Production plan

Production Plan for "Abandoned" from Kerry Costello

More Opening Sequence Progress

 We have finally finished building and painting our dolls house and are in the process of creating a pre-production video to show our progress, which we will upload to our blogs. During the Christmas break we plan to film all of our title sequence, ready to edit and complete when we get back in time for the deadline of January 28th.
We've listened to some music and narrowed it down to four tracks which we are considering to use for our title sequence.

Title sequence pre-production: Making the dolls house

We were so wrong.

The dolls house arrived in a smaller package than originally expected and we began to worry about how long it would take us to build it. We unpacked it and we then realised how hard it was going to be and how stressed it was going to make us. However, even with some help from teachers and after having many of our friends complimenting the house, we were making progress and it was starting to look like a house rather than just pieces of thin model wood. Once it was all together we got together and decided that we needed to glue it all together with wood glue and a hot glue gun also. For double the sturdiness as it wasn't very stable. We then all decided on the colour scheme we wanted and which would look best. We settled on a dull colour scheme of grey, black and blues. But, we did want to foreshadow death and horror so we put some red/burgundy on it too.

Hammer Film Studio

Film Studio from cerenkangal

We split the questions out equally within our group and we haven't received the other questions back, that's why it's not finished. 

Title sequence pre-production: The dolls house

We had the idea of having a burning dolls house in our title sequence as we thought it would be good to foreshadow our plot and to overall make the title sequence a little bit more realistic and unsettling. After discussing this idea amongst the group, we were all very keen on doing it. As we shared this idea, both teachers and students were talking to us realistically and we then realised the risk we would be taking and the pressure to make sure we got in all on camera.

However, we were all still very keen on the idea and we all decided that we would shoot the footage on multiple cameras to ensure that we got it all. We then searched the internet for a decent dolls house as none of us had one to burn. We would see amazing ones but they were all way too expensive for us to just burn and never use. After a while, we found a suitable one during the lesson and we decided to buy it. Just before we did so, we saw that we had to build it ourselves - but we thought ''how hard could it be to build a dolls house between four of us?'' and bought it anyway.

Storyboards for 'Abandoned'

Opening Sequence Progress

At the moment, I feel as though our work is going well. After the panic of thinking we wouldn't be able to complete the pitch idea under pressure and in time to present it, we successfully pitched our film. After we were given feedback about our pitch, we made improvements and were happier about it. We are now on our way to creating our title sequence.

We made an audience profile, however we struggled because we were unsure about how to do it correctly and what to actually include. Then to help us think of different ideas for our sequence we created a brainstorm and then decided on the best ideas. 

We've already begun discussing ideas for the sequence and also creating some storyboards for it.

Blog Feedback

Overall I agree with the feedback that I received concerning the work on my blog. I plan to improve the posts in need of improving and I will add the posts I haven't yet started. The comments about our ideas for our title sequence are fair as some of the ideas could be difficult to do, especially the part about burning the house. We will think and film an easier alternative for the actual sequence to create the same effect we hope for. Regarding the fight sequence, our group thought that removing the sound was part of the initial instructions, however we can easily go back and put the sound back in. I will add more of my class notes onto my blog, especially those which relate to the posts. Mostly, what I need to do is improve and add to my current posts which I plan to do. 

Audience Profile

Audience Profile from Kerry Costello

'Abandoned' Opening Sequence Ideas

Abandoned Opening Sequence ideas. We decided that we didn't want to go down the narrative route for our title sequence. For setting, we were thinking in a woods, near a stream with an old house nearby. The idea for an old house could be done in different ways, we thought maybe find an actual one or maybe purchase a dolls house. We would either burn the dolls house or maybe use old burning photos to create an eerie effect, as well as it relating back to our plot. The use of shadows and quick cuts would be interesting. We thought low music would create tension and maybe have children laughing and singing a nursery rhyme. 

Fight Sequence

Class Notes: The Active Audience

The Active Audience

Effects Analysis - Hypodermic Needle Theory:

• Developed in the 1920s.
• The first theory to explain how mass audiences might react to mass media.
• Information passes from media to audience unmediated.
• The audience is passive - they have no say in process and accept everything at face value. 

