Tim Walker

Eiko Ishioka

After having spoken to director Terry Hall over Skype I decided to research a Japanese costume designer and director that he suggested named Eiko Ishioka, known for Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), The Fall (2006), Immortals (2011) and Mirror Mirror (2012). I decided to look at Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and The Fall (2006).

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Firstly I looked at her work in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Her costume designs in this seem slightly abstract and I can assume having not seen the film that the different costumes of the three women are either from different time periods that they may have become vampires or different countries. However I do like this idea as it presents an abnormality in the characters and that is definitely something that is key to my film with the Woodland Queen and the nymphs being classed as "other" in the filmic universe I have created.


The Fall (2006)
I also looked at the film The Fall which Eiko Ishioka worked on the costume design. The film is a fantasy about a bedridden stuntman in the 1920s named Roy (played by Lee Pace) who tells a little girl, Alexandria a fantasy story about exotic heroes and far off places which reflects his state of mind. As the story continues the stuntman's health deteriorates and so does his story. This film sounds very interesting and I immediately started looking at the aesthetic of film as well as Eiko Ishioka's costume designs. The film seems very abstract and this is presented through the characters and their whole design. For instance, Lee Pace's character (see image) as the Masked Bandit is dressed in a what reminds me of some sort of Spanish style alike to that of a matador. I considered that this could be a metaphor for the bull being his sanity whilst he fights against it and his drug addiction. I definitely considered my short film's characters' natures when I came up with the concept ideas of their costumes and now having looked at Eiko Ishioka's work on this film has made me perhaps explore a more fantastical or unworldly element to the nymphs.

Fantasy Photoshoot Examples: King Arthur

Having evaluated EMPIRE magazines in depth I decided to look at a different magazine: Entertainment Weekly. I did this in order to compare the shots used in the magazine instead of the content of the article.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Although this film has not yet been released I decided to look at the new film directed by Guy Ritchie. The two shots I found online from Entertainment Weekly were both obviously from photoshoots and most of the ones that I could find display the main character instead of any of the others such as the villain or the mysterious sorceress shown in the trailer. This I thought was key as the audience obviously require images of the main character more than the other characters. This is useful regarding my magazine article I will be producing as it means that I should perhaps focus more on the main character than the others. One thing that seems to be evident in the photos taken for Entertainment Weekly is that they are (like fantasy film posters) colour coded to be more greys and blues than bright colours. This I will definitely take into account for not only my film poster but also for my magazine article for colour coding the photoshoots with filters that are more grey or dull in tone.

 

Fantasy Photoshoot Examples: Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones
Although not a film, I decided to also analyse the photoshoots done for Game of Thrones. The first image presents Jon Snow (left, played by Kit Harrington) and Daenerys Targaryen (right, played by Emilia Clarke) and is very bland as well as having been obviously been done in a studio. I do not like this idea in regards to the photos I will need to take for my magazine as it does not give the audience a clear idea of who the characters are or what the story is even about apart from the fact that Daenerys is clearly highborn whereas Jon looks like a warrior. Alternatively looking back on the poster I think was a very strategic move used to please the fans of the series in regard to Jon's heritage which was revealed in season six whilst this poster is supposedly from season two! The poster in the middle of Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) really emphasises on her character's development from the tom-boy daughter of Ned Stark to a training assassin. Also the background of the poster is supposedly inside the Hall of Faces however the stone column she is leaning against is not dark stone like it should be but covered in frost and ice which links back to her character's origin as a daughter of Ned Stark whose house words are "Winter is coming". Finally I chose to look at a poster of three characters who could arguably be three of the most powerful women in the series: Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) and Daenerys Targaryen. This photo has obviously not be taken in studio and is actually on set of the film making the audience aware of the setting of the series or the season from which the photo is from. The photo portrays the top three female claims to the Iron Throne and therefore sets competition for the season it is for. This could be a good idea in regards to the magazine article having perhaps the Woodland Queen with Melodie and Sienna. Also, all the photoshoots are of the character(s) looking into the camera although not purposefully breaking the fourth wall. This is another factor I must consider in regards to my short film's article as it seems common in the photos I have chosen to study.

EMPIRE Magazine Articles

Having already reviewed a selection of articles from EMPIRE magazine that I had at home stacked in my bookshelf I decided to evaluate them further to determine exactly what I like and would perhaps like to use in my own article. I selected my two favourite articles to evaluate in depth which were the articles on Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (PPZ) and Dr Strange.

