Identifying Codes and Conventions of the Social Realism Genre

Despite the varied and mixed diverse range of films contained within the Social Realism Genre, many of them all share common attributes that classify them into the category of the Social Realism Genre. These are known as the Codes and Conventions of the genre and are explored in more depth and detailed analysis in my blog post entitled: "What defines a film opening into a particular genre?" However, the main point which I will refer to again is the fact that what makes films like Trainspotting and This is England   so fantastic is the fact that they conform extremely effectively to the Codes and Conventions that the viewer naturally expects to find in films of this nature. The aims of the Social Realism genre, perhaps already assumed through the self asserting title of the genre, is to effectively replicate and reproduce on screen the many social issues  and encounters commonly encountered and experienced in life. The Codes and Conventions of the Social Realism Genre are listed below along with a brief description of how our film aims to fit the codes and conventions of the social realism genre :

·         Location Shooting (not studio or constructed sets.)
      Conforming to the codes and conventions of the social realism genre all of our shooting for our film opening will where possible be done on location in natural, undressed locations to reflect the real life everyday settings that can be grim and visually hard hitting by nature. We aim to transfer this effectively onto the screen for the viewer and fits with the example of Social Realism film "Fish Tank" that was in fact shot on a real council estate in England.

·         Non- Professional Actors or newcomers to the acting ‘scene.’
Our film opening will easily conform to this code and convention of the Social Realism genre as both of our actors are in fact amateurs in the acting trade with no professional acting work having been undertaken by either actor. However, both actors do have experience in performing in amateur films and productions so we can still be confident and assured that they know their craft and are competent and confident performers and will not be daunted or overwhelmed by what is asked of them from our film opening.

·         Semi- improvised scripts.
We will allow both actors the freedom, where they feel it may be necessary, to partly improvise portions of the script where they, in their judgement, feel it may be necessary to add a more authentic portrayal of the character within our film opening that is not dictated in the script. In addition, we do not want the script to become a binding force or creative limitation for the actors in expressing their performances and so with this in mind, will duly not be offended or alarmed if they break away from the script and give rise to the opportunity for the story to move in a new direction that has not already been suggested or hinted at. 

·         Both humour and seriousness
As we wish our film opening to be hard hitting and gripping for the viewer in the opening moments of our film opening, we will probably aim to keep humour and comic relief to a minimum as I personally feel that were we to include humour it may in fact offer up an unwanted detrimental negative impact of detracting from the serious tone of the piece. However, were the film to be made into feature length, comedy would perhaps feature in a similar way as to how it is portrayed in the film Trainspotting, in small portions throughout, as without a small amount of comic relief and respite I feel that the audiences viewing experience of our film may suffer in a negative way due to he hard hitting and serious nature of the material explored.

·         The erosion of regional identities, breaking down of social stereotypes.
This is a code and convention we will be aiming to stick to during our film opening as we do not wish to bring social stereotyping into any form of dispute. We also wish our audience to remain fully focussed and attached to the action of our film opening and as such do not wish for them to become sidetracked in any way due to our unfortunate representation of regional identities and social stereotyping.

·         Wider Social issues explored by emotional and dramatic individual stories.
       Given the short length of time that is provided for our our film opening, it is highly unlikely that our film opening will have time to explore in any way wider social issues as the purpose of a film opening is firstly to set up a story for the continuation of the film and then to engage the viewer. However, were our film to be of feature length, we would most probably focus upon the idea of Toby's social awkwardness and how that has shaped and transformed him into the despondent and isolated character that we aim to show within our film opening.

·         Triumph over adversity.
       This is a prevalent theme within our film opening as we aim to portray the character of Toby as a caring, if slightly shy, individual who is aiming to rid himself of his addiction to drugs whilst in stark and obvious contrast, the antagonist Creegan will be represented as his polar opposite; volatile, cunning, aggressive, devious and malicious who in effect embodies the sinister nature of the drugs trade and the problems that are associated and subsequently caused by the taking of drugs, that will hopefully provide a stark contrast to the caring nature of Toby even if he has been dealt a detrimental blow to his mental stability and well-being as a result of his continued drug taking. Were the film to be of feature length, we would aim to explore Toby's personal battles and his quest to overcome his addiction to drugs and regain control of his life once more which would involve in him taking some drastic measures which would involve the murder of Creegan, demonstrating just how far Toby is prepared to go to rid himself of his strenuous  and troubling addiction. 

