Leading up to our upcoming coursework on opening sequences Simon and myself have started doing some research. We will wait to post it on the group blog once created
but for now I'll leave you with a tasty sample of the title text so far!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Group coursework project
Leading up to our upcoming coursework on opening sequences Simon and myself have started doing some research. We will wait to post it on the group blog once created
but for now I'll leave you with a tasty sample of the title text so far!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sound in films
For individual research I have studied the use of sound in films, and have summarised the work that we did in class.
Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound
-A film's world is known as the diegetic
-Thing's in this world are it's diegesis
-On and off screen sound is used to create a 3 dimensional world
-Off screen sound used to give us clues, for example smashing glass, or a scream
-Non-diegetic sound is added after the film, for example music or a voice over
Sound Bridges
-Used to link scenes together
-Will often hear the sound from the next scene before we see the image
-Gives the effect of a continuous world rather than a disjointed one
Contrapuntal sound
-These are sounds that do not match
-This can be the soundtrack or on screen
-Contrasting emotions e.g. sinister music in a seemingly happy scene
-Also called asynchronous sound
Parallel sound
-This is when the sound matches what is on screen
-Music fits with emotion of the scene
-e.g. suspenseful music in a stalking scene, loud fast paced music in a fight scene, beautiful slow music in a love scene
Foley sound
-SFX sounds
-These are added sometimes to enhance sounds or to create sounds which don't exist
-In Star Wars III they mix the sound of a lion and a zebra for one of the animals!
-Often gun shots will be enhanced to sound much more dramatic
All these different effects are used in films to add to the overall experience. They are useful things to think about when planning my own opening sequence, for example:
-The soundtrack
-On and off screen sounds
-Dialogue
-Foley effects
-Clever use of parallel and contrapuntal sound
Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound
-A film's world is known as the diegetic
-Thing's in this world are it's diegesis
-On and off screen sound is used to create a 3 dimensional world
-Off screen sound used to give us clues, for example smashing glass, or a scream
-Non-diegetic sound is added after the film, for example music or a voice over
Sound Bridges
-Used to link scenes together
-Will often hear the sound from the next scene before we see the image
-Gives the effect of a continuous world rather than a disjointed one
Contrapuntal sound
-These are sounds that do not match
-This can be the soundtrack or on screen
-Contrasting emotions e.g. sinister music in a seemingly happy scene
-Also called asynchronous sound
Parallel sound
-This is when the sound matches what is on screen
-Music fits with emotion of the scene
-e.g. suspenseful music in a stalking scene, loud fast paced music in a fight scene, beautiful slow music in a love scene
Foley sound
-SFX sounds
-These are added sometimes to enhance sounds or to create sounds which don't exist
-In Star Wars III they mix the sound of a lion and a zebra for one of the animals!
-Often gun shots will be enhanced to sound much more dramatic
All these different effects are used in films to add to the overall experience. They are useful things to think about when planning my own opening sequence, for example:
-The soundtrack
-On and off screen sounds
-Dialogue
-Foley effects
-Clever use of parallel and contrapuntal sound
Public opinion on films
In choosing what film genre to make for my opening sequence I decided to look at some opinion polls on film. For this I went on IMDB and Empire to try and find top lists.
IMDB:
Empire:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Shawsank Redemption (1994)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. GoodFellas (1990)
7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
8. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
10. Fight Club (1999)
11. Raging Bull (1980)
12. The Apartment (1960)
13. Chinatown (1974)
14. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
15. The Dark Knight (2008)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Taxi Driver (1976)
18. Casablanca (1942)
19. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
20. Blade Runner (1982)
21. The Third Man (1949)
22. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
23. Back to the Future (1985)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
25. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967)
From these lists I see action, sci-fi and thrillers dominating the top spot with not a single comedy to be seen! It is very useful to see which sort of films dominate these charts as to what to choose for my genre
IMDB:
Empire:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Shawsank Redemption (1994)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. GoodFellas (1990)
7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
8. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
10. Fight Club (1999)
11. Raging Bull (1980)
12. The Apartment (1960)
13. Chinatown (1974)
14. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
15. The Dark Knight (2008)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Taxi Driver (1976)
18. Casablanca (1942)
19. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
20. Blade Runner (1982)
21. The Third Man (1949)
22. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
23. Back to the Future (1985)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
25. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967)
From these lists I see action, sci-fi and thrillers dominating the top spot with not a single comedy to be seen! It is very useful to see which sort of films dominate these charts as to what to choose for my genre
Plot 7 actor choosing
I have decided to choose actors for Plot 7, set in a post-apocalyptic future where people have special powers. I have analysed 5 leading roles to which famous stars can be applied. The main character, the evil dictator, the rebel leader, the love interest and the toad like enemy.
