Developing the Script

As you can see from my last two posts, once I got a better idea of the camera shots I wanted to use it helped me develop the script. I included more dialogue on the most recent script. I have found that the method of writing a script and then adding shot types gave me more ideas because I was able to imagine what it looks like visually.

Planning: Timeline of my idea - Potential Shot List (with dialogue)

1) Institutional logos
2) Camera shots - CU of rotting fruit or similar
3) Shot of someone writing (In capitals) 'Neverland, Never Again"
While the above shots are playing on screen, the sound consists of the voice over below:
VOICE OVER: (fairy tale character - unspecified) If only people knew what it was really like here when the books were thrown away. Torn up. Forgotten. Every time someone forgets, we suffer. You might think that's okay, that there's enough people to make us last. Not anymore.
    ND Sound starts - Soundtrack
4) CU of Evil Queen waking up (blinking-opening eyes)
5) Fade to black
6) Shot of fairy tale book opening - Mid shot
7) Shot of EVIL QUEEN: For once I will be the most powerful. I shall live happily ever after. Those poor people won't know what's got into them.
8 - Fade to black - Titles 'This Christmas'
9) shot of someone running their finger through the book
10) Fade to Black - Titles - "Magic will turn to malice"
11) Mid shot of Queen - Soon everyone will know the only story worth telling".
Fade to black - Sound Bridge - Next shot starting (just audio)CHILDREN/PEOPLE: (chanting) You must forget. You must forget.
12) CHILD/PERSON: What story's that? (this and shot below in same scene)
13) CU of EVIL QUEEN: Mine, of course.
14) From the studio that brought you "Crowns"
15) People marching
16) Fade to black - Titles - "Comes the gripping new fantasy"
17) Ripping up pages - long shot
18) Girl - red lipstick and looking in mirror - Medium close up
19) Fade to black - mirror breaking sound effect
20) XCU of people's eyes - red
21) EVIL QUEEN: Time is running out!
22) girl running - sound over top: (insert time left of trailer)
23) Evil Queen - "once upon a time will never exist"


VOICE OVER: (fairy tale character) Please, you have to help. If more people remember, it is less likely we will get forgotten. We need to stop her, before its too late.
24) Main title slide - music reaches crescendo
25) cast credits
26) Date of release

Note that timeline/order of shots is subject to change before filming. When editing, some scenes/shots may be cut or reordered

Planning - Scripting my idea

I am finding it difficult to think of a location where I can film my fantasy trailer. In order to get a clearer idea of what I need, I have decided to produce a draft script. I will add suitable camera shots to this later.*

VOICE OVER: (fairy tale character - unspecified) If only people knew what it was really like here when the books were thrown away. Torn up. Forgotten. Every time someone forgets, we suffer. You might think that's okay, that there's enough people to make us last. Not anymore.

EVIL QUEEN: For once I will be the most powerful. I shall live happily ever after. Those poor people won't know what's got into them.

CHILDREN/PEOPLE: (chanting) You must forget. You must forget.

EVIL QUEEN: Time is running out!

VOICE OVER: (fairy tale character) Please, you have to help. If more people remember, it is less likely we will get forgotten. We need to stop her, before its too late.

* As this only a draft, the script is subject to change. However, I want to place more focus on mise en scene, editing and camera than dialogue/voice overs. I want to explore how camera can be used to convey emotion, and look at the role everything plays in the shot, rather than solely what the characters are saying. I plan to use a non diegetic soundtrack to build up to /denote points of tension.

Planning: Mood Boards (Hair and makeup ideas)

Though this will be confirmed when I get a better idea of casting, I have started to think about hair and makeup ideas so that I can check if the cast will be happy with it, as well as get a feel for the genre and what is needed.

Mood Board - Hair

Mood Board - Makeup

All images for both mood boards found on Pinterest. Unfortunately I cannot trace the original sources of the images.

