You have been approached by Film 4 to make a new British social realist film aimed at British 16-24 year olds. To give Film 4 an idea of how your film will develop, they have asked you to produce the first two minutes of the film, providing a clear sense of the graphical, editing and musical style your film will use. To protect film 4's reputation as a leader in British cinema the film must conform to the conventions of the Social Realist genre, and meet all the audience expectations for this type of film. Finally, to keep costs low all visual and audio material used in the film must be entirely original with an exception of stock sound affects.
For our opening sequence, we were approached by Film 4, for which we had been asked to create a 'British Social Realism (BSR) film. These are films made using lower budgets, and inexperienced actors (raw talent) in order to make a film which is not made to entertain, but inform audiences of issues that take place in society. We feel that we have met the brief well as we used a white teenage male character as the protagonist for our film, which targets a British audience, as asked ( skip to 0:22 secs). The title we chose for our film was 'Bridges' (skip to 1:06 secs) which connotes the relationship between the white protagonist and the Indian girl. However, the implicit message implies 'Bridges' represents the cultural clashes between both the main characters and due to this why they cannot be together. It can also show how the white character's struggle to face and fit into the Asian society. This idea would have then further developed, had we produced a full film. The rest of the film would show the white man undergoing many difficulties and facing racism from the Asian community, as well as the Indian girl's family along his journey to gain his love. Although it is fairly difficult to establish these BSR themes within the first two minutes of the film, we did not show verbal racism towards the white character as it was supposed to be very subtle in the beginning, showing a gradual build up. However, we show the Indian shop owner giving the white character a nasty glare (skip to 0:53 secs), making the audience aware that there is an issue, and shows he is unwanted, which is further explored when the Indian girl's brother throws the white character out of the shop (skip to 1:37 secs), which implies to the audience that he does not belong there.
During the beginning of the year, my knowledge of using these HD cameras was not very strong, so I found it hard to get used to the basic functions of this camera. I was also working alongside a person who had no experience in media studies at all which made it slightly more difficult to work quicker. For next year, I will not face this problem because this year I have understood fully how to use the camera and it's functions which will be necessary to me.
Creativity
After analysing the brief, my partner and I chose a theme relevantly outlined in these Film 4 Films, however the use of locations made and mise-en-scene showed more creativity as we made the situation look much more realistic, creating verisimilitude. A disadvantage of this was because we had tried being more creative by using different locations, we filmed at different times of the day, which shows in the video when we show the establishing shot of the polyclinic and when she is actually sitting in it.
Post Production
I was familiar with using iMovie from previous media projects so I could help my partner understand the basic techniques of the software. Also the fact that it was a very simple task with not very much editing required mainly cropping, made the work have good continuity and less effort required. A downfall of this however, was that we were using an updated version of iMovie and had to be trained on how to use it. So the functions had changed, making it harder to become familiar with this new software. Next year, I will ensure to plan my time more wisely and make sure that I have more experience with the software before using it. This makes it easier to understand what you're actually doing, as well as making it less stressful. This also can help play a part in helping others around you that may not be as comfortable in using the programmes and vice versa.
Research and Planning
I am pleased with the editing outcome, and I kept to the storyboard pretty well and used majority of the shots I had drawn up. However, next time I'd stick to a slightly simpler storyline or try and find an alternative place to film as its not always possible to go far out and get to film certain parts of the work during a school week so using a closer location or even the school itself will help save on time and allow you to finish your film quicker. Also, I would give more thought into the actual planning, this includes drawing up the storyboard and the actual time management in order to get the work filmed on time and well.
