Films Studies

Task 1 – Genre 

Comedy – Bad teacher

The simplest way for a producer to attract an audience is a good attention grabbing introduction. For ex a brief insight into who the main characters are and what they are like so we get an idea of what to except from the character. A good story line it shouldn’t be easy to predict from the start, the film should remain a misery. What get the audience attracted to a particular genre are the star actors known for it. They get a natural interest by seeing a Hollywood actor starring in a film such as Eddie Murphy who is known for comedy. This is a good attention seeker and will add views on the trailer. Filmmakers can keep an audiences interest in a genre film by a good amount of action/movement  in each scene. A moment of intensity, worry for a thriller or a lot of stunts, surprises to create laughter in a comedy. Once the viewers emotions get into it the film they tend to want to watch more of the similar scenarios.

Mise En Scène

The setting in my chosen comedy Bad teacher is set in modern times. It’s mainly based in a high school in the USA. The feel in the school is quite posh, most the teachers are young which gives it a look of being new or fresh. The film follows the life of the ‘Bad Teacher’ who is young also wild and free which is where the comedy cuts in. In school is alone most of the time in breaks and lunchtime. She doesn’t seem to enjoy the company of the other female teachers as there more geeky and old. We find her surrounding herself with men throughout the film, in school she has a crush on a young teacher she is always trying to accompany. We get a vibe she is lonely and in a scene she tells her teacher friend. “My full time job is getting a man to look after me.” Away from school she is like most young teachers she is usually out having fun, we see her at a bar a few times drinking taking several shots whilst looking and talking to several men. The lighting in the film is bright. It is always daytime we don’t see any nightime shots, if it is it will be in a building such as a bar or a dinner. The only dark or gloomy moments are when she is in her studio flat with her roommate. It is a lower class looking apartment with cheap dime light bulbs and heavy curtains. The lighting thought-out the film is bright we get a lot of brightness from all the public place’s the scenes are shot at. In bad teacher the dress code from all the actors and cast is formal. The teachers where what they want but still dress casual head to toe fully dressed. The school kids too are well dressed in dresses for the girls and plain t shirts and shirts for the boys. Outside the school where we see others at the bar the men are in fully suits and the women too. The only character who isn’t casually dressed is Elizabeth the ‘Bad Teacher’. She is dressed in a really young sexy way. She comes to school with tight short dresses. She wears a lot of short lower body wear like shirts and leggings. She brings the sexy look alive in the film. Where for views she is attractive to look at but inappropriately dressed most the time is reality. In most comedies there is normally the typical joker who is the main character. There usually silly and thoughtless which brings out the humour.  Most comedies genre films use the typical similar type characters with well known big name actors. There’s normally a man who has a dream or goal and during their journey there’s setbacks which is where the comedy takes place. The narrative in Bad Teacher is a young woman looking for love. She is a teacher who don’t teach in the beginning she retired from teaching and after she her leaving party she comes home to only get divorced by her husband. She is then forced to go back to school and teach but we don’t see her attempted to teach anything to the class but watch movies. Away from school is always at a party or event where she is looking for a man to marry to help end her teaching career. She ends up finding no1 gives up looking. There are themes in this film such as romance when the teacher is talking to men on dates. Sexual content is also involved with her as she’s flirtatious and seems to seek a lot of sexual attention. Mystery on what is going to do next who she is going to meet and what will happen. I think genres are a key factor in film. They are highly important like they are in music. You can watch a film to suit your mood by genre. It allows viewers to get what they want from films. If you want to laugh you watch a comedy if you want something scary you watch a horror etc. It is a big help and helps us all to pick out films to watch. It is a good tool for filmmakers to make different films to expand their creativity. Genre is also good for actors they can use it to get the best out there skills. If they are strong with acting emotional and find it a strong point they can do some many horror genre type roles.

 Case Study

Silent House is a multi genre film Drama, Horror and Thriller. It’s a remake of the film La casa muda (The Silent House) by Gustavo Hernández. It could be reviewed as a typical horror. The difference lies in the marketing it is in real time and it’s also a single shot. The plot of the film is on a woman in her holiday home in a quiet area where she is tormented with her father and uncle. The director rewrote the film after she saw The Silent House film. She was moved by the plot and wanted to do her own version. The ideal of the one take film was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope and Russian Ark. This is what I believe to be the USP of the film.

The release of the film was premiered in 2011 Sundance film festival. It got a lot of good and bad reviews. It got mainly bad feedback from the audience and earned a F grade from the cinema score survey. It was released in the US on March 9^th2012 on the opening weekend Silent House raised $6,661,234. Silent House was distributed by four companies. E1 Films (Canada), Open Road Films (USA), Paradiso Entertainment (Netherlands) and Liddell Entertainment. Open road films founded by AMC and regal. They had faith in the USP and took the film abroad to disturb. The company had disturbed a film called Killer Elite starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. The film was a big success in September 2011. In the box office it made $55,701,900. Silent house was produced with two production companies such as Elle Driver & Tazora Films. Elle driver also produced the original version of the film. They have produced various others in different genres and even in animation.

