Busted Lip Sync

This is our introductory task to lip syncing to our set song. Also the extra two minutes came out of nowhere after the video was uploaded to YouTube...

The King's Speech Summarised!

King's Speech Mindmap

Paul Facts!

Paul Notes

Avatar Facts!

Avatar Mind Map

Digital Distribution Article!

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/distribution/distribution7.html

Towards the end of 2005, the UK distribution and exhibition sectors were starting to move towards digital distribution and exhibition. For exhibitors, digital projection, especially when married to the increasing use digital formats in production, can now replicate - if not surpass - the image quality of conventional 35mm cinema presentation. And, of course, digital sound systems have been used in cinemas for some time.

In distribution terms, the advantages of digital technology are even clearer, though perhaps longer term. Digital technology is seen to offer a more cost effective and logistics-light alternative to the tried and trusted, but unwieldy model of 35mm print distribution described above. It will, eventually, be cheaper and much less stressful to send films as computer files to cinemas across the UK, than to transport 20-25kg tins of film in the back of a van.

Digital distribution and exhibition on a large scale has started to appear in certain parts of the world, notably China and Brazil, where conventional logistics cannot, for one reason or another, efficiently bring together supply and demand. In the UK, digital technology has been embraced by the non-theatrical sector, in film societies and schools, where the use of DVD and mid-range digital projection has replaced 16mm.

The force of this change, coupled with the new capacity of technology to replicate 35mm imaging, has led the UK Film Council to establish a digital distribution and exhibition programme for the theatrical sector at the end of 2005. Entitled the Digital Screen Network (DSN), it will eventually support new facilities in 211 screens across the country (out of a total of just over 3,300 screens in the UK), and is seen as a small but important step change towards full digital cinema.

The DSN will initially work with files transferred from a high definition digital master (either HDD5, or HD Cam). The compressed and encrypted files will be sent directly to cinemas to be downloaded, de-encrypted (unlocked) and opened as files for screening with digital projection equipment. In principle, digital distribution will, in time, change the paradigm of 35mm print logistics. It will be possible for the distributor to send feature film files electronically, via broadband networks, thus eliminating dependence on transportation.

There is little doubt that the advent of digital distribution has the potential radically to alter the modus operandi of distributors around the world. The comparatively low cost of film copies and additional logistical effectiveness of digital distribution provide the distributor with greater flexibility. It will be less expensive in the coming years to offer a wide theatrical opening with many copies, and also conversely, to screen a film for just one performance at any cinema. In theory at least, it will be possible for both distributors and exhibitors to respond more precisely to audience demand.

All this suggests that in the future, more titles, both mainstream and specialised, will receive wide theatrical openings, and that this broadening of access at the point of release will dramatically reduce the overall theatrical period from 3-6 months to perhaps 1-3 months. Thereafter, films will enter into a second-run and repertory programming market aided by lower costs.

The shortened first-run period will in turn bring forward the distributor's release of the DVD. And there's the rub. The adoption of digital technologies offers greater opportunities for distributors to create joined-up campaigns for theatrical and DVD releases, in which, increasingly, the theatrical opening is used as a way of providing a loss-leading marketing platform for the highly lucrative DVD leg.

See Saw Productions and Momentum Pictures

• A London/Sydney based company
• Founded by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning
• Sister company is Transmission Films
• Gareth Unwin is also a producer there
• The King's Speech is their most successful film to date
• Have a film finance deal with Paramount Pictures
• Have a first look distribution deal with Momentum Pictures

• Founded in 2000
• Subsidiary comany of Alliance Films
• Only helps to fund/distribute 20 films a year
• Larger independant distributor in the UK 

