Presentation script - Draft 1

Run audio: Theme music from Titanic (Item 1) - 20 seconds then fades out to silence.

Projector: Display slide 1 - pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio in three different films: Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street (Item 2), The Revenant (Item 3). 

Presenter:

Good afternoon, my research project explores the versatility and range of the well known film star Leonardo DiCaprio. Three films which I will frequently refer to during this presentation are: Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Revenant. These films are useful in highlighting Dicaprio's versatility and the difference he brings to each role.

Projector: Display slide 2 - pictures of Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic.

Presenter:

Titanic is the film that initially shot Leonardo Dicaprio to stardom. At this time he was known as a teenage pin up boy that every fan girl wanted a poster of on their wall. However, as time has progressed Dicaprio has broken away from that representation and took multiple risks in order to become who he is in the film industry today. This presentation will cover all my findings of this subject. To begin with, I will now play a video of Dicaprio discussing Titanic.

Projector: Display slide 3 - Play video of Titanic interview(Item 5).

Presenter:

As we see in the clip Dicaprio expresses how he 'took a chance and tried something different' when taking on the role of Jack in Titanic. He further states how he had never took on anything this big before which shows his willingness to take on new, challenging roles in order to become a more successful and versatile actor. Taking on this role turned him into a teenage pin up boy, but is this what he wanted? Dicaprio discusses this in an online interview on the timeout website.

Projector: Display slide 4 - Screenshot of online interview on Timeout website(Item 7) , specifically the part talking about 'Leo Mania years'.

Presenter:
This screenshot shows Leonardo Dicaprio being asked about the 'Leo Mania years' which he seems to be completely unaware of. The interviewer asks him about these years and he states: 'It was bizarre. I took a break for a couple of years because it was so intense. I needed to recharge and refocus.' I believe this proves that although he successfully adapted himself to the role of Jack in titanic his popularity from this film, particulary amongst teenage girls, became too intense for him and wasn't particularly what he wanted.

Projector: Display slide 5 - Screenshot of an online article from the website Goliath, showing Leonardo Dicaprio's 10 best performances (Item 10). 

Presenter:

 As visible on screen, Titanic is valued as one of Leonardo Dicaprios best performances. The article also highlights the teenage girl fan base which Titanic created, turning Dicaprio into the teenage pin up boy, which from research I gather he didn't want to be. The article specifically states that 'Every teenage girl at the time was swooning over Dicaprio in this movie, for good reason. He was able to pull off the underdog charm and street wit to perfection'. I feel as though this is useful as it suggests that Leonardo Dicaprio can adapt his performance to any role, even pulling off an underdog charm and street wit to perfection. 

Projector: Display slide 6 - Image of Leonardo Dicaprio in the Revenant. 

Run audio: Main theme music from The Revenant - 10 seconds then fades to silence. 

Presenter:

Here we can see a drastic change in role for Dicaprio. He goes from Jack the teenage pin up boy to Hugh Glass the fur trader living in unbearable conditions and therefore appearing a lot less looked after! Taking on this role must of been a huge risk for Dicaprio as it was such a big change from his previous roles where he appeared as his usual self. Mise-en-scene is everything which we can see within a film and it plays a major role in The Revenant. One way is through the costume and props which clearly get Dicaprio into the character as he is transformed and appears looking like a completely different person ready to take on the challenging role he has before him. This whole new identity for Dicaprio may challenge what people think of him. Although, from research it is gathered that Dicaprio brought something to this role which no one else could! As stated in a GQ Australia magazine article (Item 11) : "Right now, Leonardo Dicaprio is king of the celluloid jungle. No one hunts and kills like Leo."

Projector: Display slide 7 - Screenshot of The Wired online interview(Item 4). 

Presenter:

When interviewed about The Revenant and taking on the role of Hugh Glass, Dicaprio said "I decided to embark on what I would characterise as more of a chapter of my life rather than a film commitment." This phrase highlights his positive attitude towards film which explains his outstanding performances, vast range and high adaptability to films. His Revenant co-star Tom Hardy says that "Leo is an enigma, there's something kind of magic about him.". This highlights Dicaprio's success, in getting into the challenging role in the film, as he is spoken highly of by co-star Tom Hardy. 

