I have recently watched the opening of the film Date Movie (2006) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Comedy with a hint of Romance. The opening scene shows a large sized woman dancing and trying to attract men. This can be seen as humorous due to the way the men react to seeing the woman, yet since in the opening dialogue of the film she is talking about relationships, the audience are made aware that the theme of love will arise later in the film. The soundtrack playing in the background sets a comical atmosphere, indicating to the audience that the film is comical and light-hearted. The Narrative of the film seemed linear and of a similar set up to that of a Romance genre film, yet the audience were immediately made aware that the film was comical and the plot of the film would not be too serious. The opening scene of the film was similar to that of Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) which gave the impression that Date Movies’ plot would spoof that of Bridget Jones’. This led me to believe that the narrative of the film would frequently reflect that of Bridget Jones Diary.
The title of the film was shown within the opening scene, along with the names of the cast. The font of the film is yellow and not that formal, which indicates that the film will be quite light-hearted. This sets the film up for the audience who will know that the film will be comical.
The woman in pink is portrayed in a very comical way during the opening scene, which lets the audience know that her character’s main purpose in the film will be based around humour. Since her character is the only person to speak during the opening scene, the audience are made aware that she will be a main character in the film.
Friday, 21 January 2011
My Analysis of Hitch
I have recently watched the opening of the film Hitch (2005) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Romantic Comedy. There were many ways in which this was made apparent to the audience. The first was through the non-diegetic soundtrack playing simultaneously to the scene, in which the lyrics of the song spoke of love. The second way this was shown was through the use of the diegetic dialogue from Will Smith’s character, who was speaking about the mechanics of women. This indicated that there would be some kind of love aspect to the play; however it also projected a humorous feel to the film.
The Narrative of the film was Closed and Linear. The camera focused on a variety of people which gave the impression that the film would be episodic, focusing on little parts of each character’s life as a pose to one central character. The underline plot I took from the opening f the film is that Will Smith’s character will help other characters get “Hitched”, which can be backed up by the name of the film.
The titles of the film were shown in quite a formal appearing font, which can make it seem as though there is an underline business aspect to the film. This can relate to Will Smith’s character’s profession being central in the Narrative of the film. Also, the name of the director and other cast members are shown in the opening scene, however, the film’s title is not. This is uncommon in generic films, which usually show the film’s name within the first 20-30 seconds of the films start.
There is a light hearted comical atmosphere set in the opening of the film. This is achieved through the jovial soundtrack and the comical dialogue. This sets the film up for the audience, who can either then ease into the film as it progresses in the same light-hearted manor, or shock or confuse the audience as the film takes a dark unexpected turn.
We are only introduced to Will Smith’s character which indicates that he will be a recurring character throughout the film. Also, as he is the only character in the opening scene to divulge any information relevant to the plot, this indicates that he will be an important character throughout the film.
The happy background music sets the mood for the scene. As love is mentioned in the lyrics of the song, the audience is made aware that love will be one of the themes in the play. Also, we get an insight to Will Smith’s character through his direct speech to the audience. Will Smith’s voice is non-diegetic throughout some of the scene, which places him outside the action. This makes his character seem like an outsider to any of the true events in the film yet we still recognise he will be an important character.
The film opening is set in New York City. This indicates that the film will be based in the city, again building on the professional, all business atmosphere initially given off in the opening.
The Narrative of the film was Closed and Linear. The camera focused on a variety of people which gave the impression that the film would be episodic, focusing on little parts of each character’s life as a pose to one central character. The underline plot I took from the opening f the film is that Will Smith’s character will help other characters get “Hitched”, which can be backed up by the name of the film.
The titles of the film were shown in quite a formal appearing font, which can make it seem as though there is an underline business aspect to the film. This can relate to Will Smith’s character’s profession being central in the Narrative of the film. Also, the name of the director and other cast members are shown in the opening scene, however, the film’s title is not. This is uncommon in generic films, which usually show the film’s name within the first 20-30 seconds of the films start.
