LongRoad FILM STUDIES

Cloverfield - Marketing

2008-01-31T09:32:00.000Z

Cloverfield is the new film by producer JJ Abrahams who is most well known for the TV show Lost. One of the key features of Lost, apart from having no overall plot is that it used the Internet to promote the show and offer fans the opportunity to find out more about the show and characters. This has been replicated through the online marketing for Cloverfield. The links below will take you to articles about this.

Movie marketing madness article
BBC News article about Cloverfield marketing
Article considering how other 'brands' can learn from Cloverfield
Article about viral marketing and Cloverfield

It would be very useful for you to read at least a couple of these articles. The links will also go onto moodle so that you can access them from there as well.

'This is England' useful links

2008-01-08T09:57:00.000Z

Channel 4 News Item about 18 certificate
Official Trailer
Documentary on Skinheads

imdb - Budget and Box office takings

Links for the Golden Compass (FS2 1st lesson)

2007-12-18T21:15:00.000Z

Use these links to investigate how the Golden Compass was promoted and how other media sources are used to market a film and target an audience.

Golden Compass

2007-12-10T15:03:00.000Z

Please sign up for the trip to see The Golden Compass at the Picturehouse on Monday 17th December. You should take your money and reply slip to Finance by Friday 14th December.

More French New Wave films

2007-11-01T20:51:00.000Z

Here are the rest of the short films students made that have were influenced by the French New Wave films they have been watching.

Shoot The Phone Call

Breathless Tea

A Biscuit is a Biscuit

French New Wave films

2007-10-18T12:44:00.000+01:00

Year 13 students were set the task of filming an everyday task in the style of the French New Wave. Here is an example of one. Others will follow.

Film Trips

2007-10-05T11:02:00.000+01:00

There are 2 Film trips coming up, the first is on Monday 15th October and is to watch Volver at the Picturehouse cinema, this is for Y13 students in Tanya's class. Meet at 9.45 for a 10am screening.

The second trip is on the 16th October and is to watch 'Days of Glory', this is for all Y12 film students. Meet at 9.45 for a 10am screening.

Both trips are free and will help with upcoming work!

Western shoot outs

2007-09-24T14:09:00.000+01:00

These are some of the western style shoot outs that Film Studies students have been making in their last few film lessons. These ones are from Q block, the other groups work will be added later this week.

New York, New York

2007-09-17T14:06:00.000+01:00

This year Long Road Film Studies students will be able to join Q the Winged Serpent in New York!

We are offering 20 places to Year 12 students on a joint Film and Photography trip to New York. The trip will take place from Sunday 17th to Friday 22nd February and will include a visit to the excellent Museum of the Moving Image as well as a number of film screenings. As well as this you will experience the sights and sounds of New York City one of the greatest film locations in the world!

Taxi!

If you are interested and would like more information please collect a letter from Barney in G10 (English Office) from Tuesday 18th September.

Character and Narrative

2007-09-13T09:42:00.000+01:00

Vladimir Propp states there are seven 'spheres of action' which characters can be well .... characterized to. These spheres are catagrised as the hero, villain, donor, helper, princess (though this can be exchanged for a prince), dispatcher and false hero. Not all spheres of action are needed to be addressed for a film as its also well to note characters can portray more than one sphere and vice versa, spheres can be composed of several characters.
Vladimir Propp seven spheres of action:

Hero: Individual(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.
Villain: Individual(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.
Donor: Individual(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice, information or an object.
Helper: Individual(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task.
Princess (Prince): Individual(s) which need help, protecting and saving.
Dispatcher: Individual(s) who send the hero(s) on their quest.
Fasle Hero: Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film.

Can you identify some of the character types in these movie trailers:

Task on Moodle - for 1st lesson next week!
Using the seven character types above find an example for each from a films you know. Find a picture of them, then write a short explanation of how they fit into the character type and in what way they help the narrative structure of the film.

Narrative Structure

2007-09-13T09:39:00.000+01:00

Why is Narrative not the same as story?

When you sit down to watch a film the narrative structure help defines the story. It needs to be structured to help the viewer understand the message contained within, giving the film meaning throughout. However you need to keep in mind that the narrative structure only applies to the way in which a story is told not the story itself.....meaning the narrative structure is the chronological stages or steps that progress from one to the other throughout the story.

The conventional narrative structure pointed out by Tzvetan Todorov as a rule has five stages though this can be rudimentary broken down to three stages, a beginning (state of equilibrium), middle (disruption to the equilibrium) and end (reinstate the equilibrium). What I mean by equilibrium its simply just a state of balance, normality in which the characters find them selves at the begining.

Below is Tzvetan Todorov conventional narrative structure complete with five stages:

Stage 1
A state of equilibrium is defined.

Stage 2
Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.

Stage3
The Character(s) recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve problem.

Stage4
The Character(s) attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.

Stage5
Reinstatment to the equilibrium. Situation is resolved, a conclusion is announced.

With the five stage layout the narrative becomes more comprehensive. However its essential to remember films need to be seamless as the chain of events unfold, with all the questions raised answered and all the loose ends tied up unless you want to break the conventions, induce a cliff hangar, intentionally create doubt in the minds of the audience and leave them questioning.

Even though these stages are presented here as a linear structure there is no golden rule that it has to be this way, especially if you wish to create a non-linear structure. Should you wish to you can always muddle up the chronological order and have the end at the begining. Remember a film should have clear goals with believable chararcters if its to maintain a sense of credibility and to help keep the audience captivated.

Little White Lies

2007-09-12T10:13:00.000+01:00

The LRC now have a new film magazine, Little White Lies. It is a good magazine and often features an in-depth look at a particular new release so is worth checking out.

This month it is focusing on the new Anton Corbijn film Control. This film is a music biopic about the life of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. The film is released on the 5th October, more details about where it will be screened in Cambridge when we have them.

Welcome back!

2007-06-13T13:08:00.000+01:00

Congratulations on your results, hopefully you will have been as pleased with your marks as we were.

We hope that you had a fantastic break and are keen to continue to with your studies, this year you will watch and learn more about world cinema, censorship, shocking cinema as well as make a short film. We are looking forward to some excellent work being produced and for you to enjoy the wide variety of films you will watch and analyse.