Wednesday, 8 December 2010

Individual Task: Highlander

Highlander

The film begins with opening titles with an introductory narrative from Sean Connery as well as introducing directors, produces and cast. This may be put before the film as to not disturb viewing of the opening shots with text. The title gives us an idea to what genre of film this is , with a bombast of music that gives the film story like appeal ,and  music from the rock band Queen give a sense of  excitement and adventure.

The first shot is introduced from the aisle of a stadium, the shot is dark,  both sides are blanked off by the stands of the stadium making the view even narrower for the audience. This is most likely used as the opening shot as it will not be an abrupt change from the black and red  opening titles, and will ease the audience into the film, ready to set the scene. The shot follows the wrestler in front getting closer  until the shot changes to another from the front with the wrestlers walking towards the camera, the shot then pans round to the stage.
The next scene shows the wrestlers getting ready to fight ,with a number of cutaways of  people clapping their hands,and the audience watching the fight. This stops when the shots change from the audience to a bell being rung, and then it changes again to show a fight starting.

 Then a  new scene starts, this shot is quite a accomplishment, and is most likely a crane shot.
The scene starts as pan from athe screen at a low angle showing a full view of the stage, crowd and stadium. This gives the audience the overview of the whole event showing  it from a larger perspective it continues and gets closer to the stage  tracking the fight until it moves off towards one of the stands. This  effectively brings in the main character Connor Macleod, with no explanation as to why we are focused on him. Another shot shows the camera focusing on the Macleod who then looks into the camera and then cuts away to what he has been looking at and we see the fight continue Thus giving the audience an answer as to why the film started here.

The next scene shows the fight continuing with a around 11 shots cutting from one to another this is a jump cut showing the different moves of the fight and then focusing on the main character and the a close up of his eyes. This effect makes the fight seem intense and brings the reason for invoking a flashback of Macleod‘s memories that is portrayed  in the next scene.
This then changes completely to a long shot of a battle seen though a flashback of Macleod‘s . There is then a montage of shots combining both the wrestling match, the battle and the main character, sometimes blending the shots into one. This is used to represent the symbolism of Macleod’s life and how long he has lived for. The scene also compares both the violence of the wresting match with that of the battle in Scotland. The music also displays this change in emotion with a change from Queen to classical music by Michael Karman when Macleod has the flashbacks. The scene then ends with Macleod unable to watch anymore as he leaves the stadium.

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Media Shotlist

1 Close up of a Bowl.
2 Dog on Dog Bed.
3 Man running medium shot from the front  face not seen from left side of body.
4 Back of man running from a distance  blurred out of shot.
5 Dog scratching at the door close up of door close up.
6 Shot from floor showing running towards camera.
7 side shot from a distance showing  running from one side of the camera to the other.
8 moving shot  running with camera.
9 shot from the front at a distance with blurred out.
10 Dogs paws .
11 Georges feet.
12 pan of George running round  a corner out of shot.  
13 cuts to a shot from the front of with George running towards the camera. 
14 Georges feet from behind running  shaky camera.
15 close up of Georges face while running.
16 shot of dogs face.

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Distribution Companies

UK distribution Company

Momentum Pictures


Momentum Pictures is the leading independent film distribution company in the UK, with films including Downfall, Defiance, The Illusionist, Dorian Gray, Law Abiding Citizen, 44 Inch Chest, Youth in Revolt. This would be the most likely candidate for distribution of the film as it is an independent British company that is internationally established and very well recognized.

Entertainment Film Distributors

Has been distributing films from 1978. Examples include Evita, Rush Hour, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Boat Trip, Gangs of New York, Saw, Million Dollar Baby, Around the World in 80 Days, Dawn of the Dead, The Final Destination, The Book of Eli, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.


US distribution Company


Lions Gate Entertainment

Is a Canadian company that originated in Vancouver British Columbia it is the most commercially successful independent film & television distribution company in North America American Psycho, The Punisher, Saw, Alone in the Dark, Hostel, Lord of War, Rambo, The Bank Job Daybreakers.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Is an America media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television program’s. MGM was founded in 1924 and has distributed many films since then.

