Prelim Task Evaluation Questions

1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

 

My group, 2C, consisted of myself, Philippa Dodi and Sam Szczurek. We brainstormed ideas as a group and came up with the plot for our sequence together. We then split up the tasks to save time, so Philippa drew the storyboard with help from the rest of the group, then I wrote out the shot list while Sam typed up the script. When in production, Sam and Philippa took the acting roles, so I filmed and directed the shots with both of them in, Sam filmed the shots with just Philippa in and Philippa filmed the shots with just Sam in. In post-production, the three of us took turns editing the sequence while the other two helped.

Here is our script:Group 2C Script

2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try and take into account?

When planning our sequence, we tried to keep things simple and not try to make it too complicated or elaborate. We used the processes of storyboarding, scripting and brainstorming to develop our ideas. This happened during our group's one hour planning session.

Here is our storyboard (click to enlarge):

Here is our shot list (click to enlarge):

Once we came up with the idea and script for our sequence, we found our location and acted it out to make sure it was feasible and to decide where the camera and actors will be positioned. We made sure to take these theories into account:

• Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium - There is an equilibrium with Sam perfectly happy, sitting in his chair, then Philippa comes in and disrupts the equilibrium.
• Principles of Continuity - We followed the 180 degree rule throughout our sequence. We actually filmed a shot that broke the rule, and once in the sequence it didn't flow properly and looked confusing so we decided to remove it. We also used match on action, in particular between the two shots of Philippa sitting down, meaning we edited the two together to make it look like one flowing movement. We also incorporated shot/reverse/shot to film the conversation between the two characters, editing together multiple OTS shots to make the conversation flow.

3. What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

We used a video camera with a microphone and headphones to check the sound was exactly as we wanted it to be. The microphone allowed us to pick up sound more clearly, especially for the long distant shots. We put the camera on the tripod the whole time, to ensure the shots weren't shaky and that they were level. We then captured and edited our sequence using Adobe Premiere.

4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

The first thing we had to take into account was location, as we had to film in school and we needed a classroom set up to go with our story idea, so we sorted out locations within our class so that our group had the space we wanted. Another important factor was time, as we only had one hour to shoot, so we kept the script short and simple, and didn't put in too many camera positions or complicated shots. We again had the one hour time limit when editing, so we made sure to work efficiently and help each other out so we didn't run out of time. We also didn't try to edit anything too fancily, and kept it simple.

5.  How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

I think our sequence was very successful at demonstrating continuity techniques, even though it wasn't particularly original and we didn't take many risks, but that didn't really matter as the point of this task was to show we know the principles of continuity. I think the sequence flows quite well, and nothing looks wrong or confusing to the viewer. This is because we deleted two shots from our sequence during the editing process, as one of them broke the 180 degree rule and one of them didn't quite fit with the match-on-action we wanted, so leaving them in would have made the sequence look wrong. At around 16 seconds in, the sequence does look a bit jolty, as Sam's head moves down then up again quite quickly, so with more time we would have made sure that every shot matched perfectly. I think the OTS shots work very well as shot/reverse/shots, as the conversation looks natural and there aren't really any bits that cut too quickly, and the match-on-action shots when Philippa sits down fit together very well. It probably would have been beneficial if our group had one more member, as the cameraman also had to direct, use the clapperboard and work on sound, which was a little difficult at times, so another person to use the headphones would have been helpful. We also could have made the sequence a bit longer to show a few more continuity techniques.

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

From this task I have learnt all of the principles of continuity for filming, and have learnt how to use them in practice. I have learnt to always apply these rules, and to think carefully about whether everything makes sense or not, as we could have saved time filming if we hadn't shot those two clips that we later removed because they didn't work. I have also learnt how the camera microphone works, and how to work with sound on set using the headphones.

This learning will be very helpful when shooting and planning my next coursework task, as I will be able to apply all the principles of continuity I have learnt, and also try to incorporate some of the theories I have learnt, such as Todorov's theory of equilibrium. I think I will also be more productive working in a group for the next task, as we now all know how to use the equipment and how to properly start off and end a shot when filming. Using Adobe Premiere to edit the sequence was also a helpful refresh of everything I learnt about how to use it in year 10, so I will  be able to start using it properly straight away in the next task, as everything is now fresh in my mind.

Research: Barthes Codes in Film Openings (Dorian Gray)

Dorian Gray (2009)

Clip up to 6:00 mins

1.  Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?

