What forms can opening sequences take? Can you list the conventional features of opening sequences?
There are various ways of presenting opening sequences:
- Opening credits overlayed onto picture.
- Opening credits break up the montage of picture.
- Straight into picture (first scene) followed by opening credits.
Conventional features:
- Introduce the main character of the story.
- Introduce the setting; the main area/location which the film will centre around.
- Contain referential codes; credits notifying audience of the production company, actors etc. This would give the audience an idea of what kind of film to expect, as certain actors and directors are well known for particular styles.
- Opening sequences are use like introductions to the film and its storyline, so the audience gets a stong idea of what the film is going to be about.
What narrative functions of opening sequences can you identify?
- At the beginning of the sequence, the equillibrium is established.
- However there is then a disruption to this equillibrium that the protagonist must try and overcome.
- The protagonist will overcome the immediate disruption but mystery will be left as the identity of the antagonist is still unknown to the 'good guys'.
- The opening sequence works to set up the films plot.
What do audiences gain from watching the opening sequence?
- Audiences immediately will gain an understanding (hopefully) of what themes the film will be based around.
- The Audience is also introduced to the main charcters, time and setting of the film.
- The audience should be able to identify the genre clearly.
- Clarity, interest and mystery should ultimately determine whether or not the audience wants to watch the rest of the film.
What do film-makers gain from including an opening sequence?
By having an opening sequence, film makers draw in the audiences attention. They do so by establishing genre, characters and style. An opening sequence provides the introduction to the plot which if successful, should set up a mystery to make the audience want to watch the rest of the film.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Opening Sequences: An Overview
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Applying 'Levi-Strauss' & 'Barthes' Theory:
- Cuts between Good guys vs. bad guys.
- Contrast between soft guitar playing and loud horses running.
Symbolic Code:
There are many symbolic codes in the opening sequence of SPEED, e.g. police uniforms symbolising authority and crime stopping. There is also symbolism in the characters emotions such as bravery and fear.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Preliminary Evaluation
Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
For this task I was working with Kerry and Jay. We did not have an assigned group leader but mainly worked to each others strengths. In the pre-production meeting we were all keen to put forward our ideas and were quick to come up with conclusions and solutions to problems. As the most confident artist, I sketched the storyboard whilst Kerry did the script and Jay did the shot schedule. We worked very efficiently in the meeting and all had a very clear idea of the plan.
After learning about all the different roles taken during the production of film we decided to assign ourselves these rolls. Again we solved this problem by working to our strengths and I ended up working the camera and sound, whilst Kerry and Jay acted. Sometimes, when Jay was not in shot, for example when Kerry was entering the building, Jay switched roles to the production assistant. We were very organised during the shoot and even had time to reflect and shoot some extra shots.
During the editing process we all took turns to edit the scene however, I took control more at this stage of the production as the most confident user of the software. We all voiced our opinions clearly and collaborated to produce the finial sequence. We worked very efficiently as a group.
How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you take into account?
We felt that it would be essential to have a meeting to begin the pre-production planning. Firstly, we established the jobs that had to be done and got to work. After brainstroming ideas and finalising the script started to think about location and lighting. We wanted our sequence to be simple but different; and the difference came in our choice of as our only light source was from a projected film. We knew this would be challenging and potentially disasterous but decided to press on with 'plan B' being just to turn the lights back on.
After casting our roles and getting permission to use one of our media classrooms we had a walk through of our sequence where we focussed on character actions and camera positions. This was really helpful as I as the cameraman got to test out which shots would work and which would not. From this walkthrough we devised a shot list and then finalised this by drawing out a rough storyboard.
We used a number of theories when planning our sequence starting with the narrative theory for our script. Although short and simple, there was a clear plot and sense of charater. When drawing our storyboard we took into account the use of different distances, angles, and levels to give different connotations to the images and also followed the principles of continuity to help make our sequence flow and make sense.
What technology did you use to complete the task and how did you use it?
Hardware:
- Cannon Digital Mini-DV tape
- Tripod
- Marker board
- Shotgun Mic
- PC (non-linear editing)
Software:
- Adobe Premiere Pro
For our sequence we were using video and audio, with the shotgun mic attatched to the top of the camera. The camera operator (i.e myself) used headphones to listen to the captured sound. The footage off the tape was captured into Adobe Premiere Pro and we began the editing process. We edited between multiple tracks and used tools such as the razor for basic clip editing. We also used envelopes for the opacity and volume to create a fade out at the end of the sequence. At the beginning of our sequence we used the 'create title' function to add in the name of our sequence and our names. We used two screens whilst editing, one for the source monitor and timeline, and one dedicated to the main output.
