Research Research: Secondary, Primary and Analytical and Evaluative to form solutions to creative problems. PRESENTATION: Marketing strategies of your piece. TARGET AUDIENCE OF YOUR PIECE. Will be presented where? BBC, ITV YOUTUBE, what channel and how and why?.
Welcome to my research page, here you will find all my research that I have conducted to create a unique and thrilling action film. I will be researching stunts by studying Daredevil and John Wick, Lighting research will be conducted via websites, I will gather up friends and discuss the process of shooting an action film and of course for target audience I will be conducting a survey.
What is action? what makes an action film?
The action genre codes and conventions provided by Edusites Media Studies Resources website, below are a few of these codes. https://media.edusites.co.uk/article/action-genre-codes-conventions
WHAT FONT???
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/why-are-these-matt-damon-movie-posters-all-basically-identical/
Target Audience
https://www.statista.com/statistics/188658/movie-genres-in-north-america-by-box-office-revenue-since-1995/
Before filming my project I need to figure out what my target audience will be so I can know what I will be able to show in my film and what I can't. For example if I found out my target audience would be 10-12 I would make sure to not include so much blood and gore whereas if it was 20-30 then I would include more blood and violence.
I intend to create an action film therefore it will be prominently male viewer base. "Films with a strong action element were particularly popular among male audiences" - BFI Research and Statistics
Survey
I developed a survey to help me understand my target audience and asked 20 people to take part. The participants were from both college(Local) and online(global) which will mean that my results will vary and give me a better understanding of my target audience world wide.
Questions:
1) How old are you?
2) Gender
3) Which race/ethnicity best describes you?
4) Are you in...?
5) Do you enjoy watching action films?
6) Why do you enjoy action films? (N/A if you don't)
7) What is your favourite action film,?
https://www.imdb.com/search/title?&genres=action&explore=title_type,genres
Below are the results.
1) 12-17 (7) , 18-24 (13)
2) Male (17) , Female (3), Other
3) White/White Brit (14), Other (6)
4) In Education (7), Employed(7), Unemployed(3)
5) Yes (10), No (4), Sometimes (6)
From the results I have been given, I understand that my target age group is 18-24 which is young adults. This means that I can include violence, blood and drug use ( Not actual drugs) in my project.
Out of the 20 people that took the survey, only 3 were female while 17 were male, which means that my film will primarily cater towards males however females are free to watch it as well. 14 of the participants are white/white British while the other 6 put down other which I would presume are my online friends which range from North America to Europe.
For question 4 we have a tie between in education and employed, if we look back at the target age group we know is 18-24 which would suggest that a lot of the participants in this age group are either in education (University/College) or in employment. 50% of the participants also said yes to question 5 while 6 people said sometimes and the rest said no.
Questions 6 and 7 were open questions so I can see the reasons why my survey audience enjoy action films and their favourite action film which allow me to study the most commonly liked action film and extract techniques from it to apply to my project. The most commonly liked action films were John Wick 1 and Avengers Endgame. The reason John Wick was picked a lot as the participants thought the seamless and smooth fighting scenes combined with the Neo noir theme created amazing action scenes.
Audience Profile
Age: 18-24
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Race: White
Living Arrangement: University Dorm, Parent's 2-3 bedroom house.
Employment: Part time
Education: College or University.
Income: £3K - £5K
Car: Hatchback, Maybe a golf.
Focus Group
I gathered a few friends (Cameron, Corbyn, Chris and Harry) to discuss stereotypes of the action genre and figure out how we could make my FMP unique.
We talked about the similarities we see most in action films, techniques such as using handheld for fight scenes and and stabilisers for chase/car scenes. We talked about what stabilisers we should use for each scene and Harry mentioned he had a shoulder rig we could use for the action scenes while we could use my gimbal for the car and chase scene which will allow the viewer to focus on the scene without too much shakiness.
Cameron suggested to make my FMP unique I should use mise en scene as previously I haven't included mise en scene in any of my FMPs. This is a good idea as it'll make my piece look and feel more realistic.
Video Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8-7BX9uxs
Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil is a 2015 Netflix Original action show. It follows Matt Murdock who's lawyer by day, vigilante by night but theres a twist, he's blind. The show is set in "Hell's Kitchen" New York and as it is part of the MCU the show contains crossovers with Jessica Jones, The Iron Fist and Luke Cage in the form of the miniseries The Defenders
Daredevil is packed full with fighting scenes and one scene that stands out is in the second episode of the first season, Daredevil is trying to rescue a kidnapped boy and upon arriving on location we see him walking down an eerie corridor
The Mise-En-Scene is on point in this scene, if we look at the picture we see a figure wearing black clothing and a black mask, theres an electrical circuit breaker on the wall behind him, the walls look dirty and the overall tone of the picture has a eerie/dark vibe to it.
The use of the mask implies that he wants to be mysterious and unknown to people. Similar to how Captain America wore his hat and glasses to blend in while
being chased
I will be using Mise-En-Scene to make my film more convincing and realistic, to achieve this I will make sure that my characters are wearing the appropriate costumes
i.e.:
Hero: Black/Dark coloured Hoodie, cap , possible glasses
Henchmen: Fully black with caps and gloves.
