Stages of Filmmaking

Taken from http://www.skillset.org/film/business/index.html. Click to view in more detail.

5x5

5 Albums



1. Riot! - Paramore
Favourite tracks: For A Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic; Hallelujah; Let The Flames Begin; Born For This

2. Sinners Never Sleep - You Me At Six
Favourite tracks: Bite My Tongue; No One Does It Better; Little Death; Crash

3. The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Favourite tracks: Bad Romance; Alejandro; Speechless; Teeth

4. When The World Comes Down - The All-American Rejects
Favourite tracks: Fallin' Apart; Damn Girl; Gives You Hell; The Wind Blows

5. Greatest Hits - blink-182
Favourite tracks: Dammit; First Date; Stay Together For The Kids; I Miss You

5 Films

 

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton)

2. Tangled (Disney)

3. Shutter Island (Paramount)

4. Shrek 2 (DreamWorks)

5. The Notebook (New Line Cinema)

5 TV Shows



1. F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Favourite characters: Chandler & Phoebe

2. The Vampire Diaries
Favourite character: Damon & Jeremy

3. the inbetweeners
Favourite character: Simon & Will

4. Made In Chelsea
Favourite character: Binky & Francis

5. Scrubs
Favourite character: J.D. & Turk

5 Actors/Actresses



1. Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic; Romeo + Juliet; Inception)

2. Helena Bonham Carter (Corpse Bride; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Dark Shadows)

3. Winona Ryder  (Beetlejuice; Dracula; Girl, Interrupted)

4. Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice; The Duchess; Anna Karenina)

5. Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands; Sleepy Hollow; Pirates of the Caribbean)


5 Bands/Artists



1. Metallica 
Discography: Kill 'Em All; Ride The Lightning; Master Of Puppets; ...And Justice For All; Metallica (The Black Album); Load; ReLoad; St. Anger; Death Magnetic

2. Ed Sheeran
Discography: +

3. The Ting Tings
Discography: We Started Nothing; Sounds From Nowheresville

4. Madina Lake 
Discography: From Them, Through Us, To You; Attics To Eden; World War III

5. Eminem 
Discography: Infinite; The Slim Shady LP; The Marshall Mathers LP; The Eminem Show; Encore; Curtain Call: The Hits; Relapse; Recovery)

Attack The Block

Production

The film was produced by Big Talk Productions, known for films including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, who worked with Film4, StudioCanal and The UK Film Council.
Having been a composite of various council estates across London, the Block itself could not be shot from an aerial view, as it didn't exist, and so, instead, they had to show a top shot of the map at the very beginning of the film to establish the area to the audience.
6 weeks of night shoots meant that the film was shot across London from March to May 2012.

What it was based on

Director of the film, Joe Cornish, was mugged a few years ago near his home in Stockwell, South London.
He says that it was a traumatic experience, which had obviously imprinted on his brain in many ways, as he says, "I love where I live and I constantly find myself defending it, and suddenly this very difficult thing happens. My first impetus was to try and get beyond the stereotype. And also, somewhere in my head, to escape into the places I used to as a child, when I'd project Hollywood fantasies onto my everyday life."
He insisted on doing both of these things, and spoke to the kind of children who had robbed him on the street and in youth clubs, thus forming a good enough understanding to create a film that portrayed a hooded gang which practised in petty crime, rather than snazzy gangsterism or striking violence, as big canvas outlaw anti-heroes.
"These are children we're talking about, and children make mistakes; they test the boundaries of the world. They can come from a shitty place with a limited amount of choices."
The film was also inspired by the films Joe Cornish loved when he was growing up in the 80s, such as ET, Gremlins, Critters, Predator, The Warriors, Streets of Fire, The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, and he liked the idea of combining these two genres, fantasy and urban reality, to create something new.
The aliens were slightly based on Cornish's cat, the illustration on the old Space Invaders arcade cabinet, and are also influenced by Rotascope techniques (an animation technique that is used to capture realistic human movement by drawing over film footage of live actors).

Problems that arose in making the film

Cornish had to deal with first time actors, which included 11 kids, creature effects, stunts, explosions, fight scenes, and shooting at night.
They were working with a low budget, also, and so it was a challenge to finish the film before the set date.

