Friday 15 April 2016

MEST2: Evaluation


MEST2: Evaluation
We are required to make a short film extract about one of the topics as a general inspiration – ours was romance. In the group I worked in, there was; Amrit, Katie and Harkiran. The movie had to appeal to a wider audience and be non-mainstream; more like an arthouse movie. We made a 3-minute extract and a brochure that fits with the movie; it complements the brief through the creativity and the artistic thought.

Through our research, it helped us understand on what we wanted to focus on within our 3 minute extract, seeing the movie ‘Donnie Darko’ made us realise we would like to base it around schizophrenia and the concept of being alone in thoughts. It meant that we had to create lots of enigma codes, since that is what Donnie Darko did too. We were convinced with this because we found that it would allow us to target the wider audience and make the audience feel captured in the narrative. Whilst watching that movie, the cinematography caught my attention immediately, the consistent use of binary opposition of dark and light moments within the character, could be a way that allowed the audience to identify and understand the protagonist. BBFC was one of institution research I carried out, as our target audience was 15 year olds+, we made sure we followed the 15 certificate rules, for our extract to be successful, it allowed us to understand our target audience and what is appropriate for them to watch. We carried out the audience research by focus groups. The research gave us an understanding that the narrative would be successful since it was one of the things the focus group liked since fitted the arthouse audience as well it was something that targeted audience our audience would be interested in. Majority of the feedback that we receive informed us that our final product was going to be successful with few things we need to consider; e.g., the acting and the emotional power we need to put in.  

Our target audience are 15-35 year olds; the focus group seemed fond of the idea. In addition, even though the movie is focusing on mental illness and being alone, it can involve both genders, but I would argue that the females would be more slightly more targeted because the protagonist is a female and the idea of romance, with that being said, I think 40% of males would be attracted to watch the movie and 60% of females. It allowed wide audience to be attracted to the movie because of the age range. In addition our target audience would be, people who are in education or graduated, ABC1 social class. The psychographic group are mainstreamers as the idea of psychology coming into young people and who are our core audience. Reformers are also our audience as they do seek knowledge on all issues and explores, because they would be willing to explore the human emotions and the mind. “The Pursuit of Happyness” 2006; is a movie that all of the psychographics would be attracted too. My core audience are teenagers just because the actors are the same age, which allows the audience to create identification with effectively. My secondary audience is young adults and adults (20-35) because they are able to create personal relationships or even personal identity (Blumler & Katz) with them which allows them to be captured into the movie because of the emotion being used. Majority of my target audience would use Apple products, devices such as ipads and iphones, they would be engaged with news regularly, and in terms of social media, they would be mostly on twitter and instagram. The strengths of having my chosen target audience is that I am able to involve different experiences that people would have experienced and then identify with. I’m not sure this is shown effectively enough within the 3 minutes, which I think is then my weakness.

For my arthouse film extract, few of the moments that is key in the 3 minute extract, one of them is when the protagonist and her imaginary boyfriend are arguing (1:10 – 2:10), this Is a key moment because this is where the audience understands why the protagonist is being the way she is but also understanding this is where the table is turned in the linear narrative. The medium close up shots allows us as the audience to see the emotion and encourages the identification of the character. The shot was taking over the shoulder shot because it gives the audience an insight into what the protagonist is seeing from her point of view, it adds to the realism to the shot as the audience adopt the same view as the protagonist. Another key moment is again, between the protagonist and her imaginary boyfriend in their ‘happy moments of being together’, in this scene the audience are identifying with the characters good moments, even though it only exists in her mind, the various shots allow to be identify with the protagonist in multiple ways, for example the long shots, medium close up. Through the editing, we have added reverse shots, so the audience is encouraged to identify the emotions of the protagonist, as emotional power was something that needed to come across quite a lot through our 3 minute extract. The use of the long shot is so the audience to acknowledge the location, this could possibly allow them to create a personal identity (Uses and Gratification) with that location with themselves if they familiarise with it. In this scene there is few tracking shots, for example at 1:22 – 2:13 so it gives the audience to go on a little journey with the two characters. The editing of two key moments are put in straight cuts, and a fade out at the end so it lets the audience to the movie has ended. The editing style is in continuity, so the audience are able to understand the narrative from start to finish and no confusions is caused. The key conventions meet our chosen theme of chosen genre is by the lighting, there is a balance of high and low key lighting, this is depending on the scene and the emotion of the protagonist, as this is what we want to focus on, both lighting gives us the artistic view of an art house movie, which is also one of the one of the main strengths in our 3 minute extract, and can attract to audience pleasures and expectation. Also another key convention that complements our brief topic is the sound, the non-diegetic but parallel sound complements the scenes and follows the idea of our brief topic, which is also another strength but a key convention we followed, for our chosen genre. The weakens of this is the narrative, is having confusion since we wanted to convey the same thought of the protagonist, to the audience, I am not sure we have done this effectively, but the audience’s pleasure through this can be not knowing the unknown and what to expect next.

