HW: Extended Writing Activity

Film Language - Ocean's Eleven

How does mise-en-scene convey meaning in this sequence?
How does camera shot size, movement and angle convey meaning?
How does sound anchor the images?
What do we learn about the characters through dialogue and non-verbal language?
What other visual techniques does the director use and why?

• The simple enlosed room represents the prison setting
• The jumpsuit costume shows the character to be an inmate or convict
• Aswell as his rough unshaven look conveys a bad time in the characters life
• The static MS camera represents an interview type set up
• It then cuts to a CU of the character to show his reaction to the final interview question
• The dialogue of the interviewer is present as ambient sound however the interviewer is never seen which maintains prevalance on the character
• Through dialogue we learn that the man is a a convict who is being interviewed for parole
• He is shown to be a con-man
• His dialogue indicates that he is confident in nature, and is hiding what he plans to do when released from his little smile after the final question
• The director uses low key lighting to show the dark mood of the prison

Media Audiences - Back To The Future

Who is the target audience?
What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?
How do you, as a British teenager, read and evaluate the text?
To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender and background?

• The target audience is most likely to be young teenagers and family audiences
• The use of light humor and a young male star means connotes the younger target audience
• As a British teenager the text is enjoyable to me as the combination of music and comedy speaks to my interests
• This reading is most probably due to my young age and male gender

Institutional Context - Batman Begins

Has a star been used in this film?
Why is this important?
Which studio produced this film?
Is it an industrial or independent film?
What strategies were used to market the film?
Is the institutional context evident in the production values of the opening?

• Bankable star Christian Bale was used in Batman Begins
• This was important as it contributed to the success of the film as Christian Bale is a popular and well liked actor so it brought bigger audiences
• The film was produced by industrial studio Legendary Pictures
• The film mainly used traditional forms of marketing such as posters, TV adverts, cinema trailers etc.
• However the studio also utilised social netwroking sites to campaign the trailer and merchandise
• The film had a pre-made fanbase from the legacy of the already popular batman comics
• The high production values of the industrial studio and large budget are evident in the film opening
• The use of multiple high profile studios and the CGI created opening with the bats are evident of the institutional context