Showing posts with label AS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AS. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Thursday, 5 December 2013
The King's Speech Case Study
The King's Speech
British Film
There are now two key criteria for a production to qualify as a Brit pic: 70% of a film's budget must be spent in Britain, and 70% of the money allocated to labour must go to either European or Commonwealth citizens. The definition is significant because tax-breaks are available to producers and buyers of officially-recognised British films.
With regard to the revised definition, Films minister Janet Anderson predictably commented: 'our reforms to the definition of 'British film' should make it even more attractive to film in this country'
The previous ruling had allowed films to be defined as British even if they were largely filmed outside the UK, while debarring films which, though largely British, had non-British soundtracks. One such film was Mark Herman's Little Voice (pictured).
The move comes as recent evidence demonstrates an enthusiasm for 'British film' - official or otherwise - at the overseas box-office. US exit polls for Notting Hill showed that 14% of movie-goers rated 'I like British movies' as a top reason to see the movie.
(sfgate.com)
"The king is George VI (Colin Firth), the upright naval officer who took the throne in late 1936 after his brother Edward abdicated. The speech refers not to one specific discourse (there are a couple of crucial ones), but to the man's tortured elocution in general. He had an unyielding stutter, a career that forced him to speak to the masses - and a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped him reconcile the two. That one is a commoner, the other a royal in the waning years of the British Empire adds a notable shudder of class tension to the mix."
"The king is George VI (Colin Firth), the upright naval officer who took the throne in late 1936 after his brother Edward abdicated. The speech refers not to one specific discourse (there are a couple of crucial ones), but to the man's tortured elocution in general. He had an unyielding stutter, a career that forced him to speak to the masses - and a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped him reconcile the two. That one is a commoner, the other a royal in the waning years of the British Empire adds a notable shudder of class tension to the mix."
What Makes A Film British?
According to the government (in 2003) the majority of people would define a film as 'British' with references to cultural elements including a setting in the UK, a predominantly British cast, a storyline about a British lifestyles or a focus on British people abroad.
British Film
There are now two key criteria for a production to qualify as a Brit pic: 70% of a film's budget must be spent in Britain, and 70% of the money allocated to labour must go to either European or Commonwealth citizens. The definition is significant because tax-breaks are available to producers and buyers of officially-recognised British films.
With regard to the revised definition, Films minister Janet Anderson predictably commented: 'our reforms to the definition of 'British film' should make it even more attractive to film in this country'
The previous ruling had allowed films to be defined as British even if they were largely filmed outside the UK, while debarring films which, though largely British, had non-British soundtracks. One such film was Mark Herman's Little Voice (pictured).
The move comes as recent evidence demonstrates an enthusiasm for 'British film' - official or otherwise - at the overseas box-office. US exit polls for Notting Hill showed that 14% of movie-goers rated 'I like British movies' as a top reason to see the movie.
British Box Office
£3,523,102 (UK) (9 January 2011) (395 Screens)
Critical Reception
According to IMDb
8.1/10
4/5 stars
Rotten Tomatoes
"Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama."
94% or 98.6/10
Critical Review
(sfgate.com)
- Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK
(Sandringham House - interiors)
- Draper's Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, Broadgate, London, England, UK
(Buckingham Palace - King's speech)
- Wendover Woods, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
(Rolls-Royce driving scenes)
The finance
Rotten Tomatoes
"Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama."
94% or 98.6/10
Critical Review
(sfgate.com)
Amy Biancolli, Hearst Movie Writer
"The King's Speech" is a warm, wise film - the best period movie of the year and one of the year's best movies. It begins with the fear of a prince and ends with the courage of a king, finding room in between for terrific joy and drama.
Inception had trailed a blaze of its cleverness the size of a Parisian arrondissement. We were ready to be dazzled. If you had even heard of it, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech looked no more than well-spoken Merchant Ivoriness optimistically promoted from Sunday teatime.
