Emailing Joss Whedon

I decided that today I was going to email one of my influential figures- Joss Whedon. I asked if he could give me any useful tips for my production. Hopefully I would be able to get a reply so I can make my production an even bigger success!

Twitter poll Evaluation

One of my group members 'Maddy' recently did a survey on Twitter asking the audience questions about the action genre and what could be included in out production. These were the results-

 One of the questions was 'In an action film should a fight be...'. The results for this was the audience wanted the fight scene to be fast paced, this could be included in our production very well because we only have a limit of 2 minutes so a fast pace action scene would be very suitable and exciting to film.

The next question asked was whether the audience prefers the protagonist to have powers or not. The majority vote for this is to have powers for the hero. This would make our production more exciting and action pact with the use of powers but it could be hard to include realistic powers through the powers of editing.

The final question was what action sub-genre do you prefer, the audience responded with action comedy. My team were expecting for the audience to say action adventure because that's what we wanted to include in our production but there could be a way that we could include humour. In out previous survey the audience said that they would like more humour and this same response has been mimicked in this poll so my group feel as if we could try and include humour to satisfy the audience.

Twitter poll 2

Twitter poll 1

29/11/15

Today I decided to complete my theoretical  research and upload my survey results, there are only a few weeks left to post everything so I will be uploading more regularly so I can keep to the deadline.

Survey- Results

 My group and I decided to do a survey asking the audience what they would like to see in our production. The questioned ranged from asking about their age to what was most important in an action movie. These were the results-

One thing we asked from our audience was to talk about what are the most important factors in the opening of an action film. The results showed that the audience wants to see small amounts of humour within the action film opening. I feel this would be hard to include because we only have a space of 2 minutes to give the opening of an action film and it would be hard to relate humour to the small amount of footage we would have. But it could be possible to include it because in the film Avengers- Age of Ultron it includes a small bit of humour within the first few minutes do we could take inspiration from this and try to include a small bit of humour. Another convention the audience asked for was a fight scene. I feel like this would be the easiest aspect to include because most of the main action films include fight scenes into their openings and I feel like we could include that in our production. Also I feel like a fight scene would really define the production as an action film because fight scenes and physical stunts are the main convention on action films. Another important factor we could include is an intense soundtrack, the soundtrack really defines the scene and builds up the tension and drama. From this soundtrack it could make our production have even better quality because it has a satisfactory feel along with the fight scenes it adds up to a dramatic and exciting scene. However it could be hard to find good background music because most of the good soundtracks have been copyrighted so we would have to search for a non copyrighted music which is good enough for our production. Some of the most least voted points were a calm atmosphere and narrative. A calm atmosphere was the least voted because with the short amount we are supplied the calm atmosphere would not define as a good action opening because it wouldn't interest the viewer as much as an action pact scene of fights and explosions. Also a narrative could be hard to do because we would like to do an action scene with a intense soundtrack and narrative is more for rom-com films which is not the genre we are aiming for.

Another question we asked was what would you prefer the protagonist to be. The results show that the viewers don't really mind who is the main protagonist they just care about the main conventions and plot of the film. The second most voted category was male, this is a typical answer because one of the main conventions in action movies is a strong male character who saves the day. I think that from the majority vote of 'don't mind' we could have a female protagonist, this livens up our opening because its not that common to have a female protagonist in action films, females are mostly the damsel in distress type. This could make our production more unique because of this female protagonist because now females would be seen as strong and capable as men.

To conclude it seems that the audience wants humour, fight scenes and an intense sound track within our production which I think is a very realistic thing we can try to produce for the audience. From this survey my team now have a clear idea about what the audience wants from our production which has helped us to create more ideas of what we could include.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FHGJR5J

Equipment

Equipment

Camera:

This is a Nikon D5100. It has a 3.0-inch, 921k-dot Vary-angle LCD screen, in-camera Effects mode for stills and D-Movies and 1080p. 

