Individual analysis of a title sequence

Once I had looked at different title sequences I decided to look at one of them more closely. By doing so I was able to see what made them give a positive impression and how they could have been improved. This would help me to then make decisions on how I wanted my film title to look. This could also help when sequencing it together and choosing what order  to put it in. 

I decided to look at the title sequence of the film "Buried" into more detail than previously as I felt like this was the most relevant to my own movie. I looked at the style fonts, colour, images and sounds in order to see how they fitted the genre and made an impression on the viewers in order to make it look and be successful.  

The title sequence opens with a black background which is appropriate as it could symbolise the darkness of being buried underground. The writing of the production slowly comes in revealing the writing gradually. By doing this I think it represents the genre well as it is slowly revealing information like a crime movie would. When the font comes on it is bold and easy to read. It's orange and white which contrast well with the black. By doing this it suits more audiences as it helps people who have visual impairments. This would help the movie have higher success rates as more people will be able to watch it if they cater for their needs. There is also a four second pause which enables people to read the details. This is a good idea as some people may not be that good at reading. The writing then exits the screen at the top and letters disappear at different times. 

After this more information comes on and it works it's way up the screen. There is still a consistent colour theme which is a good thing to have as it will be recognisable and it will make it look more professional also. Once it has almost reached the top of the screen the text fades out which allows us as viewers plenty of time to read it but gives the producers chance to use technical editing to improve the appearance of the title sequence.

Once the title sequence has reached the twenty second mark their are images which are started to be used. The colour of the images are similar to the orange text. This helps to colour coordinate which makes it look more sophisticated and well thought out. The images are strands of colour one being textured with a stone imprint to symbolise the title "Buried". 

After the strands begin to increase in number they fall down the screen and they make up the movie title. This also has the stone imprint on it and it emphasises the storyline. This would be good if they were previewing this whilst watching another movie at the cinema as they are getting a glimpse of what the film is about. It is also a good reminder for people who are not at the cinema as they can have a reminder of what the film is about and it also may help them to understand the concept of the movie more. The dark black background has now got an added texture in to make it look like soil. By using small things such as font and background colour you can represent the movie well. I think I may use something like this as it is easy to do and it doesn't require any specialists. Also it won't take a long time which will be good as we can then focus on bigger tasks which may be harder to complete. 

All the fonts after this are also of  a consistent font but the colours have slightly changed. There is still the white element on the title sequence but there is also a new colour of blue. They use the blue letters as the capital letter which is first. By choosing this colour they could be contrasting the ground and the sky. By doing so they are yet again symbolising the title "Buried" as it shows the ground first as this is what the film is based around and they afterwards it shows blue which is what is above them.  Afterwards they link the blue writing towards the textured stone background. By doing this it is linking the two elements together. This symbolises the earth meeting the ground and showing it is closer than they imagine. This carries on until the end of the title sequence. However, the colour interchanges from the blue and to the yellow and orange colours. This could help reflect the movie as it shows the struggles of getting from the ground to above it.

Overall, I believe that this is a good title sequence example as it represents the film well. It does this by showing that images and colours which may reflect the film and what the storyline is. It also uses colour themes which show hidden messages of certain aspects of the film. This has made me want to show some parts of my movie in order to persuade and keep my audiences entertained. This will help to make my movie become more successful as the title sequence will be informative and entertaining to persuade my audience to watch my movie.

 



Treatments (first two minuets)

Title- To be confirmend

Duration/length- two minuets

Audience- Our film will be target towards anyone aged 15 or above. This large target market will result in more potential consumers, meaning that our film could be, potentially, more successful. However, a specific sub group of 16 to 35 year olds will be the main target audience, as the themes of drugs, violence and adolescence are most likely to appeal to this specific age group. Furthermore, our film will still appeal to many more people out of this subgroup, resulting in a broad target audience. 

