Britishness in Hot Fuzz Introduction.

Hot Fuzz Part 1

Britishness in London
The non-diegetic sounds at the beginning over the titles of the production companies are references to the British police force and how it has changed over time. The whistle, bell, air raid siren, modern siren. It is also an indecation that crime is increasing because the volmune increases and sounds less distant.

The first shot of the character is instantly recongisable to a British audience as a police officer because of the hat and shoulder pads. The ID baadge that he holds up links to Britain because of the crown on the coat of arms, it is also recognisable to a British audience that he is from the Metropolitan Police Force who are based in London.

The music is Adam and The Ants which is a popular British band. When he narrates he speaks about famous British places; London and Canterbury.

In the shot of him in a riot, the area is a run down urban area, with factories which could be a reference to the industrial revolution and also the recession and closing of British businesses in the late 20th Century. 

The Metropolitan Police logo is used a lot - on the test and in the background when he gets the baton of honour. The Union flag is also used which is recognisably British, also the Lions in the coat of arms is a reference to royalty.

There is a reference to two well known places in London, Soho and China Town, showing that it is a popular tourist destination.

During the presentation the image of the chav is the stereotypical idea of the British youth.

To a British audience the Vauxhall Astra is seen as a police car. The cycling reference is slightly taking the mick out of the police which is a typically British thing to do. The fencing is traditionally quite a posh sport so it links to upper class British tradition.

The stabbing incident is a reference to the problem with knife crime in Britain. Also, he was stabbed by Father Christmas which is British version of Santa Claus.

Britishness in the country
He arrives in a taxi which is the British version of a cab.
As he is entering the town he goes past a sign that says "Model Village" is recognisably British to a British audience - the brown colour is used for all tourist/places to visit around Britain. Also the rose is the Tudor rose which is a reference to a famous part in English history.

It is raining as he arrives and this is widely known as typical British weather.

The hotel looks like a old traditional country house - the open fire, the coat of arms over te mantelpiece, the wooden panel walls which makes it look very Victorian.

The woman in the hotel has a different accent to PC Angel which represents the regional accents in Britain. When they both say "I beg your pardon" it links to the idea that the British are very polite even if they have been offended.

He is put in the Castle Suite which is another link to old world Britain.

When he goes out into the town it looks like a typical old market town with a town square, memorial and cobbled streets. The British youth in the country are also represented as chavs because they all have their hoodies up and look like they are up to no good.

He then goes into the pub which is a typical British past time which is recognised mainly with Britain. Also the hand-pumps represent real ale which is typically British. The landlord and landlady call the newspaper the "local fishwrapper" which a British audience recognise as a reference to fish and chips because traditionally fish and chips were wrapped in old newspapers.

The man at the bar next to him is wearing a football suit which is very popular in Britain and people tend to support their local team.

Merlin Gender Representation.

What representations of gender are constructed by the extract through the use of mise-en-scene, editing, use of camera and sound?


