Planning - Costume

In our film, the antagonists will be wearing suits and the protagonist will be wearing dark ripped jeans as well as a dark jacket. A good example of similar costumes for similar roles being successful is in the film 'heat' and the character of Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). This fits in with the typical conventions of the thriller genre in that the antagonists wear dark clothing (black suit, black tie). Furthermore, these costumes may help to empower our target audience and mean that they are able to relate more closely to the film, which helps because two of the characters will also be of similar age to the target audience as well as myself. 

Tom Smith & Dan Elcock (Actors) in similar costume. 

Robert De Niro - Heat 

Planning - Props

The main prop in our film opening is a briefcase. This is an essential prop in our film because its what the protagonist is chasing after in our narrative and the main focus of our opening. This will be the colour black to represent the evil in the film and what the protagonist is trying to get hold of. We will also use shots such as close ups of the briefcase to draw the audiences attention to it and show the audience that this is a main part of the film opening.

Also, we will use two cars in which will help in the build up to the exchange and help to show the characters arriving and build up tension in the way that we want. The two cars will not be the main props in our film however, will be an essential part in gaining some shots that will help the narrative of the film as well as help to keep the audience intrigued. Furthermore, the props of cars and being in an empty car park will help exaggerate that they are isolated. 

Planning - Makeup

For our actors we will use foundation. This will reduce the glare on the face of the actor when being filmed, making it clearer on the camera and giving the lighting a bigger effect, or meaning that less lighting sources will be needed as there is already not many lighting sources being used. The make up will only be applied to the two main characters. This is because the biggest effect will be needed on these two to make them as clear as possible to the audience. 

Makeup can have a huge affect on the appearance of characters and therefore, can influence a film/an audiences perception of the film. This shows that makeup is very important and must be considered fully. Also, when shooting the film the setting will be dark, this means that makeup can give us an advantage in helping to notice a character and especially make the main ones stand out in a different way from the rest. 

Planning - Location Recce

Within the production stage of my film I will need a location that is:

• Accessible to me and my group.
• Create a everyday location that the audience can relate and link to.
• Allow us to create and develop certain themes and moods throughout our opening. 

The location of our filming will be in two different places, however, within the same area. One of the locations will be internally filmed (in a car park, where the exchange will occur) and one will be based externally (near a canal, where the chase will occur).

The location we have chose to film our production is Castle Quay shopping centre car park, Banbury. Our opening will be filmed after closing hours of the car park. Therefore, we will not need to worry about including footage of the public in the background. However, we will still need to gain consent of the owners to use the car park after closing hours and for filming purposes. This can be done through the use of an email.

However, the second part of our opening is set on public footpaths etc. therefore we will need to be careful not to film any of the public in our background and if we do to make sure we gain consent off of them before we use the footage. 

Location 1 - Internal (Car Park)

It will take us around fifteen minutes to arrive to our chosen location as all of my group members live nearby and we will travel by car. This also makes it convenient for our actors to get on set easily. We will most likely film over two days for around two hours each time depending on the quality of our recording and how quickly we can execute the shots that we want. If this does happen we will need to make sure we have continuity editing and that the lighting etc is the same as the previous day of filming. 

                           

Location 2 - External 

Planning - Film Opening Shot Test

This is a short video explaining the opening shot in our film opening and how we will execute it, testing it works. The camera is meant to be moved to focus up on the subject in the back of the car, who will be one of the antagonists in the film. The quality of this shot however, will be improved through the use of adequate lighting (filming at dusk instead of night & a light source) as well as the quality of camerawork and quality of camera that will be used to film.
Overall, I think this test shot was successful and we have learned what we will need to work on for it as well as how it will be filmed when recording our actual project.

Casting Conventions

In my film opening narrative there will be a main antagonist and main protagonist in the film. For these roles we will need to recruit the best actors possible for what we want. The most desirable characteristics and what we would want most from our actors are shown in this mind map;

We will use these characteristics to help appeal for our actors in our casting call out before the acting auditions take place. Therefore, from these auditions will we be able to select the best actors we have available and who meets the criteria the most for our ideal actor.

These are my ideal actor characteristics as it will create the atmosphere that we want in the film opening in the best way. For example by having the antagonist in a black suit as well as being tall it will show that he looks down up on people and it will represent him as the antagonist because he is wearing dark colours and the conventions that has. Therefore, for the protagonist we would ideally like the costume to be of light colour to symbolise he is the good person in the opening. Also, the ideal age for the protagonist will be a teenager, this is as it's our main target audience for the film. This means that the audience will be able to relate to it better and think that they could do something similar to what he is.

Casting Callouts

Within the narrative that we have created there will be four actor roles to fill. To appeal for actors in our film opening we used casting callouts to try and get the best actors possible and choose the actors that happen to best fit what we want and the roles and appearance we want them to have. To appeal for our actors, these are the casting callouts that we used before auditions.

