'Cutting It' - Technical analysis

Mise en scène
When looking at the Mise en scène, it will be divided into three different categories being; location  lighting, objects and props.
Firstly, location. The interior of the office and Taxi within the sequence are studio builds in opposition to the café and hospital which are shot on location. These locations also provide a range of atmospheres including that of the café presenting a calm and relaxed atmosphere in opposition to that of hospital projecting a sense of worry. This therefore, builds tension before the crisis scene of the car crash.
Next, lighting. In the first scene within the taxi, the light is behind the couple. Light symbolises life so this could be used to represent the movement of life either moving away or leaving the couple behind. Also, within hospital scene, the females face is seen to be covered. The shadowing of her face does not only hide all emotions for the scene but could act as a shadowing to her upcoming death. Finally, when considering the lighting, the majority of the scene is shoot with natural light whereas within the hospital this light is unnatural. As the sun could be said to symbolise life, it is seen that when the light isn't present this could represent death.
Lastly, when looking at objects and props flowers are a key item identified. Flowers are used to represent death, relating to the reefs laid at funerals. Again, flowers are seen on the females dress indicating a stronger sense of decease to the audience. The ring is finally used to represent the marriage of the couple but not only this but the uncertainty of the forth coming events like that of their previous relationships.

Camera
This sequence used a number of different camera shots and angles, capturing numerous messages.

• Two shot - Here, the faces of both characters are seen showing a personal aspect between them and therefore creating a relate able connection with the audience
• Ariel shot - An Ariel shot captures from above, exposing the characters and subsequently revealing their vulnerability 
•  Extreme close up - This shot is used to represent the closeness of the couples relationship and could therefore foreshadow the disaster that is going to happen when relating to their past relationships. 
• Point of view - A point of view shot makes connections with the audience, almost allowing them to put themselves in the characters shoes. This shot also presents tension. 
• Crane shot - This shot is only seen once in the sequence within the hospital. This shot is used in this scene to hide the facial expressions of the characters so that the storyline is unknown. One use of this shot could be to repeat serial information, as if the female character does not believe the news she is being given and is therefore watching herself through the process again. An alternative, could be the desk being shown as a barrier between the characters. This would then relate to the barrier between life and death being close for the female character. 
• Exterior shot - Here, the location is established and allows you to have clearer acknowledgement of the dialogue. 
• Alternating shot - Alternating shots allow you to see both of the characters. Though, it is witnessed that when the camera is predominately focused on the male character the female is in shot. Whereas, when the female character is in focus the male is not seen. This is used to represent the self centred emotions of the female character. 
• Close up - A close up is used to show the intimacy between the couple and also their ending of togetherness. 

Editing

In the Taxi there is a use of sharper shots with the camera continuously changing between the characters. In the consultants room, the cuts are slower, creating a greater scene of tension amongst the audience. After the crisis, slow motion is used to show the futile efforts of her husband, running. This scene is also individual, being the only scene including a hand held camera showing a shaken point of view shot and therefore representing the emotions of the male character. A heartbeat sound effect is also added. This is exaggerated, creating tension and acts as a base to drive the scene. Finally a visual effect of re-colouring has been used to add a blue tint to the extreme close up shot of the wedding ring. A blue tint is used to represent a cold atmosphere and in conclusion a bad result or ending. The sequence finishes by fading into black, with black symbolising death.

The Film Industry - Exhibition

In the summer of 2007, cinema attendances rose to their highest point in 40 years. The main reason for this was the release of blockbusters.

Exhibitors need films that catch the imagination of their audience in the 21st century. Along with this feature, development of digital technology is needed. The number one problem though, faced by exhibitors is piracy.

Since 1984, the rise in cinema audiences is due to the significant development of multiplex cinemas. In 1950 attendances peaked in opposition to 1984 when the point of cinema attendances was at its lowest.  This was due to run down cinemas with only a single screen making viewing incredibly limited.

In the early days, multiplex cinemas where located out of town because it was not economically viable to have them situated in the city centre. Cinemas needed a greater number of screens and a greater majority of 'good' films to be released. Not only this but good parking and access was needed. Today, cinemas are part of the new development in city centres.

