Target audience

The target audience for my thriller opening sequence will be both genders aged under 25 years old, the reason I have chosen this target audience is because it would be less complicated than choosing one genre to do as it means we are able to focus on more than once convention of thriller since females or males may only enjoy a few conventions of thriller which means that the amount of conventions that can be used will be limited. Young alts are an example of people who would be targeted by our thriller movie as they prefer to have an alternative view from others to make themselves stand out from the crowd, they also like to not be mainstream which means listening to different music or watching different films such as thrillers since they are more of an abstarct genre for films since they consist of a storyline which may be confusing or haven unexpected twist at the end which allows the audience to feel engaged  with the movie as they are unclear on what the outcome will be as do the characters.

For instance the following film in a thriller genre, the age group is above 25 which means we would not base our movie along the same lines as seven since it is usually appealing towards adults aged 40 above. it also targets only one gender which does not relate to my target audience as we have specified that both genders are going to be part of the target audience.

As for the hunger games research result we can see that the typical audience viewer is aged between 18-25, the viewer in terms of gender who is more popular Is a male person, these types of people are usually in the professions of engineering travel and hospitality or researching/ research handling. In conclusion I think that our movie should aim towards the male gender as both of these examples have a bigger male audience as compared to females which means that the thriller genre will be more affective on males than females if the target audience was males. 

Wallander

Mise en scene
The location is set in the countryside near the coast, the reason for this location is to show how isolated it is from any main town or busy areas. This adds to the tense scenes to follow knowing that no one is their to help the victim who has been attacked.
Props have also been used by on of the female characters, she is holding a knife which can imply that she's the person responsible for what happened to the man, it also gives her power over both of the other characters as she has been portrayed to be a dangerous individual through the first 20 seconds of the opening sequence. it can also assist in the females representation of being rebellious and going against rules that may apply to her because she believes that those rules should not stop her from doing what she wants to do. Furthermore through the use of make up we are given another reason to believe that she's a dangerous plus rebellious character as she had purple which can show how she goes against things that are socially accepted or trendy, it also makes her stand out more compared to someone who may have blonde or brown hair as she is different compared to typically normal people.
Finally low key lighting has been used in the background of the title sequence to follow the theme of death as black or dark has representations of death. Another reason for using this dark tone would be to assist the mood with what happened to the man, dull lighting sets a depressing or sad mood.

Camerawork
At the start we are shown an establishing shot of the fields, it makes clear to the audience where the opening sequence is set also it shows how there is nothing around the area which makes us wonder why this is.
We are then shown a close up of the knife that the older female character is holding in hand, making us realize that the car behind them was not caused by an accidental car crash but by this specific character. through using the close up it makes us focus on the knife and begin to wonder why she has the knife and why she stabbed the man in the car as it is the main purpose of this frame so we concentrate mainly on this object being held by the character.
Additionally an extreme close of the male driver is shown when the two females are walking away from the crime to portray how badly he has been beaten as you are able to see his cuts and bruises clearer but is also done to show to the audience that he is still alive as you can see him moving and breathing.

Editing. 

There is an eye line match when the male detective is standing next to the car in the crime scene we see him look in the direction of the two females in the police car this has been done so that we are shown how they are responsible for what has happened.  
When both female are shown walking slow motion has been used to prolong the scene which strings out the depressing mood set from the man who has been stabbed fro longer in the opening sequence it also allows for the audience to realize what has happened as the slow motion gives them time to think about what has just happened adding to the reality of it.

Sound.

Non diegetic sound had been used within the silent part of the sequence before the police arrive, there is whistle that can be heard which builds up tension creating an anti climax as nothing happens after the incident. The soundtrack playing throughout the beginning of the opening sequence creates a sad mood to reflect on the critical condition of the victim it helps to make us emphasize for the male as if he was someone in real life or the incident actually did happen, it makes the scene more naturalistic. Lastly there is heavy breathing from the girl walking away holding the knife which can potentially show how she's frightened of what's going to happen as a consequence of her actions, furthermore we can hear a sharp spike once the knife is dropped which can reflect how much pain the weapon could inflict on its victim as it is seen to slice through the shot onto another using a transition which makes us wonder how much pain the victim would have been in, it also makes a sinister atmosphere as we are now aware how dangerous the weapon truly is.

