Coursework : Research - Sound

RESEARCH: SOUND

“Sound” refers to everything we hear in a movie — words, sound effects, and music. Sound is used in lm to heighten a mood, provide us with information about the location of a scene, advance the plot, and tell us about the characters in the story.

There are two categories of sound in lm: Diegetic and Non-Diegetic. Diegetic Sound refers to all those audio elements that come from sources inside the world we see on the screen, including dialogue, doors slamming, footsteps, etc. Non-Diegetic Sound refers to all those audio elements that come from outside of the ctional world we see on screen, including the musical score and sound effects like the screeches in the shower scene in Psycho.

What are the conventions of music in film openings in the following genres?

Comedy -

This genre of film tends to use a technique called "Mickey-Mousing", this is the process of an action happening on the film and then a noise relating to it, for example someone slipping on a banana skin, and then being followed by a crash of cymbals, it can also use unexpected turns and twists in the melody and rapid changes of musical style.

Horror - 

The music in a horror film is designed to scare us, making the experience of watching the film more intense as it's now including all of the senses that a human has, therefore heightening suspense and terror. Horror films tend to use Atonal music, atonal music is not related to a tonic note and therefore has no sense of key. It's not just music that is used in horror films, it tends to be the sound effects that are more effective and are in fact the things that scare people. Horror films include a lot of abrupt shifts up and down in pitch, this is used to intensify the scene of the film, and add another layer of fear onto the audience. It's also the screams that feature most widely in horror films, the screams tend to be from a female character, this could be used as the majority of females watching a horror film will find it scary, therefore the film is relating to the person watching once again and they can connect with it. Oddly another piece of music that can be used is childhood nursery rhymes which have been slowed down and dropped in pitch, and being sung in a disturbing way, this tends to freak out the majority of an audience, as they associate that sort of music with young innocent children, and not mentally disturbed people.

Action -

In action films the music that tends to be used is of a fast pace and energetic. This sort of music is used as it reinforces the idea that the action film is of a fast pace with things changing at any second. The music can also sometimes have unexpected drops in bass or rhythm, this can be used dynamically by film producers as they can co-operate this sort of music with certain scenes in the film, where the action may take a turn and become faster or slower, or maybe even feature an unexpected turn. Sound effects are also used in action films, these effects tend to be of a violent nature, therefore being gun shots, swords making contact and other noises which may include explosions.

Drama - In drama films the music tends to be intense as it needs to create more suspense so that the audience are more on edge. Drama films tend to draw more attention to the sound as they feel it is more important in this genre. The sounds that are associated with drama films tend to be of a loud and intense nature.

Romance -

In romance films the music that tends to be used is slightly slower, with a slower beat and the words that tends to be used within the songs is of a romantic nature. This sort of music is used as it is closely related to the genre of film, this music also helps to set the tone and the direction of which the film is going in which allows the audience to relate closer to the film and therefore empathise with it more, the music tends to make the portion of the audience who are female cry as they've used the music wisely with the screenplay, which would overwhelm them. 

LM

Coursework : Research - Setting

SETTING

What is setting?

The place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place. A strong setting is almost like a character in its own right. It has heart and soul, different moods, the ability to change, an influence on people and events. Setting is the backdrop against which the characters act out the events. A story with a poorly-portrayed setting is like a play on a bare stage. You have character and plot (the important parts) but no sense of place. Setting matters, then. And in order to make it as atmospheric as you can, you need to make it multi-dimensional. It does this by understanding that a story's setting extends way beyond houses and streets and trees. Here are the different elements of settings we expect to see used in the film openings of each of the following genres: 

• Comedy - During the opening scenes of a comedy film, the setting can be anywhere, usually somewhere normal with any possibility. For example, during the opening scene of american pie we see a room with a young man watching inappropriate videos on his television. The man's parents then enter his room as they are saying goodnight to him. This opening would be considered an opening due to it being relatable and awkward between children and parents.  We then understand that the film we are about to watch is a comedy. 

