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Sunday, 18 October 2015

Gone Girl: Specific genre analysis



Name: Gone Girl
Date Released: 2014
Rated: 18
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike
Production Company: 21st Century Fox
Director: David Fincher
Box Office: $37,513,109 (USA)
Awards: Nominated for Academy Awards: Best Actress, Golden Globe nominated: Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score.


Target Audience:
I think that the target audience for this film will be males and females above the age of 17 to around 60. This is because in the film there are some mature themes exhibited which would be inappropriate for younger children and some teenagers. As this film is thriller it conventionally attracts adults of the age range of around 40s. Typically thriller films contain a complex storyline and are sometimes hard to follow due to the fact they require all of your attention therefore this would appeal more to adults who have a longer attention span. As the film is based on the book written by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay) the film already has an established audience which therefore creates a buzz for the film. I think that this film would appeal more to males as stereotypically men enjoy the thriller genre films.


Settings, location and Mise En Scene.
The trailer opens with the 21st Century Fox logo. The use of the having the ident first sets the standard for the film as this company is very well known and has a good reputation for making films. This ident being shown automatically sets the standard for the film. Fans who have previously enjoyed this companies films will be excited for the release of this one, this creates an established audience.




The actual footage used n the trailer opens with an establishing shot that pans around the area it focuses on. The location of the shot is a typical suburban housing area. The use of this location shows the audience that this is a normal area to live in. The housing area looks very posh and modern, stereotypically rich, white people live in these areas. Alongside this shot a voiceover is used which helps to begin the story and inform the audience to what is happening. A fade transition is used between some of these shots to show the audience the different locations and time periods.




The next shot cuts into a long shot in which we can see the main character stood outside next to a bin. The bin prop shows the audience that stereotypically men take the bins out and do the most manual labour. This shot introduces the main character to the audience so they can see what he does on a day to day basis. This is the first look the audience sees of the character and will make a lasting impression and the audience will make judgements of the character from this shot.



The next shot in the trailer is a two shot which is also a long shot introduces the two main characters when they are happy. This shot could make the audience feel as if everything is ok and perhaps makes them envious of their happy relationship. The lighting in this shot is low key which adds a romantic tone to the shot. Alongside this shot a voice over is added to help tell the story as the dialogue is from a diary entry. This voiceover adds an eerie tone to the shot and makes it seem ominous. Using a voiceover from another character introduces a dual narrative to the film and allows the audience to have an insight of both characters and what they are doing/ saying.



A fade transition is used to link together an extreme close up of someone writing in a diary. The voiceover helps to link these shots together as the dialogue is what she is writing down. The shot of the main character writing in a diary helps the audience to understand where the dialogue is coming from and what significance it has to the narrative.


A tracking long shot of a crowd in the park is shown in the park. The tracking technique shows the audience how many people have gathered there, it also hints at why they are there. The lighting in this shot is low key which gives a mysterious and eerie tone to the shot. The camera then cuts a medium close up of the character. In the background of this shot there is a missing poster for his wife. This prop allows the audience to understand what is happening and also shows that the narrative is vastly developing and changing- this engages the audience and makes them continue watching to see what happens.


A close up shot of smashed glass on the floor shows the audience that something bad has happened. As the scene on the floor looks expensive it could show the audience that the characters are quite rich. A breakage in a thriller film in conventional as it shows there is a threat and that something has happened to cause this. As is previous shots everything was ok and happy and this shot is the opposite shows juxtaposition and is also an example of the Toderof theory.



An over the shoulder shot of the main character in the police station shows that the incident is serious and something bad has happened. The fact that the location is a police station will engage and interest the audience, having the police station as a location in a thriller film is very conventional as the majority of thriller films are police and law orientated. The over the shoulder shot exhibits to the audience what the main characters behaviour is like in the police station. It gives the audience a clear look at is face so they could try and decided for themselves where they think he is guilty of not.


