Blog 9: Health and Safety

Even though films are deemed to be one of the most glamorous industries to work in film sets are extremely dangerous due to the amount of equipment and technology that is required.  Here are some of the hazards and how they can be be made safer.

Lighting: The big lights used on film sets can become extremely hot. So it is important to be wearing thick gloves while using them and adjusting them to avoid burning your skin. Also before moving them, notify others so that they are cautious around the lights too.

Fire Hazard: While on set, note down all the fire escapes and make sure the rest of the crew know where they are before filming. Also keep at hand fire extinguishers and keep flammable materials away from hot lights or generators.

Wires: It is easy to trip on wires or even to rip them and expose the electric currents.  For this reason it is important to keep gaffer tape around at all times and stick the wires securely to the ground for each shot. Especially when travelling to different locations for the shoot. This will make the filming process a lot safer for the crew as well as the equipment. 

Set Handling and Rigging: Some of the equipment can be really heavy sometimes. So it is important to have multiple people working on moving/readjusting the heavy equipment.  This is important for both the crew and the equipments safety. It is important to know exactly how the equipment works before trying to use it.

Smoke and Explosions: If you want to add this to your film, yu must have the precautionary supplies near you.  You will need hazmats, fire extinguishers as well as a well ventilated area.  These cool effects can be very dangerous to everyones health and it is important that every member of the crew know when and how the explosions are about to go off.

Public: Filming in public calls for many legal documents especially if there are general people around.  So make sure to have all documents with you to be presented when required. Also people might walk onto the set without realising so it is crucial to have signs and many even guards to stop them when they are about to do so.

We used smoke for our shoot for the time travelling scene. We filmed this inside the barbican so we had crew members on guard to help the public go around the set.  We were being very responsible and cautious until we realised we were not in a well ventilated area. Since the area was not ventilated properly, we ended up setting off the fire alarm which caused everyone to panic and leave the building, however despite that no one was hurt so that’s a plus. One of the things that was really helpful to maintain a safe set was the use of gaffer tape on the wires. We had so many wires for the lights, the cameras and microphones that it was hard to keep track of all of them, so as soon as we were set for the scene we would take the wires all down so none of the cast/crew would trip over them while filming.

Blog 8: The Wider Sector

Part 1

There are many links to the film industry.  There are ways to go from one section of the industry to the other as they all intertwine. Some of the other industries in the media sector are music videos, advertising, theatre, etc. The creative industry is a massive one.

For example, lets look at Snow White & The Hunstman.

This film, directed by Rupert Sanders, was a major hit due to its exposure in the sector. The film is based off of an old fairy-tale, but is given its own twist to it.  This shows that any types of industries can be linked to the film industry. The campaign for promoting this film was also linked to the music industry.  The theme song for this film was sang by Florence + The Machine. The filmmakers decided to produce the music video for that song by adding clips of the film into it for promotional purposes. The music video was received well and got more than 9 million views. Advertising via these productions can be very expensive as music videos can cost millions of pounds to make sometimes.  One of the most expensive music videos ever shot was Scream by Michael Jackson, which cost about $7 million.  Another way to link a film to a music video is by advertising onto the video.  For example, one of the most famous music videos out now is ‘Hello’ by artist Adele. Underneath every music video on youtube there is a space for advertising.  This music video is a great opportunity to advertise films or other products which fits the demographic of the video viewers.

Films are also linked to theatre/live performances.  Wicked, by play writers Honnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz,  is the theatre remake of the famous book/film ‘The Wizard of Oz’.  Originally written by L. Frank Baum published in 1990 as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked has been on the theatre scene since 2003 and provides content promotions for the original book, and its film adaptation, as well as its previous theatre adaptation.

Part 2

The film industry would not be as magnificent as it is unless it was linked to various other industries. It is the combination of the different skills and jobs that allow the audience to be surrounded by film all the time.

For this reason people with other skillets can find themselves as being a gem within the film sector. An example of this being, David Fincher.