• Horror - during the opening scenes of horror films, the setting is usually in a place that is dark, mysterious and eerie. for example the opening scene of 'the women in black' there is three little girls playing with their dolls, however when the scene progresses all three girls look towards the camera. Then, the girls get up and walk towards a window, you see all three jump with grieving and shouting which i presume  are the mothers of the three children. this then shows us that the film is going to be about horrific events that have happened and maybe that are going to happen. 

• Romance - The setting for a romantic film, again is somewhere normal where nothing can happen. for example, During the opening scene of 'Love Actually' there is 5 or so characters singing in a booth, however during this opening the camera moves towards the producers who are shocked/laughing. This tells us that the singing is not serious. however the song is about love which may have some reverence to the genre of the film. 

• Action - The setting for action films is usually hectic and manic due to a lot of things happening. for example, during 'sky-fall' there is an animation. However, this animation has a lot of different objects movie around the screen. For example, there is guns during the animation which may imply a lot of chasing which ultimately leads to the genre of action. 

• Drama - An example of a drama film would be Forrest Gump. His appearence show that his shoes are extremely muddy, whereas the rest of his clothing is extremely smart and presentable indicating that they usually are very clean and tidy, and that his muddy shoes have something to do with the plot. This could indicate that the setting has changed from a muddy scene from the town scenery. The opening ends with a bus stopping in front of the character that we assume is Forrest, which could be seen as an effective way of leading the audience on to the rest of the film, as we join the character on his journey, in another setting elsewhere. 

How important is setting in the construction of mine-en-scene and creating an understanding for the viewer? 

MISE-EN-SCENE:Mise en scène encompasses the most recognizable attributes of a film – the setting and the actors; it includes costumes and make-up, props, and all the other natural and artificial details that characterize the spaces filmed.  The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, meaning roughly “put into the scene”. In other words, mise-en-scène describes the stuff in the frame and the way it is shown and arranged. The setting creates an understanding of the scene and where they are, describing part of the plot for the viewer. Without the setting, or a vague assumption of the setting, the audience will be confuesed about the film. Setting also creates both a sense of place and a mood and it may also reflect a character’s emotional state of mind. It can be entirely fabricated within a studio – either as an authentic re-construction of reality or as a whimsical fiction – but it may also be found and filmed on-location. 

DG

Coursework : Research - Character

RESEARCH: CHARACTER

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art (such as a novel, play, or film). 

How important are characters particularly in the opening 2 minutes of a film?

Character introductions are especially important. The moment a character is introduced carries the ability to invoke some of the most powerful emotions: joy, anger, fear, and envy. Not only can this moment inspire an intense audience reaction, but it can also offer a unique opportunity for insight and explanation. We can learn about a character in many different ways. We can learn by what they do and what they say. We can also learn by what other characters say about them and how they react to those characters. The best character introductions in film not only use these means, but they do it in a concise and creative way. 

Character profiles of three different existing feature film characters:

Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003):

The music swells as the great Captain Jack Sparrow sails into Port Royal. It's a dramatic and heroic moment... until the shot reveals his sad, sinking boat. Jack jumps off the mast just before it becomes fully submerged underwater and swaggers past the dockhand. The mere image of his arrival on his sinking boat is enough of an analogy to understand Jack Sparrow. He is a pirate that could be a great Captain, if only he had the means. It could be seen that his entrance could be considered sad - he salutes his dead comrades and then returns to bailing water out of his ratty boat. Instead of coaxing pity out of the audience, this backdrop allows Jack to show the audience style, attitude, charm, and impeccable timing. This introduction relies on the character's personality to turn a depressing situation into a glamorised entrance that leaves the audience wanting to see more of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Sundance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

It's a scene that shows the importance of character reactions, where Sundance shows his importance during a blackjack game. This scene not only establishes Butch and Sundance's relationship, but it shows the audience that Sundance is a man to be feared. The last part in the character introduction scene includes Macon asking Sundance how good he is with a gun. Sundance responds by shooting Macon's gun belt off of him, without inflicting any injury. With this swift move, Sundance's superiority is secured. 

Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

When Darth Vader made his film debut, he secured his place as one of the greatest villains of all time. His appearance is enough to secure such an honor, but it is his manner that seals his fate in film infamy. The Rebel ship has just seen a laser-gun battle and dead bodies litter the corridor. From the passageway, Darth Vader appears all in black. He immediately commands respect as the Storm Troopers stand at attention. His helmet, cape, and voice make the moment even more dramatic. He strides past the dead bodies and continues on to interrogate a Rebel Officer. He kills the officer with a chilling ease that could make any audience member shudder. His appearance, presence, and actions make him the ultimate image of evil.

What makes these characters so iconic?

These characters are so iconic because they create a vision for the audience of something from imagination to reality. If done correctly, the character introduction can begin the transformation of a character into an icon. Especially Darth Vader and Jack Sparrow, the viewers are bought into a franchise because they either love or hate the character that has been produced. 

What do important characters add to the narrative?

Characters can add and have a great affect on the narrative. This is because everything the character portrays on the screen is with either narrative or no narrative, the former having a greater effect on the audience, mostly due to the viewers wanting to know what the main characters are thinking and this is when narrative can help. When there's no narrative, however, we look and concentrate on the dialogue, body movements and facial expressions of a character, more aware of what the character is going to do an what they say than the narrative of a story. 

How much does the audience find out about them in the opening two minutes?

In the opening two minutes, a viewer can find out a lot about a character, such as an action film or perhaps a crime movie where we are thrown into the chaos. Yet, it is more likely that an audience still have no idea what a character is about after the opening two minutes. This is is because it's only two minutes, and we still have the same characters to develop over hours to come, so the directors don't want to give too much away too quickly, otherwise the plot can't go anywhere. Due to this its very common for the introduction to a character in the opening two minutes to have a couple of lines of narrative, some scenic shots, depending on the genre, but other than that don't expect much to unfold about a character in the opening two minutes. 

LR

Coursework : Research - Narrative

Research: Narrative

What is narrative?

A narrative or story is any report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, and moving images. It can be organised in a number of thematic or formal categories. Narrative is found in all forms of human creativity, art, and entertainment.

What are the conventions of narratives in each of the following genres:

Comedy- 

The setting of a comedy film really depends on the type of comedy, the generic places of most comedy films include, bright places, towns, cities and other well populated places. In teen comedy films they are set in high schools and small towns and in a social comedy with a lot of people it is normally set in a house or bar. The technical code for them is that the camera is very natural and goes along with the characters and do include high shots to capture the whole environment. Medium shots to catch all of the characters expressions and then including the editing sounds to add humour. Iconography in comedy films include bright colours, blue and yellow are often used, the lighting is often bright and shot during day time. The character types vary in comedy films there are the idiots that are very stupid and accident prone, the smart people who tend to be socially awkward and then the regular people who have accidents which occur around them, and they tend to be sarcastic. Lastly the themes tend to be one of the following, anarchic comedy, gross-out, parody, romantic comedy, screwball comedy and slapstick.

Horror- 

The settings tend to be small communities or isolated places, urban environments, dark streets and narrow alleyways. Large cities or run down ghost towns, almost anything that connotes isolation or being alone. The technical 

