film response

Reflective Analysis

Through out my film I wanted to focus on the micro features usually used in the horror genre. I decided upon the horror genre for my film because I personally derive gratification from the thriller genre and I admire some of the complex intricut narrative plot lines in thriller films such as the film insidious. I decided at the beginning of my pre production my narrative would also be complex. My narrative wasn't multi stranded but it was thought provoking with the cliff hanger left at the end and the enigmatic photos. 

I wanted to create the theme of enigma with the protagonist. he opens the folders and doesn't understand what's going on- this is told by his facial emotions and body language. When the first file appears on his screen I had a mid shot to include enough emotion from Luke but i didn't want a close up because it would deliver to much tension to the sequence. I didn't want to do that because it is to early to intiate a flux of emotions  yet I wanted to include a small quatatity of character  emotion so that the metaphorical roller coaster of emotion starts. Luke frowns and his eyes squint. He mimes the word "what". The nuances exhibited by the facial expressions develop the character to allow the audience to build a concrete understanding of the character. His knee jerk reaction to the file appearing is to look out the window. But he doesn't just pear through the window he crawls off the bed, opens the window and sticks his head out the window. I believe that this specific reaction high lights his determined personality. This reaction with the scattered books on the floor and the fact that it is night time paints a portrait that he has a determination to finish what ever he starts. Luke is the one to open the folder, in consequence he is the one who initiates the narrative plot line. Luke, knowing that he started something he wants to finish it. This performance reaction with mes en scene builds a certified character development. 

My second sequence starts when Luke opens up the second file I wanted to conjure up more of a mysterious atmosphere. So I added a creepy score in the back ground of the sound. This sound track had a minimalistic approach of creating suspense. It has loud crescendo pasts or unexpected spikes in volume. It was constant and had the sound of deep low strings being played. The sound track initiated when Luke clicked on the second folder. 

My objective through out the film was to confuse the audience and give them little fathomable information. This then boggles the audience. BUT I didn't want to do it much because the audience loses interest because it is to hard to keep up with the film's narrative. Such as the film by Christopher Nolan Inception. - I allowed the audience the ability to "catch up" with the narrative when Luke calls his friend max for a kind of reality check and confirmation. max suggests that it might be another friend hacking into his laptop. The character Max was meant to be a escapism for the audience, from the narrative. Max takes us back to reality. He suggests reasonable and down to earth answers. The shot with max and Luke in the same frame is there create contrast.

Luke has clearly been working for a long time and is becoming slightly delusional. This could be all in his head from the beginning. The mes en scene tells the audience that he has been working for a very long time and he is tired. He is clearly tired, evident from the visible sleep bags under his eyes and he rubs his eyes through out the film. This demonic entity chasing him through the pictures could be a self illusion made by his own delusional state of mind.  I have made this a question to the audience so that it adds to the confusion of narrative. 

It is common to see progression in film when a character is moving from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen. It is a common conception put into practice in films. I decided to use this concept in my film when Luke moves from his bed to the door with the cricket bat in his hand. luke is moving from the right side of the screen to the right side of the screen highlighting how he isn't progressing in his journey and by moving left he is further deepening him self into a enigmatic conclusion. He finds no evidence of anyone outside when looking out of his room. therefore suggesting that this trip has solved nothing. 

DNA Production Company

DNA  Production Company 

Who are they? 

DNA films and TV are a production company owned and run by Andrew MacDonald and his producing partner Allon Reich and is one of the UK's most successful production company. It was founded by Duncon Kenworthy. It was set up in 1997. 

Duncan Kenworthy is British film producer started his career in television, after he graduated from Christ's college, Cambridge, producing a series popular shows such as Fraggle Rock, The story teller and story tell: Greek Mythology which at the time was quite succesful and won him a TV BAFTA in 1989 and 1992 for best children's program. Shortly after he produced four weddings and a funeral which earned him a total of about $246,000,000. the success of the film gave him a BAFTA award in 1995 therefore making his production company a trademark success, He was the chairman of the BAFTA's between 2004 and 2006.  