Cultivation Theory:

• While any one media text does not have too much effect, years and years of watching more violence will make you less sensitive to violence or years and years of watching women being mistreated in soaps will make you less bothered about it in real life. 
• Difficult to prove as there is no way to measure exactly how much of an effect the media has on human behaviour.  

Two-Step Flow Model:

• Whatever our experience of the media we will be likely to discuss it when others and if we respect their opinion, the chances are that we will be more likely to be affected by it. (The theory calls these people opinion leaders)
• Considers the audience as a 'mass'.

 ACTIVE AUDIENCE

• Different audiences can understand a media message but can have different responses to it. Some people believe and accept the message, others reject it using knowledge from their own experience or can use processes of logic or other rationales to criticize what is being said. 

Uses and Gratifications:

• Blumler ans Katz believe that a ACTIVE AUDIENCE could consume a media product for the reasons below:
• Diversion: A form of escapism or emotional release from everyday pressures. 
• Personal relationships: companionship via television personalities and characters, and sociability through discussion about television with other people. 
• Personal identity: the ability to compare one's own life with the characters and situations within programs and hence explore personal problems and perspectives. 
• Surveillance: a regular supply of information about 'what's going on' in the world. 
• Entertainment: sometimes we may just consume media for enjoyment. 

Reception analysis:

• Concentrates on how an audience arrives at a media text.
• Based on the idea that no text has one simple meaning - suggests that the audience themselves help to create the meaning of the text. 
• We all decode the texts that we encounter in individual ways which may be a result of our upbringing, the mood that we are in, the place where we are at the time or in fact any combination of these an all kinda of other factors. 
• Unlike Uses and Gratifications, which has areas of focus, Reception Theory is near-impossible to measure as it focuses upon the individual and takes into account the complexity of our response to the media. 

Audience theory:

Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience. 

Richard Morrison

Orphanage pitch

Orphange PItch from cerenkangal

Orphanage feedback and evaluation

Based on the feedback we received after pitching our film, we found a range of opinions. Our choice of Director, James Watkins, was appropriate for our genre of film and our target audience was a good choice as it widened our audience and would therefore result in more intake. The feedback also mentioned that we had researched our genre very well and that we found appropriate information for our film. The budget for our film had a positive reaction as it was accurate for our genre and the contents. 

However, we found that people thought our cast wasn't that good because they thought our choices were too old and not famous enough, however, we felt that we had to choose low budget actors/actresses to fit within our budget. The choice of our title was criticized because they thought it wasn't original enough, however we struggled with finding an appropriate name for our film, we then changed it to 'Abandoned'. We were also criticized about our plot as people found that we didn't explain the plot enough and we didn't expand on information about our characters. Overall, I think our pitch went quite well. 

Saul Bass

The Changeling Title Sequence

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-changeling/

The sequence starts with a black background and we then slowly see some names revealed in big, thin red font. The font is big and in capital letters. The fact that it's so noticeable and red could suggest danger and maybe foreshadow death. This part of the sequence is completely silent. The camera then cuts to an outside snowy scene where an establishing/wide shot is used to show the audience where they are. It is still completely silent until we eventually hear the noise of people talking in the background. The camera cuts to some trees whilst the talking gets louder and then pans so we can see the characters. The people are laughing and joking whilst struggling to push a broken down car, they are assumingly a happy family. They are seen to have a good relationship as they tease each other about who is to blame about the situation and we see the mother and daughter make jokes about the father. The colours used in the title sequence are fairly bright and are very natural, as they are outside there is no key light or backlight (besides natural light) at this particular moment.

As the father walks across the road to a payphone, the road is seen as a divide between himself and his wife and daughter, this foreshadows what is about to happen. The atmosphere is extremely happy as the daughter and the mother begin to play around in the snow and as the daughter calls out for her father to join them. As the father gets into the phone box, the camera cuts to a car coming around the corner onto the road, the road looks slippery and the car is going quite fast, this makes the audience realise that something bad is about to happen. The camera then cuts back to the father and zooms in on the background to show a large vehicle coming onto the road in the opposite direction to the other car. As the father realises what is about to happen, his facial expression suggests panic and desperation as he tries to get out of the phone box to protect his family. We can hear the mother and daughter laughing during this, which is a binary opposition between life and death. We see the mother joyfully throw snow into the air in slow motion, this gives the impression that time is moving slower for the father as he feels a sense of helplessness as the vehicle swerves and collides with the man’s car and family.

