Summary of Initial Research

Over the month we have looked at several key areas for the research stage of the coursework. The terminology we use is ideal to describe our work and using media terminology allows the work to be analysed in detail. For example using the correct terminology to annotate and analyse the posters it allows me to think about how I could create my own poster for my film trailer by following conventions of movie posters and genres. We also looked at some theories by Todorov and Propp as well as genre theories which helped us think of some brief narrative ideas following the theories of disequilibrium, stock characters and ideas about genres. Mise en scene was a important thing to look at as it links into narrative, it helps tie together a story in a trailer depending on what is included within the frame for each individual shot such as lighting and cinematography, props and costume, camera works, actors movement and setting. Creating a production company of our own meant that we could create our products at an almost professional level alongside making our trailers look more professional, it also helped us understand what we need to be able to do behind the scenes working as independent production companies like directing, editing and planning. Prior to doing all the research we did a skill audit where we looked at our individual strengths in producing different media texts with different types of desktop publishing software, this helped us find our weaknesses and allowed us to create clear targets so we can strengthen our skills in these areas.

Poster Analysis and Comparison

As you can see although all three posters have similarities, there is a slight challenge of conventions in the Ill Manors poster. Comparing the "This is England" poster with the "Adulthood" poster you see that both posters are very similar in style, such as having the wide shot of all the main characters against a background which is slightly contrasting; this being done so the characters stand out. The poster for "This is England" is a the only poster which hasn't been re-imaged in post production whereas the "Adulthood" poster and the "Ill Manors" posters have been photo shopped in a very similar way, for example the clouds have been edited to add a bit more depth to the whole frame. It is clear to see that these posters aren't photo shopped too much because it will end up losing the realism of the poster, which would result in making the film look more like a mainstream Hollywood film instead of a Social Realist film. All the posters use a similar style of typography for the titles, similar layout for the witness reports from expertise but, what "Ill Manors" doesn't follow is the wide shot of all the characters; instead the poster has a key image of the protagonist of the film taking up most of the frame, standing behind the title of the film whereas the other two posters have the characters standing underneath the title. This is proving how the production companies are trying to change the conventions a little bit so the audience are enticed to watch the film because it looks a little different to what they are used to.

Conventions on Drama in Social Realist films

Research on "Genre"

What is "Genre"?

The word "genre" is a French word which is translated to "type". A lot of people believe that genre is a way of grouping films together that have similarities but the key concept of genre is a lot more complex than that; grouping films together is only a brief definition of genre.

Genre links into audience before the film has even been produced, film producers and directors want to please the audience and majority of the time, audiences get bored of the same genre being repeated over and over again, this is why producers and directors want to think about genre and be able to change it slightly to attract and please their target audience. This links into Hybrid/Mixed Genres which is what is being done a lot in the modern day of film production. It basically means merging two genres together to make a better film on the whole, for example taking the horror genre and mixing it in with comedy to create a Comedy Horror (Scary Movie, Shaun of the Dead... etc.)

Genre also allows production companies to be able to follow generic conventions of previous genres, this is so the films genre is easily recognisable by audiences, meaning the film would actually be viewed in cinemas and would sell once it is on sale in retail stores. Eventually some production companies become specialised in certain genres, such as "Lionsgate" are now specialised in doing horror/thriller due to the fact that they already have links with directors that do horror films as well as the actors and the equipment.

Classifications and Regulaions

U - The Universal classification means that the film is suitable for all ages four and above, it should be a positive film offering counterbalances to any kind of violence or threat. The film should refrain from: discrimination, drug use, extreme horror, dangerous imitable behaviour, bad language, sexual nudity/activities and violence. The outcome of the film should be positive.

PG - The Parental Guidance classification means that the film can be watched by children from the age of eight and over but parental guidance is recommended to consider whether the film is suitable for the child and whether the theme or content would upset the child. This classification makes films refrain from: discrimination unless its disapproved or if its in
an educational context, drug use, extreme horror (fantasy theme should be used for horror scenes), dangerous behaviour, bad language (only mild bad language may be used), sexual nudity/activities and violence.

12/12A - Suitable for twelve years and over, Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Nobody under the age of 12 may enter the film screening unless they are accompanied by an adult and they feel that the film is suitable for the child.

15 - The 15 bbfc regulation basically disallows anyone under the age of 15 to watch a film in the cinema, it also disallows them to buy or rent a film or game which is regulated to 15 years old. This is because of regulatory companies believe some scenes or narratives aren't suitable for anyone under the age of 15.

18 - The 18 bbfc regulation pretty much allows people over the age of 18 to watch films and play games that contain strong violence, language, sexual content and a theme that may be unsuitable for anyone that is not legally an adult. These film screenings are strictly monitored in cinemas and ID checks are done when purchasing at a retail store.

R18 - The R18 regulation is even stricter than the normal 18 regulation. Items or films that are rated R18 must be sold in licensed sex shops or licensed cinemas that screen these types of movies which may contain extreme sexual content, violence and other certain things which may not be suitable for public advertisement.

Production Company Creation

A production company is essentially the platform a film is built on, without one, films will not be able to be produced at all. This is because the production company gets hold of all the equipment for the film such as: the actors, directors, special effects artists and everything else that goes on behind the scenes. So clearly I also need a production company to be able to produce my film. This also allows me to make my film trailer look more professional because it will instantly make it look more flashy by mentioning the production company but it will also give me a more professional feel to creating the trailer due to the fact I would feel that I need to think about budgets, equipment and actors; pretty much what an actual production company does.

This is the design I chose to make for my chosen Production Company, I decided to call it "Aperture Productions" because the films/videos are all shot with an open aperture, also it has a classy but catchy sound to it and I hope it will stay in peoples minds. Another reason I chose to use the word "Aperture" is because the image is a memorable image, its really simple to remember. I emailed this logo to my classmates and the feedback I got from them was really positive. I would like to use this for my film trailer because it would look good against a black background before or after the trailer finishes.

In order to fulfill the brief, what skills will you need to develop? Are there any areas in ICT you need to develop?

In order to fulfill the brief, I will need to develop my skills in movie maker or better quality DTP software such as avid or pinnacle studio, I will also have to improve my skills in storyboarding and make much more detailed, in depth plans of what I could do for my movie trailer. I would also have to increase my skills in sound recording and if I will be using Foley sounding which I haven’t used before, I will have to start practicing. Although I have had basic training in these areas I feel as if I have not yet mastered how to use these DTP software’s. I will definitely have to improve my skills in working independently, even though I will be getting people to help out during the filming period all of the planning and the editing will have to be done independently. 

Skill Audit