1RST FILM ANALYSIS: 'FOUTAISES' JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET
Media Language:
Cinematography:
In this section I will be exploring Cinematography, whilst identifying and illustrating the term itself and highlighting the key cinematographic conventions within my own film and the analysis of three other short films whilst identifying the Cinematographic conventions in and from my analysis of three short films.
Cinematography refers to the articulation of cinematic space, encompassing a number off different codes that group themselves into sections where they apply themselves to separate genre. For Example the cinematic codes of a Film Noir features often distorted and mysterious film shots made up of low and high angles, extreme close-ups mixed with deep focus and reflections of views and faces through objects such as a doorknob or a window.
Cinematography:
In this section I will be exploring Cinematography, whilst identifying and illustrating the term itself and highlighting the key cinematographic conventions within my own film and the analysis of three other short films whilst identifying the Cinematographic conventions in and from my analysis of three short films.
Cinematography refers to the articulation of cinematic space, encompassing a number off different codes that group themselves into sections where they apply themselves to separate genre. For Example the cinematic codes of a Film Noir features often distorted and mysterious film shots made up of low and high angles, extreme close-ups mixed with deep focus and reflections of views and faces through objects such as a doorknob or a window.
Caption for image below:
This image shows 'The Man' biting off the corners of a biscuit, indicating his 'like' he is filmed in close-up preventing audiences from being able to look anywhere else almost as if they are being forced to watch. The use of 'forced' close-ups is something i would like to implement within my own short film 'Turkish Delight
When the character of 'The Man' describes his individual 'likes' such as biting each corner of a biscuit off, an extreme close-up is used to depict this. Through the use of this extreme close-up the only thing audiences are 'permitted' to visualize is this biscuit, almost further highlighting the abnormality of the obsessive 'like' 'The Man' is describing. When capturing 'The Mans' facial expressions throughout his process of describing his 'likes' a mixture of close-ups and extreme close-ups are used. Through this use of shots, much like the use of extreme close-ups used on the mans 'likes' and 'dislikes', audiences are somewhat forced to look at 'The Man' and only him. This particularly highlights the bizarre facial expressions he is making. In addition to this the shot distance almost further distorts the slightly grotesque nature of his facial expressions making them appear more barbaric than they actually are, this display a stereotypical convention of the comedic genre, illustrating him as almost an exaggerated stock character which is then furthered by his dark and ominous surroundings. Within our own film we are looking to implement this frequent use of close-ups and extreme close-ups of our characters face to, like Foutaises,
almost distort our characters face almost intensifying our characters facial features.
almost distort our characters face almost intensifying our characters facial features.
Caption for image below:
This image displays 'The Man's bizarre and exaggerated facial expressions, which immediately further the absurdity of his character. In addition to this, the close nature of the shot infused with the use of black and white almost distort his face leaving him to seem more bizarre and unconventional. I would like to use the techniques of having all of my scenes/shots in black and white, like 'Foutaises' has, to help further distort my characters face at certain points.
Caption for image below:
This image depicts 'The Man' explaining another one of his dilikes, within this shot, although not incredibly clear in the photo, he is being filmed at a low angle creating the illusion that he is looking down on audiences. Immediately placing him with power.
When 'The Man' begins to describe his 'dislikes' such as his cousin's 'collection', he is filmed from a low angle. The use of this low angle creates the illusion that 'The Man' is looking down at audiences immediately reflecting a higher status. As the camera angle is the first thing audiences can see, before 'The Man' begins speaking, a more negative tone is reflected contrasting to the more upbeat and fast paced nature of the initial 'likes' scenes. This contrast in emotion given by the character and the atmosphere itself is something which is extremely reflective of the comedic genre, especially the black comedic genre. This technique gives the scene a comic relief without being obvious or forced.
Within Foutaises, to indicate the transition of 'The Man's' emotions, a mixture of fast paced and slow paced camera movement is used. When describing his dislike for his cousins 'collection', the camera pans slowly across a bookshelf revealing numerous jars containing obscure objects and substances. The use of the slow paced pan almost acts as a reveal for audiences, the slow nature almost acts as a build up to what is going to be shown, immediately making audiences dislike the objects before they have been shown due to the suspenseful nature of the shot.
How this will influence my film:
The frequent use of close-up's and medium close-up's within 'Foutaises' seem most appropriate to use within our film. The idea of forcing the audience to look at what the actor wants them too immediately creates this sense of power and control, something which the character within our film strives for, much like 'The Man'. In addition to this, the use of pans to reveal something is also a technique we may include as it creates this sense of suspense that almost makes the scene more comical.
The frequent use of close-up's and medium close-up's within 'Foutaises' seem most appropriate to use within our film. The idea of forcing the audience to look at what the actor wants them too immediately creates this sense of power and control, something which the character within our film strives for, much like 'The Man'. In addition to this, the use of pans to reveal something is also a technique we may include as it creates this sense of suspense that almost makes the scene more comical.
