Evaluation Of 3 Opening Sequences

Eden Lake, opposed to Limitless and Flight plan is different in way that is does not have that suspense factor in the opening sequence, it starts with a very warm and soothing tone and as things escalate and start to take a sudden turn, the action and suspense will start kicking in. In terms of Cinematography, Eden Lake does not have bold shots such as the shot of Limitless on a skyscraper. Also, mise-en-scene wise, the location is extremely dull, in the daytime - as opposed to Flightplan where it is set in a tube station at 3 in the morning. The editing is also poor in Eden Lake, with no cross cutting being used, but a slight bit of match on action is used which is essential to a thriller film, as in any genre.

In conclusion all 3 movies are very different and have different sub-genres. But what i found similar to them was that they all had the potential to grab the audiences attention and get the hooked which the makes them curious but in different levels.

Genre Research 3: Opening Sequence (Eden Lake)

Firstly the movie's opening sequence are accompanied by a tension building soundtrack (just like the Limitless Opening Sequence). Flashbacks of a lake is shown also flashbacks of a woman screaming with blood on her face (flashbacks just like Flighplan). The opening sequence creates the sense that a murder has happened, through the use of screams and blood etc. Also the shots of the lake are used in order to establish the setting. After the name of the movie is shown, there is a blackout which happens slowly to create tensions then children voices are heard again giving of this mysterious persona. The scene opens with a bunch of children in a primary school who are taught a song by a young blonde woman. The setting is an anti-stereotypical of a thriller as the background is light and there is laughter. The calmness and stillness of the scene is not one of the conventions of a thriller. It then cross cuts to an establishing shot outside, a man in his car, looking at a ring. As the woman leaves the school, she gets in the car and kisses the man, who the viewers now discover is her boyfriend which plans to propose to her.

Genre Research 2: Opening Sequence (Flightplan)

The opening sequence of the movie is set in a tube station. The colours are very dark and the subway can be heard loudly, as well as a tension building soundtrack. A woman is sitting on a bench. Many close ups and pans are used. For example, a close up is shown on what we believe is the Protagonist (the woman sitting on the bench). Her facial expressions show fear combined with tension. Feelings which are transmitted to the audience as well, also creating suspense. The establishing shots of the tube station are also used to set the scene - because a tube station is usssualy a very busy and crowded place. Then the woman is greeted by a man. Editing techniques are used, for example the scene cross cuts to the woman in a morgue, identifying her husbands body. This happened throughout the opening sequence of the film. This editing technique is effective because it makes the audience ask questions and makes them curious.

Compared to the previous opening sequence in which i have analysed (Limitless), this is amore calmer approach. Limitless's soundtrack is more vivid and dynamic. It also has a voiceover and its set in a different time frame opposed to Flightplan. The cinematography is similar, as well as editing techniques. However, what is very different between the two is that, Limitless starts with the end and the climax plot in comparison to Flightplan which has a slow and confusing opening sequence which builds up towards the climax. 

Genre Research 1: Opening Sequence (Limitless)

In the opening sequence of the movie 'Limitless' there is a man standing on what looks to be on the edge of a skyscraper looking as though he is about to jump. A voice over is heard of (presumably) the same character relating in this particular incident. The opening sequence gives the audience the feeling that a lot has happened before the actual moment. This is good as it keeps the audience wondering what is going to happen. From the beginning you can hear loud bangs on the door that coincided with the title credits of the film. They are synchronised in order to create suspense for the audience. There are some establishing shots of a building. A pan shot reveals dead bodies. A fast paced soundtrack can be heard, as-well as the voice over. Also as an editing technique, cross cutting is used in the opening sequence.

The voiceover alongside a number of close ups emphasise that mysterious persona of the opening sequences and the mood of both the film and the audience.

This shot is particularly effective, because it lets the audience experience and see the from the point of view of which we believe is the protagonist.

Definition Of A Thriller

Thriller is a genre of Literature, film and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitment as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewers moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror. Films of this genre tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty and fast paced.

Draft Shooting Script Feedback

Final Idea

Pitch Feedback Analysis

After presenting our pith of two ideas we had numerous feedback via our audience. The feedback for the first idea was vague and lacked a lot of key information. This is because we weren't definitive on the age group of the audience all we said in the presentation was a young age group which to different people young is a different age in comparison to another person view of someone younger. Also with idea 1 the graphics we planned to use would be difficult to create so we were advised by our audience not to go ahead with idea 1.

The second idea in which we pitched in which we were more confident with and this prevailed because the audience understood it a lot better and there were not as many questions in comparison to the first idea because the second idea was better understood. However on question in which were asked was, what perspective will we use? and we answered the question easily however it was silly  mistake on our behalf for not including that in the pitch.

So after pitching both ideas we asked the audience which idea they prefered and the vast majority of the audience said idea 2. So after careful considerastion and feedback from the audience we decided to use idea 2 and go with the opinions of the audience.

Pitch Presentation

Questionaire

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2PZZDP6

Drag Me To Hell Nine Frame Analysis

Image 1 - The fist image is the company that has created the movie which in this case is Universal. They have decided to use the darker image of there logo so that it represents that this film is a horror.

Image 2 - The second image is another ident called Ghost House pictures with a picture of a skull in the background which again emphasises that is is a horror film.

Image 3 - The third image is a picture of a family who look scared because even the male who looks to be the head of the family as a nervous look on his face which shows that he is scared of something again emphasising that it is a horror film. Again using a dark shade for this image.

