Audience Research Focus Group

Focus Group Write-up

Introduction of what the focus group involved:

The focus group involved me and my group discussing our ideas for the short 3 minute film that we want to make for the Arthouse brief. Not only that, but we discussed major points and segments that all add up to make the film. These include:

• Title and tag line of the film
• Topic chosen from the brief
• Genre that the film fits best in to
• Sentence that sums up the film
• The narrative structure for the full 30 minutes of the film (what's going to happen in the 30 minutes)
• Main  protagonist/character
• Target audience that best suits the film
• What is the 3 minute extract going to include (what is the audience going to see) and where is this scene going to be taken place. 

When me and my group have gone through these points, we will allow the group that we are projecting our ideas to, to give us feedback about their thoughts on our ideas. We also used a sound recorder to record the feedback that was given to us based on our focus group presentation.

Key quotes from the focus group recording:

• "That was really, really comprehensive and really good ideas"
• "I think the story line is really strong, there's a lot going on, but I think maybe I wouldn't compress all these things happening into three minutes"
• "The ideas are very strong and the narrative is very strong...they can still get the initial idea across to the audience"
• "I like the film. I think the narrative is very strong they planned it really well, they know exactly what they want to do"
• "That confidence really came across"
• "They need to be organised in the way they are going to shoot"
• "...i wonder how they are going to film the gun scene"
• "Its increasingly become a problem with any media productions that involve weapons. So, you need to make sure that, that entire sequence is filmed in one of your houses.. so anything involving crime or weapons, you have to be incredibly careful where you film it, or a member of the public will call the police.."
• "The three minute clip seems a bit too action packed, like lots of things are happening at the same time"
• "I like the narrative but I was wondering where are you going to get the costumes?"
• " Normally in a Mafia movie the characters are often older"
• "highlighted the massive bit of feedback that I was going to give which is that..I just worry whether it is possible to film that without much older actors and therefore, whether you need to change that storyline a little bit to reflect the kind of actors you have available..."
• "you need to build into the idea that this is a young gang, and therefore the police need a young police officer to infiltrate the gang who area similar age to the gangster"
• "If you watch the TV show called the 'wire', the gangsters are all sort of late teens/early twenties... so in a modern noire it could work..."
• "...if you got people who look sixteen or seventeen who are trying to play senior police officers, you run the risk of creating something that's accidentally funny which is just going to kill your noire feel"
• " I just think you need to work on the ages and the actors to make sure that it fits and feels right and feels convincing..tagline needs a little work" 
• "Simplify the storyline a little bit, so that it is easier to tell..." 

What have you learned from the focus group presentation:

I have learned many things during the discussion part of the focus group, both positive comments and improvement comments have been of great value to me and my team. One of the major feedback that was received was the use of young actors playing an adult role. I will take this feedback on board as a main concern that the group has with the film. This feedback of having young actors will be improved by making changes to the storyline. I will make the use of having young actors by implementing this age group within the storyline, so that the actors and character ages make sense within the storyline. Another thing that In  have learned from the focus group discussion was that the three minute extract seemed to have a lot going on and that this would put off the audience. This will be taken into consideration when filming and doing the shot list. I think that the scene of Tony's wife being killed should be scraped from the final cut of the film as this scene is too much as can disconnect the audiences connection with the film. Finally, I have received a lot of the same comment stating that the film has a very strong narrative. One way this will affect the final product is by allowing me and my team to identify what the audience enjoys and loves abut the story and what they do not. This form of feedback can be used to a large extent as we get a better indication of what type of feel and style that the audience like to see in a noire style film. 

New improvement added to the narrative: Bantino Luceros has been killed by the police 5 years ago. He owned a powerful and deadly Mafia gang that has ruled the streets of London for many years, but has been secretly doing their crimes without the notice of police or even societies awareness. They traffic alcohol and drugs into the streets of London and this business allows the Mafia group to gain extreme amounts of money and power. After the passing of Bantino, his son- Benny has taken the mantle of his fathers role within the Mafia family. Benny is in his late teens and early twenties. He will try his best to make is mobster population grow as widely as possible in honour of his fathers work.

Breakdown of target audience: 

Due to the violence and references to drugs and graphic nature of the film, this film is still targeted for a 15+ age demographic.

Gender: 75% Male and 25% Female

Mafia style films are targeted mostly towards a male genre due to the sheer violence and the use of majority of the characters being male. However, me and my team have come up with a way to attract a wider audience instead of just males only. We believe that the narrative contains specific segments that can introduce a female audience to watch the film. The film is about how a young man has lost his dad due to a gang. This type of story can really attract a lot of female audiences due to the emotional connection it can deliver which female audiences really get attracted to. Furthermore, the majority of the audience will be targeted towards a male audience due to the genre of the film and the main protagonists being male.