Mise-En-Scene:
Within this area, I will be defining and illustrating Mise-En-Scene, focusing more specifically on the categories enclosed in Mise-En-Scene itself. In addition to this, this page will be highlighting the specific conventions of Mise-En-Scene within the short film 'Foutaises'. Furthermore, it will indicate how i intend to interject these ideas, grown through analysis, within my own short film. Mise-En-Scene reflects everything within the space, this includes Lighting, Costume , Location and Performance.
Black Comedy, being the intended genre of our short film, posses many recognizable features which illustrate this genre with clarity. Performances given by actors would tend to lean towards the more naturalistic side featuring more socially inept characteristics or spill over into a more exaggerated realism where characters present exaggerated sarcasim and abnormal wit. Their language would typically feature a cacophony of politically incorrect statements or their actions would tend to allude to these things. Costume usually would consist of ever-day wear, some black comedic more naturalistic films do not exhibit a specific costumes, the actor may just be permitted to wear their own clothing. Although in contrast to this, costume could be an exaggerated illustration of the characters personality, such as a character continuously wearing subdue, grey clothing whilst another wears flamboyant eccentric pieces. The location would most likely be a place of common attendance such as a school, and office building or some type of food joint. Places with-holding no outstanding personality, that are altered when the events within the film mould this area into a place of significance. The location also usually holds some type of a political/social tie to it, such as Fast Food joints, these 'restaurants' can be seen as dangerous to heath yet are still permitted by the government.
Within Jean Pierre-Jenuets 'Foutaises' (I Like, I Hate), viewers are preseted with one male character who proceeds to describe the vast amount of things that he likes and hates, these are then accompanied by a visual demonstration. The short film's primary location illustrates a darkened room, featuring a brick wall behind a bed. The enclosed and omnious atmosphere conveys a mysterious location resembling somewhat of a cave, raising further ideas on the character (the Man) himself and to whether this alcove of a living area is an attempt to distance himself from society or 'The Man' himself is just abnormal, and his abnormality is what causes him to be distanced from society.
Black Comedy, being the intended genre of our short film, posses many recognizable features which illustrate this genre with clarity. Performances given by actors would tend to lean towards the more naturalistic side featuring more socially inept characteristics or spill over into a more exaggerated realism where characters present exaggerated sarcasim and abnormal wit. Their language would typically feature a cacophony of politically incorrect statements or their actions would tend to allude to these things. Costume usually would consist of ever-day wear, some black comedic more naturalistic films do not exhibit a specific costumes, the actor may just be permitted to wear their own clothing. Although in contrast to this, costume could be an exaggerated illustration of the characters personality, such as a character continuously wearing subdue, grey clothing whilst another wears flamboyant eccentric pieces. The location would most likely be a place of common attendance such as a school, and office building or some type of food joint. Places with-holding no outstanding personality, that are altered when the events within the film mould this area into a place of significance. The location also usually holds some type of a political/social tie to it, such as Fast Food joints, these 'restaurants' can be seen as dangerous to heath yet are still permitted by the government.
Within Jean Pierre-Jenuets 'Foutaises' (I Like, I Hate), viewers are preseted with one male character who proceeds to describe the vast amount of things that he likes and hates, these are then accompanied by a visual demonstration. The short film's primary location illustrates a darkened room, featuring a brick wall behind a bed. The enclosed and omnious atmosphere conveys a mysterious location resembling somewhat of a cave, raising further ideas on the character (the Man) himself and to whether this alcove of a living area is an attempt to distance himself from society or 'The Man' himself is just abnormal, and his abnormality is what causes him to be distanced from society.
Caption for photo below:
This picture illustrates the location of 'Foutaises'. The dark room immediately creates and ominous atmosphere insinuating the idea that the character is somewhat of a social outcast
Within Jean Pierre-Jenuets 'Foutaises' (I Like, I Hate), viewers are preseted with one male character who proceeds to describe the vast amount of things that he likes and hates, these are then accompanied by a visual demonstration. The short film's primary location illustrates a darkened room, featuring a brick wall behind a bed. The enclosed and ominous atmosphere conveys a mysterious location resembling somewhat of a cave, raising further ideas on the character (the Man) himself and to whether this alcove of a living area is an attempt to distance himself from society or 'The Man' himself is just abnormal, and his abnormality is what causes him to be distanced from society.
The lighting used in the background conceals his face in shadows furthering this omnious ambience within the film. The use of shadow also seems to contort 'the Mans' face by concealing one side and heightening the other, this almost heightening his personality. The fact that his face in almost masked in shadows also could be conveying the idea that humans likes and dislikes are forever changing and will most likely never be completely decisive, therefore a bright light would reflect a confidence and a security, where as this concealling dark light conveys more of a doubt and indecisiveness.