The directors's views on the British Film Industry

Cornish feels that the passion of the British Film Industry's film-makers is matched by that of the audience, as he says, "You get that from the blogosphere; they take their role of champinioning films very seriously, and they're led by the heart. If they dislike something, they won't write about it, unless they really feel it violates one of their principles. But in Britain, you get a lot of ho-humming and boiled sweet sucking, and here you get commitment and passion, which I think is really cool."
Also, he believes that being relatively unknown as a film director is a good thing, as he says, "People don't come with any preconceptions. You can tell why some British film-makers who started in television enjoy working in America because people are a bit more accepting of you trying something different. This audience are able to just take this film as a film and not to have preconceptions of what Joe of Adam and Joe might do, not weighed down by any of that baggage. And they really dig it, you now. It's kind of really nice to talk to them as if I'm a film-maker. People here are really excited to have stuff in their town. In London, we're quite haughty. We feel we deserve them to come to us."

How they saved money, and the technology used

As they didn't have the budget to do 3D, CGI creatures, they used practical effects, old school effects and little bit of CG to remove detail, rather than add it.

Issues with film rating/controversy surrounding the film

Some of the parents of the teenagers who had been to see Attack The Block were concerned about the rating of the film, which was a 15, and felt that it should have been made higher, as there is frequent use of strong language, and pot smoking seems to be a regular occurrence in the teens' lives.
Although the main message sent through to the adolescents watching the film highlighted the importance of working together as a team to get things done, there was still this worry that the former would overpower this.

How the film was promoted

Attack The Block was promoted in the usual ways; through the use of film trailers, posters, interviews, and even a premiere was held 5 days before the film was to be released in UK.

About the soundtrack

The soundtrack for the film was an original score composed by Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of the popular electronic dance music group Basement Jaxx, and Steven Price except for the song played during the end credits ("Youths Dem Cold" by Richie Spice).

1. "The Block"
2. "Sam is Mugged"
3. "Round Two Bruv"
4. "It’s Raining Gollums"
5. "Tooling Up"
6. "Moses is Arrested"
7. "Tell Me I’m Dreaming"
8. "Throat Ripper"
9. "Rooftops"
10. "Moses - Ninja"
11. "Just Another Day"
12. "They Want Moses"
13. "Actions Have Consequences"
14. "Eat My Hat"
15. "They Fell Out of the Sky"
16. "I Need to Finish What I Started"
17. "Turn the Gas Up"
18. "Moses vs. The Monsters"
19. "Moses the Hero"
20. "The Ends" - Basement Jaxx

The Usual Suspects

McManus

My first impressions of McManus were that he was a tough, rude and lazy character.
With regards to the mise-en-scene of the shot, we can see that he is lying in bed in a dirty room, probably one that he rents for very little, whilst all of the other suspects are up and going about their daily business.
A medium shot allows us to see McManus, his set up, and the police who surround him on all sides.
He swears at the men when they try to arrest him and refuses to go with them, resulting in a forceful capture on their part, as they have to drag him out and keep a hold on him.
This suggests that he is dangerous and does not care for the authorities.
We only get to see half of his face in this shot (the camera doesn't change its angle throughout the scene), and we can see that he has tattoos across his arms, which also adds to the danger surrounding him and his careless attitude.

Hockney

We are introduced to Hockney for the first time whilst he is tampering with a car in a garage (probably illegally).
This makes him seem strong, and also shows us that he has access to a lot of tools of which he could use as weapons, thus making him seem a more threatening character; and as he reaches underneath the car for something, the police become uneasy.
The medium shot used allows us to view Hockney's face, and also the police behind him; the police, though, cannot see his face, which gives us an advantage and adds to the tension of the scene.
As he is in a better position than the officers, they feel obliged to surround him at once, and Hockney says, "Sure you brought enough guys?", which ends the scene.
This suggests that he is confident in himself and could become a real threat to the others.

Fenster

Upon seeing Fenster for the first time, I thought he looked like a stereotypical gangster.
We see him wandering down a rough street, dressed in a dark, flashy suit, which makes him seem like he means business; although, as he starts to pace back again, we realise that he is actually trying to get away from someone, and is not as confident as we initially anticipate.
Tracking shots are used to follow him on his path, and we then see a police car come into view, which then explains Fenster's tense composure.

The non-diegetic background music mirrors the way he moves, and I think the producer did this to make us feel more anxious for him.
He is arrested pretty easily and doesn't seem to even think about protesting, thus lowering our opinions of determination.

