Editing

On the 28th January, we put together a Recording Log of all the shots that had been filmed on our tape, whether we wanted to use them or not. After this, we had to decide which shots we wanted by viewing the clips on the computer and putting together an Editing Decision List. When we had completed this we had to log and capture the shots. Myself and Hannah did this as Matt was away. We had to make sure that we left two seconds at the beginning and end of the shot so that nothing was cut out. It took quite a while to make sure that all of the shots that we wanted got onto the computer properly. Also, because of the amount of footage we had, loading the shots we had decided on took an hour and a half.
When we put together a rough edit of clips according to the storyboard, we found that what we had was too long to fit the criteria of the film being 3 minutes long. When we were about half way through the storyboard, our film was already 2 and a half minutes. This meant that we had to go back over what we had put in place and cut it down. A major part that we altered in the film was the beginning. Instead of panning across the pictures of them happy, we decided that it would be better for the sequence of the couple together to be a sequence in itself. This way, it would seem like a dream sequence that the girl has just before she wakes up. We decided that this would still fit in with the film whilst taking up less time, allowing us to make the whole film less than 3 minutes. We also shortened other shots that we had put on so the film looked more fluid and a lot more professional. An example of this is when she is chasing him down the stairs, the sharper editing makes the sequence flow better than it did before. After we cropped some of the shots, we found that we had reduced the film by about a minute.
The songs that we chose for the opening were: Joss Stone- L.O.V.E, and Gloria Gaynor- I Will Survive. We felt that these two songs would fit perfectly in our film. For the first half, when the couple are breaking up, L.O.V.E is playing, and the words of the song assist in the telling of the story. We edited the pace of the footage and music to play parallel to one another. When Nova finds the bra under her pillow, the words “love is more than just a game for two” are sung. This plays until Nova’s friends say “Let’s put some music on!!”. The song fades out at the same time as the screen cuts to black. This connotes a new chapter in her life. Whilst the screen is still black, the introduction to I Will Survive is playing. It sounds almost magical at the beginning, like the girls are in a fairytale. The song, I Will Survive, is a very popular karaoke song, and a real feel good song for girls who have just split up from their boyfriend. When this song is playing, Nova’s two best friends are miming to her to make her feel better. The tone of the film at this point begins to change, as Nova starts to get over James. The words of the song could easily be a metaphor of what Nova wants to say to James. When the words “thinking how you did me wrong” are sung, Nova’s friends are trying to pull her up to dance, but she is clearly thinking about James.
One of the major things that we had to consider when editing was the timing of the shots. This is especially important as the friends are meant to be singing in the film. Although we couldn’t get the timing with the singing exactly in sync, we still felt that it was believable. The songs, as I have already mentioned are crucial in the opening to our film, as they tell the story. The first song, is slower and more romantic than the second. We chose these songs because there is a significant difference between the two, which coincides with the tone/mood of the film. We had to put all the shots we wanted onto the timeline, as well as the music that we had chosen. Then, we had to decide how long we wanted the shots to last for, so that we could edit them together. When we had synced the songs to the shots, we locked the audio so that if we changed the length of the shot, the music would also change at the same time. We found that this saved us a significant amount of time later on in the process of editing. Whilst we were still in the planning stages of our film, we knew that we wanted the music to tell a story, and for the significant parts of the film to be accompanied with specific words from the songs. Although we found this really tedious and frustrating at times, we knew that it would only add to the effect of the film.
The words in the song are especially in sync with the significant points in the film. To emphasise the importance of this, we decided to put transitions and effects in at those points. This is also because we didn’t want the rest of the film to be too busy. When Nova discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her the song explains that “Love is more than just a game for two”, to connote that their relationship is being ruined by a third person. During the second song, the words “thinking how you did me wrong” are sung, we felt that this was a really significant part of the film. To emphasise this, we dissolved together two shots – a shot as her friends are trying to get her to dance, and a shot of Nova and James happy together, to show that she cant forget him. Also during the second song, some of the words are “and I grew strong”, this is the point in the film when Nova’s friends persuade her to enjoy herself, and she gets up to sing and dance. Also, James is trying to get back into the door as the words “I should have changed that stupid lock” are sung. Even though Nova is getting over James, it is clear that she is still thinking about him. “You’d be back to bother me”, as these words are said, there is a black and white shot of them together that was originally intended to go at the beginning. We had cut it out, but decided that it fitted in with how Nova would still be thinking about her relationship with James. Another edit we used was a fade towards the end of the film when all of the girls are dancing in the street. This editing decision was made for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to show a passage of time. We also needed to put the fade in because the two shot that had been filmed had the girls at different places in the road, so by putting the slow fade in, it looked more believable. At the very end of the film, as the title appears on the screen the words being sung are “I will survive, as long as I know how to love I know I’ll stay alive…”
