Second Cut

Title Sequences Analysis

I will be analyzing three title sequences of horror movies from three different era’s to show the difference.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

No doubt the effects used in the title sequence would be unique and have elements of surrealism as that is a key element of his directing skills. The film opens up with the DreamWorks company logo along with intense music which already introduces the genre of film. A different style of music plays but it is still rather intense. The sky is a dark blue colour with mysterious red and white stuff falling from the sky with a factory being the backdrop with smoke coming out of the chimneys, which represents the genre. The camera is constantly moving showing us various things related to the film. There is a constant theme through the title sequence which is blood, which is also a key theme throughout the film. The blood locks thick and fresh and running down various household items which sort of indicates what is to come in the film. As the music gets more intense so do the effects with the blood getting faster and leading into a river and also a large fire, which is part of the plot twist of the film at the end. It then shows pies which is also a key element of the film. The scene ends with the music getting quieter and stopping and the scene fades into a cloudy dark sky.

Psycho (1960)

We see the film company Paramount Pictures presented. Intanstly you hear fast, intense music playing which creates tension. The famous film director Alred Hitchcock is then presented which can make viewers of the film more excited knowing that he directed it. The name of the film is then presented. The font and the way the writing moves creates tension and gives a scry effect combined with the intense music. Famous actors and other important members of crew are then presented. The grey lines that come across the the credits represent being locked away or trapped (like in prison) which foreshadows the film. An establishing shot of the city is used with a high angle. It pants from left to right and gives the audience a better understanding of where the film is set. The name of the place they are and the date and time is set on the screen which leaves the audience curius as obviously the date and time has importance. The way the camera enters through the window makes the audience feel like they’re in control.

Se7en (1995)

The sound of thunder is a classic convention of the horror genre, along with dark shots/shadows which creates tension. Unusual images being displayed give a disorientated feel. Shadows being projected and hidden identity makes the audience feels curious. Fast moving shots of various machinery make the audience feel confused. Brad Pitt is presented to the audience which tells Brad Pitt is going to be an important character in the film. Disturbing and unusual shots are being shown, this creates discomfort and curiousity about the characters mental health. Morgan Freeman is then presented to the audience, showing that his importance in the film is secondary to Brad’s. Some unusual sounds are used – some digetic and some undigetic which both add to the horror convention. The film title is being presented with a 7 replacing the V, representing the title ‘Seven’ and showing that the number is important in the film. More actors are being presented, these actors are less important than the ones presented first. The colour red is used indicating blood which could foreshadow blood in the film or danger or hell as all are related with the colour red.

Audience Research Survey Results

Audience Research Survey

We Need To About Kevin Opening Sequence

The sequence opens up with a rattling sound that is repetitive throughout the film. It’s not clear what the sound is but it’s quite an intense sound and after watching the film I think it sounds like blood squirting out of someone due to the end of the film and what is revealed. As the mysterious sound is going you see a curtain slowly drifting in a dark room. It makes the scene rather intense along with the sound as you would expect something to jump out (if it was a horror film). The scene doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the opening sequence but you see what the scene is linked to towards the end of the film. As the camera zooms closer to the curtain it gets whiter and then fades into a strange scene where Eva is getting thrown around by a huge amount of people in a tomato field. It is apparent that this scene is to show the fun and freedom Eva had before Kevin but at first it’s unclear what it happening. All the tomato juice that everyone seems to be covered in represents blood, which is linked with the massacre Kevin did. This is the first use of the colour red to be used in the film, it goes on to have much more use of red, especially on Eva. While Eva is getting carried by men and then placed to the ground (a bit like how the victims are carried out of the school on stretchers) you can hear people in the background shouting ‘killer’ and ‘murderer’ and it’s unclear why but as she is covered in tomato juice representing blood it foreshadows stuff to come. You can also hear arrows In the background which is how Kevin killed his victims. The scene is quite unsettling as the people are crowded, people are shouting and the music is very loud. The amount of people that are crowded in the tiny area covered in tomato juice could also represent the people involved in Kevin’s massacre and how they could escape from the gym due to being severely locked in. After the scene ends it goes onto to show Eva is her house with red paint all over her house and various shades of red all over her house, which is a key editing feature used throughout the film. She lies down and seems distressed, showing that this is a flashback.

