24/03/2016

Summary of Editing 4

Date: 29/02/2016-18/03/2016

Group: Robert, Tyler, Harry

Summary:
After having our feedback session with Miss McGrath my team made a list of the key sections of the sequence that we needed to adjust-overall though Miss was very happy with our work so far-and then proceeded to make those adjustments.

Tyler took the main control of the sequence because the job of editing was his role, while he worked myself and Harry updated our blogs and began to think about how we would do our evaluation of our work.

Our teacher Mrs Otti recommended to all groups that we should do our evaluation in a similar format to our title sequences (a video) so while Tyler finished of the edits that needed to be done myself and Harry decided which of the 7 evaluation questions (6 individuals and 1 group questions) we would each do.

18/03/2016

Summary of editing and filming 3

Date: 26/03/2016

Group: Robert, Tyler, Harry

Summary:
This day was mainly about catching up on our blogs on blogger so that we could work towards achieving a good number of marks on our documentation.
This was a short process for me as I had posted more blogs at this time than Tyler and Harry, however Tyler can be excused because he was in charge of editing and was spending every spare moment he had on the sequence itself. Harry could also be excused because he had volunteered to help with the play that the drama department had put together and so was away for much of the early work.

15/03/2016

Summary of editing and filming 2

Date: 25/02/2016

Group: Robert, Tyler, Harry

Summary:
On this day it was a continuation of Tyler editing with input from myself and Harry while we also worked on our blog posts.

During this session we reviewed some of the key scenes we shot with class mates and our teachers in order to assess early whether or not those scenes would work, the most significant scene we reviewed was the execution scene because last time we filmed it Mrs McGrath was unsure about whether the background was suitable fro the genre and indeed the Mise-en-Scene of the sequence.

After much reviewing we confirmed that the scene would be suitable and Tyler continued working on the sequence one clip at a a time.

14/03/2016

Feedback sheets for our title sequence

These are the sheets that our fellow students filled out so that we can look at what worked well in our sequence and what needs developing:







04/03/2016

Summary of editing and filming 1

Date: 23/02/2016

Group: Robert, Tyler, Harry

Summary:
This day was our first day of editing and as he volunteered, the role of editor was adopted by Tyler (Jobs were allocated early in the course) and the main process was put under his control, while he edited myself and Harry worked on our blogs and Harry further worked on the key typography that would be used within our title sequence.

When editing Tyler focused on importing and editing small sections of our sequence rather than doing the whole section in one go, he started by focusing on the introduction of the characters using the police profiles and pictures and making them coincide.

Furthermore before we actually started the editing process we had to re-film the 'execution' scene from last week, the difference this time being that we filmed using the DSR camera (The Go Pro last time gave too wide a shot to be used), we used a small separated area near the English corridor as the stage for the scene, we took several shots of the scene including a long shot,a close-up and a mid shot.
We thought that this filming session went very well but Mrs McGrath felt that the brick wall behind us would not work, however she agreed to let us include it in the initial draft video and can re-analyse it with the whole class.

Overall though I believe that the filming today went very well and that the initial edit was a success.


Summary of filming session 6

Date: 14/02/2016

Group: Harry and his nieces

On this day Harry and his 2 nieces set about filming the scene that would show children playing in the street, unfortunately Harry experienced some difficulty in this, the main difficulty was that his niece didn't want to be filmed, however after some convincing he did manage to get the shot unfortunately the shot was taken inside and thus it did not conform to our collective idea of our title sequence.
As a result I'm afraid that we decided that it would not be used within our title sequence.

Overall my evaluation of this section of our filming is that it was not a success.