Not all of the edits in the film were done just so they went with the music. We didn’t want all of our shots to have effects on them, as this would make it less realistic. However, I feel the edits we used worked really well with the shots they were used on. One of the hardest things to edit in the film, was the split screen when the two girls are singing. Not only did we have to distort Kirsty’s frame, we also had to make it look like the girls were singing in time. The main reason we had trouble aligning the two shots was because of how the girls were standing, and dancing. Kirsty moved a little bit more than Sinead so she took up more space. To make the split screen, we had to view the images with wireframes enabled, and put them on op of one another. This allowed us to move them around and position them how we wanted. This was also frustrating as when we got one girl how we wanted, the other didn’t fit in the frame. At some points when we were editing, we discovered that unfortunately, we had not captured some of the shots that we wanted. An example of this is when Nova has just thrown James out, and she slides down the door. The problem we had was that Nova’s hair was on different sides for the shots. However, the fade hides the mistake. In our preliminary task, we had to use a match on action, we also decided to use 2 matches on action in our film so that the editing would look seamless. They are when Nova rolls over to kiss James in the first half of the film. The other match on action, which is less noticeable, is when Nova is eating crisps. The film is from Nova’s point of view, we decided to reflect this by using point of view shots to show the audience the film from her perspective. This is shown in the picture as Kirsty and Sinead put make up on Nova to try and make her feel better. At certain times in the film, we faded and cut the screen to black or white. We did this to connote the lightness and darkness of the film, and also to mirror how Nova is feeling. When the screen cuts to black as the girls put some music on, there are connotations of a new chapter in Nova’s life starting and she is forgetting the bad times. This could also be perceived as a passage of time. At the end of the opening, the camera tilts up to the sky and fades to white to show how the sky is her limit. Also, the lighting is brighter in the second half as she begins to get over James. When we started to watch our film back, we noticed that when Nova screams, there is a change in her voice because it is a mix of two different shots. To get over this, we made the first audio clip of the scream longer so that her voice didn’t change. When the friends arrive at Nova’s house, they bring with them the essentials of a girly night in – alcohol and junk food!! There is a pan across empty bottles and glasses, not only to show a passage of time, but also to show that the girls are gradually getting more and more drunk. When the girls are outside dancing, there is a particular shot when they point to the sky, that we wanted to be in time with the music. When we did, we found that the rest of the footage was out of time. This meant that we had to spend extra time making everything fit together.
When we had finished putting the shots and music as we wanted them, we had to put credits on top of the shots. When we were waiting for the editing suite one day, myself and Hannah decided to call our production company Minted Pictures. We also decided that our credits would be pink and white, to connote love. There is also the connotation of two different sides to everyone. Kirsty’s and Sinead’s names appear when Nova discovers the bra, this is to show that they are there for her when she is in trouble. For the rest of the credits, we tried to put them evenly throughout the film, so that it wasn’t to busy at one point. Also, we positioned them at different places in the frame, so that they weren’t covering anything. This could also be thought of as unpredictable, like the characters themselves.
We handed in our final edit on 27th February, and we were all really happy with our film. Although we did have a few disagreements along the way, I think that this proves that we all wanted the film to be the best that it could be. I also think its good how we were all passionate about the end product.
In our film, we mainly represent the differences in gender. As the film is a romantic comedy, and typically more females will go and watch this sort of film, we wanted females to be represented as strong and able to cope without a man. Although our film was largely influenced by Bridget Jones, we didn’t want to have the typical formula, in the sense that the couple are broken up at the beginning instead of later in the film. In the film, it is the female who throws James out, representing her as strong. However, when he isn’t around, she breaks down. When she is upset, it is her best friends that are there to help her, as soon as she texts them, they are at her door. Also, it was the female in the relationship who made decisions i.e- most of the furniture is pink, which is obviously down to her. It is also her who is making the effort in the relationship as she leans over to kiss him , whilst he seems less concerned. The male in the film was represented as an idiot. He is meant to be cheating on his girlfriend, but he is so stupid that he hides a bra under her pillow. Also, he is humiliated by her . The separation between the two characters is shown as they lie in bed facing opposite way, and also they are shown in separate shots when they are arguing.

