Title Research: Sky Fighters

Out of the 6 blogs assigned, 4 of the blogs are about title sequences in our genre. The last title sequences we have reviewed is "Sky Fighters". The primary reason we reviewed this movie because it is in the action genre. This is one of the most difficult title sequences to analyze because the action was planes.

1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 
There are 11 titles in total. The first tile is the name of the film company. Then, it is followed by "Products of" and other film productions included. After, it is followed by "Avec la participation de".  7 of the titles were names of the actresses and actors included in the movie. The last title is the name of the movie.

2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 
The images that were prioritized in the entire opening sequence were the air crafts and jets because most of the scenes consists of the jet flying or the blueprints of a jet.

3.What connotations do the images carry?
The connotation the images carry is action-packed. In the title sequence, it was accompanied by dramatic and intense music to foreshadow the action-scenes.

4.How is the genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The main elements that reinforce the action genre was the sound and transitions. As we mentioned before, the dramatic and intense music helps create an adrenaline rush. This causes the audience to feel like they are watching the air show. The camera movements of tilts, pans, and tracking shots help capture the action and fast-paced jets.

5.How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film establish enigma because of mystery/ vagueness. In the title sequence, there are a significant amount of vague details. This can cause the audience to question everything. For instance, the audience might have questions: "Why are the planes flying? How is this action? What will happen? Will someone die? " The intense scenes of the planes makes the audience why the planes are racing.

6.What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
Strategies that are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience by including France and jet planes. There were little information about this movies target audience but, we concluded the target audience is French people and people who like foreign movies. This movie was film in France on Bastille Day- an important day in French history. By using France as the main setting, French people would view this movie because they its located in France and they would want to watch the movie to see themselves. This film targets an audience who watch foreign film because the entire movie is in French. Since it is in French, it sparks curiosity in the French film production.

7.How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques? 

Out of the four title sequences we reviewed, "Sky Fighters" have the least editing techniques and transitions used in the title sequences. The main elements that are emphasized are the jets flying and the blueprints of the planes. Not only the blueprint scenes act as titles placers, they help transition to the different angles of the race. The different angles help with these transitions because there are scenes from a low angle to demonstrate a commoner perspective.

Title Research: Charlie's Angels (2000)

The third title sequence Hannah and I reviewed is called "Charlie's Angels". The primary reasons we choose this movie because of its accessibility and it is an action movie. This title sequence is found on "Art of the Title" / www.artofthetitle.com. This title sequence is about 1 minute and 30 seconds so, there will be less information about this particular title sequence.

1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences in the film?
There were 4 titles in total: one title of the movie and three titles of protagonists which were Natalie, Alex and Dylan.

2.What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images that are prioritized in the opening sequence is the three girls. In the title sequence, most of the scenes have the girls together or separate. In the title sequence, it displays the events of the girls lives like backstory and interest.

3. What connotations do the images carry?
The connotations the images carry is empowerment and happy. Since the three protagonists are female, female audience would feel empowered because they can do action-packed scenes, be spies and go on adventures.  The images carry a happy connotations because of the music. The background music for one part of the title sequence "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham! . This upbeat  and catchy song helps convey happy feelings.

4. How is the genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre was reinforced through the kidnapping  and their music. In the opening scene, it opens to a guy being kidnap on the boat. In most action movies, there are forms of kidnapping or violence. So, by having this scene it reinforce the action genre. The music in the first 15 seconds and in the scenes with the trio, there is dramatic music with a deep tone to foreshadow something bad is going to happen or something action-packed will occur. In the title sequence, there was a variety of angles: high, low, and eye-line. In the kidnapping scene, it was shot from a high and low angle to demonstrate the vulnerability of the man and the power Drew Barrymore's character possess.  The last way this title sequence reinforces the action genre is the presence of fire. Although the fire is graphic, it reinforces it because in most action movies fire is a by product of explosives.

5. How does the film establish enigma from the outset?
The film establish enigma from the outset by the kidnapping scene, scenes from the movie and curiosity for the three angels. In the opening, the title sequence opens with a kidnapping scene. It is implied through the man yelling at them and is trapped on a boat. This leaves the audience to wonder how and why they kidnap that man. Also, the title sequences foreshadows scenes in the movie. For instance, there was one scene where one of the girls were in handcuffs. This makes the audience wonder why and how she is in handcuffs or whether is was used for a comedic effect. The last way the film establish enigma is through the girls. Through the scenes, the audience sees their individualism and their teamwork. This makes them wonder how and why they became "Charlie's Angels".

6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The target audience is adults . The primary way the film appeals to its target audience is its inclusion of women. The main characters are female and in most action-packed movies, the spies are male. This targets the female audience because it shows women can feel empowered and do action-packed scenes. The film appeals to male because males love to see beautiful women as the main protagonists.  The main protagonist are played by Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and  Lucy
Lu, three beautiful women in 2000.  Also, it targets audiences who watch "Charlie's Angels" because this movie is a remake of the tv series "Charlie's Angels" as a nostalgia moment.

7. How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques. 

There was a variety of editing techniques used in this movie. The primary editing techniques are wipes and split screens. The wipes were used to transition to the next scene and the split screens were to emphasized the individualism of each woman and how their different background help develop a good team dynamic. Other editing that was used to emphasize their differences was the sound. During the split screen of each individual girl, different music was used  to accompany the scene. For Natalie's backstory, the sound "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go " was in the background while in Alex's backstory,  the song "The Best Thing is Life Are Free". The lyrics were about being the best can demonstrate how Alex wants to be free from being perfect.  Minor editing techniques that were used was flash in and out. When the photography took a picture of Alex wining an equestrian competition, the flash in/outs help transition into Drew Barrymore's character. . In the kidnapping scene, it was shot from a high and low angle to demonstrate the vulnerability of the man and the power Drew Barrymore's character possess.

