Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service
4.5 *
Director: Matthew Vaughn

 Starring: Colin Firth, S.J Jackson 

Running time: 129 mins 

Certification: 15

 Matthew Vaughn once again exceeds all expectations as the dubbed 'copy-cat Bond' by many critics surprisingly contained wit action and romance. Many believed no one could ever create a spy thriller that could compete with the likes of 007, moreover the genre has been monotonised in recent times with the likes of: 'Bourne Legacy', 'Mission Impossible'  and failures such as 'Red' however this witty thriller and beginning of a new franchise offers new gadgets and gismos as well as the arrogance and dashing males. Moreover there has been a movement to introduce women spies in recent times with the likes of 'Veronica Mars' and yes, Kingsman incorporated this too, offering a recent twist on ageing stereotypes.

 The film is riddled with big names, helping promote the film, eg Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson in particular, playing an evil megalomaniac with a lisp affiliated on world domination. There is the classic cliches with some ambiguous sexual references which take away the professionalism of the film however it is all in good spirit. A good film, with a few tweaks there could be a promising sequel.

Equipment Used in Filming: Dolly

 

The Dolly 



Dolly systems are very expensive. Which is why we had to borrow one from the school, unfortunately we did not have the track you see in the picture meaning our film was shaky in some takes. The idea of the dolly is to accommodate all DV & HDV cameras, tripod and rigs. The swift dolly is skilfully made and the set up is quick and easy. Our swift dolly track can also work with other dolly systems because the outer diameter of this track is the same as of the standard.



The dolly provided dynamic shots and aided in tracking shots as we were able to move the camera mounted on the tripod. This helped as it made our filming diverse as were not just using match on action.








Unused footage!

This is footage from our final task which was filmed on my iPhone 6 as our cameras were unable to zoom when in the video preset! This caused a major problem as the continuity was less fluid. However to keep the quality of the film it is sensible to leave this footage out at it would be visible in the difference between quality on screen. 

Decisions with Editing

The Professional Software 

Yesterday our cameraman Liam took our first shots just with me on screen, although when we were out shooting, we realised that we were speaking about ways in which we could portray the macabre theme we were going for e.g manipulating the lighting or desaturation of the clips, when editing. So we decided that i would edit as we took the shots. I have already started editing our most of the shots that we have taken, this was helped by the use of two cameras giving different angles to increase the professionalism feel which we are trying to replicate from the actual industry, At the moment it is looking great, and we are already looking for copyright free audio soundtracks to include in it. To edit we are using a software called ' Final Cut Pro' on an Apple Macbook Pro.

Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of media to audiences “to what extent do you agree with this statement (50 Marks)

Media convergence is the combination of two or more media platforms; it can happen in any of the three stages (production, distribution and exhibition), for example using a movie to promote its merchandise eg “Battleship”. Synergy on the other hand is the simultaneous release of different products, in the hope that they promote one another. It describes the promotion and sales of a product or media text through numerous subsidiaries one common option is social media as trailers can appear on blogs and websites such as Facebook. Due to the increase in technology, especially in the film industry, it has become easier for different companies to work together to create a successful product or brand, therefore I believe cross-media convergence and synergy are important (but not a vital) processes in the marketing of a product and I shall further explain the reason why in this response.

Cross media convergence and synergy are important marketing practices necessary for the front loading of film marketing campaigns. Pioneered by Walt Disney, allowing other subsidiaries the right to use his famous Mickey Mouse character to promote products and gain profit. These rights enabled him to advertise all Disney films and thus help to increase the films sales. By using synergetic techniques Walt was able to build a whole franchise and multimillion dollar theme park in California and then expanded across the globe. Not only did he make profit but he enticed his target audience children at the same time by using the hypodermic syringe model.

I believe that cross media convergence and synergy can help any media product in the promotion stage, however I believe to an extent that it depends on the budget of the piece and how much capital will go towards this marketing process. A prime example of this is The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, due to the pre-existing fan base of the successful Lord of The Rings Trilogy it was no shock that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug made a profit of $134.1 million. It is the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film and the 24th highest-grossing film of all time. It grossed $209 million worldwide on its opening weekend. This returning fan base meant that The Desolation of Smaug was in first place at the box office for three consecutive weekends during winter. As The Hobbit is made and produced by a media giant Time Warner’s subsidiaries whereas 12 Year’s A Slave is seen to be made and produced through film4 © a smaller media firm however it was actually produced by Regency Films a subsidiary of Fox Searchlight. As Time Warner is a media conglomerate it was able to successfully advertise through the synergetic system. It is apparent that The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug’s budget was at $250 million whereas 12 Year’s A Slave’s budget was at $22 million; this clearly highlights the difference between the big six and smaller media firms. The convergence from these big six conglomerates allows them to use wider ranges of synergy which cost higher fees for example: video games, play figures and soundtracks. All these objects attract children.