During the early stages of his life, Fincher worked at Forty Films as a production assistant. He slowly worked his way up to various different roles, including camera assistant and visual effects producer. It is easy to tell that his main goal was always to work in film, however his early directorial pieces of work were for commercials, most famously one of the America Cancer Society. This edgy and awareness demanding advertisement got his name realised by hot shot Los Angeles producers and eventually landed him the opportunity to direct documentary The Beat Of The Live Drum (1985). Despite this breakthrough Fincher continued to direct commercials for the biggest retail companies such as Levi’s, Sony, Pepsi, Chanel, etc.

After this stage of his life, Fincher discovered the power within music videos. This then catapulted his career as he got noticed by some of the worlds leading musicians. He worked for the best of the best and directed some music videos, for example We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart and Vogue by Madonna. Fincher was able to do this as he has co-created a company called Propaganda Films, where him and many other big hollywood names such as Micheal Bay, Zack Snyder and Antoin Fuqua cultivated their skills before heading off to direct some of the biggest blockbusters in history.

Fincher then made his film directorial debut with Alien 3 in 1992.  This went on to win an oscar for best visual effects. Since then he has won numerous awards and be offered script from the best screenwriters and also created the biggest blockbusters, for example, Fight Club, Gone Girl, Panic Room, Seven and many more.

Fincher is now still working as a director in film as well as debuting his television career by  producing the netflix series House of Cards. He even directed the first few episodes of it.

Fincher’s incredible career goes to show the links between the different sections within the media industry and how closely everyone works.

Blog 7: Technical Skills

Equipment required for shoot:

• Cameras
• Lights
• Boom Microphones
• Props
• Costumes
• Makeup
• Location
• Sound Recorders
• Lenses
• Reflectors
• clapper
• Bullhorn(A bullhorn is the massive microphone that directors use to scream into everyones ears. But usually it is used to make sure the whole crew can hear them).
• Tripods

Resources required by my role as Assistant Art Director on Let the Clock Chime On.

• Costume
• Makeup
• Makeup Artist
• Props

As the assistant art director I spent most of my time with the art director.  It taught me to be disciplined and helped with my organisational skills and time management.  This is because I was to be on top of specific tasks for the set up the shots and if I did not deliver on time the time schedule would be completely messed up.  It was important to make sure everything was ready on time for the director, producer and cameraman.

For this role, I required very little technical skills, however it did require a lot of thinking outside the box to solve problems instantly on set.  Helping make the art directors/directors visions come to life was something I very much enjoyed.

Things went smoothly from the Arts department of the shoot, however if I could re do anything I would make sure that we called in the actors when they were required after the set up of the scenes, not before.

My peers and I had a big conversation about how we all worked together very effectively. I was told by the Art Director that I was a good assistant as I understood what she needed to do at all times and was around to help her with things whenever it was necessary.

I booked the make up artist through one of the speakers who came to teach us about casting (Christie). She is the one who told me she knew someone who could help while me and the rest of the crew were talking about make up and costumes.

To do my role better next time, I will make sure that I keep more time on my hands to set the scenes.

Blog 6: Effective Working Relationships

PART 1

Since people who usually work in film are extremely passionate about it, it is important to make sure no one is made to feel upset while working together.  Here are some ways we can make working relationships healthy.

• Be open minded and try to understand others ideas
• Respect each others roles in the production
• Learn to manage own stress and not lash out onto others
• Communicate with others
• Compromise
• Support each others work
• Be discrete about shortcomings from other team members
• Be flexible with timings as during the shoot, things can go over
• Be able to manage time for your specific job so others don’t stay waiting
• Keep safe on set and use initiative to do so

 

PART 2

I was working on the set of ‘Let The Clock Chime On’. Our group worked together very well as we all understood our roles as well as enjoying the company of each other. Here are some of the highlights.

25th Nov: 

• Roles were allocated to everybody.
• I was picked to be the Casting Director and the Assistant Art Director.
• Read through of scripts.
• Directors initial ideas discussed.

28th Nov:

• Discussing ideas with the director and art director.
• Understanding the script

2nd Dec:

• Made lists of costumes and props that were required for filming.
• Artistic video of director was pitched and discussed.
• Meeting with director to understand what was needed first.

5th Dec:

• Casting was complete
• Character Dave was turned into Davina
• Thea Balich, Liz Stevens & Saris Addison were our fabulous chosen actresses.

