Evaluation

The purpose of doing my script was to create the disruption scene of a sequel to the film 'Submarine'. I am exploring the theme of coming of age, by presenting the mother of the main character, Oliver, as an important role of the scene as she acts like a stereotypical mother trying to help her son. And Oliver rejects any help that his mother offers, as any other stereotypical teen would react, by saying that he is grown up now and doesn't need help any more. Also, it is a struggle for teens to go from being teenagers to mature adults as there will always be people preventing that from happening. And in most teenagers situations it's their parents as they think they're still children, when they are not. The disruption of this scene is the death of Oliver's girlfriend, as she has cancer from her smoking addiction. She is illustrated as an adult because she is smoking, which is what many adults do. Cigarettes also show freedom of being able to do what you like. Although, she isn't acting like a mature adult if she has let this lead to something serious.
The purpose of the 9 key frames was to select the most important parts of the script which construct the theme of coming of age through the location being in a hospital. People are born their all because of their parents, which is the reason teenagers are alive. They don't realise that they are who they are because of their mum and dad. I have chosen the hospital as the location to emphasise that this is the death of the 'young' Oliver and the birth of a 'mature adult'. The shot types are mostly close-ups which suggests there is a lot of tension in the room. Also, the mother looks bigger than the other characters to convey the idea that she is taking control of things when she should let her son take over as he is grown up now, but she doesn't realise it.
In the film 'Submarine', the colour red was used a lot and the character, Jordana, wore a red coat. This colour represents love and danger. Therefore, in my script and 9 key frames, I put Jordana's coat on the chair next to Oliver to show that there is danger ahead but also love as he doesn't want to loose her. There was also a red light flashing as soon as Jordana died to inform the audience that she is dead.
I carried on the character threads of the mother, by making her take over and help out Jordana and Oliver, when she, and they both know that Oliver and Jordana are old enough to take care of themselves. Oliver's mother, tucks Jordana in with a blanket she brought her, and this reinforces the barrier that adolescents face when trying to grow up and become their own people. Oliver's reaction is very negative and he dislikes that his mother is still treating him like a child.
One of my MICRO points in my textual analysis was sex, but I didn't want to repeat this in the sequel, as Oliver and Jordana have already done it to show that they have turned into adults. Another point was Struggle, and it influenced me to create the barriers of coming of age between Oliver and his mother. I used the mise-en-scene of the colour 'red' as a warning sign to illustrate danger in the script and 9 key frames. I also kept Jordana's red coat in the background to show the same message. I carried on with the same main characters, which include Oliver, Jordana, and Oliver's parents. I also used some of the camera shots which were used in the film, Submarine, to convey messages. For instance, a low angle shot of Oliver and his mother, who is higher in the frame. This conveys she has power and control over Oliver.
The location report was used in the construction of the 9 key frames, by helping to influence what props and location etc to use. My location was hard to access, as the hospital wards are very demanding all the time. When I had to do my key frames, I wasn't allowed to access a hospital ward as there wasn't any wards available and they don't allow people to access the wards due to health and safety issues. Therefore, I had to find an empty room, and dressed it up as best as I could to look like a hospital ward. It was also difficult and expensive to find and buy things that would make my location look realistic. I had to improvise and use things that I could access and use easily.

My script was successful in presenting the theme of coming of age and showing the struggles that Oliver and Jordana had to face and overcome. The camera types I have used clearly show the barriers that Oliver and Jordana had to overcome whilst trying to grow up and become 'mature adults'. To improve the script I would show more of how Oliver would take control of the situation. I could've done this by Oliver going up to the doctor and asking what was happening about Jordana's cancer. He could have acted like the adult and took more control, instead of getting angry at his mother for offering him coffee and giving Jordana a blanket.
To improve the 9 key frames, I would have found a better location to shoot, and take more time to find more appropriate actors and props/costumes to make it look more realistic. I would have also improved the shot types, as they were exactly as I would have wanted them to be. Due to the space around my location, it was hard to move around the room to get the shots I wanted. Although, it did show that Jordana was clearly ill and Oliver was very worried. It also showed the mothers control, and how tired Oliver was of her. It also showed how the nurse wasn't telling them anything, and there were signs of danger in the frame.

