Research Task: Batman Begins

Batman Begins was directed by Christopher Nolan, the film was released in 2005. The film is about Bruce Wayne, seen his home, Gotham City, turn into a crime infested abyss throughout his entire life, so he decides to become the hero of Gotham City.  

                            Batman Begins Trailer  

The film starts off when, Bruce Wayne was eight years old, he fell into  a cave where he encounters a swarm of bats. Ever-since then Bruce has enveloped a fear of bats. Later his parents went into an opera, and Bruce urges his parents to leave the opera featuring bat-like creatures. Outside the theatre, Bruce's parents got killed in a robbery by a mugger. Bruce blames himself for his parents murder, if he wasn't frightened, his parents would have not encountered the murderer. He was taken in by a mysterious instructor, named Ducard and urged to become a ninja in the league of shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it.        

Research Task- The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a movie directed by Christopher Nolan and is about a vigilante protecting his town from  criminals and a bigger threat his arch nemesis the Joker. I really enjoyed this thriller because it had all the typical conventions of a thriller opening which drawed me in and made me want to watch more. The opening showed a bank robbery by masked men which created suspense and tension and fear as they began to take hostages. This wasn't a typical bank robbery as the robbers seemed to be tense not because of killing a cop but the uneasiness of not trusting each other. After the robbery was done most of the robbers were killed by each others by the orders orchestrated by the joker. This was a amazing thriller movie and had everything needed to keep the audience interested throughout the movie which also included amazing cgi affects and editing methods,

Here are some screenshots of the movie:

This is a screenshot of the Lead robber holding a mask but with his face hidden from the audience which created suspense and interest.










This is a screenshot of some of the robbers zip lining into the bank with their masks on preparing to raid the bank from the back.









This is a screenshot of the robbers preparing to raid the bank from the front.









This is a screenshot of the robbers taking hostages which is creating fear within the movie.

This is a screenshot of a robber killing another which creates facination and interest to why they are doing it.

This is a screenshot of the bank manager trying to protect his bank which is a unsuccesfull attempt.








The bank manager gets shot and which takes away the hope and creates sadness.










Finally the Joker reveals himself and that is the end of the opening.

Research Task: 'Super 8'

During the holidays I watched 'Super 8' which is a thriller written and directed by J.J Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film is about a group of friends who witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie. They soon find out that it was not an accident. The unusual disappearances and inexplicable events that happen in their town make the storyline interesting as they try to uncover the truth which was more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. I also liked this film as it was produced by Steven Spielberg who had written 'The Goonies'. The train crash created suspense as it shows in the film that it was done on purpose. This definitely made me want to carry on watching the film as i wanted to find out the actual reason.

Research Task: Final Destination

Over the Christmas holidays I watched Final Destination  5. The key element of the film that inspired me was the narrative. At the beginning of the film I like how clues build up and create tension for the audience. The narrative tension builds up while the main character is on a coach trip and he notices certain things that he feels suspicious about, these clues later contribute to a bridge collapsing. 


Here are some screen shots I took showing the main clues before the bridge collapsed: 

When the main character is about to get onto the coach he sees this message as if its a sign cautioning about something in his future

 This sign post brings awareness that construction is taking place

A big truck carrying several heavy tree logs over takes the coach 

A wide angle of the small bridge in contrast with the lake 

The camera follows the coach like a predator would its pray as if if something is going to happen to the coach

The coach enters the bridge, which emphasises the size contrast between the coach and the bridge

 The coach drives past the construction site on the bridge

The coach drives over a temporary plank that does not seem sturdy

Builders carve cut out a hole in the bridge

A bucket falls through the whole in the bridge and splashes in the water below

Hot steam forces its way out of the top of the tarmac barrel

The main character cuts his finger on the chair in front of him

The TV on the coach cuts off

The radio tunes out and changes to a different channel

Strong winds come in and starts blowing a boats sails about 

Finally, a crack appears on the bridge

Health and Safety

The JVC professional camcorder. The camera will be used for our group to record any scene in H-D. To switch the camera on of off press the blue button and turn the dial. If the camera is not in use, the camera will switch off automatically after 5 minuets. The record button is to the left of the mode button. When you stop recording the clip is automatically saved into the memory card. You can press the CAM/MEDIA to switch between pre-loading and playback, in playback it shows you every clip which is recorded.

