Warner Brothers VS. BBFC - Gremlins

After a debate, we realised that there can be a huge communication defect between the makers and the BBFC officials. When talking about the popular film Gremlins, we realised that the BBFC would have had the better option in making it a 15 because of the violence and the content shown. In 1984, Warner Brothers created Gremlins in order to show children an element of violence without revealing to much but when the BBFC got shown the movie, they instantly decided that the content was too intense to be show to children under the age of 15. By using the cute character of Gizmo to entice younger children, Warner Brothers soon got carried away in the making of the horror elements in the film. As there is no sexual content, continuous swearing and visible drug and alcohol usage, Warner Brothers thought the classification would be as good as PG. The BBFC thought different.

Documentary Modes

Documentaries and Factual Programmes

Examples of Documentaries and Factual Programmes
- David Bowie Doc
- The Imposter
- Supersize Me
- Frozen Planet
- Country File
- Man vs. Food
- Sky News
- BBC News
- Catfish
- Top Gear
- Air Crash Investigation
- Senna

Purpose of These Programmes 
- Attempt to change society with the information in their documentaries.
- To galvanise the point being made.
- Attempt to uncover a hidden secret or mystery.
- Educate people about someone famous.
- Raise awareness.
- To Entertain.

Music Video Evaluation

    After being presented with the task, I instantly had the idea what i wanted to produce a video for a song with a slow tempo as I thought that have more emotion and meaning and the audience can really connect to them. We were asked to produce a music to a song of our choice. We had to produce all the pre-production paperwork including the proposal and a treatment. Working with two of my peers, we came up with a variety of songs that we thought would be a potential runner-up in making a music video. When collaborating as a group, we all decided that 'The Power of Love' by Gabrielle Aplin was the best option. This is because when we read into the lyrics, we realised that we could relate to them and we could use our own experiences when creating the video. Coming up with a basic graph really helped us when it came to coming up with more detailed ideas.  We also referred back to this throughout most of the production process.

    When discussing the ideas in the pre-production, there wasn't really a team leader as we all thought that we all had an equal role in the decision making. We thought that we needed to involve everyone's ideas to make a good video. We also thought this would help because the video will contain more than one idea and make it more interesting. During the filming process, I took on the role of 'Camera Operator', working alongside Ollie. For this role, I had to be able to undertake all the responsibilities as well. These included knowing all of the shots that can be used to portray an emotion, knowing how to use the camera and also knowing where the actor should be at all times in all shots. Even though Georgia was an actor throughout the video, she was still involved when it came to deciding what shots to use when filming most of her scenes. 

    The post-production process was potentially the hardest part of the whole task. When shooting, our biggest worry was that we wouldn't have enough footage to edit into the final video. Even though we shot extra footage on some shots, we only shot certain shots once as we only had a limited amount of time. Personally, I enjoyed this part of the project the most as editing is a big interest of mine. I took on the role of main editor as I had the software downloaded on my laptop. I had many responsibilities to be able to fulfil this role including knowing how to work the editing software, inputing everyones ideas into the editing process and being able to link the visuals to the music.

I thought that we had a lot of strengths throughout the whole process. When filming, it was agreed that it would be a good idea to do a few shots of different parts of the outside location. This would establish the location but also show how vast and empty the environment is. We used this to portray the feeling of loneliness and emptiness of the girl and also her surroundings. I think we used a good variety of different shots and they all portray the emotions needed and also show our camera skills. By changing the exposure in these particular shots, it added the sense of mystery and tension to the scene.

Another thing that worked really well was that we used all the available space in the shot meaning there were no empty space for a long amount of time. Throughout the dancing scene, Georgia seems to move around the space a lot. We chose to use a lock down camera in this scene because we thought it would be the best way to show the different dance moves and her passion for dancing but when watching it back, I personally wouldn't have chose the lockdown camera for these particular shots. As the camera stays in one place, we noticed that it looks more like a documentary and can potentially get boring to watch. If we added different closeup shots on the actors arms and maybe their feet, it would become more interesting and even more personal to the audience. 

Personally, I think that our idea was one of the strongest things about our music video. After evaluating the audio and the lyrics, we got the idea of a girl using something she loves to overcome a fear or addiction. This is when we came up with the idea of a girl who is using the nature of dance to get over her violent past and to get over her addiction of drugs.  Working as a group, we came up with this idea and incorpated most of eachothers ideas together to come up with one big idea. 

As we have used a Sony Z5 in previous sessions, we knew how to operate them and how to perform different techniques with them. When messing around with the camera, we noticed that we could change the exposure to create a sense of mystery and tension. This was one of our strengths because it gave us an advantage when it came to timing as we didn't have to learn how to use the camera and waste time.

