After making some changes to the audio, adding some credits and cutting some shots, I have finalised and re-uploaded the video to YouTube. I think these alterations will make the piece more refined due to the attention to detail.
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Evaluation Commentary
I have made a video featuring our opening sequence, a storyboard walk-through, photos from the location shots photo shoot and filming day photo shoot, our promotional poster and images of our inspiration, with our evaluation in the form of a director's commentary over the visuals. I have used the same music as featured in the opening sequence in the background of the evaluation video, with an additional track in the middle (written and recorded by myself) with the vocals removed, supporting our idea to use the film to promote unsigned musicians. I found it interesting to use my editing skills to create an analytical video rather than a fictitious piece, challenge myself for a final time within the project.
As you can see from the storyboard walk-through, many of the shots that we had planned changed when we began filming as we were inspired by the natural lighting and general atmosphere of the location. I believe that these changes improved the piece as it seems to flow more naturally.
I included Milly's photography in the video as many of the images had not been featured on the blog before now, creating effectively a 'special features' section for viewers. The shots fit perfectly with the tone of the film: artistic, grungy, urban, with a sense of danger. Many of the photos also draw attention to the bag which encourages the audience to wonder why this item is so important. I also included the promotional poster that I created using more of Milly's photography, mainly because we are so pleased with how it looks.
I added promotional posters of the films/TV shows that have inspired us throughout the creation of the film in many different areas from plot to poster design, following on from our own promotional poster. I used this as a visually pleasing way to credit them, as well as featuring them on the blog previously.
I repeated the opening sequence at the end of the video so that the audience can watch it for a final time with a new insight. I thought it would be interesting for them to see it after listening to the commentary and seeing the 'behind the scenes' images as they may have a better understanding of our intentions when creating it.
Credits for the evaluation commentary
Commentary: Sophie Hodgson
Editing: Sophie Hodgson
Photography: Milly Cope
Model: Burt Cope
Storyboard: Sophie Hodgson
Music: Burt Cope (Track 1) and Sophie Hodgson (Track 2)
As you can see from the storyboard walk-through, many of the shots that we had planned changed when we began filming as we were inspired by the natural lighting and general atmosphere of the location. I believe that these changes improved the piece as it seems to flow more naturally.
 |
| I got the idea to do a storyboard walk-through within the video from the special features of many of the old Disney films. For example, this still is from a storyboard walk-through for The Lion King. I have always enjoyed comparing the original sketches to the finished product as it gives you an insight into how the film is produced. This was the reason I wanted to include this feature in the video. |
I included Milly's photography in the video as many of the images had not been featured on the blog before now, creating effectively a 'special features' section for viewers. The shots fit perfectly with the tone of the film: artistic, grungy, urban, with a sense of danger. Many of the photos also draw attention to the bag which encourages the audience to wonder why this item is so important. I also included the promotional poster that I created using more of Milly's photography, mainly because we are so pleased with how it looks.
I added promotional posters of the films/TV shows that have inspired us throughout the creation of the film in many different areas from plot to poster design, following on from our own promotional poster. I used this as a visually pleasing way to credit them, as well as featuring them on the blog previously.
I repeated the opening sequence at the end of the video so that the audience can watch it for a final time with a new insight. I thought it would be interesting for them to see it after listening to the commentary and seeing the 'behind the scenes' images as they may have a better understanding of our intentions when creating it.
Credits for the evaluation commentary
Commentary: Sophie Hodgson
Editing: Sophie Hodgson
Photography: Milly Cope
Model: Burt Cope
Storyboard: Sophie Hodgson
Music: Burt Cope (Track 1) and Sophie Hodgson (Track 2)
CAGED
C - Class
The only characters featured in the opening sequence are both working class. Working class/lower class encompasses so many different groups and situations that there is not really a stereotype for working class in general. However, in the past the lower class has been stereotyped within the media as rough, violent, not very well spoken, uneducated, with a low income etc. As the representations of the characters are limited in the opening sequence due to a mysterious portrayal and very short amount of time, it is hard to comment on whether they fit with this stereotype. However, with what we have devised of the characters I can say that Dex definitely fits with the the roughness and violence, and he is not very well educated. Challenging this, he has a fairly high income due to working for the secret organisation that Jesse is unknowingly challenging, as a general errand runner and bodyguard-like figure. He has been selected by the organisation due to his very normal appearance, as this enables him to blend in and go unnoticed. Jesse's parents are of a higher social status, whilst still within the working class category, mainly due to their income from secretly working for the organisation also. This has put Jesse in a comfortable position as a student provided for by his parents. Although Jesse seems relatively rough, this is simply because he is rebelling against what he thinks is a very normal family.
A - Age
When devising Jesse's character we used the stereotype of teenagers used in the media as a reference. For example, teenagers are often presented as rude, rebellious, withdrawn from society etc. - all identifiers that Jesse clearly into.
"Four in five teens felt they were unfairly represented in the media and, of these a vast majority -85%- said this was affecting their chances of getting a job" - BBC, 2014
We wanted to challenge this stereotype by originally conforming, then surprising the audience by making Jesse attempt to bring down an organisation that has taken over; saving everyone from a country where every thought is controlled and planned.
"Four in five teens felt they were unfairly represented in the media and, of these a vast majority -85%- said this was affecting their chances of getting a job" - BBC, 2014
We wanted to challenge this stereotype by originally conforming, then surprising the audience by making Jesse attempt to bring down an organisation that has taken over; saving everyone from a country where every thought is controlled and planned.
G - Gender
We only represent men in our opening sequence as the scene simply doesn't involve any of the female characters yet. As a feminist I believe in gender equality and regret that we are not promoting this at the first opportunity possible. However the female lead does end up to be highly involved in the organisation showing that she is in a high power job - higher than both Jesse and Dex.
E - Ethnicity
The two men in our opening sequence are both white as we wanted to challenge the stereotype of violent black/asian etc male gang members that has been created by the media. We could include different ethnicities later on in the film by hiring extras of various ethnicities. We could also cast an asian actress to play Alexa as this group is often under-represented in the media, rarely being cast in lead roles.
The two men in our opening sequence are both white as we wanted to challenge the stereotype of violent black/asian etc male gang members that has been created by the media. We could include different ethnicities later on in the film by hiring extras of various ethnicities. We could also cast an asian actress to play Alexa as this group is often under-represented in the media, rarely being cast in lead roles.