There is a light hearted comical atmosphere set in the opening of the film. This is achieved through the jovial soundtrack and the comical dialogue. This sets the film up for the audience, who can either then ease into the film as it progresses in the same light-hearted manor, or shock or confuse the audience as the film takes a dark unexpected turn.
We are only introduced to Will Smith’s character which indicates that he will be a recurring character throughout the film. Also, as he is the only character in the opening scene to divulge any information relevant to the plot, this indicates that he will be an important character throughout the film.
The happy background music sets the mood for the scene. As love is mentioned in the lyrics of the song, the audience is made aware that love will be one of the themes in the play. Also, we get an insight to Will Smith’s character through his direct speech to the audience. Will Smith’s voice is non-diegetic throughout some of the scene, which places him outside the action. This makes his character seem like an outsider to any of the true events in the film yet we still recognise he will be an important character.
The film opening is set in New York City. This indicates that the film will be based in the city, again building on the professional, all business atmosphere initially given off in the opening.
My Analysis of Reservoir Dogs
I have recently watched the opening of the film Reservoir Dogs (1992) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Thriller. The unclear opening scene of the film served as a puzzling hook to the viewer, which would make them question things from the film’s start. This sets the viewer up to question things that will arise throughout the film.
The Narrative of the film unclear as a group of men were shown walking down the road; but not much else was given away. I think that the underline plot of the film will involve the men shown in the opening causing trouble throughout the film, as they were built up in the opening scene to seem quite intimidating.
The characters in the opening of the film all seemed to be gangsters, which make the audience think about themes such as “crime” and “gangs” being important later in the films plot. There was also a man shown wearing a blue shirt, which made him stand out from the rest. This made him appear to be the odd one out and gives the audience the impression that his character will be one of humour throughout the narrative of the film. The characters shown in the opening scene made it clear to the audience just who the film was aimed at (lovers of thrillers and gangster movies.)
The retro music played as the film’s opening soundtrack indicated that it was set in the past (1980s maybe) and gave a cool atmosphere to the film. The film’s opening was quite distinct, meaning that audiences would relate that soundtrack to the film.
Below is a clip from the film:
NOTE: THE SECTION I ANALYSED WAS BETWEEN 7:35 AND 8:59
The Narrative of the film unclear as a group of men were shown walking down the road; but not much else was given away. I think that the underline plot of the film will involve the men shown in the opening causing trouble throughout the film, as they were built up in the opening scene to seem quite intimidating.
The characters in the opening of the film all seemed to be gangsters, which make the audience think about themes such as “crime” and “gangs” being important later in the films plot. There was also a man shown wearing a blue shirt, which made him stand out from the rest. This made him appear to be the odd one out and gives the audience the impression that his character will be one of humour throughout the narrative of the film. The characters shown in the opening scene made it clear to the audience just who the film was aimed at (lovers of thrillers and gangster movies.)
The retro music played as the film’s opening soundtrack indicated that it was set in the past (1980s maybe) and gave a cool atmosphere to the film. The film’s opening was quite distinct, meaning that audiences would relate that soundtrack to the film.
Below is a clip from the film:
NOTE: THE SECTION I ANALYSED WAS BETWEEN 7:35 AND 8:59
Analysing film openings
For one of our lessons, we watched a film opening and a film trailer in attempts to decipher the difference between the two. After seeing the differences between the two, we then watched a variety of film openings. This included Steven Spielberg’s “Catch me if you can (2002)” and P.J. Hogan’s “My best friends wedding (1997).”
Catch me if you can
The genre of the movie is clearly a crime/drama due to the ominous music and the animation. If you watch the animations throughout the film opening, you can easily figure out the entire film’s narrative. You can tell that it’s going to be about a chase and the pursued is going to take on a variety of job roles in order to escape his pursuer, as this is shown in the opening sequence. In the opening animation, the audience are shown an arrow pointing to one of the figures which we can figure out is Leonardo Dicaprio's character, as above the character is his name. The second character mentioned is Tom Hanks’, and we can tell that he is going to be the pursuer as his character is dressed in a detective’s attire. The atmosphere is ominous due to the music, and from the opening, we get an idea that the film will revolve around crime and a pursuit of a criminal.