Age Restriction Rating- BBFC

If our film opening were to be part of a real film to be released in cinemas, an age restriction would need to be enforced to restrict and more importantly protect viewers of a younger age of a more sensitive and delicate nature from viewing inappropriate content which may otherwise be deemed as offensive or inappropriate towards younger audiences. For this reason, an age rating would help to guide viewers towards a judgemental view as to whether our film opening in its entirety would be suitable for them to view and enjoy without being duly put off by offensive words, or lexis, or dark themes used and explored in the opening.  Having studied the criteria that is required for an opening to be classified into an appropriate age bracket, we as a group have come to the conclusion that our film opening would be classified into the “15” age rating restriction.   This is because the majority of the content featured within our film opening would benefit the restriction of a ‘15’ age bracket being applied to the material due to the themes and ideas explored within the opening. (E.G.: the theme of drug taking is explored in its recreational use, a practice that is widely condemned in modern, everyday society.) Below are the guidelines as outlined by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) and how they fit into our film opening, creating a suitably appropriate restriction for younger viewers other than the demographic in the event that they are able to be protected from hurtful, hateful, upsetting and obscene material that may be expressed within our film opening.

BBFC official guidelines state that a film placed under the ‘15’ age restriction bracket could include any of the following:

       Strong violence- In our film opening there is a brief altercation between two males over alleged allegations from Creegan that Toby has accepted a bribe to hand him over to the ‘pigs’. (The Police), whilst no violence is actually shown in our opening, although a physical confrontation is implied through make –up of blood, sustained threat is a common theme/attribute that is associated with our film opening due to the tentative and sensitive topic matter of the negative effects of drug taking and the profound impact it can have on all members of the supply chain.

       Frequent strong language (e.g.: 'f***')- Strong language is a feature within our film opening used to represent the harshness, gritty and often brutally unforgiving way of life within the hardening urban environment which we wish to showcase within our film opening.

       Portrayals of sexual activity- We do not aim to portray any sexual activity within our film opening, as it is not part of the angle of social realism that we are aiming to look at, or address within our film opening. However, in the event that we were to follow this angle towards our film opening we would aim to show the sexual activity portrayed with both dignity and respect. We would refrain from the sexual activity being displayed or represented as pornographic and would aim to show it in as non-obtrusive nor intrusive light as possible out of the respect that portrayals of sexual activity deserve. 

       Strong verbal references to sex- As with the above, we do not aim to display within our film opening any strong verbal references to sex as this is not the angle of social realism we are aiming to portray within our social realism film opening.

       Sexual nudity- This is an area that will not feature in our film opening however as with the portrayals of sexual activity; if it were to feature within our film opening it would be dealt with, observed and represented with upheld dignity. However on the other hand, this might contrast and as such have an adverse effect on what we are aiming to represent within our social realism, as we are aiming for our film opening to be represented as harsh, brutal and gritty to effectively represent and replicate on camera the harshness of living in an economically deprived area. 

       Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence- As an area, or topic, of social realism that we primarily will not be focussing upon to represent this is an area that will not be featuring within our social realism film opening.

       Discriminatory language or behaviour- This is an area that will feature during our social realism film opening as discriminatory and invective  terms and lexis are used to describe and refer to the police such as; ‘pigs’, this is significant in the way that Creegan refers to the nearest figure of authority as ‘pigs.’ As he is firmly under the belief that he is above the law. This is something that comes back to haunt him at a later stage in the film opening.

       Drug taking- This is an area that will feature as a predominantly major theme and issue that is addressed within our film opening as it is fundamental to the representation of the socially inept and economically weak and deprived areas. Within our film opening it will be represented as harsh and gritty and brutal to reflect the status and quality of life unfortunately experienced in the day to day society of modern Britain, despite people perhaps thinking issues raised within social realism films are a blissful thing of the past.

