Wednesday 10 December 2008
Tuesday 9 December 2008
Our first shot was a low angle shot of Jonny walking up a corridor from behind. It then cut to a an eye level shot of him coming towards the camera and up to a door in the wall. This helps to set the scene and show that before he enters the room it was only occupied with the one girl. The shot of him turning the handle was cut smoothly to a shot from inside the room of the door opening and him coming half way through the door. The continuity was crucial in this part so as not to disorientate the audience. When filming the dialogue we filmed one characters lines before filming the others and edited them into a conversational structure, we did this so that the camera would remain in the same position. Here is where we included out shot/reverse shot of the girl being spoken to, we did this to add variety from conventional over the shoulder shots. When editing we realised that one of our shots 'crossed the line' in the 180 degree rule and used Adobe Premiere Elements to flip the frame so that it was facing the right way.
As editing was the most crucial part in the construction of the film, especially being a continuity task, we used a program called Adobe Premiere Elements. This enabled us to cut frames, add effects such as slow motion or transitions and rearrange shots to create continuity. We had no problems envloving camera shake as we used a tripod for the entirety of the filming, this made a huge difference in the proffesional quality of the end result. We tried to demonstrate a variety of shots including: Low angle shot, close up, zoom out, shot/reverse shot, mid shot. We had no problems when uploading our film to youtube or onto our blogs.
Original Brief: “Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.”
I believe that our final product met the the brief fairly closely excusing the fact that our character didnt sit down opposite another character he simply stood infront of her. We did, however, clearly demontrate the character opening a door, crossing a room and exchanging dialogue with another character.
Wednesday 3 December 2008
Certification: 18 http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2007/apr/23/an18forthisisenglandthis
There was much uproar about the BBFC’s decision to make the film and 18 for its “realistic violence and racist language”. The makers believed that the ones who would benefit the film the most would not permitted to see the film due to this. Bristol City Council decided to give the film a 15 certificate but whether or not it will be changed remains to be seen.
Locations:
The ending credits were filmed in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, UK.
Most of it was filmed in Nottingham except the abandoned houses which were filmed in RAF Newton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK.
This was a place where This Is England was filmed
Funding: National Lottery
Production Companies
· Big Arty Productions
· EM Media
· Film4
· Optimum Releasing
· Screen Yorkshire
· UK Film Council
· Warp Films
Distributors
· IFC Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
· IFC First Take (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
· Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (all media)
· NetFlix (2007) (USA) (DVD)
· NonStop Entertainment (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
· Optimum Releasing (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
· Red Envelope Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
· Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
Special Effects
· MotionFX (digital intermediate)
Other Companies
· Abadia Catering catering
· Anglo American Filming Vehicles tracking vehicles (as Anglo American)
· Arn Lighting lighting equipment
· Barclays Bank PLC banking services
· Chitwell Van Hire vehicle hire
· Clearing House, The clearances
· DeLuxe Laboratories prints by
· EM Foundation publicity: UK
· EM Media developed by
· Film Finance completion guarantor (as Film Finances Inc.)
· Film Lab North rushes processing
· FilmFour developed by
· Ice Films camera and grip equipment (as ICE Films)
· Ice House accommodation
· Kodak film stock
· Kodak filmed on
· Media Insurance Brokers insurance (as Media Insurances Brokers)
· Movie Makers facilities vehicles
· Premiere Travel Inn hotel
· Saco World accommodation
· Sapex Scripts post-production script
· Spool Post Production audio & offline post facility
· Trans Sport rigging equipment (as Trans-Sport)
· Urban Short Stay accommodation
· Videosonics Cinema Sound sound re-recording
· Wavendcommunications communications equipment (as Wavend Communications)
· Whitehouse & Co legal and business affairs
· Works, The international sales
Review from Peter Bradshaw (British):
“Shane Meadows continues his fast and fluent film-making career with this quasi-autobiographical picture about skinheads: a movie with hints of Alan Clarke's Made in Britain and, in its final image, the haunted disenchantment of Truffaut's The 400 Blows. It is a sad, painful and sometimes funny story from the white working classes of 1980s Britain, the cannon-fodder caste alienated from Falklands rejoicing on the home front and not invited to participate in the nation's promised service-economy prosperity.