City Screen are 'niche' exhibitors because they only show specialised films therefore identifying a specific audience.

An increasing part of the changing audience of cinema goers are the 'Baby Boomers', also known as the elderly audience.

Film bookers decide on what films are located where by the location of their audience. The younger audience such as children will choose to visit cinemas out of town opposed to the older audience who will choose to go to cinemas in the city centre due to other attractions such as bars. Films are usually booked 3 to 4 weeks in advance. The audiences decisions are reviewed on the Monday after the film has been released.

The Vue cinema chain spent millions doing 'Mosaic profiling'. This is when local customers are targeted to find out their personal cinema preferences. It was found out that a large Turkish population was living in a condensed area and therefore Vue cinema decided to show the biggest Turkish film having recently been released to suit their community.

Audiences have to decide on the film they watch by balancing personal and commercial taste. Commercial taste is a film which has been rated highly nationally. When considering 'brand' in the top 10 to which cinema to choose, it falls to be the 7th or 8th decision. Other decisions include; access, environment, quality and timing.

Curzon cinemas attempt to differentiate between themselves and majors by emailing their commutators and providing events at their cinemas to attract audiences.

75% of audience leaving the cinema did not know the brand name of that cinema. It has also been proven that a change in name of a cinema has no effect on the percentage of attendance.

With the arrival of digital projection it will be possible to watch live sporting events and shows. Also, with no storing cannisters this means that the audience is able to vote for the film they want to watch and this can immediately be played.

Digital 3D  is likely to help distinguish cinema from home entertainment systems, giving a more interesting experience to the audience. The digital screen network will help niche exhibitors reach a wider audience than their typical 25 to 45 year age range by the viewing being easier to set up. This will also show a difference from home entertainment by cinemas being more event based, providing a greater experience and making sure a community is formed to ensure a life enhancing experience.

Sub genres of Drama

When considering the drama genre, there is many different categories it's able to be divided into.

Firstly the soap drama, including television series such as Coronation Street and EastEnders. Key features of this type of drama involve; Multiple plots and characters, often having story lines interwoven as well as moving in-between different characters and plots. Characters are normally stereotyped. Also, the story lines have a moral nature. This means that the audience can get involved by making judgements. Plots therefore, usually revolve around family and personal relationships. Next, soap operas have social and domestic settings such as shops, pubs, homes etc. Finally a soap drama will often have cliffhangers, a narrative device aimed at retaining audiences.

Youth dramas will often revolve around social issues of concern. These are normally popular amongst teenagers, including pregnancy, rape, alcohol, drugs, crime, sex and relationships. Teenagers are also presented as how they are stereotyped in the real world. This is done so that the audience are easily able to relate to the characters and possibly find the drama more entertaining. Unlike soap operas, youth dramas are usually set within a school. This is so, that the audience is able to easily connect to their everyday setting. Finally domestic issues are common, helping the audience to relate and realise that problems at home aren't unfamiliar. This can also help and aid teenagers with their issues.

Another sub-genre of drama is medical. Key features of this include; a range of different characters such as doctors, nurses, police, patients etc. Also, these included hopital/ clinic settings as well as domestic settings such as homes or public places where the accidents may occur. Like soap operas, both these sub-genres involve story lines of a moral decisions, meaning that the audience is able to connect through the element of judgement, maybe having been in the same situation as placed upon screen. 

Crime dramas, have the theme of  a murder or serial killing. The purpose of this is to create anxiety among the audience. The anxiety is increased also, by a numerous amount of sub-plots, helping the audience to be more sustained and hooked on the current scenario. Common within crime drama is gender representation, having many series featuring a male detective. Although, female detectives are sometimes cast so that female power is represented in a male dominated culture. Not many characters are involved within the crime drama though, casting the police is essential.

Fantasy dramas are popular due to the wide range of character types. Mythical creatures are the base of fantasy dramas, allowing the imagination of the audience to be captured.Creatures include unicorns,dragons and aliens. Good vs Evil is the key theme within the fantasy sub genre, running through the majority of narratives. Superhumans also feature frequently, because they give an unrealistic hope to the audience that they could possibly have super powers.

