3.2 Analysis of two opening sequences in your chosen genre, from two different studios

In class we watched the opening sequence of the film ''V for Vendetta'', we deconstructed the titles shown in the opening sequence, the shot sequences used, the studio and marketing used and its target audience.

Deconstruction of the tittles

Relationship with sound:

I think that the sound used in the beggining was a fine woosh which was diegetically intended accompanies flame title V.

Symbolism:

The word AV was in flames in a circle, fade in red words: FOR VENDETTA. The flames in a circle symbolize a link to the gunpowder plot and a phoenix. V is the 2nd reincarnation of the gunpowder plot. The red letters emphasize danger and anger.

Technical Construction:

The flames were probably created using CGI. A very neat construction.

Deconstruction of the shot sequence

Shot types and framing:

• Wide shot of crowd, a focus pull to one woman in the crowd.



• Extreme close up on the womans eyes



• over the shoulder parrallel



• Long shot of V and every cross cutting

Mise en scene:

• The 17th century costume denotes the original gunpowder plot era.



• Fire also represents the gunpowder plot



• The mask connotes mystery and heoism about the character.

Lighting:

• Opening scene uses key lighting with minimal fill to illustrate the 17th century setting.



• Brightly lit TV shot takes central focus and connotes an important message is being given.



• The yellowish tint applied to the 17th centry scene.

Sound:

• During company logos American old style music connotes war.



• Non-digetic voiceover from evey (main character)



• Foley sounds added to increase tension e.g. when chasing guy fawkes and when he is dropped in the noose.

Editing:

• Cross - cutting of V and every underscored by TV sound bridge.



• Opens with poetic voiceover which describes the plot as a beutiful thing, sets up the romantic ideal.



• Eyeline match between man being hanged and the woman in the crowd.

Studio and Marketing

• Budget: 54,000,000 (estimated, IMDB.com)



• Production Company: Silver Pictures (US) (The Matrix)



• Copyright Holder: Warner Bros. Entertainment INC.



• Director: James McTeigue



• Writers: Andy and Larry Wachowski (The Matrix)



• Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo weaving and Stephen Fry



• Filmed in London and London Undergroundb Aldwych St



• Distributed under a varity of certificates in: Uk, Australia, Ireland, Finland, Netherlands, Norway,Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sweden, Canada, Portugal, NZ, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Israel, Switzerland, Philippines, Japan, Chilie, Colombia, Greece, Iceland, Canada, France, South Korea, Singapore, USA, India.



• Released simultaneously in conventional theatres and at IMAX.



• Websites: vforvendetta.warnerbros.com



• Impact on audience: People who like violent films may like this as it is written by writers of the Matrix. People who like Natalie Portman may like this film as she apperas in it. Or people who like Star Wars or Closer may like it as she apperaed in those films. The budget of the film may appeal to people who like special affects or CGI fils as the Budget is high.

Audience

• The target audience for this film is those who enjoy thriller and drama. Those who like films with mystry.



• Certificate 15 in uk



• Set in London and references the Gunpowder plot



• Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller

3 ways the opening sequence adresses the target audience

• The beggining of the sequence was shot in historic times of guy falks appealing to history students.



• The fast passed chase scene of guy falks is appealing to the young audience as it is a action scene.



• In the title sequence it tells the audience it is associated with DC comic, and this appeals to people who read these comics.

For my second shot sequence i wanted to watch a film that was ion the same genre of my continuity exercise. i decided to do the ''Incredibles''.

Deconstruction of the titles

Relationship with sound:

• Music that is played sounds like something is going to happen starts of fast the slows down the speeds up again. This sound happens when the ''PIXAR'' logo appears.



• A fizzing sound that fades when it goes black.



• A sound that i would call a typical action hero sound, (like something great is going to happen) happems when the ''INCREDIBLES'' logo appears.



• Gun shots and police car sirens.

Symbolism

• The way the orange circle apperars first emphazies the symbol of power and emphazies the light that the letter I is givving off.

Technical construction

• Animation is used as the film ''Incredibles'' is done in animation.



• The I and the symbol THE INCREDIBLES is probably done by CGI.



• Stop motion animation is used when the police car is chasing the gun shooter in the other car.

Deconstruction of the shot sequence

Shot types and framing:

• Medium shot isn used when super heros are talking.



• Close up is used on a super hero (frozone) is used to show his facial expressions.



• Over the shoulder shot is used when the man with the gun is shooting at the police car.

Mise en scene:

• The super hero costume denotes what you would especft a super hero to wear.



• The masks are used to hide identities.



• The black clothes and black mask that the robber is wearing is used to hide his identity from the police men.

Lighting:

• Dim lighting is used when the super heros are talking to the screen.



• Very low lighting is used when the police car is chasing the car to give the apperance of night time.

Sound:

• When PIXAR logo appers, music is played in the background. The music that is played in the gives the audiene the feeling that something great is ging to happen.



• A fizzing sound when it fades to black



• The sound that is played when the symbol I and THE INCREDIBLES is shown is digetically intended.

Editing:

• Cuts are used for transtioning between each scene



• Cross cutting is used when it goes from the symbol of the incredibles to the scene where the police car is chassing the man with the gun.

Studio and Marketing

• Budget: 92,000,000 (estimated, IMDB.com)



• Production company: Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures



• Copyright Holder: Disney Enterprises, INC./Pixar AnimationStudios



• Director: Brad Bird



• Writers: Brad Birds



• Starring: Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel Jackson, Jason Lee.



• Filmed in Pixar Animation Studios



• Distributed under a variety of certificates in: Pakistan, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, Egypt, New Zeland, Iceland, Austarlia, Peru, Panama, Russia, Mexico, India, Colombia, Bulgaria, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Japan, Venezuela, Thailand, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Uk, France, USA, Czech republic, Ireland.



• Websites: IMDB.com



• Inpact on audience: Peopkle who like the actors and actreses who lend there voices to the characters may like this film because of there cast. People who like movies like Toy Story and Monster inc. which is also under the production company Pixar Animation.

Audience

• The target audience for this film are those who like films that are animated. Those who like action films, animated fims with a mix of comedy.



• Certificate U /PG



• Animation/Action/Adventure/Family/Sci-Fi

3 ways the opening sequence adresses the target audience

• It is animated which will be appeling to a young audience.



• The fact that it is based on super heros may attract those who read comics.



• The production company is done by Disney so those who have watched other films where thye production company was also Disney may be attracted to the film.

3.1 What we learnt by doing the preliminary exercise

Me and my group completed a special task for are media course work called the continuity task. The continuity task had to include a character opening a door, crossin a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he the exchange a couple of lines of dialouge. The task also had to demonstrate the following three things, match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule. The task could not be awarded any marks but 15 marks could be lost if not included in the course work. Me and my groups filming was about two students who happen to be undercover superheros who by day are boring and by night are under cover superheros. the two other members of my group did the acting while i did the filming.
During the course of the filming i learnt a lot of new things, it also introduced me to finale cut pro as i was not aware of the software before the task. During the filming of the task my group focused on the 180-degree rulse as this shot if not done correctly could change the view of the shot from the audiences point of view, i also learned how you could capture different types of shots by just using zoom on the camera, this technique also taught me the value of a good shot from differenct angles gives you a varity of choice when editing.
Even though editing and finale cut pro were just introduced to me i think with a little bit of practice it should get more comfortable with using the software.