codestend to include camerawork that is very expressive and not natural. High and low angles can connote fear and nightmares. Point of view shots (POV) are important because they allow the audience to see the world from the person/creature, this normally happens at the end or in the middle of a typical horror film. Handheld shots make it difficult for the audience to make out what is happening. Disturbing sounds are very important in a horror movie, diegetic sounds like footsteps and non-diegetic sounds like a heartbeat are commonly used. The editing can create unsettling tension and suspense. If the editing hasn't been paced up in a while then you know that something very bad is about to jump out and scare you. The Iconography often includes dark colours like red and black which links to evil. The lighting is expressive and non-naturalistic. Low-key lighting can help to create dark shadows and unfamiliar shapes in the blackness. Props can help us to further identify the genre of horror, specific props can be identified with a villain or character, common objects include, weapons, masks, icons of supernatural, religious icons etc. The character types in a horror closely identify as a main protagonist often a victim or hero of the movie, a villain often a monster, mutated freak, alien or serial killer, the stupid/immoral teenagers that always get killed, creepy children, police officers that can be good or bad and many more including ghosts, zombies, demons, psychopaths and stalkers. Themes of horror films include good vs evil, depression, religion, childhood issues, revenge, supernatural, beyond death, zombie apocalypse and nightmares.

Action- 

The characters in action films tend to be believable despite the film itself being unrealistic. The main protagonist who tends to be a 'normal' guy who discovers a hidden power or talent. The hero is always helped by a team of innocent characters who get caught up with the action. Mortal danger arises as a twist in the plot and the characters take it seriously. Exotic locations, mind boggling chases and hair raising adventures keep the audience on their seats. Technically action films use a lot of special effects so to create a bigger impact on the audience watching. Lighting is used to show danger; being very dark and mysterious and happiness; being very bright and light. The camera shots used show the characters from different angles, this can be used to create equilibrium and being very loud and sudden. These features show how the technical effects can affect the mood of the audience whilst watching the action film. Action films conventionally use a range of things for iconography. They usually feature fast cars, guns, good looking women, the police and some kind of fight, as well as other things. The narrative in action films usually follow the life of a person, or group of people, who are living a normal life until something changes everything and they then go on some form of  a mission to help solve the problem, usually they manage to solve the problem, while picking up a girl and being involved in a few car chases in the meantime. The themes that usually feature in action films usually involve an injustice that needs to be resolved. A moral justice is normally reached by the end of films from the action genre. 

Drama- 

Characters are crucial to a drama as they help to create the tension and atmosphere of the film de to the circumstances they are facing. As well as the characters above, another typical character seen in drama films is the friend that the main character confides in. There are many sub-genres of drama, as the genre itself is a very very broad genre, with a wide spectrum of different films with different ideas and approaches of cinematography, but are essentially still classes as drama. The themes of which these films are based upon are just about anything as long as it is realistic which generally includes nothing supernatural. Some of the more popular themes to depict are injustice, drug addiction, poverty, mental illness, the corruption of power and racial prejudice. They usually link to something topical, such as politics or poverty. All drama films are very tense, often the soundtrack/music playing an important part in the overall feel of the films with mysterious intense scores to provoke emotions in the spectator. 

Romance- 

In the romance genre there are few typical props you can expect to see throughout the film, for example you can expect to see some sort of flowers and gifts that will be given to one of the main characters usually by the love interest. The giving of gifts is commonly associated with the genre as it is the reflection of romance and commonly is represented as a relationship with giving and usually ending up with the pair being married after the pair have some sort of disruption or disequilibrium. There will normally always be two main characters. A male and a female, the male is virtually always the love interest and the selling point of the film, with such massive names playing the character. Most of the time there will be a character that is there to disrupt the love interest and come in-between the two characters. A typical settingfor a romance film is big cities, this is because a big city has everything that the film could possibly want, therefore they use the big cities as the majority of people can associate with the big cities and gain understanding of the film and begin to make a link with their own life.

Narrative theories:

Propp- 

Propp was essentially interested in folk tales, he noticed that often many folk tales were similar in a variety of areas, he identified a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. The typical characters he found were, the hero, the villain, the donor, the dispatcher, the false hero, the helper, the princess and her father. In the struggle scene Propp suggested that there is a struggle between the hero and the villain, and that the hero is branded and the villain is overcome which leads to the state of disorder being settled. And nearing the end of the film normally at the recognition scene the hero is recognised or the false hero or villain is unmasked from the film 

genres that would include this type of character.