Age: 15-50 (years)

I think that the ages stated above is a clear representation of what demographic we believe the film will attract. The brief clearly states that the film 'has' to be appropriate for a 15 age certificate and we have built our storyline and narrative based on the certificate provided. Not only this, but we also believe that we can attract many teenagers to watch this Arthouse film as many of the characters are based around the same age. Moreover, due to the violent nature and references to drugs etc. it is clear that this film can attract an older age group as well as they can relate and understand the things that are going on in the film. Finally, ages from 40-50 are targeted to watch the film as a Mafia/Noire film has been seen as a classic genre and style of film which an older demographic would feel comfortable to watch.

Education/Employment:

Due to the film having a 15 certificate it is evident that most of the audience would be in education as teenagers now days tend to view more action and violent films. Furthermore, the older age groups would more likely be middle class and upper class. This is because the style of the film is based on current society and the secrets it holds which can attract a middle class citizen. Moreover, Mafia films are traditionally related more towards money and men dressed in suits. This type of appeal can really attract an upper class audience due to similar connections between the characters in the world of the film and of the people watching them.

BBFC Institution Research

BBFC Research

What is the institution responsible for:

The British Board of Film Censors was set up in the year 1912 and was functioned to work as an independent body to bring some form of classification of films nationally. They are responsible for many things that are linked to films and how they should be received to the consumers meaning via age or if it is appropriate for a certain age group etc. The BBFC reject, banned and even waiving cuts to films ensuring it is appropriate to be released and available for the consumers to view. 

How it is funded:

BBFC is only funded through the fees through the fees it charges for its services, by running the times of films (that they view) and also DVD's or videos that are submitted for classification from the BBFC. The BBFC is not organised to make a profit and the fees required can be adjusted to cover its costs. When a producer or distributor sends off the film to be classified through the BBFC, they have to pay a fee in order for the classification to go through and be official. 

Links with the government:

The way in which the BBFC is linked with the government is through their financial affairs. The BBFC's financial affairs are administrated by the Council of Management. The members who are within the Council are drawn from both the manufacturing and servicing sections of the film industry. and many more. Council of Management are excluded when it comes to classifying decisions of content such as films as well as poly making. Furthermore, the Council of Management are also responsible for the senior appointments at the BBFC. 

Guide to how films are rated:

Examiners would normally view the content whether that is a movie/film or a DVD. The examiner normally would view a DVD on their own- this is known as 'solo viewing'. Content that are eligible for solo viewing would often be TV series as well as work aimed at young children. Works that seem to hold controversial opinions would be viewed to more than one individual so that the outcome is diverse opinions. With each content they view, examiners look out for the following when deciding:

• General context of the content- plot point (storyline) 
• Bad language, sexual or drug related references
• Timings of key moments- type of camera shots used

Issues raised when classifying a film:

When the BBFC come to a conclusion on their decision for placing an age rating on a film, they determine of several principles:

• Is the material given (for viewing) in conflict with the law or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.
• Whether the target audience wanted is not suitable with the material that is witnessed on the film such as bad language. 
• Whether the film can cause any harm to the age rating concerned. This can mean two things. One possible harm could be the behaviour of potential viewers to the effects of the violence shown on screen,but can also moral harm can also be affected with what may be shown on screen.
• Who is likely to watch this film, who is the film 'speaking' to?
• The overall tone and style (as well as feel) of the movie effects the overall decision of the movie.

The Dark Knight issue:

The Dark Knight was considered not to be rated correctly in correlation with the action the film was showing. The film has gotten a rating of '12a' and this has mislead people (the public) into thinking that this film was eligible for their children to go an watch the film. However, the public has complained to the BBFC claiming that the film was not rated accurately due to the violence seen and was considered 'too strong' to be placed in the 12a category.

I think that the Dark Knight movie shouldn't of been given a 12a certificate as the film does peruse a lot of violence that a 12 year old audience may not feel comfortable watching. Scenes where 'the joker' slams the bodyguards head into a pencil and claims it to be a 'magic trick' is seen to be more graphical than anticipated for a 12a film. Although the style of the film is based around a superhero, this doesn't necessarily mean that it will automatically be for a young demographic. I think that this film should have received a 15 certificate as this seems like an appropriate audience that can view this type of content.

Guidelines for a 15 certificate:

The 15 age certificate symbol means that people who are under the age of 15 cannot view or rent/buy a film from anywhere. The certificate clearly means that the film is not suitable for children younger than the age of 15. There are specific content that a film would have in order to be classed as a 15 age certificate, these include:

•   strong violence
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   drug taking
•   sexual nudity
•   Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence

•  Strong language

Chosen 15 rated film:

Chosen film: Attack The Block
BBFC Rating: 15

When examiners viewed the film they already had noticed that the characters, the tone of the film and the general address it had on the audience, that it had a strong appeal to older teenage viewers. The film contains frequent strong language (e.g. f***) throughout the film. Under the BBFC guidelines, infrequent strong language would be classed as a 12a, the film was automatically a 15 age certificate within the first viewing.    

