student film opening

For this task we were asked to find three student productions of our choice one to present to the class that I 

found interesting and two others to mark using the criteria below. 

Level 1 0–23 marks The work for the main task is possibly incomplete. There is minimal evidence in the work of the creative use of any relevant technical skills such as:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task; 

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions; 

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene; 

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects. 

Level 2 24–35 marks There is evidence of a basic level of ability in the creative use of some of the following technical skills:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task; 

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions; 

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene; 

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects. 

Level 3 36–47 marks There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task; 

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions; 

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene; 

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Level 4 48–60 marksThere is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:

• material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Inner Evil AS student opening

This film opening is not your everyday 'get ready' opening, it creates enigma as it is clear something is going on and going to happen in the rest of the film. I would mark this film as a high level  3 at 47 marks or possibly a low level 4 at 48 marks. It has suitable music across opening which also adds to the enigma, it also contains non-digetic sound effects such as when the glass is put on the counter top.  The sound has also clearly been re-recorded and then added in during editing as all the sounds are clear. The editing of the film is appropriate for the genre and makes the opening look smooth. The titles appropriately go with the genre of the film, both the order and the text font.

Beneath The Trees Student Film opening 

This film opening has some  creative shots which add to the enigma, the titles are simple and plain which matches the background music. From the beginning of the film it is clear what is happening however it still does not give anything away. None of the characters faces are shown which builds up the mystery and the tension adding to the enigma. The lighting of the production is all very natural and the mise-en-scene matches well with the genre which appears to be mystery, thriller perhaps horror as the film continues. the setting of the words is foreshadowed from the title. I would give this film opening 35 marks at a high level 2. The material is appropriate for the target audience,the titles are appropriate for the film conventions and the opening is intriguing for target audience.

Location

chelmsford Museum Interior (Downstairs Interior)

 We used the museum as our main location because we thought that we could use aspects of it in a modern way but also emphasise the more historical features for the scenes set in the past. 

Chelmsford Museum (Exterior of House)

The exterior of the museum gave us a paved road to walk on and some green fields. This was perfect for all of the shots that we needed to film outside.

Student's House (Attic, Hallway and Charlotte's Bedroom)

We needed to use someone's house so that we could sit on a chair in a bedroom and use a loft. We wanted the bedroom to be more modern because we believed that a person in their twenties in the present day would not want a very old fashioned bedroom, even if their house is very old.

Classroom (Office)

We decided to use a classroom for the office because we needed a computer for Charlotte to type on and the classroom provided a desktop computer. The desk was also very plain and wooden, like you would see in an office and the room provided good lighting to film in.

Prop list/ costume

props 

Empty box
Makeup
Photography album/ photo frames
Votes for women sign
Doll
Blanket
Sash- votes for women
Mobile phone
Laptop
Train ticket
Dusting cloth 

Costume

Lorna 
A maxi skirt 
Grey blaster
Long coat 

Leah and Jess 

Long coat 
Skirt

Charlotte 

Black trousers
Shirt 
High heels 
Make up

Because of them website

This is the website that we designed for marketing our film. It includes lots of information about the film and also includes connections to our film opening and social media sites.

Our Web Address -  http://hartounnoushiansl1.wixsite.com/becauseofthem

Because of them Facebook page

We have created a Facebook page to help with the marketing of our film and to make it more accessible to our target audience. 

The link to our Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/becauseofthemfilm/

On our Facebook page we have included our film poster and a link to the opening of our film on YouTube.

Film titles

Production company-
film4 

other production companies
solar productions 

Charlotte Revell

Lorna George 

Because of them

Leah Harte

Jude pattyfer

Casting by

John ranch

Produced by

Ben Home

Music by

Gavin Luke

Edited by

Roger brown

Produced by

Emily Hall

Director of photography

John deadwood

Written by

William field

Produced by

Emily Hall

Directed by

Todd Haynes

BBFC certificate

Here we have discussed why we have given our film the Age Certificate of 12. 

