Horror Conventions

Now even though I'm not definitely going to do a horror film, I thought I'd type up some of the ideas I brainstormed in class about what makes a horror film, just in case.

Firstly let's talk about NARRATIVE.

Low angles, not showing faces, fights, capture (locked up), escape, car crashes, ghosts, surprises, shocks, the people who are about the save the victims are often killed, no hope, corrupt authority, powerless law, murder, stalking, contrasts, natural disasters, grief, high body count, masks, black, gore, serial killers, secrets, enigma, isolation, killer in control, can't contact help/help doesn't believe the victim, twisted methods of killing, sexuality, mental health, revenge, stereotypes killed, at least one of the main characters survives, supernatural, torture, fear of the unknown, pace quickens towards climax, ECU's to show fear in eyes, handheld camera, tilts/different lenses (black and white, picking up only certain colours).


Now on to CHARACTERS.
Villain usually a man, ditzy blondes killed, bitchy high-school girls killed, stereotypes killed first (stupid, vain) pretty blonde female victims, the final girl, victim changes role - goes from being a coward to becoming the hero, the geek survives and aids the victim, the bully or cocky macho jock dies, lots of victims, psychopaths, villains, useless police, media killed for being useless or nosey, villain has other people to do their dirty work, enemy dies right at the end (unless there is a sequel planned so the villain will survive), allies of victim killed as they are on their way to help them, mass merderers, twisted men, deep motive (revenge etc.), creatures that go evil and attack, ghosts, spirits possessing people, demons, children possessed or targeted, killers have a disguise or something that is unique to them (a mask, a glove, a catchphrase..) vampires, zombies, often the victim is violated before being killed.

On to ICONOGRAPHY.


Masks, mirrors, distortion, black, darkness, reflections, knives/weapons, full moon, claws, shadows, silhouettes, low-key lighting, shadows created by torches or single lights, big houses, long corridors, empty roads, haunted buildings, basements, attics, hotels, forests, countryside, unfamiliar territory, ambiguous shots, ECU's, handheld camera, angles, zooms, tilts, montages, fades into and out of black, dissolves (time passing), candles, lamps, rain, snow, storms, dripping water, corpses, limbs (missing), trees creating scary shadows, smashed glass, hooded cloaks to hide faces, old furniture, doors creaking open, dark colours and red, chains, religious symbols, money, photographs.


Ok, so here are some of the THEMES, (some of which are already mentioned earlier).
the devil, ghosts, child/toy spirits, mind games, vampires, science fiction, zombies, animals, creatures, wilderness, claustrophobia, love, passion, sex, obsession, mental illness, insanity, split personalities, twisted sexuality, desperation, helplessness, trapped, torture, danger, fear, fast heartbeat, shock, surprise, uneasiness, discomfort, sympathy, grief, mystery, forbidden actions, evil deads, misery, sin, forgiveness, punishment, panic, confusion, hell, isolation, deceit, greed, twisted entertainment.

Finally, but by no means leastMUSIC & SOUNDS.

Thunder and lightning, rain, dripping water, echoes, whistling wind, window bangs, wolf howls, owls, rustling, footsteps, deep voices, creaking doors, creaking stairways, sudden bangs, clanks, clicking, strange noises such as creatures or supernatural noises, crackling televisions or radio signals, beeping, evil laughter, screams, sounds of agony, crying children, rustling trees and leaves, slamming doors, scary music, long high pitched violin noises held on one note, 'Psycho' music, deep musical notes held for long time (drone), crashes, loud base drums gettting faster, variations in tempo and dynamics, orcestral music, sometimes techno music, minor key, organ music, church bell sounds, childrens toy noises, contrapuntal music (upbeat music during a murderous chase or fight), silence, shrieking, howling wind, lullabies/nursery rhymes used in a sinister way, gasps, heavy breathing, yelling, crying, whispering, sudden high pitched notes (violins).

Budgeting

Budgeting

-

Budgeting is an important aspect of film production.
During script development, filmmakers produce a rough budget to convince film producers and film studios to give them a greenlight for production. During pre-production, a more detailed film budget is produced. This document, which could be over 150 pages long, is used to secure financing. Multiple drafts of the budget may be required to whittle down costs.

-
A budget is typically divided into four sections: above-the-line (creative talent), below-the-line (direct production costs), post-production (editing, visual effects, etc), and other (insurance, completion bond, etc).

