Research and Planning: Opening Sequences Now You See Me

Opening Sequences

Now You See Me:

At the beginning of this film the 4 main characters are introduced. They are all given different personalities and traits that make the audience recognise they are different people but they all have one thing in common so that the audience can tell that they are linked in some way. We have a group of burglars in our film but because our opening sequence is going to be around two minutes, we won't have time to give them different personalities. However, showing the burglars and the police in different places could make it clear that they are working against each other and that they are two different forces which would help to develop the story with a short amount of time.

The movement for this film seemed quite fast paced because the introduction to the characters doesn't take too long which is good because there isn't much time in our opening sequence. It was easy to learn about them through their different scenes because of the way they acted and their dialogue. Using a lot of dialogue in our sequence could be risky since the dialogue will emphasise any bad acting that we have. Relying more on editing would be safer.


The first character stares straight into the camera. This 'fourth wall' rule of film is broken because it looks like he's looking at the audience. The illusion of watching another story is gone and this fits well with the theme of the movie which is the reality (or non-existence) of magic. This also sets the film apart from others because it breaks the conventions of films in the first few seconds of it. The audience is invited to take part in the magic trick which draws them into the film even more because it feels almost interactive.

The second character is introduced in the same way as the first, staring into the camera except that a few seconds later, the audience finds out they are staring at a poster. The piercing blue eyes make them think that they are being pulled into the scene again, making them pay attention, but when they see that its a poster they are thrown back into their position as an audience again. This plays mind games with them and further reinforces the theme of reality and fantasy.

Research and Planning: Opening Sequences Se7en

Opening Sequences

Se7en:

The opening scene for 'Se7en' starts with a bang (almost like a gunshot) and a black screen. This seems significant because it shows right from the start that the movie will include something dangerous and it foreshadows murder. 

There is an even louder bang when the first shot appears of someone opening a book. This is an indicator that the person (whose face is never shown) is to blame for all of the chaos that will happen during the film. The sound effect probably won't be used in ours because of its dark and chilling effect, and ours is more action than horror.

The shots used are a disorganised compilation of things that the character is doing. The audience can't tell any information from this except that the character might be crazed because of the disturbing images shown in whatever scrapbook he is making. 

There are certain close ups (of hands with a razor, a lot of writing) that make it hard to see what all of it means, which could be representative of the crime genre and that detectives have to piece together whatever evidence they have to solve the crime. This could be useful for our film because of our genre but instead of unrelated and random shots we could put together shots that flow together to tell the story e.g. Burglars planning an escape route.

The music is made up of lots of distorted single sound effects with the steady drum beat and sizzling sound accompanying it. The sounds make the atmosphere quite intense and creepy because it's all unorganised. This keeps the audience tense and anticipating something popping out because things are usually calm before a jump scare in thrillers and horrors.

Research and Planning: Opening Sequences Fast and Furious 6

Opening Sequences

Fast and Furious 6:

The first line of this movie is "Let's go for a little ride". This is obviously an iconic line from the first Fast and Furious movie. A huge amount of the audience for this film would be people who are fans of the franchise. This was movie has been hugely anticipated since the last sequel and the makers of the film knew this so they compiled a selection of clips from the previous movies and pieced together an opening. This would call the audience's attention because they are encouraged to look back at all of the characters' ventures and mishaps over the years.

Within this opening montage, the audience gets to relive the characters' journeys from past to present, including how we met them and how they formed their friendships with the group. Someone who has watched all of the films would be able to make sense of the way that the characters are introduced but those who haven't would still be entertained because there is still a sufficient amount of action, car chases and guns (always expected as codes and conventions of the crime-action genre).

The titles for the opening appear in a metallic font and zoom across the screen, slowing only enough to be read for about 3 seconds maximum  before it zooms off screen again. This could be representing the ever-present customised cars in the film and their speedy car chases and races, but the font style could also be linked to a gun or a bullet whizzing across the screen because of the crime in the film.

All of the clips used have been given a colour filter effect, a blurred edges effect or been blurred. This communicates to the audience that the action isn't happening now and makes it look almost dream-like so that it looks like the past. The blurred edges effect could suggest that we are looking through a hole to these memories, maybe even the memory of one of the characters.

