Head On Activity - Inspirations and Influences for Title sequence

Individual Ideas

Individual Ideas Candice by Candice on Scribd

Head On

Head On Activity

This 'Head On' mood board let me create and brainstorm my initial inspirations and influences that will contribute to the final ideas. It helps me visualise what I think should be included to make a successful final piece. It is important to do this so you have clearly presented ideas which will help you in the making of the film.

Individual Ideas

Individual Ideas by Lucy on Scribd

First Prelim Introduction

31 from 283goswellg on Vimeo.

This was the first time we used the prelim software to edit our work. It seemed complicated to use at first but it became a lot more clear as soon as we began importing clips, putting them into place and  cutting them. We added the 'fade to white' transition to create the impression of a flashback. We also added the clock ticking sound effect to set the atmosphere of anticipation and waiting.
We used the shot reverse shot to film the dialogue and the match-cut to film the falling incident.

The collector - Initial ideas

Inspiration and Initial ideas for our Title sequence

Evaluation of our Gone Girl title sequence Remake

Gone Girl remake - Evaluation

I found it easy to note down each shot because the sequence was titles over still images meaning that there were only 2 short parts where we had to capture on the storyboard the actors' movements. The storyboard was really easy because this allowed us to visually see where we needed to be in the filming. The impact of the location was very minimum because of the similar areas, however having to display a very isolated area was difficult because of how busy our location was. We also found it difficult because we didn't have a boy in our group to recreate being the man.The impact had the lack of feeling created from the movie in our sequence because of this.

It was pretty straightforward to create these credits in the editor because of our simple text in our sequence. When deciding on the font it didn't take much thought because of the how siEmple it was for being Text on still image so it didn't draw too much attention to it which matches the very cool 

however dark tone to this film.The placement of the title credits followed that of which the original had, this integrated it into the films story breaking up the starting storyline with the establishing shots and then the introducing to the male character.  

If I was to complete this task again i would want to find a slightly better location that has a more isolated feel to it. I would like to take more time in editing to make sure everything is seamless and has a real professional feel to it. A male character would also benefit us if we were to film again to give it a much more believable feel to it.

Title sequence remake evaluation - Gone girl

Individual Evaluation- Gone Girl

Gone Girl- Evaluation by Lucy on Scribd

Gone Girl remake Final Edit

Gone Girl Remake Updated Storyboard- Lucy

Remake title sequence - storyboard

Remake Title Sequence by Candice on Scribd

Storyboard Remake of Title Sequence - Gone Girl - INITIAL IDEA

Storyboard Remake by Julia on Scribd

Gone Girl

Gone Girl Mood Board by Group35 on Scribd

Analysis of the use of Sound from a Film

Micro and Macro elements of a title sequence

Shutter Island Analysis by Lucy on Scribd

Task 16 - Why is sound important in film?

Why is sound important in film?

Sound is important in film because the dialog helps us to follow the story and increase understanding. Sound helps to set atmosphere and tone to aid in what we as the audience see as well as establish genre. This makes a more realistic visual experience and suspend disbelief.
Sound gives the audience clues about the plot, characters involvement in the film and to identify the genre.
The star wars director George Lukas has argued that 'sound is 50%' meaning that sound is what makes up half of the completed film.



After watching this video I find that his theory proves to be correct, based on how I felt when they showed us the same clips with different types o sound show. Only at the end where all the type of sounds were merged together is when I felt fully emerged into the clip and what was going on.

Analyse the use of sound in one film opening.

Analyse the use of sound in one film opening

              

I decided to analyse this sound from Gladiator because it is very successful. The reason why I find this sound enjoyable to listen to is the way that it establishes the genre of the film which is action adventure. Ridley Scott creates an intense sound consisting of non-diagetic sounds which create a mysterious atmosphere. You hear swelling orchestra strings which almost sound Egyptian and very mystical.
The sound reinforces an atmosphere of sadness and sorrow as it is very slow and smooth. The film is set in Rome and the music successfully links to the setting. You can hear from the sound the orchestra is very slowly gradually bringing the music louder yet creates a successful gliding effect. The non-diagetic sound brings an insight of the sadness of which this Roman warrior has had to face of his wife and daughter death, yet as he is a gladiator, what events he is faced to come.

Analysing sound in a film.

Why is sound so important in a film?

Sound is a vital part of creating a film and making it successful. In the lesson we focused on why sound is important so here are some points of the differences between having sound and no sound.

Films with sound:

•  Makes you enjoy the film
• Creates an atmosphere
• Enables you to establish the genre
• Gets you more involved in the film
• Makes you feel a part of the film
• You don't loose interest

Films without sound:

• Get distracted
• Loose focus about film
• Doesn't let you enjoy the film and get the true story of the film
• Loose interest in what is going on
• You do not get any insight into the genre of the film
• Simply doesn't entertain you as much as if it would with sound. 

Above is a video focusing on the importance of sound. What I learnt from this video was that if you only include sound effects and dialogue it doesn't create reality of the film and makes it look fake which will make you not as engaged in the film. With music only it does create more of a dramatic effect yet personally makes it more childish and not as adapting to what is going on. Just using music makes the feel less interesting and creates a 'cheesy'  and 'childish' effect to the atmosphere of the film. Although if you mix both sound effects, dialogue and music it is much more successful and entertaining to the audience. You do not loose as much interest as you would with only one aspect to the sound. It creates a better atmosphere and lets the audience establish the genre of the film and what is going on. This makes the film more enjoyable and will draw more people to wanting to watch the film.

