Questions On The Development Of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

The Development Of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Who owns Lucasfilm: The Walt Disney Company 
Who formed Lucasfilm: George Lucas
What year was Lucasfilm formed: 1971
Who is the president of Lucasfilm: Kathleen Kennedy
What other major films have they worked on: Indiana Jones 1-5, Star Wars 1-7
How much was Lucasfilm sold for: $4.05billion
Who wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens: George Lucas
Who directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens: JJ Abrams
What other major films is the director responsible for: Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, 10 Cloverfeild Lane   
How many Star Wars films have there been so far (list them): 

• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, 
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones,
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith,
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

How much money have they all made at the global box office:

• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: $1,468,673,890
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones: $857,205,792
• Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: $1,035,480,818
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: $3,047,314,171
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: $1,555,903,941
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: $1,135,503,765
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens: $2,066,046,882

When was the first Star Wars film released: 1977
What does ILM stand for: Industrial Light and Magic
What do ILM do?: They aided Lucasfilm by creating visual effects.
Who created ILM?: George Lucas
Why did they create ILM?: To help create/ design special effects for Lucas' original Star Wars film.
What do casting directors do: Just like a normal director the casting director is the member of the production team to hire and recruit actors to play a role in their movies.
Where were the first scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens filmed: Abu Dhabi
What format was Star Wars: The Force Awakens shot on: The film was shot in the same way as the original trilogy, on film which isn't used as much when creating movies. 
What types of camera were used to film Star Wars: The Force Awakens?: Arri Alexas, IMAX Mk3s, IMAX MSM 9802s and
What studio was used to film a large portion of the film?: Pinewood Studios
Where is the studio?
What major franchise is famously filmed at this studio?: The James Bond films have been filmed here.
How does said franchise link to Star Wars: The Force Awakens?: Daniel Craig stars as the Storm Trooper who Rey uses her mind tricks on in the film.
Who was the inspiration for the character Maz Kanata?: JJ Abram's high school teacher.
What technology was used to create Maz Kanata: Motion Capture
Who played Maz Kanata & what other roles is she famous for: Actress Lupita Nyong'o played the character of Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens, she's also been seen in films such as Non-Stop, 12 Years A Slave and the upcoming Black Panther.
Who played General Snoke: Andy Serkis
What is he renowned for in the movie business: Bring multiple characters to life though motion picture imaging.  
Where was the final scene filmed: The Skellig Islands
Who composed the film score: John Williams
How many Star wars films has he composed the music for: All 7 of the Star Wars films
What other famous films has he created the music for: He is also responsible for creating the soundtrack for film franchises such as the Jurrassic Park films and the Harry Potter films.
How mant times did John Boyega audition for the film (according to JJ Abrams): John Boyega apparently auditioned for the film eight times for the role of Fin.
Over what period of time did these auditions occur: Auditions took place over a period of 6 months from 2013- 2014 
How many people operated B-B8?: Puppet B-B8 was operated by two puppeteers. The radio-controlled B-B8 was controlled by three separate operators with remotes.
What type of technology was the main version of B-B8?: RC technology as well as sphere technology.
What colour suit did the B-B8 operator wear?: Green or Blue
Whay did he have to wear such a suit?: This was so they could be removed during editing.
What type of special effects (SFX) were employed on Star Wars: The Force Awakens?: A mixture of practical effects and CGI.
How many people were behind the monitor watching the scene when Han and Chewie returned to the Millenium Falcon: Lucasfilms president Kathleen Kennedy stated that at this scene over 200 people were present when filming took place.  
Why was Simon Pegg thanked in the credits for Star Wars: The Force Awakens?:  He was a consultant on the film. He was also casted as the portly alien dealer from Jakku
JJ Abrams shot part of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in IMAX. What is IMAX?: A film format which displays at a clearer and greater size and resolution.
How many IMAX screens was The film available on?: A little less than 400 of them.
What was the age rating of the film in the UK: PG-13- 12A
How much money did the UK government contribute to the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? (Express this figure as a percentage of the total cost and as a figure in pounds): The film was given tax relief during its production, this saved the film around 25% of its first budget (£20 million). Approximately £170 million was saved.  
How much was Harrison Ford paid to reprise his role of Han Solo: $20 Million
How much were Daisy Ridley and John Boyega paid: His salary is more than 76 times greater than that of British newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. They received £300,000 each for their starring roles in the movie

Luther: Representation of gender

Luther: Representation of gender

The scene start outside establishing shot of an apartment building in London, we know this because when they are seen outside the camera takes the view of long shots of the characters being included in the scenery of the city, so the audience has the knowledge of where they are. But once inside her apartment the camera takes very close up shots of the characters by looking close at there faces and is a visualisation of the characters emotions, this is a good way for the show to grow in tension.

