Saturday, 29 September 2012
Possible Characters
We have taken pictures of possible female and male characters for our main role.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
woman's dress
These are the clothing's i composed together on a website called polyvore.com. I used these specific style of clothing as i believe it is very important to represent the family's financial disadvantage, being a representative of poverty. The clothing for the two females should be mainly be white to symbolise verginal imagery for the child (innocence) and purity in spirit for the woman. Although the colours are pristine, the texture of clothing and overall look should be tattered to reflect their status in society. The man should be wearing old trainers to suggest this and also should be wearing a white top, but stained, to suggest his tainted nature.
mens dress
Hugo Boss Green Tapepant Navy Blue Hajo Trackpants Boss Green 50230916
$160 - repertoirefashion.co.uk
$160 - repertoirefashion.co.uk
Thursday, 20 September 2012
My plan for production
Our group has decided to individually plan out how we would like the production to look like, and then select the best components from each plan to create a main plan that will finalise the main idea.
My plan
I believe the first shot should be a close up of the music box turning then a tracking shot of the young child's feet as she dances round the room to the should of the music. The camera should then cut to an establishing shot to view all three characters. The protagonist by the sink (near where the kettle is) and the antagonist behind her being intimidating. There should then be a shot reverse shot between the two main characters to present the differing facial expression(argument)(muted) (only sound is the music box), and then the camera should cut to the child, and using shallow depth of field, should still show the parents arguing behind her.The camera then cuts to a clock ticking(this sound over the music box sound) and then cuts back to the mans face getting angrier and the woman getting more timid. Then there should be a tracking shot along a line of family photos and them starting to shake due to the movement being made. There should be a close up of the kettle boiling (building up pressure) and then the camera should cut to the child picking up the teddy and dancing. Then the man should go and hit the woman as the child nocks into table with dominos on it and the camera should cut between the man hitting the woman and the dominoes falling. When the last dominoes falls then the woman should fall to the floor sideways as the child simultaneously, but in a playful manor falls to the floor and the photos should fall and smash. I believe the ending should consist of a close up of the protagonists face as she is looking at her child playing so innocently. Then the audience see the mans feet casually walk past the woman as the camera cuts to the kettle dying down and the cock stop ticking and the music clock coming to an end as the sound of the child's laugh fades away with the music box as it finishes; presenting the idea that domestic abuse is reality and not a fairy tale. This final scene should all be shot using shallow depth of field.
Charlotte's plan
Each of us in the group are going to write how we picture the film, take the best components of each and finalise our plan like that.
-shot of the music box turning-only sound is the music box
-shot of the little girl dancing around(she is wearing a white dress bright white dress and ribbon in hair), zooming out establishing the scene (the male and female in the corner arguing, the mise en scene will be home-like and contain our objects)- still only sound of the music box
-Depth of field focusing on the parents arguing- only sound of the music box
-close up of the male shouting and looking angry...maybe arms raised with a can of beer in one hand..he is wearing a dirty, stained white vest and tracksuit bottoms)- muffled sound of the music box
-Close up of females face, expressionless. she is wearing a bright white t shirt and leggings- bright white to match the innocence of the girl but casually enough dressed to not take any focus from the scene.- still muffled sound of music box
-shots of them objects around the room building in pressure
-cross cut back to the shots of the girl, male and female- as he gets angrier everything builds more
-the music box runs out and the girl stumbles into the table with the dominoes on knocking them as she does- symbolising the peak of the pressure, the kick for everything to begin
-shot of the man going to punch the woman
-back to the dominoes falling, pace quicken as the fall
-shot of the young girl falling in slow motion
-shot of the woman falling in slow motion
-shot of the last domino falling off the table-sound of it hitting the floor
-shot of the girl lying peacefully on the floor eyes closed-silence
-shot of the woman lying peacefully on the floor-silence
-close up shot of the man breathing heavily
My plan
I believe the first shot should be a close up of the music box turning then a tracking shot of the young child's feet as she dances round the room to the should of the music. The camera should then cut to an establishing shot to view all three characters. The protagonist by the sink (near where the kettle is) and the antagonist behind her being intimidating. There should then be a shot reverse shot between the two main characters to present the differing facial expression(argument)(muted) (only sound is the music box), and then the camera should cut to the child, and using shallow depth of field, should still show the parents arguing behind her.The camera then cuts to a clock ticking(this sound over the music box sound) and then cuts back to the mans face getting angrier and the woman getting more timid. Then there should be a tracking shot along a line of family photos and them starting to shake due to the movement being made. There should be a close up of the kettle boiling (building up pressure) and then the camera should cut to the child picking up the teddy and dancing. Then the man should go and hit the woman as the child nocks into table with dominos on it and the camera should cut between the man hitting the woman and the dominoes falling. When the last dominoes falls then the woman should fall to the floor sideways as the child simultaneously, but in a playful manor falls to the floor and the photos should fall and smash. I believe the ending should consist of a close up of the protagonists face as she is looking at her child playing so innocently. Then the audience see the mans feet casually walk past the woman as the camera cuts to the kettle dying down and the cock stop ticking and the music clock coming to an end as the sound of the child's laugh fades away with the music box as it finishes; presenting the idea that domestic abuse is reality and not a fairy tale. This final scene should all be shot using shallow depth of field.
