Initial Filming Ideas

Here we are walking through some of our first ideas for our storyboard so that we can get a chance to see if they will film well or not. We also might get some feedback on our intial ideas which will help us decide whether to carry on or think again. This is a very early stage in our planning, and many of our ideas might change. We think it's important to get on our feet and start acting out ideas though because we learned from our practise murder sequence that what looks good on paper on the storybaord doesn't look the same in real life. As much as possible, we want to walk through our filming ideas so that we have a better idea of whether they will work or not.

Practise Film Sequence

We were asked to film a sequence from a murder mystery film, ending in the murder. We did this so we had a chance to look at creating an atmosphere and building up to a key moment which will be key elements of our coursework. We also got to practise our storyboarding and editing skills. We planned and filmed this sequence in two lessons, which was a short time, and then we looked at what we need to improve on when we begin our real coursework:

To start off with, we planned out our murder scene with a story board in our group. We used this as a guideline for our filming. Our story board went pretty much to plan, apart from a few adjustments. What we planned out on our story board which we thought would look effective, didn’t look  as effective when we used it in camera, therefore our film wasn’t as scary and didn’t create as much of a mysterious atmosphere as we would have liked. this has taught us that we shouldn't think too much about other films we have seen when planning our piece. We need to think really carefully about what we can actually achieve with limited equipment.

Out of the four people in our group, only two of us had a role. This was effective as for the audience having to only concentrate on two people helped them to really focus on the characters and the atmosphere. If we had introduced too many characters, we would have risked leaving the audiene confused in the short time we had available.

When it came to the build up to the murder scene, I, as the murderer, had to wash my hands before hand. As I had a manicure on my nails, this did not help portray a murder scene, so Megan had to step in to help with the hand scene. When it came to me and Hanisha having to act out a fight scene, it was hard to try and look like I was hurting her without actually hurting her and without it looked unrealistic. Therefore due to this, it took a long time and a few takes to get that scene perfect. I was very pleased with the acting and I thought Hanisha and I went for it, not worrying about being embarrassed which I think is very important.

When using the camera we came across a few problems. We were not perfectly sure how to use the play function on the camera ourselves so therefore we did not know how to find our filming at the beginning so it was hard to see if we had produced a good enough shot as it took so long to find it, as we found it hard rewinding and fast forwarding it. This sounds easy, but the cameras we are using respond very slowly and we didn't realise this at first. This lost a lot of filming time for us which my group and I were not very happy about so therefore we did not get to finish editing. Also for one of the shots, we had to do a POV shot from a window, so to get a perfect shot the person using the camera had to stick the camera out of the window. This was not safe for the camera or the person hanging out of the window so therefore we did not get the best shot. This has taught us that for out final task that we should fully understand how to use the camera before filming and that we need to think of ways round tricky shots.

My personal point of view was that our editing skills were not up to scratch and we did not fully understand how to edit our film. Our murder scene was meant to be intimating but I do not believe our editing helped us portray this. We did not have enough time to add in music so I also think this affected our murder scene as the music would have helped to build up tension which we did not have. What I did think was good about our editing was that we were good at cutting and putting together shots so that the whole piece kept good continuity.  We were also good at using slow motion so that this caused tension. When we come to do this again, I would like to spend more time on editing so that our scene could look the best it could be.

I was quite happy with our location and setting. As we did not just use one location, I think this helped build up tension as you do not know where the actor will go next. I also liked that some of the filming was done from a high up window looking down at the murder so it was like someone was looking over at them, so I liked how that made the film feel also creepy.  We did not use a lot of props in our scene. When it comes to our final task I will seriously consider using costumes and props so that it helps set a scene for the audience and help the scene seem scarier. Also we didn’t really think of lighting as we filmed most of it outside. When we do the inside shots next time, I will consider dimming the lights more to give a better effect for a murder scene.

Shauna

 

Practise Murder Sequence

We worked in pairs to film and edit a short two minute sequence as practise for our coursework. We were asked to make the sequence end in a murder. This is because our two minute openings are likely to lead up to a dramatic event and build the atmosphere for it without actually showing it. We then evaluated our work to see what we could learn before starting the coursework.

Evaluation

Planning and Storyboard

As a group, Shannen, Leah, Lizzie and I decided to do a serious murder scene.  However, when we got to filming, our location was compromised by an unscheduled lesson taking place in the Hall when it was supposed to be free, and we had to create the murder scene on the spot in a different location.  I still feel we managed to work well and completed the task successfully as we had structured planning in storyboard format. This has made me realise that even if you plan all the details, things can still go wrong and you have to be prepared to be flexible.