D - Disability
We have not obviously represented any disabilities within the opening sequence or the full film. However, we have focused on disabilities that go unseen; for example, dyslexia, depression, ADHD and more. We have included this by subtly altering each character's traits to fit with these mental disabilities.
We have not obviously represented any disabilities within the opening sequence or the full film. However, we have focused on disabilities that go unseen; for example, dyslexia, depression, ADHD and more. We have included this by subtly altering each character's traits to fit with these mental disabilities.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Group Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
We took inspiration from the film Drive, directed by Nicholas Winding Refn for our opening credits, mirroring the order in which the credits appear as well as the ambiguity of the opening scene. For example, Ryan Gosling is seen driving whilst the audience is unaware of where to and why. There is also no significant introduction to the character. In our film, the audience is unsure as to why Jesse is being told to take the bag to the lift as more of the storyline will be revealed later on in the film.
We also took inspiration from the TV series American Horror Story, dressing Jesse in a similar way to the character Tate in season 1. The two characters are juxtaposed due to Tate's role as an evil killer and Jesse's role as the protagonist. Tate has an almost military style, with large boots and a dark coat using an earthy colour palette. Both characters present a disturbed persona of a young white male.
When watching the 2001 Sci-Fi K-Pax we noticed how prominent the use of lighting is throughout the film, due to Kevin Spacey's character, Prot, claiming to have travelled to Earth through a beam of light. At many points in K-PAX the lighting technique Bokeh can be seen. We decided to use this technique when creating our film because of the word and its connections to our plot: Bokeh comes from the Japanese term Boke meaning a sense of mental haze, relating to the instability of Jesse's mental world.
For the shots where Jesse is running up the stairs, we looked into some action sequences online and found a scene from The Bourne Ultimatum. The scene shows the main protagonist running through hallways and jumping out of windows etc. with fast cutting. In order to achieve a similar effect we filmed lots of short clips from different angles, cutting them all together using match on action.
In order to develop conventions of other psychological thrillers we decided to use a realistic urban environment as the location for our opening sequence with only a low budget. This meant that we had to rely on natural lighting and focus on continuity between shots. For example ensuring that the lighting was not drastically different. We also had to film in the order that the light would change naturally in the scene, getting darker as the sequence progresses.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our opening sequence we represent white males only. If we were to create the rest of the film we would attempt to subtlety represent as many other social groups as possible.
For example we would like to use a variety of extras who represent different groups. This would include different genders, couples of varying sexualities, people with disabilities, people with different body images, different ethnicities and different ages. We used a white male to play Dex so as not to use the negative stereotypes of gangsters that have been formed by films of similar genres. Due to films such as Adulthood (2008), teenagers have been labelled with a negative stereotype; we wanted to subtly conform to this stereotype by involving the protagonist in what he thinks is illegal activity. Contrary to this, we are challenging the stereotype of women as weak and vulnerable by initially making the audience believe that Alexa has taken by a group of men and needs to be saved by Jesse, when in fact she was involved in the organisation from the beginning.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film could be shown in local cinemas as well as film festivals. To reach young adult audiences it could be shown at small independent cinemas with a low ticket price whilst encouraging them to use social media to advertise our film. It could also be available for downloading as this is a popular way for young audiences to purchase films. In order to advertise our film to this audience, we will attempt to promote online using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We would also like to promote through film magazines such as Empire and Total film, we would also take this further by trying to get interest from art based magazines such as I-D and Dazed & Confused which represent an underground and alternative style - similar to the style we want our film to convey. Through our film we would like to promote new emerging unsigned talent, this can be seen within the opening sequence through the actors and the music used.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The age of the protagonist might mean that an audience of a similar age would be attracted to our film because they feel they can personally relate to the experience of adolescence. However, we would aim to create interest in a audience of a universal age range. The grungy and underground feel of our film would also change who would have interest in our film. The genre of our film would mean that we could attract an audience that are psychological thriller enthusiasts. It may also attract people who are involved in the art scene because of the artistic elements within our film. although we cant generalise and expect all young people to enjoy this film; due to a massive variety of interests that they could have. For example two people of the same ethnicity, gender and age group may have completely differing interests in film. We should have a premiere with a specially selected audience consisting of different social groups, followed by a question and answer session at the end of the premiere. We would do this to gather feedback on what other social groups we could include and continue to target through new marketing schemes.
How did you attract/address your audience?
We used various ways to attract and address our audience. We wanted to capture the audiences attention through both subtle and the more obvious elements to our film. One example of something we used was the music which created tension for the audience and made them want to continue watching. We also used point of view shots to include the audience within the action of the film, this allowed them to see through the eyes of the protagonist and therefore would enable them to feel as if they are at one with the motion and the narrative. We didn't use any birds eye or worms eye perspective shots because we felt that this would make the audience feel distant from the action. Most of the shots we used are at a 'human' level and therefore mean that the audience can picture themselves being apart of the film.
The use of realism induced by the location and film style has allowed us to possibly attract an audience who are drawn to films with a lower budget with a focus on artistic shots/lighting etc as well as a sense of authenticity; as apposed to multimillion pound hits.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
As mentioned previously, we used natural lighting when filming our opening sequence. However, looking back it would have been less of a challenge to ensure continuity had we used professional lighting equipment. Although, this may have sacrificed the realism that is now one of the vital aspects of our film. In order to create a slightly surreal and grungy atmosphere we altered the exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation and white point of each shot. We put the techniques learned in media theory into practice when editing, ensuring our match on action was as seamless as possible, adding pleonastic non-diegetic music (made especially for the film), recording and editing voice overs, also adding the diegetic click of the boot lock over the visuals (ensuring the sound was synchronous with the visuals).
When filming we focused strongly on shot composition as this is a vital technique for making the shots aesthetically pleasing for the audience. For example, throughout the film we used asymmetric composition with Jesse on one side of the shot and empty space on the other, suggesting that he is about to move into that empty space. This is a subtle technique that makes the audience believe they know what is about to happen, when the narrative holds surprises.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
We have learnt that the planning stages of filmmaking are key to creating a quality piece. When creating the preliminary task we did not focus on creating a plot or script which meant that we lacked in content. By correcting these mistakes with the final film we were able to achieve a more smoothly run filming process. Also, the audio was really bad quality in the preliminary task, with quiet dialogue and lots of background noise. This was something that has drastically improved with the final task due to more skill and more time spent checking the audio. Using a high quality microphone to record audio to be overlaid later ensured that the audio was clearer.
