Final film opening

Audience questionnaire

What is your favourite genre?

• Horror
• Thriller
• Comedy
• Romance
• Action
• Other

If other, What genre?


What is your favourite 3 films in that genre?

1.  
2.  
3.  

What sort of features do you expect a film opening of your chosen genre to have?




What age certificate do you usually expect a film of your chosen genre to have?

• U
• PG
• 12A
• 12
• 15
• 18
• X-rated

How old are the characters usually seen in your prefered genre of film?

• Under 12
• 12-17
• 18-25
• 26-39
• 40+

What generic conventions would you usually see within a drama film?




Can you name a drama film that includes the conventions that you have listed?




Have you seen more independent drama films or more mainstream drama films?

• Independent
• Mainstream

Who do you normally watch a drama film with?

Can you name a drama film that has not used the normal conventions properly?

If yes, has the film still been good?

Does the film opening of  a film determine whether you want to continue watching it or not?

I used this questionnaire along with my audience profile to work out what the best option would be i terms of making the film opening.

Audience profiles

Romance- Romance films are usually time at people aged 12 and above. This is because after this age the audience can relate more to the narrative. The majority of people that watch romance films are female, this is because a lot of the time romance films are from the females point of view. The class of people that what this sort of film would vary based on the characters that are i it. A lot of the time the tastes between A,B,C1's clashes with the tastes of C2, D,E's, therefore, if you had working class characters in the film, you are more likely to attract a working class audience. A lot of romance films include both a working class character and an upper class character that fall in love, this sort of narrative could attract any class. Examples of romance films include, Love actually, The note book and the vow.

 

Action- Action films are generally aimed at an audience that are about 12 and above, this is because there is almost always a fight scene and therefore may not be suitable for younger children. This genre of film is usually aimed at a male audience, this is because usually the main protagonist is male, also men stereotypically like some of the general conventions of an action film, such as; fast cars, weapons, etc. Examples of action films include James Bond, Fast and Furious and Die Hard.




Horror-Horror films are usually aimed at an audience aged 15 and above. This is because the content that is usually in a horror film is too much for a 12 year old to handle. The film 'The woman in black' was originally rated at 12A, this got the most amount of complaints of 2012 as many viewers said that it was too scary. Horror films are aimed at mainly male audiences, however they are catered for both. There is generally a heroic character that females may route for. Examples of horror films include The Shining, The Conjuring and Annabelle.




Drama- Drama films are aimed at audiences aged 12 and above, this is because in a lot of cases drama films are based on life events that children under the age of 12 may not understand or be able to handle. Films of this genre can be aimed at both genders, this is because this is because they can be based upon life events that both genders may be interested in.  Examples of a drama film include Forrest Gump, Titanic and The Shawshank Redemption.




Whilst looking into audience profiles I also made a questionnaire that would narrow down the best option film opening that I could make.

extra research into the genre drama

Drama films are frequently based around real life situations, they generally include relatable characters and narratives. The drama genre can be split off into multiple sub-genres. this includes; crime dramas, historical, horror drama, docudrama, comedy drama and melodrama.

Crime drama

A crime drama usually involves criminals and some form of law enforcement. An example of this is Legend.

Historical

A historical drama focus' on real historical events (such as world war I/II and 9/11). An example of this is Saving Private Ryan.

Docudrama

Docudramas involve specially trained actors and actresses to portray life events. An example of this is the film Jobs.

horror drama

A horror drama involves characters with realistic emotions, the horror elements work as a sub-narrative to a highly dramatic plot. An example of this is the film The Exorcist.

Melodrama

A melodrama is based around characters with heightened emotions. melodrama include the least relatable characters and storyline. An example of this is the film Wuthering Heights.

title sequences for drama film

My sisters keeper

0.10- New Line cinema
0.26-New Line cinema presents
0.32- A Mark Johnson/ Curmudgeon/ Scott L Goldman Production
0.36- A Nick Cassavetes film
0.43- A Cameron Diaz film
0.52- Abigail Breslin
0.59- My Sister's Keeper
1.08- Alec Baldwin
1.13- Jason Patric
1.17- Sophia Vassilieva
1.22- Heather Wahlquist
1.25- And Joan Cusack
1.30- Thomas Dekker Evan Ellington David Thornton
1.34- Casting by Matthew Barry and Nancy Green- Keyes
1.38- Costume designer Shay Cunliffe
1.45- Music by Aaron Zigman
1.48- Co-producers Hillary Sherman Steven Posen
2.00- Editors Alan Hein, A.C.E Jim Flynn

By researching into this title sequence, it has helped me think more so about what my title sequence should look like considering I'm creating a Drama film opening.

children of men analysis

Children of men analysis

Audience

This film is aimed at people over the age of fifteen. The opening addresses political issues that are going on within the film. Someone under the age of fifteen might not be interested in that level of maturity within films that they watch. The visual content within the film also leads me to believe that the film would be suitable for people aged fifteen and above. At the end of the opening just after the explosion, a woman walks out of the cafe holding her severed limb. This may not be appropriate for someone under the age of fifteen to view.

