Analyse Previous Students Work - Research Task 10

Opening Sequence 1 - The Edge






Opening Sequence 2 - Roses Are Red

Learning Comment

From analysing previous students' final opening sequences I have picked up many little key skills and techniques that I could feature in my own opening sequence. For example if there are any actions scenes I could use shaky camera movement to enhance the atmosphere and overall fast-paced feeling of the scene. On the other hand, if the scene involves a calm atmosphere then there will most likely be less  cuts and a stable camera positioning. I have also learned the importance of the typography being able to be read by the audience, meaning it must contrast with the background colours.

Representation In Films - Research Task 9

The Breakfast Club

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Learning Comment

In this task I learned about how filmmakers add representation of social groups and age groups in the narrative of their movies. I have realised that in movies it is important to portray the social context of the film early on in the narrative (usually to be in included in the opening sequence). For example in films such as The Breakfast Club, the first shot is a long shot of a high school which sets the scene for the rest of the narrative, while informing the audience that the cast will be a representation of teenagers.

Creative Task - Title Sequence Remake

This is our remake of the movie Drive's (2011) opening title sequence. Although it is not an actual coming of age film, we particularly liked the 80's/90's vibe of the music and font that were chosen for the film. We felt that the font we used (Brush Script MT Italic) was very similar to the original movie's typography (which we could not find in iMovie), however the colour we selected was a little off. 
We couldn't replicate the exact background of the original title sequence, as it includes air shots and in car shots - instead we used a simple black background which would contrast with the text. Our primary focus was the typography itself, however, so the background wasn't too much of an issue.

Learning Comment

When looking at examples of title sequences of films I realised that the typography was very important as it this introduces the actors and title of the film. The style of font should be interesting but not too complicated to read, and should capture the audiences attention. The music selected for the sequence should also relate to the typography and happenings in the background - mood and atmosphere especially. The typography should be consistent in timing and placement so the audience can keep up.

Narrative Research - Research Task 8

Deadpool




The Breakfast Club

Learning Comment

From completing this task I have gained knowledge on several famous narrative theories, and why it is important to have a structure to your film. I have also learned how important it is to feed the audience some information within the opening sequence but not enough to spoil the whole plot, as engaging the viewers by getting them to think what could happen next is a very interesting concept. I could use a narrator in my own films as I think this is an easy yet informative way of giving information. 

Title Research - Research Task 7

Napoleon Dynamite



Zombieland

Learning Comments

By completing this task I now know how to integrate interesting typography and that it should have relations the the genre and style of the film that I am creating. I could also use animations/effects to make my typography more lifelike. Having interesting typography means that it is more likely to capture the audience's attention, more-so than compared to simple font text. I have also learned what order I should list all of the names of the people who have worked on the film, for example the director comes last.

Audience Research - Research Task 6

What is audience research?

Audience research is communicating and gathering information from a sample of people using various data collecting methods for a product. This information may consist of their attitudes, knowledge, interests, preferences or behaviours towards/about the product. The people being sampled may be selected randomly or by a selected grouping strategy, e.g by gender. 

Learning Comments

From completing this task I have learned how important it is to clearly establish your genre of film (in our case coming of age). To do this in my own project I could use some of the popular themes that I have found from my questionnaires. This for example will be first of all choosing a popular genre such as action. I then will need to integrate a good and interesting story line which includes aspects of relatability within the audience's life so they are immersed in the film. My film could also include a deeper meaning as a whole so that the viewers gain an important message as they are still developing through their teenage years. 

Creative Task - Opening Scene Remake

This is our remake of the Step Brothers (2008) meeting scene between the two main characters - Dale and Brennan. 

When watching the real clip it looks like a short and simple scene to reenact, however we quickly realised that in reality it wasn't as easy as it seemed. For example, on the particular day we were shooting, the weather was very inconsistent which caused inconveniences in sound quality, such as gusts of wind being caught mid-shot. Also, due to the location of where we were filming it (next to a road) there were often cars driving past, so there were many continuity issues. Also, the weather interfered with the travelling of sound, so we had to speak louder - this made the speech seem quite forced and unnatural in my opinion.

On the other hand I thought we did a good job recreating the camera angles used such as the shot-reverse-shots. Also, I feel as if the typography was edited quite well for the selection of fonts and transitions we were allocated in iMovie. The actors also behaved in the same manner as in the real clip when acting, for example the way Brennan walks and stands is recreated very well.

