KEY REVISION NOTES

Attack the Block

Director: Joe Cornish
Starring: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega
Studio: Big talk productions, film 4, studio canal, UK film council
Distributed by: Optimum releasing
Budget: £8M
Box office: £4M
Production: Shot in london, night shoots over six weeks, only 100 FX shots were used
Other Info: Play.com sells a BluRay glow in the dark sleeve edition. Distributors were worried about the American audience not understanding the British slang/accent
Soundtrack: Basement Jaxx

Kick Ass


Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicholas Cage
Studio: Plan B entertainment, Marv entertainment 
Distributed by: Lionsgate, Universal
Budget: $30M
Box office: $90M
Production: Shot in Canada and various UK locations, adapted from the comic book that was written parallel to the films production
Other Info: Screened at the San Diego comic-con, controversy over young actors and explicit language, Rated 15 by BBFC, won awards for best actors etc
Soundtrack: The prodigy, Ellie Goulding etc

The Hunger Games


Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson
Studio: Lionsgate, Color force
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Budget: $88M only $78M was used 
Box office: $690M
Production: Shot in USA, film not digital, used less CGI to make it more realistic, propane blasts etc
Other Info: Racist comments, sold over 3.8 million DVD/BluRay copies in the first weekend of sales, DVD contains bonus features making it more appealing to buyer
Soundtrack: Score by James Newton Howard, Soundtrack has artists on such as Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift

St Trinians


Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Rupert Everett, Gemma Arterton, Colin Firth
Studio: Ealing studios, UK film council, Fragile films
Distributed by: Entertainment film distributors
Budget: £7M
Box office: $30M
Production: VooDooDog made the cartoon pieces in the film (synergy), Filmed around the UK and London, Girls Aloud feature in the film as the school's band.
Other Info: Sequel didn't do as well, third film is scheduled to come out next year, Third most successful independent British film at the time
Soundtrack: Girls aloud, Lady Sovereign, Lily Allen etc

Prometheus


Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Repace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba
Studio: Scott free productions
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Budget: $130M
Box office: $400M
Production: Shot in Allacante, prequel to the Alien series, filmed in 3D with the help of 3ality technica (synergy)
Other Info: people wanted less 3D in the cinema's though and more 2D showings, number one in the DVD sales charts in the first week of sale
Soundtrack: Score was played backwards and then digitally flipped to create an eerie atmosphere, written by Marc Steitenfeld

Casualty - Disability

Disability in this clip both adheres to the stereotype of disabled people not being able to do anything for them selves, and also contradicts it. Throughout the clip Mise en Scene allows us to see the man in the wheelchair is different due to his disability and stands out against other "normal" people.

As he is in the wheelchair, this shows his physical disability, and shows he isn't as capable as most other men. He also looks out of place in the shop alongside his brother, as he is wearing scruffy clothes and the shop is jolly with lots of colour inside. This makes the viewer think disabled people do not fit into regular lives and natural scenes. His clothes make us think he isn't too bothered about his appearance, he wants practical clothes that are comfortable to make his life easier. Also, when he is talking to the shop assistant, we see her facial expression through the use of a mid shot, and this allows us the see the way "normal" people react to someone with a disability. This also reinforces the stereotype that people without a disability never know how to react or what to say, for fear of offending them. However, the woman in this clip reacts in a negative way, showing the audience how not to behave.

When he goes to the bathroom we see he is used to this surrounding as the colour palette matches his clothes, showing us he is more comfortable in smaller places with people he knows, such as his brother. The whole scene of allowing him to go to the toilet highlights the struggles of living with a disability as he has to get his brother to help him due to the fact his hands are "too numb".  This adheres to the stereotype that people with a disability struggle in life and aren't capable of doing things for themselves, they need someone to help them with the simplest of things. 

Eli, another character with a disability within the clip appears normal as he does not have a physical disability. The way he dresses and walks around shows he is capable of doing his own thing, and when we first meet him it is not made clear he has a disability, showing us that you can't judge people the first time you meet them, like many people do to people in wheelchairs. We do however, see him clutching his arm later on in the clip as he hurt it due to his disability. This highlights his vulnerability and pain whilst he is trying to live an ordinary life. 

