Essay Sample on Matthew Vaughn's Unique Directing Style

Matthew Vaughn is an English film director, producer and screenwriter born in 7 March 1971. He is known for producing hit films such as Snatch (2000), he directed crime thriller film known as Layer Cake (2004), the super hero comedy and film respectively Kick Ass (2010) and X-Men: First Class (2011) as well as Kingsman: the secret service among others. Vaughn has made films that have been well- received tapping to success and making his directorial debut in the Film industry. His productions and films have been total success due to his unique style in directing. He has incorporated passion and creativity in his work as well working with top actors such as Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, and Robbie Gee among others.

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Kingsman: the secret service is uniquely directed where a young man called Eggsy is the main character. His father died but he was part of an organization where he worked secretly as a spy. Harry Hart is an agent in the Organization who recognizes the potential of Eggsy and wants to recruit him as a trainee in the secret service. Meanwhile Richmond Valentine is in the verge of launching a diabolical plan to solve climate change problem through a worldwide killing spree. In the film Vaughns influence and inspirations were blasted across the screen. In making of the film, Vaughn was influenced and inspire by his latter work like Kill Bill and Django Unchained. He has also been influenced by several directors such as Quentin Tarantino, peppering his screenplay with profanity which is used to bring an edge and hipness to the proceedings.

Matthew Vaughn portrayed a very clear message when it came to composition of scenes. For instance the Church scene can be seen in the context and the message Vaughn was trying to convey in the whole movie. Violence in movies has become so common that we do not think of it anymore, but Vaughn did a great job for making it transgressive again. The scenes are memorable and exciting but somehow uncomfortable to watch but with a likeable character under the mind control influence. The irony of these scenes has been emphasized by the ironic music playing in them. The Church scene takes us in the empathetic mood after watching a superspy commit massacre against his moral beliefs and will, and then get executed by the villains who made him do it. In this scene you get to wonder if abuse of power by the intelligence organization is inevitable even if there are spies who are decent and good people. Most superhero movies do not go that far like Matthew Vaughn movie.

In different scenes, Vaughn has incorporated many special effects being used several times; for instance, when the teeth break and are spat out of the mouth, when the glass breaks and when the taser device is adjusted around the wrist. In some scenes, the pace is very slow in the beginning, but when the fight starts it is very fast to try and cope with the pace of the fight. Also, the uniqueness of the scenes is that they are comprised of different features such as the human voice, sound effects and the music. Vaughn has created the music tracks in such a way that they mix and balance to produce emphasis which in turn create the desired effects. The background music has added emotion and rhythm in the scene. For instance we see the music becoming crescendo as the fight between Eggsy and Harry Hart increase. In the slow scenes, we see the music becoming de-crescendoed. The church scene is one of the most epic scenes where you relentlessly watch violence for seven minutes and get excited at the thought of it. Instead of Harry Hart clearing out most of the church congregation, the evil signal is let out at a beautiful beach wedding. Immediately the signal is turned on, they turn against each other to death. The beauty of this scene is how Harry Hart lost it. Vaughn filming is unique as it shows how he losses it which is never seen in most movies.

Vaughn used Blackmagic Design to create color correctors as well as live production switchers to produce high quality film. Some of the most complex visual effects created were as a result of Fusion Studio used by VFX house Doc & A Soc. Vaughn created a stunning 360 degree environments for major sequence in the film; for instance including a huge hangar with aircraft myriad and secret service staff. Vaughn created a spectacular scene where Senior Kingsman Merlin triggers devices implanted in Valentines accomplices heads making them to explode inform of a fiery rainbow of musical choreography. This is an amazing visual effect that has not been seen before. Head explosions included an exploding light bulb, exploding watermelon, supernovas, shock waves and smoke rings. The explosions brought out a bright visual effect, happy and festive look. At the church scene, there are visual effects created for the sequence ranging from re-times and transitions, blood hits, to work of face replacement. The entire scene was precisely planned and set-up before shoot.

In terms of production, the project focuses on filming and the music. The principal photography started in October 2013 estimated to be one third of the total budget which was $200 million. Some scenes were shot at Imperial College London, while some in South London like the Black Prince Pub in Kennington. The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn while the screenwriters are; Mark Millar, Jane Goldman and Samuel L. Jackson. Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson were contracted to compose the music film while Gary Barlow wrote the film music. The film was distributed through the U.S release by 20th Century Fox, while the production company was MARV Films. The film was completed as of May 2014, post productions as of March 2014 and pre productions as of March 2013. Shootings began late 2013. The films running time is 2 hours 9 minutes.

The scenes lighting have been used to create a specific mood for the audience. There are scenes that have used low-key lighting as a design to give a darker set of scene. Vaughn has created a scene where it focuses on the actions and movements of the characters instead of the surrounding. Vaughn has created some scenes with a more focus on the characters with lighting to allow the audience see the surrounding, exemplifying the skills that the Kingsman have in comparison to fighting skills of others. In the scene where explosion takes place, we see lighting in illumination of characters. Other than focusing on one character, the picture is displayed in a way that the audience understands the impacts that happens to everyone. Overall, Vaughn has added the uniqueness in this film by exemplifying the skills of the main characters as well as focusing on their attributes. Lighting therefore influences the films ability to show the main characters in light of their capabilities and skills (Goodykootnz & Jacobs 2014).

Vaughn has not only created Kingsman: The Secret Services as just a spy genre movie, but has also brought a new life into the wardrobe of classic British gentlemen. Mr. Porter has worked hand in hand with the director Matthew Vaughn and costume designer Ms Arianne Phillips as well as British heritage brands to come up with a new label for menswear. Vaughn has compiled a 60- piece collection including suits, briefcases, watches, umbrellas and ties among others both on and off screen. The collection has been available to view and shop. All the pieces have been crafted in Britain by heritage manufacturers. Vaughn has managed to incorporate fashion into the film which makes his directing style unique.

Vaughn has incorporated unique techniques in the film. Cinematography has been used by sweeping camera moves to make the movie feel sour. There is also use of gymnastic skills to make the film more entertaining. Harry Harth takes down a pub full of thugs and is the only one surviving in the church scene. Harry uses an umbrella handle to turn a beer glass into a beer shot. Eggsy uses gymnastic skills to climb up and down of project rooftops while trying to escape a gang. Valentines female assistant uses a razor sharp prosthetic foot to slice up enemies. Vaughn has therefore incorporated numerous ingredients from the Vintage Bond films to make Kingsman: The Secret Service a success.

References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation course digital materials (CDM) title.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)". Box Office Mojo. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.

Millar, M., Gibbons, D., & Vaughn, M. (2015). The secret service: Kingsman.