Which company is right for us? We will choose Momentum Pictures as this is a British independent company has been doing independent films as well as ones with a larger budget and is well recognized in all genes of films across the industry.

Risk Assessment


The Regulations of film certification

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-governmental body, which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912, and videos since the passing of the Video Recordings Act in 1984. BBFC have two guiding priniciples that they have to classify a film. These are:

* That works should be allowed to reach the widest audience that is appropriate for their theme and treatment.
* That adults should, as far as possible, be free to choose what they see, provided that remains in the law and is not potentially harmful

When applying these priniciples, there are three main qualifications for them:

1. If the material created is in conflict with the law, or has been created by means of a criminal offence.
2. If the material, either on its own or in combination with other context with a similar nature, may cause any harm at the category concerned.
3. If the availability of the material, at the age group concerned is clearly unacceptable to broad public opinion.

There are certain overarching factors that may influence a classification decision at any level and in connection with any issue:

The context in which an issue is presented is central to the question of it acceptability. Factors that may be taken account are:

* The expectations of the public in general and the film's audience.
* The film's genre
* The manner in which an issue is presented
* The intention of the film maker, as reflected in its effect
* The original production date of the film
* Any special merit of the film

The overall tone of a film may also affect the classification decision. If like a film has a dark or unsettling film that might disturb the audience at that certain category, then it might get a more restrictive classification. Other important factors are:

* The degree of fantasy
* The level of connection to the real world

The impact of the film is also taken into account.

Issues that concern at every classification level are:

* Discrimination - The classification on a film will take account of strength and impact of its inclusion
* Drugs - No film may promote the misuse of drugs and any portrayal of drug misuse likely to promote or glamorise the activity may be cut out of the film.
* Horror - For a young audience, factors can be the frequency, length and detail of the scenes shown. Also effects and outcome can affect it.
* Imitable behaviour - Things that glamourise or protray anti-social behaviour will get a higher classification. Films that protray illegal acts might get cut or rejected. Suicidal behaviour such as hanging, self-harm and suicide are more likely to be cut out if a more restrictive classification isn't suitable
* Language - Its hard to set out a general list of offensive words as different categories have different set of words which are acceptable to that classification
* Nudity - Natural Nudity is acceptable to most classifcations. Nudity with a sexual context with receive a more restrictive classification.
* Theme - Decisions on classification will take onboard the theme of that film but will depend on the treatment of it.
* Violence - Classification of a film will depend on the amount of violence in it. Violence that protrays as a normal solution to a problem will get a high classification then others.

In our film, we have decided to classify it a 15 as it will protray a certain amount of violence in the film but not as much to be an 18.

Research on the Fantasy genre

Unlike science fiction films that base their content upon some degree of scientific truth, take the audience to netherworld, fairy-tale places where events are unlikely to occur in real life. In mythological or legendary times, they transcend the bounds of human possibility and physical laws. Fantasy films are often in the context of the imagination, dreams, or hallucinations of a character or within the projected vision of the storyteller. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary

fantasy films, the hero often undergoes some kind of mystical experience, and must ask for aid from powerful, superhuman forces on the outside. Ancient Greek mythological figures or Arabian Nights-type narratives are typical storylines. Flying carpets, magic swords and spells, dragons, and ancient religious relics or objects are common elements.

Modern examples include Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia. The line between fantasy and sci-fi films is often blurred for example avatar is fantasy and sci-fi though from an out side perspective it would seem to be just sci-fi, but the inclusion of magic makes it fantasy as well.

