Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Presentation 4/12/13

Our film clip is going to be within the genres of crime and thriller. This is due to both the setting and style of the film, as the location is in an urban area which is shown by shots of a flat and alleyway. Use of two lines of action between the suspicious, hooded man and the two teen girls builds suspense, along with the quite tense moments that add drama. In the film we see the effects of the main character being attacked, implying that they live in a gritty, tough area were crime is regular occurrence.

Our group chose this combination of genres as there is opportunity to create a simple, realistic piece without having to use special effects or complicated editing that could ruin the film. We discussed how a genre such a horror would be difficult as it requires certain aspects that may be hard to for fill.

I believe that our film should be aimed towards teens and young adults around age 15 - 20 as the actors involved will be teens (16-17) and the film does not contain extreme material such as swearing or violence, but does imply violence and mature themes such as a murder on the streets. I feel that our film is aimed towards both genders as the female characters are not portrayed to be feminine due to their costumes (Tracksuits, t-shirts, hair back) which makes them relatable to both genders as they display general characteristic's and are not aimed at one particular gender.


This clip from 'Adulthood' is relevant to our film as I feel the characters Becky and Alisa represent the two girls in our film, for example; Becky is quite loud and comes across as confident, in our movie one of the girls shares these traits and decides to investigate what is happening as she feels invincible. Becky's harsh, rude persona is bred by her surroundings and upbringing in a tough London estate, this should be projected within a character in our film. On the other hand, Alisa appears more sensible and cautious, she shows a worried, venerable nature in this scene and gives a different approach to the situation.


Monday, 18 November 2013

Creative project Proposal

Group: Isabelle, Jamie & Chloe.

We discussed pro's and con's of genres. It was decided that genres such as RomComs, Comedy and Horror would be hard to portray as they often only appeal to specific audiences and are hard to show in a short clip. Our group agreed that a crime/thriller would be best to use for our scene as it could be made to look realistic.

We sketched a simple idea about a chase scene set in an urban area.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

'Fish Tank' and 'Sket' analysis

'What are the similarities between 'Fish Tank' and the first part of 'Sket'?'

A visual similarity in both films occurs within many of the shots. For example, Sket consistently shows a wide angle of the Flats Kay and her sister live in. These shots, both day and night, reveal the conjested, enclosed, urban area that these characters live in. They also show Kay walking through to her home, use of a wide angle in particular makes Kay appear small and trapped with the flats that surround her, displaying her as vulnerable and lonely. Fish Tank uses wide angles of Flats to illustrate the poverty stricken, substandard area in which Mia and her family are living in. This introduces the setting of the film to the audience and gives us the expectations for the film, implying that it is going to be gritty and realistic. These shots also appear very drab and depressing in both films, reflecting the general tone of the area and mood of the characters. 

The main characters in each film hold similarities both apparence and personality wise. Although Mia is aggressive and intense, she often shows a quiet side that seems to expose her natural self. Kay is also quiet and timid until she is with the gang of girls, expressing that they both truly are innocent young women. This is further shown by their appearance, Kay and Mia are both natural with simple hair styles and are dressed in casual clothes throughout. This gives them a normalised image, further contributing to the realistic style of each film. To expand, both main characters are relatable and believable as teenage girls, in Kay's room there are close ups of objects such a collage of pictures, reminding the audience that dispite her tough persona, she is still a young girl.

 

Monday, 4 November 2013

Django Essay

Chloe laws – film Studies AS

How does Mise-en-scene and Performance construct meaning and provoke response in the extract?

I have chosen to analyse ‘Django Unchained’ released December 2012. This film falls within the genres of Action, Western and drama and was directed by Quentin Tarantino. The story follows German Bounty Hunter Dr. King Schultz (played by Christoph Waltz) who buys the freedom of a slave, Django (Jamie Foxx) in order to help him hunt Wanted men. Instead he finds himself assisting Django in finding his wife, Broomhilda von Shaft (Kerry Washington) and freeing her also.

