Research into A Distributor

In class we researched a Low Budget British film "Shifty" as a case of a distributor. Shifty chose Metrodome as its distributor due to the fact that it tends to take on smaller productions and is British. 

Shifty's story plot: a young crack cocaine dealer in London, sees his life quickly spiral out of control when his best friend returns home. Stalked by a customer desperate to score at all costs, and with his family about to turn their back on him for good, Shifty must out-run and out-smart a rival drug dealer, intent on setting him up for a big fall. As his long time friend Chris, confronts the dark past he left behind him, Shifty is forced to face up to the violent future he's hurtling towards

For the Black Rose our group wants to distribute with Metrodome Group, who follow the mission statement that

We pride ourselves on our ability to provide the very best in marketing, press and sales, delivering exceptional release campaigns for quality movies that capture the imagination of audiences.

With the Black Rose we want to invite the audience to enter the world of the female character Natalie and get an insight into the uncomfortable and disturbed mindset of her. The Black Rose is also a small budget film which tends to be the type of films that Metrodome take interest in.

Evaluation Question 3: Distribution

The Definition from BFI Screen Online by David Sin


Distribution, the third part of the film supply chain, is often referred to as 'the invisible art', a process known only to those within the industry, barely written about and almost imperceptible to everyone else.


Yet arguably, distribution is the most important part of the film industry, where completed films are brought to life and connected with an audience. So what is involved in this invisible process? ''


Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place. In the practice of Hollywood and other forms of industrial cinema, the phases of production, distribution and exhibition operate most effectively when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company. In the UK, distribution is very much focused on marketing and sustaining a global product in local markets.

22nd February Progress

Started Editing on iMovie: 

To Do List for Friday 24th Lesson:

-Re-shoot opening scene and establishing shot

-Esher to film flower shop scene

-Focus shot on flowers

-Find Music for Black Rose (Jonny)

-Kilm Scene

Target Audience

Here is a profiled audience for the Thriller Genre:


Age- Younger Audiences (15-30)


Gender- Tends to be more male audiences, however the Black Rose has a leading female character which will make it more relatable to a female audience. This makes the target audience for our particular thriller wider. This is the case with James Bond thrillers as well since there is always a leading beautiful woman alongside James.


Television: Sherlock, Mad Dogs, CSI, Dexter, True Blood, Criminal Minds, Lost and 24


Film: Inception, Bourne Ultimatum, Source Code, Sherlock Homes, James Bond and The Strangers


Restaurants: Hard Rock Cafe, Wagamamas and Gourmet Burger


Clothes: Natterjacks, Topshop, River Island, H&M and Super Dry


Media: Xbox, Playstation, Iphone, Blackberry, 3D Tvs, Imac, IPad and Ipod


Books: The searches of the dead, the clinic, On Dangerous ground, Angles and Demons and Black Wind

Storyboard for Black Rose and Media being used to Film.

This is the story board for our thriller film opening and starts to build the tension of the movie ahead.  We have decided to take full advantage of the new technologies provided and will be filming with a Canon E0S55D.

The Title the Black Rose

Red Roses traditionally symbolise desire and love, and in our film the lady Natalie feels love and attraction to her victims. By incorporating the flower of a rose into the tittle, it foreshadows that desire will be an ongoing theme.
Natalie is also a florist which means being surrounded by flowers everyday at work she understands the nature and language of the flowers.


A Black Rose has an irony and contradiction within it however, and providers and impossible combination due to the fact that flowers can't be black.
The colour black has connotations of death and hatred, from this it foreshadows how the movie will be set up and the conflicts that will be in it.

What are the components of Thriller and Suspense Films? How have we incorporated them into "Black Rose"?

Thriller and Suspense films are known to promote the feelings of intense excitement, suspense, expectation, uncertainty and tension.


Cliff Hangers and thrills are often used to keep the audience " on the edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards the climax. The tension usually arises when the main character is placed in a dangerous situation of mystery and he or she become involved in a potentially deadly mission.


Plots in thrillers usually involve characters which come into conflict with each other or outside forces. Characters in thrillers included convicts, criminals, stalkers assassins or innocent victims.


Themes of thrillers include terrorism, political, conspiracy and pursuit.


There are different forms of thrillers however
Easy Thrillers: 
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
The Cat and the Canary ( 1927)
The Third Man (1949)
Blackmail (1929)


Hitchcock- considered as the master of the thriller and suspense genre producing over 53 movies. He manipulates his audiences fears and desires and taking the viewers into the plot of the movie. Often his films are placed with an innocent victim in a strange situation.  He finds the darker side in human nature.