The first key action is a young man violently stabbing something we cannot see, and blood spurting all over him. We can than assume that time was skipped to the next scene, either back or forwards, when we see a carriage driving someone somewhere, then the same young man arriving somewhere looking bemused and excited, signifying to the audience that he has just arrived in a new place. The camera follows him as he explores this new place, then cuts to an aerial shot of some houses, then moves down to show the young man arriving at this house, allowing the narrative to move forward from him arriving in the new town to settling into his new home. The next action is the young man playing the piano at the house, and the narrative cleverly moves on from this by dissolving this scene into another where he is playing piano at some kind of event. We then see the young man meeting lots of new people, showing us that he is being introduced into society and that time has passed since he first arrived in town. The next action is the young man standing whilst another man is painting him, which is clearly a very key action in this film as it is based on the book The Picture of Dorian Gray.

2.  Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?

The biggest question posed is of course what Dorian is stabbing at the very beginning of the sequence, as it isn’t a very normal, accepted action, so that clip is definitely placed there for extreme enigma. The rest of the story, we expect, will lead up to an explanation of who he was stabbing and why, and the audience are meant to wonder this throughout the whole film until the answer is revealed. We are also wondering where he has come from, as he seems very mysterious, and how he now owns this huge house in a different city.

                                                    
3.  Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening

We can tell within a few minutes that the main character is the young man stabbing something at the beginning, and we assume that he is the titular character, Dorian Gray. He seems to represent mystery, as he is a new character in town and we know nothing of his back story or why he’s come to London. He also represents someone seemingly perfect with sinister secrets, as he seems very handsome, rich and popular, but from the very first scene we know that he definitely has a dark side. We are also briefly introduced to another key character, Basil, and all we know so far is that he is a painter and a new friend of Dorian. The audience is curious as to why he is painting Dorian, and how much he knows about this mystery new man.

4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening.  What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? social/historical/political/art and culture etc.  Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.

This film already draws on cultural codes, as it is based on a famous novel written by Oscar Wilde, so most people will already know something about the story, or at least when it’s set, from the book itself.  The only other real cultural code in this opening is when a man says, “Welcome to London,” so viewers will obviously know where London is and immediately associate the places in this film with the London they know about.

5.  Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.

Some of the key themes are secrets and evil, presented to us very clearly in the first scene when Dorian is shown stabbing someone and covered in blood, straight away giving the audience an uneasy feeling. This scene along with the creepy music and the dark mise-en-scene clearly represents these themes. Corruption is also a key theme, and already we can see that by the contrast between the sinister Dorian and the innocent Dorian, arriving in London for the first time, fill of hope and excitement. Another more obvious key theme is art, and the portrayal of people through artwork, and we can tell this straightaway by the introduction of Basil the painter, and the shot of lots of different sketches of Dorian (5:04 mins).

Research: Continuity in film clips (Inception)

Inception (2010)

The first 40 seconds of this clip is made up of lots of shot/reverse/shots as a conversation between two people is being filmed. There are 11 OTS shots in a row, switching each time from Ariadne to Cobb. Each shot is slightly more zoomed in than the last one, making the audience feel more involved and as if they are moving closer and closer into the action. It also allows the viewers to see the expressions on the characters’ faces, which becomes more important throughout the sequence as Ariadne is becoming more confused.

At 0:42, there is a master shot so we can see the characters in relation to each other and their surroundings, and also to vary up the shot types and avoid it becoming too repetitive. It also fits in with the fact that Ariadne is looking around to find out where she is, so we follow her gaze and take a look around too, making the audience feel more in touch with the character. There are then three more OTS shots as the characters talk a bit more, then a cutaway to show a close up of the cup of coffee shaking on the table. This moves away from the whole action of the sequence and focuses momentarily on a small part of the action, in this case the shaking cup to show that the whole place is actually shaking, again adding variety to the shot types.

Shot order is important in this sequence too, as it deliberately goes back to the OTS shots before the CU of the cup, otherwise it would go straight from a wide shot to a close up which wouldn’t flow very smoothly. At 0:56, there is a reaction shot of Ariadne looking shocked at the shaking cup, and the cut matches as she is looking down at the cup, then we see her look up in the next shot. After all of the books explode from a shop, it cuts to another, further out, master shot so we can see what is happening all around the characters.

