Grimsby (Working Title, 2016)

This is NOT a social realist film! We are, however, using this comedy (spy/action satire) to help us clarify the characteristics of social realist films: we'll contrast the media language of this with what we've observed is conventional for the social realist genre...

PRODUCTION: Working Title, Big Talk, Village Roadshow [US partner] +2 others
DISTRIBUTION: Sony (UK), Colombia (UK); [no China] 36 territories
BUDGET: $35m
BOX OFFICE: UK $7.5m, US $7m; World $25m

BBFC 15, MPAA R (quite high)


SOME CONTEXT: An example of the impact of the changed, reduced status of WT within its parent big six conglomerate, NBC-Universal. WT had been receiving $600m funding every 7 years, with clearance to greenlight any project up to a $25m budget - but that has been reduced to a 'first look' deal, meaning Universal can decide whether they want to 'pick up' a WT project or not. In this case they didn't, Sony (and its subsidiary Colombia) did ... and maybe Universal were wise, as it failed to even recoup its budget, never mind the 2-3 times budget generally accepted as needed to move into profit.

The Gant rule obviously doesn't apply: its a very British film - so much so that the title had to be changed for US and international markets as the place name Grimsby has no recognition and is essentially meaningless and confusing outside the UK (unlike London). 

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IDENTS

• Sony ident is the first
• Big Six production
• Very unlikely to see a Big Six name on a social realist film
• Columbia
• subsidiary of Sony
• Village Roadshow Pictures
• US production partner
• virtually unheard of for UK social realist flick (unlike for comedy
• WT did not get an ident

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SOUND

• Begins with famous song (R Kelly)
• small indie companies do not have the budget to get copyright licenses 
• non diegetic well-known commercial track as an audiobridge over idents to main scene
• social realist films do not usually start with music (often have incidental music)
• lyrical music is also uncommon for social realist
• e.g. Tyrannosaur, but This is England has some
• OST features Ed Sheeran!

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FIRST SHOTS

• Not ELS establishing shot

  

  MCU -back tattoo, sweat, beer can, football shirt

• unusual choice of MCU
• no fade-in (black screen before shot after ident 4)
• Close-up of huge back tattoo ('ENGLAND' and 3 lions) 
• football tattoo
• sweat
• beer cans visible in background 
• Master shot
• reveals scene to be a bed shop
• Tightly framed shots for the opening sex scene are made comic by use of a master shot revealing the location
• poverty is being signified by massive sale posters hanging all over the shop ('lowest prices in Grimsby')
• very low prices $89.99 for a double bed

master shot - low prices, sale

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REPRESENTATION

• Stereotyping begins immediately

  

  MCU (cropped) - facial hair, scruffy look

• overgrown hair and facial hair
• sideburns
• ridiculous tattoo
• football top
• beer can
• and then reveal of moronic antisocial behaviour
• Comparison to social realist:
• The realism of social realist films can lead to showing antisocial behaviour
• e.g. Tyrannosaur protagonist is violent, racist and unemployed
• e.g. This is England swearing throughout, violence, underage drinking etc. 
• Immediate heteronormativity 
• opening sex scene
• idea of male provider (the male protagonist is the one to say "we'll take [the bed]")
• though this also signifies that he is the protagonist as it cuts back to his face/reactions

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Is very short for an opening scene - contrast with This is England and Tyrannosaur etc.

just 30 seconds into the opening sequence which is then followed by another famous commercial song (Blur)

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TITLES

titles

• Serif font
• shot 1 is typical of a social realist though
• grim street red brick terraced houses, heavily graffitied
• many houses are loaded up
• Mise-en-scene
• contrast to This is England - Shaun leaves his bike outside showing the community of the working class neighbourhood as he trusts it won't get stolen
• Grimsby only shows the decay (harsh 2 dimensional stereotype of working class)

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STORYBOARDS

This is the storyboard for the hospital and jogging/car crash scenes. Harriet is doing the storyboard for the packing and training scenes.