The King's Speech Facts

• The film was funded by the UK film council. Also Precedence Film Finance provided 2/3 of the £8m budget using the £325 Aegis Film Fund. 
• Produced by Iain Canning, Emile Sherman (both co-founders of See Saw films) and Gareth Unwin from See Saw films.
• Directer by Tom Hooper.
• The film used very famous British actors. For example the actors of the main three roles are Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, who are all successful, award winning and extremely popular actors. 
• The main locations in the film were the house of the Duke and Duchess, the therapist's office and the therapist's home. The outside of the Duke's home was filmed at 33 Portland Place, as their actually home was destroyed in the war. The inside of Portland Place was also used but as the therapist's consulting room. 89-96 Campton Street was re-painted, to make it look new, and used as the outside of the speech therapist's home. Also they Ely Cathedral rather than Westminster Abbey, this was because the Abbey is very busy and also sacred.
• Tight shots were used, rather than traditional sweeping shots, because it was filmed inside small houses.
• A  wide lens was used to create the feeling of entrapment, and wider shots enhanced the body language.
• The film was market through two main methods the official website and cinema posters. The poster were very traditional, much like a portrait, and looked extremely regal, with elements such as formal attire, the palace and gold fonts. This immediately communicated the genre. The website displayed images of the film to give the audience a preview and it linked to Facebook, Twitter and itunes (synergy) to allow the film to be followed complete and it will appeal to the young audience.
• Distributed digitally by Momentum Pictures in the UK.
• On the opening weekend it took $3,523,103 in the UK. Took £10.76m in the first 10 days.
• Won 4 Oscars and 7 BAFTAs.
• Colin Firth is being considered for a Knighthood to honour his performance.

Character Class and Status

The clip I have chosen is from the E4 show Misfits. It shows an interaction between a main character Nathan, his father and the bolwing manager that arrested him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl1lzmf5DFs&feature=relmfu

The scene begins with a wide shot of the room the characters are sat. We see Nathan sat lounging with his feet on the deask, this shows his releaxed attititude to what is happening to him and his lack of respect. As his father comes in he towers above Nathan. This not only shows his authority as a father but that he has a higher status than Nathan. We can pressume he has a higher status than Nathan because as he is in trouble, and in a young offenders program, we get the idea that he is less educated. With the close up shot where Nathan is focused in the foreground, we get the suggestion he is the most important character however we can still she his unfocused father towering behind him, which emphasises his higher class. Nathan however is parallel with the bowling manager suggesting that they are both of the same uneducated class. Whilst his dad his still higher than the bowling manager, even when they were both stood up which shows he has the highest class.

The shots are framed in the centre of the of the room and it seems as though we are looking into the room watching the exchange. As the shots move around and zoom in the camera still only moves lightly as though we were the camera and were just watching.

The sound is all diergetic which shows that even though there are higher statuses within the group they are all quite a low class and nice music wouldn't fit with them. It also reflects the mood in the room as although there is a slight about of tension, which we already feel, the scene is mainly humorous and so music would seem out of place.

Kick Ass Essay

Kick Ass Representation Essay

The Marketing of 'The Soloist'!

The Soloist was a generally unsuccessful film. After failing in America it came to England with a similar reception. One of the main reasons for this was the advertising for the film.

The American release for the film was put back from November 2008 to April 2009. This was so Universal could spent more of its final marketing money on advertising for films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road. This also meant that these films had more of a chance at winning Oscar awards. So instead they decided to put an advert for The Soloist in the show instead.

A ban on film adverts in the Oscar show was lifted with the idea it wold be the prime way to show a film to the film loving audience whilst getting money for the industry, after the economy fall. The advert created to appear on television was specifically aimed at middle-aged women and cost $1.4 million. This advert was the main downfall in the marketing of the film, as it would not reach the wide audience of the Oscars or the huge population of America.

Tim Bevan Research!

Bevan is a successful film producer from New Zealand. He has worked on films such as Love Actually, Notting Hill, Atonement and the new Frost/Pegg film Paul. He originally co-founded Working Title with Sarah Radclyffe in 1983 but now co-owns it with Eric Fellner. In 1999 Bevan signed a $600m merging agreement with Universal.  He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Film Empire) in 2005 and in 2009 he was appointed Chairman of the UK film council.

Production Notes of 'The Soloist'!