Tittle Research: The Land of the Lost

The second title sequence Hannah and I researched was the title sequence of "The Land of the Lost". This title sequence is located on www.watchthetitles.com  and is a title sequence of an action movie.

1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

There was 25 titles in total. The first title was movie title. Then, it was followed by: Directed by Written by, Based on, Produced by, Produced by , Executive producer , Executive producers , Director of photography, Production designer, and Edited. After the Edited by title, it was followed by 5 actor titles, Casting by, Music by, Co-producers, Costume designer, Visual effects supervisor and Creature design by. The last three titles were A Sid & Marty Krofft Production , A Mosaic Production and A Brad Silberling Film. 

We noticed the all titles were capitalized. The title that was not white were Directed By because it shows who directed the movie. We noticed most of the titles were not perfectly align and the position of the titles would alternate from the left side of the frame to the right side. Also, the actors' and the production companies' were titles were the same size font. Most of the titles consist of a smaller text of the occupation and a larger text of the person performing the job. 

2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The primary image that was prioritized in this opening sequence is the a man in a suit/ sci-fi creature  because there were multiple times were this image would show up.We think this image prioritized because we feel like this character is crucial or has significance to the plot. Usually, the directors would foreshadow or emphasize an image to hint to the audience of a deeper meaning. The other images that were prioritized was the journey. Throughout the opening sequence, the audience follows a journey to different climates with different animal. We think these images foreshadows the journey and adventure the main characters will follow.

3. What connotations do the images carry?
The images carry a connotation of action-packed and curiosity feeling. These feelings are maintained throughout the opening sequences. The background music enhances the expedition to be more action-packed. The images ignite a sense of curiosity because there are unknown creatures and habitats that are unusual to the audience.

4. How is the genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The main elements that reinforced the action genre was the non-diegetic sounds and the transitions. As we previously mentioned, the expedition was accompanied by fast paced music. This reinforces the genre because in most action movies, the music is fast paced and intense. The transitions reinforced the genre because of their speed. Most of the transitions were about 5 seconds. This helps develop and foreshadows the fast paced and intense scenes in action movies. From an audience perspective, the fast paced transitions help the audience feel the adrenaline rush of discovering these locations. The different locations and creatures symbolizes the different interdimensional worlds.This was achieved through the different color designs for each location. In the mountain location, the color scheme is blue tones while in the jungle location, it has green tone. 

5. How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
This film was able to establish enigma from the outset by the fast paced transitions and locations. The As we previously mentioned, the fast paced transitions help transition into the different locations. This sparks curiosity in the audience because the most audiences are not knowledgeable on different climates and organisms. The fast-paced transitions also allows the audience to experience the adrenaline rush of exploration. The fitnal way the film establish enigma is the subtle clues and organisms. For instance, in one of the scenes, there are eggs hatching. This establishes enigma because it creates a mystery on the creature inside the egg.  The audience can deduce the creature is dinosaur-like because of the footprints. The other moment in the outset that establishes enigma through mystery is the words "BEWARE OF SLEESTALK". Although it is a subtle detail on the tree, it leaves the audience to question: Who and what is a sleestalk?

6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
 Strategies that are used to ensure the film appeals to it target audience are the  70's design and the comedians. The film might appeal to the older generation because the movie is capturing the 70's design and feel which is the same design used to produced the "The Land of the Lost" Tv show. If the film production recaptures originality of the tv show, older audiences would be targeted because they would reminisce about their memories. The film appeals to the younger generation because of the cast of characters. One of the main character is Will Ferrall and Anne Frield . Younger generations might watch the movie because it contains these comedians.

7. How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing technique? 
During this particular opening sequence, it was more focused on the expedition than the actors.Most of the opening sequence was wide-shots and medium-close ups to close-ups. Some of the angles were either eye-line or low angles to show how big the world is.  In the opening sequences, it consists of cutaways and graphic images to demonstrate and foreshadow the journey and sequence of events. The primary editing transitions that are used in this opening sequence is graphic matches, action matches and zooms. An example is when the images are transitioning to an arctic/ mountain climate to a nest to emphasize the T-Rexes. Graphic matches were used to transitions from the hole of the mountain to the inside of a nest. In this opening sequence, there is not a significant amount of reaction-shots,  eye-line matches, and shot-reverse-shot because there wasn't conversations. 

Title Research: Mission Impossible III

One of the first title sequences Hannah and I reviewed is the title sequence of "Mission Impossible III". The primary reasons we choose this title sequence because of its accessibility and it is one of the few action sequences on the website. This title sequence comes from www.artofthetitle.com.

1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 27 titles in total. In the first 30 seconds, there were 11 titles: ten of them consists of actors/actresses and one included the name of the movie. After the titles of the actors, the first title of the job description is the casting director. Then its followed by: Music By, Music Supervisor, Co-producer, Visual Effects Supervisor, Visual Effects Producer, Costumes designer, Edited By, Production Designer, Director of Photography, Executive Producer, Based on the Television Series created by Bruce Geller, Written by,  and Produced by. The last title is Directed by.

We noticed most of the titles are condense and spread out. For instance, there would be 5 titles followed by 20 seconds which is followed after another. The titles were the same size, space, and font. Usually the titles would alternatefrom left side then right side and switches

2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
There were many images that were prioritized in this open sequence because it was about 5 minutes long. In the 30 seconds, the images that were prioritized is lighting a bomb and the sparks its produces. Between minute 1 and minute 4, the images that are prioritized is his love interest and relationship. For instance, in their scenes, the backgrounds are more blurry. The final images that are prioritized is the call scene. Once Tom Cruise receives a call, there is a close up for him talking on the phone.

3. What connotations do the images carry?
The images carry a connotation of  dramatized and action pack feelings. This is shown in the first 30 seconds and in the scene he receives a call. The background music causes the scene to be more intense and produces an adrenaline rush feeling.  Other images carry a cheerful and happy connotations because Tom Cruise's character is in engaged to his fiancee. Most of the scenes has the relationship as a focal point.

