How do your chosen texts use genre conventions?- Sin City

The text that I am going to discuss is 2005 mainstream film, 'Sin City.' The three main genres that you see throughout the film are film noir, comic book and horror.

The opening scene in this film reveals a man and a woman standing on a balcony in the city. 

 In the genre, film noir, there are different character roles. The mise-en-scene represents the woman as a 'femme fatale,' she is seen wearing a long red dress, red lipstick, she seems to have light hair and is seen smoking. The red colour connotations suggest danger, which is a characteristic that the femme fatale has aswell as being beautiful and dishonest. 

 At the beginning of the scene you see the femme fatale walking to the edge of the balcony in the city. She is shot at a high angle suggesting powerlessness, which could also suggest that whatever mission or goal she was aiming to achieve was unsuccessful. This is where you see a contrast between her red dress against the black and white of surroundings. The high angle also reveals her surroundings and shows her in an urban environment and shows the skyscrapers and buildings in the city. 

The character roles that feature in film noir films could be classed as genre conventions because specific characters, such as the femme fatale, are a common feature in the films. In this film you see various different examples of femme fatale's, they are shown in the different stories that are being told. 

You can hear non-diegetic Jazz music in the background, this is a common convention of the film noir genre because film noir films were originally created in the 40's where Jazz music was popular. The Jazz music is used in this scene to create a 'romantic' atmosphere between the femme fatale and the male protagonist. The jazz music also suggests a happy ending for the two. But this is not the case as later on in the sequence you see him shoot her- resulting in her death.

You hear the male protagonist before you see him in this scene. A voice over is used to narrate what is happening in this scene and it's also used for different characters I'm the film. Voice overs are also a common convention in film noir films and are used to explain a protagonists past and personality. The narration and self-reflection gives a clear idea of the characters ideology and background. 

A convention of the comic book genre is seen in the sequence, when they're kissing- the shot becomes black and white and the two become white silhouettes.

Also when the male protagonist shoots the femme fatale you see a slight white flash and the sound is over-exaggerated. When it starts to rain this is both pathetic fallacy and a convention of the comic book genre because the rain drops that create ripples in the puddles are exaggerated.

 The camera then zooms out and rotates 360° to reveal the title. 

During the character Marv's story you see conventions of the horror genre. Due to the death of his lover,Goldie, Marv seeks revenge on the killer. Marv soon confronts Kevin. 

You first see Kevin when the camera pans around Marv who is inspecting something off of the floor, the camera pans around and reveals Kevin standing behind Marv. The low key lighting creates shadows across Kevin's face making his facial features unknown. Having Kevin's face cast in shadow is a convention of the horror genre as his identity is unknown creating a sense of unease within the audience. In horror films there is a character that is demon-like and evil, through the use of mise-en-scene and the way Kevin is shot (technically) suggests he is the demon. 

Then it cuts to a close up of Kevin's face, revealing his eyes. The rest of his facial features are still cast in shadow, keeping up with his unknown status. A slight zoom is then used on the face to create tension. A close up is also used to show Kevin's hands, revealing claw-like nails suggesting animal-like behaviour.

Later on in this sequence you see Marv locked up in a basement of an old building, with a window on the wall. The window has bars across it showing Marv's entrapment. Horror conventions can be seen in this room as there is a close up of women's heads mounted upon the wall with blood still around their necks. You later find out that these women have been eaten by Kevin. This could be linked with the close up you see before of his claw-like nails that represent him as an animal. The non-diegetic sound used here creates unease and sickness towards the villain who actually killed Goldie- Kevin. 

Later on you see comic book violence of Kevin being eaten by his pet, who he fed the scraps and the bones of the women. A similar technique is used before showing the silhouette of the action in the first scene. 

The three genres you see in this film show their conventions through the mise-en-scene, iconic/ similar traits from films before (e.g. voice over narrative and Jazz music) and through the technical aspects. They're used to create representations of characters and to create an impact on the audience. 

Fish Tank: Write about genre, narrative and representation and pick 3 scenes from the film Fish Tank and analyse them.

Fish Tank (2009)

The first scene that I am going to look at is the opening scene where you are introduced to the lead protagonist, Mia. 

