Independent, International Co-Productions and Third Cinema

An independent film is mainly produced outside the major film studio system such as Warner Bros, 21^st Century Fox and Paramount. These big studios can fund up to 50% of the film and it will still be classed as an Indy film. Usually these films are low budget and made in a short amount of time. They are normally screened at local cinemas or film festivals. They would usually consist of a well know actor to gain more publicity and advertisement.  An independent film such as “Like Crazy” (2011) won the Grand Jury prize and Special Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. Apart from having a well know actor (Anton Yelchin) this gave the film a massive boost in publicity and made their $250,000 budget look tiny in comparison to their Gross net of over $3 billion.

An international co-production is a production where 2 or more different production companies are working together. The production companies are from different countries. These are made possible by agreements between countries. They seek to achieve economic, cultural and diplomatic goals. This means that for both film makers, they can assess the benefits that are available to the local film industry. This would mean both productions can advertise the film in both countries and spread advertising. It also means the can have access to different locations and learn from one another.

Third cinema is films being made in third world (developing) countries. They usually focus on political aspects and follow issues around the countries. They are usually produced my people from or people living in the third world countries and intended audiences in these regions. 

Hush (2008)

What is the genre of Hush?
The genre Hush is a horror. We can tell this because it is really dark throughout the film with minimal lighting. There is also tension music to build suspense through the film. There is also a character that we as the audience never see their face as they always have hood up.  It could also be classed as a thriller as the suspense creates excitement for the audience.

 What production context does Hush fit into?

The production context is independent we know this because of the low budget. Their budget was estimated to be £1,000,000. We can see this through the quality of the film and the actors. The actors we not that well know other than William Ash who has starred in TV series for the BBC.

Were there any stars involved in Hush?
There was William Ash who starred in TV shows for the BBC in Waterloo Road. There was also Christine Bottomley who has also been in many TV series. Both these actors will give more publicity to the film.

How did the narrative, dialogue, characters and location relate to the production context?
The location was set in England and they were constantly talking about Manchester and the rivalry between Man City and Man united. The narrative is quite simple to make and wouldn’t need that much money to fund it. There were only 3 main locations which was the car, the service station and the yard with the lorries in.

The Relationship between Producers and Audiences

The producers of Skyfall targeted the audience mainly through advertising. They made many promos and trailers which were put on YouTube. This attracts a younger audience as its mainly young people who are on YouTube. They also used posters and cardboard cut-outs which were seen on buses, in the London Underground and in cinemas. This will focus on the general public as they will be passing by these constantly. The soundtrack was released before the film came out in the cinemas. I was by Adele and was played on all the top radio station. This would draw in a bigger female audience as Adele is a massive icon in the music industry. Some of the stars when on talk shows such as the Graham Norton show. This allows them to talk about the film so they can promote and convince the audience why they should go and see it.

A big cast such as Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes will always bring more people to watch the film. Craig is one of the most well known actors in British films and the same for Judi Dench. They will bring their fans from previous films to this one as they know they can expect a high quality film from them.

The James Bond films are very British films as it’s based around MI6 and Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The chosen location of the Premiere was the Royal Albert Hall a typical British location with the dome building and the massive theatre. The men were wearing tuxedos, which carries on the Bond theme. There was also a marching band from the military with a special guest who was Prince Charles. The producers would have chosen this mainly because it sums up James Bond and carries on the British theme, making it more desirable to see as it looks really glamorous.

Their reviews were overall positive with The Guardian and The Observer saying how well it was made. These news papers are normally read by people of an upper class, which who the producers would specifically aim their film at. It was nominated for many awards and won some a lot of them. Most of them were won for Adele’s song which gave a massive boost to the film as she represented the film at the award ceremonies. They also won some for best actor, best director and best cinematography.

The main target audience for these films would be men due to the fast cars, girls and lots of gadgets. James Bond already has a massive fan base from the previous films from the past 50 years so the producers still need to keep in mind what they expect to see from a bond movie.

Dog Soldiers

What is the genre of Dog Soldiers?
The genre was a horror due to the blood and the gore in the film. The werewolves in the film are a typical monster in a horror film. However it is an action film as well with the guns, explosions and the soldiers.

What production context does Dog Soldiers fit into?
The production context is British. The film didn’t have a high budget and we can see this through the effects that were used. The werewolves were a guy in a suit rather than a CGI. The location set to look like the Scottish highlands and the strong Scottish accents also show that it is a British production.

Were there any stars involved in Dog Soldiers?
Yes, Liam Cunningham and Kevin Mckidd. Liam has stared in War horse, Safe house and recently is playing Davos in Game of Thrones. Kevin has stared in Grey’s Anatomy, Brave and Kingdom of Heaven. The reason for Mckidd to star in the film is because of his strong Scottish accent and his build as he looks like a soldier.  

How did the narrative, dialogue, characters and location relate to the production context?

The banter between the soldiers is very British and the language used relates to the production context. They use common British swear words such as piss. The location is the Scottish highlands; it’s very green and had a wooded area. This is commonly found in British films.

How did the technology used relate to the production context?

