Dredd class presentation

This was the presentation we created and displayed to our media studies class. we analysed the different shot types used in the opening two minutes of the film Dredd directed by Pete Travis. we chose to analyse this particular opening for  a movie because we thought it flaunted a lot of fast paced action which immediately deciphered the genre of the film. additionally, we were able to analyse many different shot types which presented a variety of themes, characters and foreshadowed plots. *the presentation slides & narrative are blogged further down*

Although our presentation was effective and of a high grade, we could have made the presentation better by incorporating a comparison with another movie of similar or same categorized genre or even an opening of a completely different genre film, to use in contrast.
 an example of a film we could have used to contrast Dredd with would be the first film of the divergent series.

Displayed above, is the opening two minutes for the film divergent. it begins with an establishing shot very similar to the opening shot for Dredd with a large mass of derelict land separated by a wall...however this wall is not as simplistic as the concrete wall in dredd- it seems almost like a three dimensional electric fence. having this instead of a typical concrete wall hints there is more than what meets the eye and divergent possibly has a more confusing plot or enigma within its basis. Also, the non-diegetic sound in the background is very similar to that of dredd- however in Dredd we hear the diegetic sound of the wind through the land mass however in divergent we hear human made noises- almost like a faint humming as we pan up the wall. this is also an effective contrast as in our analysis for Dredd we saw close up shots and aerial shots being used to see over the wall empathizing its height however here we use panning as we travel almost up the wall which is too ,effective to show its authority and importance in the society divergent is set in.

having establishing and master shots showing the location of the setting for divergent is effective because the ideology of a city being engulfed by un used land is very atypical- so when we see this in the opening we automatically place both films into the futuristic and possibly dystopian categorization as  the opening of the film continues our protagonist states 'they built the wall to keep us safe' creating firstly- a dramatic and tenacious attitude to watching more of the film, and secondly it enables us to question whether the wall is really to protect or separate? to confine or contain?

In divergent, the opening differs with the setting of the film not reinforced by the narrative like in Dredd- instead simplistic titling of 'Chicago' tells us where the camera is panning into. Also. much like our opening for Dredd....there is many high angle and aerial shots looking down upon masses of abandoned buildings- even car parks just like we saw in Dredd. however- one of the main differences i found between both film openings was that in dredd, the only hint we receive of human life within the dwellings is a point of view shot through Dredds mask where even here, human faces are blurred hiding their identities and not allowing close up shots to view emotions or mid shots to frame body language...the characters in Dredd are not associated with their surroundings very much- the only time is when rioting is happening or disruptive activities however in divergent we see the immediate relation of human life with the degraded surroundings in ruins looking almost normal. for the audience this is a complete juxtaposition of objects...we wouldn't think that human life would thrive under such challenging conditions however everything we see in the beginning of divergent is positive- everyone is helping their community and doing their part in different 'factions' unlike in Dredd where an ultimate judge is needed to sort out the rebellious citizens of an un-organised city. 

mid shots used in divergent are often used to show people walking- this shows their productivity and movement- possibly movement forwards in advancements in technology and scientific research, advancements in population advancements in time.....the advance in science is reinforced when it links to an extreme close up of an eye looking through a microscope- suggesting that scientific research is being undertaken and once again- everyone is doing their part for society. the eye through the microscope would connote knowledge- and knowledge is power.

there are many tracking shots used from a medium angle to follow citizens of  the varied fractions and the camera continues,without cutting, to follow onto the next scene. this is effective because it links everyone together- in comparison to Dredd which doesn't link any human life with the surroundings. also, in divergent a two shot is used with two of the characters from the agricultural fraction. this is effective alongside the narrative which at that time states 'kindness and harmony' because it represents how people are working together, helping each other, there is a sense of complete positivity...however in dredd there are no two shots we only see Dredd alone- creating this idea that possibly he is fighting or standing up for what is right on his own, that maybe his side is the villainous side, that his judgement is questioned. 

