Unfortunately, within the last week of term the computers were down within sixth form and we could not access any of our files, however as an alternative we decided to create a production schedule by hand so we knew what we were doing and where in order to allow preparation for the filming of the final piece.
As a group we decided what day would suit us all best and be convenient for everyone within the group. We decided to have a male protagonist as mentioned previously and so we decided to use Jess’s friend who has had previous acting experience in GCSE to ensure that the task wasn’t too difficult and could be done more efficiently as we have to take into account how long it will take to film as it will become darker earlier and therefore more difficult to film.
When we were all sat down discussing roles we thought it would be appropriate to allocate similar jobs to that used in previous tasks such as the preliminary task and the starter task and so below is shown that Jess and Ashleigh will be on camera with me filming again. Listed also is the props and costumes we will need to use to ensure that we are prepared, we based these on typical action conventions we have all researched.
Film production and distribution is extremely important as it reflects how well and popular your film will become depending on who you chose to go with as many film productions are related with different genres and expectations from the audience.
For example, when people view warner brothers they relate it to typically family films of a high quality, the issue with this is that we do not want our film to be perceived as something it is not and therefore let the audience down as they may be expecting something else solely based on the production company or distributor.
In order to decide on a film distribution company I watched different action films that tied in with romance to reflect a positive representation of our opening sequence as the production company will be related previously with the genre. Popular ones I have researched are paramount and 20th century fox, 20th century fox has a popular, recognisable iconic introduction strongly relating to action, due to it being so popular I believe this would be appropriate as it is something the audience can already be aware of alongside reflecting high quality.
Furthermore, with Fox, they have another distribution company for independent or British films called Fox Searchlight. By using Fox Searchlight as a possible distribution company, we are able to also utilise any benefits they may bring us as it is a massive worldwide company and so has a broader audience that our film could appeal to.
Alongside this, as mentioned previously I watched action films with sub-genre of romance, lionsgate appeared in both films watched relating to the romance genre and so as a co distributer we decided Lionsgate would be perfect as this company often make romance movies so it would represent our subgenre well.
In order to ensure that the characters are clearly portrayed in a certain way to the audience, I have created a mood board gathering all the research I have made into the appearance of both protagonist and antagonist characters, through the use of props I will ensure that characters are portrayed in either a negative or positive light. As shown, for the antagonist I have included both genders as this will develop the sub-genre of romance further, the type of masculine antagonist I am attempting to portray is the Jock stereotype that is always attempting to fight with other men, they are strong and always avoid being emotional which will create an issue within the narrative that must be resolved. The representation on men across all media are dependant on: Strength, Power, Sexual attractiveness Physique and independence, through the use of props such as a large gun, this will emphasise strength power and sexual attractiveness as the phallic shape will reflect the sexual attractiveness where as the power and strength will be reflected upon the violence that the gun connotes. Making the antagonist appear weaker and less dominant, I have provided them with a smaller gun to reflect lack of masculinity and power which supports binary opposite theory, as the opposites will drive the narrative further, almost like a fight for
masculinity.
I have made the protagonist appear smart and sophisticated to reflect his professionalism and focus, with little stubble this could reflect the fact that he is rather dangerous as he doesn’t confine to social standards. Furthermore, I have made the female protagonist appear dominant and fierce which juxtaposes against the typical female role of being sexualised as she is in control of herself. The use of the black leather suite suggests that she is edgy and mysterious which goes well with her darker, smokier make up. despite the fact she is wearing heels and may suggest seduction of some sort, instead, I have used the heels to make her similar height to the male protagonist to show equality between the two.
Where the antagonist is concerned, I have made him appear less professional and more criminal, with items such as sunglasses and hats to cover his face which could also show mystery, the use of the ordinary clothing makes the character appear more realistic which seemed to appeal to the target audience when discussing in the focus group.
