1. ADVANCED PORTFOLIO
Brief: 2. You are to produce a Promotion
package for a new film, to include a teaser
trailer (DVD), together with 2 of the following:
•A website homepage for the film
•A film magazine front cover, featuring the film (A4)
•A poster for the film (no larger than A3)
2. GENRE THEORY
The word ‘genre’ is French for ‘kind’ or ‘class’ and so is in media the category or type of which the
text falls. To define the genre of a film we use the settings, narrative, mise-en-scene and
characters, and then put the texts with similar aspects into the same category. All texts fall under
some kind of genre however many of the more challenging texts use hybrids, more than one
genre to make the text more interesting and appeal to a wider audience.
Genre is used both for mainstream Hollywood films, more as a tool or creating audience, but also
by independent producers challenging mainstream conventions.
A director who often uses many different genres in his films is Quentin Tarantino. His film Kill Bill
is essentially an action film but which includes aspects of Manga, Spaghetti Western and Wuxia.
“I always hope that if one million people
see my movie, they saw a million different
movies”- Quentin Tarantino.
3. GENRE THEORY
Conventions of Crime:
Conventions of British Crime:
•Gangsters/mobs/mafia
•Crime organisation
•Gangsters
•Anti-hero (criminal)
•Gambling
•Narrative structure- From the POV of who they want you
to emphasize with
•Pub settings
•Violence/ Drugs/ Murder - use as narrative elements
•Heists
•Money
•Guns/violence
•Detectives/police
•Drugs
British Crime films timeline:
•Brighton Rock (1947)
•The Italian Job (1969)
•Get Carter (1971)
•Sexy Beast (2000)
•Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000), Revolver (2005) – Guy Ritchie
•Harry Brown (2009)
•Kill List (2011)
5. BRITISH CRIME – THE ITALIAN JOB (1969)
•
Written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson.
•
Genre: crime/comedy -Caper sub genre (humour mixed with heist narrative)
60s was a time of optimism due to the economic boom and so the humour reflects this high time.
•
Narrative themes: heist/mafia/car chase/police
•
Characters: Charlie Croker- protagonist/anti-hero, mobster involved in heist. Mafia gang and
Boss- Altabani. Lorna- Charlie’s girl.
•
Actors: Michael Caine, Noel Coward
•
Soundtrack: ‘on days like these’ Matt Monro an English singer- http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC_9MZl6dm8 , songs from jazz artist Quincy Jones
•
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gPEx82vgi4
6. BRITISH CRIME – GET CARTER (1971)
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Directed by Mike Hodges, adaptation of novel (Jacks Return Home) by Ted Lewis
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Genre: crime/thriller
As the economic depression begins in the 70s the humour is lost in film, crime is a lot more gritty
reflecting the gangs and gang crime in Britain.
•
Narrative themes: gangster/revenge/guns/cars/violence/
•
Settings: London, Newcastle
•
Characters: Jack Carter- London gangster,
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Actors: Michael Caine, Britt Ekland, Ian Hendry
•
Soundtrack: music by Roy Budd, a jazz pianist and composer. Theme tune ‘Carter Takes a
Train’ by Budd- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO0dHPhDuLs
•
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6abZMrwMpI
7. BRITISH CRIME -LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS (1998)
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Written and directed by Guy Ritchie
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Genre: Crime/thriller
•
Narrative themes: gambling/money/gangsters/drugs/guns/pubs/
•
Actors: Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng
•
Soundtrack:
•
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8MXn5No1Jc
-Snatch (2000)
•
Written and directed by Guy Ritchie
•
Genre: crime/thriller
•
Narrative themes: boxing/gambling/gangsters/heist/pubs/
•
Actors: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Vinnie Jones
•
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUloT3Dh3-E
POSTMODERN ELEMENTS
Guy Ritchie uses postmodern elements in both Lock Stock and Snatch, heavily influenced by Tarantino they both use modern (of the time)
soundtracks and over the top violence. The use of cowboy western titles in the Snatch title sequence brings in an element of narrative that
is completely unrelated to the rest of the film. This is similar in the way Tarantino mixes different film genres into his own films. (e.g.
Spaghetti Western, Yakuza, Manga and Neo-noir in Kill Bill).
8. DEFINITION OF POSTMODERNISM
Hyper-realistic
Dictionary
definition:
“A style and
concept in
the arts
characterized
by a distrust
of theories
and
ideologies
and by the
drawing of
attention to
conventions.”
Inventive
camerawork and
editing
Challenging narratives
POST
MODERNISM
Representation
Anti-truth
Art house
Dystopia
Questioning society
Distrust of
theories
9. POSTMODERN CRIME -PULP FICTION (1994)
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Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
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Genre: crime/thriller/drama
•
Narrative themes: multiple storylines/heist/drugs/hit
men/boxing/gangsters – this use of multiple genre and storylines as
well as many homages to other films makes the film challenging, and
so postmodern. The timeline is fractured and Tarantino often uses
edits in places where it doesn’t seem appropriate/essential. (E.g. when
Uma Thurman draws out a square on the screen).
•
Actors: Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Samuel L.Jackson, Bruce Willis
•
Settings: Diners/motel room/
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Soundtrack: mix of surf music, rock and roll, soul, and pop songs. Full soundtrack albumhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vba8Q0YMcR0&list=PL4DAD01E93E1C6B6C
•
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7EdQ4FqbhY
11. DYSTOPIAN -TERMINATOR 2 (1991)
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Written and directed by James Cameron.
•
Narrative themes: Protection/conflict/technology/time travel/antagonist to protagonist (Terminator 1
to 2).
•
Disruption: Antagonist (policeman terminator) introduced, on mission to kill the boy.
•
Characters:
Protagonist- Terminator, Anti-hero. On mission to save the boy but is a unemotional killing machine.
Antagonist- Policeman terminator. Same as protagonist Terminator, just set to a different mission.
Victim- John Connor (10 year old boy)
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Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick
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Genre: science-fiction/action/dystopian
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Soundtrack: Score by Brad Fiedel- sounds that imitate metal and connote running/chase scenes.
•
Trailer: ‘teaser’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxgLwrW9h_A
12. DYSTOPIAN -THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004)
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Written and directed by Roland Emmerich
•
Narrative themes: Separation from family/love interest/ natural
disaster/starvation/survival/conflict (between environmental scientists and government).
•
Disruption: Natural disasters- storm, earthquakes, tsunami, ice age/ environmental scientists
son alone in storm afflicted area.
•
Characters:
Protagonist- environmental scientist (father of boy) strong, determined, capable
Antagonist- nature (weather-brought on by human race, animals) overpowers everyone/thing else in the
film, unstoppable.
Victim- teenage boy (along with everyone else in New York) helpless, vulnerable
•
Actors: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal
•
Genre: dystopian/action/adventure
