Friday 15 March 2013
Tuesday 12 March 2013
12 March - Blog update - Music sources
Editing is moving on swiftly, and we are all extremely happy with the results of our hard work. Our film is effectively finished and could be uploaded now, but as we still have some time left we are just adding in some additional features including some extra sound effects which will hopefully be recognised by the examiner. This blog post is also to recognise our background music sources:
These are both free and un-copyrighted so we are legally able to use them in our film. After considering GarageBand, we believed our film would be more professional after researching some music, as what we were producing was very limited in representing our theme. Nonetheless, the music used fits perfectly with what we are trying to portray with the violins used being similar to what the viewers would expect in a foreign country, transporting the viewer to an exotic, unfamiliar environment linking to our film where the viewers are taken to a underworld gang life, equally as unnerving.
Wednesday 6 March 2013
6th March - Blog update
We have almost finished our final film and so we WILL meet the final deadline. We just need to add a few more titles and some background music through iMovie and then we will upload the film.
After losing all our material and having to transfer it onto another computer we starting worrying about meeting the deadline but we have all put in lots of our own time to make sure we meet the deadline and that we are happy with our film.
Recently we have done some filming, including a final scene where it shows the protagonist character saved which we placed in to make sure we were close to meeting the 5 minute short film requirement.
And also we have all assigned ourselves certain positions to make sure we are organised and that we will complete our film with Oli on title sequences, Me on the music and Ed focused on touching up the project.
After losing all our material and having to transfer it onto another computer we starting worrying about meeting the deadline but we have all put in lots of our own time to make sure we meet the deadline and that we are happy with our film.
Recently we have done some filming, including a final scene where it shows the protagonist character saved which we placed in to make sure we were close to meeting the 5 minute short film requirement.
And also we have all assigned ourselves certain positions to make sure we are organised and that we will complete our film with Oli on title sequences, Me on the music and Ed focused on touching up the project.
 |
| Oli just making some adjustments to our film. |
Friday 1 March 2013
Magazine Review
Reviews of films are presented in both magazine and online formats, helping to engage the reader and ultimately audience that may watch the film being reviewed. But everything a reviewer has to consider before writing falls under certain sub-headings including:
I noticed not all the magazine reviews were not the same, and they seemed to differ on size and the amount of reviewing space for each movie. But they all contained certain characteristics that I will replicate for my review. Certain reviews contained certain benefits and I will link all those benefits into one review.
Research on an Empire magazine review - focusing on writing style and what to include when writing the review. - The Hobbit
Before I start writing my review, research is vital to understand how to write a movie review in the best manner. When writing for a magazine, the readership will be people who have bought them magazine for entertainment purposes, to gain information or both. So that is what I am going to include in my review. I will be entertaining and informal with my writing style, but also include material reviewing the film. I want to engage the reader and provide them with enjoyment but also inform them with the reason they are reading the review.
I copied a review from www.empireonline.com/ of The Hobbit and have picked out certain points that I am going to replicate.
These include:
The Dominant Commodity
Plot
Two characters (Smith and Rose) find themselves in a sticky situation after robbing a high profile terrorist group. While one takes it in his stride, the other fears their capture, with the plot taking the audience through this tense situation and its results. Is there any reasoning for the characters fear of this group? Or will it be impossible to escape their punishment?
Review
“They are going to find us,” (Alex Rose) tells his partner in crime at the start of the short film. This is perhaps just the start of what the reader are expecting, allowing this petty crime robbery to lead both characters into the real world, dealing with real crime. All three directors, Rose, Smith and Trinh have obviously formed the plot ingeniously taking the reader through the eyes of this gang underworld with both its smooth editing and precise camera work emphasising that this world is not too far from our own.
It is hard to relate this film to any other, a short film but with a confusing yet thrilling twist may be a controversial to some but packs a mighty punch. The film is a one off, having little emphasis on individual characters but focusing mainly on the plot and its chaotic development with the two characters that initiated its events, unnamed emphasising what little effect they have upon those of a higher class (even if it is still in the gang world).
Yet these positives, are counteracted with the negatives of the slowly paced action that is involved through the torture scene. The audience in the following scene were in a fast cutaway with the editing and camera work adding to this effect and then they are immediately taken to a contrasting scene. Some may see this a real victory for Rose and his team, yet personally for me I believed it was just too confusing. Although I do respect how much time the lads had to film and also the length of it, so in that respect for what they had it was as good as it gets.
