Memento Opening Sequence

My analysis of an opening sequence on my gender: The Final Destination

Camera shots/angles/movement/composition:
Thought out the clip the used of medium and close up shot has been effective becase I can see fully what is happening on the screen and it catched my attension stright away. Some of the different shots are of a point of viwer of a doctor looking at x-rays of people who have died in the film, this is very intersting and it really sets the scene that who is in this film will die though out the whole film. There are a lot of establishing shot to set the mood of the film, this is effective because I can see how people die. The use of high and low angled shots make me see the actors/ dead peoples point of view of what they see coming towards them. So thought out the film I know it will be similar and bloody.

Editing:
The way that the images fades in and out in slow motion really grips me in because it is intersting and as soon as I understand that images anouther fades in. The use of eyeline editing shows me as a viewer what has killed the character/actors in the film.

Sound:
Very lould non-digetic sound to start the clip off and thought out, so stright away my eyes and ears are fixed to the screen. The use of sound effects makes the sequence more intersting because the sound synchronous with the image and it is very effect and intersting to me. Also the use of sound effects also make it more real to me.

Mise-en-scene:
Thought out the whole clip the use of colour give it a good effect, becasue it is in black and white/blue, this is from the way that x-rays look like so the person who made this gave the viewer a good understanding of the film in the first few minutes. The best part about the colour is that every time blood is shown in the shots it is bright red so shows you it is blood and that this the only colour in the opening sequence, so as a viwer I think blood is really going to stand out in this film so im intersted and asking question all ready.

So thought out the sequence It created a good atmosphere of what the film was going to be about, this was very intresting and it griped me in and i wanted to watch it all.

My analysis of an opening sequence on my gender: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Camera shots/angles/movement/composition:
The camera thought the clip looks as if it is really close up to each photo and shots. There are also a few shots where there are a few extreme close ups of the actors eye and face. so from the camera doing this is makes me feel a bit scared but excited to watch so im griped in by this all ready. Also the angle of the camera is canted (tilted) so it creates a very good atmosphere and I want to see more. There are a few long shots of the setting, and these are very good because I familiarised myself in the clip because they where used in the films that where before this one, so I knew what was happening and where it was set. A few of the shot where of close ups of wrighting and words, so it made me want to watch on so I could read them better.

Editing:
There where some shots of cross-cutting which made the mood of the film more exciting because I wanted to watch on and it got me on the edge of my seat. With in the clip most shots are faded in or out and about two images on the screen are superimposition, where they are on top of anouther like the long shot of the wind mill, then on top of that the word 'age 9' fades in. This was really good because this made me ask question in my head and I wanted them answered. There are a lot of slow paced shots then very fast paced shot, this also sets a mood to the clip because it is intersting. It goes slow then quick and I want to see more, because it really intrests me. Also the way that the shots and images dissolve into one anouther really makes the opening sequence good! The use of comtinunity is very effective becase it makes the clip run in a smooth line and at an understanding pace for me as a viewer. Though out the clip the whole thing gives me so many visual effects, because it griped me in and I couldn't get my eyes off the screen.

Sound:
The sound track of the opening sequence really sets the tone of the film, it is a good use of non-digetic and ambient sounds, because as it goes along with the clip I get more into the film and I know from the sound track it is scary and goory thought out the film. There is a very effective voice over that is a direct perspective to who all of the pictures and the shots on the screen are of. As a viwer I will rember the voice thought out the film so I know who that was speaking, this really makes me ask questions and it also sets a very scary atmosphere. In the clip there are also some strange bursts of sound for just a second, and this also makes the film seem more scary. The good use of sound effects also help me to understand what is happening in the film becasue the effects relate to the images on the screen.

Mise-en-scene:
The setting of the opening makes me curious to see what is going on, and I want to watch on becase it is scary and detailed. The use of props is very effictive becase you see different sharp objects and a bit of blood, so as a viewer I know what is going to happen in the film a lot of blood and goor. The costume, hair and make-up make the character look scary because he looks dirty, evil and he is banadged up so you can't really see hes face. So I get More into the film because I want to see him fully. The use of dark and shaddy backgrounds gives the film a scary side and makes it more exciting to see what will happen in it. The location of the opening sequence also helps you understand the title of the film, because you can see it is set there from the images shown.

So from the opening sequence of this horror I can tell it is scary and very well planned because they definantaly got there point across to me and I wish I watched the whole film.

What does a title sequence look like? The Final Destination

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

The analysis on Seven

Seven

This is the trailer for the film Seven. We used this as a class to understand what a trailer looks like and how it looks to the viewer.

Seven

This is the opening sequence for the film on Seven. As a class we used this to understand what an opening sequence looks like.

The Sixth Sense

This is the original trailer for the film the Sixth Sense. This is what we used as a class to understand what a movie trailer looks like. It was very interesting to use because it ticked all the boxes we needed for a trailer.

We looked at The Sixth Sense.

We also looked at Seven.

The analysis on The Sixth Sense

1. The title of the film: is show to the audience in white letters with a dark black background so it stands out to the viewer and is noticed quickly by the audience. It come onto the screen as if it came out of no-where so it sets a scary mood to the beggining of the film and it grips the viewer in to the film.