Title Conventions

Idea and influence for chosen genre

Analysis of Sound and Sound Layering in Title Sequences

Micro and Macro of Title sequence analysis

Micro and Macro of Title sequence analysis

Micro and Macro Analysis

Task 9- Favourite film

Task 14 - Macro, Micro and Order of title credits

Analysis of sound in a film

Task 16- Why is sound so important in film?

Why is sound so important in film?

Sound is very important as it provides a more engaging and realistic usual appearance. Without sound such as a music soundtrack in a film or sound effects the audience can become uninterested and bored. It looses the impact of the film and its meaning without the audio aspects through diegetic and non-diegetic sounds.

Sound allows us to have an increase in understanding about what is happening in the film and get  good grasp of meaning. Also sound sets the atmosphere and tone and lets the audience respond and feel to what we see. For example if you are watching a horror film, and were to mute the sound, you would certainly not get the effect and feel frightened or feel the suspense in which the film makers want their audience to feel. 

Also it helps to quickly establish the genre of the film. To follow dialogue and initially become more interesting and includes the audience, so it lets the audience put themselves in the characters perspective.

The Shining with Sound

The Shining is a classic well known title sequence in which sound is a key aspect of it. The title sequence consists of a continuous shot of a car driving on small narrow roads in the middle of no where. The main instrument in the sound is a trumpet, the sound is quite slow which makes it more dramatic but it eventually speeds up and turns into a high pitched almost screaming noise, recognising the genre of horror. The shot also makes the audience feel quite sick because of the winding roads, and at points where the car is almost on edge of the cliffs, which creates an uneasy atmosphere. 

Without Sound

Watching the opening sequence without sound is very dull. I loose my interest very quickly and it just looks like someone filming a car driving with no meaning. It doesn't create any suspense which takes away the whole point of the audience being able to establish the shot.

Why is sound so important in Film?

Soundscapes and Layers of Sound - Why is the sound so important?

Why is the sound so important? 

• Sound is important because without it, the mood of the film is very difficult to interpret. For example, when a scene is happening the genre and atmosphere of the film. Different sounds can convey various different film genres being Thriller or Teen drama. 
• The sound suspends disbelief and makes the film scenes flow seamlessly. 
• It engages the audience and presents a pre-established opinion for them. for example: when we see a villain in a movie the music or sound behind the visuals can be played in a certain way in order for the audience to recognise this character as a antagonist. 
• It provides a more interesting, realistic and visual experience. 
• Makes the audience more interested and suspicious about what happens next.

Task12 - Genre preferences and audience

Genre

1)  Animation, action, and comedy were the most successful in the Uk  box office.

2) The least popular genres in the UK box office were war, documentary, and romance.

3/4) 153 films from the comedy genre were released in 2013-14. This was the most film releases out of all the genres.

5) In 2013-2012, 33 animated films were made

6) In 2013-2012, 47 action films were made

7) This information tells me that film production and audience need to work closely together to make a particular genre successful. Film production is successful through meeting what the audience wants at the time. The production of animation has changed based on who's watching it, with a growing population of young dependents visiting with parents this also effects what is put into production to fit wider audiences such as certain references that they would only get. Action film production has also changed from the cliche conventions of  these to a more modern and diverse twist on things, this fits everyone's taste somewhere increasing the different types of people watching these films.

Audiences

1) The age group 15-24 made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the Uk at 33%

2) The most successful comedy film was Hangover Part III within the age roup 15-24

3) The drama/comedy film Quartet was the most popular amongst the over 50s

4) The genres which were most popular with men were comedy, action, and thriller 

5) The genres which were most popular with women were drama documentaries and comedy

6) The UK films Alan partridge appealed mostly to the male audience and one direction appealed mostly to female audiences.

7) The three films that were most popular with the 7-14 age group were one direction, wreck-it-ralph and despicable me 2. This shows that this age group enjoys update/current fashions such as the boy band one direction as well as fun animated movies.

8) The 3 films that were most popular with the age group 35-44 were frozen, the croods and jack the giant slayer. This is because this is the average age of parents with little kids who they take to see these movies. Also, animation has changed a lot over the past years and now appeal to older audiences based on their story lines.

9) Three films which were most popular with 25-34 age group fast & furious 6, django unchained and rush.

10)  The films which were most popular to middle-class audiences were rush, captain phillips and gravity

Genre and Audience research - BFI STATISTICS

 Chapter 4 - Genre


1. Which genres were most successful at the UK box office?
   
Top three genres where ; Animation , Action and Comedy


2. Which three genres were least popular at the UK box office?

The three least popular genres where ; Romance, Documentary and War


3/4. Which film genre had the most films released in 2013 - 14, how many ?

Comedy had the most films released in 2013 - 14. 153 films from this genre was released.

