Thursday, 24 October 2013

Steph Assignment 3 Notes

Analysing print posters

Imagine Manipulation


  • It is important to remember that still images can be manipulated to make them look better than in real life. 
  • When you are looking at posters if there are young attractive men and women on them they have already been manipulated. 
  • Imagine manipulation is a technique to use to make skin look flawless/look skinnier etc etc
  • It is done to reel in young audience. To hook them and make us believe they look like that
  • Look at the text/Font/Size and colour of a poster, type of font/size of font could connotate
  • Connotate (Triggers a meaning. Red - Blood/Danger) 
  • Connotation of pink swirly writing could be girly/wedding things. 
  • This has happened a lot in magazine output. 
Props and settings

  • Prop is anything that the model/actor picks up.
  • Props can connotate things. (Gun - Violence. Rose - Romance)
  • Settings are important because it can help us work out the genre of the piece 

Figure expression and movement

  • In a poster movements are posed, movement are indicated. 
  • Young attractive male giving a come hither look attracts pre pubescent teenagers 
Iconography

  • Iconography is a media term for things linked with a genre.
  • Used in a sentence: There is an iconographic feature
  • Prop of a gun is an iconographic feature to an action genre. Prop of a knife is an iconographic feature to a horror genre. A laser gun is an iconographic feature for sci-fi films.


THINGS TO DO IN ASSIGNMENT 3:

Look at the posters and talk about how they have been altered to reel in an audience or to appeal to a certain audience.

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Unit 26 Assignment 3

Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2

Movie posters:

 

Film pictures: 








Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NYt1qirBWg
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_kDb-pRCds


The target audience for Harry Potter as whole film series were originally aimed at Children, it is just a happy accident that they are now popular with a wide spectrum of ages.

Because Harry Potter has many different elements in it's storyline that can be liked by all, the films aren't aimed at a specific genre or age.

The Genre for this film has been described as Fantasy. But there are also some comedy, thriller and horror elements to it.

The plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2: "The final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again." - IMDB plot summary

The psychographics of Harry Potter are that they are aspires and mainstreamers.



Marketing and Success



 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 Ron
(x)
This poster has definitely been altered to appeal to a certain audience. 
The 'IT ALL ENDS' font looks slightly chiseled, kind of like the sort of font that you would usually see on a gravestone. And of course the actual text 'It all ends' signifies that this is the pinnacle film. The fact that the Harry Potter films already have a really large fanbase means that some aspects of the poster were altered to make it appeal to that already existing fan base. 
The red fire setting in the background connotates to meaning danger or action. This is giving a good indication of the genre of the film, action. In this poster of Ron Weasley we can see that he is looking into the off screen space. This intrigues the audience as to what exactly he is looking at. His facial expression is quite serious, showing that this isn't going to be a comedy type of film, it's appealing to action fans. Ron has been altered to look rugged and attractive. This is to draw in younger females and get them interested in the film because they see something that they like. Also for guys it could be something that they see and want to aspire to be like. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 Hermione
(x)
This poster has a close up view of a youngish womans (Hermione) face. The picture has obviously been altered for the same reason that the first poster was, to draw in younger males and get them interested. For females they will see this girl looking attractive and pretty and want to aspire to be like her. Again the main focus in this poster is Hermione. She is looking into the offscreen space. This gives off an air of mystery as you don't know what she is looking at, but if you go and see the film then you can find out. The scenery behind her is ruins of a building this intrigues the audience because they want to know why the buildings are in ruins. It excites them because it gives the impression that there has been quite a lot of action for the scene to get in such a broken way. The 'It all ends' text size is big and silver to stand out and draw the already existing fan base in that have been there for the start and are beyond excited to see it end. 


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 Harry
(x)
This poster has a very close up, altered view of Harry Potter, the main stars, face. He is a handsome young man with no visible flaws. This is because they have been edited off. The lightning scar on his forehead is there to excited the already existing fan base. The scar is very prominent and means a lot to the fan base. Again, Harry is looking into the off screen space, this makes the audience wonder what he is looking at. Harrys face is very dirty and it looks as though he has been through a lot. This gives the indication that there will be a lot of action scenes in this film, which makes us go on further to say that it will be an action film. The lightning scar on his forehead also isn't something that you would normally see, there is an air of fantasy about it because you don't usually get lightning shaped scars on peoples foreheads. This is appealing to the fantasy loving audience.


Overall I think these film posters were majorly successful. Obviously the fact that there was already a huge existing fan base helped a lot in drawing in new people because of the hype that surrounded the films. People that weren't perviously interested may have been draw into watching it due to the fact that this was the last film for it. The film posters have quite a simplistic design, like it's not loads of different things that you have to focus on it's quite clear and straight forward what the film poster is advertising and that it's the last one in the series. The genre can quite easily be guessed in these posters even if you have never seen the films before. These are a couple of reasons as to why I think that these film posters were successful.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 sales figures:
Opening weekend US/Canada: $169,189,427
Opening weekend Worldwide $483,189,427
News stories about all night queues: (X), (X), (X)


Comparison

I am going to compare Harry Potter to Twilight.

Twilight and Harry Potter get compared all of the time, perhaps because of how similar their marketing campaigns were.

For example, Twilights movie posters featured the young attractive cast all flawless looking and stuff. As did Harry Potters. Here is a couple of Twilight posters.





As you can see the Twilight movie posters are all very heavily edited to make the characters look young and attractive. They are trying to appeal to younger members of the public so that they will see these young attractive people and aspire to be like them. Making them want to go and see the film because they feel like they can relate as they are young as well.

The psychographics of Twilight are Aspirers and Mainstreamers.

