1.) In 2012, the British Film industry claimed 15.3% of Global Box Office.
2.) In 2009, the British Film Industry claimed 6.8% of Global Box Office.
3.) This change/gain in percentage of Global Box Office shows that British films are doing a lot better and it indicates a rise in popularity and profit for the British film industry.
4.) Skyfall was particularly responsible for this change. A film called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel appealed well to the over 45s which also contributed to this change. Other films that contributed are The Dark Knight Rises and Slumdog Millionaire.
5.) Only 7% of British films make a profit at the box office.
6.) Hollywood films have approximately a 17% profit rate at the global box office.
7.) This profit rate differs from £2 million budget British films by 13%, with their rate of 4% in profit. It doesn't differ much at all from £10million+ british films because the profit rate is approximately the same at 17%.
8.) What we can infer from this difference is if British films want to succeed as much as Hollywood films do, then they need big budgets.
9.) Just recently, for the first time, over-45s represent the largest population of film/cinema goers. The over-45 age group accounts for 36% of film goers, storming ahead of 15-24s who take up 25%.
10.) This is probably because of more films coming out that appeal to the over-45 age group, for instance, The King's Speech or even more so The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (starring Dames Judy Dench and Maggie Smith) was a huge hit with the over-45s.
11.) 3D films have seen an 18% drop in attendance at cinemas, despite still making a substantial amount of money at cinemas. For example, The Avengers Assemble was the most successful 3D film of 2012.
12.) Family Films in 3D seem to show the biggest drop in attendance.
13.) Charles Grant said that 3D family films like Madagascar 3 and Brave have an attendance fall because families want to economise more than paying more for 3D viewings. He added "Superman will do well in 3D, people want to see the big event movies, but the word can circulate when there's just a shoddy conversion." so maybe certain films don't need 3D, which ends up costing them attendance at the cinemas.
14.) Paul Greengrass is a British film director. His works include The Bourne Supremacy and United 93.
15.) Greengrass described the British film industry as a "success story" and went on to say it will see more international growth, especially in China.
16.) A BFI spokesperson said that low budget less profitable films are important because they develop skills and have artistic and cultural importance to the industry.
17.) Filth made about £4 million at the box office, which is more than twice it's budget.
18.) James McAvoy (actor in and co-producer of Filth) felt that £100 million budget films have the advantage of a huge budget for all the special effects that audiences want to see, giving them a tidy profit. However, the films don't actually have to be that good when you delve beneath the glossy, CGI face of the films.
19.) VOD means Video-On-Demand. VOD enables viewers to choose their own film entertainment through means of the internet or special TV applications, for example, Sky on Demand or Netflix.
20.) VOD saw a 50% increase last year.
21.) VOD could have a negative impact on distributors because people are going to feel less obliged to see a film at the cinema because of things like Netflix. However, for smaller studios, this is a good way of selling film rights and getting known, especially for unrecognised cult films.
22.) Rental stores like Blockbuster have had a drop in sales because of how much easier and more conveniant it is to just get a film through VOD. Blockbuster may have to expand and make their own VOD to stay relevant in the industry.
23.) Ben Wheatley's A Field In England was unique because it was released in multiple formats at the same time. It was released both in cinemas, on DVD and on VOD at the same time.
24.) Caradog James said "The toughest thing is you can make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance at a mass audience."
25.) Relaxations and changes made to what makes a film British include expanding criteria to include other European Union states. Currently a film has to meet at least 16 out of 31 criteria to be classified as British, but the new legislation aims to have films include at least 18 out of 35 criteria to be classified as British.
26.) Visual effects have been encouraged to be used because they make the films more interesting to watch than with special effects. They are, however, more expensive than special effects. But films especially in the horror genre have been praised for using visual effects like animatronics instead of CGI such as The Thing or the new Evil Dead.
27.) Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List and The Worlds End:
- All films were set in the UK.
- All films had a majority of open dialogue in British.
- All were based on British subject matter and/or underlying material.
- Lead characters are British characters or residents.
- All represent or reflect diverse British culture, heritage or creativity.
28.) George Osbourne announced a tax relief increase from 20% to 25% on the first £20 million of qualifying production expenditure.
29.) The highest grossing film in box office history is the newest Bond film: Skyfall and grossed £94.5 million on the first day.
30.) Skayfall was shown on 587 screens and grossed £94.5 million.
Thursday, 19 December 2013
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Lost: Jack representation essay
in this first episode of lost, or more so the opening scene, we look at Jack. Jack overall is given an image of a leader or someone who can take charge and responsibility when needed. we can see this through the things he does in the scenes, such as collecting himself quickly after re-gaining consciousness and medically helping those in danger at the crash site as soon as he noticed them.
the first scene i want to look at is the scene when Jack wakes up in the jungle after the plane crash. right from the start i'm curious as to why he ended up so far from the plane and not be in worse shape. granted he does have a wound which is revealed when he picks himself up but it still seems like he should be more hurt. the scene starts from an extreme close up of Jack's eye, this is a trademark thing that Lost do to start off an episode. his eye is wide which shows he is in shock and confused because it darts around a little bit so he can re-gain some sense of knowing where he is and what's going on. the extreme close up also throws the viewer off a little because we don't know who's eye it is until the camera becomes a birds eye view mid shot showing Jack's upper body. Jack is dressed in a suit, which shows that he was dressed for something formal when he got on the plane in the first place. however, we still haven't seen the plane yet, which again throws the viewer off but also hooks them in order to keep watching to find out why Jack is there, why he's wounded, and so on. we then see a high angle of him when he stands up to show he's re-gaining control of himself. he checks out an apparently painful wound which could raise ideas that he was in a plane crash. he also pulls out a small shot bottle of vodka, the type that you'd get on a plane. the camera cuts to different angles frequently to again throw the viewer off to emphasise Jack's confusion and shock.
