27 Dresses

Narrative Features

27 Dresses

Intro of Characters – Jane is presented has a very busy character, has she is a bridesmaid for good friends of hers. She organises partly some of the weddings with the bride. In the intro we see her rushing from one wedding to another in a taxi who catches on and it becomes a routine. She is a hopeless romantic who loves weddings,  romantic gestures such has flowers. She also has a crush on her boss. Her sister who comes to stay for a few weeks takes Jane’s crush and he marries her. The Problem she has is that she can't say no which Kevin tries to get it out of her.

Kevin is also catching on what she is doing. He catches her looking at her watch constantly and running in and out of the first weddings venue and into the taxi. He tries to keep in touch with her and eventually she gives in. He seems to like Jane very much and intends to try and be with her.

Locations – USA – New York and Rhode Island

New York is another Iconic Place where romance is based around, mainly all American Rom-Com’s are located in New York such has Sex and the City.

Theme: Weddings, different stories, romance

Iconography: Katherine Heigl (Main Actress (American) - known for: Greys Anatomy, Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth and Roswell High)

James Marsden (Main Actor (American) - Known for: X-Men, Spiderman Returns and Enchanted)

Record Placement and Features of Credits

No credits of cast just the producer and distributor

Black Background, fancy pink coloured font fades into intro of Film

Text titled “27 Dresses” is faded in and faded out within 2 seconds , “1986” is faded in and out within 2 seconds just after.

How Effective was this
I found that the credits are simple and they where no credits of who was in the movie but only the distributor and producer at the beginning. I found it a little disappointing that they was no mention of who was in the movie.

(Picture - Source - http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=19739)

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Narrative Features

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Intro of Characters- Hugh Grant's Character, Charles, is a lazy person; he is shown staying in bed, ignoring his clock alarm. When he realises what time it is and that he is late for the wedding he swears and rushes about, out of bed, getting dresses and his car fails to work which results in taking his friends which she swears also, the car only goes 40 MPH. In his rush, when he arrives at the church they start to dress into their formal clothes. When he gets into the church and meets the groom who says “as long has you haven’t forgotten the rings” in which he smiles, chuckles and says “no” and pats his waist coat which then a pang of regret is shown on his face. He reaches into the pocket and the rings are not there. This shows that he is not trust worthy and that we expect to see more mess ups during the film.

Andie MacDowell’s character, Carrie, is shown has a mysterious character, her big black hat and white suit show her upper class status. Her smile, quiet presence and beauty show how she can be a distraction to Charles who can’t take his eyes off her.

The rest of the characters who are all friends with Charles seem to be ready for weddings and getting on very well. Scarlet who is close friends with Charles shares a house with him and is also late for the weddings with him which shows there is going to be mess ups from  her too during the film.

Locations – England; London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Lambeth

London is another Iconic place where romance is based around as well has Paris and New York.

Theme: Weddings, funeral, comedy, Romance, Different stories

Iconography: Hugh Grant (famous British Actor) - Known for: About a Boy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Music and Lyrics 

Andie MacDowell (Famous American Actress) - Known for: Groundhog day, Short Cuts, Sex Lies and Video Tape and Four Weddings and a Funeral

Record Placement and Features of Credits

Black background white Text features producers and Distributors e.g. Working Title as well has Main Characters – High Grant and Andie MacDowell.

“Four Weddings and a Funeral” title presented in a wedding invitation style with a bouquet of flowers

Rest of Cast and DOP and Editors etc are presented through the intro of the film fading in and out the text is placed at the bottom of the screen coloured white with black shadow

The timings of the text are paced in random order, they have no timing they are present on the screen in 4 seconds

How Effective was this

I found the Title "Four Weddings and a Funeral" being presented was very creative and different. The rest of the credits are simple and simply showed who was in the movie as well has the creators. It didn't interfere with the movie and it didn't distract me.


(Picture - Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Weddings_and_a_Funeral)

Research - Generic Conventions of a Rom-Com

Generic Conventions for A Rom-Com:

·         A couple(s)

·         Leading Actor and Actress

·         Romantic Dates, scenes, locations

·         Difference between upper and lower classes

·         Stereotypes – people who are able to be with other people because they are popular, beautiful etc

·         Comedy – witty script, slang, sexual innuendo’s, Arguments and complicated relationships

·         Romance – Gifts, romantic script, locations, happy endings, tearful scenes

·         A wedding maybe?

