How My Group Used Foley In The Opening Title Sequence

In the first draft of our opening title sequence, we did not use any foley. As a result there was a lot of background sound such as wind and traffic, that was unnecessary and made the dialogue difficult to hear, especially at the beginning of the sequence.

Therefore we decided to use foley in order eliminate the background sound, and to improve the quality of the dialogue being spoken. We did this by recording the dialgue in a music studio, which had high quality microphones, which would be able to make the dialogue sound more clear and crisp.  We decided to also add in footsteps, car door sound effects, the sniper shot along with the dialogue, in order to ensure that everything that should be heard within the sequence, is heard, and that no particular sound effect is lounder or quieter then it should be. Then, we found a sound track, which we implemented into our sequence with the owners permission, which we felt gave the sequence a btter sense of atmostphere and tension.We also had to synch up the dialogue and sound effects with the sequence within the editng software, adobe after effects. This was done to ensure that the dialogue actually played we the characters opened their mouths, and that the other sounds played when they were necessary, and not just at random.

Overall, the foley we added to the sequence gave us more control of how lound we wanted the sound to be, and fade in when dialogue was about to take place. We did this mainly to aid the audience in hearing what was being said, and to potentially gain more marks by recording our own foley.


It is clear to see how foley has made a difference to our final opening title sequence from our draft.

How my opening sequence is graded

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/81037-specification.pdf

 

 

Video

Level 1 0–23 marks

The work for the main task is possibly incomplete. There is minimal evidence in the work of the creative use of any relevant technical skills such as:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Level 2 24–35 marks

There is evidence of a basic level of ability in the creative use of some of the following technical skills:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Level 3 36–47 marks

There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:

• Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

62 © OCR 2013 GCE Media Studies – v6 June 2013

Level 4 48–60 marks

There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:

• material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;

• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Log Lines Into Treatment

'A police officer seeks revenge for the death of his partner, who was murdered by an infamous assassin.'

I am going to treat this logline as the logline for the film. I am going to chose this logline because it creates great amounts of enigma, which will entice the audience to go  an watch the film. The type of questions that would be put into the audiences head should be, Why was he killed? What had he done? Why is he seeking revenge? What has the assassin got to do with killing the officer?

This logline also creates a great opportunity to expand on a relationship that develops between the close detectives who work in the police force, and the emotion that is felt by the police officer when his closest friend is taken away form him (assassinated). Similarly, the logline also provides, a chance for the director to explore the difficulties faced by society from potentially armed people, such as criminal groups.

The logline relates to the start of the film because it sets the scene that a police officer has to deal with the loss of his closest friend and work colleague, who gets assassinated by a trained ex army marksman.

In the middle of the film, the logline hints towards the remaining officer decided to investigate further into the assassin who murdered his friend. He finally the discovers the name of the much suspected assassin, and he also discovers that the assassin is directly associated with a major political leader in London. This could provide a opportune moment for the director to really emphasise how a detective works, and how difficult it is to track down criminals, not just in the film, but in reality as well.

At the end, the log line could suggest that the sole detective is able to capture the assassin, and provide evidence that links him with the major politician, thereby getting him arrested, and restoring equilibrium in the film. This cold be used as a chance to demonstrate how criminals are punished for serious crimes like murder and gang violence.

loglines and treatment - http://maxshores.com/tcf145/?p=1854

Editing Thriller - Michael Harrowes

Discuss a Skype call that has been organised with BAFTA nominated editor Mike Harrowes who is currently editing a horror drama for British TV. The questions we will ask him will be:

Why did you get into the editing industry?

What is the most effective editing technique to use in a thriller film?

What is the most difficult thing that you have edited and why?

What editing techniques would you advise us to use in our opening title sequence?


Michael Harrowes - IMDb

Examples of his work include: Spoof or Die, Long Lost Family and Heist

The Idents Used In My Opening Title Sequence

These are the idents used in my opening title sequence. We created these using the software Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe After Effects. We created two idents because we felt that our film would not be produced by a single company, which is a common convention of thriller films.

Film Test With The 700D Camera

We have tested this range of shots as they are going to be used in our opening title sequence. It is important to also understand how the camera works, as this will be key to ensuring we can film certain aspects of the opening title sequence without any issues. Furthermore, by completing this test, we will be able to learn how to zoom in and out with the camera, which will be important in our opening title sequence to film shots in the way that we would want to.

Production Company Idents

Idents are the logos that are associated with a particular company. They are usually at the start of the film, and often feature in advertsiements, opening title sequences and trailers. This has been done by companies to increase brand awareness through people who are watching the film, and through the larger audience of people who are watching the trailer during the advertsiemnt break of a TV show.

