Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Our preliminary task is very poor in contrast with the final edit of our film opening. Since then, I have learnt about film titles; the order in which they are importantly placed in and their timings, production company logos, the importance of the use of sound, mise-en-scene, costume and lighting to successfully set a scene and help draw the audience into a film, effective camerawork, various different editing programmes on the iMac; Final Cut and iMovie, and how to work productively in a team of film-makers, which I could use to my advantage within the final project.
For our preliminary task, as a team, we were very naive. We didn't do any research into genre, let alone consider genre at all. Whereas, we did a considerably greater amount of research in general for our final film opening idea which benefited to it's final outcome; looking like a professional, independent film opening. The preliminary task turned out to be more like a short film than an opening due to us not knowing how to arrange titles correctly, let alone any generic conventions used specifically in openings. We had to do alot of research to ensure our farce film opening was conventional according to it's comedy genre, target audience and it's independent funding.
Our film opening flows alot better than the preliminary task and it has more pace. The preliminary task was very slow due to the lack of planning and knowledge. In the planning stages of our film opening, we made not only a storyboard (as for the preliminary task), but an animatic storyboard using iMovie. Not only did this improve our editing skills on the iMac, but it made us more aware of the pace of our final cut; which we could then alter in these early stages if it seemed necessary. We did not have this privilege whilst creating our preliminary task. It also meant we knew exactly what shots we needed to capture (admittedly, after filming these shots, we did film some alternative shots as the original shots didn't give the effect we had envisaged) and what order they would follow on from each other whilst editing. This helped the process to be smoother and quicker.
We perfected the skill of match-on-action shots in our film opening. We were extremely happy with the outcome of our match on action shot of the nerd putting on his glasses after cleaning them. I think it flows extremely well and is very realistic. Our use of mise-en-scene and lighting has extremely improved from our preliminary task, also. More thought was put into the costumes and we thought about the setting and if we needed to use any extra light source in it although, luckily, the natural lighting was ideal for our film opening - which added to it's professional outcome.
Monday 30 April 2012
Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing?
The whole Gemini team learnt how to use a variety of different technologies and equipment. The tripod, for example, was a piece of very helpful equipment we'd never used before and learnt how to use to our advantage within our film opening. It was very effective for the pan at the beginning of our final cut to ensure it was smooth, steady and professional-looking. At times however, we reverted to shooting some shots manually due to the tripod being unsteady on uneven terrain (see photograph).
The cameras themselves, we also had to learn how to achieve the best from. We knew the basics of using the cameras, however we experimented with different settings in order for the quality and lighting to remain as consistent as possible throughout the opening. Using the iMac enabled us to make alterations to the colour and hue also. As we were dependent on the natural lighting on our set, we did have to make some changes on the iMac due to the overcast conditions casting different light intensities throughout the clips.
The fact we used an HD camera increased the professional look of the opening due to the images being captured very crisp and colourful. Pitiably, the quality was reduced when the videos were uploaded to YouTube due to the immense amount of time needed for them to be uploaded in high definition. The camera picked up sound very well and the playback was very clear.
In order to create the auditions video, we edited the various clips together using iMovie. Through doing this, we learnt how to cut and insert clips, add transitions, music, sound files and titling to the moving images or blank screens. The downside of iMovie was that you couldn't create different sound layers as easily as when using Final Cut Express, however it was better for creating simpler videos.
From previously using iMovie, we had a basic knowledge of editing programs. This meant we didn't waste much time getting to grips with the program and could concentrate on editing our film opening almost straight away after filming. At a couple of instances within the first edits of our film opening there was background noise of laughter and sneezing. iMovie enabled us to remove these sound blemishes and replace them with sound cut from another clip with the desired noise.
The whole Gemini team learnt how to use a variety of different technologies and equipment. The tripod, for example, was a piece of very helpful equipment we'd never used before and learnt how to use to our advantage within our film opening. It was very effective for the pan at the beginning of our final cut to ensure it was smooth, steady and professional-looking. At times however, we reverted to shooting some shots manually due to the tripod being unsteady on uneven terrain (see photograph). 
The cameras themselves, we also had to learn how to achieve the best from. We knew the basics of using the cameras, however we experimented with different settings in order for the quality and lighting to remain as consistent as possible throughout the opening. Using the iMac enabled us to make alterations to the colour and hue also. As we were dependent on the natural lighting on our set, we did have to make some changes on the iMac due to the overcast conditions casting different light intensities throughout the clips. 
The fact we used an HD camera increased the professional look of the opening due to the images being captured very crisp and colourful. Pitiably, the quality was reduced when the videos were uploaded to YouTube due to the immense amount of time needed for them to be uploaded in high definition. The camera picked up sound very well and the playback was very clear.In order to create the auditions video, we edited the various clips together using iMovie. Through doing this, we learnt how to cut and insert clips, add transitions, music, sound files and titling to the moving images or blank screens. The downside of iMovie was that you couldn't create different sound layers as easily as when using Final Cut Express, however it was better for creating simpler videos.
From previously using iMovie, we had a basic knowledge of editing programs. This meant we didn't waste much time getting to grips with the program and could concentrate on editing our film opening almost straight away after filming. At a couple of instances within the first edits of our film opening there was background noise of laughter and sneezing. iMovie enabled us to remove these sound blemishes and replace them with sound cut from another clip with the desired noise.
Format Factory was a program we needed to use in order to convert some of our downloaded sound files into the correct formats in order for them to be readable for the iMac.
Due to the cold weather conditions and unsuitable clothing, our actors weren't as comfortable as they could have been in warmer conditions. This could have affected their performance negatively due to being distracted and shivering. Because they'd given up their own time and to try and encourage them, we catered for them with food and drink.
Question 4 & 5
What would be the audience for your media product?
How did you attract/address your audience?
Here I filmed a member of our target audience showing and giving their reactions to the opening:
How did you attract/address your audience?
Here I filmed a member of our target audience showing and giving their reactions to the opening:
Sunday 29 April 2012
Question 1
In what ways does your
media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
Saturday 28 April 2012
Rough Cut 2
This is our second rough cut. It is alot more precise and followable than the first rough cut. We experimented with and altered the title font and colour as an attempt to make it stand out more, but still look professional and flow well within the opening.
We also rearranged the opening shots. We thought the pan looked very unsteady leading into the opening of the first rough cut. To make it more professional-looking, we changed this pan to a steadier, slower one. We also slightly changed the idea of our opening - where the camera moves past the group before rewinding back to it, like in rough cut 1 - and the camera halts at the group with a fitting sound effect. We did this as we found our first idea didn't convey to the audience, through the camera shots used, as we'd hoped it would.