The editing of these scenes is done in a very slow, long, drawn out way with the camera lingering on the characters so the audience can see how the characters interact with each other in the situation. The camera shots are edited in a smooth way going from back to forth from character to character when they're talking to one another.

When the characters move from outside to in the sounds of London traffic and the river Themes fades away into the background and inside is silent and no music or diegetic sounds can be heard, this builds the tension in the room and screen as the apparent antagonist of Alice Morgans character becomes more and more menacing to Idris Elba's lead character Luther. After a while of Non diegetic sounds however the some backing music begins to build up from quite to more and more loud, this further increases the tension and the menace of Alice Morgan.

When the scene takes place outside it is bright but also murky and dirty, suggesting to the audience that it is in a more rougher area in London, but once inside it is clean and spotless in Alice Morgans apartment, the contrast is seen instantly from grim to clean to show the contrast of even the characters from good and evil. This is an opportunity to learn more about Morgan's character and we can see thought how she lives, her apartment is clean and tidy which is stereotypy feminine unlike the stereotype of men being untidy and messy. Her personality and lifestyle can be seen though the lack of photos in the flat, showing she has little or no attachment to anyone or anything and her TV is dated and old showing she may not even use it often. The one picture or artwork in her apartment is one of a black hole saying she like likes the "evil" of it, this foreshadows the apparent problems she will cause the characters in the future.

The Male Gaze Theory

The Male Gaze Theory

The concept of “Gaze” is one that deals with how an audience views the people presented, for feminists it can be thought of in three ways, how men look at women, how women looks at themselves and how women look at another woman.

Music Video: M.I.L.F. $

The music video M.I.L.F. $ created by singer Fergie in July 1st 2016 and portrays multiple women including lead singer Fergie and celebrities including Kim Kardashian in a very sexual way, a clear example of the concept of “the male gaze” in that it is a clear look at how today music videos present professional women and portray them as sexual objects.

Only 21 seconds into the video several women have already been seen in a very sexual way with it starting with seductively glamorous women being seen to it escalating to multiple woman in revealing clothing with the camera lingering on these highly objectifying scenes. The picture from above shows a woman breastfeeding, seen as a personal and private act in public but this video completely sexualizes the act of breastfeeding with the woman’s seductive glance to the camera and the cameras focus on the face and chest of the female, a caring act that all women do when bringing up children has been presented in an inappropriate way. 

Seconds after the previous scene this is shown, “Amber For Mayor Of Milftown” this is to show that only the most attractive of women are in the video and that they’re going to be portrayed in a highly sexual and perhaps degrading manner with perhaps “less” attractive woman being seen as perhaps not good enough and the videos, the women in the video are designed and made to become more attractive than they actually are, these women in the video are fake which many, in this case males, may find more attractive. 

This image continues to increase the level of sexual exploitation and nudity in the video.

Gender In Televison Drama: Our Girl

GENDER IN TELEVISION DRAMA: OUR GIRL

When coming to analyse the widely popular second series of the BBC drama Our Girl, starting Michelle Keegan, I was asked the question of how the show confronts the shift in the roles of genders that are shown in today’s society and how we may see it as out of the ordinary to see a female lead in a dramatic war show. 

Camera Work

In the opening shot of the episode it starts with an establishing shot that establishes the setting of the scene, in this case a shot of the ambulance being attacked by terrorist and the main protagonist being kidnapped. In the attack the camera work takes the over the shoulder shot approach, this increases the tension of the scene as we are looking in the view of the characters being attacked. When the attack has finished and it begins to focus mainly on the antagonist with shots of below the gunner to show they are the overpowering force and when they kidnap the protagonist the antagonist is always above her. When they kidnap the protagonist they film the shots in a hand hold style to increase the tension and display the panic and fear of the character.