During this week, we have been editing our opening sequence in which I have faced many difficulties. Although in the beginning, when I imported all the shots to the library, and placed them in order, the total time was too short after I had trimmed the clips. So to resolve this, I had to put the production company logo and institutional logo on a black screen and increase the duration of these slides to increase the overal running time of the opening sequence. Then, I noticed minor problems such as, very slightly breaking the 180 degree rule and there not being a good and consistent eyeline match in some cases as well as a few jumps. So to fix this, I had to cut the hot and put other extra shots from other clips and close ups to make the whole piece run smoother. The slight jump cut that could not be resolved had to be cut and I had to put the the film title 'Bridges' on a black screen. All the other credits as you would have noticed run over the film at the bottom out of the way. We turned to our peers for some constructive criticism, which turned out to be very helpful for us because their response stated that by putting 'Bridges' on a black screen makes the title stand out to the audience and outlines it's importance to the film. Another problem we faced was the sound. The sound was probably the hardest thing to edit to perfection because as I had to cut and replace shots, the soundtrack did not match the image smoothly at times and shifted the entire sound from the clips along. In the beginning, it was unnoticable, but towards the end when there was very little dialogue then this was a huge problem as the image and sound were asynchronous. To resolve this issue I had to crop the relevant part from the soundtrack, remove all the sound from the actual shots and extend it across till the character took off his headphones as this is shown as non diagetic sound. Then another problem which occurred after this was we had not counted for the time in which we had placed the black screen title in the middle. Placing this clip in the middle, meant that there was ambient sound within the clip either end of the black screen, except the 3 seconds the title 'Bridges' had to appear. The best method in which we ammended this was by removing ambient sound recorded when shooting the establishing shot of the location and pasting it over the 'Bridges' slide. The problem with this, which we only picked up on after was that we used sound from an external location for an internal location which made the sound not balance when played together. When doing it, we did not see this problem, but watching back on it the next day, to have a final thorough check, we identified the fact that it did not match well but did the best we possibly could. If I were to have done this again, then I would remove all the sound from the whole openeing sequence and use soundtracks and voiceovers as dialogue which would improve the clarity of speech as well as remove any uneccessary background sound.
This week we have been looking at different fonts for our film title. In the beginning, we wanted to use 2 fonts for the title. One of which had a rough, crackly denotation and the other which had a very asian ethical touch to it. called Samarkan which we found on Dafont which we thought fit our theme perfectly.
However, we then decided to just change the name to just 'Bridges' as it looks like it relates to our opening sequence more and much shorter and more to the point.
After watching the footage that we have recorded we realised that the opening shot wasn't smooth as we used a tripod it was very jumpy and unclear so we then talked about what we could do to improve this and the realised we were using the wrong equipment. We then decided to use a monopod, which is commonly used for handheld movements to look clean. This came out much clearer and looked very steady, so we are going to use the monopod when we film the real shots.
This week we have looked at Live type. This is the software we will be using to create the graphics for our opening sequence. We were using it to get a feel about how to use it as it will be the software we will be using to create our graphics. We tested out with the different fonts and then thought we would try out our title which is Broken bridges. We then found a font called Cracked which gave an effect of looking broken . But we then disscused it with the teachers and thought that just 'Bridges' woulod be more or a suitable title as it is more short and just straigt to the point as many Britsish social realism films are. We then thought it would be a good idea to use DaFont to find a font that will stand out and get our theme across nicely. We then found a font that gives off an indian feel to it but still edgy as it is not so smooth.
We also went out and did some filming but it was too dark therefore we have to film again .
This week we have produced an Production schedule, call sheet and a shooting script. This shows exactly what we are going to be filming and editing over the next couple of weeks. We also produced a recci video and wrote about the possible location we found. We also have got permission to film in the Indian fabric shop and have included that at the end of the recci video. we have also got permission to use a song that our friend was created for us. therefore that i done and we would not have to worry about that later. We had to make a lot of decision with a location that could work well with our theme and story and we had to get our friend to create a song that could contrast the two different cultures.
The Bansal family have been running a fabric shop for many generation in their household. there business is very successful and very well known especially in there neighbourhood. There shop is based in a neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone. So it is a tight community. The shop is also based on a high street, a road where there are plenty of other shops too, mainly Indian cultural ones.
Agents of Change
A new white male has moved in the local area. He seems like the odd one out as he is the only white person in the area, he feels the difference and so do all the other characters. he feels out of place so he keeps himself to himself, he doesn't really have an interest in socialising with anyone else, he always walks around with headphones in so other people don't really have the chance to try and talk to him.
Conflict Complication
He then goes into the Bansals family fabric shop as he needs change for a twenty pound note. Once he enters the shop he looks around intrigued, he walks around the whole shop and then he notices the Bansals eldest daughter on the side stocking the shelves. He then walks over to her and they begin talking, they end up arranging to go out on a date. She knows if she tells her brothers or parents they will not let her go so she decides not to tell them knowing that her parents wont approve because of the cultural and racial differences.
