Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Monday, 24 March 2014
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Evaluation Question 1
One of our strongest points was editing, this was evident through our audience feedback, we used an effect called 'ghosting' throughout our sequence which echoed the movements of our protagonist, intensifying them. This made our opening sequence more mysterious and built up suspense. As well as this the effect enabled us to use the colours black and white which are normally dominant colours in thrillers as they're a code and convention. The special effect made it possible to slow down what was happening and help the audience understand what was going on inside the protagonists head. Also this coincides with the alcohol and smoking as she may be drunk or under the influence of drugs, making us feel as though we are inside her head.
From our audience feedback we found that we needed to 'make our story line more clear' as it wasn't very well explained from the beginning. As well as this we were told it would have been better to write something else other than 'you're next' on the photo to fit the codes and conventions better. We thought that it would be clear that she was out to get someone as the photo is next to her family photos and so she would be getting revenge but this was not clear enough to the audience as they thought we should have written something else. This resulted in them being confused by who the character was and what she was aiming to do.
We used the ghosting effect again to blend our shots when the protagonist is covering up the windows in the room to speed up the process as well as having a dramatic effect. This matches the character profile of someone in a psychological thriller as they like being alone and in the dark with their thoughts. We used a series of over the shoulder shots to make the audience feel as though they were locked in there with her in the dark room and make it slightly uncomfortable for them, giving our protagonist more of a character. Some feedback we got was to try and use a different variety of shots too from other angles before shooting. Also we were told that to help us put across our genre better we should use more props to fit the codes and conventions of the genre.
Our editing skills were again shown at the end of out opening sequence in our title. We used an eye which matched the title 'An Eye For An Eye'. This matched the codes and conventions as it's a freaky and strange image because eyes look strange close up and make you feel like you're being watched, possibly by the protagonist. It's almost like a threat to the audience which represents the theme of revenge. We made the image twist slowly to add more suspense and make it more disturbing for the audience to watch, the slowness is creepy and odd. The font is slightly gothic again a code and convention to match the opening sequence and as a last reminder of what's in store for the audience.
Evaluation Question 7
Looking back at my preliminary task I feel that I have picked up many skills in order to create a good film. I've learned about the camera and how to use it properly, as well as where to position it in order to not confuse the audience (180 degree line). As well as this I have learnt how to make a film look professional, for example paying attention to the head space so there is not too much, using the spirit level to make sure that the shot is straight, and keeping space in front of the character as they're walking so it looks like they're walking into something. I've also learnt a variety of different shots, e.g worms eye, pan, and how to do the perfect over the shoulder shot. I've learned how to position the camera to use the zoom to perfect a shot. I have the basic skills to make the right shots to use in an opening sequence.
As well as learning to use the camera I've learnt how to work successfully in a team in order to produce a good piece of work, I've learned how to direct and position props, and how to use the correct software in order to piece together a film and add effects and titles, as well as music and make cuts (editing).
Personally I am proud of what I have learnt and the skills I have gained, I'm happy with my progression and proud of my end product, however if I had the opportunity to go back I would have done things differently, e.g. I'd have used a better setting in order to make it look more realistic, better props and costume, and a more detailed story board to earn more time when it came to editing and getting the most out of our shots.
Evaluation Question 5
The fully black clothing which my protagonist is wearing creates an eerie and mysterious feel around the character, as well as representing her as being dark and gloomy. As she looks like a young pretty girl, you would expect her to be happy and quirky in bright girls clothing. However dressing her like a boy suggests she's not your typical young girl, but she has something different about her, a bad side. This determines the genre of the film as people can easily tell that its not a romantic comedy or sci-fi from their first impression of the character. Also using the black and white effect makes the protagonist stand out against the grey and white which are lighter, suggesting she is different, representing her as being evil and disturbed as the colours are opposites.
The credits fade in and out to create a feeling of suspense, and also to break up the routine which the character is performing, they all fade to black which again represents that their is a twisted feel to the character and the acts in which she is performing in her routine. You never know what she's going to be doing next which keeps the audience interested as they want to see what she is doing with the photographs in the small room, and also makes them want to understand what's going on. Also black is a code and convention of my thriller genre, I'd expect my audience to be aware of this.
Other than the few close ups used, the camera is usually quite far away from the protagonist, its usually behind her watching her, this is a subtle warning to not get too close to the character, using the camera as a discrete way to inform the audience that they and the character in the film should stay well away, which foreshadows the upcoming events in the film. The camera usually watches from afar keeping its distance, e.g. when she is drinking and smoking, also when she is writing on the picture its behind her.
The whiskey and smoking tells us that the protagonist has had a troubled past and so she numbs the pain by resorting to these things, this is a code and convention which we would expect the audience to know as she is psychologically disturbed, hence the thriller being psychological. This intrigues the audience as it makes them want to know what else she does in order to forget and avenge her past, and what actually happened to make her the way she is.
The music is a typical code and convention of a psychological thriller as it represents what is going on inside the protagonists head. Its slow and makes you feel uncomfortable. I'd expect my audience to already know this and so would associate the music with what's going to happen in the film, also it helps the audience put the film into the genre it belongs in.
The chosen theme of our film was revenge, we found that the audience would find it difficult whether to agree or disagree with the protagonist as she is trying to avenge her parents but is doing something abnormal, which would keep their attention as they would want to see how it ends. It gets the audience thinking about their families and what they would do in order to avenge them, and so would be close to the audiences heart because they could relate to it because everyone has a family.
