Costume 1 - School boy

Costume 2

This is the costume that our character Aidan is going to be wearing after he has left the school grounds and has gone home to change. We have chosen to represent him as a goth character and therefore most of the stereotypical 'Goth' Parts of a costume have been used.

1. The black eyeliner makeup around the eyes is stereotypical of a goth to wear which it also shows that he is different to everyone else.
2. The Grim reaper with axe guitar on the t-shirt shows he is into the heavy metal and rock music which shows a typical interest for most 'Goths.'
3. The general black of his trousers, hair and top show that he is conforming to the typical representation of 'Goths' because they are always known to wear black.

Script

Total script for opening

Animatic

This is a animatic of the opening sequence that my group and I want to create. The reason we created an animatic first before creating our opening straight away because it shows us how long roughly the whole thing is going to be but plus it shows us where we should make space to add our titles in and add spaces in if we need to and remake the animatic rather than the sequence itself.

Storyboard

This is what is going to be the middle part of our opening sequence to our film. We have story-boarded it out in this way because we want to show the audience have different people in are not all that they seem but also to show that our main character isn't a stereotypical protagonist.

This is the middle section of our storyboard and we decided to use these in the middle because it shows how equilibrium is starting to be broken (although the character doesn't realise this yet) and it makes the audience understand that not everything is at it seems.

This storyboard is going to show the end of our opening sequence and it is going to show how our main protagonist has just heard these 2 men talking about something seriously wrong and he  has then turned on his radio to hear that someone has been kidnapped and is going to be buried. Then after hearing this and putting two and two together the 'penny finally drops' which shows he understands the significance of what has happened.



The reason we have used storyboards first to put our ideas down is because it shows how we decided to position the shots and what the composition of the shots is going to be which gives us a good indicator of what we need to find when we go out and start to film. 
 

Audience Research - Voxpop

From using a Voxpop i have come to the conclusion that majority of the people my group and I asked would like the setting to be a dark forestry location which means it is isolated and secluded. Therefore my group and I have decided to use a forest location during our opening sequence to out film, however we aren't going to make it stereotypical and have it all set here and have a chase sequence there because that would make it boring and expected.

Also from our Voxpop i have come to the conclusion that that majority of people that my group and i asked would like the sounds that are heard in thriller films to be very ominous and dramatic so it grabs the audiences attention. Also a couple said that they would like to hear rustling of leaves and wolf howls. Therefore my group and i have decided find some very ominous music so it makes us feel scared and anxious as to what might happen and if we have someone walking through a forest then we will use rustling of leaves.

Film Synopsis

Beginning
at the beginning of our film there would be a very average looking teenager called Aidan and he would be seen at school doodling into one of his school books. The bell would go and he would go home, then he would change from a relatively normal teenager into a fully dressed up Goth with the black clothing, the studded bracelets. He then goes out to meet his other friends and he passes 2 men in business suits who are in a forest on a path talking about something very private, illegal and very unrelated to the jobs you would think they have. When Aidan finally realises the magnitude of what they have said he tries to tell the police but they don't follow on with his claim because they are very high powered business men who seem to the naked eye to be doing nothing wrong. So then Aidan decides to try and expose them on his own and with some help from his friends along the way.

Middle
When Aidan hears that the police are going to go no further with what he says, he then looks up about the people he heard talking and finds out where they work and what their previous criminal offences were. he then goes to where he heard that the body might be or is being buried. he arrives seeing it in the middle of it being buried and he starts to record it on his phone showing that the 2 that he saw are involved. as he puts his phone away and starts to walk away, he trips over and gets noticed by the 2 people burring the body. They then chase after him because he has seem what they have been doing, he then texts his friends that he needs help and where he is, then they catch him, tie him up, and beat him for information on what he has seen or heard. His friends then arrive just in time to jump on and wrestle the 2 antagonists to the ground, they untie Aidan and tell him to run to the police and show then the evidence.

