The Holiday opening scene analysis

The first sign of romance in the film is a clip of a man and women kissing, the women is in a white dress which connoted being a virgin, this connotation was used sometimes in very traditional romance film but not normally used in this day in age. The area they are standing is very attractive; this type of scenery is used a lot in romance films. Focus pull is then used when the couple are kissing with shallow focus on the background this is done so you focus on the characters rather than the nice back drop. Behind the scene of the couple some non-diegetic music is played which sounds heart warming this type of music is stereo-typically in romance films. After the scene has been on for a couple of seconds you notice its someone working on the film we know this because they zoom out and show someone playing the music through the piano, this gives the audience the occupations of the character and some extra information. Due to the strong stereo-types used in the clip of the couple it gives the impression that the actual film may not be a very conventional romance film.

Another non-diegetic sound is used quickly after the music stops however this time its dialogue of a women discussing love .This is gives us the idea that the film is based round her love life. Non-diegetic dialogue is used regularly in romance films and all ways seem to be  women moaning about how they have no love life, then suddenly they end up falling in love with their dream man. The dialogue starts when the camera is focusing on man, this gives us the idea these two people will somehow end up together. However a woman is introduced who kisses the man yet the man seems to be more interested in her than she does towards him, this gives the audience the idea that their romance may end soon. This is also shown through the appearance of the two people, the women is stereo typically pretty however the man isn't very attractive. Due to the accent of the women speaking in the background it suggests the film will be set in England.

Titles start coming up on the screen in a very simple text and colour this type is normally used when the audience of the film are teenagers and adults. The titles will entice and excite the audience because it tells the audience that there are some very famous actors and actresses in it, such as Kate Winslet and Jude Law two very famous actors/actresses in the UK. 

Juxtaposition is then used between the very happy looking couple to  the couple who look like they have fallen out of love. In the same scene you can see Christmas lights in the street; the Christmas season is very conventional for romance films because it’s a magical time of the year when family and friends meet up. The couple are sitting in a car and the light is very dark this mirrors what their relationship is like. The camera then zooms out to the outside of the car to show a long shot of the town. The car they are in  is a black Porsche, this shows that they are very wealthy.

Juxtaposition is used a lot in the opening because they are using examples of different types of relationship. A man who looks as if he could be old due to the use of a walking stick appears we don't get to see to his face because they zoom into an old photo of a women, they haven't showed his face at this point so you are just focusing on and thinking about the photo frame, the camera then shows his face which reveals that the women could be his late wife.

A shot of the back of a womens head is shown; this adds suspense because the audience will want to know who she is. The use of slow zooming adds sympathy towards the character. The antagonist is revealed when a shot of a man is shown and the un-identified women is talking about how she loves a man who doesn't love her back, the women which we see at the computer is looking straight at him so we suspect she is the person speaking in the background.

The use of shallow focus on the crowd is used so the audience keep our focus on the main character while the camera pans the room. Long editing/takes are also used throughout the clip to add dramatic effect.

Conventions and Stereo types of romantic comedies

Character
The three main characters in a romance film's are the two love interests and an irritating, interfering character who adds a comedic factor to the film. A stereo type of the love interests is that neither of them like each other when they are introduced,this normally turns into a passionate fight which ends up with the love interests sleeping together.At this point they realise they actually like each other. The women is normally a strong, powerful character with a very good job , this makes her controlling and the reason why the man normally dislikes her at the beginning.The Man is normally very similar , this is why they seem to clash because they are both very dominant.The interfering character is normally a friend or mother of one of the love interests, normally if its a mum she is pushy and if its a friends normally they give some ridiculous advice which ends up going terribly wrong.

Location
Due to romance films doing well in the film industry quiet a lot of the time the stories are set in a famous city such as New York or London because people would rather watch something where they know its set because they can relate to it more.

Sound
non-diegetic sound isn't used as regularly in romance films due to music normally being used to add tension, however if it is used it normally classical to sounds sensitive and sympathetic if  some one is heart broken etc.

Costume
Costumes in romance films are normally ordinary clothes because its supposed to be as relate-able and mundane as possible to the audience, if they had dramatic clothing people wouldn't find it as realistic. This means that the budget for the films are normally very low because there isn't much use of special effects.

Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull & raiders of the lost ark opening scene analysis

Kingdom of the crystal skull
the first shot is an establishing / long shot , this introduces the location to the audience.
Right at the beginning there is some very tense non-diegetic music which makes the audience think something serious is about to happen but after a couple of second it turns into a very famous catching song "hound dog" by Elvis Presley , this gets the audience in a good mood.We then see a car drive past the camera , this helps the audience work out the period of time the movie was set in, the 20's.