My best friend’s wedding
The film opening immediately sets a lovey, feminine, light hearted atmosphere, and indicated to the viewer that the film’s genre is going to be romantic comedy. Through the opening of the film, we as the audience have an insight into the narrative of the film, knowing immediately that there is going to be a wedding, and that something is going to go wrong. The pink background and the fact that there were only female actresses made the film seem as though it was aimed at women. We can immediately see that the woman in the white dress is going to be a central character in the film whose purpose will be made more apparent later on. We know that the film will revolve around her marriage. Key themes that can be picked out of the opening are love and marriage, which is made apparent by the character’s props (such as the bouquet, the veil etc…) and attires (the wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses) The old school music tells the audience that the film is set in the past and finally, the pink background indicates that they have filmed the piece in a studio. This makes it appear to be much more of a joke than it would if it had been set in a church.
Catch me if you can
The genre of the movie is clearly a crime/drama due to the ominous music and the animation. If you watch the animations throughout the film opening, you can easily figure out the entire film’s narrative. You can tell that it’s going to be about a chase and the pursued is going to take on a variety of job roles in order to escape his pursuer, as this is shown in the opening sequence. In the opening animation, the audience are shown an arrow pointing to one of the figures which we can figure out is Leonardo Dicaprio's character, as above the character is his name. The second character mentioned is Tom Hanks’, and we can tell that he is going to be the pursuer as his character is dressed in a detective’s attire. The atmosphere is ominous due to the music, and from the opening, we get an idea that the film will revolve around crime and a pursuit of a criminal.
My best friend’s wedding
The film opening immediately sets a lovey, feminine, light hearted atmosphere, and indicated to the viewer that the film’s genre is going to be romantic comedy. Through the opening of the film, we as the audience have an insight into the narrative of the film, knowing immediately that there is going to be a wedding, and that something is going to go wrong. The pink background and the fact that there were only female actresses made the film seem as though it was aimed at women. We can immediately see that the woman in the white dress is going to be a central character in the film whose purpose will be made more apparent later on. We know that the film will revolve around her marriage. Key themes that can be picked out of the opening are love and marriage, which is made apparent by the character’s props (such as the bouquet, the veil etc…) and attires (the wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses) The old school music tells the audience that the film is set in the past and finally, the pink background indicates that they have filmed the piece in a studio. This makes it appear to be much more of a joke than it would if it had been set in a church.
The differences between film openings and film trailers
Film openings
Film openings usually tend to give details of the cast, crew and institution involved in the production of the film. Also, the title of the film is shown, usually in the first 30 seconds within the start of the film. We will usually be introduced to a character who holds some importance later in the film. There will be an indication of the setting of the scene, the mood of the film.. There will also be a signature theme tune which is unique for that particular film, which audiences will recognise to be related to that film whenever it is heard (for example, the Pink Panther theme tune is unique to the Pink Panther.) The genre of the film can also be determined from the film’s opening. The pace and tone of the film’s opening usually reflects the pace and tone of the entire film. Overall, the purpose of the film’s opening is generally to set the film up and warms the audience up for what is later to come. The general purpose of the film's opening is to set the rest of the film up and to let the audience in on the general mood and tone of the film.
An example of a film opening
Film Trailers
Film trailers usually show a snippet of the movie (usually the best bits) which lets the audience know what the film’s genre is and gives an insight to the film’s plot, but generally serves to attract the targeted audience. The key difference between a film opening and a film trailer is when the titles in each are shown. Film openings usually show the film’s title near the beginning, while film trailers usually show the film’s opening near the end. The general purpose of a film trailer is to get the audience as gripped as possible and to allow the audience to get a general gist of what the film will be like. For example, in a horror film, the trailer will show the audience that the film is in fact a horror film and will give some information into the characters (usually, the villain will be seen)
An example of a film trailer
I have analyised the opening and the trailer of the same film and commented on the differences between the two. The film I have chosen to look at is Casino Royale (2006)
The Film's Opening Credits
In the first scene, we are immediately made aware that it is a "Bond" film due to the spy like male in the suit turning towards the camera and firing his gun. This allows the audience to relate to the film immediately as this is what they are used to seeing while watching Bond films. We are immediately made aware that the male in the suit going to be the main protagonist in the movie and that his purpose throughout the film will be to "kill the bad guys." In the opening 5 minutes of the film, we can immediately see that the film will fit into the action genre, as a shooting occurs straight away which will excite the audience from the very start. The blood shown dripping down the screen has strong connotations of violence and makes the audience aware that film will revolve around physical conflict. The effects of the cards alongside the titles gives a casino like feel to the film and links it to the title of the film. The animations of the men with the guns shows that there will be antagonists in the film who may attempt to kill the protagonist as the film's narrative progresses. In the last 10 or so seconds of the clip, the main character's face is revealed in a close up, allowing the audience to see what he looks like so they can relate to him and gives some members in the audience a character they can admire.