End
So the police would come along and arrest the two antagonists and Aidan would then go on the news as a hero. He would then go back to school as if nothing would have happened. Only this time he will not be bullied and taken the mick out of because he has achieved so much and he will have the confidence to wear his Gothic clothes to school without being bullied for it.

Mind Map of Initial Ideas

Analasys of Angels & Demons (Howard, 2009, USA| Italy) Opening Sequence

In Angels & Demons Mise en scene is used to create many different meanings. For example the costume for the clergymen is either black or red Clerical clothing which creates a meaning of importance and high status. These meanings are created because when you see clergymen wearing a uniform, that means that they are high bodies within the church which means they have a high importance in terms of what happens in the church. This tells the audience that since they are all high bodies within the church something major has happened to do with the church so it would make the audience ask questions such as 'what has happened to the church?' and 'why are they all together?' This means that the audience would want to watch on because they would want to find out what has happened to the church.

These are cardinal bishops (the ones in red) around one priest (in black)

Also in Angels & Demons Sound is used to create many different meanings. For example the score that is being played over the clergymen as they are performing there act sounds very holy and sounds like something you would hear a church choir singing. This creates a meaning of holiness and also an importance towards the church. This meaning is created because when you hear church singing it sounds very powerful and reminds you that when singing happens it is an important time for the priest to speak or do sacred actions. This then says to the audience that something important is happening within the church but they don't know what it is so they will want to watch on to find out what it is.

Also Cinematography is used to create different meanings within Angels & Demons. For example the extreme close up of the ring which has the holy design on it. This creates a meaning of mystery. This creates a meaning of mystery because it would make the audience ask questions such as 'what is the design on that ring?' 'who's ring is it?' and 'what is going to happen to this ring?' so then the audience would want to view on to find out why that ring is there and what is going to happen to it. Also it creates a sense of mystery because it shows the detail on the ring which makes the audience wonder 'why was it made with this detail' and 'how is this important to what is gonna happen next?'

 

Finally Editing is used to create many different meanings in the opening of Angels & Demons. For example the long take of the ring being shown to the audience. This creates a meaning of high importance. This meaning is created because the connotations of something being shown to the audience for a long time is that it has some bearing on what is going to happen or what is going to be said shortly after it is shown, so therefore this tells the audience that it must be important because it is being shown to us for a long time. It will also make them ask questions such as 'why is this ring so important?' and 'what will happen after this ring has been shown to us?'

Conventions of a Typical Thriller Film and/or Opening Sequence

Conventions of a Thriller

• One typical convention of a Thriller film is that it creates a sense of mystery throughout, always throwing in different problems that don't seem to have an immediate solution or easy answer to get it done.
• Another typical convention of Thriller films is that the main character or characters are very intelligent and are very dedicated or are specialised in the specific subject/ area to which the film needs.
• Another typical convention for the openings of thrillers is that it typically puts you in the middle of a minor action scene or goings on so that we, the audience, don't know what has caused this action to happen or how it occurred. Some examples of Thriller's film that do this are : The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons.   

Analysis of The Da Vinci Code (Howard, 2006, USA / UK/ France/ Malta) Opening Sequence

In 'The Da Vinci Code' Mise en scene was used to create many different meanings. For example costume is worn by the old man, which is  to create a meaning that he is smart and must be important and also that he is a high status person. this creates this meaning because suits are generally known as high powered people because they are usually worn by business people who are usually very powerful people. so then this tells the audience that he must own something big and must have a big part to play, so the audience ask, what is his importance? Also costume is used to create different meanings. The white almost priest like outfit of the flagellate, person who whips himself for Christ, creates a meaning of telling the audience he is religious and that he is evil also because it is a dark blue/black colour. The colour black creates this meaning of him being evil because the connotations of black is that it is the colour of darkness and people get scared of the darkness and also evil people always hide in the darkness. and he is hiding in his costume which is dark. This makes the audience ask questions like what is he going to do and is he the main bad guy ?