After making the first rough cut, I hastily asked for feedback about it from friends, family and the film's target audience. As we had a mixture of pun names and normal, random names for the film titles, many of the viewers suggested making these names either all normal names or all pun names; they found it distracted away from the film when they were trying to work out if the normal names were pun ones. We took on board this feedback and changed the titles to entirely pun names, however, we may consider changing them to entirely normal names as it was previously mentioned the pun names were distracting and rather unprofessional.
Viewers also suggested that the font didn't fit with the genre of the opening. They said it looked quite horror-like; which in reflection I agree. We first chose this font as we thought it looked quite edgy and country-looking - like cracked ground - however it obviously doesn't give this effect. We will change the font to a softer, more rounded one.
We also rearranged the opening shots. We thought the pan looked very unsteady leading into the opening of the first rough cut. To make it more professional-looking, we changed this pan to a steadier, slower one. We also slightly changed the idea of our opening - where the camera moves past the group before rewinding back to it, like in rough cut 1 - and the camera halts at the group with a fitting sound effect. We did this as we found our first idea didn't convey to the audience, through the camera shots used, as we'd hoped it would.
After making the first rough cut, I hastily asked for feedback about it from friends, family and the film's target audience. As we had a mixture of pun names and normal, random names for the film titles, many of the viewers suggested making these names either all normal names or all pun names; they found it distracted away from the film when they were trying to work out if the normal names were pun ones. We took on board this feedback and changed the titles to entirely pun names, however, we may consider changing them to entirely normal names as it was previously mentioned the pun names were distracting and rather unprofessional.
Viewers also suggested that the font didn't fit with the genre of the opening. They said it looked quite horror-like; which in reflection I agree. We first chose this font as we thought it looked quite edgy and country-looking - like cracked ground - however it obviously doesn't give this effect. We will change the font to a softer, more rounded one.
Rough Cut 1
This is our very 1st rough cut.
Good feedback from it included:
Good feedback from it included:
- liking the pan
- very good sound quality
- variety of camera angles and shots used
- lots of thought put into costumes
- simple and effective
- good framing
- establishes setting
- steady camera
- understood it (good continuity)
- wanted to see what happens next
- a more rounded font needed
- needs more pace
- make title stand out more
Consideration of Sound
These are the sounds we are considering for our film opening. It is very important we choose the correct backing track as it will affect how the audience interpret our film. It will need to be upbeat and happy-sounding, to hook our audiences - this is also a thematic convention of the comedy genre.
Audience Genre Certification
When deciding upon a certification for a film, you have to consider many things including: demographic groupings and cross cultural consumer characteristics, audience theories, genre and the thematic conventions running throughout your film. It is important that a film has a certificate as some content may not be suitable for viewing by younger age groups.
The uses and gratifications theory is when audiences want to feel something from a film. These audiences will select a particular film because they want to learn something from it.
Demographic Groups and Cross Cultural Consumer Characteristics
Demographic groups are, in effect, the gradings of the social status'. Below is a table showing what categories the social classes are grouped into:| Social grade | Social status | Occupation |
| A | Upper middle class | Higher managerial, administrative or professional |
| B | Middle class | Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional |
| C1 | Lower middle class | Supervisory or clerical, junior managerial, administrative or professional |
| C2 | Skilled working class | Skilled manual workers |
| D | Working class | Semi and unskilled manual workers |
| E | Lowest level of substinence | State pensioners or widows (no other earner), casual or lowest grade workers |
Cross Cultural Consumer Characteristics was devised by Young and Ribicam and is an alternative to demographic groups. It is defined as "the effort to determine to what extent the consumers of two or more nations are similar or different. This will facilitate marketers to understand the psychological, social and cultural aspects of foreign consumers they wish to target, so as to design effective marketing strategies for each of the specific national markets involved."
Audience Theories
The hypodermic needle theory is when audiences don't need to pay that much attention - or engage their brain - to understand the film, the information is just fed to them. The uses and gratifications theory is when audiences want to feel something from a film. These audiences will select a particular film because they want to learn something from it.
Auditions for Film Opening
Auditon 1: Harrison
We thought his awkward-ness was more suited towards that of another character- such as the nerd, rather than the farmer.
Audition 2: Michael
We thought he followed direction well but we thought his appearance wasn't necessarily suited to the hippie character, unlike Rob.
Audition 3: Cory
It was clear to us that Cory couldn't take direction, so we didn't consider choosing him at all. This was to avoid having a plain actor in our film, which would seem unprofessional.
Audition 4: Lawrence
We thought he was good at expressing emotion but minor things he did such as closing his eyes a lot made us consider someone else- if a character were to close their eyes a lot in a film, it may seem out of place and doesn;'t draw the audience in properly.
Audition 5: Jonathan
Jonathan offered to audition but he didn't seem to take the role seriously- and we didn't want someone who messed around in our final piece. He also didn't seem to take direction too well as his tone doesn't change much even after being given direction.
Audition 6: Ben
Ben seemed like the ideal choice for the farmer character, but he auditioned for the nerd character. We have decided to choose him for the farmer character (after discussing with him if that's ok) because of his good acting qualities, plus the added bonus of the fact he looks like the celebrities we originally compared our characters to.
Audition 7: Robert
Robert seemed like a good actor for the hippie character, who he auditioned for. His appearance suited the character well and although he didn't seem to take the direction given too seriously, his perspective on it still suited the character.
Chosen actors: Harrison, Ben and Robert.
Friday 27 April 2012
Audience Expectations
Romance Genre
-What do you expect in the first 2 minutes of a romance film?
The older of the people I asked this question to mentioned Sex and the City and said that the 'main middle-aged woman character' would be introduced. They also said there's usually a narrative overlay on the introduction, if not the whole way through.
Teenagers said a similar thing, however the main character(s) was also a teenager/young adult, as opposed to middle-aged, there would be a group of friends introduced at a school and that a male character may also be introduced. They also said that there may be more than one main character and that there can be multiple storylines within the film. Some teenagers referred to the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
The youngest of the people I interviewed suggested films such as Shrek, and spoke about princesses and princes.
-What sort of main characters will there be?
As I mentioned before, the older, more mature people I questioned envisaged a middle-aged, single, female main character within a group of friends - similar to Sex and the City.
The majority vote of the teenagers concluded the main characters would be a group of high-school friends and their love interests.
The younger people I interviewed mainly referred to Disney-type films, such as The Little Mermaid and Shrek, where there are the female (princess waiting to be found) and male protagonists (prince searching for princess) and an evil antagonist trying to deter the main characters from finding their 'true love'.
-What kind of event do you expect to occur/begin?