Filming

According to our action plan, we should have started filming on January 18th. However, as Matt was hungover, we had to postpone filming until Saturday 24th instead, so we were a week behind. Fortunately, the whole thing was shot in one day. There were still problems with filming on the day. There were some shots that were planned that sadly didn’t work out on the day because of various reasons, the lighting being the main reason. An example of when the light got in the way was when Nova was in the hall on her own. There was glass at the top of the door, so the sun was shining through, making it difficult to film scene that was intended to be dark to reflect her situation, this was resolved by covering the glass so that the light didn't get through to the hallway. As some of the shots didn’t work, we added more shots so that we had extra to look at when editing, even if we didn’t use them, for example – the girls going conga outside. Also, when we were going to film on the 18th, most of the props were at my house e.g. the knickers. For filming at Matt’s house a bra was used instead. Other than this, everything else went to plan, and we were all happy with what had been filmed. The house that it was filmed was believable as the girls own house. The bedroom was easily recognisable as that of a young girl, because of the pink and girly furniture. Also, we made it clear that she was the type of girl who would have her friends around when she is upset, this is also relevant in terms of what she is wearing. We had to consider our target audience when filming, and what they would expect to see. The cheating boyfriend was wearing just his boxers and a tshirt. His tshirt was black and there was a slogan on it, both of these things made the boy look like a dark and nasty character. Also, the bra that Nova finds is black, so there is a clear link between the boyfriend and his cheating ways. It is contrasted with the light pink that she is wearing. Both of the friends were wearing heels, which makes them look stylish, and also professional. They are wearing scarves and cardigans – what they are wearing makes them look like older middle class girls – which is our target audience. The living room was full of bottles of wine (well, ribena!), some of which were empty, this makes it look to the audience that they have been drinking all day. The three girls who were playing the friends were great for the film as they looked like good friends, and it was easier for them to act together. A reason for this being that a theme that we are trying to portray in the opening of the film is girls being able to cope on their own without men. Also, James and Nova, who play the couple who break up in the film, are an actual couple. This meant that they were comfortable with each other and what they needed to do ie- lying in bed together. Each shot was filmed more than once so that we could edit the best shots together. It is easier to have lots of footage and have to cut it down, as oppose to searching for clips to make the sequence longer. As it turned out, we had more than enough footage and thankfully didn'y have to arrange to film any shots again.

Action Plan

To make sure that our coursework was completed by the deadline of February 27th, we made an action plan to give ourselves plenty of time to the filming and editing. We also had to make considerations for if anything went wrong.

Sunday 18th January – Start filming
Saturday 24th January – Finish any extra filming
Wednesday 28th January – Complete recording log. Log and capture the shots
Thursday 29th January – Rough edit
Friday 30th - Continue editing
Saturday 31st January/ Sunday 1st February – Time for any extra shots that are needed
Wednesday 4th - Thursday 12th February - Continue editingFriday 13th - Sunday 22nd Feb - Half TermMonday 23rd Feb – Adding music and transitionsWednesday 24th - Friday 27th - Put together final editFriday 27th - Deadline

Directors – Hannah, Lauren and Matt
Filmed by – Hannah, Lauren and Matt
Editing by – Hannah, Lauren and Matt

Cast –
Main Girl – Nova Arkasrivorn
Cheating Boy – James Alexander Smith
Best Friends – Kirsty Louise Lloyd and Sinead Wakefield Smith

Setting –
Main girls house – Matt’s house

Main Props –
Knickers
Wine
Chocolate/Crisps
Ice CreamCD Player
Hairbrushes

Costumes -
As he is the cheating boyfriend, we wanted James to wear a dark t-shirt, which would be contrasted with Nova's light pink pyjama's. This would show a dinstinct difference between the two of them. Also, we wanted the underwear that Nova finds under her pillow to be either red or black, to further continue the theme of betrayal. When the friends arrive later on in the sequence, we wanted them to look young and stylish, without looking too overdressed. This is so that our target audience can relate to them. For the very start of the film, where it in black and white, we want Nova and James to look quite similar in their styles. It is easier to achieve this as they will both appear to be in black and white.

Our Final Idea and Storyboard

We have chosen to do Moving On. We chose this because we felt it would be the easiest to make in terms of following the codes and conventions of a Romantic Comedy. It will also be the easiest for us to create i.e- settings, characters, props etc.

Below is the outline to our storyboard...