Elaboration
She then goes out on several dates with him and they are getting quite serious. Weeks later the arranged another data, but they got there her brother was there waiting for her. As he heard her talking on the phone to him and thought he should catch them in the act. Then a huge argument happens and the brother takes his sister home and tells their parents. Her parents are so disappointed, and forbid her to go out. The white male came into the shop every other day to try and convince her parents to let them be together. They ended up kicking him out of the shop, as they were embarrassed at how the whole street knew their business. One day she secretly packs her bags and gets out the house at night and they end up eloping and running away. this causes even more problems for the family.
Climax and Resolution
The parents track her down and beg her to come home even if it means with him. They end up coming home and both sides make peace. They have to live with him as they didn't want there daughter to get a divorce as it would cause the family more shame. They end up teaching the man the ropes to the business too, it has effected their business slightly.
Coda
Now there is peace in the Bansal household, even though she is married to a white man they have cooperated and learnt to put up with his mannerist's. there is till some slight diversion but it is calm.
The title for our film/opening sequence will be 'Broken Bridges'. The film title clearly connotes issues raised in BSR films. For my film in particular, it is symbolic of the relationship that the white man wishes to have with the Indian girl. Due to clashes of religion and culture, as well as families, he cannot be with her. Metaphorically the 'broken' symbolises their relationship and feelings for one another and 'bridges' being representative of the obstacles and behaviour that he faces and must try to overcome.
Target Audience:
Our vox pop video shows that our target audience lies between the ages of 16-40 mainly. We have carried out both primary and secondary research such as watching BSR films from over the decades, asking people about their opinions of these films and the content of them. In addition, we also researched into certain films on the Internet and looked into critical quotes of these films. The reason this film would appeal to our target audience is because we are reversing the roles as the theme of the film will be based on racism and culture clash on the opposing character.
Technology:
Camera- Handheld camera, accompanied by a tripod (to take all the straight on shots, occasionally will not use the tripod to give the rough camera work as shown in these films.)
iMovie- To edit our final film and piece all the shots together in which we can easily cut and reform shots in order to make them the way we chose to.
Logic- To edit and create our music- using a synthesizer to make our music.
This technology that we will use to film will be suitable as it is compatible with the editing software that we will be using.
There are no limitations as we have access to all the software above on a daily basis and if needed we can also do the editing at home.
Representation: (Characters):
Our key characters in our opening sequence the protagonist is the young girl that works in the family shop and who catches the antagonists eye.
The antagonist is the white British male character.
When we film we are challenging the typical representation of the different races of the characters in our opening sequence, in the current society. Instead of showing racism towards the white man, we are reversing the racism roles and showing it happening to the white man from the Asian family.
Narrative:
A brief summary of our film is when a white man sets sight on a typical Indian girl. they end up falling in love but have to overcome many obstacles one of which includes her family as they don't approve of their relationship due to the clashes of religion and culture.
In our opening sequence, we will show the white man in an Indian fabric shop buying material but faces discrimination from other customers as well as the people behind the counter. This reflects the theme of racism outlined in some BSR films for example:
'My Beautiful Laundrette'
"Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a Pakistani, and his old school chum Johnny (Daniel-Day Lewis) use stolen drug money to renovate a laundrette in a squalid London neighbourhood. But conflicting interests soon threaten their new found success. Hanif Kureishi received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, a stunning portrait of two boyhood friends who are struggling to survive in racially tense Thatcher-era Britain."
Conventions:
In our opening sequence we will ensure to introduce the main characters, establish the location and themes early on, in order for our audience to have a clear understanding if the story. We will show the main character facing explicit racism however this will not be shown verbally but through actions instead.
We have decided not to include any enigma code in the opening sequence as it is not chronological for our particular story, and breaks the verisimilitude, it also doesn't look realistic for British social realism films to have enigma in the opening sequence. Action would take place later on in the film but not necessary in the opening sequence, we are purposely not including action code as it would look too much like a trailer when the brief specifically tells us to create an opening sequence.
Institution:
Film 4 being the production company given by the brief make films to target a white British audience between the ages of 16-40. My film has been made to appeal to the same audience, conforming the themes and issues portrayed in these films. I have chosen to explore racism and discrimination in my film which is shown in Film 4 films such as Four Lions and This Is England.
