Evaluation of Opening Sequence No.1

As Tasnim and I have decided to make another opening sequence as we are not fully satisfied with our current one, I will only be writing a brief evaluation.

Overall, our opening sequence was good because we tested and trialled many different techniques with the camera. The different camera shots we used were establishing shots, extreme close ups, close ups, medium shots, long shots and extreme long shots. We used a variety of camera angles which were high angles, eye-level angles and low angles. We also used panning which is a camera movement.

We also planned our location very carefully as we needed somewhere which was dark and creepy. The location also needed to be inside somewhere so that the audience could get an overview of what the outside looked like too which is why we decided to use a garage because we could then use the garage shutters to its full effect. 

We had the right props and costumes too which had fit in very well with our idea as these helped to set the atmosphere of our opening sequence. The props we used were scissors, a hammer, a table, cupboards, a doll, fake hair (extensions), a ladder and a wooden chair. We dressed Titas in a shirt and tie with smart trousers because we wanted to give two sides to the character which were completely opposite. This created a creepier atmosphere which helped fulfill the genre of our opening sequence.

The background music we decided to use had fit in very well because it was scary and weird at the same time. We used a nursery rhyme called 'Oranges and Lemons' which we asked Mr Ayres to whistle. We thought this sounded good at first however once we started to listen to our opening sequence more and more we decided it sounded really annoying which was not good as it spoiled our idea.

Everything that we filmed in the garage was done on one camera and then we filmed our establishing shot on another camers which did not work well together as the quality of the two mixed looked horrible and just made the whole opening sequence look bad.

The idea we had at first seemed very good and I think with more planning and preparation, this could have become a very successful opening sequence. This is why we have decided to try again. We have changed the story however we are still using the title DOLLS and will be using our first and last shot again as we believe this will fit in well with our new storyline. We have put a lot of effort into arranging the set design and making sure we have all the correct props in order to make our opening sequence look as real as possible. We have experimented with many different camera angles for example, panning shots, POV shots, long shots etc.

DOLLS second draft planning

Music

Lana Del Rey- Video Games- headphones- tinny sound to start off with then it becomes louder.
Clips

1.  establishing shot we've already done for the beginning.
2. dark shots-  show girl walking up stairs in red heels and legs THEN show her walking up barefoot with shoe polish on her feet- messed up.
3. show her putting on make up herself in the mirror (we film mirror) THEN show someone putting lipstick on her. 
4. her putting her headphones in then putting the volume up.
5. show her plumping her hair up THEN someone brushing her hair for her. 

• flickering light at the end- then says DOLLS

Camera Angles

• get a range of angles-  experiment with a range of angles.
• use tripods (gorillapod and normal one) to gain two angles of each scene.

Lighting
      

• film everything in good lighting- then edit to dark later. 

Editing

• opening titles on the stairs at the beginning- flickering and shaking.
• darkening clips
• music- starting it off tinny then gradually letting it building it up.

Props

• two cameras (HD)
• two tripods (normal and gorilla)
• heels - red (tasnim's)
• red lipstick
• hair brush
• headphones and phone
• compact mirror
• shoe polish
• black tights
• blindfold
• makeup wipes

New Opening Sequence

After looking back at our first opening sequence we have decided to film a new one as we are not fully satisfied with the end result. The reasons are:

- Different camera quality which does not fit in well with each other
- Bad lighting
- Music seems to get annoying easily
- Seems too much like a trailer
- Gives too much away about the whole storyline rather than it just being an opening sequence

Due to this we will be making a new opening sequence however, we will be using a few clips from our previous opening sequence because we are going to be doing the same genre so this will fit in.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Naming Our Opening Sequence - DOLLS

After much thought and discussion with my group and the class, Tasnim and I decided to name the title of our film "Dolls".
Dolls, in general are an extremely creepy prop to use in films such as thrillers, and are effective, which has been shown in the past through other films, such as CHUCKY. Looking at the picture below, I see that there are certain features of mis-en-scene including the dolls make-up and clothing, which helps add to the atmosphere and indicate that the doll is not meant to be a symbol of innocence, which they generally are, as they are associated with children.
I find that the name "Dolls" fits in with our synopsis without giving too much away. The audience will obviously know our film is supposed to include something about dolls but they won't know its role.