·         Several Plots at once

More Research into Rom-Coms

 Rom-Coms

I looked at a few done by other Media AS Students as well has videos on the Internet and DVDs
Here is a list of videos I have watched:
Movies:
1.) Bridget Jones Edge of Reason

2.) Four Weddings and A Funeral

3.) Love Actually

4.) 27 Dresses

5.) The Break Up

6.) Sex and The City

7.)The Romantics

8.)Valentines Day

9.) Youth in Revolt

10.) The Proposal

Ideas for the Opening Film

Idea of opening Film

First off the idea was to have both the Main male and female characters meeting in a restaurant on a date but the crowd and sound level and would be a problem, as well has the permission to film on the premises. So we changed the idea, keeping the main characters but different plot. Both Addison and Leland are getting ready for their date. Leland is rushing around at the last minute putting on clothes and rushing out the door. He turns up at the wrong house/apartment and see’s a female who is actually the one for him, laid back, not in neat clothes etc. At the same time, Addison gets a knock on her door thinking its Leland but in fact it someone called Luke who is just like Addison, serious, plain and posh. So both Male characters go into the apartments trying to get in contact with their actual dates.

Research For the Opening Film

We looked at a site for names for the main characters - http://www.listology.com/list/hippie-names

We choose for the main female character:

Darcy

Aurora

Ariel

Addison

Willow

Imogen

We choose Addison

We choose a name for the second female character- Scarlet

We choose for the main male character:

Glenn

Leland

River

Milo

Lucas

We choose Leland

From the list above we choose Lucas for the second male character.

List of jobs to do:

• Get photos for the photo frames
• Main Characters
• The main Characters location
• Sort out Ireland filming (Sydney will be going to Ireland during half term and wants to film some of the film in Ireland)
• Draw Storyboard
• Write Plot
• Update Blog
• Sort out music

Research and Ideas

Research

For this part of the unit I gathered some notes for my research by going to my local library, which was on site of the college I am at (Thomas Whitham Sixth form) and read OCR Media Studies for AS pages 31-42 and made notes on Continuity.

I found some really useful information that will help me when making the opening sequence to the film. I found that we must do storyboards and how they are vital which I understand is necessary as the group need to know what needs to be done for each scene, how it is shot, movement of camera, which shot it comes in from (Editing) etc.  

I found that a shooting script will be really useful alongside the storyboard as well as the ongoing process of filming it. I found that it is logical “to film all the sequences in one location at a time” this will make the filming process easier for us, as well has looking at the possibilities of locations, how we can get there, is it possible to film, do we have permission to film their etc.

I also looked at opening sequences to films. I kept thinking that the opening sequence is a trailer, I was thinking that it would look and be shown similar to a trailer. So by watching opening sequences to films it took  me off the idea of a trailer. I learned that you can fit a lot into a 2 minute piece of footage and that you can make it so that your audience want to see more, which is the general idea.

I brainstormed and came up with a few ideas.

Rom Com - a couple either boyfriend & Girlfriend/Fiancé/Husband - funny things happening between them:

• One of them eats the last chocolate.
• Putting the darks in the whites
• The male is watching Football and doesn't help with the female with shopping
• Arguments on the best way to deal with the DIY in the House

The male character goes to the Navy. At the end the female comes home from a stressful day at work finds the door is already open and thinks that he has come home. The camera follows her into the dining room, cuts to a mid shot of her walking in the dining room with the camera in front of her to see shock on her face and it goes black and a voice over says "but he was the last person I wanted to see"

Drama - A teenager Vlogs (blogs through video) only friend is his camera and the Internet/YouTube OR teenager makes films for YouTube but the stuff he films such as light saber duels are actually real and people actually get killed.

Rom Com - Title: The girl & her ghost

A teenage girl is grieving over her dead farther, a guardian angel/ghost is there to help her through her grieving and life. The male guardian is sent by her farther to make sure she is safe and happy and does well in life, fulfils her dreams. She falls in love with someone but realises she has feelings for her angel and she finds out he loves her too but they can’t be together because other people will be judgemental and no one else can see him, it’s not natural.

I really wanted to do a Rom-Com something different to everyone else has done, something entertaining too.