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Directing a Feature Film

Week 23

‘I Feel Pretty’

I recently watched a movie on Netflix called “I Feel Pretty” directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein. It stars the famous actress Amy Schumer who plays the main lead role of ‘Renee’. This movie is about Renee who does not have confidence and feels insecure about her looks until one day when she goes to a spinning class, she has an accident. She bumped her head which made her black out and from then everything changed for her. She became confident and saw herself differently. Hence the title of the movie ‘I Feel Pretty’. With her seeing herself differently, it made her confident to find another job, dress differently and go out and date. However it did have an effect on her friends as they thought she was changing too much.

Here is the trailer:

What I liked about this movie is that in todays society there are a lot of people that are not confident with how they look like because they have to look a certain way to how social media is being influenced. However what this movie is trying to show is that you should be how you look and you should not change for anyone. At the end of the movie when her concussion is gone and so has her confidence, Renee realises that she doesn't need the confidence she has before because she should be happy with the way she is. I think Amy Shumer was the perfect person to present this role because she is not your typical actress, she has previously spoken openly that it was hard for her to get into the industry because of how society has accepted people to look.

Bibliography:

IMDb. (2019). I Feel Pretty (2018) - IMDb. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6791096/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). I Feel Pretty | Official Trailer | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu Ray & DVD. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVx9EFK3DWE [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

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Visual Media Cultures and Representation

Week 22

In week 22 we looked at visual media cultures and representations in film, advertisement, internet and social media. Looking at how certain visual media has had backlash in the media but also looking at the role of female/male gaze. Female/male gaze is when the opposite sex is being objectified. I found this lecture very interesting as looking at the recent response of Comic relief being called out for the white saviour narrative. Looking at the many years that comic relief have had celebrities going to countries in need which in this year was Uganda and Liberia, all the celebrities that went were white. This has been called out for because this an ‘outdate stereotype from the colonial era’. 

In the seminar we looked at an image from the media which has caused controversy. in our group we decided to look at the advertisement that American Apparel have used. 

American Apparel is a clothing line known for their bodysuits, knee high socks, tennis skirts and tennis shoes. However they have received a lot of attention for their advertisement. In my opinion the way they advertise is very sexual and objectifies women. The image above shoes a man holding a woman’s legs in the air which suggests sexual activity. It is uncomfortable to look at. American Apparel is meant to advertise their clothes and in the image all that it is showing is a woman legs and shoes on her legs. It does not show what they are actually trying to promote other than objectification. 

I have decided to look further into other advertisement that American Apparel have used and look at peoples responses to these images. These are the few images that were used: 

Looking at these images which is meant to sell clothes for both men and women seems like its just advertising the female gaze. Also if you look at the images it is young women being used in the images. It is understandable that they want to catch attention to promote their clothing line but I do not think this is the way to do it. 

This video shows some of the peoples reaction towards one of their adverts. 

Bibliography:

(Image)- Cannon, S. (2019). Unveiling American Apparel’s Controversial Advertisements. [online] Edina Zephyrus. Available at: https://edinazephyrus.com/unveiling-american-apparels-controversial-advertisements/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].

Time. (2019). http://time.com. [online] Available at: http://time.com/2901435/charney-american-apparel-ads/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). The Public Reacts: American Apparel banned ad. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfbdttIuAnc [Accessed 15 Mar. 2019].

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Interactive Media Industries Part 2

Week 21

During this lecture we had a guest speaker Nick Irons come in and present the second part of Interactive Media industries. We looked at the gaming industry and how it has developed over the years. One thing that I learned was hook theory. You start with Trigger- Action- Investment- Variable Reward. It repeats itself. 

During the seminar we had to design a game that would help young children learn important skills. The concept we have come up with is that we will design a game that is similar to escape rooms however it will be for learning. It will have equations, puzzles, problem solving. They will have to complete it in order to escape each room and move up to another level. The game will focus on maths and literacy. 

The target audience will be children but also parents that will want their children to interact with this game. The platform will be multi platform as it will be available on phones and computers. The goal is for the child to learn a new skill. The achievement will be that the child will be rewarded after each stage. After completing a certain level the progress of the child can be emailed to the parent/guardian/ teacher. This game could lead to further actions with developing learning and changing teaching, it could be brought into schools and become something enjoyable for the students. 

