BSR Visual Style

Production Log 3

Within this week, we have been looking at a range of different opening sequences so that we get a basic idea of how a normal opening sequence is presented and how title devices are shown. An opening sequence mainly tends to reveal the mise-en-scene of which the film is based within. An opening sequence is created to represent the theme in a particular style or genre.

For instance, within this week, we analyzed the opening sequence to a film called ''The Panic Room'' and looked at the way that they set out the credits. While doing this, i learnt about the order in which each individual credit for the film is set in a certain way or in a chosen way to reveal authority. For instance, ''Jodie Foster'' (actor) was the first actor shown within the credits of the opening sequence to ''The Panic Room''. This reveals that this actor must be one of the very main actors to star in the film. Actors that are shown together like ''Anne Magnuson, Ian Buchanan'', this reveals that these two actors are payed the same for the film. I have also learnt that the Production logo is always shown at the beginning of a opening sequence. With all of this in mind, i will make sure that i use these techniques within my opening sequence and make sure that my actors and other credits are ordered in a correct way making sure that elements such as a Production company logo is shown at the very beginning of my opening sequence.

I've also learnt that not all films tend to show any credits within the beginning of a film. In ''London to Brighton'', they dont reveal any credits at the beginning of the film. But in my work, i will definitely make sure that i include some of the most important credits to be shown. This would consist in the Director, Production company, Editor, Music, and most importantly, the names of the main actors who will be starring in the film. One of the methods i will definitely use in my opening would be to always most certainly reveal the mise-en-scene/location which the film will be set in. This is very important when being shown in a British Social Realist film because after looking over the location which the film will be set in, the audience would relate to the fact of that area being in Britain and this would then further help to connote the genre of the film strongly.

How British Social Realism Themes Are Used?

1) Domestic Violence - Nil By Mouth



In this scene of Nil by Mouth (made in the 1990's), a strong theme of Domestic violence is portrayed. The audience denotes a husband beating up his wife whilst their child is having to witness this terrible crime sitting nervously at the top of a staircase within the home. While this action is being taken place by the husband, we only see his actions against the women whilst kicking her on the floor. What makes this theme so effective is that we as the audience are not able to denote the women's image and her injuries taken place. The camera chooses to deliberately hide her away from the shot and only focus on the husband and his negative actions. This causes the audience to have a sense of mystery on their minds to how the women may be coping or maybe looking like. Questions begin to swarm the audiences' minds to how bad the injuries may be from the cause of her uncontrollable husband.
If i were to use this theme in my own work, then i would establish it in the same way so that my film would be able to give the same strong effect towards the audience as they view it so that they are able to connote the strong realisation of the situation occurring.

2) Racism - This is England




In this scene from ''This Is England'' (2006), the theme of Racism is portrayed in the most effective way. As the boy enters the shop, the audience witness him approaching the asian man behind the counter and calls him a ''paki bastard''. After this insult was expressed from the little boy, a big white man approaching the asian man with a large blade threatening him and mugging him for his stores merchandise. This theme of racism is established very strongly in this scene due to the use of overpowering and authority that the white ethnicity 'Skin Heads' claimed they stood within the British hierarchy. If i were to use this theme within my own work, i would use the same use of effectivity and style that they portrayed powerfully within this scene in This Is England and that would help to convey one of the main strong conventions of British Social Realism.

3) Smoking/Drugs - Trainspotting


Within the opening sequence for Trainspotting (), at 0.30, we witness him smoking drugs. We are able to denote this due to the strong effect that occurs within the dizziness and language of his body after smoking one puff of smoke. At 1.12, the camera uses a cross cut to represent the effect taking place with the drugs and the effect of the football smashing onto the mans face. Both shots denote him falling backwards onto the floor. With the cross-cut taken place to represent him falling, it foreshadows along with the fact of his life being downgraded whilst being a british citizen. I think if i were to use this camera work and theme in my work, then it would really help to give that strong 'kitchen sink' effect to how negative british life really is in our everyday world.

4) Dysfunctional families - London to Brighton


With the beginning scene of ''London to Brighton'', we witness family issue between a mother and a daughter. By looking at the mise-en-scene, they both appear to be inside a toilet. Due to the fact of the mothers eye being swollen up and blood being cleaned off the daughter, it connotes their struggle in life to the idea of violence being acted upon towards them. Also, the daughter is seen crying which helps to connote her worries about the struggle she may be sharing with her beaten mother. Whilst being approached by the theme of Dysfunctional families, the mother at one point also comes across the theme of prostitution in order to retrieve money for her and her child which then related back to the orignal theme of the struggle of their family. If i were to use this theme in my work, i would take the similar idea of relating two themes together causing them to work together and give a greater effect to the serious atmosphere of the situation.