Our film will include discrimination against women however it will be clear that this is wrong and the main character will be fighting against this discrimination. We will also include some mild violence but most of it will be implied only. There will be no gory details in regards to violence. There will  be some moderately disturbing scenes but the film as a whole will not have this tone. There will be no use of drugs or strong language; there will be moderate language only. There will be no sex scenes and sexual acts will be implied only. 

Our film would not be able to have the certificate: Parental Guidance (PG) because it includes discriminatory behavior towards women and there will be some intense threatening scenes for the characters which could be difficult for children to watch. There will also be moderate language which will not be suitable for children. 

Our film would not be a 15 certificate because it does not include the use of drugs, strong sex scenes or strong language. Dangerous scenes will not be in  a great amount of detail and very frightening and intense scenes will not be long or frequent. The violence in our film will also be moderate only and not strong.

Music research

These are some music ideas that we had, we took into consideration copyright and eras our opening was set in.

Fonts,Film Names and title research

In this we looked at different fonts, film names and title orders. we looked at different films for inspiration and what fonts other films used.  we came up with a variety of film names and did a survey among  our class. we decided on the title 'because of them' .

Marketing campagin

For this task we looked at ways we could market and promote our film .

Logo

In today's lesson we learned about independent and mainstream films. We then had to create our own film logo.

Independent Film:
an independent film is a film which is produced mainly or completely outside of the studio system, it is also produced and distributed by independent entertainment agencies. They make you think and ask questions.

Mainstream Film:
a mainstream film is lore expensive than an independent film, it uses more camera equipment and is distributed across cinemas as well as in shops once released on DVD. It can changes the audiences emotion by making them laugh and cry.

Juno film opening task an evaluation

In this lesson we recreated the Juno opening scene, 

Evaluation:

How did filming go?

Filming went well, everyone in the group helped with different things. we got all of the shots we needed and more, however when editing we faced some problems with the length of time we filmed each clip for. The shots were not long enough which meant we had to slow them down when editing. 

Was your storyboard accurate?

Are storyboard was accurate but did not include enough information, It was a first attempt and now from this i have learnt what sort of information needs to be included in this. 

Did you get all the footage you needed?

we managed to get all of the shots and footage we needed however our mistake as a group was that the footage for some scenes we not long enough, this meant that in editing we needed to slow the footage down to match the original scenes length. 

what technical skills either camera or premier did you learn?  How did it compare to the original?

I learnt how to use the video camera and how to edit on premier, I learnt how to slow footage down,adjust the color of the footage. I also learn how to add different effects on the video although I had done this previously I  learnt how to adjust the effect.

what went well- what I learnt- what I will take with me to the next production?

Over all my group worked well together , we were open to each others ideas.I learnt how to do different things on premier and how to adjust the footage. from this I know know how to work the camera and would be more confident to appear on camera and editing for the next production. 

Film Pitch

Horror age 16-21 unisex 

Feedback:

Relevant/ intriguing/catchy film title?

'short, sweet and catchy'

'original and catchy'

'its the theme of the film and gives a hint about the plot.'

'short but intriguing'

Interesting characters and appropriate cast?'

'relatable characters'

 

was interest created for the audience? Enigma codes?

'yes definitely, I like the combination of religion and gangs.'

'makes the audience want to know more'

 

Narrative suitable. for target audience? will it attract customers?  

'it is suitable for the age group and would pass for a 15 ,should attract teenage audience.'

 

Does the narrative fit the genre? are the conventions in place?

'yes includes violence'

 

Is the film different?

'The film is different from other horror films.'

'I've not seen a film like this before'

'original ideas'

 

Good ideas for marketing the film?

' wide variety used'

'good advertising techniques'

 

would you buy the film?

14/20 people said they would invest in our film.

Institution

What is the main film going audience?

