Reservoir Dogs Titles Remake

Me and Anna edited together the remake of the classic Reservoir Dogs (1992) which the whole class were involved in filming.

DEXTER Title Sequence Re-edit Evaluation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1J5RWshYyQ&feature=plcp

1) Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.

• Colour and font to match the genre of the show
• The ordering of the credits
• Where they are in relation to what is happening on the screen
• The timing (when they appear, how long they appear for)

2) How did your group plan to edit the title sequence?

• Thought about timings, everyone should have an equal amount of time
• Decided on an order according to people's roles

3) Explain the creative decisions made by the group

• Thought of where to place the titles
• Decided to make them fit in with what was happening on screen
• Chose the colour white as it stood out from the dark background
• Kept the font simple but clear (reflective of Dexter's persona)

4) How does your re-edit compare to the original?

• Similar in a way as they were both simple and allowed the audience to read them
• The original sequence had a lot more names which we should have included and lasted longer on screen than ours
• The font was similar but the colour was red which could have connoted blood and was quite dark theme wise

Evaluation of Prelim

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked with Sharlene and Emily L and I believe we worked well together. Each of us gave our own input into the final idea for the story but originally starting with separate ideas and then combining them. After we finished the brainstorming of ideas and decided on a concrete idea, we went on to create a shot list. As we were doing this we kept referring to the brief of the task so we would include all the necessary shots. As a group we decided on roles the last because we were co-operative enough to not argue about it. Sharlene and Emily were the actresses and I was the camera woman. However Emily and Sharlene got to use the camera in scenes they were not in so we all had a chance with the technology. Furthermore in the edit suite, we all took turns in cutting our clip together so we all got a taste of the experience.

2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

For our story board we allocated each person to draw a certain amount of shots so the work would be done quicker. Next to each scene in our story board we wrote down if there was any dialogue. This formed as part of our scripting. We used theories about continuity to form our clip. For example, beforehand we already planned our match on actions and shot reverse shots. Cinematography wise, we first looked at what genre our clip was going to be. Universally we decided on a thriller so we decided to use conventional shots, lighting and framing that is used in a lot of thriller movies.

3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

The main tool we had to use was a camera to film all our shots. We used it hand in hand with a tripod to keep it still so we'd get nice clean shots. For panning we used the handle attached to the tripod to maneuver it. In one scene we did a track of Emily's character running and to get the effect of motion from her running we took the camera off the tripod and used it as a hand held. Then to edit our piece together we used the program Adobe Premiere in the edit suits. In the program we were able to watch each shot back, drop them onto the timeline and cut it so the clip was seamless and continuous. When editing we each did ten minutes slots of editing in order for us all to have a turn in the process.

4) What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

When planning we had to choose our location carefully since at the school there would be distractions from other students. Furthermore we couldn't film anything too difficult as we were limited with space and with time. When shooting we made sure to practice shots first without filming so we could get it right when we actually filmed it. However there were some mistakes when filming but we just re did it. One major thing we had to keep in mind was where the characters were standing so that in the next shot they would be in the same place and not break continuity. As we were editing we needed to be very precise to cut the clips at the right place so it all flowed.

5) How successful was your sequence? What worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do different?

Overall I think our sequence was quite successful. We met the minimum requirements of the brief- match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot- but we also added more to our sequence just to make it more interesting. Our clip had a clear sense of pace and rhythm, sometimes the scenes were slow and let the audience think and at other times it was fact paced and excited the audience. The mood was clearly established along with the genre. All throughout the clip there was a feeling of eeriness which linked in with the thriller/fantasy genre we were going with. However we had to delete on clip from our sequence as it didn't fit in with the rest of the clip and broke the continuity. Also if we were to do it differently we all agreed we would have added some music to it to add the the genre and overall feel of it.

6) What have you learnt from completing this task? How will your learning be significant when completing the rest of the task?

I learned that planning everything ahead is crucial even if you don't stick to your initial plans in the end. You need something to refer back to. Also team work is very important for if you do not work together well with your team mates, you will not be able to get it done. Luckily, our group was very co-operative and willing to listen to each other. In addition to that I learned that editing is a lot harder than it looks. Cutting clips at the right time so it looks continuous was quite tricky but at the same time, a lot of fun.