the next part of the scene which is interesting in terms of camera shots is the part when Jack starts making his way through the jungle. the tracking shots, which keep his speed consistent and give a better impression of his speed than a panning shot, start of slow but they gain speed as Jack's running gains speed to emphasise it. there are also a lot of transitions and you can only partly see Jack through all the bamboo and vegetation; this again throws the viewer off and disorientates the viewer to create tension and again continue to hook the viewer through confusion in the hopes the confusion will be ended through an explanation or Jack emerging a short time later on the beach. the beach creates an oxymoron for the situation as it looks like a photogenic paradise yet there's Jack's current situation and you can hear screams of terror in the distance. Lost aimed to create a lot of disorientation for the viewer to emphasise Jack's in the first scene, they do this again by breaking the 180 degree rule on the panning shot of the beach. they do, at the end of this part, show that Jack can re-gain himself quickly as he reacts very quickly to the distant screams and runs to where they are coming from showing that he clearly aims to help who is in danger.
the next part of the opening scene i want to look at is when Jack arrives at the crash site and, while helping a man stuck under debris, notices the pregnant Claire across the beach and goes to help her. he immediately starts talking in watered down medical terms to show that he knows what he's doing but also that he's taking in to consideration that Claire may not be educated in medicine. he works very quickly under the preassure of the situation which gives a very vivid impression that he may be a doctor. a lot of close ups and mid shots and wide shots are used together with each other to both give the viewer a clear view of what's happening between Jack and Claire (and Hugo because Jack calls him over to help her, which is also where we first learn Jack's name) and the immense panic and danger everyone is in.
the last scene i will look at is when Jack notices Barnard's unconscious wife and that a lifeguard is performing CPR the wrong way on her. they way he handles getting someone to watch Claire for him so he can help another person shows that he is both capable and willing to help multiple people at the same time, despite the pressure and danger of the situation. close ups of Jack and the life guard show their conversation but also how they are reacting with everything going on. Jack's knowledge of CPR also reinforces the idea that he's a doctor. Jack also doesn't waste time explaining that he's a doctor, he just gets straight in to reviving Bernard's wife. this makes a nice change to the cliche "out of the way i'm a doctor" we see so often in movies and TV. wide shots are again used to reinforce the obvious danger and panic going on around them. Jack also has no problem telling the life guard what to do which reinforces the idea that he is a leading figure right from the first scene of the first episode.
there are many things that support the idea that Jack is represented as a leader in the opening scene of the first episode. things such as how he can work so well under pressure and how he helps multiple people at the same time. also the fact that he tells people what to do without hesitation because he knows it's for the best. later episodes show that he's more of a failed leader but the opening scene gives a clear impression that he's willing to take responsibility for a group of people.
the first scene i want to look at is the scene when Jack wakes up in the jungle after the plane crash. right from the start i'm curious as to why he ended up so far from the plane and not be in worse shape. granted he does have a wound which is revealed when he picks himself up but it still seems like he should be more hurt. the scene starts from an extreme close up of Jack's eye, this is a trademark thing that Lost do to start off an episode. his eye is wide which shows he is in shock and confused because it darts around a little bit so he can re-gain some sense of knowing where he is and what's going on. the extreme close up also throws the viewer off a little because we don't know who's eye it is until the camera becomes a birds eye view mid shot showing Jack's upper body. Jack is dressed in a suit, which shows that he was dressed for something formal when he got on the plane in the first place. however, we still haven't seen the plane yet, which again throws the viewer off but also hooks them in order to keep watching to find out why Jack is there, why he's wounded, and so on. we then see a high angle of him when he stands up to show he's re-gaining control of himself. he checks out an apparently painful wound which could raise ideas that he was in a plane crash. he also pulls out a small shot bottle of vodka, the type that you'd get on a plane. the camera cuts to different angles frequently to again throw the viewer off to emphasise Jack's confusion and shock.
the next part of the scene which is interesting in terms of camera shots is the part when Jack starts making his way through the jungle. the tracking shots, which keep his speed consistent and give a better impression of his speed than a panning shot, start of slow but they gain speed as Jack's running gains speed to emphasise it. there are also a lot of transitions and you can only partly see Jack through all the bamboo and vegetation; this again throws the viewer off and disorientates the viewer to create tension and again continue to hook the viewer through confusion in the hopes the confusion will be ended through an explanation or Jack emerging a short time later on the beach. the beach creates an oxymoron for the situation as it looks like a photogenic paradise yet there's Jack's current situation and you can hear screams of terror in the distance. Lost aimed to create a lot of disorientation for the viewer to emphasise Jack's in the first scene, they do this again by breaking the 180 degree rule on the panning shot of the beach. they do, at the end of this part, show that Jack can re-gain himself quickly as he reacts very quickly to the distant screams and runs to where they are coming from showing that he clearly aims to help who is in danger.
the next part of the opening scene i want to look at is when Jack arrives at the crash site and, while helping a man stuck under debris, notices the pregnant Claire across the beach and goes to help her. he immediately starts talking in watered down medical terms to show that he knows what he's doing but also that he's taking in to consideration that Claire may not be educated in medicine. he works very quickly under the preassure of the situation which gives a very vivid impression that he may be a doctor. a lot of close ups and mid shots and wide shots are used together with each other to both give the viewer a clear view of what's happening between Jack and Claire (and Hugo because Jack calls him over to help her, which is also where we first learn Jack's name) and the immense panic and danger everyone is in.