The extract I chose from the scene ‘Old Ben’ Shows plantation owner Calvin Candie (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) confronting Django and Schultz about their plan to buy Broomhilda who is enslaved on the forth biggest plantation in Mississippi, ‘Candie Land’. I believe that this scene is suitable as it clearly represents a main theme, power, which is interpreted through the use of Mise-En-Scene and Performance.

The scene is set in a dining room, as indicated by the large table set with napkins, glasses and light candles. It is immediately clear that Candie is extremely wealthy; this is shown by a number of features of Mise-en-scene. For example, the room is decorated with dark, burgundy wallpaper and contains carved, wooden furniture. This gives the idea that Candie likes to be extravagant and show his wealth, which enables him to look superior over others. Also, he is dressed in a dark suit which is buttoned and his tie done up tightly, expressing his professional, serious manor and again reflecting his wealth and position as Plantation owner. To expand, I believe that Quentin Tarantino had decided that this character should wear multiple large rings as DiCaprio constantly uses hand actions in his performance to exaggerate what he’s saying and show his confidence. This not only projects Candie’s fortune to the characters in the scene, but also to the audience, which gives him a pretentious, egotistical Bravado.

In contrast, Django is dressed in a brown coat and black shirt, which appears more casual and neutral in comparison to Candies layered, fitted costume. Schultz, who is posing as an affluent Businessman, is dressed smartly in a grey suit but does not compare to Candies accessorized costume. The three men fit the historical context of pre-civil war, which is communicated by their slicked-back hair, beards and suits. There is also use of makeup to make Candie’s teeth look stained and dirty, which is appropriate for the time period as dental hygiene was poor.

Interestingly, there is a large, marble statue of two fighters displayed behind Candie. Earlier in the film we learn that Candie is an enthusiast for the sport Mandingo Fighting. We see the true brutality of this when Candie is first introduced, as he is engrossed in a fight between two men who fight to the death. I believe that this statue is a representation of Candies violent, cruel nature as it glorifies him as a ‘trainer’; it is an exhibit of his bestiality used to intimidate others.

In this scene, Leonardo DiCaprio uses numerous props to give a memorable and theatrical performance. He begins by slowly taking out a saw and waving it as he talks, his quiet, calm tone of voice juxtaposes his actions and appears sinister. This also builds suspense as the audience are expecting DiCaprio to suddenly do something with this prop. He continues by sawing the ‘skull of old Ben’ to which Schultz is shown looking uncomfortable as he turns to Django for reassurance. In this moment the room is quiet as the sound of crickets can be heard in the distance, this amplifies the clanging of Candies instruments and cracking of the skull, putting the audience in to this tense, intimate moment as if they are there.

A key moment is when Candie addresses Django only, referring to him as ‘bright boy’; he explains that his skull would have ‘the same three dimples as Old Ben’. He does this dramatically as he often pauses to point at objects such as the Hammer and skull to exaggerate what he’s saying. He uses this tool as if he is educating Django and belittles him by speaking slowly as if he doesn’t understand.  The camera follows this prop validating Candies control of the conversation and highlighting the gruesome imagery of the Hammer and skull.  He also makes a violent remark by saying “if I took this Hammer here…and I bashed in your skull with, you would have the same three dimples, in the same place, as Old Ben”. Candies casual, calm attitude towards this threat reveals the true barbaric nature of his character as it is said with true intention and purpose.


