My name is Juliette Wileman (0875), and this is my A2 Media Studies Coursework blog. I am working in Group 3 along with Audrey King Lassman (0397), Brandon Poonwasie (0660), and Chrystal Li (0470).
To navigate around my blog, use the labels on the left side, below the Labels heading.
Thank you!

Website

Album Art Digipack

Album Art Digipack

Music Video

Sunday 15 December 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug



The Hobbit Bus Advert
Source: Warner Bros.
Audience: any passers-by
Benefit: reaches a large number of people 

Saturday 14 December 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Martin Freeman on The Graham Norton Show
Source: The Graham Norton Show
Audience: middle-class, well educated adults
Benefit: reaches fans of Ben Stiller and Jamie Oliver as well as Martin Freeman 

Friday 13 December 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Source: Ed Sheeran - Warner Bros.
Audience: fans of Ed Sheeran
Benefit: can reach his millions of followers who could potentially go to see the film as he has contributed to the soundtrack

Kill Your Darlings

I went to see Kill Your Darlings on Sunday 8th December - the opening weekend.
It was showing in Screen 3 in the Southbury Cineworld, in a 234 seat screen.

Before the film, these adverts were shown:
  • McDonalds coffee
  • 3 phone service
  • Barclays
  • Drambuie
  • Audi
  • Tesco's
  • BOSE Earphones
  • Wonga
  • Coca Cola
  • HTC
  • Morrison's
  • Sony Xperia Z1
  • Cider
  • Waitrose
  • Johnnie Walker
  • EE phone service
Then these film trailers were shown:
  • The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
  • Mandela; Long Walk To Freedom
  • 12 Years A Slave
  • August Osage Country
  • The Wolf Of Wall Street
These adverts are mainly aimed at middle-aged, educated adults. This was proven by the other people in the screen; mostly middle-aged couples. However, there wasn't that many people watching the film; there was about 15 other people.

The film itself was visually stunning; the camerawork was perfect, and the editing and colouring completely portrayed the 1940s. It was intense, with some troubling scenes, but I found these to be tastefully handled. I learnt a lot about the poets of the Beat generation, and left me contemplating their theories and work. I found I didn't sympethise as such with the characters, but I felt glad for Ginsberg when he freed himself of Carr's grip, and sorrow for Ginsberg when his mother was taken away. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and would watch it again, but only if I was fully focused on it, as this film requires concentration and engagement.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Marketing Kill Your Darlings

Kill Your Darlings Quotes and Hashtag
Source: Killer Films
Audience: any passers-by
Benefit: can potentially reach thousands of people 

Monday 9 December 2013

Marketing Kill Your Darlings

Kill Your Darlings Review
Source: The Culture
Audience: middle-class adults and film fans
Benefit: targets specific audience, and persuades them to see the film as it is a mostly positive review

Sunday 8 December 2013

Marketing Kill Your Darlings and The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug


Kill Your Darlings Review On BBC Film 2013
3rd December 2013
Source: BBC Film 2013 
Audience: middle-class adults and film fans
Benefit: raising awareness and targets specific audience


The Hobbit; The Desolation Of Smaug Review On BBC Film 2013
11th December 2013
Source: BBC Film 2013 
Audience: middle-class adults and film fans
Benefit: raising awareness and targets specific audience

Friday 6 December 2013

Marketing Kill Your Darlings





Daniel Radcliffe on The Graham Norton Show
6th December 2013
Source: The Graham Norton Show 
Audience: Graham Norton fans, or middle-class adults
Benefit: reaches a large audience, and uses star name

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Free tickets with Sky
Source: Sky Movies 
Audience: Sky Movie users
Benefit: raises awareness of the film and reaches a large audience
 
Source: Peter Jackson's Facebook page - Warner Bros. 
Audience: Peter Jackson fans
Benefit: can reach a specific audience (Jackson fans) as well as having a global reach

#AskSmaug Twitter Trend on @TherHobbitMovie
Source: Benedict Cumberbatch fanblogThe Hobbit Twitter page - Warner Bros. 
Audience: The Hobbit fans
Benefit: can reach a specific audience (Hobbit fans) as well as having a global reach

Sunday 1 December 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Source: Benedict Cumberbatch fanblog - Warner Bros. 
Audience: Benedit Cumberbatch fans
Benefit: can reach a specific audience (fanblog) but the plane itself can reach global audiences

