Cinematography At the beginning of the clip ‘Panic Room’ we see many shots of the location, which is the city. We see many mid shots and close-ups of this opening sequences location, there are many panning shots of the location. By seeing this location the viewer may think that this is where they live or work. The viewer may think that these characters have an office like work-life and that they are boring characters. There are birds eye view shots in this opening sequence to show the location more. There are also high and low angle shots used in this opening sequence, also showing the location more. Also just by showing this particular location could make the viewer think, will it happen outside in a big area like this.
Mise-en-scene No people or characters have been shown yet so the viewer will not know who they will be watching, all the viewer will know at this point is where the location may be set and that the characters could lead a life in this sort of environment. Having the same shots of a busy place like this can in a way show the viewer of what the character could be like, the character may be a workaholic or they may lead a laid back lifestyle. Editing The buildings are shown a lot in this opening sequence and they have been shown not in an order as it does not matter if they are in order because they still look good. There are only good shots of the buildings from different points and the only thing that has been specially done in this opening sequence are the names of the actors being shown on the buildings.
Sound The sound for this opening sequence starts off very quietly, this could be showing that this is a sad film. The sound is also non-diagetic at this point and slow paced, also the sound can be classed as quite eerie and creepy because it is so quiet, it feels as if something is going to happen, something bad. When we get to the title ‘Panic Room’ the music starts to speed and it starts to get louder as if to say to the viewer ‘yes something is going to happen’.
Cinematography At the beginning of the clip of ‘The Watchmen’ we see a mid shot of two men or ‘action heroes’ fighting, showing to the viewer that this movie is an action movie. We then see another mid shot of a woman, showing to the viewer another ‘action hero’. We then see a mid shot of once again an ‘action hero’ who has this time caught a bank robber and is posing for the cameras. So far all of these shots are showing the viewer that there are a number of action heroes that are fighting the bad. We then see a long shot moving into a mid shot of all the ‘action heroes’ posing for the camera, this shows the viewer who all of the ‘action heroes’ are so the viewer won’t get them confused. While these ‘action heroes’ are posing for the camera beneath them we see the title appear. As the viewer is watching, they will see things start to take a turn for the worst as we see a long shot of an ‘action hero’ dead. We also see a panning shot of a ‘hero’ running for a car. The viewer will see from all of these shots and will get the idea that most of these ‘action heroes’ have been found dead or they have become bad and lazy.
Mise-en-scene We can see from this opening sequence that this film has been set in a different time to present day just by the costumes that the people in the background are wearing. The costumes of the ‘action heroes’ are shown to be very colourful and bright so that they are standing out from the crowd. There is no location or setting of this particular opening sequence, it just shows parts of homes, halls and the city. During the time we see the characters, in the background there are credits being shown in a bright colour, this is so that they are defiantly being seen because they stand out.
Editing To get the audience hooked into the film we see different shots of different heroes, this would want to make the audience want to know more of what is going on. The viewer will see many clips of the ‘heroes’ which are also shown in the movie itself. We also see that there are many clips in which the rule of thirds is used.
Sound The sound for this opening sequence seems almost childlike by the fast paced voice singing, the voice sounds as if it has been fast forwarded and the background music to that has not. The sound in the opening sequence is non-diagetic as we cannot hear an people or traffic.
When we first see the opening sequence we see the Marvel pictures flashing on our screens, the viewer will automatically expect this as it is the same for any other Marvel film. The music is also non-diagetic all through these opening credits, we also see along the way the names of the people who are starring in the film and what production the film is made by which would be expected by the viewer. The viewer see's many shots of spider webs leading up to when the title Spider-Man 2 is about to be shown on the screen. The viewers would be hooked in as there are shots showing the viewers of how Spider-Man became who he is and shots of his friends in a comic drawn way which looks good. This opening sequence is very slow paced and creates an atmosphere, but not a scary atmosphere.
The Trailer
You can see from this trailer that it fulfils the things that the viewer wants to see. The viewer can see what people are starring in it and can also see characters from the previous film so they already know a bit about the storyline. The viewer can see from the trailer that it is the same classic storyline as films made before and after this, it's a baddie trying to get the good guy; Spider-Man. The viewer see's plenty of action - the 'good bits' without anything being given away. In the middle of the trailer we see many shots of the woman and man, going from mid-shot to mid close-up and to a close-up of the man which makes the viewer want to know "what happens next?" The music at some points is non-diagetic but also diagetic throughout the trailer.
