BRITISH HORROR: (2) EDEN LAKE

Eden Lake draws from a number of American horror films and although the film has been positioned under the category of 'urbanoia', many of the conventions hark back to the American slasher film. The following links make for useful background reading:

http://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.com/2009/05/final-girl-studies.html (this gathers together a wealth of reading on the final girl convention)

http://www.gotterdammerung.org/books/reviews/m/men-women-and-chain-saws.html

http://www.theblacklodge.co.uk/jamesrose/descent.html

THE USE OF SOUND IN APOCALYPSE NOW

Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Coppola) – Opening Sequence; ‘This is the End...’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njfbVrYn4CU

(You may need to consider the use of editing, mise-en-scene and cinematography)

You must be able to differentiate between diegetic and non-diegetic sound:

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originating from the source within the film’s world:

• voices of characters
• sounds made by objects in the story
• music represented as coming from the instruments in the story space

Non diegetic sound is represented as coming from a source outside the story space:

• narrators commentary--voice over
• sound effects
• musical score

Watch the sequence then makes NOTES under the following headings:

1). SOUND EFFECTS

2). MUSIC/LYRICS

3). DIALOGUE/SPEECH

Using your notes, write a 500 word response to the following question:

How does the opening sequence to APOCALYPSE NOW use sound to create meaning and generate an emotional response?

MICRO ELEMENTS: CINEMATOGRAPHY

Cinematography is predominately concerned with shot sizes, angles, camera movement and lighting. Here are some sequences that make interesting use of cinematography:

1). Children of Men - Miracle Cease Fire Scene



2). Touch of Evil - Opening Long Take



3). Elephant - Steadicam



4). Kill Bill - Split Screen

MICRO ELEMENTS: EDITING

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is a documentary that interviews Hollywood editors about the process of editing. Here is the first part:



Here are some examples of film editing:

1). The Godfather - Baptism Sequence



2). City of God - Chase the chicken



3). Silence of the Lambs - Parallel Editing



4). Breathless - Jump Cuts



5). 2001: A Space Odyssey - Match Cut

EARLY SILENT COMEDY - CHAPLIN, KEATON AND LLOYD

Some of the earliest film comedians to appear on screen were also some of cinema's most creative and innovative directors. Both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were able to develop a relationship with the audience which was affectionate, political and very involving. Chaplin was one of Hollywood's first true visionaries and he had complete creative control over many of his projects.

EARLY SILENT CINEMA: PRIMITIVES AND PIONEERS

Film is a relatively new art form. It has only been around for 100 years. The evolution of film has been rapid and the emergence of film grammar has allowed film makers to innovate and create new kinds of genres, styles and ways of communicating with the audience. Here a few sequences from turn of the century:

AN INTRODUCTION TO WORLD CINEMA

The first part of the A2 film exam is on world cinema. The first thing you will need to get to grips with is the world of subtitled foreign films collectively known as world cinema. But what exactly is world cinema in light of today's globalised society? What are the origins? How do we/you define it? What kinds of films do we tend to associate with world cinema? These are just some of the questions you will need to consider whilst broadening out your viewing range.

Here is an introduction to world cinema:

world cinema on Prezi

A2 FILM COURSEWORK: THE SMALL SCALE RESEARCH PROJECT - Setting up your own blog

One of the first tasks that you will be complete as part of the shift into A2 film studies is creating and maintaining a blog allowing you to track your research as part of the coursework. The A2 film coursework is divided into 2 parts - 1). Small Scale Research Project and 2). Creative Work.

The research demands that you develop appropriate research skills, investigate an area of film that interests you and that you support your final arguments with critical support from a range of primary and secondary sources.

Maintaining a blog will allow you to build up a steady bank of useful and relevant resources for your research project - this can include websites, links to articles, YouTube videos, posters, etc. You will also use your blog to post any related reviews or comments on films that you have to study as part of your research.

You must ensure that your blog is well organised and clear to read - do not overcrowd it with too much information. The templates will allow you to consider colour and fonts whilst sidebar tools are useful as a way of listing favourite websites and film lists.

Whilst some of you may have come across blogger before the following video offers a quick run through of setting up a blog:



Here are some important sites linked to blogging:

http://buzz.blogger.com/ - The official site from blogger

http://www.youtube.com/user/BloggerHelp?blend=3&ob=5 - Blogger's YouTube HELP channel; lots of useful step by step videos on how to improve your blogging skills

Hollywood Blockbusers - Case Study on THOR (Dir. Kenneth Branagh, 2011, US)

The teaser poster for the film which appeared at Comic Con months before the was released.

Marvel was bought up by Disney in 2009 for a massive $4billion deal. Thor was a comic book adaptation long in the making and with a $150 million production budget minus the massive marketing campaign the gamble for both Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures (acting as distributor) seems to have paid of with the film opening tremendously well internationally. With no stars and a relatively obscure comic book hero when compared to the likes of Iron Man or Spiderman, Thor's commercial success was dependent on a few crucial factors - one of them being a strong critical reaction to the film. Marvel were cautious in their choice of director and leading man - both Kenneth Branagh and Chris Hemsworth do carry out their roles with relative ease and assurance.

