MEST 1: Final draft

EVALUATION

For this brief I had to produce a three minute Arthouse extract and promotional booklet for a national film making competition run by The Little Picturehouse. The extract had to be within the BBFC’s guidance for a 15 certificate and to create this I worked with Gifty Kumi. We chose to make our film a thriller with elements of dystopian future as it is about a world where sex is forbidden between teenagers as it could lead to death or the body to be overcome by a disease. We showcased this by choosing to focus on the topic of friendship as two girls are the main focus of the film.

Before beginning the production process I did some research into the Arthouse genre. A film that greatly influenced our production was ‘It Follows’. It focuses on sexually transmitted diseases and the problems it causes which is what we focused our production on as well.  What I also liked about that film was how they used different shots especially at the beginning of the film where the main character was in a wheelchair and it was in a medium long shot and you could still see what was happening in the background even though it was blurred. So I wanted to somehow incorporate that idea and try to make use different shots in an interesting and hopefully unique way. We also took into consideration of the feedback we received in our focus group and to keep our film in the 15 certificate guidelines we planned to not show any graphic detail of sexual intercourse but instead suggest it in a subtle way. In this way the audience will understand that the film is about sexually transmitted diseases. We were also recommended to keep the disease within a certain age group in order to make the filming process a lot easier. For institution I looked at Film London and what they are about as a company, they fund, train and mentor emerging film makers through Microwave Films. I also looked at a few films that were funded by the company and noticed that they like to make film not just for entertainment purposes but to also to make it meaningful and informative for example Lilting. So we tried to make our narrative somewhat informative to the audience as well.

We wanted our target audience to be focused on the younger generation specifically between the ages 13-20, which in turn made sure that we were able to appeal to our student audience, people who enjoy watching films and love to experience different genres and narratives in a film. We wanted to make sure that our target audience could identify with what we were trying to portray in the film. In order to do this we had the characters in our film extract look similar to what our audience would be like. Our characters were young, students and wore casual clothes that were similar to our audience demographic. We wanted our production to be able to reach both males and females who are ABC1 upper/middle class educated and have professional occupations.  In terms of psychographics we wanted our target audience to be a mixture of Explorers and Reformers. This is because Explorers focuses mainly on the younger generation who are eager to try new things and new brands more specifically. So this would be ideal for an audience who are intrigued to see what our film as to offer. Also Reformers are socially aware and consider personal growth; therefore our film would be ideal for them as the topics that are raised in the film are things they would take interest in.

The first key moment of the film extract was the beginning when the main character is first presented to the audience She is not characterised as a hero because in the extract it doesn’t show her saving the day and restoring the equilibrium. Also, in the extract we see how the narrative begins with an equilibrium which is the disrupted from when things start to go wrong (disequilibrium). We used a range of different shots and angles in order for the audience to build a close personal relationship (uses and gratification theory) with the character. We also get details of what the character is wearing and accessories. The lack of accessories such a bag indicates that she may be in a rush and has no time to carry things if she is on the go. The style of clothing may appeal to the target audience as it is casual and similar to what they would wear on a normal day. We had a close up of the phone call to highlight the importance of the call and to show that it plays a major part in the build up of the film. The setting of the opening shot was all white and clear. The colour suggests safety and peace and at the end of the scene, we had a shot where she walked out of that area which shows that she is leaving and area where it is safe. This could suggest future danger in the plot. This leads to the next key moment which was the running scene.  This was set in the forest which is dark and gloomy. This is different to the bright and high key light setting the main character was in before. This highlights the fact that the atmosphere has changed and gives off an unsettling feel.  The character in this scene is wearing all green with a black leather jacket. The colour of green connotes nature and close connection to safety. The fact that this character is only seen when surrounded by nature is another factor that we considered. In terms of safety, her black jacket suggests an interference with hers and therefore shows she is in danger and foreshadows her death. The last key moment is when the rapist (villain-Todorov) is introduced into the film where he is following our main character towards the end of the extract. The rapist is wearing all black which is a colour that typically indicated danger and evil. We experimented with camerawork at the end where we had a close up of one of the characters laying on the ground dead which panned backwards into an over the shoulder shot of the main character who found the body which then panned back again into the rapist looking down at the two girls and it ends there. I found that this was an interesting way to build up suspense at the very end where it is at the peak of extract and have it end there with no closure leaving the audience on a cliff hanger. No equilibrium has been established and this is also an effective way to raise enigma codes within the audience. For sound I focused on making sure the non-diegetic soundtrack I was adding was parallel to the scenes being shown. This would make it easier to convey current atmosphere of the film which was important to the narrative. A sound bridge is created at the last scenes where we transition from the Flashbacks to the last scenes in the forest where the one of the character is seen running and eventually dies. This is done to create a smooth transition from slow to fast pace. This also suggests that there has been a passing of time since one scene to the other.