The 6 biggest cinema idents are:

Foley

What is Foley?

Foley effects are sound effects added to the film during post production. They include sounds such as footsteps, clothes rustling, crockery clinking, paper folding, doors opening and slamming, punches hitting, glass breaking, etc. Basically, it is adding in the sound that recordists try to avoid recording. .

The boom operator's job is to clearly record the dialogue, and only the dialogue. At first, it may seem odd to add back to the soundtrack the very sounds the sound recordists tried to exclude.This has been all done for control. By excluding these sounds during filming and adding them in post, you have complete control over the timing, quality, and volume of the sound effects.

By adding the foley sound effects in after, you can control its intensity, and fade it down once the dialogue begins. Even something as simple as boots on gravel can interfere with the dialogue if it is recorded too loudly. 

How is Foley Recorded?

Foley is usually performed by Foley artists. They stand on a Foley stage (an area with a variety of possible surfaces and props) in a Foley studio (a specialized sound studio). The Foley artists can clearly see a screen which displays the footage they are to add sound effects to, and they perform their sound effects while watching this screen for timing. The actions they perform can inclu
de walking, running, jostling each other, rubbing their clothing, handling props, and breaking objects, all while closely observing the screen to ensure their sound effects are appropriate.

Why Do We Use Foley?

Without Foley, a film sounds empty and hollow - the actors seem to be talking in a vacuum (no sound). The sound recordist provides the just dialogue and gets rid everything else, but films needs more than this for the picture to "come alive". We need to hear the little sounds of clothes, furniture, but we need to control those sound effects so they don't obscure any of the dialogue.

Another common use for Foley sound replacement is adding it to documentary footage. Old historical film seems lifeless when it is screened without sound, and adding foley to it helps bring those old images to life.

Foley can also be used to enhance comedy or action scenes. Watch most comedy films and you'll notice that many of the sounds are enhanced for comic effect, and sometimes the Foley sound is the joke. As for action, most fist fights do not involve the actors really hitting each other, and even if they did we would not be able to record a satisfying punch sound. By punching and variously objects such objects as cabbages, celery and sides of beef, Foley artists can record unique and much more 'realistic' action sounds.

Levels

I will analyse 4 opening title sequences created by students and give hem a level between 1 and 4, with level 4 being the best and level 1 being the worst.




I would level this opening title sequence as a level 1 piece of work. I have given it this level because the editing has huge black gaps at certain points, which should not even be there. then after 30 seconds there are no more credits, leaving out who directed the film. This leads to a Furthermore, the camera used to film the entire piece is hand held. This leads to a lack of atmosphere and the camera being shaken when it should be still. Also the camera has a very limited style of shots, usually long shots, with a medium close up shot at the very end. The long shot gives a good representation of the setting used to in seqeunce, however it creates a lack of atmosphere. The camera also does not move throughout a shot. An example in this piece is a (0:29), where the camera does not move, even when the door has shut, and the character is difficult to see, at (0:39), the same problem occurs, where the same shot continues for 11 seconds, while he character gets harder and harder to see.


Gender - This opening title sequence clearly shows that this film is not gender orientated as there is a lack of clues to suggest what gender this sequence is aimed at.

Setting - setting is shown through a sequence of long shots heavily, throughout the sequence. In the first scene, we see a shot of a street, suggesting that this is the characters home town, where she would leave later on in the sequence.

Atmosphere - The sound creates an atmosphere of tension, but this tension is then partially eradicated by the sound cutting out, a long time before another piece of music starts to play, which creates an atmosphere of sadness and unease, when she returns. The credits at the start also suggest that this sequence has a feeling of horror and death that his eluded to by the black and red text and font. The clothes that she is wearing also tell us something about the atmosphere in the sequence. At the start she is wearing white dress that connotes innocence, while towards the end of the film, we see her wearing as black top and trousers to connote death or violence.

Character - We are only introduced to one character throughout the entire sequence. What we can tell about this character is that she starts the sequence as an innocent girl running away,we know through her white top. When she returns, we see her wearing black clothing, which could suggest that she is a much more violent character, and is associated with dark topics more then at the start of the sequence.

Narrative (enigma) - The narrative in this sequence is present at the start of the sequence as it got the audience thinking, why is she running? who from? what has she done? But at (1:21), we see her 5 years later, which kills off the enigma that was created before.