At 1:00 there is another reaction shot of Ariadne reacting to the exploding and flying objects, and she looks in the right direction so it makes sense. There are lots of match-on-action shots at the end, because when we some that some objects have already exploded outwards, they are still in logical positions in the next shots, and they don’t seem to have moved back in time or moved too much.

There are also lots of special effects at the end of this sequence and specific techniques have been used in order to make it look as if all the humans in this scene have frozen whilst all of the exploding chaos happens, adding to the effect of this impossible dream world. Of course the diegetic added sounds of the crashing objects and bursting ground fit perfectly with the action so it seems to the audience as if these actions really are creating that noise.

Research: Levi-Strauss's Theory of Binary Opposites (10 Things I Hate About You)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

1. What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?
This film is a High School Romantic Comedy. We can tell this by the cheery pop music used with the colourful titles at the very beginning of the film. The first characters we see are a group of teenage girls looking over-the-top happy and dancing in their open-top car, which we would expect to see in a romcom aimed at teenagers. The soundtrack then changes to a rock song, Bad Reputation, which clearly fits with the rebellious teenage girl we are introduced to next. All the girls are quite stereotypical - the cheery, girly girls and the lone, miserable-looking rebel - which fits with the conventions of this kind of film, and the way the girls look at each other in quite a bitchy way suggests that this film is a lot to do with cliques and social statuses, another key genre signifier. The next scene clearly shows a high school, and a boy shows a new student around the school whilst talking him through all the different cliques at the school, which is very stereotypical of this genre. There is also of course the classic 'love at first sight' moment with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's new student character and the typical blonde queen bee of the school.

2. Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?
There are a few main characters in this film: Kat, Patrick, Bianca and Cameron. Bianca is the pretty, popular good-girl, Kat is her rebellious older sister, Cameron is the new boy and Patrick is the mysterious 'bad-boy'. The first binary opposite we see (1:06 mins) is the group of girly, perfectly groomed, dancing girls listening to pop music in their car, in contrast to Kat pulling up in her car, on her own, listening to loud rock music ('I Don't give a damn about my reputation...') dressed in dark clothing and looking pretty miserable. The way the camera slowly pans across the screen from the girls in the first car to Kat really emphasises the contrast between them. The next binary opposite (2:42 mins) is between Cameron and Patrick. Cameron has just been shown as quite a nervous, stammery, innocent character, and when he rushes to leave the school office he comes face to face with Patrick, who is much taller and bigger-built than him. Patrick stares at him, looking tough, whereas Cameron is jittery, looks quite startled by him, and nods at him nervously before stumbling out. We are then shown a lot of binary opposites between all the different cliques around the school. There is another strong contrast (5:41 mins) between Kat and the rest of her fellow pupils in her class, shown when she voices her strong opinions that no-one else seems to agree with, especially when one girl describes Hemingway as 'so romantic' and Kat argues back that he was actually 'an abusive, alcoholic misogynist'.

3.What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?
One of the main themes will most likely be Cameron's attempt to get Bianca to go out with him, as we can guess by the way he seems to be enchanted by her as soon as he sees her that he won't just forget about her and not bother, despite being told that she is way out of his league and that she can't date anyway. This will of course involve one of the main themes of Romance, and probably Comedy too. There is also the theme of Rebellion, and Non-comformity, as we can tell that Kat is very outspoken with strong opinions, and the viewers will want to know whether she will stay like that throughout the film or maybe change her ways. We also wonder how Patrick will come into it, as he is introduced as a main character but he hasn't really had any connection with any of the other characters yet, although because he seems like such a strong character, we want to know more about him and what will happen to do with him and the other characters. The audience will probably guess that Kat and Patrick will have some kind of romance, as they are both shown as rebellious, non-comforming characters.

4.  How is the narrative organised to show conflict?
The narrative deliberately flows straight from the girly-girls in their car to Kat in her car to show the difference between them, and these differences, plus the way they look at each other in an unfriendly way and Kat's outspoken attitudes, suggests that there will be a conflict between Kat and some of the other girls in her school, even if it's not necessarily these particular girls. The sudden switch of the music also shows conflict between their opinions and tastes. We already see conflict between Kat and her teacher, as well as Kat and Joey (a boy in her class) when she argues with them about literature.