For each I will say the actor I have chosen to play them and give backing as to why.
Main Character : Will Smith
I have chosen Will Smith as the main actor as he is generally a very good all round actor. He can be funny, serious, violent, peaceful, intelligent, dumb and sometimes all at once! He has a good repitoire of sci-fi films such as Men In Black, I Am Legend and Hancock. Hancock is most similar to this plot as he had super powers in that film and so he obviously will be able to fit the role. He is a widely loved actor and has a huge fan base in both music and movies so will attract many fans to the film
Evil Dictator : Sean Bean
Another flexible actor who has been in a variety of films. His performance in Goldeneye and The Lord Of The Rings is what drew my attention to him. In Goldeneye he plays the main villain and so obviously has had a past experience with this role. He is very good at playing sinister roles and has a look to him which suggests he is a good deceiver. A big trait of these sort of films is a leader who deceives his people into thinking he is good when really his motives are evil. Also in LOTR as Boromir he was drawn to the ring which brought out the anger and hate in him and gave him an aspect of betrayal. I think all these qualities will go well for an evil dictator and as he has a history for action films fans will know he is suitable for the role.
Rebel Leader : Bruce Willis
From his performances in Die Hard, Unbreakable and Sin City it was obvious to choose Bruce Willis for this role. Action hero extraordinare, he has played the role excellently on so many occasions. Sin City, a comic book film, and Unbreakable, a comic book style film both portrayed him as a hero and he has the typical do good sense to him while also being able to appear rugged. He looks very well built in most of his films which would be good for this kind of film and I see him as a sort of Riddick like appearance from Pitch Black, but with the same Star Wars like persona as the rebels, leading the good side to victory. I think he will be a perfect supporting character for Will Smith and the two would work well together.
Love Interest : Jessica Alba
Besides being constantly polled as one of the sexiest women in acting, she has managed to pull of age ranges from 18 in Sin City to mid 30s in other films. She is a very attractive actress and so will obviously appeal to a male audience but is also a very talented actress. After being in the Fantastic 4 films and Sin City it is also obvious that she has played this sort of role before and will therefore be well suited to this role, being flexible to many different personas. I also think that she will contrast well with Will Smith and the two will create a good romantic interest. Also having worked with Bruce Willis on Sin City the two have a good on screen connection.
Toad like enemy : Owen Wilson
As soon as I saw this character I was reminded of the character Toad from the X-Men comics and films. He is a witty character and brings comic relief to serious situations. Therefore I think Owen Wilson will be great for the role. He hosts a massive list of past comedies that he has starred in but has equally proved he can be semi-serious. He will be a good contrast to all the other characters and actors who are all quite serious in their careers and he will bring some good humour to the film. Also I'd love to see him looking green and toad like!
For each I will say the actor I have chosen to play them and give backing as to why.