"Action heroes do not seek out adventure, they respond to dire necessity."(O'Brien, 2012) I agree with this because if you look at films like The Avengers (2012) we see that the Earth's "Mightiest" must team up to defeat Loki and the Chitari army. The Avengers were formed to stop this invasion.
John Wick is a series of action neo-noir films focused on ex-hitman John Wick with each film being titled as a chapter. The first film takes place in New York City and features the Russian crime syndicate while the second film takes place in both Rome and New York City and involves Italian mobsters.
" John Wick excels, unapologetically, at what it seeks to be: a fun, pulpy, violent B-movie action romp, built upon a cool mythology within a compelling noir world" - Kofi Outlaw (Screen Rant)
With its compelling and emotional narrative combined with long cuts and over the top action makes it a great source of inspiration to use for my film. A good example of this is at the start of John Wick 2 during the car chase scene John Wick hits somebody with his car and they go flying into a beam in one shot. This generates a bigger impact than it would with quick cuts as the viewers gets to see the lead up, first hit from the car and then finally see the person being thrown through the air into the beam in a single shot.
I want to implement long cuts into my film so the viewers feel more involved as they will be able to see everything that leads up to the major moment.
Evan Dickson over at Collider.com did a great article on John Wick (2014) and the stunts performed
on the film, he even went down to 87Eleven's studios to learn about the stunts, interview both David Leitch and Chad Stahelski and even take part of a video demonstration . 87Eleven are a team of professional stunt performers created by David and Chad in 1997, they have been apart of multiple big Hollywood movies such as Jurassic World, The Hunger games franchise and DeadPaul 2.
When asked if Keanu was a "driving factor in getting this brutal choreography onscreen?" they explain that you can't simply throw in a few fighting techniques such as Kung Fu and expect it to flow, you need to create the world and make action that flows with the world. Keanu spent 4 months with gun coaches, LA SWAT and Navy Seals to learn how to move tactically with weapons and the correct way to hold guns.
The video they filmed when Evan visited the studio actually inspired me to have a scene which shows the car arriving at location and a tactical team exit the car and start to gear up.
http://collider.com/john-wick-87eleven/
When it comes to shooting action films especially chase scenes in a forest setting it is hard to get a smooth shoot as normally you're running around in a bumpy environment with lots of trip hazards and this is where either a glide cam or a gimbal would come into use.
Glidecam
In the early 70s, Garrett Brown invented a device that would allow the user to capture handheld shots. This device was called the steadicam (A type of handheld stabiliser )
"Over the past 3 decades, Steadicam has been an invaluable, dynamic production tool in the industry" - Kevin Tustin
The picture on the left is a type of handheld stabiliser called a glide cam created by Neewer. The way it works is you use little weights at the bottom to balance the camera and then using two fingers you adjust the rod. This type of stabiliser is used more for when you want a scene to be slow and smooth i.e. actors walking and talking.
Pros
Cheap
Supports most DSLRs
Reliable
Welcome to my research page, here you will find all my research that I have conducted to create a unique and thrilling action film. I will be researching stunts by studying Daredevil and John Wick, Lighting research will be conducted via websites, I will gather up friends and discuss the process of shooting an action film and of course for target audience I will be conducting a survey.
What is action? what makes an action film?
The action genre codes and conventions provided by Edusites Media Studies Resources website, below are a few of these codes. https://media.edusites.co.uk/article/action-genre-codes-conventions
- 12 - 15 age certificate to maximise the youth audience
- Cross over with Sci Fi, Adventure, Romance
- Major Hollywood studio produced and distributed
- High production values including CGI & fast paced editing
- Classic Hollywood 3 act narrative structure
- Predictable chain of events, cause and effect (Equilibrium Theory)
- Single Stranded, linear, closed narrative
- Dramatic non-diegetic sounds
- Relationships with advanced technology to attract the youth audience.
- Male/Female Gaze
- Uses and Gratifications theory can be applied
I will stick with these codes and conventions while creating my action film as they are what create an action film.
Marketing
Ways I can market my film include posters, podcasts, tv adverts, social media
The ideal platform to release my film would be on Netflix as a Netflix Original because it would be an international release however it is difficult for somebody in my position to get my film onto the service. I would have to go through an agency that have ties with Netflix to even pitch my idea.
In a study conducted by the Leichtman Research Group(LRG) in 2017, 54% of households had access to Netflix While in 2016, according to a study by Cowen and Company 58% of Netflix subscribers said they paid for the service for their original series.
4Ps of marketing
Product: A product can be either goods or a service that fulfils a need. Whether you sell custom silverware or provide accommodations, it is important that you clearly understand the product you are trying to market and what makes it unique.
Price: Once you have an understanding of the product that is being marketed, it is time to decide the pricing. The price will impact the profit margins, supply, demand and marketing strategy.
