tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52546024489188347082024-03-13T15:32:40.475+01:00AS Coursework: Film OpeningsFeel free to add comments/pass on suggestions! There is an extensive archive of posts covering most aspects you'll need to consider - use the BritCinema blog too to help add depth of knowledge on the film industry to your posts + Evaluation. A full guide to the coursework + what to blog is provided, and you can look over past student blogs using the Media Blogs...blog!DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-79370695263328173352022-11-21T13:43:00.004+01:002023-03-30T13:52:26.726+02:00The HORROR - box office gold?WikiEven the very biggest 'horror' hits (the term is used VERY broadly in tables by leading sites) are nowhere near challenging the very biggest all-time box office hits, BUT the genre offers some advantages ...> budgets tend to be low due to ...- lack of stars (usually); teen fodder getting killed!- lack of costly IP/franchise (and yes, there are obvious exceptions: IT, Halloween, but they'reDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-51267377227742143682022-06-10T11:07:00.006+02:002022-06-10T11:56:55.219+02:00Summer task and some media language resourcesYour summer task is intended to get you thinking about what YOU might do for YOUR film opening. Thats the brief for the AS Media coursework - you create the opening 2 mins of a new feature film, including idents (see below) and titles. What the exam board will see, so what the marking is entirely based on, is a blog like this one, in which you can add video, PowerPoints, Word, pdf etc. You DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-30992636977676732452021-04-19T13:39:00.000+02:002021-04-27T13:41:24.804+02:00Analysing film openings
This post is a work in progress. I've done multiple highly detailed posts on this, but I aim to simplify this major element of coursework in this post - with links for further material on some of the themes I'll highlight.
...
THE 5 BASIC THEMES OF YOUR COURSEWORK
Showing knowledge/understanding of filmic conventions, and making clear you've APPLIED research into these, is one of 5 fundamental DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-6962512847188916582020-09-11T08:16:00.001+02:002020-09-11T10:55:10.769+02:00OPENING ANALYSIS Submarine ------DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-79942903879595710282019-12-12T10:38:00.000+01:002019-12-12T10:38:37.243+01:00Age ratingsThe BBFC (UK) + MPAA (USA) age ratings are always useful context to note when blogging on a film.
Do this consistently and you'll see a clear pattern (not a rule, there are always exceptions in the film industry):
Indie productions tend to have higher ratings (15/18)
big 5, studio productions tend to veer lower (12/15 and lower)
There is an argument that this is partly down to bias towards DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-67735856925421940562019-11-14T09:23:00.001+01:002021-03-11T15:11:05.678+01:00THEORY postmodernism deconstructionism intertextuality and simulacratrailer; YT scream movie search; D Mode;
POSTMODERNISM
Argues that all the 'isms', eg capitalism, communism, are now meaningless - the meta-narratives no longer have the power to explain the world or reality. It is of course self-contradictory: postmodernism is an ism!
Strinati argues there is a collapse in the high/popular culture divide - all are now equally valid.
Such notions lead to DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-59357969073265163322019-10-25T09:37:00.000+02:002019-10-25T09:43:52.408+02:00PITCH DEVELOPMENT - BUILDING A CHARACTERYou need to be really clear on (especially, NOT exclusively!) the fictional protagonist (or Proppian archetype of the hero... Campbell's 'hero' who, reflecting the 'monomyth' - and to a degree Todorov's theory of narrative structure [NEW equilibrium...] will go on a quest, the hero's journey...).
A moodboard will help enormously with this, which can be a mix of objects, people and more. Try thisDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-14132214029938612019-08-28T15:56:00.000+02:002019-08-28T16:06:53.418+02:00INDUSTRY RESEARCH quick guide to initial workYou're going to do a series of simple posts researching key production and distribution details on a range of Warp (Indie) and Working Title (studio/big 5 subsidiary) films - then sum up your findings in a post.
We will come back to add more over time, eg the Gant rule, the release window + release window, editionalising etc.
For now, for each of the 6 films named you'll use some combination ofDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-42497819176719626802019-06-14T13:01:00.000+02:002019-06-14T14:34:36.004+02:00CIE BLOG GUIDE Coursework journey in 10 stepsBelow I break down the ten steps involved in your journey and copy in the assessment criteria. Scroll to the end for four Word guides; two more are here and here.
**More detailed breakdowns with suggested post titles etc are embedded at the end of this post**
STEP 1: INITIAL RESEARCH - OPENING CONVENTIONS; THE INDUSTRY
Initial research into the conventions of the film opening format (DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-9122108442018230922019-06-14T13:00:00.000+02:002019-06-14T15:19:39.389+02:00Setting up new blogs
You will need a gmail account to complete this.
Your task is simple: carefully following the instructions below, set up a new blog and start adding to it with the tasks at the bottom of this post!
We'll follow these simple steps:
1: sign in to blogger.com with your gmail details
2: click create new blog
3: name the blog - think of it as a film company; do not use your full DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-87258120459794176092019-02-27T07:00:00.000+01:002019-09-07T13:21:54.780+02:00CIE EVALUATION overview with UK comparison guideNOTE: This is formally named the CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTIONYou are marked not just on answering the question, but also for:
creativity in how you do so
using critical theory and self-critiquing
use of technology to do so
In practice, you should take 1 of 2 approaches:
Create one SUBSTANTIAL creative text for each answer, AND/OR...
Recycle a format or spread it across multiple Qs so you'veDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-65289427374255301122018-10-17T01:20:00.000+02:002018-10-18T11:46:44.516+02:00Coursework PITCHESAs part of the ongoing effort to simplify and streamline, I've put the key points into a Word doc, but there's a lot more in this post and others linked below.
AS pitch preparation from DB3igs
Every post on genre (so therefore also the whole DBHorror blog too!) is useful for this; definitely read this post for one.