• The film was worked on by Dream Works Pictures, Universal Pictures and Working title
• The  director  of  photography  is  Seamus  McGarvey,  production designer is Sarah Greenwood, editor is Paul Tothill and the costume designer is Jacqueline Durran.
• The music was done by Dario Marianelli
• Susannah Grant said that she wrote the film 'about the secret, yet transcendent dreams that existeven at the American margins; it was about crossing the gulf between the privileged and the outcast; and, perhaps most intriguingly, it was about the often perilous task of trying to change a friend’s life, and how such a quest can lead paradoxically to exhilarating revelations about one’s own'
• Joe Wright felt that the film was 'The chance to present a fresh cinematic view of Los Angeles'.
• The screenplay also 'intrigued the director, who sees the film as setting up a mirror image to the glitzycity, which encompasses great beauty and streets of squalor all within blocks of each other  desire to bring the rich humanity of this invisible part of the city’s population out into the open.'
•  Jamie Foxx made an emotional connection with the character of Nathaniel before meeting him. After he felt even closer to him. He says this about his aims for his performance, “I wanted to get his speech down, I wanted to getall his subtleties down but, most of all, I wanted to capture his spirit.”
• To take Foxx through a musical boot camp, the production recruited LA Philharmonic cellist Ben Hong, a real life friend of Nathaniel
•  Foxx worked closely with Alyssa Park to learn the violin

Ethnicity Essay - Spooks!

In the Spooks clip we see a main character Danny, a black man, in a terrorist kidnapping. He gives himself up to save the woman with him, Ruth.

Danny is the exact opposite of what we would stereotypically thing of a young British black man. He speaks in received pronunciation which suggests that he was well educated, we know that this is true as well as he has a good job in MI5 and he seems very intelligent. He is also shown to be a proud man, proud to be British and proud to be fighting terrorism. We see that he is a brave, selfless man as he gives his life to save the woman's. This noble act is not mirrored in any of the white characters within the clip who all seem are all speechless and actually seem quite helpless, especially when compared to Danny. When he says 'If I'd been born somewhere else...' we know that he is referring this to his skin colour and admitting that he was lucky to be born in England. Just before he antagonises the terrorist we see Danny whispering a prayer which gives the viewer a hint of what he is about to do, and shows that he still has faith in religion no matter his current circumstances.

There are two terrorists in the room. We can see that the main terrorist is middle eastern, presumably Arabic. However he is very non-stereotypical. He wears a nice suit which suggests that he is a middle-class business man kind of person, and he makes no attempt to hide his identity which is often seen in the media. On the other hand, however, the man accompanying him is the epitome of a modern stereotypical terrorist. This man is rather large, he is carrying a very big gun and his face is covered with a balaclava.

The other white people in the clip all react similarly to Danny's sacrifice. Ruth cries through out the clip. However when on the phone to Adam she says 'I love you' to him, which really comprises his choice and gives us an idea why he cant choose. She breaks down and tries to stop Danny from doing what he does but without success. Adam, who listens to the conversation, also similarly breaks down when Danny dies. As a main character and high member of the MI5 team it is strange that through out the crucial moments he is in silence unable to calm the situation in anyway. The two other white people in the clip are Harry, the head of the team and a stereotypically superior character, and an intelligence officer. We see these two listening to the events through headsets. When Danny is killed they are both stunned into almost motionless silence. All these white characters are shown to be useless and to have no control over the situation, which contrast to Danny's character. It is almost a role reversal from stereotypical media.

The mise en scene is used in this to create a dramatic effect. Mainly light is used to create this effect. The room and the clothes are dark and bland and there are very dark shadows. But this is broken by the bright white light, this light almost dazzles the viewer which could symbolise the sadness of the time as though vision is being distorted because of the light reflecting on tears. From the bright light bars are formed in shadows which represents that the MI5 agents are imprisoned and trapped.

The rhythmic drum through out the first part of the clip is used to build tension as to what Danny's decision will be. It then changes to an Islamic call to prayer. The use of this Arabic tradition, I think, is a direct address to the terrorist's religion, as the Quran states that they cannot murder people. Also the music is quite haunting which is another reason it may have been used.

Propp's character roles can be applied to the clip. The hero is obviously Danny, this is unusual as black people are often portrayed in Britain as being evil or bad, as he carries the events and save the life of Ruth, who could in fact be considered as the princess as the gun is focused on her and then she is saved by the hero. The villain is the terrorist. Adam could be classed as the helper as he is asked to save them on the phone however as he cannot choose he tries to save both by not answering. The dispatcher is the character Harry who is in charge of the other characters in the show, and he could also be seen as the father as he rewards the agents (heroes) when they complete missions.