The film will be aimed mainly at men, the explosion suggests that this is an action film which is a genre more predominantly watched by men. Also women might find some of the content a bit more graphic than men will. The main protagonist in this film is male and therefore it may be easier for men to relate to this film.

Genre- This film is an action, thriller and drama. In the opening scene, explosives were used to blow up the cafe. this signifies that this could be an action film. At the beginning of the opening there was a news report on the tv in the cafe. This was explaining to both the characters in the film and to the audience what had been going on prior to that moment in the film. The fact that social issues were introduced at this point could make this film a drama. Even though what is happening in the film is complete fiction, it can still be related to social issues that are going on in the world. At the end of the film opening a woman walked out of the cafe holding her detached arm, this was quite a shock for the audience as not only is it something that you wouldn't see every day, it is also quite a graphic image, therefore because of the gore factor, this film could be classed as a thriller.

Narrative- The complete narrative of the film isn't predictable, however, form the opening you can tell that there is some form of worldwide conflict going on. From the news interview that is on the tv in the cafe, we have gathered that all the children are dead, this is because the news reporter was explaining how the youngest person in the world, aged 18, had just been killed. The film is set in the future, however only small changes had been made, if anything the world looked to be getting worst.With how our world is advancing these days, this suggests that this conflict could have been going on for a while and therefore, this is the reason why things haven't moved forward.

Character- From the film opening, you can only really get a clear image of what the main protagonist is like. We don't meet any other strong characters in the opening. The majority of the people in the cafe at the beginning were men. This could signify that the women aren't as significant in this film. That also ties in with the title of the film 'Children of men'. We find out that all the children are dead and then the majority of the people inch shot are men.

Atmosphere- The atmosphere is quite eerie in the film opening, this is because the lighting is quite dull and foggy and then there is an explosion at the end of the opening. When the woman walked out of the cafe holding her arm it allowed the audience to see that whatever problems are going on in the film, it is happening everywhere.

Themes- The main theme of this film is war and conflict. By the news report in the cafe and the explosion at the end it is obvious that there is a war going on, you can also tel this by how un kept the streets of London are. When the main protagonist came out of the cafe, there was a large pile of rubbish bags just stacked to the side of the road. All of the stress were really dusty and dirty swell. By how murky the streets were, it looks as though there could have been others explosions that had gone off.



Sound- At the start of the clip the non diegetic sound of a news report was playing. This straight away gave the audience information into what had happened prior to the point that they are watching from. The audience hear about it at the same time as the other people in the film. This make the audience feel more involved in the film. At the end of the opening there was screaming. This adds to the sack of what had just happened and also put emphasis on how traumatic what had just happened was.

Doing this analysis has helped me to look more in depth into film openings and it has helped me to look at the significance of things in more depth which will help me when I'm in my exam as well as thinking about my own film opening.

film analysis (James Bond)

James Bond

Genre- The genre for this film is action, i can tell this by the props that are used. In one of the first frames, the main protagonist(James Bond) is pointing a gun, this signifies that he is involved in some sort of conflict. Near the beginning of the opening, blood drips down the screen as a transition, this also has connotations of some kind of battle.



Narrative- As there is guns and blood in the opening, this signifies that the film is based around a battle and it is likely that there is going to be a fight at some point. There is also many shots of a woman, this could signify that there is a love affair in the film.

Character- At the beginning of the film opening you see the main character(James Bond), for the rest of the opening you see a woman. This could be the main protagonists lover or possibly his sidekick.
James Bond seems to be quite formal, he is wearing a suit which makes him come across as very professional.

Atmosphere- From the opening the atmosphere of this film seems to be quite dark. The blood at the beginning of the opening gives the a sinister moodal tone.

Themes- the main highlighted themes of this film are conflict and love. The use of a gun has connotations of conflict, especially the fact that the main protagonist is pointing it. The theme of love could come from the woman that is in the opening. She is surrounded by fire a few times which could have connotations of passion.

