Workshop 4 - Atmosphere/Mood

1. District 12
Green, dull, dark, brown, grey, white, black
→Natural/Nature
Feel - Wild, natural, country, poor - can't afford nice buildings

2. Capitol
White, grey, silver, metals - buildings
Bright, colourful - people
→Metallic, industrial, technological
Feel - Annoyed, futuristic, wealthy, greedy, rich, technologically advanced

3. Control room
White, blue (different shades)
→Use of technology, intelligence
Feel - Cramped, smart, algorithmic, clean, clinical, technological

Themes
→Hope & Rebellion
→Rich vs Poor
→Power struggle

Colour is used effectively to show the theme of rich vs poor. This is demonstrated in the two scenes- District 12 at the start of the film and the Capitol as Katniss and Peeta arrive on the train. In District 12 a natural, dull and dark palette of greens and browns is used to create a wild atmosphere. In the Capitol a metallic, industrial colour of whites, silvers and greys is used to create a feeling of an advanced society. The purpose of this is to show the rich vs poor in the two societies. The Capitol has more bright colours and advanced buildings and technologies, whereas District 12 has dull colours to show their run-down buildings and overworn clothing. Combined with the use of costumes we are able to see the divide between the wealthy in the Capitol and the poor of District 12. This reminds the audience of the riot scene later in the film when the poor citizens of District 11 rebel against the rule of the Capitol.

Workshop 3 - Costumes

1. Reaping scene - District 12
→ Cult-like
→ Faded
→ Girls, dresses, and skirts
→ Boys, trousers, and shirts
→ Simple
→ Dull colors
→ Girls, braided hair
→ Boys, short hair
→ Poor
→ Scared of being reaped
→ Tension
→ Sorry for them
Director - Poor, sad, hard lives

2. Capitol 
→ Bright Colours
→ Vibrant
→ Exaggerated
→ Over the top
→ Loud
→ Different hairstyles
→ Unique
→ Girls & boys, excessive use of makeup, hairpieces
→ Nice style
→ Good quality
→ Made to be worn and thrown away
Director - Has everything tributes want, easy-going, not stressed, arrogant
                      -Done so we automatically dislike them

3. Beginning of Arena
→ Dull
→ Camouflage
→ Greys, blacks, greens
→ Jacket, cargos, t-shirt, hiking boots
→ All look the same 
                     - Done so it's easier to watch them die, no emotional ties to them.

Themes
→ Hope & rebellion
→ Rich vs poor 
→ Struggle for power

Effie
→ Pinkish dress
→ Make up
         - Painted face white
         - Pink lips
         - Crazy eyelashes
→ Symbol of wealth shows how poor District 12 is

In the reaping scene, the costume is used effectively to show the imbalance between the rich and poor of Panam. For instance, the children of District 12 all look alike in dull, simple, overworn colours. In contrast, Effie Trinkett arrives wearing bright colours, a large wig and headpiece and excessive make-up. This makes the audience feel sorry for the people of District 12 because Effie is a symbol of the wealth in the Capitol. We see that not everyone lives in poverty. The director did this to show the hard life of those in Katniss's home district. Coinciding with this is Effie's behavior. She is loud, happy and confident while the people of the district are quiet and scared. This can be Juxtaposed to the scene where Katniss and Peeta arrive in the Capitol. In this scene, everyone else is rich and clean and they are different.

Workshop 2 - Sounds

Track1


Track2
Japanese themed
Movement
Fast Paced
Energy

Track3
Slow
Sad
Grows and shrinks

Track4
Dark/Suspenseful
Nervous



Mr Taylors Lesson

Song1
Happy Energetic

Song2
Emotional Sombre

Tempo influences emotion
Faster - Upbeat, more energy

Chords influences emotion
Major - Bright, happy
Minor - Sinister, sad

Dynamics - Volume
Louder - Energy, emotion
Quieter - Subtle, focus



Reaping scene

Silence -
Realism
Suspense (Whats going to happen)
Makes us focus (Looking for other clues)

Music during propoganda film
- Medium tempo
- Minor - scary, energy
-  Subtle - doesn't distract from the story

Music
-When we meet Peeta
           - Feel sorry for him
           - Isolated from others
           - Maybe victory (Horns)

-Tempo starts slow but increases
- Predominantly minor
           - Sinister

Music and silence are used effectively to create a foreboding atmosphere in the Reaping scene. In the reaping scene, the tributes from District 12 are selected and we see Katniss volunteer as tribute for her sister. The male tribute selected was Peeta Mellark. Silence is used when Effie draws out and reads the tributes name to make us feel like the moment is real, to make us focus and draw out the suspense. The director has done this to make the audience worry about who will be chosen. Music was used to introduce the audience to Peeta when his name is drawn. The music is predominantly minor and has a slow tempo which makes us feel sad and worried like Peeta. This is combined with close-up shots of Peeta's worried facial expression to draw the viewer in.

Workshop 1 - Paragraph

Photo 1
Over the shoulder - connects the viewer to the conversation
Extreme long shot - shows us crowd/all the people there
High angle - see more, people below are seen as vulnerable
All three show President Snow as more powerful.

Camera shots and angles are used effectively in the film 'The Hunger Games'. For example, in the scene after the tribute parade where we first see the character President Snow. Gary Ross uses a combination of over the shoulder and high angle with an extreme long shot to show Snow addressing the crowd. This makes us understand that Snow is a powerful individual in the Capitol as everyone is listening to him. The purpose of this is to show Snow's supremacy among the people in the Capitol and the tributes. Coinciding with this, the use of setting shows a special place above others for Snow and below for the tributes. This can be juxtaposed to the scene later in the film where Katniss and Peeta reclaim power by threatening to eat the poisonous berries in the arena.

