Progress

We have been editing a lot recently and we are still unsure about some of the ordering of the opening sequence. We also have to re-film the establishing shot and some of the scenes with the girl putting on her make up due to continuity.

Music

We have started to create our own music on Garage Band. Right now I think the music we have created sounds too much like the music you would hear in a nightclub rather than a house party. We are planning on changing this and I think the music we choose should include vocals.

Independent Distributors

Momentum
Momentum Pictures is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland and releases approximately 20 theatrical films a year. Momentum's most successful theatrical releases include Lost In Translation, The King's Speech and Let The Right One In.



Miramax
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing many independent and foreign films. There was once a Miramax Family which was the family division of Miramax Films it was created in 1991 and shut down in 2006. Some of the films released by Miramax include Adventureland, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and Bridget Jones's Diary.



IFC Films
Independent Film Channel is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center. Examples of films it has distributed include Fish Tank, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Chalet Girl.

How Distribution Works

A distributor is responsible for marketing a film. The distributor decides the release date of a film in the cinema, where it is shown and for how long it shown. It also decides if the film should sent direct-to-video. It also decides how they let the public know about the film e.g trailers, advertisements etc. A limited distributor may deal only with particular products, such as DVDs or Blu-ray, or may act in a particular country or market. It sells the film to the public. Big distributors will spend thousands on letting people know about the film. An independent distributor will often seek films at festivals and acquire the rights to them.

Big Distributors

Distribution is the most important stage in any film as it can play a huge factor in a film's success. They are in charge of how the film should be advertised and where the film will be shown and for how long.

Examples of big distributors:

Sony
Sony Pictures Entertainment, is the television and film production/distribution unit of Sony. With 12.5% box office market share in 2011, the company was ranked 3rd among film studios. Its group sales in 2010 were US$7.2 billion. The many film franchises it has produced include Spider Man, Men in Black, Ghostbusters and The Karate Kid.



Disney
Disney Media Distribution is responsible for The Walt Disney Company's branded and non-branded filmed entertainment distribution, now distributing more than 30,000 hours of content to over 1300 broadcasters across 240 territories worldwide. It was once named Buena Vista International Television. It was then renamed Disney-ABC International Television in 2007 to focus on the Disney, ABC and ESPN brands. Then in 2011 it was renamed Disney Media Distribution. Examples of films it has distributed include Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Diaries and Toy Story.



DreamWorks
Dreamworks Studio has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses totalling more than $100 million each. It has distributed many films such as Chicken Run, Ghost Town and Fright Night.

Art Of The Title Opening Sequences

Murder By Death (1976)

In the opening sequence for this film, there is a soundbridge followed by the opening credits on screen. The credits are written in a font that makes it look like an old film and the background picture is of a ancient looking treasure chest which emphasizes this. The music playing is quite eerie and spooky. Then a gloved hand appears, unlocks the chest and then opens it displaying a long line of drawn characters and then the title of the film appears on screen. The music suddenly changes from eerie to upbeat and fast paced. The camera then zooms in on the characters; first to a person who has been stabbed many times in the back, reflecting the title of the film. The camera then shows each of these drawn characters on screen as well as the cast. As each of the faces are shown an actor's name is also on screen, presumably the character the actor is depicting. Some of the characters are made out to be almost comical, as there eyes are shown to be moving. After every drawn character is shown, the shot moves to a drawn picture of the establishing shot, which is quickly cut into the actual, real life shot.

An Education (2009)

In the opening sequence for this film, there are a few young children's games depicted on screen, such as hopscotch, skipping and marbles; as well as the sort of things you learn at school, such as science and music. This is done perhaps to show the youthfulness of the character. The music playing is quite light and fun. The writing isn't particularly fancy, just straight to the point. After the title of the film is shown it cuts to a shot of young girls in uniform walking with books on their head, showing this to be a posh private school. The next shot is of young girls ballroom dancing, while a middle aged teacher stands in the middle observing and instructing and then a shot of a cooking class. The shot then cuts to a young girl, the main character, walking in the snow, looking as if she is dreading going into school. The next few shots are just general shots of girls at this stereotypical boarding school.

Research Into Coming-Of-Age Genre

1. Submarine
This film is set in 1986 and tells the story of Oliver Tate, a 15-year-old boy and his infatuation with a girl. As well as trying to make her like him, he has try and keep his parents together when his mother's ex boyfriend moves next door.

2. Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a troubled teenager suffering from schizophrenia. He receives a disturbing vision that the world will end in 28 days. With the help of various characters, including a 6 foot rabbit called Frank, he slowly discovers the mysterious physical and metaphysical laws that govern his life and that will lead up to the destruction of the universe.

3. Bend It Like Beckham
Jess is a teenager with only one real passion in her life: football. She soon strikes up a friendship with Juliette, and joins a girls team coached by Joe. She comes from a traditional, close-knit and loving Sikh family. Jess' fascination with sports doesn't fit into their idea of a young woman future. She and Juliette also fall out over both liking Joe. With her sister's wedding on the same day as the football final, Jess must decide if she will support her family or her friends.