Promotion: We've got the product and price now its time to promote it. Promotion looks at the many ways marketing agencies disseminate relevant product information to consumers and differentiate a particular product or service. Promotion includes elements like: advertising, public relations, social media marketing, email marketing, video marketing and more. Each touch point must be supported by a well positioned brand to truly maximise return on investment.
Place: Often you hear marketers saying that marketing is about putting the right product, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. it's critical then, to evaluate what the ideal locations are to convert potential clients into actual clients.
A good example of the 4Ps of marketing is by looking at the announcement, buildup and release of Avengers: Endgame.
Product: Obviously the film itself being the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3 which is a big deal.
Price: As Endgame is the end of Phase 3, Marvel went all out on it's marketing campaign by having an estimated $200 million budget which surpassed Avengers: Infinity War's budget of $150 million - Deadline
Promotion: From the day the announced Endgame to the release, Marvel partnered up with companies such as Audi, McDonalds, and Coca-Cola. They would use Social Media to promote the film with posters, sneak peaks and trailers which would grab the attention of the viewer and make them want more.
Place: Endgame has yet to be released on Dvd and digital download however you are able to pre-order it on services such as SkyTV and Amazon. Once released Endgame will be available to purchase in all major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury, and Asda. You will also be able to purchase it on Amazon and SkyTV store for either digital download or Dvd
"Well actually he's the boss, I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler" - Tony Stark referring to Captain America when called boss.
This quote is said by Tony at the start of Avengers Age of Ultron which might explain that while Captain America is in the front and centre of the Endgame poster, Tony's is bigger than everybody else in the poster apart from Thanos.
Twilight is a drama/fantasy movie about werewolves and vampires.
A quick analysis of this would be that the two people in the front are our main characters and because they're holding each other that would suggest they are a couple. Now the people around them are in groups of 2 and 1 female, 1 male which suggests that they are also couples. The fog/mist around them introduces a mysterious tone towards the movie.
A good example of social media being used to promote a film is the Avenger's twitter account where they would upload posters and sneak peaks of Endgame leading up to theatrical release. Leading up to the release they would post trailers that wouldn't necessarily spoil the film but it makes the viewer intrigued and wanting more. Trailers are an effective marketing tool.
To promote the release of my film, I will be creating a 10 second trailer that will grab the attention of the viewer and make them want more. This trailer will show the buildup but won't display any defining moments. Along side the trailer, I will release a simple poster.Ways I can market my film include posters, podcasts, tv adverts, social media
The ideal platform to release my film would be on Netflix as a Netflix Original because it would be an international release however it is difficult for somebody in my position to get my film onto the service. I would have to go through an agency that have ties with Netflix to even pitch my idea.
In a study conducted by the Leichtman Research Group(LRG) in 2017, 54% of households had access to Netflix While in 2016, according to a study by Cowen and Company 58% of Netflix subscribers said they paid for the service for their original series.
4Ps of marketing
Product: A product can be either goods or a service that fulfils a need. Whether you sell custom silverware or provide accommodations, it is important that you clearly understand the product you are trying to market and what makes it unique.
Price: Once you have an understanding of the product that is being marketed, it is time to decide the pricing. The price will impact the profit margins, supply, demand and marketing strategy.
Promotion: We've got the product and price now its time to promote it. Promotion looks at the many ways marketing agencies disseminate relevant product information to consumers and differentiate a particular product or service. Promotion includes elements like: advertising, public relations, social media marketing, email marketing, video marketing and more. Each touch point must be supported by a well positioned brand to truly maximise return on investment.
Place: Often you hear marketers saying that marketing is about putting the right product, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. it's critical then, to evaluate what the ideal locations are to convert potential clients into actual clients.
A good example of the 4Ps of marketing is by looking at the announcement, buildup and release of Avengers: Endgame.
Price: As Endgame is the end of Phase 3, Marvel went all out on it's marketing campaign by having an estimated $200 million budget which surpassed Avengers: Infinity War's budget of $150 million - Deadline
Promotion: From the day the announced Endgame to the release, Marvel partnered up with companies such as Audi, McDonalds, and Coca-Cola. They would use Social Media to promote the film with posters, sneak peaks and trailers which would grab the attention of the viewer and make them want more.
Place: Endgame has yet to be released on Dvd and digital download however you are able to pre-order it on services such as SkyTV and Amazon. Once released Endgame will be available to purchase in all major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury, and Asda. You will also be able to purchase it on Amazon and SkyTV store for either digital download or Dvd
"Well actually he's the boss, I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler" - Tony Stark referring to Captain America when called boss.
This quote is said by Tony at the start of Avengers Age of Ultron which might explain that while Captain America is in the front and centre of the Endgame poster, Tony's is bigger than everybody else in the poster apart from Thanos.
A quick analysis of this would be that the two people in the front are our main characters and because they're holding each other that would suggest they are a couple. Now the people around them are in groups of 2 and 1 female, 1 male which suggests that they are also couples. The fog/mist around them introduces a mysterious tone towards the movie.