Keaton

Keaton seems to be the most important of the delinquents, as he is filmed for a longer period of time than the others.
He is in a meeting at a restaurant when the police come to arrest him, which makes us question as to why he has stolen a truck filled with guns, as he seems to be doing quite well for himself in regards to money, already.

He looks better dressed and wealthier than the others, and we can see that he is entertaining guests of his, including what looks to be his girlfriend, which makes it seem as if he has a better reputation to uphold, and when the police make themselves known as present, we see a close-up of Keaton's devastated expression; much like Fenster, but maybe caused by different reasons, such as his reputation.
I think the producer made him seem almost innocent in this scene, so as to make the audience think that he is not going to pose a threat, although he could be the man in charge of an illegal corporation, for example, as no one would ultimately suspect him as being related to crime.

Verbal

The last of the suspects is quite different to the other four, as he dresses more timidly and walks with a limp.
A close-up focuses solely on his limp, making sure that we are aware of this for some particular reason, maybe to identify him later in the film; this also makes us believe that he is not capable of committing any crimes and that they must have accused the wrong guy.

We want to know what kind of evidence they have against him, as it does not make any sense for him to be there with the other four who seem to fit the category of 'criminal'.

We see him walk into the police station, only, where we hear his confused thoughts, rather than hearing him speaking to one of the characters, which reinstates our own similar confusions, too, and separates him from the rest.
He is also the only character of which we don't know his background.

1.     Who were the co-founders of Working Title?

Producers Tim Bevan, and Sarah Radclyffe.

2.     When was the company founded?

1983.

3.     Where is Working Title based?

In Marylebone, London, United Kingdom.

4.     Who are the co-chairpersons of WT now?

Eric Fellner, and Bevan.

5.     What awards have Working Title won?

Working Title have won 6 academy awards, 26 BAFTA'S, 4 Oscars and many more.

6.     How many full time staff does WT employ?

Just 42.

7.     What is Working Title’s philosophy?

They aim to make European films feature to a worldwide audience.

8.     List 5 box-office hits that Working Title have made.

Notting Hill; Hot Fuzz; Nanny McPhee; Bridget Jones' Diary; Love Actually.

9.     List 5 flops that Working Title has made.

The Shape of Things; Fargo; The Guru; Thunderbirds; O Brother, Where Art Thou?

10.  What is Richard Curtis’ relationship with Working Title?

He became a success in directing many of the films Working Title have produced.

11.  List 2 famous directors that Working Title have worked?

Kirk Jones and Richard Curtis.

12.  What is Hugh Grant’s relationship with Working Title?

As he believes that there is something about the company that sets it apart from all of the rest, he has worked with Working Title on many occasions and has starred in many of their films (mostly romantic comedy's).

13.   Find out about the Coen Brothers (films, genres, status) and what do they have to do with Working Title?

Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen are American filmmakers who write, direct and produce films that are known for their amazing visuals and dry humour.They have both worked with Working Title on numerous occasions.

14. Who owns 67% of Working Title films? When did this happen? Why did this happen?

Universal Studios own 67% of Working Title films. This happened in 1999, when PolyGram films was merged and sold to them.

15.   List two of Working Title big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.

Love Actually had a budget of £30,000,000 and Nanny McPhee had a budget of £25,000,000. 

16.  What genre of films is Working Title most famous for?

Working Title have made a lot of comedy films, and so I would that this is their most famous genre.

17.  What other genres do Working Title films like to make?

They make a range of films from romantic comedy's to thrillers and horrors.

18.  Find out as much as you can about WT2? (when established, films made, budgets, awards)

In 1999, Bevan and Fellner launched a subsidiary company named Working Title 2 Productions, which is more commonly known as WT2.Run by Natascha Wharton, the company has produced films that include Billy Elliot, Shaun of the Dead and The Calcium Kid, and is an independant film production arm.

19.   What information can you find out about Working Title through their web page?

Their webpage has information on the following pages: Films; Trailers; News; Features; Theatre; Action; and TV.

20.  Find out one other interesting fact about Working Title that you would like to share with the class.

In 1991, Working Title was involved in a bid for the London weekend ITV licence.

