No one younger than 15 should see a 15+ rated film in a cinema. and no one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15+ rated video/film.
Theme and Plots
No theme or plot is forbidden as long as it does not focus on pain or unnecessarily dark plot lines.
Discrimination
The film must not positively show/represent discriminative language or racists behaviour as good or expectable in any way or means.
Drugs and Drug use
Drug taking may be shown but the film must not promote or encourage drug use. The use of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances are unlikely to be used.
Horror and Violence
Violence may be used but should not focus on the cause of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable as well as strong sadistic or sexualised violence.
Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour should not focus on details which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be used.
Language
The use of large amounts of strong language is often acceptable unless used for unclear purpose or repeated for a extended time.
Nudity and Sex
Sexual activity may be shown without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Films were the primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Our Film
I feel that our film fits into the category of 15 as by no means does it encourage or show acceptance to the violent and illegal acts that happen throughout the film but it does use realistic and mildly offencive scenes to bring the viewers closer to the protagonist.
- “When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, 'no, I went to films.'"
To me Tarantino is one of the all time greats in directing, his uniqueness and specialities mean his work can be easily distinguished from others and mainly because of his ability to input his personality into all his films no matter the genre or plot. I feel his input to the film industry will one day be as great as early directors who shaped the future of films such as Alfred Hitchcock.
Quentin Tarantino's fame skyrocketed with the release of the hit film "Reservoir Dogs". After writing the script in a reported three and a half weeks, the (relatively) low budget heist themed, dialogue-driven blockbuster was found to be what would shape Tarantino's future film career
After receiving offers from Hollywood to direct films like Men in Black (and refusing them), he started production on the extremely well received Pulp Fiction, which solidified his fame in the directors seat. Indeed, the latter was the cause for nomination for best picture, best director and best original screenplay, though humbly receiving only the award for best original screenplay.
Kill Bill Vol. and 2 are also very notable films that he directed.
Critics often agree that Quentin Tarantino "bends and reshapes" genres; his originality in films sets him apart from others in the thriller and crime genres that he often partakes in. He often uses unusual storytelling device in his films, such as retrospection in "Reservoir Dogs", and the non-linear style in Pulp Ficiton to further his distinction. His unabashed look on violence is often seen in his films, though using 'seen' loosely, as the most extreme violence is often off screen, and merely implied. Further proof comes straight from his mouth: "Violence is one of the most fun things to watch."
Reports from co-directors, actors, and others who work with him all tell the same thing about Tarantino; he's an incredibly talented director, with a penchant for oddness. Also ruthlessness. Certainly, his outlook on violence, and his cutthroat approach to directing are reflected in his films. And one other thing that never varies is told by one Roth, an actor in Inglorious Bastards: “Tarantino always fosters an air of a great place to be creative.”
I believe that by studying the works of Tarantino we as a group will be able to greatly improve the atmosphere and realism of our film, in terms of our filming, directing, actor guidance and script writing.
The inspiration for our final piece came from a mix of our
own tastes, but what sealed the deal was our joint passion towards the 1996
film, "Trainspotting" which is an extremely well known and highly
regarded film based around the Edinburgh drug scene and Renton who tries to
"clean up and get out", despite the allure of the drugs and influence
of friends. Danny Boyle is a personal favourite among directors for me
alongside other greats such as Shane Meadows. I will be researching more about
these two in more detail at a later date.
For me what makes "Trainspotting" such an inspirational
and influencing film is its uniqueness within the genre, the way trainspotting
jumps straight into the action and then uses the drama to show what is
happening by breaking the tension really appeals to me as it makes us as viewer
question the film from the go.
Another reason Trainspotting is inspirational to me is
because unlike most other drug related films it doesn’t have a dark and
depressing feeling even though the story is quite hard.
Trainspotting mainly relates to drugs but really has aspects
of many personal issues such as death, aggression, depression and unemployment.
As our final piece is a social realistic thriller I have collected some research on Thrillers and what is expected to be in thrillers, so mainly i have researched the codes and conventions in typical thrillers as well as iconic ones.
For a thriller the audience will be expecting many similarities within the genre and without these thing a movie could be doomed for example a thriller must contain some form of mystery or drama, have a amount of action within it, parts may contain some tension and keep the viewer on the edge of there seat. A thriller will also be expected to contain a twist and constantly make the viewer think or question the plot, locations should be dark and gloomy to build suspense when foreshadowing and the ending should be unexpected as well as thought provoking.
The main aim for any thrillers is to keep the audience alert, on the edge of their seats and constantly thinking about the plot. On average in most thrillers the main character is set against a problem or task for example they might have to escape for somewhere or solve a mystery of some sort. During a good thriller they would be expected to show drama or tension by enhancing facial expressions to show fear or worry during key scenes within a film as without that a thriller wouldn't be nearly as attention grabbing and viewers would not be able to connected with the characters fully. Thrillers normally use quick, fast and sudden changes in emotions to drive the viewer to a constant state of alertness and keep them on the edge of a seat.
