Filming The Opening Sequence

Yesterday evening, I filmed all of my opening sequence.  Looking at the shots, I am very happy with the footage I got.  I think it went well and all the shots were fairly easy to film, however, the shots from the point of view of the wardrobe were near to impossible to film, so I had to improvise and add some different angles. 

Animatic and Audience Feedback

After finishing the animatic, everyone in the class got to peer assess and mark each others work.  The computers around the room each had a different animatic on, so we went round and watched everyone's in turn.


Below in my first version of my animatic:






We where marked on the following sections, each out of 10

• Range of shot types & editing transitions
• Appropriate pace & content for genre
• Position & order of titles
• Introduction of story line
• Clearly an opening sequence
• Use of sound

Overall, I had very good feedback to my opening sequence, however one thing really stood out for my targets was the choice of music.  

• "the music sounds like a country western"
• "the music at the start confuses things a little"
• "music choice is really bad"

Other constructive targets I got were;

• "experiment with more shot types"
• "use some different angles"
• "quicker shots to build the tension"
• "faster pace"

Taking all of these helpful comments on board, I am going to change my animatic slightly.  The things I will aim to do are:

• add more shots
• add more transitions
• speed up the tempo of the shots
• change the music
• have the opening sequence and differently (I think it might look too much like a trailer)

Props

Luckily I was able to book the camera for next weekend instead of this, so right now I need to start thinking about the props I need.  My opening sequence isn't overly complicated, so only a few props will be needed.


A Party Invitation
This will be pretty easy to make, as I have photoshop at home and am pretty good at designing things.  This invatation will be part of the mise-en-scene, allowing the audience to understand what date and time the film is set. 

Photos

As well as the party invitation, there will also be a number of photos that will be on the mirror and around the dressing table.  These pictures will be of 'Lola' (Holly) and her friends.  This will hopefully get across the audience that Lola is a popular girl, who enjoys spending time with her friends and having a laugh. 

Corded Phone

This will prehaps be the hardest prop to get, as I don't actually have a corded phone.  If I can't get my hands on one, I will instead have the phone laying on the floor, away from the reciever.  The prinicple will be the same, however I would really like to use the 'old-fashioned' style phone. 

Storyboarding and Scripting

Hurray! My storyboard is almost complete, I just need to add the finer details like edits and timings and it will be finished!
My script is also finished, a copy of which is pasted below.  Please click the image to enlarge.

Problem!

I've booked the camera for this weekend, but Holly isn't available then, so I'm going to have to see if I can get one for next weekend.  Also, I am still unsure on where I am actually going to film it, so I need to get that organised asap.  Ah, so much to do!

Questionnaire Analysis

From the results of my questionnaire, I have been able to create several pie charts.  I have only included the results of the questions specific to the horror genre; the other more general questions I used to make my audience profile.

 As seen above, 14 out of the 20 people asked (70%) said they would expect to get an establishment of the characters within the first two minutes of a horror film.  This will be fairly easy for me to do, as the main character will be the only person seen in the opening sequence.   The people who answered 'other' said they would expect to see two out of the three established within the first two minutes, however I think this would harder to do, as there is a very limited time.  I also think it would be better to focus on one aspect and do that really well, rather than try and do more but to a lesser quality.

90% of people who were asked this question answered with tension and suspense, something that I was expecting.  You don't want to give too much away in the first two minutes, but making the audience anticipate something is defiantly a great way to start.  Only 10% of people said they would expect to see blood and death or shock and surprise in a opening sequence, a statistic which I think reflects the general conventions of horror films. 

In this question, 75% said they would expect to see the main character in a horror film to be of middle class, again, a statistic that is shown in nearly all horror films.  The next highest scoring answer was upper class, with 15%.  It is easy to see how people can think the characters in horror films are upper class, as in Hollywood films especially, large houses are often used as the characters homes.  I will be trying to portray a middle class setting and character in my opening sequence, so it should hopefully please the audience and make them see what they expect to see. 