4.How is the genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
In the opening sequence, we noticed there wasn't a lot of symbolic codes from the outset. The elements that reinforced the action genre is the action-packed scenes and the dramatic phone call.  As we previously mentioned, while a bomb is lighting, dramatic and spy music played in the background. This reinforces the genre sequence because it emphasizes the action and it foreshadows an action pack event. Also, during the phone call scenes there were a drastic change in music and close-up shot of his expressions. This reinforces the genre because in most action movies, close-ups and extreme close-ups are used to emphasized the shocking news or help develop the suspense of the movie. Moreover, the lighting design helps reinforce the genre because in the more serious scenes, the lighting design consists of shadows and a little light. This is used to emphasize the intense emotions in that scene.

5. How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film establish an enigma from the outset by using the phone call scene. In this scene, the phone call is shot from a close-up shot and it accompany  by dramatic music. Also, during the scene, the music drastically changes and Tom Cruise looks at his love interest. This causes the audience to wonder what is going to happen and if he will accept the job offer.

6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 
One of primary strategies the film appeals to its target audience is the main actor. The main actor is Tom Cruise. Many people would want to see an action movie with Tom Cruise because he was in Mission Impossible 1 and 2. Since Tom Cruise was able to successfully act in these movies, the target audience is expecting Tom Cruise to play the protagonists. Another primary strategy the film appeals to  its target audience because it includes fast-paced scenes and violence. This allows the film to target it audience because majority of males find these concepts interesting.

7. How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques. 

Technology has been used effectively to enhance the drama and suspense the audience feels. The technology does this by including the graphic images of the lighting of the bomb. As we previously mentioned, dramatic music accompanies this scene. This enhances the drama and suspense because the tempo of the score makes the audience feel like they have an adrenaline rush. This also builds suspense and make the audience wonder what the mission is and how it will affect Tom Cruise's character. The editing is responsible for the development of the suspense. For instance, there was reaction shots, eye-line matches and shot-reverse- shot to illustrate the perfection of Tom Crusie's character. As the events become more dramatic, there were eye-line matches from Tom Cruise to his love interest to demonstrate the internal conflict of  accepting or refusing a mission. This makes the audience wonder if Tom Cruise will choose the mission over his love interest.

Title Research: Watch the Titles Website

Today in AICE Media Studies, Hannah and I began our titles research for out final task. Cambridge and our AICE Media Studies teacher recommended two websites to use for title research: Watch the Titles and Art of the Titles. This blog is about the research of "Watch The Titles".

Once I enter www.watchthetitles.com into the search bar, the first thing I see is the home page. On the home page, the titles sequences are in alphabetically order. After, I scrolled on the homepage, I clicked on the title sequences option and clicked the feature films.  Under this page, it lists all the title sequences of feature films. A few problems of this website is its navigation and disorganization. I noticed on the feature films page, some of the title sequences come from tv shows. Also, the order of the title sequences are not in alphabetically order and it is difficult to find its genre. For instance, I had to research  One of the advantages of this website is the information box. Not only the information box gives a description  of the movie but, it provides details how the movie targets the audience.  For instance, I had to look up sky fighters to confirm it is an action movie. I learned in majority genres, the director's title is usually the last title before the movie begins and title of the movie is the first title. Also, most of the titles are spread out. For instance, there there will be a maximum of three names.There is consistency in the titles. For instance, titles are capitalized, same font, and same spacing.  The titles would alternate from the right to the left side or vice versa. 

This is a screenshot of "Watch the Titles" website.

Title Research: Art of the Titles

 Today in AICE Media Studies, Hannah and I began our titles research for out final task. Cambridge and our AICE Media Studies teacher recommended two websites to use for title research: Watch the Titles and Art of the Titles. This blog is about the research of "Art of the Title"/ www.artofthetitle.com.

The Art of the Title is a website that contains a variety of title sequences. The Art of the Title website is more organize to navigate than Watch the Titles website. Although the tabs read "Top Ten Title Sequences of X Year", there is a link and summary about that specific title sequence. Watch the Title and Art of the Title follows a similar format but, we noticed Art of the Title contains more variety. For instance, there are interviews, summaries, and video games about the title sequence. However, not all title sequences have the actual link. If we could choose one website over the other, we prefer to use the Art of the Titles website. The major difference between the two website is the information. Even though Watch the Titles contain how and why they use technical codes to target audiences, the information provided by "Art of the Title" is focused on the opening sequence. For instance, "Art of the Tile" will include the list of the producers, directors, animators, CGI artists, in etc.

We learn the titles are same font and spacing. We noticed the names of the occupation is either emphasized. For instance, color of the name could be different from the occupation title. Another example is the name is a bigger size font than the occupation title. We also noticed most titles will go in a clock wise direction. For instance, the titles will alternate from the left to the right. It is less common to see the titles in the middle of the frame and in middle/ upper half of frame. Most of the occupation titles were centered towards the bottom.

This is the screenshot of "Art of the Title" website.

Genre Update and Action Conventions

After doing research on comedy films and their conventions, Hannah and I decided that having comedy as our main genre would be difficult to make clear in a title sequence. As a result, we decided to change our main genre to action and have a sub-genre of comedy. We believe that we would make a title sequence of the action genre better than one of comedy, which is the main reason we decided to change our original genre. Also, that the action genre would fit our pitch idea better.

Action Conventions:

Camera Angles, Shots, and Movements:

Angles: The angles actions movie use are eye level, high, and low. An eye level angle allows the audience to have a clear view of the characters' faces and reactions. High angles may be used to show that the person on screen has more power over the other. Low angles can be used to show that the person on screen is weaker or fearful than the other character.

Shots: The main shots used to the action genre are establishing shots and close ups. The establishing shots are often used to show the audience where the film is taking place. The close ups are usually used to better show the emotion of the characters. Over the shoulder shots are also often a part of the action genre and are used for conversations.

