9 Frame-Analysis
Research:
For my last film, the Lone Driver, I based my movie from the conventions popularly used in many crime-thriller movies. These types of movies can variate in terms of how much action they contain, but they tend to focus less on the action and more on the development of the plot and characters. I picked out some genres and will most likely end up infusing elements from 2 or 3 different genres in order to suit my personal tastes and interest when it comes to creating my own film openings.
1. Action
2. Thriller
3. Drama
4. Crime
Using the genres above, I will end up picking elements from a couple of them and combining them. Now before the diving into the planning stage of my next film opening, I will look into 3 other films that are of any of these four genres.
For my last film, the Lone Driver, I based my movie from the conventions popularly used in many crime-thriller movies. These types of movies can variate in terms of how much action they contain, but they tend to focus less on the action and more on the development of the plot and characters. I picked out some genres and will most likely end up infusing elements from 2 or 3 different genres in order to suit my personal tastes and interest when it comes to creating my own film openings.
1. Action
2. Thriller
3. Drama
4. Crime
Using the genres above, I will end up picking elements from a couple of them and combining them. Now before the diving into the planning stage of my next film opening, I will look into 3 other films that are of any of these four genres.
Action
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
The opening credits of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2014) are all reminiscent of the color of gunfire and intense transitions. As the action escalates, the font quickly slides across the screen. A combination of rapid font transitions and split second action sequences form together to create an alert feel for the audience, leaving them on the edge of their seats. Nonetheless, the credits appear suddenly with each quick cut, and are synced up with the classic theme song of Mission Impossible. The movie is based on continous action and the work of international spies. Intensity is of the utmost importance in this opening scene, yet the font fails to deliver on that theme. Generic font and bland colors fail to make the actors names truly pop. I admire the fast paced editing, but my film will be a thriller. Thus. I will be using much darker and more dramatic font. |
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Drama
Snow White and The Huntsman
All of the credits in the opening scene are color matched with the background images. The white and grey hues disappear and reappear from scene to scene as do the credits. All of the black and dark spots of each scene is covered with a credit. Many of the scenes include pictures of armory and steel swords and the font coloring of these credits match them in each scene. In one of the scenes of the opening clip, there is a sheet of a mirror, that shatters as the credits appears in the middle of it. The same assortment of colors in each scene fail to make the credits truly pop, but at least they don’t detract from the scene. These credits are overall too simple for my genre of film and audience. |
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ThrillerFantastic Voyage
The entirety of the credits are the same, as they all appear in the fashion of a type writer. Each font comes in with the clacking noises of a type writer from right to left. With progression, the sound of a hearbeat in the background gets faster, and so does the clacking of the type writer with the showing of each new credit. All of the scenes revolve around the credits, and some sort of machine in the background recording data. The whole opening scene is about some sort of experiment around a man that is laying in bed with an arrangement of electrodes attached to his head. The credits are a simple white and iconic screenplay font that anybody will recognize. Granted, this movie debuted in the 1960’s, so in reality they are quite impressive. The credits in this opening scene are applicable to mine, becauae it seems to be a dramatic thriller. This movie is definitely not a horror movie, so it suits my audience and genre perfectly. |
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Survey for Target Audience
Survey PPT by Wilmer Silva on Scribd
Audience Questionnaire Reflection |
Viewer Profile |
The Gender of the viewers
-the people who took my survey were predominantly male The Age of the viewers - out of the 25 people that took my survey, 24 of them were between the ages of 10-18. Thus, my survey will tell me accurate results on what this age group will want to see and not other age groups. The Best Platform for the Distribution of Films -60 of the respondents to my survey watched films on online streaming services and the other 40% watched them in the movie theater. None of the respondents watch DVD's anymore so I know that this would not be the route to take. Frequency of Movie Consumption -Half of the respondents watch 1-2 movies monthly and the other half watch them 1-2 times weekly. Favorite Film Genre, Type of Opening -The respondents generally like comedies and actions. Combining both of these genres create the perfect appealing movie for many viewers. Montage openings are also very appealing for viewers as they are good at attracting the viewer in in the first 10 minutes of the film. Ethnicity of the Viewer -the ethnicity is not very crucial to this survey. The problem with the ethnicity of the viewer is that my respondents were predominantly caucasion. |
Gender
- My audience was only 2/3 male and had similar opinions to that of the female respondents. I feel that the age of the viewer correlates more to their movie habits than the gender. Age - From my questionnaire, 95% of the survey takers were males and the other 5% females. Genre - The most popular genre of film per the responses was action and comedy with mystery films being the least popular. Movie Streaming - Half of my respondents watch movies through streaming services and the other half at the movie theaters. Film Opening - 28% of my viewers like montage openings -16% of them like credit openings -24% of them like narration openings -32% of them like intense openings |
How are openings established? |
Directors from my genre |
Title sequences are an elaborate and very meaningful way of conveying the overall tone
and theme of a television show, or film before they begin. Before they used to serve simply as a way to signify the audience that the movie had begun and ended. Nowadays, movie production companies make a great effort to have openings that will show the title, the actors which are a huge deal for the viewers, and portray the tone of the movie in a way that will keep the viewers watching. |
Alfred Hitchcock - known as the initial director to truly pioneer many techniques that are used in thriller and horror movies up to this day. He framed shots that would maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, and for his time period used advanced editing techniques.
