Monday 29 September 2014

Dredd essay task

Who were the films producer, distributor and and script writer? (try and find other films by these groups) 
The films producers were Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich. 
The distributors were Entertainment Film Distributors and Lionsgate.
The script writer was also Alex Garland.
Who are Lionsgate (who owns them?)
It is a Canadian-American entertainment company founded by Frank Giustra. 
Who are IM Global (who owns them?)
The company is one of the leading film financing, sales and distribution companies in the world. Founded by Stuart Ford.
Who are DNA films (who owns them and who partnered with them?) 
DNA Films is a British film production company founded by Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald. They are partnered with Fox Network Group.
How was the funding for DNA originally split?
50/50 between DNA and Fox Searchlight, they both put in £25million. 
Why did they need to maintain their relationship with Fox Searchlight?
They have an incredibly close relationship with them, they are a huge supplier and they value them.
When did Lionsgate announce their three picture deal with IM Global?
Dredd is included in a three-picture deal between Lionsgate and IM Global that was announced during November 2010.

Where did Karl Urban announce his role in Dredd?
Urban had disclosed during Comic-Con last month to the Collider.com web site that he had been offered the lead in Dredd in July 2010.

Why might this have helped attract the film's target audience 
People at the comic-con convention like these types of films therefore would be interested in Dredd.

How much money did Dredd make from pre sales (this is people buying the right to show your film)?
$30 million.

How much did a distributer pay for the rights to show the film in the UK?
$7 million.

Where was the movie filmed? 
Filming locations included Johannesburg and Cape Town Film Studios (Dredd was the first project filmed at the studio).


Production
When was the 'lawmaker' gun built and designed?
It was first designed as a physical prop in 1995.

During which other UK film was the 'slo mo' sequences designed?
Never let me go.
How did the film makers feel about making an 18 certificate film?
They said they didnt really think about the certificate Alex said 'By the end of that we didn’t have any pressure. You could have had studio pressure possibly if it was a studio movie in a different way, that could happen, but the way this movie was set up it was never really an issue.'
How long did it take to film Dredd?
13 weeks

Which camera was used to film Dredd?
It was shot using RED MX, SI2K, and phantom flex high speed digital cameras

Why did they need to create new camera rigs?

He built new camera rigs to bring the audience closer to the action.
Post production
What issue affected the films editing? 
 

Distribution and marketing
How many cinemas was Dredd released in and how many ONLY showed it in 3D?
2,506 locations, of which approximately 2,200 are 3D

How did producers begin promoting Dredd 3D?
producers began marketing the film to its core under-25 male demo at Comic-Con. 

What viral marketing campaign did the producers use for Dredd?
As part of the campaign, Lionsgate partnered with publisher 2000AD and Motion Comic to create an online comic-strip prequel to “Dredd.

The film premiered at Fantastic Fest, what is it and why would this appeal to the films target audience?
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas this would appeal to the films target audience as the type of films shown at fantastic fest such as action, sci fi and horror, Dredd falls into many of these genres therefore these people would take interest in the film.

Which awards did the films marketing campaign win?
Dredd's marketing campaign won a Golden Trailer Award for Best Thriller TV Spot for the trailer "Big Addicted", and received nominations for: Best Action TV SpotMost Original TV SpotBest Graphics in a TV SpotBest Music TV Spot, and Best Action Poster and Most Original Poster for the Dredd motion poster

How much money did the film gross at the box office? 
Domestic Total Gross was $13,414,714

What unusual step did the film's UK distributors take to ensure people watched in 3D?
Lionsgate removed the ability to see the film in 2D.

What percentage of audiences are physically incapable of seeing a 3D image?
12-30%. What % of light is lost in a 3D film?
30% of light is lost in a 3D film.

Which film was Dredd unfortunate to be released after?
Gareth Evans The Raid, with which it shares a (coincidentally) similar premise – lawmen fighting their way through a tower block of terror. 

In the UK which position in the DVD charts did Dredd occupy?
It was the number 1.

What might this show about the decision to allow only a 3D release?
It shows viewers were not interested in seeing the film in 3D and therefore the film would have been more of a sucess at the box office if it were to of been released in 2D.

