3. Shot lists

14. Location Research

I have taken three images for a potential location for our horror opening sequence..

This first image shows a woods surrounded by trees and a fence in the background. This would make a good horror location as it is surrounded by trees which creates the idea that someone could easily be trapped there and no one would even realise, it is dark and creepy and due to the logs and leaves a body could easily be hidden there. I have edited it and decreased the saturation to create a more 'creepy' atmosphere which could be done using imovie. 

This second image shows a ladder leading up to a dark loft. This would make a good horror location as it creates the idea of being trapped as if someone has been locked up in a loft it is extremely difficult to escape. Ladders are extremely creepy due to the sound they make when being stepped on which could create an immediate uncomfortable atmosphere which is a purpose for horror films. Lofts are very dark which can also add to the atmosphere as the dark makes everything seem a lot scarier. I have edited this picture to make the walls look old and dirty to suggest the person who owns this house is 'old and dirty' and doesn't have visitors a lot which instantly portrays an image of scary and creepy character. I also increased the contrast so it is pitch black which suggests that something or someone is going to jump out. 

My final image is a school corridor. I have used school as one of my locations as it suggests calm and safety and we could use this as an advantage and create a murder scene here to shock the audiences expectations. With the lights on, school seems colourful and vibrant however, when the lights are off it is corridor after corridor of complete darkness which would create a very uncomfortable atmosphere. I have edited this photo by increasing the contrast and decreasing the brightness to create a shadow effect suggesting darkness is always there but not always seen. 

16. Audience Research 2

           

This is our results presented on paper from the questionnaires we gave out. These results informed us that many people enjoy horrors, saw was a main favourite and that many people wanted to feel scared and excited when watching a horror this helped us in thinking of our ideas for our opening sequence because it made us realise what kind of hints and clues to show and want kind of feeling and atmosphere we want to create for the audience. The fact that the people who filled out our surveys were aged 11-24 is good as that is the age we are aiming to impress and relate to the most. Additionally  most people wanted to feel scared and excited I believe we are going for more of a scared approach through the use of creepy music. Most people wanted to learn about the characters so we will be showing hints and clues of Rae's personality for example, her clothing and her phone. Most people believed that creepy music was mot as effective so we will be using it in order to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. Furthermore, most people believed that the best character for a murderer would be an outcast or maniac, we are planning to use the idea of an outcast, a young boy with a hand deformation who got bullied at a young age. Most people believed that handwriting font was the most effective titles however we are planning to shock the audience with the use of a 'scratchy font' as we think it relate well to our plot and to the character of the murderer. Due to the fact that most people believed that fast paced editing was the most effective we will be using it. However, we will also be using slow-paced editing at times to create tension. 

1. Initial ideas

a brainstorm of our initial ideas

 

We immediately thought of the genre of horror as we all loved them and thought they were exciting, interesting and scary all at the same time. We had a range of ideas and plot lines for our horror but decided on the idea of a murder to a young girl. Harry stated that he knew where an abandoned house was so we thought that would be a great place for a setting. We all decided that Rae would be the female victim and we thought she could be covered in blood and scratches. Additionally  we thought we could use the prop of a phone which lights up to suggest that someone is trying to get in touch with Rae (the victim) suggesting she should be somewhere else. We each contributed our own ideas and then used parts from each and then developed them to make one big idea. 

2. Film Synoposis

It is set in an abandoned house during winter and a group of teenagers are looking for a place to have a new years party. An anonymous note is sent to one of the young girls telling her 'the perfect place to have a party' which leads her to the abandoned house. This young girl reads the note and is extremely happy and goes to the address and disappears (gets murdered) her friends become worried about where she is and then recieve another anonymous note telling them where she is, but they are unsure whether to go or not. They end up going and discover that she has been murdered. A murderer is on the loose to get revenge on those who bullied him as a child (the group of teenagers) for his physical difficulty of his deformed hand. After the funeral of the first victim, one by one each 'bully' goes missing after each recieving a mysterious anonymous note. A group of family members go on a witch hunt to find the killer and are never found.

Our opening sequence will show the young girl covered in blood and scratches this will leave the audience asking who did this to her and why? Also, the audience will also ask where she is? we are planning to reveal little information including a close up of the note and also we are going to show her ripped clothing. However, we are not going to show who the murderer is. Our film idea fits the genre of horror as it includes violence and a murderer.

