For the first frame of the film 'Somers Town', I wrote for the form and style:
"There are no people within the narrative yet, and so the form of the text so far is fairly peaceful. The establishing shot displays an open area of houses which suggests to the audience the setting of the events within the narrative that are to come. The non-diegetic sound that accompanies this adds to the peacefulness as it is quite soft, calm music."
For conventions, I wrote:
"The establishing shot suggests to the audience that the film is going to take place on the outskirts of a large city. The conventional representation/ iconography of the outskirts, and housing estates in particular is that they are lived in by those of the working class an/or low economic status."
For the second frame for form and style, I wrote:
"This shot is similar to the previous, which tells us that the form and structure has not yet changed. The shot is the same and the non diegetic sound can still be heard. Therefore, the peaceful mood continues"
I wrote the following for conventions:
"The shots so far have been filmed in black and white. The monochromatic colours may have been used to suggest the mood, as well as the issues and themes. Some may interpret the colours to be representing the town/estate as boring, showing that there is equilibrium, whilst some may interpret it as showing coldness, as if it is not a nice place to live."
Within the third frame of the text, I wrote the following about form and style:
"The camera is slightly shaky whilst it is portraying the city. The composition allows the audience to conclude that it is set in London, but around the edge of the city, as the Gherkin is a building central to the area, but it is shown in the background. There is steam passing through the frame, and the buildings look dirty, which suggests pollution. This is yet another shot of a large, open space that helps to establish location"
Under 'conventions' I wrote:
"The shot is in black and white once again, which may support the convention that dirty, polluted areas of outer London are populated by those who are in a low economic status. This is because the lack of colour within the frame might resemble the lack of fun and excitement due to low funds."
For the fourth frame for form and style, I wrote:
"This is another shot of a row of buildings. They appear to be the rear side of a street, where there are ugly pipes running up and down, along with fans and other machines. The camera is a little shaky again, whilst it is filming alongside the non diegetic music, which helps to maintain the peaceful mood. It is yet again another shot of a cityscape, and therefore the structure is the same."
I wrote the following for conventions:
"The backstreets of London may serve as iconography for the poor and/or working class, as the buildings are not as developed as the inner city skyscrapers. The colours within the shot are still monochromatic."
In the fifth frame of the film, I wrote the following about form and style:
"This is a much smaller shot than the last few shots. People appear from a door at the side- this appears to be a long shot located on one floor within a block of flats. Vocals in the music become apparent, which still suggests that the mood is calm. The people are just walking past, going about their daily lives, there is no conflict and the equilibrium is still very much there."
For conventions, I wrote:
"Iconography of lower class people is cramped living in high rise flats as opposed to larger houses. Therefore a key representation of class and status may be suggested in the text so far. The film is still being shot in black and white which may suggest lack of action, interest, funds, conflict, etc."
I wrote the following about form and style for the sixth frame:
"This is a wide shot of the two people from the last shot walking past another man clearing out his garage. The first piece of dialogue is heard, whilst the non diegetic sound is still playing. The two men ignore him as he asks for help. The shift from wide spaces to slightly more enclosed spaces changes the form of the opening so far. This might suggest that the way these people are living is quite close."
For conventions, I wrote:
"It is conventional that lower class people are more likely to know each other because they live closer together. However, the characters don't seem particularly friendly and so the producer's choice to film in black and white may symbolise the characters' lack of a sense of community spirit or friendliness."
In the seventh frame of the film, I wrote the following about form and style:
"The non diegetic music is still playing as the pair of men walk down the street. There are other people walking at the same pace in front and behind them. No one speaks or shows any conflict in this shot and so the peaceful mood can still be assumed."
For conventions, I wrote:
"Black and white are still predominant colours in the shot, which may add to the cold and distant tone of the text so far, due to no one talking or showing much emotion."
For frame eight, I wrote the following about form and style:
"This low angled long shot shows a boy jogging down the steps in a train station. he is carrying a large bag and is wearing basic, casual clothes. The non diegetic sound is still playing in the background. This time, it might serve to create a happier mood, as the boy is coming down the stairs in such a way that suggests he's feeling positive/optimistic."
For conventions in the eighth frame, I wrote:
"The boy may create a theme of migration. as someone who has travelled to a new place conventionally uses transport such as trains and carries large bags containing their possessions. The monochrome colour palette may symbolise the lack of familiarity in his surroundings"