As Time Warner has a greater market share of 26.3% it is a powerhouse within the media conglomerates beating competition in Disney and Paramount. However 12 Year’s A Slave had to have numerous companies offer capital and investments to even advertise through traditional methods such as bill boards and within small cinema companies. They had less synergetic strategies displayed as it was only expected to premier in art houses and small cinemas, despite this it managed to gross $56 million highlighting how synergy isn’t always needed to promote films, word of mouth is just as successful.

Through the use of social media Time warner was able to successfully advertise The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer therefore enticing the target audience to watch the film as well as informing them of the opening weekend date. As the film production seemed so massive, Tolkien Estate gave permission for the original book of The Hobbit to be remastered but only the front cover as this advertised the new cinema release as on all the new books it stated “in cinemas soon.” Moreover as the book cover had been remastered an audiobook was produced therefore allowing fanatics to remind themselves of the storyline before actually watching the film. This allowed the Tolkien Estate to gain revenue as well as advertise the cinematic release. The fact that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was filmed in New Zealand meant that the population of 4.5 million had a special connection with the film therefore creating more of a response. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was on every poster and every billboard in every major city trying to attract as many people as possible. As the movie was ‘coming soon’ this attracted more customers but mainly due to the fact that it was the second of a trilogy. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was an expected huge success due to the pre-existing fan base however this expectation was capitalised upon as opening night meant cinemas were packed resulting in a $73.5 million turnover in the first weekend therefore displaying how synergy is a huge player within the business, this is highlighted as Twelve years a slave which did not use as much synergy only made $ 187.7 million all together whereas The Hobbit made almost 1/3 of that on opening night.

It is apparent how desperate 12 Year’s A Slave was as it struggled to despatch the release of their film as it took four distribution companies whereas the Hobbit only used one. However the unexpected happened as During its opening limited release in the United States, 12 Years a Slave debuted with a weekend total of $923,715 on 19 screens for a $48,617 per-screen average. The following weekend, the film entered the top ten after expanding to 123 theatres and grossing an additional $2.1 million. It continued to improve into its third weekend, grossing $4.6 million at 410 locations. The film release was expanded to over 1,100 locations on November 8, 2013.



Therefore synergy is not needed for small companies as Twelve years a slave shows as it was a success despite the use of major synergy.

Editing progresses

Im really enjoying the editing on Final Cut Pro, it didnt take me long to pick up the skill set which allowed me to make some good cuts, i think i have definatly improved from our last extract which we all made. There are some problems that others in the group didnt like the title card animation as it seemed out of place which in hindsight i agree with. Unfortunately the amount of clips we took means that our screenplay is too long reaching limits of 1 minute 45 seconds; the problem is that we havent embeded kirstys shots yet leaving us with 15 seconds to work with. I may have to make a descision to remove the head turn section as it is a bit out of place and comical. Unfortunately others in the groupd dont understand the value of a couple of seconds. However i am very happy with how it is looking so far. 

Third Day of Filming! Weather Warning!

We were all prepared to complete our last day of filming; we made sure we had the: props, warm clothing, batteries etc but today unfortunately the weather is forecast to rain and it has been raining all day, to keep with the continuity of our film opening; we made a group agreement that it wouldn't be right to continue today also the actors and rest of the crew would be wet through!! Better luck next time.

Second day of filming final task!

This afternoon we were given time to do more filming, it started in disaster as we had left some major props at home and we had cameras loosing battery quickly, luckily I managed to retrieve these and we made some good progress as our male actor began to understand his role in the film and how serious the film was; we had some good takes and bad takes however it all worked out in the end, one more day of filming to go! 

First day of filming! Help

We had our first day of filming today and it didn't go very well, our actor wasn't taking it as serious as we had hoped for, moreover the cold temperatures we were in while filming didn't help the actor as we were to pre occupied with keeping warm. Lets hope it goes better tommorow

Hmmm... I don't think that will be in the edited version

Preparation for Final Task: Location Location Location

After we had completed our animatics and completed our plan we realised and knew which locations we would like to film in, we were given the chance to go out and take photographs of these specific locations. Our scenes are based in a park area and in a forest as these seem malicious and chilling places at night, we have edited the photos below, giving them a desaturated look which we hope will be replicated in our film, this gives a macabre atmosphere which adds to the horror.

Preparation for Final Task: Story Board (Animatics)

Story Board with Annotations

This is the animatic section of our planning for the clip we will be creating, as you can see from the document there is a thorough explanation of the actions we want to happen in our scene. There are a few descriptions of initial camera angles and movements we would like in our clip as well as the locations we will be taking each scene in. Some of the props that we will be using are included in the descriptions below.