-

Going over budget

-
In the US film production system, producers are not allowed to exceed the budget. Exceptions have of course been made, one of the most notable examples being Titanic. Director James Cameron ran around with the budget and offered his fee to the studio. In other countries, producers who exceed their budget tend to eat the cost by receiving less of their producer's fees. While the US system is profitable and can afford to go over budget, other countries' film industries tend to be financed through government subsidies.

-

Here is the estimated budget for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
-

Story rights (Carolco and Gale Anne Hurd): $14.5 million
Screenplay: $5.2 million
John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris: $1 million
Director (Jonathan Mostow): $5 million
Producers: $10 million
Cast: $35 million
Arnold Schwarzenegger: $29.25 million + 20% gross profits
Arnold's perks: $1.5 million
Rest of principal cast: $3.85 million
Extras: $400,000
Production costs: $58 million
Post-production costs: $4 million
Visual effects: $20 million
Music: $2 million
Other costs: $33.6 million
Total: $187.3 million

As you can see, almost $70 million was spent on the cast. Using unknown actors would save a lot of money, but probably wouldn't generate as much publicity. As this is a Hollywood Blockbuster, they have the budget to use "stars".

Who is needed when making a film?

Apart from the actors, there is a team of people needed to make a film a success. This website describes all the roles: http://saturn.vfx.com/loup/glossary.html

However, it doesn't mention hair & make-up, which I'm sure is a vital part of the production...

Stages of filmmaking
-Development. The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film.
-Pre-production. Preparations are made for the shoot, in which cast and crew are hired, locations are selected, and sets are built.
-Production. The raw elements for the finished film are recorded.
-Post-Production. The film is edited; music tracks (and songs) are composed, performed and recorded; sound effects are designed and recorded; and any other computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, and the film is fully completed.
-Sales and distribution. The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors), is picked up by a distributor and reaches its theater and/or home media audience.

The Coen Brothers

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are four-time Academy Award winning American filmmakers. The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias "Roderick Jaynes". They are known in the film business as "the two-headed director", as they share a similar vision of their films. Actors can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer.

The reason I chose to research the Coen Brothers is that they differ from all other film makers in that they are two people who work as one. They have produced films of different genres, such as "screwball comedies" (The Hudsucker Proxy), film noir (No Country For Old Men) and genre hybrids (The Big Lebowski).

No Country For Old Men received rave reviews in Cannes, and the film review site http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ said "not only does No Country deliver another excellent Coen Brothers film, it also delves thematically deeper than your average crime thriller with its sprawling saga of a drug deal gone wrong, a bag of cash, a hunter on the run (Josh Brolin), and the philosophizing psychopath on his trail (Javier Bardem)."

Scripts

Scripts are the integral part of movies, and there are specific rules that writers should follow when writing a screen-play.

I found this website really useful with tips on screen-writing as it gives a detailed guide on the do's and don't's.

http://www.screenwriting.info/

It looks quite hard! And it's different to TV because the story is more involved as the duration is longer. For GCSE media, as part of my exam on Sitcom, I wrote part of a script for my Sitcom (which I had to exclude from my final exam due to time) but I was quite happy with it. It seemed to capture the essence of Sitcom and show the characters in the way I intended.

This website http://www.script-o-rama.com/ has LOADS of free movie transcripts, however they have no character names, so I thought I'd take an extract from Mean Girls and add the character names to see if that extract could help me when writing my script.

Cady has just sat down with The Plastics.

Cady

I'm new. I just moved here from Africa.

Regina

What?

Cady

I used to be home-schooled.

Regina

Wait. What?

Cady

My mom taught me at home...

Regina

No, no.I know what home-school is.I'm not retarded.So you've actually never beento a real school before?Shut up. Shut up.

Cady

I didn't say anything.

Regina

Home-schooled. That's really interesting.

Cady

Thanks.

Regina

But you're, like, really pretty.

Cady

Thank you.

Regina

So you agree.

Cady

What?

Regina

You think you're really pretty.

Cady

Oh, I don't know...

This writing is clever because it introduces both characters at the same time. Cady gives the audience more information about her home-schooling, and the audience learn what a "mean girl" Regina is.

