Film Opening- Planning

Film Opening- Planning

The narrative of the film opening my partner and I are creating revolves on the suffering of an unappreciated artist who is degraded and harassed by those outside his surroundings. In the middle of the film after the artist displays his work he is mocked and attacked by three critics and the audience, leaving him in despair and going on their merry way. As the opening continues, it becomes apparent that the artist is not only tormented by the cruel reality he is part of but also an illusion, a being from the reality of his own head that once represented his love for art, now an entity that despises him for failing her known as the muse. As he gathers what little fortitude he has left, the muse pins him down, ready to stab and slice away. Only the illusion vanishes and reality sets back in revealing that the stranger above him isn't trying to kill him, but rather save the artist from committing suicide. The opening ends with the two walking out and the illusion still lurking in the dark.

The setting and filming locations will take place in Portishead, Bristol, UK such as the church at the end of Nore Road and a drama room located in Gordano School. The time of filming for the Unveiling and Hallucination scenes will be in the drama room(s) of Gordano School on the 4th of December 2013.

Characters for this film include The Artist, our protagonist who suffers for his work and the torment placed upon him by those around him and the festering madness in his mind, slowly becoming a danger to himself; a suit and paint stains on our actor will go good, possibly some make-up to make him appear sleep-depraved and miserable. The Muse: the antagonist and a product of The Artist's madness, a once beautiful representation of the Artist's work and ambition now distorted into a sinister foe due to his countless failures, now the illusion desires the demise of the Artist for ruining her. For this character, we must consider the style of the costume, possibly similar to that of the Ancient Greek myth of The Muses, colours must be considered when applying make-up to the actress and the possibility of having her face concealed. The Three Critics: inspired by the idea of the Three Stooges, differences would be that these three dispense violence towards the protagonist, these three must be wearing suits and faces concealed by masks; the Audience members will be wearing their casual middle-class clothing.

Props must also be gathered such as chairs for the Unveiling scene, masks must be gathered, prop weapons for The Three Critics must be chosen, a prop knife for The Muse must be made or purchased; there is also the problem of The Muse's costume, due to the location of the drama room, we must respect the wishes of the anonymous person who has lent us the room and use crumpled balls of paper ( and possibly other props) to throw at The Artist rather than fresh tomatoes; paintbrushes and a canvas of a bizarre, abstract art piece.

Camera work and editing will mostly be done by my partner. Rorschach  inkblots and bizarre art pieces have been made and will be edited in the opening as flash, split-seconds to imitate hallucinations and The Artist's growing inability to distinguish reality from his crumbling mind. Some sound effects may need to be added such as the assault on the Artist or the distorted screaming sounds that will be added; the background music is yet to be decided however it's use must be contrapuntal. The candidate pieces of music include: "Crazy"(1961) by Patsy Cline, an extract from Beethoven's "9th Symphony, 4th Movement"; an extract of Bach's "Jesus bleibet meine Freunde", an extract from Bach's "Air on G String", Verdi's "Anvil Chorus", "Cold, Cold Heart"(1951) by Tony Bennett, or an extract from Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers".

The title of the film is: "An Artist's Suffering", a haiku will first be displayed that revolves on the narrative of the opening; like most opening sequences the title will first be displayed than a list of the actors and actresses, than the names of those involved with the creation and development of the film which will all be embedded within the sequence of the opening.





Film Opening Research- Title

Film Opening Research-Title

Title: the given name of a book, composition, art piece, or any other form of work.



 There is nothing more important in a film, television series, or any other media texts/products than its' title. It gives the media product an identity, a name their audience can know and appreciate; a title that connects with the genre and the contents of its' narrative. Most of the time a title sequence would be displayed at the opening of a film alongside the opening credits that introduce a portion of the key production and cast members that made the film possible. Now the fonts of a title can range from a wide variety, all depending on the genre, themes, presentation of the title, etc.

The title sequence/opening may convey scenes or portions of a scene that relate to the concept and use sound. Presentation of the title sequence/opening is also imperative to catch the audiences' attention, to set in the mood of the genre and its' themes. Please watch this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvOmlRkKRgQ

This opening/title sequence of Tim Burtons' "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) uses typography to present/introduce those involved with the film; the font of the words is bold, capital and white which stands out from the images of the opening used. The order of the cast and staff members go in this order: the name of the film company, director's name, title, names of primary actors, music, casting, costume design, make-up/ scissorhand(s) effects, editing, production design, photography director, executive producers, writers, screenplay, producer, and the director again. You will notice the live-action montage of images from cobwebbed scarecrows to  odd anthropomorphic steampunk machines. Use of colours can be seen such as the cold blue lit hue of the shots that project a grim and wintry atmosphere that is complimented with Danny Elfmans' musical score.

