Assignment 3.1 Unit 3: Single Camera Drama Research Portfolio
My IntroductionI am conducting secondary research to develop some understanding of camera angles and if i can take some ideas from certain films and include them in my own way. I am doing this to get a feel of single camera drama, and certain dynamics that are included within it. I am looking forward to researching different films as it gives me insight on each directors view of things which is interesting. Cons of doing this is to make sure that i find a reliable source of information so i would refrain from using wikepidia as people can go on to that and put false information. Pros of this research is finding out new things such as camera angles and the way they are used.
Film Number 1: Taken
Factual information:
Director: Pierre Morel
Year of release: 2008 September 26th
Main cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Lelan Orser, Katie Cassidy and Arben Bajraktaraj.
Other relevant information:
Producers include: Luc Besson, Pierre-Ange, Le Pogam, India Osborne, Irwin Winkler and Jill cutler.
Screenplay: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Budget: $25 million
Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Action
Narrative elements:
Basic Plot: Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Then his worst fears become real when sex slavers abduct Kim and her friend shortly after they arrive in Paris for vacation. With just four days until Kim will be auctioned off, Bryan must call on every skill he learned in black ops to rescue her.
Setting: City and streets of Paris.
The film Taken has a closed ending, Bryan found his daughter and was saved from the hands of the auctioneers.
Characters:
The hero of this film was Bryan because without his skills and knowledge his daughter would not have been saved.
Villain of the film is Marko who orchestrate's the kidnappings of young girls who come into the country.
The purpose of Bryan was to use his specific set of skills to find his kidnapped daughter with little time. Marko was the reason for all these kidnappings and ruined several lives.
Themes:
The first theme is love of family is the most important thing. The second Theme is rich vs poor. The first theme looks into what one person would go through to get someone they love back. The second theme looks into the different life status that people live in. We see in the film that Kim's stepdad is very rich and could buy anything; however we then see how other people live when they go over to Paris and get kidnapped.
Audio elements:
There were several scenes that had a very exciting score which made the visual look even more exciting. However their was a certain scene where he managed to save another girl from a very bad situation who had his daughters jacket. He looked down at the jacket and the music was so sad and slow it made a huge difference to the scene and put a sad pressure on the scene.
Camera Shots:
A close up was used in the scene where she is hiding under the bed talking to her father on the phone.
A deep focus shot was used when Kim and her friend were waiting for a taxi showing all faces in the background.
Camera angle of kim hiding under the bed
Camera angle of kim hiding under the bed
Film number 2: Insidious
Factual information:
Director: James Wan
Year of release: 2011 April 29th
Main casts: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins and Andrew Astor
Other relevant information:
Screenplay: Leigh Whannell
Budget: $1.5 million
Running time: 102 minutes
Genre: Horror
Narrative elements:
Basic plot: Parents (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne) take drastic measures when it seems their new home is haunted and their comatose son (Ty Simpkins) is possessed by a malevolent entity.
Setting: Most of the setting was in the Lambert's house.
The film Insidious had an open ending because although Josh Lambert got his son back from the dark place he had travelled to he bought his old entity back with him who had possessed him which made a way for the second film insidious 2.
Characters:
The hero of this film was Josh who had the courage to travel out of his body to find his son. He had the help of Elise to guide him through.
Villain of the film was the lipstick face demon who wanted to take over Dalton's body.
Themes:
Theme 1 is demonic possession and theme 2 is families in crisis. We see both themes are strongly included in this film. Theme 1 is seen quite a lot with sign's that dark entity's are around. Family crisis is seen particularly when Josh unnecessarily stays back at work so that he can avoid the big situation at home which is his son.
Audio elements:
Sound affects were used for the lipstick faced demon when he screamed behind Josh's mother.
Camera shots:
A low angle shot was used when Dalton looked up at the demon. This shot showed how tall the demon was compared to the child.
A dolly zoom is used when Josh is sat in the chair ready to travel out of his body to find his son.
Film number 3: Pompeii
Factual information:
Director: Paul W.S Anderson
Year of release: 2014 20th February
Main cast: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Adewale Akinnuoye, Jarred Harris, Sasha Roiz and Jessica Lewis.
Other relevant information:
Producers include: Jeremy Bolt, Paul W.S Anderson, Robert Kulzer and Don Carmody.
Screenplay: Janet Scott Batchler, Lee Batchler and Michael Robert Johnson.
