Research - Dear John (2010) trailer analysis (Romance) FOCUS ON CAMERA AND MISE EN SCENE

For this analysis, I am focussing on camera and mise en scene. This is because romance films often use idyllic locations and lots of different shot types to represent the relationship between two people. As most of my ideas revolve around two characters, this will be interesting to examine.

Institutional Information
Dear John is a 2010 romance film starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. It was based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks and was directed by Lasse Hallström. The production companies involved were Relativity Media and Temple Hill Productions. It was distributed by Screen Gems and Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was done by Jamie Linden. Filming locations included South Carolina.The budget was $25 million, and it made $115 million dollars, making a profit of $90 million dollars.

Synopsis
The film follows John, a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Special Forces. In 2001, whilst on leave, he meets Savannah Curtis. Romance soon blossoms, but in light of the 9/11 attacks, John is forced to go in the middle of the conflict. Savannah suggests that the two start writing letters, so they can keep track of what is happening when they are not together. Dear John questions whether romance can survive distance.

Camera

Long shot

This long shot is effective because we can see Savannah chatting to her friends. However, we can also see John looking over at Savannah, so in a way it is a POV shot. As it is a romance film, if the audience know a short synopsis, it can be inferred that John falls in love with Savannah.

Close up shot

This close up shot allows us to see the emotions of Savannah. It also puts the audience in the position of the character.

(Long) two shot

This long two shot is conventional of romance films, as it shows the two subjects together, having fun and bonding. The meeting of the two characters is very stereotypical. John embodies the stereotypical protagonist/hero. Savannah very quickly becomes charmed by this. They also are gazing each other, John makes Savannah laugh by hitting the pillar with his surfboard. This suggests that John was distracted by Savannah and substantiates the idea that he loves her.

Extreme Close Up

The above extreme close up is interesting. The moon is a symbol of beauty, deities and fertility. As Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) is a woman and plays an instrumental role in this movie, it is significant. It also makes the audience realise how comparable we as humans are to the planets and may evoke certain audience pleasures like reassurance.

Two shot
(Mid)

This mid shot is effective because it conveys an intimate moment between the couple. The audience may be able to empathize with this, or feel privileged to be "let in" to their love story. The mid shot gives us a more focussed shot whilst allowing us to see the emotion on the characters' faces. This puts the audience in the position of the characters. The proxemics of the actors suggest that the characters are very close. This makes the separation of the characters even more heart wrenching for the audience.

Mise en Scene
The locations used in this movie can be greatly contrasted. However, the principal setting is a coastal city (Charleston, South Carolina) and so many scenes are on or near the beach. This is a stereotypical location for romance films because it is usually very relaxing and serene. There is also an idea that watching the sunset, hearing the waves and seeing the stars is the way to feel at peace. An example of this miss en scene is shown in the long shot below:

At the beach

Medium close up

The above medium close up helps to demonstrate the location. Savannah is reading John's letter by the light of the projector which conveys that she is a student. Therefore the divide between the lovers is made clearer; they are taking different paths.

Close up

This close up of John's uniform shows that he is preparing to go back to the Army. This may make the audience sad because they know he is leaving Savannah. It also adds to the characterization of John as the stereotypical masculine hero. On the contrary, we know from other moments in the  trailer that he does have a softer side, such as when he is indecisive and is crying. The audience may sympathize with him. This is effective because they can be reassured that stereotypes are being broken. The stereotypical romance film audience is a female demographic. The softer side may make them feel glad that Savannah has found someone who really cares about her.

The lighting used is natural to suggest that this is the type of thing that could happen to anyone, and to create verisimilitude. This is easier to do with romance movies because they are not often set in futuristic worlds and don't encounter unrealistic situations. The proxemics of the actors is significant, they are in love so inevitably very close. This makes the separation more prominent, as shown in the mid two shot. 

Overall Contribution/Effect
The overall  contribution of the mise en scene and camera is obviously large, but its effect is positive.

