My groups initial idea of a setting was a forest located at one of my group members house. It is dismal and dreary and the trees are overpowering, however, our tutor advised us not to use a forest as it will be too difficult to film in the darkness. Here is a picture of the forest during the day. Even in the ambient lighting of daytime, it looks eerie and ominous.
Our orignal idea was that a group of friends were out walking the dog, but got out too late. They are walking around the forest when you see little bursts of light shining through the leaves and branches of the trees. The footage would be filmed handheld with elements of normal filming too. We thought that using handheld footage would be better because it makes the opening seem more realistic and believeable. Next, after the group of friends have recovered from the weird light display, they see one huge light shining onto the group with the person holding/shining the light unidentifyed to create suspense. The light would progressivly become closer and you just see the feet of the unknown person, a scream and a dog whine/howl, the camera is then dropped on the floor and you see someone being dragged away.
We origionally loved this idea, but we soon realised it was too much like a horror and we have now had to re-think. I had an idea that we could possibly set this is a different place, but still use the idea of being followed by someone you never ifnd out who it is, and the use of the non-ambient lighting really hides the identity and creates suspense doing this. So maybe one person is alone at night, walking to a friends home, and you see a light shining behind them, you don't see anyone there, just a shadow and the light shining. Have low angles of the feet running from both people and long shots to show the fear in the face and to create more suspense as you don't know what will happen to the victim. This is just a rough idea but I hope to develop round it and create something like this.
Unknown A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is. I really enjoyed this film as it really knew how to build suspense, in one scene the main character (Liam Neeson) is lying on a hospital bed, and a man who has been 'stalking' him has finally found him and has started injecting this poison I think it is into his blood. And you see the man (Liam) reaching for the scissors, but you only see the man's hand getting slowly closer to them to the the tube off of him. There is very daunting music playing at this point and the camera angles switch from the man's hand and the footsteps of the stalker who noticed what the man was trying to do. I found this technique very thrilling and it really built up suspense really well.
This film is also set in Germany where there is lots of snow and ice to the feeling of the film is quite dark and dreary and most scenes are shot at night. Trailer
The Butterfly effect
Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), who suffered severe traumas as a boy (Logan Lerman) and a teenager (John Patrick Amedori), blacks out frequently, often at moments of high stress. While searching for an answer to heal his emotional wounds, he finds that when he reads from his adolescent journals, he travels back in time, and is able to essentially "redo" parts of his past, and thereby causing the blackouts he experienced as a child. There are consequences of his choices, however, that he then propagates back to the present; his alternate futures vary from frat boy to prisoner to amputee. As he continues to do this, he realizes that even though his intentions are good, the actions he takes have unintended consequences.
I found parts if this film very distressing but in a way quite realistic, it brings out real crimes that people really take part in and shows you everything about them. For example in one scene, one of Evan's friends when he was younger, kidnapped his dog, but it in a potato sack, and left it to burn on a bonfire whilst you can here the sound of the dog whimpering whilst the camera is focused on the boys arguing and Evan crying. I remember this so vividly because this scene made me really distressed. Another scene is where his lovers dad made them participate in pornographic sex scenes when they were only seven years old. I thought that this was disgusting, however, they did this scene well and made me feel this disgust by just showing the man and his expressions whilst he is holding the camera, that shot is what made that scene shocking and realistic.
· Empire posted videos of interviews with Gary Oldman because specific audiences watch from empire. Empire targets audiences that know about film and are interested in them.
· Interviewed Gary Oldman on football focus 10th September. This would attract a male audience as the film has mainly a male cast.
· Set up Facebook pages where pictures, trailers, competitions were posted. The posters were posted on Facebook where you had to identify codes that were purposely created with in the posters to win a free poster. This would target a younger audience as most teenagers have Facebook nowadays.
· Apple sent pod casts of interviews with the actors. This would have a wide range of audiences and people who normally download podcasts would then download this.
· Created a website where they made you involve yourself with the film, where you had to input a code. This again would target a younger audience as it makes more interesting for them to involve themselves in guessing the codes etc.