5. How many animated films were made? 

33 Animated films were made


6. How many action films were made ? 

47 Action films were made


7. What does this information about genre tell you about film production & audiences?

The information provided informs me that the reason why Animated, Action and Comedy films were the most popular. The reason being is because the film productions make sure their film fits the needs and wishes of the film audience to increases the number of viewers. This is due to the focus of following the conventions of the chosen genre to make sure it fits in with what the viewer wants to watch. The information given also tells me that more and more film copmapnies are making films under these 3 genres as they achieve the highest percentage in the box office. In particular, animation has the highest box office as the population of kids are increasing, also the parents/ careers accompanying the children to the cinema adds up to the increase of the box office.


Chapter 15 - Audiences 

 1. Which age group made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the uk?

 15 - 24 year olds made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the uk (2013) at 33%


2. Which comedy film was most successful with this age group? 

 Hangover part III and Kick Ass 2 were the most successful comedy film within 15 - 24 year olds.


3. Which film was most popular with the over 50s? What genre is this?

 The most popular genre was Drama, Biopic and musical films including Quarlet, Les Miserables and Philomena. 


4. Which genre were most popular with men?

Thriller, Action and comedy films were most popular with men including films Captain Phillips and Star Trek into Darkness


5. Which genre were most popular with Women?

Broader range of genres were taken on by women including films One direction: this is us, About time and Frozen 


6. UK films appealed most to which audience type?

 The female gender took a stronger preference for uk films.


7. Which 3 films were most popular within the 7 - 14 age group? What does this tell us about their preferred genre?

One direction: This is us, Wreck it Ralph and Despicable Me 2 were the most popular film. This tells us that animations are much preferred in this age range, due to the use of bright colours and cartoon/ animated characters. Also, they prefer documentaries about their favourite celebrities or artists as they look up to them as their idols and get to emotional interact with their favourite artist or group.


8. Why were the films most popular in the 35 - 44 age group animation and why is animation so successful at the box office ?

 This is because this age group usually contain parents and careers that accompany their children or younger family members, therefore making animation with above average audiences in this category.

9. Which films were most popualr with 25 - 34 age group?

 Action films mainly appealed to this targeted age range, the top 3 being Django Unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Rush. 


10 . Which films were most popular with the Middle class Audiences?

 A broad range of genres being Action, sci- fi and drama including films Rush, Captain Phillips and Gravity. 


11. Popular films in London and Scotland and the differences?

In London the most popular films were Django Unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Gravity. 

In Scotland the most popular films were Sunshine on Leith, Filth and Star Trek into Darkness. 

The difference is that in London American based / produced films are more popular, whereas in Scotland UK based films are more popular.


Extension 

Top three 3D films : 

Gravity - Warner Bros production
The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaus - Warner Bros production
Iron man 3 - Walt Disney Productions


Top three UK production Companies: 

Working Title Films - ( 13 Films ) Les Miserables 
Press Feature Films - ( 13 Films ) The Warning 
Vertigo Films - ( 11 Films ) Street Dance 2 

Task 12- Genre and audience research

Genre and Audience Research

Lucy Bradley

Genre

1) Which three genres were most successful at the UK box office?

Animation, action and comedy.

2)Which three genres were least popular or successful at the UK box office?

War, Documentary and romance were the three least popular genres.

3)Which film genre had the most film releases in 2013-14

Comedy had the most number of releases of 153 releases.

4) How many films in this genre were made in 2013-14?

153

5)How many animated films were made? 

33 Animated films were made.

6) How man action films were made?

47 were made.

7) What does this information about genre tell you about film production and film audience.

This information tells us that as animation, action and comedy were the most successful at the UK box office, and that the least successful were war, documentary and romance, shows that production companies have aimed to work for the more successful genres as it will then let themselves be more successful and make more money. Film audiences have probably changed throughout time as years ago people may have preferred to watch a war film or documentary to learn about more historical factors and information, than just to watch something that makes them laugh like comedy. 

Audiences

1) Which age group made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the UK?

Ages 15- 24 made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions of 33%

2)Which comedy film was most successful with this age group?

The most successful comedy film was Hangover Part III.

3) Which film was most popular with the over 50s? What genre is this film?

Quartet was the most popular which genre was drama/comedy.

4) Which genres were most popular with men.

Action, comedy and thrillers appealed  with men the most.

5) Which genre was most popular with women?

Drama, comedy, documentaries, a wide mix of genres.

6) UK films appealed most to which audience type?

Across all demographic groups, with a particularly strong appeal for those aged 45 and above.

7) Which three films were most popular with the 7-14 age group? What does this tell you about their preferred genre?

The film with the highest significant above-average audience in this category was the boy-band concert documentary One Direction: This Is Us. This shows this age enjoy pop culture genre the most.

8) The reason for 35-44 age group most popular films were frozen, the croods and jack and the giant slayer were because they took their children to go and see these films with the genre of animation and family. These adults will have taken their children to the cinema to watch these.

9)Which 3 films were most popular with the 25-34 age group?

Fast & Furious 6, Django unchained and Rush.

10) Which films were most popular with middle class audiences?

Rush, Captain Phillips and Gravity were the most popular with middle class audiences.

11) Look at the tables for popular films in London and Scotland. What differences are there and what conclusions can you make about the types of films they appear to prefer. 

