Independance Day Case Study

Institutional Background:
The main production companies behind Independence Day were: 20th Century Fox Flim Corporation and Centrapolis Entertainment. Also in the UK the movie was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Genre:
The sub-genre of this film is alien invasion and we can tell this by what this movie is based around. The narrative is based around an alien invasion where the main character Captain Steven Hiller (played by Will Smith) fights off the aliens where towards the end they blow up the mothership. This is quite a common theme within many sci-fi movies where there is a Good vs Evil. We can also tell this is a science fiction film due to the mise-en-scene. The costumes worn by the soldiers and also the alien costumes tell us straight away that its a science fiction film as you wouldn't find aliens in any other genres apart from sci-fi.

Release Date and Marketing Campaign:



The trailer of the movie shows many scenes of Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith). This will increase the amount of talk going around as there may be many fans of Will Smith and the could be very excited about his new film. This will lead to a lot of people talking about it and then eventually most people will end up watching the movie and increasing the films revenue.

Critical Reception

60%- Rotten Tomatoes

6.9/10- IMDB

59%- Metacritic

"Independence Day - outstanding work of the cinematic art"

"A Great Blockbuster!"

(Source - IMDb Review Section)

Box Office: 

Budget: $75 Million

Opening Weekend: $50 million

Total Gross: $306 Million

From this we can see that Independence Day was extremely successful by almost quadrupling their budget resulting in over a $225 million profit.

Cast and Director:

Director: Ronald Emmerich (Director of White House Down)

Main stars: Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum both of which have starred in previous movies.

Assignment 2: Genre and NCIS

The Maze Runner (2014)

Genre: Adventure and Sci-fi

Narrative: From the trailer we can see that the group is placed within a maze where they must survive. We can also see that the lead character and others are attempting to escape the maze to safety.

Character: The characters are shows as adventurous and also very curious characters. When the woman came up the elevator many of the characters were surprised which shows that women weren't very common and to see one came as a shock to them. As a whole the group was presented as strong, confident and ready to take on challenges.

Iconography: Within the trailer there are many things that link back to the adventure and sci-fi for example; the robots named grievers; the dystopian environment they live in and also going on an adventure to escape the maze. All of these things tend to appear within other adventure or sci-fi movies.

Setting: From the trailer and the name of the movie we can infer that the movie is going to be set within a maze and a small community built by the people that live there. We haven't been given any information as to whereabouts in the world it is.

Batman v Superman (2016)  

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Fantasy 

Narrative: From the trailer you can tell that the narrative is about conflict, fight between Batman and Superman for power. There could be a story twist since the trailer doesn't show or give a lot of detail about the movie.

Character: The main characters is Batman and Superman. Superman is a out of this world human, containing over powered strength and god like powers... in the trailer he is shown as a threat to Batman and someone who is a threat to this world. Batman is shown as a hero, strong, powerful mastermind and relied on  to save us.

Iconography: There is plenty of iconography typical of the action / fantasy genres: gunshots, violence, god like humans with super powers, technology, explosions and smashing glass. All of these are typical of the action fantasy genres.

Setting: Even though its not clear where the setting is. its fair to say its set in America judging by the court scene and the language is spoken. Another place where they could be is in Gotham predicting this by the batman scene. 

Poltergeist (2015)

Genre: Horror

Narrative: A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive.

Character: The characters consist of a young girl who has been abducted by supernatural creatures and her family who try to save her. This is seen in a typical horror movie where the young characters are usually the most naive and have the hardest time when dealing with the supernatural.

Iconography: There is plenty of typical iconography of this horror genre. For example, a haunted house, spirits, creepy dolls, rocking chairs, paranormal activity. All these are seen in a typical horror movie and it also links with the narrative, so we can confidently say that this is a horror.

Setting: Majority of this movie is set in a house in a nice neighbourhood where the family move into but then start to experience abnormal things and ends with the family moving out of the house to get away from their bad experience, but they are still trapped.

Assignment 1 Magazine Cover

Camerawork Minority Report Analysis

Camerawork: Minority Report shot-by-shot analysis

Shot 1

Medium Close Up (MCU)

In this scene which is a medium close up (MCU) we can see all the policemen looking at John Anderton (Tom Cruise) who they are targeting right now. We can also see the surprising and very annoyed look on the policemens as he will have to capture his mate (John Anderton) who is a fellow colleague of his. They also look very serious as they are capturing a potential murderer. Due to the number of policemen in this scene it could suggest how powerful John is and how many policemen it takes to take him down. The light is pointing at the policemen to perhaps show that their presence is very noticeable and John should be scared as we can see in shot 3.