They used Posters, Press Junkets, Trailers and Competitions.
Also special events, all over different cinemas they played all the Twilight films in order and then at midnight they premiered the last ever Twilight film. This created a lot of hype and lead to more people going to see the last film.

Overall I would say that this campaign was successful because a lot of work went into marketing it. Even a big news story about Kristen Steward cheating on Robert Patterson with the Director (or something) of the film and even though this was a bad thing it still made a lot of people who hadn't seen the film before want to go and see it purely because of this. But yes the marketing was very big and it was hard to not know what Twilight was during the time of cinema release.


audience reactions;

Reviews







Audience responses

Fans review/reaction to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PT 2: (X) (X)

Articles about Harry Potter fans: (X) (X) (X)

Audience theory

The Harry Potter fandom identify themselves as Potterheads.

The fans have made so much Harry Potter related content themselves here are just a few examples:

A very potter senior year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a81FO-2TxNg

There are many different Harry Potter conventions going on around the world. Even more so now that the films and books have ended. Here are a few of the conventions that take place every year:

The leaky cauldron convention: http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/conventions
The Misti convention: http://www.misti-con.org
A guide to Harry Potter conventions: http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/conguide.shtml

Harry Potter theme park in Universal Orlando Studios: https://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/


Fans like Harry Potter because they see it as an escape from the real world. Here are a few quotes from Harry Potter fans as to why they like the films and books:


"I like Harry Potter because it transports me to another time and place. It creates a world separate from this one that I can escape to and join in on adventures with the famous trio. It also has an element of realism to it that I find refreshing. Main Characters can die, and you never know what can happen next. The magic that surrounds the series is utterly amazing."

"I love Harry Potter because my family grew up with it..I was very little when the first book came out and everyone would read the book in my family and we all loved it. Everyday that a new movie comes out we go and see it the very first day..it's kind of like a tradition! I have now read all the books and own all the books and movies and I will be there at the grand opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and so will the rest of my family. Because this series has been going on for so long you start to feel like you know the characters and when it's over, i'll be sad. This probably sounded really cheezy but my Harry Potter loving family and friends agree 100% haha."

"The HP saga is an amazing story of courage. Harry grows from the ignored little boy that he was to an icon of courage as he realizes into what place he has been put regardless of whether he chose it or not. He faces this with resolve, even if he has some stumbles along the way. And, he does this with two of the most loyal friends ever written."


The fans have so much power on their hands that they could even drastically change a film if they really wanted to. They go from being the audience to being the film makers themselves.
An example of this is when Warner Brothers announced Ben Affleck to play the new batman. Hundreds of Batman fans protested and made petitions online and all of this chaos happened overnight.
If fans don't like something and they give a strong enough reaction to it then they have the power to change it. The audience are all film critcits and if they don't like something then the film will crash and burn and the producers wont make as much money.

IMPROVEMENTS:

Trailer analysation:


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NYt1qirBWg

00:08: The logo for Warner Brothers appears but it's been edited to look very dark and rusty and gothic, this backs up the impression that it's going to be quite a dark film and would interested people who are into those types of films.

00:17 and 00:27: The text on screen reads 'Every moment he's lived (00:17) has lead to this (00:27) This appeals to the already existing fan base of Harry Potter. This reminds viewers of the trailer that it is definitely the last film in the Harry Potter series. Usually last films get more hype around them so this was a good move as it gives off an air of excitement about how the whole series is coming to an end.

0:28 to 0:32: It shows the Quidditch pitch in the first film, which may bring back some nostalgia to the already existing fans of the film, then after it shows that Quidditch pitch burning down. This is a shock tactic that's meant to surprise the fans and entice them into wanting to go and see it more.

1:09: It shows a very small clip of the 3 main characters (Harry, Ron and Hermione) standing in a sort of triangle trio type way. You can see all of them even though they are meant to look dishevelled and dirty they still all look quite perfect and attractive. They are also young. This appeals to the aspirers of the films because they see them looking young and attractive and want to be like them. Therefore they will go and see the film because they feel some sort of connection to them.

 The sound throughout the second half of the trailer is really violin heavy and the pace of the music is quite fast and dramatic. This gets people pumped up to see the film and along with the scenes on screen it fits quite well with the music and further gives the impression of an action heavy film. This appeals to Action fans who may see this trailer and then go on to see the film because they know from the sound and the action on screen that they will probably like this movie.

The colour throughout the trailer (for example at 1:10) follows a really dark gloomy theme the whole time. The colour wash in this trailer all the way through is a mix of greys and blacks and really dark subtle faded blue. This further backs up the impression that the film is not going to be a happy friendly film it's definitely going to be a sad angry action fighty type genre. This will entice people who like that type of genre into actually going and watching the full film.

The camera shots throughout this trailer make the younger actors in this film the main focus point on the shot. This is to interest people who see this trailer and may subconsciously want to go and see the film because they want to be like the actors in this film. This technique appeals to the films main psychographics which are aspirers and mainstreamers.


More examples of competitions and other techniques the film producers used to market the films, merchandising and tie ins with other products:

Competitions: 

Harry Potter studio tour: http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/win-a-trip - This is a contest to win a trip round the harry potter studio tour in London.

Win a trip to the HP Theme Park: http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/harrypottercompetition - This is a contest to win a trip to the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando

Win a wand: http://the-leaky-cauldron.org/fun/contests/monthlywandgiveaway - This is a contest to win a pre-crafted wand will be randomly chosen by Wizard Wood Wands each month.


Merchandise Tie-ins: 

Iphone and Galaxy phone cases from the official Warner Brothers website:


Harry Potter Ipad skin: 



Harry Potter macbook laptop skin:  



Fandom:

A fandom is a large group of people who all admire and are fans of a particular thing. You can have many different types of fandoms for example fans of a film, fans of a person, fans of a book. You can even have a bedroom fandom.

