Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

Specific Genre Analysis Coming of Age

Fish Tank (2009) English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7BFZqQ4ruA

The trailer begins with the ident which automatically professionalises the film as this represents the usual connotations of what a trailer includes. As this film is produced by a British Independent production company, the audience may be unfamiliar with IFC Films. This is one disadvantage for British film makers as they are inferior to the Hollywood conglomerates therefore the companies become unrecognisable resulting in less publicity for the films. However, this same production company produced Kidulthood (2006) and Adulthood (2008) which follow similar genre themes i.e. social realism, coming of age etc. This means that this film would include the similar subjects along with what they can afford and realistically create due to their budget. The first clip used shows an establishing shot of a town, concentrating directly on the council houses and flats. The weather in the shot is very bleak and miserable which could link to the use of pathetic fallacy, representing the mood and atmosphere of the film. By featuring this town shot at the very beginning of the trailer is effective as it sets the scene of the film, allowing the audience to understand where it is based. Also, as you can see from the buildings, weather and size of the town that it is based in England, as America is presented differently. Also, it reflects the type of genre of film this is (coming of age) as towns are a symbolic area for teenagers and young adults. Also, in England towns have become stereotyped as chavy and unsafe, thus meaning why this film is based in one, implying what kind of characters will be featured in the film. Along with the cut in of the first clip, non-diegetic music is also cut in. The music is very slow however eerie which sets the atmosphere of the beginning clips. Also, it represents the type stereotypical music listened by gangs and chavs again suggesting the upcoming characters. The music continuous throughout the next scene, introducing the use of a sound bridge. A cut reveals the introduction to the first character, using a medium close up shot capturing the back of her head. From this shot is allows us to see whats in the background of the shot, for example we can see the scenery of the town, signifying that she lives there. Also, from the height of where this character is positioned it could suggest that she lives in one of the council flats featured in the first clip. A cut takes us to a brief clip showing two young children playing in the corridors of the council flats. This area which the film is based is stereotypical for a low budgeted film, including topics from the social realism genre as well as basing it on coming of age. From the short clip, we can see from the condition of the building that it is very rundown therefore that it is a council estate. This means that the people who live there are either on benefits or are involved or have been involved in crime/drugs/violence etc, relating to social realism. A cut is then used showing another quick clip of a female character putting on eyeliner in a mirror using a close up shot. Although we are unable to clearly see who this character is, we can assume that she is a teenager as this film is a coming of age film. Also, appearance is important for teenagers therefore the action of putting on make-up could reinforce the suggestion that she is a teenager.

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

The following clip shows a medium close up of the same females side profile which we saw from behind in the beginning clip. It quickly then cuts to an over the shoulder shot showing a medium long shot of an older female character holding a young girl by her hair whilst the child screams. From this shot, you can see the kitchen behind. The set design of this kitchen reflects the type of family it is, for example firstly, it is very dirty therefore they are unhygienic and not house proud. Secondly, the kitchens furniture is very old and tatted, looking broken and unsafe suggesting that they dont have the money to move or fix things. Also, the medium long shot allows the audience to see who the older lady is. The costume that she is wearing is very little (strap top and pants) which could imply that this character is a slob. Her hair is messy again showing no care in her appearance along with the violence she presents to the younger child who we can assume is her child along with the older female character we have previously been introduced to. From showing this clip it reflects the living lifestyle for the two young girls, for example they live in a council estate with an abusive, lazy mother foreshadowing the troublesome lives they have. The clip ends with the mother slamming the door closed after chucking the youngest child out the door by her hair. The slam of the door is followed by a cut to the start of the films titles and credits along with the sound bridge continuing. Below are two print screens of the films colour and design scheme for the credits. As you can see the design schemes stay the same to throughout the credits which is also shown in various other trailers. This is because it enhances the recognisability that a film has when using other promotional techniques i.e. posters, websites etc. The colour scheme is blue and black, very plain. However, the blue could link in with the title of the film Fish Tank as fishes live in water, therefore the blue representing the water. The use of the black background compliments the brightness of the blue as the blue could be symbolic of the female character standing out from the crowd. These two sets of credits inform the audience about the success of the film, trying to encourage people to watch it. For example, they have included the awards they have been nominated for along with winning and by doing this is emphasises the quality of the film.

