THRILLER PLANNING : FONTS

Fonts are a hugely important factor when I comes to the opening of a film. If the font is wrong, it can completely alter the first impression that is given by the opening. 

In our film, we have chosen to use fonts that are particularly ‘gritty.’ This fits well as we are attempting to create something that is along the lines of British Gangster which is in itself a particularly ‘gritty’ theme.

We decided to name our film white noise, to present the title, I wanted to choose something that could be seen as particularly formal but didn't seem as though it was an approachable font. This is why I looked at 2 fonts called ‘Google Spies’ and ‘Slaves Only Dream To Be King.’ These are 2 fairly similar fonts which will help to create similar connotations and images. To me, the second of the two fonts stands out and matches the theme much more than the first.

In my final decision on what to choose for the title of the film, I went with ‘Slaves Only Dream To Be King.’ This was simply based on the fact that it was a much less structured font. It seems much less put together than ‘Google Spies’ which, to me, seems to fit much better in the sense that both characters in our film are presented to be crooked. I also like the idea of animating this font slightly so there is an almost jittery movement which can make the font itself seem more fragment and put together.

The name of our production company was similarly important in the sense that this is one of the parts of the film that has the potential to ruin the intended theme of the film and similarly, if we were trying to present our business, using a type face that completely contrasts the theme of the film could potentially make you seem unprofessional and could leave your film being seen in a sense that is unprofessional.

I have chosen 3 similar fonts that, again that are slightly eroded. I felt like the idea of disintegrating, eroded fonts were ones that would fit very well with the connotations and personas we were aiming to create. At first I wasn’t sure what sort of font would fit well for this particular title but decided something that was slightly more structured than what was used for the overall titles but still had a sense of decay would fit perfectly as it makes the name of our production company seem slightly less important than the title of the overall film and in my opinion, this is easily achieved by using something on a much smaller scale that seems more formal. The 3 fonts I’ve chosen have these formal but eroded features in an attempt to establish a more serious tone for the company.

Out of these 3 fonts, I have chosen to use ‘Waste Of Time.’ This is a font that is much more simple than the others and only has touches of the erosion, leaving it legible but  giving it an edge that fits well with our themes and ideas. 

 Lastly, I looked at fonts that would be suitable to appear when characters are being introduced. For this, I wanted a much more professional font that would be completely legible, making every word that appears, seem like a stand out statement. With this in mind, I’ve chosen 2 fairly basic but ‘stand out’ font. The first being a much more archaic and elegant font, which in my opinion wouldn’t be one that gelled well with the film. With this in mind I then chose my second font which became my chosen font to incorporate into my film. This, to me, is a font that seems much more abrupt, which is what I wanted, making characters names and other details focal points. Using upper case letters in this is something I was interesting in trying which became an idea I want to take through the whole of my use of fonts in the edit.

To me using upper case is a much more intrusive and abrupt way to add titles and to me this would fit perfectly with my ideas for the film. This is why I chose my second choice of font and chose to use it in upper case. To me, my second choice stood out to me as a much more neutral but stand out font as there are no unneeded extras to distract away from the basic intentions of the title. This to me is a much smarter, more clean idea.

FINAL CHOICES

DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EXTRACT FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH CONSTRUCTS THE REPRESENTATION OF CLASS AND STATUS USING CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES, MOVEMENT, COMPOSITION, EDITING, SOUND, AND MISE EN SCENE.

DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EXTRACT FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH CONSTRUCTS THE REPRESENTATION OF CLASS AND STATUS USING CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES, MOVEMENT, COMPOSITION, EDITING, SOUND, AND MISE EN SCENE.

The extract from Our Friends in the North shows 2 couples in confrontation over a meal in a busy restaurant.

