Media Homework – Advanced Portfolio Preparation
Roma (2012?)
Director: David Altobelli
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/38148087
Roma is based in Italy and has a romantic storyline. The
film starts with a male character on a train station looking lost or as if he
is looking for someone. Then he meets this girl on the train and the two of
them seem happier after that. He then skateboards around a park to impress the
new girl he has found and ends up sitting with her. She then takes him to a
club to meet her friends and they end up clubbing after that. They then sit
outside where she has gone and he is upset as if he has lost her again; and
then goes off to walk to a beautiful landscape view where he finds she is at
the top as well as if it was fate they have met each other again. But on the
final shot is him on his own looking around as if he she has gone again so ends
on a cliff-hanger.
I chose this film because it has a good narrative, and there
are lots to talk about with regards to representation of the two characters,
the genre it would be and also how the audience interpret the film. It also had
a good setting which creates a romantic atmosphere to match the storyline.
Representation
·
A social group that would be relevant for this
film would be the youth, as the characters are aged in the mid-teens and hold
the characteristics of what teenagers do. Here we have two characters that
appear to be in love who we can only tell have met by travelling around places
to find each other.
·
This film doesn’t seem to be on IMDB but through
the codes and conventions of the film I can say that it is a romance. Unlike
most short films they have a hybrid of genres but this one only appears to have
the one.
·
At first the male character is represented in a
way that he seems lost, this representation would be a more modern one, as
traditionally males know where they’re going and take control of the situation.
When the train leaves the station he is
looking around as if he doesn’t know where he is, or he is just taking in the
new scenery. He is seen to be a very active person as he is seen with his
skateboard quite a few times which shows he is quite sporty. 
This is shown as a positive representation as
the girl with him seems to like it. He also treats the girl well which is a
positive representation of males towards females, this is seen as more of a
modern representation because he is seen treating her in a respectable manner
in which wasn’t seen in traditional representations. He would also be the
stereotypical man the girls would want to be with as he treats them well and is
deemed to be quite fit. Although at the end, the final shot is of him on his
own which suggests she has left him as she wasn’t right for him even though he
treated her well. This action would be more modern representation of females as
she is deemed to be leaving him instead of the traditional representation of
him leaving her.
The female character is the girl that
appears to like the other boy in this film. She looks like the stereotypical
girl that looks beautiful and is who men would like to be with. This isn’t
represented too positively though as she appears to leave the male character
quite a lot, as if she doesn’t have time for him; then at the end the final
shot is him on his own which could suggest she didn’t like him in the end even
though they got on so well in the film.
·
I don’t think the audience expected the girl to
walk away from the man that often, as she leaves him when they are outside the
bar and on the diving ledge; so the audience wouldn’t have shaped the
representation of her to do that.
·
An issue this film deals with is love. The boy
in this film seems to like travelling whether it is on his skateboard or by
train, and he appears to have found that one girl; although she does keep
walking away from him at the end they meet each other again, but the final shot
is of him on his own which could suggest they left their separate ways.
Narrative
·
The plot of the story is that there is a man who
likes travelling and skateboarding, who is also waiting to find the right woman
in his life.
He then meets a girl on a train,
and they get to like each other by attending a club where she shows him off to
all her friends. But she appears to have a problem, and keeps leaving him. They
then meet up on a diving board as if it was fate they were both up there and
get along fine. Until, the last shot where we see
him on his own looking round which suggests she left him again.
With regards to the story we
can’t tell too much either side of the plot, but we can have a good guess. The
man likes to travel and I think he might have travelled quite a lot in his
life, and has come to Roma where he appears to have found his love he has been
searching for. He meets this girl and they both like each other, but things
aren’t as he would like it to be. After she leaves him he then goes on travelling
the rest of Italy where eventually finds his true love. That’s my guess at how
the story works and that is what only the spectator can assume. We guess these
elements of the story just through how the characters act, we can tell the boy
likes travelling a lot because he is on a skateboard which suggests that’s what
he has done in the past and wants to do in the future. The advantage of being
able to deduce the story is that it keeps the audience engaged with the film
and so that they can make up their own mind on what happened before and after.
·
This film has a linear narrative but does
flashback to certain scenes that happened before in the film, but it’s linear
enough that I can explain Todorov’s 5 stages:
Equilibrium
-
Where the man is on his travels, seen on the
train and then on his skateboard living his normal life.
