What is Target Audience?
Target audience is the intended viewer of the film that's going to be released - it's a particular group of consumers that the product will be aimed at, probably because they will get the most enjoyment out of it than anyone else. There are certain factors that define the target audience for each individual film, for example, the genre of a film may affect the target audience for a film as certain groups of people will be drawn to a specific genre typically. For example, a teen film's target audience is probably going to be directed at teenagers due to the general themes and characters that teenagers can relate to. Another thing that may draw a specific target audience to a film is the actual individual content of the film. Although the genre may somewhat define the conventions and content - the nature of the content may vary depending on the film. Using comedy as an example, comedies that include specific content will probably have an adult audience whereas comedy with quite childish or all-appropriate humour will probably be best suited for children.
Target Audiences for Specific Genres
The genre is one of the biggest factors to effect what defines the target audience of a film. The following list provides the generic and convention target audience of certain genres.
Comedy - Comedy genre target audience varies greatly, depending on the nature of the humour used. Overall, as a broad genre, comedy is generally all-age appropriate as it's enjoyable to laugh regardless of your age or gender - there isn't a general limit/restriction on the target audience. When regarding the content and nature of the humour, the specific target audience may vary, for example, in comedies in which sexual humour is predominant in the film then the film is definitely for adults as the adult themes are not appropriate for children. This will change the age rating of the film (most likely either 15+ or 18+, depending on how graphic) which serves as a guideline to prevent the wrong target audience from watching it. Explicitely sexual adult-comedies will also probably be more aimed at males, as its a common misconception that females find sexual humour innapropriate or to poor taste because females are supposedly more 'pure' or 'innocent' and don't enjoy engaging in 'manly' activities like laughing at dirty jokes etc. Comedies that involve more childish and easy-to-understand/toned down humour would be more appropriate for children and families, as children are able to understand the jokes. This age rating is often either a U or a PG.
Horror - Target audience for the horror genre is relatively similar throughout the entire genre - because of the scary or graphic nature of the film genre it will generally be aimed at adults - particularly young adults as older people may find it tasteless etc. It would not be targeted at squeamish people, as they wouldn't be able to sit through it or even want to watch it at all. On the other hand, it could be aimed at relatively squeamish people because then they would genuinely find it scary and want to watch it for the rush etc. Moreover, if they find it genuinely scary then the film follows its purpose of actually invoking negative emotions in the audience. There are some variants of horrors that may be aimed at slightly younger people, for example, The Woman in Black has a younger target audience as the imagery isn't overly graphic and it isn't too scary so its appropriate for younger audiences. However, this being said, the general target audience of a horror film would be adults (especially young adults). Certain horror films may be aimed at men, particularly when the idea of a sexualised female character is employed because this (as a generalisation) would be what stereotypically appeals to a man and therefore they would feel inclined to watch it. Moreover, its a common misconception within our society that men are tougher than women and that women are squeamish, this, therefore, makes films of this nature be aimed at men because people assume that it would not appeal to women, this isn't always the case, though.
Action - Statistically, the target audience for action films is adult males. The certificate rating on most action films is 15+ or 18+, due to the violent nature and is, therefore, inappropriate to children. Elderly people may find the chaos too intense, hard to follow or tasteless, which therefore leaves the age range from young adults to middle age men. Stereotypically, the violence doesn't appeal to women as women are deemed more empathetic than men and would find the chaos and violence difficult to watch. Men are stereotypically more 'tough' and are therefore more inclined to enjoy the violence and danger in the film. The sexualisation of female characters often appeals to men too.
Drama - Because of the serious nature of drama films, they often don't appeal to children. The realism may be too ordinary and boring to them and the emotional journey of the characters won't be very exciting as children are typically easily distracted. Moreover, dramas often handle subjects like death and grief etc., which may not be considered appropriate for young children. Stereotypically, men are interested in action packed films with violence etc. Dramas may not be considered exciting enough according to the stereotypical male as its too slow and realistic. Adults, especially older adults, would be most interested in drama films because it contains subject matters they can relate to having experienced more in their life. It may appeal to females as they're supposedly more empathetic and therefore enjoy watching emotional works.
Romance - Romance films are generally aimed at adult (due to any sexual nature, or children are typically not interested in love and romance) females, as it's a common notion that females are more emotional than men and therefore enjoy watching these kinds of emotional films. The films promote the conception that females are more empathetic than males. Because of the norms of our society historically, women have been socialised into prioritising love and romance, this is why females would typically be interested in romance films. On the other hand, these movies are also aimed at couples, as couples are able to relate to these kinds of films. On the contrary, it can be argued that romance films are aimed at everyone because a romantic sub-plot is involved in almost every Hollywood film.
What Would be The Target Audience for Your 'Idea So Far'?
Based on my idea so far, I have decided that I want to portray a more serious mood. The genre I am leaning towards is drama, as its easy to portray realism, especially in the opening two minutes as it would be hard to contain fantastical conventions. This therefore makes my target audience more adult/young adult, as a serious mood may bore younger audiences. A precise gender may be females, as they're considered more empathetic and would enjoy an emotional film. However, my secondary genre I am considering opting for is Science fiction - more precisely Post Apocalyptic. Science fiction/post apocalyptic is a genre that is stereotypically aimed at males because of the dark nature of the idea that the world as we know it has been destroyed. Science fiction typically appeals to younger audiences eg. teen and young adult. Using these two genres opens my film to a wider target audience. I would attract these people to my film by involving the many conventions associated with the genre, so therefore it will appeal to them and also allow them to identify the film as the genre they enjoy watching.
What Ways Would You Go About Attracting Your Target Audience?
Statistacally, social media websites are one of the most used websites on the internet. Using social media is an effective way to address audiences nowadays, especially younger audiences such as teens/young adults who frequently use said websites. Setting up a social media page and constantly updating will promote it on social media and is therefore a good way to reach my target audience. A specific social media website is Facebook, it contains a wide range of users across all ages, genders and cultures therefore I know my advertising is reaching a wide range of people. Using other online websites is effective too, to reach the minority of internet users who don't visit social media websites. Sponsored/pop-up adverts and banners on the side of websites is an effective way to reach a broad audience and gain attention. Placing these adverts on websites oriented at my target audience is an even more effective method as I know that the target audience is specifically being reached. For example, male forums.
Using trailers is one of the most effective ways to attract your target audience. Making an engaging and exciting trailer is important, however it is also important to convey conventions so the genre can be identified and the target audience associated with that genre will know its the type of film they'd want to watch. Airing these trailers on TV channels and in cinemas before films of the same genre is effective because the target audience associated with that genre is being addressed as they're the most likely people to be viewing that film.
Posters are important as the aesthetic, content and title of the poster/film can help the audience identify the genre types.
Putting posters in public places like billboards or on buses will target people throughout their day to day lives, they'll pass the posters often so they'll become more memorable to them.
Dialogue is the diegetic spoken conversation between characters in a film. Any diegetic speech, i.e not narration, is considered dialogue. Dialogue may be scripted or improvised, however, it is most commonly scripted to ensure it is relevant to the film and fulfils its purpose as a piece of dialogue. Improvisation may be used for jokes being told or to create a more natural appeal to the speech. Semi-structured speech is where it is a mix of both scripted and unscripted dialogue - this is effective because it fulfils the planned purposes of dialogue and is, therefore, relevant to the film but also allows room for natural acting or character development as the way it is delivered or the slight alterations to the lines may reflect on what the character is like.
Dialogue has multiple purposes within a film. The main purpose of dialogue is to advance the narrative as things regarding the plot or characters is revealed when people in the film mention it. Most dialogue used in narrative films must be able to advance the narrative - whether it is to aid the exposition or delve into the plotline - in some form and throwaway dialogue (irrelevant or pointless dialogue eg. 'Good morning!') must be kept to a minimum or be eliminated entirely. This is because throwaway dialogue is not engaging or interesting to watch (often because it is too mundane), moreover, it uses valuable time the film could be using to develop the narrative or other important aspects. Another purpose of dialogue is to engage the audience by using unique, subtle and clever dialogue. Dialogue that is too boring and sounds too much like a mundane reality is ineffective as it cannot engage the audience, this is why it is principle for dialogue to be clever and unique, however, it must still be subtle and realistic as otherwise it will be too unbelievable and can't be taken seriously. Dialogue can be used to suggest the relationships between characters. For example, what the characters say to each other and the way it is delivered can create chemistry between the characters. Establishing unique relationships between characters helps make the film more convincing for the audience and therefore allow the audience to engage themselves with the film more. Characters that are unintentionally awkward onscreen or unintentionally have no chemistry will make the audience feel uncomfortable watching them. There are many guidelines to follow in order to create effective dialogue. Firstly, excessive use of dialogue. It's a common rule in film productions to 'show not tell', this applies to dialogue too. Having dialogue that just explains what's going on is pointless, as it can be shown visually. Using a character to tell the audience what's happened or what's happening etc. will be boring because it takes the same form as reading a book - people want to see the action and not hear about it. Tell it in pictures not words and use dialogue minimally as dialogue heavy films will not be interesting and may even be too hard to follow as they're watching someone else's conversation.
