From doing this I will see what we will add into the opening scene of our film. I will analyse lighting and mise en scene and add this into my opening if it fits.
This first picture is showing a man who is stood at the end of the corridor and the whole image is blurred out which creates some mystery about who it is although the audience do expect it to be Bond. The fact the he has the long corridor in-front of him may connote that he has a long road ahead of him in the film. Finally the contrast between the light behind him and the dark in the corridor connotes that the character is leaving the light and entering the darkness.
This next picture shows to the audience that the man who was blurred out is bond. This instantly creates excitement in the audience as they know that he is the main character. The fact that he has part of his face in the light and part of his face in the dark shows that he is a character who will be challenged by the darkness/ villain in the film.
This next shot also creates excitement among the audience as they see that Bond has a gun in his hand and therefor this denotes there will be violence which excites the audience. The over the shoulder shot is also used to create suspense in this scene. Once again as we will see through this scene the light covers some of his face but not all of it which suggests he has some darkness in him or will be challenged by the darkness.
In this next shot Bond is looking down whilst carrying his gun which creates suspense as the audience are wondering what he is looking at (a person?/a body?). This shot also demonstrates darkness as he is wearing a grey suit but is is all buttoned up to the top and kept neat. This is strange as he may be involved in some action and it would be hard to fight in it. This shows that he is a person who likes to keep clean and look neat. This therefor reveals something important about his character.
This next shot shows a character who is presumed dead as he is lying down in a pool of blood. This therefore denotes some sort of action has taken place hear and people have been killed. The fact that the body is shown imply's to the audience that something important has happend hear because people have been willing to kill to get what they wanted.
In this next shot we see an over the shoulder shot of Bond as he is looking down at a man who is sat on the chair. We cant see if he is dead or alive from this distance which creates suspense as they wonder if he is a friend of Bond or if he is a villain and if he is a villain then they wonder if he will fight with him. However the light shining through the window is onto the character sat down which connotes that he is a good character.
This next shot is a close up of what appears to be a broken computer/laptop. This is in focus but the rest of the shot is out of focus. This denotes to the audience that it is a very important part of this scene; it could also be important to the plot but we don,t know if it is or not at this point however just the suggestion that it might be creates excitement for the audience as well as intrigue and suspense, which are all vital parts of creating a spy/action genre.
This shot is of the man sat in the chair and he shows bond that he has been shot. He appears to be in pain due to his facial expression which makes the audience feel sad for him. The blood on his shirt show also that he has been shot. The light on the characters face is split between light and darkness which demonstrates to the audience that he has s split personality like bond as he has both the capability for good and evil. This is obvious as they both are good people however they have killed others.
This next shot shows how bond is calm in a situation where most wouldn't be calm which denotes to the audience that he is trained for being in a situation like this and he knows what he is doing. Once again the split personality comes across due to the lighting on his face. The only character in focus is Bond as the other man is in the dark and soft focus is used on him. This shows that Bond is the only important character in this shot and that what he dis doing is important (or at least more important than what the other man is doing).
This next shot shows how Bond is looking back at the man who he is going to leave although he has been shot. His facial expression shown that he is showing no remorse for this, which denotes to the audience that he is a character who is lacking emotion. He is also fully in the dark now which connotes that he is doing a bad thing and he shouldn't leave the man as he probably wont live. Finally a low angle shot which focuses on Bond is used to show that he has all the power in this situation and he could stay and help the man if he wanted.
This final shot shows how Bond is unloading his gun which denotes that it is the end of the action because the gun connotes violence. He is in the dark of the corridor with light ahead which he is walking into. This connotes that where he is going is a better place for him than where he has just been.
Form this analysis I now see many techniques which I will try to use in our opening scene, the most important being the lighting and props. The lighting in this scene is key as it demonstrates to the audience where the character is going next as well as what this mean to the character and the story. The lighting which splits the face of the character is important as it shows they have a split personality which is something our main character has and so we will use this in our opening sequence. The sue of props is important as for instance the outfit worn shows what type of a person they are e.g a suit shows that they upper class and how it is worn shows weather they are clean and neat or not. The gun is also used in this scene as well as the blood top denote violence has or will happen and this is also something I will add into our opening sequence.
