SHOOTING RESEARCH

BY KATIE MOULD

500 Days of SummerHair and Make-Up

All of the various aspects surrounding hair and make-up, throughout the trailer for 500 Days of Summer would emphasise a very natural and laid back approach that highlights the ideologies that are represented in the drama genre. The hair has been done in a way that would be easy to replicate or even to mimic an everyday styles that has been analysed. This component is key because it makes the audience feel more relatable to the characters when they are watching the film. The make-up is very similar in this respect. It is almost non-existent to give off a natural and fresh look which adds to the idea presented by the hairstyles. The use of next to no make-up adds to the overall sense of verisimilitude which is important when you are trying to get a storyline across in a drama film. This is because if there is too much focus on one either of these aspects then the audience would be drawn away from the main idea behind the film, which is not what the producers and creators of the film intend to do.

Costumes

Much like the hair and make-up that we are shown throughout the trailer, the costumes also represent a very laid back approach to the idea of a drama film. The majority of drama films feature characters that are more or less relatable too which is highly important when thinking of factors such as costume as if the general idea behind the costume is not right and fitting with the environment and storyline, then the audience could feel alienated from the film. It is important that the target audience does not feel alienated because then there is less chance that they will want to go and see the film.

Props and Locations

The props used in the film are very stereotypical of the genre which adds to the feel of the trailer. If the props being used in a drama film aren’t used in an everyday scenario, then the idea of verisimilitude is broken. The props are highly important because it can either make or break a shot. If there is something that looks out of place and does not fit, then there is a good chance that the audience will notice it and understand that it is not fitting. The locations are also important to create a believable environment for the characters. The New York feel that we get throughout the movie/trailer is important because it establishes the location to the audience. This needs to be highlighted in order to get the initial idea across to the audience.

500 Days of SummerPhotographs

The Great GatsbyHair and Make-Up

The hairstyles and the make-up that is used throughout The Great Gatsby are used to represent the time frame that the film is trying to show. The hairstyles clearly replicate that of the style in the 1920s which immediately would indicate to the audience that this is a film based in the past. The short cropped hairstyles of the rich characters in the film are used to emphasise the lifestyles of the more extravagant in the 20s. The make-up in the film is very natural to replicate the type of look that would have been a prominent part of the 1920s. This is important because it initiates to the audience a greater sense of verisimilitude which makes the audience feel more comfortable. Both the hair and make-up together add to the overall look of the scene and establish a luxurious sense of style.

Costumes

The costumes throughout The Great Gatsby are also very extravagant to work with the hair and make-up that is used. The costumes in particular imitate the time period of the 1920s. The idea of the ‘flapper’ fashion was a major style in this era which is highlighted extremely well in this film. It is important that the costumes that are used represent the time period, location and all other aspects well, otherwise the audience may be thrown off and may begin to get confused of when the film s actually set. For this particular film the costume is very important in establishing this to the audience, however not all films need to have a very particular costume set out as a much more natural approach may be easier to make the audience feel comfortable. I think that the costume used in this film is highly important and without it, it would make it a lot harder to identify many other factors in the film.

Props and Locations

Much like the costume department, the props and locations are also very important in establishing a sense of verisimilitude to the audience. All of the props that are used throughout The Great Gatsby give off a strong sense of continuity. If the continuity is broken through a prop not being suitable for the time period of the film, then everything else might be broken and the feel of the film will drop. This is the same with the location. All of the locations that are used throughout the film represent the type of lifestyle that the characters are used to, which I shown through the extravagant houses that they live in and the large scale parties they attend. It is also visible through the frequent visits to the city which would not be as simple for the poor in this movie. If different locations were used for this movie then it may not have given off a strong sense of verisimilitude which is a highly important factor when representing a particular time period.

The Great GatsbyPhotographs

The Blind SideHair and Make-Up

The hair and make-up throughout the film, much like every other drama, is very natural and laid back, which is the general idea that I want to get across to my audience when I am making my own trailer. It’s very important that everything in the film is very natural and laid back and the hair and make-up is a very prominent part of this when it comes to relating to the audience. The hair throughout this film is very simple so that it would be easy to replicate if a member of the audience wants to take inspiration from the film. This is the same for the make-up being very simple and almost non-existent, much like the make-up used in 500 Days of Summer. If the make-up was too crazy like in action and horror films with a lot of blood and gore, then the audience would not understand the thought behind the drama genre as the attention would be pulled away from the storyline.

Costumes

Costume in this film is used to replicate the style of a middle class family in modern America, which I think they have managed to pull off really effectively. The simple everyday clothing that has been used throughout to emphasise the difference between the richer and the poorer is very significant. It is clear that the main actress Leigh Anne Tuohy, (Sandra Bullock) is from a much richer background and lifestyle, form the nice clothes that she is wearing. In contrast, we can distinguish Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), from her as he wears the same clothing all of the time and it is very basic, dirty and not the right size. This is a simple way of establishing class differences which is important throughout this film when it comes to understanding the various characters.

Props and Locations

The props ad locations used throughout the film are also key to establishing a strong sense of verisimilitude. The props that are used in the main house highlight to the audience the type of lifestyle that they live which work with the costumes when trying to understanding the different types of characters. Without the expensive and extravagant looking props along with the actual house that they live in, it may not be as easy to distinguish the characters as bring different from on another in regards to class and status. The location is also another really important factor in this film as it emphasises the different types of areas that the different characters live in. For example, we can see throughout that Leigh Anne lives in a very nice house in a suburban area in contrast to Michael living in poverty in a ghetto and essentially living on the streets. This is important for the film to represent well because is establishes to the audience, why it would be seen as something out of the ordinary to other characters.

The Blind SidePhotographs