1- Black and white photos on the bedside table of them together (Music: Joss Stone - L.O.V.E)
2- Pictures start to develop into footage of them happy
3- Pan across them in bed, high angle shot
4- Long shot of them from bottom of the bed, they are facing seperate ways
5- Match on action - She rolls over to kiss him on the cheek and rolls back over
6- Puts her hand under her pillow and feels a pair of knickers and pulls them out
7- She sits up and screams, go to extreme close up of her mouth
8- High angle shot of them arguing in pyjama's
9- Reaction shots/Medium close ups of both them as they argue
10- Insert of her hand on the door handle
11- She puts the knickers on his head and kicks him out, slams the door
12- Medium shot/Tilt as she slides down the door, crying
13- Insert of text message "He's been cheating on me"
14- Wide shot of her on her own, fade to black
15 - Low angle shot of stilettoes running up the drive, bright colours
16- Medium close up of friends coming in the door with wine and chocolate
17- Over the shoulder of her friends, girls reaction
18- Close up of the girls face, make up has run all over her face
19- Shot of putting last wine bottle down. Pan across the full bottles
20- Point of view shot, friends wiping her face and putting make up on her
21- Pan across the now empty bottles of wine, the last one knocked down and dripping
22- Point of view of girl as her friends stand up and say "You don't need him", low angle
22- Girl sits on the sofa with her pyjama's on, but make up done, eating ice cream
22- The friends say "Let's put some music on" (L.O.V.E starts to fade out)
23- Insert of finger pressing Play button on stereo (Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive)
24- Friends singing a line at a time into hairbrushes
25- Try and pull the girl up to sing and dance
26- "But I grew stong" She stands up and they all sing and dance together
27- Medium shot of door - they all run towards it
28- Shot of door left open
29- Various shots of the girls dancing outside
30- Whilst still dancing in the road, the camera tilts up to a clear blue sky, and the title "Moving On" appears
31- Fade to white

Initial Ideas For Our Film

After looking at all of our research combined, our group decided that the best genre for our film would be a Romantic Comedy. We chose this genre for a number of reasons, as well as our research. In the time we have to make and edit the film, and considering our resources, we felt that we could most justice to the Romantic Comedy genre.

As a group, we came up with 4 initial ideas that we could possibly use as the opening to our film...

1 - GAY BRIDGET JONES
We thought that a male main character would not follow the conventions of a romantic comedy, but still feel like one when watching it because of the characters. We decided that it would be a subtle but postivie twist on the genre. The opening of the film would be the man gettting ready to tell his family that he is gay, and their reactions to the news. His family are religious, so they obviously disagree. Even though it is a serious subject that we would be confronting, the humour emerges from the reactions of his family. We wanted the main character to be like a friend to the audience, so we would include a voiceover at the beginning, because this worked so well in Bridget Jones. The voiceover would also make the serious subject funny.

2 - RICH MAN / POOR GIRL
A poor girl lives on a council estate with her Mom and little brother, where she meets a well educated, rich and handsome business man - the complete opposite to her. She gets a job as an intern where he works, everyone else is really bitchy and stop them getting together. The opening would show them both getting ready for work, and the differences between them and their ways of life. We thought this idea reminded us of Ugly Betty.

3 - LOVE STORY
An author, who writes love novels, can never seem to find love for herself. She is very eccentric, which would probably be the main source of comedy. However, as she writes one of her stories, it starts to come true and she finds herself living her own novel. The opening would be the woman at her type writer starting her story. As she types the introductions of the characters, they fade onto the screen. The opening would end with her writing about the main character, there would be a close up of her face.

4 - MOVING ON
A couple have been together for a while, they are happy together. We would show ths by having some black and white images of them together. However, the girl finds out that he has cheated on her, and immediately kicks him out. The first thing she does is texts her friends, who turn up at her house with the essentials - wine and chocolate. They get drunk together, and the girl starts to forget about her ex. The humour would come from the girls breaking into song at the end and dancing about with hairbrushes to a song like 'I Will Survive'.

We love all ideas, but unfortunately can only choose one.

Secondary Research

The following data is taken from the UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook.

This table indicates that the Comedy genre had the highest number of releases and was the top grossing genre at the UK Box Office. Therefore, the comedy genre is most popular and made the most money.
Overall, comedy had 127 releases and made £206.6 million at the box office. The thriller genre, which was fifth on the list, had 28 releases and made £67.6 million at the box office. This seems like a drastic difference.

However, when you consider that comedy had 99 more releases than thriller, the difference isn’t as much as it first seemed. It could be argued, though, that this is irrelevant – There was a larger amount of comedy films made, simply because the genre is most popular. The horror genre only had 24 releases and made £28.8 million at the box office, putting it tenth in the list. Even though there was only 4 extra thriller releases, it still made an extra £38.8 million. This shows that horror would be the least effective genre to produce. The romance genre was fourteenth on the list. There was only 21 films released, and they made £15.7 million. However, we had the option to make a RomCom. Looking at our research into each of the two genres, if we made a RomCom, we would have to include more comedy elements to appeal to our target audience.

Questionnaire - Results

After people had given me back their completed questionnaires, I had to analyse my results so that, along with the rest of my group, we could decide what genre we should make our film opening.
The most popular magazine among females was Heat, but OK! was also very popular. Males preferred GQ and NME. For both males and females, the most popular choice for watching films was occasionally/often on DVD. The clear favourite genre of females was Romantic Comedy. Men preferred horrors more than the other two genres, however, thriller was still quite popular. The most popular choices of Thriller films were Seven and Fight Club. This is mainly because of the twists in the films and the red herrings in the film which kept the audience interested. In a thriller film, people expect to see a city location, and dark settings. By far the most popular Horror films were Halloween and Scream. The people I asked said that they expect lots of blood and gore in a horror film. They also said that they like to see a horror take place in an isolated setting as oppose to a city location in a thriller. A twist in the story is also expected. Both males and females said that their favourite Romantic Comedy is Bridget Jones Diary. The main reason for this choice is the comedy that emerges through the story and also the characters in the film. Another popular factor in romantic comedy films were the soundtracks. All of these are things that need to be taken into consideration when making our film.

