Lighting

Media lighting

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Working Title Film trip

On Tuesday 5th April we went to Working Title. It was really interesting to meet the founder of WT as well as the people behind productions.

Tim Bevan

Tim explained the whole process that WT go through before producing the film. I didn't actually realise that WT don't actually direct the film, or hire the crew. 

They are funded by Universal Pictures, who also distribute their films are made.

The first stage is Development. This takes place in the 'engine room', where all the ideas are taken and developed into a possible storyline and screenplay. Their ideas are sent to Los Angeles to get writers who are interested in creating this film. The writers pitch their ideas and how they want to portray the film to WT. Then the company have to find a casting director and a director. Then the script, cast and budget taken to the studio where a cost analysis is created. The Marketing section are always thinking about the film, things that would look good on a trailer, poster ideas, thing in the film that are good/bad that may put people off seeing the film.  

WT make around 3 or 4 films a year.

One of the questions that we asked Tim Bevan was about the issue of piracy. He said that there are two things that put people off buying or downloading pirated films. the first is the fact that the cinema experience is the best way to see a film. The incredible quality on a huge screen, with excellent sound and comfy chairs, as well as popcorn and the general atmosphere. The other is that people know how much money it costs to make a film, there's more to it than illegally downloading a song as so much more work time and effort has gone into making that film.

Sarah-Jane Wright
SJ works in the production department. She talked a lot about Atonement which cost £17 million to make. The beach scene was particularly interesting how they created it, as they used local Army men as extras, and used a technique call tiling to make it look like more people. The director Joe Wright wanted the perfect sunset for the scene, so they had to wait all day to film the scene.

Emma & Harriet
Emma is an intern at WT, and Harriet is a creative executive. They talked about how they got into working at WT, through doing work experience as a runner, and then being offered an internship. They spend time in different areas of WT to gain experience and learn about how things work. It was really useful to find out how people actually get into the business.

Dan Mazer
Dan was the writer for Borat, Bruno and Ali G. He talked about some of the controversial issues that people had with his films. 

What is a British Film?

2.
The King's Speech

• Historical drama, set in the early 20th century. The film is about Prince Albert of York who suffers from speech stuttering problems, and follows him as he becomes kings, and tries to solve his speech problem. I think the film is very British as the monarchy is seen as a very British symbol.
• The main star Colin Firth is British as is Helena Bonham-Carter. However, seveal of the other main actors are other nationalities. This may be to appeal to a wider, especially American, audience. The main characters are also very well known.
• The director Tom Hooper is British. He has also directed several other period dramas.
• the genre would be historical drama. it is based on a true story.
• The film was produced by See-Saw films. They are based in London and Sydney. The film also recieved £1 million from the UK film council. This is an article about the importance of the britsh film council, not only for this film considering the success of it, but the impact on the British film industry.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/culture-cuts-blog/2011/mar/01/arts-funding-oscars-2011
• 
  

127 Hours

• biography that follows the story of a climber that was stuck in a canyon for over 5 days. it's not really related to British subject as it is set in america, about an american and based on adventure activities that are not necessarily classed as British
• the main actors is James Franco, an American.he has been in several well known films before.
• The director Danny Boyle is English, and has directed several very well known films such as Slumdog Millionaire (not at all a British film), and Trainspotting (definitely British)
• 
  

Another Year

• drama feel good film about an elderly couple and the people around them. It is quite a British film as it features an old couple, who have English accents, and contains British humor.
• All the actors are British, although none of them are particularly well known.
• Mike leigh is British. he has also directed Happy-go-lucky, a very british, feel good film although none of his other work seems familiar to me. 

Four Lions

• Dark comedy film about terrorists, although they seem to be pretty poor at it. It is a fairly British film as although it is based around the islamic religion, it is set in Sheffield and the people and humor is British. 
• The main actors are all british, and none are well known.
• the director Christopher Morris is British and is known for a part in the IT Crowd, but none of his other work is familiar.
• 
  

Made in Dagenham

• Comedy drama about women fighting for equal rights in 1968. It is related to British subject matter as it is based on true events, and is set in England.
• The cast are English, and the main character played by Sally Hawkins, who was in Happy Go Lucky, although she is probably not that well known. 
• The director Nigel Cole is British, and known for Calender Girls. 

3.

I consider The King's Speech, Another Year and Made in Dagenham to be very British. This is because they have British actors, directors and a subject matter. Four Lions is also very British because of the comedy used , and the British location and actors. I consider 127 hours not British because the actors are American, the location is in America and it is based on an American real life story. 