Tripod:

The Velbon DF-41 Tripod Kit is a standard-size, heavy-duty tripod that is ideal for regular SLR cameras and video camcorders.
It is distinguished by such features as a quick-release pan head for tilts and pans, a sure-grip handle that is positioned on the left side for easy access to the main camera controls, a dual-position quick-release platform, and a geared centre platform for quick height adjustments.
Maximum Height; 152cm
Closed Height; 58.6cm
Leg Sections; 3
Weight; 1.38k

This is the equipment we are going to be using to film, both the camera and tripod are owned by me so we don't need to take anything out of media.

Done by Maddy Flaherty

Software

Editing Software-

 

To edit we will be using Final Cut Pro X. We chose this software because I know how it all works. I did debate between Imovie and FCP but I can to the conclusion that FCP had more to offer and we would do more of what we wanted by using it. With FCP it's easier to edit the clips to the duration you want them to and the effects in FCP with audio and video are more advanced then in Imovie. We also chose this software as not only do the school have it but I also have it meaning I won't have to rely on the school computers working and this way I can back up our work as we go along incase someone decides they want to log on to the school computer and mess everything up.

Done by Maddy Flaherty

25/11/15

I decided that today I was going to add more information to my Maze Runner textual analysis, with this I added more pictures and explained in more detail, over the next week I am planning to add to my theoretical research and genre research because I feel like they are not fully completed. Also over the next few days I am going to get back the results from the survey my team did and see if they can help plan for what our production could be.

Production Idea- Draft

We have thought up some possible ideas for our production, these are not official but simple drafts at the moment. Our ideas was that we initially begin with a chase scene that is a typical convention of an action film this scene then goes into a fight scene and the end of the fight scene the antagonist catches up with the victim and then kills them. After the antagonist kills the person they walk away from the body while on the phone saying "Target eliminated". This scene then ends and leaves the opening scene on a cliffhanger.
We decided that their wouldn't be much dialogue within this scene because we felt that it took away from to action sequences.

Reverse Pictures logo

By Maddy Flaherty

Reverse Pictures Ident Video

The first try for my groups production name and ident, I'm debating whether or not to change the music i have put onto it however, i might make several different ident versions with different music on and ask my peers which one they prefer. I feel like my Ident has a MTV vibe but i tried to link it into our name but rewinding the clip so that the astronaut is jumping backwards.

by Maddy Flaherty

18/11/15

Through all the difficulties I faced with uploading and the slow laptops I have now managed to upload some content! Which I am quite proud about because most times I procrastinate with all my work so I am pleased that there is some work that I have nearly completed. :D

Theoretical Research

Theoretical Research

Auteur Theory-

Auteur is the French word for author. This term is used to describe film directors or producers/writers who are considered to have a distinctive recognizable style. For example they could repeatedly return to the same subject matter, address a particular theme or employ a recurring aesthetic. By doing this it can help the audience recognize the style of film and who could have ben into the production of the film. For example in action films the director Michael Bay commonly has an extreme use of special effects in his film and from this the audience can determine the film if they see these special effects.

Genre Theory-

The study of a genre examines the structural elements that combine in story telling and finds patterns in collections of stories. These genres then follow a similar pattern and have very similar conventions, for example the action genre is known for its use of physical stunts, explosions and weaponry.



Audience Theories-

Hypodermic Needle Model-

The hypodermic needle model is an theory about mass communications. The theory sais that the media has direct influence over audiences by 'injecting' their minds with information.  According to this theory the audiences are powerless to resist this information from injecting them. The theory was popular during the 1940s and 1950s.

Two Step Flow-

The two-step flow model says that most people form their opinions under the influence of the opinion leaders, who are influenced by the mass media. So according to this model, ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population.

Uses and Gratifications-

Uses and gratifications theory is trying to understand why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs.