Charlotte's plan
- Close up shot of the woman breathing heavily (bruises and scars can be distinguished on her face) high-quality able to see every ounce of fear.
- A panning shot upwards- sinister gloomy figure drapes over her.
- Shallow focus on music box spinning on the floor (clear cut eerie sound of the pins as the pluck the revolving cylinder). Outside the plane of focus is the little girl playing with her teddy bear on the floor. The depth of field adjusts to having the girl in focus and the box out of focus.
- The little girl stands. The camera stays low near to the ground. Once standing the girl will spin around holding her teddy, dancing to the music box. Focused on the girls feet, there will be a tracking shot to the woman’s bear feet and the man’s hefty boots.
- The shot will pan up from the woman’s perspective giving the man an element of power and authority.
- Behind the man is a kettle slightly out of focus. A tracking and zoom shot will be used over his shoulder to grow closer to the kettle. The red light of the kettle becomes dazzling as the camera directly continues into the light of the warming kettle.
- A clear quick cut straight back to the eyes of the woman, filled with tears the man’s hand swiftly strikes her face. With the assault the force compels her face to the left, looking down to her child.
- Clean cut to the child’s eyes, innocent and raw. The shot will zoom into her eye then zoom out off a clock, the second hand gradually ticking away.
- As the second hand reaches 6 O’clock at the bottom of the clock, the camera will pan down along from the hand, down the wall. Coming quickly into frame will be the man pushing the woman against the wall. As she’s thrown against the wall she’ll knock into a shelf.
- Shot reverse shot shows the perspective of the woman as the man lifts up a fist within seconds the camera drops down now fully focusing on the shelf possessing family photographs, concentrating on one happy photo of the family of three. The woman is beat and falls into the shelf. The photos topple over. However the picture of the family will be extremely transparent overlay as the woman is limp and wilted over the shelf bloodshed over the photo frames.
- A rapid hand held shot backwards, reveals the little girl spinning faster and faster around with her teddy even though the music is slowing down.
- Then again a swift hand held movement to the kettle which is starting to boil.
- Trembling along and upward the clock has sped up, the second hand spinning through time.
- A low POV (point of view) shot of the woman spinning, hands of head, almost stop motion photography style. Blood streaming down her face we can see fear and anguish.
- Tracking fluently away from the woman, leaving her standing breathing heavily looking insignificant the male looms into shot.
- Panning downwards the loud haunting sound of a shriek sounds over the music box and ticking of the clock. The music box plucks its last chord and stops.
- Together in slow motion the little girl and the mother plummet peacefully.
- The little girl knocks the table, creating a chain reaction of the domino's falling. There should be a tracking shot along the table as the dominoes fall. The last domino will fall downwards, tumbling through the air.
- A time lapse will happen as the woman reaches the floor the girl too falls. The woman slowly reaches her hand out in pain to the girl’s hand.
- Back to the domino falling fluidly through the air landing into the hands of the woman and the girl.
- All that should be heard is heavy breathing.
- The last shot should be of the woman looking emotively at her daughter.
- The last shot should not be of the male as I believe he does not get the right to hold the authority indefinitely. There should be a glimmer of liberty to the woman.
Each of us in the group are going to write how we picture the film, take the best components of each and finalise our plan like that.
