Evaluation of Student Film

The purpose of this evaluation is to identify strengths and weaknesses of 3 student film openings, as well as suggest improvements, and be able to use these points to benefit the making of my film opening and avoid making similar mistakes.

Student Film 1 - Peephole Productions

Strengths

• The genre is clear and is evident in the use of blood and black/red colours.

 Weaknesses

• The font seems misplaced. Instead of resembling the opening of a horror, the font represents stationary, stamps and DIY shops.
• The opening consists of fade to black editing techniques, which resembles a trailer as appose to the opening of a film.
• The pace of the clip is too fast. Too much seems to be happening in the first few minutes, and leaves the impression that the narrative is closed when it should be open.

Improvements

• A good improvement would be to leave out some of the content. The opening lacks subtlety and ease, when it should be an introduction to the film and characters. This could be done by using more enigma codes instead of giving away the whole film plot.
• Use a more relative font. A font that picks up on the genre of the film would benefit the atmosphere of the film and set the right mood for the audience.
• Avoid using fade to black too much. It's not often seen in film openings, and gives the opening a false trailer effect.

Student Film 2 - Fugitive Productions

Strengths

• The non-diegetic music works well and fits in with the film genre.
• The setting is chosen well - the spookiness of the woods and the dark street build tension for the audience and create an appropriate uneasy mood
• The use of collages also work very well. The cuts are very fast paced and the noise is unsettling, reflecting the genre of the film and sparking curiosity in the audience to find out more about the film
• The font also corresponds well with the film genre as it is creepy and the flashing is spontaneous and jumpy.

 Weaknesses

• The zoom in shot in the woods does not work. It's too quick and shaky, and is an immediate tension breaker.
• Although the pace of the opening is slow and doesn't contain too much content, the ending is left as a cliffhanger and leaves the impression that the narrative is closed when it should be open. It's more representative of a trailer as oppose to a film opening.

Improvements

• Leave out the zoom shot in the woods and stick to the long-shot. It keeps the pace of opening slow and retains tension for the audience.
• Leave the film opening with an open narrative so the audience are not misled and the opening leaves the right impression.

Student Film 3 - One Bad Apple Productions

Strengths

• The production company logo for 'One Bad Apple Productions' contradicts the genre of the film opening and looks more cute than horrifying.
• There is a good use of red and red colouring, conveying strong connotations of death and violence. This successfully supports the film genre and atmosphere.

Weaknesses

• The camera switching to outdoors after the male has entered the house doesn't seem to work. There is no apparent reason for the camera to switch positions, and confuses the viewer as the camera positioning is not consistent.
• The wind shield wipers change position in the clip, showing a lack of planning and detail awareness.

Improvements

• Keep the camera indoors to avoid confusing camera repositioning.
• Pay more attention to detail to avoid small mistakes that give the opening a bad impression when noticed by the audience.

From this, I have learnt what techniques to avoid in the making of my film opening to prevent misleading my audience and creating a trailer as appose to the opening of a film. I have also learned how certain props and aspects convey certain genres, and will use this to my advantage when creating my film opening.

Comparison Between Film Openings

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

The clip begins with men walking down a city street in slow motion. There stride is very casual and stylish, showing they have status. The city setting is associated with crime and urban gangs. The men are dresses black suits and black shades, which has connotations of death and suggests that they may be gangsters or in 'incognito'. Each actor is introduced individually, which is evident as the titles appear under the relevant actors. Close ups are used to allow the audience to identify directly with each character by getting a good look at their appearance and facial expressions.

The music is very jazzy and upbeat and contradicts with the serious atmosphere set by the slow motion walking, clearly indicating the use of juxtaposition as the characters are quite somber. The characters are seen smoking cigars, which can be interpreted as very classy and nonchalant. The title 'Reservoir Dogs' appears at end of opening, clearing identifying this clip as an opening as opposed to a film trailer. The genre appears to be crime and action as the characters give the audience the impression they are resolute and dangerous. The setting is in daylight showing natural lighting, which is interpreted positively. This again contradicts with the characters and theme of the film. The slow motion effect causes the audience to feel very admirable of the characters and to see them as dominant.

