Dream Chaser - Opening Sequence

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

During my journey i managed to learn a lot about camera work, edits, mise-en-scene and audio. As i compare my preliminary task with my final opening sequence it is evidential to notice the skills i picked up.

Firstly within my preliminary task i used very simple camera shots and angles as i didn't know about the variety of shots that can be used. As i did my research i managed to learn more and more about camera work and i managed to put them into practice within my opening sequence. I included high and low angles at all low, medium and long distance. I also included an advance establishing shot to show off what i have learnt.

Edits were used in my preliminary task but they were very simple and nothing to be proud of. They included simple straight cuts and the time between each cut was very long and out of time with the audio. I managed to learn advanced editing skills that are now used in my opening sequence. These included different styles of fades and the editing time is now in line with the audio, creating a better flow.

I focused very hard on mise-en-scene this time around as it wasn't considered much in my preliminary exercise. I made sure that my characters were in suitable clothing. This included dark clothing for my mysterious antagonist and bright casual clothing for my protagonist. The location was also considered as i wanted it to fit in with the genre well. A deserted car park is the main location used for my sequence as it allows tension to be built, due to the fact that nobody else is around. Props and lighting was also looked over to make the sequence as realistic as it can be. Natural lighting, a teddy bear and a tape was included as they fitted into the narrative very well and were essential.

Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds were used in my opening sequence to help engage my audience. A score were used to keep the ears busy as well as the eyes. I made sure that the score matched well with the visuals so i used a emotional tension building soundtrack. Non-diegetic sounds were also used as it helps the audience engage with the sequence. No dialog were used but I did involve sounds from the world e.g. the door opening from the escalator.

In conclusion it is obvious to see that i have learnt a lot throughout my journey. I was able to show off my skills in my final project from advanced editing to special effects, which i wasn't able to do in my preliminary task.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

In my process of constructing my opening sequence i managed to learn about many technologies as i managed to use different types of systems and softwares.

Apple Mac - I've never used a Mac before i came into Park High sixth-form as I'm use to using basic HP systems. This was a whole new experience for me but i managed to get use to the drastic change very quickly. The Mac allows many actions to be performed in easy efficient ways and provides great video editing software (Final Cut). This soft

Final Cut - This allowed me to put together video shots that i have recorded within my video shoot. It also enabled me to add opening titles and put great effects onto my video clips i.e. colour corrector. Once i finished my project i was able to export it into a high quality video clip (M-p4 file)

Camera - I used a Sony DCR-SR58E camera which provided me with top quality recordings. It's a handheld camera which contains many features i.e. lighting edits. I was able to capture excellent shots and perform some good camera angles due to the flexibility of the hand healed device.


Garage band - This was also used to try put sounds together to make a nice sound track, this was very difficult to get use to as it takes a lot of time and effort but i manage to put together some great sounds.

Live type - An excellent software provided by the Mac allowing me to create opening titles very easily. I managed to create an excellent opening title for my movie name (Dream Chaser) using this software. I used moving text and an excellent text font for this title.

How would you attract/address your audience?

How would you attract/address your audience? on Prezi

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I decided to carry out some research, helping me find out who would want to watch my movie. I asked students questions about my film after showing them my opening sequence. These questions included both open and close questions:

• What did you like about the opening sequence?
• Would you purchase this film on release?
• What format would you purchase this film in if you was to? (DVD / Blu-Ray / Other)
• Would you show your friends the opening sequence?
• What age group or social group do you feel the film targets?

Once i retrieved all my answers i figured many students within my six form really enjoyed the opening sequence and seemed to like the special effects used a lot. They stated that they would show their friends and ask them to go watch the movie together. 80% of the students asked stated that they feel the movie is targeted at middle / lower classed individuals aged 15+. Our original targeted audience is 12A as we wanted more people to have access to the movie.

In conclusion with the research carried out I figured our audience will be lower/ middle classed individuals aged 12+ (with adult) or 15+ without.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

If i had the opportunity to get my film distributed it would most likely be done by a small UK film institution e.g. Warp Films. The reason for this is because of the low budget spent in the production of the film and small reputation that my production company have. Not a lot of money was available for a top quality film to be produced meaning we had to resort to using small named actors. Large Hollywood institutions such as Warner Bros would not distribute this film as there is no reason why they should, not a lot of money would be generated and there's nothing that would attract a wide audience e.g. big name directors or actors. Therefor i have concluded that a small UK institution would distribute my media product. I would then have to think about ways of generating revenue within my media product through my target audience. I would have to focus on figuring out the best ways to distribute my movie. This could be done through the following

• Creating a movie trailer to advertise my movie, showing the best clips within the film making it as appealing to my target audience as possible.

• The movie can also be advertised on television, newspapers and any local transport e.g. on a bus. 

• Product tie-ins can also be used, helping us grab a wider audience. This can be shown on cans of coke or sweet packets.

