Reservoir Dogs Remake Edit (Alex E, Alex S, Jack)

In this task, we had to remake the opening credits to reservoir dogs, and in our small group edited it to create this outcome, which I believe had a good sense of continuity and was very similar to the original.

DEXTER title sequence re-edit: Evaluation DYM

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYUh7qfGT7o

Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.

In this task, as we didn't have access to the sound, we were forced to look at the visuals only. As the genre is crime, and also fairly gruesome, we decided to portray genre using these themes. 
Conventions also include having to fulfill legal requirements, for example make all the text big enough so it's easily readable, and include the people's names you are supposed to show in the sequence. 

How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? (consider timings, industry requirements etc).

As we didn't have much time available to us, we were forced to work fast and efficiently. We tried to space out the names shown to be in equal spacing, so that we could be consistent in that sense. We also planned to add more names and job roles, for example director etc, but didn't have time to actually portray them in the sequence.

Explain the creative decisions made by your group.

As there is a lot of iconography concerning blood, we decided to add a red colour to our text, hence meeting genre requirements, as it is adding to the sense of atmosphere that we want to portray through this to introduce the show. We also used effects that would portray the craziness of the character himself, for example the slanted text and the rapid movement of other text, but at the same time easily readable for the audience.

How does your re-edit compare to the original?

Our re-edit is similar in the sense that it creates a similar mood. The text is the same colour as the original (red) and has a similar font. The original though, has a lot more titles, that continue throughout the sequence almost non-stop. 

Preliminary Evaluation

Our task for this preliminary Exercise was to create a sequence where a person walks into a room (opening a door), sitting down with another person and exchanging a few sentences (having a conversation). Our main task was to ensure continuity throughout.

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

• I worked with Alex S, Olivia and Zenia. 
• In our group, we all pitched in for the brainstorming, although the idea we ended up using was initially thought of by Olivia. 
• Olivia and Zenia initially acted out the sequence in front of me and Alex S so that I could note down the script, which I would then improve and Alex S could not down the actions for the script.

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

• Brainstorming- At first, we brainstormed different ideas, first choosing a genre to work with and then seeing what narratives could fulfill the needs of that genre. We decided on comedy as directing a comedy needs to be clever, and we thought of it as a challenge. 
• Scripting- I noted down the initial script as it was being acted out, which we then, as a group, improved it by looking at how it would work and if it would work when the actors would say it in the sequence and developed it according to that.
• Storyboard- Me and Olivia drew the storyboard, although everyone was adding ideas on how it should be shot. Here we had to think about cinematography and how we would portray the genre using filming and genre conventions. For example, in our sequence we were trying to create an awkward atmosphere between the two characters, instead of an over-dramatic one, which is the type of comedy we were going for. We had to think about the 180 degree rule, and tried to achieve this through the conversation that would take place in the sequence. We tried to avoid breaking the 30 degree rule when it came to shooting, and tried to use framing that would allow us to achieve the match-on-action when we were to edit in post-production.
• Shot List- Zenia wrote the shotlist from the storyboard, which helped us then decide on setups.
• Production- Here we had to think about: rehearsals, location, casting, timings and setups. Setups were the most important, as we had to think about how to be most time-efficient and use our time effectively.

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

• In pre-production, we didn't use any technology, but did use the camcorder to look at locations and if the location would be suitable for what we were trying to shoot. 
• While shooting, we used the camcorder and a tripod. The tripod allowed us to pan smoothly and also keep the camera still to achieve the best shots we could.
• In post-production, we used Adobe Premiere Pro on a PC, it was easy to use and we got the hang of it quickly and managed to edit as best as we could in the time we had.

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

• We had to make sure we were time-efficient in everything we did and needed to make sure our time was managed efficiently throughout. We managed this quite well as our setups were successfully shot so we didn't waste time repeating setups after we had moved from them. 
• As continuity was the main point of this task, we had to make sure our match-on-action was effectively shot, so when we edited we could easily edit the shots together successfully. 
• As we were located indoors and away from windows, we didn't have to take natural lighting into account as much, although we had to make sure that the lighting from outside didn't change too much so it wouldn't affect our shots.
• When planning, we had to make sure the script would work when the actors would act it out, so we had to do rehearsals to ensure the script made sense when acted out, so that we didn't have any problems when shooting the real thing.
• We repeated many of our shots when shooting, even if we thought they looked good so we could have spare footage when editing in case something went wrong. For example a shot we thought looked good at the time didn't fit in with the rest of the footage when editing, so by having spares we were trying to reduce this problem as much as possible.