I would rate this opening sequence a level 4 piece of work. I would rate this a level 4 because there is a variety of edits used, such as fades, blurred dissolves and cuts.  There is an element of Foley used, when he smashes the bottle, which gains then a lot of marks and the other sound used in the sequence is really effective in creating an atmosphere and enigma. The font used, along with the colors of red and black create a strong feeling of horror and death, that is present towards the end of the sequence. The range of camera shots also connote who is in power, and who has authority and create a sense of character and gender. For a level 4, students must show:

. material appropriate for the target audience and task;

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;

• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;

• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects

Gender - This opening sequence starts with a boy walking off, wanting to be independent, which is a stereotypical representation of men in a film and TV drama. We then see a boy dancing with a women, which once again is a stereotypical representation of both men and women. Also the camera is filming a from a high shot, which portrays young men and women as vulnerable and submissive. Then, we see a male villain abduct the character that walked off from the rest of the group. This is stereotypical as most villains in movies are men, as they seen as being powerful, and independent.

Character - We first see a character, walk away form the rest of the group. This could be because he is frustrated at the fact that his friends have old him he should not drink any more, suggesting that he has a drinking problem, and wants to be alone, where he later finishes the drink. This could tell us that he does not like being told what to do or that he prefers to be alone. We are then introduced to his friends who are clearing concerned about where they friend has gone a decide to track him down, eventually to a school where they meet then antagonist.

Atmosphere  - We are first introduced to a party atmosphere in this sequence. this is a very social atmosphere with everyone having a good time and at this particular party, they are having a drink with each other. Then we see one character walk away into a dark, poorly lit wood. This creates an atmosphere of uncertainty, and a mystery, as we do not know what is lurking out in the woods, and judging by the dark lighting, there is also an element of danger about where the character is heading, which is shown later on in the sequence. Another atmosphere is created when the two friends go an investigate where their friend has disappeared to. This atmosphere is one of unease and urgency, as they realize that he could be heading into trouble, which is also demonstrated through the mise en scene of the forest. This same sense of urgency and shock is also carried forward to the next scene, which shows their friend being abducted by what seems to be a psycho killer. Then, a feeling of desperation is apparent, when the two friends run away from the crazy killer, who has just killed their friend.

Setting - There are three settings used for this opening title sequence, the party venue, the forest, and the school. The party venue is represented as being a place where most teenagers in the sequence go, and it is a very social place, where teenagers go to have fun. The forest is very dark, and poorly lit. This gives the impression that this is not a safe place to be and is surrounded by danger, which is connoted through the dark lighting a silhouettes of tree branches in the foreground of the camera.

Narrative (enigma) - Enigma is present throughout the sequence. The first question we are faced with is, why are the characters in the party area? We think this because we are placed into the party with no clues of how the characters got there. We are then left to wonder what the killer is doing in the school. we think this because we had not seen this character previously in the sequence. The final enigma the audience is faced with is, do the two friends escape? They think this because the sequence ends with the two friends trying to escape from the killer, but run into a locked door.

Evaluation Of The Preliminary Task

This is our preliminary task piece. We filmed the piece using a Cannon 700D which enabled us to get high quality images, which makes it easier to see what is happening on screen. While filming the piece, we made sure that we kept to the following continuity editing rules; the 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot, and match on action. We did this by filming certain sections of the film in particular ways, in order to make the film look real and maintain continuity.

The first scene we filmed was a shot of character A walking down the stairs and opening a door handle. To keep in line with continuity, we filmed a close up of character A opening the door. We did this keep with match on action and to let the audience see that he actually opened the door, and didn't just go straight through it. This creates a sense of realism for the audience, to make the audience seem like they are with the character. We then see the character close the door behind him to further enhance the match on action present at this point.

The next shot shows the same character walking across a room to approach character B. We can see that there is possibly a bit too much space between  character A and the edge of the camera shot. This could be reduced because it distracts the audiences focus, which should be on the character, not on the setting.

Just at the end of the scene, we see character A raise his hand to give Character B a handshake. The next shot shows seamless editing which makes it extremely difficult to see a change in time through the cuts. This creates a realistic feeling to the audience as it seems like the cuts happened simultaneously, as there is no gap between the raising of the characters hand, and the next scene where he lowers it to shake the other characters hand.

The two characters then start to have a conversation about borrowing each others phone. While this conversation is taking place, we incorporated a shot reverse shot. This enabled the audience to see each characters face and emotion when having the conversation, and was required to be in the sequence somewhere, due to the guidelines for the preliminary task.

We then see the character walk back across the room. We filmed this because it was required in the specification of the preliminary task. We filmed this part of the task in one shot, to establish the surroundings of the location. The camera then zooms to a close up of the character opening the door handle. This is once again to keep with match on action throughout the film.

