Final edit of the main project

First Draft of The Film Opening

As you can see there are several areas that do need to cleaned up, primarily this is in the move from the close-up to the turning on of the machine. Initially whilst filming this had been added at the last minute as it seemed like a good addition to the film by moving from general static camera set-ups to hand held in an unannounced and quite fast-paced sequence which would try to catch the audience off guard, signalling a sudden change in tone from the slow clinical precision of the first half to something unexpected (in that regards the sequence could've been seen as a proairetic/action code, as it signals a change of tone that causes the audience to be left in suspense as to what will happen next).

Unfortunately the shot doesn't work that well, as I caught the edge of the board with one of the shots which would've caused the mise-en-scene to have crumbled, so to try and preserve it, I cut these frames out, though it led to the disorientating effect that can be seen in the first draft above. So to counter this, I intend to replace this with a simple shot of the Assistant flicking the switch.

Also, the title sequence needs reediting to make the names appear in time with the beats, in fitting with some of the responses I got from the video that stated that it would  

Bathes' Five Codes

Evaluation 2

http://prezi.com/nb4cxnnh0kmw/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Evaluation Part 1

http://prezi.com/zqsduxd3z-f4/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Audience

http://prezi.com/1h6gxtbkadpz/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy


The genre of the film opening will be the horror genre, typically though the audience for this genre is 15 to 30 year old males and the genre itself is mainly a male dominated genre, though over recent years (from the late '90s onwards) female fans and directors have become more instrumental in the genre, from the Soska sisters (whose Twisted Twin production company has released "Dead Hooker in a Trunk" and "American Mary", two of the most inventive horror films in recent years) to Kier-La Janisse (who founded the Cinemuerte International Horror Film Featival and the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, along with programming for the Alamo Drafthouse in Texas and publishing House of Psychotic Women: a semi-autobiograpgical topography of female neurosis in horror and exploitation films).

Some evidence has even gone on to show that females out number men in the viewing of these such films (http://www.valmorgan.co.nz/audiences/profiles/horror-movies/), this in essence means that the film should cater for both genders. So, to achieve this I should avoid typical horror character archetypes, such as"The Nerd", " The Jock", "The Bimbo", etc. Which are both offensive and to be honest have been done to death repeatedly over the years. Also, the above linked research cemments the age range that the typical horror audience lies within, so this can give an idea as to what age to make the film opening apropriate to, though to gain the largest audience this would have to be in the 15 age group. This means that the film cannot feature extreme graphic violence or a lot of strong language.

Preliminary Project Evaluation

Development of ideas

Preliminary Project

Production Company Ideas

My ideas for the production company logo and name come directly from the "abstract" look that I want the film opening to have, hence "abstract productions". The name was fairly tricky considering the nature of the film opening, as typically with films in the horror genre they feature very graphic names for their production companies, such as "Bloody Disgusting"and "Yer Dead", along with quite graphic images for logo (an example would be "Bloody Disgusting"'s logo, which features a skull with a circular saw blade slicing through it), though this is appealing for the target audience, unfortunately, the secondary audience (composed of mainstream viewers) tend to find these to be discomforting.

This can be juxtaposed with film companies with more insightful names that give them a more professional sound, these include Quentin Tarantino's "A Band Apart" and Kevin Smith's "An Askew View". So, to cater for both the audiences I have gone for "An Abstract Production", this I think does represent the film opening in a fair way, as it isn't a hardcore horror flick deserving of production company name drenched in blood and bile, and yet it isn't fully a mainstream or art-house film, so by terming it an "Abstract Production" it is in keeping with the unusual visual style, and yet it also keeps in with the fact that it can't be fully slotted into one specific genre (although the target audience will still pick it up, as horror fans generally hunt down films with a bizarre style that offer something different from the glut of Hollywood remakes and have potential to be future cult films, example 2012's "John Dies At The End"-though the film still has to have horror elements).

As for the logo, I created two designs , firstly I drafted an image that looks typically like a modern art painting, which fits in with the "Abstract" name, and I also made one that drew influence from the title sequence of David Cronenberg's film adaptation of "Naked Lunch", to create an "abstract" image.

 This was my first attempt at designing a production logo using photoshop, this took direct influence from the title sequence from "Naked Lunch", even going so far as to call it a "mugwump" production after the creature in "Naked Lunch" (I toyed with it for a while but went back to the idea "abstract" idea). This was mainly because I really thought that it captured the spirit of what I was trying to do with "abstract productions", and this sort of art typically has abstract connotations.

This was my second attempt, this time I tried to create a sort of mess image that looks a bit like a modern art painting (stereotypically). Though I like the look of it, it doesn't fit well the the film itself, given that the opening is quite serious and this seems quite light hearted, and the fact that this doesn't seem very professional.

The last one, and the one I am currently using was based on the original design, though I inverted the colour and went for a smooth typography that gives the image alot more class, and overall makes the image look alot more professional, though it does look very '80s.

A brief history of film

Media Theories: Negotiated meanings

David Morley's 1980 study of audience responces to the BBC programme was designed to analyse the different ways in which the audience interprets a media text, the results of which suggested that audiences fit into three separate groups, based on their own readings of the text. The groups are as follows:

Preffered Reading
This is the reading of the text that the creators hope that the audience will take from it; for instance an advert for a soft drink will be designed to try and make the audience buy it- this would be the intended reading and the one the creator wanmt you to have.