Another guideline is to create dialogue that's unique to a specific character. The way they speak eg. the formality, the dialect etc. helps define and shape the characters. Using unique-to-character dialogue will highlight the differences between each character, this will make the film convincing as everyone in real life is obviously different. Moreover, having unique, in-depth characters gives the audience someone to emotionally invest themselves in as they're unlikely to grow fond of an ordinary, undeveloped and samey character - using unique dialogue to that character will help prevent this. Dialogue shouldn't be too lengthy - one person shouldn't be talking for an excessively long period of time. Even monologues shouldn't be too long, otherwise, the audience will grow bored. Is Dialogue Necessary in the Opening Sequence of a Film? Dialogue is definitely not necessary in the opening sequence of a film. Although there are many purposes dialogue can be used for, it doesn't have to be used. Furthermore, the extent of dialogue used will depend heavily on the plot of the film, for example, a more fast-paced action film opening sequence will probably not use dialogue a lot as dialogue is quite uneventful and too calm for an action film. A drama film, however, may involve more dialogue in the opening sequence as relationships is a common theme and the characters and their emotions is a predominant feature in drama films. Dialogue can be useful for conveying a character's emotion and thoughts, however, this can be done in other ways such as narration or the body language of the character etc. so therefore dialogue isn't the only method and therefore doesn't have to be used. However, dialogue in the opening sequence is a good way to help shape the character as an individual as the way they speak and what they speak about will help the audience learn more about them. Not only does this have expositional purpose but it also allows the audience to get to know the characters early on and therefore root for them throughout the film - or even advance to the plot quicker as characters have been introduced. If you incorporate dialogue into the opening two minutes of a film then it tends to give away more plot, this may not be the desired effect if you want to use the opening sequence to create an exposition etc. Personally, I think using minimal to no dialogue is most effective in the opening sequence - this is because it advances the plot too much in a scene I think should be generally used to create an exposition. However, using a little dialogue may also help to create a sense of character subtly as well as prevent the film from being boring etc. Examples of Film Openings From Specific Genres That DO involve Dialogue and that DON'T Involve Dialogue Comedy WITH Dialogue - 'Superbad' (2007, Greg Mottola) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
This comedy utilises dialogue effectively because it allows the audience to be introduced to/get to know the characters early on, aiding the exposition. For example, we learn that they're in high school and therefore know their approximate age. The audience also learns their nationality (American) through their accent and dialect, if the dialogue was not incorporated the audience would likely not know these things at this point in the film. Not only does the audience learn basic information about the characters because of the dialogue, they also learn what the characters are like and they're interests. For example, the character driving (Seth) expresses his sexual interests and priorities, showing that he conforms to the stereotype of a teenage boy because of his 'immature' interests. The character played opposite to him (Evan) shows that he is more innocent etc. because of what he says to Seth. Using dialogue in comedy is effective too because it allows for jokes to be told, which is one of the key purposes of a comedy. Using jokes in the opening to a film is great for making the audience laugh and therefore making them enjoy the film more. It also helps set the lighthearted and comedic tone for the rest of the film which helps the audience identify its genre.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
It could be argued that the dialogue is too hard to follow because the audience learns so much information in such a small amount of time. Starting the opening sequence slow using minimal dialogue allows the audience to be eased into the film and not overwhelmed with too much information. However, the effects of the dialogue are overall effective.
Comedy WITHOUT Dialogue - 'There's Something About Mary' (1998, Peter & Bobby Farrelly) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
In this opening, dialogue isn't used because the opening wanted to focus more on the music. The music helps set a mood for the film as well as mentions a particular character and helps the audience guess what the film is about. Dialogue would have distracted the audience away from the lyrics of the song. Furthermore, using no dialogue was an effective way to ease the audience into the film as it isn't hard to follow and they're not thrown straight into the plot.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
Without dialogue, the opening is a little long and repetitive, there's not much happening and therefore it becomes a bit tedious to watch. Furthermore, no information is conveyed to the audience because of the lack of dialogue so no exposition is created which is important in the opening of a film.
Overall, in comedy, dialogue is often used to add jokes etc. and therefore set a tone for the film and make it engaging to watch.
Horror WITH Dialogue - 'Psycho' (1960, Alfred Hitchcock)
What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
Ignoring the title sequence to begin with, this opening uses dialogue to convey the relationship between two characters - helping give information to the audience. It also allows the audience to learn a little something about the characters, for example, that the woman has a job/nationality etc.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
In terms of the genre as a whole, using dialogue is not effective because it draws the audience away from the scary theme of horror films. Using dialogue creates a slight sense of security because of the sociable nature of the action, moreover, focusing solely on music or even just creating silence can create tension, discomfort or fear in the audience. This scene isn't very fitting to a horror because of the casual use of dialogue, however, this may be intended to create a false atmosphere.
Horror WITHOUT Dialogue - 'The Woman in Black' (2012, James Watkins) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
In this, tension is created through the lack of speech, as casual speech can draw the audience away from the creepy atmosphere intended to be created. Instead, the director focuses on building a scary atmosphere by using creepy music and conventional iconography associated with the horror genre. It helps set the serious and scary tone for the film.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
The audience may find it hard to follow as they have no verbal explanation as to what's going on and have to rely on visual cues, which do not tell the whole story. On the other hand, this may create a sense of ambiguity or mystery and therefore create suspense in the audience.
Overall, using little to no dialogue is most effective in horror films as it doesn't distract the audience from the scary atmosphere of the film.
Action WITH Dialogue - 'Iron Man' - (2008, Jon Favreau) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
This opening allows the audience to get to know the character as the way he speaks suggests what his personality is like, this allows the audience to, therefore, root for them from the beginning as they get to know them early on. Furthermore, basic information is learnt eg. where they're from based on their accent etc.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
Dialogue isn't very fitting with the action genre as dialogue is too casual and slow whereas action films are fast-paced and full of action, it contradicts the conventions of its genre. Action films are normally intense and the conversation is very casual. However, this film opening utilises it quite successfully as the casual atmosphere is abruptly ruined creating shock within the audience - the casual dialogue heightens the contrast and therefore intensifies the drama.
Action WITHOUT Dialogue - 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' (1995, John McTiernan) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
The absence of dialogue is effective because it allows the audience to focus on the setting being established as opposed to the plot being advanced, moreover, popular rock music is playing which is a common convention of action film and using dialogue would draw away from thise. Furthermore, when the explosion takes place, using dialogue would take away the tension and excitement created by such a large action. Dialogue would be too slow.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
During the fraction of the opening in which establishing shots of the setting are used, it's very slow and calming because of the slow panning shots and the romantic lighting of sunset. This may be quite boring as the target audience of an action film would be used to fast paced action, therefore the absence of dialogue used to advance the narrative may be seen as quite boring.
Overall, in action films absence of dialogue is most effective because the audience will need to focus on fast-paced physical action as opposed to casual conversation.
Drama WITH Dialogue - 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998, Steven Spielberg) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
Using dialogue in this opening helps the audience understand the relationships and roles between the characters. For example, the way they address other characters and by what they call each other signifies their position in the military, eg. 'Sir' etc. Moreover, using dialogue and shouting is another way to express the emotion felt by the characters, so it helps the audience empathise with them.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
Given the fast-paced and violent nature of the scene, the dialogue can be considered to slow down the action as the director allowed time for the characters to speak as opposed to speeding up the action and emphasising the chaos of the scene.
.
Drama WITHOUT Dialogue - 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (1962, Robert Mulligan)
What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
Using no dialogue allowed the audience to focus on the music, the objects and the titles. This didn't rush them into the narrative and also created a calm and nostalgic atmosphere, helping set the tone for the film. It's not hard to follow.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
As no dialogue is used to advance the narrative forward or create an exposition, the intro gets a little boring and therefore doesn't engage the audience like using a scene involving narrative normally would.
Overall, in drama films, dialogue is often used as realism is often portrayed and speech/conversation is a basic activity engaged in most days. Furthermore, dialogue is a good method to portray a relationship onscreen, which is a common theme in dramas.
Romance WITH Dialogue - 'P.S I Love You' (2007, Richard LaGravenese) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
This dialogue is effective for a romance film because the use of dialogue helps the audience understand the relationship between the characters, as well as helps them understand what they're like as characters based on the way they speak and the things they say. It also gives background information as to what they're talking about.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of Dialogue?
It confuses the audience as it throws them straight into two characters' conversation without knowing the context straight away. Moreover, they aren't given a chance to be introduced to characters and to create an exposition before they're thrown straight into the action.
Romance WITHOUT Dialogue - 'Love Actually' (2003, Richard Curtis) What are the Positive Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
If dialogue was incorporated it would distract the audience away from the message of the narrator and therefore be chaotic or make them miss a key piece of information. Furthermore, it allows the audience to watch all the characters from a non-intimate perspective as we can't hear their conversations. This is effective because the characters used are not relevant to the plot at all but are just used to demonstrate a theme; love. Watching different characters hug etc. sets a romantic tone to the film without actually hearing what they say.
What are the Negative Effects Created Through the Use of No Dialogue?
The audience will get confused as to why the characters are relevant because they can't hear their conversation. Furthermore, watching irrelevant characters just hug with no dialogue may not be engaging enough.
Generally, romance's incorporate dialogue because portraying relationships is a common convention in romance films.
What Issues Could You Face If You Involved Dialogue In Your Coursework?
Firstly, an issue that would most likely rise if I opted to use dialogue in my coursework would be the quality of the audio/speech. This is because I don't have access to a high-quality microphone/sound recording equipment and would, therefore, have to resort to using the microphone built into my DSLR camera. Relying on this microphone is risky for many reasons, firstly, it doesn't have directed recording like a professional microphone, this means it would record sounds from all directions as opposed to just from the source I intended to pick up i.e the actors. This would, therefore, pick up random sounds in the background that would be equally as loud as the actors, or louder, depending on how close/loud the unwanted noises are. Another reason lacking any good quality audio equipment would hinder me is because the actual quality of the mic in the camera would not be good enough and therefore the sounds of the dialogue would be quiet/bad quality or covered by audio noise (hissing/humming). Furthermore, because the microphone is built into the camera it is, therefore, closer and will likely pick up the noises made by the camera/crew, for example focusing the lens or moving the tripod etc. These noises may be filtered out however, this is hard to do effectively as the post production software does not always remove all sounds or may even affect the quality of the dialogue depending on how much it filters.
