Title Research: Twister

The film twiste has a total of 3-4 opening title sequences. The 1st sequence is "Warner Bros. and Univerdal Pictures Production". The 2nd sequence is "Amblin Entertainment". The 3rd sequence show the title: Twister. Then the movie begins. They materialize in the eye of the storm, disappearing all at once from the screen, in a dark’n’stormy flourish of meteorological drama. It gives off a 3D effect with the fonts TWISTER. 

Accompanied by ominous music, the tension builds as an ominous cloud looms in the centre of the screen. The movie shows you what it is mainly going to be about as the transition between the title and the pack of land enter view. It reinforces thriller as the film is building up suspense and creating a sense of mystery along with it. The built up tension disappears as the land and farm appears I the background. 

In the end, the sequences are really short so there isnt really anything to grab from the film. The way that the did the effects with the letters came out really great as it gave off a really good 3D effect. It also created a great effect with the clouds and the foreshadow of a storm. At the technology involved was but together really nicely as the crane angle came off finely to show the unique weather and the low angle to the farm showed that something big was going to appear. There was also an great effects and editing with making the weather feel kinda murderous. 

Title Research: Hostage

The film Hostage has a total of 30 opening title sequences. 1st sequence shows "Straus Film Company/ Miramax Film Presents".The 2nd sequence shows "Cheyenne Enterprise Production". 3rd sequence shows "Equity Pictures" etc. 4th sequence shows "Film by Florent Siri". The 5th sequence shows the film title: Hostage. The 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th sequence shows the names of the actors/actresses in the film. The 16th sequence shows the names of those casting. The 17th sequence shows the name of who produced the music. The 18th sequence shows the name of the co-producer. The 19th sequence shows the name of the costume designer. The 20th sequence shows the name of the editor. The 21st sequence shows the name of the production designer. The 22nd and 23rd sequence shows the name of the director of photography. The 24th and 25th sequence shows the name of the executive producers. The 26th and 27th sequence shows the names of the producers. The 28th sequence shows the name of the novelist who wrote the book the film is based on. The 29th sequence showes theme of the one who wrote the screenplay. The 30th sequence shows the name of the director. 

The hostage film seems to do a montage with guns, buildings, and people dressed as soldiers and killers. This also enforces the genre as it brings suspense and crime with the psychological approach. The camera pans across the scene, alternating between wide and close shots, the tension builds, climaxing the opening scene. The only enigma known is that the dad guy is not known. They used editing as a definite skill along with the harmonious editing skills. This targets the audience with high sequence and big acts of action. This film opening is very I  you obvious which most young adults aim for in a movie. 

Title Research: Hard Candy

The film Hard Candy's has a total of 21 opening title sequences.The 1st sequence shows "Lion Gate Film's Present". The 2nd sequence shows "A Vulcan Production". The 3rd Sequence shows "In Association with Launchpad Production". The 4th and 5th sequence shows the main stars Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page. The 6th sequence is the title: Hard Candy. The 7th and 8th sequence showed the names Sandra Oh and Jennifer Holmes. The 9th sequence shows casting: Valerie McCaffrey. The 10th sequence shows the name who created the original score. The 11th sequence shows the name of the digital colorist. The 12th sequence shows the name of the editor

 The 13th sequences shows the name of the production designer. The 14th sequence showes the name of the director of photography. The 15th sequence shows the name of the co-producers. The 16th and 17th sequence shows the names of the executive producers. The 18th and 19th sequence shows the names of the producers. The 20th sequence shows who written the screenplay. The 21 sequence show the name of the Director: David Slade.

The main image shown across the screen is the red box that it overshadowed across the white screen that travels throughout the opening sequence. As it travels across the screen, it uncovers the titles. This opening is very ominous and calm, giving off a freaky vibe. The genre is reinforced by the the way the images appear which gives you a very off feeling and the music being played to deeper that feeling. The film is using a strong visual and abstract style. It also seems to correspond with what may those in the film may be mentally. They use the technology in great perspective. They use the high and wide angle as they create very obscene images. It seems like they are uncovering secrets in horror through the transparency. The editing was clean and went very well with what seems to be animation. The film created a very ominous and unique way of creating an opening title sequence. This whole title is an enigma as you dont exactly know what happens in the films through the different sequences. It seems more like subtle hints. 

