Skyfall: Film Poster & Trailer Analysis

How does Skyfall attract an audience?

Director: Sam Mendes

Release Date: 2012

Won 14 awards, including 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Original Song' and 'Best Action Movie'.

Cast:
 - Daniel Craig as James Bond
 - Judi Dench as M
 - Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva
 - Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory

The cast features many huge stars.

The film grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the highest grossing film for Sony Pictures. It is the second highest grossing film of 2012, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
It is also the seventh highest grossing film of all time.

Released on October 26th, 2012 in the UK.

Themes:
 - 

Poster:

•  Mainly black/white - creates an retro, classic effect. Conventional of Bond films?
• Main character is large and centred, creating dominance
• Uses a lot of techniques conventional of old bond films - gun barrel, 007 logo, suited character
• Instantly recognizable as a Bond film
• Title is big/bold
• Date of release is in bold and gold, to stand out
• Picture of London in background to indicate possible location
• Union Jack is in colour, showing signifiance
• Gun is in the centre of the poster, also showing significance and emphasising genre
• Actor's/Director's names are small
• Classic effect to it
• No tagline, does it need one?
• Facebook link at the bottom
• Production companies are shown at the bottom
• Bond is shown in a suit - conventional of spy/Bond films

Trailer:

• Production companies are shown at the beginning quickly
• Does not tell the story of the film, instead, small clips are shown to draw in the viewer
• Slow introduction, setting the scene
• 'Country? England. Gun? Shot. Murderer? Provocateur.' - simple, one-liners that stick in the mind of the viewer
• 'Skyfall' makes viewer wonder what is happening and adds mystery
• Huge, epic drumbeat is added
• Different shots of the film are shown in time with the beat
• Lots of action, explosions, gunshots, cars, helicopters, women are shown
• Trailer is trying to pack in as much as possible into the time
• Bond's line at the end 'Some men are trying to kill us - we're gonna' kill them first.'
• The drum beat has a hint of a gunshot sound within it, it's a little distorted
• After the drum stops the title fades in as well as quiet, fast-paced music - this is where Bond says the tagline
• After the tagline the music reaches a climactic speed and volume (loud and fast) while a few more epic shots are shown from the movie. One being Bond jumping from a train
• These final shots last no more than 1/4 of a second, so as to not give away information about the climax of the film
• After these a single '007' is shown in the centre (a symbol that most people would recognise)
• Following that is the extra information (release date, format (IMAX), production company logos etc...)
• A Twitter link is shown (the internet is a very powerful and effective way to advertise and give out information to people)

Prometheus: Film Poster & Trailer Analysis

How does Prometheus attract an audience?

Director: Ridley Scott

Release Date: 2012

Won 3 Awards including 'Best Art Direction'.

Cast:
 - Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw
 - Michael Fassbender as David
 - Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers
 - Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway

None of the characters are huge stars.


The film grossed over $403 million worldwide, making it the 15th highest grossing film of 2012. It is also the 159th highest grossing film worldwide.


Released on June 1st, 2012 in the UK.

Themes:
 - 'Prometheus' is a Greek mythological God who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humanity, allowing us to technologically advance majorly. As a punishment, he was made to suffer. This theme is apparent throughout the film when the characters that become curious must be punished.
 - One of the major themes is the creation of mankind, based around David's critical question 'Who am I? Who made me? Why hast thou forsaken me?'
 - Ridley Scott was interested in Greco-Roman Gods that would create man in their own image by sacrificing part of themselves.

Poster:

• Dark atmosphere to poster - conventional of horror genre
• Tinted blue, giving a cold feel to it - convention of sci-fi/horror genre (unnatural colour)
• Big title in white and bold, stands out
• Main character is dwarfed by statue, showing vulnerability
• Statue is a human head shrouded in shadow - mysterious and eerie
• Tag line, "The search for our beginning could lead to our end", small and centralised - people will have to move closer and look at the poster properly if they want to read it
• Release date is larger than surrounding text
• Formats are shown (IMAX, 3D)
• No certificate shown
• Clearly sci-fi genre
• Tag line adds to sci-fi genre, but adds an element of horror
• Director is clear above title (Ridley Scott)
• Franchise film (prequel to ALIEN franchise, fan-base will be attracted)
• Production company and other directors are in larger text
• Logos for production company is at the bottom
• Mysterious figure with light behind - ominous presence 
• Rule of thirds (information & title, main character, antagonist)
• Actor's names are small (no big stars in the film)
• The statue looks ancient, hinting at what the story could involve

Trailer:

• Tells basic story of film
• Information about the mission is given at the beginning (breifing)
• Starts off with a cheerful tone but gets worse and worse progressively
• Both the poster and trailer have similar colours (blues, blacks)
• These colours are conventions of sic-fi/horror films and reflect the genre
• Key quotes from the film are used "Prometheus has landed" and "If you don't stop it, there won't be any home to go back to"
• The quotes create mystery and questions, pulling the viewer in and persuading them to see it
• Sounds that resemble a heartbeat are used (deep, pulsing sound)
• Music fades in and gets louder and more uncomfortable (not so much as to deter audience) as the trailer progresses
• Each of the main characters is shown for a brief moment
• There are no names shown throughout the trailer (apart from the director), this is because the stars aren't well-known actors
• Lots of the more 'epic' shots from the film are shown (the foreign planet's scenery/atmosphere, and the ship landing)
• Shots of characters running from danger behind are used to pull in the viewer
• The final shot is a very quick shot that clearly shows danger
• The title of the film is shown after the final shot and as the music stops
• The title resembles the same 'animation' title as Ridley Scott's ALIEN, which is the prequel to Prometheus (fans of the franchise would notice)
• After the title vital information is given
• The release date is shown after the title, along with other information
• A Facebook link is also shown, as the internet is very effective for advertising

ALIEN: Chestburster Scene Essay

ALIEN’s Chestburster scene has become one of the most famous horror/sci-fi scenes in cinema history. In the scene, the alien at hand suddenly bursts out of Kane’s chest in a whirl of screaming and blood after incubating inside his body for a couple of days. Compared to the horror films of today, this scene is fairly timid. But in 1979, it was one of the most horrific and disgusting scenes people had ever seen projected. We can see why it was so horrific if we take it apart and analyze it.

 I’ll start with a brief summary of the scene and how we get to it. While returning home from a deep space mission, the crew of the Nostromo intercepts an SOS signal from a nearby planet. 3 of the members, including Kane, descend onto the planet after landing to find the source of the signal. They discover a hive of thousands of alien eggs. Kane gets too close to one of the eggs and the parasite inside attacks him and attaches itself to his head, rendering him unconscious. A few days later the alien parasite removes itself from the host, leaving Kane seemingly fine. However, as the crew eats, Kane starts to splutter and writhe in pain. The crew restrains him, but to their horror, out of Kane’s chest bursts a small alien creature, which has been incubating inside his body.

 As well as the horror aspect of the scene, it is also perfect to analyze. There are many aspects of the scene that make it irresistible to watch, even though some would say it is morally wrong to watch it in the first place.

The cinematography in the scene is very impressive. It focuses mainly on Kane, as he writhes in agony on the table. There are a lot of wide shots of all the characters as they crowd around Kane, pinning him down.  Almost all the shots are two-shots, three-shots and medium shots to capture all of the action as it unfolds. With these shots comes a lot of deep focus. The filmmaker wants the audience to see everything in the scene. As well as medium shots of the crew, there are also a lot of medium close-ups on Kane and his chest. Over and over again we see him screaming on the table as the alien violently makes it’s way out of his body. The purpose for these shots is to show the audience exactly what he is going through, and to indulge them in the action. Also, to build more realism, the shots of Kane look like handheld shots, and are very jerky. This creates the effect of POV, like the audience is actually there trying to hold him down.

 The angle of the camera shots in this scene is also very important.  At the beginning of the scene, when there seems to be no danger, the shots are at eye-level, so the audience can put themselves into the position of the crew. However, as the scene progresses the shots seem to get higher. These high angles imply vulnerability and a potential threat to the crew, which is exactly what is about to happen. The high angles are of the crew and of Kane himself.

The mise-en-scene of this scene creates a certain irony. The entire chestburster sequence takes place in the dining area of the ship, which would naturally be a very clean and clinical area. White walls and the high-key lighting create a false sense of security – the normal viewer would not be able to foresee the impending gore. You would not expect a scene like this to happen here.

In this scene I felt very tense until the Alien actually appeared. I had thoughts running through my mind of what was happening to Kane. The scene certainly delivered tension. However, as the alien scuttled off to hide somewhere on the ship, I found myself humored slightly. Because this film was made in 1979, the CGI and special effects aren’t anywhere near as good as the films of today. The alien is shaped like a large worm, and darts from Kane’s chest quickly with a babyish screech – it was quite funny, and I could compare it to a small creature such as a rat or insect. Although, I do not doubt that this scene would have horrified audiences in 1979. I am used to much more graphic and realistic scenes of today that use cutting-edge CGI, but I was impressed with the originality of the chestburster.

Overall, I am very impressed with this scene. ALIEN is a masterpiece anyway, but this scene really is the icing on the cake. It is one of the most iconic sci-fi/horror scenes ever made. It made me tense, apprehensive, caused me to jump and even laugh. It will no doubt stick in my mind for a while.

The Hurt Locker: Scene Analysis

The Hurt Locker was published in 2008, and is a modern war film about a specialist bomb disarmer who has been sent to help a squad in Afghanistan. It is also one of the few films that was directed by a woman, Kathryn Bigelow.

