Scott Bailey Notes

Editing and Sound

• In the first scene the conversation we are listening to is quite loud in comparison to the diegetic sound of the restaurant. This creates the sense of intimacy between the man and the woman as if they are close.
• As the man starts to talk about the relationship ending, the diegetic music in the background reaches the chorus. It highlights the ending of the relationship by being contrapuntal to the situation as the music being played is a love song.
• When we first hear the man speak his voice is quite deep and low which implies authority, however as he speaks he stumbles a lot causing his air of authority to degrade and making him appear weak and 'flimsy'.
• Once the women in the scene has had enough of listening to the mans petty excuses for why he wants to call it off she bangs the table in anger, stands up and leaves. This is interesting for a few reasons: The short flash of anger as she bangs the table in frustration makes the women appear more masculine. She is also very composed and appears strong as she leaves the table. This composure is not how a stereotypical heart-broken women are often portrayed, showing that this women is authoritative and robust in emotion.
• The screech of the chair is accentuated by making the noise slightly louder. This creates an awkwardness about the scene.
• In one of the scenes a leading police detective asks the heart-broken women if she had a "late night last night?". She responds by saying yes and the scene instantly cuts to a flashback of the previous night which appears to be what she was thinking about.
• During the flashback the women asks her 'lover' why he wanted to call it off as she is angry and confused. As she realises he was having an affair she begins to leave and says "don't worry i wont let your tyres down...". The scene then cuts to her in a work bathroom and she says to herself in the mirror "i might slash them though." This script bridge between scenes shows the slightly two-sided nature of the women as when in the company of someone she says she wont do something however on her own she is genuinely thinking about doing so.

week 2 diary entry

Over this past week i have achieved a few things:

• I have sourced equipment for shooting this coming sunday.
• I have created a time management schedule which has organised my actors.
• I am ready to film!

However i was not able to complete most of the things i wanted to complete. I still need to think about:

• Some more graphics planning including creating a prototype ident/logo
• completing my media essay on what i have learnt since filming my preliminary task
• Once my filming is completed I will also need to begin editing to create a rough cut and if needed i will need to reschedule some reshoots

Although this doesnt seem like much, when put in practice there is alot to be accomplished. I am a little fazed by the amount of work but i think everything will completed by the deadlines.

Time management schedule

This is the time management schedule for the weekend i am filming:

• We will be filming on the 27th of january from 10am-4pm (this may be shorter or longer depending on whether all the shots are achieved.)
• Luckily locations are very close to one another (within 500m of eachother) so travelling to each location will not prove a hinderance.
• Equipment needed on set will be: A camera and tripod, a directional mic and finally battery lights and power-packs for when it gets slightly darker.
• Costume will be provided for Radriar-Tristan Carmen. For Francesca Forristal playing the daughter, she will need to bring her own costume consisting of a coat and party atire. "Hoodies" for the muggers will be provided if they are not obtainable. They should wear sweat pants (or jeans if they don't have any), any informal shirt and trainers.
• Filming will proceed as follows.

1-1:30 quick briefing on what is going to happen, shot brief, setting up at locations, costume change etc.

1:30- 3:00 All day shots whilst the light remains.

3:00-3:30 Lunch break! Possibly for a refreshing beverage or healthy snack (apples!)

3:30-5:00 Night shots, ‘Francescas demise’ scene. The ‘Redemption’ scene with Tristan and Conrad. This time frame may be longer or shorter depending whether all the shots are obtained

Equipment will be obtained from Josh Bailey on saturday afternoon after helping him with the filming of his media piece.
Hopefully all the shots will be obtained in one afternoon, i look forward to the filming!

Film interviews

When analysing the information from these two interviews we learn a number of things.

• They both find out about films through the internet and other visual means such as posters.
• They go to films fairly infrequently so the film they are going to see must be appealing to them in certain ways.
• Although both of these interviews are from students, psychological and action thrillers seemed to be the more appealing genres.
• The certification for all the films mentioned is a 15 which does give me some insight as to the certification of what my trailer should be.

Sound Research/planning

For my piece i want to use a specific style of music to create a dark unnerving atmosphere. Hopefully this will work in harmony with my style of filming and editing.
A piece of music that is similar to the one that i would use in my piece is;

Venetian Snares - Öngyilkos Vasárnap

A hungarian piece that translates to "gloomy sunday".

