Tutor Feedback for LO3, Task 4: Distribution

Work to Complete

HANDED IN:

-LO1, Task 2

-LO2, Task 3

-LO3, Task 4
-LO4, Task 5

TO HAND IN:

-Videos for LO1, Task 1 (re-rendered) and LO1, Task 2.

LO4, Task 5: Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues

Hi everyone, welcome back to another educational resource. I'm Alex Blundell, and this time I'll be taking you through the ethical, legal and regulatory issues surrounding the release of a film.

a) The product's impact and effect on the audience

Media products are obviously going to have an effect on the audience that views them. In 1930, Theodore Adorno came up with his 'hypodermic syringe' theory, in which he stated that media has a negative impact on a mass audience because they believe whatever they see. In a way, they are 'injected' with what they are being shown, and they then go out and copy what they see in the film.

Adorno also came up with the idea of an 'active' audience and a 'passive' audience. He said that an 'active' audience watches films for gratification and pleasure - they don't believe whatever they see, but enjoy it and then discuss, challenge and debate it. A 'passive' audience is one that, as I mentioned before, might re-enact what they see after they have seen a film and believe all of its content. Therefore, the 'hypodermic syringe' theory applies to passive audiences.

One way in which the film Taken 3 could have a negative impact on the audience is the theme of violence and combat throughout. One example of this is at the point 1:05:21, which denotes a particularly vicious fighting scene involving guns, glass and bottles. The violence in this scene is glorified as it is extended and over-the-top - Bryan needed to interrogate one of the antagonists and had to use violence to make him vulnerable, but it is unnecessarily brutal. The continuous and glorified violence might impact on the audience in the way that they could think it is okay to harm people when it isn't really necessary, or make a passive audience go out and re-enact some of the things they have seen, thinking that it isn't bad. It could subconsciously make someone more violent.

Another way that Taken 3 might impact negatively on the audience is the the objectification of women at 1:21:38. The scene denotes Oleg Malankov in his jacuzzi, kissing two girls in bikinis at the same time. This is an example of Laura Mulvey's 1975 theory of "the male gaze", which states that men look at women as sex objects and not really as human beings. It might impact negatively on an female audience because they might then go away seeing that as acceptable, and on a male audience because they might start treating women like that.

Taken 3 could also have positive impacts on the audience, however. Bryan Mills is generally a good role model, as although he is violent a fair bit, he tries to do it for the right reasons, and we can see that he really cares about his family. For example, when his wife Lenore dies, he is distraught and will stop at nothing to prove that he didn't kill her. Also, he has to protect his daughter Kim all the way through the film, making sure that nothing happens to her. This could have a really positive influence on the audience as they might go away being more appreciative and protective of their loved ones.

Another way in which the film might positively impact on the audience is the point 1:37:52, a scene which denotes Bryan, Kim and her boyfriend discussing her pregnancy, the baby's name and how the family will deal with the situation. The connotations of this discussion are a confidence between family members and a togetherness that would get them through any hardships - this could obviously have a positive impact on the audience because they might then take inspiration from this. They might go away and try to deal with any unexpected occurrences within their family in a calm way without letting things get out of hand.

b) Relevant issues of representation

'Representation' means the way that a certain group or type of person is portrayed in films and the media. In 1980, Stuart Hall said that all representations in films are "mediated", which means that they are done on purpose for effect. In addition, films use stereotypes and countertypes - stereotypes are ideas that are widely held by society about certain groups, while countertypes challenge these ideas. Tessa Perkins theorised in 1979 that stereotypes are never a true depiction of a person or group, as they are over-simplified views of things which are in fact much more complex. She said that they are usually negative, and usually created by the media.

One example of a negative stereotype in the film Taken 3 is the character of Oleg Malankov, a Russian who initially appears to be behind the murder of Bryan's wife, Lenore. He is a violent character, unsympathetic, booze-loving and clearly views females as sex objects. At various points in the film he can be seen drinking alcohol, kissing women and firing his machine gun. He is an example of a negative stereotype because Russians are often thought of to like their alcohol and be stony-faced and cruel. The stereotype might reinforce negative ideas about Eastern Europeans in the audience members' brains, and since the film is American, it could have originated from their media's negative opinion of Russians. In addition, Malankov is an example of a negative stereotype of men in general, that they are violent and like to dominate situations. Earp and Katz, in 1999, theorised the "equation of masculinity with pathological control and violence", meaning that men are aggressive and controlling. Malankov would be an example of this, perhaps giving the female audience members a more negative view of men, while making the male audience members think it is okay to behave like that.

On the other hand, an example of a positive stereotype in Taken 3 is the caring and protective nature of Bryan Mills. One stereotype of the male gender is that they are very protective of their families and want to make sure that nothing happens to their loved ones. Bryan epitomises this stereotype, as he is the main protagonist in a film series which shows him having to constantly protect his daughter, Kim, and rescue her from danger. An example of this in the film is towards the end at the point 1:31:32, when Bryan asks the police chief "What's your first priority here, Inspector?", to which he replies "arrest St. John, and charge him with your ex-wife's murder." Bryan then responds with "my first priority is my daughter," as Kim is in danger at the time and he has to do all he can to protect her. This is only one example from many in the film which highlight his concern and determination to protect Kim. The effect of this positive stereotype on the audience might be to encourage them to appreciate their families and endeavour to protect their loved ones also.

In addition, Kim Mills, Bryan's daughter, is an example of a countertype. This is because, throughout the film, she appears strong and isn't afraid to share her opinions and what she thinks about things. She also isn't dressed sexually so she isn't a victim of Laura Mulvey's "the male gaze" theory, while she has a main part in the film so John Berger's 1972 theory of "men act, women appear" doesn't apply either. A stereotype of women is that they are weak and aren't as brave as men, and Kim's character goes against this, making her a countertype. At the point 1:30:19 in the film, we see her in Stuart St. John's car, being held captive. Instead of being submissive and frightened, she challenges him, asking him "why are you doing this?" and saying "you killed her, I know you did", until Stuart shouts at her to "shut up." This behaviour from Kim highlights that she is brave and won't let anyone get the better of her, going against the typical female stereotype, and showing how society has evolved from the simple-minded idea that "men are strong and brave, women are weak".

c) Relevant legal and/or ethical issues

"Copyright infringement" is a term which means the use of content that you do not have the rights for or permission to use - basically, you don't own the content and it is technically a form of theft. You can be sued or even prosecuted for copyright infringement, depending on the severity of the theft.

There are many songs in Taken 3, which for legal use would have required 20th Century Fox to contact the record labels of the artists. For example, as Bryan prepares dinner towards the start of the film and Lenore unexpectedly walks in, The XX's "Infinity" song plays. For this, their record label XL Records would have had to be contacted and paid a considerable amount of money by 20th Century Fox. Another example of a song in Taken 3 would be the the Glass Animals' song, "Toes", being played over the establishing shot of Los Angeles. In order to avoid copyright infringement, 20th Century Fox would have contacted the record label Harvest Recordings and paid them money for the right to play the song.

