12. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Analysis

The Editing in this clip is conventional of the Thriller genre because it is fast paced throughout (which also links to the genre of Action/Adventure) however, cross fades are used to go from shot to shot so it doesn't actually seem as fast as it is. The fast paced editing also suggests the action that is going to come during the rest of the film. The screenshot that we see is the process of a cross fade between two different shots.

 

The Mise en Scene in this opening sequence is unusual due to the objects that we see. For example, one of the first things that we see in dragon skin, then straight after this we see water droplets. This is strange because these two things have nothing in common and prompts the audience to ask questions. We also see, lips, tyres, wires and small metal balls during the sequence. The screenshot that I have taken is of fire, I chose to take a screenshot of this because it is the only thing that we see in the whole sequence that isn't black or white. The constant low key lighting emphasises again, the genre of the film and the monochrome colours connotate the contrast between purity and death.

 

When I heard the Soundtrack to this opening sequence I was shocked because it is not at all what you would expect of a film like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The music is non-diegetic, fast paced, low pitched and very loud. There seems to be a female singing and the song reminded me of one people may exercise to in order to give them motivation. The music has a Dubstep genre which is non conventional when putting into consideration what kind of music is used in films such as 'Se7en' and 'Brick', both of which are also Thrillers.  The Soundtrack however, does adhere to the Narrative on screen, which is very conventional of opening sequences in general.

 

The cinematography in this opening sequence is very conventional as it continuously uses Extreme Close Up's to show great detail of certain objects but hides everything else. This is almost giving the audience clues which makes the film seem personal. The unusual framing of the objects (like the flowers and the hands on the face, towards the end of the sequence) adhere to the Thriller genre because they disorientate the audience. Also, the flower is the most natural thing that we see throughout the whole sequence  yet even that, we do not get a clear view of, which is also mysterious.

 

The Titles in this opening sequence are not very conventional of the Thriller genre. The font used is very serious, but also very small. The fact that it is White font on a Black background highlights (as I said before) the thin line between purity and death. Also, there is not much attention drawn to the Titles, because the main focus, is the objects on the screen. This is similar to The Sixth Sense in the fact that the Titles are kept simple but effective. The fact that more than one person's name is one screen in the screenshot to the left suggests that they are of low importance in the film, because usually, the Main Actor or the Director, would have the screen to themselves.



Vox Pops

Analyzing My Genre Through Vox Pops.

Crating these Vox Pops allowed us to get an idea of what people (our age especially) wanted from a Thriller film. They also told us what people expected (so what is conventional and non-conventional) therefore we can decide whether we want to challenge that. The Vox Pops also gave us ideas and inspiration.

16. Audience Research Explanation

The first pie chart that we see shows the age of the people answering out questionnaire, as we can see, everyone was between the ages of 16 and 24. This could work as a disadvantage because the answers could be seen as biased, however this age group are proven watch Thriller films the most so it wasn't all bad.

The next pie chart that we see tells us whether the interviewee was either Male or Female. It is important to have a mix of genders because stereotypically we view Males as being 'braver' and more likely to watch Thriller films, however the answers we received challenged this and shows the wide range of people that do enjoy watching Thriller films.

Furthermore, the next pie chart that we see answers the question 'What types of characters are expected in a Thriller film?'. We got a wide range of answers but can see that A Damsel in Distress was the most popular. This answer definitely adheres to stereotype because in contrast to Males, Females are seen to be the weaker sex. Other popular answers we received were 'Someone of Danger' and a 'Scary Male' who would be the antagonist.

The next pie chart shows what our interviewees thought of the Music in Thriller films. We can see that Eerie/creepy music was the most popular which is very conventional and is always expected in films like Thrillers and Horrors, however, because of this convention and again 'stereotype', we hope to challenge this is our Opening Sequence.

Finally, the last pie chart we see shows the opinions of the general things expected in an Opening Sequence for a Thriller film. These are the things that are present in the majority of Opening Sequences and our most popular answer was the main characters to be introduced, however the way in which we do this is planned to be unique and individual.

16. Audience Research 2

Final Pie Charts

1. Initial Ideas

14. Location Research

These are the grounds of a small, old church. I thought this would be a good possible location for us to film our Opening Sequence because it is isolated, eerie and could give an insight into the main characters life (perhaps he has chosen to adhere to the rules of Religion after committing so many sins). A church would also be an unusual setting for a Thriller which would be a unique approach.

