Transcript of The riot club (2014) ppt
- 1. Trailer Analysis Kerry Pether The Riot Club (2014)
- 2. Short takes showing montages of old, real footage of
protestors on strike which imply the narratives content. This adds
an element of verisimilitude to the scene, as the audience is
allowed to see the context of the film and some historical
background. The voiceover/non-diegetic sound of a radio broadcast
discussing the strikes which can be seen taking place on screen
which represents what can be seen on screen. Intertitles help the
audience to understand what is happening within the trailer, whilst
putting the film into context, whilst the diegetic music shows that
the issues that the town is facing due to the conflicts that are
taking place. The black and white intertitles show that the
beginning of the trailer is negative, whilst also adding a serious
tone to the trailer. Slow zoom into the male subjects face,
highlighting both his serious expression and the message which
appears on the newspaper that he is holding. He is wearing
traditional clothing which is seen often in social realist films,
which have connotations of the character being violent. Diegetic
dialogue discussing the conflicts that are occurring, putting the
audience into context and also could be showing that the male
character wants to get involved in the conflicts, although it is
later shown that he wants to protest peacefully. This could adhere
to Earp & Katz All men are violent theory.
- 3. The wide/establishing shot highlights how isolated the
groups location is, and also shows the juxtaposition between the
group (bright, yellow) and their dull surroundings. This highlights
the binary opposites (Strauss) between the community that the
characters are visiting, and themselves as they look quite loud and
bright, contrasting against the dull surroundings. Synchronous slow
music emphasises the seriousness of the groups trip, and also
matches their dull surroundings. The low angle shot makes the group
look menacing, highlighting the seriousness of their visit but
juxtaposing the following lines/shots which are more comedic. This
could adhere to Earp & Katz theory, and also highlights how the
other female characters are stood in the background, making them
look subordinate. The sound cuts off suddenly, emphasising the line
from the older female subject - [Guy, your gays are here.] The
short takes which follow allow the audience to see the different
responses that the group get from the public, mainly negative. The
wide shot allows us to see more of their costume, again adhering to
common representations of youth in social realist films, and in the
media, as they all look quite scruffy and untidy. (OSullivan et
al). The diegetic music returns, this time upbeat which matches the
inspirational message that the group are trying to portray, and
emphasises the comedic lines of some of the characters.
- 4. The intertitles which show the audience that the film is
based on a true story make the film more real, engaging the
audience and adhering the social-realist conventions. The house
colours of the trailer are used here (yellow and red), which show
positive connotations, linking in with the word inspirational which
is used within the intertitles. Long take focusing on the older
female subject to emphasise her speech which juxtaposes the common
representations of older people being homophobic, as she is showing
her support for the group this could be controversial for an older
audience (Oppositional audience).The female highlights binary
opposite characters (Strauss) as she is wearing clean, upper class
clothing whilst the youth look quite untidy in comparison, however
it juxtaposes most social realist films as the younger and older
characters are working together. Long take of the two opposing
groups shaking hands to show the unity between them, adding an
element of hope to the trailer and showing the impact that the
group had on the community Slow zoom into the two hands, again to
emphasise the unity between the two groups. The mise-en-scene
appears to be in a bar or a pub, which is a common setting for most
social realist films, and is often shown in a negative way however
this juxtaposes that as they are getting along.
- 5. Short takes are used throughout the trailer, again to
emphasise the violence which is taking place, and showing the
audience what the group was trying to change whilst adhering to the
genres conventions. A-synchronous dance music starts to play,
juxtaposing the action which is taking place on the screen but
perhaps representing the young group and their lives which is a
common convention for most social realist films. Throughout the
numerous short takes, this male subjects speech can be heard over
the top (as a voiceover) who is discussing the group in a positive
way, again adding an element of hope to the trailer and showing the
positive message that the group are trying to portray. This
juxtaposes typical conventions of social realist films, as usually
the groups and gangs that are shown have a negative message with
themes such as racism or drug abuse. The wide, long take of the
group highlights the juxtaposition of the older group and the
younger group (Strauss, binary opposites), which is unusual within
the film industry as they are working together. It also emphasises
the comedic elements of the scene whilst the older subject tries to
understand the younger group. We are also able to see the different
character types (Propp) as the older characters are seen to be the
helpers, or donors, for the younger youth.
- 6. The intertitles which show the films awards and reviews
encourage the audience to go and watch it by giving it a good
reputation, whilst the bold, yellow writing emphasises the positive
message of the film. This encourages audiences to watch the film as
it gives it a positive reputation. The bright colours and positive
background image have connotations of hope and inspiration,
highlighting one of the key themes to the film and again
encouraging audiences to view it. ^^^ The background images that
are used for the intertitles also represent the group and what they
stand for, showing the support that they have gained from the
public, and a stage show which they performed Although the scene
should be emotional and thought provoking, the diegetic dialogue
[Where are my lesbians?] juxtaposes this, adhering to the films
upbeat message and showing the unity between the older characters
and younger characters. This also highlights the binary opposite
characters (Strauss) as it is unusual for the youth and older
characters to get along in social realist films, as they are
usually seen to be fighting against each other.
- 7. The name of the film is shown in bright colours, again
adhering the its positive message and representing the word Pride
in a literal sense as it has connotations of being proud, and
happy, whilst the fast dance music (SOUND) is synchronous and helps
to portray the films positive message as well, and encourages a
younger audience to go and watch it as it is similar to the type of
music that they are likely to be listening to. (Preferred audience)
The final medium shot highlights once more the unity between the
older and younger group as binary opposite characters (Strauss),
whilst their promiscuous dialogue adds an element of comedy to the
scene, ending the trailer in a positive way and creating an image
that is likely to stick in the audiences mind. The differences in
the characters costumes also highlights the differences in the
characters, as the older people again look quite tidy and clean,
whilst the younger people look quite rough and unclean a dominant
ideology of youth. The final intertitles, again in the bright
colours which run throughout the trailer which has positive
connotations, allows the audience to know when the film can be
viewed in a cinema, whilst also increasing the chance of an active
audience by adding social media links, such as their website which
encourages social interaction between the audience and the
film.