The Scene Heading, sometimes called Slugline, tells the reader of the script where the scene takes place. Are we indoors (INT.) or outdoors (EXT.)? Next name the location: BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM, at the BASEBALL FIELD, inside a CAR? And lastly it might include the time of day - NIGHT, DAY, DUSK, DAWN... information to "set the scene" in the reader's mind.
The Slugline can also include production information like CONTINUOUS ACTION, or ESTABLISHING SHOT or STOCK SHOT. Here are examples of Scene Headings:

INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - SUNSET
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS ACTION
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
EXT. PASADENA - ROSE PARADE - STOCK FOOTAGE

On this website, there are lots of tips for writing and using software. For example;
The Scene Headings are aligned flush left (which we learned is about 1.5" from the edge of the paper) and are rarely long enough to reach the page margin.
The Scene Heading is written in ALL CAPS. Use a full stop after the INT. or EXT., a hyphen between the other elements of the Slugline.

I found out something interesting about dual dialogue. I had always wondered how they wrote it on a script when two charcters were speaking at once to each other. When two of your characters speak simultaneously, that's called dual dialogue or side by side dialogue. For example, if Frankie and Julie are in a heated argument.
............FRANKIE ................................JULIE
Get out of my life! I can't ......Don't you yell at me! I'll leave
stand the sight of you any ....when I'm when I'm good and
more!! .................................ready! Tough!!

(obviously the dots wouldn't be there, but blogger wouldn't let me space it out)

The character names are always centered and in capitals, and the dialogue aligned left. The font is always the same; Courier New 12pt in black. Here is a useful video on font tips for script-writing.

For part of my work experience, I went to the set of the film Chemical Wedding as I know the Producer, and I read the script. It was really thick but easy to read. The stage directions were detailed enough to create a mental picture, but not rambling. The font and spacing made it easy to read and understand.

When making the opening to my film I will take these things into account to make the best film I can.

Pan's Labyrinth

Looking through my dad's dvd collection yesterday, I discovered that we had Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo Del Toro in 2006, (El Laberinto del Fauno in Spanish). Considering I had researched it for part of my research on foreign films, I decided to watch it, so I thought I'd summarise what my thoughts on it are.

I loved it! It was very tense, and in places, quite gruesome, but the story was intriguing, the graphics were incredible, and the language meant that I was totally absorbed in its' world. The film is quite dark, about death and the underworld and a ruthless captain who kills people for no reason. Despite this, there is a sweet message the whole way through, and it ends happily, with Ofelia ruling the underworld with peace and a kind heart.

I was impressed, because the genre "fantasy" can come with some bad connotations of being unbelievable and child-like, but this was definitely an adult's film. It had believable characters, and the performance from Ofelia (a young girl played by Ivana Baquero) was outstanding. I was thoroughly impressed.

Film idea pitch

We were asked to come up with a film pitch, so here is mine.

---------------------------

• The story is about a woman in her mid-twenties who is very wealthy.

• Instead of spending money and sitting around all day, she works in a charity shop from 9-5 and attends fund raisers and does all the charity fun-runs. Basically, she is a wonderful person who helps people because she wants to. She enjoys having money, but wants to feel normal, so she gets the tube to work every day.

• She gets the tube at the same time every morning and every evening. This is observed by her train driver.

• He is a disturbed man in his 40s with an unhappy wife and an illegitimate 8 year old son who the man ignores. The train driver watches the woman every day, and paints a picture of what he imagines her life to be like. He becomes so intrigued that he puts cameras in the carriage that she always gets into, and puts a microphone by the seat she always sits in. He finds out everything about her life through listening to her phone calls, seeing her talk to people, and looking through the cameras at her diary to see where she'll be.

• He stalks her, finds out where she lives, and steals small, personal things from her, such as underwear, one sock, or a mascara. His favourite item is one stud earring.

• One day he sees her get on the train with a man, who she kisses as she gets off the train. This makes the train driver go mad with jealousy (because in his fantasy, he and the woman are together), and he decides to fulfil her wish of being normal.

• Murderers go after "normal" people.

• He waits until a day when she is alone in her carriage. At the next station, he tells everyone to get off the train, but doesn't open the doors to her carriage. He takes her to the end of the line, where he ties her to the train track. He attaches a note to her body - "bad things happen to good people, so why be good?" He leaves, and when the next train comes into that station, she is crushed.

• You then see him get back into his driving pod and put the single stud earring on his dashboard. The camera pans to show rows and rows of other single stud earrings sticking out of sponges. Each one is different, and symbolises a woman he has stalked and killed.

