Problems uploading our evaluation

Our evaluation is 16 minutes long which means it is a large file. As the file was so large it took a long time for it to export out of final cut and into a quick time file. When it did export the file was still very large so I had to put the file into garage band and then export it into an I pod format which is considerably smaller but still large. As we were restricted for time at school I had to copy the smaller file onto my hard drive. When I returned home I tried uploading our evaluation onto You Tube. It eventually uploaded but as I opened it, it was unfortunately removed from You Tube as the video was too long. I then tried uploading the video straight onto the blog but it would not allow me to as the file was either in the wrong format or too large. I then had to download a file compressing soft ware that enabled me to downsize the file. I then tried uploading the video onto the blog again and it was successful.  

Group p evaluation

This is the evaluation of our opening sequence. We had to answer a series of questions that analysed our finished product and the ideas behind why we made what we made. Shauna read out the questions and we followed to answer. To edit the evaluation we had to use final cut. Each question is separated by a cross fade edit. 

In The Red Opening Sequence

This is the final exam version.This differs from the draft version. In this version we have different credits, a different title sequence, sharper cuts, and a different soundtrack.

Problems uploading our opening sequence and evaluation

There was difficulty uploading our footage because the files were too big. As they were very large it took a long time to upload and the server kept cutting out.

Problems with evaluation

As we tried to film our evaluation, there were disturbances beyond our control because we had to film in a stairwell. People making noise opening doors and going up and down the stairs made it difficult. We had to cut those disturbed parts out and put edits in where the question changed. To edit this we used final cut.

Change in Soundtrack

Due to disagreements within the group, we made two versions of the soundtrack on garage band. On one version there are sounds of traffic in the background and one without. There are different piano sounds in both of the versions at the start of the sequence.

Snatch

Rock n Rolla

The business

Lock stock and two smoking barrels

Other films involving organised crime and debt

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Rock'n Rolla, The business,

Producing the soundtrack

To produce a soundtrack to the opening sequence we had to use garage band. The sequence starts off at a very slow pace and the weather is not particularly nice which shows pathetic fallacy. To create a mellow mood, we used a piano sequence at the start. The pace is slow until the main character reaches his apartment. To create suspense when he entered his apartment we used a high pitched sound. The chase sequence starts off with a gun shot and a grime song called Mike Lowry is played.

Fitting in S.E.A Productions and ADMILNA INC

After being unsuccessful on Adobe Flash, we fitted in S.E.A Productions in a much simpler fashion. We had the writing in a large blue font on a black background and used a ripple effect to make it appear like water. We also added a dripping sound to the background. As far as incorperating ADMILNA INC we used a black background, again, with red writing and simply wrote "in association with admilna inc", it appears after some of the footage of the central character. After watching simlar films we noted that they're credits were very simple so not to take away from the narrative and we tried to immitate them.

Admilna inc.

Having watched a lot of similar style films we decided another production line needed to be added in the credits, most of the films we watched had "in association with" on them. So we thought we would do the same and we created a combination of our names and made ADMILNA INC.

Attention to detail

We were all relatively happy with how things were going but after going through it very closely and analysing it we decided that there were some small cuts which needed to be made. We literally took no more than 2 seconds off of a few shots but the difference it made was unbelieveable. It made the film run so much smoother.

Problems with Adobe Flash

We wanted to create an animation in Adobe Flash to appear to show S.E.A Productions, at the begining of the opening sequence. We wanted to have it under the sea and appear to '"swim" across the screen with oxygen bubbles coming out of it. We tried to do it but everytime we thought we had finished it we weren't happy with it. In the end we had to settle for the fact that we were trying to be to complicated and we had bigger things to sort out, like our credits.

Changing from ASE productions to SEA productions

We thought it would be better to have a production company name that was actually a word. It still incorporated the first letter of all our names but in a different order. 

New soundtrack

Thankfully, after hours of searching we found an unsigned artist using the same backing track but with different lyrics. The lyrics he uses actually suit our film better.

