Here we are at an early stage in our planning and we are walking through some early ideas for our opening two minutes. We hoped that by getting up and blocking the scene we would have an idea of whether we were on the right lines or not. We all find storyboarding challenging as it is new to us and we are often corrected for not breaking down the shots enough - for example, we tend to draw a picture of someone getting out of a chair and not two pictures showing a match on action of this action, even though we know that we will be filming it from different angles. Walking through sections makes us think more closely abot exactly where the camera will be and how many separate shots we need to create one smooth action / sequence.
Sunday 28 October 2012
Practise Film Sequence - Rebecca M, Rachel, Michaella
We three worked on the same practise sequence. We were given the opportunity to create a two minute film sequence leading up to a death / murder as preparation for the coursework. We all evaluated the scene separately.
Evaluation of Murder Scene
Planning and Storyboard
I found this bit of the task a bit hard, because I’m not all that great at drawing, so it is difficult to try and transfer my ideas onto the story board purely through description. Thankfully, the other members of my group got the gist of what I was talking about, and we were able to come up with an acceptable storyboard together. But, I don’t think that we spent enough time planning. We started the planning, but then when we were told that as soon as we were finished we could go out and film, I think the excitement almost overtook us and we were overly eager to get our hands on a camera, so the planning/storyboard idea went out the window. I also feel that as the filming aspect was new to us, and we had all these ideas in our heads of how we wanted our clip to turn out, that we underestimated how hard it is to film someone falling down the stairs and making it look realistic. We ended up just going to out to film and improvising, which caused us to have to do film the same scene over and over again, which gave us a lot more footage than we needed, and also made the editing process longer than it should have been. Next time, I’ll make sure that all the planning is done properly beforehand so I fully understand what I’m doing so I don’t waste any more time than necessary.
Location
For our location, we used the strip running from the Study Rooms past the Hall, and then the metal stairs leading onto the Balcony. I felt that the setting was completely relevant to our clip, as the argument was between school kids, and also set in a school, which made it look more realistic. I also think that because it was in a school setting, it looked less sinister and evil, and it highlighted the fact that the murder was an accident. The only problem that we had with our location was that it was right by the busiest area of the school for Sixth Formers to walk around, there were people passing constantly from the Common Room to the Study Rooms, and across to the Hall. Many times we had to stop filming to let some people pass or because someone had walked into the shot. I think that the planning aspect will help with this issue next time, if more planning goes into it then we won’t have to film the same thing as many times, which will save time.
Props
We didn’t end up using any props for our murder scene, the actors were already appropriately dressed as school kids, and we had no murder weapon so we didn’t really need any props. It was only afterwards when we were watching the scene back that we realised that we had accidentally left the case for the tripod and the storyboard on the edge of the screen. It wasn’t noticeable enough that it looked out of place, but we knew that it was there and we couldn’t use certain shots because you were able to see the stuff close up and it didn’t look realistic or professional. Next time I’ll make sure I check the whole scene and ensure that anything that isn’t supposed to be in the shot is moved out of the way.
Editing
The editing process took quite a long time to try and make our scenes flow together properly, the change of shot made it seem as though there were black spots in the clip, which made it look unprofessional and was extremely frustrating, so we had to cut out part of the scene to make it flow better.
Camera Angles
A major part of our whole scene involved running, so we used a mixture of mid shots, long shots and POV shots to show the audience the location, the expressions of the characters, and I think the POV shots were really effective in showing the audience what being in that situation would look like being in that situation. We also decided to zoom in on Rachel’s face after she had been murdered so you could see the blood around her head better.
Lighting
I think that the lighting worked quite well for us, the natural lighting made it look like just an average day, although I think that when we were filming from the top of the stairs where Georgina was standing, the sun was very bright, and it shone too brightly onto Rachel’s face so you couldn’t see her expression very well, which took away slightly from the scene as we zoomed in to see her face, but it ended up that you couldn’t see it very well.
The Group
I think we worked really well as a group; our ideas seemed to gel and adapt together, although I do feel we didn’t spend enough time on the storyboard. I think the quality of acting in our group was high as well, I’m not that keen on being on camera, but I felt the others did a great job. I do think that some of the dialogue sounded a bit forced because we didn’t have a script. We did all agree that maybe it would be better without a script because it would flow more naturally, but in hindsight, that actually made it harder. As there were no set words that were being said, in some of the scenes different words were said, or they were said in different orders, which then made it difficult when editing because we were trying to make it look as realistic as possible, so we had to cut out bits of scenes and merge together other ones because we couldn’t use the whole thing otherwise it wouldn’t have sounded or looked right. I think the next time we film anything we should definitely have a script, to cut down on the amount of editing, and to make the whole scene look and sound more professional. Use of the Tripod
I was the camera woman, so I found the tripod very handy at steadying the camera, which I feel gave it quite a polished and professional look as the shots seemed quite smooth, as opposed to the times where it was easier to hold the camera in my hand, but that made it harder to film, and my hand was a lot more jerkier than when we used the tripod.
We used our storyboard to organise the sequence, number of actors and camera angles as a guide line into making our film. However, it did prove hard to stick by, due to difficult positioning of the camera which meant our storyboard was not a reliable source to count on. Many of the scenes on which the camera angle was determined that we had drawn up on our storyboard we altered during filming due to complications. As a result it did mean that our film clip wasn’t as effective as camera positioning was problematic. This made our film jerky and made the clip uncomfortable to watch and deliver an unclean finish.
Acting
The majority of our acting was plausible enough to convey to the audience what our genre was about and come across more believable. However, Georgina, who was casted as the girl who accidently pushes Rachel could perhaps next time exaggerate and emphasize that her actions may have killed someone. An initial reaction would be hysterical so the acting would need touching up. In addition, Rebecca (myself) who played an aimless pedestrian walking in on the murder scene should have considered more energy due to the specific scenario we are involved in.
Overall, our efforts should have been more pronounced and dramatized to really create a realistic effect on the viewers. This is something we would really focus on when filming our definitive piece.
