Preliminary Task

The Film Industry - Pt 6

Did millions of people go to see the Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in the first week of release because it was such a great film or because it was so well marketed?

The Pirates of the Caribbean hold many attributes that can be seen as reasons for its high grossing at the box office. It did not get nearly as many good reviews as the first, making it seem not as an accomplished 'good' film, although it is due to the first films popularity that is was so successful, as it already held an audience from the first film.
The brand and franchise itself are recognisable so people have preconceived opinions on the film and are often inclined to see the film despite the poor reviews it may have received.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience of your film?

Originally I had envisaged a fairly relatable and accessible opening to my film. I had primarily targeted an audience of 17-20 year old males. This is only what i thought the main bulk of my audience would consist of, as i was aware that aspects of it would appeal to a much older audience also. In terms of certification, i deemed it a 15, after having reviewed the 'bbfc' website, which addressed the topics of nudity, violence and drug use which, although not appearing in my opening, would have been themes later in the film. The 'bbfc' website says of drug use that:

At 15 drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.' I felt that this statement encased my film and the boundaries it set did not constrict my creative interests. My opening really consists of very little 'innapropriate' content which the 'bbfc' might deem 'unsuitable' for those under the age of 15 years old. In giving my film this certification I felt that i would be able to make my film accessible to a larger audience than of course if it had been deemed an 18.
It can be said that my film would attract a fairly niche audience and would have a more distinctive following than films such as Skyfall (2012), although would not create a cult following as some superhero films might (The Avengers, 2012)
The results from a survey i distributed to the audience at a viewing of my film widely ratified my assumptions concerning my target audience. The majority of people who i asked we from the age of 16-18 and all said that they enjoyed the film and would like to have watched more. Very little difference can be seen between opinions of males and females in terms of my film, which was not unexpected.

Evaluation Question 6

Equipment

The camera I used was an HD Panasonic Camera and was relatively simple to grasp and use effectively. I found more trouble in making sure that i had an SD card and was able to save all my footage effectively. I avoided using zoom too much or panning and tracking as often the shots looked shaky and unprofessional. 

I did not have to use a microphone as I did not want to record any of the ambient or diegetic sound.

Using the tripod (Velbon DV-7000) was easy and effective. I got to grips with using the spirit level to make sure all my shots were level and adjusting the speed of pans was easy enough to do on the tripod.

The lights and their power packs were very self explanatory and I used them extensively whilst shooting indoors. They helped to create interesting shadows and highlight elements within a shot that were not being paid enough attention to. The main problem i ran into when using the lights was that they ran out of power very quickly, leaving me with less light in certain shots than i would have initially hoped for. Of course natural lighting and the lights already present in my house were of great help when shooting my film.

I was already well accustomed to using Mac computers and luckily enough was used to using software by Apple as well so some of the functions of Final Cut Pro were not completely alien to me.
Final Cut was probably the technical element of the course i found most difficulty with, purely because i found the interface difficult to understand at times and i thought many of its functions were not well thought through enough when considering beginners to the software.

I wrote all the music for my film on Logic Pro 9 which i have been using for a couple of years now, so was able to create what i wanted with relative ease.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

(View in Youtube in order to see annotations)

The film industry in Britain, 2011.

Why do you think 3D takings when down when the number and variety of 3D films increased in 2011?

Despite the number of films being released in 3D increased in 2011 from the number in 2010, it is easy to claim that the immediate novelty found in 3D films had been somewhat lost by this point. This novelty is recognisable from the spikes in views of early 3D films such as 'Chicken Little' (2005) which held first place at the box office for its first two weeks. 

This downfall in views may also be attributed to the 3D films being released in 2011 themselves. Many smash hits were released in 2010, such as 'Toy Story 3', which grossed worldwide at $1, 063, 171, 911, earning more revenue than the previous two films combined.

