Me and My Movies Dan Watt

The Hobbit, Desolation of Smaug

Synopsis overview The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug the dragon. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

Dominant I have a dominant reading of this film based upon Stuart Halls reception theory. This is becauseI fit the intended demographic as I am a young male and because I am a huge fan of action and Fantasy films. The majority of females that are my aged would be either negotiated or opposed To the film as they are not in the intended demographic.The Hobbit: An unexpected journey, is a favourite film of mine for a numberOf reasons. I grew up being a big fan of the novel version growing up and I also enjoyed watching The Lord of the rings trilogy, which is also set in theSame fantasy universe of middle earth. I felt that due to the films action and Adventure elements the film really grabs a hold of your attention and keeps youInterested in the overall plot. I also think the films CGI and special effects areReally up to date with current technology, this makes some of the mythical Creatures such as Smaug the dragon look a lot more realistic and not child like, much like the cartoon film version of the hobbit which was released in 1977. I alsoLike the character development which adapts as the film goes on. The demographic for this film is defiantly male orientated, you can tell this from the amount of action shown in the film: from sword fights to people battling a Dragon. This film also mainly features many male characters who usually have strong male orientated roles In the film who fans can idolise. An easy example of these characters are The Dwarves who are portrayed as heroic adventurers. They also some what Resemble Robert Bly’s Pre industrial mythopoetic masculine model. Star TheoryIan Mckellen is a very well known for his roles in action and adventure films, He has played a lot of iconic roles such as Gandalf and Magneto in the X-menFilm series. A lot of his fans would go see the hobbit due to his good performancesIn his previous films and also because he is also acting as one of his most Famous characters again (Gandalf).

Codes and Conventions – The Hobbit, Desolation of Smaug

The first shot shows the actual ring of which the “Lord Of the Rings” is based around. Even though the ring is not as Important to the plot as JJR Tolkien's other work it still featured in the film. This links the Hobbit film trilogy with the Lord of the rings trilogy and contributes to the world in which all the films set “Middle Earth”. This shared universe would persuade fans of LOTR trilogy to watch the hobbit films.

This shot features Smaug the dragon, who is one of the main antagonist in this film trilogy. As the film is in the fantasy/adventure genre it is a typical convention for film such as this to feature characters who are not necessarily human. They are normally portrayed as fantasy races (Elves, Goblins etc) or mythical beasts, in this case the dragon. The setting of these films “Middle Earth” even has books on the world itself which details some of the fantasy creatures who dwell there.

Active Spectatorship – The Hobbit, Desolation of Smaug

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit Trilogy share an Enormous fan base. They even have conventions dedicated toThe films which are attended by thousands of fans every year. It is these sort of events which allow fans to become more of thatFantasy universe. The conventions have actors/actresses from the Films to meet fans, Props from the films and other promotional Attractions. Fans have gone so far as to create the remainder of the“Elvish” language which is spoken by certain characters in the films.These conventions allow fans to cosplay and dress as their favourite Characters too. This is also a huge social gathering for fans as they Can interact with other fans and discuss the films in person ratherThan an online forum or chartroom. I believe these events are also a good opportunity for the filmmakers to increase there income due to synergy, as there would be plenty of merchandise for fans to buy from Posters to coffee mugs. They could also make more money By charging for signatures from stars in the films (This is a common way conventions increase there overall income)

Django Unchained Synopsis overview With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.Dominant I have a dominant reading of this film based on Stuart Halls reception theory, this is due to The fact I am a younger male who is a fan of action films and Quentin Tarantino in general.People who are not fans of action films would be opposed to this film due to the amount of Action and violence which would make them reject the film. One reason I love this film is because it is directed from one of my favourite directors Quentin Tarantino, I enjoy how different his films are from mainstreamCinema with their cartoonish violence and interesting story lines. I thought the cast of this film were also chosen perfectly, Jamie Foxx plays the role of the protagonist veryWell while Leonardo DiCaprio makes for a very convincing/evil plantation owner. The settings and props for this film also add to the story well, making you actually feelAs though you are in southern states of America. As an action film Django has no Shortage of violence, with some gory shootouts and bare fist fights to the death. In Some scenes you can feel the tensions between characters, showing that Quentin Clearly thinks a lot about the screen play for the film and the plot as a whole. The target demographic for this film is mostly male, you can tell this by the amount of action, violence and gore which feature in the film. The main character is also a strong masculine male who younger males watching the film could look up too. However I believe this film also appeals to older males as well, as this film belongs to The western genre. More older people would have grown up with films suchAs the Spaghetti western’s which would make them fans of the genre. Quentin TarantinoIs a known fan of the genre, he also uses a lot of intertextuality in his films. I believe that older males would pick up on these intertextual references to classic western films, whichWould possibly make Django appeal to them more.

Star TheoryThis film features an all star cast, however I believe most would go to watch Django due to Leonardo DiCaprio starring in this film. This is because he is a Huge Hollywood star with a filmography of many well received films (The departed,The Wolf of Wallstreet, The Beach) this alone would persuade a lot of the audience to go watch the film.

Codes and Conventions – Django Unchained

This shot shows the main antagonist of the film, Calvin Candy portrayed by the actor Leonardo Dicaprio. It is a common convention of western films to feature a rich, often white male who often owns a large amount of land or plantation. This is even more the case when the film touches upon subjects such as slavery, with the antagonist usually being over thrown by his workers at the films climax. This film follows along those lines however Calvin Candy dies before the films climax.

