WELCOME MODERATOR

Welcome, moderator! I am Callum Drewett 1413 and I worked with Calum Gethin-barkway 1418, Alastair Simpson 1528 and Oliver Roberts 1449.

I hope you enjoy my blog, which contains my work on my G322 Foundation Portfolio. We chose the video brief, the titles and openings of a fictional crime-thriller film which we named Contradiction . My preliminary exercise follows immediately underneath.

Patient Diagnosis Preliminary Exercise

I took specific responsibility for Assistant Director, Scriptwriter, Assistant Editor, Actor and creating the Facebook page for our film.

My evaluation questions are above.

My Film - CONTRADICTION

A Level Movie Opening

PLANNING: OUR FILM OPENING CREDITS

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PLANNING: PADLET

Today, I used an online web tool named 'Padlet' as I created a corkboard that allows myself and my group to contribute to one document which is quick and efficient. This includes images, videos, scripts and other files that we share in the group.

RESEARCH: (BIFA) BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

With interest, I have been following the recent BIFA nominations and awards for the UK Independent Cinema. The BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) represent the British Film Industry and give awards in recognition of the challenges facing independent, low-budget cinema in funding, distribution and marketing. American Honey is an example. It didn't gain success immediately after being distributed and promoted/presented to the public. The director Andrea Arnold cast an almost unknown cast (with the exception of Shia LaBeouf), using found locations (rather than expensive studio sets) and a low budget.

https://www.bifa.film/

The Director named Ken Loach is very well known for his real and current situations occurring around the country. Using issues and problems in the UK, Ken portrays his views through the eyes of the less fortunate because they most likely aren't addressed in the News.

On the BFI Study day, I learned that the film 'American Honey' is classified as a British film because of the cast and director as well as the key organisations involved. Andrea Arnold is also known for 'Fish Tank' in 2009 which had a budget of £million. Compare this with Star Wars with £230million. American Honey is an example of a BFI/Film 4 funding model.

American Honey's key themes involve adolescents along with their lifestyle which are themes and issues which are not usually featured by mainstream cinema. In addition, there was no expensive sets because it was shot on location - just like how my film/title opening will be produced.


Part of how the social reclaim was achieved within American Honey was through the handheld camera work which gives it an element of 'cinema verite'.

In both production values and budgets, my own production has many similarities as it is very low budget, only unknowns in the cast, and shooting on location.

PLANNING: INTERVIEWING OUR CHARACTER

Open source here

In the screenshot above, it shows a part of the blog written by Charlie Sierra whom explains a great way of building characters. Charlie wrote about a very good book entitled "Riding the Alligator" which was written by the Author 'Pen Densham'. Pen is a very sophisticated and professional filmmaker.

We have decided to interview our character as it is a good technique to get to know the specific character alone as well as their part in the film. In my film-drama, we are going to interview the police officer during an interrogation after his incident in the opening.

PLANNING: THE TOP LINE AND THE BIG QUESTION

I watched a video on Frank Ash who is the creative consultant for BBC Films, who has taught storytelling and creative techniques to people and film crews across the BBC and beyond.



THE TOP LINE: The story is about police discrimination towards adolescents, who are placed into police custody. However one day the tables turn... The policeman hits a adolescent and he happens to be related to the two discriminated adolescents that are put in police custody. The next day the two adolescent people confront the policeman, they are now in control.

THE BIG QUESTION: What will happen to the policeman? Will justice prevail?

TREATMENT: The scene is set at a local bakery. Inside the bakery, a smiling assistant is serving cupcakes. Close up of cupcakes. The atmosphere is light-hearted and relaxed. In the shop, 3 teenagers are looking at the cakes. They leave and hang around the door of the shop. Meanwhile, a middle aged customer emerges fro the shop and bumps into one of the teenagers. A few minutes later, the shop owner behind the cashier tries to find her purse but realises she has lost her purse. The teenagers exchange glances and deny the theft but make a run for it.  A middle-aged policeman, who has been staring into the shop window, turns, hails at them and goes after them.
Cut to interview at police station............
Cut to teenagers being released and greeted by friend who is waiting for them, wearing a distinctive hat.
Cut to scene in which the policeman receives a call from his superior................
Cut to scene in which the policeman is driving home from work and pulls out onto a path in front of a cyclist - the cyclist turns out to be the friend of the teenagers.