The clip does not conform to Todorov's theory of equilibrium. We join the action in mid-disruption and it only worsens as the clip progresses. There is no calm or equilibrium, there is only disruption through out.

Following Levi-Stauss, the binary opposites featured in the clip are good vs. evil, east vs. west and black vs. white.

The Making of 'The Soloist'!

1. Who produced 'The Soloist'? 

The Soloist was produced by Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff.
2. What did Steve Lopez question about the film from the start?

Steve Lopez question 'how could they make a movie, if it doesn't have an ending'.
3. When did the producers meet Nathaniel?

The producers met Nathaniel at LAMP in 2005 after meeting Lopez for a lunch about the creation of the film.
4. Where were the real life locations of the film?

There were many real life location used in the film. For example the LAMP centre, the bridge where Nathaniel performed and the Disney Concert Hall. Skid Row was also a real location however they recreated it in Anderson Street becasue they didn't want to have to disturb all the people who lived there.
5. What was Susannah Grant's aim when screen writing?
Susannah Grant's aim was to 'humanise' the homeless people of LA and to show that they all had their own 'heart-breaking' story for being on the street and that they weren't born that way. She also wanted to show that a homeless person is someone's son, daughter, brother, sister etc.
6. Why was Joe Wright apprehensive about making the film?

He was apprehensive about making the film because he didn't know anything about America. He said in the feature that 'the more time he spent in America, the less he understood it'.
7. What does Robert Downey Jr say about the role of Nathaniel?

Robert Downey Jr. says that the role has a high degree of difficulty.
8. Why did Joe Wright want authentic locations and authentic people in his film?

9. How long did the set designers have on location to build the set?

The set designers had 4 weeks on the actual locations in LA, before having to make the sets.
10. What process did the actors go through to ensure that the acting was authentic?

The cast had a 'three week trust exercise' with the real homeless people from LAMP and Skid Row, which included theatre games. This was done to create relationships and build trust between the actors and the real life people. Also Jamie Foxx learnt to play the cello to create more realism in the film
11. What comments are made about the ending by Susannah Grant and Russ Krasnoff?

Let The Right One In Essay!

Let The Right One In (2008) is a Swedish horror film and was directed by Tomas Alfredson. The film is about the relationship between Oskar, a 12 year old boy who is a loner and is bullied at school, and Eli, a strange young girl who moves in next door to Oskar. The two have many encounters and soon Oskar realises that Eli isn't a normal girl.

We are first introduced to the character of Oskar as he stares out of his window as Eli arrives. From this activity we can instantly tell he is not a regular 12 year old. He then produces a knife and starts to practice jabbing around whilst saying the words 'squeal like a pig', which is our first introduction to his malicious, violent side. We then see that Oskar isolates himself at school with his knowledge of things such as murders and is always bullied by a boy called Conny and his friends. As well as a large knowledge of murder facts we also find out that he collects articles from murder reports which could be considered very suspicious as though he was plotting himself, which he is. The first time he meets Eli he is once again practicing stabbing someone but this time taking it out on a near by tree. These practices are obviously what Oskar wishes he could do to stand up for himself against the bullies. On his second meeting with Eli Oskar is tries to connect with her by offering her his Rubik Cube, which shows that he is a kind boy and not just filled with violence, however he is very blunt to her as he just says 'You smell funny'. In another scene in the school we see that he hides in a toilet. This shows us that his interest in violence doesn't matter as he is just a vulnerable young boy.

When meeting Eli we quickly learn that she cannot feel the cold. So when she wears a coat in one of the first scenes we know that it is just a show to pretend to seem like a regular little girl. This shows that she has an attention to detail and does everything she can to not be found out. When Eli first kills the man in the underpass we think that she is horrible and generally blood thirsty, however when she cries after the act we realise that she hates killing people and feels horrible afterwards. Another example of her compassion is when she visits Håkan in hospital after he was caught. With his face severely deformed she takes pity on him and kills him. After resisting at first Eli then connects with Oskar and end up spending a lot of time together. This connection with Oskar shows that, like him, Eli is also very lonely. 