Sound

The scene opens with the sounds for speeding cars and ambulance sirens in the streets this creates the frantic and rushed tension creating a definite sense of urgency. The opening scene has a mixture of both Diegetic and non-Diegetic sounds from the characters under attack screaming and calling for help. The diegetic sounds mainly coming from the protagonist showing she is the victim. The scene ends with non-diegetic sounds, in this case the intense build-up of loud music, this is a great way to create tension from attack to escape.

Editing

The attack at the beginning of the episode is very fast paced intense to watch. The scenes rotate to each character and show how they are effected by the dangerous circumstances from the main protagonist and her team to the attacking terrorists. These fast changing scenes change in a way to create and portray the panic and confusion of the characters being attacked this created a tense atmosphere for the characters and the audience. Once the attack has been carried out the shots slow right down and spends a lot of time lingering on the antagonist kidnapping the protagonist, it does this to show who's in control and at this point the antagonist is the one in power by the point the attack is over.

Mise-en-scene
The show Our Girl tackles and challenges many of todays stereotypes when it comes to gender and terrorism, topics that and are very apparent in todays society. The fact that the main character of the show is a female soldier which is acting against what we may see as the norm with the military largely built up by males. In the show she is presented as a strong independent character but in the episode she does need the help from the "men" which does act towards the stereotypes that the show tries to abolish. Terrorism is a strong aspect of the series with the scene and main plot of the show being on the modern war on terror, the show does strongly act on the knowing of the attackers being inhumane savages who kidnap women and kill the soldiers defending our country. But the main antagonist of the show is white in skin colour which could be involved in a deeper meaning to the plot which may be discovered later in the series.

5X5

5X5

FILMS

1) The Godfather: Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, this mob drama, based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando).

2) GoodFellas: GoodFellas is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film narrates the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980.

3) Inception: Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. Cobb gets offered a seemingly impossible task: Plant an idea in someone's mind.

4) The Deer Hunter: In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town soon discover the inhumanities of war in Vietnam, their dreams of military honour are quickly shattered and even those who survive are haunted by the experience.

5) Pulp Fiction: The intertwining stories of some of directors Quentin Tarantino most memorable characters exploring themes of drug abuse, family, leading members of the criminal underworld and the life of hitmen all in 1999 LA.

TV DRAMA

1) Game Of Thrones: While a civil war brews between several noble families in Westeros, the children of the former rulers of the land attempt to rise up to power. Meanwhile a forgotten race, bent on destruction, plans to return after thousands of years in the North. This show not only pleases fans of fantasy but also introduces people who don’t really like that genre with its bloody violence and sex, not a show to be missed.

2) Breaking Bad: Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary barely makes ends meet, a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth, and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy. But soon Walter learns he has terminal cancer. Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left, with the help of one his ex-students he turns an old RV into a meth lab on wheels. The show is compelling and only gets better with every season.

3) The Wire: This series looks at the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users. Other facets of the city that are explored in the series are the government and bureaucracy, schools and the news media, the show is great at changing the tone of the scenes from violent and intense to heartbreakingly sad as characters and situations change with the last two seasons being one of the best on telly.

4) This Is England: The story takes place during the 1986 FIFA World Cup. As Shaun completes his last school exam, he realises he will have to find his way in the world. His now-estranged friends including Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget and Meggy, are still around the area, looking for love, entertainment and employment. The show never shies away from tough watching subjects like drugs, relationships and abuse.

5) Misfits: Five juvenile offenders with nothing in common find themselves working together on a community service project, and their differing personalities soon cause sparks to fly. But that's nothing compared to what happens when a freak electrical storm hits town. Soon finding that they are developing superpowers in the E4 black comedy.

ACTORS AND ACTRESS

1) Seth Rogan: Known mainly for his outrageous stoner comedies with movies such as Pineapple Express, Bad neighbours to his extremely controversial film The Interview and his newest 2016 film Sausage Party. He is seen as one of the best comedy makers today with his film This Is The End which is one of my favourite comedies. Seth Rogan has proven he can do serious as well as comedy because of his role in Steve Jobs. 

2) Robert De Nero: One of the greatest actors ever living, enough said. His career has lasted for over 40 years back in 1974 with his breakthrough role as young Vito Corleone in Godfather II to Martin Scorsese epics with Casino and GoodFella’s and a ground-breaking performance in The Deer Hunter. He’s also made his mark on the comedy scene the Fockers trilogy who he co- produced and starred in.

