Filming Evaluation

On Saturday 13th December we captured nearly all of our opening sequence footage. We went to London for the day, starting early in the morning. The reason we started early was so we could capture daytime shots, to signify a happy atmosphere. The first shot we took was of the main male character on the train. This was fairly easy to take, only being a short shot. On the train he used a newspaper for a prop in the shot, which connotes his personality to the audience. The shot also showed that he was travelling alone. Because we planned to split screen this shot with a similar one of the female character on the train, we did this on the way back. We filmed this shot on the way back so it would look like they were both on different trains. Also to show this we filmed from a different facing seat.

When we arrived at Victoria we took a Bus to Westminster. This gave us a good opportunity to film from the top floor of the bus, the journey. The shot turned out surprisingly well, considering it was from a shaky bus. We were lucky because the front seats of the bus were free, and the window was relatively clean. This was not the case the second time we took the bus, when we tried to capture more footage. The second time the seats were full up, and the windows were dirty. After we took the footage from the bus, we took various shots around Westminster. These shots included a shot from a bridge, a shot of London Eye, shots of The Thames, and a street shot.

We also took shots of the two protagonists walking. These shots would take a few takes, because people walked in the way or looked at the camera. The shots we were happy with look genuine, because they were filmed amongst a crowd of strangers. One of the final shots we took was of the characters on a bench. These shots were separate, but we filmed them on the same bench. When we edit we will split screen the shots so that it looks as if the characters are sitting next to each other, when they are actually alone. This will signify to the audience that the characters will meet later in the film.

Both costumes for the characters, signify something about them. The female character is wearing casual clothes, because she is on a casual outing in London. Pink shoes were worn, which signifies her femininity. The male protagonist is wearing a suit, which signifies he is smart, and careful. It also connotes that he is a clever character, because suits are usually worn by educated people.

To conclude the day was successful. We captured all of the expected shots, and some unexpected shots such as the one on the bus. Only a few more shots are needed now, which should be easy to film, such as shots of alarm clocks and coffee stirring.

Film Pitch Feedback

*Test audio.


*Good locations.


*Will they bump into each other too much before meeting ?

No they will only actually bump into each other at the end of the sequence, instead they will be just missing each other.


*Will they let you film in the Shard ?

We have contacted the main desk at the Shard, and they gave us permission.


*For the sunset times, make sure you look up the times correctly because now it is winter it gets dark very quickly.


*Shots are very hard so make sure the cameraman knows what he is doing.

We have planned the shots we need, in enough detail.


*Good strong character ideas.


*Good development in the story line.


*Are you going to have credits ?

Throughout the establishing shots, at the start.


*Romance is an original idea.


*Detailed ideas regarding location.


*Complex shot types.


*Contrasting characters-ideas that 'opposites attract'.


*Would be a good idea to go out and practice complex shots.

We have created a preliminary filming sequence, where we tested using a split screen, which was something we thought would be complex.


*Well structured.


*Who will be playing the main characters ?

We are using actors within our group, with Josh and Sara as the two protagonists.


*Like the idea of a split screen completing different activities and then joining shots when they meet.


*Like the idea of the meeting at Hyde park, very romantic/typical.


*Will you have dialogue as cafes are quite noisy.

The cafe will have one dialogue line, this may be an issue so we may film this shot in a park instead.


*If your main cameraman is not filming, who will be confident in shooting the pull focus shot ?

We have practices this shot, and so we know what we are doing.

Our filming plan

Tomorrow my group and I are going to start filming for our opening sequence. Our plan is to get the majority of the filming done tomorrow, spending the whole day filming. We are going to London to start our filming, where we can get the establishing shots and some shots of characters done. We will not be getting interior shots such as: stirring coffee, the alarm clock and the opening of the door. These shots will be done at the start of next week. Our checklist for tomorrow is:

•  Shot list
•  2 Cameras
•  Tripod
• Props- folder, train ticket

Our two actors will need to be dressed according to their characters personality. With the suitable clothes we planned. Our list for tomorrow is as follows:

• Establishing shot of London (London Eye, London Bridge, The Shard, River Thames e.t.c.)
• Characters walking down the street
• Female protagonist weaving through the crowd
• Train ticket close ups
• Female protagonist being charitable/generous
• Both protagonists sat on the train.
• Characters almost meeting.

In some of these shots our plan is to create a split screen, so we will have to take that into consideration when filming tomorrow. Hopefully our filming tomorrow will go as planned.

Film Pitch

The Princess Bride Opening Sequence Analysis

After the institutional logo the title appears, which suggests the films setting. The font is fancy, and it looks like typical old fairy tale writing, signifying the film is set in the past. In addition it connotes that it is a fantasy, similar to a fairy tale. The title is before any seen of the film, signifying to the audience the films setting from the start. This contrasts with the scene after the title of the video game, creating narrative enigma of why the film is set in modern day with a title which suggests otherwise. The shot of the TV is the focus of the first scene, with a black outline around it. This signifies to the audience that the screen is the only thing the boy is focusing on, ignoring his surroundings, suggesting he is immersed. When the shot changes to the boys face, it is clear he is playing this game, which can be shown by his serious expression which signifies he is very focused. In this shot the boy blinks rapidly, connoting that he has been playing this game for a long time because it is putting strain on his eyes. On the other hand it could signify that he was concentrating so much on the game he kept his eyes wide open before needing to blink rapidly. A normal shot angle is used at 0:41 to show the boy, his mum, and the TV screen in one shot, showing that everything is in one room. When the boys mum is feeling his temperature, the boy is paying no attention, still looking at the screen. This suggests to the audience that the boy may be pretending to be sick so he can play his video game. The boy in the sequence is dressed in pyjamas, signifying that he has not left his bed, connoting that he has been playing video games since he has awoken. On the other hand the mother is fully dressed, in casual clothes. This signifies that the time is past morning, so the boy is not dressed for a reason. This is because he is ill