RESEARCH: BUSINESS OF FILM

What is the cultural value of film?

An economist named David Throsby bases his point of view on a definition of value that encompasses cultural value.

Studies on cultural impact of films have shown how films apart from being popular leisure activities, carry very powerful and political messages for the audience/viewers, presents insights of other cultures and also our own culture too.








What film matters to the economy/Why is it important?


The graph to the left displays the amount of money the UK have spent on the production of feature films over the last 20 years.

As everyone knows, the Film industry matters hugely to the economy as it is entertainment which interacts with the audience. In the UK, film was the first creative industry to be supported by film incentives in recognition of its importance.

Approximately £840 million of tourism spending by overseas visitors can be attributed to film-induced tourism. Film is often regarded as a driver of the other creative industries, in that it is high profile and often makes use of the highest design and creative skills.

The UK make many independent films due to Curzon cinemas. They are identified as British films. For example, Paddington, The Imitation Game and The Inbetweeners.

On the other hand, the UK films only took 16% of the box office takings in 2014. As the UK make many independent films, there is no large British film production or distribution company based in the UK. Like most other countries in Europe and considerably around the world, the American films take all of the money from the Box Office because they have bigger production and distribution companies than any other country including the UK.


The benefits of inward investment
Alongside the BFI Film Fund, there are 2 other important public organisations that provide support and stability to British Independent Film Industry. The following are the organisations: BBC Films (main part of the BBC) and Film 4 which links with Channel 4.


Thinking about the value chain

In the film industry, the term ‘value chain’ is used to describe the series of steps.

To the left, is the image of 'Main stages'. The main stages of the film value chain are: Distribution, Concept Origination, Development, Finance, Creative Packaging, Production, Exploitation which will be explained later on.

In general, the film producer is the one filmmaker that accompanies the film on its entire journey through the value chain until it is safely in the hands of the distributors.

The Film Business value chain

Development is the first step where people come together and produce ideas which is a crucial part of the process (value chain) as it all starts here.

Finance for big companies like Universal Studios in America for example have no problem with this as they have the money to fund for their own films however the independent film making companies (such as, in the UK) mainly struggle as they haven't got the funds which is a big concern.

Pre-pre-production (Pre-prep) is the preparation before the production process. This stage is concerning for some films being created as some have tight time frames.

The film is not yet officially financed. However, money needs to be spent in order to secure key cast and crew, and start to find locations, and so forth. Someone needs to fund pre-prep, but this is a highly risky investment, because the film might collapse at the last minute.

Production has it's uncertainties and high risks however known to be the simplest stage in some respects because of the difficulties with the others. It is divided into pre-production, the official ‘prep’ period, principal photography, when the camera is rolling, and post-production when the editing and sound and visual effects (VFX) and music aspects are incorporated.

Distribution is the process of getting the film into the hands of the theatre chains, broadcasters, video stores and video on demand (VoD) operators; The companies that do this are called the Distributors.

Exploitation is the process by which consumers actually experience the film (films are screened in cinemas and other platforms that may be recreational or not). Furthermore, films are being more and more consumed in different ways with the growing importance of digital technologies.

What happens along the value chain?

Development - Secure Rights, Hire Director, Option Agreement, Hire Casting Director, Secure - Development Finance, Preliminary Budget, Secure Key Cast, Secure pre-sales, Hire Writer. 
Finance - Broadcast License, Certify as British, Prepare Estimates. 
Production - Pre-production, Principal Photography, Post-Production. 
Distribution - Video/DVD/VoD licensing, Cinema Exhibition. 
Concept Origination - Find Ideas. 
Exploitation - Download to Own, DVD Rental and Sales. 
Creative Packaging - Marketing Campaign.