The shot of the candle being blown out without any music on in the background connotes that the film will be very mysterious.
We are shown what looks like a postcard which is old this may suggest that we are going into a certain point in time to make us understand the film. At the beginning the film is in black and white, we are shown at shot of the setting which does not look very appealing. There is diegetic sound of the roads. There is a close up shot of feet of someone getting out of the car; this creates suspense as we are not shown who the person is yet. This implies that this may be a main character to the film.
When the man enters the building the camera is shot through a broken window this is done so the audience is able to see where they are and the atmosphere of it, also so that we see the man entering.
There is a soundbridge used as we cannot see the person speaking only hear him. The man who is speaking has light shining on him shows that the main focus is on him. The man has an echo to his voice which suggests that there aren’t many people in this place. They are in a big empty place, where there are birds flying around, and it looks very dusty-there is a lot of bright light coming through the windows and ceilings which connotes that there isn’t much life in there.
The actors are wearing black clothes that make them look like they are at a funeral this enhances the idea that where they are has no life. The costumes they are wearing are not clothes for poor people this implies that they are wealthy and may have a purpose or connection to this building.
There are ghost sounds in the background which also relates to the theme of death. The people have dark lighting on them which could suggest something bad happened to them (loss).
When shown the chandelier the music played almost sounds like angels singing, this highlights importance of the object. When it is first unveiled the music all of a sudden becomes very loud, almost makes the audience shocked and want to know more about it.
The camera goes around the room to show the facial expressions of the actors which enhances the idea that the chandelier is significant. When the chandelier is brought up we see everything come to life, everything turns into colour and we see a contrast from before.
There are bright colours used such as reds and gold’s which connotes that where they are is quite wealthy, this also links to the people at the beginning as they looked wealthy which suggests that something bad happened to them.
There is also up beat music and we see people dancing around. There is a shot of the outside again; this is done to show the difference between now and before.
Everyone in the shot is in costumes and is full of joy. The props we see are very dramatic and over the top, looks a bit like a circus. We can clearly see the difference between what it looked like at the beginning with low key lighting with all the shadows to now with high key lighting emphasising the excitement and busyness of the film.
I am analysing these opening sequences as they are similar to the genre I am doing which is horror/thriller.
The Dark Knight
Like the others, The Dark Knight starts with the names of the film distributors, however for this film they have made the sequence of the company darker to suit the genre.
After the names there is a blue coloured explosion which fades out in the batman sign, this indicates the genre of thriller. This is an effective way of introducing the film.
The opening to the actual film is a tracking shot of the city, this is done to establish the setting of the film. But then you realise it is zooming in to where the action is.
So far the sequence is in silence which makes it seem more creepy. Straight away we are aware of what type of genre this film is due to seeing a common prop of a clown mask.
By seeing a window smash we also know the film is a thriller. There is no non-diegetic sound used only diegetic which is the sound of the people talking.
To engage the audience they have filmed it so that we don't see the people's faces only their backs and when we do see their faces they are wearing clown masks. This creates mysteriousness and suspense.
The camera movement also demonstrates that the genre is a thriller. This is done by using zooms, for example we don't see who the person is but the camera zooms into the mask they are holding. Also another technique used again is tracking, when they jump out of the building but the camera doesn't follow them it gets a shot of what is beneath them which emphasises height and danger. An extreme long shot is used to show where they are going. A tracking shot is used when they are in the car, it's as if we are with them at the back of the car and we still only see the back of the car.
Music has now started playing in the background, the music is quite fast paced which builds up tension and indicates something bad is about to happen.
A close up is used to show the two people in clown masks talking, a side angle is used. You cannot see the people talking, only hear them as they are wearing masks, this adds to the element of genre.
Throughout we see key elements which help the audience guess what is about to happen, for example we see guns being loaded and big bags being used which suggests a robbery.
Jump cuts have been used in between conversations to show that they are all talking about the same thing (The Joker), this helps build up a reputation with the audience of a character we have not yet seen.
