Film Company Logo Ideas

We used a medieval font to create a spooky effect, using the eye instead of an 'O' because it fits the style of film we are making. The word 'Unearthly' suggests something which is unnatural. This allows the audience to know what kind of films we will be making.

We have decided to use the second logo idea as we all feel that this is the most effective and most professional looking logo out of the three, which is the impression we want our logo to give off.

Update: Upon editing our footage together, we realised that the logos above did not particularly work well and looked tacky. Therefore, we decided to use this logo:

We decided to use this as it fit in with our housestyle of our titles, which also use the same font and colours. The font we feel is very typical of the horror genre, using sharp edges to convey violent themes within the film.

Location.

We have decided to film our film in a workshop in Whistable. This setting will create the appropriate atmophere for our film, as the pictures below show. The mixture of different work tools shows us that the killer is brutal. The fact that the windows are barred creates a sense of isolation, as it makes us feel like the killer is trapped within the workshop and that he is an outcast from the outside world and the rest of society.
We chose to film here as it will make the film sequence seem authentic and realistic. Also, the workshop is fairly large, giving us alot of room to film in.

       

Story/Plot for 'Branded'

The back story to our film 'Branded' is as follows:
The main character of our film is called Joseph David Laverick. He was once a millionaire and lived a happy life with his family. One day, for reasons unknown, his mansion is burnt down in an arson attack, killing his family and scarring himself. From the day of their deaths he vowed to take vengance on those that killed his loved ones, and sets to take their lives. He kills his victims by slitting their throats and branding them with a symbol of fire, leaving the bodies out for the public to see.

Our film sequence will mainly be focusing on the use of props. We will use props to create meaning and effect throughout.
The first shot of our scene will be one of rain running down a window, immediately setting the tone of the sequence and, indeed, the whole film. The camera then begins to pan across the room, titling slightly, showing numerous object of importance; newspaper cuttings about killer's past, photographs of victims dead bodies, scissors, knives, branding tool, mirrors, chimes ect. These all portray meaning to the audience, showing objects of significance.

Moodboard

This is the moodboard which we have made. We collected a range of images from the internet and arranged them into different sections; Inspiration, Setting, Ideas and Genre Research. All of these show what we want to include in our own film, and how we came to think of these ideas.
The top right collection of images are pictures taken from famous films that of the same genre to ours, The Haunting In Conneticut, Scream, Donnie Darko, Saw. These films are the type of style we want to achieve in our film.
The top right collection of images paint the scene of what we want our film to look like. The lighting and rain create pathetic fallacy, whilst the shadow, moon and trees create an eerie effect.
The bottom right images show our genre research, The Dark Knight (the case of sanity/insanity), Scream (the mysterious killer not being known who he is) and Inception (with the case of dreams/surrealness).

Inspiration

We have decided to use a similar themed opening to this one, using a simplistic opening with little use of actors. We will use camerawork to effect showing mainly the room and props. This will create a simple yet eerie effect, which should be fairly easy to film but it will have a professional looking appearance.

We got inspiration from this video as it is extremely effective to the audience, using props to create meaning and to represent the themes that would occur if this was a whole film.

Job Roles

Producer & Director: Jack Johnson, Leanne Clarke, Laura Nichols and Charlie Gower.
Light & Sound: Leanne Clarke and Charlie Gower.
Camera: Laura Nichols and Jack Johnson.
Musical Director: Charlie Gower, Jack Johnson, Leanne Clarke and Laura Nichols.
Set Design: Laura Nichols
Props: Jack Johnson, Leanne Clarke, Charlie Gower and Laura Nichols.
Photography: Leanne Clarke
Editing: Charlie Gower
Acting: Jack Johnson

Production Companies Logo Analysis

 LionsgateI like this logo as it is quite fantasy-like, what with the Sun bursting through the clouds. The darkness off the clouds adds emigma to the logo, adding a sense of mystery to the logo. This logo would be aimed at teenagers and adults, as it is quite mature and would not appeal to children. This is due to the dull colours, as the logo is mainly coloured in white, grey and black; fairly dull and 'mature' colours. I will take account the colour scheme in this logo when making my own.

