In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

question 1 part 2

question 1 part 3

question 1 part 4

1) Typography

I chose a  basic text font from finalcut and I used that to create the titles for my opening sequence. It is white text on a black background. It is simple, but effective. It also builds up some dramatic tension. I got the inspiration for this from the Hitman film, which was made in 2007. 

2) Transitions

I used fade in shots of the gun when the assassin is threatening the main character to create the intensity that the assassin is not messing around, and he won't hesitate when it comes to killing him. I took the inspiration of the fade in shot from Eden Lake, where fade-in shots are used frequently throughout the film. 

3) Narrative

Obviously, there is a lot of the story that is going to be told during the whole film, but the bit of narrative that propels the story forward in my opening sequence is when the main character tells the audience what's going on through narration. During the course of the film, there will be more narration. There aren't many action films that have narration, so I took my inspiration from Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, which has frequent narration during the course of the film.

4) Costumes/ Props - There aren't many costumes or props during my opening sequence, so i  chose the costume that my main character is wearing as he walks down the corridor at school. It is meant to be his school uniform, but unbeknown to him, it is actually a non-school uniform day. I took the idea of his school uniform from the film Son of Rambow, where the school uniform also involves shirts and ties.

question 1 part 5

5) Visual effects

There weren't many visual effects in my opening sequence, so I chose the way it cuts between the titles, and the main character walking down the corridor. I like the effect, and I think it makes the feel of the film seem more fast paced, which i was hoping for it to do. A film that I took this from is A Room For Romeo Brass which uses the same effect

6) Camera Movement 

My most memorable shot of camera movement in my opening sequence is the tracking shot around the main character as he is walking down the corridor. It works well with my sequence. I took inspiration for this from Casino Royale, which uses a lot of similar style shots. 

7) Lighting

The only lighting that was used in my opening sequence is the light in the corridor. Because the exposure was too bright, so i had to make the sequence black and white. But it works well. A film that is also made in black and white is Somers Town by Shane Meadows

question 1 part 6

8) Settings

I chose an exterior shot as I thought it would seem more realistic for the agent to speak to the main character's best friend. I took inspiration from the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" where James meets Felix at a bar. 

9) Framing

This is my favorite shot out of the whole of my opening sequence. It is filled perfectly and it has a good background effect in it as well. The Dark Knight also has frames that are perfectly filled, and here is one of them. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

1) The main character vs Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer)

The main character would be compared to as Alex Rider from Stormbreaker, as he is reluctantly recruited into the British Secret Service. He is a reluctant hero

2) The best friend vs Lee Carter (Will Poulter)

The best friend is more like Lee from Son of Rambow, as he is a troublemaker who doesn't mean any harm. He has also suffered from a bad past. The only difference is that the best friend is a junior spy.

3) The assassin vs Richard (Paddy McGuinnes)

The assassin is menacing and is not to get on the wrong side of. He doesn't mess any time with threatening the main character and pulling a gun on him. This is like Richard from Dead Man's Shoes, which is directed by Shane Meadows

4) The agent vs Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland)

The agent watches over the best friend while he is working undercover at the school. His mind is always focused in getting the job done, no matter what the costs. This is also like Jack Bauer from the 24 series.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media project and why? How did you attract / address your audience?

This is my opening sequence with my director's commentary. I hope you like it. 

Who would be the audience for your media project?

After watching my opening sequence, here is the feedback that I got from Jake and Jim.

They said that because of my main titles being in black and white, they thought that maybe the rest of the sequence could maybe be in black and white

They also said that I didn't need the conversation at the end as it starting the story, and isn't really relevant to the opening sequence.

I have taken this feedback into consideration

question 4 part 2

1) What kind of "genre" do you think this film belongs to? Why?

- A youth drama because it is a dramatic story about youth

- Possibly action because of the violence at the start

2) Who do you think the "target audience" of this film would be? Why?

-People who are in school/college because there is a shot of a school student talking to the viewer and says "I used to be just like you"

- Men

3) What is your favorite image from this film? Why?

-The black and white shots of the student walking down the corridor. They look professional and add effect

- The bit with the gun

4) If you were to borrow one idea from this film for your own film-making project, what would it be & why?

- The way that the titles come up in between the clips with the music playing over the top

- The voice over

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your product?

All of the equipment I used on my film opening project

A screengrab of my final version

question 6 part 2

Even more of the technologies that i used in the making of my opening sequence

question 6 part 3

This is some more of the different technologies that i used with the making of my opening sequence.

