Evaluation 7 - Progression from Preliminary Task

Difference from Prelim Task on Prezi

Evaluation 6 - Skills Learnt about Technologies

To ensure that our final product could be made, there were several different software's and technologies we needed to use. These were:
- Final Cut Express
- Livetype
- Blogger
- Prezi
- Digital Cameras
- Microphones
- Red Head Lighting Kit
- Youtube

Final Cut Express was the main software that we used to put our whole project together. This software was used to put the actual sequence together, which included all of the sound and credits. To begin with, this software seemed quite complicated, as I hadn't had much experience and there was a large amount of different tools available. As the task went on more became clear, and I was able to use Final Cut Express quickly as I understood what was what. 'Cross Cutting' 'Additive Fade' and 'Colour Corrector' were the main editing techniques myself and the group used, but from Final Cut we were able to import sound effects and credits previously made. Below are some screen shots of the sequence in Final Cut.

To help produce our tital credtis, which was featured throughout our opening sequence, we needed to use LiveType. We had a lesson shown to us before we started our task on how to use the programme effectively. From that, we went then onto making the credits for our opening sequence. At first it seemed quite difficult as we weren't used to the software or able to use it to the best of our ability, but shortly after we practiced and changed a few things around it seemed quite straightforward. 

It was essential that we had a secure place in which all of our planning/research and evaluation tasks were able to be saved. Before starting the subject, I hadn't used Blogger or Prezi before, therefore I had to sign up to both of these software's. From blogger I made a blog (where we were able to embed presentations made from Prezi) which i kept updating throughout the project. Prezi was used for the powerpoints as a different way to display information, which then got uploaded to my blog. I found both of these software's really useful.

Throughout our group we all had a basic understanding of how to use the digital camera (examples such as record,stop,playback, zoom in/out). I feel however, my skills have developed significantly as I began to use the different camera angles. We also had a microphone available, this was to record specific sound effects which we wanted, for example after we had put together our opening sequence we agreed that a sound effect to go with the girl being tied up in the shed would work well. We therefore used the microphone to capture this sound. Lastly, Red Head Lighting Kit was used to improve the lighting of one of the shots - when we originally filmed it the picture came out too dark, so by using additional lighting we were able to focus it where it was needed.

Overall, throughout the project I feel my knowledge on these software's and technologies has considerably improved. I understand why they are a popular choice for film makers as they can really improve a sequence to make it look as real as possible. From starting off quite confused when using these technologies, to understanding exactly what I'm doing, is a big improvement.

Evaluation 5 - How we Attracted & Addressed our Audience

Attracting/Addressing the Audience on Prezi

Evaluation 4 - Target Audience for the Media Product

Audience for media product on Prezi

Evaluation 3 - Media Institution Distributing Product

Who would distribute your media product? on Prezi

Evaluation 2 - Media Product Representing Social Groups

What social groups appear in your opening sequence?
In our opening sequence we used a young teenage girl. The original plan was to include a grown man also, this would have been an additional social group - but when it came down to it, we believed that it created more suspense leaving the man out of the audiences view. We therefore resulted in using only this young girl.


What is the stereotypical representation of these social groups?



There is usually a stereotypical view of a teenager, and this representation of them is often shown within films. In some films, teenagers will be shown as aggressive, lazy, criminals and most likely to be involved in violent behaviour, as the image to the left demonstrates (Kidulthood). 

You will watch them partying, out with friends and having a good time, or controversially sleeping around the house, not moving from the sofa all day. Teenagers are related to as having 'attitude', no manners and are constantly swearing (whilst smoking and drinking!). This image shows teenagers partying in the film 'Step Up'.

However, the representation of girls is different. Girls are seen to be innocent, vulnerable and 'dependent' on others. But also 'girly' and very neat with their appearance. Although some films do go against this ,most of the time this is the way a young female will be represented. In the film 'Grease' and they show girls all depending on each other.

