RB; Techincal Analysis of Hot Fuzz (Wright, 2007)

	Camera Techniques	Duration	Mise-En-Scene
1.	Establishing LS – zooms in slightly throughout shot	25 seconds	Shows almost empty police station and desk with the officer walking towards the camera. This characters non-verbal language suggests he is serious and him showing his badge to the camera tells the audience more about the character.
2.	Low viewpoint CU – tracks backwards to follow feet	1 second	Shows the main characters feet/legs walking. His polished shoes make him seem professional and the audience can tell he is walking very purposefully.
3.	Low angle MS	1 second	The low angle puts the character in a position of authority or power. His facial expression also shows that he is a serious character.
4.	MS – tracking to follow character. Cuts to BCU – CU – BCU	5 seconds	This shots shows the other characters walking in the opposite direction to the main character which makes him seem different and separate from the other characters.
5.	Pans around group of people to CU on heads	1 second	All the characters wearing the same costume shows equality between them but the focus on the main character puts him in the main position.
6.	Zooms in from MS to CU of face	2 seconds	The zoom cuts out the other characters and focuses on the main character.
7.	Static LS	1 second	The shot of the police officers from behind makes them look the same as they are all wearing the same costume.
8.	Static LS	1 second	This shot focuses on the main character and as he is shown coming out if the tunnel first it makes him seem better or more important than the other characters. His facial expression also shows determination.
9.	Cuts between CU and LS	5 seconds	The long shots of everyone running along also show the fire which connotes danger. Once again, focusing on the main characters face gives him prevalence over the other characters.
10.	CU of paper	2 seconds	This shot shows the characters competence as he answers all the questions quickly. However it also makes the test look humorously easy as all of the answers are the same.
11.	MS to CU of officer	2 seconds	This shot shows the main character finished with everyone around him still working looking puzzled. The CU of the pen click connotes that the character is pedantic or a perfectionist.
12.	CU to LS of officers	4 seconds	All the characters in this shot are shown in the same costume which makes them seem the same but the main character in the centre holding the trophy makes him stand out against the others.
13.	Low angle MS tilting up to follow officer	3 seconds	The use of a low angle gives him power and once again the other characters moving in the opposite direction make him seem different to them.
14.	Static MS	4 seconds	The main character talking to the two couples makes him seem friendly and helpful and reinforces strong community values.
15.	MS to BCU	1 second	The slide show behind the officer shows he is teaching which puts him in a position of power over the other characters.
16.	LS	1 second	The shot of everyone watching him in the same costume makes the officer stand out and makes him seem different.
17.	CUs of officer in car/on bike		The serious face the officer makes when in his car and on his bike makes him look serious.
18.	MS and CU of car/bike		The skids and fast movement in the car and on the bike connote danger and action. This tells the audience what the film could be about.
19.	LS to MS	5 seconds	The cuts between fencing, judo and chess make the officer seem dangerous and the chess creates a comical contrast to the high action activities.
20.	BCU to MS to BCU	3 seconds	The men preparing to race makes them seem competitive and brings out the fast paced sequence.
21.	MS panning to follow officer as he walks	5 seconds	Once again, the main character is the only one shown walking in one direction. He is also shown looking bored which is contrasting to his expression during active activities. This tells the audience more about the character.

In this opening, I like the fast cutting rate used and the way the shots of the main character walking through the station are mixed with flashbacks of him in training and doing work for the police service. I also like the way the flashbacks are provoked by the narration and similar shots, for example the officers hand is shown on the door handle and a flashback is used to show him being stabbed in the hand.

CdL; Technical Analysis of Sherlock, S2 E2 The Hounds of Baskerville (McGuigan, 2012)

• Although this is actually a tv drama opening it adheres to some of the horror conventions and has the fast cutting rate and handicam use which we hope to use in our own film opening

• The video is not available online, however I have taken screen shots of particularly interesting shots from the sequence and I will embed the video if it later becomes available

• From this opening I have seen that the fast cutting rate is very effective in creating tension and also the use of diagetic sound turned quite high in the sound mix is also very tense, as in this clip the screams of the victim and snarls of the hound are very loud
• In our opening, I would like to use the fast cutting rate and handicam shots to create a sense of discordance and confusion, as well as the ECU shots of various limbs and other body parts to add to the sense of distortion
• The contrast between the ECU of the boy's face and then the zoom out to a bird's eye shot of him later on as an adult is particularly interesting. We could use a similar technique to show contrast between our female killer and the male victim
• Another very effective technique used here is the use of red and blue filters on the cameras, which give a stylized appearance. I would like our opening to be quite stylized, maybe in a noir style, although this may not be entirely possible due to budgeting constraints



