Title Sequence Analysis...

The title sequences of a film are very important as they are the first thing a viewer will see when watching a film. They are the perfect way to set the mood for the opening scene. For example, if it is a fast paced action film then the opening titles are going to be quick and loud and if it is a slow paced thriller film then the titles will be slow and make the viewer ask questions.

Our Plot Synopsis

A young boy suffered from schizophrenia when he was young. He loved pretending to be a policeman; but when he switched he was a horrible boy and hurt and bullied other children. After his 18th birthday he felt that he suffered less and didn't switch as much. He didn't seem to suffer at all by the time he was 24, so he joined the police force. Strange murders of people who live down his street started to occur more and more regularly. He was put in charge of the murders as they police thought he was the best man for the job. He noticed a correlation leading towards his house and started to worry about his family. The murders slowly point towards him as the murderer. He tries to get rid of some evidence so people don't suspect him of doing something he didn't do; not realising he actually did it. He takes his family to a remote house to protect them. When he next returned to the house he found his wife dead and his son crying in the wardrobe. He convinces himself that he was the murderer and so goes to hand himself in to the police. On the way there, his son appears behind him in his car. As he appears the dad has flashbacks of all the murders with the son standing almost out of shot looking at him. The policemen realises this, sees his son behind him, and drives his car into a tree killing them both.

Project Planning

Wallander Notes...

- Mysterious, Eerie black screen - uncomfortable, nervous, unsure, uneasy feelings

- Eerie music - creates tension for the audience before they see any pictures

- You may have to picture what is happening in your head

- Location - Cold, foggy - Where is it ? (establishing Shot)

- Dark sea - mysterious, deathly

- Lonely, empty landscape makes the sea seem alive

- 2 people walking on their own down

an empty path

- High Pitched sound suggests danger (may be related with 2 people) uneasiness

- Who are the girls?

- Where are they going?

- Why are the 2 girls the only ones out?

- The camera follows the 2 girls which makes us feel as if the 2 hirls are being followed by something

- Man dead in a car - who killed him? why ? when? was it the girls?

- Why did the 2 girls kill him? retaliation?

- The girls are wearing dark clothes which suggests danger - also one of the girls hair is red which can also suggest danger or maybe blood.

- Hyperbolic breathing suggests the girls are scared or are out of breath for some reason - why are they out of breath?

How Sixth Sense is a Thriller...

There are many things within the opening sequence of the sixth sense which tell us that the film is a part of the thriller genre very early in the film. The opening sequence contains many of the conventions of a typical thriller i will describe a few examples of these:

The use of the eerie music at the beginning of this opening sequence sets the unsure and scary atmosphere which is typical of thrillers. The effect this has on viewers is that they are asking questions as to what is going to happen next and whether something scary may happen when the music comes to an end. The music lasts through the whole of the titles and is over a minute long - this keeps the audience in suspense and may put them in a mindset of discomfort and calmness so they may be easily shocked at what may happen next.

Another thing which leads us to believe this is a thriller film is the types of shots used. There are a few shots used in the opening sequence, but not too many - this may be to keep the viewer in the dark about the setting or to keep their attention on 1 thing and not complicate things. An example of a good shot used in the clip is where the woman is standing against a wall after hearing a noise of unknown origins. Her shadow is in the centre of the frame and she is to the left - this may give the impressions that someone else is in the room with her and she is not on her own. The shots are also very voyeuristic which also gives the feeling that someone else is in the room watching her.

A final way we are made to know this is a thriller is teh mise en scene. The location of the opening sequence is very mysterious and closed up. This leaves a lot to the imagination and anything could be lurking in the celler with the woman - there is also an eerie open door which makes you believe something may come out of.

The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense is a thriller for many different reasons. There are many different elements which give it a thriller feel and the audience knows its a thriller. The eerie music at the start of the film lets the viewer know that something is going to happen which may be scary, this is accompanied by a long sequence of titles which slowly eases the viewer into the film. The titles are simple and slow which draws any viewers in.
The shots in teh opening are also framed very well any can add too the thriller theme. Shadows are used in the opening scene and this make

Brick Opening Sequence ...

