Monday 31 January 2011
Sunday 30 January 2011
Saturday 29 January 2011
Comparisons of Opening Name Titles
I have created a table to show the sequence of titles in the opening of a film so that we are able to create the opening of our titles to look as realistic and accurate as possible. From the table, the name in red is highlighted as the directors and in most films, this is the last name that appears before the main plot of the film begins. The only film I have found which has deviated from this is Kill Bill, where because of the credibility of the Director (Quentin Tarantino), his name is sequenced earlier in the titles showing it is his '4th film'. The title name is one of the most variating, as it can be used in different places to create a certain effect such as showing the cast first to show the famous names or to create irony in showing the name last in such films as 'Snatch'. Other names like the director of photography and producers seem to appear in the same or a very similar order so our group can learn to use the correct sequence of titles whilst also creating an order which will benefit our target audience. For example, our titles will be over actual filming like in '13 Going on 30' because this is aimed at a younger audience, so to maintain their attention the film titles cannot be placed on its own in the centre of a shot but must be to the side whilst the plot is being revealed.
The order which appears to be the most common title sequence and therefore what we will aim to produce is:
1. Distribution
2. Production Studio(s)
3. A...[usually director's company]...Production
4. Cast
5. Casting by
6. Music by
7. Co-producer
8. Costume Designer
9. Editor(s)
10. Production Designer
11. Director of Photography
12. Executive Producer
13. Produced by
14. Screenplay
15. Directed by
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Film Certificates Research
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is an independent organisation which has classified cinema films since set up in 1912. The BBFC's vision statement is that through their efficient classification of the 'moving image' into advisory and age-related categories they are able to serve a socially useful function. They provide the public with information that enables us to make appropriate viewing decisions for ourselves and for others in our care. The BBFC believe that they are able to "protect vulnerable viewers and society from the effects of viewing potentially harmful or unsuitable content while respecting adult freedom of choice." Media industries also benefit the BBFC's work with the reliable and cost-effective regulation in protecting such industries from deviating from the UK law.
Their categories for certifications are as followed:
The 'U' literally means 'Universal' so this indicates that the film is suitable for all audiences. However the BBFC believe that a 'U' film should be suitable for audiences 4 years and over and that they should be focused within a 'positive moral framework' and there should be a reassuring counterbalance to any violence, threat or horror.
A certificate 'PG' means 'parental guidance' and so it is appropriate for general viewing but some scenes are warned to be unsuitable for young children however unaccompanied children of any age may watch the film. They state that a 'PG' film should not disturb a child around 8 years or older but parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger of more sensitive children.
The same criteria is used to classify a 12 and a 12a film. This certificate is given for material that is generally suitable for those over the age of 12 and those under 12 years may find material upsetting or which parents may deem unsuitable for them. A 12a is only used for films at the cinema where children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult and therefore the responsibility lies within the adult to judge is the material is suitable to be viewed by a child younger than 12.
This certificate indicates that the film is only suitable for audiences who are 15 years and over. Also this means no-one younger than 15 may view the film in a cinema.
A certificate 18 is stated by the BBFC to only be suitable for adults and so only audiences of 18 or above are allowed to view these in the cinema or purchase/rent them.
This certificate is a special and legally restricted one for explicit material of sex or strong fetish material. These films may only be shown in specifically licensed cinemas or licensed sex shops.
Therefore, from researching into the BBFC, my group and I must have a clear target audience in mind when creating our opening so that the guidelines of the BBFC are met so that we can represent the appropriate material for our targeted demographic.
