The film I chose to analyse is X-men Days of Future Past.
Purpose
The purpose of this film is to entertain the viewers, an example of how they do this is by having a lot of action sequences and an original and interesting story for a viewer to get involved in. The reason this film was made was that firstly it is an internationally successful film franchise, secondly it was made was to make the studio money as 20th century fox are a company and must make money using there types of media platforms to earn a profit.
Genre
Genre means type or category, the genre of my film I believe to be sci-fi and action, examples of this can be seen in the film as it features futuristic technology and mutants and there are multiple action sequences within the film. A sci fi film is a film that is either set in the future or features futuristic technology, an action film is one that features many action scenes whether it be fighting or a war. When a film features more than one type of genre it is known as a sub-genre, it was Barry Keith Garry who said "all genres have sub genres".
Form
The form of the product we are analysing is a feature film we know this because it has a overall runtime of 2hr and 11mins. This film will have been released on streaming services such as Netflix's, on DVD and Blu ray.
Style
The style of X-men Days of Future Past is a mixture of futuristic and nostalgic as it takes place in the future and the past so this gives the film 2 unique settings that the viewer can get enveloped in.
Content
The narrative of X-men Days of Future Past starts with a disequilibrium as it starts with the world being taken over by robots called sentinels and then its up to wolverine to go back in time to change the past to save the future while the X-men must guard him from the sentinels in the future. He then meets up with the X-men as there younger selves. A equilibrium then occurs when Mystique saves the president and brings Oliver Trask to justice. A resolution then occurs as wolverine is then sent back to the future where the events of the past have changed the future for the better.
According to Kate domailles 8 narrative types, X-men days of future past falls into 2 of her narrative types as it falls into Achilles as the story's main character wolverine, his skeleton is made of metal so his weakness is magneto who can control metal.
diegetic sounds
1. explosion
2.dialogue "you and I are gonna be good friends"
3.lightning
4.glass shattering
non-diegetic sounds
1.music, dark tone
2.voice over "what's the last thing you remember"
3.sound effects "drum beat"
4. future voice "so this is what becomes of us"
In X-men Days of Future Past there are many examples of diegetic sounds one such example is the sound of an explosion this connotes violence and anger within the scene. Another example is when Hugh Jackmans character says "you and I are going to be good friends" this is in the scene where wolverine meets beast, this connotes a hopeful mood that the characters will become friends and a sense of mystery as to how Jackmans character knows of future events. Another example is the sound effect of a lightning strike this occurs just before the x-men are attacked, this connotes a dull mood and an ominous feel as this could be foreshadowing future events, the effect on the audience could be a tense one as they may be expecting an action scene to know occur. The final example is the sound effect of glass shattering this connotes anger as to the reason for the glass being broken.
There are also examples of non-diegetic sounds one such example is when music with a dark tone begins to play this has connotations of fear as something bad may happen to the characters that the audience knows about but characters in the film do not. Another example is when a voice over plays at the beginning of the film saying "what's the last thing you remember" the tone of his speech is calm but connotes mystery to what he is referring to. Another example is when a sound effect of a drum beat plays this connotes suspense for the audience. The final example is when Charles goes into the future for a brief moment and speaks to his future self in a dream he says "so this is what becomes of us" this connotes mystery and loss.
Mise en scene
In X-men Days of Future Past the location varies as there are multiple different time periods throughout the film. In the future the location is denoted as an old monastery at night time, this is effective use of location as it connotes loss and also fear of the unknown . This is located at the disequilibrium as our characters are being hunted by the sentinels. This links to the genre as locations such as this can be seen in many sci fi films. When in the past the setting is denoted as Washington D.C which is very bright and colourful, this connotes hope that the future will look brighter for our characters. This located at the equilibrium as the characters are beginning to succeed with their task.
In the film we also see the use of gestures as a key feature. In a particular scene we can see examples of both the antagonists and protagonists gestures. The protagonists gestures are denoted as being very worried as he is cowering back and his face seems shocked or scared this could connote fear of the antagonist or that he is doubtful of his own capabilities. This challenges the male stereotype as males are seen to be very dominant but in this scene he is not. The antagonists gestures are very much the opposite as his are more direct and harsh this connotes aggression and authority over the protagonist as he is the one currently in control of the scene . This agrees with the stereotype of males being dominant as in this scene he is the one in control.
