(D1) Explain how meaning was created within the materials created

In this post I will explain how meaning was created within the materials use and production.

Narrative - 

When developing the screenplay of our film, as well as the base idea of the narrative, we decided to use Todorov’s 5-stage linear narrative which created the structure that our would stick to. For example, the equilibrium stage is when the protagonist is walking through the woods. Following this is the disruption stage, where the protagonist discovers the notebook. The realisation stage is much longer and lasts a large amount of the film when going through the notebook day-by-day. The repair stage is when the notebook is returned to where it is found. The final stage, restoration, is when the other person comes and gets the notebook, deeming the protagonist clear of the notebook’s curse.

Shot Types - 

Following this, during production of the film, we used techniques learned from Unit 1 revision to create meaning in shots. We used close ups, long shots and mid shots where necessary as well as some camera movements which were limited by our production budget. During the film, we used close ups to develop relationships between characters, and between objects on screen. For example, when the protagonist is approached at the house, the shot is split between a close up of the protagonist and a long shot of the other person. During this sequence, we also used shot-reverse-shot to develop the conversation quality.

This is the shot that I described above. The close up of the protagonist matched with the long/mid shot of the other character shows a relationship between them, which is distanced here as they don't know who each other are. Creating relationships is very important for meaning in a film, inter character relationships provide structure to the narrative as they interact with different people in the film.

The relationship here is neutral. The character does not know the other character from both sides, they are simple conversations about a mutual interest.

This is a close up that is sued as the protagonist arrives at the house. This is used to show interest and question through the character's facial expressions. This is, conventionally, how close ups are used in all other films, which is why we used it in ours as we knew it would successfully created meaning.

Mise-en-Scene - 

Throughout the film, we also focused on the major mise-en-scene elements such as setting, location, props, and costume.  We used these to create the characters, the theme, and to stick to the genre of our production. The costume design of our characters was very simple, as all we had to do was recreate ourselves as characters in a film. This means that we had to just wear our normal outfits that we would in any other situation which was the easiest thing for us to do.

^This is the notebook used in the film. you can see how we manipulated it to make it look abandoned and dirty.

In terms of props, we had one which was particularly important to the narrative; the notebook. When we bought the notebook, we had to age it ourselves by covering it in dirt and muddy water as well as various damaged parts we added, and then we wrote the information in the notebook afterwards to ensure continuity. 

The book looks exactly how we wanted it to in this scene, as it looks old and untouched for years. This means that it generates an enigma code in the audience as they are curious about the book and why it looks so aged.

This creates meaning in a sense that the audience is intrigued by the narrative of our film. For example, this makes them question why the notebook is in the middle of nowhere and why it looks old. They want to see what is in the notebook which is what the narrative eventually extends to.

Costume - 

Costume was very simple in our film, as we were only tasked with replicating a normal, 17-year old teenage girl. This means that the costumes used were not prepared meticulously for the character, they are simple the expected clothing of anyone a similar age. We used jeans and hoodies mostly, as that is what we stated that our character would wear. In some shots coats and hats were used to show how the environment is cold, which creates meaning in the text as it seems a real life environment.

Shown above, we kept the costume design very simple, and ensured that it conveyed that of a normal teenager's appearance.

Furthermore, we used costumes here to depict a difference between two characters. Difference in height, colour, blocking, positioning and stature shows how the characters are two very different people. The protagonist is seemingly normal, sat normally and not expecting anything in particular. The character closest to the frame is wearing all black and covering their hands with gloves. This makes them seem imposing and menacing, as we are expecting them to do something bad. 

Specifically, the blocking in this frame is what captures the feeling most. The character closes to the frame is mostly out of the frame, hiding their identity. The way they are stood also makes it obvious that the character closest to frame is not with good intention.

This is used purposefully to build the characters, as well as the narrative.