Movie Presentation: Sauna

Name: Sauna

Year: 2008

Country: Finland

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Antti-Jussi Annila

Written by: Iiro Küttner

Filmed by: Henri Blomberg

Sound design: Panu Riikonen  & Vesa Meriläinen

Main actors: Ville Virtanen, Tommi Eronen, Rain Tolk, Kari Ketonen, Vilhelmiina Virkkunen, Sonja Petäjäjärvi, Kati Outinen

-WASH YOUR SINS- (tagline)

Sauna is finnish horror film and it’s first bigger horror movie what has made in Finland.

Story goes to year 1595 when 25 years long war has ended between Sweden and Russia. In movie there is Swedish and Russians groups whose are making new lines for countries middle of the forest. In Swedish group there is brothers Eerik and Knut Spore. When they are making new map lines they kill a peasant and leaves his daughter to the basement for death. In north’s bog they saw this girls ghost who returns to persecute them. Soon they comes to unknown village which is middle of the bog. Next to village there is very old sauna. Old story tells that you can wash out your sins inside of that sauna. Soon they’re plans changes because of weird happenings.

Prices: 

Riga International Fantasy Film Festival: Main Prize - The Golden Tooth

27th Brussels International Festival of fantastic Film: The Silver Raven, Special Prize of the jury

Gérardmer Film Festival: Youth Jury Grand Prize

Jussi-gala: Best Costume Design, Best Set Design and Best Sound Design

Moreover of this movie has got many nominations from different festivals around the world.

What’s so special? 

If we are thinking about finnish film making Sauna-movie is something totally new in big productions. Of course there has been this kind of tinier production companies which has made horror movies but Sauna was first bigger one and which has reached other world too. And then if we start think little bit more lower Sauna isn’t just a normal scaring film. Sauna’s genre is more like emotional, psychological horror.

I chose this film just because this is something so new for finnish movie making. And it’s not enough that this movie is bringing new genre to Finalnd because Sauna has showed in other countries too. For example I would say US. 

When you are watching this movie you should concentrate on colours which are very much making this kind of “death is close” feeling. I love this movies sound world because its growing emotions on this movie perfectly ! Just speaking is bothering me at the some points because it’s too much like studio voice. 

Independent week

This week has been very many-sided. Almost all my classmates went to Nurmes to movie camp or multi camera work. I didn't go there because I thought that its much better for me to practice video editing when others are in Nurmes. I had purpose to edit theater's videos but then came very bad barrier for my plans. Director who gave to me those videos was understanding my job wrongly and that's why my only job for those videos was export them to DVD.
So of course I had to think new project for myself for that week. At next day I was mixing Hälyttämö's new jingles and on Wednesday I played those jingles at the first time on radio.

New project for last week was to make introducing video about radio-and tv-work for Open doors- day.
 I made that video with my classmate Sarita and our school's PR-person who gave us that project was happy about final version.
I'll try to send that video at here later.

Next week we are starting Radio programming- course. At first week others are getting familiar about radio-studio and then we'll start to make for next two weeks radio show on Radio Kupari. My job is to be producer and I'm very excited about that. Its nice to have some responsibility work !

Tyttö Sinä Olet Tähti - Presentation

Tyttö Sinä Olet Tähti (Beauty and Bastard) is Finnish movie which has made in 2005. Director of movie is Dome Karukoski who is well-known director nowadays in Finland. This movie is his first movie and it was very big hit in Finland when it came out to cinemas. Tyttö Sinä Olet Tähti is very humoristic but still in some cases serious movie. Songs of this film are from best Finnish Hip-Hop artists. Example from Asa and Iso H. Movie won Scandinavian’s first movie-price in Norways Amanda-movie gala.

Movie tells about girl named Nelli who is dreaming career of RnB singer. Nelli’s family is very rich and her parents wants her to go study doctor’s career. Perfectionist family’s girl Nelli meets Sune who is composer of his own Hip-Hop band. Sune consents to produce single for Nelli so she can provide herself to record label. Sune’s secret motive is still to prove his friends that he can get girl like Nelli to himself. Recording plans starts to be more difficult when Sune and Nelli starts to love each others. Nelli’s has to fight against her feelings because she have already big feature plans with her boyfriend and about education what her parent’s wants to her. Finally through many curves plans are still changing and Nelli gets her recording contract and her and Sune’s problems solves with happy ending.