Strangely, all the age groups were referring to 'rom-com'-type films, rather than any other romance-hybrid film. Therefore, on a whole, they expected to see the main character/characters eventually end up with their love interest, after embarrassing themselves - maybe more than once - or making mistakes trying to make their love interest notice them or fall in love with them. They said that it would end happpily, or if not, it would be comedic in nature.
Overall, we have learnt that within a popular romance (rom-com) film, there is usually a female main character, mirrored by a male one and that the basic storyline is that somehow, whether it be through slaying the dragon, through embarrassing oneself at the school disco or through a work dilemma, they end up falling in love. A. rom-com may or may not end happily, but it won't usually dwell on the fact it has ended badly and will turn it around into comedy.
-What do you expect in the first 2 minutes of a romance film?
The older of the people I asked this question to mentioned Sex and the City and said that the 'main middle-aged woman character' would be introduced. They also said there's usually a narrative overlay on the introduction, if not the whole way through.
Teenagers said a similar thing, however the main character(s) was also a teenager/young adult, as opposed to middle-aged, there would be a group of friends introduced at a school and that a male character may also be introduced. They also said that there may be more than one main character and that there can be multiple storylines within the film. Some teenagers referred to the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
The youngest of the people I interviewed suggested films such as Shrek, and spoke about princesses and princes.
-What sort of main characters will there be?
As I mentioned before, the older, more mature people I questioned envisaged a middle-aged, single, female main character within a group of friends - similar to Sex and the City.
The majority vote of the teenagers concluded the main characters would be a group of high-school friends and their love interests.
The younger people I interviewed mainly referred to Disney-type films, such as The Little Mermaid and Shrek, where there are the female (princess waiting to be found) and male protagonists (prince searching for princess) and an evil antagonist trying to deter the main characters from finding their 'true love'.
-What kind of event do you expect to occur/begin?
Strangely, all the age groups were referring to 'rom-com'-type films, rather than any other romance-hybrid film. Therefore, on a whole, they expected to see the main character/characters eventually end up with their love interest, after embarrassing themselves - maybe more than once - or making mistakes trying to make their love interest notice them or fall in love with them. They said that it would end happpily, or if not, it would be comedic in nature.
Overall, we have learnt that within a popular romance (rom-com) film, there is usually a female main character, mirrored by a male one and that the basic storyline is that somehow, whether it be through slaying the dragon, through embarrassing oneself at the school disco or through a work dilemma, they end up falling in love. A. rom-com may or may not end happily, but it won't usually dwell on the fact it has ended badly and will turn it around into comedy.
Film Opening Remake
The Shining (2012)
As production company; 'GEMINI', we decided upon remaking the opening of The Shining (1980). At the time, we felt obviously undaunted at the prospect of not having the facilities of a helicopter (or a real car, roads and beautiful landscapes for that matter) for those impressive (and, as we understand it now, enviable), bird's-eye-view shots and bravely continued onwards with only a toy car, some string, a bit of Gaffatape and a whole lot of broccoli.
Luckily for us, the point of this activity was, not only to see how close to the original we could get our remake, but to ensure we could create a film storyboard, a shot list, knew what order the opening titles have to appear in, knew how to use and experiment with the cameras, could edit the clips, music and titles together and experiment using the software. I can safely say that I now know, thanks to this task - however successful - the basic principles of directing, filming and putting together a piece of film.
As production company; 'GEMINI', we decided upon remaking the opening of The Shining (1980). At the time, we felt obviously undaunted at the prospect of not having the facilities of a helicopter (or a real car, roads and beautiful landscapes for that matter) for those impressive (and, as we understand it now, enviable), bird's-eye-view shots and bravely continued onwards with only a toy car, some string, a bit of Gaffatape and a whole lot of broccoli.
Luckily for us, the point of this activity was, not only to see how close to the original we could get our remake, but to ensure we could create a film storyboard, a shot list, knew what order the opening titles have to appear in, knew how to use and experiment with the cameras, could edit the clips, music and titles together and experiment using the software. I can safely say that I now know, thanks to this task - however successful - the basic principles of directing, filming and putting together a piece of film.
Here's GEMINI in action; referring to our storyboard to make any minor alterations to our setup to somehow make it look even more like the real The Shining opening than it already did.
Thursday 26 April 2012
Certification
Classification is when a film is restricted due to age.
Censorship is when a film is cut to prevent access to material.
Certification is needed due to:
The BBFC (British Board if Film Classification) was created in 1912 and is in charge of classifying films. Although local councils accept the BBFC's decision, councils still have the power to change film certificates if they are being shown in cinemas. For example, in 1993, Mrs Doubtfire was dubbed by the BBFC as a 12, but some councils lowered it to PG to increase audience numbers.
In 1984, a new law - The Video Recordings Act - passed, which put the BBFC in charge of classifying all videos for home use. This involves noting any dangerous or criminal activities on a video or DVD. The Video Recordings Act also states that children and animals must not be harmed or no showing.
A film can be certified under any of the following:
ALI (2001) is rated as a '15'.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is rated as a PG.
Ghost Ship (2002) is rated as an '18'.
We will consider these conventions when rating our own film. We have to ensure that the content is suitable for our target audience of teenage males whilst also fitting into one of these ratings.
Censorship is when a film is cut to prevent access to material.
Certification is needed due to:
- legal obligations - to prevent material breaking the law
- protective obligations - some audiences may need protecting from items that may cause harm
- societal obligations - to consider broader public opinion in mind with regard to language.
The BBFC (British Board if Film Classification) was created in 1912 and is in charge of classifying films. Although local councils accept the BBFC's decision, councils still have the power to change film certificates if they are being shown in cinemas. For example, in 1993, Mrs Doubtfire was dubbed by the BBFC as a 12, but some councils lowered it to PG to increase audience numbers.
In 1984, a new law - The Video Recordings Act - passed, which put the BBFC in charge of classifying all videos for home use. This involves noting any dangerous or criminal activities on a video or DVD. The Video Recordings Act also states that children and animals must not be harmed or no showing.
A film can be certified under any of the following:
- Universal - suitable for all
- Parental Guidance - general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
- Suitable for 12 years and over
- Suitable only for 15 and over
"No-one younger than 15 may see a '15' film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a '15' rated video work."
- Suitable only for adults
"No-one younger than 18 may see an '18' film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an '18' rated video."
ALI (2001) is rated as a '15'.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is rated as a PG.
Ghost Ship (2002) is rated as an '18'.
We will consider these conventions when rating our own film. We have to ensure that the content is suitable for our target audience of teenage males whilst also fitting into one of these ratings.
Generic Conventions
Genre is the category a film is placed into based on particular conventions.