· Vue held an interaction based interview on Twitter with Gary Oldman where people could post questions and he would answer. Twitter also allowed people to re-post many things so it was widely spread. Vue is a mainstream cinema and so even though this film is mort of an art-house film this would attract all different audiences that wouldn’t necessarily watch this without it being advertised through Vue.
· Tinker Tailor made several different trailers which were focused on the actors and the number coding more than the action within. This was used within YouTube and anyone watching clips on that (more younger audience) would see the trailer and therefore maybe become interested in seeing the movie in the cinema.
This shows that the target audiences were mainly male, who were interested in thriller films, who had seen some films by the director before which would create an expectation.
An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.
This film tells the sad story of inbred, poverty-stricken, Missouri Ozark hillbillies trying to scratch out a living on poor soil and even worse personal resources, so it was no wonder meth production was embraced as a life-changing profit center that had the illegal potential to change their lives for the better. Their poor lives before meth had a certain dignity in the hard struggle for survival in an uncaring world that had passed them by or never allowed them to catch up, either or both, but cheap and dangerous drug production leading to fast but risky money took these unfortunates down a road that surely few would have chosen if they had a chance beforehand to see any of the personal and social harm it created in a society already at great risk of decent survival. What great harm it did was shown and acted brilliantly, as it pushed these already at-risk people lower down the chain of life than before and surely even lower than the wild animals they had to kill for food.
A young girl of 17, seeming older than her years, beaten up and beaten down, wary of those around her but needing their help, and with 2 young siblings and a helpless mother to care for, she learned that her drug-making, drugged-out father disappeared and missed a court date for a drug arrest, and the most important task of her life then became finding her father before they lost their meager home to bondsmen, as that sorry home place was all they had in the world but it was home and she intended with all her heart and soul to do whatever it took to keep it and her family together. The acting throughout was appropriately serious to deadly, with hardly even a smile to be seen, and left us thankful as seldom before for whatever our own lives give us compared to those in the story.
Such a grim and foreboding task the daughter had, with imminent harm threatening around every corner she turned and behind every door on which she knocked, even those of relatives. Determination can get you far, but only so far unless you get a few breaks, and that long quest for a decent break was what kept viewer's eyes glued to the screen until it all played out in the end as could be expected in that dire situation.
Bleak, stark, harsh, mean, cruel...all those tough adjectives were present in full force throughout her search, but present also was her eternal fire of human spirit and family duty that would never quit. When actual survival is at stake, this story showed well that some of us truly can find the right stuff to survive when no better choices are possible.
Negative Review.
A plodding bore, 10 February 2011
A girl is searching for her presumably dead father in order to prevent her house from being seized by a bondsman. The father turned out to be murdered in a community effort to prevent him from talking to the police about the neighborhood's little drug operation. The claustrophobic atmosphere in the film is accompanied by dry local dialog which won't exactly make you spin in your seat. By the time the film is over, you have gained nothing in terms of entertainment or a better understanding of what the hell it is that makes these people tick. The film just kind of drags on for 100 minutes and then ends. It's not a poorly made film by any means, it just begs the question why anyone would bother to create it in the first place.
Maths - B Science- B English-B English Literature-B ICT-MERIT Drama-B Business-C Art-C R.E-C
Hobbies
Everyday, I sing, I don't have lessons, I just love doing it for the fun! Every friday I take a class at ARTS performing centre in Newton Flotman, in which I do 'modern'. I have my own piano too, so I occasionally teach myself that too.
Print Media.
The only newspaper I tend to read is 'The Sun' I know this isn't the most intellectual newspaper of all but I enjoy reading this one as I think it has the most obscure stories and random happenings. It also talks a lot about celebrities which I enjoy reading about. It hands out free magazines when you purchase it as well, so i tend to read that as well. The magazine is called 'fabulous' which has the weeks TV listings and weekly horoscopes which I love to read, although I don't really believe in them. I also like to read magazines with the public's real life tragedies or miracles because I'm really interested in events that are usually impossible, which I then get to tell others about. Occasionally I check the BBC news section because you can access it at anytime you want and you can select what you wish to read about, however I prefer to listen to the news on television as it is more interesting to learn about as it shows you the lives of real people which is more lively than reading about it. You can experience it yourself that way.
