Casino Royale (James Bond)

The opening scene of this James Bond film is done using a black and white filter. We know from the very start that this will be a thriller type film. Extensive use of low angles are used to show the power of these people. Lots of tracking shots are used to show tension building up. They all wear incredibly formal clothes and this portrays that an important job is taking place. For my opening, I see the importance of costume as it puts people under stereotypes. Low key lighting is used to build up tension.  There is a complete change of location of a cricket match. This toys with the viewers emotions. We work out the man with the suit is potentially an  antagonist and Bond of course is the protagonist. The character with curly hair and unbuttoned shirts is also portrayed as an antagonist. The incidental music backs this up as well. The anomily set in this opening sequence is who is this person who Bond meets, is he good or bad as he seems to know Bond. We also want to know why the man in the suit seems to know about the cricket match.


Inception

The opening scene in Inception starts with a man dressed in normal clothes. He then sees his children however a special effect has been used to make this blurry to portray that he is seeing it in some sort of blur. The location changes where he is transported to a rich looking building. The Mis En Scene, the clothes that everyone is wearing show a substantial and exclusive setting. This scene completely contrasts with the scene of the man being washed up on the beach. The audience as am I am are very curious as they will want to work out why he has suddenly been transported to a completely different location instantly. Various close ups are used to show the mans rough expression and jump cuts are used in the building. A huge sense of mystery is used in this film which makes people want to continue watching. We know from the incidental music that this will go under the genre of a thriller.

Pans Labritnth 

This genre is fantasy. Some of the qualities I would like to add in my film. The close up of the girls face shows the sinister qualities of this film and thus shows it might own some horror aspects. The incidental music and the foley effects of the lighting show that this will have some action qualities. The graphics used in this show the gothic type nature of this film. The heavy breathing which carries on through various scene of the girl running. This I believe is extremely atmospheric. I would potentially like to add this in my opening scene. The mis-en-scene shows that the film was set in the early 20th century especially with the vintage looking cars. It is very important to set a time frame. A shot reverse shot and a two shot are illustrated to show they are under a mother, daughter relationship.

Kite Runner

The fourth film I will be talking about is The Kite Runner. This  starts with the distributer logo of "Dream Works". The music connotes an arab type, eastern European. We know this film is a drama by the dramatic type music, and the blood stained pieces of paper that the credits are set on. The font used gives exciting and thriller type film. The paper and ink from which the credits are set on connote that this will be important feature within the film. At 2:30 there are kites flying in the air. Thus concludes what the title is and we know that this will be the main focus of the film.

Full Metal Jacket 

The fifth scene I will be talking about is Full Metal Jacket. Various enigmas are put across for example why do these means shave their heads, why is there so much discipline and why is it so violent? What regiment are they part of? High key lighting is used in this intro to show that the army barracks are safe and secure. There are many close up shots especially when the cadets are getting their hair shaved off. The loud diegetic music fears the viewer as it is a shocking sound. Close ups on the faces show  emotions. Some show fear and some show a sense of excitement of a new beginning. The music connotes a regimental and army atmosphere. The costume show cadets smart and formal. They are all equal and thus no chance to put across an individual persona. An unpleasant and uncomfortable atmosphere is put across.

25 Word Pitch and Audience Feed Back

25 Word Pitch


Genius Master Painter, can talk to painting subjects (e.g talk to Henry V111) gets transported to different worlds. Father does not believe him, no friends, lives in his own fantasy world..

Master painter, Pereguine believes he can talk to the people in his paintings. However, his father believes he is mad and wants to stop him.

Audience Feedback

I have told my teachers my ideas and they think that there is too much happening and there is too much of a narrative. I got told to have less characters and just to establish one character. I have got told to put across that this boy is slightly quirky and strange. If I was to have a father figure, I will be telling too much of the story and thus it is not conventional for an opening sequence. As my film contains portraits, they gave me the idea of having the title sequences in frames which I may or may not use.
I got told that I need to think more in depth and I must focus on the research I have done all ready and use an actual opening as my guide lines. I am going to base it on Submarine.
I got told that is compulsory in my scene to establish a character, enigma and a location.


