and/or she will playa large role either within the scene or the film as a whole. Furthermore, as this is the first time she is being shown in this clip this intrigues the audience and they are now aware that a unknown character has entered the scene therefore this ensures they pay attentionto what the character is doing or saying. 

A reaction shot is then used when a mid-shot of the passing security guards is shown to show the viewer the characters reaction to the guards. Next, a close-up shot on the handcuffs the guard is holding is used with the background music coming to a halt which encourages the viewer to keep their concentration on the oncoming scene as it suggests something big is going to happen.

During the action scene which then occurs numerous cinematic choices are made which all attribute to the fast pace of the shot, these include diegetic sound being used again with fast-tempo backing track being played at a high volume which coincides with the sudden fight outbreak. Also, a birds-eye view shot is used to show the viewer everything that’s going on and this is a shot which is often used during fight scenes. Next, various cuts from shot to shot are made at a fast speed to coincide with the fast pace of the scene and also numerous point of view shots of Jason Bourne are used when he points the gun at various people who attempt to stop him. The lingering pov of Jason pointing the gun at the guards outside of the door could give meaning to the shot as the door could give meaning of an exit which Jason is attempting to find which could therefore lead onto the idea that he wants an escape route/plan out of the situation, life or danger he is currently in. Also it could suggest that he is now going to lead into a different life, or make different lifestyle choices in accordance to the quote from  Alexander Graham Bell  ‘as one door closes another opens’

A point of view shot on the map he is holding is then used to make the viewer aware of the character’s intentions and to again contribute a realistic element to the shot which also keeps the audience engaged.

During this scene I felt tense and the atmosphere was suspenseful as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next and also I was aware of the danger his life was now in, when the close-up shot of the soldiers collecting the machine guns was shown this caused a dramatic atmosphere which allowed me to feel like I was there in the scene with the characters and therefore when the next diegetic sound used it had more of an impact on me.

Next,  the long shot which is used to show the audience how high up the character is and then a close-up shot of his boots while he attempts to scale the roof shows the viewer the instability of the railing and therefore the danger his life is now in. This could also link to the idea of the instability of his life currently and the other threat which is being projected by the oncoming group of soldiers wielding machine guns.

The lingering point of shot which is then used to show his bag falling to the ground into the snow causes an emotional impact on the viewer as it makes them aware of the sheer drop that could have been Jason Bourne’s body falling from instead of his bag. Non-diegetic sound is also used during this shot when the bag hits the ground which also emphasizes the narrowly missed danger.

A low-angle long shot is then used to show Jason Bourne reacting to how high up he is from the ground, this could angle could also have been used to assert dominance and to make him appear more powerful and/or in control of the situation.

Non-diegetic sound is used when the soldiers slam the door to emphasize the ending of the danger, although in this case it’s perhaps the ending of only one of the dangers he is facing and then an extreme long shot from a low angle facing from the left is used to display Jason attempting to scale across the side of the building.

In the final shot a pan from the right to left is used to shown Jason Bourne picking up his bag and then walking away from the building with a long-shot camera technique.

Overall, the scene is action-packed and allows the viewer to constantly feel included therefore it gives a realistic projection onto the audience and furthermore this would lead to an increase in box-office sales allowing encouragement to a wider audience to view the movie as the increase in box-office would generate media attention namely in the most influential media platform, social media.

Kill Bill Vol 2

The opening shot of the scene shows a bride in the centre of the frame, its a mid shot and is used to show the brides dress and also to allow us to see that its a church she is in, this tells us where the scene is set. The woman slowly walks forwards while the camera tracks backwards following her movement. This allows us to see her face and how she reacts to hearing diegetic sounds. It then cuts to a point of view of the bride looking outside. It shows the door frame in the centre which suggests the sound is coming from outside.


When he bride has exited the door it cuts to a close up of a man playing a flute. It shows a view close up to the mans back showing he is looking towards her whereas the woman is at the back of the scene on the left of the shot, this could show tension between the man and the woman as she doesn't feel comfortable being with him. The bride then turns around and is shows with a close up reaction shot when she looks at his face. It also shows this with an high angle shot making the woman look more powerful compared to the man, this may be a reason why there is tension between them.


