Audience Research into Genre

Here is my audience research into my drama genre. I felt that in order to get an accurate and range of views and opinions, I decided to ask my questions to a range of different ages. I chose to interview the following; Yr 11 students, sixth form students and adults. This has helped me to decide what age range my target audience is for a typical drama film. I can then try to focus on that specific age range to develop my film.

Year 11

Sixth Form Students

 

 

Timeline History of Drama Films

1910s

The Painted Lady - 1912

Typical Conventions

Firstly, I have noticed that this film only lasts 12m 23s long. This is a typical time length for a film during the 1910 time period as they didn't have the technology or funding to make the film any longer. Also, the ideas for the films were very short and sweet which is the style that attracted the audience. Anything too long would be too drawn out and the audience would loose interest in the film. As this film is one of the earliest films created, the technology wasn't around to have the film in colour or in sound. To get around this, these films were called silent films and were shown in a local cinema with someone playing a piano live in the cinema to go with the storyline of the film. This would add a bit more life to the film and also make the film more interesting for the audience. Also as the film is silent, various catchphrases appear up on the screen after a specific action has taken place so that the audience can understand what the characters are saying or doing. Certain aspects of the film have had increased speed such as when one of the sisters is applying powder to her face. This could be to emphasise the point that the other sister doesn't want to put any powder on her face whilst the other one doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Finally, I have noticed in this film there are only mid shots and some close up shots used. This is because again, the technology wasn't around for the film makers to shoot high angle shots or extreme close up shots, etc. It was a lot easier for them just to continue using one shot the whole time rather than use different camera shots. It would have also taken long using different shots to shoot the film. Also because of the lack in technology, the picture quality  is quite low as in this time period, these films would have been kept on a film reel.

1920s

The Frozen North - 1922

Typical Conventions

In this clip I have noticed many similarities to the clip from the 1910s. The screenplay is still in black and white with the low picture quality. There is also no sound to this film so it is a silent film. The camera shots are also similar in the way that they haven't got a wide variation of high angle shots or tracking shots etc. These ideas could suggest that the technology hasn't improved that much within ten years. The significant difference that I have noticed between the two films is that 'The Frozen North' has a longer running time of 17 minutes. From my own research, I know that around this time, it was typical for films to run around 17 minutes long. This could suggest that filmmakers had better funding, plot ideas and also better technology to create a longer film.



1930s

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - 1939

Typical Conventions
 This is a film clip from the film 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1939). By watching this film clip, I can see that there are significant differences in it. Firstly, I have noticed that the running time is over an hour long. This could suggest that the filmmakers are able to have a bigger budget allowing them to film for longer. The idea of this drama film also has a proper in depth plot to it as well rather than a shot and simple plot like the films from the 10s and 20s. As this film has a longer plot it, the film would need to have a longer running time which could also be another reason why the filming is longer. I have also noticed that in this film clip, there is a much wider range of camera shots which are used in the clip such as low angle shots, mid shots, long shots, etc. This makes the film clip more interesting as there is more excitement shown on the screen.
 

1940s

How Green Was My Valley - 1941

Typical Conventions

In this clip, there is a definite difference in the picture quality. There are less lines moving across the screen and also the picture is a lot more sharper. This suggests that the cameras were improving which means that technology around this period was also improving. There is also a good range of camera shots in the clip such as close up shots, mid shots, etc. However, there still isn't a range of any high angle, low angle or even extreme close up type shots which could suggest that the cameras still aren't advanced enough in technology to be capable of completing any of these shots.



1950s

A Streetcar Named Desire - 1951


Typical Conventions

I can see that the picture quality of the film has improved yet again. It is a lot easier to see where the light falls in various places and the picture is also a lot sharper. This makes the overall quality better for the audience to watch which makes it more enjoyable. I have also noticed in this clip that there is non-diagetic music playing in the background. This helps to create a relaxed atmosphere as Stella walks down the stairs, which could hint that there is no longer any danger from the male character and she has forgiven him. The non-diagetic music fits much better than just having silence as it would create an uneasy and almost tense atmosphere as you wouldn't know what is about to happen. 

1960s

A Taste of Honey - 1961


Typical Conventions

Once again in this clip there is another clear difference in the picture of the clip from the previous clips. The filming is still in black and white, but the picture is quite light which means that you can see the actors and the objects in more detail. There isn't a wide range of different camera shots used in this clip. Each camera shot is quite similar with slow changes to the next shot. However, this works well with the acton going on in this clip because the atmosphere appears quite laid back despite what is going on. Camera shots which were too quick changing would create a more panicked and fast moving atmosphere which is not what the director intend to portray.