Acting

We only had three actors but only two with dialogue because the murderer (I) was only shot with mid shots.  This helped create a sense of mystery and hopefully made it scarier because the viewer never sees my face.  Shannen was surprisingly good at acting; she had a very clear voice and a range of facial expressions.  Leah made a good attempt except for a few mistakes such as looking into the camera and laughing; despite this I still feel she was very good.

Selecting Shots and Angles

We started the scene with a two person shot of Leah and Shannen; however, with hindsight it probably would have been better using an over-the-shoulder shot as that would have helped the audience feel more comfortable because this is what we see when talking normally.  Knowing our mistake, next shot we did use an over-the-shoulder shot over Leah’s shoulder watching Shannen storm off.  Next shot was a close-up of Leah’s face after Shannen, her drama teacher, storms off because Leah had disappointed her.  We used this shot because we wanted to show the emotion on her face and using a close-up helped because all you can see is her face and nothing else.  We only used mid shots for the murderer and this helped create mystery and tension because you never see my face.  We also had a slight canted angle and close-up of my feet walking up to Leah showing that something bad was about to happen.  The next effective shot was the around-the-tree shot where I held the camera and looked out from the tree from a POV of the murderer.  This is scary for the audience because they know it’s the murderer looking straight at his victim.  For our final shot, we had the murderer lift up a weapon behind Leah and just as Leah turns her head, we used an over-the-shoulder shot of the murderer on her face.  This was good because you could not see my face but could see Leah and the weapon.

Editing Decisions

Watching the film back, Shannen and I had to move and edit a lot of scenes to make it perfect.  Also, being outside we had a lot of ambient sound that we didn’t want such as the school bell which we edited out.  Also, Shannen and I decided to add in some non-diegetic sound and to make it more sinister we added a creepy orchestra and dark scary tune when the killer kills Leah. This help to add tension to the scene. This has made me realise that editing is key to a good piece - you can make the whole thing look completely different with good editing.

Use of Mise-En-Scene

I was not particularly happy with our scene at first because it was to our first choice but towards the end I felt better about it.  We used the trees and dead leaves on the floor effectively as the sound they created helped to increase the scary ambience we were trying to create.  However, if I was going to do it again, I would ensure our original choice was available as we had some effective ideas for that.

Use of Sound

We added a creepy non-diegetic track from the samples provided and this helped to make the scene more tense.  The last thing we added was a scary thumping of drums before the murder scene and this made it much more dramatic and really helped the murder scene from potentially being funny to serious. Sound is going to be very important to establish the right atmosphere in our real piece.

Analysing Film Openings - Mean Girls

Scene Summaries – Mean Girls

 It starts off with a lot of credits at the beginning of the film, which takes up a lot of the time. There is a fade from the credits into the opening shot. The establishing shot is a close up of two characters, a male and a female. This shot is also a P.O.V , however we don’t realize this until a bit later, but we know that the shot is in the perspective of the next character that is going to be shown. Both the characters look a bit worried but also happy at the same time. The shot is also a bit of a low angle as though someone is looking at them. In the hand of the man is what looks to be a paper bag that is usually used for a lunch bag for school. We then cut to an over-the-shoulder shot of both of the two characters to create space for another character to emerge. As well as being an over-the-shoulder shot, it is also a close up of the new character who is a teenage girl who seems to be very happy.  She has red hair and quite pale skin. This shot suggests that all these characters are related, maybe a family.

 We then cut to a shot of just the man who is holding a camera and smiling. This suggests to us that he is about to take a picture. The surroundings that he seems to be in look quite sunny, this suggests it is around the summer time. We then cut to a P.O.V shot in the perspective of the man as he is about to take a picture of the mother and daughter. The mother seems very unhappy ,about  to cry, while the daughter is just smiling. This suggests something big is about to happen.

 We then move to an establishing shot to show the location of the characters. We can clearly see where the characters are standing which is in front of quite a big house which suggests they are not poor but quite well off. Also there looks like there is a very expensive car in the driveway of the home. We then go back to a P.O.V shot of the father about to take another picture. This time the mother is hugging the daughter, but instead of the daughter smiling she seems to be quite embarrassed. The fact that the father is taking a picture of that moment reinforces the idea that something different and significant is about to happen.

