This is my task 1 for unit 25, 26

1. Task 1 Units 25,26
TrainingDay (2001) is a crimethriller directed by Antoine Fuqua. Itis
about a veteran officer by the name of Alonzo, who escorts a Jake the
rookieon his firstday with the LAPD's tough inner-city narcotics unit.
The scene I am analysingshows Alonzo Harris and JakeHoyt raidinga
house and discovering a caseof cash.Also,in the scene are4 other
characters who are part of Alonzo’s narcotics team.
I will be analysingdifferentelements throughout the clip,including
camerawork, sound, editingand miseen scene.
The filmhas a linear narrative,meaningthe scenes and events that
occur are in chronological order.Itfollows a linear narrativebecause
the filmfollows JakeHoyt’s first24 hours on the job, which is why it
stays in chronological order otherwise thus it would be confusingand
disorientatingfor the audience. The filmis also closed ended, as the
filmhas come to a conclusion with Alonzo dying, as the audienceare
not left with any further questions.It is also a multi stranded storyline,
as we followseveral different plotlines in the movie.
Camera work
In this scene, the camera movements areextremely important, for itreveals a lot about the character’s
feelings and emotions. For example, there area lotof closeup shots in this scene to emphasisethe way the
characters look and how they're feeling.
In one particularpartof where Jake is holdinga gun at Alonso, there are a lot of cutaways to show the
intensity of the scene. Each of these shots are closeups or extreme closeups which adds to the tension in the
of the scene unfolding.This is becausewe can see the emotions displayed in the character’s eyes. Duringthis
scene there area lotof closeups of Alonso. This is the firstpartof the filmwhere Alonso is seen to be a
vulnerablecharacter,as he is seen at a lower anglerevealingthat he is not in control.
This partof the scene is very important for many reasons regardingcamera work. In all scenes prior to this
one, Alonso is filmed at a low angleshot, and Jake is filmed at a high angleshot, because Alonso is normally
the character who has the most power in the film. However, the change in angles demonstrates how Jake has
the most power in this scene. This therefore suggests that Jake's character is notas fearful as the audience
once believed that he was, and the audience's opinion of Jake will changefrom somebody who seemed likea
weak character,to somebody who does hold a lotof power.

2. Task 1 Units 25,26
Duringthis intense part, Jakes shoulder can be seen whilstthe camera is pointed as Alonso.However, Alonso's
shoulder cannotbe seen whilstthe camera is pointed at Jake. Although this may seem miniscule,this is
significantfor itbrings the audienceinto the room at the time. The reason that the camera is only featuring
Jakes shoulder is becausethe director wants the audience to take Jakes sideover Alonso's.This therefore will
subconsciously makethe audience feel sympathy for Jake, and will wantAlonso to die.

3. Task 1 Units 25,26
Just before the characters enter Rogers's house, the camera tracks the movement of the characters,as they
prepare to raid the house. The director did this in order to represent the panic and the urgency. The tracking
movements are so the audience feel likethey are also a partof the scene, drawingin the audience.
The trackingcontinues into a longshot, which shows the audiencethe full scopeof the situation of all the men
aimingatRoger. Roger appears at a high angle, showinghis weakness, now that the audienceand himhave
realised thathe has been set up by Alonzo.
We see Jakes perspective, and are at a level of power, however Jake is not comfortable in this position and
appears awkward.Paul,Tim and Jake appear as over the shoulder of Roger, however, we are on the sideof
Roger, putting us the audienceinto his perspectiveof being talked down to. Alonzo appears through a mid-
shot, coming out of the darkness,as a gradual realisation to Roger that Alonzo has turned on him. A closeup of
Roger then resumes to showhis reaction as shocked,and he realises thatitis not a mistake, and he is no
longer in power. We track Alonzo, as he walks around casually,which is juxtaposed by his team and Jake still
aimingatRoger. The use of closeups build tension throughout.
The editing duringTrainingDay also playsa bigrolein makingthe action scenes more intense. For example,
when the characters arekickingdown the door to Roger's house, there is a match on action.This is so thatthe
audienceare ableto see the action from both the point of view of Al onso, and also fromRogers's point of view
insidethe house but without disorientatingthe audience.The different view of the action also allowsyou to
see and feel the heart attack roger would have got when is door was busted in. Another benefit of using a
match cut in this is that itcreates sense of panic within the audience's mind.
Shot reverse shot is a common way that the editors piece together conversations within the scene. This shot
type is used to show dialoguebetween all of the characters duringa conversation.Sometimes, the camera
pointed at a character whilstthe other said.This is talking.This isdonein order to showeach character’s