Learning Comment

Although we did well in recreating certain aspects of the clips, I feel as if conditions that we unable to control let us down. Next time when filming I think we should shoot inside so our sound quality is improved as that is what I think is holding us back at the moment. We could also use a stabilizer for the camera to improve the quality of shots, as at the moment they are quite shaky and unnatural.

Director Case Study - Research Task 5

Learning Comment

From completing this task and researching Greg Mottola I have now come to the realisation that by using the same actors in multiple film is useful, because by seeing a particular actor (i.e. Bill Hader) they know roughly what genre of film they are witnessing. Also well-known actors play similar roles in movies for example Seth Rogen is primarily involved in comedic genres, and Michael Cera often plays a socially awkward character in a film. I admire Mottola's extensive use of comedy that is not always obvious, as this makes the jokes both funnier and interesting to watch. His passive humour style is something I'd like to include in my own creations.

Producers and Distributors - Research Task 4

What is a film producer?

Producers, whether they're employed as part of a wider production company or independently, are responsible for filling a large variety of roles to do with the film. They plan and coordinate many aspects of the film's production, for example script writing, directors, editors and main cast. During production, they are the first point of contact for all production partners, investors and distributors. Producers must approve every change made to the film. During post-production, they deal with financing and distribution companies to plan how the film will be marketed.

What is a film distributor?

A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film, and has become a key part in film production financing. The distributors are usually a different company than the production company. A distributors job may involve setting a release date for the particular film, and distributing the film to various viewing platforms such as cinemas or even straight to Bluray/DVD. The primary distributor will then most-likely receive a notable mention in the film's credits sequence. 

Producers

Universal Studios

Who are they?

• Universal Studios is an american film studio owned by Comcast, and is one of the 'big six' studios. Its distribution offices are based in New York, however its production studio is located in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane and Jules Brulatour.

What do they produce?

• Universal Studios produced mainly films and television shows. Under the Universal brand, there is also theme parks and Hollywood tours, and many other entertainment platforms.

What have they produced in the past?

• Jurassic World (2015, $652,000,000)
• Despicable Me 2 (2013, $368,000,000)
• The Secret Life Of Pets (2016, $365,000,000)
• Other films include: Jaws (series), the Jurassic series, the Fast and Furious series, and Straight Outta Compton.

Are there any common film certifications? 

• The most common age rating of Universal Studios films are 12-15, focusing on teenagers and older children with films such as Despicable Me and Minions. They also have films targeted at older audiences such as Jaws, 50 Shades Of Grey and Ted.

Have they produced any coming of age films?

• Bad Neighbours (1 & 2)
• Pitch Perfect
• American Pie

Walt Disney Pictures

Who are they?

• Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company, a division of Walt Disney Studios which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. It is currently located in Burbank, California. The studio was founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy O. Disney. It is classified today as one of Hollywood's 'big six' studios.

What do they produce?

• Walt Disney Pictures produces films, TV shows, animations, books and some video games. The Disney brand as a whole is huge worldwide, with their own TV channels on US and UK television.

What have they produced in the past?

• Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015, $937,000,000)
• Avengers (2012, $624,000,000)
• Finding Dory (2016, $484,000,000)
• Other films include: Pirates of the Caribbean (series), Frozen, Toy Story (series).

Are there any common film certifications? 

• Their productions are mainly PG/U certificated as their target audience is primarily young children - for example some of their highest grossing films are Toy Story and Frozen, both animated pictures. 

Have they produced any coming of age films?

• I haven't found any coming of age films produced by Walt Disney Pictures - I believe this is because they focus their films on animations and movies based upon fictitious characters.

Distributors

20th Century Fox

Who are they?

• The Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is an American film studio, distributor and one of the largest American film studios, founded in May 1935 by Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck. It is currently located in Los Angeles, USA, where most of their films are set, and owned by 21st Century Fox. It is one of the 'big six' film studios.

What do they distribute?

• As the company is so big, it is split into many divisions of which handle certain aspects of media. This means as well as films, 20th Century Fox also produce/distribute radio, TV and music, although film is their biggest priority.

What have they distributed in the past?

• - Avatar (2009, $750,000,000)
• - Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace (1999, $431,000,000)
• - Deadpool (2016, $363,000,000)
• The Star Wars franchise is without a doubt their largest asset, with a combined gross of well over a trillion dollars ($). Other huge franchises include X-Men, Home Alone, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Are there any common film certifications?