Title Research: Dr.No

For the opening title sequence of Dr. No, there was a total of 17 sequences for the opening. The 1st sequence showed who presented the movie(Harry Saltzman and Albert R Broccoli). The 2nd sequence show the title. The 3rd through 6th sequence showed the names of actors who starred in the movie. The 7th sequence showed the name of the director of photography. The 8th sequence showed the name of the production designer. The 9th sequence showed the name of the production manager. The 10th sequence showed the name of who designed the main title. The 11th sequence showed the name of the assistant director, camera operator, continuity, make-up artist, hair stylist, and sound recordings. The 12th sequence showed the names of who did the costumes, set dressing, the dubbing editors, assistant editor, and special effects. The 13th sequence showed the names of those who composed the music and who played the James Bond Theme. The 14th sequence showed the names of who did the screenplay and who the novelist who wrote the book the movie is based on. The 15th slide shows the names of those who produced the film. The 16th shows the name of the director and the 17th sequence shows the title of the film.

The images shown in this film are very eye catching. In the beginning of the film, you seen the zoom of what seems to be a camera with a man in black in view. This already gives off feelings to be the 007 James Bond. When he shoots the gun, and the screen slowly seems to have dripping down. This gave off the feeling of an exciting crime thriller with the music.  After that, circles go across the screen and the title come on with various colors. The retro colors then comes down the screen in blocks.Then the image of silhouette of men and women dancing comes onto the screen. Their bodies are shaded with the retro colors. 3 men with walking sticks are walking in the dark streets. Then finally the title slide once again appears. This title opening gave off the feelings of excitement along with curiosity as with the collision of music and images, it gave an adve for for the senses. 

The opening sequence used the influence of European art to appeal to young Americans. The gun barrel scene showed the audience what was to come while the geometric shapes and designs of the dancing people showed pop art and had the influence of nightlife. The film develops enigma as when it shows murder and guns while also showing the fun nightlife but then shows the images of men walking with walking sticks. This shows confusion as to what is really going to be happening in the film.The technology in the film was used effectively as the transitions were clean with the music and it even showed a sense of combined rhythm. The editing of the the geometric shapes and images was also done varying cleanly. I also like how they edited the people with the retro colors. The editing combined the outset and the colors almost like animation. 

Title Website: watchthetitles.com

Another site I am using for my title research is called watchthetitles.com. This site is give you categories of different title sequences you  an watch and makes getting the genre of the title you want really easy. I am researching the different titles and title sequences so it will be easier to be able to combine my film and titles so they actually make sense. The opening title sequence is important as it eases your audience into the film and have the ability to have some short insight about what the movie may be about. 

This website had helped me as it not only showed me the title sequences but also have small overview of how the film may be and what inspired it. There is also some description of the film and needed data to continue research. 

Title Website: artofthetitle.com

One of the sites I had used for my title research is called artofthetitle.com. This site showed how the title sequences are portrayed by audience. This site give you a lot of information about how why the title sequence is conformed like that into the film. I am using this site to research my title style and sequence so my film so feel more professional. Title sequence is important in a film for the viewer to be able to slower gain interest in the film.

The website showed me interviews of the directors and people in the film. The interviews talked about why the title sequence was created like that and why it may intrigue the audience. This was very interesting to me to view and understand. 

It was easy to use this site as the genres and movie were easy to search. It also shows what are the best title sequences and why. 

Genre Research: Inception

The movie that I had watched was Inception filmed by Christopher Nolan. I had  already watched this movie many times. It is categorized as a thriller and science fiction. This movie is about Dom Cobb is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of corporate espionage but has also cost him everything he loves. Cobb gets a chance at redemption when he is offered a seemingly impossible task to plant an idea in someone's mind. If he succeeds, it will be the perfect crime, but a dangerous enemy anticipates Cobb's every move.

Suits worn by characters suggests high status and power in the dream world, as they have control. Dom's layered clothing shows the many layers he has a person, including the deeper issues that he keeps within.

Fake blood used to enforce ideas around
realism when characters suffer bullet wounds.Dom's clothing becomes more casual rather than smart as his issues are presented, symbolising who he is becoming more vulnerable. High key lighting used on beach, implies idea they are in a dream. Lighting becomes less refined and

perfect when characters are in the real
world. Higher lighting shows when Dom is

remising and having a flashback of happy
memories(wife and children). The props are the the totem and Dream machine that shows the significance between reality and their dream world. Setting implies idea of Asia, using semiology of dragons and architecture. France because of the pastries and the architectural style.Similar elements cross between dream world and fantasy world.