17/02/2016

Summary of filming session 5

Date: 16/02/2016

Group: Robert, Tyler, Harry (+2 volountery assistants-Julia and Emily in year 13)

Summary:
On Tuesday we gathered as a team outside the main entrance of the school before heading to our filming location for that day (a small side alley that had private garages just off Berrick road), en-route we met up with Julia and Emily who volounteered to help us with our filming.
On this day we would be filming the more specific scenes that emphasise the plot of our title sequence (a dystopian and oppresive government controlled world) therefore our scenes included that of 1) a homeless man begging, 2) a molotov cocktail (fire-bomb) being thrown and 3) a further scene of us preparing weapons that represents the protagonist readying himself to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

I believe that our filming went especially well that day because both Julia and Emily are film/media studants and have done similar tasks to us both in their lessons last year and this year, therefore the experience was invaluable to our work as they could direct us as to the optimum shooting angles and advize us on the best shots to use on key scenes.

Overall I feel that Tuesday was our best day for filming because although the weather was constantly changing we acheived the shots that we wanted; experimented with different angles and as a result we produced a lot of material for us to edit together and eventually turn into an effective title sequence for our plot line.





Summary of filming session 4

Date: 15/02/2016

Group: Robert (Tyler and Harry had intervention lessons)

Summary:
On Monday because my colleagues were doing intervention lessons we decided as a group that on this day I would go around my local neighbourhood (which is quite dirty, isolated and generally perfect for the scenarios that we would need in our sequence) taking videos and pictures with my Go Pro and the DSR camera we rented out from our school.
Throughout the day I went around the back alleys of where I live as well as going around the alleys and side-streets around the school area, furthermore i experimented and took video footage of a forestry area north of my home.

When I returned home I cleared my room and video recorded a clip of me 'reacting as the protagonist' to the message that my 'daughter' had been arrested (kidnapped) by the Government, this is important because without this the crucial part of the plot-line would be lost.

Overall the filming on Monday went very effective and upon reviewing the clips at home I felt happy that the correct shots and scenes had been acheived.



15/02/2016

Summary of filming session 3

Date: 12/06/2016

Group members: Robert, Tyler, Harry

Summary:
On this day as a group we analysed our filming sessions from the previous day and finished up on the filming schedule that we put together, after analysing our session with our teacher we decided to act upon her advice and retake the 'exectuion' scene because it didn't fit into the dystopian effect that we were looking for, we took 2 takes on that day but unfortunately it still didn't look the way we wanted it to and so we decided that we would film the whole scene in a different location and on a different day.

As a result our day finished with 2 experimental recordings and all preperartions for our shooting during half-term completed.

11/02/2016

Summary of filming sessions 2

Date: 11/02/2016

Group members: Robert, Tyler, Harry.

Summary:
Today my whole group were in and we were able to film much of the key scenes that will appear within our title sequence, such scenes include overhead shots of the criminal records that contain the key words and names that will appear in the sequence and the character stills that will show who is within the film, further we included a scene that depicts a public execution, this is important because our film is about an oppresive-dictatorship Government and thus a public execution would be seen as common in this dystopian landscape.

Furthermore, while on their free period Tyler and Harry filmed the scene that will help to incorporate the criminal records, the scene includes the hands of the villain (General Reckson) looking through the records.

Overall the scenes we managed to film today went very well, we kept the camera focused correctly, incorporated excellent cinematography and kept the scenes looking the way we wanted them to for the sequence overall.




10/02/2016

Summary of filming sessions 1

Date: 09/02/2016


Group members today: Robert and Tyler


Summary:
Today myself and Tyler found out that we hadn't researched our production schedule enough and that we didn't have any of the props that we needed ready.
Therefore today Tyler set about making the police-style profiles that we would use to present the title and other hey words/names that would appear in our title sequence.


Meanwhile I was busy creating the Government message that our protagonist (Damien) would be sent telling him that his daughter has been kidnapped and that he should stop protesting or watch her die.


Overall we both managed to get the key props ready and prepared for our next lesson (11/02/2016) where will film the scenes that don't involve us acting because it will once again be just us 2 (Harry is occupied temporarily until Friday), instead the scenes will be the one's that have the key words and names in them.


