Continuity Test

The continuity task is one being undertaken by everyone on the year 12 media course, it involves filming someone walk through a door sitting down and having a conversation with themselves or another person/people. The final production had to be fluent and exhibit, The Line Rule and The Rule of Thirds, whilst also being coherent and stylish. This was a perfect opportunity to mess around with the cameras to gain a basic understanding of how they work, their limits and what to expect from them in connection with our thriller filming.

Our continuity task is shown below:



I hope you enjoyed it!

Intitial Plan of Perfume Advert

Initially i had decided on a very noir, sexy, Gothic theme to my perfume advert as i have found that they tend to be very over the top and are always full of nudity. I had a basic plan of how my advert was going to look. Here is a rough sketch with annotations:

Update: Due to the fact that I will not be able to find a model for this sort of naked shot and one that will fit the bill, and also partly because the technology we will be using to take the photo will not be of the highest quality and the light will not be right for the light and dark shadows on the skin. on top of this the programme to be used for editing, 'Photoshop Elements 2.0', does not have a high enough quality to enable me to obtain a flawless shaded skin tone without spending an overly large amount of time on this project. Instead i am going for something with more red in it and a close up shot instead of an extreme close shot so the skin tone does not need to be changed too much.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is almost always used in films and when it isnt it is designed to unsettle the audience or add confusion. The Rule of Thirds involves the positioning of people and objects in the shot, which can affect the signiuficance or meaning of the scene and by undoing the rule of thirds you make the audience feel uneasy. Here are a few examples of the rule of thirds in different films:

This shot from 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Rob Marshall is an excellent representation of the Rule of Thirds. Her white face contained in the middle of the frame and her black hair in the outside thirds keeps the focus on her face and shows how pale and beautiful she is.

Here is another shot just like the last where the most important character is encapsulated in the middle section of the shot like in this shot from the film 'Jackie Brown' by Quentin Tarantino this draws the audiences attention towards the main character and keeps the audience enthralled.

The shot from 'The Green Mile' by Frank Darabont is a perfect example of how the rule of thirds is used to emphasise a point or theme, in this shot the character John Coffey played by Michael Clarke Duncan is shown as the huge powerful man he is towering over the other two, however his weakness is also shown by the fact that he is being held prisoner and how there are two men on either side of him cornering him. Another example of this is the shot from 'Memoirs of a Geisha' showing all three main character each within a third representing the middle character as stuck in the middle and in between the two, also this shot frames the three characters perfectly.

The picture above taken from 'Resevoir Dogs' by Quentin Tarantino is a more interesting version of the shots above as it is a worms eye view which leaves the audience wondering who is looking up at the three men adding mystery and intrigue.

This shot from 'Millers Crossing' by the Coen Brothers shows two characters both standing on the lines of the thirds making this shot balanced and at ease which reflects the time in the film which is at the end where they are civil again and comfortable as all the danger has passed.

This shot also from 'Resevoir Dogs' is really interesting because the man standing is on the line of the third and then the man lying down is over the last two thirds with the two guns crossing over and held in the middle third which grabs the audiences attention to the significance of this shot.

I absolutely love this shot from 'Pulp Fiction' by Quentin Tarantino because Samuel. L. Jackson and John Tavolta are in the middle and right thirds with the guns pointing out of the screen in the left third, this adds a touch of mystery and intrigue as we do not know who they are about to shoot, and also unbalances the frame having the effect of making the audience uneasy and tense.
This is also another of my favorite shots from one of my favourite films 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Jonathan Demme, exhibits the rule of thirds perfectly with the bars in the foreground and Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) perfectly in the middle thirds this layout draws the audiences eye in from the outside of the screen down the bar lines and to his creepy, sinister face.
Talking of his sinister, scary face, in close-up shots the rule of thirds does not need to be applied or noticed as the full attention of the audience is on the characters and their emotions especially in this scene because the face mask makes him look even more intriguing and menacing.

Finally during the film this shot is used whilst the credits are rolling as she is walking down a long corridor and having her on the edge of the scene in the last third lets us follow her journey as we can see a little bit ahead of her and where she is about to tread.

My Finished Perfume Advert

The original photo that i used for my perfume advert, has been modified greatly to perfect my advert. Obviously my advert is not up to a real commercial standard because we have neither the technology nor the time. However i believe i have managed to make it look quite effective although i had to change a few of my ideas and had trouble thinking of a new name that would fit as my picture was not very 'Noir'.

This is my finished perfume advert I have tried to stick with the thriller theme of the femme fatale with the red dress, red lips and a little bit of mystery made by the rest of the image being in black and white. However i have made a few changes because I wanted more red in my advert to represent the passion in the name 'Noir Passion'. This is why I put a rose in and also because i wanted a more feminine feel to appeal to a wider female audience.