The lighting used in the background conceals his face in shadows furthering this omnious ambience within the film. The use of shadow also seems to contort 'the Mans' face by concealing one side and heightening the other, this almost heightening his personality. The fact that his face in almost masked in shadows also could be conveying the idea that humans likes and dislikes are forever changing and will most likely never be completely decisive, therefore a bright light would reflect a confidence and a security, where as this concealling dark light conveys more of a doubt and indecisiveness.
Caption for image below:
This image indicates an example of the older clips used.
The cuts featuring different, prodominanlty comedic situations to visualize his likes and dislikes act almost as a photo album, the mixture of older and more modern clips are reflective of the passing of time, furthermore conveying that some 'likes and dislikes' are timeless. The simplicity of the black and white colouring of the film could be interpretive of the simplicity of themes being raised within the film (likes and dislikes). This idea is then continued by the costume of 'the Man', he is only seen wearing a simple white shirt, again reflective of a simplistic nature.
How this will influence my film:
As our film will be following the Black Comedic genre, many of the techniques within Foutaises are applicable to our own film. The main techniques that we gravitated towards the most and expect to use in our film are more specifically ones belonging to Cinematogrgaphy and Peformance. To convey our characters emotions and past experiences we plan to, like Jenuet, follow these statements with visual demonstrations but in a more exaggerated and obsurd nature. Furthermore, we plan to take the simple topic of 'likes and dislikes' and make is almost unusual as Jenuet has done presenting 'likes and dislikes' that would be seen as abnormal by the audience.
As our film will be following the Black Comedic genre, many of the techniques within Foutaises are applicable to our own film. The main techniques that we gravitated towards the most and expect to use in our film are more specifically ones belonging to Cinematogrgaphy and Peformance. To convey our characters emotions and past experiences we plan to, like Jenuet, follow these statements with visual demonstrations but in a more exaggerated and obsurd nature. Furthermore, we plan to take the simple topic of 'likes and dislikes' and make is almost unusual as Jenuet has done presenting 'likes and dislikes' that would be seen as abnormal by the audience.
Editing
Within this section i will be defining 'Editing' whilst also analyzing it's use and effect within the short film 'Foutaises'. Editing is the operation of selecting written, visual, audible and film media used to show information through the processes of correction and condensation made to create a consistent, fully complete piece of work.
Caption for image below:
this image depicts a clip used in the montage showing 'The Mans' 'likes'. The immediate use of montage almost disorientates the audience when watching.
Within 'Foutaises' the editing is used to seemingly convey the character of 'The Man' s emotions. When 'The Man' is further into describing his 'likes', montage is used to depict four of these 'likes', 'old catalogues', 'Trans Europ Express', 'Trans Orient Express' and 'Trans Siberian Express'. The use of montage for these specific things, not only highlight the vast visual nature of each of these, but also presents them as though you are reading them like a book as the images start form what you would first see and then finish with what you would last look at. Through the fast paced and almost overcrowding nature of the montages, it is almost indicative of the mans emotions and mental state. It is presented as though after saying each 'like' he immediately, almost like a photographic memory, recalls every single images which illustrates what he is describing. This also exhibiting somewhat of an over crowded feel within his mind, raising this frequently recognized vision of abnormality.
Caption for image below:
This image shows 'The Man' looking up before an eye line match is used to reveal to audience what he is looking at.
Although mainly featuring the use of discontinuity editing, examples of continuity editing are shown within 'Foutaises', more specifically in the scene of 'The Blind men'. 'The Man' is seen sitting at a small table with a drink, the voice over reads 'I like to witness a scene so amazing that you wouldn't even dare put it in a movie', this is then followed by 'The Man' looking up, and eye line match is used to reveal what he is describing as so amazing and what his face is seeing as undoubtably humorous. Audiences are then presented with what began as somewhat of an 'inside joke', two blind men about to collide on a walking path. The use of the more 'realistic' continuity editing not only adds a more calm and collected nature to the otherwise frantic short film, but it also presents a realism within the scene adding a notion of Black Comedy. Although audiences should not find the content of this scene humorous, they presumably do anyway outlining the techniques of Black Comedy, the use of the naturalistic Continuity editing almost alludes to the idea that this is realistically what people laugh about therefore it is film 'realistically' whereas the more absurd like ad dislikes prior and post this scene are not things which audiences would find especially funny, therefore they are filmed in discontinuity.
The overall mixture of continuity and discontinuity causes somewhat of a confusion of a disorientation for audiences, almost putting themselves into the character of 'The Mans' shoes. Through use of montage, the editing almost reflects that the characters mind if fast paced and slightly hysteric, seemingly conveying that 'The Man' is mentally ill, something stereotypical of the black comedic genre.
How this will influence my film:
I intend to implement the technique of using both continuity and non- continuity editing to almost disorientate audiences. In addition to this the use of eye line match almost adds a more personal touch to the scene itself as they are letting to witness what they are seeing, therefore to add a more 'mellow' and 'personal' effect to my short film which will mainly be 'black comedic' i intended to frequently use eye line match.
