Exam Preparation: Independent Reading week 1: Genre

Film Genres: Film genres are various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that are recurring and have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the following: settings (and props), content and subject matter, themes, mood, period, plot, central narrative events, motifs, styles, structures, situations, recurring icons (e.g., six-guns and ten-gallon hats in Westerns), stock characters (or characterizations), and stars. Many films are considered hybrids - they straddle several film genres.

Read more about genre and the hybrid genres that make up your exam study of Action Adventure Film here

The Logline

A LOGLINE IS….


A logline conveys the narrative in the most abbreviated manner possible. It presents the major throughline of the dramatic narrative without character intricacies and sub-plots. It is the story boiled down to its base. A good logline is one sentence of less than 30 words.

A logline must present:

Who the story is about (protagonist)

What he strives for (goal)

What stands in his way (antagonistic force)

Sometimes a logline must include a brief set-up.

A logline does not tell the entire story. It merely uses these three (sometimes four) major story elements to depict the dramatic narrative in an orderly and lucid manner.

For instance, a logline for THE WIZARD OF OZ may read:

After a twister transports a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home.


PROTAGONIST

When referring to the protagonist in a logline, do not use a character name. Character names are meaningless to the reader and can crowd and confuse the logline. The one exception would be if the character were a famous person (like George Washington). Instead of using a name, use an occupation or life-status like politician or teenager, brain surgeon or homeless man.

Use a well-chosen adjective to bring greater clarity to the character like a “liberal” politician or an “angst ridden” teenager. The adjective should be accurate in describing who the character is. For instance, the farm girl heroine in THE WIZARD OF OZ (Dorothy) could be considered “lonely” or “neglected.” These words will resonant with greater significance when juxtaposed to her goal (to get back home).

GOAL

The character’s major goal is the engine of a narrative, and it must be present in the logline. In THE WIZARD OF OZ, Dorothy has many goals. She must protect the ruby slippers; she must meet the wizard; she must retrieve the broomstick of the wicked witch. But her major goal is to return to Kansas. It is this goal that the entire dramatic story hinges upon. This is the heart of the dramatic narrative.

The character’s goal, whether physical or psychological, should be established early on.



ANTAGONISTIC FORCE AND STAKES

The logline must present the antagonistic force – the story element that prevents the protagonist from reaching his goal. The writer needs to be careful here and not weigh down the logline with too many details. In the logline example for THE WIZARD OF OZ, the phrase “dangerous journey” intimates the antagonism

Some might wish the mention of the wicked with, however, mentioning another character in the logline can crowd it. The trick is to create a logline that is succinct but not sparse. When crafting the first draft of the logline, a writer may want to throw in everything (including the wicked witch) and then whittle and winnow until it reads smoothly and effectively. It must be clear that the antagonistic force is an obstacle to the major goal. It must imply that something is at stake; it must suggest that something can be lost. The reader must get the sense that death (literal or figurative) is a risk.


SET-UP

Another element that may be necessary in the logline is a set-up. For instance, some narratives have complicated worlds (like sci-fi), and it may be necessary to describe that world. In some cases, the hero could have a “past” - like a secret or a scar - that must be included in order for the logline to work. For instance, it is imperative to include the concept of “precrime” in a logline for MINORITY REPORT.

In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a despondent cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed.

Without the brief set-up, the logline would read like:

A despondent cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed.

To someone who knows nothing of the story, this would make little sense. Notice that the first logline does not go into the detail of “precrime,” nor does it mention it by name. For the purposes of the logline, we only need to understand “precrime’s” most basic function.



DRAMATIC QUESTIONS

Movies ask dramatic questions throughout the course of the narrative. These questions create tension. A logline does the same thing in miniature: it raises questions that evoke curiosity and stir up potentiality. In THE WIZARD OF OZ logline, one may be curious about the “mysterious land” or wonder what the “dangerous journey” entails. For this reason, a logline should avoid revealing the script’s conclusion. This should remain part of the intrigue.

Writers often claim the best part of their narrative is the “surprise” ending, and they feel the need to include it in the logline. A recent screenplay with a surprise ending is THE SIXTH SENSE. An effective logline for this story may go:

A psychologist struggles to cure a troubled boy who is haunted by a bizarre affliction – he sees dead people.

In these examples, the “surprise” ending is not included. A good logline should boast a story that is not dependent on its ending.