Setting- The background of the film opening is black, There is a lot of fire which gives a glowing effect around the main images/objects in the opening.

sound- At the start of the opening there is a gun shot sound effect, this signifies that the gun is going to possibly fired during the film. The music in the background is quite fast at times which suggests that the film could be quite fast paced at times which gives off more of an idea that this is an action film. The words in the song are "live and let die", this suggests that someone may die in the film.

Titles- The titles in the film are quite basic, the font is all capitals and white. The fact that they are white means that they can stand out against the background.

film analysis (watchmen)

Watchmen 

Genre- the genre of this film is action/ super hero. I can tell this by the costumes that are worn in the film opening. The main protagonists are wearing superhero costumes. The use of weapons signify that this is an action film.

Narrative- The narrative of this film is based around superhero. In the opening you see how the superheroes go from being loved to be ing taken down/killed. One of the superhero retired and hd a family, however, some of the others weren't as lucky and were killed before they had the chance to settle down.

Character- The main protagonists in the film are the superheroes, there is also someone that is trying to take them down. We don't actually get a clear image of who the main antagonist is however we see many other people in the opening who are against that superheroes. Some of the superhero settle down however, some of the others are killed. The whole opening is of their lives being documented in the newspapers so that signifies that the superheroes are public figures.

Atmosphere- The atmosphere of the film opening is quite sinister. The audience is routing for the superheroes as at the start of the opening they were seen to be helping the world and then at the end of the opening they were being killed off.

Themes- The main theme throughout this film is change, within the first few minutes of the film the audience are shown a time capsule of the past few years and how so much had already changed. Not only were the heroes not wanted, they were also being killed.

Sound- The whole way through the opening the song "the times they are changing" is being played, this fits in with the narrative and signifies again to the audience that the narrative is about how much things are changing. There is also gun shot sound effects at the start of the opening, this also adds to the fact that one of this fits genres is action. The whole way through the opening the sound of an old fashioned camera is played, this puts emphasis on the fact that the superheroes lives are being documented.

Titles- The titles in the opening are yellow, this suits the whole colour scheme of the opening, however, it also looks like the writing from a comic.This ties together the fact that this film is a superhero movie.

This analysis has helped me because I now realise how much need to be considered when making a film opening and how you can use certain, font, colours and other features to signify different things.

Generic conventions of different genres.

Drama

• relatable characters
• relatable narrative
• naturalistic lighting
• presents real life situations
• exhibits the characters progression in some kind of journey(usually emotional)
• conflict
• climax/anti climax
• happy ending (most of the time)

An example of a drama film that follows almost all of these conventions is Cast Away.

Horror

• Blood and gore 
• weapons
• good vs evil
• low key lighting
• tension building music
• death
• the main protagonist is generally either the victim or the hero or the movie.

A horror film that follows most of these conventions is Saw.

Comedy 

• bright colours
• high key lighting(some times)
• the 'dumb' character
• camera angles make all characters equal
• funny diegetic dialogue
• upbeat music 
• occasionally slapstick props are used

A comedy that follows all of these conventions is Grown Ups.

Action

• Weapons
• fast cars 
• The main protagonist is often male
• intense music
• non- diegetic sound effects (gun shot, smashed glass etc.)
• explosives
• high and low angles used to show the hierarchy of importance 
• naturalistic or low key lighting mainly used.

An action movie that follows these conventions is James Bond Spectre.

This research has helped me think about what conventions my film opening may need when I make it.

what sort of production company we will be

We have decided that we are going to be an independent production company. We have decided on this because we feel that we don't have all of the resources that we would need if we wanted to a mainstream production company. If we wanted to be a mainstream company we would need a big budget so that we would be able to afford advanced special effects, big hollywood actors/actresses to star in it, lavish mise-en-scene. As we are an independent production company it means that we can add a bigger message to our film rather than it just being for entertainment value.

Jelly baby activity

For the Jelly baby activity we had to re-create a film opening idea using jelly babies. We could use them as the characters or we could cut them up and use them for the props/set.

The film opening that we created was thought up specially for this activity. It was a comedy horror.

some of our characters had to have quite dramatic wounds, one of them had a knife sticking in them. To create this we used part of pen lid and stuck it in the jelly baby. the other characters had huge cuts and scars, to create this we cut parts of the jelly babies off, and then pushed them together again.

For some of the shots we would have just their feet walking along. To create this we cut the top half of the jelly babies off and just had the bottom half's together.

On the post-it notes we wrote the time (in seconds) and the title that would appears at that time. We also wrote down brief descriptions of what was going on in each shot.

This activity has helped us because it made us start thinking about potential film openings that we could create, it also made us think about the certain conventions that we would need to include in the genre that we were working in.

How does the certification of a film film affect the opening sequence?