Jogging/Car Crash:
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Hospital:

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SAMPLE SCENE Training

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We are cross-cutting this scene with the jogging scene (narrative enigma).

Plan to finish

• Conventions
  
  

  • SL - Tyrannosaur, Journeyman, Sweet Sixteen
  • HBM - Withnail and I, My Beautiful Laundrette, My Left Foot 
  • Summary
  • SL - conventions 1-4
  • HBM - conventions 5-8
  • Influences
  • divided by film openings analysed

  Industry

  • SL - Indie vs conglomerate (Warp v WT) - a lot of this can be taken from convention 1 but include some new examples 
  • topics: budget (Warp v WT + tentpoles, stars, CGI/SFX, franchise, IP, grants + any role of TV co's, co-productions as norm for most movies), box office (# of territories for theatrical dist.; UK, US, China, World; Gant Rule); ownership: Indie v conglom./subsid.; genre b.o. success over time, specific successes (exceptions? - B.Elliot [but: WT2], Slumdog..., Secrets and Lies, Full Monty...) --- get into Warp egs from She a Chinese to Le Donk etc; genre: franchising, hybridity, commercial track record (back to b.o.); age ratings: BBFC (unfair/harsh on Indie soc. realist?), impact on marketability, importance of youth market for cinema, exceptions: hit 18-rated (Deadpool, 50 Shades), emergence of grey market (older); cinema v home tech/piracy: boutique cinemas (look up Prima tag on cinema blog), 3D/IMAX, event screenings, film fests, Curzon membership scheme (see Harry MacQueen on micro-budget links list), convergence - piracy (bittorrent etc)
  • HBM - history of indie (French/British New wave, Italian neorealism)

  Audience 

  • SL - sample scene feedback and response (training, jogging/crash)
  • HBM - sample scene feedback and response (packing, hospital)

  
  

  Editing

  • Sample scenes:
  • SL - training, jogging/crash 29/01/19
  • HBM - packing, hospital 29/01/19
  • Rough cut 30/01/19
  • final cut 07/01/19

  Other

  • SL - storyboard 27/01/19
  • HBM - screenplay 27/01/19
  • Plans for shoots and rushes (updated on production schedule)
  • SL - Jogging, training 
  • HBM - packing, hospital

  Evaluation Questions

  • 1 conventions 10/02/19
  • 2 audience and dist. 29/01/19
  • 3 skills 03/02/19
  • 4 technologies 03/02/19

  
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PLAN FOR SHOOT Jogging + Car Crash Scene

Casting:
Samuel Lau:
Driver of the car
He is needed from 15:15 - 16:45

Tanay Saigal
Professional Tennis player, Jogger who gets hit by the car
He is needed from 15:15 - 16:45

Location:
Setting: Forest in Cents
Date: 
17/11/18 First sample scene (lack of verisimilitude, lack of shot variety)
03/01/19 Poor image quality, mistake in set dressing and lack of shot variety
15/01/19 
Time: 15:15 - 16:45

Equipment:

• Sony A58
• GoPro
• accessories for the GoPro

Props:

• Folders
• Car
• Water Bottle
• Smartphone
• Headphones

Dialogue:

None

Shots:

• LS, tracking shot of Tanay jogging
• CU of his face 
• POV shot of Tanay taking out smartphone to change song
• CU of his feet
• MCU of driver getting in car
• ECU turning the car on 
• a shot from inside the car 
• CU of water bottle falling down
• ECU of hand searching for water bottle
• Over the shoulder shot of driver looking for water bottle
• Shot from outside the car (Passenger seat, camera out the window) of Tanay crossing the street
• CU of Tanay's face when he sees the car approaching

PLAN FOR SHOOT tennis training scene

Casting
Tanay Saigal
The protagonist/tennis player
He is needed from:
2:00-3:00 
6:00-7:00

