Purpose
The
purpose of this film is to entertain audiences and be used as a method of
escapism. It is presented as a feature film and would have been released in
cinemas nationally for a couple of months before also being released as a DVD
and similar products for audience consumption in different ways.
Genre
The genre is
thriller with slight comedy and horror elements. The advertising focussed more
around the thriller and horror elements as a lot of iconography from the film
fits into that more than comedy. The use of the location and characters defy
and or twist the conventions or normal parts of that genre so that the film
comes across as different which is important for warp as this was their first
film so they had to make it seem unique and like they were a company worth
looking out for. The choice to make the narrative and the protagonist’s arch
morally ambiguous could make audience want to watch the film more than once
which would make the film more money.
Style
The style of the film is very gritty and
it strongly adheres to use of verisimilitude, this makes the events of the film
seem more powerful as they appear realistic. The insertion of comedy into the
film also adds to the characterisation and allows audiences to become invested
in the narrative more easily.
Content
The content
of my film is what appears to be a conventional revenge story but quickly
starts to become different to the average film in that sub genre. Dead man's shoes follows Todorov's theory to a certain
degree. There does seem to be at the beginning of the film, a sense of equilibrium,
although it does appear to be a shady one based around drugs and the dealing of
the them by a group of people. Whilst this doesn't seem like a good situation,
overall it doesn't seem that bad as the film continues, however the people with
who this situation applies to, could be seen as the villains of the film and
are certainly made out to be characters that the audience aren't supposed to be
supporting .The Introduction of Paddy Considine character soon disrupts this
though, and throughout the film we see this "equilibrium" rapidly disappear
and the characters being forced down an increasingly dark and desperate path.
We don't get to see whether or not Equilibrium is restored with
the film ending in such a sudden way, however most of the characters who it
applied to at the begging of the film are dead, and the remaining one seems
shocked and changed by the events that occurred throughout the narrative.
Genre
Dead man's shoes is a horror thriller due to the nature of the narrative and how it's presented. There are also comedy elements throughout the film, but they aren't the main focus of it.
It also fits into the sub-genres of slasher and home invasion, which are both types of horror. It is also a revenge story, which is usually associated with action.
Content and meaning
Sound
Genre
Dead man's shoes is a horror thriller due to the nature of the narrative and how it's presented. There are also comedy elements throughout the film, but they aren't the main focus of it.
It also fits into the sub-genres of slasher and home invasion, which are both types of horror. It is also a revenge story, which is usually associated with action.
Content and meaning
Sound
Diegetic – In dead man’s shoes the sound a gunshot denotes that a gun has been fired but connotes that someone has died and that this is a violent situation. The sound of the rain denotes that it is raining, however it also connotes the mood of the characters and how this is a typical British village which are often stereotyped as being very rainy.
Non diegetic – The soundtrack changes throughout the film, starting off as quite a light happy piece but quickly becoming darker and more intense. This connotes how the narrative of the film changes and how the situation which the characters are in continually transform. It could also reflect the mind-set of the characters, with each character becoming increasingly unsettled and further from any sense of humanity and normal life as each scene passes.
The diegetic sounds mostly all fit the conventions of the genre. The frequent use of dialogue is quieter than most of the other sound effects, which makes all the other sounds effects of the film seem even more violent and have an increased effect on the reader. The soundtrack also fits the genre which genre of the film. All of the music which is featured in the film is licensed songs by varying artists. However often the songs are edited and shortened to fit the sequence in which they’re used. Whilst the general use of songs and music becomes darker throughout the film, the majority of the songs remain quiet melodic acoustic pieces.
About a third of the way into the film there is a confrontation between two of the main characters: Sonny and Richard. This is the first time any of the drug gang encounters Richard when they suspect that he is a threat. In this scene Richard immediately displays his sense of power by interrupting Sonny. Sonny begins saying “You know, the lads have this ridiculous idea that-”, before Richard quickly interjects by saying “Yeah, it was me”. This immediately establishes Richard’s sense of power over Sonny and because of the casual manner in which he says it, demonstrates his lack of nerves or fear, that Sonny was hoping to try and expose. Later on in the scene Richard’s threat to Sonny becomes more aggressive, at one instance he points to the palm of his hand and says to Sonny “You’re F**king here mate”, demonstrating the grasp and control he has over him.
