TKTKM Case Study Introduction

Film genre and type of production?
Teen Drama, Independent production, low budget, British, 15 rated
IMDB
BBFC
Green Screen Productions

What's the film about?
A teenage boy who reflects on the moments leading to his death. He gets entangled with rival gangs and knife crime.
Trailer
Wiki
Official Website

Global and UK release dates? Where and what formats?
Released 24th October 2014 via DVD release and Video-On-Demand. Premiered on 15th July simultaneously at 3 locations in Bradford, Manchester and London. Also streamed live on Youtube to a global audience. No cinema release. Screened at a number of film festivals including Rome Alice Netta Cita and Indie London Festival.
York Uni
Official Website
Indie Film Fan Site

Nationality of the film?
British, produced by Green Screen Productions
Green Screen Productions

Institutions behind the film's production and UK/US distribution? Where are they based?
Produced by Green Screen Productions (Yorkshire), Distributed by Universal Pictures (London) in the UK and Focus Features (LA) in the US. Distributed by Stealth Media Group (Brighton) abroad.
Wiki
Stealth Media Group
IMDB

What's the film's production budget and source of finance?
Budget of £3 million. Supported by Gloucester Place Films (owned by Matador Pictures), also backed by Premiere Pictures and £20,000 raised by Kickstarter for the premiere.
IMDB
Matador Pictures
Premiere Pictures
Kickstarter

Any connection with other films?
Completely filmed on Green Screen like films such as 300 and Sin City.
Stealth Media Group

Who's the director and their reputation?
Kit Monkman who is known to be quite an experimental director and Marcus Romer who is a screen play director known for direction Lord Of The Flies in theatre.
Wiki
IMDB

How has the film been cast? Who's in it?
Main actor is Jack McMullen, known for Waterloo Road. Generally unknown British cast after a casting call was put out.
Wiki
IMDB

Core audience? Secondary/tertiary markets?
Core audience of UK teenagers. secondary of people from the area (Yorkshire), fans of the book or indie films. It may also appeal to students of York University seeing as a number of students actually worked on the film.
Trailer
Director's Blog
Local Paper

Big Hero 6 Case Study Introduction

Film genre and type of production?
Animation/Action/Comedy, high concept film, big Hollywood production produced by Disney, PG rated, released in 3D.
IMDB

What's the film about?
A young prodigy and a large robot uncover a criminal plot and pull together a team of inexperienced crime fighters to solve the mystery surrounding the crime.
IMDB
Wiki
Trailer

Global and UK release dates? Where and what formats?
It will be premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival on the 23rd October. It will then be theatrically released on the 30th January 2015 in the UK, 7th November 2014 for most other countries. The cinema release will be in 3D.
IMDB

Nationality of the film?
The film is American, made by Disney.
Disney

Institutions behind the film's production and UK/US distribution? Where are they based?
The film is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, based in Hollywood. It is then distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures which has branches in it's respected countries all over the world. The rights to the film are completely owned by Disney, a vertically and horizontally integrated institution, which means that they produce and distribute the film by themselves.
IMDB
Wiki
Official Website

What's the film's production budget and source of finance?
The film has a large budget of $165 million and the film is completely funded by Disney meaning that all profits go straight back into Disney.
Trailer
Amazon

Any connection with other films?
During the trailer, they use 'from the creators of Frozen and Wreck-It-Ralph' to market the film. Also, a short called 'Feast' is being released along side the film and will be shown in cinemas before the feature film.
Trailer
Wiki

Who's the director and their reputation?
The film is directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams, they have worked together on films such as 'Bolt'.
IMDB

How has the film been cast? Who's in it?
The film features Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, TJ Miller and Damon Wayans Jr. Seeing as the film is an animation, these actors have been brought in especially for their voices. They are mostly known for American TV and comedy.
IMDB

Core Audience? Secondary/Tertiary markets?
The film features a core audience of families and children. There is a secondary market of Disney fans, Animation fans and Marvel fans. Finally, a tertiary audience may consist of parents who take their children to see the film.
Trailer
Facebook
Twitter

Continuity Evaluation

1. Who Did You Work With And How Did You Manage The Task Between You?

My group consisted of Angela, Eddie, Thakshana and myself. The task was mainly managed as a group with all of the planning done together however, tasks were broken down with me and Eddie producing the bulk of the storyboard, Angela producing the shot list and Thakshana writing the script. When we got to production, Thakshana and I were actors, Eddie was on camera and Angela acted as director and also used the clapper board.


