Character Profiles

Very often the best films are so successful as they have very strong characters. These are the profiles of some of my most memorable movie characters.

1. John Bender - The Breakfast Club

Who are they?
John Bender is one of 5 students to be held back in detention on a saturday. Bender is a regular to detention and does not get on well with it's supervisor, or anyone else. He is known as the outcast at school and is misunderstood. He has many rumours spread about him which make him an unknown and feared character, when on the inside he is anything but scary.

Where are they from?
The Breakfast Club is set in Illinois, so we can assume that Bender is also from this state, as his origin is never revealed in the film.

Personality?
John Bender is a troublemaker and a regular in detention. He is seen as a 'clown' and an outsider'. Usually people ridicule and laugh at Bender but after his revelations about his troubled home life his peers come to understand and sympathise with his behaviour.

Physicality?
Bender is dark haired and dark skinned. He is a tall adolescent and this is exaggerated by his wearing of a long jacket. He walks with confidence and a threatening look on his face.

Relationships?
He is a disliked character at the beginning of the film. His relationships with his teachers are negative and he has a very anti-school attitude. His peers originally dislike him but eventually learn to like him, at the end of the play a romance between he and Molly Ringwald's character Claire has begun.
He has a troubled relationship with his parents and talks of the constant arguing and abusive relationship between him and his father. This adds more substance to his character and allows the audience to see past his tough-guy exterior.


2. Gandalf - Lord of the Rings

Who are they?
Gandalf is a wizard in the fictional world of Middle Earth. He is the father/donor figure in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and appears throughout, making sacrifices and going to extreme lengths to help his friends.

Where are they from?
Middle Earth

Personality?
Gandalf is wistful and mysterious. He is wise and able to guide his friends on their quest to Mordor. He is well known and almost mythical, people are mesmerised by him. Gandalf is powerful and magical and has the abilities that many can only dream of.

Physicality?
Gandalf is tall, pale and old looking. He wears long, flowing white robes and carries a staff which harbours his powers. His presence is powerful and occasionally intimidating.

Relationships?
Gandalf is a guide and father figure. He has good relationships with all of the hero characters in Lord of the Rings and negative ones with all the villains, this makes the audience perceive him as a 'good guy' character.

3. The Joker - The Dark Knight

Who are they?
The Joker is a highly developed criminal in the city of Gotham. He is the enemy of superhero batman.

Where are they from?
The Joker is from an abusive background in a poverty stricken family in Gotham. He blames his abusive father for his unusual traits.

Personality?
The Joker has a superficial charm about him which can be associated with a narcisstict personality disorder, a grandiose senseof self worth, he is a pathologic liar, he is cunning an manipulative, he lacks remorse and guilt and is callous and shallow. He shows a sense of impulsivity and irresponsibility, and lives a parasitic lifestyle.

Physicality?
The Joker is such an effective character due to his significant scars, of which he tells many stories which vary depending on who he is telling. "Wanna know how I got these scars?". The Joker covers himself in sadistic clown like makeup, has greasy/wet green hair and wears a green and purple suit.

Relationships?
The Joker has negative relationships with everyone he comes into contact with. He is against the human race and has no ulterior motive other than to see the fall of Batman and therefore Gotham itself, he wants to have ultimate control.

What genre of film will you use for your two minute opening?

After researching and watching films of many different types of genre and accumulating an extended knowledge of the conventions that are usually followed in different genres I have decided to undertake the task of creating the opening to a Rom-Com. I have decided this because not only are rom-coms my preferred genre of film but it is easy to create a story from nothing by following the generic conventions as they are not as vague as the conventions of other genres. I believe that I will get more enjoyment from creating a fun and upbeat opening as this will encourage me to work harder and be prouder of my achievements in Media. I am enthusiastic about making a rom-com based on 'Much Ado About Nothing' as I can tailor it using many techniques such as split screen shots to include both of my protagonists and a wide choice of soundtrack to suit the pace of the film.

What types of genre are there? - Rom-Com

Generic Conventions

Romantic Comedies are usually set in an urban setting such as a city and may be centred around the workplace, they follow a typical 'boy meets girl' scenario, they often include a voiceover which usually is present from the onset of the film and there are two protagonists - usually one male and one female.

Example: Love Actually

How does this film conform to or challenge the generic conventions of it's genre?

