p2

1. Theory- Meaning
Chelsea Kierans

2. Snake
• Denotation
– According to the dictionary a snake
is a long limbless reptile which has
no eyelids, a short tail, and jaws
that are capable of considerable
extension. Some have a venomous
bite.
• Connotation
– Connotations of a snake could be
that a person is deceitful, dishonest
and evil. It’s a word mostly used to
show someone is a villain. When at
a pantomime, hissing is a way of
showing someone is a bad person.

3. Flag
• Denotation
– The dictionary says that a flag is a piece of
cloth or similar material, typically oblong or
square, attachable by one edge to a pole or
rope and used as the symbol or emblem of a
country or institution or as a decoration
during public festivities.
• Connotation
– A connotation of a flag could be that
someone who has one is very patriotic and
happy to represent their country. They follow
the law, and love the country they live in.
– Another connotation of a flag could be quite
negative as people could be very close
minded about people of different
nationalities that aren’t their own. People are
known to discriminate against people due to
this.

4. Gun
• Denotation
– The dictionary definition of a gun is a
weapon incorporating a metal tube from
which bullets, shells, or other missiles
are propelled by explosive force,
typically making a characteristic loud,
sharp noise.
• Connotation
– Connotations are that they could be and
are mostly used for violence, and hurt
people more than they protect people.
Someone who has one most likely
intends to hurt someone, or themselves.
Even if they want to protect themselves.
They are still planning on hurting
someone and that is quite negative.

5. The colours on this poster for Pitch
Perfect shows that the film is bold,
fun and unique. I for one, have
never seen a film based on
acapella music. The colours just
show that the film is different
from others.
All the actresses that are on the
poster, are all wearing the same
colour clothes. This is because
they are in a group, and want to
be united. If you watched the
film, you’ll know that this has a
lot more meaning than if you
haven't as they did wear a
uniform, but it was old, and the
main character wanted to
change things so people could
be themselves, and be more
unique. They all wear the same
colours at the end, but in their
own ways.
The main characters are
placed more towards the front
than the others, to show their
importance within the role
they have in the film. It shows
that these are the people you
need to be watching as what
they do is important within
the film.
The lighting of the poster is very light,
showing that it’s a very light-hearted film,
shows that it’s probably comedy, not a
drama, or a horror. There's not really a
‘bad’ person in this film, as everything
gets resolved in the end.
One of the characters in the
poster is holding a
microphone, as it shows what
the film is based on, music.
Acapella music to be precise.
It is to show that the main
characters and the other
ones, probably sing on the
poster.

6. The colours on the poster are
predominantly blue. This shows
the mystery and coldness of the
place they are and how cold the
beast has grown after being
isolated from people for so long.
Blue is also the colour that
represents trust, and Belle trusts
the Beast not to hurt her. It also
symbolizes wisdom, confidence,
and the truth. The colour is
strongly associated with calmness
and tranquillity. This shows that
even though the beast isn’t
having the best of times, he trusts
belle not to judge him by the way
he looks, and get to know him as
a person not a Beast.
The poster is very light on
belles side, showing her
innocence and purity, it’s more
shadowed on the beasts side to
show the curse that’s been put
on him. It also makes the beast
quite mysterious and dark, as
you can’t see him properly.
Both of the characters in this
poster are wearing very ‘posh’
clothes, the Beast is wearing
blue, the colour of tranquillity,
and Belle is wearing the colour
gold, associated with love,
compassion, courage, passion,
magic, and wisdom. All these
things are what belle is as a
person, so it reflects her
personality perfectly.
The only prop used in this poster is
the rose. The rose is the beasts, and
it symbolises the beasts life. If the
petals fall off, he will look like that
forever. He is trusting her to hold it,
to touch it. A rose also symbolises
love, and they do fall in love.
The poster is showing them both outside in
the cold, and in the snow, this could
represent the outside world as cold, and
how people won’t understand the beast or
be as accepting as belle, as they see him
and think she is in danger. It is also outside
the castle, where everything happens.

7. Everyone is wearing dark
colours and they are
surrounded by darkness, to
symbolise the dark times
that they are about the
endure, and the darkness
that is going to have to be
endured within the film.
Most of them are
holding wands, to show
that they are growing
more and more
powerful within their
power. It also shows
that they will be using
them and that they are
‘wizards’.
The light is on all of their
faces, symbolising heroism
and pureness. Its shows
that they are the people
that are going to save the
day in the film.