Todorov- 

He came up with the theory that narratives have a clear three-part structure. The first of which being equilibrium, where everything is calm and in order, which could be seen as normal. The second of which being disruption, where all the bad things start to occur. Finally, restoration where the equilibrium is now restored and back in order.

Barthes- 

Roland Barthes narrowed down the action of a text in to Five Codes which are woven into narrative, these are, The Hermeneutic Code (HER), The Enigma / Proairetic Code (ACT), The Symbolic Code (SYM) and the Cultural Code (REF)

Levi-Strauss- 

He studied myths of tribal cultures, and examined how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a culture. These are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions. Media theorists to reveal underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media texts have adapted his research.

LR

Coursework: Research - Genre

Genre

A film genre is a motion picture category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film (namely, serious, comic, etc.). Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism.

Conventions of film genres are the normal features in a film you would see of a certain genre. 

Horror films
The conventions of horror films are...

• Either a dark isolated setting eg forest/abandoned building. OR. a city environment to make the story seem realistic.
• Disturbing low pitch sounds to create tension and suspense.
• Dark colours/filters (blood red).
• Death/ supernatural/ dark plots.
• Fast pace editing to create suspense.
• A vulnerable character and a brave character.
• Contrapuntal music

For example...



This film opening has a vulnerable character, a supernatural plot, contrapuntal music, disturbing soundtrack to build up tension and dark colours used throughout.  All of these create an atmosphere, you wouldn't think a teen comedy would start with bright colours.

Horror films are usually aimed at younger audiences, aged 15-20. Horror films excite a younger audience and give them a thrill, younger audiences are less likely to be put off by horror films and scenes of violence which would make older audiences feel negatively towards the film.

Science Fiction
The conventions of science fiction films are...

• Scientific elements
• technology
• set in the future
• Futuristic props, costume and setting
• Conflict between good and evil
• time-travel

For example..




This film opening features the scientific elements and technology of time travel its also partly set in the future, in the fact that Marty was sent to the future and comes back from the future.
Newly releasing science fiction are usually aimed at younger audiences, aged 15-20. However as franchises grow older and release sequels the same audience carries through with the film, meaning the audience is a much older more mature audience as well as younger audiences who have been shown the films by parents or older family members.


Comedy
Conventions of comedy films are..

• Idiots who are accident prone (Charlie from Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
• Smart people who are socially awkward (Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory
• 'Regular people' (Dennis from Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
• Love and sex ( Superbad)
• Alcohol and Drugs (How High)
• work and school (Office Space)
• Music (School of Rock)
• Crime (The Green Hornet)
• Most comedies have a nice and happy outcome
• There are many locations that are featured in comedy films. 

For example...



This intro features a main character that could be considered a bit of an idiot but hes not a normal person, he is a policeman fighting crime. He is also arguably accident prone since he gets stabbed, therefore most of these fits the conventions of the genre.
The target audience of a comedy film is very dependant on the content of the film. For example children’s films labelled as PG’s or U’s can have comical scenes, however the audience would be completely different for a comedy film labelled as a 12 or a 15, Comedies labelled 18 certificate are often more explicit in terms of language and scenes, making the film heavily aimed at the over 18s.


Romance...
Conventions of the romance genre are...

• soft lighting effects and relatively natural lighting to achieve the feeling of it being in touch with reality making the story as believable as possible. 
• soft tender music, this is to represent the tenderness and sensitivity of the relationship and often represent the characters personality. 
• Flowers and gifts that will be given to one of the main characters usually by the love interest.
• A male and Female, the male is virtually always the love interest and the selling point of the film
• Most of the time there will be some sort of character that disrupts the relationship created between the two main characters
• mostly set in the city, especially big cities for example New York being perhaps the most common setting for Romance films,

This film opening features soft tender lighting and the colour red which is the colour most people think of when they think of romance. This opening doesn't exactly fit the other conventions but that shows how even some of the biggest hits in cinema do not abide by the conventions.
Target audiences for romance films usually tends to be more for women than men. After asking some people questions about why people think women are more likely to like romance films, they said women are the main target audience because they feel the films are relatable and men get dragged along to watch the films.


