The document analyzes the title sequence of the film Coraline. It describes the optical illusions and old-fashioned visuals used, including shapes that form other objects. Important items from the film are shown floating about. Motion graphics and 2D animation are used, along with faded colors to give a Victorian, creepy feel. Rotation and other advanced techniques add to the unsettling mood created by the unsettling music. The resolution and format of the video clip are also discussed, noting advantages and disadvantages of different options.

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Creative Media Production
Use of text: I am now going to analysis the title sequence from the animation film Coraline 0.29-1.17
(Title, Credits, animated captions, stings,
indents, interactive menus, web banner)
Brief description: As the names of the voice actors appear on screen an optical illusion appears behind it such as
What do you see? strange looking shapes e.g. many circles combined. The background also looks very old
fashioned which you would expect to see in the Victorian era which is to be expected due to
the fact the director of the film Tim Burton is very into the supernatural and odd looking things
which seem old fashioned. As we go further into the title sequence we see that certain shapes
lead into objects which is like an optical illusion. For example a circle taken from the
background is then shown to be a hole which you find in a button. Objects from the film which
have made a significance in the film are shown floating about in the title sequence such as the
doll which in the film is a very important item. The writing is also very old fashioned like which
is also reflected in the film.
Techniques used: The ending uses a lot of motion graphics which could have been done on the computer with
Animation, Visual Effects, Colour Rendering, programmes such as adobe after effects. The graphics are 2D and look as if they belong to the
Graphics, Movement ending of an old fashioned film. This add eeriness amongst the film which the producer wanted
but it also grabs the audiences attention. The movement seen in the sequence shows a
spinning button which is shown with the camera staying still.
The ending credit is all animation and uses light colours which look like they have faded such as
faded red or blue which also gives the impression that its very Victorian and old fashioned. The
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colours could also represent the mood that the ending credits trying to put across which is a

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Creative Media Production
dull and un happy mood due to the fact that the films over.
The music is also a key technique used in order to give the film more of a mood and feel. The
music used is very creepy and jumpy for example some parts of the songs quite while other
parts become very long all at once. The music can also reflect the film itself and the director
who is known for making creepy and dark films.
Advanced techniques: In the ending credits we see forms of rotation e.g. the spinning button. However the camera
Blur, Sharpen, Distortion, Rotation, Opacity stays still while the image on screen moves which adds an optical illusion. A lot of the images
we see on the screen have been sharpened to give the feel of a very dark and dangerous film
which once again is known to be one of Tim Burton’s specialties.
Technical comments: The clip is shown in 360p which is on Youtube. This shows the video to be of good resolution
Video Format, Screen Ratio, Resolution, and at good speed with not a lot of buffering. However of we make the clip full screen then we
Frame rate, Compression see that the image on screen becomes pixelated. To resolve this we can change the video to a
higher resolution such as 1080p which make the image quality a lot better but as a
disadvantage the clip will move a lot slower.
You can also download the video and by doing this you can choose different formats to
download it in such as MP4 or M4V. MP4 Is the general format that people download their
video. MP4 cater for small videos and don’t have very high quality images which is a
disadvantage. However its very fast and doesn’t take long to download. Having so many
different types of video formats is a great advantage due to the fact that more people can
download the video and use it then being limited to only one format which might not work on
their software.
A disadvantage with video formats is that because theres no many its easy for people to get
confused into which one they need to download. However there is a solution for this problem,
you can now download a torrent which converts into the right video format which is
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Creative Media Production
compatible with your computer or software.
Frame rates are the speed in which the video plays at. The clip I have chosen is 24 frames per
second which is normal for most clips these days. This gives the audience the detail they need
to see however if the screen pans round then the edges will be blurry due to the fact its only
24 fames per second. A way to detail more sharper is to add more frames per second just like
the new film ‘The Hobit’ which features 48 frames per second however a downfall with this is
that when the camera moves we can see make up which hasn’t been rubbed into the actors
face properly but also you can see cameras and the set where they are filming. On the other
hand when you watch the film on the big screen the detail looks very clear and sharp giving the
audience a better viewing experience.
Motion Graphics and Video Compositing Unit 64
Glossary
Motion graphics - Graphics that use video footage and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or rotation, graphics are
usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects.
Compositing video - When there are several different clips of video are layered over one another to create a single image.
Interactive Menus – DVD Interface or Interactive Menus on a web page
Ident – The ‘call sign’ of a channel or production company to identify themselves on screen, usually shown before a programme.
Animated Captions – Animated Graphics layered over an image / video
Web Banners – A form of web advertising that is embedded into a web page. They are used to attract a viewer to their website. A Web
Banner usually a mix of motion graphics and video
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Creative Media Production
Video Format - 3 Main Formats HD, PAL, NTSC. HD is the highest resolution (720 or 1080 vertical lines in the image). PAL is the UK
Standard definition image (576 vertical lines). NTSC is the US Standard definition image (480 vertical lines). Now in the
digital age we now look at video format in terms of pixels (i.e. High definition 1080; 1920 x 1080 or 2,073,600 pixels)
Screen ratio – Standard TV ratio is 4:3; this means that for every 4 units wide it is 3 units high. It is likely that the screen ratio will be
Widescreen (16:9) in a cinematic sequence.
Resolution – The amount of detail in an image or signal, such as Standard TV Definition and High Definition. See Video Format.
Frame Rate - The number of video or film frames displayed each second (frames per second; fps). PAL frame (standard UK TV) is 25
fps, NTSC (standard US TV) is 30 fps, film is 24 fps. This means as NTSC updates more regularly there is less strobing
(jerkiness).
Compression – The use of Codecs (WMV, DivX) to reduce the file size of a video by a variety of methods. This sometimes means a loss in
image quality (a “lossy”). Codecs are found in Video Cameras, DVD players / recorders, Editing Packages, Video upload
sites)
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