Opening Credits Analysis (Se7en)

I decided in order to have some more inspiration for our thriller openings credits it was essential to watch a variety of integrated/superimposed credits in order to see how successful the effects have been created.

The Opening Credits of Se7en.


We watched the opening of Se7en previously and I really liked the way the opening credits were composed. The music used was incredibly effective in creating an atmosphere that is jumpy and it fitted in well with the images and text used. The music also wasn't too loud and overpowering, it definitely wasn't the focus of the opening just added to the effectiveness. Over all the opening was very jumpy, through the use of jump cuts between the credit title names and the images and clips made the whole opening very distorted and not clear at all. I liked how at the very beginning the book pages are being turned as it reminds me of my own idea about newspaper pages turning in the wind. The way the camera is constantly filming close ups and only shows hands and movement around the hands and things which are being used by them such as book text, pens, photos etc. I especially like how you can't make anything out, things such as the sequence and true meaning of it. It makes you question every little jump cut clip as you keep asking yourself if there are any clues within this opening that will be key later on. It also gives nothing away about the film obviously, creating a sense of mystery to the audience which results in them wanting to watch on to see what all this was about. I also love the way the editing has been done in this opening, the way the clips jump cut and fade onto others is very successfully done, and I think it would be a useful technique to do within our thriller opening.

Opening Credits Analysis (Psycho)

Another set of opening credits I decided to analyse was that of Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho.

The opening starts with what appears to be a distorted image of the Paramount Pictures graphic. This then fades into black and a very sharp and fast paced credit enters the picture in which a set of black lines stream across the screen revealing Alfred Hitchcock's name, this straight away introduces the audience to the the producer of the film. This is then followed by the same graphic in which black lines can be seen shooting across the screen as the music becomes even more sinister causing great tension as the name of the film "Psycho" is revealed in a bold white text on a black background which makes it stand out and really grab the audiences attention. This is then distorted and more credits are revealed such as actors and other companies involved with the production of the film again with the black lines shooting across the screen and the tempo of the music increasing all the time. Having said this, some credits are bigger than others this could be because some people may be more significant than others and Hitchcocks want his audience to know this. At the end of the credits there is another bold white text graphic of Hitchocks name this time confirming him as the director with the words "directed by" clearly seen on screen. This then fades out as the credits are complete.

Again this will be very usual for our group when it comes deciding our credits when it comes to our opening. This is very different to the credits of "Panic Room" so it gives us another option or path to consider.

Opening Credits Analysis (Panic Room)

In order to create the most effective thriller opening possible we will have to have a very unique set of opening credits as they are a key factor within any thriller, so in order to do this I decided to look at a variety of  different opening credits to gain some ideas and a better insight into what makes a good and effective set of opening credits. 

In order to carry out this research I used http://www.artofthetitle.com/ to view the opening credits for the film "Panic Room" this was a very useful website as it enabled me to have a real look and analyse why these credits are so effective and the impact they have on the audience. 

The opening credits start with a trademark Columbia pictures graphic however the music and sound have been changed, the normal gentle and warm sound has been replaced with much darker sounds such as the crashing of thunder and lighting. This is effective as straight away gives the audience the impression that this film is that of a dark nature. This then fades into black and you can then hear a set of sirens in the background what appears to be an establishing shot of New York, with the first set of text appearing on screen, the text is bold and clear and is also 3D, this is an effective way of drawing the audiences attention towards the credit rather than whats happening in the background shot of the city.  this is then accompanied by some very sinister music again giving the audience the impression this film is quite dark and very serious. Following on from this the credits then take the audience on a journey around the city and different buildings within it, each building is accompanied by a jump cut and a different set of credits, whether it be actors within the film or big companies involved in the production. Whilst all this is taking place the sinister music and background noise from the city remains, this is an effective way of building up tension which is something usually associated within Thrillers. Eventually there is a panned shot in which the title of the film is revealed, the text is a lot bigger and stands out a lot more in this shot, not only this but the music becomes much sharper and the tension increases to give the audience a real sense of authority and power. The is a very effective way of titling as it draws the audience into the film straight away. The tour of the city then continues with yet more buildings and credits of companies and people involved with the film however the music is now slightly more upbeat and cheerful accompanied by can only be described as a 'ticking' sound. 

Personally I believe as a group we can take a lot from this, we can analyse what Panic Room did well and how effective it was in drawing it's audience in making them feel apart of the action from the start. 

Preliminary Evaluation

Evaluation of our preliminary task.

Planning: Our planning went well however it did take us a little while to actually get our ideas down on paper, not only this but i think because we had so many ideas we may not have included everything we perhaps wanted to. I think if we had spent a bit more time on our planning, going over finer details and improving the quality of our preparation we would have had a much better end result.