A successful film that's similar to mine is Colombiana.
Columbiana - A young woman, after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota, grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.
This film opening is similar to ours because it has a similar storyline and the theme is revenge, which is the same as our film. However this is an Action Thriller. In the film opening there is a chase, which is a code and convention of an action film, this kicks off the action nearly instantaneously from the beginning of the film and pulls the audience in as they're on the edge of their seats wondering if she will get away. During this scene there are a lot of fast cuts used to show all the different things happening at the same time. The fast cuts keep the audience updated on the whereabouts of the characters and build up suspense. The fast cuts imply energy and keep the audience in anticipation. The cuts bring our attention to the antagonists getting closer to the little girl, so from the beginning we want to see her get away. The chase is a code and convention of an action movie because it determines who are the good and bad characters, also it captures the audience’s attention and keeps them guessing throughout the whole scene.
Props such as weapons are usually seen in action movies. Knives and guns are codes and conventions of action films, so the use of them here will be similar to our idea. They show the danger the main character has to face in order to complete a task or quest and makes the experience more scary for the audience, making them feel fear for the protagonist. As well as this they help the protagonist defeat the enemy, however many good characters don’t use violent weapons that hurt people. This is done to distinguish the bad from the good and help the audience understand the characters and their purpose.
As well as this the setting is typical for an action movie because it provides lots of obstacles for the protagonist to overcome in order for them to get away. For example running on roofs and falling though wooden shed roof tops, they usually provide some kind of injury but the protagonist has lots of spirit and has to continue to get away. You become attached to the protagonist and want them to get away for their own safety. You feel sad if they're sad and worried when they're worried.
Evaluation Question 3
At first someone will have an idea for a film, and then they create an outline and use it to promote interest in that idea. If the film appeals to a studio or independent investor they will decide whether or not to purchase the rights to the film. If they purchase it, then people are brought together in order to make the film (producer, director, cast, crew, screenwriter). After this the film is completed and sent to the studio, where the studio makes a licensing agreement with a distribution company. The distribution company will then determine how many copies (prints) of the film they will make. After this, the distribution company shows the movie (screening) to prospective buyers representing theatres. In addition to this, the buyers negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement. The prints are sent to the theatres a few days before the opening day, and the theatre shows the movie for a specified number of weeks (engagement). The result of this is you buying a ticket to watch the movie. Finally, at the end of the engagement, the theatre sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment for the lease agreement.
The distribution of a film or movie is the process through which a movie is make available to watch for an audience by a film distributor.
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for the marketing of a film.
A major film studio is a production and distribution company that releases a substantial number of film annually and consistently commands a significant share of box-office revenues in a given market.
The "Big Six" majors, are all centred in film studios active during Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930's and 1940's. These are 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount, Columbia, Universal and Walt Disney Studios. Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age, it was an important Hollywood entity, but not a major.
The company was founded in 1904 in New York City by William Fox, a 25 year-old Jewish Hungarian immigrant, who sold his cloth processing business and with the profits earned bought a lowly "common show." At that time, "common show" was the legal phrase for the exhibition of motion pictures in a store remodelled for that purpose and containing fewer than 299 seats. These primitive movie theatres charged five cents admission and therefore became known as "nickelodeons."
Mr. Fox, a born showman, bolstered attendance by hiring a magician to perform in front of his store to attract customers. His growing number of patrons sat closely together onfolding chairs (which were rented from a neighbourhood undertaker's parlour) and enjoyed simple short films. These early movie audiences viewed films that were hand-cranked through a lighted box which caused images to be magnified and projected against a white wall at the opposite end of the store.
In June 2008, they won ‘Retail Distributor of the Year’, ‘Rental Distributor of the Year’ and ‘Overall Distributor of the Year’. Home Entertainment also won a Marketing Award for ‘Best Film Marketing (Blockbuster)’ for The Simpsons Movie.
Warner Bros Entertainment, a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms.
Warner Bros. Studios began when the brothers Warner (Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack L.) incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In 1927, the release of the world’s first “talkie,” (synchronized-sound feature film), The Jazz Singer, set a character and tone of innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros. And--as Al Jolson foretold in this milestone movie--“you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”
In 2012, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group grossed $4.3 billion at the worldwide box office ($1.66 billion domestic, $2.67 international) with both its domestic and international divisions crossing the billion-dollar mark for a 12th consecutive year, a feat unmatched by any other studio. The Pictures Group has exceeded $4 billion globally for four consecutive years, also a milestone no other studio has ever achieved.
If my film were to become published it would be by an independent film distributor.
An independent film is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. They are sometimes distinguishable by their content, style and the way in which the film makers' personal artistic vision is realised. Usually, independent films are made with considerably lower film budgets than major studio films. They are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals before distribution. An independent film production can rival a mainstream film production if it has the necessary funding and distribution.
They develop and produce film and television projects for the British and international markets, in co-production with partners at home and abroad.
They are also an award-winning team with a long track record of television and film creation: Gareth Jones (writer/director/consultant) and Fiona Howe (writer/producer/consultant/composer).
Entertainment Independent Film Distributor
Entertainment is the UK's leading independent film distributor. It was founded in 1978 and has shown continuous growth and success since, distributing a wide range of products and building a significant film library. It released The Lord of The Rings Trilogy which was one of the most thrilling epic adventures in motion picture history which resulted in them receiving 17 Academy Awards. Over all it has got 38 Oscar wins and 22 BAFTA's.
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