Photo 2
Dutch tilt - shows that Katniss is out of place on the stage, volunteered for her sister. Saying she will die for her sister.
Mid shot - facial expression, vulnerable. Is the first volunteer from district 12, just been selected to be tribute above all others. Makes the viewer an onlooker. Makes the audience feel like she's suddenly alone.
Low angle - makes Katniss seem important because she's the tribute

In 'The Hunger Games', directed by Gary Ross, camera shots and angles are used skillfully and strategically. This is seen in the scene of the reaping, as Katniss Everdeen stands on the stage after volunteering in place of her younger sister, Primrose. A mid shot, low angle and a dutch tilt have been carefully chosen to portray how out of place Katniss is on the stage, being the first person from district 12 to volunteer. The mid shot is chosen so that Katniss' facial expressions are clear and to give the viewer a sense of being someone within the crowd, seeing that Katniss is suddenly scared and alone. Low angles are generally used to make someone seem vulnerable and weak, but in this scene, it is used to show Katniss' importance standing up on the stage being a tribute representing her district. A dutch tilt is done for the horizon to be uneven, implying that things in the scene are not right or are abnormal. In this scene, it is deliberately included to imply that Katniss being on the stage after volunteering is unusual and not considered normal. The viewers later find out in the movie that in District 1 and 2, children are trained their whole lives to someday volunteer for the hunger games. Comparing District 1 to District 12, you can see how unusual it actually is for Katniss to have volunteered.

English Essay

Next Steps:

• Actually finish the essay because I didn't manage to get it all done.
• Develop points that are sustained throughout and integrated.
• It is organized and develops a perceptive case or argument; structure and expression may show flair/originality, enhancing the discussion.
• Use different types of sentences to make it more convincing/stronger.
• Find different vocabulary to improve my essay

Film Study - The Hunger Games Gary Ross

hunger games notes

scene 1 - 

music absent, hear nature, colour is dull to imply that the district is undesirable and sad.

frequent close-up shots, over the shoulder to tell better emotion.

district 12 -

the costume is dull/old to show poverty/poor, worn down

houses were broken down, the child looks out window w/ no glass, the man picks all the meat off a bone in the street, big electric fences & high voltage signs to show containment/lack of freedom.

forest scene -

shaky camera deliberately done as if they are chasing after katniss

katniss shooting a deer to show the skill of archery, foreshadowing later use of a bow and hunting

high angle so they seem smaller, vulnerable and weak. makes peacekeepers look superior and strong.

grass scene w/ katniss gail -

excited to be given bread

panning shots  of wilderness implying isolation

primrose and katniss scene -

primrose needs katniss to tuck in a tail

braids in the hair

reaping scene -

most girls with braids

bland clothing

primrose scared

effie on stage scene -

brings out how poor district 12

wears expensive bright clothing  and makeup to seem superior and dominant/important

stands on the stage with a loud cheerful voice to seem confident

made up in contrast to the people of district 12

close-up on her eyelashes

reaping 2 scene - 

video shown above the crowd so crowd is vulnerable

close up on effie and over the shoulder to show importance

prim tucks in shirt to show she has to grow up as shes called out

katniss volunteers 

prims facial to show pain

dutch tilt to show obscurity and out of place

close up on facials

peeta gets called out

camera follows him on stage

flashback of katniss' first encounter w/ peeta

town hall scene -

mother hugs katniss

prim comes in crying and yelling to show fear and sadness

katniss asks gail to make sure her family doesnt starve

train scene -

music as they walk into an expensive room to show change of scene

sounds emotional to show that its something theyve hever had and leaving their family behind

flashbacks to show relationships between a character

haymitch comes in, pours hismself a glass on alcohol, frequently done to show hes an alcoholic

tvs to continue to show wealth

haymitch lectures katniss on how to get sponsers and to act more likable/sofisticated

scene of capitol -

sees the capitol, wealth, colour, cheering, interesting dressing, very ecentric and extravagance

shiny clean environment 

big buildings

deliberately shows scenes of people walking to show the difference between capitols wealth and district 12s poverty

scene of katniss being groomed -

is made to look better so she's liked

gets told she smells basically

meets cinna, he looks good

parade ground scene -

shown different costumes of other districts

anouncers shown above the crowd and a pathway clear for the districts

meet president snow and game master (seneca)
wide angle/over the shoulder of people dressed throughout crowd as snow stands above

scene of living space -
electricity, very modern and advanced to show comparison between the captiol and district 12, how shocked they were as they were.

training grounds scene -
steady camera
small scenes of people training
arguing between two districts over

dinner -
no music
close up on facial expressions to set the mood and emotion
flashback to peeta and katniss

training grounds 2 -
grey, white, black. only point of distinct colour is w the people who run the hunger games, where theyre seated to show theyre better
music to create seriousness/dramatic effect

training grounds 3 -
low music
high angle looking down on katniss to make her look weak and vulnerable
close up/mid shot of her steadying her bow
music makes tension, fast paced n high pitched, low menacing undertone
close up for facials
startled when katniss shoots the apple in the pigs mouth

talk show -
over shoulders and close-ups so we feel involved

the games -
close-ups on katniss' facials
silence to set the atmosphere
music for sadness
no music for clearer emotion
facials w katniss and peeta for emotion 
dirty costume and makeup due to being there for a while
blurred background to pay attention to main person in view

shaky camera to imply you're there while they fight
high angles, over the shoulder, low angle

quotes -

may the odds be ever in your favour said for ironic purposes - effie, katniss says to  mock the whole hunger games

embrace the probability of your imminent death - haymitch

symbols -

mockingjay symbol seen when bartering w an old lady

three finger solute for district 12 during reaping, solidarity

the girl on fire

notice -
snow wears white rose
haymitch refuses a drink
president snow v black n white
rely on close up of facials to tell story