The dark, slightly dreamy feeling of this piece is something that i would like to try and emulate on screen with the story that i'm telling. With music similar to this i think it will create a gloomy and thrilling piece riddled with an air of uncertainty
The thing i like most about the piece is the combination of mild drum and bass with violin. It creates an epic feel that also makes this piece relatable to present day with the "electronic" style of the music.

Another piece that is similar to what i would use in my piece is Requiem for a Dream- Clint Mansell

In my opinion this Clint Mansell is a genius. The cadences, climax's, transitions from slow and sombre to fast paced and epic are just brilliant. This is a perfect example of music that i would like to use as it would create so many brilliant contrasts between the reminiscing of the main characters death and the violent retribution that takes place. 

I intend to find something very similar with a slightly more modern edge.

Diegetic Sound

In terms of diegetic sound i will not use a huge amount. I want to create the effect that the main character is so focused on what he wants to do that the sounds of normal every day life are drowned out until only his heartbeat is heard

So for example i will take some recordings of a busy street ie. cars and buses screeching etc. Then i will  layer this with the sound of a heartbeat that will grow louder and louder as the street sounds become quieter and quieter.

This is just one example of some sound i will use. Other diegetic sound i will use is:

• The sound of a knife unsheathing
• The sound of footsteps
• the sound of someone breathing nervously

All of this sound will be layered and crafted to hopefully create an intriguing and thrilling piece of film. 

Week 1 diary entry

Over this week i have researched and completed a few things:

• I completed my sound planning which is under my research and planning labels
• I have started a short essay of what i have learnt since my preliminary task called "The Package".

This is the stuff that i need to think about:

• I need to plan when i am going to film.
• I need to write up a schedule with timings for filming, locations, which scenes will come first etc.
• Equipment needed etc.
• I also need to do a prototype ident/ logo ( this should be fairly easily achieved)

All of this will definitely be completed within the next week or so, if a problem occurs a may need a little bit more time. However I'm feeling positive about my work so far and i think it will prove to be acceptable.

Plan for the next few weeks

First week back after the christmas holidays and i realise this term will be pretty hectic. There is a lot to get done, a lot to polish up and a lot to look into:

First and foremost my filming needs to be completed by the first of February and so that is my top priority at the moment. There are a few holes in my blog which i will need to fill in, mainly concerning some graphics and sound research that was not completed in enough detail. Although this is not urgent, it is definitely necessary otherwise my blog as a whole will feel unfinished.
Another deadline that must be stuck to is completing the majority of my editing by the 15th of february. This is at the end of half term which i think is achievable although a lot of effort will be needed to complete this especially with the workload from other subjects.
Over the next few weeks i will be doing weekly blog entries to document progress, hinderances, thoughts, ideas and anything else that may be relevant to what i am doing.
I am looking forward to creating some interesting and enjoyable work!

The British FIlm industry part 3 questions

Question 1 Why do you think 3D takings went down when the number and variety of 3D films increased in 2011?

There are a number of reasons why 3D takings have gone down. The first is that the “hype” around 3D films has dissipated. When 3D first came out, it was a huge novelty. However now 3D films are very common and not as desirable as they were before as the experience is only marginally different than that of a 2D film.

The other reason that 3D takings may have gone down is that they are more expensive to produce in comparison to a 2D film. And due to these 3D films not making great money as people don’t mind what they watch, the film producers decide to make 2D films instead, thus decreasing the variety.

Question 2 Where do you think these films end up being shown?

In terms of 3d films, they are shown almost everywhere. Buying 3d film reels is now common place as they are widely available. They are shown in many small theatres as they can charge a higher price for the 3d film ticket, thus they can make a larger amount of money for a reasonable cost.

Question 3 Why do you think there are more people going to the cinema mid-week? Who are more likely to attend the cinema outside of opening weekends?

Many people find that the opening weekend is very hectic; there is a very high demand for tickets and those who prefer comfort and space may not wish to buy tickets for the opening weekend. So when all the ‘hype’ about the latest film has subsided, many people go during the week.

I feel those who are ‘middle-aged’ will prefer to attend the cinema outside of opening weekends. This is mainly because teenagers as an audience are reasonably unperturbed by a small amount of discomfort and stress affecting their movie experience and thus they go on the opening weekend.

Question 4 Why do you think there has been a decline in dvd sales in the last few years?

I feel one of the main reasons for this is the digital film market. Over the past few years, digital film providers and piracy has rocketed with the technological age. Thus people don’t bother to go out and buy hard copies when they can download a film permanently to a hard-drive which can hold more films and takes up less space. Thus Dvd’s are now becoming slightly redundant.