In the US which audience demographic was the largest?
The largest audience was over 25's (69%) and male (75%).

How many units did Dredd sell on DVD/BluRay in the US?
650,000.

How much money did this bring in?
$10 million.

Monday 22 September 2014

Skins episode 1, Representation

Camera:
When Tony is first seen in his bed at the start of the scene the lighting on his face shows another outline of his face on the pillow next to him. Birds eye view is used to show full bed set and Tony laying in it.
Editing:
Uses cutting between frames.
Sound:
The theme tune for Skins is classic and out of fashion compared to the content of the programme which is about young people. The tune is upbeat and catchy. Non diegetic sound and diegetic sound are both used. Such as diegetic sound within the scene like the music being played loudly when sneaking his sister in and non diegetic sound is used when the music is played over the top of the programme when Tony is exercising.
Mise en scene:
Within Tonys bedroom everything is perfectly a line and neat. His room is mostly white and features props like retro film posters such as Blow up-Antonioni and 8 1/2- Tedenico fellini. His bed set has a naked man and woman on and when he opens his draw his clothes are perfectly folded.
Representation of Tony
Tony is represented as a stereotypical teenage boy, he is rebellious by disobeying his dad and he is very manipulative in the way he acts towards him and how he sneaks his younger sister in Effie, also showing he is intelligent. However you could also say he is not the stereotypical teenager as he does not snitch on his sister and helps her out. His character is also passive aggressive towards his dad and acts as if he is in control in of his household. Tony is represented as a stereotypical teenager as he stares at the woman across the road wanting sex/lust, the character is very narcissistic as he looks as himself in the mirror and seems obsessed with his appearance. He works out with an exercise routine when he gets up and chooses his clothes to make himself look good. He has a smart style wearing chinos, a plain red t-shirt with a black v-neck jumper and white shoes. He also has a normal stylish haircut . Tony is almost presented as OCD due to the mise en scene in his bedroom such as the clothes in his draws are perfectly folded like in a shop. He is shown as obsessive due to how when his alarm goes off he is already awake and he is lying perfectly in the middle. The character seems intelligent because he is reading a Jean Paul Sartre book and Tony is popular and is the ring leader of his friendship group. Tony and Sid are binary opposites in the way they behave and look/dress, Tony is patronising towards Sid and sees him as a figure of fun. Tony is controlling of his friends and sexist to the girls like Michelle, his behaviour towards her is unacceptable and he objectifies her showing that he is confident and arrogant.

Monday 15 September 2014

Textual Analysis and Representation (The 7 key areas of representation).




You need to understand how these technical elements (in the last post) create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places and help to articulate specific messages and values that have social significance. 

Particular areas of representation that may be chosen are:
  • Gender
  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Sexuality
  • Class and status
  • Physical ability/disability
  • Regional identity  





Textual Analysis and Representation (The 4 key areas of textual analysis).



Camera Shots, Angle, Movement, Composition
  • Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these.
  • Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
  • Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
  • Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.
Editing

Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.

  • Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
  • Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.
 Sound
  • Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.
  • Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.
Mise-en-Scène
  • Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties.
  • Lighting; colour design.

