Film Classification

 

 After looking at the criteria posted on the BBFI website, we felt that the classification of 12 fits our film.  Here is the criteria below....... I have highlighted in red the criteria which we felt fitted our film.

"....the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works...may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films.  No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12.  An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. 
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work."

Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole.  Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamourised or give instructional detail.
Horror - Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free.  Easily accessible weapons should not be glamourised.
Moderate language is allowed.  The use of strong language (for example, fuck) must be infrequent.
Nuditiy is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sexual activity may be brief and discreetly portrayed.  Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers.  Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
Moderate violence is allowed, but should not dwell on detail.  There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context.  Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.

Cast

Richards - Simon Oxley

Brett Mallard - Heath Woodward

Sarah Mallard - Nicola Stewart

Prop List

Collection of photoframes with photos of Brett, Sarah and Richards at different stages of their life - Photo frames are on set (need to take actors on a photo shoot to collect images)

Briefcase and a Newspaper for Richards (can use the same case for Brett)

Pot of Pills

Kettle/Coffee/Tea spoon/Tea cups - In Location already

2 kitchen chairs/One Table/Arm Chair - In location already 

Casting Calls/Auditions

We want to create a realistic adaptation of The Story of an Hour.  After talking to our tutor, we felt that some of the characters needed adapting.

We felt that all of our characters needed to be older.  In the story, Sarah is in her late 20s.  We felt that to make a realistic impact on the audience, we needed to convey that Sarah had been suffering for years.  We therefore decided to set the playing age at 30-40.  Jess' dad offered to play the part of either Richards or Brett.

This left us with 2 more parts to fill.  Obviously, no actors/actresses in our school were old enough to fit the playing age.  Because I am involved in amateur productions, I decided to advertise the roles on facebook, and on a local blog website dedicated to casting calls.

Directors from Genre

Andrea Arnold:
She is a British filmmaker, former actress, who made her debut in 2006 with Red Road.  She favours filming in a 4:3 ratio.

Known Titles:
Wasp (2003) - Short
Milk (1998) - Short
Red Road (2006) - Feature Film
Fish Tank (2009) - Feature Film

Awards:
2004 - Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film - Wasp
2007 - BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer in Directing - Red Road
2009 - British Independent Film Award for Best Director of a British Independent Film - Fish Tank
2010 - BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film - Fish Tank

I especially like the way Arnold uses light in her work.  She often uses natural flares.

(Fish Tank)

I like how the light covers the character, and acts as a shield between the audience and the scene.  It "blinds the audience", and creates a second of unknown.  I want to use a shot like this for when Brett comes home.  I want to create a sense of mystery for the audience as the door opens, and they see a flare, followed by a silhouette.  I think it will be more effective if the camera shots are as basic as possible, so that Sarah's vision, which we will create in the editing stage, will have more of a contrast and therefore, a bigger impact on our audience.  

Developing Skills from AS Year

Within our AS year, Jess and I found that much of our films were filmed on tripods and tracking.  We wanted to try filming with only a handheld camera.   We also wanted to try filming with a mobile phone, to see what effect this would have on our audience.

Below is the end product.  The story follows a young girl, who has a unstable relationship with her mother.  She is alone and isolated from society, and has only herself for entertainment.  She takes a trip to the arcade to have some fun, and then goes back home to meet her high tempered mother waiting for her return.

8mm iPhone App

We found an app called '8mm'.  This is a film app which allows users to film in different effects.  The effect we used was 'Noir'.

Research on Genre/Adaptations

Genre:
Dramas are serious, plot-driven films that portray realistic characters, settings, events and stories involving intense character development and interaction.  They do not usually focus on special-effects, comedy or action sequences.

Film adaptations: 
A film adaptation is transformation of written texts into the form of a film.  Novels are frequently used in film adaptations.  They usually try to appeal to a existing commercial target audience. 

Most recent film adaptations would be...
The Harry Potter series - Originally a series of novels written by British author, J.K. Rowling - first film released in 2001
The Twilight Saga - Originally a series of novels written by American author Stephenie Meyer - first film released in 2008
The Time Traveller's Wife - Originally a novel written by American author Audrey Niffenegger - released as a film in 2009
The Adventure of TinTin - Originally a comic book created by Belgian artist Georges Remi - released as a film in 2011
Wuthering Heights - Originally a novel written by English author Emily Bronte - most famous adaption was in 1939.
Water For Elephants - Originally a historical novel written by Sara Gruen released as a film in 2011