Release of films
Marketability: audience? devising a strategy.
How much money in marketing? What can the movie take?
Speaking to media partners; radio, newspapers, TV, cinemas?
Premiere.
Online websites, media, newspapers.
Choose the right target audience.
Positioning and audience
Genre of film? Speaks to which age group?
Target film using director and actors to certain people.
Target audience
Smaller films focus more on their target audience.
Gather ideas from past films, but there is also an element of gambling.
45+ age group - make decisions from TV, needs to be reinforced to make them go.
Teenagers - may just turn up at the cinema and watch whatever is on at the time, less fussy about what they see.
Marketing plan
Advertising - more expensive adverts in magazines ect. publicity of the film, stories about the film aka media coverage.
Outdoor advertising - adverts on buses, billboards.
Word of mouth - free advertising, make or break a film.
Internet - emails and virals.
Screening programmes.
Competition
Films need to stand above other films released at the same time.
Why do the audience want to see your film?
Oct/Nov: good time for cinema going, bad weather, people more inclined to see a movie, good release time.
Weather plays a part in advertising.
Big outdoor posters in the summer mean more people will be more likely to see it as they spend more time outside.
Word of mouth
Critical to any movie, but mainly to smaller productions.
Can make a film either fantastically strong or very bad.
Companies work with media partners to show advance screenings.
People listen to what their friends think more than film reviews, if they say the film is good more people are likely to go and see it.
The life expectancy of a film is shorter if there is bad word of mouth.
Budget
Covers films prints and technical elements.
Advertising costs: making trailers, posters ect.
What is the target market audience? Where will they see adverts?
Radio advertising is cheap.
Viral marketing
Videos, quizzes ect, people send on the emails if the film looks good. (simple process)
Most effective means of advertising, more than press reviews ect.
Most spoof trailers are produced by the marketing company to generate more interest in the film.
Digital marketing
Piracy has escalated over the past few years, this will decrease the amount of piracy happening in the film industry.
20% of all DVD sales in the UK are pirate copies.
Piracy is damaging the film industry.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
Editing.
How is editing used in the film Memento?
The film starts off using a close up of a hand holding a picture of a man dead on the floor with half his head missing, and blood all over the walls. After a short period of time, the character holding the photo then shakes it, as one would do when helping a picture to develop. When the photo is re shown to the audience the picture has faded. The action is repeated another 3 times and each time the picture fades a little more, this gives the impression of time rewinding itself, which is supported when the objects such as bullet case and glasses fly backwards, and the whole scene takes place in reverse.
There is then a smooth cut from the dead man's face, before he is shot, to a close up on the main characters face. However the scene has changed, the picture is now in black and white, and the main character is the only person in the room. The editing tells the audience that this scene is something separate from the main storyline that they just witnessed, which is confirmed when the main character, Leonard, starts to explain the condition he has. It allows the audience to receive more information in a simpler way, rather than leaving them confused for the rest of the film as to what is happening.
The scene then ends and is cut to a picture of the man who the audience had just seen Leonard shoot, Teddy. In the scene the editing is also used to cut between the two characters faces during their conversation, showing the audience how Leonard reacts to Teddy, and the expressions on the characters faces when they converse, giving an insight to what they are thinking. Editing can also give the audience more information in a different way, for example when Leonard leans into an abandoned car to see what's inside, and the shot changes to a close up of 4 bullets on the front seat of the car. At the same time it symbolises how important these bullets are, because they show that something isn't right with the situation, as the place is apparently 'abandoned'.
At the end of each scene, the edit used allows the film to cut between time frames, each 'coloured' scene goes back in time, showing the action that led to the consequence, therefore meaning each scene ends with what was the beginning of the scene before the one playing. Each shot also starts and ends with the same action, so the editing makes the transition of information smooth, the audience don't notice the edit, these can also be referred to as 'invisible cuts'.
Edits that lead to close ups of certain aspects in the film are used quite regularly, mainly to focus the audiences attention on important parts of the film. For example, everytime Leonard is given a new piece of information which he has had before but doesn't remember, the shot is edited to a close up shot in order to allow the audience to see this new information, and put together the clues along with him.
