Wednesday 2 May 2012

Film Company Logo Ideas

These are some examples of some film company logos.

     

The logo for 20th Century Fox was designed by Emil Kosa who worked as a landscape artist. This logo has been modified several times over the past years.
For the MGM logo, there have been 5 different lions that have featured as Tanner and Leo the Lion.

Monday 30 April 2012

Evaluation

My media product uses conventions of real media products in different ways. The genre of horror is portrayed in ways similar to what we would expect to see in a real product. I have used a variety of camera shots and angles to show this. For example, a tracking shot. Tracking shots follow the characters, which gives us an idea of what they are like. Or it could be used to follow a line of action. Also a mid shot, showing the characters. And a low angle shot. Also, some of the sound effects used were similar to what is expected from a horror film, as well as dialogue. Editing techniques, like cutting, and transitions were used in the editing process, to make the film fit together.


   
My media product represents the social group of older teenagers, both boys and girls, they are lower class social group. This representation is often seen in real media products, often as being victims in horror films. I represented them as being a normal group of friends, by wearing casual clothes, and victims of the attack in the film. The topic of conversation adds to the representation of this particular social group, as they are unaware of what is going to happen to them. An example of a film in which older teenagers are represented as being like this Final Destination. This film portrays older teenagers as being rebellious and often thinking that things won't happen to them, even though they end up becoming victims in the film.

          

The kind of media institution that would distribute my film, would be more likely to be an independent film company. This is because the film consists of all British actors, which would cost a lot less than featuring actors/actresses from America. Also because the film does not feature that many different locations, which wouldn't cost as much. It wouldn't need as many special effects when edited so is more likely to be produced by an independent film company.

                        

The main, primary audience for my media product would most likely be older teenagers as this is the main social group represented in the film itself, and this kind of audience would be able to relate to the stereotypes of their own social group. Therefore the certificate for the film would be 15. However there are other secondary audiences that would be attracted to this film. For example, big horror film fans who are interested in this type of horror. For example Final Destination. The film caters for them by including gory and frightening scenes as well as lots of action. This makes the film suitable for a wider audience.


                         

What I have learned about technologies, whilst constructing this product, are the different camera techniques, which would be most effective in my film. For example the tracking shots. Also the ways in which I needed to sequence the film, such as the continuity effect, to make the film flow better. Other things I have learned include special effects, sound effects (diagetic/non-diagetic) and transitions.
           


When looking back at my preliminary task, I feel that I have progressed in making a film sequence flow together better, by learning more about continuity. Also about how different camera angles can portray different types if characters or social groups and different situations. I have learned how to make a suitable film for my intended audiences and other audiences relating to the film.

                                    

Sunday 15 April 2012

Horror Film Examples

The Amityville Horror.
A man called Ronald murders his family at the time of 3:15, as he said he heard voices telling him to do it. A few years later a family of 5 move into the house and are haunted by the previous killings in the house. Soon after, George starts behaving strangely and starts to torment his 3 step children, similar to what has happened before. Eventually the family move away from the house to live in peace.

     


     Final Destination
A film made in 2000 about a boy who can see the deaths of him and his friends and tries his best to avoid them. This comes after saving himself and his friends from a plane crash which killed several passengers.





Other Horror Film Examples:
The Grudge


Friday The 13th


Saw








Monday 26 March 2012

The Grudge - Film Opening

Camera  - At the start of the opening sequence, there is a point of view, hand held action. This is to show the person walking down the pathway to the house. When we see the house, it is a low angle shot which makes it seem bigger and more threatening. There is another hand held shot of when the door is being opened. This makes the opening seem like a documentary of someone showing the audience around the house. During the sequence, there are many close up shots to show the two character's facial expressions and for detail, for example, the rope in the hanging scene. A match on action is used to show the camera panning down the house to then go on to do the same thing in the Grudge's bedroom. This is a good way of making the scenes flow together. There is use of a tracking shot where we see the various different items on the floor, and this is to give us clues about the plot or the character's.

Sound - At first in the sequence, there is diagetic sound of the trees rustling whilst the character is walking up the path. This is to make the scene sound more frightening. Some more diagetic sound from the sequence includes birds and crows squawking, footsteps walking up the path, dripping of the blood, heavy breathing from the Grudge, slamming of the door, blood spattering onto the wall, young children laughing, pages of a book turning, tapping noises and screaming. These are all used for dramatic effect to make the scenes seem scarier. There is also use of some non-diagetic sound, which is used to create suspense.


