The Knife That Killed Me - Case Study Introduction

1. Film genre and type of production

Genre: Teen, Thriller-Drama

Type of film: Independent Film

Rating: 15

Budget: Low budget - estimated to be £3million
Sources: IMDb, Green Screen Productions, Marcus Romer's blog

2. What's the film about?

Synopsis: A journey through the memories of teenager Paul Varderman as he reflects on the events leading to the fatal moment his life is cut short. Paul moves to a new school and becomes involved with 'The Freaks', a group on the periphery of school life, those who don't fit in: scene kids, emo kids, indie kids. Outsiders. At the same time he attracts the attention of the schools twisted and manipulative bully, Roth. When Paul delivers a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a rival school, it sparks a dangerous feud. Faced with growing pressures from both groups, Paul must decide where his friendship lies, a decision that may cost him his life.

Themes:

• Outsiders
• Friendship
• Death
• Morality
• Crime

Sources: IMDb, Official Trailer

3. Global and UK release dates? Where and what formats?

The Knife That Killed Me was released on the 24th of October via Video-on-Demand streaming and a DVD version distributed by Universal Studios. There were three premieres for the film at Bradford, Manchester and London. These were all shown on the 15th of July. Furthermore, the film was also streamed online through Youtube to a global audience. The film will not have a theatrical release. In order to have a limited screening for the film, a kickstarter project was started to raise funding for the events.

Sources: IMDb, Official Website, Kickstarter

4. Nationality of the film?

The Knife That Killed Me is an entirely British production. It is made independently with a British cast, crew, setting, production company and target audience. There are also a number of themes which are especially relevant to a British culture, such as knife-crime.
Sources: IMDb, Official Website, Official Trailer

5. Institutions behind the film's production and UK/US distribution? Where are they based?

Companies involved in the production of The Knife That Killed Me include:

• Green Screen Productions
• Gloucester Place Films
• International Pictures Three (a subsidiary of Matador Pictures)
• Heslington Studios

Companies involved in the distribution of The Knife that Killed Me include:

• Universal Pictures
• Focus Features
• Stealth Media Group

Sources: IMDb, Green Screen Productions, Stealth Media Group, Heslington Studios

6. What's the film's production budget?

The budget of the film is estimated to be about £3million. This funding would've come from a variety of sources:

• Premiere Pictures
• Matador Pictures
• Possibly Kickstarter

It is also worth noting that the students from the University of York participated in the post-production process of the film.

Sources: Wikipedia, Premiere Pictures, Matador Pictures, University of York news article

7. Any connections with other films?

The film is independently made and has no direct connections to other films. However, the film is made using the same production technique as '300', 'Sin City' and 'The Adventures of Tin-Tin'. There is also a connection between the film and the novel that it is based from which has the same name.

Sources: Wikipedia, Green Screen Productions, Stealth Media Group

8. Who's the director?

The directors for The Knife That Killed Me are Marcus Romer and Kit Monkman. 

Romer is a first time director. He has previously worked as an actor and playwright in shows such as Emmerdale. 

Monkman is also a largely unknown director.

Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, Marcus Romer's blog

9. How has the film been cast?

The cast for The Knife That Killed Me is as follows:

• Jack McMullen - Paul
• Reece Dinsdale - Paul's Dad
• Jamie Shelton - Roth
• Oliver Lee - Shane

Almost all of the actors are new to film. Many of the actors such as Jack McMullen and Reece Dinsdale will be recognised as British TV actors; they have both starred in Waterloo Road. 

Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia

10. Core audience? Secondary/tertiary markets?

The core audience for The Knife That Killed Me will be British teenagers and young adults. This is proven by the film's age rating, as if it were targeted to a wider audience it would likely be a 12 or PG rated film. Fans of the book would also fit into the core audience as they would most likely want to see the film as well. Secondary audiences include the regional market; specifically people living where the film was shot in Yorkshire. The relatable setting may allow this group to connect with the film more easily. Fans of any of the actors would also be considered a secondary market, however Jack McMullen is the only actor with a considerable fan-base. The tertiary markets would include fans of any genre present within the film. These could include fans of crime films, dramas or independent films.
Sources: IMDb, 

Big Hero 6 - Case Study Introduction

1. Film genre and type of production

Genre: Superhero-Comedy, Action, Animation

Type of film: Event film, high concept, mainstream blockbuster

Rating: PG

Budget: Yet to be revealed as the the film is likely in post-production, however we can estimate that the budget is somewhere between 150-200 million dollars

Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia

2. What's the film about?

Synopsis: 

Hiro Hamada is a robotics prodigy following in the footsteps of his older brother, Tadashi. Soon after discovering one of his creations, an inflatable hospital care robot named Baymax, an unknown villain emerges. Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called "Big Hero 6." 

Themes:

• Good/Evil
• Friendship
• Family
• Growing up
• Crime-fighting team

Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia, Big Hero 6 Official US Trailer 2, Art Book

3. Global and UK release dates? Where and what formats?

Big Hero 6 will be released in theaters globally throughout October 2014 to February 2015. Major release dates include:

• October 23rd - Japanese premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival
• October 25th-27th - Multiple premieres across the USA
• November 7th - Theatrical release in the USA and Canada
• December 20th - Theatrical release in Japan
• January 30th - Theatrical release in the UK

It has not been stated whether the film will be released in other formats, but it is very likely that there will be DVD and Blu-ray releases following the theatrical release.

Sources: iMDB release information, Official website

4. Nationality of the film?

Big Hero 6 is a high budget, Hollywood blockbuster film. This is reflected in the cast, production and even the setting of 'San Fransokyo'. Fall Out Boy, a popular American band, also have a song featured in the trailers, so this too is a heavy signifier of nationality.

Sources: iMDB, Kerrang

5. Institutions behind the film's production and UK/US distribution? Where are they based?

Companies involved in the production of Big Hero 6 include:

• Disney Animation Studios
• Walt Disney Motion Pictures
• Marvel Studios (creative influence, symbiosis between Disney and Marvel)

Companies involved in the distribution of Big Hero 6 include:

• Walt Disney Motion Pictures
• Walt Disney Studios Japan
• Possibly other Disney subsidiaries

Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia, Trailers

6. What's the film's production budget?

The production budget for the film is yet to be released. However, we can make an assumption based on the budgets of similar films:

Wreck-it Ralph: $165 million
Frozen: $150 million
Tangled: $260 million

Judging by these figures, the budget of the film is likely to be somewhere between 150-200 million dollars. However, animation is quite expensive so the budget could be much higher as shown by Tangled. The budget will have been provided by Disney and the profits from the film will be invested into future films.
Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia

7. Any connections with other films?

Big Hero 6 will largely be following the success of recent Disney and Marvel productions. These include Frozen, Wreck-it Ralph and Tangled by Disney and The Avengers by Marvel. Chris Williams is an in-house Disney director who worked on these Disney films as well as Big Hero 6. Beyond film, the original concept is taken from a Marvel comic book series under the same name.
Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia, Disney Animation Official Website, Wired Article


8. Who's the director?

There are two directors working on Big Hero 6. The first is Don Hall, a director who has done work for Disney before on film's such as Tarzan. The second is Chris Williams, an in-house Disney Director well-known for recent Disney hits such as Wreck-it Ralph and Frozen.
Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia, Wired Article


9. How has the film been cast?

The cast of Big Hero 6 is as follows:

Scott Adsit - Voice actor
for Baymax

• Ryan Potter - "Hiro Hamada"
• Scott Adsit - "Baymax"
• Jamie Chung - "Gogo Tomago"
• Damon Wayans Jr. - "Wasabi"
• Genesis Rodriguez - "Honey Lemon"
• T.J. Miller - "Fred"

Almost all of these actors are new to film, having been popular in American TV dramas. Scott Adsit is the only actor who has been in film for a long time. The cast have been picked for their voice, as they will be recognisable to an American market. However some actors such as Jamie Chung will also appeal to the Japanese audience. Information about the cast is also posted on the film's twitter page such as behind the scenes footage of recordings.
Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia, Official Twitter Page


