Film research: Ex_Machina

Ex-Machina (2015)



Producer/Production companies:

This movie was produced by DNA films in collaboration with Film4 along with many international distributors all over the world such as Universal Pictures International, Universal Pictures, NOS Audiovisuals, A24, intercontinental video and Mongrel media. The production companies and distributors have distributed this film in around 14 different countries. DNA films is the same production company that worked on the movie '28 days later' which was made by the same writer and director that produced Ex_Machina, giving them a marketing point to go from when advertising as the film '28 days later' was very successful and gave DNA films some kind of positive reputation.

Andrew Macdonald (best known for 'Trainspotting', '28 days later' and 'Ex_Machina') and Allon Reich (best known for 'Ex_Machina', '28 weeks later' and 'The last King of Scotland') are the main producers that worked on this film alongside many executive and associate producers.

Director/Screenwriter:

Name: Alex Garland

Best Known for: '28 days later' (2002), 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'Dredd' (2012) and 'Sunshine' (2007)

Awards: 

• 2004: Nominated for Saturn Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Writing for 28 Days Later
• 2004: Won the Best Screenplay Award at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards for his screenplay of 28 Days Later
• 2011: Won an award from the Writer's Guild of Great Britain (along with co-writer Tameem Antoniades) for his writing on the video game, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010).
• 2015: Won a Jury Prize for writing/directing Ex Machina at the Gerardmer Film Festival.

Actors (main cast):

Name: Domhnall Gleeson

Character: Caleb

Best known for: 'About time' (2013), 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (2011), 'Unbroken' (2014) and 'Ex_Machina' (2015)

Name: Corey Johnson

Character: Jay

Best known for: 'The Bourne Ultimatum' (2007), 'Captain Phillips' (2013), 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998) and 'Ex_Machina' (2015)

Name: Oscar Isaac

Character: Nathan

Best known for: 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013), 'Drive' (2011), 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'A Most Violent Year' (2014)

Name: Alicia Vikander

Character: Ava

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'A Royal Affair' (2012), 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E' (2015), 'Seventh Son' (2014)

Name: Sonoya Mizuno

Character: Kyoko

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'Beauty and the Beast' (2017), 'The Theo Adams Company' (2015)

Name: Symara A. Templeman

Character: Jasmine

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'Jupiter Ascending' (2015), 'Darkness' (2014)

Name: Gana Bayarsaikhan

Character: Jade

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015)

Name: Claire Selby

Character: Lily

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015)

Name: Tiffany Pisani

Character: Katya

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'Britain and Irelands next Top Model' (2005), 'Hollyoaks' (1995)

Name: Elina Alminas

Character: Amber

Best known for: 'Ex_Machina' (2015), 'Residue' (2015), 'Cinderella' (2015), 'Jupiter Ascending' (2015)

 Budget/Box office sales/Screens shown on:

This film was made on an estimated budget of 15 million dollars and after being a huge success aroun the world, has brought in over 36 million dollars worldwide and has had many positive reviews from critics all around. In the USA the film made $250,000 on its opening weekend in April 2015, being shown on around 1,255 screens. During May of 2015, the film had its highest selling point, reaching around $3,510,000 and was shown on over 2000 screens.

Composers:

Name: Geoff Barrow

Other works: 'Lord of War' (2005), 'Wild' (2014), 'Columbiana' (2011), 'Assassins' (1995)

Name: Ben Sailsbury

Other works: 'Beyoncé: Life is but a Dream' (2013), 'Inside the Perfect Predator' (2010), 'The life of Mammals' (2002)

Marketing:

The production designer for this film is Mark Digby, notable foe his work in other films such as 'Rush' (2013), 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008) and 'Dredd' (2012).

A viral marketing campaign was designed and in the USA which used the famous dating site Tinder to raise awareness for the Sci-Fi thriller. The robot in the film is played by the Swedish actress, Alicia Vikander and using her pictures, the marketing team set up a robot account on Tinder which asked fellow users what makes them human and what attracted them to Ava. This clever marketing scheme was designed to test the audience and almost involve them in the film as they had a brief experience of what the protagonist experiences in the movie.

Alongside this, a series of films posters and teaser trailers were also made and shown through TV advertising and general poster advertisements.