How has your opening sequence represented them in a conventional or unconventional way?
Our opening sequence has represented teenagers in an unconventional way, although our character used is a young teenager she still goes against the associated stereotype. We do not see her partying, participating in criminal activity or ultimately sleeping. But instead we see her as being vulnerable and the victim. The camera angles I think play the main part in demonstrating this, both times the girl comes on screen, we see her tied up. We agreed to use a low-angle shot as this shows that she is uncomfortable with the situation but also inferior to whoever has tied her up. This goes against the stereotypical view of a teenager, and therefore we have represented her in an unconventional way. However, a girl being tied up does promote the stereotype of girls as it shows her to be weak, therefore in this sense a victim, so our opening sequence does suggest some type of conventional representation. 


Why have you chosen to represent them in an unconventional way?
I think by choosing to represent the teenager unconventionally it makes the opening sequence more interesting. The audience may not understand what is going on but at the same time want to watch on to find out - narrative enigma. The audience may at first find it hard to identify with the character, but by the sound effects of her whimpering in the background, towards the end of the sequence they start to understand the situation of her being tied up. By not following the stereotype of a ‘dangerous and out-of-hand’ teenager, I think the audience would want to watch on to find out the rest of the storyline.

Evaluation 1 -Media Product use Conventions

Media product using conventions on Prezi

Director's Commentary

Below is a clip showing you the directors commentary about our opening sequence. 

Final Focus Group

Music Evaluation

The music we used in our opening sequence is very classical and eery. It gives the opening sequence an uncomfortable feeling and it creates tension within the audience. It is a contrapuntal sound because it is relaxing and calm however what we are seeing is creepy and chilling. I feel this is a good technique because it gives off a daunting feeling creating narrative-enigma leaving the audience wanting to watch on, but scared at the same time. Below is the music we used for our opening sequence.

Final Opening Sequence

Production Blog 5

WHAT WAS TRICKY/EASY OVERALL?
Throughout the whole project I wouldn’t say that any particular task has been ‘easy’. However we managed to solve problems that occurred with the filming, editing and time managing quite quickly. In my opinion the written side of the coursework has been the more straightforward task; this is because I personally prefer to write about things rather than talk to a camera.

During the filming, at certain points it was quite frustrating. Sometimes the shots that I had in mind weren’t as easy as which I originally thought and therefore we had to compromise with this. The editing process was also tricky, this was down to the fact there were so many different editing techniques available for us to use we had to choose the most suitable one for our genre without making it seem to ‘cheesy’. However, with the many options to choose from I believe we picked out the most convenient.
Therefore, overall I believe there wasn’t any task that I could consider easy although I favoured some more than others. However, in saying this I am satisfied with the work I produced both the written and filming tasks.

Production Blog 4

HOW WE GOT THE SHOTS WE WANTED:
After our preliminary task, we filmed some more test shots. This allowed us to practice with the camera and therefore get the different angles which we wanted in our final piece. After the first filming day, we wasn’t completely satisfied with the shots we had filmed, therefore before we done any more filming for the next three days we just practiced with the camera, and filmed some shots around school. For example we filmed a close-up of a knife cutting – so we were able to make it perfect for the real shot of the steak being cut. Below is a screen shot of the practice shot and then the final shot used.

Production Blog 3

WORKING AS A GROUP:
At the start of the media production we all worked well as a team and each of us contributed our own ideas. We ensured that all of the research and planning tasks were finished on time, and that each of us had them posted onto our blogs.
When it came down to the editing after half term, Charlie had gone on holiday. So it was only Danielle and myself who was able to edit, we spent almost every free lesson editing the sequence, finding suitable music and adding sound effects. We managed together to get the sequence finished and completed to a standard which we were happy with.
When it came down to the group evaluations, we decided to answer these individually. This was because one of our group members had contributed little to the whole task and therefore wouldn’t have had much to say about what had gone well. With Charlie still on holiday, questions associated with the editing side of the task could only be answered by me or Danielle. To save confusion we simply just decided to fill these in by ourselves.

Overall, as a group I don’t think our teamwork was brilliant. Although at times we worked well together, I do think there were certain areas that could be improved. However, I am happy with the final product so I don’t think this is a major issue.When it came down to the filming, the whole group was present on the first day. We managed to get some shots, but when we played it back, we decided we wanted to change the layout of the table – so we could no longer use these shots. On the second filming day I wasn’t present as I was working, Danielle and Charlie filmed some more shots and this was the beginning of the sequence coming together. From then on I, Charlie and Danielle attended every other filming day.