• 20th Century Fox distribute a wide range of films for many audiences. However, they have seemed to distributed a lot of 12-15 rated films, which tells me that they target mostly teenagers and mature audiences.

Have they distributed any coming of age films?

Yes, they have distributed many, for example:

• The Goonies
• Fault In Our Stars
• Dude, Where's My Car?

Paramount Pictures

Who are they?

• Paramount Pictures is an American film studio, television production company and motion picture distributor, and is one of the 'big six' Hollywood studios. It was founded in 1912 by W. W. Hodkinson, Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky. In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital-form only.

What do they distribute?

• Paramount Pictures International: Responsible for marketing and distributing movies to worldwide audiences.
• Paramount Home Entertainment: Responsible for sales, marketing and distribution of DVD's and Blu-ray discs for films and TV shows.
• Paramount Television Distribution: Responsible for distributing product to a variety of television media.

What have they distributed in the past?

• Titanic (1997, $601,000,000)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009, $402,000,000)
• Forrest Gump (1994, $330,000,000)
• Other films include: Shrek (series), Indiana Jones (series) and Star Trek (series).

Are there any common film certifications?

• As usual there is a wide range of film audiences, however the most common being 12. This is because Paramount are family friendly with light-hearted humour being aimed at young teenagers/older children.

Have they distributed any coming of age films?

• Mean Girls
• Clueless
• Mean Creek

Minor Companies

United Artists

Who are they?

• United Artists (UA) is a minor American film production and television entertainment studio, based in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. It was founded in 1919 by Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith, with the intention of their own interests rather than commercial interest.

What do they produce?

• United Artists produce film, television and music. MGM own a large stake in the company now, however.

What have they produced in the past?

• Gone With The Wind (1939, $189,000,000)
• Rain Man (1988, $172,000,000)
• Die Another Day (2002, $160,000,000)
• Other films include: the Rocky series, many of the older James Bond films, and Hannibal.
• They have also distributed films such as Spectre and Hot Tub Time Machine.

Are there any common film certifications? 

• The most common film certification is 15+, as they tend to focus heavily on action/comedy movies.

Have they produced any coming of age films?

• The most well-known film that they have distributed is Fame.

Learning Comments

From this task I have learned a lot about the production and distribution scene in the film industry. Firstly, most studios are based in Hollywood, Los Angeles because it is such an iconic and well-known location in the entertainment business - it is also where all of the largest actors go because there is tons of money involved. I have learned how important distribution companies are too, as they are responsible for making the money and success that the films deserve - if a film is distributed poorly, then the profits made will be substantially less. Finally I have learned about the 'big six' studios and their huge reputations in the industry - if you see that one of these companies has produced  a film, it will have very high expectations because these companies provide large budgets in the production of the film.

Preliminary Task 1

This short video is our AS Media preliminary task, where we have attempted to show every camera-shooting technique that we've learned throughout our first few weeks of lessons. These include simple techniques such as shot-reverse shot, match-on-action etc. whilst keeping in mind the 180 degree rule.

The task required us to create a short, simple conversation between two characters who were sat on chairs, with one person entering the room, the other already sat down. 

During the opening few shots I feel like the transitioning between shots has been edited to look very smooth, giving the illusion to the viewer that the sequences happen seamlessly. There is little-to-no jump-cutting, which is a significant improvement over our first creative task. We used the camera techniques to great effect, especially when picking up the bag nearing the end, where 3 different shots have been edited to flow neatly together.

However, there were also a few continuity issues during our video. For example, when the shot-reverse-shot sequence of the conversation takes place, there are a couple of moments where my head is at a different angle to the previous shot. There was also a shot where the lighting significantly changes to gloomy, whereas the rest of the shots were quite bright.

Lastly, the sound needs to be improved, as sometimes the characters alter their volume by accident when speaking, which also isn't helped by issues such as wind and poor sound recording in general by the iPhone.

Learning Comment

In this task I have learned the importance of continuity between numerous shots. This helps with the authenticity of the short film and overall flow. The match on action shots make films more interesting than only a single shot, however are harder to pull off and edit it to transition seamlessly. I have also realised the need to emphasise words when acting, so the audio is clearer and much nicer to listen to. Finally, next time editing I must play the 'finished' film several times with loud volume, to be completely sure that I have cut every individual mistake.