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Thursday, 23 December 2010
The functions of an opening sequence
The functions
The function of an opening title sequence to a film is to establish the visual style of the film and to introduce the viewer to all or some of the following:
Characters
Location
Narrative/Plot
Genre
Themes
The Elements
Typically, an opening sequence will contain:
Details of cast and crew.
The film's title.
An introduction to character or character type.
Indication of place.
Indication of historical period.
Information regarding mood and tone.
Introduction to signature theme tune.
Information about genre.
Questions that the viewer finds intriguing.
Patterns and types of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film.
Mise en scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon later in the film
The function of an opening title sequence to a film is to establish the visual style of the film and to introduce the viewer to all or some of the following:
Characters
Location
Narrative/Plot
Genre
Themes
The Elements
Typically, an opening sequence will contain:
Details of cast and crew.
The film's title.
An introduction to character or character type.
Indication of place.
Indication of historical period.
Information regarding mood and tone.
Introduction to signature theme tune.
Information about genre.
Questions that the viewer finds intriguing.
Patterns and types of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film.
Mise en scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon later in the film
Saul Bass Analysis of film opening sequence
Saul bass
Saul bass is best known for his design on animated title sequences. They are normally easily recognisable as they tend to feature rough strips of torn up paper, or paper cut arms of what has been described as heroin addicts arms. Saul Bass saw the title opening sequence as a chance to condition the audience so that when the film actually started they already have some sort of emotional connection to it.
The man with the golden arm
The music used is rather fast paced and uplifting but there seems to be no continuity of the notes in this piece of music which suggests come concept of misguidance or false leading paths. As part of an audience member I wouldn’t know what to expect next. Because the tempo of the music speeds up quite quickly I noticed I found myself constantly waiting for some sort of loud, sharp, or dangerous noise to arrive, but it never did. This is good as it keeps the audience engaged/on the edge of their seats. The background music is somewhat similar to a spy movie such as the well known James Bond.
The colours used throughout the opening title sequence do not reflect what the music tells us. Throughout the whole sequence there is a black wash. The images on top of the black canvas change, however they are all white. There is a consistent slide of white straight lines tilted at different angles to create different still images. There seems to be no specific placement of these lines as they seem to have been placed their without much thought. The only other image we see is at the end where there is a hand displayed. The hand appears to be made from the tearing out of a white piece of paper.
Black and white are contrasting colours but can become boring when that is all the audience is presented with. Unlike the music it creates a dull laid back mood.
There is no live action just still images. Sometimes the images adjust their position on the screen with a ‘crawl’ type transition. The credits tend to feed themselves between these images.
The tone and the mood of the sequence seems to me like the film would consist of a mixture of different emotions. The inconsistency of the music mixed with the images could represent an emotional roller coaster ‘never knowing what to expect after each bend’. As an audience member I would believe that there will be some light hearted elements such as humorous jokes or reflections of life’s positive aspects but also some not so nice moments such as death of a loved one or heartbreak.
Themes that can be withdrawn from the title sequence would be clues, murder, betrayal, and secrets.
It appears odd that in this opening title sequence we are not introduced to any of the main characters. Previous research has told me that a good functioning opening title sequence should do this, but this ommitance could have been a deliberate decision. However this could also have been due to the lack of technology available many years ago compared to the fortunate amount we have now.
Saul bass is best known for his design on animated title sequences. They are normally easily recognisable as they tend to feature rough strips of torn up paper, or paper cut arms of what has been described as heroin addicts arms. Saul Bass saw the title opening sequence as a chance to condition the audience so that when the film actually started they already have some sort of emotional connection to it.
The man with the golden arm
The music used is rather fast paced and uplifting but there seems to be no continuity of the notes in this piece of music which suggests come concept of misguidance or false leading paths. As part of an audience member I wouldn’t know what to expect next. Because the tempo of the music speeds up quite quickly I noticed I found myself constantly waiting for some sort of loud, sharp, or dangerous noise to arrive, but it never did. This is good as it keeps the audience engaged/on the edge of their seats. The background music is somewhat similar to a spy movie such as the well known James Bond.
The colours used throughout the opening title sequence do not reflect what the music tells us. Throughout the whole sequence there is a black wash. The images on top of the black canvas change, however they are all white. There is a consistent slide of white straight lines tilted at different angles to create different still images. There seems to be no specific placement of these lines as they seem to have been placed their without much thought. The only other image we see is at the end where there is a hand displayed. The hand appears to be made from the tearing out of a white piece of paper.