Samuel Lau
The coach
He is needed from:
2:00-3:00 
6:00-7:00


Location
CK Sportcenter Kockloscheuer - a tennis club
rented tennis court online for 1 hour
cost €25
Date:
17/11/18 - this was used for the sample scene but there were lot of issues so we had to re-shoot (see review here)
01/12/18 - there was unexpected snow and the roads were too icy to drive on safely
13/01/19
Time:
2:00-3:00
6:00-7:00

Equipment

• Sony A58
• Tripod
• Dolly
• SD card

Props

• trophy
• water bottle 
• tennis rackets (2-3)
• tennis balls - we forgot these on the third shoot and had to drive back to Tanay's house, we lost 10 minutes of the time we booked the court for but it wouldn't have worked without them
• towel (to wipe sweat)
• Tennis bag
• cigarettes
• folder and pen

Costumes

Coach:

• Adidas trousers and jacket
• trainers (cannot see the socks underneath trousers)
• whistle
• flat cap
• folder and pen

Tanay:

• Polo shirt
• tennis shorts
• trainers and white socks

Shot List

• Tracking shots of Tanay playing tennis
• Panning shots of Tanay playing tennis
• Worms eye shots of Tanay playing tennis
• Tracking shots of Tanay warming up (lunges, pushups etc.)
• CU of tying shoe laces
• CU of hand tightening on tennis racket
• OTS HA  of Tanay preparing to hit the ball
• Varying focus shots (push) of hands tightening on racket
• MCU of coach looking at Tanay (disappointed)
• 2 Shots of coach telling Tanay to train harder
• Shot reverse shot sequence of coach and Tanay's dialogue (mostly MCUs)
• CU of Tanay wiping away sweat
• CU HA of coach tapping pen on log sheet
• ELS of coach standing outside centre 
• CU of coach getting out cigarettes
• CU of lighting cigarettes
• MCU of coach smoking 
• CU HA of coach snubbing out cigarette with foot
• see other interesting shots we can get with the lighting

Screenplay

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PLAN FOR SHOOT Packing Scene

Casting
Leigh Evens:
The wife of Tanay (professional tennis player)
She is needed from: 11:00 - 12:30

Location:
Setting: At Harriet's house 
Date: 13/01/19
Time: 11:00 - 12:30

Equipment:

• Tripod
• Sony A58

Props:

• Male clothing
• Tennis Racket
• Pictures of Tanay and Team
• Trophies
• Make up

Dialogue:

None

Shots:

• ELS of the house (establishing shot)
• Master shot of the bedroom
• Panning shot of the pictures and trophies
• Over the shoulder shot of wife picking up a photograph
• ECU and sharp focus on the photograph
• CU of the wife opening the wardrobe 
• Continuous editing of her taking the clothes
• HA of wife putting clothes in the suit case
• Another panning shot of wife going downstairs with suitcase
• ECU of her locking the door and throwing it in the letter box

PODCAST 6 review of jogging scene, 2 upcoming shoots, eval qs

In this week podcast we discuss:

• review of the jogging scene we filmed/edited over Christmas 
• plans for shoot of hospital scene today
• plans for tennis and packing scene reshoots on Sunday
• initial brainstorming for creative ways of answering the evaluation questions

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INITIAL AUDIENCE RESEARCH: Survey

Question sheet

This week we did a survey to see if out target audience (primarily male aged 15-24) would be interested in our film idea:

• We showed them clips form 7 social realist films
• Cathy Come Home, Tyrannosaur, This is England, '71, Billy Elliot, Submarine, Slumdog Millionaire
• We gave them a question sheet about the clips
• Asked them to fill in their age/gender (almost all of them were a part of our target demographic)
  

  

  The questions were presented to ppts in a table
  format, but these were the questions

