task 9

Analysis of film opening in 'Superbad' -
We were asked to analise our favourite film's title sequence and I chose Superbad because its one of my faviourite films and it has a very memorable opening. It is stylised as it is heavily edited and gives away nothing nothing in terms of story however we get to know both of the characters' in this short opening through silhouettes dancing.

The style of it is very interesting because like many films do, it is almost completely unrelated to the storyline of the film but as I said before it does give an insight to how the characters behave solely through the way they move. The look of it is very memorable with a vintage/retro style of contrasting bold colours with a grainy outline.

The content of the opening sequence is quite comical which goes well with the genre of the film (comedy)

Three overall targets from audit

Blog audit and SWOT analysis

Blogging health check 2 - feedback

To ensure I go back up to a grade C I will start to set myself target dates of when I need to blog to avoid a haphazard order of posting, so it will then allow my posts to be frequent and up to date and also will allow me to spend a decent amount of time on them so they are not brief or left incomplete. I will also go back and edit my 'planning' blogs and make them up to par with the rest of my posts i.e. by using more mixed media to produce them. Then I will complete all my to do tasks regularly and promptly and edit any posts that need adjusting or adding too. For example the storyboard post I will use Emaze to present it rather than posting it directly onto the blog. Finally I will keep on top of when the blogs need to be posted, give myself enough time and therefore they will be detailed enough for my mark to increase.

1. Discrete title sequences. These consist of a series of short scenes which are not part of the film, but set the mood for the film. The cinematography and music are used to create the atmosphere. Clues as to the narrative of the film might be included in the scenes. They can be seen as a “mini film” before the film properly starts, as in 'Se7en'. The title sequence of Kyle Cooper’s film 'Se7en' is a classic example of this type of opening, and has been copied by many directors since. The audience are given an insight into the main character in an exciting, but disturbing way, leaving them anxious, but wanting to see more. Another example is Skyfall, which uses haunting music by Adele to enhance the stylish scenes featuring James Bond.

2. Narrative openings. The opening consists of a coherent story line which prepares the audience for the film. The title sequence of 'The Shining' uses wide tracking shots of a car on a mountainside road next to a beautiful lake. The camera flies over the scene. Meanwhile the music with brass instruments playing slowly creates an unsettling atmosphere.


3. Credits over screen. This type of title sequence simply consists of a blank screen with the credits rolling up. The choice of font and colour is important in setting the mood for the film. The sound is also important: for example in Donnie Darko the opening creates an atmosphere of anxiety and anticipation in the audience, with the sound of a storm, or the sea. There is more scope for the audience to impose their own ideas in setting the scene. The music then starts quietly as the camera pans in to see Donny lying on the road: apparently lifeless, but he then wakes up and cycles off.



4. Stylised editing. This relies heavily on the editing process. In the opening to 'Mesrine'. The split screen enables the audience to view the action from different angles simultaneously. This gives the impression that the character is being observed by people all around. Zombieland also uses a stylised opening. As with other opening, the choice of music is important to create the atmosphere before the film starts. For example the opening of Spiderman 3 combines cartoon images with shots of the actors, stylised spiders’ webs and more abstract images: all swooping in and out of view.

My group is thinking about using discrete title sequences: with one character walking round the forest to set the scene for our film.

Targets for today

Today, i will;

• be going over all that we have filmed,  
• i am going to take in the shots we need, 
•  i am going to discard the shots we do not need.
•  I will also take notes on what i believe needs to be reshooted.
• Another thing i will be doing today is roughly starting a sequence with the shots i have chosen and i believe are ready to be put into our title sequence. 

task 6

What makes a good title sequence?

 Kyle Cooper is credited as being the man who single-handedly revitalised the art of the film title sequence. In his opinion a title sequence needs to dovetail into the film seamlessly to suspend disbelief, excite you and capture your attention and set audience expectations of what is to come. He talks about the film Seven in the clip we watched as a class and particularly about the font used as he says it adds to the overall tone (hand written like the serial killer is writing it himself). We were also introduced to the idea of integrated credits within the video with the credits being written in the diary as he is building it. Integrated credits are now commonplace with most modern films using them but the technology required was not available for older films.

When Kyle Cooper says story based title sequence he's referring to one that explains a specific backstory and also a clear metaphor that has to do specifically with what the film is about.

Cooper believes titles are important to a film because they 'put the audience where they need to be in the scene at the start'

Task 17

Analysis of sound in the opening credits of ‘Evil Dead’

Evil dead is a film similar in genre to our film however it is an old film (made in the early 80s). In the credits we hear swirling distorted sound (which goes with the gory red swirling font used) alongside dramatic cinematic orchestra music. The usage of orchestra is to be expected as all film round this time used it but its effectiveness cannot be undermined.  The grandness of a full orchestra adds to the tone of the film and makes the characters seem even more vulnerable as if this wall of sound is closing in on them. Finale is a choir of voices – makes it seem epic and as if something powerful is going on. 

Planning - todays plan

Today we will start editing the footage we filmed last Wednesday, 30th, and will be using Adobe Premier Pro. This will be done in the morning as the majority of filming we need to do needs to be filmed when it gets dark so if possible around 3pm we might go to Highgate Woods to start filming as the sun starts to set, we're doing this to add realism and that our audience really believe our main character has been in the woods for a long period of time.

Evidence of filming