Final Opening Sequence

Vengeance

This is our final opening sequence for our film 'Vengeance'. As a group we feel that we have done very well to get this final result although it has been a very lengthy process. A lot of time was spent planning, doing research, preparing for filming, editing and also putting the final touches to the sequence.

Our final opening sequence varied slightly to the storyboard we put together. As we edited the footage we found several ways in which we could improve our original idea. Shots were added, altered and also removed. 

Through this process we also came across several minor problems which we were able to overcome. These were mainly during the filming process such as getting correct lighting which would be effective enough in our sequence. However this was easily solved by using lamps and torches to provide shadowy lighting. Apart from the few minor setbacks, as a group we were able to work through these and gain great results. 

Camera shots

The framing of the shot creates what we see on the screen. Choices about the framing of a shot change the shots meaning. Sometimes it is important to frame a shot from the different heights to change the audience's perspective on the material. The camera could be positioned close to the floor, shooting straight-on to give the impression of a low height. Perhaps this would be used to signify the view of a child or small creature. Furthermore changing the camera distance supplies a sense of us being close to or far away from the material of the shot. the standard measure of camera distance is the scale of the human body.


Extreme Wide Shot
The extreme wide shot, the view is so far from the subject that she isn't even visible. The point of this shot is to show the subject's surroundings. The Extreme wide shot is often used as an "establishing shot" the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place.


Long Shot
A shot that shows a character at a distance, spanning their whole height but leaning an area above and below them. this focuses the audience's attention on the character and their surroundings.


Medium Shot
Also known as a mid shot, this shows a character from the knees or waist up or full length seated figure. Most effective for showing the interplay between two characters and bridging the gap between a wide shot and a close-up. This shot can also be adapted to a medium long shot or a medium close-up.


Close-up
Used to show extreme detail or facial expressions. A character is framed from jus beneath the shoulders with space left above the head. This shot is effecitve for showing an audience a character's emotions and reactions because it focuses their concentraion on only one thing on the screen.


Extreme Close up
This shows only part of the head, the area from the lips to the eyes, and is often used for highly emotional shots to increase dramatic effect.


Over the shoulder shot
A shot made from over the shoulder of a character, focusing on what he or she is seeing.



Point of view shot
Seen from the character's point of view

Storyboards

What are Storyboards and where were they originally used

Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. The storyboarding process can be very tedious and intricate. The form widely known today was developed at the Walt Disney studio during the early 1930s.

Here are a few examples of storyboards...

Its Usage

A film storyboard is essentially a large comic of the film or some section of the film produced beforehand to help film directors, cinematographers and television commercial advertising clients visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur. Often storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement.
In creating a motion picture with any degree of fidelity to a script, a storyboard provides a visual layout of events as they are to be seen through the camera lens. And in the case of interactive media, it is the layout and sequence in which the user or viewer sees the content or information. In the storyboarding process, most technical details involved in crafting a film or interactive media project can be efficiently described either in picture, or in additional text.
Alfred Hitchcock's films were strongly believed to have been extensively storyboarded to the finest detail by the majority of commentators over the years, although recent research indicates that this was exaggerated for publicity purposes. Other directors storyboard only certain scenes, or none at all. Animation directors are usually required to storyboard extensively, sometimes in place of doing a script.

Advantages

One advantage of using storyboards is that it allows the user to experiment with changes in the storyline to evoke stronger reaction or interest. Flashbacks, for instance, are often the result of sorting storyboards out of chronological order to help build suspense and interest.
The process of visual thinking and planning allows a group of people to brainstorm together, placing their ideas on storyboards and then arranging the storyboards on the wall. Furthermore Storyboards for films are created in a multiple step process. They can be created by hand drawing or digitally on the computer.

How to create a storyboard

If drawing by hand, the first step is to create or download a storyboard template. These look much like a blank comic strip, with space for comments and dialogue. Then sketch a "thumbnail" storyboard. Some directors sketch thumbnails directly in the script margins. These storyboards get their name because they are rough sketches not bigger than a thumbnail. For some motion pictures, thumbnail storyboards are sufficient.
However, some filmmakers rely heavily on the storyboarding process. If a director or producer wishes, more detailed and elaborate storyboard images are created. These can be created by professional storyboard artists by hand on paper or digitally by using 2D storyboarding programs. Some software applications even supply a stable of storyboard-specific images making it possible to quickly create shots which express the director's intent for the story. These boards tend to contain more detailed information than thumbnail storyboards and convey more of the mood for the scene. These are then presented to the project's cinematographer who achieves the director's vision.
Finally, if needed, 3D storyboards are created (Technical Previsualization). The advantage of 3D storyboards is they show exactly what the film camera will see using the lenses the film camera will use. The disadvantage of 3D is the amount of time it takes to build and construct the shots. 3D storyboards can be constructed using 3D animation programs or digital puppets within 3D programs. Some programs have a collection of low resolution 3D figures which can aid in the process. Some 3D applications allow cinematographers to create "technical" storyboards which are optically-correct shots and frames.