-shot of the music box turning-only sound is the music box
-shot of the little girl dancing around(she is wearing a white dress bright white dress and ribbon in hair), zooming out establishing the scene (the male and female in the corner arguing, the mise en scene will be home-like and contain our objects)- still only sound of the music box
-Depth of field focusing on the parents arguing- only sound of the music box
-close up of the male shouting and looking angry...maybe arms raised with a can of beer in one hand..he is wearing a dirty, stained white vest and tracksuit bottoms)- muffled sound of the music box
-Close up of females face, expressionless. she is wearing a bright white t shirt and leggings- bright white to match the innocence of the girl but casually enough dressed to not take any focus from the scene.- still muffled sound of music box
-shots of them objects around the room building in pressure
-cross cut back to the shots of the girl, male and female- as he gets angrier everything builds more
-the music box runs out and the girl stumbles into the table with the dominoes on knocking them as she does- symbolising the peak of the pressure, the kick for everything to begin
-shot of the man going to punch the woman
-back to the dominoes falling, pace quicken as the fall
-shot of the young girl falling in slow motion
-shot of the woman falling in slow motion
-shot of the last domino falling off the table-sound of it hitting the floor
-shot of the girl lying peacefully on the floor eyes closed-silence
-shot of the woman lying peacefully on the floor-silence
-close up shot of the man breathing heavily
questionnaire to be given to 20 people for feedback
Screen shot of my media questions on social Photo site Instagram.
This is from eve's Facebook
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Screen shot of my Media questions on social networking site Twitter.
Screen shot of my questionnaire on the social networking site Facebook.
Nell Walker- Facebook print-screen
Chloe Cole -Facebook print-screen
1)Anything that could be stressful, something which you're not entirely happy of but that you're being given little choice about.
2)A clock or a timer, but I probably associate people with pressure rather than objects.
3)Psychological and emotional abuse, as well as the more obvious physical abuse. I'm possibly more inclined to think that domestic abuse is generally an ongoing issue, not necessarily a one-off incident or a mutual argument. Usually there is a clear abuser and victim, not just two people who are desperate to be shits to one another
4)Usually plenty of alcohol induced violence, physical violence is the biggest stereotype whilst emotional abuse tends to be overlooked
5)Probably a Caucasian male, middle-aged, beer-belly, wearing a gravy stained 'wife-beater' white vest and some umbro tracksuit bottoms
6)Weak, vulnerable woman, probably younger than the abuser. Not particularly physically striking, a bit plain and mousey looking.
7)I think that physical abuse is regularly recognised through plenty of television programmes, etc., but I don't think that psychological abuse is prominent enough within the media, which makes victims of it believe that they're exaggerating their problems and that their problems aren't as big as those who are suffering physical abuse, when in reality, they're in just as bad a situation
8)
8)Appalled and likely to report it straight away and seek help for the victim
9)I would feel sympathy and be worried for the child's mental state, and I would also probably contact authorities!!
10)It's probably easier said than done, but I would get out of that relationship or household as soon as possible, I would seek help from people I could trust, and I would report the person to the appropriate authorities.
1) What does the word pressure mean to you?
This is from eve's Facebook
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Screen shot of my questionnaire on the social networking site Facebook.
Nell Walker- Facebook print-screen
Chloe Cole -Facebook print-screen
1)Anything that could be stressful, something which you're not entirely happy of but that you're being given little choice about.
2)A clock or a timer, but I probably associate people with pressure rather than objects.
3)Psychological and emotional abuse, as well as the more obvious physical abuse. I'm possibly more inclined to think that domestic abuse is generally an ongoing issue, not necessarily a one-off incident or a mutual argument. Usually there is a clear abuser and victim, not just two people who are desperate to be shits to one another
4)Usually plenty of alcohol induced violence, physical violence is the biggest stereotype whilst emotional abuse tends to be overlooked
5)Probably a Caucasian male, middle-aged, beer-belly, wearing a gravy stained 'wife-beater' white vest and some umbro tracksuit bottoms
6)Weak, vulnerable woman, probably younger than the abuser. Not particularly physically striking, a bit plain and mousey looking.
7)I think that physical abuse is regularly recognised through plenty of television programmes, etc., but I don't think that psychological abuse is prominent enough within the media, which makes victims of it believe that they're exaggerating their problems and that their problems aren't as big as those who are suffering physical abuse, when in reality, they're in just as bad a situation
8)
8)Appalled and likely to report it straight away and seek help for the victim
9)I would feel sympathy and be worried for the child's mental state, and I would also probably contact authorities!!
10)It's probably easier said than done, but I would get out of that relationship or household as soon as possible, I would seek help from people I could trust, and I would report the person to the appropriate authorities.
1) What does the word pressure mean to you?
2) What objects would you associate with pressure?
3) What would you class as domestic abuse?
4) What do you think the stereotypical abusive relationship
consist of?
5) What is your stereotypical picture of a domestic abuser?
6) What is your stereotypical picture of a domestic abuse victim?
7) Do you think domestic abuse is recognised enough through
the media?