This question provided me with the answers I were looking for, as 42.5% said they would expect to see fast-paced music in a horror film, and 45% said they would expect to see orchestral music. The second part of the question asked them an open question of 'why?', to which some of the answers were the following;

'orchestral can be more emotive'

'fits with the theme'

'orchestral builds tension'

This question was crucial, as I had already gotten Holly to be my lead.  Luckily, the answers to this question were exactly what I was looking for and 75% said they would expect the main character to have blonde hair and blue eyes.  As was the same in the previous question, I asked the people I asked to explain their answers;
'blondes look vunerable'
'innocent looking victim'
'she looks like she might be a bit niave'



For this question, 85% said they would expect to titles to be shown during in between footage, which was shown in the three opening sequences for the horror genre.  This follows the conventions of the horror genre, as it is usually only in social realist films the titles appear whilst footage is being shown.

I am really happy with the results of the questionnaire, as they have provided me with answers that I expected.

Audience Profiles

From the questionnaire answers I've received, as well as some own knowledge, I have been able to come up with the following audience profiles.

Lucy is a typical 18-year old, who works hard at school but also like going out to parties.  She is popular and has lots of friends, but she is concentrating on getting into a good university, after taking a gap year.  Lucy enjoys listening to pop records, such as those by Lady Gaga, and likes to watch Rom-Coms, as well as horror films.  She shops most regally at Topshop, H&M, River Island and at ASOS.  She is middle class, therefore money is not much of an issue due to her parents having well paid jobs.  I felt that Lucy was my main target audience for a female, as she is young enough to have the time to go out to the cinema and see friends, but she is not so young that she is immature. 

Females are the main gender that I want my film to appeal to, as although it is a horror film, there will be a strong female lead.  





Jack is a 'normal' 21-year old who likes to party but can sometimes take it too far, getting drunk and acting stupidly.  Apart from the hangovers, Jack's life is going well.  He has just finished studying a two year course at university, and is about to start his first full-time as an accountant.  Jack enjoys playing on his game console, snowboarding and listening to indie bands, such as the Arctic Monkeys.  He shops most often at Topman, Burton and Animal. Apart from watching horror films, he also enjoys watching action and adventure movies.  Jack is middle class, and got a new car from his parents for his 21st birthday. 

Although my movie is primarily targeted at females, males will still be interested in it because of the horror aspect. 

Pro's and Con's of Social Realism

The Pro's:
- Incredibly easy to make on little or no budget; no special effects needed~
- Can get a deep and meaningful message across about the abuse of drugs, alcohol, gang crime etc
- Depicts real life rather than fantasy; shows people that life isn't a big Hollywood film

The Con's:
- Bury St. Edmunds is a very middle class area: there are no run down areas or high rise flats
- Depressing subject matters that people try to forget about are always the main focus
- Acting can be hard to pull of- more emphasis on the characters rather than the atmosphere

This Is England (2006)

Below is the opening sequence of This Is England, a social realist film directed by Shane Meadows.



Plot
The story of This Is England is set in the 80's centres around the main character, Shaun, who is becoming involved in the National Front Movement of that time.  The opening sequence includes clips and iconic features of that era, such as the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, and Margaret Thatcher.  The opening sequence also shows clips of ethnic minorities being discriminated against,a theme that is crucial in the film.

Enigma Codes

During the opening sequence, a number of enigma codes are raised by the audience, thus creating a hook.  The audience wants to know a number of things- why are these clips being shown? Are they of great significance in relation to the film? A photo of a man in uniform is also shown. Who is he? What is his significance? All of these questions are answered during the film, however the initial questioning by the audience draws them in and makes them want to continue watching. 

Character Establishment

It is clear that Shaun is one, if not the main character in This is England.  This is clear to the audience, as he is the only character introduced to us in the opening sequence.  Shaun is represented at young, possibly innocent in this opening sequence, which is often a typical convention of social realist films.  By making the characters seem relatable, the audience can easily empathise with their situations.  Although Shaun is young, it is clear that he has had a tragedy in his life- the loss of his father is clear to the audience, especially with the clips shown before hand and the way Shaun looks at the photograph in his bedroom. 

