Below is Roads. A teenage comedy drama film based around the theme of drugs and rebellion. Directed, edited and produced by Akhtar Productions.
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Saturday, 22 April 2017
Audience Expectations from Genre
We asked some people to answer the following survey to get a better understanding of audience expectations of black comedy.
1. What themes would you expect from a black comedy film?
2. What settings would you expect in a black comedy film?
3. What type of main character would you expect from a black comedy film?
First participant:
1. Dark themes such as death, crime murder e.t.c but juxtaposed with tongue in cheek humour - not necessarily laugh out loud.
2. Can be applied to any setting I would say.
3. Again could be anything but normally I would imagine one main character who the audience is aligned with, for example in 50/50.
Second participant:
1, Crime, gruesome gory deaths and injuries, cults,mysteries
2. Quiet town/village/small town/countryside
3. Funny, ordinary person, mundane job
Third participant:
1. Perhaps it would be about the protagonist's situation and emotions, mainly sad and pessimistic but humorous. So themes could be loss/death or the mundanities of everyday life.
2. A setting that may not seem to offer much humour but allows the characters to create it. Like a small/insignificant town or a funeral.
3. Someone unfulfilled with dull yet funny friends or maybe an outsider or loner, riddled with cynicism so a lot of humour would come from their sarcasm and pessimism.
Fourth participant:
1. Inappropriate or dark subjects such as death, illness or corruption or very disturbing situations. But managed to make it humorous.
2. Based in a dull setting like a town or somewhere there is not much modernism.
3. Someone pessimistic and satire - won't have many aspirations in life. Or they could be very self centred, not caring what comes their way. Would make audience feel hate towards them or feel very sympathetic towards them.
1. What themes would you expect from a black comedy film?
2. What settings would you expect in a black comedy film?
3. What type of main character would you expect from a black comedy film?
First participant:
1. Dark themes such as death, crime murder e.t.c but juxtaposed with tongue in cheek humour - not necessarily laugh out loud.
2. Can be applied to any setting I would say.
3. Again could be anything but normally I would imagine one main character who the audience is aligned with, for example in 50/50.
Second participant:
1, Crime, gruesome gory deaths and injuries, cults,mysteries
2. Quiet town/village/small town/countryside
3. Funny, ordinary person, mundane job
Third participant:
1. Perhaps it would be about the protagonist's situation and emotions, mainly sad and pessimistic but humorous. So themes could be loss/death or the mundanities of everyday life.
2. A setting that may not seem to offer much humour but allows the characters to create it. Like a small/insignificant town or a funeral.
3. Someone unfulfilled with dull yet funny friends or maybe an outsider or loner, riddled with cynicism so a lot of humour would come from their sarcasm and pessimism.
Fourth participant:
1. Inappropriate or dark subjects such as death, illness or corruption or very disturbing situations. But managed to make it humorous.
2. Based in a dull setting like a town or somewhere there is not much modernism.
3. Someone pessimistic and satire - won't have many aspirations in life. Or they could be very self centred, not caring what comes their way. Would make audience feel hate towards them or feel very sympathetic towards them.
Feedback from Peers
Below is a short clip of feedback given by a small group of peers, watching the final edit of our film opening 'Roads'. After the viewing, they were asked questions and gave honest answers. All three students gave consent to being filmed and put onto video sharing site, YouTube.
Friday, 21 April 2017
Iconography
Iconography in media is an important aspect of genre. Certain objects are expected to be seen on screen when a certain genre is set for a film.
Iconography in the Comedy Genre:
- Bright colour palette on screen, goes with high key lighting and the light hearted background of the genre.
- Slapstick comedy uses props such as bats and water pistols.
- Spoken jokes as well as non-verbal looks of reaction towards the camera, breaking the fourth wall between audience and character.
- Iconography usually conforms to the theme of the film. For example, a film about rebellious teenagers, props used would be empty bottles of alcohol or used condoms to add comic effect.
Iconography in the Drama Genre:
- Real life issues and problems help the audience relate to the characters and rest of the film, making the received moral even greater. It also increases their sympathy towards the characters involved, meaning they are more involved in the events and narrative.
- Drama films can also occur in different time periods, for example the 1940s during World War 2. Iconography for this specific time/war drama would be props such as gas masks, planes, camouflage and uniform.