The 5 goals-

-be informed or educated

-identify with characters of the situation in the media environment
-simple entertainment
-enhance social interaction
-escape from the stresses of daily life

Narrative Theories-

Propp-
Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media texts and productions, which shows that there are 8 character types-
-The hero (protagonist who saves the day)
-The villain (struggles against the hero)
-The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)
-The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)
-The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)
-The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning but emerges as evil)
-The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)

Todorov-
Todorov's theory was that most plots follow the same pattern-
-Equilibrium (Happy start- every thing is normal and peaceful)
-Disruption (Something disrupts this happy atmosphere and a problem arises)
-Realisation (Everyone within the story realises the problem)
-Attempt to repair (Character try their best to resolve the problem to stop chaos)
-Resolution (Problem has been sorted and everything returns to normal)

Audience Profiling

Target Audience

My group have decided that our target audience is going to be from the age of 12 to around 16. We came to this decision because we thought that our film would mostly contain what twelve years olds would find entertaining in an action film. Also it is easier to produce content for this particular audience because many of the films we have been analysing have been suited to this particular audience. For out production we chose this age range because there wouldn't be a lot of swearing which is also a feature of 12-16 films, also these films could contain mild violence which is why we put our production for 12+ and not PG.

Typical Audience-
Most of the people who would watch are production would probably be in adolescence from 12-18.
To begin with lets use Ellie for example. Ellie is 14 years of age and she is currently in year 10 studying for her GCSE's. The demographics of Ellie is that she is a 14 year old girl who is from England. The psychographics of Ellie is that she spends most of her time on the internet talking to friends and watching YouTube videos. She also likes to watch a lot of movies and read comics her favourite movie is either the Avengers or the X-men franchise. She doesn't really mind what genre they are but her favourite genre is action, adventure and fantasy. She also likes to go out with her friends into town to go shopping or watch a film. Usually Ellie and her friends also go to the local park and film fun video's. Ellie also likes to play games on her Nintendo 3Ds and Wii U her favourite game series is the Legend of Zelda.

Technical Research

Filming Techniques

Aerial shot: This shot is taken from a birds eye view of the situation. It helps the viewer to have a overview on the screen. for example it could be a person in a helicopter or a person on top of a building. It is not necessarily a moving shot.
Camera angle: The angle at which the camera is pointed at the subject. (e.g Low, High, Tilt.)
Cut: The intertwining of two shots together. This cut is made by the film editor at the editing stage of a film. Between sequences the cut marks a rapid transition between one time and space and another, but depending on the nature of the cut it will have different meanings.
Cross-cutting: Cutting between different sets of action that can be occurring simultaneously or at different times, Cross-cutting is used to build suspense, or to show the relationship between the different sets of action.
Flashback: A scene or sequence, that is inserted into a scene in present time and that deals with the past. The flashback is the past tense of the film.
Flashforward: On the model of the flashback, scenes or shots of future time; the future tense of the film.
Key light: The main light on a subject. the key light provides all or most of the light in the scene.
Pan:  (panorama) Movement of the camera from left to right or right to left around the axis that runs through the camera.
Point of view shot: A shot which shows the scene from the specific point of view of one of the characters.
Pull back shot: A tracking shot or zoom that moves back from the subject to reveal the context of the scene.
Reverse angle: A shot from the opposite side of a subject. In a dialogue scene, a shot of the second participant.
Scene: A complete unit of film narration. A series of shots (or a single shot) that takes place in a single location and that deals with a single action. Sometimes used interchangeably with sequence.
Tracking Shots: Camera shots that follow our actor throughout the action scene. They can be either edited together or done in one take.
Slow Motion: A film technique as old as the genre itself. It is used to either showcase a really cool action setpiece or stunt or increase the drama of a particular scene.
Shaky Cam:  This is used to create tension by bringing the audience into the action by use of erratic movements.
Types of shots-

extreme close-up

close-up

medium close-up

medium shot

medium long shot

long shot

extreme long shot or distance shot

Indent Ideas

Firstly, I came up with some possible production names by using some internet generators, some i came up with by myself. I then made sure that none were already exsisting production companies, which none were. I then picked the two I liked the most and felt i could create a good ident with and sketched out a logo and developed it.
The next stage is to complete the moving Ident that we will use at the start of our production.
By Maddy Flaherty

