The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008)
After watching the opening to this film, i gathered it was a tragic drama which is similar to what our film opening will be like. The focus seems to be on the young dark haired boy and drama films that use children usually use them for an emotional focus point. This relates to our film as we are also using a young child to capture the emotion. When a film includes a child it becomes a lot more emotion filled as you feel sympathy for the innocent character.
It begins showing the small titles over the top of a red background that could connote death later in the film as it begins showing the deep colour that fills the screen. Once that passes you see the young boy with friends which makes you feel happy as you watch them playing. This then contrasts with what you see later on in the opening where you see women getting pushed around. The contrast between youthful happiness and suffering makes the genre of a tragic drama more apparent as you release that conflict is a major part of the film as it is based around WW2.
War based dramas usually revolve around tragedy as death and conflict is a part of how life was back then. You also see Nazi flags right at the start which suggest it is set in Germany which again confirms the theme of war. You then presume that the young boy is the main character as he seems to be the main focus in the opening suggesting he may face difficult situations later on which connect with the war.
Forrest Gump (1994)
The genre of this film is made clear when watching the opening through the way everything comes together making it appear emotional. This has a lot to do with the music as the soft piano soundtrack is something that represents sadness and reflection which are themes commonly used in drama's.
The fact that you can only see a feather falling from the ground at the start of the opening helps set the mood as you feel at ease as you watch something simple like a feather fall gracefully but begin to realise the meaning of it as the film goes on. A feather falling can sometimes symbolize death which is also a theme that becomes apparent making the narrative of this film clear from the start as you can expect emotion.
You are then later introduced to the main character who is the first character you see so you expect he is the main one as the feather drops at his feet. This foreshadows that the sadness and death may later be something he faces as this symbol of loss is something that lands on him.
Dear John (2010)
This film begins as a flashback as you see the main character back in a situation which makes him reflect on his life. This represents the genre as you immediately see him hurt and know that at some point in this film this part will be repeated. It is also clear that he is fighting in the war which explains his injury. It is easy to sense that later on in the film once you get to know the character that scene may become more emotional as you see him get hurt.
It then goes into him talking about when he was a child which is also something that is commonly used in drama's. Children are sometimes used to get to know that character in more depth.
It is all in slow motion which gives is a very sombre and slowed down mood which creates a certain atmosphere. Also the music in the background is something that sets the scene as it is something that is only slightly heard but still makes a melancholy impact.
Friday 11 February 2011
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Drama as a genre
The genre of our filming opening is a tragic drama. We chose this genre as we felt confident that we could create something original by using this genre and we felt it suited us as a group. We all felt a connection to films of this genre and have all said how we enjoy watching dramas. This helped as it meant we could come up with more ideas as we understood that drama is a broad genre. To it down we then decided to make it a tragic drama. We did this to make it more specific and to show how we were not touching other aspects that are associated with dramas. In dramas there are certain aspects of a film that you can expect to see. Because the genre is so broad there are many different types of dramas. This is why we wanted to make it into a tragic drama as we already had a vision of what we wanted the film to be like and we wanted it to have emotion and tragedy which is usually caused by a death. If we stuck to it being a drama then it could give the wrong kind of impression to the audience as they may not be sure to what may conclude in the film.
Something typical that happens in dramas is romance. We understood this and because ours is not based on romance, but romance that is lost, we did not want to give the wrong impression. Instead we wanted to show the tragedy of it and how love is no longer there due to the tragedies life has thrown at a married couple. As we are only creating an opening and in this opening there are only two characters shown a man and a woman we did not want it to seem as though after the opening, the film was going to be focused on romance because we wanted to highlight the space created between them.
Another type of drama is a period or historical drama. We knew from the start that we did not want to go into this as we felt it would be too difficult to re-create a period of time without loosing the effect. We also felt we did not know enough about this type of drama to base our film on it and stuck with tragedy as the end result would be more effective
Another type of drama is a melodrama. This is similar to the type of drama that we chose to do but more exaggerated. If we did this we could have made it come across as fake and may not have created the same emotion we intended to if we did a melodrama. Melodramas contain emotion and tragic elements but they take it to the extreme. They are usually performed in operas which is why we stuck to our original idea as it may not have worked in a modern day based film. We wanted to create something that audiences could relate to and feel sympathy for the characters involved. With tragedies we knew we had to incorporate a death but in an opening it is difficult to put that across. Because of this we instead decided to start from the young girl already passed away and base our film on the struggles that families face when having to death with death and how it breaks relationships and unravels hidden secrets.
Saturday 5 February 2011
Film openings from different genres
28 weeks later (2007)
The genre of this clip comes across as being a zombie horror. This is shown through the way the opening is edited and the atmosphere that is created by the dark lighting which if the first thing you see which makes the film instantly seem eerie. Typical horror films are filmed in darkness and set during the night which puts the audience on edge as they don’t know what is to be expected. The only source of light was coming from the candles which are props that make the scene quite Gothic and because there is no electricity where they are it suggests they are in a place that is separate from anything else which also shows how they are in hiding from something on the outside. The sudden flash out light that comes from the outside shocks the audience as something creepy appears in daylight which is not typically done in horror films but this makes it seem more frightening as it seems as though there is never a time of day where it is safe.
