Opening Scene - Filming Completed

I would say that the filming went very well today and it was a lot more organised than the preliminary task. This is because we used the storyboard that we created and followed it accurately throughout the day so we were on track and we wouldn't miss out any shots or scenes. We also filmed some scenes a few times with different angles and shots so we could make the most of the day and save us from filming another day to get the right shots and also because some of the group thought different shots would work better. The filming was a lot more successful this time as we used an older cast which meant that we could move along more quickly and professionally as it was quite hard keeping the children interested as well as getting the scenes finished last time. Last time we were also not as well equipped with things such as the right props and a tripod to keep the camera stable. We can already see that the planning before hand and also creating the storyboard in more detail has made the opening scene a lot more successful than the previous task. We did change some of the props on the scene as we used an apple instead of berries as it looked a lot better alongside the rest of the mise en scene. Another thing that was different about the filming of this task is that everyone got to have ago at different things for example filming, acting and also setting up the scene with the props and mise en scene. This was good as we all got the learn new skills and to also improve at the other things we had already done before. Some things that were a problem throughout the filming was trying to get the right shots and how to position the subjects. For example we were aiming to create a shot through the binoculars of the killer to show there point of view. This probably took us the longest amount of time as we tried multiple way to see which would look best. In the end we decided that I would look a lot better editing the binoculars onto the film post editing using the superimpose/visual effects technique as we thought this would look better and make it more clear to the audience what the killer was doing.

After filming the first scene was moved along to the second location which was the characters house to shoot the film on film scene. this part of the filming went very well as the location used was one of the actors so it was a lot more personal and relatable for the character. This also meant that the mise en scene related to the characters as we created the character profiles around their personality. There was also lots of family around to film as well in the background to show that they are a close knit family. We also filmed on this day as the Christmas decorations was still up which gave a sense of time when the apocalypse had occurred as this would be there last memory together with the family.

Today during todays filming we also filmed more recent location shots as the ones previously used were old images. We also took the character profile shots once they were in their costumes and had their makeup on to show what they looked like close up and we also included some long shots of both the characters to show what the completed costumes looked like. 

Opening Scene - Filming Day

We are just about to go film our opening scene in a few hours time, before we leave we have made plans to meet in our first location at around 12 o'clock when the sun is still out but the lighting is still good. We have all got our props that we need including the fruit, binoculars and the fake gun. One of us was also in charge of bring all the equipment like the camera, tripod and spare batteries and memory cards. We have planned to meet today as it was the only day where all of us were free in the daytime so we was praying that the weather would be good and clear for us. I have just checked the weather forecast today on my phone and it says that it should be around 6 degrees which is I what we expected the temperature to be at this time of year so we were all dressed up warm as we knew it would feel colder being In the middle of a field. It also said that the there was a slight chance of rain between 10 o'clock and 12 o'clock and then it would be clear after 1 o'clock, although this it what was predicted it didn't actually start raining till 4 o'clock which is after we had finished filming in the first location which was very lucky. As well as filming our opening scene we also have a few other tasks on our agenda like taking the shots for the character profiles, taking some recent location shots and also completing our video diaries.

Planning For Opening Scene - Character Profiles

Planning For Opening Scene - Risk Assessments and Call Sheet

 

Planning For The Opening Scene - Costume, Location and Mise En Scene

 

FORSAKEN Script

FORSAKEN SCRIPT

There is not much dialogue in our opening scene this is because in many films such as I am legend and the book of Eli there is no speech during the first scene but uses lots of ambient sounds like birds, trees, wind which shows how deserted the destination is. We wanted to use this for our opening scene to show how abandoned and deserted the place is.

/Camera pans around and shows the two character, a male and a female walking up the train lines searching for food/


Ezra Voiceover; day 23...still cant find any food...or water...each day gets harder...but I know we will make it through this disaster.

/camera then shows a 3^rd unknown character is watching the first two characters through the bushes with their binoculars/

/The two young characters find food which distracts them for a second/

/A twig snaps with grabs their attention/

Isla; ‘did you hear that?’

