Planning: Age Certificate Ms Begum

Age Certificate

 

 

Age certificates are age ratings given to all films to decide what age group should be able to watch what film. The people that make these decisions are the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Set up in 1912 the BBFC regulate all films in Britain and give it a certain age certificate depending on the content the film has. There are 5 cinema film certificates and there are 5 video/D.V.D film certificates plus some retired age cetificates as well including the most recent one Universal Children (Uc). Universal Children (Uc) rating was a video/D.V.D rating and means that the film is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone although this film rating was discontinued in 2009.

 

 

Universal (U). It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for all audiences. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should not contain anything that would offend or upset a child. An example of this is the film the lion king.

 

Parental Guidance (PG). Parental guidance is usually made for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. PG films may contain scenes of fear or comical violence. An example of a 'PG' film is Megamind.

 

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. A 12A film may contain fear, moderate violence, brief bad language and brief shock. An example of this is the iconic reason for the 12A rating existing: Spiderman

 

The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work. The content in a 12A rating is exactly the same for a film in a 12 rating. An example of this is The Dark Knight

 

 

 

15 rating. No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema and No-one younger than 15 is allowed to rent or buy a ‘15’ rated film. Things included in 15 rated films are violence, controversy, mild sex scenes and nudity, frequent bad language and mild drug abuse. An example of a 15 rated film is Disturbia.

18 rating. No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema and No-one younger than 18 is allowed rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work. 18 rated films are usually on the brink of being cut or banned from cinema viewings. An example of an 18 rating film is The Godfather

Thriller films are almost always given a 15 rating because they leave a chilling feeling amongst the audience. Furthermore they keeps you on the edge of your seats. Thrillers are meant to make you jump. Some of them are made to psychologically play with your mind and get you thinking. All of them have some tension and suspense.
 

The story of the 12A rating film

 

In 2002, many citizens, ignored the BBFC's ruling that Spider-Man would receive a 12 rating, and allowed children younger than 12 to see the film. they thought that because spider-man was a childhood hero for many kids they wanted to watch him on the big screen. However, the BBFC were already in the process of replacing the 12 rating with a new 12A, which allowed under-12s to see the film if accompanied by an adult, so in the end, Spider-Man was reclassified as 12A. The first 12A certificate film released was for The Bourne Identity.

Conclusion

This lesson on age certificates in general has really helped me to understand the concepts of the film and understand what would be deemed unsuitable for a certain target audience for example a theme like discrimination would not be shown in a film rated PG or show nudity and sex scenes on a filom rated U. But furthermore i has given me an insight on what themes to include in my thriller opening.because thrillers are usually given a 15 rating, that broadens the choice of themes to include in the scene

 

Planning: Censorship Ms Begum

Censorship

Film Censorship is the hiding or banning of explicit images, words or scenes in films that would be deemed unsuitable for a certain age group by the British Board of Film Classification or (BBFC).

Role of (BBFC)

The role of the British board of film classification is to protect the public from anything offensive or could cause any harm. They are the ones who decide the age certificate for all films released in Britain from cinema or straight to shelves. The decisions they make if a film is deemed unsuitable to be released in the cinema are:

·         They could make no changes and just move the film straight to D.V.D

·         They could tell the producers to cut out the offensive scenes and make it appropriate for viewers in the cinema

·         Or finally they would ban the film completely and it wouldn’t get show in cinemas

Cut

Cutting a film is when a film has been edited or has had scenes taken out of it to make it appropriate for viewing. An example of a film that was cut before it was released was Saw. Some of the graphic images and gore was deemed unsuitable and was needed to be cut before shown in the cinemas.

Banned

 

Films being banned mean when a film is taken away from cinema viewing completely due to indecent, harmful or offensive material. An example of this is Freaks. Due to high levels of discrimination, disturbing content and cruelty this film was banned for over 30 years.

 

What themes would cause a film to get cut or banned?