Love Actually is a fairly unique film as it does not follow the relationship of just one couple but several, because of this it is harder to identify the generic conventions of the genre in it. However, although the generic conventions are not all present in every relationship that is follower, it is easy to pick out elements of each relationship that conform to the generic conventions. These are:

Urban setting - As 'Love Actually' is set in London, all of the relationships take place here. Love Actually completely conforms to the idea of being set in an urban environment and because of this it is easy for people within different relationships to interact with each other in some way, making the film more attention grabbing.

Workplace - The relationships between both Harry and Annie and Sarah and Karl develop in the office. Both of the relationships are fairly dysfunctional and this gives the film more grit. The dysfunction exists especially in the relationship between Annie and Harry, in which Harry is cheating on his wife to be with her.

'Boy meets girl' - The strange relationship between John and Judy is sparked when they have an unusual encounter posing together as nude models.

Voiceover - Hugh Grant provides a voiceover from the outset of the film. His voice is used to introduce the theme of love which continues throughout the film. In using his voice as the narrator's it also introduces him as a character without showing who he is or what his story is.

Two protagonists - Love Actually is a fairly unique film as it does not follow the relationship of just one couple and therefore there is not just two protagonists as the story shifts from couple to couple so that each character has a turn to play the protagonist.

What types of genre are there? - Fantasy

Generic Conventions

As the genre of fantasy can be manipulated in so many different variations, it is difficult to say that there are generic codes and conventions that may be applied to it. i.e. Lord of the Rings has a totally different structure and concept to Harry Potter. However there are some general concepts that many fantasy films tend to follow, these are: emotive and romanticised narratives, hyper-real representations i.e. the creation of new species, aspirational characters - often undertaking a quest, political narrative themes (e.g. to do with minority groups), positive narrative outcomes, linear narrative, often set in the past or an imagined time and appeal to an audience due to the theme of escapism.

Example: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

How does this film conform or challenge the generic conventions of it's genre?

Emotive and romanticised narratives - The narrator, Bilbo, tells Frodo of the good times in Erebor, before the dwarves had their homeland stolen from them. He uses engaging and expressive language to pain a rich tapestry in the imagination of Frodo, allowing him to picture exactly what he is being told.

Hyper-real representations - Images of dwarves and hobbits are shown. Neither of these species are real and have been created solely for the purpose of storytelling and stretching the imaginations of the film's viewers.

Aspirational characters - Bilbo goes on an adventure with Gandalf to find the Arkenstone from Smaug's lair and reclaim Erebor for the dwarves.

Political narrative - There is a strong message about belonging and how wrong it is to take what does not belong to you.

Positive narrative outcomes - The homeland is reclaimed and Bilbo is successful

Linear narrative - The narrative starts from the original encounter between Bilbo and Gandalf and finishes with the end of the quest, telling stories throughout of events which happen during the quest.

Setting- The world in which The Hobbit is set is purely fiction.

Escapism - The film allows it's viewers to enter a hyper-reality and engage themselves in what is happening as if they were there. They can escape from the everyday.

What types of genre are there? - Teen

Generic Conventions

Conventions of teen films can vary depending on the context of the film. i.e. in American teen films ethnic minorities and gay/lesbians are often left out. Usually teen films will include proms or school dances, alcohol and experimenting with substances, high school, parties, sex, social division, angst and conflict with parents and siblings and popular culture. The most widely used convention is social groups and they stereotypes that arise from them. The include: the jock/cheerleader, the popular (diva), geeks, misfits rebels and outcasts, the loner, the clown and the stoner. Apart from the characters there are many other codes and conventions of a teen film, especially romantic comedy teen films. They are often set around high-schools to allow for the inclusion of many social groups

Example: 10 things I hate about you

How does this film conform or challenge the generic conventions of its genre?

Social Cliques - The first car we see has four girls riding in it. Each of the girls seem to be dressed similarly and copying each other's dancing, which indicates that they wish to impress each other and be the same people. When the second car pulls up beside them, they look disgusted, this suggests that they are the popular group as they are not inclusive of the passenger in the second car and instead reject her. The passenger in the second car is by herself, suggesting that she has few friends and prefers her own company, which deems her the 'Loner' character. Immediately the audience are introduced to the divisions between social groups which sets the theme of the film out immediately.

Angst and conflict - The character who is by herself for the duration of her introduction appears angry and frustrated with her surrounding. She deliberately blares her music out of her car window to overpower the music of the popular group and rips down posters as she marches into school. These actions introduce her as a key character and show the audience what she is like and who/what she will be battling with throughout the film (popularity).