(source taken from BBFC website)
Analysis of Hitch
The establishing shot is a close up of a women lying in bed and a voice over begins. This scene quickly changes to focus on another woman at work talking to a man and then as she looks away the man appears desperate in continuing to look at her whilst the main character's name (Will Smith) is shown in a small font at the side of the shot. The scene changes again to a lady walking down a street and there is a cut away shot which the camera lingers on, of a man clearly trying to impress her. As the voice over says "or" discussing the various scenarios, there is a long shot to establish the scene of a stage and a point of view shot of a woman dressed in Shakespearian clothing. There is then a cut to a male character as the camera zooms towards him with an eye line match of him starring at the women. The shot quickly cuts again to a close up of a a women getting her 'mail' whilst holding a small dog and as she walks out of the shot, the by-stander in the background suddenly turns towards the camera and speaks directly to the audience.
There is then a cut away shot from the master shot of him speaking as we see the female enter the lift. The camera then returns to the master shot of a close up of Will Smith who continues to speak to the camera whilst there is a cut in of him lifting a puppy out of his bag which is very ambiguous to an audience. There is a cut to one of the earlier scenes where they are in a sweet shop as the working lady walks by and the man stares at her longingly which cuts in to a close up of his expression. The scene then changes again to a yoga class where the man who was trying to gain the lady's attention earlier appears to be continually doing this to the woman's confusion. As the camera goes back to seeing Will Smith placing the dog on the floor, the ambient sound of the lift door closing shows the dog of the lady running out of the lift to see the other dog as the woman shout after it. The woman is then shot in the lift trying to stop the lift. Parelell edited with this is Will Smith walking out of the building with the woman's dog and his importance is shown through the composure of the frame being in the middle third and walking with clear confidence as well as the mise-en-scene of his costume of a dark suit conveying wealth and power. He then walks out of the shot as he passes the dog to another man who we identify with seeing before in the Shakespearian scene and then there is a medium shot of Will Smith walking away as if a mysterious figure whilst the other man appears to be setting up a fabricated scene as he instruct a cab to move near to him. Then another shot is juxtaposed with this of Will Smith in a different suit and he shakes has with another man in an everyday street scene in New York. Then there is a cut to another situation where he is shaking hands with someone else who we assume to be his client from the words in the voiceover: "that's where I come in". The camera goes back to the 'lost dog' scene as it pans from a high angle to a low angle shot as the woman runs forwards in shock. There is then a shot of the man getting up off of the road holding the woman's dog and the audience is able to understand that the scene was pretend and created to allow the man to have a chance with the woman by 'saving' her dog.
This opening is quite effect as it has a voiceover which is a common convention of rom-coms. Additionally by using a well known character such as Will Smith the film gains credibility and instantly a comic aspect due to the association with other films he has starred in. By him speaking directly to the camera the verisimilitude is disrupted however we gain an understanding of the type of film which is about him having clients which he helps to 'get the girl'. This opening also deviates from some aspects of rom-coms as it creates a sense of mystery as we are not shown the full picture until the end, and so this is an effective aspects to attract viewers.
There is then a cut away shot from the master shot of him speaking as we see the female enter the lift. The camera then returns to the master shot of a close up of Will Smith who continues to speak to the camera whilst there is a cut in of him lifting a puppy out of his bag which is very ambiguous to an audience. There is a cut to one of the earlier scenes where they are in a sweet shop as the working lady walks by and the man stares at her longingly which cuts in to a close up of his expression. The scene then changes again to a yoga class where the man who was trying to gain the lady's attention earlier appears to be continually doing this to the woman's confusion. As the camera goes back to seeing Will Smith placing the dog on the floor, the ambient sound of the lift door closing shows the dog of the lady running out of the lift to see the other dog as the woman shout after it. The woman is then shot in the lift trying to stop the lift. Parelell edited with this is Will Smith walking out of the building with the woman's dog and his importance is shown through the composure of the frame being in the middle third and walking with clear confidence as well as the mise-en-scene of his costume of a dark suit conveying wealth and power. He then walks out of the shot as he passes the dog to another man who we identify with seeing before in the Shakespearian scene and then there is a medium shot of Will Smith walking away as if a mysterious figure whilst the other man appears to be setting up a fabricated scene as he instruct a cab to move near to him. Then another shot is juxtaposed with this of Will Smith in a different suit and he shakes has with another man in an everyday street scene in New York. Then there is a cut to another situation where he is shaking hands with someone else who we assume to be his client from the words in the voiceover: "that's where I come in". The camera goes back to the 'lost dog' scene as it pans from a high angle to a low angle shot as the woman runs forwards in shock. There is then a shot of the man getting up off of the road holding the woman's dog and the audience is able to understand that the scene was pretend and created to allow the man to have a chance with the woman by 'saving' her dog.