In the boys room is lots of decoration props. These include a number of posters, toys and snacks. Posters are associated with children, being in a conventional kid's room. Some of the posters in his room contain: a motorbike, a car, an american footballer and a wind surfer. These posters denote that the boy likes sport, connoting that he is a typical boy for his age. This is because these things are typical hobbies for boys. The toys in the room signify the boy is young, and enjoys to use his imagination, which he will have to use in the book read to him later in the sequence. A drink and a packet of crisps can be seen behind the boy at 1:48. The crisps suggest that he enjoys junk food. Conventionally kids like junk food, signifying that the boy in the clip is typical for his age. The boy's room looks quite cluttered, full of items. This also signifies he is a typical boy his age. At 1:00 the boy's mum opens the curtains, this is a conventional motherly thing to do, which connotes she is a typical mum. Through the use of props, the audience can learn that the family in the film are average people. This means the audience can feel a connection to the film, because they can relate to it.

At 1:10 the boy's mother says that maybe his grandad wont pinch his cheek, which is followed almost instantly by the grandad entering and pinching his cheek. This scene is a joke, and it signifies this film is partly a comedy. The grandad enters quickly, with the audience assuming that he is going to pinch the boys cheek, because of the line before hand. As soon as the grandad enters it can be signified that he will be quite a comical character. The present he gives to the boy is wrapped in bright gold paper, which is usually associated with expensive and grand special items. This connotes that the present is something special both to the boy and the audience. The boy is already excited because it is a present, and kids are usually excited by them, but the gold wrapping could of made him even more excited. However the fact that the wrapping is gold emphasises the disappointment he feels when he finds out it is a book to the audience. The gold wrapping could connote that the story to come is very special, because the book represents the main story of the film. This book is read later on, and so the gold wrapping could signify that the story is going to be special. The grandad at 1:50 tells the boy all of the features in the story. In the sequence the boy could represent the audience, because he is an average boy which is the films target audience. Therefore by the grandad telling the boy about all of the features in the story, the audience are also being sold on the book. From the present opening shot, the sequence has been building excitement for the audience. By showing the grandad reading the book, the audience can feel a connection with the narrator, something unique to this film.

Only diegetic sound is used in the scene of the boys room, separating the real world to the story told by the grandad. This creates a realistic atmosphere when the boy and the grandad are shown. When the grandad starts telling the story non-diegetic music begins to play. The soundtrack is peaceful and happy, signifying everything is happy at the start of the story. It also connotes the feeling of love the 'farmboy' feels for the woman. The music gets louder, when the man and woman are together and about to kiss, to signify the feelings the two feel for each other.

Lots of close up shots are used when the story is being told of the man and the woman. These shots clearly show the characters facial expressions, showing their feelings for each other. At 3:10 the woman looks stunned, signifying she is happy to of found out the 'farmboy' loves her. The two characters always look at each other affectionately, clearly connoting their feelings to the audience without the need for the grandad's narration.

When the man and the woman first kiss there is a sunset in the background, which is very conventional of a romantic scene. The sunset is bright orange, signifying the love of the two characters is passionate. Only the silhouettes of the characters can be shown making the audience focus on the action of their kiss and not their expression.

Research into the Thriller Genre

Thriller Definition:

Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror.


The aim of most thriller films is to create suspense for the audience. This is often done through narrative enigmas, which are either for the audience or the protagonist to figure out. For example in Se7en the two protagonists are trying to find out who the killer is. This starts as a narrative en
igma for the characters and the audience. By the end the audience and the characters usually solve the mystery. Most thriller films contain violence, either through action scenes or when the antagonist is shown. The violence varies depending on the age rating, sometimes showing gore in a high rated film such as Pulp Fiction, or showing gun fights but no blood like Inception. Conventionally thriller films have a realistic explanation for narrative enigmas, as opposed to supernatural. Usually the film is a horror if it is not realistic, such as The Shining. Although there are some exceptions such as Sixth Sense. Quite often there are two sides in the thriller genre of the good and the bad. In thrillers the good character is shown in a positive way, so the audience can be rooting for him. The two sides are usually clearly shown, through their binary opposites. Therefore supporting the theory, with the good characters having a shared good nature and the bad characters having an evil or deceived view. Often in the genre there is a confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonist. The film would of built up to this dramatic climax, where the two characters will have some form of battle.















