This document provides analysis of the opening sequence for a media production. It summarizes each shot or clip in the sequence and explains the creative and technical decisions made for each. Key points include manipulating lighting to give a "split personality" effect and hide faces, using establishing shots of a graveyard setting to create an ominous atmosphere, adding filters and effects like an unsteady camera to make the sequence feel jumpy and mysterious, and including a shot of a hand drawing blood on a wall to advance the storyline and set the tone as a thriller genre. The goal was to engage the audience and set expectations through techniques observed in other successful thriller film openings.

1. Task 1!
AS Media Evaluation – By Liam
Gellett

2. This is a collage of all
the following images,
in chronological order.

3. The first frames of our opening sequence consist of the above image. This image is the production
company logo, made by myself. The decision to have this as our opening graphic was derived from
research of films in the same genre. The thriller films we watched ALL contained the production
company’s logo at the beginning, which inspired us to do the same. These thriller films were
‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘Cabin in The Woods’. The reasoning behind the name was to make it a
simple name to remember, so that people immediately know what they’re watching. Having a clear
company logo also allows you to create somewhat of a fan base. This would attract existing fans to
watch your other films, bringing in revenue.

4. We have manipulated the lighting in this shot to give a ‘split personality’ effect to the character.
The lighting system allowed us to illuminate half of her face, which is a technique often used to
hint at the character having another, more evil side. This is relevant to Evelyn, as she was once a
sweet child before losing Veronica. We also used an ‘over-the-shoulder’ technique to hide the face
of the new care-worker. As well as this, an over-the-shoulder shot gives the effect of looking
through the care-workers eyes. This effect was added to make the audience wonder who this
figure is. We noticed this element in other thriller films, which made us wonder who this character
could be. The character is of a late-teen age, linking to our target audience. Finally, we chose to
have Emily wearing casual youth clothing, to represent her age.

5. This establishing shot has been used to give the audience an initial view of the setting.
There are two visible elements, the first one being the gravestone. This framing has been
used to focus the viewers attention on the aspect of death, creating an appropriate
atmosphere for the genre. We chose to use a graveyard as our main setting, as our research
results showed us that we should be using mysterious or negative environments.
The credits seen in this screenshot are in a similar order to a thriller film we researched,
Arlington Road. We chose to use a sinister font, in white, to allow the credits to flow smoothly.

6. This establishing shot has been used to give the audience a second
impression of the setting. This shot was one of many we had filmed
across the graveyard but one of the only ones to make it into the clip.
This was due to the shakiness/exposure in other clips. Again, a glimpse of
the credits can be seen, which moves quickly throughout. Using the
colour toggle settings, we added a purple glare. This was an idea which
came from watching many opening sequences, which typically included
scenes of negative filters. The purple glare embraces the spooky
atmosphere and looks clean in amongst the final edit.

7. In this shot we have again manipulated the colours, creating a negative effect.
This shot goes nicely alongside the un-edited shot, and jumps between the filter
and the untouched clip. We used this effect to make the opening sequence
jumpy, as well as adding a sense of unknowingness to the storyline. The reason
behind filming shit shot, was because we filmed a very similar shot with Evelyn
in the frame. We decided to film a clip with her no longer sitting, creating an
effect of her disappearing. This concept fuels the storyline with Evelyn, as no-
one really knows who/what she is. There are no visible credits in this clip, as the
cut is too fast. When adding credits we found that the edit no longer flowed as
smooth.

8. In this screenshot you can see the manipulation of light to illuminate the back of her head
and half her arm. This was used to continue the theme we have ran of not showing her face.
If you look closely, we have also managed to make her look as if she is pulling a ghostly
expression. This effect is used in many Thriller films, where a young, female character is
portrayed extremely minimally. This clip connects with our narrative, as the whispering is
almost ghostly. We chose not to use makeup in scenes like these, as her face needs to be as
hidden as possible. This clip almost creates a sense of unease, as if a jump-scare is going to
occur. This goes hand-in-hand with our non-diegetic sound, being fast paced and
mysterious.

9. In this shot, we have overlaid the clip with a lower opacity. As well as this, we have re-
worked the sound to be exaggerated at the same time as the visual. This was an idea
that came from Jude, after discussing effects often used in Thriller films. We included
this layered effect to continue the idea that Evelyn is possessed and has multiple sides
to her personality. This creates a link with the second shot, as she is also shown in two
lights.

10. The image shown above is very similar to the previously annotated images, as it
was filmed using the same lighting. We had positioned Emily directly in front of the
light and pointed it towards her face, to illuminate the upper body. This effect has
added to the mystical image around her character, as the storyline hasn’t advanced
enough to the point where the audience know her intentions. In this shot, you can
clearly see her black clothing. The colour black is often used to portray depression,
negativity or death. This is an appropriate colour for our chosen genre.

11. The above image shows a hand drawing what seems to be blood, over a wall. For
this shot we used a fake blood mixture, spread over Emily’s hand. The use of this
shot has furtherly advanced Evelyn’s character, as it suggests that she is now a
violent being. As well as advancing the storyline, this can spark some thoughts in
the viewers minds. The blood used links in with our chosen genre, as similar
thriller films, like Arlington Road, used gory scenes in the opening sequences to
set up the atmosphere for the rest of the film. This can be used as a warning for
sensitive viewers, who are easily disturbed by these effects.