My Initial Ideas Storyboard

Here shows the first 6 main parts to my films opening sequence:

• Number one is a long shot of a man running down a corridor and then it goes into a medium shot as he is closer to the camera once he is hiding around the corner.
• He then looks around the corner to check behind him, showing that he was running from something following him, not just running from a situation. As we can see in the second frame the man is holding a weird looking gun and this is a hint of all the small elements that relate to the fantasy side to this film (much like men in black with all of the futuristic equipment in a not so futuristic looking time).
• He then quickly turns back to hide around the corner once he heard noises, still within this medium shot. And still in this frame we can see that at the end of the corridor a man or woman (I have not decided which yet) has fallen over as they have been injured in some way (also not decided how just yet). The man who is hiding does not know this has happened yet.
• It then cuts to a close up of the man hiding around the corridor, his expression will show his being torn between going and helping the person who is being shouted at who is in obvious danger and potentially hurt (as he assumes from the noises he heard).
• He then looks around the corner to see what has happened - still in a medium shot to showing the man hiding and the person lying at the end of the corridor. In this shot he then sees the person has fallen on the floor...probably dead as the are not moving.
• It then goes to a reverse medium shot (could probably be close up however in order to see the mans expression better) so the viewer can see the mans expression as he looks around the corner to find a probably dead person at the end of the corridor.

• The shot then cuts back to the previous one showing the man in a medium shot - he has turned around in fear (a close up could come after this showing his fear much more closely and obviously to the audience. 
• He then heard that the person who is dead has been dragged away and the voices grow quiet, so he makes a run for it in a panic. 
• As he goes to the end of the corridor we cut to close/medium shot and long shot behind the pervious man and then pans out to the side to show a new character in a long shot - presenting him as being the character with the most power and authority at that moment. 
• It then cuts to being a close up (maybe over the shoulder shot to keep continuity) on the evil characters face showing his evil grin and then a close up (maybe over the shoulder shot to maintain continuity) of the previous mans face, where he will say something funny - he has been caught but it is a film with comedy elements so it is then introduced quite soon and in a bizarre situation so it is unconventional and unexpected, which therefore increases the level of humour.  

Who am I targeting my film opening at?

Due to the fact that when I produced a questionnaire earlier in my research, only a small group of people had in fact contributed to answering questions and those few were only within the age group of 16-19. These are the people I am targeting because they are the only people that have informed me of the things they look for in film when it comes to genre and why they watch films if they do. I need to base my film opening around this data so that I can make my film opening appeal to this audience at least. However, because I have only received information from a specific age group actually means that my ideas and such have been narrowed down slightly (as people of different ages will probably be interested in different genres and such meaning that I wouldn't be able to tie everything together to appeal to all of them) so that has made it easier for me because I don't need to chose a specific age group myself.

Also, from the questionnaire I had produced earlier I found out that the most popular genres were comedy, fantasy, horror and thriller. Therefore, I have in fact decided to try and include all of these genres in my film opening - I haven't decided on which genre I will have as my main one (probably fantasy due to the fact that comedy doesn't come very easily to me) but I will try my best to include the other genres as sub genres, however, some elements of the four genres may be more noticeable than others. By producing a film opening with what appears to be their 4 favourite film genres, this should draw in their attention and hopefully appeal to them.

Transitions

Here is a list of a few different video transitions that can be included between different shots in footage. However, in most cases, most these transitions aren't often used because they can make a film look very amateur if they are used too often or used in the wrong context. This is why the cut transition is used the most frequently - because it doesn't try to add meaning or suggestion to something to the audience (such as a crossfade; these transitions tend to show a passing of time), it just maintains continuity in the best way and also makes the film look much more like real life, therefore the audience doesn't even notice the fact that there is a transition between shots.
I understand that I need to include a variety of skills when I come to producing my own opening sequence, however, my options are limited with transitions due to the fact that if they are overused it could give the story a completely different meaning (observed reading) than the one that I had intended it to have (preferred reading) - the context that the transitions are most commonly used in are listed below in the table. So, I need to be careful with what transitions I use, where I use them and how often I use them...If I use any transitions at all other than cuts.

Cut

The most common transition — an instant change from one shot to the next. The raw footage from your camera contains cuts between shots where you stop and start recording (unless of course you use built-in camera transitions).
In film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are cuts.