Distribution- Our chosen distribution company is Entertainment One Distribution UK, as these are an independent UK film distribution company so will therefore understand the ethos of independent UK crime thriller films, as they have previously distributed similar films to ours, such as 'Looper'. Because of this they will have a very good understanding of what aspects of our film will appeal to certain film, so will be able to use their expertise to marketing and distribute our film as efficiently as possible, resulting in as many people with in our target market seeing it as possible, in turn making our film as successful as possible. 

Our film will be distributed in as many different ways as possible, across many different forms of exhibition such as cinemas, home entertainment and online streams, to make the film as accessible as possible so more potential consumers have access to the film. Through the recent developments of technological convergence, consumers will be able to view our film across a variety of platforms such as computers, mobile phones or tablets. In essence, the more people who can view our film, the more successful it will be.

Synopsis/summary- In a large urban town in the north of England, a sudden drug epidemic has swiped across the town causing social awareness about organised crime groups consisting of drug suppliers to small scale criminals to rise at a huge rate. D.C.I Bloor has been put in charge of the operation and has been working hard after a breakup with his wife. Meanwhile Lewis Lock a cocky, spoilt teenager is trying to get up the hierarchy of the drug trade  

Suggested elements

Treatment (full film)

Title:

Duration: We have decided that our full film will last 105 minutes, as this lengthy duration would allow for times of suspense and tension creating the desired atmosphere for our crime thriller film, creating the desired affect on our audience. 

Audience: Our film will be target towards anyone aged 15 or above. This large target market will result in more potential consumers, meaning that our film could be, potentially, more successful. However, a specific sub group of 16 to 35 year olds will be the main target audience, as the themes of drugs, violence and adolescence are most likely to appeal to this specific age group. Furthermore, our film will still appeal to many more people out of this subgroup, resulting in a broad target audience. 

Distribution: Our chosen distribution company is Entertainment One Distribution UK, as these are an independent UK film distribution company so will therefore understand the ethos of independent UK crime thriller films, as they have previously distributed similar films to ours, such as 'Looper'. Because of this they will have a very good understanding of what aspects of our film will appeal to certain film, so will be able to use their expertise to marketing and distribute our film as efficiently as possible, resulting in as many people with in our target market seeing it as possible, in turn making our film as successful as possible. 

Our film will be distributed in as many different ways as possible, across many different forms of exhibition such as cinemas, home entertainment and online streams, to make the film as accessible as possible so more potential consumers have access to the film. Through the recent developments of technological convergence, consumers will be able to view our film across a variety of platforms such as computers, mobile phones or tablets. In essence, the more people who can view our film, the more successful it will be.

Synopsis: In a large urban town in the north of England, a sudden drug epidemic has swiped across the town causing social awareness about organised crime groups, consisting of drug suppliers and small scale criminals to rise at a huge rate. Following numerous reports and incidents, DCI Bloor is given an ultimatum from the Chief Inspector, either crack the case and begin to make arrests to bring down the notorious drug lord at the top chain before it is too late and the known associates who could help DCI Bloor take down the drug circle are picked off and assassinated so the secrecy of the whole operation remains, or be forced to resign as the case is now in the scrutinising eyes of the public domain, so someone will have to be held responsible if nothing is done.

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Name:

Age: 

occupation:

1: What genre do you think our film is?


2: Who do you think our film is aimed at?


3: Do you understand the storyline?


4: Where do you usually watch films? (cinema, DVD, online)


5: Where would you expect to see our film?


6: How often do you watch crime films?


7: Can you relate to the characters in our film?


8: What do you think would make a good title for our film?


9: Do you enjoy watching crime films?


10: what would be a suitable setting for our film?

Questionnaire (specific questions relating to our film)

Name:

Age:

Occupation:


Q1) Can you relate to any of the characters in our film? If so, which character(s)? Why?



Q2) What do you think about the locations and settings where our film is based (urban area)? Do you        think they seem realistic and appropriate settings for a crime thriller film?



Q3) What aspects of our film relate to your life? Would this encourage you to watch our film?