Meadows boldly attempts to reclaim the skinhead from the traditional neo-Nazi image, explicitly distinguishing his characters from a separate racist influence, and presenting them as an anarchic youth tribe that idolised West Indian music. He sees their susceptibility to the extremist right as a poignant and even tragic part of their fatherless culture, literally and figuratively orphaned by the times.
There's a winning lead performance from 13-year-old newcomer Thomas Turgoose playing a put-upon lad called Shaun in the run-down Grimsby of 1983. His dad was a serviceman killed in the Falklands and he's perennially getting picked on for this, and for his horrible flared jeans which make him look, as one bully cruelly puts it, like Keith Chegwin's son. Sloping and moping his way home after a standard-issue school day of humiliation, Shaun gets waylaid by some skins in a dodgy underpass, but instead of yet more battering, the gang give him sympathy and understanding; they become Shaun's only friends, and with a new Ben Sherman shirt and number one cut, Shaun has new pride and a new identity.
The gang's leader is Woody - a cheerful, sparky performance from Joe Gilgun - and they have an African-Caribbean member facetiously nicknamed Milky, played by Meadows regular Andrew Shim; Shaun even finds romance with one of the group's girl-punk fellow travellers: a languid and rather elegant older woman called Smell (Rosamund Hanson) who earnestly explains to Shaun's mum that she is called that simply because it rhymes with Michelle. The idyll is soon destroyed with the highly unwelcome appearance of Combo, a ferocious and sinister skin warrior just out of prison, played by Stephen Graham. He demands the group join his National Front cell, and turn out for an NF meeting in a tatty pub, addressed by one of the movement's suit-wearing officer class, played in cameo by Frank Harper.
Turgoose is the picture's heart and soul, and it's a terrifically natural, easy and commanding performance. Turgoose's open face radiates charm, and then, when he goes over to the dark side of racism, a creepy, anti-cherubic scorn: almost like one of the little blond kids in Village of the Damned. But Meadows is always concerned to preserve a sympathetic core to Shaun, and in fact to all the skins. Even the deeply objectionable Combo is shown to be suffering from emotional pain.
Like Meadows' earlier pictures, Dead Man's Shoes and A Room for Romeo Brass, This Is England is about younger, vulnerable figures being taken under the wing of older, flawed men, and this personal theme here finds its richest and maturest expression yet. As to whether we should buy its implied leniency about skinhead culture: that is another question. The West Indian influence is advanced as proof that skins were not necessarily racist: yet it can't cancel out Combo's hate campaign against South Asians, the "Pakis" who "smell of curry", a campaign which goes quite unchallenged or even unremarked upon by any of the skins, good or bad.
The skinhead identity is, after all, obviously supposed to be more aggressive than that of other tribes: I remember as a 10-year-old cowering on the terraces of Watford football club in the early 70s, as the Luton boot boys got stuck in, and my father grimly telling me that the reason they shaved their heads that way was so the coppers couldn't grab them by the hair. Whether or not that is true, it certainly made the wearer's head look like a big, third clenched fist. And it's still difficult to get a handle on them.
Meadows appears to want to find emotional truths behind the bravado, to find reasons for the male rage. It's a valid quest, and there are telling and touching moments, particularly between Turgoose and Rosamund Hanson. I found myself wishing that their love story could occupy more of the film, maybe for the same reason that the Shane Meadows film I have enjoyed most is the one his real fans loathe: the comedy Once Upon a Time in the Midlands. But from the get-go of this drama, it is obvious that things are heading only one way: towards a climactic flourish of violence, and it's a glum business wondering to whom and from whom this is going to happen. This is a violent subject, and these are violent people, and yet I couldn't help feeling that Meadows is, as so often, more comfortable with machismo than with the humour and gentleness which play a smaller, yet intensely welcome part of his movies. However agnostic I confess to still feeling about his work, there's no doubt that Meadows is a real film-maker with a growing and evolving career, and with his own natural cinematic language. When I think of his films, I think, for good or ill: this is English cinema.”
Thursday 20 November 2008
Script for Thriller Opening First Shot
Alice: [Desperate] I can't do it.
Boyfriend: [Confused, angry] Do what?
Alice: [Begginning to cry] You, the drugs, everything.
Boyfriend: [laughs nervously] Don't be so stupid-
Alice: [Stubborn but still sad] No! It was only meant to be one time and now look at us, look at me. It's got to end...
Tuesday 11 November 2008
Film distribution in Norwich
Total number of films being exhibited: 19
Total number of screenings: 74
This is on average 4 showings per film, each day, obviously this varies on how long the film has been released.
