Location
We will be filming at two locations. One will be Bournemouth as it would be great to do some establishing shots for the opening. And the second Ringwood because there will be a Cafe we could film outside of and may be less busy in Ringwood.
Actors/Characters
Scarlett (Power is Fire) will be played by Jessica Young, Flo (Power is Water) will be played by Zoe Chapple and Autumn (Power is Earth) will be played by Effie Robinson.
Costumes
It has not been decided which characters would be wearing what type of clothing, but we had a few ideas to show their lifestyle (e.g Class) - Unemployed ----> Casual Wear - Normal ----> Normal wear but fashionable - Successful ----> Smart wear (Business clothing for women)
Props
We only quickly wrote down Props we would most likely need on set when filming so the Actors could interact with or use. - Mobile Phones
- Glasses (One Character)
- Handbags/ Shopping Bags
- Coffee Cups (Take Out)
We have gone into the Planning stage of our opening now and came up with already a great idea. The group had decided that our opening would show three women waling to a cafe at separate times and using their (super)powers while doing something relevant.
The main idea for our opening:
"Three Women start their daily lives as normal (making breakfast, watching TV, etc.) and we see each of them use their powers on normal day-to-day stuff. Then they all walk to a cafe and meet up after a long time".
Our Idea in 140 characters:
"Three Women start their daily lives using their powers. We follow them on their walk to meet each other after many years of being apart."
I think what certain Comic-Book Movies do to attract an audience is all down to the narrative of the movie from the trailer seen or clips and so on. Also, most of these movie are obviously based on Comic-Book characters and what the movie industry does is bring them to life which really makes fans of certain superheros and comics happy and wanting to go and watch it.
Because this is an opening what we are really trying to achieve is a good opening that will really want the audience to keep wanting more and be pulled into the narrative/action/etc. An Example could be the opening of 'The Dark Knight' (2008) which really was a brilliant opening and got the audience loving this film and an audience staying to continue to watch this movie because they are so interested in the narrative introduced to them in the opening
A main aspect of a 'Comic-Book Movie' is the protagonist of the film. It entirely depends on what superpower do they have? Their background. Setting. All of that really boosts fans of these type of movies to see them.
When coming to represent the character (protagonist) of the
film opening, you need the audience needs to understand this characters status
compared to their Super-Hero identity. For Example: the character of Bruce
Wayne (Left) is known to be rich and
also, the clothes he wears are very 1st class and neat, showing his reputation
and so on. The character of Peter Parker (Right) also represents his character
through the clothes he wears, big coat and huge spectacles really do show the
characters personality. Another way of showing the characters personality is through the acting, so to enable this we would need to find a good actor(s). All of us should consider these points and the fact they wear more 'descreet' clothes when not fighting crime.
After watching many Comic-Book Movies for research into the narrative aspect of an opening, many film openings just either have titles and also, footage of the origin story of the protaginist with titles and no dialogue (which works very surprisingly well).
Watchmen (2009)
The main narrative in this movie opening is the murder of a retired Superhero and creates the enigma for the films story. The opening is really effective as the killer is not revealed and grabs the audiences attention as it is a vey good opening.
After watching a variety of Comic-Book movies, I have noticed in the film and on posters the logo is a very important aspect. Creating a new logo for a certain character like "Spider-Man" or "Kick-Ass" needs to be bold and recognisable.
This certain font is bold and bright, it stands out to people and probably is known to audiences who have seen this movie.
When a film is in the making of distribution, posters and advertisments would be put around citys and any shops. Sometimes there would be a teaser poster and an official poster released afterwards (nearer release).
Teaser Poster: This poster teases audiences who may see this in Cinema lobby's and also the text used states "IMAX" which tells audiences this film will also be released in Imax. There is no title for the film but the logo as seen on this poster represents a certain Comic-Book superhero which people would recognise.
(Poster: The Dark Knight Rises)
Official Poster: This poster gets straight to the point. Explosians and fire, guns and weapons are all in this poster telling audiences this is action packed. Also, the title for the film is in bold silver text and for people who know the superhero, they would recognise this character. Loads of characters are also represented on the poster, showing this films period (WW2).
This year we will be taking on the task of creating a two minute film opening with the genre of a
Comic-Book Movie. At this time me and my group are researching into film openings (including titles/credits) and not deciding yet what will be happening in the film opening.
Opening
I have been researching into openings from certain Comic-Book Movies such as 'The Incredible Hulk', 'Daredevil' and 'Batman Returns'. One opening that drew me in was the 2008 superhero movie
'The Incredible Hulk', because it had a mix of Live action and special effects, telling an orgin story of the main protaginist in the film and then cutting straight to the movie. So the opening gives you the begining of the film straight away, describing what has been happening to the main character of the film.