Selecting Shots and angles
Our film clip commences with a very short establishing shot of the narrow outdoor corridor. This sets the scene for the audience which gives small hints of what’s going on. This is effective as the audience won’t feel ‘lost’ when the actors enter the scene. Once the actors had entered the scene, it was a two-shot, this was effective as the two actors were fighting and clearly did not want to be in the same shot. In addition, we made the running scene a P.O.V shot. The point of view shot was effective as the audience really felt involved in the running scene whilst Georgina tried to catch the victim (Rachel).
When the victim is unconscious or perhaps dead and lying on the ground this is shot as a high angle shot. This is effective as it give the audience a sense of the height the victim has just been pushed from which make one sympathize with the victim and immediately establish who they portray as the villain.
A final effective shot used is one of our final shots where we used an extreme close-up on the victims face. This reveals her state and facial expressions.
I think our choice of shots and angles were successfully selected and I would use similar techniques in my final piece.
Editing decisions
When playing back my film clip I noticed our transitions to each of our scenes was poorly edited. The scenes would freeze and switch into a different scene carelessly. This made it look unprofessional and more importantly unfinished. Next time, I will take more care into editing by easing each transition more smoothly so the viewers are less aware that a camera is present. In addition, I would add in some blackouts to make the clip more effective with the use of abrupt and sharp cuts between scenes to add more mystery and therefore perceived more sinister to the audience.
Use of Mise-en-scene
I was reasonably pleased with our use of location and setting throughout our film clip. It coincided well with our story line - an adolescent issue has aroused between two friends and they argue this in a school setting. This is fortunate because we film on a school location.
As a group we didn’t prepare ourselves for any usage of props. We did use some ketchup as fake blood to show the damage left on the victim’s head from the fall which proved to be effective on camera. For this reason, for our actual coursework this is something I will develop on to make our video clip really stand out and have a clean, finished outcome. Although in the video we did not need many props, we needed props such as costumes and other extra actors. This will benefit in making our film clip as convincing and realistic as we can make it.
Artificial lighting wasn’t really necessary in our video. Although, because this is a murder scene, perhaps a dim and darker pallet of colours would be more appropriate into creating a more sinister atmosphere and environment.
Use of Sound
Throughout our film clip we used no non-diegetic sounds. This was lacking in our video because his would have made the film clip more effective by adding tension building, or dramatic music to build up towards that final outburst at the end when the fall has been made.
Ambient sound was in our video during the running and the arguing scenes. The use of real life back ground sounds does make the video appear more realistic. Diegetic sounds like the victims scream were included but this could have been emphasised with the help of sound effects.
Finally, music was a must in our video and would have really helped give our film clip a clean and professional finish. This is something I will definitely employ in my final version.
Overall, I feel as our first murder mystery piece we achieved a good outcome in particular areas such as our location and setting and the majority of our acting. However, in certain areas for our actual coursework I would like to excel on reaching that next level of perfecting our editing, acting and sound. Hopefully by this, I will achieve what I’m hoping to be a realistic and effective film clip that will be successfully portrayed through my target audience’s eyes.
Rebecca
Media Evaluation- short murder sequence
Planning and Storyboarding
I found this very difficult to do without knowing what camera shots were best to use. I found that our storyboard was not in much detail due to the fact that our group had made the decision to agree on most camera shots when we were at the location of filming. Although, making this decision made filming a bit of a challenge as we found ourselves having to film parts of our film more than once to decide what camera angles looked best. Next time I will make sure we make all of our decisions during planning (which will be a lot easier due to experience) and make sure our plans are in greater detail, so that when it comes to filming, it will not be as confusing and will make it easier when it comes to editing.
Location
Our location, at Joan of Arc School, was perfect for our storyline as the story was about two girls having an argument at school. Using the classroom to have the argument in looked very realistic due to the fact that we had other students in the room (extras) standing around chatting as normal. The thin alleyway between two classrooms was perfect for the chasing scene as there was a long distance to run and was a straight passage to the steps leading up to the roof, where my character falls. The passageway also looked dangerous, which is how must chasing scenes are supposed to look, due to it being very narrow. Having metal stairs leading up to the roof was very useful because we wanted the stairs to have a frightening feel, that would worry the audience, and these stairs made the characters look more vulnerable, which would not have the same effect if we used stairs in the common room that could be mistaken for stairs in a home.
Camera Work
At the beginning, to get the effect of the piece going back in time, we added in an extreme close up to my character’s face to get the effect that we were seeing what happened through her eyes. Although, this did not look very professional as the zoom in on the camera meant that we accidently zoomed in and then zoomed out and zoomed back in again, this made the picture shake and didn’t look professional. We used a POV shot in the chasing scene which looked very clever and worked really well it showed my character’s vulnerability and also how fast Georgina was chasing me. One camera shot that we should have used is the camera spinning or filming different part of the steps to show the fall and not just go to a blackout. Next time I will use a bigger variety of shots as we limited our film to having 3 different shots which didn’t make it extremely interesting.
Acting
The acting in our group could have been better. The group was more focused on whether the camera shots looked good and didn’t really concentrate on whether the acting was realistic, which it wasn’t. It was especially weak during the scene where my character fell as there was not much reaction from myself and I was more worried about whether I was actually going to fall! Some of the bits of running we did in the chasing scene was also not convincing due to the fact that we didn’t want to run too fast because the camera wouldn’t catch up with us. Next time, we will make sure our acting is more convincing, as now we know that the film will looks a lot better when it looks realistic.
Sound
The only sound that was in our film was speaking by the actors. Next time I would like to add in some background music to set the scene and to link the present time to the past when our film went back in time. Looking at other groups that used background sound I found their work more professional and in some cases scarier than ours which was the effect we were trying to go for.
Editing Decisions
We decided to split into two groups to half the editing, so my partner and I did the beginning and the other two did the end. There was a lot of editing to do as we had to cut a lot of the repeated shots to decide which ones looked better. Some of our transition weren’t smooth and looked unprofessional and there was no way of making this look better because they were slight movements of the camera when filming and had nothing to do with the gap between the clips in the editing program. Next time we will make sure that next time, when we film, we know exactly what we are going to do, and try to limit the amount of mistakes me make to make editing a lot easier!
