Nearly Finished!

After completing our evaluation, we are now, as a group, uploading both our evaluation and final film opening onto You Tube so we are able to link it to our blogs. We are doing this so our teacher can look at our evaluation and final opening sequence on both our group blogs and individual blogs.

Sleeper Evaluation:

After completing our opening sequence as a group, we were told by our teacher to complete an evaluation on our film opening sequence now that it is finished. We were given the option of either: making a powerpoint on our opening sequence individually and adding voice overs on top of these presentations or answering questions on our film opening as a group whilst being filmed. As a group we all chose to film us all answering the questions together on our film opening, Sleeper. We chose this as we thought it would be better and more productive to work as group on our evaluation so we can all add in our own opinions and feedback when asked the questions.
So, we simply got a tri-pod and camera and filmed all three of us together at a table answering the questions for the evaluation. It went really well as all of us put an effort into the excerise and answered all the questions together.

Sleeper Film Opening:

My group has completed editing our film opening and added music for the show case in class, we showed our film to both the media teachers and our class mates and received overall good feedback. We added a music track called 'abducted' which includes tense sounds and the sound of a heartbeat to make our film opening a lot more dramatic. We completed editing our sequence, adding dissolve cuts and dip to colour cuts to improve the overall smoothness of our film. We also made sure whilst editing that we did not have any spaces in between our edits, so that there is no black gaps in between shots. 

The only piece of negative feedback we received was that whilst we played it on the big screen in class the technology was not fast enough and jumped in between cuts which made our film look unorganised and not edited properly. My group was very happy with our film opening and so was I, I feel we have worked really hard to achieve our film and am happy with the constructive criticism we received. 

Our Film Opening:

As a group we are all working gradually to produce our film opening, Sleeper. We have been filming over the past couple of weeks and are now onto editing our film opening. We are using Final Cut to edit our film, there are a variety of tools available on Final Cut such as tools which let us add sound and change the lighting of our opening. As a group, we are working really well together and can see our film opening ending successfully.

Essay on Pillow Talk and Fringe:

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

From looking at both ‘Pillow Talk’, and ‘Fringe’, it is obvious that each sequence has a different style of editing, different pace and are both received very differently by certain audiences and viewers.

The first sequence that I analysed was ‘Pillow Talk’, a late 1950’s romantic comedy film focusing on Doris Day and Rock Hudson and how they eventually after many arguments fall in love. The second sequence in which I looked at was ‘Fringe’, a modern science fiction television programme in which lasted three seasons with the last premiering in 2010.

Firstly, when looking at the paces of each extract we must take into consideration the time periods at which each film was made. ‘Pillow Talk’ was made in the year 1959 and ‘Fringe’ was last seen on television screens in 2010. From this we can automatically conclude that the two pieces of film will have very dissimilar paces.

‘Pillow Talk’ has quite a disinclined and leisurely pace and the time in between each edit is quite timely. The average time between each edit within the ‘Pillow Talk’ sequence is twelve seconds. On the other hand, ‘Fringe’ a programme that was made at least forty years later has a much brisk and accelerated pace. The average amount of seconds in between each edit is only four short seconds. This proving how over time films and television programmes have picked up a faster and more modern momentum.

As well as the pace of the two sequences being different, the editing within ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’ has been constructed very differently.

When watching ‘Pillow Talk’ it is clear that a variety of different edits are being used to keep the audience entertained and informed on the storyline. For the majority of the sequence, ‘Pillow Talk’ uses straight cut edits due to the fact that they are easy and simple and also quickly jump to and from different characters within the scenes.

Also, within ‘Pillow Talk’ dissolve cuts are used. Dissolve cuts create a sense of later on in the day and as well as this the dissolve effect used within this particular edit can move to the subject in which certain characters are talking about. For example, at the beginning of the ‘Pillow Talk’ sequence two male characters are talking about a female character and the dissolve effect is used to edit to the scene where the female character is seen.

Yet another edit which is used throughout ‘Pillow Talk’ is a wipe to split screen. This is used during a telephone conversation; it is very helpful for the audience as they are able to see both sides of the conversation. To add to this, a wipe to split screen edit had only recently been introduced during the time in which ‘Pillow Talk’ was filmed, so for the audience at the time it was clean, fresh and new.

On the other hand, ‘Fringe’ does not in actual fact use a range of edits, it seems to use straight cut edits throughout the whole sequence. Due to the fact that ‘Fringe’ is a modern television programme the straight cut edits keep the episodes looking neat, sharp and precise. Also, because the time in between the edits is very short the straight cut edits suit the genre of science fiction and keep the programme fast and energetic.

Additionally, within ‘Fringe’ special affects are used, an example of this is when a plane seen by the audience in the sky suddenly disappears with a mysterious sound. The affects definitely show how modern these episodes are due to the fact that special affects are considerably new and were not around at the time when ‘Pillow Talk’ was produced.

The shots used within both sequences to capture the characters are very similar. Within both clips, close ups are used the majority of the time, this is mainly so the audience can analyse each characters facial expressions.