Disruption
-
The change of his normal life is when he meets
this girl on the train, after that he starts to spend time with her.
Confrontation
-
He notices she has a liking for him and he likes
her as well, so she takes him to a club where she shows him off to her friends
and they have a good time.
Resolution
-
They then spend some quality time together in
the club and then sat outside the club.
New Equilibium
-
A new problem arises when she first walks away
from sitting down with him, by the looks on his face, without prior warning as
to why.
Then they meet up on a diving board and
everything seems back to normal; but when on the last clip we are seen with
just the boy on his own as if she has left him again. That is where it ends, on
a cliff hanger. The fact it ends on a cliff hanger means it’s unresolved means
it doesn’t entirely fit into Todorov’s theory, but the first 4 stages do.
Additionally, Barthes action and
enigma codes fit into this film as well. An example of an enigma code would be
the ending: we are unsure whether the girl has left him completely or if she
has just gone home, us, the spectator, will be asking these questions at the
end which the audience will like because they are getting involved with the
film.
Genre
·
The only genre I would say this film has is
romance as that is the main theme; there doesn’t seem to be any codes that
would be in another genre. I say there is only one genre because the man and
the girl like each other and appear to be in love, but as we know at the end
that might not be the case but love is the main case in this film.
·
Short films usually have more than one genre
which is called a hybrid as there is so much to fit into a small film, often
codes and conventions cross over on genres to become a hybrid. But in the
instance of this film there is only one genre: romance. A short film doesn’t
have to be a hybrid, but is often the case, although in this film they appear
to have pulled off just the one genre.
·
This film matches closely with Rick Altman’s
theory on semantic and syntactic codes. With regards to being semantic, in a
romance film you often link it to lovely landscapes, nice scenery and having a
good time for example at the club. This is exactly what happens in this film,
there is wonderful scenery one of which is a lovely sunset shot, which can be seen as very romantic and convey's the genre of love to the audience. Also with syntactic we can say that the couple will meet, get to
know each other then start spending time together; this also occurs in this
film where they meet on the train, spend time together in the club and outside
it and also on the diving board, but we don’t know the outcome of it all.
Audience
·
Who might be expected to see this film would be
around 18-25 year olds who enjoy watching romance films and seeing a couple be
happy with additionally a good story line that the spectator can easily follow.
I think this would appeal to both genders, but maybe slightly more female as
it’s more of a love story.
·
The audience might be pleased by the film
because it has a very romantic storyline; two people meeting on a train and
then falling in love. It’s because both of them look happy when they are
together the audience will feel happy for them. Its only when she leaves him
the audience will feel sorry for him the girl has left him on his own.
·
This short film was used to advertise clothing
but is still classed as a short film as well. It has a really strong storyline
built in and they have pulled it off really well as an advert and a short film.
It’s still a short film as the audience don’t know its advertising clothing as
they are getting pulled into the storyline.
·
David Altobelli has also directed adverts for
Adidas, so what he does is create short films with a good narrative used for advertising
products which is a very clever way of advertising.
Media Language
·
I think with a scene that is creative and
interesting would be the last scene, where the man goes up to the diving board
and the girl also turns up there as if it was fate they have found each other
again.
The camerawork in this scene are
lots of extreme long shots to show you the stunning scenery that they have
chosen. The scene is very romantic with the slow motion shots whilst he gets up
to the top, and then he turns around and his love is there. After that there
are slow motion shots of them hugging and kissing and sets the romance mood
with the beautiful sunset in the background. It really adds that effect of true
love and adds that warming feel in your body. But right at the end we see a
shot of just him on his own, this creates one of Barthes enigma codes in which
the spectators don’t know if she left him, or if they are together and she just
went home; those are the questions us as spectators are asking at the end of
the film.
Love Tap (2008)
Director: Mike Goode
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/18486821
Love Tap is about a man who is
trying to find love. He liked this girl in his office but he never talked to
her and found out she got engaged. He was then told by his colleague to not let
love pass you and to make the first move. He then is driving home and sees a
blonde girl next to him driving and comes up to the lights and bumps into her
so he then has her number. They then go onto get married, have kids etc; but
then a twist! She says you never bumped into me you still have your foot on the
brake, then goes back to the car scene where another girl from work bumps into
him and that is the end.