Location photos

Fluke

Ladyhawke

Se7en

Max Payne

2nd Treatment

Film:

Duration: 90 minutes

Audience: Mainly male, 15 to 40 who are interested in Fantasy

Resume: A young boy who is found outside a fast food restaurant by two young teenagers is taken into their flat and adopted by these people. Claire Rills and John Young kept this child, Albert close to themselves and thought that a dog would be a good thing to have in their new family. They bought a dog but notice something odd when they spot that there were two dogs in the front of their building and Albert weren't in the flat. Piece by piece fell and Claire and John suspected that their adopted child was more special then what they though of him. When he started school, he was a very intelligent boy but the longer he was at school the more times he wasn't actually turning up to it and he was truanting from it.

After he completed school, he try get a job but before he could attempt to get one, he was abducted by people in black suits and was driving to a van where he met some others who were abducted. He developed a friendship with a girl called Beth and a boy called Max. Both of these people were in the same position Albert was in. Whilst in the van, certain experiments were applied but Beth saved both Max and Albert and all three ran away to a house in the countryside where a couple lived. Beth, Max and Albert were let in but after a while certain things such as infestation of cats started to happen and the group decided to move out.

A few years past and the group learnt that their power could help out certain situation which is occurring in the world. With their shape shifting ability and other ability they gained, they went out and try to fix the world. This goes horribly wrong when Max dies mysteriously. After 5 years, Beth and Albert give up but they spot that they have a stalker. After a while they get a note thought they door saying that they have information on the killer of their friend and states that he might not be dead after all. They go inquire about this and somehow end up in a warehouse there they are linked up with other like them. When they find out where their friend might be, the group of people go on a mission to find and save him. They found the place but Max but noticed that their is something wrong with him, that he has new abilities. But they lose him again and they wonder if they want to look for him again.

Suggested Elements:
Shapeshifting
Special abilites

2nd Film Pitch

A young boy called Albert finds out hes has shapeshifting powers and with his friends he makes along his journey make good use of these powers by saving people, places and friends.

Second Idea

After reviewing what are first idea would entail we have chosen to change the film idea to something that would meet are audiences needs better as are other idea was seen as too inaccessible from the results of the questionnaires that we gave out to various people who would most likely be in are audience.
Are you aged between 15 to 25?
YES NO

Are you male or female?
MALE FEMALE

Do you like films?
YES NO

What genre of film do you like? E.g. thriller, action, sci-fi

Have you seen any thrillers in the past few months, if you have which one did you see? E.g Inglourious Basterds, Law Abiding Citizen, Watchmen

Would you want to see a train based thriller?
YES NO

Would you want to see a local based film ?
YES NO

Would you like younger actors or older actors in your films?
YOUNGER OLDER

Do you like local based actors ?
YES NO

Do you like independent films?
YES NO

"Alfred Hitchcock directs Farley Granger as Guy Haines, an amateur tennis player who is on his way to see his estranged wife, Miriam (Kasey Rogers) to ask for a divorce so he can marry his new love, Anne (Ruth Roman). On the journey a stranger, Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) strikes up a conversation with him. Bruno knows all about Guy's and Anne's romance and how difficult Miriam is being, because he's read about in the society magazines. He also knows that Guy's life would be much easier if Miriam was out of the picture full stop. He knows it would be easier because he has a similiar problem with his domineering father, and this leads to his suggestion to Guy: if Bruno killed Miriam, then Guy could kill Bruno's father, and they would each have perfect alibis. After all, why would either kill a perfect stranger? Guy laughs this off, but doesn't realise just how seriously Bruno is taking this idea until it's too late..." -MP Bartley, efilmcritic.com

Film pitch

Main character views a murder from a train . Nobody will believe him so he then investigates finding clues to the murder along the way.

First ideas

Thriller, Psychological/Crime, Film on train, Four people in scene, One is a cannibal, one is the victim of the attack from the cannibal and one is on train and notices the attack.

Person A on a train notices attack by a person on another person outside. A asks B if he saw that, B replies that he didn't and asks if A was taking drugs. Then we see outside the train where a there is a dead body on the ground, there is note next to it saying something.

Production Name: Green Men Productions

We decided to call our production company Green Men Productions as the too men who going to be are a part of the label/logo represent me and geroge who are making the film.