Movements: The main type of movement is a tracking shot. The tracking shot has many purposes in the action genre, but one of the more important reasons is to create the chasing scenes. The tracking shot also makes the audience feel as if they are a part of the chase scene.

Mis-En-Scene:

Costumes: A wide range of costumes are used in the action genre. Some of the costumes consist of business formal attire while others consist of simple casual clothing. It depends on the type of action movie and the situation. For example, if it is a spy action movie, the characters may wear nice, expensive clothing in order to get into fancy events to steal things. Another example is, if it is a superhero action film, the main character may be wearing a signature superhero outfit.

Lighting: The lighting in the genre usually consist of natural lighting and dark lighting. These films will also often use street lights as the only source of light in a scene to build suspense and more drama.

Acting: In the action genre the actors usually have to act very serious and brave because they are often put into dangerous situations. If the action movie includes a villain they would usually act threatening in order to create fear in the protagonist. If the film includes a victim they usually act scared and defenseless in order to portray someone who needs saving.

Makeup: The characters are usually wearing natural makeup; however, if the character gets hurt makeup is often used to create the illusion of them having bruises and cuts. It might also be used to enhance parts on the character's face. For example, using makeup to create dark circles underneath the eyes. Or it can be used to create scars on the characters.

Props: A range of props are utilize in the action genre. One of the main purposes for the props is to help build the intensity of the film and to make it more action packed. In order to do this props that are often used are guns, bombs, cars, knifes. Other props that may be included are files, computers, flash drives, and jewelry in order to create a more interesting story.

Set Design: The locations usually consist of well populated cities or isolated places. These cities often have very nice tall buildings with many cars in the street. The isolated locations can consist of anything from an abandoned warehouse to underground tunnels. These places are usually dirty and worn downed. Abandoned warehouses may have broken furniture and boxes inside. Other locations that can be found in action films are casinos, banks, police stations, or even fictional worlds.  

Sounds:

Action films make great use of scores and diegetic sounds. The scores' purpose is to make the scene more dramatic, suspenseful, and intense. For example, in chasing scenes the score may become louder and more fast paced to leave the audience on the edge of their seat. Diegetic sound is also often used to make the scene more dramatic. Usually, the diegetic sounds are very loud. For example, gun shots, car crashes, explosions, and objects breaking. This genre also includes dialogue.

Editing:
The editing used in the genre are action matches, jump cuts, reaction shots, and shot reverse shot. Action shots are often used during fight scenes and jumps cuts are usually used during chases. If something dramatic were to happen in the film, like a main character getting hurt, then a reaction shot may be used to show the other characters' reactions. A reaction shot may also be utilized with the shot reverse shot during character conversations.

Movie Examples:
1) Mission Impossible Series
2) Men in Black (1997)
3) Captain America: Civil War (2016)
4) Marvel's The Avengers Series 

Genre Research: Daddy's Home 2

One of the movies Hannah and I reviewed was called, “Daddy’s Home 2.” We believed that this was a good movie to review because we had easy access to it, and it was also a comedy. The movie is also within our time restraint because it was released in 2017. The following information is the conventions for this particular movie.

Camera, Angles, and Movements:
Angles: The main angle used throughout the comedy movie was eyeline because there was a lot of dialogue. Using the eyeline angle can also make the audience feel as if they were a part of the conversation. High and low angles were also used.

Shots: The main shots of the film included establishing, over-the-shoulder, wide, medium, and long shots. An establishing shot used in the film was of the outside of a movie theater. This establishing shot showed where the next scenes would take place. The over-the-shoulder shot was used mainly during conversations. For example, it was used during a conversation between one of the main characters and their father after they hadn’t seen each other in years. Another example is when Dusty and Bard were having a conversation in front of a mirror.

Movements: Tracking shots and pans were movements used in the production. For example, a tracking shot was used when Dusty and his father were walking through a place that sells Christmas trees. There was also a tracking shot of the two main characters walking through a forest. There was a pan of the improv actors on stage.

Mis-En-Scene:
Costumes: For most of the movie the characters were wearing different types of casual clothing. Winter clothing, like coats, were worn when the characters were outside.

Lighting: Most of the lighting in the film consisted of being bright or natural. This type of lighting creates a more realistic environment and allows the audience to see the characters’ reactions to different situations easily and clearly. Being able to see the reaction of a character during a joke can increase the comedic impact on the audience. There were also some shadows and darker lighting used during the movie. For example, darker lighting was used when the characters were looking for Brad’s father who was lost outside during the night.

Acting: The two main actors who play Dusty and Brad are Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. Both actors have been in other comedy movies, which means they have experience in being comedic. Will Ferrell is also a comedian. Both characters had a range of emotions during the film; they acted happy, angry, and sad.

Makeup: Little makeup was used in the film; however, there was some use of natural makeup.

Props: There were many different props used throughout the movie depending on the scene. For example, when the family was at a bowling alley, a bowling ball was used as a prop when one of the kids hit a pin down after Dusty’s dad helped the kid have more confidence in himself. Other props used were a suitcase, chainsaw, cup of hot cocoa, notebook, and a shovel.

Set Design: One of the main locations in the film is the house the family is staying in for Christmas. The house was designed to look like a cabin, so everything was made out of wood. Inside the house were couches, tables, a pool table, and a jukebox. Another location was a hospital. The hospital’s set design consisted of white, brown, and blue furniture. There were couches, tables, and hospital beds. Other locations in the film consisted of Brad’s house, bowling alley, improv show, movie theater, and a forest.

Editing:
The editing techniques that were used the most during the movie were shot reverse shots and reaction shots. These two techniques were mainly used when the characters were having conversations. Other techniques added were a dissolve and a graphic match. For example, when Dusty was telling a story about his past, a scene with him in it dissolved into a flashback of his younger self. The graphic match was the transition from the present-day Dusty to his younger self. The film also included action matches and jump cuts.