I chose this film as it appears to
fit into the Romcom genre and I thought it would be good to talk about a
hybrid. Also it has a good narrative and a good twist at the end.
Representation
·
A social group that is relevant to this film
would professionals at the organisation. It was Seth’s co-worker that told him
he can’t wait for a girl to bump into him and to take opportunities when they
come about. But in actual fact at the twist at the end he was chasing after the
wrong girls and a girl bumped into him from his workplace and made the first
move, not Seth.
·
The genre used in this film, according to IMDB
is just comedy, but I would class this as a hybrid of Comedy and Romance: a
Romcom. As Steve Neale said, texts often exhibit the conventions of more than
one genre; which is why I would say it’s a Romcom.
·
Seth is represented as a character that chases
after girls who are too good for him and appears not to have much luck in his
love life. With the clothes he wears, he appears to be the archetypal
stereotypical old fashioned person who is caught wearing a sweater another old
person is wearing. When he sees the hot girl in the car, he takes off the
sweater as to say that has been putting girls off him before and then he goes
ahead to dream about them getting married, have children and grow old. Even
when the dream is over and the girl bumps into him he finally finds his true
love; so taking off the clothes he wore before when he couldn’t find love,
turns out to be the right result for him. At first it was a negative
representation as he was seen to be the guy that doesn’t find love but it
turned around in the end.
Priscilla is the girl Seth thinks he has
fallen in love with, as he bumps into her car it all starts from there. She is
represented as the better offer for Seth after chasing after a girl he had no
chance with. As it goes through the film she is represented to have the
ideology of a traditional couple’s life and what every girl dreams of; having a
loving husband, nice home, and children.
·
This film deals with the issue about love and
sexuality. Seth was rejected by the girl he liked and it can put down your
self-esteem and can make you think about your sexuality and who you love and
who you have feelings for. But in the end he
crashes his post trolley into a
girl, in which you can tell she likes him and the twist is at the end she bumps
into his car as if they were made for each other when he bumped into her
pushing the post trolley. So he realised once she liked him, he knew his charm
for liking girls was still there.
Because he bumped into her she
thought the same, as if it was fate them two have been bought together in the
office and then to meet on that same road later on. But in between that story
is the issue of Seth not going for it as he was just dreaming what would happen
instead of actually making it happen.
Seth’s ideology was to be with that
blonde girl in the car and have a life with her, but back in reality it was
never to happen.
Narrative
·
The plot of the story is that a man (Seth) likes
this girl that he can’t get, then bumps into another girl whilst he was driving
as he was told he has to make the first move; they then go on to get married
and have kids but then realise it was only his dream and she drives off. Then
another girl from work bumps into him as she likes him and that is where it
ends.
With regards to the story of the film we
don’t know the full story but because the audience is actively involved we can
take a good guess: there is a man (Seth) who has wanted to get with this girl
for months and months but hasn’t had the guts to speak to her. When he finally
does want to speak to her he finds out she actually got engaged. He is then
told to make the first move. The next bit is the same as the plot until the
ending where we can imagine the rest of the story will be they will get
together and have that life he dreamed of and live happily ever after. The plot
and story in this film relate because we don’t know the story but we can
imagine what the story is just from the plot. I have managed to have a good
guess at the story and that was just by watching the film. As the spectator can
tell the story they get to know the film more and can get into it a lot better
as they know the story and can tell how it will end in the future.
·
This film has a linear narrative until the twist
at the end which would be the new equilibrium. This story links well with
Todorov’s theory of classic narrative where he explains how classic and simple
linear narrative are organised. I am now going to put the 5 stages into context
with this film:
Equilibrium
·
At work, handing out the post as if it’s a
normal day for him.
Disruption
·
When Seth finds out the girl he likes has
actually got engaged.
Confrontation
·
Seth’s friend then tells him to make the first
move, or I quote ‘to bump into the girl first’, to tackle his lack of love.
Resolution
New Equilibrium
·
The new equilibrium is when he realises he was
just dreaming and didn’t actually bump into her car and she gets away. A girl
from work then bumps into him who likes him and that is the cliff hanger it
ends on. The fact it ends on a cliff hanger means the narrative is unresolved
and it doesn’t directly fit into Todorov’s theory, but the first 4 stages of
the theory does. Many short films end without resolution a I found out with
these two examples here.