Editing
In dead man's shoes one of the pieces of editing regularly used, is the shot reverse shot structure, this is because of how many parts of the film are comprised of dialogue and using that kind of editing makes it easier for viewers to be able to understand and watch the conversation unfolding.
One example of an action shot is near the beginning of the film when Herbie attempts to leave his friends flat and come down to see Richard waiting behind the door, the action match starts with an over the shoulder shot of Richard where Mark is clearly visible over through the door. In this shot we see movement in Richard's arm before it quickly cuts to a shot on the other side of the door where we can see from a front on view Richard hitting the door with the bottom of his fist. This is effective because, from the second we see the back of this character and a slight reflection in the window we can tell that they are dangerous and ominous, but by changing the camera to have the full view of the character and their mask on when the loud bang is heard, amplifies the fear that we feel and makes the audience jump out of their seat in fear.
Camerawork
One of the shots used frequently in dead man's shoes is the close up. This forces the audience to take a closer look at the character's faces and all of the small movements and reactions to what is being said, showing off in better detail the actors performances. This also conveys the 'in your face' kind of visceral and gritty film that Shane Meadows intended Dead Man's Shoes to be. Another shot used at regular intervals throughout the film, particularly near the beginning, are long shots and establishing shots, which help to bring viewers into the films interesting and often not visited setting. These also let the viewers know about the isolation of the village, showing them how there is no easy escape for the characters, which pays off later on in the film, with the disruption of the equilibrium.
When high angle shots are used in the film, it's usually when the camera is focussing on the Sonny's crew. This shows them as weaker characters, who because of the bad things they do, should be 'looked down on' by the viewers. Low-angle shots are used for the opposite reason. Whenever Shane Meadows chooses to implement a low angle shot, it's when the camera is looking at Richard: this makes him seem bigger and more menacing than he is, his character immediately becomes more intimidating. It also often silhouettes his body against the background, giving the effect of some giant omnipotent presence, like a kind of wicked god. This also relates to parts in the film, where he says that "God will forgive these men" and that he "can't live with that".
One example of movement in the camera works, is when the story goes into flashbacks, the camera is often quite shaky, this shows the instability of Richard's mind and how what he remembers isn't vivid or clear which may be due to his emotional connection to them, which warps his view of it.
One of the first shots of the film is when the two brothers are both lying together as babies, this connotes the bond between them and shows how one will always follow the other, I can tell this as the camera starts by only showing one of the brothers, then pans to the side to show that they're lying together. This footage also resembles footage that would have been filmed by a family member, which connotes that it wasn't only Richard who would have been so massively effected by the loss of his brother.
Mise-en-scene
In dead man's shoes, mise en scene is used to try and help create a distinct setting and mood for the film. Most of the sets of the film seem just like viewers would expect to find in rural midlands villages, this makes the film feel more authentic and makes it a more believable story allowing the audience to become more invested. This also makes the events and nature of the film even more shocking as it hits closer to home by having it in a location that most people who would have watched the film would have visited or been familiar with. The camera is often close up to characters and used to make most of the sets seem smaller and confined, this creates an effect of chlostrophobia and makes the viewers feel more trapped; emphasising the terror of the characters.
Another example of setting in this film, is the farm in which Richard stays. The dilapidated and crumbling structure connote Richards insanity and slowly disappearing humanity. The idea of this place which would have once been so full of life, now empty and derelict, conveys the effect that the death of his brother would have had on Richard: taking all the joy out of his life and reducing him to a cold hard shell of anger and pain.
One example of iconography is the gas mask that Richard wears at certain points in the film. It is quite a scary piece of clothing, putting viewers on edge from the first time it's used. Due to Gas masks use in the 2nd world war, they have strong connotations of death and evil, this makes it use in such a peaceful setting even more terrifying because of how it is a dramatic disruption to the equilibrium.