For my print work I created a front cover, contents page and a feature page for our Arthouse promotional booklet. I made sure that my print work was simple in its design and easy to read. I made sure that the colour scheme was consistent throughout using the colours black white and grey to show sophistication and accent the colour red to give it a hint of colour. For my front cover I went with a minimal and even look where nothing drew attention away from the other in terms of the image and the text with the information. However, I made sure that the institution ‘The Little Picturehouse’ was slightly larger and placed in the top right corner of the booklet in order to make it noticeable, at a distance, what the company is. I think the strength of my contents page is the placement of the image and the title and what font was used and the size. I chose to use a bold font because it would stand out and draw the reader’s attention to what is written. I included a short detail of what each page has to offer to give the reader more information than the front cover in order for them to know what to expect. With the feature page I placed the image on the bottom left corner with the title of the film ‘Unstable’ written above. This is because it will be the first thing they see when they turn the page and therefore I avoided having a lot of text at first glance.  On the image I wrote a quote taken from the text to give the reader an idea what they will be reading about. I placed the main bulk of the text next to the image which would be on the right side of the double page spread. This is because I had seen a similar layout in other Arthouse promotional booklets and liked how the design was laid out and how it completed the look in almost a systematic way, which I wanted to incorporate in the design of my feature page.Despite the fact that I like the simple look of the front cover, to add creativity, I could have added creativity to the print work, most specifically my front cover, by having the image as the main focus and adding different affects to the image and simple texts around it.

In terms of representation, we subverted the gender stereotype in the sense that the main characters were female and it was heavily focused on them. They were the ones in control of their decisions and it showcased them as a dominant character. However, with the narrative of our film they were also shown as victims as one of the main characters end up dying by a male rapist character which then makes them look like they are the ones that need help. Our characters were teenagers which is what our main target audience would most likely be. Hence we had to make sure that they could identify with the characters. The clothes that our main characters were wearing were casual which similar to how the average teenagers would look like nowadays. This would hopefully allow us to accurately capture the average teenage lifestyle. We stuck with the typical male rapes girl and avoided portraying any other kind of sexuality to make it easier to convey to the audience what was going on and make it less confusing and easier for them to the pieces together. (Medhursts shorthand) I think we are happy with the representations we have created although it would have been a lot better if we had included some complicated representations.

Although making an online film blog was not part of our brief, if I had to consider what to include when making one I would make sure the audience could interact with the blog as much as possible. In order to do this I may include things like a page with the poster on it and if the user clicks on the characters on the poster they will be lead to a page where they will be given a detailed character profile with added information that could give a deeper understanding to the film. Our target audience is teenagers and nowadays technology is a large part of this generation’s daily life. Hence making sure that the online blog is accessible on as many platforms as possible is important, specifically on devices such as mobiles and tablets. This will help when it comes to spreading the news of the online blog on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram and also having links on the website to the social networking profiles for the film. Similarly to how Ben Drew creatively used social media in order to promote his film ‘Ill Manors’, especially with his ‘Tag London’ campaign where he got his followers to tweet using a hashtag which generated word of mouth as he projected the tweets on popular landmarks. This would have been useful in the sense that it will allow a wider audience to have access to information about the film instantly and at any time. This also allows the film to gain more recognition worldwide in a cheap and quick way. To make the online blog attractive to my target audience I would have a simple design with colours like grey black and white to match with my print production. The simple design will make it very user friendly for those who access it, whether it is for teenagers or those a little older than that. This will also allow synergy between the media platforms.

Personally, I believe that we as a group have met the brief quite well as we made sure that we kept within the BBFC guidance of a 15 certificate in the sense that there was no extreme violence was shown and we suggested that there was sexual activity without showcasing it. We were able to make sure that the focus of the film (friendship) wasn’t lost within the narrative of the film. I believe that our production will be successful in the media marketplace because it appeals to the audience very well as we have appeal to their lifestyle and what is seen in a thriller.