G4; Concept Development

Ideas

• Young female lead character, but going against horror convention in that she will be the villain/murderer/antagonist rather than the victim/protagonist
• Morning/day after she stabbed a male character (possibly ex-boyfriend?) to death and dumped his body
• Deserted rural area, with ditch, as a dumping ground for bodies- dual lines of action with the female character getting ready for work/school in the morning and the murder the previous day
• Fast cutting rate for flashbacks, slow cutting rate for house scene
• Radio playing, static drives the flashbacks (every time the radio crackles, cut to murder scene)
• Hints of a break up- in reality she is a cold blooded killer
• Photos of her with all the boys she killed hidden behind a makeup mirror, goes to put most recent photo behind the mirror and others fall out
• Face partially obscured by dark hair however we see her face in the photos she has behind the mirror

Reccie

• We are going to use an establishing shot of a lake, probably the one in Dunorlan Park, with CU shots taken in a ditch
• We will need to find a location for the shots inside the house, however this will probably be easier to find as we could use one of our houses

Props

• We are going to have photographs of the protagonist and various boys hidden behind and stuck onto a mirror on her wall, which we will take ourselves and print out
• The mirror may be quite dusty as we don't want to give too much away to the audience and a clear reflection of her face could give a lot away
• We are considering having various clues suggesting a breakup such as two toothbrushes in a bathroom, one of which will be thrown in a bin, and various products such as cologne which she may also throw away or smash, and clothes lying around
• As the protagonist is going to be getting ready to leave the house in the morning she will either wear normal day clothes or she could be in a dressing gown with a towel around her hair.
• We will also include props such as mascara, and she will be wearing typically feminine clothes such as a dress and heels which will be shown as muddy from the ditch

FK;Analysis of Shaun of the Dead (Wright, 2004) focusing on Genre and Institutional context.

Genre

• Shaun of the Dead belongs to the Horror-Comedy genre. While it is mainly comedy the focus of the film is a zombie apocalypse. With some scare factors and gore, the film does show conventions of horror.
• For those expecting a horror film, the opening sequence does challenge the expectations of horror. The opening focuses mainly on humour and the introduction of characters. Some hints that the film will revolve around zombies are given, for example Shaun’s yawn, and the zombie game that Ed is playing.
• The text does not conform to the characteristics of the genre as the atmosphere is not threatening and none of the mise-en-scene associated with the horror genre are apparent. Also there is not a female lead, which usually occurs in a horror.

Institutional context

• Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are an establish duo, who are known for their comedies. This is very important as many people will view the film in order to see them, as they are “bankable” stars.
• Working Title produced this film, under Universal Pictures. This makes the film an independent film, yet it still made a profit in box office figures, $3,330,781 on the opening weekend in USA.
• Interest in Shaun of the Dead came mainly from previews that allowed word of mouth to create hype over the film. The trailer became a hit on youtube, as many people were already interested in Pegg and Frost. Finally http://www.shaunofthedead.com/ created interest in the film as well.

G4; Evaluate Preliminary Task

What did you learn about editing? What did you do in post-production that was successful?

During editing we learnt that continuity is hard to achieve, and that cutting on action is the most important technique to remember. We learnt that shots that we thought would work while filming, do not necessary go together during editing, for example because of the different lighting. We also learnt how to put music and titles onto our film in Premier. We found that the part where Chloe goes through the door, was cut really well, and that our music suited our piece.

What tips would you therefore give yourself for the opening sequence production?

We would advice ourselves to shoot each scene at least twice so that we can get options over which shot to use. Also to make and stick to a story board, as this makes filming a lot easier. Finally we would advise ourselves to stick to a tight time scale to ensure we have time to re-shoot if we come across a problem during editing.

