National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation title sequence

 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

 

Here are screenshots I took of the opening sequence to the film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

 

I chose this film as it relates to our genre and uses many titles we will use. However this is different to what ours will be like because this is a cartoon where as ours isn't. Watching this, I learnt a lot about what titles are included and told me what order they usually come in, this will help when making ours as we will know what names need to added and when.

I used the following website (www.artofthetitle.com) to find this title sequence and print screened the page every time a title appeared, I wrote down the timings and converted them onto this blog page. I had to copy the images onto a word document, save them as an image then open them in paint to crop and edit them. I then saved the final image in my documents and added them below.

Timings...

Below are the timings used for the films title changes.

 

 

0.10- Warner Bros logo. The first thing shown is the Warner Bros logo to show the company which produced the film. Warner Bros is a popular company which suggests this film may have been popular. We could consider using this producer for our film.

 

0.23- A Hughes entertainment production. This shows the production used for the film, it is important so is used early in the titles.

 

0.30- Chevy Chase. Main characters/voices are added to the first titles.

 

0.34- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (film title) The most important title in the sequence is the title of the film itself. It is not shown first or last but is one of the very first ones included.

 

0.49- Beverly D'angelo. More characters/voices are introduced into the titles.

 

0.52- Randy Quaid. More characters/voices.

 

0.57- Miriam Flynn. More names are shown from the film. This then follows to 1.18 when casting names are shown. The 21 seconds between these are lists of more characters.

 

1.18- Casting by. The cast is then introduced.

 

1.22- Costume design. Costume design is also an important role especially in festive films.

 

1.26- Music by. A music track is used throughout the title sequence and shows who is head of music for the rest of the film.

 

1.31- Editors. People who took part in editing are shown.

 

1.36- Production designer. A person who is responsible for the overall look of the film.

 

1.40- Director of photography. The person in charge of camera and lighting is another important  role.

 

2.06- Executive Producer. The head producer who oversees the creation of the films performance.

 

2.13- Written by. The person who has written the film is included towards the end of the title sequence.

 

2.28- Produced by. The producer is mentioned later on.

 

2.35- Directed by. The final title included is the director of the film.

 

 

 

 

This task has taught me what order the titles should go in which is really useful for making the titles in our film as our film opening is focused on titles so is important that we get it right. It told me how the most important people are included and how the very first things is the production company used.



 

Film task agreed idea- Saving Santa

Our final idea- 'Saving Santa'

 

Once we had shown our ideas to each other we tried deciding between two ideas, we asked others in the class to see what they thought was the best idea. After this we decided on our final agreed film pitch which was a Christmas themed. I believe this could be a success if we get our costumes, settings and narrative right. It will be a different film as it has a twist. The twist is that Santa gets kidnapped so a new Santa is formed (by the person who takes his identity).

 

Our film opening will concentrate on the titles so we need to make them unique, interesting and exciting to read as this is our main focus. We have started to think of ideas on how to present the titles in special ways.

Due to the role of Santa getting taken or kidnapped, we have chosen the title for our film of 'Saving Santa'. This title is good because it included alliteration and is short therefore snappy to remember, also it relates to the genre and narrative.

Plot of film opening idea
 

-Action film about Christmas
-Santa Clause gets taken and someone else impersonates him and wants to ruin Christmas for everyone
-They want to deliver coal instead of presents to the children
-Jack Frost is sent in to fight the Santa imposter and save Santa and save Christmas
-'Saving Santa' is a possible title name as it gives a clue to the films narrative.
 -Our film will have an audience of teenagers and an aged 12 certificate.

 

Title ideas

 

To write our names and positions on certain objects relating to Christmas

e.g. Stockings, baubles, fireplace, lights, Christmas tree, presents, wreath...

 

Titles to include; title of film, writer, actors, editor, costume designer, producer...

 

 We could add a name to the top of a fireplace

 Add a name onto a bauble

 Make a name out of lights

 Add names onto presents

Feedback from our idea...

'I really liked this idea because it is very different to other student opening scenes I have seen'

'It may be hard to do as a lot of props are needed and could be mistaken for a comedy if I didn't go to plan'

'I think it could work really well if the costumes and props are good'

'Could have included some speech'

'Music and costumes have been well thought through'

'I would probably watch this film but only in the Christmas time period'

More detail about the plot and planning are included in my 'Saving Santa' post to follow.










 

My Film pitch idea

My film pitch idea from lucyharding98

We made our own pitch idea to show the rest of the group to see what idea we should use. I chose rom-com because it was different and it uses a different location which makes it more interesting. We presented them to each other and decided between two others as they were more do-able, they were nearer locations so we chose a different one to this.

BFI trip notes

On the 7th of November (Friday) we visited the Southbank BFI film centre in London to learn about all the success of film industry. Rob Miller, editor of FilmEdu  and MediaEdu gave presentations about the main features of films and taught us about independent and mainstream films, production, distribution and marketing and types of cinemas including multiplex and independent.

Three speakers came to talk about their role in the film industry and how they had been in success in what they do. One was Matthew Justice (Big talk director), Lee Bye (Pathe Head of theatrical distribution) and the last was Clare Binns from picturehouse cinema ltd.

Keywords:

 

Mainstream-Safe genre films that are distributed to mass, national and international audiences, for example Star Trek and Gravity.