  Also in 'The Da Vinci Code sound is used to create many different meanings. For example the contrapuntal sound used when the the old man is running away from sillas and the speaking of the man doing the presentation is over that creates a meaning of importance for one of these characters and also that they must have a link between them. these meanings are created because since the mans voice is over the chase scene it makes the audience think, did that man ask for this to happen? or does he realise this is happening while he is doing his presentation? Also it creates the meaning of importance because it makes the audience ask are these two people linked or important in some way?

Also cinematography is used to create many different meanings in The Da Vinci Code. For example the close up of sillas used just before he shoots the old man is used to create a meaning that he isn't human or less human than the others. this creates this meaning because it shows the details on the guys face which is a very pale white showing the audience that he is doesn't go outside and that he is less human because he has no colour to his skin whereas the older man does have a slight tan to his skin.

Finally, editing is used in The Da Vinci Code to make many different meanings. For example the fast paced editing that is used when the old man is running away from sillas, the man with the gun, is chasing the old man, this fast paced editing creates a meaning of urgency. This fast paced editing creates this meaning because since it is showing everything quickly it is telling the audience that sillas is in a rush to get what he is doing done so that he can move on to a more important task later on, which makes the audience want to keep watching so they find out what it is.

Different Possible Loactions for 3 Different Genres

Romantic Comedy

These 3 locations will be good for the genre of Romantic Comedy because they are usually set in a normal suburb of a city which usually isn't that interesting, then it becomes more interesting in that suburb. The first picture is in a park, second photo is in a side road and the third is in a car park. Also these are the normal places in 'Rom-Coms' romances occur.

Thriller

 

These photos would be good for the genre of thriller because they all challenge the audience to try and figure out where they are and what they mean. They also create a slight sense of mystery because they don't look like normal places to be. The first photo is down a path in a park, the second is inside a small wood and the third is next to part of the river Wandle.

 

Action Adventure

 



These 3 locations would be good for the genre of Action Adventure because they all look like they are in very different locations and Action Adventures are usually set in many different locations. Also the first picture is at a train station which is a usual setting in an action adventure film because the characters are usually using many different modes of transport to get to different places. The first Photo is at a train station, the second in a park and the third is down a path in a different park.

Typical Title Order in Opening Sequences to Films

In many opening sequences the order that the titles goes in is the same. This order usually is:
-Distribution Company Logo
-Production Company Logo
-'Distribution Company' Presents
-A 'Production Company' Production/Film
-Most Important Actors Name
-All Major Characters in that Film going down in importance (sometimes 2 or 3 show up together)
-Casting by 'Insert Name' (starts with the leader(s) of the 'behind the scenes' staff, starting with least important going to most important)
-Costume Design 'Insert Name(s)'
-Music by 'Insert Name(s)'
-Edited by 'Insert Name(s)'
-Production Designer 'Insert Name(s)'
-Director of Photography 'Insert Name(s)' (usually has ASC, which is a credit they receive, after their name'
-Executive Producer 'Insert Name(s)'
-Produced by 'Insert Name(s)'
-Written and Directed by 'Insert Name(s)' (these can appear separately on the screen)

The title of the film is very different because it has no set position although it usually goes at the beginning, just before the first actors name or right at the end of the opening titles



This clip is from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (Roach, 1997, USA/ Germany)



This clip is from The Sixth Sense (Shayamalan, 1999, USA)



This clip is from The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan, 2012, USA/ UK)

The Brief...

Conventions to Opening Sequences of Films

The first convention that all opening sequences to a film is that they must have titles. This is because it is going to be telling you the title of the film you are going to watch, also it tells you the main actors in the film going from most important to least important (but generally not telling you which character they play) and also it tells you who the 'behind the scenes' people are, going from least important to most important.



