Filmic Remake

Trainspotting Film Essay
Director – Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle is an English director, producer, screenwriter and theatre director. He is known for his work on films such as Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, and Steve Jobs. Danny Boyle was born on October 20th, 1956 in Manchester, England as Daniel Boyle and attended Thornliegh Salesian College in Bolton, Lancashire.
Danny Boyle has produced nearly 14 movies, all together. During the mid-to-late 1980s, he worked as a director with a number of companies including the Joint Stock Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court Theatre.
Danny Boyle is a director who likes to be different and unique, for example he said this “I don’t want to make pompous, serious films; I like films that have a kind of vivacity about them. At this time of the year you think about awards and if you want to win one you think you should make serious films, but my instinct is to make vivacious films”, this quote refers to him wanting to produce films entirely diffrent, to other films. On British television, he directed several movies and a few episodes of the popular Inspector Morse mystery series, among other projects. On the big screen, he made his directorial debut with Shallow Grave (1994).
Danny Boyle was launched into the international spotlight with his next effort, Trainspotting (1996). Trainspotting was an adaptation of the Irvine Welsh novel. The film starring McGregor, brought audiences along for a fascinating look at drug use among a group of economically depressed Scotsmen living in Edinburgh. The New York Times described the film as “perversely irresistible” and its characters as “funny, sharp, well-played and fiercely memorable.” Trainspotting was a huge success, grossing more than $16 million in the U.S. alone and earning an Oscar nomination for best writing.
The film sequence i will be analysing is the Interview with the Character Spud. In this scene the character Spud is interviewing for a job. He was nervous beforehand and so has taken speed to settle his nerves. He needs to look as though he’s trying to get the job without actually wanting to get it in order to receive his welfare benefits. Director Danny Boyle has used relatively simple blocking and camera setups, but has utilised fast cuts in which to create a lively scene.
These fast cuts work well to show Spud’s state of mind. He is high on speed and as such he’s overstimulated and speaking quickly and with little sense. Boyle most effectively uses these cuts between a long shot of Spud front-on centred in the frame and a slightly tighter frame of the same setup.
Two different frames are also used for the shot of the panelists. A wide shot and a slightly tighter frame as the scene progresses. This also works well in the sense that as they get further into their questioning, we get closer to them.
Danny Boyle chooses to take a long shot from behind the panelists to show there perspective of the character Spud who is starred by Ewen Bremner.

Youtube Link to Film Scene : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVp9rKF3hag
Websites i used for facts : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000965/bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Boyle
https://www.biography.com/people/danny-boyle-412160

Treatment
Trainspotting (Interview Scene)
⦁ The Duration of the scene from Trainspotting is 2:09
⦁ A young man from Scotland is nervous for an Interview, so he takes speed and takes a slightly different approach to an interview compared to others would.
⦁ In this scene the character of Spud is interviewing for a job. He was nervous beforehand and so has taken speed to settle his nerves. He needs to look as though he’s trying to get the job without actually wanting to get it in order to receive his welfare benefits.
⦁ This scene of Trainspotting is targeted towards both genders, because the scene is quite humorous which i believe both genders will find funny. The Main Character in this scene is Spud as the whole scene is focused on him. In this scene, he is presented very different to his personality for example, he is a drug addict but he is wearing a suit which is not a sterotypical Drug addict, which is therefore showing Spud is trying his best to look good. The Drinking scene at the cafe, we are filming on the 2nd October, and the adress is Torbay Rd, Paignton TQ4 6AL. We filmed the interview scene on the 28th September at the adress of Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ. The purpose of this scene, is to present what drugs can do to you and to never take them.
Locations
Torbay Rd, Paignton TQ4 6AL
Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
Roles
Director
⦁ Dominic
Actors
⦁ Alla
⦁ Matt
⦁ Jack
⦁ Reece
Camera Men
⦁ Ryan
⦁ Matt
Sound
⦁ Dominic
Editors
⦁ Matt
⦁ Ryan

We used all types of Filming equipment, such as the Canon 60D, we also used a Tripod to keep a steady shot. We used a Tascam to record a narration for the end scene of the film remake. We also used the Rode Microphone which we clipped onto the Canon 60D, but we felt like we wanted to get high definition sound aswell so we used the Shotgun mic.