04/02/2016

Genre analysis and film pitch

Now that our groups have been decided and we have an idea of our title sequence, my class had to create a presentation style pitch as a side task in order to promote the film and have the 'authority' to create it (how well we did the pitch will be determined by my teacher), these tasks were done in our individual teams.
To make our presentations we had to do research into several key factors:
  • What Genre is our film?
  • What other films are this genre/ have inspired your film?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What season will your release date be in?
  • What will the film cost to make?
  • How much will the film make overall?
  • Who are the key stars + how much will they cost to employ?
  • Who is the director/ co-directors?
  • What is the plot of the film?
  • Is their a sub-plot to the film?
With our presentation we were also given the task of creating a Logline (a short statement that sums up my film), this is the line that my team created.


Logline:
"Cyborg punks rioting against the Government in the near future."

PP of our film pitch below:


Title sequence analysis 4

Title sequence analysis of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (James Gunn, 2014)



The title seqeunce to Guardians of the Galaxy is unique in its representation as it counter-acts the conventional sequences of Action Superhero films because it focuses its attention on the comedy of the character (Peter Quill) and his movements rather than the sequence itself.
The comedy is shown to us through a key use of both the characters acting and the soundtrack used, upon entering the temple Quill comically dances his way through while listening to 'Come and Get Your Love', this is unconventional as the film is Superhero and thus emphasises the character of Quill and his childish recklessness and immaturity, furthermore as he dances he uses small vermin-like creatures as musical accompaniments to help him in singing, again his relaxed and childish manner is presented to us and therefore gives us a clear understanding of how he will act throughout the film.

The soundtrack is key as well because it is avery happy-pop music disco music where as Quill's surroundings are very bleak and disconcerting, this use of contrapuntal sound with a very dystopian setting confuses the audience perception of Quill and the film but further it helps them to understand that much of the film will be quite dark and violent despite its early comedic look and feel, this makes the film seem more conventional to its Genre than it had previously been displayed as.

A final point to make on the title sequence is the typography used, in the sequence the font used for the main/ key words (Title, names, etc...) is very funky in its look and its golden colouring makes it stand out and further confides with the conventions of a traditional superhero film, the other font used is more simplified and is much smaller in size compared to the main font used.

Overall the title sequence to 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is very unique because of its counter-action to the more traditional Superhero title sequences, this uniqueness gives the film a USP (Unique Selling Point) and thus makes it more definable and thus separate to other film of similar genre.

28/01/2016

Saul Bass: Title sequence designer

During our media lessons we needed to analyse and study title sequence designers so as to gain inspiration for our works, a key designer we looked as was Saul Bass.


Background knowledge:
  • American
  • Born May 8th 1920
  • Died 1996
  • Was a Graphic designer
  • Worked on classic logo designs for studios
  • Best known for simple, geometric shapes and their symbolism
Early Career:
  • Studied at the Art Students League in Manhattan
  • Apprenticeships with Manhatten design firms
  • Freelance graphic designer
Work in film:
  • Uncanny ability to capture a films mood with simple shapes and images
  • His shapes were often hand drawn-had a casual appearence
  • Sophisticated messages within his sequences
  • Used his methods to great affect in advertisement posters
  • Directed title sequences of over 60 motion pictures
  • Worked with directors such as: Hitchcock, Kubrick, Scorcese
  • Incorporated short visual metaphors
  • Many designers since have been influenced by Bass
Persoanl opinion on his work:
I find Saul Basses work to be very simplistic in its effect but this is useful because it allows the sequence to flow more easily than most other sequences, furthermore his work keeps the audience more focused on the action/ drama within the sequence rather than confusing them with a continuous stream of different clips to show the story. Overall i find his work very creative and inspiring and should be a base plate for all future designers.

27/01/2016

My title sequence explanation

During my last media studies lesson my class had to present (in our teams) the film pitch that would allow us to make the film we had chosen.