Another theory that fits into
this film would be Roland Barthes theory on action and enigma codes. These
codes are questions that are raised by the spectators by watching the text. An
example of an enigma code for this film would be the ending; us as the
spectators are unsure on how Seth and the girl who bumped into him get on,
whether they go on to get married or anything, so that would be an enigma code
as it’s a question the spectators don’t have an answer to. An example of an
action code would be Seth driving in the car waiting for something to happen.
Genre
·
Genres that are present in this film are romance
and comedy; often called a romcom. A film which can fit into more than one
genre is often called a hybrid. As Steve Neale said that texts often exhibit
the conventions of more than one genre, and also as Rick Altman said; genres
don’t have clear, stable identities and borders to classify a film by.
· Short films can often fit into more than one genre; because short films can often fit into more than one genre; it is such a small amount of time to do a film in, it’s hard to concentrate on just one genre, so often they are hybrids or two or more genres.
·
There are certain codes and conventions that are
linked to genres, and these codes and conventions in this film are linked to
romance and comedy. It has the generic love codes and conventions where one
falls for another. On the other side, comedy, you have where Seth is playing at
the pier. This would be an instance of comedy which shows the spectators they
are having a laugh whilst being romantic. Also how it ends as well, where he is
actually just having a dream and the girl ends up bumping into him. By using
these codes and conventions, the audience can engage with the film as they
understand what the genre is.
Audience
·
The age of which people would watch this film
would be aged around 18-30 as its suited for teenagers as it’s not over the top
with the romance and also the comedy element makes the film enjoyable whilst
conveying a serious message. It’s also suitable for anyone older than teenagers
too as you could relate the characters to yourself. Gender wise, females would be the majority of
the audience, but it’s not restricted just to them, some males that enjoy
comedy mixed with romance and a good story line will enjoy this film too.
·
There are many ways the audience would be
pleased with the film; the fact there is a sneaky twist at the end, also that
it has a good narrative that you can easily follow, and also there is a good
amount of comedy and romance mixed which gives the film a good vibe.
·
This film was produced for the Walt Disney
Pictures Short Films division.
·
Mike Goode has also directed another short film
called Multiple Choice which is also a comedy.
Media Language
·
The sequence I found which was interesting and
which used lots of good features was where they ran to the door, he lifted her
jumper over her head, then it cuts to doing the same at the wedding which was a
good feature of a graphic match. This feature created a sense of manipulation
of time going by to when they were at the pier and to getting married and the spectators
might not have expected that to happen. This also shows that they are still
together and are willing to get married and love each other.
Sprockett (2012)
Director: Hazel Meeks
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILT4PlZpQo&list=PLFuL9gpkIStXTK-Y3maWLWG0oWsfVMADv&index=9
This short film is about a few kids who want to get a prosthetic arm to play with but the old man who owned the scrap yard was wearing it. So one of the boys goes into the building to see if he can find one where he finds the old man and confronts him. They then pretend they are fighting over the arm so the other kids hear them shouting and hitting things as if they were fighting for the arm. He then finds a spare arm for him to keep and goes back out to the other kids and tells them that he beat him up to win the arm.
Representation
• A social group that would be relevant is the youth. As there are three kids that are in their youth ages they hold the stereotypical traits of what teenagers do, and that is trying to be better than everyone else and beating up the elderly. But of course he doesn’t actually beat the old man up; he just tells his friends he does that to gain street credit.
• With regards to characters I’m going to talk about the kids and how they’re represented. They are represented as the stereotypical kids who go around beating up old people and stealing something in return as a group; but the kid who goes in and finds the old man I don’t think is represented as that, as he seems scared and vulnerable compared to the other two. So he acts as if he is the big man around his friends as he goes back and tells them he fought the old man off for his arm, but in reality he has a heart of gold and would never do that to an old man. This is a positive, more traditional representation for the boy as he didn’t beat the old man up, but a negative, more modern representation for them as a whole group that they would even talk about hurting an old man.
• The audience realise throughout the film what the kid is doing and realises he has to live up to the fate of getting this arm or his other friends might ditch him, so he has to do it and act as if he fought off the old man for his friendship to stay intact and the audience recognise this when he tells his friends that he beat the old man up at the end.
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