My Media Portfolio

Script Title: Titanic

Author: James Cameron

Web Link: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Titanic.txt  

 

Style: The script of titanic uses different styles of language, as the film portrays the contrast between upper and lower class characters. When those of a lower class are in conversation terminology is extremely basic and most sentences include at least one form of slang. Sentence structure is basic to imply those of a less educated background and action is detailed describing a loud atmosphere filled with live music. The scene is described as “rowdy” implying those of a lower class as they are often represented as troublesome, in contrast to those of an upper class, where scenes are calm with a relaxed atmosphere and classical music. Language within dialogue of someone more upper class includes correct pronunciation alongside a posher tone of voice. The action is written in present tense and again language varies depending on the class of the character within the scene. The writing style is different to a novel, as the action can be developed as much as the actors like and can be shown thoroughly through  technical codes such as camera movements and angles and visual codes such as the characters facial expressions and body language alongside the dialogue.

 

Content: In the scene where Jack and Rose visit the third class general room, the amount of dialogue is shared equally between Jack, Rose and any other characters involved. Conversation between the 2 is simple and emotion is conveyed through technical, visual and audio codes such as music, rather than dialogue. The scene is labelled “third class general room” implying a very basic room for very basic people who aren’t particularly made a fuss of.  The action is extremely detailed and includes other characters stories to imply their class and mood. When a drink is spilt across Rose’s dress, she laughs however Tommy becomes angry extremely quickly and violence is soon introduced to the scene. Jack stops this by reminding the pair of a funny story and soon the situation is calm. The quick use of violence implies those who are heavily involved with alcohol and therefore lower class as they don’t see violence as an issue, unlike those of a higher class where violence is disregarded. Jack addresses the fighting pair as “boys, boys!” also implying those of a lower class, as they are addressed as boys, rather than men which in society suggests one who is not as well-respected or educated as a man. Lack of parentheticals in this section of the script allows the actors to put their own emotion into it and feels more natural to the audience.  

 

Narrative Structure: The narrative is single stranded as we follow the journey of the 2 main characters. As it is based on true events, the film is focused on this situation and therefore has no room for other narrative strands. The script is linear however starts non-liner as technically the whole film is a flashback for the female character we see right at the start.  Although the film starts by showing boat wreckage and items classed as evidence, this doesn’t have an impact on the narrative structure, as it is to set the time in which the film has been made. The whole film is in fact flashback of the lady who survived the Titanic, Rose and she then leads us on to the actual story of the Titanic. Titanic does follow Todorov’s theory as at the start of the film the boat is new and ready to set sail for the first time. It is iconic in history for the first boat to be built supposedly “unsinkable” however this becomes an untrue fact and this is where the main disequilibrium is shown. Even though throughout the film we see many small disequilibrium’s, such as Rose being unhappy in her relationship, the main disequilibrium is when the ship hits the iceberg. The problem is recognised as life jackets are handed out and emergency boats are lowered to sea with passengers on board. Because this is a true story set in 1912 and the danger escalates quite quickly, there are no emergency services etc to help “repair” the situation as such. Even though women and children are rescued from the disaster, Rose is determined to stay with Jack, who is not a priority to be rescued considering he is an adult male, of a lower class. Rose has no choice but to exit the titanic and is left floating on a piece of board awaiting help, as Jack has no choice but to drown to be able to save Rose. As this is a flashback, we don’t see the further stages, eg the new equilibrium, however do see Rose now, who is giving her opinion on the situation. This is similar to the Freytag Triangle as there is exposition at the start where everyone is boarding the Titanic ready to be a part of history (an unsinkable ship) , followed by rising action, as Jack and Rose become closer and the audience believe there will be further conflict between Jack and Rose’s fiancé and then the final climax where the ship starts to sink. The falling action is covered as Jack tries to save Rose and other passengers are trying to escape the sinking ship, however because this is a true story and back in 1912 there were no methods of immediate help, there is no specific resolution.  

 

Genre: The main genres of this film are Drama and Romance; however it is based on a true story. The script uses typical conventions of the Romance genre such physical contact between Jack and Rose and camera angles and movements that portray the couple as close and intimate. Point of view shots are used throughout to show the direct address between the 2 characters and allow the audience to engage with the relationship between the 2 as we put ourselves in the position of either character. As the film is based on true events, the film is non-fiction however points and events have been elaborated on to create an engaging storyline. Titanic also displays the dominant ideologies of people within the different classes in society, both then and now. The setting changes to show the contrast of the people on the ship; for example, in upper class there is extremely expensive-looking furniture and décor including a grand wooden staircase. Carpets are patterned and colours are old-fashioned to imply the period the drama is set in. This also applies to the costume and make-up used throughout the film.

 

Target Audience:  Personally I believe the target audience of this film is extremely broad; firstly, those who were alive when the incident happened will be interested to find out the storyline behind the 2 main characters specifically. No matter what class they are within today’s society, they will want to reconcile about the events. Older adults, both male and female, may be interested in watching the film as their parents/grandparents may have been either involved or around when Titanic sank, giving them inspiration to watch the film. Typically those of a younger age may watch the film because of the genre, rather than the narrative being based on true events, therefore the younger target audience would be predominantly female, especially as females are stereotypically more interested in films of the romance genre. A secondary target audience may be those who are interested in history, or how people were treated differently in society back in 1912 as the film displays clear dominant ideologies and representations of each class within society.