2. How Did You Plan Your Sequence? What Processes Did You Use? What Theories Did You Take Into Account?
To Plan our Sequence we did a number of things. The first of which was to devise a storyboard, this helped to make it clear which shot lengths we were using and also to generally remind us of what was happening in each shot. When doing this we really had to keep features of continuity as our main focus. This meant implementing match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule to ensure smooth transitions and a nice continuity between shots rather than scenes of a jumpy nature. A basic script was also created to add to the narrative flow of the sequence. We wrote this out to keep organised and the actors had to learn their lines. After all of this had been done, we made a shot list to save time whilst shooting. This meant we filmed all of the shots in the relevant locations at once rather than moving back and forth between different locations.

3. What Technology Did You Use To Complete The Task, And How Did You Use It?

We used a range of technology when it came to completing the task, the first of which was the Canon HFG30 Video Cameras which included a microphone to pick up sound. These were used to record the original the clips which were then cut down and edited together on Adobe Premiere. Whilst filming, we had headphones plugged in and Angela was wearing them to ensure that the microphone was picking up the audio. We used a clapperboard to start each shot so Eddie knew went to start rolling the camera. This also made it easier when we got onto Adobe Premiere as the little snapshot of the scene was of the clapperboard and we therefore knew straight away which scene and take we were looking at.

4. What Factors Did You Have To Take Into Account When Planning, Shooting And Editing?
During planning, we had to account for our shoot times and locations mainly. This is 1 of the reasons we devised a shot list so we could find good times to shoot that provided no obstructions with the other group. We also had to analyse locations in advance and we did a walkthrough before the real shoot to ensure that the shots would actually work and that there was enough space to use the appropriate framing. During shooting, we had to account for people walking outside of our room and also outside noise, the media block was therefore shut off to try and counteract both of these issues. During editing, we had to spend time using the correct shots and cutting in the correct spots to ensure match on action.

5. How Successful Was Your Sequence? Please Identify What Worked Well, And With Hindsight, What Would You Improve/Do Differently?
I think that overall, our sequence was quite successful. We had 5 matches on action, all cut in the correct spot. We also had an abundance of shot/reverse shots and we kept to the 180 degree rule. By keeping to these theories, we ensured an overall continuity which is why I feel that our sequence was successful. Having said this, I believe that if we had added in some '2 shot' shots, this would have broken up the shot/reverse shots a bit better as there are lots of these in a row and it can almost tire the audience out by going back and forth so many times. We could have used the master shot to break some of these up but it was very similar to the over the shoulder shot so we decided against it as it would break the 30-degree rule.

6. What Have You Learnt From Completing This Task? Looking Ahead, How Will This Learning Be Significant When Completing The Rest Of Your Foundation Coursework, Do You Think?
Overall, I have learnt the importance of using continuity throughout film. It is vital for the fluidity of a film and without it, a film would look jumpy or glitchy. I will definitely ensure that I stick to all of the theories (Match on action, 180 degree, shot/reverse shot, 30 degree rule) when it comes to recording my film opening in order to make it as professional as possible. I will also make sure that I have an excess of shots from all of the angles needed so that I can break up long winded scenes if necessary, something that we were unable to do on this task due to a lack of shots.
                     

Evaluation of AOTT Activity

Our film idea was 'The Mentor', a horror film. The film follows a mentor turned killer at a secondary school who brutally murders students using ironic weapons e.g. the compass. In our film opening, the mentor murders an unsuspecting victim and then leaves her body in the middle of the hall.

Our film opening reveals the murderer and one of the many victims. Part of the murderer's face is shown which allows the audience to feel somewhat in the know but not completely as to cause some suspense and angst amongst the audience. It also introduces the audience into what sort of methods the murderer uses to kill his victim which is a major part of the film.

The titles relate mainly to the production team and the main actor involved for the film. They don't really give away any further information, however, if the director, producer, or actor were well known, it could raise further expectations for the film. Our final title is the name of the film on a black background which really foregrounds the shot and highlights the importance of the name.

I feel that our opening should be quite clear to follow but should also raise a lot of questions like 'why has this girl been murdered'. The ambiguity of the opening should hopefully raise expectations and hopes for the rest of the film to follow the action packed nature of the opening. The confusion of the audience will be a building block for us as their questions will later be answered throughout the film. There should also be an element of shock at the nature of such a gory opening scene.

We introduced the antagonist in our opening which helps to clarify any questions about who 'the mentor' is, even though the actual identity isn't fully revealed. We also connote the disturbance of the scene rather easily by the fact that the dead body is shown and then the murder weapon can be seen, especially the shot of the compass helps the audience to understand the importance of the murder weapon. Our wide variety of shots connotes the genre as we use high shots of the dead victim to highlight defenselessness and we also use low shots of the murderer to promote his power.