the last scene i will look at is when Jack notices Barnard's unconscious wife and that a lifeguard is performing CPR the wrong way on her. they way he handles getting someone to watch Claire for him so he can help another person shows that he is both capable and willing to help multiple people at the same time, despite the pressure and danger of the situation. close ups of Jack and the life guard show their conversation but also how they are reacting with everything going on. Jack's knowledge of CPR also reinforces the idea that he's a doctor. Jack also doesn't waste time explaining that he's a doctor, he just gets straight in to reviving Bernard's wife. this makes a nice change to the cliche "out of the way i'm a doctor" we see so often in movies and TV. wide shots are again used to reinforce the obvious danger and panic going on around them. Jack also has no problem telling the life guard what to do which reinforces the idea that he is a leading figure right from the first scene of the first episode.
there are many things that support the idea that Jack is represented as a leader in the opening scene of the first episode. things such as how he can work so well under pressure and how he helps multiple people at the same time. also the fact that he tells people what to do without hesitation because he knows it's for the best. later episodes show that he's more of a failed leader but the opening scene gives a clear impression that he's willing to take responsibility for a group of people.
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
The Male Gaze Notes
Marjorie Ferguson's aspects of the male gaze:
The Chocolate Box: this is when the person depicted is pretty or attractive in a conventional or idealised way. it originally comes from the decorative way companies decorate chocolate boxes in order for customers to notice the product and buy it.
generic and pleasing picture. warm smile and pretty without breaking any sort of society's conventions.
Invitational: this is when the person in the picture is posed in an inviting way. it could be inviting in numerous ways and can be a means to many ends. often the invitational look is thought of as to depict more sexual poses because sex sells. however, it can just be someone enjoying some food which is invitational for the onlooker/customer to buy the food.
Top Image: group of people eating a meal and obviously having a good time, invitational to go to certain restaurant and not at all sexual.
Bottom Image: Eva Mendes posing in a sexual manner. her legs are parted and she makes no effort to hide her body. this is invitational in a sexual way and used to sell underwear.
Super Smiler: this is when the woman depicted would be smiling a very huge smile or grin. it is used to show that she is having a good time but at the same time keeping her attractive looking to play to the male gaze.
woman in the picture has a big grin on to show she's having a good time in whatever she's doing. picture also shows confidence and gives her an attitude which is also like-able.
Romantic or Sexual: this is probably the one that gets talked about the most in terms of the male gaze. it very much uses the idea of "sex sells" in order to advertise whatever it's advertising. despite being the one that gets criticised the most, it's probably the one that works the most.
clearly sexual exchange between the two in the picture. things like this would probably be used to sell fragrance or perhaps blue jeans as that's what they're both wearing.
The Chocolate Box: this is when the person depicted is pretty or attractive in a conventional or idealised way. it originally comes from the decorative way companies decorate chocolate boxes in order for customers to notice the product and buy it.
Invitational: this is when the person in the picture is posed in an inviting way. it could be inviting in numerous ways and can be a means to many ends. often the invitational look is thought of as to depict more sexual poses because sex sells. however, it can just be someone enjoying some food which is invitational for the onlooker/customer to buy the food.
Bottom Image: Eva Mendes posing in a sexual manner. her legs are parted and she makes no effort to hide her body. this is invitational in a sexual way and used to sell underwear.
Super Smiler: this is when the woman depicted would be smiling a very huge smile or grin. it is used to show that she is having a good time but at the same time keeping her attractive looking to play to the male gaze.
woman in the picture has a big grin on to show she's having a good time in whatever she's doing. picture also shows confidence and gives her an attitude which is also like-able.
Romantic or Sexual: this is probably the one that gets talked about the most in terms of the male gaze. it very much uses the idea of "sex sells" in order to advertise whatever it's advertising. despite being the one that gets criticised the most, it's probably the one that works the most.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Skins: Representation of Tony's family
In the opening scene to the first Skins episode, we get introduced to Tony. The first thing i noticed was that he was already awake as soon as the alarm went off and was lying flat on his back (you can't sleep like that unless you force yourself to, your body naturally rolls over), this could show that he's suffering from insomnia or perhaps experimenting with sleep paralysis. afterwards we get taken through his morning routine. first of all we get shown him working out and checking himself out in the mirror, which shows that he likes to look after his body and is proud of it. we then get shown him watching the woman across the street getting undressed and dressed. this could be the writers' way of displaying teenage hormones and perhaps that Tony likes older women. we then see his sister get his attention, as she turns up after a night out, so that Tony starts playing rock music very loudly to distract his dad so his sister can slip back into the house without arousing attention. this shows that Tony looks out for his little sister. Tony actually gets shown playing his dad for a fool throughout his whole morning routine e.g. taking too long on the toilet and then climbing out the window while the doors still locked, his dad needing the toilet the whole time. his dad reacts very loudly but only verbally, which shows a lot of conflict between the two. his dad gets made out to be a bit of a mug in general, most likely because the show is aimed at teenagers, so they'd enjoy watching another teenager sticking it to his dad. Tony is also made out to be very cheeky.
Effie, Tony's sister, isn't as clearly represented as Tony but you can make out some things about her. her room is darker and not as clean which shows she contrasts from her brother. she also dresses in a plaid skirt and leather jacket, giving quite a punk representation of her. she also comes in from a night out so it shows she likes to party and be a bit of a rebel.
Tony's dad is made out to be a bit of a mug and is also very verbally aggressive, probably because of Tony playing him for a fool so much.
Effie, Tony's sister, isn't as clearly represented as Tony but you can make out some things about her. her room is darker and not as clean which shows she contrasts from her brother. she also dresses in a plaid skirt and leather jacket, giving quite a punk representation of her. she also comes in from a night out so it shows she likes to party and be a bit of a rebel.