Independent-Films that have more localised appeal with niche audiences and often utilise digital technologies to create 'Brand Awareness', The Selfish Giant is an example of this.

 

Production-The process of making a film. UK films are more production led whereas American films are more led by distribution.

 

Distribution-Getting the films out into cinema and advertising to promote the film.

Exchange-How the film is being received e.g. cinema, DVD, streaming...

Multinational-large organisations who are interested in being global, apart from Disney all of the 'Big six' are owned by multi national conglomerates.

Monopoly-Where one company dominates the market and has only one seller. Netflix is an example.

Oligopoly-Where four or more companies dominate the market and has few sellers. The Big Six is an example of oligopoly.

The Big Six-The studios that dominate film distribution and form the oligopoly ownership and owned by multinational conglomerates. These include; News-corp, GE, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and CBS.

Globalisation-Where firms are distributed around the world by marketing networks.

Merchandise-Where the popularity of film is manipulated through the sales of spin off goods, (such as t-shirts) Star Wars have more money through merchandise than ticket sales.

Franchise-An authorization granted by a government/company to an individual/group enabling them to carry out their brand name e.g. Harry Potter films and Star Trek films.

Digital technologies-Referring to how the internet changes industry online distribution, streaming, downloading illegally and legally. E.g. YouTube.

Cross media ownership-Where companies have interest in a range of media e.g. Sony and gaming, Film Distribution and electronics.

Media convergence-Where film is available and can be marketed on a number of media platforms e.g. cinema, DVD and PlayStation.

Event movie-Where the date of release is used in marketing e.g. The Hobbit comes out Christmas time.

Synergy-Where two of more compatible products sell each other e.g. a film and computer game or a film and a song. A typical example of this would be The song produced by Adele in Skyfall.

 

 

 

 

 

 



More student film openings

Other different student film openings


The visitor
 

What went well

Something that worked really well in this film opening was the setting used as it was different and suited the genre which was horror. It used lighting well by the use of low-key lighting which again matched the genre. I liked the use of whispers in the film opening as it created suspense and captured the attention to the person speaking. I also liked how the whispering became louder towards the end when the girl became a close-up. I liked how the quick shots were used throughout the opening and how they were longer when the camera focused on something more important such as the girl as it made them bold which made an eerie atmosphere. I also thought the titles and costumes used were clever, the titles flickered and the outfit used for the character was good because the white innocent dress made the girl stand out as she also had black hair which told the audience who the main character is.


To improve

Something that could have been done to make this even better would be to slow down some shots, even though it gave a eerie positive effect, some were too long so couldn't see what was in the shot at times. Some shots were repeated which was good but other different ones could have been used.


Grade

I would give this film opening a level four as it ticked off a lot of points needed for the level, I would give it a mark of about 56/60 because of its really good effects, editing costume and setting.
 

 

The last run

 

What went well

What I liked about this film opening was the setting and silence the video had, there was no dialogue which gave a spooky atmosphere which was supported by the music playing quietly. I liked the setting because it was immediately shown that the film may be horror or thriller as it was empty and quiet. I really liked how the film began where a close up of the girls shoe was shown. The leaves on the floor revealed the season which was then shown again as the view of trees were given. I liked how the camera fades at the start and then tilts down later on when the girl starts jogging.
I liked how the second character is introduced as the face is never seen, the long dark coat adds mystery to who this person is and why they are looking for the girl.


To improve

Something to improve on this film would be the duration in which the girl jogs for, all the filming consists of the girl running in silence which is good because it suggests fear but some dialogue could be added to show the girls thoughts of perhaps the person hidings thoughts. Another possible change or improvement could be the titles, more could have been added and the clip could have less pauses. The filming could have been shortened to make it less repetitive but other than this there are not many negatives as the narrative was different and clear.

Grade

I would give this film opening a high level three or low level four as the narrative was different and clear and the camera shots were good but the music, dialogue and titles could easily be improved making it more entertaining to watch.




Slippin' down
 

 

 

What went well

I liked the narrative of this film opening as it easily understandable and how the use of different ages were used to make it unique. The settings used were different and were used well for the narrative and how dialogue was used also supported the narrative. The camera shots used were good as close-ups and long shots were included when the boy begins to run away and when the boy runs the camera movement follows. The use of fast music used showed the pace the boy was running and showed how it was a dramatic scene. I liked the shots of the boy running as a low angle shot is used in the news report which again used a different age actor and how the layout looked professional.

To improve

To improve, titles could have been used better as they used plain text where it could have been more exciting to read by placing name titles on objects in the setting. Another improvement could be the music, although it was good as it suited the pace the boy was running, it could have slowed down at the end. The genre was unclear in this film opening and the camera shots could have been more smooth.

 

Grade

I would give this film opening a high level three, I really liked the narrative, settings and use of different ages but it lacked some points from level four such as using titles appropriately according to institutional convections and making a variety of shots distances. I would give a mark of 46/60.

 

My favourite student film opening

The Edge


Level 4 48–60 marksThere is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:• material appropriate for the target audience and task;
• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

 

 

 

What this is my favourite opening scene

 

I think this was the best film opening I watched because it looked like an actual film title. The titles given were used brilliantly as they were used on objects in the setting, for example the first is used on top of the building which you don't straight away notice as a title but when you realise it you see how clever they are. The other titles are used well as the text relates to the clear genre of action and it uses many but not all at once.