This opening is quite effect as it has a voiceover which is a common convention of rom-coms. Additionally by using a well known character such as Will Smith the film gains credibility and instantly a comic aspect due to the association with other films he has starred in. By him speaking directly to the camera the verisimilitude is disrupted however we gain an understanding of the type of film which is about him having clients which he helps to 'get the girl'. This opening also deviates from some aspects of rom-coms as it creates a sense of mystery as we are not shown the full picture until the end, and so this is an effective aspects to attract viewers.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Analysis of She's The Man
The opening to the film begins with sudden vibrant and slightly rebellious music, suggesting an adolescent target audience. The studios' names are shown firstly on a patterned background that has a modern aspect as it continues to move and does this at a quick pace. The other company names are shown and the edited unique pattern is added on in layers creating the sense of a typical fun rom-com. As the drum in the music sounds, the image has been edited on the beat to appear like an eruption, revealing the establishing shot behind this. The shot is of a man on a what appears to be a water jet ski as there are jump cuts showing him doing tricks in the water as flashes of the red/orange colour seen previously flashes. The background then changes again to the unique style from before, however in this shot is a female character who is also viewed in jump cuts running with a football and finally her name appears- identifying her as the main character.
The editing shows an outlined version of the next shot and then dissolves to see the true picture behind it which creates a smooth transition from the titles to actual footage. There is then one of the first very long shots which gives the audience an insight into the location, which is clearly on a beach with the mise-en-scene of umbrellas, sunbeds and beach balls. There are quick cuts back to the orange colour-schemed with continued flashes which are never of a still picture. This disrupts the verisimilitude of the shots which may be to surprise the audience in trying to maintain their attention because they are a younger demographic. There is a low angle shot as the football falls from the clear, blue sky and so the audience is able to identify that the film is about 'soccer', however as the ball falls the main female character runs with the ball in the rugged background appearance and the title name is shown suggesting the film to be about female empowerment. There are continual jump cuts of people playing football as other names are shown over a coloured shape. The camera mainly follows the main female character who is represented in a feminine way by wearing a bikini top and small shorts, however she appears to go against the stereotype of a typical girl as she wears her hair up which may suggest her practicality and she has a sweat band which depicts her more sporty side (as well as the fact that she is playing football). Jump cuts are used with tilted frame angles to convey the fun and gives as sense of showing the images like a scrapbook. As the music reaches its climax the girl scores a goal, and the shots fluctuate from different angles of her running with the ball. There are many girls in one shot where they are celebrating the goal however there is a reaction shot of a group of males around the same age, laughing and clearly mocking the girls playing football. Many more shots are shown with the editing of the background adapting around them and there is a shot of the main female character kissing what we can assume to be her boyfriend- therefore the editing may be to single out characters framing them to show importance with the shot freezing for a short time. As the representation of the opening is formed the audience is slightly wider than other rom-coms I have analysed. This is because even though we can identify the main character to be a girl and from the title, the subject appears to be about football and so more sporty girls may find the film appealing as well as some males (also shown by using mainly gender neutral colours). The comedy is shown through the fun competition between the people playing football and how as the girl scores another goal the males take a stance of them appearing to be bowing to her, suggesting the comic aspects. The very fast editing continually makes the eyes aware and have to quickly focus to keep up with the opening which also lures consumers in. Towards the end of the sequence the music repeats the same line as the shots quicken as the camera tracks the players moving with the ball and then there is a very long shot of the female character kicking the ball towards a lifeguard ring which frames the shot and then the final shot with the director's name is of the male character catching the football.