December meetings:

• Various meetings were held in small groups so everyone knew what they were doing.
• Everyone was kept updated
• Discussions os music and props
• Finalising make up looks

6th Jan: 

• Final preparations for the shoot
• Making checklists and organising everything for the shoot
• Despite our director being absent we all worked very hard to make sure everything was exactly how she wanted it to be.

17th Jan:

• Shooting for the film
• Running around the Barbican to get someone to set up a bar in the film we were shooting in
• Went to different locations to film
• Trying to make the actresses compromise with me about the make and hair as she did not want to understand the concept behind the looks I had chosen.

24th Jan:

• Editors did their first cut and sent it to everyone for initial thoughts.
• Peer assessments

30th/31st Jan:

• Crew screening of the final cut of the films
• Exchanging thoughts
• Reflecting on the process
• Eating pizza

 

Blog 5: Copyright

Producer Kate Wilson shared a lot of her knowledge on the legal side of the creative process with us. Apparently there is a lot of ‘buying off’ that goes into free artistic expression.

Firstly, what is intellectual property?
It is intangible property that is created from an expression of an idea.

Intellectual Property states that you cannot copyright the expression of an idea. The idea must be written down or recorded on some kind of tangible format. Agreements have to be written down and signed during the transfer of IP.

Turning books into films are all the rage right now, as it seems scriptwriters cannot come up with original material anymore. So an option agreement gives you the exclusive right to turn the book into a film. The option is obtained from the person who has the underlying rights to the book. Option must be taken in return for a payment.

A chain of title is also important to have security on all of the documents needed to complete the transferal of rights. If one document is missing than you cannot claim to own it as your IP.

Most of the work of a producer seemed to be to ask and obtain permissions for the work of other people. For example; Can I use your music? Can I use your company’s car? Can I use your shop? Can I use your logo for the coffee cup? This even applies for location. If you want to use a location from filming you either have to get signed contracts from the owner or even the government. So to sum up, you cannot use anything without money and permission unless you own it.

Here are some of my notes. It is a breakdown of the stages a producer is needed in during the development, production and distribution of the entire film.

Part 2

I have worked on both of the films, for ‘Mindless Beauty’ I was the script writer and for ‘Let The Clock Chime On’ I was casting director as well as Assistant Art Director. I will be discussing the copywriting issues for these films and how we overcame them.

For the ballroom scene in ‘Let The Clock Chime On’ the director was very adamant to use a specific song.  However, we could not obtain the right to use this song without getting in contact with the artists or lying a heft amount which out budget would not allow.  So we decided to settle for uncopyrighted music that was available online. This was a small compromise but it did not diminish the integrity of the scene or its meaning.

During the writing process of Mindless Beauty, many famous quotes came to mind that could be incorporated into the dialogue of Juliet, however this was not possible as we could be sued for the theft of intellectual property.  However I was able to draw much inspiration from the quotes and make it my own.

Blog 4: Part 2

The BFI Academy got me thinking how I want to progress into the industry. I have been given the opportunity to meet many industry professionals and been given insight I would have never received anywhere else. Everyone shared their stories of how they made it and tips on what to do better. However all of them seem to say one main common thing; just get on with it!

The film industry seems to me to be a place only for go-getters.  Everyone I’ve met so far is very goal orientated as well as creative. It is a combination of these which I personally think is the key to breaking into this difficult industry.

A talk from Yen Yau helped me realise the different opportunities that I have in this day and age to break into the industry.  She is the Talent Development Manager at Into Film and does great talks to our generation to help us know more about the industry.

Yen Yau’s career presentation helped me break down my goal into smaller pieces to make it more understandable for myself. Since most of us want to be the hollywood hot shots, such as directors and writers Yen Yau showed us jobs that were more in demand since they are newer due to technology or just because not many people are equipped with skills for it. This got me thinking, maybe I can learn about the skills needed to do one of those jobs and then somehow work my way up to the place that I want to be while learning the tricks of the trade.