1970s

A Woman Under the Influence - 1974


Typical Conventions

There is a definite clear difference between this clip and the previous clip which is both the picture and sound quality. This is one of the first films to have the funding to create a film in colour. With this, again the picture is a lot sharper and much more clearer which automatically improves the overall quality. This makes the film a lot more enjoyable for the audience to watch. The sound has also improved greatly as it sounds less muffled and a lot more clearer. This is due to improved technology which would initially cost a lot more. This would mean that the film would have to have a bigger budget in order to cater for it.



1980s

Field of Dreams - 1989


Typical Conventions

During the 80's every film that was created was in colour. This is because all the video cameras used were in colour. The colour filters used for the cameras during the 80s were of better quality than those which were first used. Again this is due to improved technology. The difference between the two is that the colour quality from the 80s is more brighter and clearer whereas the colour from the early 70s isn't as bold. I have also noticed that there is a wider range of different camera shots being used such as high angle and low angle shots. The camera shots also don't last for a long time focused on one specific shot which makes the film a lot more interesting to watch. This would attract a bigger audience which would increase the amount of profit from the film which would increase the profit for the filmmakers.



1990s

The Shawshank Redemption - 1994


Typical Conventions

This clip makes a good use if camera shots to represent things such as status. For example, there is a shot reverse shot between the man in the suit and the man in prisoner uniform. In the shot reverse shot, there is a low angle shot facing the man in the suit with a high angle shot facing down on the prisoner which suggests that the man in the suit has a higher status. This can also be seen as the man in the suit dominating the prisoner which could suggest that the man in the suit is a threat to the prisoner. This is a suggestion that film directors are thinking more about the meaning of each camera shot for effect. The picture quality hasn't changed much since the 80s but it is still of a good quality.



2000s

The Duchess - 2008

Typical Conventions

The camera shots have yet again improved during 2000. This is because the cameras have the ability to zoom and also focus on a specific person or object, etc. For instance, during the conversation between the two women, there is a shot reverse shot. During this, the camera shot is focused on the woman speaking leaving the background blurred which doesn't catch the viewers eye contact, making them focus on the woman speaking. This creates a professional look on the piece but also makes the shot a lot more clearer. It helps to create a better effect and improves the overall quality making it more enjoyable for the audience to watch.



2010s

Starred Up - 2013

Typical Conventions

Here this clip uses a variety of camera shots such as close ups and mid-shots. The close up shots demonstrate the facial expression so that you can see what the character is feeling. This suggests that this is an important moment as it's the first time this character has entered prison before. There is also a mid-shot of the man walking into the cell filmed from the outside. This shows the surroundings that this character is in and also hints for the first time that he is vulnerable and on his own in the cell. The picture quality hasn't changed much since the 2000s but is still of a good quality with a good range of different  camera shots used.




Summary

Looking 100 years back to when drama films first began right up until the 2010s, the are many significant differences to the films. 

Firstly, the ideas and running times of the films are completely different. Over the years, the ideas and plots for drama films have become a lot more developed and in depth which increased the running time of the film.

Also, the camera shots have also developed by having a wider range of different types of shots which are used. This makes the film a lot more interesting for the audience to see. It can also imply different meanings. For instance, fast moving camera shots help to create a sense of tension and speed to the film, or a high angle shot on a person could suggest that they are a victim or are vulnerable.

What has stayed the same throughout the drama films is the drama genre. This is because a drama features realistic issues that often have something bad which occurs. Through my research of all the films over a period of 100 years, I have seen that every one of these films maintains the same drama genre features.

Finally, with the improvement of camera shots and running times of the films all comes from the improvements of technology. 
For example, the video cameras have developed from a blurry black and white picture to crisp, clear colour footage. Colour films didn't properly come in until the 70s, even though colour film has already been experimented in the early 1900s and wasn't used for the first time until 1938 for the film 'The Wizard of Oz'. Colour footage would have cost more to make a film so it would have been a lot more realistic for the film company to film in black and white as it would have fitted in with their budget.
After colour film was fully introduced in the 70s, the quality of the camera shots became a lot better in picture quality. They also began to film more focus shots too which would allow the audience to focus on one specific actor.
Filmmakers nowadays are a lot more fortunate now with filmmaking due to the fact that there are a lot more opportunities to get themselves a bigger budget for their film such as the 'Lottery' and media conglomerates taking ownership over a film company and supplying them a budget.