Camera Angles are used in the clip to show the differences between characters due to their disabilities. The master shot of the clip shows a mirror reflection, in which the man in the wheelchair is smaller and in the background, whereas his brother is larger and in the foreground. This highlights the way people tend to look through or over people in wheelchairs, as the stereotype views them as insignificant or not as powerful as the able bodied. 

Slightly higher angled shots are used when looking at the man in the wheelchair, due to the fact he is lower down and on a lower level than the rest of the people in the scene. A mid, two shot is used to show the differences between him and his brother as we can see by looking at them, they are not similar in appearance, due to the disability. 

When the brothers are in the cafe, a birds eye shot is used to view the coffee's they ordered. This then highlights the differences in the coffee's as we can see they have different patterns on. This has connotations of the differences between the brothers, and shows us that the differences effect their entire lives. It also relates to the stereotype of disabled needing to be treated differently because of their condition, however, sometimes they just want to be treated like everyone else. 

When we first see Eli fall to the ground, the camera spins and follows him, to show disorientation and to confuse the audience, which then shocks them because of what has happened. A high angled shot is also used to show his vulnerability whilst lying on the ground as he can't do anything to help himself or his condition. As the group of girls walk away, they steal some tinsel and this shows how little people care about people with disabilities; which both conforms and contradicts the stereotype of how people act around someone with a disability. A long shot is used to show his insignificance whilst lying on the road and how he is alone and abandoned. 

The editing throughout the clip is mainly continuity editing, to show dealing with disability is part of their everyday life and these are natural occurrences  We follow the man in the wheelchair due to the camera panning and his actions are also central to the clip's story line. This shows that the disability is a big part of his life, as one of the main reasons we are focusing on him. This reflects the stereotype that people only see the disability, not the person they actually are inside. 

When Eli is in the middle of the road, having collapsed, fast paced editing is used to show the emotion of several characters, as well as to shock the audience, as they may not be as used to scenes of this nature, like the characters are. 

No jump cuts or technical editing is used in the clip, which could portray the simple lives the characters have to lead because of their disability, but it could also have been done to emphasize the characters cannot help being disabled, and they can't do anything about it. 

Sound within the clip makes the viewers feel sorry for the man in the wheelchair, due to the fact he says things like "I have an incurable disease" as we see he can't do anything about his condition. We also see his frustration with his condition due to the fact he says "quit pushing me!" to his brother, as he wants to be able to do things for himself and try and be independent. His behavior conforms to views we have on disabled people, due to the fact we often see them wanting to do things on their own, but struggling to because of their disability.   

Little non-diegetic sound is used in the clip to stress how real the situation is and that this clip focuses on his life. The music playing in the background of the scene in the shop and the scene in the coffee house (diegetic as the waitress tells her boss to turn it up) juxtaposes with  the negative attitude and words of the man in the wheelchair, due to the fact the music is jolly and in the Christmas spirit. This shows that disabled people often have a negative look on life because of the situation they are in and how they feel about it. 

"This disease is winning" is then followed by silence from his brother, probably because he doesn't know how to react or what to say to makes things better. Silence also creates tension within the scene, due to the fact there was no non-diegetic music to accompany the conversation. When Eli has collapsed we see the man in the wheelchair helps by phoning the ambulance, and this contradicts the stereotype that disabled people are useless. He also tells a bystander to fetch some blankets or coats to keep Eli warm, which shows he is smart and knows what to do in situations like these. 

When Eli falls we also hear a shout from the concerned waitress who is also friends with him. This contrasts with the past scenes in which Eli has fallen, due to the girls stealing his tinsel and the hooded bikers laughing at him. This shows that it is important for people with a disability to have people who love them around, as it creates a positive impact on their life. 

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UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/ PRODUCTIONS

• Universal Studios (also known as Universal Pictures), is an American motion picture studio, owned by Comcast, and one of the six major movie studios. It is one of the longest-lived motion picture studios to be located outside of Hollywood. 

• Founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, and Jules Brulatour, it is the oldest movie studio in the United States of America.

• The company also owns and distributes the libraries of: Five Alfred Hitchcock features originally released by Paramount, Walter Lantz Productions, Smallfilms, Focus Features' ancestors USA Films, October Films, and the 1996–1999 films by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. 

