Opening Sequences: An Overview

Opening Sequences: An Overview


What forms can opening sequences take? Can you list the conventional features of opening sequences?


There are a number of ways of presenting opening sequences:


- Opening credits overlayed onto picture.
- Opening credits break up the montage of picture.
- Straight into picture (first scene) followed by opening credits.


Conventional features:


- Introduce the main character of the story.
- Introduce the setting; the main area/location which the film will centre around.
- Contain referential codes; credits notifying audience of the production company, actors etc. This would give the audience an idea of what kind of film to expect, as certain actors and directors are well known for particular styles.
- Opening sequences are use like introductions to the film and its storyline, so the audience gets a stong idea of what the film is going to be about.




What narrative functions of opening sequences can you identify?


-There is always some form of equilibrium at the very start
-The protagonist is always introduced
-There is an obstruction which the protagonist must resolve
-It never has any closure as it is just to set the scene, leading on to the main part of the film.


What do audiences gain from watching the opening sequence?


- Audiences immediately will gain an understanding (hopefully) of what themes the film will be based around.
- The Audience is also introduced to the main charcters, time and setting of the film.
- The audience should be able to identify the genre clearly.
- Clarity, interest and mystery should ultimately determine whether or not the audience wants to watch the rest of the film.


What do film-makers gain from including an opening sequence?


By having an opening sequence, film makers draw in the audiences attention. They do so by establishing genre, characters and style. An opening sequence provides the introduction to the plot which if successful, should set up a mystery to make the audience want to watch the rest of the film.

Applying 'Levi-Strauss' & 'Barthes' Theory:

Applying 'Levi-Strauss' & 'Barthes' Theory:


'Die Hard' (1.0):


There are many pairs of binary opposites to be seen in the opening of 'Die Hard' and 'Pale Rider'...
- Happy vs. Sad
- New York vs. LA
- Together vs. Apart
- Contrast in musical themes
- Good vs. Evil
- Life vs. death
- Prepared vs. unaware
- Novice vs. Experience
- Differences in approach, e.g. Bruce Willis walks into hotel and asks for direction, whereas bad guys enter and kill everyone along the way.


'Pale Rider':


- Cuts between Good guys vs. bad guys.
- Contrast between soft guitar playing and loud horses running.
- Everyday experience vs. spiritual experience.
- Riders vs. Man alone.
- Anger and fear vs. Calm.
- Water vs. Flame.
- Rich vs. Poor.
- Survival vs. Death.


Applying Barthes Theory to the opening of SPEED:


Action Codes:
The opening of SPEED is very clear in showing the audience the main characters, when we see the villian kill the guard it is immediately clear that he has evil plans. Once the police teams are called in we are introduced to the skyscraper where the situation is taking place and straight afterwards to our main characters with the police who will ultimately saved the day. We can tell that the film is set in the present day.


Semantic Codes:
The character of Keanu Reeves clearly represents bravery and does all he can to save the hostages. His viewpoint; "shoot the hostage", which he mentions to his partner also determines his actions when his partner is taken hostage, as he shoots him in the leg.


Enigma Code:
The situation in the building with the lift set to explode is discovered by the two main charcters and they do not hesitate to proceed in adverting the potential disaster. Mystery is set up as we are curious to find out more about the villain involved in these actions of terror and why he is doing it.


Referential Code:
Information is revealed most obviously through the opening credits which seem to go on for an age! The mise-en-scene makes use of lighting contrasts e.g. it is bright on the ground floor of the building, the police staging area, but as they enter unknown territory it appears darker. The lift which is where the hostages are is almost pitch black as the power has been cut.


Symbolic Code:
There are many symbolic codes in the opening sequence of SPEED, e.g. police uniforms symbolising authority and crime stopping. There is also symbolism in the characters emotions such as bravery and fear.