Working in groups
My group worked very well together, everyone put in the same effort. Everyone was happy with their involvement in the production, and every decision was agreed by everyone. Although, I’m sure everyone in my group would agree that we made decisions quickly (especially with the storyboard) so next time we should talk more before we make decisions and make sure they work.
Rachel
Practise Film Sequence
As preparation for the coursework, we filmed a two minute sequence from a detective film leading up to the murder. This was to prepare us for our coursework as we were concentrating on atmosphere and build up rather than the main event, which is key in opening sequences. This is the sequence and my evaluation.
Evaluation of murder scene
When we began this task, we started out by making a storyboard of how we wanted the story to start. We tried to think of the most creative way and shots to help get the idea of someone getting murdered across.
We thought that our storyboard was good, but we soon discovered when filming that some of ideas were hard to execute in an effective way, so we had to make changes. We hadn't really considered the practical side, just what we thought would look good. Also, due to lack of time to film all of our ideas we had to choose to cut some of them out. This has shown me that the storyboard needs to be practical as well as containing ideas that you would like in the ideal world.
When putting the shots together in a sequence, we also realised that it didn’t flow well and looked unprofessional because the continuity wasn't right. For that reason we had to change the order of our shots around which wasn’t the same as the storyboard. We have realised that we often storyboarded ideas with a post-it representing a whole series of shots rather than thinking them through individually. We need to break down our thinking much more.
If I were to do it again, I would seriously spend some more time on the planning and story board and think it through properly. This would save time and make it easier to film.
Although we knew what content had to be in each of the shot, whilst filming we had to decide what kind of angle and shot we wanted. We tried to work out what shot would be best to make the film most effective. We used close ups, canted anglse, mid shots and point of view shots mainly.
On some of the frames that we were shooting we weren’t too sure what kind of shot we should do so we just chose one and it wasn’t the most effective. If I had to do it again, I would make sure that I properly think it through to try and get the most out of each shot.
When we were editing, we decided to drop some shots and move some shots around to make the whole thing flow a little bit better. I think this was a good decision because otherwise the film may have looked unprofessional and it also may have taken away from the spooky atmosphere that we were trying to create with the film.
In some of the most important parts of the scene we used slow motion to create a sense of tension which I think was fairly effective.
Watching the finished film back I think that I would change the order around a little bit more to make it even more effective, maybe cross-cutting more with the scarier bits. Also the music that we put with it, I would make it louder and scarier at the most important points of the film to help highlight the tension.
Use of mise-en-scene
I was really happy with the location we chose for our murder scene. We chose the chapel because it seemed like somewhere that you wouldn’t expect a murder. Around the chapel also had really good places to be able to film like on the stairs. We used the stairs in the film for a point of view shot because it was up high looking down on the chapel. Something I would try and do differently when shooting in the future would be to film everything that we needed that was in one location first and then move to the next location. It would make it easier.
Although we didn’t really have any planned costume it worked quite well. The murderer was dressed in mainly black and the victim was in a white blouse. Even though this wasn’t planned it worked because it helped show who was the victim and who was the murderer.
The lighting in our film wasn’t great. We tried to have the lighting in the chapel as low as we could to make it seem more mysterious but because we were filming when it was bright sunshine outside we couldn’t keep the light from coming into the chapel.
We didn’t have any props in our film. If we had it may have made it more effective to help portray what was happening a bit clearer. We perhaps should have had a weapon that we could have had a close up of, or even a prayer book for the victim to be reading so it looked like her attention was away from everything going on around her.
I was very happy in the group I was in. I thought that we all worked very well together and all listened to each other’s ideas and took everything each other said into account. Even though some of the ideas that we ended up with were not exactly how everyone in the group thought it should be there were no disagreements and we all worked well with what we ended up with. Although we did listen to each other to help choose how we should do things, we didn’t really have an explanation for why we were doing it and chose it because we thought it could look good rather than an actual reason. I definitely learnt how to take into consideration everything everyone says to come up with the best final product possible.
Analysing Film Openings - Snow White and the Huntsman
Scene Summaries – Snow White and the Huntsman First Two Minutes
A simple ‘Universal Pictures Presents’ in cream writing against a black background fades in, the background then turns to blue, then white, and the camera is focused on snowflakes falling, as the title ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ appears in big black lettering. The letters then blur out into the background, and the scene refocuses on a large snow covered garden, where a figure in a gray cloak is walking away from the camera, which pans up and becomes the establishing shot. The camera sweeps up and shows a grand castle in the background, the garden leading up to its entrance.
Light, tinkling, non diegetic sound is then heard, which fits the calming atmosphere that has already been created.
Then a male voice over is introduced. ‘Once upon a time, in deep winter, a queen was admiring the falling snow, when she saw a rose blooming in deviance with the cold. Reaching for it she pricked her finger, and 3 drops of blood fell. And because the red seemed so alive against the white she thought, “if only I had a child as white as snow, with lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ravens wings, & all the strength of that rose.” ‘
Whilst she is thinking about her unborn child, her hand curls protectively over her stomach.
The narration continues:
‘Soon after, a daughter was born to the queen, and was named, Snow White.’’
When the narrator speaks of Snow White being born, the scene cuts to a grand bedroom where the Queen is lying in bed, holding her new born baby, whilst the King watches on fondly. The camera switches between the two of their faces with close ups to show their emotion, before focusing on Snow White.
The scene changes again, and cuts to a low level shot, behind Snow White as she walks through a field of wheat. Snow White is walking through the field with a companion, a boy who looks to be a few years older than her, and in her hands she holds a Magpie. A close up of her face is shot, as her eyes dart down to watch her step, and then back up again to her destination.
*Universal screen shot*
Universal Studios logo comes onto the screen, then fades to black.
*Snow White & Huntsman screen shot*
Black background blurs into title screen, the white background refers to Snow White herself, but also makes the writing stand out.