Main Character : Will Smith
I have chosen Will Smith as the main actor as he is generally a very good all round actor. He can be funny, serious, violent, peaceful, intelligent, dumb and sometimes all at once! He has a good repitoire of sci-fi films such as Men In Black, I Am Legend and Hancock. Hancock is most similar to this plot as he had super powers in that film and so he obviously will be able to fit the role. He is a widely loved actor and has a huge fan base in both music and movies so will attract many fans to the filmEvil Dictator : Sean Bean
Another flexible actor who has been in a variety of films. His performance in Goldeneye and The Lord Of The Rings is what drew my attention to him. In Goldeneye he plays the main villain and so obviously has had a past experience with this role. He is very good at playing sinister roles and has a look to him which suggests he is a good deceiver. A big trait of these sort of films is a leader who deceives his people into thinking he is good when really his motives are evil. Also in LOTR as Boromir he was drawn to the ring which brought out the anger and hate in him and gave him an aspect of betrayal. I think all these qualities will go well for an evil dictator and as he has a history for action films fans will know he is suitable for the role.Rebel Leader : Bruce Willis
From his performances in Die Hard, Unbreakable and Sin City it was obvious to choose Bruce Willis for this role. Action hero extraordinare, he has played the role excellently on so many occasions. Sin City, a comic book film, and Unbreakable, a comic book style film both portrayed him as a hero and he has the typical do good sense to him while also being able to appear rugged. He looks very well built in most of his films which would be good for this kind of film and I see him as a sort of Riddick like appearance from Pitch Black, but with the same Star Wars like persona as the rebels, leading the good side to victory. I think he will be a perfect supporting character for Will Smith and the two would work well together.Love Interest : Jessica Alba
Besides being constantly polled as one of the sexiest women in acting, she has managed to pull of age ranges from 18 in Sin City to mid 30s in other films. She is a very attractive actress and so will obviously appeal to a male audience but is also a very talented actress. After being in the Fantastic 4 films and Sin City it is also obvious that she has played this sort of role before and will therefore be well suited to this role, being flexible to many different personas. I also think that she will contrast well with Will Smith and the two will create a good romantic interest. Also having worked with Bruce Willis on Sin City the two have a good on screen connection.Toad like enemy : Owen Wilson
As soon as I saw this character I was reminded of the character Toad from the X-Men comics and films. He is a witty character and brings comic relief to serious situations. Therefore I think Owen Wilson will be great for the role. He hosts a massive list of past comedies that he has starred in but has equally proved he can be semi-serious. He will be a good contrast to all the other characters and actors who are all quite serious in their careers and he will bring some good humour to the film. Also I'd love to see him looking green and toad like!
The Mummy (1999) Stephen Sommers
For my individual research I decided it would be good to watch a film in the genre I wish to make for my opening scene. Currently I am undecided between action/adventure and thriller so I chose the family adventure film The Mummy to watch.
The film takes place in Egypt where ancient priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) murders the Pharoah and is therefore sentenced to a fate worse than death. In 1923, adventurer and soldier Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) finds his tomb and along with other treasure hunters awakens the Mummy. He is joined by librarian Eveyln Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah). Eventually they find a way to defeat him and all is well. For a full plot synopsis go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/plotsummary
I am going to now examine part of the opening scene from the film and make analysis on the camera angles and techniques used.
I am using from 1:11 until 2:43 to establish the main shots used.
Unlike in the Dark Knight clip that I analysed before, there are not many consistant angles as most of the clip is characters moving into the room and from it. Therefore I cannot analyse the way I did before where I analysed each camera's individual use. I will analyse each shot as a separate thing.
1:11 : Mid Long shot to Close up, forward track/crane
In this first shot we see Imhotep on a balcony looking over the city and the camera starts from behind him but as he turns goes into his face from a MLS to a CU.
1:21 : Mid Long shot to Mid Close Up, Reverse track
We see Anck Su Namun walking through a big gold door towards the camera.
1:29 : Very Long Shot, High Angle
We see her continue down the corridor and there is a match on action from the previous shot. We see her from a diagonal angle. The shot pans down slightly at the end of the clip.
1:31 : Mid Long Shot, side angle, crab
Another match on action, she continues down the corridor and we see the back of some priest's heads in the foreground and at the end of this shot we see a priest's face and it becomes a CU as she looks at him and he watches her walk off.
1:36 : Long shot, reverse track
This shot shows Anck Su Namun from behind walking towards the curtains and draws back to show the size of the room.
1:39 : Close up
We return to the previous shot of the priest and we have a pan left which turns the shot into a long shot as the priests close the door at the end of the corridor.
1:42 : Long shot to Two Shot, Track left
As Anck Su Namun walks into the room the camera also goes left and zooms in as she goes up to Imhotep and they kiss.
1:59 : Close Up
This shot is used to show Imhotep smear the paint on her arm which is how the two of them are found out. It starts slightly further out but zooms in as he rubs the paint.