In conclusion, I believe that were our film to be released in cinemas it would be entirely appropriate and reasonable for the film to warrant a ‘15’ age restriction certificate as I believe, along with the others in my group, that the age restriction acts as a protective barrier for younger viewers and shields them from inappropriate, frightening and mature content. It also opens viewers eyes into a dark and shady world heavily impacted and negatively influenced by drugs, unfortunately all too common problems that are associated and relatable to in today’s society.

 

 

 

What defines a film opening into a particular genre?

 

   

       

Films are often defined into what are known as ‘genres’ based on particular characteristics or attributes that means the film qualifies into fitting the Codes and Conventions that are typically seen or are otherwise expected to be seen in that ‘genre’ of film. The word ‘genre’ is basically a more sophisticated way of saying ‘group.’ Grouping films into particular ‘genres’ as such; is another way of grouping a text based on its defining characteristics. As an example of how this is able to work, below is an analysis of a film opening fitting the codes and conventions seen in the Horror genre, The Devil Inside and how I think it meets the Codes and Conventions of the Horror genre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDGxt1aiBJ8

The opening of the Horror movie, The Devil Inside conforms to the Codes and Conventions of the Horror genre by dramatically building up suspense in the opening sequence of the film.  Conforming to the Codes and Conventions of the Horror film genre, the film opening remains sparse with regards to the opening credits; naming only the studio responsible for producing the film and with it the associated production companies. The opening sequence of the Devil Inside conforms to the typical codes and conventions of the Horror film genre by dramatically building suspense and increasing tension levels for the audience members. This is an attribute of film openings most commonly placed within the Horror genre.   The film opens with a black screen displaying the transcript of a 911 emergency telephone conversation between the operator of the 911 call centre and Maria Rossi who speaks on the phone with a certain assertive, deep masculine undertone, hinting at the fact that the caller is no longer a woman but has been inhibited and possessed by a demonic essence turning her mental state towards evil, corrupt and murderous intentions. This is perhaps done to enlighten the viewer on the contextual setting that is placed before them at the beginning of the film. It could also be used in that it may be alluring to the fact that the case is historic or pivotal in some way. This is supported further in the fact that the first actual film footage that the viewer sees is handheld camera shots transpiring to be that of a police archive video to add further weight to the fact that the case being shown is of significant historical weighting.

The fact that the film’s first few shots are POV shots gives a personal feel to the piece and a feeling that the viewer is trapped or confined, a feeling echoed by the police officers before they are killed.  The fact that the police officers are confined/ trapped gives a feeling to the viewer that through the POV footage escape is incomprehensible and they will be subjected to viewing the misfortunate and grim fates bestowed upon the police officers.    

The film opening adheres to the conventions of the Horror movie genre as it builds up tension and suspense in a steadily increasing way.      

 

Film openings differ in their required conventions from genre to genre, and at times can take the rule book of Codes and Conventions and completely invert it.  An example of this is the film opening of the thriller, ‘Enduring Love’ not only is it a strange title for a thriller- as it would be easy for the unsuspecting viewer to incorrectly assume that the film was that of a romantic theme, the opening is atypical to the Codes and Conventions of the thriller genre to say the least. However, the opening of the movie is quick to discern viewers of the film’s presumed themes. Whilst the opening shots of the movie connote feelings of serenity, calm and a general feeling of tranquillity in the green space of the natural countryside, tension is steadily created, in a not too dissimilar way from that of the Horror film, The Devil Inside, by instilling in the beginning of the film, only diegetic, natural sound being audible in the background of the film of birdsong. This puts the viewer on a tentative edge as it leaves the audience questioning what will happen. The setting of the film opening, in its tranquil and natural peaceful state of affairs does a lot in the way of increasing the tension levels for audience members, as the only noticeable sound is the non-diegetic, although intended to be diegetic, sound of birdsong filling the air with calm. This creates for the viewer a natural feeling that dictates the mood of the piece as calm. The non-diegetic sound of birdsong also foreshadows the tension increasing moments that will undoubtedly follow in the film opening, such as the balloon crash landing in the field, this creates a sense of the calm before the storm, with the birdsong acting as the serene calm, whilst the climactic moment of the film opening, the balloon crashing to the field floor dictates itself as the ‘storm’ which the characters must confront and face as they live with the burdening guilt of deciding which one of them who tried to save the balloon’s infant occupant let their grip loosen and let go at a premature stage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOwFOvKBG8