Conventional colours in thriller films are bland, not being very colourful apart from a title or a key object. This is because thrillers usually have a serious, realistic tone,which is signified by the colours. Bright colours usually connote a happy, upbeat film, which goes against the connotations a thriller is trying to show. Typically the images shown are of the main characters in the film. This is because famous actors usually play roles in thriller films, and so showing them can draw the audience in as celebrity endorsement. Also the expression of the faces shown can signify their personality and views. Characters usually are wearing everyday clothing, or a uniform suitable to their job. This is because most thrillers are set modern day, and are about realistic serious characters. Common props used are weapons, usually guns, because there is conventionally a battle between the protagonist and the antagonist. Sometimes the villains have a unique 'bad guy' weapon such as an axe, or the captive bolt gun in No Country for Old Men.

Other props used in thrillers are usually everyday items, such as a pen and paper to write reports or a newspaper. These items are in thrillers to bring the film to life, and make it seem realistic to the audience. Phones are a common prop, because it is a way of characters communicating, providing suspense as the person on the other end cannot be seen. A phone is iconic of the Taken films, used in a dramatic way, where the protagonist and antagonist can talk before a confrontation. Music in thrillers is almost always instrumental, and usually creates a tense dramatic atmosphere. Films by Christopher Nolan show this with a very loud and intense soundtrack, which makes the film seem much more dramatic. Because thrillers aim to provide suspense, music which shows this is important. The moment that the mystery is discovered is a key part of the film and so normally tense music which complements this is used. Thrillers use a variety of different fonts that are relevant to the film, for example the font of the new Robocop looks technical and robotic.

Some typical actors in thrillers are: Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi, Samuel L Jackson, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
Conventional thriller directors: Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and the Cohen brothers.

According to the Uses and Gratifications theory audiences would enjoy thrillers for entertainment, because they would enjoy the film. But possibly also for interaction, because thrillers can have a complex and unexpected storyline, that can be a strong talking topic.

Famous examples of Thrillers: No Country for Old Men, Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Sin City, The Departed and Taken.

Group film idea

Title of the film: Young Love

Genre: Romance

Age Rating: 15
This is so that our target audience of teenagers can watch the film.

Characters:
Name: Jack
Age: 18
Role in Storyline: to fall in love with Sarah
Job: Currently in college.
Personality: Kind, good-hearted, popular, sociable, friendly.

Name: Sarah
Age: 18
Role in Storyline: to fall in love with Jack and to be relatable to the target audience.
Job: Currently in college.
Personality: Kind, good-hearted, shy, quiet, friendly.

Locations:
Shots of London, showing many iconic buildings. They will include a shot from The Shard, a shot of Big Ben, London Eye and Tower Bridge. These shots will be taken at sunset/early evening.
One scene might be set in a cafe, where the characters will encounter each other. However if that does not work out we will set in Hyde Park. Another will be in both character's rooms, and at the train station. All of these shots will be filmed in London.

Storyline:
The start will show the two protagonists going about their daily lives, passing each other without realising. Both characters will then be shown separately with their friends and family, which will show the audience their personalities and backgrounds. In this part of the film it will become clear that both characters have recently been in a break up. A quarter of the way through the film these two characters will meet officially, rather than passing each other in the streets. Here they will get to know each other, and begin to fall in love. Halfway though the film the two characters will begin to date. Three-quarters of the way through the film the characters begin to argue, which ends in them breaking up. Then the characters are shown single and lonely, before the female character makes a grand gesture and they get back together, for a happy ending.

Opening sequence target audience

Age
Our film is aimed at teenagers from the age of 12-20. This is because the two protagonists are teenagers, and so the audience can relate to them.

Gender
The film is aimed at females. Our sequence is going to be very conventional of a romantic film, and most romantic films are aimed at women. Females generally enjoy romantic film more than men, and so we are aiming at the majority of romance fans.

Social Demographic
D, C1 and C2. This is because the two protagonists in the film are only young, and so are still in education, with low paid part time jobs. The audience are meant to be able to relate to the characters, and so they wont be very wealthy.

Personality
Both characters in the film are friendly, kind people. Therefore the film is aimed at an audience that is of the same personality.

Relationship status
The target audience of the film is people who are not in a relationship. We are targeting single people because they can relate to the characters, and feel like this could happen to them. The film is about love, and so people who want to find love can watch it to feel good.

Media Grouping
The audience to our film would most likely enjoy conventional 'feel good' romantic films such as: 'Bridget Jone's Diary', 'Pretty Woman', and 'Grease'.

Uses & Gratification
According to the theory our film will appeal to an audience through escape and entertainment. The film will provide the audience with a form of escape from reality, because it is about true love with the purpose to make the audience feel good. Entertainment is the main purpose of our film, and so this will be provided through the story line. Also entertainment will be provided because the audience can become immersed 'escaping' from reality.

Utopian Solution
Richard Dyer's theory suggest that audiences will be more attracted to media that solves their problem. Therefore our film will solve certain audiences problems. An audience can watch the film to be entertained, so their problem of boredom is solved. In addition an audience that feels lonely because they are single, can watch the film to show them they can find someone.

Opening sequence initial ideas

When picking the film genre for our opening sequence, our group was divided. Half of us wanted to create a thriller/horror clip and the other half a romance/romcom. In the end we decided on a romance film because it would be more original as most people in our class have decided to create a thriller sequence.

The original idea for the sequence was that it would be a romantic comedy, with scenes of a man failing to propose to a woman. The shots would be failed ways to propose such as the man putting a ring in the woman's coffee, where she would not notice it. We decided not to go with this idea, because we would need adult actors as teenage actors would look to young to be proposing. Also we thought it would be difficult to make the sequence funny, and therefore not denoting the genre to the audience.