/She exclaims to Ezra worriedly which Ezra grabs her/

/Both characters run away in panic away from the unknown character/

/3^rd unknown character shoots Ezra from the distance/

/Ezra drops to the ground as Isla try’s to help him/

/start of the film on film to show their life before the apocalypse/

/Isla takes Ezra’s belongings that may help he in the future but drops the item of significance, a key/

/the unknown character realises Isla has dropped the key and takes it, walking away in the same direction as Isla/

Planning for Opening Scene - Plot and Story Board

storyboard

During our recent lessons we have been brainstorming ideas for our post apocalyptic opening scene in our groups of threes. we have also created a storyboard showing what we plan to film scene by scene with all the camera shots and other information. our preliminary task is based on the post apocalyptic genre and includes three characters; a man, a woman and an unknown character. It will also be filmed in one location but we have a few different ideas for this. we then created an animated version of the storyboard on premiere pro that matched the timing and how long we thought and expected each scene to be during the short film. we then posted this one our media your tube channel and it is also posted below.



 

Planning For Opening Scene - Mood Board

 

Timeline of Title Sequences

During the last few lessons we have been looking into tile sequences of films to help us with the title sequences of our own opening scenes. I have chosen 4 films to analyse; Armageddon, Skyfall, Terminator and Fast and Furious 7.  There are many similarities and differences bewteen the films including the text, title, cast and storyline. these are the things that make each sequence different and unique. Some of the sequences were very basic for example terminator was very basic and had very basic graphics too. There was no storyline to it like in fast and furious and was made up of a blank background with green patterns and green text which flashed on the screen with the producer, actors and editors name. The text did give a hint into the Storyline of the film as to us it looked like a old fashion computer from the 80s which hinted that the film could be about technology. Other sequences like Armageddon also hinted about the storyline of the film by showing it through the font of the tile as it was fiery and red and also had a bit of storyline with the voiceover tha showed tha a meteor was on its path to hit earth which shows that the film will be surrounding the meteor. Fast and furious 7 doesn't hint at the storyline as it cuts straight to the first scene of the film after showing the directors and producers name. It goes straight into storyline and doesn't actually show any of the other actors or editors till after 1m 30s as i think they wanted the audience to focus on that bit of storyline. The title of this film also looks like its made out of steel and rolls onto the frame like a car which again hints that is what the film could be about. The order or the cast members, producers, editors etc, are in a specific order, mostly being the most important/most known to the least important ones. Fast and furious and the terminator follows this and also Armageddon even though that bruce willis is the only cast member shown as he was the only big name in the film at the time. Sky fall follows this but misses out the name of the director sam Mendes who is not shown in any on the opening titles. 

 

Production and Distribution Companies

The more modern cinemas use a digital format to distribute their new releases. the cinemas use a system called DCP which is like a USB card that gets shipped around in a protective case, this is because it improves the protection of the film from pirates, as each USB only has a certain number of licenses on it. the DCP is signed for by the cinema and then the cinema are given a code to activate the new release. Some cinemas still use the original 35mm projectors but these are usually used for special events. Many cinemas around the world are trying to come up with new technology using a satellite to reduce the cost od distribution which has already decreased loads over the last 10 years. this is where under secure servers the films are downloaded and the film and projectors are accessed by the satellite and are broadcaster on the screens. this method is used by projects such as the national theatre live and opera live and has been very successful. Distribution entails the way in which something is shared out among a group or spread over an area. Distribution is also a way to make a product well known, similar to advertising.

I believe that films are shown to create a larger profit than what would be made from the purchase of films afterwards. For example a cinema ticket is around £10 each whereas a film could be around £5 so they would be making a small profit, but thinking that on a large scale they'll be making hundreds per film that is shown. also if the film is good people usually buy the film on DVD after which is an added profit. They are also shown in cinemas as it has a better atmosphere in a cinema as the sound, screen  is better and it also has special effects such as the 3d and 4d films. This gives the viewer a better experience than what they would get at home.

