Assignment 2: Film poster and trailer analysis

The wolf of wall street

Poster-

Analysis

Stars:

Actor, Leonardo Dicaprio, and director, Martin Scorsese, are both clearly mentioned on the poster. They are both very successful in the film industry and ,therefore, attract audiences who are already big fans into watching this movie.

Central image:

Leonardo Dicaprio is in the centre of the poster, wearing a suit. Therefore he illustrates the wealthy, authoritative and professional status he has. He is able to make a connection with the audience with his smile, as if welcoming us to join his world.

Secondary images: 

The people in the background contrast heavily with the central image. The secondary image depicts the true nature of the wolf of wall street- crazy, chaotic and carefree- whereas, the central image depicts the professional, calm and honest facade that Jordan is trying to conserve.

Trailer-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/videoplayer/vi1514841625?ref_=vi_nxt_ap

Opening:

• Intoduced to main character, Jordan, with him speaking in a voiceover (non-diegetic sound)
• Jordan also mentions how much money he earned at the age of 26 (49 million dollars) which suggests how successful he is in his business.
• Up beat music suddenly sounds (non-diegetic) which adds to the excitement 

Build up:

• Glimpse into the kind of life Jordan and his co workers live in- expensive cars, parties, drinking, yachts, etc. (fast pace)
• Jordan discussing the rising and lowering of stocks which is a potential risk to his business (Diegetic sound)
• Same music returns which creates a fun atmosphere (non-diegetic sound)

Problems:

• Jordan is doing illegal business in order to earn all this money (Jordan asks this as a rhetorical question in voiceover)
• The FBI get involved 
• The same music returns and gets louder (regularly being interrupted by a 'scream' and the word 'MORE' on the screen) which builds the tension and creates a sense of danger.

Events:

• Pool and office parties
• Expensive cars driving carelessly 
• Animals
• Fighting
• Prostitutes 
• Money
• Guns

Assignment 2: Film Institution Case Study Research

Your 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 it has an interesting concept because it's making crime seem like the only way into a luxurious life. 

Institutional background

1) What was the film studio or production company behind your chosen film? E.g. Warner Brothers, Paramount etc.

Red Granite Pictures

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

• 
  
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2014) (UK) (theatrical)

No brand loyalty

1) What genre does your chosen film fit into?

• Comedy
• Crime
• Biography

2) How can you tell it fits that genre? Be specific with reference to the trailer.

I can tell that it fits with these genres because the movie is based on a real story, where the main character is running an illegal business (he says so himself) and is making millions out of it. What makes it a comedy is that no one in the movie seems to take the fact that they're doing illegal business seriously or see is at a big deal. Plus they use the money on drugs, parties and sex.

3) Does your chosen film have any stars or a director that are known for that particular genre?

The director, Martin Scorsese has won one Oscar and is well known for two other crime movies- Goodfellas (1990) and The Departed (2006)

The main star, Leonardo DiCaprio, is a very successful and well known actor. He has won an Oscar and has starred in many successful movies, such as Inception, Titanic and the Great Gatsby. Interestingly he has been in two other movies directed by Martin Scorsese: The Departed and Shutter Island.

It’s all a matter of timing

1) What was the UK release date for your chosen film?

17 January 2014

2) When did the first trailer appear on YouTube for your movie? Find the earliest example you can and embed it in your blog.

The first trailer appeared on YouTube on the 16th June 2013-





3) What other examples of marketing (teaser trailers, main trailers, newspaper or TV interviews etc.) can you find for your chosen film from before the film’s release date?

This is an example of a poster from before the movie was released:

This is an example of an interview with Leonardo DiCaprio from before the movie was released:

This is an example of an interview with Martin Scorsese from before the movie was released:

It’s a social thing

1) What was the word-of-mouth like for your chosen film? If you can’t find tweets (probably blocked) use the IMDB user review rating or the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating to judge whether the public have given the movie a good review.

Before the Wolf of Wall Street was released in the UK, Americans who had just seen the movie were creating a massive buzz on twitter. Some examples of what people were saying include:

We can even see that even businesses, like Topshop, and other film studios, like Paramount Pictures, supported the film.

2) Find three quotes from user reviews of your movie to create a picture of what the public reaction to the film has been. Post them on your blog.

There are many user reviews on IMDB.com- each with different opinions and reasoning. Some examples of people's opinions include-

"I am not against showing drugs or sex or money in a movie, if it helps the plot. But in this case, it didn't. It was 2 hours of absolute useless display of all the possible debaucheries on earth, without them helping in building up the characters."

