CONSTRUCTION: LOCATION RECCE

This scene consists of Aaron reading a newspaper outside a coffee shop on the high street. He is following The Ghosts movement and changing location.

Previously to filming my group and I made a trip to the location of the scene on Esher High Street to check whether filming this scene would be appropriate, fit our vision of filming and also make us aware of how the scene would look like visually both in the construction stages as well as what it may look like against other scenes when being edited. 

 

We agreed that prior to filming the location had to be near empty as it we didn't want any disturbances such as members of the public being in shot without permission. We wanted the high street to be a vast size with day light visible so Aaron is clear and visible to audience. We also agreed that the traffic had to be minimal so the noise doesn't impact the shots captured.

 

 

 

PLANNING: CALL SHEET #9

I was set the task to organize the call sheets throughout our filming and construction process. I have typed up the Call Sheets including the date of the shoot, location (with a map to help people know the route to travel to the location), crew to be attending the shoot with contact details, equipment used further promoting people to remember to bring the camera, tripod and lights home from the Media Studies studios as well as props and costume to wear. By completing a call sheet this will make myself and my group organized for future shoots so we don't miss deadlines.

FEEDBACK: SOCIAL MEDIA

I asked on social media platforms for feedback on a over the shoulder shot of Aaron taking photographs of Chris in a busy High Street. Asking for feedback will allow us to have a better understanding on what our audience likes and dislikes (to improve our shots); allowing us to have a high chance of producing a successful film trailer attracting audiences to come and watch the film at the exhibition stages.

As of yet, I haven't had any feedback given, however Diana Bradford, 53, Surrey who doesn't have Instagram or Twitter commented saying "I like the light in front of Chris highlighting the busy street. I also like the fact that Aaron has his back to the camera creating a sinister, dark atmosphere. Well done!".

I posted this on Instagram and interconnected with Twitter allowing me to have a variety of feedback from people of different ages, genders and locations in the world.

EVALUATION: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY'S PLACE IN THE FILM MARKET

I read Mark Kermode's summary article, published in the Guardian newspaper, on the best films of 2015, summarising the audience admissions of Hollywood blockbusters, franchises and superhero films of 2015. The most successful feature of 2015 cinema includes strong, feisty female protagonist driven storylines covering women's issues, in films such as Brooklyn (John Crowley, 2015), Inside Out (Peter Docter, 2015) and Girlhood (Celine Sciamma, 2015). This was a feature that I noticed having a strong relation to my own film trailer: a strong, female lead and storyline.

My film trailer of A Question Of Identity is slick, fast-paced and gripping creating suspense and jeopardy, in turn attracting and addressing my target audience (18+ male and females). It can compete with the current and continuing audience fascination for the high production values and slick continuity editing of Hollywood blockbusters, franchises and superhero films, due to its strong gripping, female leading storyline, high quality production values and relevant storyline to the current affairs of migration in Europe.

Due to my film trailer being a small scale, independent production it is far less likely for it to be exhibited at the cinema; bypassing traditional cinema release or having simultaneous release, as Netflix did with Beasts of the Nation. Smaller, independent productions use a range of media platforms, such as official Instagram pages, official Twitter pages, official Facebook pages and an independently made and managed website to raise awareness of the production. These platforms then provide their target audience with the means to view the film streaming it via YouTube, Vimeo or hyperlinking the audience to a page where they can buy individual copies of the production. Ben Wheatley’s ground-breaking A Field in England, released simultaneously across a range of platforms (free-to-air TV, video-on-demand, DVD, cinemas) “enabling viewers to decide how, where and when to view the film”. I intend on following this trend when releasing my film's trailer in the cinema, on YouTube, Vimeo and social media platforms, allowing my target audience to view my film trailer both at home, on the move or at the cinema. Kermode advocates that this trend is going be continued into the future. Ultimately this creates synergy between parts of a film, like mine, package of interconnecting social media platforms; available on both computers, smartphones and iPads. Viewing productions on different pieces of hardware is a common choice for audiences as viewing productions at the cinema is cost prohibitive and time consuming compared to a quick, high definition computer, smartphone or iPads screen; in turn giving 21st Century audiences' this option presents them with choice.