 We then cut straight to a mid shot of the daughter standing facing the camera while we can see the backs of both the parents. The emotions of the girl are still quite happy but her posture suggests she is a bit nervous. Behind her is what seems to be a secondary school as we can see dozens of more teenagers who looks like they are all walking into the doors of the school. The shot shows the father’s head looking up which suggests he is looking up at the school as though he has given it approval.

 We then go to another P.O.V shot in the girl’s perspective. People in this shot seem happy and smiling. However then we go to a mid shot of the girl again and we can see another person barging into her. Then once more we go to a P.O.V shot and we can see many teenagers standing around a tree looking at something that someone has set alight. We then go straight to a close up of the girl and now her emotions have changed completely she seems quite upset and worried. This suggests what she thought of school is actually completely wrong and she should have been worried about it and not happy. We then go to a completely different scene where the use of a mid shot shows her walking into a class room with a few other characters walking in behind her. Her head seems to be lowered this may suggest more bad things have happened to her before she got to that class room and she feels quite afraid.

 We then go to an over-the-shoulder shot of her and we can see another girl who seems angry and mad. Quickly we realize that the girl is rude and mean. We then cut to a two shot of two new characters showing they have a good relationship they are both laughing at what just happening to the character. This suggests once again that something bad just happened to the girl and that no one seems to be nice to her.

 Normally not very much happens in the first two minutes for a film, however this film we get the impression that it is going to be quite a quick film where events happen quite quickly and reveal the story line faster then normal.

Scene shots – Mean Girls

Close up of a man and women who seem to be looking at someone. This could be a P.O.V shot. The man is holding a lunch bag.

This is an over-the-shoulder shot of both the man and woman. They are both looking at a young girl who looks very happy.

This is a P.O.V shot of the girl looking at her father who is holding a camera and is about to take a picture. Tis suggests something important is happening It is also a mid shot as behind him we can make out a house and a car which suggests that they are in the suburbs somewhere. The lighting shows that it is a very sunny day which suggests that it is in the summer.

This shot is another P.O.V shot but this time from the father’s perspective. We can see that the mother looks very unhappy and the daughter looks very happy. This again reinforces the idea that something significant is about to happen to the characters.

This shot is a long shot but also an establishing shot as it is showing us the location of the characters. From this shot we can clearly see the characters are standing outside a very nice home which we can assume is theirs. This suggests they are not poor but actually well off.

This shot is once again a P.O.V shot of the father who is about to take another photo, however this time the girl is not happy but looks quite embarrassed, whereas the mother is crying and hugging the girl. This could suggest the girl is embarrassed by her mother and does not see the need for being upset.

This shot is a mid shot. We can clearly see the girl and her emotions as she is facing the camera, whereas the mother and father’s backs are facing the camera. We can clearly see the fathers head is lifted which could suggest he is giving his approval. This could be true as we now know why they were taking photos as the girl is going to school, we know this because behind her we can see dozens of other teenagers walking up the step and walking through the doors of a school.

This shot is clearly a P.O.V shot of the young girl as she walks nearer to the doors of the school. We can see many other people dressed in all different colours but the main influential colour is yellow. This could suggest that the school’s actual logo or crest could be related to this colour.

This shot is clearly a P.O.V shot from the girl’s perspective. We can see from it a number of other teenagers standing around looking at an object that has just been set alight. Many of them are laughing.

We then cut to a close up of the girl and this time looking at her expression she seems to be very nervous and even frightened.

This shot is clearly a mid shot to establish the new surroundings of the girl which is clearly in a class room. She seems to be walking in with her head down to reinforce the idea she is uncomfortable and worried.

Titles and Credits.

There a five different shots that show the title and credits. The first three are the production and distribution company credits and logos. The second last one is the name of the actor that is the main character in the movie which is Lindsey Lohan, and the last shot is the title of the film. There is no real transition into the next slide, just a fade to black. The slides seem designed just to quickly show the information straight away.

Use of sound- Mean Girls

At the beginning as the slides are begin play we hear quite upbeat happy music. This carries on into the film when the girl is hugging her parents and talking to them although it does die down. We hear a lot of what the girl is thinking and saying as we seem to be constantly in her perspective as though she is talking to us about how she is feeling. As at the start she tells us about her life, not all of it but the most important and key parts of it.

 

 

Analysing Film Openings - PS I Love You

Scene Summary- P.S I Love You.