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

• I feel our sequence was successful when it came to continuity. I think it flows really well from one shot to another, and the cinematography allows the viewer to understand what is going on. 
• Some shots, for example the reaction shots of the characters after the girl says she's the boy's mother are kept on longer than what would be expected, this was done to create an awkward atmosphere between the characters, and I think that worked well as it portrays a comic mood and fulfills audience needs for comedy, as that was our genre.
• What I think could be improved is, in the two shots were I stand up to hug Olivia, we had to make sure two things stayed in continuity at the same time, and I think that didn't work very well. When I was getting up, we had to keep my body moving up in continuity from one shot to another, and also the door closing in the background. We noticed this when editing, so we were unable to re-shoot. We had to decide whether we wanted to make sure I kept continuity, or the door closing, and in the end, as from the reactions of some people watching the sequence from outside our group, decided the door was more obvious to the viewer at first, so decided to make sure that was kept in continuity. 

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?

• This exercise helped me learn the importance of setups. and how useful they are when thinking about time-constraint, as I wasn't very aware of this before. This will allow me to work more efficiently in future projects to achieve better results. 
• Continuity is something I wouldn't normally think about in previous projects, although I knew the importance of it, I never needed to use it. Now, I will keep it in mind to ensure I use it effectively if needed in future projects. 
• I have also learnt about the different processes and theories when it comes to continuity, for example the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule. Especially the 30 degree rule, which I previously did not know about but can now use this in any project that requires me to shoot from the same setup.

Project 7: Sound Analysis of a Title Sequence DYM

click here to watch.

Music

• The orchestral music dominates the sequence and with the main use of violins, a creepy atmosphere is created, that to the viewer can be seen as reflecting the film itself, hence setting out the mood to the audience. 
• The orchestral piece is at it's loudest as the title of the film is presented to the audience. This connotes a sense of importance to the audience at that point, causing them to remember that moment and remembering it as important, which it is as it's the title of the film.
• The music fluctuates from violin to vocals, where the vocals create a sense of mystery and could make the audience feel slightly uncomfortable.

Video

• All of the shots leading up to the title are gradual and slow-paced. This, in addition to the music creates an eery, child-like atmosphere where the audience seem to be slowly discovering different settings through iconography such as stone walls and doors that open by themselves. This is juxtaposed with the sudden arrival of the title, which comes into the shot fast and at the same time voices are suddenly added to the music creating a sense of danger and ceating a more uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. This satisfies audience needs and expecations as they expect to be spooked out by this film and it's genre (there is a clear sense of genre in this opening sequence as it is low-lit wit creepy iconography).

Project 6: Contuinity in a Film BLK

Cutaways

In the first few shots, there are many cutaways to, for example, the female protagonist's sword case pushing on the floor and stopping her from falling and her chair swerving around. This makes the flow of events clearer to the audience and adds a strong sense of successful continuity that the audience can interpret as one, continuous scene, as it has been shot so well.

Shot Reverse Shot

At the middle/end of the clip, the characters are having a conversation, and so that the reactions of both characters are portrayed to the audience, the editing from each character's face while talking and also when reacting, allows the audience to not only know what to feel at each moment and about each character, but also it's a general film convention to shoot conversations this way, so there is also audience satisfaction, although the conversation at the beginning is shot differently, maybe to connote the coldness and distance of the two characters towards each other.

180 Degree Rule 

There are two main angles in this shot, one with the camera facing the characters so that the female character is on the right and the male on the left, and after the action sequence, the male on the right and the female on the left. In both of these sequences, the camera stays on one side of the characters, which creates a sense of flow in the scene and doesn't confuse the audience. Also, it is not a problem that after the action sequence, the 180 degree rule has been reversed onto the other side, as a sense of space and location has already been established through the action sequence, as the audience is able to see the location, and as long as the 180 degree rule isn't broken in any of the two main angles shot, the director wouldn't need to worry of confusing the audience.

Match on Action 

Through this whole scene, but mainly the action sequence, the shots are edited so that when a movement happens in one shot, the next begins exactly at the point to which the previous one has ended, so that the sequence seems effortless and that it's all one continuous action shot. 

Project 5 - Continuity BLK

Our task in this project was to create a continuity sequence, so that everything looked smooth. We had to keep in mind where the actors were situated, the background activity and where the cameras were placed if we were to return to that spot.

What worked:

• As an establishing shot, the first shot is successful in creating a sense of location and space.
• The sudden change in distance from shot 1 to shot 2 could be thought of as successful as it disorientates the audience and confuses them, as are the characters themselves, looking for each other.
• Although there was this sudden change, after there was a consistence from LS to MS to CU and in between to keep the audience immersed in the story and not confuse them too much.
• We used cross-cutting to let the audience see two different actions happening at the same time at different locations. 

What didn't work:

• Shot 1 and 2 (the sudden change in depth) could be unsuccessful as it confuses the audience more than necessary and as the genre isn't horror or something that would potentially disorientate the audience on purpose to set mood, if we were to do this again we may choose to do it differently so it's more fluid from one shot to another.
• The first establishing shot could be too revealing for the audience, and could potentially ruin the surprise of the ending as they already know what is about to happen. On the other hand, this could be thought of as dramatic irony and be successful in that sense.
• There are some people walking past in some shots that ruin the sense of continuity in this sequence, and there are also some gaps in the dialogue.

