Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Unit 8 Task 2: Understanding Job Roles
Aerial Director of Photography (D.O.P)
The Aerial DOP is responsible for all aspects of aerial filming from birds eye view shots to car chases shot from the view of a helicopter.
Skills
Similar to a DOP the Aerial DOP must have an extensive and up to date knowledge of camera equipment and lenses but also being familiar with Aerial filming systems and techniques. As well as this they should understand aerodynamics and flight and know civil aviation authority rules and regulations in order to keep themselves and the crew safe and in line with laws. They must also be able to lead a team and be able to take directions, being courageous and extremely focused as well as working well under pressure.
What does an Aerial DOP do?
Aerial DOPs work very closely with both Director and Director of Photography as well as working with people from their own team such as Film pilot and Aerial camera assistant. After reading the script the Aerial DOP will meet and discuss with the Director and main DOP to discuss storyboards and talk about the Aerial sequences. Aerial DOPs recommend specific aircraft and equipment being careful to stay within the budget. They must calculate the logistics of refuelling the aircraft, and establish suitable landing sites for reloading the camera. This is all co-ordinated by the Aerial Unit Support Team, who also organise the hiring of all aircraft, and provide back-up and support for the Aerial Crew throughout filming. They must also access the locations before shooting starts in order to see what kind of shots they can get.
Qualifications
You don’t have to have any specific qualifications or even a pilot's license however one must be skilled with cameras and have an extensive knowledge about them. There are many courses you can take for this. As well as this the Aerial DOP must have enthusiasm for aircrafts and aviation.
recommended pay:
As the Aerial DOP is a highly skilled but also dangerous job they will get paid paid quite a bit, it would be similar to that of the DOP per day but not as much overall all as they are most likely not needed as much as the main DOP is.
Director
A Director is the main driving force behind a films production. Visualising and defining the style and structure of the film helping bring it to life.
Skills
To be a director you must have an exceptionally high standard of creativity and great artistic vision. As the director is in charge of the entire creative production he must be a great leader and be able to motivate and convey his vision to everyone he is working with via great communication skills, this will be easier if the director is passionate about the project, it is always essential that the director has passion for the project otherwise it will be nowhere near as good as it could have been. The director must be prepared to work long hours and fully commit all of his efforts to the project he is working on and have a good eye for detail. As well as this the director must be very familiar with the entire film making process including both technical and creative aspects.
What does a Director do?
Directors are responsible for turning scripts into the movies we see on screen. At the end of the day they are judged to be responsible for the commercial success or failure of the film. Directors are sometimes also the writer of the film but other times are not and are hired to help turn someone else’s script into a movie. They must adopt this script as their own and develop their own vision for it. During Pre-Production Directors make crucial decisions such as selecting the right cast and crew. They also then manage the technical aspects of the film such as; Camera, Lighting and sound whilst the film is being made. During Pre-Production the director works very closely with the editors so that they can help him achieve his vision until the final version of the film is completed.
Qualifications
There are no formal qualifications needed to become a director however one must have a wide and intense knowledge of every aspect of the film industry. There are hundreds of training books and courses to help study the art of directing. The role can only be mastered by experience in the field.
Recommended pay
When you’re a Director pay can really vary, if you established in the industry someone will pay allot more for you than if you are not. If you’re not a big director it can be difficult to guarantee. One week you could be making $50’000 per show and the next be working for free because you really love a project. Big directors in Hollywood will often be allowed to negotiate their salaries. The bigger your name, the more your worth.
Grip
A Grip is responsible for building and maintaining all of the equipment that supports the cameras, from tripods to cranes.
Skills
Firstly a Grip must have an extensive and up to date knowledge of all camera equipment and support equipment as this is what they will be dealing with. They must be skilled and able to maintain and build equipment, caring for it as it is their responsibility. Sometimes on or off set problems arise involving equipment, Grips must be able to surpass these problems in creative manners to benefit the team. Teamwork is a huge part of the Grips job, a Grip will be working very closely with the Director and D.O.P and must be able to help them achieve their artistic vision as well as this the Grip will need to be a good leader in order to lead their own team. Finally the Grip must be physically strong, being a grip entails a lot of strenuous physical work as some equipment may be very heavy, manual labour will be a big part of the Grips job.
What does a Grip do?
A Grip is responsible for building and maintaining all of the equipment that supports the cameras, from tripods to cranes as well as setting it all up for the Director and D.O.P. The Grip will always be working closely with the Director and Director of Photography as well as the other camera operators to ensure that all of the equipment is positioned correctly and moved smoothly. They will be responsible for pushing the dolly, being expected to do so with a good level of skill so that the movement of the camera is smooth and looks natural. On big multi camera shoots their are multiple grips with the ‘Key Grip’ being responsible for the main camera (Camera A) with other Grips being on hand for additional support with the other cameras.
Qualifications
You can take National Vocational Qualifications for being a Grip at level 2 and level 3. These have been set up by creative skill set and are awarded by City and Guilds. You will also need a driving license and a health and safety certification.
BECTU recommended pay:
Rates are for High Budget productions above £20M. Rates are for a 5 Day Week with 10 continuous hours or 12 hours with a break.
Key Grip: £2250
Level 3 Grip: £2000
Level 2 Grip: £1900
The Aerial DOP is responsible for all aspects of aerial filming from birds eye view shots to car chases shot from the view of a helicopter.
Skills
Similar to a DOP the Aerial DOP must have an extensive and up to date knowledge of camera equipment and lenses but also being familiar with Aerial filming systems and techniques. As well as this they should understand aerodynamics and flight and know civil aviation authority rules and regulations in order to keep themselves and the crew safe and in line with laws. They must also be able to lead a team and be able to take directions, being courageous and extremely focused as well as working well under pressure.