What factors did you take into account when planning shooting and editing?
There were many factors to consider throughout the task. The main factor was probably how much time we had to plan, shoot, and edit, as this gave us a clear idea of how long the sequence would have to be and how fast we would have to work in order to achieve this. From here, once we had a shot list we could work out how much time we would have to spend in each set up on the day of the shoot. We also had to consider the location and the issues surrounding it such as noise, lighting, and other groups needing to use the same space. Luckily for us, we did not have to fight over locations as our teacher gave us different rooms within the building, however there was a high demand for the lobby area which we resolved by filming our opening shots last and after the other groups had finished. We solved the problem of noise by simply closing the windows in our location room and we used the red 'on-air' light to stop people from wandering into the scene. We had a clear idea of our lighting wants from the planning meetings and we achieved the film effect by having a film played on a computer and projected onto a screen, however we did have to go to the lighter shots in the film to stop the footage from looking completly dark. When editing we had to consider carefully the actions of the actors to achieve matches on action. For example, we had done a rough edit where we realised that Kerry's hand were on the table, and in the next shot, underneath the table. We did not appreciate it whilst filming but it is so important that the actors play the scene the same way every time.
How successful was your sequence?
Our sequence is about a boy (Jay) who is watching 'The Island' (a great film) when a girl (Kerry) enters and asks Jay numerous questions about the film, distracting him and annoying him. The conversation ends when Jay has had enough and tells Kerry to "sshhhhh".
The beginning of our sequence works well thanks to the great matches on action; when Kerry opens the door, and sits down in the chair. It is also good how the room that she enters is dark and has the film playing. However, the box visible in the lobby area looks messy ruining the 'mise en scene' and there could have been a cutaway to Kerry's hand on the door handle. The master shot is a good establishing one clearly showing the positions of the two characters however the reflection created by the film on the glass behind looks strange but unfortunately we had not taken this into account when planning it. It would have looked better if the projector was at the back of the room so the master shot was showing the film being projected however we did not have the luxury of moving objects like the projector or the window!
The cuts between the two over-the-shoulder perspectives worked brilliantly to create the shot-reverse-shot that was required and again we included more seemless match-cuts during actions and even dialogue. When editing I really tried not to just cut between dialogue and action but during as this is what happens in real films. The ending to the sequence also works well as the cut from the master shot after the long pause to the close-up of Kerry's final interruption really involves the audience and immerses them in how annoyed Jay is feeling towards these unwanted interruptions.
The main problem with our sequence is the darkness which resulted in flat lighting throughout the scene in the room where the film is on. Although the film sometimes does enough to light up the characters and the flickering effect works perfectly, and extra light source is needed to give the lighting an extra boost. If we were to redo the sequence we would probably try it with one of the curtains out of shot open or maybe even experimenting with different artificial lights and posistions.
Overall I think our sequence worked extremely well to demonstrate the principles of continuity. Matches on action were almost perfect and we had a clear sense of story and character. There were issuses to do with the lighting which could be improved if tackled again and there could have been a cut away when Kerry opened the door, but I am very happy with our groups final result.
What have you learnt from completing this task?
From doing this task I have experienced factors to consider when doing a film project and also mistakes that can be made. I have identified key areas which need particular attention such as lighting and the action of actors. We did not put much thought to it at the time, and luckily it just happened, but I now realise the importance of the actors acting the scene the same way every time. This is important if you are trying to achieve matches on action as your actor has to be doing the same thing from different angles.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Finding Nemo: Propp's Theory
'Finding Nemo' (2003) is a father-son underwater adventure featuring Nemo, a boy clownfish, stolen from his coral reef home. His timid father Marlin must then travel to Sydney and search Sydney Harbour to find Nemo. Along the way he meets Dory, who has a very bad short-term memory but nevertheless is essential to helping him find Nemo as she can read.
Characters:
- Hero: Marlin
- Villian: The Humans (the little girl)
- Helper: Dory
- The Victim (Captive): Nemo
Propp's 31 Functions in 'Finding Nemo':
- [No. 1] Nemo leaves the reef.
