Opening scenaration - Miss Miller

In the first 4 frames we did we used many different editing styles and iconography to try and create an everyday atmosphere to also create suspense. This was because if the audience see an atmosphere they an relate to it will engage them into the scene and leave them oblivious to what else is going to happen. We used a car as many people own a car and use it on a daily basis which, like i said, makes them relate to the relevance of the scene. We also used a cell phone, this again is something that people in everyday life use. And again this puts the audience into the characters shoes and engages them which we can then use to scare them more. 

In the fifth frame we introduced the killer. In this frame we hid the identity of the killer because we do not want the audience to know his/hers identity because this creates suspense throughout the whole of the opening sequence because they wont know their identity even after the opening sequence is finished. We did this by using a POV shot so that we can see from his point of view which also allows the audience to put themselves in their shoes and make a conclusion whether they like him/her or not. We did this by using a mask and filming the scenes through the wholes on the mask which gives it that POV effect. 

In the sixth, seventh and eighth frame we introduced the wife. We did this by using things which are relative to an everyday situation, like a bath and getting changed. This creates a relationship between the audience and the wife because they can relate to her situation which also creates suspense as the audience may be waiting for something to happen to the wife but aren't sure when or what will happen to her. We can then tear apart the relationship created by killing her off which the audience may not expect and create a sad atmosphere in which is were the surprise element comes in. 

In frame 11 we used two candles to create a sad an eerie atmosphere. We did this by using them to portray the husband and wife and to create tension for the audience by blowing one out to show the wife is dead. We did this instead of showing the wife being dead as it creates suspense before hand as the audience may not know if she was dead. This also creates a relationship between the audience and the husband as they empathise with the fact his wife just died and he is oblivious to the situation which also creates suspense to whether the male character is going to die.

In frames thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen we started to introduce the male character properly. In these frames we showed how oblivious he is to the fact there is a killer in his house. We did this by showing his facial expressions clearly and showing him coming home from work just like normal and acting like nothings happened, which he thinks. His facial expressions start to change when he realises his wife is nowhere to be seen although he had just rang her and she was at home. To show how his facial expressions we used close ups on his face throughout to make it clear to the audience on his situation as well as to create suspense on whether he finds out or whether he gets killed.

Planning opening Credits- Miss Georgiou

Credits are important in films as they are there to credit people who helped during the production of the film or actually acting in the film. This gives recognition to these people and give them more of a name in the industry for future director who can look at what they've done in a film and maybe hire them. This also allows the audience to research these people if they have seen something they like.  They are usually shown as text on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. Some opening credits are built around animation or production numbers of some sort. By analysing different sequences we have been able to look at four main points which include:

• The colours used in an opening sequence
• The Style of Credits used
• Thriller Conventions
• Order of Appearance

The first film I will be looking at is Se7en, this film was created in 1995 by David Fincher and was a huge hit with the thriller audience. The opening sequence was very effective as the colours used suggested death, blood and plain. This was because the writing flashed out at us and is coloured white and red. Another reason these opening credits are effective is because they use a lot of conventions, such as the order in which the credits are shown, eg producer first. This is key because it gives the most important people more credit than the less key people and by putting the more important people first will always suggest they are more important.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEq-4fua3lM

In this opening sequence the director uses 3 colours to portray many different ideas. The first colour used is red, this portrays death, blood, evil and sins, The director used this to let the audience decide why they used this colour and to leave them in suspense to whether what is going to come in the rest of the film. Although this could also show colours of love or romance which could also suggest this thriller may be about a romance which is destroyed by gruesome deaths or maybe a love of god which is destroyed by sins. Another colour used in this opening sequence is white, this tends to show purity and maybe innocence which could suggest that this thriller may be about innocent and pure people, lovers of god, being killed. The last colour used is black, this connotes dark and evil which could suggest this thriller has something to do with the devil or evil spirits. This colour contrasts with the white which shows the good verse the bad and also makes the white stick out more to the audience and make them concentrate more on the people in the credits

  

The next thing I noticed was the style in which the credits were written, the font of the writing was different but very conventional to the thriller genre. This is because it sticks out to the audience and makes them remember the names but at the same time the font used is one I've never seen before. In addition the writing is in a way electrified and as looks as though its Moving, shaking and pulsating. This pulsating makes the audience remember the names in the writing as well as giving them an insight to what may follow in the rest of the film. This adds effect to the thriller as the jerky movement of the writing makes us as the audience feel on edge and feel uneven about the film.