Se7en (1995)

The font used is very cryptic and eerie, and often flashes and jumps around the screen. This is conventional as it immediately suggests that the genre is horror. Non-diegetic, low pitched music is played in the background. It's unpredictable and edgy, successfully reflecting the tense atmosphere. The colours red and black are frequent, connoting violence and death. The razor blade underneath nail is very dangerous and cringey, suggesting the film may contain gore. The title order is very traditional, distinguishing the clip as a film opening as opposed to a trailer. The character's face is not seen, denoting the use of an enigma code to spark the viewer's curiosity. The character's actions are very odd and peculiar, giving insight into the character's personality and mental stability.

The comparison between the 2 film openings are useful as I can clearly see how certain aspects determine the genre of the film and how this is interpreted by the audience. This will be beneficial in the making of my film opening and will be taken into account when trying to represent and link into my chosen genre.

Comparison of a Film Trailer and Opening

Casino Royale (2006)
Film Trailer

In the trailer of Martin Campbell's Casino Royale (2006), the clip consists of a collage of random action-packed snippets from the film. Flash backs are also used at the beginning of the trailer to briefly introduce the storyline and characters. The editing is fast pace and the display of explosions and violence shows that the film genre is thriller. This is also evident in the non-diegetic music played throughout the trailer, as it is dramatic and fast-paced. This reflects the mood of the trailer and creates tension for the audience.

James Bond is introduced as the protagonist in the trailer as he is shown consistently throughout the text and is in the heart of the storyline. Vladimir Propp's Theory of Narrative is applicable to this trailer as the clip successfully distinguishes a hero, a villain and a princess. Bond is often seen through a close up or a midshot and is kept in the centre of the frame. This further proves that he is introduced as the main character.

By the protagonist kissing a female character, it is apparent that the film involves romance, giving it a subgenre of thriller romance. The lighting throughout the clip is fairly low-key but changes to natural or high-key when the protagonist interacts with the female victim. This relates to Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory and suggests that the woman brings light and happiness to the film. The setting is modern and is evident in the vehicles, clothing and lifestyle.

The music is in time with the events in the trailer and a correlation between music pace and editing pace is kept. The fade to black editing transition is commonly used as a dramatic effect throughout the trailer and shows that there is a distinct difference between a film trailer and a film opening, as fade to black is a common attribute found in cinematic trailers.

The colours black and red are splayed throughout the text, which have strong connotations of death and violence respectively. This signifies that the theme of the film is action. The title of the film is presented at the end of the trailer. This is used to lure the audience and create curiosity throughout the trailer. There are no cast or crew credits throughout the trailer, further distinguishing a trailer from an opening as a film opening follows a traditional credits order.


The narrative consists of enigma codes, as pieces of information are controlled, and not enough is revealed to give away the narrative storyline but enough is fed to the viewer to create curiosity. The violent events in the trailer can also be seen as action codes as they signal to the audience that a narrative action will occur in the film.

Film Opening

In the opening of Martin Campbell's Casino Royale (2006), props such as guns and playing cards are consistent throughout the opening and the card suits are associated with violence and death. This insinuates that the theme of the film is gambling and violence. The music is non-diegetic and is up tempo and medium paced. The music is used to reflect the speed of the opening and thrill the audience.

The colours black and red are commonly used throughout the opening, which have strong connotations of death and violence respectively. This tells the audience that the film genre is thriller. The use of graphics and technologies in the opening consist of royal and Victorian patterns. This shows that the film may also be focused on money and wealth. This is also evident in the theme of the film (gambling) and the falling of money at the end of the opening.

The protagonist is shown continually in the text, telling the audience that he is the main character. He is seen fighting other men and is constantly victorious, identifying him as the heroic character. He is seen wearing a black suit, which gives the audience the impression that he is secretive and mysterious. This sparks curiosity in the viewer and encourages the audience to watch the film to find out more about his character.