2:03 : Long shot, zoom to MCU
This shot shows the priests closing the door but the Pharoah bursting in and the camera zooms in on him into an MCU as he talks. He then walks out of shot and we pan left to see the priests close the door behind him.
2:24 : Long shot
Pharoah behind the curtains and then starts to sweep them
2:26 : Over the shoulder shot
Match on action as he opens the curtains and then a forward track as he walks towards Anck Su Namun.
2:30 : Over the shoulder shot
Anck Su Namun's shoulder, looking at the Pharoah as he talks.
2:31 : Close Up
Anck Su Namun standing by the cat statue
2:33 : OTS shot, shot reverse shot
We go back to the previous shot of the Pharoah over Anck Su Namun's shoulder as he points at her to shout "who has touched you?"
2:35 : OTS shot
Looking at Anck Su Namun over the Pharoah's shoulder. We see her glance behind him
2:39 : OTS
Shot reverse shot again, and we can now see Imhotep in the corner of the frame which is obviously who Anck Su Namun was looking at in the previous shot. The Pharoah turns around and we pan slightly left
2:42 : Mid close up, OTS
We can see all 3 characters in shot and the rule of thirds is used to space them out equally to show the reaction as Imhotep takes the Pharoah's sword.
Overall I think this shot demonstrates some basic but effective camera techniques which will be useful for making my own opening sequence
The film takes place in Egypt where ancient priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) murders the Pharoah and is therefore sentenced to a fate worse than death. In 1923, adventurer and soldier Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) finds his tomb and along with other treasure hunters awakens the Mummy. He is joined by librarian Eveyln Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah). Eventually they find a way to defeat him and all is well. For a full plot synopsis go to: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/plotsummary
I am going to now examine part of the opening scene from the film and make analysis on the camera angles and techniques used.
I am using from 1:11 until 2:43 to establish the main shots used.
Unlike in the Dark Knight clip that I analysed before, there are not many consistant angles as most of the clip is characters moving into the room and from it. Therefore I cannot analyse the way I did before where I analysed each camera's individual use. I will analyse each shot as a separate thing.
1:11 : Mid Long shot to Close up, forward track/crane
In this first shot we see Imhotep on a balcony looking over the city and the camera starts from behind him but as he turns goes into his face from a MLS to a CU.
1:21 : Mid Long shot to Mid Close Up, Reverse track
We see Anck Su Namun walking through a big gold door towards the camera.
1:29 : Very Long Shot, High Angle
We see her continue down the corridor and there is a match on action from the previous shot. We see her from a diagonal angle. The shot pans down slightly at the end of the clip.
1:31 : Mid Long Shot, side angle, crab
Another match on action, she continues down the corridor and we see the back of some priest's heads in the foreground and at the end of this shot we see a priest's face and it becomes a CU as she looks at him and he watches her walk off.
1:36 : Long shot, reverse track
This shot shows Anck Su Namun from behind walking towards the curtains and draws back to show the size of the room.
1:39 : Close up
We return to the previous shot of the priest and we have a pan left which turns the shot into a long shot as the priests close the door at the end of the corridor.
1:42 : Long shot to Two Shot, Track left
As Anck Su Namun walks into the room the camera also goes left and zooms in as she goes up to Imhotep and they kiss.
1:59 : Close Up
This shot is used to show Imhotep smear the paint on her arm which is how the two of them are found out. It starts slightly further out but zooms in as he rubs the paint.
2:03 : Long shot, zoom to MCU
This shot shows the priests closing the door but the Pharoah bursting in and the camera zooms in on him into an MCU as he talks. He then walks out of shot and we pan left to see the priests close the door behind him.
2:24 : Long shot
Pharoah behind the curtains and then starts to sweep them
2:26 : Over the shoulder shot
Match on action as he opens the curtains and then a forward track as he walks towards Anck Su Namun.
2:30 : Over the shoulder shot
Anck Su Namun's shoulder, looking at the Pharoah as he talks.
2:31 : Close Up
Anck Su Namun standing by the cat statue
2:33 : OTS shot, shot reverse shot
We go back to the previous shot of the Pharoah over Anck Su Namun's shoulder as he points at her to shout "who has touched you?"
