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.