Tony's dad is made out to be a bit of a mug and is also very verbally aggressive, probably because of Tony playing him for a fool so much.
Monday, 16 September 2013
Film Production
The Idea
this is the first part of a film that comes together. ideas can be original or taken from something already made like a reboot, sequel, prequel, based on a book, etc. (well, technically nothing is original because everything comes from some sort of inspiration, but as long as it's inspiration and not out-right copying then it is considered to be an original idea). The idea initially comes from the writer, who puts their idea down in to word form to show to a producer. the producer then decides if they like the idea and if they do they agree to make the idea into a reality. the next recruitment is the director, who will visualise the idea in film form and direct everything in the practical sense of the film, this includes stage directions, CGI, camera angles and positions, etc. then a treatment is written by the writer. the treatment is a one page description/summary of the film and the characters.then the pitch is made, this is all the information that the producer uses to pitch the film to financiers to commission a script.
Some examples of original ideas are Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction.
A reboot is a remake of a film which already exists e.g. The Amazing Spider-Man, Friday 13th.
An adaptation is a film which has it's ideas taken from another form of media like a book or a comic e.g. Harry Potter, The Avengers.
Development Finance
for a film to get money to be produced, a producer must approach production companies (i.e. Warner Bros) for money to produce it. The producer needs to pitch the film idea and persuade the company to fund production of the film. this can be hard for certain films, for example, the director and producer of The Human Centipede had to lie to the company for them to fund it because of how sick and twisted the plot was. the producer can also give rights of the film to the company for further funding to develop the script a little more. the producer can also apply for public funding from places such as the UK film council for a development grant. the producer can also pitch to private investors for support in the project.
A UK example is the Harry Potter series.
Script Development
first of all, the writer produces a synopsis of the film, which includes stuff like the key scenes and events in the film. the writer and the producer have to agree on the synopsis. most writers create a step outline which they use to plan the script. part of the writers pay is conditional to the quality and delivery of the first draft, this can be seen as the hardest part of screen writing. once both the writer and producer are happy with the first draft, they send the draft to financiers who will all have their own ideas. when everyone is happy with the finalised script, it becomes "locked off" and the writer gets paid. despite the lock off, there is one more stage in the process, which is the creation of a sales treatment (another synopsis created to sell the idea to potential financiers.
Packaging
the producer and the director now have to get the script into a full commercial package ready for financing. a common way of getting the package more commercial is to attach well known stars to it. respected and successful HODs (heads of department) can help considerably with the financing of the film. the producer also needs to know how much it will actually cost to make the film to make a proper business proposition. potential investors will want to know how the producer will raise the money to make the film, and how the producer will pay them back.
Financing
financiers can be all over the world, so the producer has to be prepared to travel to secure the investments. the producer will have a lawyer to draw up contracts to seal deals from the investors. the producer can also raise money for "pre-sales" which means selling rights of the film before it has even been made. departments of banks can specialise in funding films, so that can be another way of raising money for the film. most financiers insist that a completion bond is in place before the film gets made (a completion bond is when, if the films budget runs over and out of money, the insurer will pay the necessary funds to complete it. once all the financing is done, the film gets the "green light".
Pre-Production
once all the HODs are hired, pre-production begins. the casting director, director and producer will begin a long process of casting the actors of the script. storyboards are created by hired story board artists, they work with the director and the director of photography to create the blueprints of the film in advance of shooting. the production designer plans and designs the aesthetic aspects of the film and how each scene will look and also hires people like costume designers and location managers to help with it all. effects shots revolve around the special effects of the film, these get planned in much more detail than normal shots and can take months to fully develop. the 1st AD, Line Producer and Production Manager handle all the logistics as a 3, also known as the key logistic triangle.
The Shoot
this is the most key moment in the film. as the shooting begins the funding is released. this is where the real delivery of the film comes from. the camera department are responsible for getting all the footage that the director and editor need to tell the story and bring it all together. once the light and sound are set up and the make-up is finished then the shoot can begin. in all of this, it is the actors' jobs to create an emotional and believable performance to draw the audience in to enjoying the film. every special effect is carefully done and made to ensure minimal injury risk to cast and crew, sometimes stunt-men are used but not if the actor has signed responsibility of injury to themselves if they wish to do the stunts i.e. in Skyfall, Daniel Craig himself did the scene on top of the train in which he is shot off it on a real moving train. film sets are run with tight precision, if they fall behind schedule then the financiers and insurers may step in.
Post-Production
as the processed footage comes in, the editor will assemble it together into scenes and create a narrative sequence for the film. editors are extremely important to the making of the film, they essentially remake what has been shot in raw footage in to something of cinematic quality, there are a lot of important peoples approvals riding on what the editor does. once the picture is locked, the sound department go about working on the audio track laying, remaking, editing and creating every sound, from an orchestral suite for background music to making the sound of a horses hooves hitting ground. digital effects are added by specialist effects compositors. titles and credits are edited in a compositing suite. the final editing of the film is for the colourist to establish the final aesthetic of the film to make sure the films scenes look like they all belong in the same film. after picture lock, the rough sound mix goes off to a dubbing theatre where the sound mix gets the final levels. the film reaches "full lock" after the final cut. unfortunately in most cases, the director doesnt get much of a see in the final cut, which has been spoken out against as unfair by famous directors, like Milos Forman, because of the hard work and sweat a director puts into making the film. the investors and distributors see most of the final cut. they see this as a business necessity in case the movie becomes a financial flop.