We watched the opening sequence of the thriller Se7en in class, this thriller showed something; a book perhaps being made. From what was being made showed something sinister going on, during the making of this object we saw many close-ups to show the unnormal things that this person was doing. The music during the opening sequence was non-diagetic and this creepy music seems to draw the viewers in as well as what is going on, on the screen. The sound of the music going on while something sinister is being made draws the viewers in because they want to know more about what is going on, they have questions they want answered, this would make them watch the film.
Se7en Trailer
This trailer gives the viewer an overview of what the story is about. You can see from the trailer that this movie is sinister and shows you 'the good bits' to get the viewer to see the movie and be hooked in. We can also see from the movie trailer who is starring in this thriller movie. The trailer seems very action packed and so this shows the viewers many mid-shots of people.
This is the trailer for The Sixth Sense, as you can see this trailer shows 'the good bits' to get the viewer hooked and to make them want to watch the movie. This trailer gives you an overview of what the story is about and who is starring in this well known thriller. We also watch the opening sequence of the film, the opening sequence showed something sinister going on just by the lighting and the location of a character. The opening sequence was also slow paced, this would make the viewers have questions of 'what is going to happen?', It hooks the viewers in.
The titles of the film appear to be fading onto the screen; they look as if they are flying towards the viewer as we look at them in the black background. The darkness and how the titles appear slow paced makes the mood quite scary and creepy. The colouring of the titles stand out because they are such as bright colour in such as dark background, once again making the mood of this opening sequence seem creepy and also quite sinister.
Setting and Location
There are a few different settings and locations within this opening sequence, but firstly we start of with a woman going into a wine cellar to pick a bottle of wine so that she can take it to the next place we see which is upstairs in a big house. The setting at the beginning is also quite creepy because it seems as if someone is watching the woman get the bottle of wine. The woman goes upstairs to the big house and although it does not seem as creepy as before it feels lonely because there are only two people in a big house by themselves.
Costumes and Location
The viewer first see's the woman in the wine cellar in which the woman is wearing a nice dress as if she were going out for the evening, in this opening sequence that is not the case where the woman is going out because we see her in a big house with a man, whom is one of the main characters. The man's costume consists of a shirt and smart trousers, once again showing that he also could be going out for the evening. The costumes could tell the viewer that these two characters have just been out somewhere nice and come back home and are finishing the night with a bottle of wine.
Camerawork and Editing
The titles of the film are edited as slow paced and are shown to be in the centre of the page. We see a good close-up of a light powering up which is a good way to go into the film. There is a mid-shot of the woman when she is going to the shelves where the wine is and it looks as if someone or something is watching her, this is also slow paced. We then see a two shot of the man and woman when they are talking. After the woman has come back from the cellar the shots begin to get a bit fast paced.
Title Font and Style
The title font seems to be in capital letters which makes the opening of this film seem more scary and thrilling. The colouring of the font is a bright colour shown in a dark background showing the film is sinister and scary.
The Story - How the opening sets it up
The opening sequence sets the story up a bit because it shows that as the opening sequence seems more sinister and scary the rest of the film could be sinister and scary. Also when we see the woman in the wine cellar it seems as if someone or something is watching the woman and so this could set the story up to show that something is lurking around watching the characters and waiting to strike at these characters.
Genre - How the opening suggests it
The opening suggests that this film has the genres of mystery and the genre of thriller. The opening suggests this because what is watching the woman in the shadows is a mystery and also thrilling to the viewer. Also when the man and woman are in the house alone it is thrilling because the viewer does not know what to expect and it seems almost odd that there are only two people in this big house.
Introducing the Characters
So far we only see what we think are two characters of this film as this is a short opening sequence. We see a woman introduced by going down to a wine cellar and a man introduced when the woman goes back up to the house and we see him waiting for her.
Special Shots and Effects
We firstly see a special shot of the woman when she is in the wine cellar; we see this shot through the shelves of where the wine is stacked. The shot of the woman through the shelves looks as if someone or something is watching her. We then see a long shot of the woman through the staircase when she seems slightly scared as she is alone; once again this shot looks as if someone or something is watching her. There is a special shot of when the man and woman are sitting together and are looking at something which shows their reflection.
I think that Memento is a good opening sequence as all that the viewer wants from an opening sequence they get with this opening sequence. With this opening sequence the viewer will get the titles, be hooked in, feel curious, have questions and feel a certain atmosphere.
We first see the titles appearing onto our screens and to get the viewer hooked in the titles are slow paced with non-diagetic music to set the mood. A hand holding a photograph appears in the background of the title 'Memento' and thats where the viewer see's the hand holding the gruesome photograph in which if the viewer is not already hooked in then they will be now. When we see the hand holding the photo we see a gruesome image which can tell the viewer that the person holding this photo is not a nice character, someone dangerous and someone who's path you do not want to cross. Just at the point of the image of a hand holding a photograph are all slow paced shots until then. We see this hand shaking the photograph as if to get it to appear, accept the photo is disappearing in which could tell the viewer that this is not only a dangerous character but someone who wants to forget this memory.