WHAT WE FOUND

• Name the film: 
• they couldn't name most of the films
• most recognised Billy Elliot and Slumdog Millionaire, which makes sense as these were the 2 most commercially successful.
• Genre:
• we suspected a teenage audience would use the word 'drama' to describe most of the films, with hybrid exceptions '71 and Submarine probably being labelled as action/romcom. 
• This was true for the most part, though 2 recognised the social realist theme. 
• Slumdog Millionaire was thought to be a Bollywood production by a few of the participants (which makes sense as the majority of Indian films are Bollywood films), but the majority labelled it as rom-com/drama.
• Would they want to see more of the films: 
• almost no one said they wanted to continue watching Cathy Come Home or Tyrannosaur, 
• more girls than Boys said they would want to continue Billy Elliot (probably because the ballet plot line is too 'girly'). 
• '71 was the most popular among participants that they said they would want to continue because of the genre, but Slumdog Millionaire was also a popular choice.
• Had they seen any other films/tv shows that seemed similar:
• Only a few participants named similar films/tv shows they had seen
• This is England, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Book Thief and Inglorious Bastards were some that were mentioned 
• But most said they had watched similar things
• this is positive feedback as it shows that though our target audience may not have been familiar with the clips we showed, they do have some interest in the genre
• Had they been to the cinema to see any films like these:
• only 1 participant had been to the cinema to see a social realist film (Slumdog Millionaire)
• This makes sense, as discussed in other posts low-budget indie films which tend to be more likely to explore heavy social realist themes are less commercially successful than studio/comedy films and therefore have a more difficult time with theatrical distribution
• Even The Journeyman, which we are taking lots of influence from, was screened at an indie film festival (The British and Irish Film festival)

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TITLES/FONT Audience Feedback

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After getting some audience feedback, they all agreed that the first font fits best for our social realist film. The sharp edges (serif-font) connotes seriousness. The second one fits better for a horror/slasher movie and the third one it too childish.

Podcast5

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In this podcast we are talking about:

• the scenes we are going to shoot
• update on cast
• some behind the scenes
• essay practice about film industry and comparison between Warp and Working Title

Pre-Production evidence

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In this video, I included some behind the scenes, character, the different shot types and some ideas. However, there is more footage to be added the next time we are filming and also more precise details about the set and mise-en-scene.

SAMPLE SCENE3 Jogging/Car Crash

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For this sample scene I included:

• diegetic sound
• I would like to recreate a similar background music I have used in this sample scene (maybe using garage band + a tutorial video)
• natural lighting
• shaky/handheld shots which you find in social realist movies like Tyrannosaur
• tracking shot to signify Tanay is the central protagonist
• Extreme Long Shot
• Close Up
• Long Shot
• Tilting/Panning shot
• it was filmed handheld form a car
• the panting is Foley sound found on the website freesound (copyright free) because the noise from the car and wind made the audio form the clips unusable

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FEEDBACK

• include titles
• there is shading at the top of the frame in the first shot form where the top of the car window is
• include more takes of Tanay running (shot variety, static shots etc.)
• shots of his feet, POV shots, in front/behind etc.
• the image is blurry/pixelated
• the drumbeat sounds like muffled ambient sound, not a drum
• the patch on the arm of the jacket (the jacket in general) doesn't fit - make the character more clear through costume/set dressing
• can create a character that seems careless
• person in business clothes, holding briefcase, papers full, fumbling for key, coffee and on phone - busy, stressed and distracted, likely to be in an accident 
• body language, costume, do not necessarily have to see a face
• would add to verisimilitude 
• be more careful with where/when sad music plays
• there's no real buildup to the climactic car crash
• get frontal OTS shot of the car coming up 
• Tanay could be listening to music - explanation as to why he doesn't heat the car (and would add more verisimilitude)
• the sound - theres the sound of glass shattering but then theres no damage to the car
• we didn't inlaced a shot of Tanay lying on the ground and smoke coming out of thecae because it seemed unrealistic and looked silly
• remove glass shattering sound
• The bleak deep field of focus for the tilting down shot works to show the trees, but shallow field of focus would work better afterwards (don't want be cutting between shots with different fields of focus too much)

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