'ALL THIS MAYHEM' - FILM ANALYSIS

'All this mayhem' is a 2014 documentary directed by Eddie Martin, the documentary
focusses on providing the audience with a dark insight into the lives of two brothers. Detailing the destruction of Tas and Ben Pappas as they rise to being two of the worlds most renowned professional skateboarders, also delving into the development of skateboarding as a sport, displaying the effect commercialisation had on the culture. The documentary effectively uses a combination of archive footage and talking heads to include a gripping narrative within the film. Portraying how both of the brothers raw talent and intense determination swiftly started to fade as a downwards spiral of self destruction occurred , this downfall heavily influenced by the copious amount of drugs accessible due to the success sparked from their talents. I thought the manipulation of archive footage within the film was very effective as the true grit within the footage reflected the story it self, displaying the various stages of the brothers as they proceeded to become two of the worlds most highly ranked skateboarders regardless of their notorious involvement with drugs. Sound was an obvious tool used to enhance this change within the narrative as we as the audience reached various climatic points within the film, the selection of music at the start of the film in particular effectively portraying the positivity revolving around a skatepark environment, in combination with the found footage i thought this was able to capture the good vibe evident in the environment on screen. As the narrative progressed and drugs became a major element of the individuals lives , the sound consequently changed and a more negative tone was inflicted upon the films mood, adding more drone sounding noises was very important in enhancing the journey of the viewer as the emotional tone switched throughout the duration of the film, causing the emotions to heighten as the narrative constantly fluctuates through dramatic events in the two brothers lives. 

EXAM PRACTICE

'WHEN WATCHING DOCUMENTARIES, WE ARE JUST AS INVOLVED IN NARRATIVE AND CHARACTER AS WE ARE WHEN WATCHING FICTIONAL FILMS - DISCUSS HOW FAR THIS TRUE IN RELATION TO YOUR OWN STUDIES OF DOCUMENTARY SPECTATORSHIP 

Universal themes surrounding humanity automatically allows the audience to gravitate towards a level of engagement within a film due to reliability and sympathy for people . The construction of narrative and characters in fictional films being effective due to many elements contributing to this audience involvement being structured and injected into the films story purposefully. A documentary can display many similarities and differences to this obvious construction due to the filmmakers having to capture the reality within the various situations and characters in real time, further enhancing the emotive sections in the editing process after the actual production of the documentary. Even though the assumption made when viewing a doc is that it is all factual , it is evident that within many docs various elements are constructed and enhanced to deliver the message of the film with full impact, whether this be through drama recreations or the actual construction of events within the various stories , as said previously the editing process is a major tool for many documentary filmmakers when attempting to maximise audience involvement. The ideology revolving around reception theory will be key when discussing how my case studies effectively involve audience members in the different narratives and characters , looking closely at the elements used in documentary film to create a sense of involvement for spectators. 

My case studies exemplify different routes in which a documentary may take when creating a film that effectively involves audience members. This involvement differing according to the viewers stance when watching the film whether that be active or passive , as well as the type of documentary whether that be expository or observational, these various components all contributing to how involved the viewer comes within the documentary. An immediate example of a very effective documentary that followed an expository format would be 'Blackfish' (2013), directed by Gabriella Koperthwait , a film that swiftly triggered an active audience to react in response to the corruption surrounding company; sea world, this example detailing the impact a documentary can have in terms of involvement among audience members. All though this film clearly focusses on the life and mistreatment of an animal (orka) rather than a person, a narrative in which the killer whales life is explored is used purposefully in order to create sympathy among audience members, this basic narrative structure detailing events through out the killer whales life effectively creating sympathy among audience members , this narrative structure still successful even though it may not possess the same level of complexity which is often found in many fiction films in the modern day.

WEEKLY FILM - NERVE

'Nerve' is a 2016 romantic crime drama directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman , the film follows protagonist Vee (Emma Roberts) as she suddenly becomes involved in a game named 'Nerve', the film provides viewers with an insight into the power that the internet possesses in modern society, detailing the limits in which people will surpass in order to gain popularity regardless of the dangers that may come attached. Nerve itself revolves around a basic concept in which people decide whether to be involved with the game or watch the game through a site, mindlessly entering the site which accumulates their personal details and forms the game around these details, again emphasizing the power which is held within the internet , the game constantly causing problems through out the film due to 'Nerve' gaining this power through these details and devices of the various people involved, exposing and exploiting the various characters through the game itself. We are immediately introduced to the protagonist through a screen, which I personally believe holds a very symbolic point which is explored further as the films narrative develops and progresses, the current impact of technology on people in terms of their immersion in various platforms held within technology is without doubt a message intended to be delivered by the film. It effectively delivers this message by displaying the obsession many people have with the game in the film through dramatic events, enhancing the concept by showing a vast range of people that are willing to become involved with the game due to them believing they hold an anonymous stance, possibly reflecting the danger of the internet as people continuously become involved with illegal antics that would be unavailable if the internet and this particular game didn't have such a strong hold and following impact on society. 