Filming: I believe that we rushed a majority of our filming and we didn't take full advantage of the equipment available as we neglected the tripod for the majority of our shoot. This resulted in a lack of smooth and free flowing shots, instead we have a very wobbly camera which showed in our final product. However, having said this our filming was done within half an hour and was relatively easy to capture.

Editing: Personally I believe the editing our task could have been better as it did take us a lot longer than expected. As a result of this we rushed some parts which show in our final product. However it gave us a valuable insight into how to edit our future production and how we can improve.

Taking into account the limited time we had we used our time efficiently and got as much footage as we possibly could. We may have had to take each shot a couple of time which at the time became quite tedious the spare footage we did obtain actually turned out to be very useful for us, especially when it came to editing. Looking back at our product there are a variety of different mistakes which could have been prevented. I think we have learnt a lot from this and it will only help us grow stronger and improve in the future when we come to produce our full production.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

This is the result of our preliminary task.



Planning
The planning of our preliminary experiment went well once we got our idea down on paper. Although I think we should of drawn out a picture storyboard and made it more detailed so when we actually came to film it we would know exactly what we wanted to carry out.
Filming
When filming our preliminary experiment certain parts went a lot better than others. I think that we should of made more use of the tripod so our shots were steady and panned a lot more smoothly.
Editing
When we was editing our preliminary footage it did take longer than we expected as we hoped to get it done within an hour but we did need to take time editing it.

Considering the limited time we had to film I definitely felt we used our time wisely and got as much footage as possible. Even though we had to film each shot a few times which during filming was annoying, the extra footage was actually very useful when we edited it. Looking back at the outcome there are many obvious mistakes and many ways to over come these. Overall we have found out a lot from carrying out the preliminary experiment which we will be able to use when filming.

Analysing The Opening of Vertigo By Alfred Hitchcock

'Vertigo' was released in 1958 and is a psychological thriller starring James Stewart and Kim Novak directed by the famous Alfred Hitchcock. The film received mixed reviews upon initial release, but has garnered  acclaim since and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. 

Analysis of 'Vertigo' Opening: 

• Sinister music building up tension and suspense 
• Dramatic introduction of credits 
• Music continues to build up suspense as the tone softens and then becomes sharper in places, continuos graphic on the screen adds to the continuity of the clip. 
• The action is fast paced and dramatic, gun shots can be heard but not seen
• Music adds to the drama and tension once more
• Police chase then sets tone and pace of the clip 
• Clip then slows down, the music stops and changes to suit a much slower tone. 

Analsying The Opening of Rear Window By Alfred Hitchcock

 

In 1954 'Rear Window' was produced. It was an American suspense film that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. According to many film critics it is considered to be one of the best films directed by Hitchcock. He also makes his traditional cameo appearance in this film as he his seen winding up a clock an hour into it.  

In the Rear Window opening by Hitchcock, the key themes, plot devices, opening analysis...

• open credits fade into each other with fast paced music, happy/upbeat with threatening under tone
• establishing shots of area, pan shots as well - set the scene
• black cat tracking from camera - superstitious 
• introducing loads of characters
• close-up of potential main character
• then his name, broken leg, then things around his house to describe him and his personalities
• successful photographer - potential key theme
• tracks his sight, what he can see

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1063838046154

Analsying The Opening of The Birds By Alfred Hitchcock

In the opening of the Birds no music but the sound of birds flapping their wings and squinting when going past (continuous) is heard which brings fear and implies a thriller due to the mystery and confusion of whats going to happen in the audiences prospective.

The character Melanie is introduced, walking to work (we know later on...) however she is drawn to a large group of birds squinting in the misty sky ( making reference to the title of the film and perhaps what is to happen later on in the movie?)  however she dismisses and thinks little of it.

Melanie engages with a colleague in the pet shop and mentions the large group of birds (main plot to whats to happen?) as well as her working in the bird department upstairs in the pet shop (everything centers around birds and gives the impression to the audience that something is going to happen)

Analysing The Openings of Final Destination 3 And Paranormal Activity 2

Final Destination 3 opening scene 

link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVTRZ3ZQueA

-  film production credits with a supernatural feeling over it (indicating what type of thriller the movie is based around)

-  puts the audience into a slow pace fair ground (place/background) which builds up over time (clocks ticking for whats to come) going through the title, cast etc with a erie sound effect being used over it.

