Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Trailer analysis: The Piano
We were told to watch the trailer for the film 'The Piano', as it was of a similar genre to our trailer, and also included a few shots in which a man looks through a keyhole and sees his wife embracing another man. This is very similar to the keyhole scene we are going to include in our trailer, so it was helpful to take note of the ways the four key areas were used in this trailer.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Research into BBFC film ratings and guidelines
These BBFC guidelines will give us more of an idea of what guidelines and boudaries we will have to stick to for our trailer:
Universal - Suitable for all.
"It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice."
Discrimination No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.
Drugs No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
Imitable behaviour No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
Nudity Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).
Theme While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.
Violence Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.
PG - Parental Guidance.General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Discrimination Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Horror Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
Imitable behaviour No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Mild bad language only.
Nudity Natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
Theme Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.
Violence Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy.
12 -12A - Suitable for 12 years and over
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.
DiscriminationDiscriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Drugs Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Horror Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
Nudity Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sex Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
Violence Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
15 - Suitable only for 15 years and older
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Discrimination The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drugs Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.
Violence Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.
18 - Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
■where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
■where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
■where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.
In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.
Sex education at ‘18’
Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.
Sex works at ‘18’
Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.
All information is taken from the BBFC website:
Universal - Suitable for all.
"It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice."
Discrimination No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.
Drugs No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
Imitable behaviour No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
Nudity Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).
Theme While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.
Violence Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.
PG - Parental Guidance.General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Discrimination Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Horror Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
Imitable behaviour No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Mild bad language only.
Nudity Natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
Theme Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.
Violence Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy.
12 -12A - Suitable for 12 years and over
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.
DiscriminationDiscriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Drugs Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Horror Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
Nudity Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sex Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
Violence Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
15 - Suitable only for 15 years and older
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Discrimination The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drugs Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.
Violence Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.
18 - Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
■where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
■where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
■where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.
In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.
Sex education at ‘18’
Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.
Sex works at ‘18’
Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.
All information is taken from the BBFC website:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Actors chosen
Here is a video explaining which actors we chose out of the five that auditioned:
So, to confirm we have cast Frances Allison as the lady of nobility, Jon Addison as the rich man and Peter Heslop as the poor man.
Genre and target audience of our trailer
As our trailer is going to be set in the 19th century and is therefore a period drama, we have based its target audience on films and TV dramas of a similar genre, such as Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Downton Abbey. These are all aimed at families and people in their thirties. However, as Downton Abbey incorportates quite modern themes, such as scenes of homosexuality, it started to become extremely popular with a much wider, younger audience, and period dramas have become a lot more popular with people in their late teens and twenties as a result. Despite this, we feel that it would be better to conform to the typical target audience of period films, and have therefore set out target audience as people in their late twenties to mid-thirties.
Auditions
To let people know that we needed actors to audition, we put up signs around our sixth form. Several people responded, so we then organised times over a period of three days so that we could auditon them all. The problem we had then was how to go about auditioning people; in the end we decided on getting the auditionees to act out the "keyhole scene", the "drunken scene" and the flirting part of the "party/dancing scene." This is what was given to the auditionees beforehand:
The improvisation was to see how each of the auditionees interpreted the character they were auditioning for. We then filmed the auditions so that we could watch them back and decide which person would be best for which role. Unfortunately, we are unable to put the audition videos on our blogs, as the I.T technicians responsible for converting the tape somehow managed to lose it, despite the fact that it was correctly labelled. Fortunately, we had already decided which actors to cast after watching the tape back on the camera, which I will go into in another post.
Script
Females:
You are a
rich girl who lives in the 1800’s, and you are in your late teens.
1: Imagine
you are spying on someone through a keyhole and you see something shocking.
2: Imagine
you are being watched by a judgemental group of people and you have to pretend
to be upset about something.
3:
Improvisation
Males:
You are a
man in his early twenties and you live in the 1800’s.
1: Pretend
you are getting drunk in an alley. You drop the bottle and it smashes.
2: Imagine
that you are flirting with someone, but in a subtle way.
3: Improvisation
Synopsis of storyline and analysis of shots chosen
I thought it would be important to write a blog post on not only the shots we have planned to film, but why exactly we chose them. This presentation analyses this:
Here is the storyboard:
Here is the storyboard:
Moodboard and group roles
This is a moodboard I created when brainstorming typical Victorian fashion, accessories and furniture. As a group we have decided that I will be in charge of costumes and makeup, Charlotte will be in charge of locations and on set photography, and Lucinda will be in charge of directing and hairdressing, as well as being in charge of the soundtrack.
