2. Question 1:
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
3. Using Photoshop I have divided key scenes of my film opening that help to
build and develop an understanding of the storyline
4. This is the first frame of my film opening. I used this specific shot for a variety of reasons as I feel like this shot establishes a
surrounding to develop an understanding of the character and story line. This shot itself would be theoretically a lot further in the
storyline but after doing research on typical drama films, I found that they tend to give the audience a glimpse into future events
without the audience being aware of this. So that’s what I intended to achieve, I wanted the audience to know very little about why
this was a significant shot in the first two minutes. From the feedback I received, my audience felt that the opening “worked very
well” with introducing a prodigious location and character.
Also at this point, dialogue from Alan Watts – What if money was no object was playing in the background, this again generates
questions for the audience as they start to relate and compare the spoken language to the visuals on the screen. As my targeted
audience is based around the same age as the character “Tom” in my opening I have hoped that they are able to relate the
character. This is a slow but paramount opening as it builds tension which can be followed to the rest of the film opening.
5. This frame now introduces the title of the film
“Wanderlust” means a strong desire to travel, this
has a strong link with the story line and theme of
my intro as it is all about one man leaving society;
despite a well up bringing and a bachelor's
degree. And again the dialogue playing in the
background corresponds with the title slowly
being displayed on screen to resemble as if the
character is writing it himself.
The font I used was chosen with this in mind as
once again I wanted the audience to feel a sense
of relation and emotion towards the character on
the screen. After researching drama films and
related titles, I got my inspiration from the film
“Into the Wild (2007)” as the introduction starts
with writing as if the main character is writing for
his own personal journal.
I also had the letters write across the screen to
emulate handwriting.
This is to give more of a personal touch for the
audiences watching. This was also a way to
introduce the title in a way that suits the style of
the film.
6. This frame represents Tom’s bed room and this is the first shot we see of his home surroundings, this shot was important
and I had to use mise en scène effectively and carefully; this was so I could represent and try use the surroundings of his
room to correspond with Tom’s personality. I have used the book by Jack Kerouac ‘Big Sur’ is a sad yet influential book
that could’ve been one of the reasons for Tom leaving society. Once again I have timed this shot carefully to match with
the spoken language. I felt like this was a big shot I had to think throughout about where I was going to place the props in
the screen.
I used this because in the introduction of Into the Wild there is a still frame
which shows the books that influenced him to leave home. This was
important as I am trying to portray Tom’s reasons and visions of the future to
the audience.
This also shows that Tom is an educated and doesn’t care that modern
society looks down on people that read books. He reads to escape from the
trap that he and others have fallen into; for once he is standing up and
saying no.
7. This shot was a very important shot within my film opening as it establishes and gives the audience a lot of information
regarding the character on screen. This frame shows Tom writing a letter to his parents about his decision to leave
society. In this frame I have placed multiple props around his desk to really show across his personality. One of the most
noticeable objects is the non fiction novel “Into The Wild” by Jon Krakauer. Into the wild is Tom’s main inspiration for
leaving home. Like Tom, Christopher Johnson McCandless had just graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
He tells his parents that he is going to spend the summer traveling in his car but months later he mails his final college
transcript and a brief note to his parents' home. McCandless's family will never hear from him again. Inspired by these
true events Tom decides to follow in his footsteps.
In this frame you can also see Tom’s bachelors degree in journalism, this shows the audience he is a well educated and
isn’t just dropping out of college or school. Once again this is similar to Into the wild at the beginning they clearly establish
that he was just graduated. The reason I have taken inspiration from this is because I have adapted a similar style around
the film so therefore I wanted to emulate what Into the wild had achieved.
It was important that in this frame I didn’t give the audience to little or too much because if I gave them to much
information they wouldn’t be able to see it and interpreted it in the time given
8. This frame shows Tom packing his bag ready to leave home. For this shot I used simple props that would tell the
audience how little Tom has prepared and how amateur the equipment is. This should make the audience feel on edge
and nervous towards Tom as they don’t know what to expect. For example the very small and basic first aid kit, this again
was used to show how un-experienced Tom is with all this gear he is taking. This also represents how spontaneous this
whole idea is because he hasn’t had time to prepare.
From my research I found that the majority of drama films showed a lot about the character within the introduction of the
film. I have also used a empty water bottle, this represents and shows that the bottle will stay and remain empty
throughout his journey; this could be a form of foreshadowing.
I have also used a basic pen-knife to again show Tom’s basic equipment and lack of skill, this should make the audience
feel nervous and worried for Tom.
Tom is wearing a plain white T-shirt, this shows that he hasn’t been caught up with society's obsession with branded items
and one-up man ship.
9. This frame is one of the first shots we see of Tom alone in the wilderness, I purposefully used colour correction to enhance the
picture quality as well as adding a lot more blue to the shot, this makes the shot more ‘cold’ and harsh as audiences would feel
sympathy for Tom. As for the positioning of Tom I have framed this shot so that he is to the left of frame, leaving a blank space in
front of him, this is inspired from the film “The Graduate (1967)” This is to portray the un-seen future that lies ahead for the character.
This shot tells the audience that Tom knows just as much as the audiences, both character nor audience can predict what will
happen. I think that it is important to give the audience as much
knowledge because this is only a film introduction so therefore I
needed to frame every shot to have a specific meaning, but at the
same time have the audience asking questions. How long will Tom
be out there for? Where will he sleep? The main thing that I
wanted to achieve was a emotional relationship between the
character and audiences, this keeps the audiences engaged
throughout the introduction and leaving them wanting more.
10. This shot shows Tom walking towards a horse, for me this is a significant shot as this establishes a surrounding of where Tom is, this
frame makes the landscape look harsh and empty. There are no people around, the only living thing around him is this one horse.
This shows Tom’s loneliness as he is compelled to be near
something with a heartbeat as there is nothing around him
for miles and miles,
This is a beautiful shot between man and beast, this creates
a sense of happiness and warmth for the audience as they
feel happy that Tom is fitting in and finding himself within
nature.
This shot also gets a full view of Toms costume, audiences
can see that he is carrying very minimal equipment with only
a standard coat and hat to keep him warm. This makes the
audience feel the worst for Tom as well as starting to have
doubts about Tom’s survival in this harsh land.
11. This is the final frame of my film introduction, for the final shot I thought long and hard about how I was going to end my introduction;
I wanted to leave it on a cliff hanger that would entice the audience to wanting more. I wanted the location to be on top of a hilltop
and have Tom looking out across a vast landscape. For me this shot gives a sense of accomplishment and you feel happy towards
Tom, this also leaves the audience on a tense cliff-hanger that can lead onto the rest of the film.