Audiences in Scotland have shown a preference for films based on home-grown characters and locations. In 2013, both Sunshine on Leith and Filth attracted significant above-average audiences. Audiences in London preferred Django Unchained and Fast & Furious 6. This shows that people from London prefer more main stream american, high expenses films. Whereas Scotland prefer more home grown characters and locations. 

 

Task 11- Film preferences

Genre Preferences by Lucy on Scribd

Drama and Thriller Conventions

Task 11 - What is genre?

genre preferences

Media Task Sequences by candice on Scribd

Order of title sequences

Blog Task 7- Analysis of title sequences

Analysis of Title sequences.

Lucy Bradley

Zodiac (2007)

I decided to pick this title sequence as it made me want to watch the film. If it has that effect on me it probably will have that effect on others too. Throughout the opening we see a number of different credits. From what I saw on the Art of the Title website, their was no branding film production company stamped on the opening. Although their were many credits for the actors, the director and the production team. The first credit we see is '4 weeks later - San Francisco'. This shows that the opening of this film has been put forward a month in time, maybe so you can see the after effects of the event that will happen in this film.

The font type which has been used looked like a vintage typewriter font. This gives it an old theme to the film, which does relate to the time this film was based which was 1969 in San Francisco. We see this font always in either the bottom left or right part of the frame.I  prefer the positioning as it doesn't distract you from what is going on in the film. Interestingly the mans profession which is shown in the opening is in an editing company and he seems to be an illustrator. This cleverly lets the theme and font of the type link together perfectly and gives you an insight into what the film is going to be about.  I  prefer the positioning as it doesn't distract you from what is going on in the film. The style of the type is type over moving scene. I like the style as it successfully portrays a retro and vintage theme to the film.

Through the cinematography we are introduced to a little boy brushing his teeth and also to a single father, endearing a glimpse into their morning routine.We are presented to the big city of San Francisco, all behind the font.

The sound is a very upbeat percussion consisting of piano and drums including bongos to create a trendy 60s themed film. It creates a happy atmosphere, yet when the dad gets into his office the music speeds up which portrays the stress he receives from his work.

Good Fellas (1990)

This title sequence is very different to the film above. We clearly see all of the credits in the opening. The first one we see if Warner Bros. Presents, then we see Irwin Winkler Production. This film has been clearly embarked and stamped that this is their production and movie. After that the credits you see are the main actors names such as Robert Denero, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci. Then the credits present 'This film is based on a true story' and the location of New York based in 1970. I like this introduction as it is simple but it gives you a clear insight into the main actors, location and time era that lets you understand and get exited for the film. 

The font type that is used is bold and basic. The font is white and red which is contrasted onto the black background. These colours symbolise danger, death and also are the codes for the genre of crime. This is a title on a blank screen which is successful as it creates more of a cult classic film. We see the font moving fast from the right to the left and then shown clearly in the middle of the frame.

Interestingly the only sound within this opening sequence is traffic and cars speeding past. This contrasts and relates to the way that, as the credits move in to the frame their is the sound of a car speeding past. This relates to the first show we see which is a car on a motorway driving very fast which makes audience wonder why are they driving so rapidly and fast? We are then introduced to three of the main characters inside the car, hearing a strange kicking sound, which eventually reveals to be a man within the boot of the car with whom they stab and kill. 

The reason why I like this sequence is that its basic but effective. I like the way that you can easily discover that the genre of the film is Crime and Thriller, by the mis-en-scene of the men dressed in suits, within a group which shows they are gangsters, the props such as the knive and the gun all are so effective in showing the audience the background of this film just within a few minutes.

Categorizing Title Sequences

Title Sequences by Lucy on Scribd

Task 12 - Genre and Audience Research

GENRE - CHAPTER 4 

1. Which 3 Genres were most Successful at the UK box office?
   - Animation was the first most successful genre which was viewed the most, with action coming second and comedy third.

2. Which 3 genres were least popular or successful at the UK box office?
   - War was the least popular film genre, only receiving 0.3 million pounds at the box office, the second least popular was documentary receiving 10.7 million pounds and the third least popular was Romance, earning 13.9 million.

3. Which film genre had the most films released in 2013-14 (not the most successful but the biggest number of films made)?
- Comedy had 153 number of releases in 2013.

4. How many films in this genre were made in 2013-2014?
   - 153

5. How many animated films were made?
   - 33

6. How many action films were made?
   - 47

7. This tells me that animated, action and comedy films were the most successful among the film production companies. This implies that these companies which produce animated, action and comedy films meet the audience's expectations and follow all the conventions of those specific film genres. It also means that most film production companies may be more encouraged to produce films under those three genres as those are the films that seem to be more likable among the film audience, and possibly more likely to be successful in earning a bigger sum at the box office. As for the film audience, it is evident that the audience of films are young children being taken to cinema's or even kidults (adults which take a liking to things and items dedicated for children) due to the high popularity of animation movies.

AUDIENCES - CHAPTER 15

1. Which age group made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the UK
- in 2013, the 15-24 age group made up the largest proportion of UK cinema admissions, at 33%.

