Film Project: Storyboarding / Plot and outline of Film Intro

Group t story board

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Here is the our final copy of our story board, the drawings were done be me but the ideas came from everyone. We uploaded it to slideshare so we can put it on our blog, i am pleased with drawings, some are a bit scrappy but they do get the point across and thats what counts.

Now i am going to give you an outline on what our Film Intro is about. The genre of it is a Thriller / Drama and we wanted to give an old looking film so its based in the 1960's hence the suits and skinny ties ect. The film is about a business in the centre of London and the three main characters Me, Sam and Holly all work there. In the movie Me 'The Victim' and Holly 'The Victims Lover' are in love and have been for a while, but Sam 'The Killer' is insane, he is normal at work but changes outside, could call him a 'private maniac'. He is also in love with Holly and believes she loves him back, but he thinks the only way to get Holly is to kill me.

Film Project: Decisions

After being put into groups we could not wait to get stuck in and start thinking of ideas of the genre of film, the plot, where, who does what roles and other small stuff. One lesson we all sat down and put our heads together, we had a brainstorm which is in our Production Book. we all shared our ideas, Holly came up with an idea for a chick flick, it was good and we done abit more thinking about and decided it would be hard to achieve and we would probally make a better movie with a different genre.


After a lesson of thinking, we all agreed with an idea of a thriller / action film, however this genre is generally the typical one students pick we believed we could make it different and stand out by maybe setting it in a different year or making a different storyline.


Me and Sam had an exam when we had to present our thoughts and ideas to the class, so Holly and Aisha presented the idea. They done well and we got some good feedback, next stage is storyboarding!

Film Project: Being put into groups

This week we have been told about our new project of making an intro to a film, I was really excited because I was waiting to get to do some technical, hands on work. Making a film intro has been something i've always wanted to do from GCSE when i created a magazine. However the first step of this process was being put into groups, we was asked to write down a few names that we would be comfortable with doing the project, i wrote down some of my friends : Sam, Alex and Harry. Both of the groups were being mixed up and boys and girls would be working together.

The next lesson was told our groups, my group is Sam, Holly and Aisha, we are GROUP T. I was very pleased with this group, because I was with my friend Sam. I didn't really know Holly and Aisha, but i knew they were clever girls who had some good ideas. I believe i am going to work well with this group!



From left to right: Aisha, Holly, Sam and me

Ignore the dinosaur

Opening Sequence Analysis: The Prestige

The opening sequence begins with titles however there is no music which is unusual and cause a slight bit of tensions and then we are introduced to a shot of a deserted forest with a large amount of magician top hats, with is a very original and unusual thing to see, and from this point we being to ask questions. Then sound is heard it is a voice over of Michael Cane telling us about how a magician goes about there performance.

We are introduced to Cutter (Michael Cane) showing a little girl a magic trick with doves, this is when we are aware of the theme of the movie, this is a nice, heartwarming shot. However this shot is contrasted with a grand long shot of Angier (Hugh Jackman) performing his magic show to a large audience, we are then introduced to another character Alfie Borden (Christian Bale). We are unsure of the plot because Christian Bale is looking quite suspicious as he is stopped and has a fake beard on.

The loud electric bolts causes tension as they sound dangerous and you can tell they will cause damage and can tell something bad is about to happen and as we thought Hugh Jackman is now trapped in water tank which was not meant to be there, we again begin to ask questions of why this has happened and why Christian Bale is not helping him. 

We now cut to the court scene where Michael Cane is giving a statement about the killing of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale is in custody of suspicion of the murder. We are also reunited with the young girl, which gives us the warm hearted feeling again.

The theme throughout the opening sequence is old fashion with how they are dressed with suits and hats.  The lighting and colour in this sequence is very dark and dull which adds to the old theme. The sound throughout is quite scary and is in a minor key which adds to the suspension in the scene. 

Opening Sequence Analysis: Halloween (1978)

The first time i watched this movie the opening sequence was the most interesting part about it as the whole sequence is filmed in one shot something very unusual for an opening because generally openings are there to hook you in with many shots and fast past, its is very clever how John Carpenter has been able to keep the audiences attention. It begins with some titles that tell us where the film is set and children singing, we hear the soundtrack slightly. A forgein copy was the only one i could find so the speech is unclear. However the intro causes a instant scare but also a feeling of security, as children are something not to be scared of

We then go to a shot of a house, we can tell its someones point of view and we can sense the camera is walking, There is an owl which is also a scary feature. The person whos point of view then goes to the window, we begin to ask who could this be, because its a scary thought of somebody looking through your window. Inside there is a teenager boy and girl 'making out', they seem helpless and it is a Horror movie 'rule' that the teenagers become victims. Then the person makes there way in to the house and makes there way to the drawer for a knife, this is when we understand something bad is about to happen. The person seems to be wearing a clowns outfit, which could mean that they are a child. This tells us a slight bit about the character, maybe insane, maybe a child?

A tension is caused when the person walks up the stairs, the character takes their time. They then reach for a mask, so it is clear that they are in costume of a clown, and for some people they are not a huge fan of clowns, this also tells that the character is likely to be a child. But it is genius how they have made tunnel vision so it feels like we are looking through the mask, when watching i got a slight feeling claustrophobic. We are then introduced more to the girl, she looks helpless as she is naked and in vulnerable position brushing her hair. We now understand that this is the victim as the character walks towards, the female yells "Mike, Mike" we are allowed further into his character. We are confused because she knows this boy, we are wondering if this is his sister? He begins to stab repeatedly, he glances at his knife then back again.