Looking back at the preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

When it came to editing the continuity task and my film opening, the continuity task was much easier, as it was filmed in order, and there was only two minutes of footage that I needed to sort through. With my opening sequence, i had a lot more footage and I spent a lot more time editing it all.  Also, in the continuity task, we had shot reverse shots, and a shot of Sam coming through the door. I used a few shot reverse shots in my opening sequence, but there weren't any door opening shots, so i never got the chance to try them out.

Invoice Audit

Three improvements that could be made for the next project are:

- Making that sure that I have all the props/costumes ready for filming in advance instead of leaving it to the last minute
- Using a minimal cast, so if one person doesn't turn up for filming, it won't be so bad
- Maybe use a different variety of shots, such as long distance shots, instead of using so many close-ups

Three people that I did not work with at all on the project are James, Philippa and Joe. With the next project, I could get them to help with the camerawork instead of using the people that I always work with

Invoices

Screengrabs

On this picture, there is a screen grab of finalcut. I used that to edit my opening sequence into the correct runtime. I also added the soundtrack onto that and made the finished product.

I also used garageband to create the soundtrack to my opening sequence. I then exported it into iTunes and added the soundtrack onto FinalCut

Evaluation Questions/ Answers

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)

I have stuck to most forms of conventions for my opening sequence. I have introduced a few of the key characters and have not given away too many plot details that would ruin the rest of the film. Also, my opening sequence has stuck to the way that most action films open, and that is by starting with action before getting into the story. The titles may seem bland, and the name of the film isn't written in a way that most titles are written.

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My sequence doesn't really represent a social group. The characters in it don't really come from different social backgrounds or groups. It is mainly their views and opinions that are different, like a story of good vs evil.

3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The main distributor for my film would have to be one of the major companies as the film would be big-budgeted and a small studio wouldn't be able to afford the budget.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?

I would say that the main target audience would be teenagers from 13 years old to about 25 years old. If i was making the whole film, I would include more things that would attract more of a different audience, like attracting girls to see the film instead of just guys.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

With my opening sequence, I tried to start it with an intense scene, the interrogation of the main character, which involved a gun being pulled on him. I also worked on a soundtrack that made the scene more effective. I also wanted there to be a sense of mystery where people are questioning what's going on. Obviously, the questions would be answered during the course of the film.

6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I'm not sure what the question means.

7) Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

I feel that I have learnt a lot during the making of this. I have grown more confident editing on finalcut. I also got a chance to try out with some of the camerawork, and tracking shots, so i feel that i have learnt a lot from the technical point of view. I have also learnt how to manage working with a cast and doing other things while I am waiting for my cast to become free.

Tonight Or Never - Final Version

This is the final version of my opening sequence. I hope you enjoy it. 

Feedback From My Roughcut

These are all of the different bits of feedback that i got for my opening sequence.

- Editing - nice cuts between the gun, maybe don't use a fade
- when he's walking down the corridor, the shots are quite smooth and cut well.

- Good shots
- Well edited
- Looks good

- Lots of quick cuts could make it seem like a trailer
- Some scenes are too bright
- Good use of angles and shots

- Titles - I like that the titles are very simple, just plain white text on a black background.
- Also, i like that it shows a shot & then a title & then another shot opposed to title on shot because having the title on the shot could take away some attention from the shot

- All titles are way too fast

- Editing - The shots just need touching up as they are too bright
- Just a simple contrast change will do ( to make it darker)
- Other than that very good

- Titles - Work very well, some of the ones with more text are too short

- Good use of shots and this would benefit from the dialogue, but the shots establish the characters very well

- Name mentioned too much in the titles
- Good start with the gun

- Sound - Add dialogue andn some slow paced soundtrack to go under voice over

- Editing - Nice transitions & use of effects
- Titles between shots is good, lots of exposure, at times this worked, others it didn't
- Offtopic - Try and motivate your actor in the chair more. Needs realism

I have taken all of this feedback into account and have made the changes accordingly.

Second Rough Cut

This is the 2nd rough cut for my opening sequence. the narration has been added now and the exposure has been sorted out. 

Tonight or Never - Rough Cut

This is the rough cut version of my opening sequence. It is called Tonight or Never, and tells the story of a teenager getting recruited into the British Secret Service. 

