History of opening sequences

History of an Opening title sequences

An opening title sequence is how films or television programmes to show what sort of film/TV programme they will be watching. within this the name of the producer and other cast member's will be shown. Early title sequences often created by lettering artists often employed by major studio-typically presented white type on a black background as the colours were contrasting thus producing a clearer picture. Soon after, they included some minor decorations such as lines, outlines, or small drawings.

One of the first branded title cards was by pioneer director D.W.Griffth, because the first films were silent this meant that the opening title sequence need something special so they used dialogue to comprehend the story. Since the invention of the cinematograph, simple title cards were used in silent film presentations in order to identify both the film and the production company involved, and to act as a signal that the film had started and then finished

As cinema's title sequences grew longer we begin to see the involvement of graphic design such as Saul Bass, which directly influenced the 1960s television predilection for creating strong graphics-led sequences for many shows.





---->  Skyfall opening title sequence

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task

in groups in no more than 4 - continuity task involving filming + editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom he or she exchanged a couple of lines of dialogue. this task must demonstrate match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degrees rule.

This picture was part of our preliminary task we decided to do a scene in which two police men would be returning to the station. We choose this as it would allow us to do match on action and all the other parts of preliminary task that are needed.

As trip to the BFI

The first thing he did was talk about 5 aspects which included genre, narrative(enigma) creates a reaction from the audience and questions the audiences mind so that they want to see the rest of the film. Structure and atmosphere. Some of the films included, Dawn of the dead, Napoleon dynamite and catch me if you can. It was decided that atmosphere potentially one of the key factors in epically films such as Dawn of the dead which genre was clearly thriller. We then analysed student films and talked about showing too much of the plot there by demonising any enigma. We were told to add as many as 22 credits into the film in order to express all the different area productions to make the film fit with conventions.

 Structure and atmosphere. Some of the films included, Dawn of the dead, Napoleon dynamite and catch me if you can. It was decided that atmosphere potentially one of the key factors in epically films such as Dawn of the dead which genre was clearly thriller. We then analysed student films and talked about showing too much of the plot there by demonising any enigma. We were told to add as many as 22 credits into the film in order to express all the different area productions to make the film fit with conventions.

another thing that we talked about as folly this was a type of sound which yourself could create which means that it will improve your blog. This means that you will need good quality sound effects as the sound takes up a high percentage of the opening title sequence as well as this we need to make sure that the music we will use will match the theme of the opening sequence to make sure that it sounds and also looks right. Another thing that was pointed out that there should be a verity of age as the opening sequences that we saw all had the same age range, however we could use siblings or teacher to improve our blog. We also need to keep in mind that the credits used should be merged in with what is happening within the scene.

In addition we also learnt that if our opening sequence is to long then it might effect the grade as it means that it could lose quality also it would require a lot more work for something that will be downgraded.

this is Pete's blog-http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/more-interesting-stuff.html

Log line ideas for my opening sequence

Log Line ideas for my opening sequence


Some examples of Log lines:


1. A father who has recently come from war in Afghanistan is left distraught
with what he has seen and done. He then finds out that people are after him and his family for what he has done.

2. family take a trip to an exotic island to then find out its hidden secrets

3. Young Adults are low on money so they borrow from a loan shark who then catches up with them, they then decide to rob a bank

conventions of opening sequences

Conventions of opening sequences

The main thing of an opening sequence is that it will need the movie title. This is so people will know what they have come to watch, music is also key when talking about an opening sequence as it will show what genre the film is as well as this it can build up tension and the atmosphere for the first scene.

Another thing that will appear on a title sequence is who is in the film, the actors/actresses will be named as well as the directors and other members of the cast. In addition it will give the names of the production company's this would normally appear at the beginning of the title sequence.

Some parts of the title sequence would be focus on the background making sure it will be suitable for the type of film and making sure that it fits in to the genre for example the background that is here shows a man falling from a building shows that the film will include violence. Also the fact that he is in a suit shows that it could be quite an important man so this means that it could mean a good plot line.