Shot 2

Establishing Shot (ES)

In this shot we can see the scene is set where John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is being chased. The gloomy lighting suggests how dodgy and unwelcoming the alleyway is. The dark side of the car could perhaps be a hiding/escape route for John. He may want to run through there to escape into the darkness where he isn't very visible. The bright side of the shot may show where the policemen are coming from as their presence should be noticeable and they want to be seen as very dominant.

Shot 3

Medium Close Up (MCU)

Within this medium close up we can see John Anderton (Tom Cruise) looking up at the futuristic policemen which tells us that he has less power in this situation. The light is pointed onto his face so we can see his facial expressions. The shadow on the other side of his face suggests that he may be wanting escape into the darkness. He also looks like he could be thinking of a way to escape. We can also see that he is slightly nervous or scared. The background isn't very visible so it makes the audience focus on the protagonist (Tom Cruise) so we can feel more connected to him.

Camera Shot Photo Story

Camera Work

This establishing shot sets the scene where the victim can be seen in the corner. It is obvious that it is set in a hallway/corridor. We can see the victim in the corner but we are not able to see what she's doing. However in hindsight the establishing shot could of been taken outside where it sets the scene of where this incident is taking place. A picture of the school building could of set the scene in a more professional way.

               

This long shot shows the bully as a whole. We can see her from head to toe however we can't see her facial expressions. However the shot could of been taken from a lower angle in order to make it clear from the start that she is the bully within this story board.

This medium shot shows the bully pointing towards the victim in the corner. We cant pick up the exact emotions or facial expressions.

This medium close up uses a high angle which shows the expressions on the victims face and also to show she is weaker and inferior to the bully. We can slightly pick up the facial expressions however they aren't as clear as they could be. Also the shot could of been closer to make it more of a medium close up.

This over-the-shoulder shot shows the facial on the bullies face very well, we can see that they are full of anger. Another thing we can see within this shot is that the bully is grabbing onto the blazer of the victim.

This extreme close up shows us the bullies hand thrusting forward in order to strangle the victim. This builds up tension and wants the audience to feel like they are there witnessing 

the strangling.

This high angle close up shows us the victim crying and also showing that she looks and feels powerless. The impacts the audience negatively where they will start to feel sorry for her and begin to show sympathy. However the shot could of been closer to her face to increase the sympathy given towards her from the audience.

This low angle shows the bully walking off after hurting the victim. The low angle tells us that she is much more dominant over the victim and much more powerful. This creates a feeling that the bully is quite tyrannical. 

This unusual perspective shows the worms-eye-view of the bully which once again shows her empowering over everything in her way including the victim. However this shot isn't the greatest as the lighting within the shot. It makes the picture look much more unprofessional and scrappy.

Fruit Bowls

Fruit Bowls.

The fruit bowl inspired by urban graffiti which is the reason to the graffiti theme all over the fruit bowl. The picture used is of a wall of graffiti in an urban area.

This fruit bowl is inspired by the winter season. The colours used are mostly blue with the uncommon brown representing the trees within the season. The light blue and the colours closer to the white represent the skies and snow.

This fruit bowl is inspired by the picture around the border. The bright and vibrant colours make this fruit bowl quite unique. I think the use of purple was overused on the actual fruits within the fruit bowl. However as a whole I think the fruit bowl represents the vibrant theme very well.

Key Concepts

Project Almanac (2015)   

 

Language

The font used for the title of the movie is very futuristic which gives off the impression that the movie is sci-fi and has something to do with time. This makes it a time-travel movie which is a sub-genre of Sci-fi. The production blurb also gives us information about the who produced the movie and also other information such as who wrote the movie. It states the name 'Michael Bay' who is an American film maker and has an established name in the movie industry. The release date is displayed just under the production blurb so people are more likely to see that. It is written in a way that is different to the production blurb so that it stands out at the bottom of the poster.

Institution

The movie was produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Bradley Fuller who are all very big film makers. Michael Bay creates big-budget films with lots of special effects which can be clearly seen within the movie. Andrew Form another producer in the movie Project Almanac has worked on other movies like horror films such as The Purge and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The last producer Bradley Fuller has worked on the same movies as Andrew Form which have been great movies to watch. The production companies can be seen at the bottom of the poster, these include of Insurge Pictures, Platinum Dunes, MTV Films and Paramount Pictures. The people making money are the production companies and also the producers that have invested their own money in order to get a profit. The do this in order to make profit and then be able to create bigger and better movies. 

Audience

I think the target audience for this movie would be 60% male and 40% female as personally I think males would be more likely to watch sci-fi movie where the main character is a male. On the  poster there is one female which may not be enough to balance out the genders as females may be looking for a lead character within the movie. The age range would be between 13-30 as the younger audience (children under 13) wouldn't be able to understand the sophisticated technology involved within the movie such as a time machine etc. Also looking at the effects on the poster we can see that the younger audience would be more interested at the special effects. 