The final sub-genre of drama is issue based. These contain a wide range of topics and audiences. Firstly, controversy and political issues are included due to the nature of the drama trying to tackle the current affairs relating to the adult audience. This genre also interlinks with youth dramas, tackling issues such as rape, sex, alcohol and pregnancy. Stereotypical characters are common as well as showing social class differentiation. Britain has both areas of poverty and wealth, with dramas showing the social class divisions in numerous ways. 

The Film Industry - Distribution 2

Distributors find it hard for their message to stand out due to other films, competing at the same time. Though the most important marketing tool for a film is the campaign. The synergy of the campaign is important because the working of multiple individuals will bring a greater result when all is brought together. This means that the public relationships will be stronger and therefore distributors will create an exposing connection with the audience.

The first key element of the campaign is posters. Poster art is important because it appeals to a static two dimensional audience, meaning that there is a wider audience available. A good poster should reveal the first selling point of the film, that being the genre and the context. This also allows the audience to witness the first look of the film. A poster is a 'teaser' campaign because it makes the audience aware that the film is coming. This is also the most cost effective way to advertise.

The second key element is the trailer. The trailer is important because it allows the audience to know what they are going to buy into. The trailer is also shown in the suited environment of which the film will be shown meaning that this is the best gauge for the audience, having felt the importance of the impact. Trailers are split into 3 different categories:
1. The Teaser trailer. This is short and shown before the film starts
2. The Main trailer. This is shown before the full length film comes out
3. The short version of the Main trailer. This is shown in local cinemas, after the film has been released.

The 'perfect' trailer would not have a voiceover because the message should be shown through the dialogue itself, along with the visuals. Both the comedy and drama genres will include a voiceover to play with the mood of the audience. On the other hand, a thriller film will use captions to create a specific mood in the head of their audience. Foreign language films will include subtitles, through these films often create big barriers when trying to connect with the audience.

TV trailers are different. Television spots will become available  often being later in the day when the whole of the film has been finished. These usually encompass more shorter scenes, playing as a whole to 15-30 seconds worth. TV trailers will include the key areas of the films title, the acting cast and the release date.

When considering the range of multimedia this includes, the internet, official websites, virtual campaigns (when you send links on) and PR (the co ordination of editorial space)
Distributors can get free publicity for a film from its reviews. These communicate with the audience how well a film has been reviewed generally, acting as either an incentive or disincentive to watch the film. Although, this puts pressure on the critics depending on how much space they have to fill within a newspaper. General advertising usually lasts for 6 weeks.

Finally, tracking. Tracking is the awareness and interest of the audience. The figures of which are released 4 weeks after the film has been released. The 'word of mouth' is the discussion between friends. This is seen to be 'King' because the support of a movie is soon spread by the audience, influencing others.

Distributors create a 'buzz' by previewing their film. This means that the word of mouth can be spread before the film is released, also working with media partners. The key strategy is to invite an audience into a free advanced screening programme.

The 'three day' figure is always open on a Friday, also including the Saturday and Sunday, having the figures released on the Monday morning. This is so important because this determines the financial success of the film. If a film is earning a loss then it will be pulled off the screen and soon replaced.

The Film Industry - Distribution 1

The distributor's job is to bring the film to the market or in other words to launch it. The ways in which distributor's acquire films vary depending on whether the distributor is major or small. Major distributor's are given many films to distribute whereas the small have to pay for them, acquiring them at events such as festivals. Their job is to simply be the representative of the film.

When films first start to be marketed, there are many starting points. Firstly distributors must find the attracting elements or the USP - Unique Selling Point, also known as the 'hook' of the film. One line is usually given to describe the whole film along with advertising the main casting characters. Genre is also important because this gives the film identification.

Considering audience, there are two core cinema goers. The frequent divide into the categories of 15 to 24 year olds and family groups. It is important for the distributors to target their audience for marketing campaigns and also attract possibly other groups, increasing the revenue of the film.

