Representation analysis

The women in the film poster and the trailer have been presented as they have always been in Hollywood movies, by this I mean where women are symbolized as sex objects to their male counter parts and also seem to have a more inferior role. Such as the film poster, it shows a woman half naked, which fits the role of sex object and also the party atmosphere that is shown in the background of the poster. This could also suggest that the women in the background are the ‘entertainment’ of the party, where their purpose is to please the majority of the males at the party.  

DiCaprio is portrayed as the dominant character, as can be seen in the film poster. He is shown front and center of the poster, with his hands clasped in front of him. The pose he is in shows that he is comfortable in his position and also possesses a powerful personality. He is also seen wearing an expensive suit and you can also see a gold watch on his wrist; this once again reinforces the idea of DiCaprio being comfortable in his own skin and having that dominant personality of a typical protagonist. DiCaprio is also seen smiling in the film poster, the smile itself can be seen as smug or arrogant, suggesting he is very sure of himself and the fact that the watch is on his left wrist and at his side symbolize that he has time on his side, whereby he is able to accumulate a mass amount of wealth. This also fits in to the stereotype to the male being the most superior.

Narrative theory

The Wolf of Wall Street also uses a variety of narrative techniques. Applying Propp’s theory of character types, we can identify some characters and their roles played in the movie. Jordan Belfort is played by Leonardo DiCaprio and is introduced as the main protagonist. Also, the character of Jordan Belfort’s wife, Naomi Lapagilia, is played by Margot Robbie who could be seen as the heroine or a protagonist in the trailer. We can see this in the scene at 0.48-52 seconds where her husband crawls towards her which could suggest she is quite dominant. Margot Robbie’s character is also seen as a potential love interest for Jordan Belfort which helps the audience identify the relationships between the characters. The character of Donnie Azoff who is played by Jonah Hill can be seen as the ‘sidekick’ because of his humorous input. However, the main characters don’t quite fit their roles according to Propp’s theory. For example, the character of Jordan Belfort can be seen as a hero and villain because he is celebrated and criticised for his work. As well as the role of the FBI, they can be seen as a hero for preventing crime within the world of stock broking but can be viewed as a villain for ruining Jordan Belfort’s life.

The film’s narrative is clearly introduced in the trailer and follows Todorov’s theory of equilibrium.  The state of balance is the character of Jordan Belfort creating a name for him in the world of stock- broking. We know this because in the opening of the trailer, Jordan Belfort says: “The year I turned 26, I made 49 million dollars.” This allows the audience to understand that Jordan Belfort is leading a good life.  The disequilibrium is introduced at 1.43seconds into the trailer where the FBI arrives with guns and dogs. That is when Jordan Belfort tries to find a way where the government would not be able to arrest him for defrauding investors in a massive securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including shoe designer Steve Madden. The new equilibrium is not shown in the trailer so that the audience would have to watch the whole film to enjoy this resolution.

Barthes enigma and action codes have been used in this trailer which means that the audience will be intrigued to this film and will want to watch the whole film to find out what happens in the end. The fact that The Wolf of Wall Street was based on a true story, most people would know how it would end but the audience would still ask “what did he do that the FBI are after him?” and “How did he become so wealthy?” We can clearly see that there are quite a few action codes seen within the trailer, for example at 1.49 seconds the audience sees Jordan Belfort holding a gun and a few scenes where there are extreme parties being held in the office throughout the trailer.

Independence day case study

Institutional background:

What was the film studio or production company behind Independence Day?

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Centropolis Entertainment

Who was the distributor for the theatrical release of the film in the UK?

20th Century Fox 

Genre and Media language analysis: 

What is the sub-genre of Science Fiction does Independence Day fit into? What issues and fears in society might be addressed in the film?

The sub-genres could be Alien invasion and Space. There is a possibility aliens could be real and one day they will take over the world and the fact that the important rich people were able to escape shows that they are at an advantage when it comes to unpredictable situations. 

How can you tell it fits into the sub-genre? Be specific with reference to clips or scenes from the film.