Taken 3 also contains a considerable amount of ethical issues, leading to it getting an age rating of 12 in the UK from the BBFC, British Board of Film Classification. This is because passive audiences are likely to be influenced negatively by ethical issues. For example, there is some mild sexual content present when Malankov is in his jacuzzi, kissing two girls in bikinis at once. There is also some strong language present, for example when Kim verbally assaults Stuart while she is being held captive ("you're a lying piece of s***!"), or when she calls a police officer an "asshole". The most prominent ethical issue is the torture scene when Bryan throws a cloth over Stuart's face and pours water over him, in an attempt at interrogation. It is a particularly gritty scene in which Stuart's discomfort can be clearly seen. These three issues contribute to the BBFC age rating of 12, not to mention the amount of violence the whole way through the film which means it almost got a rating of 15. The DVD actually got a 15 rating, containing a few more gritty and violent scenes deemed too inappropriate for younger audiences.

d) Regulatory bodies

The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification, and it examines films before they are released to give them an age rating. The certificate it is given intends to protect certain ages from "unsuitable and even harmful content", according to the BBFC. Issues such as violence, sexual content and strong language influence their decision.

The certificate that Taken 3 received from the BBFC was a 12 for cinema showings as some "harder" scenes were edited out, but it was changed for the DVD which received a 15 rating as a few more gritty and violent scenes were put back in. In the US, Taken 3 received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America in cinemas and on DVD, which is fairly similar to in the UK, in between the 12 of the cinema version and the 15 of the DVD. It was likely found to be just about acceptable for an audience of teenagers and above.

Since the film was originally a 15 and had to be edited to receive a 12 rating, we will look at the BBFC's guidelines for a 15 rating and why they decided to give the DVD that certificate. In terms of violence, the BBFC states that "violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury." Taken 3 keeps to these guidelines in the way that there is strong violence throughout, but a lack of gore and detail. The BBFC also says that "dangerous behaviour should not dwell on detail which could be copied". The torture scene in Taken 3 just about adheres to this guideline as it is fairly brief, but you could say it is detailed - Bryan throws a cloth over Stuart's face and pours water over it, and we see Stuart struggle and choke. In terms of sexual content, the BBFC says "sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail." Taken 3 adheres to this because there is a brief sexual scene when Oleg Malankov kisses two girls in his jacuzzi, but it is brief and not detailed. Finally, the BBFC says that "there may be strong language" which there is in Taken 3 in certain cases. It isn't frequent, however.

Another regulatory body in the UK is the ASA, the Advertising Standards Authority. They regulate advertising across all media to make sure it is appropriate for anyone who might see it. The advertising code that regulates print material like posters is the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing, which is set out by a sister organisation called The Committee of Advertising Practice, or CAP.

One aspect of the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing is the rules on "harm and offence". This section affects Taken 3 as the film contains a lot of violence and some disturbing scenes, so there was potential for the poster to be offensive to some people who might see it. Therefore, the creators of the poster would have had to follow the CAP guidelines to make sure it was suitable. Some examples of the guidelines on "harm and offence" are "marketing communications must not cause fear or distress without justifiable reason" and "marketing communications must contain nothing that is likely to condone or encourage violence". Since Taken 3 contains some distressing scenes and strong violence, the poster would have been made not to show these things in order to adhere to the ASA's rules and prevent offence. Instead, Liam Neeson, the film's A-list actor and main protagonist is pictured being closed in on by three helicopters, with the tagline "IT ENDS HERE". This creates intrigue and makes people want to see the film to find out what happens, without the use of any offensive content.

Another aspect of the this CAP code that relates to Taken 3 is "Motoring". There are a few lengthy driving scenes throughout the film, which show the police and Bryan driving dangerously and often breaking the speed limit. There is one especially dangerous scene in which an antagonist tries to kill Bryan by using his car to push Bryan's off a cliff. The poster would not be allowed to show anything like this, as the guidelines state that "marketing communications must not condone or encourage unsafe or irresponsible driving", "marketing communications must not depict speed in a way that might encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly" and "marketers must not make speed or acceleration the main message of their marketing communications". Most of the driving in Taken 3 does not adhere to these guidelines and so it would be inappropriate to show it on a promotional poster.

Finally, the rules on "Sales Promotions" apply to Taken 3 to some extent because alcohol appears in the film on occasion, such as when the antagonists say "let's go get drunk" and then choose their alcohol from a liquor store. The guidelines state that "alcoholic drinks must not feature in promotions directed at people under 18", and this is relevant because the film targets an audience of 12 and up in the UK. Therefore, the poster is not allowed to show anything to do with alcohol.

Instead of using any offensive content, the poster shows Liam Neeson, the film's A-list actor and main protagonist, being closed in on by three helicopters, with the tagline "IT ENDS HERE". This creates intrigue and makes people want to see the film because they want to find out what happens and because of the actor, not because of any inappropriate or offensive content.

I've been Alex Blundell, and I thank you for listening to another educational resource!

 

LO3, Task 4 - Distribution and Advertising

Welcome to the fourth instalment of this media series, produced for Education Wise. My name is Alex Blundell and this time we are going to look at the distribution, advertising and marketing of the 20th Century Fox film Taken 3.

a) Distribution Channels

The definition of "distribution" is getting a product to an audience and the way in which it is advertised and promoted - this means how the film is shown to the public in an attempt to make them interested in seeing it. Another key phrase in this section is "technological convergence" - this means different technologies coming together, like on a smartphone. On a smartphone, we can make calls, take pictures, play games and browse the web - all of these activities previously required one device each.

Taken 3's distribution will have been affected by technological convergence because it makes it a lot easier for an audience to view the film. For example, our version of the internet today, called Web 2.0, can be used to shop, watch videos, communicate and basically do anything we want. It means that someone could buy the film on the web as a DVD or Blu-ray, stream it online, or download it, as the web is multifunctional. Also, since the internet is available worldwide and the majority of the population has access to it, the film gets more publicity and more people will watch it.  In addition, cinemas now use digital projectors to show films instead of the heavy and expensive film reels used until the 1990s, so now cinemas are a part of the Digital Screen Network. The digital projectors are re-usable and a lot cheaper, as they play the film from a hard drive and the same hard drive can be used for each cinema screen. With a film reel, which was an analogue type of media, individual ones had to be used for each screen, which cost a lot of money. Since Taken 3 uses digital projectors, it can be distributed more cheaply and can be more widely available, which is useful for 20th Century Fox as it wants to release its blockbuster films on an international scale.

Taken 3 can be viewed in a variety of ways. It is available on DVD and Blu-ray, it can be rented on Netflix (but not streamed), it can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play, and when it first came out in January 2015, it was in cinemas globally. When the film had only just come out of cinemas, it would have been premiered on Sky Movies and shown on Sky for a while. This is because, as a 20th Century Fox blockbuster, the film has a mass mainstream audience, which means that it would have had a high demand from the public. Sky and 20th Century Fox knew that they would make money by showing it on Sky channels as enough people would pay to watch the film.

Out of these viewing methods, Netflix, iTunes and Google Play can be used via a form of converged technology. For example, Netflix could be viewed on a smartphone, which is many things in one device, as I mentioned earlier, as well as a computer or laptop, which is converged technology as it can browse the web, play music, watch films, send messages and all sorts of things. It could also be viewed on a smart TV, which is converged technology as it can watch TV, view pictures and go to various different streaming sites. If you were to purchase the film on iTunes or Google Play, you could watch it on your smartphone or laptop also, which are both forms of converged technology. These methods of viewing make the film easy to access for people all over the planet, generating the profit that a conglomerate like 20th Century Fox need.