Oppositional Reading
Audience members outside of the target demographic may view the text and reject the prefered completely, recieving their own alternative message.

Negotiated Reading
This when the audience acknowledges the preferred reading, but they modify it to their own values and opinions.

Media theories:Uses And Gratifications

This theory states that we all have different uses for the media, that we all look to gain something from a media text it;'s not just some mindless exercise we expect to gain some form of gratification. This means that the individual has all the power, and can choose the media texts that will best suit their needs.

The theory was formulated in 1974 by Blumler and Katz, though the psychological basis for this model came from Maslow's Hierachy of Needs. The researchers found four different gratifications that we get from media texts, these are listed below.

Information
We use media texts, like the news and documentaries, to find out about society and the world around us- it satisfies our own curiosity.

Personal Identity
We use media texts to look for models for our behavior, this may be from a character in which you may identify with character from a television programme; this can help us decide on how we feel about ourselves and if we agree with their actions.

Integration and Social Interaction
We use media texts as a way of finding out about the circumstances of other people; by watching TV shows it helps us to empathise and sympathise with the lives of others- to the point that some people start to see the characters in the programmes as friends. Media texts also allow us to converse socially with real-world friends about said media texts.

Entertainment
Sometimes we consume media texts simply for enjoyment, relaxation or to kill time.

Scheduling



 

To aid in planning out when to shoot the opening, I aquired a list of free periods from the cast and crew, though after looking over it it became apparent that unfortunately none of us had frees at the same time, so this leaves either filming over dinner or after school. The only problem with filming after school was the simple problem that they had other commitments, so this left dinner. And given the recent change in locations, I decided to do it on a thursday, as the classroom that I want to film in is free in both period 3 and 4, so this will allow us a lot more time to get the set ready and to clear it all up afterwards.

 

 



 

Revised script

I looked back at the older script, there are certain parts of that didn't work and other segments that would take a lot of time to film (the "children's birthday party"), but the main reason that I decided to revise the script was the humour. This was primarily because the nature of humour is that it is subjective, and what one person may find funny, another may find that it falls flat for them or even offends them, and adding to the fact that I wasn't sure if it was too mean-spirited, thus turning the audience off instantly.

 

So with the re-write I decided to strip the humour out of it and instead focus on creating some very Lynchian visuals to create a growing sense of unease within the audience that should make the horror aspects of the script more effective. Also, by creating minamalist almost avant-garde visuals which caters for the science fiction aspects (as this is a common feature of the sci-fi genre, as many films use avant garde visuals to give the audience the impression that the film is taking place in a different reality than our own- examples include "Brazil", "Twelve Monkeys" and "The Forbidden Zone"), this also caters for that specific genre's fanbase as well, who flock to see sci-fi films to primarily see special effects and impressive visuals.

 



 The revised script also pulls back on the original idea which feature some quite absurd, but quite graphic gore, which would have taken a long time to set up and perfect, so by toning that down and just having a bloody spit take, it allows it to stay within the confines of a 15 rated film, and so has a wider audience. It also gives the film opening a logical climax and end point. 

 

 



Marketing and Promotion

Stylistic influences

Actors, Crew And Locations

For the film I've already started to recruit people to help with the production of the film opening, this will allow everything to run alot more smoothly when it comes around to actually filming it instead of randomly grabbing people I know and forcing them in front of the camera (a mistake that I have done before and has led to some ghastly results in the final product). So after briefly outlining what I intended to do and how I intended to film it in person, I sent them a follow up e-mail to get it set in stone, from this I managed to get my cast together fairly easily (though we did have one hiccup- but I'll get to that later).

As for the crew, I decided early on that I would operate the camera so I could get the shots that I really needed, as this proved to be a problem with the preliminary task; I also enlisted the help of another media student to take pictures of the set whilst we prepped the room and filmed the scene. The other crew members that I have recruited are mainly some friends of mine who are going to help with the dressing of the set and the carrying of equipment.

The location was originally going to be a science classroom, as this fits with the theme of the feature and would give me easy access to scientific equipment that could be used in the film, though most of the classrooms were unavailable during the times when I scheduled to film. Meaning that out of necessity the locations had to change, I substituted the science classroom for an english classroom across the media classroom, that also stored the lights and cameras, and decided to change the whole look of the film to accommodate this change, from the lavish lab look of the science classroom to a minimalist look (created through the use of four huge boards).

Back to the cast, the main hiccup was that the actor portraying the "Body" dropped out at the last minute leaving the actor playing the "Scientist" to step in and a crew member took over his role.

First draft of the script

The idea behind the project started as a sort of '80s-esque horror comedy centred around the sci-fi theme of reanimation and interdimentional beings, with this in mind I looked over the script writing techniques (that I researched earlier) and made quick notes about the imagery that wanted to get in the opening (though a lot of the 'Videodrome'-esque rebirth ideas that I had been kicking around had to go, mainly due to the fact that it would be too difficult to try and create given the budgetary and time constraints), after which I attempted to do a vague script to get events in order mainly so that I could see where it was all heading (this would allow me to build on things that worked and take out the bits easily whilst retaining the story).