Before you see anything in the first scene you hear diegetic sound of breathing accompanied with street and urban noise from the surrounding. The first thing you see is a high angle on Mia, who is hunched over with her hands on her knees. You find out that the diegetic breathing that you hear at the beginning is coming from Mia as she tries to catch her breath. 

The mise en scene suggests that the room you see her in is old and abandoned as there is no furniture to be see, the blue wallpaper is dirty and you can see rips near the bottom and there is no flooring. You then see Mia standing up quickly still out of breath. Through the use of the mise en scene of her clothing Mia is represented as someone with a working class/ urban background. You can see this because she wears grey jogging bottoms, big gold hoops and chains. She would be stereotyped as a "chav" because of the mise en scene used. It also suggests a gritty upbringing. 

The camera then pans across the wall of window to reveal Mia's surroundings outside. The camera panning works as an establishing shot, it  establishes that the outer location is of a council estate. This also shows a part of Mia's background. 

You then hear Mia speak when phoning her friend, Keeley. She has a Southern accent and the way that she speaks to her friend is very informal as she is swearing at her. 

The camera in this scene (and the whole film) is a hand held camera. By using a hand held camera you sense the film to be created in a sort of documentary style. The narrative in this scene is basic and through the camera work and that we've been introduced to the main character instantly shows that this film is about Mia. Also the diegetic sound shows that the film is going to be about real life (the camera work proves this also). This film falls under the genre Social Realism as it is about real issues and real life. You can tell this through the technical elements of the first scene because the equipment and the techniques used.

The next scene in Fish Tank that I am going to look at is the scene where you are introduced to Joanne's (Mia's Mother's) boyfriend, Connor. At the beginning of this scene there is a mid shot and a tracking shot used to follow Mia around the kitchen as she boils some water on the stove. Diegetic sound can be heard coming from a music channel on the television in the kitchen. The music played is hip hop, which is a style of music that Mia dances to and finds escapism within. A mid shot is used to show Mia dancing along.

She's watching what the females do in the video and copying them. This represents Mia as easily influenced, as she is copying what others do. First she copies the language used by her mother towards her and speaks to her friends like that and now she is copying the girls dancing on the television.
You then see Mia turn around and the shot cuts to a Point of View (POV) shot to reveal Connor (mum's boyfriend) standing in the doorway of the kitchen watching her.
In this scene you can apply the Male Gaze theory. Connor is watching Mia dancing which is the Male Gaze. However, Connor isn't just looking at Mia, Mia is also looking at Connor. This goes against the Male Gaze theory (Laura Mulvey 1975). The clothing used shows the audience that its the morning as Mia is in her night wear and Connor is topless -looks like he has just got out of bed.The camera tilts up and down Connor fragmenting his body, which is giving the female audience something to look at as well as showing what Mia is looking at.

The last scene I am looking at is the very last sequence of the film where Mia leaves to live in Wales. A tracking shot used in the end shows Mia’s little sister Tyler waves goodbye to her sister as she goes off to Wales with her friend, Tyler chases after the car shouting “See you later skank don’t forget to text me. Say hello to the world for me.” This implies that Mia is lucky that she gets to leave/ escape and it also implies that she (Tyler) won’t be able to leave and that she will be trapped in this “Fish Tank” with her mother.

There is a slight tracking shot used at the end to capture a silver helium balloon in the shape of a heart float away. This shot symbolises Mia leaving the council estate. You see the balloon start from the council estate and then it flies up and out of the way of the council block flats, also symbolising that Mia is going on and up in her life to do better things.

In terms of narrative theory in this film, you could say that it applies to Todorov's theory of equilibrium. The equilibrium before was Mia, her mother Joanne and foul-mouthed little sister Tyler living in the council flat in a block in Essex with their dog. Her mother would swear at the kids and wouldn't be a typical mother figure which is looking after them, she just lets them get on with whatever they want. To them this could be classed as the equilibrium, the "norm". Then Joanne brings home Connor and starts a relationship with him- this has changed her as she doesn't swear at Mia and Tyler as much as she used to. They all form relationships with Connor which brings them all together even more. This becomes the new "norm"- a life with Connor.
The disruption of the equilibrium happens when one night Joanne is passed out upstairs drunk and Connor and Mia are down stairs drinking. Connor then gets Mia to dance for him which then escalates to them having sex on the couch. Recognition that the disorder has occurred when Mia wakes up the next morning when Connor is no where to be seen. She tries to restore the equilibrium by going to his house to confront him, but she ends up taking Connor's daughter Kiera across the fields in promise that she is going to get an ice cream. Keira falls into the river and Mia saves her by holding out a branch. She takes Keira home and as Mia herself is walking home Connor comes after her and hits her.
The return of the new equilibrium is when Mia leaves with Billy (the owner of a Malnourished horse she comes across) to Wales for a new life.