ACTIVELY STRUGGLE WITH THE LOGLINE

A logline must convey the action of the story and carefully chosen words must be used to give the logline momentum. The most useful word in writing a logline is “struggle,” because it presents the goal (and scope) of the story and conveys drama. Conflict (the basis of drama) is inherent in the word “struggle.”

JAWS:

After a series of grisly shark attacks, a sheriff struggles to protect his small beach community against the bloodthirsty monster, in spite of the greedy chamber of commerce.

ORDINARY PEOPLE:

After being institutionalized for a suicide attempt, a teen struggles for sanity and closure but must overcome his greatest adversary first – his mother.

CHICAGO:

After murdering her lover, an aspiring singer struggles for stardom by using her crime as a stepping-stone to fame and fortune.

Always keep the protagonist active in the forefront of the logline. The protagonist must be responsible for the thrust of the story. In the logline for JAWS, it is clear that the sheriff has a goal, and this goal is the thrust of the narrative.




ENSEMBLE AS PROTAGONIST

If the narrative features an ensemble as its protagonist (like THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN), the group can be presented as the protagonist.

A group of gunslingers struggles to save a Mexican town from a murderous posse of banditos.

A logline for THE WARRIORS could read like:

After they are wrongfully accused of murder, a street gang struggles to get back to their home turf - as every rival gang in the city pursues them.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE could go:

After a luxury liner is capsized by a tidal wave, a group of survivors struggles to escape through the bow before the ship sinks.

However, ensemble pieces often have one central character and the logline could be presented from his point-of-view. If one considers Yul Brenner the central character in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, the logline could read:

A professional gunslinger organizes a unique posse that struggles to save a Mexican town from a murderous group of banditos.

Although both examples (featuring the group as protagonist or focusing on a central character) present accurate portraits of these stories, it is smarter to concentrate the logline on the central character. Again, this allows the executive to know that there is a star role at the forefront of the story, which always increases the overall worthiness of the project and whets the appetites of producers, agents, executives, and actors.



LOGLINE VERSUS HIGH CONCEPT

Often writers develop a “high concept” to pitch. A high concept is a premise that immediately conveys a movie (with a great deal of conflict) in fewer words than it takes to write a logline. A high concept often uses extremes to engender the drama and scope of a movie. The high concept for LIAR, LIAR is a “lawyer that cannot tell a lie.” The high concept for O is OTHELLO in high school. A lawyer that cannot lie demonstrates an extreme situation. The same is true for OTHELLO in high school. The concept of setting the Shakespearean tragedy in school demonstrates extremes.

However, a “high concept” idea is not a logline. “A lawyer that cannot tell a lie” does not offer much in the way of the three (sometimes four) story elements. A proper logline for LIAR, LIAR could go:

When his son wishes he will only tell the truth, an attorney, and pathological liar, is magically compelled to be honest for one day and struggles to win the biggest case of his career - without telling a lie.

Also, do not confuse a movie poster tagline with a logline. A tagline is a catch phrase used in advertising. One of the most famous was created for JAWS II: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water….” However, a tagline does not demonstrate the necessary story elements to allow the reader to see the dramatic narrative. A tagline fails to educate the reader on the story essentials.

Some excellent Advertising Production work

EVALUATION: Response to Media Brief

Dear Ms Heath,


In response to your creative brief I would like to introduce to you ‘The Graces’ 2011 Spring collection. The campaign draws its inspiration from mythology as suggested in your brief. The aim of the production was to show that a woman can be whoever she wishes to be, despite her current financial or emotional circumstances; that by the fragrance she chooses to wear she could reflect the personality she wishes to portray at that time or the person she is today: mother, career woman, seductress or goddess. These aims were an important element of the campaign as women today have so many roles in society. The ultimate message is that a woman can be multi-faceted. ‘The Graces’ reflect these complexities by offering three varieties: Euphrosyne, Thalia and Aglaia.

The brand of ‘The Graces’ is a new label for 2011. The heritage of the brand has been developed through its mythological connotations and the Garamond Font used in the brand nameplate connotes tradition, style and elegance. This gives the brand an alluded sense of familiarity for the consumer. The tagline of “Beauty, Pleasure, Blossom” stems from the representation that the three characters, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, portrayed in the myths from which they came. It also supports the production aim that women are more than they appear. All women, no matter what demographic they fit, aspire to be beautiful and seek pleasure, whereas blossom offers connotations of nature and motherhood.