2. Which comedy film was most successful with this age group?
- the most successful comedy film among 15-24 year old's was 'The hangover part III'

3. Which film was the most popular with the over 50s?
- Quartet, which is in the genre drama/comedy.

4. Which genre were most popular with men?
- action films, comedies and thrillers.

5. Which genres were most popular with women?
-  A broad range, from documentaries, to fantasy/drama to animation.

6. UK films appealed most to which audience type?
- parents and carers accompanying young children and both the 45-54 and 55+ age groups showed a strong preference to UK independent films.

7. Which 3 films were most popular with the 7-14 age group?
-One direction - This is us, Wreck it Ralph and despicable me. This shows that most young children are orientated in pop culture and animation films,

8. The reason why animation is one of the most popular movie genres at the box office is because most young children would have parents in the 35-44 age group which would mean that double tickets are sold and this means more money is earned.

9. Which 3 films were most popular with the 25-34 age group?
- Django unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Rush.

10. Which films were most popular with middle class audiences?
- A range of genres including action, sci-fi and drama, with the most popular films being; rush; Captain Philips; Gravity

11. Popular films in London; Django Unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Gravity.
For Scotland it was: About time, The world's end and Despicable me.

Task 11 - Genre Preferences

Genre preference 1:  Thriller 

The conventions of the thriller genre are the shot types that are used. The shots are usually high-angle mid or long shots accentuating the isolation of the 'predator' characters to portray danger and possibly a psychological issue as a result of their isolation. The victim is usually portrayed as vulnerable and like a 'prey'. I also like the versatility of the dilemmas usually found in thriller films, they usually consist of obsessions which result in stalking or some type of crime related issue.
The lightning in thriller films is usually dark and dim which builds suspense because usually the activity takes place at night which suspends disbelief because usually, criminal activity usually happens at night. The conventions of thrillers are items such as; phones (where stalking can often happen), guns and costumes (suits).
I also like thrillers because they come with different hybrids like: Drama/Thriller and Crime/Thriller and Action/Thriller.

I enjoyed Taken because it built a lot of suspense and deceived the viewers many times. The story-line had many plot-twists which made me very interested. I also thought the realism of the film highlighted the dangers of travelling abroad and being irresponsible.


The convention here is the lighting used and the prop being the phone. The lighting is dark and dull and almost forebodes that the conversation will be unpleasant. This a common feature (a convention) of majority of Thriller films,


Genre preference 2: Drama

The conventions of the Drama genre I like are also the story-lines and plots. It also has many different sub-genres like Crime drama, teen drama and comedy drama. I enjoy watching drama's because they are thought-provoking and encourage problem solving. The conventions of drama's are usually the trend and pattern in the problems like: teenage pregnancy, violence or abuse, disloyalty and dishonesty.
An example that i've watched which was a Drama is the film 'Precious'. It has very controversial aspects in it however, Through the interesting shot types such as a mid shot it reveals a lot about the character's emotions and settings simultaneously;
This is a good example of the mid-shot used in 'precious' which shows the inner city, urban surroundings.                                          








Genre preference 3: Comedy
My third favourite genre preference is comedy. Comedy films are all easily identifiable due to their conventions. Most comedy films feature common comical actors such as; Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. Most comedy films are comedies because the character's face an unusual, comical problem and it's a journey to finding the solution. Also, some of the time, the 'Mis en Scene' such as the costumes and make-up contradict the typicality of the male characters, like in the film 'Jack and Jill' where the male character also plays the female character.
   

Research Task 6- What makes a good title sequence?

Kyle Cooper Interview Answers by Lucy on Scribd

Extension task - How can a film opening attract an audience?

Research task 7 - Analysis of film sequences

Analysis of Title Sequences by Candi AS Set Seven on Scribd

Research - Kyle Cooper Interview

Kyle Cooper Interview Answers Candice-1 by candice on Scribd

Task 10 - what are the four different types of film openings

Task 7- Analyse two film tile sequences

In this sequence, the credits we see are the production company, producers, the owner of the film; who are involved in casting, costume design, visual effects, sound and music design, editors, photography and writers for this film. The font that is used is very simple capitalization, this is good for their effect of embedding these names with the scientific background information of the film. We see this as titles in front of moving images, these images are again of the background information of the movie, they presented this in a way of seeing hidden files and footage on gathered findings of this 'Godzilla'. At the start and mostly throughout we hear the non-diegetic sound of a very action feel song until towards the end where we are introduced to Godzilla and also the relationship between it and the US military/ government through the diegetic sound of a bomb being set off.
What I like about this sequence is the way it works together with its previous films to develop a new understanding of Godzilla through developing the background information initially shown to the audience. The colours in this sequence are based around browns and greys showing the age of the backstory also helping to set the clip at the end.

This sequence has gone for the an effective news story themed sequence, where the speaker is giving a a report on the story. This is heard at the same time of establishing the location and also introducing the characters. There are only non-diegetic sound in this with someone talking as well as action filled background music which effectively fades in at the beginning and fades out at the end. They have also introduced another character through the use of a news article - this however is probably only understood by those who have watched the previous superman films. The colour theme throughout is very bright and clear colors with bark themes adding to the si-fi feel of this sequence. This sequence shows production company,owner of the film, casting team, costume design, visual effects, music, co-producer, film editor, production designer, director of photography, screenplay, executive producers, and director of the film. These again are shown in a very simple font with only capitalization. 