Another opening/title sequence we can analyse is "King Kong" (1933); please view this link and view the video: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/king-kong/ . The opening is in black and white starting  off with the 1930s logo of the film production and distribution company RKO Pictures. The title and text is hand-drawn and that the way it is drawn is like an illusion that shows the great size and shadows which fits with the mood of the musical score, auras of fear and greatness are conveyed as the title is shown. Notice how the text switches to other text as if an invisible spotlight is shooting above; as you view the title/opening sequence you can see that the names of the staff members involved with the development of the film is displayed first than the names of the actors and actress. An Arabian proverb is then displayed, which foreshadow, the narrative and tragedy that is to follow in the end of the film.

Finally we examine one of the many opening sequences of "The Twilight Zone" (1959). The narrator's monologue enchants and directly addresses the audience that the program they are viewing will transport them into a story and setting that is eerily similar to our reality but quite different which is supported by other images and objects. The title forms from the nothingness as the camera zooms in, the font is in capitals and appears to be designed to appear mysterious and foreboding; the music/theme used matches the black and white images appearing in the stygian void and stars as if transporting the viewers into a reality frighteningly new and exciting.

For the coursework piece, my partner and I must consider the presentation and fonts of the title for our coursework piece and how it can fit with the genre.

Film Opening Research- MISE-EN-SCENE, Genre, and Conventions

Film Opening Research: Mise-En-Scene, Genre, and Conventions

 

 



Mise-En-Scene ,the image caught within the frame of the camera is important for this coursework piece and one of the most difficult task(s) to accomplish. The basics aspects of Mise-En-Scene includes: settings and props, costume hair and make up, positioning of characters/objects within a frame, lighting and colour, and finally facial expression and body language. In order to make this film opening work, we must also focus on the genre and its' conventions. Now the film opening for the coursework has been decided to be given the genre of horror and/or possibly its' sub-genres, therefore we must follow the conventions to have the mise-en-scene fit. Example: the image here is from the film "The Strangers" (2008), this scene takes place when the three intruders have captured two of the main characters. In this shot the audience are facing the back of the captives as the three strangers look down on them preparing to stab them over and over again; this puts the audience in the captive's perspective.

Genre is basically the style or category of a literary piece, music, art, etc. Horror is a strong feeling of shock, fear and disgust; it is the aftermath of being terrified. The horror genres' purpose is to arouse fear within the audience in simple or elaborate ways and can follow dark themes that will overlap with other genres. The plot in a horror genre always has conflict between the characters and the evil force, monstrosity, villain, or event; depending on the setting and sub-genre the antagonist can be a villain/force of the supernatural, science-fiction, etc. Such as the vampire in "Dracula" (1931) or a deceptive human being that is mad and murderous like the character Norman Bates in  Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960).

 Conventions are the recurring elements that appear in films and can vary depending on the genre. By applying the conventions of the horror film genre, my partner and I can better understand how to enhance the impact of mise-en-scene in our opening. The setting of a horror film could be applied to almost any location as long as the area has a dark history and typical horror themes are added e.g. the theme of isolation in the Overlook Hotel, the setting of "The Shining" (1980). The props in the frame or the props the characters interact with can convey what they truly are, stereotypically the villain of a slasher film would have a gruesomely intimidating weapon e.g. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) and the representation of a chainsaw as a weapon and tool for butchery.


Costumes, hair, and make-up can help identify the time period of the setting and location of the horror film as well as the characters' emotions and who they are. Such as the this image from Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"(2007); with this lighting, dark colours, costumes, hair styles and buildings it projects the setting of a miserable 19th century London. Low-key lighting can be used to create a scene that isn't well lit and long dark shadows, useful in adding a sense of foreboding and danger. Colour conventions in a horror film seem to be recurring symbols, red for blood, black for darkness, etc. Facial and body expressions in a horror film can be depressing or simply casual until the threat/ villain is made known, characters' previous expressions and movement can vary depending on their role. As for the threats, they would appear as intimidating and fierce as possible but an unsettling calm expression is equally terrifying, physical movements of the threat are also variable depending on who or what they are. Another example: this shot is part of the opening sequence of "Zombieland" (2009), notice the terrified facial expression of the woman running away from the zombie. The zombie's facial expression is menacing and hungry, the movements of the zombies in this film or abnormally fast and awkward making it more creepy.


