CIARAN SHARP FILMAKING
This is a scene heading, it is used here to show where the characters live. They live in a farmhouse away from the town, this makes them seem isolated, they have no help. This is also a typical setting for a horror movie.
This character could help bring a new audience to watch the film , as people in the audience with a disability can find it easier to relate to her, especially as she is also a strong female charcter . Meaning more people will come to see the film.
Overall this script is a setup act, it introduces the setting of the story, two of the main characters, their relationship between each other and how they have adjusted to their threat.
We can see this is a selling script, it uses formal language and is being used to visualise the scenes. We can see that the descriptive words 'golden and brown' are being used to create and idyllic image, which will lure the viewer into a false sense of security and then be contrasted by the danger yet to come.
This is a stage direction, describing to an actor how to act. Here this shows how the family has adapted to their new life.
42% of horror movies audience's are women , this means having strong female leads will give more women a reason to watch the movie.
Here we can see an action, which describes what the character is doing. This also describes the appearance of the character to help the viewer visualise the scene
This is a scene change, we go from one character in his car to another in his house, this works as they are on the phone, so we can see both characters react to what they say, showing the relationship between them.
The target audience for this script is clearly teenagers and young adults, as they find the theme of teenage most relatable, as they talk about sex in the opening scene you can tell this film is not catered toward young children and parents.
I think superbad follows Todorov's narrative structure, the disruption and quest being them needing to provide alcohol to get into a party.
This is a selling script, it is being used to entertain the reader and visualise the scenes. As it gives us descriptions of characters and the actions they are doing while talking. Here the opening credits are being used to show the awkwardness of our main characters the bright funky title scene could show the characters' expectations for teenage life, then the awkward dancing shows the reality of teenage life,
We can see that this script is comedic, it mimics the awkwardness of teenagers, as they start to experience the world of sex for the first time,
This script has an informal mode of address, which mimics how the teenagers talk. However I think colloquial language would be better suited for a teenage movie.
Both of these scenes are affective at their goals. A Quiet Place's script captures the reader while setting up the story, it effectively describes idyllic scenery, which will contrast to the supernatural threat of the monsters. It shows the relationship between two main characters whilst also showing how they have had to adapt to the monsters. All of this is done in one page. Superbad is also able to affective at establishing its main characters, creating a bright colourful title scenes, just to be let down by their awkwardness, showing what the viewer is about to watch. A movie about the awkwardness of teenage boys. Both scripts are good at relating to their target demographic. A Quiet Place shows strong female characters, which can relate to 42% of the horror audiences which are women. However, Superbad relates to its target demographic well, as everyone can relate to the struggles of puberty, so most age groups can find some part relatable.
Analysing film treatments
Film treatments are used to help summarise and detail different aspects of a film, it is used to help pitch projects to companies. Fit treatments can appear in different formats, a written and a visual.
Written treatments include less than a visual treatment, having a working title, a log-line (sum up of the story), a character breakdown and a synopsis (brief summary of the story acts).As written treatments contain less, they are more likely to be used as an initial pitch for a film.
Visuals treatments include the same as written treatments as well as the genre of the film, the target audience, visual and audio elements, the rationale (reasoning behind decisions), primary and secondary research, requirements and resources, constraints and contingency, budget, legal and ethical considerations. Visual treatments are more likely to be an in person pitch, as they contain more substance.
In this written treatment, there is a title, longline, character breakdown, and synopsis. The log-line has been used to sum up the story very quickly so production companies can quickly understand and get a feel of the story. The character breakdown is used to show the key characteristics of each main character to show how they will affect the story. The synopsis briefly explains each act of the story to show how it develops, this will help sell the story to companies. This treatment doesn't contain visual elements like photos, these can help build up concept art and give production companies an idea of the directors vision. This treatment is also not engaging, it doesn't use many descriptive words or specify the genre of the movie , this means companies are going to be less interested and less likely to read on, meaning it won't sell as well.
In this visual treatment, there are more details included, along with pictures, this helps to show the audio and visual elements, like what the cinematography and style of the film will be, will it be dark and moody or bright and happy. It also includes rationale, this will help sell the film to production companies, they can understand the directors choices behind key elements in the film, which will help them have more of a connection to characters, the story, etc. Primary and secondary research will also help sell the script to companies, as they can find out the publics views towards ideas in their films. However, with a visual treatment, they are more lengthy, some productions companies will not like this, as the want the pitch to be brief and to the point.
Both of these treatments can be used to sell a script to companies, they breakdown characters giving the reader an idea of how they fit in to the story and how they will progress and change , this will help the reader relate to the character more and make them more invested in the story. This is the same with the synopsis which will help the reader understand the story more, and make them more invested. However, visual treatments contain more information, this will make them more likely to be sold to production companies as they give the story more detail. They also include pictures, this means the reader will get more idea of the mood and genre. This amount of information may be used against the director, some production companies will want a short snappy treatment, to stop them from losing their attention.