Audiences Task Niche

LFC TV

LFC TV is a television programme dedicated to all of the aspects involved in Liverpool Football Club. It shows programs/ episodes of past games, interviews with past and present members of the club. 

The information and entertainment that is being shown to the audience targets an older male audience. The male audience that would consume this text would be fans and supporters of the football club. 

The audience would personally identify with this programme because they're expanding already gained values, for example they could watch a interview on the channel with the captain Steven Gerrard or with their favourite player and gain an insight in their life and career making their values and thoughts about this player stronger. The information that the audience would get from this text would be things like information on future (possible) signings, how the players train etc. The programme is entertainment for the audience because they get to re-live previous winning games and watch shows that interest them and entertain them. Social integration could also be gained from this programme because a group of Liverpool fans could gain extra knowledge and join together and talk about the programme they've watched about this specific player etc.

Also many Liverpool reserve games are broadcast live onto this channel, giving an opportunity to Liverpool fans to see the new upcoming talent that the club has to offer. 

The channels that this programme is shown on are:

• channel 429 on SKY (satellite)
• channel 544 on Virgin Media (cable)

The channel can also be watched on Liverpool's official website as a part of their premium subscription.  The subscription to the clubs sight gives the audience gratification, because when they join/ subscribe they are normally rewarded with a key-ring, pen, card giving  thanks, an official club card (used for discounts etc) plus more. This gives them gratification as it makes them feel like they are being rewarded and thanked for being fans of the club.

This television is considered a niche because the audience are unfamiliar with the themes unless it is of interest to them. For example a fan of Man. United wouldn't be a fan of this channel because this channel is dedicated to Liverpool. Also people who do not like football won't be interested in this because it doesn't gratify them because they are unfamiliar with the programs and the channel. 

Audiences Task Mainstream

The X Factor

The audience that watch the X Factor are a mainstream audience. The audience get gratification because they're listening and watching the people like James Arthur sing every week and improve their talent and get experience. On the programme the producers always include a small and brief video tape of what the contestant have done and been through during the week previous to the live show. This also shows their development and also it gives the audience an insight of the artists/ contestants week. This insight gives gratification to the audience because it makes them feel that they are apart of their journey through their music career. 

The audience is also gratified through their participation in the show. After each contestant has performed they give the audience a number to ring if they want to send them into next week. By ringing up the audience is gratified because they feel that their vote has got that singer/ contestant safely through into the next week. 

The X Factor is a mainstream program. The programme is shown on one of the main channels ITV1. The programme is shown at 8:00pm on a saturday at which time adults will be home from work watching the TV. Many older audiences complain about how bad Saturday night television is so by having such a well-known and mainstream programme on fills their time. Teenagers and young adults watch this mostly for social integration, they have something to talk about with peers at school and college. 

The X Factor has a lot of big expensive production equipments allowing them to create a show that is mainstream because of all the technology used. 

The programme also has an additional programme linking them together. The second programme is called 'The Xtra Factor' which is a 'backstage pass' to all of the behind the scenes aspects of the X Factor. This programme lets the audience find out more about the contestants and judges. It also allows the audience to participate by phoning up and asking questions to the judges and contestants. This gratifies the audience. 

Also the programme's contestants will appear on breakfast shows and chat shows promoting the X Factor. Also halfway through the actual programme there will be a movie premier that they will attend in London which will be shown. This promotes the X Factor. The X Factor has become a sort of brand and everyone knows what it is. They also have X Factor toys, apps on iPhones and iPods and games. 

The X Factor appeals to a mass audience because of these features.