The camera then cuts to a medium shot of the character walking out the door. The camera then pans across the room, to track the character walking out the final set of doors, to end the task. This once again allows the audience to see the surrounding area where the task is being shot.

Credits

At the BFI, I learned how important credits were to actors and how much they desired to have a credit all to themselves. The visual effects person who was at the BFI study day, really emphasised how much actors demand an individual credit.

Credits are a big part of a movie. They tell the audience who has stared in the film, the director, the producer, the distributers and editors.

End credits are added to the end of a movie to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page or move smoothly. Credits may crawl either right to left, usually in the UK, or bottom to top, more commonly in American movies. Credits that appear during an opening title sequence do not appear at the end of a movie.

Kyle Cooper

From watching this interview with Kyle Cooper, I was able to understand how important it is to have titles. In particular, its important to ensure that they are of a suitable font and size which give an impression and tone to the film. For example, in Se7en, Kyle Cooper has ensured that the text looks had written and jumpy. This is to relate to the fact that character in the sequence is a psycho, who is hand writing notes down in a journal, scratching his emotion and developing his own optical in the bath, where he is writing on the film, and is all jumpy.

The type in To Kill A Mocking Bird is very simple, as it does not hid behind objects or move in a Z-axis. The form of the horizontal type and the circular marbles makes for a good contrast, so therefore the type is integrated.

One of the key elements that I learnt was that everything is done for a reason. There are no 'mistakes' when it comes to title design. Every last detail is considered when creating the sequence, from a crack in a photo, to the hair on King Kong.

One of the films that made the biggest impression on him was 'The dead Zone' by Tom Skerritt. This was because the sequence consisted of simple typography, great music, and simple shapes, which linked the graphic design skills that he had developed earlier.

Opening Sequence Designers

There are many famous opening sequence designers, however not many are as good as Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper. They have covered a range of famous title sequences between them, like Vertigo, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Se7en, Psycho and North BY Northwest.


Saul Bass described his main goal for his title sequences as being to ‘’try to reach for a simple, visual phrase that tells you what the picture is all about and evokes the essence of the story”. He wanted the audience to see familiar parts of their world in an unfamiliar way, he called it  “making the ordinary extraordinary”. Examples of this image that he wanted to portray can be seen in Walk On The Wild Side, where an ordinary cat becomes a mysterious prowling predator. All modern opening title sequences that introduce the mood or theme of a film can be seen as a legacy of Saul Bass's work. In particular, though, title sequences for some recent movies and television series, especially those whose setting is during the 1960s, that have purposely copied the animated sequences from that era. Some examples of title sequences that relate to Bass’s graphics and animated title sequences are Catch Me If You Can and X-Men:First Class.

http://www.creativebloq.com/design/top-movie-title-sequences-10121014

BFI Study Day

During the study day to the BFI I learned many things, from learning how to analyse an opening sequence, to knowing what it takes to be a producer or visual effects worker. The first thing I was told, was how to break down an opening title sequence. To do this, you need to look at the Genre, Narrative (enigma), Character, Atmosphere and Setting of a sequence. Every opening sequence contains all of these elements, however, they usually focus on one specific element, due to their genre, plot or reputation. For example, Dawn Of The Dead is a horror film, so the opening sequence specifically highlights atmosphere, as this what makes horror films unique and stand out from other genres of film.

While I was there, I also got the chance to analyse and look at previous students films,to see what separates a level 1 opening sequence, from a level 4 opening sequence. For level 1 sequences, they showed to much of the plot, which diminshed the enigma in the film. Also there were very few, if not, no credits for producers, editors, and many othe roles used in creating a film. Furthermore the camera quality was no very good, which further lost marks. In contrast, the level 4 film had, a good quality camera, contained over 15 credits, and had suitable music. Also, the level 4 film was exactly the right length (2 minutes), and did not tell too much about the plot, which placed an enigma in the audiences head, which made it a level 4.

A visual effects producer also came in, and explained how important it is to get the visual effects right. He first explained how significant it was to get the text the right colour and size, so that it was not to distracting, but equally not so difficult to read that it does not get ignored. he then said that certain cast members get individual credits, while some smaller cast member, barely get a credit at all. He suggested that this was down to the quality of the star cast members, and that they demand a individual credit, otherwise they will not take part in the film.

He also used the phrases, 'above the line' and 'below the line'. The phrases are all about the costs that the film has to pay. 'Above the line', refers to the amount of cost it will take to get a high class, Hollywood actor on board to act in the film. 'Below the line' is used to say the cost for actually producing the film.