There is then a fade out as the scene progresses and we see the man on his own walking. It is made obvious that this is after the event as the non-diegetic music used is very slow and high pitched which suggests sadness. The colours used in this part of the sequence are very dull brown and grey colours which show that there is no life left in the man since his family were taken from him. The areas shown around him as he walks home are wide and vast, this shows how sad and lonely he is as he is always shown alone. The man’s emptiness is shown by his constant lack of facial expression, which is very different to his joyful, laughing personality seen at the beginning of the title sequence. The music continues to be slow and high pitched, however every so often there are quicker piano notes played, these give a sense of tension to the clip and may foreshadow events which may take place later in the film.

The contrast between the dull colours and lighting used as we see the man walking and the same thin, large, red font may symbolise death and danger later on in the film. The colour red can usually be associated with romance and love but with the font chosen for this film, it doesn’t give a romantic impression at all. Even when we see the man walk through busy roads, he stands out from the crowd as he is positioned centre of the camera. He looks even more alone and empty as he passes many people who are either seen with someone else or not looking as sad and lonely. As the man enters through a door, we see him speak to the doorman, which we can assume is the only social interaction he ever gets and is now thought of as a routine and rather mundane. The doorman perspective is similar to the man’s before the horrific accident, he looks as though he feels like he wants to help but there is nothing to be done, therefore feels quite helpless. 

Red Lights Title Sequence

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/red-lights/

The opening sequence of Red Lights starts with a black background and blurred white lights moving across the screen as the main actor's name is shown. The music is very high pitched and it sounds as if it is coming from a violin. As the sound begins to build up with the use of low bass and the continuation of violins, the thin upper-case font begins to grow larger and smaller whilst slightly moving. This creates a sense of madness which may foreshadow some of the film's plot/a character in the film. The font then fades out along with the music getting lower until the next name flashes up. Yet again the font moves and the music is tension-filled. Behind the name arrives a key light with the silhouette of hands/arms, giving the impression that someone may be trapped somewhere or in something. As the third name appears on screen, it is followed by an image of what seems like the eyes of an owl. This may suggest something about the character and the white lights which follow may symbolise that he is important. 

The whole sequence is quite dark and mysterious, there is no colour used except for when we see the name of the film appear 'Red Lights' there are blurred red lights in the background. The combination of blurred lights and moving across the screen give a sense of movement, maybe from a car. Throughout the sequence the music becomes more suspenseful, giving the impression that the film has a Thriller genre, however, the moving from ''cars'' might suggest some action. The rising and falling of the music may suggest tension. The use of black, white and red is interesting because whilst it uses black, which connotes evil and darkness, and red, which connotes danger and also romance, it also uses white, which is usually associated with purity and innocence. As the sequence progresses there are rough clips of close ups of eyes. This could be linking back to the idea of Thriller film as it looks creepy and mysterious. The music has a build at this point as the pace quickens slightly, suggesting determination. 

There is a quick shot of a crucifix and prayer beads, this gives religious connotations which may hint towards the plot of the film or a certain character. The use of a crucifix is often seen in films to ward off evil spirits, so that may link back to the creepy atmosphere of the sequence. As the music builds still, there are shots of polaroid pictures appearing in sync with the drums in the music. The photos look like crime scene images which could suggest that maybe there is crime and murder in the film, there is constant evidence that the film is a Thriller. However, we then see shots of x-rays and plans with scribbled handwriting, this may suggest that the film has some Sci-Fi elements to it, but is still mainly a Thriller. The font continues to be white, slim and moving throughout the whole sequence, although in some cases it doesn't grow bigger and smaller, but instead fades out, letter by letter.There are often quick shots of something bright which could look like science equipment whilst performing an experiment. The shots of handwritten maths work in the background contributes to the Sci-Fi element.