Establishing shot, the narrator tells us about a Queen, and when we see a grandly dressed woman walking in the caste grounds we can make the connection.
*Shallow focus of rose screen shot*
The rose is in focus, but the Queen is a visible blur in the background.
The blood droplets fall in slow motion, the camera follows them as they fall.
The doors open and the camera enters as the maid does, from this mid shot angle the audience can see the location, which is the bedroom, and this gives the indication that the Queen has just given birth as she is holding a baby whilst lying in bed.
*Queen and Kings face screen shots*
These two screen shots help show the Royals emotions, and help the audience connect with them and like them.
*Low wheat screen shot*
This shot makes is seem as though the audience is walking with Snow White through the wheat field.
The audience is shown a close up of Snow White’s face to connect them with her, and shows her eyes which switch between being focused on the ground and then up towards her destination.
As Snow White is carrying the bird through the field, the natural sounds of the nearby forest, and the workers harvesting the wheat can be heard in the background (diegetic sound), which make the setting seem natural and realistic.
Very little happens in this sequence - it is all about setting the scene and creating an atmosphere. We need to avoid the temptation of doing too much and make sure we focus on character and atmosphere in our opening.
Very little happens in this sequence - it is all about setting the scene and creating an atmosphere. We need to avoid the temptation of doing too much and make sure we focus on character and atmosphere in our opening.
Analysing Film Openings - Dark Shadows
Scene Summaries - Dark Shadows First Two Minutes
After the credits fade to black, the black merges into water, and the camera is moved upwards, we can see many old fashioned boats in a harbour. Non-diegetic sound is playing; it sounds spooky and ominous, and oddly church/hymn like. The use of mise-en-scene is good here, because the lighting is dark, and there is fog/mist everywhere, which ties in well with the non-diegetic sound, giving the first few seconds a scary and mysterious feel. Old newspaper style white font appears on the right side of the screen, which says ‘Liverpool 1760’. This helps establish the setting and gives the audience an idea of what period this scene is set in.
The camera is moved forwards in a gliding motion, which mimics the motion that a boat would make when sailing, and as the camera gets closer to the harbour, a male narrative is introduced over the music.
The narrative says ‘It is said blood is thicker than water, it is what defines us, binds us, curses us. For some blood means a life of wealth and privilege. For others, a life of servitude.’ This helps add to the spooky atmosphere with the talk of blood and curses.
As this is being said, a boy and his parents are getting onto a ship docked at the harbour. From their attire, we can see that they are wealthy, which suggests they may possibly own the ship.
As the boy boards the boat, he looks back, and a POV shot is used to show a little girl standing at the harbour, looking back up at him, until her mother reprimands her for staring, and tells says ‘Remember your place, Angelique’
The narrative continues, and we cut to a high shot of the ship sailing across the ocean, on a bright, sunny day. New non diegetic sound is introduced at this point, less creepy and more majestic and quest-like, which is relevant to what the family are doing, they’re on a ‘quest’ to find the new world.
The narrator then says ‘When I was but a boy my father took us to the new world to expand the Collin’s family empire’. Contrast/juxtaposition is created here, on the way to the new world, the sun is shining, and it’s a beautiful day, as opposed to the ‘old world’ they were leaving which was dark and misty. Because the narrator identifies himself as the boy being shown, that helps the audience develop a relationship with him as he gives the audience more information on his life.
The narrator goes onto to talk about the empire that the Collins family built in the new world, and the camera shows the small town of Collinsport
The scene then cuts to a close of the boy, Barnabus, now grown up, with an also grown Angelique, kissing behind a curtain.
Angelique says ‘Tell me that you love me, Barnabus’
Barnabus freezes and stares at her, and she, hurt, pulls back slightly from his embrace. A POV shot is used then, focusing quite closely to Barnabus’ face, as he rejects Angelique’s love declaration, telling her he doesn’t feel the same.
The two minutes are ending, but this opening is intriguing, because it seems as though Angelique is going to have her revenge on Barnabus for his rejection.
The dark, foggy conditions suggest it’s not a nice place to live, and the lighting makes the whole scene seem really bland and dull due to the lack of colour.
*POV Barnabus screen shot*
Point of view shot from Barnabus perspective as he looks back to the harbour at Angelique. Suggests they have some sort of connection or relationship as he looks back before he leaves.
*Empire screen shot*
This shot shows a high, over the shoulder shot of the family overlooking their new home; it looks like paradise, and again creates a comparison of the old world.
*Collinwood 1 screen shot*
The shot of Collinwood being built merges into the shot of the newly finished Collinwood.
*Collinwood 2 screen shot*
This shot is filmed from a low angle, which helps make Collinwood look bigger, and gives it an air of importance of regality as the audience are looking up at it.
Close up two shot of Angelique, and the Collin’s son, who are kissing. There is a red tint to the scene as the red curtain that they’re hiding behind is in the light stream of the window, which makes the scene seem more romantic. Juxtaposition is created here, as Angelique asks Barnabus to tell her that he loves her. The romantic atmosphere is shattered once he tells Angelique that ‘if I told you that I love you, you would be hearing a lie’
A close up on Angelique’s face allows the audience to fully gauge her emotions, and she looks extremely hurt before her face hardens.
This is another film that uses voiceover / narration well to help establish the characters and their situation. This film also shows how important casting is, as you need the actors to look the part and convince the audience straight away.
This is another film that uses voiceover / narration well to help establish the characters and their situation. This film also shows how important casting is, as you need the actors to look the part and convince the audience straight away.
Analysing Film Openings - 10 things I Hate About You
Scene Summaries – 10 Things I Hate About You First Two Minutes
The shot / reverse shot establishes the relationships of power, as the girl in the red car is on her own, but still glares at the group of girls, whilst they say nothing and avoid her gaze when she looks at them. We then cut to a high shot of the two cars sitting at a stop light, waiting for pedestrians to cross the road. The red car pulls away quickly as soon as the pedestrians have past, leaving the blue car behind.