In-between these two sets of credits, there is a brief clip shown for under a second. This clip captures a long shot of the older female girl. The repetition of the clips featuring this character implies that she is the main character, as the trailer is focusing on snippets of her. The long shot portrays her character through the use of costume. This character is wearing a grey track suit which is a stereotypical dress for a city chav. Also, the grey track suit is symbolic for rebellion along with subverting the stereotypical appearance of a teenage girl as she is presented as being masculine. Her hair is scraped back in a ponytail, also subverting from the archetype of a girl. Her body language of having her hands in her pocket also symbolises male characteristics along with giving off the impression she has a bad attitude, reflecting the way she has been raised.

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

Following after the second appearance of the credits, a medium close up shot shows three female characters dancing erotically. These three characters juxtapose against the previous female character as they clearly present themselves as woman through their costume. The three characters are wearing revealing clothes (tight cropped vests, tight trousers, shorts and skirts) demonstrating that they crave male attention. Two of the characters have hooped earrings which are representational for a chavvy girl alongside their gelled up hair styles of scraped back ponytails etc. Their dancing imitates erotic moves, exposing their bodies for the male character which arise the point of the younger generation becoming more experienced with sex and intimacy at a younger age therefore shocking the audience at their actions. A quick cut shows a medium close up reaction shot of the previous female character (Mia) giving the girls attitude by pulling a face and shaking her head. From this shot following off from the previous shot, you can notice the similarities between the characters along with the differences. You can see that they are all from the same background from the attitude that they are all presenting. Mia is also wearing hooped earrings along with a gold chain around her neck which would be presented as tacky, yet again representing a chav. A cut to a medium long shot showing an eye-line match capture the previous group of girls dancing. One of the girls says what you looking at? which demonstrates the confrontational and intimidating persona city teenagers are stereotyped with. A quick cut takes us to a reaction shot showing a medium close up of Mia retaliating. This is followed by a tracking shot, following the direction of where Mia is walking to whilst saying your terrible dancings my problem predicating something bad is going to happen. The continuous tracking shot is followed by a cut showing a medium long shot of the back of Mias body, viewing the other characters in the background however out of focus which symbolises that Mia is the main character. This scene makes it unclear to the audience who is the antagonist and protagonist as they all match is power however Mia is against all of them, suggesting that she will become inferior. Montage editing is then used featuring small snippets of the girls arguments, featuring long shot reaction shots of other young character as well as medium close up of the girls antagonising each other. The sound bridge incidentally cuts out to a sound of a boom when Mia pushes one of the girls followed by a medium long dollying shot, following the direction that Mia is walking from in front of her as the girl group shout abuse at her. These past clips represent that Mia is very much alone, as she isnt part of a gang implying that she doesnt have any friends or finds it difficult to get along with people. Although, these first few clips dont reveal much about her character, presenting her as being mysterious. The credits appear on screen again along with different non-diegetic music cutting in. This time the music is slower and mellower; this changes the atmosphere of the rest of the trailer as it begins to unravel the life of Mia and her struggles. The text says All her life followed by a series of clips featuring Mia as you can see below;

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

The first print screen shows a wide-angle long shot of Mia walking through the town. In the background you can see clearly the type of area she lives in. As seen previously, the weather is very dull again linking in with pathetic fallacy of reflecting the type of film it is. A cut then takes us to the second print screen of a medium close up of Mia playing with her dog. A voice over of a female character cuts in saying OI whilst pushing Mia onto the floor followed by a medium long shot taken from behind Mia showing her mother pushing her down her hallway. This scene associates with the previous clip of her mother being abusive to her younger sister; therefore reinforcing the idea her mother is an abusive parent. Throughout this clip, the music decreases in volume whilst the two character shout i.e. get off my mum until a sound effect of a slap is cut in matching the action of her mother slapping Mia on the head cutting to a high angle shot looking down on the mother from Mias perspective from the top of the stairs. This then takes us to the third print screen showing a medium close up of Mia shouting down the stairs your whats wrong with me in response to what her mother previously said. This suggest the characters relationship with one another, along with implying that Mia is a troubled teen linking to a coming of age topic of being unable to fit in. Previously, the credits first appeared on screen in sync with Mias mother slamming the door as you can see in the print screen below;