During the first layer of the dream, we see a high angle being used on Saito. The use of the high angle conveys his vulnerability and weakness as he has been shot in the chest. Later on a high angle shot later to convey the height in which the van is falling in the first dream layer. The use of this angle creates a dynamic appearance to the audience as they watch the van fall into the water.During the visit to Limbo with Cobbs and Ariadne, we get a view of how Limbo looks like, this is conveyed through the use of a wide shot, showing the creations which have been made by Cobb and Mal during their time at limbo. In the end of the film, an extreme close up on Cobb's to convey a sense of confusion as he opens his eyes from his dream. The view of Cobb's children is being used at a low angle creating a sense of distance between Cobb and his children in the scene. There was a tracking shot of Cobbs on the run.

Genre Research: American Psycho

The movie I am writing about is American Psycho by Mary Harron and Morgan J. Freeman. This one of the many movies that i actually watched growing up. This movie is about Patrick Batesman who is a wealthy, well educated 27 year old. The thing about him is that he lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. He hides his psychopathic ego from his co-workers, friends and family. Soon it begins to unravel as the next victim become Paul Allen. Soon Patrick Bateman is going to hot rock bottom with his OCD thoughts of murder. 

The costume was Patrick's usual suite and tie that never seems to change as much. 

In the living room the lighting is soft but bright. In the bathroom, the lighting is dark and weary when he enters.The makeup being used was the fake blood on Allen and cuts.

The prop was the knife that Patrick Batesman used to kill Allen at the time. This scene is set in Patrick Bateman’s apartment in two places, the living room mainly and the bathroom. In the living room we see that everything is most black and white, the walls and the pictures on it with a sense of OCD as everything is set perfectly. Nothing out of order. On the living room we see that all the furniture is covered with white blankets. In the place where Allen is seated the floor is covered with newspapers as his grave. 

The choices made in this scene are in order to give an insight to the world and mind of both Paul Allen and Patrick Bateman, but especially to Bateman’s distort vision. When deep focus is used is in order to show the background or set which was already explained, this set with straight lines describes Bateman’s personality and also when the both of the characters of the scene are needed to be involved in the actual action, and when shallow focus is used is in order to show that Bateman and his mind are blurry and one doesn’t know what to expect to come out from that fog, one can see him sharply, but not his mind. The extreme close ups are used obviously to emphasize on specific details that the directors wants us to see like Bateman’s face and expressions opening a window to his mind or Allen’s body to shows that he is for sure dead, or the pills case shot to let the audience know that Patrick is under a pill treatment. The other shot are used depending on the importance of Allen to appear on the shot or not, because when Bateman is making the most insightful pint of his speech is not necessary to see Allen. An finally the angles used are very obvious, mostly high angles for Paul to make the audience feel that he is weak and fragile and low angles for Bateman to show his authority and power.

Genre Research:Dirty Harry

The movie I am writing about is Dirty Harry (1971)by Don Siegal. This movie is about San Francisco being under threat by a terrorizing sniper called "Scorpio Killer". At this time an Inspector of the San Francisco Police Department Called "Dirty" Harry Callahan. He isn't one to play with criminals is called to this case to stop the "Scorpio Killer". Harry Callahan is put to the test. He is put ina game of cat and mouse until he can finally apprehend the sniper. He breaks the rules just to get the sniper in jail. 

In this movie, the costume that the protagonist wears is a burgundy vest, brown blazer, brown dress pants, maroon neck tie, white dress shirt, and and a gun(airsoft). This is the usual outfit of the character dirty harry in the movie so I guess that that is the main costume. The lighting is bright and shows all the action and everything being done in the film. The lighting did go dim for the big fright the bring out the characters a little more to fit the mood. There was a lot of action being done in the movie along with the suspense. The actors were very hardcore and each shows a well balanced story to themselves. The makeup being done was with the scrapes that Harry Callahan were given in the runs and dangers in the movie. The main  prop was the gun in the movie along with the badge. The setting for this movie was San Francisco, California and the police department.

The camera angle being used was the close up of the police badge. There was also a pan scene of the San Francisco Golden Bridge. The scene when he had a gun pointed towards him was an over the shoulder shot with variations. They had changed location as they filmed that part of the scene. Then the camera angle is behind the shooters head, this is called a point of view shoot. The frame shows us the built up area as well as overlooking the penthouse pool. However the most effective way in which setting was established, is in this scene when Dirty Harry is approaching the building were the shoot was fired from. Instead of showing the long tedious journey in the elevator or up stairs, the camera pans from the bottom of the building to the top. Giving a view of the large building whilst giving the impression that he’s traveled to the top, this allows the scene to involve more relevant detail once he arrives at the top.