Primary Research - Audience Questionnaire

To get the audiences point of view on the different genres we have been focusing on, we all had to design questionnaires that we would hand out to some of our friends and family. It is a way of us finding out what our target audience expects in the different genres, so we could suit our product to appeal to them.

QUESTIONNAIRE

1) Gender?
[ ] Male [ ] Female

2) Age?
[ ] 11-15 [ ] 16-20 [ ] 21-25 [ ] 26-30 [ ] 31+

3) Please state your occupation
_________________________

4) Which is your favourite TV channel out of the following?
[ ] BBC 1 [ ] BBC 2 [ ] ITV 1 [ ] Channel 4 [ ] Channel 5

5) Which of the following magazines do you read?
[ ] Heat [ ] OK! [ ] Sugar [ ] Rolling Stone [ ] GQ [ ] NME Other______________

6) How often do you watch films?
[ ] Never [ ] Rarely [ ] Occasionally [ ] Often [ ] All the time

7) How do you prefer to watch films?
[ ] Cinema [ ] TV [ ] DVD [ ] Internet

8) Out of the following, which is your favourite genre?
[ ] Thriller [ ] Horror [ ] Romantic Comedy

9) What is your favourite Thriller? Why?

10) What is your favourite Horror? Why?

11) What is your favourite Romantic Comedy? Why?

12) What would you expect to see in a ...
Thriller?_________________________
Horror?_________________________
Romantic Comedy?_________________________

ROMANTIC COMEDY - Individual Research

Romantic Comedies are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines that are centred on romantic ideals such as true love being able to conquer anything and everything. Romantic Comedy films are a sub-genre of comedy films as well as romance films.
The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two protagonists, usually a man and a woman, meet, part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately reunite. Sometimes the two characters meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or because of social pressures - One of the best examples to illustrate this is When Harry Met Sally (1989). The screenwriters leave clues that suggest that Harry and Sally are, in fact, attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The characters often separate or seek time apart to sort out their feelings or deal with the external obstacles to their being together.
While the two leads are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they are ideal for each other, or that they are in love with each other. Then, after one of the two makes a grand gesture/effort to find the other person and declare their love, or due to a coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily. The couple does not, however, have to marry, or live together "happily ever after." The ending of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in its characters' lives, even if they physically separate in the end. There are many variations on this basic plotline. Sometimes, instead of the two lead characters ending up in each other's arms, another love match will be made between one of the principal characters and a secondary character e.g. My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997). Some comedy films such as Knocked Up (2007), combine themes of romantic comedies and stoner comedies, creating a subgenre that appeals to both men and women.
There are certain actors that are linked to the Romantic Comedy genre, as with other genres (i.e. Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis are associated with the horror genre). Probably the two most popular Romantic Comedy actors are Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
Hugh Grant is a British actor that is probably best known for his breakthrough performance in Four Weddings and a Funeral. After the huge success of the film (written by Richard Curtis), Hugh Grant became an overnight star. It could also be argued that this film is the reason he is typecast in so many romantic comedies including:
-Notting Hill
-Bridget Jones’s Diary/Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
-About a Boy
-Love Actually
Julia Roberts became well known during the early 90’s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) opposite Richard Gere. She was the first actress to receive $20 million for a film. The film was Erin Brockovich, this is also the film that earned Julia Roberts her first academy award win for Best Actress. Other romantic comedies she has done include:
-My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
-Notting Hill (1999)
-Runaway Bride (1999)
It is estimated that her net worth is around $140 million.
In terms of box office income, Julia Roberts is the most successful actress in the world. As of February 2007, her films have grossed $2,204,631,930 at the American box office making her the biggest female movie star in history and she did it with only 31 films to her name. She was also placed at the pinnacle of the Ulmer Scale, a comprehensive guide to the global star power of actors and directors in independent and studio films created by James Ulmer, ahead of other actors such as Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. This was partly owing to her ability to attract filmgoers solely on the basis of her name's appearance above the title and without the support of a male co-star, something few other actresses have been able to do.

