I Am Legend Opening Sequence Analysis

There is off screen diegetic dialogue of a sports news report. When the topic changes a news reader appears on the screen.
There are a few shot/reverse shots, as they are having a conversation. The camera then stays on a close up of Emma Thompsons character which could suggest her importance in this particular scene.
I chose to analyse this sequence because the concept of the movie is very similar to ours. However, there is not much to talk about.

The Dark Knight Opening Sequence Analysis

Sound

At the start of the clip there is a low beat that beats once repeatedly slowly. Then there is the sound of traffic in the background which suggests that it is set in a must city. A foley track is used to enhance the sound of people walking on gravel and the breaking of the glass. The sound of a car is also enhanced when it pulls up to the curb. All the characters are wearing masks whilst they are talking. I believe that they recorded the dialogue and placed it over the footage. This makes it clearer for the audience to understand. 

Camera Movement

There is an establishing shot of skyscrapers which suggests that the movie will be set in a busy. As it is in America I would think that it is set in New York. A high shot angle is used whilst the robbers are transitioning between two buildings. There are many close ups on the characters mask which could suggest that they are planning on committing a crime. There are also a few tracking shots following the different characters into buildings. Makes the audience feel as if they are part of the action. 

Genre

The music is one element of the opening sequence that helps establish the genre. The use of props is also another element. There are many guns shown throughout the opening sequence which indicates that there will be a lot of violence. Violence is usually used in action/thriller movies. 

Sound Analysis

The music/sound that appears the most in action/thriller is normally intense and chilling, but then becomes fast paced. This is dependent on the scene. Many action/thriller music starts off quietly and slowly builds up.  I have analysed two different pieces of sound that could potentially be used in our opening sequence.


This sound is more thriller...

When I first listened to it I got goosebumps. I would like to think that this a good effect that hopefully our audience will have too. I also find it engaging due to the eery and dark sounds. It starts off quite and builds into creepy, spine chilling sound. However I do not feel that it is intense enough and it does not build up enough to shock the audience. 

                                       

In this clip it shows an example of action/thriller type of music from The Rock. Just like the first clip it slowly builds into a more dramatic piece. I feel that some parts of this particular track would fit in very well with our film. I feel that the strings really bring the intensity and the mood that our opening sequence has. 

Representation- Our film

Representation in Media is concerned with the way that people, ideas and events are presented to us. There is a lot of thought put into every detail, it is not put there by accident. Films and its genres can represent things in many different ways, positively and negatively. Light, costumes, props, sound and the editing can all be used to help represent different elements of the film. An example would be representing a girly girl. The stereotype would be pink clothing, pop music and bright lights.
I will now be applying it to my film.

Stereotypes:
Stereotyping always suggest that the way we are portraying/categorising people is wrong. However, the categorisation of these people is the only way people would make sense of the character. Despite it being set in a lab, our character could not be dressed in casual wear otherwise it would not make sense. In our opening sequence we will be stereotyping the scientists. We decided to dress the person playing the scientist in a lab coat, goggles, gloves and hair tied back. We got this idea from cartoons and previous TV shows we used to watch when we were younger.

Events Taking Place:
We will over exaggerate all the movements we do, as we discovered that in many action/thriller films their moves are over exaggerated. An example would be the exchange of the suitcase. Although it is meant to be as subtle as possible, we will make it more evident to indicate that there will be trouble approaching. Another example is the frustration of the scientist when she cannot work out what she is doing wrong.

Setting: 
We decided to film the first half of the sequence in a lab to make it obvious straight away that there is a scientist creating something. The desk will be filled with stereotypical items that would be found in a lab, such as a skeleton and test tubes.

Audience

Our audience is the most important element to focus on, as they will be the ones watching our film. It is important to understand what sort of films they enjoy watching and whether they would be interested to watch our opening sequence. Towards the start of the year we filmed a focus group that we organised. That will be uploaded onto the group blog. I did some research on who our target audience would potentially be.

Action/Thriller movies are usually, if not always, for 15+ or even 18+. This is because there is a lot of violence and psychological issues which could disturb younger viewers. I have decided that I am targeting young adults between the ages of 15-26 both male and female. I have concluded that this will be the best audience from the results of my questionnaire. 

I asked students from my sixth form and different family members of different ages to give their opinion of my opening sequence idea. These were some of my responses:

"I like the idea of the sequence. It sounds very similar to the film I Am Legend which happens to be one of my favourite films. I am not a big fan of Action/Thriller films, however I would definitely be interested in seeing this movie." Student, 17. 

"Does not really sound like something I would pay to see. There are many T.V movies with the same concept. Although I am sure you will do a good job with it, it is not my cup of tea." Family Member, 36. 