Task 7 - Analysis of Sequences

Conjuring
The first title sequence I analysed was the Conjuring. The credits that are used are:

• The introduction of the authentic characters through photographs and name tags, this is because the film is built on their stories
• Next we see the director's name and information
• information on script writers and producers
• Name of actors and characters 
• The title of the film 

From 1-2, the titles that are used are over still images of photographs, newspaper article clippings and pictures of the house where all the action is located in. From 3-5, the titles are over moving images.
The font that is used is very old fashioned which matches the genre of the film because it is a horror. The font resembles a type-writer which would imply the film is based on an archaic story.
The font switches from bottom then top and then middle which makes the audience focus on different aspects of the screen and image behind the text each time. The images behind the font are all black and white which also contributes to the atmosphere of unease and eeriness. I like this sequence because it builds suspense and suspends disbelief. This is due to the fact that real photographs and images of articles are used which all signify the face that this film is based on true events. This engaged and interested me even more. Overall, the title sequence foreshadowed the plot of the film without revealing clearly what the dilemma will be. The basic paranormal theme is explored throughout the title sequence.


The fugitive

• First we see an Ident (warner brother's logo)
• Titles are then presented on a blank screen
• The slow sound is broken by loud thuds 
• The title itself is presented on a blank screen
• Location is shown / introduced
• the main conflict is shown and the shots switch between it and the location again.
• sound of sirens is introduced over the existing background sound 

Visuals:
The title sequence includes credits to directors, producers and photographers in the beginning, also the ident is used to present the recording label. The tiles in the beginning are blank (black screens) with moving bold blue titles which create a sharp contrast - this has been used to influence the viewers perception of the mood and tone the film is in; which is suspenseful and thrilling which is also presented through the fast-pace sound. The long establishing shot is used at a birds eye angle to orientate the audience; this presents them with a location (being a city). The shots include scenes of violence and some kind of dilemma which forebodes what happens in the film. This firstly is presented through black and white scenes that are in slow motion. Many of these shots are close-up shots of items being knocked over or the faces which establish the emotions felt by the characters. There are also mid-close ups being used and two-shots. This shows the violent relationship of the characters in this title sequence and it presents the audience with the main conflict.
The sound is continuously slow and tense. (Non-diegetic sound) There is also an overlay with diegetic sound which is the sound of police sirens. This further heightens the problematic plot which is why the sound is merged together (the non-diegtic and diegetic) to create a direct link between the conflict and the solution.

I like this title sequence because it makes me curious on what happens next in the film and how did the characters get to this point.

Notes on Categorizing Title Sequences

Catergorizing Title Sequences by Julia on Scribd

Task 3 - Favourite previous student work. Title Sequences and Student Blog

My favourite student title sequence was Aamir, Dazhane, Ken and Chyna's. I enjoyed their title sequence because it was very tense and mysterious. It initially started with non-diegetic sound in the form of a suspense-building soundtrack, this was played over the idents informing the audience on the productions team such as 'Crystal Light'. This then slowly transitioned into diegetic sound of the character running and breathing heavily which foreboded the following events. This would give the audience the hint that the character is in trouble and is escaping from something or someone. The combination of the natural sound of the character panting (diegetic sound) and the tense soundtrack (non-diegetic sound) enabled the audience to create an opinion on what was to happen next. There was a variety of shots used, the running was filmed using a mid-close up shot and it was filmed from the perspective of the character. Then there was a long shot used introducing two other characters. The editing was also done very consciously - with the title of the film being presented on a blank screen with the flickering number '23'. The introduction is very tense and when the characters are running there is a cut-in shot to the character hopping over a fence; this makes it look more professional and also adds more detail to the film. There is a close-up shot of the keys being exchanged which make the prop become a focal point of the sequence. This creates the idea that the keys can unlock the main conflict in the plot and the action starts and possibly ends with them.

The title sequence also included the introduction of the main character and several wide and long shots to orientate the audience on the location and surroundings. There was a couple shots of the Camden Lock bridge and London buses which signified that the film is taking place in London.

The title sequence then transitioned into a modern, grime soundtrack matched the scenes well and hinted that the film would be a form of an urban and teen drama. This set the atmosphere and film. Additionally, the media text used to introduce the film title 'Garage 32b' embodied the genre on the film as it resembled graffiti which all comply to the audience's expectations of the film as it already seems as though it is a drama.

39. Aamir, Dazhane, Ken, Chyna from 283goswellg on Vimeo.

The blog that I liked the most is Lara's, she had 80 posts all of which were relevant and very detailed. She displayed many different engaging ICT apps to convey her posts and notes which were interesting to look at and easy to follow and navigate.
The blog itself was very well presented the background matches the genre of the film so it is easy to understand what their film would be about.

Task 6 - What makes a good title sequence a good title sequence according to kyle cooper

The Interview with Kyle Cooper on Film Openings

Kyle Cooper Interview Answers- Julia Anton by Julia on Scribd

Task 6 - What makes a good title sequence

Kyle Cooper Interview Answers- Kamile Bernadine by Group35 on Scribd

Research Tast 4- Purpose and Common Features in a Film Opening

Purpose and common features in a film opening

All film opening scenes contain similar features. Depending on the genre of the film some features may be more obvious in certain films compared to others. Their are many different purposes of different features within the opening scene to give out different messages so the audience gets drawn into the film and also get more of in insight into what the films about. Also it sets the mood for the entire film.