Sound:
The main use of sound was the dialogue between the characters. During parts of the movie, the dialogue is used to add more humor to a situation. Other types of sound used are diegetic, non-diegetic, and ambient. An example of diegetic sound was the music coming from the jukebox. There was a non-diegetic sound at the beginning of the movie when music was playing. There were also ambient sounds during the duration of the movie, for example, the sound of the characters’ footsteps.

Elements We Like:
The elements we liked in the movie was the overall comedy. We enjoyed that there were different types of humor used throughout the film. We also liked that the story had a happy ending.



This is the movie poster for  "Daddy's Home 2".

Genre Research: The Spy Who Dumped Me

One of the movies Hannah and I reviewed was called "The Spy Who Dumped Me". The reason we chose this movie because it is classified as comedy and it is accessible on a streaming site. Also, this movie is within the time restraint since it was released in 2018. The following information is the conventions for this particular movie.

Camera Angles, Shots & Movements:
Angles: Since most of comedies are driven by the dialogue, this movie was filmed at eye-line.

Shots: There are a variety use of shots to either captures the characters' emotions or use it to put the character into perspective with their location. For instance, when the main protagonists Audrey and Morgan are burning Audrey's ex-boyfriend's things, it switches from medium -close ups to long shots to capture the actually burning. Other shots in this movie were close ups, medium long shots, long-shots, wide-shots, and a few establishing and scenery shots.

Movements: The main camera movements were tracking shots and tilts. The tracking shots were used during an action-packed chase scene or in walking scenes. A minor camera movement that was used was handheld because the shakiness produced allowed the audience to experience the adrenaline rush and anxiety of a chase scene.

Mis-En-Scene: 
Costumes: In this movie, the costumes consists of ordinary clothes, fancy outfits , and costumes. In the beginning and middle of the movie, Audrey and Morgan wore normal clothes. However, in the end , Audrey is wearing a fancy purple dress as her undercover outfits while Morgan wore a circus costumes because that was her undercover outfit.

Lighting: at first duller/ grey tones in the fight  spy scenes but, in the bar scenes or public areas warmer tones/ less shadows.

Acting: In this movie, Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon had to act a range of emotions. Towards the middle of the movie, their emotions change from determined, to frightened, to anxiety, and to cheerful. Since Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis has experience in comedies, there were casted as the main characters because they could deliver a joke and emotions were not artificial.

Make-Up: Since makeup and costumes are coordinated, makeup varied from natural to fancy. This is demonstrated in beginning and the end. In the beginning scenes, Audrey and Morgan wore natural makeup while in their undercover outfits, Audrey's makeup was more formal and Morgan's was more performer. Other makeup included injuries and special effects. In the kidnapping scenes, both Audrey and Morgan had evidence of dirt and sweat. This illustrates one of two things. First, it shows their adventure was non-stop and took place over a course of days. Second, it illustrates the different experiences they have went through. Also, in the shooting scenes, makeup is required to make the victims look like they were recently shot.

Props: Props depend on the setting of the scene. For instance, in the Russian market place, there are props of money, guns, and mirrors to demonstrate how the fighting scene started and continued. In the second scene, there props change to fit a bar setting. In the bar scene, there are props of drinks, stools, food in etc to make the scene more realistic.

Set Design: The set design is based public places. In beginning of the movie, the first two scenes were a Russian market and bar place. In the middle of the movie,  the set design would be in a French public library or in a subway.

Editing:
There was a variety of editing techniques in this movie. The most common techniques are shot-reverse-shot, and reaction shots because it is used to film conversations between the characters. Other common editing techniques used in this movie is parallel editing. In the end scene, the scene would cut between Audrey and Morgan because they are both handling external conflicts. Audrey would be arresting the antagonists while Morgan is fighting a hit-woman. Minor editing techniques that were used were cutaways, action match and eye-line match. An example of cutaway is during the bar scene. When Morgan grab's Audrey's phone, it cuts to the messages. An example of an action match occurred in the beginning where the antagonists is shooting people and the action is replicated where Audrey is playing a shooting game.

Sound: 
Since it is a comedy, most of the sound was dialogue between the characters. There were a few incidental sounds and scores. During the chasing and shooting scenes, the sounds would gradually increase until it becomes really loud to emphasize the action within the five minutes.  There was more diegetic sounds than non-diegetic sounds. For instance, in the bar scenes, you would hear someone breaking in pool, background music, talking, and  chewing. This is done to make the audience feel like they are in the movie.

Elements We Like: 
The main elements we like in this movie was the unnecessary/ random bits and the snarky comments. For instance, during the high-packed action scene, it transitions to a Muppet-like TV show where the inhabitants are unaware someone is breaking into their apartments.

Elements We Do Not Like:
The elements we do not like are the repetitive cussing and sex related jokes because we felt the jokes are juvenile.

This is one of the movie posters for " The Spy Who Dumped Me".

Genre Research: Instant Family

One of the movies Hannah and I reviewed was called "Instant Family". The reason we chose this movie because it is classified as comedy and it is accessible on Hulu. Also, this movie is within the time restraint since it was released in 2018. The following information is the conventions for this particular movie.

Camera Angles, Shots & Movements: 
Angles: Most of this movie was filmed at eye-level. 

Shots: There were a variety of shots used to make the conversations and dialogue seem more interesting. For instance, the scene where Ellie and Pete- the main characters- were debating about adopting children. Some of the scenes went from over-the shoulder to medium shots to medium- shots to long shots and to close-ups. Other shots that were included were wide-shots and two-shots. There were very few establishing shots. 


Movements: There were three primary camera movements present:  tracking shots, tilts, and  zooms. The tracking shots were used to film the walking scenes and the zooms were used to emphasize the internal struggles and emotions: confused, guilt, hope,  of Ellie as she debates whether or not to adopt kids. 

Mis-En-Scene: 

Costumes: In this movie, the costumes consists of normal clothes because the characters are a couple in present- day United States. We noticed most of Ellie clothes were free flowing or a hipster feel. We think this costume choice is supposed to express the type of person Ellie is, open-minded. 

