Wednesday 6th May 2020
L/O : To explore the use of setting & colour in films.
Setting:
Why might a writer choose the following settings?
- An isolated house in a rural setting for a horror film
It makes suspense and shows how the character will be lonely, making it more scary
- A big city for an action film
Because there will be more stuff going on and it makes it more lively
- A small seaside town for a romantic comedy
It makes it more personal and there isn't as much going on to make it more relaxed
- A range of different countries for an action adventure film
To show the adventure within the film and there will be different things happening in each place to give it more interesting parts
- A large modern science laboratory for a science-fiction film
Because it matches with the genre and gives them more space to do things about science.
Colour:
Why might a director choose the following colours?
Think about colour connotations and associations.
- Blue and red for a new superhero costume
They might choose blue and red because they have both been associated with the different 'sides' of villains and superheros and red is used to show danger, maybe saying how the superhero would only be there to help in danger. Blue has connotations of trust, which is important for a superhero to be trusted by people to help them.
- A black suit for a villain
They might choose black for a villain because it would be dark compared to the superhero's costume and brightness is closer to happiness and safety compared to dark colours. Black has connotations of fear and the unknown, which is normally also related to villains.
- Bright colours for a comedy film
They would choose bright colours for a comedy film because brightness is quite happy and joyful compared to the darker colours maybe used in a horror film.
Setting & Colour:
Answer the following questions about your chosen film
1) Where does the action take place?
It takes place at Hogwarts (a school) and also the Gringotts bank which are both very big.
2) Why do you think the story is set in that particular place?
Because they are both large areas and it relates to the films before.
3) When and how does the setting change?
The setting changes when people start to be in danger and it changes by the main characters realising that someone might get hurt in a particular place.
4) How does the setting affect the characters and the way they behave?
They get more on edge and prepared to fight and protect themselves from what might happen.
5) How could you tell where the story was taking place?
Because there were shots of the setting itself and an explanation in the narrative itself.
6) Could the same story have happened in a different place? Why?
I don't think it could have because the settings lead on from other films and the narrative also explains where they were going and why so it wouldn't have made sense if the characters went somewhere different.
7) Why do you think certain colours are used?
I think certain colours are used to make the film seem dark and more mysterious for some points because it would fit with the narrative.
8) Are any colours associated with particular characters? Why do you think this is?
All the characters have similar colours depending on how they were feeling or their mood. I think this is to make the person watching feel what the characters were feeling easier.
9) How important do you think the colours are in the film?
I think they are quite important so that the audience knows how the characters are feeling and their mood as the story goes on.
10) What would the film have been like in black or white or in just one colour?
I think it would have been very different and wouldn't have worked as well because it needs the colour to help show what is happening and the importance of the scenes.
Explain and describe what settings and any specific colour choices you would to film the following film:
A science fiction film set 1000 years in the future. The main characters are a team of scientists who are struggling to find a cute for a deadly virus that is threatening to wipe out their world. The virus has been developed and released by another scientist who used to work with them but was sacked when they discovered he was testing his discoveries on innocent people.
I think that the colours would be quite dark to represent the theme of the film. I would set it in a science to lab to match the genre and to give them more resources to film it accurately.
Plenary:
Why do you think these settings and colours were used in the following shots?
I think these settings and colours were used in the following shots to show the light maybe being more powerful compared to the dark. They also just used the setting so it has space to have an action scene & a place the viewers would maybe recognise.
I think the colouring in this was made to be dark because it's mysterious and you wouldn't know what is going to happen next and it creates suspense. The setting is used to be busy so you can see the action that will happen but also to have a lot going on in the scene.