Common features of a film opening?

• Characters
• Title of the film
• Overview, intro or context to the story/plot of the film. (Composition)
• Setting/Location and time era
• Credits
• Non-diagetic background music
• Set a them, tone and emotion.   
• Indent

Skyfall

A film opening which includes all of the features above very successfully is Skyfall. Skyfall is from one from the classic James Bond trilogy. I personally think that all James Bond film opening are amazing and all link to the film yet are all so unique in their own individual ways, either through the sound, colour palette and visual effects. Skyfall film opening starts with James Bond in the classic position used withing other openings of the sequel of him looking very calmly falling, the interesting thing is that when you  pause the film in that position, the image looks as if James Bond is falling through the sky, which is linked obviously to the name of the film Skfall, but he is actually indeed sinking in water. As he is being pulled into a deep dark hole within the sea bed, the title of the film is places upon the shot.

Cleverly as the music by Adele is being indented to the opening, most lyrics she sings have a reference to what is going on in the scene, "here my heart burst again" is shown through a cutout of  a target of Bonds body, has been shot in the heart in which it is bleeding. Also "but you'll never have my heart" has been shown as it looks like many red veins going to the centre point where their is a skull which appears through the veins very successfully.

You are introduced to the classic Bond girls quickly within seconds of watching the scene. Also briefly the enemy is shown through Bond aiming his gun at this man and then the man aiming his at Bond. Some locations are revealed which may be significant to the film of his house which creates a personal atmosphere and also a graveyard which is significant to death, which then again links to the music by "this is the end".

The theme of violence is then brought into the atmosphere of Bond shooting shadows with a gun, this lets you acknowledge that this film is an Action film.  Credits are also used seamlessly throughout the opening to show the audience which main actors will be included in the film.

This film opening is very successful as it includes all of the aspects needed within a film opening to lure in the audience and be exited for what they are about to watch.

           

Analysing previous students blog

Analysing previous students blogs. 

The blog which stood out to me the most was Jadas for many reasons. The main reason was the visual aspects to the blog, her groups theme seemed urban and for teens. One key way which had shown me this was the background they included a teenage girl with graffiti behind her, the colour of that picture was mainly purple. From the background picture it interests me and lures me in to wanting to look at this blog, by using an eye catching background it definitely catches peoples attention, and also the fact that in her blog I can relate to by being a teenage girl.

Another reason why I find this blog better than the others is that she has many blogs but not just of brief information, in all of her 94 blog posts, she includes interesting detailed information, which she has used from lots of resources. She has used different IT apps such as Visme, Prezi, Emaze and many others.  As she has completed them with very much detail you can tell that she has put a lot of time into her posts which are successful.

In my personal opinion the other blogs seemed to bore me, whereas this blog really did increase my enthusiasm and draw me into reading her blog. Her blog is very easy to navigate and get around as you can just scroll up and down as much as you want to view all the different resources presented equally and neatly.

So finally I like Jadas blog the most as she includes a lot of detailed interesting information. This then makes it enjoyable for me to read and makes me want to look into her blog in further detail.

research task 4 - features and purposes of film openings

Task 4 

What are the features and purposes of film openings?

In every film, the title sequences share the same content, but are displayed in different ways, depending on the genre.  

                                   In the majority of films, the film opening usually starts off with the institutional information. This is the short sequence of the production companies who funded, made or own the film. The next feature of film  openings are the non diagetic soundtrack, that plays instantly after the institutional information, which also indicates the genre and content of the film. Then, in most films credits of the actors and producers appear. A small percentage of films integrate their credits within the movement of props of the films, whereas some films simply place the credits in the centre of the screen. After the title of the film appears to give information to the viewer of the title of the film. Some films make the title of the film appear dramatically to show the importance of the films name, whereas some simply embed it into the scene with no dramatic entrance. 

Following the introduction of the Films title, we are commonly introduced to the setting / location of the films, giving further knowledge to the viewer of where the scene is taking place. This is commonly done by an establishing tracking shot of the scenery. 

Lastly, we are then introduced to the main character or are made a reference to the main character.
             The purpose of film openings are to set the mood for the entire sequence. Also to entice the the audience to continue watching. Lastly to state ownership of the film.  

Below is a clip of Skyfall film opening, which I personally believed was the best opening out of the four films we watched. I think this was the best film opening as it was a good example of the features of film openings. The opening started with the appearance of the main character; James Bond drowning. This could indicate that James bond is leading to his death. This was then followed by the credits, film title and the start of the song.
We are then introduce to the 'Bond girl'. The plot of the story was slightly hinter within the opening as there are several references to death by the colour red commonly used. Also, the various shots of Bonds eyes (close up) follow the saying the eyes are the window to the soul. Credits are used throughout the opening and integrated within the action. The genre is action. I could tell as there was several shots with guns, in which guns are ideology in action films.

           

Task 4 - What are the features and purposes of film openings?

What are the features and purposes of film openings?

Features of a title sequence are important to contribute to the rest of the film, for the audience they are treated as a form of first impression on what they are about to see. 