Bibliography:

Seminar Slide- Interactive Media industries Part 2 

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A Career in Creative Economies

Week 20 

This week we had Russell Miller who is a Professor give a lecture about how the impact of Artificial Intelligence is having on the UK. I learned a lot during this lecture because their is so much development happening with robots, the internet, social media and technology is evolving.

During the seminar the task was to create a visual concept of what online dating will look like in 10 years time. The idea that we came up with is that you will be able to create a dating profile, it will have all your details, likes/dislikes, hobbies etc. Your body will be scanned out so it creates a hologram of you. If you match with someone then you will be able to go on a date with that other persons hologram. The hologram all be able to give you feedback on how the date went. 

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How to Make it as a Director

Week 18 

This week our guest speaker was Rebecca Gower, who is a previous Kingston Student. She is currently a Freelance Director, Producer and Stop Motion Animator. In the lecture we looked at why it is important to do an Internship and gain experience while studying. These are the points that she suggested during the lecture:

This lecture was very useful as it made me realise that you have to put a lot of hard work, finding work experience or Internships to find a good post graduate job. A lot of business will look at what experience you have. It is also very important that you structure your email well so it will stand out from other applicants. The key is to make it simple with important key elements about yourself.  

I am going to apply for a social media Internship with MediCinema. This is the website: https://www.charityjob.co.uk/volunteer-jobs/medicinema/social-media-intern/620968?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic

This is my cover letter that I attached with my CV.

Dear Sir/Madame,

My name is Natalia Mahadeo and I am currently a student in my First year at Kingston University. I am studying Media Communications. I am intrigued in your charity organisation and the work you do for patients. Previously at university we had a guest lecturer come in who works for MediCinema; I was inspired with the talk and wanted to get involved.

I am interested in doing an Internship at your company as I am passionate, determined, driven and creative. I have previously worked with different charities and done volunteering work as you can see on my CV. I also have over four years of experience working in customer service. I have experience in using social media and have excellent attention to detail.

I am flexible and able to work any day during the week. I can also start immediately. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Natalia Mahadeo

Bibliography: 

Charityjob.co.uk. (2019). Social Media Intern | MediCinema | SE1, London | CharityJob.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://www.charityjob.co.uk/volunteer-jobs/medicinema/social-media-intern/620968?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic [Accessed 7 Mar. 2019].

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Interactive Media Industries

Week 17

In this lecture we had a guest speaker Nick Irons come in to talk about Interactive media. We looked at how interactive media started and how it will develop in the future. When you are trying to create something interactive you have to think about the ergonomics and interface- which means look at the design how it is made, the functionality and how we use it as humans. An example of one of the best websites for information architecture is Gov.uk. It’s the best because it is simple to use, it has a step by step guide so you can find anything easily but it also accommodates those with a disability. 

During the seminar in a group we looked at how the app Shazam is effective and how its user experience of its interactive properties. 

What is the goal/purpose? The purpose of “Shazam is a mobile app that recognises music and TV around you. It is the best way to discover, explore and share the music and TV you love.” (Shazam, 2019).

History: Shazam started in 2002 when you would have to dial 2580 in order for you to find out what song was playing and the artist by. Since then it has developed in a phenomenal. Shazam is available on Apple and Android. It allows you to find out what music is playing but also you can ‘Shazam’ TV programmes. Since the development in the recent years it has moved to Snapchat. By going on Snapchat and holding down on our finger you can find out the song/artist in a second. 

Shazam is easy accessible as it can be downloaded of the app stores on Apple and Android. Also now it is available on snapchat so if you have the Snapchat app open and hold down your finger when a song is playing that your not sure of, it will show you the details of that song. 

It is also satisfying with how easy it is to use because I can Shazam a song and it can save the details of the songs that I have looked for. It also gives you the option to download the song straight away. 

Bibliography:

Interactive Media Industries- Lecture Slides

Image-  Apple completes acquisition of Shazam, w. (2019). Apple completes acquisition of Shazam, will remove ads from free version. [online] Android Police. Available at: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/09/24/apple-completes-acquisition-shazam-makes-premium-version-free/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2019].

Shazam. (2019). Shazam. [online] Available at: https://www.shazam.com/company [Accessed 16 Feb. 2019].