one of the prominent links i analysed was the brief shot of a judge banging his gavel in the opening for divergent. this is because this was an extreme close up and very symbolic to the fraction that was filmed. the surroundings behind the shot of the gavel are white- connoting purity and goodness. the symbol for this fraction is even a pair of scales- connoting that judgement is fair, the odds are weighed up, everything goes accordingly to plan. in dramatic contrast- in judge dredd the mise en scene as well as the lighting is very dark. we know our main character judge dredd wants some kind of authority and rule- but from the dark surroundings and havoc in the city we guess that this power is not as pure or fair or abided by as the rules in Divergent.

one of the final shots in the opening for divergent is a tracking shot- tracking the runners from 'dantlas' as they sprint forwards. they are in clad, military style dark costume just like the mise en scene choices in dredd however these runners unlike dredd who stands alone are being followed by children, looked up to, respected...they don't need bulletproof armor like we see in the close up shots of dredd nor do they need specialist helmets...this indicates these youngsters are more pure, less disguised, less of an undisclosed enigma like dredd...less to hide from. we even see these members from dontlas being looked up upon from a low angle shot, empathize their power as they climb up towering buildings in contrast to Dredd who hasn't yet associated with the outside world and its ginormous buildings. 

in the opening for divergent, we don't receive any indication of a fatal flaw in society until the end where the narrative voice states she doesn't know where she belongs...however in Dredd we are reminded of negativity and flaws in society the entire way through the opening two minutes. This suggests that although full-packed action thriller Dredd may be a typical action movie of cyclic plot twists and occurrences....sometimes things that are hidden or undisclosed under the surface create more of an enigma for the audience, and more tension to see a film like divergent when we are completely left in the dark about what the problem with society.

analysis of openeing two minuites of an action movie-class presentation-DREDD

Shot analysis of DREDD

IMDB rated DREDD 7 stars & described it as: ‘In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality altering drug’

Establishing shots almost construct the foundations for a new or beginning scene. They are designed specifically to show the audience where the action is going to take place. In terms of the opening two minutes for Dredd, the location is heavily emphasised to the audience...this is primarily due to the repetitiveness of shots showing the location.

The film begins with an initial master shot of a large derelict land mass. The wind whistles through this neglected land as a diegetic sound, however non diegetic sound-being the narrative and infrequent drum strokes-over powers the noise of the wind. The narrative that plays alongside the scene informs the audience that the location of the establishing scene is the USA, with this indication we can assume that this is a dystopian futuristic representation of the USA however without this indication; the audience would be left puzzled about what the master shot even shows.

The towering buildings almost look lost in their own location. They seem alienated in contrast to the surroundings and almost look like an elongated Stonehenge…this would connote that the buildings are old, almost historical which we see holds truth as the camera pans in and we have more establishing shots as we see car parks abandoned and old and buildings looking tiered and historical in comparison to more modern buildings with un-identified aircraft soaring along beside them. Being the same level as this modern aircraft makes us as the audience feel almost powerful and helps us to follow one of the key characters who holds a strong vital role in this new American society.

Because there are no characters included in these establishing shots, it hints to us that something corrupt or very bad has happened to any prior characters. Also, because our key character-Dredd is not placed in these surroundings or associated with them as we only see him in a dark room during the opening two minutes the audience assume he is possibly hiding or is cautious about how he associates with the outside world. the lighting used in these establishing shots almost shadows the buildings so it is made to look like everything going on in the American city is almost trapped in the shadows, or that a dark age has arisen. The bright light from behind the buildings however foreshadows that there may be a positive outcome in the end. The camera angle seems to alter so that this bright light continually remains central to the screen, possibly indicating its importance.

They have used this aerial shot to possibly suggest the power that one of the characters have over everyone else. The fact that the shot is overlooking a wall suggests the idea of separation or alternatively protection. Typically when you see an aerial shot it is like a bird’s eye view, and/or someone is looking directly down, whereas in this shot it is showing the sight from behind a wall. Although it isn’t showing a whole landscape, which is also what an aerial shot commonly does, this shot gives us an insight as to what the setting is like. Though the buildings may be tall, this shot tells us otherwise as the aerial shot is partially towering over them making them seem like degraded objects.

 we thought these shots were very prominent and original to use for the opening two minutes because the shots combine high angle shots as well as computer generated imagery so that it looked like we were seeing through the computer generated first person view of ‘Dredd’.  Therefore, what we were actually seeing was a point of view shot.