This includes finding out about:

•  Characters, this gives the film time to introduce the characters to audience and show the parts they play in this film.
• The title of the film, shown to directly introduce the film.
• Overview, the plot of the film would be introduced through the tone of what is shown in sequence, whether it be the an directly linked sequence which leads into main film or even an animated which shows subtle hints into what the genre of film may be.
• Setting/Location, where is the film taking place?, when is it taking place? - this is important for this to be established to the audience early for them to put themselves in a mind frame of knowing what the era might be, what country and even the area
• Institutional information-  this is important to know the professionalism of the film and this helps understand also other films they have worked on with high status.
• Credits, the credits help benefit the people who are working on the film for their future works and help decipher who from who.
• Non-diegetic and diegetic sounds, mostly in title sequences there will have a main non-diegetic sound of an artists song through synergy injected at parts with diegetic sound
• Set a theme, tone and atmosphere would mean again that when putting in the music or certain clips make sure for them to be able to correspond to the main film and be able to set these for the audience to link what is shown to the film.
• Genre, this is set again by the music choice, images which are shown and even the colour pallet.

The purpose of title sequences include 3 things to set the mood of entire film, draw in the audience and to state the ownership of film.
Juno does this firstly through displaying an mostly animated sequence which corresponds later on to the characters childish mind. The mood in which it provided was interesting based on a very sing-song music choice with an unusual style to it. This helps again show Junos personality and even match the lyrics about love and connection to the plot.

Common Features of a Film Opening (Task 4)

What is the purpose of a title sequence and film opening?

The purpose of a title sequence is to intrigue the audience and to build a certain mood and tone. There are some conventions in film openings. These are:

• The introduction of a main character or a reference to the main character. 
• The title of the film 
• The introduction to the storyline or plot to inform the audience on what to expect within the film or what genre it is. This would include 'Mis en Scene' and location.
• Institutional information (Idents) to show which production company owns the film. 
• non-diegetic sound (background music) which would add to the mood and genre of the film. 

The best film opening sequence is the 'Sky Fall' James Bond film; the reason for this is it includes many editing techniques. It also initially starts of with a very unusual and enticing setting with the iconic image of James Bond falling trough the sky. It also includes abstract animations with various pre-cursors for the film - for example: The constant reference to guns, dragons and settings which commonly appear throughout the film. Furthermore, the opening uses a popular soundtrack by Adele which adds to the length of it due to synergy. The opening of Sky Fall is an interesting way of introducing the film because it meets the audience's expectations and intrigues them which is the purpose.

The use of the animations makes this film opening the most interesting and the non-diegetic sound does the opposite of suspending disbelief because it allows it to be abstracts through animations.

This is a good example of an interesting and intriguing film opening.

Common Features of an Opening Title Sequence (Task 4)

Many opening title sequences will use the same features at the start of the film. They may do it differently depending on the film however the goal of the opening sequence is to set the mood that will follow throughout the film, to entice the audience to continue watching the film, and state ownership of the film (done using credits). Some features included during an opening title sequence may include:

-Characters (main usually)

-Title of the film

-Overview of context/plot of the film

-Setting or location

-Time era

-Institutional information (IDENT)

-Credits

-Non-Diegetic background music

-Set a theme/atmosphere

A particularly good title sequence we have looked at in lesson was the opening to Skyfall. It starts effectively with James Bond falling into water and the song 'skyfall' by Adele which was made for the film. This works well as it is promoting the song and the film at the same time. We are instantly introduced to the main character and given an idea of the theme of the rest of the film due to the selective colour pallet and the features shown (guns, 'bond girls', etc). There are slight links to settings and characters later on in the film, for example the house, which the audience finds out later, is his house. Title credits are used to claim ownership and show the title of the film throughout. We are shown James Bond throughout the opening sequence to show the action theme. Props are used throughout to stick with the action theme of the film.

Skyfall Opening Sequence:

Task 3 - Favourite pass students work

I was fairly impressed with  Kezia, Sophie and Piotr group (Set 7 ), as their blog was well presented, easy to navigate and was quick to find important research.  Also, their creativity was shown through their final title sequence as it was unique, under the influence of the film 'Se7en'.

            The credits was the main aspect of the title sequence, which they inserted and fonted it in a intelligent way, to resemble the characteristics of the main character. This is shown with how the style of text is. The credits appear in a uncontrollable, unstable manner, that is continously flashing on screen, changing size each time. I found this very creative, as this could suggest that the main character, seen within the opening sequence, is troubled or demented, in which they are unable to control their actions.
         
               The importance of the rose held by the character was made apparent throughout the title sequence. This could of been done to visually link the rose to the title of the film - 'Rose'. It was interesting to watch the character continously picking at the rose throughout the sequence, then aggressively pulling at it towards the end, questioning the importance or meaning of the Rose. The colour of the Rose ( red ) could connotate danger or warning, in which is attempting to warn the audience or fellow characters that the women seen, is danger. This is also shown through the main theme colour of the sequence being red and gloomy.

   The non - diagetic sound of the soundtrack integrated fairly well with the action of the sequence, as the music created a disturbing, uneasy ambience, which also resembles the mind of the character, seen within the opening sequence.