The title for the film start appearing on the screen with one of them saying "A Steven Spielberg film" he is a very well known and respected director so this would excite the audience. Then Harrison ford's name comes up this will also excite the audience because he is very famous, so this would let the viewers know its going to be a good film.The titles were in a very plain font and were in black and white, this makes it look sophisticated and shows the viewer age range of of 15-24.

Another type of car appears in the first , this time its military truck this is a connotation of an action adventure film.Inside the truck is a black figure holding a gun this gives the audience an enigma.The military and the other car which appears earlier on are driving next to each other , at this point you realise the size difference .The military truck is much bigger showing the idea of their importance and power over the other characters.

They also use a high angle shot looking down at the other car , this makes the military look intimidating.The cars then have a race , this is a connotation of the action genre, this tells us in the first couple of minutes what genre of film this is.Apart from this shot not many shot types and angles were used the majority of the time there were long shots.

Raiders of the lost ark
The use of the establishing shot sets the scene and location.A dark figure appears wearing what looks like a safari hat this is a connotation of an adventure film, this makes the audience wonder who he is , enigma? A point of view shot is used this make it look like someone is watching them.The setting is in a jungle which is quite dark then a bright light appears through the trees this adds a sense of mystery and beauty.

Titles come up with the location and date in a simple font , this informs the viewers where and when it was set.

When the film starts getting more tense  and interesting ,close-up shots are used much more often to show the emotions of each character.A piece of paper is revealed which looks like a map, this is a connotation of an adventure film.

deep, slow non-diegetic music starts to add tension however when the unknown character is revealed in the light the music changes to show his superiority. and his significance to the film. 

One of the characters tries to kill the mystery man , the trigger noise is emphasised to show that man can hear it.The unknown character then whips the man with a rope with the diegetic sound emphasised.

Differences	Similarities
Different type of locations – one is on a road the other is in the jungle	Use of an establishing/long shot at the beginning to set the scene.
No sign of antagonist in the opening scene in the kingdom of the lost crystal skull whereas in the raiders of the lost ark he is un-veiled at the end of the opening scene.	Both Use dark figures to add a sense of mystery and to create an enigmas.
In the KOTLCS  the time period seems to be hinted at much earlier than the TROTLA.	Both use long editing for the majority of the time.
The type of music is a lot different, one is jolly and the other is tense.	Both use titles to excite the viewers with famous directors and actors.
	Both use non-diegetic music

Conventions and stereo types of action/adventure films

Characters
A lead role  played by a man who comes across as fearless and ends up being a hero. A lot of the time the protagonist is an unknown person who is covered up my a mask so there real identity isn't open to the public, this normally shows that he is modest and shy . Another type of character who is in a lot of action films is a damsel who has been saved by the protagonist.Stereo type of damsels are blonde , beautiful women that are sometimes foreign.The characters then end up falling in love which normally causes a villain to abduct the damsel to get its own back.Stereo type which go with antagonist are  foreigners, having dark hair and been humiliated or dis-honoured making him turn into a vial person.The dark hair is normally portrayed because blonde hair is a connotation of  some one who is good looking. Having a foreign accent also comes across as scary.

A lot of the time vehicles are used this is normally to show of the wealth of each character and do cool tricks such as driving fast, skidding and jumping between one roof to another.The majority of the time the cars used are very expensive and black ,this is because black connotes wealth and power.Weapons such as guns and knives are used regularly however in films such as Indiana Jones they use ropes due to the time period the film was set in. A lot of the time these things cause explosions and crashes.

Setting

In tons of newer movies a lot of the film are set in a very famous city such as London or New York where the chaos of the setting mirrors the fight between the protagonist and antagonist. However sometimes they are set in a rural/exotic areas such as desserts or jungles were the setting is very interesting to watch for the audience.

One of the most famous connotations of action adventure films are that the hero always win normally by killing the villain or getting him in prison.

Sound

The non-diegetic sound in action adventure films are usually very slow and low to add tensions ,quite a lot of the time the music gets louder and faster as the music is on to show that something big is going to happen.The editing will also be very quick to also add tension to the scene, this may also conclude in very long shots to emphasise the choice of quick short shots.

Audience

On average this genre is most popular with Boys/Men with the age of 12-25 year old. This is normally due to the violence this may also help with escapism of their real lives. 

