PPE Exam Preparation: Science Fiction Film: Lucy

Title: Lucy

Tagline: The average person uses 10% of their brain capacity. Imagine what she could do with 100%.

Sub-genre: Mutation

Narrative: The film starts off with Lucy's boyfriend who tricks her into delivering a briefcase to an apparent business contact but is then kidnapped by thugs who intend to turn her into a drug mule. She is surgically implanted with a package containing a powerful chemical but is tortured and the chemical leaks into her bloodstream, giving her these superhuman abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. Lucy then turns the tables at her captors and transforms into an unforgiving warrior evolved beyond human capabilities.

Characters: The main character, Lucy, links to the science fiction genre as she has heightened senses and abilities to manipulate electronics. This may appeal to an audience as the main character is a female, subverting the typical gender stereotypes that men are usually involved with action, therefore making women more interested in watching this film.

Setting: The movie is set on earth. However, it is linked to the sci-fi genre as during the end of the movie, Lucy begins a space time journey into the past and reaches the oldest discovery of mankind.

Mise-en-scene: weapons, fight scenes, dark atmospheres.

Institution: Produced by Canal+, Ciné+, EuropaCorp and TF1 Films Production.
Distributed in the UK by Universal Pictures International (UPI).

Director: Luc Besson.
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman.

IMDb rating: 6.4/10.
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%, 47% from audience.

Target Audience: 60% males, 40% females. Social class of BC1, likely to be in school or interested in action from the effect of drug use, includes some sexual content. Age rating of 15 years and over.

PPE Exam Preparation: Science Fiction Case Study 1: Independence day

Institutional background: 

Production company: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Centropolis Entertainment. Distributed by 20th Century Fox in the UK.

Genre and Media language analysis: 

Sub-genre: alien invasion. There are scenes throughout the film that suggests an invaded earth. For example in the trailer, the text on screen saying "we've always believed we weren't alone", which suggests how things which we thought were just fantasies are becoming a reality.

The narrative of the film fits the science fiction genre because it includes specific iconography that you would most likely see in this type of genre. For example, an atmospheric interference (a giant spacecraft), lasers and other different types of technology.

The main characters consists of a black family where Will Smith is the hero, subverting the stereotype of typical hero's and white Americans.

The mise-en-scène in Independence Day fits the science fiction genre as it includes lasers, explosions, spaceships, costumes/ gear, outer space and more.

Release Date:

UK release date: 9th August 1996.

Critical Reception:

IMDb: 6.9%
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%. 75% from the audience. 

Majority of the people enjoyed this movie however there were some negative reviews about this film. 

"It is a fun, happy, sad, charming, engrossing film to watch...time and time again."

"This film is one of the best of the decade, not simply because it works so well in an all-over scheme, but it provides some kicks that no other film had up to then (1996)."

"Personally I think this is the best movie of the 90's."

Box Office Success:

Budget: $75,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $50,228,264
Gross: $306,169,268
Independence Day, in my opinion, was a big box office success as it gained well over 2 and a half times the budget.

Stars and Directors:

Director: Roland Emmerich. He has also made other well known movies like The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, 2012 and more, all of which are  part of the science fiction genre.

Main star: Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller.

Will Smith has also starred in Men in Black, I Am Legend, Focus, I, Robot and many more hit films.

Throughout the whole trailer, the director, writer or stars are not mentioned.

Audience Pleasures:

Specific aspects such as explosions and action scenes would be enjoyable for an audience as it gives them visceral pleasure.

Key moments such as Will Smith attacking the aliens, the moment where the audience does not know whether he is going to make it, the conversations between Will Smith and his companion, the reunion between the president and his daughter are scenes that the audience would particularly enjoy as they give vicarious, visceral and voyeuristic pleasure.

Having a black American hero can subvert the typical stereotype of the generic type of heroes in a movie and changes the way black people are usually presented in movies. 