The impact of the title can lead the audience immediately to make a judgement on the film. Through research, it has become clear that the majority of successful action film's titles have included the name of the cast members, typically the main protagonist first a shown within Casino Royale as Daniel Craig's name is shown almost as soon as the credits start showing the importance of cast within the film as it would make the audience more engaged if a well-known award-winning actor was in the film. Furthermore, the first thing shown is the institution, whether it be their opening title or their name, they are included immediately when the film is showing, again, this may make the audience more aware of what kind of film they will be watching as the institute may be known to do films surrounding a certain genre. Producers and directors are also shown within the opening credits typically before the cast credits have been presented, after this production, costume and make-up design are also included. Throughout different action films, opening titles have varied between showing the title of the film either immediately or waiting until further on, this I believe is more effective as it will create tension for the audience and so I believe it would be more suitable to show the titles once credits have already been shown. Furthermore, graphics have been used to relate to the film title, I believe this gives it a more professional look as it shows the relationship between the name of the film and the film itself. Shown is an example showing the typical conventions of opening titles/credits within an action/spy film. Decision on title: Coming together as a group we decided to create an effective title that would entice the audience in to watch our production. We wanted the title to reflect the target audience’s wants and needs, in order to reflect these we have produced a questionnaire previously to find out what would appeal to our target audience and why, the final question the questionnaire asked what titles were most effective and appealing, the majority of the people asked proffered short and simple however others wanted connotations to be included within the heading as it implies some sort of mystery wanting them to watch.
Eventually, we decided that having a short and simple heading would be most appropriate with some connotation of both the main genre and sub-genre, by doing this we created a mind map of words we associate with action, as shown, this helped us come up with more appropriate names for an action film.
Coming up with the name for our film had some element of difficulty as we had to research every name we appealed to ensure it was not already a film name, alongside this we needed to ensure that the name would appeal to the audience and make them want to watch it. We all chose our best titles for the film, having two votes each which led us to a final four names, fortunately, we all had the same view on what were our favourites and so once they were finalised, this task was not too challenging for us.
We finally chose the name Red Bullet, this was Ashleigh and I’s favourite however Jess also liked it but it wasn't her chosen one, the idea of Red Bullet stemmed from the implications of red being simplistic and implying love which would juxtapose against the violence of the bullet implications which suggests violence and possibly death, by doing this we have included both genre and sub-genre. I like the name we have chosen as I believe it will intrigue both genders for a bigger target audience.
Within our group we decided to discuss places that would be appropriate to film our opening sequence, we decided to stay in local areas that were able to be accessed at all times to allow our schedule to be simplistic and if any issues arise we have the opportunity to change what and where we were filming.
Our final locations were as follows:
This is a large space and greenery with droop down trees that characters can hide behind to create more tension and suspense. This park is usually very quite yet has a narrow stream along the side in which could be utilised however it is unknown how this could be done.
Canal Road
Along the canal road there are warehouses that can be utilised to create a more mysterious edge about the opening scene as typically these are related with illegal transfers to make the action film suit connotations and expectations as it will refer to the antagonist and include a possible introduction. Furthermore alongside this, the canal road has a canal running alongside of it which could be used for a chase, the canal is typically busy so we would have to film at a off peak time possibly earlier in the morning or just before rush hour begins as many pedestrians use it to get home. Along canal road itself though, there above is a bridge which could be used as an escape root for the characters, allowing the antagonists to escape which could develop the plot further, this will allow us to use both settings however with minimal camera work however look just as effective.
The surroundings are clearly shown as being realistic which could also be useful to make the audience feel as though the film is realistic, as when asked within the focus group people that watch action films do not like plots that are unrealistic and unlikely to occur in daily life, so by taking this into account we have selected places that are easily recognisable as real.
Abandoned Railways
As mentioned previously, along the top of canal road Is a bridge leading to an abandoned railway, this is accessible and would be ideal as it is extremely quite and has the scenery of the town behind it, this could represent power and dominance for the character, as the setting is secretive it could also imply to the audience that something dramatic is about to occur.
Below this, are also arches that could add more of a urban area feel to the setting, this can also reflect more secrecy and be used for more of the setting for the antagonist characters.