Protagonist:
We are currently casting for a male protagonist aged between 15 and 18 to act in our film. You will need to be between the height of 5ft 10" and 6ft 1". The characteristics you will need is to be quite dominant and at audition improvise a short scene of a chase between two characters. For this role you will need to have strong athletic ability with limited disabilities and can be of any ethnicity.

Antagonist:
We are currently casting for a male antagonist who is middle aged and of a height around 6ft 2' being any ethnicity. The audition for this role would involve improvising an exchange of a briefcase between two shady characters. You must be dominant and be able to assert authority well through the use of body language. The costume for this role would involve wearing a dark suit.

                     
Others:
We are currently casting for two male henchmen to play a minor acting role in our film. The actors must be around middle aged and be of a height above six foot, as well as be able to drive. You can be of any ethnicity and have limited disabilities. In audition, you will need to improvise a dominant walk with a briefcase as well as a small car scene.

Planning - Audience

The psychographic and demographic tables which I refer and link to throughout my explanations of target audience:

Representation Conventions & Film Linking

When planning my film opening costumes, setting, camera, mise en scene and lighting is important to represent the film opening in the best way possible.

Costume

Costume will be represented by the dealers wearing suits suggesting that they know what they're doing and would be well organised. Also, the interceptor will wear a hooded jacket to add mystery to who he is and suggest to the audience he is the antagonist. 

Setting
The setting will be represented in the best way possible to represent our genre of action-thriller. This will therefore, be to try and create tension through the use of a tight area such as an underground car park that we are planning to use. Also, this has natural low key lighting to add to the tension however, the setting will also have surroundings which will create drama through the chase that appears in our film opening.

Camera
For our film opening will we use one or two cameras depending on the setting and scene. For the closer shots we will use just one camera, however, longer shots such as wide shots and establishing shots we may use two cameras to cover different angles. In a typical action-thriller a lot of close ups would be used to show the characters emotions and reactions to what is happening in the film.

Lighting
The typical lighting of my chosen genre is low key for thriller and quite high key for action. However, during my film opening there will be variety of low and high key lighting in the different parts, where its suitable. Our film will begin with low key lighting then will fade gradually to high key during the middle part where the chase occurs. However, as tension builds towards the end low key lighting will gradually come back to increase the tension again and end on a cliffhanger for the audience. We will use two light sources at the point of high key lighting with one or none at the point of low key lighting. 

Narrative Structure & My Film Opening

Narrative Structure

The narrative structure of a film is if it is in chronological order or whether the film cuts to different points at different time throughout to create added tension or for other reasons, which is different depending on the individual film. If the film is non-linear it is out of time order, on the other hand, if it is in time order, the narrative structure is known as linear.

Narrative Structure & My Film Opening

The narrative structure of my film opening will be linear. This is because I feel that it will be easier for the audience to follow the storyline and the tension that we want to create in the film opening can be done in the best way possible. We feel as if a flashback isn't the best way to intrigue the audience and create tension in the film also, because our film opening is at a point of high tension and therefore, there is no need. Also, with selecting a linear structure it means that there could be many options/paths that the film could take, meaning that more mystery is created within the audience as the don't know what will happen next/what path the film will take.

Genre Conventions - Thriller

The thriller genre is used in films such as The conjuring (2013) and Zodiac (2007) for example. The typical aim of using a thriller genre is to create tension and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. 

The conventions of a thriller seems to be that the equilibrium is broken through the antagonist and the protagonist. The aim of the antagonist seems to be to cause problems and incidents in the film. On the other hand, the protagonist wants to create a new equilibrium between everyone. The tension is created through things such as low key lighting and the tempo of the music used. 

The technical codes within the horror genre are the types of shots used such as the frequent use of close up shots to add tension to the film and bring the audience closer to the action. Also, the type of shot used shows the importance of characters and how dominant they are in the film. Close ups may be used as well to show the audience the emotions and feelings of the characters as a dramatic point in the film is occurring. The typical way in which the antagonist is shown is through unclear shots, creating mystery around them, an example of this would be the use of dirty shots. 

The editing within the film is used to create tension, this is through the use of jump cuts to get the audience to have tension. They're used especially at time of high tension and when the scene is reaching its climax in terms of tension. Moreover, cross cutting is used to build suspense also, therefore, adding its own unique effect to the genre. Continuous editing is used to make sure the audience can follow the storyline and keep track of the events occurring.

Furthermore, in terms of characters in the genre, the protagonist is normally the character who tries to restore equilibrium and is the hero in the film. In contrast, the antagonist normally tries to defeat the protagonist and is the character who creates disequilibrium in the film. The protagonist would typically wear dark clothes throughout making the audience and other characters more suspicious about them and creating more tension around them.  The film may also be based off a real life event or be a real life scenario to interact to the audience more and make them feel more tension because they feel as if it could happen to them, making the film conventions and genre more successful. 

