Uk Blockbuster

                                                              UK Blockbuster
                                 The Kings Speech


Release Date: 7th January 2011
Budget:$15,000,000       
Opening Weekend/Budget:$355,450/ $138,795,342       
Production Companies:See-Saw Films, Weinstein Company, The, UK Film Council     
Director:Tom Hooper
Certificate:12A
Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
Genre: Biography
Marketing:
Trailers
Posters

US/UK Independent

US Independent:
                          Boyhood

Release date: 15th august 2014( USA)

Budget: $4,000,000

Opening weekend/ gross: $387,618, $25,359,200

Production companies: IFC Productions, Detour FilmProduction

Director: Richard Linklater

Certificate: R (USA) 15(UK)

Stars : Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane

Genre: Drama

Marketing: Trailers

Posters

Facebook page

Official websites






UK Independent:

                                                                   Ex Machina

Release Date:21st January 2015



Budget:$15,000,000



Opening weekend/gross:$250,000/ $25,000,000



Production Companies: Universal Pictures International(UPI)/ Film4/ DNA Films



Director: Alex Garland



Certificate: 15

Stars: Domhnall Gleeson. Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac

Genre: Hybrid: Sci-Fi, mystery, Thriller, drama

Marketing:
Official Instagram
Official Facebook
Trailers

section c

Wild at Heart

True Romance

Bonnie and Clyde


Key themes: Lovers on the Lam

Rootlessness:
Dysfunctional Family:
As a result of unrealistic ideological beliefs the modern family becomes fractured, leading to abuse and/or separation.

American Dream:

Everybody can become famous/successful from

something. The idea that being a ‘star’ and achieving celebrity status is the

norm.
Animalistic nature:
Modern fairy-tale:
Pop culture references;

The central characters idolise

film stars and ‘pop’ icons, mirroring or copying their image and personalities
Trapped/ Freedom;


Conventions of the road movie:
garage
diners
pick up trucks
Red, white and blue





















Holly:
Emotionless
Cold
Naive
Introvert
Always behind Kit

Case Studies- US Blockbuster

US Blockbuster:
Furious 7:
Release date: 16th March 2015 (South by Southwest Film Festival)
Budget: $190,000,000
Opening Weekend/ gross: $147,187,040/ $350,034,110
Production Companies:  Universal pictures, China Film Co.
Director: James Wan
Certificate:12A
Stars: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Marketing:
Official Facebook
Official website
publicity from Paul Walkers death
Wiz Khalifa did the promotional song, went from twenty-two  to number one in the British Charts in a week,  also number one on the billboards in America.  Lots of people are into the brand and may see the video and be encouraged to see the film from the song.
all original stars come back- apart from Paul
Furious 7 did better than the rest of the franchise
Got over the billion dollars mark - not many films have done this - Avatar, Titanic, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, Iron Man 3, Frozen, Transformers: Dark of the moon, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the Kings, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises.

The Shining analysis - The Maze Sequence

                                  The Maze Sequence:

                At the start of the maze sequence we get a mid shot of Danny hiding in the snow and        against the maze. The camera is looking at Danny eye level rather than from a high or low angle, this is used because it shows that Danny is the one we understand and have sympathy for at this point.

The location of this sequence is a convention of horror films because it is in a isolated location where there is no one around to help you. This makes me feel scared for Danny because he has to save himself, it also makes me wonder what I would do if I was in his position.

A jump cut is then used to show us a mid shot of Jack looking for Danny. A mid shot is used to show us that Jack is moving around looking for Danny rather than a close up of Jack looking angry. At this point non-diegetic sounds are used to make the wind seem louder which emphasises the location and the weather they are currently in, this also creates a cold atmosphere which makes me shiver. A long take is then used to show the mid shot of Jack looking for Danny, this builds up the tension of Jack looking for Danny and makes it seem more serious.

A jump cut is used to show us a long shot of Jack walking along the snow in the distance, here another convention of horror is used, fog, this is used to make Jack just a distant silhouette. It also confuses Danny even more as where Jack is going is unknown. The fear of the unknown is also a repetition of horror conventions as many films use the fear of not knowing where the danger is, e.g. My Bloody Valentine uses this method when the girls are escaping out of the window and the miner disappears leaving us all fearing where he was going to pop up from.

As Danny runs through the maze away from Jack the camera is handheld to show the realism of how Danny is feeling at that point and it makes me sit on the edge of my seat as I am willing for Danny to escape Jack and the maze. This also shows us the maze from Danny's perspective so he seems more human to us, we don’t see any of the sequence directly from Jacks point of view.  

Low key lighting is used throughout the sequence because it is winter and it is taking place at night. Low key lighting is another common horror convention because people fear the dark and what is inside of it. High key lighting is used on certain parts of the maze, especially when Danny starts to run into the light which is mise en scene as he is running to what we all find safe and comfortable.

The Shining gold room scene

                                                                               The Shining

 

                                     The Gold Room Scene:

 

 Before Jack enters the gold room a close up of the billboard is used to show the viewer where Jack is about to go, this must be important because when Jack usually enters a room we are told where he is not shown. The billboard is mise en scene as when the close up is shown we see a sentence that says “The Unwinding Hour.” Not only do these words represent the fact that this is the scene where Jack’s mind unwinds and his mental state is put into question even more than it already was, but it is also written in the colour red. The connotation of red in this case I believe to be danger, not just for Jack but for Danny and Wendy too as they have to deal with the loss of his mind.