The song that accompanies the sequence (We Own It by 2Chainz & Wiz Khalifa) is a hip hop song and as well as connoting anger and trouble which are tones set in the film, it was also recorded by two famous rap artists and so some of the audience would recognise this and pay attention to the screen or possibly sing with it.

Audience Profile

Audience Profile

Preliminary Sequence and Evaluation

Preliminary Sequence

What do you think went well?

It think our preliminary sequence had good continuity except for a few things. I think our editing is quite tightly done and we've made sure that where our mise-en-scene didn't convey the plot/storyline, the dialogue did. Our lighting was clear enough to see our characters, but also there's a contrast of lighting between Katie and Lucy, where Lucy's figure is lit very well, Katie's is slightly dimmer. This could be considered symbolism for right/wrong or good/bad.

What were your Criticisms?

There were a few continuity errors for instance Lucy's hair is down in the first shot and then up in the next few scenes, and Katie is wearing a red and grey hoodie in the first shot but a blue jumper in the next. The rain is also a big error in terms of continuity but it's also uncontrollable. There is one shot that is made glaringly obvious that it's too long. The camera follows Katie's walking for about nine seconds and its too long to watch one character do one thing with nothing else happening in the frame.

Do you agree with the criticisms?

I do agree with most of the criticisms especially the one about Katie's tracking shot. It was very long and the audience didn't need to see the whole of Katie's walk to meet Lucy, we could have just filmed her start walking and switched to Lucy to skip most of her walking. Although the walking was longer and we got rid of a section of it before submitting this version. I think the rain was a continuity error but I disagree that it was a huge problem because it looks like it started as Katie walks closer towards Lucy. This could be considered pathetic fallacy and give the audience a sense of foreboding. 

How well do you think your group organised this project?

I think we could have improved our organisation. Our time-keeping was fine considering our short time frame, but we did start filming without half of our script and half of our storyboard but finished them both before the end. If we were slightly more organised then we might have remembered to keep the same clothes for filming to avoid continuity errors. With our variety of shots there was no way we could have finished it in one session, but if we had finished the script and storyboard then we would have known exactly what our shots would look like instead of spending time improvising.

How would you improve it?
If we could improve it, I would definitely shorten the shot of Katie walking towards Lucy to about 4 seconds at most. I would have kept all the actors in the clothes that they started filming in and also I would have a longer time frame so that I could re film with the same clothes and on a day when it isn't raining. The frame where you can see Lucy standing still and Katie walking into it so they face each other is a few frames long and that could have used tighter editing as well.

Opening Sequence Rankings

 

OPENING SEQUENCE RANKINGS

 

 

#1 : The Deception (12E8)

I picked this as the best because the titles were really well thought out, the storyline was clear and wasn't too complicated. The flashback and the use of shot reverse shot was done well and it showed good editing skills. The tension was built well and didn't feel overdramatic or badly-acted because there wasn't too much dialogue. The music was right for its genre and mood because it didn't draw too much attention or take anything away from the action.

#2 : The Slayer (12E10)

The storyline was clear, they had a good variety of shots and mise-en-scene and their use of lighting was a good idea but I think in some of their shots it was hard to see what was going on. The music was good at the beginning but maybe needed to change slightly as it went on to keep it from being repetitive and boring.

#3 : Abduction (12C6)

The titles could have been improved by making them match the genre of the film. They had a clever use of CCTV cameras but the tension wasn't enough for me and it felt like it went on for too long. I think the camera needed to be at a different angle and distance from the characters because at times it felt like they were looking straight into the camera.

 

#4 : Snakes and Ladders (12B2)

The titles and music were great and matched the genre well but it felt more like a TV show than a film. They could have used more of a variety of shots but the tracking shot at the beginning was really good.

 

#5 : It Swings In Roundabouts (12C7)

The titles were creative but ended very suddenly. I liked the music because instead of having music the whole way through, they had silence too which drew attention. It wasn't over acted and the scene with the girl was tightly edited. The rested of it needed to be edited a bit better.

