Abstract Thriller

This is an Abstract Thriller opening Tom, Liam and I have produced. This Thriller was produced using Final Cut Pro, with graphics made using Photoshop CS4. Various overlays were used within Final Cut to give the grainy, 'old film' effect, as well as to add texture to the footage. The titles were made by Tom, using thin, scratchy lines to make the lettering violent and rushed looking. Liam and Tom filmed the footage by hand, as opposed to using tripods, to make the footage seem more enigmatic and unkempt.

Production Logo

Finished Logo Work in progress

Just a few work in progress pictures of our amazingly awesome...ish production logo.

Animatic

 

This is the animatic for our Thriller opening. The basic idea is to assemble the panels of our storyboard into a video format so as to achieve an understanding of the timings needed for each shot. It is silent at the current time as we do not have a soundtrack we have decided on.

Risk Assessment

We have filled a Risk Assessment for our production, so as to ensure our safety is guaranteed and any precautions that we may need to make are highlighted. This is a legal requirement for any movie/television production.

Production logo - WIP

Tom is working on an illustration for our production logo. As our production company is called 'Bad Panda', the illustration is of a broken and battered Panda plushie. He'll complete this piece in his own time, and it shall appear in our opening.

Here, Tom has completed the inking of the Panda graphic. He is now producing the text for the logo.

And here is the finished text. Tom will now edit this whole thing in Photoshop CS4

Box Office

I have been looking at the Mojo Box Office to gather an idea of what is popular in the world of film.


- Films within the Genres of Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Action (Or even a combination) have more success than films of the Genres of Children, Comedy, Drama or Romance. In fact, nearly all of the films I saw on the list fit into these genres.

- Titanic, although released much earlier than most of the films listed, is still the second highest grossing - this is probably due to the fact that the film has seen many re-releases over time (IMAX, 3D, Blue-Ray).

- Films based on book, toy or comic franchises are being produced more in recent years, and are also higher grossing than original franchises.

-Films released around 2007/2012 grossed higher than films released beforehand, which is probably due to a larger audience oif filmgoers as the medium has escellated in popularity.

Facebook Page

We have created a Facebook page for our thriller opening to draw attention to the project. It shall be used as an extra, public form of documenting our work on the project. We will also use the page to create polls for the public to answer concerning the project or otherwise. All three of us are Admins of the page, so we can all add/edit content upon it. Click here to access the page.

We have started setting up polls on the page to gain information about our audience.

Although not a lot of people have answered these questions, we hope that with a larger audience and more questions that we will be able to gather a variety of information about said audience.

 We have also posted our first two videos to the page as a 'preview' of what we are capable of.

Titles for experimental opening

 These are the titles Tom produced for our experimental opening. Click the link to visit his post.

Tom Shepherd - AS Media: W.I.P Titles and Credits

Storyboard

Tom, Liam and I have decided to go with Tom's concept 'Entrapment' for our opening. Here is the storyboard.

Working from Gash - How could the opening work?

• Production company logo
• Crime scene investigation - Dark house, police lights, police tape...
• Inside house - Forensic docs everywhere
• We move through the house to the room where to body is, to find it surrounded by people -Credits alongside
• The body does not appear to have been killed - It just looks dead
• Forensic docs are investigating the body for any signs of murder - Nothing - Credits alongside
• Inv.Jeffories writing notes, conversing with P.C. Benjamin
• The body is bagged up, doctors doing so looking confused as to why - Credits alongside
• Jeffories is convinced it is a murder - all evidence points to it (open window, footsteps)
• Jeffories is presented the bloodied doll
• Title over view of house - Scratchy text

Working from The Uneven - How could the Opening go?

• Company logo
• Ryan is out on the plains taking photographs of local wildlife - Foggy? Dusk?
• Reverse shots of him and his subjects could be shown - Credits alongside these
• Somehow while photographing, he notices something out of the blue
• Goes over to investigate (Several shots to emphasize length of travel) - Credits alongside these
• Finds strange traces on the ground - Drool? Blood? Footprints? Claw marks? Carcass?
• Title graphic over black - Sketchy and rough - Scratched?

Thriller Concept: Uneven

Uneven

Basic Plot: When two young brothers move into a secluded home on the plains, strange things begin to happen around them. Things start to move. Possessions begin disappearing. Wildlife levels diminish. And they soon discover that these happenings are not coincidence or accident, but are purposeful occurrences, conducted by the Uneven.

Characters:

Jason -  The older of the two brothers, Jason is a burly lumberjack by profession. He has moved onto the plains with his brother, Ryan, to be at peace when away from work in the mountains - How ironic. He is strong and beardy, and generally wears work-shirts and heavy jeans.

Ryan - Unemployed, but sells nature photography online, which he creates on the plains. He is the first to notice the number of animals in the area dramatically dropping, and is inevitably the first to see the Uneven. He wears padded hiking gear on top of dress shirts and jeans, which shows he us both prepared for travel (hiking gear) and is much more professional that Jason (dress shirts).