Even so, all the scenes from its starting safe house to ending basement provides the viewer with stereotypes helping them to almost feel as if they were in the film. The protagonist (Smith) character provides an interpretation which few have seen before of being inside the terrorist strong hold and seeing their dirty work at close quarters. This perhaps links to the current affairs constantly featured around the world, not just in the expected stereotyped middle east but also everywhere on the planet where crime and its terrorist enterprise has a corrupt rising that is sadly unstoppable. But do not expect this to run quite so smoothly as you hope, its five minute maximum filming time has left out a key focus on what the viewer really wants to see including more on the torture character (Oliver Trinh) and also the initial partner to the protagonist (the famous Rose’s unbeatable talent seems wasted).
Still, with this quick storyline we are not left disappointed with what we are provided with, understanding thoroughly the nature of all the characters and the position they are in. This is not a petty crime raid as what the audience expects when they first see these initial two characters. It eventually leads to a bloodbath of gun shots and hostages; something that would not have been expected. Some have suggested that they would have preferred and on-going unprofessional crime scene with more of an equal crime hierarchy providing more of a chance for the underdogs, but I think Team Rose has managed to pull this off spectacularly with its cinematic touches and music creating the experience that I have long waited for in a film.
A place of critical review of the short film is why did these petty criminals deal with (or more like rob) these extreme killers? What got into their heads and what precisely were they thinking? Well all I can say to these critics is if you do not have the insight of basic imagination then you should not be in a position to watch a film where imagination is the key. It makes the film enjoyable when you are left questioning from the start to end whether the decisions made are successful and it places emphasis on what exactly do people think when they are doing something at the time. Who originally has a plan for everything they do? Well the answer is, nobody. Even these amateur directors had little idea of what they were going to produce.
The chief character played by the magnificent Ed Smith helps make the film. He is argued to be the films strongest with his acting skills matching up to Hollywood’s finest. His facial expressions and amazingly produced dialogue ( not forgetting his fine looks) has a unique character presence than any other. His cheeky naivety helps lead to his downfall but we can not blame him for wanting to be wealthy stating something that the audience can relate to, ‘We’ll be fine’. Although the film takes the audience on an adventure through the decrepit underworld of gang life and terrorism, Smith still keeps his cool and makes the audience realise that we are not so different.
The most spectacular moment would be rapid chaotic movement away from the safe house and into the vast surrounding fields. The effortless smooth movement from the POV of the protagonist character is featured in such a way where the viewers are left in an ore of escaping from the terrorists. It really brings into context the lack of planning of the whole operation when leaving through a window is the only available exit for the characters. Yet this shows clearly that these two characters can deal with any working environment and highlighting how Edward Smith and Alex Rose are at the height of their film career.
A final note to mention would be the interesting editing undergone be Team Rose. An obviously time consuming effort may have gone unnoticed by the lack of lighting effects due to the flash back when it is in black and white. May be this is just so the audience can understand the situation, that this scene has already happened (similar to Casino Royale) or may be this loses the films cinematic realism as it distances us from the colours we know and makes it obvious that this was just created post-filming. This is just something to consider when viewing the short film.
Verdict
The film sees a final examination of the crime world which is almost forgotten in present cinema. Rather than crime vs. the innocent it is crime vs. crime providing a different yet thrilling experience. A final conclusion can be directed around one of Rose’s famous quotes, ‘A film can only be described as ‘great’ by those who understand the capability of a great film’. There is definitely potential here and maybe, just maybe I can describe it as ‘great’.
- Layout
- Style of writing I.e formal, informal
- To take an objective stance or a more subjective one
I noticed not all the magazine reviews were not the same, and they seemed to differ on size and the amount of reviewing space for each movie. But they all contained certain characteristics that I will replicate for my review. Certain reviews contained certain benefits and I will link all those benefits into one review.
Research on an Empire magazine review - focusing on writing style and what to include when writing the review. - The Hobbit
Before I start writing my review, research is vital to understand how to write a movie review in the best manner. When writing for a magazine, the readership will be people who have bought them magazine for entertainment purposes, to gain information or both. So that is what I am going to include in my review. I will be entertaining and informal with my writing style, but also include material reviewing the film. I want to engage the reader and provide them with enjoyment but also inform them with the reason they are reading the review.
I copied a review from www.empireonline.com/ of The Hobbit and have picked out certain points that I am going to replicate.
These include:
The Dominant Commodity
Plot
Two characters (Smith and Rose) find themselves in a sticky situation after robbing a high profile terrorist group. While one takes it in his stride, the other fears their capture, with the plot taking the audience through this tense situation and its results. Is there any reasoning for the characters fear of this group? Or will it be impossible to escape their punishment?
