Trailer Analysis #3 - Saving Faith

Saving Faith

“Saving Faith” focuses on the life of Jowls Ward whose world is quickly turned upside down when his girlfriend is murdered; quickly reacting upon this he sets out to seek revenge upon those who ruined his life while coming across a number of violent situations.

Within the trailer we see that a variety of shots have been used which allows us as the audience to see the actors’ facial expressions and to give us an insight into what some of the shots used may symbolise. Near the end of the trailer there is a close up of Ward sitting by a fire which may symbolise danger in some sort of way letting us know how angry and at this point how dangerous he is. Other close up’s are seen at 0:53 when Ward puts on his hood and walks away from the setting which in some way shows that he is now ready to get his revenge on those who ruined his life. The low angle shot seen at about 0:43 shows the actor is superior to us and that we should probably be scared of him.

Viewers are told the name of the film near the end of the trailer because as an audience we are able to obtain a brief outline of what the film is about previous to know what it is called, we see the name of the film because up until this point the audience are left in suspense as to what the title of the film actually is which may be hard to figure out based on the action alone.

The sound within the trailer of which can be tied in with the speed of it was carefully chosen. There is use of diegetic sound which has been given in the form of story sound; for example, in between some clips dialogue has been added to give viewers more detail into what the film is about and how the actors’ actions will lead to the climax of the film. The dialogue used basically tells us the narrative of the film, for example “his world turned upside down”, “his love gone” and “nothing will stop him now” on the whole in within this aspect this tells us that he wants to get revenge on those who ruined and that he cannot be stopped, use of the term “nothing will stop him now” essentially makes the audience feel as if the actor thinks he is invulnerable. Use of non-diegetic sound has been used in the form of a sound-track, the music played at the beginning of the trailer starts off with a very nice melodic aspect to it which in some way connotes the main character being very much in love with his girlfriend and happy that he is spending time with her, but when it shows him standing at his girlfriend's grave and the actual story of the film coming into light the music becomes some what haunting setting the mood at which this point in the film the character may be feeling and giving a sense on how the death of his girlfriend has affected him. The music becomes very upbeat at about 1:05 as the speed of the what we see in the trailer becomes fast based on the clips shown, the directors of “Saving Faith” probably intended to do this to show viewers how fast paced the film is. On the whole the music used within the trailer tells us that the film has a hard-hitting, gritty genre aspect to it.

The editing as a whole provides a real sense into how the trailer was able to be made and how it was able to have the effect of realism to it, the use of diegetic sound .i.e. the dialogue can be linked to cutting as each bit of dialogue leads us onto what Ward does next in each part of the trailer; for example, we see that he is with his girlfriend and then when it shows a piece of dialogue saying “his love gone” we see that he is standing at her grave.

The mise-en-scene aspects of the trailer are what is being shown as a whole, the clothing worn by the actors shows that it suits the genre of the film with it being a type of gangster film as we see one specific character wearing a suit; this character is shown to be the leader of who organised the murder of Wards' girlfriend therefore showing him to play the type of role which can be associated with the mafia, we also see a lot of hooded jumpers and tracksuits worn which gives more emphasis into what we can expect in the film. The lighting sets a certain feel on what the film is about, although by watching the trailer viewers may think that there is only natural light and no light at all that has been used because of it being daytime and night time, the lighting used is actually very distinctive as it sets a certain ambience within the trailer; the dark lighting used within this trailer connotes danger in a huge way as in most of the scenes where there are guns or violence involved the lighting is very low key, this low key lighting gives an aspect of action/thriller towards the film as the darkness of it seems to make things look more dangerous and treacherous.

Ward's facial expressions and body language show him to be very happy and comforting at the beginning of the trailer but soon after his girlfriend is murdered he begins to look very angry and very extremely hell-bent on getting revenge on those who ruined his life regardless of the consequences and it looks as though he almost wants to keep himself to himself. There is also some sense of interrogation when one the actor's throws his hat on the floor which lets us know that he is probably being asked questions by the police and because of this is getting incredibly angry. There is not much use of make-up which in my opinion sets a certain quality on the film as the director's were probably going for a very realistic approach to the film. The props used within the trailer were mostly weapons set a certain action code as they let us know what type of action will be portrayed within the film; there is use of guns, baseball bats and shovels which shows viewers an obvious aspect of violence within the film, there is a sense of practicality within the trailer as we have general knowledge of what type of violence seems to take place in today's society, based on the props this film would probably be able to appeal to those who have been affected by gun crime or by some sort of violence which has maybe lead to the death of someone who is close to them.