Timing was one of the biggest issues we had to face when filming. When we first hired out a camera, we took it to the location and realised that we hadn't yet planned any of the shots. We didn't know what we were doing and wasted time as we didn't film any footage. When it came to thinking of another time to hire a camera, it was hard to find a time that we were all free due to work commitments. When we finally worked out a time that we were free for filming, there wasn't any available. When we finally got a camera, Ollie picked it up from South Essex College and brought to the Shenfield where I picked him up and drove to the location to meet Georgia. At this point, the shots had been planned and we has a rough idea to what we were doing. As the date we filmed only 3 days before the deadline, we had a really short amount of time to edit. As i had the newer version of Final Cut Pro on my Apple laptop, we had an advantage as we could edit it for longer and didn't have to make the journey to Southend to do it in college.

One of the main worries we all had was the amount of footage we had. When converting the footage off of the tape onto the iMac computers, we couldn't find all of the shots we took. This increased the amount of worry we had about the footage we had. During editing, we had to repeat some of the shots throughout the video. This was noticed in certain parts so we had to change them around so they weren't as close together.

Although I personally think that this task went really well, there were obviously some elements that could have been improved. During the dancing scenes, as Georgia was just improvising and didn't really know what she was doing and you can notice that is some of the shots. In one particular shot, you can tell that she doesn't really know what she is doing because she looks out of shot and it breaks the continuity of the scene. For the future, I think that we need to either devise a routine or at least listen to the song and think of a basic idea of what to do. This wouldn't have made the scene look so staged and would have been more naturalistic. Another thing that I would have changed was the location we used for the dance scenes. We originally planned to film in a local dance studio where Georgia trains but as that location wasn't available, we had to find a location that was suitable and would be available when we needed it. The only empty location we found was Georgia's new extension in her house. As there was no furniture in there and there was an empty wall we chose to film there. As it was a last minute resort, we didn't have time to perfect it like moving items out the way and we also weren't allowed to unplug a wire connecting to the wall behind the actor. This was in the shot for most of the video but fortunately we were able to trim it out of the shots using a tool on Final Cut Pro.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience because I am really interesting in the post-production stage of a filming process. This is something that I would like to take up as a career and this experience is a good way of getting to know the pressures of the industry and what sort of things I will have to face. Also, it showed me that there will also be a lot of problems that i will have to consider and maybe overcome to produce a popular product. It taught me that I may have to take on more than one role so everything can get finished on time and time is key when it comes to filming. Planning is a top priority and i learnt during this task that if you don't plan and prepare yourself for the following weeks of filming, time will be wasted and the pressure will build and make everything a hundred times more stressful for everyone involved. 

Music Video Final

This is the final edit of our music video accompanying the song 'The Power of Love'  by Gabrielle Aplin.

Presentation Video Assignment

    Eisensiten was a pioneer in the use of montage, especially in film making. Working with Kuleshov, they created a strong argument that montage was the essence of cinema. These two film theorists used articles and books to express their feelings about the use on montage in films. For example, Eisenstien's 'Film Form' and 'The Film Sense' were used to express the significance of montage in more detail. All of his writings soon became a big impact on subsequent filmmakers. It was said that Eisenstien once thought that a 'collision' of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience and create more of an atmosphere throughout films. Both Kuleshov and Eisenstien weren't just making montage but they were writing about it, theorising about it and sharing their ideas with others. They were deeply impressed by the parallel editing they found in D.W. Griffes films particularly in 'Tolerance' of 1916. Eisenstien himself stated 'All that is best in a soviet film has its origins in Tolerance.'

    Even film makers in following centuries have used Eisenstien's idea that 'A collision of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience.' Hitchcock for example, uses a selection of different shots to portray the feeling of violence and anger without any graphical images such as a knife going through someones skin. This also puts across the feeling of pain and vulnerability of the girl. Hitchcock is famous for using multiple shots to express a certain emotion. He used this in many of his films to create a tense atmosphere and to give the audience a questionable shock to what is going to happen next. Even big production companies such as Pixar have used this idea in some of their films too. A good example of this is the popular animated film 'UP'. Carl and Ellie are childhood sweethearts and Pixar chose to use a montage to show them going through life together, getting married, creating their dream house and going on outings. It even shows them when they are ill in hospital and looking after each other. This proves that even though Eisenstien passed many years ago, his thoughts and ideas still influence many film makers throughout the world. 