Project 7: Title Sequence Sound Analysis (DYM)

Coraline -- Art of The Title

♛ I have chosen to analyse the wonderful animated movie, Coraline (2009). It's one of my all time favourites, I definitely reccomend it. Despite it being an animation, it managed to give me a few chills. (I analysed this in chronological order of the clip) ♛

When the sequence starts you can hear quite low notes of a piano being played and it gets louder each time which creates a sense of anticipation. Especially as we haven't seen any main footage from the film yet, just credits on a red background. Then we see the title of the movie- Coraline- appear and the music changes a little to let us know that the title is significant (as it should be). We can hear some sort of singing however the lyrics are unintelligible which adds to the mystery of the whole film. Furthermore it sounds like little children are singing the song which portrays the theme of innocence and childhood. As the music continues when the actors and actresses names are listed, it gets a little more eerie suggesting that the whole idea of innocence/childhood may end up being more twisted than we first imagined. This also builds up suspense as again we still haven't seen anything from the movie.

After the acting credits, we see a doll flying into a window and the background music seems to consist of symbols lightly clanging giving a magical feel, making the audience feel happy in a way. However then we see metal hands grab the doll which instantly puts things into retrospect. The twist to the innocence. In the background there is a soothing lullaby which again links with childhood and the doll could be symbolic of that. For most of the clip it has been non-diegetic music but now we start to hear some sound effects. We hear the scissors cutting the back of the doll. This seems significant as the film makers have singled out this particular noise. It makes us uncomfortable as not a lot of people would think about cutting up their doll. The sound effect compliments the visuals creating a near to sinister effect. 

Although the lullaby is in the background, the music to the lullaby is quite metallic and unnatural which relates to the image of the metal hands we see. Something ordinary turned into something we are not accustomed to. The second sound effect we hear is when the mouth of the doll is being ripped open. This again makes us feel uncomfortable and rings alarms in our head, foreshadowing danger. The lullaby is playing throughout which puts a spin on everything. It either makes what happening seem innocent or makes us feel tense about what is happening and let's us know we shouldn't trust what's going to happen in the movie so easily. Probably the latter. The saw dust being poured into the doll is another diegetic sound and this takes us into the action as if we are there with the person making this doll. The music alters a little when the drawer of buttons is opened so this tells the audience that the buttons must be significant in the movie.This is also hinted at when we see the title of 'Coraline' and the 'o' is replaced with a button.

When the hair of the doll is being put on we hear a female humming and the audience will assume that it could be the person making the doll humming. It lets them know that she is a human but there is definitely something 'wrong' with her or something in general is out of place. It raises questions in their heads: who is she?, why is she doing this? etc. The sound of the pins being placed in the doll's dress is audible and quite unsettling. Then we hear the spinning of the thread which gives the whole work area an old fashioned feel which gives the audience clues about the movie. Right at the end when the doll is being flown out of the window, the music turns more eerie and suspenseful so we know that when the film actually starts we'll probably be seeing the doll again. Also we hear a dull thud when the window closes signifying the end of the title sequence.

Project 6: Continuity Film Clip (BLK)

I have chosen a clip from the 2009 romantic comedy, The Proposal.

(Analysed in chronological order of the clip)

♛ As soon as Sandra Bullock's character enters the room you can see the establishing shot which sets the scene and let's the audience know it's quite a large office area. This also gives the audience a sense of space.

♛ Also in the very same scene we can see an over the shoulder of the other man sitting in the office which tells us there is going to be some conversing going on.

♛ One of the other men starts speaking and we see a mid shot of his face then there is a shot of Bullock's character standing in front of him so we assume that she was walking up to him in the time that he was talking. This was a cut away, as the two things were happening simultaneously but only one action was shown.

♛ Whilst the three people are having a conversation you see various forms of close ups on them to show the emotions they are feeling but it cuts back to the master shot of the office to remind the audience where they are, how much space they have etc.

♛ When Ryan Reynolds' character enters the room, it goes from a mid shot to a close up and then again goes back to the master shot to show him in relation to the rest of the space.

♛ We are given another over the should of the man behind the desk and when it cuts away to Bullock's side of the conversation, he's in the same position so nothing has changed which demonstrates continuity.

♛ Reynolds' character walks further into the office and then stands still, it cuts away from him for a while and then goes back to him and he is still in the same spot.