There are many scenes within this trailer that have been filmed in different settings; these include a cemetery, the outside of a police station, the outside of local houses and alleyways, this shows viewers how diverse the film is allowing them to see the different areas where violence is more known to take place.

Cross Media

Sci-Fi

The three texts we have chosen to analyse are Mutant X, X Men and The Twilight Zone Radio Series, the genre that links them all together is science fiction as they all involve speculations based on current or future science and technology.

Mutant X

(TV Series)

When a secret government project to create genetic mutants goes wrong resulting in them being released into the general population one of the scientists responsible, Adam has sworn to try and help those who have been affected by it, while his co-partner, Mason Eckhart plans on using the project for his own ends. Adam assembles four mutants and forms the group “Mutant X” to help mutants everywhere, and oppose Eckhart.

Following up the a comic book, Mutant X went on to become a very well known show with all 3 series being released on DVD.

Mutant X was television series that first aired on 6th October 2001 to the 17th May 2004, it followed the adventures of a team of human mutants possessing extraordinary powers as a result of genetic engineering. Like hundreds of other unsuspecting subjects, these new mutants were altered in secret experiments conducted in a covert government project. Realising that events have spun out of control, the organisation that created them is now hunting them down in an urgent "product recall". Mutant X's mission is to seek out their fellow mutants to help them come to terms with their new amazing abilities and protect them from their creators.

Even though Mutant X is no longer being shown it was originally created by Avi Arad who is the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, a Marvel director, and chairman, CEO (chief executive officer) and founder of Marvel Studios.

The show was originally distributed by Tribute Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment which was the producer and International distributor of Mutant X.

X Men

(Film)

X Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comic characters of the same name. It was directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Bruce Davidson, James Marsden, Halle Barry and Tyler Mane.

The time is the near future. There is a rift between normal humans and mutants. These mutants have gifts; these gifts can give them supernatural powers. X Men focuses on the ongoing conflict between Professor Xavier's X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto. Magneto intends to mutate world leaders at a United Nations summit with a machine he has built to bring about acceptance of mutantkind, but Xavier realizes this forced mutation will only result in their deaths.

X Men started off as a comic book series which later developed into a trilogy of films based on the original comic books. The film is distributed by 20th Century Fox.

 

The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas

(Radio Series)

With a mixture of horror, fantasy and drama The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas feature a full cast, music and sound effects and today’s biggest celebrities in modern radio dramatizations by Dennis Etchison of creator Rod Serling’s classic scripts. Hosted by Stacy Keach, The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas will keep you glued to the edge of your seat whether listening in your home or while driving in your car.

The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas is a nationally syndicated radio adaptation of the classic television series The Twilight Zone, launched in October 2002. Many of the stories are based on Rod Serling's scripts from the original Twilight Zone series and are slightly expanded and updated to reflect contemporary technology and trends; for example, the mention of “cell phones” and “CD-ROMs” which of course weren't around when the television show aired in the 1960s. Taking Serling's role as narrator is Stacy Keach.

Sirius satellite radio channel 118, “Radio Classics” and on XM satellite radio channel 163, Sonic Theater. It was originally distributed by Dick Brescia Associates but later distributed by Syndication Networks; beginning in August of 2007 the series became distributed through Westwood One which is a major American radio network.

 http://www.twilightzoneradio.com/contact.html

...Promotion...

The target audiences for these texts are probably those who enjoy things based on science fiction and those who like a bit of action.

With Mutant X being distributed by Tribute Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment which was the International distributor of it, it was able to be promoted world wide as many people from different countries were able to view it.

As X Men is distributed by 20th Century Fox, the trailer was shown within cinemas before other films made by 20th Century Fox were shown, the film was rated 15 which allowed a wider range of audience to view it as it would have grabbed their attention if they were interested in this aspect of science fiction.

In addition to this, pop ups while browsing the Internet also had a means of advertising the film while posters did aswell as it allowed a number of people to see it therefore expanding the number of those who watch it.