Taken 3 made $326,479,141 in the cinema box office worldwide from a $48,000,000 production budget. In America, it has also sold just over $13,000,000 worth of DVDs and $8,000,000 worth of Blu-ray. This means that Taken 3 has made a profit of around $300,000,000 from these formats alone, not including other online formats, for which data isn't available. This would have been 20th Century Fox's aim, as most of the films it makes are aimed at a mass mainstream audience and are released all over the planet. The budgets are large, but the profits are even larger. This would have been helped by converged technology making the distribution of the film easier, so that it is quickly and easily accessible for a global audience.

b) Advertising and Promotion

The marketing of a film is very important if the company that made it wants to make a lot of money from it. One way that 20th Century Fox promoted Taken 3 was by teaming up with LinkedIn and getting Liam Neeson to make a promotional video. In the video, Neeson, the main protagonist of Taken 3, says that you should go to LinkedIn's website and "follow the instructions exactly" to enter a contest, the winner of which Neeson would "find your LinkedIn profile, review it and record a video of myself endorsing your particular set of skills." His dialogue plays on famous lines from the original film Taken, and the video itself shows clips from Taken 3. All of this creates hype and awareness around the new film.

20th Century Fox also promoted the film using social media - for example, on Twitter, it posted "consider your keyboard Taken" with a link to downloadable Taken 3 emoticons for your phone. When people used them, the film was shared with others as they saw the emoticons, and awareness was raised. 20th Century Fox also posted a "new take on a classic song, the 12 Skills of Christmas" on Twitter, with the hashtag "#Taken3" to spread the word about the new film and get people talking about it.

Finally, the film would also have been promoted in billboards and on buses in the city, because it is a blockbuster film aimed at a mass mainstream audience. It is also aimed at the urban venturer demographic, so the city advertisement helps raise awareness for the target audience.

Taken 3 was promoted largely through new media, such as television adverts and trailers in the cinema. However, it was also promoted heavily through the cheaper method of the internet, where it is free to post anything and people can interact with content. In 2002, David Gauntlett said that the internet had changed from a "static, one-way form of communication (Web 1.0) to a two-way, interactive medium (Web 2.0)." Therefore, Web 2.0 is very useful for companies like 20th Century Fox to promote their film because whatever they post can be commented on, shared and viewed all around the globe in seconds to raise awareness. For example, they might post tweets on Twitter, put posts on Facebook and upload trailers or promotional content to YouTube, like the Liam Neeson example above.

Based on the viewing figures and revenue generated for Taken 3, it appears that the marketing was a success. The film had a $48,000,000 budget, but generated over $325,000,000 in the worldwide box office, not to mention over $20,000,000 in DVDs and Blu-ray in America alone. So although the film had a large budget, clearly many people all over the world turned out to see it and so a large profit was made, thanks to the advertising and promotion that 20th Century Fox did.

In order for the marketing to be successful, 20th Century Fox needed to use cross media platforms to promote the film, meaning a range of different platforms. They used the Web, TV, cinema, billboards, radio, magazines and newspapers to place adverts for Taken 3, which creates awareness for the population, as it is likely that each person will be viewing at least one of these types of content. In a way, it would have been difficult to escape advertisement for a blockbuster film like Taken 3.

In addition, 20th Century Fox's subsidiaries would have played a part in making the film's promotion so successful. Since 20th Century Fox is a large conglomerate, it could have got the companies it owns to advertise Taken 3 in its products, whatever they may be. For example, if a subsidiary produced a film, we might see Taken logos or references to the Taken trilogy in the film, creating synergy for 20th Century Fox and raising awareness in more of the population.

Cross-promotion would also have been used to promote Taken 3. 20th Century Fox and Sky are both subsidiaries of 21st Century Fox, so 20th Century Fox would have worked with Sky to make more money when the film had just come out of cinemas. Sky would have paid 20th Century Fox to premiere the film exclusively on their Movies channel, and in turn, Sky would make money as more people would be interested in subscribing to their service to see the blockbusters first. This is an example of a cross-promotion as both companies make money and get benefits from the partnership, and since they are a part of the same conglomerate, 21st Century Fox, the conglomerate as a whole makes profit.

Thanks to the internet, the audience of a film can now contribute to the promotion of it by leaving ratings and reviews on film websites, or by leaving their opinions on social media sites. For the amount of profit it made, Taken 3 has surprisingly poor audience feedback - for example, on rottentomatoes.com, only 45% of viewers liked it. Comments were left such as "We can only pray that this is the final instalment. It is surprising that Kim can even walk out the door without having a mental breakdown!" and "The only redeeming factor for a 'Taken' film at this point should be the action, but the frenzied editing does not even let you enjoy that." Indeed, it seems that the majority of the audience thought that the amount of times that Kim has become endangered over the three films is unrealistic and tedious, while poor editing was also a common complaint.

Usually, when audience feedback is poor, like it is for Taken 3 on the whole, the film's revenue and viewing figures suffer because people see what audiences thought about it and don't go to see the film. Taken 3 was a huge box office success, however, which might still be down to the past glory of the original Taken film and the fact that the series is now a franchise.

Thanks for listening to another educational resource! I've been Alex Blundell, and I'll see you again next time.

LO2 Task 3 - Audiences

Introduction

Hi everyone, it’s Alex Blundell here again with another video for you, this time analysing the audience of the film Taken 3, and which type of people 20th Century Fox have aimed the film at. John Hartley, in 1987, and Ien Ang, in 1991, both suggested that producers of films create invisible fiction and imaginary entities before creating a media product. This basically means that they have an idea of the kind of person that would watch the film before it is made, so they can target a certain demographic during production. This is important for the producer in order to maximise profit when a film is released. For me, the target audience of the film is males, with a median age of around 18. SEE MOOD BOARD.

Gender

I would say that the gender ratio for the audience of this film is 80% male, 20% female. The reasons for this are:

Out of the 6 main roles in the film, 5 are males and only 1 is female.

The male roles are:

   -Bryan Mills

   -Stuart St. John

   -Oleg Malankov

   -Frank Dotzler, who is a police inspector and head of the murder investigation

   -Sam Gilroy, who is a communications expert and Bryan’s oldest friend

   The only main female role is Kim Mills, excluding Lenore who is only in the film for the first 20         minutes, and this connotes that women aren’t capable of being protagonists or playing main parts on the whole. The lack of major female involvement can also be related to John Berger’s 1972 theory of “men act, women appear”. This makes the film very relatable to for a male audience, and somewhat alienates a female one.

At the point 11:26, Bryan and some of his friends are denoted spending some free time golfing together. This scene is clearly aimed at males as they are doing a stereotypically male activity whilst having classically male banter, which connotes a carefree, calm and generally happy attitude. Men in the audience would be able to relate to this a lot more than women. Carl Rogers’ 1980 theory of “ideal self” applies here, as a male audience would see Bryan as a role model and someone they want to be like - a calm and fun person to be around with a few good friends.

1:05:33 denotes a particularly violent exchange in the liquor store between Bryan and some antagonists, involving head cruching, bottle smashing, kicking, punching and throwing. This fight connotes brutality and a lack of mercy from any of the men involved. In addition to this, the fact that the fight involves only men means that it would not be aimed towards a majority female audience. Brutality and violence is a more common theme in male films.

At 1:15:22, Oleg Malankov is denoted zooming in with his sniper rifle on two girls playing tennis, and he follows their bodies with the gun while making “pow” noises with his mouth. Though neither males or females would find this idea appealing, it is definitely something that would be seen in a male film as it connotes that females are below males and that Malankov sees them as toys. Furthermore, Laura Mulvey’s “male gaze” theory of 1975 applies here, as Malankov looks at the girls as if they are sex objects, aiming at their chests and backsides with an amused smile on his face. This would relate to a male audience too as they might also look at the girls in a sexual way.

