HW 4a - Plan Your Prelim Video (BLK)

HW 3b - Existing Continuity Sequence Analysis (BLK)

The above sequence is from the film I, Robot - 2004

The clip starts with a tracking shot into a slight arc around the robot, positioning the audience to the side in the scene, as a bystander. This is followed by shot reverse shot as the main character speaks to the robot. This allows the audience to see the robot's lack of response before going back to the main character's face and his obvious agitation at the situation.

Throughout the beginning of the clip, there is a lot of quick cuts from over the robots' shoulders to over the main character's, but the camera is always kept on the same side of Spooner, and therefore doesn't break the 180 degree rule which is a very important part of continuity filming. Furthermore, eye line match is used in the sequence to ensure that it looks realistic and makes logical sense to the audience.

When the chase starts in the scene, a high angle master shot is used to showcase the entire warehouse and ensure that the audience is spatially aware of the layout of the set and where the characters are running. This is followed by tracking and arcing shots to put the audience into the action and help them to get a feel of the chaos in the scene as Spooner tries to chase a robot in a warehouse full of identical robots.

In the clip, the match on action has been done very well, especially when Spooner is thrown by Sonny and slides into the wall. The next shot is a low angle of Sonny from Spooner's perspective and after is a reverse from Sonny's perspective which has Spooner sitting up, exactly where the audience logically expects him to be from the previous shot. Match on action is vital in ensuring that the characters do not 'jump' from shot to shot and that the scene logically makes sense to the audience.

The 30 degree rule is important for avoiding jump cuts and can be observed in the above clip from I, Robot. The only times that there aren't angle changes of more than 30 degrees, the framing changes considerably. For example, when Spooner shoots the robot a MCU two shot is used which cuts to a LS of him from the same angle.

HW 3a - Continuity Task Evaluation (BLK)

1. During our video two teenagers are walking down a corridor in school, not really paying attention to their surroundings. After the guy goes through the door, he stops to plug his headphones back in and the girl, not realising this, opens the door into him, knocking him to the floor. She then helps him back up.
2. We attempted to create narrative flow by using a variety of shots, camera movement, matching the action from shot to shot and changing our framing in logical steps.
3. Unfortunately, we did not manage to achieve full continuity. This was because our shots were too similar - breaking the 30 degree rule - resulting in jump cuts. We also struggled with the character positions from shot to shot as we didn't have a plan and kept moving out of position after each take to check what it looked like and decide what to do next. In addition, logically, Ayisha should have been able to see Ray before she opened the door as the angle we used over her shoulder meant that the audience could. 
4. If we were to do this exercise again, I would ensure that our shots were more varied, particularly in terms of camera position. I would also change setting as the narrow corridor made it hard to get different angles for the shots and the glass half of the door makes our story less logically sound.

HW 2c - Sound In Film Openings (DYM)

Dialogue

There is very limited dialogue in this opening scene and what is there, isn't until the last minute. The first piece of dialogue is the main character saying 'oh no' after realising that the person who he has made breakfast for (who the audience finds out is his nan later in the opening) has already got out of bed. As this is the first time a character has spoken, the audience can infer that the absence of his nan is probably a prominent theme throughout the film. This suggestion is carried on when Billy runs out of the house to find his nan and has to remind her of who he is. This automatically causes the audience to sympathise with Billy and his nan, while also setting a somber mood that contradicts the joy and messing around seen before this.

Music Track

The music track in the opening starts as diegetic, as it comes from the record player that the main character puts on, but this switches to non-diegetic music within the opening as the character moves about and runs after his nan. During the slow-motion jumping section with the titles, the music track is dominating and no sound effects can be heard. This changes from 1min56 onwards as the track decreases slightly in volume and sound effects can be heard. The volume of the track slightly interferes with the dialogue between Billy and his nan at the end as they speak very softly and are actually quite hard to hear. The lyrics in the track are all about dancing from an early age and this, coupled with the dominating presence of the track, reflects and emphasises the dance part of the film's hybrid dance, comedy-drama genre.