The music is suitable for the genre and location and the location itself is different and good as it is empty to show how the place is abandoned. I liked how the character travels by roller blades, this is different to usual walking/running which makes the chase exciting.

I also liked how the music speeds up when the chase begins meaning trouble has began as well, the settings are used well at this part as they are inside and outside and the light is low-key to create mystery.

It is difficult to say negative things about this opening as the actors were used well and it involved people of different ages as the two men dressed in suits were older, the fact that they were dressed up was also really good.

I would grade this film opening a high level four maybe 59 or even 60 out of 60 as there is little to improve upon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film openings by students

Student film openings Evaluation

My Mother and I
 

What went well
 

What I liked about this film opening was the narrative, the story was different to other film openings which made it capturing to watch. The ideas were clever how they used a house lounge to illustrate no change over 30 years as the setting was the same and the board game was still sat on the table how it was many years ago. This presented an eerie atmosphere which makes the audience think it may have something to do with thriller, the music and titles used also show this.
The setting used was good and the music at the start caught my attention believing something spooky was about the happen. The use of the television was also effective because the silence apart from the television created suspense I also liked how the sound of the man talking on it faded as the character walked away.

To improve
 

The genre was unclear in this opening scene as the music gave an impression of horror or thriller but then the acting followed suggested something different. I think the titles could have been improved and could have maybe added more, they could have done by using the setting and surroundings by adding titles onto objects in the room. When the man is introduced I think the part where he walks upstairs takes too long as it got a bit repetitive so they could have cut down or sped it up. Even though the music is capturing, it doesn't fit the genre so using a different sound could have helped.

Editing and camera

I liked how shots were used within this video as there were sudden changes and swapping between views of the house, this showed the family home setting. Close ups were used, especially within the first scene where the young boy was shown, a close up is used when the mother says 'Will you look after me when im older' I liked this because it then leads on to the rest of the story showing how this boy is important 30 years later. Tracking shots are used as he walks upstairs and a static shot is used before this in the lounge.
Editing was used to add titles for this film opening, they could have spent more time editing these as there is room for improvement, other than that editing was good and was used well to lead onto next shots, I liked how fading was used at the end of some scenes.

Grade

As there are both good and bad points for this film opening I would give it a high level three. I think it followed many points in level three but lacked some in level four so given this, I would say around 42 marks out of 60.

Luna

What went well

 

What I really liked about this opening was the narrative, I loved the used of settings the people used such as London and the beach and how they used different times of day as some scenes were in darkness and some were in the day. The use of many settings in the film made it much more INTERSETING to watch as they switched from inside to outside and wore different clothing. I liked the music they used as it fitted the filming nicely, I then really liked how the film reversed back on all the events they did to show how the two people met. The genre was really clear in this film opening which is good as it would immediately attract the audience they are looking for. The actors were also really accurate on facial expressions when in every scene which made it even better.

 

To improve

 

 

 

Grade 

I would give this opening a high grade of level four at around 58 marks as there wasn't much to say to improve, everything they needed was included so a high mark is deserved.

Michael

 

 

What went well

 

I really liked the narrative for this opening scene, I liked the change from a typical heart broken girl to a heartbroken boy which made it a lot more entertaining to watch. The music choice was good as it fits the mood of the character which was also shown by what the boy did, I liked the simple choices made where the desk was just a normal bedroom setting for the character. The continued camera movement across the location was good as it showed how time was moving slowly for the character and made the scene flow smoothly. I also really liked the  titles added to the clip as they looked professional which added a great finishing touch to the original well developed opening scene.

 

 

To improve

 

The only critisms I could make for this opening scene is the acting, more sad facial expressions could be used to show how upset the boy was as at times he didn't look as sad as a person experiencing a breakup. Apart from this everything else was really good, titles could have been used even better by adding them to surroundings like on objects but were still good.

 

Grade

 

I would give this film opening a grade of level four as it followed all the good points on the mark scheme, I would give it a total of around 56 as it did lack a few points on receiving full marks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haunting of Hill House

 

On the 30th October I Went to see the play of Haunting of Hill House at the old court theatre in Chelmsford, it was the day before Halloween which really suited the genre of the play which was horror.

 

We were given a programme at the start which included the words from the director who said 'There isn't a lot of horror on stage, there have been countless comedies and musicals...' which I agree, he said 'I think horror on stage is something very special indeed'. The play was based upon the story of 'Hill House' which was re-created for people to go and watch for Halloween.

 

The narrative for this production was easily understandable and was really well written as I knew what was going on which was clever as only eight characters were used. It included just two scene settings on the stage, the lounge of a house and a bedroom which made it even better.

The story was that three guests had been invited to spend time in a haunted house with a doctor and to record everything that happened to them. Each night became more frightening to watch as lighting was used very effectively as the ghost of the girl who previously lived in the house appeared to haunt the visitors.

 

Eventually one of the characters became too involved in the house and is then the victim of the ghost. Through out the play, this girl is sent around the house as she is tangled in with the ghost making other people in the story get up to see where this girl has gone making them see the ghost.