This clip is taken from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (Roach, 1997, USA / Germany)



This clip is from 007 James Bond : Skyfall (Mendes, 2012, UK/USA)



This clip is from Spiderman 2 (Raimi, 2004, USA)



The second convention to many opening sequences to films is that they settle the audience down. This is because it is the beginning so people are still getting comfortable in their seats so they need to entice them to watch the rest of the film from the off.



This clip is from The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan, 1999, USA)



This clip is from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Spielberg, 2008, USA)



The third convention that many opening sequences to films is that they start at equilibrium, which is where everything is normal and nothing bad has happened yet. This is because when something bad happens later on in the film, the audience will know that something bad has happened because they have seen what normal for that film is.



This clip is from National Treasure (Turteltaub, 2004, USA)



This clip is from The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Turteltaub, 2010, USA)

Analasys of 'Wallander' (Firewall, 7th December 2008, BBC1)

In Wallander Cinematography is used to create many different meanings. For example and establishing shot is used, which shows the ocean and looking over the land which is hills and green space, this creates meanings of isolation and mystery. This establishing shot creates the meaning of isolation because it is showing just countryside and in the countryside there are very few houses and very few people. This means that any person that is there is away from civilization which means they are isolated and the audience would think of this so they would also feel isolated. This establishing shot also creates a meaning of mystery because it will make the audience think 'why are we at the ocean?' and 'why are we over the sea?' Also it creates a meaning of mystery because it is only showing the setting and not any detail to what is happening there so it will make the audience wonder what is happening here. Another part of cinematography that creates a meaning of mystery is a shallow focus of when you see the dead mans taxi card in focus but everything else is out of focus.This creates a meaning of mystery because in the background we are seeing the 2 girls walk quickly away but we can't see them properly so it will make the audience ask 'did they kill this man?' and 'who are they?' Also it makes a sense of mystery because we are seeing a dead person and we are asking 'why is this man dead?'

In Wallander Mise-en-Scene is used to create many different meanings. For example the hair and costume of the woman on the right which is red hair and leather jacket creates a meaning of this girl being rebellious. This meaning is created because red has connotations of danger and people that are rebellious are usually dangerous and unpredictable towards others also the connotations of a leather jacket makes you think of bickers which also never did what they were told and played by there own rules which suggests the woman is like this also. Another part of Mise-en-Scene that creates meaning is the dark blue/grey filter creating the meaning of sadness and scariness towards the audience. This dark blue/black filter creates the meaning of scariness because it makes the whole scene look very eerie and dark, and the connotations of darkness is that it is scary because we can't see what is in it properly so we have a fear of the unknown so this tells the audience to be scared.

 




 

In Wallander Sound is used to create many different meanings. For example diegetic sound of the wind blowing creates a meaning of fear and coldness. This diegetic sound creates a meaning of fear because the connotations of wind blowing heavily is that something isn't right or something bad is going to happen or has just happened so this creates fear in the audience by making them think something bad is going to happen. Also it creates a meaning of coldness because when the wind blowing it is usually cold but also it is saying that the mood is cold and foul because the wind doesn't sound warm or friendly.


In Wallander Editing is used to create many different meanings. For example the fast paced editing when we see the women's faces for the first time creates a meaning of unnerving the audience. This fast paced editing creates this meaning of unnerving the audience because it is trying to tell the audience that these girls aren't safe and that they should be seen at the bad people and also this would make the audience think 'why did these girls kill this man?'  
 

Analysis of Memonto (Nolan, 2000, US)

In Memento Editing is used to create many different meanings. For example it not being in chronological order creates a meaning of confusion and change of perception in the audience and making the audience think of the bigger picture about why he did it rather than who did it. This sequence breaking convention creates the meaning of confusion and change of perception because convention is starting with introducing the characters then near the end is them killing the person, this is breaking convention so it is starting with the killing this will confuse the audience because it is showing who has done it straight away so it will make the audience think 'why has he done this?' rather than 'who did this?'

