Johnny English

Johnny english

View more presentations from SianLynes

'My Boy Jack' - Notes

Editing

• Fade to close-up of watch implies that time is important to context/against them
• Cross-cutting used to switch between father and son
• Fast cuts on his father to emphasise his rush
• Long cuts on the protagonist to show slow and tense mood
• Shot-reverse-shot - in room/show clear conversation
• Continuity editing - chronological/show time passing
• Eyeline match for protagonist when viewing letters - experience his view
• Super impose used - letters he is seeing/experience his view/audience informed of his impaired vision & also at the beginning credits to set the scene (1914)
• Parallel editing - show two different events
• Cutaway to watch again - not necessary but emphasises that the element of time is still important
• Elipsis - don't see the father walk around/speeds up the action

Audience

• Primary audience - older audience/relate to war times/setting of the story appeal to them (1914)
• Message - that if not born into high class family during that time it was difficult to earn a high-rank
• Big star/recognisable actor 'Daniel Radcliffe' appeals to a mass audience - even draws in a younger audience because implies high production budget therefore a more probably chance that it is a good quality drama
• Also represents the change in values since 1914 to modern day i.e. discriminated in what he is applying for because he wears glasses

Dialogue

• Short formal conversation/posh dialect to match characters/relationships not strong
• Use of last names show position

Sound

• Diegetic sound for clock
• Sound bridge - clock and music
• Syncronym sound for car
• Parallel sound - it is up-tempo/jolly music with the man's mood
• Non-diegetic sound of string instruments

TV Drama

• Genre - historical/music costume and props contribute to this genre
• Stereotypical that boys watch it than girls
• Daniel Radcliffe appeals as he is a high class actor

Characters and Programme

• Daniel familiar & other actors
• Characters are well educated - respect but one is presented as snoobish
• Style realistic as it is based on true story
• Character are white-british
• Jack less important because of his Father's job

Narrative Sequences

• Clock ticking - narrative time (appears twice to reinforce this)
• Characters experience along with time
• D.R. shows high value
• Shots are parallel time but not linked
• One-off production drama

Back Story

• Drama premiere set in 1914 suggested by car style
• Language and tone suggest it too - older english/more defined
• Non-fiction characters suggest good representation of rich class

Mise-en-scene

• Setting countryside  (green & warmth) and Manorhouse reinforce the time (1914)
• Polished and shiny statue on car shows the wealth
• Open green field - space and more freedom in life/can afford better living standards
• Clock traditional to time period
• Bright sunny day reflects mood in contrast to nervous boy in dull room
• Clothing- formal suits & uniform - shows rank

Camera

• First shot is wide shot establishing scene
• Extreme-close up of seconds hand on watch - belongs to King/he doesn't want to be kept waiting
• Close-ups of car and driver -  of the wheel turning to show speed
• Mid-shot of car statue - represent high status
• Close-up of protagonist's eyes to show disadvantage
• Bird's eye view showing protagonist handing paper along with other applicants/shows they are equal
• Long-shot emphasises the long wait
• Hand-held camera - audience has eye-line with D.R. to empathise with him/unsteady camera shows uncertainty
• Mid-shots add realism as it is eye level
• Long shot of corridor & car
• Over-the-shoulder and mid-angle to show conversation (question Father's rank but shocked at it)
• High angle suggest authority

Representation

•  Shows change in times - lower class find it hard to enter upper-class jobs
• Average suit on protagnoist - lower class in contrast to the uniformed character with medals (clear high rank)

Editing Terminology

Continuity Editing:
When viewer should not be aware of cuts. Presents text in chronological manner to emphasise real-time

Cross-cutting (Parallel editing):
Cuts between two seperate scenes happening in two different locations at the same time.

Action Match:
Continuing piece of action/movement between shots.

Transitions -
Straight cut:
Goes unnoticed, one shot replaced by another.

Dissolve:
One shots fade out and another gradually appears.

Wipe:
Uses border between two shots to eliminate previous shot.

Long take:
A take that remains of screen for a longer duration before it is cut.

Short take:
A short take is one that is allowed to remain on screen for a short time before it is cut.

Jump cut:
A cut that moves a very similar part of the same scene but misses a piece of action out.

Cutaway:
Shot is not totally necessary but shows related action/object/person etc. before cutting back to the original shot.

Shot-reverse-shot:
Cutting between two people having a conversation.

Slow-motion:
Action is slowed down for emotional or comic effect.

Fast-forward:
Action is sped up.

Visual effects:
Change in colour or showing CGI/CSI to present character's reaction.

Super-impose:
When writing/images/symbols appear on top of an image so both are visible at once.

Split screen:
Screen is split into two part to allow te showing of events taking place at the same time.

Action editing:
Short and fast shots are used to reinforce the action/the audience aware of developing action.

Montage:
Montage is a series of shots edited together to show time passing and something happening in that time.Ellipsis:
The removal shortening of elements of narrative to speech up action.

Eye-line match:
The shot is at eye level when cutting from a character to what they see.

Graphic match:
A cut from one shot to another that visually look the same, that both have a link so the audience can interpret the connection.

