Children of Men Essay.
Children of Men was released in 2006 and was directed by Alfonso Cuaron; starting Julianne Moore and Clive Owen. The film is set in London 2027, we find out in the first opening scene about London and the World at the time, the human race has come to a standstill, no new life can be formed.
Right at the start of the opening scene we are fed information about the world crisis. This is done by a voice over of several news reports. It is played on a black screen which then makes the audience focus in on what the people are saying more. The audience then know this information that they are receiving is vital to the rest of the film. It explains to the audience in just the first few seconds what is happening in the world of 2027. On the news report we hear about the death of the youngest person in the world, him only being 18. This automatically grabs the audiences attentions and makes them then start to ask questions about why is the youngest person 18 and why did he die?; Creating drama and interest in just several seconds.
The shot then shows a large group of people crammed into a small coffee shop, watching the TV where this information is coming from. This straight away makes the audience think about why they are all cramped into the small cafe.
We then see Theo Faron; actor Clive Owen, enter the cafe. He pushes through the crown which grabs the audience’s attention and makes us think that this person is the main character. When in the shop he buys a coffee and then leaves, by the camera following him out to the outside it is confirmed that he is the main character.
The outside is a typical city, tall buildings, cabs and red buses; however this city is very different to the cities of now days. The roads are breaking, buildings falling, and people everywhere there are cars and bikes on the roads as well as more futuristic buses. The colours are all dull and grey creating a depressing environment which also then sets the tone for the film. There is a bit of colour from the red buses, but there is no natural light. The area looks polluted by the grey sky.
The camera follows the main character down the road, it then pan round showing his face and the direction he has just come from. The reason for this is so that the audience can see the explosion from the cafe. This then brings more questions to the audience, why has it exploded? Why in the cafe? Etc.. The camera goes towards the explosion to see what has happened to the people in side, many run out in terror, cut and bloody, but also many have died. This is the last cut shown in the opening, it bring questions to the audiences mind and makes them want to carry on watching it to find the answers.
Throughout the whole opening there are only ever two cuts, the director had done this so the audience’s attention is there for the whole opening. If there were more shots the audience may get confused and be put off by the film. Non-diegetic sound is mostly used throughout the opening, to build suspense and keep the audience watching. This stops when the explosion happens creating a more dramatic scene and building impact on the audience.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Thursday 13 January 2011
Media Essay
Pillow Talk and Fringe.
In both Pillow Talk and Fringe they both have styles of editing and pace. Pillow talk was directed by Michael Gordon in 1959 and was an oscor winning film. It also stared famous actors Rock Hudson and Doris Day. Fringe is a modern day American sci fi series.
Both differ Pillow Talk and Fringe from each other, one of the main factors for this is the time it was made in. Pillow Talk was made in the late 50’s however Fringe is made in the modern day, meaning different equipment was being used to make each extract. Making Fringe a much more high-tech and faster moving piece whereas Pillow Talk is rather basic and slow.
The styles of editing used in both extracts are very different. Pillow talk is much slower and simple where as Fringe is quicker paced. Pillow Talk is very basic compared to Fringe this is because Pillow Talk only has simple straight cuts when moving onto the next scene. They also use split screen which creates are more interesting view for the audience, this also allows the audience to see who the lady on the phone is talking too. Zooms are used throughout the extract to draw attention to key areas as well as focus on character responses to what they have been told. You are able to see that this was filmed in the earlier years because the shots stay in the same frame for several seconds whereas modern day film shot move very quickly are have more cuts and edits.
However Fringe is much faster paced and modern. Fringe cuts to the next scene very quickly, but using straight cuts and zooms to add interest. By it being a quick pass it makes the audience more intense and makes the whole scene more dramatic. By having close up shots of the characters face it shows their reaction to what the opposite character has said. The reason that that fringe has much faster pace is due to the fact that over time technology has advanced making these cuts more accessible.
The audience’s reaction to each extract is different from one another, in Pillow Talk the editing makes the audience feel as if they are get fully involved in the story. By the cuts being slow and very similar it makes the audience have fully attention and not get distracted. However compared to modern day films this would be seen as very boring and dull and would have a very different effect on modern audiences. But Pillow Talk at the time was a huge hit and was something very modern in its own right.
The Audiences reaction to Fringe is completely different from Pillow Talk. The way fringe is shot gives off a very dramatic effect, the close up shots, quick cuts and pace of the extract make the audience feel on edge. It creates a much more hostile atmosphere which then is given off to the audiences, so they know what type of vibe the extract is.