Problems with the soundtrack

Unfortunately, today we discovered that we cannot use our sound track due to copy right infringements. We are currently looking for another soundtrack to use instead, we're looking for the same kind of music but by an unsigned artist. 

Average scores

During the showcase the class were told to rate our film out of 10 on editing, sound, camerawork, control of narrative, characters and whether or not they would watch it all. The average scores were as followed:

Editing: 7.1/10
Sound: 6.7/10
Camerawork: 7.4/10
Control of narrative: 7.2/10
Characters: 8/10
Would you watch it all?: 7.4/10

Showcase

As we were the first to complete our film, or at least be near to completing it we had a "show case" whereby we showed the class our film and they critiqued it. On the whole it went well, but we realised our credits still needed a lot of work and that the sound needed to be edited as some of it was inaudible. The main issue that was raised was that the sound was too loud at the start of the sequence. This was to be rectified in the second version.

Trouble with credits

We found it quite difficult to put the credits in and still keep it looking like an authentic and well made film and not rushed. We tried numerous ways but we couldn't agree on anything. 

The first rough version of our opening sequence

Editing was surprisingly easier than we had first thought it would be. We had well over 2 hours worth of footage which needed to be filtered down into the most suited and most effective shots. We filmed much of the footage from 4 or 5 different angles and shots on purpose, because we were not entirely sure what would look best and figured it is better to have more options. When editing we realised that in order for our opening sequence to remain realistic we had to use short and sharp straight cuts. When it came to sound we used a song called "Mike Lowery" by Skepta during our chase scene. This song is part of the underground music genre 'Grime'. This song made our opening sequence appeal to a more youthful audience, just like films such as Kidulthood.. Prior to this task we didn't realise how much impact sound can have, we developed a lot more apprecitation for the role that sound plays!
Below is our first draft of the film completed with sound.

Twisted Pictures

We added the production company "Twisted Pictures" to our opening sequence as it went well with the theme and the mood of our opening sequence.

A.S.E Productions

A.S.E Productions is the name of our production company, we combined the names; Adam, Shauna, Emily to create this.

Changes from the story board

The film mainly stuck to the story board, but we altered the story as we saw an opportunity to use the the betting shop William Hill. We then came up with the idea that the central character had a money problem and owed large sums of money to loan sharks. This also meant we had a reason for the gangsters to appear, as they broke in to his apartment to get their money. Consequently we had the idea of the central characters girlfriend being abducted by the gangsters as we figured it would seem realistic and we also decided as a group we like films where the action happens immediately. The changes made the film opening more exciting, more realistic, easier to relate to and also added more connotations of the action genre; a damsel in distress.

Filming

We decided to film on 23/02/2011, we had also decided that we wanted to film the entire opening sequence in one evening, not to do it in sections as it would make it easier to edit the whole sequence together. We filmed where I live. It is a perfect location because I live right next door to a William Hill betting shop.. However, we wanted part of our film to be in a betting shop- William Hill, but due to us being under 18 we were not allowed to film on the premisses. However I was able to walk in and out of the betting shop so we filmed me walking in and out. We used a dissolve cut when editing to make it appear time had passed. Filming went relatively smoothly with no major incidents that prevented us from getting the footage that we wanted. There were a few issues when filming with mirrors in the room because the cameras reflection in the mirror was visible in some shots. We dealt with this by re filming a few scenes which was laborious after a while. The filming took longer than we had anticipated but by the end of it we all felt as if we had enough footage to be able to put together an opening sequence which reflected the hard work we put into planing and filming it.

Preperation for the shoot...

What we will need:

• Camera
• Memory card
• Charger
• Tripod
• Plastic bag to put over camera and umbrella (it might rain and the show must go on)
• Wallet
• Mobile phone
• Adam's moped
• Sami needs to come ON TIME!
• Torch as the lighting may be inadequate 

Our chosen name

We decided that the best word that described the narrative was debt as the opening sequence shows how someone who has owed money has come to collect it. However, we did not think that word really stood out or sounded dramatic and so we put it on thesaurus.com to see if there was anything else:

It was when we saw the list that we decided to call our film "In The Red" as it did not completely give the narrative away and we thought that most people of the audience may not completely know the meaning which would build enough suspense for the opening sequence to be a success.