Popular culture -  One Week by Barenaked Ladies is playing from the popular girls' car, this song would have been popular at the time when the film is set (90's) this once again reflects the idea that the popular people are eager to conform to society's expectations of them. This is overpowered by the sound of Bad Reputation by Joan Jett coming from the car next to it. This reflects the different genre's of music that were popular at the time and the new wave of feminism that was emerging in the form of female punk-rock and also gives the impression that the protagonist is different to her peers in terms of ideology, as a female teen movie protagonist would usually be.

Setting - Though the film begins on the road, the cars then drive into the parking lot of an american high school. The next shot is a pan shot of the school courtyard which includes many of the different high school cliques, which is typical of the genre.

The Pitch task

In our lesson we were split into several groups. Within our groups we were instructed to select 4 cards and create a film pitch based around them.

These were the cards we picked:

From this we devised the plot to a funny but moving tale of an elderly couple using their final moments together to relive their past.

Here is a rough plan including the four elements we chose:

Initial 2 Minute Opening brainstorm

This is my initial brainstorm of ideas for my two minute opening.

I have known from the start that I intended to create a rom-com style of film as personally this is the genre of film I enjoy the most, and therefore I should enjoy making it the most. After researching and thinking about the generic conventions of a romantic comedy I have begun to focus on the idea of a rom-com plot being based on William Shakespeare's plays. After exploring this idea I have decided to base my film loosely on the plot of 'Much Ado about Nothing'. Obviously as the play is a lot longer than a two minute film opening,  I have decided I will closely focus on the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. As this is a teen film, I will use a familiar setting to make it more recogniseable e.g. a school and use all the generic social groups to make it seem a little more classic.

Narrative in Tim Burton's 'Big Fish'

Tim Burton’s critically acclaimed ‘Big Fish’ is a collection of stories told by the protagonist’s father in the final few days of his life. They are a recollection of events that occurred in his life. Burton’s protagonist, William Bloom, is skeptical of his father’s tales as he is a man known for his storytelling and exaggeration. Although his stories became popular with others, Will has never really been certain of his father’s past, which lead him to believe that even in his father’s final days of life, he did not really know him at all. Throughout the film, Edward Bloom’s stories are colourful and exotic; they connect our reality with his father’s fantasy world that he depicts through his stories. The narrative structure of the film is an indicator of this by alternating scenes of Will’s journey to find the truth and Edward’s lavish storytelling, which reflect the shift from reality to fantasy. When Will remembers a story that his father has told him, it is retold through Edward’s first person narration. This is important as it allows the audience to relive the tale including inner thoughts and feelings which would not be present had the story been told by anyone else. His storytelling also engages the audience and allows them to tap into the narrator’s thought process. The stories told by Edward all contain unimaginable settings and characters i.e. the giant as well as meaningful morals that are common in fairytales that would be told to young children, mirroring the relationship Will feels he has with his Father. Later in the film, the events Edward speaks about unfold even further as Will finds that there is more truth in his father’s stories when characters mentioned in the stories appear to pay their respects at his funeral. Fantasy and reality are connected throughout the film and in some ways a comparison is made between the two concepts. The fantasy element of the film makes the film entertaining to the audience, as if they were once again children being lost in fairytales told by an excellent storyteller.  As young children, the concept of reality is simple: it is either real or not real. Whether at that age we believe that the events that occur in fantasy stories are real or not, we do take away one important aspect of the story, which is its moral. The theme presented through narrative in this film is the use of fantasy to brighten up one’s reality. Will relives his childhood and is enlightened by what he eventually discovers, the audience reflects this feeling and at the end of the film, while upset, are overjoyed by the events that unfold.

Textual analysis of a film opening - Hairspray

The film begins with the low beat of a drum in the background, this immediately sets the scene for the audience and shows them that they are going to be viewing a musical. The beat increases in tempo and volume, building tension. However, when combined with the sounds of the town such as cats and car horns, the effect is not as profound as it was perhaps intended to be. The effect it does have is making the sound more realistic in comparison to the traditional themes of a musical. It also ties in with the birds-eye camera shot of the town, which shows where the film is set. The camera then zooms to an accurate location and briefly displays the town and the people that live there, the costume the people are wearing and the way the buildings are structured hints to the audience which era the film is set in. Through varying shots, the audience are introduced to the main character, as her face comes into view the music becomes loud and upbeat. The character is in bed and dancing under the covers, this gives the audience a clue of the characters bubbly and joyful nature. The title of the film; 'Hairspray' is shown as the character sprays her permed hair, this sets a constant theme throughout the film of keeping up appearances and presents to the audience a confirmation as to the era of the film, the 60s. The song, 'Good Morning Baltimore' begins with an over the shoulder shot which shows the audience the reflection of the character's face in the mirror. This is the first time the audience can see what the protagonist of the film looks like and also once again reflects upon the theme of beauty.