15. Audience Research 1

         

This is a series of voxpops that me, Rae and Harry made asking pupils and teachers from Glenthorne High school about the genre of horror. Our questions included: Do you like horror films and why?, What setting do you expect to see?, What is your favourite horror film? and What music do you expect to hear? The answers provided us with information about our audience and helped us create ideas either relating to the audience research or going against it in order to shock or confuse the audience.  Our answers showed that most people liked horrors because they were interesting and scary and that people mainly expect to see an abandoned, cold setting therefore we are hoping to use the location of an abandoned house in morden park in order to respond correctly to what our audience expect to see. Miss Saunders claimed she would like to hear 'heavy, rock music' but we are choosing creepy music as we believe it would be more effective and create more of an atmosphere and tension. 

10. What titles?

13. Conventions chosen genre (horror)

12. Genre 2

11. Genre 1

                            

This is the opening sequence from the film Se7en.

SOUND
The sound starts off slow paced and sounds like an electric interference which immediately makes the audience feel uncomfortable and cautious. Additionally  the use of an 'electric' sound suggests pain and suffering which creates an eery atmosphere. We can hear a tapping in the background which makes us think of someone waiting and creates the theme of impatience. We then hear a high pitched scratching which sounds similar to a scream making the audience feel uncomfortable and scared and suggests that someone is trapped or hurt. As the title 'SE7EN' appears the non-digetic soundtrack increases in speed. The background noises then increase in volume which results in a symphony of noises. These noises sound like machines which creates a vicious image. We then hear a high pitched sound which is creepy. We then keep hearing high pitched sudden noises suggesting screams of either females or children which makes the audience aware and sympathise. Next we hear the sound a choir but a distorted choir which creates a creepy atmosphere and suggests the film is going to be shocking. The soundtrack now increases in speed making the audience worried and is as if something or someone is going to jump out. Then the soundtrack changes rhythm and sounds as if it has been re-winded this makes the audience feel cautious and suggests all this chaos and trauma has been triggered by something from the past. At the end of the opening sequence we hear the lyrics 'you keep me closer to god' which suggests the film will be religion orientated. The music then slowly fades out leaving the audience scared and unsure.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Throughout the whole opening sequence close ups and extreme close ups are used in order to show detail and also to hide information from the audience to make them question. For example: 
-This extreme close up shows a hand holding a razor blade. The use of an extreme close up shows the fingernails and shows that they are masculine, dirty and have cracked skin suggesting it is a male character who isn't bothered about appearance. The razor blade suggests the character is violent.

-This extreme close up shows a hand writing down text onto a sheet of paper which suggests this moment in his life is very important. This shot is also a cross fade which creates a creepy, atmosphere and a ghostly image.   

-This close up hows a film negative of a close up image of a man. This man in the photograph doesn't seem ready or perhaps doesn't even know its being taken? which suggests he is a victim but doesn't even know it. The splodges on the film negative suggest anger and frustration which could portray an image of the character holding the negative.   

                                                                                 
MISE EN SCENE
This opening sequence includes a number of different objects which makes the audience visual a surrounding and type of character easier. We see a book with pages flickering which suggests the character is knowledgeable. We see a number of black and white darkroom photographs showing young boys which suggests the character is associated with them either in a good way or bad way. Some shots are unrecognizable as a result the audience has different perceptions of the Mise en scene. We are shown the same notepad with lots of writing and information frequently which suggests it is a main symbol throughout the film. We see a film being cut up which suggests the character is fussy and only wants certain images. We then see a finger smudging black ink into certain words from an article which makes the character seem a bit strange. It also suggests the character has is pesimistic and wants to 'black out' or 'smudge away' certain things or people in their life. We are shown needles which instantly makes the audience feel uncomfortable and suggests the character is violent but is also very precise as they have used needles instead of for instance a knife or gun?

       

EDITING
At the start of the opening sequence the editing is slow paced which makes the audience cautious and creates an eery atmosphere. However, the editing then increases in speed to the point where some of the shots are hard to recognize which makes the audience question more and also suggests danger or that something bad is going to happen. The whole opening sequence looks similar to a film which relates to the Mise en scene as most the shots show something to do with photography or film. The titles are backwards and then flip to normal which suggests that the characters involved have had there lives 'flipped'. The font of the titles is white suggesting calm and purity which contrasts with the shots being shown. The font is handwritten suggesting the film is going to be personal to a certain individual, the use of a handwritten font also relates to the Mise en scene as we are repeatedly shown a notepad full of information. The titles are shaky and flashing creating a manic and disastrous image. 