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies
In my previous post I mentioned how I liked the aesthetic of the article and from the pictures above I wanted to analyse exactly what I like. First of all I really like the colour scheme of dull greys and natural colours. I think it emphasises on the tone of the film without making it seem dull and looks very realistic even though the film is set in a dystopian nineteenth century England. I also mentioned the two page poster at the start of the article of Mr Bingley fighting off a hoard of zombies (or at least attempting to). I think this is very effective because it highlights exactly what the film is about as well as portraying the characters. For instance, Mr Bingley throughout the film seems to be so afraid of the zombies that he cannot fight them which often results in him almost killed before the intervention of Mr Darcy. Each of the three shots shown in the pictures highlight exactly how the characters are presented in the film which I really want to try and use myself when it comes to making my own magazine article.

Regarding the content of the article I like the idea of asking my actors to say something about their characters for a piece I could write - a bit like what the PPZ article does with Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet - as well as a short piece of context (also shown in article with Lady Catherine de Bourgh). I also like the idea of talking about the filing locations, however I would not want to write a section on the director (me). Ultimately I like the idea of how the article selects both shots from the film itself and shots from photoshoots done with the actors which I will take note of when making my magazine article on my short film.

Dr Strange
In comparison to the PPZ article I decided to also look at a more recent article that has been done by EMPIRE that I also like. I therefore chose the Dr Strange article which published only a couple of months back. Similar to the PPZ article it has a two page poster at the beginning of the article, however this time it portrays the main character (Strange). As this seems to be a common structure for EMPIRE I am considering something similar myself for my article. I like how the poster title is surrounded by mystical symbols which really emphasises on theme of magic throughout the film and therefore makes the reader aware that the film is about someone or people with supernatural abilities. This idea of using symbols is continued throughout the article which is another aesthetic that I like about the article.

Certificate Rating

Similar to feature films, short films are also rated for specific audiences ranging from a U all the way to 18. I decide to look at different film certificate ratings (according to the British Board of Film Classification) so that I can rate my short film.

U - Universal
U rated films are suitable for all ages and the content of the film is suitable for children aged four and over.

PG - Parental Guidance
PG rated films are suitable for all ages however some scenes may be unsuitable for young children and it therefore normally aimed for children over the age eight years old. The film may also contain mild language, sex/drug references or contain mild violence as long as it matches the context such a fantasy violence which the children will know is not real.

12 and 12A
12 and 12A rated films are considered unsuitable for young children under the age of twelve and 12A films are considered ok for children as long as they are accompanied by an adult. 12 and 12A rates films may contain mild mature themes, discrimination, soft drug use, infrequent strong language, moderate violence, sex references and nudity.

15 - Only suitable for 15 years or older
15 rated films are only suitable for people who are fifteen or older. Films that are rated like this may contain adult themes, hard drugs, regular use of foul language and limited use of strong language, strong violence and sex references and mild nudity.

18 - Only suitable for 18 years or older
18 rated films are only suitable for adults meaning that there are almost no limitations for the content in the film and may contains strong violence, sex references, strong language etc.

Once I had looked at these ratings I decided that my short film would probably be rated as a 15 due to the violence in the film which may disturb some viewers under the age of fifteen.

Iconic Fantasy Film Posters

After looking at medieval film posters I decided to look at fantasy film posters to compare. The first film/television series I decided to look at poster wise was Game of Thrones. The posters for the series have changed since the beginning of the series with the first ever season's poster being Ned Stark sat on the Iron Throne. Now the posters appeal to the viewers favourite characters or favourite houses. For example, the poster of Daenerys Targaryen has been filtered to look like flames hinting to her character's role not only as the Mother of Dragons but also to House Targaryen with it's sigil being a red three-headed dragon. The house motto "Fire and Blood" can also be seen in the quote that is written on the poster. I like the idea of having a quote of the character next to them on the poster because it links to the character and hooks the viewers because the audience will want to know what will happen to the character. This can be seen in this example as Daenerys is on a quest to bring the Seven Kingdoms back under Targaryen rule as it had been previously before Robert's Rebellion. The quote "I will take what is mine with fire and blood" shows her character's development from the timid girl under her brother's control to the queen she now must become having become her own person.

I also looked at posters for The Shannara Chronicles and surprisingly found myself drawn towards the darker shade of poster (left) instead of the more popular bright one (right). This supports my discovery  on my previous post that fantasy and historic films are normally coloured in shades of grey and blue. Personally I found the one of the left to be a bit overcrowded with five characters (Wil, Amberle, Allanon, Eretria, Eventine) all shown although I liked the colour scheme. However in the second poster on the right I found that the colour scheme was far too bright for the series due to it's dark themes. I did like the simplicity of only showing the three main characters instead of cramming the characters onto one poster as seen with the poster on the left.