10. Core audience? Secondary/tertiary markets?

The core audience for Big Hero 6 is children and young teenagers in the UK and USA. Evidence for this is shown by the film's PG rating to allow for the largest possible audience. Furthermore, children will be accompanied by their parents, or the whole family. This allows for increased revenue. The secondary audience would be fans of Disney and/or Marvel fans. This could potentially extend to fans of the original comic as well as the Japanese audience. The tertiary audience as mentioned before would be parents, as they would need to accompany their children to see the film. Therefore it is likely that Disney would include some subtle humour that the children would not understand, but the parents would in order to appeal to them.
Sources: iMDB, Wikipedia

Preliminary Exercise Evaluation

Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
During the task, I was working in a group consisting of myself, Ignacio, Ela and Serena. Serena and I were actors, and played the boss and the cleaner respectively, with Ela on camera and Ignacio as director. However, we tried to help out with each other's roles whenever possible to create a high-quality production. I feel as though we divided roles between us quite well and we were all able to cope with the task effectively.

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
The plan for our sequence was to have a comedy sketch in which the boss of a company invites an employee into her office to praise them for their hard work. What the boss doesn't understand is that they have called in the cleaner by mistake and doesn't realise due to their talkative nature. As the genre we were trying to connote was comedy, we spent a lot of time working on the script and the characters. The character of the boss was made to be talkative and interruptive whereas the cleaner was obedient and a little bit shy. These character traits allowed us to build up to the punchline, making the sketch more humourous.
During the planning phase, we arranged meetings for us to decide these key features of our sequence. A couple of processes we used include brainstorming and shot listing, as well as brief rehearsals of each possible narrative. When we were taking our shots, there were a couple of key theories we were considering. We tried to incorporate the 180 degree angle and 30 degree angle theories in to every shot, as well as looking for a match on action. These theories were an important factor during the production of our sequence, and had a large impact on how the finished piece turned out.

What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
The camera we used to record our software was a Canon LEGRIA HF G30 Camcorder, on a tripod and fitted with a directional microphone. This piece of equipment, as well as all of the attachments, was integral to our production as it allowed us to record our footage in a very high quality. The tripod meant that our shots were not shaky and unprofessional, whilst the microphone was used for clear and coherent sound. The editing software we used was Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5. Adobe Premiere Pro made it very easy to organise our shots and we were able to cut our shots with much accuracy. This was key, as it allowed for us to show off several matches on action, such as the knocking on, and opening of the door.

What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
The most important things which affected our production were the continuity and narrative theories. Narrative theory specifically played an important role in our planning, as in the end, we were trying to tell a story. If the audience cannot understand the plot of a comedy sketch, it is unlikely that they will find it funny. Therefore, we tried to incorporate different techniques to build a more interesting and developed narrative. For example: we used binary opposites with the personalities of the two characters. The boss was interruptive and slightly vain, whereas the cleaner was obedient, nervous and was worried about speaking up about the boss's mistake. When we were shooting, continuity theory was at the front of our minds. We decided to act out whole sequences (filming the cleaner walking to the door and knocking instead of just the knocking) to make the scene more natural. We also used match on action to achieve this, as it makes the shots more fluid and realistic. The 180 degree and 30 degree rules also had a large impact on the shoot as ignoring them will break the continuity of the sequence.
Most of the theories weren't that necessary during the editing, as they only really applied to the shots themselves. However, the number of each shot we had impacted the editing phase quite heavily, as there were some instances where we were forced to use a shot as we had no other alternatives. The master shot was also useful in editing, as it acted as an anchor. We were able to bring the audience back to the master shot when the cleaner was sitting down and when he was leaving at the end of the sequence.