" The Wolf of Wall Street is a roaring thrill ride that is both absolutely hilarious and meticulously constructed."

"High energy and wonderfully excessive as it delivers an engaging true story, but the lack of morality anywhere was a limiting factor"

Risky business

1) What was the original budget for your chosen film?

$100,000,000 (estimated)

2) How much money did the film make in the opening weekend?

$18,510,000 (USA) (27 December 2013)

3) How much money has the film made in total? (Look for the subheading ‘Gross’ which has the total box-office earnings listed).

$392,000,694 (Worldwide) (2 August 2014)

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. Using this method, was the film you have chosen a success? (Or, if it's a recent release, do you expect it to be a box office success?)

Yes, this movie was a box office success as it earned more than 3 times its budget.

Stars in their eyes

Research the stars and director for your chosen film.

1) What films has the director previously directed? Are they in the same or similar genres?


The director, Martin Scorsese is well known for two other crime movies- Goodfellas (1990) and The Departed (2006). He has also directed other films such as Shutter Island.

2) Who is the main star in the film?

Leonardo Dicaprio

3) What other films has the main star appeared in? Are any of the films similar to the one you are researching?

Leonardo Dicaprio has starred in many movies, such as Inception and Titanic. 


4) Are the stars or the director or writer mentioned in the trailer for the film?

Yes, the star, writer and director are mentioned in the trailer. This is significant as it shows how they contribute in making the movie more successful. Interestingly, the director is mentioned twice in the trailer.

Introduction to film genre- NCIS

She's the man (2006)

https://youtu.be/D4OhwrMidSU

Genre

• Comedy
• Romance

Narrative

The narrative features a high school tomboy whose brother goes to London without telling their parents. As a result of this, she is forced to disguise herself as him, and proceeds to fall for one of her soccer teammates. This is a typical storyline for the romantic comedy genre.

Character

The film includes characters typical of a comedy genre: a teenage girl (who, in this case, is a tomboy), the good-looking boy, the mean girls, and their friends. 

Iconography

We see many things happen in the trailer that tell us this is a romantic comedy. Examples include: the disguise, the fighting, kissing, tarantulas, etc. 

Setting

The film is set mostly at the high school which is extremely typical of a romantic comedy.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

https://youtu.be/PI87-0g_SI8

Genre

• Horror
• Thriller

Narrative

The storyline is clearly shown to be a group of survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse trying to stay alive but learn there's no way you can cheat death. This is a frightening concept that fits the horror and thriller genre very well.

Character

The characters are typical of a horror genre: a group of young people.

Iconography

There is plenty of iconography typical of the horror and thriller genre: cringe moments (e.g the close up of the eye), earthquake, dangerous situations, knives, drowning, fire, etc.

Setting

The trailer first starts off at the bridge, where the death situation started and then the setting continues in the city throughout the rest of the movie.

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

https://youtu.be/xsuG2JUgs_8

Genre

• Fantasy
• Action

Narrative

The storyline features the main character (Vin Diesel) as a witch hunter, who is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history.

Character

The characters include Klauder (the witch hunter) and Chloe, a modern witch who helps him throughout the movie. There is also the enemy: the ancient witch whom is trying to destroy the world. The fact that there is good and evil characters fighting each other makes this movie typical in the action genre. 

Iconography

There is plenty of iconography that gives evidence for the fantasy and action genres; swords, bows and arrows, changing of eye colour, fighting, 'dream world', hallucinations, witches, supernatural monsters, etc. 

Setting

The movie starts of in the olden times, showing us the history of the witches. The story then moves on to modern day in the city, which is then disrupted by flashbacks of the past and the 'dream world' which proves this movie to be a fantasy.

Assignment 1- Magazine cover

Magazine cover key conventions- Vogue

Blog feedback learner response

WWW: This is a brilliant start to Media – your blog is absolutely superb! The whole look and feel of the blog suggests to me a natural Media student; you clearly care about design and attention to detail – both absolutely crucial aspects to success in this subject. Your fruit bowls are truly stunning and the quality of analysis to your LIAR Interstellar film poster work is brilliant. The fact you’re already picking out key media terminology in bold is so good to see (something we ask A Level students to do – you’re getting ahead of yourself!)