Filming Part 2

Today, was my last filming session. I filmed the second half of the sequence when the two agents are talking on the school grounds. It started off slow when we were setting up the camera, but once we actually started filming, it went okay. We even made cast diaries on how they thought filming went, which will end up on here at some point.

Editing Day 1

I managed to get a lot of editing done today, which i'm pleased with. I managed to sort through all the footage that i wouldn't need, with the footage that i did need. I also created most of the titles, and got the sound in place. I also made a start on the soundtrack, but more work will be needed on it.

The only things i need to do now are get a sound effect of someone getting punched in the face, edit the final part of the sequence, record the main character's voice-over and then finish the rest of the soundtrack. It should take the next couple of days to get everything finished.

A Real Sense of Achievement

Hmm, I've done quite a lot of things with this project that i'm proud of. But the thing that i am most happy with, is when my cast never turned up for filming. I could've panicked and never ended up filming anything at all, but i managed to get a back-up cast of people ready, and managed to film the first half of the sequence. So,...

Tips For Myself With Future Filming

1) Wait until the camera is actually recording before filming
2) Film in a location with plenty of space
3) Check that the sound is recording and the lighting of the set
4) Learn how to transfer the footage properly
5) Make sure that the locations are found before filming
6) Use a variety of different camera techniques
7) Find alternative filming locations in case one doesn't work out
8) Be ambitious
9) Don't trust your friends with acting schedules

Okay, these aren't all mine. I took some of other people's ideas, but i still think that they are important.

Filming Part 1

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that filming on Friday 13th didn't go according to plan. Not many cast members turned up for filming, so I had to wait an hour and a half for Kirk to become free. He became my new assassin, and he played the role convincingly. Anyway, i think i managed to cope well not being able to film anything in the afternoon.

Anyway, i started filming with the help of Matt L, Kirk and Tom Anderson, who was apppearing as my lead character. We found a room that could be used for a possible interrogation, and created room to film, as the room we were in wasn't very big. We did a couple of rehearsal scenes, and then filmed. We managed to get through it all quite quickly.

After we were finished in the room, Kirk and Matt went off to work on their own sequences, and Dave took over. We filmed the corridor scene, and that was done well. We used a different variety of shot types. But we didn't manage to get it all finished in time.

My New Continuity Task

This video was good. It was filmed in HD, so the quality is very good. I found this task easier this time as I knew what to do this time. Also, i found the editing good as well. I am happy that this worked out well :)

This is the continuity task that I appeared in.

More Location Shots

Location Shots

Information About Filming

When are you filming?

Tuesday morning

Any other time that my cast are filming

During the lessons at College

What are you filming?

The main character getting punched in the face by the assassin

The main character walking down a corridor

The two people standing outside the building talking to each other

Who else will be there?

My four cast members

My cameraman - Matt L

My continuity/ sound expert - Kirk

Where are you filming? (all locations)

A college corridor

Outside the College - the entrance of the site

A college classroom / a room that's good for torture

Tonight Or Never Cast

1) Tom Anderson as Archie - He's the reluctant spy who gets hired by the British Secret Service into becoming a junior secret agent.

2) Josef James as Seth - he is Archie's best friend, but unbeknown to him, he is really a junior secret agent who's been sent to keep an eye on him.

3) Luke Smith

 Agent Masters - He is the agent who recruits Archie into the British Secret Service.

4) Kirk Kemp  The Jackal - He is the assassin who interrogates the main character in the pre-title sequence. Ruthless at wh

at he does, you better not get on the wrong side of him. Sorry about the character name.

Major Issues

1) Getting all the cast together at the correct time - making sure that i have their contact numbers and remind them when we are supposed to be filming. If one person doesn't show they may have to be replaced by a member of the crew

2) Getting the filming and editing finished in time for the final deadline. I need to make sure that i don't spend too long filming and need to leave enough time for the editing. I need to film at a quick pace without making it look tacky.

3) Making sure that my cast come to filming with the correct props and the costumes required. This can be solved by making sure that I have more than one person bringing in the props.

Prpblems Likely To Occur Whilst Filming

Nuisances 

- the possible weather conditions may mean that i won't be able to film if college is shut as my filming is taking place there.