Trailer -


Merlin is the first character to be introduced, this and the fact the programme is called Merlin shows he will be the main focus of the series. When Merlin is introduced, he is sitting a dusty dirty room which represents the idea that men are not very organised and untidy. It could also suggest that he is not important in the sense that he does not have a maid or servant to clean for him. (Whereas Athur's room is usually clean and tidy) The next character that is introduced is Arthur, this shows that he is also an important character to the story. He is introduced talking to Merlin, instead of a high-angle shot of Merlin and a low-angle shot of Arthur - to show that Arthur has more power than Merlin - they are shown on the same level which suggests that Merlin's magic makes him and equal to Arthur in terms of strength. Arthur is wearing armour which shows the audience that he is rich, powerful and high in society because not everyone could afford armour. Arthur is shown fighting and always doing something which represents the stereotypical male - active, strong and slightly aggressive.
The first woman in the trailer is shown with her back to the camera which adds the the mystery of the character. She is wearing a long elegant purple gown which shows she is high in society, this is also represented in the fact she is entering the royal hall. In the hall, there is a raised area, on it the King is sitting on the throne and behind him there are two men who look like knights because they are wearing the same long red cloaks as the King is. This shows the the King is heavily guarded because they are armed and there are also two guards at the door. The King looks quite proud and slightly arrogant because he is leaning back in the throne and has his arms firmly on the arm-rests. There are two other women who stand out slightly in this shot, Morgana and Gwen. It shows that they are not as important because they are lower down than the King, this represents the traditional idea that women aren't as important as men and should have less rights - if they were on the same level as Uther it would show that they were equal. However, there is also a difference in power and status with women as well because the way they are standing - Morgana in front of Gwen - and their clothes show that they are not eqaul. Morgana is wearing a long purple gown whereas Gwen is wearing plain clothes and a apron which shows she's a maid. However, the fact she is in the royal hall and not off cleaning shows she is not an ordinary maid. The fact she is standing behind Morgana suggests she is a lady's maid.
The shot of King Uther on the balcony is a low-angle shot which shows he has power and control over the people. This also suggests he does not mingle with the commoners and takes the traditional role of the noblility. The crown and medalions round his neck sets him apart from Arthur and the other knights.
Gaius represents the idea of the wise old man. He has a relatively large room filled with bottles and books, he is also quite well dressed compared to Merlin which suggests he not the average working man.
The next representation of a woman is the witch. The audience assume she is a bad character because she is old, ugly and has bad teeth which shows the stereotypical idea that ugly = evil and beauty = good. Morgana and Nimueh represent the stereotype that woman care about their appearance because they are fully made up - bright lipstick and perfect hair. Gwen represents the natural beauty because she looks like she has hardly any make up on and has her hair down and wavy. However, this could show that Morgana can afford to look good whereas Gwen is only a maid so it wouldn't matter how she looks.
The voice-overs are only male voices which could represent the fact women didn't have a voice in those days.

Britishness.

• Posh
• Royalty - the Queen
• Council estates - run down
• British cultural experience - 80's, 60's pop.
• Countyside, rural life
• British music - punk
• Private schools
• Self-derecating
• Bad teeth
• Irony/sarcasm

Iconic things associated with Britain:

Uses and gratifications.

McQuail and Katz

Reasons for  media:

• Information about our geographical and social world
• Identity - by using characters and personalities to define our sense of self and social behaviour
• Social interaction through experiencing the relationships and interaction of others
• Diversion by using the media for purposes of play and entertainment

Institution and Audience.

Audience = the people who would watch it
Institutions = the production companies who make/ fund the production

Blumer's Audience Theory - (early form)

• Audience comes from "all walks of life"
• Mass audience members are anonymous - they don't know each other
• The audience don't share their experience because they don't know each other
• Mass audience is not organised and they can not act as a crowd

However, his theory doesn't work because not everyone will want to watch the same film - that's why there are different genres and plots. Also, if people go to watch a film they usually go with someone and are most likely to talk about the film after - whether to say they liked and would recommend it or to say it was not as good as they thought it would be and not worth seeing again.

Most media texts appeal to a certain group in society or type of person. However, some films would be watched by  For example, an animated comedy is aimed at kids however there may be some teenagers or adults who like to watch less serious films.

Some media texts seem to have audiences from all different type of people:

• Avatar - because it was the first film designed for 3D and a different world - unusual setting
• Toy Story 3 - aimed at kids, but teenagers and adults would watch because they saw the original, wanted to see if it changed

Consumption of media texts has changed. Now watching and downloading films online is more popular than going to the cinema, because it is cheaper and more convenient. However, people will still go to the cinema to see popular films that have been highly recommended or have their favourite actor in. Also, people will go to see 3D films at the cinema because it is a different experience and better quality on the big screen than at home.  

Personally, I watch new films that I really want to see and when I have the time at the cinema, if not I wait for it to come out on DVD. I sometimes watch old films on the internet if I can't find the DVD version - however if it's a film I really want to watch I'll buy it because it's better quality on DVD.

