Analysis of Sound in a British Social Realism opening

British Social Realism Style and Techniques

Open publication - Free publishing

Production Log week 3

This week, I have learnt about the use of title devices within opening sequences of British social realism films. For example, in Panic Room they have about 21 titles in their opening sequence. The production company is the first to appear on screen, thereafter the main actors present, followed by the film title. The featured characters are shown in two's so we will know they are not shown for long in the film. I can use this layout in my own production to make mine similar to a BSR film opening. I will add the credits at the beginning of my opening sequence so that it looks like an opening and not a trailer. I am going to use roughly 20-30 title devices, because this is the general amount used in most BSR films. I will also add the institutional information in order of importance and I will most likely put them all in groups, because none of the crew will be well-known.

Possible locations for my British Social Realism opening

Barley Lane - Chadwell Heath

I can use this location because the houses look run down and it has a small shop in between, so it is likely to get mugged often and i can portray that in my opening. There is rubbish in the streets which shows that people don't look after it. Also this area is often quiet, so there should be no problem filming here and it is nearby.

Manor Park

This location has a lot of typical conventions like the local chicken shop and recorder so this area would be quite busy. The streets in this area are unvarnished and look a bit tatty which is seen in a lot of BSR films. There are usually gangs who hang around this area which gives a negative representation of Britain.

Dagenham

This looks like a typical BSR film location, because the place looks filthy and abandoned.
This area has a high crime rate and is seen as rough which is very common in British Social Realism films. It is a very quiet area so sound shouldn't be affected by background noise. Most people's ethnicity here is white which is good as this would represent Britain.

Barking Market

This area is quite rough and gritty which depicts a negative aspect of Britain. The crime rate is also quite high as many people are seen getting into fights and this represents a typical British Social Realism situation. Also it is a very busy area so there may be problems in trying to shoot there.

How British Social Realism Films are used

Violence - Kidulthood

In this film, Kidulthood, violence is the main theme portrayed throughout the film. This scene shows the antagonist being physically beaten up by the protagonists, which depicts a lot of violence and bullying. This is a very common theme which is shown in many BSR films and are established physically to the person most of the time. This is a key element and I will try to include this in my production, because it links with British Social Realism. I may use the vocabulary from this film, because it represents the negative aspect of British Society.

Terrorism - Four Lions

This scene establishes the theme of terrorism and also racism to Islam. During the debate a muslim gets up and argues politically about terrorism and how the society treats them as one. This promotes the theme that muslims are treated cautiously and suspiciously  because the man reveals what appears to be a bomb strapped to his chest. This would give everyone the impression that he is a suicide bomber; furthermore he is supported by another muslim by cheering him on which further strengthens the theme in this context. Also the camera keeps zooming in and out continuously which adds to a more suspense effect. 

Racism - This is England

This scene clearly portrays the theme of racism, because a group of white men graffiti offensive words to Pakistani people outside the shop wall. Inside the shop, the kid calls the Asian man something offensive to his culture calling him a "paki bastard". The Asian man then gets held at knife point by a white man as the others are stealing alcohol and cigarettes from his shop. This theme is portrayed as very rough and makes the Asian man very innocent. I can use this theme to depict ethnic differences in my production to show the rough side of society.

Domestic abuse - Nil By Mouth

This scene portrays serious violent abuse to the woman being hit by her husband. It starts with the two shouting at each other which foreshadows something worse is going to happen afterwards. The man then physically attacks her, but through the camera language the audience does not see the woman's face or see her after that, which makes the situation even worse, because this leaves the audience to think the worst has happened, because we don't know what happened to her. I can use this theme to show a darker side of British society which would make the audience tremble.

Petty Crime - Trainspotting

This scene starts with a smash mouth opening, because we see a man running in the streets with two men behind him in suits catching up. This implies that the man has done a crime or else he wouldnt be on the run trying to escape. We can assume he is not an expert in doing these crimes otherwise he wouldnt have been caught in the first place and he is very careless while he is running as he nearly got hit by a car and then laughs. The upbeat music suggests it wasn't anything serious as if it was a prank hit and run. I could use this theme to show a powerless town not being able to prevent petty crimes from happening.

Nowhere Boy timeline opening analysis

Nowhere Boy timeline opening analysis

Production Log week 2

I have learnt about the many conventions that have been used in opening scenes of British social realism films across different eras over the past 50 years. Many of these films contain minimal dialogue, minimal camerawork and editing, introduces the main themes and include institutional information. This will help me in my production as I know what conventions to include and how to use them to relate to the audience to create a realistic image. This gives me a general idea of what a British social realism film is supposed to be like. In particular, Kidulthood has influenced me the most, because it is one of the most modern film I have analysed and it relates to how the real world is like right now. This film portrays the theme of violence which is also a recurring theme in the real world and this influences me to use that to conform that convention in my production. I will conform as many conventions as possible to create a realistic situation as shown in many British social realism films in my production. I will also use less edits and camerawork to keep in with the conventions. I also learnt that i should add the institutional information at the beginning of the opening scene to make it seem like an opening rather than a trailer.

Use of Themes in British Social Realism

What is the link between British Social Realism themes and the real world?

The themes that are portrayed within British Social Realism films are very similar to the issues we are experiencing in the real world. For example in the real world there are young girls drinking alcohol, getting drunk and then have sex or get raped by guys taking advantage. Similarly in "Fish Tank" the main character, Mia is drunk and then has sex with her mums boyfriend. This reaction would be more shocking in real life than in the film, because the film itself is fictional whereas in the real world it has actually happened. The British Social Realism films are inspired by these real life events and are emulated into a film to make the audience aware that these issues can happen and has happened before in the real world. 

What is unique about how themes are explored in British social realism films?

The themes in British Social Realist films deal with violence, relationships, sex, politics, isolation and many others. They are unique, because they all relate to the real world. The themes are explored differently between British Social Realism films and Hollywood. For example in "Nil by Mouth" the theme of domestic abuse is shown when the wife is brutally abused by her husband. This is a shocking scene that will startle the audience and you wouldn't see this in a typical Hollywood film like "Saw" which has a lot of violence and torture in the film, but audience still see a more positive reaction towards it, because they know its unrealistic and made for entertainment unlike "Nil By Mouth" which is portraying real world issues. 

Is there any themes which are essential to all British social realist films? What are they? Why are they essential?

There are a lot of important themes that are essential in a typical British Social Realism film that make Britain as it is today in the modern world. The most common themes we see recurring are violence, relationships, alcohol and sex. These are essential, because the British Social Realism films are emulating real life problems and these themes in particular are what makes most of the teenagers in this day and age and is a growing part of British culture. "Kidulthood" is a very good example of this as it portrays all these main themes. This also creates a realistic, verisimilitude story-line for the audience.