With my final film I chose to look at I decided to chose three posters (mainly because I couldn't decide which one to not use). I like the two final posters (middle and right) with the singular characters on them. The posters are simple and present the characters well through their positions and actions: Jane (middle) is looking back as if she is unsure and is presented as feminine although she is wearing armour and Loki is presented as cunning or mischievous (like his character) having been shown as an escapee prisoner of Asgard. I prefer the poster of Jane in regard to my own poster that I must design as it simple yet effective and doesn't look crowded unlike the one with Loki which seems busy with the background of Loki's prison cell. I also chose the poster on the far left as it sums the poster up without looking too crowded plus I liked the colour scheme of greys and blues.

Iconic Historic Film Posters

As part of my coursework I also have to create a film poster for my film. Therefore I decided to look at iconic film posters from the fantasy genre. Firstly I decided to look at a selection of posters based off medieval legends due to the medieval themes in my short film. I decided to firstly look at the posters from the television series Vikings. I like the simplicity of the poster of the Vikings symbol as it is the series symbol submerged under water which links to the key themes of the vikings setting sail to discover the world. The design of the symbol being entirely made out of blood is also very interesting and follows the continuous theme of battle and war throughout the series. I also like the design of the symbol as the runes combined in the symbol mean family life, growth and life, brotherhood, technology and ship building, violence and the marks of conflict . This subtle collaboration of themes throughout the series is very clever and I like this idea. I decided to look at a different poster from the same season of Vikings to compare. I chose one of the singular character posters which is often a stereotypical idea of both television shows and films to produce a collection of posters with singular characters portrayed on them. The poster I chose to look at continues the theme of blood and conflict with the character of Bjorn striding through bloodstained tides carrying a spear and shield. 

I then looked at the poster to the Ridley Scott film 'Robin Hood' starring Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe. Unlike television series a film poster seems to portray just the main character and therefore makes the audience focus solely on that character. Something that I noticed with both the 'Robin Hood' poster and the 'Vikings' poster of the characters is that the colour scheme is very cold as it is full of greys and blues. Noticeably both posters also have the character breaking the fourth wall and looking directly into the camera. The character of Robin Hood is shown looking directly into the camera as though he is aiming to shoot the audience with the arrow knocked onto the bow whilst the poster of Bjorn from Vikings has him looking directly into the camera as he emerges from crimson water. Therefore it is recognisable that both films seem to focus on the conflict within the film/television show.

Magazine Article Planning

For my A2 coursework I have to make a magazine article on my short film so I recently decided to start looking at film articles. I have been subscribed to EMPIRE magazine for just over a year now and decided to leaf through my massive stack of magazines last night. I looked at articles that are linked to the fantasy genre but I also looked at some of the articles written for a few of my favourite films.

Firstly I looked at the article EMPIRE wrote on the film 'Pride + Prejudice + Zombies'. Although this film is classified as a thriller I liked the aesthetic of the article. After reading the book two years ago the film soon became one of my favourites with a impressive cast including Lily James, Sam Riley, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Bella Heathcote and Douglas Booth. The article is ultimately six pages long (including a two page poster) and is sectioned into five. The poster of Mr Bingley fighting off a hoard of zombies is the first part of the article titled 'Dead Posh' and then goes onto the sections of 'The Scrappy Couple' introducing the main characters portrayed by Sam Riley (Darcy) and Lily James (Elizabeth Bennet), 'Lena and Meaner' giving the reader a brief bit of context before introducing Lena Headey's adaptation of Mr Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh. The articles continue with 'Further Afield In England' which talks about the filming locations, 'Steers At The Helm' where the director is mentioned and briefly interviewed, and the final article is called 'Fun With Bingley and Jane' which talks about the other romance aside from Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. I like how the article is structured with some of the text being written over the images - both from photoshoots and the film itself - whilst one article is written on a plain background with a picture next to it.

I then flicked through the article of fantasy-horror film 'Crimson Peak'. Although I'm not a fan of horror films 'Crimson Peak' is still one of my favourite films, exploring the life of a young woman named Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) in 1887 who believes she can see ghosts before being whisked away after her father's sudden death to marry English baronet Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). I decided to look at the article in EMPIRE because it is closer to my chosen genre of fantasy than 'Pride + Prejudice + Zombies' is, although both share certain horror elements. Similar to the previous article I studied, EMPIRE's article starts with a two page poster of the film with a simple shot of Sir Thomas Sharpe and his sister Lucille Sharpe in the gothic mansion where the film is set. The article then goes on to review the film with a collage of four pictures in the centre of the four page article with quotes from the director on the images. For example, actress Mia Wasikowska who plays Edith quotes that "For Edith, it's [the film] about learning to fear the living, not the dead".