Research: Principles of Continuity

From reading the notes I have learnt a lot of different continuity techniques and rules, and they will be extremely useful to me and my group when it comes to shooting my film opening sequence, as it will look much more professional and effective. I broke a lot of continuity rules whilst filming for the 'accident task' but I didn't even know the rules existed, so now I know I won't be breaking them again, unless intentionally for effect. Here are some of the things I've learnt...

Camera directions and techniques create different effects when filming, and directors use a full range of shot distances. For example:

• Close-Ups for emotion, shock value, to put the audience right in the action, to focus on something important
• Mid range for dialogue, action and for linking shots
• Long range to establish a scene or to show large scale action
• OTS shots to place us on the side of a character and empathise with them 
• Camera movement to create the effect of physical movement

Editing has four main functions:

1. To cut the film down to the required length
2. To remove unwanted material and mistakes
3. To change the order of shots and the way events are portrayed
4. To establish a particular style for the production

Transitions are used to knit clips together, for example:

• Cuts to vary pace and rhythmn
• Fades
• Dissolves to slow time down or link action in different time frames (eg. dreams, flashbacks, etc.)
• Wipes

Continuity editing follows a set of unwritten rules to allow footage to be shot and edited into a seamless narrative. This allows suture, when the audience is metaphorically sewm into the narrative and doesn't notice the editing process. Here are some of the basic continuity editing rules:

THE 180 DEGREE RULE

There is an imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene and crossing this line changes the viewer's perspective so that it will create disorientation, therefore breaking the 180 degree rule. There is a similar rule for a moving subject: keep to one side of the direction of motion.

THE 30 DEGREE RULE
Don't change the camera angle by less than 30 degrees within the same framing, or viewers may notice a visible 'jump' in the footage known as a jump cut.

EYELINE MATCHING
The direction of the characters' gazes must stay the same.

MATCH ON ACTION
Movement should be edited so that the character has clearly moved between shots otherwise the action will appear as if it's been repeated.

SHOT/REVERSE/SHOT
When filming two characters talking to each other, film a master shot, then film again close to one character and again close on the other character, allowing you to cut between these three different shots throughout the conversation.

SHOT ORDER
Edit together certain shot distances for a smooth narrative, or it may seem jumpy, for example a CU to a LS may not flow very well in a conventional sequence.


There are many different techniques used in the editing room once the film has been shot:

• Transitions are used to link shots together and make the audience make sense of the film the way you intend them to.
• Sound is added, for example diagetic sound (sound effects), non-diagetic sound (not part of what's on screen eg. music) and a sound bridge (used to link two scenes).
• Lighting can be high-key, low-key for dramatic contrasts, from below to make a subject appear threatening or backlighting to produce a 'halo' effect around the edges of a subject.
• Colour can be edited, for example cold/blue lighting can signify alienation or coldness, whereas warm/yellow lighting can signify comfort and warmth. Very intense colours are describesd as saturated, and sepia or black and white effects can be used to represent a scene set in the past.

Research: Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium (Snow White)

 

Snow White (1937) [Up to 8:00 mins on the clip]

1. Who are the agents: the protagonist (the main hero who propels the narrative forward) and antagonist (opposing agent).
Our protagonist is of course Snow White, the beautiful, innocent titular character of this classic Disney film, and the antagonist is The Queen, who is the first character we are shown in the opening sequence.

2.Describe the Equilibrium. How is it represented? What kind of camera shots can you identify? (e.g establishing shots to create a sense of space or use of CUs/cutaways to emphasise particular objects/characters faces). Pick out 2 or 3 examples. Describe the mise-en-scene: what meanings do the props/costumes/lighting/framing carry?
The equilibrium is Snow White, living peacefully, clearly quite content with her life as it is by the way she is singing happily. The Queen is also living separately, content with knowing that she is the fairest of them all. We can see a contrast between the two characters by the way that the Queen is in a very dark, eerie looking castle, then it changes (with a fade rather than a cut, but that might be more to do with the technology or conventions at the time rather than for effect) to a bright, outdoor location with lots of white (symbolising peace and purity) where Snow White is sitting. The Queen is wearing more extravagant clothing, in rich purple, the colour of royalty, with a harsh-looking pointed crown and over the top dark makeup, whereas Snow White is in very simple, muted clothing and is drawn with a much more natural beauty. The differences between the two agents are also underlined by their facial expressions: Snow White has a constant smile on her face whilst the Queen is scowling throughout her scene.