The students reiterate the fact that the girl is found to be intimidating as most of them move out of her way as she storms towards the school. The scene changes to hockey players who are fighting for the putt, which creates a sense of chaos and noise that seems natural in a school environment. Girl then catches sight of a poster stuck to the wall about the upcoming Prom, and rips it off the wall, ignoring another girl behind her who protests.
*Red Car screen shot 2*
*Car Speed screen shot*
*Prom poster screen shot*
*Girl, Hey screen shot*
Use of Sound
Starts with up beat, pop music, which is fitting to the scene. The opening credits are in a style of font, and the writing is coloured, as is the background, so the music reflects the light mood that is created. As the girl in the red car comes into view, the music blurs and then transfers smoothly into a rock song, which is very fitting for the character, as it is immediately obvious that the girl in the red car is very different to the girls in the blue car, clothes wise, facial expression etc. Juxtaposition is then created, as the babble of school students crossing the road in front off the two cars trickles in, but then the girl in the red car revs her engine and speeds off, and the aggressive sound of the engine contrasts the light mood that is created by the background conversation.
The same rock music continues as the main character makes her way to school, which is appropriate, it continues just as she does, moving from scene to scene with her. The diegetic sounds of general school noise can be heard in the background, but the non diegetic sound is still the main sound, which highlights her character, as she moves through the crowd of students, their noises are loud but she is resistent to the school as a whole.
Two minutes end just as the school bell rings.
This film is in our genre and is therefore really useful. The mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sound is important. There is also a good indication of how to compare different characters effectively, outting them in the same situation but watching them handle it very differently.
There is a fade from the credits into the opening establishing shot of an animated picture, which then blurs into a real picture of the city. There is non-diegetic sound here, a pop song is played, which reflects the area. This is an establishing shot of the city/neighbourhood, and the camera pans across and down to give the audience an idea of the setting. There are many people on the street the camera pans past, school kids, and dog walkers etc. The street is full of colourful, large houses, suggesting that the area is expensive, and upper class. The lighting is light and colourful, and many of the people on the street are wearing short-sleeved clothes, suggesting it may be summer in the film.
The camera sweeps down and focuses on a group of girls in car, dancing. Here it becomes obvious that the non-diegetic sound turns into diegetic sound, as the background music is now the music playing on the car radio. In the background, a car pulls up, and the girls in the blue car turn their attention to that car, which has louder music coming from it. There is a girl driving the red car, who turns and glares at the girls in the blue car when she notices them staring. As this is happening, there is a change in the diegetic sound; the light, pop music coming from the blue car becomes drowned out by the loud rock music coming from the red car. The music also signifies who the more dominant character is. The girls in the blue car all turn their heads forwards and say nothing. Although not much is known about either party due to the lack of dialogue, the audience is immediately aware that the girl in the red car is intimidating.
We then cut to a group shot, of a few boys playing hockey in front of the school gates, fighting for the putt, which creates a sense of chaos and noise that seems natural in a school environment. The camera pans out, and up, and brings us to the next establishing shot, which is of the whole school, where the girl from the red car is weaving in and out from between students, who are gathered around talking and laughing in groups.
*Animated Screen Shot*
An animation or imitation drawing of the setting appears, and gives the audience information about where the film is set, as the famous Space Needle located in Seattle , Washington
*Title Screen Shot*
The title is written in colourful letters, which is ironic as it’s called ’10 Things I Hate About You’. The title’s presentation gives a little indication that the storyline may follow teenagers or children, as the word ‘hate’ is written in big capital letters to highlight it’s place in the sentence.
*Neighbourhood Screen Shot*
Sweeps to show the audience a bit of the neighbourhood, and all the people seem to be white, and well dressed. Also, seeing as it’s around school time, we assume this much be a rich area as these people are adults but they’re not doing anything, like going to work.
*Blue car screen shot & Red Car 1 screen shot*
We can see from these two shots, the girls in the blue car are laughing and dancing, and wearing short sleeved, colourful tops. Juxtaposition is created here, as when the camera pans to the girl in the red car; she has an apathetic expression, and is dressed in a dark sleeved top. Without any dialogue, we can immediately see the differences between these two groups.
Close up of the girl from the red car to help the audience form a relationship with her, this indicates she’s the main character, as she gets the most screen time, with the girls in the other car only being shown in a group shot.
We see from a high angle the red car take off impatiently, whilst the blue car is left behind. We can also see the differences between the cars, the red car has a closed top, as opposed the blue’s open one, which could reflect the girl in the red cars character, she seems to be much more closed off.
*Hockey screen shot*
This is a low shot used to put the audience in the middle of the action.
*School screen shot*
This is an establishing shot to set the scene, which we can see is a High School
The girl from the red car rips the poster down off the wall, in public. It’s obvious that she doesn’t care about getting in trouble or who sees her.
The first bit of dialogue happens during this shot, where a girl who seems to have been putting up posters lets out an indignant ‘Hey!’ at the girl from the red car after she rips the prom poster down.
This film is in our genre and is therefore really useful. The mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sound is important. There is also a good indication of how to compare different characters effectively, outting them in the same situation but watching them handle it very differently.
Analysing Film Openings - Friends With Benefits
Friends with Benefits - first two minutes
The film starts with the clever transition of the opening credit (production logo and name) linking with what the actor can see with a POV shot on his computer screen- graphic match, with the opening credit appearing on the computer screen. This shows the audience that the environment the actor is in is modern and full of technology as the computer screen is up to date and touch screen. There is an establishing shot to show the location, suggesting that this is an established, busy workplace, this shot is not held for a long time and quickly changes back to a mid-shot on to the main character, which suggests an eventful office, it also shows that this scene is fast paced and that the actor is rushing through ideas.
A mid-shot is used when Dylan is talking to his employees to clearly show his expressions but also what he is talking about, as it is important to see the image on the computer screen in order to make it humorous. When the phone rings there is a graphic match. When the man, Dylan, picks up the phone, it also cuts to Jamie saying hello on her mobile, automatically giving the impression that these two are talking to each other, which is not the case, leaving the audience in suspense wondering when they are going to meet.
