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.