How Tarantino uses generic conventions in 'Jackie Brown' (1997) (unfinished)

plot summary :
 Los Angeles,1995. Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is a flight attendant for a small Mexican airline called Cabalas Airlines which flies only from L.A. to Cabo San Lucas, the latest step down for her career. Despite the low pay, the job enables her to smuggle money from Mexico into the United States for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), a gun runner under the close watch of the ATF.

title sequence :
 Jackie Brown opens with a wonderful tracking shot of it’s protagonist floating forward on an airport escalator. The credits roll in front of Pam Grier’s imposing presence, except the title card, which consumes the frame and Tarantino’s heroine. This clearly establishes the character of Jackie through stereotypical character estblishing techniques. She remains facing forward and walking for the majority of the shot, showing independance and concentration in order to keep herself looking professional as someone with authority through her wearing an air hostess uniform. The lack of empotion in her fce makes itdifficult for the audience to connect with th charater straight away as it makes her hard to read. This is a strength of the shot as it keeps interest from the audience.  She remains relxed and calm throug the shot even when running. The camera work used is very effective when showing that Jackie is an impiortant character, the opening is long and set on one character in order for this to remian intresting the character must come across as strong and independant, also mysterious leaving the audience wanting to know more about the enigmatic Jackie Brown.

After the tracking shot of Brown on an escalator, it cuts to a low angle tracking shot of her walking through a terminal. The low angle shows Jackie as important, and someone with authority. This sets the assumption that Jackie will be an important character throughout the film. The use of brown walking in a different direction to the other actors gives off the assumption that jackie is independant, as well as the camera always tracking her movements. The camera never moves off Jackie throughout the whole opening sequence. It establishes the character well, showing her importance to the audience.

 

challenging steroeotypical thriller conventions

Tarantino challenges many conventions in this film by the main character being a woman, this was rare in the time period as danger and heroistic charactersitics were mainly associated with men, Tarantino also uses this woman heroin role in the 'Kill Bill' films using Uma Thurman as a strong independant main character throughout the films. He also challenged the conventions by the main character being black, the film is set in the 90's, this was still a very racially segreated time, especially in america. Casting Pam Grier was a very interesting choice as it challenges what the norm was at that specific time period, as well as many other apsects, it is factors like this which make Tarantinos films unique.

 

another way tarantino challenges conventions is through Jackie Browns age, she is middle aged, which was rare in films, and still is now. All the different aspects of the character (ethnicity, age and status) makes her interesting to the audience, meaning they will remember the film for its unique flare in comparison to other films released during this time. Women in thrillers are normally represented as femme fatales, very beautiful and normally just side characters in comparison to the main characters which usually are men. This film challenges that, by establishing the charcter of Jackie Brown as important, and spending a lot of time with the camera focused on her. In thrillers, women are not usually represented this way, in turn making this Thriller unique. For example, the first shot of Jackie is showing her power and status, and is in no way objectifying her as character when in an atmosphere of dominant men. This differs drastically when the character of Melanie is established. The first shot of Melanie that we see is a close up on her feet, this shows unimportance as instead of focusing on her whole body, tarantino uses the camera to focus on her lower half. Already the camera work is establishing her as an object, she is always out of shot throughout the conversation and only comes intot he shot when asked to answer the phone. This shows that the men in the scene have dominance and power over her, this could not be more different when comparing it to Jackie Browns establishing shot.

 
the shooting of beaumont livingstone by ordell robbie.

Tarantino uses many stereotypical thriller conventions in this scene to build tension and establish the genre. For example, the mise en scene. In this part of the film, some of it is set in a urban black of flats, which mirrors the  characters corrupted morals. The colours surrounding the characters are dull, and it is shot during the night, enhancing the sense of darkness and mystery. Usually, blocks of flats are stereotypically associated with crime, this sets up the assumption to the audience that a violent act will occur. Tarantino sometimes challenges stereotypes of location, for example in kill bill the fight between the bride and Vernita Green, this fight scene is shot in a colourful surreal neighbourhood. This contrasts massively with 'Jackie Brown', due to what i mentioned before about the location being stereotypically associated with crime. This shows Taranintos varying conventions when making thriller films.