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Multiculturalism and Diversity in the Media

Week 16

In this weeks class we studied about diversity and multicultarlism within the UK media industry. There was a lot of prejudice against LGBT, gender and race back in the days especially when Margaret Thatcher ran for president. However since then there has been a mass development of these issues and it has lead to laws such as Equality Act 2010, Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, Equal Pay Act 1970 etc. 

Looking at how diversity has changed within the film industry there has been a massive development for example with the success with the film Black Panther, which is the highest grossing superhero movie. From this has lead to other films being made and involving more black actors and directors. An example is a film that was released in 2017 called ‘Get Out’ which was directed by a black director called Jordan Peele. The main role was played by Daniel Kaluuya who is known for this leading role. In the opening weekend it made $33,377,060. 

Here is an article that talks about how this movie has opened doors for genre and racial diversity. https://dailytitan.com/2018/03/jordan-peele-get-out/. Jordan Peele was the first African American to get a Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. This movie has definitely changed diversity and Multiculturalism. 

Bibliography:

IMDb. (2019). Get Out (2017) - IMDb. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448/ [Accessed 16 Feb . 2019].

Levin, S. (2019). Black Panther’s legacy: will the record breaker finally smash Hollywood bias?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/24/black-panther-highest-grossing-ever-hollywood-diversity-bias [Accessed 16 Feb. 2019]

Daily Titan. (2019). Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' opens the door for diversity in Hollywood. [online] Available at: https://dailytitan.com/2018/03/jordan-peele-get-out/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2019].

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TV/Online Reporting

Week 15

This week we had a guest lecturer Samira Ahmed come in, who is a BBC journalist and broadcaster. In this lecture we looked at journalists react to simple online triggers like advertisements that generate a lot of debate. During the seminar we looked at the Gillette campaign which has recently caused a lot of controversy in the media. A lot of people were against this campaign as it talked about male masculinity. 

I have decided to look at at different advertisement campaign that has caused controversy in the media. It has had backlash for cultural appropriation.United Colours of Benetton released a campaign in 2011 called ‘Unhate’. They released a variety of photoshopped images of world leaders kissing others who they may have had previously had altercation. For example one of the images that caused a massive backlash was the Pope kissing Egyptian Imam. The image had to get removed. 

These are the images that were published for the unhide campaign. 

This campaign caused a controversy between many people. Some people were for and some were against the advertisement. I will look at both sides. 

For- A lot of people found humour in this campaign. Using political and religious leaders made the advertisement eye-catching. United Colours of Benetton collated with ‘The Un-hate Campaign’ and they wanted to portray that you can disagree or have different views on certain things however you can un hate the person. It was smart to use political leaders such as Barack Obama and Hu Jintao who is the Chinese leader. On the Un hate Foundation website they said that “Symbolic images of reconciliation, used to prompt a profound reflection on how politics, faith and ideas, even if diametrically opposed, must lead to dialogue and un-hate.”(Unhate.benetton.com, 2019)

Against- However there was a uproar with this campaign as many people thought that this campaign was disrespectful. Using world well known political and religious leaders in a campaign that shows them kissing not only shows cultural appropriation but also may interfere with religious beliefs for example the Pope and Imam kissing has had strong objections that the image had to be taken down. 

Bibliography:

madeleineking58. (2019). ‘UnHate’ Campaign: United Colors of Benetton. [online] Available at: https://madeleineking58.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/unhate-campaign-united-colors-of-benetton/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). Benetton's controversial ad campaign. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOmqceTk8MQ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). We Believe: The Best Men Can Be | Gillette (Short Film). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0 [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].

Unhate.benetton.com. (2019). A campaign to combat the culture of hate | Unhate Foundation. [online] Available at: http://unhate.benetton.com/a-campaign-to-combat-the-culture-of-hate/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].

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Film Archiving

Week 14

During our seminar of film archiving,we got into groups and thought of several films which would constitute a season of our lives. We picked a variety of films which were

- Mean Girls

- 10 Things I Hate About You

- 13 going 30 

- Clueless

- Just my Luck

- Princess Diaries 

The reason behind these particular films that have picked is because they evoke happy memories from childhood. The genre of these films are chick flicks/ romantic movies. Each movie does refer to a different stage of our lives for example, experience in high school, going through teenage years etc. Mean girls is a movie about teen cliques, peer pressure of bullying, hierarchy but also the influence of social media. This still happens in high school now a days. Since this movie has been realised, this movie it still being referenced such as “on Wednesdays we wear pink”. 