There is no normal way to break into film.  Everyone has their own journey.  However these days we have been blessed with many student schemes and courses that can help to get us where we want too. Many people are doing apprenticeships or working as runners on set.  I think this is good as you end up learning so much. Here are links to some I’ve been looking at.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes-and-apprenticeships

http://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/recruitment/runners-scheme/

As I continue to learn about the ways into the industry and how to get my voice heard. I will continue to make shirt films and videos on the topics that I am passionate about and use film as my creative outlet. This will not only give me a sense of happiness but also help me build my portfolio so I can apply for jobs within the industry.  I personally believe the way to get into film is by unapologetically being yourself and standing out to demand a presence.

Blog 4: Progression Routes

The BFI Film Academy gives us the chance to meet amazing industry professionals and to hear about their experiences and learn from them.

One of our speakers were a producer; Kate Wilson.

I did not realise how intense the role of a producer was until I met her. She opened my eyes to the vast amount of responsibilities that a producer has to undertake as well as raising the funds for the production and distribution. The producer has to take care of all the business aspects of the creative demands of the director.

Kate Wilson is currently a barrister has worked up to that as it helps her with the legalities behind filmmaking. She studied at UCLA in the USA and acquired a Bachelor Degree in English Literature with a minor in Film Studies. After her graduation she applied for an internship at a production company, which was run by Jodie Foster.

 

Another one of our speakers were a casting director; Christie Emby. 

Christie lived in Trinidad for a long while and used to work in making TV advertises. She then moved to the UK and started going to acting classes to become a professional actor. She then decided to go to university and get degrees in Film and TV production and Acting.

At the age of 23 she started creating short films as a producer. One of these films won a BAFTA BOB award and this led her to meeting and networking with many people that helped her. After achieving what she wanted, she decided to do something that could help others in need. So she became an acting teacher at Holloway prison.

After all of this, Christie now is working on different kinds of music videos and short films. Her biggest venture yet is moving to Egypt for a few months to film a documentary.

 

So the last person I will talk about is my father; Azam Faruk.

He started off in a small country called Bangladesh and decided when he was a teenager that he needed to move to England and study Journalism. After years of writing for newspapers and articles in different magazines he decided venture onto filmmaking. He then directed and produced short films and TV series in his native language.

After 30 years of living in the UK, he flew back to Bangladesh with two of his children. He then pursued his life long dream of making a feature film. He produced in it and acted in it. After approximately 2-3 years investing his life into this film, he ended up winning 8 awards for it.

After fulfilling his dream, he decided to move back to the UK and living a much simpler life. Now he is retired and spending his time writing like when he was a teenager.

 

This just goes to show that there are numerous ways of breaking into the film industry. Unlike Law or Medicine there is no specific route we can take. We just need to work hard and find the right people who can help us.  There are various ways to get into the industry via the wider sector.  People of all different degrees can get into the film industry as there are a wide spectrum of jobs required in the creative, financial and technical process.

 

Blog 3: Roles and Responsibilities

Director:

The director gets the creative credit for the film as they control the artistic elements of it. They are responsible for the vision of the script and converting it into film form and lead the crew to achieve the vision. Other key roles include casting and production design.

Actor:

These are people who are hired to portray the characters within the film.

Art Director:

The person who stages the sets and many of the visual artistic choices of the screen.

Location Manager:

Their role is to track locations suitable for filming in and booking them. They need to acquire permits from the government or other local authorities such as police and fire. They also need to address issues that might arise whilst filming there and tell the members of production how to overcome them.

Director of Photography:

Also known as a cinematographer. Their job includes working closely with the camera crew to achieve most of the artistic and technical choices in terms of the visuals.

Casting Director:

A casting director is responsible for recruiting apposite actors and contracting them for the film. As well as holding auditions, they must negotiate a salary and manage the contracts made with the recruited actors.

Editor:

They are responsible for cutting and putting together the different shots to make a story.

Producer:

A producer has one of the biggest roles in film-making. They aid both the creative side and business side of production. The producer supervises the film from the beginning to the end. They have numerous jobs:
Fundraising
Arrange distributors
Work with director to over see creative process
Converting stories into profitable film quality
Recruiting film crew

Script Writer:

This is the person who writes the film.  They include all the dialogue and stage directions.