Location, Location, Location

Through the locations shown in the opening sequence, it is clear that the characters are working class, again a typical convention in films of the social realist genre.  Locations such as Shaun's bedroom, with the chipping wallpaper, show how is family is not wealthy, and therefore can not afford to have more expensive tastes.  The decor of Shaun's room also shows what life was like in that era, and how is differs from today's tastes and opinions.  Through location, Meadows has given the audience a chance to see the past, see how people lived and see how they acted.  Location plays a key part in This Is England, as without the establishment of the era or the surroundings, the events that take place would seem much less 'real' to the audience. 

Editing

Unlike in horror films, where the shots tend to be much quicker to match the speed of events, the pace of cuts in This Is England is a lot slower.  The camera focuses on the photo of the soldier for a an extended period of time, showing it's significance to the audience.  The use of the close-up shot also makes the photo seem more important, rather than if it was a long shot.  The slow pace and simplicity of the editing can be seen through the simple transitions and cuts that have taken place.  There is nothing amazing  or exceptional about the way the shots go from one to the next, but sometimes less is more. 

Iconography

The opening sequence to This Is England contains a lot of iconography.  The vast majority of the opening sequence shows images and clips from the 80's era, all iconic in their own right.  Margaret Thatcher was very popular in the era, and Meadows has used her and other individuals, as well as the culture and fashion of the time, to give the audience a taste of what life was like.  Perhaps most importantly, there is the iconography of the skin heads and the National Front Movement.  This is key in This Is England, as Shaun becomes friends with a group of their supporters. 

Titles

The titles in This Is England follow the conventions of social realist films.  The titles are seen over the footage -overlay- as opposed to in between footage -interlay.  The font is basic, and does not draw the audiences attention away from the footage, and the title of the film itself is the same as the other introductions, such as actors and producers. 


Target Audience
For This Is England, I would say the target audience is 25 to 40 year olds, mainly white males and mainly working class.  This is because this group is more likely to relate and empathise with the characters and their situations. 

Bullet Boy (2004)

Below is the opening sequence for Bullet Boy, a British social realist film directed by Saul Dibb.

Plot
After being realised from prison, Ricky wants to stay out of trouble and out of the slammer. 

Enigma Codes

Straight away in Bullet Boy, there are a number of enigma codes raised by the audience.  The first one is asked within the a minute, where we see a young boy in a confined space.  Where is he? How did he get there? Why is he there? As the opening sequence progresses these are answered, however the initial questioning by the audience creates a hook.  A number of other questions are also raised during the opening sequence, such as why was the other man in jail? What crime did he commit? When another driver of the car is seen from profile, a scar is visible on his neck; how did he get that? Was it a knife?  This opening sequence is very good at drawing in the audience and making them want to watch the rest of the film.

Character Establishment

Within the duration of the opening sequence, three main characters are introduced and established: Ricky, Wisdom and Curtis.  Straight away a family link is establishment, showing that Ricky and Curtis both care for each other.  Although Wisdom is not family, is is clearly seen that there is a close friendship between him and Wisdom; why else would he have driven all that way to meet him from jail?  There is little in the way of character development in the opening sequence,  however when another gang confronts Wisdom and Ricky, we see that the two have obvious experience with gangs themselves, indicating to the audience that they belong to, or have belonged to one.

Location, Location, Location

Like in all social realist films, the location for Bullet Boy is what appears to be a council estate of high rise flats, situated in a large, industrial city.  The location of Birmingham is established verbally, however a number of shots also help to audience to understand where the film in located.  An establishing shot in used to show the flats, as well as the surrounding shops and area.  It is very clear from the locations shown in the opening sequence that this is a film of the social realism genre, as a horror film would not feature a location where there were so many people in such a little space.  The location of the jail is also established, showing the audience that the main characters come from a troubled background. 

Titles

Like in all most films, the titles in Bullet Boy include the production companies that have contributed to the making of the film.  These titles appear in the centre of the screen, where they are most visible to the audience.  The names of the actors and actresses appear over the titles, as is a  common convention of social realist films.  Although the text is not in the centre of the screen, it is white, making it stand out against the darker background.  Only the names of the 'main' actors have been included- this does not overwhelm the audience with information whilst at the same time giving them some knowledge as to who is in the film.  There is nothing elaborate about the titles and they are simple and in a plain font.  This could perhaps represent the the life the characters lead in the sense that they too are not flashy are rather plain. 