- Props in Drama films usually have large meaning to the characters and narrative story line as well as the audience. An example of this would be the significance of the blue diamond necklace in 'Titanic' the film, as this is solely the purpose for the team going out to search for the sunken boat in the first place.
Iconography in the Comedy Genre:- Bright colour palette on screen, goes with high key lighting and the light hearted background of the genre.
- Slapstick comedy uses props such as bats and water pistols.
- Spoken jokes as well as non-verbal looks of reaction towards the camera, breaking the fourth wall between audience and character.
- Iconography usually conforms to the theme of the film. For example, a film about rebellious teenagers, props used would be empty bottles of alcohol or used condoms to add comic effect.
- Real life issues and problems help the audience relate to the characters and rest of the film, making the received moral even greater. It also increases their sympathy towards the characters involved, meaning they are more involved in the events and narrative.
- Drama films can also occur in different time periods, for example the 1940s during World War 2. Iconography for this specific time/war drama would be props such as gas masks, planes, camouflage and uniform.- Props in Drama films usually have large meaning to the characters and narrative story line as well as the audience. An example of this would be the significance of the blue diamond necklace in 'Titanic' the film, as this is solely the purpose for the team going out to search for the sunken boat in the first place.
Thursday, 20 April 2017
Saturday, 15 April 2017
Iconic Directors of Comedy Drama
Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is an American film directer, producer, screenwriter and actor. His films are most known for their distinctive visual and narrative style.
Some of his most iconic and well-known films are those such as 'Moonrise Kingdom' released in 2012, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' released in 2014 and 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' released in 2009.
Anderson's films are mostly comedies that deal with dark subject, so are more black-comedy or comedy drama. Some of these themes can loss of innocence, death or grief. We plan to use this type of genre in our film opening and combat the themes of drugs and rebellion amongst teenagers and the harsh effects these have.
Director decisions that he makes usually spark a critical reaction and discussions after his films are viewed. Anderson uses stylistic shot choices such as flat space camera moves, snap-zooms and slow motion walking shots. As well as this he deliberately chooses a limited colour palette which create aesthetically pleasing frames.
Over the years, Anderson has won many awards for his pleasing and distinctive films. For example, 'Best New Filmmaker' at the MTV Awards in 1996 and 'Best Comedy' at the Critic's Choice Movie Awards in 2015, by which he was also nominated for best director, picture and original screenplay.
Wes Anderson is an American film directer, producer, screenwriter and actor. His films are most known for their distinctive visual and narrative style.Some of his most iconic and well-known films are those such as 'Moonrise Kingdom' released in 2012, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' released in 2014 and 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' released in 2009.
Anderson's films are mostly comedies that deal with dark subject, so are more black-comedy or comedy drama. Some of these themes can loss of innocence, death or grief. We plan to use this type of genre in our film opening and combat the themes of drugs and rebellion amongst teenagers and the harsh effects these have.
Over the years, Anderson has won many awards for his pleasing and distinctive films. For example, 'Best New Filmmaker' at the MTV Awards in 1996 and 'Best Comedy' at the Critic's Choice Movie Awards in 2015, by which he was also nominated for best director, picture and original screenplay.
Thursday, 13 April 2017
Casting
Casting Samantha Stark
For our film opening we have one main character to introduce and one quick shot of two boys running. The main character should be:
Gender: Female
Age: teenager between 15 and 18 years
Hair colour: no bright outstanding hair dyes
Height: anywhere between 5ft and 5ft 10inches
First profile
Name: Ebony Paice
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5'6 ft
Acting experience:
3 years of training at the Oast Drama
Performed in amateur dramatics clubs
A* in drama GCSE
Second profile
Name: Lily Fulton
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5'5 ft
Acting experience: A* in drama GCSE
Toured a performance of "Tin Man" to local primary schools as a theatre company
Final decision:
We have decided to cast Ebony as our main character because her appearance had the most resemblance to the character we created and her mannerism also reflected that of Samantha. She was also flexible with our shooting schedule and we strongly admired the acting experience she had, therefore trusting her ability to execute the role well.
Extra 1 profile
Name: Ben Bradley
Gender: Male
Age: 12
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5 ft
Acting experience: Been involved for 3 years in amateur dramatic societies and is planning to take drama as one of his GCSE options
His role: Plays a young boy in the park that runs past the camera screaming for comic effect.
