Placement of our Titles

For our opening, we have made the decision of combining our titles into our shots rather than the white screen as we had to take into consideration the time available to us to slot in white screens and we feel for our opening the titles aren't the focus like other openings as it revolves around what is included into the shots. 

In terms of the placement of the titles, we had to consider certain objects or actions interfering with the titles as well as the colour as they had to be clear and standout enough to be noticed.

Example of our titles

Our Chosen Title

We have decided to name our opening 'Trapped'  as it is ambiguous and all up to interpretation. Our central character is physically limited in terms of their surroundings and illustrates  the state of mind of our character as she has to deal  with the claim of being a murderer and has to live with that which results in all her hallucinating and becoming a nervous wreck as our opening follows her recalling it all.

We had originally planned to write the title with pills like below and were going to have a pan going across it.Yet we felt when incorporating it onto iMovie we felt that it didn't look right and just didn't match with our opening as a whole.

Original Title Appearance 

We decided that it would look better if we had the title on a white screen with the trapped writing enlarged and messy, as it puts a large focus on the screen and it a little suffocating for the audience as that is all they see.The words gradually gets bigger without being too quick or slow.

Titles Seconds research

When editing we had made our opening titles appear on the screen for about 2-2.5 seconds originally but were advised to do at least 4 seconds as this was what a typical film would have. Therefore I did some research into different film opening credits.

After watching all of the opening credits I found that Deadpool and Drive both followed the 4 seconds of the titles being on screen however se7en was the anomaly in this case as they were only on screen for 2 seconds which stood out but could be due to the fact that it is a horror genre and the shots were pieced together to appear very fast paced therefore the titles replicate the frantic and unsettling atmosphere.

Adjusting the levels

As we have included our actress having flashbacks in our opening we have edited in  a home film shots where they are seen laughing and being happy. We decided to add a sort of effect so that the audience could obtain a clear understanding that they are flashbacks rather then very rough cuts that look disorderly. We were mindful when applying the filter as we wanted to have an old-fashioned/ old feel to the shots  and make sure to apply the same effect to every single throwback shot. 

Summary of Percentages  :)

Update - Editing Stage

We have now entered the editing stage for our film opening process and currently the opening is still a rough cut, we still need to fix the sound and alter it as we see fit, and also we have included some match on action so therefore we want to ensure everything matches up at the correct points to maintain continuity.

Silent Retreat Opening Title Sequence

In terms of inspiration and features that particularly struck out to me in the opening credit sequence for 'Silent Retreat' were that the titles were embedded into the shots which we are going to be replicating in our own opening sequence. Also in terms of similarities the inclusion of non-diegetic sound is significant as it follows the conventions of a thriller/ horror genre.

Lastly, I really found it quite clever how they sort of began the opening through the woman looking out of the window and dreaming and then the last shot is of the young woman waking up therefore all of the shots in between have been stringed together from that.

Filming Day of Our Opening

During the past week, we as a group have been filming our film opening after school hours due to the the availability of our location. Our filming for the opening ran for 3 days  due to some scenes not having the same level of continuity or having something interfere in the frame that ruined the mis-en-scene.As a result we had to go back for another day to fix any errors and get the suitable shots that we aimed for.

We all had  multiple roles amongst us as everybody filmed different shots with the camera as well as having an input in directing when we felt it was needed and to guide our actress with the expressions we wanted to capture.

We also filmed our title which would appear before the opening began. We decided to name the film "Trapped" as we felt collectively it went with the whole point that she was physically trapped in the mental asylum and away from any source of normality yet it also reflected her state of her mind as she is trapped from within and has to cope with the illusion of the blood on her hands  and tears as her memories haunt her and leave her in an anxious state.