Camera work is also used to show the some of the detail within the movie so the audience can notice what is going on and helps build up about what genre the film is going to be and also gives an insight to the film. the camera angles could also help identify who the protagonist and antagonist is with the use of high angle and low angle shots.

Log Line

Log Line

A log line is at the beginning of a film and it tells you what the plot of the film is, it will also give a emotion hook this is so that it will make whoever is watching it get more interested in the film.

Examples:
Logline #1 - The extraordinary story of a thoroughbred racehorse - from his humble beginnings as an under-fed workhorse to his unlikely rise and triumphant victory over the Triple Crown winner, War Admiral.
Logline #2 - A 17th Century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where the roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow joins forces with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue the Governor of England's daughter and reclaim his ship.
Logline #3 - After segueing from a life of espionage to raising a family, Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez are called back into action. But when they are kidnapped by their evil nemesis, there are only two people in the world who can rescue them... their kids!
Logline #4 - Toula's family has exactly three traditional values - "Marry a Greek boy, have Greek babies, and feed everyone." When she falls in love with a sweet, but WASPy guy, Toula struggles to get her family to accept her fiancée, while she comes to terms with her own heritage.
Logline #5 - A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea.

Answers:
1. Seabiscuit
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
3. Spy Kids
4. My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding
5. Titanic


A log line always poses a question in the audiences mind to help hook them into watching the film.

Independant vs Hollywood

Independent vs. Hollywood


In the film industry, there are two main groups, the independent producers and Hollywood. However because Hollywood is more famous it will get the bigger film companies making sure that they will get the views people such as warner bros and 20th century are the distributors from Hollywood.

 

 

British independent

British Film has been dominated by Hollywood since WW1. Any essay that discusses UK Film has to reference the cultural and ideological dominance of the Hollywood Film Industry to such as point that many cinema goers often will never see a film in any other environment than a multiplex cinema.

Meida institutions

      Media institutions

One of the most difficult Media Studies ‘Key Concepts’ to write about meaningfully in your essays is ‘Media Institutions’; but write about it you must if you want to obtain a high grade at the end of your course.

It can help to think about what it means when a concentration of media companies – those that can manufacture high quality media texts and products and distribute them widely and easily – lies in just a few hands. These companies are called ‘media institutions’.

an institution is something that would play a major in peoples lives for example school or the NHS are something that play a big part in peoples lives. It is shown that there is not a lot of people running the large corporations which are involved in all aspects of the media such as fill and television.


 
 
 
 