The Film's trailer
In the film's trailer, rather than being taken step by step though the film's narrative, we nare taken through various sections of the film that will grip the audience. The trailer starts slow and builds up the tesion, before the action filled sections that follow really grip the audience. Little sections of the film's narrative are explained to the audience, however, the the main purpose of the trailer is to grip the audience. The Bond style background music helps to allow fans of Bond film to realise that the film is in fact a Bond film. The title at the end of the clip gives the title to the audience and makes them aware of the film's release date.
Film openings usually tend to give details of the cast, crew and institution involved in the production of the film. Also, the title of the film is shown, usually in the first 30 seconds within the start of the film. We will usually be introduced to a character who holds some importance later in the film. There will be an indication of the setting of the scene, the mood of the film.. There will also be a signature theme tune which is unique for that particular film, which audiences will recognise to be related to that film whenever it is heard (for example, the Pink Panther theme tune is unique to the Pink Panther.) The genre of the film can also be determined from the film’s opening. The pace and tone of the film’s opening usually reflects the pace and tone of the entire film. Overall, the purpose of the film’s opening is generally to set the film up and warms the audience up for what is later to come. The general purpose of the film's opening is to set the rest of the film up and to let the audience in on the general mood and tone of the film.
An example of a film opening
Film Trailers
Film trailers usually show a snippet of the movie (usually the best bits) which lets the audience know what the film’s genre is and gives an insight to the film’s plot, but generally serves to attract the targeted audience. The key difference between a film opening and a film trailer is when the titles in each are shown. Film openings usually show the film’s title near the beginning, while film trailers usually show the film’s opening near the end. The general purpose of a film trailer is to get the audience as gripped as possible and to allow the audience to get a general gist of what the film will be like. For example, in a horror film, the trailer will show the audience that the film is in fact a horror film and will give some information into the characters (usually, the villain will be seen)
An example of a film trailer
I have analyised the opening and the trailer of the same film and commented on the differences between the two. The film I have chosen to look at is Casino Royale (2006)
The Film's Opening Credits
In the first scene, we are immediately made aware that it is a "Bond" film due to the spy like male in the suit turning towards the camera and firing his gun. This allows the audience to relate to the film immediately as this is what they are used to seeing while watching Bond films. We are immediately made aware that the male in the suit going to be the main protagonist in the movie and that his purpose throughout the film will be to "kill the bad guys." In the opening 5 minutes of the film, we can immediately see that the film will fit into the action genre, as a shooting occurs straight away which will excite the audience from the very start. The blood shown dripping down the screen has strong connotations of violence and makes the audience aware that film will revolve around physical conflict. The effects of the cards alongside the titles gives a casino like feel to the film and links it to the title of the film. The animations of the men with the guns shows that there will be antagonists in the film who may attempt to kill the protagonist as the film's narrative progresses. In the last 10 or so seconds of the clip, the main character's face is revealed in a close up, allowing the audience to see what he looks like so they can relate to him and gives some members in the audience a character they can admire.