The equipment you will get with the camera:

• Memory card: When using the memory card always make sure the white card switch is up (open) not down(locked),you will not be able to record is the card switch is locked.You may insert your memory card into the slots beneath the viewfinder with the label facing up, the memory cards click into place, and also don't forget to close the flap.

• Battery: The battery clicks into place, place it into the comportment and slide it to the left (click in). To release the battery you hold the button down, then slide the battery to the right(release), the battery gives you 2 hours of recoding time.    

• Microphone: the camera has a built in microphone, the on and off button is on the right side of the camera. You can ask for a clip on microphone to make the sound more clearer.

• The Lens: Never ever touch the lens, you could get your finger prints on it. If your not using the camera make sure you close the lens to prevent any damage or dust. The lens cover is operated by the lever next to the focus ring.

• Focusing: Manual focus, this is when you have to manually focus onto an object. Also you may Auto focus, this is when the camera pulls in and out of focus atomically.                     

• The ND filter: Turning the ND filter on, reduces the amount of light coming into the camera, only use this in bright sunlight. Turning the ND filter off, absorbs more sunlight.

• The Tripod: The camera can slide onto the tripod. By pulling out the legs of the tripod you can adjust the height level of the camera to the height you want the camera to be.

Warnings: 

• Make sure all your work is saved onto the video drive 
• make sure you bring the equipment back on time 
• make sure you don't change the menu settings, the settings are already done for you.
• make sure the equipment is working before you leave the building.
• all ways look after the cameras, if it is raining outside, you can always borrow a large umbrella to shelter the camera.

Extension Task

1) What does Thomas Sutcliffe mean when he says "Films need to seduce their audience into long term commitment. While there are many types of seduction, the temptation to go for instant arousal is almost irresistible"?

• The film has to get the audience's attention at the beginning of the film, to make them want to watch the rest of the film. If the beginning scene doesn't draw the audience's attention then the films seems pointless. The audience at drawn only into the best scenes.  

2) According to Director Jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of ‘instant arousal’?

• You must draw the audience's attention more and more as they watch the film. Starting off strong, you will not be able to finish the film with more tension developing. You have to make the film more tense as you get closer to the end.

3) Explain why “a good beginning must make the audience feel that it doesn't know nearly enough yet, and at the same time make sure that it doesn't know too little

• The audience must know a bit of the film at the beginning because if they don't, then they wouldn't know what the film is about, so they wouldn't want to watch the reset of the film. If the audience knows too much at the beginning, then the film would not get more tense, the film will get boring so there will be no point in watching the film.

4) What does critic Stanley Kauffmann describe as the classic opening?Why does this work?

• An establishing shot 
• A close up of a building 
• Camera goes up the building
• To a window 
• Then into the window 
• Past the reception desk
• To a private office 
• Then to the main character/ character    

Its a simple classic process, shows where the film is taking place, what the occupation of the character is or was, more than that, it tells/shows us the organisation of the world and everything is in place.

5) Why is Kyle Cooper’s title sequence to the film Seven so effective?

• Introduces you to the obsessive nature of the films main character 
• It foreshadows a lot of the things that's going to happen
• Tunes the audience to the right dissonant pitch 
• Became the first part of the movie    

6)What did Orson Welles want to achieve with his opening to the film A Touch of Evil? What did Universal Studios do to it? Why?

He wanted to plunge the audience into his story without giving them time to prepare themselves
The universal studios put music underneath it and the credits, so the effect was lost. Because they didn't understand it and they didn't understand the picture/story itself.

7) What is meant by “a favourite trick of Film Noir”? What is the trick?

The beginning of Casino is actually not a beginning at all, its kind of an ending.
The trick is, feel like a destination as much as a departure point looking ahead for what is to come and if we cant see it the first time round, it will almost be certainly clear when we see it again.