 

When ever the ghost was seen sound and lighting was used remarkably well which made the audience jump and gasp with fright. This was how the production worked so well as it couldn't have been improved. Low-key lighting was used throughout the whole story and was enhanced when the use of a torch was introduced. One of the most scary parts of the story was when the stage was completely dark but the character had got up in the night and went to the lounge, as the torch shone around the room the ghost was visible and nothing else which was terrifying as it was unexpected but as the torch looked back she had gone. Another good way lighting was used was when lights flickered at times where abnormal events occurred which created suspense.

Props in the play included the torch and the dolls on the shelves in the bedroom. The dolls made the typical sound of a child toy but as it was in a scary scene this was used for contrapuntal sound as a child's toy is used in a horror film which wouldn't normally be seen together. The dolls were a relevant part to the story as the girl used them to calm her down before she went to bed so before all the supernatural events happened.

 

Makeup and costume were a big part of the story, the characters had dark makeup to create an eerie scene but wore casual clothing to show they were just ordinary people visiting the house. One girl wore black throughout the whole story and was the brave character. The other girl visiting was less brave and she wore bright clothes and the other two roles wore normal casual clothes. The best makeup used was the ghost which was needed because they used pale creepy makeup to allow the audience to know who she was they presented her as a shy girl as she never said anything and when the light shone on her she had no facial expressions which made her more disturbing.

 

The play used a key prop of a door in the lounge which was always locked apart from the ending when the girl was becoming haunted by the ghost opened it and that was when she had become a ghost as she was taken by the girl who used to live there.

 

The play ended when the stage again went dark and there was a pause. Suddenly the doors to the lounge swung open and there stood the two ghost who just stared into the audience. This was a really effective ending as the audience walked away with fear.

 

One of my favourite genres are horror so I really enjoyed watching this production as it was different and I had never seen any other horrors on stage before even the atmosphere of the room gave suspense which made the night unique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representation

Representation

 

Stereotypes-

Stereotypes are used alot in media, a stereotype makes the audience instantly understand what the type of person the character is and are repeated so often so people think they are always true.

 

Archetypes-

An archetype is the ultimate stereotype, for example a young blonde brainless bimbo.

 

 

Counter types-

Representation that challenges tradition stereotypical associations of groups, people or places.


As an example of a stereotype, when asked what an immediate image of a nerd would be most people would think of a young person with glasses like this: where as not every clever person has this image but the media has given this image to characters who have intelligence so the audience know straight away what personality they have.

Gatekeeper- A person involved in the media with power to make a decision based on what the audience sees and is allowed to read. For example, the newspaper reporter is the producer although the company owner has the final say.

Analysing representation 

When analysing questions need to be thought about on...Who? What? Where? and Why?

Prelim task video

Prelim Task Final Edited Video

(Self evaluation is included in my prezi)

Feedback from others

Once we had completed our prelim video, we showed our final clip to everyone else in the class and we watched others. We gave feedback which included our opinions on the video we added comments and rated certain things out of ten like the storyline, shots and sound used. We then received these comments from the class telling us what went well and what we should have improved on.  This will help in the future as I know what I need to focus on in other tasks.
The first thing our audience gave feedback on was 'was the genre evident' which scored our highest individual score which was a 10/10 but as an average was an 8/10.

Our second feedback question was 'Did they include all shots including dialogue, match on action and tracking?' which we got an overall score average of 8/10. I believe this score was relatively high because we added a high angle tracking shot, over the shoulder shot and the 180 degree shot which was needed in our video. To make this score higher we should have added more close up shots. Comments along with this question included 'I liked the running shot best' and 'the high angle shot was good' these positive comments show how we followed the shots instructions.

The third question was 'how did camera, editing, sound and Mis-en-scene work together? The comments for the music and sound we used include 'the music was good as it fitted the emotions of the character well' and 'good choice of music'. This was good feedback as we really thought about what songs to use from the start. As a score, we got the highest of 8 and got an average of 7/10, this was our lowest score which suggests we should have worked more on editing. We didn't receive many comments for Mis-en-scene but one person said 'the setting was suitable as classrooms were used like in many other musicals.' this shows we used suitable settings and locations.
The last question was 'Script and story' which we got an average of 7/10 for, I think we got marked down for this due our script because we didn't include much dialogue and we got positive comments about our storyline such as 'good clear story to follow'.

As well as these positive comments we also received negative comments which were really useful to hear so we don't make the same mistakes again in the future. A frequent comment which would allow us to improve was 'too much walking' and 'tracking shot was too long' now that I know this I will try to keep durations shorter next time so we no longer have this issue.

 

Prezi for prelim task

Prelim Task

Teen Musical Prezi


(Feedback from others is included in my video post)

 

 Planning our film pitch for a teen musical we used prezi. I had never used it before but it was a useful way to spread out my prelim task planning. After making an account I chose a suitable layout and design for my genre, after this I started to type up my planning which included; the title, genre convections, characters, scenes one-six description, the script, music, props and settings and a production diary for the two week task.
I first typed the genre circle which explains a brief description of what is typically seen in our genre, I then said what our group could do to make it more realistic to the genre.
For the second circle I started explaining the scenes; where they are set and what happens. I did this for all scenes one to six saying what was involved.
After writing up what will happen in each scene I added the script which shows who speaks when and why. It is only short but we still included what we needed to, this one script is the only part in the film which uses dialogue.
For music, props and settings I listed what these will include, for music we decided a lot should be used considering it is a musical, however we used these songs pretending it was the actor singing as it involved more skill of putting music correctly over the actor lip singing.
My production diary is organised by each day over the two weeks where I described what our group did each day, this will help for future tasks as I will know how we used our time and how I could improve it next time. For example, we used too much time coming up with ideas which meant we had less time filming leading to less time editing.
Overall, prezi was useful for this planning as it was easy to use and is an interesting way to view the planning instead of just writing it up on a word document.