Planning: Mood Board (Genre)

Mood board genre

Here is my mood board, which encompasses everything that I want my film to suggest, include or make reference to. Pictures of fairies are included because they are iconic characters within the genre of fantasy. The very bottom left image also addresses the theme of belief, which is sometimes covered within the fantasy genre. I know that the stereotypical fantasy location (top right - forest, and second in from bottom left - mansion) so I am considering either using green screen, a local woods, implying this or subverting the stereotype of location.
The black lipstick and red eye is included because it refers to the dark element of the dark fantasy genre. Red and black are important symbolic conventions within the genre. Red connotes danger and black has the connotation of power, so they are used frequently.
The images of the rotten apple and broken mirror are included because they are suggestive of the fairy tale world gone wrong (references to Disney's Snow White) which is part of my plot.
The ripped up pages signify the fact that my concept is based around fairy tale stories which are being destroyed. There was a limited number of pictures that I could find for this. I realise that Amazing Grace is a Christian hymn and the pages are ripped - I am not trying to endorse or be disrespectful towards any religion. No references will be included in my film trailer, but, when I thought about it, the image does link to the idea of belief which is often explored in fantasy. The image was not chosen for this reason, though.
The fairy tale book is iconographic of fantasy films.

All images were found on Pinterest. Unfortunately I am unable to trace the original source of the images.

Planning: Costume

The main costume I need to focus on is that of the antagonist (Evil Queen). I want to make it clear to the audience that she is the antagonist through her costume, conforming to the conventions of both fantasy and horror movies.

Cloak
Lara is going to wear a cloak as many fantasy characters do. This is not red because I didn't want the audience to confuse it with either Red Riding Hood or a similar character to them. Purple connotes power and sophistication, as she is an antagonist I definitely want to convey her powerful qualities to the audience.

Cloak

Dress
Lara is going to be wearing a red dress to suggest the danger that the evil queen presents to the fairy tale world. Red connotes both danger and love, so the colour conveys a dichotomy between innocence and evil. Red is symbolic of iconic characters such as Red Riding Hood. This is a comparison which I wanted to try and avoid, but I think this would be drawn more from a cloak than a dress.

Dress

Cloak and Dress

ShoesThe shoes that form part of Lara's costume are black, which denotes sophistication and power. The latter is a key element of the evil queen's personality. The colour back is also not very bright, so this could reflect the negative effect that the queen has on the fairy tale world. They also have a heel/platform which help to give the character more dominance. 

Shoes

The marchers (who carry out the queen's evil deeds) are to look as ordinary yet individual as possible because I want to communicate how the evil queen is affecting "normal" people so they can wear whatever they decide on that filming day. Their faces are not shown in the trailer and so they are not on the casting post.

Planning: Casting

There are not many characters in the trailer, as I want to focus on the antagonist. The primary character is the Evil Queen. This role will be played by Lara. Lara is suitable for the role because she is also a Media Studies student, so understands what is required from the brief. Furthermore, she has a GCSE in Performing Arts, demonstrating her ability. Lastly, we both live in the same town. This will make transport to the filming location(s) and communicating easier, as we are close in proximity.

Lara

Choosing an idea

Following the feedback from my initial ideas, I have decided to act on the feedback and merge the two ideas together, as the focus group suggested.

I am going to combine elements of idea one and two. The narrative will still be based around fairytales, this will be evident through sound and mise en scene. The evil queen is ordering people and children to destroy fairytales so that every fairytale character gets forgotten but her own. From the perspective of a fairytale character, we hear what is happening through a voice over at the start.

This idea allows fairytales to provide the basis for the film trailer, but makes it easier to film as it does not require me to create the character of the brave princess. The evil queen will serve as the antagonist for the trailer. Rather than there being a protagonist, the fairytale characters are the victims for the (film) trailer. This will evoke audience pleasures because such as excitement because the audience will them to survive. The idea will also ensure that the "dark" element of dark fantasy is conveyed.

