Film Production Companies

Film Production Logos

Warner Bros Pictures:

The first thing that catches the viewer's eye in this logo is the large, slightly three dimensional, gold plated badge. The first component of the sheer size of the badge is important as it has the connotation that they are a large successful film company themselves which promotes quality from the outset. Secondly the three dimensional feature adds a depth of meaning about the work that company do, connoting that they will bring these films to life appearing as close to reality as possible, much like the logo is brought to life by this feature. The gold plated badge connotes wealth and luxury which is important because it once again suggest they are the best. Lastly the clouds in background show that they are in the sky and the phrase "the sky is the limit" is very relevant as it shows that the company are the top in the film business. The Warner Bros have produced some quality well known films such as the Harry Potters, The Batman films and The Matrix. These are very well respected films which shows how the films produced conform to what is portrayed by the logos.

DreamWorks:

The DreamWorks logo suggests an element of mystery and fantasy from the aspects that are involved. Firstly the crescent moon and fluffy clouds portray the idea of another world and a place of dreams. This suggests that DreamWorks produce imaginative films that will take the viewer to a place of their dreams. The stars in the background are also important as it connotes the idea of fantasy because stars are often thought of as magical. Furthermore also suggesting that the company uses lots of top film 'stars' which shows they are of high quality. The little boy that sits on the moon links the idea of dreams with children's extraordinary imaginations and daydreaming, creating another mystical convention. This is supported by the films that DreamWorks have produced such as Kung-fu Panda, Shrek, Chicken Run and Madagascar. These are all family favourites because of their appeal towards children which shows the relevance of the logo conventions.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer:

The MGM logo immediately catches the viewers attention because of the fierce looking animal that is the main feature of the logo. The lion comes with many positive connotations for the film company, the lion is the king of the jungle which portrays MGM as the king in the world of film productions; setting them apart from competition. The lion also has the connotations of strong leadership, loyalty and strength which are all very valuable values for a film production company to have. Further to this, classy golden tape and badge show the wealth and high standards of MGM as a company. Adding to the serif font portrays the traits of taking care for the finest details which is important for film companies. MGM have made some very popular recent films such as 21 Jump Street, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Hobbit's. This shows they are keeping involved with the latest competition and producing well made popular films.

Pixar:

Pixar have chosen a very simplistic logic which has the connotations that they like to produce simple and films that are easy to understand. This very relevant for Pixar as their main target audience is children. The basic sans-serif font also has the connotation that Pixar like to get the job done without overcomplicating the process, which is a great value to have for a film company. The baby blue background also connotes the values of trust, intelligence and wisdom from the symbolism from the colour and this is very valuable for a company like Pixar. The logo also features a bedside lamp which has the links to dreams and bedtime which suggests they produce films that take the viewers to a place of dreams and of a different world. This is very much the case as Pixar have produced films like WALL-E, Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.

Popular Teen Angst Film Openings

Popular Teen Angst Film Openings:

I have decided to look at some popular teen angst film openings to try and get some ideas for our own film opening. I have noticed some popular and generic conventions for teen angst opening so I believe these will be important features that we could include for our own. I decided to look at the popular teen angst films called 'Footloose', 'Pitch Perfect' and 'Clueless'.

Footloose:

-The setting of the opening is a party which is very stereotypical for teenagers.

-Different social groups are presented all together, such as males, females, different ethnicities. Although there are no elderly, children or disabled people represented.

-The music is very loud with an up-beat tune which is a typical representation of teenagers as they are known for stereotypically playing loud music at parties.

- The title 'Footloose' is blended in half way through the title sequence between other titles. A sans-serif font is used which reflects the outgoing and slightly crazy representation of teenagers in the title sequence.

-The bright yellow font used reflects the bright and careless personalities of the characters shown in the opening scene.

-The iconography of the props such as the litter of red cups on the floor conveys a value for drinking but also portrays them was irresponsible.

-Shot used of two characters kissing represents the convention of love which is typical of a teen angst.