I then went on to look a fantasy article on the hit television show 'Game of Thrones'. Having watched all of the current seasons of the show, 'Game of Thrones' was probably a inspiration for my short film due to the medieval themes throughout the show. The article to 'Game of Thrones' was similar to the one for 'Crimson Peak' however the quotes were not just from actors but some were also used from the characters themselves. The article seems to focus a lot on the main characters as well as new ones as well as the locations that the show is set in e.g. the introduction of Dorne or the progress of the Daenerys and her dragons. The article also talks about casting and who may have played the character and who actually did play the character. Alternatively I could do something like this but perhaps find a character that I took inspiration from.

Alternatively, I found at least three articles on 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit'! I have been a fan of J.R.R.Tolkien's books since I was eleven. In one of 'The Hobbit' articles I noticed it seemed to focus a lot on the introduction of the company of dwarves (shocker) and the elves which I think would be useful for my article to focus on the notion of the dryads in the forest. By the third selection of articles I noticed that EMPIRE tend to use the same format over and over again and either use quotes from the film, director or actors.

Another one of my favourite articles was for Marvel's film 'Dr Strange'. As a fantasy film, I enjoyed the whole aspect of fantasy in the modern day. The aesthetic of the article merges with the fantastical and magical themes throughout the film which I like and would like to use in my own article.

Edited Script

SCENE ONE:  EXT. STREET - DAY  
A girl runs down a heavily wooded street, veering towards the trees in an attempt to loose a figure pursuing her. She falls and is caught.

NARRATOR [SIENNA]

In the days before my ascension, I was a wanted criminal. But after I was taken to the Woodland Realm, my fate was sealed by my own blood.

Figure smiles wickedly down at SIENNA.

MELODIE

Well, if it isn’t the halfbreed.

INSERT TITLE: ‘HALFBREED’

SCENE TWO:  EXT. FOREST - DUSK  
SIENNA is tied to a tree whilst MELODIE sleeps in a makeshift camp in the woods. SIENNA manages to remove the gag from her mouth. MELODIE sighs.

MELODIE

I wouldn’t scream if I were you.

SIENNA

I know you’re not going to kill me.

MELODIE smirks.

MELODIE

Oh? And why is that?

SIENNA

If you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it already.

MELODIE lies back down.

MELODIE

You should rest, halfbreed.

SIENNA

If you’re not going to kill me, what do you want?

MELODIE sighs and gets up, walking towards SIENNA and crouching down in front of her.

SIENNA

Spit it out.

MELODIE places the gag back over SIENNA’s mouth.

MELODIE

You talk too much. Once we’re in the city, you’ll be at the mercy of our leader and she will not have the same mercy I have given you.

SCENE THREE:  EXT. FOREST - DAY

MELODIE walks with SIENNA to a formation of trees where the WOODLAND QUEEN stands.

MELODIE bows.

MELODIE

My lady, I bring you the daughter of the Darkened One.

The WOODLAND QUEEN turns to look at them.

WOODLAND QUEEN

Really?

The WOODLAND QUEEN steps towards SIENNA. She inclines her head and snaps her fingers. 

GUARD appears.

WOODLAND QUEEN

Take away the Lady Melodie. I will call on her when she is of more use.

GUARD takes hold of MELODIE

MELODIE

My lady? I did as you asked. I have earned my freedom.

WOODLAND QUEEN

You are a traitor to our people, as is this girl’s father. Perhaps it runs in your blood? You are - as you know - related by blood.

The WOODLAND QUEEN smiles wickedly.

WOODLAND QUEEN

You are what…cousins? Or was it half-sisters?

MELODIE

You promised me that I’d be free.

WOODLAND QUEEN

And I will decide when you have earned that freedom. For now, you still have potential and so you will obey like the prisoner and traitor that you are.

MELODIE is led away by GUARD

SIENNA looks at the WOODLAND QUEEN in fear.

SIENNA

What do you want with me?

WOODLAND QUEEN

It’s not what I want with you but what I want from you.

SIENNA

I know nothing.

WOODLAND QUEEN

We’ll see about that.

SCENE FOUR:  EXT. FOREST - DAY

SIENNA is tied against a tree, bloodied and wounded. MELODIE is also tied up nearby.

MELODIE

What did I tell you?