By seeing the people, who are supposed to be working together, killing each other makes the audience confused but engaged as you want to find out why.
From this opening sequence the audience build up an expectation of the film, as the robbery was done differently to anything before (e.g clown masks and school buses were used), so they have engaged the audience's interest.
Our story is about a mum who thinks she has killed her daughter, she
is living in guilt because of it. Due to this she has become depressed
and has let herself go. She keeps getting flashbacks of the day her
daughter died. Her daughter died in the park so flashbacks include
scenes with the child playing in the park. Throughout the opening we
hear the child singing and laughing but then it turns into the mum
screaming and the child crying. Everytime she touches things, like a
photo frame of her daughter she gets stronger flashbacks. At the end of
the opening sequence the tv turns on and the mum sees her daughter on
the tv coming towards her.
In today's lesson Nari and Zahra got the final idea together, we
discussed the costumes and characters we are going to use. We also made
tester questions that we might use later on, we asked two of our friends
these questions. From this we know what to develop more on.
Today in the lesson, Nari, Abbie and I developed our storyline. We discussed all the details we would include, such as the mis en scen and the camera angles. We made a mind map of our ideas. Next lesson we will draw a storyboard.
Our chosen genre is horror/thriller, we chose these genres because they are very popular. We think the idea for our opening sequence is aimed at 15-24, and horror mainly attracts this target audience. Horror is a very high grossing industry, examples of popular films are:
Saw franchise
The sixth sense
The ring
Paranormal activity
When making the opening sequence we need to consider what will appeal to our target audience and keep them hooked right from the start.
As 12-15 year olds mostly watch horror films, the ratings are normally 15 or a 12A. These ratings allow a dark or unsettling tone. Although both are allowed to show explicit scenes the rating 15 can show more scenes for longer that involve strong violence, frequent strong language, portrayals of sexual activity, sexual nudity, discriminatory language or behaviour and drug taking.
I think our film would be rated a 12A as there isn't violence shown however it is implied, also there is use of drugs and alcohol shown.
Representation in films is the way people, events and ideas are presented to us, the way the media wants you to see it. Events are mediated, which means they are re-presented to us. Representation of age, gender and stereotypes are used frequently.
An example of this is a football match on tv. They only focus on key moments, it is nothing like how you would see it in real life. The way it is filmed is to often make our team look better. This is done by zooms, camera angles, close ups, cut aways (e.g to managers), reduce and use hyperbolic sounds. This is done to make the audience see certain things and feel a certain way.
In films males and females are represented in certain ways. For example men are often seen as: masculine, competitive, physically strong, ambitious. Women are seen as: feminine, weak, passive, emotional, ruthless, sensitive, independent.
Females
In horror and thriller films females are often seen as vulnerable and helpless, they are seen as the weaker sex. In some horror films you see a beautiful woman running away from her killer. They are usually seen as needy and need a male to save them. However woman's role has changed. Now we see woman being able to defend for themselves and protect themselves and others, even killing the villain. In more recent films, females have often been the last one standing, they are seen as dependent and have unisex names.Although males are seen as strong, in horror films females often take over. An example that goes against these conventions is Angelina Jolie's character in 'Salt' as she is the protagonist and is dependant on no one but herself. Another example is mr and mrs Smith, as in this film we see both male and female protagonists. And throughout we see they are both dominant and able to defend themselves, however we often see Brad Pitt trying to take control but never does. Males
In these genres, males are more dominant and a powerful figure, so are often the protagonist and are seen as the hero. Being the protagonist they normally save the victim (who is usually a woman) so are seen as brave. They are also very mysterious and clever. An example is Liam Neeson's character in 'Taken' who is very secretive but it very intelligent, his job is to protect the females and bring them to safety. The characters in horror films are usually teenagers which is the same age as the target audience, this makes it more appealing and relateable They are often stereotypical teens, often a group of popular kids including the pretty girl and jock, the scene before the violence starts will involve sex, alcohol and drugs. The story will normally be the group of teens getting into trouble because of this, this makes them more vulnerable.