·         Violence

 

·         Graphic representation and realism

·         Corrupting the young

·         Controversy and the press

·         Sex and nudity

·         Sexual violence

·         Religion

·         Class

·         Language

·         Shock

·         Drug abuse

 

Examples of other films banned in the UK

·         The human centipede 2

 

The sequel is due to be released in October, 2011, but has been denied a classification for distribution in the United Kingdom. The sequel contains much more blood and faces than the original, and also that it makes the first film look soft in comparison. The new film also contains a larger centipede involving twelve people and involves rape and masturbation scenes.

·         Mikey

Mikey was banned in many countries and is still banned today in the UK. Many graphic scenes of torture and murder contributed to the ban, as well as the James Bulger murder of 1993, when two young children tortured and murdered a toddler. This is also an example of corruption of children.

·         The Exorcist

The Exorcist was banned in many individual towns and countries for being horrifyingly scary, and in some cases for religious reasons. The film affected many audiences so strongly that, at many theatres, paramedics were called to treat people who fainted and others who went into hysterics. In the UK, The Exorcist wasn’t available until 1990.

Forma vs Kermode on Film Censorship

Reasons For Film Censorship (Forma)

·         Words, images and scenes that are used in some films can be taken in the wrong way and could end up stirring racial hatred.

·         The public may be influenced by a certain characters and some may even put themselves in the predicament the character is in which can be very dangerous for themselves as well as the public.

·         Certain scenes shown in different films can influence certain people to re-enact those scenes and could potentially cause harm among the public. E.g. rape, robbery, murder.

·         Films are breaking down the barriers that are meant to separate the film world from the real world e.g. a film could have someone killed but then when you see it on the streets you think it’s a joke

Reasons against Film Censorship (Kermode)

·         As humans we don’t watch films to be influenced by the scenes or characters. We know what is right from wrong. We watch films to enjoy what is on the box office at the moment.

·         When the directors are filming the films, sex doesn't occur while they are filming so there's no need to censor it when it out in the cinemas.

·         Every human has their own opinions to different things and films are just one of the things people will react differently to.

·         Restricting films to the laws of the public is impossible; films are not made to encourage their viewers to commit murders and rape. Instead they show the audience realistic situations or events.

 

 

Conclusion

This lesson has really helped me in deciding what to include in the thriller opener i want to create. It has shown me that there are limits when it comes to creating thriller films with explicit scenes. It has explained that excessive uses of offensive material is likely to cause a film to be banned.

 

 

Research: Mise en Scene: Iconography Ms Heath

Iconography

Iconography is another 1 of the five elements of Mise en Scene. It is 

the objects that you see in the scene. The meaning that these objects create to the scene. It is the visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with a person, cult, or movement.

 

For example in a warehouse the iconography you would expect to see is:

·         Broken windows 

·         Empty boxes

·         Dust everywhere

·         Boarded windows

·         Rubbish on the floor

·         Unused machinery etc.

 

 

These objects would specifically describe an abandoned warehouse. This is what you would associate with scenery like an abandoned warehouse. It is conventional for that stuff to be in an abandoned warehouse.

If it was what iconography you would associate with someone for example James Bond you would expect:    

·         Gadgets and gismos

·         Watches

·         Weapons

·         Flashy cars

·         Cell phones etc.

This tells the audience that he is a very important person who is very ‘flash’ and has got a lot of money and gets himself into a lot of trouble.

 

This is the film trailer from the thriller film Disturbia. The main iconography (prop) used in this trailer are the binoculars the protagonist uses. After being homebound due to the tag on his leg, he ends up spending his time spying on the neighbours although he sees something that he might not have wanted to.

 

Research: Scream Analysis Ms Begum

Scream Analysis

 

This is the director’s cut, opening scene for the film Scream. This scene is perfect for analysing the generic conventions for a thriller film. So:

How is the opening senquence of Scream conventional to a thriller opening?

Well there a 4 main micro elements to look at when analysing a thriller or any film properly: 

·         Sound

·         Cinematography

·         Editing

·         And Mise en Scene

  

Sound

 

 

The very first sound that is portrayed to the viewers is the telephone that rings throughout the film. Now this can be talked about as diegetic sound or as the mise en scene iconography as this prop is used throughout the scene as the communication between the victim (protagonist) and the villain (antagonist). In the beginning the telephone seems to be something that was insignificant to the scene but it then becomes the main focus of the scene. In the beginning it would leave the audience confused but after it would leave them anxious and sympathetic for the protagonist.