Where did our film get inspiration from?

To gain inspiration on the type of opening sequence we wanted to create we had to watch a variety of films in the action/drama/crime genre. The films we considered ranged from the £600,000 Kidulthood/Adulthood; because of the fact that its a UK drama and the film's are aimed at a similar target audience, to multi million dollar blockbuster Taken, primarily for the infamous phone call scene and that one of the central characters gets kidnapped in our opening sequence. Lock stock incorporates organized crime, and that's what we wanted to include in our opening sequence. We used something from each type of film to create our ideas for our opening sequence.

Possible opening sequences

After being put in our groups, we created a mind-map of possible genres and ideas before we could design a storyboard. Below shows the genres that we thought we could use considering we were limited for locations; for example, we didn't want to create an opening sequence using science fiction as it would be hard to portrait this genre without special effects. To make it look more interesting we used  a variety of colours to represent different conventions of different genres.

In The Red Opening Sequence evaluation

Evaluation

My opening sequence represents the conventions of a crime, thriller, and action movie. The fast paced chase scene backed with gritty grime music gives the instant impression that the film will include guns, drugs, and money. Other films in this type of genre are films like Kidult hood (2006), Bullet Boy (2004), Shifty (2008). I wanted my opening sequence to immediately be established in the same mould as the mentioned films. I also wanted to incorporate the idea of organized crime, that was present in other British low budget films such as Lock Stock and two smoking barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). To achieve this mise en scene had to be representative. The pursuers were dressed in suits and drove an expensive sports car (Audi TT) which resembles they are part of an organized crime world involving a lot of money (Higher than the average criminal). There is a narrative pattern, that if we were to continue filming, it would conform to. The equilibrium was present but for a brief period of time. Equilibrium was present from when the main character walks from the gambling shop, to his flat. There is a disruption when there are intruders in his home. They kidnap his girlfriend and the majority of the film is spent trying to gather up the ransom money by any means necessary.

Analysis of Lock Stock and Two smoking Barrels

The opening sequence of Lock stock, sets the tone and pace for the rest of the film. Immediately scenes of criminal activity is taking place. The selling of stolen goods, is cut short by the police. There is then a chase scene that concludes the opening sequence. The chase scene makes the viewer know that this sort of theme will be continued throughout the film.
The opening sequence starts off with a slow pace, as there are little cuts, and the cuts that are present are spaced far apart. As the scene develops the cuts increase in pace, and the camera starts to pan to show everybody in the crowd. By the criminal activity taking place it is clear that the film will include organised crime. The mise en scene help establish the time period it has taken place.This is shown by the police dressed in dated uniforms.

Kidulthood opening sequence analysis

Analysis


Kidulthood was released in 2006 and achieved major success and was particularly popular with teenagers and young adults. The Film straight away appeals to a young audience with the two words 'Kid' and 'Adulthood' merged together to form Kidulthood. 
The appeal to a young audience is apparent within the first 30 seconds of the opening sequence as the cast is made up of teenagers and the setting is in a school playground. Although it is set in a school, The theme of the film is made apparent by the grime music played, the bad language used, the context of the conversations, and the scenes of a sexual nature. 
My opening sequence is directed towards the same audience as Kidulthood's so i had to incorporate 
aspects of mise en scene to achieve this. 
In the opening sequence there is a variety of camera shots used. Long shots are used to establish the setting. A key thing is that the main characters are always in the center of the shot. Extreme close ups are used to show the importance of certain things, such as the drill.

Representation in the media

Media is just a representation of reality.  Every media form from a video or magazine is a concept of some ones perception of reality codified into a series of signs and symbols that are put together in certain ways to make audiences perceive it how the producer wants them to. Producers use people’s perceptions of reality and construct their piece if media to fit people’s expectations. For example the colour red could denote danger, fear, death, or anger. This perception of a colour has been made this was via media. Media and real life walk hand in hand creating a relationship that we recognise.