Lighting:  The two primary lighting designs were bright with few shadows and a darker lighting design with more shadows. We think the lighting designs are supposed to help develop and set the tone of the scenes. For instance, in the beginning scenes, the lighting design was bright and a few shadows to illustrate the excitement the characters are feeling when they are about to flip a house. However, the lighting designs changes from bright to ominous when Ellie and Pete are discussing adoption. The lighting design sets the tone of the scene to be heart-breaking and sad because the main character is viewing the profiles of foster kids. The color designs of the scenes help develop these tone shifts. The scene of the decision of adaptation had a duller colors to demonstrate the seriousness of  a life-changing decision making.  

Acting: In this movie, Mark Walhberg and Rose Bryne were the main characters. Both Mark Walhberg and Rose Bryne has experience in comedies. Mark Walhberg starred in Daddy's Home 2, Daddy's Home, Ted, and Entourage. Rose Bryne starred in Neighbors, and Like a Boss with Tiffany Haddish. Since they have experience as comedians or filming a comedy movie, their jokes did not fall flat. In addition to the comedian, Octavia Spencer played a secondary character who is one of the foster system's workers. In her scenes, she was able to have heart-felt moments where she had to tell news to the foster kids, their birth mother will not take them back. Due to her experience in heart-breaking stories like The Help, Black or White and The Gifted, she is able to act in emotional scenes where it impacts the audience. 

Make Up: Most of the make up consists of natural makeup.
Props: Props depended on the setting of the scene. In the beginning scene, there were remnants of broken furniture and old couch's cushions to demonstrate the broken home needs renovation. In the revocation scenes, there were props of hammers, mallets and safety googles to illustrate  a construction like environment during renovations. 

Set-Design:  The set design differ in each scene. In the beginning, the scenes switched from an old home to the main character's home to the adaptation center's orientation. Each scene had different props to make the settings come to life. In Ellie's and Pete's home, there were props of a piano, food, a couch, pictures, and a dog to make the setting feel homey. 

Sound: 
The main types of sounds that were used were diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. Most of the sounds came from dialogues and conversations amongst the characters. Other diegetic sounds include the sound of people, cars, the door opening and closing, and  the sound of a nail gun. One of the most notable scenes with a signifcanct amount of diegetic sounds is the breaking scenes. This scene is where Pete and Lizzy, one of the foster kids, were breaking the old kitchen to begin renovations. The sounds of glass shattering, wooden splintering, plaster chipping and grunts can be heard in this scene. These sounds help make the audience experience the actions and the built-up rage within Lizzy. The non-diegetic sounds is the soundtrack and sound bridge . During some scenes, there is sound bridges that connect the two scenes while there is soundtrack to help set the tone. In the scene where Ellie is helping Lizzy to detangle her hair, the soundtrack is calm and serene. This soundtrack help emphasize the peacefulness of having two parents. graphic match from the younger main character to older, 


Editing: 

 The most common editing techniques are reaction shots, eye-line match, and shot-reverse-shot. As we previously mentioned, comedies are driven by dialogues. These editing techniques help film a conversation and make the audience experience in the different conversations amongst the characters. For an example, the scene where Lizzy is brushing her hair with the detangler. The scene begins with Lizzy looking down then, it transitions to  an eye-line match of a pink detangler with a sticky note with a heart. This was to help progress the transformation of Lizzy because Lizzy was stubborn in accepting foster parents.  Other common editing techniques were cut away/ inserts and graphic matches. For instance, when  Pete is retelling a flashback, he turns from present day Pete to a younger version of himself. This graphic match help transition in the flashback more smoothly and less choppy. 

Elements We Like: 
The main elements we liked is the comedy. This comedy was more sarcastic and more realistic. The comedy was centered around situation than sexual references. For instance, the confrontation scene. This scene is where Ellie and Pete are asking advice from a couple who inspired them to adopt. At the end of the scene, Ellie is hugging them. The last line is where the husband say, " Let hurry back inside" because they felt scared and awkward for this strange woman kissing and hugging them.

This is the movie poster for "Instant Family".

Genre Research: Overboard

One of the movies Hannah and I reviewed was called, “Overboard.” We viewed the newer version that came out in 2018. We believed that this was a good movie to choose because we had easy access to it and its genre was comedy, which were the two things we were looking for. Also, the movie is within our time restraint because it was released in 2018. The following information is the conventions for this particular movie.

Camera, Angles, Shots, and Movements:

Angles: The main angle used in the film is eyeline because there is a lot of dialogue and it helps the audience feel as if they were a part of the conversation.

Shots: Throughout the movie, there were establishing shots to show the audience the location of the characters. For example, there was an establishing shot of a yacht to show that the next scenes will take place on it. There were also over-the-shoulder, wide, medium, and long shots. The over-the-shoulder shots were mainly used during the characters’ conversations.

Movements: Some movements the film included were pans and tracking shots. For example, there was a pan on a car while it was passing by. The tracking shots were used to make the film flow better.

Mis-En-Scene:

Costumes: The film included a range of costumes, from beachwear to formal wear. In the beginning, one of the main characters is seen wearing a swimsuit, while the other is in a work uniform. The different outfits at the start of the movie demonstrate the different lives the two characters lived. A little after it shows one of the main character’s families wearing expensive clothing. As the movie continues the characters start to wear more casual, everyday clothing.

Lighting: There was a great use of bright and natural lighting throughout the movie. This type of lighting was used to make a more realistic environment. The lighting also makes it easy for the audience to observe the actors’ emotion and reactions, which can further the impact a joke has on the viewers.