8. Soundtrack
• Clip 1
– The soundtrack makes the
genre seem like a horror film,
and that the woman is going to
hurt the man, just by the way
she’s looking at him.
• Clip 2
– The genre could be romance,
but could be linked in with
fantasy, the people in the
picture could be falling in love,
and the track is to show that
happening.

9. Shining
• The soundtrack made the shining seem like a
family film, even though the original genre is
horror. Using the film clips that they used,
made it seem like a boy getting a stepfather,
and how happy they are as a new family. It
also make it look quite funny, as the child is
discovering new things whilst his mother is
getting to know his new dad.

10. Scary Mary
• Mary Poppins is normally a children's film, but
they changed it to a horror one. The
soundtrack was changed from the original to
one where they have made it seem scary by
making her repeat the same things over and
over again, in an echo.

11. Stereotypes
Men
• To be strong
• Less emotional
• Need to work
• Always figure things
out on their own
• To not like ‘Girly’
things, like films etc.
Women
• That they are
emotional
• They should have
children
• They should look after
children
• Should cook
• Should clean
• flirtatious

12. Stereotypes
Upper Class
• Have an accent
• Lots of nice cars
• Mansions/big houses
• Exotic pets
• Lots of money
• Work a lot
Working Class
• Regular sized house
• 1 or 2 cars
• More than 3 children
• Regular pets (cats
dogs)

13. Stereotypes
Old People
• Old car
• Bad drivers
• Mobility scooter
• Not leaving the
house
• Lonely
• Care home
Young People
• Motorbike
• Drunk
• Clubbing
• First house
• ‘Chavs’

14. Iconography- Western
• Cowboys
• Desert
• Bars
• Horses
• Tumble Weeds

15. Iconography- Sci-Fi
• Aliens
• Monsters
• Lasers
• Space
• Futuristic

16. Iconography- Fantasy
• Castles
• Dragons
• Mythical
• Magic

17. Narrative
• Narrative Definition
– A products storyline
• Linear Narrative Definition
– A storyline that is presented in the order beginning
middle and end.
• Linear Narrative Film Example
– The Dark Knight
• Non-Linear Narrative Definition
– A storyline that jumps around a bit with things like
flashbacks/flash forwards, so it’s out of sequence.
• Non-Linear Narrative Film Example
– Dunkirk

18. Clip Analysis
• Costume – The costumes they wear are different colours, the ‘good’ people are wearing yellow and blue,
these are bright, friendly colours. Darth Vader is wearing black, an that shows that he is a ‘bad’ guy
because of that. Black symbolises evil and death whereas bright colours represent life. Darth Vader wears a
mask which is black, this symbolises mystery as you don’t know who is underneath it.
• Dialogue – Everything the ‘good’ characters say, is to help each other within that moment. All they wanted
to do was get out alive, this symbolises that they are good people. Everything Darth Vader said was
demeaning and evil in some way, which just shows that he is a bad person with evil ideas to kill people.
• Props – Both the ‘good’ side and the ‘bad’ side have light sabers. They are different colours though, the red
light sabers symbolise the ‘bad‘ side and that they’re evil, with evil motives and ideas that will inevitably
hurt someone or kill them. The ‘good’ people have blue light sabers. The colour blue represents
tranquillity, calmness, wisdom and confidence. All these things prove that the ‘good’ people only want
what is the best for everyone
• Lighting – The lighting in the room the fight happens is really dark apart from when the fight is happening,
it looks like the light sabers are illuminating the room and there’s a sight spotlight on the characters
individually so you can see them fighting. This symbolises that the ‘good’ characters don’t really know
what to do and how to get out, as they are ‘in the dark’ you could say.
• Camerawork – The camerawork within the clip showed the characters close up as they were fighting,
sometimes and other times it was full body shots, this is to emphasise the tension that is happening and
how the characters are feeling. You can see when Darth Vader is getting frustrated with his hand
movements and body language, even though he is wearing a mask. They focus on this in the camerawork.
• Editing – The editing prolongs the suspense within the clip by using panning, instead of jump-cutting. This
makes the clip more suspenseful and enjoyable for the viewer to watch. Jump cutting wouldn’t have the
same effect as there would be too much going on within the clip and people wouldn’t enjoy it as much.
• Music – The music within this clip was suspenseful and created tension. It builds up the tension as it goes
on through the clip, and the suspense comes to and end within the music when they make the robots fall
onto Darth Vader. Then it starts to build up again afterwards as he rises up from the pile and goes after the
‘good’ guys. When they get away they have the music sounding quite heroic to celebrate it.