The mark I obtained on the first blogging health check of the year is 15 out of 20, which converts in to a grade B. I am delighted with such grade as it's only the beginning of the year and this is an indication that if I continue with the frequency and quality of my blog posts, I should do quite well in terms of this unit. During the 'one to one' session with my teacher, I've been told to post blogs even more frequently and manage my time in a way that I make sure to post at least 3 to 4 blogs a week in order to stay on track and not fall behind which I will do from now on. Moreover, I've also been told to continue posting blogs, containing such detail as it's one of my strengths and will help me attain higher marks. Overall, I am enthusiastic with my progress and I will make sure to follow my teacher's targets.
The title sequence we decided to analyse was Se7en. We decided to remake this film as it had a range of complex and intriguing shots and match cuts. We also decided to make this a remake as we found that the cinematography emphasised the narrative of the film. It also added tension to the particular shots that were created.
We also determined to create a remake of this film as we found it more powerful and challenging than the other films available for the remake, (Gone Girl, Juno)
Furthermore, we settled for the film Se7en as the mise en scene such as the lighting, props and the sound connected simultaneously, to create a more sinister and mysterious atmosphere.
In the preproduction , we firstly analysed the genre of the movie to successfully recognise the code and conventions. For each shot we analysed the props used and the techniques such as jump shots that transfers one shot to another. Moreover, we had to investigate and research the contrast and the pattern of the credits that compliment each individual shot.
For each shot, we had a strategical approach to analyse the shots and type of camera angles. We took photos of every shot, this was done to give use a more precise and accurate understanding of the types of shots used. However, we found that this was time consuming as their was a lot of complex shots to analyse.
For our storyboard, we included the vital props such as the book, blade and a mechanical object to make this remake. On the other hand, the disadvantage of this is that each shot was time consuming and the shots were quite difficult to draw accurately and with authenticity.
In addition, we used a box room with two chairs and a round table which was challenging to adapt to the movie's actual setting due to its dark and sophisticated nature. Also, as part of the movies mise en scene we used dirt and glue on the protagonist's fingers to create a more haunting and mysterious atmosphere to suit to the genre and, overall appeal to the target audience. The props we used in our remake were; a book, table, pen, box, blade and a mechanical object that can move. We incorporated all these these objects to relate to the film's atmosphere and to also give the audience a sense of setting.
The font we used was found in the program and we spent a fair amount of time to accurately identify the particular font used in the film Se7en. This font also tied in with the atmosphere of the film but it also complimented the images that were presented in the background of the sequence. To also successful remake the film, a certain type of animation had to be used on the writing. This also added to the tension of the film as it reinforced the film's setting and the types of camera angles and shots used.
Moreover, the movement of the writing also complimented the ongoing montage of the different images.
The title credits were placed roughly at first with only some precision, but as we added all the images and submerged all the moving pictures together to create a montage, we also tightened the place on the screen and the time to accurately relate our title sequence to the original title sequence.
The colour of the title credits are pure white with a faint contrasting outline of black. The white colour was chosen to contrast the dark, black background and the black outline was added to make the text stand out from the image. This made the atmosphere more tense as the black outline made the text almost pop out of the screen which complimented the heavy jumpy music.
If we were to complete the task again, we would focus mainly on the types of shots used and precisely copy each of them to fit the music so they both can be synchronised. Another thing we would do differently is that we would choose another location to film as the location we had, had a large amount of light that had to be blocked and therefore made the filming process more difficult.
Lastly, in the post-production part of the making of this film, we found that we needed extra time to successfully finish the editing, next time we would consider spending a limited amount of time on each section and possibly split up the work load to complete the editing part faster and more efficiently.