Black and white are contrasting colours but can become boring when that is all the audience is presented with. Unlike the music it creates a dull laid back mood.
There is no live action just still images. Sometimes the images adjust their position on the screen with a ‘crawl’ type transition. The credits tend to feed themselves between these images.
The tone and the mood of the sequence seems to me like the film would consist of a mixture of different emotions. The inconsistency of the music mixed with the images could represent an emotional roller coaster ‘never knowing what to expect after each bend’. As an audience member I would believe that there will be some light hearted elements such as humorous jokes or reflections of life’s positive aspects but also some not so nice moments such as death of a loved one or heartbreak.
Themes that can be withdrawn from the title sequence would be clues, murder, betrayal, and secrets.
It appears odd that in this opening title sequence we are not introduced to any of the main characters. Previous research has told me that a good functioning opening title sequence should do this, but this ommitance could have been a deliberate decision. However this could also have been due to the lack of technology available many years ago compared to the fortunate amount we have now.
Se7en Kyle Cooper analysis
Kyle Cooper
Kyle cooper is a modern designer of motion picture title sequences. He is responsible for creating the 1995 title sequence for se7en. Kyle Cooper wanted to create an open title sequences that would raise the bar creatively. His work is described as being very similar to that of Saul Bass, and this would suggest that he probably views him as an inspiration or somewhat of a role model.
The pace of images in the opening title sequence 'se7en' starts slow and progressively gets faster, this creates an element of fear, and adventure. It acts as a build up to a climax point. It engages the audience and prepares them to expect some sort of danger or action piece of material. I like the use of the pace it explains a story in itself.
The music acts in a rather similar way to the pace of images. At the beginning of the sequence it has a regular rhythm and pace, somewhat similar to a heartbeat. It remains at this pace but other elements of sound are introduced, It sounds as if there is some sort of heavy machinery in the background as well as a screeching chainsaw, This works effectively as it creates tension, makes the audience start to become edgy and more anxious about what will await them. At around half way through the sequence the regular pace that was introduced to us at the beginning of the sequence is now slightly hidden behind the other treacherous machinery noise, However the pulse has increased. I think this was done on purpose so an audience can relate to how adrenaline gets the heart pumping faster. I think the music used for this opening title sequence works wonders and prepares any audience member for the gruesome scenes ahead.
The colours used are dull, dark and gloomy. They make the audience feel quite low, depressed, scared, intimidated and alert to their surroundings. Throughout the title sequence we see a number of black washes with small flickers of white light on. It reminds me of a light bulb cutting out. This works effectively because it makes someone who is watching it begin to wonder what the cause of this is or what will happen next. As the action becomes more constant more colours are introduced, There are browns which suggest that the antagonist in this movie has a rather dirty appearance and doesn't care at all about hygiene. We then see washes of red, this can be interpreted in a number of ways. the red screen wash could represent love, danger, lust and anger. These emotions are highly contrasting yet as a human we have the ability to feel all of these in very little time or even a few all at one time. The audience will automatically relate their own feelings to the way the red wash makes them feel.
The tone and mood portrayed is dark and threatening. I personally wouldn't particularly want to watch this film alone. It makes the audience member anxious, nervous and scared yet intrigued about the reasons and thoughts behind why someone would go out of their way to adopt such a dark character and target innocent people. The puzzle element keeps the viewer engaged, wanting more just so they can get to the underlying message and subsequant answers.
Murder, Secrets, Puzzles, Clues, Creativity, Insanity, Love and emotional damage are the themes i picked up in this title sequence. Considering the fact that the title sequence is only two minutes long that is a lot to include in the short space of time. It is clear that Kyle Cooper concentrated on the main themes of the movie and made sure the audience were informed of these from the very beginning.
Kyle cooper is a modern designer of motion picture title sequences. He is responsible for creating the 1995 title sequence for se7en. Kyle Cooper wanted to create an open title sequences that would raise the bar creatively. His work is described as being very similar to that of Saul Bass, and this would suggest that he probably views him as an inspiration or somewhat of a role model.
The pace of images in the opening title sequence 'se7en' starts slow and progressively gets faster, this creates an element of fear, and adventure. It acts as a build up to a climax point. It engages the audience and prepares them to expect some sort of danger or action piece of material. I like the use of the pace it explains a story in itself.