Target Audience: 55% male, 45% female. Social class of ABC1. People who enjoy science related things and have knowledge of scientific references and people who enjoy watching fictional movies, full of action as well as things they can connect with e.g family related.

Assignment 2: Writing a Film Pitch

Title: The Underdog

Genre: Action

Tagline: The tables have turned...

Logline: A 16 year old boy bullied throughout high school finally takes a step forward in life and starts training to box, seeking for revenge on his school acquaintances.

Narrative: An ordinary teenage boy who always kept his head down was bullied throughout high school but one day he decides to fight back. He would always keep quiet and do his work but something suddenly hits him. Literally. From then on his mindset totally changes. He spends his days studying but his nights training, hoping to be a professional fighter and stand up to those who looked down on him.

Characters:
Joe Smith (main character)
Cameron Wills (bully)

Setting: Set on earth. At first there is a flash back of parts of his high school life and how he was always bullied- set in school. The setting then changes to the present where the main character is in the gym

Similar Movies: Karate Kid

Target Audience: This movie will most likely appeal to teenagers and young adults who are mainly 80% male and 20% female. They are also perhaps in the ABC1 social class who may enjoy watching movies with lots of action and slight violence.

Assignment 2: Film Poster and Trailer Analysis of Spectre

Film poster key conventions:

The central image is of the main star, James Bond (Daniel Craig). It is a medium shot and he is looking directly at the camera, creating direct address while holding a gun perhaps hinting to the audience that this movie is of an action genre and may appeal to them. The title of publication is placed in the second third of the poster along with the tagline underneath it. The tagline '007' can also be seen as an image as it has a gun attached to it, again alluding that guns are a major part of iconography of this movie. The poster has no specific release date but instead has 'COMING SOON' along the bottom third. The use of a preview of the poster perhaps gives the audience a tease as to what the movie is about and to get people talking and excited about the movie. As this movie isn't out yet, it does not include any stars or critic reviews from newspapers or magazines, leaving the audience anticipated to know whether this movie is a hit. The film uses social media links at the very bottom but can be identifiable as it is a well-known logo. In this particular poster, there is no production blurb, but there are a few other posters that do include it. 

Film trailer key conventions:

The film trailer contains no specific names of the stars or directors, as well as any on-screen text. However, it does include the production company. The trailer does give a clear layout of the characters and the narrative of this movie, but the setting does change throughout, suggesting the amount of action that takes place in different areas of the world in the movie. It uses short clips and fast-paced editing of different scenes to give the audience an insight of the film to create drama and excitement. They include the different expressions of the characters face, the different props e.g. guns, the different lighting to create suspense and mystery.There is no specific release date said in the trailer but at the end it does mention that it is 'COMING SOON' - just like the poster - making it identifiable that this is a teaser trailer. The background music communicates to the audience the genre of this film due to the fast paced music, conveying that this is an action genre. There are no voice overs, only music and dialogue and perhaps some sound effects, grasping the audience's attention. There is diegetic sound like the conversations between the characters, explosions, helicopters etc... As well as some non-diegetic sounds like the mysterious music that plays in the background. Only we, the audience, can hear the intense music playing which builds up the excitement within us. At the very end of the trailer, they do include their known logo of '007' attached with a gun which is displayed as their official website too, along with the hashtag 'SPECTRE' and with what seems like the production blurb of the movie. 

Overall, I do think that the Spectre poster and trailer have successfully promoted their new release of the film due to its large marketing ways to make this film a hit. They've used stars in the film who are well known and a genre which intrigues many people. Considering that it is also a modern version of older movies such as James Bond, it makes the public more eager to watch the movie as it was such a big success.

Assignment 2: Film Case Study Research

Spectre

I have chosen Spectre  in particular because it is widely popular and has been trending worldwide. It is also a modern version of the classic James Bond movie, which can appeal to a very large audience. 

Institutional Background:
1)Spectre's production company are Eon Productions and Columbia Pictures. 

2) The UK theatrical distributor is Sony Pictures Releasing.