3. Is the Disruption or Disequilibrium introduced or hinted at? (e.g the serial killer in "Seven" is introduced in the title sequence).
The suggestion of what will be the disruption of the equilibrium is introduced at the beginning of the film, when the Queen is told by her mirror on the wall that Snow White is now the fairest of them all, rather than the Queen herself. We can tell that the Queen doesn’t like being second by her outrage at this revelation, and when she clutches her hand and gasps, “Snow White!” we guess that she is now going to try and get her revenge on her, therefore disrupting the equilibrium of peace between the two characters.

4. Are there any visual/verbal/aural clues that hint at what the hero's journey might be? (e.g having to solve the murders within a time-limit of seven days in "Seven")
From the Queen’s reaction to finding out that Snow White is fairer than her, we assume that the hero’s journey will be something to do with escaping the Queen’s revenge on her, and attempting to thwart her plans to become the fairest of them all once again. We are also introduced to a handsome prince riding by on a horse, so we can also guess that her journey will have something to do with the prince, either teaming up with him to defeat her or trying to overcome the Queen’s evil to be together. Because it is an old-fashioned classic fairytale, it is likely that it will actually end up with the prince saving Snow White himself. At the end of the clip we see the Queen ordering a hitman to kill Snow White, so escaping death or capture by the Queen will probably be the main journey Snow White has to go through in the movie.

5. From your knowledge of the film, how will the equilibrium be restored and what will be the new equilibrium?
Having watched many classic Disney movies and fairytale before, the viewer will probably guess that the equilibrium will be restored by the death of the Queen, leaving Snow White and her prince to live happily ever after. This is of course what happens, when the Queen falls off of a cliff at the hands of the Seven Dwarves, then the prince kisses Snow White to bring her back to life.

Storyboarding Links

Here are some good websites I found about how to make storyboards and what they should look like:

How to Storyboard a Movie
This is a very simple video showing the basics on how to create your own storyboard for a movie, great for beginners and a good overview.

How to create a movie storyboard in simple steps
This is another website that explains briefly how to create a storyboard, with explanations of why you do each step and a good example using black & white film noir.

Lesson: Thumbnail Storyboard
This page from WikiUniversity explains how to create a simple thumbnail storyboard, a great activity to get you started with storyboarding. It also has lots of examples from users that have uploaded their own finished storyboards.

Storyboarding

Reasons why a storyboard is an essential part of the film-making process

• It allows the director to visualise all the shots and scenes they want to appear on the screen in the movie.
• It makes it easier to see whether the director's ideas will work on screen when the script is broken down into parts and put on the storyboard.
• It helps the director to make important decisions like how the shots are sequenced, the movement of the actors, and the lighting and camera directions.
• It illustrates how the story will flow between shots when the audience watches the finished film.
• It is a basis for discussion between the film director and the director of photography to decide how each shot will be acted, lit and shot.
• Storyboards on the whole make it much easier to show visual and dramatic ideas.

P is for ‘Psycho’

a) What is happening in the opening sequence of the film?

In the opening sequence, firstly we see a toilet door with low key lighting, then the shot mixes into a low angle of a man’s legs indoors somewhere. The camera then tilts upwards to show the man’s top half at a low angle, and he is bent over a sink. It then cuts to a high angle close-up shot of various objects, including a watch, a wallet and a photograph, and the camera very slowly pans from left to right across these objects. We then see a close-up of a plug hole with blood flowing round and down into the sink, then it cuts to show another close-up, making the scene seem very tense and claustrophobic, this time of the man’s hand wrapping a bandage around his other hand. We assume that it is his blood running down the sink. It then cuts to a close-up mirror image of his clenched fist, wrapped in bandage, then the camera tilts up to finally reveal the man’s face, adding to the tension and mystery of the scene. The man’s head turns quickly and the shot blurs, then we hear the sound of a door opening, suggesting that there is someone entering the bathroom who will soon come face to face with this wounded man. We then see a mid-shot of a boy entering the room, then cut to the man tucking a gun into his belt, making us even more suspicious and frightened of this man. There is then a shadowy ECU of the man’s eyes, making him seem very creepy and menacing, and then he says, “Bad move, kid.” The scene then fades to black before a pause, then we hear two loud ‘BANG!’ noises, leaving the audience to guess that the man has shot this poor, innocent boy.

b) How is the narrative flow established?