Extension/restriction of virtual experiences

Every time you watch a documentary or a programme that features a faraway place in the world, you mentally extend your experience and knowledge of life on this planet. The downside to this is that we only know what we are shown. Producers can pick and choose what they want the public to see so this means our experience is restricted and we don’t see the whole truth.

Truth or Lies

We only see what producers want us to see, and their footage is usually controlled by people politically in power. This sort of control was used as propaganda in the first and Second World War. By selecting certain footages, they could control what the public believed. This still goes on today in regards of the war in the Middle East. A lot of footage taken by journalist’s are not allowed to be shown to the public as it will give a negative view on the British Army. This gives the public a bias view and is basically lied to.

Representation of gender

Gender plays an important part when analysing media. Representations in media set out what it means to be a male and what it means to be a female. Without the use of media there would be no distinction between the two sexes other that physical features. The use of media has made it that girls wear pink and boys wear blue. Without these representations men could walk around with a dress on and it would be acceptable but because of the expectations set by media it is not acceptable.

Representation of race

The use of films and other types of media have created racial stereotypes that have stuck in people’s minds as ‘normal’. Racial stereotyping is seen as more serious as gender stereotyping. For example a stereotype for Native Americans has been set from old Wild West films, where the cowboys and the Indians were at war. The Native Americans were perceived to be the attackers when they were the victims from invasion.  Also racism caused major concern in the 2007 celebrity Big Brother house where Shilpa Shetty was subjected to racial abuse from her housemates.

Case study Jersey Shore

The characters of Jersey Shore are ethnically Caucasian but they class themselves culturally as Italian- American, even though none of them are born in Italy. They then class themselves as in an even more specific subset as ‘guidos’ or ‘guidettes’. The TV show raised a lot of controversy as other Italian- Americans object to this negative portrayal of their culture and ethnic group. Within one season, the show created a worldwide fan base and became extremely popular. A TV drama called Bones features the stereotype ‘Guido’s’ and ‘Guidettes’. These groups of people are treated harshly in the show for comic purposes and are singled out. This wouldn’t be acceptable if it was done to other races. Jersey Shore has made their culture a joke.

Representation of age

Our perception of age is controlled by what we see in the media. TV shows such as Inbetweeners portrait teenagers to be immature, sexually frustrated, lazy, greedy, and unreliable. Stereotypes for older people are, grumpy, whining, slow, out dated, weak, un able to use technology, and hard of hearing. People notice these stereotypes and constantly try to go against them. This mainly occurs in older women. They dye their grey hair, go through painful plastic surgeries, and wear youthful clothes just to make themselves appear younger. This pressure on women is put on by the media. The ideal way to look is displayed in glossy magazines that women read. People associate looking younger with beauty, so when they deviate from these norms they try rectifying it with age defying treatments that come at a price. Although some people desire to be younger, some decide because they are getting old they must become lazy and stop living their life. But actors such as Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone push for action roles in films even though they are veering into their sixties. They appeared in blockbuster action films in 2010 such as RED and The Expendables.

In The Red Opening Sequence 1st version

Harry potter opening sequence soundtrack edit

To edit the soundtrack of harry potter's opening sequence, I used garage band. My aim was to create a dark and mysterious soundtrack to match the events that take place in the film.

Preliminary Sequence

children of men analysis

How effectively does the opening sequence from 'Children of Men' (2006) use the forms and conventions of film openings? What is your personal response as a member of the audience?

The purpose of a film opening is to introduce a character, establish a narrative structure, capture the audiences’ interest, and establish core themes. These are achieved by using certain narrative film opening conventions such as a significant sound track that will set the mood of the film and which will ultimately indicate what genre the film is. Children of men (2006) was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and grossed $35,286,428. This high revenue was due to the gripping opening sequence that set the tone for the rest of the film. The main star in the film was Clive Owen, and the story entailed that the world was on the verge of extinction, due to worldwide infertility. A woman miraculously falls pregnant and it is up to Theo Faron (Clive Owen) to escort her to safety and deliver the baby.

