'Royal Blood' Script

'Royal Blood' Script

Location of first shoot

For my first shoot, I filmed at my school so that my teacher who is playing the role of the king was available for the scene. This will most likely be the only scene shot in this location. Below are images of the location within the school that I chose to use for filming.

I chose this particular location as it is the most suitable for a film set in the medieval era because of the furniture, in particular the table in the central picture above as well as the tapestry on the wall in the picture furthest to the right and the drapes on the windows, all of which could conceivably  have featured in a medieval home.

First Shoot

In my first shoot I filmed the scene in the trailer in which the King is on his deathbed passing on his kingdom to his son. I shot the scene from three different angles; a medium shot in which both characters fit entirely in the screen and two over the shoulder shots, one showing the heir and one showing his father and this should give me a number of options when editing.

Jack Wallace, actor of the Heir during my first shoot

Draft for Script

List of Characters for trailer

The Heir (protagonist) - played by Jack Wallace

This is the main character, who is in line to inherit his father's kingdom - England. He has struggled with the pressure of being heir throughout his life and suffers from an inner conflict as he is torn between his reluctance to take the throne and a promise that he has made to his father; to regain England's former glory. 

The King - played by Mr Lineker

The King has had a long reign and was seen as a beacon of hope for the country as a young monarch, but as he grew older he became increasingly decadent and having taken over the kingdom in a period of decline, he lost more of the shrinking lands that he inherited. Only in his old age does it dawn on him that the legacy left by his ancestors is fading, and he therefore decides to invest his hope for the future of the kingdom in his son, as he is seeing out his final days with his death imminent. His final words to his son are spent asking him to promise he will fulfill his ambitions.

Advisor - played by Joe Wallace

This character is incredibly important to the plot, as he convinces the new king to embrace his role. He was a loyal confidant of the protagonoist's father and is determined to ensure his successor is a success.

The Pretender (antagonist) - played by Kasim Khan

The villain is a former advisor to the king who has powerful backers who has become disgruntled with his new lord's sympathy towards the peasants. He seeks to overthrow the new king and set up a tyrannical regime which benefits only the nobles and alienates the rest of the population.

Location

My primary location for filming will be Kiddington Hall in Oxfordshire, as shown in the image below 

This offers me a large expanse of space and a variety of settings in which I can film. These include a number of fields, woodland areas, as well as a house, all of which I anticipate using for clips in my trailer.

I will also be filming a few shots at the Harrodian School as I needed an older actor to play the father in my trailer, so I decided to ask one of my teachers to play the role. Although not ideal for this genre, the Harrodian certainly offers a range of settings that would be fitting for the trailer. The school is shown in the image below.                                                                                   

Synopses for trailer

Idea 1

A young prince is heir to the throne of England, and looks promising in his youth, but secretly he is reluctant to become king. He is growing up at a time when the kingdom is in decline. On his deathbed his father reveals to him that the land that he is about to inherit is in a bad way, and he asks him to regain England's former glory. The prince reluctantly accepts his offer, but begins to doubt himself, and does not think he is up to the task of keeping the promise he made to his father,  and the film will depict his efforts to deliver on his vow. However, he slowly grows in confidence in his ability to lead and faces new challenges such as a developing plot to usurp him.

Idea 2

A group of friends set out to find some valuable items that they think may have been lying under the surface of their local park for centuries. When most of them have given up on the idea and are ready to leave, the one who has come up with the plan uncovers something of great worth. They take the item to a man who has a knowledge of historical artifacts such as this, and he is astonished, claiming that they could sell it for millions. While discussing what they will do with the item, one of the boys slips away, and when his friends realise this, they decide that they will do anything they can to retrieve it.

Ideas for trailer

Trailer Analysis - Braveheart

The trailer for Braveheart is very conventional and displays many of the typical aspects associated with film trailers. Most trailers follow the Todorov structure, which develops from an initial equilibrium, to a disequilibrium, and then ends with an altered equilibrium. However seeing as trailers are designed to whet the appetite of the viewer rather than give away the plot of the film, the altered equilibrium is not shown. The trailer for Braveheart exemplifies this structure; at the start, the viewer is shown the initial equilibrium, when William Wallace is shown to live a peaceful, idyllic life. This is summed up by what the narrator says, "In a land of timeless beauty, William Wallace was a man of peace", while the music in this first segment of the trailer is also serene. Then, the music changes drastically to a darker soundtrack, and the audience is shown the disequilibrium. The English  army led by Edward Longshanks - who is introduced as "the most ruthless king to ever sit on the throne of England" - are introduced. This segment of the trailer is also nicely captured by the narrator, who continues, "But when they threatened his world and the woman he loved, he was driven to war".