Our main idea is now a very conventional romantic sequence. The opening would start with our two teenage actors single, and hint at how they would meet later on in the film. The shots in the clip we show them going about their daily lives, and how they occasionally cross paths without realising. We were thinking of using a split screen at the start to show both characters routine, starting with them waking up. This would clearly show the audience that they are the protagonists and that they will meet.

We are going to use two very conventional romance characters. The first is a male teenager, who is confident and popular. The second is a female teenager, who is quite shy and lonely.

The locations we would want in the clip are: iconic London buildings, a café, a park and a train station.

Preliminary Filming Evaluation

Our preliminary filming clip was much shorter than we anticipated when we planned the piece. The length of the video is not the problem, but the speed is. Watching the video can be confusing, because of how quick it is. The first shot, of the split screen was meant to be quick and so the speed was not a problem. It was meant to be quick because Sara was late to a meeting, and so she was walking quickly to signify this. The main problem of the clip is how quick the dialogue is. This is partly because of the script, which is unnatural and very short. However I think the problem was the fact that there was no pause between the speech, which would of made the scene look much better. Therefore we have learnt that next time we should let the camera run longer before and after each line, so that we can edit the shot down to a suitable amount. Just before the dialogue scene it looks as if the bag held by Sara disappears, because in the next shot she has her arms crossed with no bag. This could of easily been avoided, with attention to detail. The split-screen was added, because we would like to use one in our opening sequence. It was simple to do, and gives the effect we intended, showing the two characters before they meet. A problem with the scene is that it was too short, so that the audience do not have time to compare the two sides. Another problem with the scene is that the reflection of our cameraman can be seen. The action scene with the door opening turned out relatively well, but to make it smoother next time the exact position of the door must be remembered. During the dialogue the lighting from the left was too strong, so that the actors looked dark, something not taken into consideration. We created the preliminary video quite quickly, missing out lots of small details which would of made the clip look much more professional. When it comes to creating our opening sequence we will have to act precisely and take our time much more than in the practice video.

Preliminary Filming Task

Walter Murch's rule of editing in A Nightmare on Elmstreet

After writing about how 2 opening sequences conform to Walter Murch's "Rule of Six" I decided to discuss how a trailer shows it.

At the start of the trailer very slow paced editing is used as the man looks around for others. This complements the slow, calm soundtrack and also the slow movement of the man. The effect given from the scene is a calm atmosphere, which can be seen as creepy or a way of creating a relaxing atmosphere for the audience so they are caught off guard when Freddy Krueger jumps out. The editing is slow to signify that the man is confused as to why everyone has disappeared. This consistent slow pace is used up to the point where Freddy jumps out, where there is quick camera movement. This quick camera movement connotes a disturbance and signifies that the man is scared by the sudden appearance of Freddy. The editing throughout this scene is reflecting the mans emotions, starting with slow shots to connote he is confused, and ending with a fast camera movement to signify that he is scared. In the scene the tracking shots support this, by signifying to the audience that the shots are showing the characters emotion.

After the first scene slow paced editing is always used for times the characters are distressed. The editing is signifying that the characters do not feel safe, as they are scared that Freddy could come at any moment. In the slow paced shots the characters usually have sad facial expressions. This can be shown clearly at 0:42 - 0:52. The slow editing contrasts with the fast paced editing, which both show different emotion. When fast paced editing is used the characters are much more scared compared to the slow editing, which is because Freddy Krueger is after them. Therefore the pace of the editing signifies how scared the characters are in each shot. This is complemented with the music, which gets faster with the faster editing.

The audience learn after the beginning scene the main premise of the film through the editing. After the man searches the diner for people and is shocked by Freddy Krueger, we see a cut to him waking up. This tells the audience that Freddy Krueger appears in peoples dreams, and not long after shows that his impact in the dream can impact the real world when the man sees his bleeding hand. The placement of this scene at the beginning of the trailer is clever because it is quite slow and conventional for the start of a horror trailer, and also lets the audience figure out the story themselves through the editing, which can make the audience feel clever, and more involved with the trailer. The scene immediately after shows that Freddy is appearing in other people's dreams, by the man narrating and the shots of distressed characters. Showing the man in the internet video signifies that the characters will try and figure out why Freddy is appearing in their dreams, which means that the audience know the enigma code will most likely be solved by watching the film.

Throughout the trailer the pace slowly builds up, shown through the editing and the music. This is conventional of trailers, as they build up more and more suspense until it comes to a sudden stop, which leaves the audience wanting more. The video builds up to the climax of the title appearing, which outlines to the audience that if they want to see more they must watch the film. The pacing of the trailer is important, because it connotes the emotions the characters feel, and makes the audience want to see the film. After the title is a short scene, which goes against the rhythm of the trailer completely, almost as if it is unrelated. The scene is at an average pace, with no music, which means the focus is on the dialogue. Removing the music means Freddy's hand that appears is not expected, which can shock the audience.