4. Task 1 Units 25,26
reaction to what us being said.Which is portrayed on the audience, allowingthem to decide how they feel
about the situation
Duringthis specific scene,Alonso is lookingvery calmand confident when blamingJakefor killingRoger, and
Jake is lookingangry and annoyed. The audienceis ableto see how tense that this and itwill leavethem
wondering what is sceneis,goingto happen next.
Duringthe most intense partof the scene, where Jake is holdinga gun to Alonso,we arealso shown many
cutaways of Alonso's men holdingguns to Jake. These cutaways areessential in order to show the reactions of
the other characters to what Jake is doing.Everybody is on Alonso's sideapartfrom the audience. The cuts
made to other men's faces showwhat is happeningaround the main focus of the action,and also enforces the
danger in which both Jake Alonzo are in. In the same partof the scene, the pace of the shots is as quick as a
bulletbeing fired tellingthe audience that they should be on the edge of their seats feeling the intensity.The
fastcutting is also used in this sceneto showthe dialogueof the characters in the room. The use of doingthis
is to change the perspective to focus on what each person saying,and to also showthe non- verbal actions of
the characters who are holdingthe guns.
However, at other times in the scene, the cuts are a lot slower. Usingslowcuts also createtension in scene, as
it longs the scene out makingit very dreary. When The men are runningthrough the woods before to raid
Rogers house, the cuts are not as quick paced this is so that the audienceare ableto establish thesetting of
the forest outside Rogers house. As most of these shots are trackingshots,the cuts areslowin order to allow
the camera to show all the details in the background.Another reason for the slowcuts is to match the slow,
tension buildingmusic in the background.This therefore maximises the tenseness in the scene before they
enter the home, therefore making the audiencefeel drawn into what is goingto happen next.
Although the ellipsisin thescene may not be noticeable on the firstview of the film,it is essential for keeping
the audience intrigued about the action.When the men aredigginga hole in Rogers house, we are shown the
drill touch the ground, but then it cuts away to another piece of action.However, a minute later the hole
appears to be wider, itwould be impossibleto drill thatmuch land in that shortamount of time, but the
reason this is done is so that the audiencedo not loseinterest and turn off of fastforward the film.
The MiseEn Scene

5. Task 1 Units 25,26
The MiseEn Scene is incredibly importantthroughoutthis filmfor many reasons.In the very firstpartof the
scene where the characters arepreparingto raid Rogers house, the audiencewill noticethe secluded location
of Rogers house. The reason for this is becauseRoger is a drug dealer who wants to stay as hidden as possible
in order not to get caughtby the policeinsidehis house,there are lots of books on the shelf,which symbolises
to the audiencethat Roger is a clever man which is also shown through Rogers's clothes,hair,and glasses.To
the audience, itseems as if Roger is purposely wearingdull grey clothes,and livingin a secluded area in order
to not make himself noticed by anybody in the neighbourhood.
Alonso on the other hand is a complete juxtaposition to Roger. Alonso is shown in an oversized black jacketto
symbolisehow he believes that he is bigger,and more powerful than he truly is.He is wearingdark colours to
represent how he is an evil character who is mysterious.The colour black is often related to death and
mystery. This is something in which the audienceare ableto see when lookingatAlonso,for he is the reason
behind two people’s death, as well as himdyinghimself,this is the only colour you see Alonzo throughout the
filmimplyingthe constantmystery surround Alonzo through the film.The use of Alonso's oversized black coat
will makethe audiencethink of Alonso as a less powerful character than he may have been in previous scenes.
Also,the bad and good is made visiblein the scene as Jake wears white compared to Alonzo and his team who
all wear the distinctcolour of black,the only difference is the religious crossAlonzo wears around his neck
revealingthat the man still believes in somethingand that there could still besome lightin him.
Another aspectof what each character is wearingIs the amount of protection they are each wearing,most
characters areseen to be wearing bulletproof vests to protect themselves from a potential danger, however
Alonso isn’twearing one. This is as Alonzo sees himself as untouchableand too good at what he does to need
extra protection. This make Alonzo look and seem very powerful as if to say he is good enough without it,
however this can also makehim seem venerable and stupid to the audienceas he could believe such a thing.