Small based film companied like UNITEL  do not have as much money like the larger production companies like DreamWorks, warner bros and newline cinemas. this means that the larger production companies can pay for their films to be shown on more screens whereas the smaller companies are only shown on 1 maybe 2 screens. for example in the Mansfield Odeon cinema the film Il Travotore was produced by the small company UNITEL and was shown on one screen in the cinema o one day where as the film Trainspotting 2 is produced by Tri-Star pictures and cloud nine productions is shown on 18 screens in one week. this causes an argument over who gets the most power over cinemas and what film get shown on which screens.

Another argument about who hold the most power involves to BBFC which have the power to see which films get shown. for example if they feel that the scenes are not appropriate for the classification they can cut it off and the film will not be shown to the public. the companies again hold a lot of the power as the more money and bugged they have means that then can control the cinemas and what is shown better. the audience also have a lot of power as they are the ones that watch the films. this means that if the genre or the actors in the film aren't well known they the will get less attention.

Small Uk based companies have other problems like the funding that they need to make produce, develop, broadcast and promote the film. The small companies will struggle to develop and produce a film on half the amount of budget as the larger companies would get. this would mean that the special effects, the sound and other large parts in the film would not be as good, clear or as realistic as the larger companies would be. 

Above the line (ATL) and below the line production (BTL) are two terms that are used in advertising. to quote Michael Baker from the marketing book, the terms came into existence in 1954 with the company proctor and gamble. ATL is advertising where mass media is used to promote and reach out to the target audience. this is advertised and promoted on TV, radio, print, internet and social media. this is the wider spread of advertising and reaches out to more people. BTL advertising is more personal and one to one. it involves the distribution on promotions, leaflets, stickers, banners and brochures. this is used to target a smaller target audience and more one to one situations

film companies use websites as a way of promoting the film and promoting their upcoming films. they are used to attract an audience and to create a profit. I used the website for the Disney film moana,  http://movies.disney.co.uk/moana. this website shows audiences, the trailers and special clips of the film. it also shows cast members and interactive page for children, information advertising other Disney films and also sells merchandise available to purchase. this is a good way for the film to get themselves out their and the show other parts of the film.

Extra investigation into UK cinemas.

I have looks at several cinemas and analysed them, I have looked into Odeon Cinema in Derby, Cineworld in Chesterfield, Odeon cinema in Mansfield, Cineworld Nottingham and

1. 10 screens at Odeon derby with 13films being showed and 8 being showed several times
2. 14 screens at cineworld Nottingham with 23 films being shown and 10 being shown multiple times.
3. 10 at cineworld chesterfield with 12 films being shown and 8 being shown multiple times.
4. 8 screens at Odeon Mansfield with 10 films being shown and 6 being shown multiple times.
5. 11 screens at VUE Doncaster with 12 films being shown and 7 being shown several times.

10 films have been shown at all of the 5 cinemas. including films like beauty and the beast, ghost in the shell, the boss baby, power rangers and smurfs which are all big budget films so they will obviously have there films shown in many more cinemas around the world.

Prelimary task - How we got on?

filming gang:)

After making out storyboard about a month ago for our preliminary task we finally finished editing out short film today. 3 weeks ago we finished our filming which we had quite a few problems with as when we created our storyboard we let our imagination go wild as later on we discovered that it would be quite hard to film some of the scenes so we had to change it around slightly. there was also a slight problem with the actual filming to as some of the scenes did not look right and looked cheesy as we started to edit them so we did a second day of filming which was much more successful than the first. we also had to film a voice over that was to be used in the short film which was quite hard to record as we struggled to come up with a script that made sense and fitted in with the rest of the film scene. we edited the short film using adobe premiere pro which was quite hard to understand at first but once we got the hang of it, it was quite easy to use. I wasn't very experimental at this point as I didn't want to ruin the scenes and make them cheesy looking by adding lots of effects like checkerboard, dissolve and fade so I decided to just use one effect which was fade as a transition between time passing. I hope to be more experimental in the opening scene in the future. I am pleased with he outcome of this project as I feel like the three of us worked well as a group and the ideas we came up with were good. I also feel like the children we filmed with us influenced some of the ideas so we could make the experience enjoyable and safe for them. our parents also influence some ideas when we showed them which helped us eliminate the cheesy parts of the scene.