In addition to the quality of the sound, another issue I may face when including dialogue is the risk of it not being necessary in the film. From conducting this research into dialogue I have learnt that it's better to show and not tell. Using unnecessary dialogue will use up valuable time which I'll need to use to engage and captivate the audience. Furthermore, pointless dialogue may even bore the audience. Using minimal dialogue is a better choice to avoid using excessive and unnecessary dialogue that will just bore the audience, particularly if I want to invoke emotion in the audience.
Another factor that may affect the quality of my coursework if I opt to use dialogue is my ability to write a screenplay. Prior to joining A Level Media, I had no experience in writing scripts for feature films. The only practice I've gained is from practice tasks I've performed on this course, so my knowledge of scriptwriting is stark. This, therefore, means that I will likely struggle with writing an effective piece of dialogue that's realistic, engaging, unique and, of course, necessary. Furthermore, depending on what genre I choose the script style may vary, so I'll have to familiar myself with multiple styles. For example, comedy would expect a witty script whereas a drama would expect a more dramatic but realistic script. I can overcome this by practising different scriptwriting styles and getting feedback on my scripts in the meantime.
Dialogue may be too confusing to follow as the audience are thrown straight into conversation without context. Furthermore, it may be too chaotic in terms of the genre as there's too much information to take in. On the other hand, it may be too slow, for example, if its an action film and dialogue is used it may not be fitting to the fast-paced theme of action films because the audience are distracted from the action with casual conversation. Dialogue may just not suit the theme the genre creates. However, this can be avoided by using appropriate dialogue for a specific genre.
Another issue I could face is the delivery of the dialogue. Even if I manage to write a successful script, the script relies on the actor's skill and delivery in order for it to be successful. If the delivery is poor i.e it is unnatural, forced or over exaggerated etc then having dialogue in the first place is pointless because the audience cannot take bad acting seriously - it's unconvincing and just straight out difficult to watch. It is far easier for an actor to remain natural if they don't say anything than it is for them to deliver a line naturally. This issue can be avoided by employing an actor based on their skill at performing dialogue. This being said, finding a talented actor that also fits the requirements eg. looks/age etc. will be hard, especially given my circumstances (low budget/amateur).
What Issues Could You Face If You Don't Involve Dialogue In Your Coursework?
Many problems could arise if I choose to not involve dialogue. For example, dialogue can be used to speed up the narrative a bit, so if my opening sequence is extremely slow and dialogue is not used to speed it up than the audience will likely find the opening sequence boring as not much happens.
Another issue is if I need to convey key information eg. relationships between characters, context etc. to the audience, for example, how a character's feeling etc. Although this can be achieved through other methods, eg. Body language of the actor etc., it may not be clear enough for the audience to know, which, therefore, means that dialogue is vital in these situations, otherwise the audience will not understand what is going on.
What is Narration/Voiceovers?
Narration or voiceovers are the use of non-diegetic spoken commentary to convey a story or information to the audience. Narration focuses on telling a story whereas a voice over is just commentary in general, including narration. Narration can help the film become easier to understand and digest - as the audience doesn't just rely on visual cues and dialogue to understand what's happening. It can be used to relay what has happened in a film. It helps create some form of intelligence, interpretation and verbal perspective and a window not just into a specific character's mind but perhaps even the writer's/director's mind too. It can be the director's methods of addressing the audience without actually breaking the 4th wall. Voice overs may also be a way to keep the film engaging, as just the footage alone may not be entertaining enough. They generally relate to the footage.
The simplest role of the narrator is exposition. They summarise key points rather than actually showing events unfolding etc. This speeds a sequence up so that the story can progress fast enough. The narrator may be a character featured in the narrative or an omniscient storyteller detached from the story itself. An example of an omniscient storyteller is the narrator from 'The Virgin Suides'. Narrators may be characters in different time periods to where the footage is set, for example, the protagonist when they're old in the future and relaying events. Narrators help shape characters by conveying inner thoughts. Narrators can often deal with meaningful concepts.
Examples of Narration in Specific Genres
Comedy - Narration in comedy films, although not that common, can often be humorous eg. in the Inbetweeners. Comedy narrators often tell the story from a particular character's account whilst expressing thoughts from them as it's often the protagonist who is narrating. In parodies, storytelling narration may be used to mock the style in more serious films that use an omniscient narrator outside of the narrative to tell the audience the story. The voices in comedy are often more expressive and animated to fit the lighthearted theme of comedy. The language used is very casual and informal.
Clueless (1995, Amy Heckerling)
Clueless is a good example of a comedy that utilizes narration to create an exposition, help the audience understand the character and their attitudes and thoughts as well as tell the story. The first thing we notice about the narration is how lively and animated the voice is - this can be heard through the many words that are exaggerated and emphasized in volume, pitch and length. We learn so much about the character and her life from just listening to the narration and without watching the footage and listening to the music that accompanies it. We learn that she's a teenager, her father's occupation, income (they're very wealthy) and general grumpy nature. She describes the extent of her wealth when describing her fully accessorized, expensive car, before describing her best friend and her eccentric fashion tastes. We also learn what she thinks of herself - she's very vain and thinks everyone is jealous of her. This shows that it was a very simple method of helping form the exposition as we learn a lot about the character. Moreover, her tone of voice and general naive and ditsy attitude suggests that she conforms to a stereotype. We can tell where its set based on her generic American accent and dialect. This opening uses narration for comedy purposes by making the audience laugh with her exaggerated ditsy comments.
Horror - Narration in horror is very uncommon, this is because narration slightly detaches the audience from what's going on in the film and therefore makes it less scary. Moreover, narration can often serve as a sense of security, this doesn't suit the theme of a horror. On the other hand, narration can be used to unnerve the audience by using an unstable or disturbing voice to shake the audience. Voices used in horror will have a chilling aura to them - the tone will be slightly derisive or overly exaggerated - low tones may be used to appear intimidating - or they may sound disturbed and frightened.
American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron)
Although using narration is particularly uncommon in horrors, American Psycho manages to utilize it successfully. This is because there's some how a very chilling aura to it despite every calming aspect in the scene. We hear an over exaggerated, generic Amerian accent - the way everything is pronounced is so crisp, proper and perfect. Almost every word is emphasized, creating this overly professional voice that's reminiscent of an advertisement, not to mention the precision in every product he describes eg. 'water activated gel cleanser'. It's definitely not a casual way of speaking and this has a rather unnerving effect as it makes the character appear inhuman, despite them just describing very ordinary (though over the top with routine) parts of a person's day. We learn a lot about the character in this sequence because of the narration - we learn every single aspect that's part of their routine, as well as the fact that he's very organised and precise. Towards the end of the sequence, his voice suddenly lowers and its as though someone else is speaking, despite it obviously coming from the same person. They begin to talk about 'simply not being there', which turns the suddenly relaxing (yet unnerving) mood to cold and calculating. When he says, 'I simply am not there', he uses a lot of pauses and elongation to drag it out and emphasize the phrase. This makes it memorable, as though this is what defines this character despite all of the mundane activities he was listing throughout the entirety of the sequence. The purpose in this narration is to introduce what the character is like.
Action - Action films often don't use narration as it draws away from the action happening in the film. When it is used (often in uneventful sequences in the film), it can be used to express the protagonists inner thoughts. This gives the protagonist a chance to open up and allow the audience to get to know them as protagonists in action films are often closed off and 'hard', therefore, they won't get a chance to open up with other characters as it goes against convention and their own nature. Voices used to narrate in action are often more gruff and sound tough - they're more low pitched than most genres.
Looper (2012, Rian Johnson)
Warning! - Spoilers ahead (in video)
As there was no narration in the opening sequence I decided to analyse an iconic scene from the film that does involve narration. When there's action going down, it suddenly slows down and goes silent. This makes it easier to add important narration to the film without distracting the viewers from any fast paced action happening onscreen. The character's voice is low and gruff/hoarse (the actor is definitely putting this voice on) - he's almost whispering as though he's confiding in the audience. This has a dramatic effect as despite his general flat tone and the low, hoarse pitch, there's still evidently emotion in his voice. The purpose in this narration is to explain the events and his mind process - from this narration we find out that he's very honorable as he does the selfless thing as he explains he changes the situation he's recognized.
Drama - Drama often always uses narration, this is because it's commonly used to express a character's inner thoughts as the purposes of a drama film is to depict a character's emotional journey. It may be used to tell a story as dramas are quite slow and ordinary and narration may be required to make it more engaging and entertaining. Voices used in drama narration is often very emotional sounding, however, it may be quite monotonous to suit the serious tone of the film.
American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes)
In the American Beauty sequence, narration is used for both expositional purposes and to establish a character's thoughts, feelings and attitudes. The character describes his neighborhood, his wife and daughter and his life in general. His tone sounds derisive and very unenthusiastic, already suggesting his attitudes towards everything in his life. He doesn't, however, directly say how he feels about things, but by the tone of his voice etc. the audience can interpret what he thinks eg. when he says about his wife 'see how the way the handle on those pruning sheers matches her gardening clogs... that's not an accident.' This may also suggest his lowkey distaste for materialistic values, foreshadowing the later events of the film. He continues to talk about how mundane and ordinary his life is, this plays on the themes of realism typical in dramas.