The cinematography and technical codes used in the opening of children of men make the opening sequence highly dramatic and add a substantial amount of tension and suspense. The sequence starts off with commences in complete silence. Even as the credits for the production companies roll on there is no theme music or a significant soundtrack played. This idea of complete silence may be used to grab the audiences attention as they strain there ears to try and hear something that is not there. The only sense used in 32 seconds of the opening sequence is sight, but then sight and the sense of hearing are substituted as the screen fades to black and a non Diegetic commentary of what seems to be a news broadcast is played.  The elimination of the sense sight, forces the audience to listen carefully to the new broadcast. The fact that it is the only thing played right at the start of the opening sequence signifies its importance.

The scene straight cuts from the black background to a high angled shot of a cafe inhabiting a lot of stunned people. The fact that a news broadcast was played to the audience before this scene, will indicate that the people in the shop are listening to the same thing and this gives the reason behind why they are so shocked and gives clues to what the story will entail. The uses of camera techniques are used to make the most of the first shot of the film. A high angle shot is used to capture the still emotions and facial expressions of the people in the shop. Every person in the shop has the same depressed expression on their face which immediately sets the mood of the film and tells the audience that this will not be a happy comic Rom-Com. The high angle shot also gets the background in the picture which establishes the setting which is a cafe. The use of silence remained constant apart from the news broadcast and a few words mumbled by Clive Owen all the way until 1 minute 23 seconds when non Diegetic empathy music is played to match the mood and the sound of crying in the cafe. The use of silence indicates that what is happening on the news broadcast is so shocking and heart rendering that it has left the entire shop speechless.

The pace of the sequence is very slow, with only 6 cuts in the whole 2 minutes and 25 seconds of the sequence. Instead of cutting, another technique is used to keep the scene at a steady slow pace. As Clive Owen walks into the cafe the camera focuses on him. As he begins to walk out of the shop the camera follows him. This gives the effect that the viewer is there in the film following the character. The fact that the camera follows Owen shows the audience that he is an important character. As Owen exits the shop, instead of cutting to an establishing shot of what was outside the cafe, the camera follows him through the door and moves around and looks at the scenery to establish the setting of the film. This gives the effect that the viewer has walked out of the shop and has looked around as anybody would do as they exit a building. Then the camera continues to follow Owen down a busy London street.

Mise en scene is used to make the setting feel familiar to the audience and give them something to relate to. The police man in uniform in the cafe and that were walking along the street resemble the uniform that police officers wear today, but are slightly modified which shows that it is set in the future but the nearby future. The buses and buildings with digital advertisements and the motorised pedal bikes also signify that the film is set in the future but not a future that we would envision for ourselves as the streets look dirty, bust and chaotic. The news bulletin on the television uses a generic font and layout that people recognise as the news with the red banner running along the bottom of the screen with the headlines on it. As Owen walks down the road, the words ‘London 16^th November 2027’ are displayed at the bottom of the screen. This indicates when the film is set and also that this particular date is an important date in the film. Owens’ character is portrayed as troubled as he is putting alcohol in his coffee in the morning. The pace of the opening sequence has been very slow and nothing exiting has happened that will grab the audiences’ attention, until the camera does a 180 degree spin on Owens’ character. The audience will be expecting something to happen but don’t know what will happen or when. The extremely slow pace was used deliberately to build up the scene and get the audience ready for the main event. The audience are preoccupied with what Owen is doing to his coffee when a loud blast from a bomb inside the cafe sends shockwaves through the screen making the audience jump out of their seat. The slow pace and camera movement was all done to build up to that climax. This film is shown to be a hybrid film as conventions of horror are shown after the explosion as a woman walks out of the wreckage with her arm in her hand but clearly this film is not going to be just a horror and will have other genre integrated in it.

As a member of the audience I found that the slow pace built up the feeling of expectation. Nothing major or exiting happened towards the end so I was anticipating something dramatic to happen. But the moment it happened it left me shocked and instantly wanting to continue watching to see what caused this tragedy to happen.