Task 2 – Investigating a media product

Detailed Work Pack

STUDENT NAME_Dominic Clark_______________________________________

The name of the film I have decided to investigate is Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The purpose of the film is to entertain.

The genre of my chosen film is Fantasy/Science fiction

The poster of this film really captures the Star Wars feel with many bright colours that contrast from the right side being mainly blue and the left side being mainly red (This could signify the good and evil narrative of the movie). It includes images of the main cast including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford. Daisy is not normally known for science fiction genres as this is Daisy Ridley’s first film. Whereas John has been in attack the block which is another sci-fi film. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher can be seen in the centre of the poster as they are very iconic to this franchise but they are smaller on the poster as they are already well known actors which means that the audience has to look at the poster more closely to recognise them and by then they are interested in seeing the film. Spaceships and

futuristic looking weapons can be seen on the poster which suggest that this film is a sci-fi. Stormtroopers are standing in an angled line which suggests they are ready for battle. A character with a mask can be seen in the top left of the poster and is holding a red lightsaber and takes up most of the poster suggesting he is the villain of the movie. Both the hero and the villain are holding their weapons parallel to each other giving the impression that they might have some kind of connection.

Some codes and conventions in this film that relate to this being a sci-fi include:

The futuristic setting and technology such as laser blasters and spaceships as well as the use of the “force” which gives spiritual side to the genre making the film partly fantasy as well.

The music of the film, composed by John Williams, is instantly recognisable as the Star Wars theme.

There are a lot of scenes in space and on other planets which relates to this movie being a sci-fi movie.

The film has a very linear narrative with a clear beginning middle and end. The basic set up of the film is:

30 years has passed since the events of “Return of the Jedi” and Luke Skywalker has vanished. The First Order has risen from the remains of the fallen Galactic Empire and are at war with the New Republic. From the support of the Republic, General Leia Organa lead a brave resistance to hold back the First Order whilst looking for her twin brother Luke to help restore peace to the galaxy.

One of my favourite scenes in the movie is this scene when both main characters, Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), are running from explosions form air strikes being aimed at them. As this scene is played out both of them have only just met and are arguing about what ship to escape in. When Finn Refers to another ship to escape in Rey Replies “That one’s Garbage”. The ship they were clearly headed for is destroyed and Rey says “The garbage will do” as the camera pans to follow them running towards the instantly recognisable Millennium Falcon which a very exciting scene for fans as this is the first time we see this very iconic ship.

Another scene that takes place on the First Order’ Starkiller base where the weapon is about to fire and destroy the New Republic in order to weaken their enemy: The Resistance. The iconography in this scene is very reminiscent of Nazi Germany during the Second World War with the images of a powerful dictator standing over an army with red flags as well.

Both of these scenes relate to this being a sci-fi film.

Another one of my favourite scenes is this one when Rey, Finn and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are walking into Maz Kanata’s castle. I particularly like this scene because it is one continuous shot that follows the characters through the courtyard and into the cantina inside. The shot itself lasts for a couple of minutes without cutting to the next which results in a really immersive cinematic

experience as the audience feels like they’re walking into this place for the first time.

The lighting in this scene is also very natural as it follows characters from outside to inside in one continues shot. When the characters go into the castle, the audience instantly feels the atmosphere because of the low lighting inside compared to outside. The scene is also quite smoky which

relates to the fact that this cantina is like a pub in the real world.

The use of sound in this scene is also very effective especially when the characters walk inside the cantina where there is an alien band playing live music and many different people talking, shouting and laughing. There are also some non-diagetic in this scene such as a robot making beeping noises and spaceships flying overhead.

All aspects of this scene relate to this being a sci-fi film.

Here is a panning shot of the iconic Millennium Falcon ship which is filmed from the perspective of someone on the ground.

Here is an establishing/long shot of the Millennium falcon abut to land on a new planet that hasn’t been seen in the film yet.

Here is a close-up shot of the villain “Kylo Ren” played by Adan Driver. This scene shows Kylo Ren using the force to talk to his dead grandfather “Darth Vader” saying “I’ll finish what you started”

This is a tracking/panning shot that follows a group of X-wing ships flying across a lake which gives the audience a sense of speed when the ships are flying.

In conclusion, Star Wars the Force Awakens has many codes and conventions that relate to the film being of the sci-fi/fantasy genre.