Genre Analysis

The Brief

Preliminary Exercise: A task which gives me a chance to film and create a character opening a door, crossing over a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character , with who she/he begins a short conversation. This task should show Match on Action, Shot/Reverse Shot and the 180-degree rule.

Main Task: Create the opening titles and credits of a new fiction film, to last no longer than two minutes.

Audience Research Finding/Results

9 Frame Analysis (Se7en)

Se7en clip analysis from ReeceBaynham

Institutional Research

Hammer Films 

Hammer Films is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. During its most successful years, Hammer dominated the horror film market, enjoying worldwide distribution and considerable financial success. This success was due, in part, to distribution partnerships with major United States studios, such as Warner Bros.

Credits to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_Film_Productions

Blumhouse Productions

Blumhouse Productions is founded and run by Jason Blum. Blumhouse produces micro and low-budget genre movies like the Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister franchises. According to various stories, the company’s model is to produce these movies independently and then release them wide through the studio system. Blumhouse has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Blumhouse’s highly profitable credits began with Paranormal Activity, which was made for $15,000. The film was released by Paramount Pictures and grossed over $193 million worldwide. Blumhouse produced the Paranormal sequels, Insidious which grossed over $97 million worldwide on a budget of $1.5m and Sinister, which so far has grossed over $87 million worldwide on a budget of $3 million.

Credits to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumhouse_Productions

Dark Castle Entertainment

Dark Castle Entertainment's name pays homage to William Castle, a horror filmmaker from the 1950s and 1960s. When first formed, the goal was to remake Castle's horror films (very similar to another production company Platinum Dunes). After two remakes, it moved on to producing original material, along with remakes of non-Castle films. Starting with RocknRolla, the company began producing films in genres other than horror. Initially, most of the company's films were mostly critically panned, however recently critics, including RocknRolla, Orphan, Splice and Unknown, have received their films better.

Credits to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Castle_Entertainment

Twisted Pictures

Twisted Pictures is an American independent production company, mainly creating films of the horror genre. Twisted Pictures is best known for producing the Saw film series. Twisted Pictures was formed after the box office success of Saw in 2004, which lead to a nine-picture distribution deal with Liongate. The company went on to produce six sequels in the Saw film series. Carl Mazzocone served as president for four years.

Credits to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_Pictures

Production Logo

Ecstasy Powerpoint

Photoshop "Opie" Tutorial

Opening Titles Experiment

We experimented with Live Type as we were interested in using more advanced software this time, however because we haven't used this before we found it quite difficult to use and may need more practise using it. We experimented with different fonts and colours but for some reason they wouldn't work for us and we didn't know how to save it. We decided not to use opening credits as we feel they don't suit the tone of the film.

Ecstasy Film (First Cut, Pre-Edit)

Recce Shots

• Area where Josh is sat while texting Angel about the weekend.
• Area where Angel is sat while texting Josh about the weekend and telling him to come and meet her. 
• The smoking area where Josh and Angel meet to talk and agree to go for a walk into Burn Valley.
• Seating area where they both sit while taking the drugs.
• The landscape where Josh runs once he has killed Angel, and stops to calm down at the end.

Audience Research Survey

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Ecstasy Animatic

Ecstasy Script

EXTERIOR

Josh and Angel, two students are in college, texting each other about their antics at the weekend, having a catch up. Both in separate parts in the college, then agreeing to meet up later on.

            EXTERIOR

Angel is then seated outside the college in their smoking area waiting for Josh. He then comes from the college doors walking towards Angel shouting “Hello!” and then gaining speed towards her.

       EXTERIOR

Both of them become deep in conversation talking about the weekend and reminiscing what they were texting each other about earlier on in the day. As the conversation gets stronger, Angel begins to gain a look in her face, which suggests she is doubting what Josh is telling her, this is then when Angel challenges Josh to what he is telling her and finally offers him some drugs she has on her.

      EXTERIOR

Josh then begins to walk away and suggest they go else where and out of college grounds, still talking about the weekend and how much he did. This is then when Angel stops him once they’ve left college grounds and threatens the fact he is lying and offers him drugs again, Josh turns them down again and tells Angel “It has no effect on me anymore, I’ll need something stronger” hoping she lets it go and carries on with the conversation. However, Angel does the opposite and actually give Josh something stronger, which she has on her. Now Josh cannot say “No”, and takes what Angel has given him.