One way in which this film is aimed at females is the chemistry between Kim and her boyfriend Jamie, and them trying to make their relationship work. At 1:37:53, towards the end of the film Kim and her boyfriend Jamie are denoted telling Bryan their decision on Kim’s unexpected pregnancy. Bryan says “it’s a very important choice”, but “I will support you 100%”, before Kim reveals that she is going to have the baby and that they will name it Lenore. This dialogue connotes that an event such as pregnancy shouldn’t be taken lightly and many things should be considered and thought about before coming to a final decision. This section of the film would relate more to females, as some female audience members may have experience of pregnancy. In addition, Kim defies Laura Mulvey’s “male gaze” theory, as she isn’t dressed as a sex object, nor does she act sexually - she is involved in a loving relationship. This would also appeal to female audience members.

Age

At 04:57, Kim is denoted looking at a pregnancy test she has just done, which is showing as positive. The connotations of her expression are shock and an inability to process what is happening, as her dad calls to give her an early birthday present. She treats him in a rather cold manner to begin with and this connotes that she might be confused and startled. The scene could relate closely to some young women in the audience of the age of 18, who may have experienced an unexpected pregnancy and know the feelings that go along with it.         

At the point 50:20, Kim is denoted talking to Stuart, her mum’s boyfriend before she died. There are police cars outside the house for “protection”, and Kim asks Stuart why they are there. He replies “Inspector Dotzler asked if we minded and I said no”, to which Kim says “you should have asked me. I mind.” The connotations of this dispute are tension and strain in their relationship, frustration and a dislike from Kim’s side. These feelings could be targeted at a young adult audience as they may have recently experienced one of their parents getting a new partner after a divorce, and be familiar with how Kim feels and the unfriendly relationship. More importantly, a young adult audience is now at the age of being able to understand the impact of a divorce on people’s lives, and on a larger scale, the feelings of loss and the general battles and hardships in life, such as in jobs or education. Feelings could be very raw in a young audience if a divorce has recently happened to someone close to them and so this scene would relate to them.

The point 1:03:40 in the film denotes an antagonist casually saying to his friend “okay, let’s go get drunk” and driving to the liquor store after he thinks he has just killed Bryan by making his car fly off a cliff. The connotations of this dialogue are calmness and satisfaction that a task has been completed. The scene might relate to some members of a young audience because they might like to “go get drunk” after they have done something difficult or completed a demanding task. Although that task wouldn’t be killing someone like in the film, the principle is the same, and it is a stereotype of people around the age of 18 that they like to go and party and get drunk to de-stress.

At 1:21:20, gadgetry and technology is denoted as Bryan’s friend Sam Gilroy and one of his friends manage to swap a live CCTV image of Bryan infiltrating Malankov’s building with a looping tape, so the police don’t suspect anything. The connotations of this scene are a knowledge of technology and a determination to use it to help Bryan. Young people would be a perfect audience for this as it reflects the modern world and technology - they would most likely own a fair amount of technology and be interested in it, meaning they are a digital native audience. 

1:30:45 denotes the beginning of the final epic chase at the end of the movie which goes on for over 3 minutes. Bryan is denoted setting off in his Porsche to stop Stuart’s plane taking off, with the police chasing him all the way in a high-speed pursuit. The connotations of this extended police chase are nerves, excitement and adrenaline, all of which would be targeted towards a young audience of around the age of 18. Young people are always being related to thrill-seeking and excitement, so this pursuit would be perfect viewing for many of them. In addition, a teenage audience would aspire to have a car like this after watching the pursuit, which might influence them to try hard and do well in life and make enough money to buy one.

Lifestyle

The NRS is an organisation which takes surveys of demographics in the population to provide information about who is watching which films. I think the NRS categories best suited to my film are categories D and E, nest builders and urban venturers. Urban venturers are teenagers living in or around the city and who have an outdoor lifestyle, while nest builders are young adults who are building towards a nice house and family.

I think these two types of people would be able to relate to Kim and her boyfriend Jamie in the film Taken 3, because they are two young adults living in Los Angeles, and they have to start to plan a family together after Kim unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Obviously the fact that they are living in a city represents urban venturers, while the way in which they deal with the unexpected pregnancy would be of interest to nest builders. In addition, Kim has a strong personality in the film and won’t let anyone walk over her - she speaks her mind to everyone. This relates to many teenagers and young adults (and therefore urban venturers and nest builders) who have a strong sense of identity. Furthermore, the advertising for this film would also attract people in the city, as it is a blockbuster which would be advertised on billboards, buses and buildings all around a big city. Urban venturers and nest builders are far more likely to see these advertisements than other demographics, who might live away from advertising, in the countryside for example.

In terms of hobbies, the audience might be influenced to try some kind of martial arts or karate after watching the film as it contains a lot of fighting and combat, and since we see Bryan playing golf early in the movie, the audience might think it looks like fun and be influenced to try it with their friends. In addition, as Bryan is in a group of his friends here, the audience members might be able to relate this to their own friendship groups and be influenced to socialise in different ways, based on what they see from Bryan and Taken 3.

The immersive effect of the film and the fast-paced action means that people would go to see it for the purpose of escapism, one of four reasons that Denis McQuail said people watch films for. The public would want to escape their daily life and responsibilities, and they could do this by watching Bryan’s hectic life for a couple of hours, as he evades the police and defeats the people who put his family in danger. Another reason that people watch films, according to Denis McQuail in 1972, is to improve personal relationships. Since urban venturers go out a lot with their friends, Taken 3 could be a real talking point between the friends and it could improve the friendships. They might talk about what they thought was good and bad about the film and their favourite parts, helping young people to bond. For nest builders, it could work in the same way, except it would build help the couple in question to improve their relationship.

Spending Power

The NRS also has a way of categorising the population into “social grades”, called the “ABC1 profiling system”. It spans from social grade A, being upper middle class, to grade E, being anyone below minimum wage, for example a pensioner or the unemployed. I think that the people who would watch Taken 3 would belong to the spending power classes B, C1 and C2, which are middle class, lower middle class and skilled working class respectively.

One example of the film representing social grades B and C1, middle class and lower middle class is when Bryan invites Lenore to his flat to have a meal. When she arrives, he pours them both a glass of wine (08:51). This would be a fairly middle class thing to do as they have the disposable income to spend on nice food and wine. The viewers might do this often with family and friends to relax, without having to worry about the cost.

Another example of the film representing social grades B and C1 is when Bryan goes golfing with his friends (11:26). This is quite a typical middle- and lower middle-class activity to do for males, perhaps at the weekend in their free time, as they have the disposable income to afford to do it regularly and are well-established in life by now, meaning they have the time to spend doing it. Golfing is a rather expensive activity, as the better golf clubs cost a lot of money and you have to be able to afford a membership to a club. Only middle-classes would be able to afford this as they would have enough disposable income.

We see Stuart St. John’s house around half an hour into the film (27:18). It is huge and includes a large back yard and swimming pool. This is certainly an upper-middle class house and so the audience might then aspire to have a luxurious lifestyle in a house like this, as it could be achievable for them if they are already in a middle-class situation. In addition, any nest builders watching the film would also aspire to have a house like this, for when they get good jobs, settled down and have kids.

Bryan’s car is another way the film represents the middle-classes. Bryan has a black Porsche (1:29:53) which looks in perfect condition, and we see him speeding away from the police in it in the film. A Porsche is obviously an expensive car, and the middle-class might aspire to have one. After saving for a while, they could afford one and it would be a realistic possibility for them - this could not be said for any lower classes.