• The next day the train driver notices another nice woman and his obsession continues.......

---------------------------

Thought of this while waiting for the tube...

Mrs T homework on casting

We were each asked to write a pitch for a film plot and in class we tried to cast famous actors in them. I have selected the two that grabbed me the most.

PLOT FOUR

-
-

Working title: "This Train Terminates Here"

-

I chose this as the title because the film is about trains and death, and the word "terminate" has connotations with both of these central themes. It is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but that is common of horror films, such as "I Drink Your Blood" (1970) and "Let's Scare Jessica To Death" (1971).

-

-

Tagline: "Bad things happen to good people"

-
I chose this because it tells the audience that something bad is going to happen to someone good, but creates an enigma because the audience don't know who the characters are or what the situation is before they watch the film.
-
-
I made up this plot (which is on my blog in full) and I had to come up with a working title, tagline, character names and who to cast (out of a limited choice of celebrities).

-

-

"Rachel"

-

-

I chose Nicole Kidman for the part of "Rachel" because she looks elegant enough to be believable as wealthy, yet she gives off a nice enough vibe that she could be believable as being a really nice person. She is also very beautiful, so it is plausible that someone would stalk her/fall in love with her. I chose this picture of her because she has blonde hair and looks quite innocent, which are some of the qualities needed in her character. Nicole Kidman is an incredibly good actress with an impressive repertoire and would bring in huge audiences. She played "Joanna Eberhart" in "The Stepford Wives", who was trying to keep up with the "perfect" wives in Stepford. She is a nice woman, but finds out that they are robots. It is a fantasy/comedy/thriller, and my film is a horror/thriller, so I think she would do it well. She would bring in male and female audiences because she is such a good actress and is very attractive.

-

I chose the name "Rachel" for her character because it is a fairly normal name, and normality is a big theme in this story. It also has connotations of friendliness and I can't think of an evil character called Rachel. The name had to suit the character and the actress, and I think Nicole Kidman could easily be a "Rachel".

-
-
"Mark"
-

-

I chose Tom Hanks for the part of "Mark" (the train driver who stalks and eventually murders "Rachel") because his face looks as though he can play the part of a creepy, disturbed man. He is also a fantastic actor and his name would also bring in big audiences. One of the other reasons I chose Tom Hanks is that he has dark hair, which contrasts the blonde hair of Nicole Kidman, and makes him seem evil as black connotes that. For this role, Tom Hanks needs to be menacing, and that is something I believe he can do. He played "Forrest Gump" in "Forrest Gump" who was a strange individual, much like "Mark", so I think he would play my character well.

-

I chose the name "Mark" because it is fairly common, yet quite boring, much like the character. I can imagine it having bad connotations, (for one thing, "mark" rhymes with "dark") and characters called "Mark" are generally the quite ones, sometimes with something to hide. It fits the character and the actor, therefore it is the perfect name for this role.

-

I also think that the two actors will work well together and I can see it in my head as a real film.

-

-

-

-

PLOT FIVE

-

-

Working title: "Premonition"

-

I chose this because the film is about a cynical woman who meets a gypsy and she somehow gets the gift of second sight. She has premonitions about bad things and eventually one about someone's death, who she later finds out is hers. It tells the audience what to expect in terms of psychic content and leads the audience to expect a bad premonition, creating enigma.

-

Tagline: "Some gifts are a blessing, others are a curse"

-

I chose this tagline because it tells the audience about her gift without them realising what the gift is, so they will want to watch the film to find out. It is quite a snappy tagline and I think it works well because the psychic woman curses the younger woman, but unknowingly passes on her gift to her.

-

-

"Claire"
-

-

I chose Halle Berry for this part because she is beautiful and young-looking, and I can imagine her being cynical about psychic powers and gypsies. She could pass for a "woman in her twenties who is studying at University" (as mentionned in the film pitch) and her acting skills from her previous work have proved her as a serious actress. She has been in films to do with supernatural things before, such as "Gothika" , so I think she fits the character very well. Halle Berry is beautiful, and would bring in male and female audiences.

-

I chose the name "Claire" because it is quiet a "straight" name and most characters called "Claire" are very proper and cynical. The name suits Halle Berry and the character, so it works for me!