8) How would you feel
if you were to witness domestic abuse?
9) How would you feel seeing a child live around an abusive
relationship?
10) What would you do if you were suffering from domestic
abuse?
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Costume Pictorial Editing and Dressing Our Set
Both the female character, should be dressed in white or the majority of their clothing should be white to symbolise their innocence. However, i believe the antagonist should also have a white attire, but dirty and grubby to show how he is tainted.
Male : Dirty white vest top with track suit bottoms and old trainers. This presenting how his nature is sloppy and shows that he is working class.
Female antagonist: White plain top and jeans/leggings, which is very casual and presents that she is working class due to her dress. Her make up should be minimal to present how her personality is deteriorating and possibly have dark patches under her eyes due to restless nights. I believe apart from hooped earrings, she should not have much jewellery so that the audience is not detracted from the narrative.
child: The should would be wearing a white patterned dress and looks doll- like with a ribbon in her hair to signify her innocent nature.
The set should be minimal, but create a homely feel. It should be based in a kitchen so that the kettle and other objects that we want to use are fitting to the surrounding. The wallpaper should be pink and white which is quite plain in colour to suggest a calm environment.
However, to contrast the homely feel there should be Stella Artois cans and ash trays filled with old burnt out cigarettes belonging to the antagonist to paint the male in a bad light before the narrative has even begun.
Male : Dirty white vest top with track suit bottoms and old trainers. This presenting how his nature is sloppy and shows that he is working class.
Female antagonist: White plain top and jeans/leggings, which is very casual and presents that she is working class due to her dress. Her make up should be minimal to present how her personality is deteriorating and possibly have dark patches under her eyes due to restless nights. I believe apart from hooped earrings, she should not have much jewellery so that the audience is not detracted from the narrative.
child: The should would be wearing a white patterned dress and looks doll- like with a ribbon in her hair to signify her innocent nature.
The set should be minimal, but create a homely feel. It should be based in a kitchen so that the kettle and other objects that we want to use are fitting to the surrounding. The wallpaper should be pink and white which is quite plain in colour to suggest a calm environment.
However, to contrast the homely feel there should be Stella Artois cans and ash trays filled with old burnt out cigarettes belonging to the antagonist to paint the male in a bad light before the narrative has even begun.
Further development of narrative
Using the teddy as an object, we thought it best that the child could be dancing around the room with it and then as the child falls over, she hits the dominoes that are on the table, then the camera will cross cut between the falling dominoes and and the woman being hit to the floor.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Development of the Narrative
Using my previous idea, whereby the child is playing with things that symbolise pressure, we have decided to modify the ending to give a more hard hitting narrative that is more suited to the project.
After everything explodes, such as the kettle and timer, we thought it would be better if the child that is playing with the dominoes hits them all over to present dominoes falling, then the camera cuts to the antagonist going to hit the protagonist, then the camera cuts back to the line of the dominoes falling as if the antagonists hand is moving simultaneously to the dominoes. The the last shot is of the protagonist falling to the ground as the last domino falls. The final sound will be of the last domino falling then silence to suggest the end as all the other utilities such as the kettle die down again to show the anti- climax.
However, i also thought it would be a nice touch to have a shot of the woman lying there slowly blinking, and looking at her child playing happily as the sound of the child's voice slowly fades away.
After everything explodes, such as the kettle and timer, we thought it would be better if the child that is playing with the dominoes hits them all over to present dominoes falling, then the camera cuts to the antagonist going to hit the protagonist, then the camera cuts back to the line of the dominoes falling as if the antagonists hand is moving simultaneously to the dominoes. The the last shot is of the protagonist falling to the ground as the last domino falls. The final sound will be of the last domino falling then silence to suggest the end as all the other utilities such as the kettle die down again to show the anti- climax.
However, i also thought it would be a nice touch to have a shot of the woman lying there slowly blinking, and looking at her child playing happily as the sound of the child's voice slowly fades away.
Things i need to do
I need to take pictures of possible characters, locations and objects, and also research into institutions that would distribute our type of product.
possible characters
For our project, we suggest that our main characters should be stereotypical. The male part, consisting of a white dirty vest, to symbolise his wealth and nature. This character should have anger problems that he vents out on his partner, and our antagonist should be middle age with avergage appearance. Our protagonist however, should be pretty in appearance, but timid in character due to her being maltreated. Her age should be slightly younger than that of her partner, and her clothes should be plain due to her conformity to her partners views. Thus presenting an over all image that along with her plain clothes, her personality is also dying away. I believe she should wear plain jeans and a top to represent this.
