One of the ways I have used conventions of real film openings is by the way I have used an Ident. Idents are used by film companies in opening scenes as it is a way for them to brand a film with their logo. Also, as the film industry is a commercial business, it is a way for the film companies to make big money. If there are a number of good films produced with the same ident at the start, this could potentially attract the audience into watching other films produced by the same company which shows the importance of the ident. Therefore, when it came to making my film opening, I chose to use my own ident which brands the company on the film. The ident I used follows the conventions of real idents as it is bold and theatrical, standing out before the films starts to present the company name. Also, as the screen shot above shows, some idents have a theme that is changed in order to fit in with the film. For example, the ident of the 'Warner Brothers' has an image of dark clouds in the background to fit in with the theme of Harry Potter. Although my ident doesn't completely fit in with our film 'The Vengeance,' we chose to use it over Jess' ident because otherwise, the sound of the ident and the sparkles would be a complete contrast to the genre of the film.
Another way I have used conventions of real film openings is by the way I have used location and special effects. For example, in the screen shot to the left, there is a dark scene in the opening of 'The Vengeance' where the killer arrives at the house for the party to get to the victims. This scene shows how I have constructed the location in a way that would help the audience to associate with a house party. If the location was at a different location such as a college or workplace (for convenience of filming), the audience would be confused about the genre of the film and would also be confused about the storyline. Therefore, the location of a typical house that most of the target audience would be able to relate to. If a really wealthy mansion was chosen for the location of the house party, not all of the target audience would be able to relate to the wealth and could be put off from watching the film if it doesn't portray a true reality and representation of house parties. In the screen shot on the left, 'The Inbetweeners' also uses locations that are quickly recognisable to teenagers such as the schools and the housing estate which gives the series a gritty realism. The other use of conventions of a film opening that can be seen in the screenshot above from 'The Vengeance' is the use of special effects. For example, I made sure that in this scene there were some colour changes and alterations to make the scene more eerie and tense to portray a foreboding effect and also to act as an enigma code that something bad will happen due to the tense, dark and cold colouration of the shot. If the shot was bright and sunny (as it was in the raw footage), this could signify peace and serenity, which is not what the storyline is showing. Therefore, by altering the colour, the scene itself can also portray the mood of the scene and build up the audience's anticipation and expectation due to the tension created.
The use of props is another convention of opening sequences that I have used in my own film. As can be seen in the screen shot to the left, my film 'The Vengeance' presents different props to help add to the atmosphere of the scene to make it realistic and believable. For example, the use of alcoholic drinks in the scene is effective as it will help the audience to make connotations such as a party and having a good time, which aids the storyline. By using realistic props in the film, it makes it believable and relatable from the point of view of the audience. If the props looked like they were 'staged' in the way they are set out and framed, the audience could potentially loose interest in watching the rest of the opening. In the 'Inbetweeners Movie,' the use of props was clear such as the use of alcohol to add realism to the scene and to make the scene of the boys going out and having a good time more believable. Another prop used in the film included the knife where the killer is stood outside of the party and pulls out a knife. To make this scene effective, I had to make sure that a real knife was used so that the scene is more believable. If a plastic knife was used, it would make the scene less tense and perhaps even comical which would completely loose the captivation of the audience and could potentially put people off from watching the rest of the film. Therefore, a real knife was used in order to build up tension in the scene and to act as a signifier of something bad happening.
An important feature of opening sequences is the editing process. Different genre of films will be edited in different ways to get the desired effect. In my film, I edited the raw footage in a certain way to make the scenes look 'edgy' and 'jumpy' to build up a tense atmosphere. At the start of the opening sequence, I edited the scenes with less jumps so that the kitchen scene was smooth. Then, as the antagonist of the killer enters the scene, I started to edit the scenes with more pace so that they appeared jumpy to make it uncomfortable and to act as a foreboding effect. Finally, the screen shot to the left shows the match on action shot used to present the killer entering the party and searching for the victim. I chose to use a match on action shot because it is effective in not only presenting the continuity of the scene but also, it is useful in building up to a climax in tension because of the fast pace editing of the shots. In The Dark Knight, fast paced editing was also used to build up a tense atmosphere when the villains enter the bank and open fire. The fast pace edit between the different scenes in the bank makes the scene 'edgy' and uncomfortable to watch, putting the audience on edge and captivating them to watch the rest of the film.
The title of the film is sometimes presented in different ways to fit the storyline of the film. In my film, I conformed to the conventions of the opening sequence by putting the title of the film at the end of the opening sequence. I chose to put it at the end rather than putting it in the middle of the opening because during this period, I was trying to present tense scenes. Adding the title in the middle of the action could distract the audience from the action, which could cause them to loose their focus on the plot and storyline and could also break up the tension created. Therefore, I chose to put the title of the film at the end but at a time to fit in with the slam of the door. The desired effect of doing this is that it will make the audience jump but also, it allows the audience to focus solely on the title without being distracted from the audience. This is also reinforced by the fact that the background of the title is black to allow the audience to read the title and for it to be clear (as seen in the screen shot above). When it came to the other titles such as 'story by,' 'producer' etc., I decided that they should be shown in places where there is not to much tension so that the audience's attention is not diverted from the action. However, as I used a font that fits in well with the genre of the film with the distressed look, the titles do fit in even in the tense moments of the opening.