- [No. 8] Nemo gets captured and taken by the humans.
- [No. 11] Marlin leaves the reef to begin his search for Nemo.
- [No. 14] Marlin meets Dory who helps and helps him get to where he needs to go.
- [No. 15] They arrive in Sydney where Nemo is in his fish tank.
- [No. 25] Nemo has the difficult task of swimming out through the pipe.
- [No. 30] Humans are punished as they lose all their fish.
Propp's Theory Evaluation:
Propp identifies the key charcters in most narratives, and whilst this is mainly correct, Propp's 31 Functions are not all include in films with only a few to be found. In my opinion this makes Propp's theory a very loose one and maybe just more of a suggestion as I believe that narratives vary too much to all be categorised into a structured "formula". Being so general in the study of narratives also means that important features of storys are overlooked such as setting and context; two features vital to the narrative of any story. Overall, I don't think that Propp's theory is wrong, but rather that it misses out, by generalising, on the essential differences between narratives and their composition that make storys individual and unique.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Principles of Continuity: Sequence Analysis
The scene begins with an MCU reverse track of Will Smith walking through the stockbrokers main office building, establishing the chaotic surroundings. It then cuts to his first person perspective as he looks into the room where he is about to be interviewed. There is then a match on action as he enters the room from being an over the shoulder shot, to a MS.
The continuity is enforced here when the camera pans around the room whilst Will Smith's character shakes the hands of the executives, coming to rest when he is on the other side of the room. During this walk around the room there is a cut-away to Will Smith shaking the hands of the boss of the company. This is included to show the boss's unfavourable reaction to the lack of suitable clothing for a job interview.
Shortly after this there is a wide shot of the whole room showing the different characters on the different sides of the desks. This is used as a master shot for this scene and appears a couple of times to remind the viewer of the environment that the characters are in. After this and during most of the dialogue the technique of shot-reverse-shot is used as the picture cuts from an OTS of Will Smith to a similar OTS of the boss. The 180 degree rule is applied and as a result the audience can view the conversation from different perspectives without becoming disorientated.
For variation, there are also MCU's of the speaking character the break up the scene further. Another shot used is a shot along the line of executives, which again varies the viewers perspective and displays the reactions of the other two executives in the room of which we rarely see. The final shot of the interview is a wide from behind the executives. This shot gives the building a further sense of scale and pulls the viewer out of the interview connoting the end of the meeting.
There is then a cut to Will Smith pushing the button for the lift. This transition from one time and place to a point in the near future is quite sudden but made to flow by a very short sound bridge until the moment where to button is pressed. This shot is also a cut-away as the camera then pulls up to an MCU of Will Smith eventually turning into an OTS shot as he begins to have his conversation with one of the executives from the interview. Again the technique of shot-reverse-shot is used from over the shoulders of the two characters and the 180 degree rule is again adhered to. The scene then ends with an MCU pan/track of Will Smith until he has entered the lift and the doors have closed.
The continuity techniques used here are numerous and no rules are broken. Matches on action are without error and the whole scene flows with a diverse yet realistic degree of different perspectives. Overall the final sequence plays with a sense of stylistic continuity made possible by sensitive camera work and seemless editing.
Opening Sequence Analysis: Narrative theory
The opening of THE ISLAND begins with a huge establishing shot taken from the sky, moving through the clouds presenting the sea and a coastline giving us an immediate sense of location. We are then shown clips of Scarlett Johansson's hair blowing in the wind broken up by further shots of the fantastic environment and surroundings. A sense of place is then established when we see an arial shot of the boat which the two main characters are on. There is then a sequence of shots of Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson smiling at each other and extending their arms suggesting to the audience that they are the protaganists in this story an have a very close relationship.
The audience is then shocked by the dramatic change of mood when Ewan Mcgregor's arm is seized and he is pulled overboard by three other lifeforms. These other people are clearly not good characters, but under the control of the main antaganist who flashes in and out with the dialougue "You are Special...the Island awaits you...". The prescence of an evil villain is emphasised by the blue colour filter and darker lighting on the bad characters, and the montage that follows gives the viewer a sense of disorientation as if they are being drowned like the two main characters with whom they are associating themselves.