I also changed the name as before i had planned to call it Noir Passion however the picture has turned out more cheeky than dark and a little majestic with the rose being brandished like a wand. this is why i have called it 'Seductive spirit' with the red representing the passion in seduction and the spirit because its slightly magical with the wand/rose pointing at the perfume bottle. I had a little trouble in the fact that i had to turn the white background dark black and on doing it i realised the outline of the hair was too blocky and jagged, it was because of this that i had to do a lot of editing using the blur and smudge tool, although i had trouble with this i have pulled it off and the hair looks natural.

However even though i have made all these changes i still believe my advert appeals to the same target audience. because it is quite respectable and formal, however it is not very provocative so will not appeal so much to a teenage audience but will appeal to the older female audience.

My Own Perfume Advert

Sketch of ideas for my perfume advert
The advert is dominated by the colours black red and white for a dramatic effect. It will be mainly gray scale but with one thing outlined in red perhaps a rose or dress and the bottle will also be red to make it stand out I have not yet decided what colour the writing will be as I have not yet taken the photo so red writing might stand out more than white or white might be better or even black writing. I have decided to call my perfume ‘noir Passion’. my idea follows along the lines of the thriller style with a 'femme fatale' in a red dress and the chiaroscuro lighting leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue which i hope will be reflected in the audiences perception of my perfume.

Audience
This advert will appeal predominantly to teenagers with its rebellious dark feel. This advert is also going to be very stylised to appeal to a slightly older late teen audience to try and promote the idea that this perfume is grown up and attractive using only red black and white which gives the impression of heat, love, and passion. On the demographic I think it will appeal mainly to people who fit into the C2, D and E category and perhaps C1’s, because even though the advert is not as respectable as Chanel’s advert for example look down, it is still not very trashy, but is respectable.

Audience profile

The advert looks quite Gothic and dark so it will appeal to people who like scary movies and listen to rock, punk and heavy metal. I have taken my inspiration from the advert for the scary movie uncannily called ‘Perfume’.
This is because its very Gothic but is brought to life with the flower petals that makes it feel more 'girly' and pretty!

Perfume Advert Analysis

Mariah Carey Perfume Advert

This advert consists of a picture of Mariah Carey lying naked in water so you can only see a middle shot of her. Looking at the audience, under a pretty sunset that is mirrored in the water making it look like it goes on forever.
The use of calm colours like pink, purple, yellow and orange in mellow tones promotes the feeling of serenity and heavenly scents the perfume will bring. The image superimposed on the sunset/cloud background also denotes the sense of heaven, giving the impression that if you buy this perfume you will smell heavenly and sexy.
The water at the bottom of the picture that she is lying in is acting as a mirror and reflecting the pretty sunset suggesting that her perfume is eternal and will never go out of fashion and lasts forever. It also suggests that wearing it makes you feel on top of the world as if you are flying.
The medium shot gets in all her curves making the picture sex and by cutting out her legs which would be under the water at the bottom of the picture crops out the unnecessary so the picture is to the point, and alluring drawing your eye to her flawless skin. Her body looks like you would imagine an angels to look like as its flawless and much airbrushed, implying that if you wear her perfume people will think you smell like an angel. On top of this she is looking straight at the audience, using a direct mode of address, trying to get across to the viewers that if you want to be sexy and heavenly like her you should buy her perfume.
The Typography used in this advert is curly and pretty personifying the upper class as in the 18th century that would have been exactly how upper class women would have written. This is trying to appeal to a wider range of people and as it almost looks like handwriting the advert is trying to be more personal and intimate.
The text at the bottom says ‘An ethereal presence captivating like a song’, which sounds quite corny but gets across that she is a singer and also making the perfume seem more heavenly because it says it is ethereal which means either, above the clouds or extremely delicate. The latter of which could mean that the perfume’s smell is very delicate which makes it sound very feminine, this makes it appeal to a feminine audience instead of a butcher one.
The bottle of perfume at the very bottom of the advert is very small in comparison to the rest which could reflect how delicate it is. In addition to this it is the brightest purple in the picture making it stand out in the reflection of the sunset. Furthermore it looks like the bottle has wings and could be flying angle like through the clouds which goes along with the theme of being heavenly.
Overall this advert is trying to get across how heavenly gorgeous Mariah Carey’s perfume is, and that if you want to be like her, with her flawless (airbrushed) body like an angel, you should buy her perfume. This advert appeals to a quite wide audience as it targets women but amongst that it targets her fans, the upper class woman with the typography and feminine feel, on top of that it also targets men buying presents for their girlfriends, wives etc as they are attracted by the sexual picture on the advert.

