Q5 HMW

How is meaning created through the use of production techniques in a media product you have studied? (12)

 The film i have chosen to study is the 2014 action adventure, comedy title, 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'. The main plot follows a spy organisation which recruits a unrefined yet promising street kid into the organisations ultra competitive training program, just a world wide threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. These ideas and themes are reiterated throughout the piece and a large variety of production techniques were used to create this meaning.

Most noticeably the use of camera work is key in creating and portraying the story in addition to giving meaning to the text. The use of specific shot types helps create a certain mood or feel which often allows the audience to relate to a specific characters or evoke similar emotions to those seen on screen. For example the use of a high angle shot is used to seemingly look down on a character. In the my chosen text a  high angle character shot is used to show specific characters to be vulnerable and inferior whilst also demonstrating to the audience a perspective of a particular character. On the contrary a lower angle shot is often seen to make a character more powerful as a result this can make the audience feel vulnerable as they are looking up at the character all of which reinforce the meaning of the scene. Another example of a shot type which reinforces meaning is tracking shots, this is evident in the car chase scene.The tracking shot is used to show continuous action/ motion in the scene as it closely follows the police car, the camera also keeps this subject in the frame throughout the scene this composition results in the audience’s attention always being on the action making it more engaging. The police chase/car is also used to clearly reinforce to the viewer the genre and narrative of the film in the first few scenes. Similarly, this same iconography is seen throughout the remainder of the film.

Similarly, the use of sound is also important. Throughout my chosen film sound is used throughout with varying reason. Dependent on the type of sounds used it can convey a certain mood or feeling to the audience. Most commonly diagetic sounds are seen in the film these include things such as ambient sound which refers to any sound that is used to establish a location this often clearly adds context for the viewer of the scene or what may happen. Other diagetic sounds include things such as foley sounds which can often be added later in post production and dialogue which is used to authenticate the speaker as an individual due to things such as tone, accent and dialect.

On the other hand, non diagetic sounds are frequently used also which are the sounds when the source is not visible on screen and is clearly not coming from the story world. Examples of this include sound bridges which lead in and out a scene, incidental music which is music composed in a film or to play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere this is also often can be used to foreshadow future events. As a whole throughout the piece sounds are used to create a certain mood and atmosphere which allows the audience to relate or evoke strong emotions to the piece.

Another way in which meaning is clearly created within my text is through the editing techniques used. Due to the nature of my chosen film and the genre of a action adventure the editing techniques are crucial in portraying this to the viewer. Editing is key in creating meaning as the techniques used represent the feeling, emotions and purpose of the scene. Most frequently techniques such as action matches and cross cutting are used. An action match is often used to show continuous motion through shots therefore keeping the audinace engaged and in suspense, where as cross cutting is often used to show parallel action and shows locations as well as leading the audience into the narrative.

As a whole three main techniques are used to reinforce the meaning of the text and the narrative behind it. These include micro elements such as shot type and sounds in addition to things such as editing techniques and the mise en scene used. All of which were used and chosen effectively within the film 'The Kingsman' to clearly emulate the directors intentions and the narrative as a whole.