opening sequence analysis

Juno

I love this opening sequence as i think it is so different to others, its not conventional or mainstream but the use of animation makes it so individual. The music is like modern american swing music, it is friendly and inviting. The actual film is very simple in terms of what it shows; a small area of  teenage girl walking around with a bottle of orange juice. The simplicity is sweet and it makes it look like an independent movie unlike most high budget movies that use multiple locations and extreme situations. In this clip we are not expecting dramatic moving images as the sound confirms the  sweet simplicity and locality of the film.

Sound research

Legally Blonde

The sound is immediately compatible with the genre. The tone is very upbeat and the singer; being a young woman represents the character with the mood of the song and the lyrics such as "They tell me to act my age", this is well related to the obsession with pink that is represented dominantly throughout. The music also relates to the genre of the film, mostly being a 'chickflick'. A very positive approach to a feel good movie is represented through the music. It is not just the music that makes this opening sequence so original; the use of glowing pink font shaped in a curvy feminine fashion makes the movie less formal. Although there is a lot of different moving image in the opening sequence you would expect it take the attention off the design of the film, however realistically all together they are matching and made very smooth throughout. 

Ashes to Ashes analysis exam prep

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of Gender

In filming, the camera spends more time on the male characters apart from Alex Drake. in the boat for example, there us a lit of close ups of the males as they try and flirt with Alex, some of these being point of view shots, making the audience see what the woman sees. This might be because they want to represent men as greedy, dirty and arrogant, the close ups make them much more un-appealing, this is a bad representation of the make sex. The camera also uses tilt of Alex starting from her feet up till her face, this lets the audience explore her demographic,; as she is dressed as a prostitute. The use of red colouring and heavy makeup shows women in a exploited light which is a negative representation. 

however, in the scene where the man is holding her neck the cops sarcastically call her 'smart' this might have been used to show the inner depth of a woman who works as a prostitute. The emphasis and dialogue regarding her clothes highlight her as an 'object' rather than a human, the officers sarcastic remarks make her intelligiance undermines. the zoom inn of the clown looking character and the echoed voice makes him seen a villain, as we are dominantly shown the character of Alex, we assume this male is evil; negatively representing males.

The sound used is very repetitive, at the beginning during the fast cut editing the sound is deep and repetitive without taking away from the visual storyline. muic is significant in the scene where Alex has time to establish herself in the tilt camera movement. They use choir music of a powerful woman, to show her realisation of the apparant transformation of characters, this is a powerful representation of the inner beauty of the woman. Another important piece is when the officers role up in their car, the music is rock it is low key but 80s style music. This created an informality of the officers presence, their sunglasses are also very informal, making the audience struggle to see then authoritatively. The language used by the males towards Alex such as 'slut, prostitute' etc shows a complete disregard and respect towards Alex, representing men as the dominant sex over the confused damzell in distress.

Spooks Analysis

             Spooks Questions

ACTION A - In the office

What is happening?

We are shown a building with an office that is fairly modern with high computer technology, used in the sequence to encrypt files. The characters inside the office are dressed formally, as part of the MI5. The sequence has cross shots which show two locations, one being a warehouse. These people look very mysterious, we can tell they are on a mission for something of high importance. They see placing valuable items in a box, then a man leaves the warehouse with a briefcase.

What information are you given?

Few words are spoken in both locations, but we can infer that they are trying to uncover information of certain people using the computer. The lighting used is very dim and have low light, this portrays a darkness to the theme, showing that he situation is serious and could be dangerous. The camera is hidden behind the door increasing suspicion.

What information is withheld?

We don't understand why the characters are encrypting the files or what the box is, we can only learn that a crime needs to be prevented urgently.

Why is the sequence important?

The use of cross cutting creates tension and shows two completely difference situations that will link at some point. This makes the sequence more exciting and is an easy comparative for the audience.

Why do we need to see the other scenes in between these scenes?

The method used is needed in this sequence because it keeps the pace of the clip fast so the audience don’t lose interest in what is going on, it is like a continuity edit because although the time isn’t completely jumped the fast pace gives it that impression. The compression matches the thriller crime theme well so its genre is easily recognised by the audience and is understood. It also helpful in giving the audience different perspectives of the story, so they can relate to the characters more and feel in control of what they see, knowing more than each side of the argument creates tension and can be gut wrenching.

ACTION B-The thieves get ready.

why do you think we cut to see this action in-between the scenes at MI5?

It keeps your attention on particular aspects of the scene, you don’t get distracted by other elements of the scene, so you can see what the writer wants you to see, enabling you to feel the full effect of the thriller, to have an emotional attachment to the storyline. This keeps up suspense and builds higher interest in the outcome of the sequence.