Costumes are another important aspect to look at as once again they can change drastically depending on the scene and character. In the scene in question the protagonist is denoted wearing a suit of armour this connotes heroism and bravery this links to the scene as he is preparing to fight the antagonist this will make the audience excited as an action scene is about to take place. On the other hand the antagonist is wearing a cape and a helmet this connotes protection and authority as his cape could be a way of distinguishing him from less dominant characters the effect on the audience could be that they know realise that he is the most dominant character in this scene.
Iconography is another important thing to look at as there are many in the film, the most significant being wolverine claws these connote danger and authority as the claws can spread fear into others giving him authority in certain scenes, the effect on the audience maybe that they see wolverine as a more memorable character because of this iconography or that they feel him to be one of the more dominant characters as compared to others. Another piece of iconography is magnetos helmet this is key as this is a key element to his character he wears this throughout the film this could connote heroism or safety, the effect on the audience could be that they see magneto as a heroic character or as someone wanting to conceal themselves.
Lighting is another important thing to look at, there are many examples throughout the films one such example is when the X-Men are hold up at an old monastery the lighting is low key this could connate danger and possible foreshadowing, the effect on the audience could be that they feel something for the characters as they know their situation is bleak. Another example is the use of high key when wolverine travels to the past this could connote hope and happiness, the effect on the audience could be that they know feel uplifted as there is hope that the characters could succeed with the task at hand.
Camera work
The purpose of camera work is to involve the audience in the scene/narrative and create a spectacle for them to witness. There are many different techniques when it comes to camera work that we will know explore. The first technique we will be looking at is the shot type, close up. In X-men Days of Future Past we can see many examples of this, for example in the a particular scene we can see denoted an argument between two characters (Charles and Eric) it then zooms in on Eric's face at the height of the argument. This connotes tension and aggression as we can see a lot of anger in Eric's face as he says his final statement. The effect on the audience could be that they are quite exhilarated by this and may want to see how other characters react to this.
The next shot type we will be looking at is a crowd shot. This is denoted when the X-Men have their first encounter with the sentinels, the X-men stand in a circle ready to fight them. The connotations of this could be tension and unprepared as the X-Men are caught off guard and must quickly form a plan to hold off the sentinels. The effect on the audience could be exhilaration as this is the first action piece in the film and will be excited to see it in its entirety.
The next piece of camera work we will be looking at is a camera angle specifically a low angle shot. This is denoted in the scene where Mystique rescues some mutants from the military the shot depicts a military officer standing above her as he looks down at her. The connotations of this could be fear and dominance as this agrees with the stereotype of men being dominant over women. The effect on the audience could be that they are quite in shock as previously Mystique has been a dominant character, so perhaps she has met her match.
The next piece of camera work we will be looking at is a tracking shot. This is denoted when Wolverine first meets Beast, he forces his way into Charles's mansion and begins to walk through the main corridor. As he walks through the camera follows his movement until Beast pulls him back. This connotes tension as we do not know how this scene will evolve from here. The effect on the audience could be tension as they do not know how the two characters will interact from this point onwards.
The final piece of camera work we will look at is Focus specifically Shallow depth of field. This is denoted when Charles is talking to Eric, Eric is in the foreground and out of focus while Charles is in the background and in focus. This could connote importance to the narrative as what Charles is saying is more important to the current conversation. The effect on the audience could be that they are intrigued as to what Eric's reaction to the conversation could be.
Editing
Editing is the process of arranging footage to create a narrative, applying SFX and manipulating audio and music. Edit essentially means to take out. In editing there are many different styles and methods of achieving a certain type of shot or effect. One of these techniques is called shot reverse shot structure this is where you juxtapose two images in order to create a link between them this is usually used in conversation between characters. In X-Men Days of Future Past there are a few examples of this one such example being when Wolverine first meats Beast, the camera switches between over the shoulder perspectives of the two characters as they exchange dialogue and later leads to a confrontation between the two. This clip takes place at a disequilibrium as Wolverine needs to find allies in order to help him complete his task. The connotations of this could be struggle and fear as Beast is very reluctant to help Wolverine perhaps implying that Wolverine has some previously unknown dominance over Beast. The effect on the audience could be that they feel intrigued to see where this scene will lead on from here.