 This film starts off quite conventionally. We start with the slides of credits and production logos etc. The first 7 slides name the film production companies  but do not actually name the film itself.

 We start off from a fade to black  from a title slide then into light which forms an establishing shot of what seems to be a rough part of a city based on the graffiti on the walls etc. The establishing shot is a high angle shot as it seems to be taken from the sky. There is then a tracking shot down a street passing a few pedestrians. We then cut to a mid shot as we can see we are on a street. Then the first character emerges from steps that she is taking that leads to the street. This could suggest she is coming out of the subway. At that point no one is with her. However then we cut to a mid shot of her and another character behind her which is a male. In this shot they are both on either end of the shot which could suggest they do not know each other or they are annoyed at each other.

We then follow the women and the man as they make their way up the street. We then realize they are together as they man keeps calling the women’s name however she does not respond. This reinforces the idea she is annoyed or they are even in a row.

 We cut to another establishing shot with the main focus on a block of apartment buildings. This leads us to the conclusion that this is maybe their home or flat. We then straight away cut into a long thin hallway with a door at the end. The women is still in front which suggests she is still in control and angry. The man follows quickly behind as they both head towards the staircase. This is not just straight but is a round stair case that seems to have a lot of floors.

 The next shot is a P.O.V and a low shot in the woman’s viewpoint of the man. He has his head down looking at the step of the stairs as he is about to walk up. Because he has his head down it could suggest that he is sorry or ashamed.

We quickly move to the camera following the woman up the stair but this time in the man’s perspective. We then quickly and swiftly cut to the woman’s  perception again. We can also see some more of the movements and gestures. He has both of his hand out and up which reinforces the idea he is making an apologies. Finally once again we move back into the man’s standpoint of the woman. This shot is very interesting as we can see more of the woman. But also this shot makes it seem that the man looks up to the women and respects her as it is a very low shot as well and by the use of making it look up it makes the women seem to have more power but also more respect.

 Finally the shot moves to an aerial shot of the stair case from the top floor of the building. We can slightly see both the characters this is just used as it gives a different approach to the scene. Also it makes the next shot a bit more dramatic as in that shot it shows most of the staircase and hall way which both have quite dark colors however when we cut to the mid shot of the man standing by the door in their apartment the colors are completely different they are more relaxed and calm.

 During the opening part of the movie there were six main slides each showing something different mainly the name of the production company etc. the transition from each of the slides and finally into that movie was just a fade to black transition.

 Not much happens in the opening two minutes of this movie, which is quite normal. However we do know that the couple in question are rowing what is good about the first two minutes is that is makes us want to carrying on watch if not the whole film then just to find out why they are rowing as the use of different shots and camera angles makes the actual scenes on screen seem real.

 

This is an establishing shot. Showing where the beginning scene is going to take place. This shot may suggest the movie will be at quite a fast pace and it is in a city, which is always busy and moving, quite fast.

 

This is a mid shot showing the first influential character. who seems to be making her way into the shot by coming up some stairs. Suggests that it is coming up from a subway which is associated with America. This shows us for definite where the movie is taking place.

 

Again this is a mid shot but this time showing the two main characters. The man is walking behind the women, this could suggest he follows her and this could then show that he listens to her which shows is in control and has the power in this scene. Also both the characters are at either end of the shot shows distance between them. This may suggest some sort of feud between them.

 

This is another establishing shot mainly showing the particular apartment building. This may suggest the two main characters are heading for there as we can the women’s back as she is walking towards that building.

This long shot shows a hall which sets the location for the next scene which seems to be in that hall for much of the next scene. It is a long shot and you can barely see the characters’ faces but it is the woman once again she is still in front of the man.

 

This is a high angle shot which is looking down at the man. He seems to have his head down which suggests he is sorry or embarrassed. The shot may also be a P.O.V shot as the woman has walked up a few steps already so she maybe looking down, this again reinforces the idea that she has the power in this scene.

 

This is most definitely a low angle P.O.V shot in the man’s perspective. Showing the woman who looks as though she is ignoring him.

 

This is a P.O.V shot from the woman’s viewpoint; seems to show the man is apologizing.

 

This is another P.O.V shot this time from the man’s standpoint. The women seems very angry, reinforces the idea they are in a fight. This time we get to see her character in a bit more detail. The P.O.V shots seem to be a quite reoccurring shot.

 

This is an aerial shot from the top of inside the building showing where the two characters are walking. It is showing the location of the stairway. This is quite a good shot as it is different and intriguing.