Romance - Romance narration is often utilized to depict a character's thoughts on another character, as romance's focus on the relationship between characters. It may be used to show a character's emotion. They do sometimes tell the story, particularly in romances that feature a character remembering a story from their past and therefore recite it to another person. Voices used in romance are often quite emotional.
The Notebook (2004, Nick Cassavetes)
This scene in The Notebook shows the idea of an omniscient (in regards to the story, as they know everything that's going to happen) narrator. Although the narrator is apart of the narrative, they're telling their account of the past from a future perspective. Their role as the narrator is to tell the story as it happened, rather than convey thoughts and feelings of characters. This is an effective narrating style as the audience gets a non-bias (although it is from one account, it is still an omniscient perspective) full view of what happened. Their voice is neither animated nor monotonous - they're reading it like a storybook as opposed to with personal emotion - this prevents the audience forming a bias viewpoint.
What is Required for a Good Piece of Film Narration?
The Narrator's Voice/Delivery etc. Firstly, film narration must be coherent. This is because everything the narrator says must be relevant to the film and therefore the audience will probably need to hear it. Using a high quality microphone without any background noises is the best way to achieve a crisp and coherent sound, as well as the actor pronouncing things clearly. Not only does the voice actor have to pronounce things clearly, but they also have to sound natural. If they sound forced or uncomfortable then it'll make the audience feel uncomfortable - but not in the way a film ever should, i.e not a horror film kind of uncomfortable. This'll make them less inclined to enjoy the film. Moreover, their voice should probably not be irritating - except maybe for comical purposes but even this is risky. Using an annoying voice will annoy the audience, obviously, and may even be so extreme that the audience refuses to watch the rest of the film. The narrator's voice must suit the mood of the film. For example, if a serious mood is being portrayed than a narrator with an overly enthusiastic voice will not suit it, whereas in a very cheery film, monotonous or depressing tones of voice tends not to be used. The delivery of the lines must have the perfect speed and rhythm, otherwise it may sound out of place, particularly when accompanied with music.
Content etc. it is very important not to use narration pointlessly, for example, when its used to describe exactly what is happening on screen. It should probably be used to tell the audience something new that cannot be told visually, otherwise the audience are just hearing what they're seeing, it's important to show and not tell to maintain subtlety and not distract the audience away from the action. If a film does not need narration - if the narration doesn't impact the film - then voiceover is generally unnecissary. The content of narration must also be realistic - if the way it is written is too unnatural sounding then it'll negatively impact how convincing the film is. If the audience is unable to believe the film than they won't engross themself in the film and is therefore unlikely to enjoy it. Using overly casual narration will be too irritating for the audience whereas using overly formal narration will be too unnatural for the audience. Documentary style narrating can be effective if utilized properly, however, otherwise is unlikely to be taken seriously or be too boring for the viewer. Voiceovers must not be too consistent - otherwise it will distract the audience from the footage and detach them from the film. Although, using it for this purpose may be effective eg. in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Films that effectively utilise voiceover narration are films that have been adapted from books - this is because the narration has already been effectively written which means using relevant quotes can create a powerful effect on the film.
Is Voiceovers Something You Will Contemplate in Your Coursework?
In short, yes. I have multiple ideas for film openings that involve voiceover narration, as it's a perfect way to aid the exposition in the short two minutes we have as well as help set a mood through the way its delivered - this is why it's something that I don't think should be written out of consideration like so many film experts suggest. Although, from conducting all this research, I have realised that it's a hard technique to pull off successfully, so would have to take into consideration the many factors that make voiceover narration effective. But otherwise its a good style to show a characters feelings, aid the exposition and help enhance the mood of the film.
The fourth wall is a convention used in theatre, literature and film involving an imaginary barrier between the audience and the characters. To maintain the illusion of film the actors in front of the camera pretend as if the audience and camera are not there - they cannot even make eye contact with the lens of the camera otherwise they break the fourth wall. Only what is involved in the set and in front of the camera is what they can acknowledge as that's what's involved in their fictional universe. This allows the audience to experience being 'the fly on the wall' - they get to view the scenes in the most 'candid', 'realistic' and 'pure' (obviously not literally as it is fictional and scripted) way because the actors aren't influenced by the audience. Moreover, it makes the actors more engrossed in their roles because they're completely fictionalised and are therefore not crossing the line between fiction and reality which distracts from them playing their role realistically.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Breaking the fourth wall is when the actors shatter this barrier and therefore the illusion of film has been broken. When the fourth wall is broken, the audience tend to become detached from the characters and story - it breaks up their investment in the work and makes them see the characters as people acting in a film as opposed to real people doing real things. Obviously, breaking the fourth wall shatters the sense of realism. Breaking the fourth wall can be done in several ways - it can be done by the actors addressing the audience. This is when they look into the camera lens or even go as far as to speak to the audience. This is usually aside from the events in the story so isn't apart of the narrative - other characters tend not to be aware of it however this isn't always the case. Another method of breaking the fourth wall is not by physically involving the audience but by acknowledging their fictionality. For example, if the characters reference to the set being fake etc. Breaking the fourth wall is done for many reasons. One of these is for comedic effect. Breaking the fourth wall may be humorous because it goes against convention and creates situational comedy - the character can acknowledge the fact they're in a situation. Moreover, breaking away from any serious events in the story automatically creates a lighthearted effect because the audience are taken away from the seriousness of the situation - this is why breaking the 4th wall is less common in serious films. Also, breaking the 4th wall is funny because the characters often make jokes to the audience. These jokes are often topical or refer to something in popular culture - or they make a remark about the characters or situation in the film. Another reason for breaking the fourth wall may be to make the audience feel targeted/attacked - this may invoke a feeling or make them think about their lives or even just the story/characters more. This is most commonly used in films that reflect social beliefs as it makes the audience think/aware of social issues. It may also be used for expositional purposes to allow the audience to learn details about the exposition without relying on visual information - this means the audience cannot interpret which means they understand it exactly how the director wanted them to. It also increases the chance they'll remember or even know as, when relying on visual information, the audience may not even observe things properly. Breaking the fourth wall is commonly used to make the audience bias towards a character, even if they do bad things. This is because they treat the audience like their best friend - they're open with them etc. This obviously makes the audience like them and therefore ally themselves with them. Examples of the 4th Wall Being Broken Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, John Hughes) Genre - Teen Comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off is an iconic example of the use of breaking the fourth wall. Although throughout the film breaking the 4th wall is used for comedic purposes, its main purpose is for exposition. In Ferris' opening monologue after he's tricked his parents into letting him have the day off school, he confides in the audience, telling them that he will make the most out of this day and do something fun because he knows he wont get a chance to again. This reveals to the audience his intentions and therefore allows them to get a sense of what the film is about - it sets up what's going to happen and creates that exposition without using visual clues. It also allows the audience into his mind, allowing them to know him as a character far better. This plays on the idea that the characters make the camera and the audience their best friend, which makes the audience more inclined to like him as a character. The audience sees a side to him that the other characters do not. This makes them ally with him in the film and therefore root for him when he encounters obstacles through the narrative, despite what he is doing is wrong (truancy).
Filth (2013, John S Baird) Genre - Crime Warning! - Spoilers Ahead
As crime is typically a more serious genre, seeing an example of a crime film featuring 4th wall breaks is interesting, however, Filth is a very expressionistic film that breaks many conventions. Filth is an example of film that used it to make the audience think. At the very end of the film, the main character, a very crooked and shameless cop, breaks the fourth wall. This is a very heartwrenching moment because he is balancing from a chair with a scarf around his neck ready to kill himself - however the doorbell rings and there's a child and a woman at the door. This gives the audience hope, however, one wrong movement will kill him, which creates tension in the audience. The character then turns to the audience and utters, 'Same rules apply', when the chair suddenly breaks and he's left hanging from the ceiling. This makes the audience think - there have been many interpretations behind the meaning of the line 'same rules apply'. Some people argue that, because of the line before it ('Sometimes it takes a wrong doer to show you when you're doing wrong'), he means that all it takes to make someone aware of their own wrong doings, is to see someone else do wrong. It is argued that this line helps reflect the purpose of the character for the audience - he helps them realise their own wrong doings, although his character certainly would put their wrong doings to shame. Others believe this line is in reference to his games and that he has become a part of his own games - all of his wrongdoings have backfired on him. However, I believe that it reflects to the audience that they shouldn't be sad about his death, because he was incredibly bad. He's saying shame on the audience for possibly liking him. On the other hand, he is also making a joke at his own expense. He has been playing with people for so long but in the end it was his fate that got the last joke.
This isn't the only scene in Filth that breaks the fourth wall. It is also used to show his wife - breaking the fourth wall helps us get to know her. However, it comes as a shock when we find out that it is in fact the main character dressing up as his wife. This is effective because the person we have been getting to know was in fact the other side to the person we already knew.
Amelie (2001, Jean Pierre Jeunet) Genre - Romance
In the opening scene to 'Amelie', Amelie is seen as a child playing with toys. She's constantly looking down the camera. This is an example of the character treating the camera like they're best friend so the audience allies with them. However, there's a very uncomfortable and isolated aura to this scene because of the colour grading etc. This theme of isolation suggests what Amelie is like as a character - which makes the audience wonder if they're her only friend as they seem to be the only thing she acknowledges and is technically with. This helps add to the exposition, as it gives the audience a sense of what the character is like without her even saying anything.
Is It Something You Would Contemplate In Your Own Coursework?