Selected Key Terms for Institutions and Audiences - The Film Industry

Selected Key Terms for Institutions and Audience

An institution (in the film industry)

Definition: any company or organisation that produces, distributes or exhibits films. The BBC makes films with their BBC Films arm; Channel4's Film Four produces films, Working Title also produce films, as does Vertigo Films, etc. Some institutions need to join with other institutions which distribute films. Vertigo Films is able to distribute its own films, Channel Four distributed Slumdog Millionaire through Pathe. Working Title's distribution partner is Universal, a huge US company which can make, distribute and show films. The type of owner ship within an institution matters as, for instance, Channel 4 and the BBC are able to show their own films at an earlier stage than other films made by other institutions. They are also better placed to cross-promote their in-house films within their media organisations. Use you work on Film Four as the basis for most of what you write, Moon is a good cross comparison as Duncan Jones had to create his own institution just to get the film made.


Distribution and Marketing

Definition: the business of getting films to their audiences by booking them for runs into cinemas and taking them there in vans or through digital downloads; distributors also create the marketing campaign for films producing posters, trailers, websites, organise free previews, press packs, television interviews with the "talent", sign contracts for promotions, competitions, etc. Distributors use their know-how and size to ensure that DVDs of the film end up in stores and on supermarket shelves. Distributors also obtain the BBFC certificate, and try to get films released as the most favourable times of the year for their genre, etc.

Examples: Universal distributed Working Title's The Boat That Rocked; Pathe distributedFilm4 and Celadors' Slumdog Millionaire after the original US distributor, Warner Independent went out of business. TRON was heavily marketed across a variety of mediums, Moon struggled to get press attention and Duncan Jones had to really push the film  in obscure places like Popular Mechanics etc. The Kings Speech was distributed by Momentum (a susiduary of Aliance films) who are a major independent film distributor.


Exhibition

Definition: showing films in cinemas or on DVD. Media attention through opening nights and premieres How the audience can see the film: in cinemas, at home, on DVD, through downloads, through television, including premieres, the box office take in the opening weeks; audience reviews which includes those of the film critics, ordinary people, cinemas runs; awards in festivals, The Oscars, BAFTAS, etc.

Examples: Slumdog Millionaire almost never got distribution. Its early US distributor, Warner Independent was a victim of the economic downturn and went out of business. The film's makers then struggled to find a distributor! Then Fox Searchlight stepped up and "the rest is history". The 8 out of 10 Oscar nomination wins ensured that the film has been the greatest British success in awards and in box office for nearly 60years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/boyle-reveals-slumdog-millionaire-was-nearly-never-made-1331821.html

Motherhood took just £86!
Moon. Initially Sony Pictures Worldwide were due to distribute the film but they specialise in straight to DVD features. Following positive reaction following its Sundance film festival the rights were acquired by Sony Classic Pictures who gave the film a limited release in the US in Cities like New York and LA.

Exchange

Definition: The unintended use of an institution’s media text (i.e. a film) by OTHER PEOPLE who use the film or parts of it to form new texts. What happens to a film, etc. after the public get their hands on it using digital technology. 

Examples: People unconnected to the institution/ film using WEB 2.0 applications such as YOUTUBE, Blogger, Amazon film message boards, TWITTER, Face-Book, discuss the film or edit parts of together to form a new text which the may then put a new soundtrack to and publish on YOUTUBE, etc. When you add a trailer from a site like YouTube on your blog you have been engaging with exchange. Look back to MArk Kermodes video regarding piracy and the new release strategies for films like Ken Loach's "Route Irish" (Loach has reportedly steeled himself for a frosty response from critics and anticipates an underwhelming box office, noting the difficulty he faced securing a distribution deal. Though pragmatic in his view that “people don’t make films to communicate; they make it as a commodity”,an unorthodox release strategy utilising Sky Movies Premier - which will place the film (and by extension, its subject matter) in a wider public sphere than it might otherwise have reached – suggests he hasn’t given up on pedagogy entirely.) or the Jack Ass 3 release on DVD and Sky Box Office.


Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Definition: Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution.

Example: Vivendi Universal have integrated film, music, web and distribution technology into the company, including owning big stakes in cables and wires that deliver these services. Therefore they are vertically integrated because they own all the different companies involved in film, from production to distribution to exhibition. They are also horizontally integrated because they have all the expertise for producing media content under one roof – films, TV, magazines, books, music, games thus being able to produce all the related media content for one film under the same roof (see synergy). This is important for the control the institution has over their product/film.