Hollywood films: 63%
British films: 31%
Foreign: 6%
Australasian or Canadian: 0%
Vue
Total number of films being exhibited: 10
Total number of screenings: 31
This is on average 3 showings per film, again varying on age of the film.
Hollywood films: 70%
British films: 20%
Foreign films: 10%
Australasian or Canadian: 0%
Hollywood
Total number of films exhibited: 8
Total number of screenings: 30
This is on average 4 showings per film which is the same as Odeon cinema, the largest of all the multiplexes in Norwich.
Hollywood films: 87%
British films: 13%
I found out that the majority of films shown in multiplexes are American this is largely down to Hollywood’s amount of resources and money. Also, the most famous actors/tress are American. This means that most films shown in the UK do not always relate to the audiences watching them and are often unintelligent and made quickly.
Nevertheless British films are still shown in all cinemas but there are not enough opportunities for British film makers, actors, directors and technicians, which is why there are fewer released than Hollywood.
Bette Midler on Hollywood Films: "Look at the movies that they put out... It's so junky. So much junk, it's like the food. No content. Nothing."
Continuity Preliminary task: Shot list
Shot 2 Jonny walking, shot from the front (medium shot, eye level)
Shot 3 Door knob being turned (extreme close up)
Shot 4 Cuts to behind katie, shot of hands tied up from behind the chair. The camera then pans around right towards the door.
Shot 5 Mid shot of Jonny (the abductor)
Shot 6 Over the shoulder shot of the abductor over the shoulder of the prisoner.
Shot 7 Shot-reverse shots of Jonny and Katie speaking (Jonny Left/ Katie Right) Dialogue takes place here.
Shot 8 Jonny leaves the room. (Long shot)
Continuity preliminary task: Script
Jonny:[Shouting] Remember me!
(pause)
[quieter, persuasive] Now then, are you ready to talk? Or will I have to bring in Big Bob to make you!
Katie:[angry] I will never talk, not to you scum.
Jonny:[annoyed but trying to stay calm] Well, there is a price on your head but this may just magically disappear all forgotten if! You give me or my friends some information.
Katie:[definant] I will not utter a word even if it’s my last breath.
Jonny: [Irritated] So be it. I see a more vigilant technique is needed! I think I will bring in big bob to make your acquaintance. Then you might change your mind my dear.
Monday 10 November 2008
Film making techniques
180 Degree Rule
This technique is crucial in film making and without it you will break the flow of the scene and disorientate the viewer.
The basic idea is that each character must stay on the same sides of the frame at all times. For example: if in a dialogue situation a man and woman were sitting at opposite sides of a table and the camera was position so that the woman was on the right and the man was on the left, if the camera cut to the opposite end of the table the actors would have to swap seats so as not to confuse the audience. If you break the 180 degree rule you are 'crossing the line'. In only one case are you allowed to 'cross the line' and that is if the camera is moving and you physically see the camera 'cross the line'.
Shot-reverse shot
shot-reverse shot is a technique where you have an over shoulder shot of one person looking at another and then it cuts to and over shoulder shot of the first person. It can be used in the same way if a character is looking at a newspaper, for example, and then cuts to the newspaper from their point of view.
Match-On-Action
Match on Action is a technique used in film editing when a cut connects two different views of the same action at the same moment in the movement. You have to carefully match the movement across the two shots to make it seem as though the motion continues uninterrupted.
Friday 7 November 2008
Thriller Opening Treatment
Friday 31 October 2008
My questionnaire into Audience Research
Age:
Gender:
Occupation:
Student
Full Time
Part Time
Retired
Unemployed
Aspiration:
Get a job
Travelling
University
Moving abroad
Other
Of these three which do you most prefer?
Thriller
Comedy
Horror
Which British films from this list have you seen?
East is East
Anita and Me
About a Boy
Chocolat
Love Actually
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
Calendar Girls
This is England
Billy Elliot
Snatch
What attracts you most to watch a film?
Word of mouth
Director
Actor/ress
Advertising/ Marketing
Other
Which radio station do you listen to?
Which newspaper do you read?
Which film viewing setting do you prefer?
At the cinema
At home on the sofa alone
At home with friends/family
Round a friends house
Don’t care
How often do you go to the cinema?
Never
Once a year
Once a month
Twice a month
Every week
Other
Which type of cinema do you go to?