Below: The original rough script written in note form (and not formatted correctly).

 
After I got a feeling for the course of events, I promptly started to write it up picking the best bits from the notes and transferring them into the script, to try and emphisise the comedy aspect of the piece, the product of this can be seen below (though it isn't properly formatted):

INT-Lab-Night

The room is pitch black except for searing light that lights up the operating table in the centre of the room, along with two figures.

 

(High angle over table, hands come into view exchanging various medical instruments and apparatus)

Doctor: Prongs.

Assistant: Check

Doc: Blood substitute.

Ass: Check

Doc: Sandwich.

Ass: With the relish you like.

Doc: (Takes bite) Now where is the head?

(Assistant picks a box up from off screen)

Ass: It just arrived (opens box)

        Hmm.

Doc: (Looks in) (Picks something up from inside the box)This is a Chuck Lee figure with action grip.

Ass: Then where is the…

Title Card: Meanwhile, across town…

 

INT-Children’s birthday party- DAY

Mum: Here little Johnny, this present came from the good folks at the Miskatonic University.

Little Johnny: Oh goody. (He opens the package) Ahhh! (Shocked look of terror on Little Johnny’s face, followed by him dropping backwards, fainting).

 

Fade back to the Lab

Adding energy to static shots

http://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tips-and-techniques/17207-quick-tip-add-energy-to-a-static-shot

This is quite an interesting technique that I could implement into my own film, the technique give the shot (as stated in the video) a pseudo-hand held look that could be quite effective and could add to the film's verisimilitude, as this sort of camera movement evokes real-life (which to an extent, that's why it's used frequently in the TV show 'Breaking Bad') as it mirrors how people move when observing an event, allowing the camera to be voyeuristic surrogate for the audience.

This all leads to the increase in the realism of the scene and the audiences' suspension of belief, thus allowing themselves alot more in the action taking place. So, on the a pretty good technique, and considering my own production will feature flirtations with horror type subject matter, this technique will add a lot to it (as typically effective horror films rely on the audience suspending their belief and investing themselves in the characters (whereas bad horror films turn viewers off, making them actually want to see the characters die in spectacularly graphic ways)so that the audience actually wants to see them persevere and survive, so if I use this technique it will fit with the conventions of this genre and make the audience invest more of themselves in the film).

Sites that offer royalty free music

In preparation, I have begun to look at a few sites that offer royaly free music which I can use for the end product, one of which I have used before (the free music archive) and I know has a wide variety of music that is all free to use. Though I have come across is royalty free music, which from the outset seems to have a good selection that would fit a variety of scenes.

These sites will help in the editing stage of production, giving me a wide choice of music that could be used to create a specific mood in the opening, though by starting to research these now it gives me the best chance of finding specific music that will match the tone of the film and excentuate it.


http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/free.html

http://freemusicarchive.org/

Online Filmmaking Tips: Part 3

http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/10-tips-video-post-production/

The article (the to which is above) details many things to keep in mind whilst in production and post-production, especially ways in which you can shoot to make it easier for you in editing room told from his own experiences, which makes his advice seem a lot more credible, though I have made some mistakes listed on here before, so I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one (for example I have shot far too much on a few projects which has made editing hell).

Though his advice is primarily for those recording their adventures documentary style and as they happen, though certain bits can be applied to the post-production of any project, so it is still relevent to the project I am working on. An interesting point the article does make is the certain ways of filming scenes so that it is easier to edit in post-production (such as getting a wide, a medium and a detail shot), also the varing of the length clips to create mood is quite a good tip that I will use in my own production.

Research into script writing techniques.

In preparation for production I have decided to research several techniques for writing good dialogue, this will obviously help the production and make the finished product seem a lot more professional. So after a bit of research, the results are below.

Every character should have it's own distinct voice
A script will have multiple characters and, like in real life, they have different voices, so when writing a script you should make an extra effort to stress this point otherwise the characters will morph into one monotonous enitity, which will not sound realistic in the slightest, kill the script and bore the audience. (Though if it was applied to a sort of sci-fi 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' type film it could be quite creepy).

Read the dialogue outloud
This piece of advise is mentioned on numerous web sites, generally it's purpose is to make you think, in the context of the scene could you imagine this being said and is it engaging or interesting for an audience to listen to, if not then it needs a bit of work doing to it.

Abbreviate your dialogue
Not everyone speaks in standard english and neither do your characters, so try to implement this into your dialogue along with colloquialisms that are associated with the backgrounds of the characters, although you shouldn't go overboard as this will reduce your characters to simple caricatures, and could come across as quite offensive depending on the pragmatics. My favorite quote for this is "You may speak like an english scholar, but that doesn't mean your characters will" (unfortunately I can't remember whose quote that is).

Show rather tell
Films are a visual medium, and rather than theatre (which relies on dialogue to move their stories along), you have to move the film along with it's visuals. Also, by relying on dialogue you will have the tendency to overwrite you characters.

Have others read your dialogue
This will offer a fresh perspective on what you have written and after being entrenched in writing it for a while, it will highlight error that you may have overlooked. But overall they will be able to tell you if it makes sense.

