The medium shot when the journey through the city takes place is very reminiscent of a game and tell us more about the area that is on show. The camera shot is of the rear of our “hero” Jay as he runs through the estate and it is almost as if we are tracking him as he makes his journey to his destination, almost as if in game. At this point, a life bar, fist and knife icons appear on screen, furthering the game-like feel but show that as a game you can always start again, only to later show that in life this is not the situation, and life is too fragile to be treated like a game. Also, when Jay jumps over a wall the health in the falls slightly, yet only moments later it is back to its full capacity, however in real life this fast recovery wouldn’t occur, therefore it is introducing the “not a game” theory already. The shot also uses the sun as a way of saying that you are always being watched; as Jay sprints through the scene it is almost as if the sun is keeping an eye of him; its harsh brightness, which stands out amongst the dull of the grey, concrete buildings, gives the impression that your acts will always be brought to light. Furthermore, the shot shows parts of the environment that reflect the type of people that live there and the area itself, such as the bin bags that line the streets, which imply that the people that live there are lazy, and this is the reason why they do not have a lot of money. Also, the bin bags add to the neglected feeling of the estate, proving it to be dirty and implying that no one cares about it. The camera shots used in “GTA” are a near reflection of those in “Knife City”; mostly a variation of long and medium shots are used to set the scene in order to get a general idea of what is going on, however, “Knife City” uses more close up shots that make the audience feel more involved and once again adds to the game-like impression it gives, where as in “GTA” we are not made to feel like part of the goings on and are oblivious to anything else other than the thrill of the violence, action and idyllic setting displayed.
Camera angles in “Knife City” play a vital role in putting the message across to the public. A very successful example of this is when the stabbing takes place; as soon as the knife enters the victim the whole view, apart from Jay, is changed from CGI to real life, clearly demonstrating the fact that knife crime is not a game, and the consequences effect everyone around us. A valid point that should be made is the fact that the switch from CGI to real life occurs after the stabbing and not prior to it, showing that although you may feel powerful and important beforehand, the aftermath shows that this is not the case, and all that you are is a criminal. Upon the change to filmed footage the camera angle is at eye level and in an extreme close up shot; showing only the eyes of the victim. The pain is visible in the eyes of the youth and this is where the damage becomes evident to the audience, they are alerted to what would be at stake if knife crime became a part of their lives and the whole reality of the concept. This contrasts greatly to the camera angles of “GTA”, of which the majority are of a low angle; looking up at the characters of the game and making the seem significant and intimidating, this dramatises their acts, however the aim of “Knife City” is to show that knife crime is nothing to be dramatised at all and persuade the audience that it is a very serious matter that needs to be dealt with, the camera angles reflect this, as there are many eye level angle shots that involve us with the scenes successfully.
Camera movement is used in “Knife City” to express the mood of what is happening at that moment. Such as after the stabbing has taken place and the police arrive, the camera pans and shakes quite violently; demonstrating the whole feeling of panic, it is apparent that there is a lot of activity and the shaking makes it seem like we are hesitating; not knowing whether to run and seek a place to hide or to stay, possibly out of shock, this seems to replicate the viewer’s feelings as they themselves are shocked by what has happened. The jerky movements allow us to only get a general idea of what is going on; we see that there is a woman crying over the victim and we can assume that this is his mother, this helps to indicate that others are effected, and severely. The police arrest our “hero”, yet he is still in CGI and doesn’t seem like a hero anymore whatsoever; the consequences here haven’t yet sunk in to Jay, showing that he has not yet come to terms with what he has done, and the audience may not have either. He still has his hood up and cap on; this shows that he believes that this still glorifies his image yet the audience is slowly coming to terms with the fact that this has become very serious and, unlike a game, he will not be able to start again, it also enforces the fact that you cannot hide from the law, whereas in a game it may be easy to escape consequences.
Camera movement is also well used to put the message of “Knife City” across. An example of this is the closing shot where we see the now real life face of Jay, through a cell window. The fact that he is no longer CGI shows us that the gravity of what he has done has been realised; he now stands facing the camera, guilt upon his face. It also finalises the notion of knife crime is “not a game” as he cannot simply press a button to make everything go away, what is done is done and, as much as you may want, there is no going back. There is no camera movement at all as it is a still shot, which shows how subdued and regretful the mood is. The fact that it is still also reflects that now that Jay is in the cell, he is trapped and has no chance of getting away, resulting in him staying still also. The look upon Jay’s face evidently shows that he regrets what he has done and although it is a simple shot, it is one of the most effective as it will help to make youths everywhere realise that there is only one consequence for their actions; being locked up in a cell. The camera movements used in “Knife City” to replicate game movement before switching to real footage are successful in convincing the audience that this is nothing but a game advert, as when the change takes place it shocks and causes a great impact on viewers; helping to deliver the message. The camera movements of “GTA” are similar to that of “Knife City” as they are designed to enforce the game-like feel, however, once “Knife City” switches to filmed footage, the movements are much different, as they are suited to an entirely different purpose; to shock the viewer and show that the consequences of knife crime are real, therefore the whole mood is changed.