Although each team did have some significant points and key specifications we all lacked the information that was crucial, thus each team was told to go back and look back over our PowerPoint's and make the appropriate adjustments.
Furthermore we were told as homework to right up on our blogs what exactly we wanted our title sequences to look like when we come to make them, this is that explanation:


My title sequence explained (plot/sub-plot below for reference use):
  1. A key point that my title sequence will express is the plot line of our film and how a once great society descends into chaos when the masses rise up against their oppressive Government.
  2. The way my team will achieve this is by showing contrasting images of a passive society and an aggressive one-this will be done by filming out in the public the normal routines of peoples lives but then the sequence will gradually turn into an all out riot/protest against the Government-this change will be done by us making a mock up news report on the riots while combining footage of riots happening and clips of my team holding up signs of protest.
  3. In between all these clips we will include an element of mystery and suspense by showing random clips of someone putting together and loading up weapons, this is so that our plot line will be followed and it will be a way of encapsulating our audience and keep them interested.
  4. Furthermore we intend to add in a soundtrack that is relatable to the sequence but will be contrapuntal to the sequence, this is so our title sequence will have an USP (Unique Selling Point) and further because it is contrapuntal the audience will remain more focused on the sequence and its importance.
  5. The last scene in the title sequence will be a dramatic imitation gunshot with a clip of people running in sheer panic and another mock-up news clip saying that a civil war has been declared, this will then end with a black screen and a loud droning boom, this will be where our film will truly begin and further it will be the point where all the mystery and suspense form the sequence will be brought to climactic end.






Our plot line for our film:
In the near future the population has had enough of Government oppression, peaceful protests strike up everywhere but to no avail, then one unknown bullet to the head of a Government official sparks the fire that will lead to one of the biggest civil wars in American history, Government forces clash with the people of the nation, 2 sides, 1 fight, surrender or die, neither will back down.


Sub-plot:
The war has raged for 10 years and the Government forces are weakened, our hero had suffered hard physically and mentally but is called up for a secret last mission, meanwhile a stranger from nowhere proves herself and formidable warrior and the pair are sent with a small group to finish the war, on the way success and sacrifice will lead to the true start of the war being muttered, our hero will be left with only 2 choices-finish this war once and for all, or find out the truth from his new friend?


22/01/2016

Title sequence analysis 3

"Catch me if you can" (Stephen Spielberg, 2002) title sequence:

 The title sequence of 'Catch me if you can' is very interesting, it is entirely animated but it bears resemblance to the work of Saul Bass (1920-96) a great graphic designer in the American film industry who used simple shapes and lines to create his title sequences.

His work is predominant here as the sequence is simple in its nature and because of the use of shapes and lines it allows it to have a more flowing process and allows the sequence to flow more easily from one scene to the next, the lines themselves help us to understand the plot as well, in the sequence it shows the main protagonist running away from an inspector that is chasing him, the lines act as doorways/transitions for the hero to pass through and to change his identity so that he can escape the cop more easily.
The typography used is also relatable to the style of the title sequence, the lines that show the journey are expertly linked into the transitions and therefore effectively continue the flow of the sequence.

The soundtrack is also significant to the clip as well, throughout the soundtrack is very orchestral in its style and its volume changes as the sequence progresses, the volume becomes louder in the mid section of the clip where we think the hero is going to get caught but as the 2 characters run off into the distance the volume lowers and eventually stops.

Overall this title sequence is unique in its style but sticks to the conventions of a title sequence very effectively, it has a captivating soundtrack and fulfils its role of keeping the audience tense and fully committed o seeing the rest of the film through.