Awards and Nominations
The Kings Speech received nominations for 12 Oscars including best picture, best director, best supporting actor and actress, best screenplay, best editing, best art direction and costume. It won 4 Oscars for best picture, best director, best Actor (Colin Firth) and best original screenplay. It was also nominated for 14 BAFTAs of which it won 7. Mark Kemode comments that Oscar and BAFTA nominations and awards are often expected when playing a monarch for example with Judy Dench - Shakespeare in Love Helen Mirren - The Queen etc. and especially when the story is about humanising the monarchy.
Production Companies
Weinstein Company, The (presents)
UK Film Council (presents)
Momentum Pictures (in association with)
Aegis Film Fund (in association with)
Molinare Investment (in association with) (as Molinare, London)
FilmNation Entertainment (in association with)
See-Saw Films (as See Saw Films)
Bedlam Productions (as Bedlam)
Filming Locations
All 19 film locations are in the UK including the following
- Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
(Buckingham Palace - King's office
The finance
Budget: $15,000,000
Opening Weekend: £3,523,102
Gross Profit:$138,795,342 (USA)
Productions Issues
The King's Speech is an example of a film that can receive major global success without the help of a major Hollywood studio. See-Saw, a British/Australian company, financed and produced the film by getting deals with key distribution partners - The Weinstein Company (USA) Momentum Pictures (UK) Transmission (Australia) and Alliance Film (Canada). See-Saw faced a big decision when Fox Searchlight showed an interest in The King's Speech but they wanted worldwide rights to the film. This meant they would have to cut other partners See-Saw chose to turn down Fox Searchlight and keep the original partners to keep the control in their hands.
Marketing and Distribution
As an independent film, the King's Speech was not able to use a huge budget of Hollywood levels for the marketing, With a budget of only around £8million - £12 million, it could not compete with major blockbusters with backing from massive institutions such as Universal or 20th Century Fox. Instead, the King's Speech used viral marketing to draw attention to the film - and it proved just as effective, if not, more. The film was made just in time to enter it into several film festivals in the hope that national newspaper journalists will enjoy it and write about it in their papers. Luckily, the reception of the film was brilliant, and even before the film had been released in cinemas, people were talking about it and saying how good it was, whilst tipping it for many awards including some Oscars.
Friday, 20 September 2013
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Film Production
The Idea
Film ideas can come from many places such as real life events, adaptations of books, day to day conversation or original ideas. Whatever the idea may be is pitched to a producer who calls in a director. The producer and director work together to produce something that can be filmed. A script writer is called in to make the idea tangible the relationship between the producer, director and writer is key in the creative field of film production. The writer identifies the main story and characters so that the idea can be pitched to financiers.
Development Finance
Turning the idea into a script can take a lot of time to get right, in the film industry "time is money." Funding is needed to support the writer, producer and in some cases the director during this process. This is called development funding. The producers go to potentional funders to pitch the idea hoping they will invest money to develop the idea further.
Script Development
The writer produces a synopsis. Along with the producer they agree on key scenes or events which are written up as a 'first draft.' Once they are both happy with the draft it is sent to the financiers who can also have ideas. When they are all happy with the script it becomes the "final draft' and the writer gets paid.
Packaging
The producer and director pack the script ready for financing and add the names of well known stars so it becomes more 'commercial.' The producer needs to know how much the film will cost to make so that they can inform potential investors of the plan to raise the money and how they will be repaid.
Financing
To make sure the finances are secure the producer must travel as financiers can be located anywhere around the world. The lawyer of the producer constructs a contract to 'seal the deal.' Once all funding is secure the film gets a 'green light' and the preproduction can begin.
Pre-Production
The script is passed around and the casting director can begin to identify and cast the actors. Storyboards are made and the shots are planned in advance so that the pro ruin designer/s can see How the film will look. Special effects can take months to design and build therefore they are planned in much more detail.