Minor Concerns

- creating a really cool soundtrack that fits the theme of my sequence

- using the new cameras for the first time and not really knowing how to use them

- health and safety issues incase an accident occurs whilst filming

Major Issues

- Getting all the cast together at the correct time for filming

- Getting the filming and editing done in time for the final deadline

- How well the cast work together and the performance that they give

- Getting the correct camera angles for the shots

- Making sure that the cast bring the right props and costumes ready for filming

my Animatic - the proper one

Different Film Opening Sequences

My opening sequence is mainly live action with the titles thrown in there just for good measure. But here are some opening / title sequences of films that I like. Enjoy!!!!

1) Quantum of Solace



I like the way they mix the animation in with the live action.

2) Hitman

Filming Times

Having spoken with my cast, the best times for me to shoot my opening sequence will be on Monday afternoons and Tuesday mornings. That means for the rest of the time, I will be free to help everyone else with their opening sequences.

Location Hunting

For my opening sequence, I will need three different locations.

Location 1 - a room. This can easily be found, possibly by using one of the classrooms in College.

Location 2 - a school corridor. The main character walks down a corridor whilst the titles are appearing in the sequence.

Location 3 - outside the front of school/college - this is where the main character's friend meets up with the secret agent to talk about the main character.

Location shots will be added ASASP!!!!

Costumes

The main character and the best friend will both be wearing school uniform. I have planned for their uniform to consist of white shirts, red ties, black trousers (like the ones you'd expect to find on secondary school kids), rucksacks. The friend will be wearing normal shoes, as his character follows the school rules and uniform policy whilst working undercover. The main character, however, will have a sort of scruffy look to him. He will be wearing trainers instead of shoes to show that his character is more rebellious.



Also, the opening sequence features the main character when he has been captured by the assassin. For that part, he will be wearing casual clothes. You know, the sort of clothes you'd expect to find on a teenager.



The Secret Agent - for the sequence, it has him meeting up with the friend at the school. For him to blend in with the crowds, he will be wearing casual clothes. That means, he'd be dressed up as a normal person you'd see in the streets, not to attract any attention to himself.



The Assassin - as his part in the sequence is set towards near the end of the film, he shall also be wearing casual clothes. As this part is set in a room, he will just be wearing casual clothes.



Cast Photos with the characters wearing their costumes, will be added once it comes to the proper filming stage.

Prop List

1) A gun (a fake one)
2) A chair
3) An iPod
4) Fake Blood - for the opening injuries
5) Rope - lots of it
6) Rucksack 1
7) Rucksack 2

This list will be altered if any more props are needed. But for the time being, they're all i need.

My Animatic

This is the animatic for my opening sequence. Be careful of the sound. It isn't great and will not appear in the final version of the sequence. But enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

3 Frame Sequence

This is my 3 frame sequence, where i took three pictures from my moodboard and adapted them into what will appear in my opening sequence.

Shot Types

1) The main production companies/ the name of the film
2) An over the shoulder shot of the main character getting punched in the face by the assassin
3) A close-up of the main character's face as the assassin talks to him
4) A reaction shot of the assassin's face when the main character refuses to help him
5) A close-up shot taking the gun out of his jacket
6) A mid-shot of the main character sitting on the seat
7) Freeze frame of the main character's face as the narration starts
8) A tracking shot of the main character's feet as he walks down the corridor
9) A mid-shot of the main character as he walks down the corridor (ends on start of neck)
10) A close-up of the main character's face as he walks down the corridor
11) A backward shot of the main character walking down the corridor
12) A pan down shot of him taking his iPod out of his pocket
13) A close-up shot of the iPod
14) A shot of the main character as he starts to walk down the stairs
15) A zoom in shot of the friend meeting the assassin outside
16) An over the shoulder shot of the friend saying about suspicions
17) An over the shoulder shot of the agent
18) Friend reaction shot of the agent's answer to the question
19) Close-up shot of the agent as he speaks to the friend
20) End of sequence

9 Shot Sequence

Main Plot Outline/ Timeline

1) The Main character gets punched in the face by an assassin who is holding him hostage/ main production companies - 15 seconds

2) The assassin questions the main character and when he refuses, he pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot him - 15 seconds

3) The screen freezes and the main character briefly narrates the story - 10 seconds

4) Titles appear as the main character walks down a corridor, wearing his school uniform, it cuts between the titles and the action - 50 seconds

5) Skip to the main character's friend talking outside the school with a secret agent guy - 25 seconds

6) End of Sequence

My Moodboard

This is my moodboard for my project. I made a mistake with this due to the fact that the moodboard is for the whole film, not just my opening sequence, so this has pictures of guns and explosions that won't appear in the opening sequence for my film.

