Production: Story

The year is 2072. The majority of civilians of earth have been moved in colonies across 12 different quadrants of the Milky Way. They were moved during the great rebal uprising of 2045, 29 years after world war 3, (which marked the end of individual government systems in each country). The Rebels disagreed with the WLE's (world legislation enforcers) new cloning scheme; to have 1 clone per capita of the population so people could rest more, therefore work more productively when in action. However, some people abused the power of practucally having a slave. That is why a band of Rebels tried to over run the WLE. In 2061 the Rebels went to war with the WLE and were defeated magnificently. The Rebels were rounded up into death camps and killed within 24 hours of capture. Being a supporter of this group is therefore illegal. But 11 years have passed and to the remaining population of earth, sits in the back of their heads as a faint reminder of the strict, ruthless regime they live under.

The future to us is similar to the world we live today due to WW3 completely stopping production of fresh, new, groundbreaking recorces and technology; (although a branch of the WLE called NORTH STAR had been developing type 23 decomposing monopropellant multi-passenger shuttle for quadrant travel as well as nuclear warheads for future purposes). The majority of people left on earth live in London and major cities around the world. The country sides and most smaller LEDC countries have been completely deserted and abandoned, partly due to nuclear fallout. Although the world is under tight control it is still corrupt with various drug and arms gangs found all around the world.

This film follows the story of Alistair Barnes who is clone/slave to Sebastian Shawcross: a rebel disguised as a class 2 WLE London representative who is set on destroying the entire earth along with all its citizens to finally bring down the WLE so he can bring his own law and order to the Galaxy. To do this he needs the plans of a weapon so deadly it was hidden somewhere in earth by its designer Irving Hans Goldschmidt (CEO at NORTH STAR) who tried to flee to quadrant 7 but was accused of being a rebal and was sentenced to death. To find the plans he sends his clone, Alistair to find them. Shawcross believes Barnes is the best man for this job as he used to be a ruthless Metropolitan Guerrilla (the WLEs death squad/police) who was praised for his abilities of finding small rebal groups and executing them in unconventional yet civilised natures. Although this sounds like a completely unfair and unjust system, Metropolitian Guerrillas were fair and treated everyone equally (until evidence was filed against them of course) at the end of the day it was a job, and Alistair only did it because he was conforming to his social role. Near the end of the war received shrapnel from a homemade explosive to damage his head which caused bleeding in the temporal lobe. Because of this he lost all his long term memory and woke up 72 hours later with his owner Shawcross in his 10 bedroom mansion. However Alistair was not treated as a guest but more of a prisoner. To get in the WLE's good books, Shawcross used Alistair as a bounty hunter to elinate suspected Rebels and to collect information from rats scattered across the world. Alistair lost his name but instead was given the title, "The people's huntsman" or just "Huntsman". From then on he has been searching for the plans of the so called "End" bomb.

The film itself is about internal conflict and the stuggle between good and evil. It also shows the different view points of people and individuals ideologies. Shawcross is doing an evil thing but to him it's the right thing to do. This is understandable as the WLE are a dictatorship lead by the richest people in the galaxy and abuse their powers for their own benefit. The clip I will make will show Alistair find the plans but try to make the internal decision of handing them over or destroying them and running away. If he hands them over he'll die when the bomb goes off, if he doesn't he'll have Shawcross with the entire wrath of the WLE looking for him and will indefinitely destroy him.

Actors and Directors

Independent actors:

Lots of well know mainstream actors have independent films to thank for their rise to stardom. Take the 2008 indie film "The Hurt Locker". Jeremy Renner who was the main character was barely heard of before the film came out, but due to the overall success of the film he was nominated for both and Oscar and a BAFTA. Renner then was offered a bevy of various difference roles which he skilfully chose, such as Matt Damons replacement in the Bourne franchise, and Clint Barton (A.K.A Hawkeye) in the MARVEL cinematic universe; making himself a well know household name today.

Renner isn't the only actor who has started from indie films and made their way up to mainstream films.othe actors include: Jesse Eisenberg in "The Squid And The Whale", Ellen Page in "Juno", Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in "Good Will Hunting", Jake Gyllenhaal in "Donnie Darko", and Scarlett Johnson in "Gost World".

Of course it's not just actors that begin in the indiependant films, directors can also make there way up to the big productions. Take James June for example. He was originally a writer writting the screenplays and story's for such things as the 2002 live action Scooby Doo movie and it's 2004 sequal, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. But in 2006 started directing indie films. He first being "Slither" (2006) which was produced by Gold Cirle Films and Strike Entertainment. The second film he directed was also and idipendant film under the name of "Super" (2010) starting Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Nathan Fillion, and Kevin Bacon. This film was very stylised and unique in the way it was written an shot. So, in 2014 Gunn was Hired my MARVEL studio and Disney to direct the summer blockbuster "Guardians Of The Galaxy". This was a huge step up for him as he was now behind a $195.6 million project compared to a $2.5 million film such as "Super". In fact the film was so good it was voted #37 on IMDBs top 100 Sci Fi films of all time and won numerous awards (44) and was nominated for 2 Oscars. Gunn is set to return for writting and directing it's 2017 sequal' "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2". This is how lots of directors get talent spotted for their new, 'Indie' ideas.