Question 5 Summarise what has remained the same about the Uk film market over the last ten years and what has changed dramatically?

Generally, admissions to UK cinemas have stayed the same over the last 10 years. Even though digital film streaming and downloading has increased dramatically, it is clear that there is still a huge demand for the cinema experience.

Question 6 How does film production in the UK seem to be very different from the Hollywood model of large, powerful studios?

I think one of the main differences is budget; These large, powerful Hollywood studios usually have a very large budget and thus they can afford to use lots of special effects, props and different “artificial” sets. Where as in the UK the budget is a lot smaller overall creating a different style of film. It is less “glossy” and becomes more realistic. The films tend to be about real life situations rather than apocalyptic doomsday’s where the humble hero must save the day.

Question 7 What is the benefit to a film producer of their film being branded as British? What is it about “Britishness” that is attractive to investors from outside the UK? What is it about “Britishness” that makes it easy for Hollywood studios to dominate our film market?*

One benfit is Tax Breaks. If an outside producer is able to class their film as British, then they are liable for 20% less tax. This means the producer can make 20% more money on the film and gain a larger net profit once a smaller amount of tax has been deducted.

Question 8 How many of these films could be considered as British films? How many of them are coproductions where the majority of the money leaves the country? What does this say about the scale of the UK film market?

In my opinion I would say that 10 of the films listed could be considered British.

These include: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, The inbetweeners movie, The King's Speech,Sherlock Holmes a game of shadows, Johnny English Reborn, Paul, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Horrid Henry the Movie, Hugo and The Three Musketeers could be considered British Films.

Of these 10 films, There are 7 co-productions where the majority of the money made has left the country. This tells us that the scale of the UK film market is much smaller than that of America. Admittedly this is true for a number of reasons; America is geographically much larger than the UK and has a much larger population. Thus it has to cater to a larger more varied audience causing the film market to be larger.

The film industry part 2 questions

Question 1 In the UK film market, an increase in the number of the screens available to show films has not led to an increase in the number of films being shown. Why?

Although the number of screens available to show films has increased the number of films has not increased because the film industry is a product driven industry; the films are the main reason we buy tickets. However it takes time to produce these films and it is not a process that can be accelerated. So even though viewing locations are on an increase, the number of films has not increased as they are not proportional to each other.

Question 2 In your opinion what might account for the fact that cinema attendances have fluctuated between 139 million and 176 million between 1999 and 2008?

The number of ticket admissions has fluctuated due to the quality of films distributed in cinemas. In certain years many more tickets were sold than in others (ie 2002 where 176million tickets were sold). This was due to the films being produced were huge blockbusters such as Lord of the rings: The two towers grossed close to 92 million pounds. In other years films of lesser quality, and thus less demand, were produced.

Question 3 In 2011 UK film invested £330 million in advertising their new releases and on 35mm film prints. If around 450 new films receive a theatrical release in the UK every year. How much, on average, do distributors spend distributing a film in the UK?

Approximately £733333.33 per film

Question 4 This spending stirred up enormous demand – 171.5 million cinema tickets were bought in the UK in 2011. This is great news for cinemas – what’s the downside of all this excitement generated and consumer demand for film producers in the UK.

The downside for film producers in the UK is that Hollywood blockbusters, which have huge demand, take up a lot of screens and are shown for very long periods of time. This means that UK film producers do not have a very long time period to release their films when all the commotion has died down from the previous blockbuster, to release their film before the next high-demand film comes out. Thus their film is not viewed very much

Question 5 In 2004 the average cost of releasing a US film domestically was $39m, in addition to the average production cost of $63.8m, making an overall average production/distribution cost per film $102.8m. What effect might this have on Hollywood production and distribution if these increases have continued?

If these costs continue to increase, then there will be a two main effects; As these costs increase only larger companies that produce and distribute films, will be able to afford to produce and distribute films. This means smaller companies will be slowly edged out of the business as they wont be able to make enough money.

However one strange effect of this is that larger companies will actualy make more money. Research has shown that the more you invest in a film the more profit you will make out of it. Thus larger companies will make more money and dominate this industry.

Question 6 Why are more ‘middle aged’ people going to the cinema in 2011? Who, in your opinion, are the current most bankable leading actors for the ‘youth’ market in the UK?