In conclusion, the editing used in Memento helps to give the film an original storyline, and a unique way of telling a story to the audience. It draws the audiences attention to the storyline, but it also doesn't leave them too confused, due to the use of 'invisible cuts' throughout the film which are used to make the audience feel like they are actually there in the film, it makes the film more realistic. The editing also allows the main character to suffer from his memory loss in a way, because using the idea of time going backwards shows the audience why he suffers from the memory loss, and why he is seen doing certain actions, like shooting Teddy in the head at the beginning of the film. On the whole though the editing is very disjointed, skipping between time frames, symbolising how confusing Leonard's life must be for him and how jumbled his day-to-day life must be.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Sound.
Diegetic - natural sounds within a scene.
Non-diegetic - added to a scene - soundtrack. Potential problem: less realistic. Potential benefit: more dramatic.
Sound bridge - when sound which carries on over two scenes, literally creating a 'bridge' between events.
Incidental music - short sequence of sound to create an emotion/feeling.
Asynchronous sound - a 'natural' sound out of place and without a source.
Contrapunctual - sound which creates an opposite emotion to the one on the screen.
Skins Notes.
enigma code - why is he awake?
camera angle - above him, zooming out (allows us to analyse it, creates the impression of it being a slow morning), close up on his face (makes us want to find out more about him)
props - bed spread middle - bisexual? enigma: open with his parents? parents don't care? rebelling?), neat unrumpled (didn't sleep, controlling), he stands out against his sheets (dark hair, white pillows)
lighting - one shaft of light across his face (doesn't want to sleep? curtains not drawn, letting the light in), relatively dark.
scene - his room, tidy (controlling, symbolic), clean, white (hard to keep clean, controlling)
sounds - church bells (British culture, church Sunday? slow, asynchronous),birds (asynchronous),alarm (action code), diegetic.
shadows - two on either side of his face (two sides to him?) symbolic.
How is sexuality presented in this clip?
The scene starts off with a extreme close up on the characters face, and in the distance there are two diegetic sounds; church bells ringing and birds twittering. Both of these are asynchronous sounds because you cannot see where the sound is coming from, as the camera is still fixed upon the characters face, but at the same time slowly zooming out to reveal more of his surroundings. As the camera zooms out, you see that the pillows he has been 'sleeping' on look freshly made, and that there is a shaft of light across his face. This poses the question did he actually sleep at all? His pillows don't look like someone has been sleeping on them and the light would surely have been there all night, which means did he want to sleep? Plus the fact that teenagers are not normally awake that early on a Sunday morning would add to the curiosity.
The camera carries on zooming out slowly, giving the scene a slow pace, possibly signifying that the character is tired, or that it will be quite a slow day, which added with the church bells (a British culture code), could symbolise it to be a Sunday morning. During this more and more of the characters room is revealed and you see him lying in his bed. His bed cover is of a naked man and woman lying to the left and right of the cover, which is also unrumpled, supporting the idea that he has not slept. He is lying right in the middle of the bed, right between the two people on his bed cover, possibly symbolising that he is a bisexual, due to the fact that he is not associating himself with either of the two people on his bed spread.
If we take the idea that the character was up all night thinking about his sexuality, then the use of the church bells in the clip take on a different meaning. It could be seen that the bells are reminding him of his sexuality, as being a homosexual is seen as a sin in the church's eyes, and therefore if the character comes from a religious family, this could be a cause of worry for him. In the scene there are two shadows on either side of the characters face, maybe symbolising that there are two different sides to him, which also links in to the idea of the character being a bisexual, as it could represent the part of him that likes women, and the part of him that likes men. Because the character is in the middle of these two shadows, it could present the point that he feels stuck in the middle of the problem, unsure whether he should tell people, but on the other hand worried what they would say if he did.