The Room A.K.A my favourite film ever

The Room. 

This is one of my all time favourite films. It's a 2003 American romantic drama. What makes this film so amazing is the man behind the magic. Tommy Wiseau. He is the director, producer, writer and main star. The film was even produced by his own company, Wiseau-films. Although this seems ambitious it did not pay off. In fact this film has been voted by many audience as the worst film of all time.  I first heard about this film back in the July of 2010 through this video http://youtu.be/Tri9i3WtXLc the video points out some of the highlights of the film including the infamous "oh hi mark" scene. What makes this film bad is...well, everything really. The writing, the story, the acting, the symbolism. What u mean by symbolism is throughout the film you see pictures of spoon in frames, Wiseau recently gave the meaning behind this and frankly, it has to been seen to be believed as it makes no damn sense at all: http://youtu.be/uZ6mdxbCHI0 

In terms of money made on this film it is unknown as the DVD copy is very difficult to acquire, even buying it on,one proves to be difficult. However due to online sharing sites and YouTube its notorious fame has spread across the world. In fact due to this sudden popularity one of Wiseau's co stars, Greg Sestero, write a book called the disaster artist recalling the production of the picture. It also reveals some thrown away sub plot points such as Johnny (Wiseau himself) actually being a vampire the entire time. 

The production of this film is actually quite tragic. Wiseau wrote it as a play originally and then adapted it into a 500 page book. Unable to get it published so started his own company and produced it himself so he could gain full control over the project. You may be wondering how he raised the money to do so, well he had to import leather jackets from Korea to do so. The production of this film never ceases to amaze me. It also never cease to amaze James Franco apparently as he is currently developing an adaption of the disaster artist in which he will play Tommy Wiseau. It will also star his brother Dave Franco and Seth Rogen. 

So despite The Room being a massive failure and a complete flop, it has gained a huge cult following which only great independent films can do.

indie Prodiction Companies

Miramax:

Miramax is an high budget independent film making company. The headquarters is located in Santa Monica, California and is controlled by Bob and Harvey Weinstein. The Weinstein brothers founded the company 36 years ago back in 1979. Some films they have produced include: Sin City: A Dame To Kill for, Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas, Pulp Fiction, The Aviator and Kill Bill vol 2. In '93 it was bought by Disney for $60,000,000. Disney really changed Miramax and dramatically changed what it could release such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Dogma. As well as producing films they also distribute foreign films such as, "City Of God" and "Amélie" which both have become very popular with audiences around the world. All in all Miramax 278 Academy Award Nominations, 68 Academy awards and 4 best pictures. 

Falcon Films:

Falcon films is a very low budget independent film making company specialising in video and theatrical video distributions in the Middle East and North Africa. Unlike Miramax the headquarters is in Cairo street, Lebanon. Some of there films include Suite Française, Paris and Oliver's Deal. None of the films above are particularly well know because they're are very low budget for modern day movies, so there for the quality is poor. In fact one of their films (suit Française) was accused of being sympathetic to Nazis.  

 I would like to analyse one last company simply to examine the one film they did that made them money. The company is F.D Cinematografica and the film is titled, "Cannibal Holocaust". This film came under heavy scrutiny from US police as the scenes in the film were so gruesome the director was sent to court as it was believe he had actually murdered his cast, despite them all being fine. This resulted in the $100,000 budgeted film resulting in a $2,000,000 box office. This shows us that no matter how much money was put into making a film, if the content is quality and time and effort was spent doing it, the result will pay off. 

Independent film examples

Grand Budapest Hotel:

This indie film was released in 2014 and was directed by Wes Anderson. It had an all star cast including: Bill Murray, Adrian Brody, Edward Norton, léa Seydoux, Jude Law, Owen Wilson and Ralph Fiennes as Gustave. H. The film was produced by serval small independent company's such as American Empirical Pictures, Indian Paintbrush, Bablesberg Studios, TSG Entertainment; but was distributed by FOX searchlight Pictures. The film is about a legendary hotel concierge and his adventures through the first and Second World War in the fictional republic of Zubrowka. The picture itself won 118 adwards and was  nominated for 198 other awards. The thing that makes the film so good is that it is unique. It is filmed in such a way that is asthetically pleasing to an audience. The colours are bright, the sets are big and the camera remains still and focuses and does not involve "shaky cam". The script and screen play (also written by Anderson) are very well written it is endlessly quotable. Every single micro and macro element of he film is perfect. Personally I could watch the film over and over and you can tell the actors enjoy the roles and have fun with it.