Thrillers With Convoluted Plot Twists: involves twisted plots and surprise endings
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Se7en(1995)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Momento (2000)


Tend to be a lot more frequent these days then easy thrillers.


Spy Film Thrillers: usually depict spies uncovering secrets from each other.
Borne Identity (2002)
JAMES BOND ESPIONAGE THRILLERS
Dr.No (1962)
Goldfinger (1964)
From Russia with Love ( 1963)


Components of the Thriller genre can be found in our film opening for the movie the "Black Rose":


The leading character Natalie Harland is mentally unstable and has an uncomfortable reactions to the small girl. She covers the characters the stalker and convict found in many thriller films.


The Black Rose would fit under the thriller film of "Thrillers with Convoluted Plot Twists" with the twisted plot and relationship between Natalie and the little girl. It makes the audience uneasy and surprises them.


The theme of the Black Rose would be obsession, pursuit and mental unstableness.

Thriller Movie Audiences

Active Audiences Verse Passive Audiences


Active- is where the audience becomes involved in what they are watching-montage editing is used in order to create this effect.
Montage Editing- shots are pieced together and don't show every single step. For example, the filming may show someone with a gun and then next shot is a person lying dead on the floor. It skips out the step of how the shooting actually happened. It is usually used to  disrupt time or to control the speed of time.

This keeps the audiences active and involved as they have to decide and make judgement for themselves on how the murder happened. They are open to interpret the story line in their own ways.

Passive- The narrative is easy to follow which means the audience only needs to watch passively and everything is explained, without anything being left out. This allows the audiences to absorb all the information given to them without needing to think about it. Continuity editing is used to create this effect.
Continuity editing- shows shots done in sequence displaying everything to the end result.

COURSEWORK CHANGE-MOVIE

With much consideration, I have made the choice to stop further research and progress with the music magazine Kerri and I had been working on. This decision is due to many factors, one being that Kerri is no longer taking the course. The main reason however, is my involvement in the filming for the movie "Black Rose" has become a priority and I have become personally interested and active in helping the thriller opening succeed.


Keeping in mind of course that I will have much extra work to do in order to catch up with the stages or planning and research I have missed. I have been working with the group Jonny, Will and Henry in helping them film for a month now but only just today did I make the decision to drop the music magazine and instead become fully involved in "Black Rose".

The Set Questions

The Seven Evaluation Questions:


In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


How does your media product represent particular social groups?


What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


Who would the audience be for your media product?


How did you attract/address your audience?


What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?


Look back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

New Plan for Fusion Magazine

First Hurdle Extra Photos

The Band has kindly given us previous taken pictures of themselves to use in addition with the pictures that Kerri and I are going to take of them later in the week. These can be options to use on the double page spread or contents page.

First Hurdle Interview

Q1. How/Why did you get started in the Music scene and what have you been doing to get you to the point you are at currently?

Well, I have always been a big music fan and I have always thought how awesome it would be to be in a band. I think it was probably after last summer where I went to a ton of gigs when I just thought “fuck it, if I want to be in a band, let’s do it!”. So I got some mates together and started writing some songs. We have been through a few lineup changes since then but I think they were all for the better. After that I just spent entire days emailing venues until one or two would give us a gig.

Q2. Who are you influences and why?

I think as a whole the band is influenced by Nirvana, they are probably one of the bands we can all agree on. Apart from that we are all influenced by rather different styles of music. Will and Joe are influenced by bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and more indie stuff where as Ryan tends to listen to heavier music and I listen to punk. I think that’s a good thing though because for example, with our old line up to be honest we just sounded like a Green Day tribute band which is not original. Personally though I’m influenced by bands like Sum 41, Foo Fighters and Green Day, not only because I think their music is great but I love what they are all about.

Q3.So what are you working on right now, is there anything we can look forward to in the near future?

Well, we are going back into the studio during the summer to record some of our new songs. Our old demo is ok, but we put it together rather quickly and like I said we sounded like a Green Day tribute band back then. The vocals for example sound 100 times better now so I’m really excited about getting the new tracks recorded. We are also set to be pretty gig heavy over July and September so I encourage anyone who lives in Surrey to come and check us out!

Q4. This is a two-part question:

a) One thing we’d like to know is how do you connect with your fan base? What platforms do you use and are these working for you?