During the phone call between the two, cross cutting is used to show Dylan and Jamie speaking, this allows the audience to see both of the people’s emotions, and also to show the contrast between the stillness of Jamie waiting outside the cinema with no one around and the rushing of Dylan running around, struggling, in the crowds of people. During the shots of Dylan a group shot is used to give an impression of how chaotic it is and to give the feel of a typical American city.
The scene cuts to Jamie outside the cinema; an establishing shot is used again to show the viewer where Jamie is and to show that the place is empty. As Jamie’s partner appears and calls her name a close up is used on Jamie’s face, it shows how happy she is to see her partner. A two shot is used to show the intimacy between the pair, showing the audience that they are in a relationship. A two shot is also used with Dylan and his partner, although it is used not to show intimacy, it is used to show the tension between the pair, them being together but not being happy about it.
As both conversations between both pairs are taking place shot reverse shots are used. This not only conforms to filming conventions, but lets the audience show both the characters' reactions and expressions.
Overall
This was a good way to help the audience to get to know the two key characters and link them together in their minds. We will be using a similar paralleling technique to contrast the main female characters in our opening sequence.
The film starts with the clever transition of the opening credit (production logo and name) linking with what the actor can see with a POV shot on his computer screen- graphic match, with the opening credit appearing on the computer screen. This shows the audience that the environment the actor is in is modern and full of technology as the computer screen is up to date and touch screen. There is an establishing shot to show the location, suggesting that this is an established, busy workplace, this shot is not held for a long time and quickly changes back to a mid-shot on to the main character, which suggests an eventful office, it also shows that this scene is fast paced and that the actor is rushing through ideas.
A mid-shot is used when Dylan is talking to his employees to clearly show his expressions but also what he is talking about, as it is important to see the image on the computer screen in order to make it humorous. When the phone rings there is a graphic match. When the man, Dylan, picks up the phone, it also cuts to Jamie saying hello on her mobile, automatically giving the impression that these two are talking to each other, which is not the case, leaving the audience in suspense wondering when they are going to meet.
During the phone call between the two, cross cutting is used to show Dylan and Jamie speaking, this allows the audience to see both of the people’s emotions, and also to show the contrast between the stillness of Jamie waiting outside the cinema with no one around and the rushing of Dylan running around, struggling, in the crowds of people. During the shots of Dylan a group shot is used to give an impression of how chaotic it is and to give the feel of a typical American city.
The scene cuts to Jamie outside the cinema; an establishing shot is used again to show the viewer where Jamie is and to show that the place is empty. As Jamie’s partner appears and calls her name a close up is used on Jamie’s face, it shows how happy she is to see her partner. A two shot is used to show the intimacy between the pair, showing the audience that they are in a relationship. A two shot is also used with Dylan and his partner, although it is used not to show intimacy, it is used to show the tension between the pair, them being together but not being happy about it.
As both conversations between both pairs are taking place shot reverse shots are used. This not only conforms to filming conventions, but lets the audience show both the characters' reactions and expressions.
This is the opening credit showing the production company name and logo.
This is an establishing shot of the office- it shows the location to the viewer and shows that this is a busy work environment.
These pictures are a graphic match, they are both on the phone and their conversations link- this add a suspense to the viewer as you wonder if they are talking to each other
This is a close up of Jamie its shows her expressions and emphasises her reaction to seeing her partner.
Here are two shots to show intimacy between Jamie and her partner and how they are in a relationship, and the tension between Dylan and his partner and how she is annoyed with him for turning up late.
These are shot / reverse shots to make the scene look realistic and allow the viewer to see both characters’ reactions and expressions.
Use of Sound
The non- diegetic music used in the opening credits is a contemporary ‘pop’ tune. This suggests a modern era and shows that the characters followed in the film are young. As the main character, Dylan, begins to speak the non-diegetic music fades but does not disappear, this helps set the tempo of the opening scene, the fast beat gives the viewer a sense that Dylan is in a rush and panicking.
Diegetic sound is used throughout the scene, when the phone rings and when Dylan spills his coffee, this adds to the authenticity of the piece making it more realistic as without the sounds the piece would be silent. When Dylan and Jamie are on the phone there is a clear use of sound perspective. The audience can only hear the synchronous sound of cars when the shot is on Jamie speaking on the phone, when Dylan is in the shot speaking we only hear the background sound that was used in the scene before the phone call, showing that these characters are in completely different locations. Dialogue is used throughout the scene with both characters speaking when they are on the phone and when both partners are together it helps the viewer get a sense of the story and what could happen later on, it also add to the humour of the piece adding in funny lines from the characters. During these conversations between the pair there is a subtle use of synchronous sound, helping with the overall feel of the scene. It helps the viewer recognise that the street both the couples are standing on are busy, with car noises, sound of peoples footsteps and muffled voices.Overall
This was a good way to help the audience to get to know the two key characters and link them together in their minds. We will be using a similar paralleling technique to contrast the main female characters in our opening sequence.
Analysing Film Openings - Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine- The first two minutes
The piece starts with the Fox company logo. This shows the viewer who made the film and helps build the company’s reputation.
There is a black screen, and suddenly an extreme close up of the main character’s eyes and glasses are in shot. The extreme close up is used to show that the little girl is watching the television as you can see the television screen through her glasses. The close up of the glasses also shows the vulnerability of the little girl showing that she need her glasses as it slightly distorts them to make them seem big.
The shot switches to a POV shot so the viewer is in the viewpoint of the little girl watching television; this shows the viewer what is playing on the television and helps the viewer understand more about the girl’s character. In the POV shot there is also a close up of the women winning the beauty competition to again show her expressions and to help the viewer recognise that the little girl is copying what the women is doing on screen.
The shot switches from the POV television shot to the extreme close up of the girl to show how intensely the little girl is watching and what is happening on screen. A low angle mid shot is used to fully show the little girl, it also emphasises how small the little girl is compared to the rest of the room and how she is not necessarily the skinniest, prettiest girl, like the girls in the beauty competition, because the low angle is unflattering and shows she has a tubby stomach. This creates a feeling of vulnerability around her, and we find her character touching.