Unfortunately, through the years the narratives of the horror genre and its' sub-genres have become more and more predictable, a prime example would be "the slasher" sub-genre. The murderous villain (possibly a supernatural villain as well) is utterly insane because of past traumatic experiences or born insanely cruel. The villain slays  stupid and morality-lacking adolescents one by one in sinister and gruesome ways for reasons depending on the scenario. Most of the time there will be a survivor who succeeds in stopping or escaping the malevolent force, most often female or 'final girl', a recurring cliché.

Characters are becoming repetitive in the horror genre, some either plot driven or character driven. The conventions include a protagonist (male or female) is the victim/hero of the conflict against the opposing villain and threat(s) which could be anything depending on its' sub-genre, a possible love interest. Secondary characters that have little or major importance through the course of the plot that may effect the protagonist and antagonist to certain degree(s). With this information, my partner and I can create a film opening that follows the conventions of the genre and possibly attempt to break some stereotypes.

Half-Term Assignment 1 (2 of 2)

Half-Term Assignment 1

 

Like the previous half, I will try to dissect the micro-codes from another media text, but rather from a segment of a television drama I'll try to analyse a short television advert of a videogame known as "Batman: Arkham Origins" (2013) . Please click this link to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48MBXU2cTq8

The narrative is basically showing how the fictitious character Bruce Wayne's' mission to become a crime-fighting avenger began early in his life, moulded from tragedy, honor, and will power; representing him as a tragic hero. These events are shown as a montage which shows time moving forward. After watching the link, you will notice that each jump cut shows a  close-up/ tight frame of Bruce Wayne, showing the characters' importance and possibly to empathize with the character. Logos of the companies responsible for the creation and distribution of the game appear and disappear one at a time by gusts of snow, hinting the season and/or time of the setting.

 At the 00:10 second mark the screen is black but at the 00:11 second mark, the non-diegetic sound of a piano is being played, the rhythm and the tune is melancholic. At the same time we see a boy positioned at the center and the camera is focused on him, from our view the mother is presumably at the left behind the boy and the father at the right behind the boy; judging by their costume and hair they are part of the high class. The facial expression of the boy is happy but in few seconds something catches his attention, with a flash of light and a bang you can see the boys emotions quickly changed from happiness, to concern at the sight of the unknown assailant, surprise at the gunfire, and a mix of shock and fear at the 00:15 to 00:16 second mark as his mothers grasp is released and her pearl necklace falls apart and a smoking gun shell falls, signifying death.
At the 00:17 second mark, there is a jump cut signaled by the sound of another gun shot but it isn't diegetic, the child is positioned at the center looking directly at the camera, same age yet further on in time and a different setting. The location is now a dreary, rainy day with people clad in black suits using their umbrellas, a funeral.

One individual is behind the boys' left and he has his hand on the boys' shoulder showing sympathy and connection between these two, the boys' skin is almost deathly pale (matches with the event) and his eyes denote misery yet no tears. Another jump cut occurs signaled by the gun shot, the boy is now an adolescent and is being bullied by two other adolescent males, judging by their matching uniforms these characters are in a private school of some sort, or rather outside one by looking at the unfocused background. He appears filthy, disheveled and bleeding but as one of the boys restrains the main guy from behind and the other is about to attack from the front, the main character is looking directly at the camera still and his eyes show no fear. Two other shots involve training, one is him being defeated in some form of martial arts, presumably by the uniform and his shaved head with little expression of pain. The next is one is quite different, just like the previous shot the main character was sparring and his face shows hardly any emotion, but in this one the lighting is darker and he's wearing peculiar armour as he spars with unknown individuals and the tip of a sword barely cuts him.

 Finally at the 00:27 second mark the setting is in a dark urban area snowing down, still a direct close up shot of the same character as an adult but now as Batman. At the right side we see a fist approaching, throughout the entire advert the motions and movement has been similar to slow motion finally pulls up to speed when the fist at the right side punches Batman, the music stops and you can here hush distortion. Match on action editing has been used as the movement is continued and minor jump cuts of the villain pummeling Batman; as he staggers to his feet match on action editing is used again as the shot shows a medium close up shot of the villain laughing. The camera shot shifts back to a medium close up of Batman, his eyes denoting determination and fury; as he lunges the motion slows down again and fades to black. The melancholic music returns as the title merges from the dark and gusts of snow, a voice or lyric can be heard saying: "It's all still with me".