Multiplex (Like Odeon)
Independent (Like cinema city)
How often do you watch films in general?
1-2 times a week
Once a month
Less
More
Tuesday 21 October 2008
My Media Advert
I chose the name 'Alpha' for the brand of my product as it connotes superiority as it is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. It is also the brightest or main star in a constalation, connoting that he who buys this perfume will be the main individual of a group, those around him will desire to be him. It is the highest mark you can recieve in academic work again connoting superiority. Mainly it revolves around the common term 'Alpha Male': 'a male in a pack of wolves, or a similar pack or troop of animals, that other members submit to and follow and that takes priority in mating with females.' This connotes that the man who buys this will not only be the most popular and superior of all his followers but will also have a good romantic life as well. I chose the name of the perfume to be 'Dominant' again, following the main superior theme as 'Alpha male' can be also described as a 'dominant man, a man who controls the activities of a group and to whom others defer'. All of these appeal to my target audience's desire to be unsurpassed.
I chose to use a black, grey and white colour scheme throughout my piece becuase it connotes classiness and the fact that black, grey and white are all very formal and business orientated colours has definitely got a lot to do with the overall advert as it connotes success and superiority. I took all of my images in black and white changing the setting on my camera before capturing. This made it easier to compose the final advert although it did not give me any option to change my mind or experiement with alternatives. I chose to use white font to primarily stand out over the black background
I used a low angle shot specifically to highlight the superiority of the model, it gives the impresison that he is towering above the audience and after buying the product, you too will have this power. I used my own digital camera and set it black and white when taking the photos. I took about 20 photos in total and chose which one was the most appropriate, I thought the one I have chosen was the best because it connotes power the most. I imbedded a picture of Skyscrapers in the background to emphasise this idea, also Skysrapers connote high-class exclusivity, they also link in with the business idea from my colour scheme. On the right is the original photo of the skyscrapers in my advert, using photoshop I blacked-out the background using the 'magic wand tool' and layered the photo of the model over this. It was fairly easy to do but was very time consuming to get it perfect round the edges of the buildings.
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Thriller Openings
Shots
The opening shot of 'Leon' is a slow-moving helecopter shot above the woodland outskirts of NewYork. It travels at a constant speed towards the Silhouetted stretch of sky scrapers. There is then a quick dissolve cut into a, still moving, shot through the city. The camera is now following the city roads as if placed on top of a car. The shots keep dissolving into each other, each time getting closer to the destination. The camera finally reaches a shop and whilst it carries on travelling the shot is eventually emmerced in complete darkness of the extreme close-up. The darkness of the shot before is merged with the darkness of the room in the following shot in which Leon and another man occupy. The camera is in extreme close-up of a section of Leon's face and it carries on cutting between the shots of him, the picture sliding across the table and the glass slamming down on the table.
Sound
The sound in the opening of 'Leon' is predominantly non-diagetic. As the camera travels through the city there is a peaceful soundtrack with a slightly oriental sound, this completely contradicts the film's theme. Then, as the camera zooms into the black doorway we hear a loud dooming sound, this makes the audience feel alarmed and know everything is not what it seems. When in the room with Leon all we hear is dialogue (Diagetic), this signifies the beginning of the film.
Mise-En-Scene
The Mise-En-Scene in Leon is all very conventional to the thriller genre. For example the staircase shot and the climbing lift numbers. The colour of the film is yellow tinged grey, I think that this highlights the bleak lives of the two protagonists.
Monday 29 September 2008
Music Video
My two year old brother goes mad to this song and runs around pretending to be the odd creature whenever he hears it. Also, as strange as todlers can be, he seems to sing the words 'goodnight french' instead of midnight madness. If you imagine the lyrics to be goodnight french it does sound like it. So yeah, hope you like Goodnight French by The Chemical Brothers...they do know what they're doing, a brilliant band.
Tuesday 23 September 2008
Blog #1: Introducing me
Im Rosy Jemima Dive and I am in year 12 at CNS sixth form. I am studying Media Studies (obviously, who wouldn't?), Psychology, English Literature and Photography. 'A good mix' as I am constantly told.
What else can I say? Erm, I live at home with my mum, step dad and younger sister and brother.
In my spare time I like to: Watch Films and Television, go to the Cinema, surf the internet, go out with my friends and family, etc.
The purpose of my blog is to display my media coursework, planning and research.
So that's it
Rosy .X