Representation

On the poster it shows a group of teenagers that are grouped around the time machine which is what the movie is based around. The poster is showing that the teenagers are the main characters surrounding the time machine which is what the movie is based around. The colours used are quite futuristic as silvery and blueish colours are related to the future or anything to do with time travel. The seem to be in an open space to show how barren the area around them is so not many people may know about the time machine they have.

Research: The Maze Runner (2014)

Summer Project:

The Maze Runner

                                                                 

      

Brief plot:

The Maze Runner is about a boy named Thomas who is placed in a community of males who a trapped in a maze. The runners start exploring the maze when it opens every morning and closes every night. The leader - Alby gets trapped within the maze one night and Thomas goes out to get him. In the end Thomas helps everyone escape the maze.

Genre: Hybrid of Action, Mystery and sci-fi.

Sub-genre: Adventure

Key Conventions.

Within the movie there are many things that apply to the science fiction genre such as the inclusion of cyborgs named Grievers. These cyborgs roam the maze at night to prevent runners from escaping the maze. Cyborgs and robots are very common in sci-fi movies which make them a key convention. This scene shows parts of the grievers that are very mechanical and robot like.

             

They are put into a dystopian landscape as the outside and maze and like hell for them. A dystopian environment is another key convention for sci-fi movies as it shows what has been done to the landscape with the evolution of technology. This key convention is used in other movies such as The Hunger Games where different districts are made to live in dystopian environments.

Institution:

Release date: 11th October 2014
Budget: $34 million
Box Office: $102 million

The production companies that produced The Maze Runner are; Gotham Group; Temple Hill Entertainment; TSG Entertainment. It was then distributed by 20th Century Fox which released the film in late 2014.

The cast included actors like;

• Dylan O'Brien - Thomas
• Kaya Scodelario - Teresa
• Thomas Brodie-Sangster - Newt
• Ki Hong Lee - Minho 
• Will Poulter - Gally 
• Patricia Clarkson - Ava Paige

Target Audience:

I think The Maze Runner will appeal to the audience that enjoyed The Hunger Games as they both focus on a main character attempting to bring justice and help everyone escape. I think the age group would be between 13-30 as the younger audience may be attracted to the grievers whereas the older audience may be more intrigued as to how they may escape/

I think the film will have a 50% male audience and 50% female audience as I think this movie is a family film and all genders will be interested in the movie as it isn't based around something only men would enjoy or only women would enjoy. The movie in my opinion is very diverse in terms of who watches it. Whether it be a 30 year old man or a 13 year old girl i think the movie appeals to all audiences. This is one of the main reasons as to why it has been such a successful movie in 2014 and may be why they are bringing out another one this year.

Music Promotion

Artist Name

Henage.

Genre 

Rap.

Media Advert

Media Advert 1

This advert shows different moments of joy. The three pictures all show different moments of joy for different people. On the left it shows Manchester United lifting the trophy in the 2012/2013 season securing their 20th league title. The picture in the middle shows a family joyfully living together. The last picture shows a woman receiving a present which shows another moment of joy. However looking back at the work we can see that some pictures are quite stretched which could be improved with some precise work. This will make the advert look more professional. Also the font effects could improved a bit more as it doesn't meet the standard it should be. I think this advert is aimed at all age groups and genders. Joy is something everyone should experience, so this advert is suitable for everyone.

Media Advert 2

This advert shows a man working which most people will end up doing. The three words I chose represent different opinions of work for different people. The word 'success' tells us what occurs once you put all of your effort into your work. The second word 'boredom' shows the point of view from people who find work boring. Last but not least the word 'love' shows the point of view from the person working. The people that work may have a lot of passion for their work and may love it a lot. The pictures aren't very stretched which is a good thing and makes the advert look much better. The font effects could once again be improve to make it look more presentable. I think this advert is aimed at people who work or are wanting to work. People that are wanting to work could look at this advert and see that work isn't always boring but could lead to success. 

Science Fiction Film

Science Fiction Film

Key details

Your group members: Krissah, Shallau, Bisma and Avneet

Film title: Epidemic 

Science Fiction sub-genre: Experimental science, mutation and time travel.

Brief narrative (plot) - max 50 words: Scientists were trying to create a cure for all diseases. The cure didn't work and mutated which made all patients that took it ill and turning some into zombies. The main character then goes back in time to stop the cure from mutating.

Budget breakdown

Writer : Successful Hollywood Writer.