Production Blog 2

TIME MANAGEMENT:
To begin with we didn't have any real planned time where we were to go out and film, as a result our time management to start was weak. For example - when our research and planning work had been accomplished, we wasn't taking the filming as seriously as what we should have done and therefore when it came down to it we were rushing trying to reach our deadline.

It was only when we realised how quick time was going that we sat down and made a plan about what days and what times the group as a whole were available to film - this was successful as we were able to meet our deadline with a good piece of finished work.

We spent many lessons and free time concentrating on the credits for the titles rather than actually getting the filming for our sequence finished. This is an additional example as to how our time keeping wasn't very good to begin with, however once the credits were completed we were happy with the result and this therefore meant we were able to put all of our focus into the filming.

Luckily for our group we had half term a week before our project needed to be in. This was a helpful thing for our group as it meant we could spend a lot of time putting the finished sequence together. When we returned to school after half term, the last week meant editing – and a lot of it! I and my group member Danielle spent a lot of free lessons on Final Cut editing the final sequence.

Overall, I think throughout the task our time management progressed, this was after we realised how little time we had left and how much work we had to do. But after we recognised this we were able to control our time efficiently and consequently reach all of the deadlines required.

Production Blog 1

PROBLEMS WITH FILMING:

Before we started filming we never understood how complicated it would be to get all the shots that we required without giving too much away and getting the background of the location included. The first day that we started to film, we had each of our props ready and laid out how we wanted - our dinner was pasta bake. After looking back at the camera shots and what we filmed we agreed that this particular meal wasn't suitable, so we changed it to a steak (the idea of the blood) and we re-filmed.

The second day, in which we went to film, the camera battery ran out. Like planned, we returned to school the following day and re-charged the battery, but also took with us a spare one. However, we missed out on a day of essential filming therefore we had to make the time up and work hard on the weekend. 

A further problem what we had was the lighting. For the scene to look romantic we needed to turn off all the main lights and make use of the light from the candles. We filmed the scene but when we played it back it still wasn't as light as what we intended it to be. We therefore came into school and took back with us a red head lighting kit, the shutters on this light allowed us to direct the light specifically where we needed it to be and this made the whole scene look so much better when we filmed it again. 

PROBLEMS WITH EDITING:

Fortunately the editing for our sequence was quite simple. The whole idea of our sequence was not to be continuous, we wanted the audience to feel uneasy and in a way confused as to what was going on so we kept jumping back and forth from the meal to the girl tied up. However, one problem that did frequently occur was figuring out the best way to link the shots together. Cross dissolve, and additive dissolve were eventually the main two editing techniques that we used for the shots.

Research Into Directors

Research into successful directors on Prezi

Research into Film Companies

As one of my research tasks I decided to research and find out more about individual film companies. I included some background information about their production and examples of the films which they have produced. I chose three of the most famous film companies and these were: Universal Studios, Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures.


Universal studios is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, it is one of the leading film companies around the world and although it is based in California it is known worldwide. Surprisingly, it is the second oldest movie studio in the world that is still in continuous production. Universal Pictures is the longest-lived Hollywood studio.
Below are examples of some of the films Universal Studios have produced:

Dreamworks is an American film studio which began in 1994. It has produced and distributed more than 10 films with box-office grosses, which totals more than $100 million each. Its founders were Steven Spielberg, Jefferey Katzenburg and David Geffen and they decided to come together following Katzenburgs resignation from the Walt Disney Company. The first film the company released was in 1998, and since then thousands have been distributed. Below are examples of the films Dreamworks have produced:

Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 and also like Universal Studios is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It is one of the largest movie studios known and the last to exist in the Hollywood district of L.A, aswell as being the third oldest film studio. Below are some examples of films that Paramount Pictures have produced:

LiveType Trials

Throughout our lessons we have began to focus on the production logo, which we are going to apply to commence our opening sequence. We have experimented with LiveType and thought out different ways in how we are going to present it. We initially made a production logo, but at a later date we decided to change it. Here are screen shots of our first idea and then our changed and final idea.

INITIAL IDEA:

We used black and white as basic theme colours; this was because we wanted the logo to relate to our genre. We thought of the name ‘Dash Productions’ and to start the logo, each letter glows white until both of the words are highlighted. We purposely did this so the audience could focus on one letter at a time.