Due to the film being devised by us, we felt more inclined to make it a high quality piece of work. The potential possibilities of what we could achieve with the film motivated us to create something unique and something that we would be proud of; we crafted a piece which we felt demonstrated our artistic perspective. Improved technical skills during the filming and editing process helped us to achieve this finished product.
We took inspiration from the film Drive, directed by Nicholas Winding Refn for our opening credits, mirroring the order in which the credits appear as well as the ambiguity of the opening scene. For example, Ryan Gosling is seen driving whilst the audience is unaware of where to and why. There is also no significant introduction to the character. In our film, the audience is unsure as to why Jesse is being told to take the bag to the lift as more of the storyline will be revealed later on in the film.
We also took inspiration from the TV series American Horror Story, dressing Jesse in a similar way to the character Tate in season 1. The two characters are juxtaposed due to Tate's role as an evil killer and Jesse's role as the protagonist. Tate has an almost military style, with large boots and a dark coat using an earthy colour palette. Both characters present a disturbed persona of a young white male.
When watching the 2001 Sci-Fi K-Pax we noticed how prominent the use of lighting is throughout the film, due to Kevin Spacey's character, Prot, claiming to have travelled to Earth through a beam of light. At many points in K-PAX the lighting technique Bokeh can be seen. We decided to use this technique when creating our film because of the word and its connections to our plot: Bokeh comes from the Japanese term Boke meaning a sense of mental haze, relating to the instability of Jesse's mental world.
For the shots where Jesse is running up the stairs, we looked into some action sequences online and found a scene from The Bourne Ultimatum. The scene shows the main protagonist running through hallways and jumping out of windows etc. with fast cutting. In order to achieve a similar effect we filmed lots of short clips from different angles, cutting them all together using match on action.
In order to develop conventions of other psychological thrillers we decided to use a realistic urban environment as the location for our opening sequence with only a low budget. This meant that we had to rely on natural lighting and focus on continuity between shots. For example ensuring that the lighting was not drastically different. We also had to film in the order that the light would change naturally in the scene, getting darker as the sequence progresses.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our opening sequence we represent white males only. If we were to create the rest of the film we would attempt to subtlety represent as many other social groups as possible.
For example we would like to use a variety of extras who represent different groups. This would include different genders, couples of varying sexualities, people with disabilities, people with different body images, different ethnicities and different ages. We used a white male to play Dex so as not to use the negative stereotypes of gangsters that have been formed by films of similar genres. Due to films such as Adulthood (2008), teenagers have been labelled with a negative stereotype; we wanted to subtly conform to this stereotype by involving the protagonist in what he thinks is illegal activity. Contrary to this, we are challenging the stereotype of women as weak and vulnerable by initially making the audience believe that Alexa has taken by a group of men and needs to be saved by Jesse, when in fact she was involved in the organisation from the beginning.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film could be shown in local cinemas as well as film festivals. To reach young adult audiences it could be shown at small independent cinemas with a low ticket price whilst encouraging them to use social media to advertise our film. It could also be available for downloading as this is a popular way for young audiences to purchase films. In order to advertise our film to this audience, we will attempt to promote online using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We would also like to promote through film magazines such as Empire and Total film, we would also take this further by trying to get interest from art based magazines such as I-D and Dazed & Confused which represent an underground and alternative style - similar to the style we want our film to convey. Through our film we would like to promote new emerging unsigned talent, this can be seen within the opening sequence through the actors and the music used.
 |
| For example, the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford |
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The age of the protagonist might mean that an audience of a similar age would be attracted to our film because they feel they can personally relate to the experience of adolescence. However, we would aim to create interest in a audience of a universal age range. The grungy and underground feel of our film would also change who would have interest in our film. The genre of our film would mean that we could attract an audience that are psychological thriller enthusiasts. It may also attract people who are involved in the art scene because of the artistic elements within our film. although we cant generalise and expect all young people to enjoy this film; due to a massive variety of interests that they could have. For example two people of the same ethnicity, gender and age group may have completely differing interests in film. We should have a premiere with a specially selected audience consisting of different social groups, followed by a question and answer session at the end of the premiere. We would do this to gather feedback on what other social groups we could include and continue to target through new marketing schemes.
How did you attract/address your audience?
We used various ways to attract and address our audience. We wanted to capture the audiences attention through both subtle and the more obvious elements to our film. One example of something we used was the music which created tension for the audience and made them want to continue watching. We also used point of view shots to include the audience within the action of the film, this allowed them to see through the eyes of the protagonist and therefore would enable them to feel as if they are at one with the motion and the narrative. We didn't use any birds eye or worms eye perspective shots because we felt that this would make the audience feel distant from the action. Most of the shots we used are at a 'human' level and therefore mean that the audience can picture themselves being apart of the film.
The use of realism induced by the location and film style has allowed us to possibly attract an audience who are drawn to films with a lower budget with a focus on artistic shots/lighting etc as well as a sense of authenticity; as apposed to multimillion pound hits.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
As mentioned previously, we used natural lighting when filming our opening sequence. However, looking back it would have been less of a challenge to ensure continuity had we used professional lighting equipment. Although, this may have sacrificed the realism that is now one of the vital aspects of our film. In order to create a slightly surreal and grungy atmosphere we altered the exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation and white point of each shot. We put the techniques learned in media theory into practice when editing, ensuring our match on action was as seamless as possible, adding pleonastic non-diegetic music (made especially for the film), recording and editing voice overs, also adding the diegetic click of the boot lock over the visuals (ensuring the sound was synchronous with the visuals).
When filming we focused strongly on shot composition as this is a vital technique for making the shots aesthetically pleasing for the audience. For example, throughout the film we used asymmetric composition with Jesse on one side of the shot and empty space on the other, suggesting that he is about to move into that empty space. This is a subtle technique that makes the audience believe they know what is about to happen, when the narrative holds surprises.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
 |
| The mic used to record audio |
Due to the film being devised by us, we felt more inclined to make it a high quality piece of work. The potential possibilities of what we could achieve with the film motivated us to create something unique and something that we would be proud of; we crafted a piece which we felt demonstrated our artistic perspective. Improved technical skills during the filming and editing process helped us to achieve this finished product.
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Self Evaluation
My contribution to the opening sequence project consisted of first writing the plot and script, followed by drawing up the storyboard. During the filming process I co-directed the shoot with Milly Cope, planning which shots we would film and in what order. It was important to keep a check on time, especially during the last shoot as we had to finish filming before we lost our natural lighting (therefore losing continuity between shots) and before the car park closed. When all filming was completed, I began the editing process, combining our footage to create drama and tension. I also brought in recording equipment to record the overlaid audio of the phone call featured in the piece and altered the tracks to make it sound as if we are hearing the voices through a low quality public phone. After finalising the video and uploading it to YouTube, I went on to create advertising for the film using an image from a selection that Milly took during the filming.