Working Title Films

Questions; 1. What are your plans for your future tv channel, what things do you plan to show, to what audience, and how will improve awareness and profits of your company?
2. How is the closure of the UK film council affecting your future plans?
3. Have you got any future plans for 3D?
4. Why did you chose to create a different ending in Atonement to the book?

This is an article about the importance of working title for the british film industry.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2821801.stm

Comment on the representation of Englishness in Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders is a unique TV drama as it uses Englishness to differentiate itself from other British crime dramas. The mise-en-scene is a large part of the programme, for creating specific shots of representations of England, such as establishing shots of thatched cottages, old women, and people riding bicycles.

The landscape setting is one of the most important parts of Midsomer Murders' representation of Englishness. There are always several shots of fields and quaint villages, that are very traditional and have little modernisation of the present day apart from cars and such. This image that the setting is presented is very stereotypical of England, and although we all know that villages are not really like that anymore, it is immediately apparent that it is definitely set in England. Props also play a big part in representation. Glimpses of 'English' things like land rovers, horses, cottages, post offices and old fashioned telephones create an immediate recognition of the location. The actual characters also add to the Englishness. Men in chequered shirts and hats driving land rovers; typically displayed as farmers, old women with wicker baskets riding bicycles added to the background scenes create a typical rural English village look. Almost all characters speak with a proper English accent, unless their character requires other. In fact, many rural areas tend to have a regional accent, rather than proper English, which is more associated with the upper class. However, people who are not English tend to stereotype English people as being posh and upper class, so this is in keeping with others' estimations of Englishness.

Camera angles are used mainly as establishing shots, especially during opening sequences. This is to emphasise the true Englishness of the location. Also, many of them are long shots or mid shots, to capture the Englishness in the background, instead of focusing on the characters' facial expressions less often. The creators of the programme seem to pay specific attention to things in the shot that represent Englishness, such as extra cottage views in the background of foreground action. 

Sound is another important part of representing Englishness. there is a lot of non-diegetic sound, upbeat, slightly classical music which mirrors the calmness and peacefulness of the village, and eerie tension-creating music, which sounds out of place with the calm music, so it suggests that there is something going on that is out of place. There are also several diegetic noises, such as birds, cars and leaves to emphasis ruralness.

All these things mentioned all play a role in keeping Midsomer Murders exclusively English. The locations in Midsomer are always typical of English ruralness, as are props and sounds. It uses people's ideas of what Englishness it and displays it in an exact way; not realistic, yet how we imagine rural countryside villages to be like in an ideal world. it is so different from other crime dramas because of the Englishness; other drama's of the same genre are mostly city-located, modern and rely on a gripping, and maybe more complex storyline, than Midsomer.

Hollyoaks

Episode: Thursday 3rd March
Extract: Brendan and Doug are discussing a coke deal, which involves Rae. Doug is unsure about including Rae but Brendan tells him he owes him to do this, so Doug has to agree. The scene then cuts to Mercedes talking to Lynsey about an article on women behaving like 'ladies'.


Camera
The camera pans in slowly towards the two characters as their discussion gets more intense. The camera angle then switches to an over the shoulder shot of Brendan close to Doug they talk, showing power of the character ,the intensity of their conversation, and the desperation of Brendan. During several over the shoulder shots between the two characters, it is made clear by the camera angle which is charge, as the camera points down slightly to look at Doug, an up when looking at Brendan. The camera then switches to mid shots as we realise that Doug has lost this debate, and Brendan gives him the bad of drugs. The camera then goes into an over the shoulder shot as Brendan reassures Doug. In contrast, the next scene has mostly over the shoulder shots, but at a further distance from the characters, as they are having a more light hearted chat. There are several closer ovs shots, but they still establish distance between Mercedes and Lynsey, showing that maybe they know each other less then Brendan and Doug, and in a less serious and business way.


Editing
The extract opens with a fade trasion between an establishing shot of the bar to Brendan and Doug in the office. Apart from that, the scenes use just quick cuts between characters talking and change of shots, even between the two scenes.


Sound
There is no non-diegetic sound throughout this whole sequence, to focus the audience's attention purely on the characters' dialogue. There is faint background of people talking in both scenes, in the office in the bar and the street.


Mise-en-scene
The location between both scenes is very contrasting, with Brendan and Doug talking in a quite office with no-one else present, showing secrecy, while the two girls having a conversation in the busy town centre. The costumes between the characters also differ, in scenes and between scenes. Brendan is wearing all black, suggesting he is a bad or shady character and a suit suggesting he is a business man, although the collar is undone at the top, hinting that now he is doing other kinds of business, rather than professional. Doug is wearing lighter colours, showing he is more innocent and a better person. Mercedes and Lynsey are both wearing coats and scarves, suggesting weather. The lighting also differs dramatically, with the office scene very dark, only seeming to be illuminated by one lamp, and the street scene obviously in natural daylight. The first scene suggests through lighting that this may be a dodgey deal, that the characters have something to hide.

