section 2: reasearch into examples of comparable media products

Jaws

Jaws - 1975A linear narrative structure - helps to co-ordinate the audience as they are not trying to follow both the storyline, and establish locations and characters etc. It helps the film to not become too complicated.Camerawork:- The camera overall tries to put the audience in the scene: this draws the audience in to the film by creating empathy, and also gets them more involved with the action, so in a way, they feel compelled to watch the film to help their 'friends' ie characters they have created a connection with through this technique.- A lot of establishing shots are used to help the audience orientate themselves.- Close up when the girl is being attacked by Jaws (although the audience do not know this because the shark is not shown - an effective lack of camera shot). This again, helps to draw the audience into the film, as they can see the emotion of the girl. This is also known as the Kuleshar effect - establishing feeling by showing 2 different shots and allowing the audience to substitute in the emotion. The other shot is the point of view of the shark: this is used to make the Kuleshar effect effective, and again bring the audience into the action, as it feels like they are the action.The fact that the audience do not see the shark is also part of Pascal Bontizer's theory of partial vision.Mise-en-scene:-- There is no artificial lighting in this scene: the only lighting that is noticably used is the sunrise/ sunset (unclear which). This helps to create a natural element to the film, and helps the audience to relate this to everyday life, making the film more believeable. The colours of the sunset connotate danger also.- There is relative use of props such as a buoy and the clothing.Sound:-- Relative use of diagetic sound such as the waves lapping on the beach, and the water splashing. This again, helps to create a natural element, and make the film more believeable etc.- Non diagetic sound such as the suspensive music that changes to more fast paced as the action builds, and the infamous sound motif of Jaws, work with the on-screen drama to make the action more effective on the audience.Graphics:-There are no on-screen graphics. This helps to focus the audience on the film rather than the credits etc, but could also be a negative thing, as I think it is a standard event to have at the beginning of any film.
Silence of the Lambs - 1990- A linear narrative structure to have the same effect as stated.Camerawork:-- There are lots of establishing shots of the lake, similar to Jaws, and has the same effect and purpose.- There is a tracking shot of her as she walks into his office. This brings the audience into the build up of the action because it feels like a point of view shot: like the audience is a third person in the movie/ an outsider watching the drama.Mise-en-scene:-- Relative mise-en-scene to a FBI training camp eg guns, trees, uniforms.- Obstactes in the wood. These are important as they show elements of her character: dedication, strength and determination, and give the audience a possible presumption of how she could react when faced with different circumstances.Sound:-- Relative sound to the surroundings (forest) eg birds tweeting, leaves crunching. Again, helps to create an element of believeablilty.- Non diagetic music has a strong beat to help create tension and suspense. This music also, at the end, is a slower version of the music at the beginning, which helps to convey a sense of continuity/ similarity.Graphics:-- Location naming alongside an establishing shot helps the audience to orientate themselves, and also give some sense of context to the film, as it was shot in Philladelphia, where a famous FBI training camp is: some audience members may know that.Codes and conventions:-The opening credits (which is the only use of graphics) conveys Pascal Bonitzer's theory of Partial vision: the writing if so big that the audience are blocked from seeing a major amount of the screen. Also, ironically, the establishing shots running behind is a forest - the audience cannot 'see the forest for the trees'.- The forest element also ties in with W.H.Matthew's theory abou the enchanted forest.