20/01/2016

Title sequences: Genre analysis and group work

When studying genre I must always look at:
Narrative
Iconography
Characters
Setting


Here is my class analysis of genre from stills of different title sequences:


Dr No-James Bond
  • The silhouettes in the background create mysterious imagery causes us to think of it as an action film,
  • The red wave suggests blood and so genre could be action or horror,
  • The gun barrel view at the beginning suggests that violence and thus an action film,
  • Overall we deduce that the film is action with the sub-genre spy,


Splice-genre establishment
  • The dark colours suggest the film is quite gothic or horrific,
  • The organic-like lettering creates a mysterious feel to the film,
  • Vein like imagery makes the film appear to be a Sci-fi film,
  • The overall stills are quite alien-like and thus further hint to Sci-fi,
  • Genre category: Sci-fi,


The Back-up plan-genre establishment
  • Women is protagonist; suggests a chick flick,
  • Animated style + romantic imagery suggest a Rom-Com,
  • Wine and the dining couple suggest it is a romance film,
  • The colours, typography and the female protagonist all suggest it is targeted at a female audience,
After this task we all began to get into the groups that we wanted to work in in order to make our title sequences.
My group consists of myself, Tyler and Harry, we started of well as a group because we are all firm friends and further we all had similar ideas for what we wanted our title sequence to look like-thus we decided that we would be able to blend all of our ideas into a single piece of work.

16/01/2016

Title sequence analysis 2

Lord of War (Andrew Nicole, 2005) opening title sequence analysis:



The title sequence of 'Lord of War' is very unique in its design, in the sequence we are following the process of the construction of a bullet as well as its transportation and eventual use, this is interesting because in any war or general violent film we would be following the path or journey of a key character within the film where as here we are given the point-of-view (POV) shot of a bullets journey from its construction in a Russian/Soviet factory to use in a predominantly African country (Nigeria or Somalia-countries with a predominant gun presence), this therefore makes the film unique in its nature and further the settings used in the film give speculation as to where the film will be set (A 1st world or 3rd world country?).

The soundtrack used is also interesting as it is quite jolly-American country music where as the scenes used in the sequence are quite rough, dirty and generally a war zone, this is significant because this use of contrapuntal sound makes the audience mistake the genre and overall plot of the film, however this soundtrack could also be interpreted as a type of premonition to the films plot, a sort of 'Calm before the Storm' feeling.

The typography used is also highly significant to the sequence, the lettering in the clip is simplistic in its style; the words are detached from each other and have no curves or extra lines on them, overall the type of font used can be described as very militaristic in its form and therefore would be accurate to use with this title sequence.

In conclusion the title sequence to 'Lord of War' is unique because it doesn't follow all the codes and conventions of a traditional title sequence however because of its unique style and use of micro and macro-features it captivates the audience to continue watching and film and thus it can be said with fairness that the sequence follows its job role effectively.

08/01/2016

H/W: Article analysis

Here is the link to an article about film title sequences that my teacher set for homework, our objective was to analyse the article, pick 5 points that we enjoyed about the article and comment on them.
Below are the 5 points that I picked:
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/the-art-of-the-film-title-throughout-cinema-history/
  1. "Popular trends of the 1950s were using three-dimensional lettering and embedding type in physical artifacts such as embroidery and signag"-this new trend shows how the 1950's was a time for change and how title sequences began to become more significant in films.
  2. "A consequence of this digital era seems to be that modern title design will forever rely on progressive technologies"-this suggests that for title sequences to become better the technology that is used to create them needs to be constantly updated and revolutioniused.
  3. "Kyle Cooper states that while the power of computer graphics is obvious, he still likes experimenting with live action, because there is something special about the imperfection of making things by hand"-I find this interesting because it suggests that Kyle likes to use both the physical construction of title sequences from the past and combine it with the digital technology that dominates the film industry today (example of technological covergence)
  4. "The potential of digital graphics and typography has attracted some of the most creative minds to motion design"-This is interesting because it shows how the film industry has a mass employment of artists and designers especially in the title sequence construction of the industry.
  5. "Breakthrough ideas in titling, such as timing the typography to interact with metaphorical imagery or to create its own world, were largely innovations that came from outsiders to the Hollywood studio system"-I find this very interesting because normally the audience would expect the prodcution companies to have designers within their own companies to come up with new designs, however because the companies used outside ideas it shows how they are diverse and open to new ideas that will make their films/title sequences unique.