Swede Pitch

My idea for a swede is the film Shaun of the dead (Edgar Wright, 2004). Even though it is already a spoof of   Dawn of the dead (Zack Snyder, 2004) it is still quite a funny and well known film, so the audience would be  able to recognise quotes and references to the original film. Shaun of the dead made £1,603,410 opening weekend in the UK. Here is the trailer for Shaun of the dead...

DVD cover

I think that Shaun of the dead would be a good film to swede because it is not set anywhere glamorous so it would be easy to find local places or places around school to film it in. Another reason I think Sean of the dead would be a good choice is because it doesn't have any big Hollywood style effects. It has two main characters so if we couldn't get enough people to play a decent amount of the cast then we could have the two main characters and then other people cast as the zombies in it.  In  the film the characters are everyday people or zombies so everybody could just wear normal everyday clothes. The main members of the cast are...
Shaun, Ed, Liz, David and Dianne. Because this is only 5 main characters and they are in the majority of scenes it would be easy to find enough people in the class to play them. We would also need people to play zombies in the scenes as needed.

Shaun of the dead is a very quote-able film and i found it easy to find very recognisable scenes from the film that would be funny to recreate.  This is an example of a popular scene from the film...




Another popular scene that could be recreated from the film is...



Both of these scenes would be good to choose because they are recognisable and would be funny to recreate. Neither of them use expensive or unusual props or scenery only household items or easily accessible local areas.  We could make the swede funny instead of throwing items they use in the film to throw at the zombies we could throw other items that clearly wouldn't do any damage, for example paper. In the fence scene there we could show the person not actually jumping over and walking round it or some other take on jumping over it. Here are some links to more possible scene ideas...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbrN51dPm0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t--mSXDeETc&feature=relmfu

Sweding

Sweding Is the recreation of a film with very little or no budget. They are usually very summarised and filmed with a camcorder. They are made to be very comical and recreated from popular films so people understand the references and why it can be seen as funny. 

The idea comes from the film Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008). In this film they accidentally wipe all the video tapes in a video store and they decided to re-film them all with just two people in order to keep the business running. By this idea being very funny it encouraged other people to start making swedes. 

Here is a video of where the idea originally came from...

Final Cut Express - First Impressions

When starting media studies this year I had no idea what software we would be using to edit videos on. I had  heard of final cut pro as being very good so when I initially heard we were using final cut express I presumed it would also be a very good and clever piece of software.

When first getting shown how to use final cut express it looked very complicated but within a few minutes it became very easy and logical to work it out. It seemed very good at what we needed to do for editing the short preliminary video we made and it was easy cut and add transitions when necessary. However for our short video we didn't use many of the options that final cut express provides and I think it would take a long to figure out everything on the software and how it all works. 

I really liked how easily it could completely change a video and adapt it to make it look so much better. The only thing I found complicated when I used the software was importing and exporting the original and finished video as I thought wasn't obvious and there wasn't a clear indication of how to do this.

Preliminary Task

For our prelim task we had to show a number of different camera shots and rules. the ones we specifically had to show were..
Shot Reverse Shot - Is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off screen), and the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown faceing different directions it is presumed they are looking at eachother.
180 degrees Rule - An imaginary line connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this line for every shot of the scene, the first character will always frame right to the second. If the rule is broken it will look like they are standing in the same position.
Match on action - is an editing technique for continuing editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot.

We did this by making a short film demonstrating all of these. To show shot reverse shot we filmed Kate and I having a conversation with the camera switching between our faces. We also showed an over the shoulder shot here. For match on action we filmed Kate pushing on a door and then we cut to the other side watching her walk through it. After we filmed all the footage we then imported it onto the computer and started editing it on final cut. We had learn how to use this software but it was quite easy to work once you knew where to find everything. After editing we exported it and uploaded it to YouTube.

From doing this preliminary I learnt a lot about how the camera works and that it can be quite hard to edit two shots together and make it look smooth, this is really important when doing things such as match on action. The main reason for doing this task was too learn more about shot types and to get used to working with the camera and software, this is why we used ourselves in it with not very good acting, just so we could edit it. For future projects we will probably use more willing and better actors because we will concentrate more on the content. 

Here is our finished preliminary video...