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Film Poster
After researching the modern film posters of similar genres and more, I have created a poster to advertise our film using Milly Cope's photography. I have used the same font as used for the credits of our film for visual continuity.
Monday, 16 February 2015
Final Film
Below is the first draft of our opening sequence. After watching it back I have noticed that the audio still needs some work, possibly involving another recording session.
Also we decided not to use Adobe After Effects to create the appearance of CCTV footage for a particular shot (idea posted on Tuesday 16th December 2014) as it was possible that it would have taken away from the dark and mysterious mood that we had created with the rest of the opening sequence.
Also we decided not to use Adobe After Effects to create the appearance of CCTV footage for a particular shot (idea posted on Tuesday 16th December 2014) as it was possible that it would have taken away from the dark and mysterious mood that we had created with the rest of the opening sequence.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Change to music
After filming the first half of our opening sequence, we found that the music we had chosen did not build enough and therefore was not synchronous with the visuals. Burt then created another track inspired by what he had watched back of the film. I think that this is much more effective in creating drama and tension than the previous track.
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Storyboard
We have created a storyboard to help us decide the exact shots we want to use for each scene. This will make filming more organised and ensure that things will run smoothly. This is vital for our piece as we are relying on natural light throughout, and in order to create continuity the shots need to gradually change from early evening to night. Obviously we are unable to control the weather but by filming in winter we are more likely to be faced with rain and possibly even some snow. This has it's good sides and bad sides as it will achieve the desired melancholy and dark tone, but it will also make continuity harder to achieve (due to rain drops on clothes, views of the weather through windows etc.) and may make filming difficult (ensuring that the filming and sound equipment does not get too wet in the rain etc.).
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Location Shots
We went to the locations that we want to use for shooting our opening sequence and took photos of the general area. For the majority of the sequence we will be filming in a multi-storey car park:
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
After Effects
I found this useful tutorial on how to create a CCTV effect for one of our shots when Jesse is walking through town, using Adobe After Effects:
BBFC Rating
We have decided to rate our film as a 15. When reading through the specifications below we found that if we were grading the opening sequence, the content choices would mean that it would be a 12. However the whole film would be a 15 due to the strong violence, strong language etc.
From the BBFC website:
- strong violence
- frequent strong language
- portrayals of sexual activity
- strong verbal references to sex
- sexual nudity
- brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
- discriminatory language or behaviour
- drug taking
Monday, 15 December 2014
Costume Design
How are your characters going to dress and how will this affect their representation?
The main character, Jesse, will dress in dark, bland and earthy colours. This shows that he is attempting to draw attention away from himself. The clothing will hint towards khaki and army green, once again implying that he wants to blend into the surroundings and avoid unwanted attention. The costume will follow a grunge-like appearance, reflecting a sense of gang culture, danger and an edgy mood. We have mainly based his costume design on the character of Tate from the TV show American Horror Story.
Dex will also wear dark clothes to blend into the shadows of the multi-storey car-park at night. This will also suggest that he is a dangerous and untrustworthy character.
Although Alexa will not actually be featured in our opening sequence, we have planned that she will wear mainly light clothing to suggest innocence, with one aspect always being black (e.g boots or jacket) to imply that she is not as innocent as we would like to believe and there is a twist to her character.
How will this affect the way the audience engages with them?
The audience are given very little information about the characters in the opening sequence, meaning that they will rely on detailed touches in the costume design to help them decide on what sort of characters they are. This creates an air of mystery and suspense surrounding the characters, encouraging the audience to engage with the piece and want to find out what is to happen next.
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Music
We have decided to use a song created by our lead actor, for our final video. The song is perfect for increasing tension for the viewer and create the dramatic tone that is required for a psychological thriller. However, we are going to work with him to alter certain sections in order to make it fit better with the visuals.
Final Film Planning - Plot and Script
Plot:
(The highlighted section is where the film starts and the part that we shall film. After this, the story jumps back to the beginning to give the audience the background information and finally continues with Jesse trying to find Dex. The use of this fragmented narrative makes our opening sequence more mysterious and intriguing, as we give away very little information to the viewer.)
After his twin brother goes missing, all that Jesse (Burt Cope) is concerned about is spending time with his girlfriend, Alexa, who he sees is becoming more distant everyday. His attempts at keeping them together are causing his school work to fall (apart from his best subject, IT) and his friends to drift away. His mundane life soon develops into danger when his girlfriend is kidnapped and family secrets begin to unravel.
Jesse is online in his room when a pop up appears on the screen. As he goes to close it he notices that it shows Alexa, tied up and crying, with a large note resting on her reading 'HELP ME'. At the bottom of the image is a phone number which he quickly writes on his hand before running out the door. Jesse then finds the nearest phone box, not wanting his mobile to be traced, and calls the number. A deep male voice answers and shouts 'Listen!', followed by screaming in the background. The man hangs up just as a car pulls up next to the phone box and Jesse is told to get in. The driver then explains what he has to do to stop all this, telling him that the organisation killed his brother and in order to make it look as if he is still alive and simply running away from home Jesse needs to carry a bag through the centre of town, making sure that lots of people and CCTV see him. Jesse agrees, knowing that if he does not, he will loose Alexa too. He is then pushed out of the car, told to get the bag out of the boot and take it to Dex who will be waiting for him at the elevator in the multi-story car park.
As instructed, Jesse walks through town with the bag, clearly showing his face. He reaches the car park and gets in the elevator. Just as he goes to look at what is in the bag, the doors to the first floor open revealing Dex, who gets in and takes the bag. Jesse gets out and tries to phone Alexa's mobile to see that they have stuck to the deal and released her straight away. We then hear a ringing from the bag as the doors close. Jesse turns and runs to the doors, banging on them and shouting but he is too late. After running up the stairs to the roof, he looks down searching for Dex who is running to a car and driving off.