A fandom isn't merely just being a fan of something. People who are in a fandom usually immerse themselves in that fandom. For example the Harry Potter fandom has a lot of different types of fans in that fandom. You get the people who are just a fan of the films and books. Then on the other side of the scale you get full on obsessive fans.

Wikepida explains very well fan activity in a fandom:

"Members of a fandom associate with one another, often attending fan conventions and publishing and exchanging fanzines and newsletters. Originally using print-based media, these sub-cultures have migrated much of their communications and interaction onto the internet, which they also use for the purpose of archiving detailed information pertinent to their given fanbase.

Some fans write fan fiction, stories based on the universe and characters of their chosen fandom. This fan fiction can take the form of video-making as well as writing. Some also dress in costumes("cosplay") or recite lines of dialogue either out-of-context or as part of a group reenactment. Others create fan vids, or analytical music videos focusing on the source fandom, and yet others create fan art. Such activities are sometimes known as "fan labor" or "fanac", an abbreviated form of the phrase "fan activity." The advent of the internet has significantly facilitated fan association and activities. Activities that have been aided by the internet includes the creation of fan "shrines" dedicated to favourite characters, computer screen wallpapers, avatars. Furthermore, the advent of the internet has resulted in the creation of online fan networks who help facilitate the exchange of fan works.

Fandom is sometimes caricatured as religious faith, as the interest of fans sometimes grows to dominate their lifestyle and fans are often very obstinate in professing (and refusing to change) their beliefs about their fandom. However, society at large does not treat fandom with the same weight as organized religion." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fandom

You can find great examples of different fandom's on certain websites. For example there is a website called Tumblr where many fans come together and share things that they have made for a particular fandom. Other members of this fandom will see this and 'reblog' (share it on their blog page) this picture to share with other people. If you go to Tumblr there is a search bar in the top right corner of the page and searching 'Harry Potter' will bring up posts that people have made about Harry Potter to contribute to the fandom. 







It is important for films to create a fan base for their films because fans are basically what holds a film together and what determines a films success rate. If a film has no fans then it won't be successful therefore it will crash and burn and they will lose more money than they will make. Also if they don't have a fan base for the film then their film will be quickly forgotten and a sequel won't really ever be successful. 

Whereas, if they do have a fan base, then they can definitely make a lot of money off of the fan base. If they have a fan base their film will be very popular and attract a lot of attention from people not in that fan base who may wonder why this film is as popular is it is. More attention means more viewers and more viewers means more money. If they have a big fan base they can milk the life out of that film and sell every type of merchandise under the sun. For example, shirts, posters, toys, bedding etc. This could also make a sequel work. And all of this will just make them piles and piles of money. Which is what they want. 

So this is why I think that films need to have a fan base. 



Fans love for Harry Potter:


There is a whole blog page for why people love Harry Potter, they post different images like these: 








These images have been made based on messages that they get from fans saying why they love Harry Potter. (Blog: (X)


Here is a really long blog post about why this particular fan loves Harry Potter so much: (X)

A tribute to 33 things a fandom loves about Harry Potter: (X)

I think that Harry Potter fans have engaged so much with this film because firstly it's a good film series and quite easy to like. There are many aspects that can be liked by all. For instance if you don't like the films then you can always read the books. 

Also I think fans of the film have engaged with it because they feel like it's an escape from the real world and it's also a way to meet new people. They like it a lot because magic isn't real but the books and films take the reality away from that and it opens up an exciting new world for the fans. The fans can create so much content of their own through this film. For example, they can do fan art of the film. They can write stories of their own like spin off short stories. They can do fan made videos. They can cosplay. 

I just know that a lot of people really like Harry Potter and it's made their lives a lot better and this is all down to how well it was marketed because if there was no marketing for Harry Potter then not a lot of people would of even known about this book and wouldn't of been able to become that engaged in the film.



Overall I think Harry Potter has an excessively large fan base and it's not going to be a film that will be forgotten thanks to the great marketing campaigns and all of the publicity it has gotten.

Film trailer analysis

2 Film Trailers

First film

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx1YqrO_v9U

Sound: The sound in this trailer is quite dramatic and this makes the audience feel tense and in suspense as to what will happen next.

Action: The action scenes are varied from slow action to really fast action. This gives the audience a feel for what the movie is going to be like. It leaves them wanting more because when it's on slow action and then suddenly some fast action happens on screen, they are basically using the shock and awe tactic to get them interested.

Scenes: The scenes are quite short to keep the audience interested and to not show them much about the film so that they will want to come back and watch the full film

Second film

The Lizzie McGuire movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIm8g4IA_1Y

Sound: The sound throughout the trailer there is a backing soundtrack that gives it a disney feel. Also in this trailer everytime

Bad films



  1. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) 1.8 
  2.  Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) 1.8 
  3.  Pledge This! (2006) 1.8 
  4. Die Hard Dracula (1998) 1.8 
  5. Crossover (2006) 1.8 
  6. Daniel der Zauberer (2004) 1.8 
  7. Disaster Movie (2008) 1.8 
  8. 8. Turks in Space (2006)
  9. Anne B. Real (2003)1.8
  10. The Maize: The Movie (2004)1.8
  11. From Justin to Kelly (2003)1.9
  12. Who's Your Caddy? (2007)1.9
  13. Final Justice (1985)1.9
  14. Going Overboard (1989)1.9
  15. Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)1.9
  16. The Hottie & the Nottie (2008)1.9
  17. The Pod People (1983)1.9
  18. The Starfighters (1964)1.9
  19. The Tony Blair Witch Project (2000)1.9
  20. . Zombie Nation (2004)1.9




Thursday, 10 October 2013

Magazine article writing content

What is the MPAA?