Interrelationships of the production departments

Film is a very collaborative process, so it is most likely all the departments are somewhat linked together, however, here are some of the important ones. The head of production has to work with the director to make sure that the vision of the director is sellable. The director also has to work very closely with the art direction department and camera crew.  This is because all these people have to do with the aesthetics of the shots. The director usually has to work with most of the departments. One of their other important jobs are to work between the editor and  the producer to make sure the film is sellable and liked by the production company. The editing department and the sound department have to work closely as well to make sure the visuals fit the sounds and it does not miss match.

Film Challenge

I had two roles during the film challenge.  In the first half of the challenge I played Romeo.  This was fairly straightforward.  The director gave me great instructions and I just followed them.  For the second half of the production I played the First AD. After talking to some of the people I worked with, they said one of my strengths were that I had good spacial awareness while I directed the shots.  However since we were running behind schedule and I had little time to direct the last 5 shots, everything had to be a little rushed. While being a part of this production I learnt how important it is to stick to your role.  As too many people working on one thing can slow down the production. If I could do it again, I would have liked to plan a bit better before actually heading out to film the shots as time allocation did reduce the quality of the shots near the end of the shoot.

Short Films

For our short films, I was chosen to be script writer for one and casting director and assistant art director for the other.

My role during script writing for ‘Mindless Beauty’ entailed coming up with a fresh and original idea as well and scripting and formatting it with my co writer.  Together we came up with detailed storylines and backgrounds for our characters so we could base their dialogue around it.

My role as casting director for ‘Let the Clock Chime On’ will entail me to liaise with the director to understand their vision.  As well as that I will need to have a good understanding of the script and especially the characters so I can have my own vision of what the characters should look/act like. I will also be the Assistant Art Director for this project. For this I will have to work extremely closely with the Art Director and understand what they want the set and props to look like.  I will also need to pitch my ideas of the set so we can work collaboratively to make the best set as possible, but baring in mind the Art Director has the final say of things.

Blog 2: The Working Culture of the Film Industry

It is important to have a good working culture during filming.  To work together effectively it is important to have good time management, use your initiative, take responsibility for your job while being flexible as well as coping and understanding the pressures of working on set.

Time Management:

It is important to have good time management as it makes the filming process a lot more effective.

• Plan before you shoot
• Have a good personal time management
• The different departments need to be willing to move on even though something doesn’t exactly match their vision.

From personal experience, we could have managed out time better by sticking to the plan we made prior to filming as well as not filming one scene over and over again for small and unnoticeable aspects of scene. I did not feel much pressure while I was playing Romeo as I had a lot of waiting to do, however when I became director I felt the time pressure as we had very little time to get the last 5 shots filmed.

Using Your Initiative:

Everyone should be proactive regarding their own job/department to make sure the shoot is as efficient as possible.

• Make sure you are able to think fast and resolve issues that occur in your department.
• Voice your opinions when something goes wrong, but respectfully.
• Be decisive and make fast and informed decisions.

Instead of making the actor learn the lines for the last scene (which would take about 10-15 mins) we decided to hold the sheet up for her as she read the lines off the page to be able to keep with time.

Taking Responsibility:

Everyone is responsible for their job/department so give your specific job priority over other things.

• Stick to your job for the most part, because too many conflicting ideas may slow down the production.
• Take responsibility of the things you are required to do.
• Be willing to compromise some aspects of the production in order to get the job done in time.

While playing Romeo, I had to take the responsibility of the characterisation as everyone else was extremely pressured and busy while doing their roles.  However, when I was director I felt responsible for how the final product will look.

Being Flexible:

Things can always go wrong while working on a set, so flexibility will allow you to continue with the production despite facing obstacles.

• Be prepared to make changes once reaching the location.
• Think quickly and don’t be too adamant on sticking to the storyboard if things go wrong even though it is an important aspect of the production.
• Be prepared to spend a lot of time on set or looking for locations and also worker longer than expected.
• Always try to help other departments if they need it even though it is not a part of your job.

Initially, we wanted to film be the water fountain, however since that is a residential area we were not permitted so we all took initiative to find another location and later decided on the auditorium.  We also intended to have three locations, but due to the time constriction we decided on only using two half way through the filming process.

