Bellstone Pictures

Bellstone Pictures is a UK based independent production Company founded by ex Hurtwood student Finn Cardigan Bruce in 2012. They have released four Feature Films one TV show and three Short Films. Bellstone Pictures says they `oversee and lead projects from conception through financing and production into sales, distribution and exhibition.´ Bellstone Pictures describe how they work through four key terms; IP Creation highlighting their Focus on good and meaning full storylines/ ideas. They are Abel to `green Light´ projects the next key Term is `Physical` Production as they are heavily involved in not just financing the project but shooting it as well as in the end Publishing it. They `Sell´ the Pictures. The First Feature released by Bellstone Pictures was `Tank 432´a psycho horror Film from the year 2015 written and directed by Nick Gillespie who also directed Bellstone Pictures newest Film `Paul Dood´s Deadly Lunch Break´. While not being critically well received the film was a success. They sold the picture to different streaming platforms enabling a greater audience to watch the Film. The New York Times called the movie `a high-concept tease that slogs its way through a morass of barely differentiated characters and visuals before reaching an unsatisfying conclusion.´ While this review might not be very positive it is a review by the New York Times on the First picture they released, which is a success on its own. Bellstone Pictures also released Tracks a comedy Film and `Tucked´ a Drama both Films were Directed by Jamie Patterson. 

 

`Tank 432´ or originally `Belly of the Bulldog´  the name was changed for marketing reasons as 

`Belly of the Bulldog´ was hard to translate. It was released to Netflix in the us making it available to a wider audience. `Tank 432´ was marked as a dark action horror film. This is reflected by the green and grey to beach poster. These colours imply sickness, danger and linking to the military. 

 

Tracks was marketed as romcom. This is suggested due to the reason that nearly only the two main characters are featured in the trailer but especially on the posters. They highlighted the trip the main characters take through prominent displaying of characteristics of different country’s like the Eiffel tower. 

 

Tucked has been marketed as a glamourous movie with a dramatic background. The Glamorous parts are implied through the purple extravagant text. While the dramatic story is teased through displaying the sickness and age of one of the main character. His age contrasts the youthful design, implying a the story of man who doesn’t want to give up his youth.

 

 `Paul Dood´s Deadly Lunch Break´ hasn’t been released yet and there is no trailer and only a few stills from the movie as well as a poster. Which shows a man with Katana in front of a orange fading to yellow back drop. Highlighting a fun fresh side of the movie through the orange backdrop and the brutal part of the movie creating a comedic effect. 

 

The Same People are often involved in a production of a Bellstone Picture for example their four feature films have all been directed by two directors. Actress April Pearson well known for her role on the hit show Skins has been featured in three Bellstone Pictures. She is recognizable while not being to popular which would result in her being probably not available and affordable for a UK indie production. Her appearance especially  in `Tank 432´ and of course also in `Tucked` and `Tracks ´ made the films more interesting to a potential viewer. Bellstone Pictures operates mostly on a low to mid sized Budgets. This effects the Stories they are telling most scenes of ˋTank 432´ take Place in the tank. Saving money because they don´t have to spend a lot of money on locations also cast and Crew do not have to Drive around the hole Country. `Tucked´ was approximately filmed in only 5 indoor Locations (there were also several outdoor locations) again enabling a production on budget. One person often has multiple jobs on set of a Bellstone picture. For example, CEO of Bellstone Pictures and Producer Finn Bruce also appeared as an extra in `Tucked´. 

 

Although Bellstone Pictures recent Feature Films were a success they are still a small indie production company witch limits the kind of media they produce to smaller productions which is something that bigger studios like Disney obviously do not face. An advantage of being a indie UK production company is that they are able to produce and market their films to more specific target audiences. Bellstone pictures can tell different Stories for example a more complex Horror film which as shown through the reviews might not appeal to a large audience. In 2018 Searchlight Pictures released ´Love Simon´ the first Film by a major studio about a openly Gay character. This was propagated as smoothing huge a milestone. Bellstone pictures released `Tucked´ also in 2018 without a huge media circus but offering more detailed queer representation. Indie company´s like Bellstone Pictures are often able to tell different story’s. This is amongst other things also due to the smaller scale of the production. This is one of the main advantages of Independent productions. 

 

Bellstone Pictures has been a successful indie production company. Its new picture witch hasn’t been released to the public yet (although it has been released at Festivals) features a quit famous cast highlting Bellstone Pictures success.

