The hit tv series Dexter is well known for its fantastic title sequence. Dexter is a serial killer who kills criminals that fall through the net of the justice system. In this opening sequence we see Dexter doing his morning routine. Although his morning routine appears to be nothing out of the ordinary the over emphasis on the colour red makes it appear more sinister. Another thing that makes this sequence so unusual is that the only text in the title sequence is "showtime presents" and the actual title. This is effective because it is overly simplistic and prompts the audience to pay more attention to the images rather than text. The music used is also effective as it doesn't tell the audience how to feel; its neither creepy, sad or happy.
Panic Room:
In Panic Room the opening titles uses large 3D font which creates dimension ; like the buildings in the background. The different titles were consistently in different positions/angles and were usually in front of a famous landscape which acts as an establishing shot as it prompts the audience to recognize the location. The colour of the font is a steel looking silver which links with the film as the panic room is covered in a similar colour. This sequence is effective as it informs the audience about the location of the film with out spoiling the storyline.
House :
The Title Sequence to House M.D is effective as it establishes that the show is a medical drama. The anatomy pictures and the shots of the hospital also help establish the context of the show. The text used is all in capitals which makes it stand out next to the pictures.
Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber Of Fleet Street:
The title sequence to Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber Of Fleet Street is extremely effective. The overuse of fake blood disgusts the audience but makes them want to watch on. This title sequence also establishes the location; a pie shop.The white text contrasts with the blood red which puts emphasis on both the titles and the image. The music also adds suspense and creates a creepy atmosphere.
Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note:
The main places that we will be filming are; in a forest where the kidnapping will take place, in a empty room with no detail, the next place would be in Ellese's house when we need to do a reveal scene.
Access to location via:
The locations that we have chosen are good as they are fully accessible and are rather isolated areas which will enable us to film without any distractions. For example our first scene will be filmed in a forest. At the moment we are currently debating what forest to use as we have a number of options. For example we are considering using Epping forest or the chase. For our secondary location we will be filming in my house. We chose my house as I have a house like shed that is full of tools and has a rather dark dismal atmosphere. It is also private which benefits us greatly as it means we can use weapons and dangerous instruments without disturbing the public.
Name and number of location contact:
My house number: 0208 227 9319
Health and Safety Issues to note:
There will most likely be some power tools or sharp objects in the shed so we have to be careful if we need to move any of it out of the shed. Also if we were creating the whole film, our protagonist will have to jump out of the window and onto the shed roof to escape from the people chasing him so we just have to make sure that the weather isn't bad and wont cause any accidents.
Potential Filming Problems :
Depending on the weather we may have to re think our recording times. This is because if it is raining it can cause problems with our camera. The space issue and the lighting in the shed could also be a problem.
Additional Notes: (map of area/weather forecast etc)
Our thriller introduction is going to be about a man walking through a forest and someone starts chasing him. He is then kidnapped by a random man who we do not know the identity of. At this point we do not have any idea why this is happening to our hero. When he awakes from being knocked out he sees that he is in an isolated room. He is then confronted by two people shouting and interrogating him. He is still yet to understand what is going on. So at this point we see a table full of tools that would supposedly be used for torturing him but he manages to escape. This is when a slight action scene will start between our hero and the kidnapper. Our hero will attempt to escape but is unsuccessful and is knocked out again.Then the film rewinds to 3 days before the kidnapping. We then witness the events that lead up to the kidnapping. It turns out that our protagonist had won the lottery 3 days before. It turns out that the kidnapping was not a case of mistaken identity but instead a plot made up to gain all of the money our protagonist won. Once our hero finds out this plan he manages to escape while the kidnappers are sleeping. But as our hero leaves the isolated room he realizes he is in his girlfriends garden. Confused, he makes his way into the house where he sees his girlfriend sorting through stacks of money. She pulls a gun on him and makes him get on his knees with his hands behind his head. She then proceeds to handcuff him to a radiator and tells him that she was behind the kidnapping. She hired the kidnappers so she could get revenge as she recently stumbled across text messages on his phone from her best friend who he was having an affair with. She wanted to steal all his money so she would never have to work again. Throughout the film the audience will be on the protagonists side but at this point the support shifts as we find out the hero wasn't quite a hero. The film ends on a cliffhanger as she has a gun to his head and is about to pull the trigger when armed police storm through the room. Shots are fired. The screen goes black.