Initial Ideas for Target Audience

What is Target Audience?
The Target Audience is the demographic that producers and directors aim to entertain and make a film for. The target audience can be identified using a number of things:

• Stereotypes - Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, the media will often use stereotypes to determine the target audience. For example, romance films are stereotypically aimed at girls and women.
• BBFC Rating - ratings will determine the age(s) of people watching the film.
• Surveys - Sometimes surveys will be used to determine the target audience of a film. People will answer questions to help the filmmaker decide whether certain groups will find the film interesting or not.
• Previous films - bigger production companies may be able to use previous films to provide a basis for the target audience. For example, if Disney are making an animated princess movie, they may be able to see that Cinderella (1950) was popular with young children. However, nowadays Disney perhaps has to worry less about audiences because they are able to produce 'tentpole' films.

Initial Ideas for the Target Audience

My instincts tell me that I should make the film a 12/12A. This is because I think that pre teens/teenagers will be able to appreciate the fantasy elements more so than adults. I think this is because teenagers are frequently exposed to a digital world where they lose sense of reality. Therefore they may be able to comprehend the fantastical elements more easily. Also, at 12 and up, I think children would be old enough to cope with darker plots. 

Planning - Initial Ideas

My powerpoint presentation on initial ideas can be viewed by clicking here
Information on Idea One can be viewed by clicking here
Information on Idea Two can be viewed by clicking here.
Information on Idea Three can be viewed by clicking here.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL LINKS OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW.

What do I need to do next?
I need to research into and establish my target audience and select an idea.

Introducing Main Task

For my main task, I am going to produce one main product and two ancillary products.
The images included - captioned rejected product 1 & 2, and ancillary product one (underlined) and ancillary product two (underlined) are from the OCR Specification.
Chosen idea:
From the specification, I am going to produce a promotion package for the film.
Rationale:
The reason why I have chosen to do a trailer is because it will allow me to demonstrate capabilities in editing. It may also require less filming, which I find easier on a practical level because of my disability. Therefore I am going to direct someone with the camera, as approved by OCR. I also think trailers are more interesting because they enable you to follow a kind of non linear structure and compile the best moments of the film in order to show the film in the most positive light. I find it fascinating how, even if the clips do not follow in the film, the concept of the film can still be conveyed to the audience.

Rejected product 1

The reason why I have rejected the music video product is because I do not feel my ideas would be imaginative enough to avoid clichés. I would probably find it difficult to convince my friends to act in a music video and am conscious of issues surrounding copyright.

Rejected product 2

The reason why I rejected the short film was because I would have had to devote more time to film. If I shot the footage in a linear order, it would have been difficult to experiment with editing. Throughout my A2 Year, I want to show progression in skill and experiment with new mediums. I do not feel as if the above task would enable me to do that enough.

Ancillary products:

Ancillary product one (underlined)

The reason why I have chosen to do a magazine front cover is because it allows me to develop and improve the skills and knowledge that I acquired from my GCSE Coursework. I would be interested in making it more sophisticated. Making a magazine cover also allows me to better understand software such as In Design. 

Ancillary product two (underlined)

My reasons for choosing to create a poster are:

• It will give me the opportunity to develop my proficiency in In Design and potentially Photoshop
• There are a lot of existing, effective posters from which I can see the conventions and gather inspiration for my own film. I can also express my concept using a more succinct and precise platforms.  

Examples of ancillary products:

Poster promoting Passengers (2016), at ComicCon

Magazine cover promoting Divergent (2014)

I have tried to find examples which relate to my chosen genre in order to get better suited ideas and inspiration.

Both the poster and magazine cover I have found use gender neutral colours such as yellow and white which could be indicative of the target audience; fantasy doesn't usually appeal to one gender more than the other. On the other hand, the grey and blue colours are suggestive of masculinity. I will consider stereotypes and whether it would appropriate to break them when looking at my target audience.

Research - Dear John (2010) trailer analysis (Romance) FOCUS ON CAMERA AND MISE EN SCENE

For this analysis, I am focussing on camera and mise en scene. This is because romance films often use idyllic locations and lots of different shot types to represent the relationship between two people. As most of my ideas revolve around two characters, this will be interesting to examine.

