Independent Research:

 

Camera Angles/Shots:

In this particular post I will be sharing and discussing a range of photos displaying various camera shots and why they are specifically effective on an audience:

Point of View:

 Point of view is when the camera conjures the odd illusion of having the audience see the world through the perspective of a certain character. Generally the camera would be seen through eye level, as seen above, so as the audience can fully get to grips with how that character really sees the world.

Over the Shoulder:

Over the shoulder shot is when the camera is set quite close from behind the shoulder. This is normally used in a conversation, especially for it creates a sense of dominance for one character and the other inferior ( for one looks figure looks bigger and taller than the other).

Weather Shot:

The whether is used in this angle shot so as to capture the mood and setting of the specific scene being shot. This shot also helps to connote a sense of feeling a pathetic fallacy; for example the shot above consists of calm happiness for the bright primary colours, where as if this shot was taken in the middle of an autumn night it might be dark and wet connoting a sense of evilness and misery

Close up and Extreme Close Up:

A close up is used to illuminate to the audience of an important scene that is often used to create a sense of danger or tent ion. A close up is used to help mark the moment of that particular act of the scene.

An extreme close up is the same, only that the camera is in a far more deeper focus to further exemplify the situation. For example the extreme focus could illustrate to the audience of just how troubled I am as I am torn between the deduction of cutting the blue or the red wire when dismal tiling a bomb:

Establishing Shot

These shots are often used to display the setting of a scene before the action takes place. It is usually of the setting, allowing the audience to decode the connection to location has to the story.
Establishing Shot

Ariel shots allow the director to give the audience some perspective - for example, this angle emphasises how small the characters are which can be used to great effect within the story.

FORMS OF THE GAZE:

Example One: JAMES BOND THUNDERBALL:


James Bond (the masculine hero of the film) is displayed in the very centre of the poster so as to reveal the great amount of importance of whom the film circulates around. He is bent down on the ground yet that does not constrict his sense of dominance as although despite that he is bent on the ground he is still the tallest character there that is displayed on the poster. In his left hand he carries a harpoon of which is an symbol associated with death and destruction (a main them for Bond) when we think of instrument (especially those that are so subtle and deadly such as the harpoon) the immediate thoughts of an audience is that the harpoon leans towards a masculine side of perspective; this can suggest that because this weapon has the ability to cause such chaos and destruction, such as ending a life, the weapon holds a great amount of power of which the majority of audiences will think that only a male figure can posses).

 

The orange swim suit that Connery is wearing is short, tight, as well as the zipper to the suit itself being unzipped revealing a thick hairy chest. With semiotics the chest hairs as well as the exposed legs reveal a sense of sexual temptation to a female audience, most defiantly for the chest, for hair on a body is seen as a very positive masculine attribute. The swim suit itself again barely covers Connery, emphasising on the sexual persuasion for a female audience (and possibly as an ideal figure for the majority of male audiences to strive audiences). The colour of the swim suit is off a very vibrant primary orange, connoting the idea of fire, thus the aspects of danger and destruction that closely follow; again there is that continuous factor of curiosity that does almost anything so as to spark curiosity from in the audience. Not to mention that THUNDERBALL was filmed in the 60’s so these bright colours were very fashionable, resulting in bond being presented as not just a romancing deadly masculine figure, but in its own way a fashion icon also.

 

There are four beautiful women surrounding bond; these seems to be a very generous amount for only one man, but by this large quantity of females, audience will at once recognise that Bond is, for a better term, the ‘alpha male’. This will attract both genders of the audience of a film, the men wanting to be James Bond, while the women wanting to be with James Bond. As you might suspect for a Bond film, the women are only wearing bikinis, immensely attracting the majority audience that is male, as the symbol of the bikini and exposed flesh create the image of lust and sex that would have greatly drawn in the male target audience of when the film was being released. To add to this sexual attraction the women are all purposefully displayed in a verity of positions so as to reveal all manners of body parts and appeal to certain preferring perspectives of men.

 

As for the text that is sense in the poster, a clear example of semiotics is the phrase ‘L007K Out!; not only does the exclamation mark unravel a sense of danger and urgency as to connect the reader with an opinion (as in to quickly go and see the film) but the classic sign that is Bonds registration number ‘007’ is displayed clearly in look. This would of most likely have exited the audience at the time, as with the success of GOLDFINGER, EON company were already on the right track to having an extremely successful film series, that was adored by the many fans. Having the trademark 007 sign that every fan knew and loved was sure to stir excitement form the audience and immediately make them wanting to see it. The masthead of the film ‘THUNDERBALL’ is in a thick font is displayed in a primary red, indicating ideas of death and action, exiting the audience into getting ready to plunge into the wondrous escapism that was the film.

 

SEMIOTICS:

Semiotics is the study of signs. semiotics are seen throughout every form of media and all used to help narrate and emphasise that certain part of story/ narrative. Here are just a few examples in media that can bee seen as prime examples of semiotics.

In Texts- In the play Macbeth, as Macbeth has been told by the witches that his status is go further so that he will thane of Cawdor and later be king, the current king Duncan heads for the headquarters of Macbeths castle. As King Duncan approaches on horse, a crow. the animal is associated with death and therefore is subtly foreshadowing to the reader of the fate of King Duncan.

In TV-  In one episode of SHERLOCK, the series makes a nod to the illustrations found in the books as the detective chooses a dear-stalker so as to hide from the awaiting press outside a building. yet the dear-stalker is a hat of which hunters were when they are hunting for deer. normally we would associate the hunting of a deer to be very quite and illusive, the very same aspects of which Sherlock Holmes hopes to achieve as he does not want the mass publicity of a secret detective.

In Film- In the Dark Knight Rises towards the end (spoiler) there is a bomb that threatens to blow up the Gotham city, and only Batman can stop it. yet the image of the large heavy object that is the bomb that ticks every second, illuminating the possible destruction and death that is to come as time slowly begins to slip away. and yet these are the exact same quality of which we associate with a bomb. 

Here is a personal example of semiology:

The full bleed backdrop that is the grass connotes an idea of peacefulness and tranquillity of which the actual shot of the camera hopes to achieve, the grass itself can also be seen as a sign of freedom, for it is a part of nature. also this idea of simplicity is further illuminated by the simple close up shot that focuses upon the dandy-lion. because the shot is in a deep focus on nothing else, it creates a simplicity and banishes any thought on the idea of complexity for it only focuses on one thing; and again, just like the grass, the dandy-lion is a plant, an aspect of nature, with the use of semiotics we understand that this plant is free and carless, as the close up implies, as well that it something of innocence and purity (the whiteness of the plant connoting this).