It then cuts to a medium long shot of the bride stood outside the church. She is still on the left side of the church like earlier which could mean that they have 2 different sides. The background of the shot is a long distance shot of a town, the way it is shown far away could suggest that they go way back and have a long past with each other. The way the woman is now shown on the right suggests they are losing the tension between them as they now don't both have their own side.


It then cuts to a tracking shot close up on the woman's feet as she walks towards him. It then does the exact same thing for the man, it repeats this until both of their feet are next to each other signalling that they are standing next to each other now and have closed that distance between them and that they are getting more comfortable. The next shot shows them in a close up rather than a mid shot which could show that they have gone from being far apart having their own sides to now being able to talk with each other close up. The last shot is a shot of the mans face over the woman's shoulder which confirms that they have lost their tension and are back to how they used to be with their past.

DEADPOOL

Deadpool was a box office success for many reasons, one reason is because it wasn't aired at the normal time for big films during the summer when most people are off work. Instead it was released 12th February which is not the normal time for big movies to come out. So because it was released at this time people wanted to watch it more as they would need to make time for it.
Another reason it was popular was the way that Deadpool the character acted, most other super heroes acted politely and saved the day doing good things whereas Deadpool was more rude and the movie was gorier. People would want to watch this as its not the normal thing and people might prefer this as its more realistic.
Another reason is because of the way it is written, in many scenes of the film Deadpool talks to us the audience while the background is frozen, this give a huge connection to the audience watching and makes the think about the film and be drawn in. This isn't normal and would give the film a variety. It also allows him to explain context without confusing the viewers.
Also this film was different as most films have a beginning middle and end, whereas it was different in Deadpool as you found out the very start at the end.
They released the trailer on Christmas day where everyone would be off work or school and would be able to see it which would have drawn in a lot more people that usual. Deadpool already have a bug fan base as he is a well known comic book hero.
Choosing Ryan Reynolds as the lead actor was clever also as he was already liked by a lot of people as he was well known and would have drawn in more fans.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

Central Intelligence




My favourite reason why I wanted to watch this film was because of the actors, Kevin Hart is one of my favourite comedians around and so having a film with him in it straight away made me interested. Also Dwayne Johnson is a huge actor who has featured in many films such as fast and furious series which also made me want to watch it as I love both actors. I had also watched other films with both actors in it which is what made me like them because I think they work well together.


The film is also a comedy action film which is 2 of the most popular genres of films as lost of people like to laugh as it makes them feel good. This would have made a lot of more people watch it if they want a laugh.


The film also has a good story to it as it is about a kid who got bullied when he was younger but was helped by his friend , they met up again as adults and have a good time but it ends up that the character of Dwayne Johnson who got bullied at school and everyone laughed at him, was now a undercover agent who was being hunted down. This gave the film a good story to easily be made funny as its not normal for a fat bullied kid to become a huge muscular undercover spy. It also makes him like unicorns and is a but immature which adds a likeable feature to him.


A reason why people watch this is because of its plot. This is because a lot of films you watch have a predictable ending that you can guess what's going to happen next, whereas this one is different as there are many plot twists. For example near the end Dwayne Johnson shoots Kevin hart and you don't understand what's going on as they were friends but now he just killed him. But really it was a part of his plan to catch the black badger who was the evil guy in the film who had the information they all needed.

SICARIO

Mise-en-scene

In this move miss-on-scene is used to show to show that they're in danger in Mexico when they're trying to leave the border,they're in a long queue trying to get out of the border of Mexico and it shows close ups of the main actors face and you can see her fear.You can tell they're in danger because it keeps panning to different cars with tattoo'd men with guns. The props used in this scene are guns, both the main characters side and the enemy cartel have guns, this shows the seriousness of the situation and sets the scene. The performance is shown by the police talking to each other using their ear pieces and it shows a lot of eye line matching as they talk to each other,also the way they are talking to each other very seriously makes it set the scene eve more.Then they all rush out the car to stop the cartel gunmen,this acting is used to make the performance more tense.

ATB

The lighting is low key in this scene. This is to make the viewer feel on edge as you cannot see what will happen net and increase the tension. This is to create suspense for the scene to come where 1 person is caught out and a mini jump scare happens where someone is killed. The low key lighting makes this more tense.