Synergy/Synergies 

Definition: The interaction of two or more agents (institutions/companies) to ensure a larger effect than if they acted independently. This is beneficial for each company through efficiencies in expertise and costs.

 

Examples: Working Title know how to make films and they have formed a business partnership with Universal, a massive US company, who have the experience and size in the marketplace (cinemas, stores, online, etc.) to distribute them. (They create the marketing campaign to target audiences through posters, trailers, create the film’s website, free previews, television and press interviews featuring “the talent”, drum up press reviews, word of mouth, and determine when a film is released for the best possible audience and the type of release: limited, wide, etc.) Channel Four’s Film 4 and Celador Films(Celador also produce Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and films, too) benefited by pooling their know-how, experience and expertise to jointly produce Slumdog Millionaire. These companies formed a business relationship with France’s Pathe to distribute this film. In the UK Pathe helped create the poster, trailer, website, etc. In the USA the film found another distributor after being nominated for the Oscars.


Viral Marketing

Definition: A marketing technique aiming at reproducing "word of mouth" usually on the internet and through existing social networks. YouTube Video pastiches, trailers, interviews with cast members, the director, writer, etc. You can find interviews of “the talent” trying to gain publicity for your case study films on YouTube. Find some clips from the films we have studied to help you in the exam.


Guerilla Marketing

Definition: The use of unconventional and low cost marketing strategies to raise awareness of a product. The aim is usually to create “buzz” and “word of mouth” around a film. Unusual stunts to gain publicity (P.R.) on the film’s opening weekend, etc.

Examples: Sasha Baron Cohen created “buzz” before the release of his film “Borat” by holding fake press conferences. The studio also accessed the popularity of YouTube by releasing the first 4 minutes of the movie on YouTube, a week before it’s release, which can then be sent virally across the nation. At a special viewing of “Bruno” Cohen landed on Eminem “butt first” from the roof MTV Awards venue, dressed in as an angel outfit with rents in the rear end.


Media Convergence

Definition 1: Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantages of all of them.

 

Examples: More and more films are being marketed on the Internet and on mobile phones. You no longer need even to buy the DVDs or CDs as you can download films and music directly to your laptop, Mac or PC. Blue Ray DVDs can carry more features than ordinary DVDs and can be played on HD televisions and in home cinemas for enhanced/cinematic picture quality. You can save films on SKY digital, Free-box digital players, etc. You mobile phone has multiple features and applications. With media and technological convergence this is growing year on year. Play-Stations, X-Boxes and the Wii can can connect with the Internet and you can play video games with multiple players.


Technological Convergence

Definition 2: The growing interractive use of digital technology in the film industry and media which enables people to share, consume and produce media that was difficult or impossible just a few years earlier.

Examples: For instance, the use of new software to add special effects in editing; the use of blue-screen; using new types of digital cameras like the one Danny Boyle used in “Slumdog Millionaire” (The Silicon Imaging Camera to shoot high quality film in tight spaces); you can use the Internet to download a film rather than go see it in the cinema; you can watch it on YouTube; you can use special editing programs like Final Cut Pro to edit bits of a film, give it new soundtrack and upload it on YouTube; you can produce illegal, pirate copies on DVDs from downloads and by converting the film’s format; you can buy Blue Ray DVDs with greater compression which allows superior viewing and more features on the DVD; distributors can use digital software to create high concept posters; cinemas can download films to their projection screens and do not have to depend on a van dropping off the film! The is also the Digital Screen Network. There are tons of ways in which technological convergence affects the production, distribution, exhibition and exchange by prosumers. ( A prosumer is someone who not only consumes (watches films) but also writes about them the Net, blogs and make films out of them, often uploading them on sites like YouTube, etc.


A Mainstream Film

Definition: A high budget film that would appeal to most segments of an audience: the young, boys, girls, teenagers, young people, the middle aged, older people, the various classes in society. Distributors often spend as much or more than the film cost to make when distributing mainstream films that are given wide or universal releases.


Example: The Boat That Rocked was a mainstream idea and was given the mainstream treatment on wide release. The film flopped at the UK box office on release ( and has not done too well since mid November 2009 on release in the USA. This was mostly because of its poor reviews, particularly from “Time-Out”. However, when young and older audiences see the DVD they generally like the film because of its uplifting storyline and the well-chosen soundtrack.


Art House Films

Definition: A low budget independent film that would mostly appeal to an educated, higher class audience who follow unusual genres or like cult directors that few people have heard of. Therefore it is usually aimed at a niche market. Foreign films often come under this category.