One other sound that the audience can hear is the non-diegetic soundtrack. This happens when the protagonist realises that peewee is spying on her and is rushes to lock the doors of the house. This sound is important to the audience as it is the first signs of the protagonist being in danger. This keeps the audience guessing the future for the protagonist and therefore anxiety creeps in the audience over the victim.

One final sound that I identified was the diegetic sound of the glass breaking. This sound is used numerous times throughout the scene e.g. when the chair is thrown through the glass door and when the antagonist jumps out of a window to catch the protagonist. The sound of the glass breaking usually comes after a period of silence which built up the tension until that moment in time when the glass breaks. That particular sound is used to scare the audience but it is also used to make the audience feel scared for the protagonist.

Cinematography

One use of cinematography used in the scene was the repeated close up of the popcorn. The popcorn was put on the stove while the victim was talking to peewee and is then forgotten as it is caught on fire while the villain chased the victim. This although may seem insignificant, has meaning as it show the significance of the phone calls and how it has affected the victim to the point that she fogets the popcorn and it catches on fire. However the symbol of the popcorn could also be the sense that the plot in the story could relate to being just one horror film because you tend to eat popcorn at films. This I feel is to throw the audience ‘off the scent’ of the antagonist because you feel that it is a fire that will kill the victim rather that the soon to discovered antagonist.

One other use of cinematography in the scene is the medium shot of the protagonist’s boyfriend tied up. This is shown when the victim turns on the back door light to look outside. This shot is used show what the antagonist is capable of and to show he is a ‘no mercy’ character. This shot would be used so the audience feels for the boyfriend and the protagonists’ safety.

One final use of cinematography is the extreme close up on the murder weapon the antagonist uses to kill the victim. It is shown in the final stages when the villain finally gets the victim. And repeatedly stabs her. This could also be used as iconography as this becomes the main weapon used in the film to kill all of his victims. This shot is used to show what a ruthless killer the antagonist is and to frighten the audience whenever they see him in the film.

Editing
One use of editing is the simple straight cuts used throughout the film. For example when the victim finds out that she is being spied on, it straight cuts into her locking the doors. This type of editing would be used for the audience to follow the plot of the storyline therefore they are not confused at what is happening.

One other use of editing is the reaction shot of the protagonist when she sees her boyfriend tied up outside. This happens shortly after the victim knows that the villain knows who her boyfriend is. This is used to find out how the character reacts to something they have seen or heard- in this case the terrified reaction when she realises her one and only protection can’t protect her. At that point the audience would feel sorry for her as there is most certainly no hope for here now and that she is more than likely going to die.

Mise en Scene

One use of the Mise en scene: lighting is the low key lighting on the hanging dead body of the protagonist. We see this when the parents find out that their daughter (protagonist) is murdered. This us of lighting could be used to disguise just how horrific the antagonists attacks were on the victim. From this the audience would receive a chilling effect due to the horrific events they just witnessed.

 

One use of the Mise en scene: iconography is the rack of knives the protagonist fiddles with. This happened when she describe what film she was going to watch to the man on the phone. They used that image maybe to portray irony since she ends up being killed by a knife that looks very similar. The audience by now would be trying to figure out if the knives have any meaning in the opening scene.

One use of the Mise en scene: costume is the clothes the antagonist wears. He wears black that covers his whole body from head to foot and wears a mask to hide their identity which is typical of a villain. The reason they made him wear this is the fact that it portrays a conventional and typical villain. And because of what he wears the audience can easily identify that he is in fact the antagonist in the film.

One use of Mise en Scene: Setting is the house. Since we always see the house in the shot the audience can tell this is going to be the main setting for the opening scene. What makes this typical of a thriller film is that the parents are out so it is just the ‘soon to be’ victim at home, it is dark outside and there doesn’t seem to be any civilization nearby. This gives the audience an idea of the plot in the opening sequence and they would sort of know what to expect.