Jesse has to find Dex, the bag, and his girlfriend - dead or alive. The rest of the film consists of him hunting down Dex and trying to collapse the organisation that has torn his life apart. This includes returning to look at the pop up to find clues in the background of the image that reveal where they are keeping Alexa and hacking into a system that reveals what user created the pop up. When he has finally hunted down the organisation's HQ he poses as an employee, modifies the security and hacks into their computer system. He finds out that his brother is listed as an employee, but in the section of people that have been deleted (due to the fact that they have been killed by the organisation). He also finds that his parents are on the system too, with different names, and finally he finds himself - listed as a target. A linked file on his page shows a series of messages between his 'family', girlfriend and the organisation, feeding information and instructions back and forth. As the world he thought he knew crashes around him he runs out of the building, but on the other side of the main door that he entered not long ago is simply empty space, with the group of people who have deceived him all this time. They explain to him that his life has been an experiment to test a chip that creates whatever world the user wants to believe, his brother didn't agree with the test and created a group to trigger people being tested; they sent the pop up to him to crash his mental world and send him on a path that would reveal the truth. When Jesse asks why he is being told all of this, Alexa replies "Because none of it matters anymore. We need to continue working on the chip and make the mind less sensitive to triggers.". When he still doesn't understand she says smiling "You're our monkey. Now we don't need you, you can be put down". Two men appear behind him and drag him back through the doors.
Script of dialogue in opening sequence:
(The highlighted section consists of audio clips that show Jesse remembering his instructions etc. This will be the non-diegetic sound, played over the shots of him walking through town and towards the car park.)
Jesse grabs the bag from the boot of the car and begins to walk.
Man in car: Drive.
The car pulls away quickly with wheel spin.
Overlaid audio:
While Jesse is walking, the sound of sections of the phone call and the instructions are repeated over the top of the visuals:
Man on phone: (Shouts) Listen! (The sound of a girl screaming)
Jesse: (Desperate) What do I have to do?
The man hangs up, causing a long beep.
Man in car: Take the bag to the elevator. Dex will be waiting for you.
Jesse reaches the car park and gets in the lift. The doors open and Dex can be seen. Jesse passes Dex the bag and walks away. Phones Alexa and ringing comes from bag. Jesse turns and runs to the doors that have just closed.
Jesse: (banging on the doors, shouting) Stop! Come Back! Come BACK! (hits doors again harder)
Jesse runs towards the stairs and up to the roof.
(The highlighted section is where the film starts and the part that we shall film. After this, the story jumps back to the beginning to give the audience the background information and finally continues with Jesse trying to find Dex. The use of this fragmented narrative makes our opening sequence more mysterious and intriguing, as we give away very little information to the viewer.)
After his twin brother goes missing, all that Jesse (Burt Cope) is concerned about is spending time with his girlfriend, Alexa, who he sees is becoming more distant everyday. His attempts at keeping them together are causing his school work to fall (apart from his best subject, IT) and his friends to drift away. His mundane life soon develops into danger when his girlfriend is kidnapped and family secrets begin to unravel.
Jesse is online in his room when a pop up appears on the screen. As he goes to close it he notices that it shows Alexa, tied up and crying, with a large note resting on her reading 'HELP ME'. At the bottom of the image is a phone number which he quickly writes on his hand before running out the door. Jesse then finds the nearest phone box, not wanting his mobile to be traced, and calls the number. A deep male voice answers and shouts 'Listen!', followed by screaming in the background. The man hangs up just as a car pulls up next to the phone box and Jesse is told to get in. The driver then explains what he has to do to stop all this, telling him that the organisation killed his brother and in order to make it look as if he is still alive and simply running away from home Jesse needs to carry a bag through the centre of town, making sure that lots of people and CCTV see him. Jesse agrees, knowing that if he does not, he will loose Alexa too. He is then pushed out of the car, told to get the bag out of the boot and take it to Dex who will be waiting for him at the elevator in the multi-story car park.
As instructed, Jesse walks through town with the bag, clearly showing his face. He reaches the car park and gets in the elevator. Just as he goes to look at what is in the bag, the doors to the first floor open revealing Dex, who gets in and takes the bag. Jesse gets out and tries to phone Alexa's mobile to see that they have stuck to the deal and released her straight away. We then hear a ringing from the bag as the doors close. Jesse turns and runs to the doors, banging on them and shouting but he is too late. After running up the stairs to the roof, he looks down searching for Dex who is running to a car and driving off.
Jesse has to find Dex, the bag, and his girlfriend - dead or alive. The rest of the film consists of him hunting down Dex and trying to collapse the organisation that has torn his life apart. This includes returning to look at the pop up to find clues in the background of the image that reveal where they are keeping Alexa and hacking into a system that reveals what user created the pop up. When he has finally hunted down the organisation's HQ he poses as an employee, modifies the security and hacks into their computer system. He finds out that his brother is listed as an employee, but in the section of people that have been deleted (due to the fact that they have been killed by the organisation). He also finds that his parents are on the system too, with different names, and finally he finds himself - listed as a target. A linked file on his page shows a series of messages between his 'family', girlfriend and the organisation, feeding information and instructions back and forth. As the world he thought he knew crashes around him he runs out of the building, but on the other side of the main door that he entered not long ago is simply empty space, with the group of people who have deceived him all this time. They explain to him that his life has been an experiment to test a chip that creates whatever world the user wants to believe, his brother didn't agree with the test and created a group to trigger people being tested; they sent the pop up to him to crash his mental world and send him on a path that would reveal the truth. When Jesse asks why he is being told all of this, Alexa replies "Because none of it matters anymore. We need to continue working on the chip and make the mind less sensitive to triggers.". When he still doesn't understand she says smiling "You're our monkey. Now we don't need you, you can be put down". Two men appear behind him and drag him back through the doors.
Script of dialogue in opening sequence:
(The highlighted section consists of audio clips that show Jesse remembering his instructions etc. This will be the non-diegetic sound, played over the shots of him walking through town and towards the car park.)
Jesse grabs the bag from the boot of the car and begins to walk.
Man in car: Drive.
The car pulls away quickly with wheel spin.
Overlaid audio:
While Jesse is walking, the sound of sections of the phone call and the instructions are repeated over the top of the visuals:
Man on phone: (Shouts) Listen! (The sound of a girl screaming)
Jesse: (Desperate) What do I have to do?
The man hangs up, causing a long beep.
Man in car: Take the bag to the elevator. Dex will be waiting for you.
Jesse reaches the car park and gets in the lift. The doors open and Dex can be seen. Jesse passes Dex the bag and walks away. Phones Alexa and ringing comes from bag. Jesse turns and runs to the doors that have just closed.