The editing shows an outlined version of the next shot and then dissolves to see the true picture behind it which creates a smooth transition from the titles to actual footage. There is then one of the first very long shots which gives the audience an insight into the location, which is clearly on a beach with the mise-en-scene of umbrellas, sunbeds and beach balls. There are quick cuts back to the orange colour-schemed with continued flashes which are never of a still picture. This disrupts the verisimilitude of the shots which may be to surprise the audience in trying to maintain their attention because they are a younger demographic. There is a low angle shot as the football falls from the clear, blue sky and so the audience is able to identify that the film is about 'soccer', however as the ball falls the main female character runs with the ball in the rugged background appearance and the title name is shown suggesting the film to be about female empowerment. There are continual jump cuts of people playing football as other names are shown over a coloured shape. The camera mainly follows the main female character who is represented in a feminine way by wearing a bikini top and small shorts, however she appears to go against the stereotype of a typical girl as she wears her hair up which may suggest her practicality and she has a sweat band which depicts her more sporty side (as well as the fact that she is playing football). Jump cuts are used with tilted frame angles to convey the fun and gives as sense of showing the images like a scrapbook. As the music reaches its climax the girl scores a goal, and the shots fluctuate from different angles of her running with the ball. There are many girls in one shot where they are celebrating the goal however there is a reaction shot of a group of males around the same age, laughing and clearly mocking the girls playing football. Many more shots are shown with the editing of the background adapting around them and there is a shot of the main female character kissing what we can assume to be her boyfriend- therefore the editing may be to single out characters framing them to show importance with the shot freezing for a short time. As the representation of the opening is formed the audience is slightly wider than other rom-coms I have analysed. This is because even though we can identify the main character to be a girl and from the title, the subject appears to be about football and so more sporty girls may find the film appealing as well as some males (also shown by using mainly gender neutral colours). The comedy is shown through the fun competition between the people playing football and how as the girl scores another goal the males take a stance of them appearing to be bowing to her, suggesting the comic aspects. The very fast editing continually makes the eyes aware and have to quickly focus to keep up with the opening which also lures consumers in. Towards the end of the sequence the music repeats the same line as the shots quicken as the camera tracks the players moving with the ball and then there is a very long shot of the female character kicking the ball towards a lifeguard ring which frames the shot and then the final shot with the director's name is of the male character catching the football.
Monday 24 January 2011
Analysis of 13 going on 30
The opening begins with upbeat music with the title names on a blue moving background which almost looks like glitter and the names are written in pink so we immediately presume the film to be a rom-com. The glittered background then dissolves to an image of the sky with white clouds connoting ambition however there is a sound of someone saying "move it" and a teenage girl walks reluctantly into the shot. The camera pans out showing the audience the sky they saw was really just a background for school photographs. The mise-en-scene of the girl is that she is quite shy and probably classed as a 'geek' from the stereotypical braces. The camera pans out even further as a man positions reassures the girl who we can assume to be the main character and he walks to the camera supporting the fact that the scene is of the school photos - additionally with a queue of other children waiting for their photo. The upbeat music is still present however it is very quiet as the dialogue is being said. There are quick cuts from the photographer to the girl as she becomes irritated that he uses the wrong name and then there is a quick flash then the photo is shown of the girl's picture being in the middle of her talking, rather than smiling. The same music becomes more apparent as the shot cuts to the original background of blurred blue sparkles and the title of the film is shown. As the next scene is shown of the girl in the corridor of her school, the name titles are composed towards the sides of the shots. This may be because the target audience of teenagers may not value the title names as much as an adult and so there is moving images with the names to maintain the demographic's interest. We are then introduced to the character of the best friend who appears, like 'Jena' to be a 'geek'. There is then a slight disruption in the music as there is a short sound of a symbol of a drum and there is a long shot of a group of girls who appear to be the 'popular' group as people walking through the corridor dramatically move to the sides to elude them. The 'head girl' of the group then manipulates 'Jena' to do her homework connoting her to be the antagonist whilst the main character appears blind to this as she wants to be popular. The scene changes as Jena walks home with 'Beaver' her best friend and some audiences may be able to predict that the romance in the story is between her and who she sees as her best friend. The opening then finishes as the directors name appears in between the two adjacent houses which the girl and then the boy had entered. This may be connoting or even creating an underlined foreboding of the separation which the two friends will experience.