Premliminary Task

Soundtrack and sound design

What Is sound design and soundtracks?
Sound tracks can be music or songs to fit in to the chosen film, they help to create an emotional effect onto the audience. Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. 
the sound design is important in all films and media as it involves the audience and help create a emotional effect and makes the film iconic and memorable to the audience for example in the film phsyco or jaws.
sound design and music can be used in the editing process to delete natural sound like wind or background noise or to enhance certain sounds like quiet dialogue.

During the analysis of these films I will be writing about the music, the role is plays and the effectiveness of the music.





1- Psycho
the music used in the shower scene is instrumental and has violin discords. the role the music plays reflects the screaming sound as the victims voice is edited alongside the music it also amplifies her screaming and shouting. The music is effective because it is used to make us upset and shock us deliberately .






2-Trainspotting
The music used during the opening scene is upbeat and uses instruments like the drums, guitar and also unusual sounds like tyre screeching and also a voiceover on top of the music. the soundtrack was preformed by Iggy pop. the upbeat music shows the characters music taste and how much they love the music. the upbeat music is showing there lust for life and also shows there addiction to heroin and the music and also there personality's. the action in the opening scene is reflected by the music again as they are being chased and playing football which are both energetic sports and actions. the effectiveness of this music is to make the viewers feel the same way as the characters, happy relaxed and excited.





 
3- Apocalypse Now
the music used during this opening scene is a piece by Wagner created in 1851. the music piece include instruments like trumpets, trombones, clarinets, a tuba , oboes and a full complement of strings. the music is used as diegetic sound which is used to scare the victims of the war and Is used to make the army feel more anger to make the fight and focus better. the upbeat but classical music is used to show the madness and craziness of the war and I think is quite effective as it makes the audience feel tense and on edge as were not sure what will happen and how it will end. it could also be a musical enigma code as it leaves us wondering what the music is for and why they use it which is later revealed. 






4 - Ghost
the music used in this scene is calm and peaceful and uses vocals as well as instruments like drums and guitars. the music is made by the band the righteous brothers with  their song unchained melody. the music is used to show the romance and affection between the two characters and is used to bring back memories for the wife after he husbands death. it is also showing us that she is keeping his memory alive by playing this soft and calm music it is making us as an audience feel for her and what she is going through.






5 - Rocky
the music used during this rocky scene is upbeat and is almost moving to the beat of the character or the his moves and beat is choreographed into the music. the song was preformed by Bill Conti and is called 'gonna fly now'. the sound is very energetic and matches the personality and motivation of rocky in the films when he is trying to achieve his dreams. the energetic music gets you pumped up like rocky and makes you root for the character as you want him to win after all the hard works he's put in.

Codes and Conventions of Post Apocalyptic films

Below is a list of code and conventions that may appear in post apocalyptic films. I hope to use some of these idea in my own Post apocalyptic film opening.