The music acts in a rather similar way to the pace of images. At the beginning of the sequence it has a regular rhythm and pace, somewhat similar to a heartbeat. It remains at this pace but other elements of sound are introduced, It sounds as if there is some sort of heavy machinery in the background as well as a screeching chainsaw, This works effectively as it creates tension, makes the audience start to become edgy and more anxious about what will await them. At around half way through the sequence the regular pace that was introduced to us at the beginning of the sequence is now slightly hidden behind the other treacherous machinery noise, However the pulse has increased. I think this was done on purpose so an audience can relate to how adrenaline gets the heart pumping faster. I think the music used for this opening title sequence works wonders and prepares any audience member for the gruesome scenes ahead.
The colours used are dull, dark and gloomy. They make the audience feel quite low, depressed, scared, intimidated and alert to their surroundings. Throughout the title sequence we see a number of black washes with small flickers of white light on. It reminds me of a light bulb cutting out. This works effectively because it makes someone who is watching it begin to wonder what the cause of this is or what will happen next. As the action becomes more constant more colours are introduced, There are browns which suggest that the antagonist in this movie has a rather dirty appearance and doesn't care at all about hygiene. We then see washes of red, this can be interpreted in a number of ways. the red screen wash could represent love, danger, lust and anger. These emotions are highly contrasting yet as a human we have the ability to feel all of these in very little time or even a few all at one time. The audience will automatically relate their own feelings to the way the red wash makes them feel.
The tone and mood portrayed is dark and threatening. I personally wouldn't particularly want to watch this film alone. It makes the audience member anxious, nervous and scared yet intrigued about the reasons and thoughts behind why someone would go out of their way to adopt such a dark character and target innocent people. The puzzle element keeps the viewer engaged, wanting more just so they can get to the underlying message and subsequant answers.
Murder, Secrets, Puzzles, Clues, Creativity, Insanity, Love and emotional damage are the themes i picked up in this title sequence. Considering the fact that the title sequence is only two minutes long that is a lot to include in the short space of time. It is clear that Kyle Cooper concentrated on the main themes of the movie and made sure the audience were informed of these from the very beginning.
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Other thrillers
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Other thrillers
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The audience
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The audience
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Wednesday, 24 November 2010
The Synopsis of 'The Hit List'
Lauren a 20 something year old, was constantly ignored at school, at home and by everyone she knew! Its not like people didn't like her its just she seemed a little quiet that's all.
The School she attended had a reunion and Lauren went, she relived the humiliation she recievecd all those years ago and she hated them all!
After the school reunion people started going missing, one by one, disappearing into thin air.
No one suspected Lauren, no one believed that little, shy Lauren would be capable of such things.
Until... She came for them!
The School she attended had a reunion and Lauren went, she relived the humiliation she recievecd all those years ago and she hated them all!
After the school reunion people started going missing, one by one, disappearing into thin air.
No one suspected Lauren, no one believed that little, shy Lauren would be capable of such things.
Until... She came for them!
Monday, 18 October 2010
This is a summary of Alfred Hitchcock's film techniques.
1. Make sure the content reels them in and use characters to tease the viewer.
2. Emotion comes directly from the actor's eyes. you can control the intensity of the emotin by placing the camera close or far away from those eyes.
3.The camera should take on human qualities and roam around playfully looking for something suspicious in the room.
4.One of the characters should be distracted whilst engaging in a dialouge scene.
5.put an idea in the mind of the character without explaining it in dialoude is done by using a point-of-view shot sequence.
6. Divide action into a series of close-ups shown in succession. Don't avoid this basic technique.
7.The key to creating that raw Hitchcock energy is by using simplistic, linear stories that the audience can easily follow.
8.Make all of your characters the exact opposite of what the audience expects in a movie.
9.Humor is essential to Hitchcock storytelling.
10.Build tension into a scene by using contrasting situations
11."Information" is essential to Hitchcock suspense; showing the audience what the characters don’t see.
12. Once you've built your audience into gripping suspense it must never end the way they expect.
13.The MacGuffin is the side effect of creating pure suspense. When scenes are built around dramatic tension, it doesn’t really matter what the story is about.
2. Emotion comes directly from the actor's eyes. you can control the intensity of the emotin by placing the camera close or far away from those eyes.
3.The camera should take on human qualities and roam around playfully looking for something suspicious in the room.
4.One of the characters should be distracted whilst engaging in a dialouge scene.