In this trinity of genres, there remains one more to divulge and explore and that of course is the genre of which the majority of our focus as a group lies. This genre is that of Social Realism, a genre that through the self- asserting title aims to replicate the experience of living, often in poverty stricken and wealth deprived areas, in modern 21^st Century Britain.  Notable examples from this genre of film include the all-time classic Trainspotting as well as the perhaps less well known This is England, using these two film openings as guidance towards orienting our own film opening, we took inspiration from these two films as guidance towards what we wished our own film opening to connote. But first remains the frivolous task of identifying what makes these two film openings such perfect examples and therefore unquestionably fantastic ambassadors for flying the flag of the ‘Social Realism’ film genre as a whole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxgqHqakXc
 

Let’s start with Trainspotting, one of my favourite films and a film opening to increase the heart rate by a mile if ever there was one. The opening within the first few seconds; is quick to demonstrate the harsh, urban, gritty reality of living conditions in the underbelly of Edinburgh. The opening is extremely fast paced, beginning with a chase scene, with quick cuts in between the shots to demonstrate the frantic panic that ‘Renton’ the protagonist is enduring in the opening seconds of the film as he believes that he is being chased. The excitement comes from the fact that as audience members, we, the collective viewer, are totally unawares as to why Renton the protagonist is being so ruthlessly pursued in the opening of the film.  The shots used within the opening of the film feature low angle shots of running feet, which during the first few shots of the film fills the audience with a sensation of anonymous identity .   

These shots then subsequently cut to a tracking mid shot where we see the main character Mark Renton and his friend ‘Spud’ running from security guards, with a look of panicked fear spread across their faces which complements the general feeling of excitement that the audience at this particular moment are probably feeling as immediate questions are raised about whom and why the protagonists are seen to be running.

The soundtrack is a humorous commentary from Mark Renton, the protagonist of the film as he recounts to the viewer the choices made in ‘life’; this enlightens the viewer on the contextual environment of the piece and also wins over the audience to Renton’s way of thinking and his fractured mind, impacted from the heavy use of drugs later explored in the film opening.

The opening combats the effects of drug use and is quick to demonstrate the harmful effects that taking drugs can have on the body and the hardships the human body has to endure when having drugs fuelled into the internal system of the human body.

In contrast to the film opening of Trainspotting, the film, This is England deals with the effects of poverty within the late 20^th Century of Britain, a hard hitting and grim confrontation for the viewer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBpJ4ZuFP8E&list=FL7bwRB2K5q3gw7CNQqZugHQ&index=1

 The film also incorporates into its opening, a snapshot of the rich history that has adjourned Britain’s political and social scene over the years. This includes technological advancements over the years from early computer games and games consoles, to the division created by Margaret Thatcher’s controversial and divisive political policies. This is displayed and evoked in the opening by the mid shot of Thatcher in a digger showing how she was practical in pushing forward her policies.

The opening also features periods of historical importance such as the wedding in Westminster Abbey of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

As well as these historical scenes featuring within the opening there is a prominent feature of patriarchal patronage and homage being paid to Britain’s long established and enduring history, which perhaps represents a sense of pride that the filmmakers of this social realism film felt so inclined to replicate to make known their love for their great country before representing the widely endured and not uncommon dilapidating and weathered front of middle class households commonly seen within poverty stricken and economically deprived areas.      

     Poverty, and its disastrous effects of a lack of economic and social wellbeing, spreads like an infecting disease crippling everything in its destructive wake. This is the arduous message communicated in the opening of This is England as whilst a snapshot of British history is explored as just that, a snapshot, the less than desirable living conditions of the hording masses that make up the majority of the population in the world of the film, the working class, are areas that are represented and shown to the viewer in an eye opening way of being extremely volatile and as an area widely disconcerted from the rest of society, almost as if it has been swept under the rug by those with self -initiated power turning a blind eye to those in need. This is demonstrated effectively but simply in the fact that the camera through the tracking shot of the deprived areas moves at a brisk pace with little or no interruption in its progression of visually mapping the environment for the viewer.