What did you/do you think they are doing when we saw them firstly?

As I didn’t know Spooks before I wasn’t fully sure of the typical storylines in an episode. However, when watching it, my first thoughts were that the warehouse was part of the office and that they were part of the MI5 and were preparing for a mission. But by comparing the two locations properly I thought they might be enemies.

What clues do you use to make sense of their inclusion?

The differences in location and how one was more action packed and in strict conditions (Screen shot G) and the other one was more calm and they were working with computer technology, types used with detectives, crime investigators rather than clothing and physical objects. (Shots H, I, K)

Why do we see less of the thieves?

They don’t want to give too much away of what the thieves are doing, as it will erase sense of mystery, they want you to take sides with the MI5 and if they showed too much of the thieves characters and personalities are perceptions might change, which writers don’t want.

How soon do we know what they are doing? Why does it take so long?

The use of dim light and darkness additional to the crane shot of the action, we look down for a short while on the action, meaning we are not given too much detail in what they are planning, in order to keep the mystery, all of these effects make the scene look disobedient. The props such as the box that has had good emptied into it broadens the detail of action; however we do not understand what it really means of the need for it. The briefcase scanner increases the professionalism of the sequence and highlights the seriousness of what is about to happen, also portraying a secret or hidden information, keeping its meaning uncertain.

Short Film Analysis : BBC Student Work

Clip 1- Coming Of Age

A boy suddenly finds himself facing huge responsibilities in a dangerous, dystopian world set in 2035 Britain. He must overcome his fears and face his enemies to save the people he loves. Coming of Age was shot on a micro budget of just £150 with a tiny crew of just four people. The main character is about 16 years old and he has to look after his sister who is sick. The boy has lot of flashbacks of the troubles he has had to cope with whilst trying to survive. The camera uses lots of techniques, a dominant one being a close up to express depressive facial expressions and does really well in representing sheer emotion. Some of the locations are very effective to the video; long shots are used over hills to show his responsibility against the huge scenery he is surrounded by. With the shots being so personal you really feel like you are the main character and can identify with his struggles. The violence is put into tension rather than horror, the quiet music and lack of dialogue makes it a lot more meaningful and less artificial. When running the cutting edits make the pace seem a lot faster and also uses the blackout edit which increases its theme throughout.

Clip 2- Two & Two

In a drab, anonymous grey school governed by a strict authoritarian regime, an apparently unremarkable day is turned on its head following a seemingly ridiculous announcement.

Disbelieving at first, the all-male, identically uniformed pupils are informed that what they had always been taught as fact is no longer true. When the incredulous students speak out, what initially seems laughably absurd becomes desperately real as they are forced to question how far they will go to stand up for their beliefs. Two & Two is an allegory for the absurdness of dictatorship and tyranny - and the resilience of the human spirit. The editing cuts are hardly noticeable, the scene is shot in one classroom so have few diverse angle shots, one being from the back of the room to display the whole scene. When the main characters emerge they have medium-close ups to display emotion such as anger and confusion.

Clip 3 - The Last Regal Kingsize

On the day of a militant religious gathering, Stewy, a disturbed Protestant boy seizes his chance to join a gang of local delinquents. For the prize of a packet cigarettes he entices a young boy out from the safety of his home. The result is devastating. While their fathers march through the decaying streets of Glasgow their sons take a sinister journey into the dark heart of modern Britain. Duty, Service, Glory - The Last Regal Kingsize reveals the reality behind belonging... is betrayal. A ground-breaking synthesis of ethnographic study, real-life characters and hypnotic music and photography, this poetic but unsentimental short is the first drama from acclaimed documentary-maker Simon Hipkins. The video tried to demonstrate modern social realism. As it starts off with a young boy we instantly know he is the main character, and we begin to feel sympathetic towards his character as we see his perspective. The music is mellow and it plays as background music to the strong Scottish dialogue. The cuts are invisible which would be expected in social realism type movies. The camera angles are very basic, no creative camera movement is used as they don’t want to over complicate the message of the film, or create forced opinions on the audience through creating irony etc.