"The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA), together with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and MPAA's other subsidiaries and affiliates, serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries in the United States and around the world." - MPAA 


Name the 6 studio's that are members of the MPAA?


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.


What are the American film ratings?


G
PG 
PG13 
R
NC-17


What do each of the ratings mean?

G means, all ages permitted 
PG means, parental guidance suggested 
PG 13 means, parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
R means, children under 17 require accompanying parent or adult guardian.
NC-17 means, NC-17 — No one 17 and under admitted

Find an example of a film for each American rating and explain in 2 or 3 sentences, why it was given this rating (the sister website for the MPAA http://www.filmratings.com/ will help you search for a film and find out why it was rated) and why you think this was a good rating for the film?

G - Monsters University rated G because it doesn't have anything bad in it and it's aimed at Children.
I think that this is a good rating for them because it's basically saying that it's a film for all the family. When they market it, people will see it is rated a G and be like 'A G rated film, that's suitable for my kids to watch' 

PG - Pete's Christmas rated PG for some mild language.
I think this is a good rating for them because it's pretty much like the G rated film, people will see it and be like 'A PG film I guess that's quite suitable for the family' But they might lose a few viewers because of that rating.

PG 13 Nosotros Los Nobles rated PG-13 for some sexual content and language. 
I don't think this rating is a bad thing but I don't think it's a great thing. I just think this rating is okay because everyone can still go and see it but parents will be cautious about letting their kids go to see it so they will probably lose a lot of viewership because of it. 

R Ambush At Dark Canyon rated R for violence, language and a sexual reference.
I think this is a good rating for the film because it cautions parents about the films content so that they can make a well thought out decision on whether to take their kids to see it or not. On the other hand I don't think it's a good rating for the makers of the film because they will probably lose a lot of viewers because of that rating. 

NC-17 -  Blue Is The Warmest Color rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content.
I think this is a bad rating for the film directors because this rating limits their ability to market the film. Meaning, not a lot of people will hear about it and maybe some cinemas might not even play it. On the other hand, some teenagers (17+) might see this film and go to watch it purely because they like the idea of a film like this and that it draws them in and makes them wonder why it's rated an NC-17. So they will go and see it because they will be interested in it. But also obviously it rules out anyone under 17 seeing that film, and that's a lot of people.


Copy and paste three pieces of information that explain why they put ratings on films.


  1. Movie ratings provide parents with advance information about the content of movies to help them determine what movies are appropriate for their children at any age.
  2. Moreover, modifiers and unique language applied to each descriptor are intended to give an even more complete picture about what parents can expect their children to see when they go to a particular movie.
  3. The rating system exists to provide clear information to parents about the content of films and to allow filmmakers to bring their unique creative visions to life — free of government censorship.



--------------------------

(ADD STUFF ABOUT CONGLOMERATES)

The six members have conglomerates that own them. These are; Disney, Sony, Viacom, News Corp, GE and Time/Warner.

CONT


Why the MPAA is a good thing:

Some people think that the MPAA is a good thing. The MPAA explains why on their website "The purpose of the ratings system is to provide clear, concise advance information to parents about film content so parents can determine what movies are appropriate for their kids while preserving freedom of expression for filmmakers and the film industry. "


This is also another quote from the MPAA website that explains why they exist and the whole sentence is basically just insisting that the MPAA is this amazing thing "The rating system exists to provide clear information to parents about the content of films and to allow filmmakers to bring their unique creative visions to life — free of government censorship."

The MPAA website has described themselves as "We are the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries, domestically and, through our subsidiaries and affiliates, internationally. We champion a healthy, thriving film and television industry by engaging in a variety of legislative, policy, education, technology and law enforcement initiatives. These efforts range from safeguarding intellectual property rights to using technology to expand consumer entertainment choices, to championing fair trade agreements and a secure future for artistic freedom of expression."


Why I think the MPAA is a bad thing: In my opinion, I think that the MPAA is a bad thing. The reasons I think this are because they are possibly/have been accused of being homophobic. An ex-MPAA rater Jay Landers has said that "not to his knowledge" were any members on the board homosexual. He has been on the board for 10 years. This means that the film rating system are biased. It's not an accurate represent of parents They are not taking into consideration that you need a representative cross section of different parents. This is why the MPAA has been accused of being homophobic. Also there has been a lot of examples where it's harder to get an NC-17 rating if you have a gay sex scene rather than a straight sex scene this again is another reasons as to why I think the MPAA is possibly homophobic.

Another negative about the MPAA (I think) is that there are no criteria for a parent to get a job. Even when they get a job they go through no training. Steve Farber, a former MPAA rater said "There is no qualifications needed and no training given" Basically I'm thinking what gives these people the right to rate films and say whether a film is appropriate for certain audiences to watch.

Also, the fact that a lot of violent films have gotten a lower rating than some other films just because those other films have sex scenes in it is not right. It doesn't teach kids a good message if they get to see violence and blood and gore rather than a sex scene. It's basically saying that Sex is worse than violence. Also they usually give violent films a lower rating if they take out the blood. This isn't teaching kids what the consequences of violence is.