Due to the differences in periods of time in which the two sequences were made, the audiences’ reaction is very different to one another.

‘Pillow Talk’ was well received within the 1960’s, however modern audiences would most probably find the lengthy time period in between each edit rather boring and uninteresting causing them in some cases to loose interest. An example of this in ‘Pillow Talk’ is when the male and female couple when in the restaurant have the camera focused on them for over 1 minute 37 seconds with only two edits used in total. To add to this the storyline and plot is rather uncomplicated and easy for the audience to follow. This is also shown when the couple are in the restaurant as this scene takes up a big proportion of the film.

However, ‘Fringe’ is almost the complete opposite to this as the fast pace of the episode makes it sometimes a little difficult to work out the plot and storyline. To add to this there is not a large percentage of dialogue within this sequence, this again causing it to be a struggle to work out what is occurring within the episode.

The minute gaps between each edit within this episode tends to appeal to the more modern audience due to the fact that it is fast paced and entertaining.

To conclude, both sequences are obviously very different, this is mainly due to the significant gap in the periods of time in which the two were produced. Audiences back in the 1960’s preferred a different type of film with different pace and editing in comparison to the audience of modern society, who the majority prefer a faster and more exciting type of film.

Filming One:

Last weekend, my group began to film for our film opening. Due to the fact that we need a male in our opening, we asked our friend James to come and help us film, however he pulled out last minute so we were unable to complete the majority of the film which we wanted to complete. We did eventually get the little sections of our opening sequence done that we could do without our male character.
The scene we were able to complete was the scene when Lucy (our main character) wakes up scared from her dream. My role was the lighting, we set this in Lucy's bedroom and had dark lighting to make it look as if she had just woke up in the middle of the night, it did look realistic.

Overall, our first filming was not very successful, however, next time hopefully we will have a reliable person to play a part in our filming. To solve our problems, as a group we have discussed that we need to have a more reliable actor and be a little more organised.

Juno Opening Credits:

Juno Opening Sequence:

Juno:
Released: 2007,
Directed by: Jason Reitman,
Actors/Actresses: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner.

The opening sequence of Juno changes the real setting and character of Juno into a cartoon, the opening sequence is very colourful with lots of clours such as blue, green, red and yellow. The credits run through the whole of the opening sequence in big bold letters. The character Juno really stands out in the opening sequence as she is wearing a bright red jumper to signify that she is the main character.
The music played throughout the opening sequence is a very happy and cheerful song.
At the end of the sequence, the film changes from cartoon back to real graphics to start with the actual stroyline of the film.

Seven Opening Credits:

Seven Opening Sequence:

Se7en:
Released: 1995,
Directed by: David Fincher,
Actors/Actresses: Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman.

The opening sequence of 'Seven' uses very dark and gloomy colours to set the scene, also the rain outside again signifies the gloomy theme of the film. The characters are also wearing really dark clothing to match the dark setting and theme.
The beginning of the opening sequence simply sets the scene and shows the audience what the film is going to be about and then the second half of the opening sequence is credits. The audience gather from the opening sequence that the film is about solving murders as we see a dead body and gather that Morgan Freeman is a detective.
The opening credits fit the theme of the film by being quite dark and scary. The music played throughout the opening credits is also scary and jumpy with high pitched sounds.

Zombieland Opening Credits:

Zombieland Opening Sequence:

Zombieland:
Released: 2009,
Directed by: Ruben Fleicher,
Actors/Actresses: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone & Woody Harrelson.

The sequence begins with a shot of the American flag, this lets the audience know immediately that the film is set in America. Also, unlike most scary films, we see the zombies immediately within the opening sequence and the narrator of the opening sequence tells us about the storyline and how there are only zombies within America in the film.
The film also appeals very much to its target audience of those who enjoy blood and gore within films, the zombies immediately within the film start to attack the last of the citizens in America.
The credits are shown throughout the opening sequence whilst people are running away from zombies, being eaten by zombies etc. The film includes lots of bright colours such as pink, orange, green and especially red- the blood.

Dead Again Opening Credits:

Dead Again Opening Sequence:

Dead Again:
Released: 1991,
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh,
Actors/Actresses: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompason & Andy Garcia.

The opening sequence of 'Dead Again' has a very scary and mysterious theme to it. The music used throughout the opening is very jumpy and scary and the credits are placed throughout the sequence on a plain black screen.

The opening builds up the narrative of the film by showing the audience newspaper articles on the murder of a person the film is obviously based around. The whole opening sequence has very dark and gloomy lighting to reflect the darkness of the murderer. Also, the colour of the characters clothes is very simple colours such as black and white. Questions are definately asked by the audience to create enigma, as the audience is curious about the murder that has taken place. 

Then eventually at the end of the opening sequence the audience see that the whole story was a dream and we see Emma Thompson wake up and the film is in actual fact in colour. 

Legally Blonde Opening Credits:

Legally Blonde Opening:

Legally Blonde:
Released: 2001,
Directed by: Robert Luketic,
Actors/Actresses: Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Luke Wilson.