SIEENA looks at MELODIE

SIENNA

You’re my sister!?

MELODIE

Blood means nothing to me.

SIENNA

Blood is everything! I’m your family!

MELODIE

And what has my family ever done for me! They abandoned me to rot in the forest, framed as a traitor and spy after our father left after our father left to marry your mother. Do you really think that because we share the same blood that I should have felt something? I don’t even know you. I was unaware of your existence until the Woodland Queen spoke to me of you and issued me to track you down.

SIENNA

Why does she want me? Why does she even want you?

MELODIE

Our father defied her rule. He escaped and she doesn’t know how. She’s been trying to get me to tell for years. I have no idea what he did. He left before I could talk, leaving my mother to raise me on her own.

SIENNA

That isn’t my fault.

MELODIE turns away.

MELODIE

No, it isn’t.

GUARD enters and speaks to MELODIE.

GUARD

The Woodland Queen requires your presence

GUARD leads MELODIE away.

SCENE FIVE:  EXT. FOREST - DAY

MELODIE is stood before the WOODLAND QUEEN.

WOODLAND QUEEN

You have failed me, Melodie. I had such high hopes for you…you’ll get your freedom when you die, traitor.

WOODLAND QUEEN snaps her finger and GUARD comes to her side.

WOODLAND QUEEN

Hold her still.

MELODIE struggles against GUARD’s grasp.

WOODLAND QUEEN

For now, I’ll send a message to all rebels out there…with the death of my traitor brother’s precious daughters. Starting with you.

WOODLAND QUEEN breaks MELODIE’s nose.

SCENE SIX:  EXT. FOREST - AFTERNOON

SIENNA wriggles free from her bonds. She approaches MELODIE who is still tied up with a broken nose and bloody lip. SIENNA unties MELODIE’s ropes.

MELODIE looks up.

MELODIE

What are you doing? You’ll get yourself killed if you try and escape.

SIENNA

Come with me!

MELODIE shakes her head.

MELODIE

My mother attempted to follow our father when I was young. The Woodland Queen found out and killed my mother on sight. If she sees you, she’ll have your head too.

MELODIE looks back down

MELODIE

No one defies her rule.

SIENNA

You don’t understand, Melodie.

MELODIE tenses as SIENNA says her name.

SIENNA

I want you to become the Woodland Queen.

MELODIE

Why would you want that?

SIENNA

Because you want revenge…just as I do.

MELODIE sighs

MELODIE

I’ll deal with the Woodland Queen

SIENNA

But—

MELODIE

Run!

SCENE SEVEN:  EXT. FOREST - DUSK

MELODIE stands behind the WOODLAND QUEEN

MELODIE

My lady…

WOODLAND QUEEN turns to look at MELODIE.

WOODLAND QUEEN

Melodie?

MELODIE attacks WOODLAND QUEEN. She falls to the floor and looks up at MELODIE.

MELODIE

No one can cast a queen from her kingdom. They can only remove opposition. Does that sound familiar, my lady? You said that to me the day you took the life of my mother.

END.

© Story by CP Media15

Slight Change

Recently I have been indecisive about my final idea for my coursework. I originally completely scrapped the whole idea and wrote a new idea however I came to the conclusion that the idea was just as ambitious as my previous one as well as discovering that I was unsure how to finish the idea. I decided to revert back to my original idea but have removed the whole of the fight sequence and have scrapped the idea of it being set in the modern world.

Searching for a Location: An Unexpected Journey

Recently I have been searching for locations to film my short film. I have received numerous recommendations for sets such as Black Park or Cliveden Forest so I decided to do some research on these areas.

Black Park must be one of the most famous forests in Buckinghamshire having been used for many film productions, especially being near to Pinewood Studios. It consists of 530 acres of heathland, woodland and grassland and would be perfected for my woodland themed short film. The park has been described as one long, continuous film set and has been used for many popular films and television shows such as: Midsomer Murders, Sleep Hollow (1999), Ridley Scott's adaptation of Robin Hood (2011), Black Beauty and all of the Harry Potter films.

Cliveden is also a possibility to use as it reasonably close and I have been round the forests before. Obviously, I am not interested in using the main house nor the temples and gardens as it is not required nor would it fit with the style of my short film. However, a list of famous films and television shows have been filmed there such as Sherlock Holmes (2008), Cinderella (2015) and Mr Selfridge (Season 4, 2016).

Having looked at some of the few that were suggested that were reasonably accessible, I decided to start researching some examples which were famous in films which were still accessible but a little further than what I was hoping to use.