QUESTIONS
Where are we?
Why are the characters nails so dirty?
Why is the character marking out things?

9. Conventions of a title sequence

8. Action Adventure - Spiderwick Chronicles

7. Romantic Comedy

ROMANTIC COMEDY- BRIDGET JONES DIARY on Prezi

6. Wallander (Firewall, 7th December 2008, BBC1)

The opening sequence of 'Wallander' is intreging and makes the audience think and question. The first shot is an extreme long shot which pans over a lake and then a landscape of fields and countryside from a high angle. We can hear the digetic sound of a heavy wind indicating it is cold which immediately creates a creepy and uncomfortable atmosphere. In addition, we can hear a quiet, non-digetic, high pitched set of music which increases in volume and pitch as the camera pans in closer to a white car and two dark figures walking away from the car. The setting is deserted so the fact that there is a random car makes the audience curious as it seems extremely out of place.

                                    

                                    

The next shot is a mid-shot from behind, of two young girls walking away from the camera. They are both wearing dark clothing which suggests mystery and perhaps 'evil' characters. The girl on the left has red streaks in her hair which could indicate she is in unordinary and unique and wants to be an individual. Furthermore, she is wearing a leather jacket which sterotypically suggests she is a 'punk' or 'goth'. The fact that two young girls are walking in a deserted field makes the audience question why they are there. In addition, only their backs are visible so the director is purposely hiding information from the audience which results in the audience asking questions about these two 'mysterious' characters. We can hear the digetic sound of their footsteps on the grass which highlights how quiet their surroundings are which makes the audience feel as if they are there and more involved.

The next shot is from inside a car and shows blood on the front screen which suggests there has been an attack. Also, we can see a 'taxi card' which highlights the owner of it is a taxi driver. To the left we can see an unfocused figure and in the background we can see two figures, unfocused, walking away from the taxi. We can hear the digetic sound of the radio, the fact that the radio is still on suggests that the victim (whom we think is the driver) was attacked when he didn't expect it which makes the audience sympathise towards him. 

The next shot is another mid-shot of the two girls that we have previously seen. However, this shot is from the side and reveals that one of them is covered in blood. The fact she is covered in blood suggests that she was involved in the attack. We can hear the digetic sound of their heavy breathing which reinforces the idea that their surroundings are very quiet creating an eery atmosphere. Also, their heavy breathing suggests they have been doing something in a rush which could be either the murder of the taxi driver or escaping from the driver. Both girls are wearing hoop earrings and black clothing which suggests they have 'scary' personalities. 

The next shot is an extreme close up of the mans face who has been attacked. He has a black eye and is covered in blood. His head is leaning against a surface and one of his eyes is slowly squinting to open, he looks like he is in a lot of pain and his body positioning and bruising on his face suggests he is slowly dying which makes the audience feel sympathy towards him.

The next shot is a shot reverse shot from the previous one as it shows the, already seen, two girls walking away from the car. This time it is a mid-shot from the front and we can clearly identify the two female characters. This shot shows that the taller female character has more blood on her than the other which suggests she is the leader of the two of them and has a higher status. The taller character has thick eyeliner which sterotypically suggests she is an 'emo' or 'goth'. Also to reinforce this idea, both characters are wearing 'scary' and 'loud' band tops. In the background we can see the unfocused white taxi with the lights on and two doors wide open. The fact that the lights are on reinforces the idea that the driver was attacked unexpectedly or even while he was driving. In addition, the fact that the doors have been left wide open suggests that they left in a hurry. The taller character has an old razor blade necklace which creates the idea of violence and suggests she is a dangerous character. 

The next two shots are extreme close ups, one of the victims hand and one of the victims 'taxi card'. The shot of his hand shows a minimum amount of blood compared to the tall female character which suggests the female characters attacked him before he could even fight back or that the female characters were stronger than him which is very unexpected for an audience. During this shot one of his fingers twitch which suggests he is still alive but is in a lot of pain which makes the audience feel sympathy towards him. The other shot of his 'taxi card' is covered in blood which reflects the idea of violence and suggests the incident was gruesome. Also, the 'taxi card' highlights he had a career and earned money for himself. 