- The car crash represents an important social issue that is relevant to teenagers as it can affect many young people.

Pitch Perfect:

-The setting is firstly based at a taxi point, which reflects the stereotypical convention that teenagers like to travel around. This is then followed by the next setting which is at a university campus which is also a relatable setting for teenagers.

-The soundtrack is very fast-paced which reflects the chaotic lifestyle of teenagers. The song is also based on a popular chart song which is important because it is stereotypical that teenagers like to listen to chart music.

-The close up shots of the editing software used to edit the music reflects how technology is an important to teenagers.

-High key lighting used to present a happy and careless atmosphere.

- Main character has a briefcase style of bag which is unstereotypical for a teenage girl as we would expect to see her carrying a handbag.

- The main character is wearing dark clothing which represents her as a counter type compares to the bright clothing of other teenagers, such as the bright yellow tops of the group of boys on campus.

-The titles are very organised and continuously symmetrical which represents the idea of 'perfect' from the title of the film.

-The colours of the main characters props also portray her as a counter type as we would expect to see bright coloured luggage and jewellery opposed to the black which is the colour of hers.

Clueless:

-The production company logo is presented very with 5 different bright colours which is reflecting the busy and bright lifestyle of teenagers.

- Stereotypical good looking and desirable girls represented as the main characters.

- Starts with lots of short quick cuts between different shots of the characters which conveys a careless and chaotic lifestyle.

- High key lighting used portrays a fun and positive atmosphere.

-The soundtrack used, 'We're the kids of America' is a well known pop song which reflects teenagers stereotypical love for chart music.

- The voice shows the main character talking about others behind their back and this idea of backstabbing is a typical social issue for teenagers so they will be able to relate to this.

- The shots of the main character looking at herself in the mirror and taking care in choosing her outfit reflects how teenagers care about their appearance which the audience will be able to relate to.

-The glamorous lifestyle presented, such as material items like her car and nice clothes and also her popular social status, shows what is valued in this teenage world.

Mood Board

 Teen Angst Mood Board

I have made a mood board of a random selection of different shots from teen angst films to try and find some generic conventions of this genre. The first thing that stood out to me was the very stereotypical girly clothing of dresses and often typically pink. For settings I noticed that nearly all of the shots are taken in a school environment which I will bare in mind for when deciding where to film our film. The social groups and relationships are clearly girl groups, mixed sex or male and female couples, essentially all based around relationships. I also noticed that all the actors in the shots are the stereotypical good looking male and females. These different conventions are very typical of a teen angst as I expected and is important because teenagers will be able to relate to this. Lastly the mood board shows what is valued in teen angst films, such as relationships, arguments, appearance and friends.







Adventureland

Teen Angst Film: 'Adventureland'

Characters:

Firstly James Brennan is main character in the film that undertakes a summer job at the theme park ‘Adventureland’ to try and fund his university fees. Secondly Em Lewin also plays an important role that provides a romance factor to the film, this is because James falls in love with her. However Mike Connel is a character that is having an affair with Em which confuses the whole situation. Paulette and Bobby are the ones that run the theme park and employ all of the main characters to work there. Joel is someone that befriends James when he first joins the park and they grow closer as the film goes on. Lisa P is known from the start as a character of great attraction to all of the males at the park, she also grows fond of James throughout the film. Lastly Tommy Frigo is James’ old friend from childhood and helps him get the job, however it is made clear that James is not very fond of him.

Settings:

The main setting of the whole film is the theme park ‘Adventureland’ as shown above. This is where the majority of the interaction between the main characters takes place and relationships form between them here. However as the film progresses there are other settings that are used such as when James goes on a date with Lisa P as shown below.

Narrative:

The narrative of the film is very simple because it simply follows the path that the main character James takes over his summer. The main aim for this being to fund his university for next year which is why he ends up taking a job at 'Adventureland'. However there are sub-plots that also come into play that link in with the main narrative of James. For example James falls in love with a girl called Em however she is also seeing another called Mike. This relationship between Em and Mike is also shown from their point of view and this other narrative adds depth to the film. This is because it shows the audience another aspect of something that is going to greatly affect James as the main character which creates dramatic irony.