The settings we see through Dredd’s point of view look almost distorted and uninhabited…the way we view these shots in a very fast paced manner in comparison to if the shot was filmed using tracking or panning to the right or left or using a pedestal or mechanism to keep the camera still makes these shots appear very fast paced and almost rushed. The fast appearance of the shots fits the action genre of the film because typically action films are fast paced with lots of continual cyclic action happening to keep viewers engrossed. Also, these swift camera movements make Dredd- who’s point of view it is- appear to be travelling very fast…this is empathised that maybe he is possibly flying or above the towering buildings as it is from a high angle shot.

This point of view technique through Dredd’s mechanical mask makes the audience able to relate to Dredd and as well as this they feel more involved in the film...especially when this would have been shown in cinemas in 3D. Similar techniques are used for films like Iron man where we often get to see through iron man’s mask from his point of view to reinforce his height, prominence and ability. This makes the heroic persona he adopts stand out more. Additionally, the camera shot often slants towards a cantered angle; this possibly shows uneasiness or a change of direction in the scene.

 in these extreme close ups we suggested that the light behind could possibly connote that Dredd is almost like a saviour, and this glow is like a halo…however we know from the actual context of the film that this idea is completely juxtaposed as Dredd is brutal. However, in a religious perspective- Christians for example would describe god as the ‘ultimate judge’ the position that Dredd has in this film. The dark and light heavy contrast with the glow and the shadowing could almost create an idea of heaven and hell in contrast.

 these medium shots enable the audience to see one of the most revealing shots of Dredd as in all the other shots only extreme close ups are used to make his presence feel almost secretive as if he is the undisclosed enigma of the film.

When we finally see him captured in a medium shot even now he is still in full costume-completely covered up. Mid shots are often used to show body language which we see as Dredd finishes his preparations and steps out into his devastated city with an almost slow yet prominent pace. Mid shots also establish importance and power- and we see Dredd associated with his dark, shadowy surroundings looking powerful and his outerwear empathising this power with black, thick almost military costume and large boots. This particular choice of costume relates heavily to the importance of the mise-en-scene in the opening two minutes of the film because his costume choice ensures that his true identity is not revealed-building up an engrossing and enticing attitude to the film.

‘Dredd’ is also filmed with a level angle; however the shot is still very dark and un-revealing possibly connoting a kind of mysterious plot. The mid shot used in the film allows us to view Dredd from a frontal and back medium view- so the audience are given 360 degree view of their main film character in just the first two minutes-even though he has no dialogue and not one of the close ups features any of his emotions or facial features. Having no close ups or even extreme close ups of Dredd’s face makes him seem almost emotionless as we do not get any indication of his feelings or personality. This makes it harder for the audience to relate and through the shot types alone the audience would begin to presume Dredd could possibly be brutal and ruthless towards society- as he often turns his back to the camera, is in the dark and has no emotion exhibited…this completely relates to the context of the film and ‘judge Dredd’ because Dredd’s position is meant to be judgemental and in some cases severe…however this can be a very controversial point in the film because his judgement is often questionable.

Low angle shots often look up upon key things or people. The opening two minutes of Dredd has very few and limited low angle shots possibly because there is little in this dystopian society to look up upon. The majority of shots in the opening sequence are actually looking down upon abandoned buildings and chaos. The final part of the scene we analysed where there was a low angle shot looked up upon an illuminated eagle logo. This eagle presence possibly connotes power and flight- linking to the almost flying pace that Dredd has in the beginning…this enables the start of the opening scene and the end of the opening scene to sustain a strong relationship. Also- the shot type almost creates a resounding order over society with its height and the natural lighting as well as the illuminated neon lighting…this is one of the lightest parts of the opening two minutes-possibly representing it as one of the most positive aspects of society. 

main film genres

ACTION:
films categorized under the genre 'action' tend to commonly include huge financial backing and   big-budget stunts along with technological computer generated imagery (CGI). Action films commonly also maintain typical conventions such as physical stunts,chases, and rescue from difficult physically and mentally challenging dilemmas. Battles ,fights and ideas of escapism and non stop motion often permeate action films. conventions of action films also consider the spectacular rhythm and pacing of the story line and the characters in action films that revolve around this story line are often two dimensional 'good guy' heroes or heroines battling the bad guys. the main purpose of this genre, relating back to its conventions, is for audience escapism. Examples of action films consist of the James bond series,

similarly to action films -Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locations. Action and adventure pair very effectively together. adventure films, as hinted in the title often include a search or adventure to find something that's 'lost' this often includes searching for lost continents, jungles, treasure or even the unknown. films such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic park would be considered as adventure. searches or expeditions for lost continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.