-
-

"Martha"

-

-

I chose Sigourney Weaver for this role because she is one of the oldest actresses that we were given a choice of, and I believe she can play a bitter psychic gypsy. Her face looks as though she can put on a very serious expression and be believable as someone who would curse someone else. Sigourney Weaver is a very accomplished actress, and would bring in audiences. She played "Warden Walker" in "Holes" who was a stern character, and so she would fit this one nicely.

-

I chose the name "Martha" because it is an older name and reminds me of creepiness. It suits her and the character and is the perfect name for this role in my opinion.

Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960)

So, I FINALLY watched Psycho. What did I think? Well, I know Alfred Hitchcock is a great director, and I know this film was an absolute triumph in it's day, but personally, I didn't love it.

Good points

Bernard Herrmann's music score was extremely good. It was dramatic, tense, and completely set the tone of a horror film. In one scene where Marion was driving away from work down a high way, the camera just showed a front view of her driving in her car, but the music made me feel anxious that something bad was going to happen.

The story was also very good. I truly believed that Norman's mother was sitting upstairs in the creepy house, and the various twists were clever and surprising. What scared me the most in this film was the story, not how it was shown. I find it very scary that someone would put on their dead mother's voice and act like her, without the other part of them knowing it. Norman really believed his mother was alive, he even kept her corpse (another thing that freaked me out a bit). The most frightening thing about "Psycho" is that the story is believable. It is possible, and actually based on real murders (as mentionned in the "trivia" section).

The acting was superb, especially from Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) who played a schizophrenic man who's dead mother's personality occupied half of his mind. His innocence in his first appearance was endearing, and I really thought he was a nice guy. And then in the end when he was in the jail cell, his facial expression was very frightening (the photo is below). The scene where you could hear him arguing with his mother was believable, and it was only later (once I'd found out he was schizophrenic) that I realised he was acting out both parts of the argument. This was very clever and one of my favourite things about this film.

Not so good points

Something I wasn't too impressed with was the actual murders. I understand that they were limited with technology at the time, but I suppose due to modern technology I have become a bit of a murder snob. I found them not very believable and not very scary. For example when Milton Arbogast was stabbed and fell down the stairs. I think it is due to the advances in technology and the new realms of scariness in modern horror films, that when I watched it, everyone laughed at the once "scary" parts. At the time it was "terrifying" but now I think it is a bit outdated.

I was disappointed at the slow pace of the film, which I suppose was meant to create suspense and tension, but it was too slow and not enough happened to make this successful. For example, when the music was building to a climax when Marion was driving, and then nothing happened.

I think the most important expectation I have when I watch a horror film is to have that satisfying feeling of fear in my stomach, however I didn't get that at all in this film. There was one point where I slightly jumped, when Marion's sister Lila was looking around Mrs Bates' room, and she turned and gasped. I would have wanted more of that.

William Friedkin's reaction to "Psycho" (director of "The Exorcist" - the scariest film ever)

''Psycho was the first film that really scared me, that made me think, Oh my God, this is possible. Hitchcock based it on a novel by Robert Bloch, which was based on actual murders committed by a guy living in a shack in Wisconsin named Ed Gein. I grew up and lived in Chicago, a stone's throw away....When I made The Exorcist, I understood what Hitchcock had done with Psycho. The build-up to those horrific scenes was more terrifying than the scenes themselves, as unforgettably disturbing as they were. Any work of art that can produce an emotional response is powerful. Hitchcock is able to scare you, almost any time he cares to.''

I think since Friedkin saw this closer to the time it was made than I did, his reaction was very different. I highly value his opinion, and I know Psycho is loved (and feared) by many people.

Some interesting things you probably didn't know about Psycho

This poster reads; "Hitchcock, the dour and impenetrable showboat, hid himself - and, at times, his art - behind the guise of the jovial master entertainer. The canvas chair of "Mrs. Bates" was kept prominently placed and displayed on the set throughout shooting". Now THAT is creepy..

Hitchcock makes his cameo appearance 4 minutes in wearing a cowboy hat outside Janet Leigh's office.

Here is some more interesting trivia

• The film only cost $800,000 to make yet has earned more than $40,000,000. Hitchcock used the crew from his TV series to save time and money. In 1962 exchanged the rights to the film and his TV-series for a huge block of MCA's stock (he became their third largest stockholder).