Media Language in The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones

Budget: £65m
Box Office: £6m (UK) £43.8m (USA)


DVD cover image

I looked at the media language in 30 seconds of the film The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson, 2009).
Here is a short clip from the film:



0.25 point of view shot

At the very start of this clip it is a close up of the girls face. This is to show how she is feeling and to help the audience relate to the situation she is in. In this case you can see that she is scared. There is no music playing and the only sound you can hear is of the actions she is quietly trying to do, this causes a lot of tension and intensity, this all signifies that she is not meant to be in this house but from watching the rest of the film that would have already been anchored. At 0.25 you get a view of what the girl is reading and seeing, this is a point of view shot. This is done so the audience know exactly what is going on and can react to what is discovered in the same way that the character does.

0.51 low shot, intimidating

At 0.51 there is a low shot of the man walking down the stairs, this signifies that the character is powerful and in control at this point in the film. The dark setting makes it look quite scary and makes him look even more intimidating.

0.59 broken glass

At 0.59 you see the broken glass on the floor this suggests that the girl upstairs has broken into this man's house. This could also be a point of view shot of the man noticing this broken glass.

1.19 extreme close up

 At 1.19 there is an extreme close up of the girls hand, this makes it very clear to the audience that she isn't meant to be here and that she has reason to be afraid of being caught reading whatever she was reading before. This slows down the pace of the scene a lot and the editing isn't as fast to cut to the what the man is doing downstairs, so you do not know if he knows she is there. This slow pace is a typical sign of a drama. 

1.38 close up

At 1.38 dramatic music starts as the chase begins, this causes a lot of drama and tension and a lot of build up. The non diegetic music and chase starts very quickly so may take the audience by surprise and keep them on the edge of their seats. Also at 1.38 it is a close up of the man's face. This is to show his emotion and reaction to hearing the girl upstairs and this also is like a pause before you know how he is going to react and what is going to happen. After this shot when the chase starts the editing becomes a lot quicker and it flicks between the two characters at a faster rate making the pace of the scene speed up and adds to the climax of the chase. This fast editing is more typical of a horror film because it gets the audiences to pay attention more and it seems like everything is happening more rapidly.

OpeningsEG3+4:Shane Meadow Films

Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004)
Produced by:
Distributedby:
budget: unknown
Gross: $6000 (not successful in america) 



MUSIC
The music in the opening is non-diegetic as it continues across the different scenes and shots being shown in the opening sequence (audio bridge.) This creates a link between the scenes especially as the start of the film it shows old footage so it creates a link between the characters shown in the old footage and them in current time. 

TITLES AND CREDITS
This is a big jump between childhood and the current day, this is called an elipses.
 The directer is shown as 'A Shane Meadows film' this implies that he had a lot of input and people who have seen his work in the past know that this is a good thing and people who haven't seen any of his work presume he is of some importance. This is a good marketing technique, this also goes by the theory of auteur. 

OPENING SHOTS
There is a cross fade into the bleak landscape. Dry stone walls, very rural and country side. The credits for the lead actors start here appearing at different sides of the screen. There has still been no dialogue and nothing is being given away about the characters at the moment. This is a good example of narrative enigma. Also by doing this they are not giving away any accents or indication of where the film may be set etc.. We are also unsure of the year at this point, very little information about the film is given away in this opening. The screen then fades to black and then out of black and that is the end of the opening sequence.
Length of opening: 4 minutes 15 seconds. 

A Room for Romeo Brass (Shane Meadows, 1999)

Budget: unknown
Gross: $18000

Failed to get a UK cinema release. But a very brief US release and only made $18000. 

OPENING SHOTS
The first take of the opening sequence is 1 minute and 10 seconds. This shows that it is more of a drama that an action filled film as they tend to use very short shots. Appears to be a rural setting. There is an initial establishing shot also an extreme long shot. Again this lack of editing implies it will be a drama. Only one company ident. As with Dead Man's shoes the directors name is presented as 'A Shane Meadows Film' this is reflecting the auteur theory. 