ROMANTIC COMEDY - Analysis

Bridget Jones's Diary:
Bridget Jones is a British 2001 romantic comedy films, based on the novel of the same name written by Helen Fielding. She has stated in many interviews that the novel was based upon both Jane Austen’s work Pride and Prejudice, and the 1995 BBC adaptation Pride and Prejudice. Prior to the films release, there was a considerable amount of controversy surrounding the casting of the American Renée Zellweger in the role of what some thought was a quintessential British heroine.
In the opening scene of the film, the audience are introduced to two of the three main characters, and secondary characters, like their parents. As Bridget arrives at her parent’s house, we are shown that they live near a church, which has romantic connotations. The house itself is a large detached cottage, hinting to the audience that the family is quite well off. Later, in the second half of the sequence, the audience are taken into Bridget’s flat. She lives in South London, near to a railway. It is contrasted to the country home of her parents. Bridget’s parents house is large, which is the opposite of her small and enclosed flat, where she lives alone.
Another aspect of the scene is the set decoration and props. They give an insight into what is happening in the film. In the opening shot, Bridget is walking in the snow, this indicates to the audience that the setting of the film is in winter, and also Christmas. In the garden, the hedges have been cut into the shape of two swans’ heads making the shape of a heart, suggesting the romantic them to the film Bridget is carrying a suitcase to show the audience that she has travelled a distance to go and stay- an indication of how far away she lives. The furniture inside the house is very dated, this, coupled with the stripy wallpaper, connotes that Bridget’s parents are old-fashioned. In the party, everyone has a drink in their hand, showing that they are all having a good time. Also, quite a lot of the people are smoking indoors, which gives the impression that they are relaxed, thus giving us a sense of community and closeness between them. Around the house, there are various Christmas decorations i.e. - a tree, cards and tinsel, which once again show what time of year the film is set. There are pictures on the wall in the background of the scene could be symbolic of Bridget’s childhood, and other family occasions. In between the scene at the buffet and Bridget’s flat, there is a shot of a party hat that has been left on a fence covered in snow and ice, this is symbolic of the end of a party, or similarly, the fact that Bridget feels that she hasn’t had a good time. There is an exterior shot of Bridget’s flat, showing that the building is quite traditional. There are a number of props in Bridget’s apartment that contribute in the telling of her story. Firstly, there are a lot of books around her flat, showing that she is a well educated person. However, it could be argued that the state of her flat contradicts this. She has a miss match of furniture that doesn’t go very well together. Compared to where her parents live, Bridget’s flat is very compact and a lot lonelier. The phone is at the front of the shot, right next to the camera, whereas Bridget is at the other side of the room. This shows the disconnection between Bridget and the outside world. She has a bottle of wine and cigarettes next to her, which implies to the audience that they are all she needs to make her feel better about herself. She has a few cards and pictures on the wall, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that significantly stands out in the flat, everything blends in with everything else. She is sitting on her own watching the classic sitcom, Frasier. There is a shot of the television and the board games, Twister and Monopoly can be seen on the shelf. Both of these games require more than one person to play. Finally, Bridget is wearing a necklace with a heart on it; this is symbolic of the love she is trying to find.
Next, the costumes in the film play a big part in the audience’s perception of the characters. At the start of the sequence, Bridget is wearing casual clothes, which make her appear laid back and easy going, but also maybe a little frumpy. When her Mom opens the door, she is wearing an old fashioned dress that suits the way her house is decorated. Also, the way in which the characters use their costumes indicates what is happening, for example, Bridget taking off her scarf shows that she is staying. Her mom has prepared another outfit for her which she has to wear, Bridget herself, calls the outfit a carpet. She is wearing something that her mom would happily wear, at this point, her confidence decreases and she doesn’t feel comfortable with herself. Everyone in the scene is smartly dressed, which makes Bridget stand out even more. When Bridget meets Mark Darcy for the first time, he is wearing a green reindeer jumper, and for the first time, although she doesn’t know Mark, she feel she can relate to him as they are both uncomfortable in the outfits that their parents have picked out for them. It also shows that they haven’t made their own choices, which makes the audience wonder whether they would be able to make the right choice for themselves in a relationship. The colours that they are wearing also have some significance in the story. Bridget’s outfit is bright red, which has various connotations. It could be an indication of love, or danger. Mark’s jumper is green, which is the colour of envy, this gives the audience an insight to what will be a theme in the rest of the rest of the film. Also, it is a popular saying that ‘red and green should never be seen’. When Bridget is alone in her flat, she wears her comfortable pyjamas and thick woolly socks. Once again, the outfit she has on is red, which is a continuing theme from the previous scene.