Dreamworks Animation SKG.

This logo is very eye-catching, due to the bright colours which grab people's attention. I like this logo as it has a fantasy element to it, especially with the element of there being "a man on the moon" which this logo endorses. This gives the logo a child-like feel to it. The audience which this logo would most appeal to would be children aged 3-11. This is due to the bright colours which the logo uses, especially in the words 'DreamWorks.' The fact that the name of the company is written in bright colours draws attention to it, making it seem important. It is a very colourful logo. However, I don't think I will create a logo like this one as it does not fit in with the target audience of our film.


                                                  

                                          

UniversalThe word 'Universal' in this logo is written in large, eye-grabbing writing, which seems to slightly curve around the world. The white and gold colours used in this logo gives a sense of class, making the company seem professional and well-respected. This means that when you see a film which is made by this company you will be expecting it to be of a high standard, and this is reflected by the colours used in the logo. The globe behind the writing is coloured in bright colours; blue and green, grabbing attention. The world also symbolises that it is a worldwide company, and that it's films can be enjoyed globally.


                                          Columbia PicturesThis logo is very effective, it is bold, grabs attention and looks very professional. The light behind the word 'Columbia' immediately grabs the audience's attention and shows us what is important in the image, the name of the company. The woman holding the light may be symbolic of The Statue of Liberty, famous for it's location in New York, USA. This shows that it's films are primarly set in America, using this iconic image to show us this. This logo is effective and seems of high quality, but, however, I feel that it looks fairly old fashioned, and will only appeal to an older target audience as opposed to children and teenagers.

Genre Analysis

From all of my analysis of genre's I have learnt numerous things that I need to include when making my film.
One of these things is that I must make sure that the mise-en-scene in the film is representative of the themes that run throughout. For example, I have decided to make my genre horror/thriller. I will be using dark lighting with subdued colours; giving the scene a grainy effect.
The use of costume to show effect and personality is something which I have learnt from my genre analysis. The costume needs to represent the characters personality; smart, casual, relaxed, confident, eccentric. All of these personalities and more can be shown simply by the costume that they are wearing. There is a similar idea for the set. Characters homes have to show what their personality is like, or, if it is not a home, the scene will have to let the audience know what the film is about and the themes that run in the film.
Overall, I have learnt from my genre analysis that the genre of the film can be, and needs to be, represented in numerous ways: mise-en-scene (particually lighting and colour, as these set the mood of the film), costume, setting and more. These all contribute to setting the tone of the film, and if I follow these rules it will make it seem realistic and professional.

Characterisation

Mental Sex
Characters see and solve problems in different ways: male and female.
The male mental sex think of things and problems literally, and have a way of going through set steps to solve problems. They see things in terms of cause and effect and look for explanations.

People with a female mental sex tend to see the bigger picture and see how relationships involved and how they balance as a whole. They see things holistically, seeing how relationships can be used to solve problems and how they are affected. Males do not always have a male mental sex, and likewise neither do females always have a female mental sex, it all depends on the person in question and how they behave.

When making the opening to my film I will take this information into account to develop more realistic characters that analyse problems in a certain way. This will make the characters seem more believable to the audience, and will mean that they will have a deeper connection to all of the characters.

Scream Opening Review.