Mise en scene:

Pre Production

Prior to the production of a film there are lots of preparations that have to be carried and finalised before the start of production, such as:
-Producing a set
-Scheduling Production
-Finding locations suitable for the film
-Choosing props and costumes
-Ensuring that all scripts are finalised and discussed with the director and cast

Pre-production also consists of other specific areas includes the producers role, this includes:
-Securing rights for development and production of the film material
-Securing the financing for the production of the film
-Selecting the writers for the scripts
-Selecting people for production roles, e.g. director, cast, editor and production manager
-Producing final shooting schedule
-Finalising final budgeting and shooting script

Further to this there is the director who has to carry out the following tasks:
-Casting the actors
-Reading and analysing the script
-Working with film writers
-Constructing and carrying out rehearsals
-Creating an ideal image of what the film will look like
-Worker with writers

Ferris Beuller's Day Off

Teen Angst Films: ‘Ferris Beueller’s Day Off’

The film ‘Ferris Beueller’s Day Off’ is a typical teen angst film. The overall storyline of the film involves a teenage boy fooling his parents by pretending to be ill and taking a day off school due to this. The boy’s friend is also taking the day off ill and they team up and cause lots of mischief that is associated with the stereotypical ‘reckless teenager’. This includes making the whole community believe he is genuinely ill, stealing cars, dining at a very posh restaurant and breaking a girl out of school. I think this storyline and style is so attractive to teenage viewers for several reasons. 

Firstly I think this is because the storyline is so relatable to teenagers that is a major reason why they would be attracted to watch it. For example lying about being sick to get a day off of school, virtually every teenager has done this, so they can relate to this. The boys relationship with his sister is also a typical sibling rivalry. The boys sister is trying to catch him out and get him in trouble, many young people have experienced this with an annoying sibling. So I believe that the way the audience can connect to what is going on is why this teen angst film is so effective.

Secondly in the film the boy does things that many teenagers can only dream of doing, whether or not they'd like to, because it is not acceptable to do it in the real world. For example when the boy going joy riding in a Ferrari, this would be an aspiration to drive such a luxury car for many teenagers. This would attract them to watch the film because it creates a sense that they are experiencing this situation with the boy. Also the boy outsmarts his teacher on several occasions such as when he pretends to be a father of a student over the phone. This is another thing that is very unlikely for a teenager to be able to do because it is not socially acceptable. However they find it very entertaining to watch someone else do it.

The film is also very engaging which is important for a teenage audience. For example the boy often speaks directly to the audience such as when he says “this is when Cameron goes berserk”. This use of imperative language telling the audience what is going to happen is very engaging. This is because it prepares the audience for what is going to happen and also creates an element of excitement in anticipation for the viewer.

Lastly another important aspect of a teen angst film is the laughter that it creates for the viewer which is very important for teenagers. This film does this through several different methods. Firstly the their is rude jokes used throughout which are attractive for young viewers. An example of this is when the boy says “Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his arse, in two weeks you'd have a diamond”. This rude and clever use of joke is likely to make a young viewers laugh because the nature of the rudeness. Secondly the film uses elements of slapstick comedy to make the viewers watch. Fore example when the boys sister kicks the teacher in the face. This is funny for the viewer because it is so unexpected and this shock makes the viewer laugh.

Forrest Gump Swede

Aspects of making a film

Aspects of making a film

We recently carried out the task of making a swede film and our chosen film was Forrest Gump. This task enabled us to learn the basic aspects that go into making a film.