Influential Figures

Texual Analysis- Age of Ultron part 2

Opening Scene

In the film Age of Ultron Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to create an A.I to protect the earth, what they come up with will not save the world but try to destroy it and all the inhabitants. They created Ultron the self aware A.I who try's to take down the Avengers and the rest of the human race by trying to destroy the world the make it a better place. The Avengers then assemble to try and stop Ultron from destroying all of mankind. It was released on April 13 2015 and has a total running time of 141 minutes. This film was made by Marvel Studios and had a box office of $1.403 billion. This movie is also part of a franchise and it is the second to appear within the series.

This is the title sequence for the film. In this it shows various comic book strips in the background and then reveals the word 'Marvel'. This is to show the audience that this is a film made by Marvel Studios and it also shows them the familiarity of all the comic book strips that they associate with Marvel. With the opening sequence there are many cuts from a lot of the scenes of the comics, also by having this fast pace it could also show the audience what genre the film is and what to expect.

The first bit of film the audience then sees is Loki's sceptre. With this image the lighting is very dark except for the bright glow that is radiating from the sceptre. Along with this image there are sounds and visuals of electricity coming out of the device this could show the power that this weapon has and what part it could play in the film. After this it quickly cuts to a scene of soldiers getting ready for battle. In the background there is some diegetic dialogue coming from the speakers saying 'We're under attack' This tells the audience that their is going to be and action/ fight scene between the protagonist and antagonist. While the people are running around trying to get guns the background setting seems quite dark and old which could create mystery of where the setting is and why the people are under attack. While this is happening it shows a point of view shot from one of the 'soldiers' running to get to the battle. This particular shot was used on a hand held camera so therefore it shakes a lot which creates drama and anticipation it also helps the viewer to see what it is like to be in that situation. While the person it holding the hand held camera you can see another 'soldier' type of person, you can see this from the dark military type clothes which could suggest that these people are part of a quite violent organisation. After this it then cuts to a scene of diegetic explosions and a car racing through the smoke with the protagonists of the film.

This part of the opening has a lot of action within it, this shows the audience what to expect from the movie but it also gives them satisfaction by watching all the stunts being played out. To start with as the vehicle comes out of the smoke from the explosion you can then see two to three o the main protagonists fighting the evil. With this shot there is a lot of diegetic sound from explosions to weapons to the sound of the vehicles revving their engines. Along this part their is a tracking shot of all the individual characters performing different stunts, from this tracking shot there isn't a cut for about 30 seconds. Another part of the sound is the non diegetic background music which seems to be an orchestral piece which brings about tension and drama to the scene to make it seem more action pact. From using these layers of sound it can help the audience understand what is happening within the fight scene. Also the colour of the scene is very dark from all the dark vehicles and costumes the only real form of light is from the various guns and weapons that are being shot which create blue light which dashes across the screen and entices the audience, another use of colour is some of the protagonists costumes, for example Thor's costume is by far the brightest from the red cape and blue chest plate, from these colours the audience can see that this man stands out more from the rest of the team so they could see him as the protagonist. Another thing that is interesting in this scene is that there is no cuts between any of the shots. There is a tracking shot used which focuses on one protagonist and then it zooms out to another protagonist all in one shot.

In this part of the opening you can see all the protagonists lined up together this gives the audience a clear view of all the main characters and what role they will play in the film, also from all the quick high action scenes seen previously the audience could not pick out all the individuals and this scene then slows everything down for the audience so they can reflect on what just happened and think about what the plot will bring towards this situation. To break this slow-Mo apart the Hulk then does a roar to bring all the faced paced shots together into more action sequences. Throughout these scenes you can also tell a lot about the location, it seems to be in a place where it is quite cold because of all the snow. From this snow it creates the dark and gloomy atmosphere of winter and shows that this location could be a place where the antagonist has their secret base where they keep the sceptre from the beginning.

http://moviehdmax.com/watch/7ae0d4fcd0/avengers-age-of-ultron-2015

Genre Research

Form Research

Form Research

Form research is the research of what elements are usually featured in an action/adventure film opening.