This a derelict piece of land of the top of a hill that would be a perfect location for filming the opening sequence to a Thriller. I think this because not only is the top of a hill a good place for someone in our characters state to harm themselves, but the view from the hill could show challenge the fact that our main character is all alone because we can see the rest of the World getting on with their everyday lives.

This photograph was taken on an Industrial Estate, where there are not many people, but a lot of buildings and factory like structures that could look harsh and threatening if filmed in the correct way. I chose to photograph this turning in the Industrial Estate because it looks old and unused (it is right next to an empty building) however, just along the road there are people working and carrying out everyday tasks. This could be the place our character comes to think things over whilst feeling violated and paranoid at the same time.

My final photograph and the favourite of all of my possible locations is a Graveyard. This is a good place to film because it matches all the criteria of being a good setting for someone in a bad mental state. They could be thinking 'I wish I was dead' or perhaps visiting a friend or relative who they miss and feel this is the only way to contact them. Because we are only filming an opening sequence we do not need to give away all of the hints, which works in our favour as it makes the mood  more mysterious and ambiguous.

3. Memento (Nolan, 2000, US)

2. Plot Synopsis

For our opening sequence, we are going to be adhering to the genre of a Thriller film. This is a simple overview or synopsis of the storyline of our film, and what the most important parts are (as they will be the one's that are either shown or hinted at in our sequence).

We wanted to start the sequence with a disequilibrium so to begin with, we see a man in his late teens or early twenties playing with piano, this is a memory or a dream. Then all of a sudden he is in his bed, he turns over and decided to go downstairs and he seems to be in a rush to get ready, get his belongings together and get out, although we are not aware as to why. During his rushing about the house, which is very messy and suggests the man's disorganisation. We witness him having flashbacks to previous events that adhere to the everyday routine of getting ready that he is carrying out. An example of this is when he runs the tap in the bathroom and splashs his face, he seems to remember that he had previously drowned someone. This is similar to when he gets his razor out and he then reminisces to when he slit someone's throat, which we assume leads to the victims death. We also see a chase scene, all of which are memories that he seems to be remembering.

When the man finally leaves the house, which is in a suburban and rundown environment, we learn that he is very paranoid (perhaps even suffering from a mental illness?!), and believes that everyone is judging him on the events that we have just recalled, even though they are just passers by that are blissfully unaware of them. We get a sense of both guilt and nostalgia. We see point of view shots that show members of the public looking at him strangely, but later learn this is all in his head.

When the man arrives at his destination, it is derelict, isolated and eerie. Is this his home? We are left on a cliffhanger because then he is back in bed, he turns over so the audience can't see his face, and we hear the piano droan out in the background.

10. Titles

Titles by libby_hennessy on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

These are the names of the Production and Distribution companies that Sixth Sense were created by.

We then see who the film is 'owned by', or the Producers.

We then see 'Bruce Willis' who is the main character in the film.

Then the title of the film appears.

The less important actors then begin to appear.

We then begin to see members of the Crew. They begin being not very important.

We finish by seeing the name of the most important Crew member: the Director.