Moviegoers by Age Group, 2010 ( US and Canada)

AGE	PERCENTAGE OF MOVIEGOERS	PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
2-11	15%	14%
12-17	11%	8%
18-24	12%	10%
25-39	23%	21%
40-49	15%	15%
50-59	12%	14%
60+	12%	18%

 

How do cinemas make most of their money?

Confectionery, everybody when they go to the cinema wants popcorn, sweets and/or a drink, the cinema makes most of their money by over pricing these things. without confectionery stands cinemas would not be able to stay in business.  
On screen advertisement, studios may pay cinemas to screen trailers before the film, advertisers may also pay the cinema to screen their ads.

How do you get a film into the cinema?
cinemas who are interested in your film pay you so that they can show your film.

What does a distributor do?

The film distributor is responsible for the marketing of the film.
 

Avengers age of ultron (2015)  (High budget)     The kings speech (Low budget)

What are the main institutions used for each of the films? (in terms of production and distribution?) Find their logo and add it on.

Avengers age of ultron:

The kings speech:

 

How much money was used to produce each film? (The budget)
 Avengers age of ultron- $316 million (gross) $267.4 million (net)
The kinds speech-  $15 Million

How much money was made from each of the films?
Avengers age of ultron- $1 billion
The kings speech-$414 Million

How well known are the production companies for both the high-budget and low budget film?
The production companies which produced avengers age of ultron are very well known, the logos are recognisable by most people, however the production company's for the kings speech are not very well known, the logos are not familiar.

What other films has the production company made? Were these as successful? Why/why not?
Marvel studios have also produced: Ant man, captain America, the avengers, iron man, and spider man.
The Weinstein company have also produced: the silver lining playbook,  the nanny diaries, the brothers grimme and scream 4.

What genre of films does the company usually produce? Is this important when considering who could produce your film? Why?
Thriller, crime, drama films are mainly produced by the Weinstein company , this is important to consider when considering who could produce my film because their target audience will be different to marvel studios because they produce different types of films the marvel studio mainly produces mainly Si-fi, action fantasy films .

What audiences do each of the institutions aim to appeal to? Is this reflected through their film choice, or does this vary?
Marvel studios are aimed at older children, teens and adults anyone who enjoys s-fi and
action films. their is a wide variety of people who enjoy the marvel super hero theme therefore the studio has a wide audience.
The Weinstein company target their films at older teens and adults there films seem to have mature themes and or horror elements which would not be suitable for young views.

Which institution do you feel outperforms the other and could claim to be more successful, considering your research? Explain your reasons.

I think The marvel studio outperforms the Weinstein studio because they are more well known and recognised . Their movies and logo can be recognised not only on screen but also in children's toys.
they are very well know and more recognisable than The Weinstein company. they also make a lot of money on the films they make compared to the films the Weinstein company produce.  

Dancing animals, practice editing skills

In this lesson we started to use premier editing program. I got video clips from the shared area and added them together, Cropping out parts I did not want. I then added effects and transitions and chose music to go with the clips. 

Narrative

key words:

Narrative: some kind of story re-telling. the narrative is not the story itself but the was the story is told.

enigma: what people want to find out.

Barthes

Anything is possible.

lots of meaning for the narrative

texts may be open or closed

Aristotle

Must be a beginning, middle and an end.
Todorov

suggests each narrative passed 5 stages.

equilibrium: state of normality

a character or an action cause effected which disturbs the normality./

has ups and downs.

the main protagonist recognises that the equilibrium has been disrupted.

Propps

Studied Russian fold and fairy tales

came tot he conclusion that all narratives have common structures.

propps 8 character types

1. The hero

2. The villain

3. The Donor

4.The dispatcher

5. The false hero

6.The helper

7.The princess

8. The father of the princess

Levi strauss

An interesting story has opposites

Binary opposites everywhere

e.g. good-evil

old-young

black-white

masculine-feminine

The Prestige- Opening scene 

Barthes Code 

what are that tops hats on the ground doing there? what is their relevance?
- The top hats could represent the magician, to foreshadow death, or even foreshadow the 'magic' which is trying to show the audience.