Key Genre Conventions:
The key conventions of this will be an action thriller. Also there will be a sense of mystery as neither the audience or the protagonist has any idea what is going on.
Our film also will contain a red herring. This red herring is that it is our protagonists’ partner that organised the kidnapping.
During the 1920's Soviet Filmmaker Lev Kuleshov conducted a famous experiment which showed just how capable filmmakers are at altering the audiences perception of reality. His theory suggests that the compilation of shots assembled together is much more important than what is actually filmed. He believed that the audience project their own emotional reactions on to a series of shots. To prove this he:
1. He filmed a close-up of a man's neutral expression.
2. He filmed clips of other “objects” and “events”.
3. He used the footage of the blank stare in shot A and then inserted one of the other clips as shot B.
4. Shot B(s) included a bowl of soup, a women’s funeral and a boy playing.
The audience is supposed to see each one as a unique shot sequence. For example, sequence 1 is a man’s reaction to a bowl of soup. The second sequence suggests a man’s response to the women’s funeral and the third sequence is a man’s reaction to a boy playing. In reality the man wasn't reacting to anything but the audience however makes assumptions when two shots are put together. Kuleshov's experiment was meant to show that the meaning of shots can be achieved entirely through editing.
If we didn't know the man wasn't reacting to each circumstance, we would would assume that he was and would draw our own conclusions about who he is, what he's thinking and his feelings. Knowing this, we can manipulate images with editing in many different ways. Directors will shape these reactions to fit the “cause” of their emotional intentions.
Editing is the process in which video footage is taken and placed in the desired order. It is also used to join separate pieces of footage together. there are two main focus areas when it comes to editing. these are:
speed of editing ( how long does each shot last?)
Style of editing ( How is each shot is joined to the next?)
Speed of editing
In a film a scene could last for minutes or even a few seconds. The length of each sequence establishes the pace of action and also helps determine the mood and atmosphere of the scene. Quick editing is used to make the audience feel suspense and anxiety. In order to do this the scenes/shots will change constantly and will last a few seconds at most.
Examples of fast paced editing can be found throughout the Bourne quadrillion.
To create a relaxed romantic mood slow paced editing is used. This means that the scenes/shots last longer and change less frequently. An example of slow paced editing is Charlies first kiss scene in the Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
In some cases a film does not need any editing atall. The film Russian Ark was filmed in just one take using a Steadicam and a digital camera. This required patience, split second timing and great organisation. If one person messed up they would have to re-film the whole thing.
Speed Of Editing in Trailers
As a trailer needs to be packed full of detail from the whole film the editing is usually fast. The Man In The Iron Mask contained over 150 edits.
Although fast paced editing is really effective the scenes at the beginning of the film usually have to be longer so we can understand where the characters are and what is going on. Its also advised to start slow so that the main characters can be introduced. As the film progresses the editing may become shorter as the editing cuts could be telling more than one story line at the same time.
Style Of Editing
Style of editing refers to how the shots are linked together and the transitions.
Types of Transitions
Straight Cut
A straight cut is the most common transition used in film as it is invisible. One shot moves instantaneously to the next without attracting the audiences attention. Straight cuts are used because they help retain reality. They do not break the views suspension of disbelief. Examples of straight cuts can be seen throughout the scene above.
Dissolve
A dissolve is when one shot is fading of the screen while another shot is fading in. This allows the audience to view both shots on the screen at the mid point of the dissolve. Dissolve transitions are often used when the director wants to link two characters, places or objects.
Fade
A fade transition is a gradual darkening or lighting of an image that eventually becomes completely black/ white. A shot will fade until only a black or white screen can be seen, This transition is used indicate the end of a section of time within the narrative or the passing of time.
Wipe
A wipe transition is when one image is pushed off the screen by another. The image can either be pushed to the left or to the right but it is more common for the image to be pushed off to the left as the movement is more consistent with the sense of time moving forward. Wipes are used extensively throughout the star wars films.
Jump Cut
A jump cut is when the audiences attention is brought into focus on something very suddenly. This transition usually occurs by breaking the continuity editing as it appears as if a section of the sequence has been removed. A good example of a jump cut is in the film Breathless. The gap in action when Serberg picks up the mirror is emphasized by the use of a jump cut.