How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve or do differently?
Overall, I think we achieved our goal of creating a short sketch that follows the rules of continuity. We followed the brief, as our sequence depicts a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down opposite another character, with whom they have a conversation with. We were able to demonstrate a clear understanding of match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180° rule. We managed to complete our planning and practical objectives within the given time limit and personally, I believe we have created a high-quality piece of media. However, that does not mean that our sequence is without it's problems. During our shoot, we only took a few takes of each shot, some of which contained mistakes or other faults that made them unusable. This meant that when began editing, we were forced to use some shots with poor framing as we had no other alternative. If we had more time and more experience, we may have been able to fix this by cropping the shot, but we would not have been able to achieve this within the single hour we had. The other issue we had was that our final shot broke the 30 degree rule, as the set-up of the shot was too similar to the one before it. This is something we could have amended if we had taken a wider variety of shots during the shoot, but again, we likely could not have done this within an hour. These are the changes I would have made if I were to repeat the task. Despite these issues, I still believe our sequence was able to effectively convey a sound understanding of narrative and continuity theory.

What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework?
Personally, this task has helped to further my understanding of continuity rules and how to spot them. It becomes much easier to locate different ideas and theories in a film or video when you have tried to recreate and follow them yourself. Not only is this knowledge applicable to the film opening I will be producing in the future, but it is also useful in examining other pieces of media and the ways in which they follow these rules. The equipment I used for this task was familiar to me with the exception of the camera, as we have only used this type of camcorder once or twice before. Therefore it was useful to be able to use it in a more professional production as it allowed me to further cement my understanding of how to use the equipment. To conclude, I believe the most significant things that I have learnt during this activity were the execution of narrative and continuity theory.

Art of the Title Evaluation

Summarise your film idea. Provide a brief synopsis and outline what happens in your film opening.
The concept behind our film is that there is something following the protagonist. It is intended that the audience does not know what this thing is until the end of the opening credits. The protagonist wanders around to a variety of different places, but the pursuer is still present. We decided that we wanted this pursuer to be something quite sinister and disturbing, which is why we opted for a teddy bear. The teddy bear follows the protagonist in the distance before revealing itself in the final shot.

What kind of information has been included in your film opening?
In our opening, we wanted to achieve to things. The first was to have a clear connotation of genre. We wanted the audience to be able to recognise the genre of Horror quickly and concisely. The other purpose of the opening was to establish the scene and hint towards the presence of the teddy bear. In order to achieve this, we used a lot of scenic shots to create a wider sense of setting. We were also able to introduce the teddy bear by showing him in the distance of the first few shots.

How do the titles link to the main film idea?
The titles are used to provide institutional information such as the actors, director and producers. We chose to use these scenic shots as the background for our title as showing the production information over a different shot would draw the attention away from the action. The scenic shots are also intended to suggest isolation, as this is a key theme in many horror films. By removing other people from a large environment, it makes the audience believe that something big will happen.

Summarise the expected audience reaction. What should the audience be thinking by the end of your opening? Is your opening clear or ambiguous?
As said before, the focus of the film is on the pursuer. Therefore the audience's reaction to the start of the opening should be confusion, as they should not be able to recognise what it is in the background. Furthermore, a teddy bear is something that would be very out of place in a traditional horror film. This means that it is unlikely the audience would understand the identity of the pursuer until later on in the trailer. The audience can get a better look at the teddy bear in the middle of the opening and may even begin to recognise it. However, it is still left ambiguous until the end of the opening. The film's name is revealed and the identity of the pursuer becomes understood. However, this presents enigma codes to the audience. Why is the teddy bear pursuing the protagonist? What is the teddy bear capable of? What link is there between the protagonist and the teddy bear? Although the identity of the teddy bear is revealed, there is a lot of information about it that is withheld. These are the kinds of questions that we wanted the audience to be asking themselves.

Identify three things that you included in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film.
The first significant shot is the very first one, as it introduces the presence of a second party alongside the protagonist. However, the shot is constructed to make the identity of the pursuer unknown. This shot appears early on in the opening to establish this fear of the unknown for the audience to question until the end of the opening sequence. The role of the shot is to establish the setting, the main character, and the presence of a pursuer.
The next important shot is the fourth shot, which shows an empty area and includes institutional information. Not only is this information necessary, but it allows the audience to question the significance of the empty shot. This shot is intended to highlight the isolated setting, and I believe it is the shot that achieves this the most effectively out of the scenic shots.