Official Trailer

Special effects:

The largest area of special effects was used on the actress Alicia Vikander as she plays, Ava - the robot. Most of her body has CG effects put onto it to make her look as though parts of her body are made of machinery and certain parts are completely see through. The only parts of her that are kept as skin are the face, hands and feet.

Special technology was used to make sure that Alicia looked as robotic as she could when playing Ava whilst still being able to move exactly the way a human would. To do this, she was taken into a photo booth and scanned from head to foot, from there a team then built her CG elements which were then refined to match the live action photography. An anamorphic lens was applied which could have been an issue as the rig used had to be 'astonishingly flexible' in order to convey the human likeness of Ava. This lens meant that if Alicia wasn't completely in focus then the image would be distorted and it would then have to be reverted back to how the image was originally.

Flares were used to create the almost sterilised brightness that is used in the house to create the feeling that the house is more of a research/hospital facility. It also conveys the fact that the movie is of the science fiction genre as flares are typically used to create a flashy futuristic atmosphere.    

Technical Specifications:

Runtime	1 hr 48 min (108 min)
Sound Mix	Dolby Digital | SDDS | Datasat
Color	Black and White (some shots) | Color
Aspect Ratio	2.35 : 1
Camera	GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition Sony CineAlta F65, Cooke Xtal Express, Kowa Prominar and Angenieux Optimo Lenses Sony CineAlta PMW-F55, Cooke Xtal Express, Kowa Prominar and Angenieux Optimo Lenses
Laboratory	Molinare, London, UK
Negative Format	AXSM SRMemory Video (HD)
Cinematographic Process	Digital Intermediate (2K) (master format) J-D-C Scope (anamorphic) (source format) Kowa Scope (anamorphic) (source format) (some scenes)
Printed Film Format	D-Cinema

Issues:

One of the main issues when shooting this movie was the fact that the lens used to create Ava's robotic yet human feel happened to distort a lot of the images within the filming. The anamorphic lens tended to reflect and distort everything around it, which interrupted the smooth, polished continuity that the directors wanted to create. However, this effect is successful in creating a false sense of intimacy with the audience.

Camera Shots and techniques

Camera Shots and techniques

Extreme long shot:

The extreme long shot can be used as an establishing shot within TV drama. an establishing shot is used to communicate to the audience where the scene is taking place, which characters are involved, it's time and location. The establishing shot is usually used at the beginning of a TV drama as it provides the audience with a setting for the beginning of the storyline. 

Long Shot:

The long shot usually follows and establishing shot and gives the audience a view of a character from head to toe. This allows the audience to see the relationship between the character within the story and their environment that is set in the establishing shot.

Mid Shot:

This shot gives a view of the character from the waist upwards, making them become comfortable with the character. The audience become comfortable with the character as they can engage with their emotions, facial expression and body language.

Two shot:

The two shot contains two characters who are usually communicating in some way. This shot expresses that relationship and is used in things such as TV chat shows.

Close up:

The audience will only see the head and shoulders of the character with very little background, which means that all of the attention is focused in on the character. By doing this, the audience will have a clear view of the characters emotions through facial expression. This could also be used to show an item of significance within the show.

Point of view:

This is used as a reference to the close up shot, therefore it usually follows on from the close up. This gives the audience context following a close up and it allows us to engage more with the character and understand their motives within the narrative.

Extreme close up:

This shot focuses all of the attention onto the characters face, especially the eyes or on an item of significance. This creates a sense of intensity for the audience as it is an unfamiliar perspective which places the audience in an awkward position which may feel uncomfortable - adding to the intensity.

High angle shot:

The high angle shot gives a the character a sense of vulnerability as we as an audience are looking down on them, seemingly giving us the higher ground, therefore a feeling of authority over them. This kind of shot is used in scenes of confrontation to show how small the character looks and feels or in scenes where the character we are focusing on is physically defeated.

Low angle shot:

The low angle shot gives the opposite effect to the high angle shot and makes us as an audience feel vulnerable as we are forced to look up at the character, emphasising their height and signifying their authority and importance. Movies with characters such as superheroes and villains will use this shot a lot to show power and strength along with making the audience feel slightly intimidated and at the mercy of the character on screen.