Animatics

Preparation for Final Task: Script Development

Scripts

We have, as predicted, produced our second draft for the script, we took into consideration that the shots in the car would be to difficult to film and therefore had a rethink of what we could do. We have also exchanged the two main characters positions in our two minute clip.

Preparation for Final Task: Mood Board

Mood Board

Furthermore once we had come up with the name, the genre we have produced a mood board so that we personally could grasp the true idea of what our 2 minute film would consist of, it gives us exact locations where we would like to film and displays images of mise en scene we want to capture in our film. Moreover we have created numerous titles for our team to pick from in the future.

American Sniper Review

American Sniper 

*****
Director: Clint Eastwood 

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller

Length: 132 mins

Certification: 15

This has to be one of the most enticing film i have watched for years. This is certainly Bradley Cooper's regeneration as a serious actor. Clint Eastwood directs an enthralling fascinating story of the "Most lethal sniper in American History."  After producing such a prolific detailed reenactment of the Broadway and West End musical  'Jersey Boys' Clint has completely contrasted this in 'American Sniper,' possibly in the search of his favourite forte. He directs such ghastly and heart pounding scenes of war in this film, therefore i would tell him he should stick with thriller. His use of  Bradley Cooper is perfectly cast as Chris Kyle, Cooper had to gain almost double of what he previously weighed to play the role displaying his commitment to the role, which he plays fantastically, the clever shots and genuine manner of Kyle allows viewers to side with the killer. Sienna Miller plays an imperative role in the film as she is the reminder of home and civilisation for Chris, moreover it displays how disruptive and weak women can become, not knowing where or what their husband is doing. Vera Brittain in Testament of Youth displays that "war seemed such a waste of life even for those who didn't die" as marriages and relations were diminished by conflict. It is impressive how devoted Chris is to his company, however he becomes addicted to the exhilaration derived from danger therefore can't lead a stable life. It is a fantastic plot and being based on true events, it creates a sombre and emotional ending for all viewers in the cinema.

Horror Genres and Sub-Genres

Disability in The Media: A Touch Of Frost

Immediately we are introduced to our antagonist, “Billy” the mid shot displays how the couple believe in Billy’s innocence; a stereotype connected with disability. The bridging non-diegetic that connects the outdoors shots is inquisitive much like peoples opinions of Billy. His clothing is full of mud and in an attempt to hide disguise this he briefly rubs it off. The music is dark and mysterious; it has an anticlimactic feel to it as is creates and eerie atmosphere. This is exaggerated by the clever use of natural light giving Billy a shady and disfigured image of him. This disfiguration creates question in the readers mind ‘ Why is a physically and mentally disabled man walking out in the cold and dark at night?’ The quick match on action and continuity editing enhances this atmosphere and displays how this is no ordinary evening. The tracking shot of the perpetrators displays how Billy is being seen as a threat to society, he is being seen as abnormal and almost animalistic as the police are tracking him. The quick change in shot gives a dislocated feeling to the clip highlighted more by the tracking shot, which displays his disability as he has a dysfunctional walk. The non-diegetic reaches its climax and there is literally a light bulb moment where Billy realizes someone is tracking him, the long shot used display Billy’s astonishment and fear as well as his trackers torches, this metaphorically displays how disabled people are always in the spotlight despite their aspirations to be seen as normal. The continuity editing allows Billy to be seen fleeing the crime scene as well as the police chasing him. Billy is incapable of escaping probably due to the fact that he is physically incapable of running for a long time. The diegetic of the rustles of leaves and scrambling of the police officers are visible in a point of view shot which gives the idea of Billy being surrounded, and almost bullied. The high angle shot attaches vulnerability and weakness to Billy as he is almost looked down on moreover he is being watched being caught and almost poached like an animal. It is obvious that Billy’s mind doesn’t match his body as he moans through diegetics, “Haven’t done anythin wong” this highlights that he is afraid and has committed that natural reflex to remove the blame from himself.

We see the return of the clarinets and now the trumpet as the title sequence begins; this music bridges the previous exterior scene and now another exterior scene of supposedly outside of Billy’s residence. There is a diegetic overlap of the two settings as we move from the exterior of he house to the interior. A high angle shot is used from the point of view of someone on the stairs, this raises suspicion in the clip as it sees everybody wants to know what Billy was doing. If it wasn’t obvious before the viewers now are backed up on the point that Billy suffers from “disability” however his father calls him handicapped which is politically incorrect, this could suggest that his father feels burdened with Billy.