Iconography

The council estate type mise-en-scene is a key convention of the social realist genre, as it indicates to the audience that the characters are not wealthy, immediately making them more relatable to the audience.  Smoking is also a key feature of social realist films.  Other films of the genre, such as This Is England, see the characters smoke cigarettes and other substances.  Smoking is linked with social realist films, as stereotypically people who are poorer and have less tend to smoke.  Although there has been little of it yet, there is the suggestion that gang related violence could feature later on in the film.  Violence would not be a surprising feature to include in a social realist film, and in Bullet Boy in could possible come from when Wisdom damages another guys car.

Target Audience

Overall, I would say that the target audience for this film would be 18 to 26 year-olds, mainly ethnic males, and mainly working class. 

Character Profile: Lola Robinson

Lola Robinson played by Holly Farrell

Holly has kindly agreed to feature in my opening sequence, in which she will take on the lead role.  Her acting does not have to be amazing (even though I'm sure it is!) because the most important part of a horror movie is creating the right atmosphere and tension.  And Holly, if you're reading this: I owe you one!

Lola is 17 years old, has blonde hair, blue eyes and is upper-middle class.  This is following the conventions of a horror film, as she looks sweet and innocent.  Lola enjoys going out to parties with her friends, but she also tries hard at school.  She lives with both of her parents, who are in their early 40's, and her younger brother Daniel, who is 15.  Lola likes listening to lots of upcoming bands and enjoys going to the cinema with her boyfriend, Theo.  Although this is a lot of information to feature about a character, very little will be revealed in the opening sequence.  Lola is the main character of the movie and she will be the only one seen in the opening sequence.  Daniel will be mentioned when Lola calls for him, however he will never actually be seen in the first part of the film. 

Questionnaire

I have written a questionnaire in order to gain knowledge from my target audience; 18-35 year olds, middle class, mainly white and mainly females. I have used a variation of both open and closed questions, meaning I can get the best answers from my audience. This questionnaire will also allow me to build a detailed audience profile, which will help me tailor my opening sequence to what my target audience expect. Alternatively, I could choose to go against what I find out from the questionnaire, and shock the audience. Although this would be different an unexpected, I feel it would be easier to go along with the conventions of a horror film.

The Coventions of Horror

From watching the opening sequences to three horror films, I have come up with the typical conventions, with examples and analysis.

1. Lots of enigma codes are always raised early on to hook the audience, so it is vital that I do the same for my opening sequence.  This hook captivates the audience, making them want to watch on.  Although I will only be showing the first two minutes of a horror film, it is key that the audience would want to continue watching.  Using Scream as an example, it is easy to see how the audience become curious about the characters introduced, especially when limited information is given out about them.

2. Female victims and lead role's are the most common in horror movies, such as Casey (right) in Scream.  The typical victims in horror films tend to have blonde hair, blue eyes and be fairly young.  To the audience they look innocent and even angelic, showing that they are perhaps naive and a little clueless.  This creates a sense of superiority for the audience, as can feel like they know more about what's going on, and be 'one step ahead'. 

3. In most horror films, the location is very important as it can determine whether a character survives or not.  Large, open areas are most common, as is seen in Eden Lake.  If there are lots of people around, it is most likely the number of deaths will be limited, whereas if a house is situated in the 'middle of nowhere' there is more opportunity for the killer(s) to strike and not be seen.  Big houses are also a common convention of horror films, allowing for more places to hide and more potential ways to make people jump.  For example, the killer could be waiting in a room upstairs whilst the victim is in another part of the house. 

4.  The editing in horror films is usually fast paced and quick, especially when the action begins.  To do this in an opening sequence will be difficult, particularly when I don't want to show too much in the first two minutes.  The editing also has the ability to portray emotions, such as fear and panic, that are key to creating the right atmosphere.  Fast paced editing tends to be a convention later on in the films, and not always in the opening when things often appear calm and normal, like in Frozen.

5. An orchestral style of music is common in horror films, as it can sound eiry and be used to create a atmosphere of suspense.  As well as this style of music, limited dialogue also tends to be a convention of horror films in order to focus on the scary bit, however this was not shown in Scream, Frozen or Lake Eden, all of which contained rather a lot of talking. 