Budget: $80 million
Running Time: 104 minutes
Genre: Action
Narrative elements:
Basic plot: In 79 A.D., Pompeii, a bustling port city, stands in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Milo (Kit Harington), a former slave, is a gladiator who has caught the eye of Cassia (Emily Browning), a wealthy merchant's daughter. However, their difference in social status is not the only obstacle to their love; Cassia has been promised to Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland), a corrupt Roman senator. When the eruption of Mount Vesuvius rains lava and ash down on the city, Milo races to save her before it's too late.
Setting: Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, Ancient Rome and Amphitheatre
This film probably has the most closed ending of all of the films i have done due to the fact that every single person dies as the result of mount Vesuvius.
Characters:
The hero of this film is young Milo because despite of what happens he still goes back for Cassia and manages to save her life from the destruction around them.
The Villain is Corvus who tries to take Cassia back to Rome for himself.
Themes:
theme 1 is love theme 2 is freedom. In the final scene of Pompeii we see that the love between the two characters Milo and Cassia is so strong that they died with one another, one would not leave the other. The second theme is included in this film due to the slaves that had to fight for their lives in the Amphitheatre. However when the destruction of the volcano hits it did not matter if you were a slave or a wealthy man. The only thing that mattered was surviving.
Audio elements:
Sound effects were used in the fighting pits and to make the earthquake noise.
Camera shots:
A Aerial Shot was used to shoot the volcano. Also a top shot was used to shoot the scene showing the people run for their lives.
TV Program 1 The Vampire Diaries- TV Series
Factual information:
Director: Marcos Siega
Year of broadcast/ release: 2009 10th September
Main Cast: Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesely, Candice King, Kat Graham, Joseph Morgan, Steven R.MC Queen and Michael Trevino.
Other relevant information:
Producers include: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Leslie Morgenstein, Bob Levy, Caroline Dries, Melinda HSU Taylor, Chad Fiveash and James Stoteraux.
Number of seasons: 8
Running time: 41-44 minutes
Format and Genre:
Series
This TV series has several genres which include teen drama, supernatural drama, horror, fantasy and romance.
Narrative elements:
Summary: The vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore, eternal adolescents, having been leading "normal" lives, hiding their bloodthirsty condition, for centuries, moving on before their non-aging is noticed. They are back in the Virginia town where they became vampires.
Setting: The pilot episode was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the rest of the episodes have been filmed in Covington, Georgia (which doubles as the show's fictional small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia).
Due to the vampire brothers gaining immortality they have lived for a century now. In this TV series several flashbacks are used to show how life was back in their time and to fill in the events that had happened to them in the past. They use flashbacks multiple times in an episode for different characters.
Narration is used during scenes of characters reflecting on their lives.
Themes: Love plays an important role throughout The Vampire Diaries, and it is through the romance that plays out between Elena and Stefan that the drama of the story is expressed.
Audio elements:
Sound effects are used for the vampires biting into the necks of humans.
Camera Shots:
Close ups are used for intense emotional scenes.
A dolly zoom was also used showing Damon and Stefan drinking in their home.
TV Program 2 Sherlock- A Serial
Factual information:
Written by: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Stephen Thompson.
Original release: 2010 25th July
Main Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss, Amanda Abbington and Andrew Scott.
Other relevant information:
Producers include:
- Mark Gatiss
- Steven Moffat
- Beryl Vertue
- Rebecca Eaton
- Bethan Jones
- Sue Vertue
Original Network: BBC ONE
Running time: 85-90 minutes
Format and Genre: Serial, Crime Drama
Narrative elements:
Using his detective plots, Sherlock Holmes lives in early 21st century London and acts more cocky towards Scotland Yard's detective inspector Lestrade because he's actually less confident. Doctor Watson is now a fairly young veteran of the Afghan war, less adoring and more active.
Setting: The series is primarily filmed in Cardiff, Wales, with North Gower Street in London used for exterior shots of Holmes and Watson's 221B Baker Street residence.
Themes:
Friendship, Social
Audio elements:
There are several theme songs that are used in this program.
Camera shots:
Close ups were used several times. A deep focus shot was also used when Sherlock was in the streets of London.
Audio elements:
There are several theme songs that are used in this program.
Camera shots:
Close ups were used several times. A deep focus shot was also used when Sherlock was in the streets of London.
Summary
Doing this secondary research has helped develop information about different types of camera angles and how they were used in scenes for different moments.
Doing this secondary research has helped develop information about different types of camera angles and how they were used in scenes for different moments.
