Independent study towards targets

                                              One of my target I set was to make sure the editing of my opening sequence was of a high standard therefore to ensure this is I did some research and found this video most useful. It gave me 5 tips which I need to take into account when editing for instance the first tip being consider pace and tempo this is crucial as creating a thriller the tempo needs to help build up tension and not be too fast so it misses out important information the audience requires to understand what is going on.

Treatment of Opening Sequence

The chosen log line is a mystery call leaves everyone unnerved, whilst the town start to realize what secrets are being hidden. 
From this i already feel that its sense of mystery needs to be transferred into the opening sequence therefore at the start of the opening sequence it will begin with an establishing shot of a darkened street with only the lightening of the street lamps showing, the houses will then be slowly showed by a pan shot in which simultaneously low volume tense music will start to build up. It will then cut to a black screen in which it will hold for 15 seconds as the name of the production company appears. 

From this there is then a telephone ringing continuously the volume gradually gets louder and louder again whilst this is happening credits will start to appear flickering on and off. Starting with the top billing actors in order of appearance and then going on to the editors and directors etc. Everything will then go silent, by alternating the volume of the music and its presence is building up this mystery and intrigues the audience. The silence will be quickly followed by an extreme close up of a phone then zoom out in to a long shot of the protagonist picking up the phone. A short dialogue with the main character and the mysterious phone caller. Only the main character will be shown by a close up so the caller remains anonymous. Meaning we already get an introduction to the characters involved.The dialogue involves the anonymous caller heavy breathing and then revealing an event which is going to happen leaving a terrified look on the protagonists face shown by a close up. A scream is then heard.

After the dialogue the anonymous caller hangs up leaving the hang up tone and again cutting back to a black screen this is where the rest of the credits will flicker on and off. The title of the film will the appear the hang up tone will then fade out.

Logline ideas for my opening sequence

• A mystery call leaves everyone unnerved, whilst the town start to realize what secrets are being hidden
• An ageing man confronts a mysterious girl from his past who reappears after years of keeping quiet however will what she has to stay ruin everything.
• When a stranger arrives in town things start to go wrong, its up a local teenager to stop them before its too late.

My favourite log line from the ones i have designed is 'A mystery call leaves everyone unnerved, whilst the town start to realize what secrets are being hidden'  this would work as my opening sequence as already it starts to demonstrate a sense of mystery which fits in with genre of my opening sequence which is to be thriller.This sense of mystery can be transferred on to my opening sequence by using quick shots and obtrusive editing which helps create this suspense and tension. As its quite a vague log line it will enable me to experiment more with my opening sequence and not have to stick to a specific specification meaning its more easier to produce. The other log lines i feel will be quite difficult to create in to an opening sequence for example i may not be able to gain access to the location in which it requires to be set.

Targets

For creating my targets I chose to use a new type of media 

Evaluation Of Skills Developed

Preliminary Task

In groups no more than 4

Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting in a chair opposite another character with whom he/ she exchanges a couples lines of dialogue.This task must demonstrate:

• Match on action
• Shot reverse shot
• 180 degree rule

Storyboard

Timeline of credits in an opening sequence

I looked at The Purge's opening sequence and noted down the timings and the names of the credits and created a timeline. By doing this i could get an idea of how to time my credits correctly, for instance how long one credit should appear for and how many should be displayed at once. This has influenced my opening sequence as i am now able to figure out a clear and sensible order the credits should go in. Not only by looking at the timings and order of the credits have helped but also looking at the style of the credits for example the font, colour and size have also benefited me. As the genre of my opening sequence is thriller i need to choose appropriate credit styles to link to the genre. So by looking at a thriller such as The Purge i am able to now design credits that are suitable and effective. 

BFI Study Day

From the BFI study day i learnt a number of things, the first thing we explored was the conventions of film openings which are involved in a title opening sequence. Peter Fraser explained there are 5 aspects these were: 

• Genre  
• Narrative (enigma) 
• Character 
• Atmosphere 
• Setting 

With this we analysed several opening sequences such as ' Catch me if you can' and ' Dawn of the dead' to see what aspect they focused on the most. We identified that Dawn of the dead was more focused on setting. This exercise helped me decide which aspect i should concentrate on more for when it comes to making my opening sequence. Afterwards we analysed previous students opening sequences from this we highlighted and discussed what the strengths and weaknesses were and had to give them a grade. Recurring issues were things like showing too much of the plot, not involving any titles and a bad use of sound. Fraser stated the importance of sound and how it played a vital part as the opening sequence should have about 50% sound. The music should also be appropriate and fit the genre. By examining other students work and picking apart its good and bad points means i can look out for them recurring issues when doing my opening sequence so i can avoid making the same mistakes. 