EBI: Your written analysis is already good and shows an impressive understanding of the key concepts. However, we do need to work on the depth of our analysis if we want to aim for the top grades: over time you’ll need to be writing in much more detailed paragraphs that offer the depth required for A* (this will be particularly important in the Assignment 2 essay after Christmas). Writing high-level analysis means exploring the different possible interpretations that audiences may take from a media product such as a film poster. Your Minority Report analysis is a good example of what I’m getting at: you’ve clearly picked out some important aspects but some of it is more description than impact on audience.

LR: Reflect on your first month of Media. What do you feel is your strongest piece of work so far? What is your weakest? What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course?

Learner response:

I think my first month of media has been going really well and I've been really enjoying it. Personally, I think my strongest piece of work is my fruit bowls because I really like how they turned out and I enjoyed photo-shopping them. However I think that my minority report analysis could be improved because I need to write in more detail and focus on the impact on the audience and how the specific camera shot is able to achieve this effect. I think that I need to develop writing analysis in more depth and with creative ideas in order to achieve a higher mark.

Fruit bowls- Photoshop task

Camerawork and editing: Minority Report analysis

Medium close-up

The medium close-up allows the audience to see the facial expression of the pre-crime officers and identify how they are after John (as just before this shot, there was a shot of Tom Cruise). The officer at the front seems serious about doing his job and following his orders but he also seems worried and the audience can infer this is because he has to arrest his own boss. This ties in with the next shot that juxtaposes this one- where John and the main officer have an eye-line match which warns the audience that the danger is only just beginning. The fact that there are so many officers trying to catch one man creates drama and builds tension. The audience will be curious to witness what will happen and anticipated to see the action of chasing him. 

Establishing shot

This is a long shot of an abandoned car in an alley way and we can see Tom Cruise running in the background. The long shot allows the audience to see where the action will be taking place. The audience can see how he is trying to run away despite the fact that he knows he has done (or will be doing in the future) something terrible. The alleyway is very dark which creates a sinister and unpleasant feel and foreshadows that something bad might happen in the next scene. Therefore this scene builds tension as the audience thinks he has no chance of escaping from that many officers. 

Close up

Slight high angle

This shot allows the audience to see the facial expression of the fugitive in order to sympathise with him. The slight high angle makes him look weak and vulnerable, as he seems he is at this point because there are so many police officers after him. This is contrasted with the future shots, where he is able to take down all the officers by himself. However he also seems determined to get away and the audience can see that he is thinking of a way to escape. The audience can infer this even further when in the next shot he repeats the phrase 'everyone runs away' many times in order to distract the police officers while he devises a plan.

Photo Storyboard

Shot #1

Type: Wide shot / establishing shot

We chose this as our first shot in order to set the scene and give the audience a perspective on where the story is taking place. We can tell from the buildings and large free space that this could potentially be a school.

Shot #2

Type: Long shot

Next we chose a long shot in order to introduce our first character from head to toe. The audience can now confirm that this story is taking place in a school as the boy is in school uniform. Although we can't see his face, there is subtle foreshadowing that something bad might happen to the student from the high angle. 

Shot #3

Type: Close up

Our third shot is a close up of a one way sign. From the previous shot, the audience can figure out that this sign is present on the stairs (as there are brick walls in both shots). This shot creates suspense as the audience begins to wonder what could happen next and why the sign is being shown in the first place.

Shot #4

Type: Close up 

Having this shot immediately after the one way sign shot creates tension as we can see that another student has broken the rule. The fact that we haven't seen that students face yet creates mystery and leaves the audience to think what type of person they are as they have broken a rule. This close up creates even more suspense on what will happen next.

Shot #5

Type: Medium shot

Next we have a medium shot to show how both characters are about to bump shoulders. We can see how the boy is so focused on his book that he doesn't seem to notice, whereas the girl is in a rush and doesn't care. We still haven't seen her face which builds up the mystery on who she could be.

Shot #6

Type: Close up

After witnessing the two characters almost bumping shoulders, the audience is shown a shot of a book on the floor and papers scattered around. We can also see someone picking up the papers and the audience know it's the boy because of his shoe. From this shot the audience can infer that the two characters did bump into each other.

Shot #7

Type: Over-the-shoulder shot

           High angle

Our next shot is an over-the-shoulder shot of the boy. This allows the audience to see his facial expression and creates tension. We can see that he is annoyed and is looking at the girl, expecting an apology. However, there is, once again, the subtle hint of the boy's weakness and vulnerability from the high angle of the shot. We still haven't seen the girl's face which creates even more mystery and suspense.