Jesse: (banging on the doors, shouting) Stop! Come Back! Come BACK! (hits doors again harder)
Jesse runs towards the stairs and up to the roof.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Todorov's Narrative Theory
Todorov’s theory of narrative states that all narrative plots follow the same basic pattern:
- State of equilibrium
- Disruption to that equilibrium
- Recognition that disorder has occurred
- Attempt (or attempts) to resolve the situation
- Return to equilibrium or establishment of a NEW equilibrium
Example 1:
Flight Plan, Directed by Robert Schwentke
4. The mother becomes more and more distressed when none of the staff seem to remember her daughter ever being on the plane, and records show that this is true. This causes her to create disruption of the plane, fighting the staff and attempting to hunt for her child herself.
1. After the death of her husband, a woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin.
2. A while after boarding the plane they both fall asleep and during this sleep her daughter completely disappears.
2. A while after boarding the plane they both fall asleep and during this sleep her daughter completely disappears.
3. The mother wakes up to find that her daughter has gone. Thinking she has just wandered off somewhere, she is not too concerned. After all, she couldn't have gone far on a plane at 37,000 feet.
4. The mother becomes more and more distressed when none of the staff seem to remember her daughter ever being on the plane, and records show that this is true. This causes her to create disruption of the plane, fighting the staff and attempting to hunt for her child herself.
5. The mother finds her daughter and discovers who took her. The plane is then blown up by this man, however many people survive. The staff apologise to the mother and she finally goes home with her daughter.
Example 2:
Shutter Island, Directed by Martin Scorsese
1. In 1954 Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, U.S Marshals, are called to investigate the disappearance of a patient called Rachel Solando from Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane.
2. Mysterious things keep occurring during the investigation, like the men being told they are not allowed to search in certain areas of the site and are unable to see particular records. Also, when Teddy interrogated one of the other patients, she writes 'RUN' in his notebook.
3. Teddy begins to see that this is not a simple investigation and realises that the information is being held back by the lead psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley, for a reason.
4. Because of this, Teddy decides to go against the rules set by Ashcliffe and investigate where he believes is necessary, breaking into Ward C. He talks to a patient in solitary confinement who tells him that Ashecliffe have been performing experiments of lobotomy on patients in the lighthouse. He also warns Teddy that everybody, including Chuck, is playing a game designed for him.
Teddy heads towards the lighthouse in an attempt to discover the truth but finds a woman in a cave on his journey across the cliffs. She says that she is the real Rachel Solando and that she was a psychiatrist at Ashecliffe before she found out about the experimentation and mind control techniques. She attempted to report this but she was locked away as a patient so she wouldn't share the secret.
5. Teddy continues on to the lighthouse to find Dr. Cawley at the top, waiting for him. He explains to Teddy that this was all devised to break him out of his delusion of being a U.S Marshal and that he is in fact Andrew Laeddis, a patient at Ashecliffe who killed his wife Dolores after she drowned their children (Edward Daniels and Rachel Solando being anagrams of Andrew Laeddis and Dolores Chanal). Chuck, who is actually Dr. Sheehan is later on sat with Teddy/Andrew. Teddy/Andrew calls the Doctor Chuck showing that he still believes in his made up world. As he is being taken away to be lobotomised, Teddy/Andrew says to Dr. Cawley " Which would be worse? To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?".
2. Mysterious things keep occurring during the investigation, like the men being told they are not allowed to search in certain areas of the site and are unable to see particular records. Also, when Teddy interrogated one of the other patients, she writes 'RUN' in his notebook.
3. Teddy begins to see that this is not a simple investigation and realises that the information is being held back by the lead psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley, for a reason.
4. Because of this, Teddy decides to go against the rules set by Ashcliffe and investigate where he believes is necessary, breaking into Ward C. He talks to a patient in solitary confinement who tells him that Ashecliffe have been performing experiments of lobotomy on patients in the lighthouse. He also warns Teddy that everybody, including Chuck, is playing a game designed for him.
Teddy heads towards the lighthouse in an attempt to discover the truth but finds a woman in a cave on his journey across the cliffs. She says that she is the real Rachel Solando and that she was a psychiatrist at Ashecliffe before she found out about the experimentation and mind control techniques. She attempted to report this but she was locked away as a patient so she wouldn't share the secret.
5. Teddy continues on to the lighthouse to find Dr. Cawley at the top, waiting for him. He explains to Teddy that this was all devised to break him out of his delusion of being a U.S Marshal and that he is in fact Andrew Laeddis, a patient at Ashecliffe who killed his wife Dolores after she drowned their children (Edward Daniels and Rachel Solando being anagrams of Andrew Laeddis and Dolores Chanal). Chuck, who is actually Dr. Sheehan is later on sat with Teddy/Andrew. Teddy/Andrew calls the Doctor Chuck showing that he still believes in his made up world. As he is being taken away to be lobotomised, Teddy/Andrew says to Dr. Cawley " Which would be worse? To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?".
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Looking at Genre Conventions of a Psychological Thriller
We are planning on creating a Psychological Thriller, and in order to create a video that fits with this genre successfully, we need to look at the conventions of the genre...
We found an example of a psychological thriller opening sequence, which was created by AS Media students (below).
We found an example of a psychological thriller opening sequence, which was created by AS Media students (below).
Camera Shots and Angles:
One element that makes this opening sequence so aesthetically pleasing is the variety of camera shots, as it keeps the audience interested in what is happening on screen. For example, they use many extreme close ups to increase drama and tension, as well as holding back some information from the viewer; this encourages them to want to know what will happen next. Gradually, mid and long shots are introduced to establish the surroundings. These are separated by close ups and POV (point of view) shots from the position of the main protagonist.
Camera Movement:
The filming is mainly done using the hand-held method to create an edgy and tense feeling. However, this can become overly rough at times and was a bit uncomfortable to watch. For example, at point 2:07 until the end. Also, the group's panning would have been more effective if it were steadier as it would create more suspense towards what we are about to see. I believe that the higher quality filming appears in the section where the protagonist is at home due to well thought out shots and obvious use of a tripod.
Editing/Sound:
There is good use of continuity editing throughout the opening sequence. For example, the group's match on action seems to be correct at all points other than point 1:07 until 1:12 where the jumps are intentional. The use of a dimming filter, blurring and a fade to white transition inform the reader that some sections are flash-forwards creating an alternative narrative to the main. The sound is synchronous with the fade to white transition to create added drama. The non-diegetic music begins with calm piano to build tension, very quickly becoming darker and more sinister when there is a low resonating sound, accompanied by frightening visuals of a wounded girl. This is followed by an overlaid heartbeat when the protagonist wakes up from her nightmare, which gradually fades as she calms down. The use of a heartbeat connects the audience with the emotions of the protagonist encouraging them to be concerned for her safety as the piece progresses. Finally the use of slow motion at the very end is extremely effective in creating a final sense of intense drama.