 

After all the letters had been highlighted, we added a shake effect to the writing. This was to create an unstable and jolty atmosphere for the audience, so even before they the opening sequence had started, already they recognise the genre. It also emphasises the name of our logo, so for future reference (if the logo was genuinely real) the audience would keep in mind the genre it is associated with. 

 

Once the shaking and the glowing was over, the words along with the clapperboard would fade out. This was to inform the audience that the film was about to begin. It would become unsettling for the audience, as they wouldn’t know what to expect next (in the dark wondering if something unexpected was going to 'jump' out at them).

SECOND AND FINAL IDEA:

We decided to slightly alter our first idea. Therefore to welcome each letter we highlighted it in red, whilst landing on the clapperboard one at a time. We agreed this would have a better effect for the reason that the colour red was one of the motifs for our genre. Also with the colour being quite bold, it stands out further from the background, grabbing attention more.

 

Again, instead of using this as our first shot we decided to change it to our second. After the red has highlighted each letter they turn white - and that’s when the writing starts to fade off screen. We thought this was necessary, as adding more effects will make our production logo more unique.

 

Finally, we decided to keep the last effect matching, yet again each letter fades out along with the clapperboard, indicating to the audience that the film is going to begin.

Although we did try out and practice with other effects, we agreed to keep this as our final logo. This was because we didn’t want it to be too cliché or predictable, but we thought was detailed enough.

Live type practice

This is a brief clip which myself and the group prepared, this was to run through not only the skills with the camera but similarly to experiment on the programme ‘Live Type’. The idea was to practice with the programme in order to be able to eventually use it for my final opening sequence, this included working out how to insert titles and effects to the clip. From this I gained a better understanding on how to work with Live Type but in addition, more experience with the camera and the different angles which I am able to use.

Test Shots Before Filming

Contingency Plan

During the making of this opening sequence, we need to consider and resolve any problems that are likely to come up, it is essential that we think in advance in order to make a back up plan which could still allow us to film successfully.

Cast dropping out/Unreliable actors/Bad actors:
For the teenage girls role, either myself or a member of the groups little sister will be acting, therefore we have a back up plan if either of us for whatever reason cannot act. For the old man’s role we have two actors who are both keen to take on the part, this means we can film both and then make a decision on which we think is more appropriate.

Crew being late/getting lost:
Before we film, we will meet up with each person, and as we are going to previously agree a time in which everyone is free this shouldn‘t be a problem. We will assure the actors of where it is, and all travel together. We have also allowed an hour at the end of the filming time, so if for whatever cause a problem does occur with timing, we can make it up with this hour.

Problems with location/Too noisy/Having too much background noise:
Through our decision to keep both locations simple, there is no need for us to get authorisation to be able to film there. The opening scene will be filmed in either mine, or my group members dining room, and the other in a shed in the garden. We have purposely chosen these settings as both are distant from a main road, therefore it is improbable the background noise will override the filming.

Battery running out on camera:
We will make sure that the battery of the camera is fully charged before we leave to film. If the camera battery does run out when we are in the middle of our task, we will simply return to the location a day later with the camera charged, but also a spare battery to carry on without any more disturbances.

Continuity problems:
Fortunately, continuity editing has never been a trouble which has occurred with my group. We all take notice of all detail regarding this, and with every person paying attention it is unlikely for this to occur in our opening sequence. We too decided, by taking pictures of the location and the actors, we can resemble them if we film another day to help us over-come a continuity problem.

Locations Recce

Locations for our opening sequence:
The first location is in a dining room, we have chosen to use this location as we want the sequence to be as real to life as possible. This will be the first scene, and the actual introductory of the sequence, and due to the fact it is a standard dining room, it will be used as the man’s point of view, and what he considers is happening. We will pull the table away from the wall and decorate it appropriately (with rose petals, candles etc.) we will also move anything in the background that we do not want to feature in the scene; this is to help the setting look current. Fortunately for us, because this dining room is in one of the group members house, it is improbable for any problems (such as lack of power points) to occur. However, it is likely that their family will be using the dining room around the time we want to film. We are going to overcome this by arranging an agreed time the dining room will be kept free with the people living in the house, allowing us to film during this space.
Below are some pictures of the dining room we are going to use.