The certification of a film tells the potential viewer whether they are legally suitable to watch the film. This means that if you get someone under the age of 15 wanting to watch a film rated at 15, they legally wouldn't be able to watch it and therefore would not watch it in cinema.

This being the case means that the higher age rating that the film has, the more narrowed their audience can be. As the higher age rated films are already at this dis-advantage, it means that
 the production team have to be more specific to hit their target audiences preferences to ensure that they gain maximum profit from their film as possible.

It is important that the film opening is thought about carefully because in a lot of cases, the opening can decide whether someone is going to watch a film or not.


Looking into how certification has an impact of film openings has made it clearer to me how important the first few minutes of film are.

Certification notes

certification categories

U- U stands for universal, A 'U' film should be watched by people aged 4 and above, however there are certain cases where the bbfc will note "Particularly suitable for pre- school children", this means that the film can be viewed by anyone.

A 'U' film is only allowed infrequent use of very mild language such as 'hell' or 'damn'. this should still be only or a rare occasion and only where necessary.

Characters may be seen kissing or cuddling however there isn't a focus on sexual behaviour, innuendo or language.

violence is always very mild. If any of the characters have a fight or are in danger, the situation is resolved very quickly.

There will never be any reference to illegal drug in a film classified as 'U'.

PG- PG stands for parental guidance. These films are suitable for general viewing, however there can be some scenes that are not suitable for young children. A PG film shouldn't be disturbing to anyone aged 8 or over. Parents are advised to watch the film either before or with the child to decide whether it would be suitable for their child to watch.

In a PG film there can be mild bad language. It has to be in context with the narrative though. If the language is used aggressively, the film will pass at a higher age rating.

In a PG film violence is generally quite mild, there is never any great detail into violence. Sometimes there could be some blood shown, however there isn't detail into how the injury came about.

references to sex aren't usually allowed in a PG, however if a child is unlikely to be able to understand the reference, it may be allowed.

There isn't usually any references to drugs in a PG, however if the film focuses on enforcing clear anti-drug messages then it can sometimes be allowed. There is never any strong detail into drug abuse.

12A/12- 12 means that no one under the age of 12 is allowed to watch the film. Sometimes a film is classed as a 12A, this means that if someone under the age of 12 wants to watch the movie, they can just as long as they are accompanied by an adult. the adult must make the decision of whether the film will be suitable for their child before hand. 

the use of strong language is allowed in a 12/12A, however it depends o the way it is being used, who is saying it, how many times it is said and the context behind why it is being said. If the language is used in an aggressive way, the film could be classed as a 15.

sexual behaviour can be briefly and discreetly portrayed in a 12/12A film, however it will be reasonably mild and it won't be used frequently.

In a 12A/12 film violence is very moderate, again detail is not included massively. There isn't any emphasis on injuries however they may be a few gory details depending on whether they can be justified.

weapons that 12 year olds would be able to get hold of would not be glorified or be used excessively. 

there my be in-frequent drug use is a 12 film, however detail is not permitted.

15- A 15 film mean that you have to 15 or over to watch it.

Strong violence, frequent strong language, portrayals of sexual activity, sexual nudity, strong verbal references to sex, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behaviour and drug use can be seen in a 15 film.

There could be a large amount of strong language in a 15 film. It can be used as frequently as the producers want. 

In a 15, sexual activity can be portrayed, however, this is usually without strong detail. There is no constraints on nudity in an educational or non- sexual way.

Strong violence can be included in a 15, despite this, it should no dwell on detail and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be permitted.

In a 15, drug taking may be shown. Drugs and drug misuse must not be promoted.

18- An 18 film means that you must be 18 or over to watch the film.

18 films can contain content such as, very strong language, frequent strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex (in certain circumstances) and discriminatory behaviour.

This is no limit on strong language in an 18 film. It can be as strong or used as frequently as wanted. Uses of this language can be aggressive, directed, frequent or accompanied by strong violence.

There can be strong portrayals of sex in an 18 film, including full nudity. very crude, strong and explicit sex references are permitted in an 18 film.

In an 18 film, strong violence can be portrayed with strong detail. there can even be dwelling on the infliction of injury within the film.

Drug use can be fully shown, however drug misuse must not be encouraged.

film opening independant research

Whilst researching into film opening I have discovered that there are four types of film openings; this includes, ‘the blank screen’, ‘still images’, ‘moving images’, ’animation/motion picture’.

The blank screen

The blank screen involves titles on a black background. It is quite a common type of title sequence. When the blank screen is used, usually the titles are white. This is so that they are clear and easy to read. When studios use the blank screen opening its mainly because they don’t have a big enough budget to produce any of the other 3 types. The blank screen opening is an uncomplicated way of portraying the usual conventions of a title sequence.