The Pressures of Working on Set:

Everyone is trying to do their job properly so everyone will be on edge as the conditions are very time constricted.

• Do not take things personally as everyone is stressed so the director is likely to shout.
• Always be ready to do your job, even if your taking a break be prepared to jump back onto set when you are needed, otherwise the whole production will be waiting.

During the beginning of the production everyone was feeling less pressured as we assumed 2 hours was more than enough and we had it separated into 10 minutes per shot.  However, when we realised that we were behind schedule the pressure started to get to us and we tried to rush the last few scenes just so we had something to present.

Practical experience of working on set:

We recreated a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

We all worked very well together and really enjoyed the whole process.  We all had similar visions and respected everyones roles within the production.  Everyone did their job very well.  However it was our first time working together we all really wanted to do the best at our job which was a little time consuming.  The shooting process could have been more efficient if we had stuck to the plan that we had, which was 10 minutes per shot.  However, we were all trying really hard to make this the best we could and thus taking too much time up on the first 6 shots.

Blog 1: Film Review

 

How to structure a review:

We met with film reviewer Sonia Zadursan, who is a film reviewer for CineView and Birds Eye View, and she gave us a short lesson on how to write an effective film review.  Here is her advice:

Introductory Paragraph
(This is where you introduce the film and intrigue the readers)

• The director and their previous work
• If the film has any awards or credibility
• The production company of the film if it is well known

Brief Synopsis

• Small summary of the film without giving away too much of the plot.

Content
(Engage the readers by releasing interesting aspects of the plots, without giving away big spoilers)

• Positive aspect of the production and give an example or photo.
• Negative of the film if you think their is one.
• Positive of the film if you can think of another one.

Ending

• Then wrap up the the review with a conclusion of how the overall experience was.

Here is an example of a Sonia Zadursan review:
http://birds-eye-view.co.uk/2014/08/18/obvious-child-review/

Here is an example of a review with a similar structure to this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9839322/Paperman-is-the-best-thing-Disney-has-done-in-years.html

Some helpful templates:

Gasman Review:

The BAFTA award winning short film Gasman is one of the older films by director Lynne Ramsay, who is most credible for feature film, ‘We need to talk about Kevin’. This realist drama is something different members of the audience will interpret differently as everyone can relate to it in their own sense.

The film is packed with symbolisation and metaphors, which really give the production its notability. She delves into the life of working class families in truly a painful way. She explores many themes within this topic, such as unfaithfulness and deprivation, as metaphors. These are shown in a certain light to make you feel uneasy.

The main plot is about an unfaithful man who can longer gather the strength to keep hiding his secret from his children. However, the plot contains many cruxes, which allowed me to create my own meanings, this gave me a more personal experience. Every viewer will read into these gaps differently. The film seems so vague and appears to be simple on its first impression but is actually really weighty and meaningful.

The opening consists of shots from a lower level suggesting that the story will be told through the point of view of the children. Also the faces of the characters are not shown until later on, which foreshadows the hidden secrets that will be revealed. This instantly grabbed my attention and made me start to question from the get go.

Towards the middle of the film, the slow pace made me hope for something dramatic to happen soon. The main character is the young girl whose life was turned upside down after discovering her fathers secret. Ramsay spent a significant chunk of the film showing the audience the situation through her eyes. Which made me feel sympathy for her more. So I later appreciated that the slow pace of the film added to the heart wrenching drama. Also, after finishing the film I found myself questioning the characters and my personal life, which I thought was far more impactful than ‘entertaining’ films.

One of the more thought-provoking aspects of the film, is its use of lighting and colours. It is dull and it adds to the gloominess of the story as well as representing the harsh reality for some underprivileged Glaswegians. The house at the beginning is somewhat lighter compared to the rest of the film, which shows that some moments in the characters lives were somewhat peaceful. However straight after they leave the house, the colour never comes back. This could also indicate the main character’s downward spiraling emotional state as the last shot of the film is her standing at a railway fully consumed by the fog, which symbolizes the feeling of being overwhelmed.