No Brand Loyalty:
1) Genre: Action, adventure, thriller.

2) The trailer hints that it is part of the action/ thriller genre because of its iconography and setting. The trailer shows us that there are guns, cars, car chases, violence and more which shows us a typical aspect of an action genre.

3) The main star of the movie is Daniel Craig (James Bond). He was also starring in the movies Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall, all of which were hit movies. Spectre was directed by Sam Mendes. He also directed Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and American Beauty which earned 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

It's all a matter of timing:
1) The UK release date for Spectre was the 26 of October, 2015. 

2) The earliest trailer that was out on YouTube was uploaded 7 months ago by 'Movieclips Trailers'.

3) Other examples of marketing were teaser trailers on YouTube and on TV, TV interviews, and it being displayed on the news.

It's a social thing:
1) The rating given on IMDb was 7.2 out of 10. Majority of the reviews were positive but there were a handful of users who did not like the movie, purely due to personal preference. The rating given on Rotten Tomatoes was 69%, 6.4 out of 10 and there were also a few people who did not like the movie either. Overall, I think that the public has given this movie a good review.

2) 'A swaggering show of  confidence'.

    'Another stellar outing for Bond'.

    'Spectre is by far one of the best bond films ever so far. It is amazing and exciting and leaves me wondering if the series can continue after'.

Risky Business:

1) The original budget for Spectre was estimated to be $245,000,000. 

2) In the opening weekend it made $70,403,148.

3) In total, the movie made $314,520,181.

4) Spectre made more than their budget, but not 2.5x the amount. Since it is a fairly recent release, I'd say that this movie will soon reach that amount and be a box office success due to its popularity.

Stars in their eyes:

1) The director, Sam Mendes, has previously directed Skyfall, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition, Away We Go, Jarhead and many more which are all of different genres.

2) The main star of Spectre is Daniel Craig who plays James Bond.

3) Daniel Craig has also appeared in Skyfall, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Defiance and more. 

These films are also quite similar to the main movie I've chosen as they all contain the genre of action.

4) Throughout the whole trailer, no names are mentioned.

Assignment 2: Genre and NCIS

Mad Max: Fury Road

Genre: Sci-fi

Narrative: A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in post apocalyptic Australia in search for her homeland with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max.

Character: The movie consists of a typical feud between a hero, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and a villain, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. The two hero's help the group of female prisoners find their home while Immortan Joe and his forces are on the hunt for them.

Iconography: There is plenty of iconography typical of the sci-fi genre: an advanced car, dystopia, a hero and a villain, a futuristic desert, explosions and mutation. All these are typically found in a sci-fi movie.

Setting: Regardless of the railer being 2 and half minutes long, it gives a clear insight that this movie is based in a deserted, dusty desert where you aren't always safe. They also show a long road perhaps to show their way of freedom from their prison.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Genre: Action

Narrative: A spy organisation recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Character: The characters are of a typical action movie. A poor Londoner who is chosen to be a Kingsman candidate, 'Gary "Eggsy" Unwin'. A Kingsman leader, agent and trainer. A trainee who befriends Eggsy. All these characters make a typical aspect of an action movie.

Iconography: There is plenty of iconography of this action genre: secret weapons (guns), explosions, chases, violence, secret lairs. All of these connect with the narrative of this movie and contribute to a good action movie.

Setting: During start of the trailer , we see that the main character, 'Eggsy', is part of the urban side of London. However, it then all changes and he is shown the posh and high-class setting where they are put through a series of challenges.

Poltergeist

Genre: Horror

Narrative: A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive.

Character: The characters consist of a young girl who has been abducted by supernatural creatures and her family who try to save her. This is seen in a typical horror movie where the young characters are usually the most naive and have the hardest time when dealing with the supernatural.

Iconography: There is plenty of typical iconography of this horror genre. For example, a haunted house, spirits, creepy dolls, rocking chairs, paranormal activity. All these are seen in a typical horror movie and it also links with the narrative, so we can confidently say that this is a horror.