What does an Aerial DOP do?
Aerial DOPs work very closely with both Director and Director of Photography as well as working with people from their own team such as Film pilot and Aerial camera assistant. After reading the script the Aerial DOP will meet and discuss with the Director and main DOP to discuss storyboards and talk about the Aerial sequences. Aerial DOPs recommend specific aircraft and equipment being careful to stay within the budget. They must calculate the logistics of refuelling the aircraft, and establish suitable landing sites for reloading the camera. This is all co-ordinated by the Aerial Unit Support Team, who also organise the hiring of all aircraft, and provide back-up and support for the Aerial Crew throughout filming. They must also access the locations before shooting starts in order to see what kind of shots they can get.
Qualifications
You don’t have to have any specific qualifications or even a pilot's license however one must be skilled with cameras and have an extensive knowledge about them. There are many courses you can take for this. As well as this the Aerial DOP must have enthusiasm for aircrafts and aviation.
recommended pay:
As the Aerial DOP is a highly skilled but also dangerous job they will get paid paid quite a bit, it would be similar to that of the DOP per day but not as much overall all as they are most likely not needed as much as the main DOP is.
Director
A Director is the main driving force behind a films production. Visualising and defining the style and structure of the film helping bring it to life.
Skills
To be a director you must have an exceptionally high standard of creativity and great artistic vision. As the director is in charge of the entire creative production he must be a great leader and be able to motivate and convey his vision to everyone he is working with via great communication skills, this will be easier if the director is passionate about the project, it is always essential that the director has passion for the project otherwise it will be nowhere near as good as it could have been. The director must be prepared to work long hours and fully commit all of his efforts to the project he is working on and have a good eye for detail. As well as this the director must be very familiar with the entire film making process including both technical and creative aspects.
What does a Director do?
Directors are responsible for turning scripts into the movies we see on screen. At the end of the day they are judged to be responsible for the commercial success or failure of the film. Directors are sometimes also the writer of the film but other times are not and are hired to help turn someone else’s script into a movie. They must adopt this script as their own and develop their own vision for it. During Pre-Production Directors make crucial decisions such as selecting the right cast and crew. They also then manage the technical aspects of the film such as; Camera, Lighting and sound whilst the film is being made. During Pre-Production the director works very closely with the editors so that they can help him achieve his vision until the final version of the film is completed.
Qualifications
There are no formal qualifications needed to become a director however one must have a wide and intense knowledge of every aspect of the film industry. There are hundreds of training books and courses to help study the art of directing. The role can only be mastered by experience in the field.
Recommended pay
When you’re a Director pay can really vary, if you established in the industry someone will pay allot more for you than if you are not. If you’re not a big director it can be difficult to guarantee. One week you could be making $50’000 per show and the next be working for free because you really love a project. Big directors in Hollywood will often be allowed to negotiate their salaries. The bigger your name, the more your worth.
Grip
A Grip is responsible for building and maintaining all of the equipment that supports the cameras, from tripods to cranes.
Skills
Firstly a Grip must have an extensive and up to date knowledge of all camera equipment and support equipment as this is what they will be dealing with. They must be skilled and able to maintain and build equipment, caring for it as it is their responsibility. Sometimes on or off set problems arise involving equipment, Grips must be able to surpass these problems in creative manners to benefit the team. Teamwork is a huge part of the Grips job, a Grip will be working very closely with the Director and D.O.P and must be able to help them achieve their artistic vision as well as this the Grip will need to be a good leader in order to lead their own team. Finally the Grip must be physically strong, being a grip entails a lot of strenuous physical work as some equipment may be very heavy, manual labour will be a big part of the Grips job.
What does a Grip do?
A Grip is responsible for building and maintaining all of the equipment that supports the cameras, from tripods to cranes as well as setting it all up for the Director and D.O.P. The Grip will always be working closely with the Director and Director of Photography as well as the other camera operators to ensure that all of the equipment is positioned correctly and moved smoothly. They will be responsible for pushing the dolly, being expected to do so with a good level of skill so that the movement of the camera is smooth and looks natural. On big multi camera shoots their are multiple grips with the ‘Key Grip’ being responsible for the main camera (Camera A) with other Grips being on hand for additional support with the other cameras.
Qualifications
You can take National Vocational Qualifications for being a Grip at level 2 and level 3. These have been set up by creative skill set and are awarded by City and Guilds. You will also need a driving license and a health and safety certification.
BECTU recommended pay:
Rates are for High Budget productions above £20M. Rates are for a 5 Day Week with 10 continuous hours or 12 hours with a break.
Key Grip: £2250
Level 3 Grip: £2000
Level 2 Grip: £1900
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
Unit 26: 'Hollywood v British film'
Hollywood v British Film
Hollywood and the British film industry have some similarities but are overall very different. Firstly the two industry are two of the biggest film industry's in the world however The British film industry is no where near big enough to be in direct competition with Hollywood and The American Film industry. Hollywood is completely dominant over every other country's film industry. This is for many reason, mainly because of how big the United States is and how much money it has. Compared to America the UK is tiny and has no where near enough funds to mount serious completion to Hollywood.
One of the reason that there is so much money in America to produce films is that 'the big 6' all own studios in Hollywood. The big 6 are the 6 biggest conglomerates in the world, who have an oligopoly over the media industry. The big 6 buy up and merge with lots of smaller companies making them subsidiary's and or divisions of their won main companies. Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures to name a few are all huge production companies based in Hollywood, as well as this they are owned by Sony, Time Warner and Walt Disney who are all members of the big 6. This means that there is A LOT of money being pumped into these Hollywood Studios a lot more money than can be put into British films. The huge difference in money I the two industry has lead to a difference in the style of films that both industry's make. For example Hollywood pumps out tons of huge expensive blockbusters that are guarantee a massive audience, where as British films are more cultured and discuss different topics.
