DVD Cover

I really like our DVD cover as it really represents what our film is about without giving to much away. We gained a lot of inspiration from the DVD cover of Secret Window (pictured below). We liked the idea of merging two images and adapted this to our own cover. The main character on the front shows that the film is about him and the audience is left to wonder what in his past is he trying to escape from, as the tag line implies. The back works really well and the main image on the back is really striking and attention grabbing. I think our DVD works really well in anchoring our opening sequence.

Opening Sequence

I am quite pleased with our opening sequence. I think it fits the brief of creating an opening sequence of an opening film. Not too much of the story is given away and its quite ambiguous. It build's up suspense really well as we left the main action until the very end so that the audience wonders who the character is and what is going to happen. The music also works really well to anchor the clip. It helps to build up the suspense and leave the audience on the edge of their seats. We tried to vary the shot types we had and i think we have acheived this successfully in our sequence. These shots help to break up the action effectively and make the clip look more interesting. Overall I think that our clip works well and looks like the opening sequence of a film. The main improvement that we could have made was with the lighting and trying to make sure it was the same in each shot and also making our titles a bit more interesting.

Opening Sequence Titles

Titles at the start of a film make it very clear to the audience that they are watching the opening sequence. Films vary the titles they use some choosing to break up each shot with a title on a black screen whilst others use to have the titles fade in and out over the shot. I prefer titles that fade in and out as the feel of the opening sequence is more continuous and less chopped up. The titles are less noticeable like this though and could potentially distract attention away from the shot. To avoid this problem titles like this are placed in a corner so they are less in the way. The advantage of having a title on a black screen is that the audience pays attention to the title. Titles often used in opening sequences include:

• Production Companies
• In Association with
• Screenplay adapted by
• Based on a book/novel by
• Director/Producer
• Actors
• Music
• Casting
• Film Title
  

Avoiding Problems When Filming

After meeting with Mrs Thrasher we were able to consider what we could do to contribute to our group as individuals in terms of avoiding any problems. Here are the 5 things I came up with:

1. Being less dominating and delegate roles
2. Bring lighting
3. Be open to everyone else's ideas and opinions
4. Re-do any shots that may have problems with continuity editing as many times as possible.
5. Phone my group before leaving for a shoot to check we've all remembered the right equipment.

I think that my main problem will be with number 1 as i tend to do most of the work so that it gets done rather then rely on the rest of my group. In the test shoot weekend this is something i will need to practice and improve on.

Opening Sequence Analysis - Hannibal

The opening sequence of this film starts convetionally with the universal studios brand image and the mgm lion. We see a black screen and piano music starts playing a soft and slow tune. A black man's voice cuts in as a voice over as we continue to see a black screen. This makes the audience wonder who is speaking and why we are just seeing black? The non diegetic music doesn't get quieter as the man is speaking over it, instead his voice is just loud and booming. We then hear another voice of a white male so the audience is able to establish that we are hearing a conversation. As this new voice appears red letters listing the production compay and other credits start to appear. Red might have been used as it has the connotation of blood and death. As we watch the titles appearing and dissappearing a small screen shot becomes visisble and gradually gets bigger showing us the people talking and their location. This shot appears in the right hand side in the middle of the screen and gets bigger to fill the whole screen. Whilst this is happenig both the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are continuing. As the shot gets bigger we etablish that its a long shot of what could be a library in a persons home. We can see three men two sitting opposite each other whilst the other one stands. We also see that one of the men is in a wheelchair and we wonder why. The mood of the room is quite dark and there isn't much lighting making the room look quite brooding.

The camera slowly pans round from right to left to have a straight shot of the men facing each other. The next shot is a CU of the white males face which is very very damaged. We can see he has no lips and permant scarring all over his face. We can also see that he has one eye and thin grey hair suggesting that he is quite old. We then cut to a medium close up of the black guy responding to what the other character has just said, a reaction shot. Then we cut back to the white male and then back to the black male before the shot changes to a long shot of the white male in the wheelchair and the 2nd white male standing beside him. This gives the audience the opportunity to see what both men are wearing and what they look like. We then cut to a long shot of the black picking up a pink box. We then have an extreme long shot from far off so that we see the profile of the black male as he presents the box to the white male in the wheelchair. The music in this exchage between the two characters has become softer and quieter and the diegetic sound has become more dominant. The camera zooms in on the white males face when the black male opens the box to show him whats inside. The voice of the white male is really raspy and we can hear his deep breathing in this part of the scene. We cut to see whats inside the box from the perspective of the white male in the wheelchair, POV shot. The audience is able to see that it is a mask inside. The camera zooms in closer and closer entering the box then the shot fades to black with the title Hannibal written in red letters. The music has become louder again as the voices are no longer heard.

Red Dragon - Opening Sequence

In Red Dragon the opening sequence starts with the usual production companies presenting something. It also uses a clear colour scheme with red and white writing on a black screen. Thrillers often use the colours red, black and white, it is now a genre convention. Red connotes blood and death whilst black is very dark and brooding. White is often associated with innocence and purity but with the colours red and black is almost corrupted. The first shot is an extreme long shot of orchestra playing to a large audience on raised seating. The stage is in the centre of the shot making it the focus of the audience's attention. We can hear the music really strongly in the background and theres a cut to a long shot of an old women playing the violin. In the background are the rest of the orchestra. There's a cut to men playing the flute and then a shot of the conductor facing the orchestra. The audience questions the significance of this scene and what it has to do with the rest of the film. The music is quite fast paced and quick making this opening clip quite active for the audience. We are shown many clips of the orchestra playing until the camera zooms in on a particular character in the audience, Hannibal Lecter. We see him smiling and the audience wonder who he is, whether he is the main character in the film or why we are introduced to him first. We have a close up of his face and we see him staring intently at a particular. We wonder what his intentions might be, whether he knows the man, what is their relationship and who the man is. This opening clip ends with a long shot the man so the audience is able to see his face even though we don't kno who he is we think he might be important.

Opening Sequence Analysis - Twisted Love

I think the music is one of the key points in this opening sequence. It creates such an atmosphere and anchors the sequence but at times seems to take over some shots, the audience really focuses on it as it plays throughout only being lowered at a few points. This clip doesnt really feel like thriller, as i think too much time is spent introducing the characters and the home, although the way they changed the still photographs to short clips was very inventive. There should have been a bit more given away to the audience about what has happened to Emily and why Tom is alone. I thought the way they faded the Emily lying on the floor with burning of the picture in the fire was very well done. The audience is left questioning what has happened and they have to guess what is going on. What really works well in the sequence is the way each shot moves fluidly from one to another. The shots aren't broken up by title scenes and the continuity editing is very good, they used matched cuts alot. Overall this sequence was ok but more could have been done to make the shot more thriller like maybe by following more conventions.