For example the person who owns The News corporation is Rupert Murdoch who is the CEO of this large corporation. The News corporation own a selection of other companies but the main thing is their news papers which is widely popular within British homes.


~~~> Rupert Murdoch










Concentration of media

Some people believe that the fact some people have huge ownerships of the media it means that also have huge levels of influence and power in what is put of those media sites. For example the music industry is run by just a handful of big names despite the growth of internet music

Also the fact that they can limit points meaning that the media shown to the public can be sympathetic towards a certain story which will then make them fit in to 'the way things are'.

Production Expense

Another way in which large media companies can selected what they want to be printed or shown is that fact that it costs a huge amount of money to produce the quality of media that the public want to see making it harder for smaller companies to get in on the main stories.

Film Ratings

Film Ratings


All classifications decisions are based on the BBFC's published and regularly updated guidelines. The Guidelines are the product of extensive public consultations, research and the accumulated experience of the BBFC over many years. They reflected current views on the film, DVD and video game regulations


The film ratings are used to classify what age group the film will be suitable for, they judge this on the issues that come up within the film such as sex violence and strong language this is normally called a classification. 

These are the classifications:

U – The “U” rating indicates the film in question is suitable for all, or is universal. Despite this name, it is generally used as mere guidance and suggests that the film may still be unsuitable for children younger than four as it is extremely difficult to ascertain or predict how they may react. A U-rated film will have a positive message and be generally upbeat.

PG – A film rated a PG (parental guidance) may be seen by all, including children without their parents. Parents are advised that some scenes may be unsuitable for children below the age of eight and it is therefore a judgement call for them to make as to how their child will react. Although a PG may be seen by all, it is perhaps unlikely a child of less than eight years old will be allowed to see a film without an adult.

12 or 12A – There is no appreciable difference between a film marked 12 or 12a and they are thus treated as one group of film classification. Anybody wanting to see a film marked with this classification must be either over 12 years old or be accompanied by an adult. Therefore, if in the parent’s judgement the film would not be unsuitable for their child then they may take their child to watch it with them.

15 – If you wish to see a film marked 15 you must be at least that age. Even if you go to see the film with your parents, by law you should not be able to see the film if you are not yet 15.

18 – The 18 category is simply that, you must be 18 or over or you will not be allowed to watch the film. You cannot therefore simply go in with someone who is 18 and expect to be let in with them.

R18 – This category of films will only be shown in certain licensed cinemas and will not be available at your local video shop. They generally contain explicit sexual content and there is therefore far stricter regulation of the supply of this category of film

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representation of men in Thriller

Representation of men in thriller

Within the thriller genre males are normally represented as the hero/protagonists and the women are normally shown as the victims. This is stereotypical as well as this there is always someone against the hero seeking revenge. However throughout the film the male is always the team leader and is always on top of the villain knowing what he is going to do next.

Taken shows male representation really well as Liam Neeson is playing the dad. During this film he is shown as the average Joe this is another typical convention of thriller as he is just a normal person who needs to save the victim in this case the victim is his daughter which will make him more driven to find the antagonist. During the film Liam Neeson is shown as dangerous which again is another conventions within thriller as well as this the use of weapons again being shown as a convention of thriller.

This picture shows how men are represented as it shows that he is just a normal guy however you can clearly see that he is an 'average joe' making it even more special this also show that he is independent and that he doesn't need a team around him this is the classic way to portray males as independent and isolated making it harder for them to reach there target. 

Research methods

How do we measure media audience?
sales, subscriptions ratings, figures.

who measures audience?- these are just some of the organisations who monitor audience size

• NRS- http://www.nrs.co.uk/
• ABS- http://abc.go.com/
• BARB- http://www.barb.co.uk/
• Bookseller-

New Media:
There are few new ways in which we can measure audiences:

• Facebook/others social sites
• Online forums- comment tools
• Views on YouTube
• Twitter trends

Within research there are two main types of research:

Quantitative- This is questionnaires and more number based research and they also use closed questions this is to make to generate exact answers. They also make it very factual

Qualitative- Is more reliable on focus groups and interviews, within this also analysis of existing products, also uses open questions to generate answers open to interpretation individual preferences.

Considering Audience

Audience Engagement- This describes how an audience interacts with a media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.

Audience expectations- These are the ideas the audience have an in advance of seeing a media text. This particular applies to genre pieces. Don't forget producers continually play with or shatter audience expectations

