LO1 - Task 2

Hello, it's me again and I'm here this time to talk about products in the media industry, specifically film. And for this I have chosen to focus on 'James Cameron's Avatar' from 2009, made by 20th Century Fox.

Purpose

The film was made to entertain; it does this by creating fictional settings and characters with a dramatic and entertaining story. Avatar is aimed at the international market. 20th Century Fox needed to access a mass audience in order to make a large profit, they are a commercial company so profit is essential to the company's purpose.

Genre

Daniel Chandler (2001) 'Genre means type or category.'

Examples of Film Genres:

• Sci-Fi
• Romance
• Comedy
• Tragedy
• Rom-Com
• Action 
• Adventure
• Historical Adventure

IMDB places Avatar in the action, adventure and fantasy genres (some people have even stated that the film has many Western elements) though the film is evidently firmly in the science fiction genre due to it's setting and characters. The film is set in the future on the fictional moon of Pandora and is host to an alien race called Na'vi.

Sub-Genre

Barry Keith Grant (1995) 'All genres have sub-genre'.

Avatar fits in to various sub-genres including action-adventure and the guys at flickeringscreen.net place it in the "going native" sub-genre.

Examples of other subgenres:

• Historical Adventure
• Psychological Thriller
• Rom-Com

Form

Avatar is a feature length film has a huge running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The film is aimed at an audience of all ages and isn't aimed at a particular ethnical group so it was distributed worldwide. In fact the film opened to a total of 14,604 screens in 106 territories and has set box office records in English speaking countries such as the US, Canada and the UK as well as non-speaking countries such as China, Latvia and the Czech Republic.

Style 

My film is clearly a very modern film and it has a very realistic aesthetic quality to it due to the high quality CGI. However, as the film is set in the future it doesn't show an enormous amount verisimilitude besides some military scenes.

Content + Meaning

Narrative Structures

Todorov (1997) claimed there are 5 key stages to a narrative. The main 3 include:

1) Equilibrium - There is balance and everything is fine

2) Disequilibrium - There is an enigma, something bad happens

3) Resolution -  Solving the enigma > Returning to Equlibrium

Though my chosen film (Avatar) does start with a disequilibrium, the death of his brother, it does more or less follow this structure. The equilibrium begins when the protagonist enters his Avatar body and is able to walk again, another equilibrium is when Jake (the protagonist) is finally accepted in to the Omaticaya clan though this comes along much later in the film.

The disequilibrium in my film comes about when Colonel Quaritch (the antagonist) decides to blow up hometree (sorry if I spoiled the film). Then finally, the resolution comes about after a war between the Na'vi and the humans which results in the humans being exiled from Pandora (besides the ones who decide to join the Na'vi). This means peace is once again restored to the deigesis.

Kate Domaille's theory on narrative structure (2001) states that every story fits in to one of eight narratives. Avatar doesn't strictly follow one of these narratives but it does vaguely follow both the Candide and Orpheus structures. Jake Sulley, for example, though he has no use of his legs to begin with, he is eager to help the army as soon as possible, this is a Candide structure. The film begins with the loss of his brother, a disequilibrium, and this is where his journey begins and the event leads to him joining the marines again.

Claude Levi Strauss's theory of a 'binary opposition' also shows in Avatar. There is a very clear disregard to the work being done by the researchers on Pandora. The marines are only on the planet to find 'Unobtanium' and make a profit, the researchers are genuinly interested in the life of the Na'vi, whom the marines just want to kill. Throughout the film we are clearly shown that the marines are the dominant ones as they essentially reject the ideas of the researchers, a notable example of this is when Grace asks the marines not to destroy the tree of spirits. To this Selfridge (the aministrator of the mining program) replies "What have you people been smoking out there," which is a clear disregard for the researchers and what they have discovered. This clip can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMCCf8J7AQ .

Avatar mainly connotes the idea that big corporations are heartless. It does this (as I said before) by showing that the marines have literally no care for the Na'vi or their environment as they are only out to make a profit. This disregard to the Na'vi people also shows connotations of the negligance shown by the European settlers in the 15th century towards the native Americans, which is why many people have described the film as having western elements.