Prezi Legally blonde analysis

sixth sense analysis

The use of mise ene scene helps to create a sinister and eerie atmosphere. For example when the man who broke into the house is shown standing alone with only his underwear on and clothes scattered around him, automatically we view this person as being a distressed or non mentally stable character. Costumes are the clothes that have been spread around him to create a representation of the character for the length of the scene.
As for location we are shown the basement were the women walks down into so she can get a bottle of wine from the stand, through using the basement in the first opening sequence we believe something unexpected will happen to the women because the basement is an isolated place from the outside and I  typically dark which also represents the anticipation that something will happen whilst the women is down there. It is also made more presentable in this scene since the female character is alone whilst in the basement which may make her appear more vulnerable, through the character shivering when she turns around we expect that she may feel as if someone is watching her or due to the dramatic drop in temperature something paranormal may be with her. The opening sequence is set in Philadelphia which we are shown from the frame award that was given to him, we are also told his profession  through this award as a child psychologist.







Secondly editing has been used in the opening sequence. For instance at the very beginning the titles gradually appear from a dark mist through the use of a fade and then fade out as well in sync wit the music. This helps to se the mood which is that the opening sequence will relate to a horror genre such as a slightly abnormal person which forms a tense scene plus atmosphere. Furthermore the titles begin to build up the tension even more which will make the audience think about what may happen next building up the anticipation.
As for when the man gets shot the camera slowly moves away facing the wall and fades from black to the next scene which connects both of the scenes together and could create the meaning that from the incident showed in the opening sequence has taught him that he should take his work more seriously and listen to his patients in the future. We could say that he told a patient he was distressed because of something that has happened previously but may have been wrong and the patient could have told him this but he didn't listen making the patient feel more neglected by him which makes his illness worse.

 

Another area that formed meaning in this opening sequence was camerawork. Firstly we are shown a zoom of the female character when she's in the basement in front of the wine cellar this is done through two bottles of wine which cuts the rest of the frame making the audience wonder what else is around her giving the audience uncertainty of what is going to happen. This also makes the viewers expect something bad to happen to the female character which is called a climax but in fact we are tricked into this but nothing happens which stays with us throughout the full movie. Also a fast pan of Bruce when he has been shot makes the audience emphasise for him as he looks innocent as if he didn't deserve it which he didn't. Plus when he sees the patient he is confused which we can gather from his facial expressions however the patients facial expressions appears to be upset which makes us feel sorry for him as he comes across as a childish character who is easily confused and does not understand right from wrong. Finally we are showed a long shot of both characters in the living room but we can also see the corridor and stairs, the shot is taken through the banister which makes us feel as if we are intruding or spying on them this makes us think whether someone else is watching them from the stair which would make it a point of view shot as well.

Finally sound creates meaning through scenes such as the soundtrack from the opening credits with the mist and shine of light in the corner, the soundtrack is unusual which is assisted by the broken lighting and slow pace to the credits when they are shown, the atmosphere  become eerie. For example when there is a spike in the music's pitch it is supposed to jolt the viewers and make them feel uncomfortable throughout the opening credits which plays on their mind. Furthermore diegetic sound has been used when the glass is being trod on by the psychologist which shows how silent it is building up the tension then once the shadow quickly crosses the wall there is a long string sound that leaves the audience wondering what it was and makes it clear that there is someone or something with them emphasising that they are not alone plus the whistling sounds is supposed to scare the audience or make them expects something to jump out by the window.