Funding in Hollywood
The main way that films are funded is via film production companies. You can go about getting funding from production companies in two different ways. Firstly you can take a script or idea to a single production company or studio. the company can then provide the entire funding for the film, as long as they are invested and believe in your idea. This is the easiest way of getting funding for your idea however to get the attention of the studio it would have to be a really good idea that would guarantee the studio some profit. A big production company, like Pinewood Studios, would take your script and help you produce the entire film their leaving you with your finished film. The film would need to do really well though, in order for yourself and the production company to make profit. The big production companies will take allot more of the films revenue than the smaller ones as they have better facilities and can guarantee quality
.
The second way to go about funding your film via production companies would be to take your script or idea to several smaller companies and split the funding for the film amongst them. This may be the better option for a smaller film as it wouldn't usually sell to the bigger production companies who can offer much more money. However these smaller companies may buy into the idea but as they have less money the funding needs to be split across multiple companies. These smaller production companies are then given less to produce meaning that they will have a lower cost and are more likely to take your film on. Sometimes the smaller production companies are more likely to take a risk on your film as the cost of production may not be that much.
Films can get more funding via product placement and synergy. Product placement is a method of advertising which is suppose to be subtle. The idea of product placement is that a company pays for a film to feature their product in the film. For example in the Skyfall one of the recent James Bond films, Sony the producers managed to work a lucrative product placement deal with Heineken. Heineken payed Sony to have Bond drink and advertise their beer in the film Skyfall, in many scenes of the movie a bottle of Heineken may be in the background of a shot subtlety placed. This offended some Bond fans as Bond is suppose to be classy and only drink Martinis, the fans accused Sony of selling out to Heineken but in fact the deal most definitely helped the Bond franchise as Heineken put a lot of money toward the film, money that if they didn't have the film may not have been as good as it was. Many films have done this in the past, Pepsi and Coke feature a lot as product placement in films. As well as this a film may ask a company if they can use their product in a film, smaller films may do this as they cannot create their own props. This means the company who's product is being placed is getting free advertising.
Vertical Integration
There are three main stages to a film's life. This is production, were the film is actually physically made, next is Distribution, which is about getting the film sold and distributed across the world, and the last stage is exhibition which is about where the film will be played. If a large conglomerate owns different companies that work on all 3 stages of the films life then this is known as Vertical Integration. This means a huge advantage for conglomerates as they have the luxury of being able to produce, distribute and exhibit the films themselves meaning that they can save time and money as they do not have to pay another company that they do not own to do it for them. Although buying a company that can work on each stage of a films life is expensive in the long term it will save the conglomerate lots of money as they do not have to pay out to anyone else and all the money they do spend will come back into the company. An example of a conglomerate that uses Vertical Integration is Disney whom are the largest conglomerate in the world, they can produce their own shows in their studios, distribute them through their own companies such as Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture (who are a division of Walt Disney Studios) and then exhibit them in their own theatres.
Horizontal Integration
This is when a conglomerate owns a number of companies from different sectors of the industry that can work together on the same project together. This means that everything can be done in house and no one else has to be brought in to help work on the project meaning that money will be saved.
for example Sony may be working on a film but they need music for it, luckily Sony being the huge conglomerate it is just so happens to own a music division called Sony Music Entertainment. This means that Sony Pictures can use music that is owned by Sony Music saving them time and money on licensing or creating new music. A real world example of Horizontal Integration can be seen in the film the Film Skyfall, which is a Sony Pictures film. Sony obviously needed a song for Skyfall so who better to get to do it than Adele, who is signed to the record label ‘Columbia’ who are owned by Sony Music Entertainment. This means Sony earn money from the song and the film.
Synergy
Synergy is similar to product placement and also links to horizontal integration. Synergy is when companies work together on multiple coordinated media marketing projects to a greater effect than if the money was spent on separate campaigns. This links back to Horizontal integration also Sony’s Film and Music divisions work closely together.
Synergy can seen in Skyfall and other bond films as Sony have cleverly used the film to promote its own products, meaning they don’t even have to pay for advertising campaign for them. For example in Skyfall Sony advertise their own products through a method of advertising called product placement. Product placement is when a product is placed within the frame in a film. The characters of the film may or may not interact with these products and they will almost always be shown in a positive light. Sony phones, Sony VAIO laptops and Sony cameras are all shown in the film. As well as this the James Bond theme was also available on guitar hero, which was released for Sony games consoles. Sony are basically everywhere.
Funding in Britain
British films are funded similarly to Hollywood films in some ways. For example things such as product placement and studio funding that I discussed above still apply to British films however funding can work a little differently over here too. As most of the big production companies are in Hollywood funding for films works differently in Britain. Instead of the money mainly coming from backers and investors in the form of the big 6 who own the production companies, it instead comes from government funding and the tax incentives that the government offer.
Tax Breaks
Over here the Government encourage the production of British film (and TV) by offering tax incentives to British Production Companies. The British film tax break scheme allows film production companies in the UK to claim 25% Tax relief on the cost of production. As long as a film can pass the cultural test it can be classed as British and therefore can claim 25% tax break. this is hugely benefiting the industry over here not only is it easier for British Film makers to make films as they can get funding from the government but Hollywood are starting to make their films over here in studios like Pinewood. As long as a Hollywood film can pass the cultural test, which involves having a partially British cast, crew and locations in the film then it is eligible for 25% tax break. This creates bigger opportunity's for our industry as Hollywood are starting to get British production studios to co produce their films so that they are eligible for the tax break. A side effect of this is that their are more jobs over here for Britain's who want to be in the film industry. Ex Machina is an example of a British co produced film, it is produced by film four but distributed by American studio Universal.
