Our Film

In class we were asked to create a 25 word treatment of the plot of our film. Doing this helps us to think about the film as a whole, which in turn helps us to create an opening sequence that makes sense and is detailed and accurate. By summarising the plot in 25 words or less you can ensure that your plot makes sense and is relatively simple, this makes it easier for the audience to understand. 

25 WORD TREATMENT

A race against time ensues to find an mysterious killer, an excluded loner who picks off their ex-friends one by one, filming their violent deaths.

Comparison of Thrillers

After deciding that our film genre was going to be a thriller and looking at the typical things involved in most thriller films, we researched other opening sequences of thrillers to help apply these ideas to our own opening sequence. From this I can also compare and contrast the ideas and themes that I like and dislike, which will also be useful when we make our thriller opening sequence.

Suckerpunch

Suckerpunch - IMDb

Suckerpunch is an action/fantasy/thriller following a young girl who is institutionalised by her abusive stepfather, retreating to an alternate reality as a coping strategy and a way of planning an escape, taking her friends with her.

With little dialogue the typical tension created in the opening sequence of Suckerpunch is done by the use of the sound, or more specifically the music. The music used creates an eerie and chilling sense for the audience, matching the action on screen by becoming more dynamic, fast paced and intense, or becoming softer and slower.

Taking place at night Suckerpunch has the typical setting of a thriller, from the old fashioned house to the loud thunder storm taking place outside, thus helping the audience categorise the film as a thriller. Suckerpunch has a large amount of close ups, this helps to show the emotions and fear of the main character Babydoll, as well as create tension. Another way tension is created, is the use of quick cuts, making the film more fast paced and intense. Through the use of Mis-en-scene we can see that the film is set in the past, most likely in the 20th century by their clothing and the house. The dark and shadowed lighting reflects the gloomy mood of the plot, helping to add suspense.

From the opening sequence we are introduced to the main character, and shown that she is framed by her stepfather after the death of her sister. This helps to shape the audience view of her later on, as we already know she's innocent and yet put into a mental institution, and so we can get a basic idea of the rest of the film. This gives the audience the background information on the main character.

The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black - IMDb

The Woman in Black is a drama/horror/thriller about a young lawyer who travels to a remote village to deal with a clients house, only to find it resident to the ghost of a woman looking for revenge from the death of her son.

Tension is also built in the opening sequence of The Woman in Black, with creepy and disturbing orchestral music playing in the background, a type of music often used in psychological thrillers.

The opening sequence shows three girls seemingly possessed, who then jump out the window, a mysterious figure in the corner of the shot in the foreground. This is relevant to the film as the mysterious figure is actually the Woman in Black, the ghost that kills children in the nearby village every time she is seen by others. From the costumes of the children and the nightmarish toys the audience can tell that this film is set in the past.

In this sequence there is no dialogue, with the exception of the mother screaming at the end which makes the whole sequence seem more gruesome. This is also the same in the opening sequence of Suckerpunch.

As with Suckerpunch, there are several close up shots, thus creating a claustrophobic feel, further creating the tension in the scene. The shot at the very end shows the camera panning back from the window, with a woman in a black veil in the corner, giving the impression that she was there the entire time watching the whole event. This leaves the audience questioning who she is giving the whole sequence a sense of mystery.

For the majority of the sequence each shot is fairly long in comparison to most thriller sequences, however this helps with the build up of tension, dragging out the eventual deaths of the characters we see on screen.

The purpose of this sequence is to introduce the main plot of the film, showing the Woman in Black and her murderous past.

The Ring

The Ring - IMDb

The Ring is a horror/mystery/thriller about a young journalist investigating a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of watching it.

As with the other two opening sequences, the opening of The Ring takes place at night, creating the dark and nightmarish sense often typical in most thrillers. However unlike the other two this sequence is set in modern day, which makes it more relatable to the audience. The sequence shows one character on her own, creating a sense of isolation.The key function of this sequence is to introduce the idea of the video that kills anyone watching it, shown by the flickering television and the implied death at the end of the sequence.

Similar to the other two sequences, the sound makes up the majority of how the tension is created and built up as the sequence progresses. Judging by the characters reaction to the sound effect of the television turning on to a blurred screen of it's own accord, the audience can learn to associate this with some bad happening, which is useful later on in the film. Also with minimal dialogue the only other soun is a scream/flickering sound of the television at the end. As the audience we aren't shown the cause of this scream, but as with the other films we imply that something horrific as happened and the character is most likely dead.

