These video clips are potential ideas for our own opening sequence. The first video shows a low angle shot which mainly focuses on the arm in the water. We then thought that adding the idea of the finger moving creating a ripple on the water, would create a suspicions and anxious effect on the reader and also creating the atmosphere which we will want.
Furthermore, the second video clip shows the same shot of the arm in the water, however there is a reflection. This reflection would be the killer; this will let the audience in on some key information but not enough to know who it is.
Amy will play the character that is a victim of a murder. During the beginning of the film we don’t know much about her and why she has died, but as the film progresses we pick up on key information that explains why someone has gone to this extreme. Amy is a young adult who looks like she was going somewhere nice, we suggest this as she is wearing dress and high heals, but ends her night with something that she didn’t expect. What the audience see is her dead, and lying in a river, but her personality is someone of an outgoing and cheerful person who likes to spend time out. The story goes that she was out with her friends, but gets splits up and comes across an old friends which Charlotte plays. These girls had have some conflict before, but Charlotte had gone to the extreme of killing her.
Charlotte Hannah
Charlotte is the murderer of Amy. Charlotte is also a young adult, who has gone to some effort to commit murder. During the opening sequence we don’t know why she killed Amy, but as time moves on we find out that it is because of jealously. The story goes that she has gone to this effort because of jealousy, and she simply couldn't take enough. But we as the audience then realise that is was over that Character played by Jack, but then later on he kills Charlotte as he couldn't believe what she had done. We particulary used a female character to go against common stereotypes, which we hope will create a sense of mystery.
Jack Devonport
Jack doesn’t appear much through the opening sequence, but we understand that he has something to do with the murder. Charlotte kills Amy because she is jealous of him and Amy, but as the film goes on Jack kills Charlotte as he cant take the stress.
This is the questionnaire which we used, and we have found out that this is a very useful piece of research. For example in most of the questions we saw that they had the same ideas as us, however others such as question 6 proved to be different from what we thought. This has helped a lot as we have to satisfy the audience, and we now know what to include and not to include in order to satisfy and please the viewer. A questionnaire is also a successful piece of research as it is diverse and shows a variety of different opinions, which is good as it lets us know and come up with a solution that can accommodate everyone.
These Graphs are evidence of our questionairre. They show what other people thought about our ideas, and helps us a lot as we know what will satisfy the audience.
The speed of the opening sequence is very important because sets the speed and tone for the rest of the film. The data shows that the majority of the questionairres chose a fast paced, this is OK as our initial ideas of our sequence were going to fast, as it also creates a large amount of tension
Also the location is very important as it sets the scene and different locations can represent different things. For example the park with a river which recieved the most amout of votes, gives of a sinister and eerier feeling, and a apprehensive mood. Where as the Brighton Pier may come accross to the audience as a fun and happy mood, which will not go well with our chosen genre.
The music also sets the atmosphere and plays a big part in making the audience feel anxious, but also at the same time interested which therefore makes them want to watch on. The data shows that contempary music was the most popular, which is what we wanted as it will fit in the most effectivelly.
Additionally, noises such breathing or natural wind can play an important role, for instance heavy breathing can sugest a lot of emotion to the audience, whether they are out of breath or scared.
Beginning The beginning of the film will start with the camera showing a female character murdered, who is lying in a river. The cause of this will be due to Charlotte another character, killing her because of jelously. This part of the film is very important and an array of cleverly composed shots will be made, to show the emotion and the struggle which she went through. The opening sequence of the film will be located in a lonely and deserted park, surrounded by trees and grey skys. This setting will hopefully add to the mood, and make the audience feel apprehensive but also interested to see whats next. The camera shots will be used effectivelly to show the victims appearance and current emotion, such as the blood and bruising.
Middle In the moddle of the film, this is where they the audience use their clues and ideas in the begginning of the film and start to join them together. For instacen we understand why the female had gone to all the effort of killing the girl in the first place, but also what part the boy male character has to play. The clever compsosed shots and eerie atmosphere will remain throughout, constantly keeping the audience intreged to whats going to happen next. End The end of the film is just as important, as it allows the audience to what the characters are really like. In this case, the male character 'Jack' decides that he couldnt take it anymore, and the stress of knowing that hes freind had been murdered, which drives him to the edge of also killing Charlotte who was the original killer of the girl.