The final shot which is important in the opening sequence's construction is the final shot. The identity of the teddy bear is revealed and a variety of questions are presented to the audience. Furthermore, the final shot lends itself to narrative codes beyond enigma codes. What is the connotation of the bear sitting on the shoulder? What themes can we associate a teddy bear with in reference to our culture and how are they applicable here? The intention of revealing the teddy bear at the end of the opening was to introduce more questions to the audience. Therefore I think this shot is significant in understanding the film. Another shot that deserves a mention is the second shot, as it gives the audience a clue towards the identity of the teddy bear. Giving the audience hints towards details of the film is important, as it allows for the audience to speculate why the information is given to them.

How effective is your project as a film opening? Explain your answer.
The genre of the film is made easily identifiable by the low-key lighting present in the opening. Furthermore, the framing of each shot is constructed to draw the audience's attention to the teddy bear. The isolation of the following shots are used to build up suspense before the reveal of the pursuer. The opening has many conventions of horror films and these are made identifiable by the audience. However, there are things I would change if I were to repeat the activity. The font we chose was not the best choice for a horror film and if I had more time would be something that I would alter. The second change I would make would be to add more graphical effects, such as a darker gradient near the teddy bear. The last adjustment I would make would be tidying the fifth shot, as we ran out of time when editing the shot.

Continuity Sequence Evaluation

What technique did you try to use to aid the narrative flow of your sequence?
The first technique we used was an establishing shot of the building. It's purpose was to introduce the audience to the setting and to act as an anchor for the other shots, so that the audience would always understand where the action is taking place. The shot panned to the right, followed by a shot of Mario running to the left. This was to close the distance between the two shots. The next shot shows Mario noticing the water. We tried to make the cup of water a focal image by positioning it in the foreground, with Mario walking towards it from the background. We used a close-up to show the happiness Mario was experiencing after seeing the cup of water with some indication that he was picking it up. Furthermore, we were effectively able to match what Mario was looking at in-between shots. Our penultimate shot was of Mario tripping, accidentally dropping the water in front of him. The shot panned down to keep the focus on the action. Our final shot acted as a response to the accident, showing Mario's disappointment and frustration towards his blunder. We kept Mario's positioning the same in order to sustain a flow from the previous shot. In conclusion, I feel as though our sequence had a clear narrative flow and contained some very effective shots, such as the establishing shot, the close up and the shot before it.

In hindsight, what could you have done differently to aid the narrative flow of your sequence?
Although there are strengths to our sequence, it is not without it's weaknesses. The second shot did not lead on from the establishing shot very well, as there was little correlation between the location in the second shot and the establishing shot before it. The third shot suffered from the same problem, as it was unclear how Mario reached his location near the building from the field in the previous shot. The next shot is fine, but the shot does not end quickly enough and you can hear some background noise. However, this is something that can be fixed during editing, so it should not be a problem when I am able to do so. The shot after has one issue; Mario's positioning changes slightly and his body is angled differently. This breaks the continuity. The last shot should also have something to differentiate it from the previous shot. These are the changes that I would make if I were to repeat the sequence.

Film Opening Analysis

Identify the film and it's genre.
The film I have chosen to analyse is Up. It is an animated, adventure-comedy film.

Identify where the film takes place and the time scale.
The film takes place in a North American city and covers a very broad time scale. The opening begins by showing us Carl at the age of eight and by the end of the opening sequence, 70 years have passed. Judging by the documentary at the start of the film, the time is likely to be sometime during the 1950s.

Summarise what happens in the sequence in chronological order.
How significant to the story is the story telling in the order of events?
The film starts with a documentary themed around the 1950s and we are introduced to the film's main character Carl. Carl is watching the documentary about an explorer named Charles Muntz and his expedition to Paradise Falls, an exotic region in South America. After the documentary, the comedy genre is reinforced by Carl's imagination, and how he pretends that he is an adventurer crossing the Grand Canyon when he is really just jumping over a crack in the pavement. Then we are introduced to a new character, Ellie, who is another avid fan of the adventurer Charles Muntz. The two children become fast friends due to their desire for adventure and after some more slapstick comedy a montage of their married life begins. The effective use of mise-en-scene shows us how close the two are, and despite all of the bad occurrences the two remain together. However, Ellie falls ill and passes away, leaving Carl with an old adventure book from their childhood. The opening of the film sets the scene for Carl's adventure to Paradise Falls.