Listen to people
Another one that cropped up on numerous sites, this is to gain a good understanding of how people actually talk, so that you can mimic it in your work, though in a more engaging and interesting way that will keep the audience reading/watching, this also leads to more realistic dialogue that the finished piece will benefit alot from.

Bibliography:
- http://reelauthors.com/script-analysis-coverage/how-to-write-great-dialogue.php#sthash.IBv42x0v.dpuf
-http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/how-tos/filmmaking-tips/screenwriting-how-to-write-the-dialogue.html
-http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/forums/showthread.php/5616-17-Fast-Tips-for-Creating-Realistic-Dialogue
-http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090128102939AAl89aE
-http://www.creative-writing-now.com/write-a-movie-script.html

Case study of a filmmaking company

I chose to do "Troma", as I fairly familiar with the films that have made/distributed.

Analysis Of Film Openings: Hobo With A Shotgun and Treevenge

Introduction
Both of these are films directed by Jason Eisener, an new up-and-coming writer-director from Canada, who is currently making a splash in the horror community after his break through in 2007 when he won the Grindhouse fake trailer competition, which led to his trailer playing with the film in Canada along side fake trailers directed by Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright. After which he gained notoriety from horror audiences with 'Treevenge', the story of when Christmas trees fight back after being chopped down a humiliated by the general populace; it is very funny horror-comedy, that does not skimp out on the blood (it features some very bloody homages to Lucio Fulci).

After which he went on get the reins on his own feature length film, building on the the fake trailer for 'Grindhouse', he created what is probably the bloodiest vigilante film in recent years, that cemented this young talent's place in the horror industry. The film stars Rutger Hauer as the nameless "Hobo", who arrives at "Scum city" with hopes of starting a lawn mowing business, but finds a city awash with corrupt cops, paedophilic Santas and an utterly delirious crime boss who treats the indiscriminate slaughter of the townsfolk as a spectacle. After being subjected to the towns inhumanity for long enough, the eponymous hobo picks up a shotgun and tries to clean up the town the only way he knows how: by blowing criminals to kingdom come!
It's an understatement to say this film lacks subtlety, but it makes up for it in pure bat-crap insanity and endless barrage of quotable one-liners; this film isn't art (though the use of lighting gives an extremely distinctive look that provides a breath of fresh air), but as a exercise in neo-grindhouse trash, this film is fantastic.

Since then he has gone on to direct a few segments in a couple of anthology films that have come out in recent years ('The ABCs Of Death' and 'V/H/S 2'), I have only seen his contribution to 'V/H/S 2', for those unaware in the past few years there has been a revival of interest in VHS collecting and use as a format (Troma have been releasing special editions on the format for a few years now, and many more underground video mixtapes are starting to re-use the format like their '80s and '90s predecessors), and riding that wave was the anthology horror film 'V/H/S', which attempted to throw the audience into the madness of the video underground circa early '90s, whilst in the constraints of a found footage horror genre (even the wrap-around was found footage).

The film itself was a bit hit and miss, though when it worked it really worked. The sequel followed this same formula, and tries to establish a minor mythology that connects both films, though it is fairly subtle. The segments are a mixed bag, with the longest, 'Safe Haven', being the best and the wrap-around being the worst (the ending is just dreadful and wastes all the tension built up throughout the film); though Eisener's segment- 'Slumber Party Alien Abduction'- relied far too heavily on gross out gags for characterisation, and whilst the alien special effects are impressive (along with the use of lighting and sound), the segment provides no real scares, it feels like a collection of cool images linked together by video scratches and digital blur.

He has also directed a few other shorts and has starred in 'Rewind This', a documentary about the impact VHS had on the film industry and VHS collecting; he is currently working on his next feature 'Blatant Violence High', taking inspiration from an old computer game ('Vigilante'), it looks to be a martial arts-esque film whilst carrying forth the aesthetics of 'Hobo'. So, all in all his is becoming a director to watch in the horror genre.

Filmography:
-The Teeth Beneath (2005)
-The Pink Velvet Halloween Burlesque Show! (Short) (2006)
-Hobo With A Shotgun (Short) (2007)
-Treevenge (Short) (2008)
-Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)
-The ABCs Of Death (Segment "Y is for Youngbuck") (2012)
-V/H/S 2 (Segment "Slumber Party Alien Abduction") (2013)
-One Last Dive (Short) (2013)

Analysis Of The Opening Of 'Treevenge' (From 0 to 2:00)
The film opens with longs shots of a woodland occupied with what appears to be christmas trees ( in their natural state), with a soothing soundtrack, that kicks in as the title appears on the screen; the soundtrack itself will be instantly recognisable to the films target audience (horror fans), as it is the theme to the infamous 'Cannibal Holocaust'. This use of intertextuality along with the digital grading of the film (which is synonymous with films made in the 1980s), and the format of the title, this has all been constructed by the director to show the audience that this is a homage/parody of the aforementioned film ('Cannibal Holocaust').

Also the long pans over the woodland, particularly focusing on the trees, could imply that they are important in the story that is about to unfold, providing the audience with an enigma code. The slow pans shift between close ups and long shots as if observing living, feeling people (a point that is built upon later in the short) thus humanising the trees, this allows the audience to sympathise with the trees and provides a sort of normal state, that is later juxtaposed with the outright anarchy that comes when the loggers descend upon them.