Another convention used in film openings is the story and how it is set up and constructed. In my film, the storyline of the opening is of a party held by a girl who is trying to let her hair down and enjoy herself. However, the mood changes when the killer arrives on the scene with a knife and watches the party. After, he enters into the house to chase one of the victims to get Vengeance. The storyline is set up at the start through the use of Mise-en-scene and also sound to construct a party scene. The connotations of the alcohol is partying in this context and having a good time which helps to set the opening scene. However, when the killer arrives, there is more tension built due to the sound, the props of the knife and the fast paced edit of the shots. This sets the story up not only for the opening sequence but also the rest of the film (if it were to be made). As can be seen in the screen shot above, special effects were also added to set up the story such as when the killer is outside the party looking in, yet his face and body is blurred. This suggests that the identity of the killer is unknown, which maintains the suspense but also adds to the mystery which is later to be explored.
Another convention of opening sequences that is used in opening sequences is the genre suggestion. Throughout the opening, there are a number of ways in which the genre is suggested. However, at the start of the opening, the genre suggestion is almost subverted as the kitchen scene portrays a party which does not conform to the typical setting of a crime/thriller. Nevertheless, having a party scene will attract a younger target audience and leads into the rest of the film. In other scenes, I have conformed to the conventions of the genre suggestion such as when the killer pulls out a knife outside the party to signify that this is a crime thriller. When the knife is pulled out, this is a really tense part of the opening because it suggests that something bad will happen. Other parts of the opening that gives suggestion to the genre is the use of lighting when the killer is on the scene, the mood music when the killer arrives and the fast paced camera edits. All of these factors contribute to engaging the audience through the tension that is built and also, it portrays the genre of the film to attract the right audience. Similarly in the film 'Goodfellas,' the genre of the film is also established due to different factors but is clear when the knife is pulled out by one of the gangsters when he stabs the victim in the back of the car. This makes it clear to the audience about the genre of the film but also sets up the storyline for the rest of the film.
A penultimate convention of opening sequences that I have conformed to is that of the use of costume. The use of costume is a very important feature in films, especially the opening sequence because it allows the audience to build a character profile in their mind and to judge the characters by their clothing. Sometimes, clothing can be used to portray a weak, powerless victim and sometimes, clothing can be used to present an evil, dominant villain. By using costume effectively, the film's genre, storyline and characters can be easily distinguished by the audience so that they understand the film and are captivated by it. In my film, costume was used in different ways. For example, the killer was show to be wearing a dark, charcoal coloured jacket with dark jeans, a dark shirt and dark jeans. Immediately, the audience is able to establish that this is the antagonist of the film as the connotations of black or dark colours is evil, mystery and fear. However, for the girls at the party, costume was used in a different way to present their character types (as seen in the screen shot above). For example, the girls are seen to be wearing provocative clothing such as short dresses to present them as being weak and vulnerable, the stereotypical representation of a passive princess character type. By having a clear juxtaposition in the way the two sets of characters dress (ie. the killer and the people at the party), the audience is able to build up a vague idea of the storyline just by the way the characters are dressed. This helps to reinforce the actual storyline and all helps to ensure that the audience is not confused which could cause them to lose interest in watching the rest of the film.
Finally, the last convention of opening sequences that I conformed to was the use of camera. Throughout the opening sequence of my film, I used different camera shots in order to have a different effect. For example, I used medium shots to establish the party scene and main character, tracking shots to follow the killer and also close-ups such as the phone scene (seen in the screen shot on the right). When filming the text message Ellie receives from another girl about someone following her, I used a close-up shot to show the phone so that the text message is clear. If I had used a medium shot or over the shoulder shot to show the phone, the audience might struggle to read the message (a pivotal moment in the opening sequence) and could lose the plot of the story. Another feature of the camerawork that I chose was to use a focus pull on the text message. I felt that this would be a good way to help the target audience to understand how Ellie is feeling. As she is at a party drinking, she would be getting more and more drunk. Therefore, the focus pull almost shows the perspective of Ellie because the blur suggests that the character is feeling dizzy and faint, making her more vulnerable. As the target audience for this film is a similar age to the character of Ellie, they might be able to relate to her situation and empathise with her. When the text message does come into focus, this makes the text stand out which is important as it is the start of the build up in tension in the scene.
