Unit 10: Film Production Fiction

Learning Aim A Understand

codes and conventions of
fictional film production
Jack Stevens
Film one: Forrest Gump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-MCPa_3rU&index=3&list=PL8484CEBA4AF0F209
Film one introduction: Forrest Gump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-MCPa_3rU&index=3&list=PL8484CEBA4AF0F209

Tom Hanks plays the loveable idiot Forrest Gump in the Comedy-
drama/Drama/Romantic which Forest Gump . Despite his sub-normal IQ,
Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most
memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without
trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star,
meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honour in Vietnam, meets Lyndon
Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs
out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis,
meets Richard Nixon and discovers the break-in at the Watergate. Forest
Gump is an all time classic directed by Robert Zemeckis an American
filmmaker and screenwriter who worked on greats such as; Back to the
Future film trilogy, animated comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit and
obviously the great Forrest Gump for which he won an Academy Award for
Best Director and the film itself won Best Picture.
The film had a budget of $55 million and made a gross of $330,252,182 in
the opening weekend in the UK the film made 11,302,303. Paramount
Pictures released the 142 minute film on the 7th October 1994. Forest Gump
is a single film and isnt part of a franchise, the films target audience was
very wide and as the film was only a 12 rating the market segmentation
could be low however the films main viewers where 18-29 year olds and
both genders where targeted.
Film one extract (description, narrative, analyse):
Forrest Gump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-MCPa_3rU&index=3&list=PL8484CEBA4AF0F209

This scene from Forrest Gump is one of the most famous scenes in cinema history and it has the
memorable quote Run, Forrest, run. In the scene Forrest and Jenny are walking back from school
when three bullies turn up on bikes and start throwing rocks and Forrest. Forrest just stands there in
shock but then Jenny tells Forrest to scram, that is where the origin of Run, Forrest, run comes from.
The three bullies chase Forrest down on their bikes and while Forrest cant bend his legs because
they are in frames he still runs, but then miraculous he breaks free from them and sprints off. Leaving
the bullies behind and finds his new love of running.
The narrative is told through action and minimum dialogue. Michael Humphreys (young Forrest)
doesnt actually say anything in this 3 minute scene. Tom Hanks does an small bit of narration. Now
you wouldnt believe me if I told you but I could run like the wind blows, from that day if I was going
somewhere I was running! The shot cuts to him sitting on the famous bench and then back to the
story he is telling. The three bullies have the most dialogue in the scene, however they dont say
anything to important of the film. Are you dumb or just plan stupid. Jenny obviously says her
famous line Run, Forrest, run. The scene finish's on the line That boy is a sure running fool which is
a good comedy line to end on. This scene has a closed structure, we all know Forrest got a way from
the bullies and that the story has an positive ending because of the way Forrest is reciting it. The
setting of this scene is important the main part of the scene is set in a small town in North Carolina
the famous bench is in Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia.
The film is a non-linear structure because he is narrating his past life and then we are shown clips
from his memories. It is also I single strand narrative because even though he is telling a lot of stories,
hes only telling them once at a time. It can actually be seen as a realist narrative however it is
unrealistic on how many events Mr Forrest has been to.
 Characterisation in Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) - Though at an early age he is deemed to have a below average IQ of 75, he has
an endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties, character traits which bring him
into many life-changing situations. Along the way, he encounters many historical figures and events
throughout his life.
Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) - Forrest's childhood friend whom he immediately falls in love with and never stops
loving throughout his life. A victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of her bitterly widowed father, Jenny
embarks on a different path than Forrest, leading a self-destructive life and becoming part of the hippie
movement in the 1960s and the 1970s/1980s drug culture. She re-enters Forrest's life at various times in
adulthood. Jenny eventually becomes a waitress in Savannah, Georgia, where she lives in an apartment with
her (and Forrest's) son, Forrest Jr.
Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue (Mykelti Williamson) - Bubba is Forrest's friend whom he meets upon joining the
Army. Bubba was originally supposed to be the senior partner in the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, but due
to his death in Vietnam, their platoon leader, Dan Taylor, took his place. The company posthumously carried
his name. Forrest and Dan later gave Bubba's mother Bubba's share of the business.
Lt. Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) - Forrest and Bubba Blue's platoon leader during the Vietnam War, whose
ancestors have died in every American war and regards it as his destiny to do the same. After losing his legs in
an ambush and being rescued against his will by Forrest, he is initially bitter and antagonistic towards Forrest
for leaving him a "cripple" and denying him his family's destiny, falling into a deep depression. He later serves
as Forrest's first mate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, gives most of the orders, and regains his will to live.
 MES in Forrest Gump
Setting
Whenever Forrest isn't traveling around the world (China, Vietnam, New York
City, Washington, D.C.) and participating in huge historical moments (war
protests, the Vietnam War, desegregation), he lives in his hometown of
Greenbow, Alabama.
Costume
Forrest was a man of many things but one thing that stuck with him was
running. You can actually find his running costume in costume shops! His
white suit is also availed to buy. All the costumes in the film are 90s looking.
Lighting
Most of the lighting in the film was high key lighting.
Props
There arent many props in the film that take importance to the film.
 Narrative Theories
Levi- Strauss
A binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are the opposite in meaning. Levi
found out that narratives are arranged around the conflict of binary opposites.
Todorovs theory
Todorov thought of a theory which he believed was applicable to all films. He believed that all films
follow the same narrative pattern going through 5 stages. These are the Equilibrium, disequilibrium,
acknowledgement, solving and again the equilibrium.
Equilibrium Everything is normally
Disruption The death of Bubba
Realization Forrest, I wanna go home
Restored order The love from Jenny and Forrest
Equilibrium again Forrest has a family
 Propps character types