Shown below are the storyboards we used for our prelim task, I added them to my prezi but they were unclear so I have enlarged them onto my blog.

 When creating our storyboards we used this simple layout so we could add images and text, we wrote a short description below and quickly drew a cartoon to show the setting and what happens in each scene.

 

Low and high budget comparrison

Film Language

Film Language

 

Camera

 

Frame

Angle

Movement

 

Frame- What and where the image is in the frame

1. Extreme close-up- Eye, detail

2. Close up- Face shot, close

3. Medium shot- Face, above waist

4. Medium long short- More zoomed out, but not below knees

5. Long shot- All body, all image of the person/object

6. Extreme long shot- Very zoomed out, landscape for settings

Here is an image to show an example of extreme closeup which I personally took, it shows that an extreme close up inlcudes detail.
 

 

Angle- What angle is used for the image/clip

1. Low- Above, looking down or on high objects/places/people

2. Level- Straight on looking in front

3. High- Looking up from below or looking at things low down

4. Worms eye view- From below looking up

5. Bird eye view- From above looking down
Other shots: Over the shoulder shot, point of view shot, cut in and cut away, weather shots.


Movement- How the camera moves from scenes
1. Tilt-Up and down
2. Pan- Left and Right
3. Zoom- In and out
4. Static- Staying still, could zoom in or out
5. Crane shot- E.g. walking down stairs, camera can move smoothly from above to below.


Sound

Music
Contrapuntal/parallel
Diegetic/non-diegetic
Off screen/on screen
Voice over
Emotion
Dialogue

Music- What music is used? Calm/angry/loud/quiet, what instruments are used and why? How does the music fit?
Contrapuntal/parallel- When the clip doesnt fit the music, e.g. when a child is singing in a horror film.
Diegetic/non diegetic- Diegetic is when films have sound in the actual filming and non diegetic is when sounds are added after.
Off screen/on screen- Off screen is when sounds are heard but are not seen in the frame e.g. shouting from outside, on screen sound is sound that you can see happen in the frame e.g. teacher talking in class.
Voiceover- When a voice is recorded seperatly and then added over the top of the clip, e.g. narrator
Emotion- Sound that shows emotion, happy or sad, music can help with this
Dialogue- Speech- how people speak. Relaxed-slow sounds/music, anger- fast and loud.

I have added this image of a fight scene in The Avengers to show that music in this scene could be fast and loud as the scene is too.
Below shows a quieter and less energetic scene from the Titanic which would use calmer music as it is a sader scene.

Editing

Transition
Order of narrative
Pace
Special effects

Transiton- How it goes from one scene to the next e.g. slides, cuts, zooms
Order of narrative- Order of 'story' flashbacks, times in the narrative, what happens when
Pace- Speed of shots, fast and slow depending on scene.
Special Effects- Any effects added to clips e.g. posterize editing

Mis En Scene

Costume
Lighting
Actors
Makeup
Props
Settings

Costume- What the charatcers are wearing, (colours to fit film role?)
Lighting- High key or low key lighting used and why?
Actors- Who is playing the role and why, what they role is
Makeup- Makeup used to improve looks of charatcers.
Props- Useful and needed props what they are used for, icons?
Settings- Where the scenes take place and why.



Film Language described in three opening scenes:

UP

 

Music and Camera

In the opening scene of the film 'up' there are many film language features. These include a lot of camera characteristics such as movements and frames. For movements, the scene uses a lot of different methods like zooms, pans left and right and tracking shots. These are used throughout the clip as a way of entertaining the audience as there is no dialogue (or voiceover).  Pan left and right and zoom are popular and are usually used slowly to provide a slow calm film.
Music also follows the calm emotion in the opening scene as slow quiet music is played constantly in the background. Music is used a lot for the sound feature and slightly changes due to the situation the characters are in, for example when the two characters start off young and happy together the music is louder and more upbeat, when they start to grow older together the music becomes calmer but still cheerful. In sadder scenes, the music changes slightly to become more slow to create the effect of a negative event.
Again for camera, slow zooms are used to illustrate change in time and music does the same. The movement of zoom does this by zooming out when the jar is being filled in the clip which shows how quick time is going by more money being added, opposite to this the zoom is slow which empathises the change even more as it drags the life stages out more. The music supports this by the pace, it stays the same at this point showing it looking like the same moment, but actually years have passed.
Popular camera shots are close ups, they are used for key events in the clip such as the mailbox where the two peoples journey starts and when the money saving jar is introduced to show the importance of the dream the two people share. Another close up is shown when the wife ties the mans tie each day over time which also shows the recognition of time changing.
Angles used in this include mostly straight on views (level) which clearly show the two characters. Another angle used is a high angle shot looking down on the couple in the video.
More camera movements include static, tilts up and down and zooms out.