Q4) Do you think that our film should be left as a cliff hanger with Detective Bloor facing another            problem, or do you think that it should be resolved towards the end? What influenced your                decision either way?



Q5) What aspects of our film would you enjoy the most; violence, tension, drama or times of triumph when Detective Bloor gains success?



Q6) Do you agree that our film is appropriate for audiences aged 15 and above?



Q7) Would our film appeal specifically to you? If so would you watch it? What factors or aspects of our film influenced your decision either way?


Q8) Would you recommend our film to any friends off of the basis of the storyline?

First 15 minutes of a film analysis

Introduction 

I decided to look at the first 15 minutes of a crime film as I believe this will help when it comes to the making of my film. This will help because I can see how the film structures it's content and then what they actually include. By doing so I can include what is best whilst also making it look as professional as possible. I have chosen to look at the film Bugsy Malone. This movie is a gangster/crime film which is set in the 60's. There is a situation where Dandy Dan send men to shoot people with custard guns which kill people. His main rival is Fat Sam a jazz bar owner. Bugsy a friend of Fat Sam sets out to resolve the issue. The movie has original music which helps when setting the scene and telling the story. The cast is all children which gives it a unique point about the movie and it could also help the film appeal to a wider audience especially children. 

Establishing shot

The film starts with an establish shot. This is a good shot to use as it helps set the scene and it gives us an idea of what the character and story line may be like. It also gives us a time setting which can add historical content and an understand of how people lived their lives during the time period in which it is set in. As seen in the photo the street is empty to begin with. The sound in the background is a cat which meows. This echos as there is no other sound which is heard. By using this sound it makes the street look and seem abandoned. This then adds mystery to the movie as we haven't see anything. There is also a lack of lighting which makes the setting dark and doesn't reveal too much. This makes us as viewers see the mystery and potential dangers which may lurk. 

Focus on drainpipe and metaphor for Roxy Robinson

The next scene then focuses in on water dripping from a drainpipe. This is the first time we see a scene in detail and it helps us to understand the conditions the characters were living in. From this scene we see that the conditions are dirty and not well tended to. When it first focuses in on the scene we are puzzled as to why it would focus on something so completely out of context. However, a voice over of the main character Bugsy Malone comes on. His voice shares information on the rivalry which has been taking place. He uses a metaphor which symbolizes a character and the ongoing issue. "Someone once said if it was raining brains Roxy Robinson wouldn't even get wet". Here we learn of the weather condition and the reasoning of why it has focused in on a drainpipe. Also we learn of a new character which we begin to question Who is he? Why is important? This adds to the crime genre as little information is released in a long duration of time. 

Roxy hiding 

We then see Roxy Robinson's character emerge and with Bugsy's voice over we learn more about his character. "All his life Roxy Robinson had tried making 2+2 into 5". This shows how his character always wanted more than he could get in his life. He then says "He could smell trouble wherever he went" This as a viewer makes us anticipate trouble and almost assume it because of Bugsy's comment. This makes us as viewers gripped to see what trouble he's in. By grabbing the viewers attention already it makes us want to see the rest of the movie just to see what happens to all the other characters. There is also low light and most of it is caused by shadows. There is a fill light on the left which gives just enough light to see the surrounding and the shape of Roxy. By doing this we don't see much of his face as his hands are cupped. By not seeing this we anticipate who he is and why he has found himself in this situation.  

Opposed emerging

Once we have seen the scene of Roxy hiding we go back to the first scene of the establishing shot. We being to see what was making this character so scared. Again the setting is dismal and dark to keep up the tension and mystery.  As these characters emerge we hear music in the background which has heavy and short sounds which help to keep the pace of the movie going. The faces of these character are also hidden which also makes us question who are they? Why are they chasing the previous character? This keeps a sense of mystery like the other scenes and keeps us on a cliffhanger as to what will happen next. 