How this will influence my film:
I intend to implement the technique of using both continuity and non- continuity editing to almost disorientate audiences. In addition to this the use of eye line match almost adds a more personal touch to the scene itself as they are letting to witness what they are seeing, therefore to add a more 'mellow' and 'personal' effect to my short film which will mainly be 'black comedic' i intended to frequently use eye line match.
Sound:
Within the following page, i will be critically analyzing Sound in the terms of its definition and how it is presented within my chosen three short films, and how i will implement these features found in analysis to my own short film. Sound is broken up into two section 'non-diegetic' and 'diegetic'
Non-Diegetic: Sound which is not which does not originate from a source within the film and is coming from a source which is not within the original 'story space.
Diegetic: Sound which originates from a source in the films 'world'
Non-Diegetic: Sound which is not which does not originate from a source within the film and is coming from a source which is not within the original 'story space.
Diegetic: Sound which originates from a source in the films 'world'
Caption of image below:
An image showing the man plucking a hair out of his nose in extreme close-up almost done to make audiences feel uncomfortable.
During the depiction of the story the music fluctuates from quiet to loud mixing non-diegetic and diegetic music together, this is more specifically shown when the man is describing his 'dislike' of pulling out nose hairs and his like of the 'trans siberian express'. Audience are presented with the face of 'The Man' cautiously proceeding to pluck out a nose hair, the quiet and somewhat small tweaking nose of it being plucked out is heard then is immediately contrasted with the exaggerated and loud screeching of 'The man', this is then further contrasted by the more muted sounds of a clip displaying a large building being destroyed. This contrast in volume immediately notify's the audience of the bizarre nature of the character. Through 'The Mans' screeching being louder than the building being destroyed it also gives the impression that he is someone possessing a large personality, the fact that he is louder than the building also raises ideas of power in control in the sense that he is always louder than something else almost alluding to a person somewhat desperate for power.
Caption for image below:
An image of the building used to personify 'The Mans' pain he felt after plucking his nose hair.
Caption for image below:
A picture from the montage in which a ritual like music was played, ethnic building were used to support this style of music.
The use of mixing non-diegetic and diegetic music also act at conveying 'The Mans' mental instability, this is shown more specifically when he is describing his likes of the different train lines. When describing the first two 'Trans Europ Express' and ' Trans Orient Express' diegetic sounds of the trains themselves are heard, these sounds that audiences would find recognizable. This is then contrasted with non-diegetic music reflective of the destinations which these trains go to, for the 'Trans Orient Express' a ritual like, arabic song is heard playing furthering the atmosphere of these destinations. This also contrasting to the more recognizable nature of the train sounds, this music could not be immediately recognizable to audiences. This also alluding to the idea that this man is intelligent and well travelled, contrasting to the more socially rejected man audiences assumed that he was, the vast array of destinations and music shown convey this more international sense to 'The Man'.
Caption for image below:
An image of the opening pan, featuring the odd and unusual food being displayed. These were shown while a jaunty parisian piano driven song was played immediately contrasting to the visual imagery provided.
At the beginning of 'Foutaises', during the credits reel, a jaunty upbeat piano instrumental is played, immediately reflecting a happy and possibly stereotypical french film. This use of music is almost misleading to audiences in the sense that 'Foutaises' is more of an unusual short film which you would not expect to feature this type of music. However the abnormality of the short film is conveyed through the presentations of large unusual food images such as eyeballs and head of birds which itself contrasts the the jaunty tune heard. The contrast that the infusion of non-diegetic and diegetic sounds convey further this idea of confusion for the audience, also acting as a reflection of the unusual and slightly confusing nature of the characters emotions.
How will this influence my film:
Within our own film, we looked to specifically use music which obviously contrasts to the content of the scenes. We also would like to include more over-exaggerated sound effects to our characters actions to enhance the comedic and bizarre nature of our own short film. During close-up shots of of our characters we are having him making slightly abnormal throat reactions in response to thing he despises. When our character ultimately looses control within our short film, we intend to play the Pokemon Gameboy game theme tune, this contrast immediately adding a comedic and almost childish effect to the scene's content. This use of contrast is stereotypical within films of the black comedic genre, the use of the contrast immediately furthers the comedic effect of the scene and almost uses the 'shock-factor' tastefully, in which it surprises audiences.
Within our own film, we looked to specifically use music which obviously contrasts to the content of the scenes. We also would like to include more over-exaggerated sound effects to our characters actions to enhance the comedic and bizarre nature of our own short film. During close-up shots of of our characters we are having him making slightly abnormal throat reactions in response to thing he despises. When our character ultimately looses control within our short film, we intend to play the Pokemon Gameboy game theme tune, this contrast immediately adding a comedic and almost childish effect to the scene's content. This use of contrast is stereotypical within films of the black comedic genre, the use of the contrast immediately furthers the comedic effect of the scene and almost uses the 'shock-factor' tastefully, in which it surprises audiences.