We can tell it fits in to the sub-genre of Space because there are quite a few scenes that are in Space, for example, when Captain Steven Hiller goes into space to destroy the ship. We also know that it fits into the genre of Alien invasion because there were scenes where we could actually see the alien and many smaller ships attacking countries with some sort of lasers that destroy buildings and create havoc across the world. 

How does the narrative of the film fit the Science Fiction genre?

The narrative fits the Science Fiction genre because the whole plot is about an alien invasion that wants to destroy earth until all of it's civilization is ended.

Who are the main characters in Independence Day and why they might appeal to an audience?

Will Smith is one of the main characters in Independence Day and he would appeal to an audience because of his diverse roles he had played in other movies and TV shows of different genres. Jeff Goldblum would appeal to an audience because of his role in Jurassic Park which is also a Sci-Fi movie. 

How does the mise-en-scene in Independence Day fit the Science Fiction genre?

The mise-en-scene fits the Sci-Fi genre because in the scene of Area 51, we see a sort of futuristic laboratory where many scientists were conducting experiments. We also see spaceships in space with advanced technology (laser/weapon) used to attack humans. 

Release date and Marketing campaign:

What was the UK release date for your chosen film?

9th August 1996

Find the trailer for Independence Day, embed it in your blog and explain why it might appeal to an audience.

This trailer would appeal to an audience because there is a mix of Action and Comedy along with Science Fiction in the movie. There is also a glimpse of some romance that is in the movie. It would appeal to an audience because it intrigues them and gets them thinking if aliens were real and to attack Earth, is this how they would do it? 




What other examples of marketing can you find on Google for Independence Day? (film poster,teaser trailers, main trailers, newspaper reviews or TV interviews etc.)

Here is the film poster for Independence Day:

Critical reception:

What is the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes rating for Independence Day?

IMDB has given a rating of 6.9 out of 10 for Independence Day. Rotten Tomatoes has given a rating of 60%/100% and an audience rating of 75%.

What is the word-of-mouth like for Independence Day?

The word-of-mouth is quite positive for Independence Day.

Find three quotes from users reviews of Independence Day and post them onto your blog.

Film4-" Insanely pompous and brilliantly exhilarating in equal measure."
CNN.com-" Splendidly cheesy entertainment."
Cinema Crazed- " One quater of a very decent albeit cliche alien invasion film, and three quarters an unwatchable adventure film."


Box office success:

What was the original budget for Independence Day?

$75,000,000

How much money did Independence Day make in the opening weekend?

$50,200,000

How much money has Independence Day made in total?

$817,400,000

For a film to be considered a box office success, it needs to make two and a half times more than the budget in the box office takings. Using this method, was Independence Day a success at the box office?

Independence Day was a box office success.

Stars and Directors:

What other films has the director made? Are they the same or similar genres?

Roland Emmerich has made The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla and 2012.

Who is the main star for Independence Day?

Will Smith plays Captain Steven Hiller.

What other films has the main star appeared in? Are any of those films similar to Independence Day? Are the stars or the director or writer mentioned in the trailer?

Will Smith has not featured in any of those movies and they come under the same genre of Science Fiction but they have different sub-genres. The director is mentioned in the trailer but quite a few of the stars have been mentioned at the end of the trailer along with the production company.

Audience pleasures:

What specific aspects of Independence Day would an audience enjoy?

The audience would enjoy the humor during an intense scene. For example, when Captain Steven Hiller and David Levinson are trying to escape the mother ship the tension is high but there is a bit of humor here and there to make the atmosphere lighter. 

Identify three key moments in the film that audiences would particularly enjoy and explain the audience appeal for these key scenes. Use media language in your analysis.

• The scene where the Captain is being chased by an alien would appeal to an audience who is intrigued by action. They would enjoy the laser weapons and the explosions as it is very exhilarating and thrilling.
• The audience would possibly enjoy the scene at the end because the movie ends with a happy ending and everything goes back to normal and everyone is reunited with their loved ones.
• When the aliens attack there is massive explosions that would engage the audience. The audience would feel visceral and viscarious pleasures. 