Flashbacks
A scene where the narrative goes back in time for a couple of minutes and usually to a key event that links back to something further on into the film. It can also set the mood for the rest of the film.
Planning of landscape/establishing shot
This is used to set the scene and inform the audience where and what time the film is being set.
Narrations
An easy and effective way of getting the audience involved in the narrative straight away. The technique is used to give background information on what is happening or who the characters are , giving the audience an insight so the rest of the film makes sense.
Editing
Action scene a fast paced opening to a film attracts the audience straight away and will make them want to carry on watching. As well it automatically shows the genre of the film if included in the opening. 
The Chase 
Chase scene Similar to the action scene, also catches the audiences attention. It involves them as they will want to see what happens after the chase. 
Production/Distrobuter logos
Production Logos At the start of most films they will always show the production/distribution logos. If the film has a high budget the logo will be adapted to reflect the genre and story line of the film.
Animation
Animation to portray the beginning of the film in a creative way and visibly show the difference between the film itself and the opening sequence. (e.g. Juno.)
Compliations/Montages
Compilation/montage of photographs or clips, for example, Blue Valentine which is a romantic film, shows photographs to portray to the audience the theme and the relationship between the couple.
Narrative
Narrative content this includes the context (where/when/who). As well the pace of the narrative increases as level of engagement increases. 
Soundtrack
Soundtrack this is the use of tone, volume, and tempo, which will generically start quiet and slow-paced. 

However, I noticed that some directors prefer to have an unconventional opening to portray a sense of mystery or giving the film an artistic edge. E.g. Lack of credits, Lack of establishing shot, Main characters are not introduced.

Done by Maddy Flaherty.

Textual analysis- Maze Runner

Opening Scene

The Maze Runner film is a 2014 American  science fiction action thriller film directed by Wes Ball. The film is the first instalment in the Maze Runner franchise. The story is based around a sixteen year old boy named Thomas who in the opening scene awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to learn he's been sent to the middle of a maze, along with a large number of other boys, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing maze. This story goes through the adventures of Thomas and how he try's to escape the labyrinth. This film was released on September the 19th 2014 and has a running time of 113 minutes. This film earned over 348.3 million pounds in the box office and is distributed by 20th Century Fox. This film is based on the book series from James Dashner.

The film starts of showing the distributer of the film- 20th Century Fox. From this logo the audience can identify this film as being from Fox, the audience can then relate this to pervious films Fox has distributed and compare the films together. The sound track from this scene also gives a sense of familiarity to the audience.

After the opening credits the audience are then greeted with a pitch black screen. This black screen connotes mystery because the audience doesn't know what is happening in the scene. Another part from this scene is that there are various diegetic mechanical noises is the scene, these mechanical noises bring tension to the audience because they cannot identify the sound to a picture which then could make them confused and wary to what is going to happen next.

The audience are then shown this shot of the main protagonist in some sort of rusty lift. In this scene there is also not much light coming from anywhere except for some artificial light so it connotes that this scene could be set underground. In this scene it shows the main protagonist first waking up in this metal cage completely unaware where he is and he is shown to be throwing up. The only sounds to be heard are that of the confused protagonist waking up and the sounds of the lift gradually going up. From this the audience can see that the protagonist is in a sticky situation because he doesn't know where he is and he cannot get out. In this clip it also shows Thomas to be quite dirty, this connotes that he couldn't have washed himself for awhile because he has been trapped in this cage, also his face appears to be quite damp along with his clothes which connotes that it is very hot and cramped in that environment. Another thing about this scene is that it shows a mid shot of the character which shows his position within this shot, it shows how he just woke up and focuses on what state he is in.