The lighting in a scene can help to capture the mood or tone of a situation. At the beginning, Bridget’s mom has the lights on in the house, even though it is still relatively light outside. This could be her trying to make everyone feel more relaxed and calm. Mark is wearing a dark green jumper, which could have connotations of a dark trait in his personality. Also, when Mark and his Mom are talking about Bridget, and she is in the background, she appears to be lighter than them. This shows that she has a brighter spirit within her, even though she is getting insulted. Bridget’s flat is dimly lit by one light and a fireplace. It feels a lot gloomier and enclosed than her parent’s house. It is a reflection of how she is feeling at that time.
The music/sound is also an important feature of a scene which can often get overlooked. In the sequence, there is the use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Throughout the film, Bridget does a voiceover, telling her story. She talks to the viewer like a friend, and we feel a connection with her as she pours her heart out to us. When Bridget arrives at her parent’s house, the music being played is almost like music from a fairytale, this also applies when Mark turns around – could her be her Prince Charming? Other music in the scene comes from the party. First, the song is Perry Como’s Magic Moments. When Bridget’s outfit changes, so does the song, it changes to Cant Take My Eyes Off You. This song plays through until Bridget hears Mark talking about her. The music then changes to Jamie O’Neal’s version of All By Myself. When Bridget checks her phone for messages, the use of sound indicates to the audience that she is all alone, and no one has left her any messages. Whilst Bridget is drinking more and more, the music builds up, and at the crescendo of the song, the title of the film appears.
Camera shots and editing is a very important feature of mise-en-scene, and there are various ones that could be discussed. Firstly, a point to be taken note of is that there are more shots and editing techniques used in the buffet scene, because there are more people there hence, more is happening. At the beginning of the sequence there is a fade in to reveal the character of Bridget. There is then a crane shot which is also an establishing show of where her parents live. When Bridget is walking from the taxi to the house, there is a pan to follow her movement, and then a tilt to reveal the house that she is going to. When her mom answers the door, there is a shot over Bridget’s shoulder to give the audience her view. There is a shot when Bridget steps into the house from the top of the stairs, it is almost as if it is a point of view shot of a ‘fly on the wall’ type character. There is an extensive use of medium close ups through the scene to portray characters emotions and reactions to conversations. Another shot which is used a lot is the point of view of Bridget, this is so the audience can relate to her character even more, and so we feel included in the party atmosphere. When Bridget goes into the living room wearing the second outfit, there is a backwards track to slowly reveal the full length of what she has on. There is a two shot of Bridget and her Mom, when she first sees Mark; this is so the audience can see that they both like him. When Mark does turn around, it is done in slow motion to keep the audience captivated. It is also an intertextual reference to Pride and Prejudice. There is then a tilt down to reveal his reindeer sweater, which is also done from Bridget’s point of view, because she did what everyone in the audience would have done at that point. Bridget and Mark, when talking, are on separate sides of the screen to put distance in between them. Also, when they have a conversation, they are not in the same frame as each other to increase the detachment of the pair. When Bridget overhears Mark talking about her, there is a forward track and also a shift in focus to show how Bridget copes with the situation. As she walks away, there is a freeze frame, so that the audience capture her emotion at that moment. There is then a dissolve to an establishing shot of Bridget’s flat; this shows the passage of time. For the rest of the scene, there are only 2 more shots used – a medium shot and a wide shot. There were two locked off cameras that didn’t move for the sequence this is to mirror Bridget’s life. While she may be trying to move on, it isn’t going anywhere, and at the moment, she is always going to end up at the same place. Bridget is fading in and out to show how much time has gone by whilst she is still in the same place. It doesn’t just have to be one night, it could be a metaphor for her life played out in one scene. The fact that there is hardly any camera movement makes the scene more focused on Bridget. The medium shots in the scene show Bridget getting increasingly frustrated and emotional. As she bursts her arms open at the climax of the song, the shot jumps from medium to wide, as if she is pushing her life out, and pushing away people who are getting too involved in her life i.e. her mom. It could also be her opening up and accepting that it is time to make a change. At the end of the scene, she appears to be singing directly to the phone, showing that she wants someone else in her life.
In addition, throughout the scene in Bridget’s flat, the use of verbal codes is evident as the names of the actors appear on the screen. The credits look as if they have been hand written, which relates to the title and theme that runs through the film. The main three actors in the film are Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. All of these are recognisable making them box office draws. Renée Zellweger was known for her role in Jerry Maguire (1996) and Hugh Grant is known for doing a lot of romantic comedies like Four Wedding and a Funeral (1994) and Notting Hill (1999). Colin Firth played the role of Mr Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the film on which Helen Fielding based her novel. This will make him a recognisable character in the film.