     EXTERIOR

Angel and Josh have just taken the drugs and are sat down in a near field just enjoying the thrill of what they have done. Angel opens her mouth and takes a pill from her tongue and hands it to Josh, even though that Angel has realized Josh has had enough, because he said “Yes” she doesn’t do otherwise.

     EXTERIOR

Josh is having the time of his life and so is Angel while on this ‘high’ with each other. However, Josh begins to become a little bit off and ‘out of reach’ from Angel.

     EXTERIOR

Josh begins to become low and very off character. Angel notices this and asks Josh about it, asking if he is okay and if he feels alright, placing her hands on him and shaking him to get his attention. Josh takes this in the wrong way and becomes violent with Angel, grabbing her wrists and shouting at her “Get off me!” This scares Angel and she shouts at him back telling Josh to calm down, but this makes Josh worse.

     EXTERIOR

Josh is holding Angel at the wrists as he is becoming more and more violent with her. Josh quickly grabs Angel’s neck as she is in such a struggle and he begins to strangle her and shakes her around. Angel tries to stop Josh but is slowly becoming unable to.

     EXTERIOR

Once Josh has killed Angel, he slowly stands up and looks over her body, however Josh is still really ‘out of it’ and doesn’t seem to be coming down from it. He begins to panic and stress over what he has done and starts to run away.

     EXTERIOR

Josh is running away from Angel’s body and doesn’t look back, panting and trying to understand what has physically happened. He stops and looks up towards the sky, heavily breathing and closes his eyes.

(CREDITS)

Risk Assesment

Mood Board

Props and Equipment List

Ecstasy Animatic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuRLMDHyzZE

Ecstasy Treatment Sheet

Ecstasy Shooting Schedule

Storyboards

Ecstasy Mind Map

Call Sheet 2

Call Sheet 1

Sound Editing Evaluation

When starting the topic of sound editing, our first was task was to simply collect some footage, of nothing in particular, and add sound to it using sound editing equipment on the Macs. We first of all collected footage from outside of the leaves blowing on the trees and our group of friends fooling around however we didn't think this would be good footage to put sound on so instead we took footage of me and my friend playing table football. We added sound such as audience applause, cheer, laughter when the ball misses, and a cartoon noise when the ball went into the goal. This task was a good way to get us to experiment with sound and get us used to putting sound to it and testing our patience slightly.

Our second task was to add sound to the opening sequence of 'The Dark Knight'. This was very fun to do as you could experiment with the sound and either make it intense or humourus. This time, due to the fast cuts, it was more difficult to add sound as everything was happening so quickly but it did make me get the hang of sound editing more and it was a great and fun way to introduce us to sound editing.

3 Opening Sequences

Amélie

The opening scene for Amélie is a yellow font in front of a red background saying 'Le Fabuleux Destin Amelie Poulain'. As it’s in the French language with a basic font/background and no music, it is unclear of what genre it is, but I think the bright colours show that it's going to be a very colourful and happy film, which it is. The rest of the opening sequence is a selection of sequences of the main character Amélie as a child doing strange things such as pressing her face against a window, drawing a face on her mouth area, and playing with dominoes which foreshadows her as an adult. The format is very vintage, with a cinematic effect, which represents it's 'classic' feel.

Love Actually

The opening sequence is several people in a crowded airport meeting each other seemingly after a long period of time which gives an uplifting yet emotional feeling to the audience and it indicates what the rest of the film will make you feel. The sequence is silent until Hugh Grant ‘s character describes his love for when people meet other after a long period of time at an airport, and how passionate their love for each other is. This is so the audience can relate to him and also he gives a brief introduction to what the film is about, which is love.

Forrest Gump

The opening scene starts off with a clear blue sky with a feather floating in a wide shot which is an important feature related to the film (you see them towards the end). The feather floats down the town while also setting the scene. It continues floating while almost being stopped such as nearly hitting car, which represents the main characters life. It eventually stops at the foot of the main characters who picks it up and puts it in a book in his briefcase.