APRICOT

GENRE & TARGET AUDIENCE

The genre for this film is romance, as it is about the reunion of two old lovers.

This would target women more than men, as they would be more interested in this story.

INSTITUTION

MISE EN SCENE Costume- the woman wears a lot of black such

as her clothes, her jewellery, her heavy make- up. This stereotypes her style as rock ‘n’ role or emo. In her memory scenes, we can tell that her friends are performing a magic show, based on their costumes and props. We can also tell that we have gone back in time by the old fashioned style of the clothes the children wear.

Props- the props consist of a large basket, balloons... This is a typical childhood game that people can associate with.

Location- the are two locations in this film, at first it is set at a restaurant and there are props such as tea cups, cutlery on the table. The second is a garden in a woodland area, this is seen during her memories, indicating where she grew up.

Lighting- the lighting in the restaurant is dim and romantic, which is relevant to the flirtation between the two characters. The lighting in her flashbacks is bright and calming, creating a nostalgic and positive atmosphere.

SOUND Diegetic- we can hear the diegetic sounds of cashing plates and

cutlery, and the low hum of surrounding conversations from near by customers. This enhances the location and makes is realistic.

Non- diegetic- there is gentle, subtle music in the background when she starts to talk of her memories. The instruments sound orchestra based and is similar to wind soft chimes, reflecting the dreamy atmosphere. At the very start of the film, we hear a soft, humming wind, and this runs through the entire film. This reflects the simple and gentle atmosphere of this film. And at the very end of the film, an acoustic guitar begins to play, and this reflects the romantic genre and finalises the ending.

Dialogue- when we first hear the dialogue of the characters, we notice that the film has started in the middle of there conversation, showing that they have been here for a while. By the way they laugh together and sentences they say such as ‘were having a nice time together...’ suggests they are flirting.

Voice over- when the screen shows the credits at the start, we can already hear the characters conversation before we see anything. This also happens when she talks of her memories, we hear her voice still during the flashbacks, so we get an idea of present and past moments.

EDITING Title- the title is simple and plain to

reflects the simple style of the film. This then dims out, reflecting the action of a memory which is relevant to this film.

Continuity- they way the scenes are put together are interesting and different. Sometimes there will be a scene where there is a voice over, but no one is talking. This fast forwards the conversation flow, and only includes important dialogue or scenes that show emotion.

Shot reverse shot- this is steady through out the film, creating an easy flow of conversation between the characters.

Slow motion- this happens during the flashbacks to get across to the audience that this is a memory, and memories have a dreamy, unclear atmosphere. This distinguishes when it is a memory or present day.

CAMERA ANGLES High- when the woman

stands up, the camera is at her level, a high level, looking down at the man, as he is in trouble with her, and therefore seems small and inferior.

Low- when we see the woman standing up, with a angry expression on her face, the camera is at a low angle giving her superior level over the man.

CAMERA MOVEMENT Tilt- the camera tilts down from

the man’s jacket pocket to the table as he flips open his notebook. This directs the audiences attention to notice this action, as it is strange and changes the audiences opinion about him.

Tracking- this tracking movement is hand held, to make it appear as though someone is following her, which the audience would assume its the young boy, and that this is what he sees.

CAMERA SHOTS Establishing shots- this

establishes where this is set, and who the main characters are.

Close up- this extreme close up of the apricot highlights its meaning and explains the title. Another example of a close up would be when the camera moves from one face to the other, revealing their smiles, reassuring the audience that their relationship will be fine.

Over shoulder- this over shoulder shot directs the audiences attention to what the young boy is looking at.

CAMERA COMPOSITION Framing- the camera frames the actor to one

side, to reveal the location they are in, which is a restaurant.

Depth of field- there is a narrow depth of field through out most of the film. The restaurant in the background in always out of focus, this keeps the audiences attention on the two main characters.

Pull focus- we see this during a flashback, the camera is focused on an apricot which has relevance to the young boy and explains the title. The focus pull then directs the audiences attention to the children playing in the background. Another example of this would be at the very beginning, the scene is extremely unfocused, giving no information to the viewer. As the sound ascends to an end, the scene finally comes into focus, revealing the location and other information.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE Flash backs- the present day is

repeatedly interrupted with her childhood memories. The question of her first love has triggered these memories, and gives extra information about the woman.

REPRESENTATION Appearance- the stereotypical appearance of the

girls contradicts her personality. She wears punk- like jewellery and dark clothing, indicating she is into rock music and lifestyle, however her manners and tone contrasts this stereotype. This style of clothing indicates she is quite young, compared to the way the man is dressed in a smart shirt and blazer, who had facial hair and a smart hair style.

Personality- the way the man talks in a flirtatious, confident way says a lot about his personality, and this makes him more attractive and welcoming.

Place- we can tell the location is a typical restaurant, sue to the dim lights and familiar atmospheric sounds of plates and chatter.