• Robert Bloch's original novel was inspired by the notorious serial killer Ed Gein who was also one of the inspirations for the character of Hannibal Lector (The Silence of the Lambs/Manhunter).

• Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel anonymously from Robert Bloch for just $9,000. He then bought up as many copies of the novel as he could to keep the ending a secret.

• The blood in the shower scene is actually chocolate sauce.

• The shot of Janet Leigh flushing the toilet is believed to be the first such shot in American cinema history.

• The MPAA refused to pass this film because they claimed to be able to see Janet Leigh's nipple during the shower scene. Hitchcock didn't edit it out, but merely sent it back, (correctly, it seems) assuming that they either wouldn't bother to watch it, or miss it the second time.

• Hitchcock insisted that audiences should only be allowed to see the film from the start so as not to ruin the surprise. This was unheard of back then as people were used to just coming in at any point during a movie.

• After the film's release Hitchcock received an angry letter from the father of a girl who refused to have a bath after seeing Diabolique and now refused to shower after seeing Psycho. Hitch sent a note back simply saying "Send her to the dry cleaners".

Even though "Psycho" is not one of my favourite films, I can easily see why it was so successful at the time.

Foreign Films / World Cinema

There is a niche market for foreign films. They are often grouped with "art house films" and other independent films. They have "artistic value" as opposed to "Hollywood commercialism".

Here are 3 relatively recent successful foreign films and their synopses.

Amélie (2001): This is a French production which portrays a naive girl with a strong sense of justice who decides to help those around her. However, the film is not as innocent as the description makes it sound since Amélie ends up helping a "lonely sex shop employee" which earns this movie an "R" rating, but none the less it is an exquisite French production which is very enjoyable.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): This Asian film opened the door to new and artistic fighting sequences which later on where incorporated in productions such as 'Hero'. Recent Asian productions are known for their artistic, historical and sometimes psychological background which makes it attractive to the masses in continents far away.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006): This is a Spanish film which due to its quality and originality was awarded 3 Oscars and nominated 51 times in several categories. The plot line involves the step-daughter of a sadistic army officer (in 1944) who resorts to the fantasy world she created to survive her harsh reality.

This is a list of the top 10 Foreign Films according to www.wikia.com

1. Shichinin no samurai (1954)

2. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)

3. Cidade de Deus (2002)

4. C'era una volta il West (1968)

5. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)

6. Léon (1994)

7. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited Away) (2001)

8. Boot, Das (1981)

9. M (1931)

10. Vita è bella, La (1997)

I have seen "Amélie" and "Spirited Away", both of which were incredible. The cultural differences between Asia, France and London is fascinating, and the shot types and story lines are so unique and original.

One of my favourite films is "Open Your Eyes" (1997) ("Abre los ojos" in Spanish). It is a jaw-dropping psychological thriller set in Madrid that is beautifully orchestrated. It defies the boundary between dreams and reality and will literally open your eyes to a world of thoughts about your own life. This film is not very well-known, which is a shame, as it is such a triumph. Its critical reaction was almost all positive. Holly E. Ordway of DVD Active said, "I don’t give out “perfect 10” ratings lightly, but Open Your Eyes earns one by all accounts." Due to the critical acclaim of this film, a remake was made in 2001 starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz (who played the same role in both films) called "Vanilla Sky" however this film got mostly negative reactions.

I'm not sure whether it is the different languages, the different locations or the imaginations of foreign film makers, but there is something very special about World Cinema.

Thinking ahead - what could go wrong?

By pre-empting all the things that could go wrong, hopefully I'll be able to avoid them.

Organisation

• not having permission to film in location
• forgetting to pick up equipment
• leaving equipment behind on shoot
• returning equipment late/incomplete
• not knowing what you're doing on the shoot or why
• coming back to school with hardly any footage
• actors/team members not turning up or being late
• absence from school
• not turning up on the planning meetings
• time wasting on the shoot
• everything taking too long
• not pre-empting the weather
• not leaving enough time for transport problems

Communication

• not explaining yourself properly
• not speaking out and saying how you feel
• losing your patience with other people
• actors/team members not answering phones, or responding to group requests
• arguments in group
• last minute changes to the plan without full group agreement
• actors getting bored/annoyed/cold/hungry
• teachers left in the dark about changes to plans
• not recording notes/minutes/agreements on the blog
• absence from school, absentees not communicating with group to find out what's going on

