Feedback - Miss Spencer

There is some excellent work here Stuart, you have picked out many conventions of the genres, looked at a reasonable range of films and thought about how openings are constructed. You have also thought about elements like lighting, editing, mise en Scene and sound. However I would like to see a more detail in your work as at the moment you are still working around a high level 2, and I think you are capable of getting this work to a level 4.
In order to improve I suggest you:

• Comment more on whether elements you have picked out are conventions of the genre. This should help you in your planning and mean you have a wide range of conventions to draw from.
• Also comment on the effect on the audience, why did the director choose this approach, what reaction were they hoping from the audience?
• Ensure your grammar and language are spot on because the examiners take this into consideration (e.g. capital I, their, there and they're, proper nouns etc. Also Blogger doesn't autocorrect, so do a spell check first!)
• Add the film opening and screen shots to all of your analysis
• Analyse a Rom-Com!

Task 2.1 Romantic Comedy Opening Analysis

This Means War

The film starts with an opening establishing shot of a city skyline. The camera shot is taken from up high within the skyscrapers. A helicopter comes into shot and goes past the screen while you are looking at the establishing shot. This draws your attention as the audience will look at the helicopter and then look around at the scenery. This lets the audience get a good look and feel of where the film might be set. The setting is dark and mysterious. The dark back drop and bright lights coming from the buildings really help to set the scene and show that it is a big city in the middle of the night. It also shows that nightlife where the film is set is very big. The dark backdrop also cannote's that there is a mystery behind the plot and the audience will be guessing which way the film will go.

Romantic comedies are often classified or associated as being Chick Flicks. This in some cases is true but this film is not. It is not aimed at a female audience. Instead i believe this film reaches out to the teenage audience more.It does this by using more younger actors and a more familiar setting to what a teenager might see in their daily lives. The convention for a Romantic Comedy is that there are two people, one male and one female. However in This Means War there are two males characters. In the opening scene we find out that they are spy's. This is already not a convention of the normal romantic comedy film.

In the next scene it is dark and mysterious. Non-diegetic sound is played in the background to connote that there is some sort of detective work being carried out. Despite this there is also up beat music that fades into the background which tells the audience that there will be 2 sides to the narrative. There could be a mysterious and dark side and also a light and fun side. This attracts a audience more because it makes the film more interesting to watch.

The next shot is a camera pan. It pans up onto the two main characters. The shot is taken from a low angle. They are also dressed very smartly in what look like expensive suits. These things put together connote power and wealth between the two characters. It also tells us that they hold power that not many other people hold.



The non-diegetic music in the background is used to connote that the 2 characters are important spies. This could attract more audience to watch the movie. This is because a teenage female audience might find the male characters an object of desire. This film is very clever. By having 2 male main characters and one female character then can reach out to a wider target audience. This audience can then have escapism from their everyday lives.

The video above shows the title sequence before the film actually starts. This is where all the important names behind the the making of the film are recognised. This film is a romantic-comedy genre movie and has titles that match that. However because the film does not follow the normal conventions of a rom-com the titles have a little twist to them.

They use the sex appeal to draw the audience in from the start. The holograms you see on the naked bodies are images of the world at night and different countrys that might have some importance in the film. There is also a hologram of a timer on the back of one of the bodies shoulder. This could connote that time will run out for one of the main characters or there might be a bomb plot that the 2 spies have to disarm.

Task 2.1 The Purge Opening Analysis Horror

The film opens with text, which reads: “America. 2022. Unemployment is at 1%.Crime is at an all-time low. Violence barely exists. With one exception”

This text immediately informs the audience that this film in set in near-future (only 9 years from now) and in America. The statements can connote that the country has entered a time of peace; however the very last sentence implies that this new ‘utopia’ has been obtained at a cost. The audience understand that this ‘exception’ [to the absence of violence] is going to be witnessed in the film. This is a convention of the Horror Genre. Directors use it to set the scene and put fear in the audience before the action has even started. 

There is then another piece of text “Blessed be the New Founding Fathers for letting us Purge and cleanse our souls, blessed be America, a nation reborn.”

After this text at the start of the opening scene it changes to pre-recorded CCTV footage. This connotes violence because we associate looking at CCTV footage when there is violence happening. There are fast edited clips put together. The different CCTV shots show all different types of violence. This is not a convention of horror. Normally horrors will create tension in the opening scene and be very mysterious. The purge does not use traditional horror conventions.


Costume

Within the CCTV footage there are lots of different costumes. From watching the opening i could see that the characters making and causing the violence were wearing jackets with the hood up to cover there face. The targets they were attacking were wearing smart clothes. One person had a white shirt and tie and black trousers. This is a convention for a Horor film because it shows bad from evil using the costumes. The director uses different costumes to make sure the audience know the two different groups in the film.

Lighting

The lighting in the purge opening is very dark because it is filmed at night. The only essence of light we see is the reflection from fire and explosions. The image above shows the fire lighting up the screen and leaving the person in front looking like a silhouette.