The scene finishes with an above shot of the character in his bed with some of his room visible. From what is shown the bedroom looks very neat and clean, everything seems to have a certain place and the floor is bare, not covered in items (such as clothes) as people would expect to see in a teenage boys room. It gives the impression that the character takes pride in the things he owns, and likes everything to look presentable, maybe giving him a controlling edge to his personality. However, taking more of a pride in appearances that teenage boys usually would could be linked to the idea of homosexuality. Interest in appearance is something that is stereotypically associated with gay men, and therefore the use of this aspect in the scene also adds to the idea of the character being a bisexual.
To conclude the clip presents sexuality in two different ways, being loud and brash about it by using the bed cover, which stands out because of it's uniqueness, but also by using subtle hints, such as using the shadows to represent the two sides of the character. However the bed cover could just symbolise that the character is a very confident person, and is not worried about having such a 'different' bed spread, or that he likes to rebel against his parents, who would probably not approve of his choice.
Non-diegetic - added to a scene - soundtrack. Potential problem: less realistic. Potential benefit: more dramatic.
Sound bridge - when sound which carries on over two scenes, literally creating a 'bridge' between events.
Incidental music - short sequence of sound to create an emotion/feeling.
Asynchronous sound - a 'natural' sound out of place and without a source.
Contrapunctual - sound which creates an opposite emotion to the one on the screen.
Skins Notes.
enigma code - why is he awake?
camera angle - above him, zooming out (allows us to analyse it, creates the impression of it being a slow morning), close up on his face (makes us want to find out more about him)
props - bed spread middle - bisexual? enigma: open with his parents? parents don't care? rebelling?), neat unrumpled (didn't sleep, controlling), he stands out against his sheets (dark hair, white pillows)
lighting - one shaft of light across his face (doesn't want to sleep? curtains not drawn, letting the light in), relatively dark.
scene - his room, tidy (controlling, symbolic), clean, white (hard to keep clean, controlling)
sounds - church bells (British culture, church Sunday? slow, asynchronous),birds (asynchronous),alarm (action code), diegetic.
shadows - two on either side of his face (two sides to him?) symbolic.
How is sexuality presented in this clip?
The scene starts off with a extreme close up on the characters face, and in the distance there are two diegetic sounds; church bells ringing and birds twittering. Both of these are asynchronous sounds because you cannot see where the sound is coming from, as the camera is still fixed upon the characters face, but at the same time slowly zooming out to reveal more of his surroundings. As the camera zooms out, you see that the pillows he has been 'sleeping' on look freshly made, and that there is a shaft of light across his face. This poses the question did he actually sleep at all? His pillows don't look like someone has been sleeping on them and the light would surely have been there all night, which means did he want to sleep? Plus the fact that teenagers are not normally awake that early on a Sunday morning would add to the curiosity.
The camera carries on zooming out slowly, giving the scene a slow pace, possibly signifying that the character is tired, or that it will be quite a slow day, which added with the church bells (a British culture code), could symbolise it to be a Sunday morning. During this more and more of the characters room is revealed and you see him lying in his bed. His bed cover is of a naked man and woman lying to the left and right of the cover, which is also unrumpled, supporting the idea that he has not slept. He is lying right in the middle of the bed, right between the two people on his bed cover, possibly symbolising that he is a bisexual, due to the fact that he is not associating himself with either of the two people on his bed spread.
If we take the idea that the character was up all night thinking about his sexuality, then the use of the church bells in the clip take on a different meaning. It could be seen that the bells are reminding him of his sexuality, as being a homosexual is seen as a sin in the church's eyes, and therefore if the character comes from a religious family, this could be a cause of worry for him. In the scene there are two shadows on either side of the characters face, maybe symbolising that there are two different sides to him, which also links in to the idea of the character being a bisexual, as it could represent the part of him that likes women, and the part of him that likes men. Because the character is in the middle of these two shadows, it could present the point that he feels stuck in the middle of the problem, unsure whether he should tell people, but on the other hand worried what they would say if he did.