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EXTRA INFO FOR DISTINCTION
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The MPAA is a trade association, a trade association is described as "an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association participates in public relations activities such as advertising, education, political donations, lobbying and publishing, but its main focus is collaboration between companies, or standardization. Associations may offer other services, such as producing conferences, networking or charitable events or offering classes or educational materials. Many associations are non-profit organizations governed by bylaws and directed by officers who are also members." - Wikipedia

ANOTHER NEGATIVE: The MPAA is accused of giving more support to studio productions than to independents, therefore the MPPA does not always support the film industry in Hollywood, unless you are a studio. Examples of this are when the creators of South Park (Matt Stone and Trey Parker) weren't owned by any studio and the MPAA failed to help them achieve an R rating on a film they made called Orgazmo. They just gave it an NC-17 and didn't give them any more information on what to cut. This is a quote from Matt Stone and Trey Parker talking about their experience with how the MPAA screwed them over. (Imitating talking to the MPAA) "We need to know exactly what to cut if we have to spend the money for an avid again. And they were just like, we can't do that we're sorry. And when we submitted the South Park movie, they gave it an NC-17 and we're on the phone and there is some paramount higher ups on the phone and they're like, okay now can you tell us why it got an NC-17? And they're like, yes, starting with this this this and this" Also

This a direct example of the MPAA not supporting indie film makers like they say they do.



PG 13 Nosotros Los Nobles rated PG-13 for some sexual content and language. 
I don't think this rating is a bad thing but I don't think it's a great thing. I just think this rating is okay because everyone can still go and see it but parents will be cautious about letting their kids go to see it so they will probably lose a lot of viewership because of it. 

Ambush At Dark Canyon rated R for violence, language and a sexual reference.
I think this is a good rating for the film because it cautions parents about the films content so that they can make a well thought out decision on whether to take their kids to see it or not. On the other hand I don't think it's a good rating for the makers of the film because they will probably lose a lot of viewers because of that rating. 

NC-17 -  Blue Is The Warmest Color rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content.
I think this is a bad rating for the film directors because this rating limits their ability to market the film. Meaning, not a lot of people will hear about it and maybe some cinemas might not even play it. On the other hand, some teenagers (17+) might see this film and go to watch it purely because they like the idea of a film like this and that it draws them in and makes them wonder why it's rated an NC-17. So they will go and see it because they will be interested in it. But also obviously it rules out anyone under 17 seeing that film, and that's a lot of people.

The MPAA members seem to be big studio chains and the members of the appeal board are main cinema chains. This is a bad thing for some film producers in Hollywood because, If you were an indie film maker, would you be comfortable knowing that the people making decisions about your film are not like you, they work for big conglomerates and are profit driven? I don't think that Indie film makers would feel supported when submitting a film or appealing for a rating. They would feel like they don't have the power to be taken seriously by the MPAA. The whole point of the MPAA was to serve the film industry as a whole, not just to serve powerful, experience film makers with money. 

How the Hollywood studio system works: Today the major studios are own by large conglomerates that focus almost entirely on profits.  The success of failure of films at the box office tends to be judge by the first week of screening. Films are more produced by independent companies and released by major studios. 

CONCLUSION : In conclusion, I think that there are some positives about the MPAA but they need to work on not censoring films. They also need to get a wider variety of parents and actually train them to rate movies.

Quick quiz

Ancillary rights:
(Money that does not come from tickets)

1. The studios pay them
2. Metropolitan 
3.  
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Pop quiz

1. Name 3 Conglomerates





2. Name 5 studios


  • Walt Disney studios
  • Warner Brothers studios
  • Dreamworks studios



3. Name 2 studio members of MPAA



Script for group assignment


Fusey Shopping Channel -

Welcome, to  the Fusey shopping channel where you can get all your media goods.
The first item up for bid is the one of a kind 'JVC GY HM 100'
*Shows picture of the JVC GY HM 10*
This high-tec but easy camera to use is the best of its kind with:

Features of the camera

A Professional format recording with selectable data rates up to 35mps, Full Hd recording
,Extensive image customisation
Uncompressed LPCM audio recording


-----------------

Camera - Lighting

Three-point lighting is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film and still photography By using three separate positions, the camera operator can illuminate the shot's however desired, while also controlling the shadows produced by direct lighting.
The key light, as the name suggests, shines directly upon the subject and serves as the main illimonator more than anything else, the strength, colour and angle of the key determines the shot's overall lighting design.
The fill light also shines on the subject, but from a side angle much like the key light but is often placed at a lower level than the key light It balances the key light by illuminating shaded surfaces
The back light shines on the subject from behind, often to one side or the other. It gives the subject a rim lighting serving to separate the subject from the background.

Camera - Framing



Camera- Focus

One of the first rules of photography is that the subject should be sharp. Most modern digital cameras offer a number of ways of achieving sharp photos and the JVC GY HM 100 does that also but better Depth of field is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field increases with distance. The farther you place the camera from your subject, the more depth of field you can obtain. Landscapes have great depth of field, while macro photographs tend to have very little depth of field because the subject is so close to the lens. The camera's compact frame makes it easy to venture into uncharted territory. Long gone are the days of lugging around a brick with one hand. The GY-HM100U's lightweight body allows for long run times without the fatigue. Whether you're shooting a documentary, wedding, or grabbing the news, both your wrists and your arms will thank you.


Sound - All 3

There are two different types of sound which are synced and the other is non-synced.
Synced sound is sound which is recorded in the time of the framing to match up to the frame and non-synced sound is the exact opposite by having sound which completely is out of sync of the scene and doesn’t fit at all.
Another key part of sound are the things which we use to record them, these are called microphones (show microphone) there are a few different types of microphone but the main one which is used in film is the Shotgun microphone. This is used as it is an omnidirectional microphone which means sound can come in from anywhere.
The final key part of sound is the field recorder, this little box lets you change the frequency of the sound and lets you change the pitch in which the sound is recorded at and what the volume level is when recording sound.