COMEDY:
Comedies earn their title from their comedic nature and light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter. Typical comedies contain jokes, puns, one liners and deliberate pranks or clumsy stunts. In addition many comedies actually star famous comedians, having famous comedians flaunted on posters and comedy films is a USP (unique selling point) so for films that star the likes of Kevin Hart or Ricky Gervais, if that audience have seen their stand up-they are likely to watch films they star in. comedies typically also exaggerate situations, language, relationships,language and action making dilemmas seem worse of funnier than they are. The sub categories of comedy include slapstick, Rom coms (romantic comedies) black comedy and spoofs/ paradoys. examples of comedies are those like dumb and dumber, get hard, step brothers and i give it a year.

CRIME &GANGSTER:
Crime& gangster orientated films primarily follow the path of criminals, groups/gangs or criminals or a prominent even mysterious sinister action. Often crime thrillers and gangster films have a predominant focus of money-whether this is in the form of bank robbery, themes of ransom or even just the general theme of payment and debt.  film noir or detective mystery films are two alternative genre classifications for crime and gangster films. serial killer and murder films are also classified under the title of crime and gangster. Typical mise-en-scene of crime and gangster films have costume that revolves around the idea of formality and gangster wear- like black glasses and a black suit and tie. Also, may crime films actually covert to the usual stereotype of criminals being obvious robbers and evil people- in fact usually the real villains or 'baddies' are actually unexpected, plot twisting subtle characters. 
examples of crime and gangster films are films like Good fellas, legend, the gangster and casino.

DRAMA:
Dramatized films have a plot that is frequently portrayed to be realistic, with relatable and realistic characters, settings and life situations and dilemmas. the context of dramatized films often actually hold some form of realistic non fictional truth. drams often have intense character development and interaction, with a limited cast so the audience can relate and get to know the characters in a more understanding way. usually, dramas are not concerned with special effects,CGI or comedy...they just obtain key aspects like having exceptional acting and very realistic plots. Dramas can also be specially made in response to key news or recent events to almost illustrate an occurrence in a visual way...these types of dramas often feature on TV. Drama is probably one of the largest film genres and there are many sub-genres under the same category such as historical dramas and epics, Biopics (which are dramatized biographical films) and romantic dramas.  examples of drama films would be Forrest Gump, schindlers list, the Godfather and the changeling.


HORROR:
Horror films have a primary purpose to frighten or invoke hidden or fearful subjects from an audience. This alone makes horror movies one of the most interactive film genres as they often don't depend on a creative or ingenious plot or story line- its more about how they will scare their audience. A typical feature of horror movies are their often shocking finale scenes, where often, we realize that the whole cast almost-is dead.  horror movies for an audience are described to be a  'cathartic experience'...horror movie producers intend to use jump scares, relatable topics, everyday life idea of routine with added often gruesome and terrifying implications. There are a huge variety of horror film sub-categories...from horror films that use CGI to create un-thinkable monsters, horror movies on low budgets and horror movies that use gore, and horror movies that are simply disturbingly relatable to something that 'could' be real. They are often combined with sci-fi films when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. examples of horror movies would be the exorcist, Ouija, psycho and a nightmare on elm street.

SCIENCE FICTION:
science fiction films- also known as sci-fi always tend to have a scientific basis-hence the name....whether this is a futuristic invention type of science or alienated science. sci-fis are visionary and imaginative and adopt the key aspects of adjacent movie genres like heroes, impossible quests and villains however sci fi films are famous for their improbable settings,futuristic forces and technology and monstrous opposition. Science fiction films heavily relate to fantasy films and share many of the key features of action and adventure films however they use more special effects, CGI and basis in the future whether it is dystopian or simply modernized.