Yes, 4th wall breaks is something I would definitely consider in my own coursework. It is something I have already considered for a specific idea. 4th Wall breaks, although sometimes can't be taken seriously, if done well, have the ability to convey so much. Firstly, they can help add to the exposition - this is useful when we only have 2 minutes to get the exposition across and therefore 4th wall breaks can be used to help get relevant information across that otherwise can't be conveyed through visuals - or could be used to get additional information across when paired with visual cues. Moreover, they help set a mood - for example, in Amelie it created an unnerving effect whereas in other films, such as Deadpool, it creates a comedic effect. They help convey something about a character too. It can also have quite an expressionistic or artistic effect that denies conventions, which would be something that would be nice to achieve. However, 4th wall breaks can't just be used for the sake of it. It must be done professionally or subtly, otherwise it won't look very good.
Sound in Cinema
Sound, when applied to film, is coupled with footage to improve the quality of a film. Sound refers to everything audible in a movie and is a very powerful tool for storytelling or providing impact to a film. Sound can be used in film to emphasize a particular mood or add dramatic effect. It can be used to provide information in terms of both location and character as well or even help advance the narrative.
There are two forms of sound in film: diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound consists of all sounds that are made from a source in the movie world - the characters can hear diegetic sound as it's present in their universe. This sound is best used to advance the plot by conveying specific information across through dialogue, or create a sense of setting by providing imagery via a soundscape. Non-diegetic sound consists of sound that cannot be heard by the characters and doesn't, therefore, come from a source in their universe. Non-diegetic sound is used to portray a mood, heighten the drama or tell the audience something about the characters. For example, soundtrack or score music may be used to convey a mood which may change the audience's reading of particular characters or sound effects such as metallic crunches or violin screeches can be used to create anxiety in the audience during horror films. On the other hand, using silence in specific moments can be effective as it makes the audience uneasy or anticipate something - this may foreshadow any chaos later on. It draws the audience's attention to a sudden change in tone because the sudden absence of noise is uncomfortably noticeable. What Do Sound Effects Add to a Film?
Sound effects may be used to create a soundscape and therefore develop the setting and create a mood. Using sound effects to develop a setting is useful in developing depth and layer to a location, which helps make the audience see the footage as convincing which will make them more inclined to engage with the film. Using inappropriate, irrelevant, unrealistic or bad quality sound effects will create the opposite effect. Sound effects can help develop the setting using background noise, for example, if the location is on a beach then the sound of waves, sea gulls screeching and a breeze can help develop this setting as these are noises associated with the beach. This will reinforce the location to the audience even if the location isn't in sight during the scene. This will help create a mood as sound effects associated with certain locations can invoke a certain feeling within the audience. For example, the sound of the sea lapping against the sand bed has very peaceful connotations and therefore creates a relaxing mood. Certain factors help make a particular sound effect create a particular mood. For example, high pitch noises, such as screaming or tyre screeches, will trigger anxiety in the audience. Lower pitches like the sound of waves etc. may create a feeling of relaxation. What Does Music Add to a Film?
Music is an interesting convention in film as, obviously, real life isn't soundtracked - this helps separate film from reality which helps the audience escape reality and become engrossed in the fiction because it is dramatic and out of the ordinary making it captivating and magical to watch.
Music's main purpose in film is to invoke emotion in the audience and help portray a particular mood depending on what syle or genre of music is used. For example, if upbeat pop music is used than it is probably to portray a lighthearted mood, whereas, when a dramatic and emotional cinematic score is used it is probably to intensify the drama and invoke inspiration, awe or chill the audience. On the contrary, directors may not conform to conventional music in a scene to create shock in the audience. An example of this is during Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange', when classic, lighthearted song 'Singing in the Rain' was featured during a brutal rape scene. This eccentric technique is used to shock the audience - or perhaps even side with someone with villainous traits by using happy music when they do bad things to confuse the audience. This confuses the audience as they don't know how to respond - watching the horrible scenes will trigger disgust however, the happy song will make the audience feel the emotion associated with the song. This helps the film become memorable to the audience as it manages to blur the line between good and bad.
Music may be used to foreshadow moments, for example, in horror films, tension rising music is used to make the audience anticipate something scary to happen. An effective response to this music is to meet it with an anticlimactic silence so the audience feels relief, and then for the scary thing to happen to shock the audience and catch them by surprise.
What Does Speech Add to a Film?
Dialogue helps move the narrative as the audience convey to each other specific and significant pieces of information to help the audience understand what is going on - they help relay what has happened as well are an instrument used to convey new information. Conflict may be created through dialogue which will advance the plot.
Voice overs or narration help give context to a film as well express a character's inner thoughts, adding depth and relevant information to the film. Conventions of Music in Specific Genres
Conventions of music varies depending on genres. This is because music helps affect the mood of a scene, and certain moods are synonymous with particular genres.
Comedy - Music in comedy is generally upbeat and lighthearted. This helps suits the overall comedic and happy tone of the film. Music that arouses feelings of anxiety would not be appropriate for a comedy film as the purpose of comedies is generally not to unease the audience. However, this may be done ironically for comedic effect. For example, exaggerated and excessively depressing music may be used when something bad happens to a character - this will make it seem overly dramatic and create an anticlimactic kind of effect, making it humorous because ironic humour is used. In comedy films, soundtrack music tends to be used over score music. This is because lighthearted score music is often overbearing or tacky sounding and effects the overall quality of the film (although this too may be used for ironic intentions). Moreover, score music is often overly dramatic which doesn't fit the light vibe associated with comedy. In general, successful, upbeat pop songs are used in comedy. This appeals to people as it will be songs they like and because comedy is a genre that appeals to the most broad target audience, using music that will generally appeal to the majority is effective. It sets a cheery tone which is appropriate for comedies.
Horror - Music featured in horror films is often moderately heavy. This is because a darker mood is meant to be conveyed to fit the typical theme in a horror film. Because the purpose of horror films is to disturb the audience, using music that will invoke this feeling is crucial. This can include tension building music that uneases the audience and leads them to anticipate something scary to happen. Music that is chaotic or 'off'' - particularly that that isn't played in a specific key, is commonly featured because it has an unnerving sound due to it's off nature. Music featuring high pitches or metallic crunching are useful when triggering the feeling of anxiety in the audience. Destroying innocence and security is a common convention in horror, this can be emphasised through the music used in a sequence. For example, using eerie children's voices to sing would be deemed creepy as something that is supposed to be pure and innocent is now somehow threatening. Covering classic lullabies and nursery rhymes is common, especially when children's voices are incorporated into the cover. This is destroying innocence too, as well as the sense of security and warmth associated with childhood, which is what these nursery rhymes will originate from. Horror rarely uses soundtrack music as it subtracts from the seriousness and terror of the scene, however, songs considered creepy beforehand may be used eg. Tiptoe Through the Tulips featured in Paranormal Activity.
Action - Action films use a mix between both soundtrack and score, however the most iconic scores often come from action films. This is because action film scores are usually dramatic, cinematic and chilling - they inspire awe and intensify the drama greatly - they give the audience goosebumps because they are so powerful. Action film scores are often made using a lot of percussion - this creates a thudding feeling through the audience's chest, making them feel excited as the chaos unravels on the screen. Strings and orchestral instruments are also commonly used to create an intense and dramatic score, however, action film scores are equally as electronic. Fast paced music is used to suit the fast paced action on the screen. In terms of soundtrack, it is common to use rock songs - particularly as the target audience is men and these will often appeal to men (especially older men eg. Dads). These soundtracks are used to make the character's look cool and suave - particularly in slow motion shots depicting them walking or in vehicles eg. helicopters or sports cars.
Drama - Because drama films follow the emotional ordeals a character endures, the music used will be quite emotional too. They are generally scores as these are the best ways to create undistracting but emotion invoking music. Drama film scores will often involve slow strings or piano as these are the instruments most commonly associated with sorrow or pain because they can create an emotional piece. On the other hand, uplifting and inspiring music may be used, these can be performed on strings and piano too. Soundtrack music is often an alternative genre that is rather slow and not overbearing and obvious - keeping the subtlety allows the audience to focus on what's going on as the action in the film won't be too chaotic and noticeable.
Romance - Music used in romance is similar to drama - slow rhythms often performed on orchestral instruments like strings or soft, subtle instruments like piano. Harps are considered a romantic instrument and therefore may be used. Inspiring tracks may be used when romantic moments are on screen and when heartbreaking moments are happening, sad and dramatic music will play. In terms of soundtrack, soft acoustic songs may be used to convey a romantic mood.
The most commonly usedcamera shots to capture the setting are all variants of the long shot, particularly the extreme long shots. Angles typically used may be aerial, overhead, high or neutral (eye-level).
Conventions of Setting in Specific Genres
Setting in different films will most definitely vary. This may often be because of the genre. Certain conventions of setting are used to help identify the film to a certain genre and imitate the mood associated with that genre. The following list contains conventions regarding setting in multiple genres, there are clickable links in the titles of each genre to direct you to an in-depth article on that specific genre, where multiple conventions are listed:
Horrible Bosses scene including a bar - people can be seen in the
background, suggesting a busy, public location,
fitting the conventions.
Comedy - Comedy films are in public and well populated areas. This is appropriate for comedies as humorous events often occur in social situations - social situations obviously most commonly occur in well-populated areas. These settings are useful when showing the characters publicly embarrasing themselves - the more widescale the humiliation the more amusing the audience will probably find it. Specific locations will often be places renowned for social events occuring in - this includes bars or pubs (especially seeing as people get intoxicated in these locations, which may heighten the humour). Moreover, they're very casual locations which therefore don't create serious vibes and suit the lighthearted mood comedies create. Depending on the type of comedy and the target audience, the setting may vary. For example, in teen comedies, large bustling areas like cities wouldn't be appropriate, but highschools are the most common location for a teen movie to take place. In terms of time, day time is common in comedies as the natural light has no scary or dark connotations and therefore fit the lighthearted mood. On the other hand, in adult comedies, night time is an effective time to set a comedy - particularly in well populated areas and cities - because night is often associated with nightlife - where social events take place (therefore making it more likely for humorous occurances to take place, particularly when alcohol and other adult themes are involved) and is a perfect setting for adult humour. Moreover, it's a fun environment and fits the lighthearted mood. In terms of era, most comedies are set in the present day, however, this isn't always the case as humour can occur everywhere - it's not a modern concept and occurs throughout history.