I believe that Candies charade is to subdue Django, as he is now aware that he posses Django’s wife Broomhilda, who he has travelled far to find. He also holds full authority as Django and Schultz are in his plantation and want his ‘property’ Broomhilda. Candie uses this to his advantage, knowing that Django and Schultz will obey him in fear of loosing Broomhilda. Overall, Candie believes that he overpowers Django purely due to race. Although his brutal punishments on slaves are shown before, I feel that what he talks about in this scene truly portrays his incurable, deluded attitude towards slaves. For example, he talks about how the skull of old Ben, a slave, has three dimples in the skull that all Africans would have. He continues to say that “these three dimples exist in the area of the skull most associated with, civility” implying that slaves were made to politely obey others and trying to excuse what himself and generations of his family have been doing by owning plantations run by slaves.  I feel that Quentin Tarantino has created this character as a reflection of some people and their attitudes today as a harsh reality of what some people still believe.

Wednesday, 23 October 2013

presentation notes

Notes for extract - 'DJango unchained' 

Themes - Violence & Slavery 
. Plantation owner 'Mr Candy' sells brohinder 
. Shows slave being sold 
.Candy slams table 
.Candy grabs brohinders face & arms - pushes her head down on table 
.uses hamer to threaten 
.Smears blood on her face 

Emotions/Response 
. Candy uses offensive language to anger 
.Violent towards woman 
.Fear for Brohinder 
.Relief when brohinder is sold 

Analysis - 
I would like to Analyse Mise-en-scene & performance. 
I think that this would be appropriate as there is a lot of use of props.
I would like to focus on Leonardo DiCaprio's performance 

Thursday, 10 October 2013

Camera angles Analysis - 10/10/13

Analysing Camera Angles
The way that everything is shot in a film is decided for a purpose, some angles/movements of a camera is more important than others. From these two film clips I will analyse the Camera angle, movement and position and what effect they give.
The first clip is from 'The Twilight Saga'

This scene shows characters Edward, Victoria and Riley fighting and is a tense, dramatic sequence. We can see that the situation is dangerous as there is a closeup of the character Bella cowering behind Edward. The shot shows part of his shoulder with Bella behind where her expression is clear and the audience can see her fear. There is then a cut to an interesting shot, where the camera is at an high angle  and captures Riley walking, this is seen through the trees and gives the impression that something/someone is there. Doing this brings the audience in and makes them feel as if they are watching from above.


Soon after this, a camera movement is used that slowly moves up from the trees to in the air. This is done by using a Crain to bring the camera from low to high and begins to build the suspense as it slowly reveals Riley walking towards Bella and Edward. It also surprises and shocks the audience as the next shot suddenly cuts to a medium closeup of Victoria which clearly attempts to startle people and give the impression that this character is negative.
An over the shoulder shot is used as Edward and Victoria are each trying to persuade and manipulate Riley. Doing this puts the audience in Riley's head and makes them think about who they would believe, or who the character is most likely to listen to. It shows the direct contact between Edward and Riley as they are opposite one another.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

Second clip - Silence of the lambs 

This scene uses mainly over the shoulder shots to show the conversation between Agent Starling and Doctor lector. It continuously switches between the two as they are talking to one another and responding to each question/point. At one moment the camera stays on Starling as lector says 'closer', capturing her fear and reluctance to move.


 There is also a lot of extreme close-ups of both characters throughout that shows the contrast between their expressions, clearly Lector is confident and intelligent has he tries to intimidate Starling. He smirks  to illustrate his sinister nature whereas starling tries to hide her nervousness by not moving her mouth. These closeup also put emphasis on Lectors eyes that stare straight at starling and give a frightening look/


 _______________________________________________________________________________

'We need to talk about Kevin' scene
I feel that this scene is important for camera angles as it uses limited dialogue and focuses mainly on shots. The scene uses a lot of closeups and extreme closeups to show the changing and contrasting emotions between both characters. This also gives a personal, intimate feel

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

'In Bruges' Essay


The 2008 film 'In Bruges', directed by Martin McDonagh, uses a combination of techniques both in performance and Mise-en-scene that develops character and story. The three main, essential characters Ray (played by Colin Farrell), Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and Harry (Ralph Fiennes), make a strong contribution to the story and overall message.