Photoshoot Plan

Planning and sketching

1) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of all the things your target audience might be interested in. How can you use this information to create a main feature about your film that will appeal to your target audience?

Photoshoot

1) Which of your main characters will appear on the front cover of your programme?

Maya

2) What image or images do you need for the contents page?

I will be needing pictures of the other films to feature in it. to showcase the other Arthouse films that are also being shown. One or two selected Arthouse films will be placed in the contents page to give the target audience a visual idea/image of what to expect.

3) What image or images will you use for the double-page spread?

For my double page spread i will include pictures for our film. 
4) Write a shot list for the photoshoot. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.

Shot List

Shot No.	Shot List	check
1	Long shot of Maya’s back towards the camera facing towards the left
2	Medium shot of Maya’s back…
3	Medium close up of Maya’s back…
4	Close up on Maya’s face
5	High angle shot of Maya looking up at the camera
6	Low angle shot of Maya looking down at the camera
7	Side profile medium shot of Maya looking down
8	Side profile medium shot of Maya looking up
9	Medium close up on half of Maya’s face (including shoulders)
10	Close up on half of Maya’s face

5) What costume, props or make-up will you require for the photoshoot?

For the photoshoot I will need the character to be wearing something dark or casual to match the atmospheric setting, maybe a jacket. she wont be needing any props or make up as it will fit with theme of our film.

Distributors

Independent film distributors

1) Research film distribution using this guide from the UK Film Distributors' Association. It's called Launching Film and takes you through the whole process of distributing a movie.
- Summarise the 10 steps of film distribution in a list using your own words.

• A film can influence and be interpreted in many different ways
• Identifying the largest audience for each film
• Build interest and awareness to the film
• People who handle films be it independent or Hollywood related
• Distributer acquire films from third party sales agents or studios that have negotiated a deal with the distributors
• Formal contract is sign that allows distributors to promote the film
• After deal is signed, distributors have an idea of what to expect or may even be able to see the final product.
• Distributors have to market a film carefully taking into consideration of its target audience and the timing.
• Distributors have to promote the film in ways that can get a potential audience taking things like posters and trailer into consideration
• They then have to decide where they screen the films depending on their intended audience and whether or not it is suitable or not.

Exhibition: Arthouse cinemas

Find some London-based arthouse cinemas and research the following:

There is an arthouse cinema called electric cinema that has an edwardian feel to it and shows mainstream and arthouse films and is based in Notting Hill, London. This week they are showing the films Sully, The Grinch + Christmas party, It's a Wonderful Life and Rogue One: A Star Wars story 3D. Their programme differs to majr cinema's like vue because they dont just focus on the big hollywood movies That everyone would know about due to major advertising. I believe that the type of audience that attend this kind of arthouse cinema are people who are like the niche content as well as the mainstream films because it shows a mixture of them for example Sully is a mainstream film that recieved a box office of 200.7 million USD. Based on the on the film rating it is obvious that the target audience is open to most ages as the recent film screenings show films that are rated PG or 12A etc.

Another arthouse cinema would be Regent Street Cinema and is situated in Marylebone, London. The films they are showing this week are Frozen, Nocturnal Animals and A Single Man. Their programmes differ from a major cinema chains because They have a bar in which it allows the audience to sit and talk about the film before and after they have seen it. Which is not something that is usually done in major cinema chains where the audience dont sit after to discuss the film they just watched. From the website i believe that the type of audience that they are targetting are people over 12 more towards the older generation from about 18+ as they have a bar where it is only legal to drink when your 18. however there is also a hint that they even aim to appeal at a younger audience as they have films that are PG and also a tab that leads to Community and Education which suggests that it is also student friendly.

Focus Group Evaluation

Feedback

Our initial idea was based around the genre of horror/thriller and the subgenres of dystopia. What our video is going to be about a society in where males and females are separated and sexual relations between them is illegal due to a disease that is spread quite easily. The main character in our video is going to be a female and what she is seen doing is sitting in a café and ends up spiking the male characters drink and then takes him to a place in order to test on him. This subverts gender roles and how females are usually portrayed in the media. Also, it links to the idea of date rape and how men are usually the ones to spike a women’s drink. The female character is first portrayed as an antagonist as she spikes the man’s drink but later on it is made clear that she did that in order to test on him so that she can find a cure to the disease that is being spread between the sexes.