Feedback 1

Well done, this blog shows real commitment to the project and evidence of Level 4 research . To secure a 4 you need to:
1. use more still shots / images across all posts to visually communicate ideas
2. Florrie- missing analysis?
3. Reflect now on what you have specifically learnt from analysing film opening sequences and how this directly informs your concept development

G4; Reflections on 27/01/12

Outline Brief

• Use the 180 degree rule (keeping the camera always on the same side of the action)
• Show continuity editing through cutting on action, eyeline match etc
• Film two lines of dialogue
• Film a character going through a door

What did you learn about filming?

• We improved our skills using the cameras and tripods and learnt to use the editing software.
• We learnt to re-film each scene at least twice so you can choose the best one when you get to editing.
• We learnt that when filming a conversation, you should use an eyeline match to make it seem more realistic after it's been edited.

What were your strengths?

• I was very pleased with the way we edited together the shots where we ran through the door
• We all worked together and all found a different aspect of the production that we were best at
• The footsteps sound effect we found worked very well

What were your weaknesses?

• The lighting in one scene changed between shots.
• We could have made sure all of the footage we had filmed was suitable to use before we began editing.

CdL; Analysis of My Bloody Valentine 3D (Lussier, 2009)

With a focus on Media Audiences and Institutional Context

• The target audience for this film is the horror audience, 15-25 year old male viewers
• It is likely that this text will be read as reinforcing masculine ideologies as the protagonist is a typically "macho" American male character who works in a labour intensive job, and his exchange of dialogue with the other male character is aggressive
• It could also be seen to be reinforcing the stereotypical conventions of horror in terms of the use of a jagged, red and black font for the title and the shadows and low key lighting, and the use of sepia tinted newspapers to set up the back story of a suspicious death which forms the background of the narrative
• I feel that my reading of the text would be influenced by the fact I am a girl as this text would be specifically aimed at boys and therefore contains action and typically masculine elements which could make me biased against the characters if there are no strong or interesting female characters included
• My reading of the text is also influenced by the fact that I am a British viewer, while this is a typically American big budget horror film, and set in a mine which is an environment with which I am not familiar or expeienced, so it may not appeal to me

• The protagonist in this film is played by Jensen Ackles who is famous for starring in the CW drama Supernatural which has a wide and varied fan base including the typical horror audience, especially as Supernatural deals with elements of horror, mystery and gore. The fact that Ackles is a household name in America and has such a wide fan base would be beneficial to the film because he would attract his fans, especially female ones, to watch the film even if usually it might not be their favourite genre
• The film is made by Lionsgate, and is part of industrial rather than independent cinema
• The film opening uses zooms and fades on sepia tinted newspaper articles in a quite complicated arrangement of titles which is quite stylized and indicates that it is a high budget film made by an industrial cinema studio

RB: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Analysis

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Slade, 2010)

Representation and Ideology

•  In the opening to Eclipse, a progressive view of gender is represented as the female character in the opening is shown to have power and control over the male character.
• This opening shows the female character with power over the male character which gives a regressive view to the stereotypical view of men being in a position of authority over women. This view is given through the woman chasing and attacking the man who appears scared and is trying to run from her. The use of a female antagonist in films is used less than a male antagonist and female victim, so this ideological discourse changes the dominant values and beliefs of gender.
•  Although it is not a horror film, the rainy weather and night-time setting of the opening are characteristics of a typical horror film. As the protagonist is walking alone and given prevalence, the audience is positioned with him and positions the woman in the opening as the antagonist. As well as this, the woman is never fully shown properly or in detail in the opening which makes her seem less identifiable than the man. The rain and night-time setting of the film makes the protagonist’s position seem more dangerous and as the antagonist is obviously faster and stronger than the man it gives the impression that she has power over him.

Institutional Context

• ‘The Twilight Saga’ films are produced by Maverick Films, and American Production Company owned by Warner, an industrial film company.
• As Eclipse is the third instalment of a series of films, by the time of its release it had gathered a fan base who has responded well to the bankable actors starring in the films. As well as this, a traditional marketing campaign involving trailers and bus/billboard posters was used. The marketing campaign for all the films has been focused on the ‘Team Jacob vs. Team Edward’ aspect of the plot of the films which appeals to the target audience as well as the well known actors from the cast. As well as this, preview screenings of the film were held with interviews with the cast and crew and sneak peeks of the film were shown on TV shows, often with the cast as guests.
• The production values in the opening of the film do not reflect the institutional context. As it has a budget of $68 million, the opening seems quite simple with the use of handi-cam techniques and the only special effects were the sped up movement of the antagonist.