In my opinion many more middle aged people are going to the cinema due to the experience becoming a lot more enjoyable overall. Over the past few years, theatres have developed, as have films, making the movie going experience a lot more different from ten years ago. Although many films are aimed at the younger generation, the middle aged generation go to the movies for the experience that comes with it. Another possible reason is due to the films themselves; they are now all aimed at the younger generation and thus the older generation decides to see these films as it makes them feel young again. However this is just my theory.

In terms of actors, I'd say that the most bankable actors for the youth market are Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. These two actors are in the twilight saga and they share an emotional rollercoaster of a relationship. The youth market idolises upon this, wishing they could have what they have, making their films some of the most widely viewed films across the UK.

Question 7 :

Top 10 films for the US last year; Harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2, Transformers dark of the moon, The twilight saga breaking dawn part 1, the hangover part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean on stranger tides, Fast Five, Mission impossible ghost protocol, Cars 2, Sherlock Holmes a game of shadows and Thor

Of those films only these made a profit:

Twilight saga: Breaking Dawn part 1, The Hangover part 2

Question 8 Jerry Bruckheimer is still producing films today- find some of the recent films he's produced and look at the trailers. Is he still a 'high-concept' producer? Michael Bay has taken over his mantle as the go-to man for the 'event' movie. Watch some of the trailers for his recent films- does he deserve his reputation for films that are high on effects and low on narrative ?

Some of the most recent films Jerry Bruckheimer has produced are “Pirates of the Carribean: On stranger tides”, “The Sorcerers Apprentice” and “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time”. When looking at Jerry Bruckheimer's most recent films, I would say that he is not a high-concept producer; These most recent films are relating to fantasy that don't have a chance of ever possibly occuring in real life. For example “Jurassic Park” is a high-concept film as it asks the question “what if we could clone dinosaurs?” and continues on a scenario from there onwards. With Bruckheimer's most recent films, this question is not present. Instead they are movies that rely heavily on narrative and story to grab interest and involve the audience as they can't relate to that specific scenario. For this reason I feel that Mr Bruckheimer is not a high-concept film producer.

Some of Michael Bay's most recent films are the “Transformer” series which include: “Transformers,” “Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and he also produced “I am Number Four” which is the story of an Alien hiding from intergalactic bounty hunters.

When looking at these most recent films it is easy to see why he may have earned this reputation as a producer of films that are high on effects but low on narrative. Transformers requires a huge amount of effects and Computer Generated Images. However Michael Bay has also produced films such as “The Unborn,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre (remake),” and “Nightmare on Elm Street (remake)” which are all films that require minimal Special effects. Although these films did not gross as much as the High effects films, they were still good films. Michael Bay is most known for films like “Transformers” thus he has gained an according reputation which I think is not particularly fair. In the future I think he will produce an amazing film with a complex narrative and secure plotline that will alter his reputation from being an Effect “Junkie” to a well-rounded producer.

Look up the companies:

a) Fox searchlight

b) Paramount Vantage

Find some recent indiewood type films- ones associated to a certain “Art House” feel yet connected to a big holly wood studio- that these companies have produced. Who are their films aimed at?

Certain indie-style films that Fox Searchlight have produced are Juno and Once. The story of Juno consists of an unexpectedly pregnant girl who decides to give her baby to what she thinks is the perfect couple. However as the babys birth nears she realises that the couple are coming closer and closer to a divorce as she falls in love with the biological father of the baby.

I feel this film would appeal to anyone from the age of 15-40 as it incorporates both teens and young adults.

Once is the inspirational tale of two kindred spirits who find each other on the bustling streets of Dublin. One is a street musician who lacks the confidence to perform his own songs. The other is a young mother trying to find her way in a strange new town. As their lives intertwine, they discover each other's talents and push one another to realize what each had only dreamt about before. Once is their inspiring story.

This film is also aimed at an audience that ranges from teenager to those of middle-age as they can reminisce about love and passion.

One of Paramount Vantage's films that is an indie style picture is “the Son Of Rambow”. A charming tale of two boys, completely dissimilar in every way but both with a vision of creating their on “Rambo” movie. The movie delves into subjects such as friendship and humility. Its a fantastic story that can be enjoyed by everyone over the age of 12 making it extremely accessible to everyone and thus creating a larger margin for profit.

Question 9: Write a short essay on the following questions;

a) To what extent does Hollywood dominate the Uk Film market

b) How has it managed to retain its stranglehold?

Storyboard of Reckoning