Woman In Black Opening Scene

In the opening of The Woman in Black I felt like the tone that the directors wanted to put across was in some ways similar to what we hope to achieve as non diegetic sound gradually increases in volume which heightens the dark and uncomfortable feeling.
Likewise the slow paced shots keep you on edge. 
The constant close-up shots aid the fact that we as the audience do not have the access to The whole picture and it's all a matter of interpretation.
Also I admired the use of depth of field included when the young girls are having their tea party and feeding their dolls and when girls crush dolls head as it directed my focus towards the specific movements .
The sound of the dolls head being crushed is painful for audience and adds to how cryptic it all is.
Moreover high key lighting as sunshine coming through the window on the right of them suggests the young girls are happy and presented in a positive light.

In my opinion the opening gives subtle hints to what the movie may be about children having dark side to them that remains unknown and the theme of disguise as the dolls have black eyes, as black has connotations of death and this could even mean death of childhood innocence in this instance.

Our Main Actors

We have made the decision to have Mehreen Javaid ,who is also a student at Enfield County School as one of our main characters .She will be playing the main role of the girl in the  asylum who is distressed , our reason for this is because she has a look of innocence and naivety about her therefore it startles the audience when her reality is unveiled.

Our second actor will be myself and I will have the role of playing the friend who appears in the flashback that haunts Mehreen and she has supposedly killed.

American Horror Story: Trailer

Whilst searching the internet I found the American Horror Story; Hotel title sequence relatively significant in relation to our opening and I felt like It was undoubtedly very effective in terms of the shots,create layout and sound.

Whilst watching the clip, I felt very on edge and that may be due to the fast paced shots that are strung together in a sequence,this helped the title sequence as  it helped build frantic atmosphere which is typical in the horror/ psychological thriller genre. As a result I felt like I  was more attentive when watching.

In addition the titles appear on a background replicating the black/white screen which is   common in many film openings, it's just been tweaked in this instant to fit the aesthetic.The choice of this layout rather than the titles being included into the shots fits perfect in this instance as it aids the placement of the shots not being continuous and different events happening, therefore creating this confusion and mismatched effect resembling a jigsaw.

Example of a white screen : Hannibal

Example of a black screen : The Wedding Singer

VIEW 20 IMAGES

VIEW 20 IMAGES

Likewise, the glitches are constantly added throughout the opening adding to the realism of it all and sort of deceiving the eyes.

Lastly, I noticed the non-diegetic sound in the background again helps reinforce that cryptic mood that the opening is trying to put across to the audience.

Update: Planning for Our Props

Below is a video of us discussing the props we will need for the filming day. in the end we decided to go ahead with the frame and bracelet yet we would not show the the girl in the opening looking at the bracelet and the main focus will be of the picture in the frame. After talking to Ms Foster we decided it would be best not to include the box as realistically in a Mental Institute you would be given a clear plastic wallet therefore we will be replicating this. Also she advised us not to include the teddy bear as the girl chosen to play the distressed patient is not of a young age young and  therefore does not have a purpose. 

I have inserted an image of the final props that will be include, along with the actual hospital gown as well.We decided it was best not to include the bracelet in the shots we collected.

Update on our Opening: Acting

As a group we have made the decision to cast Mehreen Javaid, who is also a student at Enfield County, as the girl in the mental institute as she has shown an interest in acting and had expereince as she took drama for her GCSE'S, therefore we have decided  that she was able to bring the role to life well. In addition she has an innocent and sweet appearance which juxtaposes to the reality of the murder, therefore taking the audience by surprise which is an element that we wanted to include in the opening as it is a typical of the horror/thriller genre as we see the idea of deception being displayed from the opening of the movie 'seven'.

Seven Opening title

The music creates an eerie and sinister feeling as if foreboding something bad is to occur later.Also through the shots that have been collated together it makes the audience feel as though they are observers watching, therefore highlighting the fact that this is a psychological thriller.
The screams in the background create a sense of danger and urgency, emphasising the idea of helplessness.