For Kermode, the steady presence of women in film has been a trend in 2015. Biopic Amy focusing on Amy Winehouse's rise to stardom in the early 2000s earned over £2million at the Box Office in 2015; becoming the highest grossing British-made documentary in UK cinemas. Suffragette was a high grossing film at the Box Office in 2015 covering historical women's issues, featuring a near all female cast including Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter and Carey Mulligan, and an all female production team; enforcing that film in 2015 was a year of female domination. Films as diverse as Bill Pohlad’s Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy, Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre, and Kornél Mundruczó’s White God were all successful, however they were edged out by Todd Haynes’s Carol and John Crowley’s quietly powerful Brooklyn starring Academy Award winning actress, Saoirse Ronan and Julie Walters. Like Suffragette,  A Question Of Identity has a near all female production team and has strong, female principle cast members, establishing that the majority of our audience will be female viewers.

According to Kermode, as well as blockbusters, franchises and superhero films, independent/ arthouse cinema also played a key role in the success of film in 2015. Thanks to Kodak 35 mm film stock can be saved so independent film makers can upload their footage onto present technologies, making consumers producers including popular YouTuber and HBO film maker Casey Neistat who has gained nearly 2 million subscribers in the 6 years he has had a YouTube account. Trends such as animation: more than other area of movie-making, animation demonstrates how the old and the new/past and future, can co-exist - Inside Out was a success at the Box Office in 2015 grossing nearly £14.5 million. Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep finding a firm foothold in the multiplexes, Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea taking inspiration from the hand-crafted 2D artistry of Ghibli , and Laika studios continuing to blur the line between the physical and the digital with scrungy delights like The Boxtrolls, it’s hard to remember a time when ancient skills and newfangled advances were so intertwined.

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - AARON

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

Marcus hot seated Aaron (herself). I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character Aaron is portrayed in the film trailer as an average, stereotypical boy who is around 18 years old. He is protective of his sister Sydney, however begins to question how and why Sydney has managed to earn vast amounts of money; for example he sees her carrying in an array of expensive, high end brand bags such as Links of London, Harrods and Jaeger. He is protective of his sisters welfare and his questioning of her 'whereabouts', difference in appearance and difference in expenditure. This prompts him to try and avenge Sydney's killer and strongly wants to bring her to justice. 

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked: 

1. How are you coping with the death of your sister?
2. Have you ever been suspicious of the fact that had been hiding things from you?
3. Did you have a strong bond with your sister?

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - FEMALE MIGRANT

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

I hot seated the Female Migrant (myself). I play the Female Migrant. I prepared for the hot seating challenge by getting in character and imagining how I would react or the thoughts I would have if I was a migrant in a new country seeking a home and support. I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character the Female Refugee is portrayed in the film trailer as a caring, sympathetic and emotional woman who is extremely protective of her husband; who is equally as protective, caring and thoughtful towards her as well. She has vacated and escaped her home country because she and her husband feared persecution based on their race, place in society, religion, minority (or social group); all of which was accumulated and exasperated due to a civil war making their home hostile, unsafe and a danger.

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked me: 

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - SYDNEY

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

Demi hot seated Sydney (herself). I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character Sydney is portrayed in the film trailer as a girl who has been heavily influenced by her gaining of vast amounts of money illegally through the trafficking of refugees to the United Kingdom by selling illegal passports. As a result of getting involved in 'underground' gangs of criminals making illegal passports and selling them on for vast amounts of money she has gained a mentality and ego of an older, experienced woman; a huge change to a regular 19 year old female. She flouts the stereotype of a 19 year old drastically through her the way she dresses, her ego, advanced mentality and the lifestyle she has. She wears expensive brands and high quality diamond jewellery that she has bought from earning huge amounts of money illegally.

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked: 

1. Do you have any fears?
2. Do you have any secrets?
3. What would you say your skills are?
4. Do you have any hobbies?
5. Did your parents death affect you?
6. Who do you hang around with? Good or bad influences?