Personally, I prefer a title sequences that use animation and motion. This is because they can really help demonstrate your flair by editing clips together and adjusting every little detail so you can control everything that is happening in the title sequence. In addition, as we are living in an age where technology is really booming I think this type of title sequence will really appeal to the target audiences as most people are now used to technology and enjoy seeing more futuristic things such as animations like in sci-fi movies where more advanced editing it required. The movie I have chosen is ‘Men in Black 3’ as it really shows the power of a fantastic film opening and how moving images and successful editing can ultimately lead to a great, successful title sequence. Order of credits:
Below is a Camtasia , screenshots and photos of the group editing the remake we created of Seven.
We used the softwares: Premier Pro and After Effect to create the the most movie like feel to the production.
The importance of sound is often neglected by film audiences, as film is often seen as a visual medium, however all it takes is one click of the mute button to make the viewer realize how much films depend on sound to transmit emotion. There are many reasons why sound is so vital in film making and they are;
Identifying the tone and genre of the movie
Sound is a great way for the director to introduce the tone and genre of a movie as viewers have come to associate specific music types to certain genres. Action, for example, usually contain a fast-paced opening song with the sound of vehicles or someone running. The audience will instantly know what type of film they are watching and immediately become more familiar to the movie. This was also the case in the film 'X-men: Days of Future Past' where the music was very fast-paced and present was a slicing sound that was very effective in impling that the movie is of the Action genre,
Provides Narrative Cues
In addition, sound also provides narrative cues. This is because the sound we hear in movies is often relatable, as we have often come across it before. The sound of a bass thrum for example, a sound we hear in almost every movie, it's so common that we would be able to identify it anywhere. It's most commonly used when the antagonist is about to do something that the audience isn't going to appreciate. This sound along with any clip shown on the screen would create a sense of fear and danger, foreshadowing that something unfavourable is going to happen. This sound has become popular in the movie 'Jaws' and when the bass trum was heard, the audience knew who's coming (The shark), building a moment of tension.
Simulating Reality
Sound in movies is also used to simulate reality, meaning that it is used to enhance the audience's viewing experience and take it to the next level. Highly used in action and thriller, layered sound is used to place emphasis on a specific action. In horror movies often when someone is walking, the loud footsteps the audience hears are not actual footsteps but instead a sound effect which is used to either foreshadow that something terrifying is about to happen or to establish any other message the director is trying to put across. In action movies, however sound effects are commonly used during a fight scene when characters hit each other violently and a loud punching noise is heard, that's also a sound effects to place emphasis on the hit and demand a reaction from the audience.
Suspending Disbelief and Manipulating Emotion
The sound we hear in a movie, we often don't pay attention to, however you would be surprised to see how stale a movie is when it has no sound. A wide range of sound techniques are used to maintain the audience's interest and help a specific scene convey a certain emotion to the audience, demanding an emotional reaction. In the film 'Fast and Furious 7' the ending was phenomenal, it told a story and demanded a reaction from the audience, even if you didn't enjoy most of the movie, the ending would have still got you in tears. There wasn't much dialogue, however the ending song, along-side the final scene was put together very effectively and although the clips were evoking some emotions, when the song came on, it took the ending to an entirely new level.
Film Sound Key Terminology:
Wild Track-an audio recording intended to be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately.
Ambient Sound-background sounds which are present in a scene or location, e.g. wind, water, crowds.
Diegetic Sound- sound whose source is visible on the screen, e.g. characters' voices.
Non- diegetic sound- sound whose source is visible on the screen, e.g. sound effects.
Score- original music written specifically to accompany a film.
Song- music reformed in the movie.
Voice-over- piece of narration, not accompanied by image.
Dialogue- conversation between two or more characters.
Dubbing- mixed recordings added onto the original soundtrack.
Foley- everyday sound effects which are added to the film.
Synchronous-sound matched to the movement in the scene.
Asynchronous- sound contrasting the image on screen.
Sound Bridge- sound connecting two scenes together
Sound motif- sound associated with a particular character, setting or situation.
This Title sequence is really engaging and fills me with suspense as I personally love Sci-fi movies. It starts off quite calmly with strange moving images of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, which hints at the audience that this is a science-based movie. There is a voice-over of Morgan Freeman talking throughout this sequence while the moving images changes to the everyday world such as people walking around and a young boy playing baseball.
