Paint Advert Spoof

I know others have blogged this, however I feel it deserves my appreciation.

'Saftey Procedures' Richard Fenwick

When I originally saw it I thought - odd way to portray the safety procedures of a plane, as most of the illustrated cartoon is filled with a plane filling up with water. However the concept behind the film in Fenwick’s words is…'The idea for ‘Safety Procedure’ came from an article that I read in a newspaper about the fact that an aeroplane had never successfully landed on water in an emergency.' Therefore the film is portraying fact rather than what is normally said. Interesting concept, which shows nothing is said how it really is - to comfort the public. How much other media uses this function. As suggested by Gareth Crook on the website 'This film of course won't change anything, but it raises a very good point, one that people should perhaps be aware of.'

Beyond concept the main reason why I liked this film was the way the procedures where shown and animated- through the commonly seen procedure cards on the plane, which is simply a different way of presenting the information. My only criticism is the alarm sound may be slightly over powering throughout.

Info about Richard Fenwick http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/U3243944.

The Wind

This ad uses the great concept of personification of wind, which turns a potentially boring advertisement to a fun and witty perception. The personification is not revealed to the end, which makes the ad intriguing. However there are clues, with the wind turbine behind him. I love the wind scenarios when you watch it the second time, although you already know the ending, the scenarios are still amusing. A good advert that expresses environmental friendly morals.

We perceive this man to be a pest? Instead he is a part of nature and all of a sudden you feel sorry for ever thinking he was a pest. Therfore perception change.

The Break Up

A quirky film, emphasising the importance of consumer research. Too many companies keep to their house ideas.

I like the idea of the advertiser and consumer simile of a relationship.

Orange Banner for gig tickets

Created in a similar style to the most recent orange ad's on TV ( see example bellow), I really liked this funky banner, which allows you to choose what style of music you are into which then leads you on to a stage of objects based on your chosen music type. (See above for Hip hop and pop), which then leads you to the website. I like this banner for the multiple roots you can navigate through. It seems fun, friendly, and easy to understand. There is no real complex message but is rather based on appropriate aesthetics (it appears like a collage of 3d paper with plasticine texture). It lets you choose what you want and what suits your needs, making 'orange' appear a helpful company, a little like the different types of orange phone packages that are available. They use the appropriate line 'life as you like it!'

Apologies for the poor 'screen shots'

New hollyoaks titles

I think these titles have got a lot of stick, and to be honest when I first saw them I think my expression was 'what are they.' However I love them now. I feel they fit brilliantly with the style of the show, retro, perhaps a bit cheesy and for the younger audience. I think the music is quite funky too. They remind me of the Olympics logo. That sort of fun fresh feel. What do you think?

Memento - Trailer

Starring

Leonard- Guy Pearce
Teddy- Joe Plantoliano
Natalie - Carrie Ann Moss

General plot

Made for $5 million 'Memento is a neo-noir–psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, adapted from his brother Jonathan's short story "Memento Mori." It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a former insurance fraud investigator searching for the man he believes raped and killed his wife during a burglary. Leonard suffers from a form of anterograde amnesia, which he contracted from severe head trauma during his wife's attack. This renders his brain unable to store new memories. To cope with his condition, he maintains a system of notes, photographs, and tattoos on his own body.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_(film)



I was recommended this film, due to the unusual use of the sequencing of event. Basically the film is played backwards. I.e. they show the ending scene first then rewind and show the penultimate scene next and so fourth. The very idea of using this method seems confusing, however I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to follow. The film was built to be played this way, if it was played the 'right' way which you can opt to do, the twist at the beginning would obviously shown first and effectively ruin the plot. I feel this type of sequencing was so effective that the story was built for the idea rather than the idea built for the story. In a way you are put in place of the character, as he also doesn't know what happened previously. You are invited to piece together and investigate Leonard’s case. I will not ruin the ending, but I feel the twist at the end really added to the film. Altogether a really different, and fresh film. However if you look closely enough there are signs throughout the film revealing the twist.

Its worth having a look at the website which I like- very themed. If you go to the flash site... I like the clever use of titling it as 'otnemem,' although might seem confusing before you see it, I believe it would have been lovely to title the film that on the front cover of the DVD.