This leads me on to the Target Audience for this campaign: women. The primary target audience for ‘The Graces’ is similar to the ITV Sales category W3: women aged 16-34. These women could be from any social demographic background, but would primarily be more affluent due to the price of the fragrance: £40 for 75ml. However, the campaign would not target these women exclusively as all ‘aspirers’ could buy into the glamorous lifestyle we are portraying and would offer additional revenue. In addition to the ‘aspiring’ primary audience, the individual fragrances in the range could also appeal to alternative audiences. Thalia, blossom, for instance would also appeal to ‘mainstreamers’, ‘utopians’ and mothers whereas Euphrosyne, pleasure, would appeal to egoists. The brand as a whole could even appeal to ‘drifters’, those who can’t make their mind up about who they are, thus buying into the whole range. This wide ranging target audience has many needs and this has been incorporated into the campaign through the portrayal of three very different personalities- the dark, sultry seductress that is Euphrosyne, who needs attention and prominence, she holds her arms above her head in a sexually submissive suggestive manner, is dressed in leather and wears heavy makeup, who gazes at the viewer from the dark of night; the hippy chick, Thalia, who needs to nurture and find meaning in life, she sits cross legged amongst natural tones and hues, in a floaty cotton dress, sexy yet motherly; and Aglaia, who needs affiliation and to feel safe, she is a beautiful, natural women who is self-doubting and cannot see how wonderful she truly is. These three characters meet the wide ranging needs of a vast target audience.

I would like the campaign is to be launched within the first right hand three pages of magazines Vogue, Tatler and Bazaar to begin. These high end magazines offer us the ability to target women who still have disposable income despite current economic situations; these women are more likely to be career women with many roles who would buy into our messages. The second phase of the campaign would then launch within Cosmopolitan, Company and Style magazines, further drawing more of the TA in. In terms of cross media promotions I believe that an event at this time would be inappropriate. However, press releases (see R&P pg 3) have been sent to many publishers, department stores and buyers. The advertising standards authority regulations have been adhered to in the development of these products and no unreasonable claims are suggested in my production. This is obviously important as if the ASA found my advertising to be inappropriate or not adhering to their standards they could ban this production.

Both primary and secondary research was carried out as was continuing research at each stage of development. These informed decisions that were made in the final layout of the adverts. For instance in using reed networks I discovered that an ethereal background was more popular than a field or nightclub setting. This supports the notion that the power of fragrance advertising lies in the ability to make the consumer dream. The escapism that fragrance advertising offers the consumer is clearly gratifying.

The codes of fragrance advertising that I have conformed to in this campaign are, firstly, the placement of an enlarged perfume bottle in the bottom right third of each layout. This offers the opportunity of exposure even in non purchase due to unconscious recognition in the consumer from flicking through the magazine. It is an enlarged bottle to engage with the ‘need for prominence’ and as a suggestion that the consumer will get more for their money. In addition I have used an attractive model in the campaign- she represents the middle age range of the target audience and plays all three characters in the campaign to further emphasize the production message. In two products, Euphrosyne and Thalia, the model is staged in a full body shot, and in one, Aglaia, a close up is utilised. Close up has been chosen in this product as the fragrance represents and is supported by the tagline ‘Beauty’ presented as a tattoo on the model’s wrist. The use of the Fibonacci spiral was used to layout the original photographic image in which the direct gaze is suggestive of the model viewing herself in the mirror. These aspects deliberately further emphasize to the consumer the exquisite symmetrical nature of the model’s features. Despite the model being attractive, the use of the pen drawn arrows on the face connote plastic surgery, along with the direct address and cool ‘chocolate box’ expression, this engages the viewer sending a message of irony to the TA that they don’t need mechanical alterations to make them beautiful- they already are. Furthermore the message is that the only thing they need to accentuate their beauty is the fragrance, Aglaia.