We see that Billy’s father treats him as a child as he speaks in a father-like supportive manner, which could be seen as condescending. However we see his father sit behind him through the use of a long shot, this shows the viewers that his father fully supports Billy, this is unstereotypical of human beings as there are only a few who stand up for people who are different. It is obvious that Billy is fearful as the close-up of his face tells the viewers that he seems guilty. The match on action and shot reverse shot creates an interrogation theme as Mr Frost is always in control of the situation and is always looking for answers. We see through the diegetics how Mr Frost treats Billy like a child which is very stereotypical he speaks slowly saying “sudd-en-ly there were po-lice and dogs.” Mr Frost is very aware of Billy’s state asking him simple closed questions so he can retrieve some information. The conversation seems innocent at first however this sombre atmosphere and low key lighting and small remains of back lighting therefore highlighting billy as the main culprit this displays how everything is always what it seems moreover Billy’s innocence is heightened by the fact that he has been battered and bruised this is shown through the fake blood and bruises he has on his face. Billy is quite childish and probably doesn’t understand the rules of society as it is very abnormal to be walking alone at night in the woods. This childish attitude comes across when he tells Mr Frost that he was playing in the “playground” this seems out of the ordinary for a young man however because of his disability he wants too. Trisha the girl who the police are looking for is only eight years of age; this makes this accusation even more shocking but gives the readers an idea why they were together at the playground.

Mr Frost seems almost new to interrogating anyone with disability as he overlooks Billy when he says “coming home from work shop before tea” it is obvious from Billy’s spoken syntax that he does have some mental disabilities he speaks like a child. Mr Frost recognises that Billy’s answer doesn’t help him and therefore overlooks him; this is demeaning towards Billy and is taboo in many disability cases he speaks to his dad looking right through billy saying “what. What does that mean?” as if it was impossible to understand. His father interprets Billy giving a proper time period. It might be seen as Billy being a bit simple however others may see him as cunning and intuitive playing off his disability to try and get himself out of trouble. Billy having the mind he does, tries to impress Mr Frost by telling him he works at a workshop; it is rather odd someone with disabilities is allowed to work and even if he was not in this intricate profession, however this is a stereotype as Billy he just wants to seem normal and have a normal job. The silence in the background creates a tense atmosphere; it gives Billy space to speak. However once the questions become tougher Billy does not have as much confidence to give answers. He uses his head to nod, therefore showing how uncomfortable he is in the situation. We see how under pressure from other “non – disabled” people Billy becomes angry and bad tempered showing his true emotions this is rather like in the elephant man when he is surrounded by swarming people.

In the penultimate scene we see through shot reverse shot the tense and disturbed atmosphere around the room. The close up of Billy astonished look when Mr Frost tells Billy of his evidence is jaw dropping we see his fear and tries to shout at Mr Frost in a way of pleading innocent, this shouting through diegetics “I DIDN’T SEE HERE” elapsed with the silence in the background creates a disrupting scene this shows the viewer’s how when under pressure Billy can’t handle it. Throughout the scene Billy is shown in numerous close ups proving that he is the main culprit. We see that the director uses the closes ups to show Billys disabilities this creates a sense of pity and compassion towards Billy as the viewers will feel sorry for him. This combined with the low key lighting and silence used for an eerie effect creates a perfect scene for interrogation.

A Time Line Displaying the Actions We Want To Have Completed In The Next Five Months

This is an overdraft of the time our team will be putting in to complete our final task, the dates display the deadline we expect the following tasks belwo to be completed by:

Completed By November 30th 2014

• Initial ideas for the two minute clip
• Story Boards
• Mood Board

Completed By December 16th 2014

• Location Scouting
• Actors Chosen
• Choose A Date For Filming
• Name Chosen

Completed By December 31st 2014

• Script Complete
• Costume and prop scouting
• Filming begins

Completed By January 16th

• Most of the filming complete

Completed By January 31st 2015

• All Filming Complete
• All media uploaded to a laptop
• Clip placement and organisation
• Editing process Begins

Completed By February 28th 2015

• Editing Complete
• Sound inputed on film
• 2 minute clip exported
• Clip embeded onto Blogger.com

How is regional identity represented in Our Friends Up North. Mise en scene, cinematography (camera angles/movements), editing, sound and lighting.