Firstly when making a film you are likely going to come across several obstacles when looking to film the different scenes. These obstacles may seem very petty such as being careful when walking up a curb when carrying a camera, to avoid tripping and causing any damage to it. This is why it is important to carry out a risk assessment on the possible hazards before hand, to make sure that they do not cause any risk while filming. This was very evident during our filming because one of the members of our group was on crutches. This enhances the risk of tripping and causing others harm and also causing harm to himself on crutches. To overcome this danger we used a risk assessment which stated that he would not carry any equipment himself (to avoid damage), he would not open any doors himself (to avoid him hurting himself and also that he would leave an average of a metre between him and others when walking to ensure he didn't hurt anyone with his crutches.

Secondly when planning our different scenes it was important that we choose the correct actors that would best suit our swede. For example one member of our group looks similar to ‘Forrest Gump’ and another member looks similar to ‘Bubba’ so we decided to use them for these parts. This made it very easy to resemble different characters for our swede and deciding before hand and planning ahead ensured we knew exactly who was doing what when filming the swede. As well as this we learnt that it is important to find the correct settings for our scenes to make it feel as realistic as possible. For example we had a war scene in our film so we decided to film in an area with lots of trees and no buildings as this was similar to Forrest Gump itself. This was important because it reduced the look of a school as much as we possibly could.

Using and camera and tripod was an aspect that we picked up through trial and error. We used different methods to do this such as moving the height of the tripod to get different types of shots and also tilting the camera in different angles too. We also learnt that it is important to get the framing correct when using the camera to make each shot the best quality possible. These methods meant that by the end of the filming we had found the most suitable methods to capture different shots.

When deciding on the types and camera movements it was important that we used minimum movement of the camera itself. This was because using movements caused the footage to become unclear and of a lower quality. This is why we decided to use lots of steady and still shot from and variety of different angles to ensure the highest quality.

Time management was an issue that presented us quite a challenge on the day of filming. This was because it turned out that we hadn't managed our time correctly which meant that we didn't have enough time to film all of our scenes. Upon reflection we decided that we should have planned how much time we were going to spend filming each scene before hand so we knew a time scale to stick to. If we had done this it would have made our time management a lot better and we could have filmed all of our scenes during the correct time.

 Lastly because we are making our swede film on essentially no budget it was important that we were creative when it came to props. To make sure that our film still had an authentic feel to it we brought in props that we had at home to fit each scene. For example we had an army scene and one of the members of our group had some army outfits at home so we used these. It was methods like this that made our film work well even on such a low budget.

Use of film

How do you and your peers use film?

We carried out a questionnaire in a classroom of 25 youths aged 16-18 to try and find out how the majority of young people use film. Firstly we found out that the large majority said that they went to the cinema on an average of 2 times a month and most of them said that it was more a reason to socialise rather than a concern of what film they wanted to see. This was then backed up when we asked what sort of films they watched and the answer was mainly anything that interested them and also major blockbusters. Which tells us that many youths are not too worried about the film that they are watching, its more about the socialising factor that they are interested in. This would that young people use film as more of a socialising tool on first impression. Secondly the next question was whether they like to buy popcorn and drinks from the cinema and most of them said that they don’t because they prices are too high. This leads to the question of whether young people illegally download films and approximately 8 people said they did. Their reason for this was that do not have money to purchase the films themselves. So there is a clear pattern that money is a major factor that affects how young people use film. It was made very clear that young people are influenced to watch new films by the film trailers that are released before the movies. This suggests that young people are interested in visuals and more engaging methods of advertising rather than talk shows and posters which are also commonly used to promote new films. Surprisingly when we asked how many people make their own films, not a single person said they did. This is strange because it is well known that their are a lot of youths who like to make videos at home on a variety of different topics from gaming to singing. These types of videos are usually posted on youtube and it was clear that many of the students in the class watched these types of videos on websites like this. This links to when we asked about what companies and websites they like to watch films on. The most popular popular company was “Netflix” with around 15/25 people that said they have a monthly subscription with them. This is not surprising with Netflix having over 44 million subscribers from 41 different countries. Overall the results from the survey showed clear patterns that many young people use film for a variety of different reasons and in different way that suit them. However if was clear that the most popular ways of watching film were either visiting the cinema or watching through the internet on websites such as Netflix.