The second location will be in a forest or a shed. We have selected this place as it isn’t an average setting where people are expected to have a meal. This creates extra suspension and makes the whole film seem more unique.  This setting will be the girl’s point of view and ultimately the reality of the situation. This will confuse the audience and make them question what is actually going on, and why the man is so content with what he is doing. We have to consider the restrictions of using the forest, for example due to the fact it is open for the public we need to contemplate how we are going to avoid them in our filming. We have discussed this, and decided that we will film, and if at that certain time the location is busy, we will simply come back at a later time and film piece by piece until it is eventually finished. However, a forest will be very spacious so it is likely we will just be able to move somewhere else.

Equipment List

A list of technical equipment which we will need for our production, and post production is a crucial part in actually enabling us to film the opening sequence. Below is the list of equipment which is vital for us.

Digital Video Camera:
- This will be needed to record our footage, and is perhaps the most important piece of equipment needed to complete or even start an opening sequence.
Tripods:
- This will be used so we are able to place our camera on a steady surface when filming the first location of our sequence.
Lighting:
- A candle light will be used both in the first and second location, although we will have a small amount of lighting in the background this will be the prevailing light used. This is because of the flickering effect a candle has on the characters face.
Radio:
- We will need an old radio player, but although this will be featured in our opening sequence the music playing doesn’t need to come play from it, therefore a radio playing music off the scene will be just as effective.
Apple Mac Computer:
- This is a vital piece of equipment which we need. Once the filming has been completed we will then use the Macs to edit the footage. The two main software’s we will be using is ‘Final Cut Express’ and ‘Live Type’.
Audio Recorder:
- This will be used so we can hear more clearly the girl trying to scream whilst her mouth is taped shut.

This is an example of an audio recorder, tripod, digital camera and an Apple Mac, all which we are going to use for our opening sequence.

Costumes and Props List

Before we film an opening sequence, it is vital we design and map out as much as we can in order to make the task easier. Therefore, we need to take into account the costumes and the props of the designated characters and locations, in order to complete the understanding of what we are essentially going to film.

Costumes
During the course of the opening sequence and throughout the contrasting scenes both the characters will have the same costume on.
Jane – A long white t-shirt
Old man – Shirt and tie

Jane’s top will be scruffy and muted, this is mainly all the clothing we will see on her, due to the fact she is tied up. Her make up will be run, and her hair will purposely be messy and knotted from where she hasn’t washed or brushed it in a while.
The old man will be in smart attire, predominately of darker colours. This is to give off the assumption he is well kept, and has made an effort for the occasion. The dark colours are to also show his dark personality, and her white top resembles purity and virginity allowing the audience to emphasise with her.


Props
Likewise for our sequence we will need a number of props to make the scene look more professional but also real to life. Below are lists of props that will be involved in the filming.

- A small, circular wooden dining table
- Two wooden chairs
- Two cooked dinners
- A bottle of wine
- Two wine glasses
- A handful of rose petals
- 10x small circular candles
- Table cloth
- A small old stereo
- Two sets of cutlery

For the first location, the room which they will be devouring the meal in will be a traditional dining room, preferably from a middle class household. The room is likely to have paintings and pictures on the wall for a better effect, and we will also ensure that around the table all is clean and tidy.

The second location is the complete reverse; this will either be in a forest, cellar, or a deserted place. The setting of the table will be identical, but we will not interfere with the background of this situation.

Shooting Schedule

In order to make sure we film everything that needs to be filmed, and get it finished in time to start the editing process it is crucial we plan out what days we are all going to film. We have additionally included the location, shot description and the people who will need to be present at the certain tasks. Below is a shooting schedule of our plan of action.

Character Description

Due to the fact our opening sequence is going to be quite puzzling, we will only have two characters featuring in it. One of these being a young girl, who gets kidnapped, tied up and held captive. The other being an old man who will actually be the one keeping the young girl. However, we will need to have a better and more detailed perceptive about these characters in order for the actors to play their role greater. Therefore a character description will illustrate in more detail, the background of both of the characters but also more about them as a person.

The Girl:

Name: Jane

Age: 17

Ethnicity: White

Hobbies and Interests: She is extremely focused on school, as she wants to succeed to go onto university. She has a part time job in a local restaurant, but on weekends and in her free time she likes to socialize with friends, by going to parties and the cinema etc.