In this scene tarantino also uses the sense of vulnerability to the victim Beaumont by the character being a lot shorter than ordell. This shows dominance and power over the victim from the suspect (Ordell). Also, beaumont is topless, where as ordell is fully clothed in very smart attire, and an interesting hat. The costume of ordell could be compared to that of Jason Locke in 'Essex Boys'. the outgoing costumes relfect their deceiptful personalities.

The low angle shot of the camera looking up when Ordell asks Beaumont to get in the trunk of the car shows vulnerability and has an interesting effect on the film, showing the action from a different perspective. this is often referred to as Tarantino's trademark shot. It is used in some of his other films such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Kill Bill.

 

Essex Boys (2000 Terry Winsor)

plot summary :
'The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, UK. On 6th December Patrick Tate, Craig Rolfe and Tony Tucker, three drug dealers well known to the police, were lured to Workhouse Lane, Rettendon. There they were blasted to death with a shot gun while sitting in their Range Rover. They had been lured to their deaths on the pretext of a lucrative drugs deal. The three bodies were found the following morning, 7th December 1995. '

synopsis :
'This film starts off as a young taxi driver is offered a job to help a small-time hardman get a little revenge. As the film progresses, he gets money and he thinks he is gaining respect from the other gang members. Then there comes a time where he is woken at night, only to find a Range Rover outside his house: his boss is expecting him to drive this to pick up the rest of the gang and take them to their awaiting fate...'

How Terry Winsor established and develops the thriller genre in the opening to Essex Boys

the genre of essex boys is established very clearly in the opening to the film. the title sequence of white lines on a black backround which subtly fade into the shed of light coming from under the garage door in the first scene of the film. this shows the fluency of scenes in the film, it gives a standard of intelligence which the director will carry on using throughout the film. Thrillers are strongly based on intelligent interpretations and camera angles ensuring the viewer is on the edge of their seat and paying attention to the film, at the same time as feeling involved with the characters and the scene which is unfolding infront of them. 

with the effective title sequence, and the first few scenes, it is clear to the viewer that 'Essex Boys' is a thriller. The first shot of discovering the car in the cold, isolated garage with non ambient lighting created to give an effect of darkness and uncertainty. The single spot light of lighting in this scene gives the scene an atmosphere, which is concerning and unsafe. This feeling will keep viewers attentive and wanting to know what happens next. All this is given off purely to the lighting, which has a massive effect on the film overall. As the lighting in this scene is incredibly limited, it makes the characters whereabouts seem mysterious, almost as if they shouldnt be there. The darkness of the scene connotes a Noir Thriller look. With effective use of shadows it mirrors scenes from famous noir thrillers such as 'The Third Man', meaning the genre is quickly established through stereotypical conventions.  The cold, and bleak streets in this scene is also a cultural reference to the setting of the film, essex is commonly seen as unglamorous place, and the scenic shots from this sequence mirror this expectation well.

introducing Jason

From first encounter it is clear that Jason will play a very important part to the story, you can clearly see his status from the first time the audience view him. The way he is only visible to us after wiping mud of a windscreen and we see him through a glass screen. This infers that he has extreme detatchment from his emotions, he is hidden behind this glass screen unable to make any pure contact with the other characters. He remains distant and cold to other characters building up a mysterious personality, making us want to find out more about his character. Having a character like Jason in the film creates an urge to be attentive to his every move, in hope to discover his true colours. whilst being attentive, the audeince will unconciously form their own opinion on him, setting up for a unique experience when viewing the film. 

 The use of the windscreen wipers cleaning the dirt between Jason and Billy shows that theres is something about Jason which is unclean, almost as if everywhere he goes this cloud of dirt follows him, inferring that he has done terrible things in the past which will never wash away. The way the scene is shot, from a low angle, gives Jason status and power. Making billy seem vulnerable. Jasons loud shirt indicates confidence and brashness, along with his working roots and his backround of coming from essex. Jason is a stereotypical archetype for a character in a thriller, his character has adopted the characteristics which we expect. It is clear that he will play the 'villian' in this film. He comes across as cocky, and a bit of a 'wide-boy', his character somewhat mirrors that of Harry Lime from 'The Third Man', both characters appear to the audience as cocky, and flash. From this, his status and personality is clear to viewers. Winsor has intelligently crafted Jason around other characters of the same status from other films, establishing their roles in the film.  His personality also mirrors the atmosphere they are in, as the film is set in essex which is sterotypically unglamorous, you would expect a character like Jason to originate from here.