Sound Effects

The opening starts with the soft sound of people talking and birds chirping. This is followed by the sound of a record being taken from its case and the needle being re-positioned before the music track plays. As this beginning section is the only part where music isn't playing and a close up is used, it suggests to the audience that perhaps music and dance is an important part of the film. Sound effects such as toast popping up, footsteps and the main character bumping into the table can all be heard throughout the remainder of the opening,

HW 2b - Analysis Of Titles In Film Openings (DYM)

Timeline of opening

0.00 - 2.22

Timeline of opening

Running Order

In terms of the order in which the titles appear, both Step Up and The Breakfast club follow a similar pattern of institutions behind the film, film title, actors and then crew credit. The difference here is that Step Up credits more actors than The Breakfast Club and does so in the order of main cast followed by supporting and then minor cast where as The Breakfast Club credits the main 7 actors in alphabetical order. The Breakfast Club also includes a title of a quote from David Bowie which is relevant to the film and the themes that it explores.

Placement of Titles

In Step Up, the titles that give institutional information are centralised with the actor and crew credit titles being positioned in the bottom corners. The titles are actually integrated into the scene so that characters are walking in front of them in some cases (these titles are always left up long enough though so that they can be read even when this happens). In The Breakfast Club, the titles are all centralised and this is not a problem as the majority of the opening is simply a black screen with the titles superimposed in yellow/gold lettering. This makes it very easy to see the information and, as there is nothing else on the screen, makes sense. 

Sound

Both film openings feature a non-diegetic song - in Step Up it is simply a track but in The Breakfast Club, as the song was written for the film, it is a musical score. At the beginning of the opening for Step Up, diegetic sound effects can be heard, such as walking, talking and police sirens; this is different to the other opening which doesn't include any diegetic sounds. 

In The Breakfast Club opening, the David Bowie quote shatters and the sound of glass breaking can be heard. This is followed by a male voice over introducing the school, its location and the date. This contrasts with the lack of any form of speech, whether dialogue or voice over, in the opening for Step Up.

Style

The shots used in the opening for Step Up alternate between the ballet dancers in a well lit studio and the hip hop dancers in the street. The shots in the studio have warm lighting with a pink hue which contrasts with the cool lighting and blue hue of the shots in the streets. These differing lighting arrangements play on the contrast between the two groups of dancers and the division between them, which is a key theme highlighted in the film. The titles in this opening are all white which is easily visible in all of the shots regardless of their differing colour schemes. With the exception of the film title, which has each letter swivel in and out, all of the titles simply fade in and out.

The  yellow/gold lettering of the titles in The Breakfast Club opening contrasts with the black background and is similar to the colour of the Universal logo at the very start. The titles simply appear and then fade out and this, along with the fact that the majority of the opening is with a black background, could reflect that films very low budget. The external shot of the school uses natural lighting and the two interior shots we see use fairly naturalistic low key lighting. This is coupled with the fact that the colours aren't very saturated to give a 'real', gritty view of school suggesting that the film isn't a typical 'glossy' teen school drama/comedy.

HW 2a - Existing Opening Sequence Analysis (DYM)

Forrest Gump Opening Scene Analysis

Forrest Gump is an epic drama with strong elements of romance and comedy. The film follows the tale of Forrest's life as he looks back on it, with strangers that he meets at the bus stop. 

The opening sequence mainly focuses on tracking the path of a feather being blown around an American town, with a soft, non-diegetic piano score. Tracking the feather from high in the sky to its path through an ordinary neighbourhood, allows the audience glimpses of the setting, while ensuring that they feel involved in the movement. The feather briefly lands on a man in a suit's shoulder (he doesn't notice) before being blown off again and over a car to land at the main character's (Forrest) feet. Forrest, who is sitting at a bus stop, picks up the feather and puts it in a book he takes from the case he has with him before looking up at the approaching bus.

The events in the opening sequence are all linked together in a logical, flowing way as, for the majority of it, the camera is tracking the path of a feather which takes the audience through the setting of the opening and right to the main character's feet. The audience is aware that this man is the main character as he is the only one lingered on and shown in detail. This is coupled with the fact that he alone takes notice of the feather and in extension the audience as they follow its path. Introducing the main character in this way, ensures that the audience feels like they are in good hands with him, just like the feather is.

In the opening sequence very little story detail is actually revealed. The audience gets the impression that the main character is different to the rest of his society from his attentive nature and unusually upright posture. From this, they can guess that these differences cause problems for the character, that the film is based upon. In addition, having him sitting at a bus stop with a case suggests that the film could follow a journey he takes somewhere or to meet someone. While the audience can probably infer that the narrative is character driven, from the film title and the extreme focus on just one character in the opening, they still don't know where that will take the film and generally what will happen. I believe that this information has been deliberately withheld to create anticipation and more of a shock reveal that the film is split between events in the past and how Forrest is telling them to people he meets - an unusual structure.