The Hobbit Front Of House Poster
Source: Cineworld - Warner Bros.
Audience: fans of The Hobbit
Benefit: can reach a large audience as cinema is a public place
 
The Hobbit Free Giant Poster
Source: The Mail On Sundays - Warner Bros.
Audience: fans of The Hobbit and middle-class well educated adults
Benefit: can reach a large audience

Friday 29 November 2013

Online Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Week 2

The Hobbit Sidebar Advert on YouTube
Source: Warner Brothers
Audience: tech-savvy audiences
Benefit: can reach a large audience as YouTube is globally used

Source: Warner Brothers
Audience: fans of The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings franchise, and tech-savvy fans
Benefit: audience involvement - they can explore the setting of the film

Saturday 23 November 2013

Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

SFX Front Page
Source: SFX magazine
Audience: SFX fans, Hobbit Fans
Benefit: can reach large audiences

SFX Feature
Source: SFX magazine
Audience: SFX fans, Hobbit Fans
Benefit: can reach large audiences

Empire Front Page
Source: Empire magazine
Audience: film fans, Hobbit Fans
Benefit: can reach large audiences

Empire Front Page
Source: Empire magazine
Audience: film fans, Hobbit Fans
Benefit: can reach large audiences

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Online Marketing The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Week 1

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug New Trailer
Source: The Telegraph - Warner Brothers
Audience: educated middle-class adults
Benefit: audience involvement - the comments


Benedict Cumberbatch Becoming Smaug - Behind Scenes Hobbit Images
Source: cinemablend.com - Warner Brothers
Audience: tech-savvy fans
Benefit: direct reach to a specific audience


The Hobbit UK Facebook Page
Source: Warner Brothers
Audience: fans of The Hobbit
Benefit: global and national audiences

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Online Marketing Kill Your Darlings Week 1

Source: The Telegraph
Audience: educated middle-class adults
Benefit: global and national audiences

Kill Your Darlings UK Trailer
Source: Daniel Radcliffe Fansite - MSN Movies - Killer Films
Audience: fans of Daniel Radcliffe
Benefit: reaches a specific group of people (fans)


Kill Your Darlings Facebook Page
Source: Wikipedia
Audience: fans of Daniel Radcliffe
Benefit: global and national audiences


Friday 15 November 2013

Kill Your Darlings

1) UK release date?
6th December 2013

2) Institutions behind the film's production and distribution?
Production:
  • Killer Films
  • Benaroya Pictures (presents)
  • Outpost Studios (post-production)
Distribution:
  • Future Film (2013) (Finland) (theatrical)
  • Lumière (2013) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
  • Sony Pictures Classics (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
  • Sony Pictures Releasing (2013) (Australia) (theatrical)
  • Works UK Distribution, The (2013) (UK) (theatrical)
  • Paris Filmes (2014) (Brazil) (all media)

3) What's the film's production budget?
n/a

4) Nationality of the film?
American

5) What kind of production is it?
Low budget indie film

6) Any connection with other films?
No

7) Who's the director?
John Krokidas

8) Any star names in the cast?
  • Daniel Radcliffe - Allen Ginsberg
  • Dane Dehaan - Lucien Carr
  • Ben Foster - William Burroughs
  • Michael C. Hall - David Kammerer
  • Jack Huston - Jack Kerouac

9) What's the film about?
A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs

10) Who will this film appeal to?
Audiences who like drama, romance or biographies, as well as those who are fans of Daniel Radcliffe

    The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

    1) UK release date?
    13th December 2013

    2) Institutions behind the film's production and distribution?
    Production:
    • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • New Line Cinema
    • WingNut Films
    Distribution:
    • Cocinsa (2013) (Nicaragua) (theatrical)
    • Forum Hungary (2013) (Hungary) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. Entertainment (2013) (Canada) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. (2013) (Germany) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. (2014) (Japan) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. (2013) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. (2013) (Singapore) (theatrical)
    • Warner Bros. (2013) (USA) (theatrical)

    3) What's the film's production budget?
    $250,000,000 and funded by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and New Line Cinema

    4) Nationality of the film?
    America and New Zealand

    5) What kind of production is it?
    Big budget Hollywood blockbuster

    6) Any connection with other films?
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) is the first film of the franchise