Initial Equilibrium















                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Disequilibrium



An aspect of the trailer that goes against the conventions of most trailers is the lack of titles. Generally, trailers include titles in between scenes in order to either give an overview of the basic plot or for promotional purposes such as to introduce star members of the cast and crew or the release date. Instead, in the trailer for Braveheart a narrator fills the storytelling role, and of the cast and crew only the male lead, Mel Gibson, is mentioned by the narrator. The only title that is shown is a brief credit to the main figures and institutions in the production of the film.

The trailer is a conventional length at 2:54 minutes, and this gives enough time to take the audience through the traditional motions of an action/adventure trailer, with a slow start and calm music transitioning to a fast paced, action-packed second half and climax.


Furthermore, this trailer also follows Propp's character theory, which is especially prevalent in historical and action/adventure trailers. The different roles are outlined very clearly from the first half of the trailer. The 'Hero' is William Wallace, The 'Villain' is Edward Longshanks and the 'Princess' is a literal princess - Isabelle, who we see in romantic scenes with the Hero in the trailer.

Trailer Analysis - The Wolf of Wall Street

This follows the conventions of trailers in terms of the use of music. As with most trailers, the music is synchronised with what is happening on screen. The titles appear in coordination with the beat of the song, 'Black Skinhead' by Kanye West. Another convention of trailers, the use of hard hitting and comical soundbites from the film is followed in this trailer. Multiple quotes that sum up the plot and tone of the film are included in order to draw the audience in with the premise. Furthermore, it highlights its star-studded cast and the accolades won by its director through the titles in between clips, which is another common theme in Hollywood film trailers.

The genre - black comedy - is made clear with the frequent comical soundbites throughout. In the opening quote of the trailer, the protagonist states "My name is Jordan Belfort, the year I turned 26, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was 3 shy of a million a week" and later on in the trailer he and his associates discuss the idea of throwing dwarves at a target as sport. This epitomises the amusingly ridiculous tone of the trailer. The comedic value in the trailer is also provided through the presentation of the main character as having a disregard for the value of money. He is shown throwing a wine glass containing an alcoholic beverage away in his garden, while he is also seen throwing money into a bin later on in the trailer. This also helps to attract the target audience as it gives them an insight into the protagonists's lavish and action packed lifestyle.

The female lead is represented in a sexual way in the trailer which is often the case in the modern age of film. The 'male gaze' - the idea of women being sexualised in film in order to attract a male audience - is clearly taken into account in this trailer, as the only scenes in which the female lead is shown, she is presented in a seductive manner. 

Focus Group Conversation

Small Scale Research - Director Case Study: Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most popular directors of all time and has a cult following due to his unique style. He enjoyed early success in his directing career with Reservoir Dogs, just his second film catapulting him to fame and earning excellent critical reception. Since then he has directed various very successful films - including Pulp Fiction, which is widely considered a classic - that have made him into one of the most admired directors of the modern era of film. Despite being praised for his work by the majority of critics, he has always split opinions among them, and many dislike his style of filmmaking, while he has also been criticised for certain controversial aspects of his work such as his use of excessive violence and frequent racial epithets.

Style

As stated previously, Tarantino's trademark is the use of graphic violence in his films. This was immediately evident as early work such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are both known for including numerous gory sequences. At times this violence is used for comical means as well as for the thrill of the action. Some critics have condemned Tarantino for his use of blood and gore for artistic value. 

He has been heavily influenced by films in foreign languages and animated work. He cited Kinju Fukasaku's 'Battle Royale' as his favourite film since he became a director. He also stated that the animated action sequence in Kill Bill was inspired by the animated sequences in Indian director Kamal Haasan's Tamil film 'Aalavandhan'.

Music is also a very important part of Tarantino's films. The soundtracks produced for his films, which often consist of songs from a range of genres, are highly regarded, with that of Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained both being nominated for Grammy Awards.

Successes

Pulp Fiction is the film for which Tarantino is perhaps best known. It epitomises Tarantino's work in that it is filmed in a style that few mainstream Hollywood directors produce.

Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's breakthrough film, is also very highly regarded, and provided the first sight of Tarantino's dedication to violence and black comedy that he is known for.

Kill Bill Volumes I and II were also met with critical acclaim, and also display Tarantino's penchant for violence and long action sequences.

Jackie Brown signalled a continuation of Tarantino's success during the 1990s, following the continuing theme of graphic violence and dark humour.