Mix / Dissolve / Crossfade

These are all terms to describe the same transition — a gradual fade from one shot to the next.
Crossfades have a more relaxed feel than a cut and are useful if you want a meandering pace, contemplative mood, etc. Scenery sequences work well with crossfades, as do photo montages.
Crossfades can also convey a sense of passing time or changing location

Fade

Fades the shot to a single colour, usually black or white. The "fade to black" and "fade from black" are ubiquitous in film and television. They usually signal the beginning and end of scenes.
Fades can be used between shots to create a sort of crossfade which, for example, fades briefly to white before fading to the next shot.

Wipe

One shot is progressively replaced by another shot in a geometric pattern. There are many types of wipe, from straight lines to complex shapes.
Wipes often have a coloured border to help distinguish the shots during the transition.
Wipes are a good way to show changing location

Digital Effects

Most editing applications offer a large selection of digital transitions with various effects. There are too many to list here, but these effects include colour replacement, animated effects, pixelization, focus drops, lighting effects, etc.
Many cameras also include digital effects, but if possible it is better to add these in post-production.


Web address to where I found this list of video transitions:
http://www.mediacollege.com/video/editing/transition/types.html

 

Explanation of Time and Equipment

         Timing - Shooting:

• I have allocated myself 45 minutes for practice shots due to the fact that some shots could look good on paper, but not in reality. I do not necessarily need to record these shots as I can just look at them through the screen on the camera and analyse what the shot will in fact look like, or I could just take it all in visually without any assistance from the camera - it all depends on what equipment is free and if I have the time to set up the equipment.
• I have then given myself around 2-3 hours of shoot time as the actual film opening will only be around 5 minutes long if that, so it will only be a short scene to shoot and I don't want too many different shots on my hands that I will need to first render (very time consuming) before I can even see if they are worth putting into the final product. Also, I need to ensure I have plenty of spare time to re-shoot my footage if it didn't go to plan and something went wrong and therefore corrupted the story line, narrative, acting or continuity.  

Timing - Processing of Film:

• For processing of film I have provided myself with 15 minutes in order to upload my footage from a memory stick to the mac computer that I will be editing the film on - there was no time needed for putting the film on a memory stick as my media technician does that for everyone in order to sped up the process due to the fact that she knows how to do it and so it is ready for us for our next lesson. 
• 3 Hours of rendering time may seem like a but much, but rendering can often take a long time depending on the speed of the computer and the amount of footage you have, so I have given myself a lot of time just in case it does take longer than expected.

Timing - Editing:

• I have allowed myself 3 hours for choosing my shots due to the fact that I could have several different clips of the same shot, and it can often be hard to chose your favourite shots and have them fit well together with the other scenes to allow continuity - for me it is a long and painful process as I often love a particular clip but it may just not fit du to some small continuity errors.
• Cutting and editing have the most amount of estimated time due to the fact that I may not know what transitions I want between shots and this can take time to put into the film. Also, I may decide to do some opening and/or ending titles myself or include some names on screen to introduce some main characters, the producers and such. This means positioning the text on each frame therefore this could take a large portion of time and may end up taking even longer so a '+' has been added after the number of hours to show that I may be spending longer on cutting and editing. Also, I may end up wishing to edit the lighting effect of the overall footage and include some music in the back ground and due to the fact that I am unsure of how to do this at the moment I would prefer to estimate myself more time than I need just to be on the safe side. 

 Equipment - Non-Technical:

• I am going to create a quick storyboard on paper just so that I can give myself a simple grasp on the scene and potential setting of my opening sequence and so that I can add to it and advance my ideas once I am confident with them. 
• I am going to write myself a shot list and take it with me when I do the production part of my filming process due to the fact that some shots that I had planned out in my simple story board may not work so well in reality or put the message across as well as i would like, so this way I have something I can refer to rather than remember all the different shot types on the spot.  
• Once I decide on a specific plot and setting then I can put my focus on clothing, but if I am filming on a few separate days then the costume needs to remain the same.

Equipment - Technical:

• I need a camera and tripod in order to film my footage as well as keep the angle steady and in the correct position. 
• I need a usb stick in order to import the footage onto it and then upload my footage from the USB to my mac computer where I can edit the footage from. 
• I am using final cut pro because it is very simple to use and I used it when creating my preliminary task so it is a software that I am familiar with. 
• Due to the fact that I could be filming inside, I need specific lighting in order to create the effect that I want.