Project 4: Five Codes DYM

Enigma Code

• Who is the voice -over?
• How did the girl's mother die?
• What is going to happen to the girl?

Action Code

• Old man at the beginning nods 'no', makes you think something bad has happened.
• When the father takes a scalpel out of the drawer, the camera focuses on a gun, which makes us think he might use it later.
• After the father finds out that everything goes to the girls in the will, he pushes everything away and drinks a lot of alcohol, which makes us expect him to do something violent that will change the narrative
• You see the father blaming the daughter for the murder of her sister, which makes you think she will be punished rather than the actual villain.

Semiotic Code

• The father represents evil.
• The youngest girl represents innocence.
• The mother represents what is closest to the main girl and her death corresponds to that being taken away from her.

Cultural Code

• The father smiling when the mother is shown dead and the fact that he gets extremely angry and violent when he finds out about the will shows he is only iTnterested in the money and not the girls.
• We see the older girl try to escape from her abusive parent even if it means climbing outside a window as she is trying to save her sister.

Symbolic Code

• Good vs. Evil
• Right vs. Wrong
• What the audience and main chaacter know is true vs. What all the other characters think is the truth.

Project 3: Movie Clip Analysis BLK

Film-making conventions 

• There are very few shots where both Christine and Walters are shown in at the same time until the shot where he runs up and hugs her. This has been done to show a certain distance between them, and that could possibly be because he is not actually her son.

• There are mostly close-ups and mid-close ups as character and narrative is portrayed rather than action, as the audience want to see the expressions of the characters and how they react to the situation.

Cultural Codes

• Christine's colourful clothes juxtapose the fact that she looks distressed. On the other hand, the fact that her clothes are colourful and everyone else's aren't, present her as singled out from the rest.

• Christine's hat creates a shadow on her eyes which connotes a sense of sadness, like a black veil would at a funeral. This creates a juxtaposition with her clothes as they are more colourful but that could be because she is trying to hide that sense of sadness and hopelessness.

Project 2 : Movie Still DYM

Movie Still from the 2009 thriller/sci-fi/horror film Splice.

Why I chose this still

-The juxtaposition between the warmth of nurture and the coldness of the iconography in the mise-en-scene.

-The framing doesn't allow any of the characters to be thought of as good or bad, we aren't part of any point-of-view at this point and can't feel compassion for either character.

- There are many questions raised in this still, for example why the creature is so dangerous that it can only come in contact with others under only these conditions. 

- The idea of a futuristic family is portrayed as a female scientist is trying to care for this unusual-looking creature.  

  

Project 1: Horror Stills BLK

Our chosen genre for this project was horror. As a group we decided horror would be the most interesting genre to look at, and it allowed us to think creatively when it came to the mise-en-scene. As many people from the group weren't that familiar with this genre, we took on board what we had learnt from the lesson before about horror films and the different type of iconography involved when trying to make a realistic and successful still. We also took on board conventions such as lighting and framing, and how you would manipulate those conventions to portray a horror film.

This shot includes (with an explanation of why it links to the horror genre):

-Frame within a frame (leaves act as a border around the face)

  This creates a sense of claustrophobia in the shot, and also directs the eye of the audience to where you want them to focus - the person's expression. 

To achieve this effect we had to surround the actress in leaves (go into a bush) and make sure there was enough space between the leaves to enable her face to be seen by the camera, while there were still leaves surrounding her face.

-Vivid Colours

  The use of the bright green of the leaves contrasts with the dark interior surrounding the person. The creates  a juxtaposition as the the leaves connote a sense of nature and wide space, while the darkness creates a  sense of claustrophobia in this jungle-type surrounding.

 We were lucky as on the day of the shoot the sun was shining bright which bought out the intensity of the colours in the shot.

-Light hits white of eyes

  The expression of the person is really important when trying to capture the emotion and narrative of the movie. This shot is successful in creating narrative enigma and makes the audience question what is happening, e.g where is the girl looking? why is she hiding? why is she in a bush? The minimal use of light on her face also creates a sense of claustrophobia.

  The leaves surrounding her face allowed for a barrier to stop light coming through at certain points. Light was able to pass through the gaps, and we tried to,with the use of angle, aim that light to the person's face, mainly the eyes.

-Half of face shown 

  Enigma is created as it could signify to the audience that the girl has something to hide (half of her face in light- the other in darkness). Contrast between light and dark is a common convention of the horror genre and allows familiarity between the audience and theme.

 This effect was easy to create as we directed the actress to move slightly to her left, so not only was half the face visible, but it looked as if she was looking out towards something, that the audience wasn't able to see. 

We were successful in achieving to make this shot look like a still from a movie, rather than a posed picture that would suit a poster etc more. I also feel we succeeded in the atmosphere we wanted to create in relation to the character and location.

Looking back at the shoot, the only thing I would change would be maybe trying out more poses, or trying harder to get the beam of light exactly where we wanted it. Other than that, I think we were successful in our location,expression of person and theme we were trying to portray.