These generic conventions are categorised into:
For example, conventions that could signify horror are: the audio convention of screaming; the visual convention of blood (or anything red or black which connote death) and the thematic convention of the ongoing use of the colours red or black throughout the film.
(The black background, hair and eye makeup signify that this is a horror film due to the colour's connotations of death.)
Within a Western genre film, audiences will expect to see horses, cowboys, hats and guns. These are generic conventions that signify a Western film. Also, the music used may be steroetypically Western-sounding of guitars or dramatic, up-tempo beats. Gunshots are also a sound that generically signify Western - or action - films.
Action films are usually very fast-paced, even from the onset:
Obviously, gunshots and chase scenes are associated with action films. These are key signifiers of the action genre. A thematic convention of action films is conflict. In order for there to be action, there needs to be some sort of disagreement between the characters.
(Mr & Mrs Smith is a perfect example of an action film with these conventions.)
These generic conventions are categorised into:
- visual conventions (what we see)
- audio conventions (what we hear)
- thematic conventions (the themes in the film and how the storyline is pieced together).
For example, conventions that could signify horror are: the audio convention of screaming; the visual convention of blood (or anything red or black which connote death) and the thematic convention of the ongoing use of the colours red or black throughout the film.
(The black background, hair and eye makeup signify that this is a horror film due to the colour's connotations of death.)
Within a Western genre film, audiences will expect to see horses, cowboys, hats and guns. These are generic conventions that signify a Western film. Also, the music used may be steroetypically Western-sounding of guitars or dramatic, up-tempo beats. Gunshots are also a sound that generically signify Western - or action - films.
Action films are usually very fast-paced, even from the onset:
Obviously, gunshots and chase scenes are associated with action films. These are key signifiers of the action genre. A thematic convention of action films is conflict. In order for there to be action, there needs to be some sort of disagreement between the characters.
(Mr & Mrs Smith is a perfect example of an action film with these conventions.)
Film Ideas
In order to ensure that we used the best idea possible, we let our creative juices flow and envisaged a wide array of different situations, characters and storylines. We also made sure we thought of plots for a variety of different genres. These are three of the best ideas we came up with:
Rural Superheroes (rural comedy)
Three social outcasts try to save their world - one field at a time. Urban villains threaten their livelihoods’ wanting to build an internet cafe - but can they save their land? Probably not.
A Ray of Sunshine (period drama)
Being forced to marry someone you've never met can be difficult, especially when Isabella finds herself falling in love with a lower class servant which is frowned upon by everyone around her.
Bert (drama)
A lonely, neglected boy with no-one but his imaginary friend- his identical twin - who helps him get through the day until he finds his real twin and has to overcome his difficulties.
Jelly Baby Activity
The jelly baby work involved creating a storyboard for a film of our choice - taken from a list of briefs - and using the jelly babies, in substitute for characters, to interpret the different scenes and the framing of the shots. By doing this, we could easily experiment with different shots and characters in each scene to see what would work well and give off the most fitting atmosphere. By creating the storyboard this way, on post-it-notes and with jelly babies, it meant you could easily re-order the scenes if the need occurred.
The opening of our jelly baby activity consisted of the following camera shots:
Personally, the activity made me more aware of how to position the characters effectively in the shots in association with their surroundings and props. It was good being able to easily move around the jelly babies, to experiment with their positioning and see where they looked best in the shots which will help when we're creating the storyboard for our film.
The opening of our jelly baby activity consisted of the following camera shots:
Personally, the activity made me more aware of how to position the characters effectively in the shots in association with their surroundings and props. It was good being able to easily move around the jelly babies, to experiment with their positioning and see where they looked best in the shots which will help when we're creating the storyboard for our film.
Analysis of Student Film Openings Continued
Some of the student film openings looked extremely professional. Personally, I think this was down to the camera used (the quality does improve the opening - the audience gets drawn in), positioning of titles as well as the font used for them, believability of the storyline and acting. These factors help to improve how the audience interprets the film, and so they all need to be good to ensure the standard is kept the same throughout and therefore creates the atmosphere of a professional film-makers opening.
What didn't work well was poor acting. Although a media student isn't necessarily assessed foremost on the quality of the acting, if the acting is poor, it really bruises the audience's vision of the film overall. This also creates a problem within the filming as, if the actor is uncomfortable, they will not work well with the camera which will doubly create an issue with the footage onscreen; with the actor making oherwise decent shots seem awkward and, obviously, unprofessional.
What didn't work well was poor acting. Although a media student isn't necessarily assessed foremost on the quality of the acting, if the acting is poor, it really bruises the audience's vision of the film overall. This also creates a problem within the filming as, if the actor is uncomfortable, they will not work well with the camera which will doubly create an issue with the footage onscreen; with the actor making oherwise decent shots seem awkward and, obviously, unprofessional.
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Analysis of Student Film Openings
Not Quite Alive But Definitely Kicking
Awake
The Hunted
- Smooth camera movements from television and out of window at the beginning look almost crane-like
- Establishing shot of the street at the beginning of the opening is like a premontition as to what happens at end with the boy being eaten by zombies in the middle of the same street.
- Good use of camera angles - canted angle of zombies coming over the fence suggests confusion and the zombies' lack of control; extreme close up on zombie's face shows the difference between humans and zombies; the circle pan of the 2 humans shows terror (suggests their heads are spinning/they don't know what to do) and facial expressions; low angle shot shows frantic fighting; use of slow-mo shows fight and who's got the upper hand.
- Good juxtaposition of comedic music against horror story.
- Music fits when zombies charge (builds up to that point).
- Music has been edited well to fit the cuts and zooms at the end with high Scream music before playing off into the comedic music.
- Flows well, very easy to understand what's going on.
Awake
- Opening titles of production companies look very professional (real production company logos may have been used).
- Music flows well and effectively from titles into first shot.
- Tracking of the running girl is very smooth, there are no sudden jerks.
- Good use of sound to build tension.
- Lyrics in the song that comes on the radio say: 'I'm gunna getcha one way or another' - a clever premonition for the audience of the theme of what the film is to be about and what might happen, whereas the character is completely unknowing and oblivious as to what is going to happen to her and is going about everyday life; doing normal things like making tea, however the audience knows something is wrong.
- Very good changes to the volume of the music. The further away the camera gets the quieter and more muffled the music which is very eerie; especially during the handheld shot outside the girls' kitchen window. The continuity of this music is also very good and gives an idea of the time-scale (there is another person outside at the same time the girl is in the kitchen).
- I jumped at the part when the girl was pointing at the photo and there was a knock at the door. Surely this is a good response to get when making a horror film.