Evaluation of the Preliminary Coursework Task

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
In my group I worked with, Catharrin, Ciara and Bianca, we split the task up as equally as possible between the four members sharing out the tasks of filming acting and editing. However there were some people that had greater strengths in some areas so we allowed them to contribute most to these areas. Such as, the group decided that because Ciara and Bianca both did GCSE Drama they should take the main roles in the sequence therefore Catharrin and I took a more technical role operating the cameras and editing. This allowed us to have a quicker production process as we were not constantly changing sound a camera technicians allowing us to get a better finish on each of the shots.
Overall I think that our group worked well together and we got on great. The atmosphere was relaxed however we still managed to get the task finished
2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
We initially had one meeting in which we discussed the plot of our sequence and who would play what role. After deciding the plot we had to choose a location, and the media office sprung to mind. We all chatted about it and went and had a look around the office to see if we could get it to work, and finally decided it would be the ideal place to shoot the sequence. We finally laid out a rough script with everyone contributing and planned a final meeting for later that week so we could finalize all our ideas.
During this final meeting we ran through the script making final changes depending on what we thought would sound more realistic in the sequence. From this run through we could decide the final script and how it would fit together.
On completion of the script we could begin to plan the storyboard. We knew that we had to include some of the continuity theories that we had learnt about, in our sequence and the techniques that were essential were ‘match on action’ ‘shot/reverse shot’ and ‘180 degree rule’. It also had to have someone coming in a door, crossing a room, and sitting opposite another person and exchange couple of lines of dialogue. Bearing this in mind, we discussed the different shots we could use, taking into account the space we had in the room, and how they would all fit together. We decided to use a vast range of shots in the end to make the sequence look more professional and increase the continuity of it. For instance, we decided upon using a pan shot to track a character. We made sure our shots had eye line match to ensure the characters’ gaze stayed the same. We used mid shots, close ups, long shots, Point of view shots, reaction shots and over the shoulder shots. Also when doing the storyboard we thought about the 30 degree rule so that our footage didn't look like it had a glitch. Each of us completed a page of the storyboard so it was equally shared out. The importance of the storyboard was so the director can visualise the shots and it also creates a narrative flow. Therefore to get a narrative flow we had to have a beginning middle and end including characters and some sort of event to happen, which in our sequence we planned the awkward moment.
We then used this storyboard to quickly work out what shots needed to be recorded for our shooting schedule as some shots were done twice. We grouped shots together according to setups therefore made the shooting process much easier.
3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
Before we attempted filming anything, Mr. Deans, the media technician, taught us all how to use the boom mics, the camera, the shotguns mics and the headphones to a level which allowed us to operate them with no assistance. We were also told the purpose of a clapper board and how we would be using one in our sequences.
To film the arranged pieces, we were given Sony HD video cameras and used Mini DVs to record the action. The equipment was extremely user friendly as we simply had to hit the red button to record and then press it again to stop the camera. Each group was assigned their own camera and edit-suite so there was no chance of our footage getting corrupted by another group, and this also allowed us to know exactly where all out footage was in case we needed to find it and further edit it. To ensure that we had the right shot that we were looking for, we did a couple of takes on each shot until we were all happy with the shot.
We were given some attachments to the camera, being; a shotgun microphone, headphones and a tripod. The shotgun mic fitted easily on-top of the camera with a quick wheel release mechanism, the mics were ideal for the sequences we were shooting as they only picked up sound from the source it was pointing at, in this case, the actor/actress. The headphones allowed the sound technician to check the quality of sound being recorded without sending feedback back through the mic. We were also given a tripod so we could place the camera on it. We used this to make all our shots steady and increase continuity.
We used dry-wipe clapper boards so that we could pinpoint each shot once it had been captured to the computer, which made the footage easier to edit.
To edit the captured footage we used Adobe Premier Pro, which is installed on the edit suites located in the media block. The program was really easy to use and fairly self explanatory, it allowed us to easily cut and move bits of footage around with no real problems. Adobe Premier Pro has two screens that we use to edit the actual video, and another that has an output monitor which displays what the sequence looks like from start to finish. We found it easy to cut up our sequence and drop the correct shots into the correct place with the razor tool. The hand tool that allowed us to drag out the video segment so that we could almost hide bits of the footage if they were not needed, this tool was helpful as it meant that if we made a mistake we could easily correct it by simply dragging out the sequence rather than dragging another copy in from the source monitor. We used 2 video tracks so that we could break up our clips making it much clearer to edit. The two tracks we use allowed us to easily see where one shot finished and the other began by switching from track to track as the video moved along.
4) What factors did you take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
While planning our sequence we had to consider who was good at what and based the script and everything around that. We thought; what’s the point in having two great actresses and putting them on the wrong side of the camera. We made sure that we had the room we would be shooting in was free when we needed it as all the other media groups were also shooting in the media block at the same time that we were.
To plan the shooting of the sequences we had to re-organise the furniture in the room in order to fit both characters in our establishing shot. We also tried our best to keep the lighting in the room a constant, however we did not have full control over this as the light was natural and weather conditions are prone to change.
We did not plan the edit much but just tried to fit it as well as we could to the storyboard we had sequenced, with appropriate match on actions.
5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what you would you improve/ do differently?
My Coursework Preliminary Sequence involves three characters, two entering a room and one in a fixed position always in the room. The sequence starts with a master shot of the room with Bianca typing. The shot then cuts to Ciara entering the room from outside. The two girls in the sequence, Bianca (right) and Ciara (left) are engaged in conversation about a party that is to take place that Friday evening. However, Bianca is not invited to the party thus creating an awkward moment; this situation is only worsened when a third character, Spencer enters the room.
In my opinion I think our sequence went really well. Although it isn’t exactly what we wanted, whether due to lack of acting ability or silly mistakes in continuity during shooting, it is similar to the original script and story board and what we were aiming to achieve. However, there were some mistakes, while shooting, one of the actresses forgot which hand she had previously used to open the door entering the room. This meant that when it came to editing we had to drop a shot that was key to the sequence. Although, this doesn’t mean that the film was a complete failure as there are several other good examples of match on action in the sequence, mainly during the exchange of dialogue. But, I would still aim to improve my skills on the final coursework piece, if I were to pick one point to improve the technical side of things it would be the lighting in the two rooms, because the camera is digitally focused it takes a couple of seconds to adjust to the new conditions once it has started recording, meaning that in a couple of shots the light dramatically changes within the first three seconds. We could correct this by allowing the shot to role for two seconds before the action actually starts. The acting could have also been a lot better, however this is not a key element that we get marked on so it is not essential but if the acting is good the shot seems more realistic creating a better feel to the sequence.
Overall I think the task went really well and we all managed to gain something from the experience. The sequence is not perfect but can be easily improved with some re-shoots.
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?
As this was my first media studies task at any level I felt that I had a lot to learn, which I did. Actually going away and doing a task has taught me better than I feel sitting in a classroom and learning about it could ever do. I had to learn to deal with new challenges in the subject and feel as if I coped extremely well. Not only have I learnt about the processes behind creating a short film but the continuity techniques behind making a film look life like.