Production Schedule - Time Planning

Pre-Production

During pre-production we will have to focus on completing many different takes to ensure that our production/filming is the best and the most efficient it can be. We will do this through completing several tasks, these are:

1. The story/storyline (1 hour)
2. The narrative (1 hour)
3. 60 second pitch (1 hour)
4. The storyboard (1 day)
5. The script (1 day)
6. Pitch (1 hour)
7. Mood Board (1 hour)
8. Location Preview (1 day)
9. Casting & auditions (1 day)

The total pre-production time based just on our film will be around 4 days 5 hours as an estimate. However, this is excluding time for genre analysis and gathering research from other films to get ideas. 

Production

During production we have to ensure that we are fully prepared to film and that we have everything we need. Therefore, there is many different tasks that need to be organised before filming:

1. Costume (1 day)
2. Props (1 day)
3. Location (1 day)
4. Lighting (1 hour)
5. Kit/Kit transport (1 day)
6. Extras (1 hour)
7. Filming (1 week)

Through completing all these tasks we should have multiple clips to put together and get our two minute film. If we do this with no problems and efficiently it will enable us to have more time post production. The estimated time for this is 1 week, 4 days and 2 hours. 

Post-Production

After we have gathered all the clips needed and have produced the film itself, we will need to edit the film clips and put our two minute film opening together in the best way possible. This will be through these different tasks:

1. Editing (3 days)
2. Colour Grading (20 mins)
3. Sound (1 day)
4. Visual FX (1 day)
5. Music (1 day)
6. Uploading & Posting (2 hours)

If we complete these tasks effectively, our two minute film will look exactly how we want it to. However, throughout the whole project we need to enable time for mistakes etc to occur as they inevitably will. Our total post-production time should be around 6 days, 2 hours and 20 minutes minimum. 

Pre-Production Storyboard & Script Pitch

Pre-Production Mood Board

As I have done in-depth research into our main film opening genre, we have chosen action as our sub-genre to our main film opening genre of thriller. We feel as if this is the best genre to go alongside thriller because of the research I have done and the evidence of very successful and famous films of the same genres (action-thriller).

We feel as if these genres will contrast each other well and will provide a good variety of shots as well as maintain different paces of tempo throughout, keeping the audience intrigued. Thriller generally has the stereotype that there is no where to run and are set in isolated places, where as action is of high tempo. These can be merged together well and so the characters have only limited places to go and places to get away from. 

I have created a mood board showing the stereotypical conventions of thriller and action films as well as incorporating ideas of my own that we may use in our film opening. This includes things such as location and shot types. 

Mood Board:

Film Opening Task - 'The Exchange' Script

Fade in:

                                                      INT. CAR - NIGHT (1)

                                                 

                     Driver of the car adjusts front mirror to align with subjects face in the  

                                  back seat, as he travels towards the exchange. 

                                                               DRIVER 

      

                                                         Where you off to? 

                                                                DEALER 

                                                Just another business meeting. 

                                                   EXT. STREET - NIGHT (2) 

                            

                          Low angled camera shot of the cars passing through the street. 

                                  No characters are shown. 1-2 second shot. 

                                                EXT. UNKNOWN LOCATION - NIGHT (3)

                          Extreme close up of a phone showing a time and location. You 

                             don't know who is receiving this text or who its came from. 

                                                                                         Fade out: Blackout to:

                                                TITLE SCREEN: THE EXCHANGE 

                    Black screen as the title of the film appears suddenly in bold, jumping 

                                                out towards the camera. (5 seconds) 

       

                                                                                       Dramatic music fades in:

                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                      Dissolve to:

                                                EXT. IN THE TOWN - NIGHT (4)

               

                      Tracking shot of the interceptors feet as he walks towards the 

                      location he's just received. Extras in the background as he walks 

                      through the street. Dramatic music becomes added to create tension 

                      and add anticipation to the audience. 

                                                

                                                INT. CAR PARK - NIGHT (5) 

                                                 

                Close up of a car pulling into the undercover car park to complete the 

                exchange. The music gets higher in tension and opening credits appear 

                on the side of the screen over time, gradually introducing everyone 

                involved in the film.

                Camera cuts to establishing shot of the car park with two cars facing 

                each other ready to do the exchange. The camera then zooms in onto
                the cars gradually.

                Camera cuts to a shot of the subject in a low angled shot, showing their
                feet as the step out of the car. The music begins to increase in tension
                as the audience see the briefcase for the first time. Tracking shot of the
                subjects feet as he begins to walk towards the deal.

                 As the receiver of the briefcase and the giver meet there is a over the
                 shoulder shot as the character passes the briefcase over, the camera
                 doesn't show who receives the briefcase during the exchange.
                                             
                                                EXT. STREET - NIGHT (6)

               High angled long shot of the subject walking away from the deal,
               music still continuing, camera slowly zooms into the subject and begins
               to track him, as if someone is stalking him.

               Cut to mid shot of the subject walking away with the briefcase. The
               subject walks past the camera and then the camera focuses on a person
               following him in a suspicious way, the subject is unaware of this.