The scene finishes with an above shot of the character in his bed with some of his room visible. From what is shown the bedroom looks very neat and clean, everything seems to have a certain place and the floor is bare, not covered in items (such as clothes) as people would expect to see in a teenage boys room. It gives the impression that the character takes pride in the things he owns, and likes everything to look presentable, maybe giving him a controlling edge to his personality. However, taking more of a pride in appearances that teenage boys usually would could be linked to the idea of homosexuality. Interest in appearance is something that is stereotypically associated with gay men, and therefore the use of this aspect in the scene also adds to the idea of the character being a bisexual.
To conclude the clip presents sexuality in two different ways, being loud and brash about it by using the bed cover, which stands out because of it's uniqueness, but also by using subtle hints, such as using the shadows to represent the two sides of the character. However the bed cover could just symbolise that the character is a very confident person, and is not worried about having such a 'different' bed spread, or that he likes to rebel against his parents, who would probably not approve of his choice.
Friday, 12 November 2010
Distribution.
What is distribution?
What is a distributor?
Distribution and Marketing.
What is film distribution?
Describes everything that happens between making the film and people watching the film.
All the deals that happen are used to promote the film.
Above the line - everything the distribution company pays for eg. trailers, poster, billboards... ect.
Below the line - all the free publicity eg. interviews with the actors, fan sites and reviews.
Is it all fair?
Big companies control their own distribution and others.
Films are loaned out to cinemas and release deals are done that secure access to a certain number of screens.
UK film market - increase in the quantity of screens showing British films has not led to an increase of British films being shown.
Five major distributors in UK film industry (all are American companies):
1. United International Pictures (Universal is included in this)
2. Warner Brothers
3. Buena Vista
4. 20th Century Fox
5. Sony
Problems smaller companies face
Every film shown in cinemas needs a print, and a separate print for each cinema it is being shown in, which then uses the prints to project the film via a reel.
Smaller companies can't afford to make as many prints as larger companies can, therefore less cinemas will screen the film and less people will watch it, minimising profit.
UK Film Council is financially supporting British films by using Digital Screen Network.
The dominance of Hollywood
Marketing - Pirates of the Caribbean 2 made over £50 million in the UK box office and 1.5 million DVD's were brought after 10 days of release, despite bad reviews. Good marketing gave the film success.
The Dark Knight
First big blockbuster to use viral advertising to that extent.
Cost £185 million to make.
On 20th July 2008 The Dark Knight was shown on 4336 screens in the UK.
Compared to This Is England which was shown on 62 screens on 29th April 2007.
The piracy problem and film distribution
Piracy is a major concern of all film distributors, with Hollywood investigators claiming a 10% increase each year in revenue lost to illegal distribution.
The UK has the highest level of DVD piracy.
The UK Film Council reminded the public that they're hurting the small production companies by piracy.
Can digital film and projection stop this?
Digital distribution advantages
It promises to transform the film industry.
Downloading films via broadband means companies don't have to spend money on prints and cinemas ect.
It has the advantage of every film being identical versions as things can't go missing or get damaged, so you will still have the same high quality not matter how long you have the film for.
More controlled and has better security, almost impossible to pirate films.
Simultaneous global distribution via the internet will stop the 'time gap'.
What is a distributor?
Distribution and Marketing.
- Tony Angelletti - 'audience has the greatest power.' '...if the audience likes a particular superstar, then Hollywood is forced to use them.' Summary: the audience is in control of what the film industry makes.
- Toby Miller - 'budget of a film often sees 50% going on promotion.' 'consumer can exercise authority is absurd.' Summary: Hollywood control the films that we want to see.
What is film distribution?
Describes everything that happens between making the film and people watching the film.
All the deals that happen are used to promote the film.
Above the line - everything the distribution company pays for eg. trailers, poster, billboards... ect.
Below the line - all the free publicity eg. interviews with the actors, fan sites and reviews.
Is it all fair?
Big companies control their own distribution and others.
Films are loaned out to cinemas and release deals are done that secure access to a certain number of screens.
UK film market - increase in the quantity of screens showing British films has not led to an increase of British films being shown.