The film is set in the city Bruges, Belgium, in a small village area. The overall feel of the setting is peaceful as their are very few people around and the place is generally quiet. It also has a calming feel as it is very bright and clear, possibly due to the fact that it could be winter or autumn. This is a complete juxtaposition against the genre, as action/thriller films are often set in built-up, popular areas, whereas this takes place somewhere not many people may know about. This gives the film its unique touch and style. The city is also used for comedy as Ray often jokes about being there and not liking it several times.
In the film, Ken talks about the why himself and Ray are in Bruges, he reveals that someone named Harry (who the audience have not met yet) has sent them their to stay quiet and hidden. There are many possible locations that could be used for this but I believe that the film has been chosen to be located here to make the characters and audience feel isolated and inclosed thus keeping the focus on them and the situation. This also gives a feeling of imprisonment as the small village is borderd by rows of houses and tall buildings. Also, this small, confined town makes Ray trapped with his thoughts that increasingly trouble him. As Ray cannot leave, this creates opportunity for his problems to build and stir as he cannot do much in the small town. 

There is also an old fashioned/medieval feel to Bruges as a castle dominates the town centre, and there is use horse and carts along with Cannoes for transport. This then limits things such as the chase between Harry and Ray, as they cannot use vehicles for a typical high speed chase used in many action/shooter films. I feel that this may be due to the film being made with 'film4' who produce more small, British films and who may not have the budget to create a complex car chase unlike large Hollywood movies. 

Interstinly, Rays character does not have an outfit change throughout the whole film, he simply buttons/un-buttons his shirt and takes his jacket off. This indicates a carefree attitude, and shows just how 'normal' and alike he is to any other person, helping them empathise with the character. Ken changes his outfit a few times, but keeps it smart/casual. The character Harry often wears black which gives him a sinister and professional look.I believe his costume helps show his dominance and authority.

Colin Farrell, who plays Ray, is a young (early 30's) white male. Outside of the film, Farrell often has a short beard along with quite long dark hair. For 'In bruges' it does not appear that he has had to change his appearance drastically as he has a small amount of stubble and fairly 'average', trimmed hair. Farrell also keeps his irish accent in the film, I believe that this is significant as it gives the character and film a unique touch, as often films use mainly american or british actors if they are trying to create a popular film. The director may have cast him for the role to bring out the comical side as his strong accent could sound peculiar to some viewers, it also suits is dialogue as he often curses which sounds natural with his accent as it's quite aggressive and fast. 

Colin Farrell's character, Ray, has a very strong personality thats clear from the start. He appears quite immature at the beggining as he complains about being out in Bruges as soon as he arrives, which seems quite childish and impatient. His reluctant, negative attitude towards being in bruges comes across comical at times as it goes against the choice of location, where to whole film takes place, which is ironic. On the surface, Ray appears quite violent and rude, for example; when the tourists approach him to ask about the tower, he says that they're 'a bunch of f*cking elephants' and teases the man by making him chase him in circles. Ray continues to say 'C'mon leave it fatty' which projects his offensive, immature attitude. Throughout the film, Ray is unnecessarily violent with people, such as when he argues with a couple in the Restaurant. He hits the man mid-way through speaking, and also hits a woman, showing his carefree attitude towards violence and his short-tempered personality.

As the film continues, we learn that Ray has committed two murders on his first assassination, one being a priest, and a second an eight year old boy. Use of a flashback shows how Ray mistakenly shoots the child, the graphic, horrific imagery gives a clear indication of how much ray is haunted and disturbed by his past which is continuously revealed in the film. Rays character is extremely depressed and troubled by his past which even causes his attempted suicide. Although he is an assassin, Ray has a conscience which causes him to feel guilty about the murder. In one scene he says "I killed a little boy, he's dead because of me...and i'm trying to get my head around it but I can't, I will always have killed that little boy, and that aint ever going way ever, unless..maybe I go away." Here we see that Ray is contemplating suicide because of the muder, proving that he does feel guilt about what he did. It also gives opportunity for the audience to empathise with him, and question whether he is still a good person of not.

