My name is Monica Aghadiuno and my candidate number is 9365. I am in Group 3 with Godgift Emesi (9044), Angela Chen (9025) and Thakshana Yogeswaran (9179). To see my work please use the following three labels on the right: 'A2 Research and Planning,' 'A2 Construction' and 'A2 Evaluation.'
Group 3 - Music Video
Group 3 - Digipak
Our Digipack, top left - back, top right - front, bottom left - inside panel, bottom right - inside panel (CD)
This is a link to our website, click the image above to enter our site
The social groups key to our genre consist of gender, age and class. Our protagonist is a female in her early twenties and she is of an upper middle class background.
Black Widow, 1987
Our female protagonist represents women in their early twenties (up to 25) through various actions. Both her femininity and youth can be seen through her applying make up and putting on her extravagant clothing. Wanting to look pretty is a common inclination for women of this age, and can be seen real life as well as in films. For example the main character is putting on make up in the opening of the neo-noir 'Black Widow.' By doing all these typically associated female routines, she is embracing her femininity. However, with this portrayal of women dolling themselves up often comes with the 'damsel in distress/ drama queen' type character. For instance, the character Rebecca Bloomfield from 'Confessions of a Shopaholic.' At the start of the film especially, she is the typical self obsessed, snobby, popular girl who only interacts with certain people. The most important thing to her is her appearance, thus creating the image that women in their early twenties are constantly thinking about how they look.
Our film challenges this stereotype of the very dramatic, weak female character who cannot deal with a spot on her face, let alone murder, which many films of our genre contain. This stereotype challenge can be seen through her class and her possessions. She is upper middle class and this is connoted primarily through her posh accent, smartphone, iPad and also her house, which is quite big, considering she lives by herself. The accent suggests that she has been brought up in a lavish area, thus that she was born to a wealthy, high status family. Above everything else, she is powerful in the sense she has wealth. These groups are typically portrayed in films as beautiful, intelligent, arrogant, having a mind of their own and a highly ranked job, and being powerful and in control. We have decided to make our protagonist look beautiful, through the make up and also the alluring clothing, creating sex appeal. An example of a film which depicts a powerful upper class woman is 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.' Angelina Jolie plays a beautiful, strong and relentless female on a mission and her posh accent indicates that she had a wealthy upbringing. In fact, Lara's father was a Lord, and she went to a school for the elite. In the film, she is on a hunt for an ancient relic and there is a lot of conflict along the way; she could easily die, which demonstrates her strength and reflects how dangerously she lives. Finally, similar to Jodie Foster in 'Silence of the Lambs,' our protagonist owns a gun which is revealed to the audience when she opens a draw, which instantly makes her seem potent. She is a detective like Jodie Foster's Clarice (but she's not as good as she seems) and the gun gives her the image of fearlessness, perhaps ruthlessness, in turn making the audience fearful.
Distribution The institution responsible for the distribution of our film 'Unlawful' is Lionsgate. It is a Canadian-American film production and distribution studio, which is also based in other countries, including the UK. The production company is a division of Lions Gate Entertainment, based in California. Lionsgate was a credible choice because as well as its success in distributing a high number of films with a range of genres, there were also several crime thrillers. Two examples are 'Captivity' and 'Narc.' 'Narc' was made in 2002 and contains themes related to our filming such as revenge, resisting the law, the dangerous world of drugs and murder. These films are American but the company has also distributed British films, such as 'The Theory of Everything,' produced by Working Title Films and BBC films. Furthermore, there is a new branch off Lionsgate - Lionsgate UK, which has distributed a British crime thriller called 'Blitz.' It is about a cop assigned to take down a serial killer who has targeted other officers, and this plot inspired a couple of our ideas.
Production
Our production company's logo
Our production company is called Starlight Pictures and it is a British company based in London. Many of the most successful British and international film production companies are based in London (such as Heyday Films, Eon Productions, Goldcrest Films) and the existing excellent transport links are not only useful for travelling but also for company collaborating purposes. Moreover, there are film studios nearby.Our name is unique and it specialises in the darker themed genres such as British crime thrillers, horrors and action but is also responsible for films of other genres. This is similar to 'Hammer Film Productions which produces films with genres such as noir and thriller but is especially known for its Gothic, horror films made between the 1950s and 1970s. Our company is nationally known within the film industry in the UK but is perhaps not quite a mainstream film production company, for example it can fit in with the status of 'Big Talk Productions.'