Technical

• batteries not charged
• don't know how to use equipment
• not checking camera settings
• poor lighting
• poor sound
• shaky camera
• poor framing
• limited variety of shot distances, angles, movement
• poor consideration of continuity issues
• no understanding of technical health and safety issues
• forcing tapes or batteries and breaking the camera

Group

• one person doing everything and not delegating
• some people being lazy
• factions/divides in the group
• "spur of the moment" meetings without everyone there
• not sharing the "boring" jobs
• not sticking to the rule of everyone doing equal amounts of shooting/editing/lighting/directing etc.
• not listening
• not compromising
• getting stroppy
• not working as a team/being supportive of each other
• making it "personal"
• making excuses rather than getting the job done
• not tackling issues in the group as they arise
• being rude to another group member and upsetting them
• being too sensitive
• allowing personal problems to dominate proceedings

Hopefully we won't have any of these problems!

Mrs B homework - continuity editing

Continuity editing is vital in making a film plausible and professional. I have analysed three clips from films for good continuity editing techniques.

Bridget Jones - Sharon Maguire (2001)

This clip is interesting because it gives the impression that it is one long shot because it is in the same setting, however the director cleverly uses different transitions, such as dissolves, to show time passing. Bridget is singing along to the opening song of the movie, and because you can see her mouthing the words in time to the music, it makes it very believable and plausible. In one part it cuts from a shot of her drumming in the air and throwing her arms in the air, but while she is doing that, the clip cuts from an MS to an MLS, but as she is in the same position in the frame and continuing to do the same movement, it makes sense. This is a good use of a match cut. This clip has good continuity even though there isn't much movement. It starts as a wide LS where you can see Bridget lying on the sofa watching TV (establishing shot). It then cuts to an MCU (eyeline match) of the TV showing the opening titles to "Frasier", which is what Bridget was looking at. It then cuts back to Bridget but this time it's an MCU. The dissolve also changes the shot distance, from the MCU back to the wide LS, where the camera seems as though it is on a table. This is naturalistic because as Bridget gets up and walks out of the room, her head is out of the frame and the camera doesn't follow her. The camera reverts back to this position quite a lot because it is a good establishing shot, but also uses MCU's a lot to show her facial expressions as she is drunkenly singing along to the song. This alternation between shot types is very smooth and easily understood because when it is a wide LS the camera is always in the same position, and when it is an MCU, she is always in the same position in the frame with the same background. This scene has good continuity and is quite a long montage.

Love Actually - Richard Curtis (2003)

This sequence starts with an MCU of the priest, and then cuts to a CU of the groom, looking up (at the priest) and then looking to the bride. The next shot is a CU of the bride. (This is sort of a shot-reverse-shot except there are two shots in the middle). In both of these shots, the camera is panning slowly from left to right. The next shot reverts to the MCU of the priest, to show where they were both looking. Then the camera shows what the priest is seeing, an MCU two shot of the couple kissing. Next, instead of cutting to a shot of the groom talking to his best man, the camera pans slightly to the left to see them talking, and then pans slightly to the right as the bride comes to talk to the groom. This makes it look like someone is watching them (the priest). Simultaneously, the friends and family in the audience are clapping and smiling, so the next shot is of two friends clapping and looking ahead (to the couple), which is cross-cutting. The following shot is a bird's eye shot of the couple walking down the isle. What is clever is that as the shots change after that, the couple are gradually making their way down the isle, showing good continuity, and the camera is backwards tracking down the isle. The best man is shown, looking at them walking down the isle, and then the camera tilts from behind the couple to reveal a large gospel choir in the balcony. This is all cross-cutting as it's happening simultaneously. The friends and family are shown all turning their heads to look at what has just appeared, and then an MLS of several gospel singers is shown, pointing slightly down. The next shot is of the couple, showing that the gospel singers were pointing at them (matched eyeline shot). Then it cuts to the other half of the choir shown from a slightly different angle, showing they are on the right. Another clever shot in this scene is the OTS two shot. The shot proceeding that one is of the bride and groom where the bride is on the right, and then the next shot is over the shoulder of the best man and viewing the bride and groom from the other side. The rest of the shots and their editing pretty much follow what I have already said. The solo singer is shown from a slight low angle, showing the couple's point of view, and then there is a high angle shot of the couple, showing his point of view. A good continuity technique here is the characters' reactions to the things happening around them in different shots, for example, when people in the audience get up and start playing musical instruments, the next shot is of the best man holding a video camera and laughing, making the audience believe that he was watching those people.