This is again used to introduce the credits when Mia slams the door after fighting with her mother. The credits appear straight after the same sound effect of the door slamming;

These set of credits says she kept the world out which reflects on the genre of coming of age. This is a typical issue which teenagers suffer with, not feeling like they fit in, having trouble with identifying with themselves and whether they worth something. The clips represent the angry and upset side of a teenager which are recently being labelled as asbos therefore following the stereotypical behaviour of a teenager. After the credits, a cut takes us to a low angle shot looking up at a council estate which would suggest the one she lives in. This shot emphasises the poor qualities that this character lives in as well as stereotyping the houses people live in if they are on benefits. A cut then shows a medium close up of Mia in her kitchen/living room followed by a close up shot of her waist with a TV in front of her. The prop of the TV is vey small, again raising the issue that her family struggle with money. The medium close up allows the audience too see what she is watching on the TV, it

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

appears to be a music video as the clip focuses on Mias waist moving to the rhythm, imitating the same dance moves as the girls in the previous clip. Over the top of the sound bridge, a sound effect of a creaking door cuts in, implying that someone has walked into the room. A reaction shot showing a medium long shot of Mia follows after again showing more of the inside of her house. An eye-line match introduces us to a new character who is an older male shown by a medium long shot. This character is very attractive as well as having no shirt on which could suggest that he significance to her mother hence why he is in her house. This character (Connor) says dont mind me girl, carry on, by Connor addressing Mia as girl it indicates that he is nothing but a stranger to her however he is half naked in her house. This could suggest that he is only romantically involved with her mother meaning that her mother hasnt acknowledged to him that she has children, implying she doesnt care about them. A cut to a medium close up of Mia is used after, showing her reaction to Connor. Her actions become hesitant around him, which would imply that she is uncomfortable however gives off the impression she finds him attractive but shouldnt. A cut to a panning shot downwards shows more of Connors body, suggesting that Mia is looking at him in this way whilst he says I am a friend of your mothers. This line demonstrates the naivety Connor thinks Mia has by trying to not directly tell her his relationship with his mum. This could foreshadow the events which occur between the two characters as he may think Mia is naive therefore potentially taking advantage of her linking to a common issue for teens with sexual abuse. The next few clips include shots of Mias living conditions;

The first print screen is the clip first appearing after the credits. It shows a high angle shot from the stairs looking down on Mias legs walking to a room. As you can see the cleanliness in the house is poor, again reflecting the way the mother is by not looking after her and her children. This is then illustrated from the second print screen showing a close up shot of Mia drinking from the tap. This kind of behaviour demonstrates they have no courtesy, as drinking out the tap would be seen as rude and piggish. It could also reinforce the point that their mother hasnt raised them well as in the third print screen, you can see on the kitchen counter glasses however Mia chooses to drink from the tap, showing her bad manners. Her behaviour could result in poor parenting as from the third print screen; the kitchen counter nearest the audience has props of empty alcohol bottles and cans which could reveal that her mother may have a drinking problem as well as allowing her children to be around them, influencing the same type of behaviour as children imitate their parents. Mias costume in these clips is very plain and simple, of just shorts and a t-shirt. A cut to a medium close up of Mias mother is shown whilst she says put some clothes on Mia, your half naked. The medium close up of her mother gives the audience a good

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

look at the appearance of her. Again, she has messy hair up in a bun with dark circles round her eyes indicating that she never sleeps. Also, her costume is nothing but a yellow dressing gown, again implying that she is a slob. In her hand is a cigarette which reinforces the idea that she is a bad influence on her children as she is smoking in front of them. Furthermore, the way this character delivers her lines and gestures suggest that she is either drunk or high. This quote said by her mother shows evidence that she may be jealous of her daughter when Connor is around as in the first few clips in the trailer, when we are firstly introduced to Mias mother, she is in pants and a t-shirt, similar to Mias costume in this clip.