A good example of social media being used to promote a film is the Avenger's twitter account where they would upload posters and sneak peaks of Endgame leading up to theatrical release. Leading up to the release they would post trailers that wouldn't necessarily spoil the film but it makes the viewer intrigued and wanting more. Trailers are an effective marketing tool.
WHAT FONT???
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/why-are-these-matt-damon-movie-posters-all-basically-identical/
Target Audience
https://www.statista.com/statistics/188658/movie-genres-in-north-america-by-box-office-revenue-since-1995/
Before filming my project I need to figure out what my target audience will be so I can know what I will be able to show in my film and what I can't. For example if I found out my target audience would be 10-12 I would make sure to not include so much blood and gore whereas if it was 20-30 then I would include more blood and violence.
I intend to create an action film therefore it will be prominently male viewer base. "Films with a strong action element were particularly popular among male audiences" - BFI Research and Statistics
Survey
I developed a survey to help me understand my target audience and asked 20 people to take part. The participants were from both college(Local) and online(global) which will mean that my results will vary and give me a better understanding of my target audience world wide.
1) How old are you?
2) Gender
3) Which race/ethnicity best describes you?
4) Are you in...?
5) Do you enjoy watching action films?
6) Why do you enjoy action films? (N/A if you don't)
7) What is your favourite action film,?
https://www.imdb.com/search/title?&genres=action&explore=title_type,genres
Below are the results.
1) 12-17 (7) , 18-24 (13)
2) Male (17) , Female (3), Other
3) White/White Brit (14), Other (6)
4) In Education (7), Employed(7), Unemployed(3)
5) Yes (10), No (4), Sometimes (6)
From the results I have been given, I understand that my target age group is 18-24 which is young adults. This means that I can include violence, blood and drug use ( Not actual drugs) in my project.
Out of the 20 people that took the survey, only 3 were female while 17 were male, which means that my film will primarily cater towards males however females are free to watch it as well. 14 of the participants are white/white British while the other 6 put down other which I would presume are my online friends which range from North America to Europe.
For question 4 we have a tie between in education and employed, if we look back at the target age group we know is 18-24 which would suggest that a lot of the participants in this age group are either in education (University/College) or in employment. 50% of the participants also said yes to question 5 while 6 people said sometimes and the rest said no.
Questions 6 and 7 were open questions so I can see the reasons why my survey audience enjoy action films and their favourite action film which allow me to study the most commonly liked action film and extract techniques from it to apply to my project. The most commonly liked action films were John Wick 1 and Avengers Endgame. The reason John Wick was picked a lot as the participants thought the seamless and smooth fighting scenes combined with the Neo noir theme created amazing action scenes.
Audience Profile
Age: 18-24
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Race: White
Living Arrangement: University Dorm, Parent's 2-3 bedroom house.
Employment: Part time
Education: College or University.
Income: £3K - £5K
Car: Hatchback, Maybe a golf.
Focus Group
I gathered a few friends (Cameron, Corbyn, Chris and Harry) to discuss stereotypes of the action genre and figure out how we could make my FMP unique.
We talked about the similarities we see most in action films, techniques such as using handheld for fight scenes and and stabilisers for chase/car scenes. We talked about what stabilisers we should use for each scene and Harry mentioned he had a shoulder rig we could use for the action scenes while we could use my gimbal for the car and chase scene which will allow the viewer to focus on the scene without too much shakiness.
Cameron suggested to make my FMP unique I should use mise en scene as previously I haven't included mise en scene in any of my FMPs. This is a good idea as it'll make my piece look and feel more realistic.
Video Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8-7BX9uxs
Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil is a 2015 Netflix Original action show. It follows Matt Murdock who's lawyer by day, vigilante by night but theres a twist, he's blind. The show is set in "Hell's Kitchen" New York and as it is part of the MCU the show contains crossovers with Jessica Jones, The Iron Fist and Luke Cage in the form of the miniseries The Defenders
Daredevil is packed full with fighting scenes and one scene that stands out is in the second episode of the first season, Daredevil is trying to rescue a kidnapped boy and upon arriving on location we see him walking down an eerie corridor
The use of the mask implies that he wants to be mysterious and unknown to people. Similar to how Captain America wore his hat and glasses to blend in whilebeing chased
I will be using Mise-En-Scene to make my film more convincing and realistic, to achieve this I will make sure that my characters are wearing the appropriate costumes
i.e.:
Hero: Black/Dark coloured Hoodie, cap , possible glasses
Henchmen: Fully black with caps and gloves.
"Action heroes do not seek out adventure, they respond to dire necessity."(O'Brien, 2012) I agree with this because if you look at films like The Avengers (2012) we see that the Earth's "Mightiest" must team up to defeat Loki and the Chitari army. The Avengers were formed to stop this invasion.