CdL; Analysis of Black Christmas (Clark, 1974)

With a focus on Film Language and Narrative

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtArI0rWDa8

• The mise-en-scene in this clip is vital in constructing the atmosphere and feeling of tension and the unknown, through the use of the location of a large dark house in an otherwise isolated area which is typical of the horror genre. The Christmas lights in the windows connote festivity and seasonal cheer which is at odds with the stark outline of the house, and the shadowy figure shown prowling outside. This allows the audience to guess that something bad is going to happen even if they don't know exactly what. The low key lighting adds to the spooky atmosphere.

• The use of a wide angle establishing shot allows the audience to appreciate the dark and imposing sight of the house which is typical of the genre. This is also a static shot which suggests peace and a sense of equilibrium which is a feature of a narrative arc and contrasts with the furtive movements of the dark figure of the antagonist.

• A panning shot around the outside of the house creates a sense of a hidden observer and the use of a handicam places the audience with that same hidden observer and creates a sense of disorientation for the audience
• The sound used is a faint rendition of a Christmas carol which furher adds to the seasonal tone along with the festive lights and the diagetic sound of a dog barking creates verisimilitude, and both contrast with the otherwise dark and quiet atmosphere
• The clip is unusual in that none of the characters are actually introduced in the opening, much less exchange any dialogue, aside from the back view of the antagonist, and this creates a sense of mystery and anonymity as the audience are left completely in the dark, so to speak. The NV-language of the antagonist is furtive and suggests that they are not supposed to be there

• The narrative is structured so that the audience are placed with the antagonist through the use of handicam shots of the windows, creating a sense of an observer who is spying on the figures we see moving about briefly inide the house through the window
• The fact that there are numerous shots of the outside of the house, and the windows, create a sense of alienation of the antagonist from those inside the house- his victims- while the use of a pan mimics the action of an animal circling and stalking prey, creating a sense of fear and the power, purposefulness and malicious intent of the antagonist
• The audience are invited to identify with the festivities in the clip although the film puts a twist on this by using it as a set up for a killer to go on the rampage
• Tension is created through the slow cutting rate, slow panning shots around the dark house and the low key lighting which casts mysterious shadows which reinforce the tension and sense of the unknown. The non-diagetic sounds of the dog barking also add to the tension as it is very quiet apart from this.

RB: Analysis of Final Destination 3

Final Destination 3 (Wong, 2006)

Genre

• Final Destination 3 is a supernatural horror film.
• The opening of the film is not conventionally horror, but it does have elements of horror films. For example, the sound of the slow, threatening music and screaming, that is fitting with both the fairground theme and the horror film.  Also the props and set design such as the death card and the word ‘die’ appearing on the camera screen gives the audience hints and clues as to what typically horror event might happen. The opening is in a stage of disequilibrium as the audience can feel that something will go wrong but the characters in the film are unaware. This fulfils the audience’s generic expectations to the extent that they can tell that something will happen, even if it is not obvious to the characters.

• The opening of Final Destination seems casual and playful as the target audience are at an appropriate age to relate to the characters that are having fun. This initially does not conform to the characteristics of the genre as it does not seem to lead to any generic conventions, but the use of music and the connotations of death through the props and visual techniques creates a dramatic irony as the audience can tell something will go wrong, but none of the characters (except the main woman) notice these signs. As the state of disequilibrium tells the audience that something will happen, overall the opening conforms to the characteristics of the genre, even if it initially treats it playfully and ironically.

Media Audiences

• Final Destination 3 targets the ‘horror audience’ of people (mainly male) between 15-24 years old. As well as this audience being attracted because of the genre of the film, the main characters are of a similar age to the audience which could make it seem more appealing to them.
• As the film is aimed at teenagers and young adults, the audience can relate to the characters and could see their personalities as realistic. This means that the audience are likely to empathise with the characters as they may be similar themselves (same age, similar group of friends,). Also, as Final Destination 3 is part of a series of films, each with similar storyline, the audience will know what sort of thing will happen in this film and this can affect how they feel about the set up for this film.
• Personally, I feel that as the setting in the opening of the film (friends of a similar out at a fairground) is not unrealistic as some horror films are, it makes the idea of the film seem more frightening. However, the film’s storyline is supernatural which makes the events seem unrealistic, but the down-to-earth starting event makes it seem more realistic to the audience at this point. I think that age, gender and background can influence the audience reading to the extent that audience members can see similarities between themselves and the characters, but the supernatural plotline means that it seems unrealistic and the audience members are unable to relate to the film from that point.