"are you watching closely?" what does this mean?
- this comment not only describes the audience when a magic trick is taking place; because they are trying to see how the trick is done, but also reminds the audience to pay close attention or they might miss something, it also suggests something is going to happen in the film which needs the audience to watch carefully.

who is the little girl?
- the young girl appears to be a relative or acquaintance of the older man. she is very young, and signifies innocence, and naivety , this could represent how naive the audience are to believe in magic.

who is the magician?

what is the big machine?
- the machine appears to give off electricity however this could be an illusion to fool the audience and build up tension.

what is the relationship between Angier and Borden?
-Angier and Borden work together i know this because  he says 'i'm part of the bloody act you fool'
Borden did not appear to be trying to help Angier get out of the water tank, this could suggest this was planned all along; for him to drown.

what will happen to the little girl?
- the little girl represents the audience, she may get caught up in the act and be fooled just as the audience have.

Action Code

Flattening the cage, could represent the death of the bird however the man then shows another bird, this could be used as representation that magicians do die but there will always be another to trey the trick.

Angier takes off his jacket, he later falls into a tank of water, he may have taken his jacket off so that he has less wight when he falls, however he doe snot seem to be aware of falling into the tank of water, therefore the removal of his jacket may just to be to add the suspense as part of the act to show off to the audience.

when Angier steps into the electrical field it adds to the suspense, the audience are unsure what is happening, this adds to the mystery and illusion of the show. 

water tank locks

Symbolic/ Semiotic Code:

The type of clothing signifies the Victorian Era.

The dress type seems to be suits- suggesting rich and successful people.

The lighting is very dark, adding the the mystery and gloominess f the scene.

Electrical fields shows danger- this also represent show dangerous a magicians job it and how not all of the tricks are safe.

the warmer colors in the young girls and older mans setting signifies comfort and being safe, in a warm environment this assures the incidence that the young girl is not in a dangerous environment.
The young girl represents the Audience, this also assures the audience that the audience in the film are also safe.

The bird represents the magician and the danger he is in.

Film Language

Camera- FAM

Frame- size of shots

Angle-high, level, low, worms eye. ,birds eye

Movement- pan(right and left on tripod), tracking (camera and tripod move), static, Zoom, whip pan, drone/helicopter, hand held

Mise En Scene- CLAMPS

Costume-

Lighting-high key- light, low key- dark , natural light

Actors- Age, gender, class

Makeup-costume make up , injury's(scars cuts etc.)

Props-

Setting- place, weather, time, date, season, indoors/outdoors.

Editing- (invisible- subconscious)

Sound- MCDOVE

Music-

Contrapuntal- when the music does not match the images.

Diegetic/ non-diegetic- what you hear in the film

Off screen/ On screen-

Voice over- (non- diegetic)

Emotion Felt- when hearing something.

Dialogue- the way something is said, accent, emotion behind it.

Editing (most invisible) STOPS

Screen time-

Transitions-

Order of Narrative-

Pace-

Special effects-

Film Language, film opening analysis 

Boyz in the hood

For this task we were asked to watched the firs minuets and apply our knowledge of camera,sound, editing, and Mise en scene to textually analyse the clip and the meaning it created. 