Those who enjoyed watching the original series of The Twilight Zone would have listened to it on the radio while driving and at work. The Twilight Zone Radio Series was able to be promoted through the use of it's website which enabled listeners to listen to different stories and to find out who would be starring in them.

...Similarities and Differences...

The main similarity between these three texts is that they are all sci-fi based broadcast fiction texts as they have supernatural elements within them, for example, they all focus on things of which you wouldn't necessarily think would actually happen.

- The Twilight Zone Radio Series' story line is not primarily based on mutants as it produces a different story each week letting viewers listen to different aspects of the supernatural world.

- Mutant X and X Men both focus on seeking out and helping those who are like them themselves, trying to protect them from the people who wish to hurt them.

- The Twilight Zone Radio Series and X Men were based on the ideas of those who created the original versions of each.

Trailer Analysis #2 - Concrete Angel

Concrete Angel

“Have you ever been abused? Have you ever abused? How would you feel if you woke up everyday dreaming it is your last?... Find out how and why children suffer at the hands of those who abuse them”

...Narrative...

Concrete Angel is a 2008 short film directed by a group of media studies students who went on to win the awards for Best Short Film and Best Actor at the Media Awards Evening 2008. After the death of his parents, 15 year old boy Curtis Kingston is left in the care of his older step-brother. Now you would imagine that a tragedy such as this would bring people closer together, especially those who are related but within this situation this is not the case. Constantly being abused by his older step-brother and juggling with the pressures of school, Curtis finds it hard to have a social life and therefore finds that he is alone.

Costumes = The costumes that are worn within the film symbolise education, with Curtis being 15 years old he is obviously a student and clearly has to go to school. In a lot of the scenes we see him in his school uniform showing that even after losing both his parents of who were probably the most important people in his life he has continued to get an education which in some way probably helps him cope with his older step-brother as he is not always around him. We mainly see the step-brother wearing a suit, some people will probably think that even though he is an abuser, he is still trying to do good by actually having a job and going to work which is probably what some people think due to his costume.

Lighting = Within the film there is a lot of bright lighting which is mainly seen when the actors are outside, but when the clips are focused on the step-brother the lighting seems to be very dim, this can lead the audience to think that the step-brother probably has a dark side to him and is probably not nice to others which includes his step-brother (Curtis). Near the end of the film the lighting becomes dark; this is when Curtis is getting abused by his step-brother, in this sort of situation the dark lighting can symbolise the seriousness of the film and the significance of what abusing does to someone making them feel violent and vicious.

Actors = As said before, Concrete Angel stars Curtis Kingston as a 15 year old boy being abused, it also stars Manish Rampal as the abusive older step-brother, with Curtis winning the Best Actor Award at the Media Awards Evening 2008 I think it was a very good choice for him to have played a part within this film, when starring in the film he showed his ability of adapting to his character which enabled him to show the emotions of someone who is actually being abused may feel. Manish Rampal played the part of the abusive older step-brother in which he was able to portray the actions of a real abuser; all in all I think it was an excellent choice in having these two actors star in the film as they were both able to really adapt to their characters and play them in a professional way.

Make-up = The make-up that was used within the film seems to have been very simple since most of it was bruises of which can mainly be seen on Curtis, but this shows the audience the main results of what being abused can do to someone. In association with this I think that it is very well done as they created the bruises with eye liner which just shows that you can use the easiest things to create something of which is very detailed.

Props = From what I could see in the film there weren't very many props used, but in the part where Curtis’ step-brother punches him in the head there is a popping sound in the background which gives off the affect that he did actually get punched, this popping sound may have been done by using a bottle either by squashing it or hitting it against something, this shows that the bottle could have been used as a prop within the film.

Setting = There are many settings within this film; they include a school, a house and a funeral home. With all the different settings it shows the audience how diverse this film is, with part of the film being set within the school of which Curtis attends it shows the audience how he interacts with the other students; there is a part in the film where he is sitting on a bench and one of his friends asks him if he is okay after having seen the bruise around his eye, he tells her that he fell over, knowing that he is not telling her the real reason as to why he has a bruise around his eye, she walks away. The house is where most of the abusing occurs, as the audience we realise that Curtis is very scared of his step-brother as we see him run upstairs as soon as his step-brother arrives home. The funeral home is probably the most essential of all three settings within this film due to the fact that it is the main reason as to why someone may continue to watch the film after having seen the beginning, I say this because at the start of the film we see Curtis in the funeral home laying inside a coffin; after viewing this part of the film, the audience may want to continue watching it to see how he ended up there. All in all each setting ties in together to form the narrative of the film and to let the audience know what the character is like in each setting.