My print work (appendix A, B & C) meets the key conventions of cinema brochures is by the simple things like having the logo at the left hand side at the top of the page, making sure I have the website links at the front page so this allows the audience to know the simple information about the movie. Making sure I have page numbers, to simply guide the audience through the article and it matches along with the content pages. For example, in the BFI brochure, they have even amount of images and text writing, this is what I tried to do too and I think I have done it in a effective way because it is simple but powerful throughout the article but especially on my double page spread. Overall, for my print work, the strengths are it Is simple but powerful because of the use of phrases I have used on all of the pages, for example on the cover page; “The human world…It’s a mess!” The pages somewhat all link to each other and gives the right message about the protagonist in the movie too as she is in all 3 pages, the audience can more about her through the images. I have made sure that I paid close attention to mise-en-scene throughout my print work. However, since I am a beginner a using the Photoshop software, I don’t think I done a bad job, I do have a consistent theme, although I do think I could have been artistic with my work, which then would make the brochure look like if it is an arthouse brochure.  A way that creativity or even professional edge could have been added is through the layout throughout my article so the audience can view the artistic view of an arthouse movie.
I have a dominant representation (Levi-strauss) of females in both my print work and movie, as we are focusing on the main protagonist who is a female and her story. The representation of teenagers, although it isn’t a typical stereotype, instead it could be reinforcing the idea of teenagers being alone because of what the society made out towards the teenagers especially, and few of how people would behave when they do have a mental illness, though we have tried to not strongly reinforce the idea of it but just enough to make it realistic. Since there is a very few cast members, there is a mixture of ethnicity involved, the movie involves this and it is a positive stereotype (Perkins) of the ethnicity involved since it shows they are just trying to help out the protagonist. There is a mixture of reinforcing and subverting the stereotypical representation, in the movie, this is so the audience when watching get the realistic view of the world they live and what society brings on to people.

If I could have chosen the 3rd brief, I would have created an online film blog, the way I would promote the film, is by putting content like behind the scenes of the making, putting vlogs of the shooting days since the internet is starting to grow on the idea of vlogging and it has been successful within the young people (core audience) this is what interests them, and make them attracted to watch. It allows my online blog to be current and modern, as it would pay close attention to cinematography of the artistic shots that are captured from the movie, and the photoshoot for the print work, this would create synergy, between the movie, online blog and the print work, this is an effective use of cross promotion. I would involve my target audience by using social media and use techniques of user generated content, by the audience simply posting an “selfie” of themselves or with people on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag “#mymoments” since my core audience are teenagers, they are big fans of taking selfies, and being consistently on social media, this seems like a good way to generate content. The purpose of the audience taking a selfie is so there are sharing their moment with the rest of us, taking a selfie to show the emotions of how they are feeling, since emotion is a big part of understanding the protagonist in the film. Plan B used cross promotion successful too in his first movie; Ill Manors.

To conclude, I think I have met the brief well, as I have followed the key conventions that are mentioned in the brief for the 3-minute extract and the print. My Product can be successful in the media market just because the narrative and the theme is something that can be fitted for the target audience quite well and the arthouse audience.


Thursday 3 March 2016

MEST2: Print - Draft 2


Front cover
Contents page












Double page spread
                                 





Wednesday 24 February 2016

Thursday 11 February 2016

BFI notes

Institutions distribution audience:
- Arthouse - BFI, independent films, low budget. 
- Multiplex - blockbuster (Oden) 
- Cross over - award nominees

British Genres

- Heritage: view of British History
- Social Realism 
- Franchise Films: Offer similar audience pleasures to other blockbuster films and fulfills expectations of international audience 
- Horror: Tradition of going back to Gothic 
- Urban Fairy tale Rom Com 

National audience watched British films for:
- information/education 
- social interaction 'crowd pleasers', Oscar nominations 
- personal identification 
- pure entertainment 

US/International audience
- information/education 
- social interaction 'crowd pleasers', Oscar nominations 
- personal identification 
- pure entertainment 

Film examples:
Franchise: Kingsman - stereotype of Britishness fulfils expectations for international audience. 
 - pure entertainment for audience who are uk audience, blockbuster theme, the use of language could create personal identification. 
- US/international audience - Pure entertainment: building, state homes, seeing the upper class, the typical stereotype of London life is shown. 

Heritage: A Royal Night Out - reinforces patriotism, tourist marketing strategy, miss-en-scene comes significant. 
US/international audience - Information/education 
                                      - social interaction
                                      - Class difference 

Social Realism: The selfish Giant 'arthouse' 
- Critical of British life, not reinforcing patriotic values, challenging to audience comfort zone, focus on working on working class, deals with social problems. 
Uk audience would watch this for - personal identification
US/international audience would watch it for - Information/education and personal identification

Horror: The Women in Black - Traditional of gothic, Hammer films in 1960's - 1970's -offered costume drams with sex and drugs, drugs censorship, successful novel & stage show.
UK audience - adrenaline, mis-en-scene
US/international audience - stereotypical horror film

'Urban Fairytale' - Rom-Com: One day - Romantic comedies, partially working title, typical love story conventions, Set in contemporary London - tourist landmarks. 