Distribution of this film would be very limited as it is an informative film and not made for the enjoyment of people. Also, it will only really attract the people to whomever it would concern, very rarely will people chose to pay to watch a film like this. The distribution of this film being minimal, will mainly appeal to British audiences and Asians.
My film would be exhibited publically in small cinemas as these British social realist films would not be shown amongst big Hollywood films in multiplex cinemas. As well as this, my film would be shown at film festivals as it allows people to anticipate the film, and spread word around of the film. However, with home exhibition, my film can be viewed on PlayStation/ xbox, as well as streaming websites such as netflix and Love film. This is beneficial for me as it allows my audience to access the films quicker and gain more views.
Style and Iconography:
Camerawork:
In the beginning, the camera will be from over the characters shoulder looking at the scene, adding impact as its almost like we see the scene through his perspective. This will be a good way to show a different opinion on the Asian culture as we see it from a white mans perspective. We will also show many shot reverse shots in order to show the audience that there is a connection between the 2 main characters. The camera angle will vary from straight on to high angle. This will add dramatic effects when the man is spoken to in a racist manner, making him look like the weaker character in the scene and reinforcing the fact that he looks out of place.
Editing:
Throughout the opening sequence, we swill show clear continuity, as it adds verisimilitude and makes the story flow chronologically. We will also use match on action carrying the same action through which again makes it look realistic for example when he walks through the door of the shop.
Costumes/Props:
The main character will be wearing an everyday outfit, jeans and a jumper, nothing branded as in these films, the characters are normally shown to be wearing average. He will also have a pair of headphones around his neck, again nothing branded, just an ordinary cheap pair of headphones, in order to relate to how characters are shown in British social realist films. For example, in 'FishTank' the young girl carries a simple Walkman with her, its not anything big like Sony or Samsung. The Indian girl in the shop, and other members in the shop will also be dressed in traditional, Indian clothing which would emphasise how he looks out of place and make the audience ask questions.
Sound:
In the beginning, when the character has headphones in, then there will be Foley sound of the character listening to music in headphones. And then use ambient sound when in the shop, which will be soft background music, radio and talking. The use of dialogue will be most powerful within the opening sequence as it will show the division between both the races in the shop. To make the white character feel uncomfortable, the shop keepers, will be speaking in their own language, showing discrimination towards the man.
Here, I have attached an image of where I asked a friend of mine who makes music, if we could use his song 'Pananana'. We plan to use this song as Foley sound where we show the white man listening to the music in headphones walking down the road which will lead into a soundbridge. Once in the shop, then he will take out his headphones and we will use 'found' sound which would just be the sound within in the shop when filming (mainly the radio and conversation between the people.) This would be very effective as we hear 2 different types of music within the same opening sequence showing a contrast between the 2 cultures and creating mystery for the audience.
This alleyway is a possible location for our opening sequence because it is a real location, with no artificial set or any props added. It is a local location in which we can film and also, is a realistic place where people are likely to live near in a british social realist film rather than a big fancy house.
Recci Video 2:
This is a second possible location. this shows the diversity of the different cultures being showed all on this one street. This would be a good place to film as it would make the white character feel more awkward and as if he is the odd one out.
Recci Video 3:
This is our last possible location. We have decided to actually film inside the shop as we have permission to do so. This would enhance the different cultures when the white characters is in there. It also seems like a family business and would fit well with our theme and story.
This week, by carrying out all of my primary research,I have learnt that a lot more people were aware of British Social Realism themes. Although many people do not know these films by this title, majority of British people, or even those who have lived in England are aware of the message given off from these films and the content. In terms of institutions, I have learnt that all of those who make such films have an extremely low budget, and rely on 'New British Talent' of inexperienced actors in order to make their point across. They use real locations and do not record in studios as well as using 'found locations and lighting' where everything is 100% real, no artificial set or lighting. In my own production, I will ensure to use real locations, incorporating the mise-en-scene as used in actual BSR films and be true to the content of these films. Also as done in these films, I will not only show one theme, but will refer to as many as I can manage to show within my opening sequence as it is only 2 minutes long but want it to feel as though it were a real British Social Realist film.