♛ When Bullock's character walks backwards, in the next shot the camera is in the same position but zooms in a little, this creates a jump cut. In most cases this would be a negative thing but the clip is seamless and the action continuous.

♛ From a mid-wide shot of Bullock and Reynolds, it goes into a close two shot of them so we get the sense of who they are in relationship to each other. We can also clearly see each of their emotions.

♛ Overall the clip shows a four way conversation in a very interesting manner that does not confuse the audience and keeps them engaged.

Project 5: Continuity Clip (BLK)

Our brief was to film some sort of an accident. Our group did a girl tripping over onto a boy and the two having a romantic connection.

What went well:

♛ Our group had a good establishing shot which gave the audience a sense of space. It also gives them certain expectations of the 'film' after seeing where it is set (high school drama) and seeing the actress walk out raises questions in their heads as to why she seems to be in a hurry and where she had just come from.

♛ The pan in the second shot worked quite well as it was like the audience was following the girl on her journey. It was neat and allowed the audience to know what direction she was going to and where to focus.

♛ The third shot, where she trips, we did a close up and tilt of object she tripped over. Using the tilt made it seem disorientated and almost uncomfortable which gave us an idea of the upcoming danger.

♛ I think shot four was good as it showed the reaction from the actor so the audience could work out his feelings towards the actress. It acted as a reaction shot.

♛ Overall I believe we had a good concept for our very short film.

What didn't go so well:

♛ The fourth shot didn't have a match on action so it also didn't coincide with the rest of our clip. 

♛ Between shot one and two there is a jump cut as we see the actress walking in the first shot then the second shot starts with her standing still and then walking so there is an error with continuity there.

♛ Between the fourth and five shot, we broke the 30 degree rule which again caused a jump cup thus breaking continuity. 

♛ The last shot didn't flow well with the rest of the shots so it didn't make sense to the audience what was actually happening. There was a lot of static in the frame too.

Project 4: Film Opening Analysis (DYM)

I have chosen the 2003 fairytale film Peter Pan. It has always been one of my favourite movies growing up. (Just watch the first ten minutes of the link.)

Enigma Code:
♛Who is the voiceover?
♛Why has the story been changed?
♛Who is the person spying on them?
♛Who is the older voiceover?
♛What is going to be their adventure?
♛What is the boy doing in her room?

Action Code:
♛Sword is pointed at Wendy so we assume she will fight back
♛Chase scene with the dog
♛Someone is watching Wendy sleep and we expect her to wake up and confront whoever it is
♛When we see the flying boy we assume it is Peter Pan from what we know about the title
♛Wendy will get caught doing her drawing
♛Chase scene after the letter
♛Expect the dad to make a fool out of himself

Semiotic Code:
♛The night scenery of the town
♛Typical child's bedroom
♛A very fancy and rich looking home
♛Snow
♛Cobbled streets

Cultural Code:
♛Typical children behaviour
♛Stereotypical aristrocats
♛Old fashioned home and outfits
♛Background knowledge about the fairytale

Symbolic Code:
♛Society and class
♛The idea of never growing up
♛Behaviour

Project 3: Film Clip Analysis (BLK)

I have chosen a clip from the 2011 fantasy movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Film Making Conventions (Genre Conventions & Technical Codes)

♛ Low angle shot of the Dementors to make them seem more threatening and us and the characters more vulnerable

♛ Mid shot of the characters in the elevator to give us a sense of space

♛ The camera surveys the whole area of the Ministry which in contrast to the elevator space, is huge

♛ Zooms in on the main characters to let the audience know to focus on them

♛ Tracking shots where we seem to be following the characters which makes us as the audience feel a lot more involved in the plot
♛ Wide shots to remind us of the amount of space that they are in
♛ Close ups on the characters' faces as they are running to show their emotions
♛ Some parts are in slow motion to create a sense of anticipation
♛ As it is a magical and fantasy film there are a lot of special effects (e.g. the spells)
♛ Dark and gloomy colouring which fits in with the dark theme of the story
♛ Fast paced music which compliments the action unfolding
♛ The Ministry of Magic is a fantasy place, hidden to normal Muggles (non-magical people), which is in the genre convention as most fantasy movies have a lot of hidden places
♛ There is usually a quest of sorts in this type of genre and Harry, Ron and Hermione happen to be on a quest at the time
♛ Another genre convention of fantasy is that there is always one main hero, in this case Harry Potter who has his loyal sidekick(s)- Ron and Hermione