Social Demographic: Working Class

Personality: She is a shy, timid girl in front of people she doesn’t know and additionally in situations she is not comfortable with. This changes when she is with her friends, as she knows how to have a laugh and comes out of her shell more. Jane is a pacifist and doesn’t like hurting anyone or being hurt herself, this leads her to be over-protective of the loved ones around her.

Her Role: She gets captured and held captive, but cannot remember what happened or the reason behind it. She is kept for roughly 2 weeks, until she meets another victim and together they plan their escape.

The Man:

Name: Intentionally his identity is kept quiet

Age: 45+

Ethnicity: White

Hobbies and Interests: Loves being in control and is not a socialite. He doesn’t have any friends, and lives by himself in a moderately large house. Frequently he enjoys a game of chess, and this becomes evident further into the story, he also enjoys reading, but X-rated books are more his thing. He is mentally ill and believes what he is doing to the young girls is tolerable and of the norm.

Social Demographic: Middle Class

Personality: He keeps himself to himself, but due to the fact he dresses in branded suits, we make an assumption that he has a well-paid job, if one?

His Role: He captures the young girl and keeps her in a hidden location. He excuses his behaviour by bringing dinner, and talking to her. He thinks he is being harmless, and doesn’t really understand the consequence of his actions although.

Script

Characters:

Old man – deliberately kept with no name throughout
Young woman/teenager – Jane

Plan – two scenes shooting identical ideas but contrasting between the two

Start of the opening sequence:

Production Company Logo shows then fades to a black screen

Opening sequence starts:
The old man is sitting at the table with a number of candles lit around him - the camera is concentrating on the arrangement of this table, when the man’s hand is exposed to light the final candle.

There is complete silence in the background.
The camera at this point is still centring on the hand.

Old man – “Perfect”
Picks up his knife and fork.

Gentle and romantic music starts to play.

Credit appears on top of the scene; director 

The camera gradually moves up (over the shoulder shot) to the man until finally were in contact with his face.

Old man – “Would you like some wine?”
The man picks up the bottle of wine which is centred likewise on the table.

The camera follows his arm down the table and then a fade-in fade-out is used.

[The location has changed to demonstrate to the audience the definite reality of what is actually happening as an alternative to what the man is seeing in his head]

The camera is still focusing on his arm.
He finishes filling up the glass for the person which he is speaking to.

The music is still playing; however from this point onwards the man doesn’t say anything else.

The camera slowly rises and pans around the setting, until it ultimately reaches the person he is speaking to on the other side of the table. 

A girl which is tied to a chair with tape around her mouth struggling.

The rest of the credits are shown on top of the scene; actors
Narrative enigma is immediately created leaving the audience curious as to why she is tied up, but also why the man in his mind is consuming a pleasant meal with her.

Storyboard

We finalised a full storyboard for our film opening sequence, this was to clarify exactly what was going to happen throughout the two minutes. Our storyboard was in depth and it included shot descriptions, durations, sound, music and editing transitions. We met the full requirements of the storyboard being hand drawn and from this we scanned them in. Below are a copy of our storyboards.
(As we missed out number 6 on the storyboard we have added this in nearer the end).

Film Motifs

A film ‘motive’ is a recurring image or idea that is designed to enhance the viewing experience for the audience. It is shown throughout a film to subconsciously create a build up of tension or the reverse effect of a tranquil feeling- it conclusively represents what kind of genre the film is. For example, if a heart is repeatedly shown within a film (for the background effect) then the audience will associate the film with romance and pick up on the certainty it is to do with love.

EXAMPLES:
1) In the film 'Psycho' by Alfred Hitchcock, birds were used as his motif. This was purposeful as for some cultures birds are seen as a bad omen. Hitchcock used this motif to remind the audience on a regular basis that his film contained ominous, frightening themes. Therefore, just through the use of crows, ravens etc. the audience throughout is reassured and reminded of the genre in hand.

2) A second example of a motif is in the film 'Jaws' by Steven Spielberg (1975). The motive used in this film is the repetitive music. Due to the fact this specific fast beat music is played whenever the shark is close, helps the audience to label the shark as fearful and dangerous, which would regularly create tension whenever it is played. In addition, it also reinstates the genre of the film, as the bold, commanding and non-diegetic sound involves the audience further making them continuously on edge.