5.put an idea in the mind of the character without explaining it in dialoude is done by using a point-of-view shot sequence.
6. Divide action into a series of close-ups shown in succession. Don't avoid this basic technique.
7.The key to creating that raw Hitchcock energy is by using simplistic, linear stories that the audience can easily follow.
8.Make all of your characters the exact opposite of what the audience expects in a movie.
9.Humor is essential to Hitchcock storytelling.
10.Build tension into a scene by using contrasting situations
11."Information" is essential to Hitchcock suspense; showing the audience what the characters don’t see.
12. Once you've built your audience into gripping suspense it must never end the way they expect.
13.The MacGuffin is the side effect of creating pure suspense. When scenes are built around dramatic tension, it doesn’t really matter what the story is about.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Friday, 15 October 2010
Se7en: This is a table showing and explaining all the elements that are considered when creating a title sequence.
Element | Denotation –What you see? | Connotation- What it means? |
Information
|
| The information gives the audience a sense of the story line and how the story is going to unravel. And the type of story it is. It also focuses on small intricate details that the audience will need to remember throughout the film. |
Genre
|
| Similarities to other thrillers and differences to other films e.g. westerns, romantic comedies and horrors. |
Camerawork
|
| This makes the audience focus on the small details being presented. Signifies the importance of the character and what he is doing. It also focuses our attention on what the director wants us to see. |
Mise-en-scène
|
| The Mise-en-scene ne creates the mood and the tone of the film. It gives us the underlying feeling that the film is going to be quite complicated and puzzling almost a mystery. The lighting creates a back drop for the film and the colour represents evil, gore and death. |
Sound
|
| The sound differentiates the genre as the music starts off soft and gets faster and more chaotic whereas in a horror the music is loud and dark from the beginning. So we know what type of film this is going to be. |
Editing
|
| The irregular editing featuring lots of different effects and pictures, creates uneasiness and tension for the audience. We are kept on edge and don't know what to expect next. |
Snatch: This is a table showing and explaining all the elements that are considered when creating a title sequence.
Element | Denotation –What you see? | Connotation- What it means? |
Information
|
| This information gives the audience a sense of what the film is going to be about. The audience will know that the film is going to have multiple ideas and explore multiple cultures. |
Genre
|
| It is similar to other Crime films but it is also features similarities to some thrillers. But it is different to other films e.g. westerns, romantic comedies and chick flicks. |
Camerawork
|
| The audience get a brief introduction to the characters and their lives. The shots focus on what the characters are doing. The director wants us to establish what is happening in the scenes. |
Mise-en-scène
|
| We can see that the film is going to be chaotic as the men are all involved in 'dodgy dealings'. The colours show the different nationalities of the characters shown and possibly their separate roles. The font type outlines the main characters. |
Sound
|
| The music is fast but regular which indicates that it is a thriller but also a crime based film (there is also police sirens). The dialogue suggest that there will tension between characters. |
Editing
|
| The editing keeps us on edge. As there are a lot of jump cuts. Even though we known what the film will consist of, we do not know what to expect next. |
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Shot List and Shooting Schedule for "The Daydream"
The Daydream
11:20am-11:50am
Set Up
To set up:
- A desk in an office
- papers and a pen
- a corridor
- a chair
- two actresses
11:50am-12:40am
Scene One: Act One, The Daydream-Beginning.
Demii
- Long shot. Demii working at her desk.
- Medium close-up. Demii falling asleep whislt working.
12:50am-2:00pm
Scene One: Act Two, In the Daydream.
Brooke
Demii
- Point of view shot. An empty corridor with a door at the end.
- Point of view shot. Establishes Demii's hand opening the door.
- Medium close-up. Demii opens the door and looks frightened.
- Long shot. Camera is behind Demii, she has pulled the door shut. Demi hears a voice behind her say "hello" and she turns abruptly.
- Long shot. Brooke is sitting in a chair in the middle of the corridor. She's waving at Demii.
- Mid shot. Demii to Brooke: "OH MY GOSH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
- Long shot. Brooke stands up and replies" What haven't you missed me?" Then walks towards Demii.
- Mid shot. Demii replies, "Missed you? (laughs nervously)
- Long shot. Both Characters are in the shot. Brooke on the left and Demii on the right of the screen. Demii continues talking. " The day I left you was the best day of my life!"
- Brooke smirks and blows a kiss at Demii.