    7) Who's the director?
    Peter Jackson

    8) Any star names in the cast?
    • Benedict Cumberbatch - Smaug/The Necromancer
    • Martin Freeman - Bilbo Baggins
    • Richard Armitage - Thorin Oakenshield
    • Orlando Bloom - Legolas
    • Cate Blanchett - Galadriel
    • Ian McKellen - Gandalf
    • Christopher Lee - Saruman
    • Stephen Fry - Master of Laketown
    • Andy Serkis - Gollum

    9) What's the film about?
    The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

    10) Who will this film appeal to?
    An audience who like adventure, drama and fantasy, as well as those who are fans of The Lord Of The Rings

    Tuesday 12 November 2013

    Director Q+A

    When meeting Marcus Markou, I learnt a lot about the process of making a short film, and the industry itself. My top five points were:
    1. I learnt about pre-production, and the role of a Line Producer (in this case, Sarah Butler). A Line Producer will read the script and work out a budget for each individual line.
    2. Marcus also told about how he ran the sets, and how it differed from big budget films; he tried to create a family atmosphere, and on the first day he learnt the entire crews names, and queued for lunch.
    3. I also learnt that the technical crew, such as electricians and boom mic operators, get paid a fixed amount, whether they are working on a big budget set or an indie film. The locations and actors fees tend to be negotiated.
    4. Marcus also told us about how he got Stephen Dillane and Georges Corraface to act in his film; he essentially stalked them until they got his script. Stephen Dillane wasn't going to be a part of the film, until he found out that his son, Frank Dillane, was performing the role of Harry Papadopoulos' son. Stephen Dillane then wanted to act in a film with his son, so took the role.
    5. I also learnt about how Marcus first asked the actors how they wanted to perform the scene, then asked the Director Of Photography how they would shoot it. Then, if there were any extra set ups, he would check with the Assistant Director on whether or not they had time. This way, he ended up with a more natural looking film, as the actors were more relaxed, therefore giving better performances. 

    Tuesday 5 November 2013

    Papadopoulos & Sons

    Papadopoulos & Sons is a British comedy-drama feature film written and directed by independent filmmaker Marcus Markou.

    IMDB Synopsis
    Following his ruin in the latest banking crisis, a self-made millionaire reluctantly re-unites with his estranged freewheeling brother to re-open the abandoned fish and chip shop they shared in their youth.

    Production

    The film was inspired by Marcus Markou's own family history and cultural roots, which fuelled his desire to focus on family unit; 
    "I came from a very tight knit Greek-Cypriot family. However, as we grew older and grew up, my family, like so many other families, broke apart. I also lost so many of my Hellenic roots. In making the film I reached out to that sense of family that had been lost and I reached out to my Hellenic roots. [The film] is not about being Greek or Cypriot at all. I use that as backdrop. It really is about family unity at a difficult time".
    The film was shot in London. The crew found a street with two empty shops in Morden, South London, and took the lease on them. One became the chip shop The Three Brothers, the other one the rival kebab shop. The city scenes were filmed in Central London, the mansion scenes in Croydon. Finally, the Papadopoulos factory was set in a real Greek food factory in East London.

    The cast included;


    • Stephen Dillane as Harry Papadopoulos
    • Georges Corraface as Uncle Spiros
    • Georgia Groome as Katie Papadopoulos
    • Frank Dillane as James Papadopoulos
    • Ed Stoppard as Rob
    • Cosima Shaw as Sophie
    • Selina Cadell as Mrs Parrington
    • Marcus Markou as News Reporter
    • Richard Durden as Father Jimmy
    • George Savvides as Hassan Ali
    • Cesare Taurasi as Mehmet Ali
    • Alexander Hanson as Lars


    Distribution
    The film was self-distributed by Markou's own company Double M Films, and Cineworld initially agreed to distribute the film on April 5th, 2013, for one week only in a limited number of screens across the UK, but due to unprecedented audience demand, extended the run while expanding to more venues. In the Cineworld in Shaftesbury Avenue, the film started in their 100 seat screen and was set to stay there for a week, but after the tickets sold out within hours of availability it was moved to the 500 seat screen where it stayed for most of the four week extension.
    The film was also released in France on the 3rd October 2012 (at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema), in Greece on the 7th November 2012 (at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival) and the 20th December, in Ireland on the 5th April 2013 and in Germany on 27th June 2013.
    Marketing
    The film can be found on both Facebook and Twitter, as well as having a YouTube channel, a Google+ profile and an IMDB page. The trailer was released on the 23rd April 2013 on YouTube. The film also has an official website, and a poster.
    The Trailer:
    The Poster:



    Exhibition and Exchange
    The film was screened at Cineworlds, as explained above, and was also released on DVD, and is available online, such as on Netflix.
    The film made £40k from just 13 cinemas in the opening weekend. 