" John Wick excels, unapologetically, at what it seeks to be: a fun, pulpy, violent B-movie action romp, built upon a cool mythology within a compelling noir world" - Kofi Outlaw (Screen Rant)
With its compelling and emotional narrative combined with long cuts and over the top action makes it a great source of inspiration to use for my film. A good example of this is at the start of John Wick 2 during the car chase scene John Wick hits somebody with his car and they go flying into a beam in one shot. This generates a bigger impact than it would with quick cuts as the viewers gets to see the lead up, first hit from the car and then finally see the person being thrown through the air into the beam in a single shot.
I want to implement long cuts into my film so the viewers feel more involved as they will be able to see everything that leads up to the major moment.
Evan Dickson over at Collider.com did a great article on John Wick (2014) and the stunts performed
on the film, he even went down to 87Eleven's studios to learn about the stunts, interview both David Leitch and Chad Stahelski and even take part of a video demonstration . 87Eleven are a team of professional stunt performers created by David and Chad in 1997, they have been apart of multiple big Hollywood movies such as Jurassic World, The Hunger games franchise and DeadPaul 2.
When asked if Keanu was a "driving factor in getting this brutal choreography onscreen?" they explain that you can't simply throw in a few fighting techniques such as Kung Fu and expect it to flow, you need to create the world and make action that flows with the world. Keanu spent 4 months with gun coaches, LA SWAT and Navy Seals to learn how to move tactically with weapons and the correct way to hold guns.
The video they filmed when Evan visited the studio actually inspired me to have a scene which shows the car arriving at location and a tactical team exit the car and start to gear up.
http://collider.com/john-wick-87eleven/
When it comes to shooting action films especially chase scenes in a forest setting it is hard to get a smooth shoot as normally you're running around in a bumpy environment with lots of trip hazards and this is where either a glide cam or a gimbal would come into use.
In the early 70s, Garrett Brown invented a device that would allow the user to capture handheld shots. This device was called the steadicam (A type of handheld stabiliser )
"Over the past 3 decades, Steadicam has been an invaluable, dynamic production tool in the industry" - Kevin Tustin
The picture on the left is a type of handheld stabiliser called a glide cam created by Neewer. The way it works is you use little weights at the bottom to balance the camera and then using two fingers you adjust the rod. This type of stabiliser is used more for when you want a scene to be slow and smooth i.e. actors walking and talking.
Pros
Cheap
Supports most DSLRs
Reliable
Cons
Time wasted on balancing
Takes time to learn how to use
Cons
Expensive.
Requires batteries.
Not always as sturdy as a glide cam
Shoulder Rig
A shoulder rig is a dynamic piece of equipment which allows the camera operator the flexibility of movement. - Light Film School
The use of a shoulder rig places the viewer into the scene and it can also represent a spur of action.
Pros
Cheap
Fast setup
achieves the same effect as handheld but with more control
Cons
Can still be shaky.
The research I have conducted on each of these devices has given me a good idea on how each work and where they are best suited and after testing both types of devices mentioned above I have come to the conclusion that a 3 axis gimbal would be the ideal piece of equipment to stabilise my chase and car scenes while a shoulder rig will be used for the main action scenes. due to my idea being a fast paced action film with a car scene.
Back in the silent film era, stunts were more dangerous than they are now, take Buster Keaton for example during his years as an actor before he was hired by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1928) he would often partake in dangerous stunts which would require precision. "He was capable of incredible acrobatics that he incorporated into his films" (James L. Neibaur, 2013)
Such stunts include Keaton standing still while the facade of a building fell on him with him coming out of the debris without a scratch, this was successful due to an open window that was just big enough for him to fit through. (Sam, 2018) Not all his stunts went well. For instance, during the filming of Sherlock Jr, Buster Keaton was hit with a cascade of water that fell on him and broke his neck. He didn't realise it was broken until several years later.(Palace, 2018) On the topic of broken necks, actor Sylvester Stallone received a hairline fracture and underwent an operation to have a metal plate inserted into his neck (The Guardian, 2010)
The use of derma wax and fake blood to create wounds is a more viable option than to use CGI, this is because it is far easier to mimic a wound with wax as it is attached to you while you would be required to motion track to create a CGI wound.(Vinther, 2003)
The Expendables franchise is an excellent example of action with stars that do their own stunts such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mel Gibson to name a few. Stallone is a writer and director for Expendables as well as starring in it, in an interview with FHM Magazine he said “Man, it was seven guys, kicking each other’s ass, one guy tougher than the next… no joke, our stunt guys were begging for mercy” this just goes to show that these actors take it seriously when it comes to fight scenes to the point they actually come into contact with each other and it can end up with injuries as I mentioned earlier with Stallone who obtained a hairline fracture. (The Guardian, 2010)
Actor, Director and Stuntman Jackie Chan famous for his often death defying stunts and even being recognised by Guinness World Records as most stunts performed by a living actor. “Achieving these Guinness World Records titles is recognition of all my life's work" - Jackie Chan during an interview (Guinness World Records News, 2012)
Jackie Chan has stated that both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton have been an inspiration and even making him reforge his style. He once said, "I wanted to be like a Chaplin or Buster Keaton, but all the martial arts directors I worked with wanted me to copy Bruce Lee,”. (New York Times, 1995)
The research I conducted to write this essay helped me understand the history and evolution of stunts and cgi/effects. This has given me a whole new view when it comes to CGI and actual stunt work.