At the beginning there is hardly any speech which makes a tense atmosphere as the characters are avoiding conversation which is shown by their silence. Towards the end the zombie appears and lets out a loud noise which is then followed by the woman screaming. This is a moment which makes the audience jump and that making the audience jump is something that most horror films aim to do. Also the emphasis on the knock on the door makes the genre more apparent. The knock on the door appears very loud which makes the audience expect something bad to be on the other side and the way they build up the reveal adds to the tension.
The editing once the knock on the door happens becomes very fast paced to show the panic in the scene which is scared with the audience. Fast paced editing is commonly used in action or horror sequences as it shows the moment of panic and the climax of horror of the scene.
Wall-E (2008)
The genre of this film opening come across as an animation/sci fi film that would be aimed for family audiences. The setting of the extract is in space which immediately shows how this would be a key setting that will later occur which them shows how it is a sci-fi. The fact that robots are used also shows how the film is sci-fi as it appears to be set in a futuristic time period and there are no use of humans or any speech.
At the beginning the titles appear which show that the institution is Pixar which is a famously known company that produces animated films. It is also a Walt Disney film which are usually done in animation. It then goes on to show different settings on earth and different environments which could suggest it is an adventure film and how they are settings that would be later used. The soft music sets a quite peaceful atmosphere which shows that it is a suitable family film and the slow paced editing shows that it will not be a film filled with action.
Candy (2006)
From watching this opening sequence I gathered that this film is a romance. The way the cameras main focus is the man and the woman shows that they are the main characters and the way they are with each other suggests they are in love and are together.
The atmosphere is very light and the music sets a mood which is quite sentimental as it shows two people romantically involved that are having a good time in an environment which creates happiness. The fact there is no speech makes the sequence seem quite emotion filled as all you can hear is the instrumental music. The theme of love is something that comes across quite strongly. Not only the love for the man and woman but also the man standing above them watching over them is someone that cares for them. Also the theme of joy that the children around them show which the couple also show by the way they are laughing and have a constant look of happiness.
The man and the woman that are shown are clearly the main focus of the film and the way they are with one another shows they will be together. The man standing above them seems like a caring figure as he looks down on them sharing their happiness. As the title appears ‘Candy’ it is apparent that that is the girl’s name. The children around them are a symbol of happiness but could also be forecasting the use of a child later on in the film that is used for the opposite effect. It also shows how the two main characters will be together and it will be a main point to the film.
The only titles that are shown are the names of the actors which come first and the name of the film title which appears in larger font and takes place in the centre to show that the character Candy will be a main focus and that a lot that happens in the film will revolve around her.
The setting they are in is a quite childish environment that is associated with children and they stand out as the only adults among children on a ride which rotates in a circular motion giving it a blurred effect. This could also be to show the drugs theme that is later revealed in the film as it shows what they can see and shows it through their eyes.
The genre of this clip comes across as being a zombie horror. This is shown through the way the opening is edited and the atmosphere that is created by the dark lighting which if the first thing you see which makes the film instantly seem eerie. Typical horror films are filmed in darkness and set during the night which puts the audience on edge as they don’t know what is to be expected. The only source of light was coming from the candles which are props that make the scene quite Gothic and because there is no electricity where they are it suggests they are in a place that is separate from anything else which also shows how they are in hiding from something on the outside. The sudden flash out light that comes from the outside shocks the audience as something creepy appears in daylight which is not typically done in horror films but this makes it seem more frightening as it seems as though there is never a time of day where it is safe.
At the beginning there is hardly any speech which makes a tense atmosphere as the characters are avoiding conversation which is shown by their silence. Towards the end the zombie appears and lets out a loud noise which is then followed by the woman screaming. This is a moment which makes the audience jump and that making the audience jump is something that most horror films aim to do. Also the emphasis on the knock on the door makes the genre more apparent. The knock on the door appears very loud which makes the audience expect something bad to be on the other side and the way they build up the reveal adds to the tension.
The editing once the knock on the door happens becomes very fast paced to show the panic in the scene which is scared with the audience. Fast paced editing is commonly used in action or horror sequences as it shows the moment of panic and the climax of horror of the scene.
Wall-E (2008)
The genre of this film opening come across as an animation/sci fi film that would be aimed for family audiences. The setting of the extract is in space which immediately shows how this would be a key setting that will later occur which them shows how it is a sci-fi. The fact that robots are used also shows how the film is sci-fi as it appears to be set in a futuristic time period and there are no use of humans or any speech.
At the beginning the titles appear which show that the institution is Pixar which is a famously known company that produces animated films. It is also a Walt Disney film which are usually done in animation. It then goes on to show different settings on earth and different environments which could suggest it is an adventure film and how they are settings that would be later used. The soft music sets a quite peaceful atmosphere which shows that it is a suitable family film and the slow paced editing shows that it will not be a film filled with action.
Candy (2006)
From watching this opening sequence I gathered that this film is a romance. The way the cameras main focus is the man and the woman shows that they are the main characters and the way they are with each other suggests they are in love and are together.