 

The last shot shows a mid shot of the man as he has walked into their apartment after the woman. The color of the apartment is completely different to the hallway, it is more relaxed however the contrasts the atmosphere of the apartment as both the characters start fighting.

Titles and Credits:

Sound in the scenes from- P.S I Love You

The first sound we hear from the movie is when the credits are showing on the scene. It is very uplifting and happy music which I believe is being played on the guitar. Then a man joins in singing quite sweet romantic lyrics talking about “how he will be there for her”. This immediately makes you believe that the film is going to be based on a love story, that will be very romantic. This song is then continually played even when the establishing shot has been shown. We can also hear background sound of cars and buses from the traffic on the roads. Then all of a sudden we can hear footsteps and the two main characters appear. Neither one says any dialogue but the music is still being played which tells us it is non-diegetic music that only the audience can hear and not the characters. We then cut to the sound of someone opening a door we hear this before we see it take place of screen but then a shot cuts to the door as it is being opened. Once again no dialogue is happening we can only hear footsteps. Mean while the song that started at the beginning of the film is still playing. As the movie progresses we begin to hear dialogue of the two characters and we realize that they are in an argument. We hear more footsteps as they make their way up the staircase. They both are now beginning to get quite annoyed and are arguing on the way up to their apartment. The non- diegetic sound now actually becomes asynchronous sound as the sound as it is contradicting what we see on the screen. Which is two people having an argument therefore it is unlikely that a happy love song should be played while they are arguing.

Analysing Film Openings - Pirates of the Caribbean

Scene summaries: Pirates of the Caribbean The curse of the Black Pearl:

In the opening of the movie there are no credits, which is quite unusual for a movie as there is no production company logo at the start either. The movie actually starts with the title of the film, which suggests it will be an action film. In the opening shot of the first scene it is an establishing shot of what looks as though it is a ship faded into the background by fog. However the fog begins to fade and the ship itself moves closer towards the camera as though it is sailing. This might well be the Black Pearl of the title. Also it suggests the characters on the ship may well be pirates by associating the title of the film with it. The establishing shot is a well composed shot, which puts the ship right in the middle of the screen which uses the rule of thirds. The shot then moves into a close up of the front of the ship showing us in detail of the carvings of the outside of the ship and the sails and ropes. The lighting and the use of mise-en-scene creates a dark mysterious mood in this opening scene. The use of the dark colours of the ship and the fog creates a frame of mind which suggests to us something serious is going to happen. However then it uses an establishing shot of a young girl standing on the deck of the ship looking out in awe and curiosity.

The camera then cuts to a close up of the young girl. We then see a very innocent and pure girl with a very pale face and long curly brown hair. The use of Mise-en-scene and costume makes us interpret her character as upper class elegant and proper as we see her in a visual way as she is wearing a very graceful well-designed and formal dress that looks to be very expensive. She makes the atmosphere at the beginning of the film a lot more calm and relaxing, as she is calming and softly singing to herself which reinforces the impression that she is innocent and sweet. However then we go to a P.O.V shot of someone walking very slowly behind the young girl we see their arm grab onto her shoulder as she turns around the shot to then goes to another close up of her face, which looks as is she is worried and shocked.

It then moves to an over the shoulder shot from behind her which shows an older man who by the use of Mise-en-scene looks quite scruffy and unclean. He hasn’t shaven and has quite a rough and chilling face. This straight away suggests the young girl is out of place on a ship, that is most probably normal only occupied by men but this is also reinforced by the way the first man we see looks. The use of costume  gives us the impression he is of lower status and class as he is wearing a wrinkled shirt with the collar creased and dirty also because he is wearing a informal hat that looks very old and out worn. He moves away from the girl as he is told to do so by another gentlemen.  The next shot shows another shot of him where he begins to pull out a flask which suggests he is drinking therefore quite lower class. This shot was a close up to show his emotions at that point as he seems quite worried and angry.

We then cut to a mid shot of two new characters. This is an establishing shot to show where they are which is on the deck of a ship but also their own emotions. By looking at this shot we can see the use of Mise-en-scene using costume we can establish the two characters as most definitely upper class gentlemen of fortune.  Both characters are wearing similar costumes both wearing a sort of olden days suit where the neck had no collar and the sleeves are wide and reach to the elbow where they turn back to form the cuff. Both men also were wear hats but this time hats that look quite stylish and expensive. However what helps to differentiate the characters is that even though their outfits are similar they are both in completely different colours, one in blue and one in red.  Both men look well dressed and smart; neither look as though they are pirates. Behind the gentlemen are other men who seem to be wearing the same clothes. The other men moving around the ship look as though they are doing work. One man for example is sweeping the deck of the ship.