A final example of Taken 3 representing the middle class and lower middle class would be Kim’s iPhone that we see when she surreptitiously texts her father behind Stuart’s back to try to help him out (1:27:13). At the time the film came out, this was the newest model so it would have been just about the most expensive phone on the market. As the middle classes would have enough disposable income to be able to afford a top-of-the-range smartphone, this part of the film represents them, as someone with a social grade less than C1 might struggle to afford an iPhone.

In terms of the marketing of the film, social grades B and C1, who I think the film is aimed at, would be able to afford the official merchandise for it that 20th Century Fox put out, such as T-shirts and hats. They might also buy the Blu-ray disc rather than the DVD in order to watch in HD, because they have the spare money to do so, or buy the soundtrack to the film if they particularly liked it.

Thanks for listening to this education resource on audiences - I’ve been Alex Blundell and I’ll see you again next time!

Tutor Feedback for LO1 Task 2

Imaginary Entity for Taken 3

"The TAKEN 3 Viewer"

Ben, age 18, lives with his parents and likes a regular, routine life. His responsibilities amount to attending college and walking the dog each day, and he spends a lot of his free time hanging out with his friends, drinking the odd beer and eating take-aways in town.

As a young person, Ben loves the simple life, experiencing excitement and adrenaline whenever he can. Each week he and his mates get their thrills from watching their local football team, followed by an intense session in the arcade in town. After a tough day at college, he loves nothing more than to blast rock music out of his speakers in his room to make him feel alive and forget his troubles. A dedicated film fan also, he makes regular trips to the cinema to watch the latest action blockbusters.

When it comes to his group of friends, he doesn't miss a trick. Their similar interests make them inseparable, and whenever they aren't hanging out, they're messaging each other in their online group chat. Ben has his own sense of style and he always wears cool and casual clothing, reflecting his laid-back attitude and lively personality. His friends follow his lead. In terms of his identity, he gets his inspiration from his favourite actors and sportspeople, allowing him to express himself to other people.

What does the term demographic mean? LO2 Task 3

What does the term demographic mean?
-A demographic means a particular section of a population. It is a category by which we can classify an audience e.g. age, gender, location, lifestyle, spending power ("disposable income"), education, ethnicity.

Lesson Objectives

This lesson I am going to:

-complete camerawork analysis
-begin editing analysis

Tutor feedback for mise-en-scene analysis (LO1, Task 2)

Tutor feedback for sound analysis (LO1, Task 2)

The grade I was given for my sound analysis was a Distinction. My MTG was D*, D so I met my target trade.

CDM Minimum Target Grade (MTG)

My minimum target grade is a D*, D.

Life on Mars Task

Non-diegetic sound:
Police sirens
Flashback sounds
High-pitched whistling
Heavy breathing
Whispering - "Where are you?"
Heart monitor beeping
"Life on Mars" soundtrack

reinforces the disequilibrium or "enigma".

Peer Assessed Starter Task

Diegetic sound is sound which exists in the story world (Diegesis), e.g. the sound of a car engine. It comes into the production stage. (post-production or pre-production) ’Natural Sound’ ‘Ambient Sound’ ‘Dialogue’ ‘Sound Effects’ ‘Foley Sound (where you create sound). 

Non-diegetic sound is sound which doesn’t exist in the story world, it comes from outside, e.g. music over the top of a scene to add emotion. It comes into the post-production stage. (only the audience can hear it) ‘Non-Diegetic Voice Over’ ‘Incidental Music’ (tempo and pitch) ‘Music’ 

Denotation means what you can see or hear. Connotation means what you can infer, what can be implied from the denotation.

Laura Mulvey (1975) talked about the “Male Gaze”, which means that men look at women as if they are sex objects. (represented as sex objects)

Peer assessor -: Matty Bruv

Adobe Audition lesson

What I learned today:
- How to create a multitrack mixdown.
- How to remove unwanted pieces of audio from a waveform.
- How to duplicate pieces of audio using copy and paste.

Voice Recorder

What I found easy:
- Operating the voice recorder
- Recording my voice with clarity
- Transferring the files to computer

What I learned for next lesson:
- Speak close to the microphone to get a higher volume (but not too close!)
- Press record button twice to start recording.
- Choose the folder to save the files in on the voice recorder.

This was a practice voice recording of the beginning of Matthew Milan's script.

Premiere Pro

What I learned in Premiere Pro today:
- create keyframes by clicking the stopwatch button
- rotate images using the rotation tool, first keyframe 0 degrees, last 360 degrees.
- change position in a similar way, first keyframe left position, last keyframe right, for example.

LO1, Task 2: Textual Analysis of Taken 3

Introduction

 Hi everyone. After last lesson on a film company, in this episode we’re going to be looking at and analysing a specific media product. This time, we’re going to take a look at the film Taken 3, from 2015, which is a 20th Century Fox film.

Purpose

 First of all, the purpose of the film Taken 3 is to entertain the audience. It does this by being action-packed and including a lot of spectacle. The pace is also very fast, as the editing involves a lot of fast cuts and dramatic music. Taken 3 is a film produced for a mass audience so it was released internationally. This means that 20th Century Fox can increase commercial gain, which means that they can make more profit, due to the fact that the film is mainstream. This is typical of the company as it is a large conglomerate.

Genre

 The genre of Taken 3 is action adventure. Since this is a mix of two genres, action and adventure, it is known as a sub-genre. In 2001, Daniel Chandler said that “genre means type or category” and Barry Keith Grant said in 1995 “all genres have sub-genres”. This can be seen with the film Taken 3, as it is primarily advertised as an action-packed film with lots of fights and chases, but the adventure aspect of it is the quest to prove who murdered Bryan Mills' wife and clear Bryan's name with the police.

Form

 Taken 3 is a feature-length film, the running time being 1 hour and 50 minutes. The film has been distributed all around the world on many different platforms. It was in cinemas globally when it first came out, and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and download formats like iTunes and Google Play worldwide. It is available on the streaming service Netflix too. The large area in which the film was distributed reflects its targets of a mass, mainstream audience, and also the company that made it, 20th Century Fox, as the film made a lot of money.

Style

 Taken 3 has a modern aesthetic quality, meaning that it is set in the present day, in the 21st century. You can tell this from the film because the dress and language is modern, the setting, the USA, looks like it does at the moment, and the film has too high a definition to be from the past. Taken 3 also creates verisimilitude, which means that it appears real and presents real life. We know this because the film is based on a real-life scenario of someone’s wife being murdered and the wrong person being framed for the crime.

Content and Meaning

In 1977, Todorov stated that all films have a "narrative structure" which means that he thought every film had five stages to the story. Focusing on three stages for Taken 3, we have equilibrium at the beginning, which means that everything is alright, disequilibrium in the middle, which means that there is a problem and things are unbalanced, and equilibrium is restored at the end in a resolution. At the beginning of Taken 3, Bryan's wife is fine, they are getting along, and his daughter is living an independent life with her boyfriend. However, the disequilibrium comes in when Bryan's wife is murdered and Bryan is framed for it, meaning the police are after him. He has to try to discover who killed her on his own while evading the police. In the end, a new state of equilibrium arrives as the murderer is discovered and Bryan Mills is allowed to continue with his life normally.