The composition of this extract leaves the character’s faces constantly in the segments of the shot that comply with the rule of thirds. This makes sure the viewer’s eye is always drawn to the key parts of the clip making sure no vital parts of body language or speech are missed. Keeping their faces in the rule of thirds also allows the viewer to see where the power lies. If a person’s face is on the point where 2lines cross then that draws the viewer’s eye to that point, making it the focal point of that shot which emphasises power by making sure attention is kept on that character. At the beginning of this extract, all four characters seem to be on a similar level of control and power with all four of them, when in shot, being on the cross points of the lines that occur when using the rule of thirds. As this clip goes on the shots become much more claustrophobic and this doesn’t apply anymore. Now, instead of all four characters being on the cross point of the line, there is now no more than one person in shot at a time that aligns with these thirds, emphasising power. This links to class in the sense that when the clip becomes more intense, the composition of the shot changes. The working class characters are seen being off theses cross points whereas, the lady of middle class stays in the focal point of the frame.

This links well with the types of shot used. Class is shown very well when it comes to the confrontation part of the extract. The working class people are shown in a high angle shot type, making them seem small and inferior compared to that of the middle class, being shown in a lower angle shot, making her seem much more powerful than people of the working class. This pattern is continued throughout the extract until the end when two of the working class characters are seen to be getting up and leaving the table. This is when there is almost a complete change in roles. The camera pans up to leave both working class characters overlooking the middle class with a low angle shot in place which then cuts to the opposite side of the table with a high angle shot.

This shows how effective angles can be in a shot. Especially when establishing a character. The use of high and low angle shots not only creates tension in the confrontation but also highlights the way in which the class system worked at that time, first off showing the working class and below the middle, physically shown by using high and low angle shots. There is the occasional tilt shot which helps to emphasis the confusion the characters are feeling when comments are being made about things that the other half of the table may not agree with.

 We also see a master shot being used in this extract which is essentially a shot that is referred back to multiple times. This creates an interception between the classes that have clearly been established. This master shot takes the attention from the heated confrontation, created by the angled shots. This then links to the mise on scene in the shot.

The mise on scene is used very efficiently in this extract in terms of costume and set. The costume in this clip is very effective in establishing the class of the two parties. The first party who are seated are seen in a suit and a dress that seems fit for the occasion. As the second party is seated, the woman can be seen wearing a much more formal costume, thus belittling that of the working class. Similarly the setting allows the idea of class to be established easily. Linking back to the idea of a master shot, the setting works in a way that allows a master shot to take place that completely intercepts the conversation and creates a diversion in the conversation. This helps to establish class in the way that the only people that are seen to be talking to the staff member and actually listening to what he has to say are that of the working class, the lady of middle class seems to ignore him, holding her stare.

The sound in this extract is used effectively in showing class in terms of the accents used. The working class are seen to much less well rounded accents, using slag and language they feel is appropriate that may not be considered in the same way by someone of a much higher class. This is almost the complete opposite of the way the middle class are portrayed. She speaks in a manner that is associated with someone of a much higher class. Not only just she speak more highly but she also is much more wary of her surroundings in the sense that she politically corrects things that people of the working class say that she doesn’t think are correctly. Sound is used in a way that creates tension in a similar sense that when the confrontation between the 2 groups becomes more intense, the background and diegetic sound levels drop and the conversation becomes the focal point of the clip, rather than their surrounding which in a way almost contrasts with the idea of representing class as it almost puts every person in the situation on the same level. 

DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EXTRACT FROM ‘SKINS’ CONSTRUCTS THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER AND POWER USING CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES, MOVEMENT, COMPOSITION, EDITING, SOUND AND MISE EN SCENE.

DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EXTRACT FROM ‘SKINS’ CONSTRUCTS THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER AND POWER USING CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES, MOVEMENT, COMPOSITION, EDITING, SOUND AND MISE EN SCENE.

In this clip we see characters Cassie and Sid in confrontation over lunch. They’re seen to be sitting opposite each other at the table and are in conversation about eating.

Cassie and Sid are sat in a way that allows them to be seen sitting directly in the segments that are part of the rule of thirds. This is a compositional technique that allows power to be emphasised or make a person seem the opposite. At the start of the clip, both characters are seen to be in similar segments implying they have the same levels of power and authority. As the clip goes on and the confrontation becomes more intense, the positions in the thirds change. Sid remains in the same third, directly on the line that your eye is drawn to but as Cassie becomes more agitated she is no longer on the same level. Composition is similarly key in looking at the actions of both characters. Cassie as a person is out of the powerful view point but her actions are not. When she is messing about with the food and showing Sid what she does to convince people that she has eaten, her hands are in the area that the viewer’s eye is automatically drawn to.