My friends are very intrigued by the idea and they believe that I should have less characters and only focus on one. They say that I should try and add the mysterious element to to Pereguine. They like the idea how the real truth of history is revealed just through talking to pictures.


Shot 1 Extreme Close Up eyes of Pereguine
S2 CU face of Ed V1
S3 CU Angus -  how did u die?
S4 Angus fades to Edward (portrait)
S5 walking from abandoned pub (wide shot)

S6 Establishing Shot of Sculpture (Winston Churchill)

S6 looking at a sculpture (POV) v/o of school master saying "don't tell me my job
S7 lots of faces (CLOSE UP)
S8 portico of National Gallery (pan up from steps
S9sign on the National Gallery saying what it is
S10 Pereguine hesitant about entering National Gallery V/O Looks back (screen shot school master saying "history without evidence is nonsense"
S11 walking towards Van Dyck (POINTOFVIEW)
S12 Pereguine says you knew these people. (Shot from behind)
S13 Pereguine looking at a history book (Wide Shot) 
In despair (CLOSE UP of page turning ) 

The working title of this film is the 'Ethus Pereguine can connect to historical figures by staring in their eyes. 

Time Line of a typical Opening

Time Line (Opening of Alice in Wonderland) directed by Tim Burton (Fantasy)

Cross Cutting Task

In this task, I demonstrated the theme of cross cutting. We crossed between two scenes and one met at the very end. Cross cutting is defined to be an editing technique to show action happening during the same time at two different locations. In this instance, I was walking to my college while my friend was making a coffee. The audience liked it however my teacher wanted me to demonstrate extensive use of shorter and cleaner cuts to give the illusion of action happening at every moment. 

Facebook Brother (Improved preliminary task)

This is BASED on my  preliminary task using same footage though it has more of a narrative than than before. It has got more of a storey line and I am using the conventions of an Art House Film. I would see this as a warm up for my two minute feature film.
It is called Facebook Brother.

I edited this using iMovie 11. Basic editing was used in this with incidental music used throughout. I repeated a scene at the beginning numerous times to create a sinister effect which goes under the conventions of Art House. I use slow motion to give the effect of thought and give the effect that he is worried. As I go out the door, there is a fade to give the illusion of time. I use the conventions

I used the music from Amelie. I believed this music gave a more thought provoking effect to this.  I would like the audience to feel compassion and pathos towards the boy as if his world is falling apart. I used two  folly effect which are doors closing. This is because I did not record the doors closing, so in doing this made the scene a lot more accessible.

My class mates liked my re edit of my preliminary task however my teacher did not particularly like the slow motion as when slow motion is used, it means something big has happened. I used slow motion to create a nostalgia element to this. My teachers however did  liked the direful repetition of the contraption box. Which frightened them and really went down the route of a conventions of art house.

Opening Sequence Research

The Genre I have chosen is a hybrid genre of Art House/Fantasy.


One film that greatly appealed to me was Amelie. I thought the innocence of the girl interwoven with the music is extremely touching. This montage is mixed with slow motion so we can appreciate this girls intelligence. The montage style evokes that she is playful, and artistic and very independent which is very touching. As this opening scene opens up, we get a small girl around seven years old. The location is set in ones house. She has obviously alone a lot of the time. We the audience get a sense of mystery and we want want to work out who this girls is and what has brought her independence and intelligence upon her. She wears different clothes and draws on her hand to show her creative nature. Non diegetic music is used throughout this clip. This scene can be conventional for an art house fantasy mainly due to the fact of the girls mind, who is clearly into fantasy elements.
This is what I want to similarly incorporate into my film. I like it how the credits are done manually with the girls hands.

