Working Title Production Process

Funding and Influence of Global Ownership

Global ownership means better, more reliable funding for film companies, as well as larger budget for each film (such as the $25million dollar budget that Working Title has from Universal to produce films without consent from the parent company). With global ownership also comes more credibility for the film company and a higher reputation, which means more sales. Working Title has experienced this increase in reputation and sales since being taken over by global ownership company Universal, with such globally well known films as Hot Fuzz (2007) and Love Actually (2003). These films have done better globally than films which were produced before Working Title's Universal takeover - when they were an independent company - such as My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) and Wish You Were Here (1987).

When Working Title -independent company - were taken over by Polygram in 1992, they became part of the Polygram 'family', and thus received improved funding. Due to this, they were able to produce more successful films such as The Borrowers (1997), which thus increased their reptutation as a film company. The advantages of this were better funding, improved technology, more well-known actors, and a greater exploration of films and their genres. However, this came at some costs; being part of Polygram entailed high interest rates, high liabilities and insecurities.

In 1999, Polygram, and Working Title with it, were sold to Universal Music Group (part of the Vivendi conglomerate). Working Title 2 was branched off with the view of making more independent films with the funding of Universal.

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In

Theories & Audience

New Technologies

New Technologies - Cameras on Prezi

Technologies in Film

Tech in Film

Production Flow Chart

Flow Chart

This is England '86

What was the rationale -

• many unused ideas from the film;
• Shane Meadows wanted to expand on the storyline of the film;
• tells the rest of the story.
• topical; with current recession, it is relevant to modern affairs.

Who was involved -

• Shane Meadows & Mark Herbert (same director & executive producer)
• Tom Harper (different director of Episodes 1 & 2) from Skins and Misfits.
• greater number of crew involved
• same principal cast, although this time Lol is the central character.

Budget -

• £20 million to be spent on an expanded cast & crew.
• production was funded mainly by EMedia & Screen Yorkshire.
• also, Channel 4 used money obtained from axing Big Brother to finance.
• sponsored by Peugeot.
• Warp weren't involved in ''86', Channel 4 & Film4 were the companies involved.

Target Audience -

• by using similar devices to Shameless & Skins, ''86' gains a similar audience;
• by combining this with an audience of people who lived in the 80's, the show has a larger audience range than the film.

Differences with This is England (film) -

• More locations and props
• Different, imaginative cinematography (less handheld)
• More post-production enhancements
• More than one character story
• More artificial lighting used.

All these differences are in place because of the superior funding given to the TV show project, compared to the film.

Film Technologies

Some of the latest features used in the film industry today are 3D, CGI and camera and editing software improvements. I will now compare the use of these technologies, across 3 different industries.

• Warp Films use limited amounts of technology due to their lack of funding. However, there are still examples of the use. For example, in the short film 'Rubber Johnny', the majority of camerawork is shot in infared night vision via a digital camera - showing that they have the use of modern cameras. Also, it is edited a lot, with fast transitions, colour correction and sound effects - displaying the use of editing software and possibly up to date software, due to the complexity. It does not appear that warp films have ever, or intend to in the near future create any 3D films. This is probably due to the fact that it is such an expensive process, and Warp cannot afford it - or fear they will not make enough profit.
• Working Title also do not have extensive use of new technologies, as they also have no 3D films, or revealed plans for the future involving 3D. They also do not use a lot, if any CGI - perhaps due to the majority of their films being drama and comedy, which don't need added extras to be effective. However, editing software is evidently used - with examples such as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of The Dead. This is shown by their fast paced, transitional editing - possibly by software such as 'Avid'.
• Hollywood have by far the biggest budget, and therefore make the most ground breaking advances in cinema. For example, 'Avatar', the most expensive movie ever made was filmed specifically in 3D over a period of 10 years. Unlike other 3D films, it was actually recorded using a 3D lense, and not just a post-production effect. Also, it was edited using a whole range of software - from 3D modelling programs such as 'Maya', to Photoshop, Premier Pro and Avid. The amount of resources available to the production team are superior to other industries, showing why these films receive huge funding. This film, along with others is almost entirely composed of CGI.