Do the events link together or are they distinct, unconnected events?
The events are linked, starting from the first time Carl and Ellie meet and ending after Ellie's death. The events make us feel very attached to the characters as the montage makes them seem like a real couple with their own special forms of interaction such as the crossing of the heart gesture.Therefore Ellie's death at the end of the montage makes the audience question what comes next, as we have no idea what Carl is going to do without her anymore.

What characters are introduced and what are their roles in the play? How do we find this information out?

• Charles Muntz - Explorer and adventurer, Muntz acts as a role model for Carl. Although we do not actually see him in person, he is used to provide character development for Carl and Ellie.
• Carl - A fun-loving child with an active imagination and a fondness of adventure. He shares his desire for excitement with his friend and eventual wife, Ellie.
• Ellie - An excitable, energetic and eccentric tomboy with an unrivaled passion for adventurous antics.

We find this information out through the documentary at the start of the film and the events leading on from it, specifically the events in the abandoned house and the montage of Carl and Ellie's married life.

How much story information is revealed and how is it revealed? What is deliberately withheld?
The opening contains no information about the story of the film. However it does give us a lot of important insight into Carl's background as the purpose of the opening is to provide character development and to inform the audience about Carl's life before the events of the film. Knowing about Carl's past makes us wonder how his life will play out after the loss of his wife. Information about the main plot is withheld to us, but we can predict that Carl's adventures will take him to Paradise Falls from the information provided to us in the opening.

What does the audience need to know at the start of your film?
The purpose of the opening is to provide a backstory for Carl and to hint towards the main plot of the film. Therefore the opening intends to provide us with the following information:

• Story: How Carl and Ellie meet - Specifically, their shared interest in the explorer, Muntz. We are also shown a variety of key objects such as the "My Adventure Book", which appears throughout the film.
• Genre - The genres of comedy and adventure must be connoted and are done so through the documentary and during the credits.
• Clues towards the plot - The opening provides development to the main plot of the film and intends to 'hook' the audience with an unexpected event at the end of the opening. There is little information about the film's main plot, but it does give a number of clues such as the Adventure Book and Carl and Ellie's desire to travel to Paradise Falls.
• Credits - Important for institutional purposes.

Film Still Analysis

Narrative
The mise-en-scene of the shot is clearly designed to connote action. We can determine that Bond has just emerged from the Grand Bazaar behind him, due to the positioning of the crowd behind him and his grip on the motorbike as well as his facial expression and the angle of his head. By using a landmark in Istanbul for the setting, it creates a sense of thrill as we do not know what the hero will encounter in this unfamiliar location. The motorbike tells us that there has likely been a chase scene, but it is left ambiguous as to whether Bond is still in pursuit or not. Despite being a long shot, Bond is clearly made to be the most important figure. However the inclusion of the onlookers makes the scene more believable and therefore more exciting.

Genre
The genre of the film is made obvious in this shot. Bond's stance on the motorbike and the havoc within the crowd behind are identifiable conventions of an action film. Not only this, but Bond, the film’s hero, is the focal image and he is shown astride a motorbike. The audience is able to understand these conventions and use them to instantly recognise the genre. This shot is also effective at anchoring our understanding of Bond's role as the hero and as an 'alpha male' character.

Audience
The placement and framing of the shot are used effectively to reach to the audience, as the shot makes the audience feel immersed in the environment shown to us by making us feel included in the crowd of onlookers. In doing so, the audience feel involved in the action and are more likely to be immersed by the film's narrative. Furthermore, the shot occurs in an exotic, yet recognisable location which will be exciting for the audience without being too unfamiliar.