Many of the films released in 3D were not necessarily produced in such a way to merit their conversion into 3D. This would give a lower resolution and a less 'clean' final product, in turn lowering admissions for said film.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Charles Stooke

The opening of my film is set in South London. My character is meant to elude any firm stereotypes, as his identity is to question for the majority of the film. He appears as a British, conservative middle class male, however it is apparent that there are aspects to his character that deviate away from those of your typical shut-in middle class man.

He presented in this way via a number of different mediums. The location is of a well-furbished, fairly grand house, set in a suburban street in south London. In his house he has lots of books and instruments, suggesting he is quite dull. His clothes are verging on being smart (suit trousers, a shirt and tie) although they are far too big for him and he wears a fairly grubby pair of white Reebok classics. These decisions were made in order to ridicule James’ character and show in incomplete aspect to him.

This undermines James’ character although also makes him easier to connect with, as he is not entirely stern and sinister and clearly has the tendencies of most people. I engineered this with my target audience in mind.

I chose James’ to play my character as he is an average looking man although has a few distinctive features. This was to show that he was not as average as the next person although was not dissimilar at all.

The audience would be estranged by James’ actions (murder) and his psychological state but still be able to form a strong link with his character as he does things and acts in the same way as many of them. People would be able to instantly associate with his surroundings (primarily middle class males) and actions whilst be startled by many of the less naturalistic events in the film.

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why?

My media product would most likely be distributed by a Commercial Art House Cinema (eg. Brixton Ritzy or Clapham Picture House).

Although many Art House cinemas are very well established and large, they take on smaller, independent films. They have smaller screening spaces, where as a multiplex or a city centre cinema have huge capacities. This sort of capacity is not necessary for my film as my target audience is younger film goers, a large portion of them would most likely be media students themselves. This sort of niche audience are characteristically drawn to art house cinemas due to the independent films they make space for, which are of the same category as my project.

Due to my film not including any highly technical aspects or CGI and generally appears to be a low budget production, it is highly unlikely that it would attract as large an audience as a 'blockbuster' film, such as 'Avengers Assemble' or 'Troy'. Much larger films (with larger budgets) often include well known actors who have pre-existing fan-bases and so draw huge audiences. These sorts of films require multi-plex or inner-city cinemas to accommodate for such huge audiences.

As a low budget film, we would not have enough money for advertising to draw in large audiences to fill larger cinemas. As well as this, we wouldn't be able to pay to have our film on over a number of weeks, as is usually the case with high budget films in large cinemas.

Evaluation Question 7

Evaluation Question 1

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

The preliminary task I filmed with a group towards the beginning of the course took little knowledge of the equipment and only really incorporated the use of one of the Panasonic HD Cameras and a tripod. The setting used consisted of the building we were in and we employed very few editing techniques when we ran it through Final Cut Pro. Although all this can be said, it would be untrue to say that our preliminary task was not a vital element in our learning process leading up to us eventually going out and filming for our two-minute thriller openings.

I opted to work on my own for the main task, as I wanted to ensure that I had no one to disagree with when creating my film. This his proved to be both a good and a poor decision on my part, good as I was able to avoid conflict with a fellow director although working on my own meant that my work load was quite large so I would say that my main difficulty in creating this film was not comprehending the work set but more trying to find the time to complete it.

First, I planned my planning, as every aspect of my preparation had to be meticulously planned so when I finally came to filming I could be sure that what I was doing would run smoothly. I had a rough idea of where I was planning on shooting thanks to the research I had carried out prior to this. I eventually settled upon Aldeburgh Yacht Club and my own house for my two locations, which allowed me to finish up my storyboard. These locations were both perfectly suitable and fulfilled what requirements I had, although the second (AYC) was slightly inconvenient due to the fact that it is situated two hours drive from London.

When it came to filming, although I was forced to wake at 10 o’clock on a Saturday, I can say that I enjoyed myself as well as furthered my knowledge of the equipment as I went along. I soon realized that the best technique in filming was to gather as many takes of one thing as you possibly could, so despite the process becoming slightly tedious, I could safely say that I had collected a sufficient amount of footage as to constitute my film.

Shooting at the AYC was very rewarding as the sky was incredibly beautiful and the location provided masses of interesting different shots that on its own provided an amazing MES and ambience.

