Mrs Doubtfire Assessment with corrections:

The long shot of Mrs Doubtfire on the bus creates humour; this is humorous because the bus driver is checking out Mrs Doubtfire and ironic for the audience as we already know that she is a man.  The next shot is again a long shot of Mrs Doubtfire playing football with her son, there is also use of tracking shot as the camera follows her while playing, this would force us to identify and remember that Mrs Doubtfire is actually a man. The sound bridge of the non-diegetic song Dude Looks Like A Lady by Aerosmith is parallel to this shot as it also forces the audience to focus on the fact that Daniel and Mrs Doubtfire are the same people. Throughout all of the shots Mrs Doubtfire/Daniel is position in the centre of the shot which would focus on the fact that he is the centre of attention in the text.
There is then an extreme long shot of Mrs Doubfire and the children on bikes in the park which connotes the whole ideal family bonding scene. The shot of Mrs Doubtfire dancing while she is cleaning with the vacuum, broom etc. would follow the conventional themes of a family comedy. Although Daniel is inside his own house with the Doubtfire costume and mask on the table he still seems to be focussing on being Mrs Doubtfire as he is taking notes on a cooking show; this would show the serious change that the protagonist is going through. The medium shot of Mrs Doubtfire reading to Natalie tilts to show both of the characters which would again connote family bonding which would promote positive values of family life. The setting of Daniel’s home is stereotypical for men as it is untidy, he is drinking beer with his dirty feet on the table. The setting in which we see Mrs Doubtfire in the Hillards home is tidy and quite which is the opposite to Mrs Doubtfire’s personality; the fact that everything else in the shot is furniture and not moving draws our attention towards Mrs Doubtfire dancing. 
The transition between every shot is a straight cut which is parallel to the fast paced rock and roll style music.  The lighting of the shots indoors of Mrs Doubtfire dancing is high-key lighting to appear as if the light is realistic in the scene and also emphasises the happy and fun mood for the audience too.There is a point of view shot where we see Miranda and Stuart back from a date; in the shot reverse shot Mrs Doubtfire waves at Stuart however decides to stick up her middle finger straight after, the use of this action code clearly shows us the negativity that Stuart has as Daniel still believes that Stuart is the reason that his family is drifting apart from him which is ironic as it was his own immaturity that is the reason behind the problems.
There is use of graphic matching as we see in the extreme long shot of the building panning downwards which then jumps to a tracking shot of Mrs Doubtfire on that same road; the building and Mrs Doubtfire would put emphasise on the ‘Dude looks like a lady’ as both have the shape of a woman’s figure.  Throughout the different shots we see Mrs Doubtfire's facial expression is mostly happy or frustrated which would connote the confusion between the two extreme characters and the extreme emotions.  Although in the shots we see Mrs Doubtfire, we actually see Daniel's body language being portrayed; for example the swearing in the meduim shot of Mrs Doubtfire. Mrs Doubtfire's costume is tidy and age - appropriate which would connote maturity and responsibility; however Daniel's costume is a mess which would reflect his chaotic state of mind as he has two identities.  

The scene is successful as it achieves the humour and irony of the two characters being shown at the same time; this would appeal to the target audience of the text as they would be interested in the transition between Daniel being the immature, flamboyant character to the sensitive and mature character through the use of Mrs Doubtfire’s identity.

www: Impressive analysis, Sonam! You write in a fluent style, incorporating media language & concepts well.

ebi: You included a conclusion- summarising key point, include one last my or one, and an evaluation ( how successful) of the scene.

Self - Evaluation

a: Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:

• Attainment = 2 - I feel as though I have achieved a good grade in my essay and hopefully that will count towards my interim.
• Effort = 3 - I haven't exactly put the effort that I should have as I have been concentrating on my other subjects too much.
• Punctuality = 2 - Usually I don't miss lessons but because of my recent illness I missed nearly a week of school which I know could effect my understanding in lesson.
• Submission and quality of homework = 3 Sometimes my quality of homework is not as good as it was when I first started off, again due to the fact I've been paying attention to my other subjects.
• Ability to work independently = 2 - I can work independently, once I actually understand my work.
• Quality of writing = 2 - I'm hoping that my quality of writing is good.
• Organisation of blog = 3 - I am really bad at organisation, honestly.
• Oral contributions in class = 3 - Sometimes I don't contribute as much as I used to.

b. Make a list of three achievements (www) and three targets/areas for improvement (ebi) over the next half-term.

www:

1: I have been able to remember and actually understand the work in lessons, usually this is not the case.