- Titles are in the wrong order - the film title being at end of the opening makes it seem like a trailer, as well as the fact it is left on a cliffhanger.
The Hunted
- Good, clear titling and effects at the beginning of the opening, however the titles are in the wrong order.
- It is unprofessional how the music changes suddenly from the titles to the start of the shots.
- Very good editing and cross-cuts create confusion (some canted angles aid this).
- Unrealistic breathing and sound effects suggest the film is set on a different planet or someone (of whom, the audience do not know) is very confused. The changing colours also suggest this.
- The opening is a fairly long and repeats the same/similar shots: the audience becomes disinterested.
- Quite a good ending as it hooks the audience as they want to find out 'what happens next?', although it is like an ending of a whole film.
- Titles at the beginning of the opening distract (titles need to be more discrete) from very good cross-merges of shots.
- Effective when the tracking shot of the man focuses on the building in the distance that is introduced to the audience in next shot; there has obviously been lots of thought behind this.
- Good editing when the beaty music fades onto a black screen and calmer music begins before the tilt on the building (which looks very professional).
- The black and white/dulled effect works well on the piece as a whole - it creates a dreary, miserable atmosphere.
- Speech (script) is very realistic and well put-together.
- Good use of close-up camera shots through the bobbing heads shows the true-to-life frantic nature of the paparazzi to get a story.
- Clever cross cuts between the storyteller and the story taking place with the camera shots. This makes the storyline very understandable to audience and more interesting with the visual aid.
- The whole of the opening has been very professionally-done: the acting is all very good; none of the shots are rushed; the pace of the opening is very good and even throughout; the variety of camera shots are effective and well-placed (they didn't use them just for the sake of using a range of different shots - they all work and have been obviously thought-through) and do not confuse the audience.
- Film title is at end of the opening; like a trailer.
- Could have made the film title stand out more from the other titles, as it is not obvious to the audience that it is the film title. Other than that, the titles are very good. They are well-placed and do not detract from the shots and the action happening in them.
- Film titles appear on beats in the music which is very effective and brings the different elements together; which makes the opening flow.
- Good variety of camera angles and effects: high angle on man at the beginning shows his power; the increase in speed after throwing his keys shows his happiness and suggests walking down that pathway is something he does every day; use of slow-mo down steps shows his ease in his surroundings which suggests that everyday comes easy to him which has connotations of wealth. The background music also suggests this, aswell as the stuck-up, bolshy-sounding narrative overlay of his voice which is stereotypical of the upper-class.
- Effective narrative overlay intrigues audience - why may we 'despise' the character so much?
Institutional Logos
At the start of any film there is an institutional title and logo. This allows producers to brand what they produce. They are always seen at the beginning of films and there can sometimes more than one - depending on the how many production companies have had an input in the film. Independent films tend to have more logos at the beginning compared to mainstream films; due to the funding they get from different institutions.
There are differences between mainstream and independent production companies' logos. Independent film company logos are usually alot less complex than those of mainstream companies, mainly due to their lack of funding.
Institutional logos are crucial for promoting a company's work. They need to be easily remembered by the viewer and so the more interesting - the better. Logos began as just logos; with no sound just an image/writing. However nowadays, institutions have turned to using sound and animation in their logos. These logos are also a way for the companies to show off; as a display of wealth and succession within the film industry.
History of the logo:
This video shows a variety of different animated logos:
As our film is an independent one, from this research, we will need to keep our film logo fairly simple and short, with not too much animation; similar to to these:
There are differences between mainstream and independent production companies' logos. Independent film company logos are usually alot less complex than those of mainstream companies, mainly due to their lack of funding.
Institutional logos are crucial for promoting a company's work. They need to be easily remembered by the viewer and so the more interesting - the better. Logos began as just logos; with no sound just an image/writing. However nowadays, institutions have turned to using sound and animation in their logos. These logos are also a way for the companies to show off; as a display of wealth and succession within the film industry.
History of the logo:
- Early days - Logos were very simple (only black and white pictures due to no colour television)
- 1922 - As studios grew, motion and sound was added (for example, MGM's lion* and Universal)
- 1930 - 20th Century pictures introduced the 'tower' which was carried on when they merged with Fox
- 1976 - All of the major studios, except Universal, had switched their logos over to cel animation (short for 'celluloid ' animation - when objects are drawn onto an transparent sheet and made to look as if they are moving, like how cartoons were made)
- 1980s - The return of still image
- 1990 - Universal became animated
- 2007 - Production logos changed to being edited on computers; everything went computerised.
This video shows a variety of different animated logos:
As our film is an independent one, from this research, we will need to keep our film logo fairly simple and short, with not too much animation; similar to to these:
Monday 23 April 2012
Film Trailers and Openings Continued
There are different conventions that separate a film trailer from an opening which should always be considered. The aim of a film opening is to get people into the cinema to watch the film. The role of a film opening is to establish time, date, characters and basic background information.
Film trailers generally consist of seemingly randomly ordered short and snappy shots - full of action - to excite and entice the viewer to watch the film. It will also consist of various shots of different characters, however the audience does not know who they are as no background information is given. Film trailers include famous key actors' well-renowned names as a way of enticing the audience, as well as maybe the director's name, the date it premieres and the title which is, more-often-than-not, placed at the end of the trailer.
Oppositely, a film opening can be alot slower with less pace as it sets the scene and introduces the main protagonist and, maybe, antagonist. Film opening's are more strictly structured than film trailer's. Within a film opening the different film title's have to be in a particular order; with the film's title never to be seen at the end - instead, this is where the director's name is.
This is an example of a film trailer:
This is an example of a film opening:
Film trailers generally consist of seemingly randomly ordered short and snappy shots - full of action - to excite and entice the viewer to watch the film. It will also consist of various shots of different characters, however the audience does not know who they are as no background information is given. Film trailers include famous key actors' well-renowned names as a way of enticing the audience, as well as maybe the director's name, the date it premieres and the title which is, more-often-than-not, placed at the end of the trailer.
Oppositely, a film opening can be alot slower with less pace as it sets the scene and introduces the main protagonist and, maybe, antagonist. Film opening's are more strictly structured than film trailer's. Within a film opening the different film title's have to be in a particular order; with the film's title never to be seen at the end - instead, this is where the director's name is.
This is an example of a film trailer:
This is an example of a film opening:
Sunday 26 February 2012
Film Trailers and Openings
A film trailer:
The Pink Panther (2006) trailer and opening
Within the trailer to The Pink Panther (2006) the clips that have been used are most probably the funniest and action-based ones in the film. This captures people's attention and intrigues them into watching the film. This trailer does also tell people quite a bit of background information on the film and what could happen in the storyline, however it cleverly does not show the reactions of some of the actions and therefore, does not give away too much.