Genre Types

Thriller: a dramatic story punctuated with action, adventure, and suspense

Tragedy: a story with a catastrophic and/or unfortunate outcome

Science fiction: stories focusing on how science and technology affect individuals and civilization
Parody: a story mocking the pretensions or weaknesses of a particular author,
style, or genre
Romance: a love story; also a tale taking place in a distant time and place and involving adventure with often supernatural or mysterious elements
Romantic comedy: a lighthearted story detailing a romance and its complications
 Crime fiction: stories based on the commission and/or investigation of wrongdoing

 Detective fiction: stories in which the protagonist investigates a crime

 Epic: originally a long poem celebrating the exploits of a factual or fictitious hero, but now applied to prose works on the same theme as well

 Epistolary fiction: stories constructed as a series of letters exchanged between characters

 Fantasy fiction: stories involving imaginary beings in the real world or in an alternate reality and assuming suspension of disbelief about magic and/or supernatural powers

 Fictional autobiography: a story purporting to be a first-person account of someone’s life

 Fictional biography: a story structured to resemble a factual life story
Comedy: a story with elements and situations intended to amuse

Comedy-drama: a story with both humorous and serious elements
 Adventure fiction: stories in which characters are involved in dangerous and/or exhilarating exploits

Our preliminary task was to film and edit a short scene involving match on action and dialogue, whilst following the 180 degree rule. Overall, as a group we are pleased with our first attempt however there are a few aspects we need to work on for our final opening two minutes. In order to follow continuity, Eve’s hair needed to stay the same the whole way through,it started with all of it behind her but does not finish in this way. Although it is not that noticeable, it is something we will keep in mind as it breaks the continuity and makes it seem less realistic. Another focus point would be the angle in which we film from. Although the close up shot on the door handle is effective, it jumps slightly from the previous shot, making it less realistic. Looking back, we have realised if we moved lighting to the left, creating a wider angle it would have looked more effective and made more sense as you would have been able to follow what was happening. Again, this is not a major issue as it was still clear what was happening, however to improve it is something we need to look at. Lighting was not something we gave much attention as we didn't have much time, however it worked in our favour as well as against us. The lighting coming in from the side of the blind works effectively as it moves across Eve’s face when she goes to sit down, making it look sophisticated, however once she has sat down, this is not the case. The block of lighting across Eve’s body puts her face in the shadow and her body is the dark which confuses the audience as it has no purpose. The shadow on the floor behind works effectively in setting the scene, however lighting is a main issue we need to focus on and learn more about as it can successfully help us gain certain settings and evoke emotion if used properly. The final point we need to work on was the Mise-en-scene. Although Charlotte was supposed to be a person of authority, her swinging on the chair suggested a childlike manner taking away from the sense of authority the dialogue suggests, however again this is not a main concern just something to take note of.

Research and Planning

Well done Charlotte - a very nice start to your research and planning. You need to evidence your initial ideas and you need to blog more regularly! For your analysis of opening two minutes make sure you comment on the following things to show a broad understanding and appreciation: Target Audience Narrative Characters Use of titles Pace of editing Mise en Scene Camera Composition Use of sound Genre conventions A really good start - you now need to begin to evidence even more detailed planning for your production, which needs to be detailed and thorough.

180 degree rule:
Is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called jumping the line or crossing the line.

Shot reverse shot:Is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

30 Degree rule:Is a basic film editing guild line that states that the camera should moved over 30 degrees between two object otherwise a jump cut occurs. 

Match cutting:Also called a graphic match , is a cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which an object in the two shots graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and linking the two shots metaphorically.

(EXAMPLE OF MATCH ON ACTION)

Practice filming and editing

This is the first video we made as a group.We were given a task to film ourselves asking "what are you doing here?" to practice our filming and editing skills for our preliminary task.There were three people involved in this talk we all took turns recording and being in the video because we got asked to do this task in three different locations then choose our favourite.Me and Laura featured in the video and Eve recorded however we all contributed to ideas.

The first shot we used was a extreme long point of view shot to show the whole character and the setting in the video, this helps the viewer to understand the character and her background. By using the point of view shot it makes it easier for the audience to interact with the a character because she is walking towards them.The camera is based on the other side of the window this shows she is walking into a building.As she walks towards the door we used a an extreme close-up of the girl pressing a button to open the door,This shows added detail and what she is doing,this may also help tell the story.The next shot is a close-up of the character opening the door .After this we are shown a new character in a long shot showing the whole character and a bit of the area around her.After a couple of seconds the shot changed into an over the shoulder shot of the character you met before.This shows that they are having a conversation.