Actors

We do not see the main characters in the opening to the purge. Instead we see a wide range of characters which are not necessarily important to the film. This gives little away in the opening sequence making you want to watch more of the film. Sometimes horrors will give you little hints during the opening to who the main character is going to be. However int he purge this is not apparent.

Make-up

When watching the opening you can see hints of blood and some gore. All this will be professional make-up. For example on one of the CCTV videos there is a man crawling away from a blazing fire. He has got blood all over his back which has got into his white T-Shirt.

Props

During the opening there are many props used. This ranges from cars, pyrotechnics and weapons. The weapons are used to show what sort of violence the characters are inflicting on the victim. Pyrotechnics would be the explosions and fire. There are also cars driving around with people in the back.

Setting

When i watched the opening i would say that the setting was in a city. It looked like a big built up urban area. There were shops, houses and other buildings. The streets were 3 lanes wide which shows in is a main road. It is also set in america because you can tell from road signs and the way the traffic lights look. It is also set in the dark and it looks like it is around 1 o'clock.

Sound


There is music played all the way through the opening of the purge. The music track is Clair DE Lune, Written by Claude Debussy, Arranged by Alfred Reed, Performed by Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc. Published by Klams Music & Co, Inc.

Editing 

The editing in the opening for the purge is very unique. The shots would have been filmed from actually CCTV cameras and then been made better HD quality to be able to put into the movie. The cuts between different shots is edited to look like the camera is cutting out and then coming back on a new scene. This makes the CCTV edit look more realistic. The CCTV is not a normal convention of a Horror film. Normal conventions for a Horror film are a mysterious opening scene and a scary start to the movie.

Camera Movement

The camera movement is mostly pan shots and tilt shots.This is not sticking tot he normal conventions of a horror film. A convention would be a POV shot or hand held shot. This is to make the viewer more tense and feel like they are in the film. However to stick with the CCTV effect the camera has to move only side ways and up and down.

Task 2.1 Mission Impossible 2 Opening Analysis Action/Thriller

Action/Thriller = Mission Impossible 2

Mission Impossible 2, is about a secret agent, Ethan hunt (played by Tom Cruise) who is sent to Sydney. He is sent to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called ''Chimera'' This film is an Action film. It is very fast paced and filled with action and with the conventions of a thriller also included. This means you could call this a hybrid genre film.

The opening to Mission Impossible 2 is set in a desert. When watching the opening i thought that this conveyed loneliness and isolation of the main character who we see in the opening.However on the other hand it could imply that the character is peaceful and relaxed. The sun in the opening of this film is reflecting on the mountains and a bit of the main characters neck. This indicates that the sun is setting and there is a beautiful view which I couldn't see as I watched the opening. Because the sun is made out to look beautiful but we cannot see it as the audience this could be foreshadowing for the events to come. It could connote that the viewer will be seeing the opposite to good and beautiful things.The actor, Tom Cruise, is the only one in the shot so far which connotes that he is the protagonist. The titles then begin to show and bright colours of orange, red and white. For an action film these colours give the effect of explosions and fire.

Costume

The costume that the main character wears is very casual. This tells us what type of person he is. In the opening we see him climbing a huge cliff face. This is normally done with correctly clothing to keep safe. However Ethan Hunt, the main character, is wearing a black casual vest top and some chinos. This is not something you associate with rock climbing. It tells us he finds it to easy and nothing is a challenge for him. It also tells us he dies things his way how he likes it.

Lighting

The lighting in this opening scene rarely changes. It is always bright and vibrant. However the shadow of the main actor is always apparent. The lighting of the sun is always on the main characters body like a spotlight showing he is the chosen one.



Actors

In this opening scene we see only 1 character. However not to much is given away from facial expressions and actually dialogue. Instead the actions that the character does during the opening sequence help the audience decide what type of actor he is going to be throughout the film and what there qualities are.

Make-up

There is no make-up apparent in this opening scene. However you can tell that the dust of the cliff face is put on as part of the mise-en scene. It shows how much he has worked to get all the way up the cliff. It also tells us the that he is not afraid to get dirty and sets up how he is going to be in the rest of the film.

Props

The main character when climbing up the cliff does not have any props. This shows his character and who he is. Normally climbers would have props like a harness, clips and wires. However in this opening to Mission Impossible 2 there are none. It cannotes that he is a dare devil and does not need anything to assist him.

Setting

The setting is very well showed during the opening to this film. However it leaves you to open your mind up on where the film is actually going to go. The whole film cannot be filmed in a desert so it makes you think of where the film is going to go. The desert below the character is very beautiful and is massive in expanse compared to the actor. This conveys that he is small compared to it but he is still taking it on on his own. This tells us about his character just from where the setting is.


Sound
                                                                                                                             
When the opening sequence starts, you can hear a person speaking. You can hear the wind blowing quietly and then the music gets louder and fast-paced. While i was watching the opening is this sound created excitement. There is also sounds of birds flying in the near distance. This gives the effect that the actor is very high and flying with the birds. They are also eagles which can portray that the actor is a predator and killer. When the sound from the titles has stopped and it changes scene, some traditional Spanish music comes in which can be related back to where the scene is shot.