Editing - Different types of edits

Editing is a way to change a clip to make it more aesthetically pleasing. There are many different types of editing for example: A transition. A transition is used when the editor moves from one shot to another. There are a lot of different ways that you can do this. Cut (Maybe cut to a different angle?) A fade in/out A wipe. A wipe involves one shot replacing another, traveling from one side of the frame to another. Editing can be useful if something goes wrong if you film something that you like but the second half of the take that you did you don't want to use, you can edit it out and then you will just have the useful part of the take left. Another different type of editing is can be green screen. Say you want to film something in front of a Summer type scene, green hills, blue skies. But you can't do that because it's Winter and there could be snow in places. So you would use a green screen to superimpose a nice Summer type background on there.


Media notes #6

Syncing video + audio

Slate/Clapper board














Sync process 


  • "Quiet on set"
  • "Camera rolling" - Press record
  • "Speed"
  • "Sound recording"
  • "Speed"
  • "Clap" - (Eg. My video tutorial scene 1 take 1 etc) Clap in front of the camera, find that noise in FCP, sound will be in sync
  • "Action" - Everyone can go and move in to what they are suppose to do.

Monday, 7 October 2013

This film is not yet rated notes

MPAA won't let anyone inside. Most controversial are the ones they rate NC 17

Lack of training leads to the ratings that are given are down to biased opinions of the raters.

They made a comment about R ratings VS the NC 17 rating. This ruins their sales. 10s of millions of dollars could make a difference whether it's R or NC 17.

The rating it gets limits your ability to market the film. 

Big criticisms of Jack Velenti is that it works to make £ for studio/doesn't really treat indies equally.

Jay Landies/Stephen Faber

MPAA is a form of censorship. The MPAA isn't suppose to censor things but it does. They are accused of censoring. 

Americas first amendment is freedom of speech + right to oppression. 

Instead of censoring they need to regulate guidelines.

More negatives:

Not informative as to why it's rated an NC 17
Makes the director unhappy because of how hard they have worked on it
They are felt discriminated against 
They have to cut some things out of the film which may be important

MPAA:

Look at a film and try to decide the rating on a film. They are told that they are the last barrier in what children will see. They make up standards. They take themselves very seriously.

G means general audiences.
GG means parental guidance
PG13 parents are strongly warned
R means restricted. No children 17 or under without parent or guardian.
NC-17 means no children 17 or under at all.

If you chose not to accept the rating they aren't allowed to advertise it on TV as much. And if they do it says 'This film has not been rated' 

They don't give specific ratings because they don't want to be a censorship service

OTHER NOTES

Mark Urman - head of US film thingy
David Asen - Film critic
Stephen Farber - Former MPAA rater
Jay Landers - Former MPAA rater
Joan Graves ratings board chairperson.
Martin Garbus
Anthony Hay - Senior rater
Arleen bates - Rater
Matt ioakimedes - Rater
Joan Worden - Rater
Scott Young - Rater
Joann Yatabe - Rater
Howard Fridkin - Rater
Michael Mcclean - Bored member rater person thing
James Wall - clergy board member                                  
Dan  Clickman - Was given ratings system by Jack Velenti

Apparently for a gay movie type thing it's harder to get an R rating than it is if you were straight.

The MPAA is homophobic/racist 

Sex scenes get a NC-17 rating whereas Violence gets a lower rating.

People don't think that the MPAA should hide in secret.

Clergy - Member of a church

Can go into a place and appeal to get your film rated. You aren't allowed to reference

Ideology - Set of ideas or values that are being sold to us by this documentary


Watch movie, discuss it, cast a vote.

2 Clergy on the board, catholic priest and ???

Members of the appeals board were made up of film buyers and people who work for big studios. The people that are controlling the appeals process are major film stuidos/owners or runners. And major films distribution owners.

People that own cinemas on this board. No representative for members of the public on this. MPAA uses parents with 'children'

No indication of parents being homosexual.

If unhappy with rating go appeal where major studio players and priests reject it again.

2 processes have and neither of the people on those processes have a good representative of the American population.


MAJOR NEGATIVES/DISADVANTAGES TO MPAA

They are homophobic. (HAVE TO SAY POSSIBLY) Ex MPAA rater said not to his knowledge were any members of the board gay (10 years he had been on it) Jay Landers says 'Not to my knowledge' - Using that as a disadvantage because it means that they are biased. Not an accurate representation of parents. Not taking into consideration that you need a representative cross section of different parents.

No criteria for members 'average parent' No qualifications required and no training. Person who said this 'Steve Farber' Former MPAA member. 'Stephen Farber ex MPAA member said no qualification needed or no training given' Negative because: What gives them the right to do that, what makes these people appropriate to rate films

Major studios control the appeals process. Kirby Dick hires investigator to find names of them. It's not fair on independent film makers. Kimberly Peirce director of 'Boys don't cry' talks about how unfair she found it.

Sex scenes get a NC-17 rating rather than violent scenes. Doesn't teach kids a good message if they get to see violence and blood and gore rather than a sex scene. It's basically saying that Sex is worse than violence. *Look at the video on the power point presentation and find the bit where it shows the violence bit* It's harder to get an NC-17 rating if you have a gay sex scene rather than a straight sex scene. Links back to the whole 'Homophobic thing' Maybe mark it the end of the negatives and move onto positives ?

(HOMEWORK)

Listen to the audio track on Steph's blog, listen to the audio track and look at the picture.

http://asfcsteph.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/unit-26-film-studies-assignment-2.html


Unit 26 Assignment 1 Presentation

http://prezi.com/5r1blrog7rwj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy


Group assignment task notes

Pro's and Cons of the video thing


Pro's

  • It's not boring
  • Well scripted
  • Good camera work 
  • Nice lighting
  • Easy to follow
  • Props


Friday, 4 October 2013

Media Notes Dan Camera work

Focus

Hard and soft focuses

Why would be focus things?