Eye-traces are used several times in the trailer to direct the audiences attention to certain details. After the man at the start awakes, a shot of the man's bloody hand is shown, signifying that Freddy's impact in the dream effects real life. This is needed to show the audience the story of the film, without needing someone to narrate it. At 0:57 Freddy Krueger drags his finger knives across a pipe an eye-trace is used. This shows the audience Freddy's iconic weapon, which can signify that they will be used in the film and that they are a scary deadly weapon. The trace with his fingers connotes that Freddy is 'coming for you', creating a scary atmosphere. It is effective because it forces the audience to focus on his weapons, and it means his face is not seen, which makes the scene scarier. At 1:03 a close up of the book with a picture of Freddy's iconic weapons is shown. This shows why the woman after looks scared, as if she has just figured out the mystery of Freddy Krueger. The eye-trace creates an enigma code of  'why are Freddy's weapons in the book', which makes the audience want to watch the film to find out.

Two-dimensional plane of screen is used in the trailer, supporting Murch's theory. It is used mainly to show Freddy Krueger's relationship with his finger knives. One instance of this is when Freddy is dragging his knives across the pipe, signifying that he likes using his weapons, and that he is experienced with them. This connotes that Freddy Krueger is a violent character, and hints that he will use these weapons to kill people. The knives are important throughout the film, shown in a number of shots. At 1:12 Freddy can be seen moving his knife fingers around, close to the woman. This signifies he likes to toy with his victims, and make them feel frightened through the use of his weapons.

Three-dimensional plane of action is used in the trailer, to show the contrast between how Freddy feels in the dream and the characters. When the characters are dreaming they are always scared, because the locations are scary for example, the creepy furnace room, and because they know Freddy Krueger is somewhere. Freddy is always comfortable in the dreams. This is signified by the way he takes his time, and is always in control of the situation. He is in control compared to the characters, because he manipulates dreams to scare and kill his victims, which is why he reacts to the environment in a calm way. Freddy is not the victim, and so he is always the one chasing the other character. The locations in the dreams are usually fiery places, dark deserted buildings or the snowy room. From the way Freddy reacts in the dream, it can be connoted that these locations are the places he feels comfortable in.

To conclude A Nightmare on Elmstreet uses all of Murch's six rules of editing: Emotion, Story, Rhythm, Eye-trace, Two-dimensional plane of screen, and Three-dimensional space of action. In his theory he thinks that they are mentioned in the order of importance. The trailer supports this theory, with emotion being the most emphasized editing technique in the trailer, and the relation to the actors and the environment being the least. Emotion is shown throughout almost all of the editing rules, being the explanation for the rules use.

Batman Forever Clip Character Representations

Harvey Dent is represented in two contrasting ways, through the use of the location and his face. The close up of Harvey's his '2 faces', which signifies he has a split personality. His disfigured half is shown clearly, which looks scary connoting that he is evil. The two sides of the room are very different just like Harvey's face, with one side being light and the other dark. This is the conventional connotation of good and bad, and so the 2 sides signify Dent has both good and bad sides. The props used also support this representation, an example is where one woman holds up a lighter and a cigarette, whilst the other a blowtorch and a cigar. A cigarette is less harmful than a cigar, and so this represents his less harmful side. A lighter is much more safer and more civilized than a blowtorch, signifying the two sides. Using a blowtorch to light a cigar is not normal, which signifies Dent's out of the ordinary other side. The women on both sides both work with Harvey, but for different reasons, for dark and light. Harvey's sudden changes of mood signify his mixed personality, which can be shown in the beginning of the scene where Dent seems calm until he shouts "he's driving us insane". Harvey Dent's personality changes by the side of the room he is on, when he is on the light side he is quiet and calm, but on the dark side he is aggressive holding the gun to The Riddler's head. Harvey's voice changes quickly from an ordinary calmness to a loud angry tone, connoting his mood at that point. The sudden change signifies his split personality.

The Riddler first appears from a long shot not seen by anyone at that point, that signifies he is sneaky and mysterious. The non-diegetic soundtrack at the start of the scene has an up and down dynamic, connoting Dent's split personality. When The Riddler is seen by Harvey Dent the music is mysterious, signifying his character. The Riddler's character is represented as being happy and comedic, which is shown through his jokes, and happy expression. This signifies that his character is brave, because even when he has a gun to his head he remains the same.
 

Conventions of Opening Sequences

Institutional logos are always found in films, mostly with there own intro clips. This is done to credit the institution.

Sometimes there is not the iconic clip for the institution, but simply some text stating that they are presenting the film as seen in the video below from 'Miramax Films present'. This is more often found in older films, or for less iconic institutions. The institutional logos usually appear before the film starts, but can sometimes appear after an opening clip along with the credits and title, the opening sequence in Pulp Fiction does this.

The films title is a typical convention, which can appear either after the credits or before them, but always after the institutional logos. The film title is shown to signify the start of a film.

Film opening sequences nearly always include credits of the most important actors, the director and the producer. This can draw the audience in, because they may see a famous actor they like, and also gives credit to the actors in the film.

Conventionally the main characters are introduced in the opening sequence. This is to begin the story, signifying to the audience the character's features. In some films with many main characters, not all of them can be shown in the opening sequence, but usually at least one is. Below is the James Bond clip which introduces James Bond, although this film is late in the series his features are still connoted in the clip.
Narrative Enigma is a common occurrence in opening sequences, especially within films which start in the middle of action. These questions from the audience make the film more intriguing, meaning that the audience want to watch on to find out the reason behind the enigma codes. The James Bond Skyfall opening scene has many enigma codes such as: "where is Bond?", "Who are they chasing?" and "who is the woman?".