 

 

Script Title: Some Girls

Author: Bernadette Davis

Web Link: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/some-girls-s1-ep1.pdf

 

Style: Some girls is a comedy show on BBC3 that follows the lives of 4 teenage girls who live in and around a stereotypical British Council Estate. Generally the characters are laid back and the show reflects the ideologies of teenage girls of a lower class that live in an area classed as “rough”.  Stereotypical language such as slang is used throughout and jargon is used throughout to imply the age of the characters. The language also contributes to the ideologies being presented, as the characters often don’t pronounce each letter within a word, something common in people classed as “chavs”. The action mainly focuses on one character and is present tense. Key details are pinpointed such as any characters not involved in the dialogue, their body language, facial expressions and attitude within the scene. For example, in the changing rooms, Aliyah is also present. She is described as “much younger, not part of the gang and sitting on the bench in her coat with her bag. She is a small Muslim girl wearing a veil, the full niqab where just the eyes are showing. Her eyes are large and expressive flicking back and forth between the girls as she takes it all in”. This implies Aliyah is nervous and slightly uncomfortable with the situation that she is in and therefore allows the actress to portray these emotions to the audience.

 

Content: Scene titles are simple and instantly imply the genre and scene, for example the first scene is set in the Changing Room which is a typical location for the narrative, as teenage girls are likely to all be in the same changing room whilst at school etc. There are hardly any parentheticals to allow the actresses to get into character and play the role how they feel is best. If the lines aren’t set in stone and extra detail is added, this allows the cast to play on their tone of voice etc depending on the situation.  There is a voice over to brief the audience on the characters so that we know more information straight away, and also add a comedic effect as the characters are telling the audience things about their friends that they wouldn’t particularly want to hear.

 

Narrative Structure: Some girls is a linear script however each episode does not necessarily continue on from the net. Events often do not continue like a crime drama for example would. The episode is technically single-stranded however the series is multi-stranded as each episode reveals a different situation, issue and solution within the group. Each girl in the group has an issue within the episode so the episode follows the Freytag Triangle multiple times (one for each character and their issue).

 

Genre: This script is non-fiction as it is based on everyday life situations, and is mainly a comedy. Comedy genre conventions are included throughout, especially as one of the main characters is blonde, they really take advantage of the common ideology in society that blondes are dumb. Her dialogue is always comedic as she points out the obvious and most of the time questions the others on their intelligence.  There is a lot of jargon and slang which is good to represent the youth of today as it is a common feature in society.

 

Target Audience:  The primary target audience for Some Girls is likely to be teenagers as they can then easily relate to the storyline etc. Also, the show is featured on BBC3 which features shows mainly targeted at the younger audience. This is supported by the fact that BBC3 is now online only, which is more convenient and relatable for the younger target audience as they are known for using the internet a lot. The secondary target audience may be slightly older adults, between 25-36 year olds as they reminisce over their school days and are reminded of what it’s like being at school. The show also mocks the teenagers at times, therefore attracting an older target audience. People of a higher class or with a higher spending power are unlikely to watch the show as it is on BBC3 which is aimed at a younger audience and refers to those of a lower class with crude humour and strong language (at times).

 

 

Script Title: Bridesmaids

Author: Annie Mumolo

Web Link: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Bridesmaids.html

 

Style: The language throughout is simplistic and represents the character as working class. In the scene where Annie goes crazy at the baby shower, there are loads of adjectives and descriptions that make Helen and Lillian extremely high class; the hotel is described as extravagant and the furniture is described as “marshmallow puffy” implying that the characters have high standards and needs for top quality items etc. Swearing is used throughout the film but normally for a comedic effect and to exaggerate terms and situations also implying the comedy genre of the film.

 

Content: There are minimal parentheticals to allow the actors to exaggerate as much or as little as they like and get into the situation more thoroughly. Pauses are used for effect in awkward situations, for example the opening scene when Annie is told that the man she spent the night with isn’t ready for a relationship, and also when Annie forces Lillian to think about the quality of their friendship. This allows the audience to think about how they’d feel in the characters position and helps the audience to engage with the film. Camera directions are also basic but allow the actors to understand what’s going on in the scene elsewhere.

 

Narrative Structure: The script for Bridesmaids is linear as we see the build up to the engagement, hen do, shower and finally when Annie makes Lillian question their friendship. Obviously as they’re meant to be beset friends they resolve their issues and this is when we see the resolution. This includes the actual wedding which Annie does attend as maid of honour.  Bridesmaids is single stranded as it is based on one story and the journey of 2 best friends. The narrative structure follows Todorov’s theory as the best friends are living happily, then Lillian gets taken over by one of her other friends (Helen) and this distances Annie from Lillian. This becomes the disequilibrium as we see Annie become angry because Helen is in the way of the friendship. The problem is recognised when Annie kicks off in front of everyone at an event specifically for Lillian and the repair stage is when the two forget their differences and decide to not let Helen get in the way of their friendship.

 

Genre: The main genre of the film is comedy; however there are aspects of romance in it between several characters.  The film uses alcohol as a way of bringing humour into the film and also plays on the fact that one of the characters is blonde and therefore uses her as a comedy target. The film is non-fiction as it is real life situations however there is extreme exaggeration in some scenes and situations. The comedy genre is also hinted by the use of location, for example Las Vegas is somewhere quite upmarket and modern. This implies the characters are going there for fun and to general have a laugh.

 

Target Audience: The target audience for this film would mainly be females, as they stereotypically enjoy films about female friendship groups as they can relate to the storyline etc. Those of a higher class/lifestyle may not particularly enjoy this film as at times it represents women negatively within society and to be quite careless, something not found in women of a higher class. With regards to age I belive the target audience of women would cover anyone from 16-45 as there are women of all ages within the film.  Men may also watch this film if forced by a close female and therefore could possibly be a secondary target audience.