Review
“They are going to find us,” (Alex Rose) tells his partner in crime at the start of the short film. This is perhaps just the start of what the reader are expecting, allowing this petty crime robbery to lead both characters into the real world, dealing with real crime. All three directors, Rose, Smith and Trinh have obviously formed the plot ingeniously taking the reader through the eyes of this gang underworld with both its smooth editing and precise camera work emphasising that this world is not too far from our own.
It is hard to relate this film to any other, a short film but with a confusing yet thrilling twist may be a controversial to some but packs a mighty punch. The film is a one off, having little emphasis on individual characters but focusing mainly on the plot and its chaotic development with the two characters that initiated its events, unnamed emphasising what little effect they have upon those of a higher class (even if it is still in the gang world).
Yet these positives, are counteracted with the negatives of the slowly paced action that is involved through the torture scene. The audience in the following scene were in a fast cutaway with the editing and camera work adding to this effect and then they are immediately taken to a contrasting scene. Some may see this a real victory for Rose and his team, yet personally for me I believed it was just too confusing. Although I do respect how much time the lads had to film and also the length of it, so in that respect for what they had it was as good as it gets.
Even so, all the scenes from its starting safe house to ending basement provides the viewer with stereotypes helping them to almost feel as if they were in the film. The protagonist (Smith) character provides an interpretation which few have seen before of being inside the terrorist strong hold and seeing their dirty work at close quarters. This perhaps links to the current affairs constantly featured around the world, not just in the expected stereotyped middle east but also everywhere on the planet where crime and its terrorist enterprise has a corrupt rising that is sadly unstoppable. But do not expect this to run quite so smoothly as you hope, its five minute maximum filming time has left out a key focus on what the viewer really wants to see including more on the torture character (Oliver Trinh) and also the initial partner to the protagonist (the famous Rose’s unbeatable talent seems wasted).
Still, with this quick storyline we are not left disappointed with what we are provided with, understanding thoroughly the nature of all the characters and the position they are in. This is not a petty crime raid as what the audience expects when they first see these initial two characters. It eventually leads to a bloodbath of gun shots and hostages; something that would not have been expected. Some have suggested that they would have preferred and on-going unprofessional crime scene with more of an equal crime hierarchy providing more of a chance for the underdogs, but I think Team Rose has managed to pull this off spectacularly with its cinematic touches and music creating the experience that I have long waited for in a film.
A place of critical review of the short film is why did these petty criminals deal with (or more like rob) these extreme killers? What got into their heads and what precisely were they thinking? Well all I can say to these critics is if you do not have the insight of basic imagination then you should not be in a position to watch a film where imagination is the key. It makes the film enjoyable when you are left questioning from the start to end whether the decisions made are successful and it places emphasis on what exactly do people think when they are doing something at the time. Who originally has a plan for everything they do? Well the answer is, nobody. Even these amateur directors had little idea of what they were going to produce.
The chief character played by the magnificent Ed Smith helps make the film. He is argued to be the films strongest with his acting skills matching up to Hollywood’s finest. His facial expressions and amazingly produced dialogue ( not forgetting his fine looks) has a unique character presence than any other. His cheeky naivety helps lead to his downfall but we can not blame him for wanting to be wealthy stating something that the audience can relate to, ‘We’ll be fine’. Although the film takes the audience on an adventure through the decrepit underworld of gang life and terrorism, Smith still keeps his cool and makes the audience realise that we are not so different.
The most spectacular moment would be rapid chaotic movement away from the safe house and into the vast surrounding fields. The effortless smooth movement from the POV of the protagonist character is featured in such a way where the viewers are left in an ore of escaping from the terrorists. It really brings into context the lack of planning of the whole operation when leaving through a window is the only available exit for the characters. Yet this shows clearly that these two characters can deal with any working environment and highlighting how Edward Smith and Alex Rose are at the height of their film career.
A final note to mention would be the interesting editing undergone be Team Rose. An obviously time consuming effort may have gone unnoticed by the lack of lighting effects due to the flash back when it is in black and white. May be this is just so the audience can understand the situation, that this scene has already happened (similar to Casino Royale) or may be this loses the films cinematic realism as it distances us from the colours we know and makes it obvious that this was just created post-filming. This is just something to consider when viewing the short film.
Verdict
The film sees a final examination of the crime world which is almost forgotten in present cinema. Rather than crime vs. the innocent it is crime vs. crime providing a different yet thrilling experience. A final conclusion can be directed around one of Rose’s famous quotes, ‘A film can only be described as ‘great’ by those who understand the capability of a great film’. There is definitely potential here and maybe, just maybe I can describe it as ‘great’.
FINAL REVIEW WITH LAYOUT
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