The opening sequence of 'Legally Blonde' has a really girly theme to match the film itself. The sequence includes lots of bright colours including pink and the credits, which run throughout the opening sequence, are also pink. Within the opening sequence the audience are introduced to Reese Witherspoon, the main character, and all of her friends. The music featured in the opening sequence matches the girly theme of the film with a happy and energetic song.
The narrative of the film is built in the opening sequence and the audience know that the characters are students at university and that Reese Witherspoon is going on a date with her ideal man. The camera, throughout the sequence follows Reese Witherspoon's friends around the university, until eventually we meet Reese Witherspoon's character, Elle. Enigma is created within the sequence and the audience ask questions such as: What are all Elle's friends creating for her? Why is Elle the most popular student? Who is Elle going on a date with?

Children of Men Essay:

How effectively does the opening sequence from ‘Children of men’ use the forms and conventions of film openings? What is your personal response to the opening?

‘Children of men’ was released the UK in 2006, it was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Chiwetel Ejofor.

In class we studied the opening sequence of the film and analysed the conventions included within the first scene of the film. We looked at the important functions which should be included within the opening of films in comparison with the ‘Children of men’ opening.

Firstly, we looked at how the narrative of a film is constructed within the opening scene of a film. Within ‘Children of men’, Alfonso Cuaron cleverly identifies to the audience what the film is about without giving away too much information to make the film boring or too basic for the audience.

The audience are told that the film is set in London in the year 2027 by informative writing on the screen. The audience are also told by a news broadcast that the youngest person in the world, Diego Ricardo, has died, however he is 18 years of age.

As well as this by watching how the characters are acting and looking at the setting, the audience can see how London within 2027 is a rather dangerous and un-safe place. For example, when watching the opening sequence the audience can see police helicopters circling London and a banner in the distance reading ‘please report any suspicious behaviour’. All these symbols signify London as being a dangerous place.

Within the opening sequence of ‘Children of men’, the audience is also introduced to the main character, Clive Owen. Clive Owen first appears walking into the coffee shop alone, the audience realise that he, unlike all the other characters, is not interested in or upset by the news broadcast on Diego Ricardo’s death- this is seen as odd and unusual by the audience.

As an audience we again see London as a depressing and dangerous place when Clive Owen puts alcohol into his coffee, this has been done purposely by the director to show how Clive Owen is possibly depressed or stressed within the story line of the film.

The costumes worn by the characters within the opening sequence of ‘Children of men’ also convey the idea of London being dangerous and rather depressing. All character including Clive Owen are wearing rather dull and basic clothing. The character’s clothing matches the gloomy and seriously polluted setting of London in 2027.

It is very obvious to the audience that London is set in the future due to many significant factors. One of these factors is the improvement in technology; buses feature moving television adverts and there are motorised rickshaws. As well as this the pollution in the city has got significantly worse, so London now looks gloomy and dirty.

Within ‘Children of men’ the director Alfonso Cuaron uses numerous technical codes to improve the opening sequence of the film. One of these technical codes is how the first thing in which the audience sees when watching the beginning of the film is a blank screen with a voice over of a news broadcast being heard. This is a very clever technique as, due to the fact that the audience cannot see anything on-screen they pay attention to what is being said on the news broadcast- which was the directors aim.

Another technical code used is a sound bridge, the audience can hear the news broadcast at the beginning when there is nothing on screen and then the sound continues until we eventually see the news broadcast on the television in the coffee shop.

Other sounds used within the opening sequence include the noise of the transport on the London streets such as buses and cars- this is diagetic sound and is heard both inside and outside if the coffee shop.

‘Children of men’ the opening sequence also causes enigma for the audience, this is when the audience automatically question what is occurring within the film.  The director purposely makes the opening of the film confusing to both cause enigma and also to make the “curious” audience want to watch the rest of the film.  Questions that the audience typically ask when watching this opening are:  why are there no children?

Why is there an explosion in the coffee shop?  Why is Clive Owen not interested in Diego Ricardo’s death?  Obviously, all questions are answered throughout the whole film. 

The genre of the film is quite hard to identify when simply watching the opening sequence.  Throughout the opening scene there is iconography of horror, an example of this is when the explosion occurs and a female character walks out holding her own arm and is covered in blood.  There are also features, such as the explosion that make the audience think it is an action movie. 

The camera movement is also extremely important throughout the opening sequence of “Children of Men”.  The audience feel involved in the story when the camera follows Clive Owen in and out of the coffee shop.  It is important for the audience to be involved in the story so they know exactly what is going on.  Also, within the opening sequence the camera focuses on important small details to signify to the audience that these are worth remembering.  An example of this, is when the camera focuses upon Clive Owen pouring alcohol into his coffee cup. 

So, to conclude, the opening sequence of ‘Children of Men’ does use the typical forms and conventions of film openings; including technical codes and introducing the audience to the narrative of the film.  Personally, I thought the opening scene was extremely interesting and definitely made me intrigued to watch the rest of the film.