6. Task 1 Units 25,26
Alonzo’ s cockynes lingers through the whole filmwere he states his control many times, an example of this
was when he asked Jake to open the caseand break the lock.This shows that Alonso is in chargeand tell
people what to do. They all haverelaxed body languagewhen speaking in this scene and when opening the
box however after its been open Jake starts to become a bitnervous as it’s his firstday on the job where
everyone elseis happy and relaxed. two very important props in the clip arethe briefcasewith all the money
inside,the caseis dusty to show that it’s been hidden and is old.This can also showthe money as it being dirty
money and wasn'tproperly earnt. Another prop is guns this implies thatthey may be aware something bad
could happen and need to be cautious.Guns imply power, authority and protection. Alonso is the only person
who is notholdinga gun, this could tell us that he expects others to do the work for him. One of the actors has
the gun to his facewhich can IntimidateJake. Alonzo gives Jake the biggest gun for the scene to test his loyalty
and power towards the corruptcops. The biggest gun has a name “bitch” this shows that they wanted to give
it to Jake as it will testhim, this gun also becomes the firstone to be shot duringthe scene to show its power.
Many other props used are power tools to break the floor in the kitchen, these includea shovel,knife, hammer
and chainsaw.Alonzo is the only one sittingdown and watchingthe others do the work for him. We know that
time has passed as we see by many cigarette buds on the floor next to Alonzo’s feet, this can show us that
Alonzo may be stressed and impatient. The money is another prop which is used without res pect as its
chucked around the room, this can also showthat its dirty money. Through the clip the lightingdoes change
depending on the atmosphere, one partof the clip all theblinds closewhich makes the room dimand dark,
the blinds areclosed to not attractattention. However, Jake is seen to be in the lightwhen talkingto Alonzo
who is not, this can showthe good and bad between each character.
Alonso is often seen in dark lightingwith only certain aspects of him in lighting.In one partof the scene Alonso
is fully in the dark apartfrom his eyes, which arein and the light,the effect that this has on the audienceis
that it makes Alonso seem very mysterious, the audienceknow exactly what he is aboutto do, yet due to the
lightingand the audience's knowledge of the character,they know that he is notup to no good. When Alonso
introduces himself to Roger, he enters from a dark lightingwhich fades to lighter lighting.The main reason
why the director did this to increasethe fear that roger will feel at the time. The dramatic entrancewill help
build the tension in the scene as a whole.