From the first few minuets of the film opening instantly non-diegetic sounds can be heard of gun shots and muffled talking and a young boy saying 'they shot my brother,they shot my brother'' this sets the scene for the rest of the film. This sound instantly makes the audience sympathise with the situation and the young boys loss of a brother.
The first image that is seen is a stop sign, the colour red signalling danger is in focus at a level camera angle in a close up shot. The next scene is a boy around 10 years old standing on a street corner, the street appears un-kept and the time if day seems to be mid morning as soon after the audience knows they are on their way to school. In this scene there is non-diegetic sounds of street noises (cars, wind, dogs ect.) the boy is then joined by three others (another boy and two girls; all of the children are dressed smartly which appears odd due to their surroundings) the camera tracks the children as they move up the street. Digetic sound can be heard as the children have a conversation with each other.One boy brags about how is is not afraid of being shot and how two of his brothers have been shot and they survived. this makes the reader feel a sense of shock that these young children are having this type of conversations and speaking about such violence, something with children of their age typically shouldn't be exposed to. The scene then changes again, the camera tracks the children at a medium long shot moving into a medium shot as they look at the scene which a shooting has taken place. Backing music plays in the background along with background non-digetic street sounds, whilst the children look around and then continue to have a digetic conversation about what they see, the way they talk again makes the audience sympathise with them, as they sound like they are used to this type of environment. The scene then changes into a classroom, where the camera is at an extreme close up on a picture of a children's drawing of  coffins, police cars and police helicopters. The cameras focus then changes as the classroom is tracked to allow the audience to see the children and teacher. digetic sound can be heard of the teacher talking to the class, non digetic sounds are then dded amongst this of children answering the teachers question and laughing at the 'class clown'. the boy although speaks confidently whilst say in his class chair becomes shy once he agrees to stand up and teach the class after answering back to his teacher. The boy then proceeds to speak the audience can head non-digetic sounds of laughter and digetic sounds of conversations. the scene rapidly turns into a fight with two boys. the fight between the two young boys then fades into a scene of a fight between a group on men in the street, this could suggest to the audience that children brought up in this way, and who act this way will end up like these violent adults in the street. it is unclear why the older men are fighting suggesting the rough neighborhood leads to unnecessary violence with unclear  causes other than that is the way these people are brought up to think and act.

Matrix- Opening 

For this video we were asked to consider color, binary opposition, female/male- good vs evil.

 This scene is very dark, with low key light. Police officers in the scene are using flash lights to see in the darkness. Binary opposites are used between male and female roles. The male characters are portrayed as 'good' trying to take down the Female character who appears much stronger than them. However towards the end of the scene the female character seems to be worried or nervous, She is then hit by a truck, it is unknown whether she has died or not. In realistic situations she would have however she seems like a very strong character, and because this is an opening scene it is unlikely that she would die.  It is unusual for the female role to be portrayed as the stronger character.

Up

For this video clip we were asked to consider how they show the passage of time, sound, mise en scene and camera. 

 In this video clip the passing of time is shown in a very clever way. it is shown by them doing different things e.g. getting married, building a house, hobbies, getting a job, planning for a baby, then the money in the jar each day and the wearing of different outfits as they do things. It is  a very original way to show the passing of time through the wearing of different ties, which shows perfectly time going on as they age. Once they are married the sound in the background is very upbeat and happy music, which represents the happiness of their life. The music then slows when they go through  hardships such as the loss of their baby, the music then gradually becomes happier as they move on with their life, and become content with the things that they have. the music is very inspiring and cheerful perfect for such a feel good clip. the clothing which they wear is very traditional, and stereotypical for a couple who have very original dreams and  ideas such as their colorful hose. their cloths clear represent the activities they are doing e.g. zoo keepers outfit for the wife when shes working. the lighting is very high key, which keeps the video clip feeling happy and light,even during the storm shot it is not particularly dark. The camera does not seem to move much rather its the images which are being shot that moves in front of the camera however the camera occasional pans right and left in slow movements. 

Cape fear 

For this video clip we were asked to analyse camera and Mise en scene. 

           

In this scene the camera tracks the movement of the actors. The actors shown play two opposite roles, this shows binary opposites the police officer and then the criminals. the police officers are wearing a  stereotypical officers uniform and the inmates are wearing very stereotypical shirt and trousers. The lighting appears to be natural lighting, it is not to dark but still not very bright. this could represent the mood of the characters. 

Audience

Uses and gratification theory

Blumbler and Kate

- focuses on not what the media does to the audience but what people do with the media.

Information

Education

Entertainment

Social interaction

Escapism

who has power and control over the audience?
When the audience engages with the Media, the media then takes control over the audience. Their attention is captured, which then means the audiences views, opinions and ideas can be changed according to the medias preferred reading and whether  the audience goes along with this or makes up their own mind.