Evaluation Feedback

Evaluation Feedback

Teacher Feedback

WWW: There are some clear positives to this evaluation with some detailed discussion of particular shots and transitions and their impact on the audience. You use media terminology confidently in the section on strengths.

EBI: One massive problem: no reference to the brief at all. The evaluation guidance asked you to outline the brief at the beginning of your evaluation but you haven’t done this. More worryingly, you haven’t discussed the fact that your group did not meet the brief at all. Considering this was the most significant criticism of the work I’m very surprised this does not feature in your evaluation. In addition to this, written English is poor in places – read over the beginning of your second paragraph. You simply need to improve your written English and attention to detail if you want to access the highest grades at A Level. Finally, the reflection on the lack of effective planning is honest and this is something you definitely need to address for the real coursework.

LR: Copy and paste this feedback into a new blogpost and write three specific aspects you will look to improve for the real MEST2 evaluation in March.

1) One thing major that I will add to my evaluations in the future is the use of repeated mistakes that were present in my preliminary exercise. One thing that I missed out was the fact that my preliminary exercise didn't follow the brief and should of added this as one of the main concerns with the viewers points.

2) I will improve the quality of my written communication when trying to address a specific issue or topic related to the exercise. Moreover, this means that I deliver my opinions and thoughts in a much clearer and simpler way rather than complicating my evaluation.

3) I will also make sure that my evaluation doesn't reflect greatly on my opinions but also other peoples. This is because I can justify certain things as well as giving actual evidence of peoples thoughts and opinions of the exercise.

Arthouse film institution research

Institution Research

Production: Independent film studios

1)

• Focus Features- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Holdup Films-Girlhood
• FilmDistrict- Drive
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)- Point Blank
• Warner Bros- Goodfellas

2) 

• Focus Theatres- The Theory of Everything, The Boxtrolls, Suffragette and Race
• Holdup Films- Parade, Acrobat and Beyond Apartheid
• FilmDistrict- Pompeii, Looper, Wer and Red Dawn
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)- The Proud Ones, Executive Suit, The Band Wagon and Marching Along
• Warner Bros- Man of Steel, Godzilla, Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings and Space Jam

3) Most Successful Movie releases for each institution:

Focus Features- Brokeback Mountain and Burn After Reading
Holdup Films- Girlhood
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)- Wizard of Oz and Skyfall
Warner Bros- The Dark Knight and Harry Potter

Distribution: Independent film distributors

1)

Scene one: Scene one focuses on how films create and work with the audience. Moreover, it talks about how the audience is the key feature of a film as it helps people to access or even escape from their lives. The importance of films is vital with everyone who watches them on the 'big screen' as it expresses many emotions to the viewer watching the film, emotions such as, inspiration or love. These expressions show how the film reflects on peoples lives. A director previously said "As a filmmaker, I know only too well that films do not exist for their own sakes... they only exist when they are being experienced by an audience." This quote shows how films are very much reliant on the audience as it has been built for them to enjoy and experience. 

Scene two: Scene two focuses on the impacts of the films on audiences and the role of the distributor. The role of a distributor is not always easy as they have to look into many segments before promoting a film and deciding if it is worth the investment. There are many other substitutes other than watching a film and this can be seen as a challenge to distributors as their prime focus is gaining the attention of their audience to view their content. In addition, there has been rapid changes to digital in cinema have not resulted in a change in format but in succeeding 35mm presentation. The use of digital has changed the way that films (and up coming films) are released, promoted and consumed to the audience/consumer.

Scene three: In scene three, the main topic that this scene is about is the role of the distributor and what they do towards promoting an upcoming film The role of the distributor is to bring each and every up coming film to the market place,and this is done by:

• Taking in to consideration why consumer/public will go and see the content/film. 
• Identifying the contents/film audience (who is more likely to be interested in watching the content).
• Being able to convert as much interest and attention to cinema visits.
• Persuading cinema operators (e.g. Vue or Odean) to play the film.
• Being able to develop plans and partnership to build awareness of the film.

The films are in fact 'product driven' which means that it is the produce, in this case, the film making people purchase cinema tickets. And therefore, it is up to the audience whether they will go watch a certain film or not. 

Scene Four: Different countries have different film distributors and in the UK there are 6 film distributors which are:

• 20th Century Fox
• Warner Bros
• Paramount Pictures
• Lionsgate
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Universal Studios 

Scene five:Scene five is based mostly on how distributors get their films and who from. The UK distributors acquire the films they release from various sources such as:

• Parent Studio (who provide a continuous flow of new content) 
• Third-part sales agent (this actors of behalf of the producer of the film/content).
• Studio or production company.