Genre:
The definition of genre is a set of conventions that help to establish audience expectations: for example, in a horror film the audience will expect a character who is criminally insane, a cast of teenagers, and a murder.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a french film director more commonly known for his direction held in the critically acclaimed Amelie. His first feature film Delicatessen, which acted as a springboard pinpointing and introducing his Black Comedic, Post-Apocalyptic vision of the world.
Within the context of this 'Auter' i will subsequently be exploring his 1990, short film Foutaises (Things I Like, Things I Hate) and also defining and assessing the genre of Comedy itself, the style of Documentary and La Nouvelle Vague Française.
Foutaises:
Foutaises posses a comedic genre which is therefore expressive of the main emphasis on humor, evoking an expected reaction from the audience. The short film utilizes this comedic genre through use of heightened realism, to express the narrator's emotions vividly cross-cuts are used to show different clips which are parallel to the emotions being described for example to visualize anger/pain moving images of falling buildings are shown. Another evident comedic aspect is during the scene 'i hate the drop of water that splashes up' the use of a slow motion section showing water dropping and splashing combined with a regular paced reaction immediately provokes laughter from all audiences without over complicating the initial illustration itself. There are certain aspects within Foutaises that adopt a more Black Comedic approach to its presentation of comedy, one can say that within the scene 'I like to witness a scene too amazing, that you wouldn't even dare put it in a movie' represents Black Comedy at its finest. The visualization of two blind men crashing into each other on the street is something which one should typically not laugh at, as it is almost mocking their 'disability'. Comedic Irony is also touched upon within this same section as the narrator acknowledges that this is something 'you wouldn't dare put in a movie'. This simplistic approach to comedy is almost nostalgic alluding to the undercurrents of influence taken from La Nouvelle Vague Française.
La Nouvelle Vague Française:
'La Nouvelle Vague Française or The French New Wave, was a title devised by critics for a party of French FIlmmakers throughout the 1950's and 60's. Filmmakers whom were generally influenced by Classical Hollywood Cinema and Italian Neorealism. The New Wave direction of filmmaking adopted a Documentary like style of filmmaking creating a combination of subjective and objective realism mixed with an ambiguous authorial commentary, the New Wave films frequently utilized filming techniques such as discontinuous, fragmented editing and heavy long takes.'
New Wave Techniques within Foutaises:
My short film will be produced within a similar genre to Foustasies: the black comedy, with reference to Nouvelle Vague. I intend to include conventions which I have identified as comedy and Nouvelle Vague techniques. These include the idea of the lead character speaking directly to audiences as opposed to another character or something/someone audiences are unable to see. In addition to this, within the plot of my films story I intend to not give any obvious reasons as to why my character is discussing what he likes and dislikes, creating a sense of the 'unknown' for audiences. Within my film i intend to use only natural lighting to present a realistic atmosphere, also to present audiences with a setting they are somewhat familiar with. In addition to this, i would like to display my characters likes and dislikes with fluctuating speed by switching locations and scenes.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a french film director more commonly known for his direction held in the critically acclaimed Amelie. His first feature film Delicatessen, which acted as a springboard pinpointing and introducing his Black Comedic, Post-Apocalyptic vision of the world.
Within the context of this 'Auter' i will subsequently be exploring his 1990, short film Foutaises (Things I Like, Things I Hate) and also defining and assessing the genre of Comedy itself, the style of Documentary and La Nouvelle Vague Française.
Foutaises:
Foutaises posses a comedic genre which is therefore expressive of the main emphasis on humor, evoking an expected reaction from the audience. The short film utilizes this comedic genre through use of heightened realism, to express the narrator's emotions vividly cross-cuts are used to show different clips which are parallel to the emotions being described for example to visualize anger/pain moving images of falling buildings are shown. Another evident comedic aspect is during the scene 'i hate the drop of water that splashes up' the use of a slow motion section showing water dropping and splashing combined with a regular paced reaction immediately provokes laughter from all audiences without over complicating the initial illustration itself. There are certain aspects within Foutaises that adopt a more Black Comedic approach to its presentation of comedy, one can say that within the scene 'I like to witness a scene too amazing, that you wouldn't even dare put it in a movie' represents Black Comedy at its finest. The visualization of two blind men crashing into each other on the street is something which one should typically not laugh at, as it is almost mocking their 'disability'. Comedic Irony is also touched upon within this same section as the narrator acknowledges that this is something 'you wouldn't dare put in a movie'. This simplistic approach to comedy is almost nostalgic alluding to the undercurrents of influence taken from La Nouvelle Vague Française.
La Nouvelle Vague Française:
'La Nouvelle Vague Française or The French New Wave, was a title devised by critics for a party of French FIlmmakers throughout the 1950's and 60's. Filmmakers whom were generally influenced by Classical Hollywood Cinema and Italian Neorealism. The New Wave direction of filmmaking adopted a Documentary like style of filmmaking creating a combination of subjective and objective realism mixed with an ambiguous authorial commentary, the New Wave films frequently utilized filming techniques such as discontinuous, fragmented editing and heavy long takes.'