The narrative of a story is the way which a story is told.
Todorov's Theory
One of the narrative theories is 'Todorov', this theory can be applied to a wide range of films :
Equilibrium- All is in order, 'normal' and protagonist is happy
Disruption- A disruption to the equilibrium by the means of an event/action
Recognition- There is recognition that a disruption has taken place
Repair- An attempt to repair the damage caused by the disruption
New Equilibrium- The problem is solved and we return to a new type of equilibrium
Todorov's theory can be applied the the Hangover:
One of the main characters are supposed to be getting married so he and his friends go to Las Vegas, this is the equilibrium as everything is in order.
Group are drugged and wake up the next day not remembering anything, this is the disruption as the equilibrium is out of place.
The groom is lost so they go on a journey to find him, they find clues along the way that help them remember events from the night before. This is the repair, as they are trying to restore the equilibrium.
They find their friend and return home in time for the wedding. This means they have restored the equilibruim and and that there is a new type of equilibrium.
Propp's Theory
Another narrative theory is Propp's theory, this is where the roles of characters are established.
Villain- tries to stop hero reaching goal
Hero- seeking something
Donor- gives hero an item of power
Helper- aids hero
Princess- something or a person given to hero as a reward
Her father- rewards hero
Dispatcher- sends hero on journey
False hero- takes credit for hero's actions or takes princess
The narrative can be broken down into four spheres:
1st sphere: The Introductory Sequence
2nd Sphere: The Body of the Story
3rd sphere:The Donor Sequence
4th sphere:The Hero's return
Propp's theory can be applied to Mean Girls:
Villain- The Plastics
Hero- Cady
Helpers/Dispatchers- Janice and Damien
The Father- Family and people in school
1st sphere- Cady moving from Africa and starting a new school, this is the introductory sequence as the main character is introduced.
2nd sphere- Cady, to get back at Regina for not letting her go out with Aaron, plans to do horrible things to her with the help of Janice and Damien. This is the body of the story as this is what the whole film is based around.
3rd sphere- The hero, Cady, is tested as Regina flaunts Aaron in front of her. No one likes Regina anymore which means her plan worked. Regina finds out what Cady has been doing so uses the burn book to expose her.
4th sphere- . Cady becomes a plastic and everyone turns against her, however she wins everyone back by apologising at prom, so all is restored. Everyone likes her again so true is recognised.everything then changes; Cady becomes like a normal girl, the plastics break up and new groups have formed. This is the fourth sphere because the hero returns and everything is restored.
Levi Strauss
Another narrative theory is Levi Strauss, this is using the binary opposition. Goes by themes rather than events. Examples are:
Good vs evil
Man vs woman
Protagonist vs antagonist
Young vs old
This theory can be applied to Harry Potter: Harry vs Voldemort, this can be seen as good/evil, young/old.
In the film we are made to see a contrast between the two characters. As with the idea of opposition between age it makes us see the difference in characters for example Harry is made to look weak against Voldemort. This also highlights the idea of good vs.evil. The film also uses the binary oppositions of dark vs. light, as when we are shown Voldemort especially he is always in darker settings compared to Harry.
The theory can also be applied to the Dark Knight:
Good vs. Evil, it helps signify the genre of the film, and instantly, within this opening sequence, allows the audience to gain an understanding of what this film is going to be about. The good is the bank workers, who are taking hostage, and the bank manager who attempts to fight back, who initially looks to be a hero, but then is killed and is proven to be a false hero. The evil is the bank robbers, the masked gunman who kill the 'hero' and break into the vault.
Film genres are identifiable classifications of films that have similar conventions, for example the same situations, content, theme etc.
Horror
The aim of horror films is to create a sense of fear and dread for the audience. Horror films are often unsettling and portray the audience's worst fears. We know if it's a horror film due to the codes and conventions. The four key concepts of genre is: the settings, characters, themes and iconography. Horror films are usually targeted at 15-24 year olds.