BBC films and The arts council also helped fund this film, as they do with other very low budget films. In the second take the mise-en-scene is a very poor area with metal shutters. This is not very glamorous and the complete opposite to hollywood style films. This is one of the features that indicates it is a social realist film. The non-diegetic music makes the film seem a lot more light-hearted and doesn't make the atmosphere seem serious. This upbeat is played over the whole opening sequence (audio bridge.) 
The length of the opening: 5 minutes 39 seconds.


other links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFi6FrAV9SE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhuD5cF9bBs

OpeningEG2:Twenty Four Seven

Twenty Four Seven
(Shane Meadows, 1997)

DVD cover

Produced by: British Broadcasting Corporation, Scala Films

Distributed by: Pathe, Finnkino, [full list]

Budget: unknown.
Gross: £175k (UK)
Ratings: 6.9 (imdb)
wikipedia

The idents shown at the beginning of the film are BBC films and Scala. The directors name is presented as 'A Shane Meadows Film'. This is reflecting the auteur theory. There is only one star in the film named, which implies that he is the most important. The first thing you notice from the opening shot is that it is in black and white, this signifies the age of the film or the age that the film is meant to look.

 The film starts with an establishing shot. It is bleak and obvious from this very long first shot that it is going to be a serious drama. This first shot lasts for 30 seconds. More names start to appear after this first shot. The names stand out well against the bleak background as they are all in upper case and bold. The next shot is of the older man. This is a close up and shows the emotion and the condition that he is in better than it would from any other shot. It also helps the audience to sympathise more and feel the same emotions. 

There is then a voice over. Up to this point there had been very minimal dialogue so there was some narrative enigma as it was hard to hear if the characters had an accents may be indicating where the film is meant to be set. 

Depending on where you interpret the opening sequence ends it ends at either 4 minutes or 16 minutes. I chose to interpret the opening being 4 minutes long because after this the film gets into the main plot and the titles have finished. 

OpeningEG1: This is England

DVD cover

This is England
(Shane Meadows, 2006)

Produced by:  Warp Films, Big Arty Productions, Optimum Releasing. [full list]
Distributed by: Optimum Releasing, A-Film Distribution, IFC Films, [full list]
Budget: £1.5m

Box Office: £1.3m (UK) $320,000 (USA)
Ratings: 7.7 (imdb)
WIKIPEDIA, OFFICIAL SITE

Length of opening: 3.25

Media Language in Film Opening:

Idents/contributing companies: Optimum releasing (distribution company), warp films, film four (helps low budget films), funds from the national lottery, UK film council, em media, screen Yorkshire, Big arty productions. These are all companies unlikely to be seen on higher budget films. 

The film stars with a montage of American and UK film and TV from the 1980's. This is all part of the mis-en-scene and sets the mood of the film and already from the opening piece you learn a lot of the directors and writers views on people like Margaret Thatcher. 

There is then a back screen with white titles, the titles of which are in a serif font. The production companies are all shown in capital letters and the letters are made to look decayed and old. This is also part of the mis-en-scene. The Directors titles are shown as 'A Shane Meadows film'. 

From the initial shots you get the impression that this film is based on working class people from the surrounding area where the opening shot takes place. This mis-en-scene is shown through the graffiti, old fashioned cars and the very run down look. The opening shot is a tracking shot made to look like it is being filmed from a car which would also mean it is a point of view shot from someone maybe sat in the car. He is trying to show that this is the true representation of what England really is like. 

The titles are run over the shot of run down tower blocks. The stars names are in capital letters, with numbers underneath their names giving the impression of may be a criminal record. This is unusual as in most cases it would say 'starring' or 'introducing' before actors names are introduced. The different names always appear in slightly different places on the screen. As the names become less important they come on the screen in twos. The editor is then shown in capital letters along with the producers and executive producers.  

My Favourite Film

My favourite film is love actually (Richard Curtis, 2003)
Here is the trailer 

This is one of my favourite films because its very funny and a classic Christmas time film. It follows the lives of 8 different couples which means it doesn't get boring and the storyline is based on the frantic month before Christmas which everybody can relate too. I also really like it because it has a few of my favourite actors in it, for example Keira Knightly.

The Brief

Main Task: The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

This is an opportunity to pick up new skills - plus of course provide an outlet for your imagination. There is a substantial degree of written work to accompany these texts, to reflect your grasp of theory and to set out your reasons for the creative choices you make . You record progress as you go in an individual mutlimedia blog, which is how the exam board assess your research , analysis and productions.