Analysis of an Opening Sequence

The Ring

What the movie is about?

Two teenage girls Katie Embry and Rebecca Kotler discuss the supposedly cursed tape. Katie reveals that, seven days before, she went to a cabin at Shelter Mountain Inn with friends, where she viewed the video tape. After a series of strange occurrences, involving a television in the house turning itself on, Katie is mysteriously killed while Becca watches, causing her to be institutionalized in a mental hospital.

Katie's aunt, Rachel is a journalist living in Seattle who decides to go undercover on the mysterious death of her niece and her three friends, who seemed to all died on the same day at the same time- 10:00 PM. After being told that her niece was found in a closet with a horrifying look on her face, she searches through her room and finds some pictures, pictures of the cabin where her niece and her friends had stayed a week before the deaths. Rachel finds the mysterious video tape which is killing off anyone who watches it. Whenever the victim watches it, the phone rings, telling them they have only one week to live.

Rachel is investigating these events, but after she and her small son watch the tape, it becomes a race against time to find out why the tape is killing everyone and how it could be stopped. She and her divorced husband, Noah, research about the video and find facts about Anna Morgan and her daughter, Samara Morgan, the maker of this video. With only a week left, Rachel and Noah discover the unknown secrets of the life of Samara Morgan, and, hopefully for them, a way to break the curse.

As part of our project I analysed the opening sequence of The Ring

Analysis of The Ring

The Sequence begins in the kitchen were Katie goes to get a glass of juice as she takes a sip of the juice she hears the television switch on she begins to get scared as there is no one in the room wondering how the television had switched on itself. She then turns her head slowly towards the room looking very afraid and nervous. Here we find an extreme close up of her face emphasising her features. She makes her way to the main room where the television is, at a slow pace making sure she couldn’t be heard. We the see a mid shot of the room focusing mainly on the television the blurry and static effect of the television makes it almost unbearable to hear. And makes the audience apprehensive. She then looks around the room to see if there is anyone around she then switches off the television and makes her way back to the door. At this point we get a tilted angle of her looking back at the television. As the camera zooms in towards her it makes the audience realize that the television has come on itself again. She calls out to her friend wondering if she was the one playing a prank on her. As she runs towards the Television we see a close shot of her and the TV this also emphasises the story of the movie, the whole concept of samara coming out of the TV. We see how afraid she is and as she begins too breathe heavily this shows how scared she is. Throughout this opening sequence we see high and low angles we also see a lot of close up shots which add effect, the tilted angles show confusion of what is happening in the scene etc.

She hears more noises in the kitchen as she makes her way to the kitchen she see s that the door for the fridge is opening by itself making her even more scared. Now there is a high angle from the staircase showing authority, she runs up the stairs only to find water coming from beneath the bedroom door, with curiosity she walks towards the door. We see another close shot of the door knob and her approaching it she begins to turn the knob but at a slow pace in order to set an intense atmosphere. She enters the room only to find the cursed tape being played. Finally it ends with a zoomed out shot of the TV and a fast zoomed in shot of Katie. Her Face is shocked as she see’s something unusual; her face turns to a strange pale colour. At the end we see images of the tape and disgusting evidence such as cut up fingers and an image of the well.

Throughout this sequence Katie is dressed in a white blouse and a grey skirt which proves that it is her school uniform. The location of the opening sequence is at a guest house which seems to be in great condition. The lighting throughout the sequence is dark and dull which is used to create suspense. The music in the openign sequence is both diagetic and non-diagetic the music creates a dramatic effect so that the audience are engrossed.

Examples of theme songs for the opening sequence of vengeance

Here are a few theme song of thriller/horror films in the past that are very scary and can be used in our opening sequence. the reason we are using these theme songs are because it creates an eerie and tense atmosphere and gives the audience a hint of when the scary parts are about to come and how extreme they'll be.

1. The Exorcist theme song
   

The first theme tune is the Exorcist song this is very unique however it also creates an eerie atmosphere thats sends a thrill up your spine. i chose this theme tune as one of the examples because i feel that it is very creepy and makes you think what is going to happen next. Another important reason for using these kind of theme tunes for a horror/thriller movie is that it is one of the main elements of a film it is able to make the film even scarier without using jus images buh by the way it sounds too.