The point of her mother being jealous of her is backed up but Mias response showing a medium long shot of her saying you doing normally care cutting to a medium close up of Connor sat opposite his mother on the table. The voice of her younger sister says where are we going followed by a cut going to a medium close up of her mother saying for a drive. The camera then cuts to the same medium close up shot of Connor asking if Mia wants to come followed by a close up shot of Mia whilst her mother replies she wont wanna come switching back to the eye-line match medium close up shot of her mother scowling at Mia. This medium close up suggests that her mum doesnt like Mia as it is clear that she doesnt want her around. A fade transition is used followed by the appearance of the credits. As the text appears on screen, the same fade in transition is used to make it smooth and continuous. Also, by using the fade in transition of the text, it contrasts with the intensity of the scenes as the transition is very slow and calm like how motion is seen underwater unlike her life.

The next shot shows a one second clip of a medium close up shot of Mias side profile in the car. A fade transition is followed by a worms eye view shot looking up at the trees moving past representing the change in location. Another fade transition shows a close up shot of Connor looking back at Mia in the car again followed by the same fade transition showing an establishing shot of a secluded field capturing Mia walking through it in the distance. From the repetitive use of the fade transition, it changes the atmosphere of the trailer as the use of the fade creates sensual and calm feel to the

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

scenes. This could imply how she feels around Connor meaning that they could possibly be romantically involved with each other or foreshadowing this. The proceeding shots then focus on Connor and Mia together. These three print screens include the two characters always in the same shot together for example the first print screen shows a medium close up showing the side profile of Mia on Connors back. The scene afterwards shows an over the shoulder shot showing a medium long shot of Connor and a medium close up of the back of Mia both in the water, his hand gesture implying that he wants her closer. The third print screen shows a wide angle long shots of both the characters again. By including both Connor and Mia in the same shots together, it allows the audience to see the growing relationship between the two after their awkward meeting in Mias kitchen. Also, by showing them both in the frames it suggests that they are spending time in secret as they are alone together in a secluded area, therefore hiding it behind her mothers back. This could reflect the naivety that young teenager girls have when it comes to romance as it is clear that Connor is a lot older than her, raising the issues of sexual abuse which teenagers suffer from.

The

following clip is the continuation of the credits along with an increase in volume to the sound bridge incidentally. The credit says From Academy Award Winning Director Andrea Arnold it informs the audience that the film will be of a professional standard. A panning shot to the right using a long shot is cut in, introducing us to another character who has a significance to Mia as she says where are you going? this shot shows us the houses in the background which also represent that the area is rough due to the lack of effort and attention put into the presentation of the houses. The proxemics of the male character she is speaking to is far away in front of her, suggesting that he doesnt want to speak to her therefore creating unanswered questions for the audience on how they met what relevance they have to each other and so forth. The costume of this male character connotes that he is also labelled as a chav for example the cap, cigarette, baggy jeans and dark baggy jacket. The voice over of Mia continuous into the next clip (sound bridge) along with background non-diegetic music focusing on the tune of a piano. A brief close up shot of Mias face is captured, showing a happy expression of her laughing, contrasting with how she has been presented in the previous shots, miserable. A cut to a dollying shot of both Mia and the younger male character (Billy) showing them messing around in a shopping trolley, presenting the behaviour of their labelled stereotype of causing havoc and being a disturbance. These brief two clips show a different side to Mia being happy, this could insinuate chemistry between the two characters as