13. The conventions of a Thriller film

11. Se7en Analysis

• The cinematography in this opening sequence is very conventional as it contains a lot of Extreme Close Up's that show fine detail of various objects such as the sketches of the hands, the pen on the paper and the poloroid photographs, etc.  However,whilst these things are being showed in great detail we are unaware of what is being hidden in the background. This is very mysterious and intrigues the audience.  
• The cinematography also shows that the Director has chosen to place objects in the frame in strange and unusual places. This decision could be a reflection of what is to come later on in the film. 
• Another thing that I immediately noticed about the cinematography was the shaky camera work. We assume this has been done purposely to disorientate the audience and make us feel uneasy and on edge, which is very unusual so early on within the film. The shaky camera work also suggests that the film is going to be 'shaky' and 'full of surprises'. 
• The editing and titles in this opening sequence also hold meaning. The editing is mid-paced throughout but builds up further and further so it ends up being very fast paced at the end. We also notice very subtle cross dissolving during the mid paced cuts. 
• The split screen that we see towards the end is non conventional of opening sequence and reminds me of a video game set up. There could be various hidden meanings behind the decision to use a split screen. The layered image technique that has been used is both disorientating and 'jumpy'.
• The titles used are very simple yet very effective. We see a black (which is the predominate colour) background with small, scratched white lettering on top. The fact that the colour black takes up most of the screen is very harsh and symbolises the idea of 'death' and 'danger'. The small amount of white which usually symbolises 'birth' and 'purity' gives us a clearer idea of both the genre and narrative of the film.
• The non-diegetic sound that has been used is a Trent Renzor soundtrack. Renzor is very popular and best known for his work within the Horror/Thriller genre of film. The music holds a score which is a montage/mix-match of high pitched scratching. Another element that puts us as the audience on edge. 
• There is a point during the opening sequence where we hear very quiet and soft singing, which sounds like a choir. This is unusual in comparison to the genre and previous soundtrack that has been playing throughout the sequence. This adds an eerie feel. 
• The final and most important thing that I recognised about the Soundtrack was that it matches not only the narrative, but the movements of objects and cuts on screen. This is effective because it makes the piece flow and seem both stable and strong. 
• The mise en scene used within the opening sequence is very conventional. The extreme close ups of the objects that match the genre/narrative of the film such as the books, the pen, the paper, the film negatives and the needle and thread all show both domesticity and hints at torture. I feel this because the needle could be a representation of both sewing which is very domestic, and skin being prodded at/ripped. This causes the audience to ask questions, although given the genre of the film, we stereotypically assume that someone is being tortured. 
• One thing in the opening sequence that was not conventional was the consistent high key lighting, which is often a reflection of the mental or emotional state of a character.  Putting into consideration the fast paced editing and the hints at torture, low key lighting would be a more suitable reflection. 
• The film that we see being wound on to the projector suggests not only the time period at which this film is set, but everything this person is doing seems to be in search or preparation for something. This again, prompts the audience to ask questions, and develops a personal connection in which they want to find out what happens next. 

9. What are the conventions of an Opening Sequence?

'Establish Mood/Theme'

'Titles'

'Disequilibrium'

'Soundtrack'

'Prompts the audience to ask questions'

'Establishing Shot'

'Giving the audience clues'

'Production/Distribution logos'

8. Pictures to go alongside Spiderwick Chronicles Analysis

Goes alongside the green sound analysis.

Goes alongside the pink sound analysis.

Goes alongside the green mise en scene analysis.

This goes alongside the pink mise en scene analysis.

This goes alongside the green editing analysis.

This goes alongside the pink editing analysis.

This goes alongside the green camerawork analysis.

This goes alongside the pink camerawork analysis.

8. Spiderwick Chronicles Analysis

7. Bridget Jones's Diary Analysis

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

2. Title Sequence vs Trailer

This is the title sequence to the movie of Grease. A title sequence is a title sequence because it is shown at the beginning of the film to introduce it. The title sequence often gives us information about the film we are about to watch such as the main characters, the actors who play them, and sometimes even the director. The title sequence often plays along to music which goes along with the genre of the film. We see this in the title sequence from Grease (shown above) as the music used is very relevant to the genre: Romantic Comedy from the 1980's. A title sequence is very different to a trailer.

 

This is the trailer to the movie The Possession. A trailer is a trailer because it is shown on the television as an advertisement. A trailer is advertising the film before it has been released in the cinema and gives a brief overview of the plot of the film. We are often left on a cliffhanger at the end of trailer because this way, audiences are dragged into paying to go and watch the film when it is released. The trailer gives away more information about the film than an opening sequence because after opening sequences, the film will start anyway. This is how trailers and title sequences are different.

1. Foundation Portfolio: Brief

5. Brick Analysis (Johnson, 2005, US)

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both important in this clip. The non-diegetic sound (background music) kicks in immediately; it has a high volume, low pace and a mixture of pitches. It is slow and solemn at first and then speeds up towards the end. The style of the music sounds like it belongs in a Western film which could suggest something about an event further on in the film. The diegetic sound within this clip also conveys meaning, when the non-diegetic background music stops, the school bell instantly sounds. This awakens reality as everything up until that point seems almost surreal; again, it is also a contrast to the music we had just been listening too. The ringing is a ‘Sound bridge’ because the sound of the bell is carried over from one scene to another.

 

As I said before, the Opening Sequence is set in both a school corridor and a sewage tunnel. The school corridor is safe, friendly, and colourful. In comparison to the sewage tunnel, which is mundane, isolated and dirty. There are mainly differences in these two places, some of which are the school corridor uses high key lighting to reflect positive mental states. The sewage tunnel however, uses low key lighting to convey feelings of negative mental states. There is also contrast between the characters in these two settings, the school corridor is full of innocent, vulnerable children who seem happy and upbeat, whereas the sewage tunnel is empty, apart from two characters- a boy, who is staring a girl who is either unconscious or dead on the floor. This boy has his hand over his mouth when he is crouching down in the tunnel, this suggests he is in shock about the state this girl (who we assume is his friend/sister/girlfriend?!) is in.