Gang lined up

Once the setting has changed to an off street alley way we begin to learn more about the setting. As Roxy ran down an alleyway in an attempt to escape he realizes it is a dead end. The gang close in and we get to see their faces for the first time. We know it is a gang by looking at the costume and props. They are wearing black suits and hats which are all uniformed and they all look the same. This gets rid of their individual identity and shows of the gangs image. They are also holding guns which they are using as a threat. The guns show the power the gang have over Roxy as he is defenseless and also outnumbered. The scene is again dark so that not too much information or clues are revealed as to how the movie will end. 

Gang close up

We then see the camera go into a close up of different member of the gang. They begin to question who Roxy is. They find out his identity and then ask who he works for. We learn he works for the popular business owner Fat Sam. They ask if he works for him in which he responds yes. We then want to know why this Sam is an important role in the film. The close up shows that the gang have no fear or worry in their eyes as they know that Roxy can't do anything to harm them. 

Roxy shot in the face and use of prop.

Once the gang have manipulated answers out of Roxy we learn that Sam is the main enemy towards them. This shows Roxy isn't an important character within the movie. However, by shooting him we see that the gang will do anything that is even close to Fat Sam purely because of their dislike towards him. The producers here make their first use of prop when they use the gun to shoot. As you can see from the image the guns are in no way realistic. The weapons are custard guns that if shot the contents of the gun will kill whoever the ammo hits. There is then a close up of Roxy splattered against the wall and we begin to learn what the plot of the movie really is about. 

Title scene 

Once the shooting scene has finished we then see Bugsy walking down the street and this is when the titles begin to take place. There is then a part in the title sequence where we see the movie title logo. This is an important thing to feature as it brands the movie and helps to set the scene. The scene is relatively similar to the opening scenes which makes us think that he can't be too far away from the other characters which make us presume they will be linked somehow. As he is walking there is a soundtrack in the background with the original song Bugsy Malone. The song lyrics give us information about the main character. It informs us of his personality and his behavior. It also helps us predict how the film will end as one line of the song states "don't mess with Bugsy or you'll wind up wishing you had left better off alone". This shows he is a feared person and that he has more power than anyone. This makes us think he has control over other characters. 

Title sequences

As the title sequences continue we learn how the background images make an impact on us as viewers. The producers have use images and videos in the background of the title sequence to show part of the movie. The snippets help us as viewers to get gripped into watching the movie. They use white as a contrasting color which makes it easier for us viewers to read the information on the title sequence. They use the same color and style of font throughout the title sequence in order to make it look more professional. The song of Bugsy Malone is still being played throughout the title sequence with the scene noise muted so we can still get an understanding of the character and the plot. 

Secret entrance

As the movie progresses into it's main opening we get a change in voice over. This changes to the voice of Fat Sam who begins to talk about Bugsy. We hear him say that Bugsy is the hero of the story. This gives away some information about how the movie will end. This is not necessarily a bad thing for a crime movie as we want to know how things get resolved and what happens to other characters who are also involved in the movie. We then see Bugsy enter to what looks like a bookstore which is really Fat Sam's grand slam which is a jazz bar. It appears to be this way as a security measure as with the criminal activity going on it keeps unwanted custom out. We see that Bugsy must know Sam as he can visit the bar. 

Fat Sam's office

We then see a scene 5 minutes into the film of Sam in his office. We see him sat down at his desk talking to his main gang who are known as "The Bad Guys". After one of his best gang member has died Sam shifts blame onto his gang. We see the power he has over them as we see them scared to even talk. We see the feud between Sam and the other gang is serious as he is not happy about losing vital members of his gang. 

Dancers

We then go into the main room of Fat Sam's. We see that the setting really emphasises the time period in which the movie is set in. Also in the 60's there was a lot of jazz entertainment around as it was increasingly popular. The dancers show what sort of clothing the people in the 60's would have worn. By being realistic with the setting and costumes we have a realistic element to the movie which is not seen that often.  There is also high key lighting which is used. This helps us to see the setting around Fat Sam's.  