• Abandoned/derelict locations - location is key for any film but during post apocalyptic films the scenes are usually derelict abandoned like desert like in the book of Eli or the road. it could also be set in a derelict city like new York in I am legend. another example could be in a forest or something slightly different like in Armageddon which is set in space.
• Low key lighting- like in the opening scene of 28 days later during the scene with the monkeys
• Physical and mental challenges - physical challenges like in the road and the book of Eli where the characters are travelling long distances by foot which is physically challenges and metal challenges like living in a world without communication with other humans and not being able to eat regularly.
• Tight communities/Gangs - during apocalypses staying in a group or a gang is usually better as you look stronger to other groups and gangs and also it is better to be living in company and alongside other humans to keep you mentally stable during the tough times. this occurs in films like the book of Eli as Eli is a lot stronger person when travelling with Solara even though she is a woman.  
• Dangerous gangs/antagonist - This theme occurs in most post apocalyptic films including the four films I have studied; the zombies/the walking dead in I am legend and 28 days later, in the road it is other people they may come across along there journey and in the book of Eli Carnegie and his gang is the dangerous gang that are willing to kill Eli and Solara and whoever else gets in there way. Also in the book of Eli there are smaller gangs that hijack, attack and rape people that they come across.
• A crisis that occurs - a crisis is usually the main reason that the apocalypse has happened in the film. it creates the storyline and the plot that will interest the viewer. a few examples of crisis' Include a natural disaster (the road), a virus or medicine failure (I am legend/28 days later), war (the book of Eli) ,failure in technology (I, robot) or a Alien/meteor attack (independence day).
• Dark themes - dark themes also occur in many PA films like death, murder, rape and violence.
• Strong male protagonist - a protagonist is key to any film but a strong male protagonist occurs frequently in PA films as I think they obviously need to be strong and powerful to overcome the problems that they cross . the actors playing these character also occur frequently in multiple post apocalyptic films like Will Smith who plays a part in; I Am Legend, I, Robot, independence day and After Earth. Other strong male protagonist used in PA films are Denzel Washington and Viggo Mortensen.
• Death/violence - death and violence occur in most post apocalyptic films as it is a key convention. the 4 films that we have studied all included some kind of death. in the book of Eli there was death and violence all the way through and 28 days later too. The road, the book of Eli and I am legend the main death of the film is the main character which occurs right at the end of the film. in I am legend the main character sacrifices himself to save others and in the road and the book of Eli the character dies from natural causes after they have passed there legacy onto someone else.
• Fight scenes- fight scene occur frequently in the book of Eli which is the main film that I have studied, during the film Eli has a fight with many gangs during the film including the gang that hijacked him and Carnegie's gang.
• Religion - religion is a massive part in the book of Eli as the thing that he is protecting is the only bible left in the world and he believes that god is guiding him too the right place where the bible will be put to good use and not to create more danger.
• Hope in the endings - hope is a massive part of all post apocalyptic films as it is the only thing that keeps the characters going throughout the film. the hope only really shows during the ending of the films for example in the book of Eli he carries the hope to get the place of safety and to share the bible for the greater good. Also in I am legend Anna strongly believes in god and carry's hope for her and her son, Robert on the other hand does not believe in god and all and even though he has the cure he believes that it will never be put to use.
• A  item of significance - An item of significance is important as it shapes the storyline of the film for example In I am legend the  item is the cure that they are trying to find, in the book of Eli the bible is the item that everyone is searching for. in the road the family is looking for a safe haven so hope is really the item of significance but in the end scene the young boy askes the new family do you carry the light which is also a big part of the film. Each film have and significant item or thing that will shape the storyline and give meaning to the characters.