This opening is particularly effective in showing how it is catered to appeal to it's target audience of teenagers by keeping their attention span, having the titles over the moving narrative rather than centred in a plain shot. It also shows the typical conventions of being set in a high school and that the girl aspires to be 'popular'.
This opening is particularly effective in showing how it is catered to appeal to it's target audience of teenagers by keeping their attention span, having the titles over the moving narrative rather than centred in a plain shot. It also shows the typical conventions of being set in a high school and that the girl aspires to be 'popular'.
Analysis of Scott Pilgrim VS the World
There is a beginning scene which sets the atmosphere and immediately tries to appeal to it's target audience of around older teenagers 15-24 (the most popular audience) before any titles appear. The genre is established as an indie rom-com because it does not show the conventions of typical rom-coms such as a film like The Princesses Diaries. The main character, Scott, is comical and also well known which encourages a larger audience and his humorous action such as offering to take his girlfriend's coat and then dropping it onto the floor, creates an appeal to a comic audience. Many of the shots are mid angle, only showing the upper body of character's suggesting a more rom-com style. However the camera appears to never stay stationary for very long as it pans to different character's remarks. The mise-en-scene of the room deviates from conventional rom-coms and so is another indication towards a more indie film as the room is quite 'grubby' such as the light bulb hanging in the centre of the room, the lack of furniture and the brown colour scheme. As the band begin to play there are many cut ins to the character's playing their instruments and the opening also appears to act almost like a music video with such aspects as editing on the beat. The camera cuts to reaction shots of the two character's watching and then back to extreme close-ups of the playing. The opening particularly has many post-modern aspects as it has been edited to show lightening bolts appearing to connote the volume of sound and to emphasise the instruments. This post-modernism is also shown when a type of profile appears as a new character is introduced which informs the audience but also gives an indication of the disruption of realism in the apparent hyper-reality that has been created; also shown when the door bell rings and the words 'ding dong' appear next to the main character involved.
There are many dramatic camera shots which makes the pace of the sequences actually appear faster, representing the film's naïvety of characters and how it is aimed to be unconventional in a typical Hollywood feature. The band play their 'indie' music which appeals to an older teenage demographic and deviates from the usual pop music in rom-coms. The post modern aspect also continues as the camera dramatically zooms out and the establishing size of the room is changed, as it appears much longer and we see some titles appear as it zooms out. The camera then finally goes behind the sofa and the rule of thirds is applied as the figure of the girl is in the first third, then the band is shown in the centre and the other character is shown in the final third. This is still argued to be post-modern as the first appearance of the size of the room is shown to be incorrect and then the title is shown and the audience are aware of the hyper-reality as the two characters observing act as if they are with the audience.
The camera then pans down and whilst the band music is still playing the remaining titles appear with very vibrant images which cut very quickly creating a fast pace to maintain the teenage audience's attention. The shots mainly connote the indie genre with the music with more random images and patterns. The opening then ends with the character's finishing their song and the camera is placed behind the band, looking towards the two watching on the sofa as if waiting for approval. Throughout the scene the girlfriend has a blank but also shocked expression, leaving the audience unknown to the fact if she likes the band or not. As the girl finally speaks at the end after the fast paced shots there is a jump shot as she gives her final verdict that they are 'amazing' with a zoom to a close up of her face.