At the start of the film the main thing that the audience need to know is who the main character is and what his basic personality is like. This is because the film is entirely character driven and follows Forrest's life story in which his actions and personality play a huge part. The audience needs to learn just enough about the character to ensure that they want to continue watching the film and find out more.

HW 1b - Reflections On Your Film Still (BLK)

1. My film still's genre is teen school drama. This is signified by the age of the character in the shot and the slightly old fashioned school look to the banister on the staircase. The distracted/ pensive, lost in thought expression on the character's face is conventional of this genre when everything starts to go wrong for the main character after a period of happiness. The lack of other characters in the shot creates this feeling of loneliness, especially as it is set in a school which should be busy, and is used in many films in the genre to replicate and emphasise feelings that the audience can relate to.
2. When taking the shot, I wanted to ensure that the school setting came across which is why I used the staircase. I also wanted the lighting to look as natural as possible and so chose a staircase where there was a large window to light the shot. Although the character doesn't look happy and perhaps low key lighting would have fit the mood better, from watching teen school dramas, I have noticed that they tend to use high key lighting throughout the majority of the film, giving everything a more glossy, idealised look. In terms of framing, I chose a low angle shot, not just because it works well on the stairs, but also because it, coupled with the fact that Ayisha is alone in the still, emphasises her importance. It also draws the eye up to her facial expression, which is a key part of the still, even with it being a MLS. This was important because the audience needs to see the space around her to get a feel of her being alone but also have to be able to see the distracted, sombre facial expression. Even though it is a low angle shot on a winding staircase, where perhaps a tilt could be used, I kept the still straight as I felt that it would keep the audience more removed from the situation and therefore emphasise the loneliness of the character and make the audience feel helpless about her situation.
3. I intended the audience to read the still as obviously in the teen school drama genre. I was attempting to communicate that the character is at the disruption/secondary disruption stage of the classic narrative pattern and is therefore feeling down and taking time to think about the situation and her options of what to do.
4. The things that are successful in my still include: the lighting, framing, character portrayal and how they work together to connote the genre.
5. In hindsight, I would try changing costume - having the character in school uniform as this would help connote the genre more strongly (although this would mainly work for a British setting as most American schools do not have a uniform) - and taking the still further round on the stairs so that the railing didn't come in front of the side of the character's head.

HW 1a - Existing Film Still Analysis (DYM)

Blade Runner - 1982

Narrative

The still focuses on the main character, Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford), holding a futuristic gun in front of a train carriage and looking at something, or someone, off screen. The framing of the still, having Ford to the far left looking into the space on the opposite side, is coupled with him being armed, to create a sense of mystery and anticipation as the audience wonders what is out there and whether or not it will get Ford. This in turn builds tension and works with the fact that the audience is positioned as a bystander in the shot, to create a sense of helplessness in them for the coming chase/fight. The audience knows to expect some form of conflict as this still represents a typical action code which precedes a conventional sci-fi/action set piece of a chase scene using futuristic technology.

Genre

With the futuristic gun and blue/green lighting, this still firmly suggests that Blade Runner falls into the sci-fi/action crossover genre. However, on closer inspection, the old, rusted look of the train carriage and the characters lack of futuristic clothing, suggests that this can be broken down into the sub genre of cyberpunk. Cyberpunk combines advanced technology in futuristic Earth settings, with a decline in, or stagnation of, social structure and elements of everyday life. It juxtaposes our idea that advanced technology means a better life, with the reality that people, and the everyday basics, can so easily get overlooked in these scenarios. This results in a weird hybrid world, as seen in Blade Runner, that feels very similar to our own, or one from our history, just with extra technology added in, in seemingly random places.

Audience

As discussed in the narrative section, the action code, camera position and framing, ensures that the audience feels helpless for the coming action as they are placed as a bystander, while also creating a sense of anticipation and excitement in them as they wonder what will happen next and whether the main character will be victorious. The cyberpunk sub genre, as mentioned above, could also make the audience feel slightly uncomfortable as the opposites of some advanced technology and basic, almost regressive nature of everything else, completely destroys the conventional notion that life in a futuristic Earth would be wondrous and so much easier than it is now.