PRELIMINARY EXERCISE

Preliminary Exercise 

TASK: 

My group and I created our preliminary film. 

We devise, film and edit a short exercise in film making which OCR asks us to complete prior to our film opening. We watch examples of the exercise such as those undertaken by Claremont students last year and others like this one.
Here is another example

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE

Today I looked at the title sequence of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as research and inspiration for my film opening.

This films genre is thriller/crime. We can see this from the title sequence as the music is an upbeat fast song with a strong drum beat. This fits well with the fast camera work that consists mainly of panning shots and extreme close ups.

The opening also has a metalic tone as through out the majority of the sequence it is only black and white apart from the use of fire in the middle of the sequence. This creates excitement in the audience as is suddenly derastically  changes from black and white to a bright orange.

Through out the sequence there is a black liquid that is poured over different objects. As black connotes evil and suffering it is seen as blood like and represents death, telling the audience that the film is going to be violent.

Following on with the black and white theme, the font it all consistent and in white. It is very clear to read as it comes up on  a black background.

The mis-en-scene in this opening is dark and misterious as there are flashes of light almost like lightening, with the black liquid covering objects. This makes the audience wonder what is to come in the film as it is not clear at the beginning.

RESEARCH: NOWHERE BOY

The opening shot of the film 'Nowhere Boy' is an establishing shot of a old, stone grand looking building, and we then we see John Lennon running across the front of the building. This shows the audience that John is not very significant as the building makes John look so small. Interestingly the building is old and made stone giving the film a grey dull feel but in contrast there is upbeat jolly music playing. 

Through out the next 15 minuets of the film as the audience we understand that John has a very different relationship with his uncle than he does with his Aunt Mimi. Mimi is represented as the responsible motherly figure where as his Uncle is more of a friend to John. We see this when  Johns Uncle presents him with  a harmonica, the way his Uncle looked over his shoulder to see if Mimi was looking before he gave it to John tells us that music is something that only John and his Uncle share and that it is special to them. Presenting the Uncle in a soft, childish way as he jokes around with John. in contrast Aunt Mimi is stun, traditional and sensible and her character is shown through what she wears. 

Furthermore we see that John is rebellious in this opening as Aunt Mimi has to constantly remind John to put his glasses on, also we see Johns happy, free side when he rides his bike with his friend with no hands on the handle bars. Finally when John arrives at school and is  greeted by some girls at the gate shows that he is popular at school and cheeky.  

DISTRIBUTION: PRIDE

We investigated how the film 'Pride' was attracting their audiences. 

• I started by browsing the official film website, http://www.pridemovie.co.uk The website included a live twitter feed that would tweet regularly important and exciting information about the film to get the audiences exited for the release and give them the opportunity to follow the film.
• The website also included a sound bite of the leading actor Andrew Scott advising people to rush and get their tickets as there is only one week left. By the audiences hearing it from Andrew Scott will create buzz for the film as it shows that the actors are getting involved with spreading the word of the film.
• The LGSM and starts of the film marched with a live band to Odeon Cinema in Camden on Tuesday 2nd September for the Premiere of the film. This created buzz as it is nothing like any other film has done so it makes it original and exciting. They then posted photos and footage of the march on the Pride website to excite fans and persuade them to go and see the film. 
• Backstage footage from the premire was posted on the website so fans and watch it and be inspired to go and see the film. 

PLANNING: IDENT

iSTOPMOTION

Today I explored new software, iStopMotion, using a webcam to take shots then editing using 'onion skinning'. The project was to make a production company ident for our imaginary company "S & T Productions".
When creating the ident, we were aware throughout that upbeat music would be needed in order to create more atmosphere and would help to underpin with the bright colours used throughout. 

WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAY

What we did on our holiday

The genre of the film is comedy (IMDB)  

The film what we did on our holiday is a family film (BBC film )

The film is spreading the world by using BBC social media for example twitter.

The films trailer was also advertised on the Metro website. The Metro website also stated that the film was written by the same makers of the TV series outnumbered. This website also  has the facebook and twitter logos encouraging people to share the page on social media this way the film gets lots of advertisement.  The radio times website also use the social media technic to advertisement the film.

After using this film as a case study it inspired me to go to the Every Man cinema in Walton to see it. I really enjoyed it although the story line is a sad one it was presented in a light way that was easy to watch. 

  

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE

Continuing my research, after looking at the Walking Dead title sequence I wanted to explore a different genre and so I chose the Bond film Casino Royale. 