In Memento Mise-en-Scene is used to create many different meanings. For example the low key lighting creating many shadows on the shooters face creates meaning of danger and anxiety. This low key lighting creates this meaning of danger because the shadows created, create blackness on and the screen and the connotations of black are that there is danger because we don't no what is in there so therefore we don't want to find out we want to go away rather than go towards it. Also another meaning that is created is that of high status of the shooter because he is in a suit. This costume creates the meaning of high status because the connotations of a suit is that they are well off and have a well paid job and has a good lifestyle and this is seen as being higher up than people with manual labour jobs.

 

 

 

 

In Memento cinematography was used to create many different meanings. For example the close up of the person being shot creates a meaning of fear for the audience. This close up creates this meaning because it shows the fear in the person who wass shots eyes which then tells the audience to be scared because since he is scared we should be. Also another meaning that is created is that of higher status of the man due to a high angle shot. This creates this meaning because it makes him look like he is looking over us which should make the audience feel scared which gives him a higher status than us and the other man.



In Memento sound is used to create many different meanings. For example the sound is slow which creates a meaning of very much sad and lonely. this makes this meaning  because violins are generally seen to be very sad instruments and make a very sad sound so it would make the audience feel the same way.

 



Analysis of Opening to 'Brick' (Johnson, 2005, US)

In Brick cinematography is used to create many different meanings. For example an extreme long shot of when the boy is in his school and is at his locker showing the corridor and all of the lockers is used to create a meaning of isolation but also to show us who he is but none of his details so what his face looks like. this creates this meaning of isolation because in a school you would expect to see many students going around the place, looking in there lockers and getting ready for class, but all you see is this one boy surrounded by emptiness, this is loose framing. This creates the isolation meaning because the fact that you see no one means that he is not a very popular kid, he may be different and that people try and avoid him. This makes the audience ask questions like, 'why is he on his own?' 'Why is no one there with him?'

In Brick Mise-en-Scene is used to create many different meanings. For example the costume the boy is wearing is has black shoes on which creates a meaning that he is smart. this creates the meaning that he is smart because black shoes are generally worn by people in suits and that is normally seen as smart and this would make the audience ask, since he is smart he surely wouldn't have the ability or thought process to kill someone so why is he looking and staring at a dead person. Also the costume of him wearing circular glasses creates a meaning that he is a 'geek' and this would make the audience think since he is a 'geek' he would not be able to kill someone because they are week and always in fear.

In Brick, Sound is used to create many different meanings. For example only the hyperbolic sound being heard of the note being dropped and being opened creates a meaning of uncertainty and also it creates tension. This hyperbolic sound creates this meaning of uncertainty because since it is the only sound being heard it makes the audience feel that this note is really important and makes them ask 'what does this note say?' also it creates tension because it makes the audience feel that this note must be influential to the rest of this film because it is the only thing being heard.

In Brick, editing is used to create many different meanings. For example the slow paced editing at the very beginning when the young boy is being shown to us and the situation is being shown to us creates meaning of uncertainty and make it seem they are trying to hide the boys identity. the slow paced editing creates this meaning of uncertainty because it makes the audience wonder what is going on and what has happened for this boy to be staring like that. Also it creates tension by hiding his face because not showing the persons face makes the audience feel uneasy because they don't know what this person looks like or who he is.

Analysis of 'The Sixth Sense' (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

Sound
In 'The Sixth Sense' sound is used to create many meanings. One technique that creates meaning is a sting when the words 'The Sixth Sense' appear. The meaning that this creates is frightening towards the audience and to create a relation to the fact that the title is meant to be scary. This shows this to the audience because the connotations of high pitched fast violin noises is danger and scary goings on and creates a mystery as to what is going to happen next. Other sounds that creates meaning is when the woman is standing holding her bottle of wine and you hear hyperbolic creeks and cracks from behind her creating a meaning of anxiety and mystery and fear due to us and the woman not knowing where the noises are coming from. this meaning is created because the typical connotations of creeks is that someone or something is sneaking around in the shadows of where they shouldn't be. This also creates the mystery because it makes the audience ask, why are they there and how did they get there?