The mise en scene in “Knife City” helps to deliver a message to the audience when viewing, by strategically placing objects in view. A superb example of this is once the youth has been stabbed, he is lying on the floor with the knife he held clearly on view, next to his head. This implies that if this little object wasn’t present, then the whole confrontation would not of taken place and he would not of come close to or lost his life. Furthermore, the knife points towards him as he lies on the floor, almost as if it is blaming him for what has happened to himself, as he made the decision to carry the knife and he was the one who started the conflict.
Another good example of a message being put across via mise en scene is the CCTV sign that is visible behind Jay’s head once he is in the police station. Once again it has been deliberately placed in view in order to tell the audience that they are always being watched, whether it’s by eye witnesses or camera, to show them that their illegal actions will always be acted upon and punished; no one can escape the law. The mise en scene in “GTA” differs vastly as it is deliberately made to be idealistic and happy, including sunny skies and palm trees, this takes the reality out of the violence, making it all seem meaningless, and enhances the game-like feeling like it should. On the other hand, the mise en scene in “Knife City” is typically life like of British urban areas; details such as graffiti, bin bags and dull concrete buildings are used to recreate the culture.
The difference between the frenzied soundtrack of “Knife City” and the real life sounds when we change from CGI to filmed footage is well demonstrated in the use of non-diegetic sound. An example of this is when the knife makes contact with the victim, upon which the game-like music and graphics stop and everything apart from Jay, is brought into reality. Sounds such as police sirens and a woman crying are heard and this furthers the frenzied feeling. This conveys that “Knife City” enhances the realistic feel of the advert in order to convey the message to the audience that knife crime is a realistic issue, we are made to feel uncomfortable and panicky from the start of the advert and this is due to the sound, as at first we hear a frantic soundtrack that keeps us on edge, followed by real life sounds as mentioned that make sure that we are not relaxed. Alternatively, “GTA” uses laid back Hip-Hop music that gives the impression that the characters seen doing illegal acts are totally unruffled by what they are doing, they are relaxed and it seems to be a typical day of crime in the area that they live in.
The use of game-like features in “Knife City” and the fact that the perpetrator is CGI for nearly the entire advert seems to destabilise the distinction between reality and fantasy. For instance, when the main character constantly flicks between CGI and reality, even when everything else has changed to filmed footage. This prevents the audience from distinguishing the difference between reality and fantasy, thus concluding in slight confusion. When compared with “GTA”, “Knife City” demonstrates a strong sense of seriousness, as “GTA” is plainly laid-back; CGI is used throughout, camera movements are smooth and relaxed Hip Hop music plays, proving blatantly that the criminals involved are used to the lifestyle and seem oblivious to the idea of the law and punishment.
Towards the end of “Knife City”, the main character flicks to CGI less frequently and is eventually left completely real, facing the camera in a cell, a stern and remorseful look on his face that tells the story of his emotions; regretful, isolated and angry with no one but himself. I think that the length of time that we wait to see this change only builds up suspense, so that in the end we look upon the criminal, not a “hero”, and the predicament that he has got himself into with repulse; with a desperate feeling not to land in his shoes, therefore the message hits home.
In summary I believe that “Knife City” is successful at sending the correct message to its main target audience, youths. The CGI graphics that are used to represent a game-like appearance and fool the audience into wanting to find out more are used very well; we track Jay as he moves and the camera pans to the opposite direction he turns, giving the impression that we are controlling him. This is effective as when we find that Jay gets arrested and there is no way out, we realise that we are in control of our own lives. The change from CGI to filmed footage is the most effective aspect of “Knife City”, as this is where the shock of the situation takes place, due to the unexpectedness of the change, here we are made to realise that the consequences of knife crime are very real, creating a big impact on many other peoples’ lives, such as the woman crying, despite the change, Jay stays in CGI and as we are already receiving the message of knife crime is “not a game”, we begin to think of him as a fool for his actions. “Knife City” is far more effective than “GTA”, as we are kept constantly on edge, mainly by the use of the non-diegetic sound, which keeps us intrigued as to what will happen next. Whereas in “GTA”, we are made to feel relaxed and at ease with the violence and crime that is on show, making us look upon it in an almost positive way, this doesn’t keep us excited as in “Knife City”
The Metropolitan Police’s idea of “Knife City” was a very intelligent one, however I can’t help but feel that something a lot more dramatic would be more successful in reaching young people’s minds. Also, the sort of teenagers who are more likely to carry a knife are probably much more inclined to spend their time on the streets with peers rather than playing on video games, therefore “Knife City” wouldn’t have the completely correct idea. Furthermore, despite the strategic handouts of faux video games to youths throughout London, I feel that broadcasting “Knife City” on TV at an appropriate time would have a much larger impact, as it would reach a wider audience who would be repeatedly exposed to its persuasive appeal. If I was to tackle the issue of knife crime I would do these things, also, I believe that distributing the pain caused in families more effectively by its victims would be necessary in order to sway youths minds, who would never want to cause such grief, especially not among their own family.