I feel our project is very effective as a film opening as it clearly highlights the genre and presents a series of events which are easy to follow even though we still leave the audience wondering what happened. I feel the opening could be improved if the titles were rearranged as some of them are quite hard to read as they are overlayed in front of objects.

Continuity Sequence Homework

1. We attempted to use a few techniques to attempt to aid the narrative flow. The first of which was match on match action. We tried to do this when I see the glass of water and then when the camera zooms into my face, I'm still in the same position. This is a good use of using a range of shots lengths in steps too as to not confuse the audience and add to the narrative flow. We went from a long shot to a MCU and then back to a long shot which helps to keeps the shots flowing and therefore make the scene not seem to jumpy. The acting was also to quite a high standard and we also used a nice pan in the first scene to establish the setting.

2. There are a number of things we can improve on in hindsight. The first of which is our mainly poor use of match on match action. I end the 2nd scene running through the field and start the 3rd scene from behind the table looking as if I've come out of the canteen. This can really confuse the audience and can make them completely lose their bearings as well as coming off as jumpy. We also broke the 30 Degree rule in the last scene as the last shot is from a similar position to the one before but is from a slightly lower position. The shot just looks wrong and glitchy so we need to try and avoid doing this again in future. Due to the fact that we were unable to edit, we couldn't cut out the laughing in one of the shots.

Film Opening Analysis

Film & Genre
Django Unchained (2012), Western

Where The Story Takes Place And Time Scale
The story takes place in a number of different locations following a slave march through deserts and forests. The time scale is unclear but the use of different times of the day and different locations can lead us to think that the march could have spanned anything from a few days to a few weeks.

What Happens
Not a lot of action happens as the opening scene is used to help us establish what life was like for Django before he was freed. All that happens is a variety of shots following the slave march through deserts and forests. It follows a chronological order however spanning from day to night and from location to location over a number of days. The opening credits are overlayed in front of the action in a bright red font which is very stylized and old fashioned.

Do Events Follow On From Each Other?
The events are completely related and follow on from each other in chronological order, I believe the opening scene is very much like a prequel to the rest of the film as it helps us to understand what happened before the main scene of events.

Which Characters Are Introduced And What Are Their Roles?
No characters are explicitly revealed during the opening scene, however, the camera does zoom in on Django's face multiple times suggesting that he is the main character. In addition to this, the music playing is about Django in a 'Folk Song Fashion' which presents Django as an old folk hero or something of the sort. It is assumed that the audience realises who the main character and they therefore realise that he is a slave, as he is in shackles and on a slave march, which raises questions as to how he can be a hero when he is a slave.

How Much Story Info is revealed and How?
Almost no story information is revealed, the only thing we find out is that Django is a slave and that he was on a slave march. Certain things are deliberately withheld e.g. the length of the slave march and the brutality that occurs, this is withheld as it leaves it to the audience's imagination which is a powerful movie technique.

What Do You Think The Audience Need To Know At The Start?
I believe the audience doesn't need to know anything in certain situations. There isn't a set list and this is very situational. In Django, the fact that Django is a slave is reavealed and not much else. I feel that this works well for this film as it leaves the audience anxious to see the next scene but still does it's job of telling the audience who Django once was and what his life has been like up to now.

My Film Still

I feel the genre of Drama/Thriller is portrayed well through the use of props (the stand) and also by the fact that I am standing higher than the camera to indicate the power of my character. I am also in the centre of the screen highlighting that I am the focus of the shot.

I stood on a higher level than the camera, as I was on the stage. I also look past the camera in the shot which indicates that I am talking to many people. The lighting is darker directly behind me which foregrounds my character also.

The intention was to communicate the power and stature of my character. The brightness of the light on one side of me was a subtle hint to my dual personality. Also, the fact that part of my body was being covered by the stand represented that my character may be hiding something.

I believe the shot is successful at conveying the power and importance of my character. The height is the main factor behind this but also the pose of my character definitely supplements this. The lighting helps my character to stand out from the background which therefore foregrounds my character. I feel for a keen eyed audience, the shot is also quite good at identifying possible problems with my character e.g. the dark side vs the bright side.

I feel if my character was in a more appropriate costume, this would definitely add to the shot. I also feel that some of the meanings from the shot may be a bit too implicit and hard for the audience to identify e.g. the lighting on my left compared the the lighting on my right.