IN-MIND LOUIS intro 26/04/2011 with music

IN MIND LOUIS animatic 13/01/2011

My 'In-Mind Louis' animatic drew influence from Edward Scissorhands style animation and I used my simple but effective child-like sketches to create a bold, over the top but powerful effect. I also took influence from Tim Burton's simple but emotional pencil and watercolour character drawings, which are prevayed in a similar way by Johnny Depp's underplayed and almost timid acting style which he shows numerous times in his roles. I created my own colour effect editing the sketches on iPhoto.

What would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience would be 10-20 year olds with a PG rating. I would say that In-Mind Louis is for a younger audience but I hope it can be sophisticated enough for older adults as well, as they are the ones who would bring they're children to the cinema. From audience research I have had feedback back mentioning is has some quite noticeably dark elements to it but from studying previous fantasy films with PG classifications like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Edward Scissorhands I think In-Mind Louis might be able to reach and entertain a family audience.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films (especially doctumentaries, independant films and art films) from the United States and around the world, so including the UK. It has a history of making reasonable investments for small films, getting a decent return and not overspending and sharing money with the filmmakers honestly. It also can release some films for all other departments of Sony, (including the parent company) so my product would have the chance for a mainstream distribution if thought necessary. Sony Pictures Classics would also be a good choice, as they have released many low budget fantasy films for example the french films 'The City of Lost Children (1995) and more recently 'Angel-A' (2007) which are favourites of mine and both inspired me to make a fantasy intro. They also release Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' in 2009 which went on to gain a somewhat mainstream audience and release.

Audience Research 2

From this audience research I can see that I can attract my audience with social networking sites as these are constantly growing in use especially with young audiences an offer an easy way to gain attention if put on the correct sites. For example Facebook and Twitter are very popular and used constantly by the young and old. With trailers and website links attached to these sites I can also try and build up word of mouth on the social networking sites from seeing the trailers. Also for example In-Mind Louis could have it's own Facebook page and I could frequently post new and more insightful trailers and posters in the few weeks before its release and see how many people 'like' its page. Here again I am also reinforced that there is a large market and potential for fantasy films but with that comes the challenge of competition.

Audience Research 1

From this audience research I can see that if I promote and publicize my product well and to the correct audience my film might be able to gain a wider audience. Also if I keep its classification within a PG or 12A it could cross over into the mainstream and have the same chance as big mainstream fantasy films like The Harry Potter series and Twilight series. Looking at audience research like this also helps me see if I am directing my product at the correct audience or not. From watching this I can see how to promote and market my product using trailers, handouts and posters, with the latter I can strongly attract my audience with, as the fantasy genre is a very visual aesthetically pleasing one. I also am reinforced that the fantasy genre is one of the biggest and that there is huge market for a wide range of films ranging from more obscure films like Beetlejuice to fantasy epic blockbusters like Lord of The Rings.

Audio/visual walk through "In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?"

Music talk through (Relating to, What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?)

How did you attract/address your audience?

I could attract my audience through trailers, like my animatic created interest in class. Short teaser trailers could build/bring interest. I recall the example of the first Twilight, where the first very short teaser trailer came out on IMDB and it worked really well on me drew you in with the excitement of the action but did not give the plot away. Hitting you with a few special effects of intense action. I remember seeing this before any posters or other promotion arrived in England. I definitely think this style of marketing can develop interest and start to build an audience. Also posters are very effective with good ones, being eye catching. Social networking (Internet) sites is a big market for promoting your film, as they are being used more and more everyday and they can be interactive too i.e participating in the films promotion like Paranormal Activity did with their website. I could also attract my audience creating an interactive fan website, for example where you can unlock deeper knowledge of the story and characters. This makes the audience feel like they are participating in the films promotion.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My product uses the fantasy styles and genres with a conventional child sleeping and entering his dreams (which are normally troubled). This technique or style ranges from traditional fantasy films and more contemporary or modern films like 'Coraline' which I was inspired by. I feel 'In-Mind Louis' does take further and develop the forms of the mainstream fantasy genre though. I took my influences from fantasy films such as 'Edward Scissorhands' which I was strongly inspired by and I think is a contemporary fantasy masterpiece laying the conventions for fantasy films today even though it was made two decades ago.

 From my finished product I realised that most fantasy films have numerous fairytale elements and are rare in horror or psychological elements. I noticed that without being too slelf indulgent, naturally from my personality and personal interests in music and art and so on. I added a psychological or almost horror feel, as the edge of fear has always interested me. I'm challenging conventions of the fantasy genre here by adding elements of these genres. Maybe this does not happen because its hard marketing a film with mixed genres & big studios do not welcome it. An example of this is Donnie Darko's failed marketing where the film was marketed as a horror film, when it was a psychological thriller. Maybe my intro has these elements because I was making it from numerous film influences with no one else in mind like a big studio or anything. 