Five major distributors in UK film industry (all are American companies):
1. United International Pictures (Universal is included in this)
2. Warner Brothers
3. Buena Vista
4. 20th Century Fox
5. Sony
- Roughly 9 of out 10 films are distributed by the above companies.
- Distributors are directly linked to Hollywood production companies who make the films, and the exhibitors who prioritise Hollywood films for profit.
- Blockbuster films are distributed via 'blanket release' meaning the other films are competing for attention.
- Blanket release - the film will be shown everywhere, covers the other films being shown at the time, considered to be 'an event' as there is such a big hype about it.
- Half of the British films being shown in Britain do not reach the whole country due to this.
Problems smaller companies face
Every film shown in cinemas needs a print, and a separate print for each cinema it is being shown in, which then uses the prints to project the film via a reel.
Smaller companies can't afford to make as many prints as larger companies can, therefore less cinemas will screen the film and less people will watch it, minimising profit.
UK Film Council is financially supporting British films by using Digital Screen Network.
The dominance of Hollywood
Marketing - Pirates of the Caribbean 2 made over £50 million in the UK box office and 1.5 million DVD's were brought after 10 days of release, despite bad reviews. Good marketing gave the film success.
The Dark Knight
First big blockbuster to use viral advertising to that extent.
Cost £185 million to make.
On 20th July 2008 The Dark Knight was shown on 4336 screens in the UK.
Compared to This Is England which was shown on 62 screens on 29th April 2007.
The piracy problem and film distribution
Piracy is a major concern of all film distributors, with Hollywood investigators claiming a 10% increase each year in revenue lost to illegal distribution.
The UK has the highest level of DVD piracy.
The UK Film Council reminded the public that they're hurting the small production companies by piracy.
Can digital film and projection stop this?
Digital distribution advantages
It promises to transform the film industry.
Downloading films via broadband means companies don't have to spend money on prints and cinemas ect.
It has the advantage of every film being identical versions as things can't go missing or get damaged, so you will still have the same high quality not matter how long you have the film for.
More controlled and has better security, almost impossible to pirate films.
Simultaneous global distribution via the internet will stop the 'time gap'.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Moral Panics, Hypodermic Theory And The Passive Audience
Columbine High School Massacre
2 students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went to their school and started shooting fellow students.
12 students and 1 teacher died and 21 more were injured. After the two boys committed suicide.
Apparently influenced by a game called 'Doom' which both teenagers played on frequently and had created their own levels for it. In the game you play as a marine posted to Mars and consequently have to fight off Martian creatures.
Analysists thought that the game enhanced the teenagers violence and their restriction from the game brought on the massacre.
Another games thought to have had an impact upon Eric and Dylan was Wolfenstein 3D, where an American tries to escape Castle Wolfenstein and overthrow the Nazi regime.
Others blamed violent films and music, natural killers and Marylin Manson for the massacre, claiming that all had a profound effect on the two boys.
After the massacre a game was created about them, and the massacre was included where people got to play as Eric and Dylan. The downloads of the game increased when the media started covering it, making it more popular.
Social Networking - Facebook
Facebook allows you to keep up to date with your friends and family.
The network has limited security and allows anyone to see your personal details, such as photos with you in them.
Even after you may have deleted your account there is still a backup of it, on the networks hard drive.
People can loose their jobs due to employers looking at their Facebook profile, and events like house parties can get out of hand if posted onto a social network.
Your identity can also be stolen and used by other people.
It also gives cyber bullying the opportunity to take place, and statistics show that it's mainly men who are the victims of this.
Skins
Thought to be a bad influence on teenagers, as they want to live the glamorised lives they are shown in the programme.
Can be seen as offensive to older viewers. Most parents don't like the programme and would prefer their son/daughter not to watch it.
Includes a lot of story lines involving drugs, sex, alcohol consumption and little education.
The Sun branded the programme controversial.
Attracts a lot of media attention, boosting the audience figures.
Manhunt
The game is about a convict who has been spared the lethal injection by someone who he only knows through an ear piece. It carries on to show the person who you play as being kidnapped and having to fight his way back to freedom.