Representation- Male Gaze

Die Another Day: James Bond

There is a pan across, showing his surroundings. This shot is James Bond's point of view as you are shown a mid-shot of him looking through binoculars. The camera then does another P.O.V shot revealing Bond looking out at the sea. In these P.O.V shots you can see the outline of the binoculars so it is like the audience is looking at the scene. You see the binoculars pause at someones head in the water. The reverse shot back at Bond shows him removing his binoculars staring out with his own eyes. There is then a mid-shot of a female jumping out of the water. A reverse shot of Bond is then shown to again show his removing the binoculars. A tracking shot is used to show Jinx (female) walking out of the water, a mid-shot is then used to show her drying herself with a towel. Over the shoulder shots are used to show them both talking. Then Bond implies that his is not the kind of man who has girls all over him. This is shown when the shot is cut to show men at a table drinking with women on their laps. He is represented as more respectful, offering Jinx a mojito and engaging conversation with her. When Jinx asks him why he is here he replies "I'm here for the birds". A mid-shot of Jinx's expression is then shown but Bond says he is only joking. 

The non-diegtic music seemed to heighten/ climax when Jinx jumped from the water. Then the non-diegtic sound faded whilst they were talking.

In the clip Bond is shown drinking mojitos, smoking a cigar and wearing a hawaiian style shirt revealing the top part of his chest. This opposes Mulvey's Male Gaze theory as women can get gratification and scopophilia watching Bond. The female (Jinx) that has jumped out from the water is wearing an orange bikini, the fact that she is soaking wet aswell is a gratification for men. She is a more modern representation of a female. Both the male and female audiences get voyueristic pleasures from Bond and Jinx in this film. The female in this clip is seen to be more active and is seen talking to Bond unlike in American Beauty where Amanda is a fantasy for Lester (the dad). 

Representation- Mulvey Male Gaze

American Beauty Clip

In this clip you see a typical american family. The daughter is a cheerleader and her parents are going to watch her at the basketball game. Her dad doesn't seem to care about the games and he asks whether she actually wants them there in which the mother replies with of course she doesn't she doesn't want us to know that this is important to her. The dad also says that he is going to miss the re-runs of James Bond on the TV. There is a subtle connection here with James Bond and the father (Lester Burnham). Later on in the clip just before the cheerleaders start dancing the dad also asks if they can leave straight after, also showing that he doesn't care. 

The characters in this clip show typical teenage girls in high school being cheerleaders. The daughter (Jane) is represented as the "moody teenager" you can see this through the mis en scene. She has black, dull hair tied up in a pony tail and she's also wearing dark make-up. The way she feels about her parents also shows her as the "moody teenager" because she calls them 'assholes'.The mother (Carolyn Burnham) is represented as the supportive mother, she tries to bring her daughter (Jane) and her husband (Lester) closer together because she mentions that she senses the distance growing between them. The father is having a mid-life crisis and this is reflected in his attitude to going to watch his daughters performance. 

Tracking shots are used to capture and follow the cheerleaders whilst they're dancing. You see Jane's friend Amanda Haynes, dancing and touching herself for Lester's pleasure. This represents Amanda as a sexual object. Amanda dances in the middle which is when the sexual dancing starts. In this clip you see shots of close ups of Lester watching Amanda dancing. The lighting in this scene is a spot light highlighting Amanda and separating her from everyone else. A slow zoom used to show Lester staring at her, the beginning shot of him was a mid-shot of him sitting in the stands then the camera zooms into which is eventually a extreme close up of his eyes watching her. Also the camera reverses shot to show the girl dancing. A slow zoom is also used here to show her dancing. The diegetic music whilst the cheerleaders are dancing fades into non-diegetic music. The non-diegtic music is slower than the music than they dance to. The diegetic music fading into the non-diegtic music suggests that Lester is fantasising about her (its all in his head). The camera tilts across Amanda's body, you see this camera as a male camera caresses her body. This is a fragmentation of the female body. 

Lester gets scopophilia (pleasure in looking) at Amanda, he's gratified which is shown also through the use of the extreme close ups of his eyes. The fragmentation of the female body also gives voyeuristic pleasures to the audience. 