Another example of iconography is the Citroën 2CV which the drug dealers all drive about in. This is effective because it helps to connote the comedic undertones that Shane meadows has used throughout the film. It also shows how under equipped the character are for the situation at hand as well as contradicting the suave drug dealer stereotype that is often found in modern films.
Richard's gestures are often quick and small, this shows how he is brewing with energy and emotion which he is barely able to control. It also makes the audience jumpy, as they are never sure if one of these small moves is going to lead into a bigger one, which could be more dangerous than all of the others.
Sonny tries to carry himself with a certain amount of swagger nearer the beginning of the film. this connotes his self confidence and how he believes himself to be untouchable. This makes it even more obvious when he begins to doubt himself, and whether or not he's going to be able to come out of this nightmare as a winner like he has so many times before.
Due to warp's smaller budget a lot of the costume's used are just normal clothes that most likely would have belonged to the actors beforehand. This does, however, work to show the normality of their lives before the introduction of Richard. It also makes them more believable.
Warp also didn't do much with the lighting. This gives all the film a more natural look, giving it a raw and gritty effect, that is difficult to find in many big budget, mainstream Hollywood films. However there are some parts throughout the film, where everything falls under a black and white filter. This happens during the flashbacks to make it obvious for viewers that these are in fact flashbacks, but also the darker footage offers a more visceral view of the whole story, making it even more hard to bear when viewers watch the events unfold onscreen. It also offers the viewers the chance to see for themselves what actually happened, and not the opinions of the characters, hence they are seeing the "black and white" facts of the matter.
Pre-production
Editing
In dead man's shoes one of the pieces of editing regularly used, is the shot reverse shot structure, this is because of how many parts of the film are comprised of dialogue and using that kind of editing makes it easier for viewers to be able to understand and watch the conversation unfolding.
One example of an action shot is near the beginning of the film when Herbie attempts to leave his friends flat and come down to see Richard waiting behind the door, the action match starts with an over the shoulder shot of Richard where Mark is clearly visible over through the door. In this shot we see movement in Richard's arm before it quickly cuts to a shot on the other side of the door where we can see from a front on view Richard hitting the door with the bottom of his fist. This is effective because, from the second we see the back of this character and a slight reflection in the window we can tell that they are dangerous and ominous, but by changing the camera to have the full view of the character and their mask on when the loud bang is heard, amplifies the fear that we feel and makes the audience jump out of their seat in fear.
Camerawork
One of the shots used frequently in dead man's shoes is the close up. This forces the audience to take a closer look at the character's faces and all of the small movements and reactions to what is being said, showing off in better detail the actors performances. This also conveys the 'in your face' kind of visceral and gritty film that Shane Meadows intended Dead Man's Shoes to be. Another shot used at regular intervals throughout the film, particularly near the beginning, are long shots and establishing shots, which help to bring viewers into the films interesting and often not visited setting. These also let the viewers know about the isolation of the village, showing them how there is no easy escape for the characters, which pays off later on in the film, with the disruption of the equilibrium.
When high angle shots are used in the film, it's usually when the camera is focussing on the Sonny's crew. This shows them as weaker characters, who because of the bad things they do, should be 'looked down on' by the viewers. Low-angle shots are used for the opposite reason. Whenever Shane Meadows chooses to implement a low angle shot, it's when the camera is looking at Richard: this makes him seem bigger and more menacing than he is, his character immediately becomes more intimidating. It also often silhouettes his body against the background, giving the effect of some giant omnipotent presence, like a kind of wicked god. This also relates to parts in the film, where he says that "God will forgive these men" and that he "can't live with that".
One example of movement in the camera works, is when the story goes into flashbacks, the camera is often quite shaky, this shows the instability of Richard's mind and how what he remembers isn't vivid or clear which may be due to his emotional connection to them, which warps his view of it.
