RESEARCH: SCOOP IT!

As I have decided to use a combination of survival and action to be the genre for my project I created a Scoop It! account so I could collate some of the films that fit in with this genre combination. I have chosen 6 films that I enjoyed very much. Therefore, I feel I could implement some features that each of these films have used to make a successful opening sequence.

RESEARCH: TITLE SEQUENCES

Dr. No (1962)

• Producers - Harry Saltzman and Albert R.Broccoli
• Author - Ian Flemming
• Title - Dr. No
• Starring - Sean Connery
• Actors - Ursula Andress, Joseph Wisemen, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson, John, Kitzmiller, Zena Marshall, Eunice Gayson, Michel Mok, Lois Maxwell, Peter Burton, Yvonne, Shima, Louis Blaazer, Reginald Carter, WM. Foster-Davis, Margaret Le Wars 
• Director of Photography – Ted Moore 
• Production Designer – Ken Adam
• Editor – Peter Hunt
• Production Manager – L.C. RUDKIN
• Animation – Trevor Bond
• Assistant Director – Clive Reed
• Camera Operator – John Winbolt
• Continuity – Helen Whitson
• Make-up – John O’Gorman
• Hair Stylist – Eileen Warwick
• Sound Recordists – Wally Milner and John Dennis
• Costumes – Tessa Welborn
• Set Dressing – Freda Pearson
• Dubbing Editors – Archie Ludski and Norman Wanstall
• Assistant Editor – Ben Reyner
• Special Effects – Frank George
• Music Composer – Monty Norman
• Screenplay – Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood and Berkely Mather
• Director – Terrence Young

JAWS (1975)

• Producers – Richard Zanuck and David Brown
• Actors - Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton, Jeffrey C. Kramer and Susan Backlinie
• Title - Jaws
• Co-Starring -Lorraine Gary
• Music by John Williams
• Editor – Verna Fields
• Director of Photography – Bill Butler
• Screenplay – Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
• Novel by Peter Benchley
• Directed by Steven Spielberg

 

RESEARCH: STORYTELLING

In class I watched a Future Learn course who by Creative Consultant at BBC, Frank Ash was the teacher. In this presentation I learned about 'Digital Storytelling' - how to connect to an audience emotionally by creating a relevant story that they can relate to and how to leave them with a sense of anticipation and suspense. Using Frank Ash's guidelines I will plan my production by devising a top line (one 'elegant sentence' that sums up the film opening treatment) and deciding on the big question (what happened next?) 

 

MONTAGE / TABLETOP SEQUENCE

Our brief was to create a title sequence using only a table top and props with a small part of live action at the end of it, using a given soundtrack. 

For research, in class we watched Delicatessen and To Kill a Mockingbird which both use table top sequences. The camera gets placed in a birds-eye-view shot and pans over a cluster of overlapping props to suggest a certain narrative.  To film our whole opening sequence we split up our filming into two sessions. My role in creating this opening sequence was the cameraman and editor. 

Session 1:

In this session we filmed the tabletop segment of our opening sequence. To do this we used props provided by our teacher and arranged them on a black clothe that covered the table. The props we used was a pistol, briefcase, newspapers, counterfeit money and a counterfeit passport. However, to ensure we had a clear narrative we printed off medals and drew on the newspapers where we saw fitting. This meant that all our props were ready. Then using an Iphone 11 I filmed all the props from a birds eye view. From this birds eye view I moved the camera along the props and then I entered the briefcase. After filming the props in the briefcase this meant that the first session was complete. It took a few takes because as a team me and my piers decided there were many different orders in which each prop should be filmed. However, after 4 takes we decided we had finally got the result we desired.

Session 2

In this session we filmed the action segment of our opening sequence. This was a short but important part to the narrative of our opening sequence. As our narrative was inspired by Neville Chamberlain in WW2 we decided to film Ben Richardson wearing a suit carrying the briefcase we had used in session one. I then filmed Ben walking up these grand stone stairs that over looked a large green hill which emphasised Neville Chamberlain's importance in WW2. When filming we got Ben to sit down on a handcrafted bench on the top of the stairs that overlooked the land beneath. My job was to film a tracking shot of Ben walking up the stairs, I then panned round Ben to get a shot of the view.

Editing

To edit this opening sequence I used Final Cut Pro X. When editing this piece I had to incorporate the footage from both session one and session two. I then started to cut the surplus footage to make sure we only showed what we wanted to. As our narrative surrounded around the involvement of Neville Chamberlain in WW2 I decided to put a voice overlay Chamberlain declaring war. This made it clear to the audience that the time was set in WW2. I adjusted the speed of which the footage were played at making them slower or faster. This is because when filming it was more important to make sure I filmed everything I needed because I knew I could then after edit the pace of which the footage went at. I then put the titles that you would expect to see on an opening sequence. These included the rest of the crew and me. Once I combined the filming of session two to the edited session one footage I decided to then include a sound overlay of bombing sirens. This further emphasised the time in which our work was set which encouraged our narrative further. To finish off the editing I added the title of our work "Chamberlain".

 DISTRIBUTION 

I watched a presentation on the FDA website by Kezia Williams, head of theatrical distribution at Pathe. She talked about how distributors work to create a successful new marketing campaign for each film, on the film distributors' association site. It was also explained by Chris Besseling, Director of Marketing at Pathe, that distributors market a film's USP (Unique Selling Point) such as its star cast, its provenance, its awards and good reviews to bring positive attention to the film.

I decided to research the distribution of Tenet. This is because Tenet was realised when the UK was in lockdown. Therefore, I was interested to see how much of their marketing would be digital. Tenet is an Action/Sci-Fi that was released on the 12th August 2020. My interest in Tenet sparked because I have enjoyed films directed by Christopher Nolan in the past: Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Inception, all of which are critically acclaimed productions.