In contrast, the character Ken is fairly different to Ray. The actor Brendan Gleeson, is a white male, around fifty who is also irish. His character is portrayed to be very intelligent and wise as he is interested in the history of Bruges and is seen reading a lot. There is also a scene where the two characters are in a Gallery and Ken explains the religious context behind a painting. This demonstrates his knowledge. Although Ray seems to be very knowledgable on general things, Ken is shown to be more experienced, giving him a fatherly figure. There is also a mysterious side to him after he talks to Harry on the phone, we later find that he has been ordered to kill Ray, questioning Ken's trustworthy being.

Towards the end, Ken makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Ray. After Harry has shot him in the leg and goes to kill Ray, Ken physically drags himself to the top of the building so that he could jump off and get his gun to Ray. Ken has killed himself in order to save Ray, proving his devotion and loyalty to him. I also believe that Ken did this as he feels Ray deserves to live more and that he has the chance to improve his life. There is also the recurring theme of consequences throughout, Ken admits to being a murderer and i feel that he believes he deserves to die due to what he's done.

Although the character Harry isn't very prominent for most of the film, we get a clear indication of his extremely violent, cruel attitude to everyone, even his wife as he calls her an 'Inanimate object'. He also swears an unnatural amount which I feel is an over exaggeration on the bad, 'hit man' type of character. I think that the director has created Harrys character to mock the stereotypical London Gangster seen in many action films. This adds the comedy of the film.

In the end scene, Harry believes that he has shot a child, he then kills himself too. I think that he decided to do this as a punishment for he thinks he has done as earlier in the film he says 'No one kills a child and gets away with it' showing his morals and conscience.

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Analysing Acting Performance

Analysing Acting Performance -
There are five key points that help analyse Performance and character. This is my demonstration of how a few points can be used to analyse a certain characters performance. This is a scene from the 2012 movie 'Silver Linings Playbook'. I am analysing the actress Jennifer Lawrence.

1. Physical Characteristics 
The actress is a white, American female who is playing a women around her age which is mid 20's. She has a slim/athletic build and is average height. This is close to her normal image and her character has no unusual physical characteristics that would need the actress to change. 

2. What the actor has done
For this role Jennifer may have had to learn a style of dance or routine for this scene. 

3. Acting style 
This scene shows the comical/romantic genre of the film, Jennifer's dancing shows this as she is very theatrical with her body movements and facial expressions that makes her dancing seem silly and funny. She is also intimate and close with her fellow actor Bradley cooper indicating that they share romantic relationship with each other. 


Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Mise-en-scene: Use of props

This is an analysis of how props are used in a scene and how they are important. 
I chose this scene from Tim Burton's 'Sweeney Todd' as it is completely focused on the props. 
The scene begins with the character Mrs. Lovett taking out a box from under the floorboards of a small Attic, this immediately tells me that this box is sacred and protected as it's hidden away. The box is also covered by a cloth which indicates that it is important and possibly secretive. She hands the box to the character Sweeney Todd gently, who then opens it slowly, this builds suspense and over-dramatises this moment, which again puts emphasis and importance on to the box. As Sweeney opens this box there is a quick close up of blades aligned together inside, this then moves up to Mrs.Lovett as she stares open mouthed into the box, she also leans further in towards it. This captures her amazement and ore over this object and sparks questions about why a set of blades are so special. She goes on to say "Those handles is chase-silver 'aint they?" in a soft tone, she appears to be in disbelief over whats in front of her. 

As the scene goes on it focuses more on Sweeney Todd's reaction, after he has opened the box there is another close-up of the blades as he gently runs his fingers over them, this is clearly a very precious item to him. The angle switches to show the two characters knelt beside the floorboard, this imagery as if someone is bowing before royalty, projecting just how much power the blades have over the two characters. 