Kill Bill, the two part action film, was also a critical and commercial success

Failures

The only film Tarantino has directed that has not general critical acclaim is his 2007 film 'Death Proof', although it was certainly not poorly regarded.

Collaborations

The actor Tarantino has called upon most frequently is Samuel L. Jackson, who he has worked with on six different occasions: Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained and in upcoming film The Hateful Eight.

Zoe Bell is second to Jackson, she has worked with Tarantino in his last five projects: Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained and the Hateful Eight.

 

Initial ideas for brief

I have established that I want to make a trailer for my coursework, but I am yet to decide what type of film to make this trailer for. I terms of genre, I think that I would prefer to select one which does not require extravagant props and significant resources. However, thriller is my favourite genre and generally trailers for that genre include action sequences or extravagant props, and this is a dilemma, leading me to think that drama would be the most viable genre to make a trailer for.

Small Scale Research - Director Case Study: Martin Scorsese

Early career and breakthrough

Martin Scorsese is an award winning director born in Queens, New York. He began his filmmaking career while attending the New York University, where he made a number of short films. His first feature film was called 'Who's That Knocking at My Door' which he made with fellow students. He has been nominated 8 times for the Academy Award for Best Director, only winning it once, for The Departed in 2006.

The film that sparked his career and made him well known as a filmmaker was 'Taxi Driver' in 1976, which was nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture and 2 Golden Globes.

Style

He became renowned for his style of making many of his films almost like biopics; often he bases his films on real events, and works closely with those involved in the events. This is true of Goodfellas and The Wolf Of Wall Street among others; in both situations the protagonist turned his life around after his crimes and documented their lives in crime, and Scorsese worked with them to maximise realism. He follows a similar structure for many of his films; it entails the protagonist's rise to fame and then downfall, and this is the case with films such as Goodfellas, Casino and the Wolf of Wall Street. All three of those films are narrated by one of the protagonists throughout, and this is a recurring theme in Scorsese's films.

Mediums

Although Scorsese primarily directs films, he has also directed short films and music videos. At New York University he began his filmmaking career by directing a number of shorts such as 'What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?', 'It's Not Just You, Murray!', and most famously 'The Big Shave'. He also directed the music video for Michael Jackson's song 'Bad' in 1987. Furthermore, Scorsese has worked in television; he directed the premiere for the series 'Boardwalk Empire', which he serves as an executive producer. Documentaries are another area in which he has worked; he has directed 12 documentaries, arguably most successfully being 'My Voyage to Italy' in 1999.

Most Successful films

Taxi Driver in 1976 is the film for which Scorsese is perhaps best known. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture. It is considered a masterpiece due to, in part, fantastic performances, particularly from the lead actor Robert De Niro, but also the compelling plot and direction.

Goodfellas is another film considered one of Scorsese's most successful. It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Like Taxi Driver, the performances are excellent, and it is generally accepted to be a stylish gangster classic.

In terms of financial success, The Wolf of Wall Street is Scorsese's most successful film; it grossed around $117 million in the US. It was also nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

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Failures

New York New York, Scorsese's follow up to the commercial success Taxi Driver was generally regarded as a flop. It was Scorsese's first big budget film, and was a box office failure.

Shutter Island, in 2010, despite being Scorsese's highest grossing film at the time, did not receive critical acclaim and its reception was poor in comparison with Scorsese's previous work.

Genres

Scorsese has directed a number of films in the crime genre, such as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed.

Another genre that Scorsese has favoured throughout his career is the sub genre of black comedy. High profile examples of his work in this sub genre are The King of Comedy, After Hours, and the Wolf of Wall Street

The genre in which Scorsese has perhaps specialised in the most is that of drama. He has made various drama films, notably Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, New York New York, Raging Bull, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Age of Innocence, Bringing Out The Dead, Gangs of New York, The Aviator and Hugo

Collaborations

Scorsese has a number of actors who he has worked with on several occasions, often playing similar roles in each of his films while some have been cast in very different roles.

Robert De Niro is the actor that Scorsese has worked with on the most occasions: 8 times; Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, New York New York, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear and Casino. In the earlier films in which they worked together, De Niro tended to play the lead role in the films, such as in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, while later on he was more often cast in a supporting role such as in Goodfellas.

In recent years, Leonardo Di Caprio has become Scorsese's muse; he has appeared in 5 of Scorsese's 6 films since 2002. He has played the lead role in all of these 5 films and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in one of them, his and Scorsese's second collaboration, The Aviator.

Coursework Brief

A promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with two of the following three options: 

1. A website homepage for the film 

2. A film magazine front cover, featuring the film

3. A poster for the film