Cultural Codes

♛ Typical awkward young hero who is in way too deep
♛ "The Golden Trio", there are three main people in which the story centres around
♛ Out of his two main friends, one is 'the smart one' and the other is 'the clown'
♛ Someone is trying to persecute the hero and whilst trying to 'save the world' they must avoid all officials
♛ Hero is seen as a trouble-maker and dangerous by most government-like people
♛ Fireplaces, they are seen as old fashioned furniture and ancient and those two things are often associated with magic
♛ Escaping from the clutches of whoever wants the hero dead just within the last minute, exhilarating for the audience
♛ The clothing of the wizards- long robes in dull colours, we often see this wizards and witches wearing these types of outfits in magic films
♛ A lot of the people in the background seem to look old and wise, this may not just be because they are in the ministry but from the many fantasy films we have seen we picture wizards as elderly and clever beyond their years
♛ Elegant statues of mythical creatures
♛ Black and white print newspapers

Project 2: Analysis of a Film Still (DYM)

The still I have chosen is from the 2008 superhero film, The Dark Knight.

♛ One of the reasons I have chosen this shot is because of the focusing used. The foreground of the still is more crisp and clear than the background. It focuses clearly on the character of The Joker (at the front, played by Heath Ledger). This allows to see his rather unconventional facial features in detail. Furthermore in the background we can make out two people almost as if they are standing guard, they obviously work for The Joker as they are dressed similarly to him (e.g. the clown mask). However it is easy to see that they are not as important as The Joker himself due to the fact that they have been pushed to the back of the still and are unclear. 

♛ Another reason I chose the still was because of the overall composition and technical codes used in the shot. The camera is at level with the main character[in the shot]'s face which makes it seem as if we are talking to him directly. The fact that the actor is bending over and leaning forwards a little shows that he is in control of the situation and has the upper hand of the conversation [if we were involved in it]. In addition to that the brutal nature of his face makes him seem even more threatening and it is clear to us that he is the villain of the film. The lighting in the shot is overall subdued but what stands out is the paleness of his face. It's almost sickening. This links back to the fact that he is the main point of interest in the still.

♛ The last point I want to make is about the general enigma created in the shot. It raises a lot of questions. In the background, there are guns in the henchmen's hands which connotes danger. The Joker himself has an angry, controlling and even violent look in his eyes which adds to that danger. It leaves us feeling unsafe. What makes it worse is that he is just a human man [especially if you look at how he is dressed] but his face tells us a completely different story. We just haven't put together the puzzle of the story. There is a door in the background, a closed door and in generally in such a circumstance we expect there to be something trapped or hidden behind the door. This adds to our anticipation and the suspense of the film.

Project 1: Film Stills (BLK)

Our group experimented with trying out a variety of different genres for our stills but we ended up settling for a horror/thriller genre. We discussed what conventions there were in shots used in thrillers and we decided on a shot with not too much lighting, to give an air of mystery. Then as we got around to taking the shot, we filmed it so there would be one strip of light across the face, this way the audience knows to focus on the character's face. Furthermore the use of only a part of light shining on the face, creates this sense of being closed in. It makes you feel closer to the action that is happening. The still also creates questions in the reader's mind like: who is she? why is she hiding in the bush? is she hiding from someone or is she going to attack? This induces enigma. The iconography was very important to us as a group because it had to clearly portray the genre by using the general conventions but not in a way that makes it seem as though we're mocking it. Using an extreme close up worked well for us as we were able to capture all of the mise en scene in all of it's glorious detail. Nature is often associated with calmness and tranquility when in contrast this scene hints at danger and tension. This juxtaposition works well as it takes something the audience is used to seeing (leaves, green etc.) and puts a more deadly spin on so it makes them feel uncomfortable and more a part of the movie, keeping them fully engaged. Furthermore the use of both lightness and darkness in the scene relates to horror movies as a whole because a lot of the time is a battle between light and dark, good and evil.

All in all I think our shot went well but if we were given another opportunity to retake it, I would have tried to experiment with different camera angles to see which one gives a better effect.