2. Setting/location: this starts off in a dark, quiet and cold place where from the darkness a light bolb appears to the viewer and you can tell it is old fashend. The character of the women them comes in and she get very close too the camera as if she is looking into it, but she's not really. This makes the audience feel as if they are being watched or looked at so it set's a good mood to start the film off with. It also goes with the dark places she is in as if someone is watching her like a ghost, and she stop's and shivers before she runs back up the stairs. This really makes the viewer feel as if there is some think bad going to happen.


3. Costumes/location: The costumes of the actors are dressed up, so you know they have been on a night out together and this sets the location in the home of the two actors.


4. Camera work/editing: The editing of the film gives the audience a mood at the start of the film as if they are being watched and then as she stops and then runs up the stairs you feel a bit scared and creepy. This keep your eyes on the screen at all time so it really gives a good effect to the film, therefore you know it is a thriller. Also the way she looks at the wine is very good because it is a close up of her face and the action of what is happening in the film. This also helped set the mood of the thriller.


5. Title font/style: this was in BOLD letters so it stood out and seem creepy. It appeared from a black groung so it help the setting to the mood of the film. The way the word where in time with the music was effective too.


6. Story- show how the opening sets it up. This is done by the two actors sitting in there home having a glass of wine and chilling out before they go to bed together. As she enters the front room the music stops as if she is safe with him and the film is really going to start. The opening sets the story in a scary mood, the use of music lets this happen and it is also letting the viewer know it is a thriller film and that alot of bad things are going to happen. Also how the film starts in darkness sets the scene as she picks out the wine and this is want get the audience griped to there seats.


7. Gender- show how the opening suggests it. The use of music really sets the mood of the thriller fim because it is slow and sharp and it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you start to ask question on the film.


8. How characters are introduced. The characters are introduced by the woman actor first because she is who I see first, then as she goes up stairs your questions start to get answered stright away. They are in a realiationship together, they live together and (Bruce Willis) the character of the man is a childrens doctor. This is want you know about the charters in the opening sequence to the film.


9. Special shots/effects: when you see how cold it is in that room the breath of air, and this plays quites a bit role to the film. The close up of her face as she gets wine and the close up of her feet as she runs up the stairs. Also the way that the camera pans the room so you get an idear of the settin/location, this shows the cars and candels to the male actor so it help the audience put the story together and ask question. This is what a thriller film should do, and that is why it is so effective.

Understanding the difference between an opening sequence and a trailer.

Movie trailer:

• an overview of the story/plot
• grad our attention
• action (the good bits)
• who is starring in the film
• voice over (details)
• no give away
• montage editing (bits and peaces-overview)
• fast paced editing
• a lot of shots
• persuade audience to follow up the film (go and watch it)

Opening sequence:

• got to hook you in
• familiarize view setting/establish setting
• slower paced (leading you into the narrative)
• introduce characters thought shots of them and titles
• establish a certain "mood" or "tone"
• create an atmosphere
• sound track (music helps to set tone)
• viewers need to feel curious/engaged and have questions they want answered to view on

Cover work

In the lesson that our teacher wasn't in we had to mark another persons essay that has the same target grade as you in the class and write 5 EBI's and 5 WWW's on there essay and they had to do the same for yours. This was very effective because I got a lot of good feedback from Donna and she got some very good feedback from me. This will really help me next time I do an essay because she helped me to see the good and bad points on my essay, that I couldn't see. Then we also had home work on doing a brain storm on what we know on thrillers.

The mock stuff

We had to make sure as a class that we understood what all of the media language that we need to know means. So we had to lean and know the elements of: camera shots and angles, movement, compositing, editing, cutting, other transitions, sound and mise-en-scene. For me to know all of this has made me understand media language much more thought that lesson and on the notes that I made.

The mock tests

Over the past weeks we have been looking at the tests that we will be taking in July 2011. As a class we are getting a look on what will be expected of us in the real test, so our teachers is getting us ready for them by doing mock tests with us. One of the aim we where set was- To understand outline for this unit and the possible exam questions. We started on doing a seven slide power point on: gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, class and status, physical ability/disability and regional identity. This help me because when we got our first mock question that was "discuss the way in which the extract constructs representations of class and status using the following": camera shots, angles, movement and composition, editing, sound and Mise-en-scene. We done this for home work, and we had 25 minutes to write our essay and then 5 minutes to look over it. The essay was basted on the Tv drama of 'White girl (10/4/2009) BBC2, writer Abi Morgan, director Hettie Mc Donald. We watched the first 5 minutes of it four times, so we could all get note on the clip to help us with the essay we where going to do for home work that weekend. From all the notes I got on the clip of the program I put them all together with more information to make my essay.

Evaluating The Preliminary Task

When we finished and edited our short film, we then sent it to our teacher so we could watch all of them as a class and so we could then evaluate each groups continuity task. We used WWW and EBI to do this and give a lot of information on each others. We also got the chance for the class to give us feedback on my groups task. I got some really good feedback that will help me if I get a chance to do this again. The only really bad feedback that my group got was that we needed to upload it again because the quality of the camera wasn't the best. The whole class evaluated the seven groups in the class.