Radio Media.
I only ever usually listen to 'Kiss' or 'Heart' but that's only when i'm on a long journey in the car. I have never listened to radio's which constantly give out information because I find it incredibly dull and boring, when you're in the car on your journey, you want things to be livened up and I LOVE music, I listen to it all the time at home!
Music Industry.
I don't have a genre of music I particularly love, I tend to just find music and like it. Although I do like songs which have meaning and that you can actually sing along to, I don't see the point in the 'screamo' genre, it's not music! I prefer to listen to songs on 'youtube' because you can access it at anytime, and you don't have to spend money. I sometimes use the youtube converter which allows you to take the music off of a video and turns it into an mp3, which i think is a great idea although I think it is illegal? I don't have a problem with people downloading music illegally because I think if you can do it, why not? The music industry doesn't influence me at all, I don't like to copy other people, I love individuality so I simply do what I want. If i see clothes that are in music videos I admire them, but I don't have the want to go and wear them. I hate copying other peoples ideas, especially if it is from a celebrity.
Video Games.
My favorite video game of all time would have to be whole series of Grand theft Auto's! they are so thrilling and you get to under take missions that you would never even think about. Although this game is all about violence, stealing and also has a lot of swearing within the games, I find this really entertaining. I would never actually do any of these things in reality but I think it's ok to release your anger on the simulated characters, and get to fictionally use all the different types of guns and grenades and see what destruction they can cause! Video games are alright to play on occasions, but when it is played all the time ( like most boys/men) do, I think it can really effect you and your life. This really aggravates me because you MUST get bored at some point but you just keep on playing, like it's some sort of addiction! This is definatly not a lifestyle like some people would. I don't think video games influence people to do things at all, I believe it's just a humans upbringing and nature which affects what choices they make in life, not because a video game displays it.
New Technology.
My dad is always talking about the newest gadgets and latest releases so i'm also keen on keeping up with the updated technology. My dad bought the 3D 42" television which also has access to the internet and VoD's last year and is currently looking at touch screen computers, which i'm desperate to have! New technology has led me to believe that anything you wish can be created, you just need the determination to get there and genius behind it. My laptop is my preferred choice of communication, as you can instant message people and also go on webcam to see your friends even when you're not with them, I think this is marvelous! Even if my laptop isn't working or I want to watch TV and talk to my friends at the same time, I use my mobile phone to go onto the internet or I find some other way like using my Ipod, netbook, wii, ps3 or psp. I like the fact that you can purchase programmes on the computer where you can edit your own pictures of films where you choose how the slides come in and out and the features where you can include your own music, you would never had heard anything like this years ago! I never thought I would be able to film on a gadget that is supposed to play music! it's just incredible how much the technology has moved on! It has allowed me and my friends to create good memorable videos that I can save and watch later in life.
Television.
This is a difficult one to decide upon, I love most television channels, except I can't stand the shopping ones! I enjoy ITV, channel four, channel 5 and BBC channels where the soaps and documentaries live! and if I still had them the disney channel and nickelodeon channel, great childhood programmes which I still love! I also love watching discovery channels, like how things are made and what happened with events such as 9/11 and alien findings and Bermuda triangle disappearances, so interesting! My favourite genre would probably be soaps, I love how they involve real life circumstances and how a range of different people handle different experiences, and it's also because I have a passion to become an actress! Eastenders has definatly had the most memorable events! such as when the square's local pub got set alight! it's amazing how realistic they made the explosion, it personally affected my emotions and my mum too!. I remember it also had a live episode, where someone had accidently fallen off of the top of a high story building, due to running away from the police, this was memorable because I remember when the character had 'died' he was still fidgeting, that's why you have to film over and over and over again, to get the scenes perfect and realistic! I also remember a gruesome episode from the programme Bizarre ER! where the worst accidents happen and you see everything from the blood loss and loose human tissue, so the bone and bursting boils which are the size of a cracked egg! One time, I remember this man had cut is whole hand off accidently with a chainsaw! His hand was all mangled and looked like rubber when detached from the body! You saw the surgeons rewire all of his nerves and take skin grafts from the buttocks I think it was. It's extraordinary what people can do with patience and steady hand skills!