G4: Storyboard for the Preliminary -

CdL; Reflections on 24/01/12 (Preliminary Task) and Lesson Outline

• Completed "driving test" for equipment
• Discussed storyline for preliminary task
• Story boarded the shots for our preliminary task
• Planned dialogue
• Discussed sound effects and music to be used in preliminary task
• Started filming some of the shots with at least two takes per shot, including dialogue, cutting on action and a swish pan

RB: Preliminary Task Lesson 1

In the first lesson working on the preliminary task, I learnt:

• To set up and how to film using the cameras and play back what I have filmed.
• To set up the tripods and adjust depending on the position, angle or movement I want the camera to be able to do while filming.
• How to take care of the camera and equipment when I am using it.
• How to film different types of shots using the tripod (handi-cam, panning, pedding).

RB: Analysis of What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath (Zemeckis, 2000)

Film Language

• In What Lies Beneath, mise-en-scene reflects themes of death which are relevant to the rest of the plot. An example of this is when the character is in the bath in the opening of the film; she bursts out the surface gasping for air. As she was under the surface before, it connotes drowning which provides an insight for the audience of what may happen later in the film. As well as props being used as connotations for death, non-verbal language is also used, for example, when the husband puts his arm around the wife’s neck, it looks as though he could be about to strangle her.

• At several points in the opening of the film, the camera placement puts the audience in the position of woman in the film. This is done by the camera showing her reflection in the mirror and an over-the-shoulder shot when to show what she sees out of the window. This also gives the impression that the character is being watched. The main couple watch their neighbours, who are shown from a high angle shot, arguing and fighting. As they are shown and can be heard from a distance, it remains in the audience’s mind as they watch the main characters.

 

• From this opening sequence, the characters' non-verbal language tells the audience about their characters. This is used to show the contrast in the relationship between the two couples, for example the main couple are shown affectionately with their arms around each other, but the other couple are shown shouting at one another.

• However, when the husband of the first couple puts his arm around his wife, his arm appears sinister when it is first seen, and this makes him seem like an antagonist. This point is reinforced by the character’s costume as the wives in both couples are wearing white and the husbands are wearing black or a darker colour which could show a contrast between good and evil as the lighter colours the women are wearing connote innocence and make them seem nicer people than their husbands. As well as the non-verbal language, dialogue is also used to tell the audience about the characters. An example of this is when the main couple are watching the other couple talking. They say things about them like ‘When did they move in?’ and ‘What’s their name?’ This creates a mystery around the couple as the audience become aware that they don’t know much about them.
• Other visual techniques used in this opening also add to the audience’s expectations for what might happen in the film and what themes may continue throughout the film. For example, during the opening credits, the camera moves through water with the title moving in a similar way to reflect this. After the titles, the face of a corpse is seen in the water which quickly changes to the face of the protagonist. The director has chosen to use this editing technique to show the audience what could happen later in the film.

 

Narrative

• The narrative in the opening of the film simply follows the main character as she gets ready in the morning. The one difference is at the start when a body is shown in water which then cuts to the character in the bath. This seems to have been a dream this character is having although it is not clear.
• Throughout much of the narrative, the audience is positioned with the protagonist. This is done through camera shots in the mirror and out of the window she is looking and she is given prevalence in the narrative above the other characters.
• In the opening, the characters are split between the two couples. Although they don’t meet, the arguing couple placed behind a window places the audience with the main characters and the two couples seem cut off from one another. As well as this, the positioning of the main couple (with their arms around each other) make them seem more identifiable than the couple arguing outside.
• As well as the few connotations of death in the opening of the film, themes in the narrative also suggest the simple, happy lifestyle of the main characters. This allows the audience to assume that this will change in the rest of the film. The connotations of death and the dangerous experiences, such as the main character almost electrocuting herself also give clues to what else might happen in the narrative later in the film.
• Tension is created by the use of very quiet music which builds up throughout the title sequence with the dark colours and slow camera movement. This makes the audience aware of the sudden loud noise after the titles. Only diagetic sound is used for the rest of the opening so the silence in the scenes with no dialogue maintain the suspense and make the audience believe that it is building up to something.