Presentation Script - Draft 2

Run audio: Theme music from Titanic, 20 seconds then fades out to silence.

Projector: Display slide 1 - pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio in three different films: Titanic (Item 1), 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: The Revenant theme music - 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. It purely emphasises the power Leonardo DiCaprio has to adapt to any role he is given.

Projector: Display slide 8 - Collage of images of Leonardo DiCaprio in the following films: This Boy's life, The Quick and the Dead, The Basketball Diaries, Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, The Man in the Iron Mark, The Beach, Gangs of New York, Shutter Island, Django Unchained. 

Presenter: 
As we can see from this collage of images Leonardo DiCaprio has been involved in many different films with a groundbreaking change of roles. The different films he has been involved in are outlined on the Quora website(Item 8). The website shows multiple images of DiCaprio in action in the  several different films which gives us snapshots of his success due to his wide range and adaptability to different roles. His success is further highlighted in an article from The Telegraph(Item 12). It states that: "If DiCaprio says he wants to be in a film, it not only gets made, but it also gets seen; in the past four years, the films in which he has starred (Django Unchained, The Great Gatsby, The Wolf of Wall Street) have made collectively $1.2 billion at the box office." This again highlights Dicaprio's success in not only one, but many of his films where he clearly must have adapted well to the extremely different roles.

Projector: Display slide 9 - Image of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Run audio: The Wolf of Wall Street theme music, 20 seconds then fade to silence.

Presenter:
The Wolf of Wall Street is a film based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, and his rise to a wealthy stock broker living the high life to the fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

Projector: Display slide 10 -  Screenshot of an online interview with Leonardo Dicaprio from the Shortlist website(Item 9).

Presenter: 
 An online interview with Leonardo Dicaprio from the Shortlist magazine states the following; "Is it true that you invited the real Belfort round to coach you on being drugged up?" Dicaprio replies saying "Yeah". I believe that this shows his pure determination to be able to adapt into the different roles which he is given and to perform at the highest standard he possibly can.

Projector: Display slide 11 - Play video off the Hollywood Reporter website(Item 6). 

Presenter: 

The video which I have just played is off the Hollywood Reporter website. On the website, Dicaprio also discusses different aspects of The Wolf of Wall Street with director Martin Scorcese. Dicaprio states: "You know, when you jump into that world head first, as we did, we just became kind of different people on set." This highlights the positive mindset Leonardo Dicaprio has towards getting into and adapting to a new film. 

Projector: Display slide 12 - Collage of a variety of different pictures of Leonardo Dicaprio over the years. 

Presenter: 

To finish off the presentation I have gathered a collection of images which show Dicaprio's progress in his career and the change he has made. From my research I can conclude that he as an actor has a vast amount of range and adaptability when it comes to films. He has demonstrated the mindset and determination needed in order to be a successful, adaptable actor.

Projector: Display slide 13 - Contact details.

Presenter:

 For further information or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email which is currently displayed on screen. Thankyou for listening. 

Run audio: Theme music from Titanic. Play for 1 minute to finish off the presentation then fade to silence. 

Annotated Catalogue - Draft 2

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 what drew him to taking the role of Hugh Glass in The Revenant and the change it was to previous roles which highlights his range.

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, he speaks about the difference of the role in Titanic compared to previous roles which demonstrates his adaptability and range.

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://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/dicaprio-talks-wolf-of-wall-street
This online interview discusses what Leonardo Dicaprio did in order to get into his character, which is useful in my research for highlighting his determination to adapt into different roles.

Item 10: http://www.goliath.com/movies/the-10-best-performances-by-leonardo-d,icaprio/
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.

Chungking Express - New Wave Film.

From the opening sequences, what evidence is there of the film as a 'new wave' product? 

A new wave film is one which breaks away from the conventions of a typical mainstream film. In a new wave film there is more focus on the visual elements rather than the script of the film. A new wave film can be defined by: a low budget, unknown actors, non-genre films and little or no economic imperative(little interest in making big money).

From the opening sequence of Chungking Express there is evidence that it is a new wave film.

• Chungking Express is filmed on location, there is no studio work, which is one aspect of a new wave film. 
• The messages and meanings are delivered more through the visual elements and micro features rather than being narrative driven like mainstream film. 
• The film uses a lot of natural, diegetic sound adding to the realism of the film. 
• Parts of Chungking Express are filmed using a hand held camera which also adds to the realism of the film.

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'.