The film Double Indemnity, was directed Billy Wilder in 1944. The film is about an insurance rep that lets him be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions. In addition the film title Double Indemnity means 'a clause in an insurance policy that provides for double the face value of the policy in the case of accidental death', but this is a common theme throughout the film in is mention frequently.
The Film begins with a male character walking away from the audience, and is represented in the middle of the screen, suggesting that he is the centre of attention. In addition, the audience are shown him walking away in a silhouette effect which creates suspicion to who he is. The film titles are also shown during this point, for example the titles are all displayed in white bold capital letters with a shadow, to enforce the title such as 'Double Indemnity' which is very noticeable, and fade in and fade out effect has been used. Additionally also the dark lighting creates a hidden and secretive mood, which strongly relates to the character as he is dressed in a long dark coat which is often related with spies and secretive people.
As the silhouette goes, the next shot shoes a car speeding down, driving past 'Los Angeles Railway Maintenance Dept.'. By the director showing this it gives the audience some idea where it is being set, however it doesn’t reveal too much and still keeps the audience watching it. Additionally, we wonder who is driving the car and where it is going. We question this because the car is driving very fast and swerving around and in between cars, which can suggest that who ever driving could either be in a rush or escaping from somewhere. Evidence of this is when the car drives straight through the red light, which can show they are desperate and isn’t paying attention around other things. As the car speeds up and more is revealed, the tempo and speed of the music increase and fits in well with the pace of the car.
Furthermore, as the character gets out the car, as an audience we immediately question whether that is the same man used in the silhouette. We suggest this because the same hat and black clothing, but also a significant thing is the way he is walking. for example in the titles the man was walking with crutches, but when he walks out the car is walking with a limp and looks injured. This makes us think that he is the same man but just without he's crutches and lets we know a bit better about character.
Memento
Analysing the opening sequence
The film memento was released in 2000 and was directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Jonathan Nolan, and the stars included Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. In this film the main character who is Guy Pearce suffers from short term memory loss after him being hit over the head when his wife was under attack. Guy who plays the character Leonard uses a variety of notes, tattoos and photos to hunt for the man who he thinks killed his wife.
The word memento can be described as keepsake or souvenir of remembrance of the past. In the film Leonard keeps a selection of photo cards in his hand so he can look at them and constantly remind himself of who is who and whether he knows them. In addition, the character has a number of tattoos on his body which show facts about his killer, such as his name and what he does so he doesn’t forget. The pictures and notes are the mementos as they keep the character constantly reminded of past events.
The title of the film is shown at the beginning of the film and is shown in a blue font with a black background which contrasts well. Then as the time moves on, the intro is a shot of a man sitting there which a photo in his hand and as he shakes it, it begins to fade away. This shot can suggest that the photo is a memento and as he shakes it his memory is being lost and fading away. In addition, it can imply that the photo is the only thing he has left, and it’s incomplete as the image is slightly faded and the audience can’t see the whole picture anymore. Although the title of the film is shown just at the beginning, the continuous showing of his ‘mementos’ refer to the title of the film.
The setting of the film is not established to the audience early on as the intro of the man shaking the photo takes up quite a lot of time. This can make the audience feel anxious and un-peculiar, as it is strange and the audience may question why is a man shaking a photo. In addition the audience are not shown the setting and location early on, because it can lure the audience in and make them want to carry on. Also to begin the majority of shots are displayed in black and white, this can also make the audience uneasy and can add to the physiological thriller atmosphere. Then the audience are shown with a quick glimpse of a man dead on a floor, the shot is set up so the audience can’t see the character’s face but the back of them with blood up the walls and over its back, which can make the audience tense and concerned to what may happen in the future of the film. As the character was introduced in this strange and incomplete way, it can suggest that he is incomplete, and it can leave the audience questioning whether there is something wrong with him, and can foreshadow something later on in the film.