Costume Planning For Opening Sequence #1

We are going to have our character, who's face will not be shown, wearing very casual clothes that wouldn't usually attract any attention. However, we will be drawing attention to stains such as paint on his trousers in quick flashing images to emphasise on the messiness more. The audience will wonder what he actually does and what his significance in this film is.

We want the male to be wearing dark colours such as blue/black and have no watch or jewellery on. He also have plasters on or possibly clear medical gloves if we can find any.

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Camera Shots Which May Be Used

Racking focus is the practice of shifting the attention of a audience of a film or video by changing the focus of the lens from a subject in the foreground to a subject in the background, or vice versa. I will be practicing this technique first so that I can perfect the shots I am going to be filming. If I master it to a satisfactory level, I will be using it to show the dirt on the floor in the garage and then changing the focus to the silver bolted door and back again.

Here is an example of a rack focus shot and I think this will be extremely interesting and effective to use as part of my opening sequence as it is mainly about the surrounding and objects around the character who's face is not shown in the sequence.

Sound Recording

We decided to use the nursery rhyme _____ as a background sound to our opening sequence as mentioned in a recently posted blog.  Here is a photo of Mr.Ayres practising his whistling techniques into the microphone.

Below is a picture of Mr.Ayres and my group trying to perfect the sound recording using a recording software on the Apple Macs. We shortened the recording to fit our video. 

Editing Process

As there are only two of us remaining in the group to make our opening sequence, we have been working on the editing process together in order to make decisions faster and get it done faster with the help of Mr.Ayres. 

Here are some pictures of Tasnim & I editing our opening sequence and adding posts onto the blog. 

Filming the Establishing Shot

As adding the establishing shot to the opening sequence was a last minute decision, we decided on going up to the school roof terrace to shoot the scene. Mr.Ayres, Sarah & I all took turns in filming and after a few practise shots, used a tracking shot to shoot the scene we wanted. It was very successful and we were extremely happy with the outcome.

Here are some photos of us filming and some of the scenery we were trying to capture:

DOLLS - Draft #2

·      Change lighting- from light to dark during editing.

·      Change music- whispering/kids laughing

·      HD camera

We could dress a child/children as doll – representation. To show hidden meaning.  In between, follow someone from different windows of school.

Tip.  Zoomy shot thingy where subject stays still – ZOOM OUT WHILST WALKING TOWARDS SUBJECT.

-children

-hd camera

-wheely thing- chair?

-costume

Health & Safety

Due to the nature of our opening sequence, we had to use threatening tools and weapons to demonstrate danger and suspense. The kind of tools we included in our shots were pliers, hammers and knives, however during the production we had other tools around that were hazardous. To ensure that we were safe and to prevent accidents, we had a briefing about safety regulations we had to follow e.g. any exposed weapons were to be put away straight away or straight after the shots in safe places.
As well as the weapons and tools, we used a ladder and a garage door which could have been potentially dangerous so we again, were careful with these and had people supporting the ladder whilst we shot the scenes.

The Production Company

The production company we have decided to use is New Line Cinema because as we were researching, we noticed that this production company was starting to be used frequently as psychological thrillers were being released a lot more.

It fits in well with the genre because of the way the logo looks as the colours are blue, black and white which are dark and create a mysterious mood. As soon as the logo is shown, the whistling will start which will create an uncomfortable atmosphere.

This is what the logo will look like at the start of the film:

Sounds Being Used In The Opening Sequence

In our opening sequence, we will be using a variety of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. We have decided to use both rather than just music playing in the background or all noises from when we were filming because this will create a creepy atmosphere which fits in well with our genre.

The sounds we will be using is a recording of a man whistling to 'Oranges and Lemons'. This is a nursery rhyme which is associated with children which automatically makes the audience feel weird as our film is a psychological thriller about dolls.