Sound Analysis: Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) trailer

A sound bridge is used. This occurs from 0:06-0:08. This non diegetic music continues until 0:19. a voice over is used throughout  to give the audience a basic understanding of the film and to pre-empt the camera shots. This directly engages the viewer and makes them feel more involved. The cousins are almost presented as a disequilibrium as there is no non diegetic sound at 0:19. The calm atmosphere is disrupted with the appearance of the children. The fast paced music parallels the action on the screen.When the children start causing trouble, there is more fast paced, less fairytale like music from 0:22-0:34. This is probably to represent the havoc being caused.
However, the non diegetic sound loses prominence at 0:27 when the diegetic sound becomes the focus. At 0:32, the sound is particularly effective because it becomes loud and has an echo effect. At 0:34, the sound effect of knocking is the most significant sound. This is then overshadowed by the use of loud and high pitched music from 0:35-0:37 in order to build tension. The comparative silence at 0:38 means that the declarative has more impact. The vast majority of the trailer uses non diegetic sound, voice overs and dialogue together. This makes the trailer seem more interesting and engages the audience, whilst also representing the mischievous nature of the children.

The absence of non diegetic sound (soundtracks and voice overs) at moments such as 1:14-1:15 makes what the characters say have more impact, and takes the audience back to a central focus. Breaks in the sound stop it from becoming too overwhelming for the senses. The sound effect of fairy dust is frequently used. The changes in soundtrack also help the audience to identify the mood of the shot(s). For example, from 1:49 onwards the mood is a lot happier and the soundtrack reflects this.

Overall effect/contribution
The overall contribution of sound is large because it helps reflect the mood of the movie, and brings to life the camera shots and editing.

The film is promoted as Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in the UK.

Research: - Amy (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING

AMY (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING
Institutional Information
Amy (subtitled for promotion as The Girl Behind the Name) is a 2015 documentary movie depicting the life and death of British Singer-Songwriter, Amy Winehouse. It is directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees, George Pank and Paul Bell. It is distributed by Altitude Film Distribution and A24. The production companies involved are Film4, Krishwerkz Entertainment, On the Corner films, Playmaker Films and Universal Music. It is edited by Chris King and the cinematography was done by Matt Curtis. Amy was released in the UK on 3 July 2015. The budget was $3.4 million and it made $22 million at the box office. This resulted in it becoming the highest grossing British documentary of all time. It has won a plethora of awards and accolades, including a Grammy for Best Music Film and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Synopsis
Amy uses archived footage, home videos and interviews with those who knew her best to provide the audience with an emotional look at the singer's life, death and legacy.

As this is a documentary, I have decided to focus solely on editing as the trailer will intelligently piece footage together. Being a non specific analysis, I think this will allow me to look at how editing contributes to trailers as a whole in anticipation of my own product.

Amy (2015) Official Trailer

Editing - Titles

Titles

In this trailer, titles are used to mark the different stages of the trailer. For example, some footage  has already been shown but this tells the audience that this is a new film from a recognised team, whilst introducing it. The large text could reflect the bold persona that Amy possessed when in the public eye.

Titles

This title indicates to the audience that the film is going to be emotional. "Journey" suggests that viewers are taken on a path through her life, death and probably her legacy. It also implies that the film is impactful. The red could represent the adoration that people felt of Amy, whilst connotating danger and passion. From this, it is suggested that the film shows her to be a very complex character. However, the white could represent how viewers are given an insightful look at her life. This is because white connoted innocence. These connotations are substantiated by the titles below.

Transitions
There are fade to blacks at 1:05-6, 1:19, 1:22-3, excluding fades for titles.  This could be to build tension and help the general progression of the trailer. It also adds fluidity. At times, like at 1:02, the camera flashes act as a transition. 

Structure
The structure is interesting  footage is not sequential, it is taken from different parts of the film. However, the audience is able to connect the footage together to formulate an idea of the plot. There is also a clear beginning, middle and end. For example, at the start those who knew Amy introduce her. Then, as the trailer progresses, there is a clear change in mood. This is especially evident from 1:30 onwards. The music becomes more sombre and hence the footage slows down. The trailer uses parallel editing as the sound fits with the footage on screen. The footage from 1:30 onwards is a stark contrast to prior to this. For instance, there are quick cuts to represent Amy's whirlwind fame. There is also some footage with stop motion effect from 1:13-14.