It is during one of these long pans that the soundtrack suddenly cuts to a close up of a man entering the frame with what appears to be an axe, this is parallel edited with a very '80s sounding electronic theme, this composition shows the logger and axe in the foreground whilst showing two trees in the background (placed between the gaps), this implies that the logger will chop down the trees (as the connotations of trees and axes are obviously using them to chop trees down).

The shot then moves up the body to the head of the character as he turns around, talking to many loggers off screen; the costume and look of the character is highly stereotypical to the point of caricature, this is after all the director's intension, and this stereotype is hammered into the audience throughout the rest of the opening, as they are exposed to numerous examples of the lumberjack stereotype.

However, they are first shown as faceless figures carrying huge weapons/tools, this is emphesised with the hand-held low angle shot which stresses the size of the chainsaw, this is repeated a few times, with different tools. Accompaning this is further use of an '80s-esque soundtrack, that feels very reminicent of the slasher genre- audience members who make this link will recognise the conventions of said genre and logically work out what will happen next.

This all adds to the suspence the film tries to build up, but the film does recognise the absurdity of the situation that it has created, and allows the audience to laugh at the absurdity of it by showing the baby tree shaking in fear. The audience both feels for the tree and can't help but laugh at now far fetched the wholed situation is-this seems to be the films intention by playing to both the horror audience as well as the comedy one, making itself a comedy-horror in the style of the classic comedy-horror films of old.

The film also stresses the threat the lumberjacks pose in the use of the shots, particularly in the moments prior to the full scale anarchy that is to come, in particular the low angle shot of the ring-leader, which with the clautrophobic framing tells the audience that he is in control. This lines us up for the climax, showing the power inbalance between the two faction-whilst the trees are docile(shown by the smooth pans and soothing soundtrack), the lumberjacks are presented as aggressive and dominant (through the low angle shots, the hand-held style and the body language).

The following sequence of the lumberjacks chopping down the trees is shot in a claustrophobic manner and focuses in detail on the mutilation and desacration of the trees; it tries to get across the hideous nature of the act through use of ("shaky") hand-held camera movement and quick cuts, (the quick cutting technique is reminicent of the hell sequences in 'Event Horizon'), this allows the audience to start to sympathise with the trees (by subconciously comparing the idylic opening with the current situation), allowing for the audience to support what they do in revenge in the final act of the film (as is customary of "revenge" films).

This again is part of the homage to 'Cannibal Holocaust' (though I haven't seen it), and it replicates the opening of that film, and carries the theme of that film through though replacing the tribe with trees, it uses this as a way of creating humour for seasoned horror fans, mainly from the fact that 'Cannibal Holocaust' is regarded as one of the most horrific and disturbing films ever made, and 'Treevenge' takes that concept and twists it to involve Christmas trees, it's so absurd that it is hysterical to those in the know.

Below is the opening to 'Treevenge' and 'Cannibal Holocaust', to show how dead on they got it.





Analysis Of The Opening of 'Hobo With A Shotgun'
The opening carries forth Eisener's motif of using soundtracks from horror films from the '70s and '80s (from what I have heard this one is from a 1970 German horror 'Mark Of The Devil') with a fair amount of digital grading, though for this film it is trying to emulate the sort of grindhouse trash that was being made in the '70s and '80s.

The film introduces us to the protagonist as he is riding the rails, we instantly know that he is the star of the film by the use of lighting that encapsulates him in every shot, this almost suggests he is a "ray of sunshine" and it invokes Christian iconography (in most images Christ and other such holy people are depicted with halos of light around them) this serves as a universal code that this "hobo" is the protagonist and is "good". It also helps that the actor playing the "hobo" is the film's main star, Rutger Hauer.

The countryside images gives us a sort of idylic image of the world around this character and what he hopes for, this gives the audience an introduction to the world of the "hobo", which allows (like 'Treevenge' does) for it all to be juxtaposed with the world he encounters in "Scum Town", which is alluded to at the end of the clip, changing the tone for the viewer.

This also makes the viewer recognise that in the world of the "hobo" the debauchery that is on display in "Scum Town" is not normal, so in that respects the opening provides a normal level for which the rest of the movie can be measured against, putting the audience on the side of the "hobo".

The opening sequence is filled with optimism that is soon quashed once the audience and the "hobo" are exposed to it, so in those regards the opening intensionally puts the audience on the back foot, and subverts their expectations excellently.

Lighting Tips

http://www.lavideofilmmaker.com/filmmaking/film-lighting-tips.html

The link above provides a great insight into the various techniques involved in lighting scenes, especially the use of back lighting and silhouettes which I intend to use in my own production (to get a particular mood- that being of unease). So, in that respect the link is fairly, informative, though it does get overly technical past the halfway point (referring to tungsten balances), which is far in advance of the level I am working at (it does describe industry standard equipment) and though I don't have access to equipment of this standard I take on board the intention and the intended effect.

So, it is a pretty good article, very informative and it has shown me some interesting techinques and styles that I could use in my own production, such as the "bokeh" technique, which may be quite difficult to achieve using school equipment, but it could produce some interesting results.