Acting: In the film, the main characters, Kate and Leonardo, were played by Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez, who both have experience in playing comedic roles. Eugenio Derbez is also a comedian. These backgrounds meant that they both knew how to be comedic and tell a joke, which is needed in the film. In the beginning, Leonardo’s character acts privileged by doing things such as firing the people who work for him without a second thought. In the middle, his character becomes confused and clueless which the actor portrays well by making mistakes that the audience laughs at. By the end of the movie, Leonardo acts betrayed because he was lied to. In the beginning, Kate is portrayed as someone who has to constantly work and is stressed. This can be seen by the audience when she is working multiple jobs and is getting annoyed at things such as when her mother tells her she can’t watch her kids anymore after promising she would. In the middle, she starts acting deceitfully by making Leonardo do all her work for her and to be another paycheck. In the end, her acting becomes more regretful because she is feeling guilty about lying.

Makeup: Very little makeup was used in the film; however, it did include natural makeup and makeup that made some of the characters appear to be exhausted. For example, after Leonardo’s first day at work, makeup was used to make his character look sweaty and dirty.

Props: There were different props used during the duration of the film. The type of props used depended on the scene. For example, Leonardo gave Kate frozen yogurt, which is what Kate claimed to eat with him before his amnesia, when he was talking about being a better husband. Other props that can be seen in the movie are cleaning supplies, construction supplies, paper, pencils, and a first aid kit.

Set Design: The main locations at the beginning of the movie was a yacht and one of Kate’s workplaces. The inside of the yacht was set up to look expensive. The furniture is extremely nice, and everything was super clean. At Kate’s pizza workplace the set design included many tables, chairs, and kitchen supplies. Towards the middle of the film, the main location is Kate’s home. The set design of the inside of her home is very disorganized. For example, there are boxes everywhere. Other locations included a hospital, grocery store and Leonardo’s parents’ house. The parents’ house is set up to look very luxurious. All the furniture in the house looks very expensive, there is also a piano and crystal chandeliers.

Editing:

The movie included types of editing an audience would usually see in a film with lots of dialogue. For example, the film included shot reverse shot and reaction shot techniques. These two shots were mainly used during the dialogue scene so the audience could see the characters' reactions to each other. For example, these techniques were a part of the two main characters' argument scene where they are yelling at each other. The techniques allow the audience to see the characters’ anger during the disagreement. There was also a use of a fade in and out in the production. These were used when Leonardo fell unconscious and when he woke back up again. The film’s editing also included action matches and jump cuts.

Sound:

The film mostly consisted of dialogue between characters. The dialogue was used to create the story and to mainly add humor. Ambient, diegetic and non-diegetic sound were also included in the movie. An example of ambient sound is the noise coming from a car driving by. One use of diegetic sound is noise coming from the main characters’ television. An example of non-diegetic sound is the music that was playing at the start of the movie.

Elements We Like:

The main elements we enjoyed in the comedy were the unnecessary dramatic reactions and occasional random jokes. An example of an unnecessary reaction is when Leonardo got a small cut on his hand, so he started to panic saying that he was going to faint and asking if he needed a hospital.

This is the movie poster for "Overboard".

Decision Time: Final Genre

After researching the genres, Hannah and I came to the conclusion: comedy will be the genre of our final task. Although comedies are difficult to end at two minutes, we feel the production process will be more fun to produce and we are able to utilize all the tools, information, and creativity.Also, we are both interested in the comedy genre. So, we felt this would be an excellent opportunity to learn about the comedy genre. Out of the three genres we researched, we felt comedy was the easiest to produced. If we did a movie musical,  it is more difficult to choreography dances to original songs. Also, the process will be time consuming and will be extra work. If we choose horror, it would be difficult because it is more difficult to film things during the night and the acting would seem artificial.

As we were researching the three genres, we felt we needed to add a sub-genre because most of the films include two genres. For instance, Romantic Comedies. We would like to include action as apart of the comedy genre because our pitch idea includes spies.

Genre Research: Horror & Comedy

In AICE Media Studies class, Hannah and I researched the second  and third genre of films: horror and comedy. Like the previous blog, the information gathered for the horror genre was used from the previous assignment. The information gathered for the comedy genre is new knowledge and extra information was gathered for the horror genre.  

GENRE: HORROR 
Camera Angles, Shots & Movements:
Angles: In the horror genre, camera angles usually are high angles, birds-eye view, and low angles. The high angles and the birds-eye-view creates a scene where the subject is being looked down upon. This helps create a powerless/ helpless tone since the angles imply a bigger/ more powerful being. 

Shots: In the horror genre, the camera shots include: over- the- shoulder, point of view, and close-ups. 

Movements: The movements are usually handheld, pan, tracking shot, trunk shot and tilt. Pans and tracking shots help develop a fearful tone because the protagonists are usually running away from their attacker. The trunk shots are used to develop a dramatic event like a kidnapping scene. Shots with handhelds have the most impactful effect on the audience because shakiness allows the audience to experience the thrilling chase of a killer; this create fearful and creepy tone. 

Mis-En-Scene: 
Costumes: In most horror films, the main characters often wear normal clothing. Usually, the antagonists would be wearing duller or white ripped clothing or black clothing to create an ominous tone. Costumes would depend on the sub-genre of horror. For instance, if it was a Scifi-horror film ,  there would be costumes that is more alien like.

Lighting: Horror typically has silhouette, spotlighting, and underexposure lighting. Silhouette lighting is used to reveal of conceal subjects and spotlighting  is where a certain subject is illuminated with a spotlight to direct attention to the subject. Underexposure is when there is purposeful inadequate exposure to light, in order to draw attention away from the most necessary while also keeping what's most important hidden from the view. 

Acting: The antagonists would have to act stealthful, abnormal or  supernatural to create a sense of fear in the audience. They have to act in a way that makes it convincing they are the killers. The protagonists would have to act frightened towards the murderer and chasing scenes. 

Make-Up: The makeup can vary from ordinary makeup to extreme makeup like clowns. Sometimes, makeup would be added to create a paler complexion to create a ghost-like appearance. Also, makeup can be used to illustrate fatigue and exhaustion from a chasing scene. Plus, it is most importantly used to create fake- injuries real. 

Props: This would includes weapons such axes, chainsaws, and knives. 