Colour is a big part in any tv program or film as it can indicate emotions. In Pillow Talk the lady wears a bright red dress when she is on her date, this shows love or danger, creating more depth into the story, the differs from Fringe as both men wear dull suits, showing this is a formal affair and they are talking about something serious.
Both extracts will attract different groups of people; Fringe would be more attractive towards young people. This is due to the fast pace and quick cuts fringe offers. It gets to the point fast and is very modern. Young people are used to seeing TV programs and films like this so are attracted to it. Slow films seem to be off putting as they don’t offer the same excitement and energy fast pace films give off.
Pillow Talk on the other hand would be more suitable for the older generation this is because it is slower and the cuts are not as dramatic as Fringe. The audience are able to relate and understand the characters more and get a feel for their lives. Whilst in Fringe it is more about the story line than getting to know the characters. It also has got allot to do with the genera of the extract. Fringe is a Sci Fi which is much more attractive to younger people than it is to older, Pillow Talk is a romantic comendy which the older generation will find more interesting, also they time the film is set in has a huge impact onto the people that would want to watch it.
Overall Fringe and Pillow Talk are very different extracts but both have cuts and zooms to make the piece more interesting and attract the audience.
By Aisha Essoulami
Pillow Talk and Fringe.
In both Pillow Talk and Fringe they both have styles of editing and pace. Pillow talk was directed by Michael Gordon in 1959 and was an oscor winning film. It also stared famous actors Rock Hudson and Doris Day. Fringe is a modern day American sci fi series.
Both differ Pillow Talk and Fringe from each other, one of the main factors for this is the time it was made in. Pillow Talk was made in the late 50’s however Fringe is made in the modern day, meaning different equipment was being used to make each extract. Making Fringe a much more high-tech and faster moving piece whereas Pillow Talk is rather basic and slow.
The styles of editing used in both extracts are very different. Pillow talk is much slower and simple where as Fringe is quicker paced. Pillow Talk is very basic compared to Fringe this is because Pillow Talk only has simple straight cuts when moving onto the next scene. They also use split screen which creates are more interesting view for the audience, this also allows the audience to see who the lady on the phone is talking too. Zooms are used throughout the extract to draw attention to key areas as well as focus on character responses to what they have been told. You are able to see that this was filmed in the earlier years because the shots stay in the same frame for several seconds whereas modern day film shot move very quickly are have more cuts and edits.
However Fringe is much faster paced and modern. Fringe cuts to the next scene very quickly, but using straight cuts and zooms to add interest. By it being a quick pass it makes the audience more intense and makes the whole scene more dramatic. By having close up shots of the characters face it shows their reaction to what the opposite character has said. The reason that that fringe has much faster pace is due to the fact that over time technology has advanced making these cuts more accessible.
The audience’s reaction to each extract is different from one another, in Pillow Talk the editing makes the audience feel as if they are get fully involved in the story. By the cuts being slow and very similar it makes the audience have fully attention and not get distracted. However compared to modern day films this would be seen as very boring and dull and would have a very different effect on modern audiences. But Pillow Talk at the time was a huge hit and was something very modern in its own right.
The Audiences reaction to Fringe is completely different from Pillow Talk. The way fringe is shot gives off a very dramatic effect, the close up shots, quick cuts and pace of the extract make the audience feel on edge. It creates a much more hostile atmosphere which then is given off to the audiences, so they know what type of vibe the extract is.
Colour is a big part in any tv program or film as it can indicate emotions. In Pillow Talk the lady wears a bright red dress when she is on her date, this shows love or danger, creating more depth into the story, the differs from Fringe as both men wear dull suits, showing this is a formal affair and they are talking about something serious.
Both extracts will attract different groups of people; Fringe would be more attractive towards young people. This is due to the fast pace and quick cuts fringe offers. It gets to the point fast and is very modern. Young people are used to seeing TV programs and films like this so are attracted to it. Slow films seem to be off putting as they don’t offer the same excitement and energy fast pace films give off.
Pillow Talk on the other hand would be more suitable for the older generation this is because it is slower and the cuts are not as dramatic as Fringe. The audience are able to relate and understand the characters more and get a feel for their lives. Whilst in Fringe it is more about the story line than getting to know the characters. It also has got allot to do with the genera of the extract. Fringe is a Sci Fi which is much more attractive to younger people than it is to older, Pillow Talk is a romantic comendy which the older generation will find more interesting, also they time the film is set in has a huge impact onto the people that would want to watch it.
Overall Fringe and Pillow Talk are very different extracts but both have cuts and zooms to make the piece more interesting and attract the audience.
By Aisha Essoulami
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