We then move onto the next slow paced scene of a a man (the main character) with that photograph which the viewer just saw putting the photo back into the camera as this scene is being rewound to show the viewer from the start what happened. This so far ticks the boxes for getting the viewer hooked in and letting the viewer have questions as well as the right kind of mood and atmosphere being created. The above reasons are as to why I think that this is the good and right kind of opening sequence.
The title of the film - when and how does it appear on the screen?
The title of the film first appears in a black background and then the background becomes and image of a hand holding a picture. This hand then starts to shake the picture, although the viewer may think it is to get the picture to appear, it is shown not to be when the picture disappears. The title appears in blue writing and takes up most of the screen as it slowly fades in making the film look a bit creepy.
When and how is the setting/location revealed to the viewer?
The viewer does not really see a setting during this opening sequence as there are so many shots and close-ups of the main actor, we don't see a setting. There is a location shown to the viewer quickly in this opening sequence of a dark gloomy place where a man has just been killed. The setting/location is revealed to the viewer just after we see the close-up of the main character, he is shown to be in a motel room.
Key props - what shot types are used to reveal these to the viewer?
Most of the shots to reveal the props to the viewer are close-ups, for example; there is a close-up of the main characters gun, although it may not be his gun. The viewer will see at the beginning of the opening sequence a close-up of a hand holding a photograph, the viewer can see from this shot that a photograph perhaps could be one of the main props used within this film, this could make the mood a bit scary because if a photograph is taken of most things the viewer may think that the character is a bad guy because he takes photographs of unpleasant sights. There is also a close-up of a camera, also once again showing the viewer that most of this film could be about taking pictures.
Title font, placement and style - how do the actors' names, etc appear on the screen. What are the connotations of the font choice for the titles and credits?
The title font is very bold so it stands out to the viewer and the placement of the title taking up the whole screen also makes it stand out so that the viewer can see it. The titles, credits and actors' names appear on the screen in a blue colour, this makes the writing stand out to the viewer. The title appears on the screen to fade into a black background, because it is such as dark background it makes the mood creepy. The colours of the titles and credits are blue and the connotations associated with this show that this film could be sad as blue is the colour of tears as we know it.
Camera work and Editing
Some of the camera work shows a close-up of a hand holding a photograph which could show the viewer that the person holding this photograph is not a nice person because of the image on the paper. A close-up of a man who has blood down his face could show the viewer that he is either a victim of something or a bad guy at first until we see him with a gun. There is another close-up of a bullet but this is being rewinded as it shows the events in which took place. The opening sequence has quite slow paced shots, during these slow paced shots the viewer will see the event which have just taken place as it rewinds. The cutting of the shots at the beginning is slow paced until we see the shots rewind, the cutting of the shots start to get faster.
How does the opening sequence relate to the rest of the film?
The opening sequence of this film relates to the rest of the film as this shows what has happened between the two characters and what the main character is capable of doing. We can see from this opening sequence that the scenes keep going back in time and so that is what most of the film will be like. Also this opening sequence relates as the event which has just taken place could be what could happen at the end and so we are seeing the ending before the beginning and the rest of the film is showing how this event has come about.
The Four Elements
Cinematography We see the title 'Memento' appear on the screen and then a person's hand holding a picture in a close-up shot, this close-up of the picture and hand could tell the viewer of what this film includes and by the look of the picture the viewer could get the feel at the beginning that the person holding the picture is not a good person. We then see a close-up of two hands as the picture has just disappeared, the viewer will see that this is being rewound. There is always the close-up of the picture and camera, showing the viewer that most of this film could be about taking pictures, this is a key part in the film. The viewer will then see a close-up of the man, this is the main character. There is then a close-up of blood going back into a wound, this shows that someone has been hurt. The viewer then see's close-ups of a bullet, gun, glasses and a dead man, this all rewinds so the viewer knows what went wrong.
Mise-en-scene The composition of the titles for this thriller are set in the centre, although we don't see all of the titles in this particular version of the opening sequence. The setting of this opening sequence looks as if it is somewhere that no one would go to, somewhere that no one lives, this shows the viewer why the main character brought the man there as no one goes there. Some of the props used are a camera and gun, these props could make the viewer think; "Are these the key props being used?". The colors during this opening sequence are very dull and dark, this could tell the viewer that this is a dark film. The costume that the dead person is wearing could show that he is a normal everyday person, but the costume that the main character is wearing could show the viewer that this is someone important.