New Wave Techniques within Foutaises:
- Actor Dominic Pinion speaks directly to the audience, providing a narration and reactions of the topics being illustrated.
- Pinion does not give any particular reason as to why he likes or dislikes these things, although an illustration alluding to why he dislikes and likes these things is given, the reasons are never directly addressed therefore allowing them to be classified asambiguous statements (unanswered questions).
- Foutaises uses seemingly natural lighting and mainly exhibits direct sound (with the exception of clips used in cross-cuts).
- Foutaises features rapid changes in scene, more especially when visualizations are shown of the numerous likes and dislikes.
My short film will be produced within a similar genre to Foustasies: the black comedy, with reference to Nouvelle Vague. I intend to include conventions which I have identified as comedy and Nouvelle Vague techniques. These include the idea of the lead character speaking directly to audiences as opposed to another character or something/someone audiences are unable to see. In addition to this, within the plot of my films story I intend to not give any obvious reasons as to why my character is discussing what he likes and dislikes, creating a sense of the 'unknown' for audiences. Within my film i intend to use only natural lighting to present a realistic atmosphere, also to present audiences with a setting they are somewhat familiar with. In addition to this, i would like to display my characters likes and dislikes with fluctuating speed by switching locations and scenes.
Representation:
On this page i will be discussing the representation within the short film 'Foutaises' and what connotations being created towards the representations being conveyed. Representation is something which 'represents' a likeness of something. This representation could range from being accurate to grossly incorrect.
Caption for image below:
Here is an image of 'The Man' pulling a bizarre facial expression, this expression extremely close to audiences introducing the idea that audiences are being forced to witness this abnormal expressions.
The sole narrative within 'Foutaises' is given by a man, as a character he appears to be demanding control through almost forcing his 'likes' and 'dislikes' upon audiences without reasoning behind it. To further convey his strive for 'control', exaggerated facial expressions and sounds are used almost to draw a large amount of attention immediately towards him, never allowing audiences to focus on anything else within 'Foutaises'. However, due to the use of these somewhat bizarre facial expressions and unusual noises infused with his already bizarre 'likes' and 'dislikes' present him to the audience as ridiculous and laughable, immediately contrasting to 'the mans' original intentions.
Caption for image below:
Here we see the majority of 'The Mans' living conditions immediately alluding to his place in society.
The subject of class is also conveyed more specifically through the use of costume and location. 'The Man' is seen wearing a simple white shirt, not reflecting any stereotypical signs of wealth, in addition to this his surroundings appear to be dark enclosed and dirty. Minimal to no personal belongings are seen around what appears to be his home, and the single piece of furniture audiences are presented with throughout, is a beaten up and overtly uncomfortable looking bed. These drab surroundings immediately reflect that he is of a lower class and in a poor environment, furthermore when paired with his unusual 'likes' and 'dislikes' audiences are immediately presented with the idea that he could be suffering from some type of mental illness due to his behavior and surroundings and indicate to audiences that he has been isolated from society, similar to a character much like the Hunchback of Notre Damme.
How this will influence my film:
Within my own film, i intend to show my character in only two locations, one very similar to 'The Mans'. I intend to have him sat in a dark room to immediately, like 'The Man', indicate his isolation and rejection from society. Furthermore, i intend to have my lead character frequently be alone in places one would not expect to be empty such as a classroom or a school corridor.
Within my own film, i intend to show my character in only two locations, one very similar to 'The Mans'. I intend to have him sat in a dark room to immediately, like 'The Man', indicate his isolation and rejection from society. Furthermore, i intend to have my lead character frequently be alone in places one would not expect to be empty such as a classroom or a school corridor.
Ideology:
Here I will be analytically breaking down the essential features of Ideology within the context of three short films and how I will chose to represent these ideological aspects inside my short. Within this section I will also be defining and exploring the three key ideological analysis ideas of the Frankfurt School, Interpellation, Ideology and Hegemony.
Ideology:
Ideology is a set of beliefs, values, opinions and morals held by an individual and or a group of people.
The Frankfurt School:
The Frankfurt School, or more academically known as The Institution for Social Research was erected in Germany, 1923, by a group of Marxist intellectuals. Through the foundation of The Frankfurt School it introduced the commencement of a current Marxism separated from the Communist Party and the organized Working Class. The most famous critics of The Frankfurt School were Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. The Frankfurt School argued that Hollywood films projected the idea to audiences that everything in life is fine in its current state. In addition to this, they felt that Hollywood films left little interpretation or need for independent thought for audiences and dictated to them how life was. In this way, Hollywood entertainment kept people in their hierarchical place and left no need for revolution (for example).