'The Incredible Hulk' (2008) Opening Titles
(Click to view Opening Video)
The opening of this film is very effective and I think personally draws the audience in as it tells the orgin story of the protaginist. What I love about this opening is the simple fact it is telling a short story and explains the characters, a part of the plot and also, the scale of this movie (special effects, etc).
Here are a few screenshots from the opening titles with a match of live-action and special effects which works really well for a film opening.
The film opening I have been analyzing is the film 'Children of Men' which was released in cinemas in 2006 and the reason for picking this opening because it has an unexpected element to it, also giving the audience the tone and feel of this movie.
Shot One - M.S
Now the opening of this film is all one shot (excluding the television shot which is the second shot) and immediately opens with a group of people in a cafe watching a television presumably. The 'Mise-en-scene' of this shot is the location (café), props (cups) and also, costume (raggedy dirty clothes). The lighting is very dark and dull, showing the films main theme.
Shot Two - M.C.U
This shot shows what this group is looking at from shot one, but not necessarily a POV shot. The main attention is on the images being shown to the group but now we are concentrating on this scene. A huge give away of a 'different time perid' is the TV itself, no frame or stand on it, so could be holographic.
Shot Three - V.W.S
As the main character walks out of the café, the camera pans to the right and we come to a Very Wide Shot of future London, then the text ' London, 16th November 2027' appears on screen in this show. Many futuristic cars and even bikes with carriages appear. Also, the color of this shot is very grim, city seems poorer and downgraded.
Shot Four - M.S
Following the man (subject), he stops and then the camera does a 180 degree movement around him as he stops, showing us more of the future London. Also, you see 'Extras' who are n the background. No person is wearing smart suits, but raggedy clothes like they have never been washed or taken care of.
Show Five - M.S
Subject is still in frame, we stop the 180 degree rule and stop. Suddenly an explosion occurs changing the mood of the film, gives the audience a shock or a scare as it is unexpected. Smoke and debris is everywhere showing the content of the damage.
Shot Six - W.S
We approach throught the smoke and get a wider shot. Debris is everywhere showing the damage and a woman with an arm in her hand (hers obviously) walks from the explosian site, showing the damage caused by the explosian. This gives audience the idea of this being a 'surprise' film when anything can happen unsuspectingly
How are the Characters Established?
We only get the introduction of the main character (Theo) in this opening, but the extras in the group are also characters, acting as citizens of this future London. . The group look tired, dirty and dull, showing the people of London's (in this film) personality.
How is Location Established?
Simply by the text appearing when we come to the V.W.S of future London which reads; 'London, 16th November 2027'. Also, vehicles including the red double Decker buses that appear in the opening.
Narrative Constructive?
There are two Narratives in this. One: the Cliffhanger of this opening is the explosion. Why did explode? Who did it? And Two: The new broadcast reporting over the death of the youngest person in the world, giving the audience this is not a normal world than it is present day.
How does the opening reflect the genre of the film?
I think a good example is the explosion that unsuspectingly happens. This explosion changes the mood of the movie straight away, showing audiences this is no longer a safe city and the fact it is a war zone in a way. You would expect an introduction of the character straight away but instead the explosion tells a different story that these peoples lives are more vulnerable to crime and death.
How have titles been used?
There are no titles for example credits, but instead a simple 'title card' that appears at the end of the opening scene. But when that title card appears just after the explosion, you still hear the alarm that is ringing/buzzing after the explosion. It makes this film more threatening and the fact no music plays in makes this film dark and intense.
In your view is this an effective opening?
I agree completely because the way the mood changes again with that explosion really tells you "this is not a normal place, this place has changed.". Also, you straight away get a feeling of this future London that the economy has just gone, civilization has become depressed. 100% effective opening and it is a real shame this movie is not that noticed much by the public.
I have finished my editing of the film and exported it as an FLV file to upload onto the media deaprtments channel on YouTube. Personally I am happy with the final product due to it's tone and genre shown to you and also, I love the shots the whole group has input into this film The editing was hard (overlapping voices, color correction, etc.) and sometime loosing some of the project due to computer freezing or even not SAVING which I made the mistake of time to time.
Never the less, I am happy with what I have done and also, couldn't of been done without the groups input.
After filming we went straight to the editing process. We individualy edited our own version of the film, I started to edit together the whole thing. Then after I colour corrected the film and gave it more of an edgy style to the film, it adds comedic effect because it is funny near the ending, a sought of spoof.
Using Adobe Premire Pro to edit the exercise. Many aspects are on the editing file including sound, effects and voice dub.