Tracking shot:

The camera during this shot will be mounted on a dolly on a track which will follow the character or object of significance at a constant distance throughout the shot. This draws in the audience and helps them to feel as though they are a part of the narrative as they are following the character into their narrative.

Sideways tracking/crab shot:

This shot is the same as a tracking shot, only the camera will only follow from side to side and can be used at a closer distance to the character. This shot is mainly used to show the character going to or leaving a scene. The crab shot can show the audience specific areas of the body such as the feet when the character is walking to show the character moving from place to place whilst creating a sense of mystery as we do not see the rest of the character.

Tilt shot:

This shot is similar to a panning shot only the camera moves vertically rather than horizontally. This kind of shot can be used in a similar way to a low angle shot, by tilting upwards from a low angle shot, it can emphasise a person or objects importance, authority and power. Eg: this kind of shot could start at the bottom of a building and pan upwards to show the sheer height and mass of the building, showing importance and significance towards it.

Zoom:

The zoom shot can be used to alter the audiences perspective by bringing them closer or further away from a character or object of significance. Also, the focus of the camera can change, creating a depth of focus by blurring the object in the background and focusing on the character or object in the foreground or vice versa. This can gently introduce the audience to a new scene or give them context as to where or what the character is doing. It makes us aware of their surroundings which aids the narrative.

Arc Shot:

This is similar to a tracking shot, only the camera follows in a rough semicircle or circle around the character or characters, as this shot is usually used in scenes where a group conversation is being held as it allows thee audience to witness the reactions of each character and we can then see everything that the scene has to offer us. It can also change our perspective as we can start out looking over the shoulder of one character, giving us insight into their perspective and end up behind the shoulder of the person opposite, therefore the audience sees the scene from a different point of view.

Crane shot:

The crane shot allows for a wide range of movement in terms of perspective, as the camera will mounted on a crane which is balanced by a heavy weight, meaning that the camera can be moved in almost any way possible. This shot is effective as you can capture a wide range of movements and perspectives which can draw in the audience using fluid camera technique which can vary in terms of perspective. This means that conventional technique can be broken and the director/camera operator has more freedom in terms of creative cinematography.

Who Am I?

Who am I?

Groups:

I believe that I only fit into one of these groups loosely, the group in question being the skaters. I am a snowboarder and skier, which automatically places me into a community of people who take part in the same sport and share the same lifestyle as me. Because of this, I find that my fashion/lifestyle choice is influenced by those within the same ‘skater’ community, however this is only when I take part in the sport. Outside of my sport, I am just a genuine open minded person.

What media figures inspire me?

I like to take a lot of my fashion/makeup choices from the actress Amanda Seyfried. I like the fact that she can pull off most looks and isn’t limited to a specific kind of style. We have a similar look and I feel that I reflect part of her personality as I aspire to be like her on many different levels. I love her personality and I aspire to show the amount of kindness and charisma that she does as well as taking inspiration from her style choices. I model myself on her because I feel like she has a personality and style choice that I like and that I can incorporate into my own personality. She has a certain image that I would also like to have.

Representation of myself:

Key Roles in Film Production

Key Roles in Film Production

Writer:

The writer, or screenwriter's role within the production of a film is to advise in terms of producing the film and make sure that the storyline/narrative that they are trying to convey in put across to the audience in a clear manner. Once the actual movie is made, the writer then all helps the film to make it into cinemas by helping to sell it to film studios and production companies. A part of their role as a writer is not only to make sure that the film is well made and scripted, but also to push their film or 'project' to be chosen by bigger production companies to get them to turn their ideas into big movies or TV shows. If they let the production companies lose interest in their work, then it can go dead and their ideas will be forgotten and will go to waste. The writers work closely with the producers, literary agents, entertainment lawyers and exclusives as well as the director in order to work towards furthering the project. The screenwriter will only become credited once their work is published, giving them the opportunity to increase their reputation and income.  