We were thinking our target audience was going to be mainly focussed on the younger teenagers at around 15 to about 19. This is due to the fact that the characters will be of their age and they will be able to identify with them and also in the sense that our video involves themes like STD’s and date rape. This will help enforce the fact that they need to be careful about these things. Our audience is likely to be split 60/40 female to male ratio, as it will most likely appeal to a female audience since the protagonist is a female and is going about trying to figure out a cure.

In terms of the actual filming we were thinking of trying to make how we film the video similar to Three Colors: Blue. The cinematography and how close ups and extreme close ups are used to portray the narrative of the film. The slow paced editing in order to make sure that the fact that this is an Arthouse film can be conveyed. What makes our narrative an Arthouse film is the fact that it doesn't have a positive resolution to it and that she doesn't find a cure to the disease. This is similar to the film It Follows where it doesn't show what happens and just ends on a cliff-hanger where there is no new equilibrium formed and leaves the audience with a lot of enigma codes, which is what we aim to create in the audience's mind in our extract.

After we presented our idea to the focus group we received various feedback and improvement that we took into consideration. Firstly, due to our narrative being slightly complicated we were asked how the audience would understand the disease and the fact that it is sexually transmitted. The age rating for the video has to stay within the 15 rate guidelines. Therefore we are able to portray this behaviour without any detail to it. So in response to that we suggested that at the beginning of the video we will show two couples beginning to get intimate and then them two going into a room and soon after they are seen with foam coming out of their mouth which shows that they have been infected with the deadly disease. In addition to this we were also recommended to suggest sex in a more subtle way as many different films have been able to do over the years. This is where I thought it would be interesting to use our idea of the cinematography on Three Colors: Blue and maybe film the room in close ups of certain objects and medium shots.

Next we were suggested to make the disease limited to a certain age group in order to make it easier to film without manipulating a lot of things when filming and making it less complicated. This is because we will be using a café as a setting somewhere in London most likely. So it’s an open place and we cannot control what other people are doing. Also because it is much for reaching out to our target audience as it is as if it is speaking directly to them.

We were also told to take into consideration of additional themes that can be brought up due to what our storyline is and that is things such as homosexuality in prisons as an example. Another way we could show that there is a disease being spread is by having flyers being handed out that shows detail of how the government is separating the two genders in order to protect them but aren’t doing enough to stop the disease as a whole.

BBFC Institution research

BBFC

1) Research the BBFC: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government?

This institution is responsible for classifying the age rating for a film, video, DVD's and even video games. The BBFC is not a profit based business as they are funded solely by their services. They are linked to the government by their financial affairs which is run by the Council of Management.

2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.

The Board’s age ratings decisions are reached by consensus Examiners watch films in the BBFC’s cinema for the full experience and watch DVD’s in viewing rooms on a plasma TV to get the home viewing feel. Films in different languages are viewed the same way with an interpreter sitting beside the Examiner as there are no subtitles. Examiners log details of the film in relation to the guidelines. Brief synopsis’ are written based on the work. Decisions that are difficult to come to a conclusion to are referred to the senior examiner or often brought up in the weekly examiners meeting to get other opinions. Illegal material or unacceptable content, the BBFC write up a list of cuts. Rarely do they reject content.

3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.

The issues the BBFC face when classifying a film is that they have to take into consideration hat they are not causing the potential viewers any moral harm as well as harm that may result from their behaviour.  They have to make sure it remains within the laws. They have to take into account of the target audience who its more likely to appeal to when giving the work an age raging. Also the tone of the work can affect the decision as if it contains dark themes it may receive more strict ratings compared to films that don’t for example rom coms. Alongside considering the relevant legislation, the main age rating issues that need to be taken into account include.. Violence, Sex, Sexual Violence, Drugs, Horror, Imitable Behaviour, Discrimination, Language

4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?

The dark knight received so much criticism because viewers said their was too much violence for it to be a 12A. Personally I believe that the age rating is fine for the film as the violence isn't that detailed. They don't focus too much on the little things like blood as much also when there is a scene of gun violence it is concealed by making it look darker so the audience cant see the bullet hit the person. 




5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?


In order for a film to be ate 15 IT must stay within the guidelines in terms of violence.

