Get Hard is a 2015 American comedy/crime film, directed by Israeli director - Etan Cohen. With screenplay written by Cohen, Jay Martel and Ian Roberts. Popular actors starring in this Gary Sanchez productions/Warner Bros. film include: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie, Edwina Findley and Craig T. Nelson. The entirety of the film was produced in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The film was released on March 27th, 2015 and received negative critics, however achieved financial success as it accumulated over $111 million. Filming began on March 17, 2014 in New Orleans and ended May 14th 2014. This period of principal photography had an estimated budget of $40,000,000 and was therefore successful in redeeming this.
Target Audience
The primary target audience for this genre would be individuals aged 15+, due to the inclusion of moderate sex/nudity, some violence, moderate swearing/offensive language and mild use of alcohol/drugs/smoking. The film also includes more mature themes and humour which I believe, is targeted at an older audience.
Analysis
The movie begins with a black screen- displaying only the name of the production company. The white lettering stands out from the black background, making it easy to read.
The screen then cuts to just black. This does so for 2 seconds: separating the introductory shot of the production company name, from the next shot. Collectively, the first and second shots seem longer combined as they share the same black background. This creates anticipation from the audience and it prolongs the time that they have to wait before the movie starts.
The next shot is of a man crying. This is a mid-shot, allowing the viewer to clearly see the suit that he is wearing. One reason for this could be to emphasise the importance of this character through the use of formal dress. This is emphasised by the fact that he is the first character that we are introduced to. On the other hand, this shot could have been used to make the viewer feel almost uncomfortable by the close proxemic between them and the character. This could be showing us that this character is more powerful than us. Furthermore, his over ruling of the screen space could be representative of the role that he plays within the movie as the main character.
Additionally, the sound used here is quite repetitive. This then suggests that the characters life is repetitive. The audience could connote
The camera then slowly zooms out. This gives the audience the impression that the character is loosing power. This is because he begins to take up less space on the screen which therefore connotes his loss of power.
Forrest Gump is a 1994 comedy, drama starring popular actor: Tom Hanks. This phenomenal film is directed by Robert Zemeckis with screenplay written by Eric Roth, and is based off of a novel written by Winston Groom. Other roles in Forrest Gump were performed by Robin Wright, Sally Field and Mykelti Williamson. There were multiple different settings for this movie. All filming locations were located in the USA, despite the representation of some of the scenes being in other countries.
Target Audience
I believe that the target audience for this movie would be anybody aged 15 and above because of the inclusion of swearing, violence, graphic scenes and slight nudity. Perhaps the director intended for an older audience, however considering these elements and the extent to which each is portrait, I don't think that the movie would be inappropriate for this aged audience. Additionally, the film could be viewed by either a male or female audience as there is no more of a portrayal of women than there is men. The representation of characters within the film is evenly distributed over the two genders. Although it's important to note that we do see a bolder representation of disabled people, given that the main character- Forrest Gump - is mentally challenged.
Analysis
In this scene, we see a white feather gently falling from the sky. The feather falls from the middle of the shot, and gradually moves towards the camera. The background is darker and so the white feather contrast with this, making it stand out. This helps to focus the audiences attention towards the subject matter. The contrast between the two could have been used by the director to foreshadow the separation between Forrest Gump and the rest of society. Later on in the film, we see a differentiation between Forrest and the other characters because of his mental disability. Considering this, it would be an interesting technique to have incorporated this idea within the opening scene of the movie.
Non-diegetic piano plays in the background of this opening scene. The delicate sound compliments the imagery of a feather, boasting the idea that this movie will be some what emotional. The camera then pans down to some buildings in a city/town setting. Again, there is contrast in the sound and imagery shown here. Cities are often busy and so the soft, slow music contradicts the assumption that we have of this scene.
The feather then circles around the title of the movie, which in itself is simplistic and reminiscent of the character of Forrest Gump. This could have been used to bring focus to the title. Additionally, the white text can be seen clearly set against the darker background. However the text is not too dominant and as a result, our attention still stays predominantly with the feather which is the only moving object on the screen. The focal point stays with the feather that falls gently down the screen.
The camera pans up gradually with the feather as it moves slightly upwards. The camera then falls back down slowly and continues moving to the left. The upwards movement could have been used to keep the audiences attention as it adds dimension and movement to the shot. The continuation of the leftward movement may have been used to not disorientate the audience. Likewise, the camera doesn't face directly upwards or downwards, which would have made the viewer feel uneasy.
A tracking shot has been used here, alongside a high angle. This helps to establish a setting as the
audience can see a location. Moreover, the high angled shot has been used to show how insignificant and small the feather is when compared to the buildings, the people and the rest of the mise en scene. This representation works in unison with the later characterisation Forrest Gumps segregation from the rest of the poplation. Including and recognising this visual, emphasises the narrative of the film.
Then, the same feather can be seen interacting with characters but they don't acknowledge it. The director may have incorporated this detail to signify the lack of attention that people pay to the smaller details. Later, this idea is increasingly relevant as it is shown through the lack of inclusion Forrest faces.
This is also a wide shot, helping to emphasise the scale between the feather and the rest of the objects within the shot. Again, the insignificance of the feather is shown as it brushes over the large cars and people. Here, we can see a visual comparison between the different sized objects. Also, we see full body shots of the passers by as well as a shot of the mans role body, enabling us to see his posture and physical behaviour. This begins to characterise him before we learn more about him from his dialogue.
There's a close up shot of the mans feet, wearing dirty shoes. Here we can see a contrast between the white, pure and clean feather and the dirt on the shoes. The feather lands on his shoe and therefore stands out. This direct contact with Forrest Gump is what first introduces the audience to him. Perhaps the choice of soft sounds and delicate imagery is used to portray the character of Forrest as a innocent figure. Also, the dirty shoes could be suggestive of his lack of social awareness, considering his willingness to wear these in public. They may also be representative of his previous adventures- suggesting that he has experienced a variation of different things.
Another shot that we see is where Forrest picks up the feather from off of his shoe. Unlike the people that we'd seen previously, he acknowledges the feather by picking it up. This boasts the idea that he isn't like the rest of society, as he goes against what we see the others do. A pedestal movement has been used to take the positioning of the camera from his feet to his face. Instead of tilting the lens up, we see that the camera moves upwards at the same angle. This helps to establish a clear image of the characters appearance, untainted by obscure eagles.
Here we can see a mid shot. This captures Forrests' suit, which is clean- unlike his shoes. Including this in the mise en scene, creates ambiguity. The audience may be surprised that the same man who can wear the dirty shoes, can also wear such a clean, smart suit. It makes us question how he came to have such a contrasting outfit. The camera then moves vertically and slightly downwards to meet a suitcase. After opening it, we see that the contents are very neat. Again, this could be a representation of how Forrest is a very ordered individual. We begin to develop an idea of what his behaviour and character may be like.
There is then a cut from this continuous take, to a long shot of a bus pulling into the shot. From this, we can see a comparison between the size of Forrest and the bus. The interruption that the bus causes to the scene could be symbolic of the disruption we see later in the film. This shot largely contrasts with the detailed, delicate and soft shots that have been used to establish the movie.
I chose to analyse the 1970’s version of the movie ‘A Handmaids
Tale’. It’s based on a popular novel by author Margaret Atwood. The movie
intrigues me as it explores feminist, socialist and political issues. This is
portrayed by the female antagonist, Offred. I believe that she is a collective representative of the suppressed women living in this dystopian world. Her experiences mimic those of the other women and show how a seemingly normal person, common to our own society, would cope when faced with the rules and expectations forced upon her in this new society. Because of this, the rapport built between the audience and the character is much stronger.
The director
‘Volker Schlondorff’ deliberately included uncomfortable imagery in order to
emphasise the negative feelings of the characters. The director has included
scenes which are intended to make the audience feel uncomfortable. In one
scene, we are shown a still longshot of three people hanging by ropes from a
building. The camera often pauses on the most uncomfortable scenes. This
prolongs the audience’s exposure to this disturbing imagery and therefore
creates the feeling of vulnerability and inclusion to the movie/as though the
audience were a character in the movie. The feelings and experiences of the
characters can be imitated in this. Furthermore we are given a broader
understanding of the character's viewpoint through seeing/being exposed to the
same scenes as them.
Furthermore, in order to disorientate the audience, the editor has included jump cuts. These have been used to show flashbacks and can be seen throughout the movie, but most importantly - where Offred reminisces about her previous life. These are very noticeable as they are used to cut together contrasting scenes to establish a clear difference in the two lives that Offred has lived. In some shots we see the film jump from the current day (in context of film), to a few years previous. This discontinuity ultimately, provokes the audience to acknowledge the progression of the character alongside the change in the societies dynamics. The mise-en-scene in 'A Handmaids Tale' is very basic. Despite the dystopian theme, the objects and the rest of the set design that we see in the film aren't futuristic. Whereas an audience may expect sci-fi style probs, we in fact see basic furniture such as: chairs, tables and sleeping bags. However the costume differentiates slightly form our own reality, in that the costume of the women is decided by their social status. For example, the Handmaids wear red, the commanders wives wear blue and the Martha's wear dusty brown/greys. This then visually separates the different characters.
The main sounds within the film are diegetic. We can hear birds,
cars and the sounds of people talking in the background of a majority of the
scenes. An example of where diegetic sounds are used is in one of the first
scenes where the women are in the large hall, next to their beds. We can hear
the sound of heels hitting the floor as the women in charge of the handmaids
parole up and down the rows of women. This creates the feeling of anxiety as
the silence aside from this sound, emphasises the tension in the room.
When talking about the media, what do we mean by the “Big Six”?
The big six is where a company owns multimedia businesses (media cross ownership). These large scale businesses can include the usage of: broadcast and cable television, radio, newspaper, film, magazine, music, video games and the online social media.
Who are the “Big Six”? And what other companies do they own?
The Walt Disney Studios -
ABC Television Network
Cable network ESPN
Disney Channel
A&E and Lifetime
Music
Video games
Book publishing companies
Touchstone production company
Marvel Entertainment
Lucasfilm
Walt Disney Pictures
Pixar Animation Studios
A Cellular service - Disney Mobile
Disney Interactive Media and Consumer Products
Theme parks in several countries
Walt Disney Studios also has a longstanding partnership with Hearst Corporation. Hearst Corporation owns additional TV stations, newspapers, magazines, and holds stakes in several Disney television ventures.
21st Century Fox -
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox News Channel
Fox Business Network
Fox Sports 1/2
Nat Geo Wild
National Geographic
FX
FXX
FX Movie Channel
Regional Fox Sports Networks
Wall Street Journaland the New York Post (print publication)
Barron's and Smart Money magazine
HarperCollins (book publisher)
20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Time Warner -
CNN
CW
HBO
Cinemax
Cartoon Network
HLN
DC Comics
Warner Bros
TBS
TNT
truTV
Turner Classic Movies
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock
Interactive Entertainment
New Line Cinema
Viacom -
MTV
Nickelodeon
VH1
BET
Comedy Centrall
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Home Entertainment
Comcast -
NBC Universal
NBC
Universal Studios
Telemundo
Universal pictures
Focus features
26 television stations in the United States
Bravo
CNBC
The Weather Channel
MSNBC
Syfy
NBCSN
Golf Channel
Esquire Network
E!
Cloo
Chiller
Universal HD
Comcast SportsNet regional system (Comcast also owns the Philadelphia Flyers)
Comcast Corporation was formerly known as Comcast Holdings. It is an American global mass media conglomerate, being the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world (considering it's revenue).
CBS corporation -
CBS Television Network and CW
CBS Sports Network
Showtime
Pop
CBS Television Studios
CBS Radio (which has 130 stations)
Book publisher Simon & Schuster
Find an example of a major product that each of the “Big Six” have produced within the last year and research key information about these productions.
The Walt Disney Studios - Zootropolis
Name: Zootropolis
Release date: 4th March 2016 (USA) and 25th March 2016 (UK)
Budget: $150,000,000 (estimated)
Gross profit: $341,268,248
Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba
Advertising campaign: Teaser trailers, Behind the scenes videos, Facebook page and posters.
21st Century Fox -
Name: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Release date: September 29, 2016 (Indonesia)
Budget: $110,000,000 (estimated)
Gross profit: $243 million worldwide
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench, Samuel L. Jackson
Name: Batman™: Return to Arkham game was made available now in North America for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One.
Release date: October 18, 2016
Cost: Retail price of $49.99
Advertising campaign: Youtube advertisements and posters in game stores. Additional online acknowledgements on gaming sites.
Comcast -
Xfinity remote;
In 2015, Comcast introduced a voice controlled TV remote. The remote allows customers to navigate through tens of thousands of shows and movies on the X1 platform using just their voice. The Xfinity remote uses voice control to allow viewers search for networks, shows and movies; set DVR recordings; get recommendations and navigate Xfinity On Demand.
The screen then cuts to just black. This does so for 2 seconds: separating the introductory shot of the production company name, from the next shot. Collectively, the first and second shots seem longer combined as they share the same black background. This creates anticipation from the audience and it prolongs the time that they have to wait before the movie starts.
The next shot is of a man crying. This is a mid-shot, allowing the viewer to clearly see the suit that he is wearing. One reason for this could be to emphasise the importance of this character through the use of formal dress. This is emphasised by the fact that he is the first character that we are introduced to. On the other hand, this shot could have been used to make the viewer feel almost uncomfortable by the close proxemic between them and the character. This could be showing us that this character is more powerful than us. Furthermore, his over ruling of the screen space could be representative of the role that he plays within the movie as the main character.
