media task- the representation of social groups in our opening sequence

1. CCR TASK- HOW DID YOU USE GENRE
CONVENTIONS AND REPRESENTATION OF
SOCIAL GROUPS IN YOUR OPENING SEQUENCE?
MELIS
SEZGIN

2. OUR OPENING SEQUENCE-
‘THE CHAIN’
 Our film opening sequence idea was mainly of the action genre,
although it did have some elements of crime and thriller too…
 The sequence consisted of cross-cutting between a hitman being
given a task by a boss (the boss handed him polaroid pictures of the
victims), and the scenes of the hitman killing said victims, sometimes
seen through the ‘CCTV cameras’ of the building.

3. CAMERA
 In action films, the most common types of camera shots used are tracking shots, wide/long
shots, high angle shots (could also be crane ups or birds eye view shots), canted/Dutch angle
shots, etc.
 We tried our best to incorporate these in our sequence. The CCTV style shots were taken from
high angles in the corners of our locations, which were not only logistically correct in terms of
where the security cameras would be, but also represented the victims as being vulnerable, as
it created the illusion that they were very small.
 One specific shot which took us a while to get right, was the handheld tracking shot of one
victim through the hallway. The cameraman had to run through the corridor while following
the actor’s movements, constantly changing levels. We had to rehearse this a lot so there
would be no clashing of the actor and the cameraman, or any damage done to the
equipment. After a few attempts, we got a shot that we liked. In the sequence, it added the
suspense and tension, especially because of the slightly uneasy shakiness of it, in addition to
emphasizing the action aspect of it. Within the shot, there were frames that could be
considered canted angles; which gave the impression of stress and disorientation, and high
angles; which painted the victim as weak and afraid in comparison to the hitman standing
above him.
 Another type of shot which we used here and there was close-ups. These were useful to show
off little details which were important to the plot, such as the polaroid pictures being passed
from the boss to the hitman, or the hitman ripping the chains off his victims. In some ways,
the close-ups could be considered both action and enigma codes, as they let the viewer know
that these objects (photographs & chains) have significance to the story, but also make them
wonder what exactly their purpose is, and what they mean.

4. MISE-EN-SCENE- PROPS AND
COSTUMES
 In action films, props tend to be quite “hardcore”- aggressive and violent, such as guns, knives (and
other weapons), as well as drugs, cigarettes, and more, which all signify illegal/criminal activity.
 We had many of these props in our sequence. In the ”polaroid exchange” scene, we laid out a knife, a
holster, a gun, and some bullets on the table, as well as a cigarette. In a previous scene- which we
ended up cutting in editing- we had laid out some small bags of flour to hint at drug use. To kill his
victims, we had the hitman use both a gun and a knife, to illustrate him as being very skilled at his job.
We also had many chains which the victims wore around their necks, and a small pouch to put them in
so we could indicate that the hitman collected them and gave them to the boss as proof that they have
been killed.
 Costumes are often of darker colours, and the protagonist usually has an eccentric style or accessory
which makes them stand out- like how John Wick is known for wearing formal suits.
 The victims- who are members of a gang, wore tracksuits and puffer jackets; the common, recognisable
style of clothing which young British gangs and drug dealers from slightly lower classes often wear.
 The hitman was dressed in an all-black outfit, with the statement pieces being his oversized leather
jacket, and his black, bandana style mask, which had a red skeleton mouth graphic on it, and went over
his nose and mouth. If this sequence were part of a real film being produced by a film company, this
mask would be easy to turn into merchandise. The leather jacket conveys him as tough and cool,
possibly even rebellious. He also wore a gold ring- another indicator of mafia/gang culture.
 The “boss”, although we never see his full body very clearly, was wearing a black suit and white button
up shirt, showing his higher status and class. He had sunglasses and a plain black half balaclava mask,
though these can only be seen very vaguely in some over-the-shoulder shots. We also gave him a fake
tattoo on his hand, which can be seen in the very last shot with the film title on it, where the chains are
thrown on the desk, and some other shots of him passing the photographs to the hitman. This displays
him as a thug or a gangster, because although they may be more normalized in today’s society, they
are still conventionally symbolic of unruly behavior.
Props on table
Red and black skull mask
Hand tattoo

5. MISE-EN-SCENE- BODY LANGUAGE AND
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
 The actors’ skills were another significant factor of how we presented our characters the way that we did. In conventional action and
thriller films, the characters are very serious- not usually comedic. This is how we portrayed the characters in our opening sequence.
 We wanted to present the hitman as experienced and brutal; someone who has no problem killing anyone who gets in his way. This
professional characterization can be seen in the calm and collected body language of the actor, for example when he walks through
the hallway slowly without being detected, or when he nods at the photographs which the boss gives him, suggesting that this task
will be easy for him to complete.
 Although we never really see the boss’ face, it was still important to us that he was demonstrated as an authoritative figure with
wealth and power. Other than his costume, we showed this through the manner in which he passed the photos to the hitman- careful
yet relaxed. His hands were very steady, showing that he is not afraid or intimidated by the hitman. In addition to this, the fact that his
face doesn’t make an appearance adds a mystery to his character.
 The victims were depicted as being much less dominant than both the hitman and the boss. At times, they were even shown as being
physically weak and quite naïve. For instance, in one of the scenes, a victim stands up to check on a noise he hears; falling straight into
the hitman’s trap and gets killed straight away- he is unable to fight back. Not only does this exhibit how feeble he is- but it also
exaggerates the strength of the hitman.