Real audience tastes and trends

We previously used the website 'YouGov' to find out statistics about post apocalyptic films. To further the investigation we decided to use a website called survey monkey and created our own questionnaire to find out more information about the audience of the post apocalyptic genre. we posted the survey link (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Y7SJ5MJ) onto our each member of our group social media like Facebook and twitter as we thought we would gather a lot more information and answers rather than handing out a questionnaires. we asked 10 questions that we thought would be useful to create a profile of the typical post apocalyptic viewer. we posted the survey about 1 week ago and we have had 60 respondents so far, the majority of them are female with 45 of them being female and only 15 of the respondents were men. this answer may be slightly biased as all three of are group female so we have a lot more female friends on our social media sights. this is a similar reason for the results of the second question which was ' what is your age?'. we gave the respondents 8 categories to choose from which included; 13-17, 18-22, 23-27, 28-32, 33-37, 38-42, 43-47 and 48+. 35% of the respondents said they were between 13-17 and 30% said that they were between the ages of 18-22. this again is probably because the survey was promoted through our social media pages so the respondents will mostly be around a similar age to us. 48+ also had quite a lot of respondents which resulted in 10% of them. I think this is due to  it being quite a large category compared to the rest of the other categories. we also asked respondents what there interests where and there was quite a few popular answers for example sports, including rowing, football and fishing, there was also interests such as gaming, baking, photography, going to music gigs and festivals and spending time with family. one of the biggest answers was watching TV and going to the cinema. we asked about professions as well which was styled similar the previous question which was open. this means that the respondent can write any answer that they want in the box and can create more qualitative data to analyse. The most popular answer for question four was student which links the question 2 as the ages match with the profession. other popular professions were carers or cleaners which is the social class of C2DE. there was also some higher class jobs in the ABC1 class for example managers, teachers and accountants but these were more obscure answers. The fifth question i asked was 'how often do you watch post apocalyptic films?' 40% of the respondents said that they watched for 3-5 hours and 38.33% said that they spent 0-2 hours watching films. the majority of the respondents fit into this first categories but there is 13 respondents that said they watch between 6-8 hour and 9 and above hours. 'do you watch post apocalyptic films?' was the sixth question that we asked and it was clear that the majority of the respondents do watch post apocalyptic films as the results showed that 65% of them did and the remaining 35% didn't. the seventh question was slightly wrong as only the respondents that watch PA films should have answered whereas there was a lot more that answered. the most popular answers for this question were Armageddon, the book of Eli, I am legend and the day after tomorrow. there was also quite a few obscure answers which were films that id never heard of personally. the eighth question that I asked was what persuades you to watch post apocalyptic films with the four answer choices being well known actors, directors, trailers and other. 27 of the viewers said trailers and 20 people said well known actors which is the most popular. a further 2 respondents said directors which wasn't as popular as the first answers and 7 gave another answer which were, 'good storyline's 'the genre' 'the action and suspense' and ' that it fun the try and imagine yourself in the film'. as region is an important part of some of the films we studied we asked if they consider themselves to have any religious faiths? the majority of people answered no which was 63% and a further 10 answered no which was 17%. A final 12 said that they wasn't sure if they have a religion or that they didn't want to say. The final question was 'which storyline would you prefer for a post apocalyptic film and we gave them a choice of 5 answers which was; natural disaster, zombie apocalypse, alien invasion, medicine or virus fault and war. I also gave the option for them to put there won ideas forward but no respondents did. The most popular one was natural disaster with 23 respondents choosing it zombie, medicine and war were all very close with 9, 10 and 12 respondents and only 3 respondents chose alien invasion which was the least popular of the answers.

Costume in films

 

Audiance of Post Apocalyptic films

To find out what type of audience post apocalyptic films attract I used a website called 'YouGov' which is a website that creates a stereotypical profile of what the typical audience member is like for each film. the films I will be looking at are; I am legend, The book of Eli, 28 days later and The road. From my research into these four films I have found some similarities between all four film but for most points the group is split down the middle. this is because the book of Eli and I am legend are very similar and the road and 28 days later have a lot of similarities. the sample size of the films are slightly different which would make the results not as accurate as if the sample size was exactly the same. According to 'YouGov' the stereotypical audience member is a male between the ages of 40-54 for 3 of the films and 28 days later being an anomaly of the four with a audience range from 25- 39 which is slightly lower. The social grade also varies with one half of the group which includes I am legend and the book of Eli having a social grade of C2DE and the other half that I includes the road and 28s days later have a social grade of ABC1. another similarity between the book of Eli and I am legend is the regions that the typical audience member comes from which is the midlands, and again the road and 28 days later have very different top regions as one has the south coast and the other has central Scotland but one that they do have in common is the north east and north west of the country. The professions of the films differ slightly but the professions of I am legend and the book of Eli were very hands on jobs like construction, engineering and manufacturing whereas the professions of the audience of the road and 28 days later were very media and entertainment based jobs. The personality of each audience differs slightly as the audience members of the book of Eli, 28 days later and I am legend have a easy going , sweet and considerate personality's however the audience of the road are open, knowledgeable and challenging personality's. All four audiences have one TV show in common that they watch which is the walking dead. The walking dead is also part of the post apocalyptic genre which is why all the audiences probably watch it. each audiences spends a different amount of time watching TV/films for example the audience of I am legend spend 16-20 hours watching films , the audience members of the book of Eli spend 46-50 hours watching films and the audience members of 28s days later spend as little as 1-5 hours watching films which is a massive difference compared to the other three film audiences.