How much of the plot is introduced in the opening 2 minutes?

In the first two minutes the viewer can establish the location and time period which the film is set in. We assume that we will follow the character we are introduced to on her travels and therefore can assume that she is the protagonist of the film. In terms of what will come next for the character we are unclear, but due to the time period we can deduce that themes of racism and discrimination may be present.

How many key characters are there?

In the first two minutes we are not introduced to any characters by name. We see the goings on of the town but can assume that the people in these shots are not key characters as they are not focussed on for any length of time. We are introduced to the main character as she wakes up and goes about her morning routine, she seems to be getting ready for school and from this we can deduce her age and therefore the problems that could arise for her based on this.

Is there much dialogue?

In terms of speech there is absolutely no important conversation. However as this is a musical film, song is used to introduce concepts. In the first two minutes the main character is singing 'Good Morning Baltimore' which introduces the setting of the film. The lack of real dialogue means that the audience are inclined to watch on in order to understand the character we are introduced to and the events which will unfold around her.

Is there much dialogue?

The only dialogue in the first two minutes of Love Actually is the narration. This is effective as it does an excellent job of introducing the plot but does not give too much away at all, which leaves the audience keen to continue watching. Introducing the film's title in the last line is a complete hook as it leaves the audience to quickly develop their own ideas about what the rest of the film will be like.

Textual analysis of a film opening - Love Actually

Love Actually begins with images of people in a clean, white environment. The people are running to greet each other and all look elated to see the other person they are greeting. We do not know who these people are so we cannot yet assume that they are going to be a vital part in the film, we assume that they are not as not enough focus is placed upon them, with shots changing from meeting to meeting every few seconds. After a few seconds, a voiceover can be heard. Here, we are introduced to one of the main characters of the film. However, we do not know this yet as we can only hear his voice and do not therefore recognise him as a character but as a narrator, the only information we do gain is that the man's accent is English and from this it is safe to assume that the film is going to be set in Britain. The voice begins by saying "Whenever I get gloomy about the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport." This not only confirms our preconceptions about the general setting of the film but also the setting that the meetings we are viewing are actually taking place, with the clean, white environment being developed in to an airport terminal. The voiceover continues to say that "love is everywhere" and gives a monologue about love alongside continuous videos of people greeting each other at the terminal. The voiceover finally says that "Love, is, actually all around." This line introduces the film's title 'Love Actually' and from this the audience can now assume that the man who is talking throughout the first two minutes of this sequence is indeed an important character. The images of people then fade out and the film's title is displayed at the bottom of the screen in red and white font. The audience hears christmas music begins to play and from this point the film continues.

How much of the plot is introduced in the opening 2 minutes?

It is clear in the first two minutes from the hugging and kissing of the people that the film is going to be a romance. It is clear from the narrator's accent that the film is British and that the setting is currently Heathrow airport, which indicates that England is the main setting, specifically London, it's recognisable capital city. The narrator talks mainly about love, saying that when the twin towers were hit, none of the messages sent to people from the plane were messages of hate. This suggests that the narrator has a lot to do with love in the story.

How many key characters are there?

In the first two minutes we are not introduced to any characters by name. We see many people in the images of the airport terminal but assume that they are not main characters once the narrator begins talking about how he thinks about Heathrow airport when is is despairing of the world. From this, we understand that we are inside the narrators head, experiencing what he is thinking about and from this we can assume that the narrator will develop into a main character.

Is there much dialogue?

The only dialogue in the first two minutes of Love Actually is the narration. This is effective as it does an excellent job of introducing the plot but does not give too much away at all, which leaves the audience keen to continue watching. Introducing the film's title in the last line is a complete hook as it leaves the audience to quickly develop their own ideas about what the rest of the film will be like.

2 minute opening of a feature film

What do we expect to see in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film?

Usually in the opening of a film we are introduced to one or more of the main characters of the story, they are usually going about their everyday life or involved in something more interesting and exciting that will be developed upon throughout the rest of the film. The opening two minutes of a film also usually introduce the plot of the film and indicate to the viewers which genre the film is. This can be introduced through dialogue, mise-en-scene, music or just the actually events that are taking place i.e. if the film begins with a high speed car chase the viewer can assume that the film will probably be a crime thriller.

