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