"Definitely something I would want to watch. I like the idea of there being an apocalypse. The only problem I have when watching these movies in that genre, is that if i don't find the beginning interesting  I would not want to sit throughout the entire movie." Family Friend, 23. 

From looking at these responses, I picked up that the opening sequence is crucial and if we do not get it right the audience will not be interested. When I asked some people from outside the age range, I read that not many were particularly interested in the film as it sounds similar to other movies. Our audiences responses is the most important thing for our opening sequence to become a success and we will try our hardest to take all their opinions into account. 

Continuity Editing

Titles and Credits

Opening titles and credits could indicate what themes, genre and general idea of the film. The opening credits show the people starring in the film and the most important members of production, e.g. the director. Different font type and size could allow the audience to get a feel of the mood the film is in. Handwritten font could suggest the film is a rom-com whereas big, block, square font could indicate that it will be an action film. Colour also plays a big part in discovering the genre. If the font was red it could suggest danger which could then mean that it is a horror movie. The credits could appear over the opening sequence or on a background. 

The credits flash onto a black background in the colour red. This indicates that it will be a thriller or a horror movie. The title of the film 'Monster House' appears on the screen towards the end of the credits in a big font. It is also 3D like which would grab the audiences attention. 

This is completely different to the first clip. The credits are appearing on the the footage. The font is white and the font is funky which suggests its going to be a girly teenage film. We have decided that for our opening sequence we would put our credits on the opening sequence and not separately on a background. 

Institution & The Film Process

This is the process of making a film. Knowing this will benefit me in the weeks to come when I begin to create my opening sequence.

Development- developing the idea and the project in general.
Pre Production- is the process of preparing all the elements involved in a film e.g. finance, storyboarding and writing the script.
Production- is when the actual film is being produced and the gathering of sound and images.
Post Production- is when the film is being edited. The titles are created and added as well as the audio. Finishing of the film.
Distribution- The finished film is distributed and is exposed to the public. 

Distribution
Film distributors are responsible for marketing a film and the circulation of movies in cinemas and home viewing. They decide how much the film should be advertised in order for it to become a success, using things such as posters, trailers and many other promotional techniques. There are two different types of film distributors. There are big companies that usually promote big hollywood blockbusters and then there are the independent distributors.

Big Companies:

20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Located in Los Angeles, west of Beverly Hills. It was founded on May 31st, 1935 after Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures merged together. They have produced many successful film franchises such as Home Alone, Star Wars and Ice Age. The most highly gross film they distributed is Avatar with a total gross of $749,766,139 and Star Wars with a total gross of $431,088295.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Warners Bros is located in Burbank, California and New York. It has many subsidiary companies such as Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros.Studios. It was founded by four brothers: Harry, Albert, Same and Jack in the 1900s. They have also produced many successful hollywood films such as The Hangover, The Artist and Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix which they co produced with Heyday Films. 

Independent Companies: 

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation

North American entertainment company formed on July 3rd, 1997. As of 2012, it is the most successful independent film and television distribution company. They distributed films such as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Hunger Games. 

Narrative

A story is a sequence of events which is known as the plot. The narrative the way those events are put together to be presented to the audience. 

Tzveten Todorov looked at 'linear narrative' which means where events happen in chronological order. 

Narratives are structured in the following order:

• Equilibrium- all is in order, 'normal' and happy
• Disruption- the state of normality is disrupted by an outside force
• Recognition- There is recognition that a disruption has taken place
• Repair- An attempt to repair the damage caused by the disruption
• New Equilibrium- the problem is solvers and the return of a new type of equilibrium

Example 1:

We first looked at a classic fairytale- Little Red Riding Hood

Equilibrium- Little Red Riding Hood is walking through the forest to bring a basket of goodies to her grandmother. 

Disruption- The wolf disguises as her grandmother.

Recognition- Little Red Riding Hood realises that it is the wolf.

Repair- The lumberjack barges into the house and kills the wolf. 

New Equilibrium- They are all safe and continue to lead their lives. 

Example 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VoTI7qtk8

Arctic Monkeys music video- Leave before the lights come on

Equilibrium- The guy walking down the street.
Disruption- Saves a woman from committing suicide.
Recognition- Begins to harras him.
Repair- Tells her to go away
New Equilibrium- It happens all over again to another guy

My own example:
I applied narrative to a film- Juno


Equilibrium: A 16 year old girl living in a suburban area.
Disruption: She finds out that she is pregnant.
Recognition: She goes to the abortion clinic but cannot bring her self to go through with it.
Repair: Finds a couple to adopt her unborn baby.
New equilibrium: Adoptive parents take care of the baby and Juno carries on with her life.