Audience Expectations- Catriona

Audience Expectations

Initial Ideas

Initial Ideas

Insomnia- Catriona and Antonia

Opening titles timeline from Inception- Catriona

Inception Opening Titles- Timeline

Iron Man Three Credit Analysis -Annabelle

The order of the credits starts off with the important people in the production team such as director, producer, screenplay and executive producers. It then moves on to other people in the production team such as costume designer, visual effects producer, music supervisor and casting by. After the production team have been mentioned it follows on to the actors. The main actors are mentioned first such as, Robert Downey JR and Gwyneth Paltrow, The less well known actors which have smaller roles are them mentioned such as William Sadler and Miguel Ferrer. At the end of the credits the production is mentioned 'Marvel Studios' and then the title of the film is shown IRON MAN THREE to them.
The font is yellow in capital letters with the names enlarged compared to their roles. A yellow colour is used as Iron Man is associated with red and yellow/gold as that is the colour of his costume, representing him. The style of the titling is the same as it would be in a comic books which is where the story originated from. The words appear from the pictures as though there is a flap in them. They then increase in size and  slant slightly. To exit off the screen they fold up on themselves.

Gone Girl Film Poster -Annabelle

The Gone Girl film poster has a simple layout but contains a lot for the eye to look at. At the top of the poster are the two names of the characters, very simple, so your attention is not drawn away from the rest the poster. A picture of a girl’s eyes and nose is displayed but is almost transparent as it blends in with the sky. This represents that she is lost and is fading away. As there is a female and male main character the film can be for both genders expanding the target audience. The man is in his late thirties suggesting the audience should be for older viewers, late teenagers to adults. The title stands out as it is in bold block letters. But is partly covered by the clouds. Clouds are foggy which blocks your path representing there is confusion. So the genre of this film is thriller with subgenre of mystery meaning the film is for audience who like suspense and to work things out. 

Screenshot of the 'Gone Girl' Facebook Page- Catriona

Screenshot of Gone Girl Facebook Page

Minority Report analysis of stills -Annabelle

Timeline and analysis of Green Lantern-Antonia

Tile analysis of Green Lantern:

The titles for green lantern are animated and are set in space. Tis creates the effect that the film is going to be in the sci-fi genre.

The colour scheme for the titles relates to the name of the film. The main colour is green along with white and black elements in the background. As the titles are set in space they have used black as the background and white as small stars, everything else like planets and rocks are different shades of green.

The order of the titles start with the company making the film. It then moves to the top billed actors, until it reaches the title of the film at 0:27 seconds. After this it describes the film is based on the marvel books and who the crew were and along with casting directors, producers, who it's written by and who produced it.

The font style is a green bold, block font. It has the more important information in a bigger size font and the less important information in a smaller size font.

The titles move on and off the screen, slanted and at an angle. This along with the animation creates the effect as though the audience is moving through space. The titles also appear and disappear as though they are lasers being shot. This makes the audience aware the film is in the sci-fi genre, before the film begins.

Gone Girl trailer analysis- Antonia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym3LB0lOJ0o

The film 'Gone Girl' is in the Thriller, crime genre. The trailer introduces the the plot of the film when the dialogue says '...You killed your wife.' The main character is an adult male and he his wife has gone missing, the film consists of the police trying to find her.
The trailer has lots of jump cuts to different scenes. This builds tension and creates suspense and sets the theme for the film.The locations are at the main characters house, the police station, in open fields, conferences with dark alleyways and abandoned houses. The mise-en-scene is appropriate for the trailer as the actions of the characters reflects the setting they are in. A lot of the lighting in the trailer is dark/ dimmed and this creates mystery and suspense.  

Se7en titles analysis

 Numbers and orders of credit roles:

The credits started at 0:04 introducing the company. The credits then moved to the the production and the names of the two main actors. After the title of the film the credits listed all the other main actors, with bigger roles. Costume and music designers along with editors and directors of photography were listed. Finally it listed who it was written by, the title and who it was produced and edited by. 

Film Showings

There are 3 thriller films showing at the Odeon this week, which are: Before I Got To Sleep, Gone Girl and The Equalizer. The subgenre for the film Before I Go To Sleep is a crime. The sub genre for Gone Girl is Mystery. The sub genre of the film The Equalizer is action. 