alot of things are said about the genre of the film through the scenic shots taken throughout the first opening scenes. For example, when Billy and Jason are trvalling in a white van through the long tunnel. This indicates several things: the white van is seen as an enigma, we as the audience are not yet sure what it is going to be used for, stereotypically, there are a lot of bad views around white vans in our society, this provokes thoughts about what is going to happen. While the audience are trying to work out the next steps they are paying close attention as the white van speeds through Dartford tunnel. The tunnel may be seen as a reference for a barrell of a gun, and the use of the long journey through the tunnel may be seen as Jason and Billy changing worlds.  Going from the bleak darkness in the tunnel, to the bright natural light on exit from the tunnel. They have just changed their position, and this gets the audience ready for new scenes of action in a new location. The use of clear lighting contrast is clear, this is another way of Winsor showing the change in atmosphere. Going from enclosed spaces into something wider indicates that Jason is taking Billy on a journey into what his life is like, this is also backed up by the assault he is about to perform on a man in the fish market. The tunnel may aslo be seen as an encolsed space, again referencing the genre of a thriller.

 

Thriller Shot List

• Shot 1 - Sophie in the library researching a murder case from the 1930's
• Shot 2 - Sophie walks over the bridge and takes a photo
• Shot 3 - Flashback - Eve is walking over the bridge by herself
• Shot 4 - Sophie walks along the pathway taking a photo at a place where the murder began
• Shot 5 - Flashback - Tommy is at a doorway staring at Eve as she walks past him
• Shot 6 - Sophie continues to walk down a pathway taking another photo. High angle suggests someone is looking down on her and she is vulnerable - just like Eve
• Shot 7 - Flashback - Eve staggers quicker down the pathway when she knows Tommy is watching her
• Shot 8 - Sophie is crouching down to take another photo of the potential place of where Eve was actually killed
• Shot 9 - Flashback - Worms eye of Eve laying on the floor looking up at Tommy who is about to murder her
• Shot 10 - Sophie is walking back up to her apartment and then enters her room
• Shot 11 - As she alks into her bedroom, she gets comfortable, gets her photos out and sits down at her computer
• Cliffhanger
• Shot 12 - As Sophie is sitting at her computer, she sees a shadow in the background. It is unclear and she turns around to look
• Shot 13 - A point of view shot of Sophie which shows a figure which looks exactly like Tommy standing in the dark with a gun in his hand

thriller shot list

Shots	Character/s	Location	Shot Type	Lighting
1	Sophie	Library	Over the Shoulder	Non ambient
2	Sophie	Bridge	Medium Tilt Tracking	Non ambient Street lights
3	Eve	Bridge	Medium Tilt Tracking	Noir
4	Sophie	Pathway	Close Pan	Non ambient
5	Tommy	Doorway	Low Angle Still Zoom	Noir
6	Sophie	Pathway	High Angle	Non ambient
7	Eve	Pathway	High Angle	Noir
8	Sophie	Pathway	Rule of Thirds	Non ambient
9	Eve + Tommy	Pathway	Low Angle Worms Eye	Noir
10	Sophie	Entering apartment/flat; walking upstairs	High Angle	Non Ambient
11	Sophie+Tommy	Bedroom	Over the Shoulder	Non Ambient
12 Cliffhanger	Sophie+Tommy	Bedroom	Over the Shoulder black computer screen reflection of Tommy with gun/knife	Non Ambient
13	Sophie+Tommy	Bedroom	Point of View from Sophie’s perspective	Non Ambient

Research Into Thrillers

Pulp Fiction (1994) - Quentin Tarantino- Miramax Films

'The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.'

This thriller, directed by Quentin Tarantino, stars many well known actors such as John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, making this film unique and incredibly interesting, with Tarantinos fantastic directing and natural talent of making films, there is no way this motion picture would not be a hit, even to this day, almost ten years after it was released it is still being viewed and enjoyed by younger generations.

Review from Rotten Tomatoes,  94%, 9/10, said to be 'One of the most influential films of the 1990s, Pulp Fiction is a delirious post-modern mix of neo-noir thrills, pitch-black humor, and pop-culture touchstones'.