We were then introduced to a young producer. He explained that his job was to basically look over the whole film. He told how difficult it was to get permission to film in certain areas of London, and to get good quality actors on board, with a small budget of just £60,000,for the entire film. He also said that he had to use cash raising websites like Kickstarter, in order to get funds, along with using facilities that he could use for free, like his old school.

http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/

Film openings 1 copy from petefrasers

Film openings 2 from petefrasers

Log Lines For My Opening Title Sequence

'A police officer seeks revenge for the death of his partner, who was murdered by an infamous assassin.'

Armed and ready, a group of criminals have taken over abandoned warehouse, knowing that a group of agents are constantly on their trail.

Now or never, a group of armed criminals have to make a split second decision about whether to give up the fight or keep on running.

The log line that we have decided to use is 'A police officer seeks revenge for the death of his partner, who was murdered by an infamous assassin'. We have decided to use this because it gives us the opportunity to create a thriller opening sequence that is includes action, enigma and other conventions of thriller opening title sequences. This will thereby for fill the purpose of the sequence to be a thriller. However, it also gives us the opportunity to add a twist into the sequence, which may increase the enigma, tension and suspense that is in thriller films. The log line will also use mise en scene, to represent different social groups in the form of criminals and police officers.

Our Recreation Of The Opening Title Sequence (Memento)

Targets

There are many areas of which we could of improved during filming our preliminary task. One of these was lighting. During filming, we did not take into consideration the lighting and whether we should have made it brighter or darker, in order to of created an atmosphere or feeling towards a character.

Another aspect we could of improved on was script writing. the script that we wrote was not very clear on why the character needed to borrow the other characters phone. This therefore caused some confusion among the audience as they were thinking why does he need another phone? and  why has he given in another phone in case he does not trust him?

I feel that we could also improve the level of ICT that we have used to edit our film. This because we did not maximize the potential capability that the software (Adobe After Effects) had to offer, as we had basic knowledge of how to use to use it. 

I feel that we could also improve among the team communication among the group. This is because we did not communicate our individual ideas about the filming across very well, which could of led to some simple mistakes being corrected.

evaluation of skill developed

From completing the preliminary task, i have learnt how to film a conversation using the 180 degree rule.It is important to use the 180 degree rule in a conversation as it allows the audience to feel as though they are part of the conversation and receiving the information themselves about what is being said by the characters.

i also learned how to film match on action and why it is necessary in a film. Match on action is the filming of a particular event to make the audience think that it has actually happened. For example in our preliminary task, we filmed the character actually putting his hand on the door handle and opening the door. this make the audience believe that he has actually opened the door, and it has just opened by itself.

I also learned how to film a shot reverse shot. This involves filming a conversation over the characters shoulders. this makes the audience feel more involved in the conversation, which is crucial to them being interested in what the characters have to say.

I also developed the creative side to filming the task. This is because we had to come up with a situation which the preliminary task could take place and we could for fill what we needed to include (match on action, shot reverse shot, and the 180 degree rule). In our preliminary task, we created the situation that one character needed to borrow the other characters phone.

I also learnt the technical aspect of filming the task with the camera and tri pod. This is because I had to move the tri pod every time a new character spoke, as we needed to keep in line with the shot reverse shot. Further more we needed to ensure that we filmed on one side of the line created by the 180 degree rule, to ensure that we did not break it. Furthermore, I also learnt how to position the camera when filming a pan shot. This was difficult at first as the camera would be moving horizontally, which may bring the character closer to the camera while it is still panning round.

I also learnt how much space to leave between the characters and the camera to film a medium shot, long shot and close up shot of the characters. This can be important in films as certain shot sizes can connote different things about a character.

I learnt how to personalize the task to my liking by suggesting ideas that improved the look of the task. For example I suggested how a character might sit in order to ensure that their head does not cover an unnecessary amount of the shot when filming the shot reverse shot part of the task.

My group also had to carry out pre production work before we filmed the task, like a storyboard, location, equipment and shot list. This gives us good practice of what to do when we film our final product which is an opening title sequence.

Storyboard

Log Lines

A log line is a sentence that always poses a question to the audience to make them feel intrigued and what to see the film.

1. 'Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.' - Juno

2.  'A young woman steals $40000 from her employers client, and subsequently encounters a young hotel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.'

3. 'A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover form amnesia'

A good website which uses log lines is IMDb - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088263/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Preliminary Task

In groups of no more then 4

Its a continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room, and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he or she exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task must demonstrate match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule 

Timeline of credits in an opening title sequence

This is my credits timeline for the opening title sequence in Catch Me If You Can. The opening title sequence is 2:32 seconds long and consists of 26 overall credits, including director, producers, music and the lead starring actors and actresses.