Extra 2 profile
Name: Ethan Simpson
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Hair colour: Blonde
Height: 5'4 ft
Acting experience: Attended a few drama clubs and is planning to take drama as one of his GCSE options
His role: Plays a second young boy in the park that runs past the camera.
Extra 3 profile
Name: Brian Bradley
Gender: Male
Age: 51
Hair colour: Black
Height: 5'6 ft
Acting experience: Has been involved with various drama productions over the years and took Drama as on of his O-Levels where he achieved an A.
His role:
Plays an adult man in the park who is chasing the two younger boys. Walks quickly past the screen whilst shouting "Come back here, you little fuckers!" for comic effect and a sense of the rough area where the protagonist lives, adds to the drama genre and harsh theme of drugs.
For our film opening we have one main character to introduce and one quick shot of two boys running. The main character should be:
Gender: Female
Age: teenager between 15 and 18 years
Hair colour: no bright outstanding hair dyes
Height: anywhere between 5ft and 5ft 10inches
First profile
Name: Ebony Paice
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5'6 ft
Acting experience:
3 years of training at the Oast Drama
Performed in amateur dramatics clubs
A* in drama GCSE
Second profile
Name: Lily Fulton
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5'5 ft
Acting experience: A* in drama GCSE
Toured a performance of "Tin Man" to local primary schools as a theatre company
We have decided to cast Ebony as our main character because her appearance had the most resemblance to the character we created and her mannerism also reflected that of Samantha. She was also flexible with our shooting schedule and we strongly admired the acting experience she had, therefore trusting her ability to execute the role well.
Extra 1 profile
Name: Ben Bradley
Gender: Male
Age: 12
Hair colour: Brown
Height: 5 ft
Acting experience: Been involved for 3 years in amateur dramatic societies and is planning to take drama as one of his GCSE options
His role: Plays a young boy in the park that runs past the camera screaming for comic effect.
Extra 2 profile
Name: Ethan Simpson
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Hair colour: Blonde
Height: 5'4 ft
Acting experience: Attended a few drama clubs and is planning to take drama as one of his GCSE options
His role: Plays a second young boy in the park that runs past the camera.
Extra 3 profile
Name: Brian Bradley
Gender: Male
Age: 51
Hair colour: Black
Height: 5'6 ft
Acting experience: Has been involved with various drama productions over the years and took Drama as on of his O-Levels where he achieved an A.
His role:
Plays an adult man in the park who is chasing the two younger boys. Walks quickly past the screen whilst shouting "Come back here, you little fuckers!" for comic effect and a sense of the rough area where the protagonist lives, adds to the drama genre and harsh theme of drugs.Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Scripting the Voiceover
Our first thought for the voice over was to have the main character recite a famous quote and then completely ruin it with her own ideology. We decided on a Shakespeare quote from Romeo and Juliet and this was our first draft:
"These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.
What the fuck does that even mean? I'm not bothered about these old sods who wrote those romantic classics. I just think we should live life in the moment and to the full. Don't you?"
After hearing it being said and putting it in the opening we decided it was not what we wanted and also that it was too long. Instead we took inspiration from the voice over in trainspotting. The short snappy phrases and philosophical meaning was more suitable for us and our film opening. Our final voice over is this:
"Wake up. Get dressed. Go to college. Do work. Go home. Do homework. Graduate. Get a job. Have kids. Die. Fuck that, I'm gonna live my life how I want to."
We all agreed that the final voice-over fit a lot better and helped the audience gain a better understanding of the character's attitude to the normal ways of her life. It also builds up the idea of the theme of rebellion from the offset as this will be put directly at the start of our opening, just before and during the first few frames.
"These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.
What the fuck does that even mean? I'm not bothered about these old sods who wrote those romantic classics. I just think we should live life in the moment and to the full. Don't you?"
After hearing it being said and putting it in the opening we decided it was not what we wanted and also that it was too long. Instead we took inspiration from the voice over in trainspotting. The short snappy phrases and philosophical meaning was more suitable for us and our film opening. Our final voice over is this:
"Wake up. Get dressed. Go to college. Do work. Go home. Do homework. Graduate. Get a job. Have kids. Die. Fuck that, I'm gonna live my life how I want to."
We all agreed that the final voice-over fit a lot better and helped the audience gain a better understanding of the character's attitude to the normal ways of her life. It also builds up the idea of the theme of rebellion from the offset as this will be put directly at the start of our opening, just before and during the first few frames.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)