2:10pm-2:30pm
Demii
- Long shot of Demii approaching the door. She opens it and walks through.
- Extreme-close up of Demii's Face. The sound of Laughing in the background.
- Camera fades.
Monday, 20 September 2010
AS Media Coursework - Grade A
This is not my personal work. This video i've uploaded is from youtube and should help me with camera angles, shots and movement.
In the fist 15 secs: the shot is a mid shot and the angle is low.
At 40 secs: the shot is an over the shoulder shot at an eye level angle. And the camera movement is pan and then tilt.
Between 57 secs- 1min 15 secs: the camera tilts up and down whislt the actor dresses.
At 2 mins 15 secs: the shot is a long shot and the angle is wide. And the camera zooms.
Most of the movement is is handheld and most of the shots are at eye level angles. This production helped me understand how to capture some camera shots and figure out how to use angles.
The Synopsis of "The Daydream"
Meet Demi, a small town girl who fought schizophrenia to become the Secretary of Defense for the United States of America. She seemed to be living the "American Dream". She was a young, happily married woman in a difficult but rewarding job, and she had everything that she could ever need or want. What could have gone wrong?
One day she dozes into a world of her own, the unconscious state of mind seems to become her reality. Memories from the past which she has long forgotten, start to resurface as she is reunited with the egotistic Brooke.
Will Demi let the past (and Brooke) determine her Future?
One day she dozes into a world of her own, the unconscious state of mind seems to become her reality. Memories from the past which she has long forgotten, start to resurface as she is reunited with the egotistic Brooke.
Will Demi let the past (and Brooke) determine her Future?
Preliminary Activity - The Script
Person A is working at a desk. She starts daydreaming.
In the daydream she nervously walks along a corridor and approachs a door. She doesn't know what to expect on the other side.
She opens the door, sees who is on the other side and without hesitating slams it shut.
Person B: (sitting in a chair halfway down the corridor behind her, says in a sinister voice) Hello.
Person A: (sharply turns in surprise) OH MY GOSH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
Person B: (replies sacastically. stands up out of the chair) Haven't you missed me?(Then walks forward.)
Person A: Missed you?? (laughs nervously) Don't be ridculous, the day I left you was the best day of my life!
Person B: (smirks)
Person A turns around and walks through the door. She finds herself back at the begining of the same corridor.
There is a close up on Person A's face showing her confusion and fear.
Person B: cackles in the distance. (no camera shot on her.)
Camera Fades. End of sequence.
In the daydream she nervously walks along a corridor and approachs a door. She doesn't know what to expect on the other side.
She opens the door, sees who is on the other side and without hesitating slams it shut.
Person B: (sitting in a chair halfway down the corridor behind her, says in a sinister voice) Hello.
Person A: (sharply turns in surprise) OH MY GOSH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
Person B: (replies sacastically. stands up out of the chair) Haven't you missed me?(Then walks forward.)
Person A: Missed you?? (laughs nervously) Don't be ridculous, the day I left you was the best day of my life!
Person B: (smirks)
Person A turns around and walks through the door. She finds herself back at the begining of the same corridor.
There is a close up on Person A's face showing her confusion and fear.
Person B: cackles in the distance. (no camera shot on her.)
Camera Fades. End of sequence.
Preliminary Activity
For AS Media Coursework, we will be creating a story board, including camera angles and dialogue. And then filming it. The film must include a match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
From the scenario I have been given, I had to Analyse the two characters (how they might act/ present themselves and how they interact with eachother) from the conversation they share.
The begining sequence is based on the person daydreaming in their office. We decieded that we need to play around with the story so we decided to make both characters the same person but with different personalities. This would show an insight to people suffering with schezophrenia and show that they are not all the stereotypical 'maniacs' but, they are real people that just need a little bit of help.
As media (films/prgrammes) are a strong source of advertisment , I would like to highlight the difficulties and limitations between individuals.
From the scenario I have been given, I had to Analyse the two characters (how they might act/ present themselves and how they interact with eachother) from the conversation they share.
The begining sequence is based on the person daydreaming in their office. We decieded that we need to play around with the story so we decided to make both characters the same person but with different personalities. This would show an insight to people suffering with schezophrenia and show that they are not all the stereotypical 'maniacs' but, they are real people that just need a little bit of help.
As media (films/prgrammes) are a strong source of advertisment , I would like to highlight the difficulties and limitations between individuals.
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