Those lyrics at the end of the advert possibly reflects on the character on how all the grief, training, and will power from the very beginning is still with him; to show that he intends to keep his promise to fulfill his goals.





Film Opening Research-Sound

Film Opening Research-Sound and Music

Contrapuntal Sound: The visual image and the music playing at the background contrast.

Parallel sound: When the visual image and the music playing at the background harmonise.

            For this coursework piece another student and I aim to develop and produce a film opening that focuses on a particular dark genre that is currently left undecided, possibly use contrapuntal sound, and to have the audience slightly feel an aura of fear. One particular opening would be “The Shining” (1982), this opening uses a birds’ eye view camera shot(s) that soar like a specter, sweeping across the landscape of the American Frontier as unnerving music plays in the background. It’s an opening that combines beauty and dread; the opening unusually has rolling credits in a bold blue that stands out from the scenery, possibly to capture our attention since it’s in a less horror-like color but one that’s more sinister. My personal opinion would be that it's difficult to tell whether the music is contrapuntal or fitting in the opening of this film because of how this music matches with the desolate landscape and how it doesn't fit because of the beautiful scenery. Here is a link of the opening of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw23KM3-Ry8

Another example of a film that uses contrapuntal sound would be Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" (1971); please view this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zRtT5jPLA . In this scene the main character Alex and his 'droogs' or allies challenge a rival gang into a fight that takes places into a dark, abandoned theatre; the ensuing fight is displayed in a montage of violence. With the low-key lighting, grim atmosphere of urban decay and senseless violence we have an excerpt of "La gazza ladra"  (The Thieving Magpie) composed by Gioacchino Rossini playing in the background. There is no connection to this musical piece and the film, it's unsettling to hear something so cheerful and whimsical associated with something so violent. I believe the only connection would be that they're associated with the theatrical; this piece of music was composed by Rossini was specifically made for an Italian melodramatic opera where as the scene of the film takes place in an abandoned and broken theater. Perhaps Rossini's music was used to echo the once lively and respectful location of the setting in the film, now fallen from it's glory as delinquents attack one another.

 Finally, rather than looking at films we'll see how sounds are used in another media text: a videogame advert of "BioShock 2" (2010); please view link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8lngIFXRi4 . This advert uses parallel and contrapuntal sound. The contrapuntal sounds would be the two music pieces that reflect the time of the setting and possibly the narrative: an excerpt of Annette Hanshaw's "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home" (1929) and "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1942), a patriotic song cleverly tossed in with the battle scene of the advert. The parallel sound used was music composed by Garry Schyman, grim and unnerving music that match the ruined location of the fallen utopia of Rapture and the horrors that lurk within, you will notice that Garry Schyman's musical work reappears in the two minutes and forty-one second mark but the pace and intensity grow as a new threat emerges.

Half-Term Assignment 1 (1 of 2)

Half-Term Assignment 1

For this half-term assignment for Media Studies I will attempt to dissect the micro-codes that I can detect from the scene of a psychological thriller-drama known as "Hannibal" (2013). Please view this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M1yA6A2fLE 

Now after watching this link you can notice that there is no diegetic or non-diegetic sound playing besides the dialogue of the two characters presented, quite effective as there is a build up of tension and volume in the conversation. The viewer is 'all ears' to say, without any non-diegetic sound whether contrapuntal or fitting we are focusing on this private and serious dialogue. The lighting of the setting appears dim, not low-key lighting but dark to add a grim or weary atmosphere. Through the course of the conversation before the final few seconds you will notice that the camera shots are medium-close-ups of the characters and that they are shot-reverse-shots that allows some sense of being part of the conversation. Once the video reaches 00:38 seconds, a jump cut of a wide shot of the characters and setting appears allowing the continuity of the shots and conversation to flow. Through out the video, the 180 degree rule was not broken.

You will notice that in the course of these reverse shots of the characters that the character at the left (Jack Crawford) is focused on the character at the right (Will Graham) and the situation at hand, however we do know that Will is speaking directly to Jack but he isn't always making direct eye contact, giving the viewer the idea that Will isn't entirely focused, something is damaged within his character. Costume, hair slightly reflects on the attitudes of the characters, we can tell by Jacks' attire that he's involved in a serious and grim career involving in the capture of the villainous alongside with what few lines in the dialogue; Wills' appearance seems simple, fragile as if he may eventually break reflecting on how he argues with Jack, further showing Wills' deteriorating sanity. 



Film Opening Research-Demographic

Film Opening Research-Demographic

A Demographic is a particular target audience/ population that can range from ages, sex, culture, ethnicity, the social classes, etc. 

