Eyeline Match

Eyeline Match

Eyeline match is a commonly used filming technique which is used to show us what the character is looking at which may be of some importance. This is primarily used in favour of the audience, as in this example shown below, we see a medium shot of a woman looking almost directly at the camera, the audience will be curious as to what she is looking at so the camera will cut to a shot of what the character is focusing on, we then see a close up of the characters face to indicate that she is focused on this image and it is perhaps of some importance, to which the camera then cuts to a close up on a certain part of the image. The footage has been edited in this scene as the shots of the paintings are taken after the medium and close up shot of the woman, the shots are then tied together through editing software like Adobe Premiere etc.

180 Degree Rule

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 rule in filming tells us that the camera is not allowed to go past the 180 degree line or it may leave confusion in the audience. The image above is an example of where this rule is used (in a convocation), we can see a red and green section, the green section is where you can film and the red is where you cannot. The reason as to why the camera can only film on one side is because, in this case especially, it would switch the subjects/objects around which will lead to confusion.

Our Film Institute

Film Institutions

Film Institutions

Paramount

Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 by the 'Famous Players Film Company' and it was only 2 years later in 1914 when it was opened by Jesse Lasky, Adolph Zukor and William Wadsworth Hodkinson. Paramound Pictures is known as one of the 'Big Six' film studios of Hollywood. Turning 100 in 2012 had made Paramound Pictures one of the five longest living film studios. Paramount Pictures is known to have some of the best films of all time and holds very popular films - e.g. Titanic, The Godfather, Wolf of Wall Street, Transformers and Iron Man. The main genre of films in Paramount Pictures is Action - Adventure.

20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox was founded in 1935 by Darryl F. Zanuck and Joseph M. Schenck. 20th Century Fox is one of the six major American film studios and is situated in Century City in Los Angeles. The two founders Darryl F. Zanuck and Joseph M. Schenck left United Artists over a dispute and created the company Twentieth Century Pictures. They then soon went on to join/merge with FOX Films and went on to create 20th Century Fox. Films that 20th Century Fox make tend to be more family friendly, examples of these films are: Ice Age, The Simpsons Movie, Avatar, however they are also known for some classic films that are less family friendly like Alien and Independence Day.

LIONSGATE

Lions Gate Entertainment is an American/Canadian entertainment corporation, situated in Santa Monica in California. Lions Gate was founded in 1997 by Frank Giustra however, Avi Federgreen was also an important input to the company as he helped fund the start up of Lions Gate. Lions Gate Entertainment is famous mainly for their action, thriller and adventure film genres. Examples of these films would be Divergent, Day After Tomorrow and The Hunger Games.

WHITEHORN (Our Own Institute)

Whitehorn Productions is our own film institute that our group had decided on, we wanted our logo to look similar to Lions Gate and Paramount as our films will be focused around the same genre which they are most famously known for - e.g. Action, Thriller, Adventure.

Online Tutorials - Sony Vegas Pro 13

Camera Shots and Angles

Camera Shot Types

Extreme Close UpAn extreme close up is used particularly to focus on a certain part of a subject (e.g. eyes). This shot calls attention to the subjects which will make them more memorable. Extreme close ups are used mainly to express emotions (e.g. tears coming from an eye) or to show any characteristics.

Close Up

A close up shot is similar to the extreme close up when it comes to the effect it has and its job - a close up shot is used to capture a subjects emotions (normally by facial expression) Close ups tend to be of the full face and are used  primarily to emphasize a persons emotions.

Medium Shot

A medium shot shows a figure from the knees/waist up, these shots tend to be used for dialogue scenes or to show detail of the subject. There are various types of medium shot for example a Two Shot, is a medium shot of two people which again is normally used for any type of convocation.

Long Shot

A long shot is normally used to reveal more about a character (visually) and to show us the type of environment they are in. Long shots reveal a lot to the scene as they show a lot of a subjects surroundings as well as themselves. This shot is effective because it will make the audience feel like they are in the location in which the shot is seen.

Extreme Long Shot

An extreme long shot focuses more on the setting than the characters, it is shot from very far away and is used to capture something big happening in a scene (e.g. large explosions). Extreme long shots are commonly used for Establishing Shots which are shots used at the start of a film of sequence to show the audience the overall setting or location of where the film is set.

Birds Eye View

Birds eye view is a Camera Angle which is taken from directly above the subject/location of the scene, this shot is generally used to make the audience feel 'godlike' and to make the subjects look small and inferior.

High Angle Shot

High angle shots are very similar to Birds eye view shots however they are at more of an angle rather than being directly above. The effectiveness/purpose of these shots are very similar though as they are used to make the subjects look vulnerable or inferior.

Low Angle Shot

Low angle shots are the complete opposite to high angle shots as they are used to make the subject look powerful and have more authority, these shots tend to be used primarily on the antagonist of the film or anyone who is portrayed as powerful.

Canted Angle

A canted angle means a tilted angle. This shot type is commonly used in the horror genre as it is used to create an imbalance or instability within the scene. This shot type is usually used as an alternative to the POV (Point Of View) Shot and is usually used by a hand held camera.

 

Age Certificates

Age Ratings

    

"U" - Universal

This age ratings means that the film is suitable for all audiences, this means that children 4 years or older can watch these films, these films will not contain any strong language, sexual innuendo etc. Words like "damn" and "hell" will be used infrequently in some of the films but are very rare to find anything more than mild bad language. Illegal drugs would never be used in these films unless they are for education purposes.