The music begins to really build up as we start to see some movement of people in the background, acting strangely. This links back with the suggestion of the font symbolising madness. The music falls deep as we see some newspaper clippings, this could suggest that the media and rumours play a role in this film. There is then a shot of a syringe/needle with liquid coming out of the end of it, this suggests that there are experiments in this film and the use of the music to go with this shot, is quite sinister and mysterious. Shots about a UFO sighting are seen, which also contribute to the Sci-Fi genre, as well as a silhouette of a strange figure. Since the shot of the needle, the background has changed from black to white, which has science and clean connotations, often associated with a hospital which is sterilized. We see shaky clips of lights on a ceiling and a operation taking place, this puts the audience in a position of feeling like they are involved in the action. During the time the sequence has a white background, the music is higher pitched and quicker paced and is then highly contrasted when the background goes back to black and the music becomes lower and more mysterious.

We then see a return of the blurred red light and a static television screen. This suggests that the red light has something to do with the order of things. As we continue to see the static television screen, the font in front of it moves as if it was also static on a television screen. The title sequence ends with this and then we see a plane landing.

The Art of Film Article

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/04/the-art-of-the-film-title-throughout-cinema-history/

"The main title from the American release of “The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari” (1920) is much less expressive than the title from the influential original German film (restored original version):"

I think this shows how important font really is for a title sequence, as it is shown here that the original is a lot more expressive than the updated version. Usually an updated version is assumed to be better, however the original title of ''The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari" is better as it enhances the genre of the film and creates an appropriate atmosphere before the first scene has even started. 

''The concept of score visualization first conceived by Oskar Fischinger in his film “Studies” anticipates the effects created by Saul Bass in “The Man With the Golden Arm” (1955) and later by Susan Bradley in “Monsters, Inc” (2001):

Zombieland Title Sequence Analysis

In the opening sequence of Zombieland we see zombie's attacking people during their day to day lives. The attacks are paired with a heavy rock music to connote rebellion and anarchy. We see a man dressed in prison uniform throwing a man off a staircase in slow motion, we can see barbed wire in the background, this shows that it is a violent and gory film. The font used on the first credit saying ''Colombia pictures presents'' is in bold red writing, which could connote danger and blood, which moves as the victims are falling through it.

In the next clip we see a close up of a man, most likely one who is attacking, spitting out blood and is also covered in it. This could make the audience aware that it is a horror film as it is very gory and violent. 

The more we see people being attacked, we can see their facial expressions looking scared as they are running for their lives. Suburbia is disrupted by abnormal creatures causing trouble and acting reckless. The music throughout the sequence also contributes to the theme of rebellion and recklessness. We also see a man holding a sign saying ''THE END IS NEAR'', this could be a form of foreshadowing as it shows that he believes the zombies are going to end the world, a zombie apocalypse.We also see the first name of the cast of ''Woody Harrelson'' and the font moves as the zombie's attack their prey. 

We see a wide shot of a man being chased by zombies. We see a briefcase thrown into the air and spilling money out of it, in slow motion. This could suggest that the zombies are attack everyone and that there is no escape. 

We see a close up of a zombie fighting against policemen. This shows they don't care for authority and are against the law. We see a shot of a wedding taking place and the bride is attacking her newlywed with no hesitation. This subverts the event as it is usually seen as a happy moment but is now a bloody, violent attack. We then see more clips of people's normal lives being affected by the violence. 

Continuity clip.

Evaluation:
Once we got the instructions on what to do for our continuity sequences we were assigned groups which we could not choose. We began to think of ideas and once we found one we all agreed was good, we storyboarded the whole clip. We had to include match on action, shot reverse shot and we had to abide by the 180 degree rule. Once we were happy with our storyboard we began to start filming with a flip camera. 
We first had issues with the steadiness of the camera because we wanted it to look as smooth as possible, therefore we eventually used a steady cam and it looked a lot better. We had other issues with the continuity because we forgot to move certain furniture when we were shooting from other camera angles. We had to reshoot some of the clips to make sure we were thorough. 

When it came to editing, we realized that we missed out certain parts of the action and it made it look jumpy. This caused it to not run as smoothly as hoped and some of the continuity was bad. Overall, I think the group worked very well together as we were extremely motivated and got the work done. The end result stuck to the rules and instructions we were given so therefore, was successful. If we were to do it again, we would film more than we'd need to just in case we forgot any action.