Montage Editing
A montage edit contains many different images/scenes quickly edited together but doesnt usually provide a sense of the narrative moving forward but can still be full of meaning. Montage editing is usually full of rapid cuts that force the audience to consider the connections between the images being shown. Montage edits are often used to reflect chaos, tension or disturbance and often have an overall thematic or visual connection. A good example of a montage edit in film is in the final Rocky film when Rocky is training for his big fight.
Continuity Editing
When editing a film a continuous and clear narrative is needed. Continuity editing is the process in which cutting is used to make a continuous narrative that generates the feeling that time is moving forward.
Graphic Match
A graphic match is when the director places shots in a particular order to create a smooth visual transition from one frame to the next. When two consecutive shots are matched because of they're similarities a graphic match is created. A good example of a graphic match is the shower scene in psycho when the plug hole transitions to her eye.
Match On Action
Match on action is when we see a character start an action in one shot from one point of view and continue it in the next shot from a different point of view. Match on action is used by directors too manipulate the camera so it looks as if the film reality actually exists when not in view of the camera. For example, if a character happens to walk off screen in one shot, he must walk onto another screen in another shot. When one shot ends another picks up where the other left off making the reality of the film continuous and fluid. This is vital as it allows a change in scene without breaking the continuity.
Eyeline Match
An eyeline match is when we see a character looking at something off screen and then it cuts to a shot of what they are looking at. This is useful as it allows the audience to see what the character can see without breaking continuity.
Shot Reverse Shot
A shot reverse shot is a common method of editing used to shoot dialogue. It is made up of repeated over the shoulder shots interrupted by the occasional medium two shot. This method is used widely throughout the film industry as it can often be impossible to get both actors together to film so by using a stand in who looks similar to the absent actor to film it allows them to film without the presence of both actors.
180°Rule
The 180° rule is a rule in cinematography that states that the angle between two consecutive shots should not exceed 180° to maintain spatial relationships between objects and people.
A good example of where the 180° rule is used effectively is in Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers when Gollum is having a conversation with his alter ego Smeagle. Because the director used the 180-degree rule, by have the "good" Gollum looking left as he speaks while the "evil" Gollum looking right, the audience views Gollum as being two different characters talking to each other. This effect builds gradually during the scene: the first few times Gollum shifts between personalities, he is shown starting to turn his head, though the camera changes angles mid-turn. As the argument between the split-personalities intensifies, the editing gradually changes to using jump cuts, not showing Gollum turning his head
Breaking the 180° rule
Sometimes the 180° rule is broke on purpose to create a certain effect. A recent example of where the 180° rule was broken is in the Dark Knight.
The 30° Rule
The 30 rule is a rule in cinematography that stats that a shift in camera angle between successive shots of the same subject should not exceed 30 degrees.
Today we decided on a film title. Our thriller will be called "Disappearance". I feel this title is effective as it relates to the narrative of a kidnap and its short and simple; its easy to remember.
For our preliminary exercise we chose to tell the simple story of a teacher handing in some paperwork late. The reason we decided on such a simple storyline was so that we could focus on demonstrating the required techniques rather than concentrating on making the storyline engaging.
Techniques used:
for our prelimnary excercise we used all the required techniques. These were:
Match On Action: we used match on action when the female teacher entered the classroom. Match on action is when the audience see the actor/actress complete an action from one position and then see them continue the action from another position. In our case we used it to show someone walking through a door. We filmed her walking through the door from the outside of the classroom and then filmed her doing the same but from inside the classroom.
Eyeline Match: we used an eyeline match to show the female teacher looking confused at the male teacher as she was leaving the classroom. We did this by filming one of the teachers looking one way and then filmed the other one looking another. When edited together it looked like they were looking at eachother when really they were looking in different directions.
Shot Reverse Shot: We used a shot reverse shot when filming the conversation between the teachers. This is done by filming one person during part of the conversation and then constantly switching between the people involved in the conversation.
Before the release of a film advertising is vital as it creates awareness. If the film industry relied only on hoping people would recommend the film they would make no money. Advertising is important as it builds excitement. The key ways in which films are advertised is:
Through trailers:
Posters:
Newspaper/Magazine Ads :
Social Networking:
Publicity Stunts:
All of these methods are extremely successful in reeling in an audience.