Thursday 11 September 2014

1. What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for? The global box office was responsible for 15% of the British film industry. 
2. What was this in 2009? It was 6.8%
3. What might this change indicate about British film?This change could indicates it is now easier to claim films as British when they are not completely British. 
4. What films have been responsible for this change? Films responsible for this change are Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part two, Skyfall and The Kings Speech.
5. What % of the British film industry make a profit? 7% of the British film industry make a profit.
6. What % of Hollywood films make a profit? 17% of Hollywood films make a profit.
7. How does that % differ between £2m and £10m budget British films? The difference is the more money spent within budget means a better quality film therefore more profit is made. 
8. What might we infer from this difference?  From this difference it shows that higher budget films make more profit.
9. Which age group males up the largest % of UK cinema goers? Over 45's.
10. Why do you think this might be? This is because of the type of films being made and aimed at certain audiences.
11. Which type of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance? The film that has seen the 18% drop in attendance is 3D films.
12. Within that type which genre has seen the biggest fall? The biggest genre which has seen the biggest fall is family films.
13. What did Charles Grant put this decline down to? Charles Grant put this decline down to that the films are too expensive.
14. Who is Paul Greengrass? Paul Greengrass is an British film director.
15. How did he describe the British film industry? He said it was a success story and predicted it would continue to see international growth especially in China.
16. What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget Britsh films? He said they were successful and beneficial to the industry for reasons like skills and training development and for artistic and cultural importance.
17. What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take? The budget was £2million and it took £4 million. 
18. What advantage did James McEvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films? He said they have a large budget to sell the film. 
19. What is VOD? Video On Demand.
20. What  increase did VOD see last year? 50%.
21. What impact might VOD have on distributers and Studios? VOD could impact it by possibly making the distributors and studios less important.
22. what impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?  it caused Blockbuster to go out of business as people no longer needed to rent DVDs when they could just as easily rent them.
23. What is unique about Ben Wheatleys 'A field in England'? It was the first UK film to be released simultaneously in cinemas, on DVD and throughout VOD.  
24. What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of film making? Reaching an audience with a good film. 
25. Why have rules relaxed on what makes a film 'British'? To encourage more investment in the UK film industry. 
26. How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged? They will include an increase in the opportunities available for using British visual and special effects. 
27. Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill list, The worlds End. 

  • Film set in the UK - All of these films are set in the UK.
  • Main characters are British citizens or residents - in The kings speech was Collin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, The worlds end used Nick Frost and Simon Pegg and Kill List used Neil Maskell. 
  • Film based on British subject or underlying material- The kings speech is about the English Monarchy, The worlds end is based on traditional English pubs in an English town  and Kill list is about two hit men in the north. 
  • Original dialogue recorded mainly in English language- these three films were all filmed in English.
  • Represents and reflects diverse British culture, heritage or creativity- The kings speech is based in the upper class, the worlds end is based on middle class and kill list is based in working class.

28. What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British films? He announced that tax relief would be raised from 20% to 25% on the first £20 million of qualifying production expenditure. Productions will also only have to spend 10% of their budgets on UK expenditure to quality, down from 25%, to help more indepent production companies and make the UK a more attractive co production partner. 
29. What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history? Skyfall, James Bond adventure film.. 
30. How much has it taken and how many screens was it shown on? It took £94.3 million and was shown on 587 screens.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Camera angles



1. Over the shoulder shot.


2. High angle shot.


3. Low angle shot.


4. Tracking shot.


5. Tilt shot.


6. Zoom.


7. Arc shot.


8. Crane shot.


9. Panning shot.


10. Extreme long shot.


11. Long shot.


12. Mid shot.


13. Two shot.


14. Close up.


15. Extreme close up.


16. Point of view.









Sunday 7 September 2014

Representation on American Beauty

The representation of Lester Burnham:
Lester first seems unhappy with his life by the way in which he speaks and how he acts. He has poor posture-slouches, hangs his head low, acts lazy and shows he has no confidence. He is shown as unhappy due to the way he talks about his wife in a negative way and their roles are almost reversed as his wife is in control as the husband would be. His life seems sad as he is forced to sit in the back seat of the car and be driven to work, Lester is not respected by his family because of the way they speak to him and how he is treated.

Camera work:
In the reflection of computer looks like a prison done on purpose, the way full shower is in screen showing he is trapped. Lighting on only half of his face- living in the dark, dying.



Mise en scene:
Dull colour scheme- boring, reflects lifestyle. Red, white and blue always in shot representing American title and roses on clothes, on the table linking to film title. When Lester talks to the boss at work he is shown very small in screen compared to the boss who is looking down on him.

Sound:
Uses non-diegetic sound as music playing over with Lester narrating. Music is repetitive, boring like his kife is shown as, voice narration uses a monotonous voice shows he is unhappy.


Film Production task:

Film production task:
The Avengers
Development
The idea for The Avengers came from the original marvel comic books.
It was Marvel Studios that agreed to produce the film.
Walt Disney own that studio that made the film.
The budget for the film was $220 million.
The film was produced by Kevin Feige.

Pre Production

Joss Whedon wrote the script for the film.
Joss Whedon also directed the film.
People who starred in the Avengers were Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson.
It was filmed in the USA.
Filming locations were Cleveland Ohio, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, California, New York.