 

#6 : Graves (12C7)

Some of the camera movements needed to be a lot smoother because they seemed a bit shaky. The voiceover was a really good idea and I liked the plot idea. The music could have been improved to match the genre.

 

#7 : Rundown (12E7)

The storyline didn't make any sense but I really liked the action shots of the characters running. If there was more information it could have been good. The beginning was good and the end didn't end right.

 

#8 : Bacterium (12B1)

Even though the storyline was clear and there was a good range of shots, there wasn't a lot to keep me entertained and it got boring very quickly. The shot reverse would have been good with some tighter editing.

 

#9 : Chroniker (12A2)

This would have been interesting if it made sense. The music didn't match the genre at any time, and it also changed too much and took attention away from the action. The split screens were good for a while but were over used and got boring.

 

#10 : The Resistance (12B6)

The shot reverse shots used in conversation were terrible and needed to be filmed at a different angle. If there was less dialogue and it didn't rely so much on the acting it could have been better. The camera was shaky and even though they used a POV shot it was ruined by the bad acting.

 

#11 : 1962 (12E9)

The acting was terrible. There were too many gaps in the dialogue that could have been fixed with basic editing. The tension was non existent and a lot of the shots seemed rushed because of the shaking and jolting. There was a lot of unnecessary screaming and the music seemed out of place.

 

 

Examiner's Rankings:

 

1. E10- The Slayer, 2. E8- The Deception, 3. C6- Abduction, 4. C7- It Swings In Roundabouts, 5. B2- Snakes and Ladders, 6. B1- Bacterium, 7. E7- Rundown, 8. A2- Chroniker, 9. B6- The Resistance, 10. C7- Graves, 11. E9- 1962

Distribution, Production and Exhibition

Production, Distribution and Exhibition

Production:

The production of a film is broken into three sections; pre-production, production and post-production. 

Pre-production is where all the planning for the film takes place. The idea, location scouting, casting etc. is all done during this period. This stage is important to the overall turn-out of the film e.g. a bad actress picked during casting results in a bad film.
Production is the second stage where the film is physically being made. All of the filming for the movie is done during production.
Post-production is mainly editing what has been filmed during production. This stage does not necessarily happen after all of the filming in production is finished; editing footage, recording the soundtrack and adding visual and sound effects can start whenever there is enough footage to begin the process.

Distribution:
There are various ways to get the target audience for a movie to watch it. The process of distribution is finding film distributors to market the film to its audience and get them to watch it so that it can make a profit. Usually you take an idea for a movie (or the finished product) to a film distributor and pitch it to them so that they can decide whether they can get the film out there.

Exhibition:
Films are mostly exhibited in places like the cinema where they sell the 'film experience' as well as concessions like popcorn and sweets. Exhibitors hold public screenings for paying customers which means they have quite a big influence on the box office figures and rankings. Cinemas can be of the national chain variety which usually play blockbusters and the independent exhibitors which show more art-house films.

Secrets and Lies Representation Analysis

Secrets and Lies
Representation Analysis

Children Of Men Analysis

'Children of Men' Analysis

The opening sequence of ‘Children of Men’ features various filming techniques and signifiers that have different purposes and meanings.

This film follows the codes and conventions for big budget films, showing the production companies (Universal and Strike) before the film begins. There is no sound during this part which brings the audience’s attention to the screen because it gives the illusion that the sound isn’t working. We can also tell that it is a big budget movie because Universal funded it, and Universal usually funds big block busters.

Following the silence of the production companies, we can suddenly hear dialogue. The speech is in very formal English accents and includes facts and figures (not like a conversation between two people), and this indicates that we are hearing a British news report. Hearing the two news reports before seeing anything means that the audience can focus on what is being said. For instance, one of the presenters mentions that immigration has been banned and that many people are being deported back to their home countries. The audience now knows that the movie is not set in present day Britain.

The institutional information appears in block white writing against the black background after the first few stories. The voices of the news presenters continue and this makes the audience impatient to know more because when you see the first few words it makes you think you’re about to find out more about the movie.