The Uneven - Appears human but is not, this strange, pale creature is responsible for the weird happenings around the home on the plains - it does not like company. It's motive is not to harm the brothers, but to simply have them leave, as it would rather be on it's own. It wears no clothes - it is a beast after all - and has a smooth, leathery complexion. It's face is featureless other than two eyes, and it's body is bony and angular. It stands seven feet tall on it's legs, but runs swiftly on all fours in a similar fashion to a Gorilla. It is extremely strong, able to lift and throw Jason's truck/the Buffalo on the plains.

Thriller Concept: Gash

Gash

Basic idea: A crime investigator is on the trail of a series of mysterious murders - all of which done to teenage girls - without any knowledge of who has conducted them or how the victims have died. The only clue to the crimes is a simple calling card left at each scene - A bloodied baby doll next to the body. As more is revealed about the murders, it seems to the investigator that the killer is not as human as originally suspected...

Characters:

Inspector G.Jeffories ('Jeff' for short) - This is his first case, but through his training and exterior knowledge of the criminal world, he knows exactly what he is doing and quickly gets into the killer's head. His enthusiasm for his work makes it seem more like his hobby than his career. Dresses formally - bright coloured ties highlight his youth, but the dark suits instate his professionality.

Officer Benjamin - A veteran police officer with a sharp tongue, Benjamin keeps Jeffories in order throughout his investigation... or at least, he tries to. He wears the normal British police uniform, but has his tie loose and collar unbuttoned to highlight the stress of dealing with such a jumpy Inspector.

Jaz Carling - Love interest of Jeffories - Very clingy. She constantly worries about Jeffories' safety, and this leads her to follow him on his investigations (learning things she otherwise shouldn't). She wears casual clothes - lots of wool - and heavy rimmed glasses, highlighting her geeky yet feminine persona.

'Joshua' -  The murderer responsible for these deaths. In early life, his was attacked by local youths with bleach and lighters, leaving his complexion leathery and white, and his features distorted. He honed his skills of murder on local farm animals, and now uses those skills to dispose of his rape victims. He wears tattered jeans and a dull, grey T-Shirt, highlighting that he once was normal, but is now feral and wild.

Rev.Gently - The local Reverend, Gently is convinced that Joshua is actually Satan spawn, leading him to attempt many times to cease the investigation to "Let the beast to get bored and return to hell". He is old and senile. Jeffories' atheistic beliefs force him to ignore any of Gently's attempts to cease investigation, no matter how difficult. Gently wears the White collar and Black Vicar's shirt along with a tweed suit jacket and old, brown trousers, to emphasize his profession and age.

Watch the Title: This is Tomorrow

This is Tomorrow

• The first shot slowly fades in from black, to show an black, silhouette image of a spire-topped building ahead of a silhouette of a cityscape in blue. Blue has connotations of sadness, and the black building's tone is imposing and dominant.
• Black planes of different transparencies fly over the city, white vapor trails following them. These vapor trails cut through the blue sky, leaving white streaks across it. The varying transparencies of the planes could be there to show how close the plane is to the viewer.
• It then starts to rain. The falling rain is a good indicator of what is soon to happen (dropping bombs), and is also a symbol of sadness.
• The shot changes to show three planes from below, with two white vapor trails following them. The planes are moving down the frame, which shares the symbolism of the rain.
• An image of a pressure clock is shown. The hand of it moves up and down at irregular intervals. This could symbolize the fluctuating emotions of the those who will suffer from the downpour of explosives.
• The planes are shown from the bottom again, but this time closer up. It is now clear that these planes have German symbols on the undersides of their wings, indicating the situation (the Germans bombing London).
• A shot is then shown of the planes from above. This means we can see a vectorized map of London beneath them, with the signature River Thames in show (instantly recognizable by Eastenders viewers). This highlights the location of the opening.
• The next shot shows two planes at a close 3/4 angle, with several bombs falling from their undercarriages. The bombs are moving slowly, which builds up tension towards their imminent fates.
• As the two planes fly out of shot, more bombs drop from above the frame. A very close up bomb falls into view, obscuring the screen into black. This is used as a visual transition into the next shot, which is various obscured images of the planes and the city below. These images are highlighted by flashes of white around their edges, which symbolizes the explosions.
• At the end of this sequence of events, a short paragraph concerning the Queen's Hall's destruction in 1941 is shown. This explains what everything previous was about. This is an unusual feature that is very rarely used in film openings, but it is very useful for clarifying if the events portrayed in the film are real or not (even if they aren't - Troll Hunter, for example).
• The text slowly fades out to show a continuous pan of the battered, smoking cityscape. The buildings have black silhouettes, symbolizing mourning. The first credit appears over the top of the ruined buildings in a white, italic font. The names of the persons involved are in capitols, highlighting their importance.
• The pan continues, and another title is shown - only one name this time. The distance of time between each title is long, so as to embed the image of the ruined city into the viewer's mind, and also to emphasize that sad mood.
•  The pan continues to show a white crane using a wrecking ball on the buildings. Then, dark blue silhouettes of bulldozers move in from the left to obscure the view - another visible transition.
• Another paragraph is shown. This one discusses the London County Council's plans in 1949 to construct the Royal Festival Hall. Through film grammar, this suggests that the wrecking ball and bulldozers of previous were clearing away the scenery for this construction.
• The dark background then fades to a lighter shade, and a line-drawing of what appears to be a dish-shaped roof is seen moving down the scene, with another line moving upwards with a hook on the end. This implies that the wrecking ball crane of previous is helping with the construction of a new building. There is also a credit name shown in this shot. 
• The shot continues, to show more ropes bringing more pieces of building downwards. This continues the theme falling (rain, bombs) that is seen throughout the opening. Two more credit names are shown.
• Now, a short paragraph about the opening of the Festival of Britain's opening in 1951 is shown on a much lighter background that previous paragraphs, implying that the situation is getting better.
• A waving red triangle comes into view - it is the first thing that is in a colour other than blue, white or black in the opening. This indicates a colour theme; Red, white and blue - the Union Jack. This triangle, as the zoom-out progresses, is revealed to be one of many flags on a line of bunting - a party?
• Various blue, white and red streaks move across the shot, as another title is shown. They stop to form an aperture-like pattern around another credit name.
• Three lines move from theft to the right of the screen, with coloured circles appearing upon them - this could indicate notes on Guitar strings.
• This scene then fades to reveal two suns, each in opposing corners, rotating slowly. The sun is warm, a source of light - this is a happy symbol, conveying the mood of the piece as is currently apparent. A credit name is also shown between the two suns.
• 5 cubes fade into the scene one by one - is this the building that was being constructed before? A credit name is shown alongside these cubes.
• The opening then ends to reveal the building that was being constructed along with the title: THIS IS TOMORROW. This ends the build up of the opening, and relieves us of our wonderment of what was being built. A boat is seen moving in front of the building, which clarifies it's riverside location.