Online Filming Tips: Part 2

http://gigaom.com/2007/07/27/top-ten-online-filmmaking-techniques/

The above link is fairly informative, even if it is primarily for producing web-based content, though it does highlight some good techniques that can be used in any form of filming, and features some good examples of these techniques in use (though they are predominantly art-house classics).

So, I'll definitely keep these in mind when preparing for my own filming.

Distribution Stratergies

Distribution Strategies

The success of a film can depend as much on the distributor as on the film itself- many experts say distribution is the key to power in the media industry.

The key to distribution’s success is taking in where/when/how/whom/who before releasing a film.

Distributors promote and market films in territories and negotiate release patterns with exhibitors.

Distribution of most big budget Hollywood films is directly controlled by the majors themselves. In the UK, Paramount and Universal, with 20^th Century Fox, are joint owners of the biggest distributor, UIP. In 2004, the majors, through their own distribution companies or in partnership, took around 80% of North American market.

A film costing $70m to make and £30m to distribute must make money for the exhibitors as well as the distributor. To make profit at theatrical release a ‘studio picture’, costing $100m needs to gross at least $200m more at the box office.

The distribution process of the majors, usually starts with a wide release in every major city in the US (approximately 3000 screens). Often the majority of profits come in the 1^st weekend.

After this marketing blitz and initial release, ‘hit’ or ‘miss’ status is determined. After initial release in the US, weeks, or even months later, it is released to other territories.

The alternative distribution strategy is the platform release. A film opens in only a few cities and then gradually moves to a wider market, helped by ‘word of mouth’ and critical response.    

Once a film has finished it’s ‘theatrical run’, the next window is DVD release (rental and retail, which is now normally done on the same day). For the 

Industry Regulation part 2: Violence

Depending how violence is displayed on the screen depends on what classification a film gets, for example if a film just shows a gun fire followed by a person falling or a slight splatter of blood (like what is showed in most westerns) then it will most likely be given a PG rating. The more intense the scene and the portrayal (i.e. more realistic), the higher the rating; although in recent years more intense sequences have creeped into lower classifications, for example the torture sequence that features in "Casino Royale", which is fairly strong considering the classification (12a); however this could be put down to the fact that the scene doesn't go on for long, it's shot mostly in long shots so you don't see fully what is going on and the sequence holds back on gore or any graphic depictions.

But what is interesting is how two similar films, that deal with the same subject matter, with similar sequences of violence get different classifications based on how they portray these sequences; like "Kick-Ass" and "Super", both focus on the idea on a "homemade superheroes", but both take this concept in different directions, whereas "Kick-Ass" glamourises it to an extent by playing it mostly for laugh, whilst the fight scenes, though graphic, are done in an over-the-top over choreagraphed kung-fu style that disconnects the audience from it, to the point where they are just looking at it and going "that's cool". This then removes the scene (shown below) from reality to such an extent that you can only look at it in that respect and revel in the black humour of a little girl slicing drug dealers up.

This is quite a contrast to the stark realism of "Super" that strips back the most of the modern glamour of superheroes, to leave us with a story about an man who has a few problems who fights crime (although this has been visted before in a few comics), and so it's approach to violence is therefore far more realistic than "Kick-Ass", and is more shocking as apposed to humourous (well it is funny, but to most people it's harder to laugh at). This is reflected in it's classification, whereas "Kick-Ass" is a 15, "Super" is an 18; this is because the film dwells more on the injury of the participant moreso that it's 15 rated counterpart.

A look at filmmaking tips online

http://www.videomaker.com/tips-to-get-started

The above link features many useful tips for shooting, that will help with the filming of the film opening, such as the "twelve helpful tips for shooting a great video" as this highlights a few things that I will have to take in to consideration for the shoot, particularly the white balance (in fact I'll have to check if the camera that I am using has it) as this has been the thing that has ruined some of my earlier work, leaving loads of footage unuseable as it doesn't fit together.

So, on the whole the article is very informative and has informed me more about what to take into consideration for the shoot.

A look at three directors part 2: Frank Henenlotter

Frank Henenlotter
He received his main film education in the grindhouses of 42nd street, watching double and triple bill of exploitation films; this has influenced his own style of film making, as he himself considers his own movies to be "exploitation" films, more so in their attitude and low-budget. His first full feature was the gory horror-comedy "Basket Case", a story of siamese twins who wreck vengeance on the doctors who separated them at birth. Complete with grimy cinematography in the style of  "Taxi Driver", this film managed to capture the seedy glory of 42nd Street prior to the "Disney-fication" in the early '90s, earning this film a special place in the hearts of many exploitation enthusiasts, that and it's tendency to suddenly switch to stop motion animation (the film had a really low budget).

Like most of his other work the film has developed a cult following and spawned two sequels (although they both veered more towards out-right comedy rather than the shocking mix of horror and comedy that makes the original a classic), and it pioneered his trademark of twisted ending that appear in all of his films, including the fantastically perverse twist at the end of his latest film "Bad Biology".