In a group we worked on creating a swede of one of the episodes of Cutting It. In our group was Ed, Ben, Jordan, Holly, Caitlin, George, Hannah and me.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a new version of internet which actually allows users to interact with the subject, rather than just consuming it. users can create their own media to post on websites, get feeback, discuss things, create their own blogs or profiles and interact with each other.

websites such as youtube does just that, anyone can create a video, post it online, get people to comment on it, and watch others' videos. Also social networks such as faceook, and blogs allow users to create profile to post information, pictures, videos and opinions for other people to view.

Advantages of Web 2.0 are that it has majorly developed the internet and the amount of people using it. information can be shared extreemly quickly and relatively cheaply. people can connect with each other from all over the world to share information. Internet site companies have made a lot of money out of web 2.0 sites, such as youtube and facbook. information can be gathered and collected to one place for millions of people to view.

Disadvantages of web 2.0 are there are major issues with copyright, as it is easy to post music and films online for others to download for free. this is unfair to the creators of the media, who for producing it should get profits from it. Also, as anyone can post things, it is not always true.  

How Has Expansion of Digital Media Been an Improvement For Audiences?

The expansion of digital media has been a huge improvement for audiences, as media can now be accessed anywhere, anytime and in a range of ways. one of the biggest improvements is one demand watching and videos available online, as now audiences can pick and choose exactly what they want to watch, according to their own preferences.
The process of audience fragmentation has been an outcome of imroved media. whereas previously audiences were limited to a selection of tv channels, newpapers and radio, now there are a much wider range of media, and people having preferences, such as social networking, blogging, on demand tv etc. The way we consume even these new medias have also changed, with being able to access media via phones, laptops, iPads, games consoles. also cinemas and DVDs have adapted with the development of blu-ray, 3D, hd etc. Another aspect of audience fragmentation is genre. now people can access media in a range of ways and places, people can choose specifically what they want to watch, with had developed a incredibly broad range of genres and sub genres, cult films and low budget films.

How Does The Skins Promo Trailer Create Representation Of Young People?

Editing
The skins trailer is a sequence of shot quick cuts. This makes it very fast paced, reflecting the party and the character's lives. we get the impression that this is a very out of control party, possibly with the quick cuts, that things happen too quickly for anyone to keep up and therefore uncontrollable. Some clips last very quickly, to give the impression of people dancing, things going on, while others last a little longer, possibly to give an idea of a storyline for the drama. The whole impression of short and long clips gives the idea that there is a lot going on and there are a lot of people at this party, also another indication of uncontrollability. The fast-paced editing also keeps in time with the music, with slower parts of the song lingering longer on a shot, and faster parts moving even quicker through a range of different shots. There are also several shots in the second half of the trailer that are in slow motion, while the music is slightly mellower, focusing on the main characters in the drama’s faces.

Camera Angles & Movement

The camera angles used varies a lot. There are several long shots of the entire room, to show everyone at the party. This is to give us an idea of the scale of the party, the amount of people there, and where they are: the room which seems to be pretty wrecked. There are also several close ups, which mostly seem to be showing drug use. This portrays young people in bad yet stereotypical way, as if the trailer is flaunting exactly all the bad thing teenagers are known for. Mostly the camera angles are mid shots, often with people kissing or dancing.

The movement of the camera is usually slight, following action or other movement in the sequence, for instance when Tong knocks a vase over and the camera follows it to the floor to see it smashed. A lot of the time it seems to be panning slightly, as if it was the view of someone at the party as the movement is not always moving in a planned and smooth way. The idea of it seeming as an onlooker of the party makes it seem all the more of a real representation, as if this is like what happens at real life parties.

Sound

The only sound in this trailer is non-diegetic, standing in the way of control by the Gossip. This plays on the fact that this party is very out of control, so has several connotations of alcohol, drugs, violence and vandalism, what young people are often associated with today. The song is also very fast paced which keeps up with the quick cut sequence and also what the characters are doing. There is a lot going on and people are doing all sorts of things, so both the camera and editing, and the sound has to keep up with them. There are several slower parts to the song which are slightly calmer, which the filming matches by slowing the pace of the sequence, and it also indicates a change in the trailer. Where the first part is very upbeat, positive, people have a good time, the second part is more negative, people being sick, having fights, throwing and breaking things. The sound plays a big role in the effect of this change, and especially at the end there are no lyrics, just heavy drumbeat and humming. This change could indicate that things may have gone a little too out of hand, that the consequences of their actions are catching up with them and the realistic, darker side of mad parties is revealed.

