Explore the use of film language for effect in an opening sequence to a thriller. How does the director engage the audience?

One of the main ways James Cameron engages the audience in the film ‘Aliens’, is through sound. In the opening sequence, Cameron tends to use a lot of climatic orchestral music, which is quite contrapuntal to the futuristic images on screen. This creates quite an ominous and exciting atmosphere and also compliments the sci-fi genre of the film. Cameron also uses a number of diegetic mechanical noises, for example the bleeping noises on the computer screen, within the scene. This has the effect of being more realistic as well as making the audience feel more included in the scene, as if they are actually in it and can hear everything. It also gives an idea of setting as the noises of the computer and the sounds of scanning etc. makes the setting seem very futuristic and helps the audience believe that it is a spaceship. Towards the end of the opening sequence, Cameron also emphasizes and focuses on the sound of the characters breathing – this makes the audience feel quite uncomfortable and makes them feel quite up close to the characters. Also, before the dialogue, the sound can be seen as quite threatening and so warns the audience that there may be danger. However, when the dialogue cuts in, the audience feels more safe and secure and also allows the characters to begin to be introduced to the audience.

Another main way Cameron engages the audience is through lighting. In the very first shot, the lighting is blue which has the effect of making everything look very cold and clinical, forcing the audience to believe that this new world that has been created is quite a cruel and dangerous world. In the first shot actually inside the spaceship, Cameron decided to use little lighting and only on one side which causes the whole set to be in shadows, making the set look very dark and uninhabited resulting in the audience feeling nervous. Cameron also chooses to cover some of the set in an icy dust, which reflects the light, attracting the attention of the audience and also inviting them to the idea that the ship is very old. The little lighting also creates quite a mysterious feel in the shot of a sleeping character as she is still in shadow so it creates an uncertainty of who she is. Another way he uses light to engage the audience is through creating silhouettes. This is achieved very successfully in one part of the opening scene where, by using a strong white back light, he creates a very strong silhouette of a robotic creature. This alerts the audience that something is coming before they even see it producing quite a sinister and dangerous feel.

There is little use of graphics within the opening scene apart from in the credits, which are also important in engaging the audience. The ‘ALIENS’ title is created with very cold blue lighting, which can be quite intense for the audience and so immediately engages them and pulls them into the film. The white credits also stand out very boldly against the black background and so catch the audience’s eye and draw them in.

The most important way Cameron engages the audience is through camera shots and angles. At the beginning of the opening sequence he uses a number of wide shots to show the setting of the scene. This is extremely important, especially as the film is futuristic as it allows the audience to become familiar with the setting and era of the film. He also uses a very long panning shot when we first see inside the spacecraft which engages the audience by making them quite nervous at what could be hidden in the set but also allows them to really get a feel of the place that the film has led them to. These types of panning shots also give the audience the feel as if they are scanning the ship like the robots and so makes them feel more part of the film and more in touch with the futuristic/sci fi feel. Another point at which a wide shot that is used is important is when the silhouettes of the robots are coming up to the door. This zoom shot allows the audience to see everything that is happening while still keeping an air of mystery and allowing the tension to be drawn out. Cameron also uses a number of extreme close up shots of the sleeping figures face. This makes the audience feel quite uncomfortable but also reveals to them that this character is extremely important and so familiarizes her face to them.

W.H

Film Pre-Preposal

Location: For location, I would really like to use a number of different urban places with a lot of grey brickwork but also some aspects of bright colour. To link with the style and tone, I would like to make the shots quite grey/blue, making it look quite flat and grotty as I really like how this looked in Fish Tank. However, I would also like to use some contrasting shots of colour to also link to the style of some of Wes Anderson’s films. For these reasons, I think the Southbank Centre would be really useful as it has the perfect balance between colour and also contains lots of grey architecture. Generally I would like to use colour in the background for the main character and so I think the Southbank skatepark would be perfect for this. By using colour in the background, I would like it to juxtapose against the character, who I would like to be dressed in quite dark clothes and possibly use some affect to make them look as if they really don’t fit in. I’d also really like to use some of the rows of houses in places in Central London such as Notting Hill and Portabello Road to add more colour in. I also have an idea of what type of camera shots and angles I would like to use with different locations. For the very urban and grey shots, I would like to use quite close up, open shots to give an air of business. For these shots I would really like to use bridges/the river as well, to make it seem like everything else is moving around the central character while they are stationary.