The denotation of the actual setting of Pandora shows a people who are able to interact and connect with the environment around them, but many have suggested (such as the people at cultivatingthemind.com ) that James Cameron is trying to show that people should be more connected with the nature around them.

Sound

This scene from Avatar shows use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The scene denotes a soundtrack, which also works as incidental music as it vaguely reflects the fear connoted by the protagonist; this is non-diegetic because the characters in the film cannot hear it. The soundtrack begins when the character Grace shouts, "Run, definitely run!” This is diegetic dialogue because the characters within the diegesis and the audience can hear it, this section of the clip simply denotes that Grace is shouting to the others, but the tone in her voice connotes danger and worry. This is important because her mode of address is, in some respect, teacher-to-pupil which challenges male stereotypes as Grace appears to be the dominant character.

As the soundtrack is non-diegetic it was clearly added during post-production, but the diegetic sound of the 'Thanator' roaring and making various other noises was most likely also added during post-production because the animal is entirely made up of CGI. The roar of the Thanator is a very important sound as it connotes to both the characters and audience that this is a violent animal and so it induces the feeling of fear. These connotations are very important as they massively reinforce the disequilibrium stage. Another example of diegetic sound is the heavy breathing made by Jake Sulley, he starts doing this at 0:09 when he begins running, denoting that he is out of breath but yet again enforcing that connotation of fear which is essential to this scene and again challenging male stereotypes as he is relatively submissive character in this scene. These sound effects, such as the breaking of tree branches and other foliage are very important in this clip to create meaning within the diegesis which is essential to creating verisimilitude. 

Because this particular clip is for promotional purposes, the end of the clip also features non-diegetic dialogue of someone promoting the film. The scene also has non-diegetic sounds of crunching grass, and the waterfall before we actually see it in the shot. 

 

The trailer for the film uses an even wider variety of non-diegetic and diegetic sound. At the beginning of the trailer, it uses a non-diegetic soundtrack, which has the voices of various characters within the diegesis layered over the top. The soundtrack is a melody and contains no lyrics; it begins quite slow paced with a relatively high pitch to make an almost heavenly like atmosphere. At approximately 2:16 the pitch is slightly lowered and the pace picks up to coincide with dramatic montage of clips, which follows. This is to connote typical elements of the sci-fi and fantasy genres.

 Mise-en-scene

 Mise-en-scene is a small element of video which is encoded into the product to create meaning or representations of important things within the diegesis, it can also be used to enforce stereotypes. It's literal meaning, however, is 'Everything within the frame'. So that is exactly what I will talk about, and how these elements are important to the film.

One of the most important parts of film is the location. The location is very important as it creates the surroundings of the diegesis. In Avatar, Hometree is arguably the most important location within the entire film. Like most things in Avatar it is mostly made of CGI, but it is important to the diegesis and the characters within it because, as its name suggests, it is home to the Omaticaya clan. This is important to the film's plot because though there are many different Na'vi tribes within the Avatar universe, the film focuses on the Omaticaya because of the value of the surrounding area. When the protagonist, Jake Sulley, first gets accepted in to the clan the audience are able to explore Hometree a little bit further. This is important because it connotes feelings of togetherness and family as well as showing denotations of the way the Na'vi people are connected with nature.

Costumes are a crucial part to any film because they reflect the diegesis and they give clear representations of the characters. Avatar has two very important costumes worn by the characters. The costumes worn by the Na'vi represent their character in that it is very basic tribal wear, this extremely contrasts against the marines because they wear futuristic army clothing. This also reinforces the binary opposition between the two character types as the antagonists costumes reflect their army background enforcing that they are powerful and technologically advanced whereas the protagonist's (the Na'vi) costumes reflect their native culture and show the contrast between them and the marines as the Na'vi are much less technologically advanced. In turn, this also reinforces male stereotypes as the marines' costumes are worn mostly by men which sows connotations of authority and male dominance.