Coming-Of-Age Genre

Because our questionnaires proved that the Coming-Of-Age genre is popular amongst our target audience I decided to research the genre:

• It is a genre of teen films
• It focuses on the protagonists transition from youth to adulthood
• It relies heavily on dialogue and emotional responses rather than action
• The main character is typically male and mid-teen
• The story is often told in the form of a flashback
• Sexual identity, political opinions and philosophical development are often featured
• These sexual themes are often presented in a comical or humorous manner

Audience

The feedback from our questionnaires has proved to be very helpful. A lot of the feedback was very similar. We think it would be better to make our film more of a coming-of-age film like Clueless or 10 Things I Hate About You, rather than a strictly romance film such as the Notebook or Dear John. We think a coming-of-age film would appeal to a larger audience, as most of the males who answered the questionnaire do not seem to be a fan of the romantic genre. However this is not unexpected as we predicted romantic films would appeal more to females. The obvious favourite film amongst our target audience, although this is not a coming-of-age film, but a romantic comedy, that is obviously more appealing.

Audience

The target audience for our film will be primarily females aged 15-30 as we think they will relate most to the film. We also researched into our target audience by asking them to complete a questionnaire. We uploaded the results onto our group blog: http://nnikproductions.blogspot.co.uk/

Filming

Yesterday we started filming part of the opening sequence. We filmed the main girl on her way to the party and shots of her getting ready for the party eg putting on make up.

Idea

We have changed our idea slightly as we are no longer including Christmas as a theme. We changed it because now it's January it will be difficult to include this theme.

Romantic Genre

In our group we decided to go for the romantic genre.I researched into the romantic and found a few examples of films with this genre.

Romantic films make the love story the main plot of the film. It is generally based on the two main protagonists and the obstacles they have to face during this relationship which threatens to separate them. It usually ends with the two protagonists overcoming all these obstacles and living 'Happily Ever After' together. Romantic films often base around the themes of first love/young love, love at first sight, sentimental love, unrequited love, forbidden love or tragic love. This genre is primarily targeted at women.

Institution

Pre Production

• Casting
• Financing
• Staffing
• Screen Play
• Finalizing Script
• Production Schedule
• Costume and Props
• Location Scouting

 Production

•  Footage is recorded

Post Production

•  Editing footage
• Adding graphics
• Adding special effects
• Re shooting certain scenes if required

Distribution 

•  Selling the film to the audience

Narrative

The narrative is the way the story is being told. Todorov came up with the idea that all stories go through the same 5 stages.

Todorov's 5 Stages of Narrative are:
1) Equilibrium - all is in order, 'normal' and happy
2) Disruption - a disruption to the equilibrium by the means of an event/action
3) Recognition - there is recognition that a disruption has taken place
4) Repair - an attempt to repair the damage caused by the disruption
5) New equilibrium - the problem is solved and we return to a new type of equilibrium


Propp came up with the idea that characters have a narrative function

The Hero – a character that seeks something

The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest

The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties

The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message

The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims

The Helper – who aids the hero

The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots

Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort

Example:

Back to the Future

1) Marty Mcfly is a 17 year old who lives with his parents and older siblings. His family are all underachieving and bleak.
2) His friend, Doc invents a time machine and shows Marty how it works.
3) Marty gets sent back in time to when his parents were his age and accidentally meets his parents which stops them from meeting and falling in love  which changes the course of history.
4) He has to make sure that his parents do meet, otherwise he will have never existed.
5) He manages to make them meet returns back home to find that his family are a lot happier than before.

Other Examples:
Little Red Riding Hood
1) Little Red Riding Hood is going to see her grandma
2) She meets a wolf along the way who finds out where she is going
3) When she gets to her grandma's house she finds the wolf has dressed as her grandma and is going to eat her
4) Her grandma pulls her under the bed before he can
5) A man kills the wolf; and Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma are saved

Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before The Lights Come On

1) The man is walking along
2) He tries to help the woman who appears to be about to jump off a building
3) She tries to kiss him and keeps harassing him
4) He tells her to leave him alone
5) She goes back to the top of the building and you see another man walking along

Research Into Romantic Genre

Examples of films with the Romantic are:

1.The Notebook
This is a typical love story told at different times. One is the present day when Allie and Noah have grown old and are in a home; the other is the story Noah reads from the notebook in which he tells how he and Allie met, fell in love, lost each other because Allie's parents disapproved of Noah's unwealthy family, and move Allie away, and how they eventually find other again.

2. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
This is a coming of age film about a 14-year-old girl who keeps a diary of her experience of being a teenager. She writes about what you would expect a typical teenager would write about, such as thinking she has an embarrassing family, falling out with friends, wanting to throw a big party for her birthday and how she wants a boyfriend.

3. 500 Days of Summer
This is a romantic film that does not follow the typical conventions. The film is about a failed relationship, including how the main 2 protagonists meet, how they start a relationship, how the male falls in love with the female but the feeling is not mutual and how they break up and the fact the male has to get over her when he thinks that she's 'The One'.