This is a good use of mise-en-scene as if we feel we are in a real location we are more likely to engage with the characters more and go along with their stories. It then goes to a shot of the younger man walking slowly towards the edge of the deck of the ship. The shot then shows the side of his face as he looks upon the seawater. This is a shot that uses the rule of thirds as he is on the edge of the screen to add interest. We then go to a shot that shows both the smartly dressed man in blue and the young girl. This time we cut to a shot which is behind him as he is still looking out onto the ocean whereas the young girl is facing him, watching him as he speaks. This man appears to have a lot of power by the way his posture and movement is also by the way the young girl has to raise her head to look at him suggest he has a lot of authority.

Then the gentleman leaves the shot and so we cut to a shot of the eldest of both upper class men with the young girl as the other man has walked away. This is a two shot to give us the impression that both of these characters in particular are close. This is true as previously before that shot he says she is his daughter. However the shot shows in more depth the characters’ emotions but also relationship as they are quite close to each other yet still a far away. This could suggest even though they are father and daughter their relationship is not the best of relationships as it seems quite forced. The lighting at this point is still quite dark there is still clearly fog and mist surrounding the ship yet the atmosphere is not a mysterious and chilling as it is first thought from the opening scene.

The shot then cuts to just the girl looking over at the sea once more as her father has walked away. Quickly it then moves to a P.O.V shot of the young girl. This time it is more interesting as the girl can faintly see something appearing through the fog and mist. The shot is showing us what she can actually see. It becomes clear that it is what seems to be an opened umbrella floating in the sea drifting. This suggests confusing and mysteriousness. This is unusual and weird therefore suggests to use something is about to happen in the next scene.

Although very little happens in the first 2 minutes of the scene. We as an audience get the impression that something bad will happen this is based on use of mise-en-scene as the setting shows fog and mist, which is quite dark, but also the way the characters are acting. As they all seem to be quite on edge and the silence in the background of the scene is quite strange. All of these things contribute to create a slightly creepy and dark atmosphere that something wrong and out of the ordinary is going to happen. Because of all of these factors it would intrigue me into watching more of the movie.

 Screen Shots

This mid shot of the character establishes the location of the character which is on the deck of the ship but also the actual character and their emotions which is a young girl. Also it uses the rule of thirds.

This P.O.V shot shows the young girl from behind. It makes the scene quite scary, as we do not know whom it is that is walking up towards her. We see the dress of the young girl, which gives us the impression, is upper class.

This over the shoulder shot from behind the young girl. Shows an old man who looks rough and dangerous. The colour of his clothes makes it unusual as the young girl looks well dressed and clean. Yet he looks dirty and clearly has not shaved. Also the colour of his shirt shows he is grubby.

This mid shot shows two new characters. Both men which seem quite upper class mainly because of what their wearing which defecates them from the first man as both of them are wearing well designed jackets both very colourful. This shot establishes were they are which is on the deck of a ship but also it suggests they are very important as from this shot we can see behind them there are other men wearing similar cloths to them but are doing hard work for example one man is sweeping the deck of the ship.

This close up shows the lower class man who seems to be drinking alcohol from a flask. This shot shows his emotions quite clearly he seems to be nervous which reinforces the idea something bad is about to happen. Also this shot is a shallow focus shot as the foreground is in focus and the background is blurred.

This mid shot is taken from behind the youngest man as he looks unto the water while we can see the side of the young girls face as she looks up at him. This shot shows us that the youngest man has power and authority as she seems to be looking up to him.

We then cut to another shot but this time of the older gentleman and the young girl. It seems to be a bit of a long shot as all though we can see both the young girl and the man it is quite hard to make out their emotions. Also it is a two shot as it suggests that they have a relationship as we already know this because he is her father but also it suggests that because they have to share space against their will they may not have a good relationship.

This shot is a P.O.V shot of the young girl we know this because before this it was a close up of the young girl so therefore we know we are seeing this from her perspective. This shot is interesting as we now can see the water which is what a lot of the characters where looking at in most of the shots so now we can see exactly what they can. This shot is even more interesting as we can see an opened umbrella floating in the sea we can see it appearing through the fog and mist.