Who creates the content the media or the audience?

Although the Media creates what we see I think the content is down to negotiated reading, and is down to the audience to decide what it is they take from the content. what a person sees when the see content depends on what it is their looking at and from what view point.

Can the media exist/function without an audience? Can an audience (public) exist/function without media?

Media without an audience is point less. The media would cease to exist without the viewing of an audience, an audience is not an audience if they are not viewing something , without the Media there would be nothing to view there for the audience and the media need each other to co-exist.

Who is more powerful: the media or the audience why/how?

The Media is a very powerful tool and often the medias preferred reading is the opinion given to the audience, although this can be tested I think the media is more powerful ands to often the media sways peoples opinions by giving true but sometimes false  information, sometimes the audience can not always identify that their opinions have changed because of the media it is a sub conscious act. this is why the Media is more powerful than the Audience. However the media does have some responsibility to the audience, if the audience became unhappy with something the media was portraying, it could harshly implement how the media continued to run. Therefor the Media and audience must have a balance in what they both do.

Can the media control an audience?
The media has a huge grasp on the way the audience view different things, this is because the media is everywhere, it has become such a daily thing that the audience no longer acknowledges that their life is run by the media.

 The film industry- the film and me questions

what do we mean when we use the word 'film'?
"a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a cinema or on television."(Goggle's definition)

Do you think the word 'film' means the same as 'movie'?

I do not think film and movie  are the same thing. Films are the actual story created and watched by the audience movies are the films watched in cinemas which represents the film industry.

what about the word 'cinema'?

The word cinema is the place which movies are watched, people go there for entertainment purposes.

My Top 10 Films

1. The book thief
2. 10 things I hate about you
3. Armageddon
4. The Polar express
5. The Last song
6. Beauty and the beast
7. LOL
8. Harry Potter Series
9. Hunger Games series
10. Divergent series

what have these films got in common?
 Many of my favourite films are different, and do not tend to have the same actors in, and are not the same type of film however there seems to be a theme of science fiction and thriller between Armageddon, hunger games and divergent. and also a theme of drama with 10 things I hate about you, the last song, LOL and the polar express.

How do You find out about a film?
I find out about films, though trailers shared on social media, as well as posters around town centres. if I go to watch other films in the cinema I also find out about upcoming films though the advertisements before the film starts. social media plays a large part in how I find out about films because trailers are shared.

what makes you want to see a film?
when I see a film advertised it makes me want to watch it, if It doesn't tell me much about the film, if the trailer intrigues me then I tend to want to know what happens, I also like hybrid films when I have the read the book and go to see the film, it is interesting to see if my imagination matches the film and if the story line has changed much.

How do you know what to expect from a film?
A film trailer plays a large part in what the audience expects from a film. Depending on the genre and actors the audience will expect different things. A trailer that doesn't give away to much leaves room for more expectations through imagination.

what are you paying for when you buy a cinema ticket or buy/rent a movie?
When you buy a cinema ticket you are paying for the rights to view the film, when you buy a film, you are paying for the right to own the DVD when you rent a film I is similar to paying for a cinema ticket, you are paying for the right to temporarily watch the DVD.

Do you think there are differences between watching a film in he cinema and watching it at home on DVD? If you think their are, what are they?  
Going to the cinema is different from watching a film at home because going to the cinema has a different atmosphere, the excitement of watching a new film that you Havant seen and one that hasn't been out long has a much different feel to watching a DVD at home, when the films been out a while, sitting in your lounge/ room in your home watching a film you could have seen before.

Are there some films that you have to see at he cinema or doesn't it matter?
I think some films are hyped up a lot which makes you more likely to go to the film and watching in oppose to watching it when it comes out on DVD I do not think their is a specific type of film that needs to be watched in the cinema however I do think films that are made a big deal of tend to be watched in the cinema more- However 3d films also have to be watched at home, 3d home glasses are nothing alike watching them in the cinema.