To put the audiences attention on things. 
For ascetic purposes (So that it looks good)

To get something into focus you have to move forward and back. 
If you have a shot where someone is walking towards the camera you will have to move your focus with the actor. 


Zoom in as far as it can go, focus it, frame your shot. MUST DO. 

Auto focus, gets easily confused. Do not use it

Although auto focus is good for a documentary for example.

Shallow depth of field 
Want something creepy, set up shot like the bottom one(?)

Slight blur.


On the camera:

AF stands for auto focus. On the side of the camera there is a button that says AF and MF. MF stands for manual focus. You want it to say MF.

Full auto or Manual. On Auto it means you can't adjust the exposure.

Inside controlling the light you want your ND filter off. Outside put the ND filter on

Focus and zoom allows you to zoom in and out

Game/Gay(?) Don't use the game don't play the game it brightens up the image or something. You'll have marks knocked off. When it's off at 0 the picture quality is fine. When you add a bit of game to it it will start to deteriorate the footage

Iris value can be adjusted.

Shutter is closed, the shutter opens up really quickly, allows light in. Then it closes again. How long it's open for determines how much light there is. If you slow the shutter speed down you adjust how much light is let in. Shutter allows you to see clear images.

Nighttime shot adjust the shutter speed. Drunken scene, adjust the shutter speed. 

Framing

Framing is important (You get marked on framing and focus) 

Some space on the side of the camera is called 'Looking space' showing that there is stuff going on outside of the frame. 

Rule of 3rds 

It's like a grin on the screen you would put your subject where two of the lines would cross. 



When you go 'File import' you are not importing anything. All you're doing is telling Final Cut Prof where it is. 

FINAL CUT PRO 


Get marked on Unit 16 editing techniques. Second outcome is to be able to prepare footage. Doing all viewing in some window

Log and transfer window. Drag it onto your btec shared drive. 


Assignment is starting on Monday




Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Unit 26 Assignment 1 Script


(UPDATED BITS - IN BOLD)




Slide 1: Ben reads from power point




Slide 2: Vicky reads from power point




Slide 3: Ben reads: "As well as being directing Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim VS The World, Edgar Wright also writes the material for each one of the films, he also was the producer for Scott Pilgrim VS The World. This showing a lot of input into his work which I think would matter to an auteur as it shows determination and that they want to make something for their audience and themselves as best as they can to one day being an influence to future film-makers." - Unlok the Auteur - TheCaptainMorgan




Slide 4: Vicky reads: At the very start of this video we can see that there is already an extreme closeup of Shaun's face. Edgar has been known for doing a lot of extreme close ups, there are many of them even just in this film. For example here are a few from a scene before. (Show pictures on the presentation) The reason why Edgar chose to do this close up, I think, is because this lets you see his full face in detail, it shows the audience that Shaun is tired, this sets the mood for the scene because as we see later on he is moving sluggishly and slumping over.




9 seconds in we see the depth of focus from Shaun and Ed. Shaun is in the background while Ed is in the foreground. This shows how far away from each other they are and as they converse the focus slips back and forth. Another example of depth of focus would be at 24 seconds in where Shaun is walking across the road and in the background there are zombies. If you're not paying enough attention you could miss them. This shows the audience how oblivious Shaun is to the zombies behind him. It also makes them seem really far away from him.




Starting at 18 and running until 2:15 it is one long continuous camera shot that shows Shaun's trip to the shop. This is effective as you get to see his full journey from start to finish, it makes you forget that you're watching a film and makes you feel like you're really there. It really engages the audience because of the fact that it's very realistic. It also sets the tone for a quiet walk making the audience feel what Shaun is feeling so that you really understand that he is oblivious to the zombies.




There is a theme throughout of the film which is that the colour red pops up a lot. This is to do with the fact that the whole film trilogy is called a 'cornetto trilogy' Each film (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and At Worlds end) is connected to a Corentto flavour, this film centres around the strawberry cornetto which is to signify the blood and gore that is shown in this film. Edgar has been very consistent in doing this throughout the trilogy.



Slide 5: Vicky reads: Read from the presentation. Then read: You can see from the pictures that Edgar likes to make films that have a specific focus on a certain colour. During his body of work Edgar Wright uses the same cast consisting of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. You can see this in films such as: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, At Worlds End,



Slide 6: VICKY: Looking at the sound from that clip you can see that Edgar uses a Diagetic sound (Being the music that's suppose to be playing from the jukebox, the reason why it's diagetic not non diagetic) Um that sound doesn't really fit in with the scene and this makes the scene seem comical. This reminds the audience that this film is suppose to be a comedy zombie film. But also the use of the dialogue (The loud screaming voices) mixed with the fast paced soundtrack creates tension within the audience drawing them in so that they really focus on the film. It also kind of creates a nervous atmosphere and because it draws the audience in it makes them forget they are watching the film and they put themselves in it. This is why the sound works so well together with the action on screen.

Slide 7: VICKY: In this clip we can see how the sound really creates tension and helps the audience know what they are suppose to be feeling. For example, at 00:15 seconds to 00:26 there is a non-diegetic soundtrack playing in the background when they are in the car. This makes the audience feel like there is something big about to happen, because in most films when the action is happening on screen you can usually tell by the fast paced music playing during that time/leading up to that time. Whereas here because this film is a Comedy it's supposed to make the audience laugh because they end up at some really quiet farm with this old person in the middle of nowhere, they would expect some full on shooting guns/running action scene, but instead get that.

Another example of how the sound misleads the audience to make them laugh is at 1:40 to 2:18 when the old man hits the bomb the non-diagetic soundtrack picks up and makes us feel tense, like the bomb is going to explode. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. As the scene progresses the music pics up and gets faster. The pace of the scene is quick as they run and the audience feel nervous and are held in suspense as all the sound is cut off and they are left in silence. After a few seconds of silence though the Comedy air kicks in and it's apparent that the bomb isn't going to explode. There is a Diegetic sound of the cow mooing to kind of give the scene and awkward feel to it after they know that the bomb isn't going to explode.