The atmosphere is very light and the music sets a mood which is quite sentimental as it shows two people romantically involved that are having a good time in an environment which creates happiness. The fact there is no speech makes the sequence seem quite emotion filled as all you can hear is the instrumental music. The theme of love is something that comes across quite strongly. Not only the love for the man and woman but also the man standing above them watching over them is someone that cares for them. Also the theme of joy that the children around them show which the couple also show by the way they are laughing and have a constant look of happiness.
The man and the woman that are shown are clearly the main focus of the film and the way they are with one another shows they will be together. The man standing above them seems like a caring figure as he looks down on them sharing their happiness. As the title appears ‘Candy’ it is apparent that that is the girl’s name. The children around them are a symbol of happiness but could also be forecasting the use of a child later on in the film that is used for the opposite effect. It also shows how the two main characters will be together and it will be a main point to the film.
The only titles that are shown are the names of the actors which come first and the name of the film title which appears in larger font and takes place in the centre to show that the character Candy will be a main focus and that a lot that happens in the film will revolve around her.
The setting they are in is a quite childish environment that is associated with children and they stand out as the only adults among children on a ride which rotates in a circular motion giving it a blurred effect. This could also be to show the drugs theme that is later revealed in the film as it shows what they can see and shows it through their eyes.
Thursday 3 February 2011
Genre - Student films
We were shown three different clips of other students films to give us an idea of how to represent the genre clearly and we had to point out the strengths and weaknesses in each one.
Student film 1
I felt that this opening gave away too much. In films it is not common to have a death in the first minute but is instead supposed to give a slight indication of what is yet to come. Instead this opening seemed more of a closed narrative as you felt that after two minutes that you had already seen what the film is about. However i do think that the use of music was effective and helped show the genre as it was quite creepy and helped set a mood. Also their use of sound effects in the editing and the heartbeat sound was very effective and it fit in with the genre.
Student film 2
I felt after watching all three that this was the most interesting however technically it was more of a trailer rather than an opening as it was again not an open narrative as you felt that you had already seen everything the film had to offer. Also the title of the film appears at the beginning when usually in an opening it comes after the names of the actors. The editing on this opening was good as it showed a montage in a way that reflected the horror genre and it was frightening to see how she was being followed by someone.
Student film 3
Although this film appeared to lack interest it was the only one that was an open narrative compared to the other closed ones as you felt that the storyline was going to continue once it stopped with a phone call and not a definite ending. The music was effective as it set a mood for the piece which was quite mysterious and eerie. This films weaknesses were that at the beginning the production company name and logo did not fit in with the genre of the film as it seemed poorly made with an inappropriate name. Also the girl actress smiles at the beginning when she is supposed to be dead which took away the seriousness of the opening and it became less intriguing.
After watching these three openings it has made me more aware of the fact that it is easy to unintentionally make it more of a trailer than an opening but it is important to make sure you stick to these guidelines and create an opening that does not have an ending but leaves the narrative open to make our audience expect more. What i found in these clips is that too much was given away and in all of them someone had died but in typical horror films unless it is not in a linear order and starts from the end it does not contain a death within the first minute and instead the main focus is on the titles and the introduction to a character. However it is vital to make it interesting without giving away too much which could become difficult but has made me more aware that it is important to meet the criteria in order to make a successful opening
Student film 1
I felt that this opening gave away too much. In films it is not common to have a death in the first minute but is instead supposed to give a slight indication of what is yet to come. Instead this opening seemed more of a closed narrative as you felt that after two minutes that you had already seen what the film is about. However i do think that the use of music was effective and helped show the genre as it was quite creepy and helped set a mood. Also their use of sound effects in the editing and the heartbeat sound was very effective and it fit in with the genre.
Student film 2
I felt after watching all three that this was the most interesting however technically it was more of a trailer rather than an opening as it was again not an open narrative as you felt that you had already seen everything the film had to offer. Also the title of the film appears at the beginning when usually in an opening it comes after the names of the actors. The editing on this opening was good as it showed a montage in a way that reflected the horror genre and it was frightening to see how she was being followed by someone.
Student film 3
Although this film appeared to lack interest it was the only one that was an open narrative compared to the other closed ones as you felt that the storyline was going to continue once it stopped with a phone call and not a definite ending. The music was effective as it set a mood for the piece which was quite mysterious and eerie. This films weaknesses were that at the beginning the production company name and logo did not fit in with the genre of the film as it seemed poorly made with an inappropriate name. Also the girl actress smiles at the beginning when she is supposed to be dead which took away the seriousness of the opening and it became less intriguing.
After watching these three openings it has made me more aware of the fact that it is easy to unintentionally make it more of a trailer than an opening but it is important to make sure you stick to these guidelines and create an opening that does not have an ending but leaves the narrative open to make our audience expect more. What i found in these clips is that too much was given away and in all of them someone had died but in typical horror films unless it is not in a linear order and starts from the end it does not contain a death within the first minute and instead the main focus is on the titles and the introduction to a character. However it is vital to make it interesting without giving away too much which could become difficult but has made me more aware that it is important to meet the criteria in order to make a successful opening
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