Image 4  - The fourth image shows what looks to be a glass door with what looks like zombie hands behind it trying to get in... again emphasising it is a horror film once more. Again they have used dark colours with the light on the door to emphasise it.

Image 5 - This image again is difficult to figure out because it is a woman lying on a floor with look of fear a desperation on her face. However this still doesn't really give the audience any clue on what is going on again keeping them hooked and drawn into watching the rest of the film. Again darker colours are used but a lot lighter than the previous image.

Image 6 - This is just the title screen to introduce the film to the audience.

Image 7 - After the title screen usually you have the actors appearing and they have so done with this image however there is a monologue of dirt in the background again leaving the audience to question what is happening once more and not giving them any indication of what is going to happen. Again dark images are used in this image.

Image 8 - This image again gives you  list of actors in the film however it is a lot lighter and the monologue in the background is of an image with a demon trying to get a lady.

Image 9 - The last image is an establishing shot of a city. This image is a again quite dark but gives us hope in the questions because this sets the scene of the place and shows us where the film will be set.

Skyfall Nine Frame Analysis

Image 1 - The first image shows an image of James Bond drowning in a sea or lake and being sucked up into this whole at the bottom and in the middle of the screen is the title of the film (Skyfall). The colour of this image is both light and dark because it is light to emphasise that James Bond is drowning and dark because this beloved hero to some people could actually be dying.

Image 2 - The second image shows a statute of some sort of James Bond and a shot wound in his right shoulder with blood coming out again emphasising that Bond could actually be either dead or dying. There is alas props such as guns and more statues of him floating around again this has the same colour effects as the first image.

Image 3 - This shows a dark forest or graveyard of some sort with a tombstone in the background with 2 guns more closer to the screen again by the use of a tombstone this again is emphasising the fact that Bond could actually be dead. However the colour of this image actually looks a lot duller and darker in comparison to the previous two again emphasising that it is a dark forrest/graveyard.

Image 4 - This image again is quite difficult to understand because you have Bond in the middle with a gun and 4 different shadows around him which he is shooting at and on the first to shadows he has shot them both in the same place on the right shoulder which shows intertextuality with the second image because it was a picture of bond being shot in the right shoulder which makes you wonder why Bond would be shooting at himself. This image is also the lightest image out of the first 4 however it still shows a dark outline to the image.

Image 5 - This image shows something that you wouldn't see because it is like a microscopic view of something inside the body. It is something that wouldn't be used in the film because it is an abstract view and image. This image is also quite weird because it doesn't really follow on from the first 4 images so it is quite difficult to understand. Again this image has gone quite dark again from the previous one.

Image 6 - This image is the only black and white image in the whole of the Nine Frame Analysis which is quite unusual it could maybe refer to something that has happened previously such as a memory etc. It also becomes more clearer why its in black and white when your realise what the image is of and it looks like a knife in someones back which replicates the phrase of being stabbed in the back which also means betrayed and if you watch the previous films you realise that gain this is Bond because he has been betrayed before.

Image 7 - This is an image of Bond in between what looks like pillars to a building and he looks to have recovered from that bullet wound he had in the second image because he looks a lot more professional which is shown by the clothing in which he is wearing and his posture. He is also looking straight at the audience as if to say he's back. The image is a lot lighter and easier to understand in comparison to the previous images.

Image 8 - I believe that this is the most detailed image of the lot because it is a picture of a graveyard and it is raining blood which could also relate to previous films with the amount of blood the has been shed and the main man that links all of them deaths is Bond and it could be all his sins coming back to haunt him. Again this image i believe is the most detailed because they have used the colours in so much detail like the red to emphasise the blood which is raining down on the derelict unused graveyard.

Image 9 - This image i believe is to give an definitive answer to the question which has being asked all the way through the Nine Frame Analysis is to whether or not Bond is dead and i believe that this answers the question because it is a close up of Bond and that he's is alive and he has a serious look on his eye to get revenge on whom ever shot him. Again this is another bright coloured image and the text is the main director which means this is the last image before the film starts.

Se7en Nine Frame Analysis

Image 1 - Its not quite clear what it shows however the dark colours give of the impression that it is a dark film.

Image 2  - Is a weird drawing of 2 hands which means nothing to us however it again used dark colours.

Image 3 - Is a close up image of two fingers which again means nothing to us also the dark colours are being shown again.

Image 4 - Is a close up of a keyboard with the name of the film being typed in. Again showing us these dark colours.

Image 5 - Is a close up of someone writing something which again means nothing to us yet again showing these dark colours.

Image 6 - Is a drawing of a man with his eyes crossed out which usually means they are dead and again  showing us the dark colours.

Image 7 - This image is not clear again but this time the colours seem to be getting lighter.

Image 8 - This image looks as if someone is sewing something which again means nothing to us but again the colour is getting a lot lighter.

Image 9 - Is an image of some text and someone pointing with a pen at the word god which again means nothing to us however this is the lightest image of the nine frame analysis.

Ident Research

Syncopy:

Syncopy films inc. is a British film company based in London, England. The company was founded by award-winning film director Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas as co-founder. The name Syncopy Film devices from 'Syncope' the medical term for fainting or loss of conscientious. 

Pixar:

Pixar Animations Studios, or simply pixar is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio is based known for its CGI-Animated feature films created with PhotoRealistic RenderMan, its own implementation  of the industry-standard RenderMan Image-rendering application programming interface used to generate high-quality image.

Initial Ideas

Potential Ideas