3) Samuel L Jackson: Possibly one of the most recognisable actors ever lived; Samuel L Jackson didn’t become an A-list actor until the late 1990’s until he played the character of Jules Winnfeild in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Since then he’s had a role in just about everything and have had a role in most of Tarantino’s films including his newest film The Hateful Eight back in the winter of 2015.

4) Leonardo DiCaprio: First becoming a noteworthy actor in the late 90’s as Jack in James Cameron’s Titanic, since then he’s played in many different style movies from action to comedy. Noteworthy performances include the character of Candy in Tarantino’s Western Django Unchained, Jordon Belford in the Wolf Of Wall Street and his only Oscar winning role in the survival epic The Revenant as Hugh Glass.

5) Margot Robbie: Fairly new to Hollywood but nevertheless she’s become one of the actors who people will be able to recognise because of the many noteworthy roles she has played. She first made her name known in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf Wall Street as Naomi Lapaglia, Leonard Dicaprios characters wife. She has also starred in roles alongside Will Smith in both Focus and 2016’s Suicide Squad and played the role of Harley Quinn. 

TV INTRO THEME TUNES

1. Game Of Thrones Main Titles (HBO)
2. True Detective: Far From Any Road (HBO)
3. Breaking Bad Main Titles (AMC)
4. House Of Cards (Netflix) Main Titles
5. Narcos (Netflix) Main Titles

VIDEO GAMES

1. Skyrim: Set in one of the most immersive fantasy worlds ever made, Skyrim isn’t just a video game, it is a realistically made fantasy experience. With a vast map and hundreds of locations to discover and explore all created by Bethesda Studios and is possible the best came created not only in the PS3/ XBOX 360 era but also to date.
2. Fallout 4: Also created by Bethesda Studios this is the follow up to the wildly popular Fallout 3, and it does not disappoint bringing us one of the most impressive games ever made. Following the story of somebody’s search for their child during a nuclear apocalypse, a game that requires you to make every important decision like whose side to back whether it’s the powerful Brotherhood Of Steel or the villainous Institute ever decision has consequences. With a great, intense score, that really captures the intensity of the video game and iconic songs from the 60’s. This is a game not to be missed.
3. Red Dead Redemption: This western is a non-stop action video game experience but its focus is on the revenge story that protagonist John Marston leads in the Wild West to return to his family and the subject of family really drives the Rockstar epic video games.
4. The Last Of Us: Naughty Dogs zombie epic leaves nothing to hide with its strong language and extreme bloody violence. But the game, unlike many other zombie games coming out, doesn’t focus on that extreme violence as much and focuses more on story and its compelling characters of Joel and Ellie and the games emotion because of these two characters will to survive.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End: The concluding chapter in Naughty Dogs video game franchise retains the action pact stories of the past three whilst also improving on the violence and action set pieces that’ll blow you away, and the graphic are the best I’ve ever seen and closes the story on an ultimate high.

FILM PRODUCTION

FILM PRODUCTION

Development

This is simply the process of 'finding' a story. Ideas for films come from a variety of sources, they can range from novels, real life events to computer game adaptations. Once you've got an idea you'll need someone to write a pitch for you which you take to a film producer in an attempt to get some funding to make your film. Even at this very early stage you need a very clear idea of who you're aiming you film at so you can include elements that will appeal to them.

Pre-production

Once you've got funding you establish your budget and can begin to get a film crew together, you can storyboard the script. You also need break the script down into individual scenes and identify all the locations, props, cast members, costumes, special effects and visual effects needed.

Production

This is simply the process of 'making' the film. Provided you've done your job properly in the pre-production stage making the film should be straight forward. 'Film' is very expensive and difficult to store so an increasing number of film makers are using digital cameras to save money.

Post-production

During this stage you take all the 'film' you've shot and give it to a film editor. They will then begin putting it together. Special effects will be added, a soundtrack will be added, any missing dialogue will be re-recorded and added resulting in a 'rough cut'. This will be shown to the director and a test audience who will offer feedback. Often this causes scenes to be filmed and added or removed.

•Writer: The writer is responsible for writing the script. Once they've handed over the script that's pretty much the end of their creative involvement with the project. If the producer has hired the writer to write the film the producer can ask for rewrites, or even opt to bring in other writers if they don't feel the script is working. This happens quite a lot in Hollywood.