Genre Research: Psycho

The movie I am writing about is Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. This movie is about Marion Crane, a female office worker in Pheonix, Arizona who want to be with her lover. She cannot be with her lover, Sam Loomis, due to the fact that he cannot get married during to the fact that he already has to put a large amount of money towards his alimony. One day, Marion's employer asks her to take forty thousand dollars to the bank to deposit. Marion instead decided to keep the money, determined to start a new life with Sam and away from her troubles in California. When night comes, Marion turns off the main highway due to the obscure road. Due to being tired mental and physically from her crime, Marion decides it would be good to go to the Bates Motel that was hidden and far. There she meets Norman Bates, a weird man who is tortured by his his invalid mother in the hotel. As he sees Marion, he begins to have peculiar thoughts and this begins to show as he makes her dinner while she shower. This is when the real thrill begins. 

Beside the regular suit the Norman Bates wear as the motel manager. When he went to kill Marion, he wore his mother's clothing. He wanted to make sure that if she survived then she wouldn't know or think he murdered her.The lighting was bright for the murder scene and in the beginning. There were times when the lighting changed to shadow Norman Bates.The acting was Marion thinking that she was going to get away from her troubles only to get murdered in a almost empty motel. While Norman Bates his creepiness and his dark side through his planning and murder.The makeup was the the fake blood going down the drain, and the mother. The props were the wheelchair, the dinner, the shower, and the shiny knife.

The setting is mostly in the Bates Hotel although there was her work place, where she met up with sam, and the area where she was on the street. 

At the murder scene of Marion,the shower curtain opened up the camera zooms quickly. Ending at a mid close up of the shadowy figure of Noraman Bates. This science is accompanied with incidental music creating a more frightening scene. The an image of the silhouette creating mystery. A close up shot is used at the scene of Marion in the car. This shows a face full of worry and concerns of being caught. This shot exposes her feeling making the audience uneasy.  The high angle shot of Marion in the bathroom with the stolen money shows vulnerability and that her actions have consequence. Throughout the movie there had been momments of incidental music to create tension in the scenes. 

Horror and Thriller Genres

The two themes that I aimed to dive into are horror and thriller. Horror is defined by speculative fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, disgust, or startle its readers by inducing feelings of horror and terror. 

Horror has mainly blood and gore with careless actions of violence. Horror has been one of my favorite genres. It shows fears while making the audience still give off feelings of anticipation.Thriller is defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. A thriller genre could be from a true story and what could have really happened. Thriller is more psychological. It requires more thought and explanation as to what happens within the film. Some of the camera angles and shots best know in horror and thriller movies are high angles to give a sense of vulnerability, close up's to show the most emotion, and reverse shots to build up suspense along with tracking shots. 

Thriller is a genre that can fall into any other subgenres which makes it really flexible.

For horror, there are no needed costumes for this genre. Usually the characters clothes are torn and bathed in blood. The lighting is commonly put into a silhouette lighting, harsh lighting, and dark. The reason is to and to make the audience feel suspense and tension throughout the piece. During thriller films, low key lighting is most commonly used.The actions in horror movies is the usual cheap scares, surprise murder scenes, and the protagonist hiding from the killer in obvious places. The make-up would be white or pale skin, and under eyes. There would fake blood and stitches over the body. The props would be a baby carriage, video cameras, and torture devices. The setting would be in the usual abandoned house, orphanage, or institution. 

Thriller movies sometimes have the same aesthetic as horror movies. For costumes, there are no known costumes for thriller. Thriller I think focuses more on the mindset in the ongoing scenes. The standard action in thriller movies is that the protagonist is a tall, deadly man, the man the protagonist goes against is a almost villain, and there is a showdown of the sort. However there is various of types of thriller movies so this isnt the all the time action being taken. There is no need of makeup in a thriller movie unlike a horror movie. There could be but it not common in every movie. The props that are commonly known is the shiney knife, white unstained curtain, and the fake blood slowly dripping from the walls. The setting can be anything in today's reality. 

Thriller Opening Sequence

My opening sequence will be a thriller. The reason is because the ghost will not be fully appearing into the movie until the later scenes. I had planned to make the movie more psychological in the beginning to get the viewers more intrigued and into the movie. Thrillers can also conclude suspense and action while still having that needed tension for the movie. It will also be easier to produce if I go with the correct pitch. This genre would be able to give me a way to cut the movie perfectly while still being able to make the audience want more. Thriller is also a genre that has it's own guidelines that could fit and be combined with other genres as a subgenre for movies.