In comparison, the opening is very vague. It isn't a conventional film opening; where it sets the scene, or introduces the main character, however it is a very effective way of getting all the opening titles into the film whilst keeping the audiences attention. It does hint at the comedy genre of the film and gives away small clues as to what the storyline could be.
- gives information about a film
- uses fades to black and montages quite often
- consists of titles, logos, actors/producers names and clips
- contains taglines and film's title
- shows sections of the film that will grab audiences attention (encourage them to watch the film).
- gives details of the cast, crew and institution producing the film (in a certain order)
- contains film's title
- introduces the audience to main character/character type
- gives an indication of place and historical period
- gives information on mood and tone
- gives an indication of genre
- introduces audience to signature theme tune
- sets the film up
- shows things viewers may find intriguing (makes them question).
The Pink Panther (2006) trailer and opening
Within the trailer to The Pink Panther (2006) the clips that have been used are most probably the funniest and action-based ones in the film. This captures people's attention and intrigues them into watching the film. This trailer does also tell people quite a bit of background information on the film and what could happen in the storyline, however it cleverly does not show the reactions of some of the actions and therefore, does not give away too much.
In comparison, the opening is very vague. It isn't a conventional film opening; where it sets the scene, or introduces the main character, however it is a very effective way of getting all the opening titles into the film whilst keeping the audiences attention. It does hint at the comedy genre of the film and gives away small clues as to what the storyline could be.
Wednesday 25 January 2012
Continued Analysis on Film Openings
To increase my knowledge of film openings, and to gain an understanding of what order the titles appear in, I analysed and created timelines for some film openings. Firstly, I analysed the opening of 'Forrest Gump' and identified what order the titles came in. It begins with the production company (or companies') logos with no music playing, only the company logo's theme music. The film title of Forrest Gump, and many other films, is not the first title, but the sixth title and appears not right at the beginning, as you would unknowledgably expect, but 30 seconds into the opening. Many title placings, like where the film title is placed, surprised me once I had learnt how far in to the opening it was. Until I had created this timeline, like many other people, without even thinking about it I would have expected the film title to be the first thing that appeared. I was also surprised at the sheer amount of titles there were in a fairly short amount of time, and how this short (but important and necessary) time space can be cleverly used to hook and engage the audience.
Juno also starts with the production company logo right at the beginning of the opening. The title, similarly to Forrest Gump, appears 29 seconds into the opening, after introducing the producers and director, and always seems to be in a slightly different font, or made bigger and bolder, than the rest of the titles to ensure it stands out and the audience knows this is the film's title. The openings always end with the director's name before the film plays on. From the clips I have analysed this usually happens roughly 2 minutes into the openings. There isn't a designated time space for music overlay however, and this can begin from the very start over the production companies, or at any point throughout the opening. There may be a complete withdrawal of sound altogether (as seen in The Fall). I have also learnt that there can be more than one name on the screen at one time, but the names have to remain in the order as shown on the timelines.
I noticed, after attempting to analyse these four film openings that, strangely, these higher-grossing, mainstream films with top actors, didn't include any titles other than the production companies; the majority of them didn't even include the film title - with Twilight being the exception. I also found this was the case in the Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkahban opening that I analysed. One arguement for this suggests that films of this sort want to fully submerge their audiences in the film, and by adding opening titles this detracts away from the realism of the film. The Dark Knight also uses this method of minimal titles - it is only at the end of the whole film that the title appears as well as the cast list.Tuesday 24 January 2012
Analysis of Film Openings
Film openings give the audience a starting point to help establish:
The Fall is a multi-generic film produced by Googly Films. From the opening, the audience may deduce that the film is to be of a Western genre due to the cowboy hats and horses. It also suggests that there is to be conflict - because of the bow-struck armour - or maybe war within the film; connoting an action genre.
There is not much of a narrative that the audience can establish from this opening. The storyline is left very open; with elements not interlinking with each other or making logical sense. This has connotations of discontinuous editing, suggesting confusion and unpredictability in the film. However, this helps to draw the audience into the film as they are left with many unanswered questions of which they want the answer to.
As for the characters, the audience are introduced to many - however they seem to not have a revelence to each other; or look as if they are from different time periods or setups and wouldn't normally be working together. This also suggests the film is not based on a realism theme, but maybe one of dreams and make-believe; of fantasy genre. From the characters' costumes, however, the audience can deduce that the film is set in older, more historical times - coupled with the fact the opening has been shot in black and white. This monochrome theme runs throughout the opening, again giving the film a sense of history and earlier setting. Overall, the opening does not focus upon any main characters and definitely does not, unlike other film openings, follow the route of introducing the main protagonist and antagonist - the audience are unaware of who the people are, why they are there, what the story is and who will be the main focus of the story.
The film opening introduces us, ironically, through the relatively slow pace to the utter panic that is going on. The use of slow-motion shows clearly the expressions of the characters, which suggest a sense of urgency and a desperate need for something. A hectic, hustle-bustle theme has been created from the point of view of a seemingly-dazed (due to the slow-motion) onlooker; of whom we do not know.
We can see the film might be set in a more rural - than urban - area, from the river and surrounding open space; countryside and hills. We do not hear any voices, and therefore no accents, so we cannot deduce what country the film is to be specifically set in.
The lack of sound at the very beginning builds tension and gives a dramatic, intense feel to the opening. It suggests this is the beginning of a build up towards an epic finale of action. The non-diegetic music overlay, however, that kicks in after the silence, does not fit the action. It makes the situation seem comedic, unlike the panicked expressions we see on the people's faces. It is not until the end of the opening when the audience realise they were all trying to save a horse from the water that we realise the music does fit due to the stange - almost comedic - situation.
The first title follows the monochrome, embossed white text on a black background (or vice versa) that were used in the 1920s - again, giving the film an olden feel. The fonts used are rather plain and do not give away any details (of genre, of theme) to the audience. This also means the titles do not detract away from the action of the characters in the opening; to help the audience follow the storyline, or lack of it at the moment. Other titles have been cleverly integrated into the action so as also not to attract attention.
I think this film opening works very well to create an eerie, yet confusing atmosphere which hooks the audience right from the start. It gradually get more strange as it goes on; changing the audiences perceptions of what the film might be about. I really like the fact that everything in it is very vague, yet it captures the attention and imagination of the audience which works well as a hook; with the audience wanting to watch on to find out more.
Casino Royale (2006) (Action/Adventure/Crime) Opening Analysis
Casino Royale is a Bond film produced by Columbia Pictures. This animated opening clearly displays, from the start, the film's crime/action/adventure genre due to the prescence of guns, wounds fighting and energetic nature of the graphics.
