Through creating my film I have tried to shed new light on a subject matter which is widely discussed in film, TV and other forms of media.
Title of the film:
'The Streets' is a very urban name which has a depressing feel to it. It has connotations of homelessness and neglect which mirrors the streets of London today. I have taken this idea from films such as Kidulthood, which I think represent modern teenage life in a realistic and contemporary way.
I have chosen to name my film 'TheStreets' because I feel that it sums up the narrative to the film brilliantly, it gives the audience a insight to what the film is about before having seen a trailer/poster etc...
The title of the film appears at the end of the opening which follows conventions of film title sequences.
Setting/Location:
Generally the opening shot of a film will be either an establishing shot or a blank screen with titles on. These title screens can be a way of building up suspense and also giving away the genre of the movie to the audience. My film begins with a shot of a house door which quickly cut to a side view of the house. The house is located in Queens Park which is considered to be a 'well off' and wealthy area. The setting in my film moves from a cosy home ( middle class) setting, (where he is asked to leave)to a dark and rundown housing area.
I feel that the urban setting for my film gives great emphasis on the subject. My film follows conventions of a British urban independent film in it's setting. Films of the genre such as 'Kidulthood' and 'Bulletboy' follows similar conventions focusing on gritty London 'street' life.
The iconography of a park bench has any meanings, one of which is solitude and loneliness which I believe I have shown through this shot.
Costumes and Props:
The clothing Liam wears gets shabbier and he becomes more and more covered up, like he is trying to hide. This highlights how invisible homeless people are to society. The costume is typical of what you would expect to see in a homeless individual wearing, this attires to the stereotypes society has created about the homeless community.
Camerawork and Editing:
Other genre conventions involve characteristics film techinques. I have shown this through close-up shots and establishing shots of my character.
I used establishing shots to show change in setting which parallels change in Liam's circumstances. I also used close-ups to show his mood deteriorating from concerned, to desperate, to helplessness- the process most newly homeless people must go through.
Title font and style:
The title font looks like a white-washed wall where the paint has peeled off over time. This has the connotation of neglect and abandonment. I believe this anchors the narrative as my main character clearly feels this is how his own life has turned out. The title is written in white which reflects the bleak and raw feel of the film. The basic font and titles reinforce the independent style of the film which follows the conventions of a British, independent, low budget films.
Story and how the opening sets it up:
I have chosen to open my film with one central protagonist as I believe that this breaks away from the norm of urban films which usually focus on gang culture and ethnic minorities. Because I am focusing the film on one character it gives the audience a much more intimate and personal relationship with the character.
How characters are introduced:
The main character is represented like every other stereotypical middle class teenage boy who becomes one of the many invisible homeless people in modern day society. The opening sequence shows how easy it is for someone to go down the wrong path. The natualistic acting style helps build up emotion in the issues rather than obession with the character or the script. This relates to the conventions of this genre as the film is based on social realism.
Genre and how the opening suggests it:
The opening sequence to 'The Streets' greatly suggested an teenage, urban film through use of certain key shots, highlighting the location
I believe my film has used, developed and challenged forms and conventions of title sequences.
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