The iconography of this genre involves; use of low key lighting- to emphasis shadows, weapons, blood and religious symbols. Horror films use a lot of dark colours, mainly black and red. These colours signify the violence and death included in the film. Characters also wear dark clothing. An example are the 'Saw' films, as a lot of red is seen throughout the film which signifies that it is a violent film. The setting of horror films are mostly in isolated communities. Common settings are in a house, graveyard, hospitals and churches. Horror films use high/low angle shots, jump cuts and non diegetic/diegetic sounds. 'Halloween' effectively uses a point of view shot when the killer puts the mask on, this is done to make the audience see what the villain sees. Another example is Sweeney Todd, in this film we know it's a horror/thriller as throughout the film the mis en scene is dark, for example the lighting is always dark and the setting uses dark tones. Also the costumes worn are very old and dirty looking, these indicate the tone of the film.
Thriller
The aim of a thriller is to create suspense and excitement for the audience. The narrative revolves around the protagonist (hero) trying to solve the enigma and reveal the truth. The hero isn't always someone you'd expect. They are normally outsiders or people who are secretive.The hero and villain can often be quite similar, even though they are against each other. The setting of this genre is set in an urban environment, use of busy cities. The resolution is always rational, (not supernatural) unlike horror films. Instutions such as police or the government are often central to the film, this makes it more realistic. Violence is main idea in most thrillers. An example of thriller is Taken, throughout this film we see a lot of violence and them protagonist constantly on the move.
We can take the conventions of horror/thriller into account when making our opening sequence. From this is will help us create the mis en scene, for example what costumes to wear and how the lighting should be. We know to make the lighting quite dark and shadowy and the make up to be quite pale. This will help portray the horror genre as it suggests something bad has happened or is about to happen. Sub-Genres
There are also sub-genres, which are sub categories within a particular genre. Horror has many sub genres such as: slasher eg (Psycho), science fiction eg (Alien franchise), supernatural (eg war of the worlds), teen horror (eg misfits), satanic (eg The Omen). Thriller also has many sub genres such as: conspiracy thriller (eg Bourne franchise), crime (eg Se7en), diaster (eg 2012), mystery (eg Shutter Island), religious (eg The Davinci Code).
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for the marketing of a film. They are very important to the film industry as it it their job to get as many people possible to see the film. They need to decide the films USP and make the film available to a wide audience. The distributors set the release date of a film and the method by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing (e.g. which cinemas). The most populThey only pick films that they feel will make them money. One of the biggest distribution companies in the UK is 'Momentum Pictures'. Momentum have been most successful in their theatrical releases. Some of these films are:
Our preliminary task, 'Feed the Fish' was filmed in the photography dark room. We were given critique about our sequence when we presented it to the class. One of strengths were the match on action shots. A good example of this is when we saw the girl running up the stairs, another good example is when we see the girl opening the door. We used various came shots, which worked very well. An example is when we see the full body of the girl running up the stairs and then we have a close up of just her feet running past the camera. Another strength in our preliminary sequence was the parallel editing, this was used when we saw the girl running up the stairs and then the clock. This was effective as it showed the passing of time. The mis en scene used worked well and made it more interesting. The dark red lighting used and the mask worn by the second character helped get across that the second character was evil and there was something not right about the situation.
However, a weakness of our sequence was that there was a lot of dead space which meant we would have to cut the shots more or speed it up. This would make the match on action shots better. We were told we used dissolves quite a few times, but this wasn't necessary unless it was for passing of time. A straight cut should of been used instead. Although we used good camera shots we could of used more high and low angle shots to show power.
Some of our clips were deleted which meant our sequence wasn't fully complete.
From this task I have learnt that continuity is key to the audience's understanding. Overall, I felt our preliminary task was good and that the audience understood our idea. However next time I would add music and apply the feedback given.
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