2. QUESTION ONE
Question one:
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop
or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
Explain that opening sequences establish
characterisation, setting, genre and narrative, as well as
visual style and even ideology (whose side we are on).
Give specific examples from your work.
Illustrate your analysis by taking still images from your
film and placing them alongside stills from existing
movies, with brief analysis.
You must also describe and evaluate your title
sequence.
You could also do an audio commentary.
3. QUESTION ONE
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
Our media product uses and develops on stereotypical features of a thriller/horror, this is
portrayed when our female lead goes crazy. Another way we have made it similar to an
existing thriller/ horror is by the type of shots we decided to use, we used a lot of close ups
on our female lead, which is very similar to the opening ‘To kill a mocking bird’ but instead
there is lots of different close ups of props in a box rather than a character, we also
followed the traditional use of high angled shots example of these in our opening were
when our female lead was writing and typing, washing blood off her hands and scribbling
out photos. We also followed the framing techniques of a thriller such as using long shots
when we follow our character from behind, and when our female lead runs towards the
camera. Our titles which we added also followed the thriller convections as they were
layered over a black screen also a famous film company was revealed. Our editing
techniques didn't necessarily follow the traditional techniques, lots of jump cuts tend to be
used within a thriller, only one consisted within out opening this was when our female lead
walked around the lake. Our lighting match the consistency of a thriller as in our opening
we made sure the rooms were darker, and when we were outside we added an editing
technique to make the scene appear darker. Our opening also challenged the forms and
conventions of a thriller because we wanted the audience to feel empathy towards the
female lead because all she does is long to be with the long of her life. within our title
sequence we decided to base it on iconography of the female lead which is a conventions
except that you never tend to see the character face and its all based around the
characters hands for example the whole opening of ‘Se7en’. Whereas in our opening
sequence we see Sabrina's face occasionally but its only for a short period of time, the use
of this was to intrigue the audience and want them to know more about her.
4. QUESTION ONE
Explain that opening sequences establish characterisation, setting, genre and narrative, as well
as visual style and even ideology (whose side we are on). Give specific examples from your
work.
Looking over my research which I have previously constructed it is very clear to me that every
opening sequence needs to establish characterisation, setting, genre and narrative, as well as
visual style and even ideology (whose side we are on).These all must be shown within an
opening sequence so the audiences attention is grabbed and they perceive a response to what
they are watching. These all need to be established within the opening so that the audience are
entertain and willing to continue watching the rest of the film. Characterisation is really
important to us within our opening as our whole opening is based on the actions of our female
lead. These two clips below are a good way to show characterisation through our opening
sequence.
As you can see from the screenshots it
establishes characterisation due to the
fact our female leads costume, initially
she looks very creepy and unusual, she
is wearing a red dress which
connotations to many different things it
can even mean love and passion
Or on the other hand it means hate and danger, we used the characterisation like se7en when we
don't show the leads face a lot. But at the same time we did challenge the typical conventions as
we focus on the significance of using red throughout our whole opening, so red was associated
with our female lead. Other thriller tend to only use red for blood to show darker connotations of
red whereas we have used it throughout the opening.
5. QUESTION ONE
Explain that opening sequences establish setting
Setting is also very important as it helps to create a certain mood, for example if you
are in a small pitch black room, it makes the audience feel scared and anticipate
what is going to happen next, whereas if it were a sunny day in a park it would give
a happy more calmer things as the audience have a fair idea of what is going to
happen.
As you can see from the screenshots above from our opening, it is clear to
see that we establish our settings by using wide shots and establishing
when approaching a new location within the opening sequence. A wide shot
allowed us to show a wide space of the area to the audience so they were
able to identify what location if was shot in.An establishing shot
indicates the new location. The wide shot also allowed the focus to be on the character but
yet still show the surrounding area. By making a new location very clear to the audience
naturally unfilled a thriller/horror convention, due to the fact in those type of films the
audience never get to see the setting. For example in ‘To kill a mocking bird’ opening
sequence it is just close up of props within a box, we as the audience have no identification
of what type of room the box is in.
6. QUESTION ONE
Explain that opening sequences establish genre.
It is very important that the genre is conveyed during the opening sequence, as the
audience may find it misleading that they are watching something completely
different. Also if the genre is not conveyed, then conventions can not be identified,
and it is not entirely clear to the audience what is going on.
These screenshots above show our genre very particular, the first
image shows our lead scribbling out a photo, which indicates
paranoia and some psychotic behaviour, the second two
screenshot follow the natural indication of a thriller as the use of
blood over our female leads hands. Our opening sequence does
portray the conventions of a thriller as the genre has been identified
without knowing the whole narrative.
Explain that opening sequences narrative
A good strong narrative is needed so the audience can follow the
film through, and identify what is going on. During our opening we
established the narrative very clearly, in the title sequence is just
consist of clip but our opening identifies the opening, this is shown
by the use of the female lead being in love and then searching on a
dating site as she longs for love .
7. QUESTION ONE
Explain that opening sequences establish a visual style and even ideology (whose
side we are on).
This is where our opening sequence breaks the natural convention, when we are
meant to be afraid, of the main character in a thriller, or we feel sorry for the
character is bad things begin to happen. Whereas in our opening sequence we
make the audience feel empathy towards our female lead character because all
she wants is to be in love and have a caring relationship, but she just isn't very
good at making it happen. So she gets frustrated and it ends up with irrational
consequences.
You must also describe and evaluate your title sequence.
Our opening sequence is basically what i stated above, except during our title
sequence we see a different more crazier side to our female lead. As she
does some strange things like searching through newspapers ,scribbling
photos, playing with a lighter. These are all irrational behaviour that she
wouldn't expect to happen to a normal person, so it gives the interpretation
that our female lead may have mental health problems.