This opening is very effective, unique and certainly appeals to a specific/more niche audience. The genre is established through the dramatic camera shots, the post-modern editing and the 'grubby' mise-en-scene. However I think that the music was one of the most effective factors of the opening which would have the biggest effect on the audience's wanting to view the remainder of the film. Therefore this is able to help us when creating our own ideas of to consider the vital impact which the music has on the overall representation of the opening to the film.
Saturday 22 January 2011
Analysis of Kill Bill
The beginning of Kill Bill has many of the opening name titles on a black screen and then the diegetic sound becomes louder of a person heavily breathing. The establishing shot of the famous actress Uma Therman is a close up and she is presented in distress as she has cuts and blood on her face, clearly suggesting she has been 'beaten up'. Therefore the sound bridge of having the sound before the shot draws the audience and then we are able to understand the sound to be associated with the character bound on the floor. The shots are in greyscale and there is a strong contrast of black and white lighting in the frame which extenuates her innocence. However this image is also distorted because even though it is a close-up, which creates an enigma for the audience, the mise-en-scene of the shot shows the female character wearing a white veil and so there is a conflict between the white bride suggesting purity and innocence and her distressing situation of violence.
An uneasy atmosphere is created which echoes onto the audience in their confusion as the establishing shot is like a cut in and effect shot where we want to see the cause. Her eyes turn as the sound of loud sonorous footsteps becomes apparent and even though we are unsure of the character, the fear conveyed by the 'bride' creates a foreboding. Then there is close-up of ‘Bill’s’ black shoes with heels connoting power and his wealth. The lighting is very low key and Tarantino portrays aspects of a film noir genre. The female character portrays her fear the man approaches and he puts his foot into the very corner of the shot, conveying his superiority and he begins to speak in a low confident tone.
We take an immediate disliking to the darkly humoured male character who exposes his ambiguous motives as he uses his customised handkerchief, with the name ‘Bill’, suggesting his wealth, as he wipes some of the blood off the actress but we can assume him to be the culprit of her pain. Even though we cannot see 'Bill', the woman's expressions give us an insight into her feelings upon his actions. For example her eyes wider and appear even more fearful creating panic within the audience but the ambient sounds of the man loading a gun also support our panic. Her courage is conveyed as she confronts 'Bill' showing he may not have complete power and she says "Bill it’s your baby”. Their relationship is then established however this also gives more tragedy to the scene as we are aware that she is pregnant. The gun is fired very quickly after this, as blood is splattered on the floor and then there is a quick cut suggesting the audience to see no more than the character that we can assume to be dead. After this scene music is played with the related lyrics 'bang bang... you shot me down’ suggest a slightly ironic aspect which can also be seen as comical. The music is fairly unique suggesting a more indie genre but it also has a poignant tone too. The remaining titles are shown on a black screen finish on a side shot of a greyscale silhouette which we assume to be the dead bride and the lighting is shown as quite important as there is white lighting which enters diagonally.
An uneasy atmosphere is created which echoes onto the audience in their confusion as the establishing shot is like a cut in and effect shot where we want to see the cause. Her eyes turn as the sound of loud sonorous footsteps becomes apparent and even though we are unsure of the character, the fear conveyed by the 'bride' creates a foreboding. Then there is close-up of ‘Bill’s’ black shoes with heels connoting power and his wealth. The lighting is very low key and Tarantino portrays aspects of a film noir genre. The female character portrays her fear the man approaches and he puts his foot into the very corner of the shot, conveying his superiority and he begins to speak in a low confident tone.