-  signs are shown  giving the audience a basic understanding of what may happen or what are the causes of the events that are about to be witnessed (indicating a circus like devil art piece portrayed smiling indicating he always gets what he wants or is always victorious) also their is a genie booth around it there is a notice with the words “DO YOU BELIEVE IN FORTUNES?” (another indication) that goes off automatically, pinball like system bouncing from hole to hole (telling the characters fate in a way) meanwhile there are people screaming on the rides getting louder as well showing numerous rides and artworks. Then finally the pinball shoots down the hole with the “DEATH” above it (showing what the characters we are about to meet their fate in the movie)

-  transition onto people riding on one of the rides which is about to finish, brief introduction to the characters that we are going to get used to though out the majority of the episode maybe?

- another indication when the girl takes a picture of the ride previously  it saids “HIGH DIVE” in person but on the screen of the camera it shows “HIGH DIE” (the “V” of the “DIVE” must have cut out for a second) but warns the girl without knowing what is about to happen.

- again their is another chill in the air when the girl stops due to the roller coaster going past    her (erie music returns from the beginning) camera overviews the whole roller coaster  ride (which may relate to the “HIGH DIE” notice and the other indications in the opening credits)

- when following the characters, we get the impression the main character is the girl due to her noticing/experiencing these activities.

- when all four characters are sitting in the circus bar part the audience get to know the characters personality, attitudes, life etc which makes them more connected to them in a way.

Paranormal activity 2 (first five minutes)

 No link

-  film production title

-  camera documentary/home video type of style being used (wobbly/tilting etc) as well makes the audience believe its more realistic as well as being more connected to the movie.

-  annotations telling the audience the location of where it is set ( audience can relate/understand more of the characters background, culture etc straight away)

- brief introduction to the characters, what has just happened and the reason for this home video, due to the birth of two of the main characters son (small hints for the reason of what is to happen)

- showing around the house,area, rooms and characters who and what are going to be shown for the majority of the movie

- jumps dramatically without noticing though time (one year later which is unexpected, not one hundred percent accurate)

- slight indication from one of the characters saying “she can evil” (relates to the previous film) as well as what is yet to come maybe?

- again its then filming to when they are mysteriously burgled (plants the plot to what is to happen and why maybe)

Analysising The Openings of Inception And The Dark Knight

Inception (2010) Opening Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VXkUzf1et4

*I decided to stop my analysis of this clip at 1:08s as i felt it was adequate opening scene*

During the opening scene to this particular clip a number of features which are most commonly associated within an opening to a 'thriller' film are addressed for example, at the start of the clip some basic and simple credits are revealed clearly displaying some of the main companies involved with the film, Legendary Pictures and Syncopy. This helps to create an image of great significance not only this but the music which introduces these two companies is very sinister and gives the impression that these particular companies are of high importance and have a great deal of power.

Following on from this there is then a complete switch in the tone and mood of the clip, as an establishing shot clearly setting the scene accompanied by the gentle yet also aggressive sound of waves crashing across a beach and into some rocks, quickly changes the pace of the clip. What this helps to create or present to the audience is a real sense of location and setting and this perhaps impacting on the audience an giving them an impression of whats to come.

Next the first and the main character Dom Cobb is introduced, he is shown lying on a beach within reach of the crashing waves appearing dazed and confused. There is also some soft background music and the sound of children's voices that can now be heard helping to create a image of perhaps a non-fictional world as the character appears to be watching a flashback of some children playing on the same beach, again the emotion shown on the characters face is that of a dazed and confused one which is focused on via the constant close up show of the characters face, suddenly you can then hear one of the children scream and  them see them run away the character then appears to fall unconscious. The impact this may have on the audience is probably more a psychological one than anything else leaving the audience unclear of what exactly is happening.

Shortly after this there is what could possibly be considered an over the shoulder shot, not only this but the music then slowly begins to fade out as another character is introduced. He is seen pointing a gun into the back of the Dom lying unconscious on the beach, eventually the camera reveals the new character with the use of a low angle shot portraying him as someone with a high level of importance. From the clothes he is wearing appearing to be that of a military decor giving the audience the impression that he seems to have a superior level of authority to that of that of Dom. The new character is then seen shouting at a fellow colleague in some form of foreign language perhaps signalling for him to aide him this is shown via the use of an establishing show displaying a new setting within the scene. Again the impact this may have on the audience would be psychological making them think about what is happening during the scene as it still remains unclear. This is commonly associated within thriller films, providing "a narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved."

The opening then moves to yet another scene in which another establishing shot is used not only this but a newer much darker and sinister musical theme can be heard playing in the background giving the audience the impression that something important or serious is about to take place. This is then followed by a close up of what appears to be an old man sitting at a table with his back to the camera this particular moment in the clip clearly portrays a sense of voyeurism which is commonly associated with as a thriller films.