Institutional Information
Dear John is a 2010 romance film starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. It was based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks and was directed by Lasse Hallström. The production companies involved were Relativity Media and Temple Hill Productions. It was distributed by Screen Gems and Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was done by Jamie Linden. Filming locations included South Carolina.The budget was $25 million, and it made $115 million dollars, making a profit of $90 million dollars.

Synopsis
The film follows John, a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Special Forces. In 2001, whilst on leave, he meets Savannah Curtis. Romance soon blossoms, but in light of the 9/11 attacks, John is forced to go in the middle of the conflict. Savannah suggests that the two start writing letters, so they can keep track of what is happening when they are not together. Dear John questions whether romance can survive distance.

Camera

Long shot

This long shot is effective because we can see Savannah chatting to her friends. However, we can also see John looking over at Savannah, so in a way it is a POV shot. As it is a romance film, if the audience know a short synopsis, it can be inferred that John falls in love with Savannah.

Close up shot

This close up shot allows us to see the emotions of Savannah. It also puts the audience in the position of the character.

(Long) two shot

This long two shot is conventional of romance films, as it shows the two subjects together, having fun and bonding. The meeting of the two characters is very stereotypical. John embodies the stereotypical protagonist/hero. Savannah very quickly becomes charmed by this. They also are gazing each other, John makes Savannah laugh by hitting the pillar with his surfboard. This suggests that John was distracted by Savannah and substantiates the idea that he loves her.

Extreme Close Up

The above extreme close up is interesting. The moon is a symbol of beauty, deities and fertility. As Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) is a woman and plays an instrumental role in this movie, it is significant. It also makes the audience realise how comparable we as humans are to the planets and may evoke certain audience pleasures like reassurance.

Two shot
(Mid)

This mid shot is effective because it conveys an intimate moment between the couple. The audience may be able to empathize with this, or feel privileged to be "let in" to their love story. The mid shot gives us a more focussed shot whilst allowing us to see the emotion on the characters' faces. This puts the audience in the position of the characters. The proxemics of the actors suggest that the characters are very close. This makes the separation of the characters even more heart wrenching for the audience.

Mise en Scene
The locations used in this movie can be greatly contrasted. However, the principal setting is a coastal city (Charleston, South Carolina) and so many scenes are on or near the beach. This is a stereotypical location for romance films because it is usually very relaxing and serene. There is also an idea that watching the sunset, hearing the waves and seeing the stars is the way to feel at peace. An example of this miss en scene is shown in the long shot below:

At the beach

Medium close up

The above medium close up helps to demonstrate the location. Savannah is reading John's letter by the light of the projector which conveys that she is a student. Therefore the divide between the lovers is made clearer; they are taking different paths.

Close up

This close up of John's uniform shows that he is preparing to go back to the Army. This may make the audience sad because they know he is leaving Savannah. It also adds to the characterization of John as the stereotypical masculine hero. On the contrary, we know from other moments in the  trailer that he does have a softer side, such as when he is indecisive and is crying. The audience may sympathize with him. This is effective because they can be reassured that stereotypes are being broken. The stereotypical romance film audience is a female demographic. The softer side may make them feel glad that Savannah has found someone who really cares about her.

The lighting used is natural to suggest that this is the type of thing that could happen to anyone, and to create verisimilitude. This is easier to do with romance movies because they are not often set in futuristic worlds and don't encounter unrealistic situations. The proxemics of the actors is significant, they are in love so inevitably very close. This makes the separation more prominent, as shown in the mid two shot. 

Overall Contribution/Effect
The overall  contribution of the mise en scene and camera is obviously large, but its effect is positive.