    Friday 25 October 2013

    Paranormal Activity Sweded

    For this activity we were given the task of sweding a well-known film. My group (Harry Kettenis, Enya Phillips and Josh Stevenson) decided to swede Paranormal Activity.

    Our marketing techniques were:
    
    The Poster

    The Trailer

    The Blooper Reel


    The Film Itself

    I enjoyed making this film because we had a lot of fun during the shoot, and I learnt from the experience.

    Sunday 13 October 2013

    Dexter Title Sequence Re-Edit



    1. Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task. 
       Film openings need to inform the audience of who is behind the film, and there are certain titles that must be in the sequence, such as who directed the film. 
       The titles themselves should add to the sequence, not ruin it. Titles can draw attention to certain areas of the frame, or be embedded in the environment itself. Titles can also be interacted with, such as an actor running through it and breaking it, like in Zombieland for example. Creative choices can either hinder or improve the sequence: the titles should fit the genre with the choice of font and colour.
       In the sequence itself, characters, themes and/or ideas should be introduced, as well as a clear sense of genre, so as to give the audience an idea of what the show is like, and what they can expect. The opening sequence should capture the audience's attention, such as showing a morning routine, or a montage of the characters, or even hint at events that will happen.

    2. How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? (consider timings, industry requirements etc). 
       Due to having very little time to complete the task, we quickly watched through the sequence, drawing out a rough storyboard of what shots we wanted to put titles on. We then decided on a font an colour scheme that fit the genre of the sequence, then got straight into editing. We knew that we had to include certain titles due to industry requirements, but due to timings we didn't manage to get that many in.

    3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group. 
       We decided to put the titles in places that were noticeable, but did not distract too much from the action of the shot. At first we wanted the titles to be integrated into the environment, but due to timing we weren't able to do this as well as we had hoped. The titles themselves were red, with smaller titles in white, to make sure they stood out from the background and fit with the thriller genre. We chose a font that was legible, yet still fit with the genre by being quite bold. We decided on that font as the titles need to be easy to read for the audience.

    4. How does your re-edit compare to the original?
       The original edit is better than ours, as it has all the necessary titles, and was not as overly-ambitious as ours. As we wanted to do more complicated ideas, we spent too long trying to complete them rather than get the right amount of titles in. However, I think our ideas would have been good if we were able to complete them, and whilst they may not have been as good as the original, it would have made our edit better.
       If I could improve our edit, I would firstly complete adding titles so it meets industry requirements. I would also spend more time making the titles fit into the background, such as bending around the edge of the pan for example. I would also make the titles more interesting, such as having the actor interact with the titles; they could be uncovered when he lifts his face in front of the mirror, or being cut through the middle with the blood orange. With the time limit we had, this wasn't possible, but I think our edit was fairly good with the time that we did have.

    Thursday 10 October 2013

    Sweded Films

    A sweded film is the sumarised recreation of popular films using limited budgets and a camcorder. The process is called sweding and upon completion the film has been sweded. 

    Origins: In the Michel Gondry film Be Kind, Rewind (2008), the character Jerry accidentally erase the videotapes at Mos Def's video rental store, and the pair remake all the films themselves. These versions become popular with customers, who are told they take longer to arrive and cost more because they come from Sweden, hence the term 'sweded'.

    After watching sweded films on YouTube, I found these to be the ones I enjoyed most:



    A good films to swede would be Mean Girls, as it is set in a school which is where we will be filming, it is well known and requires very little props.

    Saturday 5 October 2013

    Evaluation Of Preliminary Task



    For the preliminary exercise, we were set this 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° rule.


    1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
    I worked with Abirami Logeswaran, Harry Kettenis and Josh Stevenson, and we worked as a group to make decisions such as actors and costumes. I pitched an idea and we built on it as a group. We planned the sequence in a 40 minute time period, completing the storyboard and shooting schedule together. Josh was chosen to be an actor as he takes AS-Level drama, and I was the other actor as we wanted a female antagonist, and I was more comfortable with acting than Abi was, and the group didn't want to force someone to do what they didn't feel comfortable with.