For our film opening it revolves around the genres of horror, and the psychological-thriller sub-genre. The usual demographic(s) of these genres would be adolescents and adults. Example, the crime-thriller/horror "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) revolves around a female protagonist from the FBI tracking a dangerous serial killer with the aid of an intelligent and evil male criminal behind bars; the target audience would mostly focus on adults, possibly more focused to middle-aged adults. The social classes focused towards would be middle to upper class because of the representation of specific characters e.g. the films' character Hannibal Lecter, a monster of a man who enjoys the finer things; the film doesn't focus on a particular sex but rather both.

One other example would be "Se7en"or "Seven" (1995), where two homicide detectives who become greatly involved with the case of a sadistic, calculating killer who is modeling his murders after the Seven Deadly sins. The target audience yet again focuses adults, mainly middle class and males.
For the Coursework, another student and I intend to target an adolescent audience, about age 15 and up. To prepare/search for what our target audience desire in our film opening and genre, we have designed some questionnaires and have taken multiple samples.

Here is the design of the questionnaire I used:

Questionnaire for Media Studies AS Coursework

1. How old are you? Please write down:

2. Are you Male or Female? Please circle one (M/F)



3. What genre of film are you most fond of? Please write down:
4. Have you ever watched a Horror film or it's sub-genres?

5 What do you look for in a Horror film or

6. Why do you watch horror films?

7. What do you believe makes a horror film great?

8. When was the last time you watched a horror film?

9. Do you prefer to view a horror film alone or with other people?

10. What do you hope or expect from this Coursework Opening?

11. What type of villain, monstrosity, or any other atrocity are you interested in?

Sample 1: Age 16, Female, favorite genre is Sci-Fi, has indeed watched horror films and it's sub-genres; looks for a dark plot, jump scares, good-acting and no clichés in a horror film. Claims to watch horror films to sample a different genre, believes that a good plot and original twists/turns make a horror film great; most recently seen a horror film on 31st of October 2013, prefers watching with others, hopes for an attention- grabbing opening and prefers a chaotic villain with a twisted morale compass.

Sample 2: Age 16, Female, favorite genre is Action, doesn't enjoy horror films, searches for jump-scares and violence in a horror film. Has viewed a horror film by accident, believes a horror film that subverts from norms and clichés makes a horror film great, last viewed a horror film two months ago, watches with other people, expects conventions of horror in opening, and prefers a clever psychological villain.

Sample 3: Age 28, Male, favorite genres include Comedy, Drama, and Sci-Fi; has viewed horror films, and looks for suspense and gore in a horror film. Views horror films to be scared, believes suspense makes a horror film great, has last seen a horror film six months ago, prefers watching with other people, expects suspense and fear in the opening, final question was not answered.

Sample 4: Age 16, Male, favorite genre is Sci-Fi, has viewed horror films, searches for 'scares' in a horror film. Has viewed horror films because she enjoys the genre, believes the narrative and fear conveyed makes the film great, has viewed a horror film last month, enjoys viewing horror films with others, hope the opening has suspense, and prefers a villain that is psychologically deranged.

Sample 5: Age 16, Female, favorite genre is Fantasy, has viewed a Horror film and searches for a decent storyline with creepiness in a horror film. Watches horror films for amusement and frights, believes a horror film with a story and scares is great, viewed a horror film last month, prefers to watch a horror films with others,  expects a gripping story with originality; and prefers the villains to be mutants, zombies, or paranormal.

Sample 6: Age 16, Male, favorite genre is Comedy, has viewed horror films, searches for "mental confusion" in a horror film. Watches horror films for the thrills, believes that the fear factor(s) within the film makes it great, has last seen a horror film four months ago; prefers to view horror films with friends, expects the film to entice him to watch the film, villain for horror film(s) that sample finds interesting are scary doctors.

Sample 7: Age 16, Female, third question was left unanswered, has watched horror films, searches for the psychological terror in a horror film. Watches horror films because often has viewed those well made, believes the coherency of the story makes a horror film great, has viewed a horror film last summer, prefers to view horror films with others, expects a protagonist struggling internally and externally, and finds a villain that is an unseen force interesting.

Sample 8: Age 17, Female, favorite genre is Action and Adventure, has viewed horror films most often psychological-thriller(s); searches for jump scares, tension and slick camera movement. Enjoys watching horror films because of the apprehension, believes jump scares make a horror film great, has last seen a horror film two weeks ago, prefers to watch with other people; tenth question was unanswered and finds a psychological villain interesting.