Yet again a tent pole production like Thor proves that the old adage of idea is king still reigns supreme amongst the studio mentality towards mainstream cinema. In many ways, Thor works whilst other comic book film adaptations have failed is due largely to the old fashioned morality tale at work amongst the expensive special effects budget. Thor is not a stand alone film or simply a competent slice of Hollywood entertainment as it follows its predecessors like Iron Man in showing explicit links to the forthcoming Avengers film. With the upcoming Captain America, Spiderman re-boot and the final chapter in Nolan's Batman saga, the comic book film genre continues to evolve rapidly into one of the most debated and contested of recent film genres.

Here are some useful links to the film:

First let's begin with the trailer to the film:



The official website connects into the Marvel universe - http://thor.marvel.com/

The Hollywood Reporter gives the thumbs up to the film - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/thor-film-review-179283

British Director Kenneth Branagh talks about the experience of working on a blockbuster - http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/04/21/thor-kenneth-branagh/

The wikipedia entry brings to light the arduous journey the film took to finally make it to the big screen - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_%28film%29

Here is a video interview with Branagh on making the film:



You can easily use THOR as a case study for producers and audiences as it offers current engagement with Hollywood cinema as an industry.

PRODUCERS & AUDIENCES - Section A: Exam Feedback

The Oscar winning The King's Speech is an excellent example of a current film that could easily be used to support all areas of the producers and audiences exam.

Most of you have written a response to Section A now. Whilst the questions on Horror and Noir are more predictable and much easier to revise for, Section A is notoriously difficult to predict and tends to leave us guessing what exactly will appear. However, certain areas have appeared over the years which continue to be important to this section:

• The State of the British Film Industry
• Hollywood Cinema Today - High Concept, Franchise, The Opening Weekend
• Film Stars and Audiences
• Film and Technology - consider here the emergence of 3D, Imax and Digital Screens
• Marketing
• Distribution
• Exhibition
• The Studio System
• Film and The Internet
• Fandom
  

What is most critical really is being able to keep up to date with developments in the American and British Film Industry as the examiners tend to look favourable upon those candidates who are able to engage with current films on release. It is imperative to move beyond the stimulus material you are given and think about what is not so obvious - this will likely to get you the higher marks.

The following are useful websites for film news and developments:

http://www.screendaily.com/
http://www.slashfilm.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film
http://mubi.com/notebook/posts

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (Dir. Billy Wilder, 1944, US) - Wider Reading

Here are some useful links for Double Indemnity that offer more contextual and wider reading:

http://www.redroom.com/blog/peppersnot/film-analysis

http://blog.cinemaautopsy.com/2008/10/09/notes-on-film-double-indemnity/

http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/88/an-analysis-of-billy-wilders-double-indemnity

http://filmsnoir.net/films/double-indemnity-the-unseen-ending.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Double-Indemnity-Mischief--Murder--and-Mise-en-Scene

EXAM ADVICE for SECTION C: AMERICAN CINEMA - FILM NOIR



Answer ONE question out of a choice of TWO.

This is a COMPARATIVE STUDY and you must discuss the similarities and differences between the TWO NOIR FILMS studied in class:

1). Double Indemnity

2). The Last Seduction

For revision consider focusing on key sequences from both films - use your detailed class notes and the booklets. Additionally, the following areas have appeared on the exam before and likely to do so again in May:

1). Gender representations; the femme fatale and the weak, guilt ridden male protagonist

2). Key Messages & Values in the two films; violence, crime, sexuality, gender, death, the past, corruption, capitalism, the american dream

3). Openings and Resolutions to both films

EXAM ADVICE for SECTION B - British Film Topics: HORROR

Answer ONE question out of a choice of TWO.

You must discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer.

Horror Films to use in the exam include:

Main Films

• The Descent
• 28 Days Later

Supporting Films

• Tormented
• Eden Lake

Areas to consider for the section on Horror:

• Narrative techniques and storytelling
• Horror Conventions
• Horror as a reflection of British Ideas/Values

Additionally, revisit key sequences from the films studied in class. Either re-watch the films on DVD, explore the extras/special features and consider using YouTube for sequences.

AS FILM EXAM ADVICE: Section A - Producers & Audiences

The exam will be on MONDAY 16 MAY. The paper is made up of 3 sections and they are equally weighted (40 marks for each section). You are expected to spend 50 minutes on each section. Effective time management is essential if you want to respond adequately to all 3 sections.

SECTION A - Producers & Audiences

Answer ONE question out of a choice of TWO.

Stimulus material will be provided in the form of posters, articles, box office stats.