The last speaker, Jake Hume the producer of 'Sixteen' helped me understand more about film distribution as from the question and answer session we became more aware of the struggle to get films on the market and to even get noticed. Finally Peter Fraser gave us tips on how to make our opening sequence to the highest of standards. Overall the study trip was largely beneficial and i learnt a lot.

Peter Fraser's Blog 
http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/

Below is the powerpoints which Peter created in order to help us understand better.

Here was the brief outline of what the BFI stuff day consisted of:

Opening Title Sequence Memento Recreation

For our recreation of an opening sequence our group decided to recreate Memento, this opening sequence we identified to be one of the simpler ones we focused on. Due to a limited locations due to us filming at school it meant it was more difficult to match memento completely. However with the resources we had we made alterations. Although with some of the props used in Memento weren't in our recreation we made this up by using the editing techniques it used. For instance the vehicle movement being reversed. Overall from this task I learnt how to make do with what you have and how to film non stationary objects, in this case the bus.

Continuity Editing

ESTABLISHING SHOT:  


An establishing shot is a long shot or an extreme long shot, mainly involving loose framing. This shot enables the audience to become familiar with the setting and location before the characters are introduced. The purpose of an establishing shot is to show spatial relations between  important figures or objects, overall setting the scene.

SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT:

A shot reverse shot is when two shots is often used when two characters are having a conversation. It is then edited together so it alternates between the characters.

CROSS-CUTTING:
This is when shots are edited so it alternates shots which are happening simultaneously, this is achieved by the camera cutting away from one action to another. 

MATCH ON ACTION:
Match on action is a term used when the camera perspective changes into a different shot but still maintaining a flow. For instance from our demonstration it shows two different times however it looks like they are happening at the same time, this overall makes it more interesting due to the variation in shots being used. 

 SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT:

A shot reverse shot is when two shots is often used when two characters are having a conversation. It is then edited together so it alternates between the characters.
   
180° RULE
 An 180° rule is a basic guideline where the angle between any two following shots should not exceed 180°. This is to make sure relationships between people or objects are maintained. When using the 180° rule it is important not to cross the 'line of vision' as this would result in the audience becoming confused by the scene.
The axis is there to connect the characters ensuring the camera is kept on one side for every single shot. If the camera was to pass over the axis it would be 'jumping/crossing the line'

30° RULE
The 30° rule is when the angle between any two shots that should not be less than 30° by the change in perspective it ensures the shots are varied meaning it avoids a jump cut.

This is when the shots are edited so they alternate whilst they are occurring simultaneously , this is achieved by the camera cutting from one action to another. Cross cutting is often used to create a suspense.

EYE LINE MATCH :
An eye line match is a shot where a character looks at something off-screen which is then closely followed by a cut to what that character was looking at. This is also seen when a character is looking in the direction the other character was addressing them in.

RE-ESTABLISHING SHOT:

A re-establishing shot is when the camera returns to the location once a character has used dialogue, this is to help give a sense of the surroundings the character is involved in.

Textual Analysis Of An Opening Sequence

History Of Opening Sequences

An open sequence is featured at the beginning of a film this usually where information such as the title, cast members and key production members are displayed. They give hints towards the the tone and theme of the film for the audience so they have some idea of what they are about to watch. When it comes to opening sequences it basically sets up the film and it gives the first impression and because of this they are very important. 





Important points from this video:

• Thomas Edison -  1897 First showed company name by text board, from this most opening sequences start with the company name. 
• Development of sound saw a big change to opening sequences meaning actors and actresses started  making appearances in the beginning of the film. 
• Due to television less people went to the cinemas meaning film companies had to gain the audiences back by creating elaborately designed opening sequences 
• 1950 became miniature films themselves 
• Saul Bass - great designer
• 1978 introduction to computer technology saw the first digitally generated title
• 1980 graphic interfaces became available for designers 
• 1990s after effects meant opening sequences became advanced - easier to visualize 

Conventions Of Opening Sequences

Log Lines

In a quick starter in class we learnt about log lines. I learnt that log lines are a quick summary of the film. They are usually a sentence or two which opens up questions in which the audience will then want the answers to meaning they must watch the film to order to gain these answers. These are often used to draw in audiences and help create interest.

Example

''Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child'' - Juno

Synergy

Synergy By Annie Sadowski from anniesadowski

Audience Postioning

Created with Padlet

Independent vs Hollywood

Hollywood 
Hollywood companies are known to be more vertically integrated, meaning the companies will usually own a number of stages which can help getting the film to the audience. For instance the production company may be owned by the studio along with the distributor and in some cases the studio may even own the cinema.Overall Hollywood studios have a lot of financial back up with a well trained marketing system therefore they have a bigger advantage compared to independent companies.