I could talk about the whole film, but for now, I’m going to focus on one scene. Three soldiers, Sergeant William James, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge are sent into an abandoned Afghani building that is suspected of containing bombs.
The main purpose of this scene is to build tension. The stand-out method here is cinematography. The scene comprises a lot of complex and impressive camera shots, movements and angles to make this scene as nerve bending as possible.

The most-used camera technique is the handheld shot. The footage is quite jerky and moves quickly with the characters, as if someone were holding a video camera trying to capture the action. This creates realism, as if the viewer were inside the building with the soldiers, which in turn builds the tension. The shots are also mainly at eye-level, adding to this effect and also giving the sense that the soldiers are in control. We see exactly what they see.

This shot is from the very beginning of the scene. It is a high-angle, extreme long shot. Here we can see all of the soldiers, and also the building they are about to enter. This shot establishes the setting for this scene and familiarizes the viewers. I know this because the soldiers are very small and fill only a small portion of the screen. They are clearly not the focus of this shot. The color in this shot can also be important. It is all a sandy-brown, dusty color, which indicates a lot of heat and also sets the tone for this scene. The tension is being built from the start.
The sound also plays a small factor in building tension. During almost the entire scene, all of the sound is diegetic. However, because the soldiers are being as quiet as possible when exploring the structure, there is no sound to be heard. So, all we can here is the footsteps, and the occasional click of guns. Any louder sound will easily break the tension.

In this still, there is a clear use of the rule-of-thirds. The two soldiers are positioned on either side of the corridor, balancing the shot and making it easier on the eyes. The corridor itself also plays a big part in this shot. From the viewer’s point-of-view, it is very long and narrow. We can also just about see Eldridge in the doorway at the end. This corridor creates distance, not only between the soldiers but metaphorically as well. It reflects the isolated position that the trio is in. If something goes wrong, they cannot call for help. They are alone.

This scene uses so many different camera techniques, it is very hard to keep track when watching it! Quite a few of the shots of the soldiers are zoomed in from a distance, perhaps from through a window or behind a pillar in the building. This gives a sense of unease as the soldiers advance through the building. It is like they are being watched the whole time.

To conclude, this is a very complex and interesting scene in terms of tension-building techniques and cinematography. When I watch it I feel like something will happen, until Sanborn finally breaks the silence and says “Clear!” It is very good at raising tension and for that matter, my beats per minute.

BATTLESHIP Review

I have seen a lot of films this year, but the one that I was most excited about was Battleship.

Battleship is essentially a 2012 science fiction film about an alien invasion. I’m a big sucker for action and aliens. Transformers is another favourite of mine.

However, this a review of Battleship, and I will stick to it. I think the main hype for Battleship was because Rihanna, the famous singer, featured in it. I will admit, she was part of the reason I wanted to see it, but the main reason was because of the trailer! I saw the trailer in early 2012, and my jaw dropped. I had to see the film. The trailer was full of explosions, aliens, huge warships and furious battles.

Now for some actual information. The film was directed by Peter Berg (who also directed Hancock) and was released by Universal Pictures in 2012. The main cast characters are: Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker and Tadanobu Asano.
It is set in Hawaii, at the national RIMPAC naval exercises. Naval fleets from all over the world take part in the RIMPAC exercises including Japan and the USA. You’re probably thinking ‘so where do the aliens come into this?’
In 2005, scientists discovered an exoplanet outside our own Solar System which was a similar size and with similar conditions to those of Earth. It transmits a powerful signal from a communications array in Hawaii. During the RIMPAC exercises, five alien spacecraft arrive on Earth in response to the signal and coincidentally park themselves in the ocean right where the Naval exercises are taking place.
I should probably mention at this point, that the battleships themselves play a big role in the film. During the film we follow 3 vessels. Firstly, the USS John Paul Jones, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer on which the main character (Alex Hopper) has risen to a Lieutenant. Secondly, the USS Sampson, a similar class destroyer to the John Paul Jones which is commanded by Alex’s older brother, Stone. The third ship is a Japanese Kongo class destroyer, Myoko, commanded by Captain Nagata. The 3 ships are sent to investigate the strange alien structures poking out above the waves, but as they get in close, a huge forcefield is deployed by the alien ships, trapping the 3 vessels inside. Every other warship in the RIMPAC exercises is outside the forcefield, and unable to penetrate through it.
Eventually, after a lot of sacrifice, determination, luck and a stroke of genius by Alex Hopper, the forcefield is finally breached and the alien ships destroyed.

I loved this film, and I will definitely be buying it on DVD soon. As I said, I’m a big sucker for action, explosions, girls and aliens – Battleship has it ALL. It is honestly one of the best action films I have seen in a while. I even found myself saying ‘whoa’ and ‘wow’ while sitting in the cinema watching it!
I seriously recommend this film. You will not be disappointed.

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