The uses of sound- The Pirates of the Caribbean- The Curse of the Black Pearl.

The first title slide showing the title of the movie was shown with quite sinister and mysterious music playing under the title slide. It seemed like a scary movie music. This carried on when the title of the film disappeared to the opening scene. The atmosphere established by this music is creepy and nervous. It did not really establish the genre of the movie and it could be a scary film or even an action movie. As the establishing shot moves in, the music still plays. We then can hear the diegetic sound of water from the sea as the boat moves along.  However all of this sound is overshadowed by the young girl singing before we even see her. First it starts quite quietly which creates a weird and uncomfortable feeling but then her voice becomes much more louder and it does not seem as creepy as it did before. Then just for a few seconds we begin to hear non-diegetic sound of what seems to be a trumpet sort of sound, which only plays for a few seconds. A P.O.V shot is used as we see someone walking behind the girl and touch her on her shoulder. She then turns and makes a gasp which suggests she is scared we then turn to the oldest man who is quite scruffy we hear him talk in quite a lower class manner his voice is deep which makes his character more scary. The non-diegetic music is still playing however now it is quite low so we can hear the characters talk.

We then hear the second man the youngest man who is most certainly upper class. As he is talking we can hear in the background along with the non-diegetic sound we can hear diegetic sound as we can hear the sweeping brushes hitting against the deck floor and other men talking in low tones. We can also hear the sails of the ship hitting against the wind. Which creates a real feeling that this is actually happening. We then hear the footsteps of the men leaving which leaves the young girl alone. We then move to a P.O.V shot of the young girl as she looks out unto the water. Now we can once again hear non-diegetic music play it seems like a clock is ticking. This is all the sound we hear in the first two minutes but although it is not much it definitely sets a tone for the movie and makes us want to watch more as we believe that something interesting is about to happen.

Analysing Film Openings - Mystic River

Scene Summaries- Mystic River First 2 Minutes

There are only five credits showing the production companies of the film on fairly plain screens. This may have been done so as to not take away anything from the film and get straight in.

 

There is also no colour on the logos. This maybe coincides with the genre; the credits are dark and so maybe the film is dark or has dark themes, and brighter credits would have been a distraction or set the wrong tone.

The actual film starts with an establishing long shot of the location which happens to be an inner-city block of flats next to a river. This could be the river named in the title. The shot starts as a high angle shot looking down on two men sitting on a balcony. Using this shot makes the men look small and insignificant maybe hinting the same as their role in the film or how we should view them in terms of their importance.
 

 

It cuts to a low shot of a boy looking up at the men. Next we get a P.O.V from the boy looking at the men through railings on the balcony this breaks up the two men’s faces so the audience doesn’t get a good look at them and therefore don’t create a relationship with them. We see in this shot that the two men who are listening to diegetic music in the form of a radio and  are idly drinking beer during the day. This tells us that the boys most likely live in a poor area with social problems. Next shot shows a second boy run in; most likely both boys are friends.

Next scene shows the two boys playing hockey with a third boy, the lighting used is grey and dull representing the film is dark and serious and that the situations will be serious ones. We see the new boy him the ball towards the gutter. There is a use of crosscutting of the boys feet running and the ball rolling away, this creates a quickened pace. The red haired boy is likely to be the main character and leader of the group. This is because he gets more screen time and was the first character we were introduced to.
 

Next we find out the names of the boys. This is done by the boys scraping their names into wet cement, an economical way of letting the audience know this important information.

 

Behind them a black car rolls up without making any sound. This creates a sinister feeling and that they may be something wrong here, out of the car steps a man wearing a big black jacket and handcuffs, his hand cuffs jingle making a sound so to highlight them. The handcuffs could suggest that he is an authoritative figure but something about his demeanour says otherwise.

 

All of the elements of the film so far, the dull lighting ,the quiet almost eerie location, suggest that there may be something sinister in the film and it may have something to do with the suspicious man.

As we want to set a tense atmosphere, this is another important piece of research. The use of sound is important - just the jingling of the handcuffs is sinister, so this is something we can use. Also having a quiet location will work well for us as we want it to look as if our heroine has been abandoned.

Analysing Film Openings - Green Street

Scene Summaries- Green Street First 2 Minutes

The start of the film shows us an establishing shot of the location which is a train station. The lighting used is grey and dark telling us that the films more likely to be serious and not comedic.