               Cut to side shot of the characters as the subject becomes aware of the
               follower and he begins to up the pace to try and get away from him.
               Camera doesn't move, the characters pass by it.

                                               EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT (7)

              Close up of the subject's face with the briefcase held up to it, he's hid
              behind the wall trying to lose his follower and get away with the
              briefcase. Shows the emotions of the character.

              The camera remains in a close up of the subjects face, the interceptor/
              follower grabs the subjects face and covers their mouth.

                                                               DEALER

                                                              (Screams)

Cut out to blackout.

Mood Board Evaluations

There is 3 different mood boards that I will evaluate, describing strengths and weaknesses of these mood boards and help me consider things for my mood board and create the best one i possibly can, using the strength ideas from their mood boards and making sure I successfully overcome the weaknesses that they had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-BUrF1TZKg

This mood board was completed online through the use of a video log. An advantage of this is that he is able to explain different parts of the mood board at his own pace and at the correct points. Therefore, he is able to relate to specific parts of the mood boards at different points, where as in the other mood boards that have been created through text, they have to refer to their mood board as a whole or it's less clear for the audience to see what part of the mood board they are referring to.

However, a disadvantage of this mood board is that he has a lack of depth in his explanation even though there is a high volume of explanation during his mood board presentation. This may be a disadvantage of using a v-log to explain his mood board as he may miss in-depth points that when writing in text you would be able to explain fully.

http://annabelwilfordasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/planning-sub-genre.html

This mood board explains/shows the location of which the film will be set and the main conventions of their film genre/sub-genre that there film is based upon through the use of photos/image. A disadvantage of the explanation being through text instead of through a v-log is that she is unable to relate to specific points of her mood boards

However, the text used to describe the mood board I feel lacks a bit of depth, especially about how their own film will relate to that and match the conventions of the typical film that there genre is. Also she could include information about why she included these specific images in her mood board and what they mean to her film opening.

http://emilyrobertsmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/planning-choosing-idea-brief.html

In this mood board, she explains it very well and links how the conventions of her genre will link towards her film opening. Furthermore, she has linked an example of an opening scene to explain her idea fully and back up the points she has explained, showing the audience of her ideas used. During the analysis of this mood board she also refers to stereotypical conventions such as "We have chosen this gender as stereotypically women are the more vulnerable sex."

On the other hand, her mood board that she has produced is all focused on one aspect and doesn't describe things such as the typical location of her opening film or the typical location genre conventions of her opening film.

In conclusion, all three of these mood boards and their explanations could be improved on in some way. This could be because of the approach they used or the detail they included, therefore for my mood board i will ensure that I don't create the same weaknesses I have identified in these that I have analysed. Also I will try and complete the same strengths as these, being specific to my film opening.

Film Opening Task - Main Task Planner

• Log line  (25 word summary) - Two opposing gangs exchange a mysterious briefcase in a shady setting, however, a stand alone hero thinks otherwise.

• Story (Synopsis/Narrative) - Two opposing characters meet to do an exchange of a package unaware of a third opposer ready to steal the briefcase. After the exchange is done, the interceptor chases the dealer for the package and the film opening ends with him catching him.

• Audience - 15 years of age and over because of the thriller genre and the conventions it need to include. 

• Representation - Very dark clothing to keep the mystery around the characters and not informing the audience of who they are or revealing anything about them.

• Sound - Dramatic music (non-diegetic) starting from when the interceptor receives the text, building up the tension. Almost no dialogue apart from at the very beginning when travelling towards the exchange.

• Mise en scene - We will select the appropriate props and arrange the scene in the best way possible to match our descriptions of our scenes and what we want them to look like. 

• Setting/Costume & Props - The setting of our film will be based in an underground car park and the surrounding areas of it, the streets. Also the costume will be suits or smart dark clothing as it makes it more realistic and as if it reflects real life. 

• Acting - We will gather the best actors possible to take roles in our film. We will consider different actors and assess what positives and negatives the have and then choose which ones, making the film more successful. 

• Lighting - For our film opening we want to have low key lighting and this may take time to ensure that we have the appropriate lighting to make sure it looks as best as it can and situational. 

• Camera - We will have multiple camera angles to ensure that we get all the shots we want and to make sure that we have a good variety of shots. 

• Editing - When editing our film opening we will use continuity editing and so the storyline makes sense to the audience and they're able to understand it better. Also, different transitions will be used to add variety. 

Film Opening Task - 'The Exchange' Storyboard

Our main film storyboard shows and describes two minutes worth of clips that will give a basic insight into what shots we will shoot and give us a general storyline to follow throughout the filming process.

My Storyboard: 

 

 

 

These are fifteen shots that will be the main shots used in our film opening called 'the exchange'. A few more shots will probably be added once we are in the actual filming location and therefore, will be able to see how the different shots work better in different situations. 

