Sanjay Patel How Does Micro Aspects In Media Attract Audiences In The Hunger Games Rues Death?

? Micro aspects in film can have a wide way of influencing an audience to watch a particular film. Whether it is how the characters are dressed on screen (costume), or how the orchestral diegetic sound playing will impact the audiences and characters emotions. During this essay I will look at a variety of micro aspects in The Hunger Games, Rues Death and see how they will influence people to watch the film. The plot of The Hunger Games explores a wide range of genre conventions in order for them to attract the widest range of audiences as possible. IMBD states that The Hunger Games is an action/ adventure/ science fiction film, starring Jennifer Lawrence as the main protagonist Katniss Everdeen. The plot of the film involves a nation named Panem, which is divided into twelve districts and a Capitol. Each year two tributes from each district are chosen to take part in The Hunger Games. As a punishment for the past rebellion. The Games are part brutal death and part entertainment for the rest of the nation via. TV. While Katniss sister is chosen to take part in the Games, she soon volunteers knowing her life will be in danger as soon as the Games begin. She and counterpart Peeta must do everything in their power to win the Games and overall survive. The scene I will discuss marks a major event during the film in my opinion. After forming an alliance with Rue (a twelve year old girl from District 11), the pair decide to destroy the main competitors food and weapons in a hope for some sort of advantage. Although this is soon successfully Rue is killed, Katniss later creates a memorial of flowers around her body as a sign of admiration and respect, and as a result she is more determined to win the Games than ever. Although none of the characters are appear in this scene the audience will notice that characters costumes living in the Captiol are known for wearing strange and outrageous types of clothing and styles. This is so the audience are aware of the era that the film is set in. Because the film is set in the 21st/22nd/23rd century (no clear indication is given) the audience can gather that time has moved forward and the film is set in the future, and as a result clothing and costume have changed in order for the people to adapt in the society that they are living in. When looking at the costumes that tributes are wearing in the Games arena the audience will be able to see that each characters costume is almost identical, consisting of a tracksuit style jacket and top with red stripes running down its sleeves. While the red sleeves may connote the danger that each tributes pose on each other the only piece of clothing that is non-identical to the other characters in playing in the Games is the vest worn under their jacket this is different for each district. By allowing the characters to wear this type of clothing it ensures that each tribute feels comfortable while running and fighting in the area, while also allowing the clothing to be manipulated by the weather. For example in the Games-makers create freezing cold temperatures they are guaranteed that each tribute will not be able to stand the significant drop in temperature and as a result die from natural causes. Finally a cruel concept of making allowing the characters to wear identical clothing is so- in some circumstances people will forget friends or people they have formed an alliance with and accidently kill them through fear and pressure to win. Overall the use of this type of costume allows the film to look professional and unique as well as having the remaining budget to focus on most expensive functions within the film for example CGI. While looking at this scene the audience as well as the characters on screen are able to notice that the Games are taking place in a forest/ natural environment. Katniss- who is a talented hunter is able 1

Sanjay Patel to use the area to her advantage as she is able to scene the natural dangers that may be imposed on her. As a result the lighting used in this scene is very subtle and natural. Too much light may create an unnatural effect and as a result the film may look very fake and unnatural for the viewers watching in cinema or at home. During this scene a wide variety of props are used which all prove crucial for each character that are playing in the Games. At the start of the film the audience can clearly see that Katniss is carrying/ using a bow and arrow as her choice of weapon during the Games. By this point the audience will be aware that Katniss is a skilled hunter and her preferred weapon would usually be a bow and arrow. As a result the audience are also aware that she rarely misses which may connotes that she is a threat to any other tributes within her target. Using this bow and arrow she is able to release a sack of tennis balls and as a result blow up a variety of supplies providing crucial weapons for the main enemies. These are the second set of primary props that the audience are aware of. The food and weapons are surrounded by a circle of mines, although the audience are unaware of what is being protected individually they would be able to connote that it would be basic food supplies to keep each tribute from dying from starvation as there is little food supplies within the arena. Finally other props of less importance include a blade, and also flowers. The blade is used to cu Rue out of net that she is caught in; in spite of this she is still killed. Finally the flowers are used to surround Rues body after she is laid to rest. From this final scene the audience are able to connote that Rue meant a lot to Katniss, because she was the same age as her younger sister Primrose the audience would be able to see the significance between Rue and her sister and the sibling relationship that they shared. In addition by memorial during her death may connote to the Games-makers that Rue was not just a tribute in the Games and her death meant a lot more to her and the audience watching the film. There is a little range of camera work used during this scene of the film. The first and most basic is linear narrative. This is almost an invisible form of camera work, because it is so regularly used. It creates a scene of realism for the viewer while also showing that time is moving forward. By doing this it helps ensure that the film is realistic for the people watching at home as well as it looking professional and similar to other films. For example the use of to many flashbacks/ set in the past while the story is being told in the present may disorientate and confuse the viewer and by the end of the film the may not fully understand the purpose of the film leaving a bad impression. In addition may close ups are used during emotional scenes of the film. For example while looking Katniss is looking for Rue and also while Rue is dying. These particular shots during these scenes are used to allowing the audience to see how the characters are feeling through facial expressions or actions as well as manipulate the audiences emotions through camera angles, dialogue and types of sound. There is little use of editing in the particular scene that I have chosen. Although later in the film CGI is used to add the effect of brutal and lots of scenes include tributes killed in psychotic ways, because of this a lot of fake blood was used on clothes, props and on characters to achieve a realistic look of injury and death. This appealed to more of a wide stream audience because these particular scenes ensured that the film looked like a blockbuster film with a large budget for the producer to introduce a wide range of effects. When people were killed designers ensured that props and mechanisms as well as injury's including open wounds that were used looked as realistic to the actual items as possible without physically injuring characters (Eg. Blades, arrows and other sharp bladed objects) as a result this helped create a scene of realism for the audience. Later in the film the use of CGI software allowed designers to create an effect of fireballs being thrown at characters, 2