- opening: outline what i am going to talk about - how he started off - titanic - teenage/ pin up boy/ - broken away from that - taken risks 

- talk about film A - teenage pin up boy 

- talk about film B - dominant / wealthy / difference in class 

- talk about film C - major risk / not attractive etc 

^ performance and mise en scene ( explain meaning of this to audience before mentioning ) in these films

- choice of role - how it challenges what we think of him 

Small Scale Research Project - Annotated Catalogue

Films

Item 1: Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)
I have chosen this film as this is the film which shot Leonardo Dicaprio to stardom. This film is seen as a benchmark for him, as this is the film which people frequently compare his later work to.

Item 2: The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013)

In this film Leonardo Dicaprio takes an 'adult' role which is a change of direction for him. Compared to the films he was known for at this time, it is a major change and highlights his versatility. Furthermore, the critical acclaim shows that Leonardo Dicaprio was successful in fulfilling a different role.

Item 3: The Revenant (Alejandro G. Inarritu, 2015)

This film is very useful in my research as Leonardo Dicaprio plays a role which is different to any role he has played before. It is a role that meant he had to be willing to take a risk as it may not appeal to his usual target audience.

Internet

Item 4: https://www.wired.com/2015/12/leonardo-dicaprio-interview-revenant-climate-change/
This is an online interview with Leonardo Dicaprio which is useful for my research as it provides questions and answers on many different aspects of The Revenant. He discusses the problems they faced when filming and how difficult it was to cope in the environment they was in. Dicaprio also discusses what drew him to taking the role of Hugh Glass in The Revenant.

Item 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6iCxstvahE
Video of Leonardo Dicaprio being interviewed about Titanic. He discusses the making of Titanic and how it felt to take on the role in this film. This is useful as it links to one of my focus films.

Item 6: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wolf-wall-street-scorsese-dicaprio-661503
In part of this interview Leonardo Dicaprio talks about getting into character when involved in a film which is useful for me in understanding his adaptability and range.

Item 7: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/leonardo-dicaprio-on-why-he-will-always-feel-like-an-outsider-in-hollywood
This online article includes an interview with Leonardo Dicaprio. He discusses Titanic and The Revenant aswell as his general feelings towards performance which will be useful in my research.

Item 8: https://www.quora.com/What-is-so-great-about-Leonardo-Dicaprio
This article outlines the journey of  Leonardo Dicaprio and the different films/roles he has took on during his stardom, this is useful for me in highlighting his adaptability.

Item 9: http://theurbantwist.com/2016/10/06/adaptable-always-evolving-leonardo-dicaprio-actor-charitable-distinction/
This is an article specifically focusing on the adaptability of Leonardo Dicaprio, therefore it is very useful as this topic is my main focus of research.

Item 10: http://www.goliath.com/movies/the-10-best-performances-by-leonardo-dicaprio/
This website shows the top 10 performances of Leonardo Dicaprio. This is a good website for me to use as it allows me to compare his different performances and gain more of an insight into his adaptability and range.

Magazines

Item 11: http://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/leonardo+dicaprio+on+exploring+his+
emotions+an+intimacy+youve+never+seen+before
This is an article from GQ Australia (Feb 2016) which is very useful for providing information regarding Leonardo Dicaprio's versitility. It discusses the different films he has been in and there is many good opinions of him within the article which I can quote.

Newspaper articles

Item 12: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-revenant/leonardo-dicaprio-interview/
Article from The Telegraph, which discusses Leonardo Dicaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and The Revenant. There are quotes from directors, such as Martin Scorcese, talking about Dicaprio and his performance skills which is useful for my research.

Material not selected:

One item which I rejected is the film The Beach (Danny Boyle, 2000) as I decided that although Leonardo Decaprio is the main actor in this film, it doesn't show much change from his previous films. Therefore, this film is not significant for my research as it doesn't highlight his versatility. A further film which I rejected is Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012). In this film Leonardo Dicaprio is a secondary character, which means that there is not much for me to focus on when carrying out research into his adaptability and range. A final item which I rejected is an article from an Empire magazine (May 1997, PG 56) as it only has a small section discussing Leonardo Dicaprio in Romeo and Juliet. I don't feel as though this is useful as it doesn't relate to any of my focus films and doesn't provide me with any infomation regarding his versitility.