Sound Analysis

Taken 3 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuU0M2xBasc

Diegetic Sound

At 0:40, a police radio diegetic voiceover denotes “Wanted for murder, suspect’s name, Bryan Mills”. This connotes that Bryan, the main protagonist in the film, is being looked for and chased by the police as they believe he has killed someone. Additionally, the fact that the suspect is a male reflects stereotypical gender roles of males being more violent and aggressive. The diegetic voiceover sets the tone early of an action-packed film in which Bryan has a hard job on his hands to avoid capture, reflecting the action adventure genre. It also connotes an upcoming disequilibrium, and the audience will sense this, as the police have the wrong idea about Bryan so his regular life is about to get disrupted.

At 0:58, “No service record, no discharge record - this guy right here, he knows how to disappear,” is denoted by dialogue from the head of police. This connotes that Bryan Mills has experience in what he does and will be difficult to catch, which reflects his status as the inimitable hero and protagonist. It also makes the audience anticipate upcoming excitement. This reflects the story in the way that Bryan is always one step ahead of the police too, and throughout the film we repeatedly see the police trying to catch up with Bryan unsuccessfully. In addition, the head of police is using a "teacher to pupil" mode of address here, as he is giving his team instructions on what to do.

At 1:22, sound effects denote punching and glass smashing. The connotations of this are combat and danger, and this might make the audience feel nervous for Bryan's life. The sound effects reflect the fast-paced, pulsing format of the film, as Bryan is always getting into close shaves and dangerous situations with enemies. They also reflect the action adventure genre since that type of film often involves these types of things. These types of sound effects are heard constantly throughout the film, which connotes that Bryan Mills will stop at nothing to get justice for his wife. This is a stereotypical characteristic of a protagonist.

At 1:57, sound effects denote the screeching of tyres. The connotations of this are a chase of some kind, high speed and danger, and it makes the audience feel adrenaline and anticipation. This is at a point in the film where the police are literally chasing Bryan in a fast-paced car pursuit, which reflects the constant underlying plot that the police want to capture Bryan Mills. Again, the constant connotations of danger show that Bryan Mills isn’t afraid of confrontation to prove that he is in the right.

Non-diegetic Sound

At 0:35, incidental music denotes increasing speed and tempo as Bryan escapes through a window. This connotes tension, danger and fast movement, and also the transition from the equilibrium phase to the disequilibrium phase, as everything in Bryan Mills’ world suddenly becomes unbalanced. At this point the audience will sense upcoming the upcoming disequilibrium and feel the tension.

At 1:12, non-diegetic music denotes a slow tempo and melancholy vocal. The connotations of this are a slight sadness but also tension. The narrative is similar to this in the way that although Bryan’s wife has died and there is sadness surrounding the family, which the audience will feel too, they must still keep alert in dangerous situations whilst they grieve.                      

At 1:45, incidental music towards the end of the trailer denotes a pounding drumbeat and fast tempo. This connotes nerves, excitement and a building drama, and the fast tempo reflects the pulsing adrenaline and action-filled scenes as Bryan must act quickly to avoid death and find who really killed his wife. The audience will be caught up in the moment and excited by what is happening. Adrenaline and excitement are also classic elements of an action adventure film, so this incidental music reflects the genre.

At 2:07, non-diegetic music as titles play at the end of clip denotes a ringing-out note, decreasing in volume, without a drumbeat. The connotations of this are eeriness, reflection and intrigue, which reflects the overall storyline as there are so many unanswered questions which Bryan Mills must set out to answer. This leaves the audience with a feeling of uncertainty and mystery at the end of the trailer, making them want to go and see the full film, while also reflecting the action adventure genre of it - it paves the way for fast-paced combat, chases and general action.

Mise-en-scene - using an extract from the film (1:02:00 - 1:08:00)

Taken 3 is set entirely in Los Angeles. This location encodes verisimilitude because since Taken 3 is an action adventure film, it is the stereotypical big, bustling city where crimes and police chases happen. Los Angeles fits the diegesis of Bryan trying to evade the police and get justice for his wife due to this. The location makes the audience feel more involved in the action as they can relate to a busy city.

In terms of iconography, the extract denotes the classic black cars that action adventure films tend to have in them. Stuart St John drives in a smart black Mercedes while the antagonists who try to kill Bryan drive in the classic black armoured SUV. The fact that the cars are black connotes the idea that antagonists are driving them, as well as a sense of disequilibrium, and the connotations of the cars being shiny and new are that the antagonists make a fair bit of money, probably in underhand ways. The cars are icons because they link to the narrative of chases and violence - Bryan Mills is always having to get out of trouble with various people - as well as the genre of action adventure, as these films usually include an eerie vehicle for the antagonist to drive. The audience will recognise the classic black villain cars from countless other films and sense approaching disequilibrium.

Another example of iconography in this extract is the small liquor store denoted in the scene at the side of the road which the antagonists go to to "get drunk". This store is an icon because often in films, the stereotypical antagonist often doesn't care what he does, goes out and commits crime and has a few drinks in the process. It is also an icon because it enforces a stereotype that males like to go and get drunk when they are in a group together. The liquor store in Taken 3 reflects this, as the antagonists go in there to get drunk, and a huge fight ends up breaking out between them and Bryan. This type of store would be recognised by the audience as one that seems a bit unsafe and again give a sense of approaching disequilibrium.

Moving on to characters and gestures, obviously one key figure in this extract is Bryan Mills. One key gesture denotes him quickly swinging a bottle at of the antagonists’ heads to knock him out, just after he has entered the liquor store. It is a fast and strong move which connotes aggression and stealth. This is a stereotypical male action in a film, as they are perceived as strong and more aggressive by society. In addition, this move represents his role as protagonist, as he has to be fast-acting and quiet about his work in order to avoid being caught.

Another example of key gestures is the onslaught of punches that Bryan receives from the main antagonist in this extract as they are deep in combat. The punches he throws are quick and relentless, which connotes a lack of mercy and aggression. The look on the antagonist's face also connotes a hatred of Bryan and a willingness to kill him. Again, this is a stereotypical male action, as they tend to be perceived as more violent and uncaring than women in films. However, since this character is the binary opposite to Bryan as the antagonist, his movements are different. Bryan's movements are less aggressive and he tries to get things done quickly, and if possible, not kill people. The antagonist is a juxtaposition to this because he seems to be a lot more violent and enjoys beating people up. He has no qualms over how much he hurts someone, which might make the audience feel sickened and make them support Bryan more in his quest.

In terms of costume, Bryan Mills' denotes a black leather jacket and jeans. This encodes verisimilitude because it is everyday clothing of an American, and it also reflects Bryan's attitude as he is cool, casual but also tough - he doesn't let many things faze him. These are the connotations of jeans and a leather jacket. Additionally, this costume reflects the stereotypical attributes of the protagonist, which Bryan is. They need to be calm and collected as well as hard to beat, and the audience would recognise these attributes from Bryan's costume and demeanour.

In comparison to the antagonist's costume, this is one of the areas where the protagonist is actually similar. The antagonist’s clothing denotes, just like Bryan, jeans and a black leather jacket. So although they are binary opposites in terms of "goodie vs. baddie", their costumes are the same. For the antagonist, however, the costume has much stronger connotations of toughness and violence, and it might even appear sinister.

Moving on to make-up, the denoted signs of damage on Bryan are messy hair, a large bruise on his forehead and a smaller one on his cheek. This connotes that he has been in a fight and that he is flustered. The bruises also connote the state of disequilibrium that the film is currently in. The overall image of Bryan after the fight reflects an angry, violent mood, and this creates verisimilitude for the audience because it is typical after a gritty fight that both people are left feeling tired and angry.