American Sniper - Genre Specific Film Opening Analysis

American sniper is a film released in early 2015 and is of the action genre. The film stars Bradley Cooper and is directed by Clint Eastwood. The film is based upon Chris Kyle and the main plot is based around him and his life. Chris Kyle grew up with his father teaching him how to shoot rifles, when he grows up Chris Kyle enlists into the navy before becoming a U.S Navy SEAL's sniper. The film follows his life and his problems, to try and show how much of a hero he really was.

This film opening is typically different to others as it starts further on in the film, giving the audience an insight about what to expect and then cuts back to him as a kid, just as the clip is reaching a climax. Therefore, this leaves the audience in suspense of what's going to happen in the film and keep them intrigued to find out the conclusion of what was shown at the start and the story behind him and how he became in that situation.

The film opening starts with an establishing shot, showing the audience where the scene is being set and giving them some basic knowledge about the film. Furthermore, the camera then cuts and pans upwards towards the characters face, making him the first character that the audience see in the film. This is because he is the main character in the film and its based around his life therefore, by showing him as the first character suggests to the audience that he is the most important. This shot is a close up of Chris Kyle, showing his emotions more easily and increasing effect of transmitting this across to the audience.

Moreover, there is no non-diegetic sound throughout the opening scene. I think this may be done because it increases tension in the film and adds suspense to the situation that he's in. Also it makes the situation seem more realistic, in that it makes the audience feel as in they can relate more to it and feel more as if they are in that situation.

Also, the opening scene has a male dominance to it, only one women is seen throughout the whole opening scene and this it's showing what appears to be civilians. Therefore, by showing a women here it links them very much to innocence. However, in contrast, the opening scene is based showing combat and in a war setting. Therefore, its linking men to combat and women to innocence very early on in the film making the mise en scene of this film very effective. Also it typically follows the gender stereotypes that occur in society through influences such as media and history.

The transition from present day, back to him shooting as a kid is done through the use of a jump cut. This is because in the first time frame he is aiming a shot and just when the scene hits it's climax and the audience think he is going to shoot, it jump cuts to him shooting a sniper as a kid in the woods. This then leaves the audience in suspense as to what he did in the actual situation and make them want to find out more.

This shot is a point of view shot, however, the camera isn't moving with the character. The shot is moving with his sniper and where he's aiming it, therefore, where Chris Kyle is looking. This is typically different to the conventional point of view shot and adds a good difference to it. This shot makes you, the audience, feel as if you are looking through his eyes and puts you into his position, therefore, bringing you closer to the action.

The use of shots throughout the opening will give me ideas towards my own film opening and the variety of shots I will need to include to fit my genre and create the right mood and tempo for the film. The use of a two person shot is quite effective for this film opening and is used quite frequently throughout.

In summary, the use of mise en scene, camera shots, sound and editing throughout is very effective for the genre of the film and the use of the flashback at the end of the opening keeps the audience in suspense as it cuts at one of the most dramatic times in the film. Also it makes the audience think that he has just shot the target however, that is before they realise that it jump cut at the same time, making this transition really effective. The use of sound in this opening is generally used to create tension and add excitement to the film. Overall, this film opening is very effective for creating the right atmosphere and setting the correct mood for the rest of the film.

The Dark Knight Rises - Genre Specific Film Opening Analysis

The dark knight rises is a action/thriller film released in July 2012. The film generated $1.085 billion at the box office which shows how famous and popular the film is now and was on release. The film is of the same genre of my film opening and has a intense start to it, introducing the main enemy of the film in the opening scene. However, Batman isn't introduced until later on because everyone already knows who he is, where as Bane, hasn't been seen before in the series of Batman films. Therefore, people need to know who he is early on. 

At the start of the film opening, the CIA agent asserts his dominance by having his hands on his hips and so the audience and everyone around him know he is someone of importance. Also, the agent is positioned in the centre of the frame meaning he is what everyone looks at. Also the camera gradually moves in towards him through the use of a dolly, meaning the character is able to assert his dominance more as he takes up more of the frame. In addition, the CIA agent introduces himself as just CIA therefore, suggesting that he doesn't know many other CIA agents and has little contact with others and so in his mind he is as big as CIA itself, giving him more reason for him to be asserting dominance over others. 

A establishing shot is used when the people are on board the plane. This is to introduce the setting around it and let the audience know of their surroundings.  Moreover, the shot starts with low key lighting however, becomes lighter as the camera pans round the plane. This is because of shadows disappearing as the plane moves along. The camera also ends up level with the plane where as, at the start of the shot the camera was looking down upon the plane. As the camera moves closer to the plane, there is less of an establishing shot and more of a focus up on the plane, drawing the audience's attention towards it.

Moreover, the use of a dolly is used effectively for a few seconds during this opening scene. The use of this dolly is unique as the camera is moving upwards rather than forwards. This is to show the hole in the plane that has just been created, late on into the scene. This adds variety to the shots and shows the audience whats just happened and what's been created.  Also, instead of the camera zooming in the camera moves forward towards the thing that it wants to focus on, in this case it wants to show the audience the damage to the plane that the hijackers have just created and the problem that the people now have. 