Overall, my 9 key frames and script have successfully achieved the purpose I aimed for; which was to communicate the theme of coming of age. I feel as if my strengths for the portfolio overall, were my textual analysis and script. This was because the textual analysis was analysed in depth, and I enjoyed writing the script which made it more effective. I have successfully applied my knowledge and understanding of the importance of mise-en-scene, camera shots and costume to convey a message, that clearly links with the film Submarine. Furthermore, I found that my location report was successful as the script was very specific due to it being the illness/death of Jordana. It was easy for my to get there and take photographs and analyse any barriers to using the location. My weakness was the 9 key frames as I didn't take much time to plan out what I was going to use as an improvise for not being able to get a hospital ward. I would have preferred to actually shot in the location I had reported. It wasn't as I would have wanted it to look like, because of not being able to go on location. I would have also wanted to get a better costume for the character, Oliver. But due to expenses and availability of the clothing, I couldn't get what I wanted the actor to wear.

Textual Analysis

For my Textual Analysis, I am comparing the ways in which both films Submarine and LOL present the theme of coming of age. 
Submarine is a 2010 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Richard Ayoade. The main character Oliver Tate is a fifteen-year-old boy who struggles with school popularity but when he meets a girl he is determined to impress her. Meanwhile his mother’s ex-boyfriend moves in next door, so Oliver tries to ensure his parents stay together. I am comparing this with LOL, a 2012 coming of age comedy-drama-romance film directed and co-written by Lisa Azuelos. Set in a world connected by social networks, Lola Williams and her friends navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship while dodging their sometimes overbearing and confused parents. Both films are challenging the way contemporary adults are seen, which is stereotypically grown up and sensible, whereas they are, in-fact, acting like teenagers. Teenagers are seen as more grown-up than adults, therefore getting the audience to think about how they see different age groups. The directors are suggesting that some teens are more mature than adults. The directors of both films have included a downfall through the narrative to show the audience how difficult it is for teens to turn into adults in spite of the behaviour of their irresponsible parents. However, they are affected in different ways as Oliver Tate is taking responsibility on himself by trying to save his parents’ marriage. Meanwhile in LOL, Lola is trying to figure out her real identity. Submarine and LOL, both include the same aspect of a typical coming-of-age film, which is sex. The only way for a teen to grow up and 'mature' is by losing their virginity, which is evidently shown in both films as it's something that makes someone take that big step from childhood to adulthood.

Teenagers struggle to grow up and become their own people by having freedom of speech, which both films support. One of the scenes in Submarine that shows this idea is when Jill, Oliver’s mother, is talking to Oliver. The scene is set in his bedroom, which symbolises his only place of freedom, and his mother has invaded it. The way the characters are positioned in the frame shows that they are not very close and Oliver wants her to give him personal space. His mother is sitting higher than Oliver, which reinforces her control over him, whereas he is lying down looking vulnerable and under pressure. Likewise, the film LOL has a scene when the main character Lola is in the bathroom with her mother and sister (introduction scene). Lola’s mum is not happy about her ‘grooming choices’ and is not letting Lola have her own independence to do what she likes. The director has set the scene in the bathroom to reinforce the idea that a bathroom is an intimate private place and Lola’s mother is interfering with Lola’s privacy. The dialogue clearly shows that Anne is being the dominant character and Lola doesn’t want to be told what to do. The lighting is mostly shown on Lola and Anne which illustrates that they are the most important characters in the frame and the little sister is just part of the background. The main message that both of the directors are trying to put across is that the control of mothers can make teenagers feel trapped and it’s best to let them grow up at their own pace without treating them like children, by letting them do what they want.