The representation of women in this campaign is positive. The character of Euphrosyne could be seen to support ‘male gaze’ criticisms of portraying women as a commodity and although she simulates a gesture which could be suggested as submissive, holding her arms above her head as if being held down or tied up, I have tried to subvert that representation by staging Thalia, who could be seen as her binary opposite, in a similar stance, thus connoting the posture as an open, relaxed gesture, representing a woman who is comfortable in her own skin, day or night, single or attached, at work or at play. The colours used on the three products further support the connotations of each fragrance. On Euphrosyne the black, purple and red signify night, richness and passion which is supported by the tagline ‘pleasure’ and the rich heavy notes of the fragrance itself. On Thalia the natural tones of brown and creams signify Mother Nature, ‘blossom’ and the flowery notes of the fragrance. On Agalia the skin tones are dominant, the blues of the rest of the composition are drawn from the models eyes signifying fusion and calmness which is supported by the cool expression and the cool fresh notes of the fragrance. Each advert represents a part of the TA as well as the fragrance product itself.

Having trialled this campaign I have had extremely positive feedback. Both, teenage girls, aged 14-19, and professional women 20-36 claimed that the advertising would appeal to them, and as such they would look out for the fragrance in department stores. The majority agreed that when buying fragrance it was usually the scent which sold it to them, however they liked the message of the campaign and would definitely make an effort to try it out in testers. In order to address this I would like to improve the production by adding the experiential element, in a peelable sample, to the advertising pages. Obviously this would have a considerable impact on the cost of this advertising campaign.

Finally, I would like to remind you of my unique selling point: this campaign meets the needs and expectations of today’s women. Whoever they are, whoever they want to be- this fragrance will accentuate them. They will be beautiful, realize pleasure and they will blossom.

Beauty, Pleasure, Blossom?

That’s up to you!

The Blockbuster

"Blockbuster" = A movie which is a huge financial success. In common usage a "blockbuster" is a movie that has a box-office of more than $100 million upon release in North America."

Big movie studios need big movies. What they particularly need, given the fact that they are all part of huge multi-media conglomerates, are big movies that can also translate into big theme park rides, big video games, big t-shirts, big soundtrack CDs, big magazine circulations and big TV ratings. And for this they need big audiences.The first blockbuster movie is generally deemed to be Jaws (1975), directed by the then little known Steven Spielberg. It was a movie that everyone went to see, and that made its studio, Universal, nearly $500M worldwide. It was a blockbuster because it was a huge financial success, but it was also a blockbuster because it had global appeal, and attracted mass audiences. It only cost $12M to make, and movie studios have been chasing that kind of profit margin ever since.

Every summer (to take advantage of the summer holidays amongst other things), the main movie studios release movies that they hope everyone will want to see (i.e. it's a four quadrant movie, appealing to male, female, young and old audience members). Around 40% of their year's takings are concentrated into this period. By everyone, they mean that the film does not have a niche audience. It is not a chick flick, or a kid pic, but it offers something to everyone. Perhaps it contains a major star, or is part of a franchise, or is a remake, or an adaptation of a book, comic, tv show or computer game. It will often be very clearly identifiable as belonging to a genre, and although it will contain plot twists, it is likely to come to a satisfactory ending for the audience (usually, the good guys win). It will have high production values, and much will be made of the special effects sequences. because of this, it will have a high budget, and the studio will be anxious about the box office it will achieve.

'Action Adventure' is the most usual genre for a blockbuster movie. This is because they are big on action and short on dialogue, which means they are much easier to sell all over the world. It seems there are no cultural or language barriers to enjoying car chases and explosions.

Sometimes these movies are referred to as 'tentpole movies'. That's because they are expected to perform well enough to 'hold up' the movie studio that releases them. In order words, tentpole movies are expected to make hundreds of millions of dollars - often in a short period of time - in order to compensate for the other releases that might not be so profitable, or might be a colossal failure. Movie studies put a lot of resources behind their perceived 'tentpole releases' which are often entries in a tried-and-tested franchise like Shrek, Twilight or Harry Potter

High Concept: Independent Reading

Have you ever had a Lloyd Grossman cooking sauce? The makers of said cooking sauce commissioned a survey that yielded the following information: Britons consume only four staple meals – we cannot be bothered to cook anymore. According to the Guardian newspaper that would suggest we eat one of our favourite meals – that being spaghetti Bolognese – nearly three-thousand times in an average lifetime. Perhaps this says we just don’t like to cook, at least, extravagantly, or that our appetite is less adventurous than we might think. Or maybe we just like the same things. Maybe we want spaghetti Bolognese or chicken curry or sausage and mash every week. We are used to the formula that is tried and trusted, and comforting in its simplicity. We also know we’re going to enjoy it.