•Producer: Film producers fill a variety of roles depending upon the type of producer. Either employed by a production company or independent, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting script, coordinating writing, directing and editing, and arranging financing, also to keep an eye on the budget to make sure that departments aren't overspending.

•Casting director: Just like a normal director the casting director is the member of the production team to hire and recruit actors to play a role in their movies.

•Director: The Director is responsible for making the script a reality, they're basically in charge of the creative decisions on the project. During pre-production the Director will cast actors and may make changes to the script to suit their own personal vision. They will storyboard the shots and choose locations, colour schemes, costumes and many other elements. During production they are in charge of the set and work with the actors and other crew to execute their creative vision for the film. In post-production the creative considerations continue for the Director. They will work with the Editor, VFX team, Sound Designer and Composer until the film is finished, having input on most aspects of post-production.

•Film finance: Film finance is an aspect of film production that occurs during the development stage prior to pre-production, and is concerned with determining the potential value of a proposed film.

•Camera operator: A camera operator, sometimes informally called a cameraman or a camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the person designing the lighting is the cinematographer or director of photography, who is also informally called a "cameraman" though it is a different job.

•Editor: Film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. The job of an editor is not simply to mechanically put pieces of a film together, cut off film slates, or edit dialogue scenes.

•Production designer: In film and television, a production designer or P.D. is the person responsible for the physical overall look of a filmed event such as a TV program, video game, music video, or advertisement. Production designers have a key creative role in the creation of motion pictures and television.

•Marketing: Film promotion is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry, and usually occurs in coordination with the process of film distribution and either released in theatres and again when released on DVD or Blu-Ray.

•Exhibition: A distributor may do this directly, if the distributor owns the theaters or film distribution networks, or through theatrical exhibitors and other sub-distributors. A limited distributor may deal only with particular products, such as DVDs or Blu-ray, or may act in a particular country or market.

TOP 10 TV DRAMAS

TOP 10 TV DRAMAS:

1) Game Of Thrones:

While a civil war brews between several noble families in Westeros, the children of the former rulers of the land attempt to rise up to power. Meanwhile a forgotten race, bent on destruction, plans to return after thousands of years in the North. This show not only pleases fans of fantasy but also introduces people who don’t really like that genre with its bloody violence and sex, not a show to be missed.

2) Breaking Bad: Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary barely makes ends meet, a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth, and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy. But soon Walter learns he has terminal cancer. Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left, with the help of one his ex-students he turns an old RV into a meth lab on wheels. The show is compelling and only gets better with every season.

3) The Wire: This series looks at the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users. Other facets of the city that are explored in the series are the government and bureaucracy, schools and the news media, the show is great at changing the tone of the scenes from violent and intense to heartbreakingly sad as characters and situations change with the last two seasons being one of the best on telly.



4) This Is England: The story takes place during the 1986 FIFA World Cup. As Shaun completes his last school exam, he realises he will have to find his way in the world. His now-estranged friends including Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget and Meggy, are still around the area, looking for love, entertainment and employment. The show never shies away from tough watching subjects like drugs, relationships and abuse.



5) Misfits: Five juvenile offenders with nothing in common find themselves working together on a community service project, and their differing personalities soon cause sparks to fly. But that's nothing compared to what happens when a freak electrical storm hits town. Soon finding that they are developing superpowers in the E4 black comedy.


6) True Detective: An anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law. The opening season stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrleson and explores both character and their own personal demons surrounding a particular case.   

7) Ash Vs Evil Dead: Ash has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead until a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind and Ash becomes mankind's only hope. Hilarious and extremely bloody this is the perfect continuation of the horror movie classics.

8) Mr Robot: Mr. Robot follows Elliot, a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. Elliot finds himself at a crossroad when the mysterious leader of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the corporation he is paid to protect. Mysterious and exiting this show will keep you on your feet with dramatic situations constantly changing.

9) Band Of Brothers: The story of Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division and their mission in WWII Europe from Operation Overlord through V-J Day. Emotional and compelling with one of the most realistic war dramas ever made with the characters emotional situations effecting the viewers, created by the creators of Saving private Ryan, Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg

10) Fargo: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota. With a vast variety of well known names including Martin Freemon in season 1 and Patrick Wilson in season 2, with its realistic violence and comedy that shouldn't be missed.