Preliminary movie ideas

This section of the blog will hopefully show the journey that was made in deciding the film that will be made in our group.

Our group wanted to make a film that was different to genres and concepts used typically in modern blockbuster film making. We carefully analysed a number of trailers from coursework and realised that the general genre that they experimented with was horror with a focus on the sub genre of teen slasher. Although each of the trailers were aesthetically pleasing to watch, with particular emphasis on tension which was clear with some thrilling moments, we decided not to use them as inspiration. This is because we felt that horror films are not individually memorable or successful. They seem to foolow in each others footsteps taking the same age old concepts of a mentally unstable individual taking the lives of young innocent teenagers in ever increasing sick twisted ways. It becomes obvious what is going to happen in these films because of the narrative they follow. A horror franchise that is easily recognisible is the SAW series. It follows an engineer who aims to change peoples wasteful attitudes to life due to his life being cut short in a losing battle with cancer. The original was a thrilling, shocking picture that left audiences reeling at it's original plot concept; 2 men chained up and trapped in a bathroom with no hope of escape unless they dismember their own feet with a hack saw. The film finished with a memorable twist which topped off the films appeal well. However it's appeal diminished when 6 sequels were made. They slowly began to lose focus on meaningful plot and focused more on twisted gore in unrealistic environments. In a sense it made a parody of itself with no effort put into the clever narrative and more effort put into creating the most bizzare and brutal ways of killing people.



Our group particularly enjoys the concept of cult films. We wanted to produce a picture that drew on the idea of 2 men in an undesirable, horribly average work place that, due to extraordinary circumstances, becomes completely ridiculous. Films have toyed with this narrative and have become hugely successful in the past. One of my personal favourites is the series of films called the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy. These 3 films are created by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright and feature Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in starring roles.

The third genre we wanted to explore was drama. Specifically drama based within Britain following difficult working class conditions that give an audience some form of perspective on lesser off people than themselves. One director that inspiration can be drawn from is Shane Meadows. He makes films following the stories of people with nothing extraordinary happening in their lives in terms of the bigger picture of the world

WORKING TITLE - Call the Wardens

Plot - The story follows 2 protaginists who are traffic wardens; Frankie Daubney and William Darling. Frankie is an experienced warden at around the age of 30 and a raging alcoholic. His approach to offenders and the system can make be considered some what of a maverick. It will be a running joke through the film that he would rather fight a traffic offender physically rather than use the correct procedures verbally because of his alcoholism. However it will never be made clear how he actually manages to avoid diciplinary action. He drinks so excessively because his wife recently left him and is consequently on a cycle of depression. His maverick attitue to traffic enforcement comes from his desire to become a memeber of the police force and a dellusional belief that the traffic wardens have similar power to them. William Darling is a character who is a complete opposite to Frankie. He is young and new to the trade. He believes that his actions while acting as a traffic warden is helping the community at large. Rules are important to Darling in all aspects of his life and he follows them rigidly. On the surface he is naive and comical in his timid approach but deep down he is sensitive and caring. He always tries to be the voice of reason to Frankie who in turn tries to be the voice of his ego.

The story Will follow the pair as they commence a normal day on the job but ends up with them stumbling onto a plot in which a gang wishes to kill the primeminister. It will be ridiculous and comical as 2 characters that are from action heros become the saviours of Britain.

Call the Warden has a plot that closely parallels that in Hot Fuzz.

WORKING TITLE - Fortune

Plot - 2 'nobodies' get jobs as dishwashers and fortune cookie authors in a chinese restaurant. The fortunes they are writing begin coming true. They realise early on the powers they posses with fortunes like 'your marraige proposal will be successful' and 'your meal will be free of charge' that come true in the restaurant. Slowly their greed and lust for power grows as they start to claim more and more from the fortunes they create.

Characters -

Mark: Mark is a bitter cynical young man. He has no drive to achieve anything in life, instead remaining happy to work for just enough money to go the pub in the evening. He recently came out of a relationship with SHARON whom deep down he loved but never committed fully to because of his lazy attitude.

Bertie: Bertie is a simple minded right hand man character. He is Mark's best and only friend. Bertie still lives at home with his mother whom lies to him about the where abouts of his father. She tells him that he left for the army when the reality is he left to run away with his secretary which causes he to desperately grasp onto him and never let him go.

Fortune's inspiration came from the film Skeletons because of similar characters, situations and conventions.

WORKING TITLE - Paul's action packed adventure

Plot - Paul is a young man who is obsessed with action films. The film starts by showing the audience Paul's life at home with his mother, constantly watching action movies with Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. He has a job

WORKING TITLE - Joe

Plot - Danny has just lost his best friend in a random stabbing on the street. The story follows how different people react to the event following Danny trying to find the people who did it, Joe's girlfriend and one of the accompliaces of the assailant.