Funding Bodies
As well as Tax Breaks the British Film Industry gets its money from Funding Bodies, these are usually government organisations set up to help British film makers. Funding Bodies such as BFI film (British Film Institute) help film makers nationally. The BFI is part of the UK film council funded by the national lottery, the government have set this scheme up keep the British film industry alive. Without it the Industry wouldn't have enough money to keep producing films. The BFI helps film makers by offering them funding and the opportunity to co producer their film here in the UK. There are also a number of regional screens which support filming in local areas. Screen Yorkshire and Film London are examples of these.
Distribution
In the UK it is more difficult to get your film exhibited and distributed to a good audience. This is because most of the big company's that distribute films are based in Hollywood and are attached to Hollywood studios. British film makers may want to sell their ideas or scripts to an American studio as the studio may have a deal with a distributor who can guarantee that the film will be shown in their theatres, the job of the distributor is not only to get dvd releases out around the world but also to make sure that the film is shown in theatres. Lots of distribution company's own cinema chains meaning that they can guarantee that their product will be shown in the theatre. This also earns them more revenue as not only do they get money from the film but they also get it from their theatre. Another way of getting your movie seen if your a British film maker is by taking it to film festival. Film festivals are big events were smaller productions such as short films and indie films are displayed. Anyone can visit a film festival but the purpose of taking your film their is not only to get it recognition (through awards it may win) but also have it bought by a distributor or film agent whose sole job is to get your film seen by as many people and theatres as possible. Going to a film festival is a risk as you are in direct competition with other films who are also looking for representation in the form of a distributor or agent.
Hollywood and the British film industry have some similarities but are overall very different. Firstly the two industry are two of the biggest film industry's in the world however The British film industry is no where near big enough to be in direct competition with Hollywood and The American Film industry. Hollywood is completely dominant over every other country's film industry. This is for many reason, mainly because of how big the United States is and how much money it has. Compared to America the UK is tiny and has no where near enough funds to mount serious completion to Hollywood.
One of the reason that there is so much money in America to produce films is that 'the big 6' all own studios in Hollywood. The big 6 are the 6 biggest conglomerates in the world, who have an oligopoly over the media industry. The big 6 buy up and merge with lots of smaller companies making them subsidiary's and or divisions of their won main companies. Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures to name a few are all huge production companies based in Hollywood, as well as this they are owned by Sony, Time Warner and Walt Disney who are all members of the big 6. This means that there is A LOT of money being pumped into these Hollywood Studios a lot more money than can be put into British films. The huge difference in money I the two industry has lead to a difference in the style of films that both industry's make. For example Hollywood pumps out tons of huge expensive blockbusters that are guarantee a massive audience, where as British films are more cultured and discuss different topics.
Funding in Hollywood
The main way that films are funded is via film production companies. You can go about getting funding from production companies in two different ways. Firstly you can take a script or idea to a single production company or studio. the company can then provide the entire funding for the film, as long as they are invested and believe in your idea. This is the easiest way of getting funding for your idea however to get the attention of the studio it would have to be a really good idea that would guarantee the studio some profit. A big production company, like Pinewood Studios, would take your script and help you produce the entire film their leaving you with your finished film. The film would need to do really well though, in order for yourself and the production company to make profit. The big production companies will take allot more of the films revenue than the smaller ones as they have better facilities and can guarantee quality
.
The second way to go about funding your film via production companies would be to take your script or idea to several smaller companies and split the funding for the film amongst them. This may be the better option for a smaller film as it wouldn't usually sell to the bigger production companies who can offer much more money. However these smaller companies may buy into the idea but as they have less money the funding needs to be split across multiple companies. These smaller production companies are then given less to produce meaning that they will have a lower cost and are more likely to take your film on. Sometimes the smaller production companies are more likely to take a risk on your film as the cost of production may not be that much.
Films can get more funding via product placement and synergy. Product placement is a method of advertising which is suppose to be subtle. The idea of product placement is that a company pays for a film to feature their product in the film. For example in the Skyfall one of the recent James Bond films, Sony the producers managed to work a lucrative product placement deal with Heineken. Heineken payed Sony to have Bond drink and advertise their beer in the film Skyfall, in many scenes of the movie a bottle of Heineken may be in the background of a shot subtlety placed. This offended some Bond fans as Bond is suppose to be classy and only drink Martinis, the fans accused Sony of selling out to Heineken but in fact the deal most definitely helped the Bond franchise as Heineken put a lot of money toward the film, money that if they didn't have the film may not have been as good as it was. Many films have done this in the past, Pepsi and Coke feature a lot as product placement in films. As well as this a film may ask a company if they can use their product in a film, smaller films may do this as they cannot create their own props. This means the company who's product is being placed is getting free advertising.
Vertical Integration
There are three main stages to a film's life. This is production, were the film is actually physically made, next is Distribution, which is about getting the film sold and distributed across the world, and the last stage is exhibition which is about where the film will be played. If a large conglomerate owns different companies that work on all 3 stages of the films life then this is known as Vertical Integration. This means a huge advantage for conglomerates as they have the luxury of being able to produce, distribute and exhibit the films themselves meaning that they can save time and money as they do not have to pay another company that they do not own to do it for them. Although buying a company that can work on each stage of a films life is expensive in the long term it will save the conglomerate lots of money as they do not have to pay out to anyone else and all the money they do spend will come back into the company. An example of a conglomerate that uses Vertical Integration is Disney whom are the largest conglomerate in the world, they can produce their own shows in their studios, distribute them through their own companies such as Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture (who are a division of Walt Disney Studios) and then exhibit them in their own theatres.