 

This works to the films advantage as the audience already feels an emotional connection to the characters in the film, even if they have as yet, at this moment in the film’s opening, to be introduced.  A sense of comradeship is also strongly developed within the film opening as the environment created within the film opening is one of a violent and sickened area, one where those who possess the more privileged stature and influence in a diplomatic society would aim to stray from.

I believe that the reason for the show- reel, for want of a better word, was intended to be placed at the beginning of the film as a quick blast and to showcase relatively little screen time for the rich, influential and powerful in a contrast to news broadcasting seen in everyday life as all of the focus and media targeting tends to be geared towards this particular group of people. I believe the film acts as a mouthpiece for those of a lower social class origin and background as a way of expressing their views without being oppressed even if the film has been constructed as a permeated, heavily influenced construction of reality.

Finally, despite the greatness and the enduring fan-bases that the two films I have just described will always inevitably possess and hold dear, how do they fit the Codes and Conventions of the social realism genre? As it turns out, quite well!  

Films of the Social Realism genre typically include:

·         Location Shooting (not studio or constructed sets.) Both the film Trainspotting and This is England use natural, location settings to further enhance the authenticity of the original works, making both pieces more inspiring in equal measure by using real locations to further heighten the issues raised within the films, making the aimed communicative message in the media text more real and apparent to the viewer.

·         Non- Professional Actors or new comers to the acting ‘scene.’ This is another area of the social realism film genre in which both films excel and surpass regular expectation levels. Social Realism films have helped to launch the acting careers of several well- known ‘stars’, such as Ewan McGregor who, through his appearance in the social realism film Trainspotting, was able to springboard his acting career and leapfrog other competitors to more name-making roles. His notable other appearances in film series’ since include that of the famous Star Wars saga where he appeared as Jedi master Obi- Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy to great critical and public acclaim.  

·         Semi- improvised scripts. This is a fantastic opportunity for actors appearing in Social Realism films as it allows them to explore in great depth and creativity their performance and explore more to their characterisation by being allowed the freedom to semi- improvise portions of the film which can have an extremely positive effect upon the outcome of a scene that is being filmed. As it is common practice in the acting profession and the media world at large for that matter to be directed by the script, freedom within the world of film is a rare yet tantalisingly exciting opportunity for directors, actors and audience members.

·         Both humour and seriousness, which provides an obvious contrast. Humour and seriousness provides obvious, opposing contrasts to one another as they remain on opposite ends of the spectrum with regards to human emotion. It is often extremely interesting to explore both sides to individuals within a story as this provides countless new opportunities for character development to take place as well as the possibility of allowing the free-flow of the story in an exciting new direction.

·         The erosion of regional identities, breaking down of social stereotypes. Interestingly this is one particular convention which both films consistently fail to follow as regional identities are represented, and largely stereotypically at that. However, I feel that, if anything, this all but adds to the overall effectiveness of the films and further aids to strengthen the messages that through the world of film they wish to promote.

·         Wider Social issues explored by emotional and dramatic individual stories. This provides a deeper layer of contextual meaning and understanding to any film and links to personal characters in a very individualised way as they try to confront and overcome personal demons and innocuous hindrances that lead to them being free of burdens that anchor them to a degrading, pitiful level.  

·         Triumph over adversity. This an area that both films aim to adhere to as a way of making the films more relatable to audience members and through including this theme within the films aim to promote the fact that social issues (i.e: drug use in Trainspotting and Renton aiming to overcome his addiction), or financial issues and depravity (explored effectively in This is England), or any issue for that matter should neither impede nor disrupt personal development and a quest to happiness. Whilst in the films of a Social Realism nature, there is no binary opposition, good –v- evil battle to speak of, there are however personal quests and journeys that the characters, often a small community, aim to accomplish or overcome.    

 

It is through the multiple ways in which the genre conventions have been applied and riguourously stuck to; that has, in part, helped to contribute to the success of the two ideological films of the Social Realism Genre. I, for one, will be extremely proud if our piece replicates or immitates if only in part either of these two genre inspiring, game changing films.