8)How does the opening to the film The Shining create suspense?

• The beginning is almost picturesque , shot from a helicopter
• The second viewing, you can see the screen is full of omens 
• The camera pursues the car like a predator high up from behind 
• Its attention never strays to what is conversely spectacular but remains fixed on the tiny object 
• Everything tells us that these people are travailing to the wrong direction  

Film Openings: Zombieland

The film opening I have chosen to analyse  is Zombieland.The film Zombieland is a action, comedy and a horror film.The film is about zombies which have taken over America and  a student is trying to reach his family in Ohio(a place in America). In an action film we expect to see guns, explosions, fire, hero's and villains and so on. In a horror film we expect to see blood and dead people. In a comedy film we expect to see funny comments from characters, bright lighting which represents happiness, funny clothing and so on. Knowing what the genre of the film, the audience would expect pacific scenes to happen in the film, for example in a action film we expect guns, if we don't see guns in the film then the film doesn't fit its criteria. We don't expect to see a film which contains comedy and horror together because they are the complete opposite, horror scares people and comedy makes them laugh, but Zombieland is a horror and comedy film.

In the opening the first thing we see is an American flag which shows us the film is located in America. The camera is hand held. We also see the white house as proof of it is filmed in America, and the white house and cars are on fire, everything is destroyed. Then out of no where a zombie jumps and starts running towards the camera, the zombie shows us that they are the ones who have destroyed America. We see the world destroyed, showing the audience that the zombies are all over Earth. The film in introduced by an narrator, the narrator tells us rules on how he survived and everyone else died. 

The film opening of Zombieland follows the convention of film openings by having

• The films opening credits- The credits are shown around 2 minutes in the opening (production and distribution). 
• Introducing the key settings and location- Film set in America. 
• Introduces the story line- About Zombies.
• Music used to set up the mood of the film- Music is fit for an action,comedy and horror film.  
• Sets the genera of the film- An horror(zombies), comedy( Narrators comments), action (chasing/running and guns).
• Gives the audience a sense of the pace of the film- A quick pace film (action film). 

   Convention of film openings, which are not followed

• Introducing to the main characters- The film doesn't show us the main character, but we do hear the main character talking (the main character is the narrator).
• The film title shown early in the sequence-The film title is not shown early in the sequence, the title is shown, at about 2 minutes in the opening.     

Our remake of the opening to Collateral

We looked at the opening of the film 'Collateral' and did a storyboard of each of the shots. We looked at the shot types and the editing. 

This was our journey to our chosen location.

These are the scenes from our remake

This is the first scene that were adding to Finalcut Pro

This is us inputing and outputting for our second scene

 We had to cut one of scenes using the cutting tool

Here we added the soundtrack to the original opening of Collateral to our final edit

 This is our finished film opening to Collateral

This is our finished film opening 

Research and Practise

This is a big close up shot of someone's face

This is a wide shot of an area

We had to shoot feet in an interesting way

This was a well framed over the shoulder shot

After our health and safety tutorial we had a short time to practice the different shot types. We had to show that we understood how to use the camera and lighting.

JVC Camrecoder Tutorial

On Thursday's media lesson we learnt how to use the JVC professional camcorder. This piece of equipment was really exspensive and needed to be used properly to ensure that it didnt get damaged. This camrecorder will allow our group to record hd in anyway we want using the tripod while it automatically saves it on a memory card.

Here are the main points:

• Firstly always open the lens protector to record a video
• Switch the camera on but never change the menu settings
• The light can me minimised and maximised
• It can zoom or auto zoom.
• Extra mic can be added to capture sound
• Always take care for the camera

Health and Safety

In the health and safety tutorial, we were introduced to the filming equipment they included: the JVC cameras, Tripods, Camera batteries and the memory cards.

During the tutorial we were shown how to insert the battery and memory card. We were also taught how to set up the tripods and mount the cameras onto the tripod safely ensuring that its locked properly so the camera doesn't fall out. We were taught how to use the camera and what the buttons are used for and what function they carry out.We were shown how to zoom into a subject and make sure it is in focus.