I definitely would recommend this film to lovers of art-house and symbolic films, as it is one of the best short films I have seen in a long time, especially in this very specific genre.

Romeo and Juliet Review 

Baz Luhrmann’s phantasmagoric on screen adaptation of the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet was the most successful of the hundreds of Shakespeare adaptations, snatching up 5 BAFTA Awards including the award for Best Direction. The success of the film also relied on the faultless casting, Romeo played by heartthrob of the time Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliet played by the very talented Claire Danes.

The story kicks off with exposing the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues who are two feuding gang families. Keeping true to the classic tale, Juliet’s family tries to force her to marry a wealthy man, Paris (Paul Rudd), however she ends up falling for rival gangs Romeo Montague when they lock eyes at a ball. Despite finding out their love is forbidden, they go to extreme lengths to be with one another.

Luhrmann’s vision is showcased via the vibrant colours, costumes and sound score. He is known to have very contemporary musical taste for his films but the soundtrack in this film especially is just phenomenal (winning the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music). Filmed in extremely sunny locations, including Mexico City, Miami and San Francisco the natural sunlight gives the film the vibe of the original location intended by Shakespeare, Verona, Italy. The vivacious colours are a reference back to the Renaissance artists, when the original play was actually written, as the colour scheme and the interpretations behind those colours are similar to that of the film. This energetic look gives the film an edge over the other adaptions, as they are less visually dramatic, this is because most performances during the Shakespearian era did not have the resources to make productions as aesthetically pleasing as they envisioned. Thus this film seems more true to the original play, despite giving it a modern twist.

The difference between the Montague boys and Capulet Boys are evident. Their outfits show the clear divide as the Capulet boys wear mostly black and dark suits where as all the Montague boys wear bright and colourful Hawaiian T shirts, except Romeo. Romeo never wears them willingly, however sometimes some of the other boys put it on him. This symbolises that he does not want to be a part of the feud with the Capulet’s, but his family forces him too. Juliet also wears the opposite colour to the Capulet boys. Throughout the film she wears white to show her innocence and how against the feud she is. This directive decision is to foretell the change of heart, even before Romeo and Juliet meet. The film is packed with these little details, which can be noticed when watched again.

The cinematography of the film heavily influences the audiences reactions towards the characters since the film relies on pathetic fallacy to showcase the emotions of the characters. Despite having many unrealistic weather changes, it added immensely to the melodrama. For example, when the conflict scene between Tybalt (John Leguizamo) and Mercutio (Harrold Perrineau) commenced, the sun was shining, however that quickly and dramatically changed into a thunderstorm to show the intensity of the situation and foreshadow how much it will affect Romeo and Juliet.

I would definitely watch this film again and recommend everyone to as well. Baz Lurhman’s film version of Romeo and Juliet is perfect for the modern day audiences that do not mind giving into unrealistic and melodramatic worlds.

Felix Et Meira

I was given the opportunity to attend the Jewish Film Festival to see this film.  Directed by Maxime Giroux, Felix Et Meira pleasantly surprised me.  The film has similar themes to Romeo and Juliet as it is about star-crossed lovers.  Lovers that just cannot be together and try their best to make it work.

The story revolves around Meira a youthful Hasidic lady who struggles to be herself due to her husband and her societal beliefs. She falls in love with Felix, a middle-aged atheist with no societal constraints. Their love revolves around the differences of their two worlds and we follow their story as Meira tries to cut ties with her husband who is limiting her potential and happiness. The slow paced and detailed film connects to the audience as they are found to be drawn into Meira’s life and her situation. The arthouse film lacks any other form of media expect some short dialogue and light music, but that adds to the authenticity of the film and the characters feelings.

One of my favourite aspects of the film was the small things between Meira and her husband that made it seem like real life. Giroux looked at the details carefully to make it seem as much like real life as he could. Meira would drop on the floor and pretend to be dead when her husband refused her of anything and despite it being small and silly, it added to the naturalism of the film.

The film was honest and did not rely on any extra glam or pizzaz to make it compelling to watch.  It was a realistic version of all the hollywood blockbusters about forbidden love. This is why it drew me to it so much. The honesty behind the script as well as the way it was filmed. It was like watching an observational documentary.