After I finished my Friday night meal of spaghetti in a Lloyd Grossman Bolognese sauce, I placed Samuel L. Jackson’s high-flying adventure “Snakes On A Plane” into my DVD player and hit play. After about the hour mark when Mr. Jackson is down in the belly of the plane trying to get the power back on, I had the distinct feeling I’d been here before. No, I hadn’t seen the film and just forgotten about it like some form of random-amnesia that forces the brain to forget average movies – it was the formula of it all that set the deja vu into overdrive. Well, that and the fact Jackson did the exact same thing in “Jurassic Park”. They even had walkie-talkies but of course in Spielberg’s dinosaur adventure the aforementioned king-of-cool lost his arm, or was that his body, before he had a chance to radio for help.

That got me thinking every film we see has a formula. It’s the same with literature, there are basically around eight stories that have been told in thousands of different ways with only character names, locations, and small details changed (in fact, some theorists believe there are only two main story structures, and others believe there is only one). In cinema the easiest and most identifiable formulas are seen in genres such as romance (the boy meets girl, there’s a conflict but they get together in the end), and slasher films (beautifully parodied in Wes Craven’s Scream – teenagers get killed in horrific ways by a seemingly unstoppable killer who likes sharp, metallic murder weapons but final girl defeats the evil in the end). However, the simplest formula comes from those movies that first busted blocks in 1975. With their one-line pitch, instant iconography, easy marketability and consumer appeal, and star-name, they introduced cinemagoers to bite-size (quite literally in many cases) movies. It was a gift from the television generation (Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Joe Dante, Robert Zemeckis) to American audiences. Welcome to the high-concept movie. They are easily recognizable and much like our formula-diets, easily digested.

So what is a high-concept film?

Good question because the whole idea of a high-concept genre of films is much debated. Many believe the pioneers were Spielberg and Lucas with “Jaws” and “Star Wars”. It has also been argued that the high-concept movie dates further back to the likes of “Casablanca” and even Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”. But this only applies to the idea of identifiable similarities within the films and not the commercial activities that only really became prominent in the late seventies and eighties.

Essentially, the high-concept movie is one where the plot can be summed up in a sentence or two. It will have a simple title that tells you most or everything you need to know about the film, and be based on an idea that breeds easy-to-sell marketability. This includes everything from soundtracks and tie-in pop music (think P Diddy’s hit “Come With Me” for Godzilla), star vehicles and franchises, consumer goods, and dominant, impact-inspired themes (examples would be dinosaurs let loose on the public in “Jurassic Park”, or a meteor heading to earth that will destroy everything in “Armageddon” or “Deep Impact”).

It could be argued that the high-concept movie has lost its distinction simply because American cinema is now almost totally overrun by films that are made primarily on the basis of profitability. Indeed, has 21st century Hollywood become high-concept and then everything else? The most dominant Hollywood directors of the past twenty years would suggest this: Spielberg, Tony Scott, David Fincher, James Cameron, Stephen Sommers, Simon West, Michael Bay, all have based their careers around high-concept films.

In pandering to the needs of the average cinemagoer you get more people into theatres, more people talking about your movie, and therefore more sales. But maybe they are just pandering to that staple diet I was talking about earlier. Every high-concept movie includes very similar things in its formula. There’s a predominant theme of good versus evil which always sells, with the main character having to face a major problem that will always be as big as “Armageddon”, or a giant sea lizard type-thing attacking New York City, or dinosaurs running riot downtown, or a bus that will explode if it goes under fifty miles per hour. And they also feature the extraordinary in either the character or the situation, but one is so dominant it fights against the other to create obvious and seemingly unstoppable conflict.

It’s quite obvious why high-concept movies are so well liked because they deal with broad themes that are recognizable to any type of filmgoer, who can, whether they are male or female, black or white, English-speaking or not, identify with such themes. Lost love, war, fear, life and death, family, and honour, are all dominant within the films themselves. Examples would include Jaws (fear, death), Top Gun (honour), Pearl Harbor and Saving Private Ryan (war, honour). And in many cases a star-name is used to draw more popularity to the film Tom Cruise (Top Gun), Bruce Willis (Die Hard franchise), Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan).