6. Having inter lay titles is another typical convention of horror films, as was shown in Scream and Frozen. By having titles on a plain, usually black, background they stand out more to the audience and have more of an impact.  The font is typically a bright colour, such as white or red, and in bold capitals to be seen clearly and look more threatening. 

So to summarise:

1. Enigma codes raised straight away

2. Blonde haired, naive, female victims

3. Large, open spaces and big houses

4. Quick cuts to shots, imitating fear and panic

5. Orchestral music, limited dialogue

6. Inter lay titles, bold fonts, usually white or red

Pro's and Con's of Horror

The Pro's:
- Less dialogue, therefore acting does not have to be amazing
- Enigma codes raised early on
- No special effects needed, therefore works well for no or little budget
- Middle class area, meaning houses that could be used for the location

The Con's:
- Can easily look tacky and cheap
- Hard to come up with original story lines and ideas: everything's been done before!
- Difficult to make people genuinely scared and frightened
- The correct lighting effect is hard to create

Despite all of the con's, I am still certain I want to go down the horror route.  I am super excited to get started with this now!

For Sure, It's Horror

After watching several opening sequences for the genre of social realism, I am entirely sure that I want to do one based on the horror genre.  I like this genre much more, and I think there are a lot of different things I could do with it.  However, I need to be careful in not making the opening sequence appear tacky and cheap, as it is very easy to fall into that trap. 

I now realise that my Fate/house of mirrors idea is fairly unfeasible, as that would involve using a lot of other props that I simply don't have access to.  I still like the idea of playing with mirrors, however I would need to do some further research into how I could use them effectively, and not make it look poorly done. 

Another Idea

I did have another idea for the opening sequence, which goes like this:

There is a teenage girl sitting at her dressing table, doing her make-up and listening to music when the phone from the living room rings.  She shouts down to ask her brother to answer it, as she is busy and he is the only other person home.  The phone continues ringing, and she shouts a little louder in case he didn't hear him.  The phone stops ringing so she continues getting ready, moving from the dressing table to the wardrobe to pick out her outfit.  She runs down stairs to see who was on the phone, but finds it hanging from cord.  She looks around the house, trying to find him, and the sequence ends with her at the main door letting out a scream because she's seen something outside.

As I was writing this idea, I was actually getting quite excited at the thought of filming this.  It would be much easier to do, as nothing especially special would be needed. 

And I'm rather happy because I got an A in my preliminary task! Whoop! :)

Eden Lake (2008)

Below is the opening sequence to Eden Lake, directed by James Watkins.  The only version I could find of the opening sequence was flipped, like a mirror, but this hardly detracts from the overall effect.

Plot
A young couple, Jenny and Steve, decide to go away for a romantic weekend break at the idyllic, remote Eden Lake, where, only known to the audience, Steve plans to propose. They are having a peaceful, relaxing time until a group of youths,lead by a male named Brett, appear and pay their loud music and cause a disturbance. Instead of being bullied into leaving, Steve becomes stubborn and stays put, putting up with the noise. After camping out for the night, the couple wake to find that their food has been infested with insects so they decide to drive into the town looking for a place to eat. The movie continues in the same fashion, the youths still tormenting Jenny and Steve until they final get to breaking point when Steve’s car, phone and wallet are stolen. Things then take a dramatic twist when Steve dies and the couple are about to be set alight. The film concludes with Jenny’s screams being heard when she turns up at house pleading for help. Unluckily for her, the house belongs to Brett’s parents, who are just like their son. The apple never falls far from the tree.

Enigma Codes
Pretty quickly, there are several enigma codes raised by the audience. The flashing images at the beginning cause the audience to ask a number of things: are these from before the ‘main’ story-line, or are they flashbacks? Will there be more of them later, and are they a crucial part of the narrative? A number of other questions are also asked; have any of the characters been to Eden Lake before? Why are they driving so far out just for one weekend? Are they safe? How long have they been a couple? How will he propose? Although there are many questions, there are limited answers, as the opening sequence does not focus on these aspects. The arousing of these questions automatically creates a hook for the audience, as they want to find out more about these characters and their backgrounds. It is already known that Jenny is a nursery teacher, however the audience are still left asking what does Steve do for a living? The use of the enigma codes also creates a sense of expectation for the audience, as they expect to, during the course of the film, receive the answers.