Editing and Mis En Scene

Costumes used in this opening scene include the tie worn by the man as he grows older. At first he cannot master the task so his wife helps him and is shown to continue doing this over time, this is a key change in the clip therefore costume is important as it also shows the age. Costume is also used in the first image where the couple gets married, they were the traditional clothes of a dress and suit which helps the audience understand the starting scene.
Lighting is used effectively in the scene, at positive happy times, high-key lighting is used a lot to create a bright happy setting. Later on in less cheerful moments low-key lighting is introduced, for example, when the wife looses the baby in the hospital it is dark to show the mood of the couple.
There are two main characters in the clip, the husband and wife who grow old together. Props include the money jar for the 'paradise falls' dream and the balloons which we later find important for the rest of the film.
The main setting for this film is the house where the couple move in together and outside when the couple are enjoying their lives together. Another setting includes the less happy time in the hospital.
Editing used in the film includes transitions such as slide and cuts to each video and are used to order the story of the time quickly passing for the two characters.

 

Skyfall

Sound and camera

In the first scene of Skyfall, there is a chase scene which involves many camera frames, angles and movements which makes it more dramatic. To begin with there are tracking movements to show the fast travel of the main characters in a car and on a motorbike. Sound is used fiercely to show the genre of action using sounds of car tyres, glass smashing from cars and people shouting. Further in the clip other sounds are introduced which includes tense music, car horns and shouting that continues through out the scene.
When the main chase starts between two main males on motorbikes a lot of tracking shots are used again to show the speed of them moving. As the setting changes from outside to inside the camera tilts up to show a woman on the phone and as she walks, the camera remains static but she becomes as close up showing her importance. After this scene, it quickly changes to the outside action which again shows the man on the motorbike, at this stage less camera movements are used but the characters are close up in the frame making it more tense as their concentrated faces are shown clearer.
As the men begin to ride above everyone seen earlier they speed along rooftops, a high angle shot is used as it looks down on all the buildings they spin across showing how these men are superior and skilled.
Once again tyres spinning sounds are used to match the illustration of the chase and car horns are used in the disturbance of the scene. The camera follows the action of the two men by using zooms and close up angles which quickly change into long shots to show the distance the two roles have taken. Extreme long shots are also used to show the wide setting of a built up area with many buildings, the buildings the characters are using as paths for their destructive vehicles.

Editing and Mis-En-Scene

The narrative order of this scene from Skyfall is a chase involving two men who are disturbing everything and everyone in its way. A woman is also seen in a car who is clearly involved, the chase starts in a local setting, a small market which has attracted many people, but when the chase breaks out these innocent people become scared as one man pulls out a gun. The chase then continues on rooftops above the town which changes the setting from a busy area to an empty area. This change shows the speed of the two men as they climb above the market onto the highest point in the town.

High-key lighting is used in the scene which makes the event bright and active, this restless atmosphere is supported by the sounds of shouting and screaming. The high-lighting is used a lot as the majority of the scene is set outside, this creates an energetic and engaging display.
Not many props are used in this performance but one main object is a gun which one of the men use at the start which commences all the commotion and uproar. This prop automatically tells the audience that the genre is action because many other action films involve a gun as it shows danger between characters.
Costumes used in this scene are used to describe the characters personalities and importance as a role. For example the main male in the clip is wearing a suit which is not normal for a chase as it is seen as formal relaxing wear where a chase is seen as dangerous and lively. The other man is also wearing official clothing which suggests the chase was not planned, however the prop of the gun in hand suggests differently.
 Facial expressions and body language show this situation are serious as they all look intense and focused. As an audience, we can tell the scene occurring is negative as facial expressions are gloomy. Another feeling we get is from the woman's body language as she smashes the cars window screen with her hand which presents how significant the situation is.
The camera positions the characters mainly in the centre of the frame which tells us they are important and critical roles of the film. This is important as the audience know straight away who the 'good' people are and who the 'bad' people are as this is common in action films.

 

Clueless

 

Sound and camera

  The film is introduced with the music of 'Kids in America' which immediately tells us the setting and genre. The song is upbeat and fast and includes the lyrics 'kids' the image of young teenagers are then introduced so we know it is about young teen set in America. Not only does the song show it is set in America, the setting is a built up area with large houses and palm trees are shown which suggests it is a wealthy country. Overall, just the first few seconds tell us it is a teen drama.
The song is continued through the first part of the opening scene where young teenagers are enjoying time with their friends and one girl is gradually included the most showing she is the main character.
Camera shots used include tracking and zooms which help introduce the role in the film. Panning left and right shows the amount of characters used which also supports the genre which involves many people of the same age.
As well as the main sound being the music, laughing is used in the background which shows the film is cheerful and happy this is backed up by the smiles on the young peoples faces. Other sounds include chatting and the movement of the car which again shows the genre clearly.
When the car is driving, a birds eye view shot is used looking down into the car as it moves along the road.
A voiceover is then used next to introduce the main role who is female, her voice is matched to the genre as it is a young voice which has an American accent. When we first see this voice owner, a close up is used to view her face so the audience know what this girl looks like, this is when we officially find out she is the main character in the film. The voiceover continues as the girl doesn't actually speak in the scene, as the girls close-up is seen the camera then zooms out to see that she has a large bedroom which is typical for a teen drama and then a tracking shot is used when she skips over to her large wardrobe.
Whilst this voiceover is still being used, music is still quietly playing in the background however it is  a different song to before.
After this scene, it shows the doors opening to very wealthy house as the man walks through it. This is used by a close-up of the doors opening then a zoom in to the man walking down the stairs. Tracking shots are then used as the girl talks to her father in the kitchen this dialogue is when we first see the girl talk in the opening scenes, as the two characters walk the camera follows them viewing the wide kitchen.
After the scene in the kitchen the camera then flicks back to the road where the same car is seen again slowly driving, once again a birds eye view angle is used to show the roofless car. A long shot is then used when the girl drives away and the camera stays static and the voiceover is used again.