6. SOUND
 On the day, we recorded with a microphone to pick up important diegetic sounds like the
victim running, getting stabbed, etc. In post-production, we ended up using all of it and not
cutting anything out, for a more immersive and realistic viewer experience. A particular noise
which was significant, was the groan of a victim when he gets killed, reflecting how much pain
he is feeling as a result of the hitman’s viciousness. The sound of another victim breathing
heavily before being killed was also very impactful in adding anticipation.
 There was no dialogue in the sequence for multiple reasons. Firstly, we wanted to avoid
anything which would be too cliché or cheesy so that the mood and impact of the sequence
was not ruined. Secondly, the absence of speaking added even more mystery, hypothetically
making the viewer ask questions, and consequently keep watching to find out the answers.
 As for non diegetic sound, we searched for copyright-free music on YouTube, searching with
words such as “suspenseful”, “thriller” and so on. Although it took us quite a while to find
something appropriate which we did not consider cringeworthy, we eventually found a piece
which we all liked; “Interception” by Kai Engel. It had a good amount of tension, but it was not
too over the top, and it didn’t stay the same the entire time; there was some variation between
a more modern, menacing sounding staccato keyboard section, and a more classical piano
section with a somber mood. There were also some low, drum-like notes which we
intentionally synced with certain movements, like the chains being dropped onto the table.
Other than the music, the only non-diegetic sound effect which we added in was the
fizzle/crackle of the CCTV footage, when the screen flickered between scenes. I think that this
was helpful in adding to the slightly ominous tone of the sequence.

7. EDITING
 Our sequence relied a lot on the editing, due to the cross-cutting structure of it,
as well as the CCTV special effects. Cross-cutting is not uncommon in action
films, some famous examples being in director Christopher Nolan’s films, like
Inception, where the editing technique is used towards the end of the film,
possibly indicating multiple levels of consciousness. However, the more
common, simpler implication of cross-cutting is that the action in these two (or
more) locations is occurring simultaneously. My group and I decided to go
against this convention, and cross-cut between the past and the future (around
a few days apart from each other) instead of two situations happening at the
same time. The way in which we illustrated this was through having the hitman
appear in both locations (and he can’t be in two places at once- since this is not
a supernatural/fantastical genre), meaning that the CCTV shots and the other
‘killing’ shots became sort of flash-forwards.
 As for the CCTV editing, the fact that the viewer sees some of the action
through the eyes of a security camera, gives the impression that something
scandalous or dangerous is happening because the purpose of these cameras is
to catch people committing crimes. Within the CCTV footage, we added in
some jump cuts to look like glitches, which ultimately built onto the eeriness of
the scenes. The footage also raises the questions about what this location is/
where they are, as it makes the viewer wonder why it has security cameras in the
first place.

8. CHARACTERS
 The hitman; the protagonist, was intended to be a white heterosexual male in his mid to late 20’s, of a low/middle class
(although throughout the rest of the film he would likely rise up through the ranks, being hired by more and more people)
with quite a lot of skill in killing people. Some of his recognizable personality traits would be fearless, unsparing and
professional.
 These victims would only be in the start of the film, but they could represent how every other antagonist in the film will be
unable to compete with the hitman. In the opening sequence, the victims are also heterosexual males in their late teens or
early 20’s, who are members of a drug-dealing gang, and of a low class. A couple of them were white, but there was also a
mixed race (black and white) actor playing a victim.
 The boss was presented as someone with great jurisdiction- yet another white heterosexual male, who is in his late 30’s or
even early 40’s, and in the higher end of the middle class. I imagine that he has been doing illegal business for most of his
adult life.

9. CONVENTIONALITY/UNCONVENTIONALITY OF
CHARACTERS
 The hitman is quite a conventional main character for an action film- a straight white man. Almost every hitman film has this
type of person cast in the lead role, and straight white male audiences (who are typically most drawn to the action genre)
tend to prefer it like this. Other audiences with other backgrounds, genders, or sexualities are used to this, and have been
conditioned by society & the film/TV industry to enjoy these movies. Some examples of films with these stereotypical
‘hitman’ protagonists are John wick, Leon, The Bourne Supremacy, Collateral and more. Although it is possible that some
people have gotten bored of it, and are looking for more ground-breaking, unconventional actors in lead roles, judging by
how popular films such as “Wonder Woman” with a strong female lead are.
 The victims are both stereotypical and counter-typical. The way they look is what makes them fit in with society’s perception
of typical, British, gang members, otherwise known as “roadmen” in modern culture- wearing tracksuits, chains, puffer jackets,
etc. However, the way that they act is counter-typical, specifically in the context of men, who in action movies are often
portrayed as very physically strong and macho. In our sequence, they are killed very easily and struggle to fight back. The
reason why we depicted them in this way was to make the hitman’s strength even more exaggerated and emphasized.