Blousey and Bugsy meeting

In this scene we see another main character Blousey meet Bugsy. Blousey came to Fat Sam's hoping to get a job as a singer. However, her audition was cancelled as Sam was too busy, she then goes into the main hall of Fat Sam;s where she bumps into Bugsy. The two then start talking about her reasoning of carrying a baseball bat in her bag. The two in the movie later on become romantically involved. This is a good scene as it explains why an ordinary girl got dragged into the trouble between the two gangs. 

Shoot out in Fat Sam's

Whilst the conversation between Bugsy and Blousey is ongoing there is and outburst which brings it to a halt. The gang from the previous scene have come into Fat Sam's in order to shoot more people. This puts emphasis on how serious the rivalry is as the gang are willing to shoot anyone who is slightly connected to Fat Sam. There is key lighting from the shot shown to the right. This is so it looks more natural and gives a more realistic feel to the situation. Once the gang spot Fat Sam they automatically shoot his way but miss. They then make a swift exit before they get caught as they are hugely outnumbered.  Afterwards Fat Sam tries to calm down the situation as he wants to keep a good reputation up.  

I think that this film was a good choice to look at as it shows many different techniques which could be used in order to make my film look more professional. It gives examples of different lighting, shots and other features of which I could potentially use. By looking at this it has given me inspiration of how to make my film look. I have also learnt that I can tell some story through music which could be potentially more enjoyable for certain viewers. The use of voice over in the opening scene has also been informative as it gives plot and character information away. Title sequences were also included in this movie also which makes me also want to include them in my film. Overall, I believe that the producers have made the first 15 minutes of the movie gripping. I also want to do this in order to make my viewers want to carry on watching my movie.

Individual analysis of first 10-15 mins of Goodfellas

Individual analysis of first 10-15 mins of Goodfellas



The first 44 seconds of the film show the title sequence, giving the names of people involved in the film with the sound of passing cars used as the names move across the screen. This gives us the idea that the film may start with a high speed car chase or near a busy road. 





After this we see a short clip of the three men in the car. Here we have diegetic sound as the three characters talk to each other about the banging sound coming from the back of the car. This makes the characters seem innocent as they think they have a flat tire, but then they realise what it is. We can also here the sound of the car and other cars as you naturally would. This is all diegetic as the characters can also here these sounds.

From here the three characters pull over and get out of the car. The Three of them are wearing suits. This represents someone high up in society e.g. a business man, a lawyer. But these three characters are wearing them casually, no tie, the top two buttons undone, the shirt not tucked in. This would show that they have to wear them for there job, or so they look natural and fit in with others when actually they don't want to wear them and don't conduct normal lives with real occupations. One of the men is also carrying a weapon. This shows that the men are violent and about to commit a crime, or already have.Another man is reaching into his pocket, also for a weapon, showing just how dangerous they are.

We then see the boot open to reveal a man wearing white but covered in blood. The white clothing could connotate his innocence. The men then quickly try to kill the man stabbing him numerous times and eventually shooting him. The sound of the gun is synchronous and the 'bang' sounds in time with him pulling the trigger. This shows the violent nature of the film so the audience know what to expect throughout, also showing the film is largely revolving around crime. 

After this one of the men comes and slams the boot shut. This is also synchronous sound as the sound is in time with the boot closing. As the character is doing this there is a voice over, 'As far back as i can remember, i have always wanted to be a gangster' This provides the audience with information about the character and gives them an insight into there life. Once the voice over is over, there is non-diegetic sound as the music plays, all upbeat and happy representing that the film is going to be happy and uplifting though it looks to be dark and dangerous. This is contrapuntal sound, as we have just witnessed a murder but then they play happy music to contrast it, it doesn't fit together. 

This music then continues through to the next clip as they introduce different producers and directors and other people involved in the film. Also using the sound of the car passing as the names wipe on and off the screen. This is effective as you get to see a short clip of the film in between the main title sequence, this keeps the audience watching and engaged in the film. 