Key props used in the film are the mementos, for example Leonard (the main character) constantly carries his notes and photos around with him, as they help him remember things. Additionally the character also has another key prop which he carries around with him and that is a gun. The gun can make the audience fear and become apprehensive, as Leonard may kill someone accidently and not remember who he is killing and whether he actually did kill someone.
Throughout the film camera work is effectively used and then made better by editing. An example is close up of a shot reverse shot, this shot shows the man’s face and he’s expressions but then reverses to a man lying dead on the floor. This use of the camera can suggest that Leonard had killed the man on the floor, as the camera only shows them to. This can then instantly set a mood for the rest of the film and make the audience have impressions of Leonard, as psycho, killer and a mental case. Furthermore, successful editing was used when Leonard was having flashbacks. This was effective has the audience automatically known that he was having a flashback, and the editing and effects had made it add an apprehensive, hesitant and chaotic atmosphere.
Wallander The opening image is a very clever and nicely composed shot, which tracks across the sky looking onto fields. This image instead of zooming into and focusing on an object, it moves onto which is a well-structured shot. The colours used are very dull, which helps create the ideal atmosphere for the opening sequence. Also, the second image used is very effective and successfully composed, this shows the two girls walking away from the murder with their backs to the camera and staying focused, looking straight forward in front of them. This shot then quickly flicks to another shot of inside the car, this shot is close up in the car, and however it is very effective as you can see the girls walking, through the front windscreen and in the back of the focus pool.
The shot from their back, then later on changes to the side, this has been taking on a track, and allows the audience to see a close up shot of their facial expressions, and allows the audience to grasp their emotion, and see clearly the blood on their face. Moreover this shot is clever, as it shows a piece of identity from then. This shows the audience that he was a taxi driver and looks like a young man. The blood on the front of the wind screen creates tension, and also helps the audience know who the killers are, as you can see them walking.
Moreover, another image is of the character dropping the knife. This image is very good, and successful close up is used. This close up allows us to see the blood on the knife and evidence that they are the killers. Moreover, the black gloves and fingernails and the dirt on her hands, can represent a sinister and deathly mood. The action of her dropping the knife is very sharp, which reflects to the sharpness of the knife, but also the sound of her dropping it is sharp and tense. This shot is synced with the music, for example when the knife is dropped the music comes into play, the music gives us a slow and eerie feeling which would have been wanted to be achieved. Additionally, this is also synced when the knife is dropped; the next shot is the start of the titles, but the sharpness and blade of the knife sync well with the letter 'W'.
Furthermore, the opening sequence shows a variety of shots which are effectively and have been cleverly thought about in terms of composition and rule of thirds etc. Mis-en-scene such as clothing has also been used to create a thriller effect. For instance the girls are dressed in black, who connotes darkness and death, but also the main girl which the camera is focused on has red streaks in her hair, this also may suggest anger and death. Their clothing is black, however it not out of the ordinary, and looks like what a common teenager would wear, which also doesn’t release much information to the audience. Other Mis-en-scene can include the props; the major prop used is the knife, which also has blood on it helps to continue the mood of uneasiness. In addition, sound is important, non-diegetic sounds such as the sound of the air and wind is effective, but also the breathing as is creates an apprehensive feeling.
The film Kiss Me Deadly was directed by Robert Aldrich in the year 1955. This film is under the genre of thriller and is also a film-noir, which has a strong atmospheric mood.
In the film cinematography is shown throughout, with some variety of camera shots and angles. For example the film begins with a female character running away from someone or something, this is shown by the women running towards the camera, and looks as if it has been repeated three times but on the third she steps in front of a car and it stops. During the opening sequence the majority of the shots are close ups, this doesn't reveal much to the audience at any early stage therefore it makes them carry on watching. In addition a shot of the women running away shows the rule of thirds, for example the woman is represented in the middle of the frame, which suggests to the audience that she is the centre of attention. However compared to the background she looks very small and also shows that she is vulnerable. The little variety it also reminds us that not a lot of information is being given out. The opening of a character is important as it gives the audience a quick and general perception of what they are like. For example, during the opening sequence we see that she might be in trouble or scared, the opening shots are very effective as they help the audience understand her character, but we find out that she was from a lunatic home and is wanted.
