Matthew Heyns

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".