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.

Pillow Talk Vs Fringe

How are the sequences from ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’ different? Discuss the differences in pace and style of editing as well as the effect the editing has on the meaning/the audiences reception of the extracts

The extracts that I am looking at are ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’. Pillow Talk was a movie filmed in 1959 and starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day and Fringe is a television series filmed in 2008. The time between these two clips has the most influence on the type of edits, language, emotion and meaning for the audience. The difference in cuttings is used to present different ideas to the audience.

The main differences in these sequences are the styles of editing. In Pillow Talk it shows its age as an old production with its split screens and lack of cuts, However Fringe is full of quick, snappy cuts that keeps you alert and focused.

Through out Pillow Talk there are a limit variation of standard edits, the first noticeable edit is the split screen, it is an old effect used to show what is happening in different places at the same time, in this case a phone call. There are a number of close ups, this is used to enhance the emotion of the character. When Rock Hudson and Doris Day are conversing in the bar there are a number of reverse shots, this is used to show who is speaking in the conversation. But overall the straight cut is used frequently, this is a standard edit between scenes.

Fringe uses other new edits, this is what makes the scene relevant for this era. Close ups are one of the first edits used, this was used to show tension between the two characters while they interact, from this you can tell the almost have a grudge with each other. There is a long shot when the space ship is hovering over the important building, also the camera pans with in this shot. At the end of the clip, reverse shots are frequently used between the two characters, they are used so quickly to build anticipation within the conversation.

The pace in both sequences have a huge difference and contrast massively. In Pillow Talk the pace is very slow and dragging, but this was the normal style in that era. On the other hand Fringe is rapid and keeps you interested.

In conclusion the sequences from Pillow Talk and Fringe show a huge difference in editing, it is clear that they have been filmed in different cinematic eras, however you can see the features that have been kept the same such as some cuts and close ups

Narrative Image: Harry Potter

Poster





A poster for a film that is coming out should be able to catch the viewers eye and draw them in, they also need to show a bit on what the film is about and what genre the film slots in to. This is down by the colouring, font, the catch phrase. In this poster we can tell that the film is quite dark and gloomy from its choice of colours, they are dark and eary. There is also a bright light which tells us that in the film amoung darkness there is a light and light is building. In this case bad is happening and something good is going to or try to stop it.


Billboards





Billboards are a main way to advertise your film, it is aimed for mainly everyone, people driving in their car or people walking in the city. They are very grand and big so they need to have big pictures and large font for all to see and so they can see from a while back. They also need to have minimal infomation but enough because if someone is driving past on the motorway they are not going to have a lot of time to study the billboard so it needs to be quick and easy information to the point.


Trailers




Trailers are on of the most creative marketing technique. Its a way of shortening a film so that the audience can have an idea of the film and its plot which will draw them in and want to watch more, but not given away to much so they dont need to see it. They preview trailers on T.V, in cinemas, or on the internet which is a growing place to see new trailers on sights such as Youtube

Magazine




Magazines are sort of a dieing way to market because of the vast increase of population on the internet, however if the the film is the main story of the magazine, such as this copy of Empire then it will be worthwhile as it is the first thing people will see.

Merchandise



Merchandise is not a main way of promoting and getting a film out, because they generally do not sell well. Only the 'die-hard' Harry Potter fans are going to buy the t shirt, i mean that it is not an essential. However if you see the shirt, you understand that this film will be a big production as there are shirts being made and sold

Sticker Book




Another smaller part of marketing a film are sticker books. These are aimed at the younger generation as children are appealed to Harry Potter and sticker books, sticker books are not made for every film only ones that are appealed to children. I mean your not going to find a sticker book of the new 'Saw' movie, as this movie is not being aimed at children as it is rated 18+