Teen...
Conventions of teen films are...

• The plot is usually based upon the special interests of teenagers
• coming of age
• first love
• rebellion
• conflict with parents
• teen angst or alienation 
• Films in this genre are often set in high schools
• contain characters that are of high school age
• Sexual themes are also common, as are crude forms of humor.

In this film opening of the teen film, perks of being a wall flower, it confides to the conventions of the genre. It features a young adult, who in this specific scene seems quite alienated. Not many teens spend time alone in their rooms in films, they're out partying. We can't tell from the opening but the film goes on to deal with coming of age and first love for example.
Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults, For legal reasons, many teenage characters are portrayed by young adults. Some teen films appeal to young males while others appeal to young females.


Action...
Action film conventions are..

• Physical action takes precedence in the storytelling
• Continuous motion and action
• Physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. 
• The story usually revolves around a hero that has a goal, but is facing incredible odds to obtain it. 

This film does not abide by the most of the conventions of action films, it sets the scene in mexico and as he enters the hotel room and locks the door, changes and disappears out the window we know he is the hero.
Action films are one of, if not the most popular film genre. Both the mass and niche audiences watch action film. So a lot of different types of people are watching. But there is a core target audience who will and would want to watch any action films that are released. This is typically a young adult male, with an interest in action, thrills and excitement.


Crime genres..
Conventions of crime films are..

• Suspicion       
• Enigmas                  
• Extraordinary events
• Drama 
• Fast pace
• crime of some sort
• cliffhanger
• antagonist in danger 
• complex narrative

This film opening again does not specifically fit the conventions of the genre, it has the antagonist and features the illegal game which in the film is the protagonist but that is the only few conventions of the genre it meets in the opening sequence.

The target audience for a crime thriller would be predominantly males. This is because a crime thriller is known to interest them more. Crime-thrillers are often age rating 15. This is because it
allows the creators of the film to include a vast amount of strong violence, sex scenes and sex references and strong violence. All these are present crime thrillers with a 15 certificate. However are present to an extent which enables the film to be enjoyed by people age 15 and above.

Coursework : Reasearch - Camera shots and angles

Camera shots and angles and their effect on film making

Camera shots

Extreme Long Shot 

Extreme long shot lengths are used as a scene setting, establishing shot, they usually show the exterior of a building or a landscape.

Long Shot

Long length shots usually feature the image as life size rather than larger than life. These shots are focused on the characters but plenty of background detail is still visible. 

Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. 

Close Up 

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. 

Extreme Close up 

An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever.

Camera Angles

The Bird's-Eye view

This shows a scene from directly overhead. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first.

High Angle

Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview.

Eye Level

A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene.

Low Angle

These  give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene.

Oblique Angle

Sometimes the camera is tilted to suggest imbalance, transition and instability 

The effect of camera angles and shots on storytelling 

Different camera angles can add and induce different meanings and level of engagement for the audience. Camera angle for each shot can add moods to the scene and create powerful relationships between the audience and character, the same for camera shots. For example the distance between the camera and the subject define relationship and importance between the character and the scene.

3 film openings where a specific camera shot/angle has been used to excellent effect

In the film opening to 2010's release "Submarine" several different camera shots and angles were used to introduce the character and setting. Middle length shots are used to introduce us to the setting of his bedroom,show us where he lives. and long shots/extreme long shots to  we are then introduced to the main character "Oliver Tate" using middle and close up shots. I think the mixture of these shots, has been used to create excellent effect because the face he was slightly out of focus in the close up shot and the mix of long shots makes the character seem distant and closed off.

The film opening to "The breakfast club" released in 1985 used a large variety of camera shots and angles, varying from extreme long shot to extreme close up. These angles and shots are used to introduce us to the characters, the atmosphere of the school and its location. I think this is a good use of camera angles and shots to introduce the film to the views.