He talks about alien lifeforms observing us, watching how we study each other which also adds to the element of suspense and causes the audience to question what the "unknown" life forms want with us. However, the ending of this title sequence is the most chilling part and captivating . The camera goes up and faces the earth were unexpectedly behind our planet is a bright light that comes forward and fills the screen which could indicate that something detrimental is going to happen. The music at the end changes, it becomes louder, more sinister and dramatic which contradicts to the music being played at the beginning. The use of Morgans Freemans voice makes the title sequence even more effective, this is because his voice creates that suspense disbelief.
A target audience is a specific group of people that a product is aimed at. I have done some research on three movies to discover more details about specific target audiences and how these films appeal to their target audience.
Fast and Furious 7
'Fast and Furious 7' is the first film of my research. Throughout my research I discovered that 'Fast 7' is mainly aimed a working class males, aged between 25-39. I also found out that in their everyday life they tend to: watch movies, play sports, ski jump and enjoy fishing. The 'Fast 7' audience seem to be good listeners as well as daydreamers and usually consume brands such as: 'Lucozade', 'Asda' and 'Amazon prime instant video' where they can watch their favourite actors star in successful movies and shows such as Paul Walker starring in 'Fast 7' and Grant Gustin in 'The Flash'. However, during my research I found the fact that it's target is men of such ages quite anomalous as it seems to appeal to a much younger age than 25 due to the film's codes and conventions. 'Fast 7' is action-packed and high in intensity and lacks exaggerated scenes which contain an excess amount of vulgar language and images. Overall, I don't think this particular detail of my research is very accurate.
Avatar
The second movie of my research is 'Avatar'. 'Avatar' targets working class males aged between 40 and 54. I found this quite inaccurate due tot the fact that 'Avatar' is largely an animated movie, therefore I thought it would appeal to younger people such as teens and younger adults as they tend to enjoy the special effects and animated characters, so I think it's not a good decision to aim such film to such elderly audience. In addition, the target audience's lifestyle also involves playing video games, practicing Judo and watching movies, which further supports my point as elderly people tend not to play video games as much as youngsters. I also found interesting that 'Avatar' targets clever and quick-tempered people as the movie does contain a quite complex storyline, therefore I thought it was the right decision to target this film to a more intelligent audience. Moreover, 'Avatar's' target audience usually consume brands such as 'Samsung', 'Nike' and 'Morrisons' which could be classified as more expensive alternatives, which doesn't really apply to the target audience's social class due to the fact that working class people tend to go for the cheaper alternate products. Lastly, people who enjoy avatar also tend to enjoy other animated movies such as 'The Matrix' and 'Family Guy' and like celebrities like '50 Cent' and 'Greg Davies'.
American Pie
The last film of my research is 'American Pie'. 'American Pie' is also targeted at working class young men, aged between 18 and 24 who enjoy movies, video games and enjoy playing snooker. The men targeted by 'American Pie' tend to be talented but usually moody which makes sense as the humour in 'American Pie' could be used to cheer them up and stimulate their talented imagination. Furthermore, I also found out that people who watch 'American Pie' also shop at 'Sony' 'Asda' and 'Sportsdirect' which is genuine as the target audience of this movie is lower class men and most of these shops are cheaper alternatives for consumer with a lower income. Lastly, it was evident in my research that people who watched 'American Pie' also enjoyed the rest of the franchise as well as television shows such as 'Friends' as well as celebrities liek 'Eminem' and 'Jack Black'.
After some research over genre in the BFI statistics year book 2014 it shows some interesting facts such as:
Animation , Action and Comedy were the 3 most successful genres at the UK box office, with Romance, Documentary and War being the least popular at the UK box office.
Sci-fi didn't reach the top three most successful but attempted to by releasing 422 films in the years 2013-2014.
The top two films: Animation and Action released just 273 and 206 films. respectively.
This allows us to understand that even though more Sci-fi films were being made it is clear that more people enjoy animation more!