Setting: Majority of this movie is set in a house in a nice neighbourhood where the family move into but then start to experience abnormal things and ends with the family moving out of the house to get away from their bad experience, but they are still trapped.

Assignment 1: Magazine Cover key conventions

Typography

Learner Response: Summer Research Project

Sensational start to life in GCSE Media Hardeka - well done.

WWW: Your summer research project, like all of your work so far is thorough and clearly the product of a great investment of time and effort. The formatting and content of the written work is very strong. 

EBI: I would like to see clearer ideas about target audience for LUCY

LR - in a new blog post answer the following...who was it aimed at? was there more than one audience for it? What gender were they? What other films will they watch? What media will they access? How much do they earn? What education have they had? Think of some similar questions and answer them too!

In my opinion, I think that Lucy is aimed for teenagers 15 and over as there are scenes that are quite inappropriate for younger children. I think this will attract more males than females especially since the main character is a female and can therefore be more intriguing for them to watch. They may also want to watch movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Avengers: Age of Ultron as they both have fight scenes as well as the fictional story line- mutation, super powers etc. It's more likely for this movie to be accessed by male iPhone users between the ages of 15-22 who may be students or even the working class who may be interested in drugs and fighting as well as the science behind it.

Camerawork: Minority Report shot-by-shot analysis

This is a medium close up shot of the antagonists lined up next to each other perhaps to seem more threatening and dangerous. This shot has enough background to show the audience this is set at a train station. The medium close-up also shows us that these people are wearing some sort of uniform, perhaps to convey they are the police. The fact that they are all looking in the same direction may suggest they have found what they were looking for.

This shows a long shot of the change in the scene to an alleyway where you can see Tom Cruise in the background running away from the police (as seen in the first picture). This hints that some action is about to take place, making the audience feel more tense. The main focus when you first look at this shot is the rusty car, perhaps to signify that this next scene is set in a dark, isolated place, adding to the tension.

The close up of Tom Cruise's face allows us to see the emotion in his face. This shows that he may be ready to surprise the audience to create a fast-paced scene, maybe to even create juxtaposition due to the differences in the scenes. However, just looking at the protagonist's face, he seems almost scared or weak and makes the audience feel sorry for him. 

Camera Shots: Photo Storyboard

Establishing shot- to show where this scene is located.

Long shot, high angle- to introduce the first character. A high angle suggests how this character may be vulnerable and weak.

Long shot, low angle- to introduce the second character who is portrayed as the villain/bully that is more strong and powerful.











Medium shot- to show the conversation happening between two students. The character on the left seems more confident than the character on the right as he looks like he is backing away out of fear.








Medium shot- this shot shows the action happening between the two characters. The bully is seen as a threat to the other student who is trying to defend himself and get away.

 

Extreme close up- to show the audience that the character is pulling out a "gun", hinting that something bad is about to happen.

 

Medium close up- to show the emotion in the character's face and his actions with a slight 'over-the-shoulder' shot as you can see the "gun" facing the character.

Medium close up- to show the character's facial expressions after the alarming scene. This shows that he seems pleased with himself as he got his revenge, perhaps due to some disagreement.

Long shot- this shows the aftermath of the traumatic scene, leaving the audience feeling more affected by what has happened.

Earth Colour Palette

Key Concepts Blog Tasks

X-Men: Days of the Future Past (2014)

Language: This film poster shows that it is a science fiction film because of its editing. The edits on the poster shows how each character have different characteristics. There are two characters that really stand out perhaps to convey that they are the main characters who may be more important that the rest of the characters. They also have a release date at the bottom of the poster, signifying that it's a new movie that will soon be out. The key conventions is perhaps the use of futuristic elements shown in the background. The poster may also suggest some sort of conflict between good and evil as it is usually cliché in classic superhero movies.

Institution: The film was produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and directed by Byran Singer (for 20th Century Fox). The box office of this movie was $748.1 million, making it the 6th highest grossing film of 2014.