One of the first shots of the film is when the two brothers are both lying together as babies, this connotes the bond between them and shows how one will always follow the other, I can tell this as the camera starts by only showing one of the brothers, then pans to the side to show that they're lying together. This footage also resembles footage that would have been filmed by a family member, which connotes that it wasn't only Richard who would have been so massively effected by the loss of his brother.
Mise-en-scene
In dead man's shoes, mise en scene is used to try and help create a distinct setting and mood for the film. Most of the sets of the film seem just like viewers would expect to find in rural midlands villages, this makes the film feel more authentic and makes it a more believable story allowing the audience to become more invested. This also makes the events and nature of the film even more shocking as it hits closer to home by having it in a location that most people who would have watched the film would have visited or been familiar with. The camera is often close up to characters and used to make most of the sets seem smaller and confined, this creates an effect of chlostrophobia and makes the viewers feel more trapped; emphasising the terror of the characters.
Another example of setting in this film, is the farm in which Richard stays. The dilapidated and crumbling structure connote Richards insanity and slowly disappearing humanity. The idea of this place which would have once been so full of life, now empty and derelict, conveys the effect that the death of his brother would have had on Richard: taking all the joy out of his life and reducing him to a cold hard shell of anger and pain.
One example of iconography is the gas mask that Richard wears at certain points in the film. It is quite a scary piece of clothing, putting viewers on edge from the first time it's used. Due to Gas masks use in the 2nd world war, they have strong connotations of death and evil, this makes it use in such a peaceful setting even more terrifying because of how it is a dramatic disruption to the equilibrium.
Another example of iconography is the Citroën 2CV which the drug dealers all drive about in. This is effective because it helps to connote the comedic undertones that Shane meadows has used throughout the film. It also shows how under equipped the character are for the situation at hand as well as contradicting the suave drug dealer stereotype that is often found in modern films.
Richard's gestures are often quick and small, this shows how he is brewing with energy and emotion which he is barely able to control. It also makes the audience jumpy, as they are never sure if one of these small moves is going to lead into a bigger one, which could be more dangerous than all of the others.
Sonny tries to carry himself with a certain amount of swagger nearer the beginning of the film. this connotes his self confidence and how he believes himself to be untouchable. This makes it even more obvious when he begins to doubt himself, and whether or not he's going to be able to come out of this nightmare as a winner like he has so many times before.
Due to warp's smaller budget a lot of the costume's used are just normal clothes that most likely would have belonged to the actors beforehand. This does, however, work to show the normality of their lives before the introduction of Richard. It also makes them more believable.
Warp also didn't do much with the lighting. This gives all the film a more natural look, giving it a raw and gritty effect, that is difficult to find in many big budget, mainstream Hollywood films. However there are some parts throughout the film, where everything falls under a black and white filter. This happens during the flashbacks to make it obvious for viewers that these are in fact flashbacks, but also the darker footage offers a more visceral view of the whole story, making it even more hard to bear when viewers watch the events unfold onscreen. It also offers the viewers the chance to see for themselves what actually happened, and not the opinions of the characters, hence they are seeing the "black and white" facts of the matter.
Production process
Pre-production
For the planning and pre-production of dead man's shoes, certain things needed to be done.
The script would have needed to be written by Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows. the choice of director and some of the cast would have already been decided, however the rest of the cast and crew would need to be hired and the budget would have needed to be established by warp films.
Production
The production of the film would have been mostly made up of the actual filming of all the scenes. They also would have re-recorded that didn't sound as good in the camera footage, this could include dialogue and sound effects, although some of the effects would be added in post production. For the production the camera crew and actors will have travelled to Matlock so that they could get the scenes on location
Post production
The post production of the film would have primarily comprised of editing the footage, so that it would effectively convey the narrative in a way that would make it easier for viewers to watch and understand. The addition of certain sounds would be added: this would include all the sound that was re-recorded during the film's production, any of the foley sound that would have been made after the production and the soundtrack would be added to film and edited so that it didn't subtract anything from the other sounds and how the narrative is told, one example of this is the gun shots that are heard across the film as they would not have used a real gun because of the health and safety hazards it would have caused.
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