Applying Vladimir Propp's theory to, The Matrix

Vladimir Propp was able to create a theory for almost all fictional stories by deconstructing and analysing Russian fairytales and folktales. His theory was that all stories had up to 31 functions, which would happen at some time in the story, and in the order stated. He concluded that each story and fairytale would have only 7 main characters:

1) Villain - challenges or opposes the hero
2) Donor - gives the Hero a magical object and prepares him
3) Helper - helps the Hero during the quest
4) Princess and her Father - marries the Hero, often sought for during the story, rewards the Hero
5) Dispatcher - sends the Hero off into the journey, often makes the 'lack' known
6) Hero - reacts to the donor, marries the Princess
7) False hero/Usurper - takes credit for Hero's actions, tries marrying Princess

Propp's theory in The Matrix

Characters

Villian - The Agents
Donor - Morpheus
Helper - Trinity
Princess - Trinity
Dispatcher - Morpheus
Hero - Neo (Thomas Anderson)
False Hero/Usurper - Cypher

Functions

2) Interdiction - Neo is warned by Trinity that he is being watched.
3) Violation of Interdiction - Neo disobeys Trinity and doesn't climb onto the scaffolding, and the Agents get to him.
6) Trickery - Neo is questioned by Agent Smith, and asked to help capture Morpheus by making him look like a dangerous terrorist and mkaing them look like they are his friends.
9) Mediation - Neo introduced to Morpheus, and given choice of the real world or to stay in the matrix.
10) Beginning counter-action - He choses to enter the real world and join Morpheus, which changes his situation and the story.
12) First function of the Donor - Morpheus tests Neo with the fung fu program.
13) Hero's reaction - Neo tries to fight Morpheus and fails.
14) Receipt of Magical Agent - Neo is given the knowledge by Morpheus that the rules of the Matrix can be broken.
15) Guidance - Neo goes to see the Oracle in the Matrix.
16) Struggle - He goes to rescue Morpheus, beats the Agents initailly and then fights Agent Smith.
17) Branding - Neo is shot and close to death.
18) Victory - Agents defeated as Neo gets up and fights Agent Smith and defeats him.
19) Liquidation - Morpheus freed.
21) Pursuit - Neo fights the 3 agents after he is chases from subway.
22) Rescue - Neo is rescued just in time before the EMP is given off.
27) Recognition - Neo is recognized as the One.
28) Exposure - Cypher killed by Tank.
29) Transfiguration - Neo is given a whole new look at the end, he flies off right at the end showing he is the One.