Shutter Island; Disability Representation.



Name - Edward 'Teddy' Daniels/Andrew Laeddis (Leornardo DiCaprio)

U.S. Marshal/Mental Patient.

Andrew Laeddis is represented in an abstract fashion due to his disability. He has a split personality, as he tries to create a new psychological life and persona for himself. He tries to fashion himself into a hero under the alias of Teddy Daniels -sent to the island to bring it down-  whilst in reality he is actually a mental patient on the island. This gives us a disturbing insight into the characteristics of his mental disability, and because of this, it is a fair representation. We learn to empathise with his condition and imagine how conflicted his character must be.

The character fits a couple of the stereotypes introduced by Paul Hunt - he is an object of violence (his paranoia and conflict cause to him to turn violent) and his split personality makes him his own worst enemy.

He also fits social models of disability, in that he tries to overcome his disability (although he is denial for the majority of the film). However, he fails to overcome his condition and thus meets a tragic end. His disability is also portrayed as socially negative, as he is locked away on an island, cut off from society.

Film Production Success Essay

Film Company Success Essay

This is England

'This is England' facts:

• £1.5million budget funded by National Lottery;
• £90,000 extra was given by UK Film Council after production;
• 2006 film, directed by Shane Meadows.
• produced by Warp Films.

'This is England' was based on some of the director's own experiences as part of a Skinhead gang in his childhood. The actor who plays the lead role of Shaun was a tearaway and part of a gang himself, with no acting experience, until he was cast in 'This is England'.
Shane Meadows bought props and vehicles off Ebay to make the film as authentic as possible and make it resemble 1980's Britain; he even found a prefabricated set to film which hadn't been changed from the 80's in order to film indoor scenes. The film uses entirely natural lighting and there is a lot actor improvisation involved. The purpose of the film for Shane Meadows, was to change the perceptions of Skinhead culture, in particular with regards to racism.

Whilst watching 'This is England', we were asked to answer the following questions:

1. What is the appeal to British audience? Who is this audience, and how do we know this?

The target audience is working class British people, in particular men, however women are represented too by the girls the Skinheads hang around with in the film. We know this through the mise en scene; one of the first shots we see is of a typically working class council estate (it is derelict and overgrown, with boarded up windows, etc.). The film also targets teens as an audience - despite the 18-rated certificate - and other subcultures. An example of this is the goth girl present at school who is accepted by the Skinheads. 'This is England' has a message for teens with regards to the ways of gangs - in the film, the Skinhead gang is quite turbulent, with arguments starting often. This is meant to put teenage members of the audience off becoming part of a gang, due to their being unstable and unsafe.
On a larger scale, the film appeals to all members of a patriotic, British adult audience. Even the title induces national pride, which would appeal to a large number of the audience who are English.

2. How does the cinematography differ from that of 'Hot Fuzz'?

Like 'Hot Fuzz', 'This is England' opens with a collection of clips which set up the storyline. However, in 'This is England', the clips are actual footage from the time of the film (1983), such as images of Margaret Thatcher and the Faulklands. This short, condensed information helps to place the audience in the time-setting of the story of the film.
On the whole, the shots in 'This is England' are at a much slower pace than those in 'Hot Fuzz'; there are more simple transition cuts, in contrast to the snappy ones in 'Hot Fuzz', which help point out the respective genres of each film. Since 'Hot Fuzz' is a comedy film, the snappy cuts are used for comedic effect, whereas in 'This is England' - a social realism film- they are used to create realism and a serious atmosphere.
Also, montages are used to move the story along, and also to give insight into the characters emotions and lifestyle. These montages also have slower-paced shots in order to create a serious, non-mocking atmosphere, compared to the comedic ones in 'Hot Fuzz'.