Sales
the producer needs a sales agent to sell the film to distributors. to help selling the film further, a trailer is made to show to film buyers. making a successful trailer is an art in itself, as it's a small amount of time to fit a good plot outline, without giving too much away of course, and hook the audience seeing the trailer. the producer and the sales agent then collect everything together to sell the film to film buyers. the film market is full of films, so the producer and sales agent have to go to great lengths to get the film to be noticed. high-profile screenings can be essential to creating "heat" around a film. the stars of a film are very often used to sell the film too as big names create awareness in the public. once the producer has a hot product, good deals can be made with distributers all over the world.
Marketing
the distribution company will have a marketing team to identify the best way of marketing the film i.e. what will "hook" the audience. the marketing team also run test screenings to see how the trailer goes down with the general public, and if they have to make any changes/improvements. "above the line" marketing is stuff like bus advertisements, it's a way of really letting people know about the film. adverts like these will often include the names of the stars and ratings from established critics, for example, 5 stars from The Guardian is sure to turn some heads. telivision and radio can also be used to get the film out to the public. the internet is also a brilliant and convenient way of advertisement and marketing films. the distributers also have to negotiate deals with cinemas and exhibitors to screen the films to the public.
Exhibition
high-profile premiers are used to launch the film which usually involves a flood of media attention. after the premier, the film is shown in normal cinemas. the UK has 3,500 of them. distributers supply the exhibitors with prints of the film, the more screens the film is shown on, the more prints are needed. the exhibitors then take their share of the box office receipts. after this, the distributers recouperate their marketing costs. once the distributers have been paid, the financiers get their money back according to the recoupment schedule.
Other Windows
hotel sales and in-flight movies can bring millions in extra revenue. more gets spent on DVDs than cinema tickets, so DVD sales can make up for any lost money in box office failures. TV is the final source of revenue. rights are sold separately to pay TV showings. extra revenue can even come from selling rights to create video games based on the film. once the film has made a profit, the creative people in the film making can get their share of the profits. there is no known final income from the film. for instance, there may be a re-release like Back To The Future had.
this is the first part of a film that comes together. ideas can be original or taken from something already made like a reboot, sequel, prequel, based on a book, etc. (well, technically nothing is original because everything comes from some sort of inspiration, but as long as it's inspiration and not out-right copying then it is considered to be an original idea). The idea initially comes from the writer, who puts their idea down in to word form to show to a producer. the producer then decides if they like the idea and if they do they agree to make the idea into a reality. the next recruitment is the director, who will visualise the idea in film form and direct everything in the practical sense of the film, this includes stage directions, CGI, camera angles and positions, etc. then a treatment is written by the writer. the treatment is a one page description/summary of the film and the characters.then the pitch is made, this is all the information that the producer uses to pitch the film to financiers to commission a script.
Some examples of original ideas are Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction.
A reboot is a remake of a film which already exists e.g. The Amazing Spider-Man, Friday 13th.
An adaptation is a film which has it's ideas taken from another form of media like a book or a comic e.g. Harry Potter, The Avengers.
Development Finance
for a film to get money to be produced, a producer must approach production companies (i.e. Warner Bros) for money to produce it. The producer needs to pitch the film idea and persuade the company to fund production of the film. this can be hard for certain films, for example, the director and producer of The Human Centipede had to lie to the company for them to fund it because of how sick and twisted the plot was. the producer can also give rights of the film to the company for further funding to develop the script a little more. the producer can also apply for public funding from places such as the UK film council for a development grant. the producer can also pitch to private investors for support in the project.
A UK example is the Harry Potter series.
Script Development
first of all, the writer produces a synopsis of the film, which includes stuff like the key scenes and events in the film. the writer and the producer have to agree on the synopsis. most writers create a step outline which they use to plan the script. part of the writers pay is conditional to the quality and delivery of the first draft, this can be seen as the hardest part of screen writing. once both the writer and producer are happy with the first draft, they send the draft to financiers who will all have their own ideas. when everyone is happy with the finalised script, it becomes "locked off" and the writer gets paid. despite the lock off, there is one more stage in the process, which is the creation of a sales treatment (another synopsis created to sell the idea to potential financiers.
Packaging
the producer and the director now have to get the script into a full commercial package ready for financing. a common way of getting the package more commercial is to attach well known stars to it. respected and successful HODs (heads of department) can help considerably with the financing of the film. the producer also needs to know how much it will actually cost to make the film to make a proper business proposition. potential investors will want to know how the producer will raise the money to make the film, and how the producer will pay them back.
Financing
financiers can be all over the world, so the producer has to be prepared to travel to secure the investments. the producer will have a lawyer to draw up contracts to seal deals from the investors. the producer can also raise money for "pre-sales" which means selling rights of the film before it has even been made. departments of banks can specialise in funding films, so that can be another way of raising money for the film. most financiers insist that a completion bond is in place before the film gets made (a completion bond is when, if the films budget runs over and out of money, the insurer will pay the necessary funds to complete it. once all the financing is done, the film gets the "green light".
Pre-Production
once all the HODs are hired, pre-production begins. the casting director, director and producer will begin a long process of casting the actors of the script. storyboards are created by hired story board artists, they work with the director and the director of photography to create the blueprints of the film in advance of shooting. the production designer plans and designs the aesthetic aspects of the film and how each scene will look and also hires people like costume designers and location managers to help with it all. effects shots revolve around the special effects of the film, these get planned in much more detail than normal shots and can take months to fully develop. the 1st AD, Line Producer and Production Manager handle all the logistics as a 3, also known as the key logistic triangle.