Sanjay Patel and wild dogs mauling people to death. As well as dangerous obstructions things like the Capitol in night, and technology that is not of the day was made to look as modern as possible. Although this scene is short a wide range of sound is used. From the start of the scene a variety of natural sounds are emphasised, these sounds include breathing, twigs being snapped through running and finally arrows being drawn and released. While this helps ensure that the film is realistic as possible it also helps to the audience to notice sounds that will later be crucial for the characters involved (leaves rusting as an enemy attempts to capture a character). Throughout the film dialogue is constantly used, this shows the audience the thoughts inside a single characters mind or an open conversation between two or more characters. Because the film was shot in a natural environment a wide range of ambient sound was used for example birds tweeting, leaves rustling in the wind, this helped the film be as natural as possible for the characters in the film and the audience watching at home. During post-production artificial sound that would mimic natural sound may be used to help keep the realism for the viewer. Finally during Rues death non diegetic sound containing a orchestral piece is used to help manipulate the audiences emotions as well as parallel music to match the dying scene, adding this too Deep In The Meadow that is sung by Katniss during Rues final words helps to ensure that the audience feel sad about the death of a character and hopefully leaving a mark about Rue by the end of the film. This scene/film only applies to three out of the four narrative theorists that have been studied in class. Propp proposed that it was possible for the audience to clearly categorize characters in a film through their role and action, below is a table where the characters and functions have been clearly defined within the film. Character Katniss The Capitol, Games-makers and other tributes Peeta Effie Tricket Function The hero (Wants to win) The villains (They created the Games, other tributes are playing to kill the hero) The donor (Helps Katniss win the Games, keeps her alive) The dispatcher (Allows Katniss to volunteer in The Hunger Games as a replacement for her sister) The false hero

President Snow

From this the audience are clearly able to see that each character has a role within the film and as a result fits Propps theory. Torodov states at the start of a film there is a equilibrium then is then disrupted by an outside force causing major problems within the film. Finally a new equilibrium is created. When the viewers apply this to the film there are able to see the following Equilibrium Everyone is getting along peacefully within each district. Whether the district is poor or rich they people within it make the most of what they have. Outside Force The Hunger Games begin. Katniss is sent to compete in the area, where she is forced to fight for her life. The rest of the nation can only 3 New Equilibrium Katniss wins the Games along with her counterpart Peeta Marlark. Even though the pair think what they have done is successful the audience will be

Sanjay Patel watch and hopes that she wins. aware that more trouble is approaching.

Finally applying Barthes suggests that each film has five codes allowing the audience to make a sense of what is happening: Action Throughout the scene/ the film. The constant action allows the audience to remain engaged in the film throughout. Having action within the film also encourages mainstream audiences that would normally avoid this type of film to be encouraged to view the film in cinema or DVD. Will Katniss survive the Games? This is a key element within the film. The viewers are instantly favourable to Katniss because of her personality and skill. If the film ended with her death it would leave the audience feeling sad and disappointed. Who will die? This is a similar question that the audience will be thinking once the tributes enter the Games area. The film portray some characters are being bad ensuring that the audience that they should be dead. Will there be a sequel? This question will only be answered by audiences who have already finished the second book in the trilogy. Others who are unaware of a sequel will be intrigued to find out what happens next. Katniss connotes that Rue is resemblance of her younger sister Prim. She believes that it is her duty to protect her as she thinks that Rue is to young to be in the arena defending herself alone.

Enigma

Symbolic