Public Enemies, 2009 - Film Analysis

Synopsis

Based on a true story. Set in 1933, Chicago, during the fourth year of the great depression of America, bank robber John Dillinger is wanted by the feds (F.B.I.) for a series of bank robberies. However, Dillinger enjoys his crime and couldn't image doing anything else which would make him happier. Eventually, Dillinger is betrayed by an acquaintance who knows exactly were to find him on a specific night.

This tracking shot is an interesting way to open the scene of a bank robbery. This is because you can see the facial expressions of the men as they enter the bank. They keep their expressions plain but in thought as they need to follow their plans to rob the bank but they don't want to act to much out of the ordinary as they enter so that nobody immediately suspects anything.

You can see the reflection of some artificial light on the marble surface in this screen shot. This means that there are artificial lights on in the bank. However, we can clearly see that it is the daytime because the bank is open to the public. The artificial lighting just adds that bit more light to the customers so that they can clearly see what they are reading or signing or paying, etc. It allows there to be no dark shadows in the room.

I really like this high angle shot which shows the whole main floor of the bank. It is an effective way to establish the setting. 

In this screen shot, you can see slight shadows and the lightness of the natural lighting which falls onto the floor and desks. This suggests that the robbery is taken place during the day. Another aspect that suggests that the bank robbery is taken place during the day is the fact that there are many bank customers in the bank. This means that the bank is open to the public when the bank is robbed. 

I particularly like the editing in these following three close up shots. 

In the first shot the mans face is in focus with the man in the background blurred out. This is to show the audience that their focus point should be on the man's face as he tries to get the attention on the other man to warn him that the police have turned up.

The next shot then blurs out the mans face and instead focuses on the man behind him. This is to show the audience that the man has acknowledged his warning.

The next shot then blurs out the man in the background and focuses on the man's face once again. This is to show the audience that their focus needs to be on the man's face again as he is planning his plot to prevent them from entering the bank and arresting his fellow bank robbers. 

This next shot does the same as the previous shots although this time the shot doesn't focus on the man's face (the lead bank robber John Dillinger). This is because the focus is on the bank manager behind him as he is forced to fill up a bag with money for the bank robbers.

I think that this high angle camera shot is really clever because it concludes the bank robbery. When the bank robber gang first entered, the bank, a high angle shot of the bank was shown to help establish where they were. This high angle shot helps to establish their leaving the bank as you can see all of the bank robbers leaving together at the same time along with some hostages so that they can escape from the police.

Bank Robbery - Clip

In this clip, we are able to get a good look of the types of costumes which that bank robbers would wear in the 1930s. Each of the men wore a smart suit with a long coat so that they could easily hide their big machine guns. They all had a hat on as well which was most probably to help blend into a crowd as most men would wear a hat of they wore a suit. The hat also helps to cover up their hair and even block parts of their face out at certain angles. As security is a lot more high now from the use of CCTV cameras, etc, it means that modern bank robbers will have to cover themselves up more now so that they can't be identified. For instance, they would wear balaclavas so that their faces couldn't be seen, gloves so their fingerprints can't be tracked and usually some sort of dark tracksuit as they are easy to move in which allows them to get away from the police easier.

Showing their faces in a bank robbery in the 1930s wouldn't have been such a big deal because there wasn't any such thing as a CCTV camera which would pick up exactly who they were. This made banks a lot more vulnerable to bank robberies. There are lots of CCTV cameras around in our modern day banks because they make it easier to pick up any suspicious activity and show exactly what the criminals look like.

The main safe of money was only locked up only by a lock and key. This made the money access quite easy. Nowadays, the bank's money is a lot more protected. For instance, the main source of the banks money is locked by a top security passcode and behind strong metal doors. 

The accompaniment for this clip has been used effectively as I feel that it adds a bit more tension and suspense to the bank robbery without it being too overpowering. However, it is non-diegetic which means that the characters cannot hear it.  They can only hear sounds such as the gun fire. The music is at its loudest at the beginning and end of there clip. I think this is really effective because it opens up the scene and ends the scene to. The music at the end is a bit more relaxed and has a glorifying sense to it because for the bank robbers, it has been a successful bank robbery. At the beginning the music is more of a drone which is the start of the building tension of the bank robbery. When the bank robbers begin to fight with the bank staff and the customer, the music quieten downs but still plays in a low key in the background which holds the suspense of the scene together. 

This screen shot helps to establish the year of which the film is set. We already know that this film is set in 1933. Because of this all of the clothing styles, cars, buildings, etc, have to match up to this. In this screen shot, you can clearly see a few old fashioned 1930s cars including a 1930s police car. This police car doesn't have the flashing lights and speed which our police cars have today. In the 1930s they would turn up at events such as bank robberies in large numbers with each policeman armed with a gun and a baton.