Davidoff Perfume Advert

This advert consists of a celebrity actor called Josh Holloway whose head and neck take up the majority of the picture but behind him is a slice of very blue sea. His hair is wet and beads of water are running down his skin as if he has just been in the sea. Right at the bottom of the advert is a bottle of the perfume in the colour blue.
The slogan written in the bottom of the advert reads ‘The power of cool’ this suggests that the perfume is for or makes men seem strong and powerful like the six-packed celebrity endorsing this product. It can also be interpreted in different ways, for example cool could mean fashionable and it could also mean that the perfume smells cool instead of hot/spicy. However the slogan does reflect the whole theme of this advert, which is that this perfume is fashionable and cool.
The most predominant colour in this advert is blue as his eyes are deep blue as is the sea and the perfume bottle this denotes that the perfume is crisp and fresh. As well as being natural and attractive, just like the man in the picture. The company has specifically picked this celebrity to promote their perfume as he is sexy and his eyes are blue and he interacts with the audience when as he is looking straight at them (direct mode of address) with the colour blue mirrored in his eyes telling them that he is gorgeous and he wears this perfume and so should they.
This picture is a close up and reveals little about the location but from the blue water and the light on his face we can guess that it is an exotic foreign country which makes the perfume seem even more sexy and enticing. On top of this because it seems like a hot country he is in the water which is cool to cool him off, in so doing reflecting the ‘cool’ theme.
Josh Holloway in this advert is quite rugged with stubble and quite long wet hair straggled across his face makes him seem wild and exciting as it is almost breaking the rule for a celebrity to be different, because he seems this way that is reflected in the image of the perfume so as well as being cool, sexy, and attractive it is also wild, exotic and slightly rebellious.
The text on this advert is in many different styles for example in the top, right corner it says the company ‘Davidoff’ in capital bold crisp lettering, making it stand out and make the audience remember it, also as it is a very famous brand it is in bold to make people think ‘o it Davidoff, it must be good!’. Underneath this it says the name of the perfume which is called ‘Cool Water’ which explains the sea and the theme of water and the colour blue. This perfume name is written in a flowing style with masculine curls making the perfume appeal to lots of different audiences. In small writing under the perfume name it reads ‘featuring Josh Holloway’, this makes sure that you know the man is a celebrity and that if this aftershave is good enough for him it is must be good. Also it tells the audience that if they want to be like him they should wear this aftershave. Another line of text along the bottom saying ‘the power of cool’ is written in big bold letters as this is the after shaves slogan and the important selling point.
Overall this advert is trying to push the idea that the new Davidoff perfume is extremely cool and sexy using a celebrity to promote and sell it, in the hope that he will confirm the point that their aftershave is the coolest on the market.

Shot Editing

Cropping shots is used to perfect the image that you are using and to cut out all the parts you do not want, or to make the image make the reader think or see what they want in the image.
For example:

What does this picture make you think? To me i can see a vulnerable unhappy/serious child who perhaps lives in poverty as it is black and white (greyscale) which makes it seem bleak. The editing on this plays on Stereotypes of African children starving and poor, as this image is always rammed down our throats from charities and the television.

This is the image before i edited it. this image shows a child soldier who is holding a large gun and so seems not very vulnerable however he does look serious but that may be his predicament of continual fighting.

Adjusting images through colour or size etc is also a very useful tool often used to air brush people in adverts and can give a picture a totally different feel.

For example:

Here is the original image, which looks like a scene out of a thriller film with the enclosed claustrophobic space and the mysterious man's silhouette.

Turning the picture greyscale gives it a sinister, 'echo-y' feeling that makes it seem even more mysterious and scary. Also the chiroscuro lighting makes this scene mysterious and a little frightening.

This transformation of the image makes it seem as if the audience is dizzy or has just woken up or been crying. It also adds extra intrigue and mystery as you do not know why the image is blurry and you cannot see the definite outline of the man.

Types of Shots

Extreme long shot, this is used to set the scene and the use of corridors with this shot (often used in thrillers) gives a sense of claustrophobia, and mystery as you cannot always tell who is at the end of the tunnel/corridor/shot.

Long shot is the cused to view the entirety of character and can be used to determine what type of person or mood they are. On top of this it also shows you the scene.

Medium Shot is used to get up close and personal with the character.

Close-up, this type of shot is used to focus on one characters emotions and thoughts.

Extreme Close-up's, are used to show where the character is looking and perhaps to build the tension if you do not know who the character is and as you can only see a part of their face (often their eyes) it can unnerve the audience.
Bird's eye view, used to get the whole picture, often used in the credits/titles to distance yourself from the subject or to make what you are looking down on seem unimportant or small.
Worms eye view, this makes the subject (Boy) seem larger than life or makes you feel small.

Over-the-Shoulder shot, used often in thriller movies when characters are having a private/important conversation to make them seem sheltered. Also it's used when you dont need to see the speaker but you can hear them and see the reactions of the other person, e.g Pulp Fiction when Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) is talking to Butch (Bruce Willis).

High angle shot, makes the subject look small and vulnerable.

Low angle shot, this makes the subject seem larger than life and adds a sense of importance to the subject of the shot.