Which characters in Independence Day would particularly appeal to different audience types?

Will Smith is always adding an element of comedy to his movies and he would appeal to different audiences because of his previous roles in other movies.

Write a detailed demographic breakdown of the possible target audience for Independence Day. Include age, gender, social class, education, job/earnings, where they live, what they enjoy in their spare time and brands they are attracted to.

Independence Day has a target audience between the age range of 12-60. The audience would be 70%/30% male/female. Independence Day has a target audience that is predominantly  male possibly due to the fact that most of the main characters are male. Also, some women are not interested in Sci-Fi/Action movies. People within the social class of DE-B1 with unskilled manual jobs to managerial jobs would watch Independence Day. People who love to discover new things and are intrigued by Scientific things would watch this film.   

Summer project revision

Title and Tag line:
Insurgent / One Choice Can Destroy You

Sub-genre of Science Fiction the film fits into:

• Futuristic Dystopia
• Experimental Science 

Narrative:
Insurgent picks up from where Divergent had finished off with Tris and Four on the run from Jeanine, trying to find allies who can help defeat the Erudite. Tris must find out why her family had sacrificed their lives and what were they trying to protect from Jeanine. Tris and Four fight together to overcome difficult challenges as they unravel the mystery of the past and possibly what's held in the future of their world.

Characters and why they might appeal to an audience:
Tris is one of the main protagonists and therefore would appeal to an female audience. People who like a bit of romance with some action in a movie would watch Insurgent. Also Tris and Four fight against Jeanine and her people which shows some rivalry, this would intrigue an audience who like to see some conflict and action. The fact that insurgent is a sequel would appeal to Divergents' audience.

Setting and how it fits the Sci-Fi genre:
The setting links to the Science Fiction genre because it is set in a futuristic Chicago and it shows the progression of technology.

Mise-en-scene and how it fits the Sci-Fi genre:
The main protagonists, Tris and Four, link into the genre of Sci-Fi because they have very rare names and the characters clothing's are very distinctive.

Institutions and how much money it made:
The main production company is Summit Entertainment. Insurgent had a budget of $110,000,000 and in the opening weekend it made $52,263,680. The total gross was $129,995,817.

Stars and Directors:
Insurgent was directed by Robert Schwentke. Insurgent features Kate Winslet, Theo James, Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Jai Courtney.

 Critical reception: 
People's reviews on the Rotten tomatoes website has given Insurgent a very bad review, they believe that it is essentially one long fight with occasional scene changes. However, some critics believe that Insurgent was well paced and because there has already been a part one movie (Divergent), Insurgent could focus more on the plot. Similarly, the IMDB website has given Insurgent a bad review. The Critics believe that the movie did not live up to the expectation shown in the trailer.The movie made a healthy profit from the audience because the movie was based on the books with the same name by Veronica Roth. It can be said that the audience were anxious to see how the book would be adapted into a movie which created the positive response. However, the movie got bad reviews because it did not live up to the expectations of the book.

Target audience:
The film website IMDB has given Insurgent a rating of 'PG-13' due to intense action scenes and moderate sexual scenes. However, the BBFC website has given Insurgent a rating a '12A' because of the use of violence and strong language. I believe that Insurgent is aimed more at a teenage audience because it is a teen-dystopian movie. The movies are based on the book series which is aimed at a teen/adult audience. Insurgent would appeal to 55% female and 45% male audience because the movie is centred around a female protagonist. However, it would appeal to a male audience due to the fact that there are two main characters that consist of a male and female.

Assignment 2: Film case study research

My chosen movie

1) What film have you chosen?
     The Wolf of Wall Street

2) Why did you choose this film in particular?
    I chose this film because I thought it would be an entertaining film and I could write a lot about it in my analysis. 

Institutional background

1) What was the film studio or production company behind your chosen film?
    Paramount and Red Granite Pictures are the production companies behind The Wolf of Wall Street.