The Shoot
The camera department are responsible for collecting all the footage needed to tell the story, once the hair and make up, lighting and set have been checked. The actors responsibility is to create a character the audience can become attached to and must work together to create the emotional world revolving the storyline.
Post Production
After the footage has been filmed and is handed in the editor them assembles it into sciences and begins to create a narrative sequence for the film. The department that cover the sound add background tracks and edit the sound. The digital effects are then added along with titles and credits. The film is reviewed to make sure the colour and aesthetics are correct and the dubbing theartre set the final sound levels and the final cut is finished.
Sales
The trailer is made to attract the attention of the potential audience. The trailer includes the most marketable aspects of the film, a high profiled screening at film festivals is ideal publicity for a film and means that the producer can make deals with distributed around the world.
Marketing
The team behind the marketing do screen tests to see how the film is received and posters, cinema trailers and tv spots are released to the potential audience. The distributers must make deals with the cinemas to screen it.
Exhibition
A premiere is held with media coverage in order to get people talking and up for going to see it. Once the distributors have been paid the financiers can recover the investment.
Other Windows
Sales from hotel channels and in-flight entertainment and bring in extra millions and in some cases ,are up for box office failure. The UK audience spend more money on DVDs meaning that they can also compensate for box office failure. Television rights are sold seperate and can be shown on various channels along side computer game licenses. Once there is a profit made the producer and key members can then claim their rewards, the film could be rereleased in the future or have a sequel produced.
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Camera Angles
High Angle
A high angle shot is a shot that shows the subject from above. For example in this photo the camera is angled down at the subject.This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle
This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.
Close Up
In the close up shot, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. A close up of a person usually means a close up of their face. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. Whereas a mid-shot or wide-shot is more appropriate for delivering facts and general information, a close-up exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.
Extreme Close Up
Mid Shot
The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh" if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn't be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.
Wide Shot
In the wide shot, the subject takes up the full frame. Here we see all of the man of the bike instead of just his upper body.
Pan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9JWgU9YVcU
A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. This is a swiveling movement, i.e. mounted in a fixed location on a tripod or shoulder, rather than a dolly-like movement in which the entire mounting system moves.
A tracking shot is a shot in which the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks. However there are a few variations of both definitions. Tracking is often more narrowly defined as movement parallel to the action, or at least at a constant distance (e.g. the camera which travels alongside the race track in track & field events). Dollying is often defined as moving closer to or further away from the action.
A high angle shot is a shot that shows the subject from above. For example in this photo the camera is angled down at the subject.This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle
This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.
Close Up
In the close up shot, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. A close up of a person usually means a close up of their face. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. Whereas a mid-shot or wide-shot is more appropriate for delivering facts and general information, a close-up exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.
Extreme Close Up
The ECU (also known as XCU) gets right in and shows extreme detail.You would normally need a specific reason to get this close. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.
Mid Shot
The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh" if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn't be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.
Wide Shot
In the wide shot, the subject takes up the full frame. Here we see all of the man of the bike instead of just his upper body.
Pan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9JWgU9YVcU
A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. This is a swiveling movement, i.e. mounted in a fixed location on a tripod or shoulder, rather than a dolly-like movement in which the entire mounting system moves.
A tracking shot is a shot in which the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks. However there are a few variations of both definitions. Tracking is often more narrowly defined as movement parallel to the action, or at least at a constant distance (e.g. the camera which travels alongside the race track in track & field events). Dollying is often defined as moving closer to or further away from the action.
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Representation of Me
People are represented by certain stereotypes. Using UK Tribes I have identified many groups including "Styles" and "Tumblr kids" that I fall under.
Stylers
Music, status and style – Stylers are living for the good life!
Trendies
Music, status and style – Stylers are living for the good life!
Stylers are united by a love for partying and looking good. They've also a fairly discerning bunch, into the finer things in life and less brash than, say, Blingers. Sharing an urban upbringing, they’re a diverse bunch, ranging from GCSE students to young professionals.