In addition, the main villain of the film is kept secret for the opening part of this scene through the use of a bag over his head. This use of mise en scene is used and is effective because it keeps the audience in the unknown, in the fact that they dont know who has a bag on their head and therefore, they are yet to find out who the main villain of the film is or be introduced to him. This is until they take the bag off of him when he (Bane) begins to speak. This means that the villain gets introduced on his own and the full attention of the audience automatically gets drawn to him. Also, by revealing the character in this way the audience can get to know what he looks like and how he talks etc. so they can easily refer to these characteristics later on in the film. Bane also is unusual to everyone else in the way that he speaks and his appearance, especially through the mask that he wears. The film makes Bane like this and so he stands out from everyone else and can be easily recognisable and shows that he is different from everyone else, as he is the villain of the film therefore its a trait they normally have. 

The opening scene comes to an end with characters and a plane travelling away from the camera, showing them become smaller and smaller. This blends well with the fade out transition that is used to end the opening scene. Moreover, the last face we see in this opening scene is the face of Bane as this is the most memorable face in the scene and the most important to remember. In addition, the scene ends with Bane escaping, showing that he is a threat and letting the audience know if they didn't already that he is the main villain throughout the film. The shot of Bane and another person being towed along by a plane is the ending shot of the scene and shows the equilibrium after the disequilibrium that's occurred, using todorov's theory. 

Furthermore, when analysing the sound during this opening scene, the voice of Bane is particularly effective. The line "No one cared who I was until I put on the mask" suggests that Bane was a no body before he decided to have his mask and become a villain, no one cared who he was because he didn't have anything interesting about him. Also, the lines " You're a big guy" - "for you" suggests that Bane is a problem for them, the CIA, and everyone else who isn't supporting him. This gives the audience the impression that he is a dangerous man and isn't afraid, because all though he is tied up, Bane still threatens them. Moreover, the camera shots when the CIA agent and Bane are having this discussion are very effective and sticks to the 180 degree rule as it uses shot, reverse shot, to pan between the two characters as they speak. The shots also include over the shoulder shots and dirty shots, increasing variety of the shots and keeping the focus upon the two of them that are speaking. 

In conclusion, this film is of the same genre to my film opening and therefore the mise en scene, lighting, sound and camera shots etc. are all helpful for helping me to consider ideas for my film. The use of camera shots and mise en scene in this opening scene I find especially effective because of the way they introduce Bane and where the scene is set. This film opening is very successful in creating the most effective mood possible to have an impact on the rest of the film. The film is seen to be successful as it's one film in many of the famous Batman series, also it generated over a billion dollars at the box office with the budget of the film being at $230 million. This shows just how popular the film was on its release and how they thought it was going to be very successful even in production, due to the fact they were given a huge budget to work with. 

Heat - Genre Specific Film Opening Analysis

Heat is a film released in 1995 and stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The film's main genre is action however, has bits of thriller throughout the film, the reason why it acts as a sub genre for the film. Action-thriller is the main genres for my main film opening task therefore, will help inspire me and give me ideas of how to create a successful opening scene in this genre. 

The film starts with a establishing shot, showing a tram travelling towards the camera. The film stays with this shot until the tram reaches in-line with the camera. This makes the film start with a slow tempo, building tension, as it makes the audience wait. Furthermore, this shot lets the audience know the setting. Meanwhile, as the tram comes towards the camera slowly, the sound is diegetic and has no sound added to it, such as music. This also helps to build tension as its very quiet especially during this particular shot, with just squeaking and the noise of the tram, getting louder as it becomes nearer. Therefore, with little noise and a slow tempo, the tension created is very effective.  

Moreover, during the opening few shots in this scene the lighting is very low key, which fits together with the sound well. Also, helping to create the atmosphere that they want. This is because the atmosphere is very low key, similar to how the lighting is too. There is mainly low level lighting due to the fact the scene is based at night, therefore, the only lighting is coming from the tram and other surrounding light. This also helps to introduce the main character later on in the scene as you can denote that he is the evil character during the film because of the dark surrounding him. 

Also, the films main character, played by Robert De Niro is introduced to the film as he steps off the tram and turns towards the camera. This shows a mid shot of his face, however, as he moves towards the camera it turns into a close up. This way of introducing the character prevents the audience from knowing anything about him, creating more mystery to the film. By showing a close up of the character, it gives a feeling towards the audience of how the character is feeling and it changes the mood of the film as just through his initial body language you are able to tell this is someone that you would want to mess with. His body language is very authoritative and asserts dominance, a way of telling people that he's the one in charge. In addition, the mystery around the character and who he is, stays as they use a shot of his feet as he walks towards the end of the scene. This limits the details about the character a lot and the audience can't gain anything from the shot because of the little information they have to imply anything. 