One of the things we decided we would do differently is making it flow better because it comes across as a bit jumpy, this is because we go from one shot to another too quickly.Another thing we would like to change is when people start talking,we found that the speaking came to quickly into the shot, we should of left a small gap between starting to record and speaking.If we could correct these thing our contingency would come across much better. You can also hear the camera and noises around us which weren't supposed to be picked up,this would draw the audience away and looks unprofessional,the same with the sturdiness of the camera,however in the real thing we will have equipment such as tripods to keep it more stables and balanced.Lastly when filming should of filmed the girl walk over to the other character sitting down , rather than her just appearing there.

Camera Shots and Angles

Camera Shots

An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting). This is also known as an establishing shot.

A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.

A full shot contains a complete view of the characters. From this shot, viewers can take in the costumes of characters and may also help to demonstrate the relationships between characters.

A mid shot contains the characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. This is also known as a social shot

A close-up contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot.

An extreme close-up  contains one part of a character's face or other object. This technique is quite common in horror films, particularly the example above. This type of shot creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer.

Camera angles

A bird's eye angle  is an angle that looks directly down upon a scene. This angle is often used as an establishing angle, along with an extreme long shot, to establish the setting.

A high angle  is a camera angle that looks down upon a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character.

An eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.

A low angle  is a camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. This can help the responder feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character's point of view.

Another camera angle that you might come across is a Dutch angle.
A Dutch angle is used to demonstrate the confusion of a character. The example above should disorientate you.

Sound terminology

Diegetic sound:

A sound which is made by something shown on or off screen but has been seen by the audience.

For example: the sound of a fast car.

Non-diegetic sound:

A sound which has not been seen on the screen or is incorporated in the film.

For example:A narrator or sound effects

Synchronous sound:Synchronous sounds are those sounds which are synchronized or matched with what is viewed.

For example: If the film portrays a character playing the piano, the sounds of the piano are projected.

Asynchronous sound:Asynchronous sound effects are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen, however works with story line.
For example:Sound of an ambulance's siren while the foreground sound and image portrays an arguing couple.

Sound effects:Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic.

Sound motif: A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, setting, situation or idea through the film. 

Sound bridge: Adding to continuity through sound, by running sound (narration, dialogue or music) from one shot across a cut to another shot to make the action seem uninterrupted.

Voice-over:The term voice-over refers to a production technique where a non-diegetic voice is broadcast live or pre-recorded in radio, television, film, theatre and/or presentation.

Ambient sound:Ambient Sound pertains to the pervading atmosphere of a place.

Children of men opening scene analysis

The first thing we here are two news readers however we don't see them just the audio, this tells us about the story line with out over loading us with information at the beginning.We find out that the youngest person on earth is 18 years old ,this must mean the population is dropping dramatically, this confuses and intrigues the audience at the same time.

The first scene is set  in cafe with a gather of people watching the news on a television , this is when we find out that its 2027, in the future,this tells the audience that its a science fiction film.We meet the main character in this setting , we know he is the main character because he pushes himself through the crowd of people and always stays in the middle of the camera frame.He also comes across as different to everyone else because he doesn't seem to be interested by the news like the rest of the people, this also tells us that he might not be very sensitive because everyone else seems to be upset by the news.

In the cafe you can see police watching the news , this tells us that the news is very serious and it could affect the world.  The camera then follows the man out of the cafe and shows the streets of London with text in the corner stating the date and place.Having the movie set in such a famous city will all of its landmarks will intrigue other countries more because the area is noticeable and  popular around the globe, this will increase the size and diversity of the audience.The diegetic music on the television is peaceful and sad , this tries to makes the audience feel for the people who are upset.

After following the main character we notice that he is putting some kind of alcohol in his drink , this comes across as strange and creates an enigma for the audience, is he stressed? an alcoholic? this makes the viewer want to carry on watching.However the man looks very well dressed and gives us the idea that he is a professional.The camera then pans around the man this could mean he is important.

The streets look very polluted this gives us the idea that earth isn't been looked after and could be part of the story line because its so obviously shown.

suddenly out of no-where the cafe explodes this creates an enigma for the viewers.Through the smoke we see a women who appears to be holding her own arm by the time we realise this the title comes up in big bold letters.

Quantum of Solace opening scene analysis

The first thing we see in the movie is the view of an exotic area in a establishing shot. This tells the audience that it’s going to be adventurous.

The dark shots are similar to the most recent James Bond film, Skyfall. However in sky fall they use the dark to hide the identity of James Bond. They use many conventions of action/spy movies such as car chases, shooting and flashy cars. After knowing there is a chase scene they show a shot of someone’s eyes and the sound of a deep breath, this shows that even bond is apprehensive/nervous, also showing the eyes gets the audience guessing. They also do this in Skyfall , to show James' identity. The car James is in is a black sports car this connotes wealth; they also use black cars in sky fall.