The ‘housification’ of r’n’b has really galvanised the emergence of the Stylers – now you can be both US cool and Ibiza hedonist in the one hit – and urban commercial dance music is the sound of the tribe. Think Drake, Rihanna, Rita Ora and Chris Brown, as well as artists like Maverick Sabre and Wiley.
A small subsection of the Stylers will be seeking out niche underground sounds, but most are listening to what’s readily available – artists championed by trusted sources, friends and stations like Radio 1Xtra.
Favourite Brands:
Radio 1 Xtra
Nike
YouTube
River Island
Twitter
I said that I would be categorised in this 'tribe' because I love listening to music and have a keen interest in fashion and style. My favourite Bands/Artists are:
Arctic Monkeys
Kendrick Lamar
Chris Brown
Nicki Minaj
Two Door Cinema Club
A$AP Rocky
Beyonce
Frank Ocean
McFly
I feel that I have a varied taste in music, I love R'n'B but also love bands like the Arctic Monkeys.
The next tribe I fall into is 'Tumblr Kids'
Strike a pose, Tumblr Kids are opening their worlds for all to see
Tumblr Kids are an entry-level Leading Edge Tribe with lots of members under 16, and a female-bias. As the name suggests, Tumblr is at the heart of this Tribe. Like a digital scrapbook, it’s used to visually document their lives – every minute of the day
There are plenty who use the platform but for whom it’s just a means to an end, but among the Tumblr Kids it’s Tumblr glory that’s more important than actually being an expert on anything. Rather than creating content, it’s all about re-blogging images that show a window into their world – fashion icons, cult films, lyrics, and pets.The most respected members of the Tribe are the ‘Tumblr Famous,’ style conscious teenagers adored by thousands of
followers, eliciting levels of hysteria once reserved for only A-list celebs.
I am in this 'tribe' because I own a Tumblr account and seem to spend most of my time on there! I like it because its a way to share pictures and to see other peoples.
Trendies
Chasing the beautiful dream and the next big thing, for Trendies image means everything…
Trendies are a burgeoning Tribe with no signs of abating – and they are getting younger by the day. The high street has exploded with brands like Urban Outfitters and Topshop offering off-the-peg Hipster-influenced styles, so channeling your inner Cara Delevingne or Harry Styles has never been so easy.
Trendies are motivated by the current trends du jour, looking to street style, celebrities and authoritative media brands for inspiration on music and fashion – in short, the latest in cool. It’s about tapping into what’s hot just before it hits the mainstream and picking it up online or on the high street, with key pieces nabbed from vintage, charity shops, or the ultimate Trendie pilgrimage – shopping on Brick Lane in London.
Topshop
Urban Outfitters
Asos Marketplace
The websites above are just a couple of websites I shop at, all selling the "street style" type clothing to create the look of a 'trendie.'
Trendies tend to try and create their own style using high street brands, mixing and matching different brands to create a unique look just for them.
The Tribes listed above are just a handful of the tribes I'm categorized in. I also looked at others such as sports junkies as I am a competitive athlete. This category shows key words such as 'determined' and 'dedicated.' As I am a competitive swimmer I have to train up to 14 hours a week meaning I have to be disciplined and dedicated in order to achieve the pinnacle of my sport. The favorite brands for this group include, Nike, Puma and ITV.
I found looking into my own representation interesting because I often feel like people misjudge the type of person I am and it shows how much as a young adult I am stereotyped into different groups depending on my interests, taste in music and sense of style.
Urban Outfitters
Asos Marketplace
The websites above are just a couple of websites I shop at, all selling the "street style" type clothing to create the look of a 'trendie.'
Trendies tend to try and create their own style using high street brands, mixing and matching different brands to create a unique look just for them.