In addition, the shots are a compilation of close up shots of objects and actions being done like writing. No shots of an actual face is included adding the theme of anonymity.
I also notice that most of the shots begin blurred out then eventually get clearer presenting the concept of deception which is a common attribute of those who suffer from psychological disorders, therefore hinting at the plot/ concept

In terms of editing the titles have been included with the black screens which I think is effective as you are left to really focus on the titles at some points as when they are incorporated into the shots they aren't paid as much attention to.

The lighting is low-key and very dark and the concept of shadows is obviously used to add mystery.

Location for The film Opening and Props

We have decided collectively as a group to use the room above in the school as it is quite simplistic and will successfully create the atmosphere we are aiming for. In terms of the availability of the room we are able to use the room on school days for 2 hours after school so we will need to work fast and remove the objects and furniture as it will interfere with the mis-en-scene. In addition due to the fact of it being used as a medical room and containing a bed it adds to the verisimilitude of the opening sequence.

In addition the props that will be included in the opening are a photo frame, which will trigger the flashbacks,the bracelet and a clear plastic wallet that contains all the personal items.

Our Final Film opening Storyboard

Below are the images for our final storyboard which contains a rough idea of all the shots we will be planning to capture, effects we are planning to incorporate into certain shots as well as the lighting in more depth.

British Film Institute - AS Media Study Day

On the 11th November  we attended a programme held at the British Film Institute,in Southbank which focused on making film openings.At the beginning we listened to Tom Woodcock, who is a film and media teacher so had years of experience of the coursework that we were going to be completing. We took part in activities and became familiar with Macro and Micro Conventions, which appeared to be quite useful for myself as it made me realise how crucial the opening is in terms of giving the audience enough to leave them in anticipation yet not giving away too much.

We watched some openings like Napoleon Dynamite,Casino Royale and The Wedding Singer, and we had to predict macro elements like the genre,narrative, character, themes and atmosphere which were presented in each film. This task made me think more in depth when watching the opening compared to how I would usually at home and it gave me an idea as to how different genres have vaguely given hidden clues which appear to be relevant to the plot of the movie.

In addition, we looked at other openings to identify Micro Conventions (colour, lighting, font,framing,costume,props and setting) and to see what elements were consistent. When doing this task I found the opening to the movie 'Seven' quite similar to the aesthetic we were aiming for with our opening such as the lighting is quite dark in each shot and the font was messy and child-like giving that typical horror look. Likewise it got me thinking about the importance of leaving negative space for the titles as it helps give the opening a better look rather than having the writing covering an important action happening.

In the evening, there was a useful interview style talk with Dexter Fletcher, who is and actor and successful director. He spoke about the success of his films such as " Wild Bill" and " Eddie the Eagle" and the struggles he faced whilst filming such as finding a suitable location.

Also he gave his opinion on the importance of the opening titles and whether he made that a focus to lead the audience in or actually was more interested in whats going on in terms of acting.

Something that I found stayed with me is the fact that he had told us you can still produce  a successful film with a low budget, as the viewers will still obtain the same information that you put across as well as still being plugged in if the plot is interesting and unique.

The Missing

The Missing is a British-American television drama series first broadcast on BBC One in the UK.Currently there are only 2 seasons of the series.

SEASON 1 TRAILER ~



Through watching the trailer, non-dietetic sound is heavily incorporated to introduce a new scene being introduced. The sound chosen at 0.08 seconds  is used to replicate the sound of the camera as though these are all moments captured in the mind of the parents and emphasizes the fact that they cannot be erased so easily. In addition at 0.16 seconds,there is a very quiet screeching sound in the background which gives an insight to the audience the state of mind through those who were effected creating a sense of sympathy.Furthermore the sound adds to the tense atmosphere that is being created and adds to the verisimilitude of the whole plot. Also flashbacks and flash forward results in the audience being reeled in to the drama and leaves the viewers with their imaginations to wander what is being discovered that helps piece the mystery.