To get the audience excited they use fast pace editing of bond and the villain, this builds tension. After zooming into the road there is fast pace editing of different parts of the car in the dark, this makes the audience wonder who is driving the car, they also show bullets which tells the audience that someone’s going to get killed.


The first part of the car chase is in a tunnel this makes it even more frightening for the audience because there is no way of getting out apart from the end of the tunnel. But the horror doesn't end because when they come out of the tunnel they are basically on the edge of a cliff making it even scarier.

Right at the beginning of the film there is a little sound apart from very quiet dramatic non-diegetic sound to build tension, then suddenly gun shots are going off , by having its so quiet before emphasises the sound of the gun. They use the sound from around them to emphasise how quickly the cars are moving. Also the sound of skidding shows just how fast they are going. I also noticed that the music goes more high pitched when something surprising happens. Mixed in with the dramatic music is the James Bond sound motif making the music very heroic this will excited the audience because the theme tune is so famous and has many connotations.

They use close up of the villain and bond to show that they both are a injured. When Bond knocks the last car off the cliff they use a low angle shot from the car to show that James is more powerful.

The car chase carries onto a building sight which they wouldn't be allowed on this show that both the villain and James are fearless. Not until the end does Bond get his gun to get rid of the last car, this shows that he is very good at his job but also a bit arrogant. This leaves the audience with an enigma because they don’t know who or why these people were chasing James.

The police then get involved this shows that it is getting out of hand.They use subtitles to show what they are saying so the audience can interact with them.

When James starts going into Sienna, Italy the music stops this shows that the new area is much more peaceful. They use a long shot to show this. His car shows a large contrast because he's in a scuffed up car driving through a beautiful city.

(NOTES FROM PLANNING)

The Boy In The Striped Pyjama's opening scene analysis

Just before the the opening credits they show a inspirational quote about children this gives the audience the idea that the story is based on a child."childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." John Betjaman. This quote gives the audience the idea that the main character maybe too adventurous for John Betjaman is very famous British author/poet and was awarded with a CBE this shows that he is very respected.is own good and will get himself into trouble.Also in the opening scene there is a very clear sound of the environment,also its clear where its set.

The credit were set on a dark red background this connotes blood, danger and death, this gives us the idea that death is involved with the story line very much.The colour then expands and shows the Nazi flag , the swastika.This tells us that the story will be based in Germany and its in the era of the 2nd world war, 1930/40's.

In the background there is non-diagetic sound of peaceful/classic music this gives the audience the impression that the story follows a wealthy family because they are connotations of that genre of music.There is also diagetic sound of children playing in the streets making plane sounds with there mouths.They only let the audience here the children , this lets the audience know that they are significant to the film.

They use a high angle long shot to show the area , from this we can see the area looks attractive and expensive. This is also gives us the idea that the main characters might be rich.The camera then follows the children pretending to planes this also shows that they are important to the story line.Because the children are pretending to be planes shows that they were brought up into an environment where they see a lot of aeroplanes which are used in the world war to drop bombs.

The next shot is servant/workers cleaning a very big house, this also tells us that the main character is rich , and from what we have seen one of the children will probably be the main character because they haven't focused very much on other people.The boy at the front of the pack seems to very well dressed , this also reflects what they have shown through the music and servants.After a few shots of cleaners they go back to the streets and show a women getting out of a car ,in a wide shot to show both the car and house, in that era cars were only for the wealthy because they were so expensive and not many could afford them.When there is shot of people cleaning glasses and cutlery they don't show there face,this tells the audience that they are un-relevant or important because they have no identity.

The next shot is soldiers demanding people to get into the back of a truck, it looks as if they could be jews because we know that it was set through the world war.You can see the contrast between the two areas really clearly because the first area looks very wealthy and the jewish area was very poor,dirty and rugid.This shows that the jews were not respected well at all in germany.The diagetic souds is barking and screaming this scares the audience and gives them an idea what the jews were put through.The non-diagetic sounds also goes quieter in that area so we can hear the diagetic sounds clearer and shows that the area isnt calm like the music.

When the camera goes back to the nicer area the music goes back to its original sound to show its more peaceful.They then show the little boys running around again but they do a close-up of one of the boys to show that he is excited and having fun, it also reassures the audience that he is the main charecter.

The boy then stops when he gets to the big house and looks confused and walks in.This tells the audience that something big is going to happen.When the boy starts talking the music stops ,this shows that he is important.When he is talking to his dad there is a high angle shot to show that the dad is important and more superior.The first name that is revealed is Bruno which is the name of the little boy , this shows that he is very important because we know the most about him.

(NOTES FROM PLANNING)