Technically you can see the male gaze, from the use of the extreme close up of his eyes. The way the audience sees the male looking at the girl shows the audience how they should be looking at her. The males think this is how they're supposed to view females and the females think that this is how they should look like and be viewed. The male in this sequence is viewed as active and the female passive.

Dominant Ideology (representation) Task

CSI Clip
In this clip the producers of the television programme are presenting a dominant ideology, which creates the belief that this is how the law enforcement works in reality, when this is false. The way the programme portrays the fast moving investigations and quick solutions is a mis-representation and a dominant ideology because this isn't the case, in reality as cases such as a murder or even a robbery takes months to work out.

The females are shown as smart, equal to males and respected by all of the males, this is how it is portrayed in this programme whereas in reality this could be a mis-representation. In the programme the female CSI forensic investigator takes control of the confrontation with the leader of the FBI. She is equal and respected by men because she finds and works out information for this particular case to move the case forward.
 Even though the women are equal to males in this programme there is a slight sense of male superiority. This may be because of the amount of males that play the roles of the law enforcement. However, in this clip you see the leader of the FBI approach the CSI forensics and we see that the leader is female, so male superiority may not be an issue just that you see more males than females which suggests the male superiority.

During the investigation that takes place in the programme, all of the bodies that have been discovered are women's. This creates a representation that males in the programme are dominant as no male bodies were found this may suggest that women are incapable of looking after themselves and are easy targets.
A dominant ideology that is being pushed during the programme is patriotism, the police/ law enforcement are there to protect their country.

Representation Task

Film Trailer: The Place Beyond The Pines 

In this trailer the dominant gender are the males. You see them trying to provide for their families and children.
Ryan Goslings character (Luke) has just had a new-born baby and he is robbing banks trying to provide for his family. Through the mise-en-scene you can see that Luke is young and unexperienced. His tattoos suggest recklessness. You see this character smoking which along with the tattoos create this 'tough guy' representation. His relationship with people and his lover is very controlling and with his partner he seems to control/ tell her what to do showing that the males are the more dominant gender.

Bradley Coopers character (Avery) is a police man. In the trailer he is also dominant but through the actions and role of his job. In a particular part of the clip you are shown him handing over money and telling the case to a high-profile figure in his area of work which represents Avery as a person who does the right thing and is trusted. He too has a family and a child who he needs to provide for. However, he provides for his family differently to Luke. Avery provides for his family through his job, keeping them safe and providing them with his jobs income, whereas Luke has to go and commit crimes and rob banks to be able to provide for his family. Avery is also represented as more of a family orientated person, and he seems to be more open with his lover (Jennifer) in a particular part of the trailer you see Avery and Jennifer talk whilst in bed. The low key lighting used to create a more silent and calm mood, this possibly making him seem more of an open and less controlling male figure in the film.

The women in this trailer are portrayed as weak and dominated by the males, they're seen looking after their children throughout and are mostly captured as mothers, not individuals suggesting that this is their only role within the film. They're also shown crying and being comforted by the males suggesting their insecurity and need to be looked after.

Narrative Task

Clip 3, Sleepy Hollow (00:06:52)

The characters are defined by their actions. Propp would label the characters as Villain, Hero and the Princess.

There is a high angle of the Princess, Katrina, showing her powerlessness. Whereas there is a low angle on the Villain, Lady Van Tassel, this shows her power over the Princess. Low key lighting is used throughout, with brighter lighting used whilst the Princess confronts the Villain. The low key lighting is a convention of a mystery/ horror film. There's a tracking shot used to follow a unknown character on a horse riding through the woods. This character is unknown to the audience and also through the use of miss-en-scene we can tell that this character is a dark and scary character as their clothes are ripped and dark. The clothes also conceal the face of the being creating a mysterious character. The music used in this clip creates suspense and when certain events climax the music heightens. Specifically in this scene when this mysterious character appears and starts riding through the woods the music's pace fastens and  the music get louder creating suspense and unease. The weather in this clip is thundering and lightening (pathetic fallacy) which is a common convention of a mystery genre. Also you can see mist on the ground of the woods and around the windmill (which is the location where the Princess and Villain are) which shows the unknown and which also creates suspense because combined with the weather the audience don't know what is going to happen next.