My extract starts from living room- scene where Sune has met Nelli’s parents first time.
In first frame there is very expensive looking stereos on the table. Stereos are playing Nelli’s song. In next picture you can see full shot of people who are in living room. Sune, Nelli, her mom and visitors are sitting on couches. Nelli’s father is standing. Picture changes to another side and you can see another side of living room and stairs. Fittings are looking very expensive and modern. White room colours are giving that kind of gold feeling what Nelli and her parents might feel between each others when they are listening Nelli’s song. Lightning is typical home lightning. You can see in the picture Nelli and her father. Nelli’s father are standing next to stereos with remote and he is looking like disappointed. Nelli is looking very nervous and afraid about parent’s feedback. Next you can see medium shot of Sune and Nelli’s mother whose are sitting on blue couch. Blue colour are very big colour of this picture because there is coming blue lightning from window . Sune is wearing typical rap-clothes and mother’s panther dress and jewelleries are telling very clearly about their richness. When Sune and Nelli’s mother are talking how Sune made song there is showing on again full shot of Nelli and her father which changes quickly to close shot of father’s tense face.
Then comes close shot of Nelli’s face who is watching her father’s reaction. Close shot of visitors whose are watching Sune’s explaining confused and then picture is again on Sune and mother. Editing are replaying these frames of hole discussion. Sune is explaining how he multiplied Nelli’s voice in song and mother says sarcastic way: “Did you heard Kari(Nelli’s father)? Our girl has been multiplied.” Medium shot of father and stereos.  Father shuts down stereos and background music fades out. Quick shot of Nelli’s face reaction. Again there is medium shots and close shots of people when they are talking. Sune tries to defence Nelli and Nelli’s father tries to defence his own opinion how important is to get real job.
Picture changes to another scene. Scene starts with filming to living room through the window where parents and visitors are laughing at jokes. Camera starts to move upper to balcony. In balcony Nelli is explaining to Sune where he can catch the bus. Frame ends to medium shot of Nelli and Sune. Sune starts asking is Nelli okay and he says how Nelli’s parents are pressuring her with her choices. Picture changes to over the shoulder. Pictures are changing in this scene from over the shoulder to close shots. Lightning is warmer than in living room. Background is dark because of night time. Lightning is coming from inside. Sune and Nelli are talking what they were imagining first time when they met and how they were wrong of their imaginings. In this scene there is for actor work very specially part. Sune says to Nelli that she is just a normal girl and Nelli is touched about what Sune is saying. That Nelli’s reaction is something very great acting from Pamela Tola ! I’m not sure that can everyone see that but because I’m actor myself I can say that reaction on her face is something so amazing ! After that Nelli says: “No one has ever said anything that nice to me.” And at the same time starts background music with piano. Their talking continues for a while and at the same time music is getting louder and music fades us to next scene where Nelli is singing this same song in studio.
First frame of these scene is close up of Nelli when she is singing front of microphone in studio. Next frame is close up of Sune who is watching entranced Nelli’s singing. Lightning is warm and somehow magical too in this scene. Lightning is coming straight to actors faces so background is dark what gives this kind of “just me and you” feeling. Disco ball is spinning ahead of actors and this is accentuating love in the air. In hole of this scene frames are very simple which are very beautiful there. There is close shots and little bit bigger close shots where camera is moving just a little bit around of actors. Music is of course giving own wonderful part of that scene. Song, pictures, emotions and everything matches together.

This extract is crucial part of this film and that’s way of course important.
In scene before this extract Nelli was deciding to stop recording and just make one song what was already made. But in this scene Nelli decides not to be controlled by her parents anymore and that’s why she is recording this song. Moreover Nelli and Sune are falling in love there.

Tyttö Sinä Olet Tähti-movie isn’t so special and different movie than other movies but still this is that kind of movie what makes you watch it again and again. Moviemakers should be proud of themselves how they made so touching and still humoristic movie. The most special thing in this movie might be that how great looking movie this is with singing parts because in Finland there isn’t very many of them! Dome Karukoski’s director career is looking very good because of this movie !