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

spending time with Billy makes her happy, covering the coming of age topic of first love. The volume of the non-diegetic sound bridge increases whilst the credits reappear on screen. A cut showing a two shot of Billy and Mia sitting down, showing a long shot of their whole body. The costume of Billy has changed from the first time we are introduced to him. In this scene he is wearing the same baggy jeans, with a dirty white tank top and rosary beads around his neck, implying that he could be religious. Mias costume on the other hand hasnt changed therefore insinuating that she doesnt have the money. Her costume consists of grey trackie bottoms, white clunky trainers, black short sleeved hoodie, gold chain around her neck and silver hooped earrings, all iconic of the stereotypical chav. The props included in this shot are two cushions which they are sitting on; proposing the house they are in isnt furbished therefore suggesting that they could be illegally trespassing. Also, in the previous shot of the two characters messing around in the shopping trolley, Mia says I know somewhere were we could get beers which then links with this shot showing the character drinking beers. This promotes underage drinking as she is clearly not of the legal age limit as they are hiding in a room drinking them, showing their rebellious side. It also shows connotations of what teenagers believe is cool addressing situations which happy in every day life. A cut to a close up of an over the shoulder shot capturing Billys face is followed after along with a male voice over (Connor) saying your 15 years old highlighting the fact she is trying to act older than she however realisation that she is still very young. Another cut takes us to a short clip showing a medium close up shot of Mia lying on a bed. The low lighting suggests that she is having an intimate moment, as the dimly lit room signifies romance. A cut to a close up shot of a hand follows afterwards, with the same amount of low lighting in the shot, linking the two shots together. A cut then takes us back to the previous conversation between Connor and Mia showing a close up shot of Mias face, reacting to what Connor said, replying what does it matter if you like someone? which reflects back to the previous intimate scene as well as her shots with Billy, suggesting their relationship status again applying to the typical storyline of boy meets girl. The next shot is of close up of sea side suggesting that she is going on a day out. The weather once again is bleak and miserable representing the use of pathetic fallacy. It also connotes that it is based in England, as England is known for the bad weather. A cut shows a close up shot of Mias hand stroking the head of a horse. We know its Mias hand from the similar close up shot of her hand in the other shot. A close up shot of Mias face is followed afterwards. This close up shot clearly shows that Mia is crying as her make-up has run down her face, this extenuates how much make-up this character has on as the black make-up lines are thick which connotes the reality of how much younger teenagers wear to try and look older as well as confidence issues. Montage editing is used, featuring short snippets of Mia in different locations indicating her uncertainty and confusion about her life. Throughout these numerous clips, the voice over of Connor (sound bridge) says you need sorting out you do linking to a similar thing her mother said to her at the beginning of the trailer. This specifies that Mia has a problem which is causing her unnecessary trouble however not revealing to the audience what it is as it keeps them intrigued into wanting to

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

watch the film and find out. A medium long shot of Connor appears, quickly cutting to a medium close up reaction shot of Mia showing they are having a heated discussion. The location of this scene is in a dark room which could suggest that they are meeting in secret therefore hinting at an ongoing romantic involvement with one another. She replies, So you keep saying, but you dont know nothing so why should I? The grammar used within Mias dialogue insinuates that she is uneducated as well as living in a rough area as her speak is lazy and includes a lot of slang. A cut takes us back to the previous location of the sea side where Mia is alone. A medium long shot of Mia shows she is vandalising someones property to try and steal a horse, proposing she is wanting to run away. The sound effect of the smashing of the rock on the chain links to the worms eye view capturing a fleet of birds reacting to the sound effect as well as including the ambient sounds of the birds in the same scene. The shot of the birds leads on from a panning shot to the right flowing through to the fade transition of the credits. Following from the clip of the credits, a medium close up of Mias mother is followed by a fast zoom cutting to a close up shot of Mia being grabbed aggressively by her mother. Shortly afterwards, a cut to a medium close up of the two characters facing each other is used with Mias mother whispering closely to her face saying in your room. The costume of the characters is different from the way they have been previously presented. For example, Mias mother is dressed trampy with a bright yellow low cut top accessorised with tacky jewellery demonstrating that she is dressed for a party. This is similar to Mias costume, insinuating that her mother is throwing a party at their apartment. The non-diegetic music incidentally changes to a more violent/abrupt sound to represent the violence in the upcoming scenes. A high angle panning shot is featured next, following Mia running down the stairs rapidly as if she is trying to run away from someone showing that she is unsafe in her own home. Parallel editing is used, cutting to Mia walking from the door through the outside balcony of her apartment however taken from a different scene. Here is a medium long shot tracking from behind Mia and her little sister following behind her. Her sister says im telling mum which distinguishes the type of character her sister is and showing the difference that she gets along with her mum because she is younger linking to the highlighted behaviours of a teenager. The next several clips are the introduction to the actors featured in the film;