I will research the genre conventions of a spy film so that I can see what we should do in our scene to make it like a spy film therefore it will make the film more appealing to the audience as it will be like a spy film and therefore will be more enjoyable for the fans of the genre to watch.
Narrative-
The hero or heroes are fighting against the villain whilst trying to complete a mission or quest. Also another narrative convention is that the danger that is faced by the villain will always be shown.
4 things that are usually created are excitement, adventure, suspense and tension. Finally they also will work in some sort of institution e.g the police.
Sound-
It give the film more meaning and helps to create suspense. The soundtracks are usually long and fast paced. They also include some silence before something bad or some action happens, this is done to create tension. Voice overs are something that usually occurs which are done to build suspense. Ambient sound is used to create panic in a scene and sound bridges are also common.
Setting-
Dark schemes are used to create mystery in a scene, and normal environments are used to create suspense as they are unexpected.
Lighting-
Lots of lighting is used in the genre as it will create an eerie atmosphere.
Shadows or darkness on a character connotes to the audience their darkness or evil
Back lighting is also a common occurrence and is used to create focus on the main character.
Editing-
Slow motion is used to show clearly a characters action or reaction suggesting that it is important.
Lots of fast paces shots are put together/matched to imply fast paced action.
Camera-
Tracking shots are used this is because when the action is fast paced it excites the audience.
Close ups or extreme close ups are used to show detail in a persons face (facial expressions) or a props details. Wide shots are used to emphasize what is in the middle of the shot. When a two shot is used it is done to portray the relationship between the two characters. Finally high angle shots are used to show that a character is vulnerable.
Costume-
In a spy/action genre the costume a character is wearing is used to display what their mood is. Characters who work in an institution/ important job usually wear a suit. Costumes are used to also clearly show who the hero and villains are.
Props-
A prop is usually used to create a realistic feel to a film. Mirrors are also used to show the darkness or evil in a character and can also make the audience feel nervous or uneasy. Guns and knives are used to create a violent tone or imply violence.
From this research I have found many things that I will try to encourperate into my part of the opening scene. First I know that the hero/main character usually works in some sort of institution. I will also try to use ambient sound to create a sense of panic. Low key lighting is a key part as well as back lighting so I will used both these techniques in my part of the opening scene.
In relation to camera work i will try to get the important character to always be in the middle of a shot to show they are key. The hero and villain will be easily distinguishable due to their costume as the villain will wear more dark and sinister clothing compared to the hero who will be brighter. Finally props will be key so I will try and uses props to help create the tone of the scene.
Kingsman: The Secret Service opening scene analysis-
By doing this analysis I will expand my knowledge of how sound is used in a film to create certain effects and also connote different things to the audience. I can then apply this to my part of the opening scene that I will film in order to make it as good as I can.
In this scene it opens with a very small sound bridge as the music from the title sequence soundtrack carry's over into the scene. This denotes that the sequence is linked in to the scene and therefore what happens in the title sequence is relevant to what will happen in this scene.
The next part of sound used in this scene is dialogue as one of the supposed villains talks to the man in the chair who is tied up. The supposed villain tells the man tied up in the chair that he is not going to hurt him. The man tied in the chair responds by saying that he is a "university lecture" and that he has "got no money." This makes the audience feel bad for the character in the chair as they believe him to be an innocent man who has been wrongly imprisoned by theses bad people. We can infer all this from the dialogue.
Later in the scene there is a knock at the door which is dietetic sound as the noise is created by the man knocking on the door. This noise is also exaggerated and is therefore pleonastic sound as the volume of the knock is increased, this connotes that it is an important part of the scene as whoever is behind the door will play a key part in the scene. The knock also interrupts the villain's dialogue which connotes that it is more important to the scene than what the villain is saying.
Almost instantly after the knock at the door empathetic sound is added into the scene as it is a loud bang noise is added which is followed by a high pitched ringing. These two noises match what is happening as the bang is a surprise just like the knock at the door. Then the ringing noise continues afterwards which creates and implies tension in the scene as the audience are suspicious as to who is behind the door and what they will do. This empathetic sound continues through nose of the scene as the man is walking up to the door. The volume of this noise which has now changed into a soundtrack continues to increase which therefore continues to increase the tension of the moment. The volume climaxes at the point in which the character behind the door is revealed showing that he is important.