However, for the child's attire, i believe it should be brightly colors and floaty in appearance to give the impression that this innocent child is oblivious to the deteriorating family life around her. This also symbolises her purity to situations like this and shows that she is untainted in comparison to the mother. This could also reflect the protagonists own happy childhood though her daughter. And could possibly mirror what the daughters life could entail if the situation between the protagonist and antagonist continue.
However, for the child's attire, i believe it should be brightly colors and floaty in appearance to give the impression that this innocent child is oblivious to the deteriorating family life around her. This also symbolises her purity to situations like this and shows that she is untainted in comparison to the mother. This could also reflect the protagonists own happy childhood though her daughter. And could possibly mirror what the daughters life could entail if the situation between the protagonist and antagonist continue.
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Music
Following a group discussion, and what iv said before, we have decided that the counterpoint sound of the wind- up music box/ toy should be mixed with the sound of the objects around the room, to give an overall view of the pressure rising through the volume of the muted characters, and to give an overall atmosphere that everything is building up; the music being a symbol of this. However, we have decided that the music box should run out to suggest that everything has its time and everything has a peaking point, and when the music box runs out, that is insinuating the peaking point and should have a short break before everything gets hectic. When the music box stops, the kettle will whistle and the balloon will pop e.c.t signifying the climax.
This innocent piece of must also suggests the childs unawareness of the situation, signifying how innocence can be intertwined with abuse.
The music box gives a saddening tone to the campagn. This counterpoint sound gives an even more dramatic effect, making the campagn more hard hitting.
We thought it best that if there was no dialogue, the audience could interpret what they thought of the product and entwine their own knowledge about domestic abuse without us telling them the situation though dialogue. This allowed us to make the audience think for themselves and really question the morals of particular groups in society. Having no dialogue, makes the audience wonder where the aggression stemmed from, and really reflects the realism of society as some relationships have no excuse as to why it resorts to domestic abuse, and is why we never expressed the reasons why it happens within our own film.
This innocent piece of must also suggests the childs unawareness of the situation, signifying how innocence can be intertwined with abuse.
The music box gives a saddening tone to the campagn. This counterpoint sound gives an even more dramatic effect, making the campagn more hard hitting.
We thought it best that if there was no dialogue, the audience could interpret what they thought of the product and entwine their own knowledge about domestic abuse without us telling them the situation though dialogue. This allowed us to make the audience think for themselves and really question the morals of particular groups in society. Having no dialogue, makes the audience wonder where the aggression stemmed from, and really reflects the realism of society as some relationships have no excuse as to why it resorts to domestic abuse, and is why we never expressed the reasons why it happens within our own film.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
domestic abuse video
Domestic abuse is such a personal topic for some of the public and can often be a subject most would dismiss due to its realism and often hard hitting storylines.
However, domestic abuse can come under a number of catagories that often subvert the steriotype. It can be more than just physical pain, It can be emotional pain aswell. In addition, the protagonists tend to be a male and a female, where as the public does not tend to acknowledge that woman can be the abuser and men the victum, or woman abusing woman. These topics are often dismissed. However, like the characters who abuse, the age differs aswell, you can have a character of an old age who abuses a younger character vice versa; and have characters of the same age. Moreover, you can have partners who are financially disadvantage opposed to those who are of a wealthy background, yetboth could have abusive relationships.This topic really presents how your age gender and financial background has little relevance to why individuals are abused in general cases.
The clips below present how abuse can be represented in different ways, but all signify at one point physical abuse, opposed to just emotional abuse. However, not all the videos show someone physicaly hurting somneone else,but signify it through the different shots. I chose these videos because
Cinematography/sound/ Mis- en scene/ Edit
I have decided to analyse a domestic abuse video to give myself an idea on what is expected from it, and how they present their idea using cinematography and sound.
I like the fact this domestic abuse campaign is slightly more abstract than the others below and how it presents the idea that domestic abuse isn't someone choice and isn's part of a script. This also presents how people can only escape for a little while until they are once again faced with their abuser. The Miss-en-scene is also located in a nice area and illustrates how no matter how much money you have, you can still be apart of a abusive relationship. I find it intriguing that they decide to subvert the stereotype. Such as the other campaign below the abuser at first is unidentifiable to give a more intimidating effect and the victim's perspective is always viewed first, until it is dominated over by the abuser. The red in this shot foreshadows what might happen to her and i like the slow tracking shot to build tension. I particularly like the close up of the mans hand, as he still remains unidentifiable till the face to face conflict. The close up of the had suggests that he is the abuser due to the smashed glass in the previous shot. Like others below, the protagonists end up on the floor which could reflect their low self esteem and the position that they are in in comparison to their partner. I believe the tracking shot out to present a set was very effective and kept to the abstract style. The caption in particular 'isn't it time someone called cut' is a very skilful caption that will draw attention.