There can be violence but the details of the inflicted pain shouldn’t be of focus. Gory and implication of sadistic violence will usually be unaccepted unless strongly justified. There may be some sexual violence indicated. Depending on the manner in which is it used Very strong language may be permitted. As for sex and nudity it can be portrayed but however in a somewhat discreet way where there are no details that are being focussed on. The work should not encourage drug abuse/use and discriminatory behaviours however some discriminatory themes and language in the film is accepted. Imitable behaviour should not be focussed on regardless of whether it is needed for realism.

6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Choose one 15-rated film from the BBFC case studies section and summarise the classification the film was given and why. 

Attack the block

This film is rated a 15 and this is because firstly it appealed to the older teenage audience from the tone of the work and setting. What made It a 15 was the continuous use of strong language which isn’t permitted for it to e a 12A rating. Also the violence shown in the film is also quite strong as there are characters that get hurt by the aliens or even killed in bloody ways. However it doesn’t endorse the use of weapons as the film makes it clear that the use is solely for the purpose of self protection from the alien characters.  Drugs were also made to seem normal which brought up conflict in the decision however, it didn’t glamorise the use of drugs between young people.

United 93

Review

At the beginning of the film you have a birds-eye angle, establishing shot to introduce the setting of the film. This is significant because it suggests that the film will have something to do with planes as they are also at that height and it also makes the audience feel like they are seeing the city from the view of the plane which is a good way to start of the film by suturing the audience into the narrative. Another way this is done is when there are scenes on the plane and the camera is shaky which gives it a more realistic feel. It also, makes the audience feel almost suffocated in the plane along with the other characters. This makes it easier for the audience to imagine what they might feel like if they were in the same situation which in turn allows the audience to identify with the characters.

The non-diegetic sound is added once the tension starts to build up and things start to go bad. This builds up enigma codes within the audience as they wonder what could be happening. Their doubts are then answered when at one point the word hijack is mentioned. At the beginning of the film there is a hint at action codes when the man carries a knife and puts it in his pocket. This tells the audience that someone might get stabbed and that there will also be other violent behaviour later in the film. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

MEST2: Existing product research

In this extract you can see it begins with a medium close up of the two characters entering the room, it then slowly pans to the left see we see the wall and whats on it. This last for about 10 seconds which when you watch it is long for a shot that isn't showing much. This can suggest this is a very calmed and relaxed scene and nothing exciting will happen. This can be further explained by the sound playing in the background. The non-diegetic sound which may come across as diegetic sound to confuse the audience, adds to and is parallel to the calming atmosphere that is being created along with the slow camera movement. The 180 degree rule was being used with the over the shoulder shots as they spoke to each other. What i noticed is that every time the camera switched to the other person it would get closer to the persons face. It began with and over the shoulder, medium long shot of the characters talking. This emphasised the fact that they are sitting very far from each other and the fact that at the bottom of the screen it said 'day 1 of doomed friendship' suggests that they aren't that close hence why there is a lot of space between them. It then becomes a medium shot of just one character which could show that they are starting to get comfortable with each other and there is also a bit more dialogue between them. Eventually, it is a medium close up on their faces which suggests that over time they will become close. This is also implied by how they are both at one ends of the screen and every time the camera straight cuts to the other character it is as if they are sitting next to each other. The fact that the editing pace is very slow makes it seem like the 'dying girl' isn't thinking about the fact that she is dying and is in no rush to do anything yet. The mise-en-scene makes it clear to us what kind of genre the film is, from the costume of the character you can understand that it is a drama film as they dress very casual and it is what the audience are used to seeing in their ever day lives. Also the setting is set around the school grounds. The lighting is used is high key lighting to show that it is a realistic film and that it is based on real life. There are no props used to make it clear that its any other genre other than drama.

This film is rated PG-13. I think this film is rated this because of the fact that it is based on people who are still in school and therefore they couldn't make the film very inappropriate as school kids are not meant to be involved with things like that. Also, the fact that the older generation would not particularly be interested in watching young kids in school however may watch it because their kids want to. I feel as though the age range would be abut 14- 20's mainly and that this would appeal more to a female audience.


Production: Independent film studios


The studio the produced this film is called Indian Paintbrush. Other films that this film studio produced are The Grande Budapest Hotel, Breathe In, Moonlight kingdom and Fantastic Mr. Fox. The film with the most notable success seems to be Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.



Distribution: Independent film distributors

This film was distributed by 20th Century fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Warner bros, Film1 etc. The film opened in 15 arthouse films and had a gradual theatrical increase to 350 screens. This film box officed at 9.1 million and the budget was 8 million.