The Hero Forrest Gump

The Villain In Forrest Gump there was no real villain
The Princess Jenny
The Helper Bubba
The Dispatches Lt Dan
The Donor - In Forrest Gump there was no real donor
The Farther - Forrest Gumps mother
The False Hero Hope
 Genre MES: Romance/Drama
Romantic dramas are hybrids and tend to use conventions associated with
both genres. Though a drama which is applicable to all sexes due to the fact
that it is also a romance makes it more appealing to the females or effeminate
males. With romantic dramas you cant normal distinguish the heroines and
villains through clothing, this helps create suspense as the audience has to think
about the roles of the characters and delve a little deeper than clothing to
establish the character. Clothing usually associated with romances is lose but
styled clothing for males coupled with a smart shirt, top button undone to
create an individual style yet remaining calm and casual to appeal to the
audience. In romantic dramas you have a combination of all lighting because
when creating a mixed atmosphere for characters one style of lighting would
not serve justice. Romantic dramas use high key lighting which signifies
romance, symbolises joy and elation in contrast with Low key lighting which is
stereotypically associated with dramas. The makeup in romantic drama is
usually neutral for most characters. However some characters are painted with
darked makeup, this commonly used when trying to through the audience of
the beaten track, enhancing the iconography; making the ending more
catastrophic. There are no set props that ably to all romance/ dramas despite
this phones are always used to create any form of suspense or tell the audience
something that the characters are yet ti know. Romantic dramas has a diverse
range of settings they can range for stricken countries to big cities such as NYC.
Genres Casting: Romance/Drama

Actors and actresses such as Channing Tatum and Hugh Grant are
renowned for staring in large high flying romantic dramas. This can be
down to many elements such as stature or appearance but mostly
because the audience will find it easier to connect with them on a one to
one level. Anna Hathaway is commonly used because of her diverse
appearance: soft, calming, natural with an added hint of seduction.
Sound

Sound varies quite extensively in dramas. The music is usually used is easily
relatable to by an audience where they can draw a connection through
the lyrics or the melody. Examples of Non diegetic sounds screaming,
piano/ violins, flash back noises. Examples of diegetic sounds, sounds of the
atmosphere, vocals, foot prints.
Iconography

Iconography in dramas both standard and romantic is piled onto the

audience in heaps and mounds. They do this by creating suspense
amongst characters this can be through speech, sound lighting and other
areas of mis-en-scene. Iconic symbols in dramas can range from a variety
of things but one of the most representative of the mood within a scene
and genre is red lipstick. Different shades of lipstick is used to represent
deviance. The changing colour creates uncertainty within a scene and in
some instances can indicate to the audience the motive of the character.
Technical Analysis: Camera work
The shot type in this frame is a two shot and it shows the
relationship between Forrest and Jenny as shows their
importance. The shot angle is over the shoulder is used to
the viewer on level with the actors. There is no camera
movement.

The shot type in this frame is a medium close up on

Forrest legs this shows us that this is going to be an
important frame. The shot angle is normal and the
camera movement is tracking, the camera follows on
Forrest legs they used tracking to keep up with the
action while it moves throw different environments
also Forrest is running.