Evaluation of Preliminary Task -Annabelle

Preliminary task explained

In this task I was asked to film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. The task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and 180 degree rule. To prepare for this we drew out a storyboard. This included a drawing of each shot, the type of shot/angle, the location and the dialogue.

The first shot was a very long shot of a school girl who is played by me walking down the middle of a corridor towards the camera. This shot was used so you could the surroundings could be seen setting the scene for the audience. The second shot is a medium long shot of the girl walking down the corridor towards a door on her right away from the camera. She then knocks on the door. The third shot is filmed in a class room. It is a medium close up of the teacher from the front who is marking books and tells the student to come in. The teacher is slightly to the right of the frame. This shot is used so you concentrate mostly on the teacher but some setting is seen so the audience can see where the next scene will take place. The fourth shot displays match on action. The student opens the door and steps through. The shot then switches to the student coming through the door into the classroom. The fifth shot is an over the shoulder shot of the student taking a seat opposite the teacher. Shots 6 to 11 are over the shoulder shots of the teacher and student exchanging dialogue as the student is being told off. When the student is in view the characters are to the left of the frame, and when the teacher is seen the characters are to the right of the screen. This is because is it keeping to the 180 degree rule and also using shot/reverse shot.

Yes I was happy with the end result as the task went to plan. The group did exactly what we wanted as we stuck to the storyboard for all shots resulting in a successful outcome. We did the correct number of shots containing what was needed and completed it on time. I think the shot types were appropriate for each clip as we filmed what was necessary. The match on action worked effectively creating the ‘imaginary bridge’. I think we worked well as group as we all listened to each other and put forward our own ideas so we could all agree on the end product. However next to improve if we did it again we would need to manage our time by filming in a specific order so we would not need to rush at the end.

I feel more confident with the camera now as I have used it quite a few times. I have worked things out for myself enabling me to remember it. But I do not feel that confident using final cut express as I have not used this programme before. Once I have used it multiple times for different tasks I will become more confident as I will know what the different functions are and what they do.

Evaluating the Preliminary Task- Catriona

Evaluating the Preliminary Task by catrionamorgan

Evaluating the preliminary task - Antonia

Evaluating the Preliminary task:

My group and I were asked to film an example of shot-reverse-shot, a common camera style that is typically used to film a conversation between two characters. Other camera techniques include match on action and the 180 degree rule. We prepared for this task by storyboarding our idea, giving drawings of every shot and examples of all the dialogue spoken between the two characters.


 We started filming in one of the school corridors, having the actor walking towards the camera and then past it to walk into the classroom. My role in the group was to make sure the camera was at the right height and angle before we started filming. The main continuity principle I used was shot-reverse-shot and to show this I used an over the shoulder shot as I felt this was the most effective way to show this principle. To show match on action I used a long shot that was positioned slightly to the left. This was effective as we showed the actor walking down the corridor, in front and behind her, showing two different views and the actor was walking on the same side, walking the same way which showed the match on action. As for showing the 180 degree rule I used an over the shoulder shot, but stayed on the same side of the of the actors, not to confuse the audience of what side each actor was on. I kept my framing simple when shooting in the corridor as the background represented the environment the character was in and the audiences attention should be on the actor. When filming in the classroom I kept the tables and the chairs in the shot to show the classroom atmosphere and when filming the conversation between the two actors I kept the shelves of books in the background to add to the framing and setting.


I was happy with my final result as I think my group and I edited it accurately and each shot flowed well into the next. I also think that my end result was good as every shot was in chronological order and everything made sense to the audience watching. The match on action flowed and the shot-reverse-shot was effective. I think my group could have improved getting the shots to equally match up; not to move the camera between shots as the camera is placed in a different position and the audience may see more or less of what is in the framing. I think using a over the shoulder shot was appropriate for showing the shot-reverse-shot as it showed the actors expressions, while keeping within the 180 degree rule.


I think my group and I worked really well as we discussed in detail the shots and shot types so everyone knew what they were doing while filming. While filming we watched back our work and discussed if we needed to edit, and if we wanted to make any changes to the camera angle or the position of the actors. When editing our sequence we all worked together well as we were all able to identify where the filming needing editing and we all took into consideration what everyone was saying.