A side angle is used to indicate where the little girl is showing the whole of her living room and again to emphasise her size. Graphic match is used to link the little girl’s actions with how the woman is reacting after winning the competition. A mid shot is used to show how the girl is putting her hands against her face and this switches to a POV shot to show that this is what the woman is doing. There is also a graphic match to link to the next scene as a mid-shot is used to show the woman on the television waving her arms and the girl doing the same thing.
The next shot is then on the man waving his arms around during a presentation, showing a link in the actions. Another graphic match is used between the two scenes as they are both showing inspirational situations: a little girl being inspired by a beauty competition, and a man giving an inspirational speech. This helps the viewer recognise the films themes and helps them link two scenes together. The first shot of the man is a side close up showing his expressions and to give the impression that he is talking to a large crowd, even though he isn’t.
Again, to give the impression of the man talking to a large crowd, a side angle shot is used. This shot allows the viewer to see how big the stage is and restricts them from seeing the crowd that the man is talking too, suggesting that the crowd is big. For the rest of the extract a mid- shot is used to show the man on stage and what is on the projection screen behind him, helping the audience recognise the subject he is talking about.
Use of Sound
During the Fox company logo the Fox theme tune is used to help the audience associate the logo with the theme tune and building the company a reputation. As the film begins non-diegetic music is played, and this continues throughout the two minute extract. The music is simple but has an inspirational feel to it, this adds with the theme of the girl being inspired by the beauty competition and the man’s inspirational talk. Diegetic sound is used for the sound coming of the television, helping the viewer see the piece as realistic. Dialogue is also used when the man is talking in his speech; it gives an idea of what the man does as a job, helps the viewer understand the basic story and introduces the man as a character to them.
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This is Fox’s company logo it is used to show the viewer who made the film and to give the company a reputation.
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Overall
This is quite an unusual and inventive opening. There is less establishing than you might expect - we start with the camera close in and as if we are already in the middle of something. It's actually not until the end of the film that you realise how cleverly this opening set up all the key ideas.
The piece starts with the Fox company logo. This shows the viewer who made the film and helps build the company’s reputation.
There is a black screen, and suddenly an extreme close up of the main character’s eyes and glasses are in shot. The extreme close up is used to show that the little girl is watching the television as you can see the television screen through her glasses. The close up of the glasses also shows the vulnerability of the little girl showing that she need her glasses as it slightly distorts them to make them seem big.
The shot switches to a POV shot so the viewer is in the viewpoint of the little girl watching television; this shows the viewer what is playing on the television and helps the viewer understand more about the girl’s character. In the POV shot there is also a close up of the women winning the beauty competition to again show her expressions and to help the viewer recognise that the little girl is copying what the women is doing on screen.
The shot switches from the POV television shot to the extreme close up of the girl to show how intensely the little girl is watching and what is happening on screen. A low angle mid shot is used to fully show the little girl, it also emphasises how small the little girl is compared to the rest of the room and how she is not necessarily the skinniest, prettiest girl, like the girls in the beauty competition, because the low angle is unflattering and shows she has a tubby stomach. This creates a feeling of vulnerability around her, and we find her character touching.
A side angle is used to indicate where the little girl is showing the whole of her living room and again to emphasise her size. Graphic match is used to link the little girl’s actions with how the woman is reacting after winning the competition. A mid shot is used to show how the girl is putting her hands against her face and this switches to a POV shot to show that this is what the woman is doing. There is also a graphic match to link to the next scene as a mid-shot is used to show the woman on the television waving her arms and the girl doing the same thing.
The next shot is then on the man waving his arms around during a presentation, showing a link in the actions. Another graphic match is used between the two scenes as they are both showing inspirational situations: a little girl being inspired by a beauty competition, and a man giving an inspirational speech. This helps the viewer recognise the films themes and helps them link two scenes together. The first shot of the man is a side close up showing his expressions and to give the impression that he is talking to a large crowd, even though he isn’t.
Again, to give the impression of the man talking to a large crowd, a side angle shot is used. This shot allows the viewer to see how big the stage is and restricts them from seeing the crowd that the man is talking too, suggesting that the crowd is big. For the rest of the extract a mid- shot is used to show the man on stage and what is on the projection screen behind him, helping the audience recognise the subject he is talking about.
Use of Sound
During the Fox company logo the Fox theme tune is used to help the audience associate the logo with the theme tune and building the company a reputation. As the film begins non-diegetic music is played, and this continues throughout the two minute extract. The music is simple but has an inspirational feel to it, this adds with the theme of the girl being inspired by the beauty competition and the man’s inspirational talk. Diegetic sound is used for the sound coming of the television, helping the viewer see the piece as realistic. Dialogue is also used when the man is talking in his speech; it gives an idea of what the man does as a job, helps the viewer understand the basic story and introduces the man as a character to them.
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This is Fox’s company logo it is used to show the viewer who made the film and to give the company a reputation.
.png)
Here is an extreme close up of the girl’s eyes and glasses. It clearly shows the television screen through the glasses and shows how intensely the girl is watching the screen.
These are two POV shots so the viewer can see what the girl is watching. It helps the viewer get an idea to what the character is thinking and what the story is going to be about.
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This is a low angle mid shot- it is an unflattering angle to emphasise how different the little girl is compared to the women on television in the beauty competition.
This is a side angle and shows the location of the little girl and again emphasises her size compared to the room.
A graphic match is used as the girl puts her hands on her face exactly as the women in the beauty competition does. This shows that the woman inspires the little girl and encourages us to compare them.
This is a close up of the man introducing his character and helping the viewer to recognise his emotions, and how he is trying to inspire a crowd.
A mid shot is used to show the location of the man, to show that the man is presenting something, and to show how large the stage that he is speaking on is.
Overall
This is quite an unusual and inventive opening. There is less establishing than you might expect - we start with the camera close in and as if we are already in the middle of something. It's actually not until the end of the film that you realise how cleverly this opening set up all the key ideas.