Researching various films that have been restored, the movie that caught my attention is Disney Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Snow White is a classical animated film by Walt Disney. The original movie was released in 1973.

This is the trailer for the movie that was released in 1973.

In 1987 they found the original nitrate films of Snow White at the disney studio. When looking at the film made in 1973 they realised how much dirt was on it and how off coloured it was. Disney decided to re-release the film for its 50th anniversary. To release it, they decided they would clean each frame. There was over 18 000 frames to clean. They also colour corrected the video, in grain reduced the film but also looked at restoring the audio for example getting rid of the clicking sounds. 

This is the trailer for the re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was released in 1993. 

This image below shows the difference between the restoration of the movie from 2009 Diamond Edition on DVD and the Front Lines on DVD. You can see that the gradient of the movie is in higher resolution and the colour grading is more brighter. 

Bibliography: 

Rubin, M. (2019). Recently Restored 2017 | Gene Siskel Film Center. [online] Siskelfilmcenter.org. Available at: https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/recentlyrestored2017 [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 1993 Reissue Trailer. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hgjxhLaO9c [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) Trailer. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L16P0rip9E4 [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

Bruers, B. (2019). The Restoration for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JolSSJAEwwI [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

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Cinema Management

Week 6

In this lecture we had a guest speaker named Mick McAloon and talk about his experience in managing Curzon cinemas. I found it very interesting as I didn't know how much you had to think about when managing a cinema. 

For my short film festival I will have three movies of different genres that features celebrities to draw attention to bring in people to come to the cinema. 

Screening for Friday 30th November

Battleship (2012)- PG 13

Screenings:  13:15 , 15:30 , 17:45 , 19:00 , 21:30

Battleship is an Action, Adventure and Sci-Fi movie based on the storyline of a navy battle ship encountering aliens in the ocean. There is a pact of aliens that are planning to invade the earth, so the navy’s mission is to take them down to ensure that there isn't a massive extinction. Who will win? The aliens or humans. Battleship has the famous actor Taylor Kitsch and singer Rihanna playing the lead roles in this movie. 

Pink Panther (2006)- PG

Screenings: 11:45 , 13:00 , 15:15 , 17:00 , 19:55 , 21:10

Pink Panther is a Adventure and Comedy film about Inspector Clouseau played by Steve Martin who is trying to solve the mystery of the murder of France’s football coach and who stole his pink panther diamond. He has help solving his cases with his partner Ponton (Jean Reno) and the deceased finance Xania which is played by the famous Beyonce. Will inspector Clouseau be able to solve the mystery and find who stole the pink panther diamond.

Burlesque (2010)- PG 13

Screenings: 12:30 , 14:30 , 16:15 , 18:45 , 20:30 , 22:15

Burlesque Is a drama musical based on a girl from a small town in Iowa that takes the risk moving to Los Angeles to become a performer in a burlesque club. Tess the owner of the club (Cher), is having financial problems and trying to keep the club alive as a business man is trying to buy the club from her. Ali (Christina Aguilera) is hired as a waitress however she tries to make her way through to becoming a performer on stage with her voice. Will Tess be capable of using this opportunity to gain profit to keep the club.

References:

YouTube, Battleship 2012 Trailer, Accessed on 24 December 2018.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3646Zf8rg 

YouTube, Pink Panther Trailer, Accessed on 24 December 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKxgj5FxmZo  

YouTube, Burlesque Trailer 2012, Accessed on 24 December 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2r_8l1c2nQ

IMBD, Burlesque 2010, Accessed on 24 December 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1126591/?ref_=nm_knf_i2 

IMBD, Pink Panther 2006, Accessed on 24 December 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383216/?ref_=nv_sr_1

IMBD, Battleship 2012, Accessed on 24 December 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440129/?ref_=nv_sr_1

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BBFC case study

Week 5

During this lecture we spoke about censorships and reactions to certain movies. We looked at ‘Clockwork Orange’ and ‘Henry: Portrait of a killer’. These films have received many reactions from the public with the shocking scenes that were in these movies, that it’s shocking that it was allowed to be filmed. I am going to talk about another movie that is controversial and has also had many reactions from the public but also in the media. 