Audience: The movie has a 12+ rating and I'd say this movie is more suitable for males than females within the age range between 12-30. However, as Jennifer Lawrence is one of the main characters, it may attract more women to watch this type of movie without the stereotype that superheros are more suitable for more males than females?

Representation: The use of costumes may suggest they may be superheroes with powers. It also looks like it is set in an alternative world that may include dystopia due to the explosions occurring in the background of the poster. If you look closely, you can also see humans flying which could suggest that the movie is set in the future representing scientific advancement.

Summer Research Project: Lucy

Key information about the film

Sub-genre:
The main sub-genre of Lucy is mutation as Lucy, the main character, experiences slight changes in her body and senses her growth in her physical and mental abilities such as telepathy, telekinesis, mental time travel, and to not be able to feel pain or other discomforts. 

Brief summary:
The film starts off with Lucy's boyfriend who tricks her into delivering a briefcase to an apparent business contact but is then kidnapped by thugs who intend to turn her into a drug mule. She is surgically implanted with a package containing a powerful chemical but is tortured and the chemical leaks into her bloodstream, giving her these superhuman abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. Lucy then turns the tables at her captors and transforms into an unforgiving warrior evolved beyond human capabilities. 

Setting:
The movie is set on earth. To be more specific, the film was shot in Taipei, Paris and New York City- not in an abnormal or different setting as it is almost seen as an undercover mission that no one knows about. However, it is linked to the sci-fi genre as during the end of the movie, Lucy begins a space time journey into the past and reaches the oldest discovery of mankind.

Characters:
The main character, Lucy, links to the science fiction genre as once the chemical has leaked into her system, she has heightened senses and abilities to manipulate electronics. This, perhaps, shows the development of new technology- but not with gadgets- within the human body.

Themes:
The movie consists of the development/application of new technology and new scientific principles such as being able to time travel and control things.

Trailer:

The institution behind the film

Production company:

EuropaCorp.

The cast:
Scarlett Johansson as Lucy, Morgan Freeman as Professor Samuel Norman, Choi Min-sik as Mr. Jang, Amr Waked as Pierre Del Rio.

What year the production company was released:
EuropaCorp was founded in 2000. 

Who runs/ owns the production company: 
EuropaCorp was founded by Luc Besson and Christopher Lambert, the CEO. 

What the production company is famous for:
EuropaCorp has also produced Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3- another well-known movie.

Budget and box office information: 

The budget was estimated at $40 million. Opening Weekend (USA): $43 million. Gross (USA): $126 million.

Critic Reviews: 

Lucy was nominated for the Saturn Award for the Best Action/Adventure Movie, the MTV Movie Awards for the Best Female Performance, The Jupiter Awards for the Best International Actress, came in 2nd place for the Village Voice Film Poll and 3rd place for the National Society of Film Critics Awards. According to the film website Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of the audience liked the movie. The average rating was 3.2 out of 5 and on IMDb, the average rating was 6.4 out of 10.

The Target Audience

I'd say that the audience would be for more older teenagers and adults. It's definitely not a family friendly movie as it includes violence that gets fairly graphic with lots of blood. There are also some flashback scenes of sex and the main character sometimes wears objectifying outfits. This movie also includes some inappropriate language. After acknowledging this, I'd recommend this movie to teenagers who are 16+ and adults up to the age of 25. This film is more on the action/adventure side so the percentage comparison between male and female would probably be 55% male and 45% female.

HSBC Different Values Campaign

Science Fiction Film Pitch

Key Details:

Group members:

Hardeka

Saffa

Ranyodh

Film title:

The Liberator

Science fiction sub-genre:

Dystopia

Mutation

Brief narrative:

Mankind has been wiped by these enormous robots that live on an alternative version of earth. Five 15 year old teens try to fight the robots and bring back human life. The robots have futuristic technology and are able to see the future, so have kept the humans in a factory, away from earth. They know that earth is soon to collide with an asteroid, so they take all the humans from earth and keep them safe in their own world. The five teenagers do all they can to save the earth, but are they actually doing the right thing?