The cinematography in this clip shows various things. Firstly, there are various extreme long shots of the dead or unconscious woman’s body parts. This is ‘hidden information’ because it is only telling us certain things about the woman’s situation. Furthermore, we see a Crab (camera movement) which draws attention to the boy’s shoes.This also an extreme close up which emphasises the mystery of the woman’s condition. We learn that the camerawork also contrasts within the opening sequence. We see few mind shots but a lot of extreme close ups and long shots.

Finally, the editing within the clip from Brick makes us question various things as an audience. The editing is consistently fast paced throughout the Opening Sequence. This is non-stereotypical for an Opening Sequence as there is not much going on. Also, Cross Cutting occurs between the boy’s face looking on into the distance, and the certain parts of the girl’s body (her hair and hands). This makes us further question what is happening and why.

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

The editing within the clip from The Sixth Sense makes us question many things as an audience. The editing is very slow for the majority of the clip otherwise it would confuse us as to whether the woman is being watched or not. However, when the woman hears the noise and gains sense of this herself, the editing speeds up and becomes faster paced. Also, at the beginning, we see the slow fading in and out of the titles. This is very time consuming and gives us time to wonder about the characters that we are about to see within the clip.



The diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both important within this clip. Firstly, the diegetic sound is important because when we hear the door opening (immediately after the light turns on), it startles us. This has been done purposely because as the door is what we call ‘hidden information’ (we cannot see it) and it adds to the mystery within the clip. Also, the hyperbolic sound of the battery in the light turning on is intriguing because it illustrates how quiet and isolated the cellar actually is.

Non-diegetic sound is also crucial in this clip. We know this right at the beginning when the background music starts, this music is high pitched, has a high volume and has a slow place. We can hear every single instrument in the piece of music and it reminds me of an old haunted house. This makes the audience feel uneasy and allows us to think about many unanswered questions.

The setting of this clip is a Wine Cellar. It is abandoned, dirty, low key lighting is used and we assume from the emptiness that it is very cold. The low key lighting connotates the mental state of the woman perhaps, as although she is dressed up in a nice outfit, her facial expressions do not particularly convey any form of happiness to the audience. Also, the light bulb right at the beginning of the clip holds great importance because the fact that it takes a long time for the light to come on tells us that the cellar is not regularly visited, the way the light bulb is completely bare suggests that it is not in a friendly or comfortable environment e.g. a Living Room. The woman’s outfit also adds to her vulnerability because she is a stereotypically presented woman within this film. Her high heels would hinder her escape and her dress is a thin and unpractical material that would allow her to become cold easily.

Finally, the cinematography in this clip conveys various meanings. Firstly, the consistent long shots and close ups gives the audience a more personal insight into the woman’s character seeing as she is very ambiguous in this clip. Also, the fact that the camera has been placed behind the shelf that she is looking at, suggests to the audience that she is being watched (which further emphasises her vulnerability). Furthermore,the close up of one object, which is in this case the old light bulb, gives it meaning and importance which could be crucial within the storyline within the clip.

Still Images- Activity 1

Jobsite Advert Remake

Push A Little Button Remake

10 Shot Story

WWW and EBI for Preminilary Exercise

WWW: I think our Preminilary Exercise had various strengths. For example, the post production was good and our Continuity Editing made the film astetichally pleasing. Also, we had many set-backs during shooting and although our piece wasn't the strongest, it wasn't terrible either. Furthermore, the way the shots were framed adhered to the Rule of Thirds and made the final piece look professional.

EBI: There are various things that could be improved within our Preminilary Exercise. Firstly, the Master and Shot Reserve Shot that we had to use are not very recognisable or strong. Although this is something we can take into consideration in the future. Also, the place of shooting wasn't best suited and made the film seem unrealistic, this is a simple thing that yet again, could make a big improvement. Finally, some of the camera shots are shaky and we need to improve our use of the tripod.

Preminilary Exercise

Donnie Darko Remake

listen to ‘hi im libby’ on Audioboo

Ben Howard- Keep Your Head Up

This is a screen grab of people's blogs.