Style and Tone: For style and tone, I have two main ideas that I would, if possible, like to incorporate together. As I would like my location to be very urban and to have quite a depressing and menacing feel, I would like to have a grey/blue background to give quite a grimey and flat feel to the camera shots. However, I’m really inspired by the style of Wes Anderson, who focuses on the text and graphics as well as the framing of the shots and mise en scene. He tends to be very particular with how things are placed and what colours are used and so I would really like to incorporate some of his style by using colour and framing to contrast against my main character which highlights her against the background.

I really like the way Anderson tends to introduce the settings of the scenes with clear bold font. However, I think this lightens the mood and makes it slightly comical, however I would like to use this style for the positioning and font of my credits so that they look bold and stand out against the background.

         I also have an idea of having the whole opening scene as very busy and crowded and so for this I would like to copy some of the frames of the opening scene in ‘Collateral’, by having a clear shot of the most important character and then have everything around them very blurred. To create this, I would like to have open shots to make it look messy and crowded. By having my main character stationary and clearly framed, I think it singles her out from the crowd and obviously shows she is the most important.

My main influence of style and tone comes from ‘Fish Tank’ and grotty TV series such as ‘Skins’ and ‘This is England’. Films/programmes like these have a very urban feel and reflect on this in the grey/blue style which I would really like to replicate in my opening. 

Character: For my main character, I would like to generally base her look on one of my favourite actresses, Chloe Moretz, especially her roles as Lulu from 'Hick' and Abby from 'Let Me In.' However, to match my idea of a grey/flattish style and tone, I would like my character to look slightly more ruffled with less of a Hollywood glossy feel, so I would also like to take on the style of the actress Juno Temple and Mia from 'Fish Tank.' For my characters personality, I would like her to be quite independent and feisty but also have a weaker side to her, similar to the character of Effy from 'Skins.' I would like her to be between the age of 17-20 (to be fully decided after narrative). I am not 100% sure of what I would like her name to be yet but I think something quite short and also slightly original but not completely abnormal (similar to Effy or Lulu). 

Title and Credits: For my title, I am not 100% sure about what I would like it to be but I think it would like to be short, possibly one word or just the main character’s name. I really like titles of films such as ‘Hick’, ‘Broken’ and ‘Skins’.

I would like subtle and simple, bold font, similar to the style from ‘Fish Tank’. I would also like it to be on the sides of the screen so not centre and while the picture is showing, so no blackouts etc. For example: Wimbledon – I really like this opening but for my film I would not like to use blackouts and I want to have the graphics towards the bottom left/right of the screen instead of the centre 

Music: For sounds within the opening, I would either just like to use diegetic sounds (business of streets, talking etc.) or I would like to use quiet background music, most likely classical (mainly piano) and quite subtle. Alternatively, I would like to use quite melancholy vocals.

Examples:

Point of Disgust - Low

Autumn Nights - Freeplay Music

Intro – The XX

Black Flies – Ben Howard

For either case, I think I would like to use a voice over of the main character talking (within her own thoughts, memories etc.)

Narrative: I’m not entirely sure at the moment, but the image I have in my mind is having the main character going for a run/walking through busy streets but making her look very stationary and slow compared to the rest of the surroundings. I would like her to be talking over the top, possibly referring to an important memory (not decided yet.)

What I Have Learnt

When filming our short preliminary task entitled 'The Package', I learnt a number of things during filming and editing as well as the writing process. During filming, I learnt how to use a tripod and camera but also I learnt what shots work best to create certain looks. For example, a fast zoom doesn't really tend to work in many scenes unless its trying to create a fast-paced shot. I also learnt that it is very hard to create a handheld shot that doesn't look like a complete mess! In a number of our shots, we also noticed that it was very hard to not get the tripod or our shadows in the reflection which we will try to improve on our next task.