One final use of Mise en scene: body language and facial expressions is when the mother of the victim goes into hysterics after finding out that her daughter has been killed. We see this right at the end of the opening scene where she sees her daughter hanging from a tree by her neck. This could also be described as a reaction shot since she is reacting to an event that happened. The mother has her hands on her face which shows body language that she is shock and she is screaming and crying to show facial expression and that she is really upset. The audience at this time would feel sorry for the parents.

 

Research: Narrative Theory Ms Hawkins

Narrative Theory

Narrative is an account orf connected events. The audience needs a narrative to a film to make sense of the plot. In all films we see a beginning, middle and an end. We understand and construct meaning using our experience of reality and of previous texts.

Propp

Vladimir Propp was a Russian critic. Propp was essentially interested in the narrative of folk tales. He noticed folk tales were similar in many areas. They were about the same basic struggles and they appeared to have stock characters. He identified a pattern about all the folk tale characters and actions as narrative functions.

This is the basis Propp and most films of today follow:

The Hero – a character that seeks something

The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest

The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties

The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message

The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims

The Helper – who aids the hero

The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots

Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his efforts

A thriller film that follows this guideline is Disturbia.

There are five steps this theory follows

·         Complication

This is where there is a state of disorder. The villain harms a member of the family. One of the members of the family desires something. The hero is sent to get what is desired. The hero plans action against the villain

 

 

·         Transference

The hero leaves home. The hero is tested or attacked/ he meets the test and is given a magical gift or helper. The hero reacts to the donor. The hero arrives at the place he can fulfil his quest

 

·         Struggle

There is a huge fight scene between the hero and the villain. The hero is hurt but he is still able to fight. The villain is either overcome or killed. The state of disorder is settled

 

·         Return

The hero returns only to be chased out of town. The hero escapes or is rescued. The hero arrives home and is not recognised. A false hero claims rewards. A task is set for the hero whom he completes with some difficulty

 

·         Recognition

In the end the hero is finally recognised. The false hero or villain is unmasked. The false hero is punished and the hero attains the reward which is either the princess of the kingdom but usually it is the princess.

Problems found with Propp’s theory

•      Propp’s theory of narrative seems to be based in a male orientated environment (due to his theory actually reflecting early folk tales) and as such critics often dismiss the theory with regard to film. However, it may still be applied because the function (rather than the gender) of characters is the basis of the theory. E.g. the hero could be a woman; the reward could be a man. Therefore ending stereotypical narratives

•       Many critics suggest that Propp’s strict order of characters and events is restrictive. We should rather apply the functions and events randomly as we meet new narratives. E.g. the hero may kill the villain earlier than Propp expects. Changing the traditional format will change the whole way the text is received and therefore not making the narrative of the story predictible.

•      Some critics claim there are many more character types than Propp suggests. E.g. the stooge in a sci-fi film, who is usually nameless and usually killed early on to suggest the power of the alien force, is a typical modern character type.

 

Todorov

Tzvetan Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation of film texts with his theory of a balanced and unbalanced narrative

His theory is a lot simpler.

In the beginning there is a state of harmony and balance but all of a sudden there is a disruption of that order by an event that happens making it unbalanced. People begin to realise that the disorder has occurred. Then the try and fix the problem which either results in it being fixed and the balance is restored or a new balance is created.

Thriller Films that follow Todorovs theory are the James bond films. this clip is of Quantum of Solace the car chase scene

 

My Narrative

My narrative is a story of 5 people. Everything was normal in balance until someone new came along. He was mentally ill and those 5 people bullied him. Physically and mentally scarred him. He couldn’t take any more. He swore to get revenge on those 5 people and started to plot his own back. Little did those 5 people know he was plotting to kill them. 1 by 1 they were dying until there was 1 left. On the run from the mentally ill person the 1 person has no one to run to and nowhere to hide. This narrative I feel follows Todorovs theory as everything starts off normal and in balanced but then the balance is disrupted due of the bullying. They realise they are in trouble when he started to kill. And after he has killed all of them, a new sense of balance is restored in the mentally ill man's mind