Family members, mostly parents, play a huge part in teens lives but it's not always for good reasons; Parents are depicted in negative ways. The scene in Submarine when Oliver witnesses his mum cheating on his father with her ex-boyfriend clearly conveys this idea. The lighting in the frame is very dark which creates a lurking, ominous feeling and reflects Oliver’s role during this scene as he is technically spying on his mother doing something bad. When it cuts to Oliver’s mum with her ex-boyfriend the flashing lights which reflect on the van turn from blue to red, which could represent the calm atmosphere turning into doomed destiny. Then it cuts to Oliver on his bike, with fireworks edited into the background to reflect how his mind is conflicted and confused with many thoughts of the act he has just witnessed. He has to be the mature grown up character to figure out how to save his parents from splitting up. Likewise, in LOL the scene when Lola hears the conversation between her mother and ex-husband talking reveals that they have also been secretly sneaking around behind Lola’s back. This gives the audience a sense of betrayal. The main prop is her diary, which is a typical object a teenager girl would own and it’s set in her room, which indicates she is the only one that knows. Her facial expressions in the frame suggest how shocked she is by them not telling her about it. The room is messy with shoes and clothes on the floor and she is wearing slouchy clothing with her hair in a messy bun, which the director has done to depict that she physically acts, and looks like a teenager but mentally feels like she is an adult. Both scenes tell the audience that family can affect young people even if they are growing up. Also, some adults may have grown up the irony is that they still act like teenagers as they are sleeping around with people.  

One of the most common aspects of a typical coming-of-age film is sex, which both films include. The scene I am going to talk about in Submarine is chapter 4. During it the viewer finds out that Oliver and Jordana have just had sex, this is because of the mise-en-scene. The scene is set in Oliver’s parents’ house and mostly his own room. This conveys they idea of secrecy and intimacy, and as there are no adults around. This gives Oliver and Jordana freedom to do what they like as they are the only people in the house. Oliver had invited Jordana to have sex with him but she firstly didn't want to do it but in the end they do. The first room they go into is the kitchen, and they have a romantic meal, which is a typical ‘adult like’ date, then cuts to his parents’ bedroom. It’s foreshadowed that something would happen as the colour ‘red’ appeared a lot and many props, such as the bed throw and lights, were red which represents love and romance. The light is low-key and gives the impression that Oliver wants Jordana to be comfortable and a sense of privacy. The director has also done this as when the lights are low in Oliver’s parents’ bedroom he knows they are making love so he wanted to do the same. It then cuts to Oliver lying in his own bedroom, and he is not wearing any clothing on top and the viewer is not quite sure if his wearing any bottoms as it’s not shown but we get the idea he isn’t wearing anything at all. The viewer is informed that Oliver and Jordana have just had sex and have now grown up physically. Likewise, in LOL there is a scene when Lola and Kyle have sex in Paris. The scene is set in a French family’s house. Lola and Kyle are in a single bed when the viewer is revealed to something happening between them as they are the only ones in the room and are wearing underwear. There is little dialogue but it tells the audience a lot as the director has to make sure the viewer knows what is happening; Lola says that it’s her first time and the frame cuts to her mum saying the same thing but says it’s her first time since the divorce. These two different shots are parallel edited as the characters are positioned in the same place and are doing the same thing. The light is also low-key to convey privacy and close intimacy; there is only a bit on light shining on their faces to convey they are the only people in the frame and there is no other important or interesting things for the audience to look at. The micro aspects indicate the key messages that have been put across, which are that teenagers have officially grown up when they loose their virginity. The main message the director has put across in LOL is that adults can get caught up in similar situations at the same time as teens but they don’t actually realise that they can help out one another. So this is in fact collapsing stereotypes of parents and boundaries between teens and adults; this is a post-modern representation which is commonly used in an independent film, but very unlikely for a Hollywood film.

Overall, the two films Submarine and LOL have clear connections and contrasts to present the theme of coming of age through the MACRO elements. The two main characters in Submarine have a strong relationship, which relates to the two main characters Lola and Kyle in LOL. Coming-of-age is portrayed in a different way to how society thinks it would be. This is because teens are depicted as animalistic, whereas in Submarine and LOL they are illustrated as mature people looking for their self-identities and trying to get what they are looking for in life. Adults think that adolescents can never really grow up at such a young age, as they don't know what it's like to have such big responsibilities and be able to make their own choices. Whereas, in LOL, the director is trying to put across that many events that happen are very similar between adults and teens; which is ironic as you wouldn't think they could get caught up in similar situations when they can. My personal opinion concluded would be that it's not easy for adolescent’s to go from being a teenager to a young adult as there will always be something in the way that you will have to overcome to become more independent.