As Sweeney takes a Blade out he holds it in front of his face with two hands, he is being delicate and cautious as he holds it further showing its importance to him, we also see mrs.Lovett's expression as she is fixated on the blade and still seems astounded with it. Another important moment is when Sweeney Todd holds the blade up to a window causing the light to make it glisten, it is almost as if it is the only source of light in the dark, dull room, and that it's presence lights up the whole area. Doing this also implies that Sweeney is looking up to the Blade and that it is sent from above from heaven, in his view. 

There are also several moments where the only the Blade is in shot and is used to see a distorted view of the characters. This makes the prop extremely significant as it implies that the two characters are controlled by the Blade and can only see the world through it. This gives an indication of the whole film as it shows the violent, sinister nature of both Sweeney Todd and Mrs.Lovett as they completely worship this weapon. This also teaches the audience about their relationship and how they are bound over this object and the implications behind it. 

Friday, 20 September 2013

assessing practical work - Jamie & Chloe

Our film - Jurrasic Coulsdon:
For this task the class was split into groups of four, we had to plan and create a short film, including five scenes, in thirty minutes. The brief was to create a film about the world ending, it was our decision wether we would be successful in 'saving the world' or not. Our group attempted to make a Comedy genre film called 'Jurrasic Coulsdon', about the college being over-run by dinosaurs.
We made a quick story board that indicated who was being filmed and who was filming them in each scene, plus a short discription of the scene.
From this practical task I learnt how preparation and planning are curtail to making a short film, for example, people that were acting were unsure of what to say, so we had to reherse the scene a few times. In future I would create a rough script and make sure everything is in order such as scenes so that the audience understand more. We also had difficulties with sound as the audience couldn't understand us in the Bathroom scene.

Mise-en-Scene Research

Mise-en-Scene is a French term for 'put in the scene', in film 'miss-en-scene' translates to everything that is seen in a shot. This includes a wide range of factors such as Lighting, characters/actors, set design, costume and props.


This scene in 'HarryPotter' shows the first years being sorted in to their houses.
Location - 
The students are sat in a large dining hall, shown by the tables and cutlery set out in front of each individual. The room looks medieval and old-fashioned as their are high ceilings, statues and the room is light with candles. There is also a large window at the far end of the room, making the room appear like a church, that are often old buildings.
Props - 
The most common prop the cutlery on the tables. Each student has a set containing a plate and chalice with spoons, forks etc. This shows the formality of the meal and is unusual for school students to have as they are often equipped with plastic cutlery and trays for food. The teachers have silver plates/trays, showing their importance and the schools wealth. There are additional props used such as the 'sorting hat' and scrolls that prove the back-dated nature of the school.
Lighting - 
The room has a general tone and mood from the lighting, as it is light with candles the whole room has an orange, warm glow that makes it feel welcoming and friendly. It also indicates that the students will be eating dinner as the lack of natural light suggests that the scene is set in the evening. Use of the fire/candles also show the old-fashioned style that the school prefers to use.
Costume -
Most actors in this scene are students that are wearing collared shirts with black ties and cloaks. This shows the formality of the situation and also the fact that the children belong to one group, in this case they are students in a school. Their costumes have features of typical school uniform such as shirts, ties, grey skirts and trousers.
The adults in this scene are also wearing black with a dark coloured cloak, most have a pointed hat on also that separates them from everyone else and shows their authority. Interestingly, the character 'professor Snape' is dressed in all black, with black hair, that gives a sinister feel to his demeanour. I feel that his costume is deliberate to suggest something about his character.
Camera Angles - 
The scene begins with the camera panning round to the centre of the doors as they are opened and moving inside as the students do. The use of this slowly reveals the dinning hall to the audience as the doors open and the camera movies to get a full view, this brings the audience and characters together as this moment is the first time both will see the dinning hall and gives viewers a sense of what they will see and feel as the slow turing of the camera builds suspense of what the new students are about to enter.
This is just a small example of how camera angles/ movements can be analysed for miss-en scene.