Linear narrative:
A narrative with a clear sequence of beginning, middle and end (in that order).

How does the opening of 'My Boy Jack' appeal to audiences?

Firstly 'My Boy jack' the social demographic of the story appeals to a primary audience of a more older generation as it is a period drama set in the beginning of the Great War, so the older audience who take interest in this time in history would watch it. This is continued immediately through mise-en-scene as the drama begins. A clock is shown which has a typical face of that time period; also the protagonist dons a typical suit styled from that period as well as the interviewers who question him are seen in uniform with hats on the table to signify their authority. The car is given the first wide shot to show that the protagonist's father is driving and is also old-fashioned so the audience can relate to the time period. The setting of the country side and the large manor house also conveys a historical and beautiful time which their primary audience, being the older generation, may feel nostalgic about. 


On the other hand, it also appeals to a mass audience as the protagonist is played by the largely recognisable Daniel Radcliffe. He is shown in close-ups during the opening scene, and given conversation via over-the-shoulder shots with another character so that the audience can understand his character and not wait for his appearance later on in the drama, thus being drawn in immediately. The reputation of Daniel Radcliffe being a high-standard actor also appeals to a wide audience as then they would expect an high value production TV drama and so would watch to see if it meets their expectations. The parallel editing used to switch between the protagonist and his father to show their different situations appeals to the audience as it goes against the typical editing conventions of a period drama which would normally be expected to use continuous time and not simultaneous time. This would appeal to a more modern audience as this modern approach on the editing of a historical drama will cause it to be more interesting in some audience's perspectives. 


The uses and gratifications of the drama's background appeals to audience's as it is based on a true story of John Kipling so people may want to widen their knowledge of this situation by watching the drama. The beginning of the drama also gives the audience an insight into society at that time. The audience are informed by the protagonist's conversation with another character who is presented as being snobby that during that time it was difficult to get a high class job unless you were born into a family of that sort. It also shows that also, in the protagonist's case, you could even been prejudiced against for not only the class position of your family but also for wearing his glasses. The dialogue interests the audiences are it gives them information about the protagonist's background with his father being a writer and the other man responds in silence to show his snobbery. The mise-en-scene represent the protagonist as a lower-class man which also emphasises his struggle for the assumed higher ranking job. 

Role of website for a film company

Purposes

• Promote the film company/advertise
• Provide information about background
• Advertise new films
• Fan interaction/build relationship
• Contact details/latest developments on schemes or projects
• Provide 'fan-zine'/blog
• Exclusive clips, photos, diaries
• General marketing and publicity
• Archive/catalogue of previous films

Evaluation Working Title's website

1. On Working Title's website they split the main points of information at the top of the website on an easy accessible bar. I think this is good as it clearly demonstrates the different parts such as 'news', 'trailers' , 'films' and 'features'.
2. The home page also features slides that have 5 films linking to their trailers; this is good as it enables the audience to see quickly what their latest releases are and whether or not they are interested in them.
3. The layout is also very simple and modern, the'site highlight' boxes are clear and vary in colours. This is good as you can distinquish the seperate articles and access the one you like. Although this simple it could be more desirable by having a colour theme relating to the company and/or 3dimensional box type to match the bar.
4. They interact with fans by having games relating to their recent films, this is unique as instead of prioritising in providing information regarding their films they can make promoting their films fun. It also allows users to compete against other users so they will might want to come back to it, or perhaps even see the film because the game was fun.
5. By shortening their long news feed into 'What's new' on the homepage if gives the audience little tasters to reader on so it is not off-putting but short enough to intise them.
6. They also provide information on past films by featuring the opinions of their actors on the bottom of the page titled 'The heritage collection'. This is unique by having their actors opinion and therefore linking further into past film info it attracts them in and they can briefly learn about films they produced they might not have known about.
7. The pictures on the front page are also large and bright transitioning from one to the next. This makes it appear more professional and not 'tacky' which other companies may do.
8. The search bar on both 'features' and 'news' is good as the audience can shorten the information they want to find quickly and precisely without having the search a long time on the site.
9. The news archive is also good as it splits the companies' film achievements into years so making information more concise and not cluttered.
10. They also have a 'news letter' section so the audience can quickly type in their email address and recieve regular information from the company. This is good as Working Title will then have a solid base to promote recent film and see how much interest the public have in their company.

Audience Mind Map

Exam content notes

Mise-en-scene: (everything in the scene)

• Props
• Costumes
• Lighting (back, key, fill)
• Character
• Body languageSetting
• Colour
• Denotation/connotation
• Iconography
• Stereotypes (does it challenge Tessa Perkins theory?)

Camera:

• Angles
• Movements
• Framing (positioning)
• Focus

Editing:

• Transitions
• Effects
• Speed/pace
• Length of frames
• Continuity
• Shot reverse shot
• 180 Rule
• Narrative time (screen, subjective, compressed, long take, simultaneous, replay, flashforward/back, ambigious)
• Narrative theory (Todorov, Barthez, Propp, Levi Strauss, Enigma/action codes)

Sound:

• Diagetic/non diagetic sound
• Contrapunctual
• Parallel
• Bridges