There is then a sublime arial shot of Ewan McGregor's bed filmed in reverse as water drains from the room and leaves him on his own to wake up. This shot is my favourite shot from the opening of this film and it shows clearly the main character emerging from his dream, and the one we've just seen.
When he awakes there are numerous establishing shots from plenty of angles of his room and the surroundings. The colour scheme of all white suggests an extrodinarily clean environment and the technology seen all around the room suggests that this film is set some time in the future. We also learn of our characters code name from this scene, as the computerised voice greets him when he wakes up.
We get an introduction to Ewan McGregor's character when he begins to argue with the computerised voice which tells him that his diet has to be restricted. His tedius manner and insistant talking into the camera (in his room) show the audience that he is frustrated about the way in which he is living. This whole scene also shows the audience how the way he lives is actually being controlled by someone else, and that he is not happy with it. There is a potential narrative direction when the shot of all the security cameras appear, as the audience understand who the bad guys are - the guys watching them.
The sequence that follows when Ewan McGregor leaves his room give the audience a sense of the scale of this location. You are shown thousands of people all wearing uniform clothes and all moving in the same direction. Suggesting that all these these people are being controlled and detained. We the characters get in the lift, the shot spectacularly zooms out to show the industrial-looking complex where all these people are.
A more purposeful narrative is establish for the uniformed people in the scene in the lift, when you find out that they are all trying to win 'the lottery' and move to the island. Here we also learn about other characters and how long they've been in this place. The fact that the two guards appear outside the lift shows how carefully monitored all these people are and how the uniformed people themselves are very obidient to the guards.
The narrative is very much hinted at in these first few minutes as the uniformed people trying to escape from this place and indeed this narrative turns out to be correct [SPOILER WARNING!] as these people turn out to be clones used as health insurance for wealthy people in the future. Our main character (Ewan McGregor) discovers the world outside this controlled area and with Scarlett Johansson, they escape, loads of crazy 'Michael Bay-style' action happens, they find out the truth, and return to free the clones. Brilliant film!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sequence Evaluation
The point of this activity was to put into practice our newly learnt knowledge of film sequence continuity by atempting to film a short sequence of six shots featuring an accident as its focal point.
What works well?
- Although slightly drawn out, the opening pan works well to establish the setting, surroundings and the main character.
- Our sequence also works well as the shots do give the sense of continuity to the sequence.
- There is a nice variety to our shots, e.g. long shots, very long shots , close ups, and a first person view point.
- We also used a variety of techniques, e.g. pan, steady shot, tilt, and hand-held.
Possible Improvements?
- The timings of capture were not perfect. The opening pan was too long and some of the other shots were just a bit short which made the sequence at times seem rushed.
- Not all of the cuts in our sequence were very well matched and as a result the flow is disrupted, e.g. the sequence jumps at the end where the character is ten metres away from the cone and suddenly he has fallen over it!
- At the beginning of our sequence we nearly break the 30 degree rule by having two shots that are very similar to each other, this was the weakest point of our sequence.
What have I learnt?
- From doing this activity I have realised how much thought has to go into making a sequence flow.
- I have also realised the importance of perfect match cutting to make the sequence continuous.
- After evaluating the sequence I have learnt new rules of continuity such as the 30 degree rule which I will now never nearly break again.
- I also now appreciate further the luxury of being able to edit film so quickly and easily on the computer!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sequence Comparison: 'Legally Blonde' and 'Seven'
'Legally Blonde'
Shots...
- CU of hair, nails, shoes, necklace shows the characters attention to detail and how self-perfection is a key part of her personality.
- Establishing shot of her on the bike shows us the surroundings and what the campus looks like, introducing us to the scale and look of the area that the narrative will be based.
- Arial Shot of the stairs give us a glimpse of the size of the area where the girls stay, which we would immediately associate with the students having a lot of money
- The sequence also uses shots which do not show the whole of the main character straight away. The character is withheld until the end of the sequence.
Character + Narrative...
- The characters we see are all university students and are very stereotypically shown. The girls are all spending their time looking good, whilst the boys are playing like guys would and looking at the girls.
- Shots showing the homecoming banner indicate to the audience that the main character is very popualar. We are also shown this by the fact that everyone is signing her card.
- No-one on campus seems to be working, but rather, working at looking good. This suggests that physical perfection is a very high priority for these students.
