Attack the Block Research

How was the film produced?

The film was produced by Big Talk Productions, who is know for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. It was filmed in a selection of different counicl estates accross south London which is what made up "The Block". Attack the Block was shot over 6 weeks of night shots at the council estates and the interior shots were shot at the Three Mills Studio in London.

What was the film based on?

Joe Cornish, the writer and director, had the idea for the film and it was a twist on the standard sc-fi alien invaison film which made it a relatively 'original' idea for a film. However, as with any film, there are elements of ideas taken from other films in the genres that Attack the Block is inloved with.

Problems that arose when making the film

The immediate problem that arose was that there is the heavy use of London slang and termonoligy which started the debate to decide whether subtitles were required or not. As subtitles were not used in the film, this effectively restricted the audience to the UK as people abroad may not be able to understand the slang used within the film. Also has the film had to be shot at night, this restricted filming to only certain hours of the days.

Directors views on the British Film Industury

The director, Joe Cornish, had a strong interest in 80's sci-fi films such as E.T, Gremlins, Predator and also the 80's gang movies such as Streets of Fire and Outsiders. This is shown in the making of the film as Attack the Block is a combination of both genres. He enjoys the fantasty films that incorparate a sense of subarn reality and this is what he tried to recreate in Attack The Block.

How was money saved when making the film?

Money was saved when making the film as the aliens do not appear in the film a lot which saves money in the special effects area of the film. Futhermore, when the aliens do appear in the film, they are simple and would not of cost a lot to computer generate. I also feel that the special effects used in the film were not of the best quality and could of been a lot better and this would of been very benifical to the film overall.However, the little use of special effects would of saved money when making the film.

Promotion of the Film

As there was only one UK trailer and one US trailer the film was barely promoted. This is one of the reasons why the film did not make its money back and actuallly made a loss. There was not a lot of talk about the film or 'word of mouth' this is another reason why the film didnt do very well.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the film was originally composed by Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Burton from the popular electronic dance music group: Basement Jaxx.