Furthermore the costumes and colour gives us information and clues to what is happening. For instance the woman is running down the road with no shoes on but also only a coat and nothing on underneath. This builds suspicion as we wonder why she is like this and perhaps whether she has been raped or a prostitute. Additionally, as the car pulls over we learn more about him just through his appearance. For instance the man was driving a white convertible which suggests that he is wealthy, but also as he is wearing smart clothes adds to the suggestion that he is wealthy. Moving on, the colour is an important part in this although the film is in black and white. For instance the black helps provide that dark and anxious atmosphere, and helps the audience follow an uneasy mood. Also white stands out particularly well as it contrasts effectively, this makes it easy to notice things such as the car, but also smoke which alone gives an uncanny and mysterious feel.
Within the film sound is important as it can suggest what the characters are like. For instance the film begins with the women running down the road, however she is exhausted and completely out of breath. The sound which is being given off is her heavy breathing, this sounds OK at the beginning but as it moves on it becomes over exaggerated and perhaps cheesy. However it does help towards the tone as we question why is she breathing like this and running away. Moreover there is some editing in this but not much, for example the titles of the films move up the screen and white titles against the black background contrast effectively. In addition, there aren't many fast paced shots but the ones that are, are at the very beginning, but from then onwards it slows right down as they are driving in the car and only close up shots are used.
The film 'Brick' was written and directed by 'Rian Johnson', and came out in the year 2005. the film is about a teenage loner who pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. this thriller opening creates plenty of media language and mystery.
This opening begins with a male character kneeling down against a wall, the camera looks at his feet and then his eyes. As the camera looks into his eyes, it makes the audience think who is, where is he and whether he is good or bad. soon after this an establishing medium-long shot is used which is also very effective. for instance this shot allows the audience to picture what is happening, but also to get into the mood of what is being shown. in addition this shot shows rule of thirdsm the male character is shown on the left of the frame, the tunnel or sewer in the middle, and a dead girl on the floor on the right. In this shot the tunnel plays a big part, as the tunnel is dark and the setting is grey, this creates an eerie and bleak atmosphere and questions whether he is the murderer.
Furthermore, another shot shows the women lying down on the floor and only her legs are visable. This shot shows what has been caused and gives the aduaince an idea of what kind of women she was. the shot shoes her legs, her red/brown shoes and also a bit of her brown dress. this dress looks as if it was white but has got dirty due to her being in the river and is also wet, which can suggest that she was perhaps drowned. this idea can be evidently shown by the water next to her, but also as her dress looks torn at the bottom. during this phase of shots, after everytime she was shown a shot reverse shot was used onto the man, which can imply that he was the killer. Moreover, the rule of thirds is effectivelly used which creates the audience to focus and admire the shots. The rule of thirds is a composed shot where the frame can be divided into three, also this feature can make the audience focus specifically onto something which may be the center of attention, but also make things uneasy.
In this opening sequence the colours begin to be dull such as black grey and dark blue. however when the girl is shown the colours begin to brighten up. for example the girl is wearing a long dress which i think was oringinally white but turned brown due to the dirty water. also she is wearing a white jumper and a set of blue bracelets, which are contrasted to the white clothes and dirty water, however the colourful bracelt and imply that she was young and perhaps the boyfriend of the man. in addition as the girl is wearing a dress and nice clothes which could suggest that she was going somewhere and didnt intend on being the way she is now. the setting of this film changes fast throughtout the opening. for example it begins in the sewer, but then changes to a school where a shot shows the girl before she was murdered putting something in a locker. soon after this is turns to the boy before the incident, where he goes the locker and takes out a little note. moreover, the boy is then shown in a telephone box ringing the girl. this creates suspision and a mystery as at first we dont know who he is ringing and where he is, but a car drives past and drops a ciggarette. this prop is key to the film and is a clue to the boy, the ciggarette has an arrow on it which points to a sign or another phone box. the opening sequence near enough stops here, but we wonder what the ciggarette clue has to do with the story and whats going to happen next.