Examples: The low budget film, Once (2007) which found a specialised, boutique distributor in Fox Searchlight fits this label. (FOX the mainstream company usually distributes big budget film and blockbusters); So does “Juno” from 2008 which began as a low budget film about teenage pregnancy that the big studios thought too risky to touch – but it found popularity through its touching storyline, engaging music and its Oscar nomination for best script. Like “Slumdog Millionaire” the film crossed over between art-house cinemas and audiences to mainstream ones because of the recognition it received from Canadian film festivals and award ceremonies like Britain’s BAFTAS and the Hollywood’s Oscars.




Ratings bodies BBFC - The British Board of Film Classification

How your institutions films are rated will affect audiences in so far as WHO can see them. Remember that sex scenes, offensive language, excessive violence, the use of profanity, etc. can affect the rating and certificate the film receives and therefore affect who is able to see the film.

Analysis of the advert for Lynx Excite body fragrance, entitled 'My Angel Girlfriend'

In this advert, the 'Lynx Excite' body fragrance is meant to be so enticing that 'even angels will fall', and so it's focused on the way the angel gazes at the man who is wearing it.

The advert begins with a shot of the angel and the man having a picnic; the man displays a Trevor Millum 'comic' look as he finds one of her feathers in his sandwich, and she gazes back at him in with a 'catalogue' look (also Trevor Millum), thus stripping her of her human-like qualities and making her seem more innocent and perfect.

Once he looks back up at her, however, she acts in a more humane manner and projects the 'chocolate box' gaze (Marjorie Ferguson, so as to make the audience believe that she is, in fact, real, and they can be just as lucky as the man in the advert if they buy the spray.

The next part of the advert shows us the angel wandering around the town causing more havoc, where she displays several 'carefree' looks (Trevor Millum) and frolics around as she pleases, with, as the look suggests, not a care in the world. This, once again, suggests that she is only to be looked at.

As a man pretending to be a statue startles her, her wings reflexively stretch out and knock her unprepared boyfriend backwards and into a table of flowers; she displays 'comic' looks of surprise at this point, so as to reinstate her 'realness' again, as well as her non-existent imperfections.

The following scene focuses on the pair of them now getting into a car, ready to drive home, when the man realises that the angel's halo has burnt through the roof.
We keep getting the impression that the angel is maybe too high-maintenance for the ordinary man and that he can't handle what the body spray is doing for him, but that he loves it anyway and that she is different and more extraordinary when compared to human girls; this reflects through her gazes, as she switches between 'catalogue' and 'carefree' quite frequently.

The final section of the advert is set in the man's bathroom, where he joins the angel and sprays the Lynx Excite on himself.

This is the first time we get to witness her initial reaction, and in response to this, she casts him a 'romantic' look (Marjorie Ferguson), as if to reinforce the power the body spray has on her, as we have not actually seen this yet, and to insist that the male audience buy it.

Finally, they are disrupted by another angel crashing down into the room, and so his 'angel girlfriend' wraps her arms around him in a protective manner, before the other angel can make her way over.

This ends the advert making you certain of the fact that the body spray will work in giving you tremendous luck with the ladies, and maybe even with an angel or two!

Analysis of Chris Brown's video for 'Strip'

This video was clearly made with men in mind, as it focuses mainly on the women being the 'image', and the men being the 'bearer of the look', much as Laura Mulvey stated in her essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'. 

Despite this fact, however, there are as many shots of Chris Brown being portrayed in a sexual way as there are of the girls, as he is singer and the real focus of the video.
Paul Messaris says that 'female models in ads addressed to women, treat the lens as a subsititute for the eye of an imaginary male onlooker... It could be argued that when women look at this, they are actually seeing themselves as a man might see them ... implying a male point of view, even though the intended viewer is a woman. So the women who look at these ads are being invited to identify both with the person being viewed and with an implicit, opposite-sex viewer.'
I think that this is the case for the male watcher of this video at some stages, as they will see as much of Chris as they do the girls, and vice versa when it comes to the female watcher.

The first few seconds of the video show Chris, on his own, displaying a number of different looks.
He switches between 'practical', 'seductive', 'comic', 'invitational' and 'super-smiler', all in this short space of time.