Another editing technique is action match. This is where an action began in one shot and is then seen within a different shot type. A few examples of this can be seen within X-Men Days of Future Past one such example being located within the previously discussed scene involving Wolverine and Beast. The shot denotes Wolverine walking down a corridor and Beast pursuing him he then does a flip off a bookcase, this is when the shot transitions behind him latching onto a chandelier and then finishes with a shot from over Wolverines shoulder. This connotes aggression and fear for the opposite character. The representations of this are that it reinforces the male stereotype of males being dominant but at the same time offers a power struggle as the previously dominant male has become the subordinate. The effect on the audience could be that they are thrilled by this sudden change in power and want to see if these positions of power shift or stay the same.
Another editing technique we will look at is called crosscutting this refers to an editing sequence that cuts between two or more narrative events that are occurring in different places simultaneously. There are many examples of quick cross cuts but there will usually be main locations in which the story will cut too. In X-Men Days of Future Past there are two main locations that are frequently cut too these are the future and 1970s Washington. The reason why we are shown these cross cuts is too have multiple characters different perspectives on certain situations that are currently effecting both past and present eras. the connotations of this could be loss and hope because we are seeing a bleak situation but are then shown the good outcomes that benefit the future characters. The effect on the audience could be that they are enveloped in the story as they can see outcomes that benefit and hinder the future characters.
Another editing technique we are going to look at is an insert shot. This is a close up shot designed to draws the viewer or audiences attention to something that was only part of the previous shot. This is usually a prop, used to connote used to show or signify something's importance to the narrative. This can be seen within the scene of magneto recovering his helmet from the pentagon. The shot denotes a large corridor but then gradually zooms in on the helmet before magneto decides to recover. This connotes importance and significance this is because the helmet is an important plot point to the story. the effect on the audience could be that they know wonder why this helmet is so significant and what part it could play later in the film.
The final technique we will be looking at is eyeline match. This is a kind of shot reverse shot structure which knows what a character is looking at. We can see an example of this in the scene where Mystique attacks a boardroom of men. The scene denotes Mystique looking at a board member on the table who is looking back at her, she then kicks him down the table and into a soldier. This connotes aggression and tension as there is a brief moment where it looks like mystique is on the back foot and she may fail. The effect on the audience could be a gripping one as they do not know whether mystique will succeed with her given task or if she may fail.
Production process
The production process is when a company making a film, goes through the processes of film production. These processes are pre-production, production and post-production. I will be looking at how these processes were used for the film I am analysing, X-Men Days of Future Past. Firstly we will be looking at is Pre-production. This process mainly consists of writing a script, making a storyboard, hiring cast and crew and searching for locations or movie studios. In my film in particular they will have had to hire on a company to help build all the practical effects and sets that could not be filmed in real locations such as Charles's mansion and the White house. Another example of how they will have handled pre-production will have been scouting for real locations to film in for certain scenes in the film, for example they went to a city in France and to Florida in order to film certain scenes.
The next process in the film production cycle is production. This process mainly consists of building sets and travelling to certain locations to film in, filming scenes with actors and using practical effects and pyro techniques in scenes that require them. In my film there are many examples of how they used the production process, on such example of them filming in France with actors and practical effects. I believe this location was chosen and the peaceful setting is juxtaposed with the dark tone in the current scene. Another example would be them using pyrotechnics such as explosions in a key battle scene, I believe these were used to give the scene more tension and create more of a spectacle for the audience.
The final process in the film production cycle is post-production. This process mainly consists of adding in CGI and SFX, manipulating audio and adding in music (soundtrack). In my film there are many examples of how these aspects have been utilised to benefit the film. One such example is when they add in a soundtrack to the final product, I believe that this is done to give a scene more empathy and depth. Another example is when they add in CGI a specific example of CGI used in the film is wolverine claws. I believe this was added as they stay true to the characters source material and make the character more threatening.
No comments:
Post a Comment