It is thought that the game is effecting today's youth, making them more violent and involved in crime.
A boy in Leicester stabbed his best friend to death and was thought to be influenced by Manhunt, however he had never actually played the game.
Because of this the media portrayed the game as a bad influence and something that should be banned, consequently the sales of the game increased.
It was reported that New Zealand had banned the game because of its graphic nature, however this was untrue, but it still helped the game to sell.
Paranormal Activity
The film had to be banned in America after people left the theatres ect from the content.
Apparently uses real footage from the story which the film is based on.
Considered to be a bad influence on people, they used the film to play sinister practical jokes on their friends.
Has three alternate endings.
Gained huge publicity because of the massive amount of media coverage, and raving reviews.
CoD
Has a level where players can play in the role of a terrorist and kill innocent civilians in an airport.
The level is surrounded in controversy, does it show people that it's acceptable to kill?
Players are warned about the content of the level and are given the option to pass it with no penalties. They are also not told to kill the civilians, but aren't allowed to kill the terrorists if they want to complete the level.
Debate: is the level really needed? You gain or lose nothing whether you complete the mission or not.
2 students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went to their school and started shooting fellow students.
12 students and 1 teacher died and 21 more were injured. After the two boys committed suicide.
Apparently influenced by a game called 'Doom' which both teenagers played on frequently and had created their own levels for it. In the game you play as a marine posted to Mars and consequently have to fight off Martian creatures.
Analysists thought that the game enhanced the teenagers violence and their restriction from the game brought on the massacre.
Another games thought to have had an impact upon Eric and Dylan was Wolfenstein 3D, where an American tries to escape Castle Wolfenstein and overthrow the Nazi regime.
Others blamed violent films and music, natural killers and Marylin Manson for the massacre, claiming that all had a profound effect on the two boys.
After the massacre a game was created about them, and the massacre was included where people got to play as Eric and Dylan. The downloads of the game increased when the media started covering it, making it more popular.
Social Networking - Facebook
Facebook allows you to keep up to date with your friends and family.
The network has limited security and allows anyone to see your personal details, such as photos with you in them.
Even after you may have deleted your account there is still a backup of it, on the networks hard drive.
People can loose their jobs due to employers looking at their Facebook profile, and events like house parties can get out of hand if posted onto a social network.
Your identity can also be stolen and used by other people.
It also gives cyber bullying the opportunity to take place, and statistics show that it's mainly men who are the victims of this.
Skins
Thought to be a bad influence on teenagers, as they want to live the glamorised lives they are shown in the programme.
Can be seen as offensive to older viewers. Most parents don't like the programme and would prefer their son/daughter not to watch it.
Includes a lot of story lines involving drugs, sex, alcohol consumption and little education.
The Sun branded the programme controversial.
Attracts a lot of media attention, boosting the audience figures.
Manhunt
The game is about a convict who has been spared the lethal injection by someone who he only knows through an ear piece. It carries on to show the person who you play as being kidnapped and having to fight his way back to freedom.
It is thought that the game is effecting today's youth, making them more violent and involved in crime.
A boy in Leicester stabbed his best friend to death and was thought to be influenced by Manhunt, however he had never actually played the game.
Because of this the media portrayed the game as a bad influence and something that should be banned, consequently the sales of the game increased.
It was reported that New Zealand had banned the game because of its graphic nature, however this was untrue, but it still helped the game to sell.
Paranormal Activity
The film had to be banned in America after people left the theatres ect from the content.
Apparently uses real footage from the story which the film is based on.
Considered to be a bad influence on people, they used the film to play sinister practical jokes on their friends.
Has three alternate endings.
Gained huge publicity because of the massive amount of media coverage, and raving reviews.
CoD
Has a level where players can play in the role of a terrorist and kill innocent civilians in an airport.
The level is surrounded in controversy, does it show people that it's acceptable to kill?
Players are warned about the content of the level and are given the option to pass it with no penalties. They are also not told to kill the civilians, but aren't allowed to kill the terrorists if they want to complete the level.