"Brain Damage" was his next assault on good taste, which is actually a metaphor for the dangers of drug addiction, the story concerns Brian who forms a relationship with Elmer, an Aylmer, who gives Brian wild hallucinations in return for human brain; the film explores the same seedy New York underbelly as "Basket Case", especially the with drawl scene, which also manages to preempt "Trainspotting" and actually manages to out-shock it in terms of cold-turkey hallucinations; the joy of this film comes from the creativity that comes across though out the entire film, from the trippy Elmer sequences that are juxtaposed with bloody brain-chomping deaths along with the overall design and pseudo-history of the Aylmer

Elmer the Aylmer

After Duane's cameo in "Brain Damage", Henelotter came back to everyone's favourite wicker basket carrying siamese twin with "Basket Case 2" featuring a whole host of new strange and unique characters. Although its shift from a bloody horror with comedy to a comedy with some horror sequences doesn't work as well, but there are a few sequences that do stand out, like the opening, the bar with the private investigator and the ending, which really does catch you off-guard.

 After the '80s, he only made two films in the '90s before going on 16 year long hiatus before making the outrageous "Bad Biology", those two films were "Frankenhooker" and "Basket Case 3", the former being the story of Jeffery Franken, who after his fiancee is killed by a lawn mower accident, goes about resurrecting her, his only draw back is he only has her head, his solution is (with the aid of explosive "super-crack") is to use parts of street-walkers. However, the film has been criticised for misogyny, as the protagonist rebuilds his girlfriend how he wants her to look, which ends up turning her in to an undead sex-object (the "WANNA DATE?" sequence), which quite rightly could be horribly offensive and could be taken as a case for this if taken out of context and not reviewing the final half as Henenlotter is in fact criticising this behavior and the protagonist is confronted with his own behavior (once his girlfriend has regained her own consciousness) as she questions him on why she has gone from the big, virginial girl from the prologue to an undead hooker. It all then balances out in the end as Franken gets killed by the prostitues' pimp, and is revived with the remaining hooker parts ("the serum could only revive women"), what goes around comes around.

It is a nice trashy black comedy with a very '80s asthetic and a spot on performance by James Lorinz as the demented Jeffery Franken; worth mentioning is the sutle touches, like the floating brain and the TV news that get some of the best laughs.

 Unfortunatly I havn't seen "Basket Case 3", although I have heard it's like "looney tunes with more blood" and has had poor reviews all round.

"Bad Biology" is his collaborative effort with R.A The Rugged Man, and was shot on a low budget but it still holds up with his earlier work; the film concerns two abnormal individuals, an experimental photographer and a reculse, who find one and other in this rather bizarre love story that takes body horror to strange levels.

Information taken from wikipedia and Hotel Broslin

Filmography:
-Basket Case (1982)
-Brain Damage (1988)
-Basket Case 2 (1990)
-Frankenhooker (1990)
-Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1992)
-Bad Biology (2008)
He also has been working on "That's Sexploitation" for Something Weird Video, along with releasing films with Something Weird as part of a speciality logo, "Frank Henenlotter's Sexy Shockers.

A look at three different directors part 1: Quentin Tarantino

I am going to take a look at three different directors, with three different styles and what influence they have over the intro that I am currently planning.

Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino burst into the indie movie scene in the early nineties with his own brand of fast-talking, pop-culture influenced crime films, starting with his heist-gone-wrong film "reservoir dogs", although critically panned in the states, with a limited release, the film went on to be something of a success in Britain.

Now recognised as a classic, the film is non-chronological in structure (so as to influence and play with the audience's sympathies) and never actually shows the heist itself (although it play a very brief audio clip), by doing this the audience is kept in the dark about the heist, this keeps them questioning the motives of the characters, especially since the plot of the film concerns the inclusion of an undercover cop in the heist.

Although, it was with the Palme d'Or winning "Pulp Fiction" that cemented his style of film, with it's thick vein of dark humour and pop culture versed characters, the film was released to wide spread critical acclaim along with making $213,928,762 at the box office and influenced just about every other crime film made in the 90s.

His work can be divided up in to his '90s work, which consists of extremely well written crime films (this is for both films he has made and ones based upon his screenplays), and his post-2000 shift in to going back to the films he grew up on: exploitation films. His first real effort was 2004's "Kill Bill:Vol 1", the first of a two-part series based on the kung fu revenge films that populated the grindhouses in the '70s, although part 2 resembled a spaghetti western in feel and provided a contrast to the out-and-out Tokyo bloodfest of the first. (Interesting fact: the typography of "Kill Bill" at the end of part 2 is the same used for the American trailer for "They Call Her One Eye" (AKA: "Thriller: A Cruel Picture") the infamous Swedish rape-revenger whom Tarantino has called the "the roughest revenge movie ever made"- also Daryl Hannah's character is based on Christina Lindberg's character in the aforementioned film).

He then went in to full on grindhouse mode (after guest directing "Sin City" with Robert Rodriguez) with 2007's"Grindhouse" an attempt at recreating a double-bill exploitation experience for the modern cinemagoer; the end product was a double-dose of exploitation maddness with an impressive cast (for a faux-sploitation film) and purposfully imposed grain, the two films were "Planet Terror", Robert Rodriguez's zombie movie- notable for it's protagonist's machine-gun leg in the final reel and it's John Carpenter-esque score, and Tarantino's "slasher-movie-on-wheels" "Death Proof". They then added some faux-trailers, to the already risky idea (directed by Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright), this led to "Grindhouse" being cherished by those how saw it at the cinema and the critics, however it was a flop- leading to the films being hacked apart when it was released in the UK (to get some money back). Although, many cite it as the start of the exploitation ressurgence which lead to the creation of the faux-sploitation genre (modern movies that try to emulate exploitation films of the 1970s), such as: "Black Dynamite", "Machete", "Hobo With A Shotgun" and "Father's Day".