Extra: Audience Research into my Film Magazine Front Cover

I have researched four different types of magazine front covers which have been created by four different magazine companies. After evaluating the pros and cons about them myself, I decided that to get a better understanding of what peoples views are on each of the different magazine front covers, I would interview a couple of people from different age ranges to get an idea on their different thoughts and opinions.

I interviewed them on the following film magazine front covers;

Front Cover 1

Front Cover  2

Front Cover 3

Front Cover 4

Saskia Dare, 14

Sharon Dare, 45

Extra: Ideas for my Film Magazine Front Cover

Title:
I want to have a one word film title for my film magazine. This is because I want it to be simple and easy to remember. I also want my film title to be relevant to film so that whoever reads it will instantly know that it is a film magazine.

'FilmBiz' is my favourite magazine title which I have come up with for my film. It has also proved to be the most popular film title out of the selection of film titles which I had come up with. 

Main Picture:
For the main picture, I want to have a photograph of either Jay or Ashton or both of them together as they are both the main characters of my story. I think that by having both characters on the front cover will be effective as I have noticed that most magazine front covers only have one character. By having two characters on the front cover will make the magazine look slightly different to the other magazines which could possibly make it stand out more. I think that by editing out the background of the photograph leaving the character outline left creates a professional touch to the magazine and also make it a lot more interesting to look at which could again catch the audiences eyes more.

Subheadings:
I have noticed that most film magazines advertise other films which are featured in the magazine as well as the main front cover film. This way, the readers can immediately see the main basic subjects and films which are included in the magazine. To make my magazine look authentic, I will also include subheadings about what else is included in the magazine and what films are featured in it.

Colour Schemes:
To make my magazine look professional, I need to make sure that I have a structured and limited colour scheme. If I used too many of the wrong colours, then the magazine would not look as nice and it will not look as professional. I also think that it is important to have a colour scheme which relates to the main film which is featured on the magazine.

Extra: Research into magaziene front covers

I have selected four magazine front covers all of which are from a different film magazine makes. I decided to research four different makes of film magazines because I wanted to look at the differences and similarities between each magazine. I could then look at what features may be required for my own front cover.

Front Cover 1

This is a front cover from Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment is in big lettering whilst the Weekly part of the title is in smaller lettering engraved in the Entertainment part of the title. This is quite an effective use of the title because the large one word Entertainment catches the audiences eye quickly as they may not initially see the weekly part of the title. If you had Entertainment and Weekly both in big lettering for the title, then the title wouldn't be as effective as the audience would have to read both words before they could see what is going on, on the rest of the magazine. I also think that by having two large words for the title would take up space on the front cover for other aspects such as the main picture and sub titles which are also important parts to draw in the audiences attention.

There is a limited colour scheme in this front cover which consists of blue, white, greys and a very small amount of dark red. The title is in blue along with the number 39 advertising how many films which feature in the magazine. As the rest of the poster is in a mix of similar white and grey colours, these two titles in blue stand out from the rest of the writing on the page. 

The font is also quite big on the main and information title which is another aspect which catches the audiences eye. 

The sub title of the magazine Holiday Movie Preview is also featured in a big font which is placed directly below the main title which is shown at the top of the page. An actors Johnny Depp is also shown in the white colouring and large font. This could suggest that the actor is a popular actor, so anyone who glances at the magazine will see his name and a photo of his profile as the character he portrays in the film and may want to find out more about the new film the actor has starred in. This may tempt the audience into buying the film.

Front Cover 2

This is a magazine front cover from the film magazine Total Film. This front cover is immediately eye catching due to the use of bright colours on the magazine front cover. The magazine title Film is in white with the Total part is engraved in the F of the Film title. 

The sub title Comic-book movie preview! is in a large font with a bold yellow colour. This sub title stands out more than the magazine title. This may have been done to engage the readers by instantly telling them that there is a movie preview in comic book style. The use of the exclamation mark suggests that what it is stating is a big thing and maybe something which people have been waiting to get a glimpse of it the Spiderman film is a new big film coming out. 

You can tell just by looking at the magazine that one of the main subject of the magazine is Spiderman as the Spiderman character is featured on the front cover. 

There is a lot to look at on this front cover which makes it look quite interesting. There is part of the comic book preview strip from the new Spiderman along with a few sub headings telling the reader the main films and aspects which are featured in the magazine. 