This scene goes on to talk about how larger studios are interested in investing  in upcoming films and this investment can go towards production and even studio shooting. When investing into a high-budget film, the distributor would find ways in which money can be found and used during the production of the film. Moreover, the shear power and importance of a film festival is also stated. This is an event where distributors, directors and film distributors come to meet and view a short fraction of an up-coming film and this is where distributors can persuade and gain aid from those who can truly help out the production of a film. The film Festival allows critic to give opinions and feedback on the what they have seen and the outcome of this can generate big film companies. 

Scene six: Scene six is about the distribution deal and how the distributor gets around picking the best possible way to deliver its deal/contract. Distributors sign a formal contract with the producer stating the rights they hold in respect to the title (in this case, film). This contract primarily is based on the rights to release the film in the country (the UK cinemas) and to promote the film in all type of media such as, print or via the internet (through advertisements.

Scene seven: In scene seven the rime focus is around 'planning the release'. The scene discusses how the distributor needs to be aware of the directors, casts and storyline potential in order to go fourth with signing on to be apart of the films production. Sometime, producers know what they are getting into and do not hesitate to sign the contract, however distributors mostly need to get to grips with the story-line, potential cast members and also the director in order to make a solid decision.

Scene eight: Scene eight is primarily about the what, when who and how to deliver the content to the consumers.
What kind of film is it- Can the film win awards nominations? Could the film lead to reviews of that weeks new releases? What certificate ill the film have?
When should it go out- Which films are other film distributors going to release during that week? Is the film for a holiday period? Are there any sporting event or big events taking place? These events can keep audiences entertained for weeks and so they my not want to leave the house to watch a new movie and rather watch the sports match.
Where should it go- The films created can be placed in cinemas across Ireland and the UK? They could send the film via hard drive or through satellite? This form of communication and transmission is known as DCPs.
How is the film going to be released- The distributors will plan out the entire budget on how the film is going to be released. This is where many of the releasing availabilities will come into account.

Scene nine: Scene nine is primarily about film marketing and how it functions towards production. If a film has not real good marketing to promote the film then there isn't going to be much people watching the film as the films promotion was set incorrectly or didn't attract the audiences attention like the planned to. Therefore, those who are in charge of the marketing side of the production such as the distributor, it is up to them to promote the film successfully in order to gain as much media attention and possibly attract a large amount of audience. Due to the current generation revolving consistently around technology, there should be the availability and vast amounts of advertisements and poster coverage on the film as a way to help promote the film to a wide audience and to raise its awareness.

Scene ten: This scene is primarily about distributors licensing films to exhibitors. Distributors should think, where should film go, how will the film achieve it maximum impact and which screens are most suitable. The exhibitors supply the screens and the distributor supply the film for the screens, to be viewed on.

2)

Distributor of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Focus Features
Distributor of Girlhood: Strand Releasing
Distributor of Drive: Icon Film Distribution
Distributor of Point Blank: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Distributor of Goodfellas: Warner Bros 

3) How many cinemas did the each of the following film open in?

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Opened in 1,353 theatres
• Girlhood: Opened in 5 theatres
• Drive: Opened in 2,886 theatres
• Point Blank: Opened in 37 theatres
• Goodfellas: Opened in 1,328 theatres

4) How much money did each film make?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-

• Budget: $20,000,000
• Gross: $70,000,000
• Profit: $50,000,000

Girlhood-

• Budget: N/A
• Gross: $60,000
• Profit: N/A

Drive-

• Budget: $15,000,000
• Gross: $76,200,000
• Profit: $61,200,000

Point Blank-

• Budget: $3,000,000
• Gross: $3,200,000
• Profit: $200,000

Goodfellas-

• Budget: $25,000,000
• Gross: $46,800,000
• Profit: $21,800,000

5) Who is the Curzon Artificial Eye and what do they do?

The Curzon Artificial Eye has been releasing "critically acclaimed films" since its foundation launch in 1976. They release fantastic films to the UK audiences from fantastic directors who produce them. They have released more Cannes Palme winners than any other UK distributor. Curzon has opened its doors to cinema fanatics since 1934 at the Curzom Mayfair and now has opened 11 cinemas nationwide. They have also made the possibility for home cinema entertainment, where people can watch the film at home when the film releases in the cinema.

6)

One thing that I will take forwards from viewing this trailer from the Curzon Artificial Eye Channel is the use of cinematic tone and fell that the trailer gives off. The style and visuals of the film seem very clear and crisp making the visuals of both the setting and the characters appear in more of a cinematic tone. Moreover, the colours that are contrasted to make the characters seem as f they are actually at that location was done effectively. I would like to do a similar style of colour that will reflect the character and the location in which the characters are in e.g. having a violet blue colour scheme as the background is set in a futuristic lab.

One thing that I have learned and will take on board with my media film from this trailer is the use of flashbacks to convey the storyline. This style of editing and directing was done really well as it contrasts what's about to happen and delivers the past events to the audience. This gives the audience a more engaging feel towards the film as they are eager to find out what happens next.