Art of the Title - Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell

• The opening starts with a burst of green lines (possible circuitry), and then the Title 'Ghost in the Shell' appears in a pixellated typeface. This sets up the genre of the film: Sci-Fi
• We are then shown what appears to be a mechanical head with numerous panels open. The facial panel closes down onto the head. This both enforces the genre, and also creates the enigma of what/who this is.
• A CGI image of a brain is now displayed. The brain has a green square penetrate it, possibly scanning it. Having this shown after the image of the mechanical head, according to film grammar, possible symbolizes that the head has been programmed to simulate the mind.
• The first name appears, introduced by a wall of differentiating green numbers. These numbers represent computer code .
• The back of the head is shown, with more of its panels being closed. At this point, choir music kicks in. Choir singing is a natural instrumentation, which contrasts with the technical theme we're presented with.
• A pan from top-to-bottom is shown. At first, it seems like a skinned human body, but as we reach further up the body, it becomes apparent that this is the machine the head belongs to. This surprises the viewer - where they may have been expecting a robot, they are instead met with a mix of the two.
• Another wall of numbers appears, introducing another name.
• A high shot shows a peculiar location, which appears to be some sort of factory. The room is only lit by two pools of water -  the rest of the scene is rather dim. Two men wearing long, dark red robes are visible - red is a symbol of passion, or blood.
• We then see a woman's body flowing though water in lit pipes. Everything has a blue/green tinge to it, suggesting sadness/remorse.
• A window into a bright tank is shown, with the two men shown before looking into. The woman's body flies into view. It is apparent that the body has seams all over it - film grammar suggests that this is the robot/biological body we saw before.
• The body then flows upwards into a creme coloured film.
• Another CGI image is shown - it represents what we would see emerging on the other side of the film, but smoother.
• Another wall of numbers reveals four names.
• The body is now shown emerging from the film. It is now much smoother, and possesses hair. This suggests that the mecha is made to look like a woman - she has been given skin, hair and nipples on her breasts to make her seem more realistic. This also means that we can relate to this machine as a character rather than an object.
• Another wall of numbers reveals three more names.
• A rotating female figure is shown at a jaunty angle - it now looks much more natural. The face is not shown, as if not to reveal her identity.
• The 'camera' zooms to show her hands and posterior to show a sparkling effect appear. The viewer questions what this is at this stage.
• Another CGI figure appears - it mimics therotating figure seen before. The figure is being 'coloured in' in square patches - Squares have connotations of computers (pixels).
• A wall of numbers presents five names.
• A woman with blonde hair rises from water - is this the robot? Rising out of water symbolizes cleanliness and purity - getting out of the bath.
• The white 'skin' of the woman starts to peel away from the woman's skin, which is in normal skin tone. (The first area shown to have peeled is her breasts, which could symbolize a possible sexual encounter in this character's presence).
• Another wall of numbers reveals three names.
• A CGI render of a woman's body in the fetal position is shown. It is fully coloured, unlike the previous CGI images, which suggests that it is completed.
• The woman is then shown in the same position as the render, being dumped into water. This could suggest that the CGI renders are symbolism of the thoughts of either the woman seen, or who/whatever is in control of these occurences.
• Another wall of numbers leaves one name.
• Another shot showing the environment outside the water. Here, a red-coat wearing man surveys a machine that has a tank filling with water. The lighting around the tank has a pink-ish tinge to it, which could represent the tone of the woman's skin, whereas the lighting around the tank has a green tinge, which could symbolize poison or greed.
• A shot shows the woman traveling up a tube. This could be a visual metaphor towards being born - Babies leave their mother through a passage, as this new woman is doing.
• Another wall of numbers brings three names.
• The woman is shown rising from the tank from the front (again highlighting her breasts), and then from the back. Showing her from the back helps us see various markings on her back - four lumps on her neck, and a symbol between her shoulder blades. These remind us that she is artificial, and also for a second put us off her beauty.
• She is then seen floating in mid air, in a straight stance. A white light from above gives her angelic connotations - angels stereotypically float and survey the world around them.
• Another wall of numbers appears, revealing three names. It is then followed immediately by two other walls of numbers, revealing three names each.
• To end the sequence, we are shown a shot from the side of the woman's face, with her hair blowing. Although the reality is that here hair is probably being dried, it can symbolize her being in the wind - natural connotations, signifying that she is now a real woman.