Editing and Camera Techniques

Editing used in Thriller Opening Title Sequences

The first opening title sequence that I will analyse the editing on is, The Machinist. The sequence begins with a transition in the form of a dissolve. A dissolve is a type of editing used, to merge two clips together. In this particular transition, we see a combination of the tree from a graveyard in the previous scene, in the current scene of a car in a city. The tree then wipes across the screen to show a dissolve an image of a train.

We then see a wipe coming across the screen. This form of editing suggests a new start for characters involved in a particular scene or action. In this sequence, the is a image of a train that wipes across the screen, to reveal a series of houses that fades into a white background. There is then a set of double doors revealed when the picture fades back in from a white background. The double doors then wipe across the screen, and then fades into a black background. This suggests that entering through these doors, could potentially lead to death.Then the clip fades back into a image of a section of shops that have a lot of graffiti on them. The camera then zooms in on a black window, which fades into a black background,with the name of the movie appearing in white text.This could have been done to suggest that this section of shops leads to the ending of the film, but how?, is the question that is put in the audience, making them want to watch more of the film.

Analysis Of Thriller Title Sequences

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol is the first title sequence that I will analyse. this is a thriller movie, so it show help me to understand what I need to put into my opening title sequence, which will be a thriller movie.

The camera used in the clip are varied. The main camera angle that was used was a tracking camera, that followed a lit fuse of dynamite. This has been done to symbolize the fact that the main character follows danger and is not afraid to take risks. Another camera angle that we are introduced to is a long shot of a man wearing a army uniform.

This could have been done to suggest that the main character has something to do with the army, or that the army is searching for him. The long shot also highlights the location of the army man who is sea
rching around in back room.
After tracking the flame for a while longer, we reach a medium shot of a smartly dressed man trying to break into a container.

This could hint at the fact that he is working for a high status company, or he could be trying to break into a top security place, as he is trying to break into a container. The next shot we are introduced to is a very short shot of the main character himself. He is pictured in a medium shot, allowing us to see that he is potentially vulnerable as he is filmed in a high shot, looking down at him. One of the final shots we come to in the sequence is a shot of the main character in a high tech location full of smartly dressed people, suggesting that he is part of a top organisation. The final shot we come to is a close up shot of a woman holding a camera. This could suggest that she is trying to record the hero at work, or that she is trying to find him, as she is an opponent to him.

The next element of the title sequence  that plays a part in a title sequence is sound. There is a clear non diegetic theme tune in the background of the entire title sequence. This tune connotes high amounts of tension, action and mystery. This is probably down to the fact the the music is fast paced which is why the theme suggests that the film is full of action. Another sound that we here is the diegetic sound of the flame sparking down the rope, as it sparks along. This sound has been put in to connote danger that comes with the dynamite and the danger that faces the character within the film.

Mise en scene is another element of the title sequence that has some representation of the movie. Straight away we are introduced to a dark tunnel lit up by the flame that is on its way to the dynamite pack. This represents that the main character is going to face danger, that is represented as the dark in this sequence. We are then introduced to a army member, who is is also lighting up a room with a torch. His army uniform connotes authority and skill, while his torch suggests he could possibly working with the main character to light up the room", which in this case is the enemy.

Then, we see the main character for the first time. we see that his is wearing everything black and is firing a gun. The fact that he is wearing black suggests that he is a spy of some mind, and is a danger to many people. The gun, backs up the theory that he is a danger as a gun can cause considerable harm and kill people easily. Straight after, we are shown a overview of a city, which is where all the action is going to take place.

Then we are introduced to a fight between two men, and a lady pointing a gun at them. The men are wearing black and white shirts, which suggest that they are working against each other, as black and white are often seen as opposites. The woman pointing a gun at the two men is wearing a white dress. The dress suggests high class, while the white hints towards innocence and unknown, which causes a question to the audience.

We are then shown a black sports car travelling along a busy highway. This demonstrates how fast paced the film action is going to be, and suggests a lot of class for enemy who is driving the car. Later on, we see the army soldier once again which has been put in to show that he has an important role to play int the movie. Finally, we are introduced to the main character in his office, with many smartly dressed men, wearing a pair of earphones and looking at a high tech screen. This suggest that he is an intelligent  spy, and has lots of gadgets at his disposal to defeat the enemy, like James Bond.