Ways people share their film experiences:

• Facebook - join fan pages, status
• Twitter - follow and tweet to actors/ directors etc involved in making it
• Comment on trailer on Youtube
• By word of mouth
• Rate on cinema website

Michel Gondry Prezi.

Michel Gondry on Prezi

Directors.

Michel Gondry
Born in Versailles, May 1963. Grew up influenced by pop music. Joined a band, Oui Oui, in art school as the drummer - made music videos for the band. Bjork liked his style so asked him to direct "Human Behaviour" Also made feature films - Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind and The Science of Sleep - which was criticised for being too weird.

Style -

• Bright, bold colours
• Distorted images/ fast cutting shots
• Weird, unique and a bit arty

Audience - People who like his odd style - has been described as being too weird and different however other directors use his ideas and tone them down a bit.

Examples of his work:




Wes Anderson
Born in Texas, May 1969. Met Owen Wilson at uni and casts him in a lot of his films.

Style -

• Casts the same actors - makes work more popular if people recognise the actors
• Uses similar soundtrack for his films - uses The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles a lot
• Uses similar shots - mid-shots with symmetrical setting behind
• Busy setting/ action

Audience -

• Strong fan base
• Children - Fantastic Mr Fox
• But also teenagers and adults who like his imaginative/
• Are relaxed while watching his work

Example of his work:




Shynola
Group of directors - Gideon Baws, Richard Kenworthy, Chris Harding and Jason Groves. They have made music videos for Coldplay, Blur, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age and many more.

Style - Use animation and unrealistic themes in videos

Audience - Generally middle age, middle class people but also other people who were fans of the bands

Example of his work:



Hammer and Tongs
Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith. Made music videos for Vampire Weekend, Blur, Hot Chip and others. Also made two films - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow.

Style -

• Underlining British theme e.g. preppy style in Vampire Weekend videos
• Pupperty/ hands used in videos

Audience -

• British audience because of British themes
• Music videos - older teens, indie type music
• Son of Rambow - appeals to young and older audience because its about kids but there is adult humour as well
• Hitchhiker's Guide - appeals to sci-fi lovers, older generation who watched the original

Examples of their work:





Spike Jonze
Born in Maryland, USA. He has won an oscar and several Golden Globes. Has directed adverts for GAP and Ikea. Also made feature films - Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malokovich and Jackass.

Audience -

• Where the Wild Things Are - children, teenagers who read it as a child, parents who read it to their kids
• Jackass - male teens

Example of his work:



Anton Corbijn
Born in the Netherlands in 1955. Originally a photographer. Influenced by Joy Division - made a film, Control, about the band's frontman, Ian Curtis. Made music videos for various artists including U2, Joy Division, Nirvana and Coldplay. 

Style -

• Meloncholy themes to videos
• Usually black and white

Audience -

• Teens to middle age who like the music

Example of his work:

Preliminary film.

This is the final edit of our preliminary film. I quite liked the filming and editing process, and I prefered it to creating the magazine cover and contents page on photoshop.

Period Drama.

• Not always a literary drama/ text
• One of key pleasures could be from consuming a classic text
• Expensive to produce - authenticity (location/ costume/ props) Bleak House cost £8 million to produce
• Needs a contemporary impact
• Appeal to international market
• Balance needed between dramatic licence and historical accuracy

Examples of period dramas I have watched:

TV Drama.

TV drama is a story that is presented in a dramatic way however the characters are usually believable.

Genres:  

• Comedy
• Costume drama
• Crime
• Docu-drama
• Hospital
• Sci-Fi
• Sit-Com
• Soap
• Teenage

Examples (some of which I have seen):

Comedy - Gavin and Stacey

Sit-com - Vicar of Dibley

Hospital - Casualty



Docu-drama - The Untold Battle of Britain



Sci-Fi - Doctor Who

Teenage - The Inbetweeners



Soap - Eastenders



Costume drama - Merlin



Crime - Lewis



Magazine Post Production.

This is my magazine cover and contents page.

My design and layout changed a lot from what I had originally planned because I discovered some aspects didn't work. For example I was going to have a plain white background so that the photo stood out but I thought it looked to empty.