2) Who was the distributor for the theatrical release of the film in the UK?
    Universal Pictures International (UPI) are the distributors for the film in the UK.

No brand loyalty

1) What genre does your chosen film fit into?
    It fits into the genres of Biography, Comedy and Crime.

2) How can you tell it fits that genre?
    The Wolf of Wall Street fits into the genre of Biography as it is based on a true story about Jordan Belfort who pleaded guilty to fraud and related crimes in connection with stock market manipulation and running a boiler room as apart of a penny stock scam. It comes under the genre of Comedy as there are a lot of humorous jokes and the movie manages to put Belfort in very serious scenes and let his craziness work its magic. The Wolf of Wall Street fits into Crime as there is involvement of corruption and federal government.

3) Does your chosen film have any stars or a director that are known for that particular genre?
    Jonah Hill is particularly known for starring in Comedy films.

It's all a matter of timing

1) What was the UK release date for your chosen film?
    It was released on the 17/01/2014 in the UK.

2) When did the first trailer appear on YouTube for your chosen movie?
    It was published on June 16th 2013.


    

3) What other examples of marketing (teaser trailers, main trailers, newspaper or TV interviews etc.) can you find for your chosen film before the film's release date?
    Here is another trailer published before the release date.


    
It's a social thing

1) What was the word-of-mouth like for your film?
    82% of the audience has given a good review of the movie on Rotten Tomatoes.

2) Find three quotes of users reviews.
    Martin Roberts - "A terrific watch, and bound to be one of the funniest films of the year.""
    Chris Stuckmann - "DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, and Scorsese's brilliantly energetic direction makes this a must watch for film lovers."
    Raam Tarat - "This is a fantastic exploration of money, greed, and a truly flawed character that spent much of the nineties on a jaw-dropping but pernicious thrill-ride."

Risky business

1) What was the original budget for your chosen film?
    $100,000,000

2) How much money did the film make in the opening weekend?
    In the US it made $18,510,00 in the opening weekend.

3) How much money had the film made in total?
    It had made $116,866,727 in total.

4) For a film to be considered a box office success, it needs to make at least two-and-a-half times the budget in box office takings. Was the film you have chosen a success?
    The Wolf of Wall Street did not make two and a half times the budget therefore it would not be considered as a box office success.

Stars in their eyes

1) What films has the director previously directed? Are they in the same or similar genres?
    Martin Scorsese has directed films such as 'Shutter Island' and 'The Soul of a Man'. These films fall under the genres of Mystery and Biography.

2) Who is the main star in this film?
   Leonardo DiCaprio is the main star in this film.

3) What other films had the main star appeared in?
 He has starred in movies such as Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, and Inception.

4) Are the stars or the director or the writer mentioned in the trailer?
    Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Jordan Belfort and Terence Winter are mentioned in the trailer.

Assignment 1: Magazine Cover

Minority Report shot by shot analysis

This is a medium close up shot because we can see that the characters are visible from head to toe. This shot allows the audience to see the characters strong facial expressions. The emotions shown are rage, determination and confidence in their abilities to catch the fugitive John Anderton (Tom Cruise). The medium close up of the group of police officers suggest that they could be chasing after the fugitive in the following shots . This could build up tension and anticipation as the    viewers do not know what is to come and if John Anderton will escape.

We can tell that this is an establishing shot because we can see the whole setting of the alleyway which allows the audience to understand where the next scene and action is going to take place. Also, the use of dark blues and greys relates to the key convention of Sci-fi and it also gives the audience an idea of what the atmosphere will be like. The colours foreshadow that the next scene is not going to be pleasant and could imply that the fugitive has ended up in a dangerous situation.

The next shot can be identified as a close up because the camera is focusing on one aspect which is the characters face that allows the audience to see his facial expressions and identify the emotions. The audience can tell by his expressions that he is hopeless however, John Anderton is also determined to escape the police officers that surround him. The fact that there are a lot of officers staring at him in the first shot and the officers surrounding him now gives the idea that Anderton is seen as vulnerable to the audience.