Audience

                                                                       Audience



An audience is an individual or collective group of people who read or consume any media text has be consider one thing and that is does it have any audience.

Mass: often termed 'broadcast audience' those who consume mainstream or popular texts such as soaps or sitcoms media communication that targets a very large group of people
Niche: much smaller but very influential. A niche audience is a small, select group of people with a very unique intrest.

Why are audiences important?

Audiences are important as they are the people who bring in the money when they go to the cinema to go see a film creating profit for the film makers. The mass media is becoming more competitive than ever as there more and more people to attract with many different ways. They do this to stay profitable.

Katz and Blumler

Proposed form their research into audience behaviour that audiences use media text for a variety of reasons.

Information: - finding out about events, satisfying curiosity gaining a sense of security through knowledge

Personal identity - reinforcement for personal value, finding models of behaviour, insight into ones self

Integration and Social interaction - Insight into circumstances of others social empathy, identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging, interaction, enabling one to connect with family, friends and society, E.g soap operas & Sitcoms

Impact of new technology on audience

Old media (TV, Print, Radio) which used to have high audience numbers must now work harder to maintain audience number.

New technology has made it harder to define an audience it is shown as being outdated and now that an audience are now fragmented. E.g television.

Demographic- The audience

• age
• race
• gender
• class/status
• nationality

Psychographic- The audience

• intrests
• beliefs
• hobbies

audience research- audience research is a major part of any media company's work. They use questionnaires, focus groups, pre-film screenings and spend a great deal of time and money finding out who would be interested in their product.


http://www.thinkbox.tv/- looking at this link shows how media audiences are divided into categories
Group A: lawyers
                doctors
                scientists
                well paid professionals

Three act structure

The three act structure is based around the fact that all films follow a paradigm. This paradigm is meant to hold the film together. The three act structure shows that a film can be divided into  three parts for example: 

Three Act Structure: World War Z

Act 1:

This act would be around 30 minutes long. This is the part of the film in which the audience are introduced to the main character. The main character in this is Brad Pitt, throughout this film Brad Pitt is the father figure called Gerry Lane and he is out to protect his family and find a cure for the world.

Dramatic premise: The story for World War Z is that there is an outbreak of a zombie virus. This leaves the main character to try and sort out what has happened and then he tries to fix it before the world is destroyed.

Inciting incident: This is when the plot of the film is set in motion. For example in the film world war Z the inciting incident is when Brad Pitt and his family have realised that there is a zombie outbreak and this sets up the plot line for the rest of the film.






Act 2:
Act two will normally last about two quarters of the film so if the film is about 2 hours then the second act will be around an hour.

Obstacles: Within World War Z the first obstacle was that he has to choose between staying with his family and get thrown out of the safe place or going to work trying to fight the zombies. The next obstacle would be when the zombies start to climb over the wall making him venerable and this mean it would get him into a lot of danger.

First Culmination: This is the part in the film in which the main man Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is close to achieving the goal but then something happens which will then prevent him from doing so. The first culmination is when they are on the plane heading towards the cure then someone gets infected and turns into a zombie. Following that the plane then crashes making it so that they will not get to the hospital.

Midpoint: Throughout the film the hero is always looking strong and looks like he will achieve his goal, however this is the part of the film in which the hero hits rock bottom meaning he looks weak and it looks like he will not succeed in the mission or the antagonist looks like he would win. This is the part in World War Z when the plane has crashed and he gets badly injured with a part of the plane going through his stomach. This makes him weak and looks like he will be close to death.
 

Act 3: This is the part at the end of the film where the hero achieves his goal and then the world will be saved. there are only two parts to this section.

Climax: This is the part in which he has to run through the hospital trying to find the diseases which will make the zombies not affected you. This is built up with a lot of tension as there are lots of zombies and he has to be quite and there are a lot of jump senses.

Denouement: This is when the film has reached its end making sure that the world is okay again. The part in World War Z is when he finally gets reunited to his family creating an happy ending.


 

narrative devices

Levi Strauss

Claude Levi Strauss built upon philosopher Aristotle statement that all drama is conflict with his theory of binary opposition. Strauss said that all stories are accelerated forward by conflict which is caused by opposing characters or events.

opposites within a story line are extremely important in a good story, as drawing two different words or characters together inspires conflict and interesting narrative.