Mise-En-Scene
Within a thriller there are often no real specific Mise-en-scene as it all depends on the plot or sub category, in a period thriller the clothes, make-up, plot, etc would be completely different to a SC-FI thriller.
But as a key role often the mise-en-scene is used more to show the characters rather than a genre when i comes to thrillers, I feel that is mainly because thrillers range some much. Where as horrors you expect blood and black to be clear and in actions you expect good open locations with lighter tones, in thrillers it is not so simple, yeah blood is often expected but with out it people don't automatically resent the film, in fact often gore and blood is missing from thrillers to challenge the genres ideals.
Sounds
Thrillers have a huge range of iconic sounds mainly depending on sub genre but all contain a memorable tone and are used in a haunting or heart pumping style this is because almost every thriller is designed to trigger set emotions depending on the scene or genre. A lot of thrillers use very distinct noises in the films as a way to target the audience as anyone of them could use these sounds to recognizes both genre and theme of the film.
many thrillers use a very distinct technique when starting to use sounds in there films, they use a loud and powerful sound like thunder or door slams to trigger a piece of music, as well as the starting of there music they also use quick and sudden sound effects or tempo changes to break up what could be classed as a low pitched and drawn out noise.
A classic example of these techniques is clear in the all time classic thriller "JAWS". I took this clip from you tube as its a great example of the classic thriller sounds it has a constant and repeated deep, drawn out tune with tempo changes and sudden volume changes. They have used these techniques as a way to a drama and suspense in direct lead to a killing and as it sets every killing it is also a iconic sound in its self and can instantly be used to tell the film.
Another set of iconic thrillers are the Jurassic park trilogy which are some of the most well known thriller trilogies and like jaws also uses many similar, noticeable techniques within there films which can make there film recognized by just sound and music sequences used within the films. Here is the opening sound track form the original 1993 film
Lighting
For thrillers the lighting typically varies a lot from scene to scene and character to character, this is because each person is represented differently. The bad guys or those against the protagonists are often shown in low key lighting and even sometimes are just shown as silhouettes this is show the audience don't relate or get attached to them, where as the good guys or those with the protagonists are shown in high key lighting and often have their faces lit up to show them off and make it easier for the viewers to relate.
For our final piece, of which is to create a 2 to 3 minuet clip of a film opening, we (Ben, Luke and I) decided on filming a social realistic thriller based around the drug trade. We felt that using great films like "Train spotting" as inspiration would be a great help to us in the planning and filming stages of production.
Our basic film opening plot that we decided upon was a chase scene that would in fact take place half way through the film but we would use as a good opening as it quickly puts the audience in the action, also we decided that we would use a commentary over the start in the form of a video blog (Vlog).
The overall plot of the film was to follow the life of a "druggie" and the problems he faces on a day to day level. As a whole we felt that to make the opening a thriller would be simple in terms but to make the appearance that of one which follows the codes and conventions of a social realism would be far more difficult.
The roles we have selected are as followed:
Zach - Camera man, Lighting and storyboard creator
Luke - Script writer, Location / setting director and head of casting
Ben - Music provider / collector and sound manager
For our prelim video we decided to do a Comedy/Thriller clip because we felt we all had some good ideas as well as personal skill we thought would be useful when filming it. Throughout our clip we decided to mainly use a ere and tension filled music track as it would help to show the viewer that the characters are up to no good. At the start of our video we showed our protagonist walking down the stairs to show his appearance and give the viewers a idea of who he is.
We start off in a mid shot showing the protagonist walk down the stair as it switched to our match on action scene we used a close up on his arm to show his reaching in and grabbing the door Handel. I feel this was a good scene as with the music it made the character seem tense and if we were to redo this section I would have preferred to have a lower angle shot as it would be more effective at disorienting the viewer.
The next scene we filmed is a lead up to the location of the next few scenes, in this scene we had our protagonist walking up and over the camera so we could show a shot reverse shot. To improve this shot I would have preferred a lower key of lighting to keep the drama.
As the protagonist sits the scene turns to a two shot so both characters are in even show, then it switches to a sequence of over the shoulder shots as the dialogue is exchanged, this scene to me was as a bit plain and would have been better with a larger range of shots.
As the two characters finish their game the second character gets up and walks off frame leaving the protagonist crying in his seat, to me this scene went well and i would improve very little as I liked how the contrast in the characters emotions changed from both being calm to polar opposites.
the final sequence contained the two characters leaving the room in opposite directions with opposite emotions, I would have preferred to switch the scene and freeze on the jump from the secondary character.
This is the final and completed draft of our prelim video, I feel the video went well even after our change in script and location and personal I feel our editing skill was strong alongside out technical side.
due to some problems with the Embeded link ive replaced it with the link to our video on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3yMlJ8V91k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
This is our script that we created for the use of our media task.
Luck Of The Draw....
(First man shown to be the Challenger walks down staircase) (Shot reverse shot of Challenger opening a door and then walking down corridor to where dealer is seated)
(The two men then proceed to walk towards a room, wherein there is a table and some chairs set up, to show this the two men walk towards the camera, shot reverse shot and then show a match on action shot of the lead man opening the door to the room)
(Show wide shot of one man walking into the room. In the same shot this one man then crosses the room)
(Cut to: wide shot of challenger sitting down at the table and drawing cards. Close up shot of cards being drawn, like lethal and tactical weapons, from concealment holsters.)