                                      

The next shot cross cuts back to the two girls and is a close up from the side of the taller female character. This close up shows her eyes aiming sharply towards her which indicates that she isn't looking back. Again,we hear the digetic sound of their heavy breathing which makes the audience feel more involved. 

The next two shots cross cut back to the taxi and are extreme close ups to help identify the victim. The first shot is of the taxi meter and is covered in blood, the fact that  taxi meters are always placed at the front of the car implies that he was attacked whilst in the front of the car suggesting he was attacked whilst driving. The other shot is of a key ring with, what looks like, a father and his son. This key ring indicates that the victim is either the son or the father. Either way, it highlights he is family orientated which results in the audience feeling sympathy towards him. 

The final shot is a close up of the taller female character holding a knife covered in blood and then dropping it. We know it is the taller character as the opening sequence has stuck to the 180 degree rule and she is always on the left. We hear the non digetic high pitched sound which increases in pitch and volume just as she drops the knife, this creates a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. The fact that she has dropped the knife suggests she nor the other female character have ever been involved in a crime like this, as they have left obvious evidence. 

5. Brick (Johnson, 1999, US)

4. The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

                THE SIXTH SENSE

The opening sequence of 'The Sixth Sense' is grabbing and creates a large amount of tension. The first shots include the white-font, serif titles against a plain black background. The white and black contrast with one another and connote the idea of light and darkness which could suggest a theme within the story. The use of a serif font results in a more serious audience response and could imply that the story is going to be serious and have an important meaning. The titles fade out into the black background which could suggest fading into the darkness or 'the unknown'. The fact that they slowly fade out could also indicates a ghostly and creepy atmosphere which then creates an idea of the story. 

During the opening sequence a creepy, high-pitched non-digetic soundtrack is played which creates a tense atmosphere for the audience. Also, it makes the audience feel uneasy and on edge which slowly lures them into watching the rest of the film. The violin strings increase in pitch and volume and result in an uncomfortable and disturbing climax when the title of 'THE SIXTH SENSE' appears on screen, the sudden change in pitch and volume makes the audience shocked but fascinated to watch on. 

The first non-titled shot is an extreme close up of a light bulb, however at the beginning of the shot the light bulb is just switching on therefore is not visible or recognizable, which instantly makes the audience wonder what it is and therefore engages them. The light bulb slowly switching on reinforces the idea of the contrast between darkness and light. During this shot, we can hear the hyperbole, digetic sound of the light bulb switching on which exaggerates the quiet atmosphere and setting which creates a mysterious effect on the audience. In addition, we can hear the ambient, digetic sound of the wind which reinforces the idea of 'ghosts' and creates a creepy atmosphere. At the end of the shot, once the light bulb is fully lit, we hear the digetic sound of the door opening which startles the audience. 

The next shot is a long shot of a female character as she comes down the stairs. Only her feet are shown and therefore the director has only revealed certain information which makes the audience ask questions. The setting is dark, dirty and looks like a basement, the fact that it is dirty suggests it is not used a lot. As she walks down the stairs, we hear the digetic sound of high heels which portrays an image of a smart and elegant woman. The fact that she is wearing heels down to a basement makes the audience question why and is she going anywhere else?

In the foreground of this shot is the wine shelf, the camera has been placed behind it which suggests she is being watched which creates a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. When the female character is finally revealed we acknowledge she is wearing a smart dress and her hair is done nicely which suggests she is going out. As she decides which wine bottle to use the camera pans down and follows her which reinforces the idea that someone is watching. The bottle she picks up is covered in dust which indicates that the basement is a deserted setting. Low-key lighting is used to cast shadows and creates the idea that someone is hiding in the shadows? The female characters facial expressions suddenly change to as if she has heard something, the camera then tracks onto her face and into a close up to intensify her mood and emotions at this moment in time. 

We then hear an un-identifiable sound which suggests someone is in the basement with her and the shot cuts to a long, wide shot of the female character looking towards the stairs. The use of a long shot portrays her surroundings and body language. This shot shows that she has now got her back to the wine shelf, where we believe someone or something is hiding, and therefore she is now vulnerable. The use of low-key lighting highlights her shadow on the wall which creates a scary atmosphere. 