The Human Centipede: 

The Human Centipede is a disturbing horror movie that was released in 2009. The story line is about two american girls were on a road trip through Europe but their car broke down in the woods in Germany. They decided to stay the night in an abandoned villa however the next morning the wake up in a basement of a hospital. A German surgeon who specialises in separating  siamese twins, wants to do the opposite and connect humans to make a human centipede. 

This movie has caused a lot of controversy due to it’s nudity, alcohol & drugs, profanity and violence. For example one the scenes is “The three conjoined people climb a flight of stairs and as they go, blood from where they are surgically attached pools on the floor.” or “A conjoined man cries and says that he has to defecate; the conjoined woman attached to his rear gags and it is implied that she has to swallow his waste.” Just hearing about that sounds disturbing. I have attached some articles to how the media reacted and what the BBFC thought about this movie. 

The BBFC had a lot to talk about the Human Centipede Part 1 because it originally got banned but then was released again after they cut 3 minutes of the movie that were sinister and too much for the public audience. The film was made an audience rating of 18. I understand why the movie was banned for a while because it is hard to film to watch.

The daily mirror wrote an articles suggesting that Tom Six got his inspiration from when the Nazi’s conducted experiments on people through out World War 2. This is the link to the full articles- https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/true-story-behind-human-centipede-12588945 (Accessed 23 November 2018)

References: 

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/human-centipede-first-sequence-2009 

IMBD, Human Centipede, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1467304/

YouTube, Human Centipede Trailer- Hollywood Streams, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX8fKLjC__c

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Seminar- TV Drama

During the seminar we worked in a group to create a drama series. We had to think about what the story is based on, the protagonist, genre, format and target audience. 

The world of your story: The story is about about a black jesus who will be played by Kevin Hart. Jesus is sent by God to Earth and brought in today’s modern society. It is set in New York. The reason behind setting it in the modern world is because we wanted the story to be about Jesus being sent to influence people and tell people to be better otherwise punishment will happen from God.  The logic for having a black jesus is because there have been many debates for what race and what God actually looks like, so we wanted to change the perception of what most people think and have a black Jesus. Kevin Hart has stared in many comedy movies so we thought it would be perfect for him to have the black Jesus role. 

The protagonist: The protagonist in this TV series is the black jesus (Kevin Hart). He will perform miracles but also try and fit in within the modern world. He will have a job as a carpenter even though he does not know what he's doing, he will practise his miracles. 

The antagonist will be different every episode. 

Genre: We wanted the genre to be comedy. 

Format: The format to be a series that come on Tv every week. Each episode will last about 28 minutes. 

Target Audience: This show is aimed at young adults, we would like the show to be viewed on E4. E4 are known to air series like “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Inbetweeners” and “2 Broke Girls”. They are comedy dramas that last about 25- 30 minutes and our idea is to do something similar.

The pitch: Comedy show about a black Jesus living in New York trying to change peoples perceptions in a good way.

 References:

Allison Hinkson, Kevin Hart Meme, Available at: https://imgflip.com/i/n61an

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Working in TV and Scriptwriting

Week Four

In week four we had two guest speakers that are tutors at Kingston university; they have experience working in the TV industry and scriptwriting. They spoke about their work history, how programmes are made but also the difficulties of being a TV drama writer. 

i am going to look at the TV drama ‘Bodyguard’ that is being aired on BBC. It is the most watched BBC drama with 10.4 million viewers. I'm going to look at different roles in the production team and what they do. 

Script Writer- To make the ‘Bodyguard’ there needs to be a script writer, they create the storyline but also describe things in detail. For example where the scene is set, the mood the characters are in, what props are being used. However the script writer has to take into consideration of that the directors and producers want. The downfall of the job is that they may have to rewrite or make different versions of the script. They may have to work through day and night to keep to the tight deadlines. 

Producer- The producer of the ‘bodyguard’ is the one that is in control over the production. Usually there is more than one producer that takes care of each section. The producer is responsible for the development process, pre-production, post production and the marketing of the TV drama. A producer has to have an understanding in editing, screenwriting, directing but also film making and being able to multi task in these different roles.

Director- A director work with the writer and producer ensuring that each scene is successful on shooting days. They also have to make sure that they are on schedule with the production team, strict with the timing schedule and budgets. To be a director you have to be able to problem solve under pressure, think creatively but also be aware of the health ad safety legislation. 