How they present the victim
They firstly present the victim as a wealthy individual who has a job, however, as the narrative progresses they present the weakness within the character. As an audience you start to see glimpses of her tainted character, which makes the audience more sympathetic towards the character as it makes us question how well victims can cover up their problems.
Cinematography/sound/Mis-en scene/Edit
The first sound we hear as an audience is the non diegetic sound of sad music as you see a close up of a child playing innocently. Thus creating a dramatic and saddening tone to the shot. As an audience you hear the sound of a piano which i believe is something we would like to use within our product to convey the same type of tone across our footage. In addition, the sound takes away the voice of the victim which reflects the lack of choice the victim has within the situation.The shallow depth of field creates the child to be even more oblivious to the environment that she lives in and makes the audience feel emotional for that character. The close up shot reverse shot between the two main characters is intimidating to watch and makes us as an audience feel uncomfortable.
However, although i like this idea using shallow depth of field which i would like to use within our own film, i don't believe the child should be in all the shots and should only be in a few so it does not stray away from the concept of pressure. The slow moving shots reinforce the sad tone and give it a realistically depressing atmosphere. The differing shots between the mother and daughter doing roughly the same things presents that the child's future could also be ruined by domestic abuse if things do not change. This is a concept which i would also like to run alongside our pressure film; the idea that the child reflects the happier times of the abused mother, and maybe the same fate awaits if circumstances do not change. The location of it being in a home presents realism and is a vital part of connecting it to the audience and making them understand that for some people it is a regular occurrence. The natural light with a blue ting insinuates that this is the norm for some families, creating a more dramatic environment to visualise. This is also a prevalent colour throughout other domestic abuse campagns. Pictorial editing is also used where the woman is having a nose bleed and then the girl is washing up a red up to symbolise that violence may continue to run through the family if it is not stopped. Another good point that i feel this clip has is that there are shots of both of the characters putting on make up, however, it is done in different ways. The child is putting it on to dress up, whilst the mother is putting it on to cover up, and i like the way they have linked the concept of make-up as being used as a facade which is very interesting to watch, and would like our protagonist, in some way, to portray a mask of some sort, however i would like the make-up to present the internal emotions of the character rather than using it as a mask to hid her experiences.
How is the victim presented
Within this, the protagonist presentation differs strongly from the Keira Knightly advert, as within this advert it jumps strait to the point, showing the protagonists weakness without the strength, yet shows the protagonists innocence and hope through the child character. This protagonist is seen without a job, and is always featured at home, suggesting that she could be entrapped in the situation and cannot get out.
Cinematography/Sound/Mis-en scene/Edit
The Mis-en scene in this short film is much how i imagine our production to be, it presents a home and homely objects such as photos and cooking objects such as a Kettle which the audience can relate to. It presents the idea that anything can happen behind closed doors and also conforms to the stereotype as the male is the most dominant character within this, which is how i would like to present the main characters in our own product. I like the fact that this homely feel is contrasted by anger and sadness.
My favorite shot in particular is the kettle shot. They have use a low angle shot to present the kettle as being Superior, and by using this shot suggestively hints that it is a significant object in another shot. The reflection of the kettle is blurred, making the man unidentifiable much like an abuser. The character in this shot is wearing dark clothes in comparison to the light around him which could also signify evil verses good.In addition, i like the fact they have used a household utility to represent how something useful can be so dangerous.
The camera first presents the situation though the victim's side, then though the abuser. At first the abuser is unidentifiable as the victim is given a voice. However, once the abuser is introduced the female voice dies out and the male takes over for the majority of the shots. In one of the shots, the woman is standing behind the man presenting the woman as being dependent. From this video, i would much like our product to have the woman being dependant and timid.
Developing idea
Although my main focus is along the lines of pressure which threads through the concept of domestic abuse, i decided that all the objects in the shot should only subtly hinder the idea that the pressure is building. In deciding for a more subtle approach, objects such as the balloon which was originally going to be filmed separately and slotted into the scene should not be included, and only objects such as a kettle and clock which are more fitting to the environment should be included and should be introduced through shallow depth of field so the setting does not change. Although the balloon could have all ready been blown up in the room and the wind blows the balloon into a hook in the wall and it squeaks until the balloon gives in and pops.