 In 2009's release of the hangover, multiple camera angles and shots are used, mainly middle and long shots are used to introduce the characters and the setting, there are no close up shots

Shorter shot lengths can change the effect on the viewer, Shorter shots show very little background and it usually concentrates on a face or specific detail of mise-en-scene. Most of the detail in the background is out of focus bringing our attention to items in the foreground, like an expression. Having a close up shot of someones face makes us either feel extra comfortable with a character or extremely uncomfortable. Extreme close ups include just the eyes or mouth, tight focus is required and these shots are very hard to film as a slight camera shake or error in focal length is noticeable.

Long shot lengths have a certain effect on the viewer or the film in summary. Long length shots usually feature the image as life size rather than larger than life. These shots are focused on the characters but plenty of background detail is still visible. Extreme long shot lengths are generally used as a scene setting, establishing shot, they usually show the exterior of a building or a landscape, sometimes used to show scenes of thrilling warfare, there is very little detail in the shot, it gives a general impression rather than specific information. In short, long shot lengths are designed to show the detail and set the scene even a character depending on the type of the shot.

ML

Coursework Research : What do we expect in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film?

What do we expect in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film?

Hello again,

Today I'm looking at the opening 2 minutes of 3 feature films and 3 student made films.

The first film opening I looked at was 'Me, Earl and the dying girl' in this opening scene we are introduced to a location and a character, we are introduced to Greg and the school he goes to. From the opening 2 minutes of this film we can tell Greg is a high school senior who is trying to blend in anonymously, avoiding deeper relationships as a survival strategy for navigating the social minefield that is teenage life. We aren't introduced to much of the plot in the opening 2 minutes other than knowing its a new year at the high school. There aren't any opening credits in this film, however the entire 2 minutes involves a voice over from Greg explaining his situation in his high school, mixed in with dialog from some people. The fact that Greg is voicing over the opening 2 minutes we can assume he is the main character in this film, there are other characters that are mentioned , but the opening two minutes doesn't tell us whether they are key characters or not.

 

The second film opening I looked at was Forest Gump. The opening scene of Forest Gump features the feather that floats across the roof tops of a city, none of the plot is revealed, we are introduced to Forest when he picks up the feather but no one tells us he is the main character, to anyone watching the film for the first time he could be another passing extra. There's no dialogue in the opening credits, just a soundtrack. The feather floats towards any popping up credits, drawing your attention to the credits.




 The final studio made film opening I watched was deadpool, the opening scene is a panning shot around an action scene in slow motion that's half way through the movie, we are introduced to the main character 'deadpool'. There's no dialogue but the opening credits have the same sarcastic tone and theme to them as the main character in the film, tying in nicely with the film. We are introduced to a city location where we assume the rest of the film will be set. We don't know if the rest o the film will be set here but as the opening scene features this location we're more inclined to think that this is the general setting for the film.






Student Made film openings 

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We are introduced to two characters, we understand that the girl in the wheelbarrow is dead and that the man is burying her it is suggested that he may have killed her but we don't know this, there was no narrative and the titles were in white simple font to contrast with the dark background and make them visible. The only location we see is the place he is walking to with this wheelbarrow.


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In this opening sequence we are introduced to the main character or so it seems, we know how he got t the location he is now, we don't know exactly where he is but we know his location, theres brief dialogue but it's mainly him shouting for help. The Credits match the theme and flicker, giving the film an even more eerie effect.



In "Carnage" we are introduced to a brief plot and we assume the main character is the man who is hunting people down, but we don't know that. Its just our assumption. There is no dialogue in this piece There are several shots of location but I would assume they are all within one location, the credits flash on a black screen to fit in with the dull dark colours of the background shots. All of these factors add to the mise-en-scene of the film.