His next film, "Inglourious Basterds", started what he terms himself an "alternate history trilogy" that encompasses "Django Unchained", each featuring, you guessed it, an alternate take on history in the style of a well known sub-genre. They both feature cartoonish violence, almost bordering on the excessive with "Django", although many deemed his treatment of such a difficult period of American history which brought him under fire for from critics and other directors, one of the most vocal - Spike Lee- stated via twitter "American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them.".

However "Django" itself was well recieved by many critics, and after having a taste of directing a western it seems he has been bitten by the bug, and as of this point in time will be directing another entitled "The Hateful Eight".

Filmography:
-My Best Friend's Birthday (1987) (lost film-never released)
-Reservoir Dogs (1992)
-Pulp Fiction (1994)
-Jackie Brown (1997)
-Kill Bill Volume 1&2 (2003 and 2004)
-Grindhouse/Death Proof (2007)
-Inglourious Basterds (2009)
-Django Unchained (2012)

Industry Regulation

I recently looked at how the film industry is regulated, in the UK it is the BBFC (British Board of Film Classifications), and is responsible for the classification of film, DVD and other home cinematic format (ever since the 1984 Video Recordings Act, which was brought in after the "video nasties" outcry), they catergorise them depending on what the work contains, for example if a film has strong language and excessive violence, then it is unlikely that it will be suitable for young children, and so it will be given a higher certificate.

The classifications break down is as follows:
U-Suitable for all.
PG- Parental guidence, may feature some mild language, and some scenes of violence and scenes of horror.
12- Suitable for those aged 12 and over, will feature some mild language (and one use of strong), violence, discreet nudity and drug references.
15- Suitable for those aged 15 and over, will feature strong violence, language, sex, nudity and drug use;although it can't be seen to glamorise violence or drug use, and sadistic violence will most likely be not acceptable at this level.
18- Suitable for those aged 18 and over, will feature very strong violence, language, sex, nudity, drug use and horror.

For a much more detailed breakdown go to http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/guidelines

Shot types and their intended effect

Many shot types are employed just about any film made, and they are all there for a purpose be that to move the story along or to show the audience something that they may have not noticed otherwise. So here is a run down of commonly used shot types, examples and their intended effect on the audience.

Close up
This is an extremely common shot that appears in just about every film, as it can be used to show the audience a detail that they may have missed, be it a facial expression, a twitch or an object that has significance in regard to the scene or film in general. This can also be seen as setting up an enigma code, a shot of something that isn't explained leaving it up to the audience to figure out.

Extreme long shot
Extreme long shots is exactly what it sounds like, it's a long shot taken from extremely far away; t can be used as an establishing shotby showing the exterior.

Master
Is the recording of an entire scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the characters in view; it is usually a long shot, and can be used as an establishing shot.

Extreme close up
This differs from the close up by focusing on a smaller detail, for example, an eye.

Mid/medium shot
A medium shot is usually framed from the waist up and is used to show a subjects’ facial expression in context of their body language.
Long shot
A long shot shows an entire object or human figure, it is usually used to place the subject in relation to its surroundings.

Establishing
An establishing shot sets up or established the context for a scene; it is usually a long or extreme long shot.

Insert
Is a shot of part of a scene from a different angle or focal length from the master shot; they cover action already covered in the master shot, but emphasizes a different aspect of the action due to the different framing.

Pros and Cons of two ideas

The two are ideas are the weird mad science film (previously mentioned in the "initial idea" post, although I've started to get a better grip on the plot for it, and how to pull it off) and a possibly easier to pull off opening in the style of a light-hearted crime film (like the Tarantino inspired/rip-off "Go"), so here is a list of the pros and cons of both ideas to help me decide which to film.

Pros- Mad science film

• Can be shot in one room (mostly).
• Won't need as many actors.
• The idea is fairly original.
• The violence and gore will be done in such an outlandish and absurd way that it will (hopefully) not be able to be taken seriously.

Cons- Mad science film

• Will need to employ the use of special effects for a few sequences.
• Will need actors who are okay with the content of the script (the gore and the outright weirdness of it).
• Will need to acquire permission to use a room in the science department to film in, and permission to use various scientific instruments.
• Will need to use a large amount of lighting (to create the atmosphere needed), and I will need to find a way of tinting the lights.
• Will need to dress the set appropriately (this may take a bit of time).
• Will need to find specific props and costumes. 

Pros- 90s inspired crime film

• Won't need as many special effects.
• The costumes will be easier to find (i.e. normal clothes will be fine).
• Won't as intensive lighting.
• Can be filmed over a longer period (because of more locations).
• Less chance of continuity errors (in regard to set).
• Less time needed to dress the sets.

Cons- 90s inspired film

• May need a larger cast.
• Will need to film on numerous locations.
• The violence could be seen as being insensitive (using teenage actors to portray gangsters, when real-life gang violence is on the rise).
• By shooting on location, the scheduling could be hectic.

Film production

A brief look at film production.
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