Diary Post

Some filming has been done over the weekend, I decided to get what I think to be the hardest part to the trailer out of the way, which is the rave. We set up the location at my sister's house by clearing the room so the scenery doesn't look like a room in a house and we used strobe lighting and disco lights to create the scene. I got some nice shots of my actress using one of our props, a bottle of vodka and close up shots of her character. I continue to film this week and obviously be more adventurous with the location, so we're planning a trip to Putney and hopefully capturing footage of the location by Putney Bridge, train station and Doverhouse Estate. I want this in my trailer to show that this set in London. However as my genre is historical drama and my time period is the 90's I must ensure that I don't film things that don't fit into the time period.

Research/ Aesthetica Magazine Analysis

Planning/ Fonts

Research and Planning/ Instituation

Planning/ Costume

Planning my actresses's costume for filming today, I have brought along a suede brown bomber jacket, Adidas trainers, fitted black jeans and a Chocker. Costume obviously being an important factor to my genre, to just refresh my memory of what would be suitable costume I looked back at my Mood Board. This is my Actress in her costume...

Planning/ Target Audience

For my target audience research I used Pinterest as my source. I typed in tags, that were relevant to the type audience I'm aiming to draw in.  Shane Meadows was the first name I put into the search engine I found most pages on Pinterest from the search were film lovers, who had a lot of pins of movie posters and actors. The profiles mostly belonged to people within the age of 25-35 years old.

The same age group applied to my search "90's Rave" the profiles belonged to mostly men also. I think these profiles show an interest in culture and particular era's, very British images were found proving my audience would  be a national one, because it's a subculture which was more dominant in the UK and emerged from Britain.

Searching Jack O'Connell I found profiles like this one. Profiles of people who enjoy a variety of British TV as well as films which have been very successful in the box office as well as independent films. This makes me think of the audience who I want to target for my magazine cover. It will be a niche of people who love film just a bit than others do and it's seen a hobby for them.

Planning/ Preliminary Task

This is our final edit of our preliminary task. We had written down the list of shots and angles we wanted just to get us back in the hang things for filming our trailer which is why it's not as polished as we would like it to be. But we incorporated idea's from what we've seen through trailers we've analysed, therefore our soundtrack changed as the narrative developed through the trailer and we had inter titles also helping the story come together. Learning from this task we will obviously use more locations to add variety to the story line and create more depth to the characters and narratives. Also I will be using an Iphone 5S for my filming, because I believe the quality is better than the flip camera we have used here. Also if I want to do additional filming my phone will be at hand at all times.

Research/ Fish Tank Poster Analysis

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Research/ Sight&Sound Magazine Analysis

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Research/ Hyena Theatrical Trailer

• Straight away we're introduced to the distribution company, Metrodome, and then the production companies 4Film and BFI. So already we have expectations of the film. For example the narrative being something that's about society and artistic/creative cinematography but without the Hollywood budget. 
• The first shot is a over the shoulder shot but because the camera is panning it feels like a point of view shot. So this creates the sense of us entering the world we're about to be shown through this trailer.
• The inter titles are quotes from reviews but they also work with the scenes we're shown. Phrases and words such as "Hits like a sledgehammer" and "Arresting" give clues to narratives about the crook police officer we're following. 
• The darker scenes are in darker lighting and most are at night, so we're left wanting to know more. This gives the trailer a mysterious twist and the sense of unknowing, which also hints towards what the ending of the film will be like.
• The music is dramatic and loud throughout the entire trailer and the inter titles coming in to the time to the music emphasises the words we are reading even more. We're creating our own build up to the music.
• The trailer shows the awards won at film festivals so we're aware this an independent film which has gained recognition which means it's worth watching. 
• The last shot is my favourite because of the title "Hyena" is an electric blue this contrasts the dark background and makes the last thing we saw on trailer stick with us visually.

Research/ Little White Lies Magazine Analysis

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Research/ This Is England Theatrical Trailer Analysis