Throughout the extract the use of mid-wide-shots creates and element of division between the two couples, this could be a metaphor for the regional divide of the couple from Newcastle who seem to be content with their unexciting jobs and the couple striving for new challenges in the evolving world they live in. The insinuation that the couples contrast each other is influenced by the use of match on action, which divulges into shot reverse shot, this displays a confrontation and disjointed feeling towards the couples therefore displaying the contrast in views. The table is significant in the scene as it is the only object creating a barrier from either groups, it is almost set up in the form of The House of Commons (one political group on one side opposing the counter political group on the other) There is an obvious division as Mary simply identifies to the viewers that Helen is not from Newcastle stating “How do you like Newcastle Helen?” It is apparent that the couple from Newcastle doesn’t know how to make conversation with new faces as they treat Helen like a child. The use of costumes here displays Mary and Toscar believed they would be having dinner with an upper class woman as they are well dressed but almost seem overdressed. It could be the case that Toscar and Mary have never been invited out for dinners before and therefore don’t know what to wear. It isn’t unusual for friends to mingle at dinners however it occurs more often down south as there are a greater number of restaurants. This divide is highlighted by the fact that Helen is cultured and well mannered displayed by her diegetic when making her way through the menu (perfect pronunciation)  “gamberoni” we see a large juxtaposition between the cultured Helen and the juvenile jesting stereotype of a ‘Geordie’ in Toscar. The non-diegetic sound in the background creates a calm and unhostile feeling to the evening; this is enhanced by the use of continuity editing as the whole scene takes place in the interior of a restaurant however this non diegetic sound is exchanged with diegetic sounds of classic restraint noises, this is a climatic tactic used by the director, this could highlight that the principal part of the scene is soon to take place.

   The use of low-key lighting and a lack of backlighting exaggerates an almost hazed mood where everybody seems on edge and eager to keep the conversation flowing; the use of a candle creates a natural light but it acts as a metaphor as it only highlights the persons face and not there true feelings. The small “chit chat” becomes disconnected from the conversation as the first close up enters the scene, this displays how the conversation is beginning to become more serious. Helen opens the seriousness with a question “Am I what you expected?” this is opens the debate for regional identity as Helen is displaying how she believes that she is different and of higher humanity than Toscar and Mary. We see representations of gender here as Mary is very frail and afraid to speak for herself as she seems off guard when she is spoken too, this implies that Toscar is a very dominant member of the relationship, Mary doesn’t want to offend and carefully replies saying I thought you would be a “cliché” moreover through the use of a midshot we can see that Helen is a respectable stern woman as she quickly defends Mary as she is interrupted.

   The fact that Helens side of the table is only shown through a close up of herself displays how she can fend for herself and also that she has that stereotypical boisterous manner of a person from south England therefore Niki still seems powerless in comparison to her despite his views being of the same herself but more so that Niki still lacks the confidence that comes with the new role he is playing in life. We see a change in attitude from Helen as she also smirks and boasts her “six grand a year” to the other two. This displays her class, she isn’t working class but middle class as she can afford to throw her money about and still have some left. The midshot of Toscar’s and Mary’s faces display how overwhelmed they are by this substantial amount of money,  however Toscar tries to hide his astonishment in diegetic saying “ its not bad” he seems almost embarrassed that a woman is gaining more money than he is a year. Helens classiness is obvious however under close examination from Toscar he finds a fault in her personal life: the constant match on action and shot reverse shot from and over the shoulder view displays an almost interrogation situation the shots are taken from over the shoulder giving a distant feel to the characters it is obvious that they are conflicting however by using the over the shoulder shot I think it makes Toscar seem protruding and intrusive. 

  Toscar’s constant interrogation forces Helen through the use of diegetic and a mid-close up to reveal a personal detail about herself, she tells him how her ex- husband “couldn’t cope with me having lovers,” this is a large juxtaposition in the regional and hierarchical identity. Helen has obviously been brought up well in the comfort of a wealthy family, but quite surprisingly she has picked up some rebellious behavior, this may be due to mixing with the wrong people. We can see Toscars astonishment on his face with the help of a close up, his eyes roll towards Niki almost asking a question telepathically, what have you brought with you? More over the division enlarges this time through the occupation of Helen compared with Toscar’s; the audacity of Helen is stressed through a close up of her face when speaking of her job as an analyst for a merchant bank, this is juxtaposed with Toscars embarrassment at his job: a box stacker.

    It is visible to the viewer’s his lack of culture as he is unaware of any black oppression in Rhodesia where the company he works for is intruding. This is obvious as the constant shot reverse shot between Toscar and Helen gives a teacher and child image where Helen is telling Toscar what’s right and wrong.

    It is significant that Toscars social and regional divide is most obvious at the point where he asks diegetically “How much” in the relation to pudding, this displays that he is not hard working which is uncharacteristic of a northern man who is involved in manual labor. It also relates to his lack of restaurant etiquette as it is very unusual to go to a restaurant unsure of weather you can afford the food. Moreover the mid-shot of the waiters smirk and Mary’s embarrassment displays how unsuited the Geordie couple are to restaurant and social life. The continuity editing depicts how the journey of the night entails and more to the point the conversation. Toscar remarks his lack of interest in politics: this juxtaposes with Helen as she lives in one of the most political cities in the world.