Slide 8: VICKY: I'm now going to compare another zombie film, Colin, to Shaun of the Dead. As you can see from the pictures on the slide, Colin uses an array of Colour washes which don't usually have anything to do with the shot so it confuses the audience as to what exactly they are meant to be feeling so it takes away some realism to the film as they would constantly have to be figuring out whether the atmosphere is suppose to be tense or something else. Whereas in Shaun of the dead there is a distinct colour in each shot as I said before, it's red and also quite dark in each scene later in the film when shaun become aware of the zombies. This makes it clear to the audience that in some respect this film is a bit of a horror because red symbolises blood and gore and dark colour washes are usually used in scenes where the audience is suppose to feel tense.



Slide 9 VICKY: There are many solid examples that show Edgar Wright as being an Auteur. For example, we know that he uses some of the same cast in each film that he does. He very consistent about that. He uses Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in almost every film he directs. The films they have been in and he has directed are as follows: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and At Worlds End. They have both also been in a TV show that he has directed. (Spaced) Another example of him being an Auteur is the fact that he has an ongoing theme where each of his films have a set colour theme to it, like I mentioned before. Shaun of the Dead, red. Hot Fuzz, blue. At Worlds End, green. He likes to use the same type of camera methods in his films. For example, the extreme closeups that I talked about before. The quick panning shots. He also has a distinct editing style, the quick cuts in a montage style to help speed the narrative along. This can be seen in Shaun of the Dead quite a few times. Also he likes to use the same joke but change it slightly in different films. Like in Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and At Worlds end there is a scene where someone jumps a fence and fails in some way. This is why I think that Edgar Wright is an auteur.



Slide 10: BEN In this clip 00:28 - 00:43, we can tell who, in a way is the villain and hero because the teenager is the one stealing the food and stereotypically dressed in a tracksuit show him as the bad guy, where as the man dressed as the policeman is the good guy because he is trying to stop the situation and we instantly know this because we know what a police man does. Also in the short clip of 12 seconds show the facial expression on the teenagers face because as soon as he see's the officer the teenager instantly is shocked and it shows that he knows that he has done something bad and it also shows the facial expression on the officers face, which is that he is very serious showing that he is about to arrest him for shop lifting because thats what policemen do. In this short clip the only props that are used are the food on the shelf, the food he is putting in his pockets and the hat the policeman throws away. The colour in this clip are very high key lighting to show a clearer image of what is happening. In this clip their is straight away an non - diagetic ambient sound witch is him skidding into the situation showing that he has just ran to get their, then their is only one line of diagetic dialogue, then from 00:43 - 01:29 their is some diagetic dialogue throughout it but their is only a little of it. The main sound is is the non - diagetic soundtrack playing over the top over the top of the chase scene, as well as that you can hear non - diagetic ambient sounds such as when they are running it sound like they are a car because their meant to be going fast, also you can hear cars going past and the non - diagetic ambient sound of their footsteps as they are running.



Still in the same clip but from 01:38 - 02:09, this is where Edgar Wright has uses the comedy from his film genre. In this scene you can see the both policemen in their uniform but their not wearing the exact same thing showing that their different but we can evidently see that their policemen still. This part is funny because they have over exaggerated each of the characters. the props used in this are the fences for them to jump over and break, also their is a washing line with clothes on it and a climbing frame in the background , these show that the scene is set out side because they are gardens and their also trees their, so we know where the setting is more clearly. When Danny says "what through the gardens" he had a very fed up facial expression showing he has done to much and this will be too hard work but as soon as he sees his partner do it, his facial expression lighting up into a smile thing he can do the same, and as soon has he sets off to do his bit the facial expression brings the comedy into it as well because we all think he will do well but then he goes and does that. The same again with the lighting, its very high key because it outside throughout the day to also show a clearly image of the scene. The sound in this clip is very effective with the comedy. Their is some diagetic dialogue at the start where they are speaking but when the last one speaks the non - diagetic soundtrack starts building up what he's about to do and its a very upbeat track showing he is good at whats he's doing and then Danny starts to run with another upbeat track but as soon as he fails the music stops instantly. Their is also some non - diagetic ambient sound where the first guy is jumping over the fence and their is like a 'swoosh' sound over the top of the sound track, also their is an ambient sound of the fence breaking when he falls into it.



Slide 11: BEN: Showing this clip will show you that Edgar davids is really an auteur, this is also the fence jumping scene from Shaun of the Dead and At World's End. Edgar has used the same things again with this scene, such and the diagetic dialogue of "have you never took a shortcut before" and one person failing every time so this shows he does that scene in 3 different films of his. He also uses the same movement to get into the situation of the fences, like in Shaun of the Dead they go through a gate and the fence is their, Hot Fuzz they run around the corner and the fences are their and At Worlds End he goes through a gate to get to the fence, so their all the same scenarios of how they end up in this situation and it bring comedy each time because thats his primary genre that he uses in every film.



Slide 12: BEN: Now if we compare it to a film like Rush Hour which is also a comedy, lets start with the movement, i just think its just very slow, their not much going on, its all very sluggish and doesn't keep you interested, i think the dialogue isn't very good and the way its used, it doesn't sound professional and is seems like a kids film even though its not. In my opinion i don't think the director hasn't thought about how to make it effective and make it his own film. The sound used in the scene is just the sound you would hear as normal but whereas Edgar has uses sound what does not fit the movement to make the scene more effective and bring more comedy.