Another reason high-concept films are easily digested is because they rely on plot over character. For example, “Snakes On A Plane” in its title describes the plot, the conflict and pretty much everything you need to know about the film. Essentially, that is what the film is about: snakes are let loose on a plane and the characters, including the hero, who in this case is an ordinary man faced with extraordinary circumstances, must survive. Saying ‘bomb on bus’, child alone at Christmas, lawyer who cannot lie for a day or man is forced to live same day over and over again, would instantly evoke the memory of “Speed”, “Home Alone”, “Liar, Liar”, and “Groundhog Day”. Yet, if I were to say struggling writer finds inspiration in his wayward but eccentric student, you might think of Michael Douglas in “Wonder Boys”, but I could have been referring to Billy Crystal in “Throw Momma From The Train”. The reason for the ambiguity is because these films are character-based rather than plot-based and the significance is less obvious. The high-concept movie has to have an immediate significance to an audience so “Snakes On A Plane” works in the same way “Armageddon”, “Eight Legged Freaks”, “Speed”, and “Twister” do. There is an immediate idea of plot, theme, and conflict.



TOP 10 HIGH-CONCEPT FILMS

The following films aren’t necessarily the finest ever made. Although there are some very good movies in the list, as well as a couple of classics, this top 10 looks at those films that perfectly encapsulate what high-concept is about.

10. Armageddon (Bay, 1998)

Big money? $451 million

Big star? Bruce Willis

What does the titles tell me? World’s end

Good against evil? Man against nature

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Deep Impact (Leder, 1998)



9. Twister (de Bont, 1996)

Big money? $495 million worldwide

Big star? Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt

What does the titles tell me? Colloquialism meaning cyclone or tornado. Dangerous weather – suggestive of storm chasers.

Good against evil? Man against nature

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Night of the Twisters (Bond, 1996)



8. Speed (de Bont, 1994)

Big money? $350 million

Big star? Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock

What does the titles tell me? Too fast, what is going so fast, deadly speed.

Good against evil? Man against machine against villain

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Speed 2 (de Bont, 1997)



7. Turner and Hooch (Spottiswoode, 1989)

Big money? Not bad, could have been better $120 million worldwide

Big star? Tom Hanks

What does the titles tell me? Poster gives detail to names – man and dog

Good against evil? Man against dog against villains

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? K-9 (Daniel, 1989)



6. True Lies (Cameron, 1994)

Big money? $364 million

Big Star? Arnold Schwarzenegger

What does the titles tell me? Contradiction but what are these lies

Good against evil? Man against nuclear bomb

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Commando (Lester, 1985)



5. Beverly Hills Cop (Brest, 1984)

Big money? $316 million

Big star? Eddie Murphy

What does the titles tell me? There’s something special or unique about cops in Beverly Hills

Good against evil? Cops and robbers – good cops versus villains

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Metro (Carter, 1997)



4. Jurassic Park (Spielberg, 1993)

Big money? Definitely – $915 million worldwide

Big star? Jeff Goldblum

What does the title tell me? Play on theme park – ‘Jurassic’ has connotations of the dinosaur era. Dinosaurs and theme park rides…hmm…who is asking for disaster then?

Good against evil? Man against dinosaur

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Alien Vs. Predator (Anderson, 2004)



3. Home Alone (Columbus, 1990)

Big money? Oh yes – $533 million worldwide

Big star? Not quite, Macaulay Culkin became a star afterward. Joe Pesci is the villain though

What does the title tell me? Alone at home doesn’t sound too menacing unless you’re a child

Good against evil? Child and big house versus two inept villains

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Home Alone 2 (Columbus, 1992)



2. Top Gun (Scott, 1986)

Big money? $345 million worldwide

Big star? Tom Cruise

What does the title tell me? One who is the best at what he does

Good against evil? Good American fighter pilots against bad soviet fighter pilots

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Iron Eagle (Furie, 1986)



1.Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)

Big money? $470 million worldwide

Big star? Just three of them – Roy Schneider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw

What does the title tell me? Watch out for a big mouth with big teeth!

Good against evil? Man against angry shark

What other high-concept movie is almost exactly the same? Piranha (Dante, 1978)

Filmmaking Techniques

An excellent video to use as a point of reference for your understanding of the micro aspects of film.
Makes me really miss teaching A'Level!

How to Film a Dialogue Scene: Angles, Framing & Rule of Thirds - Tutoria...

CGI - the evolution of a revolution

A history of Special Effects

Basenotes - Belle d'Opium ad banned in UK for "simulated drug use"

Basenotes - Belle d'Opium ad banned in UK for "simulated drug use"