Narrative Task

Clip 1, Skyfall (00:03:17)

In Skyfall, Propp would appoint the roles of the Villain, the Princess and the Hero to the three main characters you see in this clip. Levi Strauss's binary opposition is also shown in this clip which would be hero/ villain. 

In this clip the Princess is shown as weak and defenceless and in need to be rescued from the hero. You can tell this because in this specific scene the princess is tied up and covered in blood. She's resting against a fallen statue and is forced to participate in the villains game. 

The character Silva is the villain in this film. He is in control in this scene. You can tell this because he walks in front of Bond (hero) showing his power over him, he leads the "pack". He also talks about his power in the scene, talking about how he eliminated the whole island. Silva gets Bond to play games in this clip to. In his game they have to knock the glass off of the Princesses head. 

James Bond is the Hero in this narrative. He obey's or goes along with Silva's demands. The game that they play shows that Bond isn't in control and that he has to play Silva's Games throughout the film. A long shot is used to show the distance between Bond and the Princess. Bond wants to save the Princess, and he shoots and misses her and the glass but Silva kills her anyway. The music in this scene enhances drama and shows the action in the scene. In the narrative Silva asks Bond what he thinks about what just happened and he replies with "What a waste of good scotch" which is a trigger for the action to start. The non-diegetic music heightens and the action builds up. The James Bond theme tune (non-diegetic) plays after he has killed all of Silva's "minions"showing that Silva is no longer in control. 

The genre of this film is an action film. You can tell this because of the conventions. There are close ups of Guns and drama enhancing music which also creates suspense. 

Genre- Kill Bill (Vol.1)

Kill Bill (Vol.1)

The genre(s) that Kill Bill (Vol.1) falls into are Crime and Action. 

Automatically by looking at the film poster the audience gets the impression that its a Crime film because of the sword that is centre of the poster and is the main focus.

The film is in the action genre because the film is about a Bride waking from a four-year coma, having lost her unborn child and seeking revenge of all the people who betrayed her in the past. The audience will be expecting to be following the Bride on her journey to kill all the people who betrayed her in the past. The music will be expected to be fast paced and tense building suspense.
The tagline creates suspense because of the way its read because its almost as if its threatening people. 

Genre- Transformers

Transformers (2007) 

This film falls into the genre(s) Action, Adventure and also Sci-fi. The film has aspects of all featured within the feature. 

The conventions of the Sci-fi genre are clearly shown throughout the film. You can tell what the genre is for this film from the title of the film and also the film posters. The film poster for Transformers is of a giant metal machine positioned in the centre of the poster. This is a genre convention for Sci-fi films because of the machine (which is the 'Transformer'). 

The conventions of the genre 'Action' are visible on the film poster. On the poster you can see the Transformer in a stance that suggests battle along with the two main stars Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf under neath him also in a similar stance. 

The film itself is about the "good guys" to defeat the "bad guys" who are trying to take over the world which is a convention of an Action/ Adventure film. The lead female protagonist- Mikaela portrayed by Megan Fox- is a strong female and stands and faces all the adventure and action with the male protagonist which is also a common convention of a modern day Adventure and Action film. 

The audience for this film would expect big action fights and explosions, references of science throughout and the "good guys"prevailing and defeating the "bad guys". Also with the two lead protagonists being a male and a female, the audience would expect the two to come together and fall in love. 

Opening Scene of Kill Bill

In this opening scene from Kill Bill Volume I, a high angle has been used to capture The Bride (Uma Therman) which makes her look weak and defenceless. The diegetic sound shows realism, it also creates tension and anxiety because the Bride is breathing/ panting frantically (at the sight of this authoritative figure?) and you can also hear footsteps in the distance also creating tension as you cannot see who it is walking towards her. The close up of the Brides face shows how scared she is, you can also see blood covering her face showing that whoever it is who is walking towards her is hurting her. By using a close up you can see her emotion. Close ups of the persons feet are used to create mystery and the camera tracks them as they walk towards the Bride. The fact that you can't see the person who is walking towards her, automatically distinguishes that this person is of a higher authority than her.

In this scene you can see that from the camera angles and the use of mise en scene that the Bride is being represented as weak and defenceless.

Male Gaze Theory

This video is a clip from 'Transformers' (2007) starring Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf.