Blocking :- Was originally a theatre term relating to where actors were positioned on the stage and where they moved. Add camera and lights, this is also relevant for film. The way the actors move and are positioned on set.

Cinematography :- The art of motion picture photography

Costume :- The certain outfits an actor may wear to further portray their character.

Editing :- The way certain shots are clipped together, may involve adding music, titles or, nowadays, special effects

Hair and Make- up :- Altering or changing an actors appearance to fit the character they are playing

Lighting :- The way a set is particularly lit to suit the set

Literary Design :- Includes the script and the way its written, basic story telling.

Performance :- The performance of an actor and how they portray an actor.

Rhythmic :- Editing to music or with a ‘beat’

Set Design :- The way a set is dressed for a film

Sound Design :- Editing sound and manipulating it to make it appropriate for the big screen

Convention :- A way in which something is usually done. Genres follow conventions.

Genre :- A style or category of art, music, or literature.

Director :- The person who gives their creative take on a film, no director, directs the same.

Ethics :- The judgement of whether something is right or wrong, similar to morals.

This week, we have to write a small essay on a film genre and the conventions of it. I’ve chosen to write mine about comedy, and the common codes and conventions that you can find in a comedy film.

Many comedies are based in places where there are always a lot of people, like schools, offices or sometimes even generic public places. This allows space for characters to make a fool of themselves or put themselves in an awkward situation, which adds to the comedy of the film. Its also important for there to be many locations because it allows for there to be more characters for the main characters to interact with. For example, in Super Bad, its based in a school, which allows for many different characters to be interacted with. The set is usually a well lit, and bright place, as lighting can show the atmosphere of a film.

Characters are another massive part of comedy. It’s common for comedy films to prey off of offensive stereotypes. Usually including a duo of people who are completely different so that the comedy can bounce off of the other character, making jokes about them. It’s common that one of the characters are a joke within themselves, for example, they are nerdy or stupid, they tend to be “ugly” or out of touch with pop culture. This character tends to build a relationship with someone opposite to them, and their relationship grows to be a joke and in some cases, an actual friendship. This can be seen in 21 Jump Street and  The Hangover.

Cinematography in comedy tends to aim towards a naturalistic shot, where all character are shown as equal, no-one is made to appear bigger and better than the another person. Duos in comedies tend to be of similar social status (usually outcasts) so it helps show the audience that they are the same.

Props in comedy films are another important convention of the genre. Commonly, props are often the centre of jokes, the laughs revolving round that certain prop. For example, in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the prop that the joke revolves around in the slice of cheese and in Bridesmaids, the joke revolves around puppies nearer the end. Props are a starting point for jokes to be made, they keep the viewer engaged through that item.

There are lots of different types of comedy, slapstick, dark, wordplay ect, all of which use aspects of these conventions. Comedy is also interchangeable between regions, American comedy is very different to British comedy. American comedy tends to be more joke based and slapstick whereas British comedy tends to be more sarcastic and awkward. There are also generational differences in comedy, the things I would find funny, my dad may not and visa versa. So there are lots of different types of comedy and it is changing all the time.

We were given the task of making an experimental film based off of some of the abstract films we had been watching in class. I chose to film my altar as its one of my favourite places and close to my heart. I filmed it up close and personal so it felt more intimate.

We were given the task of writing the first page of a screenplay. I did mine based on the short film I am pitching to the class.

This here is the screenplay, a story about the miscommunication of sign language.

Fantastic Mr Fox has a certain warmth to it, which makes the film so loveable. Maybe it’s the literal glowing characters in some scene or maybe it’s the overwhelming sense of teamwork that is shown throughout the film between all the characters.

The film is a classic good guy vs bad guy and from the beginning, we know who we’re rooting for, regardless of how much trouble Mr Fox causes for himself. Mr Fox is a loveable character, one that a lot of people can relate too, and goes for nearly all the characters in the film, there’s someone for everyone to relate too. Mr Fox tends to get himself into trouble for the sake of his family, that’s what makes him so endearing and near to our hearts. Ash, another fabulous character and my personal favourite is the odd teenager who doesn’t quite know who he is, yet again, a character that most us would have experienced. Each character appears to be so complex and different to the others, yet at the same time, they’re wildly simple. They don’t speak animated or over the top, there’s a slight mundaneness to them that makes them so relatable and likeable. I think that goes for pretty much every Wes Anderson film though.

The story itself is gripping throughout, there are so many twists and turns, backstories and new characters introduced throughout. Whilst the main story is good vs bad, we also follow the stories of relationships, friendships and family mishaps. From Ash and his cousin Kris butting heads to Mr and Mrs Fox’s backstory, we never get bored as there’s always something new to follow with the characters and their own individual stories.

The soundtrack is also a major reason why I love this film, old classic songs add to that feeling of home and warmth while adding to the story in a fun a quirky way. The songs are upbeat, a mixture of copy-written songs and song written especially for the film, theres a soundtrack for every occasion in the film.

I love Fantastic Mr Fox, I’ve always found that there is some warmth to it, something homely about the film. It’s a great film to watch with your family, partner or simply by yourself. Fantastic Mr Fox is truly a Fantastic film.

Writing a review was difficult and I chose a film close to my heart and one that I grew up with. I would never say anything bad about it because I love the film. In future, maybe it would be worth writing a review on a film that I was a bit more indifferent about, then I’d be able to share my criticisms and what I liked about the film.

In this video, I wanted to capture something modernly mundane, as an ode to old cinema. Back then, everyday things would be things like leaving the factory or waiting for the train. These things still apply but modern life has introduced us to more mundane activities. This also is a still shot from one angle, similar to film in the beginning. The difference is that I have a more mobile camera, and back then their cameras were really heavy and hard to move.