Love Actually:

Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy that was written and directed by Richard Curtis. He is known for his work in romantic comedies e.g. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999) and Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001). As Love Actually is a British film, there are a lot of famous British actors that are recognisable in the opening sequence alone. These include – Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley and Kris Marshall.
One of the first things I noticed when watching Love Actually was that, with reference to the credits on screen, one word was red and the other was white. The red could be symbolic of the love/romantic theme in the film, and the white could connote innocence and truth. The red and white could also indicate the time of year being Christmas.
The first scene in the sequence is people in Heathrow airport greeting and hugging each other. There is a voice over talking about how love is all around. The airport is significant of people travelling to different countries, and this could also suggest love travelling between different people around the world. The camera shots are long, which makes the audience feel like they are in the airport with the characters. There is a range of different shots as well as long shots. There are pans to show how many people are around and how realistic the situation is. The slow motion editing makes the audience concentrate on exactly what’s happening. It could be considered as a point of view shot as we feel like we are there in the airport.
The scene then cuts from the airport to a recording studio, where there is man singing “Christmas is all Around”, this is an intertextual reference to the song Love is all Around from the popular romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The man who is singing the song is dressed in a very brightly coloured shirt and he looks out of place. He appears to be a middle aged rocker, and his shirt gives the impression of mid-life crisis. Also, we know that he must be quite well off as he is in the studio in the first place.
The audience are made aware by the mise-en-scene that the film is set near to Christmas. Firstly, and most obviously, because there is writing on the screen informing us that it is 5 weeks until Christmas. Also, there are people outside are ice skating. It is also an establishing shot of where the film is going to be set – London. This is clear because of the famous landmarks that are shown e.g. the London Eye.
The next scene in the sequence is between a Mother and her daughter. The young girl is talking about her school nativity play, which is typical around Christmas time. When she reveals that she is ‘first lobster’, there is a close up on the mom’s face to show her confusion.
Also in the opening sequence, there is a wedding going on, which is obviously linked in with the romantic theme of the film. There is a two shot of 2 men standing side by side. The camera zooms out to show that it is set in a grand church. When the bride walks in, she appears out of a bright light, showing that she is a light and innocent character. Also, the slow motion and shift in focus adds more impact to her introduction. The lighting in the scene, and throughout most of the opening is bright, and reflects the overall mood and tone of the film.
The final part of the opening sequence is the new Prime Minister being introduced the staff at 10 Downing Street. The main woman that is focused on in the scene is wearing smart clothes, as is the Prime Minister, and their outfits complement each other. It also indicates a higher social class. When they are talking, she embarrasses herself by swearing, and the audience are aware that she is nervous around him. There is an over the shoulder shot, and this shows how they are getting along with each other. As he walks away from her, he glances behind himself and looks at the woman again. This is to show his feelings and that he is still thinking about her.There are various stories that are going on at the same time as each other, although at this point, the audience don’t know how, or even if, the characters are connected.

ROMANTIC COMEDY - Codes & Conventions

Codes and Conventions

-Narrative: A romcom is a hybrid genre in which a romance story generally emerges and is presented in a comedic way. There is an archetypal formula that romcom’s follow in terms of narrative. The narrative that can be observed in a romcom has a typical three part structure. A boy and a girl will meet, and for some reason, they will be torn apart. Throughout the film, they will realise that they are meant to be together, and try and back to each other. In the resolution of the film, although it might not be a happy on, the characters will meet again and work out went wrong between them.

-Main Characters: The audience must be able to connect with, and relate to, the characters in a romantic comedy. They need to be likeable and down to earth, so that the audience support them.

-Cinderella Story: The two main characters in the film are likely to be of different social classes. This could be portrayed as one of the main things keeping them apart. One of the characters will be from a middle class background, as this makes them more relatable to the audience.

-True Love: Throughout the film, there will be an underlying theme of true love conquering all barriers that are encountered. Also at the centre of the plot, there is a theme of morals/life lessons being dealt with.

-Other Characters: The audience are usually introduced to the best friends, and maybe some family members, of the two main characters. Although they are there to offer their support, they are usually the main source of humour in the film. The audience can relate to the best friend in the film, and they would consider what they would do in that situation.

-Lighting: Majority of the film will have a happy tone/atmosphere, so the lighting will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed primarily to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes darker to mirror the tone, but this won’t happen very often.

-Soundtrack: Horror films tend to have a score, where music (e.g. orchestra) is used instead of songs. In romcom’s, there will only usually be songs used. The songs that are used in the film will usually be well known pop songs, so that the audience can recognise them easily. They must relate to the story being told in the film. The songs can even assist in the story-telling process.

-Resolution: Normally, the conclusion of a film will be happy, with the two main characters getting back together. However, it is getting increasingly popular to show the reality that sometimes, it doesn’t all work out exactly the way we want it to.

-Setting: Romantic comedies are usually set in a big, well-known city. The most common place to set a romcom is London. It is a place that, even if people haven’t been there, they can picture. In a place like London, there is always something going on, so it is easy to believe that the events in the film could happen.

-Time of year: Most romantic comedies will be set around Christmas time. At this time of year, families and friends gather together. Some romantic comedies are set around Valentine’s Day as well, for the same reason.