Sound Analysis: Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) trailer

A sound bridge is used. This occurs from 0:06-0:08. This non diegetic music continues until 0:19. a voice over is used throughout  to give the audience a basic understanding of the film and to pre-empt the camera shots. This directly engages the viewer and makes them feel more involved. The cousins are almost presented as a disequilibrium as there is no non diegetic sound at 0:19. The calm atmosphere is disrupted with the appearance of the children. The fast paced music parallels the action on the screen.When the children start causing trouble, there is more fast paced, less fairytale like music from 0:22-0:34. This is probably to represent the havoc being caused.
However, the non diegetic sound loses prominence at 0:27 when the diegetic sound becomes the focus. At 0:32, the sound is particularly effective because it becomes loud and has an echo effect. At 0:34, the sound effect of knocking is the most significant sound. This is then overshadowed by the use of loud and high pitched music from 0:35-0:37 in order to build tension. The comparative silence at 0:38 means that the declarative has more impact. The vast majority of the trailer uses non diegetic sound, voice overs and dialogue together. This makes the trailer seem more interesting and engages the audience, whilst also representing the mischievous nature of the children.

The absence of non diegetic sound (soundtracks and voice overs) at moments such as 1:14-1:15 makes what the characters say have more impact, and takes the audience back to a central focus. Breaks in the sound stop it from becoming too overwhelming for the senses. The sound effect of fairy dust is frequently used. The changes in soundtrack also help the audience to identify the mood of the shot(s). For example, from 1:49 onwards the mood is a lot happier and the soundtrack reflects this.

Overall effect/contribution
The overall contribution of sound is large because it helps reflect the mood of the movie, and brings to life the camera shots and editing.

The film is promoted as Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in the UK.

Research: - Amy (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING

AMY (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING
Institutional Information
Amy (subtitled for promotion as The Girl Behind the Name) is a 2015 documentary movie depicting the life and death of British Singer-Songwriter, Amy Winehouse. It is directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees, George Pank and Paul Bell. It is distributed by Altitude Film Distribution and A24. The production companies involved are Film4, Krishwerkz Entertainment, On the Corner films, Playmaker Films and Universal Music. It is edited by Chris King and the cinematography was done by Matt Curtis. Amy was released in the UK on 3 July 2015. The budget was $3.4 million and it made $22 million at the box office. This resulted in it becoming the highest grossing British documentary of all time. It has won a plethora of awards and accolades, including a Grammy for Best Music Film and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Synopsis
Amy uses archived footage, home videos and interviews with those who knew her best to provide the audience with an emotional look at the singer's life, death and legacy.

As this is a documentary, I have decided to focus solely on editing as the trailer will intelligently piece footage together. Being a non specific analysis, I think this will allow me to look at how editing contributes to trailers as a whole in anticipation of my own product.

Amy (2015) Official Trailer

Editing - Titles

Titles

In this trailer, titles are used to mark the different stages of the trailer. For example, some footage  has already been shown but this tells the audience that this is a new film from a recognised team, whilst introducing it. The large text could reflect the bold persona that Amy possessed when in the public eye.

Titles

This title indicates to the audience that the film is going to be emotional. "Journey" suggests that viewers are taken on a path through her life, death and probably her legacy. It also implies that the film is impactful. The red could represent the adoration that people felt of Amy, whilst connotating danger and passion. From this, it is suggested that the film shows her to be a very complex character. However, the white could represent how viewers are given an insightful look at her life. This is because white connoted innocence. These connotations are substantiated by the titles below.

Transitions
There are fade to blacks at 1:05-6, 1:19, 1:22-3, excluding fades for titles.  This could be to build tension and help the general progression of the trailer. It also adds fluidity. At times, like at 1:02, the camera flashes act as a transition. 

Structure
The structure is interesting  footage is not sequential, it is taken from different parts of the film. However, the audience is able to connect the footage together to formulate an idea of the plot. There is also a clear beginning, middle and end. For example, at the start those who knew Amy introduce her. Then, as the trailer progresses, there is a clear change in mood. This is especially evident from 1:30 onwards. The music becomes more sombre and hence the footage slows down. The trailer uses parallel editing as the sound fits with the footage on screen. The footage from 1:30 onwards is a stark contrast to prior to this. For instance, there are quick cuts to represent Amy's whirlwind fame. There is also some footage with stop motion effect from 1:13-14.