The Film's trailer
In the film's trailer, rather than being taken step by step though the film's narrative, we nare taken through various sections of the film that will grip the audience. The trailer starts slow and builds up the tesion, before the action filled sections that follow really grip the audience. Little sections of the film's narrative are explained to the audience, however, the the main purpose of the trailer is to grip the audience. The Bond style background music helps to allow fans of Bond film to realise that the film is in fact a Bond film. The title at the end of the clip gives the title to the audience and makes them aware of the film's release date.
Monday, 1 November 2010
My Preliminary Task - My Evaluation
I have now finished filming and editing my piece, and it has been uploaded to my blog. I believe that my piece clearly demonstrates a piece of continuous film. I think this because there are no huge leaps in time during the cuts between frames.
I have successfully included a match on action shot in my piece which shows my female protagonist opening a door and walking through it. I think this helped the piece retain its continuity as it showed someone going through a door from two different angles, yet the first frame shown leads into the next clearly.
An example of my match on action:
I have also successfully included a shot reverse shot in my piece, which enables my audience to see a character exchanging dialogue with another character and the other character’s reaction. I think that the short reverse shot helped to keep the continuity aspect in the piece as it helped conversation flow clearly yet it showed the conversation from two character’s point of views. Also, I think that during the conversations, they flow quite well, meaning the conversation continues well between one scene to the next.
An example of my shot reverse shot:
If I was going to re-film this piece, I would shorten down the introduction and credits, as they were way too long. Also, I would try to keep the camera as steady as possible while filming to avoid shots being jolty. To help this, I will use a tripod to hold the camera in place while filming. Also, I would try to add a variety of shots (e.g. establishing, low angle, high angle etc) so that the character’s status is clear to the audience. Also, I would try to improve on the mise for my piece, as it was not quite clear to the audience what it was about. I could do this by giving my characters appropriate costumes and changing the setting so that it reflects the mood that should be felt by the audience (e.g. if I was going for a horror movie, then the set would contain a lot of dark colours or a lot of red) Also, another thing I would try to do is add more transitions between the frames, as there was only a ‘fade to black’ transition in my piece. I would add subtle transitions that would help to add to the mise of my piece, making the overall meaning of my piece clear to my audience. For example, another group’s piece contained blur during one of their scenes which indicated it was a flashback sequence where the protagonist was reflecting a past events. This helped to show what the character had been through which helped the audience feel a certain sadness to the character. Also, with sound I used a lot of voice over effects and Foley effects, but I think that I used a bit too much. So if I was going to film again, I would try to use less Foley effects so that when it is used it had more of an impact on the audience (e.g. at a key moment in a scene) For sound, I used Foley effects, music, natural sounds and dialogue in my piece, however when I film again I will vary the amount of each I would use. I would also try to add non-diegetic sound that would help to build suspense in the scene. I think that the music used for the introduction and credits was a bit overly dramatic and therefore if I was going to re-film I would try to use more subtle music that could keep the audience guessing as o what the piece could be about (for example, if I was making a horror movie and used a nursery rhyme for my opening music, it would help to catch the audience off guard with a sudden scare that could follow, which would help to build up the horror factor in the piece). Finally, I would defiantly change the titles, as the opening credits were too long and were not completely relevant to the piece that was shown. Initially, I was going for something based around the idea of love, however the scene shown did not reflect this and therefore the title was irrelevant.
For this task, I worked on my own. I found this difficult at times, as there was a lot more for me to do and I had to film each of the shots by myself, edit by myself and so on, however, I found it easier in deciding on ideas, as there was no other contrasting ideas. I managed to film using several cameras at once by using a tripod and securing it so that it was focused on the characters.
I think that I had planned the initial idea for my preliminary task well, however as I changed my idea, it became rushed and was not planned out as well as it should have been. For my first idea, I had completely decided on the set, characters and props however as I drastically changed my idea quite a way down the line, I did not have enough time to plan out my piece and therefore it did not come out as well as I had intended.
In the preliminary task, I have learned a lot about how to edit films. I have learned how to replace sound from a certain frame with sound that had been created that is better suited for that frame. Also, I have learned how to add text to any frames I desire, meaning that if I wanted to, I could add subtitles to any future pieces I make. Also, I have learned the basics of editing (e.g. placing frames together into one film, trimming frames down etc)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)