This then cuts to a high angle shot of the character which shows his surroundings within the lift. The audience can then clearly see lots of supplies in the background. These supplies could connote that the lift is taking these supplies to a destination where the main protagonist will then survive off them. This scene also shows the protagonist hunched over looking below his, this could suggest that he is confused about where he is and wants to know what is below him. It could also suggest that he wants to know where he came from because of his amnesia he cannot remember the previous events so he is trying to get an answer by looking down. After this Thomas then stands up and finds that the lift is going faster and faster, I know this because the mechanical sounds become more harsh and the lift is shaking more showing that the lift is going faster. As Thomas gets up he also notices more noises within his setting. The diegetic sound is coming from a pig that is trapped in a crate, Thomas then springs back to the other side of he cage after seeing this pig. He probably over reacts because he has amnesia and all he knows is that he is trapped with a foreign species that he is not familiar with.

Thomas then begins to scramble to the top of the crate to see of a way out. While this is happening it shows a close up of his face while he is screaming 'Help'. This shows his distress and confusion over this situation and his need for help. This could define Thomas as the princess character because the princess is in distress and in need which Thomas is replicating. While he is shouting for help it then cuts to the top of the lift which has been closed off, this causes Thomas to panic because he believes that he is going to crash into the wall. Thomas then falls down onto the floor which is then accompanied by a red light that goes over the shot. This connotes danger and that something bad it going to happen to this protagonist, this gets the audience to think about the consequences, This red light then progressively changes to green which shows that the issue could have been resolved. The scene then again goes completely black which also creates even more tension because the audience doesn't know what is going to happen to this character, the only sounds to be heard is Thomas's frantic breathing which shows his distress.

The metal doors are then immediately opened to show blinding light. This connotes that the lift has know gone up from underground and is know facing the bright sun. Now you can fully see the protagonist. He is shown to have his clothes drenched in sweat, this connoted that the anxiety of confusion has effected him and has caused him to panic within this container. Thomas also try's to cover his face from the blinding eyes because he cannot see through the light. As he lowers his hands many shadows appear within the shot, this then cuts to a group of people surrounding the container where Thomas is in. The people are also shown to wear similar clothes to Thomas which could connote that they come from the same place. The main person within this group then volunteers to open the cage and get Thomas out. He refers to Thomas as a 'Greeny' which could suggest his ranking within the group, it could suggest the lowest rank because he is new. Thomas is then thrown onto the grass where the group of people look down upon him while he is stuck in the foetal position confused and distressed. Finally Thomas tries to get up and run away from the group but ultimately fails when he falls onto the grass.

http://putlocker.ms/watch-the-maze-runner-online-free-2014-putlocker-v18.html

Textual Analysis- Alien Raiders

Textual Analysis - Alien Raiders

For my production I have decided to do an Action genre production. I thought that instead of looking just analysing very popular action films that I would also look at action films made on a low budget so that I can apply it better to my production in more realistic way as it's unlikely that I'll be able to have mass explosions. Alien Raiders had a budget of less then one million dollars.

Alien Raiders
For the first few minutes of the opening it's just the credits and the production companies involved in the making of the film. However, you can still recognise it with the action genre.

A typical feature of the action genre is guns and explosions and throughout the whole of the opening credits there's fast paced shots of bullets and guns, during the credits when some text appears the shot will become a freeze frame which adds importance to the text on screen. The guns being loaded plus the readying of the guns could represent the beginning of a fight scene which is also a typical event in the action genre. There is also a soundtrack over the top of the opening credits that's quite ironic, within the soundtrack it says "what's going on?" which echoed my thoughts as I was watching it as though that was the aim they were going for.
In the first scene you can see 3 narrative strands. One being time, you can see this by how dark it outside the shop windows, indicating it's late in the day/night, another is characters, we can see three characters in this shot and lastly, location, in this shot the location is very clearly an American shop which isn't a typical location for an action scene, that's normally outdoors, abandoned places etc. However, that just adds tension as the audience are now waiting for a disruption. 