2: I am better at constructing my answer for essays, other questions etc.

3: I have better concentration is class.

ebi: 

1: If I put more effort in to the production of my work 

2: If I would try to contribute in lessons more often

3: If I used more terminology in my writing and phrased it correctly.

Mrs Doubtfire essay

The long shot of Mrs Doubtfire on the bus creates humour; this is humorous because the bus driver is checking out Mrs Doubtfire and irony for the audience as we already know that she is a man.  The next shot is again a long shot of Mrs Doubtfire playing football with her son, there is also use of tracking shot as the camera follows her while playing, this would force us to identify and remember that Mrs Doubtfire is actually a man. The sound bridge of the non-digetic song Dude Looks Like A Lady by Aerosmith is parallel to this shot as it also forces the audience to focus on the fact that Daniel and Mrs Doubtfire are the same people. Throughout all of the shots Mrs Doubtfire/Daniel is position in the centre of the shot which would focus on the fact that he is the centre of attention in the text.

There is then an extreme long shot of Mrs Doubfire and the children on bikes in the park which connotes the whole ideal family bonding scene. The shot of Mrs Doubtfire dancing while she is cleaning with the vacuum, broom etc. would follow the conventional themes of a family comedy. Although Daniel is inside his own house with the Doubtfire costume and mask on the table he still seems to be focussing on being Mrs Doubtfire as he is taking notes on a cooking show; this would show the serious change that the protagonist is going through. The medium shot of Mrs Doubtfire reading to Natalie tilts to show both of the characters which would again connote family bonding which would promote positive values of family life. The setting of Daniel’s home is stereotypical for men as it is untidy, he is drinking beer with his dirty feet on the table. The setting in which we see Mrs Doubtfire in the Hillards home is tidy and quite which is the opposite to Mrs Doubtfire’s personality; the fact that everything else in the shot is furniture and not moving draws our attention towards Mrs Doubtfire dancing. 

The transition between every shot is a straight cut which is parallel to the fast paced rock and roll style music.  The lighting of the shots indoors of Mrs Doubtfire dancing is high-key lighting to appear as if the light is realistic in the scene and also emphasises the happy and fun mood for the audience too.There is a point of view shot where we see Miranda and Stuart back from a date; in the verse reverse shot Mrs Doubtfire waves at Stuart however decides to stick up her middle finger straight after, the use of this action code clearly shows us the negativity that Stuart has as Daniel still believes that Stuart is the reason that his family is drifting apart from him which is ironic as it was his own immaturity that is the reason behind the problems.

There is use of graphic matching as we see in the extreme long shot of the building panning downwards which then jumps to a tracking shot of Mrs Doubtfire on that same road; the building and Mrs Doubtfire would put emphasise on the ‘Dude looks like a lady’ as both have the shape of a woman’s figure.  Throughout the different shots we see Mrs Doubtfire's facial expression is mostly happy or frustrated which would connote the confusion between the two extreme characters and the extreme emotions.  Although in the shots we see Mrs Doubtfire, we actually see Daniel's body language being portrayed; for example the swearing in the meduim shot of Mrs Doubtfire. Mrs Doubtfire's costume is tidy and age - appropriate which would connote maturity and responsibility; however Daniel's costume is a mess which would reflect his chaotic state of mind as he has two identities.  

London to Brighton Trailer Analysis

1:  Media Forms- How does the trailer use media language to establish the film's genre?