A point of view shot is also used during this opening scene to follow the main character, Robert De Niro. The audience never find out who this point of view shot is from however, you can assume that it's from any member of the public and the shots just used to follow his movements. This adds good variation to the shots used throughout and shows the main character from behind for the first time. 

Furthermore, as this character is the only one shown throughout the opening scene it implies that he is one of/the main character(s) during the film and a lot of the attention will be based around him, just as the opening scene follows this trend. Also, to add variation of the shots used to track the movement of Robert De Niro, a aerial/birds eye view shot is used. This helps the to transition the character from one place to another more easily. 

The transitions of shots used is mainly just cuts with nothing such as fading into a new camera shot throughout. However, jump cuts aren't used, slow cuts are used to maintain the mood of the scene and the slow tempo it has.  A track shot is used as De Niro goes down the escalator, this is to put more focus onto him instead of anyone else and show who the main subject of this particular frame and scene is. Also, there is a dirty shot as the camera pans down the escalator tracking the character, this makes you lose sight of the character for a few seconds. Furthermore, the camera zooms in towards De Niro as he gets further towards the end of the escalator. This adds suspense as to why the camera is doing this and why he is the main subject of the scene. 

Moreover, there is mysterious music used in the background whilst the character is walking. This non-diegetic music is very slow and therefore, links to the tempo that's trying to be created. Also, the mood and tempo of the scene is very similar to what I want to create for my main film opening task. Therefore, this type of music would be good for the moments of equilibrium, before any drama/twists occur.   

In conclusion, the sound, lighting, mise en scene and the different type of camera angles/shots are similar to that of what would be useful for my film opening task. This is because they will be of the same genre and therefore, have a similar type of mood that is trying to be created. There is a good variety of shots throughout this opening scene, with the lighting and the sound staying consistently low throughout. The setting helps to keep the character mysterious and reveal little about him. Overall, this film is very successful in creating an effective opening scene because of the different camera shots and the mood created throughout. The film is very successful and is very famous with generating $187.4 million at the box office with a budget of $60 million. 

Peer Review Evaluation - 60 Second Pitch

My sixty second pitch peer reviewed by another member in the class gave me constructive feedback about what I specifically need to improve on individually and as a group for next time and how we presented the pitch across to the audience. Peer review comment:

Sophie Walkden 14:55 20 Oct

Resolve

What Works Well: Throughout the pitch i constantly had a good understanding of the narrative. There was a lot of detail about your film.

Suggestions I Have:
Maybe you could speak more about the key conventions of the thriller genre. Also, you could talk about the editing of your film.



PRESENTATION SKILLS
What Works Well: You spoke clearly witch made the pitch easy to understand.


Suggestions I Have:
You could each have equal amount of time speaking as you spoke a lot more than Rory.

Question to Think About: Have you thought about the different shots you will use?

                                                                                                                                                  

The suggestions of Sophie suggest that me and my group should talk about the specific conventions of the genre of our film and what they include, however, we did have good detail describing what our film was about. Therefore, I feel that me and my group should have balanced out the time talking about the conventions of a action-thriller genre and how we were going to implement it into our film, rather than just talking about what we were going to put in our film. Therefore, we should have described why we were going to put these different details of our film in and what effect they would have due to the specific genre conventions.


The question Sophie gave for me to think about was if we had thought/planned the different shots we were going to use. Me and my group have thought about different camera shots however, found this difficult to implement into the pitch within 60 seconds. Therefore, we decided we could show this elsewhere and then include more detail on the film during the actual pitch. We will our thoughts/planning on shots through our storyboards that we will create later on.  
The suggestion gave by Sophie suggested that all of the group contributed equally to the pitch and implemented the same amount of speech throughout. However, some members of our group don't like being in front of the camera as much but we felt it would be better if we all still contributed in the pitch even if it was fewer for some than others. 

In conclusion, to improve I will ensure that I maintain the strengths of my pitch and improve up on my weaknesses given, this may be done through increased planning time before we complete the pitch.

Film Opening Task - 60 Second Pitch

For our Main Film opening we created a 60 second film pitch, making sure we were concise in explaining what the films about and the main storyline of it. We did this in our groups to show that we all had an equal role in planning and preparing the pitch and that we all know what the films about and how were going to shoot it. 

Film Opening Task - Developed Idea

For my main film, I have to create a 2 minute film opening. In my small group we came up with around three ideas and one of which we developed further, and could potentially be the film opening storyline in which we record. Our film opening will be of action/thriller genre, this is because it seems to have specific convention and therefore, will be easier to portray when recording. Also, the target audience will be ages 16+ because the film may be distressing or have bits of violence in it, even though the film opening doesn't.

My groups and I initial developed idea's storyline starts with two rival gangs getting ready for a meeting with each other. However, one separate person receives a text with co-ordinates of the location in which the meeting is going to take place.
The second part of the film opening involves the gangs exchanging a briefcase. However, the audience don't know who is exchanging or what they're exchanging.
Towards the end of our film opening it will show one gang leaving with the briefcase, however, the person who earlier received the text tries intercepting it and a chase between the two occurs. This shows the disequilibrium and therefore, sets up well for the rest of the film and leaves suspense for the audience.