Evidence of Folie and Audio work in GarageBand

 Click the image for a larger view

Here is a screenshot of the workspace in GarageBand. Tom, Liam and I worked together to create an audio track for a thriller opening. The three tracks named 'No Effects' are edited recordings of Folie audio, created using a corkscrew and a banana slicer. The blue lines beneath two of these tracks are volume sliders, which increase and decrease the volume of the track according to the position of the line. The four 'Finger Sty...ric Bass'  tracks create the audio of a hearbeat. The 'Bondi Breath' track creates an eerie background rumble, and the 'Star Sweeper' track simulates a 'flatline' sound.

To hear this audio properly, you will need a decent pair of headphones/speakers that can play good bass, as a majority of this track is bass.

Analysis: Bourne Supremacy opening

Titles:
There is only one piece of titling in the opening sequence, and that is the title itself. The animation has each letter "rolling" into view, and collaborating to form the words 'Bourne Supremacy'. This leaves much mystery as to who the film is both made by, and also what the film may entail.

Sound:

• Dramatic music adds suspense to the opening sequence, and sets us up for the tone of the film overall.
• We hear dialogue over the opening sequence - a mature sounding man referring to a 'live project' that the 'soldier' has been sent on.
• Towards the end of the sequence, we hear a woman complaining and screaming, and then a gunshot. We gather that she has been killed.
• As soon as this sequence ends, the sound goes almost silent - the only sounds being the rolling ocean and a set of wind-chimes. This calms the film right down.
• After the man has stated that he cannot remember the good things any more, Calm, sad music begins to play. This emphasises his mood towards his lack of remembrance.

Editing:

The very beginning of the sequence is cut very swiftly - some short pieces of footage, and some still images. The swift cutting emphasises how sudden and scary the actions within them are, and sets us up for the mood the film may follow later on. But, as we enter the seaside home, the rate of shot interchanging slows right down. This helps us to take in what just happened at the beginning, but also states the mood of the current scenario - calm.

Genre:

• The Gunshot heard after the complaining woman indicates the death/maiming of her. Death and Injury are features of Thrillers, but guns are generally the tool of choice in Action films.
• The Enigma set up with the quick-paced editing at the beginning both confuses and unnerves us, the audience. Enigmas are features of Thrillers.
• The lighting in the beach house is very dim and unclear. This mysterious visual feature means that we are unsure of where we are, and therefore enforces the Thriller theme.

The Bourne Supremacy is a Thriller, but possibly also an Action Thriller.

Enigmas:

1. Who's is the car? Where is it, and where is it headed?
2. Who is referred to as 'Soldier'?
3. Who is the woman complaining?
4. Who/What is shot?
5. Why does the movie vacate to India?
6. Why is the woman in the house so worried about the man's well-being?
7. What exactly are they discussing on the porch?
8. What/Who is he trying to remember?

Narrative:

• The first piece of dialogue we hear is that of a mature sounding man, relaying orders to person who he refers to as 'Soldier'. He ensures this person that "this is not a drill", and that what they are doing is a "Live Project". The fact that we don't know who he is referring to or talking about builds up a mystery as to the situation.
• When the man gets up to take medication, the woman is concerned for his well-being. But, he ensures her that "it's just a headache", which may indicate that he has got up in the night for much worse reasons.
• When the two of them move onto the porch, they discuss the man's need to remember whatever it is he needs to remember. We are completely unaware as to what this is, and this sets up an enigma for the viewer that is hopefully clarified later on in the film. 
• The man states that writing down what he dreams never helps, as it is never productive (no new information). This clarifies to most viewers that the beginning of the film was a dream sequence.

Analysis: The Red Violin Opening

Sadly I was unable to find a copy of this opening sequence on YouTube. If one becomes available, I will add it to this Blog post.

Titles:

• A font (that could be judged as generic) has been used for the titles in a white colour. The simplicity of the text means we understand what is written immediately.
• Names of Actors or Staff fade in one after the other, but are always present in pairs. This means more names can be displayed in a shorter amount of time, so as not to distract from the subtitles in the workshop sequence.
• The text is always placed near the edges or corners of the frame, but never in the centre. This almost provides a window for the viewer to look through in order to see the action unfold.
• The appearance of Title text 'waits' until the crafting scene, so as not to distract from the subtitles, and so the viewer is focused on the drama that unfolds within the frame. After the scene has completed itself, the titles carry on appearing.
• At the end of the opening sequence, the Title appears over a black background, but with scattered red lettering behind it. Some of the more distant lettering appears to be musical notations.