Set Design : In most horror films, the set design depends on the type of horror genre. For instance, the movie "It" would take place in a neighborhood. Usually, the set design would look abandoned establishments or a camp ground. The colors are used duller and less vibrant. 

Sound: 
In horror, they use both non-diegetic and diegetic along with ambiance, and no sound. Incidental and no-sound are used to emphasize and particular moments in horror to create suspense and a thriller tone. 

Editing: 
A significant amount of jump cuts are present in horror films because it is used to show the duration of the chasing scene, and  the exhaustion of the characters. Also, there are multiple shot-reverse-shot and reaction shots between the victims and the killer to emphasize the fear and to create suspense. Moreover, there are eye-line matches. For instance, if a character hears creaking sound in the hall, the next shot is the hallway. Furthermore, there are cutaways/ inserts to create suspense. An example is a scene  where the phone is ringing and then it cuts to the person picking up the phone.  Minor editing techniques are action matches. An example of this is where a girl is swinging on the swing and then the next scene is the killer swinging a knife. 

Elements We Do Like: 

•The feeling of being scared. Most people like the horror genre because it uses jump scares to create an adrenaline rush. 

•Suspense creates a sense of curiosity for the audience, which makes it an enjoyable element. People like the tension that suspense creates. It can also make the audience more intrigued in the film.

•Some costume  and makeup in the horror genre create amazing illusions and images that make the audience want to know how they were able to do it.

Elements We Do Not Like:

•There are elements that we dislike about horror. This includes the unoriginality, predictability, and unrealistic scenes/characters.

•Many aspects to horror aren't real. The main area is the over exaggeration. For instance, when the character's reaction to the killer can be artificial and exaggerated that it becomes less thriller. When things become to unrealistic it prevents the impact of horror. 

•Many horror movies lack originally. They are usually about the same thing and have very similar events to other films. Since there is unoriginally it makes the film very predictable.

Examples of unoriginal lines/ events: 

1) The character opens the door even though they have a feeling not to. 

2) Most of the dumb characters would go into the basement or a haunted mansion. 

Examples of Horror: 
1) Pet Cemetery (2019)
2) A Quiet Place (2020)
3) It (2017)
4)The Shining (1980) 
5)The Conjuring (2013)


GENRE: COMEDY 

Camera Angles, Shots & Movements: 

Angles: Most of comedies are filmed at eye-line level. 

Shots: There are a variety of camera shots. These shots include close-ups, medium-shots, long shots, and establishing shots.  There are significant amount of establishing shots to show changes in locations. Medium-Shots are used to show the emotions and expressions of many characters after a joke is told. 

Movements: The most important camera movement is tracking shots because it helps make the scene more natural. The are a few pans and tilts. 


Mis-En-Scene: 


Costumes: The subjects would wear a variety of costumes. Typically, costumes are causal/ normal day to day clothes. Formal wear and over-exaggerated outfits are also costumes seen in comedic films. 

Lighting: The lighting design is often bright, natural and consist of little shadows. This creates a realistic environment and help establish the changes of time. The color design of the lighting consists of warmer tones to convey happy and cheerful emotions. Most of the scenes are shot in the daylight. 

Acting: In comedies, actors/ actresses have to naturally be funny. Usually  in comedies, directors would use comedians because they know how to be naturally funny and can do improve. For instance, the movie Night School. The main protagonists are Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart, two famous comedies that are known in all age groups. Since they are comedians, the jokes are more natural and effective. 

Makeup: The subjects would wear natural or party makeup since most comedies take place in current day society.

Props: Along with makeup and costumes, there are a variety of props. The props depends on the location of the scene. Since most audiences enjoy people getting hurt, props would be used to create these comedic moments. For instance, someone would trip over their own shoes and land in the trash can.

Set Design: Public settings that are bright; towns, cities, well populated areas, high schools, homes, bars, suburban events, neighborhoods. Comedies take place in any populated areas. 

Sounds: 
One defining element of the comedy genre is the pauses. Typically, there would be pauses in sound before and after a joke to allow the audience to recognize the joke and react to it or provide suspense for the punchline. There are significant amount of dialogue and diegetic sounds within the environment. Sometimes, sounds are over-exaggerated to add a humor effect. An example of this is  in the Three Stogies. There would be sound effects of violence to create a humorous tone.

Editing: 
After researching different movies, the comedy genre has less of a variety editing transitions. The primary editing techniques are shot-reverse-shot, eye-line match and reaction shots. Since comedies are based on dialogue as their main element, there are significant amount of these particular features to enhance the pain or joke. In Night School, there were multiple shot-reverse-shot in a boxing scene with Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish because it was meant to emphasize Kevin Hart's character's pain during the boxing match. Minor editing techniques include parallel cutting and split screens. This depends on the type of comedy and the storyline. For instance, in the Revenge of the Bridesmaids, there was a split screen between a cop and a bridesmaid arranging a date.

Elements:
The main element that allows comedy to be funny is the timing. Without timing, jokes and stunts will fall flat. As we previously mentioned before, directors would use comedians in their movies because they know how to deliver a joke. Another element of comedy is slapstick. This is where performers would exaggerate an action or a series of jokes to get a reaction from the audience. Situational comedies involve the main character failing to adjust to their environment. The last element is farce. This elements can include wacky/ unusual plots, mistaken identities or misunderstandings.


Elements We Like: 
We like how the timing and the jokes are intertwined to enhance the jokes and how comedies are used to add humor to the most serious of topics. In addition to the timing, situations and violence allows the characters to be expose to something not depressing. Moreover, the plot of comedies are not too over exaggerated or dramatized.

Elements We Do Not Like: 
 The elements we dislike are unoriginality, predictability, and unrealistic scenes/ characters because it gets repetitive and not entertaining. For instance, a person running into a pole on accident. It is predictable and can be flat if it is not performed properly. 

•

Examples: 
1)Booksmart (2019)
2) Night School (2017)
3)Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)
4) Instant Family (2018)