One thing that I will take on board with what I have learned from this trailer is the importance and the unique way in which this films delivers its dialogue in a conversation. The film creates immersive connections through the dialogue they express. Moreover, I would like to make my dialogue as effective as this trailer has done. This is because it creates a really great tone and connection to the audience through the conversation as if the audiences are passive observers of the entire conversation. This use of duologue will come effective when trying to convey and express emotional speech with the audience of my film's characters.

Exhibition: Arthouse cinemas

1) Electric Cinema- located on Kinds Road.
2) This cinema puts on mainly mainstream films such as Spectre, however it does put on Arthouse films such as 'Carol'. The three main films that are being shown this week are, Bridge of Spies,Carol and The Lady in the Van. One way that the Electric Cinema is different from other big chain cinemas is because of its appearance. This is because the Electric Cinema don't have ordinary seats for the public to sit on, but instead they have sofas as well as beds to comfort the audience and to allow them to experience the film as comfortability as they can.
3) The Electric Cinema seems to attract an older age group and not attract a younger audience such as teenagers. This is because arthouse films may not appeal to a younger audience and therefore, they are less likely to visit an arthouse cinema even when there is comfortable seats available. The website on the other had targets themselves to attract an older audience, however they are re-branding themselves to attract a younger audience.

A case study in independent film production: Film London and Microwave Film

1) Film London contributes mostly towards the media and in film. They help fund up-coming movies for aspiring film makers to help them become successful in the industry. They not only range entirely around film but also the following:

•             Artists Film
•          British Film Commission
•          Business Development
•          Growing Audiences
•          Locations
•          Production
•          Film London brochure
•          Showreel
•          Careers
•          Newsletters
•          The Small Print

It is said to boom the global hub for content which clearly states its important within the media industry. They revolve all sorts of media as listed above. Moreover, they do specialise more into film such as supporting aspiring directors and giving them the funds to help carry out their project.

2) Microwave Film not only fund the projects that are short listed but also provide mentoring to up coming people. Moreover, they give development to the teams that they work with to help intensity their strengths. After this, 12 teams are then shot-listed and under-go intensive training at the Microschool along with exclusive mentoring and development funding. Finally, they will add to production funds and pay for the distribution funding for films.

3) London Calling allows people from all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicity to get specialised training and support for films. They award aspiring film makers £15,000 for making 5 short films along with this, they will receive training and mentoring as well as, match funding. A reason why this scheme as encouraged independent film making is because it allows people from different backgrounds the opportunity to become better at what they do and also it proves a financial incentive to those who may use it for their production. The use of awarding money is not used as an incentive but as a way for film makers to use that money to help better their films and projects and improve their production.

4)

Freestyle

My interpretation of the synopsis: Freestyle is about a man who is inspired to become greater in his talent; basketball. He encounters a competition held by an organisation. A representative of the competition organisation seeks potential in the man but further on, he encounters another group of potential candidates for the competition. The young man is determined to win the competition and beat the female opposition. However, during his journey to wining, he falls in love with the group leader of his basketball teams rival group.
This brief synopsis of the film fits into an Arthouse film as it brings a new and different style of genre to the usual cinema genre. This is because, current cinemas target a mainstream audience and this trailer seems to target a specific segment of that demographic. Arthouse cinema is best known to not attract a mainstream audience but a smaller percentage of them as they are interested in showing a different style of film and this film fits in to this category.

Target Audience: 13

This is because this film seems to be based around romance and therefore, it is not suitable for an audience younger that the age of 13 (could be PG 13) as this can put them off or they may not be interested in the romantic parts of this film. Furthermore, freestyle basketball is a sport that mostly teenagers (and over) mostly play and therefore, this film can attract a teenage audience. 

Borrowed Time

My interpretation of the synopsis: This film seems to be about a homeless boy who seeks protection and guidance on what he should do to get better from his current situation. His former friends have suggested that he’d sell drugs as a way to receive quick money and so he does. However, when he tries to sell it the customer doesn’t pay him and the boy gives up on this method. Finally, his friend finds another way to help his friend, which is to break into an old man’s house. The boy agrees to doing this job and when he does, he gets caught by the old man. The old man threatens the young boy; however the boy sees potential in the old man. The boy goes on a journey to change his and the old man’s life. The boy’s friends feel betrayed by this as they wanted a share of the goods that the boy was meant to steal and so they chase after him. The boy tries his best to get the old man’s life back on track and also to improve his own.

One reason why this is an Arthouse film is because this films seems to attract a certain type of audience. Non-Arthouse films generally attract a wide audience and this makes the cinema seem to be attracting a mainstream audience. This film doesn’t seem to be attracting a mainstream audience, instead, its attracting a certain segment of the public. The film is about a boy who is homeless and this synopsis doesn’t seem to attract a wide audience and so it would most likely attract a smaller audience which is what Arthouse films do.