We take an immediate disliking to the darkly humoured male character who exposes his ambiguous motives as he uses his customised handkerchief, with the name ‘Bill’, suggesting his wealth, as he wipes some of the blood off the actress but we can assume him to be the culprit of her pain. Even though we cannot see 'Bill', the woman's expressions give us an insight into her feelings upon his actions. For example her eyes wider and appear even more fearful creating panic within the audience but the ambient sounds of the man loading a gun also support our panic. Her courage is conveyed as she confronts 'Bill' showing he may not have complete power and she says "Bill it’s your baby”. Their relationship is then established however this also gives more tragedy to the scene as we are aware that she is pregnant. The gun is fired very quickly after this, as blood is splattered on the floor and then there is a quick cut suggesting the audience to see no more than the character that we can assume to be dead. After this scene music is played with the related lyrics 'bang bang... you shot me down’ suggest a slightly ironic aspect which can also be seen as comical. The music is fairly unique suggesting a more indie genre but it also has a poignant tone too. The remaining titles are shown on a black screen finish on a side shot of a greyscale silhouette which we assume to be the dead bride and the lighting is shown as quite important as there is white lighting which enters diagonally.
Friday 21 January 2011
Thursday 20 January 2011
Opening Name Title Definitions
Casting by...
The process of hiring actors to play the characters in a script which may also have some input from the director, producer, or studio.
Music by...
Someone who adapts musical compositions for voices, instruments and how they are performed.
Costume Designer...
Person responsible for designing the costumes for a film.
Editor...
Performs the actual 'piecing together' of the film with the director and also does visual editing such as CGI.
Production Designer...
Responsible for designing the overall visual appearance of a film.
Director of Photography...
The chief cinematographer who knows how to capture images either through visual recording devices and lenses or the arrangement of lighting and shot composition.
Co-producer...
A producer who is involved in the creative producing, or who is primarily responsible for management producing functions. The co-producer has less responsibility than a producer for the completion of a project.
Co-executive producers...
Second in seniority to the executive producer.
Executive producers...
A producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the actual film making, but who is responsible for the literal production. They also typically handle business and legal issues.
Produced by...
The 'chief of staff' of a film production apart from the creative aspects of the director. A Producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors.
Screenplay... & Based on story by...
The person who has written the script to be produced as a film and what the film was originally based on.
Directed by...
The director is usually (but not always) the driving artistic source behind the filming process, and communicates to actors the way that they would like a particular scene played. A director's job might also include casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and editing. Typically, a director has complete artistic control over all aspects of the film.
(Source taken from http://www.imdb.com/)
The process of hiring actors to play the characters in a script which may also have some input from the director, producer, or studio.
Music by...
Someone who adapts musical compositions for voices, instruments and how they are performed.
Costume Designer...
Person responsible for designing the costumes for a film.
Editor...
Performs the actual 'piecing together' of the film with the director and also does visual editing such as CGI.
Production Designer...
Responsible for designing the overall visual appearance of a film.
Director of Photography...
The chief cinematographer who knows how to capture images either through visual recording devices and lenses or the arrangement of lighting and shot composition.
Co-producer...
A producer who is involved in the creative producing, or who is primarily responsible for management producing functions. The co-producer has less responsibility than a producer for the completion of a project.
Co-executive producers...
Second in seniority to the executive producer.
Executive producers...
A producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the actual film making, but who is responsible for the literal production. They also typically handle business and legal issues.
Produced by...
The 'chief of staff' of a film production apart from the creative aspects of the director. A Producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors.
Screenplay... & Based on story by...
The person who has written the script to be produced as a film and what the film was originally based on.
Directed by...
The director is usually (but not always) the driving artistic source behind the filming process, and communicates to actors the way that they would like a particular scene played. A director's job might also include casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and editing. Typically, a director has complete artistic control over all aspects of the film.