1st Man (nodding to the other two in a menacing and hard stare): You in?
2nd Man (nodding in agreement): I’m in. I was born ready.
(Two men lock eyes in extreme close up, placing cards and money onto the table.)
(Close up of money being put down on the table and cards being thrown on top of the cash pile)
(Extreme close up of the remaining two men locking eyes, staring each other out. Cut between the two men. Wide shot of a game of cards being played. When challenger loses, close up of his outrage and upset at the result as the dealer collects the money.)
(Show shot reverse shot of dealer leaving the den. Show separate shot of challenger leaving the room in anger, although one wide shot to retain camera smoothness.)
This is our preliminary tasks storyboard, the shots within this storyboard are not all accurate as due to location change and a slight change in the story we were unable to fully achieve what we first hoped for but i feel that the changes we made will benifit our prelim video and give us more chances to show our personal skills.
Mise En Scene
Mise-en-scene is the term for everything that creates the visual "World" of the movie as well as its overall atmosphere. For our premininary task we wanted to portray the two cast as stereotypical "Youths" so we decided that wearing hoodies and jeans would suit our wants within the clip as that is how many perceive the teens of today.
Costumes Hooded jacket, Hoodie
Jeans
Watch
Lighting
A mixture of natural light and lights
Props
Money
Playing cards
Table
Chairs
Editing
Music - Dramatic, thriller, mid and fast pace.
Cutting, cropping, stretching, etc
For our AS preliminary we were set the task of creating a short clip to demonstrate knowledge and practical understanding of the basics of film making.
We had to create a group of shots that in a hole would contain a character opening a door, walking across the room, sitting down and exchanging dialog with another character, also the scene had to contain examples of: Match on action, the 360 degree rule and shot reverse shot.
To go alongside the clip we had to create: a storyboard, a script, and a equiptment list, including the props, costumes, ect that we would need for filming.
Sound Effects Sound added to the visuals in editing. For example traffic outside of a window, wind noises ect.
Sound Bridge This is where a sound continues across one or more cuts.
Dialogue The sound made by characters talking to each other. Sometimes this is re-recorded in a studio with the actors attempting to lip-sink.
Sound Motif A sound associated with a character or a place. This could be a particular musical figure that plays when they appear for example the tune that plays when James bond is in an action scene.
Diegetic Sound Sound that comes from a person or an object in the digenesis and seen within the field of vision.
Ambient Sound Background sound belonging to the digenesis but not always in the field of vision. Ambient sound within the field of vision may include things like crowd chatter in the background, cars or bird noises.
Non Diegetic Sound Sound that comes from nothing within the field of vision and has been added afterwards in the editing process. The clearest examples of this are sound track music or a voiceover.
A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to show different sides of a film's setting, characters and themes. Camera shots are also very important in shaping meaning in a film.
An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to show a general location or scene.
A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the scene is take place.
A full shot contains a complete view of the characters. During a full shot viewers can take in the costumes and stance of characters and may also help to show the relationships between characters.
A mid shot contains the characters or character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters face and facial expressions more clearly as well as their attitude with other characters.
A close-up contains just one character's face. This allows the viewers to understand the actor's emotions as well it helps to build set feelings like worry and sadness.
An extreme close-up contains one part of a character's face or objects for example the characters mouth or a danger sign. This technique is used very often in dramas and horrors because it helps to build tension and drama.
Click here for a great video on 15 of the main camera shots
http://www.youtube.com
Camera angles have a extreme effect on the emotions and view pionts of the audience, and guides their judgment about the character or object in shot.
The Bird's-Eye view
This shows a scene from directly overhead. This shot puts the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant.
High Angle
Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant.
Eye Level
The camera is positioned as though it is actually observing a scene in a first-person view. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground and is often not steadied by tripods to give the feeling of lifelike moment.
Low Angle
Low angles help gives the viewer a sense of powerlessness within the action of a scene, as well as making the character in shot more powerful. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer.
Oblique/Canted Angle
Sometimes the camera is tilted to suggest imbalance, transition and instability this technique is often used in horror movies. This technique is used to suggest Point-Of-View shots this is when the camera becomes the character or shows what he is seeing.
Roles Within Production There are many roles in the creation of any film or program but the main and most recognizable are: Director; A film director is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director controls a film's "artistic and dramatic" aspects, and visualizes the script while guiding the technical crew and actors.
Camera Operator; The camera operator is responsible for physically operating the camera and maintaining composition and camera angles throughout a given scene or shot. The camera operator will collaborate with the director, director of photography, actors and crew to make technical and creative decisions.
Director of Costume; The Director of costume is the person who designs, maintains and enhances the costumes The role of the costume designer is to create the characters physical and mental personality and present that to the audience through costumes. Script Writer: A script writer is the person or group of people who plan, create and edit the stories script.By creating a good or effective script the views feel the scene is more believable and therefor can become more connect to the characters and story line.
