Textual Analysis

The Call

'The Call' Analysis of a Clip. from Dylan Koolman

The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project: Textual Analysis from EmmaWeeksMedia

Se7en

'Se7en’ Film Opening Analysis from MorganRedman

Audience Analysis

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

1. Income Bracket/Status
• C1 and C2
2. Age 
• 12+
3. Gender 
• Male and Female
4. Race 
• Indian/Asian
5. Location
• India

Demographics - A method of categorising people who fit a specific category e.g. age, gender, race etc.

The letter code: A Method of describing audiences

Homework: Analyse a film of your choice by answering the following questions.

• Who the film companies are 
• When it was distributed 
• The target audience 
• How much the film made

Audiences can be classified into GEARS:

• Gender
• The feeling of being either male, female or other defined by different aspects such as expression, appearance, social interactions etc.
• Ethnicity
• Population whose members identify with each other on the basis of common nationality or shared cultural traditions.
• Age
• The length of time that a person has lived. 
• Region/Nationality
• An ethnic group forming a part of one or more political nations.
• Socio-Economic Status
• An individual's or group's position within a hierarchical social structure and is depends on a combination of variables, including occupation, education, income, wealth, and place of residence.

Theories about Audiences

• Hypodermic Needle Model/Magic bullet theory
• Relates to Gerbner who said that those who are fully engrossed in television are solely focused on what they hear
• Response against Decoding Approach
• Passive Audiences
• Easily led and manipulated
• Gullible
• Sheep-like
• Fashion followers
• Media consumption influences the attitudes and behaviour of audiences
• Linked to propaganda and advertising
• Behaviourist models of human behaviour
• Decoding approach
•  Response against Hypodermic Needle Approach
• Shows how audiences are active
• Able to decode their own meanings from media
• Own-thinkers
• Formulate own interpretations
• Uses and Gratifications Model 
• Audiences are active in choosing media for their own 'gratifications' or pleasure
• Links to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Developed by Blumler and Katz
• Main reasons for using media:
• Personal identity
• Define who we are
• Information
• Entertainment
• Includes escape, distraction
• Social interaction 
• Helps us socialise with like-minded people

Young and Rubicam's 4 Cs: Cross-Cultural Consumer Characterisation:

• Audience segmentation model 
• Acknowledges the global nature of media audiences
• 7 types of consumer:

Young and Rubican

Other Segmentation Terms:

BBFC Ratings

BBFC:  a rating company that rates films and TV shows for an appropriate age audience.

Our Rating

Upon studying the rating qualifications from the BBFC Guidelines, we have rated our film as an 18, due to the thriller horror nature of our serial-killer idea as well as the connotations implied that conform to the genre conventions within a psychological thriller.

               

Target Demographic

The people that we are aiming our video at are those who have an interest in the genre of thriller and horror due to the allusive nature of the content within the trailer.

Conduct Survey and Focus Group

We will be writing three different scripts for this idea. We will then be completing a survey asking a representative target audience to select their favourite script which we will develop into the stages of film.

Main Influence

We were influenced by a variety of different movies which are as follows:

• Se7en
• American Horror Story: Murder House
• Blair Witch Project
• American Werewolf in London
• The Shining
• The Walking Dead
• The Call

The techniques that influences us involved editing, camera angles, mise-en-scene and sound. Most of the horror movies operate with low key lighting which is a reoccurring theme within our videos. Additionally, there are a variation of slower shot durations (to increase suspense) or quicker shot durations to increase tension.

The Blair Witch Project

These shots contain fast edits, scraggy handwriting and ominous settings.

American Werewolf in London

Credits production company

Comic aspects employed to set the tone for the horror comedy film.

Title inserted midway through the opening credits

Actors credited first

Other main crew members credited after actors

Hill shots create a feeling of isolation and mystery as the audience do not know what could lurk in the hills.




The Shining

Production company credited first. Shot duration is longer and is filmed at a slower pace to build the tension of the scene.












Credits producer before actors or crew.

Credits actors.















The Se7en

This opening contains music that feels quite heavy which creates the feeling of suspense and fear for the viewer.

The Call

The killer of this film used to have a very close relationship with his sister

She used to have luscious blonde hair.

However she was diagnosed with cancer.

And relationship she had with her brother strengthened.

So the killer abducts girls who have blonde hair in an effort to remember his deceased sister.

This shot creates suspense as there is a quick flash up which focuses on her eyes, making her appear to have supernatural properties which is an effective shot to use to create a thriller.