The final element that creates a representation throughout the title sequence is the editing. Instantly, we see a flash of light when the spark is lit. This catches the audiences attention, and  makes then want to see more of the movie. Next, the text enters and exits the screen very quickly. This is to represent the fast paced action of the film, and to give the audience a feel as to what kind of film they are going to be watching. The next bit of editing used is the title of the film appearing quickly, and then smashing like a glass. This shows that the audience that danger is not far away, and that the hero could be at risk at any time. This also catches the audiences attention.  after this, the transitions between the different parts of the sequence become very fast and flowing. This creates a feeling of a fast paced film, with lots of action, and scenes happening that lead up to victory for the hero. Finally, at the end of the sequence, the spark finally hits the detonation pack, and explodes in a flash of light. This has been done once again to crab the readers attention, and highlights that the film is about the continue.

The next thriller film that I will analyse is Drive. The title sequence starts with a camera overview of a city. This gives us a sense of location, where most of the action will take place. It will also give us an indication of what to expect when the car chases begin to occur. We are then introduced to a medium - close up of a man sitting in a car. He has got a concerned look on his face, and the fact that the camera is zoomed in top, shows us this, means that he could well be in trouble, or on the run, which would make him the main character in this film. Then, we are shown a shot of the same character in a over the shoulder camera angle, with the background out of focus.

This puts a lot of the audiences attention towards the character and giving him priority over everything else in the shot. A few seconds later, we are put in a overview camera shot, this time of the characters car, and the rests of the traffic. However, the shot then zooms out, giving us a clearer direction of where he is travelling, and it seems that he is travelling to no particular destination, accept more motorways. The camera then tracks the character as he walks out of the car park and into a hotel room. This tells us where he is going, which answers the question left to answer when all we see is miles of tarmac. When in the hotel room, we get a low shot of the character. This connotes authority and power, which is not demonstrated by the character, as he just leaves a bag on the table and walks off. Power and authority, are common traits if a male character, and the fact that he does not show any of these traits, could lead us to believe that he a subversive representation of a male character. The final shot we are shown, is a extreme long shot of the characters car within the city location that we are given at the start of the sequence. This shot, once again does not tell us where he is going, or what he was doing with the bag the bag he left on the table.

The editing used throughout this extract is transitions that dissolve into one another. This tells us how the character, or room, relates to the previous shot. As well as dissolving into one another, some shots cut straight into each other, at a very slow rate. This gives the impression that he is going out for a relaxing drive, or that he is feeling upset and concerned, after something he had just done.  These is a particular transition at 1:17, which shows a city shot, dissolving into a close up of him in his car. This could be used to represent that he is driving for the sake of driving, with no real goal or ambition. Then, there is a cut transition which skips time, this has been done to speed up his movement, and to show that time has passed between him  getting out of the car, and entering the hotel room. The editing of the text on screen has been coloured purposefully, so that it stands out from the actual film itself. The colours of the sequence are dark, while the text is coloured bright pink. This symbolises the character could be an Innocent victim of something previous, as pink connotes innocence and potentially in trouble. The fact that the text stands out, also suggests that it is important to read who is tarring in the film, and who the directors are, which will get the audience intrigued into watching the film.

The next element of this title sequence is the mise en scene. The first shot we see is the character wearing a black jacket. This suggests that he is related to death in some way, and is in a lot of danger. We then see that he is wearing a watch. This watch could suggest that he is working for some form of intelligence, or that he has stolen it along with other items, which could he is a thief, which would explain his upset and concerned facial expressions. We are then shown a shot of him parking up his car next to a group of other cars. This highlights how different his car is compared to everyone else, which are worth a lot less. his once again hints towards him being a criminal, but is could also connote that he stands  out for good reasons, as he may be a successful businessman. We then see his jacket in full light, and it is bright silver, with a yellow lizard on it. The silver suggest innocence, while the lizard represents something that stays out of trouble. Combine these together and you rather get the impression that he is am innocent victim of some crime that had happened previously. Finally, we see him standing in the shadows of the hotel room with a bag that is black. This could suggest that he wants to turn his life around, by getting rid of his black past, represented by the bag, and start again in this city.

Sound is the final way that I am going to analyse this opening title sequence. Throughout the entire sequence, non diegetic music is playing. The music is medium paced, with a strong beat, and therefore hints towards mystery. This follows the common pattern of this sequence, as it leaves a lot of unanswered questions to the audience. The music itself backs up the feelings of concern and sadness, that are displayed on the characters face the entire sequence, and thereby suggests that the character is feeling upset after something that happened previously.

Anaylsis of font and colour in a opening title sequanece

Catch Me If You Can opening sequence.

Colour - The colour at the start of the title sequence is a blue background, with black text. This gives the impression that it is set at night as the text is dark on a background and is attached with the black section located at the bottom of the shot, and accompanied with bright stars, which further prove that this part of the sequence is set at night.