9 Key Frames with Shot Types and explanation

Medium Close-up: I have chosen this shot type to show that there is something wrong with Jordana, and how devastated both of them are. Jordana is wearing a white dressing gown, which instantly informs the audience that there is something wrong with her. The cup of coffee which Oliver is holding shows that they have been waiting a long time, and he needs caffeine to keep him going.

Close-up: This conveys the idea that Oliver and Jordana have been together for a long time, and are very close. The ring also tells us that they are engaged.

Medium Long-shot: This is to show that Jill (Oliver's Mother) has entered the room. You can see that she is holding coffee and a blanket for Jordana. This is illustrating her motherly figure in the film.

Medium Close-up: Here Jill is tucking Jordana into the bed covers. This also shows how she is being motherly and caring.

Medium Close-up: This key frame is showing how Jill is offering Oliver coffee but he already has one. He is angry at her because she is treating him like a child by getting him things he can get himself. This reinforces the theme of coming-of-age, as he doesn't want her buying him things any more as he is older now.

Medium Close-up: This key frame shows that someone is coming in as both Jordana and Oliver are looking in the same direction. The red coat is in the corner which gives the audience a negative image.

Over the shoulder shot: This frame shows how the nurse isn't telling them anything. The red coat is see in the corner which foreshadows that something bad is going to happen. (This is the same as the previous frame).

Close-up: This frame shows how Jordana is suffering and we can tell she will not make it. There is a red light in the background which also conveys the idea that something bad is happening.

Medium Close-up: This frame shows the nurse trying to pull Oliver out of the ward, as Jordana has just died. Oliver is trying to reach out for Jordana but he can't as the nurse isn't letting him. We can clearly see that the woman is a nurse because of her costume. In the corner you can see Jordana's hands and the engagement ring, and Oliver's hand is near it which reinforces their bond and how they have been separated for good because she has gone.

Location Report

This report presents a location of a hospital in Dartford. The location is called Darent Valley Hospital, and is on Darenth Wood Rd, Dartford, Kent DA2 8DA. The scene for my sequel to Submarine will be located in a hospital ward. Therefore, I will need a real hospital or a set which will need to be designed into a hospital ward.

Accessibility:
The location can be entered at street level, through the main entrance doors (shown in the image below), but if you have a vehicle you can park it in one of many different car parks situated on the grounds. Hospital wards are not easily accessible, and there is never usually any spare due to high amounts of injuries/accidents happening.

Contact details:

There are many contact offices, but the main office is the switchboard, and the hospital can be contacted by the following: 

Switchboard: 01322 428100 
Fax: 01322 428259
Email: generalenquiries@dvh.nhs.uk

An alternative way of contacting them is by visiting the hospital and talking to them in person at the main desk.

I have found a local hospital which will be most suitable for the scene, which Jordana and Oliver will be in. This is the only location they will be staying in for the scene.

This is how the scene needs to look, but it will only need to be one of the rooms:

Sound/Lighting:
There will be added noises of people driving and walking across the hospital, but this doesn't matter as the scene will actually be filmed inside the hospital. Although, inside the hospital people will be talking and walking past the ward, and nurses/doctors may enter the room. But the hospital is generally quiet inside.

As my scene is during the night time, I will need to either make the room dark or go to the location during the evening.  This means I will need to arrange a way of turning the lights off and putting my own lamps on. This means I will need extra plugs to plug in the lamps, and they will be the only electricity I will use. Otherwise, I will have to shut the curtains in the ward to make it darker.
The set is suitable for my scene and I will not need to dress up the set to look like a hospital ward as it is already like that. The only props I will need are a blanket, two coffee cups and the actors in their costumes.

Health and Safety issues:
When in the hospital ward, patients/visitors will have to keep their hands clean by using the antibacterial hand wash by the entrance doors. There will be electrical equipment and operating/cleaning tools which should not be touched in the ward, due to hygienic/safety reasons. When the actors sit on the hospital bed, the bed sheets will have to be cleaned after.

This links with my MACRO element, the theme of coming of age, as this place represents a new event for Oliver as he experiencing something new. A hospital is where births and deaths happen, so it means that the old, 'child-like' him is dead, and he is being reborn into a new, mature adult, therefore, reinforcing the theme of coming of age.

Script - Submarine 2