Brian De Palma- Palma is actually known for two of the genres I may combine, thrillers and crime films. He is known for slow sweeping, panning and tracking shots as well as camera angles that focus on two events happening at once. Paul Greengrass - most well-known for his extremely successful Bourne movies, Greengrass is a pioneer of the shaky handheld effect, commonly used for many intense action scenes, especially in chases. |
Camera Shots & Editing Relating to Thrillers
LoHigh angle - these kinds of shots are used in horrors and thrillers to make the figure or object that is being looked down on seem completely powerless and vulnerable.
Close up - commonly used to see reactions on actors' faces. Shows emotion from characters and little details.
Tracking shots - these shots show movement and are effective in horror and thriller films to make out that a character is being followed or watched. Sometimes also used to establish a scene.
Reverse editing - shows character undergo realization and builds up suspense. Also commonly used in flashbacks.
Tilted angle - can add and build tension in shots, especially when focusing on a supernatural or important character. Sometimes used from the perspective of a victim on the floor.
Extreme long shot - can be used to establish setting and show viewers a creepy setting or environment that creates suspense.
Low angle - are powerful in the fact that they can empasize how powerful a character or villain is. Can make other characters feel inferior or vulnerable.
Handheld camera shot - gives the shot a more realistic feel as the audience feels as if they are there.
Point of view shot - shot from the point of view of a character and lets the audience see their perspective.
Zoom shot - adds to the dramatic effect and creates element of suspense and fear as you don't know what you are going to see next.
Over the shoulder shot - used to build tension and helps audience see what a character is looking at and doing as they do it.
Close up - commonly used to see reactions on actors' faces. Shows emotion from characters and little details.
Tracking shots - these shots show movement and are effective in horror and thriller films to make out that a character is being followed or watched. Sometimes also used to establish a scene.
Reverse editing - shows character undergo realization and builds up suspense. Also commonly used in flashbacks.
Tilted angle - can add and build tension in shots, especially when focusing on a supernatural or important character. Sometimes used from the perspective of a victim on the floor.
Extreme long shot - can be used to establish setting and show viewers a creepy setting or environment that creates suspense.
Low angle - are powerful in the fact that they can empasize how powerful a character or villain is. Can make other characters feel inferior or vulnerable.
Handheld camera shot - gives the shot a more realistic feel as the audience feels as if they are there.
Point of view shot - shot from the point of view of a character and lets the audience see their perspective.
Zoom shot - adds to the dramatic effect and creates element of suspense and fear as you don't know what you are going to see next.
Over the shoulder shot - used to build tension and helps audience see what a character is looking at and doing as they do it.
Uses and Gratification Theory
Most films are produced as entertainment for this is what audiences most want and therefore the film is most likely to make money. Any film that becomes much talked about (social interaction) can be considered an 'event movie'. If you have not seen the 'event movie' then you are likely to be left out of conversations. Hollywood's box office suffered in 2000 through the lack of an 'event movie'; in 1999 the Star Wars prequel, The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project were all films that generated buzz.
“Uses and Gratification” asks why people attend to media content and what they get from it
The uses and gratifications theory suggests four ways in which audiences use films (and any other media texts). While the theory errs too much on the side of audience autonomy (it virtually denies the texts can affect individuals unless he or she wants it to) it remains a useful way of understanding how audiences may read a film.
“Uses and Gratification” asks why people attend to media content and what they get from it
- The common-sense theory is that people seek out media that satisfy their wants and/or needs.
- U&G research tries to explain the reasons why people watch movies and the needs that this content fulfills.
The uses and gratifications theory suggests four ways in which audiences use films (and any other media texts). While the theory errs too much on the side of audience autonomy (it virtually denies the texts can affect individuals unless he or she wants it to) it remains a useful way of understanding how audiences may read a film.
- Personal Identity: we can get a sense of ourselves and our peer group from films. We may identify with particular film stars, who we may even use as role models.
- Information: the media are full of information which we are at liberty to use.
- Entertainment: the text provides pleasure for the audience, this is often characterized as being 'escapist'.
- Social interaction: films, the news or last night's television programs are common topics of discussion; we use the media to feed this social interaction.