Dialogue appears as the man behind the door says "I supposes asking to borrow a cup of sugar is a step to far," this connotes that they both know that they are each others enemies or they know there will be a fight. This is also implied to the audience and therefore satisfies them as it is a spy/action film so they will want to see violence and action. When the man pulls out his gun more empathetic sound is inserted with the loud band again as it is a surprise but the audience are now certain there will be violence.
When the man at the door shoots the man who answered it the soundtrack kicks in, the music is fast paced and also the non-dietetic sound of the gunshot is inserted into the film this shows that the man has been shot. The soundtrack continues trough when the man is shooting the villains that are in the room, then it ends at the same time as the man reloads a gun which denoted to the audience that the violence is over as the soundtrack was matched with the action.
After the monologue of the man telling the professor that he is there to take him home there is a diegetic sound which is ambient sound as there is the noise of something moving in the background. The characters both react to this and this denotes to the audience that there is still someone there. They then due to this feel like there may still be more action but it also creates a sense of suspicion as they don't know who it is or what they want.
The man who was at the door then shoots the man who is coming through and he is carrying a drink on his tray. When he is shot a loud noise is inserted which isn't a gunshot as it is high pitched making it non-diegetic. This was used to create a sense of finality as all the villains are dead, which then creates shock at what happens later when we find out they aren't. The dietetic sound of the plate crashing to the floor is used to create a sense of realism to the scene.
After the dialogue between the two characters there is a knock at the door which is diegetic and signifies to the audience that the scene is not over yet. From this more suspense is created in the scene as it leaves the audience thinking who is it? what do they want? When this knock occurs this time no empathetic sound or pleaonstic sound is used unlike with the first knock. This connotes that this characters appearance will no be a surprise like the first characters appearance was. The soundtrack is added which is similar to the first one as it is slower which also is used to create suspense.
Just before the man gets to the door there is the non-diegetic sound of the sword slicing mixed in with the loud high pitched noise. This is used to shock the audience but also still keep a sense of realism to the film. It also makes the audience wonder what has happend as it is not clear until the camera does a pan around the characters head.
During the pan the high pitched empathetic sound continues to keep the sense of surprise. When the woman hand then takes the drink out of the mans hands the non-diegetic sound of a deep trumpet like noise is added. This connotes to the audience that the character that has done this is evil as lower pitched noises are usually associated with the more villainous characters.
When it is shown what has actually happend to the man the sound of his body slicing is non-diegetic and is also pleonastic as it is exaggerated. This is done to emphasise what has actually happend to the man, as it is a shocking thing for the audience.
When the woman runs up the stairs there is a slight diegetic sound of her metal feet pressing against the ground. This sound is used so that the director and enforce a realistic feel to this film, as if the film doesn't seem relatively real then the audience wont enjoy it as they like to find an association with the characters. The sound of the woman's metal feet is also shown again where she cuts the rope which ties the mans hands. This sound is pleonastic and non-diegetic which is used to enforce to the audience the ability she has.
Finally the soundtrack is re introduced and as the woman answers the door and it increases in volume as the camera closes in on the characters face. This connotes to the audience that the man is an important figure in the film.
From this research I can have found out many things that are used in a spy/action film in relation to sound which I will use in my part of the opening scene. First I can see that empathetic sound is often used when a soundtrack is put in this is something I will try and do as it makes the audience feel comfortable as the soundtrack matches the action. Pleaonastic sound is also used in the this scene as the sound of the knocking is made louder to emphasise its importance, I will also try and do this in my part. as I feel it is an important part of any spy/action film. The final part of sound I will try to use is saound effects such as certain non-diegetic sound which matches the character e.g a certain noise when the hero or villain is in the shot.
I was tasked to write an assessment on the opening scene of a film which is the same genre as my film for the course work. For this task I chose the film Mission Impossible 2 as it is a film which is part of a film franchise and also it is a spy film and therefore strongly links in to the opening sequence of the film me and my group will make.
Characters have different representations in different genre's.
In the spy genre the genre convention of the hero is that he reacts to the donner (saves the day).They are alo usally a male.