Critic of Propp's Theory
Altough Propp's theory does have its strengths it aslo has many wekanesses. Because Propp's theory has so many criteria and story points not all of them are always applicable in the modern day fil. Therefore there seems be a break in the story. However the fact that thre are so many points means that multiple points can be applied to one part in the film, as they are so similar.

Continuity Task - Anchorman Fight Scene, Evaluation

30 Degree Rule
The 30 degeree rule is broken twice in the 1:56 scene. There are two occasions where the two shots are shot from extremely similar angles but on a different zoom. This makes the shot look jumpy, and is referred to as a jump cut. It's where two shots are too similar and it appears as if the film has a gap in it.
Match On Action
The match on action in the sequence is good. On several occasions there is an action carries over two shots. The action is carried over the two shots well, and the gap cannot be seen. This makes the film seem as if it is shot in one flowing motion which in the end is what they are aiming for. However, there is one occasion in the sequence where the match on action is not good. The shot change at 0:36 shows the character in the blue suit facing the wrong way as the next shot comes in. This decreases the continuity of the scene.
Shot Reverse Shot
In the sequence, there is a long exchange of dialogue near the end. This exchange of dialogue requires lots of shot reverse shot as the point of interest is constantly changing. The shots are timed well and the dialogue appears flawless.
Master Shot
There is no apparent master short in the sequence. However the main establishing shot of the group in the car park is referred back to on several occasions. So this may be called a master shot, however its does not fully allow us to see what the overall narrative is.
180 degree Rule
During the dialogue the 180 degree rule is never broken. The camera is constantly on the same side with the evening new team looking from right to left and our protagonist looking the other way from lef to righ.

Accident Video, Continuity Task (12C Group 1, Analysis)

Task 1
1. I think that the activity had two main aims. 1; to improve our general camera and film skills and 2; to help us understand the theories and execution of continuity.
2. In my opinion I think that the shoot worked well because of the master shot that appears two times in the sequence. It allows us (the audience) to understand the situation and how it evolves. The close ups of the two characters also works because we can see the expression and mood they are in, which in this case is tiredness. Furthermore, I think the sequence fitted together well via the editing. The shots flow together smoothly with no appearance of jumpy cuts. In addition, the group obeyed most of the rules of continuity. They managed to stick in the guidlines of all of the rules apart from the 180degree rule. Which is an easily forgotten rule. Finally, the narrative of the sequence was easily understood. The simple plot of a chair crash in the computer rooms worked well with the environment they were given. It is easy for all viewers to understand and also makes everyone laugh.
3. Looking back at the sequence, I think that the group could have improved on the angles of the shots. Firstly, the close-ups of the two characters are shot from the wrong side of the line, meaning they break the 180degree rule. This instantly reduces continuity of the sequence. Secondly, I think the shot of Jacob on the floor at the end is the wrong shot type. The full body shot they use does convey the aftermath of the incident well, however if they chose another close-up on jacobs face we could see some emotion which would put the viewer in on the action. Furthermore, I think that the sequence coud have been editted better in that, there is a short clip of Joe babbling on about something irrelevant to the narrative. If this had been editted out of the sequence the overall result would have been much better.
4. From doing this activity I have learnt the main rules of continuity and how we can put them into practice, it has taught me how important this continuity is and how it can completely affect what the viewer sees. It also helped me to evaluate sequences in a critical way as i have not done media before, therefore have no experience of this.