My technical knowledge was greatly advanced during filming, and I came to grasp the process of using the cameras, setting up a shot, using the lights and their stands. I was sure to check all of my equipment was in working condition such as having an SD card and making sure I had charged battery packs.

My editing ability and knowledge also took great leaps and continues to grow as I finish up my project. Editing my preliminary task took me no where near as much time as I have spent on editing my 2 minute thriller opening, partly due to the fact that I have paid more attention to detail but also because I have taken time to play around with the software, exploring its capabilities and attempting to create interesting effects with them. My continuity editing has improved and I am beginning to use editing techniques (match on actions etc.) more frequently.

I am still working on sound, although in terms of atmospheric/diegetic sound, I intend on softening the sound through the use of EQ and filters on Logic Pro 9. This is to leave more space for soundtrack and a voice over which I am yet to record. The soundtrack I will be writing on Logic Pro 9 once I am further into the process of editing. This sound track will resemble atmospheric and electronic ambient works, some examples of which I have previously posted on my blog. Manipulating sound on Final Cut Pro is fairly self-explanatory, and I have easily gotten to grips with the automation and clipping it provides. Some of the effects on Final Cut Pro are useful although I fell I will be able to manipulate the sound more easily and more competently through Logic Pro 9.

In conclusion, I feel I have been successful in the work I have completed so far the planning, editing and filming stages of my production. I think I will be most successful in my sound as I am well versed in that area. The skills I have utilized and the work I have done for the production of my final task have been far more complicated and effective than those used in my preliminary task, displaying my advancement in the practical area of my Media Studies AS level. 

Font/Title

Some possible ideas of fonts for my title/credits.

The most appealing of these fonts is the top one. Block, simple characters fit well with the mood of the film and do not draw attention away from action in the shot too drastically. The bottom font also fits these requirements effectively.

For at least the first half of the film the title sequence will be taking place. This will be done using floating titles that fit with structures in the shots. 

These are some examples of opening credits which employ a similar technique.

Zombieland 

North by NorthWest

The Walking Dead

The Film Industry - Pt 5

Production

Actresses and their assets

Anne Hathaway would attract a family audience as her roles in the Princess Diaries allow her to be recognised by children and adults alike. Aesthetically she is very attractive, drawing attention from a male audience and she also stands as a positive role model for girls and young women everywhere. She is generally a well known actress and so would already carry a fan base and an audience that knew her from previous features. She would generally attract a wide audience due to her versatility in role and age.

What aspects of advertising persuade me to see a film?

The majority of films i hear about will be primarily presented to me via advertising. These mediums of advertising consist mainly of newspaper and magazine adverts, billboards, television and radio adverts and internet adverts. Although I am initially made aware of films via adverts it is usually through word of mouth or a review that i will hear whether a film is good. It can be said that advertising is key in the promotion of films, and without advertising one would be less inclined to visit the cinema and the majority of films I see, I will have heard of via advertising. 

Budget and Box Office

The Blair Witch Project 
Budget - $60, 000
Box Office - $248, 639, 099
Profit - $248,339,099

Paranormal Activity
Budget - $15, 000
Box Office - $107, 918, 810
Profit - $107, 881, 310

Avatar
Budget - N/A
Box Office - $749, 677, 139
Profit - N/A

Never Let Me Go
Producers - Andrew MacDonald, Allon Reich
Budget - $15 Million

The Kings Speech
Producers - Iain Canning, Gareth Unwin, Emile Sherman
Budget - £8 Million

Skyfall
Producers - Barbara Brocolli
Budget - $200 Million

Recent popular soundtracks that come to the forefront are those of The Lion King, which was composed by Elton John, Star Wars, written by John Williams, The Wizard of Oz, written by Herbert Stothart, A Clockwork Orange, written by Wendy Carlos and Blade Runner, written by Vangelis.