Our primary target audience are fans of film noir and neo-noir between the ages of 15 and 30. We are targeting men and women but would expect men to be slightly more in number overall. The story appeals to men because there is a lot of action, conflict and violence which, according to our research, interests them the most. Accordingto BFI,in 2013, 69% of the audience to thriller film 'Captain Phillips' were male and 52% of the crime drama 'Trance' audience were male. Furthermore, the main character is an attractive female who has sex appeal.The story will appeal to women as the protagonist is a strong and independent female who essentially carries the film. Additionally, there are some romantic aspects. 'Dead Man Down' is a 2013 crime drama which targets men and women through the trailer. The woman is seen to be a complex and powerful character, not just pretty which attracts women and there is lots of action such as car chases for the men. Our film is a certified 15 due to its strong violence, sexual content and drug references and strong verbal language. Teenagers aged 15 and above would be attracted by the certificate, as they are included and will find the themes exciting. Moreover, the modern, neo-noir film twist is likely to be more visually attractive to them as the graphics are more imaginative and the action is more realistic. Relevant films include the 15 rated film 'Lucy' which has some strong bloody violence, and the 15 rated film 'A place beyond the pines.' This has strong violence, language and drug use.
Our secondary audience are crime fans, action fans and older adults (30/40+). Neo-noir should appeal to people who like crime films because crime is a fundamental aspect of our selected genre. Action fans are within this category because our film has themes of violence and murder; action related scenes. 'Dead Man Down' is an example of a film with several action scenes but it crosses over with crime too. (The trailer can be seen above).The genres often integrate and we would expect the audience of that film to be interested in our film too. Regarding those older audiences, some of them may remember the popular years of the genre or, more generally, possibly have more time and money than younger audiences, therefore they may go to the cinema more often and like the look of our film.
Finally, our tertiary target audience are romance fans, particularly couples of a range of ages. Our story touches on the romance genre in parts of the film. But most importantly, it is exciting to them as they enjoy the thrill and the suspense in places, which brings them closer together. An example of a film noir involving romance is 'In a Lonely Place' (1950). Laurel falls in love with Dixon and when he is questioned on his involvement with a murder, she stands by him.
My group (from left to right: Amy, Shayam, myself)
Shayam, Amy and I decided that the most important task to do first was to organise our weekly meetings for the next seven weeks so that we could get all our ideas together and sort out what we had to do next. We arranged to make the total time of the meetings add up to approximately two hours per week. Then we set up a group chat on Facebook where we could discuss some of our research and any queries we had about what to research. We also set up a Facebook group page where our most significant findings can be seen. These include photos and links that scrolling up a chat would be difficult to find. We came up with rules which included:
To be on time to the meetings
To discuss any issues and problems and resolve them as a team
To feedback on our individual research. Although working as a team is important, individual effort was also necessary.
The bond that develops between inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamanda, who team up with a group of friends to uncover a criminal plot. Set in San Fransokyo.
Themes: good vs bad, friendship, coming of age, superheroes.
3. Global and UK release dates? Where and what formats?
Theatrical release dates range from 23rd October 20124 (in Japan) to 11th February 2015 (in France, Netherlands, Belgium). UK: 30th January 2015, USA: 7 November 2014. 59 countries.
Staggered release dates on a global scale. Advantage: builds excitement worldwide. Disadvantages: piracy, negative feedback.
3D formats
Will also be shown at film festivals including: Tokyo International Film Festival, Philadelphia International Film Festival
5. Institutions behind the film's production and distribution? Where are they based?
Production: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures.
Distribution: Walt Disney Motion Pictures (with various bases worldwide inc: Argentina, USA, France), Forum Hungary (Hungary). The different bases for WDMP means there is expertise in different areas which is good because markets vary.