The Tribes listed above are just a handful of the tribes I'm categorized in. I also looked at others such as sports junkies as I am a competitive athlete. This category shows key words such as 'determined' and 'dedicated.' As I am a competitive swimmer I have to train up to 14 hours a week meaning I have to be disciplined and dedicated in order to achieve the pinnacle of my sport. The favorite brands for this group include, Nike, Puma and ITV.
I found looking into my own representation interesting because I often feel like people misjudge the type of person I am and it shows how much as a young adult I am stereotyped into different groups depending on my interests, taste in music and sense of style.
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Representation
Representation; The action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
We judge people by many things when we first meeting them. We judge them on things like their appearance, the way the act, their age and gender, class and ethnicity.
Yesterday we were shown 3 different images and given time to judge them based on what we can see.
Image 1
The first image we were shown was of a man called Doug Bihlmaier. In the initial lesson I thought that he was a homeless man because he was unshaven and looked to stand out from the other people in the street. He is a male in his late 50s/60s. Although he came across as a homeless man he conducts himself well. He has good posture and his clothing is clean. We later discovered that he is a fairly wealthy man, working in Ralph Lauren as a shop dresser, collecting furnishings from across the world. The boots that he is wearing are worth $350, his shirt and cardigan fit perfectly and he has a scarf around his neck to keep him warm. His turn-ups are immaculate and his patched clothing is sown to perfection.
He was in fact American, living in New York City, where in this picture he is stood on the most famous street in the City, Madison Avenue. From first glance I knew he must have been in a busy city from what else is in the "mise en scene." (everything in the frame) There is a tall building in the background and a bus.
Bihlmaier has a unique style, he may not be fashionable but there is a distinct difference between being stylish and being fashionable. He is highly regarded in the fashion and clothing industry because of his status within the Ralph Lauren industry and the way he puts himself together.
Image 2
The second image we were given was this one of a Mr Ted Bundy, born in 1968. At first glance I thought Ted was some sort of lawyer or in another highly ranked profession due to the way he looks. He is wearing a smart/casual suit and is cleanly shaven and all in all well presented. I thought he would be aged between 28-35 in this picture but we later discovered he was in fact 42. As I started to unpick this picture I began to grow more and more suspicious of the way he looks. His expression is one of concern and he has his attention else where.
We later went on to learn that Ted Bundy was a serial killer. He confessed to the killing of 30 women and was executed in the Raiford electric chair at 7:16 on 24th January 1989. I am slightly embarrassed to say that when our teacher asked which was our favourite out of all the images I chose this one, goes to show looks can most definitely be deceiving!
Image 3
Finally, the last image we were given was of this lady. Her name is Anna Piaggi, a famous fashion journalist. My first impression of Anna was that she must have been some sort of designer, or if not, most definitely involved in the fashion world. I came to this conclusion purely on how she has presented herself. she is wearing the most extravagant clothing that not many people could pull off. I also concluded that she must have a lot of self confidence, or if not a good front to be able to pull off such an outfit and to not care if people like you and I judged her. I thought that she might have been Vivienne Westwood as she is renowned for wearing bright, clashing outfits like this. Anna is know for only wearing an outfit once. You would never see her in the same outfit twice, personally I have no idea how she does it! Because she is so involved in fashion she gets garments for free so can quite easily afford to mix and match her outfits. In this picture everything she has on is designer. She loves to look expensive and to be different and thats exactly what shes known for.
Representation has taught me that we can't judge people on our initial feelings, we can't judge someone just for what they look, or how they act or where they come from. It's also taught me that wherever we are we are constantly getting stereotyped just for how we come across to people. Society has done this to us and the media has a massive role to play in it. The media is constantly bringing people into the lime light if they have done something "out of the norm" or wearing something that isn't within "their style." Day after day everyone is judged in some way or another in an attempt to categorize themselves, whether it is for what they wear, or how they conduct themselves or whether they are relatable or not. The media constantly puts pressure on all of us to follow a certain trend or to like or dislike certain people. The media has such a big impact on the decisions we make day in, day out. They influence us on what we wear, and what music we should listen to and what it thinks is "the norm." Most of the influences the media put us under we don't realise because we are used to reading articles on someone being scrutinized for wearing an outfit thats "too reveling" or "ugly."