The audience do not get much of an idea of the narrative of the film from the opening, apart from that there will most probably be fight scenes in it and that it could involve gambling; obviously due to the film title, playing cards and references to the four sets throughout the opening.
The audience assumes, due to the renowned nature of Bond films, that the figure within the circle at the beginning of the clip is 007 - James Bond, however we are never formally introduced to him as this character at all throughout the opening. Due to this assumption, we follow the darkened figures as they fight to the death, the outcome always being, we believe - due to the films' natures, with Bond being alive. From this we conclude that Bond is a brave, lethal and skillful well-trained fighter. We also know it's not a war-based film where Bond is a soldier, but that he is most probably an undercover agent; being in a suit, trying to blend in and be inconspicuous.
This opening is very effective and impactful, I believe. It is quite light-hearted considering the film's genre, but very well-done and well put-together. It gives the effect of a dream or a carefully-scripted dance, but like it all comes easily to Bond - he could do it in his sleep. The opening also creates a very disorientating atmosphere, which reminds me of a fun-house; lots of places to hide, hinting an ongoing theme of the Bond films. Obviously, an ongoing theme in this opening is the reference to the playing cards and gambling.
There is no diegetic sound (apart from, maybe, the gunshots) within the opening, however there is a non-deiegetic beaty, up-tempo dramatic song overlayed on the animation for impact. Lyrically, the song hints towards the genre and storyline of the film; giving clues, as well as the impact it creates as the song gradually builds up to an epic melodic conclusion. The ear-piercing screech at the beginning of the opening has connotations of fear - sounding scream-like.
I think this film opening is brilliant. I love the clever intertwining of the animations throughout it. I especially think that the part at the beginning - where there are different twisted trails - is particularly interesting as they are suggesting the many possible trails Bond can follow in order to get what and where he wants; whether he takes the right path to get there, only he can figure out; it is like a maze and he needs to find the clues - linking back to the action genre, suggesting possible deductive/undercover/spy themes. I also thinks this opening conveys a strong message: that gambling and money can be unhealthy.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) (Crime/Drama/Mystery) Opening Analysis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is another Columbia Pictures production. It is of crime/drama/mystery genre where mystery is conveyed extremely well to the audience in this film opening. There is no storyline, from what we see, at this stage and the plot hasn't been given away. The use of the colour black and shadows also connote, not only mystery, but horror and death. However, the storyline still remains unknown and guarded. The fast-paced cross-cutting of extreme close-ups helps to intrigue the audience but also confuses them; connoting the essence of mystery as they cannot follow the discontinuous editing of the seemingly unrelated and irrelevent clips, apart from the fact that they are all dark in colour and context.
The audience can gather that the narrative might be one surrounding technology due to the computer keyboard and cables, however there are no other hints as to what the film is to be about - apart from the ongoing dark undertones throughout the opening - the colour black, use of fire, insects, clenched fist and violence, connoting the crime element of the film.
There are no characters introduced to the audience in the opening. We do not know who the main characters are and what their personalities are like, however we can assume some are to be evil, very dark-natured villains.
The opening creates a very haunting atmosphere. This is due to the fact the audience cannot fully follow - or understand - what is going on, but they know it is something out of the ordinary and so is, naturally, transcribed by their instincts into a possible threat or danger. The use of a crow in the opening has conntoations to death and horror, as crows are reknowned for negatively symbolising the death and the after-life and are considered as creatures of vermin. The fact the crow is surrounded by fire creates an image of the mythical bird, Phoenix, who is also considered to symbolise the after-life and spirits, however it is seen in a good light - oppositely of the crow - connoting freedom and peace. This could suggest there are two conflicting sides being portrayed in the film and what humans believe are 'good' and 'bad' sides, like Heaven and Hell, for example. The two opposite intensities of light - the cold, shadowed, introverted darkness and the bright, warm flourishing fire - also convey this sense of opposition and confliction. Personally, the opening makes me question mortality and what is 'right' and what is 'wrong'. Morally, human's have lots of opinions on what is 'right' and what is not, but one person's beliefs can differ from another's and who knows what is the 'right' opinion. The mythical images in this opening help to convey this sense of not-knowing.
It seems that, in the shots, everything has had the colour taken out of it, connoting death. A destructive theme is also ongoing throughout the opening and increases towards the end; the fire creating a bomb-like explosion. The titling is very discrete and doesn't distract away from the clips, being only slightly lighter than the black backgrounds they are upon.
The high-pitched, non-diegetic, scream-like music overlay has connotations, to the audience, of the horror genre as screams are a notifier of terror. The music is very fast-paced and increases in substance (where different layers of sound plastered on top of one another increases) also, which builds tension as it creates an atmosphere of doom; where the music connotes a heavy-beated death march.
I think this opening is very effective - it draws the viewer in - but it is very vague. It does not set a comprehensible scene or introduce us to any characters or storyline, however this works well because of the mystery genre of this film; intriguing the audience as to how, and if, the opening will become comprehensible through watching the film.
- genre
- narrative
- character
- atmosphere
- themes
- setting
- sound
- titles.
The Fall is a multi-generic film produced by Googly Films. From the opening, the audience may deduce that the film is to be of a Western genre due to the cowboy hats and horses. It also suggests that there is to be conflict - because of the bow-struck armour - or maybe war within the film; connoting an action genre.
There is not much of a narrative that the audience can establish from this opening. The storyline is left very open; with elements not interlinking with each other or making logical sense. This has connotations of discontinuous editing, suggesting confusion and unpredictability in the film. However, this helps to draw the audience into the film as they are left with many unanswered questions of which they want the answer to.
As for the characters, the audience are introduced to many - however they seem to not have a revelence to each other; or look as if they are from different time periods or setups and wouldn't normally be working together. This also suggests the film is not based on a realism theme, but maybe one of dreams and make-believe; of fantasy genre. From the characters' costumes, however, the audience can deduce that the film is set in older, more historical times - coupled with the fact the opening has been shot in black and white. This monochrome theme runs throughout the opening, again giving the film a sense of history and earlier setting. Overall, the opening does not focus upon any main characters and definitely does not, unlike other film openings, follow the route of introducing the main protagonist and antagonist - the audience are unaware of who the people are, why they are there, what the story is and who will be the main focus of the story.
The film opening introduces us, ironically, through the relatively slow pace to the utter panic that is going on. The use of slow-motion shows clearly the expressions of the characters, which suggest a sense of urgency and a desperate need for something. A hectic, hustle-bustle theme has been created from the point of view of a seemingly-dazed (due to the slow-motion) onlooker; of whom we do not know.