The colours of each of these photos are quite bright because the theme of the film is quite fun light-hearted nonsense, obviously featuring a lot of car chases and gunfights in the process. But there are some moments of extreme peril that the audience will find quite intense and dark...

I haven't put any sound in this either, as i ran out of time, but i am hoping to put some sound on eventually. I like the MI High picture. It's really good.

Moviestorm Practice

This is my first ever attempt at using Moviestorm. I was quite pleased with how it turned out in the end. I didn't actually think that Moviestorm was too difficult to use. It was slightly tricky at first, but once i knew what i was doing, it was very easy to use. I liked the way we could change the different camera angles.  It was a good day, even though it started off quite slowly. 

Film Brief 1 - My Chosen Idea

I am sticking with my original idea for Film Brief 1. A teenager gets the shock of his life when he gets recruited into the British Secret Service. 

My Tagline

It is James Bond, and Stormbreaker meets Johnny English, with a little hint of M.I. High

These are the Espionage films that i am sticking with, but with the sequence, not all of them will get shown.

A Really Cool Film Name

I wanted a name that would fit with the spy genre, so i'm going to stick with Tonight or Never. But it may eventually change....

The Essential Elements For A Successful Opening Sequence For A Film

Title itself - minimalist or Logo style (appropriate for film)

Show off production values - eye-catching imagery

Name of film near the beginning of the sequence

Institutional detail - Distributor (studio) / Production company

It makes you want to watch the rest of the film

A good soundtrack, relating well to the movie

Don't let it drag out

Don't introduce too many characters/ too much story

Create an original storyline

Shadowplay Studios

I went on the art of the title website and searched through a list of the title sequences on there. I chose the Juno opening title sequence because i like the way that it has been done. It is better than the whole film put together. Anyway, the sequence was created by a company called Shadowplay Studios. Another opening title sequence that they have made is the one for Thank You For Smoking, which stars Aaron Eckhart.

The thing that i instanly recognise about going on this website, is that the layout is very simple, it isn't very hard to navigate yourself around, which some websites are like, and its also the types of films that they actually create the opening sequences for. Both Juno and Thank You For Smoking are independantly produced movies, where the budget is not as significant as a blockbuster movie.

I've also noticed that the sequences for both of their movies, is that they like to include a lot of light colours in them. The sequence in Juno is very colorful, whereas the sequence for Thank You For Smoking, is bright colours, such as red or yellow. For all of their other work as well, there never really seems to be a lot of dark colours, they are quite bright.

Stormbreaker Opening Sequence

Titles

Sarah Bolger

Robbie Coltrane

Stephen Fry

Damian Lewis

Ewan McGregor

Bill Nighy

Sophie Okonedo

Alex Pettyfer

Missi Pyle

Andy Serkis

Alicia Silverstone

Ashley Walters

and Mickey Rourke

Additional Martial Arts Sequences - Donnie Yen

Casting Director - Sarah Bird

Costume Designer - John Bloomfield

Hair and Make-Up Designer - Kristin Chambers

Associate Producer - Jessica Parker

Line Producer - Kevan Van Thompson

Music Composed by Alan Parker

Editor - Andrew MacRitchie

Production Designer - Ricky Eyres

Director of Photography - Chris Seager ASC

Executive Producers - Hilary Dugdale, Nigel Creen, Anthony Horowitz, Andreas Schmid

Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz - based on his novel

Produced by Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Steve Christian, Andreas Crosch

Directed by Geoffrey Sax

I like the way this sequence is done. It opens the film really well. The way the sequence opens with Alex Rider doing a class presentation about his family life, and saying that his uncle has a really boring job. It then cuts to a shot of Ian Rider escaping on a motorbike and being chased after by the villains. This is a class opening type for a secret agent film because it opens with an action scene, before it gets onto its main titles. This is an example of a film opening i shall be looking at for inspiration as i film my opening sequence.

Comic Book Openings

Comic Book Opening 1 : 30 Days Of Night




The main reason why i chose this opening sequence was because of the fact that this was one of the only comic book adaptions, which have some titles at the start of the movie. The eery music helps to create tension with the knowledge that something bad is going to happen.

My Chosen Idea

I have decided to stay with my idea for Film Brief 1. I was going to go with Film Brief 3, but to shoot it all would be a difficult job. The opening sequence is not set on College grounds, so it would be hard to find a location to film. Also, it would be harder for the cast members to travel because some might not have enough free time as what some of the other cast members have. With Film Brief 1, the opening Sequence is set at on a school environment, so we can use the College grounds. It would make it easier for me to shoot the film, and for the cast as well, as they wouldn't have to travel.