The next shot is a long shot from behind the staircase, the fact it is behind the staircase reinforces the idea of someone or something hiding and watching her. The female character shivers which shows that the basement is cold and could also suggest that a 'ghost' has gone through her as many people believe a shiver is a result of a ghost entering your body, this adds to the uncomfortable and creepy atmosphere. We hear the digetic sound of her high heels as she runs quickly up the stairs. The fact that she runs quickly highlights that she is scared and wants to get out of there. Slow paced editing is used throughout this clip because if the the editing was fast paced it would prevent the idea of someone watching. However, the editing increases in speed once shes heard something which could symbolise her emotions.  

3. Analysis of 'Memento'

                       

This is the opening sequence from the film 'Memento'. This opening sequence reveals certain clues and hints which helps makes the audience ask questions. For example, who is the man? why did the the man get shot? where are they? why did he take a photo? An opening sequence makes the audience ask questions as they want the audience to watch on.

The opening sequence shows a fully-focused photograph then the hand, which is holding this photograph, shakes which results in the photograph becoming less focused and more distorted. 

Next, we see that same photograph ejecting into a camera, which is strange as photographs usually eject out of cameras this indicates that the opening sequence is non-linear, therefore backwards. Next, we see the man take the photo and then we see a shot of blood flowing backwards, then a close up of a bullet and then a pair of glasses this creates an image of the character. Next we see a a man lying on the floor surrounded by blood and then the man holding the gun towards the body and then shooting him.

The opening sequence includes a non-digetic soundtrack, the music is a repetitive, drawn-out, violin piece which makes me feel upset. It connotes the idea of sorrow and death. It creates suspense and an eery atmosphere and is played throughout, until the gunshot. The music creates an idea of death as it has the same tone throughout which is low and quiet. This opening sequence also uses digetic sound to exaggerate certain sections,the shuffling of the paper at the beginning, the ejection of the photograph within the camera and the flash of the camera. The little sound makes the audience feel as if they are there.

This opening sequence has a good use of cinematography. At the beginning, a close up is used to show exactly what the photograph which immediately creates an idea of the story. Close ups are also used to show the objects which could reflect a characters personality. Close-ups help reveal the little detail which can help the audience understand the film more.

This opening sequence also has a good use of Mise-en-scene. Firstly, a photography is used which slowly fades to a tinge of dark yellow. Next a single black bullet lying on the floor, next a pair of glasses lying upside down against the floor and then a gun which gets dragged to the mans hand. The setting is dark and dull, the walls are cracked which could suggest an abandoned place. It looks confined which could imply it is an imprisonment which reinforces the theme. 

The man is wearing a shirt and long coat which could show he is sophisticated and hard-working. However, he has blood on his face which could suggest struggle and violence.

The editing within this opening sequence is well-constructed. the title of 'memento' fades into the first clip which is very effective. The first shot of the hand shaking the photograph is a long shot which could suggest the photograph itself took a long period of time to develop. In contrast, the cuts after are of a short duration. Towards the climax, duration of the clips speed up which could represent how the man felt, stressed.
The titles are blue which creates sadness. The title 'Memento' has separation between each letter which suggests there are different and seperate stories but they all link to one another. The titles are block, serif capitals which makes the story more serious. 

2. Comparing a trailer and an opening sequence.

The difference between a trailer and an opening sequence

A trailer is a variety of different clips of one film put together to suggest what the film is going to be about in order to help fascinate and interest the audience. A trailer also shows some of the actors, actresses and settings the film will use which can make a particular individual want to go and watch the film more. The aim of a trailer is to persuade someone to go to the cinema to watch that particular film. A trailer identifies small hints or 'teasers' to get the audience wanting to know more and then wanting to see the film. Trailers are usually not very long, but can create a huge impact on an audience. 

Example: Trailer of Taken

On the other hand, an opening sequence is usually one clip to provide an atmosphere or mood to the start of the film. An opening sequence usually grabs the audiences attention immediately. An opening sequence differs from a trailer due to the fact that a trailer should be dramatic and exaggerated, whereas an opening sequence can be dramatic but can also be romantic, quiet or a number of other differentthings. An opening sequence usually provides some sort of detail and description for atleast one character which helps the audience feel more involved, however it can also provide little information of setting or situation which can make the audience ask questions and want to watch on.

Example: Opening sequence of Grease

1. Brief

Activity 6- 10 shot story

Activity 5- jobsite video

Activity 4 - push a little button

Activity 1- still images

preliminary task.

My 'Donnie Darko' edited video.

How to embed a mindmap from MapMySelf.

My embedded video of Ed Sheeran

This is my screen grab of peoples blogs.

Hello I am Amie!