Target Audience: 15

I would rate ‘Borrowed Time’ as 15 because in the trailer there seems to be strong language that the characters will be using during this film. As a result, the film wouldn’t be suitable for and audience younger than the age of 15. Moreover, there is the use of drugs and a gun. These props don’t seem to be right for the younger age group as these objects are not known to them. 

Ill Manors

My interpretation of the synopsis: This film seems to be about a young man who has come under the influence of a crime lord who has corrupted the area in which the young man is from. The young man seems to have no source of income coming in and so he turns to crime. The crime lord gives the young man a job to do which seems to be selling drugs to other people who live in a similar area. The crime lord is seen to abuse and beat up other members of his gang and this makes them turn out to be aggressive and abusive to one another. The young man dislikes the decisions that the crime lord is doing and so he tries to persuade his friends to rebel against the crime lord and put things right as he found himself in a tricky situation and by overpowering the crime lord, will fix his incomplete life.

This film is an Arthouse film as it isn’t suitable for a mainstream audience. Cinemas such as Vue and Odean put on films that are primarily targeted for viewers in the ‘mainstream’ demographic. However, this film does not. A mainstream audience is a selection of people in society who share and value similar opinions on the product or idea they are viewing. This film seems to counter that idea. People are not going to agree that this film is based on truth and therefore, isn’t a mainstream film. This film is about youth culture and the difficulties ‘some’ members go through in their day to day life. This film seems to attract people who are from a different demographic rather than the traditional mainstream audience. Arthouse films are designed to attract certain members of society as the films they produce often connect with certain audiences.

Target Audience: 18

I would give ‘Ill Manors’ a 18 age rating due to a lot of violence and drug related activity. There was a lot of violence seen in this trailer as well as some scenes showing graphical content (blood etc). Moreover, there were drugs and guns used in this trailer. These are items in which a younger demographic aren’t used to seeing, or are not associated with these type of things. Furthermore, there seems to be prostitutes seen in this trailer which again doesn’t meet the requirements for a younger age group. 

5)

• A great story defines the audiences interest in the film they are watching. A great story is the base-point of a great film. Make the film's story unique and different from other films- make it stand out.
• Another thing I've learned is to focus less on a big cast or location but develop the story around central characters, characters that have a major effect on the story line as well as having an impact on the audience. 
• If you create a story or film that is ready to show to an industry, be prepared to answer questions and accept to criticisms. Criticism is built into the production of producing a fantastic  piece of art. If I learn from my mistakes and from the feedback that the viewers have given, this can ultimately lead to a better film/content. 
• Know your audience from the beginning of the project. This is crucial as both the storyline and the film itself is trying to gain the attention from the audience and those two variables are equally important in making the audience interested. These two variables has a major link with the audience as the audience are the ones that are going to feel a connection and understand what is happening and that is why knowing the audience of your film is important at the beginning. 

Mest 2- Existing Product Research

Existing Product Research

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Camera work:

There is a great use of steadicam shots used throughout this clip. The use of the steadicam really helps to make the audience feel as if they are in the same scene and setting as the characters are on screen. his is because the steadicam is constantly used to show the perspective of the conversation between the book cases which makes the audience feel as if they are present during that scene and actually seeing their conversation. Moreover, the steadicam delivers different view points of the conversation which really contrasts a connection with the audience as they feel as if they are apart of that scene that the director is trying to deliver.
The use of a variety of different types of shots such as close-ups was used greatly as it helped the viewers identify/notice the characters facial expression as they talk. This is important because if important dialogue is used (as in it has an impact on the storyline) then the use of a close-up is quite important as the viewers want to see both of the characters facial expression and this really helps deliver an emotional connection within the scene. Another shot used greatly was the use of the over the shoulder shot at 1:32. This shot was used effectively as the director used this shot differently compared to normal over the shoulder shots. The director used the over the shoulder shot through the book case to allow the audience to view this scene from the actual point of view. This is effective because the scene makes the audience feel as if they are present during the scene and therefore the over the shoulder shot is used from the perspective that of the viewer being in tat scene,

Sound:

There is many uses of different type so sound used within this clip, one of which is the dialogue. The sound of the dialogue is diagetic as this sound exists in the world in the scene and that both characters can hear it. Moreover, the sound was very clear making the story deliver much more quicker and easier in to the viewer as they understand what the characters are talking about. Another use of sound is the sound of the surrounding e.g. the book closing. This is a diagtic sound and is used to show the type of area the two characters are in which is a library. Finally, there is the use of non-diagetic sound towards the end of the clip. This use of sound helps to create and illustrate an emotional connection with the male character and for the audience to feel some sypathy for him and his condition.

Mise-en-scene:

The location of where the scene is taking place. This is an excellent part of the mise-en-scene as it is set in a library which is a place in which average people go to which fits in with the two people's lives (they are average/normal people). Moreover, the clothing that the people are wearing is very normal and this fits in with the story as the story is about an 'average couple' and the clothing is vital to portray that. The people are wearing clothes that average people wear which fits in with the scene. Finally, the use of a prop (which is the book) is used effectively with the setting. This shows that the characters are interacting with their surroundings.