The way the editors have designed this follows the connotations of a trailer. Seen in different trailers, the credits appear on screen featuring the name of the actor or characters name followed by a medium close up/close up shot of the actors face to familiarise the audience with who the actor plays and their character. The font and colour of the text is kept exactly the same, following the films colour scheme of blue, representing the title Fish Tank. We are only shown the names of three actors which indicate who the main characters are in the film. Also, trailers include the names of actors which are already well known to encourage more people coming to watch the film as they would recognise the actor and remember their previous work.

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

A cut takes us to a medium long shot of Mia running, using a panning shot, tracking the direction in which she is going. Ambient sounds of dogs are cut in the background. By including these sounds it increases the violence and unsafeness of where she lives. Also, dogs are symbol of power within city gangs as they are used as a weapon to harm someone therefore assuming the type of character which owns the dogs. A cut then shows a wide angle shot of the dog which matches the ambient sound. The location of the shot is in a caravan park as in the background of the frame is a caravan where the dog is chained up to. The condition of the caravan is poor, again representing the type of character which lives there along with the dead atmosphere of where the caravan is located meaning that it is an unsafe area to go. The dog runs towards the camera, creating tension on behalf of the audience as they are anticipating where the dog is running too, however, a sound effect of a chain is cut in along with the dog being pulled back rapidly. The abrupt cut in of the sound effect is followed by an out of focus pan shot to the right focusing on a medium close up of Mia and another male character which addresses her by saying Oi Oi illustrating inappropriate behaviour which is classed as stereotypical of the teenage male thug. A cut to a close up shot of another character hand holding a hammer foreshadows violence in the scene along with another male character saying your up to know good. By including this, it represents the importance of power from their perspective that young adults try and achieve, proving a point that they need to be respected and by doing this with violence. This kind of behaviour introduces the stereotyped label that teenage youths have been given from witnessed behaviour of city gangs. A cut then takes us to a wide angle shot of Mia being attacked by the males however only appearing for less than a second. This is effective as it leaves the audience wanting to find out more on what happens to her, guaranteeing that people will go and see it. After the brief encounter with the gang of boys, the credits reappear on screen however the continuous screaming and muffling from Mia alongside the barking of the dog is played over the top. This creates uncertainty for the audience as they are able to hear what is going on however not being able to see, creating frustration of wanting to know whats going on therefore audiences going to watch it. It also links with the idea that Mia is mysterious, not knowing what is happening to her character, as all the clips never fully establish her role in terms of what has happened to her, why she is the way she is and what trouble she has gotten herself into. Montage editing is used to round up the end of the trailer. This is common within most trailers as it leaves the audience with links as to what happens in the end, like a puzzle. Below are some print screen shots of the short clips featured within the montage editing;

The first print screen shows low lighting which previously reflected a romantic scene. From the use of dim lighting, it makes it difficult for the audience to make out who the two character are however from the medium close up shot we are able to make out the physical build of the male character therefore revealing it is Connor along with the female character having blonde long hair therefore resembling Mias mother. The