Overall effect/contribution
The overall contribution of the editing is great, and the effect is positive. It helps to portray different sides of Amy and helps the audience to create a mini story in their heads. This is done through having distinct sections to the trailer, conveyed by changes in atmosphere, speed of footage and music.

Focussing on Editing

Editing 
Film editing is the art, technique and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. In the context of trailers, this often involves picking the best bits of a film. I have decided to focus to write an analysis in order to understand the contribution editing makes to the whole trailer.

Types of editing
Structure

• Continuity editing - also called invisible editing. In this, the editing is fluid and there are no transitions.
• Non linear - parts of footage taken from different points of the film. The footage is not consecutive.
• Linear - the story is a long consecutive sequence. Events are edited in the order that they happened

Transitions (a few examples)

• Fade to black
• Dissolve
• Fade to white
• Cross cutting
• Blur
• Cross dissolve

Cuts (a few examples)

• Jump cuts
• Cross cutting (also a transition)

Media Theory: Todorov's Character or Narrative theory

Vladimir Propp was a Russian folklorist who studied narratives to identify their structure. * He found that there were common characters in almost all of them:

1) The protagonist - a hero which the vast majority of us will root for i.e. Indiana Jones
2) The Antagonist - a villain/enemy in the story i.e. Captain Hook in Peter Pan
3) Love Interest/Princess/"Prize" - someone who needs rescuing from the antagonist i.e. Rapunzel
4) The Helper -someone who helps the protagonist i.e. Robin in Batman
5) Donor - Someone who gives them something to help in their quest i.e Lucius Fox in Batman Begins
6) The father- authority figure that thanks the protagonist for restoring peace
7) The false hero - Someone who fools protagonist into thinking they are nice, often to get the princess or "prize"

* I used this theory last year for AS and found that it still applied to trailers.

Research - Directors: Robert Stevenson

Who was Robert Stevenson?
Robert Stevenson (1905-1986) was an English film writer and director. He was educated at Cambridge University. After directing some British films, he moved to Hollywood. He ended up directing a total of 19 films for Walt Disney.

Robert Stevenson

Mary Poppins (1964)
Mary Poppins won Stevenson The Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.

Mary Poppins (Original Theatrical Trailer, 1964)

Walt Disney's daughters adored the book, so he promised to turn it into a film for them. Disney first attempted to purchase rights to the film in 1938, but this did not work as P.L Travers believed a film adaptation of Mary Poppins would not do her novels justice. As well as this, Walt Disney had a reputation as a producer of cartoons and had not yet made a live action movie. Disney succeeded in purchasing rights in 1961, but Travers got script approval rights. The Sherman Brothers composed the music and suggested that the movie should be set in the Edwardian Era as opposed to the 1930s. Pre production and composing the music took approximately two years.
Travers was an adviser to the production. She did not like that Mary Poppins was characterized as less harsh, and hated the animated aspects. Disney cited contract stipulations that he had final say in order to overrule her.

Julie Andrews won the main role of Mary Poppins after her successful stage career. It was her acting debut. When Disney first approached her with the role, Julie was three months pregnant and so was unsure whether to take it. He assured that the crew would be fine with waiting until she had given birth. Playing the role meant that Julie went on to win both  the Best Actress Award at the Golden Globes and the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Disney cast Dick Van Dyke for the role of Bert after seeing The Dick Van Dyke Show. It is said that Van Dyke wanted the role of Mr Dawes, the director of the bank where Mr Banks works. He was eventually also credited as Mr Dawes Sr. having played the part.

Filming occurred between May and September 1963. Post production and animation took a further 11 months.
The film was released on 27 August 1964 in the United States and 23 December 1964 in the UK. It had a budget of $6,000,000 and took $102.3 million at the box office.

Image source: Wikipedia

Research - Directors: Tim Burton

I have decided to conduct some research into fantasy film directors, to see if I can draw any inspiration from their ideas or concepts, methods and works.