Time and Equipment

Production companies and styalistic influnces

Production Companies

A production company that I feel would fit myideas best would be Paramount Pictures due to the fact that after a quick internet search I can see that they have produced horror/thriller films (Paranormal Activity, World War Z), comedy (transformers – comedy is a subgenre in the film but is very clear and constant through the film, Rango, Anchorman) and fantasy (Tintin, The Avengers, Transformers, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) which are all genres that I am wanting to stick to when I create my film opening. They have also done a much wider range of films and according to a list created on IMDB, they have been a part of nearly 300 films…so you can see that they have probably

 

been involved in many different style films otherwise their audience may get tired of seeing the same style films repeatedly. Also, if Film Company’s stick to the same genre over and over again ideas are bound to overlap therefore their films would lack originality which is exactly what new films need to have in order to be a success.

Stylistic influences

After much thought I decided that I want my film to be almost be based around the ideas of the film 'Men In Black', or at least give the same kin of feel that 'Men In Black' has. I have chosen men in black to be the base thought of my film because it has elements of comedy (there are often jokes and quirky unconventional features in men in black that viewers tend to find funny e.g. a talking dog with an attitude), fantasy (aliens and high tech gadgets are seen throughout the film), horror and thriller (the film has a few rather tense moments that can leave viewers on the edge of their seat at times) - these are all genres and sub genres that I am basing my film opening around, therefore 'Men In Black' is a perfect stylistic influence and style model for my film opening.

My Chosen Audience

Picture taken from BBFC website (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/)

Due to the fact that the people who filled in my questionnaire (primary audience research) are aged between 16 and 19, this is the group of people that I am going to try my best to appeal to as they are the only people that I have feedback and results from regarding the answers to questions I asked on my questionnaire. Therefore the age rating that I need to go for is a 15 because even though a 16 is the lowest age I am appealing to there is no 16 age rating, only a 15 and then an 18, and if I went for the 18 age rating then it would mean excluding the ages 16 and 17.

From the answers I received regarding genre in my questionnaire the most popular ones were comedy at number 1 fantasy at number 2 and horror and thriller were tied 3. But, I am not just going to go for comedy as  my main genre because creating anything in the comedy genre simply isn't my strong point and even though it was number one, I only surveyed a small number of people so it’s not as though it will appeal to a large number of people in reality. So, what I am going to do is combine all four of the most liked genres and hope that such a medley of different elements will appeal to a wider audience. Also, trying to include the thriller and horror genre potentially more than the rest makes having a 15 for my age rating appropriate due to the fact that my film could end up containing some elements of violence or gore and this simply would not be suitable for people under the age of 15.

The Black Swan Codes and Conventions

Codes:
In this opening scene we can see the very well known actress Natalie Portman performing a ballet routine in soft white lighting with a very dark room. This connotes that Natalie's character is the protagonist in this film because the soft white light has connotations of something angelic or pure, so if this character is maintained within this light, it could be reflecting her personality. Also, the fact that there is nothing but black shadow around her could give the negotiated reading that everything surrounding this girls life is dark and evil (because black has connotations of danger and uncertainty e.g. the uneasy feeling that people tend to get at night time as opposed to how you feel ion the day time) and it is closing in on her.

Conventions:
Thrillers and horror films tend to focus mainly enhancing shadows and dark lighting in order to set the mood for the genre and give the audience an idea of what to expect from the film. Also, the convergence between the white light on the main character and the dark surroundings is conventional to current media products to suggest something about the plot - if the character in frame is being connoted as an angelic and 'good' character and her surroundings are bleak and dark, it will suggest that she will be the 'damsel in distress' of the 'victim' in this horror film. This would also be why her character is a female as women are stereotypically seen as weak and easily afraid, therefore easy targets for many conventional features in horror films (which is why these characters are conventionally played by women in current media films) e.g. paranormal activity, aliens, monsters, gangs etc...