We can see the film might be set in a more rural - than urban - area, from the river and surrounding open space; countryside and hills. We do not hear any voices, and therefore no accents, so we cannot deduce what country the film is to be specifically set in.
The lack of sound at the very beginning builds tension and gives a dramatic, intense feel to the opening. It suggests this is the beginning of a build up towards an epic finale of action. The non-diegetic music overlay, however, that kicks in after the silence, does not fit the action. It makes the situation seem comedic, unlike the panicked expressions we see on the people's faces. It is not until the end of the opening when the audience realise they were all trying to save a horse from the water that we realise the music does fit due to the stange - almost comedic - situation.
The first title follows the monochrome, embossed white text on a black background (or vice versa) that were used in the 1920s - again, giving the film an olden feel. The fonts used are rather plain and do not give away any details (of genre, of theme) to the audience. This also means the titles do not detract away from the action of the characters in the opening; to help the audience follow the storyline, or lack of it at the moment. Other titles have been cleverly integrated into the action so as also not to attract attention.
I think this film opening works very well to create an eerie, yet confusing atmosphere which hooks the audience right from the start. It gradually get more strange as it goes on; changing the audiences perceptions of what the film might be about. I really like the fact that everything in it is very vague, yet it captures the attention and imagination of the audience which works well as a hook; with the audience wanting to watch on to find out more.
Casino Royale (2006) (Action/Adventure/Crime) Opening Analysis
Casino Royale is a Bond film produced by Columbia Pictures. This animated opening clearly displays, from the start, the film's crime/action/adventure genre due to the prescence of guns, wounds fighting and energetic nature of the graphics.
The audience do not get much of an idea of the narrative of the film from the opening, apart from that there will most probably be fight scenes in it and that it could involve gambling; obviously due to the film title, playing cards and references to the four sets throughout the opening.
The audience assumes, due to the renowned nature of Bond films, that the figure within the circle at the beginning of the clip is 007 - James Bond, however we are never formally introduced to him as this character at all throughout the opening. Due to this assumption, we follow the darkened figures as they fight to the death, the outcome always being, we believe - due to the films' natures, with Bond being alive. From this we conclude that Bond is a brave, lethal and skillful well-trained fighter. We also know it's not a war-based film where Bond is a soldier, but that he is most probably an undercover agent; being in a suit, trying to blend in and be inconspicuous.
This opening is very effective and impactful, I believe. It is quite light-hearted considering the film's genre, but very well-done and well put-together. It gives the effect of a dream or a carefully-scripted dance, but like it all comes easily to Bond - he could do it in his sleep. The opening also creates a very disorientating atmosphere, which reminds me of a fun-house; lots of places to hide, hinting an ongoing theme of the Bond films. Obviously, an ongoing theme in this opening is the reference to the playing cards and gambling.
There is no diegetic sound (apart from, maybe, the gunshots) within the opening, however there is a non-deiegetic beaty, up-tempo dramatic song overlayed on the animation for impact. Lyrically, the song hints towards the genre and storyline of the film; giving clues, as well as the impact it creates as the song gradually builds up to an epic melodic conclusion. The ear-piercing screech at the beginning of the opening has connotations of fear - sounding scream-like.
I think this film opening is brilliant. I love the clever intertwining of the animations throughout it. I especially think that the part at the beginning - where there are different twisted trails - is particularly interesting as they are suggesting the many possible trails Bond can follow in order to get what and where he wants; whether he takes the right path to get there, only he can figure out; it is like a maze and he needs to find the clues - linking back to the action genre, suggesting possible deductive/undercover/spy themes. I also thinks this opening conveys a strong message: that gambling and money can be unhealthy.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) (Crime/Drama/Mystery) Opening Analysis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is another Columbia Pictures production. It is of crime/drama/mystery genre where mystery is conveyed extremely well to the audience in this film opening. There is no storyline, from what we see, at this stage and the plot hasn't been given away. The use of the colour black and shadows also connote, not only mystery, but horror and death. However, the storyline still remains unknown and guarded. The fast-paced cross-cutting of extreme close-ups helps to intrigue the audience but also confuses them; connoting the essence of mystery as they cannot follow the discontinuous editing of the seemingly unrelated and irrelevent clips, apart from the fact that they are all dark in colour and context.
The audience can gather that the narrative might be one surrounding technology due to the computer keyboard and cables, however there are no other hints as to what the film is to be about - apart from the ongoing dark undertones throughout the opening - the colour black, use of fire, insects, clenched fist and violence, connoting the crime element of the film.
There are no characters introduced to the audience in the opening. We do not know who the main characters are and what their personalities are like, however we can assume some are to be evil, very dark-natured villains.
The opening creates a very haunting atmosphere. This is due to the fact the audience cannot fully follow - or understand - what is going on, but they know it is something out of the ordinary and so is, naturally, transcribed by their instincts into a possible threat or danger. The use of a crow in the opening has conntoations to death and horror, as crows are reknowned for negatively symbolising the death and the after-life and are considered as creatures of vermin. The fact the crow is surrounded by fire creates an image of the mythical bird, Phoenix, who is also considered to symbolise the after-life and spirits, however it is seen in a good light - oppositely of the crow - connoting freedom and peace. This could suggest there are two conflicting sides being portrayed in the film and what humans believe are 'good' and 'bad' sides, like Heaven and Hell, for example. The two opposite intensities of light - the cold, shadowed, introverted darkness and the bright, warm flourishing fire - also convey this sense of opposition and confliction. Personally, the opening makes me question mortality and what is 'right' and what is 'wrong'. Morally, human's have lots of opinions on what is 'right' and what is not, but one person's beliefs can differ from another's and who knows what is the 'right' opinion. The mythical images in this opening help to convey this sense of not-knowing.
It seems that, in the shots, everything has had the colour taken out of it, connoting death. A destructive theme is also ongoing throughout the opening and increases towards the end; the fire creating a bomb-like explosion. The titling is very discrete and doesn't distract away from the clips, being only slightly lighter than the black backgrounds they are upon.
The high-pitched, non-diegetic, scream-like music overlay has connotations, to the audience, of the horror genre as screams are a notifier of terror. The music is very fast-paced and increases in substance (where different layers of sound plastered on top of one another increases) also, which builds tension as it creates an atmosphere of doom; where the music connotes a heavy-beated death march.
I think this opening is very effective - it draws the viewer in - but it is very vague. It does not set a comprehensible scene or introduce us to any characters or storyline, however this works well because of the mystery genre of this film; intriguing the audience as to how, and if, the opening will become comprehensible through watching the film.
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