The film uses visual effects instead of using CGI like a Hollywood film such as Resident Evil which was produced in the same year. They had someone inside the werewolf suit. This makes the production more believable as it gives the actors something to react to. The explosions used weren’t that high tech and the cost would have only been in building a house to blow up.

1920: Evil Returns

What is the genre of 1920: Evil Returns?
The genre was mainly horror. We can see this through the darkness of the whole film. Also there was a build-up of music to create tensions ending with a sharp and loud sound affect to make the audience jump. The fact that the film plays on people being possessed is also a big give away for the horror genre. However the film also embeds romance into the genre with the main characters falling in love with each other.

What production context does 1920 fit into?
The production context is Bollywood the reason for this is the budget for the film which was 9 cores and that equates US $166,284. The acting was quite poor compared to a Hollywood or a British film. The effects that were put into the production were at a high standard but when they were used it looked over the top and tacky.

Were there any stars involved in 1920?
Yes, they had Aftab Shivdasani who has started in 45 films since 1987. He is very recognisable in Bollywood films so the reason why a he was used was so more people would want to see a film he is in.

How did the narrative, dialogue, characters and location relate to the production context?

The narrative of the love story was typical of a Bollywood film. Most of their films incorporate a love story between 2 people. The film also had them bursting into song which is what is expected from a Bollywood film. There is normally a damsel in distress which was showed in the film. The location looked very British with the big stately home and the forest nearby. British culture is slowly working its way into Bollywood productions.

How did the technology used relate to the production context?
The film used a lot of special effects especially on the eyes. They could have used coloured contact lenses which a simple yet very effective. But instead they used CGI. I feel this was over-done made it look cheap. The effects in the film were not over-used but too dramatic and over the top e.g. the slow motion effect.

Resident Evil

What is the genre of Resident Evil?
The genre is a combination of a sci-fi and horror. The reason being is the use of science labs and scientist conducting experiments. The horror side is show by the dark colours, the build of music to create tension and the zombie characters.

What production context does Resident Evil fit into?
The production context is Hollywood because of the high budget of $33,000,000. The effects used had a very high standard compared to film realised around the same time. Also the actors in the film such as Michelle Rodriguez and Eric Mabius are famous Hollywood actors.

Were there any stars involved in Resident Evil?
Yes there are stars such as Colin Salmon who was is James Bond and now currently starring in Arrow; Michelle Rodriguez who was in Fast & Furious and Avatar; and Eric Mabius who played Daniel Meade in Ugly Betty. The reason for this is that it will draw people towards the film and help promote it.

How did the narrative, dialogue, characters and location relate to the production context?
The one main give away for the production context is the American accents used. The whole narrative of a virus escaping a secret lab and turning them into zombies is very typical of a Hollywood production. The military characters and the use of the guns in the film also show the production context. The set and location looked very “high-tech” with the science labs and technology. This reflects the high budget the film had.

How did the technology used relate to the production context?
Compared to a British or Bollywood production, Hollywood is at the highest standard. They use all the latest CGI and special effects rather than using visual effects. The dogs in the film show their standard of the production. They were created by CGI and compared to the film “Dog Soldiers” – which was also realised in 2002 – Resident Evil looks ahead of its time simply by using better technology rather than using visual effects like “Dog Soldiers.”

 

Feminist Film Theory

Feminism can be described as a movement or a revolution that includes women and men who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men, women, girls or boys.

Feminist film theory is where women are being presented in films in a stereotypical roll. It reflects society’s view of women. Feminist film theorists can argue that cinema still only shows women for the gaze of the male audience.  
Female Stereotypes
Dumb
Bitch
Leader
Clueless
Damsel
Queen Bee
Evil
Sexual object
Mother
Housewife
Crazy Old Lady
In love
Scophilia
Scophilia is pleasure taken from looking. The male gaze is when women are presented as an image, whilst the man is the bearer of the look.
Femme Fatale
Femme Fatale characters are women who use their sexual power to trap male characters.
Female Character (Mary Shaw – Dead Silence)
Mary Shaw is the typical old lady witch character. She was a famous ventriloquist whose ambition was to make the perfect puppet. After one performance a boy in the audience shouted out that he could see Mary Shaw’s lips move. She then proved him wrong by making her and her puppet (Billy) talk at the same time. However the boy went missing the same night and Shaw was to blame. The villagers murdered her and cut out her tongue. Her final wish was to turn her body into a ventriloquist's puppet and to be buried with her 101 puppets. She then lived through her puppets. Mary Shaw is the stereotypical old lady who lives down the street that children are afraid to pass.

 

We can tell by the lighting and camera techniques how Mary Shaw is meant to be portrayed. The minimum lighting around her face creates a sense of mystery as we can’t see many of her features. There is also a spot light which follows her around the stage, this means that she is focus of the attention for us as the viewer and she is the one that the audience in the scene wants to see. The way the light is sitting in front of her creating a silhouette makes a black outline. The darkness that is the shape of Mary Shaw reflects the darkness that is in her and the puppets. A camera angle that is used is a very high shot with Mary Shaw looking down on her audience and the audience looking up at her. This shows that she is more superior as everyone else.