• Through subsidiary NBCUniversal Television Distribution, it owns almost all TV shows and miniseries Universal and MCA made, Almost all the pre-1950 sound features originally made by Paramount Pictures,Much of the post-1973 library of NBC's shows and made-for-TV movies. 

• Via its 50% stake in StudioCanal, Universal part owns its library which consists of films (and TV Series) made by: Carolco Pictures (apart from films distributed by MGM, Warner Brothers and Universal itself), De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, Embassy Pictures (apart from films made with Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, ITC and Nepenthe Productions, along with all its television library), Alexander Salkind Productions (except films that are part of the Superman Film Series), Ealing Studios (incorporating the film library of Associated Talking Pictures), EMI Films (incorporating the film libraries of Associated British Picture Corporation, British International Pictures and British National Studios), Associated British Corporation (ABC) (including ABC shows made for Thames Television), British Lion Films (1919-1976 films only) and Anglo-Amalgamated.However Universal only owns rights to distribute the StudioCanal library in Australia, New Zealand and other areas outside North America, with StudioCanal itself distributing it in UK, Ireland, France and Germany. 

Theatrical and Television Distribution: 

• CBS Television Studios and Paramount Pictures (Carolco Pictures and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group) 
• MGM (Embassy Pictures) 
• Lionsgate (Alexander Salkind Productions, Ealing Studios, EMI Films, ABC, British Lion Films and Anglo-Amalgamated)

Internet Distribution: 

• Lionsgate (Embassy Pictures, Carolco Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, Alexander Salkind Productions, Ealing Studios, EMI Films, ABC, British Lion Films and Anglo-Amalgamated) 

Home Entertainment Distribution: 

• MGM (Embassy Pictures) 
• Lionsgate (Carolco Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, Alexander Salkind Productions, Ealing Studios, EMI Films, ABC, British Lion Films and Anglo-Amalgamate.

• Some of their most recent film distributions include Snow White and the Huntsman, Ted, The Bourne Legacy and Pitch Perfect. 

• Website: http://www.universalpictures.com/ 
• Website: http://www.universalstudios.com/

• Albert Dorskind had envisioned a theme park and film studio in Hollywood, California. He convinced Lew Wasserman, the Chairman of the MCA, to invest $4-million in developing this particular theme that focused on Universal Motion Pictures. After numerous improvements, a branch of Universal Studios opened in Los Angeles County, California in 1964. The entertainment value it brought to the city gave an up rise to its slogan "The Entertainment Capital of LA." Since it embodies a film studio theme park, there are a lot of motion picture themes incorporated. Some films include Shrek in 4-D and Terminator 2 in 3-D. Themes from movies and television shows are integrated into the rides like The Simpsons Ride, Jurassic Park The Ride, and Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride. In April 2012, the highly anticipated Transformers: The Ride-3D was opened to the public in the theme park and is based on the hit film series Transformers.The theme park has live shows including The Special Effects Stage and Water World. It also has a carnival fun house called House of Horrors and most importantly, a studio tour that shows clips of popular movies like Jaws, Fast and the Furious, King Kong 3-D. Universal Studios Hollywood has a CityWalk which offers visitors numerous dining and shopping places

WARP FILMS

• Warp Films was established by Warp Records founding partners Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett. It was initially created with financial support from NESTA ( National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and had a remit to produce a number of short films

• After the death of Rob Mitchell in 2001, Beckett decided to continue with Warp Films and enlisted the expertise of Sheffield friend Mark Herbert to run the company.

• The first film, Chris Morris' My Wrongs#8245-8249 & 117, was shot in 2002. It won the award for Best Short Film at the 2003 BAFTA Film Awards and became the first short film DVD single in the UK market.

• Warp Films breakout success came with Shane Meadows’ This Is England, the story of Shaun, a boy who is adopted by a local skinhead gang after his father is killed in the Falklands war. Since its release in early 2007 it has gained many awards including the Best Film at the British Independent Films Awards, the Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival and Best British Film at the BAFTAs. At the same ceremony, Warp Films received its third BAFTA as Paddy Considine’s directorial debut Dog Altogether won the Best Short Film award

• Three months after This Is England was released in cinemas, Warp's third feature film, Grow Your Own, was released by Pathe. The film was Warp's first collaboration with BBC Films. The film was directed by Richard Laxton and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Carl Hunter, developed from stories Carl had uncovered in his documentary work about the travails of immigrants. Produced by Barry Ryan for Warp Films, Luke Alkin for BBC Films and Carl Hunter for Art in Action.