The most recognisable prop in Avatar is probably the protagonist's wheelchair. It is a key item in relation to the prop and perfect example of iconography, it connotes the character's past and there is a lot of emotion tied in with it when he first get's inside his avatar body. It is key to the plot because it connotes this feeling of helplessness and being cast out, so much so that the antagonist, Colonel Quaritch, even makes a point of it when he says "I'll see to it you get your legs back. Your real legs." 

In this same scene, the antagonist is sat inside an Amplified Mobility Platform, or AMP which is another example of iconography within the film. These are essentially 'mech' suits that they use for various purposed because they give the character advanced strength. This is important because it creates some verisimilitude within the diegesis because these are props which have very futuristic connotations.

The AMPs are also very important in re-enforcing the binary opposition between the marines and the Na'vi people, this is because the Na'vi are seen with more tribal weapons such as bows and arrows. This is another piece of iconography, not just for the film but for the entire fantasy genre as these sort of weapons are very common props. The use of this sort of weaponry also creates historical connotations of medieval times, this shows how basic the technology used by the Na'vi actually is and creates an enormous contrast between them and their futuristic surroundings. The arrows are particularly important to the diegesis as Colonel Quaritch even notes that their arrows are "dipped in a neurotoxin that will stop your heart in one minute," which he says make the Na'vi very hard to kill.

Colours and lighting are important to film because it connotes different moods and emotions. In Avatar, when the protagonist initially lands on Pandora the lighting is high key. This is when the lighting is encoded in the scene to make it bright and well lit, however it is often just general daylight (such as this example). This is still important because it gives the audience a clear image of what the location looks like and can create a sense of verisimilitude.

In the scene following the 'Thanator chase', we next see the protagonist stranded and surrounded by more creatures. This scene uses low-key lighting, which is used to denote darkness, but this use of low-key lighting also connotes this feeling of being stranded, helplessness and again fear which aid in creating the disequilibrium within the narrative. Following this scene however, though it is still dark there are various plants which create their own light and are all varying in colour. This has connotations of mystery and enforces elements of both the science fiction and fantasy genres, particularly the use of bright colours as it gives the scene a magical feel. 

This same scene also introduces Neytiri, an important character as she later becomes the protagonist's love interest. Gestures are very important in this scene because it denotes that Neytiri is trying to explain her words but it shows clear connotations of her native background, showing that she is not very familiar with using the English language. This, combined with her facial expressions, also connote her feelings of anger towards the protagonist.

Camerawork

Camerawork is important in films because it provides an understanding of the characters and their relations between other characters. It is also used to introduce new locations, involve the audience in the scene and create spectacle for the audience.

All camerawork falls in to one of three categories, these are; shot types, camera angles and camera movement.

Shot types are used to create spectacle on the screen, this can be through introducing characters and/or locations or through creating visual connotations. The scene below shows uses of various shots. The 'over-the-shoulder' shot used here shows both the character's faces, this is useful in this scene because it denotes their dangerous surroundings but through the protagonist's facial expressions we are able to see connotations of fear.

This shot type also shows Neytiri talking over him, showing that she is the dominant character in this scene. This important because the shot type becomes a simple way to go against the stereotype of male dominance.

This is a straight camera angle, this is used to denote a clear image of the two characters which helps to involve the audience in the scene. In the scene there are various high angles used to make the protagonist seem dominant over the 'banshee' creature. Generally however, a wide angle is used to give a clear view of the whole scene.

This scene uses a lot tracking, this creates spectacle because the audience is able to follow all the movement of the protagonist, this again means the audience can get a clear view of the scene and they become more involved in the scene as they are able to see from the protagonist's perspective.

Editing

Another really important element to making a film is the editing process. This is done during post production, and in this particular clip is used to connote the danger within the scene. For example, there is a cut placed between two shots at 2:04. The first clip shows the protagonist (Jake) falling over the edge of the cliffe, the second shows the character Neytiri running to try and help the character. This is a useful way of cutting two clips together because it creates spectacle and connotes a stronger sense of danger. By making the male protagonist fall off and Neytiri the one who helps him, this goes against typical stereotypes as the female character appears stronger than the protagonist.