Horizontal Integration
This is when a conglomerate owns a number of companies from different sectors of the industry that can work together on the same project together. This means that everything can be done in house and no one else has to be brought in to help work on the project meaning that money will be saved.
for example Sony may be working on a film but they need music for it, luckily Sony being the huge conglomerate it is just so happens to own a music division called Sony Music Entertainment. This means that Sony Pictures can use music that is owned by Sony Music saving them time and money on licensing or creating new music. A real world example of Horizontal Integration can be seen in the film the Film Skyfall, which is a Sony Pictures film. Sony obviously needed a song for Skyfall so who better to get to do it than Adele, who is signed to the record label ‘Columbia’ who are owned by Sony Music Entertainment. This means Sony earn money from the song and the film.
Synergy
Synergy is similar to product placement and also links to horizontal integration. Synergy is when companies work together on multiple coordinated media marketing projects to a greater effect than if the money was spent on separate campaigns. This links back to Horizontal integration also Sony’s Film and Music divisions work closely together.
Synergy can seen in Skyfall and other bond films as Sony have cleverly used the film to promote its own products, meaning they don’t even have to pay for advertising campaign for them. For example in Skyfall Sony advertise their own products through a method of advertising called product placement. Product placement is when a product is placed within the frame in a film. The characters of the film may or may not interact with these products and they will almost always be shown in a positive light. Sony phones, Sony VAIO laptops and Sony cameras are all shown in the film. As well as this the James Bond theme was also available on guitar hero, which was released for Sony games consoles. Sony are basically everywhere.
Funding in Britain
British films are funded similarly to Hollywood films in some ways. For example things such as product placement and studio funding that I discussed above still apply to British films however funding can work a little differently over here too. As most of the big production companies are in Hollywood funding for films works differently in Britain. Instead of the money mainly coming from backers and investors in the form of the big 6 who own the production companies, it instead comes from government funding and the tax incentives that the government offer.
Tax Breaks
Over here the Government encourage the production of British film (and TV) by offering tax incentives to British Production Companies. The British film tax break scheme allows film production companies in the UK to claim 25% Tax relief on the cost of production. As long as a film can pass the cultural test it can be classed as British and therefore can claim 25% tax break. this is hugely benefiting the industry over here not only is it easier for British Film makers to make films as they can get funding from the government but Hollywood are starting to make their films over here in studios like Pinewood. As long as a Hollywood film can pass the cultural test, which involves having a partially British cast, crew and locations in the film then it is eligible for 25% tax break. This creates bigger opportunity's for our industry as Hollywood are starting to get British production studios to co produce their films so that they are eligible for the tax break. A side effect of this is that their are more jobs over here for Britain's who want to be in the film industry. Ex Machina is an example of a British co produced film, it is produced by film four but distributed by American studio Universal.
Funding Bodies
As well as Tax Breaks the British Film Industry gets its money from Funding Bodies, these are usually government organisations set up to help British film makers. Funding Bodies such as BFI film (British Film Institute) help film makers nationally. The BFI is part of the UK film council funded by the national lottery, the government have set this scheme up keep the British film industry alive. Without it the Industry wouldn't have enough money to keep producing films. The BFI helps film makers by offering them funding and the opportunity to co producer their film here in the UK. There are also a number of regional screens which support filming in local areas. Screen Yorkshire and Film London are examples of these.
Distribution
In the UK it is more difficult to get your film exhibited and distributed to a good audience. This is because most of the big company's that distribute films are based in Hollywood and are attached to Hollywood studios. British film makers may want to sell their ideas or scripts to an American studio as the studio may have a deal with a distributor who can guarantee that the film will be shown in their theatres, the job of the distributor is not only to get dvd releases out around the world but also to make sure that the film is shown in theatres. Lots of distribution company's own cinema chains meaning that they can guarantee that their product will be shown in the theatre. This also earns them more revenue as not only do they get money from the film but they also get it from their theatre. Another way of getting your movie seen if your a British film maker is by taking it to film festival. Film festivals are big events were smaller productions such as short films and indie films are displayed. Anyone can visit a film festival but the purpose of taking your film their is not only to get it recognition (through awards it may win) but also have it bought by a distributor or film agent whose sole job is to get your film seen by as many people and theatres as possible. Going to a film festival is a risk as you are in direct competition with other films who are also looking for representation in the form of a distributor or agent.
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Unit 22: FutureLearn Evaluation
'FutureLearn' is a huge online learning platform were user can take part in courses to develop and learn new skills, as part of our assignment we used the 'FutureLearn' website to gain an insight into the industry and gain experience about the film making film process.
In the first week we learned about the stages of the production process al the way from pre production to distribution, it gave a really scale to how big a task film making is and how many different processes were involved. These process include;
1. Development
2. Pre-Production
3. Production
4. Principle Photography
5. Wrap
6. Post-Production
7. Distribution
On the second week we took a greater look at the film process its self including the different job roles and departments in the film industry . We also took at look into the world of production paperwork and saw examples of some pre production documents that used in the film making process .
On the third week we learned about starting out in the industry including a detailed look at the crucial role runners play in film production. Running roles and trainee positions are often the first place people start out in the industry, it may be a less important role however it is important to work you way up.
In the first week we learned about the stages of the production process al the way from pre production to distribution, it gave a really scale to how big a task film making is and how many different processes were involved. These process include;
1. Development
2. Pre-Production
3. Production
4. Principle Photography
5. Wrap
6. Post-Production
7. Distribution
On the second week we took a greater look at the film process its self including the different job roles and departments in the film industry . We also took at look into the world of production paperwork and saw examples of some pre production documents that used in the film making process .
On the third week we learned about starting out in the industry including a detailed look at the crucial role runners play in film production. Running roles and trainee positions are often the first place people start out in the industry, it may be a less important role however it is important to work you way up.
