BFI Film Festival Review

On Thursday 5th November 2015, we went to the BFI Southbank, Waterloo to watch a talk by Rob Miller and fellow people in the film industry called 'Introduction to the Film Industry: A Level Study Day' The day involved speakers including: Rob Miller (Film and Media consultant), Faye Ward (one of the UK's most prominent young producers), Gareth Lowrie (Film Marketing) and Paul Ridd (Marketing and Acquisitions Manager at Picturehouse) I had such a good day and found all of it really interesting. I got to fully understand the difference between:

Mainstream Film- safe genre films that are distributed to mass, national and international audiences e.g Star Wars: the Force Awakens. Star Marketing and Science Fiction

Independent Films- films that have a more limited appeal to niche audiences. Independent films do not have access to extensive distribution networks. Ben Wheatley's 2015 film High-Rise is a useful British example with Spotlight (2015) as a good example of a US indie.

"Se7en" Opening Sequence: Analysis Part 2

The opening credits, directed by David Fincher is the perfect welcoming to a thriller film. The opening includes a wide range of camera angles, titles and fonts, music, costume/props, lighting and setting to create an effective opening.

Firstly, the font creates a creepy thrill top the opening title and sets it up perfectly for the film. The distorted letters which kept flashing throughout made it feel slightly odd and fluky and made me feel unfamiliar which was probably what the director wanted, also as it's hand written is more creepy. Overall it is making you feel unknown from the beginning, and prepares you to be aware for what is going to come and makes you feel more unease.

The camera angles and framing was rather jagged throughout, jittery and unfocused. Each scene doesn't last long either, which makes you question what is actually going on and what you missed. Sometimes there also a slight double exposure and over lapping of scenes which makes it feel more unclear. Also the colour of the trailer is all grey and black and its really dull, the use of the shadows makes it feel more secluded and obscure.

The music in the background is a spliced sample of an uncredited remix of the Nine inch Nails song "Change", available as "Closer (Precursor)", remixed by Coil, on the "Closer" single. The music makes it feel much more alive and the bass in the background emphasises the opening and makes it feel more haunted as its like an unknown sound trying to break through.

Here is the trailer, so you can have a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YV2_TcCoE

"Se7en" Opening Sequence: Analysis Part 1

Here are some of the iconic credits from the opening sequence: David Fincher's 'Se7en'

Kyle Cooper is speaking where i have quoted, and the rest are my own person ideas, alongside my next blog entry where i look at it in more detail.

Fincher initially came to me with an idea about Morgan Freeman taking a train ride from this gritty, dark, rainy city to a house out in the country that he wanted to buy for his retirement. He needed a temporary title sequence for a studio test screening, so we made this slide show using some of John Doe’s scrap books. It was just stills, and we used a hand-drawn type to suggest that Doe did the writing himself.

FONT- Here he was thinking about the idea of credits as handwriting to suggest the dark part of John Doe’s personality and his obsession, and he actually scratched all the credits on a scratchboard and then scanned it back in.

"I was thinking that because John Doe was a photographer, not only is he writing the type but he’s making  the film optical in his bathtub – he’s physically doing it because he’s got a dark room in his ratty apartment.  So the editor, Angus Wall, who’s gone on to edit The Social Network and Zodiac and other Fincher films, he  and I were writing all kinds of things on the film and stapling it together. The night before the shoot I went around  my house trying to think about the darkest things I could find to make the shot more twisted. I remember taping  fish-hooks together and taking a matt of hair out of my drain."

"I was thinking that because John Doe was a photographer, not only is he writing the type but he’s making
 the film optical in his bathtub – he’s physically doing it because he’s got a dark room in his ratty apartment.
 So the editor, Angus Wall, who’s gone on to edit The Social Network and Zodiac and other Fincher films, he 
and I were writing all kinds of things on the film and stapling it together. The night before the shoot I went around
 my house trying to think about the darkest things I could find to make the shot more twisted. I remember taping 
fish-hooks together and taking a matt of hair out of my drain."

MARKER PEN-"John Doe has this rage and indignation at people’s behaviour and he’s crossing out things that shouldn’t be there. The idea of life and pregnancy and marriage and our ideas about what this perfect life is: he doesn’t think we deserve to have those kinds of experiences. At the end of the day, people are always trying to do things that are bleak and shocking and it’s difficult to do something that reflects a bleak worldview unless you’ve experienced some of those things yourself. But it’s kind of a wink because it is so playful – it’s like a spirited, playful dance. I don’t think of it as super dark."