Overall effect/contribution
The overall contribution of the editing is great, and the effect is positive. It helps to portray different sides of Amy and helps the audience to create a mini story in their heads. This is done through having distinct sections to the trailer, conveyed by changes in atmosphere, speed of footage and music.

Focussing on Editing

Editing 
Film editing is the art, technique and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. In the context of trailers, this often involves picking the best bits of a film. I have decided to focus to write an analysis in order to understand the contribution editing makes to the whole trailer.

Types of editing
Structure

• Continuity editing - also called invisible editing. In this, the editing is fluid and there are no transitions.
• Non linear - parts of footage taken from different points of the film. The footage is not consecutive.
• Linear - the story is a long consecutive sequence. Events are edited in the order that they happened

Transitions (a few examples)

• Fade to black
• Dissolve
• Fade to white
• Cross cutting
• Blur
• Cross dissolve

Cuts (a few examples)

• Jump cuts
• Cross cutting (also a transition)

Media Theory: Todorov's Character or Narrative theory

Vladimir Propp was a Russian folklorist who studied narratives to identify their structure. * He found that there were common characters in almost all of them:

1) The protagonist - a hero which the vast majority of us will root for i.e. Indiana Jones
2) The Antagonist - a villain/enemy in the story i.e. Captain Hook in Peter Pan
3) Love Interest/Princess/"Prize" - someone who needs rescuing from the antagonist i.e. Rapunzel
4) The Helper -someone who helps the protagonist i.e. Robin in Batman
5) Donor - Someone who gives them something to help in their quest i.e Lucius Fox in Batman Begins
6) The father- authority figure that thanks the protagonist for restoring peace
7) The false hero - Someone who fools protagonist into thinking they are nice, often to get the princess or "prize"

* I used this theory last year for AS and found that it still applied to trailers.

Research - Directors: Robert Stevenson

Who was Robert Stevenson?
Robert Stevenson (1905-1986) was an English film writer and director. He was educated at Cambridge University. After directing some British films, he moved to Hollywood. He ended up directing a total of 19 films for Walt Disney.

Robert Stevenson

Mary Poppins (1964)
Mary Poppins won Stevenson The Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.

Mary Poppins (Original Theatrical Trailer, 1964)

Walt Disney's daughters adored the book, so he promised to turn it into a film for them. Disney first attempted to purchase rights to the film in 1938, but this did not work as P.L Travers believed a film adaptation of Mary Poppins would not do her novels justice. As well as this, Walt Disney had a reputation as a producer of cartoons and had not yet made a live action movie. Disney succeeded in purchasing rights in 1961, but Travers got script approval rights. The Sherman Brothers composed the music and suggested that the movie should be set in the Edwardian Era as opposed to the 1930s. Pre production and composing the music took approximately two years.
Travers was an adviser to the production. She did not like that Mary Poppins was characterized as less harsh, and hated the animated aspects. Disney cited contract stipulations that he had final say in order to overrule her.

Julie Andrews won the main role of Mary Poppins after her successful stage career. It was her acting debut. When Disney first approached her with the role, Julie was three months pregnant and so was unsure whether to take it. He assured that the crew would be fine with waiting until she had given birth. Playing the role meant that Julie went on to win both  the Best Actress Award at the Golden Globes and the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Disney cast Dick Van Dyke for the role of Bert after seeing The Dick Van Dyke Show. It is said that Van Dyke wanted the role of Mr Dawes, the director of the bank where Mr Banks works. He was eventually also credited as Mr Dawes Sr. having played the part.

Filming occurred between May and September 1963. Post production and animation took a further 11 months.
The film was released on 27 August 1964 in the United States and 23 December 1964 in the UK. It had a budget of $6,000,000 and took $102.3 million at the box office.