Starring: Ryan Potter as Hiro Hamada, Scott Adsit as Baymax, Jamie Chung as GoGo Tomago, Damon Wayans, Jr. as Wasabi and Génesis Rodríguez as Honey Lemon.
Reflection of events in Paul Varderman's life, leading to his death. Gets involved with outsiders 'The Freaks' and the bully, Roth. Pressure from both groups - he has to choose where his friendship lies.
Casting call for role of Paul posted on October 26 2011 and for Yorkshire based teenagers January 9, 2012.
Casting director: Jeremy Zimmermann.
Starring: Jack McMullen as Paul (best known from Waterloo Road), Reece Dinsdale as Paul's dad, Jamie Shelton as Roth, Haruka Abe as Serena and Oliver Lee as Shane.
1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
This is my group
My partner for the task was Amy, however, Alistair helped out with the acting. For the planning, Amy laid out the foundations for the task, as she created a shot list and she typed up the dialogue that we had both previously discussed. I then drew up a storyboard based on Amy's plan. We collaborated via Facebook to ensure that we both contributed to the task and met the deadline. I think that sharing the storyboard and shot list online was a good idea as it enabled to make a storyboard. Regarding the shooting of the sequence, we had very different roles. Amy and Alistair acted, while I filmed and directed. Despite this, Amy still had a say in what shots had to be redone. In the editing stage, Amy took over the task first as I had never used Adobe Premiere Pro before. She showed me the basics and I picked it up fairly quickly, and as a result we ended up editing about half the sequence each. Overall, I believe the task was managed evenly.
2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
Our storyboard
Our shot list
The first thing we did was brain storming ideas. It began with a simple conversation about two people having a conversation about a video one was watching. However, there was nothing particularly exciting about this story line so we pushed for more ideas. Ms Blackborow suggested we take advantage of the male actor, Alistair and we decided to put a romantic twist on it. The next step was to come up with a script which was a very quick process and as it was only a short lesson, we had to do the rest at home. It was the best order to prepare for the task because shot list and storyboard could only be incorporated if there was a script, or at the very least, a basic story line. On Facebook we discussed what we needed to do and then shared the work (consisting of a shot list and storyboard) with each other. Facebook is one of the best websites for this, as you can instantly share pictures and you can do it privately. The storyboard was important as it would help the director to achieve the 'look' of the film by visualising the camera shots. An extra step we could have taken would be to write a schedule so that we could refer to it if necessary. Nevertheless, we did meet the deadlines. Three main theories we tried to take into account were the 180 degree rule, the narrative and the genre. The 180 degree rule was important as it would make the shot between the two characters make sense to the audience. The narrative adds to the continuity of the sequence as it established an order and a flow. Lastly, the genre helps the director to create a believable film which makes it more realistic.
3.What technology did you use to complete the task and how did you use it?
Camera, tripod, earphones
Adobe Premiere Pro
We used a professional video camera, the make was Canon HFG30. Also for the filming we used a microphone, a clapperboard and earphones. This is a simplified version to what is used in the film industry so I think it was useful to get a feel for how films are made. The tripod played an important role as it allowed the shots to be steady and the film would not have worked if the camera had been hand held. We did not initially use the clapperboard and earphones as we thought it was not necessary for the task. However, when we did use it, we realised the method would have been better to use from the beginning as the shots would be kept in order. The editing program that we used was Adobe Premiere Pro.
4.What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
We had to think about timing; when we would plan for and how much filming we could do in one lesson. Also, as two groups needed to use the lobby we had to plan when we would use it and when they would.
We also had to think about location as this would affect processes such as the storyboard. We had to use the media block and so we had to think about which room we would use to come in through the door. One factor for the shooting was lighting. If we filmed into the window, the light may affect what we could see and so this had to be avoided. Furthermore, the actors had to know their lines as they knew it was possible that they would have to say them more than once and they did in fact have to repeat the scene several times. Another factor was having the camera and the sound ready. I always began recording after I said "action"to avoid missing out on anything. After all, this could be cut in the editing.Additionally, when we knew the bell was about to ring we stopped filming to avoid hearing the bell in the shot. However, I should have also taken into account that not every shot would have been perfect and so I should have double checked every single
shot to avoid the error I made. In editing, we had to remember to keep the invisible aspect, matching up the cuts to make sure it flowed properly. Our attempt to achieve continuity editing can be seen with our shot order, which allows the audience to make sense of the scene. 5. How successful was your sequence? Identify what worked well and in hindsight, what you would improve/do differently?