Everyone that was interviewed happened to have come across these films before. They were also aware of the content presented in these films and the purpose of these issues being shown.
What BSR films have you seen?
The most popular BSR films that were mentioned within these interview included Fish Tank, This Is England, Four Lions, Adulthood and Kidulthood. This was because these films are advertised constantly on the TV and also are the only ones which appeal to the younger audience because the theme of 'Dark Comedy' adds humour to these, easing off the issues shown in the film and being slightly mocking.
What are your views on these films?
Some interviewers stated as they many not directly be from that faith, they do not feel as affected as others many, however everybody did agree that these films are reinforcing existing stereotypes of teenagers and races in current society and instead of creating awareness to young adults of these issues, are actually in a way encouraging themes such as violence, alcohol and drug abuse and violence. This is a very sensitive topic which must be dealt with extremely carefully.
Qualitative Data Research:
Conducting this primary research has made me realise that BSR films are not as unnoticed as I thought they were. From the responses I got, people seem to be affected by the issues presented within these films so I will ensure to include themes which do not offend people as much, and create more audience awareness of these problems which occur around us everyday in society.
In this week, we have been looking at opening sequences of films in which we have specifically been looking at credits. Doing this has taught me valuable things such as why the credits appear in the way that they do and how they are ordered. The opening sequence either shows an animation which has nothing to do with the film, or actually shows the opening scene of a film with credits which appear along side this on the screen. One thing I learnt was that the credits are not always shown at the end of the opening sequence, as this is a convention of a trailer. Also, credits do not always appear in any particular order, as the film title can sometime be shown right at the beginning, or in some cases, shown halfway through the other credits. When credits appear on the screen, I learnt that these credits appear in order of character importance. The main 2 character's names will appear on the screen independently, and then the less important side characters names appear 2 at a time on the screen, as they are not seen as important to have screen time to themselves. I will stick to this technique when doing my own credits, and also, I will spread them out through the opening sequence, rather than having them all shown at the end like a trailer. Another thing I noticed was that the Production Logo is mostly shown at the beginning so I will make sure that I keep to this as well.
The link between British Social Realism films and the real world is that the films present these real life issues and situations through a film to help create awareness, targeting a wider range of audience. An example of this would be 'Eva Rausing died of Drug Abuse'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20725499 this news article can be used to relate to the British Social Realist film called 'Trainspotting'. Which is about a young boy who gets involved with drugs.
British Social Realist films are very unique in my opinion, as the content of these films stand out from others. Their typical conventions and themes are what make them different from a Hollywood film, and others. Film 4 mainly explore the themes of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, parenthood, childhood, racism, terrorism and isolation. The most common one being violence. An example of this would be the film 'Nil By Mouth'. In this, the husband is abusing his wife. The fact that we don't see what he is doing to her is very effective because we are left to assume the worst.
This week, we have been looking at conventions of british social realist films in much more detail. We did this by analysing British Social Realist films over the years which allowed us to see how they have evolved, and which things have become key conventions within these films. When analysing these films, I have learnt that their content has always involved very rough, aggressive disturbing themes and these themes are presented through a raw, unvarnished image which is not supposed to entertain its audience, but to create awareness of issues which occur in Britain today, and some, even all over the world.
Having to research into these films has influenced me to conform to the conventions of these films as they have been very influential. I find particularly influential, the films which show the themes of isolation and struggle, as you get to see how different people have different ways of dealing with their personal issues. Watching these films have also made me appreciate my life much more as these films are clear evidence that there are people in the world who have it very tough so you should appreciate your life as it is and the people in it.
This clip is from the film 'This is England'. In this clip we see a little white boy, assisted by an older white man being racist to a Muslim man. Thus, the key theme in this clip, as well as the rest of the film is racism. This theme is established through the dialogue when we hear the little boy say the words 'paki bastard'. When the shop owner asks him what he days, he repeats his words, showing no remorse or any guilt what so ever. This shows that racism is portrayed to be very common as nobody reacts to it badly when those words are said. this scene portrays the white people as being bullies, as they feel they have authority in England over Asians, just because this it is their country and regard Asians as inequal.
