Project 3: Film Clip Analysis (BLK)

I have chosen a clip from the 2011 fantasy movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Film Making Conventions (Genre Conventions & Technical Codes)

♛ Low angle shot of the Dementors to make them seem more threatening and us and the characters more vulnerable

♛ Mid shot of the characters in the elevator to give us a sense of space

♛ The camera surveys the whole area of the Ministry which in contrast to the elevator space, is huge

♛ Zooms in on the main characters to let the audience know to focus on them

♛ Tracking shots where we seem to be following the characters which makes us as the audience feel a lot more involved in the plot
♛ Wide shots to remind us of the amount of space that they are in
♛ Close ups on the characters' faces as they are running to show their emotions
♛ Some parts are in slow motion to create a sense of anticipation
♛ As it is a magical and fantasy film there are a lot of special effects (e.g. the spells)
♛ Dark and gloomy colouring which fits in with the dark theme of the story
♛ Fast paced music which compliments the action unfolding
♛ The Ministry of Magic is a fantasy place, hidden to normal Muggles (non-magical people), which is in the genre convention as most fantasy movies have a lot of hidden places
♛ There is usually a quest of sorts in this type of genre and Harry, Ron and Hermione happen to be on a quest at the time
♛ Another genre convention of fantasy is that there is always one main hero, in this case Harry Potter who has his loyal sidekick(s)- Ron and Hermione

Cultural Codes

♛ Typical awkward young hero who is in way too deep
♛ "The Golden Trio", there are three main people in which the story centres around
♛ Out of his two main friends, one is 'the smart one' and the other is 'the clown'
♛ Someone is trying to persecute the hero and whilst trying to 'save the world' they must avoid all officials
♛ Hero is seen as a trouble-maker and dangerous by most government-like people
♛ Fireplaces, they are seen as old fashioned furniture and ancient and those two things are often associated with magic
♛ Escaping from the clutches of whoever wants the hero dead just within the last minute, exhilarating for the audience
♛ The clothing of the wizards- long robes in dull colours, we often see this wizards and witches wearing these types of outfits in magic films
♛ A lot of the people in the background seem to look old and wise, this may not just be because they are in the ministry but from the many fantasy films we have seen we picture wizards as elderly and clever beyond their years
♛ Elegant statues of mythical creatures
♛ Black and white print newspapers