Genre Research (survey monkey)

Using survey monkey meant i could get a wide range of answers from people by putting the link on twitter/facebook etc. 

Because of this my knowledge and expectations changed as the answers people gave me were slightly different to what I expected. 

This is the link for my survey which related to the film genre I am studying.

SurveyMonkey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S6PMWQ8

Trailer Production Ideas

Because most of the trailers I have researched contain a Voice Over. I have decided to use a voice over for the first 20 seconds of my trailer to give the audience an insight into what the film is about from the voice of the Characters in the trailer.

'I've heard whispers about the financial support your government receives from the drug industry......
     Well, the irony of this; of course, is that this money, which is in billions; is coming from your country.
You see; you are the major purchaser of our national product; which is of course, cocaina/cocaine.
And the increase of this drug is turning the UK into one of the biggest drug countries in Europe,'

This quote shows that the film is likely to be on drugs and the exportation/importation of drugs into the UK.
Giving the audience this information is likely to make them pursue with the trailer if they have a brief idea on whats coming.

The inspiration of the quote is from a song called 'Peruvian Cocaine by Immortal Technique'. Using some of the original speech and putting in my own shows that there is a detailed depth of field as the song 'Peruvian Cocaine' is deprived from the history of cocaine and their is knowledge in the song which is thought would be relevant to my film trailer.

Also, I did lots of research into the music which would be used for my trailer.
I did research on 14 songs which were:

Black Strobe - Im a Man
Disco Science - Mirwias
Klint Diamond - Snatch
Snoop Dogg - Vato (instrumental)
Lloyd Banks - The Sprint (instrumental)
Public Enemy - Harder than you Think (instrumental)
Big K.R.I.T - Hometown Hero
Drake - Cameras (instrumental)
Jay Z - Heart of a City (instrumental)
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive (instrumental)
Massive Attack - Paradise Circus
Kevin Rudolf - In the City
Kendrick Lamar - Swimming Pools (instrumental)
50 Cent - Money (instrumental) 

After going through each song over and over to see which would suit the role of an Action/Gangster Trailer, I decided that 50 Cent - Money (instrumental) would suit the part best. The reasons for this were because the song kept at a certain up beat tone through out and didn't jump at all which would fit into the layout of my film Trailer.

Film Inspirations

These films all relate to each other from the way they are set out and the story line put in.
The theme/genre for these films are action/gangster and some comedy.

Snatch - Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208092/

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120735/

RocknRolla - In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, attracting some of the city's scrappiest tough guys and its more established underworld types, all of whom are looking to get rich quick.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032755/

American Gangster - In 1970s America, a detective works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765429/

Layer Cake - A successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375912/

Film Certification

Film certification range from U to r18.
From this information I was able to give my film trailer Rated 15 as it filled the same requirements. Also it meant I could keep to the style of film because Snatch/American Gangster etc. are all rated 15 to 18.
This meant my target audience would not change and still fit the requirements.

Symbol	Name	Definition/Notes
	Universal	All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children.
	Parental Guidance	All ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for young children. May contain mild language and intermediate/illegal substance references. May contain moderate violence if justified by context (e.g. fantasy).
	12A	Cinema only. Introduced in 2002. Films under this category are considered to be unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult, aged at least 18 years, at all times during the motion picture. However, it is generally not recommended that children under 12 years should watch the film. Films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft illegal substance, moderate swear words, infrequent strong language and moderate violence, intermediate references and nudiity. Seexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Seexual violence may be implied or briefly indicated.
	12	Home media only since 2002. 12A-rated films are usually given a 12 certificate for the VHS/DVD version unless extra material has been added that requires a higher rating. Nobody younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game. The content guidelines are identical to those used for the 12A certificate.
	15	Only those over 15 years are admitted. Nobody younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard druugs, frequent strong language and limited use of very strong language, strong violence and strong seex references, and nudity without graphic detail. Seexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Sexual violence may be shown if discreet and justified by context.
	18	Only adults are admitted. Nobody younger than 18 can rent or buy an 18-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category do not have limitation on the bad language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and explicit seex references along with detailed seexual activity are also allowed. Scenes of strong real seex may be permitted if justified by the context. Very strong, gory, and/or sadistic violence is usually permitted. Strong seexual violence is permitted unless it is eroticised or excessively graphic.
	Restricted 18	Can only be shown at licensed adult cinemas or sold at licensed seex shops, and only to adults, those aged 18 or over.