Sound and Dialogue:

When the sequence begins over the blurred violin bodies, the music is composed of long, sorry violin notes. The pace of the music at this point matches with the pace of the motion of the footage. But, as the footage clarifies, the music intensifies, matching the intensification of focus. As we move through the building, the music calms, but then slightly crescendos when as the workshop is revealed. Also at this point, the Diegetic audio of the workshop is audible, adding to the atmosphere. As we move away from the view of the workshop doorway, the music quietens (but the Diegetics do not), but the music intensifies when we meet another archway over a flaming fire. The intensified music displays the energy of the flame. But, as we move to the third archway, the music deepens and fades away, leaving only diegetic sound. 

Now, we hear nothing but the Dialogue of the craftsman talking to his staff. He is speaking in a foreign language (possible Spanish or French, subtitles used) to his worker, beginning what seems to be a complement to his violin he has produced. But as he progresses in his speech, his tone begins to turn bad, and he finishes his statement by telling the worker that is is not good enough, before smashing the violin on a bench. The build up of the compliments means us, the viewers originally think this violin is the titular red violin/at least a success, but we are let down/shocked when it is shown otherwise. The sudden turn of mood highlights the man's sour character.

The music then kicks back in when the title appears with a magnificent, dramatic crescendo. As we are shown the new man walking towards the auction room, we hear the dialogue of an auctioneer over speakers. The auctioneer is receiving and confirming bids on [what is revealed when we enter the auction room] a violin. As we then enter the auction room, all we hear is the auctioneer auctioning the violin. The strike of his hammer when the violin is bought triggers the crowds whispers, which show activity in the environment, and bring us into the story action of the film.

Analysis: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Opening

Sadly I was unable to find a copy of this opening sequence on YouTube. If one becomes available, I will add it to this Blog post.

Genre:

There are a variety of features in the trailer which aid the viewer in identifying the genre of the film:

• Dark Lighting creates a mysterious atmosphere, hiding a majority of the surrounding objects/locations and generally obscuring the viewer's perception of the world they are viewing. Mystery is a feature of Thrillers.
• Enigma: Why did the man cry about the plant? Who is he? What relevance does the plant have? Who is the hooded person that we follow? Why is a business meeting relevant to all this? Unanswered questions until later on in the film, which is generally something a Thriller would do.
• Violent connotations of a knife and it being used to cut string on a parcel may be a clue to what happens later on in the film. Violence (specifically with blades like these) is another feature of Thrillers.
• The man shows Fear and Caution when operating the knife, maybe like the viewers may feel later on the film. People fear for the safety of characters in Thrillers, so the man's fearful actions with the blade are an indication to this.

Titles:

• The titles are Sans-Serif, but are in an unusual font otherwise, possibly unique to the film. The unusualness of the font presents the viewer with an unfamiliarity with what they are viewing. 
• The text overlays the video footage, so that the sequence can progress without waiting for the text. Although the text isn't the main focus of the shots, it is still highly noticeable due to it's on-screen juxtaposition. 

Editing:

• The titles fade in and out in time with the flow of the musical notations, which is both artistically and aesthetically pleasing, and also doesn't interrupt with the overall flow of the sequence.
• Generally, the shot changes through this sequence are very swift, but when the man with the plant displays sadness, the pace of shot interchanging slows down dramatically. This emphasises his emotion - when we are sad, everything seems to grind to a halt.
• Also, in some places, the opening uses a technique where the audio of the next shot overlaps the previous shot for about 1/2 seconds. I'm not sure if this technique has a name, but I can say that it makes the flow of the sequence seem a lot more natural, and also gives us a slight hint to what is coming next for us in the film.

Analysis: North by Northwest Opening

North by Northwest is a Thriller by Alfred Hitchcock, released in 1959.

The opening starts with nothing but a Green background. This colour implies Envy and Guilt, which in turn implies that these could be themes within the motion picture. But then, thin, white lines appear on the screen, crossing from the right hand side to the left from a central point off-screen. Lines are a recurring theme in Thriller openings - they convey themes like prison cell bars, bullet motion, and cutting. As soon as these lines going across the image have appeared, a second set of lines appear from the bottom, crossing the first lines, although they all move straight upwards as opposed to spreading like the first set of lines. This grid traps the viewer in with it's many boxes, and also gives an impression of mathmatic calculation - precise thoughts, like those of a criminal.

As soon as this grid is established, the titles themselves begin to appear, starting with the name of the production company - MGM. Each half of the name comes from a different direction - "Metro" comes from the top, and "Goldwyn-Mayer" from the bottom - which both looks good and adds a sense of direction to the piece. When the MGM name appears, the music builds up into a tense symphony of strings - the instrumentation gives a sense of fast, jumpy, scurrying motion, which gives the intro a pace it wouldn't have without it. This 'scurry' of sound also sets us up for later scenes. As the green-and-grid proceeds to exist, the rest of the credits that roll in all share the same animation as the MGM name - one half up, one half down - which is a nice continuing theme, and again supports the whole directional theme expressed previously.

But then, the green-and-grid fades away, to reveal what appears to be the glass face of a skyscraper. The white lines from the grid match up with the frames of the glass, which links the graphics and photography very well, and helps to tie the graphics in also. In the glass now visible, there is a reflection of what appears to be traffic below the building, both vehicle and human, but due to the nature of the glass, the reflection slightly warped. This, on top of the fact that what we're seeing a reflection, gives us a reflection, means that we are not quite seeing things how they really are.