Both treatments have their strengths and weaknesses , one being used earlier in production and one being used to sell the whole idea to production companies.
film review analysis
Context
This film is reviewed by an online magazine and takes the form of an online magazine , and it is being used to inform viewers interested in the breakdown of films. It can't be used to promote the film as it has been written after the film has come out and rates the movie in three different aspects, which are simple and informative, showing how the movie was anticipated before it came out, and how its seen after it has been out for a while.
Target Audience
The review uses formal language and is definitely not aimed at kids, as it uses complex and in depth terminology to describe the narrative of the film. This review is aimed at a target demographic of 18+, being a mix of male and female. Due to how this review is written the audience is more likely to be interested in an in depth review, breaking down how films make a statement about society. The socioeconomic status of the reader is more likely to be involved/interested in the film industry and therefore have a good income.
Considerations for the Reviewer
This review is very optimistic, a very positive and detailed sum up of the plot, making this review sound appealing. This may make the review seem biased. The review is simplistic and easy to read, taken down into neat paragraphs making it appealing to the eye. The review doesn't have any defamation of the actors however I think the difference between fact and opinion is not as clear as it could be.
My Opinion
In my opinion this review is bad, it doesn't give many opinions just breaking down the story and explains the plot to reader thats probably already seen it. This means it is less affective of keeping the attention of the reader in general. So I would give it a 4/10.
Context
This film is reviewed by an independent blogger on an online blog to is being used to entertain the reader and spark discussion. The review is quite formal however the reviewer uses anecdotes to make the review seem more conversational, even though he is using complex terminology and breaking-down the politics of films about religion.
Target Audience
This review is being used to spark debate, talking about the differences between the representations of Jesus in the film and bible, and how this affects the viewer. For this reason I think his target audience is history buffs, which is more likely to be older people, with more spare time and money than younger people invested in films.
Considerations for the Reviewer
Robert Ebert has used screen caps at the start of the review, but has credited the film at the end of the page, this means it is not an issue, copyright wise. He has followed the NUJ code of conduct. The review is easy to read, also plain and simplistic, with no photos on the screen to distract the reader. I think his tone is slightly pessimistic, as he acknowledges the film is blasphemous. He uses a few creative writing techniques, such as hyperboles and descriptive language.
My Opinion
In my opinion this review achieves its goal of exploring the themes of religion in films , however it is slow paced and may not keep the readers attention if they are not the target audience. I would give this review a 6/10.
Comparing the reviews
While both these reviews have very different target audiences they both take a different approach to delivering their ideas and keeping the reader entertained. We can see that each reviewer knows their target audience, how to relate to them and keep them interested, both use formal language however differ in tones, Woodward's being optimistic and Ebert's pessimistic.
Both of these pieces give in depth detail about a film , however Ebert's review focuses on the portrayal of a religious character in film and the impact it has had, whereas Woodward's review describes the plot of the film. Woodward's review uses an abundance of complex and in depth terminology, descriptive language and writing techniques. Whereas Ebert's use of anecdotes etc, makes his review sound more conversational. Woodward's also references other films, this shows his immersion in film culture and knowledge of history and films.
Both reviewers use different rating systems, Woodward's being more in-depth and engaging, showing how much the film was anticipated, enjoyed and then viewed afterwards. This helps the reader get a wide view of how the film did overall.
Both of the reviewers stuck to the NUJ, Ebert made sure to avoid copyright by referencing the film at the end of his review.
Overall I think while both reviewers know how to appeal to their target audience, but only one is a good review. Ebert's is a good review, it gives his opinions and analysis in depth how the director portrayed the character of Jesus in his movie. On the other hand I think Woodworms is a bad review, he doesn't give many opinions, and just gives in depth detail of the storyline, this won't appeal to many film lovers, as it doesn't show the impact of the film or why the director has used certain techniques to give an impression. However, this may be because Ebert's is on his own blog website, he can talk about what he wants and is clearly a more experienced reviewer.
My review plan
BLOOD MACHINES EPISODE 1
A Beautiful disappointment
Where to begin? Blood Machines, is a poorly-written love letter to retro sci-fi but falls victim to film school technicalities. Let’s start with one of the only positive things, the visuals. Being film student, I’m one to adore the idea of colours dominating a shot, this episode uses colour perfectly to drag the viewer into an alien universe; bright greens being used as energy beams, swirling greys and blues used to show big, extraterrestrial skylines and reds used to add a sense of danger and tension to the standoff scene. All these bright colours are only used to add to this retro aesthetic throughout the episode, vintage film aging and grain are added to give this series a 1980s film vibe, almost like the classic Tron. When all of these aspects are combined, you can’t pull your eyes away, waiting for the next beautiful shot.
However, it’s not all lazer beams and rainbows, thanks to the awful use of greenscreen scattered through the episode, viewers can easily become less immersed when watching a main character weightlessly float down on a lift. This could easily be fixed by avoiding the use of greenscreen, and keeping the shots more practical.
