1. Unit 26 Film Studies
Assignment 2: The Context of Production
Final Report
Atif Ali
Brief
I was asked to find out about how the contexts of production can affect the final product, in
this case, Films. Contexts I was asked to investigate were:
Historical
Technological
Cultural
Methods
A) Historical and Technological
Firstly I watched a documentary called the birth of Hollywood narrated by Paul Merton
which explained about the history of Hollywood films and how its change over the years
then I explored a PowerPoint called film history which is from these I constructed a
leaflet and a short silent film.
B) Cultural
I investigated how ideology and culture can be represented through a country films
output this involved looking at some clips from different countries and conducting
further secondary and primary research into the films of one particular country of my
own choice from which I constructed a PowerPoint about American films I also
compared representation made to my own experience.
B) Remakes historical technological cultural
Firstly I researched 3 films and their remakes nothing similarities and differences
between them this include points about their production/technology narrative
settings. So whilst choosing 3 originals and 3 remake of those same films I noticed
many differences. The films I compared were Total recall 2012 remake Godzilla 2014
remake, Conan the barbarian 2011 remake. Only one film I watched and the
remakes was Godzilla 2014. Secondly I focused on back to the future 2 and looked at
historical contexts to construct Moodboards then chose a scene and planned how I
would remake it 30 years in advance to reflect the changes in then close a scene and
planned how I would remake it 30 years in technology. These changes include the
setting, the music, the clothing that is all in the remade scene.
2. Findings
When I created my leaflet I included facts about Lumiere brothers for example they
were both born in France when I watch the documentary found out about the birth of
Hollywood and how technology has change over years and how the Lumiere brothers
became one of the first real directors.
Historical
We had to do was to look at historical context
of films. Meaning we had to look up what was
the film was in the late 1880s and 90s. What I
found out that the early days they use single
camera to take one whole shot of the scene
for the films. How I got my researched on film
was by looking at the BBC Documentary ‘’
Birth of Hollywood’’ which was organised by
the British comedian Paul Merton. In this
documentary we saw how filmwas started in
the late 1880s and 90s by many popular
directors such as the Lumiere brothers and
even the American pioneering director
Thomas Edison. We learned that the
documentary about ‘’birth of Hollywood’’ was
created in New Jersey and it wasn’t until the
late 1910, which the filmmakers moved to Las
Angeles to avoid their equipment from
getting destroyed by Thomas Edison.
3. Cultural
To found this information we had to watch a short video called “ Top 10 Foreign Films”
from this video I took 5 best foreign films from the list 10 films and put them on a
PowerPoint I created. From the films we included a poster, a flag, of the country, and
also the release date.
Then after making the PowerPoint we had too choose the country we wanted to do. We
had to make a Questionnaire first about the country we chose. I chose India and I made
a Questionnaire asking people in my class about India, with few honest answers. Asking
people in my class about their opinions about the country. Then I took the questionnaire
sheet back from the students in my class and went through them and saw that most
people in my class were interested to go to India some of didn’t and use them for
further pieces of my work.
The next thing I did went on the Prezi website to research based on the country that I’ve
chose which I sticked with India. I started my work on Prezi but it had problem loading
and saving my work so I started from scratched and did it on Microsoft Word. Based of
the country I’ve chosen, On the Prezi website we had a few facts about the country
respectfully, a brief summary of that film and does the filminclude any stereotypes that
the audience know about. But then we had problem with the Prezi website it had
problem loading so I decided to do my work on Microsoft Word.
4. Remakes
First I had to choose three remake movies of my own choice and of its original movie.
The three movies that I chose was Total Recall 2012 remake, Godzilla 2014 remake,
Conan the barbarian 2011 remake. When looking at the original films compared to their
remakes we had to look at what was different between the two movies. Many of these
differences can just come down to just the era of when they where produced, too also
how the effects are how a movie from the 1930s had to use practical effects, this all
comes down too the years the movie was created.
Another difference that is in the original film compared to the remake is the setting.
Looking at the 2014 Godzilla Films, the movie is set in San Francisco, Los Angles
California. Unlike the original Godzilla from 1954 that was set in Tokyo Japan. Showing
the comparisons of the countries that created the filmof the same character. It shows
what country made which movie and also how it looks is well.
Mood Board
We had to do watch a film back to the future released in the late 1980s. After seeing
the film we created a Moodboard. In this Moodboard we created three slides based
upon three years that back to the future is set in. 1955, 1985, 2015, 2045. On this
Moodboard, which I created on Microsoft, word we put on pictures and facts that
happened on those three years respectfully. We did this so we can look at the
differences between the thirty years and looking at how things have changed over the
years.
5. Silent Film
I made my own silent movie film in the style of the Lumiere Brothers. I chose two people in
my class to perform for me, including myself which I also took part in my 1 min silent film, I
named my silent filmLa Figurine Par. Silent movie was based on those early days films with
the camera was placed in one spot, action being take in one shot, we had to do the film and
include the French title for beginning and the end. In the filmI was able to redo the film in
my own version with a basic format of the camera standing still and letting it be a one whole
shot, so all the action and excitement you saw in those early days films be done in one shot.
Conclusion
Overall, I think the videos are much clear than the old days the image was black and
white and knower days they use colour images. They have high quality videos and HD
videos, which are really good knower days. The cultural values are transmitted through
the narrative and acting, also the representation of a country ideology. As I done my
silent film I found out the old days was hard to record because early days they use single
camera to take one whole shot, the filmin the early days was shorter.