Editing and Mis-En-Scene

The setting of 'Clueless' is in America, we know this from the music lyrics and how the area is wealthy. In the streets of this country, palm trees are seen on the side of the road which is normally associated with wealthy hot countries. The girls house is also typical for this genre location as it is very grand as all the rooms shown are bigger than normal. The girls bedroom is large and the staircase shown second is colossal followed by an expensive kitchen diner. These rooms tell the audience how wealthy this family is and shows how the girl is spoilt with her royalty room.
The opening to this film uses many other settings, such as the shopping street where the girl is seen holding many bags, a wide road and an outside pool also when the girl drives to her friends house this is also a costly setting.
High-key lighting is used in this film to show the radiant settings and backgrounds and it supports the genres merry storyline. High-key lighting creates a content mood for this film which is classically used in other teen dramas.
Costume is used to describe the characters in this film as they show what sort of person they are. The girl for example has a personal device to pick out her outfit for each day which shows that she is a fashionable (wealthy) young female. Her father is then introduced in the kitchen who is wearing a suit, this suggests he is a rich man with importance in the film. Other roles in the opening scene are wearing summery clothes showing the time of year is summer this is important as it adds more detail to the narrative. Hair and makeup are also used as the genre involves fashionable young teenagers who care about their appearance.
The camera positions this main female role in the centre of the frame to show how she is a major personality in the film and uses many other young people around her to suggest she is popular.

Logo

Production companies logo

 

In every media production company, there is a logo so the company is more well-known and recognised such as Warner Bros, Disney and Universal which are shown below.

 

 

My Logo I created

 

 

Looking at the popular productions companies logos, I noticed they mostly used a bold animal, figure or building to illustrate their company. They then chose a short memorable title to add to the image to be their company name.

Following this, I created the logo above to be a suitable logo for a media company. I chose a swan as an elegant animal and used the relating title of 'Swan Studios' to go with it. I thought this was a suitable logo idea as it shows two swans in a clear lake, the water represents the high definition in which the films produced will have and the swans as a bold and attractive animal.



Juno Re-make Task

 

Juno Task  

 

 

Here is the original clip of 'Juno All I Want Is You' which we had to re-create to practise our camera, premiere and teamwork skills.
 

 

Our Juno Re-Make  

 

 

Here is my edit of our Juno re-make. We separated in our groups and produced our own video which we added the clips we created and the music.

Evaluation of my Juno re-make

Creating our storyboards:

When creating a storyboard for our task, I think my group worked well to include all the correct images and settings as we worked well in a team. Whilst one person drew the images in the video the other wrote the description below saying what needed to be included. This method worked well as the person who drew contributed their good drawing skills whilst the writer (myself) added their literacy skills to the plan.

Storyboards:

Overall we believe that our storyboards were effective due to the fact we understood what each clip needed when it came to filming. When filming, we tried our best to stick to the storyboards by remembering each clip with the help from each image however some clips we filmed were hard to copy from the storyboard because it was hard to find similar settings to the original video.

Weaknesses when filming:

One thing we found tricky was measuring the clips to fit the video. We had trouble doing this because when it came to editing, we had to crop and delete parts of clips so the timings were then different. We could have improved this problem by filming longer then needed in the filming so we could have cropped it to the correct length. Our first clips were not long enough so had trouble editing it to fit the original but as we continued with the further scenes, timings became more synchronised.

Filming:

Overall the filming went well because we gathered a lot of the needed clips for our video. This meant it helped us when producing the final re-make. However certain clips didn't go completely to plan as timings were out and some camera shots and angles were jolty and rough. This could be improved by re filming these parts if we had more time.

I think our storyboard was quite accurate because it was relatively easy to film because it told us what to do, to improve it we could have added even more detail about background and could make it even more precise if we had the time.

Group strengths and weaknesses:

As a group I think we worked really well as we had no disagreements which made it easy to film what we needed to. We all had our own skills, strengths and weaknesses which differed from one another so we could all contribute our knowledge and ideas. Our group had the strengths of drawing skills, description and setting ideas which helped film our project. We all had our weaknesses (including lack of camera skills which can be worked upon) which was no problem because if someone was bad at something, it was someone else's strength which made our group strong to do the video.

Footage needed:

 When it came to footage, we gathered most of what we needed. We aimed to complete half the original video which we did, as it lasts about a minute. There were details we missed out such as the first scene where people are seen running in the background, we could have asked another group to include this. Another scene where we could have improved detail would be the scene in the middle where we have the person standing still whereas the girl in the Juno clip is walking towards the camera. We should have included this to fit the original video. We also could have added more clips from the middle to the end of the video.