Mise-en-scene:
Although the shots of the clouds in the sky are good quality and very aesthetically pleasing, they seem irrelevant to the narrative. The use of white within the bedroom shots and the snowy outdoor shots is effective in suggesting that the protagonist is innocent due to the positive connotations of white. This is highlighted when the sinister looking girl behind her, at point 2:09, is seen wearing all black.
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Analysis of a Top Band Video
Mark scheme:
Level 4: 48-60 marks
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
- using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions
- using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set
- shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene
- using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.
Demonstration of skills needed:
- the font and colour of the opening credits fit well with the theme of the video. The simplicity of the font choice means that it does not take away from the serious tone of the video, and is not too distracting from the visuals.
- fast cuts between shots increase the tension and make the viewer feel on edge, whilst it switches between shots of blood smears in a bath tub.
- the twisting and turning movement of the camera encourages the viewer to feel uneasy and once again increases the build up of tension.
- we are shown extreme close ups of the bath, the main character and her blood stained hands. This means that our vision is restricted making the action more mysterious.
- there is a strange filter over the entire video which distorts and blurs our view. Along with the twisting camera shots, it also makes us empathise with what the main character is feeling; especially after she has turned to alcohol.
- mise-en-scene has been carefully considered for this video. For example, the simplicity of the surroundings is extremely contrasting with the deep red colour of the blood. Also, the main character's outfit is very plain so that she almost blends in with the background.
- the over the shoulder extreme close up is a very artistic shot choice which is extremely aesthetically pleasing.
- transitions are occasionally used to blend one shot into another, adding to the distortion and confusion.
- there is low, resonating, dramatic music that fits brilliantly with the visuals.
- sounds of running water and the main character spitting out blood into the bath can be heard behind the music.
Analysis of a Level 2 Video
Mistakes:
- Messy, badly filmed introduction with rough background noise.
- Shaky hand-held filming throughout.
- Dialogue that cannot be heard.
- Lack of continuity in editing (e.g match on action is not used).
- Reflection of actor, who is filming, in the screen of the iPod.
- The song shown on the iPod screen ('Someone Like You' by Adele) is meant to be playing in the background, but it is a cover performed by Boyce Avenue (which has a male singer).
- Low quality acting
- Walking of the bullies is not continuous, they obviously start walking during a shot when they had already started walking in the previous shot.
- Very long lasting shots without cuts to alternate shots (e.g close ups, mid shots).
- Unnecessary cut whilst she is walking across the road which lacks continuity and jumps suddenly.
- Awful fake violence that is not in the slightest bit believable (when the bullies attack her on the street).
Demonstrates skills needed:
- Variety of shots (e.g mid shots, close ups, long shots) in some sections of the piece.
- Clear story line.
- The credits are appropriate with the tone of the video.
- They have thought about mise-en-scene and only have actors that they need in each shot (they don't have out of place extras etc.).
- Most of their editing is clear and well done, but they have struggled with continuity.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Film Credits Analysis
Genre A: Action/Fantasy
Film: The Dark Knight Rises
Sound/Music: The opening credits to The Dark Knight Rises are backed by tense orchestral music (non-diegetic) which builds up gradually to increase suspense. There is a sudden pause followed by faster, more modern music that comes back in. Whilst the music has more modern elements it still has an orchestral feel throughout.
Visuals: We see close-ups of an almost stalker-like investigation, with photos of the main characters being developed, with the actors names next to them. The titles and names are slightly obscured by water, smoke and ice, giving it an edgy and dangerous tone. The screen flickers occasionally and the writing changes position with jerky movements.
Font: All the credits are in white, with the same font, in capital letters; other than the title of the film which is in red with a different font. This is effective as red has negative connotations, such as danger, fear, violence, death, pain etc. The harshness of the capitals make it obvious to the viewer that the film is a serious one, as well as tense and dangerous.
How does it establish genre: The images behind the opening credits are mysterious and suggest danger, possibly for/caused by the characters pictured. This tells us the genre will be action, whilst the credit to 'DC Comics' at the very beginning suggest that it will most likely be a fantasy also.
Genre B: Romantic Comedy
Film: The Love Punch
The opening credits to this film are not available on YouTube, so the video above is the trailer.
Sound/Music: We are first shown the opening scene before the credits appear, therefore the sound in the scene is diegetic. However when the credits do appear, they are backed by non-diegetic music ('Whatever You Want' by Status Quo) which has a fun and almost playful feel, suggesting a funny, uplifting film.
Visuals: After the first scene, which introduces the main characters, we see the credits. They are part of a colourful animation with lots of geometric shapes in a 70s-like style. They are images that relate to different parts of the film (e.g cats, a diamond, a plane). The credits continue, after the title, overlaid onto the second scene, in the bottom corners of each shot.
Font: The font is bold and rounded, in white, suggesting fun and a light-hearted theme with elements of seriousness. The font, along with the animation, reminds me of pop art due to the bold colours of the background contrasting with the light text.
How does it establish genre: We know instantly that it is a comedy due to the comic first scene and the colourful animation. The images shown in the animation suggest travel and adventure, along with love.
Genre C: Musical/Horror/Comedy
Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Sound/Music: The music behind the '20th Century Fox' production credit has been altered to fit with the music of the film, preparing us for the genre. The first song of the film is the fist thing we see after this, and it continues to play until the first scene begins, after all the credits have been listed. It is a fitting introduction to the extreme, musical, comic film. The song tells the viewer exactly what is going to happen in the story which is a very surreal approach to filmmaking as the element of surprise is removed straight away.
Visuals: The first thing we see is a mouth with red lipstick singing the opening song. This is followed by the actors' credits, then we return to the lips again. Next we see the creators' credits overlaying a frozen black and white image of the mouth. Finally we return to the coloured mouth as the shot zooms out and the image transitions into the first scene.
Font: The font used for the credits looks as if it is written in blood with drips. This tells us that the genre is horror combined with comedy, as it is a slightly comic twist on what is meant to be a gruesome font.
How does it establish genre: The blood like credits make the horror genre clear, whilst the use of the role of each character being listed in the credits (e.g hero) makes it more obvious that the film is almost mocking cliche horror films. The fact that the song describes what is to happen throughout is a strange and unique technique mirroring the strangeness of the film.