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Unit 22 Task 2: Evaluating my roles during Short Film Production
Evaluation (Unit 22: Task 2)
Whilst working with my team (small screen productions) over the production process I had 3 separate job roles over the 3 separate films that we worked on. On the first film we worked on during week one of shooting I was DOP, this was the 'Spider and The Fly'. On 'Luggage in Limbo' I was the sound operator and During 'The Incident' I was the Director.
I got the role I applied for on 'Spider and The fly' I had never been DOP before so I very much wanted to try it out as it involves allot of practical work which helps shape the film. I worked closely with Director and Sound Operator whilst on set, communicating with the director over things such as camera angles and framing. As well as this I worked closely with the Sound Operator to ensure that the audio sounded good and that the boom pole was not in shot. I also had paperwork duties, including writing up the shot list and storyboards meaning that I had to study the script to ensure that I created an appropriate shots list. Being DOP was a challenging but rewarding experience and one that I enjoyed, I think I did a decent job however there is definitely room for improvement when it comes to my ability with the camera, improvement that will hopefully come with more experience. For example some of the shots that I took had incorrect white balancing and were slightly out of focus all though I tried to white balance sometimes I clearly did not do it correctly as it did not work.I enjoyed working with the team and would work with them again, they were very professional on shoot helping each other out when we could.
On 'Luggage in Limbo' I was the sound recordist/boom operator, I enjoyed the fact that this role had as little paper work as possible but other than that I don't really think being a boom operator is my thing to be honest, my arms are to short. However despite my short arms I fulfilled my role very well working closely with the DOP to ensure that me nor my mic were in shot and that the audio it was picking up sounded good. I t was a very long day filming at the airport for Jess's film and my arms did begin to ache a little toward the end of the day. As well as this being boom operator doesn't allow as much creative input as some of the other roles.
My role in The Incident was the role that I Enjoyed the most, even though I didn't write the film as director I felt like the film was my own and there for I put maximum effort into creating the film how I and the writer had envisaged it. I found being director stressful but also very rewarding I was in charge of the whole shoot and also created the shot lists and storyboards. As well as this I organized the transportation for all of the cast and crew to and from locations, I recruited and cast extras and worked very closely with the make up girls to help create my desired visual effects including broken sugar class and fake blood. I had to organize and direct the cast and the extras which in total was over 20 people, this was very challenging especially when trying to create a party scene I had brief all of the extras before each scene and inform them all on what they were doing. It was stressful trying to get everyone to do the right thing at the same time, due to some of the actors being late we were also pushed for time so I found myself having to work everyone and myself very had to get finished on time. I enjoyed directing very much, I felt like it gave me a very big creative role in the film a role that i enjoyed very much. I think I worked very hard as director. I feel the team worked very well with me and all did their jobs correctly. I enjoyed working closely with Matty (DOP) I feel like we bounced ideas off of each other well and had a good creative flow, we worked closely together during pre production too brain storming ideas and concepts for the film. I would definitely work with the team again.
On set photos from all of the shoot days can be found in my production log blog post.
Whilst working with my team (small screen productions) over the production process I had 3 separate job roles over the 3 separate films that we worked on. On the first film we worked on during week one of shooting I was DOP, this was the 'Spider and The Fly'. On 'Luggage in Limbo' I was the sound operator and During 'The Incident' I was the Director.
I got the role I applied for on 'Spider and The fly' I had never been DOP before so I very much wanted to try it out as it involves allot of practical work which helps shape the film. I worked closely with Director and Sound Operator whilst on set, communicating with the director over things such as camera angles and framing. As well as this I worked closely with the Sound Operator to ensure that the audio sounded good and that the boom pole was not in shot. I also had paperwork duties, including writing up the shot list and storyboards meaning that I had to study the script to ensure that I created an appropriate shots list. Being DOP was a challenging but rewarding experience and one that I enjoyed, I think I did a decent job however there is definitely room for improvement when it comes to my ability with the camera, improvement that will hopefully come with more experience. For example some of the shots that I took had incorrect white balancing and were slightly out of focus all though I tried to white balance sometimes I clearly did not do it correctly as it did not work.I enjoyed working with the team and would work with them again, they were very professional on shoot helping each other out when we could.
On 'Luggage in Limbo' I was the sound recordist/boom operator, I enjoyed the fact that this role had as little paper work as possible but other than that I don't really think being a boom operator is my thing to be honest, my arms are to short. However despite my short arms I fulfilled my role very well working closely with the DOP to ensure that me nor my mic were in shot and that the audio it was picking up sounded good. I t was a very long day filming at the airport for Jess's film and my arms did begin to ache a little toward the end of the day. As well as this being boom operator doesn't allow as much creative input as some of the other roles.
My role in The Incident was the role that I Enjoyed the most, even though I didn't write the film as director I felt like the film was my own and there for I put maximum effort into creating the film how I and the writer had envisaged it. I found being director stressful but also very rewarding I was in charge of the whole shoot and also created the shot lists and storyboards. As well as this I organized the transportation for all of the cast and crew to and from locations, I recruited and cast extras and worked very closely with the make up girls to help create my desired visual effects including broken sugar class and fake blood. I had to organize and direct the cast and the extras which in total was over 20 people, this was very challenging especially when trying to create a party scene I had brief all of the extras before each scene and inform them all on what they were doing. It was stressful trying to get everyone to do the right thing at the same time, due to some of the actors being late we were also pushed for time so I found myself having to work everyone and myself very had to get finished on time. I enjoyed directing very much, I felt like it gave me a very big creative role in the film a role that i enjoyed very much. I think I worked very hard as director. I feel the team worked very well with me and all did their jobs correctly. I enjoyed working closely with Matty (DOP) I feel like we bounced ideas off of each other well and had a good creative flow, we worked closely together during pre production too brain storming ideas and concepts for the film. I would definitely work with the team again.