5) Poverty - Looking for Eric



Within this scene from Looking for Eric, we are able to portray the theme of poverty from analysing the mise-en-scene which Eric is positioned in. Within his home, we are able to connote that there is a theme of poverty from looking at the dried up paint and dirt contained within his home. It shows he is struggling to provide which is helped by the dull colours used in the scene and the unvarnished atmosphere given within the kitchen. This would be very inspiring if i were to use this theme idea in my work and i would use the idea of my location being within a working class standard so that whatever theme i am trying to come across maybe regarding poverty, my audience would be able to denote it when watching.

Possible Location for BSR film

For my film, i have considered different locations in which would best suit the representation of a normal everyday negative british lifestyle. These locations would have to include the right conventions within the place which the audience would straight away be able to denote the relation to BSR. For instance, one location often used to represent BSR would have bad weather, dull colours, unhappy moods on people, and just a boring atmosphere around it all.

Locations i have considered:

Dagenham

Dagenham would be a good place for a BSR film to be set in due to:

• Unvarnished streets/atmosphere
• It is seen as a rough area to be in. 
• Most of its ethnicity is white which would be good for representing Britain.
• There are many council estates in Dagenham which would be good for representing the struggle of british peoples homes. 

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Barking, Greater London

Barking is known as a very unvarnished british area.

• For one thing, people in barking are always predicted to be getting involved in fights of any sort.
• There are people in barking who consist in very short tempers so they are most likely known to be getting upset over small occurrences that may occur in their lives. 
• Every day in Barking is the same so its people and their days never change in a sense for happiness. They always choose to deal with life in a struggled way.

Ilford Lane

Ilford lane would be a prime location to use for BSR. This is due to:

• There are many gangs that come together around street corners
• Many teenagers skip school and hang around 'Chicken Shops' for example.
• Ilford lane gives a very gritty unvarnished atmosphere. 

These conventions could help to strongly connote british life and its downgrades.

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Forest Gate

Forest Gate would be a good location to use for a British Social Realist film.

• It consists in other ethnicities apart from white so rasism could kick in within the area which is a strong negative convention of British Realist life. 
• The streets are dirty in some sense. Not really clean which could represent working class situations that people cope with.
• There are council states which are very common for working class British people to be living in when they are in the situation of struggle.

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Production Log 2

During this week, i have been looking at different typical conventions that are likely to occur in British Social Realist films. For instance, the use of violence, bad language, and conventions to do with poverty are most likely to be denoted from the audience. During this week, i conducted a timeline to how British Social Realist films have changed over time. As time has passed, the conventions and themes established in these films are expressed more effectively in a way which the audience are felt more with the situation of the film. For instance, in KidultHood which was released in the 2000's, the story line contained more gritty grimy violence and language which related strongly to the situations that occur in Britain with its negative appearance. This will help with my production and it will help me in creating my story line in the similar style and appearance. I have also studied News stories of Britain and have realized the similar relation between British Social Realist films and the News. BSR films tend to relate very strongly with the reality coinsurance during Britain life. With this being put to thought, the audience are able to relate to the film whilst being already notified of the real situations that occur in their real world.

A text that i found was very influential to me was ''Nil by Mouth'' (1997). This involved a scene which revealed the corrupt domestic violence being acted upon a wife by her husband. This thing that caused this to be so effective was that when the women was getting abused by her husband, the us, the audience were unable to view the injuries being made as what she claimed to be on the floor.  This caused the audience to connote what the wife may be looking like as the abuse continued. Also, the scene was filmed in dark lighting   which caused the scene to be even more crucial to the audiences minds. Putting into consideration the BSR story line i have in thought, this scene from Nil by Mouth will help to create my production in more of a effective way so that it can reach out further upon its British targeted audience.

 For my production, in order to create my production is such a way of being represented as a British Social Realist opening sequence, i will try and put as many conventions as possible including the strong depth of British domestic violence being reflected upon and the use of strong bad language being expressed through the characters' words.

Opening Sequence Timeline

The Crying Game

Use Of Themes In British Social Realism

There is a very strong link between British Social Realism and the real world. Unlike Hollywood films Violence, Bad language, and Poverty. A story like this was heard to have happened recently in the British news of BBC where there was a young girl who was given alcohol and then raped by an older man. Events like this are typical to occur in Britain which then results in the story lines of the B.S.R films to take strong inspiration.

These themes here their storyline's are based around happy endings, riches, and fantasies, B.S.R focuses more on the serious negative downsides to life in the situations that mainly Britain and its people would get positioned in. For instance, the main downsides to the life of Britain would relate to themes such as, drugs, sex, abuse, smoking, alcohol, escapism, sex/rape, etc. An example of a British Social Realism film which expresses these themes is "Fish Tank". In Fish Tank, we are introduced to the themes of Rape, Alcohol, Child Abuse, are very unique when presenting themselves through B.S.R films due to the fact of them relating to similar events that occur in the real world such as abuse, stealing etc.

With the British audience who watch these films, they are then able to relate to them after having known of the related events that they are told about through the news regarding Britain and its crimes. By giving realistic story lines, it causes the audience to feel uncomfortable due to them already being aware of the similar stories that happen in the real world; especially in Britain.