The shot type in this frame is a extreme long shot

and is used to show how far Forrest is running.
The shot angle is high angle and emphiese the
distance Forrest is running and is also a smooth
transitions. The camera movement is zooming
out and tilts upwards which gives a sense of
height.
Film two: SE7EN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1giVzxyoclE
Film two introduction: SE7EN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1giVzxyoclE

Brad Pitt plays the young hotshot David Mills in the Drama, Mystery &
Suspense which is SE7EN. Stylish thriller ranks as one of the decade's most
influential box-office successes. Set in a hellish vision of a New York-like city,
where it is always raining and the air crackles with impending death, the
film concerns Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a homicide
specialist just one week from a well-deserved retirement. Every minute of his
32 years on the job is evident in Somerset's worn, exhausted face, and his
soul aches with the pain that can only come from having seen and felt far
too much. But Somerset's retirement must wait for one last case, for which
he is teamed with young hotshot David Mills (Brad Pitt), the fiery detective
set to replace him at the end of the week. SE7EN is a all time classic cop
film directed by David Fincher who also worked on Fight Club, The Girl with
the Dragon tattoo, Gone Girl and The Social Network. The film itself was
nominated for Best Film Editing at the 68th Academy Awards, but lost to
Apollo 13.
SE7EN had a budget of $33 million and in the opening week made
11,434,343 in the UK. In total the full gross of the movie was $100,125,643.
The production companies who where responsible for the film where
Cecchi Gori Pictures, Juno Pix and New Line Cinema. The film was released
on the 5th of January 1996 and had a running time of 127 minutes. The
target audiences for this single film franchise is 18-36 year old males of both
black and white ethnicity, who either like thrillers or work in crime as the film
is to do with solving crimes. Se7en has a niche audience as its target
audience is males. This is because both the main characters are male.
Film two extract (description, narrative, analyse): SE7EN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1giVzxyoclE

This scene from SE7EN is the most famous scene from the film and much like Forrest Gump it comes with a
famous quote What's in the box. In this scene David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan
Freeman) have caught John Doe (Kevin Spacey) and believe to have the last laugh however John Doe
has something up his sleeve and also something in the box.
Somerset, Mills and John Doe drive through the dessert to John Does final two sins. They drive past a sea of
power lines which look like massive number 7s which is a nod to the film and the 7 deadly sins which the
film rotate around. The helicopter in the sky confirms there is not an ambush and has to leave because of
the power lines. However two shots later we see a rusty trailer which is a perfect ambush point however this
is actually a red herein. As the deliver van comes over the horizon we switch to a POV helicopter footage.
When we cut back to the detectives Howard Shore Scores comes on and intensifies the scene. The
detectives race over to the deliver van to intercept it and the horns become louder and louder however
stop all a sudden when a package is handed to Somerset. There is a cut where David Mills is in the
foreground and John Doe is just a blurred spec in the background however this is the last time David will
ignore John. Somerset opens the box to find out its Tracy's head and yells out John Doe has the upper
hand. We return to Spacey who's head is hallowed by the sun as if he has achieved his religious purpose.
When he starts to talk to David Mills it is as if he is spiking a word or phrase in to every sentence, Wife
Disturbing After you left Husband Souvenir, it is like he is reading from newspaper cut outs and
making a letter like serial killers tend to do. As the bombshell drops the camera changes from a medium to
a close up maxfiying the impact Her pretty head. The camera pushes on Somerset arrival and there will
be no more POV until the deed is done. The hand held camera becomes more shaker as Mills life unravels
and realises what's in the box. There are three close ups of the three characters in frame to show the facial
expression. The camera now tracks Mills as he battles on deciding to kills John Doe or not. A quick flash of
his wife though pushes him over the edge and he pulls the trigger giving John Doe what he's want, the last
sin Wrath. As soon as that happens we switch to a helicopter POV watching the kill and then we snap
back to a two shot of the two detectives with their backs to each other. Mills walks out of the frame and
then the helicopter POV follows him as he walks off in the shame that he gave John Doe what he wanted.
The film is a linear and single stranded structure narrative, it is a Drama mystery and so fore could be
realistic however it is not.
Howard Shore
 Characterisation in SE7EN