•  Warp X was formally set up as Warp Xin 2005 as a low-budget digital ‘studio’ to develop and produce films with focus on new talent and commercial potential.

• In 2010, Warp Films produced Chris Morris’ debut feature Four Lions, a satirical comedy drama following a group of homegrown Islamic terrorists from Sheffield, England. The film was a critical and box office success, achieving impressive numbers at the box office on its opening weekend, generating the highest site average of all the new releases (£5,292) and making a total of £609,000. As of 8 August 2010, Four Lions grossed £2,932,366 at the UK box office. The film was nominated for two BAFTA awards; it won the ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer’ BAFTA award for Chris Morris.

• During Richard Ayoade’s debut feature Submarine starring Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010^, and was released in the UK during March 2011 by Optimum Releasing. It was distributed in the US by The Weinstein Company. The film was met with high critical acclaim, and featured original songs by Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turner, in his first effort as a solo artist. Submarine has won many awards worldwide, including the Best Screenplay award at the 2011 British Independent Film Awards. Richard Ayoade was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 65th British Academy Film Awards.

• Warp Films 2010 television production for Channel 4, Shane Meadows' This Is England '86, was a continuation from the 2006 film. It aired over four weekly episodes and received numerous plaudits, including a BAFTA award for leading actress Vicky McClure. It achieved record viewing figures for Channel 4

• Warp X production Kill List was released in the UK on 28 August 2011. Directed by Ben Wheatley, It has gone on to win several awards internationally, including a British Independent Film Award for supporting actor Michael Smiley. Kill List has received strong critical acclaim, with Total Film declaring it ‘Outstanding’ and giving a 5 star rating. 

• Warp Films / Warp X productions, Tyrannosaur, Kill List and Submarine were nominated for a total of 18 awards at the 2011 British Independent Film Awards. 

• Other notable productions: The Midnight Beast on E4 and The Minor Character on Sky (featuring David Tennant)

Cranford Essay

Class and status within this clip is clear to see, because of the contrast between characters, what they wear, and which location they belong in.
It is easiest to see within the Mise En Scene as the clothing of the characters differs depending on their class. Harry, a lower class child, is wearing scruffy clothes, and when a two shot between him and Mr Carter occurs, their outfits juxtapose due to the rich, formal outfit of the higher class sir. 

Low key lighting is used at the beginning of the clip around Harry, to emphasize his unhappy state, due to the fact they are poor. The contrast between the shack and the manor is shown through the master shots; the shack covered with foliage versus the manor surrounded by by space to show its size. The interior of the shack is bare and the dialogue is the focus, not the interior , whereas in the office, the master shot emphasizes its status. 

Harry looks onto the house through the trees, as the house is shrouded by branches. This shows he isn't supposed to be there due to the fact he doesn't fit in with the location, as he belongs in the small, dark, broken shack. When Harry sneaks up to the greenhouse, a shot from inside the greenhouse is used to show he is looking in. This reverse style shot is used to show he is an outsider and doesn't belong inside the wealthy establishment. 

There is also a  contrast between Harry's mother and the Ladies of the Manor who sit in horse and carriages. Harry's mother barely says a word whereas the ladies in carriages are quite vocal and loud with laughter and happiness. This gives the impression that people of a lower class are generally unhappier due to the fact they don't have a satisfying life; whereas richer people enjoy life because they are wealthy and of a higher social status. 

Sound is also key in this clip as the dialogue also represents the divide between lower and higher classes. 'Appy birthday 'Arry' shows the informality and lack of pronunciation within the lower class father's speech, indicating lack of education and schooling. Whereas the well spoken Lady of the Manor indicates wealthier people tend to speak in a posh way in comparison to the lower class characters. A diegetic door squeak is also heard, which shows the poor conditions they live in, and they don't have any money to fix the door or make their house more homely. The diegetic rustling and bird sounds add the the fact they live in a secluded area, symbolizing the fact they are the only poor characters around, as the Manor is full of posh, well respected people. 