Another way I have used conventions of real film openings is by the way I have used location and special effects. For example, in the screen shot to the left, there is a dark scene in the opening of 'The Vengeance' where the killer arrives at the house for the party to get to the victims. This scene shows how I have constructed the location in a way that would help the audience to associate with a house party. If the location was at a different location such as a college or workplace (for convenience of filming), the audience would be confused about the genre of the film and would also be confused about the storyline. Therefore, the location of a typical house that most of the target audience would be able to relate to. If a really wealthy mansion was chosen for the location of the house party, not all of the target audience would be able to relate to the wealth and could be put off from watching the film if it doesn't portray a true reality and representation of house parties. In the screen shot on the left, 'The Inbetweeners' also uses locations that are quickly recognisable to teenagers such as the schools and the housing estate which gives the series a gritty realism. The other use of conventions of a film opening that can be seen in the screenshot above from 'The Vengeance' is the use of special effects. For example, I made sure that in this scene there were some colour changes and alterations to make the scene more eerie and tense to portray a foreboding effect and also to act as an enigma code that something bad will happen due to the tense, dark and cold colouration of the shot. If the shot was bright and sunny (as it was in the raw footage), this could signify peace and serenity, which is not what the storyline is showing. Therefore, by altering the colour, the scene itself can also portray the mood of the scene and build up the audience's anticipation and expectation due to the tension created.
The use of props is another convention of opening sequences that I have used in my own film. As can be seen in the screen shot to the left, my film 'The Vengeance' presents different props to help add to the atmosphere of the scene to make it realistic and believable. For example, the use of alcoholic drinks in the scene is effective as it will help the audience to make connotations such as a party and having a good time, which aids the storyline. By using realistic props in the film, it makes it believable and relatable from the point of view of the audience. If the props looked like they were 'staged' in the way they are set out and framed, the audience could potentially loose interest in watching the rest of the opening. In the 'Inbetweeners Movie,' the use of props was clear such as the use of alcohol to add realism to the scene and to make the scene of the boys going out and having a good time more believable. Another prop used in the film included the knife where the killer is stood outside of the party and pulls out a knife. To make this scene effective, I had to make sure that a real knife was used so that the scene is more believable. If a plastic knife was used, it would make the scene less tense and perhaps even comical which would completely loose the captivation of the audience and could potentially put people off from watching the rest of the film. Therefore, a real knife was used in order to build up tension in the scene and to act as a signifier of something bad happening.
An important feature of opening sequences is the editing process. Different genre of films will be edited in different ways to get the desired effect. In my film, I edited the raw footage in a certain way to make the scenes look 'edgy' and 'jumpy' to build up a tense atmosphere. At the start of the opening sequence, I edited the scenes with less jumps so that the kitchen scene was smooth. Then, as the antagonist of the killer enters the scene, I started to edit the scenes with more pace so that they appeared jumpy to make it uncomfortable and to act as a foreboding effect. Finally, the screen shot to the left shows the match on action shot used to present the killer entering the party and searching for the victim. I chose to use a match on action shot because it is effective in not only presenting the continuity of the scene but also, it is useful in building up to a climax in tension because of the fast pace editing of the shots. In The Dark Knight, fast paced editing was also used to build up a tense atmosphere when the villains enter the bank and open fire. The fast pace edit between the different scenes in the bank makes the scene 'edgy' and uncomfortable to watch, putting the audience on edge and captivating them to watch the rest of the film.
Another convention of opening sequences that is used in opening sequences is the genre suggestion. Throughout the opening, there are a number of ways in which the genre is suggested. However, at the start of the opening, the genre suggestion is almost subverted as the kitchen scene portrays a party which does not conform to the typical setting of a crime/thriller. Nevertheless, having a party scene will attract a younger target audience and leads into the rest of the film. In other scenes, I have conformed to the conventions of the genre suggestion such as when the killer pulls out a knife outside the party to signify that this is a crime thriller. When the knife is pulled out, this is a really tense part of the opening because it suggests that something bad will happen. Other parts of the opening that gives suggestion to the genre is the use of lighting when the killer is on the scene, the mood music when the killer arrives and the fast paced camera edits. All of these factors contribute to engaging the audience through the tension that is built and also, it portrays the genre of the film to attract the right audience. Similarly in the film 'Goodfellas,' the genre of the film is also established due to different factors but is clear when the knife is pulled out by one of the gangsters when he stabs the victim in the back of the car. This makes it clear to the audience about the genre of the film but also sets up the storyline for the rest of the film.
Finally, the last convention of opening sequences that I conformed to was the use of camera. Throughout the opening sequence of my film, I used different camera shots in order to have a different effect. For example, I used medium shots to establish the party scene and main character, tracking shots to follow the killer and also close-ups such as the phone scene (seen in the screen shot on the right). When filming the text message Ellie receives from another girl about someone following her, I used a close-up shot to show the phone so that the text message is clear. If I had used a medium shot or over the shoulder shot to show the phone, the audience might struggle to read the message (a pivotal moment in the opening sequence) and could lose the plot of the story. Another feature of the camerawork that I chose was to use a focus pull on the text message. I felt that this would be a good way to help the target audience to understand how Ellie is feeling. As she is at a party drinking, she would be getting more and more drunk. Therefore, the focus pull almost shows the perspective of Ellie because the blur suggests that the character is feeling dizzy and faint, making her more vulnerable. As the target audience for this film is a similar age to the character of Ellie, they might be able to relate to her situation and empathise with her. When the text message does come into focus, this makes the text stand out which is important as it is the start of the build up in tension in the scene.
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