    2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
    To plan our sequence, we firstly had a group discussion and decided on the plot, then made sure we involved the key aspects given to us in the brief. Once we had established these shots, we added in a few extras to improve the continuity and add some personality to the sequence. We firstly drew out a storyboard, then carried out a walkthrough so we could iron out any problems, then followed this up with a shotlist in the order of what we were shooting in. One problem from the walkthrough was lighting, as what we wanted to do (use a spotlight) was too complicated and time consuming. Once the shotlist was complete we planned out costumes, that fit to our genre (thriller). I wore all black and Josh wore a dishevelled suit. When planning our sequence, we tried to include multiple theories, such as:
    • narrative flow
    • the 180° and 30° rule
    • eye line matching
    • shot/reverse shot
    • match on action.
    We found that having a storyboard and shot list was really useful during shooting as we had clearly mapped out what needed to be done. This ensured that we finished well within the time limit with minimal stress.

     3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
     We used the Canon HV30 camera, a shotgun microphone, Mini DV Tape, Sennheiser HD 201 headphones and Adobe Premiere Pro to edit. 
    Canon HV30: we recorded onto the Mini DV Tape, and changed framing and angles to help narrative flow. The shotgun microphone picked up any audio for the shot, and we used the Sennheiser HD 201 to hear this.
    Adobe Premiere Pro: we viewed the clips and narrowed them down to the shots we wanted by placing them in a separate bin. We then cut down the clips using in and out points and dragged them onto the timeline using 2 video tracks, so the shots alternated between track 1 and 2. Once we established the shot order, we then cut down the clips further so the clips were seamless, and didn't hinder narrative flow or continuity.

    4) What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?Planning: we had to take into account the amount of time we had to shoot, how difficult our set would be to set up and what resources we had at our disposal. Seeing as we only had an hour to shoot, we opted to keep our sequence simple, and decided to shoot within the Media Block. This meant we had to get permission to use PA7, and had to negotiate with other groups to use the foyer.
    Shooting: when shooting, we had to make sure the lighting was correct, and that we kept within the allotted time. We also had to make sure our shots were framed correctly, as well as abiding to the 180° and 30° rule. Also, we had to ensure our shots followed the narrative flow, and had continuity by filming Josh completely walking through the door, for example.
    Editing: we had to make sure there was match on action, narrative flow, continuity, audio syncing

    5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and in hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?
    I think our sequence was quite successful, as we fulfilled the demands of the brief. We matched the action of Josh walking through the door and sitting down, and made sure the eye lines matched. We also made sure the audio was synced with the video.
    In hindsight, I think we should have had a bit more dialogue between the characters so as to ensure we had completely fulfilled the brief. Also, when Josh walks in through the door and out of the frame, which then cuts to a close up, we should have edited this differently, as it is quite disorientating for the audience to watch Josh go out of frame, only to be bombarded with him straight after. However, we weren't able to cut the clips together this way as we didn't have the right shot, so in hindsight I think we should have planned that part out in more detail so as to ensure we got the right shots.

    6) What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

    In completing this task, I have learnt how to plan a shoot well enough so that any problems, such as time keeping, can be avoided. I have also learnt about match on action and the 180° and 30° rule. This learning will be significant, as it will aid me and whoever is in my group to make sure our shoot goes ahead with as little hitches as possible. It will also help us make the opening with correct continuity so we can suspend the disbelief of the audience, and create a seamless sequence, using some of the many other theories we learnt, such as shot/reverse shot.

    Thursday 3 October 2013

    Art Of The Title Grid


    1) Summarise your film idea. Provide a brief synopsis and outline what happens in your film opening.


    Three best friends compete for the attention of the school's new heartthrob.

    In the opening, the three friends see the heartthrob for the first time, which leads to them fighting over him.

    2) What kind of information has been included in your film opening?
    In our opening, we have included the setting (a school), the main characters (the friends and the heartthrob), the character relationships, the genre (teen rom-com), the actors and the film title (The Competition).

    3) How do the titles link to the main film idea?
    The font itself is quite 'high school' style, conforming to the genre of a teen rom-com, as well as the fact that the titles would be stamped onto the shot.

    4) Summarise the expected audience reaction. What should the audience be thinking by the end of your opening? Is your opening clear or ambiguous?
    The audience should be curious about the heartthrob, which is brought on by the fact that he is slowly revealed throughout the opening. The audience should also laugh at the reactions of the girls, such as the fainting or the fighting.
    At the end of the opening, the audience should be wondering who will win the 'competition', who the heartthrob will choose, and whether the girls' friendship will survive.
    Overall I think the opening is quite clear as the characters and setting are established, as well as the genre, through the exaggerated stereotypes and reactions.