My Own Mise En Scene

I have taken 2 images to show and analyse my own Mise en scene. I have chosen to take images of my photography teacher to also capture his facial expression and show how that can change an image of a person. the first image is in his class room which isn't very clear but his costume is s shirt and tie which shows that his job is professional and important. secondly in the background you can see a poster with words relating top photography like depth of field, camera lens, shutter speed, aperture, contrast and exposure. these are words and things that all photographers live by and work with so it shows his profession. he is also wearing a camera round his neck which again shows his interests as well as his job. the colours in the post are very neutral with the greens and browns which shows that the room is peaceful and calm which helps with he learning and shows he is willing to help his students. in the first image he is also holding a book which shoes his intelligence and his interest for photography as it is a book by a photographer. this also shows that he is keen to lean something new. he is also wearing glasses which is stereotypical of someone smart and intelligent.

Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene is the French term meaning what is put in front of the camera or in the scene. the Mise en scene is essential to the media industry and give the audience essential information about the character and the setting and sends them signals about the film and how there suppose . the Mise en Scene is made up of 5 elements including;

• settings and props
• costume, makeup and hair
• facial expressions and body language
• lighting and colour
• positioning of the characters and objects in the frame

I have analysed 5 different stills from the films; The book of Eli, 28 days later, the road and I am legend.

This is a still from the film book of Eli. It is a scene between the main character Eli and a girl called Solara. The props in this still include a gun and a book which are both linked together. The gun shows that he is prepared to  defend the ownership of the book and that he will kill for the book. The book is positions away from the door and Solara which suggests that he thinks of her as a threat and that he is keeping the book away from her and he is a barrier between them. The dirty sink in  the background suggests that he is in a jail cell that hasn’t been used in a while. The fact that the sink is not in use shows that they don’t have access to clean water or that they don’t have enough to be able to clean themselves.  Eli is dressed in basic clothing that is quite dirty and shows that they don’t have access to water or clean clothing. On the other hand Solara is wearing clean , neat clothing and  he hair is groomed and neat which is like she is dressing up for Eli.

This is a second still from the book of Eli, during the scene between Eli and Solara. The setting and location of this image looks like a jail cell or derelict building as the wallpaper is peeling and the walls beneath are grubby and dirty. One thing that I noticed that hinted at a apocalypse or crisis is that they have an oil lamp in the middle of the table which suggests that they don’t have access to electricity or the electricity has been cut off. Also the light is on his side of the table which suggests that he is safe and she can trust him as light connotate positivity and a safe zone. The characters are sat either side of the table and it is like a barrier between them suggesting that one of them is dangerous. You can tell that Solara trusts Eli and she is letting him hold her hands during there prayer and has he eyes shut which shows that she thinks he is no danger to her.  Eli on the other hand has his eyes open during the prayer like he is convinced that she's up to no good. The placement of the food on Eli’s side of the table shows that they are trying to look after him and keep him well fed but don’t really care about the girl. Eli is shielding the food and looks like he does not want to share with Solara. The poster on the wall is significant as it is of an old post apocalyptic film in the 1970’s which tells us that the storyline to that film is similar or is significant to the ending of this film that as a viewer we will have to watch as see what it resembles.