What is an opening sequence: examples

There are many examples of opening sequences that follow the basic outline of what should be included in one.


the opening sequence of sky fall James bond is shown to be chasing someone which sets the genre of action and drama because it is involving fast paced editing which creates tension. Also it includes guns and violence when James bond is fighting the villain on top of the train, which is part of an action drama genre.

Also it introduces both characters with there names through the use of the microphone worn by both James bond and the women to show how they are working together. it also sets the location when one agent says the names of the place were James bond is driving on top of trying to catch the villain has a piece of hardware that they need. it also follows the continuity throughout to et up the scenes afterwards and leaves us with questions such as whether James Bond is really dead and has the villain escaped also what will happen now that he has. 

in this opening sequence the main ideology of the film is contrasted to the audience with the young girl falling off the cliff and nearly plummeting to her death, the main idea genre is also portrayed to the viewers with the use of this event which clearly shows it is an action and also gives the baseline of the film within the first opening sequence with the rocks falling plus the crack in the road to show how the land is tearing apart.


Now in the second scene we can see the main character introduced which makes it clear to us that the film will be based around him and what happens to him. the tense scene builds up the expectation of what will happen next which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats anticipating the next scene of the movie. It also clarifies the films genre even further with the helicopter nearly crashing around the rocks and attempting to save the girl who is close to falling off the cliff which is what an action consists of with someone's life on the line or in danger. We also hear his name called through the walkie talkie which is done so that we know who he is throughout the full movie and do not become confused when he is called by his name in the movie.

We are given the opening credits by editing them onto the CCTV footage which allows us to follow the characters who are shown at the same time whilst also being told who is starring in the film. Also in the end of this opening sequence we are shown all the main characters and what they do, we are shown a brief snippet of their personality through an insert that involves them doing what portrays their personality and what type of person they are, we are also given their names using a special effects which goes from the scene involving them to just a freeze frame of their face and name underneath that which shows clearly shows them which helps us with what happens later on in he film also we are shown the credits as the thieves are going through the building this is the most important part of the production as it shows who made the film or helped to produce and develop it.  through the use of the gun and relentlessness showed with the effects were a clip cuts quickly from one to another shows how nothing will stop them and they do it without thought or hesitation showing how the film involves violence and action in it.

The Brief

I have been asked to create an opening sequence which will have to include a variety of different shots and editing skills that can create meaning within the opening sequence. An opening sequence is something that consists of an introduction to the characters that are going to be in the film, it must also give a brief understanding of what genre the film is to the audience by using different camerawork skills,mise en scene, editing skills and sound to create further meaning for the audience to think about what will happen later on in the film. lastly opening sequences must contain credits which tell to the audience who helped develop the film or was involved in the production or post production of it, the following is an example of when this is used in the opening sequence.

Preliminary Clip

In this preliminary project we had to create an opening sequence following any storyline we wanted but must include a variety of shots including shot reverse shots, match on action and for the 180 degree rule to be followed throughout the full opening sequence. Firstly I think that the opening sequence of the match on action shot flowed well when character A walked through the door,but was shown walking towards the door in another shot before hand, also the editing was fluid with no cuts that break the continuity of the shots sequence which made the opening sequence much clearer. The final WWW is that all shots have been included that were on the checklist. As for EBI'S we could have made sure that there was music that could go over the top at the start of the opening sequence which would have contested the meaning of genre clearer, also there could be scenes that could be re done since one of the two characters may have laughed or come out of focus when speaking. Lastly the end scene could have carried on for longer rather than cutting off instantly after character A had been shot however this could also benefit the opening sequence as it gives a sense of uncertainty as to what happens to the person being shot.

introduction

Introduction.

Hello, my name is Owen Hethersay and I am 16 years old. I am currently taking A level media studies at Glenthorne high school, the reason I decided to take Media studies was because I took it last year and thoroughly enjoyed the activities and concept of learning new things in the world of media. I also find recording films that I have made by myself satisfying when I look back on them knowing that I created the plots and filmed it alone. I was also intrigued by the idea of filming again and learning new media terminology which I did not do in the previous year of media.