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

second print screen is of a close up shot of Mias side profile washing her face. This could link with the title of the film Fish Tank meaning she is suffocated within the tiny bubble of a fish tank along with the connotations of the water symbolising this also. The third print screen shows a low angle shot with the trainer in the background being out of focus. Because of this, it concentrates on the prop in the foreground of the shot which is a spliff. This adds to the another topic of social realism that this film has included with under age drug abuse, again applying the idea that young people explore these things as a result of trying to become older as well as peer pressure and the pressure to fit in. It also is stereotypical for the area of a rundown area in a city of the teenagers resulting in underage drinking and drug use therefore including this behaviour. The fourth print screen showing a medium long shot of the back of Mias body, tracking her whilst she runs away however unknown as to what or why she is running away from. The last print screen goes back to the previous clip of Mia being in the car with Connor. Again it shows a medium close up of the back of Mias head which is effective as the audience can see what she is seeing and doing. Mia is sticking her hand out the window whilst the car is moving, this could display signs of Mia wanting to be free however is restricted from the window pane stopping her referring back to her troubles at home stopping her being free. A cut then takes us to another set of credits appearing saying how much can you take linking on from the previous clip saying how much can you give. Another set of Montage editing is used showing more short snippets featured in the film. As the clips go on, the volume of the sound bridge increases rapidly to create bigger tension.

Throughout these clips, non-diegetic sound effects of heavy breathing and water are cut in, not only increasing the build up of the penultimate clip shown but also representing swimming or drowning, again linking to the relevance to the title. Also, the length of the clips gradually get shorter therefore making it harder for the audience to completely inhale all the information from them therefore leaving them with unanswered questions and queries on what happens and what they saw. This is also an effective way to increase the tension to the build up as it compliments well with the build up to the climatic point of the film, keeping the audience entertained. Once the music reaches its climatic point, along with the tension building from the clips, both the non-diegetic music and the clips cut out leaving the audience looking at a black, blank screen. This creates anticipation for the audience as to what may appear next on screen, also leaving it on a cliff hanger as to what really happens to Mia as the clips shown were very dramatic. A cut in of heavy breathing is used whilst the black out is still appearing, using the same heavy breathing which was used throughout the previous montage editing. A shot cuts in showing a medium long shot of Mia sweating and out of breath,

Shannon Bulmer

Media

Task 5

suggesting she was dancing linking back to the previous shot of Mia teaching herself to dance in front of the TV. This could link to another sub-plot in the film of the character finding her identity and chasing her dreams, which in this case is her passion for dancing which is a stereotypical plot in a coming of age film of a talented main character. The costume is this clip (hooped earrings, white vest top with fish net black vest top over the top and grey trackies) follow on from the first clip of the trailer, showing the medium close up shot of the back of Mias head linking the beginning and end of the trailer together.

Another black out cuts in straight after this shot, followed shortly by a slow fade in transition is used to introduce the name of the film. This symbolises the conventions of a trailer by revealing the name of the film at the end of the trailer as it leaves the audience remembering the name of the film as it is the last thing featured. I will take this into consideration when producing my own trailer as this is shown throughout every trailer. Below you can see the fade in transition in the first print screen to the second print screen showing the final appearance. You can vaguely see on the lettering that it has shades of white inside the blue; this is representing the motion of moving water which is used as an effect inside the text. This is cleverly done as it relates to the name fish tank along with the theme of water as their colour scheme.

The clip uses a slow fade out transition going back to a black screen indicating to the audience that it is the end of the trailer. Similar to The Perks of being a Wallflower (2012) trailer this trailer also doesnt include the film classification certificate meaning that the audience are unaware of the legal age limit to watch this. Unlike the American coming of age films i.e. The Perks of being a Wallflower and LOL, Fish Tank represents topics out of the social realism genre therefore including more inappropriate and violent scenes. By not including the film classification is could effect an audience member if the footage in unsuitable to be watched by an age group. This links in with the theory of the Hypodermic Syringe which refers to the media as a syringe and injects ideas and opinions into the audience. For example, as this film conducts features of abuse, sex, alcohol and drug abuse it could influence the behaviour of a young teenager which watches the film therefore the producers have to carefully select the right classification certificate to be suitable for the right audience members.