HANDS- When they filmed the opening sequence, the producers/director looked at many hand models and the one that was hired was a Tai Chi guy, whom was pretty large- and strange, scary and seemed rather threatening. Fischer was apparently upset with the casting as apparently his hands looked nothing like Kevin Spacey 'If you look at spacey's hands, his fingers are long and thin, but this guys hands were kind of stumpy' 

Re-Creating the opening of Napoleon Dynamite: Preperation 2

Storyboard for the opening credits of 'Napoleon Dynamite'

Opening Sequences Part 1

Opening Sequences Part 2

Re-Creating the opening of Napoleon Dynamite: Process

Our group is currently in the middle of re-creating our opening film, Napoleon Dynamite. At first we had to come up with multiple films which we thought would be good to do, like Amelie, The Devil Wears Prada ect....Our objective is re-make the first 2-3 minutes of the film, including the opening titles and music, also making sure our props match. By doing this we are understanding the process in which this is professionally performed, we come to realisation how much work goes into all different aspects, like filming, post-production and preparations.
So far we have made a timeline of the opening and i have labeled it, as to when each scene changes so we can allocate our time and when we need to come in (how long they last). This helped as we got a better understanding of the different clips and how they relate. We also have a storyboard, this helped as it enabled us to work out what was needed in each scene and so we can work out the camera work and what we need.
Unfortunately, we lost our storyboard on the computer when we did it the first time, the computer turned off and we didn't save it so we had to do the whole board again. Thats it so far, and we are in the preparation of sorting out how we are going to get the props and food we need.

Here is the link of the opening of 'Napoleon Dynamite', so this is what we are trying to recreate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLwmAGDML_k

How have developments in film technology changed since the beginning of film, with reference to 'Everest' and 3D?

'Everest' the latest offering movie by Working Title Productions uses 3D technology to heighten the dramatic effect of an adventure of a group of men that risk climbing to the top of Mount Everest  whilst being based on a true story. There were many key moments throughout the movie which were enhanced by creativity, meaning and creating a profound effect of the audience. These have played out through the use of camera angles, editing, music and sound effects and of course seeing the film at the IMAX in 3D left me gripped to my seat, which was extremely overwhelming.

Firstly the use of camera angles and framing heightened my experience of watching 'Everest' A key first camera angle we visually came across is the aerial, where the camera is looking down upon a bridge which connects the two mountains together. This angle was rather graphic, especially being in 3D, made the audience watching the film feel more involved as it was overwhelming and capturing. Another example is when one of the main characters Becks, is slowly walking across a ladder trying to reach the other side of the mountain whilst the other group of climbers wait the opposite side. Of course, we came to grips with what is going to happen as the camera angle enters a 'close up' shot on his shoes which show them about to slip off the ladder, this is accompanied by music which makes the scene more effective and allows use to be more prepared for what is going to come.

Secondly, the experience of the IMAX definitely enchanted the effect on the audience. This was perceived by the around sound, the use of 3D technology and the larger curved screens, which was obviously much bigger than an normal cinema. When certain dramatic scenes played: for example the storm at the end and back again to Beck falling under the ladder. The sound was rather loud and increased the momentum during the film, making me physically excited and just made it more effective and us watching the film felt more intrigued. The all around sound made the film feel real life as it was coming from every direction. Also when the storm came across the sound came up from behind which worked really well, so diegetic sound was enchanced in the editing.

The effect of watching 'Everest' at the IMAX

The effect of the audience of key scenes created an emotion response. This was played out when Rob was seen about to die and Jans role played by (Kiera Knightley) was put on the phone to him by one of the volunteers working at base one. The audience in this moment felt upset and it was compelling as the scenes were filmed close up. The two characters played the roles well as they both became rather emotionally attached, which heightened the the meaning and effect on the audience. Another example is when Beck was awakened in the snow, or even the day before where the scene was very graphic, increasing the intensity and was visceral. The nose bleed was ambiguous and the cuts and sores on his hand made the audience emotionally incapable and upsetting. As we know later he lost his hands and this again was overwhelmed by the storm just before all the other characters coincidentally left the snow and the negative attractions increased the emotion.

Overall, I would say the success of this cinema increased the suspense and effect of the movie. The 3D technology, definitely enhanced the narrative of the film and kept me more captured throughout. I think for a film like 'Everest' 3D works really well, as you can capture amazing camera angles and sound effects and the use of 3D carries out a film like nothing else. I have seen the film twice, once at the IMAX and secondly at the Everyman and it is much more attractive at the IMAX and was definitely the one I preferred and allowed a different experience. It kept me alive throughout and intrigued me the whole way through which is good for a type of adventure/thriller such as its self.