Budget Breakdown:

Director:
A list- $10 million

Cast:
B list- $10 million

Filming locations:
USA- $20 million
Large set- $12 million

Cameras:
4K HD cameras- $5 million

Editing:
Heavy CGI editing- $5 million

CGI/Special effects:
Futuristic version of earth- $8 million
Explosions- $5 million

Sound:
Sound effects- $2 million
Traditional film- $3 million

Marketing:
Print advertising campaign in English-speaking countries- $10 million

Writer:
Successful Hollywood writer- $2 million

TOTAL COST: $92 MILLION

I think that this film would be successful because it slightly goes against the general idea that robots are usually the bad "people" in a film. This also represents kids as part of the main characters as they have super powers to look after and figure things out for themselves, also contradicting the stereotype of adults being the main characters. As well as this, throughout the movie there is not one specific character that stands out-each character will be presented equally. All in all, I believe that this movie would attract many young adults/ teenagers or even families with children.

Textual Analysis

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2015)

Genre:

The Hobbit fits into the mutation sub-genre of the sci-fi genre. The types of props and wars may suggest time travel may also be a sub-genre with this movie and may be set in a different world to ours.

Key conventions: 
The type of shots this movie shows may seem like this is set in a different era and in an alternative version of earth supporting my reasoning as to why I think this includes a mutation narrative as it it reflects human but with animal characteristics, which cannot be possible on earth. The use of the text "OF THE MIDDLE AGED SAGA" may show how this may have been a medieval drama, set in Middle-earth 60 years before the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The use of chariots may suggest how this was set in the past as there wasn't any technology used or shown in the trailer.

Target Audience:
The target audience for this movie may be for 14-25 year olds. The Hobbit was given a 12A rating so it is suitable for teenagers. This may attract more males than females (70% males, 30% females).

Interstellar (2015)

Genre:
Interstellar fits into space/time travel and experimental science. The use of space ships may show that there is some sort of alien invasion going on but it isn't exactly featured in the clip. However, the use of space travel may blatantly hint that it is the main story line.

Key Conventions:
The film techniques involve the use of futuristic technology and scientific elements. It is set in the future with the development and application of new technology and new scientific principles.This could symbolise the scientific advancement due to the futuristic props they use. The whole story consists of Earth coming to an end which suggests the use of time travel as explorers undertake a mission to travel beyond the galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future. The use of time travel also shows how there are futuristic props used.

Target Audience:
The target audience for Interstellar may be for 13-20 year olds. They also suggest that the movie is suitable for 12 years and older. This could also be a family movie as Interstellar consists of lots of sci-fi as well as action and drama, which can easily grab the audiences attention and entertain them. If I were to use some statistics, I'd say that 60% of males would watch this movie and 40% would be females.

Ex_Machina (2015):

Genre:
This movie consists of intense psychological thrill that fits into the experimental science and a hint of dystopia sub-genres of the sci-fi genre. As well as this, the movie generalises about a robot built with human features that learns emotions over time.

Key Conventions:
The opening shots show that it is set on Earth, possibly during this time. It shows how a coder gets involved with an experiment that consists of futuristic props (robots). This could possibly convey the conflict between good and evil which is soon obvious nearer to the end of the trailer. The change in music from mysterious to fast action music symbolises the speed and fast-paced editing of the trailer of things that start to go downhill and disastrous- perhaps to assert that the development and advancement of new technology isn't always beneficial.

Target Audience:

The suitable age range given is for 15 year olds and over. I'd say the target audience for Ex_Machina is 15-25 year olds. I'd also say that gender wise, it would be 50% for males and 50% for females as it consists of a woman ""housed in the body of a beautiful robot" and includes a lot of adventure/action elements which can be very appealing to most men. However it can also be appealing for females as it also has some romance elements within the story line.