Sorry about the essay :) 

Preparation for Final Task Mind Maps

   Now we have completed our preliminary task, we have to produce a final product of a two minute clip in the format of an opening scene or even sequence, we will have to work in a team once again; we will all have to work together. Our team have decided to produce a horror scene as we believe this has the most dramatic content. I believe that the genre horror is best suited for this task and we hope to follow in James Watkins footsteps. There are numerous techniques our group can use which involves more than the mise en scene, for example in the preliminary task one of my improvements was to introduce a lighting technique and we are able to do this here as horrors are notorious for low key lighting and desaturation. Before we start the filming prospect we have to derive a plan of action this will start with the production of a mind map which entails the main themes which we think our important to our horror film. This is the group work that I have participated in, we used an app called Simple Mind+ to ensure all of our ideas where set out neatly and where easily accessible.

These are some of the thoughts we have about horror movies and how they relate to our movie :

We begin with some basic headings of what we thought had to be in our horror movie:

Initial Ideas

We then began to divulge into more greater aspects of the film.

Know that we have a general idea of what we want to achieve in the film we need to pick a name therefore we all put our ideas together and began to brainstorm. Horrors can "make it or break" just on their name for example: the most financially successful horror movie is “Friday the 13th," you can tell that this film will be enthralling as it is old folk law that something malicious happens on Friday the thirteenth. More over "Saw" is ranked the most successful horror movie franchise of all time. On the other hand some horrors have flopped just due to their names for example "house of Wax."

We have chosen the name: The Woods Have Ears. This has a familiarity to it as it sounds similar to the horror film: The Hills Have Eyes. We all like this name as it fits perfectly with our horror genre and most of our action takes place in the woods. With out giving to much away, our protagonist cannot escape the daunting whispers in the wind.

How is Age Represented in Waterloo Road

Through the cinematography of the extreme close ups and a tracking shot, which highlights the footsteps of the senior member of staff, a sense of prowling and stalking is attached to Grantly, it seems as if he is always ready to pounce on students who are not conforming to proper conduct and are breaking the taboo in school. He is seen as an antagonist in the school and this is a stereotype of senior members of staff inside schools, they will always find out! Moreover the quick change in camera angle is effective as the viewers realize who is catching the two juvenile youths in the act. Even before we see the characters face the viewers are able to guess the teacher by his clothing, he seems to wear a full tweed suit, this isn’t terribly fashionable which is another stereotype of senior members of the public this quickly distinguishes a contrast in personnel and persona. The close up shot reveals the boys facial expressions, which are of despair and anxiety, which is a large juxtaposition with Grantlys smug and patronizing look. The youths are scruffy and don’t take care in their personal looks as ties and shirts are not tucked displaying a rebellious attitude typical of teenagers. Grantlys attitude is of haughtiness and snobbery as he enjoys making the youths lives a misery, he demands authority and respect as he displays diegetic sound when clicking, this is another stereotypical action of a senior staff member, it is almost like an old fashioned style of teaching. We again see the naivety of the youthful boys as one speaks saying” chill out man” he uses colloquial slang language which represents the youthful ness and even more so displays a large contrast in pronunciation between Grantly and the lads which is a display of higher education and a sense of hierarchic manner in the school.

Just as Grantly deters the boys and begins his prosecution he is bewildered by a mistake: Miss Chowdry, a young professional woman, who seems to be fashionable choosing colourful clothing and speaks with a inexperience about her joins the prosecution of the boys only to be caught out by Grantly too. We can see by the close up and her rapid change in facial expression, where Grantly asks the question, “You did take out the insurance?” that she is only young and seems stressed due to the lack of experience she has. She changes from anger with the boys to anger and disappointment with herself, this is much like Grantlys opinion, of Mrs. Chowdry as they quickly join in alliance however rapidly she herself has become a target of Grantlys opinion. Grantly seems wise and omniscient which is a key characteristic of his.

There is a perceptible change in interior setting from the school classroom, where students are expected to correspond to the school etiquette and silence is expected, this contrasts to the manifest of chatter and shouting in the stereotypical school scene, the mid-long-shot displays the youthful behavior, in the corridor, of students at their lockers and colloquial slang being barked across hallways, the continuity editing and smoothness between shots display the coherence in the friendly relationship between the two friends gossiping in the corridor, this is a common trait of the teenage generation, this is unsettled by the entrance of Amy, (the girl who all the commotion is about) the continuity editing is disrupted due as the smooth fades in and out of shots are noticeable sharp and snappy which link well with her piercing and quick diegetic answers back. Some of theses answers are explicit which displays the grammatical weakness of the students at the school, these unambiguous terms are also stereotypical of the younger teenage generation as they see it as an act of rebellion as it is generally taboo to use ‘swear words.’ Amy seems very aggressive and over protective even to her friends, which is another peculiarity of young teenagers, they hate confrontation and care about what other people think of them. The entrance of non-diegetic sound in the scene informs the viewers of a situation occurring however as it is fast paced electronic music it symbolizes an emotional commotion. This is reassured by the introduction of the point of view shot, where the viewers can see from Amy’s position, it is as if she is eyeing up her prey before she strikes, the up beat non diegetic sound symbolizes the turbulent youthful emotions of hormonal teenagers. This is exaggerated by the use of fast pace match on action and a tracking shot, which gives a sense of uncontrollable anger by Amy throughout the confrontation. The viewers receive an antagonistic understanding of Amy moreover Amy seems to break the gender stereotype that women are defenseless and need protection as she almost starts a fight with Stewart Foley; it seems as if he is the vulnerable and innocent one in this case, which again breaks the male gender stereotype.