    It is commonly known that the transitions used to connect these montage visuals are either dissolves or fades. Back in 1896, George Mêliès created the dissolve by using double exposure when shooting his shots. Known as 'The Father of Special Effects' he used his techniques to create his very famous film, 'A Trip To The Moon' which he also starred in. Without the creation of these special effects, montages like the ones specified earlier wouldn't be able to change smoothly between shots. Thanks to Mêliès, today we are able to use a lot of different transitions to make our productions flow a lot more. Over the years, the techniques have been developed and now are easier to access and use than it was for Mêliès when he first invented it.

    When comparing an episode of the popular American Sitcom 'Friends' to a 'Nike' Advert, I noticed that there is a very vast difference between the two. 'Friends' contains a lot of conversation meaning that the takes a very long without any cuts. This shows the audience a connection between the actors and lowers the intensity of the scene. In the Nike Advert on the other hand, it is full of fast cuts and its like there is a lot of information being shown in a short amount of time. This makes the intensity higher as the audience have to take more information in than usual. This sometimes isn't a good thing because the audience can get too distracted by other things and miss some of the important information being shown. When trying to fit a lot of information into a short clip can be a good idea though because it increases the pace and force of the information being shown.

    With the experience I have, I incorporated all of these techniques to create a music video to a high standard. By using the Kuleshov theory, I was able to come up with the basic feelings felt in the song. This helped when it came to thinking of the final ideas for our video. With some basic ideas in my head i came up with more detailed ideas to help portray the feeling the audience felt when listening to the song with no visuals. Linking into Eisentein's quote 'A collision of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience', we used our audience feedback to help us decided what one of our ideas would be the best to portray emotions and feelings in the song. In the post-production process, I will use all the transitions that were created by Mêliès back in 1896. At the point when Eisenstein was creating his films, if the visuals weren't cut right in the production process, you physically had to cut the film up and put it back together in the correct place. Nowadays, there is a popular technology called Final Cut Pro, which allows a range of people to use different techniques in their work. Whether they are amateur and experience film makers. By using montages throughout my video, I thought I would be able to show form different angles, the emotions being felt by the actors and also in the song.

Presentation Notes

Things to talk about;

- George Mêliès - 'Father of Special Effects'

- Koleshov Theory;

     - How facial expressions doesn't matter when it comes to portraying a feeling or emotion 

     - Audience use their own experiences to create a feeling

- How I used the Kuleshov theory to create meanings for my chosen songs

- Final Cut Pro;

    - Editing Techniques

    - How they can effect visuals

- Compare Friends clip with Nike Advert

    - Long Shots to Fast Cuts

- Eisenstien - Father of Montage Theory

    - Soviet Montage Theory

    - Link Kuleshov and Eisenstien together

- James Bond - Doctor No/Quantum of Solace

    - Compare Car Chase Scenes

- My Music Video;

    - How were going to use different special effects to make it more emotional

    - How we are going to use different shots to portray different feelings

Eisenstien/Kuleshov;

    Eisensiten was a pioneer in the use of montage, especially in film making. Working with Kuleshov, they created a strong argument that montage was the essence of cinema. These two film theorists used articles and books to express their feelings about the use on montage in films. For example, Eisenstien's 'Film Form' and 'The Film Sense' were used to express the significance of montage in more detail. All of his writings soon became a big impact on subsequent filmmakers. It was said that Eisenstien once thought that a 'collision' of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience and create more of an atmosphere throughout films. Both Kuleshov and Eisenstien weren't just making montage but they were writing about it, theorising about it and sharing their ideas with others. They were deeply impressed by the parallel editing they found in D.W. Griffes films particularly in 'Tolerance' of 1916. Eisenstien himself stated 'All that is best in a soviet film has its origins in Tolerance.'

    Even film makers in following centuries have used Eisenstien's idea that 'A collision of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience.' Hitchcock for example, uses a selection of different shots to portray the feeling of violence and anger without any graphical images such as a knife going through someones skin. This also puts across the feeling of pain and vulnerability of the girl. Hitchcock is famous for using multiple shots to express a certain emotion. He used this in many of his films to create a tense atmosphere and to give the audience a questionable shock to what is going to happen next. Even big production companies such as Pixar have used this idea in some of their films too. A good example of this is the popular animated film 'UP'. Carl and Ellie are childhood sweethearts and Pixar chose to use a montage to show them going through life together, getting married, creating their dream house and going on outings. It even shows them when they are ill in hospital and looking after each other. This proves that even though Eisenstien passed many years ago, his thoughts and ideas still influence many film makers throughout the world. 

Linking Eisenstien/Kuleshov/Mêliès;

It is commonly known that the transitions used to connect these montage visuals are either dissolves or fades. Back in 1896, George Mêliès created the dissolve by using double exposure when shooting his shots. Known as 'The Father of Special Effects' he used his techniques to create his very famous film, 'A Trip To The Moon' which he also starred in. Without the creation of these special effects, montages like the ones specified earlier wouldn't be able to change smoothly between shots. Thanks to Mêliès, today we are able to use a lot of different transitions to make our productions flow a lot more. Over the years, the techniques have been developed and now are easier to access and use than it was for Mêliès when he first invented it.