Applying Todorov to Martin Campbell's VERTICAL LIMIT

1. In Vertical Limit there is a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist we first see is Peter Garrett (Chris O'Donnell). This is the case as he already has saved his little sister Annie Garrett (Robin Tunney) by the time the opening sequence is over. And we can see that he has the ability to save a life and change how the story continues. However the immediate opposing agent is highlighted as Annie Garrett who opposes her brother Peter's decision to save her life but kill her father.
2. The state of equilibrium that we can see at the start of the film is the happy relationship between brother and sister. They seem to be close friends and have similar personalities. As an audience we can clearly see that this is the major state of equilibrium.
3/4. The broken state of equilibrium is already evident at the end of the opening sequence. We can see that the opposing agent is unhappy with the protagonist of the film. This state of un-rest increases through the film, alloing us to guess at the hero's journey being to save his sister and make their rellationship stable again.
5. From my knowledge of the film, the equilibrium will be restoreed by the protagonist, when he rescues the opposing agent from a near death situation and risks his own life to do so. She will eventually see that to save multiple lives sometimes you may have to sacrifice one, which is the reason she had a feud with him in the first place.

Dymioti, Opening Sequence Comparison

Opening Sequence Comparison: 'Legally Blond' & 'Seven'
Legally Blond
Shots
Use of CUs on main character getting ready allows us to see the attention to detail she pays, and how important it is to have appearances perfect.
CUs at the start make it obvious that she is in fact the main character.
Tracking steadicam shot allows us to see the environment they live in and importance of materialistic things and what their main priorities are.
Opening establishing shot of the girl on the bike allow us to see the campus itself, it shows everyone as being wealthy due to the pristine surroundings.

Character Information
Stereotypical girl, obsessed with shopping, hair, make-up nails etc. Matched with the stereotypical boys outside wrestling, all perfectly toned, tanned and groomed. Intrested in the tall blonde girl with small skirt.
No one on the campus appears to be studying showing it is a bit of a party campus.
Her popularity is obvious, she is prom queen, everyone wants to get their name on the card and the card is passed through the ranks of the girls to eventually reach her closest friends, like an order of hierarchy has to go through each level.

Narrative Expectation
The use of bright pinks and different shades of pinks suggests that this is going to be a bit of a chick flick.
The photograph of male character on her dresser suggests that there is some kind of relationship between the two. The fact that the end of the sequence ends with a close up of this photo we can see that he is a key figure in the film.

Seven
Shots
Establishing shot of Freeman in opening shot show us he is a solitary person.
The CUs of him getting ready and picking up his equipment show he is set to a routine and almost old fashioned.
LA shot of conversation between Freeman and Pitt highlights it as important.
LS of Morgan Freeman sitting in bed shows that he isn’t necessarily happy, and creates a sense of loneliness.

Character Information
Contrast of Pitt; young, new look, enthusiastic. Freeman; old, experienced, methodical.
Freeman like to completely close a case, his colleague wants to get the job done to the minimum fulfilment.
Freeman is retiring in a week.

Narrative Expectations
‘Monday’ signifies that something is starting, and also makes it clear that the film takes place over a week.
The ticking just before the opening titles shows that something is about to happen.
Images of a precise action taking place during titles, showing that someone is taking real care about information of other people, we are lead to believe that this is a psycho killer of some sort by the crossed out eyes and images of young children.

Blackborow, Still Analysis

1. This shot shows a woman entering a lit room with a gun. It shows the gun in the foreground which has been lit up by the stream of light coming through the slightly opened door. The characters eyes are also slightly lit up by the light which shows her to be looking at something on the other side of the door. Howevere we can only just see her face which leaves an echo of mystery around the character. This film could be seen as a thriller film becasue of the mystery behind the character, we are immediately asking questions about the character, Why she has a gun? Who is she going to kill? Which all add excitement and thrill to the film narrative.

2. To achieve the effect of the stream of light we had the paglight on the other side of the door. We then turned all lights out in the room of the photograph. The door was then slightly opened to allow a flow of light into the room and onto the characters face and weapon. We set up the camera on a tri-pod however this was not the angle we were aiming for even when it was fully extended. In order to raise te angle up we placed the tri-pod on top of a edesk chair which alloed us to get the camera to the height of the characters shoulder.

3. Our shot is succesful because the light works well to highlight the gun as a main object in the still with a dark effect to make the shot scarier. The actor also made the shot work well as they were looking at a fixed object on the other side of the door, and we can see this due to the light being on her pupils.

4. In hindsight i think that we would have found a door that was not set in the wall but one that was flush with the line of the wall. This would have allowed for a better angle on the shot and we would have been able to see better what the character was doing, from the shot it is not immediately clear that she is opening a door.

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