Analysis: Serpico Opening

Genre:
We can identify the Genre of Serpico through the various themes expressed in it's opening:

• Police themes are present throughout the opening - Sirens, Police Officers, Discussion of crime - which suggests a Crime aspect to the film.
• Injuries and Blood indicate that there is some violence in the story - maybe the film will investigate the source of the injuries? This again indicates Crime, but also Action.
• Dark Lighting within and outside the Police car, as well as in the other locations shown (aside from the hospital) add an air of mystery and enigma - Thriller traits.
• The Enigma of who 'Serpico' is and why the cast of characters are so worried about him is established through this opening sequence. An Enigma is a feature of Thrillers.
• The Typeface of the titles is strangely blank - this could express the Serpico character's state of mind, but also helps build up the enigmatic setup that a Thriller offers.

Altogether, these features identify Serpico as a Crime Thriller.

Editing:

The big thing one can comment on about the editing of this opening is that there are a lot of cutaways. Although the opening generally follows the car journey with the two officers and the injured man, there are also cut-in scenes showing what is happening elsewhere in the film's world. All the situations shown feature telephone conversation concerning Serpico and his injuries - The first conversation between the officers at the station and those in the car, and the second being an unidentified character in an office environment calling who appears to be the chief inspector. The fact that these scenes are cut in alongside the car journey to the hospital means that these events are all happening at the same time, as opposed to one after the other. It also allows the film to progress further, faster.

Narrative and Sound:
The sequence starts off with nothing but the Police siren, which is extremely loud and high pitched, putting the viewer on edge. After a short while of Siren noise (and before the interior shot appears), we hear a repetitive beating sound, which we originally suspect is a heartbeat. But, as the shots from inside/outside the vehicle are shown, it becomes apparent that this noise is in fact the motion of the Police car's windscreen wipers. The dialogue of the two officers in the car discusses the fact that this person - Serpico - has been shot, and that they cannot believe this. Why? The shot swaps to show the inside of the police station, where all is silent except the dialogue of the officer within. We then go back inside the car, and then leave the car to and office, in which the dialogue of the subject is hardly audible over background noise. The sound inside the home of the chief inspector is also silent aside from his voice, although the sound of his wife's (?) breathing is very slightly audible. Everybody seems surprised/mournful of Serpico's injuries - one police officer asks if he was shot by an officer or not. The story (if vague) is almost entirely spoken through the dialogue.

Analysis: Vertigo Opening

Vertigo is a Thriller by Alfred Hitchcock, released in 1959.

The opening starts extremely enigmatically - an extreme close up of 3/4 of a Woman's Nose and Mouth. The woman's features are at the left side of the screen, leaving a big black void to the right - What is behind her? Where is she? These questions riddle the viewers mind. The enigmatic atmosphere is only heightened at this point by the tinkly background music, which has rising and falling notations to it - This almost assimilates the feeling of the motion of breathing, or the wind blowing past - which is overall very tense and mysterious. But then, the light on her face brightens to show more detail (not clarifying her surroundings mind), to a level which you wouldn't really want - all of her imperfections are visible. The light could be described as clinical, like the light used in an interrogation. This may give a clue to later events in the film. 

The camera then pans to centre the woman's face on the screen, showing less of her nose but more of her mouth. The music crescendos dramatically, highlighting the impending drama of the situation. As the music crescendos, the Woman's mouth twitches, and the name of star James Stewart appears over her lips (as if she's saying it). The Camera now moves up to her eyes. Eyes are sometimes known as 'windows to the soul' and if this was a phrase used in the day this film was made, then it would explain the reasoning behind this shot perfectly. The colours of the shot also become more natural as we move to this shot, revealing something very sad about her expression - her eyes are shiny and moist, full of tears. She also has large pupils, and her eyes are overall very dark. She is looking around herself. Why is she so worried? What's going to happen to her?

The camera then pans and zooms to her left eye, and then zooms in further towards it. The music again Crescendos, as a Red wash is used on the shot. Red is a symbol of blood and death, and the shot becoming red highlights that the woman is not in a safe predicament. Thanks to the Wash, the details in the eye are more apparent - we can see the veins, the fact that her eyes are open much wider than before, and also her pupils have shrunk - indications of shock and fear. The Title then bursts from her Eye, followed by a small spiral pattern. This spiral grows as it spins from her pupil - it looks almost as if it was made with a spirograph. Although this is generally a cartoon trope, the spiral in her eye could indeed symbolise hypnosis. As the spiral grows and spins to fill the screen, the red-washed eye fades into blackness, leaving nothing but the spiral. Again, we are in a black void, only accompanied by this strange, swirling pattern. As the title sequence progresses, we are greeted with more spirals of different shapes, sizes and colours, all spinning and growing towards the viewer. This continues for the rest of the opening, further enhancing the mystery of the piece. 