• The first shot is an entitle of the name of the director that's the only information we're given throughout the trailer of who is behind this until the end. Unlike big Hollywood blockbusters who name, not only the director but the distributors and production, we're given just one name. This is something that show's This is England is an Indie film. But Shane Meadows is a name we're familiar with so we are given a clue as to what the film will be like and the narratives behind it just through recognising that name. At the end of the trailer we're told who the music is by and production team behind it. But Shane Meadows is still the only name we come away with, because it's most obvious name credited.
• We have a quick montage of clips that are relevant to the era of the film is set in and similar clips pop up throughout the trailer. This is something I want to incorporate with my trailer because it's ideal to the genre, historical drama. I love how Thatcher is used because we listen to the accents of characters and dialogue, so putting two and two together we know some of the background of the film will be about how these characters are effected by Thatcher privatising industries that were important to the North's economy.
• Costume is a big thing throughout, this is an important factor to the trailer, we are aware of the 80's fashion and how we're looking at a particular group of people. Skinheads, like my idea I want to make my audience aware we are looking at a particular group of teens,so costume is will be just as important to my trailer as it is to this one.
• The use of music sets the tone, genre and era. When we're introduced to one of the darker characters, Combo, the musics changes but also becomes quieter so we're really focused on his dialogue and also feel threatened or frightened of him which is a foreshadowing of what is to be expected from his character in the film.
• I love how the cinematography adds depth to each character, each close up, each wide shot panning the group of friends, every little detail characterizes each role. Just from the trailer alone you can see the individuality of each character and who you're going to like and who you will not like.
• As This is England has been produced independently, instead of inter titles guiding the story, we have quotes from reviews and newspapers informing us on how we're going to feel and hints of the story. Also at the end showing the awards This is England has won is something an independent film trailer would have to show that the film is worth watching and brilliant.

Planning/ Props

Research and Planning/ How The Rave Scene is a Film Drama

• The Rave Scene is about social issues such as drug use within rave culture. The story is also told through working class characters, teenagers who are considered more exposed to an unconventional life, living on a council estate where there is a sense of community amongst the youth but also dark authoritative characters which create a hierarchy within it, this creates conflicts another Film Drama convention.
• As an audience we follow the development of Kelly's characters and learn lessons with her as she grows up, from a shy, timid character to a love up raver and then teen mum. Her journey as well as other characters emotionally make the audience attached to their stories and effect the viewer, through the development of the plots and narratives.
• There are many climaxes and anti climaxes in the narrative, for example we are convinced Kelly and Ant will end up together, but Kelly is still in love with Donovan and this break Ant's heart, this could dishearten the audience because Ant's a sweet, vulnerable character.  We have the climax of Kelly's happiest moments when she has finally found a crowd she fits in with and we see her loving relationships with Donovan, Ant and Georgia as a substitute for the loss of her mother.
• I think have chosen an alternative ending rather than a cliché one. Kelly's ending is bitter sweet, her teen pregnancy socially has negative connotations but for her character she see's at as a fresh start to be a great mother like her own. Donovan is a likeable character and one we route for when he is first introduced. His beginning and ending is a hugely contrasted because he is no longer respected and we assume he carries on taking harder drugs, the audience are left to make up their own minds on what happens to him. After what happens to Georgia we expect her and the rest of the group to never go to another rave again however they seem to have moved on and carry on going to raves, but I think after Georgia's overdose this brings her closer to Tony, Jen and Ant even more so than before.

Planning/ Characters

Characters from frankiejohno

Planning/ Locations

Planning/ Trailer Scene Order

Research/ Diary Post 2- Real Footage

Looking into these video's I would like to use snippets in my trailer and iconic images for my poster because I think it's relevant to my genre and I'd like to create a Shane Meadows feel to my story.

Planning/ The Rave Scene Synopsis

The Rave Scene

1990, Margaret Thatcher said goodbye to Downing Street for the last time, we were taken into another war and eyes across the country were glued to our CRT television sets watching England compete in another Fifa World Cup. Going into a new era with a bang... The banging sound of a squelching bass, Britain a place were youth tested the previous generation, one subculture after another. But defining the 90's was the Rave Scene.

Kelly finds herself on the last day of school, a place she never fit in, thankful she'll never have to return. Since her mum passed away, Kelly lived with her nan on Dover House estate, her new face attracts the attention of Donovan Cutler, a few years older than herself, Donovan was seen as someone who held authority over everyone who knew him, and who didn't know Donovan Cutler. Kelly feeling lost and not knowing what to do now she's left school as well as anger filled grief over her mothers death was taken under Donovan's wing. He welcomes her into his group of friends, Ant (Donovan's best friend) Georgia, Jen and Tony, the group our as thick as thieves.

Donovan introduces Kelly and the group to raves, acid house music and drugs. We see friendships soar, Kelly and Donovan becoming engrossed with each other and a place were everyone was united. Until we see a dark turn, heavier drugs come into play, deceit which breaks strong friendships and tests Kelly and Donovan's relationship. Kelly and Ant connect with each other when she discovers he has also lost a parent, they end up sleeping with each other, whilst Donovan's sinister side comes out when he is to discover the pair getting close reminding him of his troubled past which gets the best of him and he turns to heroine.