therefore the presence of binary opposition in films is an important one, as the differences within the world of the story collide and create a disturbance for which a solution must be found. it also helps to create and distinguish between character roles, for there cannot be a hero without a villain.

Roland Barthes

he believes that there are codes within films which will make the audience more interested and will want to watch more. the enigma code generates what the viewer is aware of within the narrative which will keep them focussed in the film. It will involve puzzles and problems which be solved as well as mysteries must be uncovered

there is also something called the action code which is an event that the audience are straight away aware off. as well as this resolution may be achieved through action also.

Tsvetan Todorov

presents us with his theory, which is based on his study of folk tales, that implies all mainstream films follows a similar narrative structure to each other. it consists of five stages.

Vladimir prop

also proposes a narrative structure which is similar to Todorovs, but slightly more detailed and complex preparation- introduction to the story.

Complication- keys or clues to the direction to the story

transference- the donor events

struggle-dealing with the complications

return-back home however there are still issues remaining

recognition-loose ends are tied up

This links to Propps character theory which identifies more character roles than the previously obvious protagonist and antagonist. He states the importance of spheres of action for each character as opposed to rigid characters type, wich one having the ability to assume more than one role. Propp identifies seven main roles

The villain

The donor-prepares the hero or gives them an objective
The helper-helps the hero throughout the quest
The princess-object of the heros desire, sought for during the narrative
The princess father-rewards the hero
The dispatcher-character to send the hero off
The hero (victim/seeker)- reacts to the donor, weds the princess completes the quest
The false hero, usuper or anti-hero

Narrative

Narrative

• the narrative is different to a story in media as the story is a sequence of events also called the plot where as the narrative is how those events are strung together for the audience.
• narrative chain and effect- the plotline is triggered by action enigma codes meaning something happens causing something else to happen
• narrative can be linked to genre as some genres have a typical story line

information about narrative- http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/keyconceptsgcse/keycon.php?pageID=narrative

                                            - http://www.slideshare.net/anne.horne/media-narrative-theory


Narrative enigmas- http://www.godnose.co.uk/downloads/alevel/key%20concepts/narrative%20structure.pdf

This is like a code which will limit audience information. This would keep them interested in the film that they are watching and therefore would want to watch it till the end to find out for example who the killer was or if the hero would manage to save the day.

purpose for enigmas:

• engages audience attention
• maintains curiosity and interest
• chain and effect cause (want to see what happens)

Narrative themes- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_(narrative)

This is when social issues are looked at within the film or media e.g-social class
                                                                                                             - sexuality
                                                                                                             - family values
These narrative themes are mostly in horror or crime drama this is because it tends to be more simplistic and encoded with entertainment values.

narrative structure-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_structure

This is the structure of the story line e.g closed/open.
typically many films have a single stranded, closed, 3 act structure
Generally there is a plot theme and then a resolution within a film to make the audience more interested to see if the hero would solve the problem and save the world

Narrative theory

Russian theorist Tyvetan Todorov suggest that all narrative follow a three part structure.

comprehending time

Some films have many different ways of comprehending time for example: flashbacks, dream sequences, repetition, different characters pov, flash forwards, real time interludes and pre figuring events that have not yet happened. They do this as they most films don't happen in real time so they can fit all the action within a hour or more. This means something that might happen in 10 years will happen in an hour and those are some of the conventions that do so.

 





Hybrid Genres

Hybrid Genres


 This is a combination of two or more genres hybrids can have a larger audience as they will appeal to more people because there are more than one genre. this would help the film companies as more and more people would hear about the film and be more interested as it appeals to a larger target audience.

Genres are not static, but evolve. therefore, their common attributes change over time. most films are hybrid genre, since they possess the common attributes of more than one genre - Warren Buckland

As horror movies are perennially popular, film makers might start with a set horror paradigms to guarantee audience interest there are many different horror hybrids such as

-horror romance (warm bodies)
-horror war (R-point dead snow)
-horror historical drama (pride and prejudice and zombies)
-horror romcom (shaun of the dead)

more information on hybrid genres - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-genre
                                         - http://www.slideshare.net/guest302df2/horror-hybrids-and-sub-genres
                                        

Sub-Genre

Sub-Genre


sub-genre is like a sub heading for the larger film genre with their own distinctive subject matter, style, formulas, and iconography.



Action for example the sub genres in a James Bond film would be things like
-spy
-races against time