Health and Safety- Having someone whose works in Health and Safety is a very important role when working in TV production as it can be very dangerous. For example when filming in pubic places, remote places but also when handling electrical equipment. A health and safety advisor advises the crew but also carries out risk assessments how to avoid dangerous situations. A nurse or paramedic may be present when filming during scenes so they can cary out first aid. For example when a stunt action scene is happening they are prepared with the right equipment. 

References:

YouTube, Bodyguard trailer, Accessed on 23 November 2018.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPL0oegknJw 

BBC News, Bodyguard most watched BBC drama since 2008, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45622655

Study.com, Script writer, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://study.com/articles/Screenwriter_Responsibilities_Outlook_and_Requirements.html

Screenskills, Producer, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://www.screenskills.com/education-training/careers-information/job-profiles/content-creation/producer/

Screenskills, Director, Accessed on 23 November 2018. https://www.screenskills.com/education-training/careers-information/job-profiles/content-creation/director/

Screenskills, Health and Safety, Accessed on 23 November 2018 .https://www.screenskills.com/education-training/careers-information/job-profiles/management-and-logistics/health-and-safety/

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Advertising

Week Three

In this blog entry I’m going to talk about two advertisement campaigns. The first one Is the Bloomingdales christmas campaign and the second on is the Always #likeagirl campaign. I will compare both of these adverts and look at how it brought an impact over the audience.

This Bloomingdales advertisement was released in 2015 for the christmas. “Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking”. This caption received a lot of backlash as it is inappropriate and suggests to promote “date rape”. The marketing approach was a fail as after the feedback and bad press they received, they're response on Twitter was “We heard your feedback about our catalog copy, which was inappropriate and in poor taste. Bloomingdale's sincerely apologizes.” The process of an advertisement campaign is that first there has to be a strategy, then a concept and final a campaign. There marketing strategy failed as there have been no benefits from this advertisement, there is no clear target audience but also the way it communicates is inappropriate. Even the image that they used also is unsuitable along with the caption as the man is staring at the woman, while she is turned away from him smiling.

I have attached a video clip of CBSN News reporting about Bloomingdales but also reactions it has caused on Twitter.

I have chosen to use the Always #likeagirl because it was a very successful advert that caught a lot of attention in a positive way. 

They have turned a negative into a positive. They asked adults of both genders what it is like to “run like a girl”. The reality of what people think of this is that girls can't run properly and insulting them with the actions showing how they ‘run’. However when they asked younger girls the same exact questions they ran as fast as they could. #likeagirl campaign is trying to change peoples opinion of the actual meaning as they think doings things like a girl is a insult. The testimony that this advert uses is using both genders of different ages to see what their perception of #likeagirl is. The target audience is mainly for young adults and girls. 

Always creative team wanted to empower the phrase ‘like a girl’ to help girls during puberty. Their social experiment ended up being the advertising video which hit more than 85 million views but also won a award for the brand communications campaign. 

References:

Natasha Hinde, ‘Bloomingdale's Ad Tells You To 'Spike Your Best Friend's Eggnog', Twitter Explodes In Outrage’, The Huffington Post UK, Accessed 22 November 2018. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/11/bloomingdales-advert-spike-drinks-response_n_8533772.html

Case Study #likeagirl, D&Ad , Accessed 22 November 2018. Available at: https://www.dandad.org/en/d-ad-always-like-a-girl-campaign-case-study-insights/

YouTube, “Does Bloomingdales ad encourage rape culture?”, CBSN (2015) Accessed 22 November 2018.                                                                   Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BODQVwDcrk

Twitter, Bloomingdales Tweet (10 November 2015), Accessed on 23 November 2018: https://twitter.com/Bloomingdales/status/664216552544165888

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Working in the Film Industry

Week Two

As a graduate I am currently looking for a job within the Film Industry. However, I want to gain some experience and insight to the role I’d like to pursue in first. In five years time, I would like to work my way up to becoming a Production Coordinator. The reason behind this is because I would like to use one of my strengths which is my organisation/planning skills in the film industry and I think I would make a good Film Coordinator because I am determined and motivated but also I can match my passion for the art of film and photography.