Lionsgate

Through the use of precisely coordinated and calculated business programmes and endeavours, Lionsgate has effectively cracked the entertainment industry. Against all odds and the immense power and wealth of the major studios, Lionsgate was created out of very little. In strategically buying out other companies such as Artisan and Trimark Pictures, Lionsgate has come into their assets, which primarily include archives of footage and feature films, allowing Lionsgate to expand their library to nearly 13, 000 titles. In order to maintain, Lionsgate releases, on average, 12 to 15 films a year, bringing in awards and revenue with each one. Lionsgate is also keen to keep universally appealing and diversified, allowing it to reach larger audiences. Now, 16 years since its founding, Lionsgate is the largest independent entertainment corporation in the world and is worth nearly $2 Billion.

STORYBOARD 

Ident

For my ident, i would like to take some of the images presented that contain large amounts of colour in interesting, irregular shapes and patterns, using them as a backdrop. On top of this, i will layer my ident in either black or white, creating a silhoutte over the image. This is not dissimilar to a lot of the Film 4 idents.
This style clearly presents your graphic design and logo whilst incorporating visually interesting and almost confusing images. This draws ones attention whilst also highlighting your ident. 

  

Sound

Foley Sound

All of the foley sounds I will require I will record myself using a directional mic and a digital audio recorder. I will take a buzz track for atmospheric sound and a foley track.

Script

No script is currently being used for my piece, although any voice used would be a voice over.

Non-diegetic Sound

I will write an atmospheric, sparse and tense electronic piece of music that matches the tone of the film. Its genre is difficult to pin down and would be best described (in loose terms) as progressive electronic. I will write, produce and record this music using Logic Pro 9 on my own computer and then transfer it onto Final Cut Pro as an mp3 file.

A clockwork Orange - Ominous and overbearing music, which gives a foreboding sense. Then a clean voice over is introduced, providing some context but is still in a menacing tone.

Burial: Homeless - This song carries dark vocals with large amounts of reverb and filters over them. This muffled sound gives a mood of desperation, whilst the cords provide a soft undertone. A sense of desperation is given.

Mount Kimbie: William - Soft, minor, chords in a beautiful synth with large amounts of reverb give a feeling of distance. A soft crackle gives the intro a fulness and then a filtered kick provides a new structure with the second chord sequence which is extremely comforting, with samples of people skateboarding and a singer, mixed very low. This provides a beautiful atmosphere.

Graphics 

I am particularly keen on clean cut, straightforward font, preferably somewhat bold and ever so slightly italic. The two best examples of my favourite fonts are that of Cape Fear and Halloween III. I find the somewhat digitalised yet extremely straightforward font attractive.

In terms of graphics, i am drawn to linear patterns, as can be seen especially in the opening credits for Pyscho, North by North West and Halloween III.
All this could be used incorporating an extreme close up of some material or feature that provides a visually interesting backdrop.
As can be seen in the Psycho credits, the text is, at times, shattered, broken or incomplete, reflecting Anthony Perkins less than complete sanity. I would like to use the same style of graphics to reflect the incomplete elements of James' characters life and perhaps even his lack of sanity.

Film Industry Research

To what extent does Hollywood dominate the UK film landscape? How has it managed to maintain such a stranglehold?

It can easily be said that Hollywood dominates the UK films scene. One is able to deduct this from statistics or even by standing in a cinema lobby.

The majority of films shown in British cinemas will be American Productions, and even if the film is shot and directed in England, by an English crew and funded by a British studio, it seems more and more likely that said studio would be owned by an American company.

Out of the 15 top grossing films in the UK currently, at least two thirds of the companies distributing them are American owned. The top 3 on this list alone are distributed by American owned companies.

A cause for high attendance and attraction to Hollywood Blockbusters is the fact that films produced in Hollywood tend to have larger budgets, allowing them high production values on sound and visuals, computer generated images and more widely known actors. The casting of a ‘big name’ actor alone can bring in large audiences.

Hollywood producers are effective in playing on what the audience is attracted to at the time by focusing on trends. As well as this, if a independent UK company is generating a large amount of attention then an American company will simply buy out its owners and absorb the smaller company. This is one of the reasons why Hollywood does not come under a lot of competition.