Log Line 25 word summary - Two opposing gangs exchange a mysterious briefcase in a sketchy setting, but a stand alone hero appears to have other ideas.

The film opening setting will possibly be in an underground car park, where the two gangs exchange the briefcase. This may be a good setting for the deal to take place as it may have low lighting and their won't be much sound which will hopefully create more tension throughout. However, at the start of the film it will show the individual character receiving a text in an unknown setting. This is because the opening doesn't want to reveal anything about who this character is or what he's doing. Also, the chase at the end when someone tries to intercept the briefcase will be on the streets. This will make the film opening more realistic and gives you a lot of room for different camera angles or different settings to use whilst the chase is happening.

Preliminary Task Film 2

Preliminary Task Evaluation 2

What is the purpose of the preliminary task?

To show that I know how to record a variety of shots in small groups and use the different shots at the correct times. Also, it shows that I can do this in a small group rather than a big group similar to how the previous preliminary task was done. It also helped us to understand the different shots we used and why we used them. Furthermore, the purpose was also to develop our learning of editing and editing the footage we took in different ways. 

What difficulties did you face?

One difficulty with the making of this preliminary film was the amount of time we had to record the footage as well as the amount of time we left to edit. We overcome this by planning out our individual roles and when we were going to do specific things. This helped us to manage our time better and complete the short film within a good amount of time. Moreover, as the filming was completed in a public place we had to make sure that the recording didn't include anyone who didn't give consent for themselves to be recorded. Therefore, a few shots and had to be re-taken to take this into account.

How did you plan out the shots?

One way in which we made sure the shots/scenes were good and correct was to film them more than once however, from different angles therefore, when editing we would be able to see which shots were better and what were more successful to therefore use in the final version of the preliminary film. Moreover, we wrote down what sequence of shots we thought would be best and what type of shots we thought would be best at certain points.

What did you learn about continuity editing?

I learnt that the shots have to flow together well without the audience's attention being brought to the cuts and transitions of moving from one shot to another. Moreover, I learnt about the importance of rules such as match on action, where the shots must flow together well with the same time frame within the shots as the clip moves on. In addition, the mood of the short film can be affected by the non-diegetic music that's used. Therefore, if the correct type/mood of music is used it helps the clips seem as if they flow together better and that they fit the preliminary film more.

What did you learn about the demands of filming a sequence?

I learnt about the importance of planning before recording because it saves time as you're more likely to get the shot right first time than if you dont plan the shot, because then the shot may not look how you want it too and may have to be re-filmed. This will then allow you for more time either filming other shots, or making the film of higher quality in editing.

Preliminary Task Evaluation 1

What is the purpose of the preliminary task?

The purpose of the task was to show that we fully understood all the concepts when recording, including things such as match on action, the 180 degree rule and different camera shots as well as how we apply them to the filming and different situations. Also the purpose of this task was to show editing skills and how we edit the footage in different ways to other people who have the same footage as ourselves.

What difficulties did you face?

The difficulties we faced include the filming being in a public place. This caused people to maybe walk in camera shot or disrupt the filming in some way. Therefore, the filming of some shots had to be re done because of this. Also we had difficulties in putting shots together and so they flowed well, both in editing and when filming them as well as also having to re film some shots because of it not matching to the rules eg. 180 degree rule.

How did you plan out the shots?

We planned out the shots by discussing together firstly the outline of what we wanted the sequence to be about and what we wanted it to include, then we discussed what types of shot we thought would be best and how we would film them. From there we created a storyboard, this meant that we had a basic plan to follow and knew roughly shot for shot, what type of shot and film sequence we wanted to created.

What did you learn about continuity editing?

I learnt that the shots need to flow together smoothly with swift transitions and so it isn't brought to the audiences attention without them focusing on it specifically. Also, I learnt the importance of the shots flowing together and having reasons for the certain transitions or effects used during the editing to try and make the clip/editing as good as possible. Also i learnt about the effect that music can have up on the mood of the clip/scene and how it must fit in with the editing that i'm doing.

What did you learn about the demands of filming a sequence?

I learnt about the importance of time management, this meant trying to get the shots correct first time and so more time could be spent on the editing of the clips and making them look as good as possible. However, I also realise the importance of not rushing the shots and so that the quality isn't what you initially want. Furthermore, I learnt the importance of having the necessary equipment to make my sequence as good as possible and well as the best actors and cameraman possible to make the sequence I am filming as professional as possible. Moreover, it is important that you plan out using a storyboard and so you know the sequence of shots you want to film before you start.

In conclusion, we made this preliminary film to learn different editing techniques and the different effects available to use. Also, we needed to learn the different things that need to be planned before recording the shots such as the use of storyboards etc. This preliminary task will help me to develop my future films in better ways and make them as best as possible now im more familiar with the editing and the resources available etc.