In this opening sequence there are many conventions which are used, many which are used a lot by many other thriller films. The first convention used is the colours used, this is because as i said before they represent may different things like death and blood, this is conventional as death and blood are things that tend to be used alot in thriller films. Another reason the colours are effective are because they are contrasting which make the writing pulsate out at the audience which is conventional as most directors want the audiecne to notice these peoples names and give them credit for what they have done. Another convention used is the low key lighting, this is used throughout the whole opening sequence and is used to show evil and gloom over the audience. This is conventional as many directors use low key lighting to portray doom and gloom aswell as to create shadows. It also is conventional as it creates suspense as the audience cannot see much happening apart from the main prospects. Another convention to a thriller is the sound. With it being diegetic sound it creates a realistic atmosphere over the film as well as an unrealistic atmosphere at the same time. The sound makes everything more intensifying and makes the audience feel like they are in the thriller. This is conventional to a thriller as it engages the audience into the scene as they can put themselves into the scene as it seems realistic.

The Se7en opening credits are in a simple order which tends to be used by many of films.

• Title and Production
• Characters - Brad Pitt & Morgan Freeman
• Title of film - Se7en
• More actors involved
• The Director
• Producers
• Company Name
• Actors (2)
• Title
• Director (Twice)
• Music Producers
• Costume Designers
• Editors
• Production Team
• Camera Operators
• Co-Producers
• Producer
• Written By
• Director

We can see that the directors name is said twice which is used to show his significance in the production in the film aswell as the main actors are mentioned first to show the audience who the main characters are and imply their importance as well as the directors.

The next film I analysed is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, this film is very similar to se7en as it uses alternate colours and used both white and black. It also uses many conventional items like low key lighting to portray different things aswell as giving away ideas about what may follow.

The first thing i noticed was the colours used by the director. He uses white and black which are alternate colours and make the writing clearer to the audience which is just what the director wants to do. These colours contrast with each other as they make everything more bold and it makes it stand out more so that the audience take more notice of the people in the film and the people who produced it. This is used as it is very conventional aswell as being very effective at making the audience remember the names of the people involved. The colour white suggests the innocence of the victim, that is brutally taken away when they are murdered. And the colour black suggests the evil nature of the villain in the film or the way he kills his victim.

In the background of the opening credits we can see a lot of ink flying around which relates to the title of the film, The girl with the dragon tattoo, this is used to show the audience that the name has relevance to the film as is something they should remember. Another reason I believe they used this in the background is because ink has a dull colour and could suggest the films villain is a dull person and may have weird ways of killing people. In addition we also see fire in the background, again this shows the relevance of the title as the fire could resemble the dragon tattoo which lets the audience know what the film to follow will include.

The Writing in the opening credits looks hand written and is very small. This is because the cast of the production is very big and the director didn't wanna waste a lot of time mentioning everyone's name one at a time. Another reason small writing is used is because the director did not want to cover the things which were going on in the background, like the fire and ink, which are key into creating suspense for the audience. I believe the credits were made to look hand written because this creates a sense of reality for the audience which then creates suspense as they are waiting to see what happens in the film in which they can relate to. This is also very conventional to the thriller genre as many thriller credits tend to create a sense of reality for the audience so they somewhat feel reassured but then are surprise with what actually happens in the film.

 

The order in which the production roles are set out is simple and is very simular to the se7en credits;
 

production company first

director

actors

title

actors

Filmer

costume designer

co-producers

sound man

music man

Editors

Production designer

director of photography

executive producers

producers

screen play

director

We can see again, just like in se7en, that the directors name is mentioned twice to show his importance to the audience and to make them remember his name and to maybe research him and buy some of his other work. In addition we can also see in these credits there are two lists of actors, first being the main actors to show their importance and then followed by the less important but still important actors a few frames after.

Group discussions of research and what your credits will say

Analysis of fonts/ Styles/ Colours of own credits.

Production Roles - Miss Miller

In the production of films people are assigned roles, this is because if one person was in control of every single role the production would be very slow and wouldn't be very efficient. This is because they would be working hard all the time trying to do every thing whereas if the roles where allocated to different people the individuals can perfect their role and make the production good and then in return get more profit. In addition if people have individual roles and something goes wrong with a specific role the person in charge can sort it out instead of everyone rushing around and getting in one another way. People who are good at certain things are allocated roles which are specific to their ability which allows the production to be more successful.

Some of the roles used in productions are;

• Producers - is a person responsible for the financial and managerial aspects of the making of a film. 
• MES co-ordinator - This is someone who controls costumes, make-up, iconography etc
• Screen Play writer - A screenwriter or scriptwriter or scenarist is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media such as film
• Directors - A person who is in charge of an activity, department, or organisation.
• Director of photography - A cinematographer is the chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, and responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image
• Sound technicians - They prepare, operate and maintain technical equipment to amplify, enhance, mix or reproduce sound.
• Editors - Somebody who makes the film flow by editing the scenes and cutting things out

In my group we allocated eachother a specific group so that our production runs smoothly and so we can create the opening sequence without any hick ups or any problems. This will make sure we all have an individual task and will help us to film it and organise it a lot faster than if we allocated all the duties to one particular person. 

