science fiction conventions

In some previous posts, I have meantioned some conventions of Science Fiction conventions. In this post, I would like to sum it all up.

In general, a Science fiction film will be about the exploration of the actions and its consequences with a technological and or social background different from the real world.

The setting: the setting of science fiction films are usually based in the future, or an alternative universe, which is quite advanced in terms of technology. An example of this would be Star Wars. The series is based in a time " long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away".

The basic storyline: Humans cause a problem - The downfall of humans - Resolve by a group of individuals

or

A problem caused by an external force (usually related to fear ) - Humans pose as an obstacle - Resolve by a group of individuals.

Technical: CGI, in more modern science fiction films. Use of CGI to create images that wouldnt have existed in the realworld. Some films use extensive CGI such as Jurrasic Park (1993), where virtually all the dinosaurs were created using CGI.

Puppets and men in full body suits: prior to the development of CGI, most of the science fiction used puppets to present monsters or aliens such as Gremlins (1984)
or in cases where there were large monsters, shown to be causing destruction, people in large full body suits were used. this has been used most frequently in Japanese monster films such as Godzilla.







http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/exp_lang/genres_and_conventions.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1236401/science_fiction_film_genre.html?cat=40

The Godfather

1) An establishing Shot of the church scene
Establishes where the current location is. And suggest that a holy ceremony will take place.

2 and 3) A point of view shot, where it shows the baby close up, as well as the hands holding it. In the next shot, a close up of a pair of hands holding a gun is shown. This suggests a comparison between the two objects being held. A baby gives the connotations that it is harmless and powerless and the birth of new life. Whereas the Gun has enormous power, and can take away life. On the other hand, it may suggest similarities between the two, where both can be shown as "tools" to control something. The gun can control people through fear, whereas the Baby may be a potention heir, and have inherited control.

4) Cross Cut to Car
The Man is just leaving his house. Perhaps this suggests that this man is very hospitable, and that he might be a good character. Also it may highlight his ordinary-ness as he drives himself, and is not a well off character.

5) A cut to the barbers.
A new character is introduced, he is shown to be very relaxed, it foreshadows, that because he is too relaxed, he might be caught off guard, and assassinated or that he is a assassin who is very smart, and trying to reveal his motives. Perhaps there will be some interaction with the man at the car.

6 and 7) The man walking alone up the stairs.
He is carrying some luggage, this might be important later on in the scene. in the next shot, another man is in a corridor alone. there might be some interaction later on, between the two men, as the man walking up the stairs might be walking to the man.

8) a police with a gun in a paper bag.
The use of a paper bag, may have been used in the scene to catch characters off guard, as he might be a spy, or a double agent. It might be placed in a paper bag to cover the poccession of a gun. Which implies that one of the men from the two earlier shots might be assassinated by this man with a weapon, or are allies of this man. which leaves this character ambiguous as to whether he is a villain or a hero.

9 and 10) In shot 9.
In this shot, we can see that a driver is refusing to leave, even under the authority of police. From the shot, we are presented that the Police man is good, as a result of the common stereotype of police, where as the driver, can be portrayed as bad, as he isnt obeying the law.
In shot 10, we see that the man that was walking up the stairs was infact a murderer. which will prove to the audience the suspicion of him being a bad guy, or suprise the audience that he is a bad guy, as he shoots down other heads of mafia families.
Also, i would i like to note the background dialogue carried on from the church scene. Th words " I renounce saten" are heard. It can be portrayed in two ways. either the man in the church is a good guy, and he is renouncing saten by having the men in the lift killed( assuming they are bad guys), or he is being self contridictory, if he has order the assination himself, and he IS Saten, in the sense that he is a villain murdering people,

11) The man in the barber, is shot.
The man here is caught quite off guard. Similiar to the previous shot where this man is scene, he was very relaxed. as he puts on his glasses, he is shot right in the eye. This means that the assassin is very skilled, and that perhaps the assassin was planed very earlier in advanced, and that the man in the barbers is not in a dominant position, which is also physically portrayed by his cahracter being on a bed.

12) The assassination at the spinning door.
I would like to describe two deferent shots in this scene. Firstly, when the assassin is holding the gun towards the target, we see the assassin's gun pointing in the camera, this is a Point of view shot. next, we see the man holding the gun, and shooting the target. This is a match on action, and i think that it was used effectively as each individual shot, would not have much meaning, and when put together, the intense emotion can be almost felt by the audience.

13) The bed scene
A couple is seen in bed together, followed by the assassins aiming there guns, and shooting the couple. The Assassins can be clearly identified as being bad guys, as they have a darker costume, and the couple is caught by suprise in bed, in white, and not in a suppressed state.

14)It is finally revealed that the police is a villain, and under a disguise. Although there are implications that he is a villain in earlier scenes, we are not entirely convinced until we are shown on screen about his assassination of his targets.

15) this shot is bak in the church.
it is extreamly different with earlier scenes, as it returns to a much more soothing and peaceful enviornment. Also the bishop, is pouring something over the baby, which physical seems like 'cleansing" of the baby. This can mean the renewing of something. and that the Mafia Leader maybe renewed in a way, that his rivals have all been removed.