The opening to the film 'Scream' gradually builds up over time, giving a sense of enigma to the audience. It's start off with a seemingly innocent phone call, but eventually it ends up in the murder of the girl who answers the phone. This is chilling for the viewers to see. As the word 'Scream' appears on scream you hear a telephone ringing, with a girl screaming over the top of this sound. This makes the viewer know that someone dangerous will happen which will somehow involve a telephone or a telephone call.
The shot of the girl answering the phone is a mid-shot, this gives the audience a chance to be able to read both her body language and her facial expressions, and this allows us to see how this changes as the telephone call progresses, enabling the viewer to feel what she is experiencing.
Music slowly builds up in the background, before it becomes very loud and urgent. This lets the audience know that danger is coming. Also, every so often in the music, you hear a heartbeat. This is letting us know how anxious the main character is feeling.
The lighting in the shot starts out quite light and 'homely', giving the viewers a sense of safety and security. However, as she runs through the house turning lights off and locking the doors the lighting changrs dramatically, to a darker, more mysterious light. This makes the viewer feel anxious, as you do not know what lurks in the darkness...
The colours throughout the whole opening seem quite homely, using colours like yellow and orange in the house. This makes the audience think that she is safe and content in her home. However, when the killer begins to appear in the shots the colours change, using colours like black, giving a sense of mystery to the shot.

Sound Analysis - Saw

The film 'Saw' (2004), uses sound to great effect. The sounds used creates tension, thus making the audience feel nervous as to what is going to happen. I have have analysed the use of sound in this film to help me when it comes to creating my own project.

 

The film begins with an eerie silence as the opening credits appear, giving a sense of impending doom. The silence is broken with the sound of running water. This makes the audience curious as to what why there is the sound of running water, and makes them want to watch on to find out. High pitched string instruments play as the word 'Saw' appears on the screen. This allows the audience to see what kind of genre this film belongs too: thriller. This is because the music puts the film on edge, so it gives a hint to what the rest of the film will be like. The sound of running water continues, but it broken when the protagonist lifts up out of the bath tub. As he does so, the non-diegetic sound of a drum can be heard. This is a diverse contrast to the sounds which are heard earlier in the film. Before, the sounds were ambient and relatively quiet. At this point, however, the sound of the drum is very loud and puts the audience on edge. The sound of water becomes louder as the characters lifts his head out of the bath. The sound of the character coughing loudly can be heard. This sound allows the audience to see that he is in danger and is not in the best physical state that he could possibly be in. The sound of running water stops as it is drained down the plug-hole. This shows the audience that the danger that the character was once in is now gone. As the character walks across the dark room, you can hear his desperation in his cries, and the chains clinking around his legs. This immediately reveals to the spectator that he is trapped in that room, with no chance of escape. As it is revealed that another character is in the room, low-pitched instruments play, revealing that he is a mysterious character and perhaps cannot be trusted. This puts the audience on edge. As the lights are turned on in the room, a large electronic surge can be heard each time. This is used every time the camera shows a light turning on. This lets us connect with the characters, as the noise is quite loud, which emphasises the fact that the light is harsh on their eyes.

From analysing the opening sequence of the film 'Saw' I have realised the importance of sound to the horror genre. Numerous techniques are used to portray the themes of the genre, ranging from ambient sound to music which has been placed over the top. When I make my film I shall remember the importance of sound, as it can be used to great effect to portray meaning to the audience.

5 Movie Openings

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr_i2w0W-ZM

This is my favourite opening to any film. It starts off in a woman speaking in Elvish. This immediately inspires curiousity in the viewers, and makes them want to keep watching. The same woman, in a voice over, describes the history of 'The Ring.' It then shows a scene of a great war about the Ring. This is full of action and is entertaining to watch. The scenes them jump to show numerous important times about the Ring, and then the final scene shows a small, quiet village.
I like this opening because it jumps through the history of an object, and it's gripping to watch.

Star Wars

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj8nJXiyFBk

The Star Wars opening is perhaps the most iconic opening to any film. It has been spoofed several times, and almost anyone recognises that booming theme tune. The text on screen scrolls upwards, informing the viewer of the storyline. Then, a space ship flies overhead. This opening has been so popular that they used similar openings to all of the Star Wars films (of which there were six). This opening immediately tells us that the film will include alot of scenes in, or to do with, space.
This is one of my favourite movie openings purely for iconic value.

Scream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFtJ5vzgh-8

The opening to Scream is, and always will be, the most chilling and scary movie opening of all time. It starts with a girl getting a phone call from an anonomous stranger. The stranger then says that he can see her, and threatens to kill her. This opening is very gripping and eerie to watch.