The scene uses a large variety of close-ups and mid-shots to make it seem diverse and to keep it snappy and interesting. There are a lot of close-ups, and one extreme close-up, to create intensity and to make the viewer seem right in the middle of the action, and to add mystery as we often can’t see the whole picture of what’s going on. There are quite a lot of simple cuts to keep the sequence fast-paced and exciting, plus some slower tilts that create suspense as we wait for the camera to reveal whatever it is revealing. The shots are all in chronological order and happening in real time, so there is no jumping between different times or places. We are deliberately not shown what has happened to the man before he enters the bathroom, so the audience is left guessing.

c) If you were directing this sequence, what aspects of the storyboard would you like to change?

I think that I would change the ‘very slow’ pan across the objects into a quick flash of each object, as that would keep up with the fast pace of the sequence and waste less screen time. I don’t really see any reason to show all of his belongings so slowly, and I think it would create more confusion to the viewers if each object were just to be shown separately and very quickly, which is what I would what them to feel. At the end, I think it would be more effective if, instead of just fading to black, the camera showed the outside toilet door again, similar to the very first shot, and then we heard the ‘BANG’ noises from out there, as it would nicely link to the beginning of the sequence and would be more effective from the viewer’s point of view than just a black screen. I think maybe the main man should look a little more shifty and suspicious in his actions, as he seems a bit too calm in the sequence, so personally I would make his actions more urgent and purposeful. This would also speed up the pace and make it seem more action-packed and tense.

Research: Film Opening Sequence (Secret Window)

Secret Window (2004)

I have chosen to analyse the opening sequence of Secret Window, a psychological thriller starring Johnny Depp and directed by David Koepp. The film is rated 12 and is based on the book Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King. The clip I have chosen to analyse stops 4.30 minutes into the YouTube video.

The sequence takes place first around and inside a motel, then in a house in a forest. The beginning of the clip takes place within a few minutes, then after the titles it jumps to six months later.

The beginning of the story takes place in a car park outside a motel at night during a snowstorm. We see our main character sitting in a car, looking angry. We hear his thoughts, and he is telling himself to turn the car around and leave. After starting to drive away, he then reverses back to the motel, exits his car and steals some keys from inside the reception before driving across the car lot and breaking into one of the motel rooms to find a man and a woman in bed inside. We see they are screaming at each other, but the music and sound effects drown it out so we can’t hear anything that is being said. We can see that all the characters are distressed, especially our main character that can’t seem to believe what is happening. The camera then moves out of the motel to show the storm outside again, then cross-fades to a beautiful blue lake surrounded by trees. The titles then come up as the camera moves across the lake then shows a lone house amongst the trees. The camera moves slowly up to the house and through an open window, then moves around to show various things inside like a laptop with a word document open. The camera then goes into a mirror and seemingly through it, to focus on a scruffy-looking man lying on a sofa, facing away from us. We hear a knock on the door and then a title comes up saying, ‘Six months later’.

The order of events is very significant in this particular opening sequence, as it allows us to see that something has happened at the beginning of the story to distress our character, making us wonder what exactly happened and how it affected him. The shift to six months later is important because we don’t know what has gone on since the event at the beginning of the film and what situation the character is in right now. We can tell from the first scene that he probably isn’t in a very good place, as the first scene shows that he has been betrayed by someone he loves. We can also see that he probably isn’t very mentally stable because of the way he stormed into the motel, stealing from the owner to do so, and started screaming in a crazed way at the couple in this bed. This sets up the rest of the story nicely because we wonder how his mental state will relate to the events in the story and what exactly will happen to him. The event at the beginning of the film and the ‘six months later’ scene are clearly linked as they involve the same main character, and the situation at the start of the film clearly affected his life greatly and is probably still affecting him six months later, so they are definitely connected.