In addition, i thought it would be more appealing and hard hitting if there was a third character, and that being a child who is oblivious to the tension that is happening around them. However, the child should be playing with objects that symbolises pressure and the subordination of a victim, such as the child knocking over a pile of domino's as the camera cuts to a woman gets hit to the ground; but still in view behind the two arguing characters you can see the child so all the shots link, yet have a contrasting effect between an innocent character and a coroupt relationship.
Furthermore, i believe the dialogue between the protagonists should be muted and there should be a 'music box' sound over the top of the whole film and as the 'pressure' objects are introduced the counterpoint sound of happy music should be softened to allow the objects to be the main focus point. I decided a music box type of music as they are normally associated with happy hours of playtime, which is contrasted against the seriousness of the situation, giving it a mundane tone.
However, domestic abuse can come under a number of catagories that often subvert the steriotype. It can be more than just physical pain, It can be emotional pain aswell. In addition, the protagonists tend to be a male and a female, where as the public does not tend to acknowledge that woman can be the abuser and men the victum, or woman abusing woman. These topics are often dismissed. However, like the characters who abuse, the age differs aswell, you can have a character of an old age who abuses a younger character vice versa; and have characters of the same age. Moreover, you can have partners who are financially disadvantage opposed to those who are of a wealthy background, yetboth could have abusive relationships.This topic really presents how your age gender and financial background has little relevance to why individuals are abused in general cases.
The clips below present how abuse can be represented in different ways, but all signify at one point physical abuse, opposed to just emotional abuse. However, not all the videos show someone physicaly hurting somneone else,but signify it through the different shots. I chose these videos because
Cinematography/sound/ Mis- en scene/ Edit
I have decided to analyse a domestic abuse video to give myself an idea on what is expected from it, and how they present their idea using cinematography and sound.
I like the fact this domestic abuse campaign is slightly more abstract than the others below and how it presents the idea that domestic abuse isn't someone choice and isn's part of a script. This also presents how people can only escape for a little while until they are once again faced with their abuser. The Miss-en-scene is also located in a nice area and illustrates how no matter how much money you have, you can still be apart of a abusive relationship. I find it intriguing that they decide to subvert the stereotype. Such as the other campaign below the abuser at first is unidentifiable to give a more intimidating effect and the victim's perspective is always viewed first, until it is dominated over by the abuser. The red in this shot foreshadows what might happen to her and i like the slow tracking shot to build tension. I particularly like the close up of the mans hand, as he still remains unidentifiable till the face to face conflict. The close up of the had suggests that he is the abuser due to the smashed glass in the previous shot. Like others below, the protagonists end up on the floor which could reflect their low self esteem and the position that they are in in comparison to their partner. I believe the tracking shot out to present a set was very effective and kept to the abstract style. The caption in particular 'isn't it time someone called cut' is a very skilful caption that will draw attention.
How they present the victim
They firstly present the victim as a wealthy individual who has a job, however, as the narrative progresses they present the weakness within the character. As an audience you start to see glimpses of her tainted character, which makes the audience more sympathetic towards the character as it makes us question how well victims can cover up their problems.
Cinematography/sound/Mis-en scene/Edit
The first sound we hear as an audience is the non diegetic sound of sad music as you see a close up of a child playing innocently. Thus creating a dramatic and saddening tone to the shot. As an audience you hear the sound of a piano which i believe is something we would like to use within our product to convey the same type of tone across our footage. In addition, the sound takes away the voice of the victim which reflects the lack of choice the victim has within the situation.The shallow depth of field creates the child to be even more oblivious to the environment that she lives in and makes the audience feel emotional for that character. The close up shot reverse shot between the two main characters is intimidating to watch and makes us as an audience feel uncomfortable.
However, although i like this idea using shallow depth of field which i would like to use within our own film, i don't believe the child should be in all the shots and should only be in a few so it does not stray away from the concept of pressure. The slow moving shots reinforce the sad tone and give it a realistically depressing atmosphere. The differing shots between the mother and daughter doing roughly the same things presents that the child's future could also be ruined by domestic abuse if things do not change. This is a concept which i would also like to run alongside our pressure film; the idea that the child reflects the happier times of the abused mother, and maybe the same fate awaits if circumstances do not change. The location of it being in a home presents realism and is a vital part of connecting it to the audience and making them understand that for some people it is a regular occurrence. The natural light with a blue ting insinuates that this is the norm for some families, creating a more dramatic environment to visualise. This is also a prevalent colour throughout other domestic abuse campagns. Pictorial editing is also used where the woman is having a nose bleed and then the girl is washing up a red up to symbolise that violence may continue to run through the family if it is not stopped. Another good point that i feel this clip has is that there are shots of both of the characters putting on make up, however, it is done in different ways. The child is putting it on to dress up, whilst the mother is putting it on to cover up, and i like the way they have linked the concept of make-up as being used as a facade which is very interesting to watch, and would like our protagonist, in some way, to portray a mask of some sort, however i would like the make-up to present the internal emotions of the character rather than using it as a mask to hid her experiences.