I have noticed with the Total Film magazines that most of them have one character as their main picture and usually their heads cover the L in the Film part of the title. This helps to create a professional look on the magazine as you can see that they have taken the time to edit the photo so that only the person is shown and not the background. The background in the magazine has been edited in. By overlapping the picture onto the words allows more space for the picture to be enlarged which would make the magazine front cover more eye catching as pictures usually prove to be more eye catching than words.

Front Cover 3

This film magazine is called Sight & Sound. Unlike the other magazines I have assessed, the film title for this magazine has two words in the title which are of similar size. This could suggest that both words in the title are important and wouldn't really make sense by having one large word with the other being a small word. Unlike the title Entertainment Weekly, the Weekly is relevant as it tells the audience readers that it is a weekly magazine but it doesn't need to be highlighted to the readers attention as the Entertainment part of the title is the important part which is there to grasp the readers attention.

The main colour scheme of this magazine consists of yellow, blue and dark grey colours. The magazine title is written in black writing but has a yellow background. Towards the bottom of the page, there is a film name Cosmopolis written in a blue colour. The main photo again features one character who is clearly the main character of the film Cosmopolis. The colour scheme for this photo is quite dark which could suggest that the film itself may have dark aspects to it. The dark colour of the photo compliments the yellow and blue titles and sub headings as it makes them stand out.

You can clearly see that the photo hasn't been edited that much. This is because the original background on the photo is still there. However, the darkness of the photo may have been adjusted to create a slightly darker effect on the photo. 

Front Cover 4

The name of this film magazine is Empire. I like the use of a single one word title. I feel that it is short, easy to remember and to the point without dragging the audience reader's eyes away from the main subjects listed on the front page which are included in the magazine.

Like the Total Film magazine, the picture has also been edited to partly cover the P and the I of the Empire title. Again this helps to create a professional effect on the title but also it suggests that the film magazine is well known as the readers will know what the title of the magazine is even with the picture partly covering the title.

I find it interesting how the light in the centre of the Iron Man robot has been incorporated into the magazine title. I think it makes it appear quite interesting and eye catching due to the brightness of it without drawing the audiences eyes away from the main picture.

The main picture for this film magazine is an animation. This makes the picture appear bright and colourful which again draws to the readers attention. If they had used the actual metal model of the Iron Man, then I don't think that this picture would have been as effective as there would have been reflections on the metal armour and the bright matt effect wouldn't have been created.

Overall Evaluation

The film magazine title, Entertainment is interesting for this magazine choice. This is because the word Empire doesn't have any relation to film unlike the other three magazines. For example, Entertainment Weekly relates to the entertainment which films give. Total Film, makes reference to the word Film in the title whilst finally, Sight & Sound makes reference to the sight of what you see on the screen and the sound of which you hear from the screen. However, I don't think that Empire is a bad choice for a film magazine title as it creates a sense of power, which could suggest that it is a popular film magazine which features the latest films.

I like the way how front covers three and four have included the film name title as part of the front cover. I think that this is a good aspect to include as the title of a film can also catch a persons eye if it is interesting and to the point. It also begins to hint to the audience bits about what the new film is and the character shown on the main front cover is from that film.

Another aspect I find which draws the readers attention is when the character in the photo is making eye contact with the reader. All thee front covers apart from the third one all have this in common. In the third front cover, the character is wearing glasses so therefore, you cannot see his eyes or make eye contact with him.

Another thing I have noticed with the different makes of the front covers is that depending on the film and theme of it, the title and general colour scheme changes to meet the needs of the film to try and advertise it better.

I like the idea of editing the background out of the main photo, leaving just the character. This is because not only does it create a well thought out professional effect, I also feel that it makes the character stand out more. You also have the opportunity to overlap the character over the title, for example.

Out of all of the front covers, I think that the third magazine front cover is the least eye catching. This is because the dark colours of the photo don't particularly draw to my attention. The first front cover also had dark colours but they were of a lighter grey rather than of a darker grey like the third front cover, so therefore catch my eye more.

The magazine which stands out the most to me is the fourth magazine cover. This is because of the bright white light which is shown. However, I think that the magazine front cover which would suit the genre of my film more would be the first front cover. This is because the colours aren't too bright. Instead, they are of a light grey and blue colour which could suggest a sense of coldness. As my film is a drama and includes as sense of betrayal, I feel that the cold colours would suit my film as it can begin to suggest aspects about the film without giving anything away.

Genre Decision

Here I am talking about my chosen genre for my five minute film and the reasons why I chose it.