Small Scale Research - Initial Ideas

Star/performer - Leonardo Decaprio - adaptability and range
> The Revenant (2015)
> Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
> Titanic (1997)

-Evidence of why he has maintained stardom / why he has chose to take on different roles e.g. revenant

Dead Man Walking

Outline a subconscious response to the execution scene and three techniques that the film makers have used to manipulate a spectator into having that response.
Firstly, during the execution scene the film makers purposely use close up shots of Matthew Poncelot and Sister Helen's face when having their last words before he enters the execution room. This manipulates the audience into having a certain response. The close up shots emphasise the desperation on Poncelot's face as he tries to convince himself he is not afraid. Furthermore, the close up shot of the Sister's face shows the tears building in her eyes and highlights the great emotion she is feeling towards his death. This subconsciously makes the audience feel a sense of sadness towards the situation despite their overall opinion.

A further way in which the film makers have manipulated the audience into having a certain response is through the mise en scene. Poncelot is purposely strapped to his death bed in the same way that Jesus was nailed to the cross. This creates a link between Poncelot's death and religion. It suggests to the audience that Poncelot is being forgiven as he admits to his sins. This subconsciously makes the audience feel at ease with Poncelots death.

A final way in which the film makers have manipulated the audience into having a certain response is through the use of flashbacks. Flashbacks are shown of Poncelot committing the crimes, raping a teenage girl and killing a teenage boy. These horrific flashback clips instantly instill a feeling of shock into the audience as they had been building a relationship throughout the film with what they believed was an innocent man. The audience subconsciously go from feeling sympathetic to feeling as though death is what Poncelot rightfully deserves. 

Give three specific reasons and examples why different people consuming one of the films could have different emotional responses. 
One person consuming Dead Man Walking may show a different emotional response compared to other audience members as they may be someone who is completely against the death penalty. Therefore they may feel a sense of anger due to the inhumane actions which take place within the film. Those strongly against the death penalty may also feel somewhat sympathetic towards Poncelot. Although some believe the death penalty is what he deserved, those against the death penalty will see the killing of Poncelot as completely wrong.

Furthermore, one person consuming the film Dead Man Walking may show an alternative emotional response to others due to their religion. During the film the Sister (Susan Saradon) helps and guides Matthew Poncelot through his time on death row and encourages him to come to terms with the crimes he has committed and to seek forgiveness off God. This religious aspect to the film could mean that consumers who hold strong religious beliefs may feel a sense of forgiveness towards Poncelot as he has admitted to his sins and began to seek forgiveness off God. Also, those consumers with strong religious beliefs, for example Christians, may feel in shock when watching as their religion is completely against the death penalty as it takes lives and goes against the theory of Gods Plan.

Finally, when consuming Dead Man Walking someone who has been a victim of crime or has had a family member be a victim of a similar crime may show a different emotional response compared to other consumers. They would gain a sense of justice from the film and completely agree with the killing of Matthew Poncelot as they can relate to the pain the victims families have been put through as they will have experienced similar feelings of devastation and the need for some kind of 'revenge'.

The Deer Hunter - Russian Roulette Scene

In what ways does the clip shock?
The clip shocks the audience through the violence which is shown that goes against humanity. The audience automatically feel a sense of shock when human life is clearly disrespected as people are being made to shoot themselves in the head for the fun of others. The element of shock created within this clip allows the audience to place value on their life and be aware of the violent incidents taking place elsewhere. Furthermore, the fact that two best friends are chosen to play against each other further creates a sense of shock for the audience.

Does the scene provide any feeling of uplift? 
Aswell as the clip creating a feeling of shock, it also provides a feeling of uplift. The feeling of uplift is felt when Michael and Nicky are forced to play against each other and it actually results in them shooting the enemies and escaping. They also manage to rescue their other friend and the three men are free. Due to the violent incidents shown at the beginning of the clip, when the three men manage to escape a major feeling of uplift is created for the audience.

How does the clip make you feel? 
The clip made me feel sympathetic towards the victims and what they were being put through. For example, when being slapped around the face multiple times and when being made to shoot themselves as some of the victims were clearly in a bad mental state due to the situation they were trapped in.

Self Review - Year 12

WWW -
> Achieved good grade in coursework.
> Kept notes and folder organised to make revision easier.

EBI -
> I started revision earlier.
> Create revision plan.

Targets for Year 13 -

> Meet all deadlines for coursework.
> Start revision earlier for exam topics.