Representations in the Dark Knight clip

In the room the lights are dark on one side, and light on the other, the side with the Joker being the dark side. This connotes that the Joker is evil, and that the Commissioner and Batman are good.

The Joker has clown makeup, which can be seen as quite scary, signifying he is a character to be feared. The scar for a smile makes him scarier, and connotes that he is dangerous.

When talking to the Commissioner and Batman The Joker tries to make them feel anger and regret, which signifies he is manipulative. The Joker is connoted to be insane, through his evil laugh, and his strange calmness in the at 3:17 when he is grabbed by Batman. He never seems to be at, flinching or moving his body in some way which can be seen at 1:49, This supports the connotation that The Joker is insane.

Batman is dressed in black, which conventionally signifies he is an evil character. However he uses the dark for good, bringing justice from the shadows. This mixes up the usual representations of darkness. Batman is very violent towards the Joker, but his actions are justified because The Joker is a psychopath. The audience is able to forgive Batman because The Joker is not being cooperative, and Batman is in a race against time so he must turn to violence.

The non-diegetic soundtrack at the end of the scene is very dramatic, building big tension, showing just how evil The Joker's plan is. The soundtrack starts at 3:44, as we are about to hear The Joker's scene. This tone gets louder and louder, which makes the scene get tenser and tenser, and really signify the race against time.

Research into Romance Genre

Romantic films are usually aimed at a female audience, because they are usually more emotional than men. The films typically have a man and a woman who meet and fall in love, it is rare to find a homosexual relationship being the main story-line. Nearly always the male and female protagonists start off as not knowing each other, and the film is about them falling in love. Popular romantic films that do this are: The Fault in Our Stars, The Notebook, Titanic and Begin Again. Romantic films do not usually follow a typical ending, they either have a sad ending (where the couple split up, or one dies), or they will be a happy ending. Lots of romantic films are 'feel good' films, even if they do have a sad ending. RomComs are the majority of the 'feel good' films. Conventionally in romances the audience is usually given indications that the protagonists are meant for each other before they meet.


Colours used within the romance genre are usually relaxing soothing colours, which signify the film is quite slow and about the the gradual love between two people. Usually the films do not use too much colour, which connotes it is not a fast paced action film. Also the colour red is common in the genre, because it signifies passion and love. In the marketing for the genre images of the two lovers are usually seen together in love, e.g. in each others' arms. This is to clearly connote to the audience the genre, and that there will be love in the film. Locations in romantic films are usually common places, such as a park bench or a coffee shop. This is because the characters in the films are often regular people, which appeals to the audience because it shows this scenario could happen to them. The places in the films are where the protagonists are dating, and so the locations are conventional of the genre. Most of the time films of the genre are set in modern day, so costumes are the clothes we wear today. These clothes make the characters more relatable to the audience, which is part of the genres appeal. Music is conventionally upbeat and happy, which signify that love is a wonderful thing, relating to the fact that most of these films are made to make the audience feel good. Fonts used in the text for romantic film do not usually have a typical theme but are usually relevant to the title of the film, for example Titanic uses a fancy bold looking title, which connotes the grand, huge ship. Conventional characters in romance films, are relatable likable characters, so that the audience can feel connected with them and want them to fall in love.

Rick Altman's theory is about the two elements in every film, conventionally romantic films follow this. Common semantic conventions in a romantic film is relatable clothing, props such as a ring or flowers, and lots of use of red. Typical syntactic conventions are love, and sometimes sadness.

Typical actors in romance films are: Channing Tatum, Zach Efron and Leonardo DiCaprio. And typical actresses are: Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock. Typical directors for the genre are: Woody Allen, John Allen and Rob Reiner.

Using the Uses and Gratification theory an audiences watch these films for escape and entertainment. Lots of romantic films are made to make the audience feel good, which is why people may watch it for escape. The main reason people watch the films is for entertainment, and so an audience may appreciate a heartwarming romance which ends sadly. A popular reason for watching these films is to make someone feel emotional, either through happiness or sadness. Many single people may watch a romantic film, because they are looking for a romance, and so this would be a form of escape.

Se7en opening sequence analysis

 Throughout the whole opening sequences very dark, dull colourless shots are shown, which signifies that the man in the clips is a dark, evil character, this clearly connotes the horror genre. Only close up shots are used in the sequence, which can make the audience feel uneasy because they can not look anywhere but at the 'killers' equipment. The shots are so close that all that can be seen from the killer is his fingers, which gives the film many enigma codes, such as 'who is he' and 'where are we'. There are many enigma codes in this sequence, which adds the element of mystery, making the audience fear the unknown. The man's fingers in the shots look dirty, and have plasters on them, which hints at the man's nature signifying he is evil, and the killer of this film. This leaves the audience with more questions, because they do not know why his fingers are dirty, and why they require plasters. When using the pen the man pushes down very hard, so hard it is making a screeching noise. This connotes that the antagonist is a very aggressive character, and that he will go about his killings in this way. Fast paced editing is used in the montage, not giving the audience much time to look at each shot. This shows just how much preparation the antagonist is doing, signifying he is obsessed, calculated and dangerous. The soundtrack builds suspense through the opening, working well with the short takes. This music uses lots of screeching, and scratching sounds, which are ear piercing sounds clearly connoting that this man is dangerous and someone to be feared. Low key lighting is used showing the antagonist is in a dark place, which not only signifies that he is evil, but that he is in his element in the dark because this is where he is preparing. All of the font used looks handwritten, signifying that the antagonist is not professional linking to the fact that he is writing by hand. This shows that the killer is working for himself, and so he has not typed up his notes. Handwriting makes the writing look more personal, which connotes that the killer will be personally tracking down his victims. The text shown is superimposed, making the sequence look like an old slightly broken video, making the footage seem like it could be real, and making it more scary. At certain points in the clip, the footage goes partially red, which signifies danger, and that there will be blood to come. Se7ens opening sequence does not obey Todrov's theory of a film starting off as an equilibrium, because clearly the disruption is being shown from the start.