The screen goes black again and then the female presenter says ‘Death of the youngest person on the planet.’ This news story is confusing to the audience because people have babies all the time. As soon as the words are said, a shot of a crowd of people appears. None of the people in the shot look confused so the audience knows that what the reporter said isn’t a mistake and that in the movie there are no longer children i.e. No one is having babies anymore.

Everyone in the scene is wearing dull colours like grey or black and none of them are smiling, so it gives us the idea that the setting isn’t cheerful.

We can tell that this crowd of people are in an English cafe because there are pastries in a container in the corner of the screen, the word ‘Caffe’ is on the wall, there are people holding coffee cups and also we can tell that it is set in England because there are two policemen wearing the conventional British holster and badge and one of them was wearing a police hat.

All of the people in the frame have their eyes fixed on a common object that the camera can’t see. However there is a TV placed directly opposite the camera on the other side of the room as evidence that they are all watching a TV.

As well as the dialogue from the news report, we can hear passing cars and honking. This suggests that it is rush hour or a busy time of day, especially since the cafe is packed and there are a few characters wearing smart clothes like they are on their way to work.

No one is moving in the cafe and they all stay fixed on the TV behind the camera, but a man bustles his way to the front of the shot to get to the counter and order a drink. This singles him out and the audience is immediately aware that the man is a main character. When he looks at the screen he is still fiddling around in his pockets, which shows he isn’t as affected by the news as everyone else.

The shot changes to a screen (presumably the one everyone is watching) showing a montage of the youngest man’s life. At the bottom of the screen it says 2009-2027, which subtly communicates to the audience two important pieces of information; 1. That no one was born after this person in 2009 and 2. That the movie is set in 2027.

The shot changes back to the cafe and we see the man pick up his coffee and exit the shop. The camera uses a handheld shot to follow the man through the crowd and out of the cafe to convey realism so we can tell this is going to be a gritty film.

When he steps outside of the shop and turns left, the camera turns to the right and then pans to the left to exhibit the surroundings. There are a lot of odd vehicles speeding past with the odd few red buses which are iconic to London if the audience hadn’t guessed where it was set already. It looks dirty and polluted, with cars sputtering out smoke and rubbish bags on the pavement which doesn’t paint a positive picture of the future. The date and location show up at the bottom of the frame which confirms what the audience have probably guessed already.

The camera is following the main character again and we see him stop to set his cup down and unscrew a bottle he gets from his coat. This implies he is about to pour alcohol into his cup. We associate drinking in adulthood with unhappiness and so we can assume that the man isn’t happy with his life.

The camera arcs around him and we expect it to be because they can get a better view of what he is doing but he puts the bottle back in his coat pocket.

The camera is now faced in the direction it just came from and an explosion goes off in one of the shops. The audience can deduce that it’s in the cafe that he just walked out of.

We see him drop his cup and back away into a wall behind him possibly to show that he is unharmed, and then the camera moves towards the action much quicker than it moved a few seconds ago before the explosion. The shakiness of the camera creates a sense of urgency and importance.

There is smoke drifting from the cafe and we can hear very high-pitched painful screaming. A woman limps out of the smoke holding her own dismembered arm in her hand. The shocking gruesomeness of this scene is a sign of what is to come in the rest of the film.

The screams and picture is cut off and there is just silence and the title of the movie ‘Children of Men’ appears white on black abruptly. This insinuates that the movie will be grim throughout and there isn’t any time to dwell on the morbid nature.

Camera Movement

Camera Movement

In film, different camera movements are used to vary the shots. The camera can move up, down, left, right and forward and backward (otherwise known as the XYZ axis). 

Pan:

Moving the camera sideways; Left to right or right to left.
This technique is used primarily to establish more of the setting or illustrate the speed of whatever is moving.

 Movie: Goodfellas

Track:

When the camera is placed on a track and can be moved around keeping the same distance away from the action. Similar to the Dolly shot.

Movie: Kill Bill

Tilt: 
The camera moves up or down while staying in a fixed spot.

Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Pull Focus:

Changing the focus in the shot from one object to another. 

Movie: Jurassic Park

Crane:

Shots that move up, down, left and right but whilst in the air. Normally done using a jib or crane.