The quick change in interior leaves the viewers on a cliff hanger whilst a sub plot develops, we see a classroom scene where all of the students are silent, whilst a middle aged teacher is speaking; this displays how he can control the class as he is respected more and seems more relatable to the students, this may be due to the fact that many of their parents will be the same age and will think of him as a parent giving the respect he deserves. This is in comparison to Mrs Chowdry who seems young and incapable of control and Grantly who demands respect and isn’t mutually given it. It is interesting that a high angle is used here; this usually represents weakness and vulnerability however this is juxtaposed here as the teacher has the class in fine stead. On the other hand this could be displaying his authority, as it seems as if everything is leading to him in the classroom. We can see his stereotypical opinions on teenage pregnancy as in a sarcastic tone congratulates “the happy couple, “clearly stating his abhorrence to this increasingly popular ideology. The close up of the pregnant girl displays uneasiness about her, she like most teenage girls feels the need to apply numerous amounts of cosmetics to her face to make her seem desirable. This is mainstream for girls between 14-18; she uses unusually large earrings, this may be because she is restricted to school uniform therefore she has to find a way to be unique and fashionable. It seems as she is masking her true feelings with this made up appearance. She is afraid replying to her boyfriend, who is extremely naive and senseless, “ yeah course I am,” in relation to his question concerning her happiness with having a baby at the age of 16! The viewers can tell from her sheepish reply that she obviously is not happy with this and most probably wants an abortion. Shyness would be typical of a teenager in school especially with a baby as they rank other people opinions very highly.

There is an element of bridging music as the scene begins ands ends with the carry-over sound from the previous scene; the electronic music begins from a fade, this time the non-diegetic sound is much louder which could display more frustration from Amy. There is clever use of editing and camera work as there is a point of view reflection shot; it is as if there is a person trying to see through a window to get the best view of the commotion. This would be typical of a student, as they may want to be the first person to spread the rumor. There is increasing use of match on action and continuous non-diegetic sound; this gives a agitated and furious emotion. Amy seems to be the alpha controlling Stewart while he sits trapped looking increasingly venerable, he is stereotypically geeky which displays that he cant fend for himself, the fact that the characters contrast so much displays how you cant stereotype everybody into one group. The interesting use of different shots and angles in the confrontation scene displays a disorientated and a panic stricken state of mind, like Stewart. We see he is in mental stress and in significant pain as it seems Amy is inflicting this pain with her words (not even by touch) Luckily for Stewart a teacher deters the situation, he like all the other students takes charge of the situation and acts responsibly and correctly in a scene of panic, this is typical of anyone over the age of 18, they are level headed and cool under pressure. He is following the positive stereotype as he diffuses the situation displayed by the editing and fade out of the non-diegetic sound.

In a comical contrast to the serious scene we see previously we have a teacher who has decided to break the middle aged stereotype of smart well-dressed and respectable adults and decided to try and become more like the students; at a guess I think he is trying to be more relatable for students. However he is removing his right for respect as he is wearing almost gothic and very unstylish clothing which is unapproved of by his colleagues. This is again stereotypical of middle-aged people they tend to try and follow the ‘style’ but they tend to not be as fashionable as the younger generations. The rap non diegetic music which is played in the background almost mocks the teacher as it contrasts his physic and appearance, rap is generally speaking a young persons type of music; in this you would expect a young looking, physically fit, boy or girl to walk through the double doors in some sort of grand entrance however it is anti climatic and leaves the viewers confused therefore a comedic reaction would be common.

There are numerous stereotypes throughout the three minute clip for example senior, middle aged, young professional and youths, the only age this clip doesn’t cover is infantile however the target audience for “waterloo Road” will be of people aged thirteen and over therefore these are the main protagonists and in Grantlys case antagonists.