EXAM PRACTICE

 To what extent can the films you have studied for this topic be seen to reinforce rather than challenge stereotypes?

Stereotypes are often used as a mechanism within film to create characters which are three dimensional, possessing a level of depth and realism, films can either manipulate and reinforce these stereotypes in order to to create characters that can immediately be recognised within society, or challenge them. This challenging of stereotypes bringing a level of controversy to the film as the audience are provided with a different viewpoint on a particular type of person they may not of yet accumulated. Often these subverted stereotypes can be seen to revolve around films that focus on the oppressed in society, people that are often misrepresented and consequently fit into a stereotype that is believed by audience members . Filmmakers can play a vital role in challenging these stereotypes through various stories within film, providing the audience with a more detailed insight into the lives of people that are constantly associated with a particular stigma due to well established stereotypes , I believe my selected films for this topic can be seen to both reinforce and challenge the stereotypes they are faced with, displaying key characters in a different light as appose to following all conventions usually used when representing the particular ethnic background the individuals come from.

My focus films within this topic are effective in challenging these stereotypes rather extensively throughout the duration of the films, in particular I will explore how the characters are seen to subvert stereotypes usually associated with them. Due to the poverty evident within the two films a stereotype is immediately built as we are introduced to the locations which are consequently thriving with conflict , this conflict only sparked by the constant oppression faced by the minorities featured within the two films. We gain an insight into the harsh environments surrounding the characters within the films and soon come to realise that these situations are almost unescapable for the protagonists due to the dominant power lying generally with people that possess money, this causing a prominent power struggle between the oppressors and oppressed as conflict ensues, resulting in many bold stereotypes forming the characters we follow throughout the two films.

'MOONLIGHT' - FILM ANALYSIS

'Moonlight' is a a 2016 drama directed by Barry Jenkins , I have selected this particular film as an additional case study due to its commonality in challenging stereotypes associated with masculinity , the films success in winning the most prestigious award at the annual oscars being another prominent element I would like to expand on within the analysis. This film provides us with an insight into the protagonists life through three different stages of his life, allowing us to see clear character development as he continues to battle with his sexuality throughout the stages .This revolving element of his sexuality being a major focus for audience members due to the environment which surrounds him , a neighbourhood in Miami where gang culture is immediately evident  being a location where an individuals masculinity stands as a major feature of their reputation , 'Moonlight' was effective in subverting this stereotype and detailing the irrelevance of the stigma associated with homosexuality in a rather subtle manner. Obvious comparisons with my previous case study 'Weekend' can be made due to the intimate insight into a homosexual relationship we can gain from viewing the films, the low productions budget and juxtaposing success also a aspect of the two films that requires a more in depth exploration , the success of both films immediately inferring there is an audience for films that explore this controversial topic, even though homosexual relationships and characters are underrepresented on a whole , this  underrepresentation most definitely due to the stereotypical ideology surrounding masculinity in modern society.    

VICTORIA - FILM ANALYSIS

'Victoria' is a 2015 crime drama directed by Sebastian Schipper , the film is effective in capturing and providing a brief insight into the chaotic happenings surrounding a young Spanish women  who has recently moved to Berlin, the entirety of the film being captured in one shot enhancing the intimacy and involvement the viewer has with the film. A linear chronological narrative is used as the one shot gives us a brief insight into the various characters lives , unable to use flashbacks for exposition , stereotypes are explored and experimented with as our  emotions towards the individuals changes multiple times through out the film, this clever construction of the various characters causing a rapid increase of tension as the climatic point of the film ensues. The cinematography being an obvious focal point when analysing the film, a completely legitimate one shot film with no cuts meant we took an intimate stance when viewing the film , literally following our protagonist (Victoria) for close to two hours , an intense engagement with the film effective as we follow our protagonist into realistic situations we both were not expecting, the POV viewpoint we are placed in allowing us a real sense of engagement within the film.

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