From this we have another voice over with an extreme close up of the main character (we still do not know names) all you can see is his eye. As it zooms out we get to see more of his face in a close up. This is effective as we get to see the character properly in the light, as before there was very little lighting. We also get to know more about the character as he tells us about why he always wanted to be a gangster, following on from where we left off. 

We then see a long shot of a street, presumably where he lives, to set the scene. There is writing across the bottom telling you where the scene is set and where the film will take place. As the camera moves round we follow a man crossing the road, using a pan, all while the voice over is taking place, the character explaining his life as a gangster. 

First mans feet

Camera tilts up

From this we see two men get out of a car. As the first man gets out of the car the camera starts low down so all you can see are his feet and then it tilts up. This shows the character from a cantered angle, a low angle, making him look important and  superior compared to the characters around him. The second man is just seen in a medium shot, this adds to the first mans importance as it shows the second man as less important than him, and not   on his level.

See him from a low angle.

After a while, the voice over still playing, it goes back to his childhood, getting a job at a cab office and explaining how he loved his job. We then see him in the house with his father and his father hits him with the belt. We then see a freeze frame of his father holding the belt, while he explains on the voice over whats happening. This is good as you get the diegetic sound and synchronised sound of the characters talking and the smack of the belt, but then it freezes and goes back to the explanation of the voice over so the audience understands whats happening.
The belt is a prop in this scene, and is used as a weapon (reverting back to the beginning with the murder and all three men had weapons and were violent towards the seen to be innocent man) this could show where the boy got his violence from, his father. Also showing how children were treated in those times. 


From this scene we move straight to a conversation between the boy and a man, presumably his boss. Shot reverse shot is used here to show the conversation between the two characters. Behind the man we can see a chair, it looks fairly old representing that they dot make that much money and cant afford new furniture, the door also looks old and in need of re-painting.  


The clothes both characters are wearing also look old and dirty presenting that they are poor and don't have the money to buy new clothes and that they are not bothered about there appearance they just want to get on with there work and get there money to spend on more interesting things, e.g. cars. The clothes also look dirty representing the times they live in as washing machines and other electronic devices were new and expensive so not everyone can afford one. 


We also see more violence from his work colleagues when telling a post man not to deliver any school letters to his house, using force to drag him into a car and threatening him. Through this a panning shot is used to show the movements from the car to inside the  cafe. Another freeze frame is used and the voice over continues giving explanation as to what happened with the school letters. 

It then  moves on to a barbecue party, the boy is told something, the audience does not know what, and we see the boy smashing car windows with a crow bar. This shows hes not in charge, his taking orders from the boss and he has to do what they say, otherwise there will be consequences. This is shown in the dark, using low key lighting so you can see what is happening. This makes it more mysterious and could connotate danger. The sound of the windows smashing is  synchronised with the actions so it is believable.  


When the names of each character move across the screen this is a wipe edit, you can see each name wipe across the screen from one end to the other (right to left) then the name settles in the middle. This is then wiped off and replaced with the next name. 
An establishing shot is used when they first show the car, this is used to establish where the scene is taking place, in the car on a desolate road, in the dark. We then have a medium three shot inside the car, this is used to show the audience that these three men are inside the car they have just seen and are presumably the main protagonists in the film. Continuity editing is used throughout this scene with each clip following from the next smoothly so the audience understands what is going on. 
Match on action is used later in the film also to keep continuity. This is used when the boy is being beat by the belt. This keeps continuity and makes the film look realistic, as though the boy is actually being beat. 
This film starts in media-res (the middle of action or a story) finishing with the characters voice over about wanting to be a gangster. We then flash back to his childhood to explain why he wanted to be a gangster and how he got into the 'business' 
Although the film does not have a typical discourse structure as it is not in chronological order it is easy for the audience t follow especially because of the voice over explaining whats happening.