His opening look is something between Marjorie Ferguson's 'practical' and 'seductive', as he seems as if his mind is fixed on something whilst he stares at the ground, his mouth is closed, and he is almost frowning, but then he looks to the side and gazes out into the distance, and we see that he is no longer focusing on anything, but that he is just very self-sufficient and confident; his eyes being almost shadowed, too.
He seems to warm up to the imaginary audience seconds later, as he touches his nose in a reserved way and plays around with his hat. Then he shoots us a 'comic' look and nods at us in his slightly insolent way.
His next look is something between Trevor Millum's 'invitational' and 'super-smiler', as we can now only see half of his face, his head's thrown back, and he's smiling to himself, about something we do not know.
At this point he is suggesting mischief and mystery, but also demanding a sort of 'look-at-me' stance.
His final gaze before the song starts is a definite 'super-smiler', but we only see this for a split second and the emphasis is on his teeth.

Throughout the rest of this clip, he gazes at the girls and towards the audience very much in the same ways again, but exchanges the 'practical' look for a few of Trevor Millum's 'romantic' looks and a few of Marjorie Ferguson's 'catalogue' looks, as he is effectively in full swing of his fun, now.
His expression alters almost as soon as it is established, but overall, we get the impression that he is extremely arrogant, aggressive and available.

The Male Gaze

Definitions of the following looks:

1. Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.
2. Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.
3. Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.
4. Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

- Marjorie Ferguson 1980

1. Seductive: similar to the cool/level look in many respects - the eyes are less wide, perhaps shaded, the expression is less reserved but still self-sufficient and confident; milder versions may include a slight smile.
2. Carefree: nymphlike, active, healthy, gay, vibrant, outdoor girl; long unrestrained outward-flowing hair, more outward-going than the above, often smiling or grinning.
3. Practical: concentrating, engaged on the business in hand, mouth closed, eyes object-directed, sometimes a slight frown; hair often short or tied back.
4. Comic: deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated, acting the fool, pulling faces for the benefit of a real or imaginary audience, sometimes close to a sort of archness.
5. Catalogue: a neutral look as of a dummy, artificial, waxlike; features may be in any position, but most likely to be with eyes open wide and a smile, but the look remains vacant and empty; personality has been removed.

- Trevor Millum 1975, 97-8

The Male Gaze

Representations from hammonda

Representations

The Man:

My first impression of this man was that he might be poor, and maybe even homeless, as he has patches on his trousers and is wearing a scruffy cardigan which is done up wrong.
However, when you look more closely, you can actually see that the patches on his trousers are sewn on very neatly and his shoes are from a designer collection.
Also, all of his clothes fit him and are clean, which would not be the case if he was poor.
In reality, he works for Ralph Lauren and is actually very fashion-conscious, despite what our first impressions are.







The Man 2:

My first thoughts of this man were that he was maybe a university professor/lecturer, because he is dressed smartly and is holding pieces of paper that maybe he's going to speak from.
This just proves that our judgements of people are wrong, some of the time, as this man is actually Ted Bundy, the serial killer, responsible for killing 30-35 women approximately.
His clean-cut appearance and good looks are probably what made the women think him to be safe, as we do, too, at first glance.






The Woman:

When I first looked at this picture, I wasn't sure as to whether it was of a man or a woman, as the person photographed looks very eccentric and is wearing a lot of make-up, and the fact that hair is covering some of their face and a hat is being worn makes identifying him/her more difficult.
Obviously they are wearing women's clothes, but that doesn't mean much nowadays.
After being told that it was indeed a woman posing, I thought that she might be rich, as even though her clothes don't match and are not exactly what regular people wear, they do look like they would be expensive to buy, and she looks very poised and confident.
Furthermore, I found out that her name was Anna Piaggi, and though you may not think she looks good, she actually works for Vogue.

Film Analysis

During the summer, I went to see 'The Amazing Spider-Man', 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Brave'.

After enjoying the other Spider-Man films, I was curious as to whether the remake would be better/worse/etc. and how they were going to make the new story different.
I saw the trailer for the film on TV, which gave the impression that it was not to be missed.
Also, I realised that some of my favourite actors starred in the movie, and decided that I had to give it a shot.

Upon watching the film, I came to the conclusion that it was a very interesting take on the Spider-Man legacy, and was as good as, if not better than, the other 3 films.