Potential areas that could come up:

• Stars and Audiences
• Hollywood Cinema Today
• Marketing & Distribution
• British Film Industry
• Film and Technology
• Box office/economics of the industry
• The Studio System
• Exhibition Issues

You must use examples and case study materials for Section A. Consider using the following:

• Kick Ass
• Monsters
• Avatar
• Inception
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Tron Legacy
• High Concept Case Study Materials
• Materials on British Horror; 28 Days Later, The Descent, Eden Lake
• Your own case studies & independent research

Hollywood Cinema: SOURCE CODE (Dir. Duncan Jones, 2011, US/France)

Whilst British director Duncan Jones made the brilliant science fiction film Moon on just a budget of $5 million dollars, the $35 million budget for his latest film Source Code seems like a major step up and also sees him making the leap to Hollywood mid budget film making. Source Code has received some of the strongest reviews of the year and it is likely to be one of the most talked about films before the Summer Season launches in May/June. A good place to start with the film would be to read the 5 star review by The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/31/source-code-review Source Code raises a number of questions regarding Hollywood cinema today:

• What kind of concept is being sold to audiences?


• How well does the trailer work as a means of marketing the film?


• Will the film succeed at the box office given the intelligence with which the film approaches the science fiction genre?


• How does the film compare to Moon in terms of genre, production values and the end product?

If you do get a chance to watch the film this weekend then let us know what you made of it - how does it stack up as a science fiction film and is it really a five star movie?

Film Noir: The Last Seduction Essay Question (2)

This second of the 3 film noir essay questions is focused on the representation of gender and must be completed by next week. The final essay on noir will be set as half term homework over the Easter break, focusing on the question of narrative resolutions:

The Last Seduction Essay Question

BRITISH CINEMA CASE STUDY : SUBMARINE declared a box office hit

Released in just 60 cinemas in the UK, director Richard Ayoade’s debut Submarine has proven to be a hit with audiences. Optimum Releasing achieved similar success with the British satire Four Lions in 2010 and adopted a similar marketing and distribution strategy with Submarine. Interestingly enough both Ayoade and Chris Morris, the director of Four Lions, made their name working on Channel Four. This proves yet again the importance of Television production companies in nurturing and supporting British film making talent. Submarine’s distinctive marketing campaign backed by strong critical reviews and a soundtrack by Alex Turner of Arctic Monkey’s fame has certainly helped this quirky coming of age tale find an audience in the UK. Submarine like Four Lions offers hope that British cinema does produce a healthy slate of films each year which can remain successful given the continuing dominance enjoyed by Hollywood films. Optimum releasing expanded the release of Submarine from 60 screens to 100 and it is likely to help with the final box office take.

Download the detailed production notes to the film.

The Official website for the Film offers a range of production details.

Here is the trailer to the film:



Read an interview from The Guardian with the director behind the film.

Read Peter Bradshaw's positive review of Submarine - Four Stars.

Watch the interview with Ben Stiller at the Toronto Film Festival who has helped to produce and promote the film internationally:



Additionally, here is an interview with main leads from the film:

The British Film Industry - Some Useful Websites

Whilst much has been reported of the abolition of the UK Film Council, the closure of such an important funding and organisational body seems to suggest that the British film industry will continue to face the domination of Hollywood. Here are list of useful websites on British cinema:

The British Film Institute

BritFilms

The UK Film Council

David Fincher as Auteur; Fight Club Contextual Materials

The following video essays by film bloggers and critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Aaron Aradillas takes a critical approach to the opening credits/title sequences to the films of American auteur David Fincher:

Part 1). Alien 3
Part 2). Seven
Part 3). Fight Club
Part 4). Zodiac

This material is useful in trying to determine the characteristics that pin down David Fincher as an auteur:

• What do they opening sequences tell us about Fincher's approach to film making?
• Why do you think he invests so much time and creative energy into the opening sequences of his films?
• How well do they capture the essence of his films and establish key themes?

To understand the ideological complexities of Fight Club we need to seriously consider Fincher's status as an auteur and if the film does represent a repeated concern with specific themes and characters.

Welcome to the AS and A2 Film Studies Blog

This blog has been created with the intention of supporting learning for both AS and A2 film studies. We will be constantly updating the blog with various materials including:

• Film resources
• Class notes
• Handouts
• Powerpoint presentations
• Trailers/posters
• Documentary links
• Links to film websites
• Film related tasks & activities
• Important film news & events
• Video Essays
• Film Reviews

Please check back regularly - we would love to hear your comments on any aspects of the blog including the entries. The blog will be organised in relation to the units covered for AS and A2 Film which include:

FM1 - Exploring Film Form; The Micro Elements - Mise en scene, Editing, Cinematography, Performance, Sound
a). Storyboard / Short Film
b). An analysis of a film sequence - 1500 words

FM2 - British & American Film
a). Producers & Audiences
b). British Horror Genre
c). Film Noir

FM3 - Film Research and Creative Projects
a). Creative Work - Short Film / Script
b). Small Scale Research Project

FM4 - Issues and Debates
a). World Cinema Topics; Neo Realism
b). Spectatorship Topics; Documentary
c). Single Film Close Study; Fight Club

Omar Ahmed, Tom Dixon