I then went to chapter 15 where I attempted to understand more about the audience viewing a specific genre.
the largest age proportion of cinema admissions were: 15-24 yr old (Hanger III was by far the successful with this age group)
Django unchained , Fast and Furious 6 and Rush where the top 3 films for the 25-34 age group
The most popular genres for men where : Thriller , Action and Comedy. For women it was: Documentary ( One direction movie) and Animation.
The over 50's enjoyed a movie called "Quaret" which turned out to be a Comedy/ drama.
It is clear that the preferred genre for the audience aged 7-14 is animation has two of the top three films in that year viewed by that age group was: Wreck it Ralph and Despicable me 2. Due to the fact that it is typically the ages between 35-44 that are mothers and fathers who would bring their younger child to watch a movie, the age group's popular films were: Frozen, The Croods and Jack the Giant Slayer.
UK genre of films that appealed more to audience was: Comedy, Crime and Drama. However if we go into detail London viewers liked movies like: Django Unchained, Fast and Furious 6 and gravity with the Scottish audience liking movies that featured " home grown talents" such as: Sunshine on Leith , Filth and Star Trek.
What makes a good title sequence according to Kyle Cooper?
Kyle Cooper is a famous designer of film title sequences,
who is often credited to revolutionising the way film openings are presented. He
is the creator of the film openings for ‘Spiderman’, the ‘Iron Man’ series, as
well as the movie ‘Seven’. Cooper believes that a good title sequences are made
up of three different factors.
Firstly, a good film opening must set an expectation for the
target audience, meaning that the first few minutes of a movie should captivate
the audience, so much so that they expect the entire movie to be as good as the
beginning.
Secondly, it should also flow seamlessly into the movie,
suggesting that a good title sequence would introduce the main characters and
setting so when the main storyline begins, the target audience is already
familiar with the content of the film.
Lastly, a good film opening should also contain appropriate fonts
that ‘tell a story’ and are thoughtfully put together to add to the plot,
perhaps providing hints for the audience to work out something about a
character or the storyline itself. For
example, in the film ‘Seven’ the font is integrated with the image and it’s
handwritten to portray the antagonist’s psychopathic behaviour and
characteristics.
In an interview, Kyle Cooper mentioned liking the title
sequences of the films ‘Dead Zone’ and ‘To kill a Mocking Bird’. He said he appreciated
the opening of ‘Dead Zone’ due to its simplicity as there is no advanced
techniques used and its quiet basic, but it still manages to set the tone
throughout the movie due to the creative use of sound, which maintains the
viewer’s interest. Cooper also found the
opening of the movie ‘To kill a Mocking Bird’ interesting mainly because it
contains a back story to the movie, not only that it contains the main
character’s obsession but according to Cooper the sequence was timed
beautifully. In addition, the typography was also integrated which added to the
tone of the movie and he described the “horizontal line” as “contrasting with
the marbles.”
By the phrase “story based title sequence”, Cooper means
that the film opening should also contain a specific back story as well as a
metaphor to make the movie more interesting and ‘real’. Moreover, title
sequences need to be perfected as much as possible as they give the audience a
first impression of your movie, however Cooper says that there are a few
problems with test screenings. Firstly, the smaller companies may not have
enough funds to change anything in the sequence or the audience may not
understand the film opening, in which case the title sequence could be
incorporated in the actual movie.
The title sequence becomes important for the studio as they
can include information they have previously left out, to save time and to
establish a prologue for the movie, therefore title sequences are significant
in a movie.
Cooper also mentioned that the film opening of the ‘Dawn of
the Dead’ tries to suggest that everyone in the movie “went nuts”, providing
the audience with a major detail of the plot. It also foreshadows a dark,
horrible ending to the movie.
Overall, Cooper suggests that title sequences are extremely
important. This is because they can ‘make or break’ a movie as well as making
sure that it suspends the audience’s disbelief before the film actually starts
to provide a tone for the film.