Mise-en-scene

The party is set in a house, it is quite large but people have begun to wreck it, breaking things and so on. There are many props that add to the party; drugs, water gun, cream, strobe lights, a tricycle, and even a guy in a bear suit. Some of these such as the water guns and the tryke are actually child’s toys, and so indicate a sense of immaturity and not having grown up yet. The lighting seems like artificial house lights, except the strobe lights. The costume is minimal, with many people barely wearing anything on their upper torso. This suggests a sense of inappropriateness, which overall represents young people in a bad way as being irresponsible, out of control, immature yet drug users and destructive.

Narrative Theories

Vladimir Propp was a Russion scholar who analysed the narrative structure of Fairy tales. He found common themes of the narrative, and of characters within the story. He identifies 31 functions of a fairy tale, in 4 speres of the story; 1st sphere: the introductory sequence, 2nd sphere: the body of the story, 3rd Sphere: the donor sequence, and the 4th sphere: the hero's return. Within these spheres are several parts of the narrative. He also propsed 8 character types; the villain, the hero, the donor ( a magical character that gives advice to the hero), the helper, the princess/prize, the princesses' father, the dispatcher and the false hero.

Tzvetan Todorov  is a French-Bulgarian philosopher. His narrative theory suggests that all stories begin with an equilibrium; everything is fine. Then there is a disruption of this peace, which has to be solved by the end, for everything to be restored as it should be, creating a new equilibrium.

Roland Barthes was a french literary theorist. He described text as "a galaxy of signifiers, not a structure of signifieds; it has no beginning; it is reversible; we gain access to it by several entrances, none of which can be authoritatively declared to be the main one; the codes it mobilizes extend as far as the eye can read, they are indeterminable...the systems of meaning can take over this absolutely plural text, but their number is never closed, based as it is on the infinity of language..." He categorised narrative codes in five ways; Hermeneutic Code: elements of the storyline that are unexplained and therefore remain a mystery to the audience, Proairetic Code: action or events that cause tension, Semantic Code: connotations of the story, Symbolic Code: similar to semantic code, but organises semantic meaning in a broader and deeper way, and Cultural Code: the basis of which everything is founded upon, which is not challened and is assumed to be true. 

Claude Levi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist. He focused on narrative theory specifically to do with binary oppositions. These opposite values could be the cause for conflict. e.g. good & evil, alien & human, known & unknown.




Reference: Wikipedia, changingminds.org

Convergence of Game Show

Bamboozle is a game show where the contestents have to answer quiz questions based on general knowlege. It has several interesting twists, such as the wheel of fortune and the wicked wango card. The scores are based on a point system depending on the participants answers and luck on the wheel. The winner at the end is 'Bamboozled' and goes home with a cash prize.

The Game show, Bamboozle, will be converged in several ways. Firstly it will feature as a computer game for the wii, xbox and playstation, and also as a download for your iPhone. This allows the audience to participate in the game, even if they are not able to go on the show. The show will have it's own website, in which live episodes can be watched, which has several features such as being able to choose which camera to watch the show from, allowing them to see the contestents faces and expressions close up, and to be immersed in the action. It will feature profiles from all the previous winnerss of the show, and have competions and downloads available. The main feature of the website, however, is that people can sign up to be included in the draw to be contestents on the next show. A selcetion of people get chosen at random, who then have to complete another task before they are entered into the show.

The game show will also be converged into a children's version, which can be accessed at any tim the main show is playing be pressing the red button.

Production Converegnce will affect the production stage as the competetors are picked by the internet website. The porduction team will have to create several on stage cameras for the website feature of allowing the consumer to view the stage and the action in 3D while the show is live.

Marketing This will improve due the wide audience appeal, as the game is availaable for children, and as a video game, which allows families to take part themselves at home. Advertising will appear via TV, websites and on similar products on sale.

Exhibition This will change as the audience can stream the show direct to their iPhone app. The show will also be available online, and of course on TV.

Technologies The show will need specialist cameras to allow the inernet audience to view the show live with a 3D, self viewing feature.

Consumption The show will be available online, on the iPhone app, but also through the game versions, the website and the childrens version.

The Male Gaze; Laura Mulvey '85

Mulvey was born 15th August 1941, and is a film theorist, as well as a strong feminist. Mulvey argued that in film, women are often portrayed as sexual visual pleasures for men, a technique is used where the audience is put into the role of a man, and on screen the camera lingers on the female, displaying her as visual pleasure for men. The theory implys that women are seen as objects of men, and are made to view the media as in the perspective of a man.

Final Evaluation of Thriller Opening

Evaluation

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