S.T- Opening research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA 'Jaws' (Spielberg, 1975)
Film Language:
1: The setting is is very dark and unclear, which conveys a sense of mystery and suspense. It also conveys that something could be lurking anywhere in the shadows.

2: There are a few establishing shots of the sea and beach, suggesting that the danger is in the water. Also, the medium tracking shot of the group of people suggests that the beach is the safer place to be.

3: At the very beginning of the film, the strong music helps the audience to anchor the danger to be in the water. This is further anchored when there is no music when the group of people s shown, but the music returns when the girl goes into the water.

4: We learn that the characters are teenagers when we see them around a camp fire doing various things such as smoking and kissing. They also seem to be drinking alcohol, shown when the boy running after the girl seems to stumble alot, aswell as his speech being very slurred.

5: One shot that the director has used is a worms-eye view of the girl from underwater. This puts the audience in the situation of the beast coming towards it's first victim.

Representation and Ideology:
1: The social group being represented is Teenagers, which is shown by them being 'rebellious' by drinking, smoking, and taking drugs.

2: Because the teenagers are being rebellious by smoking, drinking, etc, they all share the same belief that they are free to do what they like. However, the girl takes this too far by entering the water and subsequently dying.

3: The film conforms to the general characteristics of the thriller genre, noticeable with the suspensful music and dark setting.



'Batman Begins' (Nolan, 2005)
Narrative:
1: This film starts with a flashback of when the main character was younger, who we see in the present day later on.

2: For the flashback, the audience is sometimes put into the view of the boy when he has fallen down the well. This helps them to feel the darkness and suspense of the well before the bats suddenly appear.

3: In the prison, the man is alienated by the other prisoners because he is the only western man, whereas everyone else is eastern ethnicity. He also is the only one shown to be put in dark rooms to sleep, possibly showing how the ethnic diversity means different treatment.

4: Both of the first scenes are quite dull in colour, and have some suspenseful music, which would imply that this film is a thriller of some sort. There is also a hint to it being an action film in the large fight scene, where one man is managing to take down multiple enemies.

5: Tension is created in the flashback scene in the well when the camera focuses on the dark cave whilst some suspensful music plays in the background, which is followed by the sudden outpouring of bats from the cave.

Media Audiences:
1: I think the target audience is people aged between 12 and 25. It will appeal to younger audiences because the character Batman has had numerous cartoon shows and comics in the past, so is very well-known, and because off the amount of time that Batman has been around, older audiences will be attracted to see it aswell.

2: In the flashback, the audience will think that the characters are very wealthy because of the nice garden and the mansion that the audience gets a glimpse of. Also, the girl mentions 'Sir Alfred' when she goes to get help, showing that people of good authority live there. However, in the prison, the man has a beard and everyone and everything is very dirty, showing that living conditions are less than suitable, and suggests that the location is not near urban society.

3: In the prison scene, when the big man threatens the main character, I see him as someone who has started to lose their mind, maybe because they have been in the prison for too long. However, when the main char manages to take him down in a couple of swipes, the big man seems as more of a talker than someone with actual skills. I also see the main char as probably being from a run-down urban background due to his great strength, despite us seeing him in the flashback as being rich.


'Die Hard' (McTiernan, 1988)

Genre:
1: This film belongs in the thriller/action genre. You can tell because of the dull orangey colour used throughout the scene involving the aeroplane, which sets a tensious mood.

2: The usual expectations of a thriller are challenged in the opening when the main character and one of the passengers have a jokey conversation, and in the airport happy christmassy music is playing.

3: It kind of plays about with the genre when the main character and another character have a jokey conversation at the beggining, but then conforms to the norm with the suspensful music after this. However, during this suspensful music, christmas music is playing aswell, which is quite ironic for a thriller film.

Institutional context:
1: The star in this film is Bruce Willis, which is significant for this film because he is most known to be in thriller and action films, so he will attract more people to see the film.

2: 'Die Hard' was produced by 20th Century Fox, so it would be classed as an industrial film.

3: 'Die Hard' is actually a film adaptation of the novel 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and because the film follows the novel closely, people who have read the book would want to see it. The film is also an indirect sequel to the film 'The Detective'.