The scene also uses a technique called 'Action Match'. This is where an action begins in one shot and is completed in a following shot. At 1:30 Jake swings around in order to get on top of the Banshee and this is done in three shots.

Shot Reverse Shot Structure

Shot reverse shot is an editing technique that is usually used when two characters are talking to each other. Usually one character is off-screen whilst the camera focuses on one character before then switching to the other character. The audience is able to assume that the characters are talking to one another as the characters are facing the opposite direction. It is a simple technique that makes dialogue easier to focus on and more interesting visually I think.

As this structure is used in most scenes with a heavy amount of dialogue there are of course a lot of scenes in Avatar when this editing technique is used. I personally think this scene (below) is one of the most important in the film, however, when this technique is used. We get to see the individual characters very clearly whilst they make their point.

The other important thing about this scene, I think, is that through the shot reverse shot structure the audience can very clearly distinguish the ignorant behavior of the marines and businessmen and the compassion of the protagonists. This confrontation reinforces the binary opposition between these two types of characters and I think that is very important to the film as a whole and very important in terms of showing how useful shot reverse shot can be as an editing technique.

Crosscutting

Crosscutting is a technique that is generally used to show two pieces of action in different places that are happening simultaneously. I think the best example of this is the final battle scene in which the technique is used to show both the on-land and in-air battles that are going on simultaneously but in different areas.

At 1:14 the camera cuts from one Na'vi flyer being taken down to a Marine on the ground in an AMP suit shooting wildly. I think this technique is another great way of enhancing the binary opposition as in this particular scene it shows how brutish the Marines really are. In comparison to the marines, the protagonists are shown to be communicating with each other and caring about each other's welfare when the camera cuts between them (e.g at 2:14), therefore showing the audience how those characters are 'ideal selves' and again reinforcing the binary opposition between those two types of characters. Because these character are shown communicating with each other, the use of crosscutting also helps to make the dialogue flow much better throughout the sequence; which is of course essential in order for the audience to easily follow the narrative.

Production Process

Pre-Production is the planning stage of the production process, this includes the writing of the scripts, storyboards etc. In the case of Avatar this also included the development of the motion-capture technology used. 

The clip below shows the importance of both the production and post-production stages. In the production stage, the scenes are filmed using guidance from the scripts and storyboards that are created during pre-production. In the post-production stage, the scenes' CGI is fully processed and edited. The best representation of this I think, is the scene where Hometree falls because it is very clear how much of the scene has been created through CGI, it is a very dramatic scene and the sheer scale of it would simply not be possible without the use of CGI. The computer generated imagery is then layered over the top of the recorded scenes to complete the realistic image. However the motion capture technology is actually simultaneously converted into CGI as the clips are being recorded, therefore in pre-production the images are only edited and perfected.

The film's trailer was also made in post-production. This is because the trailer has to showcase the film in a short amount of time in order to captivate an audience. Though the clips are recorded in production, the editing in post-production determines how these clips should be viewed by the audience. This is done by using particular shots, including lots of close-ups to introduce main characters and pieces of iconography, between 0:28 and 0:45 we are shown closeups of the protagonist, antagonist and various supporting characters such as Neytiri and Norm. It is also done by placing lots of cuts between the clips to give the trailer it's fast pace. Trailers generally have little relevance to pre-production, besides that the clips are all planned during this stage, because the trailers sole purpose is to advertise the film which can of course only be done after the film has been made.

Titles are also incredibly important in film trailers and are also made in the post-production stage, they are only a simple effect to create but they have a massive effect on the audience as it helps to promote the film through its cast and crew. In this example it even boasts five of James Cameron's previous films which appeal to various audiences.

And that’s all you need to know about what film is for, how to categorise it and why editing and camerawork is so useful, as well as receiving a more in depth look to James Cameron’s Avatar. If your still eager to hear more then I say au revoir, but if I’ve managed to give you all the information  you require then I say thank you and goodbye.