Todorov's "The Trinity" is shown in this opening:
The Set Up - A normal, calming atmosphere of the shop, everyone going about their own business.
The Disruption - As a worker turns the corner they discover a customer dead on the floor with blood all around them and from their Chaos breaks out with guns being fired left, right and centre.
The Resolution - The police showing up should be a resolution but is only a resolution for half of the hostages who are let go, for the others it doesn't help at all.

As the disruption occurs the soundtrack changes to a more intense build up also, the shop worker turns, each time a bad guy appears there is a burst sound effect. Following this shot is a high angled shot, the women with the gun is standing while the shop worker is kneeling and this makes the women look powerful and Superior to 
 the male shop worker, this goes against the stereotypes of women being weak as she is represented as strong and in control whereas, the male shop worker is the one who is weak, reverse stereotypes. We are able to identify the bad guys through mise-en scene for example, all of the bad guys are wearing full black which is a typical thing for a burglar to wear or someone sneaking around but also they're hiding half of their face with cloths because they don't want to be able to be identified. By this it also mean the audience can easily tell between the victim and the 
 bad guys.Here we have a first person view of one of the bad guys who's behaviour would definitely be very strange, grabbing someones head and seeing these vibrations and brightness around the person in front of them. As the vibration and brightness happens there is a sound of an electric pulse in the background and it's a sound only this character can hear, digetic as it's not a sound made by the world around them. 

This film's target audience is PG15 because the film has mild swearing but it also has a lot of blood and violent scenes. This age range is also typical of a action genre. This film can be targeted at both genders, as the film doesn't just focus guns and aliens but also some romance and family, there's also both female and male characters to attract both genders. By having attractive looking males/females in this films it applys Molrey's male/female gaze which means that men look at women as a sex object (male gaze) or women look at men as a sex object (female gaze)

Done by Maddy Flaherty

Textual Analysis- The Avengers- Age of Ultron.

For my textual analysis I will be watching the openings of three films and dissecting them of all the key values an action film has. The first film I will be analysing is the 2015 Avengers- Age of Ultron.
To begin with I will start to analyse the genre of the film. For my production me and my group have decided to chose the genre action, which is why I chose this film to analyse because it represents a lot of action within the scenes and it is something we could represent in out production.

To start with the main genre of this particular film is a hybrid of action adventure. The action of this film is meant to bring excitement from a range of fighting scenes and chases and the adventure side brings new experiences and exciting stories. From the opening of this film there are many conventions that are seen for example in mostly all of the action films there is some for of movement that happens from intense battling to an escape, within these first few moments of the film it shows all the Avengers in a fight to try and get into a secret base. Another convention from this opening is the use of weapons, many of the avengers carry weapons which are a symbol of themselves and what they believe in (Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer) from having these stereotype weapons it symbolises that this film is closely linked towards action because of their violent and powerful nature. Yet another convention of an action movie is the amount of destruction that is needed to complete a mission or a common aim, just in the opening of this film it already shows a high amount of destruction that is being made so that they can reach the goal of breaking into the high security base. Finally the last of the conventions seen in this clip is the use of  high tech vehicles such as motorcycles, the iron man suit and many cars driving around. By using these high tech objects it immediately interests the audience who watches this then they would want to see more interesting stunts which are used from these. All of these conventions used help to interact with the audience to make the film more enjoyable, also it helps them identify these conventions with the norms of action films which can help them have a better understanding of them. The purpose of the genre action is to appeal to certain audiences and provide them with satisfaction from watching these films. By watching these films it helps them distract away from the norms of life and look into the life which is full of adventure and excitement. It also helps people relax and forget about their worries for awhile so they can fully enjoy themselves with a film.