3) A third example would be from the film ‘The Woman in Black’ by James Watkins (2012). The colour black is the motif for this particular film, as it signifies death and sinful behaviour the audience can immediately become aware of the genre. The decision to use this colour throughout would make the audience feel anxious of the unknown, but also apprehensive with the film in hand. This would have the exact effect Watkins wanted, as a chain of anonymity is thoroughly created.

Although we have researched into different motif's and seen the effects they hold with their target audience we have decided to not include a motif in our opening sequence. The reason for this is because, although we believe they work well with films and give off the needed emotion for us to include one in a short amount of time in our opening sequence will be difficult, and may not have the same effect.

Encoding our Text

Encoding is the name of the process by which institutions embed ‘signifiers’ into their products to act as a signpost to the audience, which will help them to understand the genre, the narrative, the form, the purpose and the messages they want to get across. The audience will ‘decode’ these signifiers and interpret them to come up with a meaning. As a group we have decided what ‘signifiers’ we are going to include in our opening sequence.


Music:
We have decided that one of our signifiers will be the music we use. The choice of music from the start will be soft and soothing, this will give the audience the initial impression that the genre of the film is romance, but as the opening sequence slowly comes undone, the music will evidently be opposite to the feeling the audience is receiving. This is up until the last few seconds where the music suddenly changes, and there is a loud bang at the end. Although this music doesn’t signify from the actual start, it slowly unravels and this has a greater effect on setting out the genre for the audience, but additionally will help with the message we want to get across, of not making any assumptions when watching opening sequences.


Texts/Fonts:
By choosing to include our credits on top of the scene when the sequence is running, ensures that the audience don’t overlook the action that is happening - but instead make them more cautious of it. By having bold, black and old fashioned writing, any assumption that the genre in hand is a comedy or romance will soon be out of the picture. I think that the type of font which is used is vital and this is because it lays out the mood of the film, but also shows to have a meaningful purpose when making the audience feel uneasy (when referring to a crime-thriller).


Locations:
Likewise, the two diverse locations which are used contradict each other. The first location being a dining room, the audience will feel no worry, but as the opening sequence goes on and the location changes to a dark and dingy forest, this signifies clearly to the audience the genre of the film. This will furthermore help us with our representation of gender. A stereotypical man is publicized to be more powerful and dominant than a stereotypical girl who is shown to always need someone to ‘save’ her and is frail and vulnerable. Where we see the girl tied up in the forest and the man causally eating dinner, it is obvious who the more dominant figure is.

Analysis of Primary Research Results

Following on from our questionnaires and our focus group, I produced a series of bar and pie charts to illustrate some of the results in a different format. As it was only possible to make these charts from our closed questions, I analysed the results of these and discussed how they were to influence our film idea.

If you were to film this, what location would you use for the young girls point of view?

- The results from this question show that the Forest and the Abandoned place are the most favoured locations where people were likely to film. This was beneficial for our group as we had already planned to film in a forest, therefore knowing that this is a popular selection means we made the accurate decision.


What age group do you associate a crime-thriller with?
- When we asked people what age group they associate a crime-thriller film with the most common answer was 15 year olds, which was 70% of the total result. However, 30% of the people said 18 year olds would be the most appropriate age range. As a result of this, we are going to aim our opening sequence for the age group of 15+ therefore it
meets in the middle.

What do you think the most important thing to include in an opening sequence is?
- Our final closed question asked what the most vital convention is to include in an opening sequence. 60% of people answered music, and due to the fact no other convention came particularly close to this answer, when filming our opening sequence we will ensure the music chosen is relevant and therefore has a virtuous effect.



 Although these results help us a considerable amount with our final film idea, when watching the focus group and reading the results from the open questions, we have gained an enhanced understanding of what people prefer and controversially don’t prefer about opening sequences. Boring, dragged out, long winded and too predictable were some of the main answers agreed which were unconstructive things about an opening sequence - whereas the music used, real life situations, sudden expectations and mysterious surroundings were some of the answers given which people were fond of in opening sequences. We have therefore took all of this into account, and although we are going to keep our film idea the same, we are going to make sure the music we use is suitable and not make the opening sequence too extensive or unrealistic.