The editing pace is kept in relation to the music pace. This is evident in the gunshot close up near the end of the opening as the music is used to emphasise the action. The titles follow a traditional format. The order of the credits begin with the production company, followed by the main character and the film title. The producer is then introduced along with other cast and crew members and the producer is reintroduced at the very end of the opening.

This is used to acquaint the audience with the film producer and characters, and to credit important contributions to the making of the film. The narrative consists of action codes as the deaths and violence signal to the audience that a narrative action will occur in the film.


Differences Between A Film Opening and Trailer
 Overall, there are several noticeable differences that distinguish a film trailer from a film opening.


Fade-to-Black/Fade-to-Image
These transitions are frequently used in film trailers to build tension for the audience and draw curiosity for the viewer. They aren't used in film openings as attracting the audience has already been accomplished.


Titles
Film openings display titles for the film title, main actors, director's name and miscellaneous cast/crew, whereas film trailers only tend to display the main actor(s) and film title. Titles are a key indication as titles are normally formatted in a particular order to  either introduce the audience to the beginning of the film, or attract the viewers to the trailer.


Editing
For trailers, the editing is usually fast-paced and uses series of cuts to create an exciting and eventful clip, while film openings tend to be more relaxed. The editing in trailers also tends to be discontinuous, allowing the clip to contain as many intriguing sections of the film as possible in a short space of time. Whereas in film openings, the editing is more continuous as timing is less important.


This analysis was useful as it allows our group to ensure that our film opening does not resemble a trailer by avoiding these differences, and enabled me to see the difference in conventions used and how the audience is attracted.

G321 Initial Notes

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

In the opening titles for Steven Spieldburg's Catch Me If You Can, the clip begins with non-diegetic music. The pace of the music fluctuates between fast and slow, and changes from jazzy to orchestral. The style and pace of the music suggests that the film is a hybrid genre between action and mystery. The theme of the text is 'chase and escape'. This is evident as the clip shows a character travelling through a range of transport methods and the pace of the opening is quick. The theme is also evident in the title of the film Catch Me If You Can and implies that the film is geared around action and chases.

A character wearing dark glasses, a smart suit and a hat is seen following a man throughout the clip. This gives the impression that he is the antagonist and the male he is following is the protagonist, as he is seen as the victim. The fact that he is running away suggests that the film is centred around this character.


The narrative is open as the film follows after the opening. Vladimir Propp's Theory of Narrative applies to the text as there is clearly a hero and a villain in the storyline. The first title to appear in the opening is the representation company, followed by several production companies and the director's name. The main character is then introduced and the titles interact with the setting to show who the protagonist is. After the characters are introduced, the director's name is repeated at the end of the opening. The titles and credits follow a traditional structure and blend into the cartoon setting and atmosphere.

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

In the opening titles for P.J. Hogan's My Best Friend's Wedding, the clip begins with non-diegetic music. The music is low tempo and medium pitch, and sets a calm and romantic mood. This reflects the characters and theme of the clip, as the women are wearing wedding dresses. The dresses are white, which has connotations of innocence. The fact that the female characters are singing about men and love shows that the genre of the film is a romance, and the exaggeration of the women's emotions suggest that there will be comedy in the film. The means that the genre of the film is a hybric genre of romanctic comedy. The theme of the text is 'weddings and love'. The theme is also evident in the title of the film My Best Friend's Wedding and implies that the film is geared around this event.

The blonde female character wearing a white wedding dress and veil is seen surrounded by women in simpler dresses. The fact that she is mouthing the words to the song and is wearing a bride's dress gives the impression that she is the protagonist of the film. This is also evident in the use of camera angles and shots as she is often framed using close ups and midshots.


The narrative is open as the film follows after the opening. Tzvetan Todorov's Theory of Narrative applies to the text as the opening begins with happiness and equilibrium. The first title to appear in the opening is the representation company, followed by several production companies. The main characters are then introduced and the director's name is displayed at the end of the opening. The titles and credits follow a traditional structure and blend into the theme as the writing is curly and feminine.


The setting and colours in the clip are pink and very feminine, which suggests the film may be a 'chick flick'. The characters are also very happy and enthusiatic, showing that the women are emotional and dramatic.