For my role I have so far inquired into where we could get costumes, by asking the school's drama department. They told me to go to Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society, where all costumes from previous plays at the Georgian Theatre were kept and loaned out. We are currently organising a trip down to R.A.D.S, to inquire and get contact details. I am also planning on putting up posters (see below) around the sixth form, advertising our need for costumes; some people do still own old family relics that have been passed down, or have bought antiques from that period of time, so I thought it would be a good idea to potentially use some of these for our trailer. As for hair and makeup, I am going to do some research into typical late-Victorian styles. Here is the poster I have made (using my moodboard to help give other people inspiration):
Market research
Now that we have come to a decision regarding the name and overall storyline of the film our trailer will be based on, it is necessary to do market research to see what people will think of it, and what suggestions they can give. After spending some time discussing which questions we should ask, these are the ones we came up with:
What is your preferred ratio of institutional information to actual footage? This question concerned the amount of institutional information, such as the name of the production company, for example, compared to the amount of actual footage filmed; we felt that it was important to ask potential viewers how much institutional information they wanted to see in a teaser trailer.
What would you expect from a romantic drama trailer? This was an obvious question, as by knowing what an audience would expect from a trailer, we can hope to fulfill these expectations, as well as find out what we could do to make our trailer original.
What do you think of the name Ménage à Trois? This was to show people's reactions to the name of our "film".
What kind of audience do you think would be interested in a period romantic drama? Again, this question was obvious to as to help establish our target audience.
Would you be interested in watching something like that?
This question was to find out how much interest there was in our film. These are the interviews:
What is your preferred ratio of institutional information to actual footage? This question concerned the amount of institutional information, such as the name of the production company, for example, compared to the amount of actual footage filmed; we felt that it was important to ask potential viewers how much institutional information they wanted to see in a teaser trailer.
What would you expect from a romantic drama trailer? This was an obvious question, as by knowing what an audience would expect from a trailer, we can hope to fulfill these expectations, as well as find out what we could do to make our trailer original.
What do you think of the name Ménage à Trois? This was to show people's reactions to the name of our "film".
What kind of audience do you think would be interested in a period romantic drama? Again, this question was obvious to as to help establish our target audience.
Would you be interested in watching something like that?
This question was to find out how much interest there was in our film. These are the interviews:
Plan
Here is the plan we have made to organsise the process of constructing our promotional packages:
Plan
July:
·
Analyse trailers and get ideas and inspiration
·
Take notes on camera angles, editing techniques,
mise-en-scene and sound used in trailers
·
Plan ideas and storyline for our own trailer –
decide genre
September:
·
Research trailers of a similar genre to ours and
establish conventions of them
·
Make storyboard
·
Research locations and costumes needed/where to
get them
·
Audition actors
·
Find/research props
·
Decide on which actors to cast
October:
·
Contact people about costumes/locations
·
Get costumes and confirm locations
·
Research hair and makeup
·
Research film magazines and posters
·
Plan filming dates and book out filming equipment
·
Plan photoshoot
·
Film
·
Do photoshoot for magazines and posters (whilst
on location?)
November:
·
Do research into using Final Cut Pro
·
Begin to edit footage
·
Do more research into film magazines and posters
·
Begin print work
·
Research soundtrack and voice-overs/text for
trailer
December:
·
Begin to add transitions
·
Find soundtrack
·
Write voice-over/text
·
Cast someone for voice-over/record it (if using
one)
January:
·
Finalise editing
·
Finish print work
·
Get audience feedback for trailer and
printwork/overall promotional package
·
Blog posts on how we made print work
·
Personal evaluations/group evaluation
We hope that we won't encounter any problems, and will be able to stick to it as closely as possible.
Name of film and overview of storyline
We have decided upon the name "Ménage à Trois" for our film; this translates from French as "Love Triangle," and the romantic connotations held with the French language emphasise this and create a sense of mystery. The overall storyline was thought up after the brainstorm we did on issues in the Victorian age. We all agreed that the aspect of class and status within that era played a vital role in society, creating strong divides between the wealthy and the working class. We have therefore decided that this is an issue we would like to cover in our trailer, combined with aspects of romance. It would be considered a great scandal in those times if a wealthy young woman of high class was seen to be involved with a poor servant, particularly if a rich man of very high class was also courting her. We wanted to emphasise this "love triangle" by filming confrontation scenes between the two men, in order to show the relationship between the three of them.
Storyline:
A wealthy young woman in her late teens is torn between a steady courtship with a rich Count, and a scandalous romance with one of the servants. The woman cannot decide who she loves most, but continues the secretive scandal without thinking of the consequences. The Count becomes suspicious of the servant and confronts him, leading to the servant denying everything, and later on causing a drunken scene in a bar. We have also taken inspiration and influence from the TV drama Downton Abbey, and have decided on a potentially contreversial scene, but one that we know will work well due to the success of Downton Abbey: there will be a shot of the woman's eye looking through a keyhole, followed by a shot of the two men seen through her eyes. All we will see is their feet moving towards each other rapidly; this will make the audience question whether they are fighting or embracing, encouraging people to watch the film in order to find out. We envisaged following this scene with a mid-shot of the woman waking up from a nightmare; this will act as another incentive, leading the audience to wonder whether or not the previous scene was genuine, or whether it was merely an element of the woman's dream.
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