Producer:

Producers within film have various responsibilities throughout the development, pre-production, production and post-production stages. During the development stage, the producer must find suitable material that they find they can work with and find the rights to use it. This process usually takes a lot of time and effort on the producers part as they have to comply with the wants and needs of those who hold ownership over different aspects of the material, which can be a long and difficult process. After the developmental stage, the producer can then begin the pre-production process which allows them to employ other components of a film making team such as a screenwriter (unless the film will keep its original script) or if the script needs to be amended, a script doctor. The film producer also has the final say on who directs the film and in some cases, who is employed in the films cast. As the producer has to oversee many things, they cannot always be present at each stage within the actual production of the film, therefore they tend to work in units or they will appoint executive producers, line producers, unit production managers, etc. Once everything has been filmed and edited, the producer then decides on the finalities within the film such as the cutting out or adding of new scenes as well as the films music. They will then sell the film or arrange distribution rights.

Casting Director:

The casting director is involved with a lot of the work that goes on within the pre-production stage of a film. They are a liaison between the director, actors, agents/managers and the studio/network that supplies the necessary aid needed to find the characters that are needed for the script. The casting director will mainly focus on finding extras for the movie as the main actors will be found directly through agencies or they will be directly contacted by the director via their agents. The casting director will also look at where the shooting locations for the film are and they will then decide where the best place to look for extras will be based on the geographical importance.

Director

The director controls the films dramatic and artistic aspects whilst visualizing the script and guiding the technical crew in order to fulfil the vision of the film. They have a say in the cast members, production design and all of the creative aspects of the film as they bring in their own interpretations of the film. The director could also be seen as the author of the film. A lot of directors start out as screenwriters, editors, and sometimes actors so they have experience with other areas within the industry and will almost always have a particular influence on certain aspects of the film such as the editing or the music composition. They might even do it themselves. The director is also responsible for meeting deadlines and making sure that their cast and crew are working at a good pace and that they are all happy, along with giving them constructive feedback. Overall, the director controls what goes on within the production of the film in terms of creativity, timings, staying within their budget and making sure that the production team are well and working.

Film Finance:

Film finance is a process that occurs within the developmental stage within film production, before the pre-production stage. This is where the value of the film is determined, which effects the proposed budget that they production team would need in order to create the film as well as the predicted profit that they will make from the film. 

Camera Operator:

A camera operator, or cinematographer, is in charge of manning a camera whilst it is in use during the filming process of a production. They are responsible for maintaining the composition of the camera angles throughout each scene/shot as well as collaborating with the director, director of photography, actors and the technical crew. Within this collaboration, the camera operator will have a say in the technical and creative decisions, thus becoming a part of the film crew with the director of photography. A camera operator will need knowledge and skill within choreographing, framing shots and selecting the proper equipment needed in order to capture the right shot, eg: lenses, dollys, camera cranes, etc. 

Editor:

Film editing is a creative process that takes place during the post-production stage of film making. Traditionally, editors would have to physically cut the film, however nowadays it has been made easier because of the introduction of digital editing. The editor works with the raw footage taken from the filming process and makes the necessary changes needed to make the finished motion picture. Elements such as sound will be considered and looked over by the editor and the director so that the sounds/music and visual effects marry up and work well together. 

Production Designer:

The production designer is responsible for making sure that the overall look of a film project such as  a TV programme or music video is up to standard and effective. They have a key role in the creation of motion pictures and TV and they will work closely with the director and producer to ensure that they can visually tell the story to the audience. As well as the overall project, the production designer also takes part in the design of the PR/advertising elements which will go on show before the actual movie/film project has been released. 

Marketing:

The marketing department's main responsibility is to convince the audience that the project that they are involved with/working on is a 'must see' production. Once a target audience has been established by the distributors, the marketing team will start producing a campaign/advertising scheme to try and get their target audience to show interest and watch the film/project.Once the advertising campaign has been launched, the marketing team will watch the statistics and levels of interest from the public/target audience and they will then troubleshoot and improve their campaign to increase interest. Marketing has to take many things into account when  deciding on how they are going to go about their campaigns as they may be influenced by the culture, religion, age, etc. of their target audience.

Exhibition

The exhibition occurs after the film has been finished and is released/shown to the public. This is the retail stage of the film process, it does not involve the production or distribution of the film, but it is their public screening. Because the exhibitioners (eg: cinemas) have control over who sees the film and when, they could be held accountable and have a heavy influence over how successful the film is in terms of box office sales and the reception of films. The exhibitioners have to deal with having competition from other exhibitors/film distributors as well as making sure they are complying with the government regulatory bodies and the rest of the commercial entertainment industry.

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