3. How is social realism constructed?

Several features contribute to creating the genre of social realism in 'This is England'. One such is the aforementioned montages, which show characters lifestyles and daily routines, which invoke realism and make the characters more relatable (we can see what they are like day to day). Also, the mise en scene and character profiles assist in constructing realism, the working class characters and the way they interact with their working class surroundings (and, of course, their fellow working class characters) help create a realistic setting and plot. Simple characterisation devices help to set up this realism, such as the (stereo)typical, less witty, more physical forms of humour used by the working class people in the film. Finally, the actor's improvisation helps to construct a socially realistic atmosphere in keeping with the genre; the way the characters have free-flowing, relatively unplotted conversations with each helps to add a realistic feel to the film.

Eva Mendes Calvin Klein Advert

Eva Mendes Calvin Klein

Example of the Media Objectifying Women

Khia - My Neck, My Back

This video has several examples of the male gaze being satisfied by the use of females. With sexually suggestive poses, dancing, lyrics and shots, making them the object of the spectator.

Female & Male Gazes

Marjorie Ferguson created the categorisation of female facial expressions. These consist of:

Chocolate Box -  half or full smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

Invitational - emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise.

Super smiler - full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, demanding, the hard sell,attention-grabbing, intense approach.

Romantic/Sexual - a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

Trevor Millum devised the categories for male facial expressions, such as:

Seductive: similar to the cool/level look in many respects - the eyes are less wide, perhaps shaded, the expression is less reserved but still self-sufficient and confident; milder versions may include a slight smile.

Carefree: nymphlike, active, healthy, gay, vibrant, outdoor girl; long unrestrained outward-flowing hair, more outward-going than the above, often smiling or grinning.

Practical: concentrating, engaged on the business in hand, mouth closed, eyes object-directed, sometimes a slight frown; hair often short or tied back.
Comic: deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated, acting the fool, pulling faces for the benefit of a real or imaginary audience, sometimes close to a sort of archness.

Catalogue: a neutral look as of a dummy, artificial, waxlike; features may be in any position, but most likely to be with eyes open wide and a smile, but the look remains vacant and empty; personality has been removed.

TV Drama - Generic Conventions

You will find that TV dramas all have the following ingredients:

Characters – even particular kinds of characters: eg, at its most simple, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters.

Stories – they all tell stories, whether those stories involve adventure, crime or romance and they often, but not always, end happily.

The stories are told against familiar backdrops: – eg, homes, police stations and offices (for crime dramas), hospitals (for medical dramas) – most of which are created in studios. However, most dramas also use outside locations to create particular effects.

Camerawork – particular kinds of shots are used: eg, sequences involving establishing shots followed by mid-shots of characters, shot/reverse shots to show character interaction and, in particular,close-ups to show the characters’ emotions.

Stories use dialogue to tell the stories. Occasionally, monologues are built in (as voiceovers, a character telling a story).

Music is used to punctuate the action, create effects (suspense, tension) and underline emotional moments.

Particular subgenres tend to have items which make them immediately identifiable – police cars, blue lights, operating theatres and scalpels, triage/reception areas in hospitals. Icons of the genre, they symbolise the (sub)genre.

Freddie Ljunberg Calvin Klein Advert

Freddie Ljunberg Calvin Klein Advert

Hot Fuzz Storyboard

Hot Fuzz Storyboard

Textual Analysis and Representation - 7 key areas

You need to understand how these technical elements (in the last post) create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places and help to articulate specific messages and values that have social significance. Particular areas of representation that may be chosen are:

1. Gender
2. Age
3. Ethnicity
4. Sexuality
5. Class and status
6. Physical ability/disability
7. Regional identity

Textual Analysis and Representation - 4 key areas

Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition

• Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these.
• Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
• Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
• Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.

　

Editing

Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.

• Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
• Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.

　Sound

• Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.
• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.

Mise-en-Scène

• Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties.
• Lighting; colour design.

Working Title & Warp Films

Working Title and Warp Films Media

Film finance

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Film finance

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