Batman: The Dark Knight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0

The opening to the Dark Knight is jam-packed full of action. It shows several criminals dressed in masks robbing  a bank, and later depicts them shooting each other to get more money. Throughout there is a talk of  the mysterious 'Joker', which keeps you wanting to watch the opening so you find out who this 'Joker' realy is. This is a typical blockbuster opening, so it isn't particually original, but it still is highly entertaining.

Lord of War

                                         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4jMzKxYB74

The Lord of War opening is extremely inventive. It follows the 'lifecycle' of a bullet. It starts off in the factory, shows it being transported, loaded into a gun, and finally, it shows the bullet being fired and killing an innocent. The reason I think this opening is good is because of it's originality.

Saw Opening Review

                                                          
In the opening to the film 'Saw' it uses a mix of different lighting to create meaning and effect. In the very first shot of a man in the bathtub there is a subdued light, giving the shot a blue effect. This gives an eerie feel to the shot, making it almost ghost-like and surreal.
There is a close-up of his face when he wakes up in the tub underwater. This allows us to see his emotions, primarily fear, and his desperiation to escape and survive. This theme of survival runs throughout the whole of the film.
When the man gets up from the bath the camera gives us a long shot of him, allowing us to see more of his surroundings. However, it is lit in a very dark lighting. This limits the viewer's sight of the room, adding a sense of mystery and enigma to the shot.
When the lights get turned on the cinematographers use a titled panning shot of all of the lights turning on, showing just how deeply they were plunged into darkness. It then cuts to a shot of a close up of the main characters face, and his hands covering his eyes. This shows us just how long he has been in the dark room, as the lights make him flinch and turn away from it.
The colours used throughout the whole opening scene are all quite subdued and desaturated, giving a gritty effect to the room.
The sounds used in the whole opening sequence are fairly eerie and unnerving for the viewers to listen to. They use a mix of high pitched intstruments to create tension, like violins, along with low tuned instruments which simply add a sense of essence to the scene, making it seem more realistic. The voices of the men in the room echo, showing us that there is not much in the room and it is fairly basic and worn-down.

Overall, the opening to the film 'Saw' sets the scene by using a mix of different techniques which involve cinematography, mise-en-scene and sound. It sets the scene and themes for the rest of the film.

Final Destination Opening Review

The opening of 'Final Destination' begins with eerie music which seems to gradually build up, perhaps portraying the sense of impending doom in the movie. It makes the viewer feels anxious right from the start.
Lightning flashes and rain begins to run down a window. This immediately sets the mood for the rest of the film; ominous, dark and chilling.
The words 'Final Destination' appear on screen in a white font. It appears as though the text has been smeared. This is representative of the amount of blood and gore in the film.
A plane ticket is then shown with the same creepy music playing over the top. This gives the viewer knowledge that something bad is likely to happen involved with a plane or a plane journey.
As the opening credits roll a fan is continuously shown, flashing in an out of moonlight. This is a representation of how numerous characters in the movie constantly ponder on the edge of death.
Playing over the top of the music as the film progresses begin sounds of people screaming. This is unnerving for the viewer to hear, yet it keeps the viewer intrigued.
Text appears on screen, written in blood: 'This is the End.' This is obviously showing that it is the end of people's lives, as the blood shows.
The first characters appear on screen: a teenager and his parents. They are packing for his holiday. The main characters' mother wants to rip of the luggage tag from the previous holiday, but Alex (the main character), wants to keep it on. His mother ignores his request and rips off the tag. This shows that there will be a lot of superstition in the film.
The camerawork is steady, and looks very professional. It uses a good use of perspective and zoom, always giving the viewer something to look at.
The main factor that really makes the opening enjoyable is the music used. It unnerves the viewer, yet it keeps you wanting to know more about the film.
Overall, the opening to 'Final Destinaton' is intriguing, shadowy and interesting. It gives an insight to the rest of the film, and immediately sets the general tone and genre of the rest of the movie. However, it is quite slow-paced and the titles can be rather boring as it uses a lot of the same images.