Groundhog Day Codes and Conventions

Opening scene from minutes 0:00-1:50)

Codes:

During the opening title sequence where see the production companies, producers, actors and title of the film, we can hear some rather up beat style music with the main instrument of either a trumpet or a trombone. This is a symbolic code to the genre because a trumpet/trombone is never used in music you will hear on the radio or TV, so it is a rather unusual instrument to hear. Also, the song that is being played using the trumpet/trombone is quite bouncy in rhythm and light hearted therefore it has a fun and happy quality that when combined with such an odd instrument has comical elements. This has suggests to the audience that we will be expecting some humour within this highly fictional and fantasy style film - this could even be the proffered reading for the film because it would just be so obvious to the viewer.

Conventions:

This movie Groundhog day is listed under the genre of 'fantasy' according to IMDB, however, during the opening scene and title sequence, there are mainly elements of humour present, this may be due to the fact that the sub genre of comedy needs to be introduced quite early on in the film so that it does not dive straight into the real plot right at the very start. However, due to the fact that the film is starring Bill Murray, the film just automatically needs some element of comedy in it any way because he as an actor is typically seen as a comical person due to the way he represents his characters in films as well as the roles that he plays in films. This mean that the audience will automatically expect the film to be comical to some extent and that the 'fantasy' genre will pop up later.

  

Dumb and Dumber Codes and Conventions

Codes:

From the film title 'Dumb and Dumber" we as the audience can expect this film to offer a quite humorous aspect to it. This is because we connote being dumb with having a large lack of knowledge or common sense, therefore when a 'dumb' person is confronted with a seemingly simple task/social situation, they make botched job of it. This is humorous to see as fictional films tend to go overboard with characters qualities, so if a title is named after that quality, it is going to be very over accentuated, therefore the situations and events that occur will be the kind you would never see in reality. This is humorous to the audience because we as humans like to see difficulty in with other people performing seemingly menial tasks. This makes us feel superior to the person struggling, which causes the feeling of humour. Other events that give us the feeling of superiority over someone is witnessing events/emotions such as embarrassment, fear and physical pain, all of which are conventions of comedy movies such as this one.

Conventions:

At the beginning of this opening sequence for the film 'Dumb and Dumber', we see the very famous actor Jim Carey (mainly staring in comedy films) in the back seat of a cab then struggling to get to the front of the cab whilst Dancehall genre music plays (an up-tempo style of dance music). These two features are conventional of each other as well as a comedy film due to the fact that they are in contrast - the music itself isn't humorous, but because it was paired with that scene (Jims character struggling to get to the front seat of a vehicle - a menial task) it made the upbeat tempo and lively dance style to it more exaggerated therefore making it quite funny to the audience because they are in such contest.

Later on in the scene we see the second character in the film introduced, straight away we see the comedy side of his character due to the fact that he is dressed in a funny costume, and then walking towards a car that is decorated in the same way as him. This is conventional to a comedy film because seeing the character in this costume is very random and has not linked up to the plot yet; the audience simply links it to the title Dumb and Dumber therefore seeing the character as just being rather dumb. Also, the car he is driving is decorated as a dog...this is also a very random feature to the film and if this was something seen even in reality, it would be seen as comical because it is very unexpected and weird.

Harry Potter Poster advertisement

Posters are extremely popular and are always the way to go when it comes to advertising. The thing with poster advertising is you only have to pay for the making of the poster and that it is - you can then put these posters up almost any where you would like, however, permission may be needed at times. This enables you to put posters up in areas where you may find the type of consumer you are targeting your film at e.g. if the film is about regular people in a regular common working like, posters may be put up around Primark or in shop windows of local town shops etc.

Also, here in this poster the visual orientation clearly denotes the main character in the fact that they are the largest person in the poster and they are at the front of the rest of the people. This connotes that he will be the main protagonist as they are often the leaders of others and guide them to safety - Harry (person with the main focus in the poster) looks determined whilst others behind him look slightly wary and uncertain. Harry being portrayed as the protagonist is also supported by the fact that he is holding something bright which we associate with innocence and an angelic nature, and it is also the colour blue which is also a much more pure colour and is associated with clarity e.g. water, sky etc. The object he is holding also shows him as being the protagonist as he is in possession of something so good and pure.

The fact that Harry is being portrayed as this so clearly in the image means that the consumer can glance at this poster and already have a good idea of what the story will be - a main character leading 2/4 other main character to safety, and the plot containing some soft of magical element due to the fact that the main person in the image is holding some sort of good, holy, and unidentified object (this however, also creates some mystery to the story so it notices the audience with some knowledge of the main plot, but not the actual story...they then need to know more)…