Later on in the sequence, the dark blue night sky changes into a bright blue sky suggesting daytime. At this point, we are also introduced to the main character played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The colour of his character is more faded to suggest he is trying to hide away from the fact that he is a fraud and does not want to get caught, compared to the pure black characters around him.

Next up, we are introduced to a black background shown to be a road, with white writing. This makes the text easy to read, but it is still connected to the road markings, which still hints towards the main character being a fraud. We are also introduced to a yellow taxi, which is tracked all the way by a police car. The yellow taxi represents that the movie is filmed in America, and the police car once again suggests this person has done something illegal, probably fraud, judging on previous shots.

Then, we are introduced to a scene with a yellow background, black objects and text. This has been done in order to make the text readable, and suggest that the criminal is becoming more clear to the police as black is easy to spot against a yellow background.

Text
The text throughout the sequence is connected to the high or low parts of the shot as if it blends in with the background, like a fraud. The text throughout the sequence is therefore a very good representation of a fraud, which is the main character in this case.

Later on, the lines that connect the text to the outside of the shot, begin to form support for the police officer to rest on. This is a clear sign that the police are going to gain support as the movie goes on in capturing the criminal.

As the sequence goes on, the text becomes more and more clear. This has been done especially to show that he is becoming more and more obvious that he is committing crimes, and is closer to getting arrested.

Font
The font used throughout the title sequence is a font that is very easy to read. This is very important because, it allows the audience to read the text quickly, and still understand what is represented by the lines that are coming off the text. The font remains constant throughout the sequence which meanst that there is no trouble understanding what the text says throughout the sequence.

Conventions Of Thriller Opening Title sequences

Title Sequences

The writing is often done on a black background, with non diegetic music in the background to set the scene. Its also common for thriller title sequences to have a particular event before the titles show. Examples of this convention is Kill Bill, Terminator 2 and The Departed. The most important film companies and actors are usually shown first in the sequence.

Sound

The majority of thriller films do have non-diegetic sound playing in the background, which creates an atmosphere and tension. The music can be almost as important as the story line in the sequence. Films like Kill Bill do use small amounts of dialogue, this gives the audience an insight into the characters motives or relationships with other characters in the film. In Terminator 2, Silence exaggeration is used, this builds up tension, which is a common convention in thriller films.

Editing

Hard cuts are most commonly used during thriller films like Terminator. This is done because multiple things are happening which we are not aware of, and jump cuts let us see what is happening, allowing the audience to make predictions on what the characters will be like. The cutting speeds usually begin to increase, which seems to lead to a climax of the introduction.

 Camera Shots.

The shots that are seen commonly in thriller films are low shots to show those in a powerful position, but they might also be used, like in Terminator 2, with the arrival of the Terminator shown to be in control and having the most power. Their seems to be main characters in the beginning shown through these shots, suggesting the majority of them have power and authority, which is connoted through these shots.

Over the shoulder shots are also common among thriller opening title sequence. This is because they build up suspense and brings the feeling that someone is watching there movements.

Mise En Scene

The locations of thriller films are largely dependent on the story line of the film. Lighting is also used in films such as Terminator, Kill Bill and Se7en, but fir different reasons, while trying to set a tone for the upcoming scenes of the movie. In Terminator for example, the use of lighting with machinery is set of a sci-fi thriller film.

History of Opening Sequences

Independant films vs Hollywood films

Independant films vs Hollywood films

An independent film is a film that has been produced from outside any major Hollywood companies. These films are therefore Independent films are distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' artistic vision. Usually, independent films are made with considerably lower film budgets than major Hollywood studio films.Generally, the marketing of independent films is characterized by limited release across the country, but can have major marketing campaigns and a wide release. Independent films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals before distribution. An independent film production can rival a mainstream film production if it has the necessary funding and distribution. Examples of a famous independent films are The Texas Chainsaw, Cube, Reservoir Dogs and Mad Max.

A Hollywood film is a film that is made by a Hollywood company. These films tend to have a much bigger budgets then independent films, and have a different context, style and artistic vision to independent films. This is because they have a bigger budget and can therefore afford to get professional artists in and make the film look distinguishable from independent films with a lower budget. Hollywood films typically have a larger advertising campaign then independent films, all due to there budget being larger, allowing then to pay for more advertising. Examples of Hollywood films are: Skyfall, Avengers Assemble, The Hunger games, Ted, 21 jump street and many more.

 Examples of Hollywood films - http://www.imdb.com/list/fGMpE8COV0Y/

Examples of independant films - http://www.filmsite.org/independentfilms.html