An extreme close up shot of a blood splatter on the wall adds more drama to the trailer and emphasises the puzzle that has been created. The extreme close up also peaks the audiences interest and makes them wonder how it got there. This shot could also make them question whether or not Ben Affleck can be trusted or if he is the enemy.



The medium close up two shot of the two policemen introduce them as characters into the film. Thee close up allows the audience to remember the characters and it can also help them decide whether or not they should trust them. The costume that they are wearing are police uniforms which are stereotypically worn by police officers. The black colour of their costume could show connotations of death, this could be a hint of what happened to the wife or what might happen to the husband.

In the next couple shots an extreme close up of an envelope entitled "Clue one" is included in the montage. The use of an extreme close up gives the viewer a clear look at what is being shown to them. The fact that clues have been included into this trailer makes the film more interactional for the viewer and can allow them to guess about what has happened or what the clues mean.



In the middle point of the trailer a point of view shot from Ben Affleck's point of view is used and he drives past his work. In the shot we see a large crowd of people taking photographs of his work. The use of a point of view shot shows the audience what he can see from his perspective. This shot cuts back to this face in order for the viewer to see his reaction to what he has just witnessed. The low key lighting used in this shot makes it seem more mysterious. The fact that people are stood outside his work at night shows the desperation thy have in order to find out answers. Due to the character owning his own business further supports that he is quite well off.



A flashback shot shows the two main characters arguing. The shot is a mid shot and shows them inside their own house. The white walls behind them could show connotations of pureness and innocence. The light in the background looks expensive and high end which shows the audience that they are fairly rich, this is supported by the lavish area they live in. The composition of shot and the rule of 2/3rds shows that the two characters have equal space on camera which could suggest that they are equal partners in marriage. However in the next few shots the audience is shown a low angle shot of the wife lying on the floor crying whilst her husband is holding his fist in a punching motion. This shot juxtaposes the previous shot of them being equals. This is shown through a point of view shot and another mid shot. These shots make the character look weaker in comparison to the male character.



Near the ending of the trailer the titles are included and they are using the same font as the book title. By doing this it shows the relation between the book and the film and shows they are uniform. The titles help to break up the trailer by being added to close ups of the  characters. I think that the director chose these shots carefully as when Ben Affleck's name appease on screen the close up of him is very tense and scary- this makes him look like the antagonist, and however the shot used for Rosamund Pike's title is of her crying- this makes her look weak, making her the example of the archetypal female and damsel in distress.




The penultimate shot of the trailer is a close up of the female lead floating down in the bottom of the ocean/river. This shot is very haunting and is the last shot we see of the character in the trailer. This order could make the audience believe that she was killed. The makeup used of the actress is very eerie and makes her look gaunt and as if she really was dead. The lighting is quite low key and subtle but is also used to highlights certain points of her body to draw the audiences attention for example her face and her shoulders.


The final shot of the trailer is another establishing shot of the area in which the narrative is set in. The fact that another establishing shot has been used relates back to the narrative and to the beginning of the film. This adds consistency and fluidity. It also adds emphasis on the title of the film.


Sound
From the beginning of the trailer a piece of incidental soundtrack was playing. The tone of this piece of music was very ominous and immediately set the tone of the film. The sound track that was used was one usually associate with thriller films. To add more dimension to the trailer several voiceovers were used to help introduce the dual narrative of Gone Girl. The dialogue used in voiceovers were ones quoting diary entries from the book and film. These voiceovers were also a good technique of telling the story and helping the pieces fit together for the audience.


Atmosphere
Throughout the trailer a mysterious atmosphere was created. This tone used in the film was further supported by the incidental sound track which created an eerie effect to the shots included. I think that when the trailer began the atmosphere was normal and was what you would expect from a typical husband and wife. However as the trailer progressed and developed the tension began to build and made the viewer pay very close attention to what was happening. By the end of the trailer the themes shown in the trailer was very creepy and made the audience think twice about what they thought this film was like from the beginning.


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