Task 2

Auteur Essay

A Auteur is a filmmaker/director who has an recognizable individual syle/traits in there film. Auteur a french word for author a writer/creator.

The auteur I chose to do my essay on is Charles Stone III. I believe Mr. Stone is an auteur because he has similar traits in his films. He has a unique style you can see in his films. He has directed films such a Paid in Full, Mr.3000 and Drumline. Henhas additionally directed a music video for The Roots and a commercial for Budweiser.

In the films Paid in Full and Drumline they are set in Harlem, New York. Mr. Stone seems to set scenes in regular places as house parties, project housing. Drumline is based on a drummer pursiting his dream and in Mr. 3000  its a baseballer persuiting his dream. In both films we mainly see there worklife we them in the mix of the career.

His use of actors seem to be the  black american celebrity actors. He uses the likes of Nick Cannon, Bernie Mac and Wood Harris. We can straight away tell his films are targeted at the black american audiences. The main character always seem to be going somewhere in there life they always have a goal. In paid in full  ‘Ace’ the drug dealer is out to evolve his empire and make the most money he possibly can without letting anything get in his way. In Drumline ‘Devon Miles’ is set out to make it to the Drumline group he is forced to cut his hair, leave home and other obstacles to make it in the group. We can see the similarities in the main characters. Mr. Stone gives us a excitement into seeing how feel pan out for the characters. All his main characters seem to have a ego they all picture themselves highly

We get the best of both world when you look at Mr. Stones filmography. He has 2 comdey, drama and romance genre films and 1 crime, drama film. I think he has put abit of himself and his experiences into his films. Paid in Full untill this day is classed as one of the best crime films made. He had got the idea from a real life story but then made it into a fantasy life. We have no missing parts its all detailed scenes with alot of action. Films Studies

In films directed by Mr stone there is always a bully, egos which leads to conflicting scenes. Ace in paid in full has a problem with a loud big headed brother in law. Similar Stan Ross has a big headed personality which causes conflict with him and his peers in his baseball team. We always seem to feel simplify for characters in there down fall he emphasis on hardships like when Ace is working in a dry cleaners and everyone he knows is making a living for them selves getting in money.

Overall I see Stone as a auteur as we can see similarities in his films. you can tell whether a film was directed by him or not by the examples I have given. He seems express emotions in his films maybe from past experiences in life by the way he emphasis hardship. The struggle, the downfall of all leaders in his films are shown vividly showing his audience the reality to everything how he sees it.

Task 3 – Article 

What makes a British film? A question i will answer in the best way possible to my ability.  British films are now coming up in the industry. With more money being put into films by the BFI and more success stories from British films being released it is a epic prime time. Such as Women in Black, Johnny English, The Inbetweeners & Anuvahood.

The BFI are backing more money now then ever before with the plan to fund more British films then ever before each year. The lottery have given them an annual funding of £21m. They claim they will only fund talented to get the product they can get possible.

Pinewood studios where blockbuster films were filmed such as Harry Potter and James Bond. This is a studio where British film can be made also places like London Bridge, Waterloo, Buckingham Place, Downing Street distinctive places in London known worldwide this is what should be in a British Film. Showing the real england the estates, countrysides, town centers, markets this is what make a British Film. In such films like Kidulthood, Anvuahood, Bullet Boy, This is England these place are shown which adds the British feel to the film.

Good actors make a good film. In recent years the spot lights been on young up and coming actor Adam Deacon. Starring in Kidulthood and Adulthood his skills have opened many opportunities and fans for him. Portrayed as a typical british young thug. Playing the role of a unwealthy, broken, lost male has give him alot of roles. He has been able to touch and related alot of people in the UK as he is prorating a highly populated lifestyle. He is a perfect representative of a lower class British citizen.

British films such as Fish tank and The Kings Speech. The British accent is a key element which brings the English feel. In fish tank based in Essex we see a lower class family who are foul mouthed and rude. They speak in a slang English language with a strong accent much different to Kings Speech. We get more of a formal, well spoken, posh English accent. The different British cultures are broadcasted well though accent and language.

British directors that make British films like Noel Clarke expresses the urban culture. Shows the brutal and harsh reality in everyday life worldwide. Also with films like Bullet Boy and This is England. We see the lower class lifestyle and people really live. Noel Clarke focuses on teenagers sending messages though his films for them to avoid a hazardous life.

In conclusion we have established what makes a British film. What it takes to make it really English and of the British culture. The British cinema is only growing and evolving into bigger and better pictures in many more creative ways.