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt about numerous technologies from the laughable preliminary task, through to the animatic and finally my final product. First of all I learnt how to use my 'JVC HD Camcorder', then I learnt about the match on action effect and the importance of  fluent continuous shots. I came to know iMovie for the preliminary task and its affective effects and different versions with some not being compatible with my camera which I had to work my way round, making a few trips to the Apple store.

iPhoto proved unexpectedly useful for my animatic, although simplistic and limited in the titles, it works well with photos, having a useful editing program which I coloured and edited my sketches with. It was quick and easy to use unlike iMovie which can be a lengthy fiddly process. Although now looking from, I could say, an experienced point of view on iMovie, it is a great program with so many useful tools and tricks and relatively easy to use compared to other programs.

GarageBand was also another Apple program that was hard to use at first but the more you use it, the more you get to know it and eventually is proved extremely useful as I made both my media and film studies music with it within a few hours. I also learnt how to use iDVD making dvd menus for my films and burning them onto discs.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

'In-Mind Louis' represents middle to upper/middle class house-holds depicted from the mise en scene. It would be in a rural to rural/urban setting. So if it was set in America it would be a typical smart, short green grass neighbourhood like in 'Zathura: A Space Adventure' (2005) or if I'm thinking the UK, I take inspiration from Spielberg's 1992 'Hook" where the beginning is set in upper class London. I started off  with a younger audience in mind 8-15 year olds, but realising after my finished product that my targeted audience would be 10 to 20 years olds from the visual nature of In-Mind Louis. Also looking at social groups with age in mind.  'In-Mind Louis' appeared from the age of 'Louis' which is ten, to be based at primary school children who enjoy creative fiction stories, drawing etc... 'In-Mind Louis' is not particularly social grouped based though, as I am trying to promote the film with a classification of PG to a mainstream audience, where parents can bring the children to see the film & also enjoy it.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

- I have learnt that with a layout and plan of your product, it is much easier to develop the actual final product.


- Making an animatic and sketches can help you have more of a visual idea of the product and where the camera is going to go in the final film, it gives yo something to build from, a platform of ideas to start from.


- Creating a plan helps the narrative develop.


- After your preliminary task, you get a stronger idea of what audience your going to aim for, as you have to make something thats going to appeal to them.

Inspiration for In-Mind Louis intro

Making of 12 MONKEYS (1995)

La Jetee 1962 (french) short film by Chris Marker, inspiration and basis for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys

"The King's Speech" with Colin Burrows

On Tuesday 8th 2011 the media and film students went to see "The King's Speech" at the Arts Picture House in Cambridge with an after speech from Colin Burrows of Speacialtreats. With his company publicising, marketing and promoting. They market films through cross media publicty (convergence) because its the best way to market, promote films because of technology that now exists. He explained to us how they target and audience through this convergence, but also this convergence can be a down side if improperly used. "Cemetery Junction" was damaged as a film, with convergence as it was linked too strongly with T.V culture with Ricky Gervais leading to a wrong audience. Ricky is too much of a strong comedic act himself and mislead the film with its audience.

Classification

'In-Mind Louis' will be a PG (parental guidance) as it will have some frightening and intense moments more suitable for older children (teenagers) and adults.


a PG (Parental Guidance) film is:
- Suitable for ages 8 or over however this is at the Parent/ carer's discretion
- May contain discrimination however this should only be educational and should always be negatively portrayed
- May contain drugs but must carry a strong anti drug message
- May contain horror but this must not be intense and can only be fore a short amount of time
- May contain some mild bad language
- May contain some grown up themes such as domestic violence


Examples of PG rated films:
Pokémon: The First Movie (1999), The Haunted Mansion (2003), Back to the Future (1985)
Our children's film fits more into the PG category because the chase scene in the introduction contains an extended period of threat which is not counterbalanced. It also has a somewhat skewed moral framework in which our main character is a thief which is not suitable for a U rating.

Risk Assessment!!!

1. Identify Hazards?
  . Height of areas (roof of house)
  . Stairs
  . Weather/lighting
  . Limited space/sharp objects, picture frames etc...
  . Special effects (visibility problems)


2. Who might be harmed and how?
 . Actors - not knowing the hazards, not being informed
 . Director (camera operator), lack of visibility, falling down stairs


3. Evaluate risks & consider precautions?
  . High risk of falling off roof of house
   - harness
  . Low risk of falling down stairs
   - Beaware of footing, safety stickers
  . Low risk of limited space around sharp objects, picture frames etc...
   - safety talks from director
  . Moderate risk of accident, whith low visibility for night and low lighting shots

   - observe area and awareness talk from director

127 Hours

127 Hours starring James Franco directed, co-written and produced by Danny Boyle is an English/American biographical adventure film about mountain climber Aron Ralston's adventure in Canyons National Park of Utah where his arm gets trapped by a boulder in a slot canyon and by all means possible he has to escape. It was released in the States on the 12 November 2010 by Fox Searchlight Pictures and 7 January 2010 in the UK by Pathe. With a budget of $18 million is has grossed $14,460,529 to this day. With high critical acclaim, it should be a strong contestant for the oscars.