7. Task 1 Units 25,26
The use of sound in the filmis essential in order to create realismand makethe filmmore entertaining. There
are a l9otof diegetic sound in the film,which is a noisethat comes from the text and the characters can hear.
For example, this is used when the door slams shut,when the chainsawdrills into theground and the cocking
of the bullet which killsRoger.The purposeof usingdiegetic sound is to create a believableworld,which the
audiencecan relate to.
The sound of the main character gun is always theloudest,and in the actual filmthis is no different. Alonso’s
gun is the most powerful, and this is becausethe director wants the audienceto feel fear when they hear the
gunshot. It also focuses the audience's attention to Alonso each time they hear the gunshot. For example,
when Alonso kills Roger,the gunshot comes as a surpriseto the audience, yet due to the loud sound of the gun
the audience know who has shotit.
Another type of diegetic sound is the dialoguebetween the
characters.In previous scenes,Alonso has always spoken with an
instructivetone to his voicein order to make other characters fear
him. The use of the attractive languageis to make the audience realise
who was in control of the action in the movie. However, in this scene
where Jake is holdinga gun to Alonso's face,Alonso has to change his
tone of voice in order to remain alive.Whereas before he had the
power to tell Jake what to do or where to go at any point. The role has
been reversed. In order to get himself out of the situation,Alonso uses emotive and convincinglanguageto get
him out of that situation:He seduces Jake by callinghim"A quiet boy with a kind heart” and further seduces
him by tellinghimto think about his actions and howit would destroy his career if he kills Alonso.By usingthis
language,it allows for Jaketo put away the gun, and hands back the power to Alonso.
The non-diegetic
sound is
essential in
order to build tension and to engage the audience with what the
audiencewith what they are watching. At the beginningthere is a
low “Hum” which is builds into a more intense music as they are
about to enter the home. The effect that this has on the audience is
that it builds up tension and mystery, for the audience is unawarehoe the scene will end.

8. Task 1 Units 25,26
When the gun is firstpointed at Alonso,there is no music and the
room is completely silent,Gradually,this musicgets louder and
more intense in order to focus the audience’s attention on what
Alonso is sayingto Jake. The music builds asthe scene becomes
more intense, showing that there will be a dramatic climax.
However, the audience aresurprised when Jake backed down
and handed the gun back to Alonso.
Lastly,the music is representative of a heartbeat when the
camera is focussed on Alonso as diggingtakes place.This is an effective way of creatingsuspense, for it shows
the anxiety that Alonso feels. The heartbeat type music tells the audience that the followingshots are
extremely significantin regard to action in the film.
Bulmer and Katz' uses and Gratification Theory (1974) states that an individual will watch specific textin order
to satisfy a personal need. The theory gives four categories as to why a person will watch a specific film. The
categories are splitinto;Diversion,personal identity,and surveillanceneed.
Diversion is when a person watches a specific textas an escape from their everyday problems and routines.
This reason for watchinga filmis usually for entertainment purposes,and will notmake much difference to a
person's lifeafter watchingthat film.Another person may watch a specific text for personal relationship
reasons.This is where an individual uses themedia in order to fulfil their emotional and interaction needs. A
person will usethis filmas a substitutefor something that they do not have and want. For example, an
individual who has justcome out of relationship may watch a lovestory in order to satisfy their desirefor love.
The third reason is for personal identity, which is when somebody watches a filmin order to find a sense of
self.The lastcategory is for a surveillanceneed. This is when somebody watches something in order to gain
knowledge or information.This could be information aboutour geographical or social world,includingthe or
documentaries

9. Task 1 Units 25,26
Stuart Hall's encoding/Decodingtheory (1973) states that the producer will encode a certain messageinto the
text, and it is the job of the job of the audience to decode the message in order to get something out of it.
There are three ways that an audiencemember may read the message film,they could havea preferred
readingwhere the audiencewill agreeto the message of the oppositional reading whereperson understands
the message but disagrees with what it is saying,a negotiated readingis when somebody will both agree and
disagreewith the message of the film.
Most audiences would watch TrainingDay for a believing need that this is the world of corruption.People who
abusetheir position of power are an extremely relevant and real problem in our society today with unarmed
people being and killed by police.This filmhighlights theseproblems in a slightly exaggerated way, which is
excitingand engaging for the audience to watch. This filmleaves an individual to feel annoyed by the real -life
examples people who abuse their power.
I have a preferred readingof the film, instead of a negotiated or oppositional asI believethat when put in a
position of power, people will sometimes abuseit and will commit some atrocities simply becausethey can.
Although the filmwas hugely exaggerated, I believe that the message was very strong, and too difficultto
ignore. Some people may have a negotiated a readingof the filmbecause whilstthey believe that there are
policecorruptions,the film is overly exaggerated to an extent which doesn't mirror a real-lifesituation.