As the group goes into melt down Georgia overdoses on MD and this brings the group to their senses except Donovan, the group are disgusted and frightened once they catch on to Donovan's addiction the massive come down from what was once a huge high meant the group were to go there separate ways. Yet despite the madness Kelly had finally found herself, and she knew she would be a better person for it.

Research / Diary Post 1- The Death of Subculture

Shane Meadows is a director I'm looking into because I'm a fan of his film,  This is England and also the series he has gone onto make from the film. In this clip he is mostly talking about his final series (This is England 90) but I'm interested in this particular interview because my idea for my film trailer will be based on a particular subculture between the 1980's and 1990's, as my genre is Historical Drama.

In the clip he says there was always a new subculture every 2-3 years, from skin heads to the raving scene. I'm delving into different narratives with different subcultures for now before I settle on a idea, for example if my trailer is set in the 80's but is based on a subcultural group I will have to design and look at costumes best suited for this idea or say if I am going to go down the 90's route I will have to compose and choose a soundtrack which represents that era.

Another reason for my interest in Shane Meadows is the fact Warp Films is an independent film company, I do not want my trailer to be seen as a blockbuster, I want it to be seen as a film which can relate to a national audience/ local audience and involve truthful hard-hitting subjects rather than it being glamorised and be made for entertainment, as I feel like the genre, Historical drama, should be informative or give a realistic representation.

Research & Planning/ Mood Board

Research/ Weekender Poster Analysis

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Research/ The Weekender Theatrical Trailer Analysis

• As soon as the trailer begins we're shown glimpses of the genre through reference of the era,"a fall to the floor beat" we know music is a heavy influence in rave culture, and acid house music was defined by its distinctive base line. Along with the voice over a visual of a spinning record which is edited in time to the music that is played through the trailer then sets the tone.
• We're introduced to the two main characters 10 seconds into the trailer, the credit labelling them as "Two Ravers" and edited into credit is the symbolic raver smiley face again reminding of the genre, historical drama. Seeing them in a split screen, Dylan on the left shown grinning I think it's a clip from when there in Ibiza,  this may show him becoming more independent and this challenges his friendship with Matt on the right or the split screen, he's shown in a rave but the focus is on him although he is surrounded by chaos, this may represent him as the wiser one of the duo, being seen as the eye within the storm.
• When they are discussing holding their own rave the camera angle is canted, contributing to the theme of drugs, the illusion of "tripping" Dylan says that within in scene also. 
• Each credit creates a brief story line of the main narrative with symbolic images, a cassette , passports. The turning point in the trailer were we're shown darker scenes and were their may be problems for characters the credit says "Killer come down" and it has been edited for the bright colours we've seen through the trailer to turn into black and white.
• There are numerous locations used throughout, giving the trailer and story more depth, giving us subtext to narratives and characteristics of all characters from information the locations give us.
• The dialogue, relates to a younger audience and a national audience rather than a global one, because we're familiar with the Manchester accent. This can also draw in an older audience as well as a young one, because the rave scene was more current for teens in the 90's so now that audience would be mid/ late 20's to 30's. 

Research/ Generic Conventions of Drama

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Research/ This is England Poster Analysis

Research/The Notebook Poster Analysis

Research/ Legend Teaser Trailer and Official Trailer Analysis

The teaser trailer is more of a montage of the film, silent scenes are played whilst there is music, fitting to the era, being played over it. Roughly half way through we have little dialogue from the film as a voice over as dramatic effect. There are titles used through out giving us information to engage with about the film, such as the plot, the back story, the director Brian Helgeland and the leading actor Tom Hardy. This establishes the most basic elements to the film by giving us clues for example the genre and the style of acting, we know this will be a crime/thriller genre by Tom Hardy being associated with similar roles.

Before the official trailer starts we're shown this image which we are familiar with before we watch trailers, this informs us of the age of the appropriate audiences in the box which says 'Restricted' we're shown the age limit and what the further scenes consist of. We're shown the main institution which invested into the film, Universal, whereas the teaser trailer just showed the logo of the distribution and production company. We begin with a voice over and background music to dramatise the trailer as well as it being a clear introduction. We're also shown clips of scenes throughout with dialogue building a more detailed story and parallel story lines. Although there are titles like the teaser trailer we're relying on the action to give us depth to the characters and story. Certain parts are emphasised such as Ronnie talking about his sexual orientation, Reggie's relationship, and the turning point of the brothers relationship, this is done by the pace of these clips being slower then others. The official trailer is more theatrical and creates more excitement about the film.

Year 12 Blog Link

http://frankiejohnsong321.blogspot.co.uk/