...Representation...

Concrete Angel is about a 15 year old boy being abused by his older step-brother and the obstacles in which he faces with having to juggle school and trying to have a social life, the way in which the film is represented is that as the audience we are able to get an inside look into why some people are abused and the ways in which it can affect them.

...Language...

The language used by the step-brother plays a huge part in how his character is portrayed, being an abuser he is often seen as being very furious and infuriated with his younger step-brother as he blames him for the death of their parents, when he is shouting at his step-brother Manish often uses the word “prick” to describe him, this also tells us as the audience that they are from a middle class background as “prick” is known as being a common word.

...Appeal...

This film is mainly aimed at those who are either being abused themselves or have been abusing someone else, as you can see from watching the film it focuses on the serious issue of abuse and the results that it can have; this will most likely appeal to those who are being abused in some sort of way and may appeal to them in a way that they may want to seek advice or get help which can lead onto the end of them being abused. In my opinion this is a very good film in association with appealing to people who are being abused due to the fact that if they had not asked for help before this time they would probably not be alive.

...Sound...

The music used within this film gives a great emphasis on what it is about, there are some great moments where there is just music playing and no one talking; this occurs in the 2nd part of the film, at about 3:00 we see Curtis sitting down on the bench looking at the ground while other students are around him interacting with each other, this highlights the idea of him feeling that he is alone after his parents dying. Other uses of sound include when Manish is waking up and getting ready for work, we only hear music and the natural sounds, for example; alarms ringing, water running and curtain’s opening, we also hear a voice over of Curtis saying how his step-brother treats him; based on this, the audience may have started to get an idea of why his step-brother treats him so badly and may have already decided if they like the character or not. The music used really symbolises how the characters within the film are feeling at that moment in time, from 1:27 to 2:48 during part 3 of the film, we see Curtis walking home and entering his house, to me the music sounds very sad and sombre giving the impression that he does not really want to go home and is scared about seeing his brother which is why he walks around the house looking to see if he is there. The use of the voice over is very relevant to the story of the film, at the beginning of part 1 we see Curtis lying in a coffin, we hear him talking about the kind of life he had and if he really deserved to die at such a young age.

...Camera shots...

There are a mixture of shots that have been used within this film, during the beginning of the film when Curtis is in the funeral home laying dead, the camera looks at all the different areas of the home, when Curtis refers God there is a close up shot of a crucifix, there are also close up shots of Curtis' face which are especially focused on his eyes as we see more of his emotions and we are able to get some idea how he is feeling. Long range shots have been used to create the idea that the person walking up to the camera is the main character, it shows viewers that the narrative of the film is based on that character.

...Length of trailer...

Overall the film is 15 minutes long which has been divided up into 3 parts with each one lasting for about 5 minutes. In that time we get to see the full effects of what being abused can do to someone i.e. how it can affect them at school, at home and with friends. All of the scenes in the film lead us onto what might happen next and give us the story as to why Curtis may have died.

...Institutional values...

Concrete Angel is able to inspire many people of all ages whether they are men, women or children, the reason as to why I think this is because it gives the audience an inside look into why some people do get abused by others especially relatives as the case may be, it may urge those who are getting abused to come forward and ask for help or it may prompt them to do something about it before it's too late. It may even prompt students at a High School to tell someone such as a teacher or support worker if they think someone else is being abused, it may urge them even more if they know that the person isn't telling them the real reason as to why they may have bruises on their bodies. The overall message that this film sends out in my opinion is that you shouldn't be afraid to tell someone if you are being abused because it may end up being too late before you have enough courage to do so.

Trailer Analysis - KiDULTHOOD

KiDULTHOOD

“Before AdULTHOOD Comes KiDULTHOOD”

...Narrative...

Set in the area of Inner West London, KiDULTHOOD is a 2006 British drama film which tells the story of three friends who quickly realise that life comes at a price and that it is not to be taken granted for. KiDULTHOOD is based on a group of West London school kids who react in different ways to the suicide of a classmate. It focuses around the character "Trife" who is caught between his pregnant ex-girlfriend (Alisa) and gun running for his malevolent uncle. Then there's Trife's mates (Jay and Moony), spoiling for a fight with the neighbourhood bully (Sam).