Still images

The still image opening is a more detailed than the blank screen. The still images give a hint towards the genre of the film and can wok as a representation of features within the film. The use of music alongside the still images help to introduce the tone of the film.

Moving images

The moving image opening includes the credit titles over the top of the moving images. The moving images are usually a form of metaphor linking to the narrative of the film or it introduces the start of the film.

Animation/motion

The use of animated text in the title sequence became more popular in the late 90’s. The use of animation for a film for a film opening requires a lot of digital technology and stylized editing. To produce an animated film opening it requires a reasonably large budget. An example of an animated film opening is James Bond, Skyfall.

This research has helped me because it has made me think about what type of film opening would be the most suitable for me to make.

opening titles timelines

Footloose 2011

0.10-Paramount pictures and Spyglass entertainment
0.17-A Dylan Sellers Zadam/ Meron Weston pictures production
0.27-A Craig Brewer film
0.33-'Footloose'
0.37-Kenny Warmeld
0,40-Julianne Hough
0.43-Andy McDowell
0.46- Miles teller
0.49-Ray Mckinnon
0.52- Patrick John Fueler
0.55- Kim Dickens
0.58-And Dennis Quaid
1.01- Casting by Loray Mayfield C.S.A.
1.03-Choreography by Jamal Sims
1.05- Original score by Deborah Laurie
1.08- Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon
1.10- Edited by Billy fox (N.C.E.)
1.13- Production Designer Jon Gary Steele
1.19- Director of photography Amelia Vincent A.S.C.
1.21- Executive producer Timothy M.Bourne
1.25- Executive producers Gary barber
1.29-Produced by Craig Zadan Neil merino
1.32- Produced by Dylan Sellers
1.35-Produced by Brad Weston
1.38- Story by Dean Pitchford
1.42-Screenplsy by Dean Pitchfork and Craig Brewer
1.47- Directer by Craig Brewer

Toy Story

0.08- Walt Disney Pictures
1.27- Walt disney pictures presents
1.35- Toy Story
1.47- A Pixar Production
1.55-Executive producers Edwin Cavmill Steve Jobs
2.02-Supervising technical producer William Reeves.
2.13-Music by Randy Newman
2.20-Songs written and performed by Randy Newman.

Forrest Gump

0.01- Paramount (A Paramount communications company)
0.12- Paramount pictures presents
0.17- A Steve Tische/ Wendy Fireman production
0.22- A Robert Zemeckis Film
0.27- Tom Hanks in
0.32- Forrest Gump
0.37- Robin Wright
0.42- Gary Sinise
0.47- Mykelti Williamson
0.52- and Sally Field
0.57- Casting by Ellen Lewis
1.02- Co-Producer Charles Newirth
1.07- Executive music producer Joel Sill
1.12- Visual effects supervisor ken Ralston
1.17- Costumes designed by Joanna Johnston
1.22- Music by Alan Silvestri
1.27- Edited by Arthur Schmidt
1.32- Production designer rick Carter
1.37- Director of photography don Burgess
1.42- Screenplay by Eric Roth
1.50- Produced by Wendy Finerman Steve Tische Steve Starkey
2.02- Directed by Robert Zememicks

Se7en

0.03- Newline cinema presents

0.06- an Arnold Kopelson Production

0.10- a film by David Fisher

0.13- Brad Pitt

0.18- Morgan Freeman

0.24-'SE7EN'

0.30- Gwenith Paltrow

0.33- Richard Roundtree

0.38- R. Lee Ermey

0.42- John. C. McKinley

0.46- Julie Araskog Mark Boone Junior.

0.53- John Cassini Reginald E. Cathy Peter Crombie

0.57- Hawthorne James Michael Massee Leland Orser

1.04- Richard Partnow Richard Schiff Pamela Tyson

1.10- Casting by Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith Kerry Borden

1.16- Music by Howard Shore

1.21- Costumes designed by Michael Kaplan

1.24- Edited by Richard Francis- Bruce

1.26- Production designed by Arthur Max

1.35- Director of photography Darius Khondj

1.40- Co-producers Stephen Brown Nana Greenwald Sanford Panitch

1.43- Co executive producers Lynn Harris Dan Kolsrud Anne Kopelson

1.52- Written by Andrew Kevin Walker

1.58-Produced by Arnold Kopelson Phyllis Carlyle 

2.03- Directed by David Fincher.

Making these timeliness has helped me because when it comes to making my own film opening I am now more aware of the order that the titles should be in.