In comparison to the antagonist in this scene, Bryan looks a lot healthier. Much more make-up is denoted on the antagonist, as after the fight, he is left with blood stains all over his face, a cut lip and blood coming from his mouth. He has also been made up to look like he is sweating heavily at this point. This connotes that he has been beaten hard in the fight and is weak and exhausted. These connotations reflect the stereotypical antagonist in a film, as they often get into a lot of fights but usually end up getting beaten by the protagonist. In addition, both the make-up of Bryan and the antagonist reflects the genre of action adventure - there is almost always an epic fight in there somewhere. The audience might themselves feel adrenaline after witnessing the fight.

There are a couple of significant props in this extract from Taken 3. Denoted is the bottle which Bryan uses to knock out one of the antagonists quickly and quietly as he enters the liquor store. This prop is significant because it has connotations of brutality and pain, and it reflects the action adventure genre of the film. Furthermore, it reflects the protagonist's stereotypical ability to do whatever it takes to make things right - even if it does involve violence. This links to the narrative in the way that Bryan is always getting out of dangerous situations using his combat skills.

Another significant prop is the gun. It connotes danger and tension in the extract because instead of it being something used as a simple killing machine, there are multiple guns denoted and they are always changing hands and being wildly fired in attempt to harm. It is almost a free-for-all and the audience's hearts would be in their mouths as it is uncertain who the gun will end up with. This prop is significant because it again reflects the genre of action adventure - it is hard to find a film of this genre without a gun in it. In addition, it enforces the male gender stereotype of toughness and violence, as all of the men carry guns and don't hesitate to use them.

The location at 1:13:10 an example of low-key lighting. Bryan and his daughter, Kim, are denoted in the scene in a group of people who are trying to decide how to make Kim safe again, by looking at police records and questioning Stuart St John for information. The low lighting and shadows connote a deep state of disequilibrium at the time, and also a fear for people’s safety. There are also some lights coloured dark red in the background and one on the wall, which might connote upcoming danger. The narrative darkens as the conversation goes on, too, as it is revealed that Bryan’s wife was killed because Stuart couldn’t pay off someone he owed money to. The low-key lighting creates a sinister and murky atmosphere for the audience at this point.

Juxtaposed to this is high-key lighting denoted in the film at 1:37:55, which is right at the end of the film. The bright, natural sunset connotes a happy and calm ending as Kim decides to name her unborn daughter after her late mother, Lenore. In this way, the scene is solemn but also relaxed and victorious as Stuart has been arrested and all problems are solved for now. The audience might feel relieved that everything is now as okay as it can be, given Lenore has died. This stereotypical happy ending can be linked to the action adventure genre, as they usually end up with the “goodie” defeating the “baddie” and things turning out well. The high-key sunset over the sea connotes an end to the disequilibrium and the resolution phase being entered as the film draws to a close.

Camerawork

At 03:26, an establishing shot denotes the city of Los Angeles at night. It encodes verisimilitude for the audience as they can see that the film takes place in a real city in America, where it would be realistic for the genre of action and adventure to take place. In addition, the shot connotes a busy and public place where action is going to happen, while the fact that it is dark might make the audience already sense a connoted upcoming disequilibrium. 

The close-up shot at 15:05 denotes an expression on the face of Bryan Mills as he is told by Stuart St. John that he wants him to stop seeing Lenore, his ex-wife. The connotations of this expression are confusion, suspicion and concentration as he attempts to understand why he is being told this. This reflects the role of the protagonist as they always have to be wary of others and figure out what is actually going on under the surface. Also, the audience might begin to feel uneasy at this point as the expression connotes the very beginning of the disequilibrium stage of the film. Something has been said to Bryan that doesn’t seem quite right, so it seems like things might get worse from this point.

At 1:26:20, a high angle shot denotes Oleg Malankov being brutally threatened by Bryan Mills.  The shot connotes the fear, weakness and desperation of Malankov at this point, based on his facial expression and the way the camera looks down on him like he is small and weak. It makes him subordinate and being dominated by the protagonist, Bryan. As the protagonist is threatening an antagonist and still trying to find who killed his wife, the film is in the disequilibrium stage, but the audience would feel relief that Bryan has the upper hand on this antagonist. This situation is a classic element of the action adventure genre.

 The fact that Malankov is male and subordinate represents challenged gender stereotypes in the way that it is usually a female in films who is portrayed as feeble and scared. However, since he is also being threatened by a male, John Berger’s 1972 theory of “men act, women appear” is represented. This means that males have all of the main protagonist / antagonist roles in films while women have smaller parts, which is certainly the case in Taken 3.

At 1:35:05 there is a low angle shot which denotes Bryan Mills threatening Stuart St. John right at the end of the film, as he has found him out to be the main antagonist behind all of his grief. The angle of the camera connotes the power and dominance of Bryan Mills, while his facial expression connotes disgust and a built-up anger at Stuart St. John. The fact that the protagonist holds all the power over the antagonist at the end of the film is typical of an action adventure film, as after a long hard struggle, he comes out on top. This reflects the dawning of the resolution stage of the film, and the audience will start to feel calmer and happy as order is restored to Bryan’s life and the antagonist is defeated.

 In terms of gender stereotypes, this shot is very stereotypical. Bryan is male and showing his strength and power over Stuart, and since Stuart is male too, John Berger’s 1972 theory “men act, women appear” theory also applies.

The brief tracking shot at 18:51 denotes Bryan as he runs away from the police towards the start of the film. The shot allows our eyes to keep up with Bryan as he runs, which connotes speed and urgency, as well as the start of the disequilibrium stage of the film. As the audience feel like they are moving with Bryan, they will feel the adrenaline of the situation and feel excited at the fast-paced action. This reflects the action-adventure genre as speed and excitement are classic elements of it. Additionally, the expression of Bryan in the shot connotes that he is focused on the task at hand and not overly flustered. This reflects his character type of protagonist, and further underlines gender stereotypes in the way that a male is the centre of attention once again, using his strength to get away. 

At 1:02:21, the panning shot denotes a movement from right to left, showing first the sea and the seashore before panning to the road and the fence that runs alongside it. This slow, steady movement represents our eyes as we survey the new setting, creating verisimilitude for the audience as they are introduced to a realistic area near the coast where action is about to take place. Also, the fact that the movement is slow and at the beginning of a scene connotes a sense of “calm before the storm” as there is no action happening at the time but the audience know it is approaching. The connoted upcoming disequilibrium might therefore make the viewer feel wary and uneasy.

Denoted at 48:30 is an example of a shallow depth-of-field shot. Since only the foreground is in focus and the background is out-of-focus, it connotes an importance of the character in the foreground, in this case Kim, Bryan’s daughter. The connotations of Kim’s facial expression are misery, grief and a wistfulness which will translate to the audience as they can probably relate to how it feels to lose something special. In addition, the fact that there is a sadness in the shot and the background is out of focus connotes that the film is in a deep stage of disequilibrium, as things aren’t clear and there is no order in Kim’s life at the time.

 This shallow depth-of-field shot is very significant in the way that it challenges gender roles. Usually in films, males are seen as dominant while females are subordinate and seen as not as important. However, in this shot, the roles are reversed, as Kim is the important one in the foreground while a male is out-of-focus and unimportant in the background. Therefore, many theories are challenged, including John Berger’s “men act, women appear”, as well as Laura Mulvey’s “The Male Gaze”, as Kim is not dressed in a sexually suggestive way for males to look at as an object.