Feature films include trainspotting (1996), 28 days later (2002), The last king of Scotland (2006), The history boys (2006), Sunshine (2007), Dredd (2012) and Ex Machina (2014)

DNA FILMS partners with Fox network group to create new TV company DNA TV limited. New venture to produce dramas, comedies and Limited Series for World-Wide Distribution. UK based DNA has teamed up with Fox networks group (FNG) to make their first foray into television. The new company will call on DNA’s deep relationships with an incredible stable of UK-based writing, producing and directing talent, to create TV dramas, limited-run “event” series and comedies for UK and international broadcasters around the world. Fox network will have the first look to provide co-finance.

DNA films connection to global distribution network assisted them to make notable DNA films, making the production company successful particularly in advertising terms of getting the attention of their target audience. Additionally DNA films is also supported and funded by UK film council which distributes government grants and findings from the national lottery community. 

DNA TV Limited will be owned and operated as an independent TV production company.  The management and creative decision making of the company will reside in the UK.  Andrew MacDonald stated  that he believed utilizing the British talent and Broadcasters they can produce great television that will resonate in the UK and hopefully as well as with fox's audience in the US and around the globe. I suspect that DNA has done this to achieve a wider audience and therefore increasing it's awareness and it's globalization. 

Weekly Film School Portrait

School Portrait is a short film directed by Nick Scott and produced by virgin media shorts film competitor. This film's genre is comedy and drama. The themes of the film are blissful ignorance and finding hope. The film is about a school photographer who is taking school photos for primary school children. But this does not go as usual as you expect. For every child who comes through the door and sits down  he gives a vision of what the future will be for them by saying Mortgage, banking crisis, no pet haven and university fees and so on. When ever he says these lines the children have to repeat what he says and when they do they are saddened and say the line in a very monotonous way.  Except for the last child who can't stop smiling. The man has been trying for some time to stop her smiling. You can tell that he has been trying because he starts his sentence with "and" suggesting that he had been trying to get this girl to stop smiling earlier by saying his usual lines but she was still smiling. His arm is over his head highlighting how he might be tired of trying to get this girl to be disgruntled and frown. But this girl no matter what he says still smiles. It gets serious when the man comes up to the camera for a close up. You can clearly see the frustration in his face (this is why it's a close up). When he comes closer to the camera he starts talking about divorce and moving house. You can tell he is talking from past recent experience because after the reverse shot on the girl he backs away from the camera and sighs, drops the trigger for the camera and puts his arms over his head almost like he is realizing how monotonous his life has become with his wife leaving him and having to move house. It then switches to a close up of the man's hand. The girl's hand puts the trigger back into his hand. He then realizes that this girl won't stop smiling for her picture. This gives him a feeling of hope. Although it may be going bad for him now, with his wife leaving him, but he still has loads of his life left. In the next shot it is a wide and long shot. It shows that the man's arms position has changed and dropped down to his legs. He is saying how he might get a new house. The conversation subject matter and informal body language highlights that the man has been talking to the girl for some time. The girl after the man asks if her mum is single shrugs. This suggests that the girl has either been not talking at all and simply giving of body language answers or she has been saying one word answers. This, for the man. is almost like his therapy to get over his recent past quams. I noticed that he says "is your mum single" this is a turning point for him because he getting over his wife and moving on to different women and different things. The little girl's role seems small initially but in actual fact it is a very large a imperative role in the man getting over his dilemmas. There is a saying that close ups are for drama and tension and long shots are for comedy. This is evident in this film when it is a close up it creates tension and drama for when he is reminiscing about his past life and when it is a long shot we see that the man has been talking for a long time with the girl therefore delivering comedy. This film shows me that the you don't need many actual shots to convey a meaningful piece of drama. It has a very minimalistic and unique way of creating a drama and story.