Institutional case studies: Vertigo and Warp films

Vertigo:
- formed in 2002 
- in built audience - easy to market 
Vertigo today - "Independent film company"
- they want to identify new talent and want to ensure that films are distributed. 
- they have done "range of products" - Horrid Henry, Pudsy, Bill, The children. 
- post production 
- sales and distribution: protagonist 
- ancillary sales - Allan Hibio 
"Anyone can make aa dilm and distribute it on the internet. 
- They ensure film reaches to the target audience. 
- They have teamed up with Simon Cowell 
- Developing BGT winners. 
- Low budget

Warp films:
- formed in 2001 
- Off shoot of successful electronic music 
- challenging and experimental music 
- they have a distribution network already established 
- First DVD singles - My Wrongs 
Very distinct brand identify:
- Northern English 
- Auteur filmmaking within a market 
- Artist driven content 
- Aimed at middle ground between 'art-house' and 'multiplex' 
They fixed 'Aphex Twin - Come to daddy' 
- Developed new talent 
- Warp X - extremely low budget 
- Screen Yorkshire & Film4
- Reinforce brand identity 
- £4,000 - £12,000 budget 
- Publishes low budget 
- Inspire creative freedom 
- "less character - better film"
- Collaborated with BBC in 2007 and Sky in 2015

Streetdance 3D 
£6,700,000 - No1 on the first week 
Global total $17,695,464 - it is a universal appeal 

Dead Man's shoes 
First feature 
improvised 
low budgeted - committed cast/crew

Benny and the Bull 
Creative ideas for epic movies 



Tuesday 26 January 2016

MEST2: Print - Photoshop Tutorials









Double page spread feature.

Schizophrenia
                        The story untold..

Schizophrenia. The word that everybody fears the most to say as it brings bad images/thoughts to minds, or it’s just a hard word to pronouns for some. For the people who are reading this article and have no clue to what schizophrenia is, this is a long term mental disorder some people can have, it is a breakdown in relation between thoughts, emotions and behaviour it can lead to inappropriate actions and feelings, where they don't realize from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusions. Basing a production around this is difficult in terms of making sure that I am not personally insulting anyone and trying to change the perspective of people thoughts/views on mental illness. This is something serious and should not be a topic that is taken lightly and throughout the production, I have tried to make it out so its allowing the audience to understand of how someone could feel if they do have mental illness but also to actually to consideration of what it could be like if they were put into this position, a position where there is no way to escape, no one is there to help, the sense of feeling alone and a position where you feel like you don't fit into this world as if you’re an different kind of creature to the rest. 

Emotion. Pain. Thoughts. Behaviour. These 4 words all connect with each other; feeling an emotion such as pain can bring up thoughts that certain individuals would have memories and thoughts with it, this would be playing around their minds for a long time and in result it can be something that makes the person behaves the certain way they do. This is the same as people who have schizophrenia, they have it as a long-term thing where they can't help what they do and act but it is there for them, and it is something that they can't change… Isn't this similar to what people feel? Yes, it may not be a continuous feelings and a messy situation, but just because there is a disorder named after this doesn't mean that they need to be singled out from everyone. From this production as a director, I have tried to show how it can be for people who are in this situation, as I want to make people aware of what it is like for them, how they are just like everyone else but they are always in their own mind. I have linked this to relationships as many people in the audience can connect with and create an identification through the relationship part of the film and just see it if they were in the movie themselves and see people who have this "illness" are normal people too regardless the fact that society have singled them out just because they are part of a "mental illness". People view things differently and that is fine, they have their own opinion, which is respectable; however, there is a point where people need to understand there are boundaries and a limit to some things that they do not need cross to hurt someone, but many people don't take this consideration as they talk about mental illness or other serious issues as it wouldn't do no damage to individuals - people suffer, and most of it is through silence, it can lead to things like serious issues like self-harm, keeping themselves in starvation etc. just because society doesn't get what it is like with pressure or just generally don't know how it could feel like for someone with mental illness, it doesn't mean that people can create them any different or seem them in a strange way. 
  This production is meant to change people’s thoughts and views, about how society can single out people, especially focusing on mental illness. This production is there for audiences to understand that everyone is the same and shouldn't separate others just because they may act different to you, or you do not understand them. Through this I want people to realize that it’s never bad to help people through their hard times. 

This was originally inspired from watching a scene from "Donnie Darko", where it made me feel as though that people need to understand the emotions of someone with deep troubles and the idea of basing the production around schizophrenia. The inspiration came from a simple feeling whilst watching a sense from "Donnie Darko" - which was feeling connected and understanding. I felt in need to doing similar with my production in sense of give the audience the same feeling, and I felt that giving them a direct message, to something that not many don't really spend their time thinking about but also a subject that people don't want to face because they don't think it is important. Mental illness is something that not many people don't want to come in thoughts with and through making this movie, I want people to have a different perspective of this subject, to see that mental illness shouldn't be the reason why the single out people just because they have it and act different towards. End of the day they are still humans.


Leaving this article with a simple quote: “The way you treat people says a lot about who you are. Be careful. Your actions are screaming over your words." ~ Thema Davis