I investigated the different aspects of a marketing campaign and film distribution for this film. This consisted of film posters; the film website; film trailers; social medias such as Facebook; Twitter and Instagram as well as magazine articles; interviews.  

Art of the Title

On this page I analysed three different opening sequences. In my analysis I have tried to pick out different elements in these opening sequences. I have chosen my title sequences from the website www.ArtofTheTitle.com

Climax

I chose this title sequence because it contrasts all the other title sequences I have come across. This is because the idea of this title sequence was not to give anything away. Using this technique can have many different implications. One impact could be that it doesn’t engage the audience at all because they are not aware of what it is they are going to see in this movie. However, I disagree. Judging by the upbeat music it is clear the creators want the audience to be surprised when seeing this movie. The creators want the movie to be fresh in the mind of the audience when they go to see it.

This title sequence starts and ends with a bird’s eye view. At the beginning of the scene we see two people walk in the bird’s eye view and then exit. Alongside the bird’s eye view is a never ending rotating camera angle maintain the birds eye view but constantly spinning round one certain point. The scene is lit in a very orange lighting already giving off an upbeat happy vibe alongside the drumming of the music in the background. What is very interesting to me is how the creators are very inconsistent with how many times they use the same font and colour. It is noticeable that occasionally the same font and colour was used but only randomly. Towards the end of the title sequence we once again see two mysterious people walk in the shot and exit quickly after.

 Good Omens

In the opening scene the viewers are faced with an eye level shot of two 2D characters walking in a very poorly lit environment giving off an ominous atmosphere to the audience. As the opening scene develops we then see a far out wide angle shot following the two characters as the continue walking. In contrast to the beginning where the views could see very little due to the environment being extremely poorly lit, as the title scenes evolve we begin to see more light being introduced. Alongside this new introduction of light, we starting seeing creatures that look like they are from the unknown.

As the 2D figures carry on their adventure we begin to see more and more small creatures following them on their pilgrimage. Suddenly as more and more creatures and disciples of these two main characters evolve there is a sudden shift in scenery. In contrast to a very dark and vile looking environment the scenery quickly changes in a dynamic cut scene to what looks like an enchanted land well lit and populous of trees and nature. The editors of this title scene use big objects alongside dynamic cuts to make a seemingly smooth cut in the film. We suddenly go from seeing all these 2D characters following one another to then just seeing the main two characters drinking wine. We begin to see far more characters being introduced and without any of the audience expectations a spaceship is then introduced. This makes a very obscure but interesting narrative which will be sure to engage the audience.

As the development of this opening title scene progresses we change from an eye level camera angle to a bird’s eye camera angle. In this bird’s eye camera angle we see a white angle changing everything in the surroundings by splashing water everywhere. Once water has been splashed everywhere by the white angel we once again have a change of scenery where we follow a boat. In this change of scenery, the camera angle changes as well back to a far out wide angle. As the title scene comes to an end we see the two main characters entering a city

The Politician

 

I have chosen to analyse the Politician due to the variety of genres this TV Series conveys to the audience. This TV series ranges from comedy, drama and sometimes a musical. I believe this contrast in genres and themes often creates a very interesting and memorable storyline, which often helps to intrigue the audience to watch more.

The Politician is about American politics and governance in the vein of Alexander Payne’s Election (1999), a satire that explores the state of play through the microcosm of high school. Enter Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a young politician who will stop at nothing to become president… of his Santa Barbara, California high school. Does he actually want to lead his classmates to something greater or is this just another stepping stone on the road to fulfilling his ambitions? – Credit Art of the Title

 

The creators of this title scene begin with an eye level camera angle with the intention of showing off empty bookshelves made from mahogany. The use of mahogany, a hard wood that is used in many valuable antiques, might convey to the audience just like the bookshelf the main character might grow in value as a politician. As the title scene progresses, still in the bookshelves at eye level we see a Harvard medal. Harvard is a very prestigious university in America, therefore introducing to the reader the level of intelligence the main character has.

The editors of this title scene use a direct cut in the film to show the reader quickly how the bookshelves are filling up with all sort of achievements like medals and ribbons. Alongside all these achievements are books as well. The bookshelves as the scenes develop are starting to become more full in contrast to at the start of the title scene it was empty.

The editors then in contrast use a dynamic worm view of someone dropping medicine in one of the bookshelves compartments. However, the editors then used another dynamic cut of the same action but in a bird’s eye view. This is very clever because you can see the person dropping the medicine out her hands, but you can also see where the medicine is going. The use of the worm view makes the person seem very big in comparison to the audience, however the change in camera angle to the bird’s eye view then makes the audience feel far more superior due to the small size of the medicine. The title scene is made up of a combination of eye level camera angles, birds eye view and oblique camera angle. An Oblique camera angle is when the camera looks titled making the horizontal camera axis not parallel with the audience’s screen.

The editors introduce the song Chicago by Sufjan Stevens. This song talks about love at the very start. This connotes to the viewer that there will be hints of romantic drama in this TV series. Towards the end of the title sequence we begin to see the formation of this main character. A clever concept from the creators was to represent this main character as the empty bookshelves. And as the empty bookshelves began to fill up more so did the representation of the main character. At the end of the title sequence the bookshelves all come into one and then we see the main character. We first see an eye level camera view of the formation of the main character’s face. Then as the main character puts his blazer on we get a low level camera angle by his cuffs. Once the blazer is on the audience get a dynamic camera view going from his cuffs all the way to his eye level contrasting the low level camera view the audience just had.