The Shoot
this is the most key moment in the film. as the shooting begins the funding is released. this is where the real delivery of the film comes from. the camera department are responsible for getting all the footage that the director and editor need to tell the story and bring it all together. once the light and sound are set up and the make-up is finished then the shoot can begin. in all of this, it is the actors' jobs to create an emotional and believable performance to draw the audience in to enjoying the film. every special effect is carefully done and made to ensure minimal injury risk to cast and crew, sometimes stunt-men are used but not if the actor has signed responsibility of injury to themselves if they wish to do the stunts i.e. in Skyfall, Daniel Craig himself did the scene on top of the train in which he is shot off it on a real moving train. film sets are run with tight precision, if they fall behind schedule then the financiers and insurers may step in.
Post-Production
as the processed footage comes in, the editor will assemble it together into scenes and create a narrative sequence for the film. editors are extremely important to the making of the film, they essentially remake what has been shot in raw footage in to something of cinematic quality, there are a lot of important peoples approvals riding on what the editor does. once the picture is locked, the sound department go about working on the audio track laying, remaking, editing and creating every sound, from an orchestral suite for background music to making the sound of a horses hooves hitting ground. digital effects are added by specialist effects compositors. titles and credits are edited in a compositing suite. the final editing of the film is for the colourist to establish the final aesthetic of the film to make sure the films scenes look like they all belong in the same film. after picture lock, the rough sound mix goes off to a dubbing theatre where the sound mix gets the final levels. the film reaches "full lock" after the final cut. unfortunately in most cases, the director doesnt get much of a see in the final cut, which has been spoken out against as unfair by famous directors, like Milos Forman, because of the hard work and sweat a director puts into making the film. the investors and distributors see most of the final cut. they see this as a business necessity in case the movie becomes a financial flop.
Sales
the producer needs a sales agent to sell the film to distributors. to help selling the film further, a trailer is made to show to film buyers. making a successful trailer is an art in itself, as it's a small amount of time to fit a good plot outline, without giving too much away of course, and hook the audience seeing the trailer. the producer and the sales agent then collect everything together to sell the film to film buyers. the film market is full of films, so the producer and sales agent have to go to great lengths to get the film to be noticed. high-profile screenings can be essential to creating "heat" around a film. the stars of a film are very often used to sell the film too as big names create awareness in the public. once the producer has a hot product, good deals can be made with distributers all over the world.
Marketing
the distribution company will have a marketing team to identify the best way of marketing the film i.e. what will "hook" the audience. the marketing team also run test screenings to see how the trailer goes down with the general public, and if they have to make any changes/improvements. "above the line" marketing is stuff like bus advertisements, it's a way of really letting people know about the film. adverts like these will often include the names of the stars and ratings from established critics, for example, 5 stars from The Guardian is sure to turn some heads. telivision and radio can also be used to get the film out to the public. the internet is also a brilliant and convenient way of advertisement and marketing films. the distributers also have to negotiate deals with cinemas and exhibitors to screen the films to the public.
Exhibition
high-profile premiers are used to launch the film which usually involves a flood of media attention. after the premier, the film is shown in normal cinemas. the UK has 3,500 of them. distributers supply the exhibitors with prints of the film, the more screens the film is shown on, the more prints are needed. the exhibitors then take their share of the box office receipts. after this, the distributers recouperate their marketing costs. once the distributers have been paid, the financiers get their money back according to the recoupment schedule.
Other Windows
hotel sales and in-flight movies can bring millions in extra revenue. more gets spent on DVDs than cinema tickets, so DVD sales can make up for any lost money in box office failures. TV is the final source of revenue. rights are sold separately to pay TV showings. extra revenue can even come from selling rights to create video games based on the film. once the film has made a profit, the creative people in the film making can get their share of the profits. there is no known final income from the film. for instance, there may be a re-release like Back To The Future had.
Friday, 6 September 2013
Self-Representation
Looking at the UK Tribes website made by channel 4, I can safely say I classify as an emo. Emos get a bad rep because we are often associated with self-harm and depression, but really all emo means is emotional or emotional hardcore (a genre derived from hardcore punk, it has gone on to be used in other genres like pop-punk and post-hardcore). So, emos don't deserve the bad rep because isn't everyone emotional? Emo is actually nothing to do with our emotions directly, it's just an artistic way of expressing emotion through fashion and music. The main colour used in emo is black, but often mixed with other colours to bring them out e.g. red, white, purple, green. Popular emo clothing brands are Criminal Damage, Vans, Drop Dead and band merchandise is also very popular. Popular bands in the emo subculture can vary in genre; it can range from Pop-Punk bands (All Time Low, Good Charlotte) to post-hardcore bands (From First To Last, Escape The Fate) to death-core (Bring Me The Horizon, Chelsea Grin). Personally i like all of them. Emo kids get lumped in with Scene kids when we're really quite different. Scene is like a colourful emo, and actually was derived from emo, the same way Pastel Goth was derived from Goth.
Some examples of emo:
Some examples of the shops:
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Notes On The 3 Pictures
Ted Bundy Notes
-Fairly casual suit
-Clean-cut
-Handling small page with a lot of text but distracted by something else
-un-married
-shifty
My idea of the picture of Bundy was teetering towards the idea he was either a criminal or an infamous person at the least. Obviously the reality was a lot more extreme than that, but having never seen Bundy's face before, i came a lot closer than some of the other students.
Anna Piaggi
-Bright/colourful
-Big about fashion
-Ether a fashion enthusiast or a model
I was fairly bang-on-the-mark with Piaggi. She was both a fashion enthusiast and a model, but more on the judging side of things. Piaggi would be on the side of the catwalk, analysing and judging the fashion that came across it. Another interesting thing about her is that she never wore the same outfit twice.
Doug Bihlmaier
-patchy clothing - possibly homeless
-smoker
-un-shaven
-wearing layers
-standing still - probably doesn't have a place to be
-confident composure and posture in public - gives impression he's either not homeless or has been for a long time.