I think I may look out for more Christopher Nolan films.

Mail On Sunday

I love this ad, It's not afraid to be too stereotypical, which makes it funny. It suggests that Sunday is the day of rest and the best way to rest is to read The Mail on Sunday. It is both for women and men. It takes the form of a battle scene that reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings.

It just shows how elaborate and exaggerated an advert can be to sell a simple everyday product, which has already been out for a long time. Good use of digital design to elaborate the battle.

Film - 28 Days Later

Science Fiction Movie
Directed by Danny Boyle
Produced by Andrew Macdonald
Written by Alex Garland
Staring, Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris




A film, I felt was basically based on zombies, yet took another elaborate form. An infection, spreading the world. Nevertheless the film did not bore me and I feel it was directed well (some places better than others.) Although the film was a taking a lightly serious subject it had light-hearted moments too. In comparison to the film ‘Children of men,’ of which I have recently seen, ‘28 Days Later’ was far less brutal and less realistic. Children of Men reminded me more of the concentration camp brutality in the 2nd world war, perhaps that’s why it felt more real. You could question whether this took away from the genre from the film, however I felt it made it easier to watch. A film you could pick up any time of day.

A scene I particularly noted was near the beginning when the main character Jim wakes up from his hospital bed to find an empty world, (while the world had been overwhelmed with infection he had been left in a comma from a accident he had previous had before the infection had taken over). The scene shot in London is amazing – and a clever choice of place. Never have I, nor anyone seen London people-less. I wonder how they managed to shoot such a scene? The scene is shown in total silence for a rather long period of time, I felt this really set the scene for the whole movie. The silence device really makes you empathise with Jim, for being alone and not knowing what had happened.

The film even managed to explore the growth of relation ships, and survival instincts of different characters. Another scene I liked was when the four main characters are left to there own devises in a supermarket, some how the ability to pick up what ever you like never mind the cost created quite a light hearted scene, I liked it. They also capture one of the characters leaving his credit card by the cash desk, which in someone ways suggested there was no chance for survival and civilization.

I saw two endings to the film, which I felt was rather unusual. The second after the credits, which I felt was better and more realistic than the first. Jim dies and there in uncertainty of what the two remaining characters that are left are going to do. The first ending seemed a little too unrealistic.

http://www.28dayslaterthemovie.co.uk/ here’s a link explaining the film in a bit more detail.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

'Blood and Circus' Jenny McCartney

Jenny McCartney expresses her views upon the 'Fear and Brutality' in horror films today, and how possibly the genre could be now named 'torture porn.'

Some of her points I feel are rather valid yet some maybe rather extreme. Nevertheless it has made me question why as a nation we enjoy films such as 'Saw' and 'Hostel' of which contain horrific torture scenes. A common suggestion is we need more to shock us? Maybe what is tame; is what we have seen before. This can relate to many other arts, not just film. For example in the world of Fine Art what will the Chapman brothers or Tracey Emin next create? perhaps to offend a part of society, or to gain as much publicity as possible. I am not suggesting that this may be the definitive intention of the artists or film makers, perhaps they intend to reveal a secret or selective part of society, or something we are all very much aware of, however do not like to discuss, (and perhaps bringing such to attention is a good thing.) Within the world of design I only need to mention the well known campaigns for the united colours of Benetton, which raised a few questions on its controversial aspects.

When will it stop? Will we one day reach a peak where mass media can present anything and our nation will not be surprised? Is that possible, perhaps not.

I would like make a big 'HOWEVER' and a point nicely made by Jenny McCartney. There are films out there that do a much better job of expressing compassion for a victim rather than showing the actual gruesome scene it self. An example given by McCartney is 'lilya 4-eva' 2002 directed by Lukas Moodysson, (admittedly of which I have not seen myself) 'is about an eastern European girl forced in to sex slavery: her plight is denoted simply by a quick fire series of shots of adult men arriving outside her hotel room door.' I can only imagine by what is described the scene appears a lot more serious than the trashy films we are seeing a lot of today. However as film is also about entertainment rather than simply communicating, perhaps trashy and easy watching is what we want? Considering torture is not only something you see in films but actually still happens across the world, the question is should it be handled with more care?