I feel quite comfortable when using the camera to film. I understand how the camera works and how to use the lenses to zoom in/out and make the framing blurred or sharpen features. I'm not as confident using final cut express. I know how to edit and partially how to use it, but because there is so many features to use I get a bit stuck on what to do. Having said that I still feel able to use this as software...Its just a case of getting used to it and what it can do. I think for me the hardest struggle was to plan what we wanted to film as I found it hard to understand what my group wanted to achieve from the storyboard. I also find planning how I wanted to film hard because I'd usually just film it and see what happens, but to actually plan it was hard because I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but with my groups help I think our filming was very successful.


  

Macro Analysis of Casino Royale- Catriona

Casino Royale Opening Macro Analysis by catrionamorgan

Film review of Casino Royale opening -Annabelle

Casino Royale

Casino Royale –one of the James Bond films- is an action Thriller. It’s about how 007 defeats a weapon dealer in a game of poker facing many challenges on the way. Certain style conventions are used to carry out the thriller genre in this film.

Narrative: The film is based around crime which you can tell from the dialogue and props at the beginning of the film. When Bond is talking to a man he asks how he dies and a clip shown to display this. He then kills the man with a gun giving the audience the idea that the story is based around crime. You can tell the story revolves around money as the title graphics show pictures of casinos including gambling. The viewers also know it will be a spy story as James Bond himself is a spy but also the beginning is filmed in black and white which is style convention in spy themes. One of the first thing that happens is Bond eliminates the bad guy which it makes it more interesting as to what could lead one from that.

Title graphics/sequence: The graphics had symbols of clubs, hearts, spades and diamonds from playing cards throughout the titles linking to the gambling theme at the casino. Emphasising how money has a big part to play in the film. The words are small white and bold which stand out from the darker background colours. It implies the films will be serious as they are in a sharp font. They are also modern representing that the film will be modern as James Bond has all the latest gadgets and flash cars. The main colours in the title sequences are black and red –which are also found on the symbols on playing cards- which represent blood, evil and darkness. This then relates to the thriller genre of the film as guns produce blood and show the dark side to a person.

Sound and lighting: The music is used before intense scenes to key in dramatic moments getting the viewer interested and hinting at what is about to come next. Quite a few gun shots are heard standing out above the background noise suggesting they play a very important role in film. Heavy breathing is also heard suggesting fear or nervousness about past or future action relating to the thriller genre. Silence is the background is noticed making it more mysterious as the viewer is waiting for the actor’s reaction on the unfolding events. Low key lighting is used frequently so less colours is used focusing more attention on the action and dialogue as this moves the story along. The bathroom scene where Bond kills a spy is bleached out to show it is a flashback.

Characterisation: James Bond is physically fit as he has to do a lot of running, moving and fighting, he has to keep up with his enemies as the storylines is always unfolding. He has a clear voice with a slight edge to it showing he has authority and is in control which is a running theme for 007 characters. Suits are used a lot continually to show importance and how the person has power over other people as you look smart. He carries around a gun to show he has a higher status and it represents being serious by having important duties to carry out. The top button is undone on the suit to show he is always busy and on the move. The main theme throughout the film is action consisting of fighting and killing which is an aspect of the thriller genre. A leather hat and gloves are worn suggesting the man is a villain.

Cinematography: Close up shots are used on the Villain in the lift to show the emotion in his eyes. Point of view shots are used in the opening sequence so you can a fell from the character and how they view things influencing their actions. When the villain looks in the mirror a whip pan is used to move round to James Bond behind, making the image burry. This reflects what he is thinking as his mind working out why he is there and what he has to say. Low angle shots are used to show the villain walking giving him authority of the other characters. Medium close ups are used so the audience can see the costumes and props setting the scene which is important in thrillers as there could be little hints at what is about to happen or what has happened, being a significant part of the story. Jump cuts are often used to edit parts of scenes together to show how fast the action is moving.

Themes: Crime fighter is a genre displayed in the opening scene. This is included in the thriller genre as the plots usually revolve around crime and James Bond is no exception. Villain is another theme as every thriller needs one otherwise there would be no one for the good guy to fight against. Law is also another film as killing someone and hiding the evidence is breaking the law. 

Casino Royale essay- Antonia

Casino Royale

Preliminary Task Storyboard -Annabelle

 This is our storyboard for the preliminary task. It includes the characters, shots, locations and dialogue of where the scene will take place.