• The first scene of the title sequence classically starts with Bond aiming and shooting directly at the camera and the blood begins to drip down the screen this automatically gains the audiences attention and it established the films genre (action) all with in the first five seconds.

•  Though out the title sequence there is a constant theme of casinos and cards showing that there will be gambling involved in the film,  but the audience don't know weather he will be gambling for his life... 

• Cleverly in the sequence as the silhouette    of Bond fights off and kills the enemy as they fall they shatter into hearts or diamonds ( continuing the cards theme) this is effective and keeps the opening of the film reasonably light hearted to start with before any guts and gore actually take place.  

• The shots used in the sequence are mainly panning and tracking due to the genre being action. It presents the film in a active, lively way. 

• Another clever idea that is presented clearly is that all of the enemies are a red silhouette    where as bond is the only one in a suit and is a black solute making it clear to the audience that he is the main character.  Furthermore, the font is kept consistant as a bold white print that stood out well as the main colour theme was red and black creating a casino like feel.

•  The background/ miss-en-scene  was extremely effective and it established that is was a spy film with a casino theme as they used the target symbol that then changed into a casino wheel. 

• The music is an upbeat song that fits well with the genre of the film as it has a strong beat that makes it current but also fitting with the action theme by one of the lines from the song being 'arm yourself as no one will save you'.

• Finally the way that the directors used the cards to introduce the main character as the 007 agent is extremely effective again showing the audience that there is link between the two and the way this is pulled off is by there being 2 gun shots into the card the 7 of hearts as then the gun shots act as the 0's before the 7. It also creates a sense of irony as it is a red 7 of hearts this represents blood and death is a main theme in this film. 

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REPRESENTATION

1. Roland Barthes Mythologies (1964): state what you learned about his approach and how you 'read' this image. 

This is a quote from Roland Barthes explaining his views on the image:"I am at the barber's, and a copy of Paris-Match is offered to me. On the cover, a young Negro in a French uniform is saluting, with his eyes uplifted, probably fixed on a fold of the tricolour. All this is the meaning of the picture. But, whether naively or not, I see very well what it signifies to me: that France is a great Empire, that all her sons, without any colour discrimination, faithfully serve under her flag, and that there is no better answer to the detractors of an alleged colonialism than the zeal shown by this Negro in serving his so-called oppressors. I am therefore again faced with a greater semiological system: there is a signifier, itself already formed with a previous system (a black soldier is giving the French salute); there is a signified (it is here a purposeful mixture of Frenchness and militariness); finally, there is a presence of the signified through the signifier... In myth (and this is the chief peculiarity of the latter), the signifier is already formed by the signs of the language... Myth has in fact a double function: it points out and it notifies, it makes us understand something and it imposes it on us..." (Barthes 1964)Personally

 I agree with Barthes that, the meaning of the picture is everything that you can physically see with your eyes, but that you can also see more if you look deeper into the message of the image. Again agreeing with Barthes that its showing that France is an Empire that does not there is no colour discrimination as anyone can salute the French flag. From this exercise I have learnt that it is important to look at an images meaning in the media, what you can physically see and why they have wanted you to see it in this way. Then you also have to be aware that there can be a message behind the things you can physically see and how the publisher would want his image to be interpreted. 


2. This Panzani avdertisment is an example of a denotation, it persuades the viewers that the product if fresh and almost home cooked produce although it is just a dry and tinned products. Some ways that is effect is carried out is by firstly placing the products in a while string bag making it look as if the food has been purchased from a local market. Furthermore, at the bottom of the string bag there is a selection of fresh looking produce including tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes this helps the publisher convince the viewers that the product is as fresh as vegetables brought from a fresh market stool. Plus the way that the product is flowing out from the bag makes it seem as tho they have brought so much of it that it does not fit in one bag making it seem popular and that other people will enjoy the product. Finally the method of using the Italian colours for the logo of the brand makes the product again look more wholesome, natural, homemade and fresh. 

This is a still from Silver Linings Playbook.  This image,shows that the two dancers in white are ammeter in comparison to the others. We know this by firstly what the man is wearing ( ordinary suit trousers and a white shirt) where as the other male dancers in the background are wearing flared dance trousers and sparkly black silk shirts. Furthermore another way that the two dancers in the middle look out of place and ammeter is the way they are reacting to their scores, their arms are lifted and they are shouting with joy. Due to the reactions of the people around them and the location this is not the way you react and behave at a formal event. Likewise one of the more professional looking dancers has his man on the mans shoulder as a sign of comfort as their scores from the judges are low where as the dancers show the opposite and are extremely happy and excited by their score showing they are not at the standard of the other dancers.