The film is set in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden in the depth of winter. As it is winter it is very cold and the ground is always cover in thick snow and ice. At the beginning of the film the I think that the hard weather reflects the children as they are both miserable, through out the film though as their relationship builds the weather improves until the sun shines all day. Another set in the film is the apartment block. From the decor of their homes we can tell that the film is not set in the modern day. In Eli's empty apartment there little things to give away the time period, but the old magazines she uses to cover the windows look to be of the time period of the 70s or early 80s. The décor is also very simple to keep attention on the characters

Another tell that the film is not set in the present day is the clothes the character's are wearing. A definite example of this is when the school children go ice skating their female teacher is wearing a pastel all in one and a large fur hat. Oskar and Eli always wear very plain clothing. Oskar is usually wearing shades of brown and Eli is often in pink or white, which is completely against their characters as Oskar is not the boring person you would think he was and in no way is Eli sweet and innocent. Some of her clothes however do reflect her personality more though for example when she first meets Oskar she comes out in a white shirt and black jeans. The black jeans signify her horrible dark side whilst the white shirt reflects the innocent child in her who hates killing and regrets it.

Through out the film there are many long shots used. An example of one is after Oskar gets home from school and he is stood in the snow looking up at Eli's apartment. This shot helps to create the idea of bleakness in Oskar's life as all that surrounds him is plain snow and a mundane high rise apartment block. A long shot is also used when as Håkan runs away after killing his first victim. This type of shot is used here to help convey the horror of the event. Another time a long shot is used is when Eli is sat in the dark underpass calling out for help.
  
The film starts with Eli arriving with her carer Håkan. The music over this scene is eerie and dramatic. Which helps to reflect the dramatic consequences of Eli's presence in the town. This music then reapers as a theme through out the film. 

The Soloist Research!

The Soloist (2009) directed by Joe Wright was a Working Title film, with the budget of £60,000,000.  It starred Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers, a schizophrenic, homeless street performer with an incredible musical talent who studied at Juliard Conservatory who is found by the struggling columnist Steve Lopez, Robet Downey Jr. Lopez then tries to help Ayers succeed with a career in music and writes a series of articles around him.

This review by the Times gives an insight into why the film failed, http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article6847491.ece. The line in it that really sums up its failure is ' The problem is that audiences are so accustomed to a big emotional payoff at the end of stories such as this that the lack of one feels wrong, as though we’ve been cheated of our rightful reward after sitting through all the depressing stuff about homelessness and schizophrenia'.

From this I have found out:
-A star cast and large budget doesn't automatically mean success
-If a film doesn't have a good marketing campaign no one will know about it, for example The Soloist's campaign was very misleading
-Marketing is a main reason for a films success
-Joe Wright is an unknown director so his name would not instantly attract a viewer
-As the film was based on a true story not many details of it could be changed
-Audiences enjoy a film more if it has a happy ending
-Audiences may not enjoy seeing disabilities used in a film

Disability in Media!

Disabled character:
Professor Charles Xavier (X-Men)
Professor X is paraplegic. This means that he can not move from his waist down. His disability is portrayed in the X-Men films very accurately as through out he is confined to his wheelchair. His character is represented well and treated very fairly as he is seen as the idol for all the young mutants in his school and receives no discrimination.
Professor X is an example of the super cripple stereotype as he is in X-Men considered to be one of the wolrd's most powerful telepaths. Also the stereotype of an atmosphere creator fits as when he appears in the film the audience knows something important is about to go down.

Film Production!

Production

The Male Gaze Video!

The Weezer vide for I Want You To shows a young girl arriving in town and the band members all lust after her. Through out the video we see the girl using an invitational smile as her mouth is closed but her eyes call out to the men she looks at, her look is one of seduction. We especially see this in the clip of the video below. In the clip Rivers has a romantic look as he gazes at the girl.

Star School!

Pitch!

When Emily first arrives at the school she is a mild mannered, shy teenager, but after revealing her performing talent she is shot straight into the limelight.

Will she rise to the challenge and reach her potential or will the 'teen queen', Paris Maglar, over-ride her dreams.

This fun packed, all singing, all dancing film is sure to have you moving to the beat!

Budget!

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