2. Halloween Theme Song

The reason for choosing the halloween theme song as one of our examples is that it is an ongoing and well known theme tune, it used in quite a few films. It is very intense and creepy

which creates a dull atmosphere which most horror movies are all about.

Typical setting for a thriller

The typical locations for a thriller film would be
eg:

• In the Woods/Forest - this is because the tall trees and the dark surroundings would create a dark atmosphere which goes well with thriller genre. It is a common place for the victim to get chased by the killer. Typical location for creating a tense and creepy atmosphere.
• School - It is a great setting for school proms and a thriller film based on high school kids and also goes great with a school kid who once got bullied and is now out for revenge.
• Isolated House - this is so that noone can hear the screams of the helpless victim. This also creates a tense and eerie atmosphere.
• Alleyway- a quite place that creates a sinister mood. Isolated place where it is likely that noone would go there late at night. A dark and dull location so it would set the mood of a thriller.
• House (during a party/slumber party) - Typical location for a thriller based on teenagers who get stalked and then murdered by a serial killer
• Graveyard - Very dark and dull location fits in well with the thriller genre. This would create a very creepy mood as it is an eerie location which is often secluded. Therefore it would be easy for something to happen without anyone knowing.
• Nightclub - Usually a place where people’s drinks are spiked and then they are kidnapped or held hostage by a serial killer or stalker. This is a stereotypical location for a thriller film based on young adults.
• Hotel/Motel - Some hotels have sinister connotations due to the fact that people staying in hotels don’t know who else is there with them. People staying in a hotel are unaware of those in other rooms so they could easily become victims of murder or kidnappings. Hotels have many confined spaces which go well with thriller.
• Church - Religious references in a thriller would cause a disturbing atmosphere because religion supposedly keeps people safe. So, by including it in a thriller film, it created a very eerie mood.
• Train - Usually a location for teenagers, or young adults who are on their way to or from a nightclub. Typical setting for a british thriller film.

And any other location that creates an tense and eerie atmosphere which would make the audience engrossed and involved in the film. Another reason as to why these locations are used is because they make the audience jump as they wonder what is to happen next!

What are psychological films?

Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. however, this genre  often incorporates parts from the mystery genre in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre.

Generally, thrillers focuses on plot over character, and therefore emphasizes intense, physical action over the character's psyche. Psychological thrillers tend to reverse this formula to a certain degree, emphasizing the characters just as much.

The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by trying to demolish the other's mental state. Usually in a psychological thriller movie the 'good guy' doesn't always survive this emphasises reality because if this happened in a real situation the innocent would never escape.

Sometimes the suspense comes from within one character where characters must resolve conflicts with their own minds. Usually, this conflict is an effort to understand something that has happened to them. These conflicts are made more intense with physical expressions of the conflict.

Audience for Thriller/Horror Films

Our production will be a psychological thriller/horror, like other films of this genre we will be focusing as much on the plot as the characters. This means that the story will not be simple and straight forward, the audience will have no clear ending that they might expect, for examples in the usual films the 'good guy' always wins. Thrillers do not work this way, it is uncertain if our character will survive or even figure out the mystery. The audience are never given the full picture, some information given could have nothing to do with the story but used just to confuse the audience and to raise many questions as to what is yet to come. This means that the audience will have to keep track of what is going on, meaning they will have to think about what they believe is the truth and what the end will be so that when the story is concluded we are able to shock the audience because thrillers often have a twist which is unexpected because you were never told the truth.

The opening sequence of our movie is about someone who is abducted and kept in a secluded place away from the outside world by someone who has been watching this persons every move. The mystery is there to hook the viewer and create a story but also to simply thrill the viewers it also brings up questions as to why the character is in that place? How did she get there? What is the motive? Does she die or survive?. Because this is a psychological thriller/horror we can play with reality which can scare the audience and make them aware of what happens in the real world. Overall we want the audience to be able to understand what is going on otherwise the deep twisting story is useless. This means that all ages from 15 and above or 18 and above can watch this film and hopefully understand the story.

Our film will appeal to the target audience because it contains all the factors that are needed for the psychological thriller genre, however it includes elements of horror, action and thriller as well as a few other milnor sub-genres. From the opening of our film we will include the main elements of the psychological thriller genre. The opening two minutes are designed to “make you think” when watching the film, keeping them interested and not pushing them over the edge and stopping them from watching on.

In the BFI handbook 2005 we've discovered that 41.5% of the regular cinema going audience in britain is aged 15-34. Psychological thriller fits this audience because they are the main audience who watch the film and appreciate what is given also they are able to tolerate the thrills and fear.