Practice : Mise-en-scene final video

Practice : Mise en scene 2 minute final ideas

2 minute opening to a feature film, focused on Mise-en-scene (finalised ideas)

Final Idea
The final idea we settled on was of two boys, who had been murdered, stalking and watching a man as he leaves his workplace.

It would start out with the man working on his computer for a few seconds, and then getting up to leave. Before he does leave however, he picks up a newspaper quickly and we see the headline: "BOYS BUTCHERED". He throws the newspaper in the bin, and then leaves the office.

It cuts to him walking down a path, presumably to his house. However, as he walks past some trees, two boys, blood covered and muddy handed are seen peering through the trees. They're ghosts; but this is shown to the audience by having the boys doing something fairly loud and active, and the man pays no attention. It then ends with the man walking through a gate, and the boys have somehow appeared right behind him.
- noah



Final Characters and Casting
Our film will feature only three characters: two ghost boys and a man.

Man
Not much will be learnt about the man during the two minute opening. Just from his appearance, the audience can guess his age. He will be returning from an office - suggested to be his workplace - and the audience knows that he's in an office based occupation but it won't be hinted as to what exactly he does. The man has no dialogue and his performance will be very plain so no personality traits are suggested. The man will be played by our group member's dad, who looks the role as he is an appropriate age. Moreover, he can help the other cast members feel comfortable acting around him as he is related to them.

Children

The two people we decided to cast in the project was our group member's cousins, as they were the only people who could fit the age boundaries who were also willing to perform the role. They were brothers, so they suited the image of brothers that we had in our head when conceiving the plot, therefore they look similar and the concept of twin brothers has a more eerie appeal, as opposed to the comedic look to two very contrasting looking characters. Not much is revealed about the children's characters. It is suggested that they are ghosts because the man doesn't notice them despite them performing such loud and blatant activities. Moreover, they have a quite sinister appeal to them because they're constantly watching the man, which appears quite intimidating because they don't break their stare. At the the same time as giving off a scary aura, they also show that they're playful and cheeky - just like normal boys their age would be. This is because in some shots they're seen playfully wrestling each other. Moreover, it shows their cheeky disposition because of how close they come to the man, which is quite daring as well. This may suggest what they were like as characters before they died, as it doesn't fit with the intimidating vibe they eject when they keep themselves hidden while staring at the man. I wanted the occasionally effect it creates when they play together to show that there still is past characterisations in them despite being ghosts. There's a portion of their natures they had when they were alive ebbing through.

Final Location

The final location we chose was the office my dad has in our house, it said office but it didn't specify what type of office and since we couldn't get hold of an office in the city centre we chose to use the office in my house, but we wont make it obvious or known that it is a home office as the scene after is him walking through ketts park, on the path that leads from the estate to the business estate on his way home so it would make no sense having him walk from his house to his house, and wouldn't be what we were looking to achieve.


Prop List
Not many props are used; one we had to make is a newspaper cover. I took that task on, by taking a logo from "The Daily Bugle" from the Spider-Man movies (I thought it'd be a cool Easter egg), and constructing some fake headlines around it, including "Is Dat Boi REALLY Waddup?" and "Touis Lomlinson leaves 'Wrong Direction'" I then added in some random words to make it seem like there was a story on the front. - Noah


Costume

The final costume for the male lead would be basic office wear clothing, as it looks professional and therefore more believable that he has just come from work. As for the children's costumes, they will have blood and muddy hands - this messy appearance would make it look like they had been victims of a crime, and therefore was appropriate. On the other hand, we still wanted to maintain the innocence as they were very young, this was shown through their general attire. Wearing casual children's clothes makes them look their age and therefore channel innocence. It also suits the shots in which they are playing because there is still a side of human left to them and we didn't want to make them entirely intimidating.

Final Lighting plans
Our final lighting plans to meet the specification, is we're going to film the part with artificial lighting when its dark outside to the artificial light shows up even more, or just simply film with the lights on and to film the second half with him walking home outside to fulfil the natural lighting aspect.