          In editing, I learnt a lot about Final Cut Pro X and I now know how to cut shots into each other to make it look fluid and smooth. I also learnt how to put music and credits on top of the footage which is useful as I will definitely need to use it in future tasks.

I also learnt that in the process of creating our film, storyboarding is really useful in being able to plan out ideas before putting them together and also means that you are able to have a clear idea of what shots you need to film. This makes filming a lot quicker and more efficient as it is clearer what else you need to film and how much time you need etc. 

Audience Response - Voxpops

One of the things we learnt from the first interview with Cecy, was that to fully attract our target audience, it is important to use 'ascetically pleasing' camera shots and cinematography. This has invited us to look at more creative framing and mise en scene to attract viewers like Cecy. Cecy also states that the main way she finds out about new releases is through word of mouth of friends so we will take this into account when thinking of publicity of our film.

In Tom's interview, we learnt that for him, it is most important for films to be home-friendly and he most enjoys films that are relaxing and take up free time. We need to take into account that our main way of showing our film will probably be through internet so we need to make it clear that this is an easy and simple way to watch it for people like Tom.

Conclusion - Audience Response

We used a range of different methods to research our target audience and what's most popular amongst particular people.

Firstly, we asked people to fill in our survey which included a range of questions which meant we could categorise them into groups and see which audience our film would be most popular with. Since our survey was mainly focussed on students (aged between 15-18), this reflected on the overall preferred certificate, which was popularly 15. The results also showed that, as people generally lived in an urban area, the most popular place to watch films was online and in mainstream cinemas. This means that we should target our film to be publicised through word of mouth and friends and should be able to be watched largely online. Looking at the results of why people see new films, the most popular answer was favourable actors and interesting plot which also related to our question on ranking films that people have seen. This means that our main focus will be to include an interesting and gripping plot line (as we cannot include famous actors) to entice our audience. On the question of favourite genre, we can mainly infer that people will enjoy thrillers with aspects of action and sci fi as these were the most popular results other than comedy. 

History of British Film Qs

The Film Industry - Part 4 History of British Film Since 1984

Q1. What are the main genres produced by the UK film industry in the last 25 years? Try and think of some more recent examples from the last few years. Who do you think goes to see these types of films?

• Two of the main British film production companies:
• At DNA films, the film industry seems to have produced a lot more grittier, low budget films such as '28 Days Later' and 'The History Boys.' These types of films would probably be seen by 20 year old up at art-house/indie cinemas.
• At Pathe films they have a much wider range and higher success rate of their films meaning that (depending on the film) they are shown everywhere; multiplexes, art house etc. Recently, they range with '127 Hours', 'The Iron Lady' and 'Kidulthood.'

Q2. DNA Films last two productions were Dredd 3D (2012) and Never Let Me Go (2010). What kind of films are they? How are they different from earlier films? Have they been successful at the box office?

• Dredd seems to be much more sci-fi and more of an action game rather than a film. It's computerisation's and characters (all American) seem to be more like a Hollywood production rather than a British one.
• Never Let Me Go seems to be a lot more sculpted in the shots and settings, giving a more glossy and Hollywood look rather than an edgy, more gritty feel. It also contains much more famous actors in it, possibly showing Hollywood has a stronger hold on the making of this film. However, the plotline seems to feature a British feel of love and romance within a brother and sisterly relationship, possibly similar to earlier films like Sense and Sensibility etc.

Q3. Summarise in your own words what kind of films Momentum Pictures look to distribute and why? Go to their website for more recent examples. 

Looking at their recent releases on their website, it looks as if Momentum Pictures is trying to distribute films with an obvious touch of Hollywood. For example, their current films in cinema such as 'Gambit', 'Quartet' and 'Seven Psychopaths' all contain huge stars such as Cameron Diaz, Christopher Walken and Dame Maggie Smith. They also all seem to show glossy, fast-paced editing which is similar to Hollywood films. 

W.H.

British Film Industry Qs

The Film Industry – Part 3 British Film Industry

Q1. Why do you think 3D takings went down when the number and variety of 3D films increased in 2011?