Editing took 3 weeks to complete and import, it was a very hard edit as I wanted to get it perfect. Then, the film was put onto the main school's Youtube channel for examiners and audiences to watch.
On Monday 26th September 2011, me and my group (Jessika, Zoe and Katie) started and completed filming of our "Continuity film". It took us under two hours to complete filming; We stuck by the storyboard, shared the camera and also, put in more shots that were not in the original storyboard (and cutting out scenes).
Katie managed to take pictures on my camera of Production so I am able to show you evidence of filming.
Setting Up
This is Zoe's first time setting up a camera before filming and succefully did it well. The process of the test is so that newcomers of the lesson would know how to do this during production and show newcomers how easy it is.
Setting Up/ Preparing
We all went to a free room and decided for it to be our location. In this picture, me and Zoe are testing when she recieves the message (from the unknown number).
Also, you can see the Camera was set up by Jessica and Katie, also positioned for our first shot of the day.
Filming
We all took turns filming so the group could give ideas, create new shots and new ideas for the film.
The camera was slightley heavy, so we had to take precortions and maybe (sometimes) have another person holding the camera when doing different shots e.g low angle shot, tracking, etc.
Shots
We all stuck by the storyboard as best as we could, here I am filming Zoe recieving the message (medium to close up).
Many shots were not that difficult, but we would have to do maybe 3 different takes on some scenes (the surprise scene for example). Everyone in the group came up with new ideas, like Jessica playing the piano while singing Happy Birthday and the lights coming on.
End of Production
We were all pleased with our work and managed to finish the film in under 2 hours!
I think the othermembers of the group really enjoyed filming because it was a new experience for them and also, they were able to provide ideas and new shots; Giving us a broader imagination. The day was a success.
The reason for taking Media for Year 12-13 is not just because I have done the BTEC Media for Year 10-11, but due to the fact I wanted to know more about the media industry, show skills I am able to develop over the 2 years at Sixth Form and also, the Media A-Level seems to be a challenging lesson, but I love the challenges that come my way.
What other subjects are you studying?
Along with Media Studies (A-level), I am studying BTEC Production Arts which is a subject teaching the backstage and “behind the scenes” of Theatre, which you can consider in the future and also, use your imagination to design/build set pieces, props, etc.
And lastly; a subject I have wanted to take for a while, is Theatre studies. Theatre studies is a very challenging subject too, as you are able to be taught about Acting, how to perform, research on other plays, etc. The reason for picking Theatre studies is because I wanted to know more about acting and develop or build on my performing skills.
Who is your favourite band and why?
I don’t have a favourite band but If I had to pick one personally, I think it would be “My Chemical Romance” because the music is just so loud you can literally go crazy and enjoy the song at the same time.
When I listen to “some” of the band’s songs, it always reminds me of certain things to me and it also, gets me into the mood to do something. I think that is a great thing about music, you can almost relate to it.
What are your favourite TV programmes?
At the top of my small list of favourite TV programmes would certainly be “Doctor Who”, the fact you could have endless stories and ideas every year due to the fact it is a sci-fi show and ridiculous at the same time.
Another TV programme I rarely watch but is in my favourites at this time is the American show “The Walking Dead”. A brilliant programme, not just about zombies and guns, but about the emotions and fear that drive these characters to what they do and there acts; such a brilliant show.
What is your favourite Film and Director?
Well at the moment a film Directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is defiantly “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”. The visual scope put into this movie, the way the Writers and the Director has kept close to the original comic book series in some aspects, locations, actors and so much more, makes this film a brilliant concept of an action packed and funny movie.
Christopher Nolan is a great director in my mind and because literally, this man is a genius. The way he visualizes everything and shows it to an audience is incredible. It also feels all new and fresh when Nolan directs a movie or even writes it. His films are very different from others; you can easily tell just how he has captured everything and put so much work into it.
What Magazines do you read?
In my spare time if I am on the train or simply bored, I usually read Empire Magazine. There is so much information on films newly released and due to be released reviews, etc. Just great magazines which you can get a closer look at everything and discover Actors/Actresses points of views on filming a movie.
What Websites do you read?
I go on many websites during my time just to see updates or what’s going on in the world and most of the time I read articles on recent filming of a film, what’s coming up, reviews, etc. And to get that sought of information would be going to websites like/Slash Film, Comic Book movie news (CBM) and Movie Web. These website never fail when I want updates and want to know what’s happening.
Also, when researching some Trivia or information or anything on a certain movie, I go to IMDB. Now IMDB is probably the best place to find out everything to do with a certain movie. For example: Locations, Budget and Box office recordings, Reviews, pictures, videos, Cast and Crew, technical specs and other films that are recommended with the choice of the film.