Script Practice

Here I created a horror opening sequence script by combining two horror scripts. The two scripts I used were the Dawn of the Dead, and Halloween opening sequences. By completing this activity I have learnt how professional scripts are laid out, and organised. I have also found out how much usually happens in an opening sequence, which is not much. This activity will help me when I start creating my own opening sequence, showing me how to create a script.

Die Hard/Hot Fuzz Genre Analysis

Die Hard Trailer

From the Die Hard trailer it’s very clear that the film falls under the action genre, from the many explosions, gun shots and dangerous feats performed by John McClain. However the trailer does have some comedy elements in it, which confuses the genre slightly, for example at the end Bruce Willis says “got invited to the Christmas party by mistake, who knew?” An action film with some comedy in goes very well together, and has become a typical thing to do in newer films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy or Transformers.

According to Steve Neale’s theory, genre goes through a cycle. Die Hard could either be a classic film, or it could be pushing boundaries. To many it is known as a classic, but the film stretches the boundaries by using comedy. Die Hard was not the first film to use comedy in an action film, lots of films at the time also did it, but it would probably fit in the ‘pushing boundaries’ category’.

Robert Stam’s theory that genre does not exist is partially supported by this film, because two genres have overlapped. However the film is much more of an action film than a comedy, and also comedy elements have almost become a part of the action genre, because so many films now combine them.

Rick Altman’s theory is that genre is constructed via semantic and syntactic elements. The Die Hard trailer supports this, with many typical action props such as guns, and themes such as ‘one outnumbered man versus twelve terrorists’. However the comedy aspect is not shown through semantic or syntactic elements, because the only comedy in the trailer is quotes, and they do not fall under the two categories.

Steve Neale’s other theory is that an audience can enjoy a film either because of repetitive elements of a genre or a change. Die Hard repeats common elements of the action genre, it was nothing new, but it was a very popular film, which can be seen as a classic.

Hot Fuzz

The Hot Fuzz trailer is harder to pin a genre to the film. Initially the trailer looks like a typical police action film, with an expert policeman who is the main character. However soon after a funny scene is shown, where Simon Peg is being relocated because he is so good he is making the other police look bad.  After that scene the music changes and the film turns into more of a comedy. The confusion with the two genres at the beginning is almost part of the films comedy. Half way through the trailer horror elements are shown, with a slasher killer. Towards the end of the trailer lots of action scenes are shown, with car chases, guns, and explosions. This film is a mash up of an action, a horror, and a comedy. But it’s mainly a comedy. Different genres have been combined to create a more unique film, and to appeal to a wider audience. There are so many single genre films, that hybrid genres can be a positive change.

With Steve Neale’s theory this film would probably fit in the pushing boundaries part of the cycle, using a mix of different genres. On the other hand there are parody scenes, for example when Nick Frost asks Simon Peg if he as ‘ever fired two guns when jumping through the air’, this is a common thing in action films but is quite stupid.

This film would be a hybrid of action/comedy/horror, and so Robert Stam’s theory that genre does not really exist makes sense. There are too many possibilities of films that placing them under a genre can be very difficult. However similarly to Die Hard one genre is stronger than the other, and so Hot Fuzz would fall under the comedy genre.

Both the action and horror parts of the trailer can support Rick Altman’s theory. Semantic elements in the trailer are the guns, explosions and cars for action, but the violence, knife, and costume of the killer for horror. Syntactic elements are the two policemen versus murderers for the action film, but there is not a syntactic element for the horror. The film is a comedy but there are no semantic or a syntactic element of a comedy, which means according to the theory the film is not a comedy. This means that the Hot Fuzz trailer proves the theory to be wrong.

Steve Neale’s other theory of why people enjoy films is supported by the Hot Fuzz trailer. The film has repeated lots of common genre elements, for each of the three genres the film could fall under. Showing shoot outs, car chases, a slasher with a knife in black, comedy jokes and characters. However the film has made changes to the film because it is a hybrid genre, and so the theory is supported both ways, people can enjoy the film for the repetition or the change.

Lady Gaga Fame advert

The advert supports Gauntlet’s view of women, where they should be able to get what they want out of men. Lady Gaga is letting the men climb on her, so she is getting what she wants from men, because she does not seem to mind from her facial expression. Gauntlet thinks men should not dictate the terms of the relationship. The advert is the opposite way round, because if anything Lady Gaga is in charge of her relationships with men. She is seen bigger than them, which signifies she has control. Gauntlet also holds the view that women should have the right to look and dress however they like.