I have been allocated the role of the director of photography, sound technician and the editor of the opening sequence. I believe i was chosen for this as i have a lot of experience using cameras and editing software so my group know I am very good with these things so decided I would do this job. I wasn't allocated the role of being director as i believe i am more of a listener than a talker so i wouldn't have done the role well and told my group what to do. We also allocated each other roles depending on their skills;

Director; Vasil Nikolov
Mise-en-scene coordinator; Danniella Cross
Producers; George Miller, Vasil Nikolov

We chose Vasil to be the Director as he is a very good speaker an can control a group of people well, making sure nothing goes out of line and everything moves perfectly. We also chose him as the Director as he is very good at working with a team and is good at communicating with people to achieve what he wants to achieve without being horrible. We also decided that he would be a producer as one role may not be enough for him and isnt fair that everyone else has 2. Another reason we chose him to be a producer is because he is very good at working with the financial side of things and is also good at managerial aspects, this means he is able to go round and watch what people are doing to see whether they are doing things correctly and to correct them if they aren't.

We chose Danniella to be the Mise-en-scene coordinator as she is a good artist and is good at doing hair and make up and this is needed throughout our opening scene to create suspense, shock and surprise. We chose her as we do not want to get these aspects wrong as it may not then create the 3 S' and she is the most talented in our group at this aspect. She is also good at creating costumes which is essential for our opening scene as costumes are needed throughout. If we were to choose somebody else to do this we may end up with rubbish costumes which will make our thriller look tacky and cheap. Danniella is also good at keeping things organised which is another reason why we chose her, she will be able to control what goes on set and will not forget to bring props to the filming which will then stop the production from moving slowly. 

Danniella did her job very successfully, creating the costumes and doing the hair in the right way. By her doing this, the thriller itself allowed the audience to engage into the scene as the costumes were every day outfits in which the audience can relate to. On the other hand I decided to take over Vasils role as he wasn't doing the job to the best of his ability and I believe i would be better at being the director as I know what should go where and what creates the 3 S's. After the change the production went very smoothly and allowed us to film a lot of footage in which we could edit to create the best opening sequence possible. If we were to do the production again I would have liked to have more people to work with and i would've like more effort from Vasil. 

Narrative Theory - Miss Georgiou

Aristotle - themes
Propp - charceter
Tolerov - equilibrium

Planning Editing styles - Miss Georgiou

In a thriller, editing is used to engage the audience into the scene and create suspense, shock and surprise. Editors do this by using editing such as a fade, this creates the 3 S’ as it shows emotion as its slow and might show someone’s life fading away.

In my group we decided to use these editing styles

Fade

Jump cut

Slow editing and many more

We first used slow editing. We used Slow editing when the girl is in her room and hears a knock at the door. She knows that the person knocking isn’t her husband. We used slow editing when she is walking towards the door, this builds up tension and creates suspense. This is because the audience know who’s knocking at the door and are waiting for her to open and be killed. This creates a relationship between the girl and the audience as they know her fait and feel sympathy for her as she is portrayed as innocent and is about to be killed by the killer. This is conventional to the thriller genre as many editors use slow editing to build up tension and create suspense for the audience.

The next piece of editing we do is jump cut. We use a jump cut when the man arrives home from work and the killer is waiting in the corner of the room. We see this scene from the killer’s point of view. We used a jump cut here because they are used when the editor wants the audience to suddenly focus on something, in this case the killer in the corner. This puts the audience in an uncomfortable position, as they know the killer is there and want to help the man but they cant. This creates a relationship between the character and the audience as they can put themselves in his shoes and realise he doesn’t have a clue who is in the room. This is conventional to the thriller genre as mostly every editor uses a jump cut to make the audience focus on something scary or something mysterious.

The last piece of editing we use is a fade,. We have used this as the screen fades to black and it will often signify danger or that something is going to suddenly take a dramatic change for the worse. This is used at the end of our opening sequence, straight after we see the killer pop up at the mans car window. We used this here because it is the end of the scene and creates suspense for the audience, as they do not know what will happen to the man. This engages tem into the sequence, as they will want to watch the rest of the thriller to find out what happens to the man. This is conventional to the thriller genre as editors tend to use this to show something dangerous is about to happen or someone’s life is ending or about to end which is just how we have used it.

Filming schedule - Miss Georgiou

A filming schedule is key for a director and everybody involved. This is because each person who is a part of the production will have one which will direct them to where they need to be and when they need to be there. In addition for the prop person, the schedule will also have what props are needed which tells them what to bring to each scene or each day. This also makes things a lot easier for the group when filming as this will make sure everything runs smoothly, and avoid any arguments or disruptions. By having a filming schedule for our group, we can get the filming done as quick as possible and edit it as quick as possible, this is because the schedule tells us where to be and when to be there. As we only have a week to film our opening scene, this schedule will allow us to film lots of footage which we can analyse and take the best parts.

Risk Assessmant - Miss Georgiou

Risk Assessment
Risk assessments are needed in the filming industry to make the actors feel safe which will then allow them to act to their best of their ability as they wont be under any risk of being injured or hurt. A Risk Assessment is aprocess of evaluating the potential risk that may involve in a project or undertaking.