As a Production Coordinator, you have a lot of responsibility because you are responsible for the organisation and administration for the upcoming production. The responsibilities are:

writing call sheets and schedules

organising travel arrangements and accommodation

making spreadsheets of the costs and being aware to be within the budget with expenses.

assisiting the crew and running errands- if anything is needed for the set

dealing with insurance and making sure all the paperwork is correct

These are just few of the examples. The days are unpredictable, you could work long hours during the day or even the night. The production team is usually the first ones to arrive and last to leave. Some jobs include travel so it may include being away from home for a while.

However to get to the stage of being a Production Coordinator, you need to have experience which is vital. This may have to include unpaid work experience just to get yourself into the industry and find an opportunity. It is all about networking so having good contacts can get your other future jobs.

The video below is an example of day to day life of being a production coordinator.

This video below is of A.C Hale how she started her career and worked her way upwards. It’s interesting because she talks about how much dedication, experience she had to get to get to the position she is now. 

References: 

Prospects, Television Production Coordinator job profile (2018), AGCAS Editors. Accessed: 20 November 2018.                          https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/television-production-coordinator

YouTube, Profile Production Coordinator- Factual TV (2014)                   Accessed: 20 November 2018. Available at:        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7E5DRyAfHY 

Youtube, ArtistHouseMusic (2013), Accessed: 20 November 2018                     Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgEojH7unag 

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Film Distribution Seminar

Week One- Seminar 

During the Seminar in class, we worked in groups to talk about two films- Up Stream Colour (2012) and Mr Nice (2012). We spoke about in what ways these films can seek funding and what film distribution category it would fit in. 

Upstream Colour 2012-

This film would appeal to older demographic for people in their 30′s.

Released in Independent/ Art House cinema like the Curzon.

This film would be something you’d see at a film festival.

Strand- New Models.

An idea for advertising is through social media for indie film fans and can be promoted in wonderland magazine in the section of new indie films. 

If the film fails then they would not have enough money to distribute it through wide platforms like billboards as that costs a lot of money. They would have to look through promoting it for free through social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc. and promote their target audience - Indie Fans. 

Mr Nice 2012-

The strand would be either big audience or sleeper.

It would be a 15 rating.

This film could do well in the European marketing for example tabloids, newspapers ads, ads on public transport.

Released in big chain cinemas like Odeon.

This is a ‘Formal’ film distribution.

If the film failed to get theatrical release, they could advertise through social media as it free but also adverts on tv but that would cost a lot. However in todays society, it would not be popular so it would have to be in a independent indie cinema due to the film being old. Unless there was a remake.

References: 

YouTube, The Upstream Colour: Theatrical Trailer (2013)- Accessed 19 November 2018. Available at:                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9KmAlrEXU 

YouTube, Mr Nice Movie Trailer (2011)- Movieclips Trailers- Accessed 19 November 2018. Available at:                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LHbbT_jhMQ 

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Film Distribution

Week One

In film distribution lecture we looked at formal and informal distribution and what they mean. Formal Film Distribution is regulated, viewed at film festivals, can be independent or mainstream, on DVD but also it is online for example on Now TV, Netflix, YouTube, iTunes etc.                                                                 Informal Film Distribution is unregulated, downloaded illegally, independent but also based in communities like schools, clubs, film clubs etc.

I looked at the British Film Institution and how they offered support in the making of Lady Macbeth (2017). Lady Macbeth is a period drama film set in the 19th century. I have a attached a trailer of the movie just below. 

Lady Macbeth is a formal formal film distribution because it was first premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and then was shown at the BFI London Film Festival. This movie would fall under New Models strand according the the BFI criteria. The demographic group that this film would appeal would be people interested in British films set in the 19th century but also adults. Lady Macbeth would be released in art house cinemas like the Curzon as it is a short film. This film was released in the UK and US and managed to make 3.9 million dollars while the movie was made on a budget of £500,000. 

The film managed to get a lot of reviews for example there was an article written about it in The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/movies/lady-macbeth-review.html . Reviews like this in well known newspaper companies helps with the distribution of advertising the film. 

References:

YouTube, Lady Macbeth 2017(trailer), Accessed on 20 November 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0N8ULhuUA

BFI, Lady Macbeth, Accessed on 20 November 2018. https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/579dcea69fb88

Cineuropa, written by William Oldroyd, accessed on 20 November 2018.  https://cineuropa.org/film/314844/

New York Times, Manohla Dargis, Accessed 21 November 2018.    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/movies/lady-macbeth-review.html