- Some of the shots are in slow-motion which builds up anticipation to the main character the the big event that is about to happen.
Visuals + Music...
- The soundtrack used is an upbeat song with lyrics 'perfect day' whose connotations are self-explanatory. The song also names a number of brand names, adding to the feeling of wealth and exclusiveness.
- The visuals are very bright, with high-key lighting used throughout.
-Colours are very prominant, for example the pink is bright and always stands out connoting girls and thus the theme of colour links into the main character and the narrative.
'Seven'
Shots + Character...
- Establishing shot of Morgan Freeman in the house in his bed gives us the feeling of loneliness and isolation for his character.
- CU of his belongings shows how he has a very specific way of organising himself and he is very much set in his ways.
- The way his bed is made perfectly shows how tidy and disciplined he is.
Soundscape + Visuals...
- The soundscape particularly in the main characters house is very much background noise and silence giving the character a sense of isolation from the world.
- The ticking of the metronome to get to sleep also has connotations of precision and accuracy and conforms to the characters set way of life.
- The colours are very tonal and mostly dull, adding to the realism and suggesting a sense of darkness and mystery.
- The choice of clothing on the two main characters is very deliberate and shows how one is layed back and modern wearing a shirt and leather jacket whilst the other is very serious and old fashioned wearing a trenchcoat and hat.
Title Sequence...
- The title sequence itself is very abstract. The black white and red colour scheme suggest themes of murder, horror, and thriller elements.
- The images used in the background show us sections of a character who is working with forensic evidence. Also having pictures of the murder victims, we suspect this to be the killer by the nature of his actions.
- The music is very modern, electronic and fragmented, suggesting tension and a thrilling and haunting narrative.
Overall Comparrison:
While 'Legally Blonde' presents a world in a bright, expensive, and almost unrealistic fashion, 'Seven' does the opposite by showing us the opening of a dark, haunting, and realistic thriller. The upbeat soundtrack of 'Legally Blonde' brings life to the opening of a very busy sequence with lots of characters, colour, and action, whereas 'Seven' is a total contrast with an edgy soundtrack, dull tones, and a narrative focusing mainly on one character.
These styles, altough very different work perfectly to open the films as they are immediately indicative of the films genre. Both openings set you up for an enjoyable two hours and leave you wanting to carry on watching to explore the narrative that you are set up with at the start.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Film Still: Analysis
This shot is a CU of a held knife combined with a VLS of a person fallen on the floor. The presence of the knife immediately indicates something sinister, and the person on the floor is the victim struggling to get away. Horror is also represented not just by the action, but by the techniques used in the compostion of the shot. The contrast created by the extremes of lighting makes the knife and victim stand out and this is exaggerated further by the resulting silhouettes. The framing is tight, and the killers leg and the corridoor doorway create multiple frames within a frame, also creating division between the two characters and connoting a bad or non-existant relationship. The use of different levels in perspective also adds a depth of meaning to the shot. The standing killer looks in control and dominant whereas the victim looks small and helpless. The knife appearing larger than the victim signifies the scale of the threat and makes the danger seem much more prominant.
To acheive these desired effects we used the upper science corridoor in the school and started by turning the lights off. We decided that the killer should stand in the darkest area of the corridoor where there were no windows and that the victim should just be lit up by natural light (from the windows further down). This was directed in the planned shot sketch. To frame the still, the photographer knelt down close up to the killer using the tripod to steady the camera. The knife was framed in the centre as this is where the natural light fell and we liked the silhouette effect that resulted. The victim then went by the first window, as a means of lighting them, however we found that the shot worked better when the victim was just in front of the first window, thus creating a silhouette. We experimented with position and action of the victim a lot and attained a number of possible final shots. As directed in the plan of this shot, the only light source was the natural light; we did experiment, but in this shot the artificial lighting was not used.
I believe that the shot works very well due to the strong contrasts created. The light, shadow, and depth created in the shot combine to form a composition that I think could be very representative of the horror/thriller genre. The bold silhouettes are prominant and draw the audiences attention to the action raising questions about the possible narrative which will emerge.
If I were to make any changes to the shot I would perhaps experiment with the framing, placing the knife further right and the victim further left to give the shot a wider feel. This could be done in a more open environment. I would like to see how that would look compared to the shots we already have as I think it would feel less claustrophobic and as a result maybe create a different expected narative.