The Ring also has a large amount of close ups on the characters face, showing their fear and general emotions, allowing the audience to emphasise with this character, making them feel like they are there in the scene with them, experiencing what the character is. The shots are often long and drawn out, as with the Woman in Black. These are both important in the build up of tension.

Summary

In short, tension is one of the most important factors of each of these thriller opening sequences, and in all thrillers in general. Without tension, there is no scare. Without a scare it's not really a thriller.

This tension is often created by the sound effects and chilling music, like in Suckerpunch and The Woman in Black or with an eerie silence and the occasional, yet creepy noise like in The Ring.

The choice of close ups is also important, as showing the fear plain and close on the characters face helps the audience to emphasise, feeling the fear as much as the character.

A mixture of fast paced action and slow build ups should also be used in thriller films as this creates a mixture of keeping the audience on the edge of their seat and shrinking back into it, hiding with fear. When titles are shown, they are often dark and creepy to go with the dark theme of a thriller. Threat is often implied, not seen and in each of the three sequences above a chilling scream is heard at the end of the sequence.

All of these factors can be taken into consideration when making our opening sequence. This will help our group to create an opening sequence that can easily be classified as a thriller.

The Initial Idea - Genre and Brief

The Idea

This is the mind map we created of the our ideas and things that we wanted to include in our film. Based on our ideas, we came to the conclusion that we wanted to make a thriller

CLASSIC CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

In Thrillers a sense of mystery is usually created, this is often by not showing all of the event that happens. In a thriller film it's more the things you don't see that scare you the most, leaving you feeling unsettled and on edge.
Unlike the blood and gore of horror movies, thrillers are more subtle at scaring, the full effects of certain psychological thrillers lasting for days after watching them.
The tense music is also a large factor in this, creating a build up to an event on screen, making the audience wonder what is going to happen next. Music and sound effects were an extremely important part of thrillers such as The Woman in Black - with little dialogue most of the tension and scare came from the music and silence, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Often the music and sound build up and stop suddenly, as though nothing will happen. Then out of nowhere something jumps into view, such as in the example of The Woman in Black below.

Low lighting and the setting are also important. Most of the main storyline of a thriller is set at night or in the dark, helping to add to the feel of isolation of the characters. Classic settings of thrillers include the woods, deserted roads and derelict houses in which the characters deem perfect to stay the night. These settings further add to the feel of isolation, making the audience feel as though the character is alone and helpless.
In most thrillers there is a sense of being watched and shadow passing in the background, leaving the audience waiting for what will happen next, will it be the end for the character or is it just a stray dog in the background? Thus tension is an extremely important part of a thriller.

Diary Entry - 13/01/13

The first of many Diary Entries

Today in class we talked about finally starting to plan and create our own films. I've decided to work into a group with Chloe, Shani and Faye because I've worked with them on a continuity task before and they've all worked hard and been reliable so I think I'll work well in a group with them.

We're also together in a group because all of our ideas seemed to be based around thriller/horror films, and we're all pretty interested in doing something along those lines.

At a later date I'll post again in more detail about the ideas we've come up with as a group, as well as our research into our chosen film genre.

Analysis of a Title Sequence

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - IMDb

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is the film adaptation of the popular book series by Darren Shan. The story follows a teenager called Darren who after a series of events is turned into a vampire to save his friends life. He's forced to leave his normal life and join a circus of 'Freaks'.

ArtoftheTitle.com - Cirque du Freak

The purpose of a title sequence is to introduce the beginning of the film, telling the audience the above the line and below the line talent, as well as the production companies and others involved in the making of the film. It is an important part in setting the mood, tone and pace for the duration of the film. However some title sequences can be created to give clues to certain elements of the plot of the film in a creative and subtle way. After watching the film the audience can go back to the title sequence and see that parts of the film can be reflected or represented in the sequence. Another purpose of a title sequence is to engage the audience, keeping them interested. Like with the opening sequence, if the title sequence is boring and poorly made then it's unlikely you'll want to stay around the watch the film.

In Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, the overall theme is that of a child's nightmare, reflecting the dark horror and fantasy elements of the film. It follows the ominous journey of two boys in a shadow puppet animation, helping to set the ominous tone and mood for the rest of the film.

