Production Log Two

What have you learnt about social realist codes and conventions in relation to audience?

This week what I have learned about social realist codes and conventions are I learnt them through watching a lot of social realist films. And analysing them in detail looking specifically at themes, mise-en-scene, camerawork and editing, sound, recurring characters etc. By looking at a range of films and analysing films focusing on these things allows you to pick up specifically what the codes and conventions are and what makes up a social realist film. Some of the things I have learnt is that every is kept as simple as possible, when it comes to camera work and editing your defiantly not going to find any CGI in there and there will most likely be no special effects, you will mostly see cuts and a few fades depending on the scene, camera work is kept simple with recurring shots of mid/close and long shots used often and loads of pans and tracks. When it comes to themes they normally use hard hitting stuff which really gets to the audience and they don't soften it up at all, they try to keep as true to the theme as possible. Some of the themes that come up the most are dysfunctional family's, petty crime, drugs& alcohol, rowdy teenagers, gangs etc. I have also learnt what makes up social realist films and what are the basics to have in them and how they are portrayed to us. Also that when it comes to filming they usually film in local locations to wherever the film is set because it adds authenticity to it. When it comes to the films and the audience I have discovered that usually they keep the opening sequence quite interesting without giving away too much information automatically engaging the audience without them not even knowing because it makes them think why is this happening, because the audience which watches these types of films are not a passive audience and like to think. 

How will this inform your production/Will you conform to conventions or subvert them?

This will inform it by me taking into account everything I need to include, I will take the structure of the good opening sequences that I have seen and make my own similar using the same format. By doing this I'm ensuring that my opening sequence is eye catching but not giving away too much. I will also make sure I don't make it into something like a trailer and stay away from the conventions of one so it doesn't give the wrong impression. 

What texts did you find particularly influential and why?

A film I found very influential was London to Brighton, we watched the opening sequence to it in Mr Phillipsons lesson and it really caught my attention. The opening Sequence was action packed and full of drama yet it didn't reveal to much, it immediately had me wondering and wanting to know what happens next. It caught my attention so much I decided to watch the full film and it was amazing, such an interesting story line full of twists and very well edited together.  The story was very engaging right from the beginning it was filmed quite clean with no shaky camera and that helped give it a more professional look to it and I also think this is what made the film for enjoyable for me to watch because it had a more professional look to it and you could tell everything was well thought out. At the end of watching the film, I was very pleased with what I watched because the film really had me tied in throughout.