Timeline Analysis.

I decided to choose the intro from City Of God to analyse as I thought the variety of shots, the fast-paced editing and the way the music worked side by side with the diagetic sounds and dialogue was very interesting.

Opening Sequences.

For our first coursework project we have to create an opening sequence to a feature film, I am yet to decide the type of opening I want it to be, but I have found a few examples of sequences's which styles I really like and am inspired by.

The Opening sequence for Superbad is by far one of my favourites, it is wonderfully complex in its simplicity by introducing us to the characters and style of the film without revealing much at all. The colours and the use of sound (with the song Too Hot To Stop by The Bar-keys) gives the audience a sense of nostalgia and makes a perfect opening to what ends up being an absolutely brilliant film.

Although making an animation is not my plan I am a huge fan of animated movies and this has to be by far one of my favourites. I love the idea of following the raven around the city introducing the audience to the narrative context. Although it is a animation I still think colour is used very effectively and the use of sound which is easily something I can incorporate into mine to give it a surreal effect.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World definitely has one of my favourite openings of all time. It is a simple combination of both of my previous examples by combining real life with animation to create a comic book like world which is a theme throughout the movie. It introduces you to characters and to the narrative context all within the space of 3 minutes which I think is a ver successful use of time. The opening scene goes from real life to the title sequence which even through the colours that are used gives you an immediate feel for the type and genre of film.

The Montage.

We were given a task to create a montage of a subject of our choice. I chose to film my dad and his creative process. I decided to take a turn from the standard montages I had been looking a for inspiration and give mine a beginning and and end to make it seem like more of a finalised product. I used close up wide angled shots of my dad playing the guitar, using the typewriter and flicking through sheets of paper but to name a few. I decided to add a short 'intermission' in the middle of my montage to mix it up a bit and bring the audience back to reality. For best effect watch with volume at its highest.

The 180° Rule.

The 180° rule is a rule designed to create geographic continuity.

As I mentioned in my previous post, continuity can be achieved in many ways.. the 180° is one of them. Here are some of my notes explaining the rule;                                                    

 

Continuity.

Continuity editing gives the viewer the impression that the action unfolds with spatiotemporal consistency.

Continuity in film is extremely important, not only does it help the shots flow seamlessly together but it also helps keep the audience in the moment of the film. There is truly nothing worse than being in the world of the movie and spotting a continuity error which immediately removes you from the magic that was being created. 

Continuity can be achieved in many different ways and only requires attention from the filmmaker to ensure each scene flows uninterrupted and keeps the rhythm going.

The Montage Exercise.

We have been given a task to create a short montage on a theme of our choice. An example of a successful montage is the CU Montage from 'Requiem for a Dream;                                      

The Breif.

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule. 

Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes!! 

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main tasks may be done individually or as a group. Maximum four members to a group.