Notes to take for this particular film include:
~Colour
~Cinematogrphy
~Script
~Story

 Birdman:

Again anouther 2014 release but directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. This stars Edward Norton, Emama Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, and Michael Keaton as Birdman. Again, like Budapest this film was produced by several company's such as Regency Enrerprises, New Regency Pictures, M Productions, TSG Entertainment and Worldwide Entertainment; the film was also distributed by FOX Searchlight Pictures. The film is based around an actor who is typecast as a superhero character he used to play, tries to gain some credibility for "respected" acting by staging a show on Broadway. The picture 167 awards and was nominated for 238 awards. What makes this film special is it's different type of cinematography. The scenes are never cut, and is if the 2hour long film is one continuous shot. Unlike Grand Budapest the colour is dark and not as bright, in fact shows Broadway as a dirty, confound, unglamorous place. Shaky cam is also extremely noticeable in the film as it help aids the audiences understanding that we are supposed to feel like we are following the actors. The main thing to take away from this is the cinematography as it is totally unique to this film.

Halloween:

This is a 1978 release directed by John Carpenter. Unlike the previous two films we've looked at the budget was significantly less. This film having $325,000 whereas films like Birdman having a budget of $18 million. It was produced by Falcon International Productions and Distributed by Compass International pictures. It also doesn't have an all star cast. But the thing that makes this film a memorable and decent independent film is the memorable character of Michael Myer/ The shape played by Nick Castle. Michael Myers is now one the most iconic horror and film character to date, with the Halloween franchise spawning many sequels, prequels and remakes. If we were to take anything a way from this film as research it is that we need a strong, memorable character that can be recognised by anyone. 

Modern Noir Photos

Noir photos:

The following Photos are based of the images below from, "The Maltese Falcon". The whole black and white style of noir really works well with suits as it is reminiscent of gangsters from the 40s/50s. a good idea would be to have a 40/50s story with costumes and dialect from that era, but set in modern days. Anyway here are the photos, the key points here are: lighting, costume and prop. *The photos have been edited with filters to add an extra layer of depth to the photo*

 

 

As you can see i've got for the classic grey/black suit with white shirt, black tie and braces. I'm really proud of the outcome of these as they do capture elements of the "Maltese Falcon".from costume, to lighting and props (cigarettes and guns). Its no so much copying, its more being influenced as a number of Noir films from the 40s such as: Double Indemnity (1944), Out of the Past (1947) and Laura (1944) as have similar styles and costumes; generally because that was the fashion back then.

Although its not a independent film i'm going to look at how it uses the noir style and genre and incorporate it into my movie. I will study costume, lighting, acting, props, and style and try and replicate it with a modern vibe to add to it.

This image shows Humphrey Bogart with the Maltese Falcon. although its not much the lighting and costume and props give it so much more character and mystery. with the costume, props, and lighting in this photo we are left asking many questions. Why is he in a suit? Whats the object hes holding? Why is it so dark?

Here are a series of photos from the film that all share similar qualities:

All very dark, all in suits. I think the darkness really adds to the mystery of the characters and scenes. and again makes you ask a number of questions such as, "Why are they only coming out at night?" I'm going to try and make my own modern noir photographs based off these images from "The Maltese Falcon".

The Logo

Independent movie production companies:

The following image shows a collection of logos from studios that are considered to be the most dominant modern independent film makers. in case you cannot see the images, the logos are (top left to top right):

STX Films

The Western Company

A24

Lionsgate

Broadgreen Pictures

Image Entertainment

Worldview

entertainmentOne

Openroad

Magnolia Picture

Troma Entertainment

IM Global

Yari Film Group

Exclusive Media

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Screen Media Films

Phase 4 Films

Film 4

Design: 

The majority of these logos follow one design similarity: they're are very generic as the follow one font and typically found in the color black. As professional as they look the repeated use of this idea has warn out in my eyes. If more companies keep to this idea they will be less easy to distinguish. Compare them to the top five major production companies: Warner Bros, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, RKO, Paramount and 20th Century FOX. *logos seen below*

Now its no lie these logos have a lot more going on, but I guess that reflects the budget they're on, and as this logo will always come on before the film (normally with some grand royal fanfare) it also shows that it is a mainstream Hollywood film. This could be why the "indie" films have a more generic look to them as it show the budget was not as big as the average Hollywood blockbuster. However, I think it is important to have a grand colorful logo as it make the company become instantly recognizable. For example, you might associate the 2006 Steve Martin Pink Panther film (this is a personal example as you can probably tell) with Metro Goldwyn Mayer [MGM]. Speaking from my 7 year old self here its not only recognizable due to the 'scary roaring lion' but to the fact in this particular film, the charter of Inspector Clouseau Hijacks the opening of the film while the logo is on screen. This is more memorable (as i remember it from 9 years ago) because of its links with the film. This is especially more memorable for a younger audience as the target audience for this particular film is young people. This can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz1msVXTWFg

Whereas a company such as Worldview Entertainment, recently made the 2015 hit film 'Birdman' Now I watched that that in the cinema THIS year and I don't remember seeing them anywhere. But we have to take into consideration that the Pink Panther (2006) is a family comedy and Birdman is Satirical black-comedy drama. Plus I would be seriously judging what kind of film I was watching if Micheal Keaton randomly popped his head out the 'O' in Worldveiw Entertainment... Although that would be quite funny...

"In the beginning..."

So this is the start of what will be the best blog anyone will ever see...

...but i don't really know how to use it so this is a test. i wonder if i can put in pictures..?

hey look i did it! this is amazing!

to be continued...