Saturday, 14 September 2013

'Sound of Cinema' Documentary

BBC4 Documentary 'Sound of cinema: the music that made the movies' assessment. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b03b45h4/

In this Documentary, Composer Neil Brand explores the effects of an Orchestral Film Score in Cinema from its early beginnings through to its use in today's modern Cinema. This program gave me a wide range of information about the power of movie soundtracks and the evolution of Film Music.

Martin Scorsese describes the music as being 'Interwoven' with most elements of a film such as the Drama, Dialogue, sound effects and even the moving camera.

The program starts to explore the beginnings of Orchestral sound in the 1920's when it was introduced in silents films, for example 'The Phantom of the Opera' - 1925. The music accompanied silent films to give effect. The accompanists had full control over the music they played, which meant that the same film could sound different in each different Cinema.

A year later in 1926, the first full-length feature film with pre-recorded sound was created. 'Don Juan' directed by Alan Crosland did not have any Dialogue only music and sounds effects on a disc that was synchronised with a projector. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYgu5Fsp_Nc

The documentary continues by exploring 'King Kong', a breakthrough film for stop-motion and sound as it features both music and dialogue. This also introduces an important Composer, Max Steiner. Viewers are then taken through the journey of Steiner's career including the analysis of his work in films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmixe-Dii0Y
I found the information about him interesting and understandable, I enjoyed how Neil analysed his pieces of music and explained his technique and what the effect was in a very detailed manor. It broadened my knowledge on film music and how much it influences a film.

Another influential composer introduced is 'Bernard Herrmann', who made scores for Citizen Kane, Vertigo, Torn Curtain whilst collaborating with Director Alfred Hitchcock. Herrmann was also the man responsible for one of cinemas most famous soundtrack, the 'Pycho' murder scene. The documentary takes Neil to the Warner Brothers studio where he looks at Herrmann's original scores for this iconic piece of film music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY The program gives a detailed review of Herrmann's life, including an interview with his Wife Norma Shepherd.

Lastly, Neil explores the work of a modern composer, Han Zimmer, including an interview with him where he explains his thought process behind his ten minute soundtrack for the battle scene in Gladiator. This part was interesting for me as Zimmer has composed music for films that I had seen and enjoyed which made the clips and interview relatable.

In conclusion I found this Documentary enjoyable and factual, it explained the history and development of orchestral soundtracks well and I was able to learn a lot from the program. I would recommend this program to someone who was interested in the general growth of Film and especially music in films.

films - likes and dislikes

films: likes and dislikes - 

My favourite film is 'Juno' by Jason Reitman staring Ellen Page and Michael Cera, made in 2007. I really like the unique style of this film and the romantic nature throughout. This film is also about the sensitive subject of teen pregnancy and divorce which is portrayed realistically. I find the main character Juno different to most American teenage stereotypes in films, her character portrays teenagers more realistically and makes her relatable to younger viewers. I feel that her image gives a positive influence to teen girls as she wears simple clothes and no makeup which doesn't put pressure on to girls to look a certain way, she also discusses her bad relationship with her birth mother which highlights the fact that most people don't have the 'perfect' family shown in a lot of films. 


This film doesn't romanticise the idea of teen pregnancy, it shows the harsh consequences of it which is why i feel that it is especially good as a teen movie. I also like the comedy aspects of this film that make it so loveable. 

I dislike the film 'Ted' directed by Seth Macfarlane in 2012. I feel that this film was highly anticipated when it was first released but I personally was disappointed with this film. I didn't find the humour funny as it was childish and I don't believe that the film had a strong story-line. I enjoy Seth's other creations such as the TV series 'Family Guy' and 'American Dad' but this film was not the same standard as those.