Audio and Imagery Analysis: Se7en Opening

Audio:
The audio to this opening has a lot of Enigmatic elements to it, which help to confuse and unnerve the viewer, creating the desired suspense. Although when one listens to it for the first time, it appears as a random mess of sounds, it is actually an excerpt from a song by Nine Inch Nails (who are renowned for their grungy, dirty sounding music). There are a large number of different elements that go towards making this music track what it is, and they are as follows:

• Mechanical sounds, such as Gears, Creaking, Tape Rewinds and Electricity. The nature said sounds are using is very disturbing, and adds this sense of 'unnaturality' to the audio. It also ties in to one piece  of imagery - the old razor blade - to give a sense of atmosphere of what's going on in the footage.
• Digital sounds, such as Electric Vocals, Electricity, Dial-Up tones, Synthed-Up Choir vocals and Digital noise. Digital sounds like these could be an indication of the time period of the piece (The computer age), and could also give an indication to the scenario of the film (Maybe the killer finds his victims through the internet?) and any props that may appear later on (Computers, Telephones etc.)
• Vocals, such as the Synthed-Up Choir, the Electric Vocals, and also the "You've got me closer to God" quote. The presence of the vocals, alongside the imagery of hands and what appear to be bodies, adds a sense of Humanity to an otherwise very unnerving, unpopulated scenario. Also, the  "You've got me closer to God" quote both hints towards the film's religious connotations (The Sevend Deadly Sins) and the theme of death (Being close to God = Heaven = The afterlife).
• Scratching sounds are very animalistic, as well as being very threatening to the viewer (scratching is generally an attack by animals - painful). Also, this is an indication of the violence that may or may not unfold later on in the film. 
• And there's a Drumbeat to ensure that a rhythm is kept in the audio, as it is a music piece. But, this Drumbeat only kicks in later on in the sequence, speeding up the action and helping to build up suspense. 

Imagery:

There is a large variety of imagery in this opening sequence. It is edited in a very quick-fire fashion - one image/short piece of footage after another - so that we're never paying attention to something for any longer than 1/2 seconds. The imagery is generally of a very mysterious, shadowy nature, but it does give a lot away...

• The on-running theme of the Scrapbook. A majority of the sequence (if not all of it) revolves around the creation of a scrapbook. There is imagery of Sewing the pages, sticking extracts and photos down and  writing. The fact that the person in the piece is so keen to record his doings, shows us that this is his main incentive for his actions. The content of the book that is shown though shows his/her intentions are far from peaceful.
• Disgusting imagery, such as the photographs of bodies, the drawing of the mangled hands and the sequence of the person in focus shaving skin off their fingers, all disgust and unnerver the viewer. The images of the bodies highlights that this person has a fascination with the death of others (reasons why are unknown to the viewer at this point). These images are of a vile nature, showing some truly grievous injuries (a man with a nail though the back of his skull, for example), which helps the viewer understand that this person has a sick obsession.
• The Typewriter contrasts with the modern feelings of the audio, and makes it seem like this person is either of another time, or is at least behind the times in terms of technology. The Old Razor also highlights this, even though we see hardly anything of it due to the fast paced editing of it's sequence.
• Again, highlighting the person's lack of modern technology, there are scenes of Photo Development. This is an old fashioned way to produce hard-copy photographs, and the fact that this is present in the sequence shows off the fact that the is behind the times. But also, the photo lab has an eerie red light about it, and red being the colour of danger, death and blood, highlights the bad intentions of our character.

Audio

Here we have used recorded Foley audio (made using a corkscrew and a banana slicer) and digital sounds to create a short, dramatic audio for a Thriller Opening sequence.

Analysis: Marnie Opening

Marnie was released in 1964 by Universal Studios. It is one of the many successful movies by the renowned Director Alfred Hitchcock. Today  I will be analysing the opening sequence of the Film.

00:00

In the beginning, credits are shown for the most important people responsible for the film. This is very different to how modern films work – usually, the Credits are only present towards the end of the film, or after 5-10 minutes of the action has played out – which automatically strikes as unusual to modern viewers. This Title sequence is live action footage of a book being read, the credits displayed upon the pages, which is a hint toward the origin of the film – a novel of the same name, Marnie. In adapting a book to create the film, Hitchcock and Universal have bought in an extra audience – readers of the book. The music in this sequence is very dramatic, which suits and sets the overall mood of the film. The names mentioned in the Title sequence refer to the people/information within in order of importance; Production Company, Big Stars, Director, Co-Stars, Bit-Players, Cinematographer, Assistant Director, Unit Manager, Costume  and Make-Up Designers, Colourist, Editor, Other Crew, Copyright and Date, Composer and finally the person responsible for the Screenplay. By showing who acted and directed the film first, the producers have given the audience an expectation of how the film will be – They trust that these high-quality persons have in turn produced a high-quality film.

02:00

From the book shot, we move straight into the motion picture, to be greeted by a close-up of a Bright Yellow handbag clenched under a Grey, Tweed dressed arm. The person holding the bag is currently walking as we watch (being followed by the Camera on a Dolly) and the bounciness of the walk (along with the curvature of the person’s torso and the arm’s scale) indicate that it is a woman we are watching.  The only sound we can hear at this point is the sound of the Woman’s High Heeled shoes on a concrete surface, with no echo, which indicates that she is in an open space. This outdoors-y atmosphere is boosted by the intensity of the lighting on the aforementioned handbag. The Dolly starts to slow, and this allows the Woman to walk out of close range of the Camera. It is revealed that she has flowing black hair, and is also carrying a dark grey suitcase. It is also revealed that she is on an empty train station platform – the two trains, platform and the rain guard form a ‘box’ around the character. As she reaches a considerable distance away from the character, she places her suitcase on the ground and stops moving, indicating that she is about to get on a train.