We judge people by many things when we first meeting them. We judge them on things like their appearance, the way the act, their age and gender, class and ethnicity.
Yesterday we were shown 3 different images and given time to judge them based on what we can see.
Image 1
The first image we were shown was of a man called Doug Bihlmaier. In the initial lesson I thought that he was a homeless man because he was unshaven and looked to stand out from the other people in the street. He is a male in his late 50s/60s. Although he came across as a homeless man he conducts himself well. He has good posture and his clothing is clean. We later discovered that he is a fairly wealthy man, working in Ralph Lauren as a shop dresser, collecting furnishings from across the world. The boots that he is wearing are worth $350, his shirt and cardigan fit perfectly and he has a scarf around his neck to keep him warm. His turn-ups are immaculate and his patched clothing is sown to perfection.
He was in fact American, living in New York City, where in this picture he is stood on the most famous street in the City, Madison Avenue. From first glance I knew he must have been in a busy city from what else is in the "mise en scene." (everything in the frame) There is a tall building in the background and a bus.
Bihlmaier has a unique style, he may not be fashionable but there is a distinct difference between being stylish and being fashionable. He is highly regarded in the fashion and clothing industry because of his status within the Ralph Lauren industry and the way he puts himself together.
Image 2
The second image we were given was this one of a Mr Ted Bundy, born in 1968. At first glance I thought Ted was some sort of lawyer or in another highly ranked profession due to the way he looks. He is wearing a smart/casual suit and is cleanly shaven and all in all well presented. I thought he would be aged between 28-35 in this picture but we later discovered he was in fact 42. As I started to unpick this picture I began to grow more and more suspicious of the way he looks. His expression is one of concern and he has his attention else where.
We later went on to learn that Ted Bundy was a serial killer. He confessed to the killing of 30 women and was executed in the Raiford electric chair at 7:16 on 24th January 1989. I am slightly embarrassed to say that when our teacher asked which was our favourite out of all the images I chose this one, goes to show looks can most definitely be deceiving!
Image 3
Finally, the last image we were given was of this lady. Her name is Anna Piaggi, a famous fashion journalist. My first impression of Anna was that she must have been some sort of designer, or if not, most definitely involved in the fashion world. I came to this conclusion purely on how she has presented herself. she is wearing the most extravagant clothing that not many people could pull off. I also concluded that she must have a lot of self confidence, or if not a good front to be able to pull off such an outfit and to not care if people like you and I judged her. I thought that she might have been Vivienne Westwood as she is renowned for wearing bright, clashing outfits like this. Anna is know for only wearing an outfit once. You would never see her in the same outfit twice, personally I have no idea how she does it! Because she is so involved in fashion she gets garments for free so can quite easily afford to mix and match her outfits. In this picture everything she has on is designer. She loves to look expensive and to be different and thats exactly what shes known for.
Representation has taught me that we can't judge people on our initial feelings, we can't judge someone just for what they look, or how they act or where they come from. It's also taught me that wherever we are we are constantly getting stereotyped just for how we come across to people. Society has done this to us and the media has a massive role to play in it. The media is constantly bringing people into the lime light if they have done something "out of the norm" or wearing something that isn't within "their style." Day after day everyone is judged in some way or another in an attempt to categorize themselves, whether it is for what they wear, or how they conduct themselves or whether they are relatable or not. The media constantly puts pressure on all of us to follow a certain trend or to like or dislike certain people. The media has such a big impact on the decisions we make day in, day out. They influence us on what we wear, and what music we should listen to and what it thinks is "the norm." Most of the influences the media put us under we don't realise because we are used to reading articles on someone being scrutinized for wearing an outfit thats "too reveling" or "ugly."
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