The use of media language in the trailer establishes the film’s genre as being a raw thriller as it shows a young innocent girl who is forced into prostitution for her survival. The long shot at the beginning of the trailer shows the protagonist homeless inside a tube station; this would connote to the target audience that the protagonist has already led a troubled life at home which she is clearly trying to escape from (the text begins with Todorov’s theory of disequilibrium). Here we see the train being used as an action code for the characters desperation for escape. The protagonist meets a prostitute who is concerned about her condition while smoking a cigarette; the smoke in this shot follows the conventional theme of thriller as there is already some sort of mystery being created through the use of the enigma code of the smoke. The young girl accepts an offer of money in return for some work, there is use of irony in the text as the audience would know that the girl is being lured into prostitution however the innocent protagonist is oblivious to this, considering that she is with a hooker and a pimp. As the medium shot of the girl entering the hotel room the audience see her facial expression as being terrified and the use of an enigma code of her red lipstick which connotes lust, which is obliviously something that the young girl cannot understand as she is not aware of these signs. There is a juxtaposition of the beginning, with the long shot of London and then eventually the tracking shot of the gritty, run down areas of Brighton; this would reflect the protagonist’s transition between the location and lifestyle that she leads. The use of the voice over which says “How often did you get my dad a girl?” “Couple of times, three, four.” “How young?” “She was about 12.” This voice over would also follow the conventional theme thriller as there has been a death which involves the protagonist; the non-digetic sound of the gunshot signifies violence and death. The medium shot of the protagonist and the prostitute being beaten also connotes the violence of the text. When both of the female characters are in the train the young girl asks “Are we going to jail?” and then the close up of the prostitute in low-key lighting connotes deception as there are shadows created around her eyes.

2: Media Representations- How is gender represented in the trailer?

There is a clear division between genders in the trailer as the women are shown to have no real value as humans and the men are shown to be superior through the use of the low angle shots. The males are dominant in the trailer as the pimp decided where the young girl has to provide her service in exchange for money but in the end of the trailer the man seems to be arresting the two females as they have gone against the men’s orders. However the women are not treated with the same respect as the men as they are beaten by the men in the low-key long shot which shows that the men are able to enforce their power over the young girl and the prostitute. The women are represented as inferior as they do not retaliate in the dark scene; this would put emphasise on their position in society being low compared to the men. The young girl is represented as innocent and naïve when she is inside the shady car; in this medium shot there is top lighting on her face which would connote purity as the car is completely dark. The prostitute is portrayed as a caring mother figure towards the protagonist as her facial expression is worried when the girl is forced to have sex with the old man.

The pimp in the trailer is portrayed to be insensitive as he happily offers the protagonist money for sex, later on in the trailer he is shown to still be selfish as he only cares about the money he makes from the women as he can’t even remember how old the girl is. 

Cinematography - Extension Tasks:

1st extract: Pollyanna (1960)

The camera framing of the text consists of Long shots and Medium shots; the long shots are used to connote the difference between the period in which the text is set, 1913, and the time period in which the text was produced, 1960. In the text the medium shot focuses on the way each character reacts to each of the other characters entrance; for example when the Mayor asks Nancy "Nancy what are you staring at?" the use of the medium shot shows her reaction to the other man and the Mayor's questioning. 

The text uses camera movements such as tilt and tracking; the tracking is used in the opening of the text as the children are playing and the young boy makes his way to the train station. This is foreshadowing the fact that this young boy is an important character in the text as the camera focuses purely on his actions and journey within the first 3 minutes. The tilt camera movement is used when the protagonist of the text, Pollyanna, marvels at her new home, this connotes wealth and authority as the manor house is quite grand compared to what the protagonist as been raised in. 

2nd extract: Mrs Doubtfire (1993)

The text uses many different camera framings for example the long shot of when Mrs Doubtfire is dancing whilst cleaning, the medium shot of when she swears through the window and the medium shot of when the protagonist is cooking; these shots all focus on the change that the protagonist has gone throught while he/she has been his own children's nanny. It also focuses on the alternative representation of men being able to nuture their children although the irony is in this extract the children are unaware of the real identity of Mrs Doubtfire. We as the audience still see 'Mrs Doubtfire' behave as a man as well as doing all the supposedly female jobs this is also emphasised with the non-digetic sound of the Aerosmith song "Dude Looks Like a Lady". 

The camera movements in the text are mainly tracking shot (the cycling, crossing the road, cooking); this would again connote the difference in the wild personality that the protagonist was in the beginning to being less insane. The tracking shot creates humour as Mrs Doubtfire still behaves like a man  in the cooking scene and crossing the road scene as he appears to be a weak old lady but still behaves like the crazy man that he is.  

Comparison: The difference in the time periods are shown as Mrs Doubtfire consists of more complex camera framing whereas Pollyanna uses at least two different types of shots which is due to the different technologies available during these two different eras.  The camera movements of both of the texts are less complicated in Pollyanna but there is mostly use of shot/reverse shot as the point of view in the text changes, Nancy then Pollyanna. Although the camera movements in Mrs Doubtfire extract are also hardly used there is a consistent sound bridge throughout the scenes which connotes the same behaviour of the protagonist in the different scenes; however Pollyanna does not do this as the behaviour of the character is the same throughout the opening of the text. 