Thriller

ever type of movie genre has sub genres within for example the movie genre of thriller would have a lot of sub genres for example
-crime thriller
-revenge
-legal thriller

 

 

 

 

 

lesson on genre

                   lesson on genre

paradigm- this means the overall pattern created by a film that helps us categorise.

convention- the individual elements which help specify which genre a film belongs to e.g the convention of action films would be weapons and guns

why do we categorise?

the idea of genre grew with the evolution of the film industry, but was particular developed in Hollywood in the 1920/30 at the beginning of the major studios were established. The though of genre was made because it would make it easier for the audience to find the exact film that they would want. It also helps marketing as you could put a film under comedy and it would get more money and more people would want to view it as it is specified for them, where as if you put a horror into comedy genre then it wouldn't get as many views and therefor would loose money.


The importance of genre for audiences and producers?

Also there are certain genres suited for certain ages also the fact that people would have expectations for the film that they are going to view, and if it does not have those expectations then they wouldn't recommended it to a friend. So making sure they use the right conventions to make the film the genre that it is the audience would recommend it to a friend and creating more money.

Genre

A movie genre is a type of film content, theme and period which will allow the audience to know what type of film they are watching. Such things as mood, themes, props and subject matter will determined what genre of film you are watching. Paradigm is another word used when talking about films genres. This means what you expect to see in a films or other types of media, as well as this the word iconography is used which is the interpretation of an image.

 Comedy

 Such things as dialogue are different in a comedy as there would be more snappy and witty lines between the characters. 21 jump street is a film which has all the aspects for a comedy. The mood within the film shows that the genre is comedy as it is an upbeat film, however there are action scenes throughout but keeping with comedy tone of the film its filled with snappy dialogue. The costumes are also a key part of a comedy film for example at the end of 21 jump street one of the main characters is dressed in a tight peter pan costume whilst being chased by the enemies giving the serious side a comedy feel. Another way in which in which the film is known as a comedy is the plot line, the plot line is that two failed policemen are sent to school to figure out how the drugs are being made. This shows a comedy plot line as it is grown men going back to school and having to wear certain outfits to blend in. The actors within the film are also why it is classified as a comedy. the actors within the film are Jonah Hill he is known to play the comedy roles within the films he is in, Channing tattum is also in the film again known for playing a comedy role making the audience know its a comedy by just looking at the poster. 

Romantic

 A romantic film is much different to a comedy in many different ways. One of them is that they

are usually for the female audience. Normally within a love film there are many conventions one of them being would be the music within the film, in a romantic film the music will be soft and smooth making the audience feel warm and happy in contrast the music in an action film is made to make you feel tense and scared at some points. The characters in a love film would typically be a boy and a girl however the plot line for the film would be that during the story the couple would be split up leaving the target audience feeling sad, this is why love films are normally made for girls as it is more known for them to have a emotional reaction to the film. Props as well would be a sign of a love film for example during an action film there would be guns and explosions whereas in a romantic film there would be flowers or chocolates. The setting of a romantic film is normally an idyllic setting normally by a beach on in the middle of the country side this is because it makes it better for the viewer to watch as they don't like to see the couple all cramped in a horrible place which would make the film seem less upbeat and happy.

Action

 Within an action film there are many different conventions for example the use of props is key to

an action film the fact that they would normally use guns or explosions therefore you would know that it is an action film. The plot for an action film would normally be that the protagonist is trying to find the villain and save the day. but during the film it would normally show the protagonist at a week point and them being venerable allowing the audience to belief that there is no hope and that the villain will win. 'Average Joe' is normally used to best describe the hero in the film, this means that it is normally someone with a normal job who just happens to be caught up in the situation. The setting would normally be in the city where the villain would be able to cause most disruption in the plot line the villain would have a history with the hero giving him more of a motive for revenge.

 Horror

 Setting in a horror film is usually takes place in a mansion or an abandoned place, giving the film a more tense and suspicious feel to it. One of the conventions mainly used in a horror would be sound as the director can produce a lot of scary/tense moments the use of creaky doors and sudden silence makes the audience fear for what is about to happen. Typically there would be a group of people involved but only a couple would survive normally a girl and a guy. The villain would be a serial killer or someone who is out to mess up the world and they would be caught out at the end. Another convention would be pathetic fallacy the sound of rain and thunder could help with a horror film.