Debate: is the level really needed? You gain or lose nothing whether you complete the mission or not.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Representation Of Ethnicity In Hotel Babylon.
Find more videos like this on Beauchamp College Media
Explain how ethnicity is represented in the clip. Mention mise en scene, editing and sound.
The clip starts with looking at the ethnicity of black people, portrayed in two different ways. The two characters could be describe as binary opposites because they are so different to each other, it shows one guy called Benjamin, who works for the hotel, as someone who doesn't want to get involved with the things he did in his past, in effect he has turned his life around and become a 'respectable person'. On the other hand, his old friend, who he hasn't seen in 7 years (signifying how well he has managed to stay away from his past), wants to carrying on living in his younger years. The lighting in this scene is quite dull, maybe showing the stereotypical idea that black people are involved in 'shady deals', or activities that need to be kept in the dark. Benjamin's friend has dreadlocks and tattoos,adding to the image that black males are mixed up in dangerous things, and could be referred to as a 'rebel' in simpler terms. During the exchange between the two characters the over the shoulder shot is used. It helps to show the binary opposites by panning between the two characters, allowing the viewers to compare the two and notice the differences between them. The music played in the clip has a slight beat to it, like hip hop or rap music does, giving the section a 'gangster' feel to it.
In the next section the clip shows two female cleaners, both of which are French, dragging cleaning trolleys to a particular room. This could show that mainly European women do these types of jobs, aka cleaning jobs, because they either don't have the qualifications for a better job or that the can only get work in low paid jobs as they are 'illegal immigrants'. When they enter the room there is a Japanese man sitting on the bed, in a dressing gown, apparently waiting for them. The older of the two maids has already said that the man "pays double for double" suggesting that they may have to do something extra than just cleaning his room in return for extra money, which portrays the woman as greedy, as they seem to be willing to do anything for some more money. The said money is shown to be placed upon a table in two neat piles, showing the stereotypical idea that Japanese people are very tidy and organised. He then picks up the remote and turns the CD player on which plays Moulin Rouge, which is a up beat, sexy song making the scene feel quite sexual and as the music plays the cleaners start to take off their uniforms, giving the audience a good idea about what they have to do for the extra money. Close up shots are used on the Japanese mans face, showing him getting sweaty and watching the maids avidly. The use of this camera angle allows the audience to see the stereotypical view of Japanese men being perverts or dirty people, as he's paying the maids to strip off for him.
The scene after is short and shows a woman who works for the hotel coming into someones room. She then passes some toilet paper through the door to a Mr Taylor, who is not seen in the section. Mr Taylor sounds angry and impatient when speaking to the woman, and as he is British, it portrays British people as rude and impatient. The two actors that we see next, also British, are talking about the chefs in the hotel kitchens. They are dressed very smartly and talk 'properly', suggesting that they are from the 'upper classes' of people, and therefore are quite posh.
Finally the scene in the kitchen involves an Italian chef and a British chef. The Italian chef is dressed in black whereas the British chef is dressed in white, and you find out that the Italian man has slept with the British chefs wife. The black dress suggests an 'evil' side, as black it usually associated with evil, with white being its binary opposite, therefore symbolises the 'good' aspect. Also the fact that the Italian chef has slept with another mans wife could show Italian's to be 'womanisers' and quite reckless people. This is backed up when, during an argument between the two chefs, the Italian man picks up a meat cleaver and threatens to use it, which fits in with the idea of Italians being reckless, and adds the idea that get angry quite easily, that they are 'hot-headed'. Throughout the argument each chef calls each other offensive names in reference to their ethnicity allowing the camera to flick back and forth between them and close in on their faces giving the audience the impression of how angry both are getting, and showing, in some ways, Italian and British stereotypes.
In conclusion I think that Hotel Babylon represents ethnicity quite simply, picking up and using some stereotypes, but not being too controversial about it. They stick to the ideas about ethnicity that are already thought by the audience, therefore avoiding a cognitive dissonance, and allowing the audience to concentrate on the story line the characters are involved in, rather than their, possibly, complicated ethnicity.
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