Initial opening scene ideas

In our group we took it in turns to present our initial mood boards to each other. From this we created a collection of similar ideas that were within our mood boards. We then used these common ideas to come up with two initial ideas that we could use for our opening scene.

Idea 1

One theme we shared was parkour. We used this to create a lighthearted action film concept that revolved around two main characters. One mature and well versed in the action lifestyle and the other younger and less so. Originally we thought their connection could be father and son however, we decided on their relationship being brothers as we felt this would be a better dynamic.

Idea 2

Our second idea is very different to the first. We based this on the darker themes present in our mood boards. We started with a simply concept of a girl being chased through a wood or other ominous setting and went from there. An issue with this is it is very cliche and so we will have to research and trial ways in which to move away from the stereotypical thriller, or embrace it and use these ideas tastefully.

Initial Mood Board

Preliminary Task

Story Board

To produce the drawings on our storyboard, members of the group sat in the positions needed to see how it would look. We cut out the center of a piece of paper and held it up to those in the positions in order to see clearly what would be in frame. To decide on a duration we stepped out what the characters would do and timed how long it took. An aspect of the story boarding that we found difficult was ensuring the aspects of our drawings were to scale, and an accurate representation of what would actually be seen.

The edited film

This is the edited video for our preliminary task. One thing that I feel went well was the match on action when opening the locker and getting the folder out as I felt that it ran smoothly. I also liked the areal shot at the end as I felt it was an appropriate way to end the film with a simple fade out transition. I was happy with the continuity of our filming however when the locker is closed I noticed an issue that the other character is missing from her chair behind. Another issue we found was at the beginning of filming, trying to find a location with very little background noise. Finally I think that we could have experimented with non-diegetic music/sounds added in post.

Analyzing the opening scenes of films

We used two separate lines to track the sound and emotion evoked by the openings. For different sound tracks and voice overs separate lines were drawn over and under the main base line. The emotion tracking line has separate screenshots coming off of it to show the events taking place.

Halloween 1978
This opening slowly built suspense through the increasingly dramatic non diegetic music and events occurring in the scenes. The opening scene began with an ordinary suburban house and the background music started slowly with diegetic crickets creating a sense of verisimilitude and a calm atmosphere before causing tension with a section of screechy sound. The tension then built as the music grew and became more sinister. The diegetic sounds also added to the ominous atmosphere such as the knife being pulled out of the draw and the girl screaming. Finally the opening finished with 'Michael?' this questioning tone leaves the viewer on a cliffhanger and prepares them for the rest of the film.

Trainspotting
The opening scene to trainspotting was very fast paced and started with action hooking the watcher instantly. The opening starts with fast beat background music which remains steady throughout the scenes. This steady music mean the viewer can focus on what the voice over is saying and what is happening on the screen. There are also diegetic sounds such as the car screech and shouting. After the fist section of voiceover the music increases in volume just before he contradicts what he has just said and the action on screen decreases as he lies on the floor contesting to the running at the beginning. This makes his declaration of going against the norms stand out and be more dramatic.

Amelie
Finally the opening to Amelie used many different diegetic sounds over the top of a base non diegetic track as well as having a voice over. The pictures on screen were very abstract in themselves but all came together as one.