Currently, the top 10 films of 2018 are…

1. Avengers: Infinity War (dir. Anthony Russo)
2. Black Panther (dir. Ryan Coogler)
3. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (dir. J.A Bayona)
4. Incredibles 2 (dir. Brad Bird)
5. Deadpool 2 (dir. David Leitch)
6. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
7. Ant-Man and the Wasp (dir. Peyton Reed)
8. Ready Player One (dir. Steven Spielberg)
9. Hong Hai Xing Dong (dir. Dante Lam)
10. Tang Ren Jie Tan An 2 (dir. Siecheng Chen)

These films have made a lot of money at the box office so far – Avengers: Infinity War is currently number 1 and has made over $2 billion. This is an incredible amount of money, and shows how the film industry is quickly becoming one of the most expensive in the world.

Eight out of these ten films are part of a series or franchise, the only two exceptions being Ready Player One and Hong Hai Xing Dong. This shows that most successful films are already known to audiences, or are just another instalment in a famous franchise. Some directors may find it easier to add to a franchise than to come up with a whole new idea. This is because not too much time has to be spent advertising it, as there will already be fans from previous films, who want to see the next instalment. Film companies will happily support films like these, as they can be a guaranteed way of making lots of money – if the film is good. For example, Mission: Impossible has made many films in the past, and dedicated fans will always go to see the next one, which in this case is Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Many of the top 10 films also have famous actors in, who are easy ways of making money. Audiences would be more likely to go and see a film if they know their favourite actor will be in it, rather than a film that doesn’t feature anyone they know. These top actors will be paid huge amounts of money, for example Chris Pratt was paid around $10 million for his lead role in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The Mission: Impossible franchise’s main selling point is Tom Cruise, and many fans agree that the films just wouldn’t work without him.

The last two films on the list are the only two Chinese films – the rest were made in Hollywood. This shows how the Chinese film industry is expanding, and how popular it is over there.

Inquirers – Film students should be interested in learning new things and new skills, like how to use different programs and how to edit to a professional standard. This will help them to become more knowledgeable and better at the subject.

Knowledgeable – They need to learn in-depth knowledge of the subject, including the history of film, which they can use to create their own films. This helps them to develop their understanding of films and the process behind creating them.

Thinkers – Film students will think in creative ways to overcome different challenges that face them while creating, filming and editing different projects. They should also be critical of their own work, and always be thinking of ways to make it better.

Communicators – Students need to be good at communicating their ideas to others in confident and creative ways. This will help them to work effectively in teams, and will help their ideas to become something physical.

Principled – They will have a good sense of morals, allowing them to become excellent team workers. The students will have respect for others and their ideas, and show enthusiasm with others when working on group projects.

Open-minded – Film students need to be open to new ideas from different sources to include in their work. This includes input from other people, criticism and taking inspiration from successful films in the past.

Caring – All film students will show empathy towards others, and make them feel included when working as a team. They will also commit to the task in front of them, and do their role to the best of their ability.

Risk-takers – Film students need to try new things and experiment with ideas to make their work the best it can be. They also need to be able to approach unfamiliar situations with confidence, making them able to work under any conditions.

Balanced – They need to keep a balance in their lives, to ensure that the work doesn’t become too much for them. This will help them to perform better in class, and it will also make others around them feel more confident.

Reflective – They need to look back on their work and evaluate it, learning what their weaknesses are and working to improve them. This will ultimately improve their standard of work over time, as they learn from their mistakes.

My film recommendation is Love, Simon (dir. Greg Berlanti, 2018). This drama/coming of age story takes places in a high school, and the main character is Simon, who has a secret online relationship with another guy from his school. During the film, he’s blackmailed by someone in his class, who threatens to tell everyone his biggest secret – he’s gay. This genre of film isn’t what I usually like and watch often, but this particular film was really enjoyable. Normally, I prefer sci-fi or horror films, but I really enjoyed Love, Simon, mainly because of the intriguing plot and fantastic cast. So far, it has grossed $66.3 million across the world just at the box office. After its release, many celebrities promoted the film – some of them buying out theaters to offer free screenings for members of the public due to the important message that the plot contains.

What makes a good film?

A good film needs to consist of many smaller, important qualities that will ultimately create a better bigger picture. There are many different micro elements that go into making a scene, and they are all very important. One micro element is the cinematography, which needs to be well thought out in order for it to reflect the mood and setting of the scene. Also, the mise-en-scene must be specific in every detail and well constructed. For example, the colours and lighting used in a scene could be used to reflect a mood or an underlying theme throughout the film. If the wrong colours were used, it could confuse the audience and give them the wrong idea about what is happening. Another important micro element is the editing, that takes place to ensure that the film is the best that it can be. This stage in film production can help to keep the pace of the film, to make sure that it stays relevant to the audience, so they don’t lose interest. Editors can cut out scenes that aren’t necessary, to either keep it interesting or to make sure that the film will fit into its allotted time space. Editing is also important to cut out any mistakes in the film, which could ruin a scene. One more micro element that has a huge impact on the overall effect of a movie is the sound. Many famous movies all have very impressive soundtracks, as they help to create the required atmosphere. The sound can help make a suspenseful scene more tense for the audience by having soft music suddenly become loud, adding to the audience’s shock when it comes to jump scares. The soundtrack can also be very useful to fill space in a film – for example if there are no characters talking, the audience might not like the empty silence.

It is also important to consider macro elements, such as the message or value behind the film. Most films have a message behind them, and this can be explored not only by the characters and their actions, but by scenes and representation. In most films, the characters learn something by the end, and this often reflects the central message that the writers want the audience to realise. The style of the film has to also be carefully considered before and during the filming. For example, if the script has been written for a certain style, but then the director starts using a different style, the film won’t make sense. This also links to the genre of the film, which is important to consider when choosing things like lighting and props. For a horror film, the audience would expect dark scenes with little lighting, because it echoes a suspenseful atmosphere. If a horror film had lots of daylight scenes with few shadows, the intended atmosphere of the scenes would be lost. However, comedy films would generally be better lit, with more scenes set in daylight, as the film would have a more cheerful mood.