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The opening sequence of  Scott Pilgrim VS theWorld  can be seen as conventional for the fantasy element. Independent graphical effect are used which gives rather surreal fantasy qualities. I love the title sequence. When Scott strums the guitar, the vibrations are visible. I also like when we get a shot of Scott's band, I also love the fact that there is a small box that writes a small extract about them. This opening is quite surreal and many fantasy elements can be seen. A numerous number of characters can be seen in this opening. Scott Pilgrim, Knives Chau, Scott's 17 year old girl friend, Stephen Stills ("The Talent), Kim Pine, Young Neil, Three  settings are used. A kitchen where all the band are sitting. One scene is set outside a house when Scott greets Knives. The next is indoors within a living room where the band practice. By watching this, various questions are brought to us, for example why does Scott have such a young girl friend, what are the storey behind this band. Various folley effects are used in this for example a door bell. This is what I should incorporate in my film to make it more realistic. Diegetic turns to Non Diegetic music when the band start playing and it changes to credits.

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I also enjoy films by Tim Burton. I like the magical feel of a new world that he evokes in his film with a rather sinister feel. No characters are introduced in this sequence  however the incidental music gives us a sense of an eerie feel. Two settings are established. At the beginning, we get the externals of a massive tower like factory. The second location is done inside the factory with various concoctions being made with machinery. This is all done using graphics. The enigma created is questions like what is this magical place and there is obviously something magical about this place.The diegetic music makes me want to continue watching.  Various tracking shots are used to outline the factory.

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I liked Submarine directed by Richard Ayoade. I loved his opening due to this clever, We get introduced to one character who is called Oliver Tate. He is a thought provoking boy even to the extreme of foreshadowed his own funeral. This poignant moment I would love to include in my film.  The location shot of his room are used and he talks to us using voice over. This I believe is more affecting. A shot of the sea is also used which works fantastically over this shot. This genre goes under a hybrid genre of an Art House Comedy. There are definitely some art house qualities with the low budget and  I also found the typical simplistic, working weather (pathetic fallacy) greatly impacted the somber mood of the film which made this opening rather emotional and thought provoking. Low key lighting is used throughout which makes this scene which makes everything more atmospheric. Jump cuts are used when we meet Oliver Tate. This shows that he is quirky child. I would like to use this effect in my two minute opening. Various locations are used like a hamlet, and picturesque views of mountains, and a coast line showing that they live close to the sea. At the end of the two minutes we get a shot of a class room. Tracking shots are virtually through out this opening scene.

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Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton is a phantasy/action directed by Tim Burton. Five characters are
introduced. Alice, Alice's father, two friends and a butler. There are three locations incorporated in the opening two minutes. An establishing shot which is outside Alice's house, a living room and Alice's bedroom.  Due to them having a butler and living in a immodest house, we can work just from these two minutes that Alice comes from a rich family. An anomaly is just created when Alice keeps on having these nightmares about smiling cats and blue caterpillars. This film is conventional mainly due to the unknown and mysterious qualities that come under the phantasy element.

Tea Montage

For this task, I had to make a cup of tea in the style of a montage. A montage is the process of selecting and editing various clips in separate sections, with various camera angles to conclude with a minor story line. I had a total of three mintes of footage and cut it down to 12 seconds. I tried to do quick edits to make a rhythmic sound of the slurping of tea, to the pouring of water. I had some topical, vintage music which I thought suited the montage. I was filming on an iPhone 5 which is not ideal, however as whole it came out pretty well. I used iMovie to do all my cuts and I used a dissolve effect to the shot of me trying the tea. I used this to give the effect of time passing and the slurping of tea was my longest clip. This was to portray that all the work concluded to this blissful cup of tea. If I was to change it, I would of used more clips to gain continuity and I would of quietened down the music so one could hear the domestic  kitchen sounds of making tea. I thought my Match On Action at the end worked well when I pulled the cup of tea to my face and then it changed to me drinking it.