Image source: Wikipedia

Research - Directors: Tim Burton

I have decided to conduct some research into fantasy film directors, to see if I can draw any inspiration from their ideas or concepts, methods and works.

Who is Tim Burton?
Timothy "Tim" Burton was born on 25 August 1958 to Jean Erickson and Bill Burton. He became interested in film at a young age. He found pleasure in watching films and creating artwork, and was not particularly academic. As a preteen, Burton would make short films in his garden. Today he is one of the most celebrated and well known movie directors, especially in the fantasy genre. Burton's personal life has attracted widespread media attention; he was married to actress Helena Bonham Carter (Enid, The King's Speech) for thirteen years. She has also appeared in projects directed by her husband, such as Dark Shadows (2010) and Big Fish (2003).

I intend to research a few films spanning a variety of eras.
Early films: 1980s
Vincent (1982)
Vincent is a six minute fantasy short film. It was released on 1 October 1982. The budget was $60,000. It is black and white footage. The production companies involved were Walt Disney Productions, it was originally distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company in the USA. Vincent Malloy is seven years old. He dreams of being just like Vincent Price (an actor) and gets lost in grim daydreams at the annoyance of his mother. Vincent Price is the narrator of the film.

 Batman (1989)
Batman is the first installment of Warner Bros. original Batman series. The film stars Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger and Jack Nicholson. Burton repeatedly disagreed with the producers of the film (Jon Peters and Peter Guber), mostly this was about casting. Tim Burton choose Michael Keaton for the titular role; they had built up a rapport following their work on Beetlejuice. This was in spite of Keaton's "average" physique, inexperience with action movies and reputation for being a comedic actor. The argument over casting caused Warner Bros. share price to decrease. Burton was ademant that he wanted an "ordinary" man to play Batman, rather than a stereotypical, bulked up superhero. However, casting Jack Nicholson as the joker reassured audiences and attracted older demographic who may not have otherwise seen the film.
When the film opened, it was supported by the biggest marketing and merchandising campaign in film history at the time. It made $250 million in the US alone and $400 million worldwide. The film was a stepping stone for Burton as it helped to establish him as a successful director.

1990s
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton cast his friend, actor Johnny Depp, who had a reputation for being a teen idol, as Edward. The film also stars Vincent Price as the creator of Edward. Edward looked human, but had scissors for hands because the inventor died before finishing him. The film is viewed as Burton's autobiography of his childhood. It made $86 million at the box office.

James and the Giant Peach
This is a musical fantasy based on the book by Roald Dahl. The film is a combination of live action and motion stop footage. It stars Susan Sarandon and RichardV Dreyfuss among others. It made $28.9 million at the box office.

2000s
Charlie and Chocolate Factory
This is a 2005 film, which stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie. After they gained approval from the Dahl Estate, Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to direct the film in 2003. Following rewrites of the script by various people, Tim hired Jon August, whom he had worked with on Big Fish. He had not seen the 1971 film prior to being hired. Johnny Depp wanted his characterization of Willy Wonka to be distinct from that of Gene Wilder's. Burton also wanted Charlie to be an "average" boy who stayed out of trouble. Filming for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began on 21st June 2004, at Pinewood Studios in London. Music composer Danny Elfman found the timings of filming challenging because they were also filming Corpse Bride. The Chocolate Room or River set piece took up all of Pinewood's 007 Stage. The British Equity rules state that children can only work for four and a half hours a day. Filming ended in December 2004. The film's running time is 115 minutes and had a budget of $150 million. It made $475 million at the box office.

