Genre and sub-genres (Genre choices)

Psychological thriller- Student Analysis

studentanalysis

Analysis of student film

I looked at two AS film opening which was similar to our genre which is psychological thriller. One of the clip i looked at was called Bellgrave park. In this clip there was chase throughout the opening scene and the character who was chased in the end had been killed. Something they did well was included right at the beginning of the opening scene was their company name which was Polaroid production which was a caption under photos. This allows the audience to know what the company is called and the fact that it was shown couple of times overlapping another photo it allowed the audience to remember it as they would have read it many times. Another element which was good about their opening scene was that the soundtrack they had used was a great choice as it linked in with their choice of genre. This allowed the music to create suspense as the chase was taking place since the audience didn’t know much about the character or why the character was being chased. Something they could have improved was on the quality of it as the opening scene wasn’t of a good quality but the resources they had available could impact this. Another fault of their opening scene was the whole story line which was a chase. The opening scene consisted of this which could lead the audience to become bored as it’s very common. From this i have learnt that chase in the opening scene could become boring and so we hope to avoid it.

Another film opening i looked at was called the captive. In this opening scene there was a character tied up on a chair and most of the focus was on him until a girl appeared. Things the group did well was that they included their company name at the beginning of the film opening which was called blood orange productions. They also included a age rating for the film which is quite unusual and breaks some of the conventions. Another factor they did really well was the use of camera shots and editing especially when we could see from the cameras. From this opening i learnt what sort of editing could be effective and be used in psychological thriller for example the use of camera’s where the screen goes grey. Also learnt the importance of close ups which were exaggerated in this opening scene for example when there was a close up of his hands tied and his feet.

Genre Importance

Film Opening Analysis - Horror Genre

One of the tasks set to us was to analyse the conventions of a particular genre. I chose horror, and my analysis is on the movie Paranormal Activity 2.
The film starts with a black screen with the white text "Paramount Pictures would like to thank the families of the deceased and the Carlsbad police department." in the centre of the screen. This is fake and made up by the creators of the film, but has been included to break the fourth wall. It is conventional for horror movies to break the fourth wall in order to scare the audience, to convince them that the events in the film actually happened and therefore have them believe that the sort of danger featured in the film, in this case, ghosts, is real. The font of the text used is similar to the type of font used in an old typewriter, which can make the audience link it to an old police report, which used typewriters, as the text mentions the police. This enhances the element of danger, especially as the text also includes the word "deceased".
The film then cuts and fades into a neighbourhood scene. A credit in the middle of the screen, in the same typewriter font, states "Carlsbad, CA", continuing the idea that the following footage was used by the police for an investigation, linking the film to danger again. The camera pans to show a car driving down the road and then a house. A woman is narrating, and it quickly becomes obvious that the camera is from the point of view of a handheld camera and the woman is the person holding the camera. Diegetic sounds effects such as the wind and the car driving past are heard, making the footage seem like a realistic "home recording" which creates verisimiltude for the audience. As Paranormal Activity 2 is a sequel of Paranormal Activity, the audience will likely be familiar with the "found footage" style of the film, where the whole film is made up of video camera footage. This "found footage" type of film is automatically associated with horror films as it sprouted from the horror movie "The Blair Witch Project", which can create a sense of fear in the audience, and can therefore be considered a convention of horror films. The idea that you are watching from a camera that is directly in the film rather than a camera that is not can make the audience feel part of the film and therefore vulnerable.
In the beginning of the first film, a car pulls up into the driveway in the opening of the film. The same happens in the opening of this film, so the audience can relate the fear they felt watching the first film to that of watching this film.
The camera often makes cuts, as if several home videos have been pasted together, so can include many different shots. While with a camera that wasn't within the film, having a close up shot would allow us to see the character's facial expression more clearly, a close up shot would not only do this, but also have an impact on the character. For example, having a camera in their face could make them uncomfortable. This can have the same effect on the audience.

Below is the trailer as I am unable to upload the video:

Analysis of Shot by shot Remake

My group all decided to remake the opening sequence of Do the Right Thing because we thought it would be easier because the location was simple which made it easier to duplicate also it did not have any special effects or advanced editing skills which would be difficult to re create. My specific role in the shot by shot remake was to help with the editing and camera work. My role with the camera work was to make sure the timing was as precise as possible and the angles was similar to the original and to ensure that the scenes looked as similar to the original opening. As far as the editing Sonia and I did the editing and had to make sure that the lighting was as close to the original, which is what we found most difficult as the lighting in the original was very distinct and difficult to create. As a group we did the shot list which made it much easier and helped with the timing as it made it faster to film our remake as we knew which costume and props we needed for each scene and how many seconds each scene would take. Due to this task I gained editing skills as I now know how to use the basic editing skills such as: adding sound, create picture in picture, trimming. However next time I need to work on directing because I did engage much with the directing as far as the shot by shot re make, I will work on this by creating short videos and working on my directing skills and allow me to gain experience.

Shot By Shot Remake Analysis

This task was to recreate the first minute of the opening of a film. This would give us an insight into the production process of films, in practice for the making of our own film opening. We chose the film Do The Right Thing. This was because the set resembled a location on the school premises, so there was no difficulty in finding a place to film it. Before we started any filming, the group came together to create a shot list, which is a list of all the shots used in the first minute, including the timings, so that we are prepared for when we film. We also decided to split the filming into three sections: one for each costume used the the first minute of the opening. This was to ensure that there were as little continuity errors as possible. For example, if we were to film chronologically rather than in these sections, the initial position of the camera, or the arrangement of the set or costume, may have changed, even if only slightly, without notice, as the hassle of having to change costume every time there is a costume change may be distracting. This creates a continuity error, not to mention that this would also be more time consuming. 
I took the role of acting in the remake, and aiding Ayaan in the editing process. One may argue that as an actress in the remake, I did not learn much in the production process. However, this role allowed me to understand the lengthy process that goes into filming each shot. Ayaan also took the major role of camerawoman. Mitali took the role of directing, and her and Ayaan helped make sure I was in the correct positions. Something that could have improved our remake would be timing during filming. Some shots did not last as long as they did in the real film opening, (however, if they were too long, there was a chance that we could cut it) so when we edited, the opening did not match the timing of the real opening. This proves as something to learn from. Ayaan and I edited the remake. This proved a useful process as it provided with me an opportunity to improve my editing skills.