I would also like to be sure that my film gets exhibited into many different formats, allowing my audience to watch my film in many different ways. The film should also be exhibited on  DVD and Blu-ray and in the cinemas, giving my target audience the best quality that technology can provide and a wide selection of how and where to watch the film e.g. at home or in the cinema.

How does your media product represent certain social groups?

My media product represents social groups stereo typically as my dark, face covered antagonist is the individual who begins the disturbance while my brightly dressed protagonist in the one who is innocent. If my target audience saw the two characters without any narrative they will instantly know who is the hero and who is the villain. This is because of the way they are represented through mise-en-scene. Their clothing and behavior instantly gives away their character roles.

Evaluation 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Below shows a nine frame sequence of valid frames that i feel shows the conventions of a thriller film, which has come from my very on thriller opening sequence.
                                                                                   

The title of the film 'Dream Chaser' appears on the first frame of the storyboard. All the letters start out of focus then gain focus as each letter become closer together. The title appears over a black back drop in a solid white typography, i did this as i wanted the simplicity of the sequence to carry the most effect. Both colours contrasted very well together, making it clear and easy for the audience to read. All the letters are capital making the title to look powerful, allowing it to stand out to the audience. I used 'Livetype.' to create the title and imported it into final cut, fitting it into my opening sequence.

The second frame on the storyboard focuses on the location of the scene. The frame clearly shows the audience where this scene is located and can be looked at as an high angle long shot / establishing shot. This is the location where my protagonist is in 'the disruption' as he clashes with the antagonist. The establishing shot appears very early within the opening sequence so the audience instantly know where they are before anything takes place. 

Objects and props where used in the third frame, this included a cassette and a teddy bear. I thought about the mise-en-scene very carefully and felt these props where essential to make the sequence as realistic as it can be. The cassette is a prop dropped by the antagonist, which secret agencies have captured on CCTV as a part of evidence on a very serious case. The teddy bear was used as it represents my protagonist's personality as he purchased it from the local toy shop for his girlfriend.

The fourth frame shows some of my camera work and editing. In this frame it shows four shots put together, each representing a CCTV camera within the premises. This is where 'the disruption' takes place. The shot puts the audience in the shoes of the secret agency viewing the CCTV footage. I decided that each shot should be a high angle long shot. This makes the shots seem more realistic as CCTV cameras are normally above us in hidden corners.

The opening titles are also in a a white typography with a black back drop, keeping the simplicity of the opening sequence. I used the 'American typewriter' font as i felt it will fit in well with the visuals. Each credit is placed on the bottom left of the frame and fades over the next shot. I kept this consistent with all opening titles.

The opening sequence instantly shows the audience what the genre the film is. This is done through the 'REC' placed in the bottom right corner. It's in a red font and shows the audience that these shots are coming directly from a CCTV camera. This will then lead the audience to think that the genre is along the lines of a crime thriller. The audience should also notice the sub genre 'man on the run', this is because of the innocence shown by the protagonist when he bumps into the antagonist.

My protagonist is introduced in the early seconds of my opening sequence as he shops at the local toy store looking for a present to get for his girlfriend. The shot isn't clear as it comes directly from the CCTV footage, we later on get a clear shot of him as he bumps into my protagonist. He's dressed in casual colourful clothing, representing his personality to be peace seeking.

Suspense is built during the entire opening sequence, through the audio and edits. The audio fits well with the visuals as it's mellow. The piano is played within the score and energy is built as we get closer to the disruption. The edits start at a normal pace, building suspense as edits speed up along with the audio; keeping the audience at the edge of their seats.

This final frame illustrates some special effects i put on the CCTV shots. a 'noise' effect is use giving the 'fuzzy' effect on the frame, showing the audience that the footage is coming from another source. A 'Bad TV' effect is also shown within this final frame as the footage seems to distort, as if the signal is being interrupted. A colour corrector was also used editing the blacks, whites and saturation of the CCTV shots. By increasing the blacks and decreasing the whites i was able to make the shots seem darker, building effect within the audience.

Location

Me and my group have been discussing the location that would be best for our video shoot. We questioned our selves if we wanted the location to be busy or quiet. A quiet location would mean an indoor shoot while a busy location would mean an out door shoot e.g. on a high street. 

We decided that we want our shoot in a place that isn't too busy making it easier to record as there will be less things to worry about; such as people's privacy. I discovered a very good location within Brent Cross Shopping Center which is indoors. It's a car park that can be worked with well, especially for my CCTV shots.

Schedule of shoots

Me and my group have recently been scheduling our shoot for our opening sequence. We decided to go on the upcoming weekend though the weather forecast doesn't seem too promising. Due to this we had to change our plans and prepare for the upcoming day as the weather conditions don't seem too bad.