Django follows the conventions of Quentin Tarantino’s previous work as he almost always has either a cameo appearance in his films or a small part for himself with a few lines. The image to the right depicts Jamie Foxx (playing the role of Django) stood talking to Quentin, who with the two other people are playing the roles of the slavers.

The Dark Knight Synopsis overview When Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent launch an assault on the mob, they let the clown out of the box, the Joker, bent on turning Gotham on itself and bringing any heroes down to his level.

Dominant I have a dominate reading of this film based of Stuart Halls reception theory, as I fit the intended target demographic for the film which is younger males with an interest in action/superhero films.This film would oppositional with young females as the film would not appeal to them what so ever.I enjoyed this superhero film as it had a more dark, almost noir sort of tone unlike most superhero movies which are aimed towards children. To me this gave the filma sense of realism, with there being plenty of action and fighting without any ridiculous unrealistic superpowers. I felt the cast were incredible in their actingespecially Heath Ledger, who played the role of the Joker perfectly. He managed to Portray the character as a insane sociopath who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience, who only truly cares about the chaos. I felt this character clashingwith Bruce Wayne’s (a character with a very strong morals and conscience) was a great Contrast as their belong to opposite ends of the moral spectrum. This gives the film the feeling that good is literally fighting evil which I believe is the main point in superhero Movies. I also enjoyed the setting of Gotham which reminded me of a gritty, corrupt New York. The demographic for this film is also mainly male orientated in my opinion, However I believe a smaller percentage of the fan base would be females as well. ThisIs due to the fact the comics the films are based off are not gender specific. The two main Characters in the film are both played by male actors, who younger males in the audience Would idolise. This would be because Batman is a male icon younger children look up too As he is the hero . Joker on the other hand would be idolised as a scary, sociopath villainWho makes the action/chaos in the film. The amount of action in the film also shows How it is mostly male orientated, with the film featuring car chases, buildings exploding Etc. These events do not commonly happen in female orientated films.

Star TheoryI believe a lot of the audience would have gone to see this film due to the actor thatStar in it. The film features such stars as Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman just to name a few. However I also believe that as this is a sequel People would have gone to watch this if they enjoyed the first film in the series.

Codes and Conventions – The Dark Knight

As the dark knight is set in the same world as the Batman comics (Gotham city) it features a number of Characters from the comic universe. These characters Usually tend to be either a supporting protagonist or a Villain of some kind. The Christopher Nolan trilogy Features many characters from the DC universe such asBain, Scarecrow, Talia Al Ghul, Ra’s Al Ghul, Two Face and many more. It is a common convention in super herofilms for the audience to witness the usually normal characters transformation into a superhero or villain. The image to the right shows the Joker playing with the mind of Harvey Dent leading him to transform into hisTwo Face persona.

In a superhero film where the superhero doesn’t possessany actual super human powers the typical convention isThey have either gadgets or some form of technology so they have the ability to still fight crime successfully. In the Case of the Dark Knight, batman possesses a “Bat Bike”which is a motor bike with gadget functions which way Passes current automobile technology.

Intertextuality

IntertextualityThe meaning of intextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. In film this is when idea’s are reflected in two separate media outlets. For example in the 1984 film “Terminator” there is the famous phrase “I’ll be back” spoken my Arnold Schwarzenegger who plays the role of the terminator. In another comedy Film which again stars Arnold called “Last Action Hero” has him repeat the same line “I’ll be back” in another similar situation giving a heads up to the actor’s more Famous previous roles. Intertexuality in film could be anything from the script to Props, one famous example of a prop which has appeared in multiple film trilogy's isthe ring in which the film series “The Lord of the rings” is named after.

Media Literacy – How I hear about films

The main way I hear about films is through the use of the internet, I generally use the Following methods:

YouTube – This is the main website where you can see upcoming films being advertised, you can alsoUse this website to watch trailers for upcoming motion pictures this allows audiences to make a Judgment whether on not to watch the film.

Reddit – This is the website where all information is posted, If I would like to find out about an Upcoming release coming to cinema this is the first site I would check. Also my friends and peers at College use this website so I could post links about upcoming films to them spreading news about New films.

Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Twitter, My space etc.) – It is these sort of websites where I see my friends either talking about upcoming films or actors/actresses that have taken their interest. From their opinions and links to trailers the post I can make my mind up on whether I will watch the Film or not.

Reception Theory

The reception Theory is the way the audiences responds to the hidden messages in the films text, thatare fabricated and placed into the film by the producers and director. This is a meaning which they wouldLike to get across to the whole audience. It can be done numerous ways in film from certain scenes to Character dialog. Stuart Hall is the man responsible for identifying the three types of audience when it comes to reading messages. The three types are as follows:

Dominant – Is when the audience wants to hear from people and agree with the message but with limitedKnowledge on the subject.

Negotiated – Is when the audience agrees, disagrees or questions a news broadcast or political speech. This demographic of the audience make their opinion based on previously held news.

Oppositional – Is when the audience notices the message however rejects it due to moral, political or Religious beliefs. People in this demographic have already decided their views on the person or subject.

Active Spectatorship

Films such as the Dark Knight or The Hobbit already have there own fan bases, as people are already fans of The books or comics the films are based on. Directors need to take this into consideration when making Films based of other work as they need to meet both the old fan base and the new fan base needs. When a production doesn’t follow the already made content they are basing the films off it can lead to bad consequences with the old fan base becoming unhappy with the new changes. This often happens mostly with films that are based off literature of some kind. In my opinion I believe it is easier for the Producers and Director to make a film which isn’t based off any well known content as they would have to keep a much smaller old fan base happy.