Independent 
Independent however will find it difficult to find a distributor, for instance in contrast to the Hollywood companies who usually have a distributor in place before the production begins independent films once completed then go on to have to find a film distributor. The most common ways independent films will be brought by distributors if there is a set fee in which the producers receive none of the profits.
Recently from looking at this article  http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/11/18/media-journal-independent-movies-go-mainstream-with-hollywood-help/
 i have found that independent films are seeking the help of Hollywood studios to help with the distribution and marketing. A well known example of this is the popular box office hit 'Ted'. This is happening more often as Hollywood studios are taking fewer risks with their money and instead investing in what is known as ' tentpole movies'

Film Marketing and Distribution

Film Marketing And Distribution 

Film Marketing 

Film marketing is basically the promotion of films so when they are released they sustain a place in the market.Film companies promote their films to get them into the cinemas and then finally on to DVD. However film distribution is seen as a crucial processes as it determines if the companies are financially stable for example if they need to get back the substantial amount they invested on the production of the film in order to make a profit. There are two main categories in which companies will try to advertise their film.

Inception went to an extreme in order to advertise the film,
audiences as a result become more intrigued and
more likely to watch it. This is an example of
a successful marketing 

Above the line
This method involves advertising their film that is funded as part as the product, this involves 

• Trailers 
• Spins offs/related media products 
• Billboards 
• Posters 

Below the Line 

This is promotion that is not paid for but creates an interest for example 

• Interviews 
• Magazines/ newspapers

Film Distribution 

Film distribution is what happens in between the production and exhibition of the film, it involves getting deals in order to get the film shown which leads on the the two types categories  of advertisement mentioned before. There are five main distributors in the UK film industry these are usually directed to Hollywood production companies which means there films are going to be recognized quickly and more successful.

 Five important distributors in the UK are: 

Key words that are linked to film distribution 

• Twentieth Century Fox 
• Sony 
• Warner Brothers 
• United International Pictures 
• Buena Vista 

Media Institutions

Media Institutions 

An institution is something that plays a major role in peoples lives for example school, media
When it comes to media it is more focused on the institutions responsible for producing media texts. A conglomerate is a large parent company which owns a range of smaller companies an example of this is Rupert Murdoch who is the second largest media conglomerate in the world.He owns the news corporation and has taken over News of the world and The Sun. 

The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney company is a mass media corporation and is one of the largest conglomerate in the world founded by Walt and Roy Disney it soon branched into live-action film production, television, and travel.It then expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theater, radio, music, publishing, and online media. This large conglomerate is best known for its film studios

Film Ratings

Films can be categorized in to ratings this is usually to inform there may be some sensitive content which is not suitable for younger ages.
Examples of ratings include:

U- Suitable for all
PG- Parental Guidance 
12- Suitable for 12 and over 
15- Suitable for 15 and over
18- Suitable only for adults
         
When films are given a rating this decision can change as some argue the sensitivity of the film and if the content meets the criteria of that age rating may mean its needs to be moved up or down.

Representation Of Gender In Thriller

Psycho includes the stereotypical
villain male.

A common way in which men are represented is they are portrayed as the villain of the film, this is completely opposite to the protagonist which is usually a young vulnerable woman. An example of a film which portrays this typical representation is Scream, it includes a young, vulnerable woman who is home alone and is being watched by a male antagonist. Another film which shows this representation is Psycho it has the mystery male antagonist and the female victim. A well known thriller which of course follows the same pattern is 'Nightmare On Elm Street' a male villain who terrorizes  younger years.

Males in thrillers are often depicted as physically strong, this is what makes them suited for the villain. Men in most films are stereotypically represented as being the dominant and a powerful figure therefore are seen as intimidating.



Nightmare on Elm Street includes a
male villain also

Another representation of men in thrillers is they are often the hero, as they are portrayed as strong and 'hard men' accustomed to danger. This is usually also accompanied by a female in need of help who is saved by the male hero. Men tend to have the more active roles as they are shown as fearless, clever and independent.

Females in thrillers are depicted as weak and vulnerable therefore are commonly the victim. This is due to them not being able to fight back.

Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory 

Vladimir Propp 

Proposed that all stories have the same internal structure and characters can be grouped in to eight main character roles. These are: 

• The villain 
• The donor
• The hero                                                     
• The princess
• The helper who aids the hero                
• Her father
• The dispatcher                                          
• The false hero

He also proposed the functions of a narrative 

Preparation: Introduction to the story

Complication:Keys or clues to the direction of the story

Transference: The donor events

Struggle:Dealing with the complications

Vladimir Propp

Return: Back to home however there are still issues remaining

Recognition: Loose ends are tied up

Genre Typecasting Of Actors

Genre Typecasting 

Daniel Craig - James Bond

Genres can be identified through iconic star members, this is known as star association. Actors can increase audience figures when there are well known and liked this is because audience members will like and trust the type of film typecasting. For example Tom Cruise is renowned for drawing in mass audiences because of this Hollywood institutions are prepared to pay a huge proportion of their overall budget to ensure they have an iconic actor.

Pierce Brosnan, the old James Bond due to his high fees and demands for an increase in pay Daniel Craig a lesser known actor was cast. Two James Bond films later the audience became more familiar with him and Daniel Craig is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. In this case typecasting an actor in to a famous blockbuster action adventure film had brought him more roles within this genre as well as a huge increase of income.

Some actors manage to work in multiple genres, an example is Tom Hanks

• Comedies
• Thrillers
• Action

A typical romantic comedy that Jennifer
 Aniston is often associated with

Whilst other actors are only ever seen in a particular genre. Typecasting to such a tight remit can help audience members quickly associate a film genre from a film poster displaying the type cast actor such as Jennifer Aniston she would be conventionally seen in romantic comedies.

There are disadvantages to this typecasting as there will be a time in which her roles will be limited as it may not appeal to the audience.Meaning a new actress will have to replace this role however the audience may feel unable to connect with these films or identify its genre as easy.

Audiences

Audiences

An audience is an individual or group of people who read or consume any media text. Without an audience there would be no profit. In order to ensure a stable profit there should be research in to the audience and what type the film is aimed at to help them attract an audience As audiences are important for profit, organizations are having to compete with each other these results in new ideas having to be created to intrigue people.

To research audiences media companies spend a great deal of time and money to find out who would be interested in their product. They do this by completing:

• Questionnaires
• Focus groups
• Pre-film screenings

Who measures audiences?
Organisations that measure audiences:
NRS  http://www.nrs.co.uk/
BARB http://www.barb.co.uk/

New Media
New ways in which we can measure audience include:

• Facebook likes
• Views on YouTube
• Twitter trends

Types of Research

Quantitative
Quantitative research is more number based these tend to be more factual and use closed questions, an example of a quantitative data is a questionnaire.

Qualitative
Qualitative research analyses existing products in contrast to quantitative the questions are more open these help generate an interpretation, an example of this type of research is interviews.

• Mass audience which can be also described as the broadcast audience is basically a large audience in contrast to a niche audience which is smaller but influential.

Demographic- Audience's age, race, gender, nationality and class.
Psychographic- Audience's interests, beliefs and hobbies.

What types of media texts would they consume
http://www.thinkbox.tv/server/show/nav.914

Group A

Lawyers

Doctors

Scientists

Well paid professionals

Group B
Teachers

Middle management

Fairly well paid professional

Group C1

Junior management

Bank clerks

Nurses

'White collar' professions

Group C2
Electricians
Plumber
Carpenters
'Blue Collar' professions

Group D

Manual workers such as:

Drivers

Post sorters

Group E
Students
Unemployed
Pensioners



Katz and Blumler

Katz and Blumler did research in to audience behaviour and  proposed that audiences use media for a variety of reasons, such as: 

1. Information Audiences use medias such as newspapers to learn about current events, educating themselves on what is occurring throughout the world or in their community.
2. Personal Identity They also proposed audiences use media to find models of behaviour and reinforce personal values. Examples include Twitter and Facebook.
3. Integration and Social Interaction Insight into circumstances of others such as social empathy and being able to relate and identify with others. Audiences often find these connections in common TV dramas.

The Impact Of New Technology 
Old media such as TV, print and radio have to work harder to maintain an audience due to the new digital technology which is becoming more popular with audiences. This is resulting in audiences becoming fragmented.

Considering Audience

Audience Engagement-
this involves how an audience interacts with a media text from this we see how different people react in varied ways.
Audience Expectations-
Ideas the audience have in advance of seeing a media text.This usually applies to genre pieces.

Comprehending Time

Comprehending Time 

In films very few screen stories take place in real time. For example we often see whole lives within 90 minutes of a feature film or a 8 month siege within a 60 minute TV documentary. There are many conventions that denote time passing, for example the time/date information typed up on each new scene of 'The X Files'

Other devices to manipulate time include:

• Flashbacks
• Dream Sequences
• Repetition
• Different Characters' POV
• Flash Forwards
• Real Life Interludes
• Pre- figuring of events that have not yet taken place

An example of a film which includes the use of flashbacks is 'The Butterfly Effect' . These are seen when the main character can redo parts of his past.