The next thing I am going to talk about is the narrative of this story. From the opening clip that I saw I could see that it was a linear plot line. I knew this because all the time events were in chronological order so it contained no flash back or memories, but throughout the whole film the plotline does become non-linear but I am only analysing the first clip. I could also see that from this film it had a clear closed narrative because if had all of the beginning, middle and end. Also from this clip I could see that it had multiple stands I could see this when it had multiple point of view shots from both the hero's and the villains side of the story. By using multiple stands it helps the audience pick up the clear plot from both point of views so it helps them see what troubles both sides face throughout the movie. I could also see from this clip that it is a mostly intertwined plot line, this it because many of the scenes viewed are happening at the same time but just with different point of views. Throughout the story it also relates a lot to Todorov's theory this is shown from the use of all the 5 stages used throughout the movie. For example at the beginning of the film it shows a disruption which then leads too more chaos through the creation of the artificial intelligence which is made called Ultron it then goes through all of the stages until Ultron is finally defeated and peace is once again restored.

The next thing I will be discussing is the use of sound. To begin with there was a use of some non-diegetic sound that was used in the form of dramatic background music, by using this music it helps bring tension into the situation and leaves the audience in anticipation to find out what will happen next it also develops the atmosphere of the movie and shows that it will have very dramatic and tense scenes. Another use of sound which is now diegetic is the sounds of explosions. By using these explosions it shows how exciting and fast pace this scene is, this effect also creates tension because the audience doesn't want anything bad to happen to the protagonists. With explosions there is also a lot of sound coming from various weapons in this scene. The sound of the weapons show that this film is action and it also adds to the fast paced and crazy atmosphere, it also creates the idea of mystery because the audience doesn't know if one of these weapons are going to hurt anyone or have any dramatic effects. Another use of sound is the diegetic sound from all the high tech armour, from these sounds the audience can decipher what time period this was around to have this sort of technology it also shows how advanced the weaponry is. The last use of sound which it diegetic is the use of talking. Talking is used as a form of communication to help solidify what method of action need to take place. In this specific scene Tony Stark (Iron Man) if trying to find a way into the secret base, when he realises there is a force field he used the phrase "Shit" to express his anger. To this his response from Captain America is "Language" from using this method of sound it helps to create humour for the audience. From this humour is helps to make the scene feel a little less tense so the viewers can relax knowing everything could potentially be okay.

Now I will be talking about the editing used in the film. Editing is used to create texture and make it possible to see other peoples point of views and to see how they overcome certain obstacles. In the opening scene it is very fast and rapid because there is a lot of different things happening from explosions to high energy battle scenes. Most of the editing used in this specific scene cuts to all the different scenarios the protagonists are in and how they handle their specific situation. For example it cuts to Captain America and it shows how he throws his motorbike into an oncoming vehicle to stop them from hurting anybody it then quickly cuts to another scene with a different scenario and protagonist to show what they have to overcome to achieve their goal. All of these cuts are very quick and only last a few seconds before focusing on a different person after all the action scene have stopped the high amount of cut editing slows down to a reasonable pace to show everything has calmed down reasonably. Another part of the editing that is used is to zoom in on the protagonist faces, by using this technique it helps the audience see the expression on their faces so they can understand what they are going through. Another part of the editing is to include most of the explosion and shots from the weapons, this helps to create more visually appealing effects which the audience wants to see. It also helps to make the scene seem more exciting and thrilling to the audience.

The next thing I will be talking about is the audience. For this film the direct audience could potentially be everyone because this movie contains a lot of things that most people find entertaining in a film. For example this film contains mostly action but also contains adventure with a bit of romance. Commonly though this film would be most suitable for people who like action and superhero's which could range from children to adults. Most likely thought children would not watch this because of some of the language used within. Action films are also a way for an audience to forget the troubles of real life and immerse themselves in the life of fictional characters. It also helps bring entertainment into the audiences life and helps them to relate their life to those of a superhero. It could also help people be informed or educated by this form of entertainment. Finally it could also help form good social interaction skills by discussing the events of the film with friends and other people who enjoy the action genre.

To conclude with all these components from sound to genre it helps to create this movie like it is today. It is also good for all these components to come together so it can satisfy the needs of the audience and make them pay to go see the film so the film industry can become even bigger and create more and more good films.

-Honesty Bradshaw