An eyeline match is used to introduce us to Lloyd which shows us Jack nodding and smiling at him, this makes the viewer realise that someone is there with him although it is believed to only be Jack and his family in the hotel. Lloyd is revealed in low key lighting which shows him to be a mysterious and a negative character, this is also hinted at through the mise en scene of what he is wearing. Lloyd is dressed in a red blazer which I believe is a way to show him as the devil this is a repetition way of showing the convention of the devil being dressed in red. My beliefs were further proved when Lloyd walks closer to the bar and into the high key lighting this reveals who he is to Jack and also happens as he asks Jack what he would like, this could be seen as the devil asking Jack what he would like in trade for his soul.

Jack’s bourbon is green after it is poured rather than honey coloured as it appeared in the bottle. A connotation of the colour green is sickness and throughout this scene the green is spreading. The tables in the background are green and then his drink becomes green. The originally gold drink represents how the idea of getting your desire was good at first but it can turn into sickness as soon as you get it. As Jack drinks the sickness has now spread throughout his body where he has now lost his mind completely. Eyeline matches are then used one after another to show Jack telling Lloyd of his troubles with his family and to Lloyd listening to him. This is used to show us Jack becoming more and more distressed and is telling anyone who will listen to him.

Parallel editing is then used to show us Wendy running to the gold room. This is used to make us see what is happening to Wendy while Jack is in the bar. Wendy touches Jack’s shoulder and is then shown to be wearing a green and white plaid shirt which shows the sickness of the green taking over the purity of the white and that Jack’s illness is now beginning to infect her too. 

Cold Mountain Group Analysis:

At the beginning of the sequence, there is an establishing shot with the camera tracking from left to right. It is an extreme long shot of a man trekking through the snow to show the mise-en-scene, the vastness of the landscape compared to the small, seemingly insignificant man. The music is non-diegetic and is peaceful, implying that the surroundings have not been disturbed and it allows us to rule out this film being a thriller or horror as this is not a convention of those genres.

There is then a straight cut to a long shot, focusing on the male character. The camera zooms towards the man, highlighting that he is an important character within this part of the film. Additionally to this, the camera also pans upwards, revealing the distant mountains that represent the distance between the character and his girlfriend. The character sits down, changing the levels and showing he is weak, tired and inferior.

Another straight cut to a mid shot shows both the man’s expression and clothing. His expression is sad and tired, adding to the mise-en-scene along with his black clothes, linking to the idea that he is impure and depressed.

Parallel editing occurs, taking us from the man in the snow to a woman at home. The camera zooms in on the woman’s face very slowly as though I am trying to get into her thoughts and see how she feels. However, this may also show time passing as she is distant from her lover. The use of low-key lighting is a huge contrast to the high-key lighting previously used when we were focusing on the man in the snow. The difference in lighting coupled with the narration of the letter suggests the female has lost hope and is feeling negative compared to the male who is physically looking up and has a positive outlook.

The mise-en-scene of this shot depicts several candles, foreshadowing a glimmer of hope for the relationship as candles can provide comfort and warmth in dark times. Also, the staining on her hands makes me feel that her dark feelings are permanent just like ink, something that cannot be easily washed away. The camera proceeds to stay static as we watch the tear roll down her face emphasising her sadness.

The next shot uses a straight cut to a close up of a fire which instantly represents both passion and danger, leading me to feel that the male is determined to get to his girlfriend, no matter what the consequences are. The camera then tilts upwards whilst panning from right to left to reveal a man at the fire. Another straight cut to an over the shoulder shot allows us to see another man walk into the shot, this shows that he is not alone on his journey.

The low-key lighting used within this scene shows that the men are concealing themselves and that they don’t want to be found, suggesting they are wanted fugitives. The next shot uses a low angle to show the men lying down which suggests that other, superior people are hunting them and they are trying to stay low as they have a target on their back. Another straight cut leads us to witnessing a man sitting up coughing. The camera pans to the  human meat which shows how the males are living barbarically and are doing everything possible to survive, even when it is ethically wrong.

An eye line shot is then shown of a man peering up over a log with the diegetic sound of a horse. This shows us something has captured his attention and he remains in the low-key lighting, concealing himself. This makes me feel he is suspicious of the other men who have showed up and foreshadows arguments and fights at a later time.

The diegetic sound of the violin playing is introduced to ease the situation before it gets out of hand, showing us the men need to be calmed down before they do something reckless. This again reinforces the idea that there is tension between the characters and foreshadows fights. The straight cuts, matching on action, shows the conflict between the men who are singing and trying to keep the peace and the blond male who sits alone. The low key lighting surrounding the lone man suggests he is someone to be watched and has an evil character which could bring trouble.

The eye line match following the man who stands up gives me the impression that the characters are wary of each other and there is a lack of trust. The next mid shot of the characters uses a soft focus to highlight that the man standing up is the most important in this situation and is about to take control of the situation. This is then followed by a close up of the side of his face which shows his worried emotions and this gives me the idea that he is aware of something which the others are not.

Parallel editing is again used in this scene, showing the actions of the men gathered around the fire as well as the young man hiding behind the log. This emphasises the distance between these characters and that along the way, they have lost a connection and have parted, losing trust.

Further on in the scene, the blond man stands as the camera pans up to follow him. As he is standing higher than all of the others, it implies he is more superior and powerful. We then witness the scene from the point of view of the hiding man. We get to see and hear everything he witnesses at a safe distance which shows he is still worried about being in that situation.