"PG" - Parental Guidance

This age ratings means that the film is for general viewing and may have scenes that may not suitable for ages 8 or under, these films will contain mild bad language like "shit" or "son of a bitch" but are not very frequent and are only used when 'necessary'. Illegal drugs may be referenced or spoken about, but visual use is very rare - violence is very mild and not graphic for example, small fist fights or playing with electricity.

  

"12A" and "12"
The 12A age rating means that the film is not suitable for audiences under 12's unless they are accompanied by an adult. A 12A film will consist of 12 rating material but can be argued whether they are suitable for someone slightly younger that 12. If a film has a dark or disturbing tone to it, then the film would be classified as 12 instead because they believe that it is absolutely not suitable for anyone under 12. In a 12A film, the level of violence will be higher than PG but is still seen as 'mild', they tend to not show or use too much detail on injuries or any use of gore - this is very similar to actual 12 rated movies as the violence will only be heightened slightly. Strong language like "fuck" can be used in these films but only when they are absolutely 'necessary' and are very infrequent. Sexual innuendo or references are used fairly frequently in a 12A or 12 rated film but no graphic material will be shown. Horror films can be passed at these ratings but they must be mild and are not disturbing or have a dark tone throughout the movie.



"15"
Films rated 15 are suitable for people 15 or over - these rated films do not have any theme restrictions meaning all genres are available and are aloud to use more graphical material and dark tones. 15 rated films tend to have very frequent use of strong language and can use some of the strongest terms but only when in a suitable situation. Sexual references are very frequent and there is more graphic material used and any sexual scenes may continue for longer periods of times and are in more 'detail' that other films of a lower rating. Discrimination/offensive terms may be used frequently but cannot endorse this type of behavior.



"18"
Films that have been rated 18 are for adults only and a prohibited from anyone under 18, Films rated 18 have minimal restrictions as to what they can include, however the thing this shares with the lower age ratings is that the film cannot endorse any: antisocial behavior, discrimination or violence. Drug use will almost definitely be seen in an 18 rated movie, very graphic scenes will be shown whether it is sexual or gore, real sex may even be seen in 18 rated films (but only in some circumstances but usually infrequent). Any use of strong language is acceptable no matter the situation, and violence and injuries are emphasized and in almost real life detail.

Progress Targets

On return we begin the post production stage of our journey and editing begins from the onset - make sure you are video blogging and keeping your page relevant and up to date.  Make sure you have evidenced all the following areas of focus over the break to maximise your marks for research and planning.  The numbers reflect the amount of posts expected, at least.  You are capable of exceptional attainment here - grab it!

  Research

•Genre Research 10

•Soundtrack research (non copyright music) 1/2

•Costume and location research – google earth and pictures you’ve taken. 1/2

•Actors and props photos and interviews 3/5

•Audience Research and Profiling (typical audience member and similar films) 1

•Uploaded YouTube videos of openings – analysed 15/20

•Opening titles analysed in detail – font researched 1

•Analysed Film Openings from from your genre in particular 5/10

•Institution research (Paramount etc) 1

•Certificate research 1

  Planning

•Own film idea brainstorm 1

•Own film treatment 1

•Relevant Online Tutorials and Comment 4/5

•Documenting of influences on production 1

•Shot lists 1

•Consideration  of representation in your film and stereotyping – use theory from G322. 1

•Questionnaire (and feedback) Get some feedback on your initial ideas!

•Diary of filming/editing etc with photos and screen grabs

•Mood board 1

•Script 1

•Practice titles created and uploaded 1

•Storyboard – animatic.1

Initial Film Ideas

The image above shows our first brainstorm and our initial ideas for our film, we initially thought on creating a horror or an action film however we ended up agreeing on an Action/Thriller film.

Gladiator Analysis

Gladiator Opening Scene Analysis

In the opening scene of Gladiator, we learn that this film will be set in an ancient world.
The costumes and props used in this scene instantly tell the audience this information, by linking to the technical areas of sound and Mise En Scene, we can tell that these characters are soldiers from the past, more specifically, roman times, we can tell that this is set in roman times as the characters seem to be wearing silver and red armor which is known to be worn by roman soldiers. The non diegetic sound also resembles an ancient  themed tune which also sounds fairly patriotic which may indicate some sort of war is going on. There are many genre indicators in the opening 3 minutes - the audience will already know that this film will be some sort an action adventure film due to the technical areas used, especially Mise En Scene and the setting. The setting looks like somewhere in the country, in which is the aftermath of a battle, the audience will have this impression as we can see smoke blowing up into the air and the fact the director has used long high camera shots to show an army preparing for yet another battle.

We are introduced to our male protagonist almost immediately, as a close up shot is used on his face, the protagonist is played by popular actor Russell Crowe. We can tell from this scene alone that a battle is about to commence due to the fact he is wearing armor.
we see him walk between two lines of soldiers and as he goes by, the soldiers go down on one knee, this may suggest that he is of high authority in the army, maybe a general or leader of the force, also the costumes that is being worn is similar to the soldiers, but he is seen wearing fur over his shoulders, this is also commonly associated with high power/authority.

The music in the background starts to die down as the opening sequence progresses, only to be started up again when we hear a war cry from barbarians, this alone indicates that there is a war going on and that this may be the first of many battles between the two sides. The non diegetic sound builds up as the shouts of barbarians continues, the music becomes more tense and is a clear genre indicator showing that a battle is about to begin.



 

Actor Interviews

In this video, we interviewed one of our main protagonists and antagonists, in which we asked them what their role was in the film and who they were. We also asked the actors where their personas inspiration came from and the actors also revealed what they will be doing within the films opening. 

Our antagonist revealed that he was a mercenary and his character was inspired by the works of Alan Rickman and our protagonist also said that he took his characters inspiration from the main character of 'American Sniper' due to his determiation.