You will be filmed pitching. The footage is mainly for your benefit; DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-69957190790866072902018-09-05T15:08:00.000+02:002018-09-06T11:19:25.189+02:00OPENING EG: Billy Elliot TBCI'll set this out as you might if doing a detailed single-film analysis. In future I'd start just by copy/pasting the formatted text/links from this post, so I don't need to waste time re-doing formatting that I've already done (just change the link/text).
Billy Elliot
Stephen Daldry, 2000 (BBFC 15)
# OF IDENTS + OPENING DURATION: 2 4:41
PRODUCTION: BBC Films, Tiger DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-66603571919401168282018-03-05T18:27:00.001+01:002018-03-05T18:27:17.255+01:00SFX Create your own gore, masks etcThere are many others out there, but here's a teen YouTuber who looks beyond lippie {she notes the stick she gets for not sticking to girlie stereotypes} and aspires to Tom Savini status. If you don't know who Savini is you're clearly not working on a horror opening...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEngAKyn-q6tAB_arpzbXSg
DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-45797875705434255002018-01-23T06:42:00.000+01:002018-01-23T06:42:52.601+01:00Health and safety post
Blog.
You've been asked (for months!) to do a health and safety check. Time now to finally sort that out. You should consider what post date you use [click on SCHEDULE under the LABELS box on the right before publishing your post]; this should be evidenced PRIOR TO SHOOTING.
The idea is simple. As is legally required of professional shoots, where companies are legally liable for employees' DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-56771681005673826332017-11-08T08:25:00.000+01:002017-11-08T08:25:35.971+01:00Conventions vodcastsThis is one of the most important coursework tasks. You're marked not just on the level of your research but also how you APPLIED this research. There is no upper limit on how many texts you could/should look at. You needn't always do so in great detail - it is very useful to pick out a single topic and look at multiple (always try for at least 5) examples on this.
Multiple mini-vodcasts on DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-12146081435814300062017-08-08T23:44:00.001+02:002017-08-08T23:44:07.574+02:00STORYBOARD tipshttp://nofilmschool.com/2017/08/here-are-some-things-you-should-ask-yourself-storyboardingDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-6900211280044735992017-07-31T08:53:00.001+02:002017-07-31T08:53:05.422+02:00TEMPLATES 99 professional downloadable fileshttp://nofilmschool.com/2016/08/grab-every-filmmaking-form-youll-ever-need-these-99-free-templatesDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-6894741842725371252016-10-12T15:55:00.001+02:002016-10-12T15:55:14.424+02:00Final Cut Pro XYou can find a vodcast for getting started, and multiple links for further exploration, in this post on the MediaTechTips blog, where I gather material on software and hardware, including guides on techs to consider for your Evaluation (part of the markscheme)DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-70773281569553193032016-10-05T14:22:00.000+02:002016-10-05T14:22:06.053+02:00Analysing film openings - a short guideThere is a much longer version - it was linked in the top links list which a google bug has wiped, along with all my other 100+ lists across multiple blogs.
When blogging on an opening, set out the key contextual, institutional info using appropriate size, colour, font variation for the most important details, and hyperlinking relevant links:
movie name
director
year of release (typically in 1 DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-10791840401455503462016-09-15T12:38:00.002+02:002020-08-24T15:28:45.210+02:00Preliminary task and practice exercises
ABOVE: An example of a prelim video from 2016
This is a simple initial practise exercise to help you develop skills in camera usage, planning and editing. To complete the 'prelim' (preliminary) task, you need to complete the following steps....1: DEFINE 4 TERMS - add to your THEORIES/TERMS I've learnt post: MATCH-ON-ACTIONSHOT/REVERSE SHOT180 DEGREE RULECONTINUITY EDITINGYou can do this DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-65508527879394218082016-09-09T15:01:00.001+02:002016-09-15T13:07:53.195+02:00BLOGGING DESIGN box office exampleThrough my British Cinema blog you can find a links list on box office, a key topic for coursework and exam research alike. There are many great resources on this, including American sources like Variety and the site boxofficemojo.
For this example I'll use Charles Gant's fantastic weekly UK box office analysis. If you routinely read this you'll build up a much wider knowledge than your teacher DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-42605224007055491102016-07-26T11:43:00.001+02:002016-09-04T22:02:15.347+02:00Star Trek box office audience statistical analysis
This post focuses on the LA Times' box office coverage, which provides very specific audience breakdown and analysis.The headline above is from Gant's column on the UK box office, matching a more common downbeat view on the film's fortunes and prospects (its still on wide release), noting:
Star Trek Beyond may have suffered from director JJ Abrams’ exit into rival franchise Star Wars (he DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-33830307460368676272016-07-21T10:40:00.001+02:002016-09-04T22:07:32.457+02:00Filmmaker talks STRESS and TEAMWORK
The question is not whether filmmaking is stressful. It’s how you’re going to deal with the stress when it inevitably comes your way. Stress is a physiological survival mechanism. It’s our body’s way of telling us to run away from dinosaurs and hide in a cave. But it’s also philosophical ⎯ it’s something we can overcome. Some of the most productive, well-respected filmmakers in the world deal DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254602448918834708.post-53307177734945038992016-07-16T04:30:00.001+02:002016-09-04T22:10:59.265+02:00SCREENPLAY 3 keys to engaging protagonistSee noFilmSchool.
Distinction, empathy and impetus are the 3 aspects picked out, with examples from commercial films, notably Drive, 40 Year-Old Virgin and Unforgiven; sample:
Let’s go back to our example characters, starting with Ryan Gosling in Drive. His desire to help his neighbor out of a violent situation, despite the fact that he’s falling in love with the man’s wife, is something weDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01644270972807155523noreply@blogger.com0