While we are on the subject of problems, a massive one is the casting. All the actors used are unbelievable, force their emotions and do not have great chemistry with each other. An easy solution for this is to remember that sometimes less is more, and focus more on the subtext in the script. The poor story is not just the fault of the actors, the script is dry, and sounds more like an alien from the show wrote it. The character Vascan is a classic asshole, however we are given no reason for his action, no Batman origin story to justify his actions. This makes it very hard to want to watch on, when you have no emotional attachment to any of the characters.
The musical score in this episode fits great with the retro sci-fi theme the director was clearly aiming for. However compared to all the other elements turned up to 11; the visuals, the ‘acting’, the music tragically falls into the background. It's almost an afterthought. This could easily be fixed by adding overwhelming synths, amplifying the missing tension.
Overall I give Blood Machines a 2.5/5 - the idea behind it is something many 80s kids would dream about, but this episode should teach them to grow up.
I didn't quite achieve as much in my film review as I hoped. I struggled to separate my ideas clearly, which would help the reader understand when I move unto a new topic. I also think my text is inconsistently entertaining. At the start and the end of the review, I tried to make some light-hearted jokes, but I was inconsistent with delivering these. This may mean the reader isn't sure if my piece is meant to be entertaining or serious. I think the biggest issue with my review is the rating at the end. Although I like that it gives a catchy tagline. I think I also should have justified all my opinions at the end of the review in the rating.
In regards to my Gnaw script, I am very glad about how it turned out. Although it may not be a very unique idea for a story, I think I executed it well. I think the use of the cuts to the cannibal eating meat are very impactful and serve to show that she is secretly a cannibal. They are also used well to build up tension in the scenes, we don't know if she will eat him. I also have a very clear idea of how it will be shot. I think this is helped by the fact the script is mostly dialogue and not many actions.
Some points I think I succeeded in my review were breaking down different aspects of the movie like score, casting, script and cinematography. Giving each its own paragraph, and giving it its own strengths and weaknesses. This means that readers will be able to understand elements were effective, and which were brought down by poor choices from the crew. I also tried to break down references I could see in the film. Where the director had been inspired by different movies or genres, this means readers could go and watch the films the director had been inspired by.
I think I succeeded in making a scary character for my script. She is unnamed which may make viewers think there could be people like her out there, adding another level of fear. I also think I created a good cliffhanger ending, viewers don't know if the cannibal attacked the therapist. It is only implied with the build-up of tension and red flickering light like her imagination became reality.
I would like to improve my review to sound more knowledgeable. My goal is to sound like I am keen to learn more about the industry, next time I can break down certain aspects of the film more extensively. I could break down shot composition in the film. Why the cinematographer chose certain colours and lights using my knowledge of colour theory. As I catered my review towards young film students like me, I could try to make the writing more enjoyable and entertaining. Maybe even help them, advising about what to do and what not to do.
I would like to improve my script to make both the characters sound more realistic, and grounded in reality. To make it sound like it is a real situation. This would build more suspense as viewers would feel this is actually happening. I would also like to make the conversation more thrilling leaving the viewers hanging on every word. I also want to make the symbolism of the therapist watering the dead plant more obvious so the viewers notice it, and understand there is a deeper layer of meaning to the film.
My peer reviewer said that I can improve my review by putting my rating system at the start so that readers will know what I already think, rather than having to wait until the end, this may help them understand my critiques more. They also said that I should give more helpful critiques to cast and crew, giving them solutions to the problems I raised, this would help problems like poor lighting or visual effects.
My peer reviewer said that I can improve my script by making the therapist character a lot more realistic. this would definitely help a large majority of viewers be able to relate a lot more to the film and help it be a lot more grounded in reality. This would then help the cannibal seem even contrasted to the therapist, therefore making them a more stand out character.
In the future, I could improve my writing by:
-Working on personal projects in school, so can get critiques from my teachers and learn from my mistakes. This would help with writing scripts and I could also listen to the critiques that my teachers give and understand how they review a film.
-Going to a film course at university, to get a more in-depth understanding of film techniques. This would help with scriptwriting, as I will be breaking down films seeing why directors chose certain techniques.
-Working in groups with different minded people in college, so we can learn from each other and I have to learn to justify my ideas in depth. This would help me explain myself clearer.
-Enter local film or writing competitions, so I can compare myself to people of a similar skill level and learn what I did wrong and right from professionals, This would help me look back at my work and make adjustments, helping with scriptwriting. I could then also look back at other peoples work and do the same, helping with reviews.
-Volunteer for the experiences my college gives me to work on real film sets, so I can get an understanding and appreciation of the work ethic of a crew and see how a script is then translated into film.
-Research into subjects I want to write about in a script, helping them seem more realistic, and making sure I don't get anything wrong.
- I could practice giving feedback to other students in my college, this will help me learn to break down films in more depth. They can then also tell me what advice I give is helpful or not.
- I could practice writing my own scripts for popular movie ideas, then compare them to films with the same idea to see what worked better in theirs. Giving me a deeper understanding of writing scripts.
- I could attend online courses for scriptwriting and reviewing, learning the basic techniques to make writing more interesting.