Genre D: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Film: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Sound/Music: Very quiet diegetic sound is heard behind non-diegetic music ('Moon River' by Johnny Merger and Henry Mancini). Is is a very calming song that suggests class and elegance. It doesn't suggest comedy, which is to come later, but is does imply drama and romance.
Visuals: We see a taxi pull up outside of a Tiffany's store followed by shots of Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) walking around the city whilst eating her takeaway breakfast, in front of the Tiffany's window. This introduces the main character and the surroundings.
Font: The credits are placed in front of the visuals in a classy and elegant gold font. This suggests, along with her outfit, that this will be a film about a woman with lots of money and a glamorous life in the city. However we later see that this is not the case and that her life is much more complicated.
How does it establish genre: The iconic image of Holly eating her breakfast in a ballgown, gloves and large pearl necklace is so contrasting that we see this film will include elements of comedy, and tells us that her life may not be as perfect as it first appears.
Genre E: Comedy
Film: On The Beat
Sound/Music: Playful comedic music is heard over a childish cartoon, accompanied by classic comedy sound effects that are synchronised with the animation on screen (making it pleonastic).
Visuals: We see a cartoon of police running after a robber in a comic chase. The animation has a comedic style with very squat characters. It is all in black and white as the film was released in 1962 (colour was used at this time but was not really necessary for the film and would not have fitted with Norman Wisdom's style).
Font: Black and white text, in a playful font is used for the credits. This shows us that the film is a comedy.
How does it establish genre: The opening credits are like a short comedy film in itself. This introduces the viewer to the fact that the film is clearly a comedy about the police. The fun music and sound effects help us to see this also.
Film: The Dark Knight Rises
Sound/Music: The opening credits to The Dark Knight Rises are backed by tense orchestral music (non-diegetic) which builds up gradually to increase suspense. There is a sudden pause followed by faster, more modern music that comes back in. Whilst the music has more modern elements it still has an orchestral feel throughout.
Visuals: We see close-ups of an almost stalker-like investigation, with photos of the main characters being developed, with the actors names next to them. The titles and names are slightly obscured by water, smoke and ice, giving it an edgy and dangerous tone. The screen flickers occasionally and the writing changes position with jerky movements.
Font: All the credits are in white, with the same font, in capital letters; other than the title of the film which is in red with a different font. This is effective as red has negative connotations, such as danger, fear, violence, death, pain etc. The harshness of the capitals make it obvious to the viewer that the film is a serious one, as well as tense and dangerous.
How does it establish genre: The images behind the opening credits are mysterious and suggest danger, possibly for/caused by the characters pictured. This tells us the genre will be action, whilst the credit to 'DC Comics' at the very beginning suggest that it will most likely be a fantasy also.
Genre B: Romantic Comedy
Film: The Love Punch
The opening credits to this film are not available on YouTube, so the video above is the trailer.
Sound/Music: We are first shown the opening scene before the credits appear, therefore the sound in the scene is diegetic. However when the credits do appear, they are backed by non-diegetic music ('Whatever You Want' by Status Quo) which has a fun and almost playful feel, suggesting a funny, uplifting film.
Visuals: After the first scene, which introduces the main characters, we see the credits. They are part of a colourful animation with lots of geometric shapes in a 70s-like style. They are images that relate to different parts of the film (e.g cats, a diamond, a plane). The credits continue, after the title, overlaid onto the second scene, in the bottom corners of each shot.
Font: The font is bold and rounded, in white, suggesting fun and a light-hearted theme with elements of seriousness. The font, along with the animation, reminds me of pop art due to the bold colours of the background contrasting with the light text.
How does it establish genre: We know instantly that it is a comedy due to the comic first scene and the colourful animation. The images shown in the animation suggest travel and adventure, along with love.
Genre C: Musical/Horror/Comedy
Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Sound/Music: The music behind the '20th Century Fox' production credit has been altered to fit with the music of the film, preparing us for the genre. The first song of the film is the fist thing we see after this, and it continues to play until the first scene begins, after all the credits have been listed. It is a fitting introduction to the extreme, musical, comic film. The song tells the viewer exactly what is going to happen in the story which is a very surreal approach to filmmaking as the element of surprise is removed straight away.
Visuals: The first thing we see is a mouth with red lipstick singing the opening song. This is followed by the actors' credits, then we return to the lips again. Next we see the creators' credits overlaying a frozen black and white image of the mouth. Finally we return to the coloured mouth as the shot zooms out and the image transitions into the first scene.
Font: The font used for the credits looks as if it is written in blood with drips. This tells us that the genre is horror combined with comedy, as it is a slightly comic twist on what is meant to be a gruesome font.
How does it establish genre: The blood like credits make the horror genre clear, whilst the use of the role of each character being listed in the credits (e.g hero) makes it more obvious that the film is almost mocking cliche horror films. The fact that the song describes what is to happen throughout is a strange and unique technique mirroring the strangeness of the film.
Genre D: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Film: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Sound/Music: Very quiet diegetic sound is heard behind non-diegetic music ('Moon River' by Johnny Merger and Henry Mancini). Is is a very calming song that suggests class and elegance. It doesn't suggest comedy, which is to come later, but is does imply drama and romance.
Visuals: We see a taxi pull up outside of a Tiffany's store followed by shots of Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) walking around the city whilst eating her takeaway breakfast, in front of the Tiffany's window. This introduces the main character and the surroundings.
Font: The credits are placed in front of the visuals in a classy and elegant gold font. This suggests, along with her outfit, that this will be a film about a woman with lots of money and a glamorous life in the city. However we later see that this is not the case and that her life is much more complicated.
How does it establish genre: The iconic image of Holly eating her breakfast in a ballgown, gloves and large pearl necklace is so contrasting that we see this film will include elements of comedy, and tells us that her life may not be as perfect as it first appears.
Genre E: Comedy
Film: On The Beat
Sound/Music: Playful comedic music is heard over a childish cartoon, accompanied by classic comedy sound effects that are synchronised with the animation on screen (making it pleonastic).
Visuals: We see a cartoon of police running after a robber in a comic chase. The animation has a comedic style with very squat characters. It is all in black and white as the film was released in 1962 (colour was used at this time but was not really necessary for the film and would not have fitted with Norman Wisdom's style).
Font: Black and white text, in a playful font is used for the credits. This shows us that the film is a comedy.
How does it establish genre: The opening credits are like a short comedy film in itself. This introduces the viewer to the fact that the film is clearly a comedy about the police. The fun music and sound effects help us to see this also.
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