Narrative theories applied to a modern version of Cinderella

A narrative is the way in which a story is told. There are several different theories that can be used to explain the way that stories are written.

The first of these is from Todorov. Todorov's theory suggests that all stories begin with an equilibrium (an everyday routine which is balanced and uninterrupted), then there is a disequilibrium (the balance and order is interrupted by something which is usually bad) and finally there is a new equilibrium (the original balance is usually restored to an extent, people may gain things or the bad things will be overcome).
In the modern version of Cinderella that we watched in class, Todorov's theory can be applied. The equilibrium is Cindy working as a full time cleaner in the archaeology unit of a university. Cindy works for a cruel director and is constantly overlooked by students of the university, including two young women of the archaeology department who are constantly competing with each other for the attention of the director and her guests. The disequilibrium occurs when a world renowned archaeologist - Hans M Prince - appeals to the university in an attempt to find a female archaeologist to accompany him on his next research trip to Borneo. Cinderella works hard and applies to the place, Prince is interested in her but when Cindy does not show up to her interview, after being informed by the director that she is forbidden from trying, Prince gives up hope that he will ever take Cindy with him and instead selects one of the other candidates. The new equilibrium at the end of the film occurs as against all odds, Cindy manages to secure herself as Prince's research partner, overcoming the students and director. At the last minute Prince decides to cancel his research and move away with Cindy instead, whom he has since fallen in love with.

The second narrative theory is of Propp's traditional characters and the roles they play within stories.

Protagonist- Cindy Mellor
Antagonist- Director & her two students
Heroine- Hans M Prince
Father- could be Hans M Prince as he offers the reward of the new job
Helper- Fellow cleaner
Donor- Fellow cleaner
Mentor- Fellow cleaner

Ident first attempt

In our last few lessons we have been learning how to create Idents for our film companies using Adobe After Effects. This is my first attempt:

It is my intention to develop this using the same text and animation but adding the sound of a typewriter as each letter appears on the screen, I may also change the name of my company. I am undecided on whether or not I should include an image of a typewriter or not as in my first attempt at finding one, I could not find anything appropriate. However, if I were to include one I would animate it so that it moved in some way in unison with the letters appearing, as if the typewriter was typing the letters onto the screen.

Mockumentary - Plot Synopsis

Fionna, a young girl of 17,she appears just like any other teenager. She goes to school, hangs out with her friends and struggles to get all her work done on time.

 But Fionna isn't as average as she makes out she is, she has an exceptional medical condition which causes her to break out into hysterical laughter every 15 minutes. 

in our documentary we interview Fionna, who tells us that her condition is difficult to live with, but that she wouldn't have it any other way. 

Her teacher, Mr Savage, tells us about how he is struggling to come to terms with teaching a student with such a bizarre condition, and how it affects the learning of Fionna and her fellow students.

 We then interview Fionna's friends who tell us that Fionna's condition is beginning to become difficult to live with, 

that they are struggling to remain empathetic and are tired of having to hear the constant laughing! Finally, we talk to Fionna's parents, who's faces have been hidden to disguise their identity, as they are so embarrassed of their daughter.

 Fiona's mother, while sympathetic, is overpowered by her father who is completely the opposite. 

He is intolerant and frustrated and tells us that they have tried everything to cure Fionna but nothing in the world seems to work. 

This documentary will follow Fionna in her dailyroutine  and try to understand how she lives with her inexplicable condition

Genre Table

Genre	Setting	Characters	Themes
Rom-Com	City	Boy Girl	Love Misfortune
Classic Horror	Haunted House/Forest	Couple Innocent girl/Mean girl Child Chaser/Villain	Fear of the unknown Chase
Zombie Horror	Various	Zombies Hero Girl Guy after girl Accomplices	Chase Apocalyptic Against-all-odds
Comedy	Normally varies throughout	Protagonist Group of friends Girl(s)	Happy Funny Unrest
Sci-Fi	Outer space/Spaceship	Leader/Captain Other life forms Crew Prisoners?	Outer-space
Animation	Various e.g Zoo, Fantasy worlds, Bedroom	Hero Accomplice Conquest Villain(s)	Childhood
College	Campus	Girl/Boy Nerdy people Fraternity/Problem group	Overcoming the odds
Fantasy	Fantasy world	Protagonists/Hero Friend/Helper Girl/Quest Villain	Exploring the surreal/imagination
Crime	City	Villain/Gang Authorities Protagonist Girl??	Suspense Realistic
Western	The outback	Leader Cowboys Bad Guy	Romance Action Adventure