Batman: The Dark Knight (2010) Opening Scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0

*I decided to stop my analysis at 2:08 as i felt it was adequate opening scene*

Again during the opening scene to this particular clip a number of features which are commonly associated within an opening to a 'thriller' film are addressed and again example, at the start of the clip there are some credits, however this time the introduction of these particular credits is far more sinister. The background music is much darker and that of the lighting too. What this does is create an image of darkness and by doing so is already stating to the audience that film is going to be dark not only this but again it also portrays the companies such as Warner Brothers and again Legendary Pictures who feature in the credits and great deal of importance. Not only this but the transitions used also help to create and image of darkness and also evil.

Following on from this there is then an establishing shot accompanied by a zoom in shot clearly setting the scene and location of this clip. The camera then shows two masked men within a building smashing a window and using a zip-wire to gain access to the roof of another building. As the scene progresses you witness a robbery taking place by these masked men, you then see one 'robber' betraying and killing another until there is only two left in which one character can be seen pointing a gun at the other however before he can kill him he is run over by a school bus which can be seen crashing into the side of the bank. The final robber then makes his escape in dramatic fashion. While all this keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and begging for more.

 

Analysing The Differences Between Thriller and Horror Films

After analysing the opening of 'Silence of the Lambs' by looking at why the opening of the film was a thriller and not a horror we felt we needed to define and clarify the clear difference between the two so throughout researching and producing our opening of a film we were certain on what we were heading
towards.

We would say that a horror is a film based on showing things of 'horror' such as gruesome murders and torture where as a thriller is widely known as a film which as based on suspense, and more likely to be from the victim's point of view, some thrillers do contain murders and torure but they are not shown and the suspense in thrillers normally lead up to solving the crime behind these gruesome acts




We feel the the thriller genre involves a lot of suspense and excitement, and the films are usually plot driven, and contain a lot about crime, spy or mystery or executing clever plans. Most horror films are made to be exciting and suspenseful however they usually involve a main character that deals with terrifying situations. These include things such as creatures, own psychological fears, aliens, serial killers, inner fears and ghosts and many more. The main focus within horror films are dark, twisted and usually results in traumatic, strange and frightening experiences for the characters within the film. It does however not necessarily involve graphic violence but is more likely too in comparision to a thriller film.

Analysing The Opening Scenes of Se7en

Mise en scene, editing, sound and camera.




Editing by Rubie
In the opening scene of Se7en editing has been used mainly to change the view points and locations. The jump cuts used to change the scene from inside the house to the street deliberately, in order to make a point, as it boldly ends the scene and progresses into something else. In the shot with the man in bed and the metronome, matched cuts have been used as their is a familiar relationship between the two shoes as it's happening in the same room at the same time. It has been edited like this to draw attention to the situation and also is a one-step change of shot size as one is zoomed in on the object whereas the other is just a shot of the man. The repeating of these two scenarios within the shots  make the audience think and try and piece together and relate the two. Cuts have been used throughout every few seconds in order for the audience to see details and surroundings and objects. Cuts are also used during conversations as well in order to show who is speaking and draw attention to them. When the opening titles are running, fade shots are used frequently and at a fast pace to transition between shots. The shots appear from behind the other shots and superimpositions have also been used as two shots and placed directly over each other, and then proceed to fade out inset shots are also used within this part but it mainly consists of cuts which makes it very jumpy and effective.

Mise en Scene & Sound by Harry
During the Se7en clip thyere are a variety of ways in which mise en scene and sound are portrayed. For example at the start of the clip onhe of the characters appears to be wearing scruffy yet casual clothes, this gives the impression that the character may not be that well off and has little respect to his personal appearance however as the clip progresses you see the character in a different light as he is seen to be smartening up by putting on a blazer and tie giving him an overall smarter image. Whilst this is occuring the sound of a radio can be heard in the background, this gives the audience the impression that this is just an average day in the life of the character, yet his lifestyle and job is still a mystery. 

Further on in the clip the character appears to leave his home for what appears to the audience to be his place of work. He is now seen to be wearing a long coat, again adding to his smart and now somewhat professional image. For the first time, the audience hears the character speak, the dialog of the man appears to be in a serious tone as he is seen having what could be considered as an authoritive conversation with one of his potential colleagues, during which the street noise in the background gives the audience a sense of realism.

Finally towards the end of the clip the man is seen lying in bed wearing casual bed-time clothes again with the street noise in the background, for example a dog barking again this gives the audience a sense of realism. Then the metadome can be heard vividly as the dominant noise in the clip as the man drifts of to sleep, this is then broken by a crack of thunder which then leads to the title sequence in which a possible theme song is introduced, you can male out a sharp screehing sound which then dies down as the song becomes more upbeat. This all adds continuety for the audience.