-he can afford cigarettes - apparently more valuable than food (gives further impression that he is not homeless)
i was leaning to the idea that Bihlmaier is not actually homeless, but i was way off the fact he works for Ralph Lauren. Some of the things that should have been obvious to me are that his clothes are clean and they fit, they are also patched very carefully. the turn-ups on his trousers are immaculate and ironed through. He's standing on Madison Avenue and his shows are likelyto be Redwing (very expensive designer label).
Although his style is not fashionable, it's still a style. i also wrote down that if he wasn't homeless then he might be a social experimenter, bringing out the fact that people just assume things so quickly.
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
recent film coclusion
I saw Hannibal Rising recently. I was browsing Netflix because I was bored and I came across it. A couple of friends of mine gave it good reviews but I had also heard bad reviews. However, because of the trust in my friends and the fact I am a bit of a skeptic unless I've seen it myself, I watched it. Overall, I enjoyed it. Silence Of The Lambs is a lot better but this prequel kept to the original back story and spared no gory details (I like gore). However, it's main downfall was that it was cheesy in parts and also cliche. All in all, I liked it.
5x5
Top 5 Nu-Metal Albums
Infest - Papa Roach
Papa roach were one of the most iconic Nu-Metal bands of the '90's, famously hitting triple platinum on "Last Resort". They are also my favourite band of all time, this album got me in to them.
Mesmerize - System Of A Down
This is one of SOAD's most loved and respected albums, and with most of the lyrics actually written by guitarist Darren Malakian, it started drawing attention to all band members instead of just singers for years to come.
Iowa - SlipKnot
This is one of the darkest, sickest and most twisted heavy metal album ever written. "I can barely listen to some of the songs" says front-man Corey Taylor. It shaped a new view and love for SlipKnot, which i still have to this day.
L.D. 50 - Mudvayne
Back in the day when Mudvayne were covered in eccentric and controversial face paint and costumes. Mudvayne are another fundamental to Nu-Metal as a whole, this album is their most famous with it's hit single "dig", a raw and aggressive favourite of the Nu-Metal community.
ANThology - Alien Ant Farm
This album is renowned for it's heavy cover of Michael Jackson's "Annie Are You Okay?". Another favourite of the Nu-Metal community as a whole.
Top 5 Marvel Comics Characters
Fantomex - Essential X-Men
Fantomex is cocky, a skilled combatant and highly intelligent when it comes to carrying out missions. All the makings of a brilliant superhero (more of an anti-hero).
Deadpool - Wolverine & Deadpool
Deadpool has pretty much the same characteristics as Fantomex. He isn't labelled "The merc with the mouth" for nothing.
Spiderman - The Amazing Spiderman
Spiderman is also very cocky, but less of an anti-hero than the last two. he is also a prime example of how a very un-respected "nerdy" high school kid can so quickly turn into Manhattan's super-powered guardian.
Wolverine - Essential X-Men
Wolverine is an all round favourite of the Marvel universe for comic book fans everywhere. with non-stop badassery and an anger problem to boot.
Nightcrawler - Essential X-Men
Nightcrawler has a really cool teleportation power, looks like a cool blue demon, and is part of the coolest comic series' of al of Marvel. definitely deserves to be part of the top 5.
Top 5 Films
Donnie Darko
This is my all time favourite film. It's just amazing. There is a case study further down my blog better describing it.
Scott Pilgrim VS The World
This film is a brilliant and relateable teen film. Enough said really.
Juno
This is also a teen film but it does really well at building bonds with the characters right from the point of meeting them.
Hobo With A Shotgun
This is a ridiculously gory and hilarious horror thriller.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Un-cut
Also ridiculous and hilarious, as South Park always is. Also, the fact it is in musical form makes all the difference.
Top 5 Post-Hardcore Bands
From First To Last
My favourite of all time, paved the way for most post-hardcore bands today.
Escape The Fate
Very much revived a dying scene when they started back in '06.
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S)
More recent than the others but holds ingenious lyrics throughout.
Silverstein
One of the first and most iconic modern post-hardcore bands. Kept up a raw feel throughout their whole career to this day.
Alesana
Bit more on the "emo" side of the music but they have become very artistic with their music over the years.
Top 5 Singers
Patrick Stump
Lead singer for one of the most famous and biggest pop-punk bands in the world. Also a short but fantastic solo career.
Brendan Urie
Singer for Panic! At The Disco, brilliant and memorable voice and amazing lyricist.
Davey Havok
Singer of AFI and Blaque Audio, recognizable voice and figure in the punk/hardcore scene.
Serj Tankian
Singer for System Of A Down. Renowned for complex lyric writing styles and his voice.
Corey Taylor
Leading two iconic bands since the 90's, Taylor has shaped the world of both Nu-Metal and Mainstream Rock.
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Donnie Darko Case Study
Not Just Some Teeny Flick
With it's story revolving around teenagers, high school, and having references to things in teen culture (e.g. house parties); Donnie Darko actually has appealed to wider audiences. This is due to it's artistic concept and structure, and it's mild horror scenes (Frank's appearance). I also think that how it's artistic aspects were well written drew in more praise from it's teenage audience. This is because it showed that a teeny film could be well written and appreciated by a lot of other audiences and doesn't have to be a cheesy slasher filom (e.g. Scream).
Reviews and Reception
Donnie Darko's star rating came to a good 4 stars, as rated by Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB and Metacritic to name. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian has called it "startlingly original" and, like myself, can't quite put a finger on it's ultimate genre "Is it a horror film? A black comic parable of Generation X angst? A teen drama with a psycho edge? If not, what the hell is it?"