 

 

After this we see the camera using a low angle on the floor looking up to the stairs.

 

 

There is the use of sound perspective because we can hear the boys chanting get louder as they come up the stairs and into view. The use of the low angle shows us the power of the boys and clearly gives them a high status. The song they are singing is a song about West Ham telling us that the film is about football.

The first to emerge from the stairs is Pete, this shows us that he is clearly a main character. Next there is the use of a close up of a tin can which Pete kicks about. This clearly is an important reference suggesting  that the film may have something to do with football, but also connecting it with alcohol. A P.O.V  is used from the other side of the platform to show people are there.

 

 

The camera turns around to an over-the-shoulder shot from and we see a group of boys similar in size. From the dialogue we find out they are Tottenham supporters and the boys don’t like each other. This suggests the film is about football hooligans.

 A train arrives at the platform splitting up the boys, from this we get a P.O.V shot from Pete looking through the train window while it’s moving.

 

 

This creates a disorientating effect and gets us ready for the scene coming up. Adding to this the camera swings up losing focus as if falling down which adds to the feeling of disorientation and goes straight into the next scene where we see Pete push one of the boys onto a post box and attack him. A low angle looking up is used to hide the man so we don’t actually see impact as that would be hard to film.

 

 

There are many fast cuts and the camera is shot as if it was in the fray. This helps the audience feel as if they were there, making it seem more real. There are a lot of close ups to show the facial expressions of the boys plus the punches. This helps us see the anger on their faces. Last scene in the 2 minutes is Pete putting someone’s head through a window. The camera is behind the glass so we can clearly see his head come through. This helps the audience to feel the feel the impact. Then there is a cut to black. This may be used to let the audience soak up the scene which had a lot in and was quite short.

We are planning a tense opening to our film so there is a lot to learn from this. In particular I think we need to look at how to disorientate our audienc through clever use of the camera.

Analysing Film Openings - Friends With Benefits

Scene Summaries- Friends with Benefits First Two Minutes

The film starts straight into the action with the company’s logo and no other credits. Underneath this is non-diegetic music in the form of an upbeat song. This gets us ready and loosened up for the film and at the same time reflects the genre of the film, telling us that this isn’t a serious film and will probably be a comedy. Next scene uses a graphic match where Dylan, the male protagonist of the film, reaches out and moves the logo as if it was a pop up on his computer. This helps to transition into the film and show us that he clearly works with computers, possibly a blogger. It also makes the credits part of the film rather than seeming separate, which is what happens more usually. We would liek to work at least one of our credits into the film in this way, and have an idea to make the title seem part of the film.

The camera then pans around and we see he is presenting in front of people, this helps us understand that he is the boss at his work. The mise-en-scene of the location of where he works is a non-traditional  room, exactly opposite to a traditional office, with bikes on the wall, big letters plus a dog on the table suggesting that his job isn’t a serious one and he’s allowed to have fun with it. Also the use of warm orange lighting creates a comfy feeling with the surroundings. Next we see his employee put up a photo of a half-naked lady on the screen and Dylan makes a joke about it even referring to her “Boobies” this suggests that he’s a funny and even immature guy who’s very likeable. After this we see a P.O.V shot from the employees position it is a low angle looking up showing that Dylan has a higher status to his work mates.

The next scene we see is Dylan getting a phone call. The director uses quick cuts from Dylan to Jamie to make it seem they are having the conversation. There is the use of close ups of both the characters faces while they are speaking this is used so all concentration is on them and what they are saying.

 

Next we see a long shot establishing the location of where Jamie is which happens to be in front of a cinema. They both then finish the phone call and the camera swings round Jamie’s head, the audience are expecting to see Dylan but in fact it’s another man, Jamie’s real boyfriend, while Dylan was actually on the phone with his girlfriend. The location of Dylan with his girlfriend is in front of a concert. In the background we have diegetic sound of the singer of the concert and also sound perspective because the characters are outside the building and the singer’s voice is quite and muffled. These next two scenes which are edited together so that Dylan and Jamie speak after each other even though they are not speaking to each other this hints that they may get together later on in the film. The final scene of the first two minutes is of Dylan’s and Jamie’s partners breaking up with them. Even though this is normally seen as an emotional situation there is a use of non-diegetic music which is very upbeat and happy which is an ironic juxtaposition to what is happening on screen. This helps as well as the dialogue which is very humorous to make this scene funny and not sad, tying in with the comedic nature of the film.