    5) Identify three things that you included in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film.
    Master shot - this establishes the setting and characters of the film
    Slow reveal - this creates build-up and tension, as the audience are curious about who the character is. This also highlights the fact that this character is important to the film.
    Close Ups of the girls - this also establishes who the main characters are of the film, and also shows them in more detail than the master shot, so the audience gets more of an idea about their characteristics.

    How effective is your project as a film opening? Explain your answer.
    Overall I think the opening is quite effective, as it gives the audience what they would expect from a teen rom-com, such as over-exaggerated expressions and the vibrancy and lighting, as it is bright and colourful, much like other teen films. The opening also gives the audience the information they need, such as the characters, the setting and the character relationships. For example, the costumes give the audience some idea of what the characters are like, as they are stereotypical of different groups of teenagers, such as the 'nerd' costume, with the glasses and 'bad' hair.
    In hindsight, I would change a few things to improve the opening. Firstly, I would change the hair colour of the 'barbie' character to blonde, to reinforce the stereotype and make it more blatant as to who the character is. I would also have the corridor more full, to make the setting more realistic.

    Monday 23 September 2013

    Accident Sequence


    1) What techniques did you specifically use to create continuity (narrative flow) in your accident sequence?

       First of all we shot the master shot, so as to establish setting (the school corridor) and characters (the two boys, Harry and Kayvon). This ensures the audience knows where the events are taking place.
        We then had a low angle shot of the Harry being angry that he was ran into, followed by a shot of the Kayvon backing away. The low angle shot makes Harry seem more intimidating to the audience, giving the a sense of his character. The fact that Kayvon backs away further backs up the implication that Harry is intimidating.
       This then cuts to a low angle mid-long shot of the two boys, where the Harry hits Kayvon. This cuts to a close up of Kayvon hitting the wall and sliding down it onto the floor. We ensured that Kayvon stayed in the same position from when he hit the wall in the mid-long shot to when he was sliding down it in the close up to make the narrative seem seamless.
       Lastly, we had a ground level shot of Harry fleeing the scene after checking if Kayvon is conscious. The fact that the camera is ground level helps to make the audience feel as if they are seeing the scene from Kayvon's point of view.

    2) In hindsight, what could you do to improve the continuity (narrative flow) of the sequence?

    To improve the continuity, we should have had Harry on the right of the shot rather than the left in the second shot, as it would abide with the 180˚ rule. We also could have had Kayvon try and placate Harry so he wouldn't hit him to make Harry seem that bit more intimidating.

    Film Opening Continuity


    • The clip starts with three close ups of a china set and dolls, instantly establishing that the characters are young girls. The close ups also force the audience to focus on the toys, rather than the characters.
    • The characters themselves are then shown in a long shot, which also shows the setting; an attic space. This is the master shot.
    • Two more close ups showing the girls playing continues to give the audience a sense of character; they are young girls, who enjoy playing with their dolls and tea set.
    • Two mid-close ups then show us the girls themselves in more detail, showing the audience their faces, and the fact that they are smiling. This complies with the 180° rule, as two girls stay on the left of the frame, whilst the other girl stays on the right. One girl leans forwards to place a teacup on the floor, and the next shot matches the action by showing her place the cup on the saucer.
    • After another close up of the toys, there is a long shot from a different angle, showing there is a bed and three windows in the room. The girls all look towards the camera, implying that there is a character stood 'behind' it.
    • The girls then look towards the window in a long shot from a different, low angle, which makes the audience question what they are about to do next.
    • The camera then arcs into the windows, increasing the audience's curiosity and uneasiness.
    • There is another match on action as the girls stand up, showing them starting to stand up in a midshot, then cutting closer to the girls as they continue to rise to their feet.
    • Multiple close ups show the girls treading on and breaking their dolls and tea set, as they walk towards the windows. This implies that there is something different about the girls, as at first they were shown playing with the toys carefully and lovingly.
    • A mid shot shows the girls walking towards the camera and the windows, faces void of any emotion, when seconds before they were smiling and laughing.
    • The girls then step up towards the windows in a long shot, which establishes the fact that the girls would easily be able to fit through the windows.
    • This cuts straight to a close up of one of the girls opening the latch on the window, which is a match on action of the shot before, where the girls are reaching towards the latches. The close up forces the audience to focus on the action, so as to increase their sense of uneasiness.
    • A long shot then shows the girls stepping up onto the edge of the windows, before they step off and fall out of shot.
    • The camera then tracks back from the empty windows, before cutting to another close up of an unbroken doll. The quick transition from long shot to close up again forces the audience to focus on the doll, and on the fact that the girls suddenly completely changed their demeanour.
    • Lastly, there is a cut back to the long shot which is tracking backwards, and a figure appears in the frame, standing where the girls had looked before they looked to the windows. This is to make the audience realise that it was the figure who caused them to jump.