SEASON 2 TRAILER ~



SUMMARY OF THE PLOT :

 Season 1 focuses on Tony Hughes, who in the summer of 2006, during the Fifa cup travels from the United Kingdom to northern France for a holiday with his wife Emily and 5-year-old son Oliver. Not long after entering France, their car breaks down, forcing them to spend the night in the small town of Chalons du Bois. One evening, Tony and Oliver visit a crowded outdoor bar, where the quarterfinals football match is being watched. Tony loses sight of his son, never to find him again.

Eight years later, Oliver has not been found; the police have closed their investigation, and the couple are divorced. Although Tony never stopped looking for his son, after seeing a recent picture of the French village where a little boy is wearing a scarf identical to the one Oliver was wearing the day he disappeared, and that was specially made for him with a unique insignia, Tony gets back on track, and with the help of retired detective Julien Baptiste, who led the original investigation, he starts to put the pieces together while the police decide to officially reopen the case.

It is classified as a swift-moving crime thriller that also takes the time to measure the effects of the crime on Tony and Emily's marriage, their state of mind, and the lives of the French townspeople who were drawn into the investigation.

In Season 2 The story is told in dual timelines: flashing between 2014 and the present time. It features Sam and Gemma Webster, whose daughter Alice, went missing in 2003. She mysteriously returns home towards the end of 2014, apparently having been held captive with Sophie Giroux, a French girl who disappeared at about the same time. The French detective Julien Baptiste, who investigated the Oliver Hughes case, was in charge of the Giroux investigation. Although now in retirement, he becomes involved again.

It is said 'The Missing' elevates the familiar dynamic to a new level with a gut-wrenching mystery.

Storyboard Animation

Below I have inserted our storyboard animation for our film opening.We have edited the clip to illustrate the way we envision our real opening so in order to get this across we added sound in order to create an eerie and suspense-filled atmosphere as well as including lighting.This has helped us as we have a clear and better idea of how everything will appear in sequence.

Film Opening Title Research

Using the Internet, I selected a few film openings which were relevant or could be used for inspiration when creating our titles to incorporate into our film openings and others I found quite unique therefore have included them below. 

Rather than using one website, I used a combination of two to have a wider range of titles to look through and select,which were the following;

• http://www.artofthetitle.com/
• http://www.watchthetitles.com/

Anatomy of a Murder:
I chose this opening as I liked the use of disassembled body parts which are the sole focus of the opening and assemble like a puzzle.It is quite a simple opening in contrast to the other openings yet it is effective and the sound in the background seems to be in sync with when the words appear on the screen.
In addition at the very end all we see is a vintage style car approaching which doesn't reveal too much and leaves the audience filled with uncertainty about what the movie will actually be about.

Wowie:

Again this is a very simple approach to the opening titles and is not very complicated to replicate.However something that stood out in particular for me in this clip was the choice to use a body as a canvas for the credits as it isn't often seen, therefore it made me more attentive when I was watching and I also noticed the effect create at 0.11, which gave an illusion.The use of audio clips with people in conversation is included as well as a song which suggests an indie film.

Silent Hill:

The use of child-like hand writing gives a sense of foreshadowing that the film may be centered around a child and I feel like the font fit's well with the genre and can be adapted into our two minute opening.

The opening has a black and white filter applied throughout the whole duration of the clip which reinforces the fact that the location is gritty and gloomy and maintains the horror aesthetic that they are trying to put across.

Something that I might consider is the ending as in the last seconds of the clip all we see is a child with a devilish grin and I liked the effect this had as it kind of stays in your head and haunts you.

30 Days of Night :

This opening was very much focus on the images which slowly change in the frames rather than titles.The placement of the writing doesn't cut into important parts of the frames and the opening is quite slow which is emphasised with the sound in the background , which creates tension whilst watching.

Cargo- Innocence Lost:

We have chosen to base  our opening mainly on this example as the font ties in well with our chosen genre as well as the placement of the actual words is well thought out. In addition it was different to see the titles turn to a different position.