Character Establishment
Within the first minute, the main characters are established. Both Steve and Jenny are seen to be young and lively, therefore there is the assumption that they will not face any great difficulty in their time away.  They are represented as an innocent, sweet, 'normal' couple who have done no wrong.  Jenny is upset by a mother slapping a child, showing her caring nature as a nursery worker, which makes the audience warm to her.  Steve appears less worried about this, however stereotypically, men tend not to show their emotions.  Although the audience may not know it, another group of key characters are also introduced in the opening sequence: the youths on the bikes.  Immediately they are established as reckless and daring, as is shown when they bike in front of Steve's car.  All of the characters are limited in development, however there is an idea that something big will happen, as is foreshadowed by the flashing images shown at the beginning.

Location, Location, Location

There are a variety of locations established in the this opening sequence, the main one appearing to be the quarry Steve takes Jenny to.  All of the locations are established in a number of different way, from a close-up shot of a child's face in the nursery to an Ariel shot of the actual quarry.  Many roads are shown, representing the idea of a journey and a long length of time.  This length of time is also shown through the editing, which I will come onto in the next section.  The locations appear to be harmless, thus making the audience feel like there is no immediate threat to the characters. 

Editing

As is a typical convention of a horror movie, there are very quick cuts showing lots of different images.  Due to the fact the the opening sequence begins like this, the audience automatically know that something is going to happen, or has happened already.  This creates the element of suspense.  The sudden change of pace to longer shots matches the action, as everything looks like it belongs and nothing is out of place.   The sense of time passing is represented through the way the film cuts to different roads at different parts of the day, showing that it has gone from day to night.  This tells the audience that the characters are a long way from home.  Several continuity techniques have also been used in this opening sequence, and there is one shot in particular where the audience feels it's impact. Eye line match is used to show to a close-up of the dogs face, making both Jenny and the audience jump.  This is the first time in the movie that we are made to jump, as up until now nothing that would imply it was a horror film has happened. 

Can you hear that?

The use of sound is crucial in this opening sequence, most importantly when Jenny and Steve are in the car on the way to Eden Lake.  On the radio, a news story can be heard about parents not being able to control their children.  This is a key part in the film because as we discover whilst the film progresses, the parents of the youths have no control over them.  Although this a diegetic sound, Jenny and Steve do not seem to be listening, engaged in their own conversation.  The radio is then made louder to the audience whilst there are shots from the car's point of view, supporting the idea that the film will be something to do with out of control children.  There is also non-diegetic sound used in this opening sequence, through the use of a musical score.  At the beginning of the film, the music played is much more dramatic and a characteristic of a horror film, whereas the music used to accompany the journey is much more relaxed.  When the dialogue is playing, the sound can be heard from both characters points of view, unlike in Scream where it is heard from Casey's. 

Titles

Following the conventions of film, the titles appear at the beginning and whilst the action is happening.  The audience  expects, as they give us information about who's in it, who made it, who directed in and so on.  In relation to the footage, the titles are not at the centre of the screen, but they are still clearly visible to the audience.  The colour of the font also makes the titles stand out, as the red and white contrast against the black and grey.  Like in Scream, the red is used to symbolise blood, however none has been shown in the opening sequence. 

Mise-en-scene

The mise-en-scene is Eden Lake has played a key role in making the locations and the characters seem normal.  This makes the audience familiar with what's going on, as nothing shocking or different has been presented to them.  The props used are also unexciting, again showing that there is nothing out of the ordinary about the characters or the locations.  The collaborative effect of the costume and make-up once again make the characters seem typical, as they do not look like they are from Hollywood and are rich and wealthy. 

Target Audience

Due to the fact that nothing horror related has happened yet, it is a little hard to say who the TA would be.  However, because I know what happens in the film, I would say that the TA is 15 to 30 year olds, mixed gender and of mixed race. 

From the opening sequence I would say the film has the ability to be quite good, however like Frozen, I think it could take a while before the horror aspect comes through.