Shot#8

Type: Low angle

The first time we see the girl's face is from a low angle. This shows the audience how she is powerful and big and has an aura of danger around her. She looks angry which creates tension and suspense on what will happen next.

Shot #9

Type: Unusual perspective 

The next shot shows how the boy has been the mature one in the situation and has just left the girl and continued his route up the stairs. However, we can see how the girl is still in the same place and she seems very angry- the audience knows this from her fist clenched on the railing. The unusual perspective (bird's eye view) allows us to see both characters although they are on different levels of the stairs.

Shot #10

Type: Big close up

The next shot is a big close up of the girls fist, tightly clenched, as it was in the last shot. The fact that it is a big close up shows the audience that there is going to be a big turning point in the story and depicts how the boy is in big danger.

Shot #11

Type: Medium close up

           Over-the-shoulder

The final shot shows both characters from head to shoulders and is therefore a medium close up. The over-the-shoulder shot is quite ironic as it is usually used when two characters are in conversation but we used it here to show the girl about to punch the boy. We can't see both of the characters' faces which creates mystery and leaves the audience to decide how they are feeling in this last moment.

Credits

Victim- Shabd

Bully- Naimah

Camerawoman- Areej

Key Concepts in a movie poster

Interstellar

Language:

We know that this is a film poster because of the title, tag-line, release date and billing block. These are all expected to be present in a film poster. 

The title of the movie is very intriguing- interstellar, meaning occurring or situated between stars, shows us that this is a sci-fi film. The font and style of the title could suggest how there are bad things and good things that will occur in this movie because there is dark writing in a bright, white light.

The tag line- 'The end of the earth will not be the end of us'- engages the audience and gives a little idea of what will occur in the movie.  This also shows how this is a sci-fi film as it mentions earth.

The background of the poster and the man in the astronaut suit further allures the audience as we can see that he is on a different planet, which is similar to Antarctica, and he has a determined look on his face. 

Institution:

This film was directed by Christopher Nolan, the same man who directed 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight'. These two films were very successful and therefore it was expected that Interstellar would be another huge success. It was, indeed, very successful. Interstellar grossed a worldwide total of $675.1 million against a production budget of an estimated $165 million! Calculating in all expenses, Deadline.com estimated that the film made a profit of $47.2 million! 

Interstellar is rated 8.6/10 on Imdb.com and has won the Academy award for 'Best Visual Effects'

Audience:

This film looks like it would be aimed at an audience of mix gender. However, perhaps more males would be attracted to this movie as it has to do with astronauts and the hero is a male.

In terms of age range, this film is targeted at teens and anyone older due to the 12 certificate. The movie includes complex ideas involving science which younger viewers wouldn't be able to understand.

Representation:

The focal picture depicts a man (Matthew McConaughey) in an astronaut suit which is stereotypical and supports the phrase that 'only men can become astronauts'. However, in the movie, there is more than one female astronaut which goes against the stereotype and shows the audience that it doesn't matter and allows the movie to gain positive views.  

First Blog

1) Why did you choose GCSE Media Studies?
I chose GCSE media because it seems really interesting and fun. It's also relaxed compared to all the exams we will be having this year.

2) Which part of the course are you looking forward to most?
I am mostly looking forward to making the music video because its something new that I've never done before and I'm excited to learn how to edit a video.

3) What knowledge and skills do you hope to learn in Media?
I hope to learn how to use Photoshop and how to edit photos in a professional way.

4)What grade are you realistically hoping to achieve in Media?
A/A*

5) What was the last TV programme or film you watched?
The last TV programme I watched was Pretty Little Liars.

6) Why do you think that TV programme or film appealed to an audience?
I think this TV programme appeals to the audience because it has the constant suspense and there are new things constantly happening. 

7) What technology have you used to access the media in the last 24 hours? (Radio, TV, phone etc.)
In the last 24 hours I have used my phone to access the media. 

8) What device do you use most to access the media?
I use my phone to mostly access the media.

9) What aspects of Pointless might the audience enjoy? List at least three things and explain why the audience would enjoy each aspect.

~The stage is very bright and this makes the show appealing and intriguing.
~The presenter is very happy and tries to make jokes which makes the audience feel welcomed.
~The idea of pointless is unique. 

10)Extension question: What can you spot in Pointless that you will find in most television game shows? (E.g. presenter) These are called key conventions - list as many as you can think of.

~The presenter in game shows is always friendly and funny which makes the audience like him/her and therefore watch the show more often.

~Each game show is unique and has different rules for the contestants to win the prize money.