The camera is a little shaky which is a clever technique to display the female's distress and we noticed that the opening is focused more on her expression rather than any sort of dialogue.

Something we want to incorporate into our opening is the huffing and puffing we hear right at the end of the clip at 2:20 as well as the effect in which the font is presented every time a title appears

Film Opening Pitch

After presenting our pitch to the class we have decided to make some alterations such as instead of having a group of people in the room we decided it would be more realistic to have a young girl around 14/16 in her own room and we show her at different camera angles and her distress.
Furthermore we have decided to include the girl getting up to find a box containing a variety of personal things e.g a teddy, some letters and a picture frame.We will also show her  looking at the picture frame and whilst she looks her tears fall and the camera will capture this as well as the expression worn on her face.
Another alteration we have decided to make is the young girl remaining in the room throughout the whole opening.The room is meant to mimic a mental asylum or a hospital type room but this may not be completely clear it is something we want the audience to think about.
Through looking at trailers we have decided to play an audio clip in the background of her and her sister laughing and a happy moment plays through in her mind as she reminisces. 

Preliminary Task Final

Above is our preliminary task which we created within our groups ( Me,Jana and Rachel). Myself and Jana did the acting in the clip and Rachel had the role of filming all the scenes. In terms of editing we all had an opportunity to edit and cut out unnecessary parts and get familiar with the iMovie software.

We are aware that the final product isn't edited in the best quality possible yet we are in the process of learning more editing techniques and applying them, so we will have a clear improvement towards the end with our film opening.

Preliminary Task Storyboard

Above is an image of our storyboard for the preliminary task.This is a clear plan on what camera angle each frame will have as well as what will be in the frame.
In addition the storyboard act as a guide for us as it will help us capture all the footage we need rather than filming unnecessary scenes.

Breaking The Fourth Wall Technique - Fleabag

Below is the trailer of BBC Three's Fleabag Starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Which we looked at briefly in lesson.The British television series incorporates the technique of 'breaking the fourth wall'. This is when an actor looks directly to the audience and speaks to them.

It can be used to implicate the audience. If a character murders another character, then looks right at the audience and addresses them, then the audience is implicated as people who watched a murder and did nothing also breaking the fourth wall can encourage an audience to ally themselves with a particular character.

In Fleabag the purpose may be to interact with Phoebe's brutally honest character or this technique could emphasize the humor of the situation as she has many awkward run in's with her father, short love affairs and her sister.Lastly we get an insight as an audience to how she is feeling in each scenario.

Camera Shots and Angles

In class, we were introduced to a variety of different camera shots and angles .
From the illustrations made in lesson, I have been able to find examples of these shots to refer back to.

Camera Shots

Establishing shot
An establishing shot is usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or extreme wide shot.

Long Shot
A long shot typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. 

Full shot

Full shot is another name for wide shot. It shows the subject fully, from head to toe (in the case of a person)

Mid-shot

The camera films from the waist up, the frame contains a more equal proportion of the person in frame and the background

Close up shot

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mis en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face.

Extreme Close up shot 

An extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality.

Camera Angles

Eye Level
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. 

Low Angle

A shot taken with the camera in a position below and pointing upward at the subject.

High Angle

A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up." High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable.

Overhead Shot

Bird's eye view. A shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead.

Undershot

The camera is positioned directly beneath the subject, looking up. Often coupled with point-of-view shots when the character is looking up at something.

Camera Movement:

Pan

A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned.

Tracking

The camera follows a moving subject.

Dolly

A dolly is any sort of moving platform that a camera is mounted on. Skateboards, office chairs and supermarket trolleys are the dollies of choice for low budget camera crews. A ‘dolly in’ is when the camera moves closer to a subject, a ‘dolly out’ is when it moves further away.

Tilt

The camera tilts vertically (up/down) when mounted on a tripod.