Camera shots by William

Camera looks behind the man in the first scene (no movement, does the director want him to be shown? Will he have an effect on the storyline of the movie?)

Camera is low (around the tie area and is raised to show the character)

Low angle (showing bodies and then raised to character as shown before to examine it.)

Camera moves alongside the man talking to the other man, who is also looking down at something (can see the guy in the background blurred out making the audience aware of who’s talking.)

Camera low angle (looking up at the men outside raining showing dominance and power within the scene)

Camera follows someone’s hand when they are putting down their glasses and making what seems to be clock tick and says focused to that (gives the impression the director doesn’t want the audience to know who they are bout make them aware of them.)

Long shot of the man in the bed dark surroundings face not as clear, closing onto him (brings tension and confusion to who he is, can he be someone that we are going to meet or already met, that is going to stir problems in the rest of the movie to come.)

Intro credits along with clips show close up on objects that seem unusual (could they be related, hints maybe?)

Analysing The Opening Scenes of The Da Vinci Code

During the opening sequence to 'The Da Vinci Code' there is a variety of thriller conventions included throughout, this is first shown within the beginning 30 seconds, where the title of the film and credits are introduced. Through the use of continuous background music relating all the shots together while slowly and gradually building up tension creates an effect in which the audience will feel the something "dark" is about to happen. This change in music also alters the tone of the film leading into the introduction of the first character, a man who is then then seen running through what seems to be a closed museum. This particular part of the clip is fast paced and is a complete contrast to the opening few seconds, this is because the writer is trying to keep the audience interested and build up tension and change the mood.  The lighting in this clip is very dark and gives the impression of perhaps what's to come as soon after the unveil of the first character a second is revealed. Overall, the impression you get from the opening minute of the "The Da Vinci Code" is that of a mysterious, dark and intriguing storyline to follow.

Analysing The Opening of Silence of The Lambs

Why is the opening clip a thriller not a horror?

Camera

Throughout the opening clip the camera tracks the girls movements giving the audience the impression that she was being chased leaning more towards the representation of a horror rather than a thriller film however as the clip progresses it becomes apparent that the women is not in any danger yet and is in fact doing an assault course. From this use of camera tracking it shows that she is the main character. When the female is in the office the camera overviews numerous photos relating to the same crime when she is looking around at it this gives the impression to the audience this is the main plot thats going to have an effect within  the movie. Introduces a new character into the mix the camera shot over the shoulders as soon as he arrives in the scene and  tells the female character to go to the station which sets and begins the storyline and the character turns around when woman goes pass him he has a serious facial expression, not good news perhaps? The camera follows a woman running through the forest, gives the idea that someone is chasing her but we soon find out that she is in a police training ground which is misleading. Still following the woman's storyline the camera is telling the audience in a way she is going to have the most impacted on the movie and being in the majority of it as well.

Lighting
The lighting at the beginning of the clip captured the time of day as it is early morning and foggy this gives the impression that it is quite a dull and gloomy film. The audience has a false sense of what's to come just from the use of lighting as this dark opening could be misleading which are factors of a thriller film.

Mise en Scene
When the male character (Police chief/boss) enters the room and informs the female character of her case to visit someone locked within an asylum again it gives the impression this will be playing up within the storyline of the movie itself.

Sound
The continuous music played during the clip where the woman is running. While the woman is heading into the station, gun shots are heard in the background which gives the impression to the audience what type of film it is. For example, comedy, horror or thriller and in this case it's a thriller. Gun shots being fired in the area  this again tells the audience what type of movie it is as well as the music in setting the scene or area of the movie. The audience are suddenly taken into a foggy forest and in the background a dark audio music playing this gives the impression its a thriller straight away as well a cold environment it is an overview shot in the beginning.

In The First Five Minutes of A Film..

We will attempt to address all of the following issues within our opening scene:

- set the scene
- introduce the characters
- the title
- credits i.e. main actor/director/producers
- indication of what is to come
- sets the pace and tone of the flim
- location and setting
- begins the storyline
- background/flashbacks
- establishing music
- narration
- get the audiences attention/engage the audience
- indication of historical period
- information about the mood
- introduction to signature theme tune
- questions that the viewer finds intriguing
- patterns and types of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film
- mise en scene and cinematography that will be elaborated on later in the film

By doing all of this successfully by using a variety of editing, mise en scene, camera and sound techniques in our production we would therefore hope to produce an effective opening.

Again this will be used as a reference further down our production stages.