Similarly, the camera angles in this clip are just as important as they help to belittle Cassie’s character and time goes on. Again, as she becomes more agitated, Sid’s character is seen to be more authoritative. When looking at both of them, there are multiple different angles used but the most prominent ones used are the low and high angle shots. Sid is made to look as the he is looking down on Cassie and she is looking up to him. This connotes power in the sense that Cassie is showing a weakness to Sid and he is using that to his advantage, making her look weak and himself more powerful. Similarly, the clip shows many shots that may seem distorting or confusing. As the intensity of the clip increases, so does the shot variety and amount of different angles used. The tilt shots used create more of a theme of confusion and make what Cassie is doing seem even more confusing.

The shot variation helps to make the clip more confusing and distorting, there are lots of jump cuts as the scene goes on which again, help to create a more confusing scene. As Cassie gets repeatedly more wound up, the cuts become more erratic and frequent. The fast and frequent cuts create a more intense atmosphere, this this also seen in the way that the camera cuts from Cassie’s hands and her actions, to her face, to Sid’s face and repeats this in an ongoing cycle. The cycle enhances the idea of Sid’s power over Cassie, Cassie’s weakness when it comes to eating but also the confusion both characters are feeling in the situation. As the situation intensifies, the shots become less wide and we can see more close ups and extreme close ups. These reiterate the severity of the situation and allow us to see how both characters are feeling and how the situation is effecting both of them. In terms of Sid we see him becoming increasingly more confused and lost in her actions but Cassie seems to become more excitable and lost in herself and her actions rather than being confused like Sid. The extreme close ups help us to gain a more in-depth view of the character’s feelings and immediate reactions to events.

The editing of this clip links hugely well with the shot variation. This clip is edited in such a way that makes a scene more distorting than it may be if it was edited in a much less erratic way. The speed in which the shots change and the characters are viewed from different angles is an example of a good way editing can be used to distort and confuse a viewer.

The movement in this clip is important in the sense that without the erratic movements, the clip would lose intensity and the severity of the situation would be missed. Movement is hugely important in drama as it reinforces situations. For example, in this clip, if shots were cut in a smooth and rational way, it would lose effectiveness and seem much more light-hearted. In the case of this clip, the jumpy movements and quick cuts reiterate the effectiveness of movement. Movement used in this way really highlights the power difference between the 2 characters but also shows weakness more than it shows power. The movement helps us to focus on Cassie making her weakness more apparent but also giving her strength to open up about something that she feels in personal which then shows us an almost contrasting part of her personality showing that she’s also incredibly power hungry and wants to be able to ‘fit in’ but it’s almost as if she’s been suppressed and this is almost an outburst which is reinforced by the movement of the camera.

Mise en scene is a huge part of creating effect, especially in this clip. The setting of it is hugely important as it enhances the intensity of Cassie’s actions. As both characters sit in a busy canteen surrounded by busy people who seem to be paying no attention to their conversation. This to me intensifies the scene as it highlights the agitation Cassie is feeling as she seems to become increasingly more aware of her surroundings and her actions and movements become much more frequent. This links alongside the amount and speed of the cuts that begin to occur as her personality changes. Mise en scene is effective in the same sence in terms of their costumes. Sid wear dark, baggy clothes, with the darkness of them connoting more strength. Cassie’s clothing seems to be the exact opposite of this, being lightly coloured and tight fitted, making her look much more well presented, implying she is more aware of people’s opinions and more conscious of her surroundings and Sid’s the exact opposite.

The sound of this clip is not a huge feature of this clip but the way in which the sound is edited is key in showing the power Sid has over Cassie. Cassie’s voice is much quieter and more fragmented that Sid’s who’s voice stays cool and calm and seems to be much louder and more over powering than hers.