Violence:
This clip is from 'Nil by Mouth.' The theme of violence is established through this clip, when we see the man physically beating up his wife. When we see the man beating up his wife, we do not see the end result of this, we just see him beating her. This has a bigger impact than if we were to see her face afterwards as it creates a sense of mystery for the audience. I think the way the violence is portrayed in this clip, by not allowing us to see the outcome of the actions, is a very effective way to explore violence, which is what I might think to include in my opening sequence.
Drug Abuse:
This clip is from 'Trainspotting.' The key theme established in this clip is drug abuse. In this clip, we see a cross cut between a scene on a football pitch and another of the main character by himself smoking drugs in a room. When he is smoking the drug, we see the impact it has on him as we see him fall to the ground. When he is playing football, we also see him fall to the ground the same way in which he is taking drugs which shows a link. The cross cutting at this point almost seems like a montage which begins to speed up. this looks very effective, so I might also try to include a montage effect in my opening sequence, showing all the themes outlined in a BSR film.
Terrorism:
This clip is from Four Lions which establishes the theme of terrorism. In this clip, the theme of terrorism is established through all the main characters being Muslim, and someone getting blown up on the field whilst carrying a bomb. Although terrorism is a very serious issue, it is mocked throughout the whole film. This film also includes the theme of racism and stereotypes because Muslims are stereotypically associated with terrorism. The dark comedy used in this clip however reduces the harshness of the topic.
Poverty:
This clip from Brick Lane establishes the theme of poverty. Poverty is shown through the locations where the young children are playing, the dirty lake that the kids jump in, and also, by the way the characters are dressed. The way that poverty is shown here makes the audience feel sorry for the characters and sympathise with them which is what the aim of these films are, as well as showing the reality of peoples life in some cases.
The mid shot of the
character being covered in blood shows the themes of violence which is shown
in BSR films. Also, the low key lighting helps create mystery and makes the
audience question what is actually happening.
This close up is a good
shot to use because it shows the face clearly of the character. By looking at
the bruise on his face we can see the result of his interrogation which
leaves the audience to wonder how it happened and why.
The style of the
text matches then theme of the whole video, also the use of a small, simple
font is very effective as it does not interfere with the video and take the
focus away from what is actually happening.
The credits are very
subtle and do not interfere with the scene on the screen. BSR films do this
so that the audience can pay attention to the content of the film.
The location in
this clip is very simple, just an empty looking bedroom where there is a bed
and a cupboard. BSR films have very plain and rundown locations.
We are not shown this
characters face which adds to the mystery and makes the audience confused
about the narrative. This is very common in BSR films.
The rule of thirds and
continuity editing used here was very effective as it kept the focus on the
characters face the whole time. BSR films mostly focus on close ups showing
the characters facial expressions at all times.
The over the shoulder
shot looking at the flag shows the flag has some symbolic meaning in the
clip. BSR use simple camera shots as their ethos is to present issues of
reality in a simple form.
The use of bright
lighting is good because it shows what’s going on in the scene well, however
BSR tend to use more low key lighting within most of its scenes, to help
emphasise it being a rundown, secretive location.
The location of an
alley way was successful because it represents a rundown, urban location and
adds a sense of secrecy to the clip. However, it could have been improved b
filming when it was darker as it would have added to the effect a little
better.
The credits on the
screen are effective, as they are a nice size and a simple font, although
they appear on the screen, the do not divert the audiences attention from the
image on the screen.
The use of low key
lighting for the Mise-en- Scene creates confusion for the audience and this
is often shown in BSR films where there is minimal lighting to enhance the
very dark, dreary theme in the films.
This close up shows
the use of a prop of drugs. Drug abuse is always a key theme in BSR films, so
this clip relates well to the content of every other BSR theme.
In the background,
looking out the window, the time of day has immediately changed, which shows
these shots have been filmed separately but does not follow the rule of
continuity well.
The close up of this character
shows she seems to be stressed or feels uncomfortable, which is how BSR films
show their characters to feel.
In this shot,
looking at all the characters, they are all wearing hoodies, hooded jackets
and hats which is representative of how BSR film characters dress. Good use
of costume.
This close up shows the
characters face. The audience will recognise this character as being
important in the clip.
This is a good shot as
normally in BSR films, when one of the characters is up to no good, or is
getting caught, there is often a shot of a police car or van. Good way of
keeping to the content of the film.