Their are many conventions within the sequence which let us know it is an opening to the film. For example there are allot of close ups used. The use of close ups leaves allot of the sequence unknown to the audience and will therefore make them ask questions, it makes us wonder what is out of the frame but also gives us the key facts we need to know.

The Sequence also starts within a dead person - this is also typical for a thriller as it leaves many questions to be answered, for example we want to know whop the girl is, did the man murder her, and why isn't he helping her?.

The story also does not have a linear time line - the first few seconds of the sequence is played and then we are taken to the past before the girl is dead, we see her place a note in teh mans locker and later on he goes to the directions on the note.

What I Learnt Last Lesson ...

Last lesson i learnt many new things.
The first of these things was the Brief,
'The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of 2 minutes'
This is what we have to do in order to full marks in our project.

We all were given a mark scheme showing us what criteria we need to meet in order to get certain marks - i am aiming to get level 4's as this will ensure my target grade is met. It is a group project but we will all be marked individually.

I learnt many conventions of thriller films during the lesson and the opening of the film 'Memento'(Nolan, 2000, U.S.). Some examples of these are:
- Shock Tactics - Sophisticated
- Tension - Ask Questions
- Suspense - Jumpy
- Night Time - Fog
- Mist - Cliff Hangers
- Complex Crime - Eerie Music

We were also taught the differences between a horror and a thriller - as many people were getting the 2 mixed up. In a horror film you tend to see lots of violence and this is what attracts the viewers, but in a thriller you have to imagine what happens yourself and things are left to your imagination.
Thrillers are typically for a more sophisticated and adult audience due to their complex story lines and twists.

Shot Reverse Shot ...

An over the shoulder shot is where the camera is positioned over the shoulder of one character, and in full view is the other character. This gives the feel of a conversation and it lets you know who is speaking.

Www and EBI ...

WWW. I think that the best bit of our film was the wide variety of shots and angles we used. We wanted to experiment with lots of different types to show different emotions and make the viewers feel different about the scene etc.

EBI. I think that we could have made the film make more sense to the viewer and maybe improve the story with more dialogue and clearer shots.

Reflection on Editing ...

The editing process was fairly simple, our shots all seemed to go together well and the continuity was effective in most cases. We did have to re-film a short part after finding out it looked strange and may confuse viewers. To edit the clips we imported the video onto a Mac Computer and used Imovie to edit the clips. The programme is easy to use and does not take long to pick up for newcomers.

Reflections on Filming ...

The actual filming of the sequence was fairly challenging, as we had to implement all our previously planned continuity editing and overcome problems that arose. For example - after we had to change our filming location, one of the doors in a shot did not fit in with its surroundings and may have confused the viewers watching it. The equipment we used to film were a camera and a tripod. The tripod helped keep the filming neat and tidy and assisted us with certain shots.

Reflection on the Planning Sequence ...

To plan our sequence everyone in the group made their own storyboards and put all their ideas down, and then we shared them with each other. I was placed into a group with Jemma and Tyler, we started planning the film by brainstorming story ideas on a piece of paper. After we decided a story line and characters we storyboarded them showing which shot types and angles we would use. The planning was fairly simple to do and was easy to film.

The Preliminary Task ...

The our preliminary task we were given time to film and edit a short sequence of someone walking through a door, walking into a room, sitting on a chair with another person and then having some kind of conversation. This task was to show that we understood and can use continuity editing in a piece of film. The things we had to make sure to include were - the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot reverse shot, Master shot and an eyeline match.

Continuity Editing ...

Continuity Editing is a term used for edits between shots which make them seem smooth and make sense to the audience viewing it. These edits are not usually noticed by viewers, but without them the difference would be clearly visible and would have a very negative impact on the film.
Some examples of continuity editing that are used in many different ways are these basic edits:
-Master Shot
-180 degree rule

-Match on action
-Shot reverse shot
-Eyeline match

Continuity editing is a big part in every film made, it is important to keep the film believable and smooth to the audience

Poor Editing

Just saw a very poor example of continuity editing in the TV show 'FlashForward' on channel 5.