Shot list

Shot Number	Shot Type	Location	Actor/s
Shot 1	Tracking & Close Up	By the front gates to the 6th form common room door.	Phoebe
Shot 2	Pan Up	6th form common room door.	Phoebe
Shot 3	Over the shoulder tracking.	6th form common room.	Phoebe
Shot 4	Tracking shot	Media ICT suite	Phoebe
Shot 5	Close Up	Through door between Mr Seal’s room and the media ICT suite.	Phoebe & Matt
Shot 6	Still Zoom	Mr Seal’s room	Phoebe & Matt
Shot 7	Shot Reverse Shot	Mr Seal’s room	Phoebe & Matt
Shot 8	High angle	Mr Seal’s room	Phoebe & Matt
Shot 9	Pan	Mr Seal’s room	Phoebe

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Planning

To ensure we completed the preliminary task to the best of our ability, our group did research into all the different camera angles of a stereotypical conversation. For example, a tilt of the camera, to show confusion,and to make the audience pay closer attention to try and work out the purpose of the camera tilt, resulting in them paying close attention to the unfolding events. We had already covered different camera angles in class, and we discovered they would be useful when filming our preliminary. We realised that camera angles have an effect on the video, as well as the acting taking place.
Another area of planning we covered was ensuring we had a clear storyboard of our task, ensuring we had all the key events and types of shot. This was effective when shooting as it made sure our group were on task throughout. we referred back to our story boards whilst shooting and ensured we included everything we wanted too and we had planned.

(scan in story board)

In general, we didnt change from our original plans overly, at first our range of shots were limited and not as advanced, we then altered these to improve our work. We began to pick certain angles, and focus on making them as good as possible, for example, the hand opening the door.

(print screen of hand on door from preliminary task)

Locations

Our locations where chosen effectively, in the task we were told to show our actors in an every day situation. To make our films a bit more interesting we got more locations that just a classroom, we chose to have our actor walking into the school. Luckily, the weather outside was quite dim, with the effect of this pathetic fallacy, it gave a sense of negativity to the shoot, which reflected the conversation topic which was an argument. Our locations consisted of the walk into school, taken from the front gate, and then through the sixth form common room and then finally into a classroom which is where the conversation was filmed.

180 degree rule

When filming, all directors and film crew are aware of the 180 degree rule, which is incredibly important when shooting discussions. It is extremely simple, and extremely effective. It ensures there is no confusion to the audience when viewing conversations in things such as films and tv programmes. It consists of an inamginary line running through the set (180 degrees), the aim of it is to make sure who ever is filming does not cross it and cause confusion. The actors having the conversation will always be on the same side of the screen. A good example to explain this is that of a football match, knowing which team are shooting in which direction, and that doesnt change.

during my groups shoot, we kept this rule in mind and ensured we did not break it, making our preliminary shoot a success.

 

Camera shots and their effects

 

certain camera shots we used, such as the one we started with, which was a tracking shot, built up tension before the actual conversation took place. By focusing mainly on the actors shoes, and not her face, this enabled us to keep the identity of the actor and not revealing what they looked like straight away, this means the audience have to wait to get a larger picture of the actor, and fully understand their character and the situation they are in.

 

(print screen of tracking shot)

 

Another shot we used was the high angle shot of matt to show vulnerability as the other actor approached him. By using this shot, it makes matt seem smaller in comparison to his surroundings. This also shows status and power towards our main actress. Who approaches matt and begins the argument. It clearly shows who is dominant in the conversation.

 

(print screen of high angle shot with matt)

 

Realistic aspects of conversation and filming

 

There was a clear element of realism through the whole of our conversation, the fact we used such a simple basis for our argument made our action believable. The conversation shows a gradual build up of tension and anger resulting in our actress knocking a chair over and storming out of the room.

 

Editing effects

 

after we had our core material we then went onto editing in pairs to make our work our own, and give it a more personal touch. One of our main editing aims was to make our cuts smoother, and our scenes more interesting. To achieve this we chose to fade some of our shots to black and some to white to show different aspects of the conversation. For example, as well as fading to black and fading to white, we had all of matts scenes in black and white, and all of phoebes in colour. This shows clear difference in the two worlds they were living in, one of colour and one of black and white. This makes the cuts contrast nicely, making our shoot more interesting to watch than if it was all edited to the same colour.