 

Prop List

Amount	Prop	Props Location
4	Suit (Jacket)	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
1	Pencil Skirt	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
4	Ties	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
5	Shoes	Crew Homes
1	Milkshake	TQ4 6AL
2	Straws	TQ4 6AL
2	Paper	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
2	Water Bottles	TQ9 6RJ
1	Jug of Water	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ
1	Blue box	Vantage Point, Long Rd, Paignton TQ4 7EJ

Creating Meaning In Film 1.2.1
Film 1: American Sniper Director: Clint Eastwood Date: 16 January 2015
Film 2: Trainspotting Director: Danny Boyle Date: 23 February 1996
Mise-en-scene
All together, the Film ‘American Sniper’ was filmed in 16 different locations. Most of the scenes were filmed in the USA, California. The ‘Iraq’ war sequences were filmed in Salé, Morroco. Trainspotting has nearly double the locations of American Sniper. In total, Trainspotting has 31 different locations. Most of the scenes were filmed in London, UK. For example, the property that Mark shows to a couple and later lets Begbie and Sick Boy stay in. The other scenes where filmed in Scotland, e.g Edinburgh and Glasgow. For example, the scene where Spud shares a milkshake with Renton before his job interview is filmed in North Kelvinside, Glasgow, Scotland.
The costumes in both films are very different. For example in Trainspotting, the costumes are casual clothing, and a occasional Suit, which is used in Spud’s interview scene. In American Sniper, Chris Kyle (Main Character) who is starred by Bradely Cooper, wears military uniform for most of the film, as he is a Soldier who is fighting a war in Iraq. The costumes in American Sniper and Trainspotting, identify that both films are comepletly different to each other, for example military uniform suggest’s action/war. Casual clothing suggest’s a comedy.
The lighting in Amercian Sniper is mostly high key, due to it being based in Iraq (Desert). The lighting that is used in American Sniper dosn’t relate to the genre of the film which is an Action film, but it does relate to War (Desert). The lighting in Trainspotting is mostly Low key, which therefore suggest’s what kind of life the Scottish drug addicts have. For example some of the scenes are based in a dark flat, and all of the characters are high on drugs but are hardly awake which suggest’s they are wasting their life away.
The colour correction/colour design of American Sniper is natural due to it not being saturated or colour corrected. Some shots are exposed but that relates to the location (Desert).
The colour design of Trainspotting is mostly de-saturated which relates to the characters emotions, feeling and location.
Camera Angle, Shot, Movement and Position
American Sniper includes a variety of camera angles, such as Long shots, medium, close up and extreme close ups. This makes the film more exciting as it shows different perpectives. In American Sniper, the use of a master shot is very clever for example the main character starred by Bradley Cooper is about to make a decision, on shooting a child due to him picking up an RPG. The shot is a close up and the camera slowly zooms towards Cooper and as the clip continues, the background becomes blurred which also focuses the attention on Cooper which makes the scene tense, and it shows its hard to make a decison to take the shot or not.
Danny Boyle the Director of Trainspotting makes use of wide angles/shots and unique camera angles. I have looked at the opening of Trainspotting, As I knew that there was running within the first sequence. This clip displays shows the behind of the main character running, the emphasis is on his feet and the environment he is running in. The pace he is running at and the movement of his feet are in time with the music/the beat. This is especially effective as the audience is drawn further in to the film from the ofset.
Editing
In American Sniper where Chris Kyle has to make up his mind if to shoot a kid with a RPG, the editor keeps cutting back and forth to make it seem dramatic. This makes the audience apprehensive about whats going to happen next.
The Cafe scene in Trainspotting envolving Spud & Renton is a good example of a montage type of editing. For example, it cuts back and forth showing different shots which is known as a montage shot. Overall there is 7 shots in 3 seconds which is fast cutting which catches the audiences attention.
Sound
The scene in American Sniper which i have referred to already, the editor keeps all sound effects diegetic. The editor makes the background audio low, for example cars, people talking etc. This focuses the audience attention on the character.
The interview scene with Spud in Trainspotting includes a non-diegetic voice narration of Renton (Spud’s friend), giving his perpective of Spud’s interview, which is a clever technique of showing someones feeling’s towards something, and it also focuses the audiences attention on what the narrator says.

Cast/Roles

Director: Dominic Clark

Editor: Matthew Wright & Reece Salter

Actors: Matthew Wright, Reece Salter, Alla Betkowska, Jack Cross and Dominic Clark

Sound Operator: Ryan Martin, Dominic Clark

Camera Operator: Matthew Wright, Ryan Martin and Dominic Clark

Producers: Reece Salter & Matthew Wright

Meeting Minutes

Room Layout

 

Overall i believe the filmic remake of Trainspotting went well. We managed to complete all pre-production work before the deadline, but unfortunately we had to film some scenes twice due to people being in the background, which we did not realise at the time of filming.

Overall in my opinion we managed to remake the similar shots of what was used in the actual film, which is the purpose of the task. I believe the target audience of the film ‘Trainspotting’ is the younger generation for example, 18-30 years of age. I believe this because Trainspotting is based around a group of adults (roughly 25 years of age) that take drugs. Most people who take drugs is around that age which why i believe it wouldn’t be targeted towards middle age and pensioners.