Emma Devlin AS

What is it? A title sequence is the way in which a film introduces the title and key people involved in the movie. It can be done in a variety of different ways, however visuals and sound are often used to convey the overall tone and genre of the film. This makes it become more than just words on a screen, as it can be a useful tool to tell the audience more about the story. The audience would expect to see the film title, appropriate music, the names of cast members, and a clarification of genre. Different types There are four main ways of producing a title sequence. One way would be to do a discrete title sequence, and is often referred to as a 'mini film'. It is almost like a separate clip before the film starts (with a separate narrative to the rest of the film), however it heavily focuses on setting the tone and genre in a way that does not reveal much about the actual story line itself. Se7en is a prime example of this as it is separate from the main events, however i...

Textual analysis number two of the film opening of 'Reasonable Doubt' Conventions One of the most important conventions of classic crime films is creating verisimilitude. In order to hook the audience deep into the storyline, it is vital to ensure the camera work and mise en scene make the events believable. The opening five minutes to the film Reasonable Doubt does this well, as it not only meets the audiences expectations (e.g. through the location and having a male actor play the lead role), but it opens with unexpected drama, that soon cuts to the main events, that introduce the lead character and establish the genre. Tone/genre Director Peter Howitt mostly uses the credits and location in the first two minutes to establish the genre. This is due to the connotations and associations related to the particular style used, and the fact that big cities are a typical convention of crime films. However, the opening  two minutes of the film do not give that much away, especi...

Textual analysis one of the film opening of 'Se7en' Conventions A conventional film opening would be likely to include the company name, opening titles and credits and a soundtrack. The director will also establish the genre of the film and main characters within this opening. Se7en is therefore fairly conventional as it does meet all of the above. David Fincher, the director of the film, jumps straight into it by showing the title. However, it is not obvious as the same font is used, making it blend in more.  The reason for this is to create continuity by emerging the audience straight into the film and quickly establishing the genre with no fancy graphics distracting the audience.  How is tone/genre established? When establishing tone and genre, Se7en is fairly conventional, as the genre is clear from the offset. The genre is explicitly portrayed through the use of dim lighting, creating shadows in the extreme close up shots. The use of extreme close up's helps to...

After deciding that the genre of my film will be crime, I researched existing films that fell under this category. The reasoning behind this was to establish the typical codes and conventions, but in doing this, I also found that it inspired ideas for what I could use in my opening sequence.  It is clear from this series of images that the mise-en-scene usually features dull colours such as greys and blues. This is further reinforced by the fact that male characters often wear dark coloured suits, rarely featuring brightly coloured costumes. The lighting is usually fairly dull, or scenes are filmed at night or during the winter to create a more sinister tone.  Famous locations and busy cities are also popular places for crime films to be set. This is because crime rates are often high in these areas, and criminal activity can be more easily disguised in a large, busy city in contrast to a small town. For example, The Wolf of Wall street is set in the infamous ban...

When choosing a genre, I thought about what kind of films I enjoy watching. Although it would be straightforwards to choose to do a horror film opening as the conventions are fairly clear, I myself am not a huge fan of scary films. As I watch a lot of crime films, series and documentaries, I thought this genre would be better as I not only find it interesting and exciting, but I am also more familiar with it.  To ensure I make it clear throughout my opening that the genre is crime, I made a list of all the different codes and conventions that appear within crime films: 1. Setting Pathetic fallacy is technique commonly used in crime films as the dull and dreary weather often reflects the seriousness of the story line. This can be seen in the TV series Sherlock, as it is set in London, where the weather is often overcast or raining.  There are also several locations where crime films are often shot. They include busy cities and large offices, deserted factories, dirty/empty h...

When comparing my story board against what I have filmed, it would be accurate to say that I stuck very close to my plan. In the beginning I kept my plan realistic so that I could be sure it was something I could achieve, yet detailed enough to have a solid idea in my head before I started to film. The reason why I chose to have the girl sitting on the desk, rather than a chair, was to reinforce her careless attitude, as well as to add to the informality between the two characters – displaying the fact that they are good friends. The other character however is sitting down, focusing on his work, explaining all the revision he has done. Although the conversation is not detailed, it fits the environment and relationship between them well. I ensured to include the basic requirements (shot, reverse shot, match on action editing and keeping to the 180-degree rule), as well as use techniques such as panning, the rule of thirds, point of view shots and a range of different camera ...

Here is the link to my video, posted onto YouTube: https://youtu.be/3j_UPY4kRiM