Production
Filming the Avengers took...
Canon used two of its digital SLR cameras in the filming of the Avengers. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 7D Digital SLR cameras were used for point-of-view shots (ie, those shots seen from a character's viewpoint) before being intercut with 35mm footage.

Post Production

The film was edited by Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek.
In the USA the Avengers was released on the 11th of April 2012 and in the UK the 26th of April.
Marketing campains for the film were TV adverts, posters and trailers in theatres.
As for the film reviews, it was said to 'live up to its hype' and raise the bar for marvel films, it was said to be one of the best adventure movies there is and some said it was the best superhero movie ever made. However others said the film was to much of a cliche and found it very predictable, people also said that it was 'a chaotic mish mash of action elements'.
The UK box office made $25.5 million.
The USA box office made $200.3 million.
In total the film made $1.5 billion worldwide.
The film was released on DVD on the 25th of September 2012.


 Les Miserables

Development

The idea for the film came from the famous musical Les Mis.
The studio that agreed to make the film was Relativity media and Working Tile Films.
Universal Pictures owns that studio.
The films budget was $61,000,000.
The films producers were Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh.

Pre Production

The script writters were William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Sconberg and Herbert Kretzmer.
The director was Tom Hooper.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried.
It was filmed in England.
Locations such as Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, Portsmouth, Hampshire, Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire.

Production

Filming took...
Cameras used to film were 35mm spherical package of ARRICAM lite and studio cameras with ARRI/ZEISS Master prime lenses.

Post Production

The film was edited by Melanie Oliver and Chris Dickens.
The film was released on the 11th of January 2013 in the UK and the 25th December 2012 in the USA.
The film featured SFX and CG visual effects.
Marketing used were posters, TV adverts and trailers in theatres.
Reviews for the film were mixed such as one review said they knew they had made a mistake watching it within the first few minuets, another said they found it incredible and had nothing negative to say about it. A different review said even though they don't like musicals they found Les Mis amazing, one said that the 'movie captured a live theatre production on screen for all cinema goers who never had the chance to enjoy a live theatre production' and others said they were shocked at the amount of positive reviews because they found the film 'dreadful'.
The film made $103.6 million in the USA.
It made over $400 million worldwide.
The film was released on DVD/Blu-ray on the 22nd of March 2013.

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Representation

From using the UK Tribes I would think I belonged in a range of different groups, I would say I mainly belong in the 'trendies' category as I'm very interested in fashion, enjoy music and being with my friends. I do consider myself style concious and do try and follow many celebrity fashion trends, however I normally shop in high street stores such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters. I keep up to date reading the latest fashion magazines as I like to see what people are wearing, I don't like to look exactly the same as everyone else but I do try to stay wearing the current trends. I then also would put myself in the 'Creatives' category as I love art and design, also slightly in 'Rahs' as I wear brands such as Jack Wills and Hollister, read Vogue and enjoy watching made in Chelsea, listen to chart music and like sports. I would also class myself as a 'sports junkie' as I take equestrian (horse riding) very seriously and I am determined to succeed. 

The media figures I would consider similar to me is Charlotte Dujardin, a famous horse rider who is a double gold medallist and world champion. The reason I would say I am like her is because I am very determined and have a passion for the sport. I would say I am similar to Cara Delevinge because I would dress in some of the same casual styles as she does by wearing high street fashion brands however makes them look smart but she has her own unique look.

I do consciously look at media figures fashion choices such as reality TV star Lucy Watson featuring in Made in Chelsea. I like the way she dresses however I don't intentionally copy her style to be like her. 

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Representation, who are they task.



Initial thoughts:
Homeless man/poor, due to patched up trousers, scuffed shoes, beard. Smoking- spends all his money on cigarettes.
Who is he: Doug Bihlmaier, standing on Madison Avenue NYC, works for Ralph Lauren travelling the world.
Initial thoughts:
Possibly has a lot of money- fur coat, clothes look expensive. Could be interested in art or fashion?
Who is she: Anna Di Piaggi, Italian, fashion writer.
Initial thoughts:
Could have a lot of money, expensive blazer, leather belt, branded shoes has botox.
Who is he: Calvin Klein designer.