Mise-en-scene and Editing - Some of the typical horror film objects in The Grudge include trees, a big house, windows, blood, chairs and table, a cat, rope for a hanging. These are some of the items that the audience would expect to see in a typical horror film. Some less obvious items which feature in The Grudge opening include slippers, litter, kitchen utensils and children's drawings. All the items in a horror film will have some kind of being behind them.
There are many jump cuts in the sequence to emphasize the confusion and panic of the situation. The lighting is mainly very dim which is used to emphasize the frightening plot and characters of the film.



Wednesday 21 March 2012

Film Company And Ideas For My Film

Some examples of film companies are 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, Streamline Pictures, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures.

   

20th Century Fox is a major American film company and is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It was founded in 1935 and has produced popular films including Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, and Alien. It has also been the producer of many popular TV programmes including Family Guy and The Simpsons. The company is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America.



Metro-Goldwyn Mayer is an American film company which was founded in 1924.

Columbia Pictures is an American film and distribution company and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and is one of the leading film companies. It was founded in 1919 by Jack and Harry Cohn and John Brandt.

Another film company is Walt Disney Pictures is a part of the Walt Disney Company. It is also a member of the Motion Picture Association. Some of their most popular and successful films include Alice in Wonderland, and Toy Story 3.

I have decided that my film would be produced by an independent film company. It is a British based film and so would only really appeal to a British audience. So it wouldn't need a contribution from other major film companies. Carrying out research on different major and independant film companies helped me to decide on which one I would use for my own film.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Props In Horror Films And My Film Opening

There are many different kinds of props that are often used and associated with horror films, and ones in which the audience would expect to see when watching a horror film. These kind of props include knives, fake blood, saws, guns, gloves, cobwebs, skeletons, bones. These are the things that we often find when watching horror films.

   

Sometimes, there are props used which you wouldn't necessarily expect in a horror film. They can be used to create an effect, as they must relate to the topic of the film in some way. These could include things like a TV, a mobile phone, a piece of jewelry, a book, a piece of clothing, a radio, a car etc.

                

 

In my film opening, I didn't really need to use any of these kinds of props. This was because the purpose of the opening was to portray normality within the group of friends. This is shown up until the kidnap scenes, although no significant props are needed until later on in the film.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Storyboard For My Film Opening

1 and 2. These are the first two scenes for my opening. The first scene starts off as presenting normality with the group of friends in the park. This is shown as an establishing shot. Scene two shows them walking up the path to the main location of the opening. This is done as a pan camera movement with the building in sight.

3 and 4. Scene three is showing the group of friends beside the building and talking amongst one another. One of the characters (the victim) is is in the centre of the shot with two of her friends either side of her. Scene four shows a figure being zoomed in on although we don't see who it is. While we see this there is general chat from the group of friends in the background about the building.


5 and 6. Scene five is showing the main character who is about to walk in to the building. This is a mid close up shot. Scene six shows the other friends running off and hiding whilst main character walks into the building. This is also done as a mid shot. There is diagetic sound of the characters running, and may be some non-diagetic sound playing softly in the background.



7 and 8. Scene seven shows a pan from left to right around the inside of the building without showing the main character. There is some non-diagetic sound whilst the inside of the building is being shown. This could include eery or ghostly voices. Scene eight shows the outside of the building once the main character is inside it. The whole scene is silent apart from the diagetic sound. There may be some non-diagetic eery music playing quietly in the background.


9 and 10. Scene nine shows the kidnapper's arms reaching out and grabbing/pulling the main character. Before this, from inside the building there will be some non-diagetic eery music to build up suspense just before the kidnap takes place. Scene ten, distant screams can be heard from character's friends from nearby. There are close ups of some of the characters to show their facial expressions.


11 and 12. Scene eleven shows a pan shot again of around the inside of the building, from left to right after the kidnap has happened. Scene twelve shows the friends running in to see what has happened to the victim. There is diagetic sound of talking and panic from the other characters. Some non-diagetic music will play in the background, which signifies the danger and the panic of the situation.


While making my film, I had to make some changes that would improve the sequence of my opening. I had to change some of the scenes around so that they could link together easily. For example, I took the scene of panning around the building, and used it in the second or third shot. I did this so that the audience would know that something was wrong, even before the characters would. I also changed some of the camera angles around so they weren't all too similar to each other. I will also make some changes to the sequence whilst editing my opening, e.g. sound and the order of scenes.
The purpose of the storyboard was to help me to get my film opening in the right order in terms of shots/camra angles. It also helped me decide which sound effects to use for different scenes.