The main thing has to be Facebook but Sound Cloud has also been rather essential. The other day we got a load of listens from Greece and Denmark which was rather un-expected. ReverbNation has also helped. We have a MySpace page but it is rather unloved. I think all the other sites that are available are a lot better than MySpace now anyway. We also try to talk to the fans after the gigs. I hate bands that even though they are still unsigned act all cocky and refuse to really talk to their fans.

And secondly

b) What are you doing that you believe makes you stand out from the crowd?

I think we have a sense of fun that not all bands have. We really like to show how we don’t take ourselves that seriously. We don’t think of ourselves as some sort of bad ass band. We just really enjoy what we do and I hope that stands out when we play.

Q5. Where are you currently getting exposure? How do you aim to increase/maximize this?

Most our gigs provided for us down at Guildford Community Centre by Theory Project Revolution have been great for exposure and we are very thankful for them. I think our local fan base is getting pretty good and so when we feel that has peaked I have been planning on launching a Facebook ad campaign. Hopefully that will get us some fans from all over the country. Apart from that though it’s really just about continuing to play gigs and continuing to play well.

Q6. Thank you for taking the time out to do this interview with us! Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers?

Please become a fan of us on facebook at www.facebook.com/firsthurdle ! You can listen to our old demo there but like I said earlier it is merely a shadow of what we are now. We will be recording the new tracks soon. If you live in Surrey please come down to one of our gigs to and come check us out! We would love to see you there!

KERRI AND I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE BRAND AND ADDING MORE QUESTIONS AND DEPTH TO THE INTERVIEW

Extra Pictures

Below are pictures that Kerri found from festivals she attended in the summer which could be incorporated into our contents page.

ACM- The Academy of Contemporary Music

We were inspired by the style of images incorporated into the ACM website. Kerri and I want to try and get clear action shots as shown above to put on the magazine cover, contents page and main spread. 

Double Page Spread Layout

Here are two examples that Kerri and I liked due to the originality with the pictures/background.

NME: colour scheme black,white and red

The headline of this double page spread is a quote from the text from Lily Allen's interview which draws the reader in. The image of Lily Allen is very large and striking and direct address draws the readers in and captures their attention.

The article is split into 4 columns which is started by a drop capital which lets the reader know where to start reading. The article is aimed at teenagers as it is from the magazine NME. The stand first tells the reader what the article is about and the by-line tells us the journalist and photographer.

RWD MAGAZINE: colour scheme, yellow,white  and black

Code and Conventions of a double page spread:

• One large image - usually direct address
• Large quotes - on pictures / in headline / to break up text
• Drop capital and bold text - shows reader where to start reading
• Byline - gives credit to journalist / photographer
• Large headline 
• Simple colour scheme - magazine's colours 
• Easy to read font
• Stand first - introduces the article, positioned under the headline
• Strap line - very top, including subject matter
• Personality of journalist comes through - informal 

Fusion CoverPage Brainstorming

Forms and Conventions for Music Magazine

 Busy and Vibrant Colours

 Images tend to be large on the cover page and often masculine

 The masthead normally interacts with the model ( overlaps)

 Model must hold the gaze of the viewer( advertising the magazine)

 Short and memorable tittle

 Large and Clear Font

 Colour Scheme throughout

 

Contents Pages Examples

Here are three examples of Music Magazine Contents page. These can help guide us to plan out Fusions.

In Q's I like the look of having a big photo in the top right corner aligned with Fusions headline. Kerri and I will want to incorporate this style into our cover page with a picture of the First Hurdle.

In the Band Index I found it hard to follow along and differentiate which pictures go along with each headline. It was not well organised as Q's, however I like how they categorised the headlines into NEWS, REVIEWS, GIGS and FEATURES.

In Drummer the numbering and labelling is very clear by using a different coloured font, and labelling the pictures with the number of the headline to which it relates too. This is a technique that will be included in Fusion.

First Hurdle Photoshoot and Interview

Friday the 27th of January- Going to meet First Hurdle at 7:30pm to take pictures for the cover and contents page. We will also hold an interview that can be used on the first page spread, we will ask the following questions:

How did the band form? or Give me a brief history of the band?
This question will help the readers of Fusion to become familiar with the bands history.


How do you normally go about the song writing process. Is there a particular subject matter that the band sings about?
Gives the reader a deeper understanding of the personal sentiments and ideas of the band.


When and where was your last concert? Tell us about your fans


Who are your favourite musicians and why?
Give insight to readers of which artists inspire punk rock bands.