This is a still from the film 28 days later which includes to characters a man and a woman. The woman is positions behind the man which suggests that he may be protecting her from something. Also the facial expressions suggest the same thing as the woman looks scared whereas the man looks confused but more confident than the woman. The Christmas lights in the background suggest that the film is set in the winter months and the clothing wore suggests the same thing as they are wearing thick hats and coats. The Christmas lights in the background also suggests that they still have access to electricity unlike other post apocalyptic films I have studied.

This is a still from the film The road which includes the too main characters the son and father. The background of the still suggest that they are in an abandoned building or that they are in a building that has been destroyed by war or another reason. Both characters are dressed in dirty and grubby clothing and the older man has a dirty and unshaven face which shows they don’t have access to new clothing or that they don’t have access to clean water to wash there clothing. The can of coke in the middle of the men is the main subject of this still as it is positioned in the middle of the shot. This suggests that the coke if the most important thing to them in this moment and as the mean are either side it looks like they could be fighting over it.  On the other hand the older man has the coke can in his hand which he could be handing over to his son because he would rather him have the energy and drink rather than himself. This shows that the father is still compassionate and caring even though there is an apocalypse happening in the moment his son is still the most important thing to him.

This is a still from the film I am legend and involves two characters in this scene the main character and his dog. The still shows us the location of the main character and he is in a well built up area. Another big clue is the empire state building that can be seen in the background slightly behind the fog, this gives the indication that the scene is located in New York city.  The streets look abandoned and derelict compared to what  New York city usually looks like in films. The cars that have been abandoned and deserted either side of the road some with the doors wide open suggest that people left in a hurry or that survivors has been scavenging through the cars for supplies.  The grass has over grown the path an into the cars which show that they have been abandoned and not in use for a while.  The main character carries round a gun which shows he is prepared for anything that may attack him or come in his way.  The man is also well dresses, clean and shaven which shows that he has access to water and resources like toiletries. The Christmas light shows that the apocalypse happening during the winter months which gives an indication on how long this man has been living post-apocalypse which has been well over a year as it looks like the end of summer/autumn in this scene.

Age Classification Catagories

Age classification in put in order by the BBFC (British board of film classification) in 1912 and is responsible for the national classification of film that are shown in cinemas and other things such as TV shows, trailers and adverts that are shown to the public. the classifications were put in place in order to protect children from unsuitable and harmful content. there are 7 age restrictions for films which include;

• U - in which all ages are allowed as there should be nothing that is unsuitable for children to watch
• PG - all ages are allowed but some scene could be unsuitable for young children and may contain mild language, violence and sex/drugs references.
• 12A - only used in the cinema, could be unsuitable for very young children and children under 12 may only be accepted if they are accompanied by an adult over 18. it is not recommended by the BBFC and it is the parents decision if they can watch it which causes a slight problem as the parents do not know before watching the film weather it is suitable for their child. it may include mature themes like drugs, discrimination, moderate language and moderate language.
• 12 - nobody under the age of 12 can watch this film as it contains infrequent drugs, use of strong language and nudity. also contain discreet sexual activity and moderate violence.
• 15 - only people over 15 can be accepted as these films may contain adult themes, hard drugs, strong language, strong violence and undetailed sex activity.
• 18 - only adults are permitted to watch as they don't have a limitation to the bad language as well as strong  violence, hard drugs, and strong sexual activity if it is justified by the content.
• Restricted 18 - can only be shown at licensed adult cinema and only to 18 or older and contains pornography.

Examples of categorised age restrictions;

• U- Finding Dory because it shows mild threats and language like 'darn' and 'heck' and during the film characters get chased which causes mild distress.  
• PG- Tangled because it has mild fight scene when the character threaten a man with a frying pan and a brief sight of blood.
• 12A- Now you see me 2 because it contains moderate violence and threat that then are revealed to become magic tricks
• 12-Fast five because it has scenes of violence and use of strong language as well as drugs and sexual references.
• 15- Hunger games because it puts emphasis on the injury's and violence and also has scenes that could be interpreted differently like her hallucinations caused by wasp stings and suicide.
• 18- 50 shades of grey because it contains sex, nudity and the portrayal of an erotic role.