His breathing has picked up and he breaths heavier, we know this has fazed him. As he makes his way to door, the audience are left confused and with such a small bit of screen and maybe a slight feeling of motion sickness. As he is outside he is encountered by two adults, who seem to be his parents. The camera then switches out of the point of view and we are left with a shot of Mike equipped with a knife and a worried/confused face. The camera slow zooms out

The lighting and colour is very dark throughout, signifying that the movie is a Horrror theme, the lights are very natural from street lights to lamps in the house. These colours are contrasted with the bright vibrant colours of Mikes clown costume, which tells us that he is a main character.

The sound throughout is very typical horror theme song, the soundtrack is very recognizable in the film world. There is a few sounds effects to enhance the imporntants of some shots.  The girl is humming with emphasis the helplessness of her as humming is a very peaceful sound, from humming she begins to scream, A huge contrast.

Opening Sequence Analysis: Apocalypse Now

This opening sequence has to be one of my favourite, and one of my favourite movies and i thought it would be perfect to analyse to get some inspirational when me and my group begin to make our opening sequence.

This sequence is genius as it allows the audience into the characters mind (Martin Sheen). It is clear that Martin Sheen has been at war and served for his country and we can see that he has bad thoughts of war and it plays on his mind all the time. The first shot is just of the Veitnam jungle, it is quite calm and relaxing however we begin to hear helicopters, this causes tension and scattered helicopters pass. We begin to hear the soundtrack, it is 'The End' by The Doors, this song is a classic and so fitting for the movie, it is very calm but with me being a huge Doors fan i know the meaning and feeling of the song.

Then out of nowhere a huge explosion occurs, but there is no sound effects, it almost seems as it hasnt happened. The camera begins to pan then we are now introduced to the character, it dissolves into the character  laying in bed and we can tell that these thoughts are coming from his head, it is a stern and serious face, in deep thought. Another layer of camera is a fan on the ceiling, this relates to the helicopters. these shots keep inter-linking showing the characters confusion and uncertain of dream and reality. We pan across alcohol which tells the audience that he is maybe depressed and traumatic state of mind and from being at war it suggest he has a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress.

The lighting and colouring in this sequence is quite dark and and faded to show that his thoughts are quite hazy and maybe to show it is dream like.

Children of Men essay

How effectively does the opening sequence from ‘Children of Men’ (2006) use the forms and conventions of film openings? What is your personal response as a member of the audience?

‘Children of Men’ is a 2006 American science fiction film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It was adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men. The film stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Pam Ferris, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Caine.

The film is set In 2027 and about the world becoming chaotic as humans can no longer give birth. A former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

The intro uses many forms and conventions of the cinematic world.

Firstly camera movement begins at a high angle on the coffee shop, filled with civilians watching the news the angle emphasis the emotion as it shows they are overpowered and scared. The shot covers the whole shop as you can see the worried expression on each and every one of them. Through the group a character (Clive Owen) barges through and the camera slightly tracks him, this signifies he is a possible main character. The camera cuts to the T.V to show that it is the news they are watching and then back to the crowd, this is the only cut in the opening sequences, this is because the scene is at a slow pace and not a great deal is happening and we it allows to focus on the words more so we can understand some of the story. Once he has bought a coffee the camera follows him out this fully gives us the information that he is a main character. From out the shop the camera pans right, this establishes the setting, we now understand that we are in London with the double decker bus. We follow the character again (Clive Owen), this time the angle is at a person height. He stops and the camera pans round the back of him, so it is facing the other way. There is an explosion and the camera tracks in back to the shop, the camera is jolting as if someone is running to show the effect it has had.

Throughout the opening scene there is not a great deal of editing, the camera only ever cuts twice. The use of the lack of cutting is so our concentration is not taken away from the news, because the news gives us a vital insight to the movies plot.

The opening starts with silence, this gives a quite eerie atmosphere to movie in general. After the Title credits we are left with a pitch black screen, then after a few seconds an off screen diegetic sound enter, it is a news bulletin. The words and story are very serious such as ‘illegal immigrants’. Then we are told about the main story about the killing of the youngest person, this is very peculiar story. The noise then becomes on screen diegetic as we are introduced to the first scene. We see people sad because of the story, we are told he is 18. This is strange. A non diegetic sound is introduced, it is a violin playing this enhances the sadness of the story. From the coffee shop we follow out to London city were diegetic is frequently used, we hear cars, beeps and yells. We know that we are in a main city. The sound is at its climax when the explosion goes off, this is very loud and unexpected. From the explosion we are left with a ringing noise, this is an effect which emphasis the atmosphere and creates realism.

The cinematography in the this film intro is genius and i really enjoy the theme they had around it. Firstly the colour and lighting is with distinctive, the colour is very dull and is flowing throughout it gives a clear image of how they think London will look and is very believable, everything is grey and concrete and smoke everywhere. The main props used in this sequence are the T.V, the coffee, the whiskey. These props tell us a lot of what character is like and what movie is about, the whiskey tells us that Clive Owen could maybe be a drinking and maybe depressed.