DIRECTIONS: 'Red Riding 1974' Script Notes

After Simon showed us a powerpoint about what a director does and looks at throughout filmmaking, we watched the opening of Red Riding 1980, directed by James Marsh. This is the second of a 3-part television series about the Yorkshire Ripper. After this, our task was to look at the script of the first one Red Riding 1974 and to think like a director by making notes about how, who, where and what - broken down these are the cast, crew, style, location, framing and sound design.

DIRECTIONS: Film Research

I need to start thinking about my film for the directions unit and how I will create the changing seasons scene in my own way. My initial ideas for this are using a calendar somehow to show the idea of time moving forward. Another film this reminds me of is Notting Hill, one scene in this shows Hugh Grant walking through the town and as he is walking the weather changes around him. He would be walking through leaves fallen off trees and then a couple seconds later would be kicking snow out of the way of the path. This, again, was a clever way of showing time passing as the different seasons flowed so smoothly. 

DIRECTIONS: My Chosen Director

Chris Weitz

One director I have always heard about and want to get to know more is Chris Weitz. Weitz has directed many well-known, big-budget studio affairs such as The Golden Compass and from the Twilight saga - New Moon. He also directed American Pie and About A Boy, both of which were Oscar-nominated for their adapted screenplay. I don't think Weitz has a distinct style because of the range of different genre of film he has directed, from the comedy American Pie to drama Twilight: New Moon. I like this about him as he can produce fantastic work for different types of film.

DIRECTIONS: Briefing (Lecture)

Yesterday was our first session with our second unit - Directions. I was looking forward to knowing what we had to do and to start thinking about it. When we first found out, I didn't have an idea, I actually thought it might be quite difficult thinking of the perfect director to look at for the right scene to use. I think I found this quite difficult because I don't really have a favourite director, I look forward to films with the same actors in rather than the directors work usually.

CONTEXTUAL STUDIES: 500 Word Television Review

National Treasure, Marc Munden, September 20, 2016

National Treasure is the television programme that I have chosen for my review. It was directed by Marc Munden and written by Jack Thorne. Marc was an assistant to other directors before he started directing documentaries for television himself. National Treasure is a four-part British television drama on Channel Four about a fictional TV personality who has been accused of historical rape, played by Robbie Coltrane. It is a modern drama and is set in ‘our’ time and includes people such as Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris who, in the last few years, have been in the limelight for the same crime.

STORYTELLING: Project Evaluation

Screenshot from my film

I thought this first unit turned out quite well. I learnt a few new things, for example, how to write a script and different ways/types of filming to help make my film the best it can be. I'm pleased with my script in the end, especially after the re-write as it made more sense after that. I was relatively pleased with my film.

STORYTELLING: British TV Drama Series Review

The Fall, BBC Two

I originally got the idea for my story from the British TV drama series The Fall in season 1. So what better series to base my review on for this unit. The Fall is set in Northern Ireland and was created and written by Allan Cubitt. It was directed by Jakob Verbruggen in series 1 and in series 2 & 3 Cubitt directed. The killer is Paul Spector played by Jamie Dornan and the detective in charge of the case is Stella Gibson played by Gillian Anderson.