28 Days Later showing life as we know it (London) completely
isolated and desolate. It targets what the audience is used to - they
have to imagine a place so bustling and secure in a state of desolation
and horror.
Horror - Horror settings are in isolated areas or small communities - this gives a sense of helplessness, insecurity and vulnerability as nobody is around to help the victims featured in horror films. This is why small towns or isolated woods are one of the most common locations used in horror. This being said, urban environments are also used for effect, particularly when the streets are dark (low key lighting) - shadowed alleyways are a location almost synonymous with certain types of horror films. Neutral places are also an effective location, for example a person's family home, a film in which a quaint family home is used is Scream. These locations - though less common - are effective because they're not exaggerated, this renders the audience scared because they are environments they're used to and therefore make them worry that what's happening to the victims on 'neutral' settings may happen to them. The places they find security and trust in are now used to make them feel scared, rather than using a stereotypical location that in normal life would have scary connotations, eg. graveyard. Areas with strong and eerie historical backgrounds may be used, eg. a house with history of hauntings, insane asylums, abandoned hospitals. These locations create a sense of inevitability as the audience anticipates something bad to happen instinctually - this keeps them on edge throughout the film. Areas used to create the feeling of suffocation or chaos may be used, these are enclosed areas such as closets or tight woodlands. They're most commonly used for jump scares. Locations that connote death are common i.e graveyards. In terms of time - night is the most common place for horrors to occur because darkness has scary connotations. People fear because they can't see and therefore feel vulnerable. Daytime may be used - though more uncommon - because it targets what the audience finds security in and makes it scary. The day time connotes safety, if horror films make scary things happen then the audience loses all sense of security. In terms of era, period horrors are common because the customary styles etc. are fairly eerie. Modern day is mainly used however, perhaps again to attack what the audience is used to and make them more scared.
In Avengers, we can see that its set in a busy city with tall buildings
It's set at daytime, making the scenes visible and obvious to the public
and is set at the busiest time when more people will be out to witness
the action, making it wider scale.
Action - Action films are set in public, well populated areas. This shows that it is more widescale, meaning any action and threats in the film affect more people and therefore heighten the excitement and tension as more people will be affected - it puts a greater responsibility over the protagonist's head. They're often in populous cities with tall building and skyscrapers - this gives more things to be at risk of being destroyed and also gives the audience a sense of the risk that everything our society has built and is capable of creating will potentially be destroyed, heightening the tension. These are associated with contemporary living, industrialism and man-made locations - more expensive things are at risk plus the technology associated with modern areas like this appeals to the target audience (men). Locations that connote danger or speed are used - this includes transport like trains or air planes. Prestigious buildings such as banks are used - especially in heist films. Action films may be set in war zones and on battlefields as obviously there is a lot of violence in the places. Car parks, warehouses and other industrial themes areas are used - these create a sense of danger because of the enclosed areas - there are no places to run so the characters must fight. In terms of time, action films are often set in modern day (this isn't always the case, action films may also be set in times of war, especially the WWI & WWII). Modern day is a good setting because it allows for more high technology props and gadgetry to be used. Nighttime is sometimes when action films are set because they make the characters look dangerous, daring and intimidating. Day time is used because it is when the locations are busiest - meaning the more public and widescale the action is.
American Beauty depicting a surburban house, a realistic setting for
middle class Americans, which is one of the prime themes in the
film so therefore is an effective setting.
Drama - Drama films have a broad variety of settings because the film's focus is on the character and the character's emotional struggles. This, therefore, requires a setting to suit the character's life and situation, therefore making it realistic which is the key priority in drama films. Locations must be somewhere where a realistic situation can occur and therefore invoke emotion in the audience, this may include workplaces, homes, holiday setting etc. On the contrary, the locations cannot be so realistic that they're boring or overly ordinary. Dramas may be set in whatever era as the main focus is the characters. Period dramas may be set in prestigious houses, castles, workhouses or slums - to depict the gritty life and emotional ordeal these people had to endure. Dramas may feature in timelines based around historical events - for example films based around WWII. This is because it's definitely a realistic setting (because it actually happened) as well an emotional time period good enough to show the emotional suffering of the people at the time.
Midnight In Paris depicting the streets of Paris, a renowned city
known for its romance.
Romance - In stereotypical romance films, the environments used are places where a realistic chance encounter can occur. These are usually urban environments, but areas considered beautiful or peaceful are commonly used. This can include rural areas, sleepy towns, beaches, the countryside and so on. The setting can help the audience guess what will happen and even set the mood for a film. For example, if one setting featured at the beginning of the film is something that denotes loss eg. a war or battlefield, then the audience will anticipate heartbreak for the characters, therefore setting a heavy, dramatic mood for the rest of the film. On the other hand, if it is set in a Las Vegas casino or bar, then it will suggest that the characters may meet under terrible circumstances, involving a lot of drinking and mistakes - this sets a more lighthearted mood for the film. As for the time period, this may allow the audience to guess the narrative features based on the historical context. For example, if it was set quite far in the past then the audience would expect the conflict between the couple to be based around discrimination (probably from third parties), as this was a common issue in this era. Well-populated areas like large cities are the common setting for romantic comedies to take place, particularly social areas like bars etc. Romanticised, iconic areas are often featured too. For example, New York City or Paris. On the other hand, I don't think the setting has to be specific as people absolutely anywhere can fall in love - it isn't location or timeline specific.
How Important is Setting in The Construction of Mise-en-Scene and Creating an Understanding for the Viewer?
Setting is one of the most important aspects of mise-en-scene. Setting creates a sense of place as well as a sense of mood for the audience. Creating a sense of place is important to give background information, add context in the film and help the audience guess what might happen in the plot - eg. if it was set during WWII. Moreover, creating this sense of place makes it more in-depth and thorough, therefore adding to the realism of the film. It may also reflect a character's state of mind, or reflect what a character is like as an individual. For example, if it's set inside a character's room, the way the set is designed may help the audience interpret what the character's like based on the objects in the room. The objects may include posters of bands which highlights their passion for music as well as their tastes in music. The colour scheme of the room may reflect their tastes and even suggest if they conform to a particular stereotype - it tells so much about the person. The setting may be significant to the narrative, for example if the sole narrative is based around getting to a location etc.
How Important are Characters in Film?
Involving in depth characters in a film is vital in order to engage and captivate the audience. Developing a character creates a realistic and relatable figure the audience are able to empathise with or relate to. Creating an in-depth, realistic and relatable character is fairly important as the audience have a figure they can emotionally invest themselves in, making them more inclined to enjoy the film because of the memorable character. Moreover, characters can help invoke a particular emotion in the audience as well as alter their perspective and opinion on the character. For example, characters portrayed with 'likeable' traits are more likely to engage the audience as they find themselves grow fond of that particular character. Characters with 'dislikeable' traits may anger or frustrate the audience - using 'dislikeable' traits for the villain is a good way to establish the clear opposites between good and bad (binary opposites narrative theory) often featured in a film narrative and help them choose sides between the good and bad characters. Using basic, plain characters will not be relatable or even likeable for that matter. This is because they appear inhuman or robotic (not in a sci-fi sense) because they are seen as boring. If the audience cannot engage with a character it will make a film less entertaining and people will be less inclined to watch it or enjoy it. A character used merely as a plot device can't engage the audience solely, therefore don't really bring much to the film besides aiding the plot (this is particularly bad if the plot isn't strong either because then there are no good fallback features). Moreover, characters with certain personality traits - particularly a fatal flaw - can impact what happens in the story because of their nature. This, therefore, makes the plot more in-depth, thought out and realistic.
How Important are Characters in the Opening Sequence of a Film?
Character introduction is fairly important in regards to the opening sequence of a film. Firstly, introducing a character early on creates consistency and also allows the audience to become familiar with the characters so they're engaged with them even before they follow them on their journey through the narrative. Moreover, introducing the key character early on allows the audience to engage with them before any other characters. This is because humans will instinctually take to the character introduced first as they are familiarised with them and therefore will stay loyal to that particular character - perhaps out of fear of change or another reason. This idea can be seen in many films and even TV shows, for example, in Game of Thrones, the audience will typically like the Stark household as these are the characters they are familiarised with first. Introducing a character may invoke emotion in the audience - triggering an emotion early on is helpful to set the tone of the film and make the audience inclined to keep watching and enjoy the film that early on. Another reason characters are quite important in an opening sequence is that it allows exposition information to be conveyed regarding the character. Because this is covered early on, there is no need to do it later in the film and therefore the film can focus more on the narrative than revealing exposition information about the character. It allows the audience to receive a sense of character too, this is done by creating a first impression on the audience. How the audience interprets the character at this point in the film may help set the tone and mood for the film and establish any themes. Introducing a character - particularly one designed to be liked by the audience - helps engage the audience and therefore want to watch the rest. This being said it can be argued that key characters do not have to be introduced in the opening sequence. This is because it is fairly common to involve preliminary sequences before getting to the main events and characters. These preliminary sequences set the mood for the film or may even give background information necessary for the character to be introduced. A character's essence may be left even without introducing the character - the concept of this character is introduced however their influence and mental presence may remain. This character may be talked about by other characters, notifying the audience the importance of the character without physically introducing them. This also is effective as it sets up anticipation and even creates a first impression as the audience can see the importance and influence they have over the other characters without even being there. An example of this is in The Sound of Music, where the main character is spoken about before being introduced properly. Overall, I think it is important to introduce a character yet isn't necessary. In planning my coursework I think I will definitely introduce the key characters first to make if interesting as well as conform to the standards of an exposition. Characters themselves help set the scene too; the way they're dressed and their habits and mannerisms may suggest what era/region/culture they're from.