As well as this, we will also be using sounds from when we were filming so traffic going past the garage, sudden shuffling and footsteps. We want to include these sounds because this will make the opening sequence look more natural and also create an uncomfortable mood.

Background Sound - 'Oranges and Lemons'

For the background sound of our opening sequence, we had initially planned to use the humming of a nursery rhyme. This however, didn't sound as effective and 'creepy' as whistling. Therefore, we have decided to use whistling of the nursery rhyme 'Oranges And Lemons', only having having the following lyrics being said in a serious tone at the end to finish the sequence off:

"Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed

Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head

Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

These words have an eery meaning behind them for a nursery rhyme, which is a contrast that suits our genre of film. Nursery rhymes are also conventionally used within psychological thrillers. 

 

 

Props

• Dolls
• Scissors, Scalper, Hammer, Screwdriver, Knives (Other Tools)
• Wooden Jewellery Box
• Chalk
• Fake Hair (Extensions)
• Desk
• Wooden Chair
• Ladder

Location Shoot - My Garage

On the 9th of November 2011, we went to my house to see how the chosen location would fit into our opening sequence and where we could place our props and films. Shown below are the photos we took:

    These pictures shows the garage we are going to use with the shutters up and then down.

We want to give the impression that the garage is just like any other in layout but is used for a more  hidden, dark purpose. This ladder on the wall is what is typical of a garage however we will be using the one below for our male character is coming down the ladder from the attic.

We also decided, whilst we were there that we were going to use this light flickering as part of our opening.

This is the floor of the garage and the messiness of it will add to the atmosphere.

These car screen washers resemble acid, or the kind of containers that acid may be in, so we're going to re-label them and use them as props when showing the garage in more detail.

This is the range of tools that were in one of the cupboards. We may use this cupboard for our character to get his tools out of, e.g. the scissors he uses to cut the dolls hair in the sequence. 

This is another picture of the tools we may use to emphasise his psychotic state of mind.

This is the hole in the ceiling that leads up to the attic we are going to start the whole sequence off from. The darkness of the place will be eery at the beginning because the audience will only be able to hear the humming but not see anything. 

Other than the obvious garage shutters, this is the other door that leads to the garage. The cold metal door with bolts in it gives the impression that the door is not meant to be opened.

 

 

Mood Board

We decided to use these images in our mood board because we want our audience to get the feeling they do when they see these pictures whilst watching our opening sequence.

Split - Feedback

Group - Nile, Omar, Liban & Shingai

There is a lot going on, would they be able to fit this into two minutes?

Think of how they would do the camera shots like the overhead one for when the main character is in an exam and would they be able to have enough extras in order for this scene to look realistic?

Think about background noises and locations.

Our Presentation & Feedback

As a group, we had to make a presentation to show to the rest of the groups on our ideas for our opening sequence so far. We needed to use the information we researched and present it so we did this using Prezi. Here are a few screen shots:















After we presented this, we received feedback in order to help us improve our idea.

We gave our film a certificate rating of 12A which needs to be looked at again because some of our ideas which we are going to use in our opening sequence will not be suitable for people in their early teens. We have considered changing it to 15 because that seems like a much more suitable age for our audience.

We have been advised to look at Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion because we decided to use a long hallway and the films also make use of this so it could provide some inspiration.

Instead of using POV shots which is what we originally decided to use to create an uneasy atmosphere, we were told to use suggestions and symbolism so that we could provide a greater effect.

We were also told to think of real sounds to use for eg. chalk on a board and others which would make the audience feel uncomfortable.

Also to complete our mood board and 9-frame analysis.

Gloves Up! - Feedback

Group - Junuz, Luke, Titas & Ishaq.

Good layout - really thought out everything like costumes, who else is needed etc.

How are they going to show the time difference? Have to make sure they don't include anything too modern when they go back in time 20 years and keep the location in mind.

The cover of the film doesn't give too much away but gives an idea of what the film is about. Also, it does not show any characters which makes the audience more curious.

Not allowed to use music that has already been made so would have to think more about that.