Katz and Paul Lazarsfeld developed the hypodermic needle theory which suggests that the mass media has a huge influence over an audience. A good example of this theory is the infamous broadcast of 1938 where a radio drama of War of the worlds had been interrupted by a fake news broadcast. This news broadcast claimed that aliens were invading Earth which sent millions into hysteria with shops getting looted.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
I want to incorporate the Audience Theory into my piece because I plan to have good guys and bad guys therefore I want the audience to root for the good guys to win the "fight"
The idea behind John Wick 1 is that he retired from his underworld life to be with his loving wife however she suddenly dies. The last gift he received from her was a puppy which we can see he takes a liking to, this gives us the impression that he is wholesome and a nice human which makes us want to side with him.
References
Time wasted on balancing
Takes time to learn how to use
3 Axis Gimbal
A 3 axis gimbal is a device that unlike the glide cam uses 3 motors that automatically adjust the position of the camera similar to the brain adjusting the information that is relayed from the eyes. The gimbal does require you to balance it correctly in order to achieve maximum effecincy of the device.
A gimbal is best used for fast paced scenes such as chase scenes or car scenes as the operator will regularly run to keep up with the subject.
Pros
Takes less than 30 minutes to balance.
not a big learning curve.
A 3 axis gimbal is a device that unlike the glide cam uses 3 motors that automatically adjust the position of the camera similar to the brain adjusting the information that is relayed from the eyes. The gimbal does require you to balance it correctly in order to achieve maximum effecincy of the device.
A gimbal is best used for fast paced scenes such as chase scenes or car scenes as the operator will regularly run to keep up with the subject.
Pros
Takes less than 30 minutes to balance.
not a big learning curve.
Cons
Expensive.
Requires batteries.
Not always as sturdy as a glide cam
A shoulder rig is a dynamic piece of equipment which allows the camera operator the flexibility of movement. - Light Film School
The use of a shoulder rig places the viewer into the scene and it can also represent a spur of action.
Pros
Cheap
Fast setup
achieves the same effect as handheld but with more control
Cons
Can still be shaky.
The research I have conducted on each of these devices has given me a good idea on how each work and where they are best suited and after testing both types of devices mentioned above I have come to the conclusion that a 3 axis gimbal would be the ideal piece of equipment to stabilise my chase and car scenes while a shoulder rig will be used for the main action scenes. due to my idea being a fast paced action film with a car scene.
Stunts - extracts from my unit 12 essay.
Back in the silent film era, stunts were more dangerous than they are now, take Buster Keaton for example during his years as an actor before he was hired by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1928) he would often partake in dangerous stunts which would require precision. "He was capable of incredible acrobatics that he incorporated into his films" (James L. Neibaur, 2013)
Such stunts include Keaton standing still while the facade of a building fell on him with him coming out of the debris without a scratch, this was successful due to an open window that was just big enough for him to fit through. (Sam, 2018) Not all his stunts went well. For instance, during the filming of Sherlock Jr, Buster Keaton was hit with a cascade of water that fell on him and broke his neck. He didn't realise it was broken until several years later.(Palace, 2018) On the topic of broken necks, actor Sylvester Stallone received a hairline fracture and underwent an operation to have a metal plate inserted into his neck (The Guardian, 2010)
The use of derma wax and fake blood to create wounds is a more viable option than to use CGI, this is because it is far easier to mimic a wound with wax as it is attached to you while you would be required to motion track to create a CGI wound.(Vinther, 2003)
The Expendables franchise is an excellent example of action with stars that do their own stunts such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mel Gibson to name a few. Stallone is a writer and director for Expendables as well as starring in it, in an interview with FHM Magazine he said “Man, it was seven guys, kicking each other’s ass, one guy tougher than the next… no joke, our stunt guys were begging for mercy” this just goes to show that these actors take it seriously when it comes to fight scenes to the point they actually come into contact with each other and it can end up with injuries as I mentioned earlier with Stallone who obtained a hairline fracture. (The Guardian, 2010)
Actor, Director and Stuntman Jackie Chan famous for his often death defying stunts and even being recognised by Guinness World Records as most stunts performed by a living actor. “Achieving these Guinness World Records titles is recognition of all my life's work" - Jackie Chan during an interview (Guinness World Records News, 2012)
Jackie Chan has stated that both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton have been an inspiration and even making him reforge his style. He once said, "I wanted to be like a Chaplin or Buster Keaton, but all the martial arts directors I worked with wanted me to copy Bruce Lee,”. (New York Times, 1995)
The research I conducted to write this essay helped me understand the history and evolution of stunts and cgi/effects. This has given me a whole new view when it comes to CGI and actual stunt work.
Theories
A few weeks ago we were asked to get into groups and research theories we had studied a year before.
Audience Theory
Alignment is a technique used in film to make the viewer side with a character, a writer might use this to make the audience feel emotional and attached to a certain character.