Cinematography
In 'The Sixth Sense' cinematography is used to create many meanings. One camera shot which is used that creates meaning is at the beginning when it is an extreme close up of an old light bulb turning on. The meanings that this creates is that of confusion and fear because after it is on, it shows details on the bulb to suggest it is old and in an old part of the house. This meaning is created because it is showing a very minute part of the room and showing detail on that bulb to suggest what the rest of the room will look like. and the connotations of the oldness which is shown on the bulb suggests that it is in a neglected part of the house which people don't like going into, this also creates the meaning of scared and they should be scared on the audience because places that people don't want to go into are usually scary and this is shown by the close up on the bulb because it also looks dusty.



Mise en scene
In 'The Sixth Sense' mise en scene is used to create many meanings. One technique that creates meaning is the use of low key lighting when the woman is walking down into the wine cellar. This creates meaning of fear and anxiety in the audience because very dark shadows are created. This creates this meaning because the connotations of shadows are that there is something there in them but we can't see. and shadows create darkness and as humans when we see darkness we think our vision has been cut off so we get scared because we cant see what is there and if anything is there. This also gives the audience anxiety and makes the audience feel sorry for the woman because she is going into this dark and creepy place unaware of what could be in there. Also coupling with this is the woman's costume which is a long dress and high heels. This also makes the audience feel sorry for the woman because if something were to come out and chase her, high heels are very hard to run in so the woman would be caught much easier, same thing with a long dress as well.










Editing
In 'The Sixth Sense' Editing is used to create many meanings. One piece of editing that creates meaning is the fading in and out of the serif font titles. Doing this creates meanings of mystery and suspense. This creates this meaning because the serif font makes it look important and old, plus the fading in and out goes with the soundtrack which then together they create a meaning of mystery and suspense because it makes the audience ask what is going to happen next and what is going to scare me in this film? Which makes the audience look forward to see if they can find out what the creature is in this film, also it creates the mystery because it the darkness in the background means they can't see anything else which make the audience wonder what is in this darkness.

Preliminary Task

What Went Well: -One thing that went well when my group and I was filming this preliminary task was that my group and I showed every shot that was asked of us to put in. - Asecond thing that went well was that most of the shots are framed with no shacking of the camera or any out of focus parts. - A final thing that went well was that each shot flows very well one after the other, not stop starting all the time, and also with it5 flowing there are no errors in the steps. Even Better If -One thing that my group and I could have improved on when filming this preliminary task was making sure that the eyeline match shot doesn't start halfway down my face and raises up as I have finished turning my head. -A second thing I could have improved was between 6-9 seconds make sure that my second character isn't in that shot then in the next shot isn't suddenly sitting down on the bench. -A final thing that my group and I could have improved on when filming this was make sure that each time we record me walking make sure that the steps match up and not suddenly change from left foot to right foot.

How to Embed a Video Feedback video onto your Blog from your Webcam

1st click to create a brand new Blog.
2nd click on the film clicker thing at the top bar of the top of your new Blog.
3rd it will come up with 5 options so click on the last one which is "From your Webcam."
4th record whatever you want on the webcam stop it, then click select and it will upload it onto your Blog.
5th write whatever you want underneath your webcam video then click publish and you will be finished.

Knives and Pens by BVB Black Veil Brides

How to Screen Capture

On an IMacintosh..... Or a MAC to you and I, to create a Screen Capture you first click Command, Shift and 4. Then your cursor will change into a target. then click down and create a square around what you wish to Screen Capture. then it will go into the folder called Screen Captures on your desktop.

Introduction

Hello, 
My name is Jamie Oliver, Not the Chef!
I have chosen Media Studies because I like how behind the scenes works on movies and TV shows and I like to create different clips when I feel I have a creative idea.