I preferred Andrew Garfield playing the lead, rather than Tobey Maguire, just because I felt he fit the part better.
He was less scrawny, but still geeky, like Peter Parker should be, and seemed to be more confident than Maguire when wearing the Spidey suit. Also, he brought a bit of humour to the role, and was much better looking, in my opinion, which always helps!

The story told us a different side as to how Peter became Spider-Man, which of course, led to other happenings, also.
I thought the new storyline was more imaginative, and The Lizard was a fantastic new villain. Also, with him being a friend of Peter's dad, the fact that he transformed into this evil creature, wanting to take over the world, just made him seem all the more real, and as the audience, you could engage in him more. Although, the other baddies from the older films were definitely something you cannot beat.

The action scenes were great and very jam-packed, but I liked the fact that there was a bit of romance in the air, too, so as to keep the same sense of warmth and depth that the previous films had.

Peter's new love interest, Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, seemed a little out of the blue at first, but their chemistry on screen was too pure to find faults in.
I liked Kirsten Dunst's character, Mary-Jane Watson, and her relationship with Peter as well, but I felt that the new change was done respectably well.

Overall, 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is a brilliant film for the whole family to enjoy, and is an amazing beginning to a new Spider-Man era.

I went to see 'The Dark Knight Rises' after my friends had invited me to a trip to the cinema and decided to join them, but I'd already seen the trailer on TV and thought that it'd looked pretty good, anyway, as I enjoy action films in general.
Having not seen any of the other Batman films, I was a bit anxious as to whether I would be able to see 'The Dark Knight Rises' without getting confused, however.
I needn't have worried, though, as I understood most of it perfectly well and found the film very enjoyable.

I have no other portrayal to go on, but I felt that Christian Bale's performance as Batman was extremely refreshing and he seemed to be perfect for the role.
A new addition to the Batman legend was Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway, and I thought that there was no one better for this role, either.
The storyline focused around Bane, Batman's nemesis throughout the film, and how he came to be. There was a slight twist at the end, also, concerning his mother, which I felt was very well thought out and unexpected.

8 years since Batman vanished into the night, after taking the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, Bruce decides that he must reunite Batman with the world, as the masked terrorist, Bane, must be stopped before he destroys Gotham City once and for all. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) is up to something mysterious, too, and needs to be put into place, also.
I was a little confused as to why Batman decided to take the fall for this 'Harvey Dent' character, as I hadn't seen the previous film, but this was down to my ignorance and not the film makers themselves, and so I cannot fault the epic conclusion to the Batman trilogy that is 'The Dark Knight Rises'.

There was plenty of amazing action scenes and everything was very dramatic and thrilling, which had you constantly on the edge of your seat, but, to my surprise, there was a romantic side to film, also, much like Spider-Man.
The movie includes everything you could possibly want to see!

As a lover of Disney, as soon as I was made aware that 'Brave' was coming out, I knew that I had to go and see it.
The story is set in the heart of Scotland, and the main character, Merida, is a fiery red-head with an even stronger personality. Because of this, I thought 'Brave' looked a bit different to most of Disney's previous films, but I knew that it would still have a magical quality to it, and so I went to check it out!

The story is based around the idea that you can 'change your fate', that nothing is ever fixed and you can be whoever you want to be, which I thought was very refreshing and inspiring.
Merida is the daughter of the King and Queen of Scotland and is told that she must marry very soon, so as to rule the kingdom properly, after her mother informs her of a legend about a prince who let his own kingdom go to waste.
But Merida doesn't want to marry someone she is not in love with and will not be forced into anything. Instead, she likes to spend her days riding through the forest on her horse with her bow and arrow, whilst ignoring all of her responsibilities.
She is not the type of princess Disney has previously shown in their other films, and I especially liked this about her.

Cleverly, but also stubbornly, she decides to compete for her own hand, and then an argument between her and her mother ends in a tear in the family tapestry, as well as their relationship.
She flees into the forest and stumbles upon a witch, who's magic ends up almost breaking her family down, instead of only changing her mother's mind, like she'd intended.
After many obstacles are thrown their way, including numerous grizzly bears and overcoming a strong sense of pride, Merida and her family finally see eye to eye and all is well in the kingdom.

'Brave' is an extremely heart-warming story, original in its content, but exactly what you would expect from Disney's marvelous film makers, all the while.
I loved the twist it brought to the classic fairy-tale stories already out there, and I think people of all ages would enjoy this brilliant tale.