    Wednesday 18 September 2013

    Reflection On Shots


    Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre. 
    This shot is an extreme close up (ECU) of her eyes, which are narrowed. She is directly addressing the audience. The eyes are the main focus of the shot.
    This represents the action genre as it is replicating stereotypical fight scenes, where the camera focuses on the characters' eyes as they narrow and have a Mexican stand-off with another character.


    What did you actually do to achieve the effect?
    To achieve this affect we had the actress narrow her eyes and directly address the camera, so as to give the effect that she is staring someone down. The slight frown also portrays her emotion; determination and fearless. We then had the camera extremely close to her face so as to make sure our framing was as close as possible, to achieve the ECU.

    Identify what is successful about your shot.
    The framing (and ECU) is correct as only the top half of the actresses face is visible. Also, the way the actresses emotions are portrayed clearly, even though only a small part of her face is visible. The natural lighting helps to give a sense of setting, even though you can't see any background in this shot. The lighting implies that it is outside, where a stand-off would most likely take place.

    What would you do differently in hindsight?
    In hindsight, I would improve the focusing of the shot, so the eyes are more clear and sharp. I would also get the actress to narrow their eyes a little more, and frown a little more, so as to appear more intimidating and menacing. I would also make sure the actress is more centralised in the frame.

    Film Opening Analysis

    Warm Bodies | PG-13 | Rom-Zom-Com

    • The film is set in a post-apocalyptic America, that has been destroyed by decades of wars and natural disasters, resulting in a mysterious zombie plague, and is set over a few weeks following the narrator, a zombie named R.
    • Firstly, the audience is introduced to R, the zombie narrator, and are then shown the airport in which he lives. R then goes on to guess what jobs other zombies had 'before' the breakout of the zombie plague, before pondering on what the cause was. After showing what the airport used to be like, R introduces the audience to the Bonies, the stage after being a zombie. Lastly, we are shown R's best friend, and they decide find food (humans) in the city.
    • The order of events is significant to the story telling as it not only introduces the audience to the protagonist, setting and back story to the zombie plague, but also gives an idea as to what kind of character R is; wry, quick-witted and introspective.
    • The events are linked in the sense that R is almost explaining what happened, along with what his surroundings are, but they are still unconnected, such as the fact that zombies turn into Bonies isn't linked to R going to find food with his best friend at the end of the clip.
    • The first character to be introduced is R, and he is the narrator and protagonist in the film. We know that he is the protagonist as he is present throughout the opening, and not only gives his insight into the situation he is in, but also explains to the audience what happened and who other significant characters are, such as the Bonies. These are one step on from zombies; R explains "they'll eat anything with a heartbeat", and informs that audience that all zombies become them eventually. They are the 'enemy' in the film, and this is implied by the fact that they are shown in a very dark area, and R says that turning into one is what he has to look forward to, and "it's kind of a bummer." The fact that R doesn't speak highly of them at all insinuates that the Bonies are not characters that the audience should like. Lastly, we are introduced to R's 'best friend', which goes to show R's insightfulness is not the norm, as he and his friend have very limited forms of communication.
    • In terms of story information, the audience only finds out about very little, such as the fact that the cause of the plague is unknown, or that the zombies are living in the airport. The audience only finds out what R knows, and this is revealed through his comments and narration. For example, R explains what Bonies are as he passes them on his wanderings, before adding his own opinion that turning into one of them is a "bummer". The fact that there are still humans (who live in the city) is withheld until the end of the clip, as the opening is purely an introduction into R's way of life and why it is how it is.
    • I think the audience needs to know more about where the humans are so as to show where they are in relation to the airport and zombies. This would help enhance the audience's knowledge on the setting.