Feature Film.
My favourite film genre would probably be comedy or romantic, I can't stand horror films as they give me nightmares and never go away! They make me believe in all sorts of odd things! One film which I think is outstanding is 'The Notebook' this is a romance and makes me so emotional, the actors force you to feel what they feel inside and make you believe the story is real! And with out the soundtracks involved I think it would give the film a different feel, the music definately helps you to feel emotional and distraught for the characters. Another film would be 'Mean Girls' a comedy about girls at an american school- classic! this ALWAYS manages to cheer me up on any day, and I can watch it over and over, and NEVER get bored, I think that is an amazing skill to have where you cannot get bored of the story line or plot, because it needs to be thought out extremely well. I cannot criticize this film in anyway possible! Another film would be 'The Fourth Kind' I hated this film because it made me have nightmares and I can't sleep with out having the light on anymore- stupid I know but to have a film effect someone this much must mean it was a great film! I honestly believed every part of the film and always had my hairs on end and had me in suspense. They hid the special effects exceptionally well that I didn't even notice that they had used them, after researching the event in the film afterwards I found out it was all a bunch of lies! The actors were all so convincing!! I prefer to watch films on big screens at the cinema, that way you can feel the whole experience with out any distractions. It also means having a great day out with the family or friends, as I hate to watch them alone! My favourite cinema would have to be Vue, its always comfortable, in the centre of the city so easiest to access and the price is the cheapest I have looked at.
Media Producer.
I don't think I have ever done anything professional, but I always remember in primary school we got to make films using these little cameras and I helped direct and film some of it. Me and my friends also used to create our own little videos and add effects in afterwards!
Conclusion
A film called 'Taken' really offended me actually, it's about two young girls who get the chance to go on holiday to France alone and then they meet a 'friend' and they tell them where they are staying and details like that. The 'friend' then gathers some others and take the two girls away and but them in these peculiar shelters where there were lots of girls and women tied up to be used for pleasuring men. It made women seem like they have no other qualities other than to satisfy a man, and I felt angry at it. Not only that, it showed later people auctioning women for money to be SOLD for sexual activities which I got even more angry about! I found it disgusting and vile, but it's also horrifying that this actually does happen across the world, and this film is almost like a warning sign to tell people not to give away certain details about yourself as things like this could happen. In conrast, I watched a film called 'Step Up 2' which is about a street dancer who was misbehaving doing street dancing inappropriately, and was to be sent away unless she went to school, so she chose to go to a dancing school except it wasn't about street dancing and spinning around on your head, it was the complete opposite - ballet. At first she found it so difficult and embarrassing to tackle but then actually learnt how to combine ballet and dancing together to make a whole new sort of magic! this filled me up with so much excitement I wanted to dance around the room and I wanted people to watch me, It must have been a great film to make you want to do that!
Reading magazines which have pictures of tiny models and amazing clothes, the perfect hair and make up and the perfect skin makes me feel so negatively towards myself, they make me feel that i'm not good enough and that I need to look like these people to get anywhere in life. It's horrifying how powerful these images can be and how they affect people, like changing someone's attitude towards themselves. It makes me feel that everyone wants to look the same and to be perfect, the media is so powerful that it actually kills people through controlling the mind, I don't see why you need to do that! What is the harm of having people who do have some weight on them? Why does the media have to make people constantly worry about what other people think of them?
In media I knew there would be be filming along the way and I have always wanted to be apart of this. I am a very creative person so I'd love acting in or, editing it in anyway! I've always made videos with friends during my childhood and think it's such an entertaining thing to do.
Here is a clip from Step Up 2 which made me want to dance!!
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