Character Profiles
In the next few parts, I will be creating character profiles for iconic or famous film characters. Doing this will show the significance of character development in Cinema, as it shows that all main characters in Hollywood are in-depth and well developed. It is common that successful films have in-depth and realistic characters.
To read my previous, in-depth analysis and profile for the character of Tyler Durden from Fight Club, click here.
Doctor King Schultz (Django Unchained - 2012, Quentin Tarantino) Warning! - Spoilers Ahead Dr King Schultz is a character from Tarantino's 2012 Western film, 'Django Unchained', portrayed by German actor Christoph Waltz. It is noted that Schultz is a fictional reflection of Christoph's own personality. Although he is not the protagonist of the film, he is still a significant and iconic character. He originated from Germany, however, moved to America. His precise age is unknown but it can be assumed that he is fairly old (perhaps middle aged, ranging from the late forties to early fifties during the events of the film) based on his mature appearance; greying hair and subtle wrinkles. His occupation prior to the film's plot was a Dentist, however, in 1853 he adopted bounty hunting for his occupation. He's good-natured, generous and has very strong and good morals, however, is rather arrogant and is aware of his intellectual and moral superiority over all the other characters in the film.
What Makes Dr Schultz so Iconic?
His German customs are more liberal than Americans, and he exhibits this throughout the entire film, pointing it out himself as well as other characters pointing it out. This makes the audience like him because he has ahead-of-his-time (modern) ideals in a world full of hate and racism. Not only are his culture's habits and ideals particularly peculiar in contrast to other characters in the film, his overall demeanour is too - the way he speaks and the way he dresses expresses his dislike for American culture and customs and his embrace of his own culture and ideals - he completely disassociates himself with Americans in every aspect. Living in a time when slavery was a norm to absolutely everyone, Dr Schultz's peculiarity is heightened when he expresses his hate for slavery and advocates racial equality, He treats Django like an equal - opening his 'civilised' cultural norms to Django - for example, he offers Django a drink, something all civilised societies would expect of people (good hospitality and civilised habits), except of course to those who are treated as lesser - in this case people of colour. He is openly inviting someone who (at that time) is not accepted into their culture.
Dr Schultz kills people for a living - he's a bounty hunter. However, throughout the film, he expresses disgust, horror and heartbreak at the brutal killings of slaves - despite being a professional killer himself. This is because he strongly opposes unjustified murder, this idea is strongly enforced when he witnesses the the murder of a slave who is torn apart by dogs. This plays on his mind, particularly in his last scene when signing the deal with Calvin Candie. He remembers the scene and realises that evil has won over good, which leads him to perform his final act as a last rejection of societies disgusting ways. He's passionate, and adores drama - this is seen in the scene where he murders the sheriff to create a crowd to watch him deliver the warrant. He's so iconic because of his peculiar mannerisms and huge heart - he's the character the audience feels affection for. His cocky character and huge morals make him lovable and the audience root for him all the way. He's admired for his ideals, he's admired for his actions and he's even admired for his appearance and fantastic beard - even his enemy expresses his fondness of his beard.
What Do They Add to the Narrative?
Dr Schultz is almost the main driving force in the narrative. If he wasn't present then literally none of the events that occurred in the film would have happened. Django is an iconic and extraordinarily famous character - after all, the film is named after him, but he wouldn't be if it wasn't for Dr Schultz. It's Dr Schultz who does everything to move the narrative forward before his demise - he unshackles Django and takes him on as his companion bounty hunter. He teaches him the tricks of the trade and he even eventually locates Broomhilda for Django. Everything significant in the narrative is triggered by him and his actions, even after his death. Django wouldn't have engaged in a gun fight, he wouldn't have been recaptured as a slave, he wouldn't have freed himself and he wouldn't have gone back for Broomhilda and for the Candyland staff in vengeance. Without Dr Schultz, literally nothing in the narrative would have occurred. Not only does he drive the narrative forward, but his personality engages the audience, making the narrative just that more enjoyable.
How Much is Revealed About Them in the Opening Sequence?
Although he is not introduced in first opening two minutes because it is a theme song and montage sequence as opposed to an actual scene - he is introduced very early on, even before Django is named (he has already been seen, but hasn't been officially introduced by name). I will be analysing the scene in which Dr Schultz is introduced, along with Django (officially).
The audience hears the trot of a horse and carriage up ahead with a faint light jutting around - there's distant movement and the light forms around what can be assumed to be a horse and carriage however who exactly is ahead the audience cannot see yet. One of the Speck Brothers (the now-former owners of Django) calls out angrily yet clearly threatened - cocking his gun at the moving figures. This creates suspense and tension and leaves the audience anticipating something exciting - only heightening the drama of his introduction. This reflects his love for any form of social drama mentioned previously. The audience sees him and his wagon and horse in full light now and are already intrigued by the peculiarity of the sight; a huge, stocky and built horse tugging a tiny cart with a large, model tooth connected by a spring on top of the vehicle - it dances erratically as the cart moves forward, creating a humorous sight. This suggests to the audience his unorthodox and peculiar nature, and perhaps even his occupation. He looks completely harmless. This is reinforced when he ensures the men he means no harm. He introduces himself and as he introduces his horse it bows his head along with him - heightening the humour and peculiarity he adds to the scene. The audience can immediately hear that he has a German accent, suggesting an upbringing elsewhere which may explain the unorthodox (to American culture) style. The Speck Brothers ask what type of doctor he is and replies Dentist, perhaps revealing his occupation to the audience. He straight away gets to business and begins interrogating the Speck Brothers. This shows that despite his casual and peculiar demeanour he is still dedicated to work and business - he can be serious. He converses with the brothers about the slaves they own, however, they tell him to 'speak English' when they can't understand him. This suggests that he's more civilised and has a more intellectual vocabulary than them as well as a different dialect to them. He gets frustrated with the Brother's ignorance so addresses the slaves instead - this suggests that, given the historical context - he deemed the men less competent than slaves, which was unheard of during this time period. He calls them 'poor devils', showing to the audience that he is very 'awakened' as he acknowledges the hardships and misfortune slaves have to endure. When he asks if any come from a particular plantation and hears Django's reply, his voice suddenly becomes serious as he knows he's getting down to business. Now that he's adopted a more serious attitude, he holds the lantern above to glare at the slaves, getting up in their faces and intimidating. I believe this is the directors way of tricking the audience and making them think that he has bad or wicked intentions for the slaves so they then feel relief when they find out otherwise, however for the time being the audience now see him in a mysterious way - they're anticipating what's going to happen anxiously. When he finally speaks, his voice is slightly sympathetic, which may slightly falter the audience's worry, however, he still maintains the intimidating glare. When Django reveals his name, he says 'you are exactly the one I'm looking for', revealing to the audience a portion of what he's doing there. Overall, a lot about the character in terms of personality and background is revealed. What the audience doesn't know is what role he plays - good or bad? However, the overall opinion formed based on his casual and odd personality suggests that he's most probably likeable, as he's humorous and enjoyable to watch. We aren't informed about his full intentions, so overall we're given a taster as to what the character might be like - there's still an element of mystery.
Amy Dunne(Gone Girl - 2014, David Fincher) Warning! - Spoilers Ahead Amy Dunne is the antagonist in David Fincher's psychological thriller 'Gone Girl'. She's the wife of the protagonist/anti-hero, Nick, and portrayed by Rosamund Pike, whom won and was nominated for multiple 'Best Actress' awards because of the role. Amy Dunne's precise age isn't revealed, however, based on her appearance, occupation and status in society, it can be assumed she is in her thirties. She worked as a quiz writer for a magazine, however, lost her job in the 2008 recession, causing her and her husband's once 'perfect' marriage to begin to splinter. Amy witnessed her husband cheating on her with a student he teaches after they move out to a sleepy, suburban town. This triggers her to plot against him and frame him for her fake murder.
What Makes Amy Dunne so Iconic?
Amy Dunne is a twisted woman - she's one of the most vicious and evil villains in the history of film - arguably the worst female villain ever. The reason she's such a successful villain is because she's realistic - she's not overly exaggerated and the fact that she's so realistic terrifies the audience because anyone can encounter a person like her. But when the film begins, you almost find yourself siding with her. simply because she's portrayed as the 'perfect female'. She's smart, she's funny, she's exceptionally attractive, she doesn't get jealous, and she's willing to engage in 'masculine' activities. Her 'perfection' is heightened as the audience finds out she's the inspiration for the extremely successful (fictional) book series titled 'Amazing Amy'. She's basically the ideal partner from a stereotypical male's perspective; females want to be her and males want her.