Choosing a release date for a film is very important. This is one determinant of the audience. School holidays are very popular due to children and adolescents in education being out of school. This allows a wider audience to attend the cinema due to less restrictions on time. A big franchise is a date in which distributors have already in mind. The only problem with this is the possibility of having a similar film released on the same day and therefore having to compete for the same audience. This problem would mean that each film would have to compete for the unique selling point or the release date would have to be moved.

Film research is important because this allows distributors to listen to and interrupt audiences, also being known as the 'marketing hook'. Research involves posters, concepts and trailers for visual purposes.

The budget is decided upon once the audience and unique selling point have been defined. Marketing is how much money you have to spend in the first place. This is determined by the box office potential income. 25% - 30% of the budget will be spent on marketing. Distributors will try and stretch the budget as far as it will possibly go. The three sections of marketing involve: 1) The promotions and events such as premiers. 2) Traditional/ general advertising such as film trailers and posters. 3) The overall costs of production.

The Film Industry - Production

The role of the producer is to find the original idea of the film or the script of the film. Not only this but the the producer has to find the director and protect him/her, putting their visual ideas upon screen. The producer is also the entrepreneur of the business having to get the money together. Nick Powell talks about the 4 blocks. These are; developing the ideas, physically making the film, followed by raising and putting the film on screen.

The essentials for a good script include; having a well told story, here there is importance of having a passionate idea from the writer so that the story is easily marketable. The script should also comprise of a simple idea for the audience, including references to the real world so that the audience are able to connect to the storyline. The starting point should be a big idea and a question creating a journey through the story having a start, middle and end. This will then be a blue print for the director to be inspired by and build upon. It is also important for the director to care about the individuals involved within the film. The script will usually go through 12 to 15 drafts before it is fully complied.

The 'Package' involves an initial plan of the cast involved, scheduling and the production team. Discussion will also include the budget needing to be set. Script development will also take place by having to polish and rewrite the script. This may include having to transpose settings, eliminate lines or cut the cast. This will result in hoping to find finance and enables a valid judgement on how the final film will turn out.

In the UK, producers have several options for investment. They can go to a television company such as Channel 4 and the BBC or get a regional film fund. A group of financiers is also possible, usually composing of 3 to 10 partners. British producers can also have co production deals with other producers. These are usually found across the channel. Studio Canal is an example of a French co production. A single funder is easier to find although, this means that full control is given to the funder. This in contrast is different to an independent production when the director or producer is in charge. A UK film producer will decide on the best deal for each film by evaluating the possible competition their film will take.

When planning and shooting the film the producer will firstly decide what sections will be filmed where. Preparation will also have to be carried out on finding locations for the hardest scenes, this usually being done early in the shooting process. The producer will also cast and deal with the heads of department such as costume and make up. The right hand of the director is the cinematographer. Their input is needed to construct a budget from the script.

The importance of budget is that the film is entirely based on investment plans. The films finance plan will pay the budget back. The budget is created through the breakdown of the script into specific sections. A table is then constructed and used to analysis the script. This is broken down down into two sections; above and below the line costs. Above the line costs are the creative talent packages. This includes the writer, script, producer and team, director and main casting actors/actresses. In contrast to this, below the line costs include the team who put the shoot together, photographers of the shoot and the background actors/ actresses.

The executive producer needs to ask questions about the audience before every film. A specific audience needs to be defined. Not only this but where will the film be played?, who will pay to see the film?, what price will be paid? and will their be an audience of significant numbers? The market place needs to understand this because the audience determine whether the film will be a financial success or not.

Marketing is often considered a hidden cost...but is the key source of income.The film should fall into a certain genre because this can determine the success of a film by appealing to a certain audience of interest of can encourage an audience by relevant seasons. A 'need to see' aspect is also created so that the audience are enticed into the film, having a possibility of missing out. This is suspended by including high directors and big actors. Finally the significant difference between the Hollywood and UK film industries are that in America the industry consider the audience and marketing first. Where as in contrast, the UK film industry consider the budget of the idea first and the release date of the film worldwide.