Three Act Structure

Three Act Structure 

Three act structure is a dramatic structure which enables solid story lines. It is frequently used as a narrative structuring template.

From this diagram we can see how a film can be split in to three distinct sections which combine together to make a successful story. The three act structure includes act 1, 2 and 3.


Act One:
Act one is basically the introduction to the film or can be seen as the set up.

• First 1/4 of the story 
• Find out the narrative enigma 
• It gives an insight to the characters showing interrelationships placing them within a time and place.
• During this part we see the main characters, dramatic premise and a dramatic situation. 

Act Two : 

Act two is the longest section known as the confrontation.

• Often 1/2 of the whole story
•  Characters often come across obstacles for example the protagonist will be close to reaching the ultimate goal but an event which unfold preventing success.

Act Three :
Know as the resolution is where the story comes to a conclusion.

• Any conflict is resolved and obstacles are surmounted.
• Usually less than a 1/4 
• Narrative closure 

Narrative

Narrative Blog Post 5

Narrative is basically the organisation and structure of media texts for example a story. In these media texts there is a narrative chain of cause and effect meaning the plot lines of the story are caused by enigma codes. The narrative connects with genre in the fact that some genres have typical story lines.

Narrative Enigmas

These are codes in which they limit the audiences information for instance a puzzle needing to be solved like who, what, why, when and so on. The purpose of these enigmas are to engage the audience and maintain curiosity and interest in the narrative chain of cause and event. For example in crime drama its narrative enigma is 'investigate' as the audience are limited to information.

Narrative Themes

Narrative themes are social issues which are often explored in a media text subjects such as family values,social class and sexuality. When it comes to Horror and Crime Drama the narrative themes tend to be explored on a more manifested level due to their narratives being simplistic and encoded with entertainment values.

Narrative Structure 

The structure and format of a story line can involve:

• Closed/open
• Three act structure
• Four act structure
• Linear/Non linear 
• Asynchronous
• Single stranded/Multi stranded 

A Hollywood film is usually structured by having a single stranded, closed, 3 act structure.

This clip expands on the information about narratives helping us on how to analyse a media text, for example you must remember three codes these are technical,verbal and symbolic. 

                                     

Hybrid Genres

Hybrid Genres Blog Post 4

A Hybrid is a combination of two or more genres because of this it has larger audiences, This means it appeals to more people due to the multiple genres involved. This is more lucrative for film companies as most audiences find hybrid genres more exciting and creative. This also maximizes the appeal of the film larger target market resulting in a high profit.


When it comes to horror here are some examples of their genre hybrids:

• Horror romance (e.g. Twilight)
• Horror war (e.g. R-Point, Dead Snow)
• Horror historical drama (e.g. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)
• Horror rom com  ( e.g. Shaun of the dead)

Example of a hybrid film

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is an example of a hybrid film it is made up of a action/ comedy genre. Due to its hybrid genre it allows us to get bursts of action but however relates to the audience with some comical mishaps.This makes the film more exciting and captivates audiences as you get two opposite aspects which work together nicely. 
In conclusion to although we have the basic films made up of one genre, having hybrid genres enable film producers to explore more options and intertwine unique aspects making an exciting and intriguing film bringing in more audiences and making a bigger profit.
Genres are not static, but evolve.Therefore their common attributes change over time. Most films are hybrid genres,since they possess the common attibutes of more than one genre
- Warren Buckland

sources:http://media.litmuse.net/essays/genre-its-hybrid

From this link i learnt the importance of hybrids and how 'The mixing of genres has become a staple in many films'. Hybrids also ensure to attract a wider audience.

Sub Genres

Sub Genres- Blog Post 3 

Sub genres are basically identifiable sub classes with a larger film genre with their own subject matter, style, formulas and iconography. It can also usually be seen as a genre within a genre. When it comes to action adventure it can fit in to types of sub genres such as:

• Spy
• Espionage
• Political thrillers
• Martial arts films
• Races against time

There are many other sub genres some of these include:

P.S. I Love You-chick flick

Dramas 

• Soap Operas                       
• Chick Flicks 
• Nostalgia
• Medical  
• Life Stories

These sub genres make it easier for film producers and audiences for example the film producer will be able to focus on a specific aspect of a genre and meet its expectations whilst audiences are able to watch films they enjoy knowing what type they are about to watch.

Scary Movie - A parody

Comedy 

• Comedy Thrillers 
• Parody
• Black Comedies
• Satire 
• Clown