Overall, I think the sequence was successful as it shows a fairly high level of continuity and that was the aim. The story line and acting were some of the strengths, the actors knew their lines which really helped. The planning went well, as we were all set for the filming on Monday. Furthermore, I have achieved the criteria: the opening of the door, crossing through the room, shot/reverse shot and the dialogue. This shows that I have followed the instructions for the task. The majority of shots worked, I believe there was a large variety, from an establishing shot, to an over the shoulder and I was able to practice different camera movements for the first time. For example, panning. I also think the editing went well as we made sure there were no jump cuts which resulted in a good sense of narrative flow. There are also things that went wrong. There were a few 'match on action' errors. One was with Gift in the background and another was when Amy walked too fast past a table in one shot, and did not do the same in the following shot. These could have been avoided by looking over each shot again before filming the next one. Another thing I can improve for next time is the 180 degree rule. The over the shoulder shot was not completely correct as Alistair changes the direction he looks at Amy. For continuity, it is important that the line of vision is not crossed, or it may be confusing for the audience. Luckily, the errors were fairly minor as they are not extremely noticeable.
6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework?
The task has taught me a lot. I can learn from the errors for the next filming tasks and so hopefully the same mistakes will not be made. I have also learnt that there are many unprecedented obstacles that you face each time you film, such as other people using the same space. Additionally, I learnt how important the clapperboard and earphones are in producing the best quality film. A final thing I have learnt is how to use the equipment: the camera and the editing program which will be essential for upcoming practicals. This task has increased my confidence for the next task, now that I have used the main things for making a film. Therefore, I can begin each new piece of coursework, with more confidence and more experience, which I will apply to my work.
Our female protagonist represents women in their early twenties (up to 25) through various actions. Both her femininity and youth can be seen through her applying make up and putting on her extravagant clothing. Wanting to look pretty is a common inclination for women of this age, and can be seen real life as well as in films. For example the main character is putting on make up in the opening of the neo-noir 'Black Widow.' By doing all these typically associated female routines, she is embracing her femininity. However, with this portrayal of women dolling themselves up often comes with the 'damsel in distress/ drama queen' type character. For instance, the character Rebecca Bloomfield from 'Confessions of a Shopaholic.' At the start of the film especially, she is the typical self obsessed, snobby, popular girl who only interacts with certain people. The most important thing to her is her appearance, thus creating the image that women in their early twenties are constantly thinking about how they look.
Our film challenges this stereotype of the very dramatic, weak female character who cannot deal with a spot on her face, let alone murder, which many films of our genre contain. This stereotype challenge can be seen through her class and her possessions. She is upper middle class and this is connoted primarily through her posh accent, smartphone, iPad and also her house, which is quite big, considering she lives by herself. The accent suggests that she has been brought up in a lavish area, thus that she was born to a wealthy, high status family. Above everything else, she is powerful in the sense she has wealth. These groups are typically portrayed in films as beautiful, intelligent, arrogant, having a mind of their own and a highly ranked job, and being powerful and in control. We have decided to make our protagonist look beautiful, through the make up and also the alluring clothing, creating sex appeal. An example of a film which depicts a powerful upper class woman is 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.' Angelina Jolie plays a beautiful, strong and relentless female on a mission and her posh accent indicates that she had a wealthy upbringing. In fact, Lara's father was a Lord, and she went to a school for the elite. In the film, she is on a hunt for an ancient relic and there is a lot of conflict along the way; she could easily die, which demonstrates her strength and reflects how dangerously she lives. Finally, similar to Jodie Foster in 'Silence of the Lambs,' our protagonist owns a gun which is revealed to the audience when she opens a draw, which instantly makes her seem potent. She is a detective like Jodie Foster's Clarice (but she's not as good as she seems) and the gun gives her the image of fearlessness, perhaps ruthlessness, in turn making the audience fearful.
