Film Research

In this module I looked at a lot of other films and film directors for inspirations and styles that I could use in my own film.

One of the films I looked at was No Country for Old Men. This is an American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The film is an adaptation of McCarthy's 2005 novel and is faithful to the novels plot and themes, such as pessimism and nihilism.

The scene I found most useful is one where the main character is intimidating an elderly shop owner, purely using his presence, without using threats or raising his voice. I wanted the character of Andy to give off this feeling of silent power when he snaps and goes after Vinnie.

I also looked at the two versions of the film Romeo and Juliet. Originally a play by Shakespeare, this story has been adapted into film multiple times under different directors and with radically different styles. For example, comparing the 1968 version with the 1996 version:

We can see that the essential visual differences in the film prove to be complete opposites.   The 1968 version by Franco Zeffirelli, depicts a traditional Romeo and Juliet. The accustomed Renaissance setting was doused in neutral colours.   Costuming was accurate and conventional for the time. In general this adaptation stays truer to the way Shakespeare had intended.   In the 1996 version by Baz Luhrmann, the story of Romeo and Juliet is portrayed with a modern day twist.   The setting is a beach city where cars and buildings are vibrant with colour.   Costumes were updated with Hawaiian print shirts and casual styled dresses.   This adaptation was more appealing to the eye because it was not so bland.  

In conclusion, the modernized version of Romeo and Juliet had many key differences that changed a lot of the themes and characters. Many liked the modern version just as much as the original because of these changes.

Relating this to our film, by thinking outside the box, we could have looked at what the script appeared to entail on a basic level, and turned it around with a completely unexpected twist.

We also did research into what the main characters would be like, their personalities and mannerisms, and also thought about their histories and what was motivating them to act as they were.