What Narrative Theorist Would Fit?

Tzvetan Todorov can up with the 5 stages.

These 5 stages are - A state of equilibrium, A disruption of the equilibrium, Recognition of disorder, Attempt to repair the damage and Restoration of a new equilibrium.

From my research it showed that the start of the trailer, along with the film would show a normal state of living with nothing wrong going on. In Layer Cake it shows a T.V programme which seems fairly ordinary, and American Gangster just shows a view of a city.

There is then the disruption of events as we find out that in Layer Cake it starts to show drugs being used and violence behind the camera. In American Gangster 'Frank Locus' says 'no body owns me' and a bullet is fired showing the audience that something is up and something has happened for him to stamp down his authority by shooting his gun.

A mix of a Recognition of disorder is then shown as it shows a story to why the disruption is happening by using a voice over in American Gangster and showing who the people are in Layer Cake.
The audience now knows that there are powerful people in the films as the stereo type for Gangsters are shown with men wearing big coats and smoking cigars.

An attempt to repair damage isn't really shown because of the montage of clips put together. But still the story of the trailers are still progressing as we go further into the trailer.

Eventually there is a new equilibrium as the trailer up beat tempo tunes down and gradually brings the characters to a stop.

Genres And Certification

Research into Films and the Certificate they have.

'Layer Cake' and 'American Gangster'

Layer Cake - Layer Cake is a film which revolves around drugs and the transportation but at a less intense volume compared to American Gangster. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375912/

American Gangster - American Gangster is a film based on true events of the drug world which gives a similar idea to what I want to make. The film is a little too far fetched for what I am making although it does contain key aspects to what i want to happen in mine and has given me great ideas. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765429/

What I Need To Research

Audience feedback and attributes-

Make a Facebook page with a few paragraphs describing my ideas/mood and target audiences.

Ask people to post ideas on the page and what they think would work well and what wouldn't.

Also there will be questions for them to answer about the film.

Characters-

Its good to include a woman in the film trailer as the genre is mostly male dominant.

There needs to be a clear hero and villain which the audience can identify.

Film Research-

Find quotes and reviews from the public and critics about the film genres i'm looking at. 

'Harry Brown', 'Get Carter', 'American Gangster', '44 Inch Chest' are good examples of of the film genre i'm looking at.

Lengths-

Film lengths in the genre.

Research - Audience

Target Audience for an Action/Gangster film - As the age range is for more mature and older people my Advanced Production would have to accompany the average age.Using older actors, e.g. men is the most sensible option for the genre of my film trailer. Using teenagers wouldn't feel as serious compared to adults in an action/gangster film. And because of this it could move into a Sub Genre and venture away from my own expectations.
The researched age range for Action/Gangster films have varied from ages 16-30 for male, and 18-35 for for females. 

Start of A2

Exam

There are two parts to the exam which consist of Postmodernism and Coursework Evaluation.

Course Work

Course Work consists of a DVD Cover, Posters and either Film Trailer/Magazine or Music Video.

For my A2 Coursework I will be producing a trailer for a new gangster styled film 'Pure'. My ancillary tasks will be a magazine cover and a poster to promote the movie.

I have chosen a trailer because it's a big step from AS and I would learn more about the film side to media, as at AS I did a short film which is in complete different context to what im doing for A2. But I can also develop my print skills through the ancillary tasks as I am good with Photoshop and editing softwares.