On set photos from all of the shoot days can be found in my production log blog post.
Saturday, 16 April 2016
Unit 26: 'Auteur and Genre Theory'
Auteur Theory
Auteur Theory in filmmaking is a theory in were the idea is that the director is the main creative driving force behind the film, as oppose to the screenwriter being seen as the author, the director is. This is because directors who are seen as Auteurs take more control over their films by over seeing all visual and audio aspects of the motion picture. Such fundamental elements such as; visual style of the film, camera angles and placement, lighting and scene length are controlled by the Auteur director. Directors who are consider to be auteurs all leave personal stamps or trademarks on their pieces meaning that there films can easily be identified. All of their works may also portray a similar style or narrative too. Some Auteurs such as Wes Anderson are so good at applying there cinematic stamp on a film that their works are easily identifiable. The theory its self originated out of France in the 1940's however it was American film critic Andrew Sarris who named it Auteur Theory. I will be discussing a few of these 'Auteurs' in more detail.
Directors who are considered to follow Auteur Theory:
Wes Anderson
Quentin Tarantino
Martin Scorsese
Zack Snyder
Tim Burton
Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is one of the best examples of an Auteur Director, he applies his own personal stamp to each one of his movies and because of this they are easily identifiable. His films always follow a similar narrative and have a light-hearted and fun theme. His style is distinct as he uses colour brilliantly in his films, each Anderson movie is bright and full of life often linking back to the colour yellow which is a predominant colour for important objects in his film. Wes Anderson creates beautiful elaborate and often perfectly symmetrical sets for his films this helps give all of his films a story book feel. As well as this his perfect sets allow him to crate beautifully framed shots, every shot in a Wes Anderson films is special with a tireless amount of work gone into it to make it look perfect. He is often hailed for his perfectly framed shots. His best example of this is the Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as the other Anderson Tropes such as the colour scheme the Grand Budapest Hotel is framed perfectly in every shot, with allot of them being symmetrical and shot straight on. Anderson is known to keep the camera still for most shots, preferring to shoot straight on, many directors avoid this as it doesn't give the film that 3rd dimension it needs to feel real. However Anderson shoots straight on beautifully the way he does it makes the film look like every shot has been set up perfectly almost like a series of paintings giving it that story book feel. Narration is also prominent is his movies as well as stylised and uniformed costumes which help ring the characters to life. As well as this Wes Anderson repeatedly uses the same actors across almost all of his works, for example; Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman feature in most of his films.
Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino is another director who is widely regarded as an Auteur because of the tropes he uses in each of his films. Often it is easy to identify a Tarantino film. He writes and directs his own movies giving him full creative control over them, he uses this control to craft his masterpieces. He has a talent for dialogue which can be seen in all of his films but especially in; Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. These films in particular are credited for having great dialogue that doesn't drive the plot of the story but tells us more about the personality of the characters, for example the diner scene at the beginning of Reservoir Dogs helps us understand what kind of relationship all of the characters have with each other, and gives us an early indication of their personality. Another Tarantino trope is homages and little Easter eggs he puts in his films to pay tribute to over pieces of work, he sometimes even reference's another one of his films in the movie. Tarintino loves doing this and only him himself could point out all of the small little movie references he throws in his films. Strong female leads and hyper stylized violence are also featured in a lot of his movies for example both are featured in Kill Bill. The hyper stylisation comes into the film when 'The Bride' fights the 'Crazy 88's' in a black and white fight scene. Graphic violence is another trope he uses, his films are often very blood featuring lots of gore. This can be seen in; Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Bastards just to name a few. He is also technically brilliant at using crane and tracking shots and has a love for music which plays an essential role in his films. Finally Tarantino likes to break his films up into acts or chapters with almost all of his films having title cards between each chapter.
Genre Theory
Genre is defined as a style or category, art forms such as music and films can fit into these category's or genres. Genre theory is the idea that categorising films into genre's can help; producers, directors and distributors produces motion pictures faster and more efficiently by looking at a genre and using other films that fit into the genre as a template or guide on how to make their film. As well as this categorising films into Genres also benefits the audience as they can identify films they like or may want to see based on what the genre of the film is.
Genre Theory Effect
Producers;
Distributors;
Audience;
Auteur Theory in filmmaking is a theory in were the idea is that the director is the main creative driving force behind the film, as oppose to the screenwriter being seen as the author, the director is. This is because directors who are seen as Auteurs take more control over their films by over seeing all visual and audio aspects of the motion picture. Such fundamental elements such as; visual style of the film, camera angles and placement, lighting and scene length are controlled by the Auteur director. Directors who are consider to be auteurs all leave personal stamps or trademarks on their pieces meaning that there films can easily be identified. All of their works may also portray a similar style or narrative too. Some Auteurs such as Wes Anderson are so good at applying there cinematic stamp on a film that their works are easily identifiable. The theory its self originated out of France in the 1940's however it was American film critic Andrew Sarris who named it Auteur Theory. I will be discussing a few of these 'Auteurs' in more detail.
Directors who are considered to follow Auteur Theory:
Wes Anderson
Quentin Tarantino
Martin Scorsese
Zack Snyder
Tim Burton
Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is one of the best examples of an Auteur Director, he applies his own personal stamp to each one of his movies and because of this they are easily identifiable. His films always follow a similar narrative and have a light-hearted and fun theme. His style is distinct as he uses colour brilliantly in his films, each Anderson movie is bright and full of life often linking back to the colour yellow which is a predominant colour for important objects in his film. Wes Anderson creates beautiful elaborate and often perfectly symmetrical sets for his films this helps give all of his films a story book feel. As well as this his perfect sets allow him to crate beautifully framed shots, every shot in a Wes Anderson films is special with a tireless amount of work gone into it to make it look perfect. He is often hailed for his perfectly framed shots. His best example of this is the Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as the other Anderson Tropes such as the colour scheme the Grand Budapest Hotel is framed perfectly in every shot, with allot of them being symmetrical and shot straight on. Anderson is known to keep the camera still for most shots, preferring to shoot straight on, many directors avoid this as it doesn't give the film that 3rd dimension it needs to feel real. However Anderson shoots straight on beautifully the way he does it makes the film look like every shot has been set up perfectly almost like a series of paintings giving it that story book feel. Narration is also prominent is his movies as well as stylised and uniformed costumes which help ring the characters to life. As well as this Wes Anderson repeatedly uses the same actors across almost all of his works, for example; Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman feature in most of his films.
Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino is another director who is widely regarded as an Auteur because of the tropes he uses in each of his films. Often it is easy to identify a Tarantino film. He writes and directs his own movies giving him full creative control over them, he uses this control to craft his masterpieces. He has a talent for dialogue which can be seen in all of his films but especially in; Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. These films in particular are credited for having great dialogue that doesn't drive the plot of the story but tells us more about the personality of the characters, for example the diner scene at the beginning of Reservoir Dogs helps us understand what kind of relationship all of the characters have with each other, and gives us an early indication of their personality. Another Tarantino trope is homages and little Easter eggs he puts in his films to pay tribute to over pieces of work, he sometimes even reference's another one of his films in the movie. Tarintino loves doing this and only him himself could point out all of the small little movie references he throws in his films. Strong female leads and hyper stylized violence are also featured in a lot of his movies for example both are featured in Kill Bill. The hyper stylisation comes into the film when 'The Bride' fights the 'Crazy 88's' in a black and white fight scene. Graphic violence is another trope he uses, his films are often very blood featuring lots of gore. This can be seen in; Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Bastards just to name a few. He is also technically brilliant at using crane and tracking shots and has a love for music which plays an essential role in his films. Finally Tarantino likes to break his films up into acts or chapters with almost all of his films having title cards between each chapter.
Genre Theory
Genre is defined as a style or category, art forms such as music and films can fit into these category's or genres. Genre theory is the idea that categorising films into genre's can help; producers, directors and distributors produces motion pictures faster and more efficiently by looking at a genre and using other films that fit into the genre as a template or guide on how to make their film. As well as this categorising films into Genres also benefits the audience as they can identify films they like or may want to see based on what the genre of the film is.
Codes and Conventions
All Genres have rules that films need to follow in order to fit into that genre. A genre is like an imaginary contract between producers and consumers as the consumers will expect certain things from films depending on the genre it fits into. However genre texts do not work just by copying other films from that genre instead they add their own contribution to the genre depending on the intentions and creativity of the director.
Genre: Action
Action movies are one of the most popular genres of films today, lots of action films follow the same codes and conventions which make them identifiable as being part of the action genre. For example action films always feature fast paced fight scenes with rapid cutting between shots which is intended to throw the audience off to give them that feeling of uncertainty where they don't know who will win the fight. These types of fight scenes can be found in most actions films, they will almost allows use intense music and lots of cuts when a fight is happening, therefor this is a convention of action films. A great example of this convention is a fight scene from Bourne Identity.Another convention of action films is that in action films the protagonist is usually on one long quest to stop the antagonist as the film progresses the protagonist finds himself in increasingly difficult fights or chase scenes with each one more dangerous than the last. This is to build tension, the director wants to ramp the intensity of the action up right until the climax so that the audience is always on the edge of their seat.
Genre: Action
Action movies are one of the most popular genres of films today, lots of action films follow the same codes and conventions which make them identifiable as being part of the action genre. For example action films always feature fast paced fight scenes with rapid cutting between shots which is intended to throw the audience off to give them that feeling of uncertainty where they don't know who will win the fight. These types of fight scenes can be found in most actions films, they will almost allows use intense music and lots of cuts when a fight is happening, therefor this is a convention of action films. A great example of this convention is a fight scene from Bourne Identity.Another convention of action films is that in action films the protagonist is usually on one long quest to stop the antagonist as the film progresses the protagonist finds himself in increasingly difficult fights or chase scenes with each one more dangerous than the last. This is to build tension, the director wants to ramp the intensity of the action up right until the climax so that the audience is always on the edge of their seat.
Genre Theory Effect
Producers;
Genre Theory can benefit producers of a film as it helps them to create a template for their film. They can look at other films from the same genre as their own and take what audiences like about them to make their own film successful. Doing this means the producers are guaranteed to have interested in their film from people who are already fans of the genre. For example if a producer was looking to fund and create a new action film, they would look at other films in the genre and use what audiences liked about these films/what made them successful and apply those features to their own film. This means that all films from the same genre tend to be similar and follow certain tropes and traits.
Distributors;
Genre Theory can help distributors and promoters get their film seen as they already have an idea on who their target audiences is based on other films from the genre that their film fits into. This lets distributors use marketing methods that they know will work on their audiences and allows them to advertise places that they know their audiences will see it.
Audience;
Genre Theory may benefit the company behind the film but it also has an effect on the audience. Genres act as labels for films allowing audiences to establish their likes and dislikes for certain genres. For example they may associate a film they do not like (i.e. Die Hard) with the action genre, this would mean that the audience member would be less likely to watch other movies from that genre based on the fact that they would be similar to the movie they disliked and so the audience member would be less likely to like another movie from that genre. It also helps audiences figure out what they like, for example if some one really likes a western they may find them selves watching more westerns because they know that they will like the film from that genre and therefore are not wasting their time watching something that they do not want to watch.
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Unit 22: Single Camera Techniques Tutorial!
This is the Tutorial I made for our SRC Film Tutorials youtube channel, it was on the topic of
Mise En Scene!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbvAfgNHvBI&feature=youtu.be
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