• certain films didn't particularly work as 3D and so had worse reviews meaning less people went to see it as a 3D film
• not everyone is a fan of 3D and so there's a possibility that because more and more films were being released in 2011, a lot more people began to realise that they preferred 2D, lowering 3D takings

Q2. Where do you think these films end up being shown?

• multiplex cinemas such as 'Cineworld', giving people the opportunity to choose between 2D and 3D 
• 3D also works better on a larger screen with more expensive speakers etc. so its most likely that these 3D versions would have to be shown at popular, successful cinemas rather than small art house ones
• films that are made into films tend to be popular blockbusters so it would be unlikely that they would be shown in smaller art house cinemas and more likely, very mainstream cinemas

Q3. Why do you think there are more people going to the cinema mid-week? Who are more likely to attend the cinema outside of opening weekends?

• firstly, because film companies make the most money on opening weekends, they generally tend to charge more for weekend tickets to the cinema than tickets during the week. This means that more people are willing to pay less for their tickets and go at a less leisurely time rather than pay more on the weekend
• secondly, more companies are beginning to offer cinema deals throughout the week for example Orange Wednesday - 2 for 1 deals
• the people who are most likely going to turn up at opening weekends are people who are huge fans of that particular film or actor. Also many people such as critics will turn up on the first weekend to see the film first.

Q4. Why do you think there has been a decline in DVD sales in the last few years?

• there has been a bigger increase of ‘On Demand’ TV websites such as 4oD, BBC iPlayer, ITVPlayer etc. where you are able to watch full seasons of TV programmes without having to buy the box set.
•  Bigger increase of On Demand film services such as Sky TV, Lovefilm, Apple TV meaning that people are more likely to rent films online to watch immediately rather than go out to buy a DVD and then watch it.
• Illegal online streaming and downloading websites have also become more available meaning that people are more inclined to watch films for free online rather than spend money on DVDs

Q5. Summarise what has remained the same about the UK film market over the last ten years and what has changed dramatically?

Q6. How does film production in the UK seem to be very different from the Hollywood model of large powerful studios?

• 1997 - £92 million was put into funding three film production companies in Britain - Pathe, The Film Consortium and DNA Films. Although Pathe did/still does produce reasonably successful films, the funding tactic failed as both The Film Consortium and DNA films did not do as well as hoped
• Now British production companies tend to create alliances with other companies from across Britain to fund new projects for example, BBC and Film 4.
• Some film productions also receive investment money from Europe such as Bend It Like Beckham which had help from the Hamburg Film Fund.

Q7. What is the benefit to a film producer of their film being branded as British? What is it about ‘Britishness’ that is attractive to investors from outside the UK? What is it about ‘Britishness’ that makes it easy for Hollywood to dominate our film market?

• Films are branded as being 'British' if they pass the UK Cultural Test, meaning that they show aspects of UK within them, e.g characters, setting, story elements, who the film was made for and by whom
• British films now are becoming more and more popular meaning that if your film is branded as British, you will more likely have a bigger budget and so therefore a better film and then better feedback and takings in the cinema
• However, this still means that Hollywood can dominate our film market as to pass the UK Cultural Test, the production company only has to be British. However, this company could still be owned by a larger American Company in Hollywood and so therefore the Hollywood company can still make the money without necessarily having to fund it as if it is classed as British, its funded within the UK.

Q8. How many of these could be considered British films? How many of them are co-productions where the majority of the money leaves the country? What does this say about the scale of the UK film industry?

• All 20 of these films can be considered British has they have some input into the production whether working with Hollywood or foreign countries
• However, out of all 20, 16 of theme are co-productions meaning that the majority of the money is not contained in the UK and is sent abroad. This shows that although the UK film industry has managed to spread across the continents, it still means that it is not economically strong enough to be stable on its own and so relies on co-productions with other companies.

Q9. Which one of these two films recently released in the UK do you think is a BBC co-production and why?

• I think 'My Week with Marilyn' would most likely be a co-production due to the British influence of characters and setting within the film
• The film is based on the romance between an Englishman working in the film business and Marilyn Monroe when she comes to England to film. Many of the cast are also famous English actors, for example Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh
• 'The Boy with the Striped Pajamas' has no British reference within it at all so I would assume that it would not be a co-production with the BBC

W.H.