When is the next performance? Tell us about it
Gives the reader of an idea of what to look forward to from First Hurdle

Fusion Magazine Draft

Brainstorming the Layout for the magazine.
Experimenting with what topics to include on the cover page itself.
We do realise that these following covers are not detailed enough for a final product. These are examples of us playing around with the covers.

HANDWRITTEN and PHOTOSHOPPED VERSION

First Hurdle Image

This Image inspired me to have the same positioning in this photo for my cover page. The lighting and background would be changed however. This is the band being featured, 'First Hurdle'

Magazine Cover Draft-Fusion

Profile the Readers of Punk Rock Music Magazines

UNCUT READER PROFILE.

Uncut is music magazine similar to Fusion. Other competitors would be magazines such as 

NME, Rolling Stones, Q, Kerrang, Vibe and Clash.

These appeal to a rock music orientated audience. The readers tend will tend to be rebellious, indie, alternative and unique. 

FUSION READER PROFILE

My Prezzi- Research into the Punk Rock Genre

Check It Out at:

http://prezi.com/ekg4nbk-ic09/music-magazine-punk-rock-genre-research/

Front Page Close Up

Code and Conventions for Magazine Cover

During my research into music magazine covers I have noticed they follow this particular format and layout. This is the way Kerri and I plan to present our magazine cover. Following the code and conventions of the layouts of magazine covers will make our print more realistic.

First Hurdle Interview

Friday the 9th of December, Kerri and I have organised to come along to 'First Hurdles' rehearsal to start taking some pictures of them and interview them. Doing this will help us picture what sort of pictures we want to feature in our magazine print. We want to have some mock examples in order to see what camera angle/ shot we want for the cover. It will also give us a chance to become acquainted with all members of the band and research further into the genre of Punk Rock. 

Sleeping With Sirens- Image Style

The band Sleeping with Sirens  are an American Punk Rock band. Formed in 2009 and currently residing in Orlando, Florida. Their first album, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, was released on March 23, 2010. Debuted at number 7 on Billboard's Top Heatseeker's chart.


While researching into the genre I came across images of their band and was inspired by the way they were shot. The photos gave me ideas to how I would like to present 'First Hurdle' in my magazine print.

Style Icon For Punk Rock Genre- Taylor Momsen

• Taylor Momsen, originally known for her role in the preppy television series, "Gossip Girl" has now become the lead in the rock band "Pretty Reckless". Momsen has stated that "music is where I can be me", saying that "Acting is easy. I've been doing it for so long and I totally love it. But you're playing a character instead of yourself. Music is more personal because you're writing it and you're involved in every step of it."  Her individuality in music comes across through her style.

Who are our Target Readers?

For our punk rock music magazine our target readers would most likely be in the following categories:


Age- Young Adults
Music- Hard Edged and Fast
Famous Bands from this genre- Ramones, Sex Pistols and the Clash
Up and Coming Bands from this genre- Headstart, Area 5, Gunpowder Plot and Sleeping with Sirens
Style- Individuality,  Morbid and Rebellious


Now we have profiled our target reader we intend to include the following code and conventions in our magazine:


Selling Line, Cover Line, Masthead, Main Cover Line, Model Credit, Cover Lines, Website, Dateline and Barcode.


Title Ideas: 
Monster
Jailbird
Fusion
Junction
Circuit


We came up with these by using a thesaurus with key words such as punk and music which lead us to a whole list of suggestions.

Brainstorming for Music Magazine Print

Kerri Snyders and I have decided to do a print for our course work. Both being new to the subject of Media we thought that we could achieve the best results through photoshop. We are interested in photography rather than film so we can incorporate our skills in this area to our final product.
For a music magazine we decided to go with a punk rock theme since we have a friend in this band genre. We can use this to our advantage since we will have access to first hand interviews and photoshoots. The band we are featuring in the magazine is called " First Hurdle" and has been for a year now.
The next step we will take in this progress would be to plan out the magazine and have a rough draft to work from

Art of The Title- To Kill A Mockingbird

Art of The Title- Sherlock Holmes

Art of The Title- Casino Royal

The Casino Royal Opening Sequence really sets the mood to an action-packed James Bond Thriller. With integrated poker signs such as the four suits, spade, clubs, diamonds and hearts. The image of the gun also appears, which foreshadows the violence that will occur in the movie. In third snapshot the 'Jack" figure that was originally part of the setting soon turned around to shoot James Bond from the back. This foreshadows that their will be betrayal in Casino Royal. The smartly animated sequence works along well with the savvy lounge music which gives the atmosphere of a casino

New York City- Camera Sony DSLR- A390. Edited in HDR Studio