Musical Genre Project

 Back in September, my classmates and I researched genres. We were assigned the musical genre. As you can see below, we created a Musical Genre PowerPoint Presentation. The first slide is our title page with the group members I worked with. The next slide defines musicals, a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. Then, the common types of lighting, such as Spotlights, PAR lights, and Strip lights. Next slide is the common camera angles and shots, Tracking shots, Overhead shots, and Long sequence shots. Following this slide is the common movements, sonata form to a rollicking finale. Then, the common Mis En Scene for musical genres. The next slide are the common elements of musicals including, Timbre, Pitch, and Texture. After that, the different examples of musicals like "Heather's: The Musical". Then, the characteristics of common sounds such as Pitch, Loudness, and Wave forms. The second to last slide is our positive opinions of musicals. The last slide is our opinions of the negative elements to musicals.

Continuing the Pitches

I will be keeping my second and  pitch. I feel as though they seemed better than the first pitch. With the first pitch I didn't really know I would be able to finish it off so it seemed better to just leave it alone. I feel comfortable with these films as I feel like I would have the ability to pull them off. They also seem more worthwhile if we are thinking of viewership. The second pitch seems like a mystery that people will like and also question. The third pitch is a film of where the protagonist is not the winner of the battle. This will go against the regular convections of a type of heroic movie that people go for. I knew I would be able to pull off both the second and third ones as can handle their synthetics. Most of the movies I watch come down to these so I thought it would be better to do freely.

I am keeping my second pitch as it will give the viewer more anticipation. As I am going to insert it into the thriller and gore genre. It was provide more of a desire to be watched. It has a hint of mystery to be able to able to make the viewer a little bit more curious about the film. The events happening in the film is that a couple decides to enter the woods. They were planning to go to a cabin but got lost. Soon the car just stops and they are left in the woods at night. Soon there's a shadow that hovers over them through the window. The car begins to shake and next minute, they are dead. They are found and there is an investigation for the culprit. In the end the culprit was the policeman. 

The third pitch was to also show paranormal activity inside a haunted house. It would be inserted into the thriller genre. This would would make the viewer stay into their toes in a good way. The film would be about a young lady buying a home for herself. As she continues to live this home, she feels as though shes not the only one who is living there. As time goes by she starts to feel off and keeps waking up at 3:00 in the morning. She is determined to find the reason why but in her head, she already knows. The ghost finally decides to possess her but loses and now the girl is trying to get rid rid of the ghost. The ghost doesn't want to leave and starts to haunt her. Finally the girl dies and the house goes back on sale like she never existed.

Intoduction and Pitches

I am a student working on various projects in my media class. For this project I will be working with no one. I have a tight schedule as a student and I felt like I would have better control of the project if I do it on my own on the class. I wouldn't want anything to be delay while filming in a group. This project will need a lot of research to be able to continue. I will be doing for the background research before I am able to film it. In media, I mostly like to be the director and edit my film. The reason is because it gives me the ability to shape the film how I want it and put added opinions in to my liking. I love watching movies and reading books that feel original and real. One day I will also love to be able to create a whole movie of a horror and gore genre.

I have learned to many throughout being in my media class. I found out how to edit film and to actually have my ideas for films into real life. Filming the scenes in the films encouraged me to want to create and develop stories as a hobby. It also helped me be able to film steadily instead if hurrying the scenes. Experimenting with my film have made me be able to create different scenarios. Using the film and have my film show different emotions than just creating something unorganized. I also learned how to make the filming more organized when transitioning/dumping the raw footage. form the camera onto my computer. Making storyboards have also made filming more easy and simple to me. They have made filming go more smoothly when you actually look at them after filming your scenes.

My first pitch idea was when a girl who was walking home gets in a car crash but lost her memory and was on hunt to find out what really happened. The movie will be a journey with her trying to find her memory through many desperate scenarios. My second pitch idea was where a couple goes into the woods to do something exciting but something appears in the the background and murders them in suspense. This film will be the when there is an investigation of what really happened to the couple in the woods. My third pitch idea was was a female who bought an apartment to live in alone. As she continues to live in the house, she feels as though shes not the only one in the house. I am thinking of ghost and supernatural type of film if I do go with this pitch. I didn't want to do a comedy and I want to film something that would make the audience want more. In these films I want to have extras. There will also be additional props and and makeup. I there won't be any big possibility of costumes.