When comparing an episode of the popular American Sitcom 'Friends' to a 'Nike' Advert, I noticed that there is a very vast difference between the two. 'Friends' contains a lot of conversation meaning that the takes a very long without any cuts. This shows the audience a connection between the actors and lowers the intensity of the scene. In the Nike Advert on the other hand, it is full of fast cuts and its like there is a lot of information being shown in a short amount of time. This makes the intensity higher as the audience have to take more information in than usual. This sometimes isn't a good thing because the audience can get too distracted by other things and miss some of the important information being shown. When trying to fit a lot of information into a short clip can be a good idea though because it increases the pace and force of the information being shown.

With the experience I have, I incorporated all of these techniques to create a music video to a high standard. By using the Kuleshov theory, I was able to come up with the basic feelings felt in the song. This helped when it came to thinking of the final ideas for our video. With some basic ideas in my head i came up with more detailed ideas to help portray the feeling the audience felt when listening to the song with no visuals. Linking into Eisentein's quote 'A collision of shots could potentially be used to manipulate the thoughts of the audience', we used our audience feedback to help us decided what one of our ideas would be the best to portray emotions and feelings in the song. In the post-production process, I will use all the transitions that were created by Mêliès back in 1896. At the point when Eisenstein was creating his films, if the visuals weren't cut right in the production process, you physically had to cut the film up and put it back together in the correct place. Nowadays, there is a popular technology called Final Cut Pro, which allows a range of people to use different techniques in their work. Whether they are amateur and experience film makers. By using montages throughout my video, I thought I would be able to show form different angles, the emotions being felt by the actors and also in the song.

House Risk Assessment

	Hazard	P	S	L	R
1	Alcohol/drugs	YES	S	P	3
2	Animals/insects	YES	S	P	2
3	Audiences	NO
4	Camera cable/grip equipment	YES	LR	P	1
5	Confined spaces	YES	M	P	2
6	Derelict buildings/dangerous structures	NO
7	Electricity/gas (other than normal supplies)	YES	N	UL	1
8	Fatigue/long hours	NO
9	Fire/flammable materials	YES	VS	UL	5
10	Hazardous substances	NO
11	Heat/Cold/extreme weather	NO
12	Laser/strobe effects	NO
13	Machinery/industrial/ crane/hoist	NO
14	Materials - glass, non-fire retardant set materials	YES	S	P	4
15	Night operation	NO
16	Noise – high sound levels	NO
17	Non standard manual handling	NO
18	Public/crowds	NO
19	Radiation	NO
20	Scaffold/Rostra	NO
21	Smoking on set	NO
22	Special effects/explosives	NO
23	Special needs (elderly, disabled, inexperienced)	NO
24	Specialised rescue/first aid	NO
25	Stunts, dangerous activities	NO
26	Tall scenery/suspended ceilings	NO
27	Vehicles/speed	NO
28	Water/proximity to water	NO
29	Weapons	NO
30	Working at heights	NO
31	Working overseas	NO
32	Other risks	NO

Dance Studio Risk Assessment

	Hazard	P	S	L	R
1	Alcohol/drugs	NO
2	Animals/insects	NO
3	Audiences	NO
4	Camera cable/grip equipment	YES	M	P	2
5	Confined spaces	NO
6	Derelict buildings/dangerous structures	NO
7	Electricity/gas (other than normal supplies)	YES	L	UL	1
8	Fatigue/long hours	YES	L	P	2
9	Fire/flammable materials	NO
10	Hazardous substances	NO
11	Heat/Cold/extreme weather	NO
12	Laser/strobe effects	NO
13	Machinery/industrial/ crane/hoist	NO
14	Materials - glass, non-fire retardant set materials	NO
15	Night operation	NO
16	Noise – high sound levels	NO
17	Non standard manual handling	NO
18	Public/crowds	YES	N	UL	1
19	Radiation	NO
20	Scaffold/Rostra	NO
21	Smoking on set	NO
22	Special effects/explosives	NO
23	Special needs (elderly, disabled, inexperienced)	NO
24	Specialised rescue/first aid	NO
25	Stunts, dangerous activities	NO
26	Tall scenery/suspended ceilings	NO
27	Vehicles/speed	NO
28	Water/proximity to water	NO
29	Weapons	NO
30	Working at heights	YES	L	L	3
31	Working overseas	NO
32	Other risks	NO