We decided that all three of us shall be ready by five o'clock and to meet up at our agreed location by six o'clock. Hopefully nobody is late as it would be a pull back, meaning less time to record.

Sound track

I was looking on youtube today exploring suitable audio for my opening sequence. I typed in 'suspenseful music'. Helping me get a rough idea of the types of audio is expected to be played within a thriller sequence. Many videos where listened to and i came across some interesting sounds. This definitely helped me get a gist of the type of music should be played within my opening sequence.





These are some of the examples i heard on youtube of sounds that build suspense. I like them both as they managed to give me a clear idea of what a sound track should sound like for an opening sequence.

Costume

While organizing our shoot we came across costumes. We had to decide as a group what costumes would be most appropriate for our genre. Within our film we have both, protagonist and antagonist characters. I believe that costume is vital for the audience to recognize and separate the two.

A protagonist character is looked to be a hero who stops any disasters from taking place. After researching protagonist characters within thriller films i noticed that they all wear smart and casual clothing; e.g. Will Smith in 'I AM LEGEND'. His clothing is very casual, making him blend in with a normal human in our time. I think this is done to make the audience feel for the character more as his power is just as strong as ours.


On the other hand i noticed that antagonist characters all seem to where dark clothing. In most films they represent the villain as a shady character who's up to no good. His clothing would normally include masks, hats or worn out suits.

In conclusion to all this research, I figured that our protagonist character will dress up as if he is just living an ordinary day. This will include an ordinary jumper along with jeans. While our antagonist character will wear dark clothing (black) which will include, dark trousers, a dark jacket and a dark hat.

Representations on thriller films

Stereo types
After watching some thrillers i recognized that the majority of thriller films have a male as the main character. He always seems to find a way to become a hero and solve the problem in the end. This is very stereotypical as it represents the daily man of being the more 'powerful' and 'determined'.

I've seen this stereotypical behavior on films such as :

• I am legend 
• The usual suspects
• Inception
• Batman the dark knight
• Memento

Due to this i'll need to follow the conventions and do the same. Though it's not all cases where the male plays the biggest role. In the film Silence of the lambs a female plays the heroic role and sometimes a change to stereotypical behavior can be more effective to an audience.

Ethnicity
In most main stream movies today i noticed that it is very rare to find a protagonist character who is Asian. We decided as a group to go against this convention of a white male and try be different. We decided to get an Asian male to play the role of our protagonist character.

Opening titles

Within my opening titles i had to consider what font, size and colour will suit my genre most. Thriller films are serious films that build tension so i had to make sure my opening titles are serious and not look too playful.

This made me feel that keeping it simple would be a lot more effective as it will stop it looking playful, keeping the audience in place with the genre. I decided to use an American type-writer effect for my font, with the size being 24 and a white font colour. This makes it look simple yet serious due to the nice colour contrast the white font gives the black background.










For my first opening credit i decided to go a step deeper by making it stand out the most. I added graphics from adobe after effect to create this opening credit; as i feel that the production company is the most important and deserves the best title. I used a basic colour contrast of white text with a dark background. I also inserted an edited image of an angel, this represents the wings thats Third Wing Visuals provide.

Effects

While putting my footage together i experimented with some effects to make look more unique.

Colour corrector - I used this to darken my shots to show the audience the seriousness of what's taking place. I changed the whites, the blacks and the saturation of the frames; making each shot look sharper and better.

Bad TV - This was a special effect that i tried out which turned out very well. It got used on some of my CCTV frames giving the effect of the damaged CCTV footage.

Noise - A excellent effect that i used on all of my CCTV footage shots, giving that 'fuzzy' look to them. It was used to make it clear to my audience that the footage being showed is coming from another source (CCTV)

Additive Dissolve / channel Map / Fade in and out - These transitions where all used to make my titles fade smoothly with the footage taken. It helped the flow of the video as it's very smooth to see.

Edits

Sound

I've been experimenting with sounds and I've managed to come across some great sound effects on YouTube, which can be imported into my opening sequence. Knowing my sequence is based on CCTV footage i thought of a creative idea. Adding an effect to my shot would increase the audience's attention. This would be done by adding a 'Bad TV' effect to my shots making it look as if the footage is damaged.



This sound effect can be used to follow through with the visual of damaged CCTV footage. It it will make the opening sequence feel more realistic, as the audience will be hit with the diegetic audio of the damaged CCTV footage.

I'm going to have to import this audio into my project and only use it when 'Bad TV' is used. Making it fit in well with the visuals as it's in place with the Bad TV effect.

Research on opening titles

I managed to take this screen grab from Wikipedia, as it helped me learn more about  the structure of the credits within an opening sequence. Allowing me to maintain the structure and use it within my thriller opening sequence. It has also given me an idea of how many opening credits are expected within an opening sequence, now that this is kept in mind I'm able to show my knowledge that i have gathered from this research into my final product.