02:30

The film then moves on to show a middle aged man dressed a dark suit and striped tie, exclaiming “Robbed, cleaned up!”. This close up shot shows the man’s emotions strongly, as we see his facial expressions and hand gestures expressing his feelings. As he proclaims “Cleaned up!”, the shot cuts to that of an empty safe. Film Grammar in mind, this suggests that the woman in the previous scene is the culprit of the theft he is describing. As he states the amount robbed (which is substantially large, suggesting why he is so wound up) the camera reverses to show two men in suits and ties and a woman in a suit standing by a doorway. One of the two gentlemen is writing notes in a notebook, and both of them are close together, intently listening to what the businessman has to say, which suggests that they are investigators. These two men being shot in-frame with each other suggests a business partnership between them. The woman is very close to the doorway, and has no input in conversation, indicating that she is the man’s secretary (her distance and scale on-screen indicating a lower status also). The office we are in is conservative and professional – lots of browns, and paintings on the walls - which suggests that the man who has been robbed is of a high stature (Boss?).

02:41

When prompted by a detective, the businessman begins to describe the woman who he thinks is the thief, in much detail (matching the basic image of the woman we saw at the start of the film). This amuses both the secretary and, much more so, the detectives, which angers the businessman. The detective then asks if this woman had any qualifications for being hired, and the businessman responds that she indeed did. However, the secretary dismisses this, embarrassing the businessman and further confirming that he hired this woman due to his attraction to her.  As she states this, a fourth man (much younger than the rest) appears in the doorway behind her, wearing a light grey suit and holding a beige jacket over his shoulder. The physiognomy of the man suggests he is much more laid back than the rest of the characters present. A pan shot follows the Businessman as he walks through the room to greet the younger man, and as he reaches him, the camera watches their discussion through the doorway. This younger man is much taller than the Businessman, meaning that the Businessman must look up in order to talk to him, indicating the younger man’s higher status. The Businessman, after discussing the situation with the younger man, states that he is always welcome to do business with him, further proving this younger man’s possession of a higher status. As the Businessman climaxes in his description the Camera does something which the modern viewer would see as very odd; it turns and zooms into the younger man’s face. Although a peculiar shot, it does quite well show off the reaction of the man by centring his face in the frame.

04:51

And now we return to the Yellow Handbag, along with sad/romantic music. The framing is incredibly almost identical to the first time we saw it, but it becomes apparent due to softer lighting and shading that it is now indoors. The camera again moves backwards to reveal the woman walking down the hallway of a hotel, accompanied by a green-clad Bellboy holding parcels and a brown wrapped suitcase – all new items. This splurt of new gear indicates that the woman has already spent the money which we have in our heads confirmed that she has stolen from the Businessman. The shot then changes to an overhead shot of a hotel room, with the woman inside it. She is putting her newly bought clothing into a new suitcase, and transferring her old clothing into her old suitcase. Then, it is clarified that she is the culprit, as she removes a large amount of money from the Yellow Handbag and places it in the new suitcase. She then pulls out an ID card from her Purse, with the name the Businessman mentioned on it, and she then swaps it for a new ID card that was concealed in her make-up box – a fake identity, but with the same initials. She possesses a few of these fake IDs, indicating that she must change her identity a lot through her ongoing crime spree.

06:14

We are now in the Bathroom with the woman, who is removing black dye from her hair in the sink. This again shows that she changes her identity a lot in her criminality. A close up then reveals for a split second her face, surrounded with gleaming gold hair. This is the first time we see her face, and this means we truly can know who she is. At the point where her hair is revealed, the music crescendos dramatically, highlighting the revelation that comes with her identity’s reveal. Now we are in a new location, and we are again following the woman, but this time she is dressed in a very bright suit – new clothes for a new woman. Every so often, a passer-by will obscure the camera’s view, showing that she is not alone. The music fades away as she is revealed in full, and the bustling background noise of the railway station is revealed. Then, she notices a locker of some description, and hides the old suitcase inside – removing her old identity. The camera then pans to match her eye-line, and then performs a POV cutaway of an air vent on the floor. The woman then removes a key from the handbag and drops it onto the air vent, a close-up showing her dropping it into the vent with her foot. It is unknown as to what the key is for or from at this time.

The Encounter

This is a short film produced as an exercise in Continuity. The film involves two characters - Liam and Tom - travelling from two separate locations to meet together and shake hands. With Liam, his travel was shown in one shot, and his identity revealed instantaneously, almost presenting an image of 'victim' in him. We then move with Tom in an elevator (with obligatory elevator music) - an over the shoulder shot hides his face, but highlights the location, giving a sense of villainy to himself.. Two shots (again hiding Tom's face) show Tom leaving the elevator, and a final shot reveals the identities of both during the handshake. Then, a two part conversation (?) occurs, and the film ends.