Who is Tim Burton?
Timothy "Tim" Burton was born on 25 August 1958 to Jean Erickson and Bill Burton. He became interested in film at a young age. He found pleasure in watching films and creating artwork, and was not particularly academic. As a preteen, Burton would make short films in his garden. Today he is one of the most celebrated and well known movie directors, especially in the fantasy genre. Burton's personal life has attracted widespread media attention; he was married to actress Helena Bonham Carter (Enid, The King's Speech) for thirteen years. She has also appeared in projects directed by her husband, such as Dark Shadows (2010) and Big Fish (2003).

I intend to research a few films spanning a variety of eras.
Early films: 1980s
Vincent (1982)
Vincent is a six minute fantasy short film. It was released on 1 October 1982. The budget was $60,000. It is black and white footage. The production companies involved were Walt Disney Productions, it was originally distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company in the USA. Vincent Malloy is seven years old. He dreams of being just like Vincent Price (an actor) and gets lost in grim daydreams at the annoyance of his mother. Vincent Price is the narrator of the film.

 Batman (1989)
Batman is the first installment of Warner Bros. original Batman series. The film stars Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger and Jack Nicholson. Burton repeatedly disagreed with the producers of the film (Jon Peters and Peter Guber), mostly this was about casting. Tim Burton choose Michael Keaton for the titular role; they had built up a rapport following their work on Beetlejuice. This was in spite of Keaton's "average" physique, inexperience with action movies and reputation for being a comedic actor. The argument over casting caused Warner Bros. share price to decrease. Burton was ademant that he wanted an "ordinary" man to play Batman, rather than a stereotypical, bulked up superhero. However, casting Jack Nicholson as the joker reassured audiences and attracted older demographic who may not have otherwise seen the film.
When the film opened, it was supported by the biggest marketing and merchandising campaign in film history at the time. It made $250 million in the US alone and $400 million worldwide. The film was a stepping stone for Burton as it helped to establish him as a successful director.

1990s
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton cast his friend, actor Johnny Depp, who had a reputation for being a teen idol, as Edward. The film also stars Vincent Price as the creator of Edward. Edward looked human, but had scissors for hands because the inventor died before finishing him. The film is viewed as Burton's autobiography of his childhood. It made $86 million at the box office.

James and the Giant Peach
This is a musical fantasy based on the book by Roald Dahl. The film is a combination of live action and motion stop footage. It stars Susan Sarandon and RichardV Dreyfuss among others. It made $28.9 million at the box office.

2000s
Charlie and Chocolate Factory
This is a 2005 film, which stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie. After they gained approval from the Dahl Estate, Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to direct the film in 2003. Following rewrites of the script by various people, Tim hired Jon August, whom he had worked with on Big Fish. He had not seen the 1971 film prior to being hired. Johnny Depp wanted his characterization of Willy Wonka to be distinct from that of Gene Wilder's. Burton also wanted Charlie to be an "average" boy who stayed out of trouble. Filming for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began on 21st June 2004, at Pinewood Studios in London. Music composer Danny Elfman found the timings of filming challenging because they were also filming Corpse Bride. The Chocolate Room or River set piece took up all of Pinewood's 007 Stage. The British Equity rules state that children can only work for four and a half hours a day. Filming ended in December 2004. The film's running time is 115 minutes and had a budget of $150 million. It made $475 million at the box office.

Charlie and the Chocolate factory (2005) trailer 

2010s
Alice in Wonderland (+ through looking glass)
Burton signed with Walt Disney Pictures to make two films Alice in Wonderland and Frankenweenie. He decided to develop the story because the original story by Lewis Caroll failed to grab him emotionally. He wanted to "keep the classic nature of Alice", whilst also making it an engaging movie where you get some psychology". He wanted to make Alice "more of a story rather than a series of events". Filming began in September and finished three months later. The movie stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska. It had a budget ranging from $150-$200 million and made $1.025 billion at the box office. In 2016, a sequel was released.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) trailer

Sources:
Wikipedia - Tim Burton, Vincent, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, James and the Giant Peach (1996 film) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 film) Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
IMDB - Tim Burton