(Source taken from http://www.imdb.com/)
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Analysis of Memento Opening
Memento (2000) is directed by Chris Nolan whose other works include Inception and The Dark Knight. The main plot is of a man suffering from memory loss who is hunting for the man who killed his wife.The film begins, after the titles of the distribution and production companies, with the words MEMENTO in a serif blue font with a black background. The music is the main indicator to the audience of the genre being a more tense thriller with the loud, dramatic strings creating an apprehensive atmosphere. The shot fades into an extreme close-up of a hand holding a polaroid photograph. The names titles change over the frame and the actual photo appears to be of a corpse with a large amount of red blood around it. As the unidentified character then shakes the polaroid photo as the names continue to show in the centre of the frame the photo appears to be fading. The long title sequence creates tension as the poignant music and disturbing picture gives the audience a sense of foreboding. This continues as the names finally end with the director's name last and the camera pans to follow the movement of the hand still keeping the audience unaware of the full understanding of what is happening. As the camera finally pans up to the character's face we feel a sense of confusion as the photograph is placed back in the polaroid camera and then the flash appears. The mise-en-scene of the male character is that he is wearing a suit and is very precise as there is two cut-ins of seeing him put items in his suit. What confuses the audience even more is that there is a close up of blood on a wall except for that it is running upwards. There is then a close-up of a bullet and some glasses and the actual lengths of the shots are very long which draws in the audience. The quiet eerie music sustains the prolonged tension and as there is a mid angle shot of the main character looking down at the dead body, the audience becomes aware of the shots being played in reverse as the gun flies up into the man's hand and then there is an extreme close-up of the bullet going back into the gun. Then the gun is finally fired by the man however then the shouting of the other man on the floor is heard.
This opening to a thriller film is quite effective as many of the close-ups never reveal the whole scenario to the audience which draws them in to try and piece together what the plot is about. Particularly in this film, the opening creates an idea of what the plot is basically about as the confusion of events echoes the idea of the protagonist having amnesia and how he has to piece together his own memory. The aspect I found interesting was how the enigma was created as it was unclear that the sequence of shots were being played backwards until the very end and even though a long opening the tension increased with this for the audience to gain an understanding of the film.
Monday 17 January 2011
Saturday 15 January 2011
Planning Schedule
1. Research into genres of films
2. Choose a genre (rom-coms) and conduct specific research into these types of films e.g. conventions
3. Research into the BBFC certificate rating
4. Look at the sequence of opening name titles
5. Audience research - questionnaires (looking at demographics) and then go conduct interviews to our target audience after we have our initial ideas
6. Generate ideas for our opening
7. Look at music e.g. local bands
8. Choose our developed idea for our opening and storyboard with a digital storyboard
9. Casting find a characters to fit our idea
10. Find appropriate locations for filming
11. Camera experiments - e.g costume and make-up, lighting, camera shots, photo shoot. Then after these experiments analyse findings
12.Plan for filming - film schedule looking a weather etc.
13.Film
14.Editing
15.Evaluation
2. Choose a genre (rom-coms) and conduct specific research into these types of films e.g. conventions
3. Research into the BBFC certificate rating
4. Look at the sequence of opening name titles
5. Audience research - questionnaires (looking at demographics) and then go conduct interviews to our target audience after we have our initial ideas
6. Generate ideas for our opening
7. Look at music e.g. local bands
8. Choose our developed idea for our opening and storyboard with a digital storyboard
9. Casting find a characters to fit our idea
10. Find appropriate locations for filming
11. Camera experiments - e.g costume and make-up, lighting, camera shots, photo shoot. Then after these experiments analyse findings
12.Plan for filming - film schedule looking a weather etc.
13.Film
14.Editing
15.Evaluation
Thursday 13 January 2011
Production Task
Our task is to produce a film piece for the titles and opening of a new fiction film to last a maximum of of 2 minutes.
The production is out of 100 Marks:
20 marks - for presentation, planning & research
60 marks - construction
20 marks - evaluation
The production is out of 100 Marks:
20 marks - for presentation, planning & research
60 marks - construction
20 marks - evaluation
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