Charlie and the Chocolate factory (2005) trailer 

2010s
Alice in Wonderland (+ through looking glass)
Burton signed with Walt Disney Pictures to make two films Alice in Wonderland and Frankenweenie. He decided to develop the story because the original story by Lewis Caroll failed to grab him emotionally. He wanted to "keep the classic nature of Alice", whilst also making it an engaging movie where you get some psychology". He wanted to make Alice "more of a story rather than a series of events". Filming began in September and finished three months later. The movie stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska. It had a budget ranging from $150-$200 million and made $1.025 billion at the box office. In 2016, a sequel was released.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) trailer

Sources:
Wikipedia - Tim Burton, Vincent, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, James and the Giant Peach (1996 film) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 film) Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
IMDB - Tim Burton

General Feedback from Initial Idea Pitches

See Initial Ideas Post for powerpoint of pitches

My focus group gave me very constructive feedback. They said that the first idea was very original and interesting; they had not heard of it before. They confirmed doubts I had about the mise en scene, the location would be fundamental to the success of the trailer. 

For Idea Two, the feedback was positive, my focus group thought it would be easier for me to film. To make it more original, they suggested that I combine elements of idea one and two together. For example, keep the concept of the evil queen, but she is possessing children who are carrying out her evil deeds for her. When I mentioned that I didn't know how to make it more fantastical, they said I could keep the fantasy characters and decide whether I want to place emphasis on the horror element of dark fantasy.

For Idea Three, the focus group suggested that whilst the location would be obvious, they were in agreement that it would be difficult to create the fantastical elements. One member informed me that there was already a film similar to this, and it may be hard to make it different.

In the end, the group suggested that my idea(s) would probably be used best if I picked elements of ideas one and two and merged them together. This is something that I will consider going forward to making the product. I am going to plan this idea further to see if it works. If it does not flow when storyboarding and in other aspects of planning, then I will attempt Idea One.

Developing Initial Ideas - Idea Three

This idea encompasses the stereotypical view of fantasy films, other worldly and mystical.

Narrative (Synopsis)
Two teenagers lose their way whilst on a walk in the forest. Cynical and carefree, they joke about Hansel and Gretel to keep themselves amused. Little do they know, there is a weird and wonderful world that awaits them beyond the clearing...

Advantages and Disadvantages of choosing this idea
One distinct advantage of choosing this idea is that the setting is obvious (a forest). There are forests near where I live so this will mean that traveling to locations when doing a location recce and filming will be less time consuming. This idea also allows to explore and experiment with special effects. A disadvantage is that I would have to think creatively to create original characters. I would not want these to be too heavily influenced by other media products.

Developing Initial Ideas - Idea Two

With this idea, I can focus on and exaggerate the "dark"/scary component of the dark fantasy genre.

Narrative (Synopsis)
An evil force is kidnapping innocent children and leading them to an uncertain destiny in a world unknown.

Advantages and Disadvantages of choosing this idea
One advantage of choosing this idea is that I can experiment with different camera angles because I would want to maintain a sense of ambiguity surrounding the "evil force". Furthermore, I can develop my skills in using special effects. For instance, I could modify the footage of the children to give them demon qualities. This will allow me to touch on the concept of making innocent things and people scary. Another advantage is that being in school may make it easier to find willing cast members to portray children who are in danger (I would obviously need written permission from their parents and themselves first).

A disadvantage of selecting this idea is that it would perhaps be hard for the audience to identify the genre of the trailer. They may not be able to distinguish between horror and fantasy, so I would have to put a lot of effort into making sure that the genre was clear and that fantastical elements are present.

Developing Initial Ideas - Idea One

An evil queen serves as the antagonist. This adds the essential 'dark' element to the 'dark fantasy' genre.
Narrative (Synopsis)
An evil queen is banishing all fairy tale stories but her own, and is making people forget them. A courageous princess must prevent her from doing so before it is too late and they are removed from history. This character acts as the protagonist/hero.

Advantages and Disadvantages of choosing this idea
The main advantage of choosing this idea is that it is the first idea that came to mind when thinking of dark fantasy. It is the one that my instincts tell me to pursue. I would say that it is the one that I have developed the most so far.
The major disadvantage of choosing to pursue this idea is that it might be difficult to avoid clichés and execute the idea imaginatively. The locations could be a challenge. However, selecting this idea would allow me to explore the "classical" notion of fantasy - what you would stereotypically think of.I could also investigate the concept of innocence turning evil.