My Logo

This is my logo for my production company. Shaw Productions. I like the font and animation, but i don't know why my soundtrack includes a camera, when the production company logo is a guitar. All the proper free sound websites were blocked, and this was the only sound effect that never involved a conversation. 

My Pitch Feedback

Brief 1 - Good idea, based on something else, but if worked on, it could be well done and original. Possible good idea, some problems in feedback, but good idea. Good idea, believable plot for younger audience. 

I think this feedback was reasonable. I know what happens in the sequence, but it's really hard to explain in a few words, so that's why it seems like an over-used idea. I am hoping to make the sequence enjoyable and hoping people would like it.

Brief 2 - I never made a film idea for this, so there wasn't anything people could give me feedback for. 

Brief 3 - Good potential, could be easy to film. Based on a classic movie, needs to live up to that standard. Lots of potential, but not too well thought out. A bit like Oliver Twist, but modern. Maybe with a little twist. 

I think the feedback for this brief was good. I like the way it's already been compared to different films, such as Oliver Twist, but this has nothing to do with it really. But i like this idea.

Brief 4 - Good idea, not much detail though. Good potential, not enough thought through for storyline, but good idea. Good story, very easy to produce.

The feedback for this sequence was good. This was my least thought out sequence, so i was expecting this sort of feedback.   

My Pitch Feedback

Film Brief 1

Film Summary

A person gets the shock of their life when they get recruited into the British Secret Sevice.

More Detail

This would feature lots of impressive gun fights, car chases and brawls. Unfortunately due to budget restrainsts, we won't be able to film them, so there's no need of explaining it. :)

Film Brief 4

Film Summary

A story about a man learning to cope with the death of his wife and the psychological breakdown he suffers because of it.

Full Plot

A man's wife went missing and supposedly died six years ago. He spends each night stalking the streets where her body was found. One day, he spots a woman who happens to look like his wife, and he follows her. Everything is not as it seems. You get the point.

Films This Could Be Compared To

1) Tell No One

Film Brief 3

Short Summary

A coming of age tale about a teenager who runs away from home in search of following his dreams, but things don't go according to plan.

Full Storyline

Life has it in for teenager Archie. At seventeen, he is unable to achieve what he wants in life. When a job interview goes wrong, his College day goes even worse, and his home life isn't even better, he decides to run away in pursuit of his dreams. He finds a place and he manages to get himself a job to sustain himself. Along the way, he encounters a whole host of characters, including the headphone kid, who teach him that following your dreams doesn't mean everything... something like that.

Films That This Could Be Compared To

1) Son of Rambow - the story of friendship
2) Flashbacks Of A Fool - the main character running away from home to do what he wants to do.
3) August Rush
4) Oliver Twist

And anything else that might be good.

Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging Opening Sequence

This is my research for Film Option 3, where the main protagonist is a teenager.

I like the way this sequence opens, throwing the audience straight into a situation. It has Georgia being followed by her dad in the car on her way to a party. She is coming as a stuffed olive. Once at the party, it has her being the only one who is dressed in a comical outfit, and she is laughed at by another girl, who is a bully. This straight away lets the audience know that Georgia is sometimes a victim of bullying.

Georgia confronts some of her friends, and in anger, she leaves the house. The opening credits then start to appear on the screen as Georgia runs home. The song is quite upbeat and the lyrics are about a girl and how lovely she is. It is a reference to Georgia's character as well. The titles also come up in girl style, with curves at the start and end of letters, and also, the i's also have bubbles on the top of them. This is the reason why i like the sequence.

Hurtwood House Opening Sequence

I chose to look at Marauders from Hurtwood House. I think the sequence is nicely done, with the different coloured backgrounds and the silhouetted figures coming across the screen. It shows that the film is going to be a heist movie because it has people stealing stuff. I found the music interesting at first, but by the end of the sequence, it started to get on my nerves. But it worked well for the type of sequence that they were going for. It seems like a good opening sequence and it would make me want to carry on watching the film because it has a sense of mystery about it, and you don't know who any of the characters are.

Thriller Opening Analysis

I did the R2-49 video, but i'm not sure how to do a link, so i'll just talk about it.