Foutasies establishes a different relationship between film and audience to the hegemonic norm of Hollywood movies. The ideological meaning of Foutasies is contained in this subversive relationship. Through this relationship, Foutasies is hailing and interpellating audiences into society: it is transmitting ideological meanings that affect how the audience will behave in the world. This is achieved by, instead of initially creating back story for the leading character and why he is explaining his likes and dislikes to audiences, immediately audiences are forced to listen to these likes and dislikes without any prior explanation. This instantly provokes questions from audience members about why he is explaining these things to them, who he is, and why they are put into such close contact with him. This challenges the conventions of a Hollywood narrative by attempting to remove lazy thinking and to encourage independent thought from audiences in the world.
This ideological meaning is related to the Nouvelle Vague - a collective of French filmmakers, like Jean-Luc Godard from the 1960s - which also attempted to subvert the dominant ideologies of Hollywood cinema. Ideology is less of a concern within our film, and we plan to mainly approach the genre of Nouvelle Vague from a stylistic perspective.
Ideology:
Ideology is a set of beliefs, values, opinions and morals held by an individual and or a group of people.
The Frankfurt School:
The Frankfurt School, or more academically known as The Institution for Social Research was erected in Germany, 1923, by a group of Marxist intellectuals. Through the foundation of The Frankfurt School it introduced the commencement of a current Marxism separated from the Communist Party and the organized Working Class. The most famous critics of The Frankfurt School were Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. The Frankfurt School argued that Hollywood films projected the idea to audiences that everything in life is fine in its current state. In addition to this, they felt that Hollywood films left little interpretation or need for independent thought for audiences and dictated to them how life was. In this way, Hollywood entertainment kept people in their hierarchical place and left no need for revolution (for example).
Foutasies establishes a different relationship between film and audience to the hegemonic norm of Hollywood movies. The ideological meaning of Foutasies is contained in this subversive relationship. Through this relationship, Foutasies is hailing and interpellating audiences into society: it is transmitting ideological meanings that affect how the audience will behave in the world. This is achieved by, instead of initially creating back story for the leading character and why he is explaining his likes and dislikes to audiences, immediately audiences are forced to listen to these likes and dislikes without any prior explanation. This instantly provokes questions from audience members about why he is explaining these things to them, who he is, and why they are put into such close contact with him. This challenges the conventions of a Hollywood narrative by attempting to remove lazy thinking and to encourage independent thought from audiences in the world.
This ideological meaning is related to the Nouvelle Vague - a collective of French filmmakers, like Jean-Luc Godard from the 1960s - which also attempted to subvert the dominant ideologies of Hollywood cinema. Ideology is less of a concern within our film, and we plan to mainly approach the genre of Nouvelle Vague from a stylistic perspective.
Narrative:
In this section i will be commenting on the narrative within the short film 'Foutaises' whilst also defining the term of narrative itself. Narrative is a constructive format that illustrates a progression of events, whether they be fictional or non- fictional.
'Foutaises' somewhat lacks the classic story structure, something which is reflective of independent films. Instead of presenting a clear beginning, middle and end the short film uses the shock of discordance and makes audiences question why he is telling them his 'likes' and 'dislikes'. 'Foutaises' ending suddenly lacks 'denouement' somewhat leaving audiences more confused. This feature of confusion enhances the bizarre nature of the short film itself and reflects the comedic genre, more so the black comedic genre due to the bizarre atmosphere it creates. The use of a voice over narrates the entire short film. Through presenting the voice and opinions of one man, a more personal atmosphere is reflected, a singular narrative, something stereotypical of the genre. The overall calm demeanour of the voice over contrasts to the more outrageous and abnormal likes/dislikes that are being described.
'Foutaises' somewhat lacks the classic story structure, something which is reflective of independent films. Instead of presenting a clear beginning, middle and end the short film uses the shock of discordance and makes audiences question why he is telling them his 'likes' and 'dislikes'. 'Foutaises' ending suddenly lacks 'denouement' somewhat leaving audiences more confused. This feature of confusion enhances the bizarre nature of the short film itself and reflects the comedic genre, more so the black comedic genre due to the bizarre atmosphere it creates. The use of a voice over narrates the entire short film. Through presenting the voice and opinions of one man, a more personal atmosphere is reflected, a singular narrative, something stereotypical of the genre. The overall calm demeanour of the voice over contrasts to the more outrageous and abnormal likes/dislikes that are being described.
Caption of image below:
A shot where the mans face is almost concealed in shadow. almost symbolic of his 'man against the world' attitude/situation.
The character's monologue itself almost presents the idea of 'man against the world' something which is frequently utilized within comedic films. The characters likes and dislikes emulate somewhat of an unusual person due to their bizarre nature, something which is furthered by the exaggerated reactions of the character. This 'bizarre person' being illustrated continues to carry the idea of 'man against the world', his unusual likes/dislikes seem to disconnect him from the 'norms' of society, ultimately positioning him in the role of the 'outsider/outcast'. This social outcast figure is something which is typical of the comedy/black comedy genre.
How this will influence my film:
The role of the outsider plays a large part within our own film, our short film will feature one outlook on the situation, and our characters abnormal likes and dislikes will further disconnect him from the society illustrated within the short film.