In the advert Lady Gaga is naked, connoting that she is in control, and does not have to wear clothes if she does not want to. However arguably the men covering her could signify that the men are controlling what she wears, because they are dressing her themselves. Also arguably the advert could connote that Lady Gaga is innocently lying down, and the men are walking all over her. McRobbie believes that woman should know their own bodies and needs, which the advert supports. This is shown by Lady Gaga lying naked, she looks very relaxed and confident with her own body. She has no problem with men viewing her because she knows her body and needs. McRobbie also thinks that women should make their own decisions based on their own interests, and not what other people want them to do. The advert connotes that Lady Gaga is in control through her expression and size, which shows she is in control and made her own decisions.

The size of Lady Gaga compared to the men connotes that she is powerful, and that she is not purely there to be a sexual object. Possibly the male gaze theory is reversed, with the men being sexual objects for Lady Gaga’s desire. The advert could support Mulvey’s theory because a seductive, naked woman is on the front. However the message the advert shows does not support it. The male gaze theory states that women are styled to be displayed to make maximum visual and erotic impact. But the advert is not created to do this, otherwise the men would not be climbing on her. The advert is aimed at women , and so it was not designed to draw the attention of men. It signifies to women that with the perfume they can be just like Lady Gaga, which is being in control and powerful. Lady Gaga is looking away from the men, which signifies she is too powerful for them. The perfume is called Fame, which signifies when famous women are above men. They have a function in media other than being a man’s desire, showing that the advert is against the male gaze theory. Therefore the advert connotes that using the perfume gives women fame, leading to them becoming powerful.

According to Freud’s Madonna/Whore theory, Lady Gaga would be a whore. Lady Gaga is not seen as the stereotypical female wife, and so she would not be a Madonna. Nothing in the advert signifies that Lady Gaga is good at ‘wifely’ domestic activities, such as cooking and cleaning. Lady Gaga is not hiding her body, but showing it to all the men. She looks unashamed of showing her body, meaning she is a whore. However the mask she is wearing could be to signify that she is hiding her eyes, because she is innocent and pure, and so possibly a Madonna. However this is probably not the case, the mask connotes that she is mysterious and sexual. The mask makes her look like a bad girl, and experienced in the bedroom, signifying in the theory that she is a whore.

The reason I have analysed the Lady Gaga advert is because in the future we will be creating our own media text, a film opening sequence, and this can me think about how I will construct female characters. However this task was mainly practice for analysing, and including theories. In the future I will analyse film opening sequences, and I first need to be able to analyse still images.

Editing

Walter Murch's theory is the "The Rule of Six", a list of criteria that shows which feature should be at the top of the editors list. Learning this  I watched two opening film sequences to see how the theory applies to them.

The first sequence I watched was Shaun of the Dead, which conformed to the theory. Emotion and story was the most emphasized features in the sequence, shown between the 3 main characters we learn their feelings towards each other which opens up the story. The three-dimensional space of action in the sequence was clearly shown when Shaun was getting ready for work. Quick shots were shown of him brushing his teeth and flushing the toilets. These shots were very quick too signify that Shaun is in a rush for work, but mainly because they are a regular routine and not significant. This supports Murch's theory, because how the actors and objects relate to each other are at the bottom of the list, when emotion and story is at the top.

The second sequence I watched was Inglorious Basterds, which also conformed to the theory. Part of the only three-dimensional space of action was the smoking of the pipe. The farmer was very nervous that the nazi was in his house, and so was smoking the pipe to calm himself down and to hide this, which is signified by his 'straight not quite at ease' facial expression. Compared to the nazis very laid back expression signifying that he is smoking the pipe for pleasure because he is in control of the situation. Arguably the point of showing the characters relation to the objects could be to show how they feel emotionally, which would show that emotion is a much more important part of editing.The whole sequence is based around the emotions of the two characters, which builds tension throughout. The nazi is questioning the farmer, asking him if he is hiding Jews, which is all part of the story. However the emotions are the key part of the sequence compared to the story. The rhythm is important to show tension, until the tension stops with the action where the rhythm speeds up. There is a long rest on screen of the camera shot showing the farmer and the nazi, which builds up the tension because the audience feel like at any second the tension could break. The tension finally does break with an eye-trace close-up of the two characters faces, to show how the farmer has given in, and how the nazi knows he has won. This is followed by the whining, jarring music, which signifies the danger to come.

Soundtrack and Script

Over the last two lessons I have learnt how scripts are written and structured. Also how to apply a suitable soundtrack to a script. I created a script from two film opening sequences, which was Halloween and Dawn of the Dead. I know that a script does not have to have much dialogue or action, most are very slow paced and open the story for the audience. I then found a soundtrack to go with the script, which was A Nightmare on Elm Street:

I chose to use this soundtrack, because it gives the creepy atmosphere that suited the script I had created. The music was slow, just like my scenes of the killer slowly approaching his victims. The soundtrack sounds quite supernatural, which works with my script because I wanted the killer to be seen as something supernatural, such as a zombie. Elmstreet's soundtrack clearly shows the horror genre without being to fast paced and dramatic for an opening sequence.

This knowledge I have learnt for script writing and soundtracks will help me to create my own opening sequence.