Editing

At 1:14:51, we see a shot-reverse-shot structure denoting Kim accusing Stuart of killing Lenore. All of the shot types within this structure are close-ups, which connotes tension and a hatred between the two. This section of editing actually represents challenged gender roles, as the camera angle is at eye-level for both characters, connoting that they are on an equal footing, whilst Kim is the one accusing and attacking Stuart with her dialogue. This would make the audience feel supportive of Kim as she is one of the protagonists. Again, the two characters are binary opposites as one is male and one is female, but this time the roles are reversed slightly as Kim holds her own against Stuart, and if anything, she is more dominant in this scene.

 For this reason, John Berger’s 1972 theory of “men act, women appear” does not apply here. When he said this, he meant that in films, men generally tend to get the main protagonist or antagonist roles, while women get the smaller parts. But here, Kim is acting as a main protagonist in the film and she is not being overshadowed by a male character. This is somewhat unusual for a film with a genre of action adventure, as the protagonists in them are most often male. She is also not a victim of Laura Mulvey’s “Male Gaze” theory, as she is not dressed up to look sexually attractive for the pleasure of male viewers - she is dressed up as a protagonist and to get the job done.

Another example of shot-reverse-shot structure is at 1:04:40, denoting one of the antagonists trying to chat up the shopkeeper. In terms of the camera angles that have been used here, the antagonist is shown from a low angle while the shopkeeper is shown from eye level. Gender stereotypes are therefore encoded here as the low angle gives the antagonist dominance and power over the shopkeeper, as if she is an object for him to chat up and say what he likes to. The eye-level angle on the shopkeeper gives her no particular powers, and the audience might put themselves in her shoes and feel slightly intimidated or offended by the antagonist. Male and female is an example of binary opposition, and this is an example of males being dominant and females being subordinate in films, reinforcing gender stereotypes.

 John Berger’s theory of “men act, women appear” is represented by this editing also. In this scene, we see the male antagonist doing most of the “acting” as he chats up the female shopkeeper, while she just “appears” by simply smiling or laughing. In addition, Carl Rogers’ 1980 theory of “ideal self and ideal partner” applies here, meaning that the shopkeeper is portrayed as the “ideal partner” because she is made up to appeal to the audience.

At 18:36 in the film there is an example of action match, denoting Bryan jumping out of a window as he first gets in trouble with the police. The fact that this one action runs through four different shots connotes that it is an action which involves a lot of skill and timing, which Bryan has in abundance. This would make the audience feel thrilled as the fast cuts between multiple angles create a fast pace and sense of excitement, the perfect atmosphere for a film of the action adventure genre. Also, the majority of the shots in this action match are low angle shots, which connotes that Bryan is powerful and knows what he is doing. This represents gender stereotypes as once again, the main protagonist in the film, Bryan, is male and portrayed as strong and skilful. We do not see a female in the film doing stunts like Bryan.

 In terms of theory that this action match could relate to, there is Carl Rogers’ “ideal self”. Bryan’s character in the film is as the protagonist and as the perfect all-round human and family member, making him the “ideal self” in the film. This means that the audience members look up to him as a role model for themselves to be like. 

We see an example of cross-cutting at 1:28:28, which denotes the head of police in his car communicating with some of his squad in Malankov’s building as they try to diffuse the situation between him and Bryan. The expressions on the faces of the policemen connote concern but also a calmness as they go about their work. The cross-cutting editing here makes the audience feel like the police operation is real and cohesive, as well as giving them a sense of scale of the operation through the use of multiple locations, which was its purpose. In terms of representations, there are five or six males involved in this cross-cutting sequence, compared to zero females, which reinforces gender roles as males have all of the important jobs and roles in the film. Therefore, this relates perfectly to John Berger’s “men act, women appear” theory of 1972, as the men are doing all of the acting in this important police scene, while women aren’t even appearing.

At 52:43, an insert shot is used which denotes Kim picking out her usual yoghurt from the local store, but on closer inspection she sees a message reading “drink me now”. The shot type on the insert shot is a very slight tilt down, which helps the audience to read the message as the camera goes over it, but it could also reflect how the meaning of the message, and who wrote it, slowly dawns on the audience. The insert shot connotes a sense of urgency due to the adverb “now” but also a sense of mystery and intrigue as it is only a fleeting glance at what was written. Bryan wrote the message in an attempt to eventually meet with Kim, but the shot is too quick for the audience to realise this straight away. They would realise as the film progresses.

At the point 1:27:22 in the film, there is an example of eyeline match. The two shots denote Stuart St. John surreptitiously glancing at Kim’s computer screen, to make sure she isn’t doing anything behind his back. The connotations of the glance are wariness and caution but also evil intentions if Kim does anything Stuart doesn’t like, so the audience might feel on edge and nervous for her. This reflects the disequilibrium stage of the film as the scene is quiet, tense and shifty. In addition to this, the close-up of Stuart’s face and the dislike that we see in his expression represents the stereotypical antagonist. The other characters don’t realise it yet, but he is constantly checking up on them and he is in control, having deceived them all. Since he is dominant in the situation and he could easily harm or control Kim if she did anything out of line, it represents stereotypical gender roles as the male is dominant over the subordinate female.

Production Process

For a blockbuster film like Taken 3, pre-production, production and post-production are all important in making the finished product. 

An example of pre-production for this film would be the scouting of the location Los Angeles, as 20th Century Fox would have wanted a city that created verisimilitude for the audience and would be an appropriate setting for the narrative of fast-paced crime action. Another example of pre-production for Taken 3 would be the designing of sets, one of which is the small beach shack at 1:08:38. This set, where Stuart is tortured by Bryan for information, would have been made up by the crew to look dim, deserted and intimidating through all of the chains, tools and various canisters around the shack. They would have done this to make the scene feel gritty for the audience.

Moving on to production, there is an example of on-set pyrotechnics at the point 1:03:24, denoting Bryan’s car blowing up after it has been battered by the antagonists and rolled down a hill. The purpose of this aspect of production was to create verisimilitude and spectacle for the audience, to round off a lengthy car chase between Bryan and the antagonists. Another aspect of production in Taken 3 is the costume and make-up of Oleg Malankov at 1:25:58. Malankov wears nothing but an unbuttoned white jacket and white underpants since he was in the hot tub when Bryan stormed into his apartment. In terms of make-up, his face is battered and bruised, and there are scars, cuts and blood - known as prosthetics - coming from his lips. His costume and make-up combined make him look completely defeated by Bryan at this point, and the purpose of this is to create verisimilitude so that the audience can see what Bryan has done to him, as well as reinforcing the idea that Bryan is the heroic protagonist.

Finally, looking at post-production, at 1:33:29 Bryan crashes in to the aeroplane carrying Stuart and his daughter, just as it is about to take off. There are multiple explosions, clouds of dust fly up and sparks fly everywhere as the plane’s body slides along the ground. This example of CGI once again creates spectacle for the viewer at the end of the film, and the purpose of it would have been to leave them with a lasting sense of excitement after the film has finished. Another example of post-production for this film is at 1:34:31, as Bryan has a flashback when he realises that Stuart was the one behind his wife’s murder all along. The post-producers have made the colours in the flashback section look white and washed out, which creates a sense of a vague memory coming back to Bryan. It also helps the audience to differentiate between what is happening in real-time and what is a memory.

Thank you for listening to this educational resource about the media product Taken 3 - I’ve been Alex Blundell, and I hope you will join me again for the next one!