Freedom Writers: Film Techniques - Stereotypes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c5pbePUc2g

Good Morning! My name is Richard LaGravenese, the Director of the 2007 film Freedom Writers; a tale of a rather new and inexperienced teacher who has been assigned to teaching and inspiring a group of “at- risk” students, a group of students who also happen to be members of opposing gangs that are considered problematic and dangerous in the face of society.

I have utilised a range of camera angles and movements in my film to help construct a profile of the life of Brandy Ross (played by Vanetta Smith) and the experiences she was facing in her unfortunate and violent household. 

The high- angle shots used upon Brandy when she was being beaten by her father in the house was utilised to place the audience in the perspective that she is small, vulnerable and relatively powerless. The high camera angle ensures that Brandy appears smaller in size and stature from the frame of the audience and her father who is beating Brandy and her mother appears to be in a position of power and significance. 

By utilising high angles, I aim to present the dominant nature of the father in the household and the way domestic violence has played a pivotal role in the families life. Her vulnerable position when being attacked represents her vulnerable stature towards society - an example of this is in the opening scene when she is closing her jacket. My use of vulnerability in her life, allows other teenagers who have been influenced by domestic violence or other forms of violence to connect and feel the true emotions she had felt by being a social outcast due to her situation at home. 

By utilising this scene, I have explored Brandy’s search for her true identity within society in the face of violence and emotional devastation. 

Continuing on with camera angles, I have utilised a closeup shot to convey a different effect to the high angle shot that talked about earlier. The closeup shot upon Marcus (played by Jason Finn)  exaggerates his facial expression in a scene when his friend shoots himself, an event that has significantly shaped his life. 

Unlike the high angle shot, the closeup shot of his facial expression aims to convey a sense of emotion and draws the viewer to share Marcus’ feeling towards the incident. Instead of portraying a sense of domination and power like the shot above, the closeup shot magnifies Marcus’ face and allows the audience to understand that he is innocent, unaware as to what is going on and that the idea of suicide is not something he is used to and or comfortable with hence his confused face and facial reaction. 

Whilst initially, following a very stereotypical storyline I have disrupted and challenged the traditional stereotype by introducing the confusion on Marcus’ face to show that what he has just witnessed is new to him and not something that happens in every ‘black persons’ life, but rather only a handful. The consequence he received as a result of being present at the crime scene (despite doing nothing wrong) however was relative to his colour and the fact that his race is looked to as the villains in every situation. By disrupting the stereotype, I have allowed the audience to gain an insight into the life of a young, African- American and allow other people who have experienced unfair consequences based on their race and colour to be able to connect with Marcus and feel what he did when he was put in juvenile detention for something he did not do or partake in, he really just was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

The narration when the teacher (played by Hilary Swank) is reading over her students diary entries convey the messages I want to portray directly to my audience opposed to messages conveyed through another character. My use of narration influences the audiences interpretation of the characters, the situation and the overall story line. 

The narration does not only allow the audience to hear the voice of the victim but more importantly, allows the audience to feel what she is feeling when recalling the unfortunate situation she was faced with. Scientists informed me when filming this scene, that the human brain react strongest to the sound of voices in films and through the use of narration, I have ensured just that. 

It allows members from the audience, to further connect with Brandy and hear her reflection upon the event, her thoughts on the event and the way she was thinking at the time of the event. By doing this, the audience is in a better position to relate to Brandy’s situation and has the opportunity to take action against domestic violence and help prevent such acts happening to other children like Brandy 

It is clear that through the use of camera angles and sound in my movie I have established a profile into the past lives of a select few students who have had experienced racial discrimination for events that students had never committed and or events in which students had no control over.