Analysing Film Openings - The Others
The Others
The piece opens with three company logos, these help show the viewer who made the film and to use the production company’s reputation to reassure the audience. The piece then cuts to the opening credits, with a voiceover acting as a narrator underneath them. The voiceover is used to give the viewer an idea of the story it gives information and sets the tone for the film as the voice of the narrator is creepy, indicating to the audience that this film is a thriller and could be scary.
During the credits, images/ illustrated drawings appear behind them; these are images that relate to the story. Lighting is used on the images to draw attention to certain parts of the image that could show important parts of the films story. The lighting has a feel of candlelight as only half of the images are lit, and the lights flicker. This makes the images more mysterious and adds to the theme of the film as we wonder who is using the candle to read.
The rule of thirds is used to show the shots of the images because it shows the audience the whole picture, when certain parts of the images needed to be emphasised clever compositions and close ups were used to clearly show the viewer should be focusing on a specific part. After the credits an establishing shot is used to show the location of the film. This establishing shot is also aerial showing the whole picture and to emphasis the large amount of land surrounding the house. Along with the establishing and aerial shot, text is used to tell the viewer exactly where the piece is set and the date, this just helps the viewer understand where the film is set and refocuses the viewer to turn them away from the illustrations they have seen in the credits.
When the main character, the women screaming, is introduced, a canted angle helps to show that she is in distress, as the camera is at an uncomfortable angle for the viewer. There is a close up used on the women’s face so the viewer can clearly see her facial expressions, again it makes the viewer uncomfortable as it feels like the women is screaming directly in their face.
Use of Sound
The titles and company logos are played in silence. When the credits appear non-diegetic music is played underneath a voiceover of the narrator. This gives a ‘creepy’ feel to the piece as the music is often used in horror and thriller films, portraying to the viewer that the opening credits are supposed to leave them in suspense and anxiety. The non-diegetic music also relates to the time period that the film is set and the time the opening illustrations portray. This music continues during the establishing shot, this helps link both sections together, although the music has faded during this part to help the viewer recognise that the film is beginning. The voiceover is speaking dialogue and this helps set the scene for the viewer and helps them understand what the story is going to reveal. When the main character screams the non-diegetic music ends giving this a dramatic feel and ends the calmness of the piece linking in with the canted angle and this representing a distressing moment for the women.
Here are the company logos, these are used to help the viewer recognise who made the film, to advertise the film company producing the film and give them a reputation.
Here are the opening credits and the illustrations underneath them. The illustrations indicate the events of the film. Non- diegetic music is played in the background of this piece along with a voiceover, making the images seem more threatening to the viewer as the music is creepy.
This is an establishing shot of the location of the first scene; it is also aerial showing how large the land around the house is. This sets the scene for the viewer and shows a completely different perspective of the film from the opening credits.
This is a canted angle, its helps emphasis the distress of the women’s it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable as shots are not normally on an angle.
Overall
We will not be working in this genre but this was still useful to watch. Many of the elements are quiet and calm but the overall atmosphere is very creepy. I think this is important - you do not have to have lots of action or movement to create the atmosphere. Nothing particularly significant happens in our opening either but we want it to set the right tone.
The piece opens with three company logos, these help show the viewer who made the film and to use the production company’s reputation to reassure the audience. The piece then cuts to the opening credits, with a voiceover acting as a narrator underneath them. The voiceover is used to give the viewer an idea of the story it gives information and sets the tone for the film as the voice of the narrator is creepy, indicating to the audience that this film is a thriller and could be scary.
During the credits, images/ illustrated drawings appear behind them; these are images that relate to the story. Lighting is used on the images to draw attention to certain parts of the image that could show important parts of the films story. The lighting has a feel of candlelight as only half of the images are lit, and the lights flicker. This makes the images more mysterious and adds to the theme of the film as we wonder who is using the candle to read.
The rule of thirds is used to show the shots of the images because it shows the audience the whole picture, when certain parts of the images needed to be emphasised clever compositions and close ups were used to clearly show the viewer should be focusing on a specific part. After the credits an establishing shot is used to show the location of the film. This establishing shot is also aerial showing the whole picture and to emphasis the large amount of land surrounding the house. Along with the establishing and aerial shot, text is used to tell the viewer exactly where the piece is set and the date, this just helps the viewer understand where the film is set and refocuses the viewer to turn them away from the illustrations they have seen in the credits.
When the main character, the women screaming, is introduced, a canted angle helps to show that she is in distress, as the camera is at an uncomfortable angle for the viewer. There is a close up used on the women’s face so the viewer can clearly see her facial expressions, again it makes the viewer uncomfortable as it feels like the women is screaming directly in their face.
Use of Sound
The titles and company logos are played in silence. When the credits appear non-diegetic music is played underneath a voiceover of the narrator. This gives a ‘creepy’ feel to the piece as the music is often used in horror and thriller films, portraying to the viewer that the opening credits are supposed to leave them in suspense and anxiety. The non-diegetic music also relates to the time period that the film is set and the time the opening illustrations portray. This music continues during the establishing shot, this helps link both sections together, although the music has faded during this part to help the viewer recognise that the film is beginning. The voiceover is speaking dialogue and this helps set the scene for the viewer and helps them understand what the story is going to reveal. When the main character screams the non-diegetic music ends giving this a dramatic feel and ends the calmness of the piece linking in with the canted angle and this representing a distressing moment for the women.
Here are the opening credits and the illustrations underneath them. The illustrations indicate the events of the film. Non- diegetic music is played in the background of this piece along with a voiceover, making the images seem more threatening to the viewer as the music is creepy.
This is an establishing shot of the location of the first scene; it is also aerial showing how large the land around the house is. This sets the scene for the viewer and shows a completely different perspective of the film from the opening credits.
This is a canted angle, its helps emphasis the distress of the women’s it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable as shots are not normally on an angle.
Overall
We will not be working in this genre but this was still useful to watch. Many of the elements are quiet and calm but the overall atmosphere is very creepy. I think this is important - you do not have to have lots of action or movement to create the atmosphere. Nothing particularly significant happens in our opening either but we want it to set the right tone.
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