Movie: Notorious

Aerial:

Much like the Crane Shot, the Aerial shot moves in all directions in the air but from a greater height. This can be shot from a helicopter or plane.

Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Zoom in:
Keeping the camera itself still but changing the focal length of the lens to magnify the action in the shot.

Movie: The Shining

Zoom out:

The same technique as zooming in, but instead gives the illusion of moving away from the action in the shot.

Whip pan:

Panning the camera so fast that the image blurs and objects are disfigured. Used for transitions between two subjects.

Movie: Fists of Fury

Handheld:

Movements where the camera is held in an operator's hands rather than on a tripod or a dolly.

Movie: Cloverfield

Dolly:

The camera is mounted onto a dolly and can move around smoothly. The camera can move closer and further away from the action.

Movie: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Steadicam:

A fluid movement using a handheld camera. This camera is held steady using a contraption that is attached to the operator. 

Movie: Hugo

Framing / Shot Distances

Types of Frame Distances

• The "Extreme Long Shot"-

This shot is filmed from a considerable distance away and usually pans across a landscape or the exterior of a building to depict the setting/general location and time. 

These shots are used a lot in movies at the beginning of the film to establish the setting but also at the beginning of a new scene so that the audience has an idea of location and at the end of the film to make it clear that the story is finished as the camera is further away from the characters.

In this scene, the house where the action is taking place isn't being focused on because the setting is being introduced. You can tell the time of day (Sunset/Sunrise because of the sun on the horizon and the light spots), and that the area is very isolated because it is surrounded by water and there isn't any sign of people except the smoke from the chimney of the house.

• The "Medium Long Shot"-

Movie: Irreversible

This is filmed a short distance away from the character(s) in the scene so that the shot has their full body in view. The medium long shot establishes the relationship between the character and the setting, and the actors are more 'life-like' because size also becomes clear. This shot is very easy to over use because it's simple to co-ordinate but it doesn't help explain details of the story like a lot of other shots do.

In this scene, the woman walks through an empty, dirty tunnel (she is in a city) that has very dim lighting which makes the surroundings look red. This tells you that the woman is in danger or that trouble follows her.

• The "Medium Shot"-

The medium shot is normally filmed from the waist up and is used frequently for dialogue scenes because it gives a bit more detail of action. The camera can film characters close to each other and help determine their relationship e.g. love, hate, friendship etc.

Movie: Flightplan

During dialogue, the frame usually alternates between a medium shot and a close up of one characters face while they're speaking or while another character is speaking to gauge their reaction.

In this scene, 3 characters are in the middle of a conversation. You can see from the background that they are on a plane but it isn't the main focus because the audience is focused on what they are saying and the setting was probably already introduced. One of the characters is wearing a uniform so we can deduce that he is one of the pilots. His arms are folded so we can see that whatever he is talking about is serious. The woman seems to be facing the two men, and they both seem to be opposite her, showing that she is independent of that they might not agree with what she is saying.

• The "Close-up"-

The close-up shots are primarily used for reactions and scenes where the character is reflecting on their own. The shot captures the shoulders and head and is a short distance away

Movie: The Leopard

from the action. This lets the audience feel closer to the character and more empathetic because of the close proximity. This shot is especially good in movies with lots of drama.

In this scene, the man's head is tilted and you can tell he's been crying because his cheek is wet. The lighting isn't very bright and it looks quite muted which makes it look like it is an older movie. The style of his facial hair is quite old fashioned as well, so we can tell the movie is set in the past. 

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

• The "Extreme Close-Up"-

This shot allows for the frame to magnify what the human eye would see in real life, making the shot very artificial but helpful in adding dramatic effect. Close-ups should usually follow wider frames unless the intention is to build suspense and the character is significant in the story.

In this scene, the extreme close-up was used uniquely to show what the character was seeing. The lighting is very dark on one side and fades to light on the other side of his face, which makes the shot very intense because it incites a lot of mystery and thriller.

XLS= Extreme Long Shot, LS= Long Shot, MLS= Medium Long Shot
MS= Medium Shot, MCU= Medium Close-up, CU= Close-up
BCU= Big Close Up, XCU= Extreme Close-up