Director: A List = $10m

Cast: B List and unkown actor = $13m

Filming locations: Large set = $12m

Cameras: 4K HD Cameras = $5m

Editing: Heavy CGI editing = $5m

CGI/Special effects (SFX): Futuristic version of Earth. Monsters (zombies) = $18m

Sound: Sound effects and Traditional film score = $5m 

Marketing: Billboard campaigning worldwide and premiers in major worldwide cities = $27m

Total cost: $100m

I think the film would be successful as the effects using the heavy CGI editing would attract people that like zombie movies. The 4K HD cameras being used will help increase the popularity of the movie across all countries this is because watching sci-fi movies on a large, high quality screen would make the movie look amazing. Having a big star like Channing Tatum who is increasing in popularity with his recent film '22 Jump Street' will attract customers that like his movies. Having a known and successful director like Christopher Nolan could attract people that like his movies, this will increase the revenue our business receives. Using a large set is saving money as well as giving us more possibilities to manipulate the surrounding areas using a green screen. Marketing worldwide would let more people know and that will lead to more people watching our movie. If the movie premiers in major worldwide cities customers that have seen it may recommend it to others which will lead to more people wanting to watch the movie. Having a successful hollywood writer will mean the script for the movie will be outstanding which will mean the storyline will be much better than other movies attracting more and more viewers.

Textual Analysis

Jurassic World (2015)

Genre

Jurassic World fits into the experimental science sub-genre of the sci-fi genre. This could also be a hybrid between adventure and sci-fi. This will increase the popularity of the movie as people interested in the adventure genre would like to watch the movie.

Key Conventions

The dinosaurs in the movie is a classic convention in all the Jurassic movies which gives the watcher an idea as to what will happen within the movie. The dinosaur eating the shark could attract some people that like to see horrific moments. Some other conventions include the characters reaction which in this trailer is shown as petrified and shocked. This makes the trailer more appealing as watchers would like to know what actually happens within the movie which makes them want to watch it. The setting intrigues some people as the bright colours of the grass and hills may make children more attracted to it and therefore increase the popularity of the movie. The science lab is another classic convention within sci-fi movies. In Jurassic World the scientist (Claire) works in a science lab in order to create a brand new dinosaur.

Target Audience

The movie is a 12A which suggests the movie is most likely a family movie. The age range is probably around 12-40 which in most cases covers the whole family which means everyone will be able to go and watch which once again increases the popularity. I think the movie is very equal in terms of which gender would like to watch it. The percentage of males and female wanting to watch the movie would most likely be 50% and 50%.

Avengers : Age of Ultron

Genre

Avengers fits into sci-fi however some people could argue that it's not due to the fact it's closer to being a fantasy than being a pure sci-fi movie. However the advanced technology used for Iron Man could contribute to the sci-fi part of the movie.

Key Conventions

The advanced technology used in Tony Starks suit shows a futuristic side to the movie and shows that it is a science fiction type of movie. Also the robots shown in the movie are another convention that contributes to the science fiction side of the movie. The lab where Tony Stark works at has a really futuristic atmosphere to it which is another classic convention to science fiction movies. Some people may regard The Hulk as an abnormal creature which is once again another convention of science fiction movies.

Target Audience

The movie is a PG-13 which means it is suitable for families. I think the age range would be would be from 13-40 as this is a suitable age range for families. I think this is a good age range for the producers as more people would go to watch it. In my opinion 60% of viewers would be male and 40% female as I think males may prefer action movies.

Interstellar





Genre 

Interstellar fits into sci-fi and adventure. The sub-genre would be 'space' and 'time travel' this is because they explore outer space also when the characters the time changes where they are ahead by many decades.

Key Conventions

The first convention of Interstellar is time travel which is a classic convention used in many sci-fi movies. The second convention of the movie is the advanced technology used to send the astronauts into outer space. The technology is shown at the start of the trailer when the characters go after a drone. More technology is shown in the trailer when the space ship can be seen which is used to go into space. Another convention is the use of different planets and environments.

Target Audience

The movie is a PG-13 which makes me think it could be a family movie or for people in their teens/20s. The age range for Interstellar could be 13-35. Also i think this is aimed at more educated people. I think men would enjoy this movie more which makes me say 70% of viewers would be male and 30% of viewers be female.

First Task

1. I chose media studies as I find editing and filming videos really interesting. I like to use programs such as Photoshop and iMovie.

2. I'm looking forward to using Photoshop and editing programs. I'm also looking forward to filming music videos and creating posters.

3. I would like to learn how to use Photoshop at a higher level and also learn how to promote our music videos and movies.

4. I'm aiming for an A* but I'll be happy with an A.

5. The last film I watched was The Simpsons Movie which was hilarious. The last TV show i watched was The Big Bang Theory.

6. This may appeal to people which like comedy series and films. I would recommend The Simpsons Movie to anyone that watches The Simpsons or even like comedy movies. 

7. In the past 24 hours I have used my phone, computer, tablet and PS3 to access the media.

8. The device I use the most to access the media is my phone.

9.
    

I think Jurassic World is a film that fits into both the adventure and sci-fi genres. 

10. I think this appeals to families as children may be interested into dinosaurs and also all family members could enjoy a film like this.