Stuart Hall: Among the many theories developed by Stuart Hall is Audience Positioning. This theory focuses on the camera positioning to create an emotional reaction from the audience. This can be broken down into these sections: camera work, editing, mise en scene, audio, narrative and genre.
Elihu Katz & Jay Blumler: Katz is a prominent key theorist when it comes to media and when teamed up with Jay Blumler they developed the uses and gratification theory which studies the relationship between the audience and how they use media to satisfy their needs. It suggests that there are certain reasons for an audience to respond to different types of media.
For example, Entertainment & diversion: Audiences consume media texts to escape from their everyday lives. They choose entertaining forms of media that takes their attention from real life such as watching John Wick or reading Harry Potter.
Elihu Katz & Jay Blumler: Katz is a prominent key theorist when it comes to media and when teamed up with Jay Blumler they developed the uses and gratification theory which studies the relationship between the audience and how they use media to satisfy their needs. It suggests that there are certain reasons for an audience to respond to different types of media.
For example, Entertainment & diversion: Audiences consume media texts to escape from their everyday lives. They choose entertaining forms of media that takes their attention from real life such as watching John Wick or reading Harry Potter.
Katz and Paul Lazarsfeld developed the hypodermic needle theory which suggests that the mass media has a huge influence over an audience. A good example of this theory is the infamous broadcast of 1938 where a radio drama of War of the worlds had been interrupted by a fake news broadcast. This news broadcast claimed that aliens were invading Earth which sent millions into hysteria with shops getting looted.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
I want to incorporate the Audience Theory into my piece because I plan to have good guys and bad guys therefore I want the audience to root for the good guys to win the "fight"
The idea behind John Wick 1 is that he retired from his underworld life to be with his loving wife however she suddenly dies. The last gift he received from her was a puppy which we can see he takes a liking to, this gives us the impression that he is wholesome and a nice human which makes us want to side with him.
Auteur Theory
The Auteur theory is the idea that the director is the author of them film, and this is evident in every film they make. A good example of this is Michael Bay and his use of explosions. This theory ignores the other members of the crew by only giving credit to the director. It originated in the late 1940s as a way that Andre Bazin and Alexandre Astruc critiqued films.
Bazin had been influenced by personalism, the quality of being personal. He believed that films should represent the director's personal vision.
Astruc's addition to the theory was the "Camera-stylo" aka Camera-P{en. This is where the director should use the camera like a writer uses a pen.
Francois Truffaut stated that the director was the author of their film and he believed the director should have the creative power over it.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
I feel that the media industry is very saturated, it's easy to predict the story of the film and the outcome. This is why I want to develop a unique style to my films which is attract the attention I could only dream for.
Bazin had been influenced by personalism, the quality of being personal. He believed that films should represent the director's personal vision.
Astruc's addition to the theory was the "Camera-stylo" aka Camera-P{en. This is where the director should use the camera like a writer uses a pen.
Francois Truffaut stated that the director was the author of their film and he believed the director should have the creative power over it.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
I feel that the media industry is very saturated, it's easy to predict the story of the film and the outcome. This is why I want to develop a unique style to my films which is attract the attention I could only dream for.
Gender Theory
In film, women are seen as the damsels while men as seen as big, strong and powerful.
In 1975, Laura Mulvey wrote the essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" in which she suggests that "the asymmetry of social and political power between men and women is a controlling social force in the cinematic representation of the sexes" and that the male gaze is a social construct taken from the ideologies from patriarchy, women are objects.
A great example of male gaze in the film industry is Michael Bay's Transformers. In one scene we have Megan Fox in very revealing clothing and bent over a car. This aims to satisfy males.
Stuart Hall was looking at the mainstream media in Race, gender, class, ethnicity and religion and feels that the media is manipulating us to think that we should look at theories in a negative perspective.
"Men look, women appear" - John Berger. Women are there simply for the objectification of women.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
A good example of this is in Avengers: Age of Ultron when everybody is drinking and having a good time until Ultron comes out from the shadows and declares war on everybody. They then spend the rest of the movie fighting Ultron and bring peace back.
Vladimir Propp was a Soviet theorist born in 1895. He was well known for his contributions to the narrative theory. He stated that there are distinct set of characters in films, for example you can have the villain, dispatcher, helper, princess/prize, donor, hero and false hero.
Again Avengers Age of Ultron is a good example because it has it's set of heroes (The avengers) and the Villain/s (Loki and his army).
There are 3 types of character types.
The stereotype: A group of people that can be marketed to or can be portrayed a certain in the media such as teenagers being the devil's spawn (Smoking,swearing,violent,lazy)
The arch type: a character that has been developed over years of story, a great example is Iron Man /Tony Stark where he changes from a weapons manufacturer to a superhero.
The generic type: a type of character familiar through a particular genre, such as the terminator.
Referencing Essential Tool
In 1975, Laura Mulvey wrote the essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" in which she suggests that "the asymmetry of social and political power between men and women is a controlling social force in the cinematic representation of the sexes" and that the male gaze is a social construct taken from the ideologies from patriarchy, women are objects.