The audience and characters are captivated by her flawless being, however, this illusion is completely shattered when it is revealed to the audience her account. She reveals that everything she was was a facade - she was not the Amazing Amy the books made out her to be. She describes what she pretended to be as 'the cool girl' - a facade put on by every seemingly 'cool' female ever to impress a male. The sudden shattering of this perfect image not only thoroughly shocks the audience but also makes them think. A male audience would suddenly feel paranoid - it plays on the concept of gender themes as it suddenly makes an accusation about an entire gender. A singular character being able to shift people's feelings towards an entire gender is a might power they possess and proves just how much of an amazing villain. Although she's wicked and manipulative, she still somehow manages to make the audience slightly root for her - simply because she plays the victim well and she makes out that her husband is the villain because of all the bad things he's done. As extreme as she is, she still had a justification for her doings - her husband cheated on her and was just a generally terrible person. Now, of course, this doesn't justify completely what she did, but she still manages to blur the line between villain and victim, which shows the power she has as a villain. That's what makes her so iconic, she completely confuses the audience as they don't know who to root for - she blurred the audience's ideas on what's right and wrong. But regardless of this, the sheer terrifying and villainous nature she possesses is enough to make her iconic alone - she's absolutely terrifying in a completely unique way. She's so crazy, she goes to extremes to get revenge, including hurting herself (hitting herself in the face with a hammer) and losing a lot of blood. Like her dedication would be admiring if it wasn't so disturbing. She's smart, manipulative, and she's not a quitter. Even when she changes her mind, she goes to the extent of murdering someone just to make it right again. And even though there are major flaws in her end process, she knows how to play the media in her own favour. She not only, as a character, raises gender themes, but she also suggests the importance in socialising your child correctly, as the film makes it clear that she is the product of a negative parent-daughter relationship. Not in an abusive or neglecting way, but in a very subtle, psychological way. It suggests the complexities of the human brain. Clearly, as a character, she makes the audience think.
What Do They Add to the Narrative?
Amy is one of the main drivers of the narrative - she sets up everything that creates the main event in the narrative. Although it's Nick's actions that lead her to do this, it is arguable that she was as crazy as she is before - she falsely accused someone of rape and got away with it. So based on how twisted she was as a character it suggests that something large involving her would be inevitable. Without her, the film couldn't take place. Nick would be with someone else - someone probably saner than her, and the events wouldn't happen and therefore be boring. She's imperative in the narrative. Not only does she play a huge role in the plot, she also adds to the film because of her intensely villainous character. She invokes fear, paranoia and shock in the audience and they even look at it in regards to their own lives. She makes the film just that more thrilling.
How Much is Revealed About Them in The Opening Sequence?
This opening sequence is extremely short, however, a fair bit is learnt about Amy. The music is very ominous, which contrasts with the 'loving' nature of the scene. It creates a sense of tension. Firstly, she's referred to as 'my wife', therefore informing the audience her relationship status and that she's probably related to the protagonist otherwise who else would be narrating. The audience sees the back of Amy's head being stroked as she lays on someone's chest - presumably her husband. The fact that he is playing with her hair shows affection, which suggests that their relationship is pretty good and romantic. Her husband narrates; 'I picture cracking her lovely skull'... this abrupt and shocking line makes the audience see Amy as a potential victim because psychopathic imagery is created by the narrator. He then goes on to say... 'unspooling her brains... trying to get answers'. This suggests that she may be particularly aloof and mysterious, especially seeing as someone who is typically expected to know her best wants to know 'answers'. She turns to look up and we can see that she's very beautiful. Her expression looks as though she can hear the narrator - she looks innocent and wide-eyed, perhaps suggesting innocence of the character herself. However, when observed closely, it looks as though the glare is more calculating than the audience suspected - the audience may make a tiny assumption about how she is mysterious - as she's hiding this calculating expression with innocent. This may even suggest her manipulative character and, therefore, foreshadows the events of the film. Looking at the shot as a whole, the audience believes they are looking at it through a point-of-view shot, however, she doesn't look directly into the lens of the camera (her husband's eyes). This creates a sense of deception, as she refuses to make eye contact with both the audience and her husband; she's not direct, honest or open. She presses her head further into the stomach of her husband, suggesting intimacy between the couple. However, her glare becomes even more calculating and sinister, reversing the roles of the victim and therefore foreshadowing the events of the film again. Overall, a lot is revealed considering its less than a minute's worth of footage of her. The constant contradiction and contrast between how the audience is supposed to interpret the couple's relationship and Amy, herself, creates a sense of mystery - however, the erratic changes in tendancies may suggest Amy's mental insanity. Not much is revealed about her character unless you read between the lines.
Mufasa(The Lion King - 1995, Rob Minkoff & Roger Allars) Warning! - Spoilers Ahead Mufasa is a unique character compared to the others analysed - as he's an animated lion, moreover he features in a children's film whereas the other characters were definitely not suited to children's film. However, he is still arguably one of the most iconic characters in cinema. Mufasa is an adult male lion in Africa and is the former king of Pride Rock in The Lion King. He is the mate of Sarabi, a lioness in the Pride Lands, and the father of Simba, the protagonist of the film. He is the brother of the central antagonist of the film and his murderer - Scar. He is the lion embodiment of Old King Hamlet, from Hamlet, and is arguably more iconic than the original character himself - though both are noble kings. He is voiced by James Earl Jones and it is noted that his low and mighty voice is one of the reasons he is so iconic. In the film, he is presented as wise, he constantly teaches Simba about the Circle of Life. He's very family oriented, expressing fear when his son finds himself in danger; he's very protective. Mufasa even willingly risks his own life to save Simba and winds up paying the ultimate price when his brother betrays him and sends him off a cliff to his death.
What Makes Mufasa So Iconic?
Mufasa is such a powerful and mighty character, he stands out among the other lions in terms of both his manner and even his appearance. He has strongly exaggerated anatomical features - broad shoulders and an overall stocky physique. He's gold - an eye-catching and majestic colour associated with luxury and royalty - he looks like a king. He looks so large compared to other lions, particularly his brother, Scar. Scar is bony and has more angled features, he looks sunken and unimpressive whereas Mufasa is powerful, muscular and broad. His overall presence is majestic - from his walk, to the way he speaks and his traits. Even for a cartoon lion, he is particularly admired by both audience and other characters because of his royal and admirable features. His low, grumbly voice is iconic in itself, and easily recognisable by almost anybody. He's dedicated, mature and regal - he puts his kingdom before himself and for that, he is an amazing kind, worthy of admiration. At the same time, he demands respect (and quite rightly deserves it), this is seen when he challenges Scar after Scar undermines him and doesn't attend his son's presentation. He appears tough and brave - like nothing could hurt him. Mufasa has a playful side to him, too. This is often seen when he's playing with Simba or teasing Zazu. He's soft-hearted - treating Sarabi gently and respectfully and allowing Simba off gently when he puts himself in danger and disobeys his father. On the other hand, is also instructive, reasonable and responsible as both a father and a king. The audience can see the prosperity his kingdom lives in, which reflects how good of a king he is. He has a huge influence over most of the characters, even long after his death. He's just overall very admirable, part of the reason why he is so iconic.
Mufasa's death in itself is iconic too because the audience and the characters are so emotionally invested in his in-depth character - the occurrence is just heart wrenching. It's one of the most famous scenes in the film. His spirit remains in the Pride Lands, this slightly relieves the audience as he's still technically present. The relief the audience feels shows just how much the audience love him. Moreover, the fact that his spirit is there to guide the characters shows his overall influence and wisdom, adding to how iconic he is.
What Do They Add to the Narrative?
Mufasa's actions don't particularly drive the narrative forward, however, he is used as an instrument to by Scar. Moreover, his death triggers the emotional journey Simba endures and all of the events that occur afterwards. His presence leads Scar to perform the actions he does as well as have influence over Simba's character. He is one of the most loved characters because of how noble and good-natured he is, therefore making the narrative more enticing. Moreover, he leaves a long lasting chain effect in the narrative and the audience. The director uses him to invoke emotion in the audience as well as showing that once he dies everything goes bad - Simba disappears and the land wilts and dies.
How Much is Revealed About Them in the Opening Sequence?
The famous and iconic opening begins with a montage of scenic shots of the location; by the unique terrain and environment, the audience can clearly see that it's located in Africa - particularly African savannahs. This already shows where our character is based - their originality. Inspiring and emotional African style music is playing over the top, which adds a dramatic and inspiring introduction for Mufasa - this adds to the first impression the audience gets from him. The lyrics suggest that all of the characters are apart of something bigger than them; which suggests their insignificance. However, later on, when Mufasa is introduced, he still appears mighty and powerful which shows how might and powerful he is if he can completely cancel out the image the lyrics create. The many animals shown before Mufasa is introduced shows that it saves the best until last, as not only are they all going to see the King but what is about to happen is what the audience is anticipating most, creating excitement for Mufasa's introduction. The music dramatically intensifies as Pride Rock - Mufasa's home is suddenly shown. The dramatic change in volume etc. makes the sight overwhelming and shows how important this place is - even just the home of Mufasa is exceptional. It gradually zooms in and Mufasa becomes the focus of the frame, he's standing regally on the top of the rock observing all of the other animals coming to see him. The way he stands assertively shows how might and admiring he is - he looks very majestic. The Hornbill, Zazu, bows down to him, revealing to the audience that he is most likely a king. At first, he looks intimidatingly at Zazu, making him seem serious, however, his expression changes into a smile and he bows at Zazu in response - this shows that he is respectful, moreover the sudden change in expression displays his soft-at-heart nature, particularly to those close to him. He then greets Rafiki with a hug, reinforcing that idea. He nudges his wife Sarabi, and looks down lovingly at his son. The fact that he is surrounded by all these close friends and relatives shows that he is very family and friends oriented. His son then goes through some form of routine before being presented, this shows that he upholds traditions and customs of his kingdom. Simba is presented to the crowds and they all bow, this shows how respected Mufasa is because the crowd will bow down to a cub - something that has not earned this privilege. Overall, Mufasa is shown to be the mighty, strong, powerful and respectful King he is throughout the entire film - he's shown in a very positive light.