Det. Lt. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) Somerset doesn't quite 'admire'
the killer, but he does recognize him as a Worthy Opponent who is not to be
underestimated and ought to be treated with cautious respect. However
Somerset has a Mysterious Past: How did he get such good connections to the
FBI that he found out about the bureau using the library system to keep track of
any potential criminal?
David Mills (Brad Pitt) - David may be a hot-blooded, immature Cowboy Cop,
but he correctly points out that Somerset's cynical attitude is little better than
the apathetic attitude Somerset decries. He also shoots down John Doe's claims
that Doe's actions will change the world, saying (probably correctly) Doe will
end up "a T-shirt, a Movie of the Week, at best," and that Doe has delusions of
grandeur.
John Doe (Kevin Spacey) John Doe the crazy killer who never express an even
slight amount of remorse for what he's done. The fact that he claims that his
victims were bad people is just an excuse. Violent behaviour combined with a
calm demeanour to create a very disturbing man.
Genre MES: Drama, Mystery &
Suspense
Mise-en-scene plays an important role in any film; it creates representation of certain
characters, their motives and personalities, and helps identify the audience with the
setting and genre. In my scene high key lighting is used with low contrast to create a
feeling of tension and unease. The low saturation and bland yellow tone creates a very
grim atmosphere. Not even the characters are wearing bright clothing apart from John
Doe who is in a Orange jump suit which stands out so the audience know he is in the upper
hand. The dark clothing and formal attire indicate that both detectives are deadly serious
about their roles; it is also an indication of a high level of importance. The two detectives
are very serious about their roles. However despite the similarities, Mills and Somerset also
have distinctive differences in they way that they choose to present themselves. Somerset
wears a well ironed shirt and dark tie, long coat and a hat. From his look it tells us that he is
serious and a practical man that takes his job seriously. In contrast Mills is slighty less formal
choosing to wear a plain shirt and tie. From his look we can tell he is more reckless than
Somerset; he puts less thought and effort into the way he dresses. Also he has a leather
jacket which looks like he has more street smarts. John Doe chooses to wear more
practical clothing. The props in this film would be guns, weapons, police badgers. Normal
detective things. The scene is set in a dessert with old rusting objects which create a
abandoned atmosphere. The screenplay was influenced by the time Walker spent in New
York City trying to make it as a writer. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles,
with the last scene filmed near Lancaster, California.
 Narrative Theories
Levi- Strauss
A binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are the opposite in meaning. Levi
found out that narratives are arranged around the conflict of binary opposites.
For this film the binary opposite would be Good Vs. Evil
Todorovs theory
Todorov thought of a theory which he believed was applicable to all films. He believed that all films
follow the same narrative pattern going through 5 stages. These are the Equilibrium, disequilibrium,
acknowledgement, solving and again the equilibrium.
This theory can be applied to seven as there is a state of equilibrium at the start of seven. An
example of this is that detective Somerset is retiring and a young new officer is coming in called
David Mills. There is a disequilibrium when they hear about a death which is linked to a sin. They
both then try and solve ach of the deaths about each sin until they come to John Doe whos the
villain. The new equilibrium is stored David Mills kills John Doe and ends the seven sins/ deaths.
 Propps character types

Villain - John Doe. They are known to scriptwriters as the antagonist because he seeks to stop
the hero what they want to do.

Hero - Somerset/ Mills. They are known as the protagonist who has to fulfil his destiny in the
story. They may be a certain quest for fame. Fortune or love.

Donor - Somerset. The donor is the character who provides a special devices that the hero
can fulfil is or her mission.

Helper - Somerset. The helper is the heros sidekick who helps the hero in the quest.

Princess -Tracy Mills. The princess is the reward for the hero and often the desire of the
antagonist who seeks to involve her in his schemes to out with the hero.

Father - Somerset. The person who rewards the hero for his achievement and also can
provide a moral safeguard for the hero to be measured against.

Dispatcher - police captain.

False Hero -
Technical Analysis: Camerawork
The shot type is medium close-up we can see his shows
facial expressions clearly and we can see what he is
doing. The shot angle is low angle this makes Somerset
look what he is doing more important. The camera
movement is tilt, the camera starts at the top of Morgan
Freeman and then travels down to the box.

The shot type is close up this shows Johns facial

expressions better. The shot angle is just lowered and
makes John look like he has the upper hand. The
camera movement is still and focus on John.

The shot type is medium close-up the audience

can see what's happening. The shot angle is low
angle and POV for the audience this makes the
detectives look powerful and as if Mills is
shooting at the audience. The camera
movement is still.
Conclusion

The two films and two genres are very different. And attract two different
target markets. The key differences are the action, In the Running scene in
Forrest Gump he is just running a away and the camera angles are simple
while in SE7EN Brad Pitt has just killed Kevin Spacey in a POV angle of the
audience. The box scene is more exciting and thrilling than the Forrest
Gump scene however in a Romantic/ drama you dont expect a thrilling
scene full of killing and murder.