Editing

As there is only one character presented in the opening sequence, He gets a lot of screen time and from this the viewer can infer that they will be the protagonist. At the beginning of this, the shots are slow-paced, but increases as the title animation plays and it changes to fast-paced, this gives the viewer an idea of the pace of the film and what it will be like. The editing gets faster as the actor climbs higher up the cliff. This gives us a sense of tension because it feels from the fast editing that it is building up to something.

Camera Techniques

The first shot is an establishing shot of the desert and canyons which sets the scene to the audience. The opening title sequence starts with a mid-shot of the protagonists face and gives the reader an idea of the character; it slowly zooms into his face revealing him expressionless. This gives the viewer curiosity as they can't see through his expressions and do not learn much about the character through this. The camera then zooms back out from the side of his face to a close up and it then pans around to reveal him and his surroundings. This gives the audience an initial idea of the film and how it may turn out.

Task 2.1 Insidious Opening Analysis Horror

Horror

Insidious

In the Insidious opening sequence most of the normal conventions are apparent. It is a horror genre so this should be made clear in the opening. When watching the opening the genre is made clear by the music and the slow film edits. If we look at the music more closely we see that it is eerie and mysterious helping to emphasize the genre. The titles are brief and tell us the film production company, actors, film name etc. The writing they come up in is vibrant red which symbolises blood and is something conventional for a horror. It also fades out in smoke which can add to the horror effect. The film location is shown when we see a shot of what looks like abandoned house which is empty. It is surrounded in thick fog and the setting is dark and at night. This is a convention for a horror genre.

At the start of the film we see a young child in bed and sleeping. When we have seen this we then get led through the house and see a distinctive shadow in one the windows in the house. Shadows are used in Horrors a lot and is a convention of the genre. The camera draws closer to the shadow and we see that is a ghostly and mysterious woman. After this the title of the film appears and the camera moves to a new location. We then see a tour of the house that we saw at the start of the opening. All the rooms are empty and there is ghostly eeriness about them. Empty rooms and POV camera shots are both conventions of Horror films. The POV shot is used by the director to give the audience a sense of being there. It feels to them like they are the ones looking.

Mise-en Scene

Costume = Insidious comes under the horror genre. In the opening of it we only see ghostly figures. However we do get a close up of the woman. She is wearing a black veil and dark old fashioned clothing. The black suggests that she is evil and backs up the genre of horror.

Lighting = The lighting in the whole of the opening is low key to emphasize the mysterious aspect of the film. Most of the shots have just black and white. This could suggest the part that is lit up in white is an important place and features during in the film a lot. There are many links in the lighting to normal conventions of horrors.

Actors = If you do not watch the opening closely then you would say that we do not see the main characters. However this is not true. During the opening we see a picture of the family in a photo frame. On the picture they are smiling and appear to be happy. However the male in the photo isn’t smiling and is standing quite stiff. He is also holding his family very close and is very protective. This might suggest he is scared of something. 

Make up = When we see the woman dressed in black the camera takes us up quite close. We see that she is quite wrinkly and pale which shows that she is old in age.

Props = During the opening the grandfather clock is featured quite a lot. This makes the audience think that it is important. The clock also fits the convention of a horror film.

Setting = We learn in the opening that the setting is the family’s home. We can see that the family has recently moved in because there are boxes with items in ready to be un-boxed. We are shown all the rooms in black and white to show that is very spooky at night.

Editing

The editing in the opening of the film is quite slow. This gives the audience a chance to take it all in and a sense of enigma. They use the fade on their camera shots to good effect. It means that the mysterious element of the film is much more apparent. When the camera changes shot, the new shot is unfocused suggesting confusion in the house between the characters. There connotations of black are evil and there are also connotations of white and purity, goodness and innocence. These two connotations tell us that the film could be between good and evil. The titles are in red and red in the horror genre connotes danger and blood. Danger and blood is a convention of the Horror genre.

Camera

There is an establishing shot at the location of the house to set the scene. This is a convention of any film not just horror. Just after the opening establishing shot there is an aerial shot from above the staircase looking down to the floor. It is also a point of view shot which creates a feeling that something is looking down at the house. The camera angles are sometimes tilted. This is a convention for a horror genre film. It can also suggest the confusion and unease in the house.

Sound

During the establishing shot there is no music. However when we see the shadow there is high pitched violin noise being played at a fast tempo. High pitched music that is not nice to listen to is a convention of a horror movie. Directors use this type of music because it makes the audience jump because it starts from nowhere and there is no build up. We then see the woman’s face it goes quiet and then the title shows up with the same high pitch violin noise. After the title there is just an eerie mysterious feel to the music. This gives a sense of unease. In a Horror film the director wants to make the audience scared for the whole film. They want the audience to be anticipating the next scene in fear of what is going to happen. Music always helps to do this.