Elvis Mitchell for The New York Times has said that director Richard Kelly has shown "Great Care" for the film. however, he does go on to say that the movie "has no life" and is "cold and over planned".
I would give my opinion on it to round this section off, but this is my all time favourite film, so I'll spare you hours of my constant gushing over it.
Awards
Donnie Darko was nominated for 8 awards and won a total of 10 awards, including the Special Award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The full list of Donnie Darko's awards is linked to IMDB right here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/awards.
The production of Donnie Darko
The production studio used for Donnie Darko was Flower Films, owned by Drew Barrymoore and Nancy Juvonen. This gives answer to why Barrymoore had such a small part in the film, in comparison to her acting status, because she had a part in production. That said, every part in Donnie Darko, be it however small you like, is still significant to the entire story. The cameras used in the film were digital which allowed for the studio to ass some CGI effects e.g. the portal in the cinema.
Marketing and Advertisement
The advertisement in Darko was the typical run-of-the-mill stuff, i.e. posters, television ads, bus stop ads, magazines, etc.
This is one of the poster advertisements used for the film. As you can see, it beholds a very artistic image of Frank the Rabbit's mask, made up of the faces of the characters in the film. This kind of image makes you look twice to see under the mask to all the faces and gets you more interested in what it is. It also portrays a dark image to the film which can subtly bring out a morbid attraction to the audience, without giving too much away about the film itself. It also includes a list of the main characters in the film, a way of dropping big names to further attract people to watching the film. The film title is bright and contrasting to it's background, but also fits in with the main image just above it and the rest of the text; this is so it pops out to people.
Donnie Darko is an american film about a troubled teenager who undergoes many peculiar events ultimately leading to an apparent end of the world. An end prophecised by a man in a frightening bunny suit. With only 28 days to go, Donnie has to go through strange events which push his psyche to the limit, til the film meets it's end, which pushes it's audiences understanding on the film to their limits.
psychological aspects
Darko has been widely seen as a "psychological thriller", enough so that it was put on the back of the DVD case. Throwing it in to this genre is very understandable though, many parts of the film show that Donnie (main character) is psychologically unstable, whether they be blunt hints or subtle statements (i.e. from references that Donnie needs to take medication regularly to his psychotherapist telling his parents that he is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia).
That said, the intent of including these aspects can raise debate to the point of the whole film. The film, when looked in to more deeply, is based around the idea of time travel and parallel universes. I believe that the writer (Richard Kelly) added these in because it makes us question whether the somewhat supernatural events in the film were real or if it was all in Donnie's head.
With all that in mind, it seems to me that the fact that we raise questions like that was the a main point the the entire film, which puts an artistic spin on it, and a well done one at that.
Profits for Darko
The film was made on a budget of around $4.5 million. It made a total turnover of $7.6 million, leaving a fairly tidy profit of around $3.1 million. Personally i feel it was well deserved, however, the $7.6 million is overall, which means the profit was gradual but it didn't take too long.
Not Just Some Teeny Flick
With it's story revolving around teenagers, high school, and having references to things in teen culture (e.g. house parties); Donnie Darko actually has appealed to wider audiences. This is due to it's artistic concept and structure, and it's mild horror scenes (Frank's appearance). I also think that how it's artistic aspects were well written drew in more praise from it's teenage audience. This is because it showed that a teeny film could be well written and appreciated by a lot of other audiences and doesn't have to be a cheesy slasher filom (e.g. Scream).
Reviews and Reception
Donnie Darko's star rating came to a good 4 stars, as rated by Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB and Metacritic to name. Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian has called it "startlingly original" and, like myself, can't quite put a finger on it's ultimate genre "Is it a horror film? A black comic parable of Generation X angst? A teen drama with a psycho edge? If not, what the hell is it?"
Elvis Mitchell for The New York Times has said that director Richard Kelly has shown "Great Care" for the film. however, he does go on to say that the movie "has no life" and is "cold and over planned".
I would give my opinion on it to round this section off, but this is my all time favourite film, so I'll spare you hours of my constant gushing over it.
Awards
Donnie Darko was nominated for 8 awards and won a total of 10 awards, including the Special Award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The full list of Donnie Darko's awards is linked to IMDB right here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/awards.
The production of Donnie Darko
The production studio used for Donnie Darko was Flower Films, owned by Drew Barrymoore and Nancy Juvonen. This gives answer to why Barrymoore had such a small part in the film, in comparison to her acting status, because she had a part in production. That said, every part in Donnie Darko, be it however small you like, is still significant to the entire story. The cameras used in the film were digital which allowed for the studio to ass some CGI effects e.g. the portal in the cinema.
Marketing and Advertisement
The advertisement in Darko was the typical run-of-the-mill stuff, i.e. posters, television ads, bus stop ads, magazines, etc.
This is one of the poster advertisements used for the film. As you can see, it beholds a very artistic image of Frank the Rabbit's mask, made up of the faces of the characters in the film. This kind of image makes you look twice to see under the mask to all the faces and gets you more interested in what it is. It also portrays a dark image to the film which can subtly bring out a morbid attraction to the audience, without giving too much away about the film itself. It also includes a list of the main characters in the film, a way of dropping big names to further attract people to watching the film. The film title is bright and contrasting to it's background, but also fits in with the main image just above it and the rest of the text; this is so it pops out to people.
This is one of the trailers used for the film. It flicks through a lot of scenes to reveal just enough about the movie to interest but not too much that it spoils it. The creepy backing music and words like "visions" bring out morbid interest in the audience, which goes with the morbid aspects of the poster. There is also big name dropping in the trailer to, once again, draw more people in.
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