A great example of male gaze in the film industry is Michael Bay's Transformers. In one scene we have Megan Fox in very revealing clothing and bent over a car. This aims to satisfy males.
Stuart Hall was looking at the mainstream media in Race, gender, class, ethnicity and religion and feels that the media is manipulating us to think that we should look at theories in a negative perspective.
"Men look, women appear" - John Berger. Women are there simply for the objectification of women.
Why do I want to apply it to my film?
Originally I didn't want any females in my piece because I felt that action films ideally only have male characters as the main focus while females were the object or damsel. However after researching the Gender and Auteur theories I wanted to include a female character that was one of the main focuses. Therefore including a female in the role of a DEA agent shows that they can also be in the line of work men are in and that they are in a powerful position.
Narrative Theory
"Narrative is the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional media texts"
Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian theorist born in 1939. He was well known for his contribution to the narrative theory, he theorised that narratives start in a state of equilibrium where life is normal and everybody is happy however this state is interrupted by an event. The protagonists then fight to bring order back to a state of equilibrium.A good example of this is in Avengers: Age of Ultron when everybody is drinking and having a good time until Ultron comes out from the shadows and declares war on everybody. They then spend the rest of the movie fighting Ultron and bring peace back.
Vladimir Propp was a Soviet theorist born in 1895. He was well known for his contributions to the narrative theory. He stated that there are distinct set of characters in films, for example you can have the villain, dispatcher, helper, princess/prize, donor, hero and false hero.
Again Avengers Age of Ultron is a good example because it has it's set of heroes (The avengers) and the Villain/s (Loki and his army).
Why won't this be applied to my film?
The narrative theory won't be applied to my film as I don't have a variety of characters in my piece. However in the future with bigger productions that contain numerous amounts of characters I will apply the theory to said production.
Representation Theory
Media representations are the ways that media can portray gender, race, age, ethnicity, national/regional identities, social issues and events to an audience.
I've already spoken about the male gaze. The female gaze was introduced as a response to the male gaze, it not only represents the gaze of the male viewer but also the gaze of both the male character and creator of the film.
I've already spoken about the male gaze. The female gaze was introduced as a response to the male gaze, it not only represents the gaze of the male viewer but also the gaze of both the male character and creator of the film.
There are 3 types of character types.
The stereotype: A group of people that can be marketed to or can be portrayed a certain in the media such as teenagers being the devil's spawn (Smoking,swearing,violent,lazy)
The arch type: a character that has been developed over years of story, a great example is Iron Man /Tony Stark where he changes from a weapons manufacturer to a superhero.
The generic type: a type of character familiar through a particular genre, such as the terminator.
Referencing Essential Tool
Referencing allows you to justify what you've wrote about.
You reference to avoid plagarism (Taking other people's work and claiming it's yours)
What information is needed?
- Author Name
- Title of said source
- Date of publication
- Page number
- Volume and issue number
Why is it important?
To show the reader you've done the research.
To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledge their ideas.
What to reference?
Facts,Figures, Ideas, Words, Theories.
When in doubt, be safe and cite your sources!
Harvard Reference
Parenthetical referencing system made up of 2 components:
Intext Reference & A Reference list.
Paraphrasing: Taking concepts/ideas from certain sources and writing in my own words (Taking something and putting into your own words).
- Keep the original meaning.
- Still reference it.
- Paraphrasing may be longer than the original text.
- Alternative of quotes.
- Useful for making notes from reading, note taking in lesson.
- Still need to use punctuation and grammar
When to paraphrase?
- To rewrite someone else's ideas without changing the meaning.
- to support claims in or provide evidence for your writing.
- To express someone else's ideas in your own words.
Summarising: Putting the main ideas into my own words but only the main points.
- Must reference.
- Does not match the source word for word.
- Reduce and condense text to its importance.
What to summarise?
- To outline the main points of some else's work in your own words without the details or examples.
- To include an authors ideas using fewer words than the original text.
Quoting: Taking something from something and repeating word by word, without changing any of it.
- Normally a short sentence.
- Match the source word for word.
- Must be referenced.
Use them to support what you're talking about.
When to quote?
- When the authors words convey a powerful meaning.
- When you want to use the author as an authoritative voice in your own writing.
Strengths And Weaknesses
References
Audience demographic and where will your piece be released? e.g. Film 4, Streaming service … and why? DOn't forget marketing tool too. (see brief for more detail today)
ReplyDeleteEnsure that with each practical piece of secondary research that you always explain specifically HOW you are applying this in your piece. Also... when you have determined the theory(or theories) you are applying to your piece explain exactly where these occur. Work on this in Dawn's session this afternoon and from 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) and then Sunday... (we agreed) to then update your production page with images and explantions.
ReplyDeleteEstablish your marketing tool e.g. poster and then study secondary research and primary research for action film/TV posters... What is the difference between poster design for an action film and for a ROMCOM? (these are notes for this weekend's writing)
ReplyDelete