Dukes Of Hazzard - Jay Chandrasekhar (2005)

This clip is a chase scene where the police are chasing an orange sports car. The different shots are clever because they switch from shots of the driver and his passengers, to his point of view, and then a point of view shot of the police showing more police chasing him. In one shot where the car is spinning in a circle in an LS, the next shot is an MCU of the car spinning into shot, showing that the car was still in the same spin, showing use of cross-cutting. The camera then shows the driver turning his head to reverse, with the following shot showing the car reversing. The camera work is often shakey to show the unstability of the car. Often, shots of the car spinning will then be followed by shots of the passengers swaying and falling as a result of the turning. The camera will show the driver making a turn of some sort with the steering wheel, and then will show the car doing that turn (matched cut). This makes sense and makes us believe it was all shot in one go. When the driver and the other front passenger are talking to each other, the shot includes all the passengers in the background. When the driver is talking, he is positioned in the bottom right corner of the frame, but when the other passenger is talking it is from the other side, much like the conversational editing technique in other situations (shot-reverse-shot). In the car you can see the background moving quickly, showing that the car is moving wrecklessly, which links up with the shots of the car carreering down narrow roads and dodging other cars. The car will sometimes drive out of shot, and then another shot will be shown of it in a different location, to show at the car has moved. However, sometimes the camera will follow the car with a tracking shot, keeping it in the same position in the frame (a sequence shot). This is to show the background whirring past and give the audience and idea of the speed at which the car is travelling. Some other shots are taken from the point of view of another car, such as one at 1:53 on the film clip, where the camera is travelling in the opposite direction to the orange car, but moves to look at the car. The camera is shakey to show that it is the point of view of the driver of the other car. A clever shot here is the bird's eye of the car going around a roundabout, OTS of a statue. The next shot then shows a low angle of the statue, with what looks like folded arms in a disapproving manner. Often the shots look quite bumpy to show the road is uneven, and there are lots of cuts with lots of short shots (cross-cutting), to make this scene very fast-paced and add to the excitement of the chase. When the orange car and two police cars jump over some concrete ridges, the next shot is of the passenger in the front seat looking behind him worridly, as if he has just watched the police cars right behind him. This makes the audience believe those two events happened one after the other, whereas in truth, they were probably filmed at completely different times, and the actors probably weren't actually in the car when it was doing the stunts. The clever continuity of this sequence, however, means that the audience never think that once, and only believe that this chase happened in a matter of minutes. There is a shot where the orange car goes up a ramp and flies into the air from the car's point of view. The camera cuts then cuts to a shot of the car already in the air from the side, and then cuts to one of the car in the air from slightly below it. The next shot shows the progression of the car through the air and shows it from behind, very high up in the air. The audience see the car land in the following shot and the car drops from the sky a short distance because in the previous shot that's where the car was in the air. This scene is racey and plausible; a good example of good continuity editing.

Memorable film characters

There are many characters in many films, but there are some that stand out from the rest. These characters are memorable because there is something outstandingly different about them, and that is what I am going to explore, so that I can make my characters memorable.

Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Carribean

The beauty of this character is that he is instantly recognisable. He is a cool character, who manages to sneak and charm his way out of things. He speaks with a distinct accent, and has a few catchphrases, such as "Savvy?", "Bugger" and "Snip Snip". Some other popular phrases of his include, "You're forgetting one very important thing, mate - I'm Captain Jack Sparrow" and "Why is the rum gone?" His dress code is so unique that if someone went to a fancy dress party wearing a triangle hat, dredlocks and a goatee type style beard made into two long braids, they would be instantly recognised as Captain Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp's charisma and talent are what makes Jack Sparrow such a memorable character.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppings is the epitome of an English nanny. She is strict, well-spoken, but also fun. One of her most famous catchphrases is "Spitspot", and her song "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" is known worldwide. Her character is known by all generations, and is another popular choice for fancy dress parties as her uniform and pristine appearance is very recognisable.

This is an example of a Mary Poppins costume for children, demonstrating the success of her character. The umbrella was a quirk of hers that she used to fly with, adding that bit of magic to the character. Julie Andrews did a "Marvellous" performance as Mary Poppins in the 1964 film, and her character will continue to be known for decades.