Four Film Stills

Gremlins:

The meduim shot of Gizmo focuses on his face and the top lighting connotes the fact that he is misunderstood and is actually as innocent character. The camera angle in this still image is at eye-level with the character which connotes that Gizmo is considered to be equal with the target audience. 

Gone With the Wind:

The long shot of the still image draws attention to the manor house in the setting which connotes wealth and power; and the costume that young girl is wearing connotes innocence and shows her to be importance. However the fact that the camera angle is at a slight tilt there could be a change in authority through the text. 

Billy Madison:

The camera angle in this still image is from above which is from the point of view of the teacher which connotes the authority and control that the teacher has over the children and Billy. The costume of the protagonist is similar to the children around him which connotes immaturity. The medium shot of the classroom show all the children sitting and waiting for their class to start while Billy Madison focuses on the teacher being a "Jackpot", this also emphasises his immaturity. 

Wild Child:

The long shot of the protagonist shows a jutxaposition between the character, a rich and spoilt American girl, and the setting, a solitary boarding school in the middle of fields and forests in England. The costume of the protagonist connotes luxury.

Sound - Extension Task

Development of Sound in Hollywood 1920's:

During the 1920's when Hollywood first grew popular sound was introduced as the film was also recorded along with the sounds at the same time these became known as the 'talkies'. This was perhaps a major progression from the over exaggerated silent films from the early 1900's as it enabled the directors to concentrate more on things like enigma codes and dialogue rather than the acting in the text. On the set of the film there would be an orchestra behind in the background parallel to the scene itself.  It was not until the mid-1920's that a software was introduced to enable the directors to add soundtracks behind.

Collages:

Film Noir Task

Research on Film Noir:

Film Noir was most popular during the 1930’s and 1940’s which was most famous for the low – key lighting and obviously black and white film. Many of these texts were associated with crime, mystery and coded romance; perhaps these types of movies were so popular during this era because of the Depression that had struck the USA with problems with the government, economy and the citizens. These different genres were shown through the use of the low-key lighting that highlights certain features of the frame; for example in the film Fallen Angel (1945) there is use of low- key top lighting when the character Stella enters the room, which highlights her features in the shot. 

This is a clear example of a coded sexual romance that Stella was trying to evoke with the men in the text this character fits the characteristics of a femme fatale which was common in most film noir movies. Other typical characters that are shown in Film Noir movies are the Dumb Blond character (which is also shown in the Fallen Angel as the protagonist, Stanton, marries the oblivious blond June for her wealth), the Innocent Man (which is usually mislead by the femme fatale into doing as she pleases). The Dumb Blond shown in the Fallen Angel, June, is shown with high-key lighting and filler lights to appear as the innocent character and fit the stereotype of a dumb blonde this creates empathy for the character as there is foreshadowing that the character will be going through emotional pain. 

The Lighting can also effect the setting, during the text when there is a crime scene there is use of low-key and back lighting which would create a mysterious, cynical setting; for romantic texts there is also use of low-key lighting and filler light to project exaggerated shadows and to add intensity to the emotions portrayed in the shots. 

Still Image: Fallen Angel (1945)

The low-key lighting and the key light shows the character Stella eyes in this shot as dark which connotes the fact that she is a deceptive woman in the film. The key light is used to highlight her figure as she is shown to be the most attractive woman in her town. The shadows created in the still image are all behind Stella which shows the audience that she is the main focus throughout the film. In the film Linda Darnell plays the role of a typical femme fatale and as we see in this shot the position of Darnell shows that she is self-centred as she expects men to be sympathising with her and only paying attention to her.

Short extract: Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

This extract is from a neo-noir film based on the media during the 1950's which showed the length at which the American journalists were willing to go to in order for there to be justice in the country. The low-key lighting and top lighting in this extract draws the attention to the actor's, David Strathairn, speech and emotion as he is determined for the justice in the U.S. this creates a moving atmosphere as the innocent man tries to show mercy on the citizens that were being publicly bullied by Joseph McCarthy. The exaggerated shadows created in the extract connote tension not only between the character of Edward R. Murrow but between the people sitting down and listening to his speech.