Sources:

https://www.belstonepictures.com

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6773126/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0582726

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5249994/?ref_=adv_li_tt

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4475992/?ref_=adv_li_tt

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5486648/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr2

 

Dead men´s shoes

 Dead men´s shoes by British director Shane Meadows is a crime drama Film from 2004. 

 

The scene consists of cross cutting between original looking home video from the 70/80s showing a family focusing on two brothers and as the audience assumes the same brothers in the current time (2004)  walking through the countryside. The scene is slow pasted. The 2004 shots consist of wide establishing shot showing a journey of to characters most likely going back home.  The scene is shot in long distance creating depth of field. They are walking from right to left making the audience think they are returning somewhere as they know what they’re doing. The two brothers seemed had a good relationship as they’re seen hugging in the 70/80 shots. In the current day shots they seem more distanced telling the audience that something has happened. The director creates a feeling of distance because the audience never really gets to connect to the current day versions of the brothers. The past is shown as colour full while the current day shots seem to be darker and less colourful hinting a depressing feeling. 

Additional Source:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419677/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

 

Sources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3480822/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11258284/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_films

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Time_to_Die

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Widow_(2021_film)

IMAX

 IMAX stands for ‘Image Maximum’, this quite fittingly sums up what Imax is about. The IMAX Cooperation sells amongst other things projectors and camara systems.  IMAX originated at the EXPO ’67 in Montreal created by a group of small group of Canadian filmmakers. The hype of IMAX now can be traced back in large parts to Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan demonstrated with films like ‘The Dark Knight’ what IMAX was capable of and what experiences it can offer. 

 

The largest IMAX screen in the world is 69 feet high and 125 feet wide. Standard Imax is approximately 52 feet high and 72 feet wide. The Imax camaras use 70-millimeter Film which is twice as wide as used in an ordinary camara. Imax also developed a remastering technology making IMAX more accessible. Due to the IMAX remastering technology most blockbusters are now available in IMAX. The first major motion picture to use digital IMAX was marvels  Captain America Civil war. 

 

Imax is also being used to create a USP for cinemas as IMAX projectors are supposed to create a extremely immersive experience due to the size of the screen and the IMAX technology. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX

https://www.bfi.org.uk/bfi-imax

“Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2” and “Stranger than Fiction”

The opening scene of “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2” and “Stranger than Fiction” are both overall well received comedic openings. What makes them work and how do they interduce their style of comedy?

The 2017 action-comedy “Guardians of the galaxy” vol. 2 by James Gun starring Chris Pratt, opens on Baby Groot (a human like baby tree), dancing while the other guardians fight in the background. Groot is through the scene in focus while the background is most of the time blurry, thereby making the audience focus on him and not on the shrill fight in the background. The scene is shot in one contentious long shot. Making his moves smother and the general feeling more intense. The 1977 progressive pop song “Mr. blue sky” by the Electric Light Orchestra  plays as a mixture of diegetic and non diegetic,  soundtrack nearly the hole scene adding to the smooth feeling. The soundtrack is contrapuntal because of the fight in the background adding another element of comedy. The cuts are not noticeable. The Titles in addition to the bright colorful fight add the flair of an 80 since fiction movie. Groots dance was directly inspired by writer and directors James Gun. The contrast of a fight in the background and Groots silly dances moves in the foreground highlights the kind of comedy throughout the film. 

‘Stranger than fiction’ is a 2006 comedy drama starring Will Ferrell, directed by Marc Forster. The movie starts with a montage showing the main characters Harold Crick mondain morning routine/day. The montage starts after a introduction shot zooming in from the orbit to through a city to a clock focusing the viewer on this watch, the importance of time and the absurdity of the film. The next shot is supposedly in Harold Crick´s mouth highlighting the absurdity of the film. The scene starts with a presumably non diegetic Voice over until Harold Crick acknowledges it as an Diegetic voice over. Breaking the audience’s presumed reality. The editing shifts during the scene when he tarts his day the paste speeds up. Text overlays appear through the scene repeating the information of the voice over or sometimes adding further context adding to the creating of a documentary like look with the voice over. The text also underlines the fantasy elements of the Movie, The audience assumes instantly that this is a comedy film when they see  Will Ferrell who is known among other things for his work on SNL. 

Sources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3896198/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0