Rock extract

NAME: Libby  Date: 16/10/12
1.	The action moves past us but does not pan; it then drops down to mid level where the action is taking place so it seems extremely close and dangerous. The use of close- up allows the audience to focus on an important detail in the screen (the chase) The blurriness of the behind action also makes us aware of whats happening without distracting us from the character.
2.	The camera is right in the action, which makes the audience feel involved but safe knowing they will not be touched by what is happening on the screen. There is close up framing of the characters face and upper torso with tracking that quickly moves towards us creating an increasing sense of urgency. Also this effect shows us the seriousness of the chase by letting the audience see the different angles of the car whilst it quickly moves.
3.	As we are behind the car we see the action as the character gets into the car, and also what the individuals are doing manically as the chase starts. We have a good view of what is about to happen as the far away building are still in view. The close up to the wheel as it sets off exaggerates the speed.  The quick camera cuts from inside and outside the car also demonstrates the fast paced action of the character as well as the car.
4.	As the car starts to speed up we see the interior of the car. The camera is in a close up position to show what is happening in detail, doing this to the gear stick it show him changing gears telling the audience that he is speeding up.  The camera also changes to a low angle looking up to the driver, this brings significance to the driver, reminding us of the narrative.
5.	This scene is the start to the chase and the camera is facing the action as the car is wrecking through the market place, this makes us feel like it is coming towards us however we feel secure. The medium long shot of this dramatic clip gives the audience a sense of urgency on the characters part without exaggerating the action itself, which could seem rather cheap filming.  The action spins away giving us a sense of drama and diversity. The camera is still as both cars are following each other at fast pace, this increases the sense of speed.
6.	As the police are chasing the car, the camera is in the middle interior of the car facing towards the action, this makes us feel like we are part of the chase, specifically in the back seat; giving a sense of personification and edginess.  The camera is also hand held meaning the audience feel like it is real and that they are part of it. Towards the end of this clip the camera does a close up shot of the police driver showing us the emotions of the character, resulting in the audience connecting with him.
7.	The camera is in a still position as the cars jump over the hilly roads. this demonstrates the diversity of the chase and exaggerates the movement. The camera also shows a quick long shot from the peak of the hill, viewing the whole location, making the chase a much wider film. The camera cuts as the as the cars are turning desperately around the corners, the quick turns when edited through cuts gives the audience a sense of havoc and aggression.
8.	The camera has a close up of the male and his walky talky to show facial expression and the objects relevance to the scene without it being overshadowed. The camera is also hand held so it demonstrates the rough movements of the chase and creates a 3D sense. As the cars are going at fast speed in unstable conditions, the camera focuses on the slicing of the wheels from a diagonal view and a still image in front of the car as it crashes into another, this way the viewers can see the versatile movements of the car, not just on road.

Phantom Of The Opera

Phantom of the Opera opening

The scene starts in black and white and this masculine character (antagonist) is smartly dressed. We hear slow deathly music that sounds heavenly yet scary, the music then stops and we hear dialogue; an auction. They proceed to speak formally in old English. As the draped, sheltered chandelier is unveiled and it starts to rise, we hear the music is deep and threatening, it is repetitive and continues through the whole opening. However, the tones change depending on the mood of the scene, for example, as the camera rises and the colours change the beat increases its pace giving a sense of magic and nourishment. He stands on the second floor of the dusty and unkept theatre as the music pauses. He looks out to see a diamond chandelier layed on the floor. Echos of wind flourish around the scene, this is significant because it replicates the subliminal message in that the theatre is being washed away and is eroding itself by sheer abandonment. More characters emerge, also dressed in Victorian clothing and fresh suits, big grand hats like the businessmen of them times. A woman has dark clothing with a black hat and veil, as if it was the funeral of the theatre. 

As the scene continues the camera which was originally screened at birds eye view, gave the character a lot more power over the surroundings as he looks down upon the action. It slowly changes to a low angle. this technique makes the atmosphere a lot more tense and scary, increasing its significance. Scanning the theatrical chairs as the colour changes to a strong red; this creates a strong and powerful feel to the theatre. As the dust floats over the interior of the dead playhouse everything becomes colourful in reds and golds making us feel royal representing wealth. The lighting is bright and florescent demonstrating 'the rise of the dead' the modernization of the run-down theatre appears by a flashback.

The whole scene becomes a lot more realistic when we see the exterior of the theatre. The natural lighting is a lot less intense and creates realism, we see carriages and middle class citizens walking the streets in a busy area. We see children and adults rushing around the pockets of the theatre in a rush, creating masks and doing arts, the lighting is a lot darker then before but is feels a lot more warm to the black and white scene we saw at the start. This is a massive contrast to the middle of the opening where it seems a lot more wealthy and higher class,it almost seems magical when the chandelier rises and the theatre gradually grows richer.                                        

However seeing graft by the people when supporting the fresh opening of the theatre it gives us a completely different feel. We see workers dressed very casually, then we see dancers dressed in glowing costumes and frocks. All of these contrasts work together to show the value and importance the theatre has to the people. Its popularity towards the end with the crowding contrasts the lonely disserted theatre at the start of the opening, like its being brought back to life with intensifying passion from the people and the soul of the theatre.