How is the victim presented
Within this, the protagonist presentation differs strongly from the Keira Knightly advert, as within this advert it jumps strait to the point, showing the protagonists weakness without the strength, yet shows the protagonists innocence and hope through the child character. This protagonist is seen without a job, and is always featured at home, suggesting that she could be entrapped in the situation and cannot get out.
Cinematography/Sound/Mis-en scene/Edit
The Mis-en scene in this short film is much how i imagine our production to be, it presents a home and homely objects such as photos and cooking objects such as a Kettle which the audience can relate to. It presents the idea that anything can happen behind closed doors and also conforms to the stereotype as the male is the most dominant character within this, which is how i would like to present the main characters in our own product. I like the fact that this homely feel is contrasted by anger and sadness.
My favorite shot in particular is the kettle shot. They have use a low angle shot to present the kettle as being Superior, and by using this shot suggestively hints that it is a significant object in another shot. The reflection of the kettle is blurred, making the man unidentifiable much like an abuser. The character in this shot is wearing dark clothes in comparison to the light around him which could also signify evil verses good.In addition, i like the fact they have used a household utility to represent how something useful can be so dangerous.
The camera first presents the situation though the victim's side, then though the abuser. At first the abuser is unidentifiable as the victim is given a voice. However, once the abuser is introduced the female voice dies out and the male takes over for the majority of the shots. In one of the shots, the woman is standing behind the man presenting the woman as being dependent. From this video, i would much like our product to have the woman being dependant and timid.
Developing idea
Although my main focus is along the lines of pressure which threads through the concept of domestic abuse, i decided that all the objects in the shot should only subtly hinder the idea that the pressure is building. In deciding for a more subtle approach, objects such as the balloon which was originally going to be filmed separately and slotted into the scene should not be included, and only objects such as a kettle and clock which are more fitting to the environment should be included and should be introduced through shallow depth of field so the setting does not change. Although the balloon could have all ready been blown up in the room and the wind blows the balloon into a hook in the wall and it squeaks until the balloon gives in and pops.
In addition, i thought it would be more appealing and hard hitting if there was a third character, and that being a child who is oblivious to the tension that is happening around them. However, the child should be playing with objects that symbolises pressure and the subordination of a victim, such as the child knocking over a pile of domino's as the camera cuts to a woman gets hit to the ground; but still in view behind the two arguing characters you can see the child so all the shots link, yet have a contrasting effect between an innocent character and a coroupt relationship.
Furthermore, i believe the dialogue between the protagonists should be muted and there should be a 'music box' sound over the top of the whole film and as the 'pressure' objects are introduced the counterpoint sound of happy music should be softened to allow the objects to be the main focus point. I decided a music box type of music as they are normally associated with happy hours of playtime, which is contrasted against the seriousness of the situation, giving it a mundane tone.
Monday, 3 September 2012
ideas of objects to reflect preasure
objects
Alarm clock
Bind up music box
Balloon being blown up
Kettle being boiled
Books falling off shelf
Domino falling over
Elastic band being stretched
Thermometer
sand timer
photos falling
a pot of hot water boiling over on the cooker
micro- wave timer
photos falling
a pot of hot water boiling over on the cooker
micro- wave timer
Group Decisions
Our group has come to a conclusion that we would like to do an experimental piece based on domestic abuse featuring the concept of pressure. Thus allowing the audience to have a basic relation with the concept and how different individuals override or fall to the powers of pressure. This concept will feature many objects and situations such as popping balloons and a ticking clock to add to the tension of pressure, and will be skillfully slotted between shots of a abusive relationship scenario to compliment the emotions within that scene. Moreover, the tension will build and build, for example, the balloon will get bigger and the timer on the clock will go off, which will insinuate the height of the emotions off the abused individual. Furthermore, our group suggested our experimental piece finish with one book falling off a shelf and a bird flying off a cliff to insinuate the two options an individual has with dealing with pressure, these two shots will also signify how pressure can push you to one extreme of the spectrum.
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