No non-diegetic music is played when we are inside the poorer household, to focus on the dialogue and action of the characters. It also creates a sad, depressing atmosphere as it is paralleled to the dark, low-key lighting of the scene. However, when we are inside the greenhouse with Harry, exotic and high-pitched music is heard to show how unusual it is for him to be there, as it isn't his natural scenery. The non-diegetic music then continues to be happy when the marquee is being assembled, and this indicates Harry is happier having a job for a well respected household. 

Throughout the clip, Harry looks up to everyone and low-angled camera shots are used to show what little status he has is the world. High-angled shots are used when focusing on Harry's father, as in the household he has the power. Shot/reverse shots are used during their conversation to emphasize what they are saying and their reactions to the topic of the conversation. 
When Harry is in the Office, different levels are used to show the difference in status, as Harry is sat in the chair and Mr Carter is stood up, towering over him; although not in a condescending way as the audience gets the impression he feels sorry of the boy, as he gives him bread and a drink. 

Cranford - Class and Status

Mise en scene:

Harry
scruffy clothes
dark small house
bare feet
low key lighting

Mr Carter
expensive boots
cane
nice office

Lady of manor
white extravagant dress

Ladies in carriages
curled hair, expensive dresses

Man on horse

ladies all cooing to him
top hat
people have heard of himrespectable 

The mise-en-scene in this clip reveals a contrast between rich and poor people. The poor people are seen to be living in the forest and wear dark, scruffy clothes. In contrast to this, the rich are dressed in higher class clothing. Focusing on Harry and the older man, he is shown to be a lower-class boy with little knowledge and no formal schooling. The dark, dingy lighting juxtaposes with the older man, who has clean and sophisticated clothes. The older man, Mr Carter, pays the boy and as the boy eats the bread in the office, he is seen to be sympathetic towards Harry.

Sound:

birds and rustling in the woods
poor family live out of the way
dialogue 'Appy birthday 'Arry' indicates non RP speech
door squeaks = run down cottage

heavy depressing music
music when dad rises indicated he hold the power
when no dialogue, indicates depressing
music when boy giddy= emotional

horses and well spoken Lady of the manor indicate wealth

music upbeat when work commences on marquee


When we are first introduced to Harry, non-diegetic sound is heavy and depressing, this represents the class of the boy, showing that he does not have a happy or fulfilling life at this young age. The door squeaking when he arrives home indicates that his family do not have a wealthy lifestyle.
When the boy enters the greenhouse, the music is of a higher pitch which could indicate the higher status of the owners of the greenhouse.
The viewer is then introduced to the sound of heavy footsteps giving us the impression that someone of higher status is approaching and this creates tension.


Camera:

can't see the house in full view, hidden by trees shows Harry shouldn't be there
camera moves with and focuses on Harry, shows he's important,
over the shoulder shot of father telling Harry off
camera shows Harry looking up to all characters
mid/long shot of cramped room
zooms in on boots, showing how grateful he is for them
mid shot of Harry alone in dark
house is surrounded by leaves and shot through the window shows he is an outsider
Mr Carter's boots juxtapose with Harry shoes
two shot shows the differences between the two
high angle of Mr Carter shows his status
Lady on steps = status
master shot of doctor on horse implies he is important

In this clip, the camera angles show class and status in a variety of ways. The juxtaposition of the shack and the manor is shown through the master shots; the shack covered with foliage versus the manor surrounded by by space to show its size. The interior of the shack is bare and the dialogue is the focus, not the interior , whereas in the office, the master shot emphasizes its status. A two shot of the pair shows the clear differences in class and status. The camera follows the work of the outdoor workers to show manual labour compared to the lords and ladies in the carriages who are doing nothing to prepare for the event. 

Editing:

The editing in this clip is continuity editing to create a sense of realism. The conversation between Harry and his father is carried out using shot reverse shots which illustrates the father's harsh reaction to his son wanting to learn. 

The cutting between the shack, the greenhouse and the manor activities reveals how the class of the characters is closely connected to the locations where they live or work. Many uses of eyeline match and point of view shots are used when the focus in on Harry, indicating that he likes the boots and longs for the bunch of grapes but restrains himself; he is accustomed at the young age of ten to accept disappointment.