The first character we are introduced to is a man in his 30s or early 40s, fairly scruffy with long hair and stubble. He is wearing a hat, scarf and coat, in relation to the blizzard outside, and puts on a pair of glasses. He is sitting behind the wheel of a car, alone. We don’t hear him speak out loud throughout the opening sequence, but we hear his thoughts. He is telling himself to “Turn around. Turn around. Turn the car around,” whilst looking very serious, showing that he is quite conflicted and his brain is telling him to do something but he can’t seem to bring himself to do it. When he drives back to the motel and steals the keys before breaking into the room, we can see that he is reckless and quite impulsive, and doesn’t always listen to what his brain is telling him. When he goes inside we briefly meet two more characters, a man and a woman in bed together, and we can assume that the woman is our main character’s wife or girlfriend. Their actions are possibly what trigger a lot of the events to follow, as this incident is obviously very relevant to the plot, otherwise we wouldn’t be shown it as the first scene in the whole film. We are also meant to feel sorry for our main character, as he has been betrayed and he is obviously in a lot of torment over this, letting us know that he is the good guy in all of this. Within the first scene, we already have a bond with the main character and will probably root for him throughout the entire film. In the next scene, we are shown a lot of his house and his possessions, and from this we can gather that he is some kind of writer by the document open on his laptop, and also that he is pretty unorganised by the mess around his home. The big hole in his dressing gown and his unkempt hair also add to the idea that he is not too bothered about the upkeep of himself or his home. The fact that he is asleep on his sofa during the day suggests that he doesn’t have any kind of routine to his life, and that he doesn’t have a regular job or much to do with himself. Because he is still living like this six months after the revelation of his wife’s affair implies that he has not moved on and is probably stuck in some kid of rut.

Not a lot of story information is revealed to the audience apart from the fact that the main character has caught his wife cheating on him. From the opening sequence we certainly don’t have any indication of what the main plot will be, but we can guess that it has something to do with his trauma and perhaps his not-so-stable mental state. The reasons why his wife cheated on him are withheld, along with who the other man was. I think the way the camera seems to move through the mirror and out the other side (4.00 mins in) is very significant, and something I don’t think I’d noticed before now, despite watching this film twice before. It is quite a strange thing to do, and it creates a sense of mystery and distortion, whilst suggesting to the audience that everything is not quite as it seems, and maybe even that the events in this movie aren’t actually happening in the way we think they are. After watching the rest of the movie, it becomes apparent how true that is. The setting of the film is also very relevant, as the main character is living in a completely isolated house in the middle of a forest, creating the perfect set up for all sorts of mysterious happenings, as there is no-one else nearby, especially as we assume that the character is living alone. The beautiful setting, with the bright blue lake, is almost too perfect to be true and the audience can tell that something is going to go wrong. The ominous music throughout the opening sequence also adds to the idea that something sinister is going to happen, and that there won’t necessarily be a happy ending for our main character.

The audience is left wondering what went wrong with his marriage, why the camera moved through the mirror, what has happened since the scene at the start of the film and who is knocking at the door. Really, we know very little about the main character, so hopefully the audience will be intrigued to continue watching and find out the answers to these questions.

Reflections on a film still shot

I took part in an activity where we had to compose and photograph film stills that connote a certain genre. Here is my favourite shot from within my group: 

1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre
MCU of feet with a hand dangling next to the feet. Frame within a frame - the bottom of the toilet cubicle door can be seen as well as the floor and some dark background on both sides. The feet are wearing dirty pink converse trainers with the laces untied, looking awkward, making the character look more vulnerable and in a mess. The dangling hand has black nail varnish and a bleeding cut on one hand, adding to the darkness of the shot (along with the shadows)and the blood adds gore and horror, signifying the slasher/thriller genre. It also suggests it is for teens as the shoes and nail varnish look like those of a teenage girl.

2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?
I (the model) sat on the toilet (with the seat down!) and hung my hand by my feet. My hand was already bleeding from an unrelated incident earlier in the day so no fake blood was needed. Charley (the photographer of this shot) crouched down and pointed the camera under the cubicle. We turned all the lights off and just used a pag light to create a lit-up effect on the feet and feet, with shadows all around.

3. Identify what is successful about your shot
I think it actually looks pretty scary because of the blood and the creepy shadows in the background. The styling of the model clearly connotate that it is a film for teenagers, and I like the way the pink of the trainers and the red of the blood stand out from the darkness of the rest of the photo. I also like the way it is shot from under the cubicle, as it suggests that the killer/enemy is creeping up to the victim and peering under the cubicle to get her.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?
We didn't actually have time to edit the shot, so if we did I would have rotated it, as the horizon is slightly off, and it is not wonky enough to look deliberate. I would also have gotten rid of the toilet roll in the background, as it is quite distracting and ruins the darkness of the background. I would also have brightened and turned up the contrast to make the blood stand out even more and the surroundings even darker to really make it look sinister.