Editing:

The only use of editing used in the clip is that it is continuity editing. This is a style f editing in which the next shot follows the action taken from the previous shot e.g. a close up of someone opening a door then the next shot is an extreme close-up of the hand twisting the door handle etc. The continuity editing was used effectively as it transition to the next shot of when the characters are moving or even from a different angle.

Target Audience:

Actual- 15
My target audience view- 15: this is primarily because this film is based around the genre of 'romance'and this film seems to deliver a very physical relationship which doesn't seem appropriate for younger age groups than 15 years of age. And also, people from the ages of 15 and onwards would be the target audience as that is the age where the romance genre is used most often,

Girlhood



Camera work:

There is a lot of constant panning shots used within this scene. The use of the pan shot was used correctly as it seems to allow the audience to see what Marieme is doing whilst the other characters are interacting with her. Moreover, the use of close-up is used a lot and is the only type of shot used through out this clip. The use of the close-up allows the audience to see everything in the shot in detail and to see the characters more closely as they can see facial expression etc.

Sound:

The sound of the song from the mobile phone is played continuously through out the scene and this continuity is used very effectively as this scene is based on the song as Marieme learns how to dance. The music from the mobile phone is diegetic as the sound is present in the same world as the characters and that they can all hear the music. Another type of sound that is used is the sound of the train as it is moving along the rail. This sound is diegetic and is used to fit in with where the scene is being taken place which is a public travelling service- train.

Mise-en-scene:

The use of the location (which is a train) is important as it connotes that the characters are students as students often travel and hang around with their friends to socialise. The train service is a public transport service and the clothing that the characters are wearing fits in well with the surroundings. This is important as the characters need to fit in with the setting in order for the audience to feel engaged with what's happening. Finally, the use of a prop (the mobile phone) is very useful as this scene is based on Marieme trying to learn how to dance and the use of the phone prop helps to deliver the representation that music is going to play in order for her to dance and this fits in with the story of the scene.

Editing:

There isn't much editing used in this scene. The majority of the shots are not transitioned and the transitions come in when the camera switches to another character (other than the main two). However, the editing is still continuity editing as the next shot is still based off of the previous shot.

Target Audience:

Actual- 15

My target audience view- 13: The title of the film seems as if it will fit in with a teenage group from the years of 13 onwards and that the title can connote the experiences of a teenage girl which young girls (age 13) would understand and could relate to.

Drive

Camera work:

There is a great introduction shot that is was used well which was an establishing shot at the beginning of the clip. The establishing sot used at the first part of this clip was portrayed very nicely as it helps the audience to know the setting f where majority of the film is taking place. Moreover, there is a use of the over the shoulder shot when the character is driving. This type of shot is used differently as normally over the shoulder shot is used when two characters are having a conversation, however in this clip the over the shoulder shot is used to show the facial expression of the character in more detail while he is driving. In addition, there is great use of a point of view hot as the viewers get to see the road from the drivers perspective and this helps build suspense as the audience are eager to know what is going to happen when he reaches his destination. Finally, there is another use of a fantastic shot known as a crane shot. This occurs when the driver is on the motor way at (1:11). One reason why this shot was great was because of how smooth it was. The camera didn't go out of focus as well as didn't shake as it was elevating from the vehicle of the driver. Furthermore, the crane shot connotes the narrative as the driver is on the motorway with a few drivers suggesting to the audience that he is alone.

Sound:

The music at the beginning of the clip is non-diegetic as the character himself cannot hear it. However, the music played did fit in with the tone and style of the scene as the music is based on driving through the night which is what this scene is set in. Moreover, the music helps to build this narrative of the character as the type of music sounds very electric and this could suggest that the character is of quite and mysterious nature.

Mese-en-scene:

There is the use of a prop which is a car. This prop was used very well as the prop fits in with the music playing over the clip. Moreover, the prop is based on what the film is based on which is 'drive' and so this prop is seen to be very significant to the narrative. Moreover,the clothing that the character is wearing is very normal for an average 25 year old man to be wearing and so this can connote that the character looks like an ordinary man in society as he wears similar clothing to those in the same age category as him. Furthermore, the character is wearing gloves as he is driving. Now this part is very significant to the narrative as this can build tension. The audience may think that the character is a criminal as traditionally criminals wear leather gloves t hide their finger prints on the objects they are touching and the use of gloves can help shift the narrative in the audiences minds.

Editing:

The main transitions used is continuity editing. This is primarily because the shots are used one after the other as it continues the same scene but from a different view-point. Moreover, there is the use of fade transition at the beginning of the clip where the establishing shot fades to the characters face. This was used very nicely as it would have put the audience off if it was a jump cut because the style of the establishing shot, being slow and calm, then jumping to the characters face really destroys the narrative and the viewers interaction with the film. The use of the dissolve helped to deliver that slow and calm tone rather than just speeding it all up.