Creative Director Garson Yu said this in reply to a question about his idea in terms of the narrative of the story in the title sequence:

"You don’t want to reveal too much about the plot of the film in the title sequence. As for Cirque Du Freak, it is a graphic opening that introduces six freak show characters and brings them together through the journey of two puppets. I wanted to let the credits play an important role. They become the main actors throughout the sequence and the story is the backdrop."

Some of the central characters are shown in the title sequence, which helps the audience to recognise them and realise their significance to the plot later on in the film, as well as create a sense of mystery about that character based on their portrayal in the title sequence.

"Film is about storytelling and the title sequence should be driven by that story. If the story doesn’t require those clichéd visual cues, then they shouldn’t be there. We used the shadow puppet idea as a visual metaphor because it fits the story. "

In the film, there is a conflict of control between the two groups of characters; good versus evil. This idea of being controlled is shown by the puppet strings holding up two of the main characters as they travel through the nightmare style setting. The way the puppets are raised from the ground reflects the way the two main characters are raised from the dead in the film, with the puppet strings also representing their loyalty to their masters.

Other key images of the film are shown in the title sequence, one reoccurring image is the various designs of a graveyard setting, which is also a prominent feature in the film. This also helps to set the tone and mood and add to the theme of a nightmare setting and style of the title sequence.

These elements of the plot and the characters of the film need to be visually engaging and interesting enough that it encourages the audience to stay in their seats and watch the film, creating a sense of mystery and suspense about the film in the case of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, leaving the audience wanting to know more.

Timeline of a Title Sequence

The timeline of the title sequence to Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant 

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/cirque-du-freak-the-vampires-assistant/

The Function of an Opening Sequence

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story - IMDb

It's kind of a Funny Story is a dark comedy based on a book by Ned Vizzini of the same name. The story follows a teenager called Craig, who admits himself into a mental health hospital after contemplating suicide, and also about the people he meets on his way to recovery.

It was produced by various production companies such as Focus Features and Warfare Entertainment. The production companies are shown before the opening sequence begins.

The opening film begins with the narration of the main character, fading into the first shot of someone cycling across a bridge. Looking at the use of Mise-en-scène you can tell that the film is set in the present by the use of the character's modern looking clothes and the setting of the city in the background. The audience knows that this is the beginning of the story by the introduction of the main characters dialogue:

 "It starts on a bridge".

From the opening sequence a sense of character is created for the characters we see, shaping our impressions of them later on. The main character is the boy walking across the bridge, this is shown by his opening narration, and that the camera focuses mainly on him. We are shown that he's depressed and trying to kill himself, this is because he climbs up onto the bridge walking over the cars and the traffic below.

The audience are also given the impression that he's quite an awkward character, this is by his appearance and the way he talks to his family whilst on the bridge, stuttering as he speaks to them:

"I'm - I'm trying to kill myself!"

We learn that the characters talking to him are his family, and by the way they are talking to him - showing little concern of him and more of his bike shows they are quite pushy, which is shown later on in the film. A connotation of their attitude could be the reason the main character is depressed.

However their characters add the comedy element of the film by their conversation. This helps the audience to classify the film as a dark comedy, because it's funny but at the same time there are elements in the film that ordinarily would be considered as quite serious, such as the main character trying to commit suicide.

The basic plot of the story is also given in the opening sequence. From this you learn the main character is depressed and trying to commit suicide, possibly due to his family. However near the end of the sequence he falls by accident into the river below and the scene is revealed to be a 

dream by his narration:

"This is usually where I wake up in a sweaty panic, but this time was different." 

At the end of the sequence the shot fades followed by the narration of the main character, leaving the title of the film on the screen.

In short the function of this opening sequence, and all opening sequences in general, is to introduce a film which helps to engage the audience so they stay in their seats to watch it. If the opening sequence is bad, audience expectations would be pretty low.
An opening sequence introduces characters and narration, helping the audience to gain an insight into what the story is going to be about; giving you information in the first few minutes on the general plot and ideas of the film. An opening sequence is also used to set the time and the place for the film, further helping to set the scene. Using sound the producer of a film is able to make a film more recognisable, setting the audience up for a certain part of the plot or to create tension, such as the sound in the opening sequence of It's Kind of a Funny Story. 
An opening sequence is also used to introduce the genre of the film, it can do this by all of the features above. For example, a comedy could have lighthearted music and narration, showing a funny sequence of the film so audiences can instantly recognise the film to be a comedy.
All of these factors help to set the tone and mood for the rest of the film.