Premiere and animations:

When creating my own edited video, it forced me to work independently which was good because it made me learn a lot about premiere which I didn't know before. A personal struggle for myself would have been the programme of premiere but working alone helped me work towards my video effectively. I opened the programme and added all the video clips and music I needed and then started creating the video. I added animations to suit the camera angles from the original so it was more accurate. For example, I added a 'slide' effect from clip to clip where it occurred in the video. However, if I had time I could have added more animations and transitions.

Comparing to the original:

Compared to the original, we produced good storyboards to help film so particular clips were quite accurate, we made them accurate by looking at the surroundings and dressed the girl the same. We included relevant detail in our plans to know what hand to hold the prop in to make it more precise. My overall clip is similar but also has a few differences and if I were to it again I would add more detail in the clips such as adding more animations.

What went well:

Something that went really well in our films was our teamwork, we added ideas which we all listened to and this helped getting all the footage we needed. I personally improved my ability to work independently and produce this clip by myself which will help me with future projects and video editing.

To improve:

If we were to remake this video then I would improve by adding more animations and work more on timing when filming. I now know to add more time then needed as it will help when I am editing. I could also add more clips to continue the clip to last the whole duration of the song which would be better than it just stopping half way through the song.

My finished clip overall:

Overall, the start of the video wasn't too accurate and the middle is a bit jolty but I was pleased with the end clips as the timing is more precise to the original video, this shows that my premiere skills improved whilst learning independently which will help later on. With help after producing my finished work, I added animations and effects (such as a cartoon effect to relate to the first Juno video) this made it more accurate to watch with the original.

Personally this task has taught me a lot about what is involved in media. I have now learnt how to use the cameras for filming and the basic tools in premiere, I have also learnt how to work well in a group we were put into, come up with new ideas and work independently with something I have a weakness in.

Dancing Bears/James Bond Action Clip

Evaluation

Dancing bears:
When creating the 'dancing bears' video, we hadn't used the premiere programme before so I found it really hard to use. This task however was really useful for me because by the end I realised how to use the basic tools on the programme which will help greatly when it comes to more complex tasks.
Using this programme, I added videos of dancing bears and landscapes which we had to add together to form a video. I then added choose some music from the media drive which went with the video. Once I had done this I had to edit the film because there were pauses in the video where a black screen appeared, so I had to edit these blanks out so the video flowed better. This took time as I hadn't done it before so I had to figure out how to do it on the new programme.
This task has helped due to independent learning, I got taught a few things but most of the tools I had to practise myself which was really useful.

James Bond Scene:
As I spent most of the time on the first 'Dancing bears' video, I didn't have enough time to practise more and create the James Bond video. I only produced a few seconds for this scene as it took a long time learning the basics for the first task. However, although this second video was unsuccessfully finished, I learnt a great amount on the first which will help me with tasks in the future.
If I had more time I would have finished the James Bond scene to improve it, I would have added animations and edited it more. I could have added more effects such as fades and pauses but if needed I could always go back if I have more spare time.

Overall, I have learnt a lot from this task as I now know how to create a simple video on premiere, edit it, add features (music and effects) and how to transfer the video onto my blog through youtube embed.

Short Pixar film Narrative

The Blue Umbrella - Pixar Short from Lucas Couto on Vimeo.

Torodov theory

In 1969 Torodov produced a theory which he believed could be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disruption, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair and reinstatement of equilibrium.

Here is an example of a Pixar short film with the theory applied to...
 

Equilibrium-Rain starts to fall in a busy street, and objects start to smile (drains and gutters) Amongst others, a blue umbrella is seen happy in the street. The people come to a stop causing the umbrella to see the glowing red umbrella next to it. The red umbrella notices the blue one

Disruption- The people continue to walk causing the umbrellas to separate, objects begin to show sadness as they separate.

Recognition of disruption- Umbrellas are getting further apart and rain and wind is becoming stronger so is harder for them to return together. The umbrella escapes from the person and flies away.

Attempt to repair - Flies gracefully but sadly to try and find the red umbrella but cannot find it. Eventually sees the red umbrella but is caught by wind and flies away again. Objects around start to look scared and help the umbrella move out of traffic.

Reinstatement of equilibrium - Owner finally finds and picks up the umbrella which had been turned over on the road which is then joined by the red umbrella. The two owners walk off together which makes the umbrellas and objects around them happy again. The objects (drains, gutters and signs) begin to smile again as the two umbrellas sit together by the café where the scene started.


Vladimir Propp

Vladamir Propp came up with the theory that any story has the same/similar main characters within the film, especially Disney films.

Characters include...

The hero-Seeks something, usually love of the princess and to help her/someone.
Heroine/princess-The princess is who the hero falls in love with/tries to help
Princesses father-The father of the princess either gives the hero the task or dislikes the hero.
Villian-The one that gets in the way, who fights to hero.
Donor/mentor-Someone who gives something magical to the hero to help and prepare the for trouble.
Helper-A friend of the hero who helps him complete the task along the way.


An example...from Shrek...




Hero- Shrek

Princess- Fiona

Villian- Prince Charming, Fairy God Mother, Lord Farquaad

Princesses father- The King, Fiona's father

Donor- Magical dragon stops wedding, man who gives potion.

Helper- Donkey