Target Audience:

Actual- 18

My target audience view- 18: I think that this film has a tone of violence as the tone at the beginning of the clip was very dark and there was a lot of shadows present of the characters face which sets the mysterious tone within the character connoting that he may not want to be witnessed by others etc. Moreover, the use of the gloves that was seen during the clip rally gave off a crime genre tone as gloves are often present of criminals hands due to covering up their identity.

Point Blank:




Camera work:

The use of a long shot at the beginning of the clip was very unique. This is because the position of both the character and the camera are not in a normal position that a long shot would be captured. The camera seems to be tilting slightly to the position of the character swell as the character seems to gradually change the position of the shot type as he walks further on, the shot changes position from long shot to wide shot, then to medium shot. Moreover, there is a tracking shot towards the beginning of the clip (at 0:09) where the camera is focusing and capturing the characters journey from one end of the hall to the other end and the camera seems to track his movements in sync with his walking. In addition, the use of the medium shot of the female character doing her make-up was also used effectively as it gave more than just the surrounding of where she is but also it lets the audience also see what she is looking at i the glass which is her doing the make-up on her eye (eye liner).

Sound:

There is a constant sound being played through-out the clip. The constant sound is of the man walking through the hall way. The sound is both non-diegetic and non-diegetic to the clip. The beginning of the clip starts off with the man walking and the sound of his shoes hitting the ground as he walks fits in with the shot and this sound is played continuously as he walks. However, when the shot changes to the shot of the women, the sound of the man walking is still continuing and this makes the walking sound non-diegetic as the female character cannot hear his footsteps. Furthermore, there is music being played across some scenes when the man begins to change location in his car. The music being played whilst the shots and scene are changing is non-diegetic as it is used to build/create tension between the male and female character. Finally, there is the sound of a gun shot when the male character is shooting multiple times at the bed. This sound of the gun shots are non-diegetic as both characters can hear the sound.

Mese-en-scene

The location of the hall way is key. This is because if the Director wanted to create tension then he/she would have to of picked a location that had sensitive flooring in which it would make footprint sounds as people walk on it. Moreover, the use of the gun prop helps to shift the narrative as the audience can think that the male character is bad as he is carrying a deadly weapon. Finally, the use of the male character wearing a suit helps to deliver the narrative of the character. Viewers may think of the man being a businessman or being very high class etc.

Editing

There is a montage of various scene happening all in one space of time. This style of editing comes in to effect as the man gets into his car. Every couple of seconds the shot will change to something that is happening at the same period of time but in another location and therefore, this is not considered as continuity editing. Moreover, the shots are in sync with the music playing. This is because as the music begins to play, the shot will change when the beat of the music changes and when the music speeds up the shot will also speed up for example, towards the end when the male character gets out of his car and is attacking the women the, music speeds up to be in sync.



Goodfellas:




Camerawork:

The beginning of this scene was an over the shoulder shot from one of the group members perspective of the conversation. The over the shoulder shot doesn't look like an over the shoulder shot as the audience cannot see the shoulder clearly and the audience can see a lot of the other characters which is what an over the shoulder normally doesn't do. Moreover, there is a great use of a mid shot when the 'tab' man bends over to talk to the main character at (2:57). The mid shot allows the audience to see the both characters body language and facial expressions while this scene is taking place and this really delivers a concentrated approach on these two characters as the audience are eager to know what happens. Finally, there is a slight use of a tilt when the the character gets up from his chair. This shot really delivers the sense of dominance and power amongst the other characters.

Sound:

There is two types of sound used through-out this clip, the sound of the characters and the sound of the background. The sound of the characters are diegetic as the sound exists in the world of the characters and that all characters can hear it. This sound was used to portray and deliver this scene in an interesting way as the dialogue really helped to give representations of who is in control in this scene and allows the audience to get a better insight in the characters. In addition, there is the sound of the glass smashing against the man's face. This sound is also diegetic and is very useful as it delivers the dark atmosphere of where the characters are set due to their actions in this scene.

Mise-en-scene:

The use of the gun prop which was used towards the end of the clip was very important as it justifies the type of character the man is to the audience. The gun prop is used to connote the fact that the character is very dangerous and violent. Moreover, the use of all the characters wearing suits shows that they are high/upper class and have wealth as they can afford to wear luxurious clothing. In addition, the location of where the scene in being set. This is important as the position of the characters are isolated from the public. This suggests that these characters are rich and can higher out a certain space within a public restaurant or friends to hang around. Finally, the glass prop was very effective in showing how violent and aggressive the character is.

Editing:

There was mostly continuity editing as well as backwards and forwards shots. The backwards and forward shots were used as this scene was based around a conversation and this style of editing comes effective when it comes to character interaction. Furthermore, the continuity editing is very effective in giving both sides of the conversation and showing the audience what both characters are doing in the same scene.