Editing At the beginning the title is on a black screen and the hand and photo fade onto the screen. This opening sequence has quite slow paced shots and during this opening sequence the viewer will see that the event that has just taken place rewinds to just before the main character shoots the man. The cutting at the beginning is very slow but when we get to the part where the events rewind, then the cutting starts to get a bit faster. Also when the picture is disappearing at the beginning it could represent a memory fading away.
Sound The sound in this particular opening sequence is non-diagetic, there is also no dialogue until the man who has just been killed says "no". We can also hear the sounds of the camera taking a picture, the gun being shot and at the beginning we can hear the photo being shaken to get rid of the image although it would be someone trying to get the image.
When creating a film there must be titles of who put what into the film and these are normally shown at the end of the film but can sometimes be shown at the beginning. The less important titles are shown right at the end of the film and the most important titles are shown either at the beginning of the film or at the beginning of the end. Some of the titles that are shown are:
Main actors Supporting actors Cinematographer Production supervisor Art director Set director Assitant director Producer Sound Casting supervisor Makeup
A title sequence looks like what you can see on the right. This particular title sequence is of Spider-Man 2 which is a thriller film. The mood that the sequence on the right creates is that it is a mystery in some way because if a viewer who had never seen the film before were to see this title sequence then I expect they would be a bit confused and think that the images being shown were a mystery. For the viewers who have seen the first film out of the three films created they would know what is going on and they would know what the title sequence was about, the mood that would be created for them could be excitement because this seems like such an exciting and thrilling film just by the showing of the title sequence.
Some of the shots used are the normal close-ups and long-shots of people or objects. The first image of the 'Marvel' title is placed right in the centre of the screen and is quite large to show viewers of who put their time into this. There is also the shot of the Spider-Man 2 title which is taking up most of the screen and is set right in the centre. As we go along this title sequence we are seeing a story of how this person became Spider-Man and also some of the characters who are in the film. The seventh shot in the sequence shows the bad guy in a close-up whereas in the last shot we see a mid-shot of Spider-Man himself.
I think that this title sequence fits with my genre because it is a thriller film and I am also going to create a thriller film. The film may be able to help give some ideas of what shots could be used in my own thriller film.
As well as being an action and adventure genre, this also has a romantic genre and thriller genre to it.
This is an overview of the story or the plot that must grab your attention. A movie trailer shows 'the good bits' of the action going on and some of the time this will have a voiceover of what could happen. A movie trailer has montage and fast paced editing as well as being able to persuade the viewer to go and watch the movie. This also has who is starring in the movie, but we don't want a giveaway.
What is an opening sequence?
This will have titles and be able to hook the viewer in as well as being able to establish the setting. An opening sequence is slow paced and leads you into the story line, this also creates an atmosphere, a mood and a tone. An opening sequence must make the viewer feel curious and engaged as if they have questions that they want answered. The soundtrack to an opening sequence helps to create and tone and an atmosphere.
We have been set the task of creating a thriller movie. Although originally it was a thriller movie we were going to create we also have the choice to create a romantic comedy or use any other genre. We must make sure that our opening sequence stands out by looking for good locations, using good props and making sure we use the four elements of cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing and sound well.
Recently we have been doing a lot of mock tests, one on a short Doctor Who clip and another on a clip from a show called White Girl. The writer of White Girl being Abi Morgan and the director being Hettie Mc Donald. For both short pieces we had to watch the clip over four times, the first time the watching the clip, the second time watching the clip and making notes, the third time watching the clip and making more notes and finally the fourth time starting the test while the clip is still playing. We only get to spend 25 minutes on the test and 5 minutes watching the clips and making notes. Once we had completed both mock tests, one in class and one for homework, we peer evaluated them giving each other at least 5 WWW's and 5 EBI's.
Some people within the class thought that the film could have used a bit more flare and could have used match on action. The film could have been more interesting and then story line could have been slightly improved. There could have been more different shot types and angles within the film.
How I will use this feedback in my next task?
I will try to make the plot of the film more interesting and have more flare. I will also try to make sure that I use match on action within the next task. I will make sure that there are many different shot types and angles within the next task.
I found that people thought my group and I has used shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule well. They also thought that there was a good use of shot types and angles, such as; when you see Alisha walking down the hallway towards the door she is about to knock on. Alisha and Sophie acted well within the film and the film flowed together because of the conversation that was going on.
How I will use this feedback in my next task?
I will make sure that all of the feedback for this task will apply to the next task but I will make the next task even better by using a range of shots and angles.
