This is the evaluation for my opening sequence, 'What happens next'.

1. EVALUATION
B Y L A R A G A R R A T T

2. DOES YOUR OPENING SEQUENCE FIT IN WITH THE
CONVENTIONS OF AN OPENING SEQUENCE
• When researching the conventions of opening sequences, we found that an opening
sequence should be gripping and keep the attention of the audience to make them keep
watching, the movie title, and it should also contain credits for a number of different
people; producer, main actors/actresses, director, Production Company and editor.
• We spaced our credits out throughout the opening sequence, using credits for the main
actor roles, director, producer and editor. We also showed our logo for our own production
company, ‘Playful Panther Productions’ and a large production company’s name, at the
beginning of the sequence.
• We made our opening sequence ‘gripping’ by using fast-paced high action shots whilst
using similarly fast-paced non-diegetic music, we thought that this would be extremely
effective in creating an enticing opening sequence, and we were told through our audience
feedback that it was very enthralling.

3. HOW HAS YOUR INITIAL RESEARCH HELPED TO DEVELOP
YOUR FILM AND ITS ABILITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
• Our initial research was very useful in giving us an idea about what can be involved in an
American Football based film. We were able to research the conventions for a comedic film
by watching some opening sequences for comedy films.
• We chose to watch ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Hancock’, evaluating the use of; Text,
Sound, Lighting, Camera Angles, Transitions, Movement and Mise-en-scene. From watching
these opening sequences, we gathered many of the ideas which we applied to our film;
freeze-frame with a diegetic voiceover over the top and a montage of different angles and
shots.
• We also researched the specific characteristics of comedy films, and found that the credits
and text, and the general saturation of the shots, is very bright and colourful, we replicated
these aspects in our opening sequence.
• Overall our initial research was very successful in helping the development of our opening
sequences.

4. EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF AUDIENCE FEEDBACK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEIR OPINIONS?
• Audience Feedback, is very important in the development
of a film, if you created a film without audience feedback
then your film may not be successful. By using an audience
you can discover which aspects people enjoyed, and also
parts that need to be changed.
• When we showed our film to an audience we received
balanced feedback. It was mentioned that we had a good
amount of varying shots and angles, the opening shot was
effective in setting the scene and giving an initial
characterisation. We were also told that the use of non-
diegetic sound (the voiceover) was effective because it
acted as narration, giving the voiceover power, by being
able to change the shots (the rewinding and freezing of the
shots, alongside the voiceover).
• We did also receive some negative feedback from the
audience; the narrator sounded like he was just reading off
of a script, there should be some more diegetic sound of
crashes to go with the varying shots.

5. WHAT CHANGES COULD YOU MAKE TO YOUR FILM
TO IMPROVE IT?
• Throughout the process, there have been many
aspects that we have changed and some that
would be changed next time.
• If I were to re-make the opening sequence there
are a few things that I would change
– I would try to make the shots less shaky-
throughout the filming process, some of the
shots were not usable because they were way too
shaky, especially the low angle shot of the ball
being picked up which was too low to capture
using a tripod, without including shadows in the
shots, this would be improved, by using different
sized tripods to help keep the low-angle and
high-angle shots steady and not showing
shadows.
– I would also edit the voiceover that is used – the
voiceover lacked emotion, which drew away from
the story of the opening sequence, this had
previously been re-recorded to try to add more
emotion to the voiceover, but it still didn’t sound
quite right. I would re-record this (probably in a
recording studio) to get an accurate recording
which reflects the story of the film.

6. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF
REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
• When researching the conventions of the comedic genre, we decided to
not challenge the conventions, because we felt that we needed to make
the genre very clear to the audience. From watching some comedy films,
we found that the opening sequences contained small amounts of
intense comedy, to draw the audience in and make them want to keep
watching. Another way to enthral the audience, is to use some building
tension. We feel that we achieved this, we used some very fast paced
action shots just before the main narration, accompanied by a small
amount of one-liners, e.g. ‘oh well, it’s just college’.

7. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT
PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?
• Our media product mostly represents teenager and young adults males
around the ages of 17-21. The main actors are in the age group, and the
narrator/voiceover was recorded by a 17 year old which was intended so
that we could keep the age range going. By filming just an opening
sequence it leaves the rest of the film up to interpretation, this means
that the film could include, all sorts of social groups. We decided that
we would follow the opening sequence with the idea of an American
high school, giving a good amount of room for the involvement of
different social groups. Our opening sequence has no female characters
present and focuses around the males.

8. WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT
DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?
• The media institution which is most likely to distribute my media
product, would be the TV or film industry, and perhaps online websites
such as; Netflix and BBC iPlayer, because their films/programmes can
often start out as very unknown and progress over time to become
popular media. The film might be specifically distributed by Paramount
Picture or DreamWorks Studios who have shown very big comedic films
centred around American Football such as; ‘She’s the Man’, which was a
very successful film.

9. WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT?
• I would suggest that the
audience for our opening
sequence would be either;
people who are interested in
American Football or sport
in general, teenagers or
people in general who
specifically watch comedy
genre films, young adults
who enjoy cliché films.

10. HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR
AUDIENCE?
• Our opening sequence attracts the audience through its use of fast-
paced shots and matching fast-paced music which draw the audience in.
We have also created quite a personal feel throughout our opening
sequence, this was achieved through the use of the voiceover in which
the audience are involved in the process. This was intended to make the
audience feel very close to the action of the film.

11. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM
THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?
• At the start of the process, I had little knowledge of filming and editing
products. Throughout the process I have learnt a lot, starting with the
use of cameras and tripods. We decided to use our own camera’s to
ensure good quality footage, this meant that we needed to know how
to work the cameras, change the setting and set up the tripods. I also
learnt a lot about the editing software; how to add text/credits, layering
diegetic and non-diegetic sound over the top of footage and how to
add visual effects to the software to make the transitions smoother. By
updating my blogs I have learnt how to use all sorts of multimedia such
as; Prezi, PowerPoint, Slide share and also YouTube channels. Its
relatively easy to create an effective opening sequences, but you must
know how to use the software correctly.

12. WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE
PROGRESSION FROM PRELIMINARY TASK TO THE FINAL
FILM?
• There is a stark contrast between preliminary task
and final task. In the preliminary, it was a rushed
process with little room for change, whereas the
final film was a slow and planned out process. I
started the process with a very poor preliminary
task, although it included the required shots, the
transitions were quite poor. In our opening
sequence, we made sure that the transitions are
smoother. I also found that steady footage was
achievable for both the preliminary and final film,
this helped the overall look of both of the finished
products.
• I have learnt that transitions are key, if the
transitions aren’t smooth then the whole piece is
put off, its also clear that you must have very steady
footage to achieve good footage.