Costumes = The costumes that are worn in the film as you can see from the trailer are mainly hooded clothing, tracksuits and trainers, this represents today's youth in a huge way as many teenagers in today's society wear these sorts of clothes. With many of the characters wearing hoods, it represents the major issue of crime within today's youth as many teenagers wear hooded pieces of clothing such as jackets and jumpers to cover their faces when committing a crime such as shop-lifting of which you may be able to see within the trailer.

Lighting = There isn't very much use of lighting within the trailer, but from what I could see, during the parts where crime or violence is taking place, for example, when Trife is getting beaten up the lighting is very dark and dim whereas during the parts where they are outside in the city, the lighting seems to be very dim which symbolises the darkness of the film and what is going on. Right at the beginning of the trailer it shows a party taking place where extra lighting has been added to show the excitement of being in that sort of environment.

Actors = Even though KiDULTHOOD will mainly appeal to those of a young age group, it could possibly appeal to those of the older generation due to the actors and actresses. Noel Clarke who is the writer and plays the character of "Sam" also stars in Doctor Who playing the character of "Mickey Smith". The way in which the film will be able to attract those of an older generation is if they like the way in which Clarke is able to adapt to his characters and how well he plays them.

Make-up = The make-up used within the trailer is very brutal due to the fact that there is a lot of violence being shown which gives the make-up artists the chance to create make-up which is very detailed and full, for example, the characters show a lot of cuts and bruises.

Props = Throughout the trailer you see that there are a lot of props being used, especially during the clips where violence is taking place, during these clips there are guns and baseball bats being used showing that even the easiest of things can be used as weapons, it also raises the awareness of the crime that is happening among teenagers in today's society where a lot of them are being attacked and even killed.

Setting = The setting is based in the deprived areas of Ladbroke Grove and Latimer Road where crime is most common and violence seems to take place more than anywhere else.

...Representation...

The representation of KiDULTHOOD is about the lives of several teenagers growing up in the deprived areas of West London; the way in which the trailer is represented by this is that we see what kind of environment these kids are brought up in and some of the temptations that surround them.

...Language...

Due to the portrayal of teenagers within this film, it seems that a lot of people who watch this trailer may be able to develop their own opinions of what they think teenagers in today's society are like based on the language in which they speak. There seems to be a lot of "ghetto" language used within the trailer, KiDULTHOOD is filled with a lot of modern slang which greatly characterizes today's youth.

...Appeal...

The target audience for this film is mainly aimed at people aged between 15-24, the film itself attempts to represent a serious number of issues of what some teenagers growing up in today's society have to go through; this explains why so many people who are in this age group may watch it. There is also a very realistic approach within this film as most of the actors and actresses are within this age group and therefore know what others their age go through.

...Sound...

The mood of the film is set within the trailer based on the music played. Throughout the trailer, the music is very upbeat which keeps the audience engaged and focused, added to the music are sound effects which also keep the audience engaged as it not only shows the level of violence within the film but also a view into what the film is about and what kind of film it is.

...Camera shots...

A variety of shots are used within the trailer; close up camera shots are used to provide a dramatic emphasis, highlighting characters' expressions which gives a sense into what will happen within the film based on their emotions and how they are feeling. Long range shots have been used to show viewers the environment and surroundings of which the characters are brought up in.

...Length of trailer...

The trailer only lasts for 2:05 which is quite short seeing as how other trailers last for about 3-4 minutes but in that time viewers get to see how sex, drugs, crime and violence can affect teenagers. Each shot used within the trailer seems to only last for a short while which shows how fast paced the film is. There is a linear medley aspect towards the trailer as each clip is quickly played after one another which leads onto how the story of the film unfolds.

...Institutional values...

In a way, KiDULTHOOD is able to educate those who watch it as it gives the audience an understanding into what people who live this lifestyle have to go through on a daily basis. The audience gets an inside look into how peer pressure can affect teenagers and how some can be persuaded into living a dangerous lifestyle; this is represented by the crimes they commit and the things they get up to. By viewing the trailer, the overall message that it is able to give the audience is that you should not be a follower or maybe even a leader but that you should choose your own path into how you wish to live your life.