2:35 : OTS shot
Looking at Anck Su Namun over the Pharoah's shoulder. We see her glance behind him
2:39 : OTS
Shot reverse shot again, and we can now see Imhotep in the corner of the frame which is obviously who Anck Su Namun was looking at in the previous shot. The Pharoah turns around and we pan slightly left
2:42 : Mid close up, OTS
We can see all 3 characters in shot and the rule of thirds is used to space them out equally to show the reaction as Imhotep takes the Pharoah's sword.
Overall I think this shot demonstrates some basic but effective camera techniques which will be useful for making my own opening sequence
Mood Boards
For my individual research I have made 2 mood boards both to do with film genre. In each I have shown popular films from the genre.
My first Mood Board is for films of the Comic Book genre. I have taken both mainstream, cult, old and new films in this montage to display common conventions. Most of the characters are in costumes or wearing masks to conceal their identities. Many show extraordinary qualities such as the Human Torch and Hulk. Many films of this genre already have a cult following before they come out, but often the release of a comic book film will bring a new generation of readers to the comics. For example, not many people knew of the Sin City and 300 comics by Frank Miller until films were created, although they have a large following in the comic book world. Other films such as Spiderman, Superman and Batman are world known characters who have had their own television shows, merchandise and more. The comic book genre is both easy and hard to be audience pleasing. Although the films have many pre made stories for them from the comics themselves, writers can often end up upsetting fans of the original comics for "not staying true" to the original content. However, they will draw in new fans which keeps the industry going.
My second mood board is for Sci-Fi. Again, I have taken many classic sci-fi films and shown famous scenes or characters from them. Obviously Star Wars launched a whole new breed of sci-fi and most futuristic space films today can be related back to the Star Wars films. Not only was the sound company THX created for Star Wars but they advanced special effects greatly bringing in a new age of computer animation making many films possible to make. You have your typical sci-fi/thriller films such as Alien, Predator and of course Blade Runner, but also many cult classics like Back To The Future and Planet of The Apes. Sci-Fi is one of my favourite genres as it delves into the realms of the unknown and almost anything is possible. I find them more interesting than films like comedies as they can easily break so many boundaries which is why they have such a large appeal and fan base.
My first Mood Board is for films of the Comic Book genre. I have taken both mainstream, cult, old and new films in this montage to display common conventions. Most of the characters are in costumes or wearing masks to conceal their identities. Many show extraordinary qualities such as the Human Torch and Hulk. Many films of this genre already have a cult following before they come out, but often the release of a comic book film will bring a new generation of readers to the comics. For example, not many people knew of the Sin City and 300 comics by Frank Miller until films were created, although they have a large following in the comic book world. Other films such as Spiderman, Superman and Batman are world known characters who have had their own television shows, merchandise and more. The comic book genre is both easy and hard to be audience pleasing. Although the films have many pre made stories for them from the comics themselves, writers can often end up upsetting fans of the original comics for "not staying true" to the original content. However, they will draw in new fans which keeps the industry going.
My second mood board is for Sci-Fi. Again, I have taken many classic sci-fi films and shown famous scenes or characters from them. Obviously Star Wars launched a whole new breed of sci-fi and most futuristic space films today can be related back to the Star Wars films. Not only was the sound company THX created for Star Wars but they advanced special effects greatly bringing in a new age of computer animation making many films possible to make. You have your typical sci-fi/thriller films such as Alien, Predator and of course Blade Runner, but also many cult classics like Back To The Future and Planet of The Apes. Sci-Fi is one of my favourite genres as it delves into the realms of the unknown and almost anything is possible. I find them more interesting than films like comedies as they can easily break so many boundaries which is why they have such a large appeal and fan base.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
BLK feedback
Nick, I'm concerned that there hasn't been any blogging action on here for over 3 weeks??? this blog should represent ongoing independent research and big gaps in time are really difficult to justify with this kind of project.
You have such little time left to present your research findings, it's making me rather nervous, please calm my nerves with some fab posts asap
You have such little time left to present your research findings, it's making me rather nervous, please calm my nerves with some fab posts asap
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