For the construction of the video, i would give it a total of 45 marks out of 60. The titles were well done. The only thing i didn't understand with the titles was the name of the film itself, but once i read through the blog, i understood that the film was called 3nigma. The soundtrack was good, it kept my attention thoughout.
The sequence also did well to build up the suspense. It made me want to carry on watching the rest of the film as well. What also worked well is that you weren't sure what to expect. One minute, it seemed like a torture flick, but the next, it seemed to be something completely different. It has a good sense of mystery about it.
There were only a few things that i found, which weren't really up to scratch. The scenes seemed quite jumpy, the camerawork was also shaky. I'm not sure if that's what they intended because there was no indication of it in their planning. I also felt that there was no sense of characters in this. You aren't sure who the characters are. Also, the name of the film was introduced at the end of the sequence, not at the middle, which meant that it looked more like a trailer or a flashback sequence than what it did as a film opening sequence.

For the research and planning on the blog, i would give them 10 out of 20. There were only a few posts on the blog, and for a group of 3 or 4 members, that isn't a significant amount of blog posts. I felt that the planning for the sequence was good, explaining everything that they wanted to achieve. It featured the title design and prop list. But it could've gone into further details, like step by step planning of what they were hoping to achieve.
There was also no research to go with the planning. There was a blog post defining a thriller and all of the different types of conventions you get with a thriller, but that was it. There was no analysis of any other film openings, which should've been there. But i do like the way they explained how they chose the title for the sequence.

My Long Road Logo Animation

This is my take on the Long Road logo made on After Effects. Enjoy!

Columbia Pictures Logo

Right. Okay. I'm not exactly sure how the bigheads at Columbia Pictures made this logo, but i'm gonna take a guess that the first thing they had sorted was the background shot of the sky. They then probably had the woman carrying the torch. They would've done some sort of animation to make the clouds move in the background.

They would've then added the fade in to the opening of the sequence, and have it zooming out from the woman's face. They would've then made sure that they would've had the company's titles created, and it fades on over the top of the woman. The soundtrack would also be created and added in at the end of the clip.

There you have it. That's how i would go about trying to re-create the sequence. I'd be surprised if i actually got it right....

Casino Royale Opening Sequence Continued

The main distribution company that sells the James Bond sequences are Sony Pictures, which used to be called Columbia Pictures. They have made films like the Spider-Man trilogy, and one of the most recent ones are Pineapple Express. The overall production company that produces the Bond films are Eon Productions.

Michael G Wilson, one of the producers of the Bond series, has been producing the films since Live And Let Die, which was made in 1973. Since then, he has produced every single Bond film. He has also written the screenplays for a number of the Bond films, including For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. He also appeared in the Bond series, even though they have largely been cameo roles. He was born in 1943 in New York City.

Barbara Broccoli is also another one of the film's producers. She is the daughter of Albert R Broccoli. She started to produce the Bond series with The Living Daylights, which was made in
1987.

The opening titles for the sequence was designed by Daniel Kleinman. He first started designing the opening titles since Goldeneye, which was made in 1995. He has designed the title sequences for the Bond films ever since then.

Continuity Task

We had to make a continuity task, involving an over the shoulder shot of a conversation. I'm the one who brings the dvd in to ask my colleague if he'd like to borrow my newest dvd. This task went well, even though we had  a problem with the sound.

Casino Royale Opening Sequence

I like the way the sequence opens with a black and white shot of James Bond picking up his gun. As he shoots, the blood comes down, the theme song starts playing and the colour of the film begins. The titles are nicely done, coming up across the screen. In the background, it has the various different shots of faded out James Bond, as he subdues some villains. The different shots of cards let the audience know what the story of the film is going to be about.

The song "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell, plays the whole time. It is a fast-paced song, which also shows the fact that the film will be quite fast paced and action packed. The sequence also shows James Bond's elevation to Double O standards. It is not important to show happen in a proper scene, so it is shown via the credits.

The sequence shows James Bond as shaded and we never really see his proper face in the sequence until right at the end, which shows he is a mysterious character. The editing is done in quick cuts, where each scene only goes on for a few seconds.

The title sequence is animated, but you get to see the face of Eva Green, who plays Vesper Lynd, and Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond. Overall, this is a very good title sequence, which keeps the viewer's attention for the duration of it.

Practice sequence

Today is the first time i have used finalcut and i am impressed with how it worked out. In this, the different techniques i used was cutting the clips into different sections and then fading it in whenever the screen changes.