The role of the outsider plays a large part within our own film, our short film will feature one outlook on the situation, and our characters abnormal likes and dislikes will further disconnect him from the society illustrated within the short film.
Audience:
Within this section i will be discussing the target/intended audience for the short film 'Foutaises' and how it is reflected within the film itself. Furthermore, i will be discussing how these techniques will influence my own film.
Caption for image below:
This image showing a shot from 'Foutaises' where a young girl is seen playing innocently with a ball, but the less innocent and more adult like image of male genitalia contrasts to this and almost spoils the initial innocence.
The use of more Black Comedic techniques within 'Foutaises' immediately reflect that this film was intended for an older audience, this more specifically shown with the scene where the child is playing with a ball. Initially the audience can hear the sound of a ball bouncing off something, the camera then pans to the right to reveal a young girl dressed sweetly in pigtails and a white tea dress. The traditional and innocent nature of the young girls clothing and the girls presumed age itself immediately contrasts to the graffiti seen of a man genitalia which the young girl is proceeding to hit the ball on. The overtly sexual connotations of the image reflect that this short film would not be marketed towards a child and more so to an adult.
Caption for the image below:
This image depicts a comic book drawing shown within 'Foutaises' during a montage of 'The Man' continuing to describe his 'likes'.
The overall more intellectually eclectic nature of the things being shown within the short film, again allude to what type of an audience 'Foutaises' would be aimed towards. When 'The Man' is describing his 'like' of the 'Trans Siberian Express' a montage is shown featuring different logo's for industrial and factory work whilst a pounding like dramatic piece of music is played, thus raising political and social opinions on the things being described. This conveying that more intellectual and politically aware people would be the most likely audience as they would understand what is being presented and somewhat 'appreciate' the mockery of it. 'The Man' at some points seems to almost reminisce features of his childhood and 'dislikes' which have stemmed from his childhood and only increased with age. This is seen when 'The Man' describes his love for 1950's cartoon/comic characters such as 'Bibi Fricotin', 'Razibu Zouzou' and 'Little Cerebos'. This again would presumably attract an older audience who remember these characters or those similar from their own childhood
Although 'Foutaises' is narrated by a man, the short film remains relatively gender neutral, the 'likes' and 'dislikes' are universal. The use of relatively universal 'likes' and 'dislikes' also extend the films relatibility to its audience.
How will this influence my film:
Taking inspiration from the use of 'past times' like comic books, i intend to implement video games within my film, something which is very modern yet a past time. To do so, i would mainly be focusing on the Pokemon franchise which has remained popular for many years. This appealing to audiences who remember and still play Pokemon.
How will this influence my film:
Taking inspiration from the use of 'past times' like comic books, i intend to implement video games within my film, something which is very modern yet a past time. To do so, i would mainly be focusing on the Pokemon franchise which has remained popular for many years. This appealing to audiences who remember and still play Pokemon.
Institution:
In this section i will be discussing the institution which created 'Foutaises' including the director, actors and production company. In addition to this i will also be noting on how the 'Foutaises', in terms of institution will influence my own film.
Caption of image below:
Here is a clip from the opening of the film stating the company which has produced 'Foutaises', the companies name immediately indicating that the film is an Independent film rather than one with a large budget.
'Foutaises' is a short film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, featuring the actor Dominique Pinon (who's most famous roles have all been from Jean-Pierre Jeunet films). 'Foutaises' was produced by the company 'Zootrope', this company is not in activity at the present and has only produced one other film, again by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (The Bunker of the last Gunshots). Due to the inactivity of the production company, we can assume that 'Foutaises' was not a large budget production, nor something which was advertised extensively, therefore not a very publicly anticipated project.
Caption for image below:
Below is the logo for the 'Cesar Awards France'
The short film itself seemingly being a piece which 'fans' of Jean-Pierre Jeunet would follow and something which would not be extremely known by other memebers of the public, therefore giving it a very limited and eclectic audience. As a result of the more specialist nature of 'Foutaises' and character of 'Foutaises' we can assume that the audience would be extremely eclectic and mainly consist of intellectual, older and frequent 'Art house' attendees. This idea is then further by the fact that 'Foutaises' has won three prestigious french film awards from the 'Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival' and 'Cesar Awards France', this again indicating that the viewers would be more of an 'Art House' audience.
How will this influence my film:
Instead of our film being one of a large budget produced by a Hollywood company, i intend to indicate that i would have been produced a released by a popular Independent company like 'The Weinstein Company'. This allowing it to potentially receive recognition and awards at various ceremonies, in addition to this appeal to a more 'Art House' audience whilst still appealing to teenagers.
Instead of our film being one of a large budget produced by a Hollywood company, i intend to indicate that i would have been produced a released by a popular Independent company like 'The Weinstein Company'. This allowing it to potentially receive recognition and awards at various ceremonies, in addition to this appeal to a more 'Art House' audience whilst still appealing to teenagers.