Roland Barthes Information

Synopsis

Born on November 12, 1915, in Cherbourg, France, French literary philosopher Roland Barthes was educated at the Sorbonne, and went on to help establish structuralism as one of the leading intellectual movements of the 20th century. His work made important advances in the areas of semiotics, anthropology and post-structuralism. Barthes died in Paris in 1980.

Early Life

Roland Gérard Barthes was born on November 12, 1915, in Cherbourg, France. When Barthes was an infant, his father was killed in a marine battle. Shortly after, his mother, Henriette Barthes, moved the family to Bayonne, where Roland spent most of his early childhood. In 1924, the Bartheses moved to Paris, where Roland first studied at the Lycée Montagne. From 1930 to 1934, he was enrolled at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Barthes's prominent grandfather was a famous explorer and colonial administrator. Though his grandparents were wealthy, food often lacked in his home; his grandparents refused to help them after Barthes's mother bore an illegitimate child. His mother then worked as a bookbinder to make ends meet. In the late 1930s and early '40s, Barthes continued his education at the Sorbonne, focusing on classical letters, grammar, philology and Greek tragedy. During this time, he fell ill to tuberculosis, spending time in sanatoriums during the occupation (from 1934 to 1935, and from 1942 to 1946).

Career and Sucess

Roland Barthes taught at many schools, including in Biarritz, Bayonne and Paris (1939-46), as well as at the French Institute in Bucharest (1948-49), the University of Alexandria in Egypt (1949-50) and the Directorate General of Cultural Affairs, 1950-52. He then worked in research at National Centre for Scientific Research, 1952-59, later moving into a directorship of studies position at the Practical School of Higher Studies; 1960-76. Barthes came stateside to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (1967-68), and went on to act as chair of the literary semiology at the College of France, 1976-80. Barthes wrote several books over his teaching career, including Writing Degree Zero (1953), Criticism and Truth (1966) and S/Z (1970), which analyzed the fiction of Honoré de Balzac's Sarrasine. Barthes became known as a leading critic of his period with his 1977 book, A Lover's Discourse, which sold more than 60,000 copies in his native country. The book was translated into other languages to reach audiences throughout Europe and in America. Barthes's works influenced structuralism, semiotics and anthropology. An influential thinker, Barthes delved into complex theoretical concepts and was skilled as an interpreter. He questioned how much one could understand the written word in relation to speech, stating in Image-Music-Text (1977): "For writing can tell the truth on language, but not the truth on the real... ." Influenced by his mother's death, in October 1977—an event that left him devastated—Barthes wrote his final book, La Chambre Claire (Camera Lucida), discussing photography as a mean of communication, in 1980. (Barthes and his mother had lived together for nearly 60 years prior to her death. Barthes found that there were particular codes in media depending on what society in which a media text is shown, he believed In a theory called the death of the author; Barthes displayed how he thought everyone should have their own interpretation of a film, he disliked how directors or screenplay writers would come out after the film had been shown for a while and give their own interpretation, he hated how they would deter any other interpretation except their own, on the other hand Barthes enjoyed how once the media text was out in the open the author becomes almost none existent because everybody interprets a film or text differently. For example in “Pulp Fiction” Quentin Tarantino leaves what is inside the mysterious briefcase to the viewer’s imagination, he came out after the film and said, it can be whatever the viewers want it to be.

Personal Life

Barthes fell ill during his young adult years, which, along with the realization that he was homosexual, affected his self-esteem. He was able to make close friendships, including with famed psychologist and writer Julia Kristeva, of whom he once reportedly said, "She's the only person I'm really in love with, the only woman who could make me change my sexuality." Friends noted Barthes's loyalty, thoughtfulness and inability to say "no" to requests. They also praised his rich voice (Barthes enjoyed music and even took singing lessons). Succumbing to injuries that he'd sustained after being hit by a vehicle weeks earlier, Roland Barthes died in Paris on March 25, 1980, at the age of 64.

Examples Of Semantics and Codes

Katana

Katana

Historically katana were one of the traditionally made Japanese Swords that were used in feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword." The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. It has historically been associated with the samurai of feudal Japan. It is closely linked with respect of Japanese warriors, by loosing your katana you loose your right as a warrior this warriors right and respect is shown in the recent film 47 Ronin , however in western countries it is a symbol of death, it is seen as a sword or a mass killing mechanism, they were feared during the second world war as the Japanese fought well with strength and cut through soldiers with ease.

Communist Russian Flag

The communist Russian flag was a symbol of hatred for people on the western front however to the Russians of that time it was a sign of power and still is today, the flag resembles the strength and courage of the Russians despite some of their inhumane methods. The Russians are cunning and tactical as they played a major part in the first and second world wars. If it was not for the greed of Hitler in his lust for world domination, Britain may be a different place right now.  http://www.biography.com/people/roland-barthes-36995 - Information sourced from