The Villan's convention of a spy film is that he will eventually meet the hero in some form.
The Donner gives the hero something that will help him/her in some way.
In the spy genre men usally portray the villan and the hero and are also usally with males. They are also convayed as being more important that female characters and are 'brave.'
Women in the spy genre are usally portrayed being week, vulnerable, emotional, dependant, pretty, have a sexsual appeal and are innocent.
Class is also represented in genre as the upper class are portrayed as rich, snobby, well mannerd, intelligent.Wheras the lower class are workers and live in the inner city.
This will be uselful to me and my group as we know how to represent characters in our film as we can make them act a certain way depending on there class and we can also challeng the genre conventions to intreege our audience.
I have researched our genre (spy films) by watching the opening scenes to films such a James Bond: Specter, Mission Impossible and many others. I have also looked up the genre conventions of these films and have found that they usually follow a linear narrative and are Classic Hollywood Cinema. This is because the villain is almost always defeated by the hero at the end of the film and it is not intellectually challenging for the most part, as well as the fact that the film is mostly in chronological order. Which is helpful as we can use these ideas for our films so that it will suit the genre and therefor please our target audience.
Me and my group have made a questionnaire for people to fill in as well which will help us to find out what people like and don't like in a Spy film, this will be helpful for us to develop and plan our opening scene as these are both spy films.
To edit my course work I will use final cut pro which is the same softwere which I used to edit my KitKat chunky and drinking a cup of tea work. It was my first time really editing however I think that I understand how to use the softweare to edit my footage as I can cut clips, insert them into the sequence, add music/sound effects and do many other things. I did all of these things in my KitKat and tea work so the softwear will be useful when I am editing my course work.
In our group we have me (Oliver Kelsey), Bayley Flinn, Alex Grandage and Matt Gallagher.
Our Genre
We have decided that we will do a spy adventure genre for our opening scene and title sequence for our course work. We do not yet have the full idea for the title sequence but have the general idea for what we will do.
We have been asked to do a preliminary exercise of a character opening a door; walking across a room; sitting down; and having a short conversation with another character. We must also demonstrate match on action, reverse shot and the 180 degree rule in the preliminary task and the actual 2 min task.
Also we have a main task which is a opening sequence to a film which should last 2 minuets and we must chose a genre ourselves. We have to include multiple shots for this as well as producing a story board for the scene. We must also plan for the rest of the film so that the opening scene fits with the story.
Strengths:
Have filmed and edited some things before using the editing software
I can choose the genre of my/my groups choice
I have watched lots of film so I am aware of how completed films look
Weaknesses:
This is my first time doing media so I have little experience with the subject
I have little experience in editing
I don't have lots of filming experience
Opportunity's:
Can gain a good experience of editing
Can gain good knowledge of how to film a opening scene to a film
Understanding of different shot types
Threats:
People may be unreliable
May need to cut down if have to much footage or film more if we have too little
My Blog,
The second project we were asked to do was to film a scene of somebody drinking a drink. In this were had to use a variety of different shots to show this and then add them in to the editing software from the ipad minni and edit it. We used different shots e.g filming the feet of the person walking and then changing it to their body as a low angle tracking shot, as well as long shots in order to capture the whole surrounding environment and close up's to imply that it is an important thing that is happening. The scene was around one min long but contained lots of different shot angles e.g close ups and over the shoulder shots the close ups were used to emphasize the expression on the characters face. It flowed well in most parts but not all of it so it needed more editing and we needed to film more shots so we can add more angles and shot types into the scene. In the editing of thew scene we created jump cuts and match on action but we haven't attempted more advanced editing techniques such as focus pulls.
My Blog,
We were asked to make a short film about the life of a kitkat Chunky and use final cut pro to edit the short film by adding in sound effects, merging shots together. We muted the sound in the background and added in background music aswell as speeding up shots and slowing down shots using the software and speeding them up as you can see at the end.
We also used lots of different shot type's in this such as long shots, panning shots, close ups and many other shots so that we could see how each shot will work and in what scenario.
The film was overall around one minuet long and included diffrent types of shots and diffrent uses of the editing softwear. It was filmed on ipad minni's and then the footage was transferd onto the computer from the iPad.
